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By R. K. Collings

The annual production of mineral and mineral-based wastes in Canada is conservatively estimated to be 400 million tons. Over 90 per cent of this amount is waste rock or mill tailings from the mining and mineral processing industry. The remainder are slags and ashes from the metallurgical industry, and sludges from the chemical industry. Because of impurity content, remote location, or both, most wastes have limited usefulness and, indeed, are a liability in that they must be transported to waste disposal sites and contained therein. Certain mineral wastes do, however, have potential value. Some contain small percentages of metals that may be economically recoverable with price increases; others consist of mineral material that may be used for such purposes as road base, construction aggregate, railroad ballast, and in the manufacture of bricks or blocks. Increased interest has been shown in mineral wastes in recent years. This paper reviews the types of mineral wastes available in Canada, briefly describes a number that have potential value, and notes possible uses and related research by CANMET and other organizations.

Jan 1, 1978

By D. Stüben, G. P. Glasby

"Abstract - Shallow submarine hydrothermal fluids from Paleohori Bay off the Greek Island of Milos have been investigated in detail. The extensive gas and warm (max. 93°C) water vents are enriched in major components such as C1-, Na+, Si, Ca2+, Mn, PO4 3-, NH4 +, K+, Sr2+, H2S and CH4 and depleted in Mg2+, O2 and SO4 2- relative to ambient seawater. Based on zero-Mg calculations, it is deduced that the submarine vent fluids are related to the geothermal reservoir beneath Milos which has a similar chemical composition. Fluid samples from each vent in Paleohori Bay represent a mixture of hydrothermal end-member fluids derived from the upper and deeper geothermal reservoir systems of Milos, a mantle-derived source, a high-chloride fluid resulting from phase separation of geo thermal fluids and a steam-heated CO2-rich meteoric water. Résumé - À l’île de Milos dans la mer d’Égée, des fluides sous-marins hydrothermaux en eau profonde ont été récherchés en détail près de la baie de Paleohori. Les larges émanations de gaz et d’eau chaude (temperature maximale: 93°C) sont enrichies en constituants principaux tels que de Cl-, Na+, Si, Ca2+, Mn, PO4 3-, NH4+, K+, Si, Sr2+, H2S et CH4 et appauvries en Mg2+, O2, SO4 2- comparé à l’eau de mer environnante. Selon le calcul du zéro-Mg, nous en déduisons que les fluides sous-marins hydrothermaux sont dérivés du réservoir géothermal sous l’île de Milos car leur composition chimique est la même. Les prélèvements des fluides de chaque source hydrothermale représentent un mélange de fluides hydrothermaux dérivés des réservoirs géothermaux supérieur et inférieur, d’une source dérivée du manteau, d’un fluide très enrichi en chlorure produit par la séparation des phases et de l’eau météorique enrichie en CO2 et chauffée par la vapeur."

Jan 1, 1999

By M. Kunst

The creep behavior of three AJ62 alloys was investigated in a wide range of stresses and temperatures. Multi-level tensile creep tests revealed a distinct primary creep stage and a high stress exponent up to a value of 10. The threshold stress concept which is commonly used in combination with high stress exponents was utilized in the analysis of creep behaviour. This resulted in an effective stress exponent for the AJ alloys indi¬cating dislocation climb as the dominating creep mechanism. In addition, microstructural observations of the lamellar eutectic and of the a-Mg-matrix were carried out using opti¬cal microscopy, SEM and TEM. The creep properties of the alloys are discussed in the context of microstructural parameters such as phase volume-fraction, stability and solute supersaturation.

Jan 1, 2006

By T. W. Wlodek

"AbstractSatisfactory mine drilling operations depend on the good performance of the drilling machine, and of what may be called the drill set, i.e., the following four elements: bit, attachment, drill rod, and shank end. The field performances of these four elements in the drill set are analysed and their service lives are compared. The most .common causes of service failure are reviewed and possibilities of increasing service life are discussed.The laboratory methods now employed for the simulated service testing of tungsten carbide bits, conical push-on and threaded .types of attachments, drill rods, and shank ends are described, and some results are discussed. The objectives of the research programme now being carried out •on the above mentioned elements are outlined.A number of mines in British Columbia, northern Ontario, and northern Quebec have been visited, and, with the co-operation of the C.I.M. Branches in these areas, meetings with representatives of the mining and steel industries concerned have been held. In this paper, the mechanical-metallurgical problems most frequently encountered and discussed during these visits and meetings are described and .analysed.IntroductionSUCCESSFUL mine drill operations depend to a great extent on• the satisfactory field performance of the four elements which form the mining drill set, shown diagrammatically in Figure 1.These important elements are:1. -The bit, which may be one of the following types:(a) Detachable tungsten carbide bit( b) Inserted rod bit, so called chisel bit( c) Detachable steel bit( d) Solid rod bit"

Jan 1, 1952

By S. Hopkins, J. Nolan, S. Gillis

"Cast in place concrete shaft linings have been used in many salt and potash shafts sunk in North America over the last 100 years. A large number of these shafts have exceeded their initial design lives and as producers look to extend the life of their operational assets, maintenance costs and shaft downtime will, in many cases, continue to rise unless repair work is undertaken. Successfully implementing concrete liner repair schemes in operating salt and potash shafts is complicated due to their age, environment and time constraints during inspection, detailed design and construction. This paper outlines a general approach to the repair of concrete-lined portions of these shafts, based on lessons learned from the authors’ involvement in a recent repair project. INTRODUCTION Prior to the recent boom in potash mine construction many of North America’s potash mine shafts were entering their sixth continuous decade of production (Table 1). Of North America’s salt mines, one has been in continuous production, for nearly nine decades.As would be expected, considering the environment in which these liners operate and the age of the material, the concrete-lined sections of the shafts outlined in Table 1 have been noted by the authors to have lost both cross-sectional thickness and strength over time. Since construction, three principal factors have contributed to this loss in section/strength; (1) physical degradation (impact, freeze/thaw or rebar expansion), (2) chemical degradation from brine/water inflows (Neville 1969; Bothwell, 1972) and (3) overstressing of the liner. These factors may act in combination, in which case they can produce more significant distress than individually. Physical degradation There are three main causes of physical degradation of concrete shaft liners. The first is impact from falling debris/tools or equipment (whether large or small), which may damage specific sections of concrete lining as they fall through the shaft. Impacts tend to damage infrastructure fixed to the shaft liner more than the liner itself, so damage from this mode of failure is usually localised, for example, where bolts fixing a shaft services bracket to the wall have been pulled away, pulling out the concrete around the bolts with them."

Jan 1, 2019

By V. Ushakov, P. Bogdan

Daily production scheduling in a highly dynamic smelter environment has always been a great challenge for the operation management due to a significant amount of uncertainties. Planned and unexpected equipment failures, various energy outages, inaccuracies in flow and mass balancing, manpower availability conflicts and other constraints make the job of daily production planning exceptionally difficult. This paper discusses a general scheduling approach utilized by the production management of the Phelps Dodge Miami Smelter (the Smelter). It also describes logical assumptions and some practical software solutions that have been exploited by the Smelter managers to assist the front line supervisors in dealing with daily planning activities for several years.

Jan 1, 2007

By Zoë Mullard

Just as a mine has a lifecycle, employees working within the mining sector also make several transitions throughout their career, from initial recruitment to retirement from the industry. Throughout the employment lifecycle, employees bring skills and knowledge that significantly contribute to the global economy. These skills are developed through education, professional training, coaching and through hands-on experience. Despite the current economic conditions and the demand for minerals, the mining industry is facing a substantial skills shortage due to the disparity between the number of new workers entering the mining industry and a largely ?graying workforce?. Although educational programs continue to evolve to attract people with a wide range of skills, the diversity of jobs and the strains of working in remote mining operations continue to present challenges for recruitment and retention of employees. This gap also presents challenges around knowledge transfer at a corporate and mine-site level; employers will require cultural and techno-sociological approaches to ease through these transitions. At the same time, there has been an explosion of social media tools that facilitate information sharing, cross-organizational collaboration, distance learning and knowledge capture. These tools have become increasingly popular in the last few years and their applications vary widely. The mining sector has started to adopt these tools for a number of purposes, including opportunities to harness social media to enhance human resources interactions, outreach and oversight. This paper will outline several case studies that explore leading practices for how the application of new media can assist organizations and individuals as they progress through their careers. This paper will illustrate how new social media communication technologies can be used to increase employee engagement and build organizational capacity in the mining industry. The paper will also include strategies for how to implement social media to enhance human resources applications and will cover ideas for monitoring and evaluation.

Aug 1, 2013

By F. T. Rabbitts

Introduction When the investigation of radioactive ores began at the Mines Branch about five years ago it was at once evident that improved chemical methods for the determination of uranium were essential. The published methods available were time-consuming and insensitive and were lacking in accuracy and precision. It was desirable to obtain methods which would be rapid, sensitive, and accurate. They should also allow for the possible presence of any interfering elements and should be adaptable to routine analysis by technicians. Chemical methods are necessary to provide standard analysed samples for counting and to check analyses by counter methods. Moreover, counter methods cannot be used, and only chemical methods are suitable, when the sample is not in equilibrium, as with weathered minerals and leach residues. As leaching processes are improved, more sensitive chemical methods are required for the increasingly lower content of uranium in the leached residues. When the leaching process reaches the plant stage, speed of analysis becomes more important, without sacrificing accuracy. The purpose of this paper is to describe briefly .the methods used at the Mines Branch for the chemical analysis of uranium in ores. These methods represent the results of investigations by a number of groups in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.

Jan 1, 1952

By Erwin L. Zodrow

"IntroductionThrough an extensive coal sampling project in the Sydney coalfield of Nova Scotia during 1981 - 1984 involving a majority of the mineable coals (Zodrow, 1985, Fig. 1), a sizeable inventory on trace, minor and major metals was established. In this paper, results of studying the inventory are summarized, concentrating mainly on the relationship that exists between metal variations and thickness of coal channel samples (i.e. trends) and on explaining the trends in geochemical and sedimentological terms. As an over-all conclusion the Everglades peat of Florida is proposed as a modern-day analogue to Upper Carboniferous peat swamp development that took place in the Sydney Basin.Data InventoryFor this study 17 channel samples were cut , 8 cm to 14 cm channel width and 8 cm to 10 cm depth, from 10 successive coals which in stratigraphically descending order are as follows: Point Aconi (3), overrider Lloyd Cove (2), Lloyd Cove (2), Stubbart (2), Harbour (4), Backpit (I), Phalen (,I), Shoemaker (1) and McAulay (I), where bracketed values signify the number of channel samples cut from a seam (Zodrow, 1985, Fig. I). Each channel sample was subdivided by 15 em incremental length yielding a total sample size of 137 for analysis. By appropriate modern techniques these samples were analyzed to determine concentration levels for 32 chemical elements and ash content, the average results of which are presented in Table 1.Tests were also made for Pd, Pt, Ga, Nb, Cd, Cs, Sm and W but their concentration levels in many instances hovered on the lower detection limits that were used and on this accounts are excluded from discussion. Ashing, when necessary for the determination of concentration levels, was done for 12 hours at a temperature not exceeding 450°C. Concentration levels for the elements are reported in reference to whole-coal or whole-coal equivalents and discussed on this basis. In the course of the analyses, lower detection limits received careful attention."

Jan 1, 1986

By H. Scott Swinden

"ForewordA symposium on base metal deposits was held in Bathurst, New Brunswick, from June 10-13, 1990, sponsored jointly by the Geological Surveys Branch of the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy, the New Brunswick Prospectors and Developers Association, and the Geology Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum . Papers prepared for the symposuim are being published as a series of articles in the CIM Bulletin. This second paper (the first was by Fyffe, et al., in Vol. 83, No. 938) in the series presents an overview of the paleotectonic settings of massive sulphide deposits in the Dunnage Zone of Newfoundland with emphasis on volcanic geochemistry.ABSTRACTCambrian and Ordovician volcanic sequences of central Newfoundland, which record the history of the Iapetus Ocean, are prolific hosts to volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits. Geochemical, isotopic and geochronological studies show that the vestiges of Iapetus in Newfoundland probably record a complex series of island arcs and back-arc basins that were marginal to, rather than part of, the main ocean basin of Iapetus. The geochemical and isotopic data provide a means of characterizing the tectonic environment of individual volcanic sequences, and allow us to identify a number of distinct tectonic environments in which VMS depositiontook place.Four tectonic environments have been identified as being associated with VMS deposition: (I) back-arc environments hosting VMS deposits include both N-MORB-type ophiolites (e.g. Skidder?) and volcanic sequences with oceanic island (or within plate) tholeiite characteristics (e.g. Great Burnt Lake); (2) primitive arc environments include both supra-subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolites (e.g. Betts Cove, Rambler) and volcanic/epiclastic sequences (e.g. Point Leamington, Duck Pond) and are characterized by abundant arc tholeiites, with lesser refractory lavas and rhyolites; (3) mature arc environments comprise dominantly thick felsic and mafic volcanic piles in the Buchans - Robert's Arm Belt (including the Buchans camp) and are characterized by dominantly calc alkalic basalt and andesite; and (4) continental rift environments occur in the Hermitage Flexure area (e.g. Strickland deposit) and are characterized by dominantly felsic volcanic sequences.Island arc environments are by far the most prolific hosts to VMS deposits. Patterns of VMS distribution in central Newfoundland show that similar tectonic settings may be recorded by very different stratigraphic sequences (e.g. both ophiolites and thick volcanic/ epiclastic sequences may record primitive arc rifting) and emphasize the importance of the rifting in VMS generation, irrespective of the details of the tectonic or stratigraphic setting. The ability to judge the prospectiveness of a volcanic sequence by using whole rock geochemistry to evaluate its tectonic environment may prove useful in area selection at the grassroots exploration level."

Jan 1, 1991

By S. Kariyawasam, R. McNealy

Pipelines are subject to multiple threats often requiring quantification of pipeline risk and engineering evaluation of in-line inspection and other data to effect discovery of conditions defined by the regulation. Public concern and pressure from regulatory bodies are accelerating the need for pipeline operators to formalize and intensify their approach to integrity management. Most operators need a phased approach to progressively adopt the most relevant and needed assessments. The organized and relevant assessment steps need to be introduced according to data available and maturity of the integrity management program. Each refinement to the quantification offers distinct advantages to the user. In this paper, the progressive integrity assessment solutions using quantitative methods are presented. Methodologies for engineering evaluation of integrity in-line inspection data for immediate and future integrity are summarized. Corrosion is used as an example, but the approach is applicable to any time-dependent defect based hazard. Strategies for pipeline integrity management are discussed.

Jan 1, 2005

By L H. Warren

The types of equipment available for generating a plasma have been reviewed. The efficiency and potential of the plasma generating equipment used in performing extractive metallurgical reactions have been determined. A general classification of the reactions that might be per-formed in a plasma has been proposed. Experimental work done on extractive metallurgical plasma reactions, heat transfer between the plasma and solids, and the quench of the products of plasma reaction has been summarized. From the preliminary results it appears that the high-intensity are or the transpiration-cooled anode plasma torch offer the most promising areas for further research. C ONSIDERABLE world-wide research effort is currently being devoted to the development of processing technologies which employ the new high-temperature generating devices that have appeared over the past few years. The plasma flames produced by these devices offer the potential for subjecting materials to any single gas or mixture of gases at temperatures up to 20,000°K. With these conditions available, many reactions in extractive metallurgy,

Jan 1, 1965

By P. D. R. Maltby

This paper describes the background and markets for calcium carbonate and silica sand in Canada, as well as the results of recent test work carried out at the Ontario Research Foundation. Tests on sericite, tremolite, vermiculite, barite and graphite are also mentioned.

Jan 1, 1979

By Frédéric Bélanger, George P. Demopoulos, Pascal Coursol, Thomas Feldmann

"The use of scandium in industrial applications is expected to rise in the coming years, in large part due to the expected adoption of new, clean energy technologies such as solid oxide fuel cells or Sccontaining high strength aluminium alloys. Given that the supply of Sc is currently dominated by only a few countries (Russia and China) other sources for scandium extraction need to be investigated. This paper looks at different options for the recovery of scandium from waste solutions generated during the production of TiO2 pigments via the chloride process route. In particular, a direct solvent extraction (SX) approach and possible options for concentrating scandium before the SX step were investigated. It was found that the presence of Ti during solvent extraction causes severe formation of stable emulsions, which can complicate the successful application. This was particularly a problem after multiple contacts of the organic phase with fresh aqueous phase. On the other hand it was noticed that the presence of certain elements in the solution, e.g., iron, could possibly be utilized to concentrate scandium in a solid precipitate.INTRODUCTIONMany newly developed high-tech products depend on the use of chemical elements that are only produced in very small quantities. This can result in high and fluctuating prices, as can be seen from Figure 1, which may cause substitution with inferior alternatives, if possible at all (Reck & Rotter, 2012; US Dept. of Defense, 2013; Whittaker, 2011). One example is scandium (Sc) a member of the extended rare earth element family. There are only a few scandium ore deposits, but most Sc is produced from the processing of by-products of other metallurgical processes (Melcher & Wilken, 2013). Increasing demand for scandium metal and oxide (Sc2O3, scandia) is coming from its increased use in applications such as ceramic lasers (Li, Ikegami, & Mori, 2005; Rainer et al., 1982), high strength aluminium alloys (Lathabai & Lloyd, 2002) as well as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) (Thijssen, 2011). Especially, the spread of climate friendly SOFC’s, which are a commercial product today (Bloom Energy, 2014), is expected to be a main driver for future Sc2O3 demand. However, the rate of market penetration of this green technology depends on the availability of high purity Sc2O3 (>99.999%), since it specifically contributes to longer life-time and better safety of the SOFC’s (Bloom Energy, 2014; Irvine, Politova, & Kruth, 2005)."

Jan 1, 2016

By K. J. Boser

"Medium Voltage (MV) metal clad switchgear is referred to as the voltage class from 2.4 kV to 38 kV. Technological advances in circuit breaker designs over the last 20 years have given rise to retrofit options in lieu of complete replacement for older outdated circuit breaker technology. This paper examines the four MV breaking techniques that exist in industry and investigates various retrofit versus refurbish options for switchgear modernization and life extension. IntroductionThe life extension and upgrade of medium voltage circuit breakers is becoming an increasingly important issue in today’s modern industrial facilities from both a reliability and safety standpoint. Unscheduled downtime, loss of production, and plant safety issues are just some of the concerns that need to be addressed with aging switchgear. A thorough examination of the available breaking mediums allows an informed decision to be made when the time comes to assess equipment performance. If you look back over the history of medium voltage breakers, you will find that there have been four breaking techniques developed and widely used:• air magnetic;• minimum oil;• vacuum; and• SF6.Many facilities that were constructed 25 to 30 years ago relied on air magnetic or minimum oil circuit breakers in their distribution systems. At the time, these were the only “tried and tested” options and they afforded good service. Since then, however, newer technology has given us the vacuum and SF6 mediums which have both proven their reliability and monopolized the market. All the methods have their particular place in industry and what follows is a summary of the advantages, disadvantages, and chronological development of each breaking technique."

Jan 1, 1998

By C. Edwards

ABSTRACT The versatility and specificity of rare earth elements (REEs) have led to their use in an everincreasing variety of applications in new technologies; consequently, demand for REEs has increased significantly. However, separating REEs safely and effectively is a complex and expensive process. This paper presents a review of REE mineral processing technologies, providing an update on current capabilities in REE mineral processing and REE extraction from the major commercially valuable REEbearing minerals such as bastnaesite, monazite, and xenotime, as well as the ion-absorption type of REE deposits.

Jan 1, 2013

By Thomas M. Ware

"MR. Chairman, our Honourable Minister, Mayor Cole, it is a pleasure for me to come here, and join with you in one of the largest industrial shows ever held in Saskatchewan.It is an honour to be asked to keynote your meeting, to help mark an early chapter of this new industry for Saskatchewan. God has placed in our hands a new resource for His man on earth. This store of potash, 350 million years in the making, offers a vital resource to help man support his advanced intellect for thousands of years. It is a gift so large we must all wonder at its purpose and our responsibilities in serving our fellow man with it.We who are here to plan and implement the development of this essential mineral resource enjoy a great -privilege; and we share a great responsibility -to see that the billions of tons of potash which have waited beneath these prairies for millions of years are widely and wisely used to nourish the earth through future millenniums.To know the true value of potash, to be able to bring forth this re-source from over 3,000 feet deep in the earth, to establish markets and develop its potential worldwide is all part of our great heritage from generations past. So I think it is fitting on this occasion that we reflect for a moment on this heritage, to help us assess the responsibilities of its future development."

Jan 1, 1966

By Bahaa Hussein

Considerable number of methods and procedures has been introduced for trending and progress reporting of engineering, procurement and construction projects. This paper introduces a novel method, designed to augment the set of indices for measuring schedule performance. The concept behind the developed method is to provide early warning by dynamically evaluating the schedule cumulative impact of construction projects. The proposed method is designed to highlight the gradual deterioration in schedule status resulting in a cumulative impact due to the aggregation of small delays encountered during the execution of non-critical activities, and can be used as an add-on utility to existing software systems that perform CPM scheduling. The proposed method is based on a developed formulation for quantification of the Schedule Compression Index, which takes into consideration the remaining project activities durations. The index is developed based on periodic comparisons of ?Current Schedules? and the project ?Baseline Schedule? using the summation of the remaining activities durations. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the application and capabilities of the developed method. It is expected that the developed index together with other schedule performance indices would be of value to decision makers and members of project teams.

Aug 1, 2013

By A. J. Stapleton

"This paper gives a brief description of the occurrence and development of the Needle Mountain mine at Gaspe Copper Mines, Limited and describes the trackless mining equipment used in this highly mechanized underground operation.Maintenance of the trackless equipment is considered in detail, with particular emphasis on scheduling and control, examination and inspection. All maintenance is carried out in an underground garage, and the facilities for maintenance and field repairs are also described. Maintenance costs are given for various units and the figures for different types of loading and haulage units are compared to support the trend toward larger units and the increasing use of rubber-tired loaders."

Jan 1, 1969

By A. M. Richmond

Introduction The apparent commonplace, and prosaic, nature of building-stones, lime, cement, gypsum, and clay products, and many other miscellaneous non-metallic minerals, such as abrasives, barite, diatomite, magnesite, mica, slate, salts, etc., and their everyday appearance and necessary in our lives, has removed much of the glamour, romance, and speculative attractiveness so frequently associated with our gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper mining ventures. However, it will be readily appreciated, with but a brief study of the thirty-five or more non-metallic minerals and products which are mined, prepared, or are known to occur, in British Columbia, that the 'industrial minerals' industry in the Province has an abundance of interesting technical problems, is fraught with speculative possibilities, and, as such, fully deserves much more technical attention than it has hitherro received. The brief notes presented in this paper show, in summary form, the magnitude of the British Columbia industrial and non-metallic mineral industry; outline in synoptically form the principal deposits of non-metallic minerals presently known; and indicate in a general way a few of the possibilities which exist in the Province for the expansion of the industry. For convenience in presentation, the assembled material has been divided into four sections: 1.-Sraristical information 2.-Strucrural non-metallic minerals 3.-Miscellaneous non-metallic minerals 4.-Non-Metallic mineral possibilities in British Columbia 1. -Statistical Information The writer does not propose to dwell at length on the statistical comparisons and deductions which may be drawn from the four tables which have been compiled for this section of the paper, nor is it considered essential, as the figures present a most emphatic story in themselves.

Jan 1, 1935