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By D. Bouchard, J. Langlais, A. Lemieux, N. Andrade

A concerted effort between Akan International Limited and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has been initiated to develop a liquid-based slurrymaking process, dubbed SEED (Swirled Enthalpy Equilibration Device) for semi-solid forming. The technology is presently entering the industrial and commercial stages, and will be used by the first customers at the end of 2006. Semi-solid processing of aluminium alloys offers many advantages in fabricating economically near-net-shape parts of superior quality. The SEED process helps to overcome problems experienced with thixocasting and especially the high cost of feedstock. The SEED process involves two main steps: 1) heat extraction to achieve a desired liquid/solid mixture, and 2) drainage of an excess liquid to produce a self-supporting semi-solid slug that is formed under pressure. The heat transfer plays an important role (enthalpy equilibrium) during the manufacture of the semi-solid slurry and its analysis is briefly described. The semisolid material is obtained using different processing times and initial conditions. The impact on the solid fraction distribution and the morphological evolution of the microstructure is presented. The influence of the SEED processing parameters (slurry preparation) and the resulting mechanical properties for the alloy A356 are also reported.

Jan 1, 2006

By Hyumng Sup Choi

The role of the interfacial electrical 'Condition on the adsorption of col-lectors on mineral surfaces has been studied by electrophoretic mobility and adsorption measurements made on zircon. From the investigation of the electrokinetic properties of zircon, H+ and OH-are seen to act as potential determining ions, thus controlling the electrical nature of this mineral. The isoelectric point of zircon occurs at a pH of approximately 5.0, and it is evident, therefore, that the zircon surface would be positively charged below a pH of 5.0 and negatively charged above this pH. The adsorption of collectors therefore de-pends strongly on the pH of the solution; anionic collectors are adsorbed on positively charged surfaces and cationic collectors on negatively charged surfaces. This, in turn, de-fines the effective flotation condition, with respective collectors, for this mineral. The above results have been correlated with the flotation behaviour obtained by the simplified flotation test using a modified Hallimond tube.

Jan 1, 1963

By M. Choy, A. Kadiayi, E. Magdzinski

"Design of engineering controls to limit occupational noise exposure rely on accurate calculation inputs. Sound in mines can carry considerable distances. Mine ventilation engineers rely on noise propagation calculations to estimate silencer performance criteria for key mine fan installations that are often in proximity to occupied areas of a mine and can remain in service for decades. The blasted and rockbolted walls of hard rock mining tunnels have unique acoustical properties. Underground testing in an operating metal mine in Sudbury, Canada was performed and results processed to characterize noise propagation in mines, with the goal of improving the accuracy of noise calculations.INTRODUCTIONAs mine operators continue to improve and promote workplace safety, addressing noise at fixed infrastructure locations is observed as increasingly common. Underground fans are important to consider in this context, as they are typically loud, in proximity to occupied and sensitive workplaces, and operate nearly continuously. Predicting noise propagation from ventilation fans within underground mines has long been a challenge, with few available resources documenting acoustical properties as calculation inputs. Other factors in addition to rock face absorption properties include tunnel geometry and distance from the fan, which play critical roles in characterizing the noise level at any given point away from the fan. By understanding and establishing methods to better predict noise dissipation along underground mining tunnels, engineers can design noise controls with a greater degree of precision and confidence to effectively protect workers from over exposure to noise.This paper investigates classical methods of predicting reverberant room and direct field noise propagation. These prediction methods are then compared to noise measurements taken within the Fraser Mine of Glencore’s Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (Sudbury INO) Measurements were taken at a depth of ~881 m (2,889 ft), along an ~300 m (984 ft) long blasted hard rock mining tunnel. The noise along the mine tunnel resulted from the intakes of two 900 kW (1,200 hp) ventilation fans with a combined exhaust capacity of 300 m3/s (630,000 cfm)."

Jan 1, 2019

A line of nine self-aspirating W emco cells, part of the Rougher circuit at Division Salvador, Codelco Chile, was retrofitted to allow operation with forced air. Each cell could be operated self-aspirated or with compressed air supplied through a 4-inch line equipped with a mass flow meter. Gas dispersion was characterized for the two modes of operation. Metallurgical performance was compared under self-aspirated conditions and with different gas profiles under forced air conditions. Cell characterization demonstrated that with forced-air the cells could not evenly distribute air across the cell volume. Bubble size increased with gas velocity, as expected, with no difference between self-aspirated and forced-air operation. A systematic increase in bubble size down the bank was found. Cumulative bubble surface area flux down the bank showed no major differences between surveys. However, grade-recovery curves revealed that the highest recoveries were invariably obtained with forced air operation. Plotting concentrate mass recovery vs. enrichment ratio showed that the line performance could be controlled over a wider range when forced air was used.

Jan 1, 2007

By H. A. Kee

In the mining industry, as in other business, one of the more satisfactory results of sincere but cheerful effort lies in the proper completion of undertakings and problems, which, to be successful, must continually hold the interest of all concerned in the work. In most undertakings, genuine interest and satisfaction is largely dependent on the proper appraisal of opportunities presented, and the opportunity to associate ourselves with sinking operations at McIntyre central shaft, from the surface to a depth of 4,133 feet, was genuinely appreciated. This opportunity was made possible by the previous persistent and successful leadership of Mr. J. P. Bickell, President, with the assistance of his associates, and of the general manager, Mr. R.J. Ennis, in the development of the McIntyre Porcupine mine, and I beg to state that any success in this sinking operation was very largely due to the congenial co-operation and splendid workmanship of Captain Martin C. Horne, his shift bosses, leaders, and all those who worked with us . Our slogan throughout was " Safety First for Pleasant and Efficient Workmanship," and this general policy made it possible to sink and timber 2.,123 feet during the first year without a serious accident.

Jan 1, 1928

By A. Singh

Deformation structures after tensile and compression tests on Mg926Zn64Y alloy extruded at 250°C and 400°C are studied, in as-extruded and heat treated conditions. The icosahedral phase particles stimulate recrystallization during extrusion, resulting in fine grain size. Tensile and compression tests at room temperature show comparable yield strength, with a yield asymmetry ratio up to 0.98. c-type dislocations are observed in the grains near the submicron size icosahedral phase particles. The source of these dislocations is believed to be dissociation of <c+a> type non-basal dislocations. No dislocation pile-ups on icosahedral phase particles are found. {10 1 2} type twinning occurs in compression.

Jan 1, 2006

By R. Chen, K. Xia

In deep mining activities, blasting induced compressive stress wave would be reflected as tensile wave at a free surface around the openings, which would facilitate the tensile failure of the deep rock since it is much weaker in tension than in compression. It is thus critical to understand the dynamic tensile failure of rocks subjected to static tension for deep rock engineering applications. A modified split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system is adopted to load Brazilian disc (BD) samples statically, and then exert dynamic load to the sample through stress wave generated by impact. The pulse shaper technique is used to generate a slowly rising stress wave and thus to facilitate the stress equilibrium of samples during each test. Five groups of Laurentian granite (with tensile strength of 12.8 MPa) BD samples under the pretension stress of 0 MPa, 2 MPa, 4 MPa, 8 MPa, and 10 MPa are tested under different loading rates. The result shows that the dynamic tensile strength of the rock decreases with the increase of pre-tension stress, which is easy to understand because pre-tension stress weakens the rock sample. It is also observed that under the same pre-tension stress, the dynamic tensile strength increases with the loading rate, revealing the so-called rate dependency that is common for engineering materials. Furthermore, it is found that the loading rate sensitivity of the rock increases with the increase of pre-tension stress. A qualitative explanation for this phenomenon is that more microcracks are generated and activated under higher pretension stress, resulting in a more viscous material. Based on the results, an empirical equation is proposed to fit the data and explain the dynamic tensile behaviour of rock under pre-tension stress. A physical model is used to simulate the dependency of the dynamic tensile strength of rock on the pre-tension stress and the loading rate, which is shown to be in good agreement with the experimental results.

Jan 1, 2015

By Blair Hrabi

Introduction; ?Risks Associated with the Resource Estimation Process; ?Limitations of Available Data; ?Geological and Structural Control of Mineralization Trends; ?Recognizing Multiple Mineralization Controls and Complex Trends; ?Accurate Geodomaining; ?Conclusions.

May 1, 2013

By M. Sokoto, H. Hata, K. Nishina, K. Haiki

Fluoride ions in zinc electrolyte cause corrosion to aluminum cathode plates at zinc electrowinning process, so we have developed an iron compound as a fluoride ion adsorbent used in zinc sulfate solution. The iron compound is synthesized from FeC13 solution with a small amount of sulfate ion by neutralizing reaction with Na2CO3 solution. The fluoride ions adsorbed on the surface of the iron compound are desorbed in alkaline solution and the iron compound can be reuse as a fluoride ion adsorbent. Moreover, if adsorption capacity of the iron compound decreases, it can be dissolved in HCl solution and re-synthesized.

Jan 1, 2008

By Alim Ullah

Danieli entered into the Direct Reduction (DR) field in order to offer its clients complete turnkey facilities for steelmaking?from processing of raw materials through finished products. The Danarex® Process produces a passivated product, called the Supermetallic (SPM), without hot-briquetting. One of the main features of the Danarex® Process is its ability to produce approximately 50% of the Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) through reduction gas generated in a reformer and another 50% through recycling preheated furnace exit gas. Some other distinguishing features are: separation of carburising and cooling zones and the use of double bustle for better distribution of gas inside the shaft furnace. A pilot plant was set up at Hazen Research, Inc., Golden, CO in order to show that the integrated process works as expected and to obtain process data. The SPM obtained was of a very high quality, evidenced by metallization levels of 92% to 98%. The carbon content could be controlled between 1.5% to 4.0% by varying the operating conditions and approximately 75% of this carbon was present as Fe3C. The product was tested for inertness by Chilworth Technology, England, using UN standard tests and was found to be safe for outdoor storage and transportation.

May 1, 2003

The dissolution of chalcopyrite has received a significant amount of attention. The predominant paradigm of investigation is that its rate of dissolution is limited or passivated by a surface coating or film of material. The common candidates for such a passivating coating are numerous: polysulfide coating, metal deficient layers, copper sulfide coating, bornite layers, jarosite precipitates, and elemental sulfur films. While this line of explanation, that is, the explanation based on passivation, seems to have won some form of consensus with researchers, there is another explanation for the results that can account for all the results observed. Crundwell (1988) proposed that the solid state properties of chalcopyrite, in particular, the semiconducting properties, are responsible for the observed behaviour of chalcopyrite. The purpose of this paper is to outline the semiconductor mechanism of dissolution, and to show how this mechanism accounts for all the observed phenomena recently reported in the literature. The paper outlines the semiconductor mechanism of dissolution, shows how this mechanism accounts for the dissolution

Jan 1, 2014

By G. T. Lapidus, O. J. Solis-Marcial

Currently, ores with high-grades of copper oxides and secondary sulfides have become increasingly scarce, which has encouraged industry to look for alternative raw materials to obtain copper. The problem is that primary sulfides are difficult to dissolve at near ambient conditions. Proposed hydrometallurgical processes have not been implemented beyond a pilot or demonstration scale. One of the principal disadvantages is that the majority of these processes are not viable with ores that contain less than 4% copper. One of the more recently proposed techniques involves the use of organic solvents in the dissolution of copper concentrates with a chalcopyrite content of between 20 and 30%, which has shown high efficiency. The present research explores the ability of this process to leach copper from low grade chalcopyritic ores (<4% Cu) at different temperatures ranging from 20 to 50°C. It was found that depending on the temperature, high percentages of copper were extracted in 40 to 100 minutes, using different oxidants. Additionally, distinct leaching behavior was observed with each oxidizing agent. In some cases, the extraction kinetics adjusted to the diffusion controlled shrinking core model.

Jan 1, 2014

By S McQuitty

The metallurgical treatment of Falconbridge ore re-quires an extremely fine grind of the pyrrhotite portion ? for maximum liberation and recovery of nickel. This paper describes the operation of a grate discharge pebble mill in closed circuit with cyclones regrinding 25 to 30 tons per hour of sulphides to approximately 90 per cent minus 325 mesh. The consumption of the screened ore grinding medium is of the order of 2.5 pounds per kw.-hour, or less than 1 per cent of the tonnage of re-ground sulphides. IN RECENT years, there has been a considerable interest in pebble grinding in the uranium industry, and a number of installations have appeared. However, the use of sulphide ore pebbles as a grinding medium has so far been relatively limited. There has also been some question as to their suitability for the very fine grinding of sulphide concentrates. This paper describes the preliminary results of a commercial operation involving the

Jan 1, 1964

By J. Janzen

The cost to supply ventilation may exceed 40% of the total mine energy cost for underground mines and is often higher for deeper mines. The goal of Ventilation-on-Demand (VOD) is to ensure that the required quantity and quality of air is supplied to underground mining crews and diesel equipment at the least energy expenditure (minimum cost). A VOD system may include control of surface fans (Supply & Exhaust), underground booster fans, auxiliary fans and automated regulators/dampers to regulate the flow of air with more control elements providing more value. Strategically located Air monitoring stations measure air quantity and quality and provide feed-back enabling control. The modular design involving controls, intelligent instrument and intelligent motor control centres coupled with a communication network allows the quick installation, commissioning and expansion of the system as the mine develops. The result is a very robust, flexible system while reducing maintenance costs and spare parts. This paper discusses the impact of sensors, installation and commissioning on advanced controls and provides solutions for in-field applications.

Aug 1, 2013

By S. Kelebek, Gerhard W. Heinrich, Peter F. Wells

"The review and optimization of process stages is an integral part of the program to improve the metallurgical performance of the Strathcona Mill. Improved primary grind size distributions, streamlining of rougher-scavenger circuits and increased platinum recoveries were the target of plant and laboratory scale tests. The results can be summarized as follows:• Decreasing the primary grinding cyclone vortex finder diameter for nickel/copper ore gave significant increases in overall copper recovery and improved rougher flotation selectivity.• The scavenger flotation stage in the circuit treating copper ore was found to contribute little to this circuit's copper recoveries -yet to be essential for acceptable recoveries of nickel, platinum and gold. The elimination of this stage by re-routing the tailings from the copper ore rougher into the nickel/copper ore rougher feed has lead to lower gangue recoveries to the nickel concentrate and to improved copper-nickel separation, while reducing equipment operating costs.• Surface aging effects such as oxidation are known to decrease flotation recoveries of platinum minerals such as sperrylite. The conditioning of an intermediate non-magnetic process stream with copper sulphate prior to thickening increased the platinum recoveries in the subsequent flotation stage by approximately 10%."

Jan 1, 1996

By Mark Liskowich

When is it the proper time to initiate engagement with various stakeholders, including Indigenous communities? This paper will demonstrate what stage of a project’s evolution is the appropriate time to initiate a stakeholder engagement plan. It will look at aspects to consider when identifying the communities to involve. It will describe the contents of a Stakeholder Engagement Management Plan as well and touch on how tried and true options analyses, such as a Multiple Accounts Analysis can be used to inform the results of the engagement, guide the development of your project and clearly document the engagement process. It will illustrate the benefits of initiating engagement at the appropriate point in your project’s schedule, and the limitations of doing so too early and at later stages of the project engineering. The benefits of this approach can be realized within any legislative Jurisdiction including the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act 2012 and Canada’s new Impact Assessment Act.

Jan 1, 2020

This paper generalizes open stopes into elliptical cross sections and applies the results of calculations based on the mathematical theory of elasticity to indicate stress distribution on the boundaries of such stopes. These show both compressive and tensile stresses and provide an ex-planation for the development of excessive dilution in shrinkage toping. Introduction T HE stress pattern around shrinkage stopes is identical with that around other stopes under the same physical conditions. However, a shrinkage stope ends as an unsupported open stope, and the method i limited to the stress range within which the rock is generally self-supporting. If it is acceptable to generalize the outline of a shrinkage stope into an elliptical cross section, then the graphs of Geldart & Udd (1) (see also Panek (2) and Denkhaus (3)) provide a good base for approximating the stress distribution as mining progresses. However, with failure conditions in the walls, the axis ratio, as cut

Jan 1, 1964

By Song (Bruce) Li

This paper presents a three-tier web-based GIS application that uses Java Server Page (JSP), Java Servlet and relational database to manage performance monitoring and reporting in the oil sands mining industry. It is a real-time Earth Structure Performance Monitoring System (ESPMS), which allows the user to record and store instrumentation monitoring readings as well as technical observations and instrumentation installation documentations into a complete relational database. The ESPMS introduces the advantages of precise field record keeping, due diligence, security, consistency and completeness while at the same time simplifying the task of reporting. ESPMS combines web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping and data management to facilitate the collection, organization, retrieval, reporting and communication of the vast amounts of monitoring data related to mining and tailings engineering associated with site investigation and construction information. ESPMS utilizes web-based GIS technology to incorporate referenced aerial photographs, Energy, Mines and Resources (EMR) maps or AutoCAD drawings as a base map for the monitoring site. It dynamically creates and administers all instrumentation monitoring locations and reading frequencies. It enables the user to collect and manage the data associated with an unlimited number of reading events. It provides the designer with real-time monitoring data (what, why, when, how), thereby allowing them to make early adjustments to design protocols or procedures, or to take remedial action(s) regarding the subject earth structure under construction or after completion. It provides more cost-effective reporting and data sharing through the Internet. It improves security on data entry and eliminates unauthorized data changes. It allows better integration of graphics and illustrations with numerical data files. It is capable of managing the continually expanding workload resulting from new and larger structures in the oil sands or other mineral mining industries. The ESPMS facilitates easier data gathering for preparation of as-built and after-built or regulatory reports, etc. It enables quick location of the interested instruments and summarization of the performance of the instruments. It enables one to visualize performance data and QA/QC construction test results spatially on any given cross-section. Data can be exported to MS Excel for detailed analysis and to evaluate the stability of the earth structures.

May 1, 2004

By Diego L. Romero, Joy P. Romero

"IntroductionMinerals may be classed broadly as ferromagnetic (magnetite for example), as paramagnetic (attracts to regions of magnetic field convergence) and as diamagnetic (attracts to regions of magnetic field divergence). High-intensity separators are not necessary to separate ferromagnetic minerals from other classes. Rather, low-intensity units that generate fields below 5000 gauss are adequate for this purpose. However, paramagnetic minerals, such as ilmenite, with high magnetic ""attractability"" require fields of up to 10 000 gauss; those with low attractability may require even higher fields. Table 1 shows approximate ranges of field intensities necessary to separate ferromagnetic and paramagnetic minerals from minerals of lower attractability, along with the force with which they are attracted relative to iron in a standardized magnetic field.Uniform magnetic fields, not useful for separators, are generated between flat parallel surfaces; non-uniform fields, useful for separators, arise when at least one of the surfaces is of irregular shape. The diagrams below show how magnetic lines of force align relative to north and south poles.If a particle is placed in a uniform field, it feels no displacing force unless the particle distorts the applied field assymmetrically. This is not the case in non-uniform fields which are required for magnetic separators.Magnetic fields can be generated by permanent magnets (low intensity), by electromagnets (medium and high intensity) and even by superconducting coils (100 000 gauss fields and higher), although the latter are not as yet useful in production environments .The magnetic force of attraction per unit of mass, that acts on a paramagnetic mineral such as hematite, increases in proportion to the strength of the field . Unfortunately, the highest fields attainable with electromagnets is of the order of 20 000 gauss. Fortunately, the gradient of the fie ld (that is, the degree of convergence of magnetic lines of force) is important, because the attractive force per unit mass is proportional to it also . This can be stated:"

Jan 1, 1989

Particles for heap leaching in conventional circuits are prepared using Cone crushers. Cone crushers are used to crush the ore to the size range between 12-25 mm for heap leaching operations. Leaching from these relatively coarse particles occurs only at the surface and in subsurface regions, which are accessible from the surface by cracks and pores. Since leaching is active in accessible areas, the method of comminution that forms multiple cracks and pores would offer an advantage for heap leach. An investigation was performed in this study to assess if the HPGR forms more cracks and pores than a Cone crusher. X-ray computed tomography (CT) was used to characterize the degree of cracks and pores formed by these two comminution devices that can be used for heap leaching feed preparation. In order to compare the effect of the comminution method on crack network generation, a bulk sample of the zinc ore was crushed by the HPGR at three different pressure settings (45, 95 and 120 bar), the sample ore was also crushed with a Cone crusher for comparison purposes. Products from the Cone crusher and HPGR experiment were then screened into five size fractions ((-25 +19), (-19+16), (-16+9.5), (-9.5+5), (-5+4.75) mm), Subsamples from the ((-25 +19), (-16+9.5), (-5+4.75) mm) size fractions were analysed. The spatial distribution of the crack network of sphalerite particles was characterized using a highresolution industrial X-ray CT system. This paper describes the use of image analysis techniques including image segmentation, which uses a combination of thresholding and other methods to characterize and quantify crack and mineral dissemination in the sphalerite particles after comminution with the HPGR and Cone crusher. The results are validated with those obtained using traditional techniques such as physical gas (with N2) adsorption, mercury intrusion porosimetry, SEM and QEMSCAN.

Jan 1, 2012