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By A. Belleau, F. Lavoie

"Quebec Iron Ore Limited (QIO), a subsidiary of Champion Iron Limited (Champion), secured assets in early 2016 from the previous Bloom Lake operations in the heart of the Labrador Trough region of Northern Quebec, Canada. A plan was developed to bring the Bloom Lake facility back in operation once the iron ore market conditions improved. The project restart involved several aggressive moves to change operational effectiveness, one of which was the utilization of the existing Phase 1 Plant with an upgraded process flowsheet and equipment. The production target was 7.4 million tonnes per annum of 66% iron ore concentrate with an approximate 10% increase in iron ore recovery. The Phase 1 upgraded flowsheet was initially based on review of historical Phase 1 data and pilot testing data undertaken during the original Phase 1 operation and was finalized once additional metallurgical test work and process modeling was carried out by Mineral Technologies in late 2016. The final upgraded flowsheet is comprised of rougher spirals, rougher middling scavenging spirals, and an up-current classifier (UCC) with overflow scavenging spiral stage. A portion of the gravity circuit tailings treated by a series of wet high intensity magnetic separators (WHIMS) to boost overall iron recovery. This paper will describe the efforts taken to test and design the Bloom Lake Phase 1 upgraded flowsheet and report on the plant performance since commissioning in first quarter of 2018.SITE HISTORY The Bloom Lake iron mine property is located approximately 13 km north of Fermont, Quebec, and 10 km north of the Mont Wright iron ore mining complex, property of ArcelorMittal Mines Canada. The Bloom Lake mine facilities include a 32 km railway to efficiently transport the high-quality iron concentrate to a loading port located in Sept-Iles, Quebec. The Bloom Lake property was first explored in 1951 and went through multiple minor exploration campaigns by different companies up until 1998. A major exploration program was conducted by Quebec Cartier Mining (QCM) in 1998. This program included line cutting, surveying, diamond drilling, geological mapping, mini-bulk sampling, bench-scale preliminary metallurgical test work and preparation of a “mineral resource” estimate."

Jan 1, 2019

By W A. Bardswich

The numerous factors associated with the prov1s1on of satisfactory air conditions in hot and humid Canadian mines are described. The main heat sources are auto-compression and the actual flow of heat from the rock. Temperatures reach 97°F at a depth of 8,100 feet. Various methods used in coping with high temperatures are described, including the use of ice stopes and heat exchangers. Moisture control, desirable air volumes and velocities, sizes of airways and methods of distribution are important considerations. A comparison of the temperatures, humidities and types of airways of two deep mines should prove useful in the design of future ventilation systems. Introduction OUTDOOR temperatures in northern Ontario vary from a low of around -40°F in winter to a high of about +90°F in summer. The average annual mean temperature over a 12-year period was +35°F, with a summer mean of 54 o and a winter mean of 16°. Because of low outdoor temperatures, a number of northern mines must heat fresh air for underground ventilation in winter; others, with high rock temperatures, are faced with a year-round cooling problem.

Jan 1, 1965

By F. Bélanger, P. Fournier

"The Detour Lake Mine is located in northeastern, Ontario, approximately 300 kilometres northeast of Timmins and 185 kilometres by road northeast of Cochrane. The mill processes a free milling gold ore using both gravity circuit and leaching with a state-of-the-art carbon-in-pulp circuit. The grinding circuit is a conventional SABC circuit with a tonnage of 60,000 mtpd at 95 microns with the addition of pre-crushing upstream of the SAG mill. This paper will highlight the impact of a pre-detox thickener on the cyanide consumption in a gold leach/CIP circuit. While the pre-detox thickener was built with the intention to reduce the cyanide consumption, the opposite effect was observed when the thickener was put temporarily offline. It will show how the re-circulation of a dilute stream of cyanide into the grinding circuit, increases the overall slurry temperature and by the same effect, increases the dissolved copper concentration in the leaching circuit which subsequently increases the cyanide consumption.INTRODUCTION The processing plant is using a conventional gravity, cyanidation and carbon-in-pulp processing facility currently operating at approximately 60,000 mtpd. The comminution process is based on two parallel SABC lines, each fed from an individual reclaim tunnel. Cyclone overflow from the two ball mill circuits is directed to the pre-leach thickener. The thickener underflow is distributed to two (4) parallel leach trains of 5 tanks each, each leach train providing 29 hours of leaching retention time. After leaching, the gold in solution is recovered in a carrousel CIP circuit consisting of two (2) parallel leach trains. Tails from each CIP circuit are combined and sent to a pre-detox thickener to recover as much cyanide solution as is economically practical before being diluted and fed to a cyanide destruction system. The detoxified tailings are sent to the Tailing Management Area (TMA) for settling and retention. The excess water from the TMA is reclaimed and recycled back to the processing plant. The pre-detox thickener is designed to thicken the leach tails slurry to 64% solids with the overflow being recycled to the grinding circuit. It is estimated that the pre-detox thickener will recover 60% of the cyanide in the CIP discharge solution. It is also designed to reduce the SO2 consumption by diluting the thickener U/F to 50% solid using the tailing pond reclaim water which has very little cyanide content."

Jan 1, 2019

By B. Farabi Khoshmehr

In the present study the effect of Silicate Sodium oxidation agent concentration and Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) treatment time were investigated on properties of oxide layer on Aluminum alloy. The phase composition and surface morphology of PEO films were evaluated through x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Pin on Plate abrasive machine were used to investigate of were resistance of coating. The results showed that oxide layer which formed on Aluminum surface consist of high temperature a- Al?O? and ?- Al?O? phases. The diffraction peak intensity and percentage of these phases were increased by increasing silicate sodium concentration. Microscopic studies revealed a porous surface for PEO coating. This was affected by silicate sodium concentration and oxidation time. The wear test results showed that the weight loss of PEO coating was reduced due to improvement of their wear resistance.

Oct 1, 2011

By R. R. Rogers

ABSTRACT The experiments described demonstrate that crude commercial lithium containing in the order of 0.5 per cent sodium can be refined, the resulting metal containing as low as 0.001 per cent sodium. During the process, the metal is vaporized and condensed at a gauge pressure of less than 0.04 micron. Considerable operating data and a detailed description of the experimental equipment are included. INTRODUCTION DUE TO THE unusual properties of lithium metal, its use is likely to increase considerably during the next few years (1, 2). This is of particular interest to Canadians because there are important deposits of lithium-containing minerals, especially spodumene, in Canada and it is hoped that lithium compounds and lithium metal will be produced from these deposits in the fairly near future. In order to assist in the development of this industry, the Mines Branch of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys has initiated a programme of research in lithium metallurgy. In 1948, a paper (4) was published on methods of producing lithium metal and its alloys. Data on the corrosion resistance of some lithium alloys were included. In 1949, a paper (3) was published which showed that the addition of a small percentage of lithium to zinc anodes used for cathodic protection will improve their usefulness under certain circumstances.

Jan 1, 1951

By R. W. Pauls

"Many tens of thousands of hectares of forested land will be disturbed and reclaimed in the surface mineable Athabasca oil sands area during the next few decades. The surface area disturbed by Syncrude’s Mildred Lake development alone exceeds 10 000 ha to date. It is not clear that reforestation of disturbed areas will best accommodate the aspirations of all stakeholders, particularly traditional users of the land. A five-year research program by Syncrude Canada Limited and the Fort McKay First Nations has examined the feasibility of raising bison on land reclaimed after disturbance by oil sands development. Forage productivity and carrying capacity for bison was comparable to that of grasslands elsewhere in Alberta. Concerns regarding compaction of newly rebuilt soil by bison traffic proved unfounded. Bison demonstrated weight gains typical for ranched bison and calving rates averaged 90%, a value typical for ranched bison. The animal husbandry problems encountered were typical of those occurring on bison ranches elsewhere in Alberta. An economic analysis indicates that a 1000 ha bison ranch on reclaimed land has a net present value that compares very favourably with a similar area supporting commercial forest. Subject to approval by Alberta Environmental Protection, the current research project will be expanded as a pilot commercial ranching venture in order to explore its commercial viability as a business venture by the Fort McKay First Nations. At the same time, measures will be implemented to resolve various regulatory issues associated with commercial bison production in the oil sands area.BackgroundSyncrude Canada Ltd. (Syncrude) is proposing, in its land reclamation strategy, a feature that is, depending on one’s background and perspective, regarded as an innovative approach to land reclamation, a threat to the regional forest industry, a creative response to aboriginal stakeholder concerns, a reneging on reclamation commitments, an opportunity to provide an ongoing economic base for postoil sands regional economy, or an environmentally unsound use of the land. These diverse and sometimes strong reactions have been generated by the proposal to introduce bison, either free-ranging or commercial ranched, to the reclaimed landscape."

Jan 1, 1999

By Sadough vanini Ali

Charpy impact energy of functionally graded steels produced by electroslag remelting in crack divider configuration has been modeled in various strain rates. It has been well known that majority of materials indicate different behaviors under different strain rates and temperatures. Therefore, modifying the elastic-plastic model considering the effects of strain rates and temperature gives us an acceptable prediction of these composites behaviors in impact test. In this investigation, graded steel was divided in to several layers in which the layers have the same strains under the impact. Constitutive equation describing the flow stress variations as a function of strain rates and temperatures, have been used to express the stressstrain behavior of layers. The parameter values of constitutive equation determined for all the layers via using the boundary conditions based on composite graded behaviors which were the characterized ferrite, austenite, bainite and martensitte phases. Consequently by applying the rule of phase mixtures and ascribing the impact energy of each layer to the area of stress-strain curve of the same layer, the whole impact energy of composite is the sum of layers impact energy with considering the layers volume fraction.

Oct 1, 2011

By T. G. Joseph, M. Welz

ABSTRACT: Joseph (2002) introduced passive seismic monitoring to measure mining equipment performance. This paper evaluates the potential of passive seismic monitoring to correlate mining equipment operation with oil sands surface response, with a mining hauler as the seismic source. When applied to moving haulers, this action–reaction approach is complex. Vibrations from on-board equipment, such as pumps and tires, dirty the signal with noise. To facilitate any correlation, the signal must be cleaned up. Existing geophysical analytical techniques were manipulated to evaluate the noise problem and to filter sufficiently to permit an evaluation of whether a mining equipment action–ground response relationshipis in fact discernable.

Jan 1, 2011

By D. Naden, D. J. King

"The high capital and operating cost of liquid-solid separation circuits in hydrometallurgical plants has led to an increased focus on the use of in-pulp systems for metals recovery in order to eliminate the need for solids washing and to reduce the need for liquid-solid separation.Carbon-in-pulp (CIP) has now been accepted in Canada and around the world as the leading process for recovery of gold and silver, replacing the Merrill-Crowe process and thus removing the need for CCD thickeners or belt and drum filters. The overall design of conventional CIP adsorption circuits was established in the late 1970s and it has remained substantially unchanged until now. Most of the development work since 'hen has been concentrated on improving methods of separating pulp and carbon and on reducing carbon losses during transportation and agitation.Resin-in-pulp (RIP) has been used for many years in uranium mills in the USA. However, most of the plants were built in the 1960°s and RIP was only chosen when liquid-solid separation of leach pulps proved very difficult. The plants are far from ideal as they have high resin losses and high maintenance costs. Consequently, there is room for improvement.Davy McKee has taken a fresh look at the engineering development of in-pulp contactors leading to a fundamental redesign of the adsorption units. The improved in-pulp technology uses a modification of the proven air-swept screen techno1ogy together with a new technique of process operation. The new contactor operates at high pulp throughput rates with high concentrations of carbon or resin in the recovery stages, resulting in a significant reduction in the contactor size over conventional design. As a result of this reduction in the size of the contactor by up to 80%, significant savings can be made in equipment and building costs. In addition, the plant 1s easier to operate than a conventional CIP plant."

Jan 1, 1987

By Raymond Dallaire

The Humphrey's spiral is a static gravity separation device which cannot be adjusted to match short-term variations that occur in the feed. Any disturbance in the feed grade, per cent solids or flow rate affects substantially the recovery and grade of concentrate. Such variations must be minimized in order to maintain the desired rate of production and quality of the product for which the installation has been designed. A study has been performed in which the foregoing assertions were quantified. The feed grade, per cent solids, flow rate and particle size were varied independently. Ore from Carol Lake, Nfld., was used throughout the experiments. This consisted of specular hematite and magnetite in a silica gangue.

Jan 1, 1978

By D Marshall

The sub-level blasthole benching method of mining has been proved to be economical at Willroy Mines. How-ever due to the nature and attitude of the wall rock, this method is susceptible to serious hanging-wall dilution of the ore. Attempts to solve the dilution problem by various means were not satisfactory until long Stressteel bars were employed as rock bolts. The adoption of this de-vice does not require any special skill, and has become routine in the under-ground operation. Since the inception of this method, the dilution of the ore has been greatly reduced and the ov1!r-all costs of controlling this dilution are much lower. INTRODUCTION T HIS is a report describing the successful use of long Stressteel bars as rock bolts in preventing l1anging-wall failure and consequent dilution in open stopes. Willroy Mines Limited is located (Figure 1) near the town of Manitouwadge, Ontario, approximately l1alf-way between Sault Ste. Marie and Port Arthur.

Jan 1, 1963

By J. Starkey

A comminution circuit in recent history, is one of the most difficult parts of a mineral processing plant to design with confidence. It is usually the most costly part of a plant to build, and it can consume up to half or more of the energy used on a mine site. To suggest that comminution energy usage is sustainable in the long term is not possible at this time. What we have to choose from today, based on more than 50 years of experience, does include the best available technology, and the best way to design it. There is controversy in the industry as to how to properly approach the subject of comminution design, with many of the optional solutions requiring a level of training and expertise beyond the ability of a non-specialist engineer. Semi-autogenous grinding technology in particular, has not been properly appreciated because of many recent mistakes in its application and design, which have blurred the positive perception about what SAG technology is, how it can be used, and how it needs to be designed and built. In order to change this, mine owners and senior managers need to take responsibility for, and learn to understand the fundamental challenges that a comminution circuit poses to the project, to the design process, to the operators who use the equipment, and to the resulting metallurgy. This address is intended to summarize these challenges and offer fundamental engineering solutions, which are clear, specific and in a format which is directly applicable to the mining and mineral engineering community.

Jan 1, 2018

By S. A. Sadough vanini

In this paper, Stress-Strain-Temperature relations for Shape Memory Alloys are studied. Temperature effects on Shape Memory Alloys are different from those related to ordinary materials. In ordinary materials, elastic characteristics can be assumed to be constant in low temperature ranges, and only the deflection arising from temperature changes could be added to the elastic defection. As long as two phases of austenite and martensite could be present in Shape Memory Alloys simultaneously, elastic modulus follows temperature and temperature gradient. In continue a smart actuator is investigated considering a homogeneous cantilever beam. Beam bending is established by using shape memory wires. An initial strain is imposed to shape memory wires in a low temperature, and then, they are installed in the outer surface of the beam. Therefore, since the temperature is imposed in these wires and they cannot have free recovery strain, the compressive recovery stress will be produced in the outer surface. This will result in a deflection in axial direction of the beam. At first, beam deflection is calculated on the basis of theoretical relations and solving the relevant differential equations. Afterwards, experimental tests are performed on an elastomeric beam equipped with shape memory wires. When a voltage is applied, a temperature rise will occur in the wires; then, this temperature rise causes a deflection in the beam. Finally, the theoretical and experimental results? comparison indicates a good conformity. One capability of this actuator is its high flexibility, and by controlling the inlet current, the end-beam deflection can be controlled.

Oct 1, 2011

By I. Soosaiprakasam

This work investigated inhibition performance of copper carbonate (CuCO3), which is less toxic than conventional heavy-metal corrosion inhibitors in amine treating plants, The investigation was experimentally carried out in a bench-scale electrochemical corrosion cell under an atmospheric pressure, The inhibition performance of CuCO3 in an aqueous solution of monoethanolamine (MEA) was examined under a wide range of operating conditions and reported as a function of process parameters including inhibitor concentration, temperature and solution velocity, The results show that CuCO3 functions as an anodic inhibitor. The addition of CuCO3 decreases corrosion rate of carbon steel but might induce pitting corrosion/

Jan 1, 2005

By Oberlando Gonzalez, Claudia Serna, Andrea Alzate, Esperanza López, Maria Holuszko

This paper presents a systematic approach on gold recovery from electronic waste (e-waste) using ammonium persulfate. This process was developed as a response to the lack of hydrometallurgical systems capable of separating gold from its metallic substrate without material grinding, with minimum formation of pollutants, and achieving a lower reaction time. Computer memory boards, electronic processors and electronic pins and contacts were analyzed to determinate base metals (Ni, Fe, Cu) and gold (Au) using microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES). An aqueous commercial grade ammonium persulfate with oxygen and pressure was used to produce the persulfate anion (S2O82-) and the oxidative sulfate ion (SO42-), which partially oxidized and leached the base metals breaking the Au-Ni-Fe-Cu bonds and allowing gold to be recovered in its original non-leaching state. The influence of the oxidative parameters was evaluated using full factorial (FF) and central composite designs (CCD) with response surface methodology (RSM) and first and second order models were developed. Using RSM allowed to obtain a faster recovery of gold, minimizing the agent consumption. The findings presented suggest that optimized quantities of ammonium persulfate, oxygen, pressure, temperature and liquid solid ratio could be used for selective oxidization of the base metals and to extract more than 96% of gold from e-waste.

Jan 1, 2017

By J. U. MacEwan

Introduction The equilibrium between copper, zinc, and chlorine may be considered as the simultaneous equilibrium of the two separate chemical reactions of formation of the stable chlorides of copper and zinc at the temperature of the reaction i.e., l440°K. (1,167°C., 2,133°?F.)§ [Zn(g) +Ciz(g) ZnCl2z(g). ... (1) ] [2Cu(l)+Cbi'g) Cu2Cl2(l 1 ....... (21 ] Subtracting, [Zn(g) +Cu2(Clz(l i ZnClz(g) +2Cu!l) ... . (3) ] If this reaction is carried out with a copper-zinc alloy at some constant temperature above the melting point of brass, and at a total pressure of one atmosphere, the equilibrium concentrations obtained will depend on the free energy decrease .of the reaction as written in (3) and on the activities of the various components in. the reaction mixture. If the equilibrium is examined from the point of view of the phase rule, it is a three-component system, and if it exists in two phases (liquid and gas) it will have three degrees of freedom. If the restrictions of constant temperature and pressure are imposed, the degrees of freedom are reduced to one. This means that, in a two-phase system under these conditions, each different alloy phase will be associated with a gas phase of constant composition.

Jan 1, 1951

By B. Dyck, L. Verhelst

"Colloidal silica in Key Lake’s Solvent Extraction (SX) feed solutions has presented an operational problem for the mill throughout its history. The colloidal silica stabilizes aqueous continuous emulsions, resulting in elevated solvent losses and operational downtime. Through the years, many attempts have been made to solve this problem, but no viable solutions were found. By revisiting an idea dating back to the 1979 feasibility study and re-evaluating it under current operating conditions, a practical solution was achieved. This paper discusses Key Lake’s history around colloidal silica removal, starting with coagulation using a polyethylene oxide polymer (PEO), and ending with coagulation using a polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer. The results of a mill trial using POLYSIL® RM1250 introduced at doses up to 300 ppm into the counter current decantation (CCD) circuit to clarify SX feed solutions are discussed with a focus on the benefits to SX.INTRODUCTION Colloidal silica has historically been a significant operational problem in the Key Lake mill. Silica originates from clays in the ore as well as concrete backfill intermixed with the ore resulting from the mining method used at Key Lake’s ore source, the McArthur River mine. The silica is dissolved as silicic acid into solution in the mill’s sulphuric acid leaching circuit. Once in solution, silicic acid polymerizes (Hearn, Smethurst, & Boskovic, 2016) forming a fine suspension of stable colloidal particles. These silica colloids are unaffected by flocculants and sand filtration reporting to the pregnant leach solution (PLS) as a fine turbidity in solution. Silica concentrations typically ranged from 700 to 1200 mg/L Si in the PLS fed to SX. Throughout Key Lake’s history, silica interactions in the Solvent Extraction (SX) process have made SX a mill bottleneck and a source of significant reagent costs."

Jan 1, 2018

By S. Hopkins, R. Preston, S. Gillis

"This paper examines typical visual inspections of operational soft rock mine shafts and discusses some of the challenges involved, many of which are associated with inconsistent inspection practices. The paper presents the development of a more standardized approach to periodic shaft inspections that supplement the more frequent inspections performed by shaft crews at the mine. This approach helps to keep an accurate record of changing conditions, compare conditions between multiple mine sites, as well as prioritize and plan potential remedial work. INTRODUCTION Shaft inspections, whether they are performed daily or weekly by members of the shaft crew at the mine, or periodically by consultants, traditionally involve a visual inspection undertaken with personnel traveling on an inspection deck on the conveyance, taking notes and photos. Inspections are typically required by mining regulations and carried out to identify and address hazards before a safety incident occurs that could cause harm to people or damage to property, as well as to help plan required maintenance work. Depending on the site, there can be many challenges associated with inspections in the shaft, especially compared to a typical inspection at surface. Some of these challenges are associated with the shaft environment itself, while others are related to the subjectivity of inspections and a lack of standardization, particularly between multiple sites within the same operating company. Recognizing these challenges, a more consistent and repeatable approach to shaft inspections in soft rock mines is evolving. This approach involves reviewing available historical data, comparing sites with similar conditions, establishing survey control, documenting observations and measurements with locations, and updating as-built or condition drawings. Part of this standardized approach is the implementation of an innovative 360-degree camera with a high-power lighting system that can be used either remotely or alongside personnel completing a traditional visual inspection. The system uses six cameras to take photos at a rate of 15 frames per second, with the image data subsequently processed and stitched, then joined into a high-resolution video. This tool improves time-efficiency, objectivity, and repeatability of inspections."

Jan 1, 2019

By B. L. Moreau

Certain gas wells tend to form hydrates in the production tubing. This paper outlines a method developed and used by the Author's company to overcome the problem. The injection of glycol to control hydrates results in sufficient dehydration to allow the gas to be trans-ported through a field-gathering system b a treatment plant. Sub-surface injection of glycol also offers a method of introducing corrosion inhibitors into the gas stream. The major operating difficulties have been overcome and the system is now in use in the northeastern part of British Columbia.

Jan 1, 1958

By T. T. Tigert

INTRODUCTION THE PURPOSE of this article on methane is to present the simple basic facts of the characteristics, detection, occurrence, and control of this natural gas in metal mines, so that operators and .safety men may deal with it with some degree of confidence. Fortunately, although methane has been noted at many metal mines throughout Canada, the occurrences usually are small flows of short duration, and the ignitions experienced have, in most cases, had minor consequences. However, methane does present a hazard that can be of serious proportions, and ?any complacent attitude toward this gas that might exist in the minds .of people engaged in underground mining operations should be dispelled when it is ,pointed out that, in Ontario alone, ignitions of this gas have resulted in at least four fatalities, and eight men seriously injured and burned, during the past three years. lt is well-known that liberation of methane can and does .occur suddenly, often in mines where no gas has been found before, and that many ignitions and explosions have occurred in so called non-gassy mines. In view of this, it is apparent that no mine can, with any degree of certainty, be classified as non-gassy. CHARACTERISTICS OF METHANIZ The characteristics of natural gas encountered in most of the Ontario mines indicate that methane is the chief constituent. Methane (CH4), commonly termed 'marsh gas', and by the coal miner 'firedamp', is a colourless, odourless, and non-poisonous gas considerably lighter than air, and is the explosive gas frequently found in coal mines. Its physiological effects, closely resemble those resulting from nitrogen.

Jan 1, 1951