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Cominco began investigations about ten years ago relative to noise abatement in underground operations. As a result of intensive research, this study has advanced so that the practice now has wide application. Automotive mufflers are used on vane-type blasthole diamond drills. Exhaust hoses are attached to longhole percussion drills. Hand-held drills, such as airlegs and stopers, are equipped with mufflers which are either part of the drill, as received from the manufacturer, or are light rubber de-vices developed, fabricated and installed by Cominco. Ear defenders are in general use. The paper reviews details of practices employed, and assesses the success achieved. Noise is generally associated with some of the basic equipment used in mining. About ten years ago, in order to improve on this situation. The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada Limited began investigations relative to noise abatement in its underground operations. As a result of intensive research, this study has advanced to the point

Jan 1, 1964

By W J. Riva

This paper reviews the circumstances that led to the development and construction of a commercial-scale vertical shaft carbonizer at Conmore, Alberta. This form coking process may be regarded as having potential application in other areas. Coal pelletizing offers a promising method of decreasing coal agglomeration costs under certain circumstances. Pellets can be rolled easily from -35-mesh coal, provided that a minimum of -200-mesh coal is present. Bentonite was found to be the best binder and was most effective when added in amounts of about 2 per cent. The water content of the coal pellets was observed to vary from 18 to 23 per cent. As a by-product of this investigation, it seems possible that fine coal could be converted into stoker feed by this process. A short investigation of the effect of heating rate on the carbonization of pellets was conducted. The low maximum heating rates in certain temperature ranges, necessary to avoid crack formation in the pellets as reported by other

Jan 1, 1964

By B. I. Whittington

This paper examines the effect of cation type (i.e. NH4+, Na+ and K+) and anion type (i.e. SO42- and C1-) on the extraction of nickel during the pressure acid leaching of a Western Australian laterite ore. The results are compared with testwork conducted with other Western Australian nickel laterite ores and the possible process implications of adding an additive to a plant autoclave are considered. Addition of either (NH4)2SO4, Na2SO4 or K2SO4 increased both the nickel extraction and the acid consumption, provided that the level of additive was not too great. For example, the nickel extraction of 93% increased to above 96% in the presence of additives, but decreased to 94% when, for example, NH4 levels increased from 7 kg/t ore to 21 kg/t ore. The relative stability of the jarosite species formed when additives were present influenced the amount of jarosite in the residue and, hence, both the final free acidity and overall nickel extraction. The use of Cl- versus SO42- salts as additives had little effect on overall nickel extraction or overall free acid values, although the presence of SO42- additives appeared to enhance nickel extraction kinetics over the first 60 minutes of the reaction. In contrast, manganese extraction was enhanced by the presence of Cl- additives.

Jan 1, 2004

By A. H. Lang

"The Cordilleran region of western Canada includes most of British Columbia and the Yukon and pares of Alberta and the Northwest Territories. The western part of this region was for about 50 years the principal mineral producing area of the Dominion. It lost this distinction in 1907 when production from the mines of the Canadian Shield took the lead, but it continues to provide about 15 percent of the total Canadian production. In 1945 the total mineral production of British Columbia and the Yukon was valued at $65,302,900, of which about 80 percent was derived from metals.This paper is intended to serve as an introduction co the more derailed Cordilleran papers. Part I includes a brief synopsis of the complex geology and diverse types of mineralization in the region and Parr II collates the main structural principles exemplified in the derailed papers, and draws some conclusions regarding the application of this information to prospecting."

Jan 1, 1954

By F. L. Wu

Based on the analysis of a sealed coal mine resulting from a fire-triggered explosion, limitations were discovered in the re-entry procedures used to reduce the size of the sealed area that were being applied during the process of re-opening the mine. The analysis of two re-opening plans in a mine using mechanical ventilation showed that the estimation of the degree of damage of two air doors close to the working face with the fire was key to the identification of the optimum mine recovery plan. The operation points of airflow and air pressure of the main fan under either the doors? damaged or intact conditions can be estimated through the use of a ventilation network simulation program. Starting the main fan for a short time period and measuring its operation points of airflow and air pressure allowed their comparison with the simulated values. This procedure provided a reasonable estimation of the degree of damage of the ventilation structures and more confidence in choosing a recovery plan. Through this process, it was possible to conclude that the two doors were still intact. Consequently, the final plan of installing a new main fan in the main decline, sealing the initial upcast shaft and unsealing the auxiliary downcast shaft, was proven to be reasonable at the mine site.

Aug 1, 2013

By Wang Xianzheng

For a long period of time, the Chinese Government has been attaching great importance to and supporting the rapid development of the coal industry. Particularly since more than 30 years ago, when China introduced the Reform and Opening-up policy, the reform and development of the Chinese coal industry has witnessed world-recognized achievements. National coal production increased from 618 million tonnes in 1978 to 3.52 billion tonnes in 2011. While China?s coal production accounts for 49.5% of the world?s total, its annual production growth contributes to over 80% of global production growth. China is a country utilizing coal as its main source of energy. As the Chinese Government gives support to the rapid development of new and renewable energy sources, as well as to increased coal utilization efficiency, the ratio of coal in the primary energy consumption mix will gradually decline. However, for a long period of time to come, the total volume of coal demand will keep rising modestly. The Chinese Government has been highly committed to and actively promoting the overall, coordinated and sustainable development model, which puts people first. It has put forward a strategic task to build an ecological civilization, and highlighted its resolve to uphold the basic national policy of resource conservation and environmental protection, with a view to the pursuit of sustainable development. China will incorporate its response to climate change into the national economic and social development program, and take effective measures to lower CO2 emissions 40?45% per unit of GDP in 2020 compared to 2005. At the same time, China will increase the ratio of non-fossil fuels to 15% in the primary energy consumption mix. All of the above factors have raised requirements for the Chinese coal industry, with implications for clear directions, plans and goals for the development of the coal industry.

Aug 1, 2013

By M. E. Holuszko

A research program has been carried out at the Mining Department of the University of British Columbia to study the effect of wettability of coal on its handleability and bulk density. The effect of moisture content on the bulk density of coal was found to be more pronounced for hydrophilic coals than for hydrophopbic ones. Altering wettability of coal surface leads to different effects of moisture on bulk density. The samples were studied at different fine fractions content, and it was shown that there was no effect of increased content of fines on the bulk density for hydrophobic coals, while for hydrophilic coals this effect was very significant. It was shown that the moisture content at which the lowest bulk density was reached coincides with the critical moisture content for studied samples, as determined from handleability tests using Durham Cone method. This critical moisture is the moisture content at which a sudden deterioration of coal handleability occurs. Based on the bulk density and handleability tests, the flow theory of moist coal is proposed.

Jan 1, 2006

By Ben C. McLellan, Philip J. Bangerter, Andrew Murphy, Glen D. Corder, Damien Giurco

Sustainability now forms a critical part of metallurgical plant design. In addition to compliance with requirements and corporate principles, design engineers must also consider how community and societal responses to the metallurgical industry affect the way they design and build plants. Three broad areas to consider are: the design engineer’s contribution to sustainability through the design process and the relationship to the social license to operate (SLO)—the unwritten license communities give companies to safely and responsibly operate the plant and equitably share benefits; the realization of sustainability goals through methodologies emerging in the design activities; and the integration of design frameworks into a contemporary project design context and its investment objectives. This chapter explores sustainability in metallurgical plant design in the context of SLO, design tools and frameworks, and community and societal influences.

Jan 1, 2015

By J. R. Foster

Investigations into the effect of a variety of acid digestions on common rock-forming minerals demonstrated a considerable variation in the proportion of the total metal extracted. A similar situation applies to the analysis of a number of common rock types. In addition, grain-size variation has an effect on the amount extracted by certain digestions. This work indicates that considerable care needs to be given to selecting an appropriate acid digestion capable of determining metal held in particular components of a sample. By using partial extraction techniques, the identification of certain patterns of metal distribution, undetectable by normal methods involving total metal analysis, may be achieved.

Jan 1, 1973

By Warwick D. Bullen

Gold mining in the Yellowknife area of the Northwest Territories started long before the concept of sustainability entered the academic literature and by the time the term enjoyed widespread public acceptance, the Yellowknife gold mining industry was in its sunset years. Nevertheless, the city of Yellowknife will long outlive the gold mines that it was founded on, demonstrating that not only can mining build sustainable communities, but that sustainable mining as a concept is an entirely valid precept. To this effect, the authors examine the complex economic and social aspects of the gold mining industry in the Yellowknife area over the last 70 years.

May 1, 2004

By Matthew S. Hall

Gold/iron oxide catalysts have been prepared and their catalytic performance evaluated for low temperature CO oxidation. The method and temperature used to dry the sample has a significant effect on their catalytic activity. Analysis by TEM revealed the catalysts contained Au particles, although catalysts with high and low activity did not always differ in their microstructure as evidenced by TEM. Catalysts were characterised using XPS and the difference between the Au(4d) and C(1s) binding energies measured; in general the greater the difference, the higher the catalytic activity of the material.

Oct 1, 2003

By J. A. Morgan, P. M. Dimmell

Abstract - The Aubry pegmatites are located on the Seymour Lake property, 15 km north of Lake Nipigon in northwestern Ontario. The property lies within the Caribou Lake-Marshall Lake greenstone belt along the English River-Wabigoon subprovince boundary of the Superior province of the Canadian Shield. The property was optioned in March 2001 by Linear Resources (now Linear Gold Corp.), who carried out gridding, prospecting, geological mapping, soil and lithogeochemical sampling, trenching, channel sampling, and a total of 1,866 m of diamond drilling in 32 holes. The Aubry pegmatites are classified by Breaks et al. (2003) as complex type, spodumene-subtype, lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatites (Cerný, 1989). These pegmatites generally form under high-pressure-low-temperature conditions, display complex internal zoning, have relatively low Nb/Ta ratios in the ore-forming assemblages, and contain significantly elevated tantalum values (Cerný, 1989). Other examples of spodumene-subtype pegmatites include the formerly producing Hugo pegmatite in South Dakota, and the currently producing Greenbushes pegmatite in Australia. The Aubry pegmatites occur as an undulating system of stacked sheets that dip moderately to steeply eastward over a 1-km strike length. The main portion of the North Aubry pegmatite ranges in true thickness from 10 to 28 m over a strike length of 125 m, whereas the thickest portion of the South Aubry has an estimated true thickness of 15 to 16 m over a minimum strike length of 95 m. The North Aubry pegmatite remains open downdip and along strike to the north, whereas the South Aubry pegmatite remains open downdip and along strike in both directions. The Aubry pegmatites are among the most highly evolved in Ontario, with the southern end of the North Aubry (trench 5/6 area) being the most highly fractionated (Breaks et al., 2002). Channel samples from the trench NA-5 area of the North Aubry pegmatite produced values up to 2.49 wt.% Ta2O5 over 4 m. Coarse manganotantalite crystals, up to 5 cm in diameter, from this trench contain up to 84.9 wt.% Ta2O5 (Breaks et al., 2002). Drill hole SL02-31 in the trench NA-6 area gave values of 0.046 wt.% Ta2O5 over 17.7 m, including 1 m @ 0.464 wt.% Ta2O5. Further exploration will focus on defining the grade of the North Aubry zone, extending and defining both known pegmatites, and identifying additional Ta-rich zones within them. Lithogeochemical and enzyme leach soil geochemical data suggest the presence of multiple undiscovered pegmatites on the property.

Jan 1, 2005

By Kris Inwood

"In 1879, when the Dominion government initiated its controversial program of industrial promotion, iron smelting in Canada was limited to one company producing coke iron on the mainland of Nova Scotia and three small charcoal blast furnaces in Quebec. There was no steel production. By the eve of the First World War, iron and steel were being produced in very large quantities, the companies active in 1879 had disappeared and new centres of integrated iron and rolled steel production at Hamilton, Sydney and Sault Ste. Marie had come to resemble the industry as we know it today. The most dramatic change was that at Sydney, Nova Scotia, where in the early 1900s, two steelmaking companies established works. The Sydney developments have been explained as the result of resource discovery and technical change. W.J. Donald, in his authoritative account of the Canadian iron and steel industry, observes:(1) ""The most rapid growth of the Canadian iron and steel industry has occurred since 1897 ... The remarkable growth has been caused largely by the new conditions of the industry. The discovery and use of Newfoundland ores, together with the availability of Cape Breton coal, has made the Nova Scotia industry not only possible but profitable .... It is a safe conclusion that the Canadian industry would not have been an important one, had it not been for the discovery of the Michipicoten and especially the Wabana (Newfoundland) ores:' Donald also argues that metallurgical progress had been necessary to render the ores valuable. ""Newfoundland ores ... contain a considerable amount of phosphorus, and were made available for steel-making by recent inventions:' The purpose of this paper is to re-examine Donald's story. It will be argued that the origin of steel-making at Sydney is somewhat more complicated than Donald has indicated. The difficulty with Newfoundland ore extended beyond its phosphorus content and a resolution required more than the basic open hearth furnace identified by Donald. Moreover metallurgical change was only one of several developments necessary to induce industrial investment at Sydney. Surprisingly, however, the discovery of iron ore in the late nineteenth century does not appear to be part of the explanation."

Jan 1, 1999

By S. R. Noble, F. R. Harris, E. T. C. Spooner

"The Logtung deposit discovered in 1976, is an example of large tonnage (162 million tonnes), low grade (0.13% WO3 and 0.052% MoS;) W(scheelite)-Mo mineralization related to multiple felsic intrusions. Because mineralization is predominantly fracture-controlled (> 95 %) rather than disseminated, Log tung is not a skarn deposit. Metamorphism of the Logtung country rocks (interbedded calcareous shale and graphitic quartizite) to a series of competent reaction skarns (quartz-diopside-garnet calc-silicate, biotite quartzite and wollastonite-vesuvianite calc-silicate) clearly precedes W-Mo mineralization. Hence mineralization was related to permeability created by hydraulic fracturing and not replacement processes.Logtung shows a theme of several phases of mineralization (4) related to multiple intrusions (>2) which is similar to that of the Climax and Urad-Henderson Mo systems. The earliest quartzmolybdoscheelite vein system, which consists of a typical ""porphyrystyle"" crackle-breccia of thin (0.5 mm to 4 mm) quartz-garnetdiopside- molybdoscheelite veins, is related to a high Si02 (approx. 76%), seriate-porphyritic monzogranite stock (approx. 2 km by 0.5 to 1 km) of Cretaceous age (118 ±2 Ma [2u]; Stewart, 1983). Later quartz-pyrite scheelite (fluorite-KINa-feldspars-molybdenite) veins, with prominent green, hornblende-bearing alteration selvages, and quartz-molybdenite (-pyrite-jluorite-scheelite) veins are related to a quartz-feldspar-spessartine-rich garnet porphyritic felsic dike complex approximately 500 m across. Both intrusive phases have anomalously high Wand Mo concentrations of about 100 ppm and 50 ppm respectively, which Stewart (1983) attributes to a primary enrichment. The final stage of mineralization consists of a prominent 4.5 km by 1 km zone of 1 em to 1 m wide polymetallic sheeted veins centred on the felsic dike complex. The system is zoned from quartz scheelite-molybdenite-pyrite-blue-green beryl-jluoritebismuthinite veins in the core to Pb-Zn-Ag veins with abundant arsenopyrite and minor Sn (approx. 0.1%) in the northeast. The focus of recurrent intrusive and hydrothermal activity was located above a flank or nose of the monzogranite stock.The distribution of WO3 and MoS2 grades within the approximately 750 m (across) by 300m (evaluation depth) mineralized zone is a result of the variable superimposition of the four separate vein systems each with different W:Mo ratios. Well-defined Wand Mo ore, shells such as those at Climax, Henderson and Mt. Emmons did not develop at Logtung. The upper surface of the mineralized zone, as shown by the 0.03% MoS2 contour defines an elongate dome with an apical region approximately coincident with the felsic dike complex. Hydrothermal alteration occurs as well-defined vein selvages, and not as pervasive zones.The Logtung deposit shows many similarities to porphyry Mo deposits in the western Cordillera and may be identified as a porphyry W(scheelite)-Mo deposit, with a W:·Mo ratio of 3.3:1. The principal reasons are: (1) mineralization is spatially associated with porphyritic granitic intrusions and (2) much of the scheelite and molybdenite occurs in typical ""porphyry-style"" vein stockworks"

Jan 1, 1995

By Blandine Arseneault

The Raglan Mill had been in production for less than a year when the initial toxicity tests on the effluent revealed that it was defined as ?toxic? under regulations. Testwork was begun to address the fundamental reasons for the toxicity and a systematic approach was initiated to identify causes. Elimination of the problem presented a challenge once the main conclusion identified high dissolved solids as the principal culprit. In particular, normally benign soda ash (sodium bicarbonate) reagent additions used in milling, was identified as the main contributor to the problem. Following analysis of all requirements and safety considerations, a concept to recycle 100% of the mill process water was pursued. In addition to meeting regulatory requirements, this project would have numerous positive benefits to the operation, including reducing fresh water consumption and lowering costs.

Nov 1, 2002

By E. De Souza

Energy associated with ventilating an underground operation comprises a significant portion of a mine operation's base energy demand and is consequently responsible for a large percentage of the total operating costs. Ventilation systems may account from 25?40% of the total energy costs and 40?50% of the energy consumption of a mine operation. Fans are the most important mechanical devices used to ventilate underground mines and the total fan power installed in a single mine operation can easily exceed 10,000 kW. Investigations of a number of mine main fan installations have determined their assemblage to be, in general, very energy inefficient. The author has found that 40?80% of the energy consumed by a main fan is used to overcome the resistance of fan assemblage components. This paper presents how engineering design principles can be applied to improve the performance and efficiency of fan installations, resulting in substantial reductions in power consumption, operating cost and greenhouse gas emissions. A detailed case study is presented to demonstrate that, by designing fan assemblages using proper engineering concepts of fluid physics and industrial ventilation design, main fan systems will operate at efficiencies well above 80?90% (compared to common operating efficiencies of between 20 and 65%), resulting in a drastic reduction in a mine's overall costs and base electrical and energy loads.

Aug 1, 2013

By D. G. Crosby

This paper defines the Canadian offshore areas, comparing the juridical continental shelf with the physical one. The question of jurisdiction and ownership is dealt with, and the setting out of resource administration lines to divide areas of federal and provincial administration is explained and illustrated. Offshore activity is reviewed and prospective areas for future work are mentioned.

Jan 1, 1969

By T. R. Kostecki, K. V. Jessu

"Roof bolts are subjected to axial stresses, shear stresses, or both. Axial and shear stresses were compared between roof bolts machined with two and three slots. Shear stresses perpendicular to and at an angle to the shear planes were evaluated by analyzing a three-slot instrumented roof bolt, performing laboratory tests on two- and three-slot roof bolts, and conducting in-situ test analyses. Threeslot bolts appear to provide a complete bending strain profile, requiring no prior knowledge of the estimated shear-plane orientation. Minimum displacements occur in roof bolts installed perpendicular to rather than at an angle to the shear planes.RÉSUMÉ Les boulons d’ancrage dans le toit d’une mine sont sujets à des contraintes axiales, des contraintes de cisaillement ou les deux. On a comparé les contraintes axiales et de cisaillement de boulons d’ancrage usinés avec deux ou trois fentes. Les contraintes de cisaillement perpendiculaires et à angle aux plans de cisaillement ont été évaluées en analysant un boulon d’ancrage de toit à trois fentes, en effectuant des essais en laboratoire sur des boulons d’ancrage de toit à deux et à trois fentes et en effectuant des analyses de tests in situ. Les boulons à trois fentes semblent fournir un profil complet de résistance aux contraintes de flexion, sans avoir besoin de connaître l’orientation estimée du plan de cisaillement. Des déplacements minimums ont lieu dans les boulons d’ancrage de toit installés perpendiculairement, plutôt qu’à un angle, aux plans de cisaillement."

Jan 1, 2016

By Charles Goodeve

"BEFORE I begin, I should like to thank The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy for the honour they have bestowed in inviting me to give this address at the fourth annual C.I.M. Conference of Metallurgists banquet.Secondly, I should like' to convey the greetings of the Iron and Steel Institute of Great Britain in accordance with a request made by its Council at its last meeting. The I.S.I. hopes for the continued growth in strength of this annual Conference and in the collaboration between our respective societies.When I read the program of this Conference, it was brought home to me what a non-ferrons country Canada is. Also, I realized what enormous advances have been, and are being made, and what an ex-citing field non-ferrous metallurgy is for the scientist. This made me wonder, as I have done before, whether the future for steel was proof against these advances.At present, iron and steel stand astride the metallurgical world like a Colossus; I hope that the bronze industry will pardon my stealing their thunder and mixing my metaphors! Will this still be so in the future?The best way to answer this question is to take a look at the fundamentals to see why the iron atom dominates to such an extent that al! other metals are called ""non-ferrons."" Is its present position due to historical and therefore ephemeral reasons, or is there a fundamental difference between the atom of iron and those of other metals?"

Jan 1, 1966

By F. J. Guevara

A two-dimensional mathematical model for fluid flow and heat transfer in a sixin- line electric smelting furnace was developed to study the effects of temperature on slag viscosity in both the liquid and mushy zones. The model focused on the fluid dynamics of the molten slag and the effects on the formation of a slag freeze layer on the hot face of the furnace wall. Previous experimental and mathematical work, carried out under Ra number of 109 and using a fluid with Pr number of 65, showed that it is possible to mathematically describe the freeze layer formation over a vertical wall using a fixed-grid model. The chemical composition of the slag was taken into account through its effect on the viscous activation energy as well the solidus and liquidus temperatures. The results show that the flow pattern is strongly modified in areas of high viscosity, in front of the cooling system and at the slag-matte and slag-calcine interfaces. The results are discussed in terms of heat flux over the refractories and their effects on cooling system design.

Jan 1, 2007