Search Documents

By E. M. Yates, H. M. Hamilton

"For the assent of any new mining project it is essential to determine a realistic value of revenue from the sale of concentrates.A description of the market factors influencing the concentrate terms will be presented along with a detailed review of historical terms of a smelter contract for zinc concentrates. OverviewFor the assessment of any new mining project it is essential todetermine a realistic value of revenue from the sale of concentrates.This applies at all stages of assessment through to the final feasibilitystudy. In forecasting revenue for a zinc mine the followingfactors must be considered:(a) mill recovery and zinc concentrate grade;(b) metal price forecast for all payable metals;(c) smelter terms; and(d) other selling costs.Normally, data from test work are used to determine mill recovery and concentrate grade.Market forecasting, and indeed all economic prediction is an inexact science and probably will always remain so. We have our econometric models our input/output models and a lot of other tools. But they are of no help in predicting the unpredictable. OPEC's huge increase in the price of oil was certainly the most dramatic example of this. It had a tremendous effect on the cost of producing most products world wide and on the price of these products. Any forecasts made prior to the OPEC action were obviously proven wrong."

Jan 1, 1994

Superconductivity, New Mexico and Mining? ? High Temperature Superconducting cables made from ?nickel tape? ? Testing on U.S. power grid ? 25 year time horizon Purpose Create awareness about the successful application of energy management systems at a Northern Ontario mine site.

May 1, 2008

By Denni Nikols

"Planning for coal beneficiation in the electric utility industry is relatively complex, involving the coordination of experts and specialists in a broad range of fields, as well as compliance with a wide variety of government regulations.This paper examines the role of the planner, reviews possible benefits of coal beneficiation, identifies potential problems and illustrates a typical planning schedule.The steps involved in the planning process are:Step I-Bench- and pilot- washability studyStep 2- Wash plant designStep 3- Power plant and boiler designStep 4-Mine designStep 5-Major environmental and technical problems to address.IntroductionElectrical utilities and coal have a long and intimate relationship . Cleaned coal is becoming an increasingly popular fuel with the utilities for a variety of reasons. Generally, the greatest impetus to burn a cleaned or prepared coal fuel comes from the need to control airborne pollutants.Long-range planning is a standard practice for electric utilities, forecasts of demand must be made well into the future. Since the lead time required to provide new facilities is often as long as 10 years and the cost very high , planning becomes an important task.For a utility that owns and directs the operation of its coal mines, the mine planning or fuel acquisition planning takes on the magnitude of other corporate planning functions. It is from this perspective that a utility would view coal preparation. Except for the interaction of a coal-fi red plant on the actual mine design the planning considerations o f a beneficiating facility for a captive mine or a contract raw coal supply are about the same. Because TransAlta Utilities is currently supplied from captive mines, this discussion will tend to focus in that direction.It is the role of a planner to plan. This is easy to say but it is not always easy to do. Often we are working within a context that resembles the geological time scale. Frequently the objectives are not clearly defined when we begin and ultimately our plans are tested in the waters of government regulations and cost benefit analyses .Planning for beneficiation of Plains coal, or any coal, provides just such a test. The planner's role in this endeavour requires a wide vision. While parts of the process may be amenable to classical methods of project scheduling, the broad range of subjects and interaction of seemingly unrelated tasks is sure to obscure some of the considerations that must be made. Therefore, the planner's chief role is coordinating the work of many experts and specialists toward the final objective.Among the specialists are combustion , geo technical, mining, civil , and mineral processing engineers , geologists, hydrogeologists, soil, and reclamation experts to list a few.When one considers coal beneficiation, the planning part o f that consideration is probably more complex than any other single engineering function. Due to the company's location in the Alberta Plains and the proximity o f the mine to the thermal generating station, this paper will tend to emphasize that situation.Beneficiation may offer some advantages over run-of-mine coal to the power plant opeator. Some of these advantages are: removal of a contaminant, power plant efficiency gains , lower plant capital costs (for new plants), possible lower mining costs."

Jan 1, 1984

By T. A. Postolski, A. J. Sinclair

"Abstract- Two examples are used to describe how geological features impact on the development of semi-variogram models to be used for geostatistical resource/reserve estimation of porphyry-type deposits. In the Main zone of the Huckleberry porphyry copper deposit, mineralization is concentrated in fracture zones localized in volcanic rocks, along the eastern and southern margins of a granitic stock. Mineralized volcanic rocks can be subdivided into three separate domains, each with its own preferred direction of mineralization that is reflected in contoured Cu diagrams and semivariograms.The East zone at Huckleberry deposit, spatially distinct from the Main zone, is controlled by a fracture zone elongate roughly east-westerly and bounded on the south by a major fault (easterly striking and steeply dipping) across which there is a dramatic drop in grades. The eastern part of the East zone appears to be coaxial with a large intrusive body; the western part contains a small, elongate dike-like intrusion. Contoured Cu values for many levels suggest that the principal direction of geological elongation of the east and west domains of the East zone differs significantly. Independently derived semi-variogram models for each domain are different and reflect this difference in trend.In both Main and East zones of the Huckleberry deposit, block estimates by ordinary kriging are significantly different using a domain-specific semi-variogram model than using a deposit-general semi-variogram model. The domain-specific estimates are deemed better because they are based on local controls of mineralization and have less conditional bias than those generated by the depositgeneral semi-variogram model."

Jan 1, 1998

By D. W. Li

Due to the ultrasonic testing and mechanical wind speed sensor have high requirement for the environmental of the coal mine, the charge induction wind speed detection method based on wavelet analysis is proposed. The same wavelet disturbance detection method is used at a fixed distance to obtain an induction signal to obtain a pass time, and then calculate the magnitude and speed of the wind. Simulation and verification experiments show that the method has application across a wide range of test speeds (up to 60 m/s). The metal probe causes little pipeline flow field interference. The method is particularly well-suited to dusty environment, and does not cause dust deposition through long-term operation. It can be widely used in coal mines for point wind speed continuous online testing.

Aug 1, 2013

By Robert B. Parsons

"There is a widespread concern that certain of Finance Minister Michael Wilson's Tax Reform proposals will likely lead to a significant decline in flow through funding after 1988. This does not bode well for the junior exploration sector, which relies heavily on flow-through to finance exploration programs. The exploration industry is actively pursuing various solutions to the problems posed by Tax Reform, in order to ensure that flow-through has a future.IntroductionWhile the proposals contained in Finance Minister Michael Wilson's Tax Reform White Paper may not be as far-reaching as some people had expected, nevertheless the combination of the existing tax rules and proposed new rules offers sufficient complexity to keep pencils sharpened for many months. After having had an opportunity to study Tax Reform since June 18, 1987, the sharpened pencils are suggesting that the White Paper is not without its shortcomings and pitfalls. Insofar as the mineral exploration industry is affected, there is widespread concern that adoption of certain Tax Reform proposals could spell near disaster for mineral exploration in Canada. More specifically, there seems to be a consensus among the industry, as well as some federal and provincial government officials, that the announced phase-out of the ""mining exploration depletion allowance"" (MEDA) would reduce the appeal of flow-through shares to the point where only a fraction of exploration funding would be financed in the future by flow-through."

Jan 1, 1987

By Peter Babik

"Cable TV networks are extensively used throughout Canada for TV signal distribution. Mobile/portable radio communications are also used extensively throughout all sectors of industry. There are numerous manufacturer supplying these industries with a wide variety of equipment and accessories.IAL's underground radio communications system combines the techniques of cable TV and mobile radio to produce a flexible communications system with most of the advantages of both systems. Standard off-the-shelf mobile, portable, base-station and repeater equipment can be used. The equipment may need modification to be customized to particular end user requirements, but does not require a complete new unit redesign. Likewise, the cable TV distribution equipment is off the-shelf, with some items requiring modification for underground system application.Radio communications can be provided wherever the cable system is extended. Where traffic or type of activity warrants it, multiple radio channels can be provided on the same cable. Certain radio channels could also be used with data channels for control or supervision of remote equipment or environmental conditions. In addition, the same cable can be used to distribute or monitor signals from remote TV cameras in selected or dangerous areas. The system can be interfaced to a telephone system, if required, to provide extended communications to above-ground workshops, offices, medical stations or even hospitals and other emergency services.IntroductionReliable communications among personnel throughout an underground mine area have long been the dream and goal of various mine operations personnel. The system to be described was designed to meet this objective."

Jan 1, 1983

By Somchet Vongpaisal

This paper presents the R&D results on the development of a new knowledge-based system for predicting stope instability and associated unplanned dilution in deep underground mining operations. A new prototype was developed based on databases generated from 3D non-linear elasto-plastic finite element stress analysis, heuristic rules, and case histories. This prototype aims to assist mine operators to make decisions on strategic mine planning and feasibility in a quick and efficient manner thereby minimizing risk on ground failure and optimizing mining costs.

Jun 1, 2012

By Perry L. Christian

"Mana/ta Coal Ltd. 's Costello Mine, located seven kilometres east of Estevan, Saskatchewan, has been operating at the present location since 1960. During the past twenty-three years, annual production of lignite coal has averaged 590 000 tonnes. The coal is used for power generation and for industrial and domestic use. Markets, operating techniques, facilities in place and reclamation are discussed. Introduction The Costello Mine (formerly the Klimax Mine) is located in southeastern Saskatchewan, approximately 210 kilometres southeast of Regina and 5 kilometres from the United States' border, as shown in Figure 1. The present mine, 7 kilometres east of the city of Estevan, has been operating since 1960. The history, however, of the Costello Mine and of the Estevan Coalfield dates from the initial settling of the area in the 1880s. Mining initially consisted of burrowing into the side of the Souris River Valley or other hillsides where the coal seam was exposed. Eventually, slopes were put down in the Estevan/Bienfait area and vigorous underground activity existed. In the late 1920s surface strip mining was introduced. The use of strip mining progressed to the point where it completely replaced underground mining in the 1950s and it is the only method in use today. During the past 23 years annual production has averaged 590 000 tonnes. The lowest production was in 1960 when the mine was starting up at 167 000 tonnes and the highest production was in 1977 when production was 1 509 000 tonnes. The Costello Mine controls approximately 11 400 hectares of mineral rights in the Estevan area. This is made up of 4 900 hectares of freehold coal and 6 500 hectares of leases. The area forms a large, irregular shaped configuration. Most holdings are contiguous and adjacent. The mine also owns some 8 400 hectares of surface rights. The lands under the Costello Mine's surface rights control, which are not being used in the mining operation, are leased to local farmers and ranchers. This ensures that the land is used to its full potential, both before and after mining."

Jan 1, 1985

By S. Caron, M. Bourassa, J. Châteauneuf, L. Tardif

"Since many years, the Yvan-Vézina gold plant custom mills and processes different ore types that show different behaviors. Because of this, cyanidation control is more complex than for a typical milling operation. In 1992, a Cyancor™ on-line « free cyanide » analyzer has been installed for monitoring and optimizing cyanidation. This implementation significantly reduced cyanide consumption for the overall cyanidation process. In order to further reduce cyanide costs, an automatic control strategy has been implemented to decrease fluctuations of« free cyanide » from their set points.This paper outlines the major steps of the project: process control audit, control strategy development, implementation and running-in period. Control strategy features include data filtering modules, adaptive PID algorithm and set points management modules are also presented. Finally, the strategy efficiency is illustrated with load-disturbance responses.IntroductionLocated in northwestern Quebec, the Yvan-Vézina plant has an average capacity of 1300 t/d using carbon-in-pulp technology. In 1991, the Yvan-Vézina gold plant was processing three types of ores (Beauchemin, Mouska and Silidor mines) and a pyrite concentrate (Beliveau mine). A cyanide reduction program was then undertaken to reduce « free cyanide» fluctuations <6>. To reach this objective, the optimum cyanide concentration was determined for each ore, a continuous monitoring method with the Cyancor™ on-line analyzer was developed and a tighter control of cyanide addition was applied. These modifications to the leaching practice significantly reduced cyanide consumption.After a while, it was observed that regulation of « free cyanide » concentrations could still be improved by the use of an automatic control strategy. Yvan-Vézina and CRM began collaborating in 1995 to develop and implement such a strategy. Results show that main disturbances of the circuit (e.g. ore mineralogy and pulp feed rate) can be significantly overcome in order to reduce their effects on the leaching operation."

Jan 1, 1998

By Jacek Paraszczak

As the deposits located closer to the surface are getting depleted, more and more Canadian mines produce ore from considerable depths. Deep mining represents a number of serious challenges including high rock temperature. Conventional diesel powered loadhaul- dump machines and trucks so widely used in metal mines constitute an additional source of heat and noxious gases. Due to this, they have a substantial adverse impact on a quantity of fresh air required and a cost of ventilation, particularly since the mines have to meet more and more stringent regulations in this respect. In this context, the paper examines possible alternatives for diesel powered equipment, both these commercially available as those at the stages of prototypes or under development. They are reviewed with regards to their principles, required infrastructure, stage of technology development and its progress. The questions of their flexibility, practicality and economic viability are also addressed. Following the above a potential for their implementation and possible benefits (if any) in the conditions of deep Canadian mines is discussed. The paper concludes with short to medium term predictions concerning the most promising drive alternatives for vehicles destined to operate in deep metal mines.

Feb 1, 2008

By C. A. Morais, L. V. Resende

"The technological development observed in recent years has stimulated the application of rare earth (RE) elements. Amongst their various applications it is well worth mentioning their use in electronics, superconductors, nuclear medicine, as well as in special inks - as those used in radar invisible airplanes. TV and computer monitor screens present as coating a powder containing some rare earth elements, mainly Europium and Yttrium. The recovery of the RE elements from electronic scrap is extremely important as the economic and environmental issues are concerned. This paper describes the study of the Eu and Y recovery from e-scraps. The first step of the process was the leaching of the powder obtained by manually scraping the inside surface of the screen. After the optimization of the leaching, the dissolution of Eu and Y was higher than 98 w/t% and a pregnant sulfuric liquor containing 11.9 g L-1 Y and 0.72 g L-1 Eu was obtained. The second step was the separation of the metals found in the liquor by the solvent extraction technique. The separation of Eu and Y was carried out in a counter current circuit compound of 3 extraction stages, 7 scrubbing stages and 15 stripping stages. DEHPA was used as the extractant, whereas a diluted sulfuric acid solution was applied as scrubbing agent and a hydrochloric acid solution at high concentration was used as the stripping agent.INTRODUCTIONThe rare earths (RE) are a moderately abundant group of 17 elements composed of lanthanides, scandium and yttrium. Amongst the RE, promethium (Pm) is extremely rare, however several of the RE elements are not very rare and occur dispersed in a variety of forms (Greenwood & Earnshaw, 1984; Tyler, 2004).The innumerable applications of the RE elements are based on their particular properties, mainly their spectroscopic and magnetic properties (Martins & Isolani, 2005). The technological development observed in recent years has stimulated the application of rare earth (RE) elements. They have been used in agriculture, electronics, superconductors, nuclear medicine, automobile industry, special inks – as those used in radar invisible airplanes, X-ray screens, high intensity mercury vapour light bulbs, neutron scintilators, charged-particle detectors and optical memory reading systems (Maestro & Huguenin, 1995; Nagaosa & Binghua, 1997; Sánchez et al., 1999)."

Jan 1, 2012

By Wm. F. Wuest

INTRODUCTION THE Western Canada sedimentary basin has one feature in common with the Precambrian Shield area: it also was a great chemical laboratory. The mining industry of Canada exploits the end products of chemical experiments that occurred on the Shield during periods of repeated disturbances in Precambrian times. The petroleum industry on the other band exploits what also appears to be the final results of chemical experiments that took place throughout all of post-Precambrian up to Tertiary times. Since the subject of this paper is a factual study of Alberta well waters, no attempt is made to answer significant questions pertaining to the probable role waters play in the generation of oil, or to the significance of the effects of structure and depth on waters. Data from several hundred well-water analyses were compiled by the writer in a series of charts and diagrams, of which those included in this paper are representative. Early studies indicated the possibility that outstanding anomalies in general concentration of waters and in greatly increased concentration of elements such as calcium, magnesium, bromine, and iodine for example, might be expected from wells that produced oil or were in the immediate vicinity of producers. The water analyses from wells which? were drilled at a later date did not confirm this possibility, and it is suggested that, aside from their initial value to the petroleum engineer or to. those interested in the commercial possibilities of brines, no definite significance as an aid in oil discovery can be attributed to water analyses.

Jan 1, 1951

By M. Matsuda

The Hitachi refinery of Nikko Smelting & Refining Co. Ltd. began its electrolytic copper refining operations in 1911. In December 2002, the refinery changed its operation scheme by introducing the ISA permanent cathode technology for the first time in Japan. The change resulted in higher productivity, better cathode quality, and lower operational costs. The operation has been continuously improved to reach a 20% higher production capacity than the original one. For the electrolyte purification process, the Hitachi refinery has developed a new process for removing impurities. The process involves As, Sb and Bi adsorption from the electrolyte by means of chelating and ion exchange resin. The new resin process will achieve higher efficiency in removing impurity.

Jan 1, 2007

By P. Maltais

Over the last 10 years, Computer Aided Design, Finite Elements Analysis and field testing of prototypes have enabled the cycling industry to grow and to significantly improve its products. However, today&apos;s cyclists have become more and more demanding, making these classical design approaches almost obsolete. Devinci understood that problem four years ago and fully revisited its design approach; to offer bicycle frames better suited to real life riding, one must fully know those real life conditions. In partnership with the University de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, Devinci then developed a bicycle enabling them to measure the actual load applied on a bicycle frame in real-time for real riding conditions: the instrumented bike. Today, Devinci uses its instrumented road and mountain bikes, combined with virtual prototyping and laboratory testing capabilities to develop better bicycles, faster.

Jan 1, 2006

By Julian Boldy

"A review of lI5 significant volcanogenic massive sulphide discoveries in the Canadian Precambrian during the past 65 years reveals that only 7% resulted from surface exploration methods aimed at depths below the effective reach of current geotechnical systems. This has been due to the relative ease of shallow discovery, resulting in the harvesting of ore deposits within 100 m of surface. This surficial layer has been more or less effectively supersaturated by routine exploration. In view of the fact that a mining district&apos;s metal content is not likely to be confined to a surficial layer, the time has come to explore the vertical dimension, prospecting for ore at depths in excess of 150 m in productive districts.Essential to this task is an understanding of the Precambrian volcanogenic ore deposit model. The deposits generally have .a tendency to be associated with the terminal phases of felsic volcanism, and to be located along certain time-stratigraphic horizons, marked by the products of volcanic exhalation. The significant massive sulphide deposits are discrete entities, ranging from the top 5% of deposits greater than 45 million tonnes in size, with a surface area of 0.30 km2, to median-sized deposits greater than 1.2 million tonnes in size with a surface area of 0.02 km2. These significant economic ore deposits range in value from $5.5 billion for the top 5% of deposits to $125 million for median-sized deposits. In terms of their frequency of occurrence, the former group has a 4% distribution and the median-sized deposits have a 15% distribution.An historical review of many of the principal Precambrian mining districts, such as Noranda and Flin Flon, shows that major tonnages are usually discovered during the initial phase of application of each new geotechnical search system, until carried to its ultimate limit of effective depth penetration. With the exception of the Noranda district, the mean depth of ore discovery in the other districts is still generally confined to within 50 m of surface.Targeting deep ore is difficult. One effective prospecting method is the detection of fracture-controlled mercury leakage haloes in outcrop (or core) above and peripheral to blind deposits. This technique has proved to be a useful pathfinder, and focuses attention on deposits buried at depths in excess of 700 m in some instances. Down-hole EM systems also promise to be effective in locating deposits previously bypassed by drilling. In addition, trend surface analysis programs of trace element geochemistry should be used as an aid to targeting ore by directing exploratory drilling along the plane of ore-hosting stratigraphy.By definition, mining districts have a proven ""favourability"" for the occurrence of ore. Discovery probabilities in these districts will be considerably enhanced if future search efforts are concentrated below a depth of 150 m, and more use is made of ""deep"" ore search systems coupled with sound geological reasoning. Deep drilling programs to a depth of800 m should initially be designed to search for the top 25% of deposits greater than 3.3 million tonnes in size, with a surface area of0.05 kmt. :a value of$310 million and a 12% frequency of occurrence; This can be accomplished for an over-all cost approximating $40,000 per drill hole. If the search depth is limited to 400 m, the over-all cost of each drill hole is $20,000, equivalent to expenditures routinely allocated to grassroots exploration drilling in the remote greenstone belts of the Precambrian. Depending on a company&apos;s objective, prospecting for deep ore offers a stimulating challange - though risky, it has its rewards."

Jan 1, 1981

By Edward R. T. Tiekink

Metal complexes continue to find therapeutic applications for the treatment of a wide variety of human ailments. Amongst these, gold(I) thiolates are used to treat rheutmatoid arthritis but, usually in combination with other treatment or as a last resort. New therapeutic uses of gold, both as gold(I) and gold(III), are being sought, including against cancer, the focus of the present contribution. It will be demonstrated that certain gold(I) complexes show exciting cytotoxicity profiles, rivalling those of cisplatin and standard chemotherapeutic agents. More importantly, anti-tumour activity is demonstrated in vivo, albeit in a mouse model. The presentation will give a brief overview of ?metals in medicine? with a focus on gold and will summarise some recent advances in the development of goldbased anti-tumour agents.

Oct 1, 2003

By V. Vekris

A diverse patent portfolio and an effective intellectual property strategy are vital in today’s small business world. Not only does a diverse patent portfolio enable a company to secure a monopoly within the market, it greatly increases the value of a company’s intangible assets and keeps competitors at bay. An overview of the patenting process as it pertains specifically to the materials science-related start-ups will be given, together with a summary of some general patenting strategies and a review of some patenting errors to be avoided, such as premature disclosure of the invention to the public. Additionally, a review of new “green technology” initiatives recently adopted by Patent Offices around the world is also provided. These initiatives are expected to greatly benefit patent applicants in the fields of metallurgy and mining, where research efforts are often directed to environmentally-friendly products and processes. INTRODUCTION Patents are playing an increasingly significant role in the business world. A diverse patent portfolio can enable a company to secure a monopoly within the market, which can provide a competitive advantage over competitors. At the same time, patent portfolio of any size can greatly contribute to the total value of a company’s intangible assets. As an example, Nortel entertained bids in 2011 for its portfolio of about 4000 patents, a large portion of which were directed to 3G- and 4G-mobile communication technologies. The portfolio was eventually sold for $4.5 billion to a consortium including Apple, EMC, Ericsson, Microsoft, Research in Motion, and Sony. Copper mining, and indeed the global mining industry as a whole, is facing challenges. Ore deposits are increasingly low grade, complex, and deeper in the ground, rendering copper mining operations more difficult and costly. Production costs are increasing. According to one study, the cost of producing copper has increased by an average of 10% per year since 2005 (Cantallopts, 2017). To illustrate, the cost of producing a pound of copper in 2005 was 90 cents, but had increased to 217 cents by 2014.

Jan 1, 2019

By T. R. Stanley

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to interest mining men in the economic possibilities of sand deposits suitable for modern foundry work. Many members of the profession are constantly travelling over the country and it is felt that some knowledge of the necessary properties of foundry sands will enable these men t0 recognize such deposits. It is the experience of the writer that good sands suitable for the varied work of a foundry, such as that of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company, at Trail, are almost impossible to obtain from western Canadian sources. It is hoped that the following discussion may arouse some interest in the search for such sands. Sands are used in foundries for two purposes. The main use is for making moulds suitable for receiving hot metal. The mould must retain the? required shape until the metal has solidified. The second use of sand in the foundry is as an abrasive in sand blasting. This is a relatively minor use, and consequently will not be dealt with in detail. Any coarse sand with a high content of quartz will serve this purpose, but round-grained sands are superior to angular types, because they have not the same tendency to shatter on impact with the casting. Sand plays an extremely important part in the successful production of sound castings. This is more evident today than ever before, due to the greater variety of castings and alloys, each of which requires special sand characteristics. Poor sand is responsible for a great many foundry troubles which formerly were attributed to bad? metal; in fact, one investigator goes so far as to say that ninety per cent of bad castings can be traced directly to the sand. Very little of the vast amount of sand distributed over the earth&apos;s surface is suitable for moulding. It is the purpose of this paper to describe briefly the properties which are essential in good moulding sand. Sand for this work must be able to withstand the wash and hydrostatic pressure of molten metal, and yet be sufficiently porous to allow the gases generated in the mould to escape.

Jan 1, 1935

By Joseph J. Poveromo

The blast furnace today continues as the primary production method of hot metal in large-scale steel production. The blast furnace process has been the target of repeated attempts to replace it with various process options, including direct reduction and coke-free smelting reduction. While these new technologies are being adopted in appropriate niches, the blast furnace has responded to the challenge by being amenable to continuous improvement. I will review the role of the blast furnace, major developmental and improvement trends, and then list the current important issues in ironmaking. I will outline the challenges to be faced by the blast furnace to maintain its position as the primary hot metal production process. The material presented here is an update of earlier presentations made in Stockholm, Sweden, 1996, Duluth, 1998 and Chicago, 2000.

May 1, 2003