Search Documents

By Ralph H. Cleland

Introduction The mines of northern Ontario have entered the class of deep mines. It has often been asked: How deep can operations be carried on? What will the temperature be? This paper is a résumé of a brief survey of rock temperatures made by the Ontario Department of Mines during the year 1932. Present temperatures were recorded and the geothermal gradients that now exist were determined. No alarming situations were found, but many interesting ones have been noted. Northern Ontario mines are fortunately situated as compared with most deep-level mines of the world. The mean yearly temperature, as determined from meteorological records of the Federal Department of Marine, is from 33 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. The tables on the next page show the temperature range in and about our mining camps ( l ). As no exact figures were obtainable for Kirkland Lake, the data for Iroquois Falls, which is about 50 miles northwest, were taken as applicable there. The figures for Timmins were checked against those of Cochrane and Iroquois Falls and found to be very similar, so that the Cochrane data may be used for the Porcupine camp. The yearly mean temperature is considered to be 33.5 F.

Jan 1, 1933

By Charlie Jefferson

Main Goal: Resource Assessment 1. Incorporate existing data & results, old process. 2. NEW Quantitative Analysis (Chung and Chen) 3. Try mass balance of U and geochemical tracers 4. Use holistic process approach ?with key foci ?Targeted basin / belt assessments ?Is there as much in the Athabascaas they say? ?Athabasca reference for other basins (Thelon, etc) ?Compare sandstone & volcanic with USA, Kazakhstan etc: do their models apply here? ?Which IOCG systems are prospective for uranium? 5.Consider Groundwater, Environment; 6.Communicate

May 1, 2006

"Previous studies on the effect of polytetrafluoroethylene addition during chalcopyrite leaching under conditions similar to those of the CESL process have reportedly resulted in complete leaching of the copper without the need for grinding of the flotation concentrate. However, these studies employed a pulp density of only 1% and finely sized PTFE particle that required the use of high impeller rotation rates that are not sustainable at an industrial scale. This paper explores the performance of 1/8” diameter balls of PTFE, that readily sink in the leach solution, on leaching performance at impeller rotation rates and ore pulp densities more typical of industrial practice. Possible routes for separation of the PTFE from the leach residues and their regeneration for recycling back to the leaching stage are also discussed.INTRODUCTIONChalcopyrite, CuFeS2, is the most important primary sulfide source of copper. While pyrometallurgical smelting of chalcopyrite remains the only widely accepted route for treating chalcopyrite concentrates, several medium temperature pressure oxidation processes are claimed to be economically feasible (Muir & McDonald, 2007). Among these, the CESL process has been extensively piloted and demonstrated at the prototype scale. The overall process chemistry of the CESL process may be summarized as follows (Marsden & Wilmot, 2007):4CuFeS2 + 5O2 + 4H2SO4 ? 4Cu2+ + 4SO4 2- + 2Fe2O3 + 8S0 + 4H2O (1)4CuFeS2 + 17O2 + 2H2SO4 ? 4Cu2+ + 10SO4 2- + 4Fe3+ + 2H2O (2)Though copper extractions of over 95 % are achieved, the CESL process requires extra grinding of the concentrate (Muir & McDonald, 2007). This is because leaching is conducted at temperatures around 150 °C, where the elemental sulfur produced is molten and grows thicker on the mineral’s surfaces as oxidation progresses, creating an increasingly large barrier for mass transport. In addition, the sulfur is sticky and tends to cause the mineral particles to agglomerate, effectively halting further oxidation of the particles that end up embedded within the agglomerates. Consumable surfactants, such as ligin sulfonate, have been shown to be effective at avoiding agglomeration, but they are not effective at removing sulfur from the minerals. Hence, their use does not obviate the need for fine grinding."

Jan 1, 2012

By Daniel B. Leznoff

The cyanoaurate anions [Au(CN)2]- and [Au(CN)4]- are shown to be useful building blocks for synthesizing supramolecular coordination polymers. For the gold(I) unit, aurophilic interactions often increase the structural dimensionality of the system and can impart increased thermal stability to the metal-polymers produced. A series of polymers of the form M[Au(CN)2]2(Ligand)x have also been prepared and show large colour changes upon changing the ligand, thus illustrating a sensor-type application. Both building blocks can mediate significant antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions between transition-metal centres in the polymers. For the gold(III) unit, no metal-metal interactions are observed, although weak Au-N(cyano) interactions control the intermolecular packing. Several structural examples of cyanoaurate-based coordination polymers are presented, including 2-D and 3-D arrays and a supramolecular square.

Oct 1, 2003

By Grant Arnold

Le Camp Minier de Matagami est situé dans la ceinture volcano-sédimentaire Harricana- Turgeon appartenant à la Province du Supérieur, sous-province de l?Abitibi, au Québec. Les gisements de métaux de base polymétalliques sont retrouvés exclusivement dans les deux domaines lithotectoniques comprenant l?association basalte-rhyolite (Matagami-Brouillan et Joutel-Raymond). Tous ces dépôts, à l?exception de ceux de Selbaie, sont de type exhalatif et représentent des dépôts volcanogènes à Zn-Cu, typiques de l?Archéen. Le complexe volcanique de Matagami est constitué principalement de deux phases de volcanisme tholéïtique. Les dacites et les rhyolites du Groupe de Watson, représentent la phase la plus précoce et celles-cis sont recouvertes par la seconde phase qui est constituée majoritairement de roches intermédiares à mafiques intercalées d?horizons felsiques, formant le Groupe de Wabassee. Un sédiment chimique sulfuré, la Tuffite Clef, marque le contact et l?hiatus entre ces deux groupes. Cette tuffite est reconnue à la grandeur du flanc sud du camp minier et représente l?horizon favorable à explorer puisque sa déposition a correwspond à une période d?intense activité hydrothermale. Le complexe volcanique de Matagami est limité au nord et au sud par des bandes sédimentaires orientées est-ouest, connues respectivement sous les noms de Groupe de Matagami et Groupe de Taïbi. Le Complexe intrusif de la Rivière Bell, qui occupe la base du Groupe de Watson, est un complexe lité consistant en une séquence stratifiée gabbroïque avec localement des niveaux stratiformes à concentrations d?oxydes magmatiques, la bordure de ce complexe est marquée par la présence d?un horizon granophyrique. Cette intrusion synvolcanique prétectonique, représente probablement la source de chaleur étant à l?origine de l?activité hydrothermale observée dans les roches volcaniques sus-jacentes. Suite à un levé aéroporté, le camp minier de Matagami a vu le jour en 1956 lors de la découverte du dépôt de Mattagami Lake, un gisement volcanogène de 25.6 millions de tonnes. Depuis ce temps, un total de neuf gisements ont été exploités et un dixième, Bell Allard, est présentement en production. En date du 31 décembre 1999, la production historique du camp s?élevait à plus de 41 millions de tonnes. Cette présentation mettra l?accent sur la géologie des récentes découvertes dans le prolifique camp minier de Matagami. Les ressources publiées pour le dépôt Persévérance sont de 947,000 tonnes titrant 19.12% Zn, 1.37% Cu, 32 g/t Ag et 0.40 g/t Au. Deux autres découvertes, Équinoxe et Persévérance Ouest contibueront à la ressource globale. Les trois dépôts sont situés au niveau de la Tuffite Clef même si les roches sus-jacentes ne sont pas celles typiquement observées dans les autres dépôts du flanc sud. Ces découvertes sont le résultat d?un programme d?exploration ciblé et soutenu, démontrant ainsi la possibilité de découvrir de nouvelles ressources même dans les camps miniers comme Matagami qui ont été explorés intensivement depuis plus d?un demi-siècle.

May 1, 2001

By F. Y. Hsiao, H. C. Kao

Underground excavation in hard rock is normally stable at shallow depth except for wedge failure. However, the excavation depth is rapidly increasing recently. In high overburden stress condition, the integrity of rock would be destroyed with degrading rock strength. Therefore, understanding both the peak and the post-peak strengths of hard rock are necessary to assess the tunnel stability at depths. The characteristic of the post-peak strength is seldom studied in Taiwan in the past. Various estimation methods for the post-peak strength degradation were briefly reviewed in the paper. Based on the Geological Strength Index (GSI) system is widely used in the determination of the rock mass strength, the quantitative residual GSI system was adopted to estimate the possible strength degradation for a hydraulic tunnel in Taiwan. The Mohr-Coulomb model (no strength degradation) and the post-peak strength degradation model (strain softening model) were used to simulate the excavation of the case tunnel at different depths. The analyses demonstrate that the tunnel is in stable condition at 600m of depth. And the effect of the postpeak strength degradation on tunnel deformation is progressively significant with increasing tunnel depth. Approximate 3-5 times of increase in crown settlement and horizontal convergence would occur when post-peak strength degradation are considered at 2400m of depth. Severe tunnel deformation may endanger the tunnel stability. Modeling results reveal that the post-peak strength degradation has a great effect on tunnel stability under high overburden stress condition, which should not neglect in deep tunnel design.

Jan 1, 2015

By Arthur Notman

For the period January 1st, 1942, to January 1st, 1946, the American Bureau of Metal Statistics records the gold production of the world as 118,788,000 fine ounces. If we include 1946 at the same rate as 1945 (26,- 590,000), we arrive at a total of 145,378,000 fine ounces in the past five years . Included in these figures are estimates of Russian output at 4,000,000 ounces per annum for the five years, and 1,300,000 ounces per annum for Korea and Japan. The remaining 120,000,000 ounces represent the aggregate production from official reports of the other gold producing areas of the world, with the exception of the 1946 figures, as noted above. At $35.00 per fine ounce, this represents $5,188,230,000. According to the reports of the Federal Reserve System of the United States, on December 31st, 1941, the monetary gold reserves of the United States were $22,736,- 600,000 (at $35.00 per fine ounce) , while on October 31st, 1946 (latest available) , they had fallen to $20,402,000,000, a decline of $2,334,600,000. Adding this decline to the value of the new production for the five years, we have a total of $7,522,830,000, which has been absorbed by the rest of the world since Pearl Harbour, a rate of absorption of over $1,500,000,000 per annum. This has taken place at a rime when the advocates of purely managed currencies had convinced many people that gold performed no really essential function in the world's economy, and that we could get along perfectly well without it. It was pointed out that gold could not be eaten, it could not clothe our nakedness, it could not shelter us from storms, and, therefore, it was a non-essential, even though it could be used to settle international balances of trade. Apparently, the world as a whole still regards it as preferable to the paper promises of governments, however sound, relatively, they may appear. Actually, we have no way of measuring the true strength of this feeling, because the principal governments of the world have made it legally impossible for their citizens to own gold, except in the form of ornaments.

Jan 1, 1947

By A. K. Mahto, B. Samanta

"A heuristic model was developed to simultaneously generate the ultimate pit and production scheduling at a mining project. The method consists of a preprocessing step to select a starter pit, the implementation of a genetic algorithm to optimize the pit and schedule of the starter pit, and a network-flow algorithm–based postprocessing operation to finalize the ultimate pit and production scheduling. Applied to an iron ore mine, the model pit and schedule produced a net present value 21% higher than the reference pit and schedule prepared by experienced field engineers.RÉSUMÉ Un modele heuristique a ete developpe pour generer simultanement l’ordonnancement de la fosse finale et de la production dans le cadre d’un projet minier. Cette methode comprend une etape de pretraitement visant a selectionner une premiere fosse, la mise en oeuvre d’un algorithme genetique pour optimiser la fosse et le calendrier d’execution de cette premiere fosse, ainsi qu’une operation de posttraitement basee sur des algorithmes de flux reseaux pour finaliser l’ordonnancement de la fosse finale et de la production. En l’appliquant a une exploitation de minerai de fer, ce modele de fosse et d’ordonnancement a genere une valeur actualisee nette (VAN) superieure de 21 % a l’approche de reference pour la fosse et l’ordonnancement developpee par des ingenieurs de chantier chevronnes. INTRODUCTIONLong-term planning for an open-pit mine involves two important activities: developing the ultimate pit and determining the optimum production schedule. To accomplish this, an ore deposit is discretized into a number of smallsized elements called blocks, which are presented in a 3D block model structure. Because of economic and slope criteria, only a certain set of mining blocks can be extracted from the deposit constituting a pit. During mining, these blocks must be extracted in a specific sequence known as the production schedule."

Jan 1, 2017

By K. D. Hester

This paper will review the metallurgical aspects of the completed expansion program at Quirke, and the current rehabilitation and refurbishing program at Panel. During the Quirke program, completed at the end of 1977, the plant capacity was increased from a nominal 4,500 to 7,000 short tons per milling day. The expansion of crushing, grinding, neutral thickening and filtering, leaching, partial neutralization, sand-slime separation, sand washing, C.C.D., clarification, ion exchange, mine water treatment, and tailings neutralization and pumping will be considered. The application of Enviro-Clear thickeners in the mine water treatment circuit and in the C.C.D. will be briefly reviewed. An automatic grinding and classification circuit for limestone will also be covered. The refurbishing program underway at Panel will be discussed. The Quirke and Panel plants will be contrasted and compared. In particular, reference will be made to environmental considerations. The innovative system for producing yellow cake at Panel, LAMIX, will be considered as well as the proposed treatment system for Panel tailings.

Jan 1, 1979

By C. B. Webber

"Sherritt Gordon's experience with rubber mill liners began in 1964 at the Lynn Lake Farley Mine and continued at the Fox Mine in 1960, and the Ruttan Mine in 1973. This paper describes the history of the performance of rubber mill liners at the three mine operations.LYNN LAKE - FARLEY MINEThe Lynn Lake Farley Mine, which ceased production in 1976 due to exhausted ore reserves, was a 3500 T.P.D. copper-nickel operation; consisting of two parallel rod mills followed by three stages of ball mill grinding. A circuit modification in 1964 necessitated one of the tertiary ball mills to be used as a pyrrhotite regrind mill. This 8' x 5' Hardinge conical mill drawing 225 HP was initially installed with steel liners and lifters. After several months of operation a routine inspection revealed severe channeling and washing behind the liners which was threatening to erode the ball mill shell. It was thought that the highly acidic condition in the mill, due to grinding 100 º6 pyrrhotite, was accelerating the wear of the steel liners. At this time it was decided to reline the mill with rubber liners to see if the wear problem could be relieved, and in December 1964 a set of Skega rubber liners were installed."

Jan 1, 1981

"Accelerated expansion of Western Canada's metallurgical coal industry has again stimulated considerable exploration activity in the Rocky Mountain Foothills Belt and influenced much of the R&D related to transportation, processing and carbonization. Preparation R&D has included further pilot-plant work on desulphurization, spherical agglomeration and modified compound cyclones (which are also proving themselves in other mineral beneficiation studies). Combustion research, aside from increasingly stressing control of combustion source pollution, has directed special attention to lignite PF firing and problems arising from lignite ash. Studies directed toward the non-fuel utilization of coal have centered on such diverse topics as active carbons, carbonaceous filter media, plant nutrients and industrial applications of humic acid derivatives. In addition, a number of long-range research projects related to such matters as coal chemistry and pyrolysis have been actively pursued, and further attention has been given to improved sampling techniques and analytical methods."

Jan 1, 1969

By Enrique I. Acuña

Creighton Mine is part of the mining history of Sudbury with more than 100 years of operation. Currently the deeper levels of the mine are reaching the 8000 ft level without implementation of mechanical refrigeration system as a result of the use of the Natural Heat Exchange Area (NHEA) over the past decades. The NHEA of Creighton Mine is part of an old block caving area divided into 4 blocks of trenches that were used to extract the ore. Currently, it is used year round to condition the outside temperature before the airflow enters the fresh air system of the mine. As the mine is progressing deeper, underground temperatures in the lower levels are starting to approach the limit of Vale?s guidelines for working in heat. This paper presents the study developed to improve the management of the NHEA to obtain cooler temperatures at the intake of the ventilation system and outlines the impact to the mine in terms of the additional level(s) that could be operated underground without the use of mechanical refrigeration. This is another of the efforts currently under development for energy conservation and to reduce the capital and operational costs of Creighton Mine while extending the expected life of the mine.

Oct 1, 2010

By Nirmal Weerasekara, Lian X. Liu, The University of Queensland, Weiguo Xie, Benjamin Bonfils, Ping Yu

A mill model structure based on the population mass balance framework incorporating breakage characteristics, slurry and solids transport, product classification and discharge and energy consumption was reported in XXVII IMPC and named the Generic Tumbling Mill Model Structure Version I (GTMMS I). In this work, a new 4D (four dimensional) appearance function sub-model based on the experimental results of the JK Rotary Breakage Tester (JK RBT) was developed to describe the breakage characteristics and was applied to this new model structure. The newly developed 4D appearance function model has fewer fitting parameters and is more generic in nature. Most importantly, it is applicable to both high and low energy impact breakage. It is therefore much more versatile in comparison to the existing JKMRC t10- tn appearance function and the size-dependent JK M-p-q t10-tn appearance function. In addition, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) energy distribution model was integrated into the new model structure. With DEM results providing energy distribution information inside the mill directly, the selection function and the back-calculation method used in the existing JKSimMet modelling method are not needed in this model structure. With the above two revolutionary innovations, the previous model structure was upgraded to the Generic Tumbling Mill Model Structure Version II (GTMMS II). Furthermore, the new model structure is dynamic in nature with time-stepping technique for non-steady-state simulation. A case of the dynamic grinding of a SAG mill was studied to validate the GTMMS II. The model simulation results agreed well with the plant data. With the newly developed 4D appearance function model, the incorporation of DEM energy distribution and transport function, the GTMMS II is an important step forward towards mechanistic modelling of tumbling mills.

Jan 1, 2016

By Sandeep Singh Sandhu, Karanvir Singh Ghuman, Manjit Singh

"Cobalt based super alloy stellite 6 was weld cladded on AISI 304 L stainless steel using SMAW process in order to improve the wear resistance for tyre crusher blades. Microstructure characterization and micro hardness testing was performed on stellite 6 cladding. The suitable parameters viz. 80 Amp current with arc weaving technique was selected by performing bead on plate experiment were further used for depositing multipass multilayer cladding to achieve full filler chemistry at the top surface. Further GTAW process was used for re-melting the top surface of the cladding. Comparative evaluation of the claddings showed that TIG re-melting resulted in increased microhardness and wear resistance in comparison to as cladded specimens even with lesser deposition of material. It was observed that TIG re-melting improved the hardness from 603 HV0.5 kg to 712 HV0.5 kg. Micro structures of stellite 6 contained cobalt solid solution matrix along with inter dendrite chromium carbides which resulted in the increased micro hardness values. Pin on disc abrasion tests were carried out at room temperature and the worn out surfaces were characterized using SEM and EDS.INTRODUCTIONThe crusher blades are used in many industries for crushing various types of material and its wider applications in tyre rubber crushing mills, metal-powder crushers industries etc. Most of the crusher blades are damaged by the wear and impact loading conditions. It is because of metal to metal abrasion and the temperature also plays a vital role in blunting the cutting edges of these blades. The wear is the major cause which leads to loss of material and thus the productivity that can never be recovered (Kotechi et al., 1992). The wear can be reduced by coating of various super alloys which could reduce the behavior of metal degradation even in aggressive environments. Cladding of cheaper low alloyed material with expensive superalloys to enhance the performance of components at low cost has been investigated by many scholars (Deng et al., 2010, Kennametal, 2007, Lolla et al., 2014, Singhet al., 2014, J.N et al., 2003, Ramkumar et al., 2012). Many researchers have reported that cladding is an application of build-up deposits of specialized alloys to resist abrasion, high temperature corrosion and impact loadings. Cladding is used for providing required mechanical strength properties as well as inhibition of oxidation and other corrosive degradation. Coatings are used to protect the heat affected areas like tubes of fluidized bed combustor etc. (Kirchbner et al., 2008, Wang et al., 1994, Hocking et al., 1993, Ananthapadmanabhan et al., 1991, Staia et al., 2001). Coating techniques are widely used for the protection of turbine engine and boiler tubes against high temperature corrosion attack, power generation equipment, chemical process equipment, aircraft engines, pulp and paper processing equipment, bridges, rollers and concrete reinforcements, orthopedics and dental, land-based and marine turbines, ships. Coatings of stellite 6 are widely used in steam turbine blades and boiler tubes for power generation because of an excellent combination of impact, wear and other properties. It can maintain its properties even at high temperature and in harsh environments (Kobayashiet al., 1999, Alam et al., 2009, Munehru et al., 2009). The loading and unloading conditions experienced by the material may induce the surface cracks which lead to its breakage and leaving large pits in the surface (Meng et al., 1995). Many researchers have reported that the properties of cladded layers can be increased by various techniques such as controlling the current variations, dilution, heat input, laser and other re-melting processes, addition of special alloying elements, speed of weldingetc(C.M Anaet al., 2002, Kumaret al., 1999, Luo et al., 2012, et al., Madadi et al., 2011, Shin et al., 2003, Kuzucu et al., 1997, Sudha et al., 2008, Sawant et al., 2017, Houdkova et al., 2016, Ciubo"

Jan 1, 2017

By Jae-Chun Lee, Rajiv Ranjan Srivastava, Min-seuk Kim, Byung-Su Kim

Recycling of spent hydrotreating catalysts (HTC) can potentially contribute towards the sustainable extraction of metal values. Treating such materials by hydrometallurgical methods to separate metals from the leach liquor of either acid/alkali media is a major step. In the present study, separation of molybdenum from HCl leach liquor of spent NiMo type HTC has been investigated by applying solvent extraction using Cyanex-923. For this, the chloride solution containing 973 mg/L Mo, 254 mg/L Ni and 1634 mg/L Al was taken as the aqueous feed. The parameters including contact time, concentration of the extractant, acid and chloride, and phase ratio were varied to investigate their effect on the extraction efficiency. The McCabe-Thiele plot suggests that > 99% Mo-loading using a 2-stage extraction process. From the molybdenum depleted solution, nickel was selectively extracted by Cyanex-301 leaving Al in the raffinate.

Jan 1, 2014

By J. Olson

"A model was developed to use near-infrared (NIR) analysis of pulverized ore samples to estimate the recoverable gold content for ores from the Barrick Cortez Hills underground mine. Current routing practices use a ratio of the cyanide soluble gold content and fire assayed gold (CN/FA) to classify ores as oxide or refractory. Prediction accuracy of the NIR model was equivalent to the CN/FA ratio. Prediction accuracy was improved by combining the CN/FA ratio and the NIR spectra. Bootstrap validation estimates the root-mean-square error to be 9.92% with an estimated r-squared value of 0.893. This model will allow more accurate estimates of the variability in recoverable gold content throughout this mine. These data will aid in building an improved geo-metallurgical model or in making better informed routing decisions during the production cycle.INTRODUCTION The contained gold of an ore available for cyanidation is often related to subtle variations in the mineralogy. It is difficult and expensive to collect enough mineralogical information in order to predict how the variable mineralogy will impact the metallurgical results and project economics throughout the life of the mine or mill. Near-infrared spectroscopy may be an effective tool to rapidly and inexpensively collect discrete, quantitative mineralogical data for minerals that contain transition metal oxides, metal sulfides with semi-conduction properties, rare earth metals, and some chemical groups having di-pole covalent bonds such as carbonates, sulfates, and various types of clays (Hunt, 1977). Near-infrared spectroscopy can be a powerful tool for geo-metallurgical characterization of deposits where the presence of these minerals has direct or indirect relationships to metallurgical results such as grindability, regent consumption, or recovery. Near infrared spectroscopy is a rapid analysis that measures the intensity of reflected light in the near-infrared spectrum. The ranges for the ASD-Panalytical units used in this study extend through the visible spectrum and into part of the UV spectrum, reporting reflection by wavelength from between 350 nm to 2500 nm. Absorption peaks visible in this range are a result of interactions with outer valence elections or chemical bonds. The location and intensity of the peaks vary depending on the chemical composition and crystal structure of a solid indicating the presence and abundance certain minerals (Hunt, 1977; Clark, 1984)."

Jan 1, 2017

By R. Ichimura

This paper summarizes the results of a five-year project, which aimed at improving the current method to process the arsenic-bearing smelter dust of El Teniente. This project, which was started in 2001, was carried out jointly by JOGMEC (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation) and CIMM (Centro de Investigación Minera y Metalurgica, Chile), and was financially supported by the Japanese and the Chilean governments. In the new process, the smelter dust is leached with sulfuric acid to dissolve arsenic, which is subsequently precipitated as crystalline ferric arsenate (scorodite) at ambient pressure by controlling the crystallization and crystal growing stage. As a result, a stable form of ferric arsenate is obtained, which passes the U.S. E.P.A. TCLP limit of 5 mg/L As. Copper and zinc are subsequently recovered from the arsenic-free solution. The copper product can be fed into the main copper production circuit at the Las Ventanas Smelter and Refinery, whereas zinc is recovered as a marketable product. A demonstration plant was installed and operated at CODELCO's Las Ventanas Smelter and Refinery. The basic and detailed engineering design was prepared by Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd (MMS) on the basis of a joint study done by JOGMEC, CIMM and CODELCO's Las Ventanas Division.

Jan 1, 2007

By M. Razavi

This investigation is part an overall investigation on the effect of sodium silicate on the properties of the mine backfill. The results presented will highlight the effects of binder dosage, sodium silicate concentration, and pulp density on the performance of stabilized sodium silicate-fortified sand pastefill samples. Binders implemented for these experiments consisted of cement, slag, and sodium silicate in various proportions. The binder content varied from 3 to 9 wt% (total dry weight) and sodium silicate concentrations was adjusted at 2 and 4% (total binder weight). Moreover, pulp density was adjusted to values between 80 and 83 wt%. For completion of the aforementioned phase of the study, series of sand pastefill test samples were prepared and cured for 28, 56, or 120 days, in a humidity and temperature controlled room. The specimens were tested for uniaxial compressive strength (UCS). In order to study the effect of sodium silicate on microstructures of stabilized sand pastefill, some MIP tests were conducted on selected samples. The results of this investigation evaluate the use of sodium silicate as a partial replacement of cement in stabilized backfill. The analyses of the results demonstrates that, with an increase in binder content and a decrease in pulp density, the UCS values of sand pastefill samples increase. Further more, the results indicate that increase in addition of sodium silicate does not necessarily result in higher strength minefill.

May 1, 2007

By Ian Hattie, Mark R. Wilson, T. Kurtis Kyser, Brian W. Janser

Petrographic, chemical and isotopic compo itions of auriferous and non-auriferous quartz vei ns from the Sta r Lake and Flin Flin-Amisk Lake areas of northern Saskatchewan indicate diver e origins fo r the fluids associated with gold mineralization. In the Sta r Lake area, the metavolcanic , Star Lake pl uton, and heared mafic dikes have retained their original igneous 81 80 values. The 81 80 value of quartz from mi neralized veins vary by I per mi! and range from+I0 to+IJ. The only quartz ample having a 81 80 value outside th is range came from a vein not associated wi th a dike or gold mineralization . Quartz from the Star Lake pluton has identical 8180 value to the qua rtz from mi neralized vei ns which suggests that the vei ns and the pluton are related to imilar proces es. The diffe rence in 81 80 values between mi neralized and barren vein may erve a a potential exploration tool in this area. Because o34S val ues of a limi ted number of amples of pyrite from gold-bearing quartz vei ns at Star Lake correlate directly with gold content. the gold may have been syngenetic with the su lphur and the 834 value may be useful for exploration . 8180 values of co-existing quartz, calcite, and amphibole in the veins from Star Lake indicate that isotopic disequilibrium among the minerals is common, but the val ues also record a high temperature of formation (ea . 500°C) involvi ng a component of magmatic fl uid. TheoD value of hydrou mineral from Star Lake retain their original igneous values but whole rock values are generally much lower, an effect attributed to interaction of the minerals with a late meteoric water. In the Fl in Flin-Amisk Lake area, auriferou and barren quartz veins formed from a mixture of hydrothermal and metamorph ic flu id at lower temperatures (ea . 350°C) than those at Sta r Lake. Becau e there i no apparent correlation between 8180 values of the quartz with gold content or relative age of the vein , nor between the 834S val ues of pyrite and gold content, table isotopes appear limited as an exploration tool in the Fl in FlonAmisk Lake areas.

Jan 1, 1986

By Bob A. Hamaguchi

The Trojan Tailings Pond at Highland Valley Copper developed in only 15 years from a biologically inactive water body into a productive lake with a well established aquatic ecosystem. This process was assisted by a few simple and inexpensive procedures including fertilization and introduction of essential organisms. The success at the Trojan Pond has encouraged the use of similar techniques in other water bodies on the mine site. This paper details: ??The history, water quality and thermal behavior of Trojan Tailings Pond ?Techniques used in fertilization; introduction of micro-flora (algae etc.), large aquatic plants, zooplankton and invertebrates ??Selection and sources of suitable transplant materials ??Rate and extent of vegetation establishment ??Biomass production ??Rates of organic sediment accumulation over tailings ??Bacterial activity in the sediments ??Improved water quality through the bioaccumulation of aqueous metals in plants and the subsequent bacterial binding or precipitation of that metal during decomposition in the tailings sediment. Robert A. Hamaguchi graduated with a Mining Diploma from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in 1971, followed with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mineral Engineering from the University of British Columbia in 1975. Since graduation, he has worked for numerous open pit mining operations throughout British Columbia. In 1991, he joined Highland Valley Copper working as an Environmental Engineer responsible for government liaison, reclamation, decommissioning and other environmental duties. Heather M. Larratt graduated from the University of Calgary in 1978 with a B.Sc. in Environmental Biology (First Class Honors). She has provided drinking water management and reservoir design for numerous cities and irrigation districts in British Columbia for 20 years. Heather has also worked for 12 years in reclamation of mine water, including passive SRB water treatment systems. Mark R. Freberg joined Highland Valley Copper in 1991 after working at number of mining operations in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. He graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mineral Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

May 1, 2001