Search Documents

By W. P. Campbell

In the course of the development of the Red Coulee field, northwest of Coutts, Alberta, a considerable amount of information has been gathered by the Department of the Interior regarding the chemical character of waters encountered in the drilling of wells in this area. The writer, in this paper, has undertaken to assemble the available material with the idea of deducing what relations, if any, may exist between the different waters from the same well, and also how these compare with waters encountered in similar horizons in other wells. From no other district, with which the Department of the Interior has had to do, have there been received so many samples of water, and yet not all the waters logged in the drilling reports were sent in for analysis. The information, therefore, herein contained is not as complete as the writer would have desired, but sufficient evidence has been accumulated to indicate some very definite tendencies in the chemical nature of the waters of this field. The drilling of Red Coulee wells has been carried out exclusively by percussive tools. These permit 'dry' drilling, and, consequently, water-sands are recognized when encountered. Had rotary tools been used, information regarding water-sands would have been very meagre, if not entirely lacking, since, in the mudding-off process, water-sands would have been overlooked, with the result that, should water break through into a completed well, its source would not be known and remedial efforts would be greatly handicapped, if not entirely defeated.

Jan 1, 1931

By Marty Hudyma

Mining-induced seismicity and rockbursting is one of the primary risks in deep mines. Seismic data management software has been created to facilitate analysis of mining-induced seismicity. The Mine Seismicity Risk Analysis Program (MS-RAP) is a purpose built database with mine seismicity analysis tools. One of the primary features of MS-RAP is the creation of seismic hazard maps in quasi-real time. The seismic hazard maps identify areas that are more prone to large seismic events and rockbursts, allowing risk management measures to be focused on the areas of greatest risk. These maps allow mining engineers to be more proactive about identifying and managing seismic related geomechanics risks in mines.

Oct 1, 2009

By C. R. Edwards, D. G. Feasby

"Over the last 50 years disposal of uranium mill tailings has evolved from dumping untreated tailings into the nearest depression to depositing chemically-stabilized tailings into highly engineered management facilities. This paper describes the evolution of disposal methods and the criteria which have determined the development path followed. Remediation techniques to bring older and now unacceptable tailings deposits into satisfactory compliance with today's· regulations are reviewed.With the closure of the uranium mines in Elliot Lake, Ontario, considerable effort is being made on decommissioning the tailings areas by developing long term maintenance of water covers. The innovative methods being used to develop these water covers are detailed. Methods now under development in Saskatchewan for subaqueous deposition of high density or paste tailings for permanent disposal in mined out open pits are described.SummaryThe technology for uranium mill tailings disposal in Canada has evolved considerably over the past 51 years. This evolution has been driven by an improving understanding of how best to safely and permanently store tailings, in conjunction with stricter environmental protection regulations. Old sites are being decommissioned in situ, but may require long term care and maintenance. The use of water covers is an important technique in eastern Canada to prevent intrusion, radon evolution and, for the Elliot Lake tailings, acid generation. The major drawback of water covers in any above ground disposal method is the requirement that a long term maintenance and monitoring plan be put into effect for each site.New higher grade mines in Saskatchewan will increasingly use disposal in mined-out pits using the pervious surround method and/or paste tailings technology as a method to permanently dispose of these wastes and to permit “walkaway” after a few years of monitoring."

Jan 1, 1996

By Wayne D. Goodfellow, William M. Luff, Steven J. Juras

Brunswick No. 12 is a vent-proximal massive sulfide deposit that formed above a feeder pipe with associated hydrothermal alteration. Because of the replacement of bedded sulfides deposited above the hydrothermal vent, individual sulfide lenses show the following vertical and lateral zoning outward from the vent complex: massive pyrite-pyrrhotite-ehalcopyrite core interlayered pyrite-sphalerite-galena (pb-Zn ore zone) - bedded pyrite. The feeder zone which underlies the Cu-rich core consists of an anastomosing network of pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyritequartz veins with variable and generally minor contents of ferroan carbonate, Fe-rich chlorite, sphalerite, galena and arsenopyrite. Hydrothermal alteration of felsic igneous rocks hosting and adjacent to the feeder pipe is represented by an inner zone (zone I) characterized by sulfide stringers, Fe-rich chlorite, muscovite, quartz, and ferroan carbonate that formed at the expense of feldspars and what was probably glass; outer zones (II and III) are represented by Mg-rich chlorite and muscovite formation, and the albitization and silicification of K-feldspar. Accompanying these alteration trends is a marked decrease of Na + Ca, and an increase in Fe + Mg + C03 in zone I, and increases in Mg + Na in the outer zones. The classic zoning of metals within the sulfide lenses, the formation of a feeder pipe below the vent-proximal sulfide core, and the hydrothermal alteration of felsic volcanic rocks cut by the feeder pipe all support a vent-proximal origin for the Brunswick No. 12 deposit. Furthermore, restriction of sulfide stringer mineralization to the footwall sequence, the folding of the stringer zone by an F, fold, and the difficulty of long distance mass transfer of metals from the sulfides into the host rocks all argue against a tectonic origin for the stringer zone. All of the evidence indicates that the feeder pipe formed during the ore forming hydrothermal event, but has been distorted and in some areas detached from the overlying massive sulfides during subsequent deformation.

Jan 1, 1992

By Marc Tardif

"The way alarm information is provided to an operator can make a huge difference in the minutes following an upset. Process alarms are often looked at as a way to help avoid catastrophic failure and serious accidents. But knowing that mineral processing is so energy consuming and that raw material is not consistent, all small upsets should also be seen as a catastrophe because they can have significant impact on product cost and quality.This paper will demonstrate how it is possible to use data from process alarms to provide operators with real time, value added information that will help them take the right decision at the right time and in turn, reduce unplanned downtime by 20 to 80% and incidents by up to 50% (number and cost),and optimize energy and capacity usage.In the era of Big Data, living in a world where we are submerged with information, one of the biggest challenges is to find the right information at the right time.Alarm rationalization projects will often focus on alarm quantity, but alarm quality is also very important. It is possible, by following a simple 6-step process to turn “alarms” into truly valuable information for operators. Based on known standards (ANSI/ISA 18.2 and EEMUA 191), this process will capture the knowledge of the best and most experienced operators and process engineers, and make it readily available to everyone, right on time, when it matters the most.INTRODUCTIONWhen spending some time in a modern control room, it is easy to notice the huge quantity of information that is available to the operator. Modern operation stations feature multiple screens with HD capability. These screens display information like process display, history trends, alarms and events list, maps with geo-located information, images from live cameras, etc. However, it is harder to assess whether all this information is really helping operators: Is all the information relevant? Are process screens overcrowded? Is the information easy to understand? Does the operator know what to do with all the information? Are there too many alarms?"

Jan 1, 2016

By Orlando C. Gaspar

The presence of ?ne-grained mineral intergrowths, the complex distribution of deleterious minor elements, and the variable base-metal contents in some assemblages commonly pose technical problems for the processing of volcanogenic massive sul?de ores. The bene?ciation of most massive sul?de ores from the Iberian Pyrite Belt requires extremely ?ne grinding to liberation sizes of K80= 15 µm to 25 µm. For several deposits, mapping of the ore types and metal zoning pat-terns has shown that the different ore types are distributed as ore lenses within the massive sul?des. Mineralogical, textural, and metallogenetic studies have provided an understanding of the distribution of both the vertical and the horizontal metal zonation in the orebodies. Because the ef?ciency of ore processing is affected by ore textures, and because the same mineral commonly has different textures and varies in chemical composition, a relationship between textures of the feed and the middlings must be established for all ore types de?ned at the deposit scale. Quantitative mineralogical methods have been developed to provide, on a timely basis, the information needed to optimize the concentration processes for the massive sul?de ores at the Aljustrel and Neves-Corvo deposits, Iberian Pyrite Belt, Portugal.

Jan 1, 1997

The Millennium deposit, located in northern Saskatchewan between the McArthur River mine and the Key Lake mill, has considerable potential for becoming an operating mine. Located in the Athabasca Basin, Millennium is blessed with both the riches and the challenges that this basin offers. The potential for ground water inflows during shaft sinking, and the unconventional challenges associated with underground uranium mining, render the successful development of a new mine in this area especially rewarding. The preliminary design and engineering of the Millennium Project has tapped into the experience of other operations in the area, and has utilized new applications of geophysics technology to enhance the understanding of the local geological structure. This discussion will focus on the innovations, and the challenges specific to uranium mining, for a deposit that is poised to be one of the next mines to supplement Saskatchewan's uranium resources.

May 1, 2008

By C. Boudreault, M. Fortier, S. Fafard

In the forging industry, the increasing trend is to use DC cast billets as forging stock to replace extruded stock. However, there is little technical information available in open literature. In order to gain a better understanding of the behaviour of cast stock during deformation, a study was initiated to evaluate the impact of an homogenisation treatment on the billet prior to cold forging. Axisymmetric upsettings of cylindrical samples machined from DC billets were achieved in order to evaluate and compare flow stresses, crack initiation and propagation. Results show a 30% decrease in flow stress after homogenisation. Observations of the deformed samples show major cracking for the as-cast material. Optical microscopy and SEM observations have related the crack initiation to decohesion around ß -AlFeSi particles and subsequent growth along the constituent path. Homogenisation effectively breaks up and transforms the ß phase, present as platelets in the cast product, into smaller spherodised a-AlFeSi particles. This has the effect of preventing crack growth in the forged product. The homogenisation treatment also resulted in the reduction of Mg and Si in solid solution. The softer matrix generated 29% less die wear when compared to the as-cast structure. Based on the results of this study, it is thus recommended to homogenise cast billets prior to cold forging.

Jan 1, 2006

By Nn Li

Energy consumption in commercial buildings has been increasing rapidly in the past decade. The knowledge of future energy consumption can bring significant value to commercial building energy management. For example, prediction of energy consumption decomposition helps analyze the energy consumption patterns and efficiencies as well as waste, and identify the prime targets for energy conservation. Moreover, prediction of temporal energy consumption enables building managers to plan out the energy usage over time, shift energy usage to off-peak periods, and make more effective energy purchase plans. This paper proposes a novel model for predicting heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) energy consumption in commercial buildings. The model simulates energy behaviors of HVAC systems in commercial buildings, and interacts with a multiagent systems (MAS) based framework for energy consumption prediction. Prediction is done on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Ground truth energy consumption data is collected from a test bed office building over 267 consecutive days, and is compared to predicted energy consumption for the same period. Results show that the prediction can match 92.6 to 98.2% of total HVAC energy consumption with coefficient of variation of the root mean square error (CV-RMSE) values of 7.8 to 22.2%. Ventilation energy consumption can be predicted at high accuracies (over 99%) and low variations (CV-RMSE values of 3.1 to 16.3%), while cooling energy consumption accounts for majority of inaccuracies and variations in total energy consumption prediction.

Aug 1, 2013

By Pierre Laliberté

Objectifs ?Quantifier les économies d?énergie potentielles liées àl?utilisation de différentes technologies ?Créer un modèle permettant d?évaluer les économies possibles d?énergie en combinant plusieurs technologies ?On ne peut simplement additionner les pourcentages d?économie individuels pour en évaluer le total.

Feb 1, 2008

By V. I. Lakshmanan

Rare earth elements and yttrium (REEs+Y) are being used in the making of hybrid electric cars, catalytic converters, wind power generators, LEDs, hard disc drives, flat panel displays, and portable electronics. Currently China produces more than 95% of REEs+Y, which has made REEs+Y a critical strategic resource. Process Research ORTECH Inc. (PRO) has developed the innovative mixed-chloride (HCl+MgCl2) solvent extraction processes for recovery of REEs+Y from their ores. The HCl leaching system provides the opportunity to regenerate the acid, while the presence of MgCl2 in the lixiviant enhances the activity of the hydrogen ion by orders of magnitude, making the lixiviant very aggressive and resulting in high recoveries of REEs+Y. Solvent extraction steps are used for separation and purification of REEs+Y from other value metals or impurities including iron, zirconium, hafnium, uranium, thorium, niobium, tantalum and titanium. Direct individual separation of REEs+Y in a mixed chloride system allows avoiding the additional process steps of precipitation and dissolution in HCl. The resulting process has a simplified flow sheet that is closed-loop and environmentally friendly.

Jan 1, 2014

By F. Charette

Instrumentation has been developed that can monitor the strain applied to a D-Bolt up to 7.5% elongation. The technology far exceeds the limit for foil resistance strain gauges. In the laboratory the instrumentation has provided insight into the fundamental behaviour of the D-Bolt following yield. Currently the instrumentation is undergoing field trials at a number of Canadian Mines. Discussion on field results is provided with regards to significance, reliability and temperature effects.

Aug 1, 2013

By M. J. Collins, B. Parekh, A. Hasenbank, B. Hewitt

Newcrest Mining Limited, originally as Lihir Gold, has operated a pressure oxidation plant for the recovery of gold from refractory ore since 1997. The mine and gold plant are located on Lihir Island in Papua New Guinea. Design of the original pressure oxidation circuit was based on the results of pilot plant tests conducted by Sherritt in Fort Saskatchewan. Following a decision to expand the plant in 2008, Lihir Gold contracted Sherritt to design a new autoclave. The design exercise utilized the original pilot plant test results, commercial process results at Lihir, and an understanding of advances in autoclave technology since the original plant was built. The new Lihir autoclave will be the largest horizontal, multiple-compartment autoclave in the world. The design process for the pressure oxidation expansion is described in this paper.

Jan 1, 2011

By R. S. Boorman, L. J. Surges

"Ore reserves at Brunswick Mining and Smelting totalled 101(106) tonnes grading 97 grams tonne-1 silver at the end of 1981. Silver is recovered as a byproduct in the copper, lead and bulk concentrates and is lost to the zinc concentrate and plant tailings. Recovery of silver for the year 1981 was 58,5%. The loss of potential revenue is in excess of Cdn $50(106) year-1 at current silver prices and milling rates.Silver is known to occur in solid solution in galena and as tetrshedrite. Evidence indicating the identity and significance of a third silverbearing mineral assemblage is reviewed and the distribution of silver losses is detailed. Characteristics of each the carrier which may be responsible for observed distribution, including size, surface quality, liberation and composition are considered, and the third carrier is shown to have possible implications for improved silver recovery by other Canadian producers as well as by Brunswick Mining.Silver tetrahedrite tailings distributed tailings and losses occur as coarse, free and as very fine unliberated galena in losses of the third carrier are between the zinc concentrate and are concentrated in the finest size fractions. Process alternatives for enhanced silver recovery by physical and chemical means are reviewed."

Jan 1, 1983

By J. Kempken, R. Hagmann, C. -P. Reip, W. Hennig

The CSP technology symbolizes a highly productive process for the cost-effective production of steel grades with a range of sophisticated properties comprising both the inner quality of hot strip, its surface formation as well as the relating technological characteristics. Thanks to extensive development work undertaken during the last 15 years, the range of steel grades that can be produced was continuously expanded and the process technology optimized. The present paper describes the ongoing development work concerning the production of higher-strength, microalloyed pipe steels. The resulting hot strip, due to the associated thickness and the potential pipe diameters, is particularly suited for being processed to HFI-welded pipes. Based both on ferrite-pearlite as well as very fine-grained, ferrite-bainite hot-strip microstructures, strength levels of up to grade API X80 can be realized. It can be demonstrated that hot strip produced in a CSP plant has very good toughness values at temperatures down to -60°C and can even make application with required sour-gas resistance possible.

Jan 1, 2005

By Jianglan Duan, Steve L. Cockcroft, Andre B. Phillion, Carl Reilly, Daan M. Maijer

"In the aluminum alloy wheel casting process, careful design of the cooling system in the die and its operation (cooling channel timing) are critical to achieve quality and productivity goals. The problem is challenging owing to the cyclic nature of the process and the relatively large thermal mass of the die in comparison to the wheel. For a given die geometry, a set of constraints have been defined to ensure directional solidification and an objective function, based on cooling rate during solidification, has been defined to reach a target secondary dendrite arm spacing. The methodology presented in this study employs the commercial finite element package, ABAQUSTM, and an optimization module based on the open source library, Scipy. The developed methodology has been applied to a series of geometries and cooling system configurations, including a 2-D axisymmetric wheel and die assembly generated from a prototype die. Preliminary testing has shown that careful selection of the objective and constraint functions have made it possible to reach desired solidification pattern.TM- Dassault Systèmes Corp."

Jan 1, 2014

By S. Mostaghel, Fariba Azgomi, Steven Goodman, M. Oliazadeh

"It is known that copper loss to the slag phase can be in the forms of chemical dissolution and mechanical entrainment. The contribution of each mechanism to the total Cu-loss depends on different parameters and may vary significantly. To reduce emissions to the atmosphere and to shorten the converting cycle, most industrial processes are aiming at production of high matte grades. Increased oxygen-to-sulfur potential, required by these processes, results in a highly oxidized slag, which in turn leads to an increased concentration of the chemically dissolved copper in the slag phase. Hence, slag cleaning processes are becoming increasingly important for economic viability of the smelting operations. Hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical, and mineral processing routes have been used for copper recovery from slag. The current article reviews a trade-off study evaluating two of the commonly used methods (namely flotation and electric slag cleaning furnace) by comparing the technical pros and cons, operability/maintenance requirements, and capital/operating costs of the operations.INTRODUCTIONLarge volumes of smelter and converter slags are produced by copper smelters around the world. It is estimated that for production of each ton of metal 2.2 tons of slag is produced (Gorai, Jana, & Premchand, 2003). Considering the current pressure on the mining and metals industry for “zero-waste, sustainable and environmentally friendly” extraction of metals, it is absolutely essential for metal producers to improve their efficiencies in order to remain competitive. To meet these objectives, almost all metal producers, from steelmaking plants, ferroalloys, base and precious metals producers, are trying to reduce their metal losses to the slag phase. In particular, copper producers are aiming to produce higher matte grades in their smelting furnaces to reduce the converting time and improve their overall throughput. Copper smelters need to minimize their copper/precious metal losses to the slag phase before final landfilling/use of slag. The current article, therefore, briefly reviews the copper loss to the slag phase, methods of metal recovery from the slag and then presents a trade-off study conducted for a green field flash smelter of the sulfide concentrates. A comparison was made between two of the major process routes for metal recovery from slag, namely slag cleaning furnace and flotation."

Jan 1, 2016

By G. Marchand, R. H. Hay, E. C. Pearson

"AbstractA polishing .technique is described together with two anodic etching methods for aluminum and its alloys. Some of the optical and structural characteristics of the film formed by •these etching methods are discussed and it is shown to what degree these properties of the film are related to the crystallographic orientation of the metallic substrate. Applications to the study of recrystallization and twinning phenomena and to the study of plastic deformation, banding, and texture estimation are discussed. Micrographs are shown .to illustrate the manner in which the technique is particularly well suited to the study of such phenomena.IntroductionThe physical metallurgist is constantly faced with the problem of polishing and etching of metallic sections. Mechanical polishing is tedious, time consuming, and not applicable whenever a surface entirely free from plastic deformation is required. Etchants are generally required to reveal the grain structure in order to determine its size, shape, and regularity, or to bring up constituents. In the case of aluminum, the .most common etchant to reveal grains is a mixture of three acids: HC1, HN03, and HF. This etchant is fairly satisfactory on certain alloys and for certain metallurgical conditions but in general fails to give a good definition of the grain on castings, on highly alloyed products, and whenever the grain is smaller than 100 microns in diameter. Besides size and shape, a grain, or crystal, has an orientation and may be endowed with several types of imperfections."

Jan 1, 1952

By A. M. Reyes

Flow field hydrodynamics of serpentine flow channels was investigated numerically using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The velocity profile simulated by the CFD model was evaluated with respect to experimental results from the literature. Rectangular and tapered flow channels were compared with respect to mixing and water management capabilities, and pressure drop. The CFD model was further developed to account for electrochemical reaction on the cathode side to determine which channel configuration was most effective in reactant conversion. The velocity profile differences between the channels were found to impact reactant conversion, as the rectangular channel had the highest conversion. With respect to water management, although the tapered channel was found to have a higher overall pressure drop, the rectangular channel was found to have higher shear and pressure forces acting on simulated liquid water droplets in the channel.

Jan 1, 2005

By M. E. Holter

"Limestone-bearing strata are exposed in seven areas of Alberta, each situated adjacent to rail and road facilities. Six of these centers are located along the eastern edge of the Foothills and Front Ranges of the Rocky Mountains in western Alberta. The other is in northeastern Alberta, along the eastern margin of the Alberta Basin. High-grade limestones are present in Middle Cambrian, Upper Devonian and Mississippian strata. Middle Cambrian (Eldon Formation) limestones have been exploited only in the Exshaw area west of Calgary, where they formerly were used for lime production. Limestone beds of the Upper Devonian Palliser Formation are exploited at Exshaw and at Cadomin in west-central Alberta for the manufacture of cement. Reserves of high-grade limestone also are available in the Palliser Formation near Crowsnest Lake in southwestern Alberta and near BrUle, west of Edmonton. Upper Devonian limestones of the Waterways Formation are widespread in the Fort McMurray area of northeastern Alberta, but available data indicate they are of inferior quality to the limestone deposits of the Rocky Mountains regions. The Mississippian Livingstone Formation contains large reserves of high-grade limestone at several localities in the Rocky Mountains and Foothills. Commercial development of the unit is now underway at Crowsnest Lake and at Exshaw for lime production, and future exploitation of these beds is feasible at Blairmore and Nordegg."

Jan 1, 1973