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May 1, 2013

By D. Magoon

The metals industry has enjoyed a resurgence in prices and demand for its commodities during the global surge in economic activity that began in 2005. This success has brought with it an unprecedented demand for professionals in all sectors of our economy. Nowhere is that more true than in the mining and metallurgy sectors. However, this welcome improvement follows on the heels of almost two decades of challenging markets for the mining and metallurgy. Our sector's protracted economic slump created a paucity of demand for professionals that had several consequences. Our industry came to be viewed as a low ?tech, uninteresting place to work. Low demand for professionals encouraged students to seek other career options. Reduced demand for graduates, coupled with diminished program funding by our sector, resulted in dramatic shrinkage in university mining and metallurgy programs. This paper explores the lessons to be learned from our recent economic history and discusses some strategies for addressing our image issue. Attracting and retaining good employees is also strongly influenced by a company's reputation and record as a good employer. This reality is very well illustrated by the findings of an international survey undertaken by Towers Perrin in 2005 of 86,000 employees of mid-sized and large companies in 16 countries. The key findings related to attracting and retaining employees are presented. These findings are also discussed in the context of their specific applicability to the mining and metallurgy industry.

Jan 1, 2007

By Paul T. Fitzgerald

Risk financing solutions are emerging to fully address environmental liabilities for mining operations. Supported by specialized insurance and alternative risk transfer (ART) products, mine owners can fund, cap and guarantee the environmental liabilities and closure obligations of a mine within a financial structure that will be acceptable to regulators. An environmental risk financing program will permit an owner to transfer the liabilities and indeed the ownership of a site to a third party that has the ability and resources to responsibly execute the closure plan. A properly structured program will be financially viable for the owner and will also respond to community and environmental opposition concerns about sustainable development and the environmental legacies associated with mining activities.

Apr 1, 2005

By B. T. Lu, J. L. Luo, H. X. Guo

This paper investigated the synergistic effect in the slurry-erosion process of carbon steel. In line with the mechanisms of material loss, the synergism due to interaction of erosion and corrosion was divided into the corrosion enhanced by erosion and erosion enhanced by corrosion. The erosion-corrosion tests were conducted with A1045 steel in slurries containing silica sand. Experimental results showed that the rotating of the sample in corrosive media raised both OCP and corrosion rate, but the impingement of solid particles did not affect the corrosion current significantly. In the quiescent solutions, the Faraday's law gave a good prediction for the weight loss caused by corrosion but for rotating samples, the weight loss experimentally measured was virtually greater than that predicted by the Faraday's law, indicating that the corrosion-enhanced erosion could occur in corrosive fluids in absence of solid particles. A half-logarithm relationship was observed between the weight loss due to corrosion-enhanced erosion and the anodic current density.

Jan 1, 2004

By William M. Luff

"The Bathurst area has recorded mining production as early as 1837, although the bulk of the production has come in recent years. Production has been mainly from the well-known massive sulphide deposits, but vein, gossan, and a variety of other deposits have also been mined. This paper summarizes the history of the mined deposits, along with tonnages and grades produced. A number of ""firsts"" have been noted in the Bathurst area. The A Zone deposit, located in the Heath Steele area, was the first in the world discovered using airborne electromagnetic methods. Heap leaching of gold from the gossan zone at Caribou was the first operation of its kind in Canada. The Keymet mine was the first base metal (lead-zinc) mine in New Brunswick. For the past few years, the Brunswick No. 12 mine has been one of the largest zinc mines in the world.IntroductionThe Bathurst area (Fig. 1) first had mining production in 1837 when copper was mined from a deposit on the Nepisiquit river (MacKenzie, 1958). The majority of the production, however, has been in recent years from massive sulphide deposits, but there are also other significant operations. . Table 1 is a summary of Bathurst area mineral production, showing concentrator feed tonnages and mill feed grades. The table does not include peat deposits, sand and gravel, dimension stone or rock quarries. Figure I is a general geology map of the Bathurst area, indicating deposit locations. The deposits are divided into four categories: massive sulphide, vein, gossan and other. The deposits in each category are described in chronological order of exploitation."

Jan 1, 1995

By S. Rash Ahmadi

Thin brittle coatings are deposited or developed on component surfaces for different reasons. In many practical applications the coatings are stressed by externally applied loads. Under such conditions, coating failure can occur. In this paper the probability of the extension of surface crack in coated materials due to cylindrical sliding indentation is analyzed. Contact loading problems typically result in multi-axle and strongly inhomogeneous stress fields near the contact surface. This property which strongly affects the stress intensity factors is taken into account in the failure analysis. Edge cracks were selected to model the actually accruing surface flaws. A suitable method is described for calculating the contact stress fields in coating and substrate. The coating is idealized as a brittle-elastic layer of uniform thickness, which is bonded to the surface of a half space. Method of linear elastic fracture mechanics are then used to calculate the load required to cause fracture in the coating.

Oct 1, 2011

By A. Siegmund, F. Mucciardi, Z. Yuan, B. Bulnes

With conventional heat pipe science as the starting point, a new heat transfer technology --- termed Thermopump technology, has been developed at McGill University and is now being tested at a number of industrial operations. This technology is of particular importance for transferring energy in high temperature / high heat flux environments where solutions based on current techniques are not available. One important application for this technology is in the metals recycling area wherein this technology has been used to make a waterless, non-consumable, high efficiency Thermopump oxygen lance. The viability and efficiency of this oxygen lance have been demonstrated by preliminary plant trials in a reverb furnace for the recycling of lead-acid batteries at the RSR Corporation. Full-scale commercial trials of the Thermopump (TP) oxygen lance have been carried out at the RSR Corporation. The results from these tests will be presented. In addition, some applications of the Thermopump technology for other metal recycling processes will also be discussed in this paper.

Jan 1, 2004

By Michel Noël

This paper presents a partial compilation of adopted measures of waste rock dump closures at mine sites located in Canada and Alaska, where the climate includes cold winters. The paper also presents the selection process that was followed for some of those mine sites. Mining operations usually generate waste rock that can sometimes result in very large quantities. Additionally, the nature of the ore body and the host rock will often introduce environmental impacts. These impacts need to be managed not only during the operations but also in the long term. Mine closure plans consequently have to address the long term issues that sometimes require perpetual treatment. Closure planning often involves the evaluation of risks associated with environmental and financial liabilities. It needs to consider the science, some common definition of objectives, and there will be a need to manage resources and schedules. Closure planning is essentially an exercise in constrained decision making. A performance and risk based ranking matrix is often developed during this selection process to identify the preferred option(s). The case studies presented in this paper provides a few examples. The level of knowledge on acid rock drainage from waste rock dumps has increased considerably over the past decades. It did not necessarily increase the level of complexity of the adopted closure methods, as the selected closure methods are often kept simple. A common approach consists of stabilising the slopes of the waste rock dumps material by resloping and then covering the waste rock with a growth media to support vegetation. Such covers prevent direct contact of animals with the waste rock material, minimise erosion and reduce infiltration to various degrees. The inclusion of water treatment is obviously dependent on the water quality being released.

Nov 1, 2008

By K. Pienimäki

Boliden Harjavalta Oy has produced copper since 1945. The essential idea has always been continuous development of process efficiency and environmental friendliness by using the Best Available Techniques (BAT). The ongoing development step is to increase the production capacity up to 210 000 tpy of anode copper and 155 000 tpy of copper cathode. One of the focal issues in this action is modernization of the copper refinery to utilize permanent cathode technology. This paper describes the refinery project and the technology used in it.

Jan 1, 2007

By T. H. Patching, D. F. Coates

The Sub-Committee on Rock Classification, Canadian Advisory Committee on Rock Mechanics, has evolved a classification of rocks which should prove useful in studies of rock mechanics. Considered in two stages -actual rock substance and rock mass -the five-point classification involves the geological name of the rock, the rock strength and rock deformation, and, in the second stage, the gross homogeneity of the rock mass and the formation continuity.

Jan 1, 1968

By G. N. Carlson, C. H. Hazelroth, D. R. Dorrance

"Located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River at Pointe Noire, Quebec are the agglomeration and ship-ping facilities of the Wabush Mines complex. Here, the specular hematite concentrate from the Scully Mine is received for further processing. Modern facilities for handling the ore, either to the 1plant or to stockpile, provide quick and efficient operation of the ore receiving station. Physical preparation of the ore for balling is accomplished with regrind ball mills, filters, bentonite crushing and drying facilities, pumps and related conveying circuits. Rotating table feeders deliver the reground and de-watered ore from storage bins to balling drums, where green ball or green pellet formation is achieved. The green balls are then conveyed to the indurating section. Three Dravo-Lurgi travelling grates, producing a total of 6,000,000 long dry tons of pellets per year, are used in the indurating phase of the operation. These grates, having 38 windboxes and firing at a temperature of 2,500°F, harden the pellets for shipment to various blast furnaces throughout the world."

Jan 1, 1969

By Charles Camsell

THE Northwest Territories covers a very large area-more than one-third of all Canada-and its most northern point, Cape Columbia in Ellesmere island, is distant only 500 miles from the Pole. Our first knowledge of the Arctic Archipelago, of which Ellesmere island forms a part, resulted from a gold-mining venture in Queen Elizabeth's reign. The English navigators of that time were eager to find a north-westerly and shorter and Jess hazardous route to the riches of China and Japan than that which Magellan had discovered, but they were unaware that the continent then known to bar a direct route extended in great width far to the north. Frobisher was one of these navigators. He reached in 1576 the bay in Baffin island now named after him, convinced that he had found a passage connecting the Atlantic with Asiatic seas. Forced to re-turn after ordeals in which ice, wind, and Eskimos flayed formidable parts, he brought back, among other novelties, a piece o black stone which had been picked up casually by one of his officers, and gave a little of it to the wife of one of the venturers, or financial backers of the enterprise. To quote now from Hakluyt: ? 'She by chance threw and burned it in the fire so long that , at length being taken forth and quenched in a little vinegar, it glistered with a bright marquesset of gold. Whereupon the matter being called in sorne question, it was brought to certain goldminers in London to make assay thereof, who indeed found it to hold gold and that very richly for the quantity." On the strength of this, the venturers, anticipating much profit, launched a second expedition to secure more of this stone, and 143 persons, including 14 miners and finers, set forth in 1577 and returned the same year, with, however, 200 tons of another mineral. Influenced by glowing accounts of veritable mountains of this mineral and by assays made after "additaments"-that is how "salting" in those days was described-the venturers, including Elizabeth, supplied funds for erecting a smelter and refinery at Dartford and outfitting a stilllarger expedition. And so, in 1578, fifteen ships departed with the Queen's blessing, for the same remote shores. After many mishaps, they returned with over 1,000 tons of the mineral, but when it yielded very little of value at the works in Dartford, the? Company of Venturers was forced into liquidation. Though our first prospector and miner was rather inconsiderate of the investors, he proved the existence of an archipelago, hitherto unknown, and secured much information about the new land and its dwellers.

Jan 1, 1938

By P. M. Hedley

GOLD mining in Nova Scotia, as in any other gold district, has its own peculiar problems. Being in close proximity to excellent roads and to railways, and being blessed with good labour, the majority of gold mines in the Province find their paramount trouble is geological, namely, ore finding. After six years of continuous mining at Goldenville, the staff of Guysborough Mines, Limited, has collected many facts, has come to some definite conclusions, and has made a lot of guesses, some good and some bad. It is the purpose of this paper to set down such information as we have been able to gain in the hope that it may prove useful to other operators, present and future, faced with similar problems. What may be true of one Nova Scotian mine will not necessarily be true of another, so that the observations that follow should be considered as primarily applicable to Goldenville. Stated facts, conclusions, and theories are the result of the combined thought and effort of Head Office officials, of members of the Provincial and Federal Departments of Mines, and of members of the mine staff, past and present. Grateful acknowledgment is made to all.

Jan 1, 1941

By Andrew Dobson

The assessment and control of environmental noise from mines has become increasingly important in recent years, due to urbanization and population growth, increased regulation of environmental factors, and overall awareness and sensitivities to noise exposure. Minimizing adverse effects on communities and achieving compliance with local ordinances is now commonplace, and consideration of noise during the design and/or operation of a mine cannot be ignored. Ventilation equipment can represent the loudest and most bothersome equpiment at mines, however there are complexities when attempting to control the assocaited noise, due to the acoustical nature of mine vent fans. In fact, the utilization of traditional and/or industry standard methods can intensify the noise impact, or simply not work as intended. This paper provides recommendations on specific noise control methods that are suitable for mine ventilation equipment, based on recent assessment work and field experience.

Oct 1, 2024

By M. Kellner

Due to continuously growing resource demands and increasing requirements for sustainability, safety and environmental protection on the other hand, the mining industry is being subjected to these additional requirements. Over the past few decades progress has been made in all topics. In 1987, the United Nations published the following in the Brundtland Report: ?development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.?[5] The term ?Blue Mining? means to work sustainably, economically, ecologically, and efficiently while also improving ergonomics, for example by increasing automation. An example of how mining can actively be involved in energy management will be shown. Initial evaluations of underground cavitites were done for purpose of energy storage. The planning and construction of underground pump storage plants both in active and inactive mining operations was also investigated.

Aug 1, 2013

By Ron H. Derammelaere

Coal Slurry Test Pipeline and First Recorded Commercial Pipeline Wallace Andrews founder of New York Steam Company awarded patent for ?Method of Transportation? that involved pumping finely divided coal in slurry form built test facility at Madison Avenue and East 58th Street in New York City died in 1899 in a fire and coal pipeline work was not continued First recorded commercial coal slurry pipeline designed by Gilbert Bell in 1914 to move coal from barges on the Thames River in London to a powerhouse in 8? tubes (660 yards long)

May 1, 2013

By A Frostick

Ranger uranium mine is surrounded by the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park and offsite impacts resulting from mining at Ranger would affect the Magela Creek catchment first. Radionuclides, lead isotope ratios and metal concentrations were measured in sediment cores from the Magela Creek catchment around Ranger to investigate the dispersion of mine-derived particulates. The study found a localised area within the Ranger mineral lease, where upper sediments had elevated levels of radionuclides and trace metals and radiogenic Pb isotope ratios. There is no current evidence of sediment dispersion from Ranger further downstream within the Magela Creek catchment.

Aug 1, 2010

By R. L. Bishops

This paper discusses some of the materials, processes and systems used in motor insulation. Among the materials mentioned are epoxies, polyesters, mica paper composites and wire enamels. Two processes developed to take advantage of the special characteristics of two of these materials are described, and how these materials are used in several new insulation systems now on the market is discussed. Finally, future trends in motor insulation are outlined.

Jan 1, 1969

By F. J. Alcock

The Appalachian region of Canada comprises the three maritime provinces; Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; and Prince Edward Island; and that; part of the Province of Quebec lying south and east of Logan's fault. This; major thrust runs in a gently curving line from lake Champlain to Quebec; city and thence down the valley of the St. Lawrence to pass between Anticosti; island and Gaspe peninsula. To the northwest lies the St. Lawrence; Lowland division of the Interior Plains geological province; a region underlain; largely by early Palxozoic strata; which for the most part lie horizontal; or with low dips; where faults occur they are predominantly of the normal; type; and only locally are the beds cut by intrusive rocks. To the southeast; on the other side of the fault zone; an entirely different set of conditions is; encountered. There; Lower Devonian and older strata stand at high angles; are sheared and thrust faulted; and are intruded in many places by granitic; igneous bodies. The present paper is designed to outline briefly the geological; and structural history of this geological province and to emphasize; the part that structural conditions have played in connection with mineral; deposition.

Jan 1, 1954

By C. J. Havard, G. C. Taylor, D. G. Cook, N. C. Ollerenshaw, D. K. Norris

"The area encompassed by this report is the eastern and northern Cordillera, shown on the composite map accompanying these background papers. It extends from the 49th pm•allel to the Arctic Ocean and from the Rocky Mountain and Tintina trenches to the Interior Plains. The Mackenzie delta is included in the discussions because of the implications of the bedrock geology of the Arctic Plateau and Coastal Plain on the hydrocarbon and mineral potential beneath it.The eastern and northern Cordillera forms the back-bone of the Western Canada sedimentary basin and from it most of the principles of orogenesis and epeirogenesis relating to the understanding of the structural, depositional and fossil record of the basin have been derived. It may be divided roughly into two parts, reflecting basic differences not only in structural style but also in mineral potential. The more easterly and younger rocks generally contain hydro-carbons, coal and non-metallic minerals; the more westerly and older rocks contain metallic and industrial minerals."

Jan 1, 1970