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By Pentti Seppanen

The activities of Outokumpu Oy in the mining industry span all branches from prospecting to the production of refined metals and the manufacture of semifinished products. Products include copper, zinc, mercury, cadmium, nickel, cobalt, sulfur, gold, silver, iron ore, stainless steel, selenium, ferrochromium, lead and chromium concentrates, as well as chromite foundry sand. In addition, the activities of Outokumpu Oy extend to development and production of instruments, planning of industrial projects and instrumentation as well as the manufacture of specialized machines for ore concentration. The company now operates ten mines, eight of which are underground and all of which are in sulfide deposits except one. The fully automated monitoring and control of underground mine ventilation at the Pyhasalmi mine are an important technological contribution to the industry. Development work on the ventilation control was started in 1969, and since May 1973 it has operated in a fully automated computer-controlled mode. The Pyhasalmi mine has been in production since 1962, having begun as an open-pit operation. Development of underground mining began in 1967. The present annual production is one million tons all from underground mining. The underground mine is equipped with a main shaft and an auxiliary shaft, and two raises for ventilation. There is also a rampway from the surface to a depth of 500 m. The main shaft is for ore hoisting and the auxiliary shaft is used for waste-rock hoisting and for downcast ventilation. One of the raises is for downcast ventilation and the other is for upcast ventilation. The mining methods employed at Pyhasalmi are sublevel stoping with backfill, sublevel caving, and sublevel shrinkage stoping. Copper and zinc concentrates are produced. The Pyhasalmi mine is highly mechanized with about 4000 installed diesel horsepower underground. The maximum capacity of fresh air is 150 m3/s.

Jan 1, 1979

By D. C. Martin

Stability analysis and design of open pit slopes is generally based on an assessment of rock cores and rock exposures on surface or in underground workings. Until recently, core for such assessments has been readily available from exploration drilling programs. In recent years, many exploration programs have reduced the amount of coring and rely more heavily on less expensive rotary or percussion drilling programs where drill cut-tings are sampled for geological evaluation and assay. This paper describes a technique whereby costs of the geotechnical investigation are reduced by using rotary percussion drilling information to assess geotechnical properties of the rock mass. A limited number of core holes are required to establish basic relationships between the mechanical properties of core and the characteristics of the percussion chips. These properties are used as a basis to extrapolate the coring information to encompass the entire area of the rock mass for which percussion drilling information is available.

Jan 1, 1990

By L. Yuan, J. Soles, D. Bahrami, W. Tang, R. Thomas

Mine equipment fires remain as one of the most concerning safety issues in the mining industry, and most equipment fires were caused by hot surface ignitions. Detailed experimental investigations were conducted at the NIOSH Pittsburgh Mining Research Division on hot surface ignition of liquid fuels under ventilation in a mining environment. Three types of metal surface materials (stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel), three types of liquids (diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid, engine oil), four air ventilation speeds (0, 0.5, 1.5, 3 m/s) were used to study the hot surface ignition probability under these conditions. Visual observation and thermocouples attached on the metal surface were used to indicate the hot surface ignition from the measured temperatures. Results show that the type of metal has a noticeable effect on the hot surface ignition, while ventilation speed has a mixed influence on ignition. Different types of liquid fuels also show different ranges of ignition temperature. Results from this work can be used to help understand equipment mine fires and develop mitigation strategies.

Mar 2, 2022

By Z. Zhang, M. S. Gonzalez, M. de P. Bueno, P. Holopainen, S. Luukkanen

"Despite being a field of study that requires practical knowledge and experience, mining engineering education follows the same pattern in most mining universities around the world, consisting of theoretical courses and laboratory-based practical modules (Mischo, 2015). The possibility of having practical training in real mining conditions on actual mine sites or processing plants is limited, while the only contact that undergraduate students have with mining operations during their time of study is usually through shorttime internships or visits in the context of educational trips. Real integration between universities and the mining industry may be scarce, which does not help students to observe the actual processes and thus understand the whole picture of mining operations.Indirect practical training is now possible since that technology is shifting from mechanical to digital, and the use of virtual reality — in the context of Mining 4.0 — can provide additional experience to the learning process. However, virtual reality is limited to the visual impression and is also limited in actions (Binder et al., 2018). In any case, when there is not a proper pragmatic view of how the different disciplines link to each other, especially if there is a lack of communication, unfortunately the results could be seen at a later stage in the mines as a poor performance of professionals and workers.Another major challenge for educating specialists in the mining sector is that experimental mines suitable for practical education, where the skills and knowhow could be developed and/or enhanced, are rare worldwide. Such research and educational (R&E) facilities are practically former metal ore mines that have been transformed into experimental sites. Besides being limited in number, not all facilities of this kind serve both a research and educational purpose.An early example of asolely experimental mines is the Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Mine site operated by LKAB in Sweden, where systematic research on rock mechanics and mining engineering was successfully carried out in the 1980s. As a result, the developed underground mining technology was applied in LKAB’s mines at a later stage. There have also been research mines within collieries such as the former Lake Macquarie Mine at New South Wales in Australia and the Zeche Tremonia Mine in Germany), but these are no longer in operation (Mischo, 2015)."

Oct 1, 2019

By James C. Burrows, Frances Kramer Mesher

Tungsten-containing ores are mined on all continents of the world. China is the world's largest producer and controls the world's largest reserves. The USSR, itself a sizeable producer, is estimated to be the world's largest consumer. The major use for tungsten in the noncommunist world is in production of cemented tungsten carbides for cutting, drilling, and wear parts. Other major uses include lamp wires, steels for tools, and armaments. Real tungsten prices have been in a general decline since 1977-1979 as the tungsten market undergoes basic and lasting structural changes.

Jan 1, 1986

By W. Zhang

"The adsorption of collector on chalcocite has been studied in situ in aqueous solutions by applying an atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM images show that xanthate, such as potassium ethyl xanthate (KEX) and potassium amyl xanthate (PAX), adsorbs strongly on chalcocite mainly in the form of insoluble metal xanthate, which binds strongly with the mineral surface without being removed by flushing with ethanol alcohol. The result clearly shows that the adsorption of xanthate on chalcocite is totally different from its adsorption on chalcopyrite, during which oily dixanthogen is the main adsorption product on chalcopyrite surface. AFM images also showed that increasing solution pH to 10 doesn’t prevent the adsorption of xanthate on chalcocite much and the result confirms with the fact that chalcocite floats well in a wide pH range up to 12 with xanthate being used as a collector. INTRODUCTION In flotation, the adsorption of collector on mineral surface is vital for a successful flotation process to achieve a satisfying metal recovery. Historically, many works have been carried out to clarify the adsorption mechanism of collectors on sulfides. (Gaudin and Schuhmann, 1936, Poling and Leja, 1963; Allison et al., 1972, Fuerstenau, 1982; Leja, 1982; Woods, 1984) The adsorption of xanthate on chalcocite surface in aqueous solution also attracted the interest of many researches. Gaudin and his colleagues (Gaudin et al., 1934; Gaudin and Schuhmann, 1936) studied the solubility of potassium ethyl xanthate and its reaction products in organic solvents and firstly proposed there was initially chemisorbed xanthate (X-) on chalcocite surface followed by insoluble cuprous xanthate (CuX). Allison et al. (1972) studied the reaction products of various sulfide minerals with xanthate solutions and reported that the measured rest potential of chalcocite in 6.25×10-4 M KEX solution at pH 7 was +60 mV and the reaction product of PAX on chalcocite was cuprous xanthate. Mielczarski and Suoninen (1984a, 1984b) applied the XPS and studied the adsorption of potassium ethyl xanthate on cuprous sulfide. It was reported that there was a relatively rapid formation of a well-oriented monolayer of xanthate ions followed by a slow growth of disordered cuprous xanthate molecules on top of this layer. Richardson et al. (1984) carried out an electrochemical study of chalcocite flotation with the addition of ethyl xanthate. It was proposed that cuprous xanthate and possibly cupric xanthate were adsorbed hydrophobic species on chalcocite surface due to the exchange and charge transfer oxidation reactions. Leppinen et al. (1989) applied an in-situ FTIR study of ethyl xanthate adsorption on sulfide minerals under conditions of controlled potential and they concluded that, for chalcocite, there were three different potential regions of xanthate adsorption, including chemisorption, copper ethyl xanthate formation on the surface and multilayer formation."

Jan 1, 2015

By Ma Lianren, Wang Duolun, Chenzhe Li, Hongyan Xie, Fenglan Luo, Huixin Jin

In this study, the oxidation of low-grade pyrolusite to potassium manganate in alkaline solutions under O2 pressure has been investigated. The effects of different conditions on the high-grade and low-grade pyrolusite leaching process were investigated based on thermodynamic calculation, as well as the reaction mechanisms and kinetics of the low-grade pyrolusite during the leaching process. The results showed that the manganese conversion rates of the two types of pyrolusite were almost the same, and reaching 99% for high-grade pyrolusite and 96% for low-grade pyrolusite under optimal conditions. The optimum condition for low-grade pyrolusite sample JM-2 was achieved as 0.5 MPa of the oxygen partial pressure, 55% of KOH, 14 of the initial alkali-manganese ratio, and ≤ 48 μm of the mineral granularity at 260 °C within 150 min of leaching time and 500 rpm. In alkaline leaching of low-grade pyrolusite, Mn(IV) was oxidized into Mn(VI). The particles changed from large particles to flakes and finally formed crystals. Finally, the shrinking core model was used to fully describe the leaching kinetics of the manganese. It was demonstrated that the leaching of manganese was controlled by the chemical surface reactions and the activation energy which equals 115.9121 kJ/mol.

Dec 3, 2022

By Jackson M. Langton

INTRODUCTION The Morenci-Metcalf district is located on the southern slope of the white Mountains in Greenlee County, Arizona. Both porphyry copper deposits are four to six miles northwest of Clifton, the county seat, and the new Metcalf mine is situated approximately one mile northeast of the Morenci open pit (Figure 1). Chase Creek, a south-flowing tributary of the San Francisco River, dissects the district and separates the two ore bodies. More than 1,200 exploration and development drill holes have been completed in the district and the Morenci-Metcalf ore bodies have been delineated on a 400-foot grid. Recently initiated drilling programs have revealed new data about deeper protore and associated hypogene alteration. This information, correlated with surface mapping and petrographic studies, was utilized to propose a plausible geochronologic sequence for this region. The reasoning behind this study has been helpful in locating new ore beneath leached capping indicative of only protore mineralization. The scope of this paper is to establish a practical solution to a highly theoretical problem of ore genesis and to familiarize the reader with stratigraphic, structural, and mineralogic events responsible for localizing ore in this district. Continued research will possibly alter the proposed time span and relative displacements, but it is doubtful that the order of events will vary significantly. Geochronologic conclusions are therefore presented as general hypotheses and additional geologic mapping,

Jan 1, 1972

By Hassan Madani, A. Malek Mohammadi

Dorreh barite mine located in the central part of Iran is one of the largest barite mines, in the country. The mine is subdivided into three blocks, which are called block 1,2,3 according the barite quality. In the central part of each block, a heavily concentrated grid of exploratory drill holes have been drilled and the reserves of area was calculated based on these holes, some years ago. It was decided to compute the reserve of the area by geostatistical methods, in the form of an M.Sc. project. In order to study the area, three regionalized variables including density, thickness and density-thickness (accumulation) was studied and the spherical variograms were fitted to these variables. These models were evaluated by cross-validation method. The optimized block size was chosen in order to compute the reserves by kriging method. The reserves of explored parts of each block of mine was calculated and the results were extended to the whole area of the blocks. The reserve of the explored parts and the total reserve of the area were calculated to be 96,000t and 1,670,000t respectively.

Jan 1, 1996

By Lewis V. Wade

This paper summarizes the results of the rock mechanics monitoring program performed as part of Old Ben Coal Company's longwall coal mining demonstration project conducted in cooperation with the United States Bureau of Mines. The work described herein included installation of instruments, collection of data and data analysis performed during mining of the first longwall panel in Mine No. 24. The rock mechanics monitoring program included both surface and underground instrumentation and was designed to achieve the following purposes: 1 -To provide the capability to observe unusual situations during mining so that remedial measures could be instituted quickly 2 -To formulate design guidelines for future longwall mining efforts; 3 -To evaluate surface subsidence, and its character, rate and potential effects on cultural features, and to develop criteria to assist in predicting subsidence for other mines having similar roof conditions. Six previous attempts with longwall methods in Old Ben Coal Company's Hine 21 had been unsuccessful due to roof control problems. A description of these attempts is given by Moroni (1973). In preparation for the present longwall operation a study was performed to review existing data on the previous unsuccessful attempts, to establish coa1-and floor-strata bearing capacities in Mines Nos. 21 and

Jan 1, 1977

For all the attention given to mining activities in Central and South America, Mexico, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, it is sometimes easy to forget the activities taking place in one of North America's most important and largely untapped regions -Alaska. The Alaskan minerals industry employed about 3,406 people during 1995. That is a 23% increase from - - 1994. It also contributed about $719.8 million to the state's economy during 1995, a 10% increase. During the past few years, Alaska has seen significant increases in exploration and mining activity. Fairbanks Mining, an arm of Cyprus Amax, began producing gold during 1996 at its Fort Knox Mine, as did Nevada Goldfields' Nixon Fork gold mine. Kennecott's Greens Creek lead-silver-gold mine also reopened and USMX began operations at its Illinois Creek gold mine. In addition, several impressive exploration projects were under way in Alaska. Placer Dome reported good results at Donlin Creek project in southwest Alaska. Likewise, Newmont Exploration is getting serious about its True North gold project. And Nerox is nearing production at its Jonesville coal project in Alaska's interior. In November, about 400 miners gathered in Anchor- age for the Alaska Miners Convention. Throughout the conference and exhibition, attendees listened to updates on these precious- and base-metal and coal exploration and mining operations. They also learned that the state wants more miners to head north and help develop its natural resources. Alaska is ripe for a smelter The mining industry -Alaska's miners in particular - has a powerful ally in Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK). He is the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. During his luncheon address, Murkowski said it appears that it is economically feasible to extend the Alaska Railroad to northwest Alaska, taking advantage of the large coal and hard-rock mineral tracts in the Ambler mining district. He also renewed his push for building a major smelter in Alaska to process ore that would come from the Ambler mining district. Murkowski believes that Alaska's economy can be expanded by extending the railroad from Nenana to the Point Lay coal fields to open coal development. Along the way, the railroad would pass through the Ambler district, helping to develop the hard-rock deposits. An outgrowth of this additional mineral development, Murkowski said, could be a new smelter in Alaska. It could use power from the Tyee hydroelectric facility near Wrangell or from the Makushin geothermal project near Unalaska. Either site, he added, offers access to plentiful, relatively low-cost power, at tidewater to facilitate ore deliveries to the Pacific Rim. The Congressional Research Service has determined that there are enough mineral deposits and coal beds to make it possible to finance the extended railroad, he said. The 1,200-km (744- mile) rail extension would cost about $4.2 billion. The North Slope of Alaska contains up to 3.6 Tt (4 trillion st) of coal, Murkowski said, that contains less than 0.25% of sulfur and less than 4% moisture. It aver- ages 12,300 Btu in heat content. "That is a tremendous resource," he said. The Ambler mining district, meanwhile, has at least eight identifiable hard-rock deposits, Murkowski continued. These contain zinc, lead, copper, nickel, chromium, tin, barite, gold and silver. "All eight of these can generate ore concentrates at rates similar to Red Dog's cur- rent 725 ktla (800,000 stpy)" of zinc, he said.

Jan 1, 1997

By Wayne D. Gould

The Cities Service Company's Pinto Valley mine and concentrator lie about 6 miles west of the town of Miami, Arizona at an elevation of approximately 4,000 feet above sea level. The concentrator started its first ballmill in July 74 and all six were available by November. Every effort was made to reduce capital costs, consequently, each unit process was studied critically to eliminate excess capital costs without loss of efficiency. Equipment selection was made on the basis of proven dependability and operating costs rather than on low bids. The result is a very workable plant with some important innovations. The concentrator is nominally 40,000 tons per day. The flowsheet is typical with 3 stage crushing, single stage closed circuit grinding, flotation, regrinding of rougher concentrate and cleaning of the rougher concentrate. The major equipment list is: 1 60 x 89 Traylor Primary Crusher 1 84" x 20' Stevens-Adamson Apron Feeder 3 7' x 16' Double Deck Tyler Screen 3 7' Nordberg Standard Crushers 6 8' x 20' Tyler Screens

Jan 1, 1975

By F. E. Kottlowski

Widespread high-calcium limestones in New Mexico region are low -in magnesium, but some units include shale interbeds deleterious for sulfur removal usage. Thick limestones in Mississippian Escabrosa, Lake Valley, and Leadville, Pennsylvanian Madera and Hermosa, Pennsylvanian-Permian Horquilla, Permian Hueco and Capitan, Cretaceous U-Bar, and some Cenozoic travertines are high-calcium units. Significant outcrops are in mountains of southwestern, south-central, central, southeastern and north-central New Mexico, southeastern Arizona, southwestern Colorado, and northwestern Chihuahua. Coal-fired powerplants are mainly in northwestern New Mexico and eastern Arizona, thus transport is mainly by railroad.

Jan 1, 1994

By James F. Archibald, Ferri Hassani, Jacques Nantel, David O. DeGagné

Operators depend upon the success of backfilling programs to ensure that mine activities run continuously (Archibald et al, 1993) where backfilling is an integral part of the mining cycle. In order to ensure that the backfill is prepared and delivered to the stope possessing the required engineering properties, as designed, and that the backfilling process is safe, mine operators at all stages of the backfilling system must be adequately trained for their tasks and be aware of how their work affects other backfilling stages, both up- and down-stream of their station. Mine operator training is primarily based on learning on-the-job from experienced supervisors or training personnel. Classroom training and the availability of reference manuals are less common. While in use by many industries for some time now, computer-based training (CBT) is becoming more readily accepted by the mining industry for a wide variety of training. It is not intended to replace on-the-job training, but to augment it. CBT offers many advantages to enhance operator learning by utilizing multimedia presentations, interactions and on-line testing to teach complex concepts and relationships. Discussions with many operations revealed that there is an industry need for a backfill guide for frontline operator training and as a reference manual for operators and mine engineers. Sponsored by the mining industry and the CIM, "Mine Backfill, An Operator's Guide" has been developed by the Departments of Mining Engineering at Queen's University and McGill University to fulfil this need. "Mine Backfill, An Operator's Guide" is an interactive multimedia package that incorporates high quality colour images, animations, sound, and video with text to review the main backfill methods employed in Canada, including hydraulic/slurry, paste and rock fill. The Guide is divided into training and reference primer sections. When in training mode, the operator is guided through a presentation of common mining and backfill practices and technologies so that he/she may become more familiar with different aspects of backfill processes. To ensure that key concepts have been learned during training, the operator will be tested after each section using a series of multiple choice and true/false questions. When in reference mode, alternatively, the operator may browse through the information in a more detailed and independent fashion through a series of interactive menus. The Guide focuses on the following main topics: resources, surface preparation, distribution, stope activities, health and safety, and quality control. Special features included in the Operator's Guide are a Buyer's Guide, a Trouble Shooting Guide, and an interactive glossary of backfill and mining terms. Concepts in interactive and computer-based learning are also reviewed in this paper.

Jan 1, 2001

By Joseph T. Duncan, Syd Peng, Larry G. Stolarczyk

The mining business has numerous risks: equipment availability, labor disruptions, foreign exchange rate, etc., but one of the more important risks is assessing the geology. Improving the “intelligence” of geology can and will have significant positive effect on reducing mining risk and thus enhancing operational and financial performance. The use of the advanced Radio Imaging Method (RIM-IV) on coal seams and ore bodies can create useful two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) high-resolution images that provide mining engineers with additional intelligence to better plan and improve operations. Improved operational performance will reduce costs and enable mining companies to meet market and financial commitments. For the past decade the underground coal mining industry has been moving toward “super panels” in long-wall mining, and “super sections” for room-and-pillar mining. These mining conventions employ wider faces, longer gate roads, greater room-and-pillar density, and an increased scale in the amount and complexity of mining equipment. An obvious economy of scale exists: amortization of setup investments over greater volume of coal enables mine management to reduce fixed cost per ton. Restricted by equipment considerations, face widths have currently reached about 1,100 ft. Wider longwall panels are planned, with 1,400-ft widths, but this requires an incremental step in hardware that the original equipment manufacturers will soon bring to market. However, longwall panel length has not yet reached its limits, with some panels planned up to 25,000 ft. While longwall panel length is generally dictated by reserve size and extent, practical restrictions in mine planning also include seam thickness, ventilation requirements, or restrictions involving methane drainage. Super panels have certainly enabled the industry to keep pushing the limits of productivity improvement. However, important considerations in mine planning, now and especially in the future, will be driven in large part by geological factors. While larger developments improve productivity and capture economies of scale, the fact that super panels can contain at least four times the area or coal volume means that the probability of encountering serious anomalies is at least four times greater than with the “conventional” panels. Given the increased probability of encountering anomalies, improved assessment of geology is important for super panels and super sections. Proper due diligence requires a thorough and competent evaluation of a mining property and its ore reserve. Using improved geostatistical techniques is most important, and improving the base data for the analysis is equally important. The old cliché “garbage in, garbage out” certainly applies. Also, the quality of coal reserves is (or has been) declining, so, in the future, mining will be in deeper and most likely thinner seams—and these seams appear to contain greater anomalies that threaten efficient operations. To counter the impact of reserve deterioration, the industry is moving toward greater use of geophysical tools and services. Fortunately, tools such as the Radio Imaging Method™ (RIM-IV) system have been improved and can provide the industry with enhanced 2-D and 3-D images of coal seams and ore bodies. To identify and profile the best areas of a coal reserve, geologists, engineers, and mine managers need greater intelligence in the form of RIM-IV tomographic maps of longwall panels and room-and-pillar sections. These images have enhanced the understanding of in-seam features, which in turn has improved operational plans and performance.

Jan 1, 2005

By H. Walqui, A. Buendía

The Toquepala concentrator expansion project incremented the capacity of the existing concentrator by 15,000 Metric tons per day (t/d), from 45,000 to 60,000 t/d. The plant is located in southern Peru,1,200 km southeast of Lima. The implementation plan for the expansion project was based upon an engineering and procurement contract, and a construction contract. The overall Project Management was by Southern Peru Copper Corporation (SPCC). The expansion followed a very aggressive schedule that considered a construction period of only ten months, with minimum interference to the existing facilities. Major equipment was purchased during basic engineering. This paper details the design, construction, and commissioning of the 6.4 m diameter by 10.2 m long ball mill, and the performance of the milling circuit during the first two months of operation.

Jan 1, 2003

By J. P. Allen

Cobalt, nickel, and manganese can be recovered quickly, cleanly, and selectively from cobalt-rich manganese crust by leaching in dilute acid solutions in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Common selective precipitation methods can then be used to recover these metals from the leach liquor. The leaching reaction produces only oxygen as a byproduct, and the waste residue from leaching was tested and found to be non-hazardous under existing EPA specifications. The leaching process is effective in either fresh water or seawater. This research is a part of the Bureau of Mines program to identify the mineral resources of the Exclusive Economic Zone and devise methods for recovering their valuable components.

Jan 1, 1990

By Lj. Obradovic

The aim of this paper is to study the feasibility of copper and gold recovery from the old flotation tailing dam at Bor, Serbia. Laboratory leaching experiments were carried out using a composite sample taken by drilling from 16 - 40 m depth. Different oxidation agents as FeCl3, Fe2(SO4)3 and H2O2 were used. An H2SO4 solution with a pH less than 3 was used for leaching. The influence of a number of parameters on the recovery of both elements as temperature, pH, duration of leaching and concentration of oxidation agents was also studied.

Jan 1, 2006

By J. Mácsik, J. Lindblom, C. Maurice, Susanne Nigéus

Using non-hazardous industrial residues in mine waste remediation is beneficial not only for the mining industry where substantial amounts of the waste generated have potential to produce acid rock drainage and pollute the environment, but also the providing industry, minimizing the waste landfilled. In this study green liquor dregs (GLD), residue from 15 different paper mills were characterized to valorize it as a potential product as a cover material. In another part of the study, one of the GLDs and a local till were characterized to determine the optimal mixture of GLD amended till to be used in a field application at the closed Näsliden Mine in northern Sweden. The study concluded 10% GLD-amended till to be the optimal recipe and was successfully applied at the Näsliden mine waste dump. However, the great variability in the characteristics of GLD creates challenges if it is to be valorized as a product.

Dec 7, 2023

By James H. Nulty, Joseph S. Roti

INTRODUCTION During a recent panel discussion on the topic of millwater antiscalants, the question was posed: "What would you like to see in the future?" Answer: 'We need an antiscalant that: can be fed without a pump (no maintenance), functions on residual basis (no fault), can be tested for colorimetrically in sub-part-per- mi 11 ion concentrations (no guessing) and will recycle back to the mill from tailings (no cost).” Impossible? Based upon today's level of technology, such a product does not exist. However, a few of the qualifications listed above are certainly food for future thought. Meanwhile, progress is being made in upgrading three essential elements in this critical area of ore processing. They are: 1. Antiscalant reagent research and development. 2. On-line monitoring programs. 3. Reagent storage and feed systems. The objective of this paper is to out- line the current direction being taken in each of these areas and to present case histories as examples of how theory has been applied in field situations to better improve operations. LABORATORY SCREENING TESTS Recent technical papers have explained the various generic chemical raw materials which are available in the marketplace. While the merits of each chemical component are open to debate, the processes used by most major reagent suppliers to evaluate products in the laboratory are fairly standard. Common techniques incorporate both static and dynamic conditions in the search for the most cost effective product. Static Test Perhaps the most common test procedure used is based upon NACE Standard Test Method 03-74, which is "a laboratory screening test to determine the ability of scale inhibitors to prevent precipitation of calcium sulfate and calcium carbonate from solution." The objective of this test is to measure the change in calcium ion concentration in a container of saturated stock solution prepared from calcium chloride and sodium carbonate which is heated in a water bath. After 12 hours at constant temperature (160°), the mother liquor is pipetted into a beaker and a titrated for gm/l of unprecipitated calcium ion. A simultaneous test is performed on stock solution with antiscalant added. The results are then charted to determine the most effective antiscalant (with respect to preventing precipitation of calcite). It should be noted that this procedure examines only the ability of a chemical additive to retain calcite in a saturated solution where thermal stress is applied. This is commonly referred to as sequestration or stabilization. It has been documented that products which act in this manner (i.e., inorganic and organic phosphates) are good scale inhibitors. However, low molecular weight anionic polymers function in a much different manner by distorting calcite crystal size, shape and charge density, thus preventing scale formation. Because of this different mode of operation, static tests may not prove conclusive where polymers and sequestrants are being compared. The simplicity of this test makes it easily adaptable for field use, although modifications are often made.

Jan 1, 1986