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By C. Edwards

ABSTRACT: Milling operations in northern Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin have produced uranium continuously since 1975. During that period, the Athabasca Basin has been one of the world’s premier uranium camps, yielding more than 660 million lb (299,370,964 kg) of U3O8. In this paper, the author describes former and current milling operations and discusses why and how the milling process has changed and developed over the past 35 years. The author’s considerations for the future of uranium extraction in the Athabasca Basin conclude the paper.

Jan 1, 2012

By L. Paulino, C. E. Zangiacomi, J. Yamamoto

"This paper presents the learning from Alcoa Po9os de Caldas Smelter in Brazil, after several energy restrictions resulting from the failures of three rectifier units at its power switchyard. Starting on December 27th, fuses and diodes failed in three rectifier units of Potline #1, causing a long and dangerous power interruption. Even after current was reestablished, amperage was only 70% of the line target leading to a bath freezing process that lasted for around 48 hours. The process engineering team played with several potroom parameters as pot resistance, bath and metal levels, alumina feeding and bath chemistry in an attempt to minimize impact on the potline metal output and energy consumption. As it will be illustrated, the first battle was to keep the pots running on a ""survival"" approach. After that, several changes took place on the procedures used to run at reduced current which were considered rather successful. Finally, some recommendations will be given to foresee and prevent transformers and rectifiers from undesirable failures."

Jan 1, 2006

By Desmond M. Levins, Reginald K. Ryan

"Removal of radium from uranium tailings would substantially lessen their environmental impact because it would eliminate, or greatly reduce, the hazards arising from radon emanation, leaching of radium, dust dispersal and gamma radiation. A process is described to extract radium from tailings by leaching in 3M Nael solution. The radium can be rapidly leached at ambient temperatures by either multi-stage contact in agitated vessels or washing on a tailings filter cake. Extraction efficiencies ranging from 80 to 94% have been measured for tailings derived from a number of Australian ores.Methods for radium recovery from the leach solution by precipitation, ion exchange and adsorption have been examined. Precipitation as barium/radium sulphate appears to be the most suitable approach. A possible flow diagram for the process is proposed which involves recycle of the saline leach liquor.IntroductionDisposal of mill tailings is the most contentious environmental issue facing the uranium mining industry. The conventional approach to managing tailings is to store them in a dam above ground. Attempts have been made to stabilize some tailings piles by physical or chemical methods. In a few cases, the tailings have been covered with earth and revegetated. However, most tailings piles from abandoned mills are in a neglected state and subject to the erosive and dispersive forces of nature. The cost of remedial action is high. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has estimated that it will cost up to $130 million to rehabilitate abandoned mill sites in the U.S .A..Environmental authorities are now insisting that uranium mining companies improve their methods of tailings disposal. In the United States, the preferred approach is burial, either in mines or in specially excavated pits. Tailings retention systems as operated in Canada are regarded as storage facilities until an acceptable method of disposal is found. In Australia, the Fox Commission recommended that tailings from the Ranger project should be returned to the open-cut mine. Returning tailings to the mine has considerable merit, but it is not always a viable option. In many underground operations, it is not physically possible to fit all the tailings in the worked-out mine. In other cases, the groundwater hydrology of the mine may be unfavourable."

Jan 1, 1980

By G. Graves, J. A. Walker

"Abstract - The Mount Fronsac North volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit is the most recently discovered massive sulfide body in the Bathurst Mining Camp. The deposit occurs within a sequence of intercalated fine-grained felsic tuff and sedimentary rocks (Little Falls member), at the top of the Nepisiguit Falls Formation. Aphyric to sparsely feldspar-phyric rhyolite and related volcanic rocks of the Flat Landing Brook Formation overlie the host sequence. The massive and semimassive parts of the deposit have a north-south strike length of 525 m and a dip of ~45°E; the deposit is continuous downdip for 600 m, and thickness varies from 2 to 20 m. The deposit contains an estimated geologic resource of 14 Mt of low-grade, semimassive (>60%) to locally massive sulfides, and includes a high-grade zone of 1.26 Mt grading 7.65% Zn, 2.18% Pb, 0.14% Cu, 40.3 g/t Ag, and 0.40 g/t Au. The semimassive to massive sulfide intersections occur in an envelope of quartz-sericite±chlorite schist, which is interpreted to be intensely deformed felsic tuff. This sequence has a maximum thickness of 140 m and contains significant (up to 50%) fine- to coarse-grained disseminated pyrite. The pyritic envelope has a strike length of 900 m and extends over 1000 m downdip. Massive sulfides are found throughout this alteration envelope, but more commonly occur at or near the upper contact. The significance of the discovery of this deposit is that it represents a near surface discovery of a large tonnage sulfide body in a mature mining camp, one in which the possibility of discovery of a new shallow deposit had been all but discounted. This opens the possibility for future discoveries in this part of the Bathurst Mining Camp. Sommaire - Le gîte de sulfures massifs volcanogènes du Mont Fronsac Nord est la découverte de sulfures massifs la plus récente dans le Camp Minier de Bathurst. Le gisement est situé dans une séquence de tufs felsiques à grains fins interlités de roches sédimentaires (membre de Little Falls, au sommet de la Formation de Nepisiguit Falls. La partie massive et la semimassive s’étendent du nord au sud sur 525 m et ont un pendage de ~45°E; le gisement est continu sur 600 m en angle de chute et son épaisseur varie de 2 à 20 m. Le gisement contient une ressource géologique évaluée à 14 Mt de sulfures semimassifs (>60%) localement massifs à basse teneur, incluant une zone à haute teneur de 1.26 Mt titrant 7.65% Zn, 2.18% Pb, 0.14% Cu, 40.3 g/t Ag, et 0.40 g/t Au. Les intersections de sulfures semimassifs à massifs se situent dans une enveloppe de schiste à quartz-sericite ± chlorite interprétée comme un tuf felsique intensément déformé. Cette séquence contient une quantité importante (jusqu’à 50%) de pyrite disséminée dont le grain varie de fin à grossier et son épaisseur maximale est de 140 m. L’enveloppe pyriteuse s’étend latéralement sur 900 m et a été tracée jusqu’à 1000 m en angle de chute. Des sulfures massifs sont trouvés partout à l’intérieur de cette enveloppe d’altération, mais ils sont plus fréquents près du contact supérieur. L’importance de cette découverte tient à ce qu’elle est un exemple d’un gisement à fort tonnage nouvellement découvert à une faible profondeur dans un camp minier mature, i.e., un camp ou l’on ne croyait plus qu’il était possible de trouver un gisement près de la surface. Ceci ouvre la porte à la possibilité d’autres découvertes dans cette partie du Camp Minier de Bathurst."

Jan 1, 2006

By Rocky (Yaokun) Wu

Rock burst is one of the biggest challenges to ground control in the mining industry. With increasing mining depth and mining scale, there are more and more industry requirements on yielding rock support. Since 2008, Jennmar has been conducting large scale research and development works to develop a technically reliable and cost effective yielding rock bolt. This paper introduces a new yielding rock support - Yield-Lok bolt. The bolt is characterized by the designed yielding ability to produce 150 ~ 250 mm of deflection at 8 ~ 10 metric tons (Mt) loads for every 16.4kJ energy input. Its performance characteristics are consistent through multiple and varying amplitude of impacts. In this paper, the design criteria of the bolt and the principle of performance are described, the dynamic testing results are discussed; and the features and application of the bolt are presented.

Oct 1, 2010

By Jerry M. Whiting, Neil J. Duncan

"Does Canada need a mining industry? Isn't it a chronically depressed collection of businesses that pollute the air and water and tear up the countryside? Wouldn't it be better if Canada's investors devoted their attention to high-technology endeavours, tourism, and other relatively pleasant tasks?Probably the answer to whether Canada needs a mining industry in the 21st century is to look at the real mining industry that is in operation today. The facts indicate that mining is a very important contributor to Canada. It has certainly encountered some challenging times during periods of recession, and it face s severe and continuing problems of cost and competition in world markets. However, uneconomic mines have been closed, others suspended, and productivity has risen dramatically with employment at 77 000, down from 101 000 in 1981. The country's metal and non-metal mines, metallurgical plants and semi-fabricated metals industries employed an estimated 378000 workers in 1986, and paid wages than any other sector of the Canadian economy. This effort resulted in the production of 60 different metals, non-metals and structural minerals valued at $13.5 billion.The trade aspects of the mining industry are of paramount importance. If there is a reason for this situation to change during the next century. it eludes the authors. Canada has the well-developed expertise to discover, evaluate, develop, operate and profit from existing and new businesses based in an enormous area endowed with a nearly unbelievable variety of mineral resources. Many countries throughout the world must rely on producers like Canada, if they are to maintain and/or improve their standard of living."

Jan 1, 1988

By T. E. Smith

"This paper describes the application of a motor-driven flywheel unit, known as a peak shaver, to compensate for the cyclic load fluctuations of a large electric dragline installed at Pine Point Mines, near Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. Of particular interest in this application is the fact that the power system supplying the dragline is a relatively small isolated system, with the major generating source approximately 170 miles from the mine.The cyclic load fluctuations of the dragline are theoretically capable of producing a maximum swing of up to 11 megawatts, which approaches nearly 50% of the installed generating capacity. To reduce these load fluctuations to acceptable limits various alternatives were considered, leading to a decision to install a peak shaver to optimize the operations of both the mine and the power system. Without the peak shaver, the dragline operations would be severely curtailed and additional diesel generation would have to be run at considerable expense, otherwise the power system frequency fluctuations would be totally unacceptable. With the peak shaver, power and frequency fluctuations are kept within tolerable limits, and optimum economic operation of the diesel generation is obtained.The paper outlines the steps leading to the selection of the peak shaver as the compensating device, describes the equipment installed and gives details of operating experience with the dragline/peak shaver combination since installation early in 1979. This .peak shaver is the first of its kind in North America, the only other peak shaver installation being in Australia.IntroductionPine Point Mines Limited owns zinc-lead mining and milling operations located at Pine Point, Northwest Territories, 5 miles south of Great Slave Lake (Fig. I). The company is staffed and managed by Cominco Ltd., which has a 69% interest in Pine Point Mines.Mining activity in the Pine Point area was first recorded in 1898, when the Yukon gold rush was on, but when the zinc/lead showings in the Pine Point area did not yield much in the way of gold, interest in the area soon waned. Cominco Ltd. first acquired some claims in the Pine Point area in 1928, but interest was sporadic until the early 1950s, when extensive exploration indicated rich pockets of zinc/lead ore near the surface. Pine Point Mines Limited was formed in 1951, with Cominco acquiring a majority interest in the company."

Jan 1, 1980

By A. B. Barlow, D. H. Pitcher

"The Geophysics/Geochemistry Section of the Ontario Geological Survey initiated an aerial geophysical survey in the James Bay Lowlands, Cretaceous Basin area, District of Cochrane, Ontario. The survey was contracted to Scintrex Limited and was carried out in 1978. Approximately 8000 line kilometres of airborne electromagnetic and magnetic data were recorded. The Tridem airborne electromagnetic system was employed, mounted in a twin-engined PB Y Canso aircraft. This specific Tridem system uses a vertical coaxial coil configuration and measures in-phase and quadrature components of the secondary field at 500, 2000 and 8000 Hz.The primary purpose of this survey was to map subsurface conductivities and, in particular, to search for lignite deposits. Physical property measurements show that electrical methods should detect differen ces in conductivity between the moderately conducting clay-lignite horizons and the less conducting clay, soil, muskeg and gravel horizons. A preliminary Tridem test survey, as well as surface DC resistivity soundings, confirmed this approach. The interpretation of the present survey data indicates that Tridem is a suitable electrical method to aid lignite exploration in the James Bay Lowlands."

Jan 1, 1980

"The content of production reports has its origins in raw measurements taken in harsh production environments. The ensuing measurement/estimation errors always affect reproducibility such that, regardless of the fact that they are balanced through statistical data reconciliation, reported numbers are simply the most probable values of inferred probability distributions. This has important implications for how metal recoveries should be monitored and reported. Indeed, in a context where many process optimisation activities are based on small improvements in recovery, there should be no doubt that inadequate handling of measurement/estimation errors can easily exaggerate or mask actual changes in process performance. However, estimates of the reproducibility of reported metal recoveries are rarely reported to plant management. This situation persists despite the fact that a code compliant metal accounting system must inform management about business risks related to metal accounting. To this extent, this paper focuses on the continuous management of reproducibility level of metal recoveries in compliance with the best practices. Sensitivity analysis of primary and secondary metal accounting models is performed to show the resulting probability distributions for metal recoveries. Some guidelines are given for designing and managing metal accounting systems capable of achieving and sustaining predefined levels for the reproducibility of metal recoveries.INTRODUCTIONEach and every mineral processing plant produces daily, weekly and monthly production reports in which metal balances for payable and penalty elements are presented. While such production reports are usually consulted in offices, underlying raw measurements are taken in harsh production environments where mechanical vibrations, humidity, corrosion and dust, to name a few, disturb measurement procedures. It is thus no surprise that several authors (Francois-Bongarcon & Gy, 2002; Gaylard, Randolph, & Wortley, 2014; Holmes, 2010; Spangenberg & Minnitt, 2014) have reported pervasive issues related to mass/sampling measurements in the context of mineral processing."

Jan 1, 2016

By Douglas Brand

"The data that many mineral processing plants make use of, is provided by samples taken from sampling systems which are inadequately designed or improperly maintained, and therefore cause detrimental effects to plant operations, production planning and metallurgical accounting! Poorly designed or maintained sampling systems will likely produce low probability samples which give the operator a false sense of security of the product and the process. If data is the basis for action (Flintoff, 1992, p.2), then using the resulting suspect or bad assays by operators, control systems, or metallurgist and administration personnel will act and make decisions which may adversely affect the profitability of a processing plant. Here we will discuss some of the fundamental sampling problems, propagation of errors and a method to estimate what impact this has on an operations Net Smelter Return.INTRODUCTIONIn order to control a mineral processing plant at its best potential, it is necessary to obtain the best possible measurement results of the metal or mineral in question. The sample which is delivered to a measuring instrument, or lab, needs to be of the highest probability to be able to achieve this. This paper will discuss the effects of sampling errors on grade / recovery and grade / Net Smelter Return (NSR) and provide a method to estimate the monetary advantages of using probabilistic sampling in a processing plant.REVIEW OF SAMPLINGSampling, by definition, is the removal of a small representative portion from a total consignment, or flow, for the purpose of accounting or process control.• A sample can only be considered representative, if each and every increment collected, in each of the sampling stages, is representative.• Each particle of the sampling lot must have the same probability of being included in the final sample.• If both of the above conditions are met, then the final sample will be representative of the complete sampling lot.It is commonly known that in order to take truly representative and probabilistic sample, best practices indicate that:• The total stream should be sampled.• The sample cutter should intersect the sample at right angles to the flow.• The sample cutter should travel through the stream at a linear and constant speed and the speed deviations should be less than 5%."

Jan 1, 2016

By S-E. Vandat

The goal of this work was to select an appropriate electrode for dummy load of diesel engine in fully salt-water in the DESA factory. The electrochemical corrosion rate of general structural steel, commercial pure aluminum and cathode copper calculated as weighting, volumetric and commercial in fully salt-water by city power. After several tests and then applying the fuzzy logic method, it was determined that general structural steel is the best selection for this purpose.

Jan 1, 2005

By M. Board, R. Pakalnis, S. Seldon, R. Brummer

The Kidd operation mines roughly 10 000 tpd of copper and zinc ore from underground and employs about 700 personnel. In the late summer and fall of 1997, major movements in the proximity of the east wall of the Kidd open pit had been observed. The Kidd pit had been mined from 1965 to 1977 to depths of 260 m (850 ft), followed by subsequent mining by underground methods to current depths in excess of 1830 m (6800 ft). The No. 1 Mine (2600 Level to pit bottom) is approximately 90% extracted, with most of the remaining reserve between 2000 and 2500 levels. Although initial concerns centred on the stability of the pit walls, the potential ramifications of the movements to the underground were recognized and measures were implemented to ensure the safety of personnel as well as to minimize the potential damage to existing operations. In late October, damage to underground operations was observed as deep as the 2000 Level. In the final assessment, the global mobilized mass was a “wedge”-shaped hangingwall block extending from surface to about 610 m (2000 ft) below surface. The “wedge” boundaries are defined by a fault and shear zone which have continuous lengths in excess of 1070 m (3500 ft); its base by shearing through the host rock mass; and its eastern face by deep tension cracks (Fig. 1). Mined and filled excavations at the western face of the “wedge” allowed mobilization of a mass in excess of 30 M tonnes. Movements in excess of 75 cm (30 in.) per day were recorded on the surface stations that preceded the complete shutdown of operations on October 29, 1997. The evaluations in the days following the shut-down were centred on mitigation of immediate and future possible negative impacts on infrastructure and mining of the remaining No. 1 Mine reserves while ensuring the safety of the operators. This effort required the rapid assessment of the potential damage of the block movement on underground infrastructure, stope access, drainage and ventilation, as well as airblast potential due to the falling of a large block into the pit near the ventilation intake at the base of the pit. These assessments were presented in a previous paper (Seldon et al., 1999). In total, the lateral movement of the block on the ground surface was over 4.3 m (14 ft). This paper describes the detailed studies performed to understand the failure mechanism and to assess the impacts on future mining in No. 1 Mine.

Jan 1, 2000

By Paul M. Clifford, David M. Baird

The Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland consists of a Precambrian core of gneisses and granitic rocks, cut by numerous diabase dykes. This complex is surrounded by an envelope of sedimentary rocks of Cambrian to Carboniferous age. Radiometric dates from two granite masses in the core give a mini-mum age of -945 m.y. (Grenville) for the last major tectonic activity. This Grenville deformation conferred upon the core substantially its present structure which has controlled later events to a marked degree. Block movements of the core, dominantly in a vertical sense, have ex-posed it to erosion at intervals. The nature and distribution of the flanking sedimentary rocks and the present relief of the peninsula suggest four such movements. THE Great Northern Peninsula extends some 150 miles north-northeast from the northwest corner of the main body of the island of Newfoundland. It separates the Gulf of St. Lawrence from the Atlantic Ocean, except for the 12 mile wide

Jan 1, 1962

By S. Manning, W. Morris

Mineral exploration assessment file information has long been considered a useful resource for developing mineral exploration strategies, and one of the most common data sets fled in assessment reports is ground magnetic surveys. The new Earth Resources and Land Information System database (ERLIS) now provides a method for rapidly accessing all references to a specific area through a series of raster images. The ERLIS provides access to the Assessment File Research Imaging (AFRI) database which comprises geo-science mineral exploration assessment file data, Mineral Deposits Inventory (MDI), together with provincial aeromagnetic data from the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines(MNDM). Conversion of the raster images of ground geophysical data to vector data files together with the concatenation of grids from adjacent claims provides a method for constructing high resolution magnetic regional images. The value of this resource is demonstrated through the construction of a single composite magnetic image derived from eight assessment file grids for an area south of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, within Pacaud and Catharine Townships. The composite grid of magnetic data provides a map with resolution that is not achieved by currently available Ontario Geological Survey airborne data sets. Details contained within the new high resolution image, permit the differentiation of lithologies and their boundaries, fault orientations and the location of alteration zones with magnetic response.

Jan 1, 1997

By R. E. Hamilton

"The requirements for effective optimization of a mineral dressing operation are discussed, with specific reference to a flotation system . Also considered are the relation-ships between automatic control and optimization pro-grams. Variables are classified into the following groups, and the significance of the classification is discussed: (a) Directly measurable (b) Directly manipulable (c) Uncontrollable (d) Calculable from measurable variables (e) Affected by changes in manipulable or uncontrol-lable variables. New sensors for measuring variables not normally measured are described."

Jan 1, 1967

By Robert Marchand

_ North-western Quebec _ Bousquet mining district _ 21 M oz mining camp _ 100,000 t/yr (400 t/d) _ Shrinkage : 52 % _ Longhole : 40% _ Development : 8% _ 5 days/week _ 120 employees _Discovered in 1936. _12 changes of ownership. _Exploration & development : 1987 _Commercial production : 1990 _Shaft deepening : 1995 _Internal shaft : 1999

Oct 1, 2001

By R. F. Tylecote

"The closure of the iron and steel making plant at Consett in Durham in 1980 marked the end of an era-a long era in the world's iron and steel making history. Iron had been smelted in the Tyne-Wear area of the United Kingdom since before the Roman period, but apart from evidence of smithing in the Roman period, the historical evidence for iron production on a large scale dates from the 14th century.The paper describes sites in the area that first worked the bloomery process and then, in the 16th century, as did most of Europe, graduated to the blast furnace process. The main emphasis is on the early introduction of coal to iron making at the end of the 18th century and the use of the steam engine to render integrated sites possible.IntroductionIron has been smelted in the Tyne-Wear area of the United Kingdom since before the Roman period, but apart from clear evidence of smithing in the Roman period, the historical evidence for iron production on a large scale dates from the 14th century. Like many other countries, the United Kingdom benefitted from the visits of foreign observers, such as Jars, Svedenstierna, de la Houliere and Dufrenoy, who left detailed records. In modern times, information gained from excavations of iron and steel making sites has supplemented the historical record.Natural ResourcesUp to the end of the 19th century, the industry was wholly dependent on its own resources. Iron ore, limestone, wood, coal and water power were all found a short distance away from the main valleys of the Tyne and Wear. The main sources of iron ore were the coal measures, with rider ores from the lead vein s in Alston and Weardale, and carbonate ores from shale horizons in the Carboniferous limestone. Good coking coal was available from West Durham and reasonable coal from the Tyne valley and Northumberland limestone. Limestone was plentiful."

Jan 1, 1983

By J. B. Mawdsley

"AbstractThe uraninite-bearing deposits in the Charlebois Lake area of northeastern Saskatchewan are unusual and important concentrations of uranium. They were first discovered in 1949 and preliminary development work to the end of the 1951 field season indicates the probability that this will become •another uranium producing district. The deposits are in zones bordering granite masses. These zones are of migmatite (mixed rocks) composed of calcium-rich meta-sediments intruded and replaced by a fine-grained white pegmatite. Locally this pegmatite is replaced by an end fraction which is relatively rich in fine-grained disseminated uraninite; it is these occurrences that constitute the bodies of economic interest.The fine-grained white pegmatite contains plagioclase feldspar more lime-rich than that in the granites of which it is an end differentiate. This extra lime, evidently derived from the intruded sediments, would result in the raising of the temperature of crystallization of the pegmatite-forming magma, thus consolidating it rapidly near the granite contacts as a fine-grained pegmatite. The end liquor containing uranium was evidently locally concentrated in minor fracture zones in these pegmatites. Where no lime sediments were present. the coarse-grained alkaline pegmatites were formed. Their crystallization would not be accelerated and the uranium would tend not to be localized in the pegmatite but to migrate and consolidate at lower temperatures with the end products, possibly in some instances as pitchblende veins."

Jan 1, 1952

By C. R. Kato, G. Proulx

"Within the continuous scenario of reduced aluminium price and plants production costs increase, the energy consumption optimization in the aluminum electrolytic pots continues as the main focus for the producers. Energy consumption was chosen as a key performance indicator to drive the efforts and actions for improvements. Alcoa improved the energy consumption by approximately 3% from 2005 to 2015. This improvement was a result of best practices implementation, new technologies introduction, strategic actions with plant curtailments and management practices. The main objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of the management practices for planning and operational improvements beyond the technology changes. About 10 years ago, Alcoa reorganized its approach to retain knowledge in the Smelters by using a Best Practices format. For each specific subject, a skilled team defined the minimum requirements and the Best Practices for several aspects of operation and maintenance, which affect the environment, safety, cost, customers and performance. These Best Practices were deployed to all Smelters combined with training sessions to process and operation professionals. We will describe how the Best Practices were organized, the deployment strategy used, and the approach to measure the plants’ success. We will describe the management approach that includes Manufacturing Analyses focused on 3-year potential, annual planning, and weekly monitoring of plant stability. A manufacturing analysis is organized at select plants with cross-functional participation of specialists from technical, operational, procurement and finance. The output of a manufacturing analysis includes a roadmap of enablers to improve energy efficiency. A quarterly follow-up of enabler deployment is held with the plant and resources that participated in the analysis. Annually, there is a Planning Process where energy consumption enablers are selected to be implemented during the next 3 years for each plant. A monthly critical analysis is made by the plants with regional best practice support. On a weekly basis, key performance indicators are reviewed with determination of a stability index for each plant. Any deviation signal of unstable condition is alerted and supporting resources are diverted to the plant to reverse trend with countermeasures.INTRODUCTIONDue to factors like excess aluminum in the market and lower consumption in China, the LME price is declining along the last years, as showed in Figure 1. In 2011, the price peaked at US$ 2,400/ton and since then, continues to trend down and approaching the lowest level at US$ 1,500/ton in the last 5 years."

Jan 1, 2016

By K. A. Natarajan, M. N. Chandraprabha

Selective separation of minerals from complex sulphide ores is a challenging task and it is often difficult to get commercially acceptable individual concentrates by conventional selective flotation using inorganic collector reagents. Microbially-induced mineral beneficiation has proved to be more effective, economically viable and an environmentally benign process for the effective separation of various minerals. Applications of microbially-induced mineral beneficiation are demonstrated in this paper with respect to beneficiation of complex multimetal sulfides. The role of adapted microorganisms and bioreagents in the beneficiation of complex sulphide minerals are also illustrated.

Jan 1, 2009