Search Documents

By J-F. Béland, N. Parson

Aluminum extrusions are widely used for automotive crash management systems due to their superior specific energy absorption capabilities, as compared to steel. The Al-Mg-Si alloy series can be readily extruded into complex multi-hollow profiles, as required in crash systems, and can be used to target a range of desired strength levels. This paper focuses on the development of an axial crush test protocol and evaluation of the crush performance of common 6XXX series alloys for a variety of tempers. The observed crush behaviour is then compared to tensile test results.

Jan 1, 2015

By S. Kelebek, B. Nanthakumar

ABSTRACT The sensitivity of sulphide minerals towards oxidation depends on the mineralogical makeup and nature of sulphide ores. This paper focuses on chalcopyrite behaviour in a nickel-copper sulphide- ore matrix that was aged in the mine-site stockpiles. Results of collectorless, collector-induced flotation and recovery by size are presented following a discussion of XPS analysis that was used to gain insight into oxidative alteration of chalcopyrite’s surface chemistry. Chalcopyrite maintains its high flotation activity despite exposure to weeks of oxidative conditions. It is concluded that chalcopyrite is quite tolerant to stockpile oxidation due to various factors related to alteration of its surface chemistry.

Jan 1, 2012

By D. A. Sloan

"THE FIRST COMMENTATOR that I will call on is Mr. W. G. (Bill) Brissenden, Vice-President, Mines, Noranda Mines Ltd. Bill, would you care to comment.W. G. BRISSENDEN ...Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I spent some time reading the four papers that were presented here, yesterday evening, and decided that the four to six minutes that I had been allotted for this afternoon were going to be pretty tough to meet. It's a very big subject and I just hope that I will be able to stay within my time limit. As has been so aptly demonstrated by the members of our panel here this afternoon young men in growing numbers continue to be attracted to careers in the mineral industry, especially to careers in mining engineering. Now from 80 the point of view that the profession may have regained its status this is indeed welcome news. However, perhaps all of the members seem to have the suspicion that the number of mining engineers that the industry can absorb is a much lower figure than previously forecast. It is said that technical school graduates are now occupying some of the jobs once considered the private preserve of the mining engineer and also that mining engineering undergraduates are having trouble locating summer employment. If these interpretations of mine are correct then we are now confronted not only with our old dilemma - whither the mining engineer - but also with an urgent need to solve it. We cannot allow our profession to become once again an undesirable one in the eyes of our youth because if we permit such a thing to happen a second time the profession may never recover."

Jan 1, 1972

By Gordon E. Forward

Sustainable development in the mining and metallurgical industrial sectors can be implemented by two distinct groups: 1. The managers and operators of existing facilities ? working with industrial processes and systems that have been operating for many years, in some cases several decades 2. Those who are engineering and building new facilities or upgrades of existing plants. The focus of this paper is to look at approaches and tools available to bring sustainable development thinking and action to these two distinct areas. The paper will discuss: 1. The concept of working with existing facilities and processes to minimize waste and maximize product from a regional raw material/resource consumption perspective using By-product Synergy. The BPS concept has been carried out in Texas (TXI-Chaparral?s STAR Example), in Calgary, Alberta with Suncor assistance, in Montreal, Quebec with Noranda as project leader and currently in Ontario with Dofasco as industry champion. Successful outcomes are presented. 2. A new approach to designing greenfield facilities or upgrades to existing plants using a sustainable development review process. Undertaking the review early in every project can institutionalize the concept of discussing and implementing waste elimination, design for environment, eco-efficiency, risk minimization and community awareness and involvement in the future capital stock. The review process has been developed as an excellent tool for measuring and reporting on a corporation?s sustainable development progress. Examples of how this approach has been adopted in the mining and metallurgical industry, and the resultant outcomes are given.

May 1, 2002

By David Ulrich Furrer

Materials and manufacturing processing technologies have played an important role in the development and capabilities of nearly all manmade products. Market drivers for fuel efficient, low cost, environmentally friendly, more capable transportation has given rise to significant materials challenges and subsequent developments. The rate of improvement and implementation of new commercial products can be limited by the rate of new materials and process technology development and qualification. As many materials are being designed for unique requirements and even location-specific unique properties, the implementation of tools and methods to enable rapid characterization and validation of material definitions and design systems must also be accelerated. A review of new integrated material, manufacturing process and component designs, engineering processes and emerging tools and methods will be discussed. The linkage of computational materials science and engineering into component design will also be discussed along with the challenges and opportunities for further growth and application of integrated computational materials engineering (ICME).

Jan 1, 2015

By D Marshall

The sub-level blasthole benching method of mining has been proved to be economical at Willroy Mines. How-ever due to the nature and attitude of the wall rock, this method is susceptible to serious hanging-wall dilution of the ore. Attempts to solve the dilution problem by various means were not satisfactory until long Stressteel bars were employed as rock bolts. The adoption of this de-vice does not require any special skill, and has become routine in the under-ground operation. Since the inception of this method, the dilution of the ore has been greatly reduced and the ov1!r-all costs of controlling this dilution are much lower. INTRODUCTION T HIS is a report describing the successful use of long Stressteel bars as rock bolts in preventing l1anging-wall failure and consequent dilution in open stopes. Willroy Mines Limited is located (Figure 1) near the town of Manitouwadge, Ontario, approximately l1alf-way between Sault Ste. Marie and Port Arthur.

Jan 1, 1963

By W. E. Selnes

Introduction In 1938, a survey conducted by the Ontario Mining Association revealed a rather startling fact. Injuries incurred in chute pulling were more numerous than those from any other single cause. This report prompted Mr. W. B. Paton, then Inspector of Mines for Manitoba, to make a similar survey of the mines of his Province. It indicated that, in Manitoba mines, chute accidents ranked second only to those from falls off roofs and sides. Why has the mining industry been so slow to recognize the dangers of chute pulling? A partial answer may be the lack of any systematic classification of accidents according to their real cause. The result has been to attribute to other causes injuries which were a direct outcome of chute pulling, and, indeed, has made it difficult to analyze accidents in the industry as a whole. Perhaps, too, because chutes are generally located in the comparative safety? of the drifts, there has been a tendency to consider the occupation as not very hazardous. Not until enough statistics were obtained on this particular task could it be appraised correctly. The Mining Association's survey has been most helpful, and latterly the industry has done a great deal toward analyzing the causes of chute accidents and toward determining an effective means of overcoming them. Much, however, remains to be done. An effort will be made in this paper to outline methods which have been found successful in materially reducing the number of injuries. Qualifications of the Chute Puller First of all it must be realized that chute-pulling is a specialized occupation. The men require proper training for the job, just as in other mining operations. Care must, therefore, be taken to choose persons whose qualifications fit them for the job. Chute-pulling is an integral part of the general mining operation and cannot be considered as isolated from the tasks of other workers. One of the essential qualifications of a chute-puller is a sufficient knowledge of mining operations to appreciate the effect his work will have on the safety of others in the vicinity. He must take the necessary precautions, by verbal warnings, by placing barricades and signs, or by personally guarding the chutes, to prevent accidents to fellow workers.

Jan 1, 1947

By R. K. Collings

"This paper summarizes research that was done at the Mines Branch, Ottawa, to evaluate samples of phosphogypsum for gypsum products manufacture. The samples were from phosphate fertilizer facilities at: Port Maitland, Ontario ; Valleyfield, Quebec; and Fort Saskatchewan and Redwater, Alberta. All samples were wet-screened, washed, filtered and calcined in a laboratory kettle at atmospheric pressure. Tests were also made at higher pressures in a small autoclave. The gypsum and resulting hemi-hydrate, being acidic, were treated before, during and after calcining with various bases. The hemi-hydrate products were checked for time of set, compressive strength and bond to gypsum wallboard paper. The results of this study indicate that phosphogypsum from each of the sources investigated has potential as a substitute for mined gypsum in gypsum products manufacture. Pilot-scale testing is recommended to confirm that the product would be satisfactory for the manufacture of plaster products on a commercial basis."

Jan 1, 1972

By R. F. Favreau, L. C. Lang

"In modern blasting technology blasts are designed and analysed on an energy-mass-time relationship. The energy of the explosive is derived by computer analysis and the work potential of the available energy is expressed in numerical values. The mass involved in the blast is determined by the geometry of the blast and by the rock density. Time is also a relevant parameter, because time is required to complete the three basic stages of the breakage process.For successful application of the blasting parameters the basic mechanism of the breakage process must be understood.The physical-mechanical properties of the rock, local structural geology and the thermodynamic properties of the explosives can be brought together to create a computer model of a blast with which it is possible to predict separately the results of each parameter and to express the predicted degree of change in any parameter by actual numbers.A long-range project has started to create a ""bank"" of rock properties for as many Canadian and foreign mines as possible. A computer model has been successfully applied to predicting the effect of varying the ratio of spacing to burden at constant rock volume and significantly improved results are achieved, as the S/B ratio is increased up to about 2 to 2.5.High-speed photography has been applied to determine the time that has elapsed between zero time and the beginning of movement of the mass. The results assist in determining minimum and optimum delay time required for multiple-row blasting.The approach as described in the paper is now well proven and is clearly superior to previous methods based on powder factors and human assessment."

Jan 1, 1972

By A. Galley, R. Tosdal, F. Robert

The Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC) Exploration Innovation Consortium developed a 10-year business case for developing new discovery criteria, exploration techniques, and better data management and analysis to improve exploration success in deep, remote, and covered terrains. Within this context, the CMIC devised a five-year project proposal to create improved multiparameter exploration tools to detect ore systems and more efficient vectoring toward high-grade mineralized cores. The Footprints project was approved March 2013. More than CAD$13 million funding was provided through the CMIC-led joint sponsorship from 30 companies and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. Consistent industry leadership and integration of dedicated industry and academic expertise has the project on track for reaching its well-defined objectives.

Jan 1, 2014

By S. J. van Rensburg

Competition for resources, including water and arable land, refocused attention on water and gold tailings management with respect to quantity and quality. MINTEK established and validated an "Advanced Leach Facility" to record kinetic leach information aimed at gold refractory sulphide ores. This facility was developed because of the need for additional leach process information to enable proactive decision making. Instead of focussing on optimised gold recovery only, the impacts of pre-oxidation methodologies were evaluated by considering key parameters, including cyanide speciation, reagent consumption, thiocyanate, arsenic, heavy metals, salt loads, water quality and residue stability. Results from oxidative leaching of a refractory gold ore employing oxygen, ozone, ultra-fine grinding, high shear and pressure oxidation are discussed. The relative cyanide and lime costs and environmental and sustainability effects associated with these technologies are briefly outlined.

Jan 1, 2011

By M A. Notte

Sand casting of steel is a process that offers the greatest design flexibility and highest metallurgical versatility. However, competition from other methods of fabrication is quite keen, constantly forcing the steel casting industry to the production of better quality castings at lower costs. New methods and materials have been put to use in the last ten years by foundries everywhere. This paper, in the form of a progress report, deals with new methods, processes and materials used by Canadian steel foundries for regular production, as well as with developments still in the initial but promising stages. T HE casting of steel to shape is the most direct method of producing steel parts in their final form. It is a basically economical process both as to cost and production time; it is also a process that offers design engineers the greatest flexibility and highest metallurgical versatility. In North America, the steel casting market has a normal yearly sales volume of 1,500,000 tons. In decreasing order, the largest customers are the railroads, construction machinery and earth-moving

Jan 1, 1965

By Paul W. Shelley, Daniel J. Hodges

The mining industry is undergoing a period of rapid transformative change.  This is the result of the social and financial accountabilities that the industry is faced with because of the world’s desire to cap average temperature increase to 1.50C above pre-industrial levels (UNFCC, 2016).  To limit global warming to 1.50C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030.  In hard rock mining, comminution is identified as the major energy consumer, being responsible for 40-60% of the electricity use.  It follows that comminution is the major greenhouse gas emission process of the mine.  All effort is being made to radically reduce the carbon emissions of comminution. Grinding media plays a large role in the energy consumption and carbon emission story.  In recent years industry practitioners have attempted to quantify the grinding media carbon footprint.  This paper makes a definitive contribution to that discussion.  The grinding media carbon footprint is quantified in Scope 1, 2 and 3 emission terms in the context of a grinding media supplier.  Major emission contributors, steel, natural gas and electricity are discussed in detail.  The steel industry transition is a key factor. The paper will explore the steel industry transition and its effect on grinding media manufacturing.  The carbon footprint of heritage steel process routes are analysed and compared with the process routes of the future.  Emerging steel making technologies are presented and discussed.  The future of the steel manufacturing and procurement route for grinding media is proposed. This narrative allows for a comparison between the heritage carbon footprint and the future carbon footprint of manufactured grinding media.  Of equal importance is the opportunity of reducing the grinding media carbon footprint in the field.  The paper explores possibilities of reducing the grinding media carbon footprint at the customer site.  Media in use options are presented that take account of the mineral characteristics, the mill dynamics, and the product metallurgy to optimise both carbon footprint and media performance. It is intended that this is a landmark paper in the discussion of the carbon footprint of grinding media.

May 4, 2025

By R. D. Hossack

"The selection of a site for plant facilities is a function of several factors and has as its objective the maximization of profits, given fixed markets and sources of raw material locations. In practice there are several sites, any one of which or a combination of two or more would be suitable to meet the basic requirements of source of supply of raw material and labour and still fulfill market demands. The model used to select the optimum profit combination utilizes both computer programs and traditional financial analysis techniques. Of the three computer programs used in the mode), one is a linear program and another is a transportation simulator. Basic cost and price data are required. In examining costs, three levels are used: (a) distribution costs of raw material to the plant and finished goods to the market; (b) direct production costs at the plant, such as labour and locally supplied material; and (c) capital and overhead costs at the plant, such as construction costs, taxes, insurance, and federal and provincial cost allowances. The direct costs generally depend on the scale of operations, so that a large plant in one location may have a lower unit cost than two smaller plants. This, of course, must be balanced against distribution costs. In examining profit, it is necessary to think in terms of the price and volume of sales at each of the market locations. Given basic data and relationships, the model can be used to optimally locate production facilities or, alter-natively, optimally structure a transportation network given existing locations of plants and markets. It is dynamic to the extent that it can react to changes in volume, price and cost to optimally locate an additional plant, the expansion of existing plants, the shutting down or cutting back of plants, or the restructuring of distribution networks."

Jan 1, 1970

By D. A. Pirttinen

The promotion of improved coal quality for thermal generation can benefit our national economy. The construction of electric generating facilities in Canada is expanding at a rapid rate to satisfy the demands of a rising population and new uses for electrical energy. With remaining economic water power resources in the process of development, generation from thermal sources continues to grow. The increase in thermal capability has been somewhat arrested by a de-pressed economy, widening of inter-provincial and state transmission networks and decisions to exploit certain water resources before high capital investment is further in-creased by rising construction costs. The introduction of extra high volt-age transmission lines will further delay thermal generation planning, but in due course, when the effects of restrictive factors have been dissipated, steam-electric generation from fossil fuels will rise to considerable proportions. In time, nuclear sources will contribute a growing share to thermal power, but, it is doubtful if nuclear participation will ever displace conventional fuels for steam rising, unless it can be adapted to operate efficiently for variable outputs in peaking service. It appears certain that fossil fueled

Jan 1, 1961

By A. Sokolov, E. Hasikova, V. Gostilo, V. Titov

Introducing online X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers in the mining and processing industries can lower costs and improve the representativeness and speed of analysis. The applicability of the CON-XTM industrial conveyor XRF analyzer for continuous measurement of potassium content in process materials was demonstrated at various stages of potassium muriate (MOP) production. The CON-X analyzer produced reliable and accurate results for sylvinite ore (27–36% KCl), MOP cake after flotation (88–97% KCl), and NaCl residue (1.5–5% KCl). Tests of the analyzer at an MOP-producing plant showed a < 0.5% difference between online and laboratory results.

Jan 1, 2014

By Paul Toor

The operation of SAG mills is variable over time due to their continually changing liner shape, mass and subsequent load motion. However, this tends to be poorly accommodated in liner design and mill control, with only limited compensation made for this influence, usually in the first few weeks after a new liner is installed. With ever-increasing ore competency, increasing energy costs and decreasing ore grades, simplified design and operational approaches that compromise the achievable mill efficiency are no longer adequate. This paper presents a methodology that has been developed to measure and account for the changes in mill performance as the liner wears. This involves monitoring all liner profiles ? in other words the three-dimensional liner shape - over the life of the liner, then conducting controlled surveys at different stages of the liner wear life, and correlating the mill performance to the liner profiles. The measured liner mass is modelled to provide an ongoing meaningful load mass measure that excludes the liner mass.

Jan 1, 2012

By F. Rashchi, N. Naseri Joda

Recycling of electronic wastes is an important subject both from an environmental point of view and also the recovery of valuable materials. In this research, PC board scraps were leached to recover Cu, Ag, Au and Pd. Due to the high cost of the shredding process and to avoid secondary pollution from odors and dusts, board scraps were cut into 5X5 cm2 pieces. To determine the most effective leachant, aqua regia, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, ammonium persulfate and potassium persulfate were tested. The effect of the leaching parameters, the leachant concentration, temperature, leaching time and liquid to solid ratio were studied and optimized using response surface methodology.

Jan 1, 2011

By Francis Wm. Gray

The preparation of a paper read before this Society in 1927 on Undersea Mining led to representations to the Deputy Minister of Mines at Ottawa, Dr. Chas. Camsell, and to the Director of the Geological Survey and the Director of the Mines Branch, which resulted in the undertaking by these bodies of a geological, physical, and chemical survey of the Sydney coalfield, combined with revision of the geological maps, on all of which much progress has been made. Preliminary studies revealed the necessity for a new base-map on a scale that would permit the representation of the whole coalfield from cape Dauphin to Mira bay on one sheet, and in the making of this map the Geodetic and Topographical Surveys have collaborated, with the assistance of airplane surveys for filling-in of detail. The new map will show all the data accumulated by 50 years of active mining and will show also the extent of mine workings, with level-contours under the sea. Dr. W. A. Bell, of the Geological Survey, has, over a number of seasons, studied in the field the historical geology with the purpose of elucidating the sequence of earth movements that have determined the structure of the coalfields, especially those that have governed the course and extent of the complementary folds that traverse the Sydney coalfield. Dr. B. R. MacKay, of the Survey, and the officers of the Fuel Testing Laboratories at Ottawa have made exhaustive studies of the Phalen seam, chemical and microscopic, intended to elucidate the conditions under which this seam was deposited, and some very interesting conclusions have been reached.

Jan 1, 1934

By R. Lasmanis

"Washington State&apos;s diverse geological setting is reflected by its several types of porphyry Cu-Mo deposits. All are associated with calc-alkaline intrusions, and they range in age from Jurassic to Miocene.The largest is the Mount Tolman Mo-Cu deposit located in the Omineca Belt. It contains 2.18 billion tonnes of material averaging 0.093% MoS2 and 0.09% Cu. There are intermediate-size Mesozoic deposits in the Intermontane Belt. The Cascade volcanic arc hosts small- to medium-Tertiary deposits. Among these, of particular interest is the Sunrise breccia pipe, which has been explored over a vertical distance of 1000 m. It contains reserves of 64.6 million tonnes averaging 0.319% Cu and 0.071% MoS2 with significant tungsten values. The Glacier Peak deposits have potential resources of 1.7 billion tonnes averaging 0.334% Cu and more than 0.015% MoS2 and also contain tungsten. The Margaret deposit can be classified as a porphyry Cu-Au type; it has reserves of 200 million tonnes averaging 0.434% Cu, 0.0175% MoS2> 0.27 g!t Au and 1.92 g!t Ag. Drill intercepts of the North Fork deposit also show significant gold values.Mineralization and hydrothermal alteration of these deposits are typical of porphyry deposits, although some differences can be noted. The Mount Tolman molybdenum deposit contains topaz alteration zones and is transitional between a plutonic type and a Climax-type molybdenum system. Other deposits, such as the Kelsey, Mazama, North Fork, and Margaret, are low-sulphide systems that contain significant amounts of magnetite."

Jan 1, 1995