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By Jae-Chun Lee, Rajiv Ranjan Srivastava, Min-seuk Kim, Byung-Su Kim

Recycling of spent hydrotreating catalysts (HTC) can potentially contribute towards the sustainable extraction of metal values. Treating such materials by hydrometallurgical methods to separate metals from the leach liquor of either acid/alkali media is a major step. In the present study, separation of molybdenum from HCl leach liquor of spent NiMo type HTC has been investigated by applying solvent extraction using Cyanex-923. For this, the chloride solution containing 973 mg/L Mo, 254 mg/L Ni and 1634 mg/L Al was taken as the aqueous feed. The parameters including contact time, concentration of the extractant, acid and chloride, and phase ratio were varied to investigate their effect on the extraction efficiency. The McCabe-Thiele plot suggests that > 99% Mo-loading using a 2-stage extraction process. From the molybdenum depleted solution, nickel was selectively extracted by Cyanex-301 leaving Al in the raffinate.

Jan 1, 2014

By A. M. Richmond

Introduction The apparent commonplace, and prosaic, nature of building-stones, lime, cement, gypsum, and clay products, and many other miscellaneous non-metallic minerals, such as abrasives, barite, diatomite, magnesite, mica, slate, salts, etc., and their everyday appearance and necessary in our lives, has removed much of the glamour, romance, and speculative attractiveness so frequently associated with our gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper mining ventures. However, it will be readily appreciated, with but a brief study of the thirty-five or more non-metallic minerals and products which are mined, prepared, or are known to occur, in British Columbia, that the 'industrial minerals' industry in the Province has an abundance of interesting technical problems, is fraught with speculative possibilities, and, as such, fully deserves much more technical attention than it has hitherro received. The brief notes presented in this paper show, in summary form, the magnitude of the British Columbia industrial and non-metallic mineral industry; outline in synoptically form the principal deposits of non-metallic minerals presently known; and indicate in a general way a few of the possibilities which exist in the Province for the expansion of the industry. For convenience in presentation, the assembled material has been divided into four sections: 1.-Sraristical information 2.-Strucrural non-metallic minerals 3.-Miscellaneous non-metallic minerals 4.-Non-Metallic mineral possibilities in British Columbia 1. -Statistical Information The writer does not propose to dwell at length on the statistical comparisons and deductions which may be drawn from the four tables which have been compiled for this section of the paper, nor is it considered essential, as the figures present a most emphatic story in themselves.

Jan 1, 1935

By D. J. McCulla

Mineral development and utilization affect the health of the economy and the pattern of long-term development throughout Canada. There are many diverse opinions on the contribution of minerals to the economy, but there is a dearth of adequate quantitative information. This paper discusses some recent research and provides some new information.

Jan 1, 1977

By G. W. Smith

"The adsorption of dehydroabietylamine acetate on quartz, hematite, rutile and baddeleyite has been deter-mined for concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 5,600 µ. moles/I and for pH values ranging from 2.5 to 10.5.The surface tension, UV and IR spectra, equivalent conductance and ion concentrations for dehydroabiety lamine acetate solutions have been determined.Contact-angle and flotability studies have established that good collection may be obtained with this amine but that selectivity depends on the suitable use of depressants for some of the minerals."

Jan 1, 1971

By E. Busse

"Heath Steele Mines Ltd. operates a lead-zinc-copper mining and milling complex in New Brunswick.• During the past seven years, as ore reserves increased, the mill capacity was first expanded to 1,600 tpd and then to 3,000 tpd. In the last expansion, instead of building a completely new 3,000-tpd mill, or adding to existing installations, Heath Steele retained service facilities, buildings, ore bins, Jab, etc., and removed and replaced almost all existing process facilities. Requiring a complete mill shutdown, the expansion had to be carried out in minimum time. Also, new equipment had to fit into existing space. Critical path networks of the project were prepared, a tight schedule for construction was mapped out and progress charted daily to detect problems before they could interrupt the schedule. Heath Steele supervised the purchasing, handling and storage of new equipment, maintained liaison with the engineering contractor and became a sub-contractor, using its own staff to install all flotation equipment and process piping. The 1,600-tpd installation was dismantled and a 3,000- tpd unit was successfully put onstream in 5 months - on time and within budget. One benefit stemming from the expansion: production increased 87 per cent while operating and maintenance labour rose only 8 per cent."

Jan 1, 1972

By J. A. González-Anaya, F. Nava-Alonso, O. Alonso-González, F. Alvarado-Hernandez, A. Uribe-Salas, C. Jimenez-Velasco

"One of the most common hydrometallurgical methods for precious metal extraction is cyanidation. The effluents of this process may contain relatively high concentrations of copper, zinc and iron, which react with free cyanide to form complexes, adversely affecting the efficiency and the economy of the process.This preliminary work studies the use of the solvent extraction technique to remove copper, zinc and iron cyanide complexes from a synthetic solution similar to that of gold mill effluents, in order to allow the recycling of the solution back to the process. For the extraction of these anions (Cu(CN)2 -, Cu(CN)3 2-, Cu(CN)4 3-, Zn(CN)4 2- and Fe(CN)6 3-), trioctyl methyl ammonium chloride (Aliquat 336) was studied as extractant, using nonylphenol as modifier in the organic phase (iso-octane). The experimental results showed that for a synthetic solution containing 450 mg/L total cyanide, 160 mg/L copper, 50 mg/L zinc and 51 mg/L iron, it is possible to extract the 96% of copper, 91% of zinc and 75% of iron when using 0.011 mol/L of Aliquat 336 (organic/aqueous volume ratio (O/A) =1) in the pH range of 9-10."

Jan 1, 2014

By A. J. Stapleton

"The Copper Mountain mine of Gaspe Copper Mines, Limited was brought into production in January, 1968.This paper describes the organization, scheduling and control of maintenance of large open-pit equipment, including 8-cu.yd shovels and 85-ton electric-wheel haulage units. The facilities for repair as well as maintenance are also described, including repair shops and field repair equipment. Maintenance costs are discussed and particular reference is made to tire inspection, records and costs."

Jan 1, 1969

By J Zhou

Based on the mineralogical characteristics and mineral processing techniques required, gold ores can be classified into 12 types, including gold placers, quartz vein-lode ores, oxidized ores, silver-rich ores, iron oxide copper gold ores, porphyry copper gold ores, iron sulphide ores, arsenic sulphide ores, antimony sulphide ores, bismuth sulphide ores, telluride ores and carbonaceous sulphide ores. The bulk mineralogy and gold deportment of each ore type is different and may have a significant impact on ore processing and metal extraction. This paper summarizes the bulk mineralogy and gold deportment in some major types of gold ores and discusses the potential impact of gold deportment on gold metallurgy.

Jan 1, 2011

By T. E. W. Nind

"A short description of the chamber lift method for producing oil wells is followed by some comments on compressor requirements and gas utilization. A quantitative analysis of the process is presented and, based on this analysis, criteria are suggested for selecting wells for which this type of lift might be suitable. The analysis leads to the conclusions that chamber lift is an efficient producing mechanism for wells having very low productivity indices (say about 0.05 bbl/d/ p.s.i. or less), but that for such wells optimum utilization of injection gas cannot be attained. It is suggested that the gas injection time per cycle should be kept as low as possible, compatible with a small oil fallback volume, and that the cycle frequency should be in the range of 20-40 cycles/ day. For wells with productivity indices of 0.2 bbl/d/p.s.i. or higher, chamber lift is relatively inefficient; how-ever, if well allowables are low it may offer an attractive, low cost, alternative to gas lift or pumping."

Jan 1, 1960

By D. E. Smith, M. K. Murthy

"The commercial potential of a silica-kaolin deposit that occurs on the banks of and close to the Missinaibi River in the District of Cochrane, Ontario, is under evaluation by Algocen Mines Limited. The geological features of the deposit, as well as its probable origin, are described. Mineralogical analysis of the deposit samples indicates that the principal minerals are quartz and kaolinite clay; it is estimated that about 20 per cent of the deposit is kaolin clay. The impurity minerals present are: a slightly magnetic Fe-Ti oxide mineral, goethite, muscovite mica, tour-maline, staurolite, anatase and zircon. Laboratory research studies are in progress to develop and evaluate suit-able methods for the separation of silica sand from kaolin. Results to date indicate that good-quality silica sand with an Fe,03 content in the range of 0.012 to 0.025 per cent can be produced. It appears that the clay portion can also be beneficiated to yield products meeting commercial requirements. It has been possible to beneficiate a portion of theetlay to obtain the particle size distribution now specified by industry. However, research is continuing to develop suitable separation and beneficiation methods which can produce kaolin clay meeting all the commercial requirements."

Jan 1, 1970

By C. Chapman, M. G. Reading, M. P. Amsden

Ecstall Mining Limited, a subsidiary of Texasgulf Incorporated, operates the Kidd Creek mine, a 10,000- tpd base metal producer, near Timmins, Ontario. Two different ore types are mined and milled copper-zinc and silver-lead-zinc. At the highly automated Ecstall concentrator, the ores are processed by selective flotation in three individual circuits. One of the most important metallurgical tools for process control is a sample system incorporating continuous onstream X-ray analysis. Recently this system was further automated by adding computer control of reagents for two copper-zinc flotation circuits. The computer programs, utilizing optimum seeking methods and smelter contract terms, have increased copper recovery 0.8% and zinc recovery 1.6%, and reduced reagent costs by 12%. Although not anticipated, copper and zinc concentrate grades were improved modestly as well.

Jan 1, 1973

By W. J. S. Craigen, G. E. Wittur

"In the context of today's continuously changing world, there are many factors which must be considered when attempting to assess the ability of Canada's primary copper producers to remain competitive in the face of increasing competition in world markets. In this paper, we have attempted to document those factors that will have the greatest impact on the future viability of Canada's copper industry, and to suggest possible strategies to fully utilize whatever inherent advantages Canada may have to enhance its competitive position. Technological factors related to the efficiency of precious and by-product metals recovery, energy type and utilization efficiency, production and sale of sulphur by-products, and control of 502 emissions are given high priority in this evaluation of Canada's future needs to remain competitive. Particular emphasis is placed on assessing the relative viability of hydrometallurgical versus pyrometallurgical processes for copper; to address uniquely Canadian conditions and problems. Due consideration is also given to the economic incentives required to allow Canada's copper producers to compete under anticipated world market conditions and to facilitate the continued development of Canada's copper resources. IntroductionWhen we try to assess the viability or competitiveness of any industry the bottom line is still usually, ""Can we produce a pound of product cheaper than the competition?"" Canada's copper industry is certainly no exception. However, as with most resource-based industries dependent upon exports, there are many factors which have a significant effect on the cost components which make up the total cost of producing and selling a pound of copper. It is desirable therefore to have as clear a picture as possible of the cost components, the major factors affecting them, and how they compare with the competition, particularly the third-world copper producers.In this paper we have attempted to provide a brief outlook for world copper markets and a brief overview of Canada's competitive position. We have also attempted to document those factors which will have the greatest impact on future production costs, and have suggested possible initiatives to utilize inherent Canadian advantages to enhance our competitive position. Special emphasis has been placed on technological initiatives designed to make full use of these ""advantages"", to develop superior beneficiation and extraction! refining technologies. Major factors considered in the present study are:"

Jan 1, 1986

Eagle Plains Resources? Exploration in the Northern Cordillera ?Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (EPL) is actively exploring for Zn-Pb deposits in the northern Cordillera in both carbonate-hosted and shale-hosted (sedex) environments. ?This presentation will review some of the significant carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb showings occurring in the Mackenzie Mountains, NWT and make limited comparisons with sedexdeposits in the adjacent Selwyn Basin.

May 1, 2006

By Zhiwei Wang, Chunsheng Qiao

"Aiming at the problems of the existing calculation methods for the support pressures of shallow tunnels in layered jointed rock strata, by using OAT (orthogonal array testing strategy) and DEM (distinct element method), 12 influencing factors including the thickness of the weathered overburden, and the states of the rock joints were considered. Then, the classification of the loosening zone was analysized. On this basis, by using the DEA (data envelopment analysis) theory, quantitative analysis on the influencing factors was conducted. By analyzing the influence of the key factors, a prediction formula of the boundary of the ringent trumpet-shaped loosening zone was established. According to principles of stress transformation, the formula of support pressures of the loosening zone which could considering the key factors were deduced. Finally, a practical case was introduced and studied to verify the proposed method.INTRODUCTIONIn recent years, various urban subway tunnels are increasingly carried out through jointed rock strata in many cities. Rock masses are discontinuous mediums with fissures, fractures, joints, bedding planes, and faults. The frequency of joints, their orientation with respect to the engineering structures, and the roughness of the joint have a significant importance from the stability point of view. However, there is a lack of understanding about the influence of the joints on the stability of tunnels. Therefore, how to measure the degree of the joints’ influence is a problem that needs to be solved.For the calculation of the support pressures, until now, many research results were focused on soil ground (Bierbäumer 1913; Terzaghi, 1943; Peck, 1969; Sabatini et al., 1999). In terms of site tests and model indoor tests, by measuring strut loads and calculating earth pressure based on strut spacing, the results proposed by Peck (1969) and Tschebotarioff (1973) have been widely used in practice for designing excavation support systems under sand (drained) and clay (undrained) soil conditions. Note that, it is unclear whether these findings could be extended to rock strata. For numerical simulations, how to simulate the states of the rock joints is a key problem that needs to be solved."

Jan 1, 2015

By L O. Montpetit

The economics of the asbestos mining industry of Canada, and the physical and chemical characteristics of asbestos fibre, as well as exploration, mining, milling and quality control methods, have been described by several authors in the past few years. The scope of this presentation is to survey the application of asbestos fibres in the major product groups of the construction industry in North America. Principal categories considered include flooring materials, asbestos-cement pipes and building products, high-temperature insulation, textiles, saturated asbestos felts and asphalt com pounds. During 1962, the asbestos mining industry of Canada produced an estimated 1.3 million tons of chrysotile fibre grades, and production capacity is expanding. The market demand for chrysotile fibre, on this continent, has been in the order of 50 per cent of the production volume. The asbestos industry is dependent for growth on the construction industry. Product research is active in finding new uses for asbestos fibre; some of the new developments are presented, including the use of short-fibre asbestos grades for extending the life of asphalt pavement.

Jan 1, 1963

By H. Miki, S. Wheatley

The addition of precipitated silica greatly enhances chalcopyrite leaching in the presence of sodium chloride at moderate temperatures (65-90°C) in acid media with ferric ions as the oxidant. The beneficial effect increases with the increase in chloride concentration and temperature. The addition of sodium silicate and silica sand has no significant influence. The analysis of solubility data in acid/salt solutions indicates that the solubility of silica as Si(OH)4 as the dissolved species is controlled by the activity of water, as expected from the hydration theory. Kinetic analysis shows the trends that copper dissolution from chalcopyrite in the presence of precipitated silica with sodium chloride follows a shrinking sphere model indicating a chemically controlled surface reaction. The effect of temperature on copper dissolution in the presence of both precipitated silica and sodium chloride was also larger compared to the results in sodium chloride alone. The SEM analysis shows that chloride and silica facilitates the precipitation of sulfur on the surface of the silica particles rather than the chalcopyrite particles which avoids the blockage of the mineral surface and thus improves the leaching kinetics.

Jan 1, 2014

By James K. B. Booth

The natural crustal abundances of the principle metals of commerce are examined in relation to production and prices for each metal. Two factors, the abundance x price ratio (BP factor) and abundance/production (B/T factor) are listed for each metal. Ideally, for these desirable commercial metals, each factor should be a constant and the same for all metals; comparing the divergences for the full list of metals allows conclusions to be drawn on the relative degree of natural availability of each metal and the ease or difficulty of winning the metal from the earth's crust. Plotting the two factors for each metal over the past decade of steady industrial usage illustrates the anomalous position of copper and, to a lesser degree, molybdenum and it is concluded that over the long term the price of copper will continue to rise steeply. Possible future prices for copper are examined and a suggested preferred order of ranking of the metals as exploration targets would be copper, nickel, tin, zinc, silver, molybdenum and lead, for the near term, with molybdenum possibly increasing its ranking in the list within the next decade.

Jan 1, 1971

By G. M. Hughes, R. W. Dunn

"AbstractCurrently installed an analogue instrumentation devices at Sherritt 's Ruttan Concentrator control. and/ or measure mill tonnages, grind, pH, density , some reagent and slurry flows, and cell levels. On-stream analysis is used to assay the main process streams. The history of development of process control is reviewed from startup to the present stage of selection of a process control computer. A pragmatic approach has been taken to process control to ensure compatibility with the needs and resources of Ruttan. Emphasis is made of the need to have the mill performing well from a mechanical and instrumentation point of view and to have opera tor acceptance of the computer through training. Plans for the computer phase to achieve these objectives are outlined.IntroductionTHE COPPER-ZINC OREBODY at Ruttan Lake was discovered by Sherritt exploration personnel in 1969 and by mid-1973 a 10,000-tpd mine and concentrator were in operation. After a typical startup period , the major mechanical problems in the crusher and concentrator have been resolved. Metallurgical performance is now up to standards forecast in the feasibility study.The cost of the original instrumentation installations, including an on- stream analyzer, was about one million dollars or 4% of the cost of the milling complex. Although there was no intention of using a process control computer until the plant was operating smoothly, it was understood that all instrumentation was compatible with .a computer, but this did not prove to be correct. This paper cover s the development of the instrumentation loops to date and the control strategies that will eventually be implemented through a process control computer."

Jan 1, 1977

By L. A. Wrigglesworth, A. S. Dadson

The orebodies of the Giant Yellow-knife mine occur in zones of schist, in an assemblage of typical Precambrian greenstones which form part of the Yellowknife Greenstone Belt. One of the most interesting problems at the mine concerns the fold-like attitudes assumed by the schist zones. The internal structure of the zones and orebodies provides much evidence of folding. A logical conclusion would be that the zones represent a single horizon which has been folded and drag-folded in the ordinary course of mountain building. However, surface mapping, and correlation of certain marker horizons, in underground work, indicate a homo-clinal succession of steeply dipping flows. If this concept of the geology is correct, the zones must cross-cut the regional strike at a small angle and, in the over-all aspect, the regional dip at a large angle. A mechanical interpretation of the zone structure is presented as a suggestion for the present until new evidence is found.

Jan 1, 1959

By E. W. Shaw

The past year (1950) has been a big one for the oil industry in Canada, with new records being set in almost every phase of exploration and development activity. New highs were reached in acreage holdings, in geophysical activity, in wildcat drilling, and in field development and production. The only item that did not show a substantial increase over recent years was the amount of reserves added by new discoveries. This was not due to a decrease in the number of new discoveries, however, hut rather to the fact that most of the discoveries were made during the later months in the year and could not be fully evaluated by the year end. The foregoing remarks pertain mainly to activity in Western Canada. In Eastern Canada, operations continued on a modest scale. with exploration drilling down slightly from the previous year but with development drilling and production at about the same level. Returning to Western Canada, it is observed that the general exploration play was one of expansion and intensification. The issuing of new petroleum and natural gas regulations by the province of British Columbia precipitated a moderate entry of companies into the northeastern part of the Province.

Jan 1, 1951