Search Documents

By C. Lambert

It has been shown that contacts between host rock and engineered barriers may be critical in the design of deep radioactive waste repositories. Water is expected to reach the interface zone after the re-saturation of the geological massive and its presence may lead to concrete leaching. Such a phenomenon could increase the interface transmissivity and compromise the confinement of radioactive waste. Recent experimental results from Buzzi et al. (2008) have enhanced how concrete leaching can drastically change the mechanical behaviour of such interfaces. Because of the local loss of strength resulting from leaching, shearing resulted in a degradation of the interface asperities. Similarly to rock joints, intact interfaces exhibit a usual contracting-dilating behaviour. On the contrary, depending on the extent of leaching, the degraded interface can display a fully contracting. This paper intends to investigate the influence of concrete leaching on the mechanical behaviour of host rock-concrete interfaces. The leaching process consists in the dissolution of some of the hydrates of the cement paste, leading to a reduction of the strength and Young's modulus. A discrete model has been developed with PFC3D where a simplified interface morphology has been introduced using a saw-tooth description of the asperities.

May 1, 2009

By T. W. Wlodek

Abstract A simplified method of fatigue testing full-dimension, as-rolled, non-machined, mining drill rods is very desirable to the mining and steel industries in the classification of steels available on the market, through the evaluation of their fatigue limits and endurance strength. In this paper one such simplified method is presented and analysed. The preliminary results show many advantages of this method, such as simplicity and constancy of loading. The type of loading applied more or less simulates the working conditions of the outside fibres of the mining drill rods. Additional advantages of this method are the possibility of testing under dry and wet conditions, its quietness, and its ease of operation. Specially designed adaptors and specially applied techniques of fixing and preparation of samples make possible the breaking of a quarter-octagon hollow drill rod in a free length of uniform section in a rotating beam machine. At first glance this seems to be difficult to achieve. In the first preliminary test three different lots of steel were used. S-N curves under dry conditions were determined. These curves permit of the classification of the drill rods on the basis of the fatigue limit and endurance strength of the outside fibres of the metal, which is dependent to a greater or lesser extent on the effect of surface decarburization, surface imperfections, and special surface treatments. The average slope of the S.N curve in the damaging zone, and the fatigue limit in equal tension-compression rotating bending, were determined for SAE 1080, chromium-molybdenum and nickel-chromium-molybdenum mining drill rods. INTRODUCTION The fatigue limit and the endurance strength of mining drill rod steels are of interest to both the mining and the steel industries. These industries are greatly interested in lowering the cost of mining by reducing the consumption of these steels per ton of ore exploited.

Jan 1, 1951

By R. W. Lawrence

"The management of acid rock drainage( ARD) to prevent impact when tailings are disposed of in the environment requires understanding of the phenomena giving rise to acidic drainage, a rigorous evaluation of the weathering characteristics of the tailings, and the successful implementation of control measures that will be effective in the long term. This paper provides a brief theoretical background to the complex reactions taking place in mill tailings containing residual sulfide minerals which must be appreciated to enable waste characterization program to be effective in predicting the future behavior of the tailings and in designing control methods which will work. The principals and practice of prediction and control as part of an ARD management strategy will then be discussed.Paper Not Available at Time of Publication"

Jan 1, 1997

By S. Kelebek, U. Demir, T. C. H. Richards, E. Koss

"Laboratory-scale tests were carried out to investigate the response of a high-grade (~143 g/tonne) well-liberated gold ore to flotation using two collector types. Octyl and amyl xanthates, representing conventional types of collectors, were tested against an n-octanoic and hexanoic acids under moderate and high redox potential conditions. The latter was based upon a suggestion in literature that monocarboxylic acids are able to adsorb onto the surface of gold at redox potentials near 600 mV (SCE). This investigation did not demonstrate that these carboxylic acids could function as collectors for gold in real ores. In fact, they appear to have slightly depressed gold. However, the results demonstrated that octyl and amyl xanthates acted as highly effective gold collectors for this ore and that an increase in the collector dosage led to an increase in recovery for all mean particle sizes. In some tests, gold recoveries of around 95% were attainable in concentrates with grades around 6 kg/tonne, indicating that xanthate flotation remains a viable means of concentrating gold even at coarse grain sizes. Various aspects of the process such as grade-recovery performance and recovery by size are discussed.INTRODUCTION Three methods are used for the recovery of gold in mineral processing, either alone or in combination: gravity concentration, cyanidation and flotation. Gold occurs as a by-product in some ores together with platinum group metals and as the primary metal in other ores in the form of native gold and electrum, which are alloys of gold, silver and minor amounts of copper. Flotation is a viable method for recovering liberated gold where the gold is visible under an optical microscope (greater than 1 µm in size) and where the attachment of gold grains is not prevented due to bubble loading by competing minerals. It is generally known that grains finer than 150 µm in size will float with most collectors."

Jan 1, 2017

By Carl O. Nickle

"IntroductionIF I WERE ASKED what are the two most important single factors in shaping the growth of Canada to date, and in building its future, the answer would be: first, the treasure house of natural resources on and below the surface over the length and breadth of our country; and two, the pioneering spirit and 'get up and go' of many of our people. The two factors are inseparable. Without the pioneering spirit, the natural resources of land, forest, stream, and the subsurface would have continued •to be useless,. Idle assets. With the pioneering spirit, Canada's natural resources have been and are creating economic revolutions.Western Canada oil and natural gas rank high on the list of such revolutions. Calgary, your meeting place today, is the birthplace of this economic revolution, one that has already sharply altered the economy .of the middle half of Canada, particularly that of Alberta; is increasingly making its weight felt on the economy of all Canada; and is helping re-shape world thinking on sources of vital petroleum supply for both peace and war. Calgary is today the 'operation headquarters' for the great bulk of a huge exploration and development programme that now extends over a quarter of a million square miles of Canada's West. As a Calgarian, •therefore, I am particularly happy to have this privilege of talking about oil and natural gas to members of the C.I.M.M., who play a key role in the development of all Canada's varied natural resources."

Jan 1, 1952

By R. Heikkilä

The utilization of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and model based 3-D control of work machines have increased a lot in new road construction in Finland as well as in other Nordic Countries. Up today, much less attention has been paid into the development of maintenance and rehabilitation processes. As a part of a large research and development program RYM PRE Infra FIN BIM in Finland, a focused research project of the BIM with experiments in total five (5) pilot projects has been performed. A main idea of the new BIM based process has been to utilize mobile laser scanning method for initial data acquirement, the use of novel 3-D analyze and modelling methods for point cloud processing, the use of new type optimization method for the planning of geometric and structural improvements needed for the existing uneven road surfaces, and further, through the creation of 3-D machine control models apply the newest 3- D machine control systems for continuous 3-D control of practical construction work using milling machine and asphalt paver. Finally, an evaluation is made between the new process model and the traditional way of working.

Aug 1, 2013

By Rodnei Graça, Jorge Silva Bettencourt, Lena Virgínia Soares Monteiro, Baruch Spiro, Tolentino Flávio De Oliveira

Abstract - The Vazante Mine is located in the Vazante District, the largest zinc district in Brazil. The Vazante deposit consists dominantly of an unusual willemitic ore. Small sulfide bodies are tectonically imbricated with the willemitic ore, within the Vazante shear zone. Structural styles of deformation and petrographic and isotopic evidence indicate that willemitic mineralization and deformation occurred synchronously during the Neo-Proterozoic. Various generations of hydrothermal veins and hydraulic breccias may pre-date, accompany and overprint the mineralization. Ore-formation temperatures are deduced from stable isotope geothermometry and mineral chemistry of both sulfide bodies and willemitic ore. Temperatures during the main stage of mineralization range from 206°C to 294°C (willemitic ore) and 317°C (sulfides), and reflect the prevailing metamorphic conditions within the shear zone. The fluid from which the gangue minerals of the sulfide bodies precipitated (at 250°C) had an oxygen isotopic average value of ?18O = +19.4‰. This value appears to reflect the interaction of metamorphic fluid with the carbonate rocks of the Vazante formation. At 250°C, the fluid in equilibrium with the vein mineral phases and willemitic ore assemblage exhibits a uniform oxygen isotopic composition, with an average value of ?18O = +11.5‰. The positive linear covariance of ?18O and ?13C ratios of the carbonates is most likely due to the mixing of metamorphic and meteoric fluids. The ?34S values of sulfides indicate a direct crustal origin for the sulfur. It is suggested that the sulfur is largely derived from pre-existing sulfide bodies and has been transported by metamorphic fluids. The willemitic ore may have originated from the precipitation of metal in sulfur- poor fluids under oxidized conditions, within the Vazante shear zone.

Jan 1, 1999

By M. R. Campbell

"IntroductionON THE LAST DAY of December, 1951, a half-century of steel production was completed in the open hearth department of Dominion Iron & Steel, Limited, in Sydney, Nova Scotia.During that period, almost every known variation of basic steel making practice was used in working out a steel making process which would overcome the difficult metallurgical problems imposed by the use of Cape Breton coal and Wabana ore.This paper is presented as a brief review of these steel making practices, setting forth the fundamental metallurgical factors involved in their success or failure.Establishing the IndustryThe story of steel production at Sydney is closely interwoven with that of coal. The steel industry owes its inception to a desire on the part of the Dominion Coal Company, which was incorporated in 1893, to improve its marketing position by increasing sales of slack coal and providing a year-round demand for its product. Accordingly, the Dominion Iron and Steel Company, Limited, was incorporated on March 30th, 1899, with Mr. H. M. Whitney -who was President of the Dominion Coal Company -as its first President. The new Company was given powers to manufacture and process iron and steel, and to mine all minerals, including coal.A strong inducement to the industry was the bounty offered by the Dominion Government for the production of both iron and steel."

Jan 1, 1952

By Kenneth M. Haley

THE development of Reserve Mining Company's pelletizing practices began in 1949 in a pilot plant located at Ashland, Kentucky. Three years later the participating companies -Armco Steel Corporation, Cleveland Cliffs Iron Mining Company and Republic Steel Corporation concluded the work and the small plant was shut down. Oglebay Norton and Company was the operating manager and Armco Steel Corporation furnished labor and services. Arthur G. McKee and Company were the designers and constructors. The equipment flow sheet that was employed in that pilot operation is shown in Figure 1. This was Reserve's first step from the laboratory work per-formed by the Mines Experiment Station of the University of Minnesota in developing a commercial operation. The plant used New York state concentrate, purchased from Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation's Benson Mine. This concentrate, minus 14 mesh, 64.3 per cent Fe, 5.7 per cent Si02, was processed at Ashland to 80 per cent minus 325 mesh in conventional ball mill, classifier, thickener, filtering

Jan 1, 1961

Energy benchmarking is widely applied across industries to determine the potential to improve energy performance. Unlike the many technologies for which energy benchmarks and efficiency rating systems are already in maturity, benchmarking of mining processes is still in its infancy. Benchmarking energy usage in mining operations, where energy costs are high and represent a significant portion of overall operating expenses, is challenging due to the uniqueness of each mining operation. Mines vary in terms of geology, geographic setting, ore body geometry, mineralogy which impact the mining method, material handling, processing and waste management. In order to gauge the opportunity for reducing the energy intensity of individual operations and also to compare the energy performance of operations on a global scale, the deployment of new benchmarking methodologies, models and frameworks is necessary. As a step towards the establishment of an accurate framework for benchmarking the energy consumption of mining operations, comminution, one of the more energy intensive mining sub-processes, was selected as the focus of a new energy benchmarking method. The methodologies and processes used to onset fragmentation in a rock mass to the crushing or grinding of rock to a size that is suitable for economic extraction are predominantly dependent on the ore properties. For this reason, site specific factors, such as the size reduction requirements and ore hardness were included in an energy benchmark model so that the energy performance of comminution processes at different operations could be normalized and compared on a global scale. Single particle compression breakage has been identified by several prominent researchers in the field of comminution as the upper limit of energy utilization in size reduction processes. For this reason single particle compression breakage was proposed as the basis of a work index for ores to be used as an input for the benchmark model. Overall, the new method showed that the energy benchmark for mineral comminution can be normalized and subsequently compared for a range of mining operations once the ore hardness has been appropriately characterized.

Aug 1, 2013

By C. Gosselin, M. Rheault, M. Benoit, Y. Bouroubi, V. Sarago

The last three decades have seen significant mining development in northern regions of Canada, where the freeze and thaw cycle of permafrost and the corresponding surface subsidence and heave represent a significant challenge to the design and maintenance of infrastructures. Identifying areas at risk is of great assistance to reduce the impact of this issue. Over the past ten years, Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) has been widely used to monitor ground surface deformation. With this technique, changes in phase between two SAR acquisitions are used to detect centimeter to millimeter surface displacements over a large area and with high spatial resolution. InSAR can be used as a tool to assist the siting and design of new infrastructure as well as highlighting the risk to existing structures in areas of unstable terrain. This paper presents the results of a project carried out by Effigis, which made use of SAR interferometry in the context of monitoring terrain and infrastructure stability in a northern mining environment that is affected by permafrost seasonal and long term changes. TerraSAR-X images acquired during two periods, August to November 2012 and March to October 2013, were used to measure the deformations and/or movement of ground surface, infrastructure and stockpiles caused by seasonal changes in permafrost extent in and around a mining site located in Nunavik, Quebec. The results showed that spatial and temporal distributions of surface displacements are in accordance with scientific and terrain knowledge. Some displacements were observed in loose soil areas while, as expected, none were detected in bedrock and rock outcrop areas. The areas most affected by active layer changes showed surface subsidence in the thaw settlement period. This study confirms that SAR interferometry has a great potential for operational applications related to risks induced by surface deformation in mining environments. It shows that this technique can be used to produce reliable maps of surface movement and monitor the vertical displacement of important infrastructure.

Jan 1, 2015

By R. S. Douglas

THE Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Company, Limited, is engaged in the mining and concentrating of copper ores, and, incidentally, in the mining of coal and the production of electric power. The Company has been engaged in these various operations both on the mainland of British Columbia and on Vancouver island for the past forty-five years. This paper will attempt to cover their present operations in the Similkameen mining district of southern interior British Columbia. GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE DISTRICT The Interior Plateau in southern British Columbia ranges in elevation from 3,000 feet to 6,000 feet. In the vicinity of Princet0n, a depression in the Plateau forms a well defined basin which is floored with a series of nearly flat-lying Tertiary sediments containing some workable seams of lignite. From this basin, the upland surface rises gradually t0ward the south, from an elevation of 2,000 feet at Princet0n to 4,000 feet at Copper mountain, and 6,000 feet in the upper parts of the Similkameen basin, where it merges into the rugged and diversified t0pography of the Cascade system, with glacier inhabited peaks rising to over 9,000 feet. The valleys of Similkameen river and its tributaries are wide, having flaring sides and gentle slopes, and are separated one from another by subdued rounded spurs, of which Copper mountain is typical. The drainage of this district is taken care of by Similkameen river and its larger tributaries, such as Pasayten river, and Wolfe, Friday, and Whipsaw creeks. The name Copper mountain is applied to a gently arched, nearly flat-topped spur between the deep valley of Similkameen river to the west and the shallower valley of Wolfe creek tO the east. The mountain is appro-priately named from the number of copper deposits occurring on its sides and summit, some of which have been developed int0 an important producer, known as the Copper Mountain mine.

Jan 1, 1943

By L. M. Pidgeon

MAGNESIUM metal, with a specific gravity of 1.73, is two-thirds the weight of aluminium and one-quarter that of steel. It is the lightest metal which is stable in the atmosphere. Before the war it had begun, though somewhat slowly, to take a place among the established metals. In 1939, magnesium production on this continent amounted to some 3,000 tons per annum and was confined to one company. At that time, Germany produced perhaps 20,000 tons. The advent of war, however, increased the demand to fantastic heights and introduced production problems of unprecedented magnitude. By the end of 1943, North American production is expected to reach 300,000 tons per annum (1), an increase of one hundredfold. Such a rate of expansion has not been witnessed previously in the history of metallurgy. It has given the metallurgist an opportunity to try new production methods and to learn in a short time what might otherwise have taken many years. The metallurgy of magnesium is still in its formative years and at this time widely different production methods are in operation side by side. This paper will discuss these methods in so far as information is available for publication at this time. A general description of the new Canadian industry will be included.

Jan 1, 1944

By A. A. Brant

Self-potential methods are based ?on measurements on the surface of voltage distributions caused by natural sub-surface oxidation phenomena. The attempt is made to. correlate voltage minima or maxima with the location of mineral materials or geological conditions which may give rise to such naturally produced spontaneous potentials. Any orebody undergoing oxidation is a source of electric current. Ground waters carrying free oxygen attack the upper surface of the body, rendering this the positive pole of a galvanic cell, with the lower portion of the body the negative pole and the surrounding weak acidic waters the electrolyte. Current flow is from positive to negative through the orebody and negative to positive through the electrolyte, i.e., through the surrounding rock. The upper end of a steeply dipping, tabular orebody is hence indicated as lying below the point on the surface where the largest negative potential is observed(l). From its basis, it is apparent that the self-potential method was developed primarily for ore exploration.

Jan 1, 1942

By Nicholas C. Williams

This paper presents the development of a demand reduction and responsive strategy capable of reducing the electrical power demand, particularly during peak conditions. The work presented includes a case study of a UK colliery. Areas explained are the equipment installation at the mine; the development of the demand reduction strategy including the load profile database and prediction optimisation model. Some live production data from the power meter installation at the mine is also presented.

Aug 1, 2013

Delivering Our Products On any given day in North America, 80 kilometers of rail cars are engaged in moving our product. Global Customer Base Our business accounts for more than 30% of all bulk goods moved through the Port of Vancouver

May 1, 2006

By A. C. Elliott, A. J. Lafreniere

THE Hamilton Works of The Steel Company of Canada is a fully integrated steel plant with an annual capacity of three million tons. Located on the south shore of -Hamilton bay, it is in the centre of Hamilton's industrial belt. The heavy concentration of industrial activities found in this area, accompanied metallurgical well-known sources of pollution which are normal to urban areas is creating a pollution problem which concerns both industry and the general public. The Steel Company of Canada has recognized this problem and, accordingly, has adopted the policy of integrating suitable pollution control devices into its new installations. Much effort is also being expended to control the emissions of air contaminants from the existing equipment. At the Hamilton Works, there are two main sources of metallurgical dust emissions to the atmosphere -the Open Hearth furnaces and the Sinter Plant. Of these two, the Open Hearth furnaces are, undoubtedly, the largest single source of

Jan 1, 1962

The use of QemSCAN in providing mineralogical input to detailed ore and product characterization has proved of immense value in recent years. In this paper, a brief review of selected Cu-case studies is presented to demonstrate the versatility of automated, quantitative mineralogy by QemSCAN. This versatility ranges from measurement and analysis strategies through to data processing and presentation. As a rapid diagnostic service, it is common to find that only grain size, the degrees of liberation and/or ore mineral modal mineralogy are of interest. By contrast, the detail afforded by the simultaneous determination of both gangue and ore minerals can alert mineral engineers to fatal flaws and attributes deleterious to processing that are directly a function of silicate and other gangue mineralogy. Examples of the latter effects include the influence of micaceous minerals and acid consuming species, while the former include fluorine minerals, which can provide both processing and environmental challenges.

Jan 1, 2007

By R. E. Johnson

Seventy years after the start of the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, as reckoned from Arkwright's water frame patented in 1769, there was a significant development of the metallurgical industry in Virginia. In Britain, crucible steel had been rediscovered by Benjamin Huntsman in 17~0, and this made spring and tool steel more generally available. The metal-turning, screw-cutting lathe, including the basic principles recognized in today's engine lathe, was developed by Henry Maudslay about 1797. Wrought iron, as manufactured by Henry Cort's process patented in 1784, was readily available. Richard Trevithick's highpressure steam locomotive had met its test on the Pennydarren tramroad in 1804, and George Stephenson had built his famous Rocket, along with several other locomotives, at Newcastle around 1828. Puddling furnaces and a rolling mill had been placed in operation at the Tredegar Iron Works in Glyn Sirhowy, Monmouthshire, Wales, in 1807. In the United States, expanding commerce and a growing population resulted in continuing development from the Chesapeake to Virginia's Blue Ridge, and this demanded improved means of transportation. Ore deposits rich in hematite had been found in Virginia's Piedmont during the Colonial period, and a number of blast furnaces now dotted that area. The products of these operations were mostly pots, kettles, stove parts and like items for local trade. The James River and Kanawha Canal was incorporated in January 1785. Its eastern leg, winding along the slope of the high bluffs overlooking the river, was completed about 1800. About two dozen railroads were chartered in Virginia between 1830 and 1837. With expanding population and steady industrial development came a need for metallurgical products. Throughout the eastern United States, numerous metallurgical enterprises sprang up, and many of these flourished. The purpose of this article is to outline the development of one Southern metallurgical company, the Tredegar Iron Works, which was to have a significant impact on the industrial development of Virginia and the fighting of the American Civil War. Although the Tredegar Iron Works no longer exists, remnants of the early operations have been restored, and the current status of the site is also presented.

Jan 1, 1999

By D. R. Lentz, J. A. Walker

"Abstract -The Flat Landing Brook Zn-Pb-Ag deposit of the Bathurst Mining Camp occurs within a narrow thrust-bound nappe containing felsic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of the Tetagouche Group. Within the host nappe, the Tetagouche Group is represented by the Nepisiguit Falls Formation and the overlying Flat Landing Brook Formation. The Nepisiguit Falls Formation is divided into two members: quartz- and quartz-feldspar-phyric volcaniclastic rocks ± minor lavas (Grand Falls member), and aphyric, fine-grained volcaniclastic rocks (Little Falls member). The Flat Landing Brook Formation consists of aphyric rhyolite flows and interbedded pyroclastic rocks. Several gabbroic intrusions occur in both the footwall and hanging-wall sequences. These gabbros locally cut out the mineralized horizon at shallow levels, and are considered to be feeders to tholeiitic basaltic flows (Forty Mile Brook member) of the Flat Landing Brook Formation. The Flat Landing Brook deposit has many of the characteristics typical of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits occurring within the highly productive Nepisiguit Falls Formation in the eastern part of the Bathurst Mining Camp. Mineralization occurs within or at the top of the Grand Falls member and comprises four or more massive to semi-massive sulfide lenses that vary in thickness between 3 and 5 m. Massive lenses are laterally gradational to, or underlain by, zones of disseminated sulfides up to 38 m thick. The deposit contains an estimated resource of 1.7 Mt grading 4.9% Zn, 0.94% Pb, and 19.54 g/t Ag to a depth of approximately 150 m. From 150 to 300 m below surface, mineralization is low grade and mostly disseminated. However, below 300 m, ore-grade (>10% Pb+Zn) massive sulfide lenses have been intersected over mineable widths. Oxide facies iron formation overlies and (or) grades laterally into the sulfide lenses. The oxide facies has strong positive Eu anomalies and gently sloping rare earth element (REE) profiles suggesting that it was formed from relatively hot acidic fluids that had interacted with felsic volcanic rocks in the footwall. In contrast, the silicate facies iron formation that is more distal to sulfide accumulations has very weak positive Eu anomalies and gently sloping REE profiles, suggesting either cooler hydrothermal fluids or dilution of the hydrothermal component by detrital material. Hydrothermal alteration has affected most footwall rocks. Most notably, albite-destructive alteration has resulted in Na2O depletion, whereas mass addition of K2O is manifested in the formation of sericite (white mica). In more intensely altered quartz- and feldspar-phyric volcaniclastic rocks of the Grand Falls member, feldspar destruction is accompanied by chlorite alteration, producing quartz-phyric rocks similar to those in the footwall of many Bathurst Camp deposits."

Jan 1, 2006