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Retreating Cu-Mo Rougher Tailing by Flotation for Concentration of Copper and Molybdenum

Sep 13, 2010

By Madgwick J. C, Ralph B. J

A method for the determination of microgram quantities of uranium in leachates from low grade uranium ores is described. Solubilized manium is purified by transfer to an organic solvent by a selective solvent extractionprocedure using tributyl phosphate, iso-octane, and aluminium nitrate. The organic phase is mixed with scintillation fiuors in toluene and the radioactive decay determined in a liquid scintillation counter. The method is sensitive and reproducible in the range 3-30 µg uranium.

Jan 1, 1978

By R. Tamblyn

Vertically stirred media mills are a highly effective low-footprint solution for the ultrafine grinding of industrial minerals. This work investigates the effect of media density on flow patterns within the mill. Direct irradiation of a media particle leads to decay through positron emission, consequently forming two anti-parallel gamma rays, which allow for the real time tracking of particle position. Grinding media of the same size, but with a range of specific gravities are followed using this method, and the effect on the flow within the mill is revealed. The technique is seen to be an effective method to highlight the velocity profiles within the mill, as well as the zones where grinding is less efficient ? areas of relatively low velocity and high residence time. The changing media is seen to effect the overall flow patterns within the mill, having consequential effects on the efficiency of the grind.

Jan 1, 2009

By John V. Beall

Monotonous flood planes flanked either side of the road as we drove in the embassy car from the airport to downtown Seoul. We crossed the brown waters of the Hann River, meandering over mud flats. A great, gnarled tree bore beautiful fall colors of gold. "That is a Ginko Tree, the oldest living fossil, probably a hundred million years old;" said Jean W. Pressler. Compared to other cities of the Far East, the traffic in and around Seoul was sedate. Few motorcycles or bicycles, and little superfluous horn tooting. "This is the best season in Korea. We have long beautiful springs and falls," said Pressler, chief of the mining branch of USAID, and he continued with a briefing on the country.

Jan 8, 1969

By L. W. T. Weitzel

"This paper reviews the Falconbridge- SMRQ’s Raglan project in northern Quebec and the process that was used in developing its current long-term mine plan. Challenges were many and not only limited to the longevity of the project, numerous ore deposits (both underground and open pit), and a 40 km property strike length. As a result of its remote northern location, other factors such as progressive reclamation, leachable mine waste, water treatment, and waste management were also part of the plan. A combination of modern planning tools were used to formulate the plan including DataMine, Mine 2-4D, AutoMod Simulation, and an Excel-based financial spreadsheet to bring the total plan together. The focus of the paper is to show the complexity of modern mine planning and associated economic modelling of mine processes. IntroductionThe Raglan project is located 1660 km directly north of Quebec at the northern tip of the Quebec Peninsula in Nunavik. The main property is 40 km in length stretching from the Donaldson airport area at the eastern edge of the property to East Lake at the western edge. The Deception Bay port is 90 km north of the main complex/mill situated at Katinniq which lies approximately in the middle of the property (Fig. 1). The mine processes 1 000 000 tpy of ore from both open pit and underground sources. The mill is forecasted this year to produce more than 150 000 t of concentrate grading more than 18% nickel. All personnel and critical cargo are transported to the site via a company-leased 737 jet from Rouyn-Noranda where the main administration office is located. The majority of cargo is shipped to the site via Deception Bay from Quebec and on the return trip, nickel concentrate is shipped back. From Quebec, the nickel concentrate is sent by rail to the Falconbridge smelter in Sudbury and on the reverse rail haul, nickel matte from the smelter is sent to Norway via Quebec."

Jan 1, 2003

By D. Yu. Paleev, O. Yu. Lukashov, A. Yu. Krainov, E. R. Shrager, I. M. Vasenin

The gas-dynamic method is presented of calculation of explosion-proof distances during an explosion of the methane-air mixture in mine working. On the basis of this method is modelled of shock waves interaction with explosion protective parachute partitions, obstructions and water barriers. Calculations have been carried out of attenuation factors of shock waves during their interaction with explosion protective structures, arranged near conjugation zones of mine workings. Possibilities have been analysed of suppression of intensity of shock waves and of propagation of shock waves control in mine working network of coal mines by installation of explosion protective structures.

Jan 1, 2003

By T. Stauffer, B. McGunegle, A. Adu-Acheampong

The Fairmount Minerals, Inc., Maiden Rock underground sand mine historically delivered air to ventilate diesel-powered equipment at its working faces through high-resistance, 15-inch-diameter PVC distribution lines. In support of plans for expanded production, three new, low-resistance ventilation design alternatives were analyzed. The study determined that adequate ventilation for expanded production was possible with various commercially-available, high-volume/low-pressure fans combined with a systematic layout of control structures. The recommended re-design was implemented in 2001, resulting in a significant increase in flow volumes and a noticeable improvement in the mine environment.

Jan 1, 2007

By A. Karadogan, G. Tuncer, A. Kahriman

Determination of optimal blast parameters have been the priority act for blasters on the field due to financial and technical properties of the operation. Therefore many researchs were done to establish a general formula for many years. These intends could reach some empirical and numerical design frames consisting the rock, geology and explosives properties. Blasting parameters have to be adjusted according to the desired fragmentation rate especially on the mines where particle size distrubition after blasting has a great importance. Therefore the blast designs have to be evaluated considering the particle size distribution after the blasts. The Kuz-Ram model which was modified by Cunningham is one of the tools for estimating the particle size. Although it doesn’t give an accurate result, it can be very succesful on modifying the blasting design parameters by establishing a back correlation between the blasting parameters and the exact particle size distribution results which can be easily achieved by digital image processing system. Within the scope of this study, the particle size distribution after blasting was assessed by Split-Desktop digital image processing system and bench blasting parameters were studied considering the desired particle size distribution at Espey colemanite mine using Kuz-Ram and digital image processing system combination to determine the specific blasting parameters for this site.

Jan 1, 2005

Preface The intention of this paper is to provide the reader with knowledge gained here at Memorial University regarding the practical use of the Bruker SDD x-ray detector for applications in image analysis. Included below are descriptions of the detector’s characteristics and observations regarding precautionary use. What is described below is relevant to the XFlash® model 3001 detector only, whereas the model 4010 is the new and currently available detector. The manufacturer has provided up-to-date information and a figure that presents very different behaviour relative to the characteristics described in this paper. That information and figure is also included here as an addendum (see figure 9). Introduction It has been more than two decades since an image analyzer has been proposed based on the unique imaging characteristics and spatial resolution provided by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) together with energy discriminating x-ray (EDX) acquisition (Reid et al, 1984). From the inception of technique, technology of the day has played the major role for making applications increasingly more practical. Computers, digital imaging, and softwares together with computer automation of modern digital SEMs have all played their part in advancing the technique to where it is today.

Jan 1, 2007

Water Balancing in Mineral Processing - Issues and Opportunities

Sep 13, 2010

By L. S. Urbanoski

This presentation describes a major modernization project at the Geco concentrator. The objectives of the program were to replace obsolete flotation equipment and upgrade process controls.Noranda Minerals Inc. — Gecc Division is located at Manitouwadge in Northern Ontario. The community is situated north of Lake Superior approximately equidistant from Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie.Milling operations began in September, 1957. The mill processes a complex base metal ore by differential flotation techniques to produce copper, lead and zinc concentrates. To date some 43 million tons have been milled, qualifying Geco as a rather major base metal deposit.II. BACKGROUND:The Geco concentrator was designed and constructed in the mid 50's. A number of features specific to a concentrator of that vintage provided the justification for the modernization efforts described herein.Firstly, the mill was constructed without any instrumentation, not even pneumatic controls. Solid state electronics, computers and related instrumentation were unheard of, or rather primitive by today's standards.Secondly, some of the major equipment, in particular the flotation equipment, did not compare favourably to that in use today. MacIntosh flotation machines (more commonly known as Mac cells) were installed at Geco. These cells were prevalent in a number of concentrators built by Noranda, including Quemont Mining Corporation Limited, Gaspe Copper Mines Limited and Noranda — Horne Division. The Mac cells were used for copper and zinc rougher and scavenger operations. Some units were also installed for a pyrite recovery circuit that was never operated. In total, 104 Mac cells were installed in the main flotation area of the concentrator.

Jan 1, 1987

By V. R. Spironello

The Bureau of Mines is involved in research directed toward the utilization of municipal solid waste. One of the primary objectives is the recycling of the magnetic fraction of municipal solid waste (raw refuse). This is consistent with one of the Bureau's goals, which is to minimize the requirements for mineral commodities by maximizing metals recovery from secondary domestic resources, In this investigation, cupola trials were made using combinations of refuse scrap with shredded automobile scrap under basic and acid slag practices. Furnace operating information and the behavior of alloying and tramp elements was obtained. The research showed that it is possible to utilize up to 60 percent refuse scrap in the cupola under basic practice and 30 percent under acid practice, Aluminum in refuse scrap, present in bimetallic cans, increased the recoveries of silicon and manganese charged to the cupola. Increased use of refuse scrap provided iron of lower sulfur. The alumina resulting from oxidation increased the slag volume. The aluminum and tin contents of the iron increased with increasing levels of refuse scrap in the charge. Lead was not a problem with respect to contamination of the iron. In basic practice, operation of the cupola was satisfactory since all slags were adequately fluid. In acid practice, operation became troublesome above the 45-percent level. Under both practices, the cupola iron melting rate decreased. Particulates in scrubber water and stack condensate samples contained lead, zinc, and tin, and the dust load increased. The tensile and transverse strengths of the iron produced under both practices are reported.

Jan 1, 1980

By Ruth F. Brinkley

This report is the 18th of a series of reports originally issued annually, and more recently bienially, to acquaint the public with the work of the Federal Bureau of Mines in explosives technology. Part I reviews briefly the overall activities during fiscal years 1957 and 1958.4/ Part II presents in abstract form the publications prepared by the Bureau that appeared during the period.5/

Jan 1, 1961

By Robert B. Parsons

"The Canadian mining industry is not off to a good start in the 1993/94 budget season. Of the five provinces and territories to table budgets as of March 31, 1993, the industry's scorecard shows: one win, one tie, and three losses.IntroductionBy the end of March, five of Canada's twelve provincial and territorial governments had tabled their 1993/94 budgets. The mining industry is off to a bad start. The industry's scorecard shows one win, one tie, and three losses. Only Newfoundland appears to be paying any attention to the industry's concerns about the impact of taxation on competitiveness. It is particularly disconcerting to see that non-profit based taxes continue to increase, at a time when these taxes are the focus of a united attack by the entire industry.NewfoundlandFirst, the good news. On March 18, 1993, Finance Minister Winston Baker announced the following changes to the province's mining tax regime:"

Jan 1, 1993

By Kimiz Dalkir

Some things to keep in mind? ! What is your role in knowledge management? ! What knowledge-related challenges are you facing today? ! How does important knowledge get shared in your organization? ! Can you name factors that enable/block innovation and organizational learning in your work context? A brief history of KM? ! Top-down / imposed ! Rigid / bureaucratic ! Slow deployments ! Expensive ! Unpopular: empty libraries, info-junkyards, low adoption rates ! Problems measuring success ! The result: traditional KM is not the answer

May 1, 2003

At Copper Refineries Pty. Ltd., Townsville, two reverberatory furnaces of 420 tonnes capacity are used to melt 210000 tonnes/year of copper for subsequent anode casting. When the refinery commenced production in1959, these furnaces were of 300 tonnes capacity. The original furnaces featured a silica brick hearth, magnesite and chrome magnesite side 'walls, and a sprung silica brick roof, but were unsatisfactory because of thelow refractory life and high costs. With continuous expansion in production and the incentive to increase furnace life and capacity the design of these furnaces has changed greatly since that time.The present furnaces feature all basic brick, a flat suspended basic brick roof, very extensive use of watercooled copper sections, and are of substantially increased (420 tonnes) capacity. Particular attention has been concentrated on high wear areas such as the taphole, side walls, and charging door jambs. Each furnace in its 24 h cycle, is charged, the copper melted, impurities skimmed off, metal "poled" prior to casting, and cast.The service condition during each of these operations is important in considering furnace refractory life.The improvements in operating practices and furnace 'construction which enabled the capacity of the furnaces to be increased are discussed. The life between major repairs to side walls has increased from 90 charges to300 charges.The scope for future improvement is considered and areas for development are suggested.

Jan 1, 1977

By Jeffrey D. Thatcher, Debra W. Struhsacker

With the burgeoning development of precious metals heap leach mining projects throughout the country regulatory agencies are beginning to take a closer look at the short-and long-term environmental consequences of heap leach mining. This increase in regulatory review is occurring on federal, state and local levels, and is affecting both large- and small-scale mining developments. Small-scale mining developments are receiving especially critical regulatory scrutiny because in the eyes of some regulatory agencies, small developers lack the credibility automatically accorded to major mining companies. This is due in part to a bad image of small miners based upon past environmental problems and permit violations caused by a few, small operators. The proponent of a small mining development thus faces special problems during the project permitting process, and must convince the regulatory authorities of his company's ability and commitment to plan, develop, and decommission a mining operation in compliance with environmental regulations. Not only must the small developer have a thorough understanding of the regulatory requirements affecting his project, he must also devote considerable effort to careful internal planning in order to produce a well organized approach to project permitting. The importance of proper planning cannot be overstated. Project planning is key to convincing the regulatory agencies that the small miner is capable of developing a viable project. More- over, the economics of a small mining project demand permit acquisition at modest cost and in a timely fashion. A well planned permitting effort will thus ensure that permits are received within budget and on schedule. This paper will review the federal, state, and local permitting requirements for heap leach projects, and the variability of these requirements from state to state. The environmental assessment process for projects developed on public lands, and the acquisition of zero- discharge water quality permits, air quality permits, and local special use permits as they apply to small mining developments will be discussed. The paper will conclude with a review of project decommissioning and cyanide neutralization requirements and their implications for small-scale heap leach projects.

Jan 1, 1987

By M. Nduna

Surface properties of metal sulphides have a great significance in various areas of engineering and science, such as acid mine drainage, contaminant sorption, and metal separation. In various attempts at producing metal sulphide particles from synthetic solutions, prodigious quantities of nuclei that grow only to colloidal dimensions have been frequently reported. This copious nucleation is promoted by the high levels of supersaturation that characterize most precipitation reactions. Colloidal particle formation in precipi¬tation-based separation processes results in sub-optimal solid-liquid separation, which is alleviated by the production of more highly crystalline particles or agglomerates. The current work approaches this challenge from an electrochemistry perspective, by measuring surface charge potential of precipitant particles during metal sulphide precipitation with respect to the concentration of metal sulphide lattice ions in solution. Electrophoresis was used to measure the metal sulphide particle zeta potential and the settling properties were obtained by performing settleability measurements using an Imhoff settling cone. A suspension of copper sulphide particles was precipitated from synthetic solutions of copper and sulphide ions at equimolar concentrations. Immediately after precipitation the copper sulphide particles had a zeta potential of -50 mV and a settleability of about 7 ml.l-1. With the addition of copper ions the settleability increased by a factor of nearly three times and the zeta potential also increased to a maximum of -40 mV. A decrease in zeta potential to a minimum of -60 mV was observed after the addition of sulphide ions and this was associated with a settleability of 0 ml.l-1.

Jan 1, 2013

In eastern China, most of the copper skarn deposits occur in folded troughs which are controlled by the EW-trending faulted fold systems (the Pal-Asian geotectonic domain), and the NNE-trending rift or fault zones (the Marginal-Pacific geotectonic domain), particularly the later. From the north to the south, there are four troughs hosting the main copper skarn deposits in eastern China: the Yanliao Trough, the Yangzi River Trough, The Qiantang-Yuanshui Trough and the Zichen Trough. There are more than 30 copper skarn deposits in eastern China, and ore reserves of each deposit are between 30 to 100 Mt with average grades over 1% Cu.    Most of the large copper skarn deposit-related intrusions are Mesozoic in age (170 to 100 Ma) and were emplaced during the Yanshanian Movement. Outwards from the intrusion bodies, both the skarn alteration and mineralisation show certain patterns of zonation. Mineral assemblages indicate a relatively high oxidisation state during metasomatic alteration and mineralisation. Sulphur isotopic work indicates that most d34S values of the sulphides are between ~4 to 3ë suggesting a common magmatic sulphur source. Fluid inclusion and oxygen isotopic studies suggest that early-stage fluid shows magma-related fluid characteristics although meteoric water was involved during late-stage alteration.

Jan 1, 1995

By S Jackson, I Arbuthnot

The use of High Rate Thickeners has gained wide acceptance in the mineral treatment industries. The design of these units is characterized by an efficient deaeration and flocculation chamber, and introduction of the flocculated feed solids into a preformed floc bed zone. By these means the settling process is accelerated and consequently High Rate Thickeners achieve a significantly higher throughput per unit area than conventional thickeners.   The object of a control system on a High Rate Thickener (HRT), as on a conventional thickener, is to obtain the required underflow density and overflow clarity at all feed conditions. The feed conditions which may vary include volumetric and mass feed rate, pulp density, particle size and particle type. A conventional thickener has a large volume and cross sectional area, and changes in performance occur slowly û the operator has time to observe and react to these changes to maintain control. On a HRT, there is a much reduced residence time and therefore control parameters need to be reset more frequently. Although manual control is possible, the use of automatic control systems is therefore desirable to avoid excessive operator attention, while optimizing control of density and clarity. Automatic control of a conventional thickener is usually achieved by an underflow density loop which regulates the rate of withdrawal of underflow. A turbidity meter is sometimes used to measure overflow clarity and regulate the addition of a coagulant or polymer flocculant. These measures are not adequate on a HRT, because they would not give optimum control and could lead to excessive flocculant use. To achieve optimum operation in a HRT, the floc bed level should be maintained above the feed inlet point in the thickener. This bed level has become the key variable around which most control systems have been designed. However, a number of problems have occurred which has resulted in poor control, or only partial control of thickener performance. We will describe some of these problems, and a solution which is simple and effective.

Jan 1, 1990