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By Yves Breau, François Robichaud, Jacques McMullen, Pierre Pelletie

"The Expert System implemented at the East-Malartic mill controls a copper flotation circuit while taking into account the profitability of the operation. Treating a copper gold ore, the flow sheet integrates a flotation step followed by cyanide leach circuit. The Expert System calculates the actual net smelter revenue of the flotation circuit, accounts for the operating cost of the cyanidation circuit and defines optimal metallurgical operating targets to optimize the overall economics. To be realistic, probability factors and circuit diagnostic analysis are integrated in the operating target selection. The Expert System has proved to be successful, robust and flexible. It resulted in a copper concentrate grade increase of 1% while maintaining recovery. The use of the expert system also gives plant personnel good training procedures and promotes interaction with mill operator.INTRODUCTIONThe East-Malartic mill is located close to the town of Malartic in North Western Quebec, Canada. The mill was first commissioned in 1938. The flowsheet at that time was a straight cyanidation circuit. The original mill operated in that mode up to the discovery of the Bousquet 2 orebody in 1989 which consisted of a massive copper sulphide ore averaging 0.7% copper and 7 g/mt of gold. Bousquet 2 ore processing required a mill retrofit. Grinding capacity, gravity and copper flotation circuits were inserted prior to the cyanidation circuit in order to achieve 3,200 mtpd capacity at expected recoveries.In 1993, control of the flotation circuit was deemed critical in order to maintain the flotation performance and to reduce cyanide consumption since the copper sulphide contained in the Bousquet 2 ore is a high cyanide consumer (50% bornite). (McMullen, 1999) As a result, the implementation of advanced control strategies in order to increase the metallurgical profitability of the plant and to reduce the operating variability between operators was the most rational alternative. In 1994, Corem was chosen to perform the plant audit and to write the first set of rules. The on-line control strategy was started up in 1995. In 1996 and 1997 the Expert System was shutdown because of an extreme change in the ore coming from the milling of Bousquet #1 ore and the departure of the projects engineer. In 1998, the system was restarted and the results were impressive. Furthermore in May of 2001 a patent was issued for the control strategy. (Breau, 2001)"

Jan 1, 2002

By R. Knapp, R. Firlotte

"Les Terrains Auriferes (LIA) Property, formerly the Malartic Goldfield (Goldfield) mine, ceased its remaining milling operations in the fall of 1994. During the early years of mining, the mill processed a non-sulfide ore with substantial carbonate mineralization.In 1977 after an extended shutdown period, ore from a nearby property, Bousquet, was processed at the mill. That ore contained larger quantities of sulfides, and unlike the old tailings, had acid generating potential.Upon closure of the L TA mill, the closure options considered for the L TA site were to cover with:1. a thin cover of 0.5 metres of borrow material (sand and gravel) to achieve basic erosion protection/stabilization; collect acidic seepage and treat with lime.2. a 2 metres of non-acid producing tailings; final surface to be vegetated.3. an engineered oxygen barrier consisting of a multi-layer cover; final surface to be vegetated.The paper presents the technological and economical methodologies that were used to select the closure alternative, describe the associated construction challenges that were faced with the implementation of the multi-layer cover concept and presents preliminary results on the cover's performance.In addition to being the first full scale demonstration of this type of multi-layer engineered oxygen barrier cover technology, this project had the advantage of using non acid producing mine tailings as part of the reclamation solution."

Jan 1, 1997

By S. Y. Ezz, K. El•Guindi

A vertical tube, 8 m long and 2.5 cm in diameter, electrically heated to 650°C throughout the majority of its height, was used to study the-effect of ore feed rate and hydrogen flow rate on the reduction of fine iron ore particles. A correlation could be obtained between the combined effect of the amount of reducing gas and reduction time and the per-cent reduction. The results suggest that a method based on the reduction of fine iron ores while falling through up-streaming hydrogen cannot be recommended for industrial application.

Jan 1, 1969

By Joel T. Werner

Tire costs represent one of the highest controllable costs in open-pit mining, accounting for approximately 10% of mining costs. Tire monitoring technology has evolved rapidly in recent years and is emerging as a viable tool for extending tire life and reducing costs. The majority of the major tire manufacturers and several independent companies are in various stages of developing monitoring systems that capture and store vital tire data. Previously this information had only been accessible when the vehicle passed a fixed point in the mine, or when mine personnel manually downloaded the data. Integrating this technology with a mine management system enables remote collection and management of trend and alarm data. Mine personnel can now monitor a tire?s health parameters at any time, anywhere on site, regardless of the vehicle?s location. Anomalous tire conditions can be detected early and corrective actions taken. This information can then be integrated with other major onboard systems, operating conditions, and geographical information. Tire monitoring no longer exists as a stand-alone technology, but has evolved into an important integrated tool for mine operators. This paper will review the current status and benefits of integrating this emerging technology with a real-time mine management system.

May 1, 2002

By A. Taylor, M. Blanchette, J. Doucet

"A Z1600 Jameson Cell Test Rig was rented for test work at Vale’s Clarabelle Mill operation. This paper discusses the evolution of renting the unit for test purposes to owning the unit and operating it as a revenue generating process component. The paper focuses on three aspects of the Z1600 project; the initial rental and installation, the test work performed in the cleaning circuit, and the business factors which led to the unit being permanently incorporated into the copper circuit.INTRODUCTION Clarabelle Mill is located in Sudbury Ontario (approximately 350 km north of Toronto) on the southwest rim of the Sudbury basin a meteoric impact crater that is 62 km long and 30 km wide. The result of the meteoric impact was concentrated nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and platinum group metal (PGM) ore bodies in the outer perimeter of the basin; described in more detail by Hanley (1957). Vale currently has seven operating mines in the Sudbury basin, from which nine distinct ore types are mined. Ores are also received from two QuadraFNX mines. Clarabelle Mill processes all of these ores for the Ontario Operations of Vale. The mill, commissioned in 1971, was originally built as one of four mills operated by then Inco Limited. Between the late 70’s and the early 90’s process changes were made to consolidate the Sudbury Operations milling processes into a single operating mill, Clarabelle Mill. In 1990, the SAG mill was installed resulting in peak mill throughput of 11.9 million short tons per annum (Mstpa), with typical throughputs of ~10 Mstpa. Mill average feed grades were 1.4% Cu and 1.2% Ni. During the resources boom, plans were developed to increase the mill capacity at Clarabelle Mill in stages to a final capacity of 13.5 Mstpa. The project known as the Clarabelle Mill Expansion and Recovery Project (CMERP) included expansion and reconfiguration of the grinding and flotation circuits. The first stage was a planned increase in grinding capacity with the reallocation of existing mills, the existing flotation capacity would be required to treat higher throughput until the new flotation circuit was constructed."

Jan 1, 2012

By R. I. Cavanagh, A J. Last

THE USE of higher grade charges in blast furnaces in the form of sintered or pelletized concentrates has been increasing rapidly. The question of beneficiation of iron ores for this purpose is therefore receiving much attention as more deposits are developed. Many iron ores may respond well to magnetic roasting procedures followed by magnetic concentration, however, in most cases other more standard ore dressing methods are competitive and cheaper. For magnetic roasting as applied to iron ore beneficiation, the present question is "Can it be economically justified in situations where it appears to produce good results?" The following collection of information on the general status and operations of magnetic roasting methods may be helpful in considering this question. Magnetic Roasting Magnetic roasting involves the transformation of non-magnetic iron oxides, hydrated oxides and carbonates by means of heat and suitable

Jan 1, 1961

By Bill Almdal

Today?s presentation ? Role of the Regional Issues Working Group ? What does RIWG do? ? How can RIWG?s work benefit Stakeholders? ? Review of forecasts vs. reality ? How have past investment compared to the reality? ? Risks to future growth ? The growth potential is very high and so are the risks ? Examples of outputs ? Housing needs ? Growth in population ? Tires for large trucks The Regional Issues Working Group ? Our vision ? To provide a proactive process which promotes the responsible, sustainable development of resources within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo for the benefit of all stakeholders ? What we do ? Facilitate planning for growth ? Facilitate effective and efficient resolution of issues ? Involve all of the resource developers and affected stakeholders in planning ? Develop plans for sharing benefits with Aboriginal stakeholders ? Benefits for Stakeholders ? Our forecasts include up-to-date information from all developers ? including information on employment and housing needs ? Our forecasts are the basis of planning for many stakeholders ? and can assist in their development planning

May 1, 2002

By Valérie Tremblay

Plan de la presentation ?Laboratoire d?analyse des fluids ?Gestion des contaminants ?Condition Monitoring Avantages reliés aux analyses ?En savoir plus!! ?pour minimiser les coûts d?opération; ?pour prévenir les défaillances catastrophiques; ?pour maximiser le rendement des équipements; ?pour maximiser la longévitédes équipements; ?pour permettre des périodes d?entretien planifié.

Feb 1, 2008

By Rees J. Llewellyn

High chromium white irons can be formulated to provide required combinations of abrasion and erosion wear resistance, toughness and capability to withstand corrosion attack. As a consequence, they are used widely in casting form throughout the mining/mineral processing industry, particularly as components for slurry pumps and also as mill and crusher liners, laminated wear plates in chutes and hoppers and in valves, nozzles and cyclones. Traditional cast chromium molybdenum and high chromium white irons for wear applications are covered in ASTM A532 Classes 11 and 111 and are also available as comparable proprietary alloys. They rely on heat-treated, hypoeutectic microstructures containing a high volume fraction of very hard eutectic/secondary metal carbides and martensite to provide extremely high wear resistance. The ability to increase the carbide volume fraction and hence achieve higher wear resistance, has been limited because of severe casting difficulties encountered when carbon and chromium contents are raised and hypereutectic alloys with structures also containing coarse acicular primary metal carbides are produced. The limitation has been overcome and cast hypereutectic chromium white iron pump components have established themselves in a wide variety of mineral processing service applications. Comparisons will be made between the microstructures and wear test performance data for the various alloy types and details will be provided of the service performance improvements that have been achieved through the use of hypereutectic chromium white irons.

May 1, 2004

By John Dasher

The analyses reported on in this paper indicate that there are hydrometallurgical routes from sulphide concentrates to copper that are potentially competitive with smelters which are not permitted to emit sulphur oxides. The various hydrometallurgical processes, and their economics, are discussed.

Jan 1, 1973

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

By Frank B. Amon

Highland Valley Copper had to make some significant changes in the way it was working in order to counter the effects of ever-increasing costs and decreasing metal prices. A mine/mill optimization plan started in 1997 introduced new technologies and management approaches that resulted in a dramatic drop in cash breakeven costs. The changes involved employee training, added authority and responsibility for staff, better communications, and a consistent approach to setting and achieving property-wide goals. The net effect was to change the culture of the organization from one that was fragmented and focussed on local objectives to one that is cohesive and has common goals. These changes have allowed the mine to remain in business during a protracted period of low metal prices, and have positioned the mine favourably to benefit even more from any future increase in prices.

May 1, 2004

By M. Beth McClenaghan

This paper summarizes diamond exploration techniques used in glaciated terrain, focusing on indicator mineral and geochemical methods applied to glacial sediments. Understanding the ice flow history, depositional history, and stratigraphy of glacial sediments are essential to successful sampling, interpretation and follow-up of indicator mineral and geochemical anomalies related to kimberlites. Kimberlite indicator minerals survive glacial transport over long distances and the relative abundance of each mineral in till is a function of the primary mineralogy of individual kimberlites. Indicator mineral distributions observed at a regional scale define the net effect of glacial dispersal, often along different ice flow directions. Local-scale distributions define individual dispersal trains. The medium sand (0.25 to 0.5 mm) fraction of heavy mineral concentrates prepared from glacial sediment samples is best suited for indicator mineral surveys. The application of till geochemistry to diamond exploration is increasing because it is significantly cheaper than indicator mineral analysis and it can be performed quickly. The <0.063 mm (silt+clay) and 0.5 to 2.0 mm (coarse sand) fractions provide the best geochemical contrast between background and kimberlite-rich till. Kimberlite pathfinder elements that provide good contrast include Ni, Cr, Ba, Co, Sr, Rb, Nb, Mg, Ta, Ca, Fe, K, Ti and REE, the relative importance of which will depend on kimberlite composition as well as that of the surrounding bedrock.

May 1, 2002

"In mining operations, it is widely accepted that strategies to drive operational goals must revolve around improving plant availability, reliability and process efficiency. In this paper, an integrated solution framework for reducing process variability, increasing process efficiencies and maximizing plant availability and reliability is discussed within the context of a typical milling circuit. The framework exploits a real-time analysis “gap” evident in production operations that prevents timeous identification of equipment and process failures. This is achieved by leveraging predictive analytics for equipment health monitoring, control loop monitoring and advanced regulatory control solutions towards enhanced process performance, improved asset management and regulatory compliance. The framework provides for early and actionable warnings on equipment and process degradation using real-time operational data.INTRODUCTION The changing landscape of gold mining and processing presents many challenges that threaten sustainability of existing (marginal) operations as well as deter investment in new projects. As existing “shallow” ore resources become depleted, mining operations are increasingly treating low-grade ores with complex and randomly variable mineralogical characteristics. For example, in South Africa, historically one of the major gold producers, the average grade of ore treated has been decreasing from averages above 4.5 – 5 g/t to current grades averaging less than 3 g/t within a decade (Chamber of Mines, 2012). Moreover, lower tonnages are being treated as a result of the narrowing of the available resource base. Also, the regulatory framework has tightened over the years due to heightened concerns on the safety, health and environmental impacts of mining and related activities."

Jan 1, 2014

By S. Bellec, A. Berton

"Usually, steady state mass balances are used for the design of mineral processing plants. However, this tool does not take into account the impact of process inputs variability nor does it evaluate process transient behaviours between stationary states, such as mill start-up and shutdown. The use of advanced simulations enables the integration of dynamic behaviours in process design decision-making by highlighting situations that are undetectable by using only steady state mass balances. Applying these simulation tools to brown field projects allows the simulator performances to be calibrated and validated on actual plant data before it is used as a prediction tool for the modified plant.Three (3) simulators were implemented at the design stage of a major upgrade project for an ore processing plant in order to assess process behaviours under different production scenarios. These simulators were built to evaluate the impacts on major elements such as mine production, ore stockpile, concentrator production as well as water demand. A validation of individual equipment models was performed whenever sufficient measured data was available. The simulators were then used to study the impact of ore variability (grade, hardness, throughput), to assess day-to-day production special events, and to evaluate the true stockpiles live capacity.The use of a stochastic simulator for equipment sizing allowed a more precise sizing of many pieces of equipment and avoided important expenses in the fresh water pumping system. The dynamic simulator also confirmed that the water in place system would suffice, even in the most demanding production scenario. Finally, the stockpile simulator allowed an important production bottleneck to be quantified and then made possible the assessment of various practical solutions for the stockpiling-reclaiming issues.Post start-up, process data underlines the fact that using advanced simulation tools was useful to mitigate process-related risks associated to the plant expansion, showing generally accurate prediction and adequate equipment sizing, leading to smooth process commissioning. The presented methods are part of what is now routine in Soutex’s participation in both greenfield and brownfield projects."

Jan 1, 2015

By Sanjiv Dhanjal

"Often mineralogy dictates the physical properties of a material rather than chemistry. This in turn affects how that material behaves in a process plant, and whether optimum conditions for refining one mineral are different to those for refining another. For example how does refining copper from chalcopyrite differ to refining copper from bornite?Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic solids that have a definite chemical composition and an ordered atomic (crystalline) structure. X-ray diffraction is a common and highly developed method to identify and quantify minerals. X-rays are fired onto a material and the mineral is identified by the angles where the diffracted X-rays are in phase.Most X-ray analyzers are laboratory based. A sample is prepared and analyzed by a detector that travels in an arc to collect the diffraction pattern. COSMA has a curved detector which picks up the complete x-ray pattern instantaneously. Therefore, material is collected and transported through the machine where is it is analyzed continuously.COSMA measures about 0.5 tons of material per day, while laboratory analyzers measure a few grams at a time. Real time data trends are produced allowing for improved process evaluation and automatic control. The COSMA on-line system has taken X-ray diffraction out of the laboratory into the field.There are a number of systems in operation in cement production. It is recognized that on-line mineral analysis has a role in many other processes. This paper presents the technology and invites further discussion should the technology be beneficial to members of the audience.INTRODUCTIONThis article describes COSMA, a system that provides direct and continuous on-line mineral analysis using X-ray diffraction in the field. While X-ray diffraction is a common technique used in mineral analysis, the time from sampling to analysis can be hours and plant operators typically do not get the data in time to control a process or respond to an upset. COSMA provides rapid measurement, analysis and feedback of data, in real time. This provides powerful information that can be used to optimize operation, thereby reducing costs and increasing quality."

Jan 1, 2009

By H. Powell

"This paper discusses how elemental analysis of conveyed bulk flows in real time using PGNAA (Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis) technology has resulted in significant improvements in advancing plant control in mineral processing operations. PGNAA through belt, full stream, continuous, multi-elemental, real time analysis technology is explained. Capabilities and limitations in plant operating environments are discussed including comparison with other real time, on-line technologies through review of published information available for on-conveyor minerals applications. Case studies include an iron ore and copper-gold company, both of which consider the technology an essential component in advanced plant control necessary in new process flow sheet designs, rather than an optimisation tool.INTRODUCTION Process operators rely on supply of a reasonable ore quality and consistency from the mine. Unfortunately neither the mining nor process operators have much control over the ore quality once it has been put into the crusher. Grade control typically stops once the material is designated as ore and the process plant operator needs to process it irrespective of quality. Plant control is most effective when technologies measure process streams directly and preferably in real time. Measuring sampling streams that are not representative of the primary flow will result in incorrect plant control decisions. Sampling coarse conveyed flows is expensive and impractical at many operations, however, this does not mean those flows cannot be measured. Investigations to find techniques suitable for real time elemental analysis have focussed on the application of known laboratory techniques to process streams. For conveyed applications, development of neutron irradiation techniques were most promising and early studies indicated potential success for bauxite measurement (Beurton et al, 1995). Tran & Evans (2001) concluded there was no equivalent technology to PGNAA in terms of material penetration power and that the technology was eminently suitable for basic industries such as cement. Nelson and Riddle (2003) evaluated PGNAA for possible use in the phosphate industry by using a unit installed in a cement plant to test performance on phosphate samples and ultimately recommended its use for further characterisation of the mine’s various ore types to improve stockpile allocation and grade control"

Jan 1, 2014

By W. A. Lang

Introduction That the coal industry has entered a new phase in its development is now evident. Coal, besides being the chief source of heat and power, has become a potential raw material for many industries. Rapid progress has been made in the methods used in the mining and preparation of coal, and in the equipment for the burning of coal. Data of a fundamental nature relating to the composition of coal and to its transformations? during combustion and processing have also been revealed. Research, the key which has opened this new era, has already accomplished much, but it has only begun to show what it may and should be able to do. New developments of coal burning equipment, super-power plants, carbonizing and briquetting plants, hydrogenation and synthetic chemical processes, will undoubtedly have a marked influence in the post-war years on the economic welfare of many coal producing countries. Until comparatively recently, however, there has been in many branches of the coal industry a tendency to regard research as something abstruse and something which had little or no value to those managing such branches. But the fact that coal has suffered as a source of heat and energy through inroads of oil, natural gas, and water power, has made it plain to the industry that, if it is to maintain its present markets in this competitive world, much less increase them, the whole industry must be willing to follow the example of other industries and plan for the future.

Jan 1, 1946

By J. A. Meech, G. R. Baiden

"A dynamic simulation of a mine-mill complex has been conducted using networked microcomputers (IBM PC/AT and IBM PC/XT). These models allow simultaneous operation of an open pit using shovels and trucks, a primary crusher, and a secondary crushing plant. Each process transmits information via the network, linking all operations together. The effects of blasting, ore quality, equipment utilization and configuration on productivity can be studied either interactively or from a report listing at the end of each shift. Programs are menu driven leading the user through the decisions required in day to day operations. The mine-mill simulator is currently being used as a teaching tool at Queen's University to provide senior mining and mineral processing engineering students with an experience and appreciation for the operating problems across the mine-mill interface. The need for coordination and close communication between the mine and mill can be aptly demonstrated using these models. The simulator could be used to contribute to the training of operating personnel in a real mining operation. INTRODUCTIONThis paper describes a computer simulator that is capable of showing the interactions and operating strategies between a mine and a secondary crushing plant. The simulator uses two models developed at Queen's University; one for open pit mining and the second for secondary crushing. PITSIM is a dynamic shovel/truck haulage model origin2lly developed by P.D.D. Chick (1) and K.G. Fytas (2) to solve shovel/truck scheduling problems. CRUSHSOFT is a dynamic secondary crushing plant model developed by R.J. Tucker (3) and C.A. Harris (4) to study alternative operating and control strategies in a crushing plant."

Jan 1, 1987

By V. A. Ettel

Current practices in electrolytic winning and refining of copper , nickel and zinc are reviewed from the point of view of their respective energy requirements. The electrical energy requirements of these processes are broken down in to the individual components, which belong to two basic categories: (a) thermodynamic energy requirements (G of the desired reaction) : (b) energy losses (anode and cathode polarizations, ohmic drops in the electrolyte and in the cell hardware, energy losses due to unwanted side reactions and electrical shorts). The individual energy components are separately examined for each electrolytic process and the potential for energy saving in these processes is discussed. It is shown that many potential energy-saving measures are uneconomical at the present time, as they increase over-all operating costs. The discussion is focused on those approaches which hold most promise for the future.

Jan 1, 1977