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By D. G. Minnes

Many non-metallic minerals and structural materials are produced in Ontario to serve the needs of domestic manufacturers and export markets. In 1982 production was estimated to have a value of $765 million. Approximately 81 per cent of this was represented by structural materials, nearly 12.8 per cent by salt, and the remainder was other industrial minerals. Total mineral production in Ontario in 1982 was estimated at $3 .16 billion, down nearly $1.5 billion from 1980's high of $4.58 billion.

Jan 1, 1984

Flotation works very well for particles that are typically in the range 20 to 150 µmin diameter, for base metal ores. In this range, it is possible to get quite high recoveries in conventional flotation machines. Outside this range, the recoveries decline progressively, whether it be with the very fine or the coarse end of the size spectrum. In this paper, the reasons for the drop-off in recovery are briefly reviewed, together with strategies for future work. Recent progress in the author's laboratory will be described. These include the Concorde Cell, which takes advantage of the high dissipation rates in the shock wave created when a gas-liquid mixture reaches supersonic velocities. The environment thus created is very beneficial for the flotation of ultrafines. For coarse particles, the reasons for the drop-off in recovery can be related to the highly turbulent nature of the pulp in a conventional flotation cell. To improve recovery, it is necessary to find a way of bringing particles and bubbles into contact in a quiescent environment. A new process for coarse particle flotation will be described, in which a fluidized bed is created in the flotation cell. The flow conditions are very gentle, and the high solids concentration leads to rapid rates of capture of the particles. Experimental results are presented. It is apparent that the maximum floatable size for coal and minerals can be increased by a factor often over the limits found in current practice. Advances

Jan 1, 2009

By P. West-Sells, B. Wassink, N. Fisher

Gold leaching from a commercial cyanide-amenable gold ore was studied at 25°C using sodium bisulfide-hydrogen sulfide solutions containing elemental sulfur. Gold extraction from the ore using 0.55 M NaSH, 4.1 atm (60 PSI) H2S, 1 g/L S8 and 26% solids by weight was about as good as the best extraction obtained by cyanidation. Maximum extraction was achieved in roughly 48 hours. Sulfur dissolves in the bisulfide solutions to form a mixture of polysulfides. Simple speciation calculations indicate that gold solubility as bisulfide complexes should be roughly ten times higher than in the absence of added zerovalent sulfur. The principal bisulfide complex is believed to be [Au(HS)2]-. Gold dissolution is favoured by increasing HS- concentration and by increasing H25 pressure. Polysulfide complexes of gold are also likely to be formed, and may contribute substantially to gold leaching. Two experiments using pure gold were also performed. Up to 100 mg/L gold was dissolved in 140 hours using 0.55 M NaSH, 1 g/L added elemental sulfur and 6.2 atm H2S.

Jan 1, 2005

By H. H. Gardner

INTRODUCTION THE problem of mechanization is one of the most vital in the minds of Alberta coal operators today. In these times of constantly increasing operating costs, any way of decreasing the cost of a ton of coal must be explored to the limit. There seems no better field for such effort than the successful application of power to the mining and loading of coal. We are fortunate in having neighbours to the south who have made .remarkable progress in recent times along these lines. Higher tonnages per man have resulted in higher wages to the employee and lower cost to the employer. It might seem that our problems could be solved merely by imitating our neighbours. Unfortunately, neither practice nor experience substantiate this conclusion. It is with the purpose of reviewing our accomplishments, as compared with practice in the United States, and at the request of the Prgoramme Committee for this meeting, that this paper is written. The Committee believes that such a general discussion and comparison may well lead to further advances in our mining methods. SUMMARY OF PRACTICE IN THE UNITED STATES A visit to the highly mechanized coal mines of the United States is always most instructive and encouraging.

Jan 1, 1951

By B. Westin, G. Voicu, C. Daoust

Orogenic gold deposits represent a major class of deposits that are found in various rock types of various ages. Those deposits show a strong structural control that usually complicates their interpretation at the regional and deposit scales. The Rosebel Gold district located in Surinam (South America) is hosted in a Paleoproterozoic greenstone belt of the Guiana Shield, and has been recently classified as one of those orogenic gold deposits. The gold district comprises eight distinct deposits located along three different structural trends and within different rock types. The mineralization is undefonned and shows a strong structural control characteristic of orogenic gold deposits. All the deposits of the Rosebel Gold district have been subject to a detailed structural analysis that has led to the elaboration of a new structural model for the whole gold district, which is now differing considerably from the previous models. This characterization had direct implications at three different scales. 1- While the older models were considering some areas of the property as gold-barren, the new structural model has led to recent exploration campaigns which have revealed positive results. 2- At the deposit scale, the comprehension of the various vein systems and of the folding of the host rocks has helped the establishment of optimized drilling campaigns. 3- At the mining scale, the comprehension of the architecture of the veins helps for the elaboration of optimized mining method. This study thus shows that the structural analysis of orogenic gold deposits is critical, and should be a priority for exploration and production in any mine.

Jan 1, 2011

By E. Henderson, L. K. Daneshmend

Drawpoint control is critical in determining the cutoff point for load-haul-dump mucking operations to minimize dilution. It is also necessary to ensure even mucking distribution and to prevent possible hang-up of material within a stope. A prototype production monitoring and reporting system has been developed for load-haul-dump operations in under-ground mines. The system generates accurate and timely information regarding mucked tonnages and drawpoint and ore/waste pass utilization. The monitoring system integrates a PLC-based load weighing system with a radio frequency identification (RFID) system for locating the vehicle. The system records the identification and time of entry and exit of each draw-point and ore/waste pass visited during a shift, as well as the weight of each bucket load. A trial of the system was conducted at the CAN-MET Experimental Mine near Val d’Or, Quebec. The monitoring and reporting system functioned as designed, with the exception that the maximum read range of the RFID tags under dynamic conditions was found to be a limitation. RFID systems with greater range capabilities have been identified for a second generation system. The system is the first of its type in North America to demonstrate that RFID tagscan be successfully applied to locate trackless underground equipment. Because of their ability to locate equipment and personnel within underground mines, RFID systems should be considered a key technology for future mine information and process control systems.

Jan 1, 1996

By J. L. Huisman

Bio(hydro)metallurgy is the latest development in the ongoing search for efficient and economic metal winning processes. In addition to bioleaching, other biotechnology-based applications are becoming more and more accepted. In this paper the THIOMET process for general effluent treatment is described. With this process, it is possible to produce sulfide on-site and on-demand and to use the sulfide to precipitate metals, even selectively when required. The process is ideally suited as a treatment to remove metals after, for example, an acid regeneration process. Another process is proposed that deals with stainless steel pickling bleeds. Such effluents typically contain nitrate, iron, nickel, chromium(VI) and other species. This one process handles these compounds, as well as other metals.

Jan 1, 2006

By A. O. Dufresne

The mineral wealth of pre-Cambrian rocks in Canada has been the subject of much study by geologists and engineers (members of this Institute), particularly so in the past few years, following discoveries of mineral deposits in areas far a part. This interest is well worth sustaining knowing the numerous rich producing mines within the pre-Cambrian formations, and the vast area covered by its rocks throughout this country. The pre-Cambrian has yielded minerals, both metallic and non-metallic; of these a much diversified list could be made. In more than one district we can point to mining as being responsible for the opening up of new sections, attracting a population into regions which otherwise would have remained virgin land of little commercial value. In these pre-Cambrian formations are found the rich copper deposits of Michigan, producing without interruption since 1845, and from which seven billion pounds of copper has been won; while in Minnesota and the adjoining district, at the head of Lake Superior, are mined iron ores which have rendered possible the great steel manufacturing industry of United States, the base of the economic structure of that wealthy country. The pre-Cambrian has given Canada the nickel-copper mines of the Sudbury district, the silver deposits of Cobalt and the gold camps of Porcupine and Kirkland Lake. With all of these our members are familiar; and it suffices to mention them to bring to mind pictures of the wealth and 'the growing population, in a word the importance of mining in?those sections of the country.

Jan 1, 1926

By D. J. Hains

IN this paper we shall examine the Why, Where and How concerning the agglomeration of iron ores and concentrates. Fig. l answers the questions @f why there is so much interest at the present time in the art of agglomeration. The use of sinter or pellets in the blast furnace has materially increased their rated •capacity. ':'President Hains Company Ltd. Engineering J. S. McMahon ( 1) reports an increase from 653 tons of .pig iron per day to 1140 tons of pig iron per day with the use of a 100 per cent sinter burden on one of his blast furnaces. In the United States the use of 100 per cent pellets has increased pig iron production from approximately 1800 tons per day to over 3000 tons pig iron per day (2). In our economic system the general objective is to produce more and better commodities cheaper. Fig. 2 shows the decrease in coke consumption with increased tonnages from the furnaces when using -

Jan 1, 1961

By S. Shairp

The first commercial application of the Dynatec two-stage zinc pressure leach process commenced operation at the metallurgical complex of Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co., Limited in Flin Flon, Manitoba in 1993. A key feature of the successful leaching operation is the presence of iron in solution, which facilitates oxygen transfer in the autoclaves and enables rapid oxidation of zinc sulphide minerals. At the same time, the solution from which zinc is recovered must be essentially iron free. Precipitation of iron from the solution starts in the autoclaves and is completed in subsequent atmospheric purification steps. Conveniently, these iron precipitation steps also remove nuisance elements such as arsenic and fluoride from the solution, while producing solids with good liquid-solid separation characteristics. This paper provides an overview of the current operations in Flin Flon, with particular reference to the behaviour and deportment of iron throughout the zinc plant.

Jan 1, 2006

By M. F. Almeida

"Due to the randomness of all factors influencing the sintering operation, a two-stepped procedure is proposed to find the best way of using stocked fines at a plant producing Fe-Mn alloys for the steelmaking industry. The approach is based on the following: (1) predict the result of the sintering operation by establishing the best multilinear regression model using some of the characteristics of the loaded material; and (2) find the best solution under a minimizing cost criteria by solving a linear optimization problem using the regression equation plus constraints on the feed and product. IntroductionSome tests carried out using 20% to 30% of sinter in the material loaded into a 60 000 KVA Tysland-Hole electric furnace producing Fe-Mn alloys for the steelmaking industry indicated: (1) a meaningful decrease in the off-gas temperature and, consequently, a better energy use due to the material higher porosity; (2) more uniform heat distribution as a consequence of the electrode reaction zone enlargement; (3) an improved furnace control resulting in a smoother operation; and (4) a decrease in gas production facilitating the off-gas treatment. For some years, this plant used only the coarse fraction of the Mn ores, thus stocking all the received and own-generated fine particles. In view of the mentioned results, a strategy for increasing the use of stocked fines was formulated, including a step where it was necessary to decide which components and respective quantities should be used in the blends to be sintered (Almeida, 1984).It is well known that several factors affect productivity and energy consumption in sinter production, also influencing the product quality. Raw materials characteristics, namely chemical and size composition, affect permeability to gases and may or may not allow a deeper bed. In general, finer ores decrease permeability, increasing electricity consumption by fans, but due to their higher specific surface area, react more completely with other components in the mixture. For coke granulometry, a compromise must be obtained in order not to burn it too quickly nor to widen the flame front, therefore decreasing productivity. Decreasing coke in the blend also acts in sinter bonding, decreasing its consistency and increasing crushing and return fines. Moisture addition also influences components mixing, pre-agglomeration, bed permeability and, consequently, sintering productivity. Therefore, optimum conditions must be established for both a given sintering plant and the components in the feed (Dawson, 1993)."

Jan 1, 1998

By G. Shore

"The development of a DC resistivity instrumentation system for data acquisition in extreme topography yielded an unexpected bonus in the quality and information content of the type of raw data gathered. Not only were traditionally too-rough areas being investigated systematically for the first time, the unique high-density, multi-directional raw data were providing the opportunity to greatly expand the range of conductive and resistive signatures that could be accurately recognized. Using a true 3-D inversion algorithm, 3-D earth resistivity imagery began to show distinctive anomaly patterns for hydrothermal mineralization at the seldom-visited resistive end of the spectrum, successfully imaging epithermal gold systems in conditions that had defied conventional ground and airborne geophysics for years.The traditional mode of designing a resistivity survey to test a specific target concept was shown to be an unnecessary limitation on exploration thinking when a single sweep acquisition of dense, multi-directional 3-D raw data could effectively provide the all-targets “shotgun” coverage that would take 10 or 12 conventional surveys to duplicate. Exploration planning has the opportunity to move from single steps of trial and error geophysical testing to a mode of mapping everything at the outset, and then sorting out what might be of exploration interest in the results. Survey parameterization becomes the non-technical process of marking an outline on a map and declaring “survey here.” Operational and interpretational reasons for not testing where the exploration interest lies have all but disappeared. With any-terrain capabilities and unprecedented raw data density and overlap to support interpretation of complex conditions, that outline can be drawn through extreme rough terrain, including lakes, cliffs, industrial facilities, and grounded installations to test for generally unknown sub-surface features of potential interest.As more is learned about the larger-scale signatures of ore settings and the district-scale geo-electric imprint of hydrothermal processes on lithology, it appears that the only thing certain about ore signatures is their uncertainty. This is not bad news. New opportunities abound as the advanced 3-D technology allows a first effective look at the previously unexplorable rough terrain or complicated settings, and a second look at areas where older results may now be known to be non-definitive."

Jan 1, 2002

By P. M. May, V. Gella

The deportment and speciation of trace elements during mining and minerals processing is becoming an area of increasing concern with regards to potential health and environment risks. The use of chemical modelling can enhance our basic understanding of the deportment and speciation of trace metals under conditions present in gold processing solutions, and assist in laboratory and field investigations. In this paper, we report the results of chemical speciation modelling using the JESS software package for the trace toxic elements Pb, Cd, Hg, Se and Te in cyanidation solutions of varying salinity and relate the models to experimental data. The speciation of mercury is examined in detail.

Jan 1, 2011

By P. Fossi

This report describes a pilot-scale study of a hydrometallurgical process to treat high-grade nickel matte or a nickel-cobalt sulphide precipitate to produce high-purity electrolytic nickel. The first step of the process is the oxidative leaching of the nickel-bearing material by nitric acid; the nitrous gases generated during leaching are reconverted to nitric acid. The crude nickel sulphate nitrate solution is purified and is then subjected to a denitrification step. Nitrate separation is effected either by the crystallization of nickel sulphate or by precipitation of basic nickel carbonate. The electrolyte is prepared from the nitrate-free material and nickel is then recovered by electrolysis of the sulphate solution using insoluble anodes. Some technical and economic problems encountered with this processing route are discussed and the method is compared to the "all-chloride" process developed by Société Le Nickel.

Jan 1, 1977

By M. J. Marinigh

Increased safety requirements, higher operational costs, greater environmental restrictions, and new competitive processing techniques are the challenges smelter operators must confront in order to remain economically viable. In converting furnaces which have tuyeres such as the Noranda Reactor and the Teniente, Peirce Smith and Hoboken converters, efficient tuyere line management is critical to optimizing blowing rates, increasing refractory life, and improving safety. This paper will describe recent improvements made to equipment used for tuyere punching, tuyere silencing, tuyere pyrometry and refractory drilling of tuyeres and how the proper application of the equipment can lead to operational and safety improvements.

Jan 1, 2007

By L. Garrigues, M. Jarvis, M. Halhead, O. A. Bascur

"Large variability of ore types, escalating variables operating costs and increased throughput require large investment in sensors and systems in mineral processing operations. Mining and mineral processing plants collect and manage more data than a small city with much in real-time. The data is changing rapidly as internal and external conditions evolve. As corporations buy and sell assets, and reengineer their staff, the structure and tools that were used to understand this data is lost. This results in significant deterioration in the ability to maintain a smart operation. When data is recognized as a critical asset and managed as part of an infrastructure, it become a key enabler to help transform the entire operations. In many situations, all partners in business collaboration—such as join ventures, contract manufacturer, expert service providers, and operations and maintenance companies—need access to production and asset data. The emergence and maturation of Cloud technologies make it possible to easily connect the plants to external equipment suppliers and operational support service.This paper will share examples of how mineral processors have adopted new data strategies such as self-service business intelligence, cloud computing and internal/external collaboration.INTRODUCTIONOne of the main challenges in mineral and metallurgical processing plants is effective energy and water management. The lowering of ore grades requires higher throughputs while the ores are getting more complex with variable mineralogical compositions. Electrical energy supply is becoming a restriction in many countries. Rising water management costs has a direct impact on the profitability of the operations. Grade recovery versus energy consumption in copper production for both open pit and underground mines has been described by Fuerstenau (2001). Comminution uses over 55% of the energy to produce nonferrous metals while other operations require much less energy (Nelson, Richins, & Lelinski, 2013)."

Jan 1, 2016

By F. Channier

The paper provides the most recent information on the construction of the AP60 phase 1 plant of Jonquiere which is due to be commissioned and started up in the first quarter of 2013. HSE management on site by RTA, and cooperation with local equipment manufacturers and contractors of the Saguenay-Lac Saint Jean region are highlighted in this section. The AP60 phase 1 Jonquiere plant aims to demonstrate of the AP60 technology at an industrial scale and allows the further developments of the AP60 cell. The advantages of the AP60 cell technology in terms of productivity, power consumption and environmental footprint are also briefly presented in the paper.

Jan 1, 2011

By J. M. Whatley

"IntroductionIN UNDERGROUND mining operations, the mine hoist has become one of the most important and one of the most expensive single pieces of equipment. As the means of transporting men and materials to the face, broken ore to the mill, and waste to the dump, it is often the very lifeline of a mine and must operate with dependability and efficiency or the whole operation will suffer. The mine hoist has become synonymous with safety. In few other types of mechanical equipment do so many men so frequently and completely place their lives. In Canada, more has probably been done to assure safe hoisting than in most other countries, but, unfortunately, this has resulted, in many cases, in the mines having to pay a high price for equipment. Hoist manufacturers have carried out much research in recent years in the endeavour to keep down these costs and at the same time maintain or improve the efficiency and safety of their products. Broadly classified, the bases for design research are dependability, efficiency, safety, and first cost.Probably the greatest single factor influencing the design of mine hoists was the introduction of electric motor drives. It was not until about 1905 that an effective start was made in the development of electric mine hoists, and then only with machines of small size. From that time on, however, progress was rapid, as may be gauged from the fact that by 1910 one large group of mines in Johannesburg had in use, or on order, fifty-four three-phase hoists and four Ward-Leonard. type hoists."

Jan 1, 1953

By W. Leblanc, J. Phalen

This paper tells the story of a serious mine fire on a mechanized longwall face in a submarine coal mine at Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. The story gives, in chronological order, a technical account of the steps taken to investigate, fight and contain the fire. The time during which the events took place spans from June 19 to November 7, 1975.

Jan 1, 1976

By A. Lloyd, Montgomery, J. Jorgesen, W. J.

"Coals are ranked according to their degree of metamorphism or progressive change in the natural series from lignite to anthracite. The reader is referred to ASTM Standard D-388, ""Standard Classification of Coals by Rank"" for a detailed description of the system in use throughout North America including Canada.Fixed carbon and calorific value (expressed in Btu/ lb) calculated to the mineral-matter-free basis have been chosen as the main characteristics from which rank is established. Higher rank coals are classified according to fixed carbon content, lower rank coals according to the calorific value on a ""moist"" mineral-matter-free basis. Certain adjacent groups are differentiated according to their agglomerating (caking) properties. ""Moist"" refers to inherent moisture. Referring to Table 1, coals having calorific values greater than 14,000 Btu/lb on a moist mineral-matter-free basis and fixed carbon of 69% or more on a dry mineral-matter-free basis are classified according to fixed carbon. Coals having calorific values of less than 14,000 Btu/lb on a moist mineralmatter-free basis are classified according to calorific value on a moist mineral-matter-free basis. Agglomerating coals having 69 to 86% fixed carbon on the dry mineral-matter-free basis are classified in the low or medium volatile group of the bituminous class according to their volatile matter content. Agglomerating coals having calorific values between 10,500 and 11,500 Btu/lb are classified in the high volatile C bituminous coal group; nonagglomerating coals in the same calorific value range are classified in the sub-bituminous A coal group."

Jan 1, 1985