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By E. Larsen

Marine tailings disposal may in some cases be the best solution to one of mining’s major environmental problems. The public standing of this solution is poor, partly because of past bad practices. Among the tailings problems spreading of super-fines and toxic substances stand out. The two are often interrelated as heavy metals, insoluble to sea water, tend to adsorb on fines and spread piggyback on them. Only one paper seen, has addressed the mineralogy of fine particles in suspension. The topic was a secondary tailings deposit. Studies on the sedimentation of fines in large river estuaries show that different minerals sediment sequentially as the salinity of the river increase. Mineralogy in the particle size range where particle separation takes place, has so far, naturally been in focus for the mineral processors. Next to nothing is known about the fines which may cause environmental problems. Tailings disposal has, due to its complexity, to a large extent been taken over by specialists in other fields, biologists, engineering geologists, chemists. The basics of the subject ought also to be given more input by the mineral processing community. A drawn out battle about tailings discharge into some fjords has taken place in Norway. The detractors focus at fine particles (could be dangerous nanoparticles) spreading and emphasize the effects. Calculation is simple: 5 million tonnes tailings annually discharged, containing 1 wt. % < 1µm determined by laser diffraction, results in 50 000 tonnes of nanoparticles let loose in the environment. The industry`s difficulty to answer, is lack of basic research on this topic. Test work to develop a methodology to address the problem is described. One thing the mineral processors know is that final tailings may be comprised of tailings from separate separation processes, with different properties, some of which may require special treatment. One tailings stream from a Norwegian mine is investigated in such a context.

Jan 1, 2016

By C J. Coveney

This paper, after a brief introduction to the mineralization and structure in the mine area, outlines the methods now being employed for grade control at Bethlehem Copper Corporation. Sampling, subgrade drilling, blasting and the actual outlining of the ore are among the topics covered. The paper concludes with a summary of the results obtained, showing a reduction in dilution and an improvement in the grade of the copper ore going to the mill. Introduction T HE Bethlehem property is located in southern British Columbia in the Highland Valley about 30 miles southeast of the town of Ashcroft. The property is located within the Guichon batholith. The rock comprising the batholith is a massive, coarse-textured diorite, which, at Bethlehem, has been intruded by a younger quartz diorite, porphyries and breccia, referred to as the "Younger Complex." Mineralization, consisting of chalcopyrite and bornite with minor pyrite and molybdenite, occurs as disseminations, fracture fillings and coarse blebs. The ore zone lies close to the Guichon -Younger Complex contact where, prior to the development of the breccia, the rocks were shattered and jointed. Subsequent mineral

Jan 1, 1965

By A. Zangooi, J. A. Finch

"A frother analysis technique based on the formation of a colored solution with UV-VIS absorbance proportional to frother concentration over a certain range has been developed. The calculation of concentration requires the comparison of the sample absorbance at a selected wavelength with a linear calibration (frother concentration vs. absorbance) constructed with values collected from solutions of known concentration (standards) at the same wavelength. It has been found that concentration ranges for preparation of standards can vary widely. An integration of our experiences into a databank can offer some guidance on the selection of standard concentrations. The databank includes results from the analysis of 37 chemical reagents, commercial frothers, and natural oils used in research work or at industrial sites. Grouping frothers by similar chemical structure or origin provides a good basis for selecting the standards to approach the maximum absorbance range for the spectrophotometer in use.INTRODUCTIONA technique to determine frother concentration on samples of industrial milling streams based on formation of a colored solution with UV-VIS absorbance proportional to frother concentration has been developed. The concentration is determined by comparison of its absorbance, at some selected wavelength, with those obtained by processing a series of solutions of known concentration (standards), at the same wavelength. It is desirable to have linear calibration (frother concentration vs. absorbance) over the widest concentration range. The upper concentration can be restricted by the instrument, as there is a maximum detectable absorbance (minimum transmittance), which can be reliably sensed by the UV-VIS detector (in most cases maximum absorbance is 3)."

Jan 1, 2016

By B. R. Casement

"Managing safety on the basis of after-the-fact reaction to accidents, can never be more than partially successful. Injuries will occur as long as the underlying potential for them still exists. Unless unsafe actions and conditions are systematically decreased, no program can have more than a short-term success.The pro-active Bullmoose loss control process, instead, focusses on heightening awareness of work habits, to prevent incidents by reducing their potential.Any safety program will be doomed to failure if the development of safe work habits depends on the safety supervisor or a safety committee. At Bullmoose the focus is on the critical actions out of which losses emerge. The successful application of performance-related feedback is achieved by taking safety, health, and environmental concerns into consideration on every level, and, by doing the right thing in every job done.What is an Exceptional Loss Control Program?If an accident in an organization creates a flurry of interest, resulting in ""cracking down"" on violations for a short period of time then an ""exceptional"" loss control program exists. Unfortunately, exceptional here does not refer to the effectiveness of quality of the program but to the fact that the organization is managing loss control by exception. The degree of management attention in an ""exceptional"" safety program varies over a period of time, remaining low as long as the rate of losses stays within management&apos;s acceptable control limit (Fig. I). When the losses rise above this, management becomes motivated to begin ""exceptional"" efforts to manage losses. When the rate falls again to within the accepted limit, efforts to control losses take a back seat.Such a strategy guarantees that losses will be tolerated or ignored as long as the actual rate is below the acceptable limit. Simply to lower the limit would not reduce losses, but would result in an increased number of flurries of management attention to loss control. This ""on-again, off-again"" style of management teaches supervisors and others that basic loss control is not as important as are statistics."

Jan 1, 1993

By D. Lascelles, J. A. Finch, E. El-Ammouri

Flotation separation is expected to be related to the degree of dispersion of the pulp. For instance, highly aggregated systems may show reduced selectivity, reduced entrainment and increased flotation rate. In an attempt to test the impact of aggregation on flotation, we have taken advantage of the effect of Mg ions. Using combinations of Mg2+ and pH gave a wide variation in aggregation of several Cu-Zn ores (measured by settling rate) and corresponding flotation response was determined by batch tests. The trials were conducted on-site at Louvicourt and Agnico-Eagle. In a majority of cases a similar trend in aggregation and flotation selectivity (grade at given recovery) was observed. At Louvicourt, improved selectivity with increasing aggregation at pH 10.5 was found. At Agnico-Eagle, an analogous association between aggregation and selectivity was observed at pH 11.5. It is suggested that aggregation influences particle entrainment, the increased effective particle size reducing gangue recovery and hence improving selectivity.

Jan 1, 2004

By Seungwoo Park, Whuisu Shim, Roe-Hoan Yoon, Kaiwu Huang

"A comprehensive froth model has been derived from first principles. It is based on predicting the kinetics of film thinning in the presence of particles of varying sizes and surface hydrophobicity. According to the Reynolds lubrication theory, the thinning of a horizontal film is driven by the excess film pressure (p), which is determined by the capillary pressure (pc) and the disjoining pressure (II). In the presence of particles, macroscopic capillary pressure (pc) is affected by the local capillary pressure (pc,local) in the vicinity of a particle and the number of particles in the film (N1,film), which in turn vary with the hydrophobicity and size of the particles. The Reynolds equation corrected for pc,local and N1,film is then used to predict the time (or froth height) at which a film is thinned to a critical rupture thickness (hcr), which in turn can be predicted using the Vrij’s capillary wave model (1966) after a modification to incorporate the contributions from hydrophobic disjoining pressure (IIhp). The model can predict bubble coarsening represented by the bubble size ratio between the top (d2,t) and bottom (d2,b) of a froth as functions of particle size and hydrophobicity, ? -potentials, frother dosages, froth height, gas flow rate, salt concentration, etc. The model predictions have been verified in experiments.INTRODUCTIONFroth flotation is regarded the best available technology today for upgrading minerals and coal fines. In the pulp phase of a flotation cell, air bubbles collect hydrophobic particles dispersed in it and rise to enter the froth phase on the top. Once in a froth phase, the bubbles coalesce with each other and become larger, resulting in a decreased bubble surface area. Under conditions of limited surface area, less hydrophobic particles drop off the bubble surface and return to the pulp phase. Thus, bubble coarsening provides a useful mechanism of increasing product grades. On the other hand, uncontrolled coarsening results in a decrease in bubble carrying capacity and hence throughput."

Jan 1, 2016

By Nirmal Weerasekara, Jochen Franke, Malcolm Powell, John Favier

Mill liners serve the dual purpose of protecting the shell from wear and transferring the rotary motion of the mill to an effective grinding action. As the liners wear, the efficiency of energy transfer changes, so there is balance between liner profile for wear and for milling efficiency. A tool that can simultaneously predict the evolution of the liner profile and the associated change in milling efficiency should prove most useful in optimal liner design. This paper presents such an approach, based on measured 3D liner profile data informing 3D DEM simulations of charge motion and liner wear modelling.

Jan 1, 2012

By Bradford P. Simser

Increasingly sophisticated rock mechanic tools are becoming more and more available for today?s ground control specialist. However many problems are still beyond our ability to explicitly calculate or measure. There is often a gap between the ?art? and the ?science? of rock mechanics. This paper focuses more on the ?art?, giving relatively simple examples of underground observations and micro-seismic records to help explain ground control issues. Ground support techniques such as in cycle shotcrete with high pressure water scaling, mesh and bolting, pumpable resin bolts/cablebolting, and yielding bolts with load spreading straps are discussed. The use of primary/secondary type blasthole sequences in moderate to high stress situations is also discussed with several examples of the micro-seismic response to the stoping. Relatively erratic geology with high material strength contrasts is currently being mined with blasthole methods at Nickel Rim South. Although the mine is still in its? ?early? days, over 1 million tonnes has been extracted and some empirical experience is highlighted with potential longer term issues also being discussed.

Oct 1, 2010

By F. P. Hassani, J. F. Boily, A. M. O. Mohamed, M. Hossein

The optimal geochemical parameters required to form ellringite in a lime-remediated site have been investigated with the use of thermodynamic modelling. The speciation of sulphate and 10 metals analyzed in samples of a mine tailing from northern Quebec was calculated with a computer model. The model also includes calcium, which would result from the addition of lime to the system. Two speciation calculations were done. The first one is a hypothetical speciation before the onset of precipitation and was used to devise the stability fields of minerals susceptible of forming in high pHs. The stability fields were determined by building activity ratio diagrams with sulphate, aluminum and calcium species concentrations for pHs ranging from 4 to 14. The investigation was carried out for a 25°C solution with an ionic strength less than 0.12. Thermodynamics predict that an optimal stability field for ettringite in the mine tailing samples containing 10-3 mol/L SO4-2,10-2 mol/L of AI(OH)4 requires at least 10-2mol/L of Ca+2 and a pH larger than 11.6. The sulphate contents of the mine tailing samples, however, limit the precipitation of ettringite and monosulphate could be an end-precipitate. The second speciation is in equilibrium with precipitates and provides information on the speciation of the residual metals. If ellringite could be precipitated as a stable form, it could serve as a sorptive agent for residual metals, and, due to its binding properties, consolidate tailings.

Jan 1, 1995

By M. Leijd, K. S. Forrester, M. Saxon, M. Oczlon

This paper provides an introduction to wet high intensity magnetic separation (WHIMS) and its successful application to the beneficiation of rare earth element (REE) enriched eudialyte. The analysis includes an in-depth reporting of the deportment of key elements as well as a statistical interpretation of the relative importance of operational parameters including magnetic field intensity, flow velocity, and matrix loading density. Conclusions are drawn on the relative success of the technology, potential areas for process improvement, and the research direction that continues to be investigated. Three original equipment manufacturer (OEM) technologies were subjected to a series of screening and characterization tests to identify the optimal operating parameter set to magnetically beneficiate eudialyte from Norra Kärr, Sweden. Upon the completion of the characterization test it was apparent that the Metso HGMS technology was superior with respect to REE recovery and gangue rejection for the Norra Kärr composite. The Metso HGMS was then subjected to a series of verification tests to confirm the repeatability and reproducibility of the system.

Jan 1, 2014

"High Pressure Grinding Roll (“HPGR”) technology is applied in a broadening range of minerals processing applications for relatively wet or moist materials. HPGR grinding of dry material or involving drying and air classification is more common, for example in cement manufacturing. A number of minerals processing plants are also operating with dry material, either due to process reasons, such as considerations of preceding or subsequent process stages, or as dictated by local conditions of arid areas and scarcity of water. The present world-wide expectation of decreasing availability of water supply urges us to look for alternatives that minimize water consumption.Recently established and envisaged future HPGR applications with dry ores have indicated that the technology of dry crushing and classification as practiced in cement and limestone grinding can be applied in minerals processing. Moreover, dry technology could very well be applied for generating a final fine product at sizes near or below 100 microns, as may be required for beneficiation by, for instance, flotation, magnetic separation or tank leaching.Dry HPGR grinding requires special attention in maintaining suitable process economics, when considering power input in grinding, drying and classification. In some cases, HPGR capacity and roll surface wear life may be negatively affected by a lack of moisture in the feed.This publication summarizes some of the features of, and experiences in dry HPGR applications. This includes design aspects of the classification system and discussion of the wear protection of the roll surfaces. The paper also includes examples of operational experiences of dry practices in minerals processing and cement plants."

Jan 1, 2012

By A. Singh

Two alloys Mg96.9Zn2.7Ho0.4 and Mg93Zn6Ho have been processed by direct extrusion at 300°C and 200/230°C to produce various microstructures containing icosahedral quasicrystalline phase with different grain sizes. The alloys were mechanically tested in tension and compression. The mechanical properties were related to the grain size and microstructures studied by transmission electron microscopy. The extruded alloys showed a mixture of nano-sized icosahedral and monoclinic Mg4Zn7 phase, as well as icosahedral phase particles a few hundred nanometers in size distributed in the matrix. Coarse icosahedral phase particles several micron in size also remained after extrusion. The alloys Mg96.9Zn2.7Ho0.4 and Mg93Zn6Ho extruded at the same temperature of 300°C produced very different grain sizes of 15 and 3 µm, respectively. The alloy Mg96.9Zn2.7Ho0.4 extruded at 200°C and Mg93Zn6Ho extruded at 230°C produced grain sizes of 0.7 µm and 1.5 µm, respectively. Both the alloys showed yield stresses of about 300 MPa in both tension and compression with elongations of about 18%. Hall-Petch parameters are calculated for the alloys.

Jan 1, 2006

By S. Yannacopoulos, L. Bichler, P. Wanjara, J. Gholipour

Characterization of a virgin and in-service Inconel 718 alloy was undertaken to study the changes caused by the service conditions on the grain size, ?? phase, MN-type nitrides and MC-type carbides. The size, distribution and volume fraction of these phases and grain size were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analyses. A considerable difference in the grain size, as well as distribution and volume fraction of the precipitates was observed in the in-service material as compared to the virgin Inconel 718. As a result of these microstructural changes, a notable dissimilarity in hardness between the materials investigated was observed. The results presented in this study are important for proper development of repair parameters and heat treatment of in-service Inconel 718 material.

Jan 1, 2014

By Cy Jordan, Ben Burdett, Adrian Dance, Jack Rainey

"In 1997, EIMCO Minerals installed a knowledge-based control system on one of the five primary grinding lines at Highland Valley Copper. The objective of the system is to maximise throughput without affecting circuit product size or flotation recovery. The system was commissioned in October 1997 on a SAG mill/ball mill circuit following a plant audit and upgrade of the control instrumentation.The system monitors and controls the SAG mill power, bearing pressure and recycle load by manipulating the solids feedrate, water addition and mill speed. The two ball mill and cyclone circuits are controlled through water addition at various points in the circuit as well as the number of operating cyclones.An on-line particle size analyser is used to measure the cyclone overflow quality. Models of the SAG mill charge level and overflow product size are also incorporated. A method of predicting the SAG mill power response to feedrate changes is used to lessen the effect of dead time for improved mill power control. In the future, inferred measurements of SAG feed particle size and hardness will allow changes in ore behaviour to be predicted and compensated for by the system.This paper describes the development of the project -from installation and commissioning to modifications and refinement -along with prospects for the future.BackgroundIn early 1997, EIMCO Minerals was contracted by Highland Valley Copper to install a knowledge-based or expert system control strategy on one of the five grinding lines in the mill. This was to become the start of the Advanced Control Project at Highland Valley Copper (HVC). This paper will review the progress of the Project as well as discuss the prospects for the future.Following a preliminary engineering study (or plant audit) by EIMCO in 1996, it was decided to implement an advanced control system in order to improve plant operations and increase productivity. The study suggested that such a system had a pay-back period of a few months through increased throughput without loss in flotation recovery. Highland Valley already had successfully applied higher level control through their Elsag Bailey distributed control system (DCS) and this was the next stage in process optimisation."

Jan 1, 1998

By B. McFadzean, I. Achaye, T. Chidzanira, J. Wiese

"Froth stability has an overriding effect on metallurgical recovery and grade for many ore types. Froth recoveries of less than 10% are common for low stability froths such as those in sparsely mineralized ores or in cells at the back end of flotation circuits. It is well known that, aside from chemical factors such as frothers and electrolytes, the mineral particles themselves have the dominant influence on froth stability. The particle properties of size and hydrophobicity are expected to have the greatest effects on froth stability. The aim of this study was to understand the effects of particle size on froth stability and to quantify these relationships.The study compared a synthetic ore of pyrite and quartz, with carefully controlled size ranges and hydrophobicity, with conventionally milled platinum-bearing UG2 ore and the bulk reverse flotation of hematite ore. A novel bench-scale continuous column flotation cell and continuous mechanical hybrid cell with large relative froth volumes, as well as a three-phase froth stability column were used to characterize the froths.It was found that froth stability could be related to the concentrate particle surface area by a Langmuir-type relationship. This is indicative that the mechanism by which particles stabilize the thin films in froths is similar to the mechanism by which surfactants lower surface tension. Different froth stabilities were found for different ores and this was thought to be the result of different particle sizes and distributions, which resulted in different packing densities in the thin films and Plateau borders. Interestingly, there was a clear relationship between the feed particle size and the froth stability even though froth stability was dependent on the concentrate particle surface area. It seems that the feed particle size is a good predictor of the surface area of particles in the concentrate. Concentrate particle size did not show a clear relationship with froth stability since it was already shown that it is both the size and the amount of the particles in the froth that contribute to the stability.INTRODUCTIONThe stability of the froth in froth flotation is important to the recovery and grade of the valuable mineral. Too stable a froth and the grade is reduced; not stable enough and the recovery may be compromised. Platinum-bearing ores with fragile, poorly mineralised froths are known to have froth recoveries that are routinely less than 10% (Crosbie et al, 2009). There are a number of chemical, physical and operating parameters that can affect froth stability, including reagent dosages, air flow rate, pulp density and particle properties. Arguably, the largest contribution to froth stability is from the particles that stabilise (or destabilise) the thin films in froths. Particle size, hydrophobicity and shape all affect froth stability to some extent."

Jan 1, 2016

By Cheryl L. Allen

The increasing energy costs associated with mining has become an issue that needs to be addressed for future sustainable production. Vale Inco is undertaking a Ventilation on Demand (VOD) Project in an effort to minimize costs, continue to mine at depth and reduce green house gas emissions. A dynamic VOD system is very complex with potential high risk. Therefore, a systematic approach is being taken for successful development and implementation of the concept. The physical components of the system are currently being tested at various Vale Inco mine sites. While the operability of the physical components are being tested, the strategy for optimizing the architectures of the system is being defined. This presentation discusses the method of developing a VOD system at Vale Inco.

Feb 1, 2008

By J. S. Redpath

Eighty feet of overburden, thirty feet consisting of fine, water-bearing sands, was encountered during the construction of a shaft collar for Chimo Gold Mines Limited at its Louvicourt, Quebec, property. This paper describes the excavation and construction methods used on the project. Open-cut methods, a sheet pile cofferdam, chemical grouting and special blasting methods were used during excavation. Concrete placement was hampered in the lower portion by a heavy water flow, and aided in the upper portion by an unusual method of form bracing. Plant and • pum11ing facilities are also described.

Jan 1, 1966

By D. Perednis

Fuel cells with thin samaria-doped ceria (SDC) electrolyte films deposited onto an anode support using spray pyrolysis were fabricated. The SDC films were deposited onto porous NiO-YSZ substrates at deposition temperatures between 400°C and 450°C. The influence of process parameters such as deposition temperature, flow rate, type of salt and salt concentration on the quality of the film was studied. A smooth dense film was successfully deposited using the precursor cerium ammonium nitrate and samarium nitrate dissolved in butyl carbitol (33.3 vol.%), 2-methoxy-l-propanol (33.3 vol.%), and ethanol (33.3 vol.%) solvent mixture. A deposition rate of 125 nm/h was achieved.

Jan 1, 2005

By Y. P. Wu

Steeply dipping seam refers to the coal seam with dipping angle in the range of 35?55°, which is well recognized to be very hard to mine by the mining industry all the world. In the last two decades, some fundamental researches were focused on the strata behavior of long-wall panel, complicated rock mass breaking process of the steeply dipping seam, overburden stress field developing and evolution, rock strata breaking and moving process, rock structure stability mechanism and control. Results show that it?s presenting macro stress arch-shell (MSAS) of the stress distribution of the overlying rock in steeply dipping seam. The MSAS is the spatial distribution of intensity envelope line under the strength criterion and has the geometry shape asymmetry as well as the stress distribution heterogeneity. The arch- shell base will forward as the working face mine forward and the shell roof will extend to higher overlying strata above the gob. In this paper, the stress arch-shell analysis model and coordinate system were established and analyzed the inclined masonry structure at different zone. Analysis results show that the rock damage at the key part of the arch-shell is the main factor which causes whole overlying rock structure failure. The rock structure instability modes have tension instability of the shell roof, compression-shear instability of the shell shoulder and composite instability of the shell base, meantime, instability coefficient is proposed to determine instability condition. The above research results enrich the complex coal seams mining theory and provide a theoretical basis for mining safely and efficiently in steeply dipping seam.

Aug 1, 2013

By L. A. Clark, G. H. R. Burrill

"Most unconformity-type uranium deposits in Saskatchewan occur within a few tens of metres above and/or below the basal unconformity of the 1,45-b.y. Athabasca Sandstone. Graphitic basement rocks coincident with post-Athabasca faulting or brecciation at or near the unconformity are important in localizing uranium deposits which form as tabular, ribbon-like bodies with grades averaging over 2 per cent uranium and containing up to 50,000 tonnes UJOs. Some of these deposits have similar contents of nickel and arsenic.In the genetic model proposed to explain these deposits, traces of uranium were leached from the sandstone and weathered basement rocks by oxidized formation waters sweeping through the sandstone and along brecciated faults. Over basement meta-petites, a thick clay regolith adsorbed uranium from the solution. Thus fixed, the uranium was reduced through an indirect reaction with graphite, possibly involving methane. The clay mineral surfaces were thus continuously cleared to allow further adsorption. Basement faults localized along weak graphitic units were re-activated, offsetting the sandstone formation, probably at the time of an early uranium deposition about 1.2 b.y. ago, and served as vents for spent ore solutions. Fluid convection was induced by topographic relief and/or crustal heating from radioactive decay in basement plutons or mantled Archean domes with uranium and/or thorium contents a few ppm above those of adjacent rocks. Heat from radioactive decay within the incipient uranium deposit would develop in about a million years. The self-generating convection cell would continue uranium deposition until all permeability was plugged by minerals. In some instances, convection was re-initiated after subsequent faulting and brecciation. While some deposits were further enriched, heavy flows of oxidized fluids re-dissolved and partially depleted other uranium deposits.The East Alligator Rivers uranium deposits in Northern Territory, Australia, occur within Middle Proterozoic quartzchlorite and quartz-muscovite schists overlain by sandstone. Highest grades occur in silicified breccias where carbonate beds were leached out. Mineralization ages are both pre- and post-Kombolgie Sandstone, but, to date, no significant uranium mineralization has been encountered in the sandstone. There are many general similarities with Saskatchewan deposits, but important differences in detail."

Jan 1, 1981