Search Documents

By E. Herrera, L. Mariscal

"Ilo Copper Smelter operates since 2007 with an ISASMELTTM furnace as a single smelting unit (1,200,000 tpy) associated with two Rotary Holding Furnaces for separation of matte and slag, and which directly produces a discard slag. Southern Peru continually has been improving the slag chemistry of its ISASMELTTM furnace in order to reduce copper losses, given its big economic impact due to large slag mass generation. The present paper describes the influence of the CaO, Al2O3 and magnetite content in the slag of the ISASMELTTM furnace correlated with the SiO2/Fe ratio and its liquidus slag. Also it defines the best slag chemistry and operating practice in order to reduce the copper losses without compromise the bricks life of the furnace.INTRODUCTIONIlo Copper Smelter of Southern Peru (Grupo Mexico) is located on the southern coast of Peru, and treats mainly copper concentrates produced in its own mines (Toquepala and Cuajone).The modernized smelter was commissioned in 2007 and operates with an ISASMELT™ furnace as a single smelting unit (1,200,000 tpy), which is associated with two Rotary Holding Furnaces (RHF) for separation of matte and slag. This slag is directly sent to the dump. Figure 1 shows the smelter flow diagram.The ISASMELT™ process is a bath-smelting process using a single lance. The lance tip is immersed into a molten slag bath contained within the stationary, vertical, refractory-lined ISASMELT™ furnace. The injection of oxygen-enriched air, through the lance into the slag results in a highly turbulent molten bath. Feed material falling into the turbulent bath from above reacts rapidly, resulting in extremely high productivity for a relatively small bath volume."

Jan 1, 2012

By Gilles Tremblay

The legacy of orphaned/abandoned mines, with their associated environmental liability, human health concerns and the financial costs of clean up is a serious issue facing Canada. In 1999 and 2000, a number of stakeholders put forth requests to Mines Ministers to establish a joint industry-government working group, assisted by other stakeholders to review the issue of abandoned mines. The Ministers supported this initiative and asked that a multi-stakeholder workshop be organized to identify key issues and priorities. The Workshop on Abandoned Mines, held June 2001 in Winnipeg, developed consensus, guiding principles and recommendations that were presented at the Mines Ministers? Conference, September 2001. Ministers agreed on the importance of a large-scale program for the rehabilitation of orphaned/abandoned mines sites. A multi-stakeholder Orphaned/Abandoned (O/A) Mines Advisory Committee was formed and a plan was developed to study various issues relating to the implementation of remediation programs across Canada. Three task groups were formed to address the following key areas: Information Gathering; Community Involvement; and Barriers to Collaboration. The presentation will include a summary of the results of the three projects and the future work plan for the program.

Nov 1, 2002

By Frank Doxley

"FIRST OF ALL I should like to express to the members my sincere thanks for having had the privilege of serving them as President during the year now ending, to the Council for their guidance, and to the Secretary-Treasurer for his untiring efforts on both the Society's and my behalf during my year of office.During the .past five years the Canadian •Coal picture has changed considerably. In the West, production has been almost halved and many mines have been closed, due to the development and expansion of oil and natural gas industries, which, with some imported residual oil -on the Pacific coast -have provided competition which has been impossible to meet. The two major railway companies have embarked on an oil-burning and dieselization .programme and with this has .been lost one of the largest available markets for coal. Natural gas pipe-line installations still further threaten the remaining outlets for Western coal.In the East, retention of markets has also been a •problem, due to the intense competition provided by imported American •coal and the importation of residual oil.Because of cost it is impossible for central industrial Canada to be supplied with .coal from the Maritimes and markets are, therefore, restricted to fringe areas in Ontario and Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces.The dieselization programme of the Canadian National Rail ways has meant the loss of a large market for Nova Scotian coal and it is fair to assume that within a comparatively short time the market will be completely lost."

Jan 1, 1955

By R. S. McCaffrey

In addition to its importance in agricultural production, Wisconsin is a very large manufacturing state and its rank in the metal working industries is probably first among the States of the Union per unit of population. The University of Wisconsin is a state supported institution and the Wisconsin tradition has always emphasized the relation of the University to the state and its responsibility to exercise its leader-ship where it might, in any and every way, for the development and benefit of the state and the community. The Department of Metallurgy of the University realized its responsibilities in the carrying out of the co-operative tradition and, two' years ago, an experiment was started in co-operative research between the University and certain of the industrial plants of the state. At the present time this work has so far progressed that it is no longer an experiment, and its results prove that this co-operative research may be carried on very advantageously and that, under the conditions existing in the state, the method employed has been satisfactory.

Jan 1, 1926

By W G. Forbes

SOME 20 years ago, upon finishing second year at the University of Manitoba, I was faced with the choice of whether I wanted to be a geologist or a chemist. Accordingly, I sought out Professor Brownell, Head of the Department of Geology, to ask him what a geologist did. His reply contained the statement that following graduation one went out into the field in northern Canada for 5 to 15 years to reduce to practice what had been learned at university. To a young man, very socially conscious, even one year, let alone 5 to 10, in a small mining community sounded like being banished to a monastery in the Himalayas and thus I turned to chemistry. Moving to the present, last month I asked a geologist, and then a mining engineer, what does the fresh graduate in their field do these days? The reply was: usually serve an apprenticeship for an indeterminate period either underground or in the field learning the job.

Jan 1, 1965

By Melvin S. Taylor

The environmental control program at Cassiar Mine is an active one involving government, unions and company personnel all working together to achieve a goal- "A clean and safe working environment". This can only be achieved by utilizing three of Cassiar's most important resources; i.e., people, time and money. Past environmental programs have more than proved that the goal can be reached and. with the future programs now in progress. Cassiar Asbestos will achieve its environmental goals.

Jan 1, 1978

By T. A. Utigard

To improve recoveries of Ni, Cu and Co in the Inco flash furnace, a new operating concept was investigated. By adding sufficient coke to form a supernatant coke layer, a reducing barrier would form allowing for improved reduction of descending oxidized sulfide mineral particles formed in the flame. The objective of this investigation was to study the kinetic mechanism and efficiency of the coke layer to produce a sulfur deficient matte. The mechanism and rate of carbon reduction of each of the phases formed in the flash flame, i.e. sulfides and oxysulfides were investigated by means of X-ray visualization tests. Graphite-slag reduction was also conducted for comparison purposes. In the case of slag, poor wettability and the formation of a gas film on the surface of the carbon reductant are often blamed for limiting the reaction surface area that ultimately results in poor reaction kinetics. The X-ray visualization tests confirmed that matte and oxysulfide wet coke better than slag and that the rates of reduction of matte and oxysulfide are faster than that of slag.

Jan 1, 2005

By Lloyd F. Dunham

"Crucial to the implementation of new computer-based information systems at Sudbury Operations of Falconbridge Limited was a data communications network that would take computing power to the various mine and plant sites. Falconbridge required a capability to provide on-line data entry, inquiry, and reporting capabilities in three geographical areas, six mines, two mills, a smelter, approximately fifty shops, seven warehouses and numerous administrative offices throughout the Sudbury basin.Conventional cabling methods were rejected based on the projected cost of installation of necessary cables; lack of flexibility to meet the changing requirements of the mine environment; and the risk of losing service to an entire area depending on solitary communication lines.Instead, Falconbridge selected and installed a Data Carrier System (DCS) and Packet Switching Communication System from Teltone Limited, Markham, Ontario. This combined system ""piggy-backs"" computer data over voice-grade twisted pair wire, bringing data to the associated PBX equipment. From there data packets are assembled and routed to the central computer site where they are disassembled for entry into the host machine.Falconbridge has been successful in using existing technology to solve communications problems in a difficult environment. Plans for the future of this network will increase its utilization for technical and real time data communications in addition to the business systems workload it now handles. The Computer Services group in Sudbury is confident that the data highway will handle communications traffic well into the future.IntroductionIn late 1984, the Sudbury Operations of Falconbridge Limited undertook a review of their existing business computer systems. The results of this review indicated that there was an opportunity to improve the timeliness and quality of information coming from the existing computer-based systems while achieving an investment payback by undertaking the project. The greatest benefits from this project would be achieved if the computing tools could be delivered to the employees that were the day-to-day users of the data. Falconbridge's existing business systems were oriented to the batch mode of processing. An alternative solution to using the existing programs had to be found."

Jan 1, 1988

By W. W. Heywood

"IntroductionCIRCULAR structures on the Arctic islands were first noticed early after World War II. During the indexing of the 1950 Royal Canadian Air Force photographs their occurrence was brought to the attention of the Geological Survey of Canada by Mr. W. B. Waugh, Surveyor General. As a result, I. C. Brown ( 195l) of the Geological Survey of Canada studied the air photographs of these structures and discussed theories that might explain their origin. The author, as a member of the Geological Survey of Canada, spent several months in 1952 and 1953 in reconnaissance study of the geology of Ellef Ringnes island, using the Isachsen meteorological station as a base. Twelve days in the summer of 1953 were spent mapping the Isachsen dome and adjacent areas. The Isachsen dome, one of several similar structures occurring on Ellef Ringnes island, is situated 35 miles southeast of the meteorological station.PhysiographyEllef Ringnes island is a mature, stream dissected plain having an average elevation of about 400 feet. The surface of the plain is undulating with a relief of about 150 feet; only a few of the numerous streams that form a dendritic drainage pattern have eroded valleys this deep. Long, low, cuesta escarpments cross' the plain, which is underlain by sedimentary rocks of Lower Cretaceous and possibly younger age. The sedimentary strata have a low regional dip to the southeast; exceptions are found in the vicinity of the domes, where the strata are up-turned, and in the plateau region, northeast of Deer bay, where they are flat lying. The plateau, which is underlain in large part by basalt, is deeply dissected and has an average elevation of 1,000 feet."

Jan 1, 1955

By Edward R. Lauer

Energy conservation is an integral part of Canada's energy strategy. We must pursue conservation and energy management vigorously if we are to remain competitive in domestic and world markets, and minimize our reliance on external energy sources. Energy management in industry is discussed from three viewpoints: (l) as a means of directly improving profitability; (2) as a major factor in the supply picture; and (3) as a significant influence on Canada's balance of payments and over-all economic well-being. The Federal role in promoting a voluntary industrial energy conservation program is described.

Jan 1, 1977

By Terry Gerritsen, Sylvain Picard, Bruce MacKay

Virtually all new technologies require a control system. Any intense process has many process variables that react quickly making manual control difficult. Control system design has a significant impact on the success of a plant especially during ramp-up. New technology projects are particularly sensitive to control system design as the process response is unknown. This paper discusses the important factors encountered in the design of a control system for a new technology. Examples are given of successful new technology plant start-ups where tight coordination of the process control system implementation, process design and selection major equipment led to rapid ramp-ups.

Jan 1, 2011

By J. D. R. Neilsen

The objective of the research conducted and presented herein was to determine the effect of pre-established free gas saturation on the sweep efficiency of an isolated inverted five-spot well pattern. The investigation concluded that the ultimate recovery of an isolated inverted five-spot may be slightly increased by establishing a free gas saturation prior to water flooding; however, of more significance is the extreme deviation of the pattern's performance after water break-through from that commonly obtained from developed well patterns. The rapid "water-out" characteristic common to both linear floods and floods conducted in developed well patterns was not evidenced in the isolated inverted five-spot. Instead, the wells continued to produce oil long after breakthrough until ultimate areal sweep efficiencies of four, five, and six hundred percent were obtained prior to the water-oil ratio becoming excessive.

Jan 1, 1962

By John B. Phillips

The mine is entered by a central vertical shaft, strongly timbered, and containing two compartments-one for the passenger cage, the other for the large skips bringing the ore to the surface. A man-way, for emergencies, is also provided, parallel to the shaft. The cage is a single-deck steel box, carrying about thirty persons; by means of arrangements above and below, it can also hoist and lower materials needed in the workings. Levels are run at intervals of 100 feet. In special cases, where the ore conditions warrant, sub-levels are operated, such as those at 1,113 feet and 1,123 feet (Fig. 7), which are connected by winzes with the 11 th level. One of these was pushed for 40 feet, and then abandoned because it was unprofitable to take up ore of the grade encountered. The ore between levels is removed by stoping. The drifts follow the course of the veins as much as possible, with numerous cross-cuts. Winzes, raises, connections, etc., are blasted out where needed. The main drifts are at least 8 ft. high by about 9 ft. wide. All former narrow drifts had to be widened sorne time ago, by ruling of the Ontario Department of Mines, to lessen the danger of accidents with cars in the small passages. Accurate plans of the under-ground workings are kept in the office, and extensive surveying is always being done underground to keep the maps up to date, measure the cubical contents of stopes, and so forth. Timber is extensively used in the construction of supports and chutes, and in the sinking of the shaft. Steel and concrete are too expensive to compete with timber, which 1s abundant in such sections as have escaped forest tires.

Jan 1, 1926

By D. A. Sloan

"THE FIRST COMMENTATOR that I will call on is Mr. W. G. (Bill) Brissenden, Vice-President, Mines, Noranda Mines Ltd. Bill, would you care to comment.W. G. BRISSENDEN ...Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I spent some time reading the four papers that were presented here, yesterday evening, and decided that the four to six minutes that I had been allotted for this afternoon were going to be pretty tough to meet. It's a very big subject and I just hope that I will be able to stay within my time limit. As has been so aptly demonstrated by the members of our panel here this afternoon young men in growing numbers continue to be attracted to careers in the mineral industry, especially to careers in mining engineering. Now from 80 the point of view that the profession may have regained its status this is indeed welcome news. However, perhaps all of the members seem to have the suspicion that the number of mining engineers that the industry can absorb is a much lower figure than previously forecast. It is said that technical school graduates are now occupying some of the jobs once considered the private preserve of the mining engineer and also that mining engineering undergraduates are having trouble locating summer employment. If these interpretations of mine are correct then we are now confronted not only with our old dilemma - whither the mining engineer - but also with an urgent need to solve it. We cannot allow our profession to become once again an undesirable one in the eyes of our youth because if we permit such a thing to happen a second time the profession may never recover."

Jan 1, 1972

By Robert S. Penczak

Red Lake Gold Deposits ? Descriptive Classification (modified from Pirie, 1982) VHR Au -- Volcanic-hosted (vein & wall-rock) replacement Au deposits ~93% of camp production Q-(T) Au -- Quartz-(tourmaline) vein Au deposits ~7% of camp production Quartz-sulphide Au deposits Porphyry-hosted sulphide Au deposits Current & Significant Past Producers Camp Production 21.6 M oz / 672 tonnes Au Other Deposits / Occurrences (Intermittent Exploration

Apr 1, 2005

By E. Krause

The oxidation of Fe(II) with S(IV) and oxygen can be used advantageously in leaching systems requiring both Fe(III) and sulfuric acid; e.g., heap leaching of sulfide-containing ores or concentrates. The oxidation of Fe(II) with SO2/air is several orders of magnitude faster than with air alone; rates of up to ?20 g/L'h were observed at 25°C. The reaction proceeds via an intermediate orange-red mixed-valence Fe(II)/Fe(III) sulfite complex, which is present at an essentially constant concentration throughout most of the oxidation process. The oxidation rate of Fe(II) is approximated by the formula -d[Fe(II)]/dt = k [S(IV)] [02]0'3. The concentration of the mixed-valence complex, and thus the iron oxidation rate, decreases with increasing acidity. Certain impurities, such as SCN- and thiourea, negatively affect the rate. The oxidation reaction 2Fe2 + SO2 + 02 4 2Fe3+ + S042- is accompanied by the side reaction H20 + SO2 + 1/202 4 H2SO4. The side reaction becomes particularly important at low temperatures and whenever the oxygen mass transfer is insufficient with respect to the rate of addition of S(IV). Thus, effective oxygen mass transfer is essential for achieving high oxidation rates with minimal acid formation. The activation energy was estimated as 141 kJ/mol over the temperature range 10-35°C.

Jan 1, 2006

By Michael Boyle, John Zeni

"The Blind shaft boring method is a mechanised process of excavating large diameter vertical shafts downward from the surface. It is a rotary drilling technique eliminating any requirement for personnel to enter the shaft or access underground workings during drilling and lining phases. Excavated material is delivered to surface carried by a flow of circulating fluid through the centre of drill rods. The drill assembly is suspended from a large A-frame rig and powerful winch at ground level providing vertical thrust to a hard rock cutter head. INTRODUCTION The Southern Coalfields Ventilation Shaft was constructed at a mine, 45 km north-west of Wollongong. The 5 m finished diameter (6.2 m drilled) shaft reaches a final drilled depth of 517 m, the deepest, fully lined blind bored vent shaft to date in Australia. Operated by a mining company in the Southern Coalfields, the expanding mine required a new ventilation shaft and associated surface infrastructure to service future operations. An assessment of future ventilation requirements for the coal seam operations identified a need to improve the capacity and reliability of the existing underground ventilation system in order to ensure a safe and efficient underground working environment. Installation of the new upcast ventilation shaft was determined to be the most cost effective and reliable solution to provide adequate ventilation for underground operations. The completed shaft is smooth and fully lined with steel/concrete composite liners that are hydrostatically sealed. The shaft lining is designed to meet the mine ventilation requirements for a service life of 20 years. The shaft intersects the top of the working section of the coal seam at approximately 513 m of depth. This includes the shaft collar depth and shaft bottom profiled intake section.PROJECT METHODOLOGY AND INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICE The shaft was drilled using the blind bore method, an innovative construction technique and an alternative to the traditional methods of sinking deep and large diameter shafts, such as raise boring and conventional drill and blast shaft sinking. The blind bore method allows the shaft to be drilled from the surface down without anyone having to enter the shaft or the mine during the construction process. This is by far the safest method of shaft construction and is especially suitable for difficult ground conditions where there may be unstable or water-charged strata. As this method involves drilling from the surface downward, shafts can be completed ahead of the underground mine development. Thus, allowing underground operations to focus on development and production without the conflicts of managing ventilation priority for underground contractors and mucking out spoil from excavation workings."

Jan 1, 2019

By J. D. Corbett

The spatial coincidence of the seven anomalies is obvious, even though the self-potential is offset northward. Because the ratio, as an indicator of conductivity, is a relative estimate at best, concise interpretation is limited in almost every instance to the location of a conductor or conductor axis. When related to the initial phase of an exploration program, magnitudes and ratios similar to those obtained from any one of the methods described, would be sufficiently attractive to warrant further investigation. The compilation shown is an empirical comparison of actual field results and no emphasis has intentionally been placed on the relative merits of one method in respect to another. Too many additional factors, i.e., size, depth and conductivity of overburden, etc., that cannot unequivocally be answered, enter into such a comparison before a relative evaluation can be made.

Jan 1, 1961

By E. Nejati, S. Khoshkooei, V. Firouzdor, M. Akbari, F. Khomamizadeh

In this study the effects of Si content on mechanical and thermal fatigue properties of Al-Si casting alloys were investigated. Repeated heating and cooling cycles were applied on the samples at 230°C to develop thermal fatigue cracks. Crack growth mechanisms and microstructural influences were investigated by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Thermal fatigue behaviors were improved successively by increasing of silicon content up to 7wt%. However, addition of more than 9wt% silicon decreased the thermal shock resistance of the alloy. Silicon contents of about 9wt% presented the best mechanical and thermal fatigue resistance in the alloy.

Jan 1, 2006

By A. G. Ballachey

Introduction This paper will describe the mining plant and underground operations at Quemont. Details of geology and milling are beyond its scope. Papers on these subjects will be prepared and presented separately. A detailed account of the exploration and development, 1944 to 1947, has been given by W. L. Brown (1). Location The mining concessions of Quemont Mining Corporation, Limited, are in Rouyn township, Rouyn-Noranda county, northwestern Quebec. These concessions total about 640 acres in area. They lie within the limits of the City of Noranda, contiguous to, and directly north of, the Horne mine of Noranda Mines, Limited. A large area in the southern part of the property is covered by the north arm of Osisko lake. Production The present operating rate is about 2,100 tons per day. Three flotation concentrates are produced: copper, containing a large proportion of the gold and silver in the ore; zinc; and pyrite, which carries an appreciable additional proportion of gold. The copper and zinc concentrates are shipped to smelters as produced. The pyrite concentrate is cyanided to recover additional gold, after which it is filtered, dried, and shipped for the manufacture of sulphuric acid. The principal revenue metals are copper, gold, and zinc. Silver and pyrite are important by-products.

Jan 1, 1952