Search Documents

By Chantale Doucet

L?utilisation du remblai en pâte dans les exploitations en vrac est de plus en plus importante. Puisque la technologie existe pour fabriquer du remblai en pâte sans construire une usine coûteuse, il est maintenant possible d?élargir le domaine d?utilisation du remblai en pâte pour y inclure des gisements filoniens où le besoin annuel de remblai est moindre. Dans certains cas, l?utilisation du remblai en pâte pourrait permettre de réaliser d?importantes économies telles que la réduction de la dilution, la stabilité des ouvertures, la récupération d?une plus grande partie du minerai par la réduction de la taille des piliers et l?entreposage de moins de résidus à la surface. L?ampleur des économies est parfois difficile à chiffrer mais il est tout de même important d?en tenir compte lors de la décision d?utiliser du remblai en pâte puisque ce sont souvent ces économies qui seront déterminantes. Différentes méthodes d?extraction avec remblai en pâte appliquées aux mines filoniennes seront présentées. Des défis et les solutions reliés à l?utilisation du remblai en pâte à la Mine Doyon seront discutés.

Oct 1, 2001

By T. W. Wlodek

"AbstractThe results of research into the fatigue properties of SAE 1080 carbon steel and nickel-chromium-molylbdenum steel for mining drill rods are analysed and described in detail.The effect of water corrosion on the fatigue strength of drill rods of these two steels in the as-rolled condition has ,been investigated and the beneficial influence of shot-peening on their dry and water-corrosion fatigue strengths determined by employing the method developed previously (1).Eight S-N curves for as-rolled and shot-peened mining drill rods under both dry and water corrosion conditions have been derived and their shape and relative position are discussed. The main features relating to field performance of the drill rods are analysed.Purpose of Research and Outline of ProgrammeDRILLING holes in rock and ore by means of drill rods attached to a pneumatic drill is a basic procedure required in mining operations. Detonation of explosives placed in these holes is at present the only practical method of breaking down the rock and ore.A drilling rod is supported by its bit end in the drilled rock. Its shank end, fixed in the drilling machine, transmits impact energy to the cutting edges of the bit. On the field performance of the drill rod depend a number of basic mining operations such as sinking, drifting, and stoping. The drill rod is there-fore regarded as one of the most important tools used in the mining industry."

Jan 1, 1952

By T. Iwasaki

This paper points out two key elements in resource trade in general and the Canada-Japan relationship in particular. The first is that the advanced countries have a more important role than one would expect in the supply of resources in world trade. Canada 's dual role as a major resource supplier in conjunction with an advanced economy will continue to increase. The second point is the heavy reliance on foreign resource supplies in some advanced economies, particularly in Japan. Finally, as regard the future of the Canada-Japan economic relationship, particularly .in resource development, it is suggested that trade could be enhanced by an accelerated exchange of various types of resources between the two countries. These include natural resource commodities as well as the more abstract capital, technological and human resources.

Jan 1, 1978

By H. V. Kinsey

"IntroductionTITANIUM is probably the most widely publicized metal today. Much has been written, both in the lay press and the technical press, about its properties and potentialities. In view of the fact that Canada possesses large quantities of titanium-bearing ore, and could conceivably become a major producer of metallic titanium, it was felt that a paper dealing mainly with the physical metallurgy of titanium would be of interest to this Institute. This paper is concerned chiefly with the useful properties of titanium and its alloys and the fundamentals governing the modification of its properties by alloying.Physical Properties of TitaniumTitanium belongs to a family of metals that have been termed 'gas sensitive' (I), because their mechanical properties are altered by certain gases which they readily absorb and retain. Other metals of this group are zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, columbium, tantalum, and chromium. Titanium has a strong affinity for oxygen and nitrogen and once it has absorbed these gases they cannot be removed either by melting in vacuum or by any degassing agent. These gases, when present in excess of about half a per cent oxygen plus nitrogen, render the metal brittle and useless as a structural material.Some of the typical physical properties of titanium are listed in Table I along with those of common structural metals for comparison."

Jan 1, 1953

By D. Kong, A. Klyashtorin, L. McGilp, I. Wilson

This work reports on applying iron oxide coated sands media in an experimental permeable reactive barrier to remove uranium species from uranium containing water. A field experiment was conducted at the legacy Gunnar uranium mine & mill site that was abandoned in the 1960s with limited to no decommissioning. The flooded Gunnar mine pit presently contains about 3.2 million m3 of water contaminated by dissolved U (1.2 mg/l), Ra-226 (0.4 Bq/l), and minor concentrations of other contaminants (As, Se, etc.). The water is seeping over the pit rim into Lake Athabasca posing environmental and health concerns. Iron oxide coated sands can be used to immobilize uranium species through an adsorption process. Methods for preparation of hydrous ferric oxide sorbents and their supported forms onto silica sands are described. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and powder X-ray diffraction (pXRD) were used to characterize the physical-chemical properties of the sorbent. The monolayer uranium uptake capacity (Qm) was estimated through the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Adsorption kinetic experiments were performed in a lab environment before moving to a field trial. Based on these lab results and the input on field-scale appropriate geometries, a pilot permeable reactive barrier was fabricated and a field test conducted near the Gunnar pit in June 2019. This pilot test provided technical data and information needed for designing a full-scale permeable barrier based on the iron oxide coated sands, which may be applied for in-situ water treatment at Gunnar and other legacy uranium sites.

Jan 1, 2020

By Rejean Gagnon, Fernand Rochefort

"Haulage costs, in most operations, represent a large portion of total cost. Quebec Cartier Mining Company came to the conclusion t hat an electric trolley assist providing more horsepower than available from dieselgenerator sets presented the best oppor tunity for improvement. Accordingly, a testing and development program was carried out which resulted in the design, installat ion and application of a practical system. This paper describes the development of the system, the equipment used as well as the actual operation. A projection is also made to indicate further improvement in productivity. A comparison is made of truck operating data before and after activation of the trolley assist system in order to determine its economic impact."

Jan 1, 1972

By Muhammad Zaka Emad

ABSTRACT: Sublevel stoping mining methods with delayed backfill employs cemented rockfill (CRF) as a backfill material. It is used in underground mines to achieve ground control and reduce wall slough. In addition CRF serves to reduce development waste and provides a working surface for mining the upper levels. Efforts to optimize CRF practices have been published. This paper presents a detailed review of CRF practices in open stoping mining systems with reference to case studies. A new methodology is suggested in a simple stepwise approach, which can be adopted for site specific conditions. The need of laboratory testing and quality control program is discussed based on the published literature.

May 1, 2013

By John R. Goode

"This paper reviews options for the separation of a mixture of rare earth elements (REE) into its component elements. Earlier separations used selective chemistry such as double salt precipitation and reductive/oxidative processes – methods that still have a place in the industry. Fractional crystallization was developed for more complete separations of adjacent REE. The latter method was replaced by ion exchange (IX), which was in turn replaced by solvent extraction (SX). Two main SX chemistries are in use, solvation and cation exchangers, with several variants (mixed solvents, ionic liquids, etc.) now under investigation. SX plant configurations have evolved including advanced techniques like “hyperlinking”, novel saponification methods, and alternative stripping techniques. The classic mixer-settler is the most commonly employed device although centrifugal contactors have been pilot-tested. Non-dispersive SX options including microfluidic devices and membrane-assisted SX techniques are being developed and could revolutionize the SX option. Other REE separation techniques now being studied include Molecular Recognition Technology (MRT), Free Flow Electrophoresis (FFE), newer IX systems, and electrolytic processes. Additionally, the classical crystallization and selective precipitation methods and newer bacteria-mediated processes, chloride volatilization, high performance liquid chromatography, and magnetic separation systems have been studied. This paper reviews the options and concludes that conventional SX is the technology of choice but viable alternatives could be demonstrated and acceptable within a couple of years.INTRODUCTIONThe chemical properties of the individual REE are very similar which is why REE minerals and ore deposits almost invariably contain a mixture of all fifteen REE, i.e., La to Lu plus Y. That said, the distribution of REE in a given deposit is frequently dominated by the light REE (LREE, i.e., La to Nd). Examples include the Bayan Obo, Mianning, Lynas Mt. Weld, and Molycorp Mountain Pass deposits where heavy REE (HREE – Sm to Lu and Y) typically account for well under 5% of the REE content. The LREE operations produce some HREE but the main sources of these important elements are the ionic clay deposits of Southern China. Importantly, all of the REE recovery operations referenced above, except for cerianite-bearing ionic clay deposits, initially produce a mixed REE precipitate or calcine with a REE distribution similar to that in the ore (Goode, 2016). However, the consumers of the REE, the manufacturers of magnets, phosphors, catalysts, optical glass, etc., require separated products with purities generally ranging from 99% to as high as 99.9999% depending on the element in question and the end use. Hence there is a need to separate the individual REE one from the other. This paper is intended to review the options."

Jan 1, 2016

By S. Malopheyev, I. Vysotskiy, R. Kaibyshev, S. Mironov

"In this work, the effect of pre-strain rolling on the annealing behavior of friction-stir welded 6061-T6 aluminum alloy was studied. To this end, the as-welded material was rolled to 10 or 20 pct. of thickness reduction prior to the standard post-weld T6 heat treatment. Three rolling directions were the 3-mm thick sheet were considered: along the welding direction, perpendicular to the welding direction, and at the angle of 45° to the welding direction. At relatively low pre-strains (10 pct.), the annealing behavior was found to be very sensitive to the rolling path, and rolling along the welding direction was most effective in suppressing abnormal grain growth. On the other hand, increasing the pre-strains to 20 pct. of thickness reduction inhibited abnormal grain growth irrespective of the rolling path.INTRODUCTION Heat-treatable wrought Al-Mg-Si alloys are widely used due to attractive combination of strength, ductility, excellent corrosion resistance and low cost (Polmear, 2006). To provide the optimal balance of mechanical properties, these materials are typically commercially available in appropriately work- and precipitation-hardened conditions (Polmear, 2006). During conventional fusion welding, however, the prior strengthening effect is totally lost due to elimination of the work hardened structure and dissolution of the strengthening precipitations. An innovative friction-stir welding (FSW) technology may partially overcome this problem. Due to the solid-state character of this process, which involves very large strains, the welded material is characterized by fine-grained microstructure with moderate-to-high dislocation density, and thus the prior work hardening effect may be preserved or even enhanced (Threadgill et al., 2009; Mishra & Ma, 2005). However, heat input associated with FSW inevitably leads to dissolution and/or coarsening of strengthening precipitates, thus giving rise to the undesirable material softening. In an attempt to restore the strength of the friction-stir welded material, the standard T6 post-weld heat treatment has been applied, but this approach was found to lead to abnormal grain growth (Malopheyev et al., 2016; Mironov, 2013, Mironov et al., 2015)."

Jan 1, 2018

By Victor Azbe

Introduction Lime enters our daily life in many ways. Our building, chemical, agricultural, sanitary, and industrial endeavours depend on it to such a great extent that it could probably be called the most important inorganic chemical, and the extent to which it is used might be considered an index of industrial development. Industrial limes vary greatly in quality, due to internal structure and other characteristics. They may be good or bad, sensitive or slow to react. While improper manufacture may not greatly alter the appearance of the lime, it may affect its properties considerably and thus its suitability in the many processes in which lime is used. In some of the processes, one kind of lime is wanted, in others another. While the nature of the stone from which it is made has much to do with whether a lime is suitable or not, its burning and hydration are the crux of the matter. Up to not so many years ago, the knowledge of lime burning was rather imperfect and it is only relatively recently that its manufacture is approaching the state of a higher industrial art. This slow development was in part due to lime manufacture being scattered among many small concerns who, independently, either lacked the inclination or could not afford to strive for a higher technical development.

Jan 1, 1946

By Ahmad Ghahremaninezhad, Rebecca Radzinski

Arsenic is a highly toxic compound that is naturally found in the environment and is released through the processing of sulphide minerals. Arsenate (As5+) is less toxic than arsenite (As3+) and is soluble in water but can form insoluble precipitates when metal ions are present. The arsenic removal processes used in industry assume that arsenic is in its pentavalent state. Hydrogen peroxide can be employed to oxidize arsenite; however, it is expensive. It has been shown that activated carbon can be used to catalyze the oxidation of arsenite with oxygen as the only consumed reagent at ambient conditions with an efficiency of 99% in less than 24 hours. The mechanism which oxidizes arsenite is not yet understood; however, this study shows that a strong oxidizing agent is formed in-situ. The species and amount of oxidant formed were determined via iodimetric titration and electrochemical methods. The production of oxidant was optimized by comparing the amount of oxidant formed in-situ to the relative amount of arsenite oxidized.

Jan 1, 2015

By R. F. Favreau, L. C. Lang

"In modern blasting technology blasts are designed and analysed on an energy-mass-time relationship. The energy of the explosive is derived by computer analysis and the work potential of the available energy is expressed in numerical values. The mass involved in the blast is determined by the geometry of the blast and by the rock density. Time is also a relevant parameter, because time is required to complete the three basic stages of the breakage process.For successful application of the blasting parameters the basic mechanism of the breakage process must be understood.The physical-mechanical properties of the rock, local structural geology and the thermodynamic properties of the explosives can be brought together to create a computer model of a blast with which it is possible to predict separately the results of each parameter and to express the predicted degree of change in any parameter by actual numbers.A long-range project has started to create a ""bank"" of rock properties for as many Canadian and foreign mines as possible. A computer model has been successfully applied to predicting the effect of varying the ratio of spacing to burden at constant rock volume and significantly improved results are achieved, as the S/B ratio is increased up to about 2 to 2.5.High-speed photography has been applied to determine the time that has elapsed between zero time and the beginning of movement of the mass. The results assist in determining minimum and optimum delay time required for multiple-row blasting.The approach as described in the paper is now well proven and is clearly superior to previous methods based on powder factors and human assessment."

Jan 1, 1972

By Chuan-Jian Zhong

Gold-based nanoparticles in the size range of a few nm have attracted increasing interests in catalysis, sensors and biomedical applications. The study of the unique catalytic properties of nanosized gold was inspired by the pioneering work of Haruta on the nanogold-catalyzed CO oxidation (1-4). There have been a number of excellent reports discussing both fundamental and application aspects of gold nanoparticles in catalysis (3-8). Our work reported herein is aimed at investigating the preparation and application of gold and its alloy nanoparticles for potential applications in fuel cell catalysis. Fuel cells operating by electrochemical oxidation of hydrogen or methanol fuels at the anode and reduction of oxygen at the cathode are attractive power sources due to their high conversion efficiencies, low pollution, lightweight and high power density. While methanol offers the advantage of easy storage and transportation in comparison with hydrogen fuel cell, its energy density (~2000 Wh/kg) and operating cell voltage (0.4 V) are much lower than the theoretical energy density (~6000 Wh/kg) and the thermodynamic potential (~1.2 V). The poor activity of the anode catalysts and inefficient activity or issue related to "methanol cross-over" at the cathode electrode are associated with the loss of about one-third of the available energy at the cathode and the other one-third at the anode. Extensive studies have been focused on Pt-group metals (Pt+Pd+Rh+Ru+Ir (PGM)) for both anode and cathode catalysts. A major problem is the poisoning of Pt by COlike intermediate species (9,10). Recently, oxide-supported gold nanoparticles in the <10 nm size range have emerged as one of the best catalysts for CO oxidation (1-3,11), and for water gas shift reaction in reforming stage using 5 nm Au on Fe2O3 (6). Gold and its alloy with other metals in the nanosize range present new alternatives (2,12). Whether the unique properties of gold nanoparticles can be exploited for addressing these problems is a focus area of our work. The ability to harness the large surface area-to-volume ratios and the unique surface sites of nanoparticles in <10 nm size range, especially in heterogeneous catalysis, constitutes a major driving force in fundamental research and practical applications of nanoparticle catalysts. It is this size range over which the metal particles undergo a transition from atomic to metallic properties. The understanding of factors controlling the morphological and surface reconstitution associated with such a size range is of fundamental importance to the ultimate exploration of nanostructured catalysts. We have been investigating the interfacial structures and properties of core-shell types of nanoparticles consisting of gold or alloy nanocrystal cores and organic monolayer shells that were prepared by twophase synthesis (13) and processing (14) protocols. Important attributes of such nanoparticles include controllable size monodispersity, processibility, and stability towards size- and composition-tunable catalysis (15-21). Some of these attributes were studied for understanding their electrocatalytic properties in the oxidation of methanol and reduction of oxygen, which are of fundamental interest to fuel cell technology.

Oct 1, 2003

By S. Caron

From the early 70?s, ?Centre de Recherche Minérale? (CRM) has conducted and co-ordinated Research and Development activities for the mineralurgical and metallurgical industries. Since 1999, CRM has continued its mandate through COREM which is a consortium of 13 members that uses the benefits and advantages of collaborative pre-competitive industry / university research. In particular, COREM?s ?In-Situ Optimization Group? is involved in the implementation of modern optimization and control tools. The POP Project was launched in order to increase and consolidate the use of modern optimization and control tools and methods for mineralurgical and metallurgical processes. To ensure a successful transfer in the industry, there are a number of essential activities that have to be undertaken. These activities have been identified by COREM?s members and are grouped into three main modules: - R&D Module: Research and Development in universities, research centres and other partners; - Technology Transfer Module: integration of new tools and methods into the POP Software, industrial applications and technical support; - Training Module: education of new engineers in universities, continuing education of plant personnel through on-site workshops and resource networking by specific information exchange tools. This paper outlines the opportunities that led to the definition of the POP Project and describes its main modules. The main features of the POP Software are presented, the first application is described and finally, future developments are discussed.

May 1, 2001

By I. M. Gordon

"INTRODUCTIONThe Hollinger tailing disposal plant is situated about 1 1/4 miles south of the mill. The area available for tailing covers 620 acres and is roughly 1 ¼ miles long by ¾ mile wide.Tailing was first deposited on the northeast section of the present site. This section, 1 mile long by ~ mile wide, sloped from northeast to southwest, the slope amounting to 106 feet between the northeast corner and the low land to the south west. The low land was wet and a considerable area was covered with muskeg up to 17 feet deep. It was drained by a creek running across the property in a southwesterly direction. Later, when more ground was needed, the low lying mining claims adjacent to the south and west boundaries were acquired to allow for expansion of the plant. This entailed some extra difficulties and expense that would not have been necessary had the whole of the present site been acquired with the original purchase.At the conclusion of milling, May 7, 1968, the site contains nearly 56 million tons of tailing. The top of the deposit is from 70 to 90 feet above the original low lying ground along the northwest, west and south boundaries."

Jan 1, 1969

By Edward (Ted) R. Lord

The application of thickened/paste tailings for surface disposal has been practiced for many years but has recently started to gain wider international acceptance. With tailings ponds coming under increasing environmental scrutiny, there is growing momentum towards mine/tailings plans that greatly reduce the size or even eliminate tailings ponds completely. This paper provides examples from the author&apos;s own experiences of the application of thickened/paste tailings for surface disposal in different countries, under different climatic conditions and in different industries. The paper will also comment on current research initiatives and future trends.

May 1, 2001

By W. Holdsworth

The flotation mill of Dentonia Mines, Limited, at Greenwood, B.C., went into operation on April 20th, 1934, and by October 11th a total of 15,000 tons of ore had been treated. It is intended in this paper to describe briefly the operation and to give some of the operating data which have been gathered. The metallic minerals in the Dentonia ore are pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, and, occasionally, native gold, and the gangue includes chloritic material, vein quartz, and calcite. Pyrite makes up about 90 per cent of the metallic content of the ore, in which it is disseminated as irregular grains and well-formed cubes. An average analysis of the ore is: gold, 0.27 oz. per ton; silver, 1.73 oz. per ton; copper, 0.12 per cent; lead, 0.31 per cent; and zinc, trace. From the mine ore-bin, situated near the portal of the tunnel at the mine, the ore is hauled by motor truck to the mill, a distance of three-quarters of a mile, and there dumped into the receiving bin, which has a capacity of fifty tons. The hauling is done during one eight-hour shift, commencing at 7 a.m. The maximum size of the ore fed to the mill-bin is ten inches. Lumps larger than this are broken by sledge hammer to pass through grizzly bars, spaced ten inches apart, installed above the bin. The ore is drawn from the bin by a 30-inch, 6-ply conveyor belt, 18 feet 6 inches long. In the near future, when the cross-cut tunnel is completed, the ore will be trammed to the receiving bin. This will effect a considerable saving in cost. At the same time, the bin will be set back several feet, so that the length of the conveyor belt may be doubled. This will make efficient ore-sorting possible, and so ensure a minimum of waste rock in the mill feed.

Jan 1, 1935

By D. R. Derry

This paper up-dates an earlier paper by the author on the rate of new Canadian mineral discoveries and the exploration methods which were principally responsible for these finds. He concludes that the ratio of exploration expenditure to production value must be increased if we are to provide sufficient new reserves for the future.

Jan 1, 1970

By Zhiye Zhao, Jianping Sun, Zhipeng Xu

"The subsea rock cavern project is an underground storage facility. For cost-effective and safe excavation, the risk caused by the groundwater seepage into the rock cavern must be addressed. As one of the essential steps of the assessment work, the hydraulic conductivities of the fractured rock masses should be reliably determined based on the limited measured data and geological information from the few boreholes. On the basis of site investigation data and monitored water flow and water pressure data during excavation, this paper presents an estimation method for hydraulic conductivities of the rock masses containing water bearing zones.INTRODUCTIONIn the development of underground rock caverns/tunnels, the uncertainty of hydro-geological conditions plays a critical role in terms of construction cost and construction safety. Excessive groundwater seepage has been identified as one of the key safety factors which always lead to vast loss, such as the Seikan Tunnel in Japan which encountered sudden water inflow and then catastrophic face collapsing, tunnel flood during excavation (Xu et al., 2013). As a key factor in the risk management associated with the groundwater leakage into rock cavern, the hydraulic conductivity determination is very important for cost estimation, reliable water control and construction management.The case presented in this paper is an underground project consisted of a cluster of rock caverns/tunnels for storage of hydrocarbon products. These caverns are located in heterogeneous sedimentary bedrock, at a depth of 130 m beneath a basin, and the crowns of caverns are located at about 100 m below the sea bottom. The caverns/tunnels are designed at two levels, the water curtain tunnels are at the upper level, and oil storage caverns are at the lower level, as shown in Figure 1. A number of horizontal and vertical water injection holes drilled from the upper water curtain gallery tunnel will establish continuous horizontal and vertical water curtains for providing a stable pressure distribution around the caverns, to keep oil/gas inside the lower storage caverns. As the hydrostatic pressure of groundwater around the storage caverns is higher than the pressure of stored oil and gas, the stored oil and gas will not leak out of the cavern (Lu, 2010; Xu et al., 2015). Groundwater pressure gauges are installed in the water curtain gallery tunnels, and water from the operational and access tunnels is injected continuously into the curtains to maintain the pressure. Some monitoring data are recorded at different construction stages. This paper proposes suitable methods to predict the hydraulic conductivity in rock mass and to determine the hydraulic conductivity in the water bearing zones."

Jan 1, 2015

By Owen Matthews

Introduction For the past year and a half, the mill of Cochenour Willans Gold Mines, Limited, McKenzie Island, Ontario has been roasting arsenopyrite-gold concentrates, prior to cyanidation, by means of a roaster employing techniques that are new and novel. The roaster is known as the Dorrco &apos;fluo-solids reactor&apos;, and the technique as &apos;fluidization&apos;. The reactor has demonstrated its ability to roast a flotation concentrate containing arsenopyrite, pyrite, stibnite, small quantities of other sulphides, and some lime silicates and carbonates, yielding a calcine consisting mainly of porous iron oxide, plus the gold values. This calcine is readily amenable to cyanidation. Bulk shipments of concentrates to a distant custom smelter, as practised prior to this installation, has thus been eliminated, with appreciable savings in smelting charges, freight costs, and interest losses during shipment and smelting. This is the pioneer installation of fluo-solids roasting at a Canadian mill and up to the present performance results have not been published. It is the purpose of this paper to present the information now available for the benefit of other millmen who may be confronted with identical or similar problems to those encountered and solved at Cochenour Willans.

Jan 1, 1949