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By C. A. Pickles, D. K. Xia

"In the last few decades, microwave energy has been widely employed in food processing, rubber and plastics curing, and in ceramic sintering. Recently, the application of micro waves as an energy source in extractive metallurgy has received considerable attention from a number of researchers. During the period from the mid-1960s to about 1988, the majority of the research was focussed on the behaviour of materials in microwave radiation. These research activities will continue to be important, since fundamental data on the interaction of microwaves with materials are vital for the successful application of the technology. Since1990, a number of potential applications of microwave processing have been investigated.These include: pretreatment of ores and concentrates, leaching, reduction, preheating of refractories, heating of slags and waste treatment. In this paper, the interaction of micro -waves with materials of interest in extractive metallurgy are reviewed and potential applications are discussed.IntroductionMicrowaves were first used in 1946 for the heating of materials, shortly after radar equipment was invented during the second world war. It was evident that microwaves were very effective for heating water and the technology was quickly adopted for drying and cooking. Since the introduction of the first microwave oven by Raytheon in 1952, many millions of domestic microwave ovens have been sold annually (National Research Council,1994; Atomic Energy of Canada and Voss Associates Engineering, 1990).In extractive metallurgy, microwaves are in the early stages of development (National Research Council, 1994; Atomic Energy of Canada and Voss Associates, 1990; McGill and Walkiewicz, 1987; Bradhurst and Worner, 1990;Peng et al., 1993). However, there are several reasons for the growing interest in the use of this technology in the field of metals extraction. These include the following potential advantages of microwaves: (1) rapid and selective heating of materials; (2) reactions can be catalyzed because the heating occurs on a molecular or atomic level; (3) clean and controllable energy source; (4) the gas volume is reduced and the atmosphere can be controlled as there are no gaseous combustion products; (5) the material is heated internally in comparison to external heating with conventional methods; (6)the temperature of the refractory can be minimized; and (7) the working environment is improved."

Jan 1, 1997

By P. Chaddock

The Thompson Mill has a capacity of 15,000 T ID of ore and produces two grades of nickel concentrate, copper concentrate and occasionally graphite concentrate. Up to July of 1985 we processed two distinct ore types: T-1 ore, averaging 2. 8% Ni and . 2% Cu and Pipe Open Pit ore, averaging . 8% Ni associated with peridotite and serpentine. Presently our ores from T-1 mine and Thompson Open Pit are of the same type and are processed together. (Figure 1)! n October, 1982, we decided to install an Outokumpu Courier 300 on-stream analyser on an initial 6 streams. The equipment was delivered to the mill on May 2, 1983 and the first analyses were generated by June 17th. The calibrations were 35% complete by the mid-July summer shutdown and were completed in the fall. 1. 2 Analyser Slurry Feed System:The key to successful on-stream analysis is delivery of the sample streams to the analyser.Our system uses pressure-thief sampling for collection. (Figure 2) Initially we used thief samplers modelled after the Outokumpu design, with turbulence bars upstream of the collection point. These units have been replaced with simple laterals as they have worn out. Our thief samplers are mounted vertically on pump discharges and we believe sufficient turbulence exists to ensure representative sampling.

Jan 1, 1987

By W. Greg Maybee

Separations, which form along stratigraphic boundaries in the roofs of potash mines, pose a serious safety concern. If these separations go undetected they can lead to falls of ground. The current method of identifying the location and extent of these separations is through manual scaling (sounding) using an aluminium rod. The potash mining companies would like to have a tool, which could quickly and reliably detect these separations and distinguish between them and clay seams. This paper presents the results of field trials undertaken at various potash mines in Saskatchewan belonging to the member companies of the Saskatchewan Potash Producers Association. A ground penetrating radar instrument from RST called SUSI (stepped frequency, ultra-wideband, synthetic aperture radar instrument) was used. SUSI has the ability of working over various frequency bandwidths. Four mines were chosen for these field trials, covering the different geological characteristics encountered in the Saskatchewan potash mines: Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan?s (PCS) Allan and Lanigan Divisions, Agrium?s Vanscoy Potash Operations and IMC Potash?s K2 Mine. These field trials indicated that stepped frequency ground penetrating radar technology could be ?tuned? to identify both separations and clay stratigraphy in the softrock, potash mine environment, based on the different spectral responses of the features.

May 1, 2004

By Marco A. Vera

"This paper investigates the froth function in flotation and the associated upgrading process. Flotation literature has revealed that one of the main functions of the froth phase is the cleaning of bubble-particle aggregates by rejection of entrained material. The cleaning and transport processes across the froth phase exert straining forces on these aggregates on their way up to the froth surface. These forces will impact on the recovery of bubble-particle aggregates.The grade at the top of the froth (TOF) is a parameter related to the quality of particles collected by bubbles in the pulp zone (true flotation). It has recently been demonstrated that TOF corresponds to the maximum practically attainable grade described by the recovery-grade (or enrichment ratio) curve. TOF lumps all the processes experienced by the bubble-particle aggregates before reaching the launder concentrate. This paper describes a methodology for quantifying flotation performance by means of the top of the froth sample - a touch of froth.INTRODUCTIONFroth flotation may be the most important mineral processing technique, but its theory is complex and is not completely understood even though many aspects have been studied and reviewed (Teague, 1998; Wills, 1992).Two distinct particulate systems prevail in the flotation process: a pulp phase and a froth phase (Figure 1). The pulp zone had been studied extensively; however, it is only recently that techniques to measure the froth zone performance have been developed (Contini et al., 1988; Falutsu and Dobby, 1992; Feteris et al., 1987; Seaman, 2002; Vera et al., 1999b).Flotation involves a number of mass transfer processes, occurring in the pulp phase and the froth phase. The formation of the froth and its subsequent removal are considered to be two important steps of the process. Phenomena that occur in the froth phase are known to affect flotation performance significantly (Cutting et al., 1981).Because the froth has a high free surface energy (as a result of the extensive interfacial surface between liquid and air), it appears thermodynamically unstable. The foaming is a dynamic balance, as new bubbles are added continuously from the pulp, while others disappear from the top. Under steady-state conditions, the volumes of added and subtracted air are equal (Booth, 1953)."

Jan 1, 2003

By M. Sharafodin, A. A. Hassanipak

Abstract - The essential aims of additional borehole drilling are to improve the reliability of grade and tonnage estimates in each reserve class and to increase ore tonnages. The "GET" function presented in this paper considers strategies for achieving both of these goals simultaneously, and therefore is advantageous for selecting sites for additional boreholes. The "GET" function is either a linear or a non-linear product of three variables G, E, and T: f(G,E,T,) = G??E??T??where the values of any or all of the exponents ?, ?, and ??may differ from unity at the discretion of the user. G and E are the average estimated block grade and the average estimation error for ore blocks in one vertical column, and T is the compounded ore thickness within the column. To illustrate its utility, the GET function has been used for determination of the most advantageous sites for additional drilling in the Shah-Kuh Pb-Zn deposit in west central Iran.

Jan 1, 2004

By G. Shore

Radiation grafted structures my be fabricated to contain ion exchange groups selective to an ion complex. Proper choice of substrate and monomer will provide selective ion exchange with differing physico and chemical properties. Grafting a selected monomer to the proper polymer will provide selective ion exchange with assured chemical protection of the substrate. Ion exchange systems utilizing radiation grafted structures have been fabricated to ''capture'' gold, silver and palladium from dilute solutions. Other ion exchange systems can feasibly be produced to remove other precious metals. Rotating Cathode Technology is used to recover the metals from their regenerating solutions are pure metal foil.

Jan 1, 1985

By Tim Edwards, Richard Triglavcanin, Ian Arbuthnot, Darren Colwell, Brad Garraway, Ken Roberts

"In the mineral processing industries, there is an increasing need to design thickeners which are able to produce high density underflows usually referred to as “paste”.The behaviour of a flocculated suspension in compression needs to be well understood in order to arrive at a reliable thickener tank configuration (i.e. diameter, cone angle and depth) for a required paste result.As a suspension approaches paste consistency, it’s fluid characteristics change markedly. It develops a high yield stress, and may have an increased tendency to form agglomerates, which lead to a phenomenon known as “rotating beds”, “donuts”, or “islands”. These characteristics present challenges to the designer of the rake mechanism.The subject paper addresses the requirements for designing a paste thickener, covering the following topics:o Testwork for thickener sizingo Design of rake mechanismso Suspension rheology and effect on designo Case studiesTESTWORK AND SIZING FOR PASTE THICKENERSThickening slurries to the maximum possible density (paste) is becoming increasingly common. Applications such as Autoclave feed thickeners, paste backfill and some counter current washing (CCD) circuits are all examples of potential paste thickening applications. The principle of paste thickeners is that the compression zone is much deeper than on either high rate (HRT) or high compression (HCT) units; generally 3 metres or more. As the compression zone gets deeper, theunderflow density for a given flux rate (tph/m2) increases, as a result of two factors:1. Longer bed settling time. Settling flocs move relative to one another and release interstitial fluid when they are in compression. Increasing bed residence time achieves higher density underflow as more fluid is removed.2. The nett weight of the bed creates a compressive force on the settling flocs. This force increases with depth, so that the flocs at the bottom of the bed experience the highest compressive force. This represents the driving force to expel interstitial fluid and hence increase bed density."

Jan 1, 2005

By Ian D. Pirie

Presentation outline ?Project location ?Geology ?Resources and reserves ?Results of the FEED study ?Social and environmental considerations ?Project path forward

May 1, 2010

By J. P. Sancho, J. M. Duart, J. I. Verdeja, J. O. García

Following a short review of the history of rails used in the transport of passengers and goods, this paper describes the process for rail fabrication, rail structure, and properties, and summarizes the fatigue test curves carried out on rails used today. Also reported is the process for “continuous rail” production using aluminothermic welding via the introduction of weld metal in onsite casting, as a homogeneous melt. Weld characteristics of aluminothermic welding using different preheating procedures—fusion zone, heat-affected zone, microstructure, hardness, slow bend test, and fatigue test resistance (Wöhler curves)—are related to preheating and welding procedures of 700, 900, and 1,100 MPA rail grades. The Locati method is preferred over the staircase method for ascertaining the fatigue limit due to its simplicity. Macrographic and metallographic inspection of broken specimens reveals the reliability of welding techniques and the good metallurgical quality of welds.

Jan 1, 2007

By F. Halverson

"The theory of flocculation usually is in a state of flux, involves many diverse phenomena, and is complex and sometimes contradictory in details. Instead of attempting a general discourse, I shall discuss selected observations made at our Stamford Laboratories, which impinge on theoretical aspects in two somewhat distinct areas of flocculation. Since some of you many not be familiar with flocculation, and :.n order that we all attach the same meaning to the jargon used, I first would like to review briefly a generalized picture of what goes on.Assume we have a suspension of particles in water, with a distribution in the sizes of particles. The surfaces of the particles interact to some extent with the water--· tending to alter the extent of hydration, may generate some ion exchange, all being somewhat variable with time--developing a surface condition which is very complex in details. We refer to this suspension as the ""substrate.""In the usual situation, if the suspension is allowed to stand quietly, the large particles settle out first, with somewhat smaller particles settling more slowly, and then there is a portion of very fine material which takes a long time or doesn't settle out at all. This resistance to settling t~ the very fine particles results from many factors, but all relate back to the size and density of the particles, to their surface properties, and to the other components in the aqueous suspending medium."

Jan 1, 1978

By Barnard Foo

Topics of Discussion ?Location ?Production & Mining Operation ?Mineralization ?Mining Method ?Rock Mechanics Issues ?Ground Control Problems ?Numerical Analysis ?RockmassBehaviour ?Conclusions & Recommendations ?Discussion

Feb 1, 2008

By Patrick Pelletier, Pierre-Alexandre Bossé, Julie Fournier, Gianni Bartolacci, Jayson Tessier, Ahmed Bouajila, Carl Duchesne

"This paper summarizes research into the study of the control of flotation processes based on froth images. The use of numerical image analysis techniques for the extraction of significant patterns (froth structure and colour) from industrial flotation froths is discussed.First, the froth was analysed by the use of the Multivariate Image Analysis (MIA) method to extract the spectral variation contained in a RBG image. The Partial Least Squares (PLS) was applied to develop the empirical model for the prediction of froth grade. The results of this application are illustrated using one industrial case study.Second, the froth was also analysed by Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) and Wavelet Transform Analysis (WTA) to extract features related more to morphological aspects. Since there is useful information hidden in froth texture, these methods are used as texture descriptor to classify different types of froths.Third, a control strategy based on a froth structure indicator was developed and implemented on an industrial zinc flotation circuit. The feedback controller uses a reagent flow-rate in order to maintain the froth structure at its set point. Process improvements obtained with the implemented control strategy are highlighted.Finally, the feasibility to implement a hybrid control strategy consisting in a froth structure supervision controller based on the froth concentrate grade estimated by MIA and recovery inferred by image analysis is discussed.INTRODUCTIONThe development of control strategies to achieve satisfactory control performance has always been a great challenge for engineers and the need for improved process diagnosis, control and optimization has become more and more evident for the mineral processing industry in the last decades. That is why new process variables need to be measured particularly in highly multivariable processes such as flotation. This industrial process is subject to a wide variety of disturbances mainly generated by frequent and sometimes abrupt changes in physical and/or chemical ore characteristics and also, due to some irregularities in manual process operating procedures. A flotation circuit scheme is always a complex network of more than two dozens slurry streams. Information about those streams (% solid, metal content analysis and flow rates) is important for process diagnosis performance evaluation and control. Also, because of the grade decrease and increasing complexity of the new processed ores, more instrumentation outputs and more powerful and significant pr"

Jan 1, 2005

"Horizontal grinding mills have been used in the mining industry for more than a century, and due to their operational and maintenance simplicity they remain a widely used technology for various stages of comminution. The relative ‘efficiency’ of horizontal grinding mills compared to other comminution equipment is often debated, and efforts to improve the energy efficiency of these mills is an on-going area of attention for process engineers.The discharge arrangement design affects the material transport characteristics within a horizontal grinding mill. Material transport plays a significant role on efficiency of horizontal grinding mills. The magnitude of benefits that can be achieved with efficient material transport in AG/SAG mills has been demonstrated in a Greenfield milling operation at Mirabela Mineração’s SantaRita Nickel operation in Brazil. This grinding circuit was commissioned in October 2009, which was designed as a typical SABC circuit to grind 4.6 mtpa (575tph) to produce a P80 of 125um with 10-12% ball charge in SAG mill. The nameplate design capacity has been achieved in few days in ABC circuit without grinding media in SAG mill, and has been operating in ABC mode. The through has gradually increased to an average of 800 tph and recently 7% ball charge has been introduced to increase the throughput to +900tph.This paper investigates improved material transport using Outotec’s TPL™ (Turbo Pulp Lifter) technology and the opportunities this technology presents when designing horizontal grinding mills. Operational data, with particular reference to energy and throughput optimization, is presented."

Jan 1, 2013

By R. J. Visintainer, W. L. Whitlock

"Difficulties with the sizing and operation of centrifugal froth pumps are common and the underlying fluid dynamics are complex. Design and selection often relies on previous experience, offering unreliable guidance for novel applications or unexpected problems. The current paper describes a program of extensive laboratory testing on froth handling centrifugal pumps, covering a range of flows, heads, speeds, viscosity, air content and froth stability. Variations in impeller vane design and the effectiveness of an airlock venting apparatus were also examined. The program resulted in a better understanding of centrifugal froth pump dynamics and insight for the troubleshooting of field applications.INTRODUCTION The Challenge of Pumping Froth In pumping mineral processing froth, the handling of large quantities of air within the fluid is often unavoidable. Efforts to reduce the amount of air present at the pump suction, while always recommended for improving pump performance, may have limitations. Some strategies may also carry an economic penalty, such as unwanted process dilution (e.g. due to water spray or injection), or increased capital cost of equipment due to oversized pumps, sumps and/or piping. Froth pumping losses fall into several categories, as described below and represented graphically in Figure 1. • Density effects: Entrained air reduces the pressure created by the centrifugal pump in direct proportion to the reduction in bulk density. This is not a true “loss”, since the head produced by the pump (in meters of froth), may remain unaffected. However, the reduction in pressure often leads to a corresponding increase in pump speed required to drive the system, which itself leads to increased NPSH required by the pump (NPSHR). Furthermore, by adding a gas phase, the overall volumetric flowrate is increased, assuming a fixed quantity of de-aerated liquid being handled. This leads to increased suction velocity which further reduces the NPSH margin by simultaneously increasing pump NPSHR and decreasing system NPSH available at the pump suction (NPSHA). • Viscosity effects: Increased viscosity introduces an additional factor in some froth pumping applications, such as oil sands bitumen froth. Losses result from increased shear stress within the fluid flow, which increase with flowrate. Viscosity also facilitates the formation of airlock by reducing turbulence and allowing individual bubbles to coalesce more easily within the flow stream. Finally, it increases pump NPSHR by increasing local pressure drop in the vicinity of the vane inlet edges. • Airlock effects: Also known as air binding, it occurs when air or gas coalesces within the pump suction or impeller passages and begins to collect there, held by buoyancy forces within the rotating flow field. In essence, the liquid “floats upwards” towards the pump suction against the outward directed centrifugal forces. The airlock acts as a blockage, with corresponding reductions in flow, head and efficiency. NPSHR also increases, due to increased velocity and distorted streamlines in the flow circumventing the blockage."

Jan 1, 2012

By Walter S. Bergholz, Michael L. Schreder

"Since Escondida began operations in fiscal 1991, a series of aggressive expansion projects have enabled market share to be increased and ever larger profits to be realized. This was possible due to the very large size of the ore body and its high grade - averaging 2.7% copper from startup through fiscal 1997. The situation has now changed: ore grade is falling rapidly and is projected to be only 1.55% by 2003. Since revenue is directly proportional to ore grade, while costs are proportional to quantity of ore processed, profits will begin to fall dramatically. The Phase IV Expansion Project is intended to forestall this drop in profits by increasing ore processing capacity by over 85%.The Phase IV concentrator is designed for a nominal capacity of 110,000 MTPD and the key to achieving this value is through the proper design of the grinding circuit. This paper presents the general design criteria for the grinding circuit, as well as a description of the facility.INTRODUCTIONThe Phase IV Expansion Project consists of a new copper concentrator located 8.5 km south of the existing operations, a new tailings disposal and water reclaim system, a new concentrate slurry pipeline to the coast, and added concentrate handling capacity at the port of Coloso. The new concentrator has a nominal capacity of 110,000 tonnes per day (MTPD), compared to the existing concentrator’s capacity of 127,500 MTPD. The Laguna Seca concentrator is based on using the largest and most efficient ore grinding mills now available.The concentrator has been designed for a 110,000 MTPD nominal capacity. The process design criteria for the Phase IV project were established from in-house operating information and from test work. Unlike a green field project, Escondida already had an operating plant and it processes ore from the same pit that feeds the Phase IV plant. It is expected that the current mineralization will be similar for the first 6 years of operation of the new project. Therefore, some of the current plant operating conditions were incorporated directly into the design criteria."

Jan 1, 2004

By P. A. Witt

"Highland Valley Copper is a conventional truck-shovel mining and flotation concentrator operation located 75 km southwest of Kamloops, British Columbia (Fig. 1).The ore is situated within a porphyry copper deposit and is mined at a rate of 135,000 mt/day from two separate open pits. The nearby mill produces concentrates containing 375 million pounds of copper and 5 million pounds of molybdenum metal yearly. In the Valley pit, head grades are roughly 0.40% Cu at a 0.23% Cu equivalent cut-off. The Valley pit strip ratio currently sits at 0.55:1 with waste quantities made up of separate rock and unconsolidated overburden units. From the mill, concentrates are trucked to nearby Ashcroft and then hauled by rail to ocean port facilities in Vancouver. The mine employs 950 people and is planned to operate until 2009. The operation is a partnership between Teck Cominco (63.9%), BHP Billiton (33.6%), and others (2.5%). Management is shared by the two principal owners and directed by a management committee."

Jan 1, 2005

By L. W. T. Weitzel

"This paper reviews the Falconbridge- SMRQ’s Raglan project in northern Quebec and the process that was used in developing its current long-term mine plan. Challenges were many and not only limited to the longevity of the project, numerous ore deposits (both underground and open pit), and a 40 km property strike length. As a result of its remote northern location, other factors such as progressive reclamation, leachable mine waste, water treatment, and waste management were also part of the plan. A combination of modern planning tools were used to formulate the plan including DataMine, Mine 2-4D, AutoMod Simulation, and an Excel-based financial spreadsheet to bring the total plan together. The focus of the paper is to show the complexity of modern mine planning and associated economic modelling of mine processes. IntroductionThe Raglan project is located 1660 km directly north of Quebec at the northern tip of the Quebec Peninsula in Nunavik. The main property is 40 km in length stretching from the Donaldson airport area at the eastern edge of the property to East Lake at the western edge. The Deception Bay port is 90 km north of the main complex/mill situated at Katinniq which lies approximately in the middle of the property (Fig. 1). The mine processes 1 000 000 tpy of ore from both open pit and underground sources. The mill is forecasted this year to produce more than 150 000 t of concentrate grading more than 18% nickel. All personnel and critical cargo are transported to the site via a company-leased 737 jet from Rouyn-Noranda where the main administration office is located. The majority of cargo is shipped to the site via Deception Bay from Quebec and on the return trip, nickel concentrate is shipped back. From Quebec, the nickel concentrate is sent by rail to the Falconbridge smelter in Sudbury and on the reverse rail haul, nickel matte from the smelter is sent to Norway via Quebec."

Jan 1, 2003

By E. M. Shemang, C. E. Suh, L. Mbinkar, University of Yaounde

"Two iron deposits within the Precambrian mineral belt of Cameroon are described in detail for the first time: the Archean Metzimevin replacement iron deposit enclosed in Fe-enriched itabirite, and the Proterozoic granite-hosted, shear zone-related Mayo Binka magnetite deposit. In the Metzimevin de¬posit, quartz is corroded and microplaty hematite overprints martite-textured hematite. The Mayo Binka massive magnetite veins show evidence of deformation in magnetite (fracturing and microbrecciation) and in overgrowths of specular hematite (mechanical twinning and undulating extinction). The magnetite is partially replaced by hematite (martitization) and goethite. Ores from both deposits have >88% total Fe2O3 and low contents of contaminants such as SiO2, Al2O3, MgO, CaO, P2O5, and TiO2. They are also poor in Cu, Pb, Zn, V, Cr, and Ni. The Metzimevin massive hematite is characterized by an accentuated light rare earth element depletion relative to the Fe-enriched itabirite. It is suggested that the Metzimevin iron deposit is the result of hypogene leaching of gangue minerals from, and further hematitization of, an itabirite protore. Although the genesis of the Mayo Binka massive magnetite is unclear, it is spatially related to Neoproterozoic granitic rocks. The data allow some comparison of these little known, but pot¬entially economic iron deposits, with some of the world’s better investigated deposits, and are useful to the exploration efforts for iron ore currently underway in Cameroon and the Central African subregion.Deux gisements de fer de la ceinture minérale Précambrienne du Cameroun sont ici décrits en détail pour la première fois : le gisement de fer Archéen de Metzimevin formé par remplacement et encaissé par des itabirites enrichies en Fe, et le gisement de magnétite Protérozoïque de Mayo Binka as¬socié au cisaillement dans un granite. Au gisement de Metzimevin, le quartz est corrodé et de l’hématite en microplaquettes se développe au dépends de l’hématite a texture martitique. Les veines de magné¬tite massive de Mayo Binka présentent des évidences de déformation dans la magnétite (fracturation et microbréchification) et dans les surcroissances d’hématite spéculaire (Macles tectoniques et extinction ondulante). La magnétite est partiellement remplacée par l’hématite (martitisation) et par la goethite. Le minerai des deux gisements contient >88% de Fe2O3 total et un faible contenu en contaminants tels que SiO2, Al2O3, MgO, CaO, P2O5, et TiO2. Il est également pauvre en Cu, en Pb, en Zn, en V, en Cr et en Ni. L’hématite massive de Metzimevin est caractérisée par un appauvrissement relatif en terres rares légères relativement à l’itabirite enrichie en Fe. Il est suggéré que le gisement de fer de Metzimevin résulte du les¬sivage hypogène des minéraux de la gangue ainsi que de l’hématitisation poussée d’une préconcentration de fer dans l’itabirite. Bien que la genèse de la magnétite massive de Mayo Binka demeure obscure, elle est spatialement associée aux roches granitiques Néoprotérozoiques. Ces données permettent de comparer ces gisements de fer peu connus et potentiellement économiques avec certains des gisements mondiale¬ment mieux connus, aidant ainsi les efforts d’exploration présentement en cours en Afrique de l’ouest et au Cameroun."

Jan 1, 2008

By G. K. Jorgenson, S. H. Chung

"IntroductionThe SABREX Blast Modelling Program was developed jointly by the companies of the ICI Explosives Group, of which C-I-L Inc. is a member. SABREX (Scientific Approach to Breaking Rock with Explosives) is a modular computer program which incorporates new technology with a number of tested programs that have been in use world wide.SABREX predicts the performance of blasts in terms of (I) fragment size and distribution; (2) muckpile profile and face velocity; (3) grade fracture; (4) collar breakage; (5) a rupture envelope which depicts crack penetration behind and beneath blastholes; and (6) a complete cost analysis including explosives, drilling and accessory costs. The predicted blast results are displayed as dynamic colour graphics and in tabular form.SABREX uses data on the detailed geometry of the drilled and loaded pattern, detonation characteristics of the explosives and the dynamic properties of the rock to generate blast predictions. SABREX blasting calculations take into account the effects that shock and quasi-static pressures exert on the rock around the blastholes. While physical effects occur very rapidly in rock blasting, it is possible to view and model the sequence of events as discrete sections.The program can be run on a microcomputer and is currently operated by C-I-L technical service staff in Canada for the use of drilling and blasting operators.Figure I is a diagram representing the modules of the program and associated technology that is used to complement the program.Any, or all, of the modules may be used in a particular study or blast optimization. Because the BOBCAT module of the SABREX program has been described in previous papers(7.8.9), this discussion will concentrate on the newer modules: CRACK, HEAVE, RUPTURE ENVELOPE and to a limited extent, KUZ-RAM, which present a more detailed picture of the blasting process.Each of these modules is discussed in terms of the information they offer the operator in analyzing the blast. Specific examples of recent usage in Canadian mining situations are included to illustrate the ability of the model to produce practical results that can assist in optimizing actual blasting operations or solving problems that do exist."

Jan 1, 1987

By T. Holmes, J. Middlemiss

"Agnico-Eagle (AE) has been operating their Kittila Mine in Northern Finland since 2008. The mine has experienced considerable ore flow problems with ratholing, bridging and freezing in their mill feed bin since start up. In the first winter of operation, the entire central portion of the contents of the cylindrical flat-bottomed 2000 tonne mill feed bin froze. Flow was erratic and could only be achieved through small diameter ratholes. To maintain a reasonable, albeit limited, feed to the mill, the bin had to be kept less than ½ full and a portable steam generator was brought in to melt the frozen agglomerates that frequently blocked the outlets. The combination of limited surge capacity and frequent outages required the crushing plant to operate 24/7 and resulted in inconsistent production levels and high operating costs.AE had planned to expand the processing plant to increase throughput by about 30% when they transitioned from open pit to underground ore. These plans presented an opportunity to improve the material handling.To avoid the problems experienced with the original mill feed bin, AE enlisted Jenike & Johanson Ltd. (J&J) to test samples of the ore, and based on the measured flow properties to provide design recommendations to ensure that the new mill feed bin would operate reliably. The new 2000 tonne expanded flow mill feed bin and apron feeder were installed in 2014 and are now supplying almost 93% of the total mill feed with the remaining coming from the original bin.IntroductionIn early 2009, AE engaged J&J to visit their then recently opened Kittila mine and mill in Northern Finland (Figure 1). Over the first half-year of operation, production had been restricted in the ore handling and storage system by flow problems such as ratholing, bridging and freezing including blockages of chutes and hoppers as a result of frozen fines buildup and large frozen agglomerates. AE wanted to increase production in the existing open pit mine and mill feed operation and also wanted to avoid similar ore handling problems when they commissioned the new underground mining system under development at that time."

Jan 1, 2017