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By G. E. Peacock

SIGMA MINES is situated in the township of Bourlamaque, Abitibi County, Quebec. It is a gold producer, and presently treats an average of 1,200 tons of ore per day, at a grade of approximately 0.18 oz. per ton recovered. The mill started operations in March, I937, at a rate of 300 tons per day. This was increased to 800 tons in I940, and to 1,000 tons by I943. The rate was cut back during the war years, but was brought back up to capacity by I948. The mill tonnage was in-creased to the present 1,200 tons per day in I960. The underground workings are serviced through No. 2 Shaft (Figure 1), which, with 24 operating levels, extends from surface to a depth of 3,317 feet. When depth exploration was decided upon, two possibilities were considered: (a) deepen the main shaft by1,000 feet; (b) put down a winze for the same distance.

Jan 1, 1962

"SART technology is a useful tool for improving the economics of gold recovery from certain types of complex gold ores. SART liberates cyanide consumed by base metals such as copper, zinc and nickel, and enables the newly freed cyanide to be recycled to precious metals leaching while producing high-grade base metal sulphide concentrates for sale. The benefits of SART include the reduction in cyanide consumption, avoidance of cyanide destruction costs, minimization of risks of environmental non-compliance due to residues of cyanide destruction reporting to mine effluents, and generation of extra revenue from the sale of base metal concentrates. Concerns with SART typically include uncertainties around capital and operating costs and proper integration of SART into the overall metallurgical flowsheet. This paper presents two case studies addressing these concerns. The first involves actual costs of the full scale SART integrated into a gold heap leach operation and treating up to 500 m3/hr of leach solution at a mine in Mexico. The second involves field pilot testing and a preliminary cost estimate for integrating SART into a silver mine in Peru using Merrill Crowe.INTRODUCTION One of the current trends in the gold industry globally is the increasing importance of complex polymetallic gold deposits as discoveries of large Carlin type gold deposits become increasingly rare (Sceresini, 2005). The presence of cyanide soluble copper and zinc in complex gold deposits necessitates changes in traditional gold extraction metallurgical flowsheets. One of the tools available to the industry to help deal with interferences of cyanide-soluble base metals in gold extraction is the SART (sulphidization-acidification-recycling-thickening) process. SART breaks the weak acid dissociable (WAD) base metal-cyanide complexes, precipitates the metals as high-grade sulphide concentrates and makes the freed cyanide available for recycle. Although SART is a commercially available technology, it is still relatively new to the industry. Fewer than ten (10) full scale plants have been constructed in the past couple of decades. Some of these SART plants are small, most are located at remote sites, and the majority have not operated on a continuous basis. This has resulted in a general lack of information in the industry about the true costs, operability and metallurgical performance of SART. BQE Water has been involved in the design, construction, commissioning and operation of large scale SART plants in Mexico, Turkey and Chile and has conducted field testing programs as part of the technical assessment of SART integration into various metallurgical circuits. Having built and operated numerous plants utilizing selective sulphide precipitation of heavy metals, BQE Water has gained unique insight into the design and control of the sulphidization stage of SART to minimize costs and ensure high efficiency in cyanide recovery."

Jan 1, 2017

By K. Webb

At both the international and country level, the issue of how the mining sector and indigenous populations should engage on issues of mutual interest or concern has emerged as one of central importance and controversy; involving the mining industry, Aboriginal communities, governments, the courts, and other stakeholders. At its heart, stakeholder engagement is an ethical issue, although it manifests itself in international instruments, domestic laws, industry guidance and agreements. At the international level, the concept of ?free, prior and informed consent? (FPIC), while not subject to widespread agreement on the finer details of evolving definitions, seems to be emerging as an increasingly recognized engagement norm. Within Canada, through a series of decisions, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has articulated a fiduciary obligation of the Crown to consult with and accommodate impacted Aboriginal groups on resource management issues. Provincial governments have been variously attempting to adjust their resource management regimes to stay in alignment with SCC and lower court decisions. Mining sector organizations, working with First Nations partners, have developed agreements to work together for mutual benefit. At the individual mine and community level, there have been instances of constructive engagement, as well situations of physical resistance and legal challenges. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential impact of new rules under the Ontario Mining Act introduced in 2012 and taking full effect in 2013, which amongst other procedural specifications, addresses the issue of mining industry-Aboriginal consultation in exploration and development activities. Leading up to the passage of the regulations, representatives from some junior mineral exploration companies have been highly critical of the new rules. Similarly, there have been a range of responses to the new rules from some in the First Nations community. The paper will review the regulation in terms of its apparent alignment with SCC decisions and the international norm, compare the regulations with existing mining sector organization guidance documents, and it will draw on the stated perspectives and commentaries of First Nations communities, mining firms, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and others. Building on the foregoing, the paper will provide a preliminary analysis of the perspectives and potential impacts of the new regulation on various stakeholders, and on that basis, possible avenues for further consideration will be suggested.

Aug 1, 2013

By K. S. Coley, G. A. Irons, T. Kaneyasu

"It is very important to reveal the lime dissolution mechanism in steelmaking slag, to promote its dissolution without calcium fluoride, which is now almost forbidden for use in most industrialized countries. In this research, the purpose was focused on the development of an experimental method to measure the mutual diffusivity of Ca2+ under the condition of lime dissolution into slag. By forming diffusion couples using a ""vacuum slag aspirating technique"", the method was established. The following mutual diffusivities of Ca2+, in CaO-SiO2-FeO slag systems, imitating oxygen steelmaking slag, were determined using this method:4.1*10-10 m2/s at 1400°C for 27wt.%CaO-53wt.%SiO2-20wt.%FeO slag,4.3* 10-10 m2/s and at 1400°C for 20wt.%CaO-40wt.%SiO2-40wt.%FeO slag, and 1.3*10-10 m2/s at 1250°C for 20wt.%CaO-40wt.%SiO2-40wt.%FeO slag.It was also verified that, if the basicity and ferrite content of the bulk slag are low, then a calcium silicate film forms on the lime surface, and drastically deters the lime dissolution."

Jan 1, 2004

By Michel Aubertin

Les activités minières peuvent produire de grandes quantités de roches stériles, qui sont typiquement entreposées dans des empilements de surface, au dessus la nappe phréatique. Ces haldes peuvent occuper une superficie de plusieurs dizaines d?hectares, et s?élever à plus de cent mètres. Pour des exploitations en roches dures, les roches stériles ont usuellement une granulométrie qui contient des particules de la taille d?un sol silteux jusqu?à des cailloux et blocs de taille métrique. La structure interne d?une halde construite sur une surface relativement plane comprend généralement deux zones principales. La première zone se trouve au coeur de l?empilement, et elle est formée par la présence de plusieurs stratifications subhorizontales (avec des couches denses et lâches) due à l?effet des équipements lourds qui compactent et brisent les grains. La deuxième zone se trouve aux endroits où les stériles ont été déversés en crête, par des camions ou des butoirs, ce qui induit une ségrégation des particules sur les flancs, le long de la pente. Selon la séquence de mise en place, la distribution granulométrique et la hauteur des bancs, un grano-classement plus ou moins développé se produit, avec les particules les plus grosses au bas de la pente et les particules plus fines au sommet ; on observe aussi une stratification inclinée due à l?avancement latéral du front de déposition. Ces éléments de la structure interne d?une halde influencent la distribution et le mouvement de l?eau (et de l?air). Pour évaluer la distribution des propriétés des matériaux dans une halde, on doit usuellement avoir recours à une combinaison de techniques qui fournissent des informations sur les caractéristiques hydrogéologiques et géochimiques des roches stériles. A cet égard, certaines techniques géophysiques sont particulièrement intéressantes car elles permettent une cartographie tridimensionnelle des variations des propriétés. Les informations obtenues de diverses techniques de mesures utilisées conjointement peuvent alors être employées afin de construire un modèle numérique qui permet d?analyser les écoulements non saturés de l?eau et le transport réactif des contaminants. De telles simulations aident à mieux comprendre la réponse de la halde dans son état actuel et futur, ce qui fournit des arguments pour ajuster la séquence de déposition pour élaborer le plan de fermeture et pour sélectionner la stratégie d?instrumentation et de suivi de l?empilement. La présentation inclura un survol des diverses techniques qui ont été développées afin de caractériser les propriétés des matériaux en laboratoire et sur le terrain, et pour obtenir un portrait global de la structure interne d?une halde. Des résultats additionnels sur la modélisation du transport réactif seront aussi montrés afin d?illustrer l?influence de la structure interne d?un empilement sur sa réponse hydro-géochimique et environnementale.

Nov 1, 2008

By Douglas H. Silvey

"The historical transformations in fire -resistant conveyor belt compositions in the past 20 years have been influenced by factors of material cost, changing flame and burn test requirements, material replacements, adhesion and oil resistance considerations, increased responsibility and legal liability. Specifically, this has resulted in a swing from neoprene-cotton belts to S.B.R. blends and synthetic fibre carcasses, and tighter quality control and documentation of test data.Flame dynamics are discussed and the function and performance of the multiple types of flame-resistant additives in the flame front are presented. Specific flame and burn test requirements are described. The belt manufacturers' requirements and criteria in selecting the types of flame-resistant additives are presented.The author will describe the composition of the types of flame-resistant compounds used in a practical production, the belts that are available on today's mark et and future developments in requirements that may further transform the composition of fire-resistant belts.IntroductionThe historical transformations of conveyor belt compositions in the past two decades have been based on factors common to those leading to changes in man y organic compositional products. These factors are material cost, new materials, the customer' s changing requirements, government regulation s and increased manufacturer' s liability.As a basis for understanding the product, I will provide a brief breakdown of the conveyor belt composite. Figure 1 represents a cross section of a typical belt. A skim rubber coats each fabric ply of the belt carcass and is of a different rubber composition than the outside layer of rubber which forms the cover. This outside cover layer is designed to protect the belt from environmental factors such as heat, oil and abrasion, and other factors involved in the service condition s under which the belt will operate. In the case of fire-retardant belt s, both the skim coat encapsulating the fabric plies and the outer cover must contain sufficient fire retardancy to overcome the contribution to burning of the decomosition products of the fabric."

Jan 1, 1982

By V. S. Sastri, G. R. Doey, R. W. Revie

"Different forms of corrosion, the various corrosive environments encountered, the mining equipment subject to corrosion and the methods to control corrosion in the mining industry are briefly reviewed along with the savings that could be achieved by corrosion control. IntroductionCorrosive conditions in mines and metallurgical plants, lead to deterioration and wastage of equipment and of materials. The cost of corrosion in the mining industry can be significant, and measures to minimize corrosion must be taken to reduce this cost(l-3). Although the data in Table I are twenty years old they indicate the significance of corrosion costs in four industrialized countries. The costs of corrosion in the U.S. metallic ores sector and in the Canadian mining industry are presented in Tables 2 and 3, respectively. Significant savings in the mining industry can be achieved by using corrosion control methods. For example, corrosion in the Canadian mining industry in 1991 cost $1460 million of which $97 million was avoidable. Indirect costs of corrosion associated with plant shutdown, lowered efficiency of equipment and overdesign are additional to the direct costs cited here."

Jan 1, 1994

By Vicken Aprahamian

"The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) operates a gold and silver refining toll operation in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The silver refining line is a recent addition and was commissioned in 2005. One source of silver in the refinery is from gold doré which undergoes Miller chlorination before electrorefining to 99.99% cathode gold. Treatment of the Miller salt or silver-copper chloride produced consisted of a 2-stage high temperature reduction process step using soda ash prior to 2005. Copper-rich silver bars were produced and shipped offsite for further refining.The copper-rich bars could not be blended into sufficient high grade silver doré to dilute the copper and allow electrorefining in a silver nitrate medium. A new wet process was developed and commissioned to replace the high temperature reduction and allow removal of bulk copper. Thus upgraded impure silver produced was cast into anode for electrorefining to 99.9% purity silver flake. The 2005 RCM Hydromet Slag process is presented as well as its more current version. In addition, mention is made of a novel processing scenario for the introduction of Miller chlorination silver into the electrorefining circuit."

Jan 1, 2015

By K. G. Eriksson

"The first tentative test made to try rubber lining in grinding mills was made in the early twenties. However, because of poor rubber compounds and design the results did not prove to be promising.In the early sixties successful trials of rubber linings were carried out as a result of a cooperation between boliden AB and Skega AB.One of the reasons rubber was not used earlier for linings was the difference in wear characteristics between rubber and steel. The ability to successfully develop rubber mill liners depends on three factors:l. Design2. Material (rubber compounding)3. Experience (knowledge)DESIGNThe main difference between steel and rubber, in material aspect, is the elasticity and the low tensile and shearing strength of rubber. It is necessary to take maximum advantage of the elasticity and to reduce tensile and shearing forces by minimizing the sliding of the mill charge. This is accomplished by using the Lorrain type of liners, i.e., lifter bars and plates. It is, however, necessary to keep a certain balance between lifter bars to optimize liner life and grinding performance."

Jan 1, 1983

By A. Scheltema Beduin, H. Oterdoom, A. Haaks, C. Kempe, A. Liedtke

"For the Kazchrome DC Ferrochrome plant, SMS-group specifically designed an electrode column that would minimize downtime. Special features include the possibility for on load electrode jointing, on load slipping, and back-slipping. Electrode consumption is strongly related to furnace load and impedance, and is very low at high loads, which makes the graphite electrode an alternative to consider even in AC applications. The electrode could also be applied in other DC applications, as for example TiO2 slag, the novel Conroast process, or (twin) DC FeNi furnaces, and could possibly be installed during bigger shut downs. This paper will describe some of the design considerations and operational performance data on this novel column in the FeCr industry that could also be of interest for the FeNi or PGM industry if these would continue to develop towards DC technology.INTRODUCTION Every DC furnace has a cathode and an anode. The anode applied is commonly known as the Concast design, though the original design was by ABB who handed it over to Concast, subsidiary of the SMS-group. Some well-known DC furnaces outside the steel industry where the Concast bottom has been installed are listed in Table 1 as well as a few other key design features.Sidewall cooling and some other data have been left out for reasons of space, and being a lesser relevant design feature to this paper. HES stands for Hollow Electrode System, in which feed is charged through an electrode. Table 1 is built up chronologically according to first start-up date. Below comments are given to briefly explain some of the columns in Table 1: •,“Arm” in the “Cathode” column means that the design of the cathode holding and regulating mechanism consists of an electrode arm as depicted in Figure 1. •,Charging is relevant as some operations started with HES charging, whereas recently most new operations have started without HES but only charging chutes, of which at least some are close to the electrode and possibly others installed closer to the sidewall. •,“Dome” in the “Roof” column means that the design of the roof involves a center piece that can be exchanged if worn. •,The optimal roof design still seems to be a topic of debate, where no design is without problems."

Jan 1, 2017

By B. Kenney

For SOFCs, composite cathodes comprising an electronically conducting electro¬catalyst (e.g. LSM) and an conically conducting electrolyte material (e.g. YSZ) are considered to improve the electrochemical performance by extending the active reaction zone to regions beyond the electrolyte-electrode interface, as in the case of conventional cathodes. Interpretation of experimental data for composite cathodes, however, is complicated by the mixed conducting behaviour which results in local overpotential distributions throughout the composite cathode. These local overpotentials depend on many factors, such as the composition, particle size, porosity and thickness of the cathode. Reliable experimental data obtained from composite cathodes requires carefully crafted microstructural parameters in order to minimize the overpotential variations. A mathematical model of a composite cathode was developed using coupled differential equations describing transport and consumption of chemical species, oxygen ion and electrons. Simulations under various oxygen concentrations were used to obtain the reaction order of the oxygen reduction reaction. An apparent po2 dependency was then extracted from the predicted Rp vs P02 data. It was found that this p02 dependency can be significantly influenced by the micro-structural parameters of a composite cathode, primarily due to local overpotential distributions.

Jan 1, 2005

By Christiaan Zeilstra, Jan van der Stel, Koen Meijer, Gerard Louwerse, Tim Peeters

The steel industry is producing about 5% of the world wide CO2 emission. Therefore the European steel industry has defined a research program to reduce the CO2 emission by 50% per ton: ULCOS. Since its start in 2004 ULCOS has identified four technologies for further development. Two of these technologies which produce liquid hot metal are discussed. The ULCOS blast furnace is based on recycling of decarbonated topgas and the capture and storage of CO2. The concept has been demonstrated during three campaigns at LKAB EBF in Luleå, Sweden. The smelting reduction process HIsarna is a combination of the cyclone-technology and Hismelt. The process has been demonstrated successfully in four campaigns at a pilot installation on the IJmuiden steelmaking site.

Jan 1, 2015

By David M. Parkes, George E. Davies

"Mathematically, the proposed formula is: ""Human Effectiveness + Technological Improvement = Success in the Nineties"". A brief review is made of geology, level of technology, management and labour situations, and range of production costs in coal producing countries. This comparison shows keen competition for Canadian coals, especially from the People's Republic of China, South Africa and Australia. Domestic competition comes from nuclear energy, hydro-electric generation, natural gas (if permitted) and eastern United States coal.The huge increase in the size and power of surface mining equipment in the last forty years led to modern large-scale open pit mining. While conventional truck and shovel operations will continue to be widely used, more continuous mining and conveying systems will be installed as pits become deeper and haul distances longer. Computer systems will become more sophisticated and their applications more widespread, leading to higher productivity and closer control of all operations and equipment performances and to partial or complete automation of certain operations.The underground revival will be driven by a new generation of mining people, cooperating to produce over 3 million t/y from 300 m longwall faces retreating over 3 km resulting in mine productivities of over 40 tonnes per man shift, as is already achieved in several mines throughout the world. Continuous operation using on-line control system will assist in consistent production with availabilities over 75%."

Jan 1, 1991

By X. -P. Zhang, L. N. Y. Wong

Shale gas exploitation initiated in North America has rapidly extended worldwide. Hydraulic fracturing is an emerging field technique for stimulating the gas reservoir. The study of cracking processes, particularly crack coalescence, is vital for a successful hydraulic fracturing to enhance the gas exploitation. Experimental studies have observed that the size effects of the constituent particles are significant on the cracking behavior of the rock specimens. To further investigate the size effects, the bonded-particle model (BPM), which is based on the discrete element method (DEM), is adopted in the present research. In flaw-containing specimens, by varying the crack resolution (?= a/2R), which is the ratio of half flaw length (a) to particle size (2R), the size effects on cracking behavior under compressive loading are studied. By keeping the flaw length constant, the particle size is varied independently in the BPM analysis. Decreasing the crack resolution increases the first crack initiation stress, but it has no obvious effects on the uniaxial compressive strength. The trajectories of the first cracks and secondary cracks hence generated have a higher resolution and are well-defined in those specimens possessing a higher crack resolution. On the contrary, in lower crack resolution specimens, the macroscopic first cracks appear to be wider and less continuous. These findings from numerical simulation clearly demonstrate particle size effects on cracking behavior. Special attention should be paid to these effects in future numerical study using the bonded particle model.

Jan 1, 2015

By C. Schmidt, M. Kohnk, C. Siemers, J. Kiese

The application of conventional titanium alloys is limited to 550°C due to their poor oxidation resistance. In addition, severe grain growth is observed in single-phase titanium alloys in long-term runs at elevated temperature leading to a degradation of their mechanical properties. In exhaust applications in automotive or aerospace engineering, products are often manufactured by cold-deformation like deep-drawing or rolling which is normally difficult in oxidation-resistant titanium alloys due to the presence of titanium-silicides. Therefore, in the current study, titanium alloys based on CP Titanium Grade 1S (soft grade) were developed showing (1) improved oxidation resistance due to a concerted addition of silicon, iron and niobium, (2) microstructure stability by the precipitation of hafnium-silicides mainly on the grain boundaries and (3) good cold-deformation properties. The industrial production route was developed so that the new class of Ti-Si-Fe-Nb-Hf-alloys is now ready for application in exhaust systems of planes or cars at minimum 800°C.

Jan 1, 2015

By S. W. Marcuson, P. J. Mackey

The 1973 Oil Embargo and succeeding disruptions in supply had a profound effect on energy costs and consumption patterns in the developed world. This was especially true in the USA where post World War II growth, fueled by low-cost imported oil, left the country dependent on uninterrupted oil shipments from the volatile Middle East. In this atmosphere, Professor H.H. Kellogg of Columbia University, convinced of the necessity of good environmental stewardship by the writings of the era’s leading environmentalists, developed a methodology for evaluating energy and process efficiency of metallurgical processes and wrote a series of papers describing and applying the techniques. One of these, "Energy Use in Sulfide Smelting of Copper" is recognized as a seminal work which both described the state of energy usage in copper smelting in the mid-1970’s and portended future developments. The background to these papers is examined and the current and past Cu-Ni matte smelting practices in Canada are examined in the context of the results. Data from early 20th century publications describing reverberatory and blast furnace operation is employed to show that energy consumption for much of the century was several multiples higher than that calculated for best reverberatory operation in the 1970’s.

Jan 1, 2015

By G. J. Hutchins

Precision surface mining is gaining traction in the iron ore, copper, iodine, limestone, bauxite, coal and gypsum markets. In this paper, we first address the possible improvements of a surface miner control using GPS techniques. An application in an iron ore mine in Western Australia is presented. The second item addressed is improvements of a new drum driving technique for a 100 ton surface miner. This technique involves installing a slow speed hydrostatic motor directly on the cutting drum rather than driving the drum through chain and sprockets. Details of the performance of this direct-drive versus the chain-drive are detailed. In addition to the 100 ton machine, we also present a 200 ton surface miner. This larger machine has 1600 hp (894.8 kg), and has been successfully introduced into a large iron ore mine in Western Australia. Performance of the 200 ton surface mining machine in various rock hardnesses is detailed. Some comments on the cost effectiveness of using a built-in loader versus loading with wheel loaders are included.

Aug 1, 2013

By T. Johnson, K. Lambrych, D. Kelley

Materials for construction of equipment used in hydrometallurgical plants are selected based on a combination of their ability to perform as required in aggressive process environments as well as their cost. As a material of construction, fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) has been shown to provide equal if not improved durability relative to alternative materials such as corrosion resistant alloys at a considerably lower cost. This is particularly true in the case of equipment used in acid leaching processes for copper, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements. The selection and extensive use of FRP over alloys in new hydromet plant construction in North and South America illustrates this advantage of FRP effectively. This paper will compare corrosion performance and cost of plant equipment fabricated with stainless steel alloys and FRP made with Epoxy Vinyl Ester thermoset resins. Real world case histories for FRP piping, storage tanks, extraction vessels, and electrowinning cells combined with laboratory based corrosion studies will be reviewed to demonstrate how FRP materials are selected for hydrometallurgical equipment.

Jan 1, 2015

By G. Goodall, M. Muinonen, R. Pandher, R. Jabbar, S. J. Muinonen

"The implementation of a new and highly efficient converting practice at the Glencore Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations Smelter has opened the possibility to further capacity increases by using larger ladles. To quantify the impact of increasing ladle sizes from 200 to 300 ft3, XPS constructed a detailed discrete event simulation using the commercial software package Rockwell Arena®. The challenges associated with implementing a model on an intricate and tightly scheduled process, and the solutions needed to derive meaningful results will be presented. The aisle capacity is predicted to increase by approximately 17 %, with a reduction in furnace tapping demand of 8 %. Arena modeling capabilities and the key factors contributing to the overall capacity increase at the Sudbury INO Smelter will be reviewed and presented.INTRODUCTION The Glencore Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (INO) comprises two Ni-Cu-PGM mines, Strathcona Mill, and the Sudbury Smelter. The Smelter has operated continuously since 1929 using different processes to produce nickel-copper Bessemer matte. Feeds to the Sudbury INO Smelter are a blend of concentrate from Strathcona Mill, Raglan concentrate produced at the mine-mill complex in Raglan, Quebec, as well as third party concentrate feeds shipped to Sudbury from around the world. In 2016, the Sudbury INO Smelter produced 75,900 tonnes of nickel and 20,000 tonnes of copper in Bessemer matte. The product matte is shipped to Glencore’s Nikkelverk refinery in Kristiansand, Norway where it is refined to produce nickel and copper cathode. A schematic of the Sudbury INO Smelter’s flowsheet is shown in Figure 1."

Jan 1, 2017

By Wilson Pascheto

One of the main outcomes of a capital project is the reliability of a new plant, system or equipment. During 20 years of experience working in various capital projects for the mining industry, the author experienced failures which have caused significant losses to Owners, in many cases amounting to millions of dollars and almost jeopardizing entire projects. Often, failures were related to faulty design, shop fabrication and/or construction. Therefore, significant opportunities exist in the Mining Industry to improve the success rate of capital projects, improve on-line time at start-up, minimize the occurrence of unplanned maintenance due to equipment failures, and all this with positive contribution to health and safety. This paper presents some examples of failures and how they could have been prevented by proper Quality Assurance methodology. It also discusses some of the main challenges in the implementation of such methodology, including awareness of the Materials discipline and availability of trained Engineers.

Jan 1, 2015