Search Documents

By L. Juteau

"""The north coast of the St. Lawrence River will be the scene of an industrial development during the coming decades"". The facts which underlie this statement are the occurrences of iron and titanium ore, the abundance of hydro-power and the availability of deep-water ports in this region. Havre St-Pierre, Sept-Iles, Port Cartier and Baie Corneau already exist as major ports and urban centers. The huge quartz deposit at Baie Comeau will be a decisive contributing factor in the development of a metallurgical plant in this area. Due to its purity, it lends itself, first of all, to the manufacture of glass of different kinds, being comparable to the quartz sands now used by the plate glass and glass container industries in the Montreal area, Moncton, N.B., Trois-Rivieres and - in the future - at Bécancour, Quebec. However, its high quality will also make it possible to use it as one of the main basic materials for the production of silicon carbide and ferrosilicon, and as a flux in metallurgical processes. It is intended, in this report, to offer conclusive proof of the economical importance of this large quartz deposit by presenting the results of the studies made to date."

Jan 1, 1971

By F. J. Gauthier, R. G. Gray

"The possibilities of expanding the production rate from the Copper Mountain Mine have been examined using computer programs for analysing a complete range of data, beginning with the diamond drill assays and embracing all steps up to the final rates of return.Programs have been developed to calculate the mineralization inventory file, a matrix of blocks containing the grade and the type of mineralization estimated for each block. Given the topography, prices of metals and costs, the pit limits are optimized using a three-dimensional technique. Within the pit, ore reserves at any cutoff can be calculated. Mining of the pit is then simulated using an interactive production scheduling program on a timesharing computer. The annual tonnage and grade figures from the production schedule are input to a financial analysis program, where the present value and the rate of return are calculated at various metal prices. The expansion possibilities can be run through the programs with their respective costs, and evaluated using the rate of return on the marginal cash flow compared to the additional capital expenditure."

Jan 1, 1971

By R. T. Erskine

"The No. 6 orebody is located 6 miles from the main op.eration of Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation Limited and includes open-pit and primary gyratory crushing facilities. Ore is transferred by truck to the secondary crushing facility at the main plant. About 3,500 tons of ore per day are crushed to minus % in. and ground to 68 per cent minus 400 mesh in rod and ball mills for flotation feed. Conditioning and aeration precede rougher flotation, and four stages of cleaning bring concentrates to a grade of 42 per cent Pb + Zn + Cu. Middling products are reground and refloated in a secondary flotation circuit, producing a cleaner feed and a final tails product. Primary bulk concentrate is treated with sulphur dioxide and steam-heated to l 70°F and the majority of the gangue is floated off, leaving a product that assays 57 per cent combined Pb + Zn + Cu and is suitable for marketing. This material is thickened, filtered, dried and loaded into railway cars for shipment to the smelter. Reagent use on flotation is conventional, with many compromises in dosage required to maintain the recovery of lead and zinc in the most advantageous proportions. Many refinements in the flowsheet have been made since start-up in 1966, and more may be made as laboratory and plant testwork indicate possible improvements."

Jan 1, 1971

"The outlook for Eastern Canada is decreasing coal production over the next few years; however, a reappraisal of the long-term requirements and increased prices of coal could lead to a revitalizing of the industry. The market for Western coal is expanding and is expected to exceed 50 million tons per year in the metallurgical and thermal power fields. Western coal reserves are currently estimated at 119 billion tons. Technical developments in Eastern Canada include a shearer and gate-end support system to mechanically cut the stall and brushing at the tail-end of a longwall. In Western Canada, the most modern equipment is used in mining, beneficiating and shipping coal. Results to date on the underground hydraulic experiments exceed expectations. The importance of reclamation is recognized and plans have been made to restore and re-vegetate disturbed areas and mine dumps. In Eastern Canada, experiments were started to determine the feasibility of coal reclamation from mine dumps, including one dump that is on fire. The Mining Research Centre, Mines Branch, continued to conduct research work oriented toward solving Canadian mining problems The Western office of the Centre, opened in 1970, was set up primarily to study problems associated with a resurgent coal industry."

Jan 1, 1971

By R. D. Brown

Higher employer costs and increased employee benefits will result from the current sweeping revisions of the un-employment insurance system now receiving consideration before Parliament. The new legislation, the Un-employment Insurance Act, 1971, will substantially increase the unemployment insurance costs of many employers through an increase in the level of employer contributions -generally, employer contributions will go to 1.4 times employee costs -as well as by extending coverage to many classes of employees now exempt. Under the new legislation, executives, technicians, teachers, institutional workers and others will be covered, and eligible for the higher benefits which it provides. For the first time, absence from work because of illness or accident may qualify individuals for unemployment insurance benefits.

Jan 1, 1971

By D. C. Fraser

"Geophysical Engineering and Surveys Limited of the Keevil Mining Group have routinely conducted ground surveys with VLF-EM receivers for the past two years. Both Crone's Radem and Ronka's EM16 have been used.VLF-EM dip-angle data often yield complex patterns which require considerable study for a proper interpretation. A method was developed which allows field operators to transform the noncontourable dip angles into contourable data, producing conductor patterns which are immediately apparent to exploration personnel untrained in VLF-EM interpretation.VLF-EM contoured data generally peak very close to the top of a conductor, thereby allowing drill holes to be spotted accurately. However, the data generally should not be used alone to select drill targets because structures may be sufficiently conductive to yield strong anomalies. Thus, magnetic and/or vertical-loop EM correlations may be considered as necessary criteria for drilling.VLF-EM surveys can replace IP surveys in certain environments. For example, the Restigouche orebody in the Bathurst camp of New Brunswick yielded a VLF-EM anomaly as distinct as that obtained by IP, although the body did not respond to vertical-or horizontal-loop EM. However, the cupriferous breccia pipes of the Triba mine near Batchawana, Ontario yield strong IP anomalies but not VLF-EM anomalies, illustrating that disseminated ore targets should be sought with IP rather than with VLF-EM."

Jan 1, 1971

By A. Panteleyev, C. S. Ney, R. J. Cathro, A. Sutherland Brown

The general distribution of metal deposits in the Canadian Cordillera can be related to its tectonic evolution. The Canadian Cordillera is naturally divisible into five longitudinal tectonic belts within which rocks are broadly similar in type, age and history. From west to east they are the Insular, Coast Crystalline, Intermontane, Omineca and Eastern Marginal belts. Seven classes of metal deposits in the Canadian Cordillera are defined and their characteristics described. These classes are skarn, porphyry, massive sulphide, stratiform, magmatic, copper in basic lavas, and vein deposits. Maps showing the distribution of medal and metal-group concentrations serve to illustrate the relations in space and time between mineralization and geologic evolution.

Jan 1, 1971

By A. B. Walker

The effects of the injection of dry limestone additives into boilers for the sorption of sulphur dioxide have been studied in pilot and full-scale systems. The effects of such injections on boiler mass particulate emissions as well as collectability characteristics of the fly ash and reaction products are presented. Implications of the effects on the design and economics of particulate collectors, in particular electrostatic precipitators, are discussed.

Jan 1, 1971

By H. D. Goodfellow, R. A. Elliott

"This paper covers the evolution of large mills and autogenous grinding and compares grinding practice in the iron ore industry with that in the base metal industries. Comments on novel methods of grinding are presented for discussion. Recent developments in the field of classification are briefly reviewed. A systems analysis approach to grinding circuits is discussed. Finally, a point is made for establishing a group within the industry with the purpose of developing a comprehensive evaluation of grinding research and development."

Jan 1, 1971

By L. Price, R. Hortie

Movement of ore and waste from the Hilton Mines pit is accomplished by truck haulage. With the aim of reducing costs, a study of truck fleet replacement was initiated. The study included on-site short-term tests and longer-term rental purchase agreements for haulage trucks. The operation and maintenance characteristics of different trucks, along with projected haulage conditions, were used to prepare cash flows, from which the most advantageous trucks were selected. The results of the study and implementation of the recommendations gave a cost saving greater than had been estimated. The study also indicated areas where improvements could be made, and resulted in much more attention being paid to road conditions, the training of operators and mechanics, and the development of a practical preventative maintenance scheme.

Jan 1, 1971

By W. C. Ferguson

"This paper could be more appropriately titled ""The Application of Vacuum Filters to Underground Minewater Treatment. in a previous paper co-authored by the writer (1) the history and development of minewater treatment at the Sudbury District Operations of the International Nickel Company was outlined. It is the intention of this paper to dwell more specifically WIth the the application of the vacuum filter to a problem found in most, if not all, underground mining operations. In the preparation of this paper the writer has made liberal use of the illustrations and text of the paper previously noted.Last year we heard Mr. Nemeth discuss the basic mechanisms involved in vacuum filtration (2), and today Yr. Cunliff has exposed us to the selection of the filter media (3). I will now briefly review the various vacuum filter designs that generally lend themselves to metallurgical dewatering applications.DRUM FILTERSThe revolving drum-type which filters on its outside periphery is illustrated in Fig. 1. This is the Oliver or Drum filter and represents the first commercially available continuous vacuum filter. The original design dates back more than 50 years, but with the exception of the method of discharge, is identical to the units being marketed today. This filter is generally applied to slow filtering slurries. The cake may be discharged in several ways; strings, scraper blades, rolls or by passing the filter cloth over a small diameter discharge roller (belt discharge).THE DORRCO FILTERThe revolving drum type which filters on its inside periphery is illustrated in Fig. 2. Here the slurry lies in the drum and the cake discharges through a chute or conveyor. This type of filter is most often applied to fast-filtering slurries.THE DISC FILTERThe revolving filter which filters on the vertical plane of the disc is referred to as the Disc or American-type filter. This represents the most inexpensive design in terms of cost per square foot of filter area. This filter is widely applied, but is probably more suitable for slower draining pulps."

Jan 1, 1971

By E. R. Mitchell

When we grow up in an urban environment and choose to become a part of a way of life, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate the cost of this decision in terms of pollution. Explained in this article is our dependence on technology and the amount of pollution that technology produces. Inventories of air pollution on both a personal and a national basis are given so that the reader may judge the magnitude of the problem. In doing so, it is hoped that the reader will understand the need for a responsible attitude toward pollution by everyone and how he can make a personal contribution.

Jan 1, 1971

By Giles St. Pierre

"The purpose of this paper is to report in a general way on the use of the Portaspec X Ray Spectrograph.At Manitou Barvue, we are milling two types of ores, copper and zinc. The control assay practice was to take grab samples at 4 hour intervals. These samples were dried in the mill, then taken over to the Assay Office where two operators would process them. Three hours later results were available at almost the same time as the operator was ready to take his set of grabs again, leaving no time for adjustments, if any were needed.After a reduction of personnel, there were no assays available on night shift. This practice was slow and inadequate, and a new way of doing control assays was investigated.After investigation the Portaspec was found suitable for the type of operation that we had in mind. The Portaspec is a conventional dispersive type of X Ray spectrograph. The instrument consists of three parts:The Power Supply The Spectrographic Head The Digital ScalerIn our case, where dried powder samples are analyzed, the instrument was provided with a two sample holder using one for the standard and the other for the sample. The operation of the instrment does not require any degree of skill or knowledge of chemistry or spectrography.Previous to buying the instrument, six sets of six to ten samples were sent to the supplier along with the assay for each sample. These samples were Cu. HDS., Cu. Conc., Cu. tls, - Zn. HDS., Zn. Conc., Zn. tls. A definite pattern was observed. For example - six Cu. HDS. samples ranging from .40 to .90 gave 10400 counts for the lowest to 16.040 counts for the highest. The number of counts were then plotted to give percentages."

Jan 1, 1971

By B. M. Monaghan

"The developments of the 1950s and 1960s have seen Canada become an international source of iron ore, trading in all geographical areas and hemispheres. Canada's production will significantly increase in the next decade. However, although the outlook is bright, iron ore producers cannot be complacent. Instead, we must weigh the factors that have brought about the development of the Canadian iron ore industry and examine the probable changes for the next decade that will affect its growth.Looking ahead in the 1970s, competition will be severe. Pressure on prices will continue as new sources of supply bid for long-term contracts and as steel producers continue to develop mines around the world. Rising costs will make these pressures more severe. We must balance the growth of the world's steel makers with the emergence of new supplies of iron ore. The iron ore industry is now part of a new era in which demand and supply are intermeshed, and the developments around the world are acting on the Canadian iron ore industry's future."

Jan 1, 1971

By A. J. Reed, W. R. Bergey, Carr. J. M.

"The Highmont copper-molybdenum deposits are at Gnawed Mountain in the Highland Valley porphyry copper district, 125 miles northeast of Vancouver. This district is near the center of the lower Jurassic Guichon Batholith, where a north-trending swarm of porphyry dikes is crossed by west-northwesterly structural belts in which fracturing, intrusion of porphyry and breccia, and mineralization areconcentrated.The Highmont deposits are 2 miles southeast of, and in the same southernmost structural belt as, the Lornex deposit. The main deposits occur on either side of a composite dike of granodiorite, porphyry and breccia which strikes west-northwestward in fractured quartz diorite. North of the dike, the adjacent Nos. 1 (East) and 2 (West) zones together contain 150 million tons of open-pit ore mineable in two separate pits. These two zones will support a 25,000-tpd mill with a grade in the first five years of approximately 0.46 per cent copper equivalent. South of the dike, the Nos. 3 and 4 zones are partly explored and will provide large additional reserves. In these various zones, chalcopyrite, bornite and molybdenite form disseminations and fracture-fillings accompanied by quartz, K-feldspar, tourmaline, sericite, specular hematite and other minerals. Bornite extends for varying distances north of the dike, beyond which chalcopyrite is locally accompanied by pyrite. Higher-grade mineralization tends to coincide with fracture swarms, or with shear zones and faults which largely parallel these swarms. The ore zones are reflected by geochemical soil anomalies which show some glacial dispersion. LP. surveys gave weak but significant responses, expressed as per cent frequency effect. The ore zones occur within a strong magnetic gradient, but do not show a significant magnetic response."

Jan 1, 1971

By A. L. Mular

Some specific cases of the collection of data from industrial grinding and classifying operations, and the development of models from the data so obtained, will be described. The problems encountered, the effort involved, and the value of the derived models in improving the plant efficiencies will be discussed and documented where possible.

Jan 1, 1971

By G. C. McKerrow

"Mr. G.C. McKerrow, Assistant Manager of Noranda Mines and formerly Smelter Superintendent attended the meeting to answer questions as to why smelters imposed penalties for too much zinc in a copper concentrate or too much copper in a zinc concentrate, etc.D.W. Bridges -Mattagami Lake MinesWhat limits do you set on zinc and lead in a copper concentrate?G.C. McKerrow - At Noranda, we allow 5% zinc free and charge 25 cents for every unit above that. For lead, it is 1% free and 25 cents per unit above that. Lead is a much more harmful impurity than zinc because it tends to recycle more in the smelter circuit and creates a greater health hazard in the plant.E. Thornton - Sullivan GroupWHat harm does fluorine do in the smelting process?G.C. McKerrow - Fluorine usually does not occur in harmful concentrations in non-ferrous smelters. Fluorides are present in exhaust gases in the aluminum and phosphate industries. If these fumes escape into the atmosphere, they may settle out on forage grasses in concentrations that are harmful to livestock.Thorton - Sullivan GroupI have asked this question other places and have been told that it is hard on brick linings and causes gold and silver to be lost up the stack.G.C. McKerrow - Almost any volatile constituent in a smelter charge will aid in carrying other metal values. To this extent it may be harmful.E. Thornton - Sullivan GroupMr. Tait mentioned before a smelter where they have a copper-tin ore and they pay for copper, tin, bismuth and silver but object strongly to indium in the concentrate. Why would this be?G.G. McKerrow - 1 can't see why indium would be a serious impurity. It does tend to concentrate in flu dusts and if you get enough of it you can recover it and sell it but I have never heard of anyone putting a penalty on it.Question - I once ran into a small copper mine in Peru that had cadmium in the copper concentrate but no zinc. The copper smelter charged a penalty for the cadmium. Why would this be?"

Jan 1, 1971

By M. W. Bates, A. L. Mular

This paper, based on work carried out at Queen's University, describes the development and use of mathematical models of the parallel cyclone classifiers being used in the Strathcona mill of Falconbridge Nickel Min.es Ltd.

Jan 1, 1971

By D. J. McLaren

"Arctic Canada is one of the largest undeveloped terrains remaining in the world, and is in many ways unique. The ecological balance of the region is more delicate than tropical or temperate regions of similar size. This region is likely to be developed by research for and production of resources, primarily petroleum, in the immediate future. As well as sensitive terrain surface caused by permafrost in some areas, many large and small mammals and birds are also in a delicate balance with the environment. Small changes in this balance can have large effects.The probability of finding petroleum in different regions varies widely, but already there are good indications on the mainland and in the Islands that both oil and gas are present. Geophysical work in the offshore, particularly the Beaufort Sea, suggests further promising potential. Possible reserves in the Islands and mainland Arctic may amount to 50 or more billion barrels.A responsible approach to problems facing exploitation in an Arctic environment includes the careful monitoring by industry of likely effects of their activities. The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Research Association test loop at Inuvik provides an example of such monitoring. Outside Canada, the operations at Prudhoe Bay on the north coast of Alaska show how major companies may operate responsibly and reduce environmental interference to a minim'.::at. Nevertheless, four variables must affect any decisions to be made concerning energy resource exploitation in the Arctic. These are man's need for energy, economic and industrial pressures to develop energy sources, the desire to preserve a deteriorating environment, and the role of government as representing all individuals in the country and their several points of view. Factors that must be taken into account in making any decisions include the importance of Canadian oil in a world picture, the need for alternative sources of energy in the near future, the depletion of nonrenewable resources at an accelerating rate and the increasing awareness that the major problems facing man have no direct technical solution and that social or political decisions must precede further techno-logical development."

Jan 1, 1971

By C. L. Lewis

"The development of computer process control at the Lake Dufault concentrator is reviewed and the on-stream X-ray analysis -computer system is described briefly. Some applications of the computer in metallurgical process control are described.The computer sequences slurry sample streams to the analyzer and translates the analytical results from voltage signals to elemental percentages. The required flotation reagent flow rates are calculated from analyses and mill-feed tonnage rates and the reagent feeders are set automatically to provide such flow rates. X-ray calibration time has been reduced from about 45 minutes to 15 minutes by the use of a computer program. Metallurgical and operating personnel have acquired the ability to program the computer and have extended the system capability to allow the calculation of recoveries, averaging of mill data, application of ore specific gravity in grinding control, control of oxidized ore flotation and the development of an economic recovery program."

Jan 1, 1971