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The use of QemSCAN in providing mineralogical input to detailed ore and product characterization has proved of immense value in recent years. In this paper, a brief review of selected Cu-case studies is presented to demonstrate the versatility of automated, quantitative mineralogy by QemSCAN. This versatility ranges from measurement and analysis strategies through to data processing and presentation. As a rapid diagnostic service, it is common to find that only grain size, the degrees of liberation and/or ore mineral modal mineralogy are of interest. By contrast, the detail afforded by the simultaneous determination of both gangue and ore minerals can alert mineral engineers to fatal flaws and attributes deleterious to processing that are directly a function of silicate and other gangue mineralogy. Examples of the latter effects include the influence of micaceous minerals and acid consuming species, while the former include fluorine minerals, which can provide both processing and environmental challenges.

Jan 1, 2007

By M. Vallée

Several reviews of mineral project performance in the past 35 years indicate a pattern of occasional, but recurrent, mining project failures due to shortcomings in geological information and estimation, mineral processing and metallurgical testing, feasibility study objectives and requirements, and project start-up methods. A commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement methods and to obtaining “ENOUGH DATA, OF APPROPRIATE QUALITY” is essential. Recent international and Canadian proposals for mineral resource and ore reserve definitions have taken a nonprescriptive stance that will undermine the formulation of requirements, guidelines and industry standards for efficient deposit delineation and estimation, and for the determination of project feasibility. To help reduce problems, every feasibility study supporting a mine development and production decision should be based on objectives and methods adequate to reach completion targets similar to the bankers’, as a good business target for a profitable project. In a resource/reserve system, the use of reserve should be restricted to a project that meets required technical, economic and legal feasibility requirements for successful project implementation, and the definitions of these categories should provide explicit limits. Current shortcomings will limit the ability of the Qualified Person to provide “adequate professional practice,” fulfill his/her professional responsibilities to his employer or client and provide adequate information to the investing public. We must take advantage of present opportunities for Setting New Standards for the new Millennium.

Jan 1, 2000

By L. Don Leet

Abstract Earthborne vibrations from blasting and other sources, including rock bursts, can now be recorded effectively. The nature and magnitude of vibrations from various sources have been investigated and certain applications of the knowledge thus gained have been made. Vibrations from blasting have been measured on special equipment over a range from an electric blasting cap at a few feet, through the largest quarry shot in history to date ( 1,-362,985 lb.), to the first atomic bomb, in uew Mexico on July 16th, 1945. Laws relating amount of explosive to amount of vibration at different distances have been developed and tested. Special studies have been made of the effects of vibrations on buildings, particularly from the standpoint of possible structural damage. Recorded vibrations are used to study the effects of modern short-period delay shooting. It ?has been found that short-period delay firing is extremely effective in reducing vibrations under the right conditions, but with certain limitations. In quarry shooting, there appears to be a minimum number of holes below which vibrations are not appreciably reduced by short-period delay firing. In several instances this minimum has been near 7. Vibrations in the ground from rock bursts and the effects of mining in stresesd ground have been studied both underground and on the surface in a search for a rock burst warning system. Introduction Earthborne vibrations from blasting and other sources, including rock bursts, can now be recorded effectively. Analyses of blasting records have been yielding increasing funds of information of practical as well as theoretical interest. The nature and magnitude of the vibrations have been investigated with special reference to their effects on structures.

Jan 1, 1951

By K. Jomoto, H. Majima

"Experimental work has been attempted to find a useful criterion of comminution which can be determined simply in a laboratory. The suitability of the ratio of the square of tensile strength to Young's modulus, St2/E, previously derived from the theory of elasticity as a criterion of comminution, was examined measuring tensile strength, Young's modulus and critical height for drop-weight impact of five different rocks. However, satisfactory correlation between St2 /E and critical height has not been obtained, suggesting the necessity of further experimental verification of the representative value of Young's modulus of rocks. The plot of St2 vs. critical height, however, shows one-to-one correspondence, and this finding suggests that St• may be a useful criterion of impact crushing. Also, a close relationship was observed between st• and the energy index for tumbling mill grinding of •the sample rocks. It is confirmed from these findings that the quantity St• is a useful criterion of comminution of rocks, not only for impact crushing but also for tumbling mill grinding. As shown in the experimental part of this paper, the determination ol St with irregularly shaped specimens is simple."

Jan 1, 1972

By K. Adham

Both the dry and the wet fluorination systems require hydrogen fluoride (HF) for the process of uranium conversion to uranium hexafluoride (UF6). The dry methods depend on the electrolysis of HF to generate the fluorine (F2) required for the high temperature pyro-fluorination. The wet methods require aqueous HF in water solutions for the low temperature hydro-fluorination (Argonne, 2019). This paper uses the available HF safety guidelines and industry information to discuss the issues of transportation, storage and utilization. Health effects and environmental considerations are reviewed. Safe practices for handling the HF (both as anhydrous and as aqueous) are considered. Proper selection of different materials of construction are discussed, for both the anhydrous and the aqueous HF.

Jan 1, 2020

By A. R. Sorta, D. C. Sego

ABSTRACT Temperature, solute, texture, and thixotropic effects on time domain reflectometry (TDR) measurements of water content in oil sands tailings are investigated. Results indicate that TDR water content measurements are influenced by temperature, residual bitumen, and percent clay in the tailings. A correction of 0.03–0.10/ °C must be applied to the apparent dielectric constant (Ka) to account for the effect of temperature. The Ka-volumetric water content relationships of slurries differ significantly from the commonly used Topp calibration equation. The age of the tailings and the addition of phosphogypsum did not influence TDR water content measurements.

Jan 1, 2013

By V. A. Preto

The Rexspar uranium deposit is located approximately 5 kilometres south of Birch Island, B.C. Three separate zones of commercial-grade uranium mineralization mineable by open pit have been outlined. Uranium and fluorite-celestite mineralization occur in a trachytic member of alkali-feldspar porphyry, lithic tuff, tuff breccias and pyritic schist conformably interlayered with a succession of strongly deformed greenschists and fragmental rocks that are, in large part at least, of volcanic origin. The age of these strata is not precisely known, but they are considered as part of the possibly Mississippian Eagle Bay Formation. Commercial-grade uranium mineralization is always associated with fluorphlogopite-pyrite replacement of the trachytic unit and is contiguous to, but separate from , a zone of ore-grade fluorite mineralization. In all zones, ore occurs in lenses of variable thickness and lateral extent, which lie parallel to the schistosity of the trachytic rocks and surrounding greenschists. The principal radioactive minerals at Rexspar have been identified by other workers as uraninite, uranothorite, bastnaesite, torbernite and metatorbernite. Considerable amounts of thorium oxide and widespread rare earths have been reported from all three radioactive zones. The geology of the deposit suggests that the trachytic rocks represent a highly differentiated intrusive-extrusive system in which fluorphlogopite, pyrite, fluorite and uranium-bearing minerals were deposited late in the evolution of the system by deuteric, volatile-rich fluids. The considerable amounts of thorium and widespread rare earths associated with the uranium tend to support the thesis that this element is of primary origin rather than secondary.

Jan 1, 1978

By W J. Dyck

Past attempts to establish an integrated steel industry on the West Coast of Canada have been unsuccessful for at least three reasons: (a) insufficient reserves of a suit-able iron ore supply; (b) a relatively small local market for iron and steel; and (c) the non-availability of an economical process to produce primary iron on a small scale. Today, the reserves of economically mineable ore deposits are ample to support a steel production of 100,000 to 200,-000 tons per annum. The local market has increased so as to be able to absorb most of this capacity. With-in the next few years, a small integrated steel plant, including the "H-Iron" direct iron ore reduction process for electric furnace charge stock production, will be able to show a profitable operation. Introduction

Jan 1, 1963

By W. Griffith

"While oxalic acid precipitation practices are commonly applied on purified rare earth elements (REEs) pregnant leaching solutions (PLS), few efforts have been reported using oxalic acid (OXA) to recover REEs directly from untreated PLS. High oxalic acid demand is the most significant issue in all these direct oxalic precipitation (DOP) practices. Preliminary research on DOP of REE from a dilute PLS originating from an acid bake followed by water leaching was conducted. At 75°C, the oxalic acid demand was between 12 and 18 times the stoichiometric requirement for complete REE precipitation. Conducting DOP at 25°C had superior REE recovery but the product purity and filterability declined. Between 75°C and 100°C, REE recovery increased with increasing temperature. When sodium hydroxide was used to adjust the pH during DOP, in the range of 0.5 to 1.5, higher pH benefited REE recovery. Using ammonium hydroxide in place of sodium hydroxide, the REE recovery was reduced by close to 5%. Sodium chloride addition to the PLS was also investigated and the results showed that at both 75°C and 25°C, the REE recovery was enhanced substantially. At 25°C, when the oxalic acid addition was controlled at 4.7 times the stoichiometric requirement, the overall REE recovery reached 95% with the addition of 240 g/L NaCl. Other reagents such as KCl, NH4Cl also showed significant enhanced REE recovery at the same oxalic acid addition. The addition of sodium sulphate appeared to largely enhance the precipitation of LREE but inhibited the formation of HREE oxalate. All results indicate the formation of rare earth double salts may play an important role in REE DOP sulphate media.INTRODUCTIONThe conventional routes for recovering rare earth elements (REEs) from a sulphuric acid pregnant leaching solution (PLS) involves an initial purification step for removal of iron, aluminium for example by precipitation through neutralization, followed by precipitation of REEs as hydroxide, oxalate or carbonate salts, or by bulk solvent extraction for REE recovery (Xia, 2013). Another route was used by Bayan Obo in their historical flowsheet, where the PLS was first subjected to double sulphate precipitation, then the remaining REEs, mostly heavy rare earth elements (HREE), were recovered by oxalate precipitation (Li, 2011)."

Jan 1, 2016

By A. A. de Gast, R. B. James

"The metal content of ore blocks can be calculated by the use of many different methods. These methods range in sophistication from manual calculation to computer. oriented techniques. In this case a cubic polynomial regression model is developed to depict the grade distribution of an orebody. Mine production, in stope dimensions, is then simulated on a computer to predict the output of metal content. The volume, grade and variance of the grade are estimated by triple integration and matrix algebra. A case study shows reasonable agreement between the results from the mathematical model and the mine geologists' estimate of production and ore reserve grade and tonnage."

Jan 1, 1972

By G. M. Card, K. D. Card, B. V. Sanford

Abstract-The Canadian Shield and its extensions are traversed by an orthogonal system of northwest and northeast trending arch-style uplifts. These basement arches were formed by repeated vertical movements along pre-existing structures during compressional and extensional tectonism connected with events in surrounding Proterozoic and Phanerozoic orogens and ocean basins. The arches influenced patterns of sedimentation and tectonism in the intervening epicratonic basins and marginal platforms throughout the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic. Movements on the arch structures also triggered minor magmatism and controlled the location and timing of alkalic rock-carbonatite, kimberlite, and related intrusions in the Canadian Shield, the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, and West Greenland.

Jan 1, 1997

By G. M. Card, K. D. Card, B. V. Sanford

The Canadian Shield and its extensions are traversed by an orthogonal system of north-west and northeast trending arch-style uplifts. These basement arches were formed by repeated vertical movements along pre-existing structures during compressional and extensional tectonism connected with events in surrounding Proterozoic and Phanerozoic orogens and ocean basins. The arches in?uenced patterns of sedimentation and tectonism in the intervening epicratonic basins andmarginal platforms throughout the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic. Movements on the arch structuresalso triggered minor magmatism and controlled the location and timing of alkalic rock-carbonatite, kimberlite, and related intrusions in the Canadian Shield, the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, and West Greenland.

Jan 1, 1997

By Joseph Hirschi, Behrooz Abbasi, Harrold Gurley, Yoginder P. Chugh

"The research goal was to assess if analytical tool/s can be developed to quantify displacements around a geological fault as longwall face moves toward it and past it. A company was faced with crossing a 2-3 m (6-10 ft.) normal up-thrown fault in the development entries and the face while mining a 375 m (1,200 ft.) wide longwall face. A field monitoring and numerical modeling study was performed to develop data. Field measurements consisted of roof-to-floor convergence and rectangular rosettes in the immediate roof. Numerical modeling consisted of constructing a 3-D structural model using the FLAC3D software with the fault plane incorporated as ubiquitous joint. Based on analyses and field observations data, the coal company was informed of impending movements along the fault plane and likely impacts on the development entries. Additional stiff supports were installed in head gate entries around the stage loader and equipment about 60 m (200 ft.) outby of the longwall face (solid). As the longwall face approached the fault, predicted displacements were documented and manifested by severe loading on the installed supports.BACKGROUND AND STUDY OVERVIEWThis paper summarizes results of a cooperative study aimed at improving longwall mining operations in Illinois. More specifically, the study focused on: 1) In-mine measurements in development entries while mining ahead of and behind a faulted zone, 2) Making observations on stability of pillars and entries while mining through the fault, and 3) Developing simplified analytical structural models using FLAC3D to assess if predictive techniques can be developed to plan mining operations through fault zone. Available data on geometry of the fault with estimates of the cohesion and frictional parameters were used for modeling."

Jan 1, 2015

By D. Tetsuka, H. Okamoto

The amount of impurities to be processed in a copper smelting process has increased for recent years because of an increase in the electronic scrap amount. It has been found that Sb and Ni effect on the operation of our copper electrorefining process. It is found that the current efficiency of the copper electrorefining tended to be decreased as the Ni concentration in the electrolyte increased. The passivation of the process seemed to be more related to SO4 concentration in the electrolyte rather than the Ni concentration in it. The current efficiency decreased when the Sb content in the anode was high. A high Sb content in the anode caused easy passivation by forming a gel-like film in the slime layer. We have developed a method to for see the anode passivation in a short time while generating a slime layer. We confirmed the tendency of passivation through the experiment of changing Pb content in anode. Passivation was easily occur with an increase in Pb content in the anode. The amount of slime increased as the Pb content in the anode increased. This suggests that passivation was facilitated because liquid diffusion near the anode was inhibited. INTRODUCTION The amount of impurities to be processed in copper smelting has been growing in recent years because the amount of electronic scrap has increased. Figure 1 shows that the contents of Sb and Ni in copper anodes have increased since 2007.High Sb and Ni contents in the copper anode decreased the current efficiency of the process and made the quality of copper cathode poor because of the anode passivation and the formation of floating slime in the electrolyte during electrorefining. If these influences of impurities are suppressed, it would be possible to make copper electro-refining current density higher and to process much amount of electronic scrap. We examined the components of our copper electro-refining process like anode composition, slime properties and electrolyte composition, and investigated the mechanism by which Sb and Ni affect passivation and current efficiency. When examining the influence of Ni, we noticed that the SO4 important. The effect of SO42 – was also discussed

Jan 1, 2019

By John Gittins

Lots 11 and 12, Range IX, Calumet island, are underlain by a Grenville metamorphic complex into which sills of tourmaline granite pegmatite have been injected. The pegmatite has an average mode-potash feldspar 65 per cent, sodic plagicdase 10 to 20 per cent, quartz 5 to 20 per cent, tourmaline 10 to 15 per cent, accessory minerals < 5 per cent; it is unzoned except for a narrow border zone. Some of the feldspar has been replaced by calcite. Microcline has been ?partially replaced by sodic plagioclase. Three varieties of tourmaline are present (black, blue, and green) and spectrographic analysis suggests progressive compositional changes during its crystallization. The presence of U- and Th-bearing minerals in the pegmatite prompted the Quebec Nickel Cor,porat10n, Ltd., to explore the possibility of developing the pegmatite but it does not appear that this is economically possible at the ? present time. Tt\e Grenville metamorphic complex consists of recrystallized limestones and calcsilicate rocks of the albite-epidoteamphibolite facies and the amphibolite facies, which were derived from sedimentary rocks. Several of these are dis-equilibrium assemblages, and retrograde metamorphism has probably formed biotite and epidote from hornblende. The schistosity of the gneisses dips steeply eastward. Numerous strike faults are roughly parallel to the schistosity and one of the pegmatite sills is bounded by such a fault, dipping at 60 ° with about one foot of fault breccia. The general structure of the map-area seems to be an asymmetrical syncline ?overturned to the west. The emplacement of the pegmatite is associated with a period of folding, metamorphism, and igneous intrusion.

Jan 1, 1956

By John C. McKay

"The five papers which follow, under the heading of ""Technology Transfer-Universities to Industry"", were originally presented at the 20th Annual CIM Conference of Metallurgists in Hamilton, Ontario. They are a unique group of papers, unique because each paper is concerned with applied research done wholly or partly in a university environment and then translated into industrial practice.Universities can rightly be regarded as one of our nation&apos;s greatest resources-a veritable storehouse of knowledge and expertise. Yet, too often, this resource is overlooked or, at best, sparingly used by Canadian industry. Of course, university-based research cannot supplant industry-based research, nor vice versa; each type of research activity has its proper role in the over-all process of technology development.University-based scientists are best equipped to conceptualize, innovate, determine viability of basic premises and to verify these at the bench or small pilot-plant level. Industry based scientists are best equipped to develop ""bench-scale"" innovations into mature manufacturing practices. Thus, university-based scientists and industry-based scientists do not compete with, but rather complement, each other. Active, relevant university research enhances industrial research provided good communication between the two ""solitudes"" is continually nurtured.Good communication between industry and university is a prime objective of CSIRA/ACRIS (Canadian Steel Industry Research Association /Association Canadienne pour la Recherches dans d&apos;Industrie Siderurgique), The directors of CSIRA/ACRIS foster improved communication by making regular visits to universities, by sponsoring projects and by providing lists to professors of uncharted areas where basic research is needed. More can be done to improve communication between industry and university, and it is the intent of the Association to do more.The five papers sponsored by CSIRA/ACRIS are examples of good communication and healthy cooperation. It is interesting to note when reading these papers that the cooperation arose, in each instance, as a result of different circumstances. However, there is a common thread and it is personal acquaintanceship-the university scientist/professor and the industry investigator/manager knew each other prior to the initiation of the project."

Jan 1, 1982

By C. A. Campbell

"There has been a significant reduction in maintenance hours and improved performance by maintenance crews at the MacLeod mine since the introduction of a Maintenance Control system which includes the use of maintenance standards. This paper deals with the steps taken to develop and implement the program. The objectives of the program and the organization and training of the control group are outlined. The work-order system, standards application, classification of work and the preventive maintenance procedures will be discussed.All maintenance information is processed on a Model 360-20 IBM computer, which turns out maintenance records and control reports for management action. Information in these reports, and reasons for reporting, will be discussed and the benefits resulting from the program reviewed."

Jan 1, 1973

By H. Hitchen

THE object of this paper is to present the various facts that l1ave been revealed during lengthy investigations into the performance of all types of ropes on different hoisting installations. It then goes on to suggest means by which most of these findings could be usefully employed to obtain more economical rope lives with increased safety. SHAFT HOISTING ROPES Four basic designs of ropes are now employed for hoisting duties: (1) Six-strand, round strand ropes with fibre cores. (2) Six-strand, triangular strand ropes with fibre cores. (3) Non-rotating, multi-strand ropes. 0) Locked coil ropes. Round Strand Ropes (Figure 1) Very solid and reliable ropes can be obtained with this simple geo-metric design of strand. 1&apos;1?iangula1? Strand Ropes (Figure 2) Owing to the fact that the wires in the strands are bent over a triangle, they do not seat quite so solidly as when they are bent over a circular core wire, as is the case with

Jan 1, 1963

By C. H. Wright

Introduction The rapidly expanding and increasingly complex Canadian industrial structure, with the mining, metallurgical, and chemical industries as a large integral part, has, in recent years, brought greatly increased importance and value to our industrial minerals. In the modern economy of our mineral industry the importance which is due the non-metallics has been somewhat overshadowed by the great value of our large metal production and, in addition, by the glamour and fascination usually associated with the mining and treatment of gold ores. The term &apos;Industrial Mineral&apos; is used in this paper in its usual sense and refers to non-metallics other than fuels. Coal and petroleum products, including natural gas, are considered as industrial minerals in those applications in which they are used for strictly chemical process purposes. Certain reduction metallurgical industries are so closely allied to chemical industries that for purposes been of this discussion no attempt has made to differentiate between them. Chemical industry in Canada today is a fairly large factor in our national economy, whereas in 1898, when the Canadian Mining Institute was born, it was very small indeed. Chemical concerns are largely dependent on industrial minerals for raw materials and process supplies and, as the country has developed industrially, so have the demands for non-metallics increased, not only by chemical industry but also by other large consumers, such as the construction and metallurgical industries. At the present time there is a greater than normal incentive prevailing for new discoveries, due to the serious lack of balance that exists in our import and export trade. This fact has resulted in intensive efforts to rectify the situation by locating new deposits and re-assessing those already known in an effort to enlarge and improve our home production of raw materials and also to extend their processing in Canada for our own needs and for export. The rapid advances in science and technology that have taken place since 1900 have also resulted in many cases of beneficiation and utilization of otherwise too low grade materials in order to satisfy current demands. The purpose of this paper is to indicate the history and the trends of the utilization of industrial minerals in established industry and to indicate the important part played by non-metallics in connection with the opening up of new industries. Some consideration has been given to the continual competition between natural and &apos;synthetic products and to the general tendency towards more rigid specifications.

Jan 1, 1948

By J. Cayouette, C. Bolduc, P. Blatter

"The LaRonde mill was commissioned in 1988 and began treating ore from the Penna shaft in 2000. The mill has been expanded to accommodate 7,500 t/day, but ramped down to 6,000 t/day since the deep extension began. The process recovers gold, silver, and base metals. In 2008, the Goldex plant began trucking gold-pyrite concentrate to a treatment plant feeding pulp to the LaRonde mill, increasing gold output by 40,000 oz. In 2009, the high-grade Lapa ore processing facilities were annexed to the LaRonde plant, increasing gold output by 120,000 oz. This paper outlines the metallurgical considerations related to the treatment of different ore types.RÉSUMÉ Le concentrateur de la mine LaRonde a été mis en service en 1988 et a commencé à traiter le minerai du puits Penna en 2000. La capacité du concentrateur a augmenté afin de permettre le traitement de 7 500 tonnes de minerai par jour, capacité qui est retombée à 6 000 tonnes par jour (tpj) depuis le début de l’extension en profondeur de la mine. Ce procédé permet de récupérer de l’or, de l’argent et des métaux communs. En 2008, l’usine de traitement Goldex a commencé à transporter par camion du concentré de pyrite et d’or vers une usine de traitement alimentant en pulpe le concentrateur de LaRonde, augmentant ainsi la production d’or de 40 000 onces. En 2009, les installations de traitement du minerai à haute teneur de Lapa ont été annexées à l’usine de traitement de LaRonde, augmentant la production d’or de 120 000 onces. Cet article passe en revue les considérations métallurgiques liées au traitement de différents types de minerai.INTRODUCTIONThe LaRonde metallurgical plant in the Abitibi region of Quebec, Canada, evolved into a mature milling site following expansions in 2000–2003, thanks to improved processes, manpower, and water treatment capabilities that better accommodate the complex constituents of the LaRonde ore. The ore requires a sequence of grinding, copper- lead and zinc flotation, and precious metals leaching, ending with a carbon-in-pulp (CIP) gold recovery. A portion (35%) of the tailings is sent back underground as paste backfill after being treated with the SO2-air cyanide destruction process. The tailings area has a dedicated cyanide destruction and metal precipitation area through which the used water passes before returning as recycled water. A biological water treatment plant was built in 2004 to address water toxicity in the final effluent. The water toxicity was the result of the high sulfide content of the LaRonde ore (from thiocyanate or stable cyanide species buildup) and the use of 90% recirculated water in the mill. The water treatment plant uses bacteria to transform thiocyanate into nitrates and precipitate phosphorus from the water before it is discharged into the environment."

Jan 1, 2017