Search Documents

By Gordon E. Agar

"The effectiveness of two this compounds for copper sulphide depression in molybdenite flotation has been examined with batch bench scale tests.Both thioglycollate and trithiocarbonate proved to be good depressants producing results similar to those f or cyanide and hydrosulphide. Ferrocyanide was ineffective on the samplematerial tested.The depressing effect of thioglycollate was readily reversed by an addition of xanthate.IntroductionThe separation of molybdenite from copper sulphide minerals has been practised for a long time(1,2). The predominant scheme is to depress the copper sulphides while capitalizing on the ready floatability of molybdenite to effect the separation. There are many recipes for depressing the copper minerals(3), among them the addition of sodium cyanide, particularly if the copper is present primarily as chalcopyrite; some form of sulphide whether as sodium sulphide, sodium hydrosulphide or phosphorous pentasulphide when there is a mixture of copper sulphides such as bornite, chalcocite and chalcopyrite; potassium ferro cyanide may be used when chalcocite is the principal copper sulphide; peroxide or hypochlorite; as well as heating in the presence of lime. There are different mechanisms by which these reagent s depress the copper sulphides. Sodium cyanide and the sulphide-producing compounds apparently reduce the potential of the copper sulphides to the point where they ar e rendered unfloatable by xanthates . Another study(4) showed that after cyanide addition, chalcopyrite was rendered un floatabl e until the REDOX potential (measured with a gold electrode with a saturated calomel reference) had become more positive than -250 mY. If the chalcopyrite pulp was conditioned after the cyanide addition the REDOX potential increased slowly, whereas if air was introduced during the conditioning the potential r ose much more rapidly. The difference in time to reach the desired level of - 250 mV was as much as 20 minutes' 25 minutes being required when air was absent but less than 5 minutes when air was admitted . These observation s demonstrate some of the problems encountered when using cyanide to depress sulphides such as chalcopyrite . The system adjusts to counteract the depressing effect of the additive. To overcome this tendency it is necessary to either add an overdose at the beginning or to more or less continuously add the regulating reagent. In this study cyanide solution was added under automatic control to maintain a specified REDOX potential."

Jan 1, 1984

By Ning Yu

There are about 1.341 trillion tons (t) of proven coal reserves in China, of which 279.58 billion t are available for mine well construction basis. Thick coal seams are 44% of the reserves. The production of thick coal seams exploitation is over 45% of the total coal production. Full-seam mining and fully-mechanized mining for large mining height is the technology development direction of thick and extra thick seam mining. It is also the important way to achieve efficient and intensive mining with the characteristics of high production, high mechanization, high efficiency and low energy consumption, etc. Complete set of technology and equipment of fully-mechanized top caving for large mining height of full-seam (7m) mining and extra thick seam ( 14-20m) has been gradually mature and for demonstration application by the joint research of government, enterprises, universities, scientific research organizations and users. It has solved some technical problems of coal face for large mining height (over 7m) such as the coal wall spalling control, stability of support, wall rock coupling, cooperation work of mining and caving, full roadway support for super large section, end support, equipment matching of coal shearers, hydraulic support and scraper conveyor. It has developed key equipments including powerful hydraulic support of fully-mechanized mining and fully-mechanized top caving for large mining height, electrically-driven coal shearer with high speed and reliability, scraper and belt conveyer with big capacity, soft-start and high reliability, automatic control system of coal face with the core of electric-hydraulic control, bolting drill boom large section coal roadway shearer, heavy auxiliary transport equipment. The operation rates of fully-mechanized top caving equipment for full-seam and large mining height are 94% and 92.1%, and recovery ratios are 93.6% and 88.9% respectively. The annual raw coal production of single work face is over 10 Mt. The automation and intelligentization level have been clearly improved. The exploitation of thick and extra thick coal seam that is safe and efficient has been achieved in China.

Aug 1, 2013

By J. G. Speight

Laboratory studies indicate that autogenous heating of low-rank coal can be prevented by a prior treatment which involves immersing the coal for short (5-15 min.) periods in an inert liquid at temperatures between ~ 350° and 400°C. Such "carbonization" effectively reduces the accessible pore volume of the coal to levels at which heat generation through subsequent sorption of moisture and oxygen is too slow to cause significant temperature rises in a stockpile. In addition, this treatment also irreversibly removes most of the moisture held in the raw coal and raises its calorific value by as much as 10-12%.

Jan 1, 1973

"In 1989, improved milling and recoveries resulted in a record production of 7 722 200 Ib Nb2P5 at the Niobec Mine. At the beginning of 1990, proven and probable reserves stood at 11 952 000 tons grading 0.65% Nb205. This year, the world steel market has slowed and as a result, niobium consumption is down. Consequently, production at the mine dropped 14% for the second quarter.IntroductionThe Niobec Mine is located approximately nine miles northwest of Chicoutimi, Quebec, (Fig. I). After ten years of production, the Niobec Mine is the only operating niobium mine in North America and the second largest producer of niobium in the world after Brazil.The Niobec Mine is a joint venture held equally by Teck Corporation and Carnbior. Teck Corporation operates the mine while Cambior is responsible for marketing and selling the niobium pentoxide concentrate (Nb2P5).The deposit was discovered in 1964 following an airborne radiometric survey in search of uranium. However, mining of the deposit did not begin until 1976. The initial production capacity of 1500 tons per day was increased several times to the present capacity of 2450 tons . The deposit is considered as an ample source of pyrochlore concentrate for at least 15 years at the present production rate.Niobium, also known as columbium, is a greyish-white metal used primarily as an alloy in various steels and other metals. The use of niobium in alloys heightens tensile strength and improves corrosion resistance while at the same time reducing the weight of the alloy. Niobium is also used in the fabrication of steel for the aerospace, automobile, and oil and gas pipeline industries. Although substitutes for niobium exist, their use often results in diminished performance and net cost increases."

Jan 1, 1990

By E. M. De Souza

"A scientific testing program, sponsored by the Mining Industry Research Organization of Canada (MIROC), was undertaken on the surface and underground facilities of Inca's Crean Hill Mine to investigate the effectiveness of using dry drilling with a dust control system.The surface test work consisted of the monitoring of advance rates and bit life white a series of 165 mm holes, wet and dry, were drilled at both mine air (0.69MPa) and high pressure air (1.72MPa). The results, based on statistical evaluations of field data, indicated that penetration rates can be increased by an average of 24% when drilling dry with high air pressure and by approximately 27.5% when drilling dry with mine air as compared with wet drilling under the same conditions. Dry drilling also has the effect of reducing button wear by approximately 69% using high pressure air. The underground test work employed a dust collection system developed for use with large diameter holes (165 mm) and high pressure drilling. The testing program has indicated that an average increase in penetration rate of 35% can be achieved when dry drilling in rock (waste) and of 49% when dry drilling in ore with high air pressure. Although preliminary dust monitoring did not indicate any appreciable increase in dust concentration during dry drilling, further dust monitoring is still required.A comparative cost analysis has indicated the potential for reduction in drilling costs when dry drilling is utilized. Further testwork is to be conducted to develop a reliable dust collection system for underground production."

Jan 1, 1992

By A. P. E. Dirige

In order to maximize the recovery of ore and to save on costs in undercut mining, backfill of low cement content is used to fill the mined out excavations. This backfill mass is supported by a sillmat structure cast from cemented backfill of very high strength. The stability design of sillmats must be carefully studied to provide very effective, safe and economic mining operations. This paper presents a methodology and procedures for sillmat design based on three engineering modeling approaches: analytical, numerical and centrifuge modeling. Application of the design approach is demonstrated from a design study conducted for an underground gold mine, aimed at minimizing backfill binder content and at producing cost efficient paste fill recipes for sillmat construction. Application of the engineering design recommendations was projected to result in substantial annual cost savings to the mine operation.

May 1, 2007

By D. A. Garland, A. D. Jackson

"Alanx ceramic/metal composites are proprietary products developed by Lanxide Corporation who joined with Alcan to form Alanx Products L.P. in 1988. Alanx ceramic/metal composites are composed of silicon carbide in a combined alumina and metallic aluminum matrix. In laboratory slurry wear tests conducted by Alanx ceramic/metal composites have shown to perform well against other wear resistant materials. At the Kidd Creek Concentrator Alanx CG896 ceramic/metal composite was tested in two pumping applications, the primary cyclone feed pumps and the filter feed pumps. In both instances the wear rates of the parts made of Alanx CG896 were far less than the gum rubber parts traditionally used. As of year to date September 1992 the unit cost to repair primary cyclone pump parts has dropped 58% from 1991 figures. For the filter feed pumps the unit cost to maintain the pumps has dropped by 33% as compared to 1990 figures. The total savings represented by implementation of Alanx wear parts, based on projected year end unit costs for 1992, as compared to 1991 costs for primary cyclone feed pumps and 1990 figures for filter feed pumps, is $166,753. INTRODUCTIONAt the Kidd Creek Concentrator the cost to maintain the primary cyclone feed pumps and the filter feed pumps was a constant concern. Rubber wear part consumption was quite high and the manpower required was considerable. For 1991 the total cost to maintain five primary cyclone pumps was $244,062. The cost to maintain the filter feed pumps in 1990 was $72,076. A wear material was needed that would increase the time between repairs and that would increase the reliability of these pumps between scheduled shut downs."

Jan 1, 1993

By L. A. Wolff

"Second only to profitability (but not always), productivity is the most sought after measurement for any operation. Whether it is in mining, manufacturing, construction, etc. managers always strive to know how productive various plants are. Even the Federal Government publishes, on a monthly basis, the nation's factory productivity.Just what is productivity and how is it measured? This is an important topic that needs definition. There could be as many definitions as there are people who use it. In the mining industry, the problems of defining productivity would be analogous to the definition of equipment availability. Each mine uses its own definition to suit its needs. Webster's Dictionary primary definition for productivity is ""the quality or state of being productive,"" with productive defined as ""yielding or furnishing results"". This is a definition open to a broad spectrum of interpretation. A discussion of how productivity is currently used in the mining industry and an introduction to a potentially different approach to its measurement and meaning is outlined in this paper.Defining ProductivityTypically, mining companies track several productivity measurements. These are partial measurements and can include the following: tons per specific equipment class per hour, tons per man-hour, and tons per shift. None of these, however, track the over -all performance of an operation, that is, a unit of output per unit of input.For a mining operation, output can be defined as the ore for mill processing. Input includes the required components of production to get to the first step of processing.The Wesbter's Dictionary definition exposes a major fault with the popular conception of productivity. The critical issue of accountability is not addressed. Anyone can produce, but how effectively and efficiently are resources used? Quantifying an inclusive measurement is difficult. Statistics referring to an increase in productivity are often published. For example, the statement, ""gold productivity has increased by 10%"" has many potentially dangerous interpretations. One must ask, what does this statistic really mean? Did gold companies produce 10%” more gold? Were less manpower or equipment required to produce an equivalent amount of gold? Did ore grades increase resulting in more ounces of gold produced, etc. Obviously, production and productivity can have similar implied applications and meanings, but also two different, distinct meanings.To mitigate a problem like this, a standard needs to be developed within the mining industry. Because of varying ore grade, changing waste to ore ratios, different mining methods, etc. all of which have a direct impact on mining, development of a standard is difficult. Kendrick(1) discusses the use of Total Factor Productivity as a productivity measurement. Summarized, the total factor productivity measure is an indication of the change in efficiency in the use of basic labour and capital factors associated with an operation.This measurement has little meaning when calculated at a given point in time. It should be an on-going calculation, tracking an operation over a period of time, to evaluate trends. These trends can be used to determine if an operation's productivity is what it should be, and alert management to potential problems before they become major and adversely affect an operation."

Jan 1, 1990

By A. W. Chan

"An interactive computer simulation model of conveyor systems used in oil sands mining has been developed to aid in the selection of mining equipment and the evaluation of operating policies. The materials handling links between supply points, such as bucket-wheel excavators and draglines, and demand points such as bins and extraction plants are modelled in such a way that the conveyor model can be interfaced with any combination of these equipment submodels. Detailed calculations of the power demand of each conveyor section based on operating characteristics and conveyor design parameters are included to permit the close monitoring of energy requirements. Various interactive features are incorporated so that an operator can not only monitor, but also control, the mining operations in the model and experiment with different operating strategies.IntroductionThe interactive simulation model of conveyor systems described in this paper is one of a number of detailed computer models being jointly developed by the National Research Council and Canstar Oil Sands Ltd. on the mining equipment and operations used in oil sands mining. Reference I presents an overview of this whole series of models, their interrelationships and the underlying motivation for their development.A network of conveyors constitutes one of the practical ways for transporting mined material in an oil sands plant. The materials handling links between supply points, such as bucket-wheel excavators, bucket-wheel reclaimers and bins, and demand points such as dumps, bins and extraction plants can be represented by a series of interconnected conveyor sections. For example, the fluctuations of the feed rate at the bucket-wheel excavator, the flow of ore material through the conveyor network and the arrival of this material at the extraction plant can be simulated."

Jan 1, 1982

By G. Stokreef, B. R. Davis, M. Kadiyski, T. LeBel, Alvear Montenegro, R. Parra, V. Montenegro

A drop tower and methodology were developed to study the impact of mineralogy on the flash combustion behaviour of copper concentrates. Reaction shaft conditions of a flash furnace were simulated using a drop tower reactor and different molar ratios of oxygen gas to sulphur in the feed. Five feeds were tested in the drop tower including pure minerals chalcopyrite and pyrite as well as two mineralogically distinct copper concentrates and a blend of the two. The behaviour of each of these five feeds were evaluated through analysis of the solid combustion products for elemental sulphur, mineralogy and particle size. Desulphurization curves for each of the feeds were produced. It is thought that the desulphurization behaviour of pure minerals can be used to estimate the behaviour of a concentrate and that a blending recipe could be developed, which can optimize the chemical and mineralogical inputs to the flash furnace and guide operations on the optimum furnace conditions. Overall, the drop tower has proven to be a useful tool for studying flash combustion processes. Experimental results suggest that mineralogy has a significant impact on the conditions required for the production of matte with consistent grade. This finding is especially significant for custom smelters, which may see several different blends in a day. INTRODUCTION Flash furnace smelting is a continuous feed, batch tap, pyrometallurgical process that is used to produce copper matte from copper sulphide concentrates. Dried concentrate(s), silica flux, and secondary materials are blended to a target chemical composition, typically given by the Cu/S ratio, before processing. This fine, dried feed is dispersed throughout the heated furnace reaction shaft with an O2-enriched reaction gas. The particles heat up in the shaft of the furnace, ignite and undergo reactions that pre-oxidize the iron sulphide and some of the impurities in the feed. Oxidation reactions in the shaft of the furnace desulphurize the feed and produce an SO2-containing off gas. The reacted particles fall into the furnace settler and separate into a Cu-rich matte and an iron-silicate slag, while the SO2-containing off gas is carried out of the furnace for heat and dust recovery, as well as H2SO4 production. Some concerns during operation of the furnace are dusting, over or under oxidation of the feed, and a stable flame.

Jan 1, 2019

By M. K. Walter

"The underground operations of Kidd Creek Mines uses an average of 450 U.S. gpm water during regular operations, and discharges an average of 800 U.S. gpm through consecutive staged pumping lifts of 1200f t.Water is used as a flushing medium for the drilling operations and as a dust suppressant for drawpoint mucking. The water retains an average of 5% suspended solids by weight which is removed underground before being pumped to the surface. This paper outlines the treatment of the mine water for the removal of suspended solids which are chemically treated to settle out as a sludge product of 60% solids by weight. This process reduces the sludge handling operation by 50%. The sludge is systematically disposed into the ore passes.IntroductionThe Kidd Creek minesite, located 27 km north of Timmins, Ontario, produces 4.5 million tonne s of copper, lead, zinc and silver ores annually from its No. I and No.2 underground mining operations. Both mines use a sublevel blasthole stoping method of extraction.Water from the underground operation passes through a series of surface settling ponds, where it is treated to remove heavy metal ions from solution. A blend of the pond effluent with fresh water from Kidd Creek, supply the underground with water at an average rate of 450 U.S. gpm. Water flows from the production zones through coarse sumps and into a main pumping station. There are five main pumping stations underground, three in No. I Mine and two in the No.2 Mine.The No. 2 Mine pumping stations are located on the 4800 level and the 3600 level. All water below the 3600 level to the shaft bottom is controlled from the 4800 pumping station. The water from the 4800 pumping section is combined with water from the remaining levels of the No.2 Mine at the 3600 pumping station. Water from the 3600 pumping station is pumped to the 2400 pumping station in No. I Mine.The No. I Mine pumping stations are located on 2800, 2400, and 1200 levels. All water below the 2400 level to the shaft bottom is controlled through the 2800 pumping station. This water is pumped to the 2400 pumping station. The 2400 pumping station also controls the water below 1600level to 2400 level."

Jan 1, 1988

By D. E. M. Plaumann

"The wet grinding of asbestos has attracted the attention of engineers for many years as a means of improving fibre liberation from the ore. Today, added impetus for wet grinding has resulted from a need to minimize worker exposure to asbestos dust in conventional dry mills using air, as well as a need to provide a cleaner, technically superior fibre for use by product manufacturers. However , high viscosities of asbestos slurries create transport and grinding difficulties which have been a factor impeding use of a wet grinding process.Laboratory evaluation of reagents to reduce viscosities of asbestos slurries found that one reagent, XFS-4272.00, reduced the viscosity of a 35% (by weight) slurry by 75%. The impact of XFS-4272.00 on actual grinding parameters were evaluated using a pilot plant rod mill. Slurries containing 78% solids and XFS-4272.00 were successfully milled and asbestos fibres from that milling compared favourably in liberation and relative surface area to asbestos fibres obtained from milling a 4% slurry without additives.IntroductionAlthough the use of asbestos has been declining over the last few years, the large deposits of chrysotile in eastern Canada (Quebec in particular) remain very important. Asbestos production in Canada stands ninth in volume for mineral production with over 740 000 tonnes produced in 1985. Of this quantity, 722000 tonnes were exported with a value of $446 million . Canada is second in world production of asbestos behind the U.S.S.R ."

Jan 1, 1988

By Tong Qin, Jinxia Zhang, Fusheng Niu, Limei Bai

"The interaction between a deformable bubble and a rigid particle in viscous liquids under microgravity conditions is studied by direct numerical simulation via an Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method. Due to the microgravity, the bubble will stay as a sphere in the fluid without external forces and its deformation is caused by the moving particle. In this study we assume the flow field is axisymmetric and the motion of the gas inside the bubble is neglected. The particle equations and the Navier-Stokes equations for the fluid are solved in a unified finite element framework. The particle obtains an impact velocity by an external force and the impact velocity is varied over a wide range. A ‘critical time scale’ T0 was identified for the interaction process. For successful contacts between particle and bubble, the time scale of their relative motion must be less than T0.INTRODUCTIONThe particle-bubble interaction is an important process in many applied industrial domains such as water treatment, froth flotation and liquid steel purification. It is a complex three phase process in that it embraces many research areas: fluid hydrodynamics, interfacial forces, particle and bubble behaviour and solution chemistry.Derjaguin and Dukhin(1961) clarified the particle-bubble interaction by introducing three-zone model for small and medium size particles. When the particle is far away from the bubble surface, the hydrodynamic forces are dominant. The particle is driven toward the bubble surface by the particle inertial and gravity. This region is regarded as Zone 1 and the interaction in this zone is a collision subprocess. As the particle gets close to the bubble, it exits a zone where the liquid flow around the bubble surface creates a tangential stream from the upper surface of the bubble toward the rear of the bubble. This is Zone 2 which is called the diffusiophoretic zone. In Zone 3, the particle is very closed to the bubble, surface forces like van der Waals, electrostatic and structural forces are considered. Contrast to Zone 1, Zone3 can be regarded as an attachment subprocess."

Jan 1, 2016

By David Lewin

The journey toward cleaner coal-fired power generation is driven by technological improvements, more stringent regulations around greenhouse gas and other air emissions, and the potential of one of Canada?s most abundant resources. Within this context, EPCOR is leading efforts to commercialize gasification technology to produce electricity with near-zero emissions. By turning coal, oxygen, and water into synthesis gas through a gasification process ? and then capturing CO2 ? it is possible to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas and smog-related emissions. EPCOR is conducting front-end engineering and design work on an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle technology (IGCC) utility-scale plant ? in conjunction with the Canadian Clean Power Coalition ? at its Genesee site, west of Edmonton. EPCOR, the Alberta Energy Research Institute, and Natural Resources Canada have each contributed $11 million to the $33 million project. A critical element of the project features the capture of CO2, which would be piped underground for long-term sequestration, or for use in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The combination of IGCC and CO2 sequestration, at this scale, has not been used anywhere else in the world.

May 1, 2008

By R. P. Taylor

"This paper covers the development of the property to its present production level of20,000 tonnes per day from the Valley Mine. It will also review the analysis of various case studies for the expansion of the project to its full potential, and discuss the impact of the recent structural change in the copper market on the development of a large low-grade deposit such as Valley.IntroductionIn 1964 Cominco participated, along with a number of other companies and individuals, in the formation of Valley Copper Mines Ltd. This company was formed in order to facilitate exploration on a large number of mineral claims held by these parties in British Columbia's Highland Valley, approximately 400 km northeast of Vancouver (Fig. I). Cominco 's ownership of Valley Copper was gradually increased over the years bot h through shares gained for exploration expenditures and through shares purchased on the open market. By the mid- 1970sCominco' s interest in Valley Copper exceeded 80%.ExplorationExploration from 1964 to 1969 led to the discovery of a massive porphyry copper depo sit now known as the Valley orebody. A claim boundary divided the deposit with 80% of it on Valley Copper claims and 20070 on claims held by Bethlehem Copper which was already mining adjacent copper orebodies. During the period when the Valley ore body was discovered, exploration by other companies resulted in the discovery of the large Lornex and Highrnont deposits nearby. The stage was now set for the Highland Valley to become an important copper-producing area (Fig. 2)."

Jan 1, 1986

By R. L. Eadie, J. L. Luo

The effect of plastic deformation on near-neutral pH stress corrosion cracking (SCC) also known as environmentally assisted cracking was studied by cracking rate measurements. All the tests were conducted in a synthetic near-neutral pH solution. The traditional potential drop tests using compact toughness (C-T) specimens with 2-3 mm long pre-cracks showed varying plastic deformation by rolling would increase the material's susceptibility to SCC. This was confirmed by cyclic loading tests using double notched flat tensile specimens with 200-300 µm long pre-cracks which gave the same results that the specimen with large scale plastic deformation by tensile loading had a relatively faster crack growth rate than that with only small scale plastic deformation.

Jan 1, 2005

By Mike Anderson

The annual budget for the repair and maintenance of equipment at Syncrude Canada Ltd is in excess of 450 million dollars. Of this amount, a significant portion can be attributed to the loss of material on various pieces of equipment throughout the operation. In order to effectively battle the different wear and corrosion mechanisms that lead to material loss, it is important to understand how materials behave in the environments in which they are used. Through the work carried out at Syncrude, and work conducted with various external collaborators, significant improvements in both equipment reliability and productivity have been achieved. This paper will review some recent field trails where materials research has demonstrated the potential for significant improvements in equipment run life and reduced maintenance costs. These field trails will demonstrate the need for understanding the interaction between various damage mechanisms and the materials used in different services. The paper will also discuss current areas of focus along with future directions for further work.

May 1, 2003

By Alan R. Holt

"This paper provides an overview of the use of uranium and coal in Ontario Hydro's generation program. The dynamics of available supply sources including mining and transportation infrastructures and regional considerations are described. Included is a discussion of needed procurement strategies, both in place and planned, to meet fluctuating fuel requirements while ensuring adequate supply security and cost effectiveness. IntroductionDuring the first half of this century, Ontario Hydro or the Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario, as it was then known substantially supplied all of the province's electricity needs from a large number of hydraulic generating stations. Although hydraulic power still provides a very significant part of Ontario energy requirements, this paper will concentrate on the role of uranium and coal in their generation program. To provide a perspective on the importance of these two fuels, Figure I shows the approximate value of each for the past few years in relation to Hydro's total operating costs. The trend toward increasing nuclear output and a corresponding decline in coal use is also clearly illustrated.Figure 2 shows the currently installed capacity of their three main energy sources, hydraulic, nuclear and coal and the 1986 production totals for each, followed by Table I which compares the average operating or running cost on the basis of dollars per megawatt hour for each type of plant. It demonstrates dramatically why Ontario Hydro base load s its hydraulic and nuclear plants, and why coal has become the swing fuel on the system. Although they have a 1200 megawatt plant in Toronto with natural gas-burning capability, and a 2000 megawatt oil-fired station near Kingston, both are presently mothballed and have not been considered in this paper.This paper starts with a user's perspective of the nuclear fuel supply situation which will be discussed in relation to the usual considerations of security, flexibility and cost."

Jan 1, 1988

By K. N. Subramanian, H. Kanduth

"It is well known that chalcopyrite can be dissociated into simple sulphides by heating with elemental sulphur at about 475°C:CuFeS2 + S -> CuS + FeS2Experimental work was undertaken to determine whether this ""activation"" could be used to advantage in the selective leaching of copper from chalcopyrite concentrate.A method of treating copper concentrate with molten sulphur was developed and the activated product was leached in dilute sulphuric acid using oxygen, ferric iron or manganese dioxide as the oxidant. The object was to obtain a solution suitable for electrowinning with minimal purification, but it was impossible to obtain rapid extraction of copper without simultaneously dissolving a large proportion of iron. This was attributed to the fact that some of the copper was present as a low iron-copper sulphide (idaite) and that the pyrite formed during the ""activation"" step was more easily oxidized than natural pyrite."

Jan 1, 1973

By J. Sadaki, G. Dodbiba, S. Murakami, T. Fujita, S. Matsuo, H. Ono, K. Okaya

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) from discarded personal computer (PC) and household appliances were crushed by mechanical crushing or water explosion to remove mounted parts. More parts were stripped from PCB for PC composed of epoxy resin than from PCB for household appliance composed of phenol resin. In an attempt to raise the copper grade of PCB by removing other components, a carbonization treatment was investigated. The crushed PCB without surface-mounted parts was carbonized under a nitrogen atmosphere at 1073K. After screening, the char was classified by size into oversized pieces, undersized pieces and powder. The copper foil and glass fiber pieces were liberated and collected in undersized fraction. The copper foil was liberated easily from glass fiber by stamping treatment. On the other hand, tantalum capacitors were collected from mounted parts. The tantalum-sintered bodies were separated from molded resins by heat treatment at 723 to 773K in air atmosphere and screening of 0.5mm. Silica was removed and 70% of tantalum grade was obtained after more than 823K heating and separation.

Jan 1, 2011