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By M. M. O?Brien

THE SULLIVAN MINE The Sullivan mine of the Consolidated Mining and ? Smelting Company of Canada, Limited, is situated at Kimberley, B.C., nineteen miles from Cranbrook, a divisional point on the Crowsnest Pass branch of the Canadian Pacific railway. Production started on a small scale in 1900, and in 1914 the mine became the largest lead producer in Canada. In 1925 it was the largest single producer of lead and zinc in the world. Since operations commenced, 4,800,000 tons of ore have been produced from stopes and 170,000 tons from development. At the present time, ore is being mined at the rate of 1,100,000 tons per year, with a yield of about 200,000 lb. lead, 110,000 lb. zinc, and 4,000,000 oz. silver. The town of Kimberley is easily accessible by road as well as by rail. The altitude at Mark creek, a tributary of the St. Mary's river, is 3,700 feet. To th'e north of the creek, Sullivan hill rises to a height of 6,100 feet, and it is on the southern slope of this hill that the mine is located. Sullivan hill is in the Purcell range, which rises between the Rocky Mountain trench on the east and Kootenay lake on the west. It thus lies within what is commonly referred to as the East Kootenay district.

Jan 1, 1926

By H. H. Gardner

Introduction The Greenhill mine of West Canadian Collieries, Limited, is on the Alberta side of the Crowsnest pass, twelve miles from the Alberta British Columbia boundary-line. Here, five coal seams of Lower Cretaceous age are found in the Kootenay formation. They outcrop on the north and south slopes of the valley, with strike approximately N.30°W., paralleling the main range of the Rocky mountains, and dip about 40 deg. westward. Of the five seams, only two, designated No. 1 and No. 2, have been worked to date. On the West Canadian Collieries property, No. 1 seam ranges in thickness from thirty feet to nil. Generally, it has a hard, strong conglomerate roof. No. 2 seam is separated from No. 1 by forty-five feet of shales and sandstones. It has a thickness of eight to thirty feet.

Jan 1, 1947

By Roberto Antoniolli

"IntroductionSINCE ancient times, the precious metals have played an important role in influencing the course of history. Silver and gold happened to occur, although in small amounts, in those countries where the early civilizations developed. Their persistent brightness certainly amazed the primitive people, who also found it easy to shape them into ornaments •and implements. Ever since then their properties have made them seem desirable possessions.Use of precious metals as money was the natural consequence of man's desire for them. The possibility of changing an ornament into a tool or food at any time, and the ease with which such medium of exchange could be carried and hidden, further increased the demand for the two metals.Silver was probably discovered after gold and copper, and was undoubtedly found by prehistoric man as native silver. The oldest silver articles have been discovered in Chaldean tombs and date back to 5000 B.C. The earliest ascertained producers of silver were Asia Minor and the Iberian Peninsula. The Romans worked deposits in Spain, Britain, and France. In the Middle Ages, some silver was extracted from German deposits, and near the end of the Middle Ages systematic workings were carried on at Freiberg, Schneeberg, and Joachimsthal (1).Before the discovery of the New Continent, the Aztecs and Toltecs in Mexico, and the Incas in Peru, had made extensive use of silver. In the 16th century the Mexican deposits became the largest source of the world silver."

Jan 1, 1954

By Ellie Condolios

Hydraulic hoisting offers a number ~f attractive features over conventional hoisting methods: small shaft space requirements; great flexibility of layout, including pick-up or delivery of the material at points distant from the mine shaft; low investment and operating costs. However, limited practical experience with this type of hoisting dictates that careful design and, frequently, extensive testing be done by competent engineers before large-scale installations are built. This paper covers the following: basic laws and design criteria for hydraulic hoisting installations; a description of a coal hoisting installation which has been in industrial operation since 1960, with a vertical lift of 600 feet and an annual capacity of 500,000 tons of -3 ~-in. coal; and a tentative appraisal of the process, including cost estimates. THE transportation of solids in water flowing through a pipe-line has, for a number of years, been common practice in dredging, public

Jan 1, 1963

By J. J. Jonas, G. R. Stewart, A. M. Elwazri

Two important parameters for dynamic recrystallization can be derived from the changes in the strain hardening rate: the critical strain for initiation of dynamic recrystallization and the point of maximum softening. In this work, these values are determined from the flow stress-strain data obtained in continuous compression testing in the range 900-1100°C. The resulting strains are used to calculate a kinetic model of dynamic recrystallization for two materials: 304 austenitic stainless steel and a hypereutectoid plain carbon steel. The mechanical parameters used to define the proposed model are confirmed with quantitative metallographic analysis of the recrystallized microstructure.

Jan 1, 2004

By T. A. Utigard

To improve recoveries of Ni, Cu and Co in the Inco flash furnace, a new operating concept was investigated. By adding sufficient coke to form a supernatant coke layer, a reducing barrier would form allowing for improved reduction of descending oxidized sulfide mineral particles formed in the flame. The objective of this investigation was to study the kinetic mechanism and efficiency of the coke layer to produce a sulfur deficient matte. The mechanism and rate of carbon reduction of each of the phases formed in the flash flame, i.e. sulfides and oxysulfides were investigated by means of X-ray visualization tests. Graphite-slag reduction was also conducted for comparison purposes. In the case of slag, poor wettability and the formation of a gas film on the surface of the carbon reductant are often blamed for limiting the reaction surface area that ultimately results in poor reaction kinetics. The X-ray visualization tests confirmed that matte and oxysulfide wet coke better than slag and that the rates of reduction of matte and oxysulfide are faster than that of slag.

Jan 1, 2005

By R. Clarkson

"The Yukon's numerous (185) placer gold mines are still a major social and economic force in this developing economy. Gold recovery at each of the various sluiceboxes is not optimized due to extremely difficult sampling logistics and a shortage of technical expertise and industrial research.At each of six operating placer mines, numerous sluicebox tailings samples were collected with hand held sample cutters and combined into large (2-7 cubic yards) duplicate samples. The entire sample volumes were screened and processed on a shaking table to determine gold losses. The existing and potential gold recoveries and recommended sluicebox design and operating parameters are presented.2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe Project Manager gratefully acknowledges the following support for this placer research program:The funding received from the National Research Council's Industrial Research Program, the Canada/Yukon Economic Development Agreement and the Canada Center for Minerals and Energy Technology (CANMET): andThe technical advice provided by Tad Cienski (CANMET), Ron Johnson (KPMA), George Poling (University of B.C.) and Dan Walsh (University of Alaska).3 OBJECTIVESThe objectives of the Gold Recovery Project are to: evaluate gold losses with statistically based sampling programs; determine how to improve gold recovery; assist miners with the recommended technology and make this information available to the entire placer industry."

Jan 1, 1990

By R. Pot

"IntroductionTHE PURPOSE of this paper is to discuss briefly the main logging and testing devices presently at our disposal, to point out some of their limitations, and to suggest possible improvements of the techniques.Some of the more important devices .are those that are used in:(1) Coring(2) Formation testing(3) Electric well logging(4) Radioactive well logging(5) Measuring of bottom hole pressures(6) Sampling of reservoir fluidsThe first four of these procedures are concerned with the well while it is in the process of drilling. The last two are carried out as soon as possible after a well has been brought into production and .at intervals during its life. My remarks will be concerned mostly with certain aspects of formation testing. The reservoir engineer is dependent on the information derived from these operations in order to obtain a clear picture of the conditions in a reservoir and to enable him to assess and forecast its future behaviour.Since any calculation is no better than the data on which it is based, not enough emphasis can be placed on the necessity for the testing and logging equipment to be of the highest quality and for the analysis of the results obtained to be thorough."

Jan 1, 1952

By B P. Scott

Podsol soil horizons developed on Pleistocene glacial sediments overlying the Coronation Mine orebody were analyzed for copper and zinc spectro-photometrically, using biquinoline-isoamyl alcohol and dithizone carbon tetrachloride reagents. Copper and zinc are concentrated in the A. and C horizons, whereas the A1, A2 and B horizons are leached. Of economic significance is the fact that the C horizon contains a copper anomaly, in excess of 100 times back-ground, directly over the orebody. Due to the erratic distribution of high copper concentrations in the Ao horizon with respect to the orebody, that horizon is not considered as a reliable prospecting datum. U NDER certain conditions, metallic ore deposits are accompanied by primary halos of trace elements in unweathered rock surrounding the orebodies or by secondary halos in weathered rock, alluvium, soil, or vegetation above or near the mineralized zones. Where such halos occur, chemical analysis, as applied to the detection of trace elements, is a valuable prospecting aid, permitting the detection of mineralization of possible economic value.

Jan 1, 1965

By G. E. Norman, A. L. Mckague

"The new smelting process commenced operation in 1978. The pelletizing and sinter plants were replaced with slurry-fed roasters and the blast furnaces with electric furnaces. The existing converter aisle and matte handling facilities remained unchanged.Process DescriptionNickel-copper concentrate is partially roasted in two slurry-fed fluid bed roasters. After gas cleaning, the sulphur dioxide gas is transferred to the acid plant. The roaster product is conveyed to two electric furnaces for smelting to produce a waste slag and furnace matte. The slag goes to the disposal area and furnace matte containing the metal values is processed in the converters for further removal of iron and sulphur.The final matte containing about 75 per cent metal values is shipped to the refinery in Norway.The commercial smelter was designed for 2135 tonnes per day of concentrate, with an availability of 85% . Roasters and electric furnaces were sized at 117 per cent of design, or 1250 tonnes per day on each of two lines. Concentrate storage capacity in the plant is sufficient for two to three days' plant operation.The new smelting process will be discussed under the following headings:Concentrate Slurry HandlingFeed PreparationRoaster OperationRoaster Gas CleaningCalcine TransferElectric Furnace Operation and Process Control Converting and Matte HandlingUnder these headings, process control , equipment changes, and plant performance after three years' operation is reviewed. A brief discussion of accident prevention , and working environment is also included ."

Jan 1, 1984

By Lin Li, Ahmad Ghahremaninezhad

"In this paper, the electrochemical behavior of ferric and ferrous couple on the pyrite surface was studied by application of the chronoamperometry technique in an acidic solution at room temperatures and atmospheric pressure. The effects of the pyrite origin, ferric and ferrous ions concentration on the electron transfer kinetics of Fe3+/Fe2+ reaction were probed. Tafel behavior of all the test conditions were developed. The results showed that the ferric-ferrous reaction on pyrite electrodes with different origins have a common mechanism, despite different reaction kinetics. The exchange current densities of the redox reaction have the same magnitude of about 10-5 A·cm-2, which is far lower than the value reported for the gold and platinum electrodes, but larger than that of the chalcopyrite electrode. The cathodic transfer coefficients are between 0.4 and 0.5, while the anodic transfer coefficients appear unusual with the lowest value being 0.23. It was also demonstrated that an increase of one order of magnitude of iron concentration has no clear effect on the exchange current density and cathodic transfer coefficients of Fe3+/Fe2+ redox reaction.INTRODUCTIONPyrite, FeS2, is mostly considered as a gangue mineral which frequently coexists with valuable minerals and metals, such as gold, copper and nickel. Its separation from valuable minerals can be a costly process (Chandra & Gerson, 2010). In refractory gold ores, the fine gold particles are locked inside the pyrite structure. Oxidative leaching of pyrite is a hydrometallurgical method to destroy the structure of pyrite and expose the fine gold particles to the cyanide solution in the downstream cyanidation circuit. Pyrite oxidative leaching can be achieved by oxidation of pyrite via oxygen and ferric ion(McKibben & Barnes, 1986). In fact, pyrite oxidation by oxygen and ferric is a significant source of acid mine drainage(AMD), which adversely causes serious environmental problems(V. P. Evangelou, 1995).The pyrite oxidation mechanism is accomplished in three consecutive steps: (i) pyrite is oxidized by oxygen and ferrous ion formation (Eq. 1); (ii) ferrous oxidation by oxygen and ferric ion formation (Eq. 2); (iii) pyrite oxidation by means of ferric ions (Eq. 3). Hence, both oxygen and ferric participate in the pyrite oxidation process (Moses & Herman, 1991):"

Jan 1, 2016

By S. J. Cook

Copper, a world commodity, and the first metal used by man, played a great part in the beginnings of modern civilization, which rests so dependently on the utilization of metals. Then, long after the close of the so-called 'bronze age,' when iron and steel had attained great prominence as the world's most important metals, the practical application of electricity to industry and commerce, for the improvement of every phase of man's multitudinous activities, gave a new impetus to the production of copper. Improved metallurgical practice made it possible to work low-grade properties at a profit. Research disclosed many new uses for copper. The metal, now produced from the mines of the world in the proportion of about one pound to every 50 tons of pig iron, has attained an importance which rivals that of iron and steel in the commerce and daily life of every nation. New fields of copper-bearing ore have been discovered in Canada in recent years. Established mines in the United States and Chile are producing on a great scale. Africa looms up as one of the great question marks in the future of copper. Whereas, a few years ago, the end of the world?s resources was predicted as being in sight, the evidence now available seems to show that the copper production of the world is likely not only to continue, but to increase for a long time yet to come. Canada's future in copper is a great subject; in the present paper only a few of the most outstanding factors affecting Canada's destiny in this large field may be noted, but if consideration of the points raised herein serves to focus attention on the magnificent possibilities of Canada as a producer of copper, the preparation of the paper will be more than justified.

Jan 1, 1928

By Dharmendr Kumar, Pradip, Sivakumar Subramanian, Beena Rai, Venugopal Tammishetti

The separation efficiency in a mineral processing plant is generally assessed and reported in terms of elemental assays constituting the minerals of interest. However, different minerals comprising of same elements behave differently under similar process conditions. Thus, it is imperative to track the mineral composition thank elemental composition of different streams in a processing plant. The availability of automated mineral analyzers such as QEMSCAN and TESCAN in recent times has made it possible. However, due to the high cost and expertise required, their adaptation in day to day monitoring of operations is not yet a common place. X-ray diffraction (XRD) profile fitting (Rietveld Refinement) is another technique which can provide estimates of mineral proportions in a sample. The results of Rietveld Refinement however are affected by coating of fines on coarse particles, method of sample preparation, particle size distribution of sample, elemental substitution in mineral crystal lattice. In the present work, we propose a simple and efficient method for quantitative estimation of minerals in iron ores using elemental assays and thermo-gravimetry analysis data. The minerals (hematite, goethite, gibbsite, kaolin and quartz) are identified using powder XRD analysis. It is also observed that goethite contains Al substitution in the crystal lattice. The samples were analyzed for %Fe, %Al2O3 and %Silica using chemical analysis. The measured Loss on Ignition (LOI) in the sample is contributed from goethite, gibbsite and kaolinite phases. LOI from gibbsite and goethite occur in temperature range 250–350°C and LOI from kaolinite occur in temperature range 400–700°C. According, LOI are determined in two different temperature ranges that are 100–400°C and 400–850°C. We have used the data to successfully determine the mineral compositions of iron ore samples. We have also employed a data reconciliation algorithm on the calculated data for further improvement and consistency of our results. Our method is very convenient for quick estimation of mineral proportions in a sample. The proposed method can also be used for quantitative phase estimation in bauxite ores and red muds.

Jan 1, 2016

The mechanism of thiosulfate decomposition and the products formed were investigated in the presence of pyrite or pyrrhotite in copper-ammonia solutions used for leaching gold. The presence of the sulfides significantly increased the decomposition of thiosulfate. The sulfide-surface-catalyzed oxidation of thiosulfate to tetrathionate by dissolved oxygen or the cupric tetra-ammine complex was proposed to be the dominant thiosulfate decomposition mechanism. The catalysis of the sulfides in this reaction could originate from their strong affinity for aqueous sulfur species and their semiconducting properties. Oxygen was found to be the initial driving force for thiosulfate decomposition in the absence of cupric ions and the driving force for the continuous decomposition of thiosulfate in the presence of cupric ions. Under an oxygen free atmosphere, the decomposition of thiosulfate was limited to reduce the cupric ions and the catalytic effect of the sulfides was also marginal. The dominant oxidative product of thiosulfate was trithionate in alkaline solutions especially in an oxygen rich or cupric ion rich environment. Tetrathionate was found in relatively smaller amounts in an oxygen and cupric ion deficient environment. Tetrathionate was not stable and would further decompose after extended periods. Trithionate concentrations increased almost linearly with time.

Jan 1, 2005

By Patrick Andrieux

Numerous rock blasting design methodologies have been developed over the years, relating either to the primary objectives of blasting, such as the size distribution of the blasted material, or to its undesirable side effects, such as damage to the remaining rock mass. All existing methodologies, while of use, do have serious shortcomings. The question remains whether further improvements can be achieved in the field of practical rock blasting engineering. One approach that seems to hold promise is the relatively new matrix-based rock engineering systems (RES) methodology. It has been conceptually demonstrated that RES could be efficiently adapted to blasting. A brief overview of rock blasting design techniques and their main shortcomings is followed by the basic concepts governing rock engineering systems and a discussion on their pertinence to blasting. The paper concludes with a review of current efforts to develop a useful practical blast design tool using RES. SOMMAIRE Le potentiel d?application des systèmes d?ingénierie du roc aux tirs à l?explosif. De nombreuses méthodologies de conception d?abattage du roc à l?explosif ont été développées au cours des années, qui ont adressé soit les principaux objectifs des tirs, comme par exemple la granulométrie du matériel dynamité, soit ses effets secondaires indésirables, tels les dommages au massif rocheux. Toutes les méthodes existantes fonctionnent dans une certaine mesure et sont utiles - elles sont cependant pour ainsi dire toutes affectées par des limitations ou défauts plus ou moins sévères. La question demeure quant à savoir si des améliorations supplémentaires peuvent être apportées dans le domaine de la conception pratique des opérations d?abattage du roc à l?explosif. Une approche alternative qui semble prometteuse est celle relativement récente des systèmes matriciels d?ingénierie du roc (?Rock Engineering Systems?, ou RES). Il a été démontré de manière conceptuelle que les RES ont le potentiel d?être adaptés aux opérations de sautage. Une brêve revue des principales techniques de conception des tirs à l?explosif est suivie d?un énoncé des principes de base gouvernant les RES, ainsi que d?une discussion sur leur pertinence aux opérations de tir. Cet article conclut avec la revue d?un projet de recherche axé vers le développement d?une méthodologie de conception des tirs à l?explosif basée sur les RES.

May 1, 2002

By M. H. Pettibone

Sohio Petroleum Company's new L-Bar uranium mill near Grants, New Mexico. refines 2722 kilograms of yellowcake daily from 1360 metric tons of ore produced at Sohio 's J.J. No. 1 mine and other nearby mines. This paper follows the ore from the mine through the various processing steps - semi-autogenous grinding, acid leaching , countercurrent decantation, solvent extraction , ammonium diuranate precipitation, washing and drying, and tailings disposal.

Jan 1, 1978

By Guocheng Pan

Geostatistics has been widely accepted as a standard tool for reserve estimation and mine planning. Kriging has been adopted as the best estimator of grade. Although many discussions have been conducted in the use of kriging in the mining industry, insufficient attention has been given to solutions for over-smoothing. This effect has been frequently encountered in many mines. The so-called over-smearing refers to two facts: (1) over-reduction of grade variabilities and (2) over-estimation of low-grade ore tonnages. This study attempts to link over-smoothing effects with several other practical aspects in kriging. These include the weight independence of data values, variogram modeling, and search strategy used in estimation. All solutions recommended here are suited for precious metal deposits (e.g. gold) in open-pit mining.

Jan 1, 1995

By T. W. Wloder

During recent studies concerning the effects that various surface treatments, surface imperfections, locked-in residual stresses and metallurgical and geometrical notches have upon the mechanical behaviour of metals and, in particular, upon their tension-bending characteristics under impact loads, it became apparent that specially developed methods and samples would be of great assistance in determining the desired data. This paper describes and discusses a number of different types of double-notched tension-bending impact samples which have been considered and examined for this purpose. The types most suitable for exploratory investigations are proposed for application in the study of the _behaviour of metals, their welds, and, in particular, their surfaces, when subjected to various notch-severities, surface imperfections, strain rates, temperatures, and constrained states of stress (i.e. the relations of the three principal stresses). It is expected that the proposed double-notched tension-bending samples and the proposed test methods will also contribute toward further understanding of the cold brittle behaviour and the notch-sensitivities of metals. The possibilities of introducing the so-called impact notch-sensitivity index and relative impact notch sensitivity of metals are discussed. Data obtained on double-

Jan 1, 1961

By Ross Byron, Ken Roberts

"During the fall of 2001 a program was initiated to determine the feasibility of improving the metallurgy in the flotation circuit at the Penhorwood Talc Concentrator located near Timmins, Ontario. Bench scale testwork led Plant staff to believe that opportunities existed to improve the flotation performance. Pilot scale testing was then conducted using two vendors and their respective cylindrical type flotation cells to indicate where these opportunities existed.The results of the test program determined that the replacement of the existing flotation circuit (roughers, scavengers and cleaners) with new flotation cells could be economically viable. Justification was due to a reduction in installed horsepower, maintenance costs and a subsequent increase in recovery and throughput while maintaining product quality. Unforeseen benefits included reagent and air reduction, accurate level control as well as improved working conditions due to the removal of the antiquated equipment and ancillaries.This paper will detail the justification, installation and implementation of the new flotation circuit. A special emphasis will explain the hurdles encountered while trying to install and commission the circuit in an operating Concentrator with minimal interruptions to production.INTRODUCTIONThe Penhorwood mine and Concentrator is 28 yrs old and has gone through many ups and downs with different owners, Johns Manville, Steetley Talc and now Luzenac. It has also been expanded twice, with flotation and grinding capacity being added in recent years.All of the concentration is completed at the mine site while the fine grinding takes place in the Timmins micronizing plant.Luzenac’s Philosophy is to be the world leader in Talc production, technology and sales, having about 70% of the current world High Grade talc market."

Jan 1, 2004

By Arun Verma

Thermal energy storage offers a means of effecting significant costs savings and conservation of premium fuels. Na2SO4 has been found to be a good material for storing thermal energy in the medium-temperature range, mainly because of its dimorphic nature and high heat of transition. Basic data and development of the salt to a practically usable block are discussed.

Jan 1, 1978