Search Documents

By D. E. Gorse, R. G. Anderson

"Indusmin's history dates back to 1937 when they developed the Blue Mountain Nepheline Syenite deposit at Nephton, Ontario, and began supplying material for the glass, fiberglass, paint, ceramics and rubber industries.Since then, as a subsidiary of Falconbridge Nickel Mines, Indusmin has expanded the Nephton operation, diversified into the aggregate quarries for the construction industries, with operations at Acton and Halton, Ontario, established silica plants at St. Canut, Quebec and Midland, Ontario, to supply the glass, carbide, ceramics, cleanser and concrete products industries, and the purchase of a foundry, Fahramet Limited, Orillia, Ontario, supplying steel and alloy castings to the mining, construction cement and petrochemical industries.Indusmin also has a Technical Resource Centre and Head Office facilities in Toronto.As this paper deals with Indusmin's experience with dust abatement, and although dust control is a concern at the Nephton, St. Canut and Orillia plants, we will be confining this paper to the experience gained at the Badgeley Quarry and Midland plant of the Ontario Silica Operation."

Jan 1, 1980

The rock mass classification systems were developed for different functions, including support selection, excavation method selection and the determination of rock mass engineering properties for excavation design, among others. This explains in part why we have several rock mass classification systems. It is often cautioned that the rock mass classifications are to be used for preliminary excavation support design, but this caution is now often overlooked and detail/final support design based on the rock mass classification systems. This paper advocates differentiating between rock mass classification for pre-excavation support planning and rock mass classification for at-face excavation performance assessment. It is concluded that most at-face excavation performance problems are attributable to confusing the virgin rock mass rating with the rock mass rating on exposure during excavation, and that this observation is independent of the method of excavation. Procedures are then presented for virgin rock mass rating and for at-face rock mass rating/assessment during excavation.

May 1, 2009

By Donald Strickland, Peter Kresin, Dave Hall

"Have your parents or grandparents ever tried to share with you their wisdom and you ignored it because it did not relate to you‘? I have been ignorant and inevitably grew older and wished I had listened. The result: learning the hard way. As British Astronomer Fred Hoyle once said. “It is the true nature of mankind to learn from mistakes not from example.“ Hopefully we will continue to learn from the examples shared by our fellow mineral processors in these conference proceedings. It is the intent of this paper to share wisdom from the Musselwhite Mine that you may apply to your own operation.This paper is divided into three sections:1. Feasibility3. Operation3 . DesignKey points of the Feasibility and Design stages are summarized. followed by an analysis of actual operating statistics. An attempt is made to relate these statistics back to the feasibility and design with emphasis on areas of success and those with potential for improvement."

Jan 1, 1999

By Jom Kresta

Fundamental changes in the Bitumen Production process at Syncrude have led to the integration of Mining and Extraction operations. Successful operation of the integrated process requires the coordinated effort of several business units. Hence, decision-making has become increasingly more complex and better tools are required. IO2 is a collaborative effort to develop a proof-of-concept prototype of a distributed decision-support system for integrated short-term production and maintenance planning with fleet allocation and dispatching. The prototype includes three main modules (planning, dispatch, and maintenance), a shared database, and a simulation module. At this stage, this prototype is used to plan and operate a simulated mining operation. It is used to demonstrate the viability of the chosen systems architecture and algorithms, as well as the information flows and interactions necessary for improving the overall performance of the integrated operation. While the problem is demonstrated using Syncrude?s site, the methodology is applicable to most integrated resource allocation problems.

May 1, 2002

By G. Portillo

Electrospark Deposition (ESD) is a pulsed-arc micro-welding process characterized by using high current electrical pulses, of a short duration, to deposit an electrode material on a metallic substrate. The short duration of the electrical pulse allows for a low heat input over the substrate and an extremely rapid solidification of the deposited material. As a result, the ESD is capable of a wide variety of microstructures like micro-segregationfree solid solutions, nanostructured grains, metastable structures, and amorphous phases. The present work shows a microstructural analysis of rapidly solidified Al-Ni alloys coatings by the ESD process. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) were performed to present the microstructural evolution as a function of the welding parameters. The phases and non-equilibrium metastable structures present in the alloys, and their distribution, were found to be a sensitive function of the alloy composition; hence its formation is governed primarily by thermodynamic considerations.

Jan 1, 2011

By P. Woo, N. Brodusch, R. Gauvin, H. Demers

For developing new technologies, it is important to characterize the microstructure of materials with high spatial resolution at the nanoscale. To achieve high resolution, field emission scanning electron microscopes (FE-SEM) were developed. These microscopes allow working at low accelerating voltage, below 5 kV, to take advantage of the reduction of the interaction volume with accelerating voltage. Furthermore, their higher gun brightness compared to conventional thermo-electronic emitters, allow a probe size at the nanoscale. At low accelerating voltage, the emission volume of backscatter and secondary electron (SE) of the type II signals approach that of SEI signals. However, it is not enough to reach the highest resolution. A magnetic field above the sample improves the spatial resolution by collecting mostly high-resolution signals. In addition, the energy-filtration of the electron signals allows selecting the type of contrast detected: topographic, compositional, or crystallographic. The development of these new technologies permits to extend the imaging capabilities of the SEM towards new nanoscale applications.

Jan 1, 2014

By C. L. Belyk

There are fifteen accepted types of uranium ore deposits and at least forty subtypes readily identified around the world. Each deposit type has a unique geological model which may also have unique processing implications. Primary uranium production in the past decade has come from a handful of these deposit types: unconformity, sandstone, calcrete, intrusive, breccia complex and volcanic. Processing implications for each of the fifteen deposit types can vary widely between and within different geological models. Some key characteristics of uranium deposits that may have processing implications include: ore grade, uranium and gangue mineralogy ? including clay and carbonate species and content, hardness, porosity, uranium mineral morphology, and carbon content. Processing roadblocks may occur as a result of one or more of these characteristics for any of the fifteen deposit types. Future technological advances and innovative thinking around uranium ore processing could provide avenues for roadblock removal setting the stage for additional and economically-viable uranium production from traditional and non-traditional uranium ore deposits.

Aug 1, 2010

By J. M. Shneerson

Gipronickel Institute, Saint-Petersburg will The copper concentrate was extracted from copper and nickel matte after its hydrometallurgical treatment and nickel removal. The concentrate containing 60-74% of copper was represented by two principal copper minerals, digenite and covellite. The oxidising leaching of this kind of concentrate was studied at the Gipronickel Institute. The effect of key parameters, such as temperature, oxygen partial pressure and initial solution compound, on the rate of copper dissolution and transfer of sulphur from sulphide to elemental form was investigated. It was shown that at temperatures about 90DC, the sulphur content of covellite converts to elemental form. Under autoclave conditions at 11ODC, the elemental sulphur dissolves as a sulphate-ion. At the temperature range from 50 to 90DC, the copper dissolution rate is in direct relation with temperature. By increasing the temperature to 130DC, this effect is reversed. Based on the research work, a technological flow sheet for the leaching of the copper concentrate was developed.

Jan 1, 2007

By D. Zagidulin

Short term electrodeposition experiments (up to 80 min.) at two current densities 220 and 275 A/m2 with varying concentrations of thiourea and glue were performed to determine the optimum levels of glue, thiourea and current density for industrial copper electrorefining. White Light Interference Microscopy was used to acquire digital images of the morphology of the electrodeposited copper. Scaling analysis was employed to pa-rameterize the morphological information encoded in the images. The limiting rough¬ness, *, the critical scaling length, Lc, and the aspect ratio, 4*/ Lc, were determined as a function of the deposition time and the amount of organic additives. These parameters were used to calculate the dynamic exponent, B, the roughness exponent, 1/z, and the as¬pect ratio exponent, y, plotted as a function of glue and thiourea concentrations. These 3D plots allowed us to find conditions corresponding to the minimum of B and y, at which the deposited copper is characterized by a small roughness and a dense structure.

Jan 1, 2007

By J. Olsson

The paper describes and discusses the use of stainless steels for leaching plants emphasising the duplex family, i.e., austenitic-ferritic stainless steels. This group has generally twice the proof strength of the more common 300-series austenitic grades, which implies possibilities to reduce the gauge at construction of pressure vessels and atmospheric tanks and vessels and thereby possibilities to reduce the weight. The duplex grades have also higher surface hardness resulting in better resistance to mechanical wear, i.e., abrasion and erosion corrosion. The lower contents of nickel and molybdenum imply lower cost and a more stable price considering the present market situation for these alloying elements. Corrosion data from laboratory and pilot plant tests, as well as examples of applications of duplex and highly alloyed austenitic grades, are presented. Cu2007 - Volume IV (Book 1) The John E. Dutrizac International Symposium on Copper Hydrometallurgy Edited by P.A. Riveros, D.G. Dixon, D.B. Dreisinger, M.J. Collins Toronto, Canada,

Jan 1, 2007

By Michael Li

Paste backfill as a means of supporting underground mining is gaining popularity. Despite this trend, engineering and design of mine paste backfill systems are still largely based on empirical methods rather than established scientific principles. Because of a lack of sound understanding of mineral paste flow, some degree of trial and error is often involved during commissioning and operating of new paste fill systems. New operations often have to be built with flexibilities and contingencies, escalating the overall project costs. This paper reviews the applicability of some scientific and engineering principles to mineral paste flows. Recent experimental data are used to illustrate important points. The phenomenon of mineral paste flow is examined under the context of improving the efficiency and reliability of underground delivery. Gaps in our understanding of mineral paste rheology are pointed out and from those some future research directions naturally emerge. Status and problems of the current engineering and design practice are also briefly discussed.

Nov 1, 2002

By Lindsay A. Robertson

The long term management of acid generating tailings at mine closure is a common issue, however, management of ARD is significantly impacted by local conditions, including climate. Acid generating tailings, over time, will produce acid rock drainage (ARD) if left exposed to water and air, which both contribute to the sulphide oxidation process. The long term closure of tailings storage areas is a concern from both environmental and engineering perspectives, with long term acid generation and dam stability the main risks. Several approaches can be taken to minimize ARD from tailings facilities using cover systems. Three tailings facility cover case histories, in areas of net positive water balances, were investigated using unsaturated flow modelling software to determine the long term potential for limiting ARD by increasing saturation of the tailings and decreasing oxygen ingress. Each case study demonstrates the importance of integrating the tailings dam engineering into tailings cover closure design. Model predictions are compared to measured saturation levels to assess the accuracy of the calculations.

May 1, 2011

By J. W. Merks

"The accuracy of a measurement on minerals and ores can be assured by applying suitable and unbiased procedures but its precision is a function of the number of primary increments and their mass, the number of lots per consignment or samples per shift, and the number of measurements on analysis fine samples.Experimental data will be used to show how the variance components for sampling, sample preparation and analysis contribute to the total variance on which precision statements for the final measurement are based. This type of experiment should not only form part of quality control programs at mines and smelters, but also underly the criteria on which the design of manual sampling regimes and mechanical sampling systems for bulk solids and slurries should be based.Sampling systems and regimes can only be adjusted and optimized if the variance component for each step in a quality evaluation process is measured. Knowledge of precision characteristics lies at the core of effective loss prevention and control programs."

Jan 1, 1985

By Arnaud Faucher, Amar Sabih, Sudarshan Martins, Tristan Martin, Sami Makni, Peter Radziszewski, Poorya Hosseini, Francois-Raymond Boyer

The measurement of acoustic signals produced by a tumbling mill has been previously used to determine the operating state of the mill and correlate the variations of the sound intensity with the operating conditions of the mill. Separately, the discrete element model (DEM), a software simulation of the mill, was developed to provide insight into the operation of the mill. Presently, there has not been much work reconciling the DEM simulation of the mill with the acoustic signal. Working from basic principles of linear, time-invariant systems, agreement between an acoustic DEM simulation and the measured signal is sought. First, the impulse response function of the mill is measured. The DEM provides the forces applied to the mill shell as a function of time. A convolution of these simulated shell forces and the transfer function gives the simulated acoustic signal. This signal is compared to the measured acoustic signal, both in the time domain and the frequency domain. Finally, a discussion of the results is given.

Jan 1, 2012

By Christopher Sherman

The engineering properties of a geologic material are greatly affected by the presence of macropores. Previous research has demonstrated that the size, location, and proximity of macropores influences both the strength and stiffness of specimens. Knowledge of the distribution of macropores in a specimen prior to testing would be useful for a number of reasons. We are developing a non-destructive method called cross-specimen acoustic tomography (CSAT) currently to determine some (or all) of the macropore characteristics for a laboratory specimen. The CSAT method uses a set of piezoelectric sensors that generate and receive high frequency acoustic waves. We measure the travel times of the acoustic waves through a specimen and then use a commercially available tomography software package to invert the data. The inverted velocity model is then used to locate the voids within the specimen. Two dimensional (cross-sectional) results from plaster specimens containing large macropores of Styrofoam show the technique is promising and worthy of further development.

May 1, 2009

By Christopher McElman

Real-time mine management solutions have evolved over time from closed, proprietary solutions, to a "system of systems" that may include a wide variety of off-the-shelf components and technologies. Modular Mining Systems has embraced open standards for their NextGen products to bridge the technology gaps between these systems. However, the remaining logical gaps must be overcome, in order to achieve truly seamless integration between discrete systems. When dealing with volatile real-time management problems, the effectiveness of business process modeling and middle-ware can break down. Scientific principles of military command and control applied to mining domain help to achieve better alignment and reach the highest level of integration. The combination of open standards and off-the-shelf hardware and software with a deliberately structured command-and-control approach provides a clear evolutionary path from ad-hoc connected systems towards real-time management of a seamlessly integrated digital mine.

Oct 1, 2009

By David L. Sprott

This paper presents an evaluation of underground-to-surface haulage options for a relatively large deposit. Specifically, it presents a recommended haulage option to provide the greatest value to the Project. Options considered included conventional truck, trolley-truck, conveying and shaft hoisting. The work was done at the level of a preliminary assessment as input to an internal pre-feasibility study. The Base Case for the analysis in this study was a Long Hole Open Stoping option (LHOS) using conventional truck haulage. Two scenarios were considered for the evaluation and included: 1. The current resource to ~700 m depth. 2. An expanded resource to ~825 m depth. The haulage options evaluated included three trucking options, three conveyor options and two shaft options. The paper presents the results from evaluating these options within the two mining scenarios using a Discounted Project Cost (DPC) comparison. Recommendations are made for the options that will provide the greatest overall value to the project.

May 1, 2008

By Cheryl L. Allen

Increasing energy costs associated with mining have become an issue that must be addressed by industry to ensure sustainable production. As underground mine ventilation systems account for 40% to 50% of a mine?s total energy requirement, initiatives to maximize their efficiency have been introduced worldwide. A control method known as Ventilation-On-Demand (VOD), which adjusts the ventilation system by responding to the activities of mine personnel and air quality, has been commissioned at Vale?s Coleman Mine. This initiative is an effort to reduce energy consumption, maximize efficiency of the ventilation system while ensuring air quality. There are five control strategies that can be executed with the VOD control system in place at Coleman Mine: Manual real time control Time-of-Day Scheduling Event-based control Environmental control Activity Based Control/Tagging This paper describes the system, control strategies and impact on energy consumption and flexibility of airflow distribution as applied at Vale?s Coleman Mine.

May 1, 2011

By R. S. Adhikari

It is necessary to assess the physical and functional conditions of highway bridges at regular intervals to ensure they still meet their service requirements. Currently, this condition assessment is mainly performed through visual inspection, which has been identified with several limitations (e.g. the timeconsuming assessment process and heavy reliance on inspectors? personal experience). In order to overcome these limitations and enhance the current inspection practice, this paper presents a novel method for automated bridge condition assessment using a hybrid sensing system. Under the method, existing conditions of bridge components are first captured with a stream of point clouds and color images. Then, the bridge components and the defects inflicted on the components are detected utilizing their visual patterns. The detection results are mapped to the point cloud. This way, the 3D information of the components and defects can be retrieved. The bridge condition assessment can be made effectively through the 3D visualization of this information before carrying out any on-site detailed evaluations.

Aug 1, 2013

Train on Different Equipment - * Immersive?s interchangeable cabin controls technology - ?clip on & off? * Change Simulator from one machine to another in minutes * No technical expertise required to swap * Real, functioning, controls and displays are used to aid rapid learning Immersive has produced a range of Conversion Kits to suit most equipment. Modular design - Easy to convert from one machine model to another with a Conversion Kit. Caterpillar Models Trucks - 769D, 773D, 777D Trucks - 785B, 789B, 793B Trucks - 785C, 789C, 793C, 797 Excavator/Shovel - 5130, 5230 Front end loader ? 992, 994 Dozer ? D10, D11 Komatsu Models Trucks - HD325, 785-5, 985-5 Trucks - 730E, 830E, 930E Dozers - D375A-3, D475A-3 Shovel - PC8000 P&H Shovels - 4100A, 4100XPB, 4100BOSS Hitachi Shovels - EX2500, EX5500 O&K Shovel - RH200 Bell Articulated Truck - B40C

May 1, 2003