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By The Staff

FOR forty years cyanide men have been intensively engaged on the treatment of sulpho-telluride ores. So far as we know, the processes used today were-with the important exception of the concentration plus high-lime process at the Victor mill (1915)-in use, or had been tried, in the earl y years of the century. Roasting, bromocyanide, ordinary cyanide, table and vanner concentration, floating and treating the concentrate, roasting con-centrates prior to treatment, etc., all were used at Kalgoorlie in 1904 or earlier. Flotation, followed by shipment of the concentrate to the Golden Cycle mill, was the practice at the Vindicator mine, Cripple Creek, for some years prior to 1917. Similar practice was employed in the Portland Independence mill at Victor, Colorado, and was lacer superseded by the table concentration, high-lime cyanide treatment of rails of the older Portland Victor mill. During all this time, an immense amount of research was being clone on these ores by the staffs of numberless companies. Conclusions were drawn and mills built. But if the results of one per cent of this research were ever published in sufficient detail for intelligent use by others, the Lake Shore staff has been unable to discover them, or does not recall having clone so. Government laboratories-as for instance chose of the Mines Branch, Ottawa, in or about 1927-have touched upon certain methods in their publications, but they simply have not had the time to finish the job. The paper by W. E. Johnston, Tellurides-Problem or Alibi? (E. & M.]., Aug., 1933), aroused wide interest and comment. It published conclusions, some right and some wrong, and gave the evidence adduced by the author i:n support thereof. Conclusions published without supporting evidence are to most of us worse than no conclusions at all. We suggest chat, if even one-tenth of the operators had published full, detailed results of their laboratory work, ad vance in the treatment of sulpho-telluride ores would have been very much accelerated. Therefore, we venture to inflict upon the Institute a compendium of the results of laboratory work performed during the past few years at the Lake Shore mill. It is really a summary of the more interesting results to date, prepared by the mill staff for their own use and benefit. But we hope chat the discussion under any heading is so detailed chat it will be intelligible to anyone interested in that phase of the subject.

Jan 1, 1936

By Sang-Kyun Woo

The electric power conduit (EPC) in Korea has been constructed since 1978. Facing the challenge of safety and sustainability of the EPC, it is urgent to develop an inspection strategy and maintenance system for the structure based on the concept of life-cycle management. This paper introduces the newly developed mobile inspection and diagnostic system of the EPC. The novel aspect of this particular system is the integration of non-destructive mobile inspection techniques with BIM (Building Information Modeling) and LBS (Location-Based Service). BIM is an ideal tool and platform for developing an inspection and diagnostic system, and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a useful tool to construct USN (Ubiquitous Sensor Network) for LBS. The goal of this research is to establish an EPC inspection and diagnostic system concept based on BIM and LBS using RFID. In this research, a BIM model of OPENTBM tunnel for EPC will be established to show the integration of 3D CAD with the inspection data. An EPC?s maintenance database, which includes the deterioration types of the structure, inspection records, and repair methods, was designed to interact with the BIM. The system will be implemented by the BIM with the related database, in which the construction geometry and all related information are stored. The proposed system was designed to utilize the inspection and diagnostic system under the USN environment using RFID in EPC directly.

Aug 1, 2013

By K. H. J. Clarke

SINCE the beginning of this century the non-ferrous mineral industry has contributed $17,809,-000,000 to the economic growth of Canada. To contemplate the vast amount of investment capital required and the resultant beneficial distribution of these billions of dollars for labour, transportation, supplies, taxes and dividends, challenges the imagination. It is the purpose of this paper, (a) to trace the development of the industry since its formative period to the present; (b) to discuss the current situation and problems; and ( c) to attempt to peer into the hazy future. Although there are 21 metals currently being produced in Canada which are classified as non-ferrous, or as alloying metals, copper, lead, zinc, nickel-the metals which will be discussed in this paper-constitute almost 60 per cent of their total value. ;The story

Jan 1, 1961

By M. L. Joy

The heat pipe is a self-contained, passive structure that uses a liquid-vapour fluid cycle to provide high thermal conductance . Through the proper selection of working fluids and container materials, heat pipes have been operated at temperatures ranging from less than -300°F to more than 3,000 °F. The passive nature, high efficiency and configuration flexibility of the heat pipe are presented. The application of McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company Cryo-Anchor® heat pipes for foundation and support stabilization in permafrost regions is discussed. Using the proven Cryo-Anchor technology base. a proposed application of heat pipes in a cold -region mine ventilation system heat recovery heat exchanger is presented. Information obtained from the development of an air-cooled heat pipe steam condenser provides the technical basis for large -scale heat pipe applications.

Jan 1, 1978

By William H. Emling

With profitability pressures in heavy industry increasing, many producers are turning to predictive maintenance as a means of harvesting untapped value from their production assets. Corporations are losing their maintenance and processing core competencies through attrition. As capital budgets are being trimmed, manufacturers are consolidating operating units into fewer, more profitable routes. Maintenance functions, however, typically receive low priority when investment is made, since many companies consider maintenance costs as ?overhead?. Condition-based monitoring, integrated to Level I and Level II process inputs, is seen as the most cost-effective solution to the implementation of predictive maintenance strategies. This paper will review the evolution of preventive and predictive maintenance programs, highlighting examples of successful application of integrated condition monitoring.

May 1, 2001

By J. O. Wheeler

"DEFINITION OF THE REGION, ITS BOUNDARIES, AND PHYSICAL AND GE'OLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICSTHIS PAPER concerns the Western Cordilleran region, embracing most of British Columbia, the southern half of Yukon Territory and the southwestern most part of the District of MacKenzie. It excludes Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands, which are discussed in a background paper on the Pacific Continental Shelf. The region is bounded on the south by the northwestern United States, on the west by the continental shelf and Alaska, on the north by the front of the Ogilvie Mountains, on the northeast by the axis of the MacKenzie Mountains and on the east by the Rocky Mountain Trench.The region is dominated by two mountain chains that con tain icefields and glaciers: the St. Elias, Coast and Cascade Mountains in the west; the Selwyn, Pelly, Cassiar, Omineca and Columbia Mountains in the east. The Intermontane region between these mountain chains consists of lower mountains and plateaus. In the mountains, the region above the timberline and many of the steep valley-walls provide good exposures of rock, but these areas are subject to rockslides and landslides and in winter to snow avalanches. Much of the Western Cordillera was covered by ice-sheets at various times during the Pleistocene epoch. Consequently, the larger valleys in the mountains and much of the Intermontane region contain much glacial drift and alluvium and only limited exposures of rock. This same terrain in the Southern Cordillera, however, is the most favourable for agriculture. Parts of the region, particularly in the two mountain chains, are heavily forested. Elsewhere, the forest cover is less, with grassland prevailing in the south and tundra in the north."

Jan 1, 1969

By J. O. Wheeler

"DEFINITION OF THE REGION, ITS BOUNDARIES, AND PHYSICAL AND GE'OLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICSTHIS PAPER concerns the Western Cordilleran region, embracing most of British Columbia, the southern half of Yukon Territory and the southwesternmost part of the District of MacKenzie. It excludes Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands, which are discussed in a background paper on the Pacific Continental Shelf. The region is bounded on the south by the northwestern United States, on the west by the continental shelf and Alaska, on the north by the front of the Ogilvie Mountains, on the northeast by the axis of the MacKenzie Mountains and on the east by the Rocky Mountain Trench.The region is dominated by two mountain chains that con tain icefields and glaciers: the St. Elias, Coast and Cascade Mountains in the west; the Selwyn, Pelly, Cassiar, Omineca and Columbia Mountains in the east. The Intermontane region between these mountain chains consists of lower mountains and plateaus. In the mountains, the region above the timberline and many of the steep valley-walls provide good exposures of rock, but these areas are subject to rockslides and landslides and in winter to snow avalanches. Much of the Western Cordillera was covered by ice-sheets at various times during the Pleistocene epoch. Consequently, the larger valleys in the mountains and much of the Intermontane region contain much glacial drift and alluvium and only limited exposures of rock. This same terrain in the Southern Cordillera, however, is the most favourable for agriculture. Parts of the region, particularly in the two mountain chains, are heavily forested. Elsewhere, the forest cover is less, with grassland prevailing in the south and tundra in the north."

Jan 1, 1970

By Bob Drew, Goran Vukovic, Bojan Zivanovic, Klaus Gamweger

Reaction bath temperature is a major factor in processing liquid metals and in many applications where a balance between process duration and temperature has to be found to run a procedure efficiently. Also extremes of temperature can decrease the output of a process if too cold or even make it impossible, conversely overheating can be detrimental to both the product and furnace integrity. With the help of the new online temperature measurement system very accurate monitoring of the process is possible in contrast to the current routine practice where the temperature is measured periodically with dip thermocouples. The system works with a digital, fiber optic pyrometer, which is embedded in a refractory housing. Installation in the lining is possible below liquid level as nitrogen is blown to keep the system open and to ensure continuous sight from the optical head of the pyrometer to the molten metal through the tuyere. This permanent temperature measurement gives optimal process control with the potential of taking appropriate actions at an early stage enabling proactive process control. Therefore energy savings and even process endpoint detections can be realized.

Jan 1, 2015

By C. Kunze

ABSTRACT Although closure sureties cover works that are carried out during the existence of a mining company, certain liabilities are not known when the surety is established and become apparent only in a late stage of the closure phase, or even after the site has been relinquished. This paper supports the concept that these financial risks lend themselves to insurance solutions. Making insurance for unknown liabilities mandatory while defining unambiguous legal conditions could create a viable market for insurance products, provide a sufficient statistical basis for the calculation of premiums, and reduce costs.

Jan 1, 2013

By F. Stober, D. Wanblad, J. Ndlovu, L. R. Nelson, L. P. S. de Villiers

The single six-in-line furnace of the Polokwane Smelter is the largest installed high-intensity furnace for platinum group metals (PGM) base metals sulphide smelting in the world. The furnace employs state-of-the art technology to deliver a planned throughput of 650 000 t/a dry concentrate at a design 68 MW power input. This furnace, at double the capacity of previously existing PGM furnaces, offers low unit operating and capital cost through the resulting economies of scale. Key features of the design include:

Jan 1, 2005

By Lorrie Fava

Two needs in the mining industry, to enable overall process improvements, are open systems and network connectivity in underground mines. The Pando project, a collaboration between Symboticware, Vale and Xstrata Nickel, and supported by CEMI, addresses these issues, and leverages the solution platform to deliver intelligent applications. An open system is one that uses publicly available standards for its key interfaces. Vendor-neutrality and ease of information flow are two main benefits that result from the use of open systems. By facilitating the interoperability of systems, open systems allow information to be available when and where it is needed for decision support. Network connectivity in underground mines is typically limited, with hotspots in strategically chosen areas that are relatively static. Mobile equipment moving through a mining work cycle experiences intermittent connectivity; in this situation, seamless remote equipment monitoring is impossible. The Pando project establishes an open technology platform, adhering to the IREDES and OPC UA standards. It enables the collection and integration of information generated by mobile equipment? seamlessly while there is a network connection, and as a store-and-forward gateway to manage intermittent connectivity. The platform capabilities are leveraged to support embedded intelligent applications. This open platform, the SymBot, is a rugged hardware and software device. The platform complies with open standards for industrial automation and systems interoperability. The SymBot platform is capable of providing advanced real-time decision support at the device level, and is designed to be remotely configurable. Applications being developed through the Pando project include engine monitoring, a dynamic load weighing system, machine location monitoring and automated activity monitoring including production and maintenance reporting.

Oct 1, 2010

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 I. Westermann, K. Marthinsen, M. S. Remøe

"Al-Mg-Si alloys often add small additions of e.g. Mn or Cr, to form dispersoids, which may act as nucleation sites for Mg2Si particles after homogenization. The purpose is to ensure a high density of uniformly distributed small ?’-particles, which can be dissolved during further processing prior to the final age hardening step. However, their density and spatial distribution are critically dependent on the homogenization procedure. It is therefore important to have a robust and reliable method for assessing their spatial distribution. In the present work an existing methodology for assessing spatial uniformity, the Global Shannon Entropy (GSE), has been implemented and evaluated for different dispersoid structures characterized by scanning electron microscopy. This metric is highly dependent on the parameters used, but by careful selection of adequate parameters, it can be effective in detecting non-uniformity. An important weakness with the GSE was identified, and a modification to improve on the ability to differentiate degrees of non-uniformity is suggested. To evaluate the proposed methodology, the effect of heating rate on dispersoid precipitation behaviour during homogenisation of four Al-Mg-Si alloys with different Mn/Cr-content has been investigated. The metric with the new term has demonstrated promising results, and improved the ability to differentiate degrees of spatial uniformity.INTRODUCTION Al-Mg-Si series alloys are the most common aluminium extrusion alloys and are attractive for applications in a range of sectors (e.g. construction, automotive and recently also in consumer electronics), due to their generally good combination of strength, ductility and corrosion resistance. However, their extrudability and end properties depend critically on the alloy chemistry as well as prior processing conditions. Coarse ß-AlFeSi or Mg2Si-particles typically have a detrimental effect on extrudability, while small dispersoid particles may affect recrystallization, grain growth and precipitation of Mg and Si. The strengthening potential in the final age hardening step depends strongly on the amount of Mg and Si in solid solution after extrusion. The manner in which these particles are spatially distributed will decide whether the final product will exhibit uniform properties, and the number density and sizes will determine the extent of the effect. As such, these are important characteristics."

Jan 1, 2018

By A. G. Darnley

"The Geological Survey of Canada is devoting consider-able effort to finding ways to make airborne radiometric measurements both quantitative and reproducible. Equipment has been designed by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. to provide high count rates in order to minimize statistical uncertainty, this being essential to justify applying terrain clearance and Compton scattering corrections to the data. Correction factors have been determined experimentally and can be applied automatically. Considerable ground work has been undertaken in parallel with equip-ment development in order to determine field parameters.Two airborne gamma-ray spectrometers are described. One is based on three 5-by 5-inch Nal(Tl) detector crystals and is used in a helicopter; the other employs twelve 9-by 9-inch detectors and is used from a Skyvan aircraft. The former is being used to investigate the range of radiometric response from specific rock types, and for the correlation of ground and air measurements; the latter has completed initial trials and will be commencing experimental surveys during 1969.Results are given to show the comparative sensitivities of the various detector sizes, and operational requirements for a gamma-ray spectrometer survey are discussed briefly."

Jan 1, 1970

By John G. Kelly

"In 1982 an extensive study was carried out to determine the best means of size reduction for the ore to be hoisted through the borehole hoisting system at Sherritt Gordon's Fox Mine.The study examined three alternatives:1. a jaw crusher,2. pneumatic rockbreaker(s) at a grizzly, and3. hydraulic rockbreaker(s) at a grizzly.The final decision was a compromise between alternatives 2 and 3. Two rockbreakers, one pneumatic and one hydraulic, were installed over a single grizzly. Some modifications have been made to the system, but over-all it has operated at acceptable levels since its installation in July 1983.As all the ore passes through a jaw crusher before being hoisted to surface, an evaluation of the relative performance and cost-effectiveness of the jaw crusher and the two types of rockbreakers is possible. This paper outlines the initial study, and compares the three breaking systems in operation at Fox Mine.IntroductionThe Fox Mine of Sherritt Gordon Mines Ltd. is located 800 kilometres north of Winnipeg near Lynn Lake in Northern Manitoba. Production at the copper-zinc orebody began in 1970 at a rate of 3,000 tons per day. Over 12.5 million tons will have been hoisted from the underground mine when the ore reserves are depleted in October 1985.The mining method at Fox Mine is sub-level open stoping with delayed backfilling are from the upper level stopes, above the 2000 level, is mucked on the main levels established at 400-ft elevation intervals, and is fed through a central orepass to the crusher located on 2100 level. Production in the lower levels commenced in 1975, and ore from the 2200 and 2400 level stopes was hauled up a 15010 ramp by 26-ton trucks to the 2000 level orepass dump. Projected production rates from the 2600 and 2800 levels using the trucking system were too low, and therefore, in 1983 a borehole hoisting system was commissioned to hoist that ore'!'. One thousand tons per day of ore are skipped through an 8-ft diameter borehole from the 2650 level loading pocket and dumped on the 2000 level. The ore is transferred by LHD to the main orepass for crushing before being conveyed to the main shaft for hoisting to surface (Fig. 1)."

Jan 1, 1986

By Graham Walker

A new Code of Practice for the brake performance of off -highway vehicles was established in Alberta in 1976. Vehicles loaded to gross vehicle weight must be capable of stopping with mechanical brakes five times in quick succession on a grade of 10 per cent from a speed of 28 miles per hour. Comparative trials of various brake systems have been carried out and some combinations capable of meeting the Code are identified. Some problem areas in truck braking are reviewed and potential developments indicated.

Jan 1, 1977

By K. H. Kretzschmar, M. A. Smith

A brief review of the rapid growth of ACT in Western Canada is presented. It is remarked that this rap-id growth has been accompanied by a heterogeneous approach to design. A more rational and consistent approach is suggested, together with the assumptions on which this approach is based. The operating history of some existing installations is discussed briefly, and conditions necessary for the continued growth of ACT are outlined.

Jan 1, 1960

By Alan Bauer

New developments in drilling, blasting and explosives in both open-pit and underground mining operations are discussed, as well as novel surface blasting techniques such as are used in tar sand mining.

Jan 1, 1978

By John Plecash

This paper comprises a general outline of all of the developments, including the history, geology, mining, milling, power and transportation installations, at the gold mining operation of La Luz Mines Limited and the copper mining operation of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Rosita Mines Limited, both located in north-central Nicaragua. The low-grade, gold-bearing ore-bodies of La Luz Mines, contained in highly fractured and folded Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, were from 1909 to 1928, mined and treated by primitive methods by the La Luz and Los Angeles Mining Company. The abandoned property was acquired by La Luz Mines Limited in 1936, and was equipped with modern machinery and put into production in 1939. Between 1939 and 1948, the daily rate of production was in-creased from 300 tons per day to 2,-000 ton per day. The ore reserves available for open-pit mining were depleted in 1954. Since then, the entire production has come from under-ground operations.

Jan 1, 1963

By J. E. Nesset, F. Rosenblum, J. A. Finch

"The self-heating of sulphides can be a major hazard in mining operations and concentrate handling, particularly during transportation and associated storage. Self-heating results from the oxidation of sulphide minerals and can vary from being insignificant to highly reactive and potentially hazardous to both humans and infrastructure. It is essential that there be a reliable test methodology that can measure and categorize a given sulphide material as to its self-heating potential. By their nature, sulphide ores and concentrates are complex and variable mineral mixtures making it difficult to predict their self-heating behaviour a-priori based on mineralogy or with a simple “snapshot” test. Furthermore, self-heating behaviour will depend on the state of oxidation of the sulphides as well as time, temperature and humidity. A review of available testing apparatuses and protocols that can be used to assess self-heating potential is presented. Each of these methodologies was examined in relation to its ability to measure and reliably predict the latent self-heating hazard of a sulphide material. Several of the methods were tested and compared to illustrate their strengths and weakness. The results indicated that a number of the test protocols may produce false negative indications of self-heating potential, constituting an obvious concern to the industry.INTRODUCTION Sulphides as well as other materials (coal, wood chips, hay, powdered milk, to name a few) that are stockpiled in an air atmosphere may undergo oxidation reactions which can result in the evolution of heat (Beever, 1984) (Hudak, 2002) (Blanchard, 2007). If the rate of heat generated exceeds the rate of heat dissipation, the stockpile temperature will rise, potentially leading to “hot spots” in the most reactive areas, and possibly even fires. The heat generation rate, the “self-heating” rate, depends on many factors such as the type and composition of material, particle size, moisture content, oxygen availability, ambient temperature and humidity, and of prime importance, the extend of prior oxidation, or more specifically, the presence of oxidation products. The desire of operators that mine, process or transport sulphide-bearing materials with a potential for self-heating is to have an accepted and reliable method for evaluating and quantifying the potential hazard of their material. The challenges are how to best measure the self-heating properties of given samples, and based on results, predict the behaviour of the bulk material over time and in-situ. Generally, when evaluating a given material one derives the self-heating characteristics of that sample at the time and under the conditions of testing, which will be referred to as a “snapshot test”. If that material is invariable, i.e. it will not change its response over time, then it may be considered to be a “predictive test”. However, if as a result of continuing oxidation or other changes, the material becomes more or less reactive with time, then a “snapshot test” is unreliable with respect to predictive ability."

Jan 1, 2014