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By J. Malone, D. Loth, J. Palmer

WMC Resources' Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter was commissioned in 1972 at a design capacity of 30,000 tpa of contained Nickel in matte. A series of upgrades and progressive improvements have resulted in a design capacity increase to 110,000 tpa of contained Nickel in matte. The smelter sources nickel-in-concentrate from three Mine / Concentrators and supplies nickel-in-matte to WMC's Nickel Refinery and export customers. The Flash Furnace was last rebuilt in 1999, and is over halfway through the 10-year campaign target. The many modifications over the previous campaigns, including the Integrated Flash Furnace, are reviewed. Recent operation of the smelter and the development of the process during the current campaign are detailed herein. An overview of key interfaces with the Nickel Business Unit Concentrators and Refinery operations is provided.

Jan 1, 2005

By N. Morrison, I. Holl, R. Welyhorsky, A. Hempstock

ABSTRACT: The Victor diamond mine is located in the James Bay lowlands, 90 km west of the First Nations village of Attawapiskat. The project was the first of its kind in northern Ontario. The process plant was designed to produce a 95 to 98% by weight diamond concentrate through three stages of comminution, dense medium separation, and proprietary X-ray technology for final recovery. The plant was commissioned over a period of six months, commencing prior to substantial completion of construction. Through effective planning of the commissioning phase, the Victor mine start-up was safely completed nine months ahead of schedule.

Jan 1, 2011

By W J. Riva

This paper reviews the circumstances that led to the development and construction of a commercial-scale vertical shaft carbonizer at Conmore, Alberta. This form coking process may be regarded as having potential application in other areas. Coal pelletizing offers a promising method of decreasing coal agglomeration costs under certain circumstances. Pellets can be rolled easily from -35-mesh coal, provided that a minimum of -200-mesh coal is present. Bentonite was found to be the best binder and was most effective when added in amounts of about 2 per cent. The water content of the coal pellets was observed to vary from 18 to 23 per cent. As a by-product of this investigation, it seems possible that fine coal could be converted into stoker feed by this process. A short investigation of the effect of heating rate on the carbonization of pellets was conducted. The low maximum heating rates in certain temperature ranges, necessary to avoid crack formation in the pellets as reported by other

Jan 1, 1964

By J. Zou

Open-cut method is most widely used for shallow utility lines installation. In urban areas, unexpected utility lines buried underground potentially turn open-cut construction into a highly risky operation, increasing the construction cost while presenting additional safety hazards. Examples include: breaking existing water main leads to flooding the downtown area; hitting an unexpected gas line causes an explosion. To prevent those accidents, the current practice is to stake out the underground utility lines before the open-cut construction based on the as-built information collected from various utility companies and government agencies. However, the as-built information is not always complete and accurate. To verify the locations of some important utility lines and protect them against damages caused by open-cut construction, new techniques and technologies are used but have their limitations in revealing underground utility lines, such as hydro vacuum method and ground penetration radars (GPR). The emerging technology of ultra-wide band (UWB) radar holds the potential to provide a cost-effective, non-destructive detection method. In this paper, a critical review of current practices and established methodologies is given. The functionality and working mechanism of UWB radar technologies are described. Application potential in open-cut construction is demonstrated by conducting lab experiments. Testing set-ups for detecting unexpected utility lines in soil along with preliminary results are presented. The effects of soil moisture content on the detection range are discussed. Research findings are summarized and constraints are discussed in conclusions.

Aug 1, 2013

By Michael E. Charles, Jaroslav J. Vocadlo

"The hydraulic transport of solids through pipelines can have many advantages over other modes of transport. Numerous successful applications both within plants and over longer distances have demonstrated the technical and economic feasibility of slurry pipelining. Solids successfully transported include kaolin, coal, iron ore, gilsonite and limestone, and others, such as sulphur and potash, are likely to be transported in Canada in the near future. However, though the technology of solids pipelining is quite advanced the underlying principles have not yet been formulated past the semi-empirical stage. The main objective of this paper is to present a discussion of the important technical and economic considerations in the design of so lids pipeline systems by reference to typical data. The Worthington slurry pumps and pilot facilities are briefly described."

Jan 1, 1972

By L. Shasko

Deliberative mapping is a method of public engagement designed to bring citizens and specialists together to inform policy decisions in conflict-laden areas of science and technology (Stirling and Davies 2004a). Citizens and specialists participate in the process both separately and together. A deliberative mapping study was held in Regina, Saskatchewan in October and November of 2019. Participants in the study assessed options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in small, remote or off-grid communities, including assessing the role of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) in climate change mitigation. Deliberative mapping is designed to facilitate direct, two-way conversations between citizens and specialists through both formal and informal discussions. The relationship building component of this process may increase trust. Public consultation processes that lack two-way dialogue or are seen as obligatory rather than meaningful can worsen public opposition or lead to negative public perceptions. Public education alone is not enough to change public opinion. Providing people with more information on topics they already hold opinions on can work to reaffirm previously held biases, but building relationships can provide new pathways to overcome divisions and turn close-mindedness into open-mindedness.

Jan 1, 2020

By S. H. Ash

No single factor in modern civilization has played a more important part in the lives of our people than mechanization in industry and to it civilization owes much of its progress. In no industry has mechanization met more opposition than in coal mining, where ?the introduction of mechanical equipment has been opposed on many fronts for economic and social reasons. The term 'mechanization? as used in this report refers to the application of machinery to cutting, loading, and transporting coal from the face to the mine cars. During 1933, 84.7 per cent of the underground production of the bitu-minous-coal mines of the United States (1) was cut by machines, while in Washington only 17.6 per cent was machine-cut. Information in this report has been obtained from personal observations and from operating officials in the Roslyn-Cle Elum coal fields, especially D. R. Swem, manager of coal operations, and Thomas Murphy, superintendent, of the Northwestern Improvement Company, to whom the author is indebted for assistance. INTRODUCTION Although Washington coal-mining problems relating co mining methods, ventilation, drainage, and preparation of coal have been discussed in many publications, little has been published on mechanization in this region, principally because it has not been accepted generally that mining machines, mechanical loaders, and conveyors are necessary or economically adaptable to the variable and steeply inclined coal beds of Washington. Production of coal in Washington reached its maximum in 1918, when 4,128,424 short tons were produced; from that year, the trend was downward until 1934, when production was 1,383,103 short tons, the lowest since 1898; for the past two years, production has risen steadily.

Jan 1, 1937

By W. J. Taylor, T. D. Parris

"Over 90,000 feet of raise have been bored at International Nickel underground mining operations throughout the Sudbury District since the advent of raise boring in the early part of July, 1964. With a total of 10 raise borers on hand at this time, techniques have improved steadily since introduction at INCO mines. The first unit, designed for use in rock of low compressive strength, had to be modified and redesigned to cope with Sudbury Area Precambrian rock. As equipment and boring techniques improved, a specially designed machine for larger holes was developed and is now in use. More powerful units, with a thrust capacity of up to 750,000 pounds, are under investigation. Raises have been bored up to 84-inch diameter, and the changeover to 5- and 6-foot flat reaming heads with improved cutter design has increased performance substantially. As a result, 5-foot-diameter raises have been completed to a length of 750 feet and 6- and 7-foot raises to over 500 feet. Reference is also made to the drilling of over 23,000 feet of drainage and sand-fill holes, ranging up to 7% inches in diameter, with smaller underground rotary drill equipment.Finally, a look into the future indicates the need for further improvements in equipment design to permit economic boring of 7- to 8-foot-diameter raises in Sudbury Area ground types."

Jan 1, 1972

"THE CONCEPT of energy as a commodity, while not entirely new, is not as widespread as the importance of the idea to this modern world would lead one to expect. The growth in the supply and use of energy over the past years has been tremendous, but our very closeness and familiarity have somewhat distorted the viewpoint, particularly of the younger generation. To many of us who remember the wonderful satisfaction of our first responsibility for directing two horsepower hitched to a farm cart or hay wagon, there still arises a feeling of some awe at the casual flick of the switch with which our sons and daughters summon to their convenience the service of some one hundred or more horsepower.Energy is the vital component of our existence and, no matter what contempt our day-to-day familiarity may •breed, it is wise to .pause from time to time and consider our national energy standing. Have we still capital in the bank? Are our expenditures wisely •conceived and well directed? Is provision being made for the years •ahead for the needs of our children and our children's children?"

Jan 1, 1953

By A. E. M. Warner, I. E. Hills, C. L. Harris

Since the late Dr. Keith Brimacombe, et al, performed tests at the now-closed Asarco Tacoma smelter and the Inco Copper Cliff Smelter on Peirce-Smith copper converters almost thirty years ago, many Pyro-metallurgists have investigated using the technology. To the best of the authors knowledge, except for shrouded tuyere technologies using substantial oxygen enrichments, the core idea of using high pressure air injection has not been implemented anywhere in the world. This paper reviews the fundamentals of this technology and summarizes the basic economic considerations. It also presents the circumstances of where and when high-pressure injection might be justified.

Jan 1, 2007

By D. B. Hyma

"The Raglan Ni/Cu property is located on the Ungava Peninsula in Northern Quebec, Canada, at a latitude of61°42' and a longitude of73°40', approximately 40 km southwest of Douglas Harbor. Geological reserves are estimated at 18 million tonnes, grading 3. 1 % nickel, 0.9% copper and smaller amounts of cobalt and platinum group metals.Extensive project development has defined the concentration process, concentrator sizing, tailings and environmental management required for this project.The grinding circuit selected is a fully autogenous primary grind, with pebble crushing and a pebble mill for secondary grinding to produce a product of 80% -70 microns for flotation.The flotation circuit is a simple circuit utilizing roughing, a regrind of rougher concentrate to 80% -20 microns, two stages of column cleaning with a cleaner scavenger bank on the column tails.Concentrate handling options were thoroughly reviewed because of the pyrophoric nature of the concentrate, remote site location and long distance to downstream processing. The preferred option, currently.is to dry the concentrate at Raglan to less than l % moisture and then pneumatically handle the powder.A detailed analysis of tailings placement options, suggests filtered tailings placement to be the preferable route for the Raglan site.INTRODUCTIONThe Raglan Project, as proposed by Falconbridge Limited, will develop extensive nickel-copper deposits in the Ungava Peninsula, Quebec, Canada. The project schedule and construction conditions in the project area are demanding. The Raglan mineral deposits have been the subject of numerous studies and evaluations over the last thirty years and the Phase I 1991 pre-feasibility document includes exploration information obtained in the 1989 and 1990 drilling seasons. This review concluded that an 800,000 tonnes of ore per year mining and concentrating complex located at Katinniq could produce 20,000 tonnes per year of nickel at competitive costs."

Jan 1, 1993

By D. P. Bishop, G. J. Kipouros, R. L. Hexemer Jr., I. W. Donaldson, W. F. Caley

Aluminum powder metallurgy (APM) is an advanced metal forming technology frequently employed to fabricate complex structural components in a near-net-shape fashion. Exhibiting nearly 100% material utilization, APM continues to rise in popularity. Recent research initiatives in this field have emphasized the development and processing of advanced 2xxx and 7xxx series alloys. In particular, APM equivalents to wrought 7075 and 2024 have been sought. An overview of work completed in this area is presented. Included are data on the various production stages (powder compaction, sintering, forging, and heat treatment) as well as the microstructure and mechanical properties of the finished products.

Jan 1, 2010

By David Davidson

Overview- Points To Be Addressed ? Review the building blocks of a successful and vibrant industrial economy ? China?s current position in the global economy ? China?s voracious appetite for raw materials ? Distortion in import/export trends ? Areas of strategic importance for China - Steel and its components - Agriculture self sufficiency - Energy now and for the future ? Do current valuation techniques fairly value ?strategic? assets? China ? The Economical Miracle - Massive shift in population from rural to urban - ?Middle class? growing rapidly, hence strong consumer growth - China is the manufacturing center for the world ? cheap labour and - modern facilities - Infrastructure build out ?US$585b stimulus package and 5 year plan - Rail ? 30,000 kms of new track planned by 2020 - Power ? 50% capacity increase, including 35 nuclear reactors - 100 major new airports - State of the art process and manufacturing facilities - Port capacity ? 100m TEU capacity increase by 2020 Class 1 national highway ? 35,000 km?s by 2020

May 1, 2010

By C. Ciriello

Six Sigma methodology, as applied within Xstrata (formerly Falconbridge and Noranda), involves a disciplined approach to managing projects, solving problems, improving performance, and leveraging information. The four (4) cornerstones of Six Sigma are the use of Philosophy (customer driven, desire to improve and discipline), Metrics (measurement systems), Methodology (scientific method and sequence of deliverables), and Tools (such as statistics, change management, and root cause analysis). This paper will outline the general steps of the Six Sigma methodology and demonstrate how each phase directly applies to a real plant metallurgical project aimed at reducing nickel losses of the rougher flotation circuit at Raglan. The main concepts of Six Sigma are described, along with the specific challenges, successes, and deliverables related to the project. It is also the authors' aim to demystify the basic Six Sigma principles.

Jan 1, 2007

By Elaine Ellingham, Francis T. Manns

"Abstract -The Orostar and Scadding were two small gold mines owned and operated by Orofino Resources Limited. Conventional statistical treatment indicates an identical arithmetic mean grade of 0.22 oz/T Au for both mineable reserves. Further, the deposits are both shown to have cut weighted average reserve grade of 0.21 oz/T. Orostar mined out at 0.206 oz/T and Scadding at0.156 oz/TAu . The combined exploration and development database contained 1394 fire assays, more than enough for statistical confidence in a normal distribution. Therefore this study was initiated to determine, if possible, why the mill head grades were lower than the averages and to experiment with several methods to determine whether a reliable statistical mill head grade estimation method would emerge. Despite the identical reserve grades, distinct differences in the grade distribution histograms are present. By studying the arithmetic and log-normal grade distribution s, with some attention to South African practices, this paper reports on those differences which may account for the considerable divergence in the mill head grades. Furthermore, this study casts considerable doubt on the industry standard method of cut weighted averages.The global mill head grades of the two deposits have been derived from the arithmetic average grades by graphic means. This precise method of mill head grade prediction, if applied to complex orebodies, could permit selective grade control and result in direct cost savings by allowing the operator to detect false value stopes, benches or levels and emphasize reliable regions of not only gold mines, but also uranium or base metal deposits."

Jan 1, 1992

By M. A. Hardie

"CASES and mixtures of them are so common and so much a part of everyday existence that they become so taken for granted that their individual characteristics and idiosyncrasies rarely become of curiosity to others than those involved in tl1eir production, processing, treatment, transportation, and for utilization. The use of the most common and universal mixture of gases -air -is begun at birth by ail living creatures and their discontinuation of its use terminates existence. Modern man rides on air in his tires, rides through it for high-speed transportation, and uses it for his comfort in the heating and air conditioning of his domicile. It is neither the aim nor the in-tent, in the next few moments, to provide a panacea for even a portion of the problems inherent in the gas industry nor to delve deeply into any particular facet of its diversities. The purpose is primarily to touch upon some of the peculiarities and generally to consider approaches to employ in the pursuit of solutions."

Jan 1, 1959

By Eldon L. Brown

Location and History The Sherritt Gordon property is located in northwestern Manitoba, about 100 miles north of The Pas and 40 miles northeast of Flin Flon. It is connected with the Manitoba Northern railway, which runs from The Pas to Flin Flon by a branch line, 42 miles in length. The location of the property is shown on the sketch-map, Figure 2. The ore deposit was first discovered by Philip Sherlett, a Cree Indian, in 1922. In 1924 Sherlett's claims lapsed and the ground was re-staked by Carl Sherritt and Dick Madole, and was optioned by them to J. P. Gordon in the summer of 1925. Gordon re-optioned the property successively to three well-known mining groups, one of which did some surface trenching .and put down 28 shallow diamond-drill holes before dropping their option. In the latter part of 1927, a Company known as Sherritt Gordon Mines, Limited, was formed to take over the property, and preparations were made for systematic development work. Preliminary Development In order to fill-in gaps left by the original drilling, a light diamond-drill outfit was flown-in to the property from the Hudson Bay railway in the early fall of 1927. Ten shallow holes were put down before freeze-up .and a considerable amount of surface trenching was completed. Based on the results of the surface trenching and the shallow diamond-drilling, an extensive development campaign was outlined. A winter road, 90 miles in length, was cut from mileage 55 on the Hudson Bay railway, and during the winter of 1927-28 a total of 2,600 tons of freight was hauled-in to the property. This freight included four complete diamond-drill outfits, two complete mining plants, building material for two sets of camps, and supplies for one year's operations, including 105,000 gallons of fuel-oil for Diesel engines.

Jan 1, 1933

By W. T. Gotheridge

The principal sources of coal-dust underground are, of course, coal, and the working of coal. Coal-dust is most dangerous when it is in the finest state of division. This class of dust is found mostly on the roads, being blown or shaken off the loaded trams in transit, or carried in suspension by air currents. The air current passing from the working faces may also carry dust in suspension into the return airway, and the air current from the surface may carry dust from the shakerscreens into the intake airways. The mosl dangerous dust we have to contend with is, (a) that which is most finely divided, and (b) that which contains the most volatile matter, including the inflammable occluded gases, and also oxygen absorbed from the air. According to experiments, coal-dust in a fine and dry state would intensify an explosion, in air free from fire-damp carrying in excess of 3 ozs. of fine dust or 6 ozs. of coarse dust per cubic yard. The volatile matter in the dust must be between 12 and 31 per cent. in the ash-free coal, the latter percentage giving the highest flame velocity. It is vary difficult to propagate flame where coal-dust contains a large percentage of stone-dust, (say 50 per cent.). Shale-dust or other incombustible dust containing no volatile hydro-carbons or carbonaceous matter will prevent the extension of an explosion if mixed with coal-dust in proportion of say 70 per cent., and if the dust is finely divided and dry.

Jan 1, 1924

By P. Personnet, D. Wheaton, E. Couzinie, V. Demetriou, Brooks. W., G. Girault, M. Meyer, L. Charbonnel

A common problem in Gas Treatment Centers (GTC) from primary aluminium smelters is the temperature of the gas to be treated : above a threshold, filtering media are irreversibly damaged. The traditional way of dealing with high gas temperature is to dilute with fresh air, which implies over sizing - and therefore higher cost for - the GTC in order to have the capacity to treat this dilution air without compromising on pot suction. A system was developed which decreases gas temperature without having to use dilution air. This system is based on water pulverization in gas collectors. The water vaporization leads to a temperature decrease of the gas. A pilot system was trialed in our R&D unit. Satisfactory results led to the development of an industrial system based on Envirocare equipment (partnership), which was trialed in our production plant in Tomago (NSW, Australia). This patented system was then generalized in this plant, which is now using it with success during austral summer.

Jan 1, 2006

By R. H. Fett

T HE APPROACH to maintenance must always be ?completely positive: there must be no question of putting off difficult problems until it is more convenient to tackle them. By this it is meant that a piece of machinery or equipment which, by experience, is known to be due for a check should not, merely because it appears to be operating satisfactorily, be left until it reaches a critical .condition and breaks down. The mentality of the Maintenance Manager must be completely orderly and methodical and he should, in fact, possess a ledger-book mind, having a debit and credit outlook. The debit side would be that applying to time out of service, cost in wages, material, personnel involved, etc., and the credit side that relating to continuous operational time of the locomotive and therefore to the ultimate benefit of the mine and the personnel who work there. The Maintenance Manager is not concerned with design problems, and although he and the personnel under his jurisdiction are not engaged in productive work, he and his staff do, nevertheless, add greatly to or detract from the overall efficiency of the organization. Provided the machinery placed in his care is good to start with, he must take the best steps he possibly can to keep it running. However, he may, on occasion, be forced to improvise and this is where the ingenuity of a clever man rises to the occasion.

Jan 1, 1956