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By Changping Hu, Keqin Tan

In 1937, the Metallurgical Department of the National Resources Committee established a copper refinery plant (predecessor of the Chongqing Smelter) in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. The blister copper produced by a local copper smelter was casted as anode for electrorefining. The plant, with a capacity of one ton of electrolytic copper per day, was designed and tested in 1937. At the trial production stage, a total of 9 tons of cathode copper was produced. The plant was formally put into operation in July 1938. In the same month, more than 20 tons of electrolytic copper with purity over 99.9%Cu was produced. This was the first batch of electrolytic copper produced in China. In 1939, China’s largest non-ferrous metal smelting plant, Fengtian Gold Mine Refining (predecessor of the Shenyang smelter) was completed and put into operation in Shenyang, mainly producing nonferrous metals such as gold and silver, as well as copper and lead. In 1939, the Kunming copper smelter (predecessor of Yunnan Smelter) was completed and put into operation. The plant equipment, imported from the United Kingdom, was designed to produce 1,200 tons of electrolytic copper annually. In 1943, Jiatong smelter (predecessor of the Shanghai Smelter) became the 4th domestic cathode copper producer. Since 1949, China has gradually established a large copper industry. These developments are discussed in this paper. Today, China operates nine out of the twenty largest copper refineries in the world. With a total capacity approaching 9 million tons of copper per year, China has the world’s largest copper refining capacity. INTRODUCTION China is a country with a long history of copper mining. The earliest smelter in China in recent times was the Shanghai Smelter, which was built in 1912. From then until 1949, China successively built Chongqing Smelter, Kunming Smelter and Shenyang Smelter. The world's first copper electrorefinery was the Pembrey refinery built in the UK in 1869 (Lu, 1999). However, it was not until 69 years later that the technology was spread to Changsha, China.

Jan 1, 2019

By Bétournay. M. C.

Advantages ?Safety ?Health ?Rapid, continuous development, productivity ?Stope dilution reduction Disadvantages ?High cost and long time for equipment development ?Hard rock mining condition limitations ?Size of equipment ?Equipment set-up time, down time ?Performance does not meet financial return targets ?Drill and blast retains advantage in cost, productivity, capital investment, application flexibility ?Stress accumulation issues in deep mining, ground support and material handling issues in weaker rock

May 1, 2009

By Mario Morin

The application of underground pre-concentration technology to narrow vein mining has the potential to change the entire economics of bulk mining methods when used in narrow vein situations. The rejection of waste at or near the face means that a higher-grade ore can be sent to surface. The waste rock can be reused directly as backfill. Swelling of the muck through blasting means that only 60 to 65% can be used as fill. Planning and scheduling of the fill usage is key to the success of this method. Through the use of simulation and system analysis, this paper examines the planning and scheduling implications of underground pre-concentration when applied to traditional narrow vein mining methods (cut-and-fill /drift-and-fill, longhole, AVOCA). It considers the logistical factors that represent potential system bottlenecks that are key to understanding the correct implementation and control strategies.

Oct 1, 2004

By G. K. Rutherford, G. W. Van Loon

"Tailings in the mining and smelting industry are reject products of the refining process which are deemed too deficient in native are to warrant smelting. They are essentially finely ground rock materials which have been moved by alluvial suspension from the site of crushing to a deposit site. It is realized that components of flotation chemicals used in specific gravity separation may become part of the tailings and also that sewage sludge or other materials may be added at some stage to the tailing deposits.It would seem, then, that as tailings have a similar parent material to soils, namely rocks, and that they have also been comminuted to similar size fractions, they would react in similar ways to soils. There is an increasing body of evidence and experience which both supports and negates this supposition. It is the object of this paper to point out similarities and contrasts between these two materials which may influence the vegetation and rehabilitation of tailings.Soil-Formlnq FactorsThere are considered to be six soil-forming factors which impart the particular and unique properties harboured by a soil at any site. It is .relevant to consider each of these in turn, as each provides an historically based parameter with which to judge tailing properties.Parent MaterialsAlthough all mineral soils have originally come from rocks, for most soils the route has been rather circuitous. Soils may be formed directly from underlying rocks, as in some parts of tropical and semitropical regions today; these are sedentary soils. However, most soils of the world have been formed by materials which were transported to their present site by ice, water or wind, or as volcanic ash. Virtually all soils in Canada have been transported by ice or water and deposited on an extraneous rock surface during the last glacial retreat. Ice-deposited materials are extraordinarily heterogeneous in their size components and may range from very bouldery and gravelly to predominantly clay-sized materials. Water deposited sediments are usually homogeneous, but nevertheless these also show considerable level variations. In many parts of Canada, clay-sized materials deposited in ephemeral post-glacial lakes form the parent material for soils."

Jan 1, 1982

By E. Poiate, P. R. Cabral, A. V. N. Santos, P. V. M. Costa, C. S. Amaral, A. M. Costa

This paper discusses the design of underground salt caverns, opened by solution mining, for the production of brine and storage of natural gas under high pressures. The caverns are located in the salt basin in Maceio City, Alagoas State, at the northeast region of Brazil. Special attention is given to the geomechanical structural design of the caverns using computer codes specially developed for the simulation of excavations in salt rock formations, considering validated constitutive creep laws under different initial stress states and temperatures. The behavior of sedimentary rocks intercalations presented in the salt layer is simulated using elastic-plastic models. The excavation of the caverns by solution mining is also simulated starting from a geostatic initial equilibrium state of stresses, with a unique formulation only implemented in these computer codes, without the need of the application of boundary stresses to the model in order to develop the initial state of stresses. These computer codes have being used in the design of several clusters of caverns for brine production used as raw material of Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) of the Chemical Industryin Brazil. These computer codes and methodology were also applied to the design of the underground conventional potash mine in the state of Sergipe, overlying tachyhydrite and carnallite with very high creep strain rate. They have also been used in the design of the pre-salt oil wells through thick layers of stratified salt rock in Santos Basin, for the exploration and production of the pre-salt reservoirs in Brazil. The constitutive creep equations implemented in the codes are based on a double mechanism creep law. The creep constants adopted in the simulation are taken from a previous investigation carried out on an experimental panel of the potash mine, considering the stratified geology with different salt rocks of the basin where the mine is located. These constants were also obtained by lab tests under different confined and differential stresses and temperatures.

Jan 1, 2015

By Turgut Yalcin

"Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in flotation cell design, and one of the areas where attention is being focused is flotation in centrifugal fields which aims at increasing the flotation rates by forced bubble-particle contact.A new cycloflotation device was developed at Laurentian University and tested on the nickel ore of Falconbridge Limited in Sudbury. In comparison with conventional flotation, cycloflotation yielded at least seven times faster flotation rates in terms of the mass of solids floated per unit time per unit flotation volume, while producing concentrate grades similar to those of conventional flotation. These results, which were obtained with a bench-scale ""cyclofloat cell,"" suggest that cycloflotation has the potential of setting a new direction in flotation technology.IntroductionFroth flotation is no doubt the dominant separation technique in the mineral processing industry. Since its inception early in this century, much research effort has been and is still being expended on this process. Until recent years, emphasis seems to have been placed on the chemical aspects of flotation, but there is now an increased awareness for the need to improve flotation machine performance and more and more attention is being directed towards this area. In a 1982 article on ""Flotation Machines"" (Young 1982) it is stated that "" ... by now the design of the machines used would have reached a high level of perfection, ... In fact, this is not the case ... "".The process of flotation in a flotation device may be considered to take place in several distinct stages as follows:"

Jan 1, 1994

By F. Parada

During copper smelting and converting processes, slag generated is pyrometallurgically cleaned and then disposed, containing around 1 % of this metal. However, important amount of molybdenum initially contained in concentrates also goes to the slag phase. Research on molybdenum recovery from water granulated slags using acid leaching at low temperatures was conducted to find an efficient way for molybdenum extraction with lower magnetite in the slag. However because of the high fayalite content high acid consumption was found. Molybdenum can be recovered from solution using ionic exchange resins, but high silica content interferes with extraction. Some studies addressed to minimize silica extraction as well as alternatives of selective silica precipitation in order to develop a technically feasible process.

Jan 1, 2007

By J. B. Hamilton

The advantages of generating and distributing electrical energy direct from the coal-fields so closely affects the mining industry that a few remarks on the unbalanced phases of coal distribution is worthy of attention. The value of coal imported into Canada from 1912 to 1921 exceeded the sum of $580,000,000. In 1922 Ontario imported 1,640,000 tons of anthracite and 9,440,000 tons of bituminous coal. I submit that the use of Saskatchewan lignite in an electrical super-power plant equipped for the carbonizing of coal, and disposal of excess gases would be the commencement of a solution of the fuel shortage in Ontario. As Saskatchewan becomes more and more populated and manufacturing increases, the amount of by-product carbonized fuel available for shipment to Ontario will increase, and its shipment to that province would decrease the trade deficit of the national balance sheet. If and when this is carried out it will mean a better and wider market for Alberta fuels in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Jan 1, 1924

By Aysan Molaei, Kristian E. Waters

"Solvent extraction is the one of the most common techniques for recovering metal ions from aqueous systems. However, it is not efficient in the extraction of low concentration metal ions from aqueous solutions. Predispersed solvent extraction (PDSE) is an alternative method for solvent extraction which implies colloidal liquid aphrons as extracting agents in order to reach higher interfacial area and lower reagent consumption. This work investigated important parameters in PDSE of nickel ions from dilute aqueous solutions by fractional factorial design of experiments. Four experimental parameters, the initial extractant concentration, initial surfactant concentration, equilibrium pH and phase volume ratio (organic to aqueous ratio) were investigated. The important parameters were determined as well as important interactions between these parameters. It was found that extractant concentration, phase volume ratio, and equilibrium pH are the most significant experimental parameters. However, the interaction between surfactant concentration and other parameters was determined as significant interactions.INTRODUCTIONNickel is one of the key components found in cars, mobile phones, rechargeable batteries, kitchen appliances, and steel industry (Anyadike, 2002). It is one of the most important metals produced by Canada which is in the five top nickel producers in the world. Despite a 24% decrease in the nickel prices from 2011 to 2014 the nickel global mine production increased by 36% between these years (U.S. Geological Survey, 2015; Nickel - Statista Dossier, 2015), which shows the increasing demand for nickel. This high demand leads producers to consider the production of nickel from low grade ores and other secondary sources such as process wastewaters. The removal of nickel ions from process wastewater is also important due to environmental considerations. Nickel is known to be a human carcinogen and it may cause serious lung and kidney problems, pulmonary fibrosis, gastrointestinal distress, and skin dermatitis if it exceeds the critical level (Borba et al., 2006; Fu & Wang, 2011)."

Jan 1, 2016

The fracture behavior of second phase particles and the role of matrix material on the wear resistances of the three Al-Si alloys containing 8, 17, and 19% Si were investigated using single pass scratch testing technique by applying normal loads between 0,15 and 5,00 N, in ambient air, Optical microscopy and SEM with EDS were used to analyze microstructures and morphologies of scratch tracks of the Al-Si alloys, The results showed that needle-like Si particles fractured under a load of 0.50 N, while block-like Si particles fractured at loads above 3,00 N, The Al-17% Si alloy with large number of needle-like particles (area fraction 16,4%) exhibited the highest coefficient of friction (0,8) and the widest scratch track, The Al-19%Si alloy containing high Si percentage and larger number of block-like particles (area fraction 16%) exhibited the lowest coefficient of friction (0,37) and the narrowest scratch track width. Presence of block-like particles was effective in reducing the amount of material transfer from Al-Si alloy surfaces to the counterface.

Jan 1, 2005

By Jim Cooney

Background ?1990s saw massive changes in South African mining industry ?over 100,000 jobs lost as the industry restructured; ?1999 ?Placer Dome purchased a 50% interest in South Deep (WAL), a mine located just outside Johannesburg ?This was the first major post-apartheid foreign investment in the South African mining industry The Situation ?Placer Dome decided to lay off 2560 mineworkers (one third of the workforce) from the South Deep Mine to restore the mine to economic viability. ?Unemployment in South Africa was over 25%, and the retrenched mineworkers had few skills with which to make a living. Policy Context ?Placer Dome was committed to: ?global corporate policy of Sustainable Development, ?demonstrating that its business contributes to the economic and social progress of host jurisdictions. ?Government of South Africa was committed to ?attracting foreign investment to its mining sector with a view to modernizing and enhancing its economic and social viability, ?ameliorating the negative social consequences of structural change without arresting the necessary process of restructuring. ?National Union of Mineworkers was committed to: ?working with the mining industry and the government in implementing a Code of Good Practice on Dismissals and a Social Plan to assist retrenched mineworkers (1999).

May 1, 2006

By C. J. Brown

Since its commercialization thirty years ago, the Recoflo® short bed ion exchange process has been extensively utilized for the recovery of a wide variety of acids and metal salts. In addition to a reduction in resin bed height from 200 cm to 300 cm to 15 cm to 60 cm, the process has a number of features such as utilization of fine mesh resins in a compressed bed which together make it ideal for a number of applications. The process has been extensively exploited, for example, in the metal finishing industry for recovery of valuable chemicals from electroplating, anodizing, etching and pickling wastes. More recently, it has also been applied in the primary metals industry for purification of copper electrolytes and metals recovery from leachates. The paper discusses several of these applications and some of the issues that were found to be key to their success.

Jan 1, 2004

By Alain Tshilombo, Vijay Reddy, Chowdary Meenavilli, Kelvin Buban, Cory Kosinski, Sriraj Meenavilli, Siddhartha Tirumalaraju

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) for process optimization is expected to play an increasingly important role in the future of the mining industry. The objective of AI is to develop a data driven soft (virtual) sensor using historical data that can estimate unmeasurable characteristics of the process and provide appropriate recommendations during operation to optimize the process through continuous learning. The application of AI to a hydrometallurgical process was evaluated by Sherritt Technologies in coordination with NTWIST. Historical operating data obtained from the Ambatovy facility’s High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) circuit was used to develop models to predict autoclave discharge parameters based on operating conditions and ore mineralogy. The prediction models were developed in such a way to also allow the user to simulate and test different operating conditions. A second set of models (AI model) were developed based on the prediction models, economic data and operating constraints for a given process unit to identify optimal reagent and steam dosages across the HPAL circuit. The development of these models was significantly complex due to the dynamic and interactive nature of the HPAL process. Despite the complexity of the models, the models were able to predict, with accuracy, the relationship between ore composition, leach autoclaves retention time, acid addition and steam addition with metal extractions as well as levels of impurities in the autoclave discharge slurry. The study showed that AI has the potential to improve the overall operation of a facility through providing tools to assist with training, troubleshooting and process optimization. INTRODUCTION The Ambatovy project, located in Madagascar, is one of the world’s largest nickel and cobalt mining and processing operation, with a design capacity of 60.000 tonnes of nickel and 5,600 tonnes of cobalt per year (Collins et al., 2016). Commissioning and start-up of the Ambatovy mine and plant facilities were completed in 2012, with acid first introduced to the ore leach in March 2012. Commercial production (defined as 70% of design capacity) was achieved in January 2014 and the production level required to achieve financial completion (90% of design capacity for 90 days) was achieved in March 2015 (Valle et al., 2016). Figure 1 shows a simplified flowsheet of the hydrometallurgical pressure acid leach (PAL) process employed by Ambatovy.

Jan 1, 2019

By Brad Ross

? Value in number of children ? Polygamy common ? Support of extended family and friends ? HIV/AIDS ? Not a culture of savings ? Minimal mechanical experience ? Supportive ? Unintended hindrance ? Mining claims ? Export Permits Lack of funding

May 1, 2011

By Susumu Tsubota

Three types of reference gold catalysts, i.e., 3wt%Au/TiO2 (Au-Ti: Type A), and 0.3wt%Au/Fe2O3 on alumina beads (AUS: Type B), and 5wt%Au/Fe2O3 (Au-Fe: Type C), were produced in a test plant scale by Sud-Chemie Catalysts Japan, INC. under the licensing of AIST. To evaluate the validity of the preparation methods and conditions used for the reference samples, elemental analyses by ICP, particle size measurements by TEM, and catalytic activity measurements for the oxidation of CO and H2 over these catalysts were made. Gold catalysts can be prepared in a large scale of ca 400g for the Au-Ti and Au-Fe catalysts, 5 kg for the AUS catalyst with good reproducibility. It was confirmed that they were available for useful as the reference gold catalysts of World Gold Council.

Oct 1, 2003

By T. Macpherson

Drawing on past research experience with sprayable polymer mine support agents (TSLs), Spray On Plastics Ltd. has developed a TSL ground support system called RockWeb. Using a relatively new polyurea polymer technology, RockWeb has been engineered to solve problems encountered underground with polyurethane liners by incorporating rapid curing, moisture insensitivity and superior physical performance. RockWeb possesses a unique, patented ability to be sprayed in a ?cobweb? like consistency allowing the applicator to span fissures in the rock, ensuring no initial defects in the liner, and maintaining design thickness over highly irregular surfaces. This ability, coupled with the high strength and elasticity of polyurea, allows RockWeb to mitigate rock movement through yielding, while maintaining intimate surface confinement. RockWeb provides reduction in logistics through the transport of 1/25 of the material quantities required for shotcrete, rapid deployment rates of as little as 30 minutes per round, and immediate return to the work area. This paper will discuss the technology and advantages of RockWeb as well as opportunities for overall mining cycle cost reduction. The safety benefits, as well as health and environmental considerations regarding application of isocyanate-based liners will also be discussed.

May 1, 2009

By M. Leroux, S. R. Rao, J. A. Finch

"Poor Pb-Zn selectivity during Pb flotation in laboratory tests on a Mississippi Valley-type Pb-Zn ore was traced to apH effect. In the pH range, 9.5 to 11.0 sphalerite floated readily without copper activation. Compared to sphalerite flotation with copper activation this procedure gave equivalent selectivity but reduced flotation rate.Possible mechanisms of this sphalerite flotation without copper activation are discussed. Activation by Fe(OH)2 is suggested, the Fe- + ions being derived from superficial oxidation of pyrite in the ore. IntroductionGalena and sphalerite commonly occur together. A typical procedure, using xanthate collectors, is to float the galena first, at pH - 8, followed by flotation of sphalerite after activation with copper (II) sulphate at pH - 10 (to depress pyrite).Flotation tests following this procedure in an undergraduate laboratory course with a Pb-Zn ore from Polaris failed to achieve consistent selective flotation of galena. Occasionally a considerable amount of sphalerite, even though unactivated with CUSO4, floated. This was traced to accidentally high pH. A systematic study was carried out which revealed that sphalerite floated readily in the pH range 9.5 to 11.0 without activation by CuSO4 This paper describes the results of the study and discusses a possible mechanism of this flotation of sphalerite."

Jan 1, 1987

By Neil Westoll

Extensive Global Network ?Working together, AECOM provides clients with a unique blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence. ?43,000+ team members worldwide ?450+ offices ?100+ countries ?6 continents The Changing Climate ?Climate change is ?official??IPCC 2007 ?Climate change will create instability, change and opportunities ?Companies that are resilient and adapt will survive and evolve ?CO2/GHG emissions will be curbed by legislation ?How will this affect the mining industry? ?How can the mining industry adapt to the new realities?

May 1, 2009

By Bill Almdal

Today?s presentation ? Role of the Regional Issues Working Group ? What does RIWG do? ? How can RIWG?s work benefit Stakeholders? ? Review of forecasts vs. reality ? How have past investment compared to the reality? ? Risks to future growth ? The growth potential is very high and so are the risks ? Examples of outputs ? Housing needs ? Growth in population ? Tires for large trucks The Regional Issues Working Group ? Our vision ? To provide a proactive process which promotes the responsible, sustainable development of resources within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo for the benefit of all stakeholders ? What we do ? Facilitate planning for growth ? Facilitate effective and efficient resolution of issues ? Involve all of the resource developers and affected stakeholders in planning ? Develop plans for sharing benefits with Aboriginal stakeholders ? Benefits for Stakeholders ? Our forecasts include up-to-date information from all developers ? including information on employment and housing needs ? Our forecasts are the basis of planning for many stakeholders ? and can assist in their development planning

May 1, 2002

By Jas. E. Thomson

"The Omega mine is in McVittie township in the Larder Lake area, Ontario. Production at the mine commenced in 1936, and, until the end of 1946, ore milled amounted to 1,558,604 tons, from which 207,074 oz. gold and 28,205 oz. silver, valued at $7,585,470, were recovered. The mine workings extend to a depth of 1,975 feet.GEOLOGYThe geology of the mine has been described in detail by C. P. Jenney (l) and the writer (2). The general geology and structure in the vicinity of the mine is discussed on an earlier page in this volume. The rock formations found in the mine workings are indicated on the accompanying plan and section (Figs. 1and2). They consist of an intermingled, south dipping complex of volcanics, sediments, and secondary talc-chlorite schists and carbonates. The carbonatized rocks, which are often referred to as 'dolomite' in the Larder Lake camp, are siliceous-carbonate replacements in the talc-chlorite schist zones. In places they contain green mica, probably fuchsite, and are cut by a stockwork of quartz veinlets and stringers. A stock of syenitic intrusives lies south of the mine workings.STRUCTUREThe main structural features are indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The formations and orebodies have a pronounced southerly dip, which flattens with depth. The talc-chlorite schist and 'dolomite' zones are part of the Larder Lake fault or 'break' on which there appears to be very large displacement. Evidence throughout the district would indicate that the south side moved up and, in the case of the Omega mine, the thrust may have been distributed throughout the several intensely sheared zones. This slice faulting could account for the repetition of sediments and volcanics. An alternative possibility would be original interbedding of volcanics and sediments."

Jan 1, 1954