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By P. Tolvanen, A. Jalili

"When hard times strike in the mining cycle, sites tighten their belts and focus on lowering their unit costs. Lower unit costs can be achieved by reducing expenditure, increasing production, or by a combination of both. Faced with these requirements, site personnel must turn to areas where they can focus their effort for maximum return. For many sites, both in Canada and overseas, focusing on improving flotation cell maintenance is one of the areas where gains can be made for minimum outlay. Due to resource limitations and/or lack of equipment understanding, maintenance on many sites is only conducted on a reactive basis, once equipment fails. This paper will promote the idea that mineral processors should become more familiar with their equipment so they can ensure that the plant’s ability to produce is not compromised. By better understanding the flotation equipment and ensuring the critical components are maintained, it should be possible to unlock value in an operation. Flotation equipment inspections will be discussed in detail, including key items to look for during these inspections. Potential approaches for predicting wear and change-out time for flotation equipment components will be also demonstrated. An example of one approach used at a South African nickel site will be given.INTRODUCTIONWith metal prices decreasing and operating costs rising, concentrator operators are looking for ways to improve their bottom line. Lower unit costs can be achieved by reducing expenditure, increasing production, or by a combination of both. To meet the expectation of shareholders, mineral processors must turn to areas where they can get the best return for their efforts. One area where there is a large opportunity for improvement is in the maintenance of flotation equipment.On many mine sites, both domestically and around the world, it is quite common to see the philosophy applied of repairing equipment only once it has failed. Though some sites have advanced enterprise management systems and monitoring programs, in the authors’ experience, the decision on flotation equipment maintenance is rarely made on a proactive basis. Two common trends that are evident in the mining industry are that operations are under pressure to keep the plant producing, and maintenance managers generally have very strict budget targets to meet. In addition to these factors, few sites have a good understanding of the financial implications of running with worn or broken flotation equipment. Knights, Jullian and Jofre (2006) summarize this situation well, stating that the lack of correlation between some commonly used maintenance performance measures and key business drivers can lead to maintenance being seen only as a cost center (that needs to be reduced) rather than a tool for productivity improvement."

Jan 1, 2015

By D. Allen

Faced with decreasing ore grades and harder ores, many mines today are forced to become more efficient with their approach to processing. Variability in ore hardness, mineral liberation, reagent consumption, sliming, and leach responses are all a function of the minerals present and their concentration. Modern semi-automated X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses using Rietveld refinement techniques, in conjunction with high speed quantitative Near Infrared (NIR) analyses, provide reliable quantitative mineralogical ore profiling. By the implementation of XRD with NIR, mining, milling and leaching operations no longer need to be dependant on visual estimates for GeoMetallurgical Modeling and are provided with a valuable forecasting and production control tool. This paper will illustrate the development, plant implementation and application of XRD and NIR at several copper operations.

Jan 1, 2007

By J. E. Udd

A core sample for this study was taken from the sulphide ore of the Geco Mine. The subsequent research was based on the assumption that a part of the scattering of strength-grade data could be correlated with variations in the chemical and/or mineralogical compositions of the samples. The results demonstrate clear relationships between strengths in tension and compression and the zinc-iron contents of the rocks.

Jan 1, 1977

We report the studies of Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEM FC) and hydrogen storage materials at McMaster University for the last 14 years. From the initial investigation of ionic conduction mechanism to the revelation of the origin of non-Arrhenius temperature dependence, as well as the synthesis and characterization of high temperature polymer electrolytes, both experimental and theoretical works have been compiled for the fuel cell membranes. In addition to the discovery of suppressed ionic conduction in Electrode-Membrane Assembly (EMA) and novel hydrocarbon PEMs based on micro-emulsion, the first evidence of hydrogen adsorption saturation by carbon nano-tubes was also achieved, which has been the bottleneck for the application of PEM FC. Prior to our study, a number of controversial publications have claimed the hydrogen capacity of these materials to be between 0.1 to 10.0 wt.%, and none demonstrated a plateau of adsorption with pressure that is consistent with monolayer saturation. Others suggested that the tube bundle structure is opened under high pressure to enable higher adsorption on newly uncovered surfaces, but received no confirmation. Using our home made high-pressure instrument with in-situ electrical probes, we found that a plateau is nearly achieved at about 300 atm in the room temperature isotherm, and that nanotube bundles actually compress with pressure instead of splitting, using in-situ electrical measurements.

Jan 1, 2005

By J. A. Herbst

Professor Klaus Schönert and his students used fundamental physics to develop many of the principles required for the design and scale-up of "Gutt Bett Zerkleinern" devices such as the high pressure grinding roll (HPGR) or the high pressure roll crusher (HPRC). As the equipment evolved so have the tools used for its selection and analysis. In the current paper discrete element modeling (DEM), Metso's proprietary Fast Breakage simulations, and Schönert's packed bed piston test are combined with energy based population balance models (PBM) to yield an alternative to ore characterization and equipment selection by pilot plant testing. The resulting methodology is used to take the next step in understanding these devices with a view toward predicting plant performance. This paper describes a journey beginning with precise modeling of a small HPGR including stud geometry and system hydraulics. A key to predicting performance is the accurate modeling of individual particles, their motion in the machine, the probability of breakage and redistribution of fragments, and the inter-particle breakage events that occur between the rolls at different pressures, speeds and moisture levels. Advanced DEM simulations and particle breakage characterization methods provide the necessary technology. The resulting combined models were validated using a small diameter laboratory scale unit. The validated physics based model was used then used to predict the performance of plant scale units using a specific energy based scale-up method. Scale-up results are analyzed in terms of power draw, throughput, and discharge product size distribution.

Jan 1, 2012

By T G. Callcott

Australian coking coals are either class 434<tlj534<2l, at Port Kembla, or 634<3> at Newcastle. The former yield good blast-furnace cokes; the latter yield poor ones. However, increases in conventional strength indices, by methods applicable with normal coking ovens, seem unlikely to be economically attractive. Characterization of the coals has enabled an "economic" blend to be developed in the Newcastle area, and this has affected mining, preparation and handling operations. Coking studies have led to a specification for the making of strong coke, especially from the high-volatile Newcastle coals. Continuous coking studies, developed from the efforts to make very strong coke, have taken two directions. Firstly, coking thin layers of coal on strands; secondly, coking, in various types of vessels, compacts of coals with or with-out the inclusion of non-coking coals, iron ores or other inert materials. Gas, "sand" and hot metal coking have been tested for use in compact coking. Particular attention has been paid to pellets of coal and ore. The probable industrial problems in adopting any of the ideas are presently being examined.

Jan 1, 1963

By M. Nusheh, C. Bumby, A-H. Puichaud

"Vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite ironsand deposits occur along a 480 km stretch of the west coast of New Zealand. In the present study, the leaching behaviour of NZ ironsand was investigated in hydrochloric acid (2–10 M) solution at 50–80°C for 2 h. The resulting leaching liquors exhibited Fe/V ratios in the range 150–180. The distribution of trace element contaminants between solution and solid residue was investigated, and processing conditions have been determined for rapid and efficient dissolution of Fe, Ti and V into the leaching solution. In addition, mineralogical analysis of raw ironsand and leached residues was performed in order to study the leaching mechanism. Samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, qualitative and quantitative X-ray diffraction and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP). Results indicate that the dominant dissolution process follows shrinking particle mechanism. However, ironsand particles containing ex-solution lamellae exhibited a different leaching behaviour compared to homogenous titanomagnetite particles.INTRODUCTION Titanomagnetite ironsand (blacksand) forms Quaternary onshore beach and dune deposits and offshore marine deposits (Figure 1) along 480 km of coastline from Kaipara Harbour south to Wanganui on the west coast of the North Island (Christie, 2016). It attracted the attention of scientists from the earliest times (Galbreath, 1998). The principal minerals in ironsand are titanomagnetite (TTM), ilmenite, quartz and ferromagnesian minerals such as augite, hornblende, diopside, and olivine with smaller amounts of rutile and apatite (Mauk, 2016).Several large ironsand deposits have been discovered and exploited since the late 1960’s. The Waikato North Head and Taharoa mines are currently operating and they have a 2015 measured resource of 400 million tonnes in total and provide over 2 million tonnes of concentrate per year by simple cost effective magnetic separation process (Christie, 2016; Christie & Brathwaite, 1997). The concentrate contains not only 7–8% TiO2 and 56–60% SFe, but also 0.3–0.6% V2O5, is both a valuable titanium mineral and a source of vanadium. All the production is used for steelmaking industries. The other potential for utilizing more of this resource without requirement of integration into an iron and steel producing plant is to develop a hydrometallurgical route with advantages of higher efficiency along with lower emissions. Currently, there is no existing commercial process capable of extracting all three of these elements as industrial-grade commodity products. Acid leaching of TTM concentrate with higher degrees of recovery and selectivity is a key step in any possible hydrometallurgical route."

Jan 1, 2017

By J. R. Jutras, C. Brissette, J. Champagne

"Pure cadmium sulphide was leached by the action of the bacterium Thiobacillus thiooxidans in the presence of finely divided sulphur. The influence of time, temperature, pH and concentration of inoculum on the extent of the cadmium extraction was studied. Under optimum conditions, up to 72 per cent of the cadmium could be dissolved over a six-week period. A cursory study of the role played by elemental sulphur seems to indicate that its presence is essential but that the sul1>huric acid produced through its oxidation is a minor factor in the cadmium extraction."

Jan 1, 1971

By S. Forgeron

Presentation ? Introduction ? Canadian Underground Coal Mines ? Standardization of Geological Assessment ? Geomechanics Base-line Studies of Canadian Coal Mines ? Cape Breton Development Corporation Prince Mine ? Quinsam Coal Corporation ? 2 North and 4 South Mines ? Smoky River Coal Corporation 5B-4 Mine ? Conclusions and Baseline Comparison ? Figures

May 1, 2001

By G. H. Long, D. H. Magnusson

THE DEFINITION of the continental margin, as considered in this paper, is in the broad sense: " ... those provinces of the continents and of the oceans which are associated with the boundary between these two first-order features of the earth" (Heezen et aL, 1959, p. 17). The provinces in the area under con-sideration are: the Continental Shelf, the Continental Slope and the Continental Rise. The Continental Shelf extends from the shoreline to the shelf break, which lies at approximately the 200-meter isobath through-out the region (except north of the Grand Banks, where the break may be defined more properly by the 400-meter isobath). The Continental Slope and Rise occur between the shelf break and the 4,000-meter isobath. (The last figure was somewhat arbitrarily selected for the purpose of this paper.) The Atlantic Continental Margin as thus defined extends along the eastern coast of Canada from the International Boundary in the Gulf of Maine northward to approximately the 60°N latitude off the coast of Labrador. The area of study amounts to at }east 500,000 square miles -an area roughly equivalent to 13 per cent of Canada's total land surface.

Jan 1, 1970

By F. Prescott, D. Hiam-Galvez, J. Hiam

Mines are frequently located in remote areas with little conventional employment and few opportunities for the existing population. The development and operation of the mines results in several years of intense activity followed by a near-complete reduction in employment and opportunities after the mines are closed. Designing Sustainable Prosperity (DSP) is a method for rectifying this situation by designing for long-term growth in areas that host mines. This process involves the participation of local and national governments, local community, mining companies, investors, academics and those with sector expertise. The mines will be the catalyst for regional sustainable development. If successful, long-term economic and environmental prosperity should be the result for the areas affected by mining and, in some instances, promoting the regions as centres of excellence for a particular industry. This paper will describe how the concept works using the copper producing region of Peru and Chile as an example. Designing sustainable prosperity starts by looking at regions based on the natural resources and skills available, the infrastructure and possible energy sources. Integrated natural resource models and innovative market studies, followed by education and skills requirements, are then established to determine the potential for the region and what needs to be done to realise the possibilities. INTRODUCTION Industry 4.0, or i4.0, dubs the fourth and current industrial revolution. Where previously they have been founded on ever-increasing consumption and production, i4.0 distinguishes itself by its partial focus on reducing resource intensity; lightweighting, energy efficiency, sensors and automation to improve resource efficiency. Industry 4.0 is an era of artificial intelligence, genome editing, biometrics, renewable energy, 3D printing, autonomous vehicles and the Internet of Things (Lu, 2017). These drivers represent key opportunities for the economic future of nations and regions.

Jan 1, 2019

By C. Sartain

In recent years market pressures have been building on companies to develop the next era of mining projects to follow the previous boom in copper projects of the mid 90&apos;s. However the response from the industry has been slow in coming, and somewhat muted. It is clear that there simply have not been the obvious quality projects waiting to be rapidly developed. Many of the known undeveloped copper projects have particular characteristics that have previously prevented their development, including mineralogical complexity in the ore bodies, environmental challenges or particularly difficult geographic locations. This paper describes how the Copper Division of an international mining company, Xstrata plc, is preparing to progressively develop an impressive pipeline of projects, armed with an array of proprietary technologies and with a strong approach towards sustainable development and community engagement. The approach being taken is enabling Xstrata to complement its acquisitive corporate philosophy with a management emphasis on project development and operational optimization and enhancement.

Jan 1, 2007

By A. F. Abd El-Rehim

The behavior of both transient and steady state creep of Al-4.5 wt% Cu and Al-4.5 wt% Cu-0.1 wt% In alloys was investigated using a constant stress where torsional oscillations of different frequencies and shear strain amplitudes were operated at various working temperatures. An augment in both transient and steady state creep rates was observed by increasing both frequency and shear strain amplitude of the applied oscillations. The mean values of the activation energy of both alloys for both creep stages were found to be equal to that quoted for dislocation intersection mechanism.

Jan 1, 2006

By P. Groleau, O. Tavchandjian, D. Marcotte

In open pit mining, each small mining unit (SMU) is selected for mill processing based on an estimate of its true grade. The estimation is usually done using analyses of cuttings from blast holes within that SMU. One common estimator used for selection is the arithmetic average of within-SMU samples. This estimator is conditionally biased. The effect of a conditional bias is to overestimate the profit really recovered from the deposit. For this reason, a conditionally unbiased estimator is preferable. Increasing the number of samples generally improves the accuracy of the estimation (and diminishes the conditional bias, if present, of most estimators). However, there exists a practical limit where an additional sample does not improve the estimation sufficiently to cover the expense of making the analysis. This limit is specific to each deposit and depends on geostatistical parameters, economic factors, and mining parameters. This study examines how the number of samples affects the recovered reserves and the resulting profit. Also, the effects on optimal profit of varying the different factors are examined. Globally, the number of samples required increases with the selectivity of the operation. For a given ore deposit, the greater the number of SMUs selected for processing, the fewer samples are required and vice-versa.

Jan 1, 1998

By M. Falutsu

"The PSI-200 is a rugged, innovative, and easy to install on-stream size analyzer. Its calibration is simple and can be done on-line, during operation. Two measurements are displayed on the panel, which are expressed as percent passing a selected size, or as any statistical diameter. These two measurements are given as two continuous 4-20 mA output signals. Operation alarms are displayed on the screen or are given as digital output signals.The PSI-200 has been used in various applications at Lakefield Research. Particle sizes ranging from 10 µm to 450 µm have been monitored successfully, with an accuracy of 1- 2%. Having the size measured continuously and reliably, optimum conditions have been established for the grinding circuit, resulting in a superior quality in pilot plant testing.INTRODUCTIONThe challenge of any operating plant is to optimize product quality, maximize throughput and minimize operating costs. The importance of particle size measurement at a grinding circuit is well recognized. Monitoring continuously the particle size and keeping the product as uniform as possible is crucial to the whole mill operation regardless of the nature of the operation.Various techniques and instruments have been developed over the years attempting to give reliable on-line size analysis data. The operating difficulties and the reliability of these equipment still present major drawbacks and none of them proved to be widely accepted.PSI-200 is a relatively new on-line analyzer. The operation is simple and of low cost and the maintenance required minimal. It measures particle size and it displays two parameters of the solids size distribution, either weight fraction of passing a certain size or any statistical diameter. Two analog outputs can be sent to a process control system and through a supervisory control loop the correct action can be taken to maintain the desired particle size (perhaps adjust the feed rate to the grinding mill)."

Jan 1, 1993

By D. Ingram

"PRIMARY DUST COLLECTOR A. 42,000 CFM James Howden Fan Z-6 Size 3650 Fan Dia 40"" HP 75It was found that the fan was not large enough to remove the air that was displaced by the trucks dumping. So it was removed and an enclosure was installed to isolate the gyro from the rest of the building.B. FANSJames Howden Fans Model RPM 3500 Series 357 FW HP 10These fans were installed when the first dust system was put into operation. It was found that the high RPM and extreme fan wear caused a major maintenance problem. These fans were replaced with Chicage Blowers Model SWS1 RPM 1180 Dia 36"".DRY CYCLONE COLLECTORS A.,Three four foot rubber lined cyclones. Four six foot rubber lined cyclones.All under flow. Water is controlled manually and gravity flows to a central sump box. From there it flows to the grinding circuit in the Mill.Cyclone under flow product runs between 100 and 200 tons of dust per 24 hours with a screen analysis 30% + 400.The cyclone under flow product is diluted to about 3 to 4%. Solids total gallonage approximately 400.B.,Elbair Wet Scrubber125 HP RPM 56042,000 CFM,Model PX861The Elbair collects the total product from the discharge. Of the Cyclone fans the under flaw goes to the Mill - the Elbair discharges stack goes to atmosphere.The Elbair wet scrubber had to be redesigned in order to keep it in service."

Jan 1, 1976

By E. V. Konopleva, H. J. McQueen, V. M. Khlestov

In addition to increasing grain boundary area during hot working of austenite, the dislocation substructures create potential sites for nucleation of ferrite both at original grain boundaries and at transition boundaries between deformation bands. This development gives rise to a marked increase in the rates of nucleation, of growth and of transformation to ferrite. The combined net effect is product grain refinement that requires less stringent cooling between finish rolling and coiling; hence determination of the above rates would advance process optimization. The important control parameters are the preheat temperature (degree of homogenization), finishing temperature, strain (accumulation near finishing) and the extent of recrystallization after finishing. These effects vary greatly with steel composition; nevertheless, some general rules have been formulated. Moreover, there is also potential for deformation of the refined ferrite. There are other thermo-mechanical processes such as warm forming of metastable alloy austenite to provide a dense substructure that is carried into the martensite on quenching. In other processes, the austenite may be deformed during cooling through the transformation to develop a dense substructure in the ferrite that is stabilized by fine carbides.

Jan 1, 2004

By A. Tylczak, C. Shook, A. Doogan-Smith, S. Loif, B. Hilscher, P. Nayak

"This paper discusses how to effectively conduct energy efficiency studies during the design of new mineral processing plants and plant expansions. Energy management studies for new plants are ideally conducted as part of the feasibility study, but can also be done at the detailed design stage prior to the purchasing of equipment. Energy management engineers work as part of the mineral processing plant design team.Such studies usually result in energy savings of approximately 3-8% of the predicted plant’s energy consumption and energy demand. Potential cost savings can be significant. A variety of mineral processing systems – crushing/grinding, pumping, materials handling, fans/blowers, compressed air, and others – are assessed within this study.Energy Management Information System (EMIS) studies can also be performed for the new plant or plant expansion, as an independent study. EMIS can be incorporated into the electrical and controls design of the plant.Most Canadian Utility companies fund new plant design studies and provide financial incentives based on the predicted energy savings and incremental cost of the more energy-efficient design. A new plant energy efficiency study improves the potential for energy reduction because only the incremental equipment cost is included in the project return-on-investment calculation. After the design and construction phases, energy efficiency projects must justify the entire cost of the upgrade, which is significantly higher than the incremental cost alone.This paper outlines the major steps of a new plant/plant expansion energy efficiency study, the available utility company incentives, and the areas yielding the largest potential energy savings.IntroductionThis paper discusses energy efficiency studies and energy management systems with regards to mining operations. Energy management refers to the systems of monitoring, analyzing, and optimizing energy usage within a facility. It includes energy efficiency optimization of the initial plant design as well as the implementation of an Energy Management System (EnMS) and Energy Management Information System (EMIS) for optimizing energy usage over the lifetime of the facility. An EnMS is the organizational framework and procedures for managing energy use; an EMIS is the system of monitoring, reporting, and tracking process energy use against targets."

Jan 1, 2016

By B. R. Maas

Processing material at a consistent rate through the continuous countercurrent decantation (CCD) thickeners presented a major bottle neck to unlocking additional value from one of the post-flotation streams at the Kansanshi processing plant. The manual operation of the thickeners making up the CCD train resulted in frequent imbalances and process upsets across units. The automation of CCD trains is notoriously tricky as the available manipulated variables are outnumbered by the parameters requiring regulation. The implementation of an advanced, auction-based, control philosophy to manage the movement of both slurry and solution inventory through the train addressed this parameter imbalance and lead to the stabilisation of the circuit. Since the commissioning of this control strategy: an additional 7 200 dmt/day (+36% throughput) of material can reliably be processed through the train, the number of monthly downtime events has reduced, and a saving of $354 000/month in reagent cost has been achieved. INTRODUCTION CCD operation Agitated leaching is a common method used in hydrometallurgy to extract a metal from its host ore. The host ore is initially finely ground to liberate the surfaces of the valued minerals and improve the kinetics of the leaching process. The ore is then contacted in an agitated tank with a lixiviant to dissolve the desired metal into the aqueous phase. The resultant slurry from the leaching process comprises of a solution pregnant in the metal salt and a barren ore. The first purification step taken after leaching is to wash the pregnant liquor solution (PLS) from the depleted ore. On the industrial scale, a set of between two to ten thickeners arranged in a countercurrent configuration is often used to carry out this separation (Perry & Chilton, 1973). The slurry is introduced at the head of the train and a wash solution at the tail. The two streams are pumped through each thickener countercurrent to one other. At each stage the residual PLS in the slurry is mixed and diluted down with the countercurrent overflow solution from the downstream thickener. The diluted slurry is fed into the thickener where the solids separate out through gravity sedimentation. The settled solids are channelled towards the underflow of the thickener by a rake mechanism and pumped downstream to the next thickener in the train. The outcome is the recovery of a PLS from the overflow of the lead thickener and a slurry of washed solids from the underflow of the tails thickener.

Jan 1, 2019

By Philip J. Guerney, S. O’ Leary, André R. Laplante

"Concentration of dense mineral phases (s.g. greater than 7) for characterisation of individual particles and mineral grains by electron microscopy is a well established technique for the detection and characterisation of valuable mineral phases. This presentation describes the type of data that can be generated when both the concentration and characterisation steps are carried to higher levels than typical. The concentration step is the gravity recoverable gold (GRG) protocol that has been used for over 100 ore samples. This protocol yields three concentrates that represent three progressive degrees of grinding and liberation. Three ore samples were subjected to the GRG protocol and three size classes of each concentrate were characterised using the mineral liberation analyser (MLA), an automated, EDX-based tool. This presentation briefly presents GRG and MLA technology, and then focuses on the results obtained: photos, images and databank, the latter used to evaluate the extent of particle liberation and particle shape.INTRODUCTIONThe practice of gravity concentration prior to characterization of mineral samples using electron beam microscopy is solidly established. Typically, a dense liquid such as tetrabromoethane (density: 2.97 g/cm3) is used to reject the light phase, typically carbonates and silicates. The heavy phase, mostly sulphides, oxides and precious metals, is then mounted in a polymer matrix and examined using beam microscopy.Both the pre-concentration and the sample preparation/examination steps have seen significant advances over the past ten years, but are not without problems. A major issue of preconcentration is that most dense liquids used are toxic, tetrabromoethane being a prime example. More recently, a dense liquid with little or no toxicity (sodium polytungstate, distributed by Sometu Inc.) has become commercially available, but its use is limited to relatively low s.g. splits around 3 g/cm3. Dense liquids are viscous, and their use is limited to particles coarser than 37 µm, although centrifuge separation can probably lower this limit to around 10 µm. Magnetogravimetric separators can achieve much higher specific density cuts, but upgrading below 100 µm or in the presence of magnetic minerals remains a problem. The use of centrifuge separators such as the 3-in Knelson Concentrator (KC MD3) or the Falcon 4-in SB (SB4) is particularly attractive since these units can easily process large masses (by laboratory standards) and achieve a cut density well above those of dense liquids."

Jan 1, 2003