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By M. Ghiani, P. Carbini, R. Ciccu, C. Del Fà

"This paper is concerned with the problems inherent in the efficient and economical processing of the fine fractions of a coal from the Sulcis basin (Sardinia, Italy) whose characteristics are typical of low-rank coals occurring in the Mediterranean region. Three different techniques, based upon surface properties, are examined. Flotation can be very efficient from both a technical and economic point of view, provided care is taken in the modulation of the flotation pulp. Interesting results have been obtained with oil agglomeration and this method could be economically feasible. Finally, electrical separation has proven a viable technique, although it entails preliminary drying.Besides discussing the problems encountered in the experimental research, some significant results of general validity are also given. They demonstrate that cleaned products can be obtained with fairly interesting recoveries, thus opening the way to advanced research aimed at setting up the most suitable technique for industrial application. IntroductionAs a result of the oil crisis, which caused a major upset in world energy supplies, the last ten years have seen a revolution in the energy policies adopted.In particular, the status of coal, which seemed destined to decline in view of the availability of liquid fuel, has had to be re-examined. The need to meet energy demands under improved reliability conditions and controlled prices through a broader and more flexible diversification of sources of supply has evoked, especially in highly industrialized countries, a renewed interest in coal. The result has been a consistent increase in demand and production as well as investments in new mines and the reinforcement of the infrastructure.This turn of events has also lead to a re-evaluation of young low-rank coals, hitherto considered uneconomical and thus neglected, because of their low heat value. In fact these coals, which have a high ash content, may also be relatively highly contaminated with sulphur. The above drawbacks, which still today preclude the widespread use of these coals, are bound to create even greater problems in the future as increasingly restrictive environmental control imposes, without exception, recourse to cleaner fuels."

Jan 1, 1986

By L Thompson, R C. West, T S. Kho

In 1978, the Outotec direct to blister flash (DBF) smelting process was commercialized with the commissioning of the Glogow 2 smelting facility in Poland. Since then four further DBF facilities have been constructed, two at Olympic Dam, one in Zambia and most recently one at Glogow 1 in Poland. The DBF smelting process differs considerably from conventional smelting process in both chemistry and unit operations, presenting opportunities for flowsheet capital and operating cost savings particularly when the concentrate copper grade is high. WorleyParsons has amassed considerable expertise in the Direct to Blister process and in this paper the process is compared to the modern two stage Double Flash process. The processes are modeled, and the key operating parameters, consumables and production metrics are directly compared. Subsequent flowsheets, key equipment lists and capital costs are also presented for comparison and discussion. The results show the range of concentrates which are most economically treated by the DBF process relative to those best treated in conventional processes along with those concentrates which could be treated by either process. INTRODUCTION The Outotec Direct to Blister (DBF) process was developed and installed at Glogow in 1978 (Czernecki et al., 2006). Currently there are a total of five DBFs built on three sites: Glogow No.2, Olympic Dam No.1, Olympic Dam No.2, KCM Zambia and Glogow No.1, being the most recently constructed. The DBF process was the first flash furnace process to produce blister copper and paved the way for the subsequent development of the flash converter and other continuous converting processes. Today four flash converters are in operation taking the total number of flash furnaces producing blister copper to eight. In all DBF operations it is the unique ore and concentrate composition which made selection of the DBF process the most attractive. In all cases, the concentrate is relatively high in copper but low in iron because chalcopyrite is not the major constituent. When considering smelting options for high copper, low iron concentrates a key question is then often asked, “At what point does it become economic to switch from two stage smelting and converting process to the DBF process?”

Jan 1, 2019

By J. Bruce See

INTRODUCTION This symposium at Cu 2019 has been organised to honour and celebrate the career and achievements of Dr Phillip John Mackey, an internationally recognised expert in the production of non-ferrous metals, especially copper and nickel smelting and refining. Phillip was born in Epping, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 19 April 1941 and is one of 4 children of Gilbert and Philomena (nee Bartlett) Mackey. After completing Primary School in Epping, he attended Marist Brothers High School in Eastwood, Sydney and graduated in 1957 as the Dux of the School. Phillip’s father, being on the staff of the Sydney Technical College, in Ultimo, Sydney had the opportunity in the early 1950s to meet the late Professor Sir Rupert Myers, Foundation Professor of the School of Metallurgy at the New South Wales University of Technology (later called the University of New South Wales or UNSW). Gilbert Mackey was impressed by the new young Professor of Metallurgy and encouraged his son to study metallurgy - at the time an expanding industry in post-war Australia. EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Phillip commenced at UNSW in 1958, graduating with honours in 1963. His undergraduate education and training included a few years of part-time study while working at British Motor Corporation on sheet metal forming of car bodies. At University Phillip developed his talent for teamwork. He was a contributing writer to the University newspaper, Secretary of the UNSW Students’ Union and was active in the UNSW Metallurgical Society and co-editor in 1963 of “Metallurgical Review,” the annual journal of the UNSW Metallurgical Society. His diverse interests and curiosity about the world around him were likely nourished while at University. Upon completing his Bachelor’s degree, Phillip was awarded a Commonwealth of Australia Postgraduate Research Scholarship. He began his PhD in 1964 on the thesis topic “Studies in Heat Transfer between Dispersed Liquid Metals and Gaseous Atmospheres” working under the supervision of then Associate Professor Noel Warner, an outstanding Professor at the University. Professor Warner is now an Emeritus Professor at the University of Birmingham and is internationally respected for his pioneering theoretical and practical work on established and innovative smelting processes.

Jan 1, 2019

In the last 30 years numerous mining plants have been developed in North America but only a handful of these have required freezing the area where the shaft was sunk. The most recent mine shaft to be sunk using this technique is located on an island off the coast of Louisiana. The project required the input and skills of numerous people in several companies, including the owner, engineers and contractors. The Cote Blanche installation is one of several mines in the area which extract salt from a dome which extends under the Gulf of Mexico. The geology of this area is, however, markedly different from others in the region because there is approximately 460 ft of water logged soil above the salt dome. Because it is not possible to sink a shaft in ground that is this soft, the overburden where the shaft is located must be frozen before excavation can take place. The Cote Blanche mine is a producing facility which was built in 1958 by the Carey Salt Company. The original facility included a 14 ft diameter production shaft and a 7 ft-8 in diameter service/ventilation/escape shaft. This system was installed by The Cementation Company. In 1996 the owner decided to improve both the mine ventilation and production hoisting system by installing a third shaft. This shaft would be designed to extract 650 tons per hour from a depth of 1600 ft and provide 500,000 cfm of ventilation to the mine at a maxium design pressure of 4 in WG. These parameters resulted in a requirement for a 16 ft finished inside diameter concrete lined shaft and a headframe designed as a pressure bulkhead. Because the mine would operate from one level only, the most efficient hoisting system for the application was determined to be a ground mounted koepe running on rope guides. With these criteria fixed Cote Blanche embarked on a program which would see construction start in June 1998 with the first salt produced in February 2001 at a cost of $US18M. The major players in the design and construction were G.L. Tiley & Associates Ltd., BLM Bharti Engineering, Freezewall Inc., Phillips Mining, Geotechnical and Grouting Inc., Don Hart Consulting and Dynatec International.

May 1, 2002

By Douglas W. Reeve, Hoc Nghia Tran, David Barham

"In kraft pulp mills, the spent pulping liquor is concentrated and used as fuel in the recovery boiler. Extensive deposits are formed in the upper section of the boiler due to the very high ash content of the fuel and the volatite nature of the ash. Deposits are composed of Na2S04, Na2C03 NaCI, some potassium salts and reduced sulphur compounds. Chloride and potassium salts are enriched in the deposits compared to the smelt due to their greater volatility.Severe corrosion of the superheater tubes in a recovery boiler has been traced to three factors: a non-uniform temperature profile in the flue gas, relatively high operating steam temperatures and high chIoride and potassium concentrations in the fireside deposits.The role of chIoride and potassium in superheater corrosion has been explained by increased Iiquid phase in deposits. Together with corrosion studies, this information has shown that kraft recovery boiler superheater corrosion due to the chloride and potassium enriched deposits can be avoided by proper boiler operation and by judicious superheater and furnace design.IntroductionThis investigation of recovery boiler superheater corrosion was initiated by the discovery of severe corrosion of the final stage superheater in a Canadian closed cycle kraft pulp mill(1,2). Metal wastage leading to tube failure was believed to be due to three major causes : the relatively high operating steam temperatures, the uneven distribution of flue gas temperature across the boiler which created a "" hot spot"" and the high chloride and potassium concentrations in the superheater fire side deposit. The mill responded to the problem by i) lowering the superheater steam temperature from 475°C to 380°C, ii) minimizing the chloride content in the spent pulping liquor, by controlling the NaCI input with recovered bleach plant effluent, and iii) changing metallurgy of a portion of the bottom section of the final stage superheater platens from ferritic steel T-22 (2.25% Cr, 1% Mo) to austenitic steel Incoloy 800H (21% Cr, 32% Ni, 46% Fe, 1.5% Mn, 1% Si, 0.6% Al) (Fig. 1). Details of the superheater corrosion experienced in the closed cycle mil! have been reported in previous papers(l ·2,) ."

Jan 1, 1984

By John H. Walsh

"ForewordThis paper is to be published in two parts in succeeding issues of the CIM Bulletin. In Part I, the problem of global climate change is explored together with a summary of the government's present policy in this field. Implications for the steel industry are examined as are possible strategic responses. Part II of the paper will present a new possibility - the joint production of iron and liquid fuels useful for transportation purposes. In the joint production case, the objective is to use carbon for more than one purpose in what might be termed a 'carbon cascading' technique. ABSTRACTIt is becoming increasingly probable that emissions of carbon dioxide from the fossil fuels will have to be reduced to deal with the threat of global warming. This issue is likely to be resolved one way or the other in the period 1995 to 2000 which does not leave much time to develop responsive options. In the intervening period, the policy of the Government of Canada is to stabilize emissions of greenhouse gases at their 1990 level by 2000, by encouraging greater efficiency in the use of energy. Should further reductions prove necessary, economic instruments would probably be employed but these would not be applied before a comprehensive international agreement is reached.There are three main themes in this paper: it is assumed that measures to control carbon dioxide emissions will in fact be necessary by the tum of the century; that there will be a rising need for liquid fuels to supply the world's steadily growing fleet of motor vehicles for many years to come, and that the future niche for Canada 's industry in such a carbon-constrained world will be the operation of the energy-intensive industries with efficiency and environmental sensitivity.The steel industry, as a large user of both coal and energy in other forms, would be significantly affected by a need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This paper first examines what might be called the conventional responses open to the industry in such a situation and then explores a new possibility for making better use of carbon by the co-production of iron and liquid fuels."

Jan 1, 1992

By A. Dogan Paktunc

Abstract - The Mechanic Settlement pluton is a small body of mafic and ultramafic rocks of tholeiitic affinity, occurring in the Late Neoproterozoic volcanosedimentary rocks of the Avalon terrane of the Appalachian Orogen. The lenticular-shaped intrusion is layered and consists of ultramafic and mafic lithologies in at least six cyclic units that are relatively thin or short-lived. The lowermost exposed portion of the intrusion is characterized by the cumulate sequences of olivine and olivineclinopyroxene and display relatively flat rare earth element profiles. In the overlying lithologies, plagioclase is the dominant cumulus phase following olivine in the crystallization sequence. Olivine ranges in composition from Fo73 to Fo85 and plagioclase from An62 to An89. Variations in the compositions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene are within Wo0-4En52-87Fs11-45 and Wo39-50En23-50Fs3-19. These mineral compositional variations in part reflect cryptic patterns and correspond to normal fractionation trends in cyclic units. Elevated Pt and Pd concentrations of up to 2.6 ppm occur in ten zones within the central cyclic series in association with both the peridotitic and gabbronoritic rock types. The mineralized zones are about several meters thick and appear to have lateral continuities over several hundred meters, suggesting that they are stratiform. Platinum-group elements (PGE) occur as discrete platinum-group minerals (PGM) including vysotskite, merenskyite, michenerite, sperrylite, stillwaterite, and hollingworthite that are associated with magmatic sulfides composed of pentlandite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite. PGM grains range in size from a few micrometers to well above 20 µm. Sulfur isotope ratios and the Se/S ratios of the mineralized rocks are typically higher than the mantle values. Sulfide saturation probably occurred as a result of assimilation of crustal rocks and magma mixing during emplacement of subsequent pulses of magma. Repetition of the PGE mineralization in rather thin cyclic units suggests that the replenishing magma probably had high PGE levels and was saturated with respect to sulfide during emplacement. Ingression of the replenishing magma into the chamber in a turbulent plume and its mixing with the resident magma was probably responsible for the formation of the PGE mineralizations in the Mechanic Settlement pluton.

Jan 1, 2000

By E. O. Magnusson

THE orebodies of the Preston East Dome mine show a considerable variation in size,? shape, dip, and ground condition. They vary from small and large irregular masses being mined by shrinkage, cut-and-fill, and square set-and-fill mining methods to narrow veins being mined by open stoping. Standardization of mining operations has necessarily been difficult. This considerable variation in mining condition prompted the development of a bonus system which would give more equitable bonus payments through-out the mine than those obtained by the usually accepted methods of calculating mine bonus. PRINCIPLES ON WHICH THE SYSTEM IS BASED Under an incentive bonus system, performance (efficiency) and a price per unit of work done are inter-related. It is in the application of this? principle to working conditions .in the Preston East Dome mine that the system to be described differs from the standard methods of calculating mine bonus. It was found that the method of paying a fixed price per unit of work done, under the 'contract' system, gave satisfactory results in development, less satisfactory results in timbering, and results which were not satisfactory in stoping. Under the fixed price system, bonus payments, in timbering and stoping particularly, were very erratic and did not necessarily represent fair payment for the work done. A fixed price in development is satisfactory because the work done, and the conditions under which the work is done, are uniform. The drilling and blasting cycle is completed in one shift, the size of heading is con-trolled, and a minimum number of holes are required in order to obtain a satisfactory break. The performance possible under these conditions has been found to be confined to a fairly narrow range. By performance in development is meant the efficiency of the working crew as expressed in terms of the two variables of feet of advance per round and pounds of ex-plosives consumed per foot of advance. A change in rock formation, how-ever, may alter to a marked degree the performance possible, quite independent of the skill and energy of the working crew. The changes in working conditions that affect development performance from the standpoint of bonus calculation are usually easily apparent and are satisfactorily met by establishing several fixed prices.

Jan 1, 1944

By T. E. Smith

"This paper describes the application of a motor-driven flywheel unit, known as a peak shaver, to compensate for the cyclic load fluctuations of a large electric dragline installed at Pine Point Mines, near Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. Of particular interest in this application is the fact that the power system supplying the dragline is a relatively small isolated system, with the major generating source approximately 170 miles from the mine.The cyclic load fluctuations of the dragline are theoretically capable of producing a maximum swing of up to 11 megawatts, which approaches nearly 50% of the installed generating capacity. To reduce these load fluctuations to acceptable limits various alternatives were considered, leading to a decision to install a peak shaver to optimize the operations of both the mine and the power system. Without the peak shaver, the dragline operations would be severely curtailed and additional diesel generation would have to be run at considerable expense, otherwise the power system frequency fluctuations would be totally unacceptable. With the peak shaver, power and frequency fluctuations are kept within tolerable limits, and optimum economic operation of the diesel generation is obtained.The paper outlines the steps leading to the selection of the peak shaver as the compensating device, describes the equipment installed and gives details of operating experience with the dragline/peak shaver combination since installation early in 1979. This .peak shaver is the first of its kind in North America, the only other peak shaver installation being in Australia.IntroductionPine Point Mines Limited owns zinc-lead mining and milling operations located at Pine Point, Northwest Territories, 5 miles south of Great Slave Lake (Fig. I). The company is staffed and managed by Cominco Ltd., which has a 69% interest in Pine Point Mines.Mining activity in the Pine Point area was first recorded in 1898, when the Yukon gold rush was on, but when the zinc/lead showings in the Pine Point area did not yield much in the way of gold, interest in the area soon waned. Cominco Ltd. first acquired some claims in the Pine Point area in 1928, but interest was sporadic until the early 1950s, when extensive exploration indicated rich pockets of zinc/lead ore near the surface. Pine Point Mines Limited was formed in 1951, with Cominco acquiring a majority interest in the company."

Jan 1, 1980

By A. Probst, N. Moores, J. A. Finch

"In 1994 McGill and INCO (Sudbury operation) initiated transfer of technology originally developed to detect level in flotation columns to thickeners. A conductivity probe was installed in a concentrate thickener to monitor the mud-line and solids load. The probe consisted in a vertical tube with 32 equally-spaced electrode rings connected in pairs to give 31 conductivity cells. Conductivity was measured as a function of depth (so-called conductivity profile) from which the mud line and % solids could be inferred. The probe was installed in October 1994 and has been successfully detecting profiles since then. This communication includes a description of incidents and experiences during this technology transfer process including: probe installation and start-up; software modifications to accommodate operating conditions and operators' needs; calibration procedures to adjust to changes in performance as a consequence of long term use; and preliminary observations on the last stage, still in progress, signal interpretation and use to facilitate operation, particularly by providing early reaction to upstream disturbances.IntroductionThickening is one of the basic unit operations in mineral processing and hydrometallurgy used to separate suspended solid particles from a solid-liquid dispersion by gravity settling. As the dispersion enters the thickener, the solids settle and clarified water overflows the top. A thickener, which may be continuous or batch, is basically a large vertical cylindrical tank provided with devices to feed the dispersion and to remove the settled solids. The tank provides residence time for the particles to settle. The dispersion enters the thickener through the feedwell whose function is to dissipate the momentum of the feed stream and to create relatively quiescent conditions around the entering point. Rotating rake arms move the settled solids towards the discharge point located at the bottom centre of the tank.There are normally three distinct zones in a thickener: a top layer of clear water, a middle layer called a sedimenting zone in which particles are settling, and a bottom layer called a compression zone in which particles are pressed together as a consequence of the weight of accumulated particles. Proper operation of a thickener requires two simultaneous conditions: no solids in the water overflowing the top and the target solids content in the underflow pulp. To achieve these conditions is difficult because sensors for detecting the sediment line (interface between clear water and sedimenting zone) and the solids content in the compression zone are not commercially available."

Jan 1, 1998

By A. Roca, V. A. Quezada, O. A. Benavente, M. Cruells

The leaching pretreatment of copper ores is widely used in the Chilean mining industry. Agglomeration and acid curing have been identified as the most useful pretreatments. Of these, acid curing was recognized as beneficial in the dissolution of copper minerals, even in sulphides such as chalcopyrite. Extensive acid curing times have an impact on copper extraction, generate a homogeneous acid distribution in the mineral bed and benefit the inhibition of aluminum-silicate minerals (acid consumers). This document describes some of the theoretical background and results regarding the effect of acid curing in a chalcopyrite sample with 74% purity according to Qemscan analysis and a 28.5% of total copper. Leaching tests are carried out at 25, 50 and 70°C, evaluating the effect of a pretreatment on the chalcopyrite dissolution. The original sample and products generated were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The performed experiments indicate a direct relation between the effect of curing time and temperature in copper extraction. 92% of copper can be extracted in a leaching at 70°C and with 15 days of curing. Elemental sulfur, jarosite and copper polysulfide (CuS2) have been detected in leaching products. INTRODUCTION The copper extraction from minerals is a technique that has been developed for hundreds of years in the world. In 2017, the largest copper producer was Chile, exported 5.5 million tons (COCHILCO, 2018). However, in order to preserve this production level means overcoming multiple challenges. In the case of the Chilean copper deposits, the average copper grade in 2016 was 0.65%, lower than the 1% declared in 2004 (Consejo Minero, 2018). This is mainly due to the deeper of the deposits reaching sulfide mineral zones, mainly chalcopyrite. Traditionally, these sulfurized zones ore are treated through concentration by flotation and subsequent pyrometallurgical treatments. However, for some copper companies it is complex to process by this alternative, due to the high costs and high rates of water consumption. The mineral resources of these companies are known as "low-grade sulfides" and do not allow, economically, the treatment of these minerals through concentration by flotation. This is how hydrometallurgy becomes an alternative for the treatment of this type of deposits. In addition, several companies have hydrometallurgical plants, which would allow the operational continuity of these plants.

Jan 1, 2019

By Jacques H. Nantel, James F. Archibald

"Frozen tailings material may be required, in the future, to perform the support functions of underground backfill in mines located in zones of permafrost, notably in the high Arctic. To date, no knowledge of physical support parameters of such materials has been obtained in Canada due to the limited mining activity in permafrost regions. It is therefore judged essential that the important physical and mechanical properties relating to frozen tailings material be assessed.Innovative mining methods will be required to cope with the harsh environmental conditions that exist at mining sites in the Canadian Arctic. A preliminary laboratory study, in the absence of field trials at limited Arctic mining sites, has been completed in which the physical and mechanical properties of several types of representative mill tailings mixtures have been investigated. A variety of tests, to determine frozen slurry and pelletized tailings strength properties, moduli of compression, optimum water contents, deformation characteristics and the like, have been conducted.The results of this study will be used to establish guidelines for the suitability of tailings use in such northern mining environments. IntroductionFrozen tailings material has never been used to backfill underground openings in Canadian mines. At present only one Canadian mine, the Polaris Mine situated on Little Cornwallis Island, is investigating the use of frozen backfill. However, the Canadian North covers a large territory and potentially contains a large number of mineral deposits. The understanding of concepts related to mining activities in sub-zero frozen ground is therefore important.The implications of using frozen tailings as underground backfill material are far reaching both from the point of view of mine stability and disposal of tailings in the arctic regions.The strength of frozen materials (soil, backfill, etc.) may take on different meaning depending on the engineering situation. Both the concepts of rupture and excessive deformation need to be considered.The functions usually required to be performed by the backfill material in underground mines may be summarized asfollows:a) working floors; such as in cut-and-fill stopesb) stope wall support; for cut-and-fill and delayed fill stope~c) self-support when backfill is exposed on one face; during pillar recovery phases.For fill functions such as working floors, the short-term response of the frozen fill is the dominant concern. For the other fill functions, the long-term deformation response of the frozen fill, or creep, is of interest."

Jan 1, 1986

By P. Dent

"Rare earth permanent magnets (REPM) have become virtually indispensible in hundreds of applications including aerospace, automotive, electronics, energy, medical and military. An understanding of REPMs is important since they are key drivers of demand for the overall rare earth sector. Rare earth permanent magnets stand out due to their superior magnetic properties of high induction and coercive force. We will discuss the past, current and future of the permanent magnet market and supply chain. We will summarize present and potential new nanocomposite and lower content or non rare earth magnet technologies and customer options which may mitigate rare earth usage.INTRODUCTIONRare earth permanent magnets are ubiquitous and often unseen critical components in many civilian, green energy and military technologies. They have become imbedded in applications such as hybrid electric vehicles, computer hard drives, direct-drive high power wind generators, audio speakers, motors, energy conversion systems, most weapons systems and hundreds of other uses. Several rare earth elements including neodymium, samarium, dysprosium, praseodymium, terbium and gadolinium are essential ingredients in production of the highest performance magnets available in the world today. They have enabled vast miniaturization and the significant increase in power density in hundreds of applications.China has become the dominant source of rare earth elements over the last two decades. Today, nearly 100 percent of the world’s rare earth metals and more than 95 percent of the rare earth oxides come from China. China’s near worldwide monopoly on the production of downstream materials such as rare earth oxides, metals and magnets severely impacts the supply chain in this growing global market. The past decade has seen an unmistakable trend toward increased dominance in raw material production and manufacturing by China, and a steep decline in U.S. production capabilities, most notably in the neodymium iron boron (Nd-Fe-B) market where there is currently no domestic production. This Chinese dominance is further demonstrated with over 65 percent of hard ferrite and roughly half of aluminum nickel cobalt (Alnico) and samarium cobalt (Sm-Co) production in that nation (Figure 1). In addition, China has imposed export quotas and export taxes of up to 25 percent for rare earth elements, arguably in violation of their covenants made with their protocol of accession to the Word Trade Organization. These export quotas have been decreasing steadily over the last several years in spite of rising global demand and were slashed by 72 percent in July 2010 (Bradsher, 2010) causing many recent news stories."

Jan 1, 2012

By R. Bruce Ferguson

"The Kettle River Operation of Echo Bay Minerals Company is located about thirty kilometers north of the town of Republic in northeastern Washington State. In tum, Republic is about a hundred and seventy kilometers north and a little west of the city of Spokane, Washington. It is also about fifty kilometers south of the town of Grand Forks, BC, Canada. At this time it is the only gold mining and milling operation in the State.Tailings are stored in a double lined, zero discharge facility. It became evident in mid 1996 that the rate of free water accumulation in the tailings pond was going to result in the level in the pond reaching its permitted freeboard elevation long before the solids plus pore water capacity was reached.We then embarked on a mission to manage tailings pond water on several fronts: reduce fresh water usage in the process, divert spring seeps and surface runoff and install a system to enhance evaporation.IntroductionThe Republic area is an historic gold mining district. Hecla operated its Republic unit from 1892 until closure in 1994. The Kettle River Operation processing plant is located in the San Poi! river valley at an elevation of just under a thousand meters. The facility consists of a ninety thousand ton ore storage pad as the mines are remote and truck haulage is subject to interruption due to weather and road restrictions, jaw and cone crushing with screening, rod and ball milling to an eighty percent passing size of seventy five microns. This is followed by preaeration with high purity oxygen supplied by a vacuum pressure swing adsorption plant plus lead nitrate addition to achieve passivation of the sulfide mineralization such as chalcopyrite, pyrite and pyrrhotite. Conventional cyanide leaching and carbon in pulp adsorption completes the loop. Tailings are treated with air/S02 to achieve cyanide destruction. Plant capacity is 1,815 tons per day. Our license requires that there be no detectable free cyanide in the tailings pond water and a maximum of forty parts per million weak acid dissociable cyanide. The operation started in 1989 with production from the Overlook Mine located about five kilometers further up the same valley at an elevation of twelve hundred meters, hence the location of the mill. Current mine production comes from Lamefoot in the Curlew Lake valley, about ten kilometers distant, and K2 in the Kettle River valley about fifty kilometers away. Both are at an elevation of about 800 meters. Lamefoot produces 1,360 tons per day and K2, 455. Both are underground operations."

Jan 1, 1998

By John H. Walsh

"ForewordPart I of this paper, published in the March 1992 issue of the CIM Bulletin, surveyed the probable consequences of a limitation on the emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere for the steel industry. What might be termed the conventional responses to this restriction open to the industry were also surveyed in that section. This section, Part II of the paper, explores a new option - the possibility for the joint production of iron and liquid fuels useful for transportation purposes. In this case, it is shown that it is important to minimize the production of carbon dioxide during the reduction stage to maximize the proportion of the reductant carbon embodied in the fuel. It is also advantageous to conserve hydrogen in the reduction step. In essence, the same carbon fulfills two purposes: it serves as a reductant and fuel for ironmaking and then as a constituent of a liquid fuel. If recovered plastics could be used in ironmaking, the same carbon could serve three useful purposes in turn. The conditions and limitations for the joint use of carbon in such 'cascading' processes are explored below. ABSTRACTIt is becoming increasingly probable that emissions of carbon dioxide from the fossil fuels will have to be reduced to deal with the threat of global warming. This issue is likely to be resolved one way or the other in the period 1995 to 2000 which does not leave much time to develop responsive options. In the intervening period, the policy of the Government of Canada is to stabilize emissions of greenhouse gases at their 1990 level by 2000, by encouraging greater efficiency in the use of energy. Should further reductions prove necessary, economic instruments would probably be employed but these would not be applied before a comprehensive international agreement is reached.There are three main themes in this paper: it is assumed that measures to control carbon dioxide emissions will in fact be necessary by the turn of the century; that there will be a rising need for liquid fuels to supply the world's steadily growing fleet of motor vehicles for many years to come, and that the future niche for Canada's industry in such a carbon-constrained world will be the operation of the energy-intensive industries with efficiency and environmental sensitivity.The steel industry, as a large user of both coal and energy in other forms, would be significantly affected by a need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This paper first examines what might be called the conventional responses open to the industry in such a situation and then explores a new possibility for making better use of carbon by the co-production of iron and liquid fuels."

Jan 1, 1992

By Peter McBride

Human excellence in all areas of endeavour is acknowledged and recognized. Establishing role models and spreading the word on best practices helps broader audiences. For on-the-job safety, recognition awards are a component of successful programs. In Canada?s mining industry since 1941, the John T. Ryan Safety Trophies initiative has contributed to the sector?s improving record in this area. The much sought after and rich in history John T. Ryan trophies are recognized symbols of safety excellence in Canada. The effectiveness of the Ryan safety recognition program in Canada has led to its export to other mining countries seeking to improve their overall safety performance.

May 1, 2008

By T. H. Chuang, Y. Y. Shiue

"Rapid whisker growth was significantly alleviated in a Sn-58Bi alloy doped with 0.5 wt.% La. Experimental results showed that many thin, plate-form intermetallic phases appeared in the solder matrix. The absence of tin whiskers was correlated to the shape effect of RE-containing intermetallic plates. After reflowing, Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compounds appeared at the solder/pad interfaces of Sn-58Bi and Sn-58Bi- 0.5La packages with OSP pads, which grow linearly during the aging at 75 and 100? for various times ranging from 100 to 1000 h. In addition, the interfacial intermetallics layers in Sn-58Bi-0.5La solder joints were also observed thinner than those in undoped Sn-58Bi joints. However, RE-containing interfacial intermetallic compounds in Sn-58Bi-0.5La solder joints led to lower bonding strengths in both ball shear tests (0.4 mm/s) and high speed ball shear tests (2000 mm/s). All the reflowed and aged solder joints of both packages were ruptured through the solder balls indicating brittle characteristic INTRODUCTIONIt has been widely reported that solder alloys doped with rare earth (RE) elements reveal many beneficial effects, such as higher strength, lower melting point, improved wettability, and longer creep life (Wu et al., 2004; Ma et al., 2002; Chen et al., 2002). In addition, Dudek et al. reported that the alloying with 0.5 wt.% La in Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu solders resulted in an increase of rupture strain, up to 150% over undoped solders (Dudek et al., 2006). However, Chuang and Yen observed that a large amount of long, fiber-shaped tin whiskers were extruded out of the oxidized CeSn3 intermetallic clusters in the matrix of a Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu-0.5Ce solder air-stored at room temperature for several days (Chuang & Yen, 2006). Furthermore, many coarse hillocks appeared around the CeSn3 clusters in the RE-doped alloy after storage in an air furnace at 150? for several minutes. Chuang proposed a mechanism for the phenomenon of rapid whisker growth, which the predominate oxidation of CeSn3 intermetallics in Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu-0.5Ce solders induced compressive stress and extruded the tin atoms out of the specimen in the form of tin whiskers (Chuang, 2007). However, further investigation showed that Sn-9Zn-0.5Ce solders, after long term exposure at room temperature and 150?, were immune to the whisker growth; the immunity was attributed to the refining of the CeSn3 intermetallic phase in the alloy (Chuang & Lin, 2008). The inhibition of tin whiskers through the refining of rare earth containing intermetallics was further observed in Sn-3Ag- 0.5Cu-0.5Ce solders doped with 0.5 wt. Zn (Chuang & Lin, 2009). In addition to the size effect, the thin plate shape of intermetallic compounds was also shown in this study to inhibit the whisker growth on the surface of Sn-58Bi-0.5La solders."

Jan 1, 2012

"Cambior now holds a 49% interest in the Valdez Creek Placer, having acquired American Barrick's 23.125% interest in May 1990. At the same time, the company assumed the management of the operation and received environmental permits to divert the river. Plans are underway to divert the Valdez River in order to continue mining the deposit upstream, and to construct a new, higher capacity wash plant (by 60%) closer to the operations. Mining operations, which were suspended in October 1989 pending higher gold prices, resumed in August 1990. The mine is expected to produce 10000 ounces of gold in 1990and more than 80 000 ounces in 1991.IntroductionThe Valdez Creek Placer is located in the Valdez Creek mining district of Alaska on the western flank of the Clearwater mountain range, about 150 miles northeast of Anchorage by air (Fig. I) . The mine is accessible by air or by road.The mine is situated at an elevation of about 3000 ft and is isolated from towns and villages. Consequently, the mine site contains the facilities necessary to house and feed 135 people at any given time. The Valdez Creek Placer has 159 employees, including 130hourly and 29 salaried employees. The hourly employees are divided into three rotating teams. The daily schedule consists of two shifts of 12 hours, and each team works 14 days followed by seven days off, resulting in a weekly rotation of teams.The salaried employees work normal hours for ten consecutive days followed by four days off. A weekly rotation ensures continuity of services and management.Gold was first discovered at Valdez Creek in 1903, when a team of four men led by Peter Monahan left the village of Valdez to explore the area up the Susitna River, to the east of Mount McKinley. They discovered gold at the mouth of a creek that they immediately named Valdez Creek, in honour of their native town. In 1904, they discovered the Tammany Channel to the right of Valdez Creek. This was the beginning of a long period of mining in the area which continued until the beginning of World War II .In 1980, the Denali Mining Co. was formed. Geophysical work and drilling carried out through 1980 and 1981 led to the discovery of Channel A, a second channel which is older than the Tammany Channel. In 1983, Denali Mining optioned its claims to Camindex to explore, develop and mine the Valdez Creek property. A joint venture agreement was signed among Camindex, Talcorp, BCP Alaska (Barrick), Sum Resources (Cambior), Norfran and WGM to form Valdez Creek Mining Co., Inc., and production began in 1984. Valdez Creek Mining Co., Inc. (VCMC) was subsequently restructured and in 1989 was held by the following three companies: Camindex Mines Ltd. - 51070; Cambior Inc. - 25.875%; and American Barrick - 23.125%.VCMC is managed by a committee of the partners. Decisions made by the committee are subject to a 70% majority vote. Cambior receives its share of production in kind, and contributes in the same proportion to the expenses of the joint venture (VCMC)."

Jan 1, 1990

By V. Gaudreault

Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) has three smelters that use the Alcoa P155 technology: two in Canada (Grande-Baie and Laterrière, Saguenay, QC) and one in the United States (Sebree, Kentucky). The oldest RTA P155 smelter was built in the 1970s (Sebree) and had an initial current intensity of 155 kA. In the 1990s, RTA installed an amperage booster in Grande-Baie smelter to increase cell productivity. Since then, RTA has continuously pushed the limit of this technology and the target amperage that was 195 kA in 2005 has been increased to 210 kA in 2010.This article describes the successful plant-scale trials to increase current intensity from 195 kA to 210 kA, and the key performance indicator results. It demonstrates RTA's technology leadership to undertake such a development with its Brownfield smelters.

Jan 1, 2011

By Frank B. Amon

Highland Valley Copper had to make some significant changes in the way it was working in order to counter the effects of ever-increasing costs and decreasing metal prices. A mine/mill optimization plan started in 1997 introduced new technologies and management approaches that resulted in a dramatic drop in cash breakeven costs. The changes involved employee training, added authority and responsibility for staff, better communications, and a consistent approach to setting and achieving property-wide goals. The net effect was to change the culture of the organization from one that was fragmented and focussed on local objectives to one that is cohesive and has common goals. These changes have allowed the mine to remain in business during a protracted period of low metal prices, and have positioned the mine favourably to benefit even more from any future increase in prices.

May 1, 2004