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By K. Morikawa, K. Asano, J. Yoshitomi

The quality requirements for ladle shrouds have become stricter year by year to the pursuit of higher productivity and improved quality in the continuous casting of steel. The ladle shrouds must be sufficiently durable under severe conditions, such as operation without preheating and during several sequential castings. The consideration is that ceramic fibres, which have been applied in shrouds for thermal insulation during casting, could pose a risk to the worker's health. We realized materials for the ladle shrouds which show high strength and low elasticity. At the same time pursuing effective insulation, a coating which contains no fibres (Foaming Coat) has been developed, replacing the conventional one containing fibres. These materials are durable under conditions of repetitive use and consequently satisfy the customer's demands. The ladle shrouds which were improved in this way have achieved an excellent durable life in hot service of three times that of conventional ones. This paper reports the recent technological developments in ladle shrouds as well as their performance under hot operating conditions.

Jan 1, 2004

This section of Minerals and Materials analyzes the following three factors affecting the recent performance of the U.S. and world mineral industries: 1) the health of the U.S. and world economies, 2) the level of interest rates and 3) the performance of productivity in both the U.S. mineral industry and the general economy. While these indicators do not exhaust the possible critical factors, they represent an initial attempt to probe some of the considerations underlying the performance of the U.S. minerals and materials industry. The U.S. and World Economies It is essential to analyze the state of the U.S. and world economy because the demand for minerals and materials is a derived demand; that is, since minerals and materials are used in the productive process, the demand for them is a direct function of the demand for the finished products of which they are a basic input. Thus, the demand for minerals and materials is directly affected by changes in present and planned consumption and investment expenditures. The past two issues of this publication have highlighted the generally discouraging performance of the national and inter-national economies. Briefly, the world economy is in the third year of the first long recession in recent history where inflation rates have remained above 5 percent. With many countries either unable or unwilling to support domestic spending while inflation continues, there has been a growing tendency to institute trade-restrictive policies to support domestic demand. The resulting weakened demand conditions in exporting nations have had a direct effect on the mineral industry.

Jan 1, 1982

By C. M. Campbell

IN 1934 Newfoundland, after extravagant operation based on exaggerated ideas of what she had to work with, became bankrupt, ceased to be a self-governing Dominion, and passed into the hands of a Commission. Since the days of Dawson, Canadians have been taught that no country in the world is as rich as their own. This idea has become a religion; contrary views are heresy, and are suppressed even by technical organizations and government departments. Following the alleged habit of the ostrich, we have buried our heads in the sand and have refused to face the facts. This policy of "to have today and to hell with tomorrow" is now bearing fruit. After forty years of operation on the basis of unlimited natural wealth, with resulting over-expansion, wholesale depletion of capital assets, and huge borrowings, we are, now that our wealth has been shown to be very limited, face to face with the status of Newfoundland. Already, in this Province, commission government of bankrupt municipalities is not uncommon. The ostrich is referred to as the most foolish bird in the world. That is not the case-no ostrich ever hid his head in the sand. In the clear air of his home on the South African veldt, an area characterized by low bushes, he is a conspicuous object. When danger approaches, he lowers his head; matches his background, the bushes; and danger passes him by. This leaves the Canadian, with his head still in the sand, to fill the r61e cast for the ostrich. Fortunately, a few Canadians never did get their heads covered; others are getting them out far enough to see what is going on. Their comments are very much to the point. "Nowhere in the world," says Mr. Meighen, "has more harm been done to any country by an exaggeration of its resources and potentialities than has been done in Canada'.

Jan 1, 1941

By L. P. Meade

The particular impact of imported industrial minerals varies within the Industry and is dependent upon many diverse factors. In a similar way, the impact on individuals has been varied and the degree of impact will depend partially on the individual's ability to handle change. Just as many corporations are adjusting their marketing strategy and production methods to compensate for imported mineral products; individual managers, mining engineers and geologists are making adjustments to their own personal job marketing techniques and on-the-job operating procedures. Modifying the degree of impact for both industry and individuals depends upon the ability to adapt.

Jan 1, 1988

By Robert P. Stevens

It is important for a refractory supplier to make systematic petro-graphic examinations of products which have been in service in the furnaces and kilns of customers. The petrographic examination of refractory service samples involves the microscopic study of polished and/or thin sections, supplemented by electron probe microanalysis, as well as the bulk chemical and XRD analysis of zones in the samples. The evolution of the A. P. Green Refractories Company petrographic laboratory is described, and the application of petrographic methods is illustrated in the examination of service refractories from a Portland cement rotary kiln and an AOD stainless steel vessel. The objectives of such studies are to assist the customer in the solution of his refractory problems, and to accumulate data which are of use in the design of improved refractory products.

Jan 1, 1981

By Basil B. Zavoico

CRUDE oil production in the United States during 1938 reached approximately 1,214,355,000 barrels, an average of 3,327,000 barrels per day, or 5 per cent below the 1937 record output of 1,279,160,000 barrels. The decreased production did not prevent the stocks of all products from increasing to a total of 575,954,000 barrels by Sept. 30, an increase of 10,957,000 above the total on Jan. 1, or an average daily storage increase in all products of 40,135 barrels. The increase in total stocks was made entirely in the refined products, stocks of crude oil during the first nine months of 1938 having actually declined 7,155,000 barrels to 299,671,000 barrels, or an average daily decline of 26,209 barrels. The 1937 reversal of the preceding five-year trend of discoveries totalling less than withdrawals was continued through 1938 with indicated reserve addition from both new discoveries and extensions considerably in excess of the

Jan 1, 1939

By M. I. Freeman

This paper point put if the companies will considerate large- scale mining in South Américan in the future. In this sense, the philosophy of an international mining company means that the company and the country working in the partnership and they can convince the outside world of the creditworthiness of the project. The mining company would be considering the account metal requirement in the future, the code of behaviour, the obligations and the rights among the employees, the shareholders, the customers, and to the State in wich its work. However, is not specially tailored philosophy for South America. The most important is the satisfactory agreement can be reached even with governments whose domestic laws preclude equity participation by the mining company.

Nov 20, 1969

By George I. Adams

PHYSICAL AND CLIMATIC DIVISIONS. PERU is divided into three regions-the coast, the sierra, or high mountainous region, and the a montana," or forest region of the Amazon basin. The Coast.-The coast is an arid region. No rain falls excepting in the extreme northern part, which borders the Gulf of Guayaquil. There is, however, a slight precipitation in the form of mist (garua), which occurs on the coast hills during the so-called winter months. The aridity of the coast is due principally to the antarctic or Humboldt ocean-current, which, being cold and having a temperature lower than that of the land, absorbs rather than produces vapors. The coast mists occur during the season when the land is relatively cold. Near the Gulf of Guayaquil the antarctic current diverges from the coast, so that in the Tumbes valley and adjacent country the conditions in the summer months are such as produce rains. In the remaining valleys of the coast, agriculture is made possible only by means of irrigation, and is accordingly very limited in extent, although rich and varied. In the northern and south-central portions of the coast, plains extend inland from the sea, while in the southern part there is a coastal plain separated from the Pacific by a range of coast hills. Between the northern and south-central plains, as well as between the south-central and southern, the foothills of the sierra descend to the seacoast. The Sierra.-The sierra embraces the high land dominated by the lofty cordilleras of the Andes. In the southern part of Peru there are two cordilleras, the western and the eastern, which enter from Chile and Bolivia respectively, and inclose between them the Titicaca Lake basin. To the north of Lake Titicaca these cordilleras unite in the knot of Vilcanota, south of Cuzco. From this knot three cordilleras, known as the western, the central, and the eastern, extend to the northward, reuniting in the

Jan 7, 1908

By J P. Bolduc, P. E. Pelletier

Preceded by brief general considerations such as the development of the mining industry in. the Province of Quebec, the choice of plant location, the types of problems studied etc., the paper gives a complete description of this new research and treatment center for metallic, non-metallic and asbestos ores. Facilities for carrying out operations in the three sections of the plant -the sampling section, the ore treatment section and the asbestos section -are fully discussed as well as laboratory facilities for (a) the preliminary testing of ores prior to pilot plant treatment and (b) the grading and testing of asbestos fibre. AT THE beginning of the century, the annual value of the mineral production of the Province of Quebec stood at the $2,500,000 level. Twenty-five years later, it was just under $24,000,000. In 1950, half a century later, it was slightly in excess of $200,000,000. But in 1959, in the span of only nine years, it

Jan 1, 1962

By Doug Smith, Gary Taylor, Paul Ogryzlo

"Uranium mining and processing typically requires large quantities of high-grade reactive quicklime for the neutralization and clean-up of contaminated mine water and mill process waste streams. Currently the Saskatchewan uranium industry’s lime requirements are being supplied from deposits located in Manitoba and Alberta, resulting in transportation costs, which equal or exceed the market value of the product. During the summer of 2001, the northern village of Pinehouse located 220 kilometers south of the Key Lake uranium mill, staked two previously discovered limestone deposits. The relatively shallow deposits, known as Missi Island and Sleeping Giant are located in close proximity to one another, approximately 35 km south of Pinehouse adjacent to highway 914. This paper describes the results of a scoping study carried out by AMEC for the development of the two deposits based on a seasonal limestone mine and a continuous 40,000 to 60,000 tpy wood fired calcining plant designed to supply all of the quicklime needs of the Saskatchewan based uranium industry. Also described are the results of calcining and customer acceptance testwork on samples of lime prepared from recent Pinehouse limestone drill core. The potential benefits of the project include a significant new source of revenue for the community of Pinehouse, lower lime costs for the Saskatchewan uranium industry and employment for northerners in the mining, processing and wood harvesting operations.IntroductionInterest in the Pinehouse/Massinahigan River area for limestone was precipitated by the results of a 1977 industrial minerals drill hole program by the Saskatchewan Department of Mineral Resources. These results led to the acquisition of land in the area by Missi Island Mines Ltd who carried out extensive exploration during the period 1978-1982. They discovered a deposit on the southwest side of the Massinihigan River thought to contain approximately seven million tonnes of limestone with an average grade of 94.5% CaCO3. Missi Island carried out preliminary feasibility studies and prepared an Environmental Overview Statement. However, in spite of positive recommendations, the project was dropped in the mid 1980’s."

Jan 1, 2003

By J. W. Motter

Currently, virtually all new electric power generation systems under construction are designed with natural gas as the primary fuel. Factors driving these construction decisions involve sustained low prices for natural gas, environ-mental (and consequent regulatory) risks associated with the use of coal for power generation, and relatively high costs of construction for conventional coal-fired power plants. Despite the unarguable abundance of coal in the US. and worldwide, a fundamental question arises: What will be the role of coal in electric power generation in the 21st century? Congress, recognizing the vital and strategic importance of preserving the coal option for electric power generation, authorized the Clean Coal Technology Program. This pro-gram, with original funding in excess of $2,500 million, is intended to promote the demonstration and commercialization of a new generation of clean, efficient coal-based energy technologies through collaboration and partnering with private industry. The two technologies being demonstrated under this program which are the key to the continued use of this nation's huge coal reserves are coal gasification and the pressurized fluid bed. Either or both of these technologies, coupled with a combined cycle will pro-vide the continuing future coal option, while responding to increasingly more restrictive environmental standards. Recent Congressional budget-cutting efforts, however, could threaten the effectiveness of that model program, and ultimately other subsequent government-industry collaboration.

Jan 1, 1996

By H. V. Flagg

OPERATION of a modern steel plant presents a curious anomaly. Large-scale operations, in which large volumes or heavy weights of materials are involved, are not usually subject to close control or narrow specifications. On the other hand, operations that call for a high degree of precision are usually carried out under carefully controlled conditions with delicate, precise machinery and tools, and production is made secondary to quality. In a modern steel mill both extremes are taken as a matter of course. A strip mill making auto-body sheets must supply its customers with sheets that all come within a tolerance of plus or minus 0.003 in. in gauge at any point from side to side or end to end, and without blemishes either of color or surface. Sheets that were considered par excellence as recently as ten years ago could not even find a market today. Such exacting requirements have made necessary a nicety of control that approaches the watchmaker's art. Notwithstanding this necessity for precision, the scale of operation is stupendous.

Jan 1, 1940

By Harvey N. Davis

MUCH has been written and said during the last twenty years about the place of the engineer in modern life, about the fundamental role that he plays both in developing and in maintaining the material foundations of modern civilization, about the advantages, and also the dangers, of the machine age that he has inaugurated, about the Frankenstein problems that he has unconcernedly foisted upon a generation utterly unable to cope with them, and about the obligation that rests upon him to stop inventing machines and turn his almost legendary energy and skill to inventing institutions that will constitute a solution of the problems he has raised, and contrariwise about his utter inability to offer wise or useful counsel in fields outside the narrow boundaries of his technical training.

Jan 1, 1938

By Michael P. Evans

Traditionally in coal processing jigs have been used to clean the coarse coal fraction, the +3/8" or +1/4" material. Today with the advent of modern fine coal jigs in the United States, its place was moved from the coarse to the inter- mediate coal circuit, the 3/8" x 100 mesh. The most economical coarse coal circuit to build and operate is a heavy media bath circuit. The following table summarizes the cost per raw coal ton processed for a coarse coal jig circuit, and a coarse coal heavy media bath circuit. The flowsheets used to compare these two circuits are shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Jan 1, 1983

By A Pettersson

LKAB owns and operates two of the largest underground mines in the world in Northern Sweden. In Malmberget, with a production capacity of about 30,000 t/day of iron ore, the current main 815 m haulage level is rapidly approaching the end of Its life and plans are being made for its replacement on the 1000 m level. Due to the separation of the orebodies, trucks have been chosen for transporting the ore from the orepasses to the crushers. The trucks currently in use have a capacity of 120 tons. To increase the efficiency of the loaded haul, the new main level will have a favorable slope from the drawpoint locations to the crushers. From the new level the crushed ore will be transported by conveyor to the 815 m level for hoisting to the surface. The paper discusses the planned mining and transportation system.

Jan 1, 1998

By Juan B. Cabezas

"The favorable characteristics and workability of plastics as a replacement of wood, lead, stainless steel, asphalt and other materials are described. Various types of plastic have proven to be the most favorable choice for handling a variety of acidic, alkaline and organic solutions, as well as pulps, chemical wastes, slurries or tailings for impoundments. The material origin of various plastics, methods of manufacturing and specifications applied to leaching solutions are discussed, including availability and costs. Examples of select plastics are considered for use as alternatives of other materials under severe environmental requirements.IntroductionHydrometallurgical processes applied to gold recovery, as well as other metals, require the use of strong solutions of alkaline, acidic or organic nature, and may also include a variety of materials with extraneous characteristics and complications for handling in storage.The technology of leaching has been in use for more than 100 years, but the applications of leaching processes in metallurgy have become more commonly used in the last 15 years. Suitable materials for the construction of containers, launders, piping, and various accessories, to be used in the handling of leach solutions or slurries, have become a serious problem. Various metals such as brass, lead, stainless steel, etc., and non metallics including wood, clays, glass, rubber, ooncrete, tars or miscellaneous compounds have been tried in the past with serious limitations in workability and resistance to wear and corrosion. For example, the use of metallic, wooden or glass piping systems would require extraordinary shop maintenance to keep such systems in operation"

Jan 1, 1997

By T. Fekete, D. L. Flocks, R. T. Hart

The plugging effect of bacteria was investigated by injecting various concentrations of dead bacteria cells though sandstone cores. Pressure profiles along the cores were recorded periodically during the injection cycles. The plugging effect was analyzed using a plot of the ratio of reduced permeabilities to the initial permeability versus input volume. Results indicated that Tock permeability has little effect on plugging, but that the concentration of bacteria in the injection water has a significant effect on plugging characteristics. The pressure profile curves showed that bacteria penetrated several inches through the core but that the greater portion of the bacteria accumulated at the in-put end of the core.

Jan 1, 1960

By Eric Konigsmann

"The Pogo project is located on the Goodpaster River, 38 miles north of Delta Junction in east central Alaska. Sumitomo Metal Mining and Teck Corporation are planning to develop a 2,500 ton per day underground mine and mill at Pogo. A preliminary resource of 5.5 million ounces of gold has been identified in two flat lying lenses. An underground adit has been developed to facilitate underground drilling of the deposit and to provide samples for bench and pilot scale metallurgical testwork.Flowsheet development included the evaluation of several processing options. The final flowsheet selected includes SAGhall mill grinding, gravity concentration with intensive cyanidation and direct electrowinning, sulfide flotation with ultrafine regrinding, and cyanide leaching and CIP gold recovery from the flotation concentrates. Flotation tailings will be filtered for placement in a dry stack storage facility or disposed of as paste backfill underground. All of the CIP tailings will be disposed of underground as paste backfill. A pilot plant was carried out to evaluate the proposed flowsheet described above and to confirm the gravity recovery predictions.Great care was taken in the development of the flowsheet and site layout concepts to mitigate the environmental impact of the proposed operation. An overview of the site water management concepts is presented and the impact of water issues on the process flowsheet is discussed."

Jan 1, 2002

By Éric Létoumeau, Julie Fournier, Sylvain Caron, Yves Breau, Martin Plante, Dominique Girard, Luc Tardif, François Robichaud

"Since 1999, COREM (formerly the Centre de Recherche Minérale) has conducted and coordinated research and development activities for a consortium of mining companies that uses the benefits and advantages of collaborative pre-competitive research. In particular, COREM’s “In Situ Optimization Group” is involved in the development and implementation of modem information technologies related to process optimization and control.The POP Project was launched in order to increase and consolidate the use of such technologies applied to mineralurgical and metallurgical processes. To ensure a successful transfer to the industry, there are a number of essential activities that have to be undertaken. These activities have been identified by COREM’s members and are grouped into three main modules:- R&D Module: research and development in universities and research centres;-Technology Transfer Module: integration of new tools into the POP Software, industrial applications and technical support;- Training Module: education of new engineers in universities and continuing education of plant personnel through on-site workshops.This paper outlines the opportunities that led to the definition of the POP Project, presents its main objectives and describes its main modules. The main features of the POP Software are outlined, the first applications at COREM’s member plants are presented and, finally, future developments are discussed."

Jan 1, 2002

By Bensley C. N

In June 1995, BHP announced that it would build a Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) plant and associated beneficiation, materials handling and infrastructure facilities at Port Hedland, Western Australia. This plant, the first direct reduction plant in Australia, will convert beneficiated iron ore fines into metallic iron for briquetting into HBI. The reduction plant will be based on the FINMET fluid bed technology jointly developed by Fior de Venezuela and Voest-Alpine Industrienlagenbau. Electric Arc Furnace steelmakers in the Asia Pacific region will be the principal customers for the product. This paper presents an overview of the facilities to be constructed by the project as well as discussing some particular technology and design engineering issues associated with the project.

Jan 1, 1996