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By L. Filip

The roast-leach-electrowinning (RLE) process for zinc was modified to treat two typical complex concentrates containing zinc, lead, copper, gold and silver. Laboratory testwork results indicated that the optimum roasting temperature ranged from 700 to 800°C, in order to produce acceptable residual sulfur levels. The calcined concentrate was subjected to a three-stage leach sequence. The resulting leach solution was purified by hematitic precipitation and directed to the recovery of copper and zinc by solvent extraction and electrolysis. Alkaline smelting and subsequent electrolytic purification recovered the lead and precious metals from the leach residue. A flowsheet was developed based on the laboratory testwork results, and demonstrated in a large-scale pilot plant. The recoveries produced during the pilot plant operation ranged from 90 to 92% for zinc and copper, 85% for lead and 90% for gold and silver, respectively.

Jan 1, 1999

By Jerry L. Fuller

Fan performance graphs are generated by digital computer using two programs, RUN- FANS and FANPLOT. RUNFANS calculates fan performance data from stored specific-volume, specific-speed data for a given fan type with appropriate allowances for fan diameter, rotational speed and air density. FANPLOT accepts specifications for drawing the graph and accepts either user-supplied pressure-quantity data or RUNFANS- calculated data as input, Operational procedures for both programs are detailed and examples of their interactive query routines are included. The hardware necessary to generate the graphs is illustrated. Several hardcopy output options are discussed,

Jan 1, 1984

Grinding Mill Operation and Maintenance - Central to Asset Management Since 2005, RME has pursued a vision for a new grinding plant operational paradigm, made possible by RME's latest Mill Relining Systems. At some sites, new liners degrade SAG mill performance. The variables include mill volume loss, rotational speed limitations (ball strike) and liner designs developed for longer and longer life but without a backward glance at metallurgical consequences of whole plant performance. Freshly relined mills can initially deliver as little as 80 per cent of their maximum throughput, that maximum occurring toward the end of the liners' wear life. RME's proposition is to see new liners designed for maximum commercial performance. This may mean more frequent mill relines but with liners designed to yield optimum grinding, metallurgical and profitability performance, not maximum life. In other words, mill liner profiles and relining speed become key profitability contributors and not simply 'must do' maintenance functions and costs. This paper includes a short history of RME's Mill Relining System development (Appendix A). These are the enabling technologies which permit more frequent liner exchange without incurring additional downtime imposts. The body of this paper outlines RME's vision of a 'liner profile vs. profitability' commercial model, underpinned by the rigour of PAS 55-1:2008 Asset Management Part 1: Specification for the optimised management of physical assets. The technical elements can be developed either intuitively (based on plant experience) or by using a combination of new measurement and modelling technologies. These new measurement and modelling tools provide the opportunity to predict the optimum technical solution for the maximum commercial outcome. Much of this can be modelled off-line, in the virtual world, before asking senior management to commit to an expensive liner experiment. The potential benefits are compelling.

Sep 13, 2010

By G. J. Govett

THE RESERVES of industrial minerals of the Western Plains are probably several times more valunable than all the known deposits of metallic minerals of the Canadian Shield, though sharing little of the latter's popular appeal. Because of comparatively low value per unit weight or volume, an adequate and accessible supply of industrial minerals is essential for the full development of any territory; assessment of the value of deposits should consider fully the proximity to cheap transportation, and existing and potential markets. Production statistics of industrial minerals are probably a more reliable guide to economic development than, for example, those of petroleum, and the relative importance of industrial minerals increases with growth of the population. The development of a high-volume natural deposit such as petroleum naturally favours an increase in population, and thus industrial minerals form an integral part of an expanding industrial economy. This situation is clearly demonstrated by the relationsl1ips of industrial minerals production, petroleum production, and population growth, in Alberta (Figure 1).

Jan 1, 1959

By B. Arlyuk

The complex system has been developed for long-term assessment of world prices and sale volume of primary aluminium when using the analytical model of the market and market supply forecasts as well as economy development in the Western countries characterized by the industrial production indices as correct data of Western World aluminium consumption are absent, The important part of this system is the model developed for forecasting the degree of capacities utilization of smelters and refineries depending on the price level, The model contains a statistic part corresponding to the capacities distribution by the production cost, and a dynamic part determining the deviation from the static depending on the price variation dynamics, The developed complex system has been identified by the actual data of the world prices of smelter grade alumina and primary aluminium, conservation and reactivation of refineries and smelters in the Western countries within the period from 1992 to 2003. The system was used for primary aluminium and alumina price forecasts till 2020.

Jan 1, 2004

By E. Asselin, P. Sauve, H. Salomon-de-Friedberg

"Residues from the CESL Copper process were leached using the CESL Gold process. The kinetics of reaction were confirmed to be fast with over 50% of the gold consistently extracted within 2 minutes of leaching. Final gold extractions under the conditions tested here were between 80-90% obtained within 90 minutes. A model for the CESL Gold process was developed. This model is slightly different based on whether the copper concentrate leach residue was ground or unground prior to leaching: the gold leaching rate constant is approximately twice as fast for the ground samples. Unground residues had a P80 of 13 ?m whereas ground residues had a P80 of 10 ?m. The model predicts a 43% decrease in leaching time for ground residue versus unground residue to achieve the same extraction under otherwise identical conditions. The model was more accurate for the ground samples. INTRODUCTIONTeck's CESL Process (Jones, 1996) was developed to provide an economically attractive alternative to traditional copper smelting. It has since evolved to also deal with copper concentrates containing valuable impurities such as nickel and undesirable ones, such as arsenic, while reducing downstream costs. Effective recovery of gold and silver is essential to the economics of the CESL Process. The Brook Hunt 2007 copper concentrate assay data (Wood-Mackenzie, 2007) were examined to determine the ratio of gold plus silver value relative to the contained copper. As indicated in Figure 1 below, nearly two-thirds of concentrates have 10% or more of their total value tied up in their precious metals content.CESL has extensively examined the recovery of gold and silver at bench, pilot and demonstration scale, which has culminated in the present CESL Gold Process (Barr et al., 2007). The process targets the precious metal contained in the leach residues produced in the copper portion of the flowsheet. This residue has two primary components which influence downstream processing. The major iron-rich fraction (-75 wt%) of the residue is a mixture of various forms of iron oxide precipitates including hematite and jarosite (Sahu and Asselin, 2011). The iron fraction ranges from amorphous to crystalline in nature depending on the compound precipitated, upstream operating conditions and feed material composition. The lesser, but by no means less important, fraction is a mixture of elemental sulphur and unreacted sulphides (principally pyrite).Elemental sulphur formed during the oxidative leach of the copper concentrate reacts with cyanide to form thiocyanate (SCN-) making a traditional cyanide leach approach too costly. Since the SCN formation reaction strongly depends on contact time with the CESL residues (Po, 2007) short contact times were preferred. This factor guided the development work towards the eventual room temperature, pressure cyanidation process which results in near complete gold dissolution in 90 minutes. A recent CESL gold demonstration campaign treating 1.5 t/d of residue from the copper oxidation step achieved an average gold extraction of 91% (96% maximum)."

Jan 1, 2012

By Yi Luo

Bolting the mine roof is one of the noisiest underground mining operations. The main contribution to the noise is the drilling of the roof bolt holes, especially drilling in hard rock. Previous research shows that the specific energy consumed in drilling bolt holes is inversely proportional to the bite depth (i.e., penetration per drill revolution). Less specific energy at a reasonably high bite depth means less energy is wasted in the drilling process for producing heat, bit wear and noise. Therefore, proper control of the drilling operation to achieve a reasonably higher bite depth can reduce drilling noise from its sources as a proactive noise control approach. In order to explore the feasibility and develop the proactive technology for reducing drilling noise, drilling tests have been conducted in laboratory settings. The preliminary results show that significant reduction in noise dose can be achieved by drilling in medium hard rock with uniaxial compressive strength of about 276 bars (4,000 psi) and at a reasonably high bite depth of about 4.6 mm/rev (0.18 in./rev). This paper presents the findings from laboratory experimental studies.

By K Myers

Since the mid-1990s, the Chino Mine Facility (Chino) located near Silver City, New Mexico has been developing a closure plan with financial assurance to protect water quality, as required by State regulations. In February 2002, Chino and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) reached agreement on a closure plan; a closure cost amount of approximately $US 394 million ($A 591 million) was finalised in April 2003. Both the New Mexico Water Quality Act Regulations (1977) and the New Mexico Mining Act Regulations (1993) guided development of the closure plan and financial assurance amount. The process incorporated many years of correspondence, studies, negotiations and administrative hearings. The major technical issues focused on regrading slopes of the leach ore stockpiles and waste rock piles; cover systems; water treatment systems; and abatement of ground water contamination. The proposed financial assurance amount covers all closure costs and provides for perpetual water treatment.

Jan 1, 2003

By F. R. Pyne

The following notes are presented in an endeavor to point out the disadvantages attending the use of chrome brick in reverberatory furnaces in which are conducted the treatment of materials of such a nature that absorption by the brick is of too great value to be wasted, and these values must be recovered, if possible, in order to prevent metal losses that can not be tolerated. Several years ago one of the large Eastern copper refineries decided to utilize basic material in place of siliceous material in the walls of their reverberatory furnaces for the treatment of very foul blister copper, as the latter rapidly corroded the siliceous linings. It was also expected that there would be less slag formation, with a consequent decrease in the cost of treatment and a reduction in the metal losses. Magnesite brick were first used, but while the corrosive action of the foul material was greatly reduced, and the amount of slag formed was very much less, the magnesite proved to be unsatisfactory in certain parts of the furnace, because of its tendency to crack and spall badly when subjected to the alternate heating and cooling that takes place in a reverberatory refining furnace. This made many repairs necessary, and consequent frequent interruption in the operation of the furnace, which, together with the high price of the magnesite brick, ran up the cost of maintenance to an unreasonable amount. It was, therefore, decided to substitute chrome brick for magnesite brick in the parts of the furnace affected. The results, as far as the reverberatory furnace was concerned, were very satisfactory. The corrosion due to the action of the foul blister was small and the amount of slag formed was no greater than when using magnesite, and the tendency to crack and spall shown by the magnesite was eliminated. Gradually the use of chrome brick was extended to all furnaces, those treating blister copper as well as those melting cathodes, and the results were so satisfactory that the siliceous roofs were replaced by roofs of chrome brick except in certain places where experience showed a more satisfactory performance on the part of the silica brick. It was immediately recognized, for both the magnesite and the chrome brick, that the metal absorption was very heavy, but it was felt that the

Jan 1, 1918

By D Bradshaw, E Forbes, M Edraki, M Tayebi-Khorami, E Manlapig

There is an increasing trend in the extraction and development of copper resources from complex deposits. These deposits pose mineral processing challenges, as they often contain low grade disseminated copper ore with high levels of impurities particularly arsenic. Although arsenic is a naturally occurring element, the concentrations of arsenic can be magnified by mining and mineral processing activities. Therefore, while arsenic has no significant market value, its presence in the ore deposit will have production, environmental and human health implications. The mining industry’s approach to life-of-mine planning has improved significantly in recent decades and managing arsenic is not an exception.CITATION:Tayebi-Khorami, M, Edraki, M, Manlapig, E, Forbes, E and Bradshaw, D, 2018. Arsenic pathways in copper mining – sustainability issues and potential solutions, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2018, pp 60–63 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 25, 2018

By P. C. Beuria

Iron ore concentrate contains different mineral phases viz. hematite, magnetite, goethite, kaolinite, and gibbsite. Presence of some of these phases like goethite, kaolinite, and gibbsite contribute to the loss on ignition (LOI) content of the sample. Iron ore fines (pellet feed) are pelletized for utilization in DRI & BF processes. In the present pelletization technology i.e., straight grate and grate kiln processes, the LOI in the ore should be within the range of 2.0-2.5%. LOI content in the iron ore concentrate is found to be more than 4% after beneficiation of low-grade iron ore. It is therefore difficult to produce good quality pellet because of high LOI content. The LOI content of the sample is a detrimental factor in the pellet making. For effective pelletization, the LOI content in iron ore fines needs to be reduced before pelletization. It can be reduced by fluidized bed roasting. The objective of present work is to understand the kinetics of removal of LOI from iron ore fines. The effects of bed depth, temperature, and residence time on reduction of LOI content in iron ore fines were studied using muffle furnace. The process of roasting was carried out at four different temperatures varying from 400 to 950 °C with a variable residence time of 30, 45, 60 & 75 minutes and at bed depths of 16, 32, 48 & 64 mm. In all instance of experiments carried out, one of the parameters was kept constant. It was observed that at 850 °C and 30 minutes of residence time, there was sufficient removal of LOI in static bed condition even at a high bed depth of 64 mm. Keywords: LOI, pellet feed, fluidized bed roasting, goethite

Sep 1, 2012

By Nils Eivind Kamfjord, Roar Jensen, Ingeborg Solheim

"SINTEF has carried out several pilot scale silicon process experiments in the past, but always with an open off gas system. In order to test the possibilities in running a semi closed furnace operation, a new off gas hood has been designed and tested. The off gas hood is designed to collect all off gases to gain insight into the phase compositions in the off gas and at the same time have the opportunity to monitor and maintain the charging/stoking of the furnace. The furnace hood has regulation and control of the air inlet into the combustion zone in two different heights. The off gas temperature and composition was continuously monitored and analyzed during the experiment. In order to expand the knowledge on NOx- formation in silicon metal production, such information is vital.IntroductionBecause of the negative environmental impact, the attention towards all kinds of NOX emissions increases in Norway. The authorities’ demand towards better surveillance and control of emissions increases as well.Earlier and new industrial measurements in FeSi- and Si-metal furnaces reveal quite high NOX-emission. The measurements also show that the NOX formation (mainly as thermal NOX) is distinct connected to the formation of dust (SiO?SiO2) in the combustion chamber above the furnace surface, when the temperature is high and the access to N2/O2 is good. This means that stoking, charging and temperature straight above the furnace surface is important factors for the NOX formation."

Jan 1, 2012

By Rob Scott

Making a difference with Zinc & Health Two billion people do not get enough zinc in their diets. Every year 450,000 children die from complications arising from zinc deficiency Our Zinc Alliance For Child Health partnership with CIDA and Micronutrient Initiative, our involvement with UNICEF through the IZA and our partnership with BASF are gaining wide recognition. Sustainability at Teck ? Integrating into our Core Business Strategy Our strategy Long term goals Our approach Managing risks and finding opportunities Our progress Early reports Moving Forward Metrics and indicators

May 1, 2013

By Diego Linhares de Azevedo

Este artigo contém uma pequena introdução à alguns dos protocolos de redes industriais mais populares atualmente, Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus e WirelessHart, apresentando brevemente suas arquiteturas e características, e, então, realizando uma análise comparativa de suas vantagens e desvantagens.

Aug 16, 2017

By Rees J. Llewellyn

Improved product development, assessment methods and evaluation studies of materials for oil sands applications have traditionally focused on low and high stress abrasion and slurry erosion resistance mechanisms, because they were considered to be the predominant wear modes prevailing in oil sands mining, transportation and bitumen recovery. More recently with the very successful introduction of oil sands hydraulic transportation systems, there has been increasing use of crusher systems in which materials of construction are also required to have good toughness and gouging abrasion properties to withstand impact and the severe indentation and ploughing forces that are involved. To assess material property requirements for mitigating this additional wear mechanism, jaw crusher gouging abrasion tests using a modified ASTM G81 procedure, have been carried out on a range of wear materials of interest for oil sands mining service. The method involves a comparison of the wear losses that occur for reference and selected test plates when a controlled amount of standard feed rock is comminuted in a laboratory jaw crusher. Among the classes of material evaluated have been Q&T plate steels, austenitic manganese steel, chromium and chromium molybdenum white irons as plain castings and in laminated forms and also chromium carbide and tungsten carbide overlaid wear plates.

May 1, 2004

By Colin Lindsay

"The Collahuasi copper mine, located at an altitude of 4300 meters above sea level in northern Chile, commenced operations late in 1998. The mine is currently the 4‘h largest copper producer in the world and comprises an open pit, a 60,000 tpd sulphide concentrator, a 15,000 tpd oxide heap leach and SWEW plant and a 200 km concentrate pipeline to a port facility.Constructing, commissioning and operating a mine at high altitude presents unique challenges in terms of the performance of both equipment and people. It is important that these be recognized and carefully considered during the feasibility study and the detailed design stages and the success of the Collahuasi project is largely due to this. The plant design incorporates a number of features aimed at mitigating the problems of altitude and the construction methodology also took into account the particular site conditions.This paper discusses the Collahuasi project team’s approach to planning for the remote location and also some of the problems experienced during construction, commissioning and operation.INTRODUCTIONThe Collahuasi mine is located in northern Chile, some 250 km to the south-east of the port of Iquique and 15 km from the Bolivian border. The mine facilities lie between 3800-4300 m above sea level on the Altiplano, the central plateau of the Andes mountains, and cover a total of approximately 95,000 hectares. Although the area is arid, it experiences an average of 150 mm of precipitation annually and weather conditions can be extreme. Temperatures during the day range between -3 to +11 º C and are generally below 0ºC at night, sometimes as low as -20°C. High energy winds are common and humidity is low. Much of the precipitation occurs during the winter as snow but there also occurs a period during the Chilean summer known as the “Invierno Boliviano’’ (or Bolivian Winter) which is characterized by severe electrical storms and rain."

Jan 1, 2001

By R. K. Will

An inactive mining operation in northern California is known to be a source of acid mine drainage and heavy metals which have impacted adjacent creeks. Elevated concentrations of copper and zinc are a concern to aquatic populations, particularly steelhead trout and salmon downstream in the Sacramento River. Previous regional geological surveys of mineralization by the U.S. Geological Survey located and mapped outcrops of massive sulfides and gossan. Recent investigations indicate that a substantial amount of the metals in the local creeks are due to natural causes. The investigations include locating and mapping surface and subsurface minerals, soil and water sampling, and chemical analysis. Groundwater, seeps, and surface water were also sampled and analyzed. A water balance was conducted on a sub-basin level following delineation of surface water drainage and groundwater divides. A chemical mass balance incorporated metal concentrations and water volumes and was then used with other data to determine the contribution of metals from natural versus mining-related causes.

Jan 1, 1998

By Matheus Fortes Stiborski

O emprego de materiais sinterizados para conformação massiva permite a utilização de forças menores permitindo que resultados similares sejam alcançados com maquinas de potência menor, outra vantagem é que o blank utilizado para esse processo não contém tensões residuais advindas do processo anterior. Para o processo foi necessário o levantamento das curvas de compressibilidade do material a ser estudado (pó de ferro puro), análise das propriedades do material sinterizado e posteriormente extrusão do material e caracterização do mesmo.

Aug 17, 2017

By S. P. Kinney

Economy in blast-furnace practice depends largely upon efficient gas-solid contact in the shaft of the furnace. If efficient work is not done in the shaft the hearth and bosh will not function properly. A condition may be readily imagined where the particles of ore in the shaft are so large that the time entailed in the descent of these materials into the bosh is not sufficient to permit proper reduction and preparation prior to the time the ore enters the bosh of the furnace. Another condition may be pictured where the density of the stock column and the flow of stock is such that the ore will take one course and the gas another. Both of these examples will result in insufficient contact between the gas and the ore. Unreduced ore will reach the hearth, and gas which has not been efficiently oxidized will reach the stock line. The result is the use of an excess of carbon in the smelting process. An example of the result of inefficient gas-solid contact in the shaft of a blast furnace is shown by the curves in Figure 1.

Jan 1, 1930

By David J. Krichten

A method of retrofitting air-fuel burners with oxy-fuel capability overcomes the potential problems associated with oxygen combustion in aluminum melting furnaces. The retrofit burner uses the existing combustion air connection, burner housing, and burner tile and replaces the gas tube with an oxy-gas burner. Maintaining a portion of the air flow to the burner reduces the potential for localized overheating. Proper design of the burner reduces NOx emissions by moderating the flame temperature with furnace gas recirculation. Economic analysis of using oxygen shows the benefits are increased productivity and reduced overall unit cost of melting. In practice, the melt rate in rotary furnaces increases by up to 50% and by up to 35% in reverberatory furnaces. Oxygen utilization reduces total melting cost by 112-314 cents per pound of aluminum melted.

Jan 1, 1997