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By L. Deininger

The QSL plant in the existing "Betzelius" Stolberg GmbH lead smelter in StolberglGermany was commissioned in August, 1990. Following some modifications to the process and equipment which had become necessary in line with the implementation of this new techno- logy, conclusive operating results are now available. These will be reported together with a short description of the plant design. In May 1992, raw material feeding to the QSL reactor in the new lead smelter of Korea Zinc Co. in OnsanlKorea was started. As all the experience gained up to that point in time in the Stolberg plant had already been incorporated in this plant prior to start-up, it reached stable, satisfactory operating conditions in a short period of time. After an introductory description of the plant important operating results will be reported. The operating experience gained in the two plants fully confirms the correctness of the in- ventors' creative ideas in the 70s. The QSL process meets all demands made on modern, ecologically compatible and energy-saving lead production technology. The paper ends with suggestions on how the QSL process will be optimized further in the future.

Jan 1, 1994

By John S. Dunning

This is one of a. series of papers being prepared for and published by the United States Bureau of Mines, describing raining and milling methods at crushed-stone plants throughout the United States. These papers are designed to disseminate technical information regarding the methods used. The cost tabulations represent operating expenditures only and not total production costs. It is recognized that publication of total production costs might in man; instances cause embarrassment to individual producers as well as to the industry as a whole. However, operating costs are essential to technical discussion and study of the methods employed. The attention of the reader is specifically called to this differentiation in order that the scope of the cost tabulations shall not be misunderstood. This paper deals with the quarrying and crushing methods used at the Avon Mountain trap-rock quarry of the Atlas Sand, Gravel & Stone Co., in West Hartford, Conn.

Jan 1, 1936

By A Hatt

This paper presents a case study of characterisation work undertaken at a greenfield exploration project to provide engineering and OH&S inputs for the design of a ventilation system. The paper discusses how comprehensive early characterisation of the ambient surface and underground environment including aspects related to heat, dusts, strata gas, and geologic/mineralogical factors enables incorporation of the right ventilation and non-ventilation controls at a study level to mitigate the risks identified.

Oct 12, 2022

By W. H. Caruthers

ECONOMIC utilization of all by-products has long been the goal of American industry. One of the first groups that was popularly supposed to have achieved its aim was the meat-packing industry, which reputedly found a use for everything except the squeal of the hog. To the metallurgist, slag has always been the principal wasted by-product, representing a loss not only of material, but of heat. Slag does not possess many qualities that appeal to man's imagination or suggest a romantic influence on the daily life and progress of a community or nation. It is a bulky product, and space for its disposal within reasonable hauling distance of a smelter is not always available; the iron-ore smelter especially has been wont to find space for slag disposal at a premium. Therefore, the success that has been attained in recent years in finding a use for iron blast-furnace slag is notable. It has become a vital economic factor in the construction industry in areas where it is available. Its use may suggest further possibilities of an economic outlet for the slags from nonferrous smelting as well.

Jan 1, 1940

By Kelen Juliane Mucelin

In order to better understand the tribological behavior of self-lubricating materials, Fe-Si-C matrix composites containing solid lubricants added during the mixing step were studied. The samples were produced by conventional powder metallurgy route, presenting total contents of 5%, 7.5% and 10% in volume of h-BN and graphite mixtures as solid lubricants. The composites were evaluated in terms of tribological properties, under reciprocating sliding conditions, and mechanical properties by using tensile tests. Additionally, the wear scars were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electronic microscopy. Higher total contents of solid lubricants greatly increased scuffing resistance however decreased mechanical properties. Furthermore, increasing h-BN contents reduces both properties. These results confirmed the applicability of such sintered composites as self-lubricating parts, reaching values up to 7000 N.m for scuffing resistance combined with ultimate tensile strength of 220 MPa.

Jul 31, 2018

By Frederick Laist

I AM APPRECIATIVE of the honor you have done me in electing me to membership in your Society. I value the contacts with men of imagination and ideals which this implies. I am grateful for the recognition of such small contributions as I may have made, or helped to make, to the vast fund of scientific and engineering knowledge. We like to think, as we grow older, that our lives have not been purely parasitical, and that through our efforts some forward step, however small, has been taken toward improving conditions under which we live and do our work. In these days of industrial depression, we hear much criticism of our "machine age." Modern engineering, mass production, the complexity of our lives, all come in for some share of blame. The farmer is said to have been spoiled by the tractor and the gang plow, the factory worker has become a slave of the assembly conveyor, the scientific worker is no longer free but has sacrificed much of his individuality to the research organization of which he is a part. We wonder whether our work as engineers has been worth while and whether our striving after more efficient ways of doing things has been a curse to mankind rather than the boon we thought we were conferring.

Jan 1, 1932

By J. B. Brodie, C. Pelletier

"The vulnerability of Canadian and U.S. companies, their directors, officers and employees to onerous penalties associated with violations of environmental statutes and common law actions has provided the impetus for the increasing use of environmental audits. This trend is developing in direct proponion to the cost and difficulty of obtaining liability insurance. Companies operating in British Columbia should be cognizant of developing legislative and enforcement trends and their implications for individual and corporate responsibility. Canadian mining companies doing business in the U.S. should be particularly aware of the environmental exposure which may be assumed with property acquisition or by operations which produce or use any of an ever-increasing list of regulated substances.The environmental audit is now a key component of prudent business planning which will identify noncompliances and environmental liabilities, outline defensive strategies, and assist in a legal defence should charges be laid. This paper will discuss the purpose and mechanics of an environmental audit with emphasis on those features which will maximize protection against statutory and common law actions.IntroductionThe environmental audit is but one weapon in a comprehensive defensive strategy for corporate and individual survival in an increasingly litigious world. The principles of the environmental audit have been formulated as a logical response by management to an ever-growing list of environmental vulnerabilities, which often have the potential to result in plant shutdowns, prosecutions or fmancial liability of major proportions. Accordingly, the audit may play a critical role in maintaining profitability as well as assisting in the defence of a company and its employees against actions taken by regulatory agencies and citi7.cns under statute and common law. Should convictions result from these actions, the penalties are likely to be ameliorated by the demonstration of due diligence through management policy supporting the audit procedure.An awareness of environmental sensitivities, strict adherence to licensing requirements, and planning for environmental emergencies are now generally considered to be as important to profitable performance as operating costs, metal prices, and labour peace. Why is this so? The increased priority given to environmental matters is partly a result of changing attitudes amongst the mining profession, but perhaps more importantly, it is also a direct consequence of the proliferation of ever more stringent environmental legislation, the targeting of management for responsibility and the draconian penalties imposed for violations of such legislation. Contributing to this trend are recent court decisions involving disputes of an environmental nature in which the standard of care required for a successful defence now requires almost super-human diligence in environmental management. The principle of ""strict liability"" (in which negligence or permit violation does not have to be shown) is also being increasingly applied in the resolution of civil actions."

Jan 1, 1988

By A. D. K. Laird, John A. Putnam

This paper describes the application of x-ray theory to design procedures in connection with fluid saturation determinations during fluid flow experiments with porous media. A reliable and rapid method for calibrating the x-ray apparatuy is described. Extension of the method to fluid saturation determinations in three-fluid systems is described. INTRODUCTION In rerearch on oil production problems a method is required which will give quickly the quantity of each component of a fluid flow system present at any cross-section of a porous medium. The sample of porous medium under investigation is usually referred to as a core. The ratio of the volume of one component to the total fluid volume is defined as the saturation of the porous medium by that component. This ratio is generally given as per cent saturation. Some means of measuring saturation which have received consideration include: electrical conductivity of the fluids;1,2 emissions from radioactive tracers dissolved in the fluids; the radioactivity of silver caused by reflection of neutrons from hydrogen atoms in the fluids;' the attenuation of a microwave beam. the diminution and phase shift of ultrasonic wave trains.4,5 and the reduction in intensity of x-ray beams in passing through the fluids. X-rays have already been used with some success. Since every material has a different power to absorb x-rays, the reduction in intensity of an x-ray beam as it passes through a core depends on the fluids present. The strength of the emergent beam can be found by converting its energy into a measurable form such as heat or ionic current. or by its effect on a photographic plate or fluorescent screen. The beam strengths could be interpreted as quantities of known fluids in the core if, previously, these beam strengths had been identified with a known combination of the same fluids. With some fluid cornbinations it might be desirable to dissolve powerful x-ray absorbing materials in one or more of the fluids, to increase the differences in the beam strengths for various fluid saturations. Boyer, Morgan and Muskat6 have described a method of measuring two component fluid saturation. One component was air or water; the other. minerat seal oil in which was dissolved 25 per cent by weight of iodobenzene to increase its absorbing power. The x-ray source was a tungsten target tube operated at 43 kv potential. The beam emerging from the core was measured as ionic current flowing across an air-filled ionization chamber by means of an amplifying circuit and galvanometer. Another portion of the beam from the x-ray tube was passed through a metal plate and measured in another ionization chamber. This portion, called the monitor beam, was used as an indication of the performance of the x-ray tube. The galvanometer readings were calibrated against air-oil core saturations, gravimetrically determined. The method was apparently established by experimental means. In the present investigation the available theory of x-radia-tion was surveyed with a view to extending the usefulness of the method and to developing design procedures for its application to measurement of fluid saturation in porous media. Application of the theory permits prediction of relative meter readings to be expected for any combination of porous matrix, various saturating fluids and auxiliary filtering media. It is thus possible to calibrate the equipment in terms of fluid saturation by an indirect but rapid technique. The results of calculations based on x-ray theory indicate. and results of the saturation calibration technique confirm. that a valid measurement of the saturation of the core can be made for any two components and in some cases for three components. THEORY The strength of an x-ray beam, after it has passed through a distance. 1, of matter of density, p, and mass absorption coefficient, µ at a given wavelength, A, may be expressed by the absorption formula I = I0 e ...........(1) where I, represents the intensity of the incident x-ray beam and I is the intensity of the emergent beam. The expression e is called the transmission factor of the material. The variation of I,, with wavelength depends upon the materials through which the x-ray beam has previously passed and upon the spectral distribution of energy at the source of the x-radiation. A group of curves. called spectra. which show the variation of intensity with wavelength and x-ray tube voltage are given in Fig. 1. These curves represent the general radiation from a tungsten target tube. When the tube voltage is greater than 69.3 kv, the characteristic radiation of the tungsten is emitted and is superposed on the general radiation. At a given voltage the minimum wavelength A,,,,, at which energy can be emitted by an x-ray tube is given by the formula 12,340 xml. = ——..........(2) volts where A,.,,.. is in Angstrom units. The wavelength at which the spectra have maximum intensity a1so decreases with increasing x-ray tube voltaue. The area under each curve represents to an arbitrarv scale the total energy emerging from the x-ray tube for that voltage. The variation of µ with wavelength has been determined for many substances and may be found in such references as those by Compton and Allison7 and by Hodgman.8 The phenomenon of absorption is composed chiefly of the capture of photons by the atoms of the absorbing material with associated displacement of electrons, and of the scattering, or the deflection, of the photons by the atoms. Curves of these mass absorption coefficients show jump discontinuities. or absorption edges. at wavelengths which are short enough for the photons,

Jan 1, 1951

By John A. Putnam, A. D. K. Laird

This paper describes the application of x-ray theory to design procedures in connection with fluid saturation determinations during fluid flow experiments with porous media. A reliable and rapid method for calibrating the x-ray apparatuy is described. Extension of the method to fluid saturation determinations in three-fluid systems is described. INTRODUCTION In rerearch on oil production problems a method is required which will give quickly the quantity of each component of a fluid flow system present at any cross-section of a porous medium. The sample of porous medium under investigation is usually referred to as a core. The ratio of the volume of one component to the total fluid volume is defined as the saturation of the porous medium by that component. This ratio is generally given as per cent saturation. Some means of measuring saturation which have received consideration include: electrical conductivity of the fluids;1,2 emissions from radioactive tracers dissolved in the fluids; the radioactivity of silver caused by reflection of neutrons from hydrogen atoms in the fluids;' the attenuation of a microwave beam. the diminution and phase shift of ultrasonic wave trains.4,5 and the reduction in intensity of x-ray beams in passing through the fluids. X-rays have already been used with some success. Since every material has a different power to absorb x-rays, the reduction in intensity of an x-ray beam as it passes through a core depends on the fluids present. The strength of the emergent beam can be found by converting its energy into a measurable form such as heat or ionic current. or by its effect on a photographic plate or fluorescent screen. The beam strengths could be interpreted as quantities of known fluids in the core if, previously, these beam strengths had been identified with a known combination of the same fluids. With some fluid cornbinations it might be desirable to dissolve powerful x-ray absorbing materials in one or more of the fluids, to increase the differences in the beam strengths for various fluid saturations. Boyer, Morgan and Muskat6 have described a method of measuring two component fluid saturation. One component was air or water; the other. minerat seal oil in which was dissolved 25 per cent by weight of iodobenzene to increase its absorbing power. The x-ray source was a tungsten target tube operated at 43 kv potential. The beam emerging from the core was measured as ionic current flowing across an air-filled ionization chamber by means of an amplifying circuit and galvanometer. Another portion of the beam from the x-ray tube was passed through a metal plate and measured in another ionization chamber. This portion, called the monitor beam, was used as an indication of the performance of the x-ray tube. The galvanometer readings were calibrated against air-oil core saturations, gravimetrically determined. The method was apparently established by experimental means. In the present investigation the available theory of x-radia-tion was surveyed with a view to extending the usefulness of the method and to developing design procedures for its application to measurement of fluid saturation in porous media. Application of the theory permits prediction of relative meter readings to be expected for any combination of porous matrix, various saturating fluids and auxiliary filtering media. It is thus possible to calibrate the equipment in terms of fluid saturation by an indirect but rapid technique. The results of calculations based on x-ray theory indicate. and results of the saturation calibration technique confirm. that a valid measurement of the saturation of the core can be made for any two components and in some cases for three components. THEORY The strength of an x-ray beam, after it has passed through a distance. 1, of matter of density, p, and mass absorption coefficient, µ at a given wavelength, A, may be expressed by the absorption formula I = I0 e ...........(1) where I, represents the intensity of the incident x-ray beam and I is the intensity of the emergent beam. The expression e is called the transmission factor of the material. The variation of I,, with wavelength depends upon the materials through which the x-ray beam has previously passed and upon the spectral distribution of energy at the source of the x-radiation. A group of curves. called spectra. which show the variation of intensity with wavelength and x-ray tube voltage are given in Fig. 1. These curves represent the general radiation from a tungsten target tube. When the tube voltage is greater than 69.3 kv, the characteristic radiation of the tungsten is emitted and is superposed on the general radiation. At a given voltage the minimum wavelength A,,,,, at which energy can be emitted by an x-ray tube is given by the formula 12,340 xml. = ——..........(2) volts where A,.,,.. is in Angstrom units. The wavelength at which the spectra have maximum intensity a1so decreases with increasing x-ray tube voltaue. The area under each curve represents to an arbitrarv scale the total energy emerging from the x-ray tube for that voltage. The variation of µ with wavelength has been determined for many substances and may be found in such references as those by Compton and Allison7 and by Hodgman.8 The phenomenon of absorption is composed chiefly of the capture of photons by the atoms of the absorbing material with associated displacement of electrons, and of the scattering, or the deflection, of the photons by the atoms. Curves of these mass absorption coefficients show jump discontinuities. or absorption edges. at wavelengths which are short enough for the photons,

Jan 1, 1951

By Basil B. Zavoico

PRODUCTION of crude it in the United States during 1939 totaled about 1.255,776,000 barrels, an average of 3,440,482 barrels per day, 3.41 per cent above the 1938 output of 1,214,355,000 barrels but 1.83 per cent below the record pro¬duction of 1,279,160,000 barrels, in 1937. However only the two-week shutdown of oil fields in the Southwestern States in August and September prevented the domestic crude production from establishing an all-time record in 1939. Demand for all petroleum products for the first ten months of 1939 showed an increase of 7.04 per cent over the similar period of 1938. Domestic demand for all petroleum products was particularly benefited by the increasing industrial activity, advancing 8.37 per cent above the like period of the preceding year equivalent to a volume increment of 256,810 barrels per day; with motor-fuel demand gaining 5.83 per cent and demand for all fuel oils gaining 12.15 per cent over the corresponding period of 1938. The export demand for the first ten months of 1939 was slightly below the export movements during the same period of 1938, declining 0.56 per cent. The European war was a major factor in 1939 for the petroleum industry in the United States, even if, at the end of the year, the war had not yet resulted in the expected large shipments to England and France.

Jan 1, 1940

By J. G. Thompson

PROJECT 8411 of the U. S. Bureau of Standards, sponsored by the Iron and Steel Division of the A.I.M.E., is an attempt to define more concisely than has been possible heretofore the accuracy and the Limits ' of usefulness of the ' various methods now in use for the determination of oxygen as it exists in ferrous materials. It originated in correspondence between John Johnston and other metallurgists, and was brought to the attention of the Iron and Steel Division of the Institute at the Annual Meeting in February, 1933. As reported in MINING AND MET,ALLURGY, Vol. 14, page 152, March, 1933, "Dr. Johnston introduced, and those present adopted, a resolution that the Iron and Steel Division of the A.I.M.E., believing that a careful comparison of the several methods now in use for the analysis of steel for nonmetallic elements such as oxygen is highly desirable, heartily endorses the proposal that the U. S. Bureau of Standards act as a clearing house " in this matter, undertaking the final preparation and allocation of identical samples to those laboratories willing to collaborate in this important question, and collate the results re- ported back to the Bureau.'"

Jan 1, 1934

By F. Rwere, A. Masasire, P. Dzomba, M. Mupa

Accurate determination of platinum group metals (PGMs) and gold (Au) has always proven to be a difficult task, due to their low concentrations in platiniferous ores. The most common preconcentration technique used in analysis of these metals is fire assay with a flux containing nickel or lead. This technique can be improved by using co-collectors. Here we hypothesise that Fe, Co, and Cu can be used as co-collectors to enhance separation and preconcentration of PMGs and gold by fire assay. To test this hypothesis, geological exploration samples from Siyanda Union Mine (Northam, South Africa) were analysed by an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) for PGMs (Pt, Pd, and Rh) and Au. A control sample (certified reference material AMIS 0426) was also analysed by the same technique. The PGM and Au recoveries from the control sample ranged from 83% to 105% for all three co-collectors, with relative standard deviations less than 10% for the control sample and 7% for the geological samples. The PGM and Au recoveries by Fe and Co co-collectors were modestly higher than that of the Cu-collector. These results indicate that Fe and Co are better co-collectors than Cu, presumably due to the loss of analyte when using Cu. Taken together, Fe and Co co-collectors can be viable alternatives for analysis of PGMs and gold using the fire assay method.

Jan 2, 2022

By Ian R. Muirhead

Over the past year or so, a number of mining companies have been meeting to examine the role of research in surface mining and, in particular, how to establish a collaborative research effort for the surface mining industry. A review has been completed which has identified the topics that are of interest to the surface mining companies for undertaking collaborative research. This has identified key subject areas such as Operations & Equipment; Maintenance; Environment & Reclamation; and Stability. Specific research projects for the initial research effort have been selected which include Wireless Data Communications, Analysis and Management; Application of GPS in Mining; and Tires for Heavy Haulers. In addition, attention has also been focussed on finding a suitable low cost, but effective, organization to coordinate and manage the collaborative research. The recently formed CONRAD Organization (Canadian Oilsands Network for Research and Development) appears to be a suitable candidate and discussions are ongoing with that group. This paper provides a summary of the review of surface mining research needs and of the status of the establishment of a collaborative research body for surface mining.

Jan 1, 1996

By C. M. Brown

The semi-autogenous grinding circuit at the Utah Mines Limited, Island Copper Operation, located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is described. Since start-up of the operation in 1971 grinding circuit throughput has been progressively increased from the initial design rate of 30,000 to the current average 45,000 tonnes per day (t/d) of porphyry copper ore. Key developments and modifications in operating and maintenance practice that have contributed to this increase are reviewed.

Jan 1, 1985

By M. V. HANSEN, Frank PERZ, Edward Thomas, C. H. SEELING

This is the second of a series of information circulars dealing with the control of roof and the prevention of accidents from falls of rock and coal . Their purpose is to focus the attention of the coal-mining industry on the most - common source of fatalities and injuries in mining coal and to disseminate information that may be helpful in combating the roof - fall hazard . Inasmuch as approximately 85 percent of roof - fall accidents occur in the face region , the importance of analyzing the accident - producing aspects of methods of roof support at the face or lack of method overemphasized . - - cannot be This circular is not intended to be an exhaustive treatise on methods of roof support in face regions but rather is a description of several methods of support that appear to offer distinct advantages with respect to safety and efficient operation .

May 1, 1948

By Paul A. Gerding

PURPOSE: Presentation to Society of Mining Engineers, Technical Session, Wednesday, February 19, 1958 - 2:00 P.M. General Industral Minerals - Penn Top South The silica industry is relatively small and in general is made up of small plants located near the consumer. In the United States there are approximately 155 established operating plants located in 37 states, extending from coast to coast. Silica, in varying degrees of chemical purity, enjoys a very diversified market. Silica is the basic ingredient of glass, bothcontainer and flat glass, and is used for grinding and polishing of flat glass up to the final polishing stages where rouge is generally used. Silica is used for foundry molds and cores, sandblasting, stone cutting, refractories, placing sand in furances, glass coatings and linings, laboratory glassware, construction, oil well fracturing for increased oil flow, filtering purposes, silicate of soda, silicon carbide, and others.

Jan 1, 1958

By X. S. Yuan

With a demand for increasing energy efficiency and a need for improving bitumen recovery, a highly integrated solution for sustainable lease development of Aurora North of Syncrude has been proposed and implementation plans are underway. Flocculation and thickening technology as an important component of the integrated solution provides Syncrude an opportunity of rapid heat recovery from tailings and more flexible tailings closure and reclamation options. Flocculation of fine-particle suspensions by polymers is a non-equilibrium process whose performance is strongly influenced by physical and chemical variables. While polymeric flocculants are frequently used to establish the chemical conditions favorable for flocculation, the actual performance of a flocculation process generally depends more on the physical variables, such as the hydrodynamic conditions in mixing the flocculants and slurry. In order to study the effect of hydrodynamic conditions on flocculation of Syncrude fine tailings, a standardized laboratory test procedure called power flocculation has been developed in comparison with the conventional manual mixing methods. It is shown that the agitation speed and time in conditioning the flocculant solution and the slurry have a profound effect on the flocculation performances measured by initial settling rates, supernatant clarity and sediment density. It was found that the optimum bench test conditions for power flocculation of Aurora fine tailings with a sand-to-fine ratio (SFR) of about 1:1 are conditioning of the flocculant solution and the tailings slurry at 250 rev/min to 300 rev/min in 20 s to 40 s. The test results are inter-preted with a flocculant adsorption/redistribution kinetic model that helps understanding of the effect of hydrodynamic conditions on flocculant adsorption, floc formation and floc growth.

Jan 1, 2014

By P. A. Wasson, M. M. Fine

Roasting research involving small , batch experiments was conducted to explore the use of solid reductants for converting nonmagnetic iron ore to a magnetic type . Three typical Minnesota ores were tested with one or more of the following reductants : Lignite , lignite chars , anthracite , bituminous coal , petroleum coke , peat , and pyrite . Reductive roasting was accomplished in a 3- by 4- inch externally heated rotating drum . Ore and reductant were placed in the drum and heated to a desired temperature , which was maintained for a predetermined period . Recoveries of over 90 percent of the iron in magnetic concentrates were achieved at 650 ° C , using lignite , some lignite chars , a high- volatile bituminous coal , peat , and pyrite . Pyrite is a novel reductant , which is superior to carbonaceous materials other than lignite and some chars .

Jan 1, 1963

This paper talks about the experiences of groups we have worked with over the last few years in the Asia-Pacific region (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea) and the ways that they have worked to bridge the divide between traditional and introduced structures, governance at a regional level and the introduction of traditional values into monitoring and evaluation practices. In doing this these groups have created structures and processes which have helped them engage both more effectively with external stakeholders while maintaining the legitimacy of their own operations with their own constituents. These are important ideas for those involved in the mining industry that could provide a number of very tangible benefits to mining firms and their engagement with these kinds of groups.

Jan 1, 2009

By Robert E. Wood

Engineers have known for some time that the efficiency of filtering iron ore concentrate slurry can be significantly improved by pre-heating the slurry ahead of the filters. However, heating such large quantities of dense slurry by conventional means has proven to be inefficient and high-maintenance. Recently though, submerged combustion was considered by Altos Hornos de Mexico SA (AHMSA), an integrated steel producer in the state of Coahuila, Mexico, as a means of pre-heating their iron ore concentrate. The company toured many iron ore facilities in Brasil and Labrador, reviewing their heating processes, and concluded that submerged combustion could provide a competitive advantage through operational efficiency and lower capital cost than steam boilers. Inproheat was retained by the company to design and manufacture a SubCom slurry heating system to heat 403 m3/h of iron ore concentrate slurry from 25°C to 60°C. The 60GJ/h SubCom system consists of five natural gas combustion chambers mounted in an iron ore concentrate storage tank. The system features a heat recovery unit whereby the exhaust gases are used to preheat the incoming slurry stream, giving the system an overall thermal efficiency of 95%. As a result, the steel company expects to realise significant improvements in filtering efficiency which will enable them to increase the capacity of their pelletising plant without installing additional filters.

May 1, 2010