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By H. Y. Sohn

The considerable progress made in the sulfide smelting technology since the first International Sulfide Symposium of 1983 is discussed. The new developments and innovations have largely been driven by the recognition of environmental concern as well as the need for increased productivity. The smelting technologies for various nonferrous metals are reviewed, with an emphasis on the industry trend towards larger plants and continuous processes. The tremendous advances made in process modeling and computer simulation to describe the complex smelting processes are also reviewed. The goal of these mathematical models is the quantitative description of the processes and the reactors that will provide a means for the control and optimization of smelting operations as well as the optimal design of the operating conditions and the reactors. Environmental issues remain a key consideration in the smelting industry. One of the most remarkable improvements made in the last fifteen years since the 1983 Sulfide Smelting Symposium is the rapid increase in the sulfur capture by nonferrous smelters. This and other related issues are briefly discussed. Finally, the challenges that the smelting industry faces as the new millenium approaches are discussed. The industry continues to face technical challenges to improve productivity and efficiency, while being responsive to ever-increasing public pressure for environmental protection. It also faces external challenges from factors that may cause the reduction of metal uses as a result of substitutions by other materials. Another serious challenge and dire consequence that the primary metals industry is expected to face is the serious diminution of university-educated manpower as well as basic-research output. To remain competitive and healthy, the industry should take up the void left by the complete disappearance, at least in the U.S., and the reduction in other nations, of the governmental support of higher education and basic research in the field of primary metals production.

Jan 1, 1998

By J. R. Linney

A HISTORY of the ore-mining and iron-smelting industry of the Adirondacks comprises a century and a half of pioneering by rugged individualists, both men and women. By geographical location, the climate is most severe-long, cold winters with heavy snowfall, and short seasons of vegetation growth; this, together with its remote location from large centers of population, adds considerably to the difficulties of conducting mining operations in this area.

Jan 1, 1943

By George H. K. Schenck

Diminishing returns in management's fight to lower manufacturing expenses have added luster to savings that can be achieved in delivered costs through creative management of the distribution function. This is especially true for companies engaged in the production of bulk commodities, for which transport costs may represent 25 to 50% or more of total delivered price, A. E. Cascino, vice president of International Minerals and Chemical Corporation, recently gave an example of why top management in his firm is concerned with distribution: "The price of a ton of phosphate rock, f.o.b. mine, is about $7. The cost of warehousing, freight, and handling frequently totals an additional $11 . . . . If one of our competitors . . . discovers a way in which he can cut his distribution costs by $3, we're dead! Even if we wanted to offset our competitor's more efficient means of shipping with reduced f.o.b. price for our product-we don't have that much profit margin . . . ." In a special report on the revolution now occurring in transportation of goods, Business Week stated in its September 24 issue: "Moving and storing goods on their way from mine and mill through various sub-assemblies to their final markets costs anywhere from $50 billion to $75 billion a year- $100 billion if paperwork costs are included.

Jan 1, 1967

By T. H. Janes

THE POSSIBILITY of producing pig iron from iron ores of British Columbia for a west coast primary iron and steel industry has been investigated by the provincial government and by commercial interests on sever.al -occasions. The latest study is that currently under way by The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada, Limited. The Company is studying the possibility of making pig iron from the oxide calcine resulting from the roasting of pyrrhotite. tailings used in making sulphuric acid for fertilizer production at Kimberley. A comprehensive report on the subject .of establishing a primary iron and steel works in the Province, based on local iron ores, was prepared by Arthur G. Mc-Kee and Company of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1942 for the B.C. Minister of Mines and is available to interested parties. A detailed survey on the subject was also pre-pared in 1954 by Dr. G. P. Con-tractor, then .of the British Columbia Research Council. Considerable information is there-fore available on most aspects of an integrated primary iron and steel industry in British Columbia to supply the needs of the western provinces. To date, however, no basic iron industry has been established despite the .occurrence of high-grade iron ore deposits on the offshore islands and the high freight charges on iron and steel products brought into the area from Eastern Canada and overseas producers. The chief deterrent has always been the relatively small and highly diversified market available to a local steel producer. Other major fact-ors have been the lack of sufficient proven reserves of iron ore, and the difficulty of making pig iron, suit-able for steel manufacture, economically on a small scale. Technical and economic conditions have changed considerably since World War II and the establishment of a primary industry based on electric furnace production of pig iron or on one of the direct reduction processes, coupled with electric furnace steel production, may now be economically feasible.

Jan 1, 1958

By D. Harrington, W. J. Fene

For nearly 30 years the Bureau of Mines has contended that mine explosions can be prevented and has pointed out to the industry ways and means by which they could be avoided. The record of co2l-mine explosions • during the past fiscal ?Bar bears out the :Bureau1s contention, inasmuch as fewer men were killed by coal-mi~e e:xplosions in the United States during that year than in :gi_y corresponding 12 months in the history of coal mining in the United States, insofar as records are available; and more than a year has elapsed since·a major explosion (in which five or more men were killed) has occurred, this being t.1-J.e first continuous 12- month period without a major coal-mine explosion disaster in the United States in more than 60 years. The methods of preventing mine e:iiplosions are well known to experienced, well-informed persons cngnged in coal mining. Despite this knowledge, many coal-mine operutors continue to use practices and methods that they should know have resulted in countless explosions, and mine workers persist in following past procedure or in breaking safety rules and practices almost certain eventually to result in disaster. ' Virtually all explosions are the result of human failure, such as carelessness or neglect by officials or workers or others. These human failures can be corrected chiefly by ed.ucation and proper and adequate supervision and strict discipline. In some instances mine officials are ·lax, careless, poorl~• informed, and often incompetent; end in many instances miners have repulsed the introduction of known preventive methods because of sheer obstinacy, ignorance, heedlessness, or possibly fear that the operator was trying to o'bta.in some unfair adva.,.'1. tago or would neglect some other phase of accident or e,:plosion prevention. The freedom of the fiscal year 1938-39 from major coal-mine explosions ar..d frora any considera~le number of fat,JJ.i ties from minor explosions is a. matter for congratulation, but on the other hand. the occurrence of one rather bad e~losion in each of tho 3 calendar years 1937

Nov 1, 1939

By N. Hadebe, A. Mampuru, F. Jantjies

Mintek conducted test work to study the effect of media wear when using Mintek’s Milling-in-raffinate technology. The grinding media consisted of high-chrome and ceramic balls. The tests were conducted using a laboratory 5L 316 stainless-steel rubber-lined mill. Magotteaux supplied the high-chrome and ceramic balls. The raffinate was synthetically prepared using a typical Cu/Co (2.2 g/L Cu, 3 g/L Co) composition. The milling rate, media wear, mill, leach extraction efficiencies, gangue acid consumption, and residence time were studied. The tests indicated that the high-chrome balls had a higher corrosion rate than the ceramic balls. The ceramic corrosion rate was lower than 0.1 mm/y. The highchrome balls performed better during the leach stages with faster milling time, higher leaching efficiencies for both Cu and Co, lower gangue-acid consumption, and lower residence time

Jan 1, 2023

By F. McIntosh Galbraith

EMPLOYING geophysics to find ore was for a long time considered by the Canadian mining fraternity to be a performance of dubious value: in a category somewhere between the practice of sorcery, and using a divining rod to locate underground water. With increasing knowledge, however, and with constantly improving instruments, a solid speaking acquaintance with this adolescent science is becoming an integral part of the mining geologist's stock in trade. And quite properly so: for, in the established mining districts, the ore deposits which could be easily found, by ordinary prospecting methods, have already been located. There remain; however, in almost all of the principal mining camps, areas which are covered to varying depths by glacial debris; and it is here that the obvious opportunities exist for the successful application of geophysical methods. Geophysical results must always be considered in the closest possible relation to the local geology; and, in reality, the 'doodle-bugs' are simply additional tools for the geologist (in the same category with a plane table or a microscope). The Sudbury Basin is a shining example of precisely this state of affairs. Detailed geological mapping has not significantly altered the position of the outer norite contact as placed on Dr. Coleman's original map of the district. What detailed examination has done, of course, has been to reveal the accuracy with which the contact can be placed in different parts of the district, and to show up, in consequence, areas in which further work might reasonably be expected to disclose hitherto unknown or unsuspected ore. Viewed in this light, the proportion of the norite contact which is covered by substantial quantities of overburden is astonishingly large.

Jan 1, 1939

By D J. Logan, J Jackson

"As of 1 December 2014, the 2012 edition of the JORC Code requires Ore Reserves to be defined by studies at the pre-feasibility or feasibility level. This paper examines how the pathway for most mining developments is determined in the Pre-Feasibility Study and how a trade-off must be made between the need to make the best decision, the constraints of limited time and resources, and the level of the project’s accuracy and uncertainty in terms of value. Issues considered include framing the scope of the study, planning for robust decision-making and ensuring effective communication between the diverse disciplines within the team.An inherent conflict exists between the immediate value added to a mining business from an increase in ore reserves resulting from a ‘quick’ Pre-Feasibility Study and the long-term value of pursuing a development strategy based on proper investigation and evaluation of the options. Recognition and resolution of this conflict is necessary if a project is to progress into future development stages, both in a timely manner and with the optimal development alternative and strategy.The challenge for project developers and those conducting the Pre-Feasibility Study is to understand what the key deliverables are (ie an Ore Reserve statement, option selection, business evaluation, forward work plan or risks) and how to follow good practice to ensure that these deliver value.CITATION:Logan, D J and Jackson, J, 2016. The pre-feasibility study – big choices, little time, in Proceedings Project Evaluation 2016, pp 122–132 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Mar 8, 2016

By John Stoten

"The 1980s have proven extremely difficult years for many resource-based organizations. Mining companies have learned how to weather the negative effects of inevitable economic cycles. However, with some notable exceptions, such as gold mining companies, the mining industry has faced a broader and deeper round of cutbacks than any experienced since the 1930s. Downsizing has been a major issue for many mining companies as they have faced the need for dramatic staffing cost reductions in the recent past.The continuing current rapid rate of change in technology and the marketplace, coupled with increasing merger and acquisition activity, will provide an on-going need for some companies to face major reorganization. This inevitably will involve down-sizing activity in some instances.Given this scenario, it is worth reviewing the industry's past experiences to identify approaches and techniques that could prove of value in handling a future staff downsizing challenge. This paper is based upon a downsizing consultant's experiences with the mining industry and other sectors, and highlights what appear to be key staff reduction planning and process issues.Planning for DownsizingA review of companies' downsizing activities of the last few years reveals four key activity stages which need to be addressed to ensure a successful transition. These stages are:1. organization planning;2. developing cost reduction strategies;3. implementing downsizing; and4. building for the future.A business situation that is severe enough to require drastic staff cuts typically affects all aspects of a company's operations. Most mining companies have reviewed cost efficiencies in many operational areas. However, these reviews often have been short term in focus . As a result, some companies have experienced multiple downsizing; each event a response to an immediate economic threat. This has sometimes resulted in an unstable organizational environment, with severe stresses on staff morale and productivity.In the long term it is more efficient and less stressful to the organization to adopt a more comprehensive and longer-term strategy. Especially in capital intensive mining operations, it makes sense to review all areas of business activity, not just staffing."

Jan 1, 1989

By Felix duBreuil

The present sampling procedure for evaluating the rock dusting conditions in a coal mine is time consuming. This study considers means by which this procedure could be simplified. Surveys were conducted in six coal mines in Pennsylvania to determine the in¬combustible content of the deposited dust. Some 2,000 samples were analyzed and statistically evaluated. It is suggested that the mean incombustible content could be obtained with fewer samples and smaller samples without greatly increasing the sampling error.

Jan 1, 1972

By J Harris, P Kirsch, R LaBouchardiere

æMining + Health in DevelopmentÆ is a project funded by the International Mining for Development Centre (IM4DC, 2012) to develop a centralised database of corporate sustainability initiatives for managing and improving occupational and public health, based on information extracted from social and environmental reports of major mining, oil and gas (MOG) companies. This register of materials has the potential to increase stakeholder awareness of the unique health risks impacting the minerals industry, employees, their families and surrounding communities, as well as to inform stakeholders on global industry approaches to health management.Data and preliminary outcomes from analysis of different MOG corporate sustainability reports on public health and disease management are presented for six African countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe) and six Asia-Pacific countries (Indonesia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Vietnam).With the minerals industry facing ongoing rapid growth worldwide, including continuous expansion into developing regions, the æMining+Health in DevelopmentÆ project will inform industry, civil society and regulators of current health management practices and programming among the different sectors of the minerals, oil and gas industries and across various regional operations. This baseline information will serve as a resource for minerals industry managers, providing a forum for sharing best practice health management approaches amongst MOG companies.CITATION:LaBouchardiere, R, Harris, J and Kirsch, P, 2012. Mining and health in development - An inventory of global resource industry health initiatives in developing countries, in Proceedings International Mine Management 2012, pp 75-90 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 20, 2012

By C. G. Williams

IN preparing this paper on Canadian mine taxation, there has been no attempt to detail the requirements of the various taxing bodies; but rather to consider the matter from the standpoint of its underlying principles and give a general idea of the methods adopted. I have added an Appendix setting forth the principal features of the various Acts, which should be used for general reference only, since new rulings alter minor details from time to time. In current legislation, many important points are left to the discretion of the Ministers and their deputies. We are, indeed, fortunate in having in Canada an able and conscientious body of permanent officials, who bring a sense of justice and courtesy to their work which is most commendable, and which has done much to simplify the working out of general problems. The production of metals may rightly be deemed a form of manufacture, but differs from the average manufacturing business in three important respects: (1) In its early stages, it is wholly speculative, since it is impossible to make any definite appraisal of value or possibilities. (2) The principal asset of any mine, i.e., the ore in the ground, is a wasting asset, and is irreplaceable. (3) Any additional burden by way of taxation cannot be passed on to the public but must be borne entirely by the producer. Having regard to the first of these differences, it is apparent that, since the risk of loss is great, the reward in case of success must be correspondingly great. This fact seems to be constantly overlooked by those who regard the all too few outstanding successes in Canadian mining history as fit prey for predatory legislation. As an illustration of the speculative nature of early mining development, let us consider the Province of Ontario-and I take this illustration simply because I am more familiar with conditions there, and not because I believe it differs greatly from any other province. From 1907 to 1933, 165,243 claims were staked and recorded, from which 43 mines were developed which paid one or more dividends. There was, of course, some duplication through re-staking; also, on some claims very little work was done, and most mines have more than one claim. But, since staking and recording cost real money and effort, each of these claims must have been considered to have had merit.

Jan 1, 1935

By Open-Hearth Steel

We have a very high-powered organization up here this morning, headed by Kenneth C. McCutcheon, general superintendent of the Ashland Division of the American Rolling Mill Company, and L. A. Lambing, superintendent of the open-hearth and Bessemer departments of Jones & Laughlin Steel .corporation of Aliquippa, Pa., representing the open-hearth men. Also, we have P. F. Dolan, assistant general manager of the Maryland plant of Bethlehem Steel Company, of Sparrows Point, and Harry E. McDonnell, superintendent of blast furnaces of Weirton Steel Company of Weirton, W. Va., representing the blast-furnace section.

Jan 1, 1940

By P Navarra, R Kuhne

Dynamic simulation (discrete event simulation) is the preferred methodology to evaluate the impact of dynamic aspects of processing plants on the overall plant capacity. This tool can be used to: identify bottlenecks in the plant,justify upgrade and expansion projects by evaluating their impact, oroptimise maintenance and operating practices without disrupting the operation. Iron Ore Company of Canada's (IOC) pelletising plant is a complex operation because of multiple products, varying equipment capacity and shifting bottlenecks. Furthermore, with extensive capital requirements for projects and long lead times, a high level of confidence in project outcome is required. Therefore, a model of IOC's pelletising plant in Labrador City was constructed in 2007 by a joint IOC and Hatch team. The model includes both operational and metallurgical aspects in order to better capture the complexity of IOC operation. In this paper, the justification, boundaries, and functionality of the model are described. A comparison of simulation results to historical plant operation is given. It is observed that projects have interactions and that the benefits of combined projects are not equal to the combined benefits of the individual projects. Projects can have synergies that result in greater benefits when combined or can have overlapping benefits that result in lower benefits when combined. The power of the proposed modeling exercise lies in the ability to assess the impact of projects on overall performance.

Jan 1, 2009

By Terence P. McNulty

Gold-bearing outcrops were discovered in 1862 by Union soldiers garrisoned at Needles, CA, near the northwest corner of the future State of Arizona. Sporadic mining began several years later, but engineered shaft sinking and mill construction were not adopted at Oatman and the neighboring camp of Goldroad until about 1900. Geological interpretations in 1915 enabled major production during the next decade. In the late-1930s, USSR&M built a new mine and mill in Gold Road and the District flourished until closure by Federal Order L-208 in October 1942. For about a decade, Oatman’s mines were among the largest gold producers in the American West.

Feb 1, 2024

By W. Beres

Many non-commercial operators are currently faced with the need to operate fleets of legacy gas turbine engines. How long such engines can be kept in service safely, without replacing a significant portion of their aging structural components, has become a growing concern to engine life-cycle managers, due to uncertainties in the remaining lives of critical components of these engines. This paper describes the application of the damage tolerance methodology to predict safe inspection intervals (SII) for critical components of gas turbine engines, using components of a turboprop engine for a transport aircraft as examples. High temperature components of this engine are made of advanced aerospace alloys. The methods of predicting three-dimensional fatigue crack growth at the critical location of turbine discs and spacers using both commercial and in-house developed algorithms are presented. Sensitivity analyses are performed to determine the effect of variations in material parameters on the predicted safe inspection intervals. In addition, spin rig tests performed for both turbine discs and spacers are described. Finally, crack growth rates predicted by numerical analyses are compared to those obtained from spin rig testing and the damage tolerance of the turbine components is assessed.

Jan 1, 2015

By E. McCullough

"Fostering positive community relations is a principal tenet of sustainable development, but conflict can test even the strongest of relationships. While conflict surrounding resource development projects has the potential to be destructive, it may actually pose opportunities for partnership and collaboration when managed effectively. It is therefore not only important for mineral resource professionals to recognize the financial and social costs associated with legal disputes among project stakeholders, but also for them to prioritize resolving social conflict using alternative channels that allow for win-win outcomes. A variety of dispute prevention and resolution techniques do exist, but successful practice is not yet the norm. Here we review the sources and consequences of social conflict in the context of mining projects, and discuss typical and alternative approaches to conflict management in light of their respective benefits and drawbacks. We also suggest implementation of conflict resolution lessons into resource-related university curricula as a critical step in the continued shift of the mining industry towards sustainable development. INTRODUCTION Social conflict is a recurring phenomenon in the human experience and serves as a critical mechanism for change [1-5]. It occurs when two or more parties perceive that their needs and interests are in direct competition with each other and believe they cannot be reasonably accommodated. Conflict over mineral resource activities, particularly the distribution of benefit and risk, has become an omnipresent issue throughout the world [6-7]. Contrary to common perception, however, conflict can be a positive, transformative encounter in some instances [2, 8-11]. For this to be possible, society and its acting agents must reconsider how to address conflict. What if conflict were only a challenge to try something different? It is well-understood that the mineral industries must manage an increasingly significant volume of social conflict [12-13], which can be a costly externality impacting all of whom are involved. We commonly consider conflict in a two-party sense, but this deeply over-simplifies the true number of stakeholders. Besides mining companies and community members, government policymakers and regulators, public interest groups, and judicial systems, to name a few, bear the social expenses of poorly-managed conflict [4, 6, 12, 14-22]. It is desirable for interested parties to participate actively in a constructive way to pursue their needs rather than contributing to adversarial relationships, operational problems, and legal costs [1, 4, 12]. Some mining companies are of course already working to develop more productive relationships with their stakeholders, but there is undoubtedly still a gap between ideal and common practices. This gap can inhibit collaboration and threaten the potential for mutually-beneficial resolutions to complex social issues [12]."

Jan 1, 2016

By K. Turgeon, D. Larivière, L. Whitty-Léveillé, J. -F. Boulanger, C. Bazin

"The processing of ore containing rare earth elements leads to the production of an impure solution of these elements. The separation of the rare earths from the impurities and the production of individual elements is usually carried out by solvent extraction. The effectiveness of the extraction conditions and of the reagents is generally tested in the laboratory. This paper deals with the processing of results from solvent extraction laboratory tests planned to generate data redundancy. A method is proposed to take advantage of the data redundancy by accounting for the pH variation during the extraction. The parallel processing of several tests also allows estimating the equilibrium constants for the extraction. The proposed method produces equilibrium constants that are more reproducible than values estimated using conventional approaches. The method is illustrated with solvent extraction tests conducted on synthetic solutions of rare earth elements.INTRODUCTIONThe processing of ores containing rare earth elements (REE) usually includes the production of a concentrate of the minerals carrying the REE. These minerals, for instance monazite and bastnäsite, contain the 14 elements from La to Lu plus yttrium and scandium. As an example monazite has the general formula of (La,Ce,Pr,Nd,Sm,Eu,Gd,Tb,Dy…Lu)PO4 with a typical lanthanum content of 20-26%, cerium content of 40-50%, praseodymium of 4-6%, neodymium of 16 to 20%, and decreasing concentrations of heavier elements (Gupta & Krishnamurthy, 2005). During the processing of a REE mineral, it is generally not possible to isolate and separate a single REE from all the rest. The mineral molecules need to be broken (usually via a heat treatment followed by leaching with a base and/or an acid) to produce an aqueous solution of the REE of the ore. After purification of the solution, the REE can be precipitated as a bulk concentrate and sold to a refinery that separates the REE into particular groups of REE such as the light versus heavy REE or into individual elements such as lanthanum, neodymium, or europium oxides to yield value-added products."

Jan 1, 2016

By T. A. Henrie

One objective of Project Gnome is to study the feasibility of a phase of the Plowshare program recovering thermal energy from an underground nuclear explosion. The test will be conducted in an underground salt deposit. It is anticipated that some of the energy thus released will be stored as thermal energy in molten salt. This report describes the pre-Gnome experiments conducted at the Federal Bureau of Mines Metallurgy Research Laboratory, Boulder City, Nev. The objectives of this study were to determine the problems involved in the recovery of thermal energy from molten salts to assist in planning the experimental program for the Gnome project.

Jan 1, 1961

By Robert L. Marovelli

The major mining health and safety problems of concern to United States Government and private industry researchers in 1981 included the difficulty experienced by longwall operators in complying with the Federal 2 .0-mg/m3 respirable dust standard, the accident rate associated with falls of ground and materials handling hazards, and the upsurge in the incidence of disasters after the steady decline in recent years. Although the many mines and manufacturing companies involved in the research projects to be described are not specifically identified, it is important to note their significant involvement. This is not by way of acknowledgement, but rather to establish that these projects, using mostly Federal funds, represent close cooperation between the U.S. Government and the mining industry. The ongoing work to be described on the development of critical longwall dust control technology is a classic example of Government-industry participation through the phases of problem identification, planning, cost-sharing, and implement at ion.

Jan 1, 1982