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By R. Stauffer, S. Lindsay

"Sherritt Gordon Mines Limited utilizes pressure hydro-metallurgical techniques to recover nickel, copper and cobalt from su1phidic concentrates, mattes and various other metal-bearing materials.A brief description of the nickel refinery operation is given. In the nickel refinery process, an ammonia pressure leach is employed to treat the feed materials to dissolve the non-ferrous metals as their respective ammine complexes. The resulting leach solution goes through a series of steps which removes copper as copper sulphide and further purifies the solution prior to nickel precipitation by hydrogen reduction. The reduction end solution, containing the cobalt which was originally present in the leach solution as well as residual nickel, is treated with hydrogen sulphide. The resulting nickel-cobalt sulphide precipitate feeds the soluble cobaltic ammine process, which separates the nickel and cobalt and recovers the cobalt as a pure powder.A detailed description of the cobalt recovery process is given. Included are the various steps, comprising: acid leaching of the mixed sulphides, solution purification, ammine complex formation and cobaltous oxidation, two-stage nickel precipitation, cobalt conversion and reduction. A brief description of cobalt powder handling is included, along with typical physical properties and chemical analyses of the cobalt product. In general, the purpose of this paper is to describe the present plant practices employed in the recovery of cobalt as a by-product of the nickel refinery operations."

Jan 1, 1967

By R. Walker

This paper deals with the selection and design of a belt conveyor handling steam coal between a mine and a barge loading terminal, and extending for some 5 ¼ miles over some of the most rugged terrain in the state of West Virginia, U.S.A. After a thorough analysis by consulting engineers and the owner's engineers, a single-flight cablebelt conveyor was chosen as representing the alternative of greatest reliability and lowest over-all cost. The value analysis and design features of the system are covered in this paper along with an updated report on the performance of the system since its start-up in the spring of 1969.

Jan 1, 1971

By J. Stiksma, R. Kalanchey, M. J. Collins, G. Owusu, R. Raudsepp, K. R. Buban, L. A. Barta, I. M. Masters

This paper describes the results of testwork for the treatment of Ambatovy laterite ore by a pressure acid leach process, with recovery of the soluble nickel and cobalt values as mixed sulphide intermediate by precipitation with hydrogen sulphide, and subsequent refining of the mixed sulphide to nickel and cobalt metals. These process development studies were carried out primarily in 2004, as part of a bankable feasibility study for the Ambatovy Nickel Project. The Ambatovy orebody is located in Madagascar. The mini pilot plant testwork was carried out in the Dynatec metallurgical laboratory in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. The results of the testwork were very encouraging, including nickel and cobalt extractions in the range of 95.5% to 97.0%, and 94.0% to 97.0%, respectively, in the ore leach step with sulphuric acid. High recoveries of nickel and cobalt were achieved throughout the remaining process steps, yielding separate nickel and cobalt metal powders with better than acceptable purity.

Jan 1, 2005

By G. A. Bezuidenhout, J. Davis, S. Lefume, J. P. T. Kapusta, D. K. Chibwe

"Although the centennial of the Peirce-Smith (PS) converting process has recently been celebrated, the technology has essentially not changed much since its inception. PS converting is used extensively in the Cu, Ni and PGM industry to remove iron and sulphur from a molten matte phase. A typical PS converting process would use low pressure air supplied by a blower to bubble air through the molten bath. This bubbling injection regime is inherently inefficient from a process and energy consideration. In the late 70’s and early 80’s, Brimacombe and co-workers demonstrated at both laboratory and plant scales that sonic injection (jetting regime) into copper or nickel converters could reduce or eliminate the above hindrances characteristic of PS converting. Since then, in spite of these successes, very little industrial applications have made headway in the converting process of non-ferrous metal mattes on a commercial scale. As part of its operational improvement and energy reduction program (process efficiency), Lonmin Platinum decided to conduct a full scale industrial evaluation of sonic injection using air only to establish if punchless, high efficiency sonic injection was feasible in its small 3.05 × 4.57 m converters (10’ × 15’). A plant trial was run for four weeks in one of its three converters. This paper discusses the plant demonstration with a focus on the experience acquired by Lonmin together with the key learnings from the trials. Reference will also be made to the commercial aspects of a full scale implementation of sonic injection in all three converters in the smelter. INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVESAlthough the centennial of the Peirce-Smith (PS) converting process has recently been celebrated (Peirce and Smith, 1909; Southwick, 2009), the technology has essentially not changed much since its inception. PS converting is used extensively in the Cu, Ni and PGM industry to remove iron and sulphur from a molten matte phase. A typical PS converting process would use low pressure air supplied by a blower to bubble air through the molten bath. This bubbling injection regime is inherently inefficient from a process and energy consideration."

Jan 1, 2012

By K D. Conroy

For the past year, Lowphos Ore Ltd. has been operating two desliming hydroseparators on a fully automatic basis. Automatic operation is achieved by sensing the position of the silica-magnetite interface and automatically controlling the jet water addition to maintain a desired interface position. The system further provides automatic control of the underflow pump speed in order to assist in maintaining interface position when an <Ore change occurs. Interface position is maintained at 12 inches below the surface and is -controlled within plus or minus one inch. Metallurgical unit recovery is held above 98.5 per cent, and a 10 to 12 per cent increase in concentrate grade is normally achieved.

Jan 1, 1963

By R. Pelton, Z. Dai, S. Yang

ABSTRACT Hydrophobic polystyrene nanoparticles were evaluated as potential flotation collectors for pentlandite. The flotation of hydrophilic glass beads demonstrated the nanoparticles’ ability to induce flotation. Deposition of nanoparticles on glass surfaces increased the contact angle and enhanced adhesion of the beads to air bubbles. High flotation recoveries were achieved when 5–10% of the bead surfaces were covered with nanoparticles. Surface functionalization—the addition of vinylimidazole to polystyrene nanoparticle surfaces—caused the nanoparticles to selectively deposit onto pentlandite surfaces in the presence of Mg-Si slimes. Ongoing work includes attempts to identify specific applications where nanoparticle collectors might be cost effective. _ KEYWORDS Flotation, Nanoparticle collector, Coverage

Jan 1, 2014

By Lawrence Bragg

WE associate metals with hardness, toughness, and strength. But a curious paradox lies at the root of the valuable mechanical proper-ties of the metallic state: in order to be strong, a metal must be weak. This paradox, and the equally surprising fact that, in a sense, metals are not true solids at all, are among the topics here discussed by Sir Lawrence Bragg. (1) WHAT METALS MEAN TO US We employ various materials to build or fabricate the many objects we use in everyday life, choosing those whose properties are most suitable for the purpose which the object has to serve. Certain of these materials have been used from the earliest times, such as stone, wood, leather, and animal or vegetable fibres, each with its own peculiar valuable properties. Stone resists crushing and is very durable and permanent, as indeed it must be, since it has so long resisted change as a part of-the earth&apos;s crust. It is there-fore ideal for walls and buildings, and very early in his history man discovered how to make artificial stones by burning clay, with the advantage that they could be given any desired shape, and made into bricks or given elaborate forms as pottery. Wood is strong and tough and light, it resists tension as well as compression, and is nor brittle like stone. It forms beams and furniture and parts of tools or weapons. Leather is tough but at the same time iris flexible; it is ideal as straps or sheers. Vegetable fibres such as linen or cotton, and animal fibres such as wool and silk, owe their value to their flexibility and strength in resisting extension. They can be spun into yarn or rope, and woven into cloth. The technological age in which we are now living is replacing the natural products used by early man by a series of artificial products, but it is remarkable to see how in nearly every case we are copying Nature&apos;s materials. The wide use of concrete represents a developed art of making artificial stone. Artificial fibres such as rayon or ?nylon replace cotton, wool, and flax. Plastics are coming very much to the fore; they correspond to early man&apos;s use of horn, another substance with peculiar properties of roughness in all directions without the &apos;grain&apos; of wood. For the most part we are following in the footsteps of our remote ancestors, though we can make for ourselves what they had to cull from wood and field. There are exceptions; for instance, we have discovered comparatively recently the number of uses to which natural rubber can be put, and are now making it artificially. This is a really new discovery; our ancestors had nothing with such remarkable powers of elastic stretching without breaking, and resistance to being abraded.

Jan 1, 1943

By J. A. Pigott, R J. Hall

The International Nickel Company of Canada, Limited operates five underground mines on the rim of the Sudbury Basin in the northern part of the Province of Ontario. Four of the mines, the Frood-Stobie, Creigh-ton, Murray and Garson, are located on the south range of the basin with-in a radius of IO miles of the centre of the city of Sudbury. The fifth mine, Levack, is on the north range about 30 miles northwest of the city. The ores are mined primarily for nickel and copper, and the principal minerals are pentlandite, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite. In 1960 the total ore production was in excess of 16 mil-lion tons, 95 per cent of which was produced from the five underground mines and the balance from the Frood-Stobie Open Pit. Mining at this open pit is nearing completion and underground production has been expanded to replace the open pit tonnage.

Jan 1, 1961

By J. D. Aitken

"DEFINITION OF THE REGIONTHE REGION considered in this paper is bounded on the south by the 60th parallel, on the north by the Beau-fort Sea and Amundsen Gulf, on the east by Archean rocks or by highly deformed Proterozoic rocks of the Canadian Shield (certain weakly deformed Proterozoic strata being regarded as belonging to the Great Plains), and on the west mainly by the Mackenzie and Richardson Mountains.Only the unmetamorphosed strata of the region are considered; that is, the geology of the crystalline basement is ignored.SIGNIFICANCE OF THE REGIONThe region is significant from three points of view -namely, the economic, the scientific and the social. It constitutes 46 per cent of the area of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin."

Jan 1, 1970

By Vic Briccardi

Energy Management Challenges The Holistic Standard to Energy Management Energy Management Information System (EMIS) "Best Practices?: Energy Management Maturity Curve De Beers Canada Profile & Mine Locations Significant ROI Driven by Real-Time Energy Visibility Mining Energy KPI?s Summary: What Does EMIS Deliver? Q&A Session

May 1, 2013

By S. Homulos

"Introductory and GeneralTHE Northwest Territories comprise all that region -of Canada lying between Yukon Territory and Hudson bay and north of the 60th parallel of latitude. For purposes of mine .administration the Territories are divided into three districts: Yellowknife, McKenzie, and Arctic and Hudson Bay. Mining recording offices for the respective districts are maintained at Yellowknife, Fort Smith, and Ottawa. The mine inspection for the entire area, and also for Yukon Territory, comes under the Federal Department of Resources and Development. Two mining inspectors are responsible for these inspections: the Chief Inspector of Mines, with headquarters in Ottawa, who makes trips into the north at least twice a year, and a Resident Inspector, stationed in Yellowknife.The Resident Inspector is constantly making inspections of active properties. This involves a considerable amount of air travel as the region is large and properties are widely scattered.Although there has been prospecting and staking of claims in each of the three districts of the Northwest Territories, actual mining has been conducted only in the Yellowknife district, and for purposes of this paper we are solely concerned with that district."

Jan 1, 1952

By Jeanne B. Percival, Paul Ramaekers, Charles W. Jefferson, Pat A. Hunt, Eric G. Potter, Katherine E. Venance, William Davis, Sean A. Bosman

"A 10-cm thick clay-rich layer near the top of the Manitou Falls Formation of the Athabasca Group is unusual in its breccia texture, alteration, and detrital mineral composition relative to the adjacent overlying and underlying sedimentary beds. This layer is composed of angular quartz grains set in an illite >> kaolinite + dickite matrix. Deformed clay-rich fragments within the layer have very similar mineral assemblages. The presence of euhedral accessory minerals including Ti-oxides and aluminophosphatesulphate minerals points to a diagenetic/hydrothermal origin. The presence of individual grains of Kfeldspar and amphibole is unusual relative to the typical Athabasca quartz arenite; originally, these minerals were probably included in detrital quartz and subsequently liberated during fracturing. The textures and alteration characteristics suggest that this layer is a hydraulically-fractured unit, which has experienced hydrothermal fluid alteration - a possible pathway distally related to uranium mineralization Une couche argileuse de 10 cm d’epaisseur pres du sommet de la Formation de Manitou Falls du Groupe d&apos;Athabasca est remarquable par sa texture brechique, son alteration et la composition de ses mineraux detritiques qui different de ceux des couches sedimentaires sus- et sous-jacente. Cette couche est composee de grains de quartz angulaires dans une matrice composee d’illite >> kaolinite + dickite. Des fragments deformes riches en argile dans cette couche presentent des assemblages mineraux tres similaires. La presence de mineraux accessoires idiomorphes dont des oxydes de titane et des aluminophosphates-sulphates suggere que ces derniers ont une origine diagenetique / hydrothermale. La presence de grains de feldspath-K et d&apos;amphibole est inhabituelle comparativement aux arenites quartziques typiques de l’Athabasca; initialement, ces mineraux constituaient probablement des inclusions dans le quartz detritique qui ont ete subsequemment liberees pendant la fracturation. Les textures et les caracteristiques de l&apos;alteration suggerent que cette unite a subi une fracturation hydraulique et a ete alteree par un fluide hydrothermal - possiblement en lien avec les effets distaux de mise en place de la mineralisation en l&apos;uranium."

Jan 1, 2013

By I. M. M. W. R. Jones

"THE OBJECT of these notes is to initiate a discussion among the members of our Institution on the connotation of the term 'ore', and to arrive, if possible, at an acceptable definition of the term in the light of its current use by our leading mining engineers, metallurgists, •and geologists.The majority of •authors of well-known modern text-books on subjects dealing with mineral deposits define 'ore' in words which convey the meaning that it is an aggregate of minerals from which one or more metals can, under favourable conditions, be extracted profitably.Many eminent members of the Institution, and of mining and metallurgical institutions in other countries, consider that the term should not be restricted to metalliferous mineral •deposits but can also be applied correctly to certain non-metallic deposits. They believe that the growth, during the twentieth century, in the industrial importance of non-metallic minerals, and the progress made in the mining and the milling of deposits containing such minerals by methods similar to those used for metalliferous mineral deposits, no longer justify the academic restriction of the term to deposits worked for their metal content only."

Jan 1, 1954

By Alan Galley, Tom Hynes, Michel Plouffe

"Mining in Canada’s economy• Employs 320,000+ workers; Wages 30-60% above other sectors• Operates 220 producing mines, 33 smelters and refineries• Paid $8.4B in taxes and royalties to governments in 2010• Invests about $30B in capital projects annually • Largest private employer of Aboriginal Canadians 2• Core supplier to clean-technology sectors• Attracted 18% of world exploration spending in 2010• Efficient TSX processes - 1400 mining companies listed, ~50% of mineral projects are outside Canada• Estimated 1000 Canadian companies in 100 countries• Minerals account for 21% by value of Canada’s goods exports• Top 5 World Producer in uranium, potash, nickel, platinum, aluminum, diamonds, zinc, met coal"

Jan 1, 2012

By D. R. Pyke, R. S. Middleton

"Three main types of base metal sulphide mineralization are present in the Timmins area:(1) -Massive and stringer-type copper-zinc deposits occurring mainly in pyroclastic rocks, as typified by the mines of Kam-Kotia, Jameland and Canadian Jamieson, or within or close to possible breccia pipes as shown by the Genex and Kidd Creek mines. With the exception of the Kidd Creek mine, all of these orebodies occur northwest of Timmins (Kamiskotia area) and appear to lie within or close to a major center of volcanic activity characterized by a thick accumulation of felsic pyroclastic rocks and subordinate epizonal intrusions. The margins of the rhyolitic pile are interfingered with mafic volcanics; overlying sedi-ments mark the termination of a vol-canic cycle. The copper-zinc deposits in the Kamiskotia area are confined to a particular stratigraphic unit. Ore-bearing solutions were probably derived from the intrusive complex of the volcanic pile.(2) -Porphyry copper deposit of the Mcintyre mine. The deposit occurs in a quarz porphyry intrusion related to the volcanism in the area (Hurst, 1936). Mineralization was probably introduced at the time of intrusion, and subsequently redistributed within the porphyry during deformation. (3) -Massive and disseminated nickel mineralization, associated with serpentinized alpine-type ultramafic intrusions, as shown by the Alexo, McWatters, Hart, Inco and Texmont deposits. The nickel mineralization occurs at or near contacts of the serpentinites with felsic or mafic volcanics, or sulphide-bearing iron formations. The nickel deposits south of Timmins are confined to a particular stratigraphic unit along the margins of domical-shaped structures which appear to outline former volcanic centers. Sulphurization as pro-posed by Naldrett (1966) appears to be a workable hypothesis for the formation of some of the deposits."

Jan 1, 1971

By G. D. Markland

The Moose Mountain mine is located in a belt of Precambrian volcanic rocks situated 20 miles north of Sudbury, Ontario. It was the first iron mining operation in the Archean iron-formations of the Canadian Shield. The ore is believed to have been formed in an environment of active volcanism, being part of a pyroclastic and volcanic series where only the iron-formation and chert qualify as chemical sediments. The volcanic environment, subsequent regional tectonics and metamorphism produced orebodies which differ from the main sedimentary iron ranges of the world in such features as continuity, grade, structure and metallurgical characteristics. The orebodies occur as relatively small lenses which have been complexly folded, faulted and intruded by acidic and basic dykes.

Feb 1, 1966

By G. D. Markland

"The Moose Mountain mine is located in a belt of Precambrian volcanic rocks situated 20 miles north of Sudbury, Ontario. It was the first iron mining operation in the Archean iron-formations of the Canadian Shield.The ore is believed to have been formed in an environment of active volcanism, being part of a pyroclastic and volcanic series where only the iron-formation and chert qualify as chemical sediments. The volcanic environment, subsequent regional tectonics and metamorphism produced orebodies which differ from the main sedimentary iron ranges of the world in such features as continuity, grade, structure and metallurgical characteristics. The orebodies occur as relatively small lenses which have been complexly folded, faulted and intruded by acidic and basic dykesAlthough the basic mining and beneficiation methods are simple, detailed geological control in exploration, planning and operation has been necessary to apply detailed selective techniques to the large-scale open-pit methods necessary in profitable iron mining.The milling and pelletizing processes are sensitive to minor variations in ore grade, grain size, fabric and mineralogy. Although detailed correlations of geological information and mill performance are still not entirely satisfactory, general working relationships have been determined with simple testing procedures. These are of in-creasing use in forecasting production and in ore-blending processes.The application of geology to mining and milling operations at Moose Mountain represents a departure from general practice in iron ore operations."

Jan 1, 1966

By T. Prietl

Metallurgical vessel linings are multilayered, consisting of refractory bodies, insulation materials, joints, and additional space to control for thermal expansion. A unique biaxial hot testing press (BHTP) was installed at the RHI Refractories Technology Center Leoben, Austria to enable the three-dimensional behaviour of complex vessel lining segments to be investigated under simulated service conditions. Using the BHTP, the heat up and thermo-mechanical behaviour of magnesia chromite brick lining segments with and without mortar filled joints were examined. The results obtained during the initial heat up provided validation of CFD modelling of the lining system. In addition, after the heat up and under steady state conditions, the lining behaviour during deformation-controlled compression and relaxation was examined. These analyses generated important data regarding the stiffness, joint compressibility, and brick damage of the lining segments after cyclic loading and unloading as well as the benefits of using mortar joints in the lining. These investigations were performed in collaboration with the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Secondary Metallurgy of Nonferrous Metals, University of Leoben, Austria. The BHTP has been operational since November 2004 and is providing information regarding the thermo-mechanical behaviour of different lining segments.

Jan 1, 2007

By E. J. Sides

In this paper, the argument is put forth that the codes used for public reporting of mineral resources and mineral reserves have some significant limitations with regard to the information provided to investors on the short- to medium-term value of mining properties. Such limitations include a) failure to explicitly incorporate a time element and b) failure to state explicitly the quantity and quality of mineral product that will be produced for sale. A time-value framework for reporting mineral assets is proposed in order to overcome these limitations. The proposed system is based on two classification axes: a) an X-axis representing time in years during which the value of the asset is likely to be realized and b) a Y-axis representing the value identified by a mining or exploration company\u2019s activities. The potential benefits of this system are discussed, including the ability to incorporate factors, such as permitting and construction times, directly into the magnitude of the reported mineral assets. The proposed framework would assist in the standardization of mineral assets reporting in such a manner that they could eventually be more readily included in financial statements. Year of Publication: Not explicitly mentioned in the document.

Jan 1, 2010

By Xuanxue Mo, Zengqian Hou

"Yidun Island Arc in Sanjiang Region is one of the important Kuroko-type volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits (VMS) districts in southwestern China. Tectonically, the region is situated in the eastern portion of the Tethys orogenic belt, and is a late Triassic extensional island-arc. The island-arc underwent earlier arc construction, intra-arc rifting, later arc construction and backarc spreading during its evolution and formed a complete trench-are-basin system, i.e., the Ganzilitang suture zone, forearc basin, outer are, intra-arc rifting zone, inner arc and back-arc basin from east to west across the island-arc.Kuroko-type VMS deposits and occurrences discovered so far are limited to within the intra-arc rifting zone of the Yidun Island Arc and tend to occur in groups or clusters distributed in separate faultbound basins; e.g., Zengke, Gacun and Xiangcheng basins, in which submarine volcanic rocks, especially bimodal volcanic suites, were extensively developed. The VMS deposits formed in the waning stages of volcanic eruption in the late Triassic and are hosted in the uppermost section of acidic volcanic rocks (rhyolitic-dacitic) within a bimodal suite. The orebodies are associated with these host rocks: rhyolitic-dacitic pyroclastic rocks and exhalites and chemical sedimentary rocks.All VMS deposits in Sanjiang are of the Zn-Pb-Cu type. The architecture of the deposits is twofold, consisting of concordant lenses and layers of massive sulfides and an underlying discordant stockwork. All deposits show metal zoning. The hydrothermal alteration related to mineralization is strong and asymmetrical, and is found dominantly within the stockwork zone and host rocks surrounding the ores. There are two alteration patterns: (1) chloritization - sericitization - silicification from outer sides to core of the alteration pipe; and (2) silicification + sericitization - silicification + carbonate from the lower to upper part of the alteration pipe.The mineralization temperatures of ore-forming fluids vary in the range 200°C to 335°C. Thermal evolution of the fluids displays temperature profiles that first increase and then decrease with progression of mineralization processes. The majority of black-ore minerals (Groups I and informed during intensifying stages of hydrothermal activity, and the majority of semi-yellow-ore minerals (Group III) formed during a thermal maximum. There followed the formation of fine-grained black-ore minerals (Group IV), which interacted with barite layers during decreasing temperature phases.Oxygen and hydrogen isotope studies show that the sources of ore-forming fluids for the Kurokotype VMS deposits are two-fold: seawater and magmatic hydrothermal solutions, represented by the Kuroko deposits in Japan and Kuroko-type VMS deposits in Sanjiang, respectively. In the latter case the hydrothermal solutions reacted with host rocks and mixed with cold seawater percolating downward, and circulated through volcanic rocks resulting in development of alteration zones and formation of ore minerals in Kuroko-type VMS deposits."

Jan 1, 1993