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By M. K. McMullen

Mineral Development Agreements (MDA?s) are a cooperative mechanism in Canada by which the federal and individual provincial governments can coordinate their scientific, techno- logical and market development resources in order to implement measures designed to stimulate mineral exploration and development by the private sector; the objective, ultimately, being to increase the mineral industry?s contribution to provincial economies. In the latest round of MDA?s, which was initiated in 1984, a significant number of planned activities relate to industrial minerals. This paper will describe the nature and importance of MDA's in Canada and will outline the wide range of activities taking place with respect to industrial minerals.

Jan 1, 1987

By Konrad Krimpelstätter

The need for more effective and flexible roll-gap lubrication technologies in hot and cold rolling mills is steadily increasing due to ever-greater requirements placed on the rolling process and the final products. In particular, the rolling of high-strength steels poses enormous demands for both the rolling mill and the coolant/lubricant to be used. The presented paper focuses on two innovative technologies for highly efficient roll-gap lubrication for hot and cold rolling, which were developed utilizing extensive knowledge and expertise about the tribological interactions in the roll-gap. The advanced work-roll lubrication package (A-WRL) for hot rolling and ESP mills is using specially designed mixer-nozzle units to mix the water/oil emulsion very close to the nozzles to minimize the risk for contamination and clogging. The nozzles are quickly exchangeable and are optimized to ensure uniform lubricant distribution, high plateout efficiency and minimum oil consumption. This eco-friendly solution does not require any chemical additives or cleaning agents and significantly reduces electrical energy consumption and work-roll wear. The roll cooling system on mill entry and exit side remains switched-on, which is of vital importance especially for highperformance hot strip mills. Minimum Quantity Lubrication MQL® represents a new generation of roll-gap lubrication technologies for cold rolling, which applies minimum amounts of pure rolling oil finely atomized with pressurized air directly onto the work roll surface. This allows controlling the oil film thickness depending on actual process and product parameters, providing increased lubrication flexibility, significant improvement of strip surface cleanliness through reduction of strip wear. MQL® was successfully installed and tested on two industrial tandem cold rolling mills in Europe. Advanced WRL and MQL® represent Primetals’ latest technologies that feature a robust and reliable system comprising standardized interfaces and flexible communication options. Both packages can easily be integrated into existing or new hot strip mills, ESP lines or cold mills.

Aug 17, 2017

By N. L. Dorset, K. L. Heasley

Unfortunately, mining and mining accidents have gone hand-in-hand since man first started to extract ore from the ground. In the first published treatise on mining, De Re Metallica, Georgius Agricola (1556) stated that cold, water, dust, stagnant and foul air, roof falls, falls from ladders and demons all caused injury and death in the mines of his day. Although demons are no longer considered a cause of accidents in modern mining, the other factors remain with us still. The United States government started keeping track of fatalities with the establishment of the federal Bureau of Mines in 1910. Successor agencies, such as the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) continue to track fatalities today. Looking at the records, it can be seen that coal mine fatalities dropped from 2821 in 1910 to only 27 in 2004. The reduction in fatalities and injuries didn’t “just happen.” It took concentrated effort from the entire mining industry: miners, supervisors, safety officials, mining inspectors and mining researchers. But first, specific hazards must be identified before they can be corrected. In past, coal mining accidents have been analyzed by: type (roof fall, electrical, etc), mine attribute (location, seam height, etc.), and aspects of the mineworker (work experience, job classification, etc). Much of this research helped to direct the industry’s attention to where additional vigilance and safety training was needed. No doubt this directed effort has led, at least in part, to the decrease in coal mining fatalities. This paper takes a novel look at coal mining fatalities: it examines the risk of fatalities based on how long the mine has been open.

Jan 1, 2006

By Daniella Gomes Rodriguesr

"As mudanças que ocorrem ao longo do recozimento na microestrutura e textura foram observadas no aço inoxidável ferrítico estabilizado ao nióbio, tipo ASTM 430 por meio de Difração de Elétrons Retroespalhados. As amostras deformadas foram recozidas com uma taxa de aquecimento de 23,5°C/s. O recozimento foi interrompido nas temperaturas de 780, 830 e 880°C para acompanhar a evolução da microestrutura e textura. Os resultados mostraram que a nucleação dos novos grãos ocorre preferencialmente nos contornos de alto ângulo. No estágio inicial da recristalização a fibra g é dominante na fração recristalizada, com as componentes 111121, 1111 ,1 2 mais intensas. Na fração não recristalizada a fibra a foi mais intensa. No progresso da recristalização as componentes 11112 1 e 1111 ,1 2 permanecem predominantes, a fibra g torna-se dominante em detrimento da fibra a."

Jan 16, 2018

By D. Paktunc, S. P. du Preez, J. P. Beukes, P. G. van Zyl, A. Jordaan

"The chromium (Cr) content of stainless steel originates from recycled scrap and/or ferrochrome (FeCr), which is produced mainly by the carbothermic reduction of chromite ore. The oxidative sintered pellet production process is one of the most widely applied FeCr processes. The supplier of this technology specifies that recycling of chromite-containing dust collected from the pellet sintering off-gas and fines screened out from the sintered pellets (collectively referred to as pre-oxidized chromite fines) should be limited to a maximum of 4 wt% of the total pellet composition. However, the results presented in this paper suggest that recycling of such fines up to a limit of 32 wt% of the total pellet composition may improve the compressive and abrasion strengths of the cured pellet. In addition, electron microprobe and quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses demonstrate that chromite grains present in the pre-oxidized chromite fines consist, at least partially, of crystalline phases/compounds that will improve the metallurgical efficiency and specific electricity consumption (i.e. MWh/ton FeCr produced) of the smelting process. Introduction Stainless steel is a vital modern-day alloy that is well-known for its corrosion resistance, which is mainly due to the inclusion of chromium (Cr) (ICDA, 2013). Stainless steel is mostly produced from recycled scrap and ferrochrome (FeCr), a relatively crude alloy of Cr and iron (Fe). FeCr is predominantly produced by the carbothermic reduction of chromite, a mineral belonging to the spinel group characterized by the unit formula [(Mg,Fe2+)(Al,Cr,Fe3+)2O4] (Haggerty, 1991; Paktunc and Cabri, 1995; Tathavakar, Antony, and Jha, 2005). Although Cr can occur in 82 different minerals, chromite is the only source of new Cr units that can be exploited in commercial volumes (Motzer and Engineers, 2004). Approximately 95% of mined chromite is used in the production of various FeCr grades, of which high-carbon and charge grade FeCr are the most common (ICDA, 2013)."

Feb 1, 2019

By Scott Turner

Within recent years , people have begun to realize the importance and significance of the mining and allied industries . The leading part the engineer plays in civilization is becoming recognized . However , accurate quantitative knowledge of the industrial importance of mining is still seldom possessed except by those close to this business . It is true that there are a few who go to the extreme and represent the whole progress of civilization as a reflection of man's gradual mastery of mineral utilization , but on the whole , the magnitude of the industry is underestimated . The uncertainties of mining , as evidenced by the variable results of prospecting on surface or underground , in an unknown new field or from the bottom levels of a mature mine , the ins and outs of tonnages and metal contents , the possibility of a widespread or even a sudden change between cost and realization-price , add to its picturesqueness and make mining attractive to some . To many , the fact that results are generally more uncertain and less predictable than in other industries lends added charm . The following pages may serve to call attention briefly to the importance of mining relative to other industries in the United States , in Canada , and in the world . Ordinarily , the annual primary mineral production of the United States amounts to about 5 billion dollars . The average for the last five years has been a little over 5 billion dollars . Last year , sadly enough , it was less than 34 billions . Just now , we are on the decline , and have been for the past two years . In Canada , the 5-year average was about 268 million dollars . Last year it was 227 million . Due in part to gold output ( in 1930 , for the first time , Canada's gold production exceeded that of the United States ) , the Canadian average is holding up better than ours . It has been estimated that the average world mineral production over the past five years has amounted to about 12 billion dollars , while in 1931 it was less than 8 billions . The mineral industries are as indispensable for the conduct of modern society as are those of agriculture , but , in the United States at least , they receive far less recognition from the Government . With us , agriculture is fostered by a great department that is maintained by enormous appropriations , while the mineral industries get but little financial support . In the United States , in the calendar year 1930 , the value of production by these two industries were as follows : to 1 . Agriculture ( inclusive of forestry ) 9.9 billion dollars ; mining 4.8 billions ; ratio 2 Direct appropriations by our Federal Government were 109 million dollars to agriculture and 2.8 million to mining , a ratio of 39 to 1. Obviously this is out of balance to the extent of 19 to 1 in favor of agriculture .

Jun 1, 1932

This report summarizes the work performed and results achieved in the period from 18 June 1971 through 18 October 1971 under Phase I (Task 1: Literature and Industry Search; Task 2: Conceptual Design and Evaluation; and Task 3: Concept Selection and Preliminary Design) in substantiation of the drill/impregnation machine concept recommended for detailed design in Phase II. Also included as Task 5 are recommendations for an experimental investigation to be conducted during Phase II. The report is submitted for approval and authorization to proceed to Phase II.

Jan 1, 1972

By W. J. Tough

THIS paper offers examples of some of the typical calculations which occur in the ventilation of metal mines. The fi.rst section of the paper discusses the problems associated with natural-draft pressure; the second section presents the more common of the calculations concerned with the operation of mine fans; the third section illustrates the integration of the individual problems covered by the preceding sections into the larger problem of determining the operating characteristics of a fan for a particular mine duty. There is a very definite limit to the extent to which pure arithmetic can be successfully applied to the solution of min<; ventilation problems. As mines advance from the exploration, development, and initial production stage to the rime when underground workings become exceedingly complex, there is a considerable increase in the relative importance o theory and judgment in the solution of ventilation problems. These calculations illustrate the application of mathematics to ventilation, but they also in-elude examples of instances where arithmetic cannot be conveniently applied, and important estimates, based on judgment compounded of experience and a knowledge of the theoretical consideration involved, must be made. The inclusion of such estimates is intended as a guide and a warning to the reader; a guide in assisting him to recognize and estimate his own incalculables; and a warning that the solutions must not be blindly applied to his apparently similar problems. These sample calculations are intended to assist the reader in applying the theory contained in the standard texts on metal-mine ventilation. They have been selected from the ventilation experience of a British Columbia mine.

Jan 1, 1942

By J. K. Whyatt

This report describes a microcomputer-based instrumentation system for structural monitoring of the circular, concrete-lined Silver Shaft in northern Idaho, The 1-ft-thick concrete lining and surrounding rock mass were instrumented with a total of 12 multiple-point borehole extensometers, 16 pressure cells, 22 concrete embedment strain gauges, and 12 thermistors. The instruments were distributed among four test sites and installed immediately above the shaft bottom during sinking at the 2,414, 4,063, 5,191, and 5,955 levels. Limited access to the instruments prompted the development of a microcomputer-based remote data acquisition system that could be operated from the surface. The system scanned the instruments on a programmed schedule, printed out reduced data, and stored the data for plotting and recall. Data acquisition from off-site and uploading of data to mainframe computers were accomplished by the addition of modems to the basic system. The system is suitable for use in monitoring the structural behavior of any deep mine opening, especially in harsh operating environments and where access is limited.

Jan 1, 1986

By Rafael Abreu Fraga

Este trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar a nova linha de Laminação de Chapas Grossas da Usina de Ouro Branco da Gerdau, marcando a entrada da empresa na produção de chapas grossas de alto valor agregado no Brasil. A primeira fase do projeto consiste de um forno de reaquecimento de placas, um laminador de chapas grossas, sistema de resfriamento acelerado – Mulpic®, desempandeiras a quente e a frio e uma completa linha de acabamento constituída de linha de tesouras, oxi corte e máquina de ultra som. Neste projeto estão empregadas as mais modernas tecnologias para garantir a qualidade do produto: automação completa dos equipamentos com modelos matemáticos de controle do processo, sistema HAGC, Work Roll Bending e Work Roll Shiftting Smart Crown®. A nova linha tem capacidade de produção de 1,2 milhões de toneladas por ano na primeira fase, podendo alcançar 1,8 milhões de toneladas na segunda fase com espessura variando entre 6,0 a 150 mm e largura entre 900 a 3700 mm.

Aug 17, 2017

By Mingming Zhang, Marshall S. Coe, Marcelo W. Andrade

To supply iron units and flux burden in blast furnaces, sinter basicity is one of the vital parameters for sinter plants. The sinter basicity also plays an important role in sinter quality since it imparts the formation of different mineral phases in sinter. Pot-grate sintering tests were carried out with low and high basicity to investigate the effects of sinter basicity on sinter mineralogy, properties and productivity. It was found that with an increase in sinter basicity, both sinter productivity and reducibility (RI) increased. Tumbler index (TI) and low temperature degradation index (LTD) of high basicity sinter were comparable to low basicity sinter. Softening and melting tests showed that sinter with 3.5 C/S basicity had slightly higher softening temperature comparing to lower basicity sinter with C/S 2.6, acid and fluxed pellets. XRD analyses confirmed the formation of silico-ferrite of calcium and alumina (SFCA) and calcium ferrite (CF) in the tested sinter samples.

Jan 1, 2015

By Ron Tluczek

[Power Point Presentation]

Jan 1, 2006

By Evangelos Petrakis, Kostas Komnitsas

This study investigates the evolution of dimensional properties of grinding products, namely, the mass, the surface area, the length, and the number of particle distributions with the energy input in a ball mill. The size analysis of the mill products enables the calculation of the mass distribution of each material at predetermined size classes and then the determination of the other dimensional properties by taking into consideration the geometry of the particles. Based on the distribution of dimensional properties, an effort was made to determine whether the grinding products are fractal in nature. The effect of material type and grinding conditions on the relationship between the dimensional properties and the specific energy input was also investigated. Special importance was assigned to the study of the specific surface area and the surface area production rate, both during the initial grinding stages and at higher energy levels. The determination of the surface area production rate allows the identification of the grinding limit and the maximum specific surface area which could theoretically be achieved. This approach has as ultimate objective the maximization of energy efficiency and subsequently the minimization of the high grinding cost.

By A. Chagnes

This paper presents a modelling tool that can be used to predict the behaviour of solvent extraction processes. In particular, this model allows calculating metal extraction efficiency as a function of pH, solvent flowrate, stripping flowrate and aqueous feed flowrate in the mixers-settlers. This model is applied to the recovery of cobalt from acidic chloride media by using CYANEX® 272 as extractant diluted in kerosene. Keywords: Cobalt, mixer-settler, modelling, solvent extraction

Jan 1, 2020

By J. Diaz

"Antioquia region, in Colombia, is considered one of the areas with the highest mercury contamination in the world due to its use in gold recovery through artisanal mining, emissions to the environment between 100 and 150 tonnes of mercury are estimated by year. Therefore it became necessary to develop a project in which it was proposed aim to empower traditional artisanal mining community, or in different areas, such as gold mining in the region of Antioquia, in the implementation of safe mining practices and environmentally sustainable, from the introduction of clean technologies, in order to prevent or mitigate the impacts generated by traditional mining on the environment and the communities involved. In order to achieve this training to traditional mining community developed and technical visits to artisanal mining were performed in order to optimize operating processes and promote safe mining practices. In the project more than 1400 artisanal miners were trained.INTRODUCTION In the developing world, a combined 30 million individuals extract more than 30 different minerals using rudimentary techniques. Gold is the preferred mineral extracted by artisanal operators due to its high unit value and its market price, which has increased almost sevenfold over the last decade (Veiga et al, 2014). The artisanal gold mining sector in Colombia has 200,000 miners officially producing 30 tonnes Au/a. In the Northeast of the Department of Antioquia, there are 17 mining towns and between 15,000 and 30,000 artisanal gold miners (M. Veiga, 2010) (Upme, 2014). This production, however, has caused environmental problems, including high levels of river siltation and mercury pollution (Veiga et al, 2014) (UPME, 2007) (Cordy et al., 2013). The mercury contamination in Colombia by artisanal gold mining has been recognized by a number of researchers and local authorities for over a decade estimated that the annual mercury emissions from artisanal gold miners in Colombia in 2007 were between 50 and 100 tonnes, however given recent gold value increases and gold rush activity, current mercury emissions are likely much higher. Colombia is likely the world's 3rd largest source of mercury emissions from AGM after China (240 to 650 tonnes of Hg/a) and Indonesia (130 to 160 tonnes of Hg/a) (Telmer and Veiga, 2008) and is the world's highest per capita mercury polluter (M. Veiga, 2010)."

Jan 1, 2016

By Jean A. Andre

In 1969 "Société des Mines et Fonderies de Zinc de la Vieille-Montagne" produced 221,000 tons zinc ingots and 22,000 tons zinc dust, thus rating highest on the world&apos;s zinc producer list. The Company&apos;s plant at Balen, Belgium, with an output of 135,000 tons electrolytic zinc is the most important one of this group; it is an integrated metallurgical zinc and lead unit with recovery of most by-products. The present paper describes the zinc production facilities. The roasting section includes four fluid bed roasters (total concentrates charged: 740 tpd) and two sulfuric acid having a corresponding capacity. Calcine is leached in a fully automated plant by a two-step continuous process. Leaching residues, mixed with lead furnace slag, are treated in a shaft furnace. The recovered zinc fume is leached separately. In the near future, the leaching residues are to be treated by a wet process, developed in the Company&apos;s own laboratories. Purification of solutions is accomplished in two steps: antimony and zinc dust are added in the first one, only zinc dust in the second one for removal of cadmium. Electrolysis cells are partly of a conventional type. A new type of cell configuration was put onstream in October, 1969, planned output 60,000 tpy. Main features of the new cell rooms are the fully automatic pulling, stripping and replacing of the jumbo-size cathodes (immersed area 2.6 m2). Zinc cathodes are remelted in induction furnaces followed by in-line automatic casting and stacking machines.

Jan 1, 1970

By Hugo Toledo, Antonio Bravo, Rafael Carpio, Samuel Apolinario

La planta concentradora de compañía minera Antapaccay tiene un circuito de molienda SABC, compuesto de un molino SAG de 40’ x 25’, dos molinos de bolas de 26’ x 40.5’, dos chancadoras de pebbles, un sistema de clasificación con trommel - zaranda en molienda primaria y un sistema de clasificación con hidrociclones en molienda secundaria; este circuito fue diseñado para procesar 70 ktpd de mineral (76 ktpd de mineral efectivo), actualmente la planta concentradora alcanzó una capacidad de 95 ktpd de mineral efectivo, mediante la implementación de iniciativas de excelencia operacional, sin significativos costos de inversión.

Sep 30, 2022

In 2007, a total of 725 nonmetal mining operations reported employment to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).1 Nonmetal mines com-prised 4.9% of all m ining operations. ? Mines producing common clay comprised 25.4% (n=184) of all nonmetal mining operations. ? Nonmetal mining operations were located in all states and territories except Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Aug 1, 2009

By C. L. Reichardt

"Pressure exerted on gold producers by regulators, project financiers, and civil society in the wake of the Baia Mare tailings spill in Romania during 2000 prompted most responsible gold companies to sign up to the International Cyanide Management Code for the Manufacture, Transport, and Use of Cyanide in the Production of Gold (the Code). The Code stipulates a ‘cradle to grave’ approach more comprehensive than that applied to any other mining reagent and poses particular challenges for operators who use cyanide-bearing tailings for backfill. This paper examine some of the challenges for Code compliance facing deep underground gold mines that employ backfill technology, most particularly the requirement to demonstrate that the potential migration of cyanide (and its degradation products) from emplaced backfill will not have an unacceptable impact on worker health and safety or on the receiving environment, either during mine life or after closure.Although the Code only contains a single reference to backfill, more careful consideration confirms that most sections of the Code that deal with tailings management are potentially applicable to mines where tailings material is used for backfill. Certain principles of the Code also pertain to aspects of operations, worker safety, emergency response, training, and dialogue with stakeholders relating to backfilling practice.For gold mines of the Far West Rand, the most significant cyanide-related risks associated with backfill operations relate to worker exposure to cyanide-bearing seepage and HCN gas. There is potential for seepage of cyanide-bearing water from backfill to compromise the beneficial use of surface and groundwater, and thus impact on downstream users and ecosystems. However, the extreme depth of mining and the specific geological and hydrological controls on the Far West Rand suggest that the potential environmental risks associated with backfill are likely to be considerably less significant than the cyanide-related risks to the workforce."

Jan 1, 2007

By Robin P. Gardner

The development and use of short-lived radioactive tracer methods for the on-stream determination of residence time distributions in large-scale ball mills is described. Tests are reported on a pilot-plant ball mill with 0.43 m diameter and 0.86 m length and on an industrial mill with 1.83 m diameter and 2.74 m length. Tests with different tracer feed sizes indicate that the residence time distributions on both mills are independent of charge particle size. Similar tests are planned for a-large ball mill of 4.57 m diameter and 9.30 m length. No safety problems were encountered in these tests and none are anticipated in tests of the larger mill.

Jan 1, 1978