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By T. Negeri, M. Boisclair

"A hybrid process consisting of flotation and magnetic separation has been developed to concentrate multi-phase rare earth minerals associated with a carbonatite ore that contains a significant amount of niobium. Fine grinding to a d80 of <65 microns was required to obtain acceptable separation of 92% of the contained total rare earth oxide (TREO) and niobium in half the feed mass. Whereas it was possible to obtain 85% of TREO in 28% of the feed mass through staged cleaning, it was demonstrated that at least 87% and 85% recoveries of TREO and Nb respectively could be achieved in 16% of the feed if the rougher-scavenger concentrates were calcined, quenched, reground to <25 µm and then magnetically upgraded. The paper discusses the overall concept of the flowsheet and the experimental strategies that led to this progress. INTRODUCTIONOut of the approximately 250 minerals known to contain rare earth elements (REEs), only about 60 of them contain REEs in significant amounts. Over 95% of the world’s rare earth oxides (REOs) are believed to occur in the form of three minerals (Pradip & Fuerstenau, 1991) namely bastnaesite (Ce,La,Y)CO3F, monazite (Ce,La,Nd,Th)PO4 and xenotime Y(PO)4. An estimated 51.4% of global REO resources are hosted by carbonatite deposits with the same three minerals as major constituents (Weng et. al., 2015). Any one of the REEs or commonly all of them can be found in these minerals (Ravnaas, 2010). As the demand for critical REEs increases due to the ever increasing applications in advanced technologies, many deposits containing other forms of REE minerals will have to be developed. REE minerals are extensively dispersed and intergrown with several oxides, silicates, carbonates, and phosphate minerals. Consequently it is possible to liberate them only at fine grinding and is thus difficult to separate and produce high grade rare earth mineral concentrates. Most of these minerals contain other important elements such as tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), uranium (U), and thorium (Th) in varied quantities. REE minerals in the same ore may exist as carbonates, fluorocarbonates, niobates, silicates, phosphates etc. in association with gangue minerals belonging to different mineralogical groups."

Jan 1, 2016

By T. H. North, A. G. Glover, R. J. Pick

"Girth welding operations represent the rate-limiting step in pipeline construction. A joint industry-university program was set up to establish the field welding characteristics of large-diameter, high-strength line pipe.Theoretical work carried out at the University of Waterloo showed that pipe wall thickness and joint misalignment prior to welding has a marked influence on the lifting stresses acting on the root pass of girth welds. Pipe diameter and pipe ovality had negligible effects. Super-position of lifting and residual stress (caused by the fusion welding operation) highlighted regions of the weld bead most susceptible to hydrogen-induced cracking.The field welding characteristics of 1219-mm-diameter, 13.72-mm-wt Grade 483 line pipe were evaluated using a specially designed test rig. The principal test variables were lift height, delay time after root pass deposition, preheat temperature, pipe composition and joint misalignment prior to welding. For any given life, preheat and joint misalignment prior to welding had the most significant effect on cracking tendency.The output of this program has industrial significance and illustrates the beneficial features of university-industry collaboration.IntroductionField welding operations comprise the rate-limiting step during pipeline construction. Crack-free girth welds must be made in a wide range of weather conditions and consequently the field weldability of line pipe compositions directly affects pipeline integrity and construction economics.Pipe-laying practice comprises root bead deposition followed by a skidding operation involving lifting (or lowering) the pipe length onto skid s so that the next pipe length can be aligned prior to welding. Consider pipeline construction using 24.4-m lengths of 1219-mm-diameter , 13.72-mm-wt Grade 483 pipe weighing approximately 10,000 kg. Skidding involves loading a 3-mm-thick root bead by moving the free end of the pipe through vertical distances of up to 700 mm . The likelihood of cracking in these circumstances depends on the inherent crack susceptibility of the pipe composition employed, on the hydrogen content of the deposited weld metal and on how well the joint handles the external stressing caused byskidding."

Jan 1, 1981

By I. Clauzier

"A new method of managing electricity to reduce costs andimprove profits is discussed. Before taking steps to better manage electricity, it is essential to understand the terms peak demand and energy and their effect on an electrical bill. Knowing how electricity is presently used in the plant is the important first step. This goes beyond knowing how much electricity is used at each time of day, the individual contribution of every plant process to the total plant load must be known. At this point, each process is ranked according to importance to production in order to identify possible savings opportunities. These improvements can then be implemented by simply improving operations or in some cases, through the use of an automatic control system. IntroductionIn today&apos;s competitive environment, controlling costs is becoming increasingly important. All costs associated with operation must be controlled in an effort to improve competitive position. Electricity is a cost component that can and should be managed.Although the term management can mean different things to different people, the intent is always the same: to make the best possible use of existing resources, whether labour, equipment or electricity.The simple approach to managing electricity presented in this paper consists of four steps.I. Understand Peak Demand and Energy. It is essential to understand the terms, peak demand and energy and their effect on your electrical bill.2. Know Your Present Electrical Use. The present use of electricity in the plant must be known. This goes beyond simply knowing how much is used at each time of day, to accurately knowing how each process is contributing to the total plant electrical load, and ultimately to the electrical bill.3. Identification of Savings Opportunities. With this information, energy savings opportunities for reducing the electrical bill and improving profits can be identified.4. Implementing Improvements. Having identified areas of potential savings, improvements can then be implemented in order of their significance. This could be a matter of simply improving operations, or in some eases may mean the use of an automatic control system.These four steps can result in significant dollar savings."

Jan 1, 1987

By E. Goodwin

"Maclaren Forest Products Inc.Lime is commonly used for the neutralization of acid, and the removal of heavy metals in mine waste waters. However, the precipitation of heavy metals as hydroxides must take place under conditions of controlled pH, to produce minimum concentrations of dissolved metals. An account is presented explaining the concepts applied to lime-treatment processes at Bell Mine during the period of a supernatant discharge to Babine Lake; October 18, 1982to January 25, 1983. IntroductionBell Mine of Maclaren Forest Products Inc., Babine Mining Division, an open-pit copper mine, is located on Newman Peninsula, Babine Lake approximately 65 kilometres northeast of the town of Smithers, British Columbia (Fig. 1).A depressed market for copper metal in 1982 forced a management decision to suspend operations at the mine for an indefinite period from October 3 I, 1982. For some time prior to the mine closing date, mine management was concerned about the increasing level of supernatant in the tailings pond , and its possible effects on the stability of the dam when cycloning of mill tailings ceased. Consideration of these potential hazards led to an application being filed with the Provincial Waste Management for a permit to discharge the excess water to Babine Lake. This large lake, an important link with several significant salmon spawning sites, is a major contributor to the British Columbia commercial fishing industry. Jurisdiction for the environmental affairs in the area is shared by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Environmental Protection Service, and the Provincial Waste Management Branch. These agencies were directly concerned in the formulation of discharge permit following joint consultation, and exchange of information with the company on environmental concerns. An approval was finally granted to discharge approximately 1,000,000 cubic metres of supernatant from the tailings impoundment at Bell Mine into Hagan Arm, Babine Lake from October 18, 1982 with a daily discharge not to exceed 9000 cubic metres. Provisions were made that a particular discharge procedure be followed, and that the company would be responsible for setting up a sampling and monitoring program to safeguard the quality of the effluent."

Jan 1, 1986

By M. R. Babcock

"The Rabbit Lake story began in the late sixties and will continue well into the twenty-first century. It is a story of success, of multiple ore body discoveries, of unique systems, and new methods made possible through innovative and state-of-the-art design. Two quite different geological systems host the five ore bodies mined, or slated to be mined. These two systems have yielded two distinct ore types, each with characteristic mineralogical properties and each requiring its own specific mill circuit.Emphasis on communications and our unique systems have led to a satisfactory and fulfilling work environment resulting in the historically low employee turnover which has contributed to the operation success.A comprehensive environmental study after twelve years of operation has given the Rabbit Lake Operation a completely clean bill of health. INTRODUCTIONRabbit Lake can be described as Saskatchewan&apos;s first highgrade uranium mining operation, which set the stage for the province&apos;s current role as the leader in uranium mining throughout the western world. The importance of the Rabbit Lake operations - past, present and future.LocationThe Rabbit Lake operation is located in northeastern Saskatchewan (Fig. 1)- 805 km north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and 814 km northeast of Edmonton, Alberta. OwnershipGulf Minerals Canada Limited discovered the Rabbit Lake deposit in 1968. Mining operations began in 1975and were operated by Gulf until purchased by Eldorado Nuclear Limited in 1982. In 1988, Eldorado merged with Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation (SMDC) to form Cameco-A Canadian Mining &. Energy Corporation. The new corporation is one of the world &apos;s largest uranium companies.Cameco&apos;s $1.5 billion in assets include the Rabbit Lake uranium mine (Cameco 100010); the Key Lake uranium mine (Cameco 66.67%; Uranerz Exploration and Mining Limited 33.33%); the Cluff Lake uranium mine (Cameco 20%; Amok Ltd. 80%); the Fuel Services Division at Blind River and Port Hope, Ontario (Cameco 100%); and a 100%); and a 48.75% interest in the Cigar Lake uranium deposit which is now at the test mining stage (Cogema Canada Ltd . 32.625% ; Idemitsu Uranium Exploration Canada Limited 12.875%; Corono Grande 3.75%; Korea Electric Power Corporation 2%). In addition, Cameco is involved in a number of base and precious metal explor ation projects."

Jan 1, 1989

By C. R. Edwards, D. R. G. Watt

"Equity Silver Mines Ltd. a member of the Placer Development group of companies operates Canada's largest silver mine near Houston in north-central British Columbia. Initially, the silver-gold-copper flotation concentrate contained excessive levels of antimony and arsenic, so a leach process was installed to remove undesirable metals and provide improved smelter terms for the leached concentrate. The leach plant which has been fully described elsewhere (1, 2, 3), was forced by deteriorating process economics to shut down in April 1984. Equipment was mothballed and alternate uses sought.The Endako Mines Division of Placer Development Limited, located some 150 kilometres east of the Equity mine site, shut down its molybdenite mining and milling facilities in the spring of 1982. Endako has continued to produce molybdic oxide (molybdenum trioxide or MTO) via intermittent roaster runs, and also a high purity, lubricant grade molybdenum disulfide in the Ultrapure Plant. With the steel industry in the doldrums, molybdenum chemicals present an alternate and growing potential for molybdenum sales. In 1982 Placer Development began testing this market. Molybdenum chemicals were produced in the United States on a toll basis using Endako MTO as process feed. The transfer of this production to Canada was being considered when Equity's leach plant shut down, and it was noted that most of the equipment and skills necessary could be provided by the leach plant. See Figure 1.A careful investigation of process requirements was completed by engineering and production staff at Equity and Endako. A provisional capital and operating cost estimate was made, and it was decided to perform a test run during July 1984. There were strong reasons to proceed with this project. A positive cash flow was expected for both Endako and Equity. Endako would have product to continue to expand in the molybdenum chemicals market with the added selling point that now the complete production process would be under direct control of Placer Development companies. Equity would further benefit since a portion of the leach plant would continue in operation thus maintaining and exercising our hydrometallurgical engineering and operating skills. Finally, Equity would have a base from which to search out other processes adaptable to the idled leach plant equipment."

Jan 1, 1986

By T. L. Tanton

Introduction Sturgeon River area, on the east side of lake Nipigon, Ontario, was the scene of a gold rush in 1934. According to press reports, the active staking during the latter part of the summer spread out rapidly from the early holdings until it embraced practically all of the lower basin of Sturgeon river in a belt up to ten miles wide extending west from Kinghorn for 35 miles to lake Nipigon. And, before winter set in, active prospecting and claim staking reached beyond lake Nipigon to areas where belts of ancient schists were known, notably west of Obonga lake. The writer&apos;s familiarity in past years with the areas to which attention has been directed admits of some observations on means of access in the field, the general geology, and the progress that has been made in identifying formations favourable for the occurrence of gold. Canoe Routes From the writer&apos;s observations in Sturgeon River area in 1917 and in the Obonga Lake area in 1933, it is recalled that there is, locally, a striking dif~ ference in the accessibility of the two areas by travel along canoe routes. Sturgeon River area is easily accessible from Kinghorn or Jellicoe stations on the Canadian National railways. Many small lakes, commonly of the linear type and with elongations east and west, occur among the forested rocky ridges near Jellicoe (Figure 1) and to the east and west along, or adjacent to, Sturgeon river. This stream has long stretches with gentle current between the falls and rapids. The drainage system provides excellent canoe routes (Figure 2), and the interruptions to travel (Figure 3) are remembered .as scenic features that were passed by portages with firm footing. West of Obonga lake, the streams flowing easterly to lake Nipigon may be followed through scenic canyons to a plateau of law relief characterized by extensive muskegs and shallow, brown-water lakes; and along small streams, where beaver dams have been destroyed, there are muck ponds where the usual alternatives of paddling or portaging can be dismissed in favour of the &apos;moosing&apos; method of progress with the canoe (Figure 4).

Jan 1, 1935

By C. B. Mapes, E. C. Dowling Jr.

"To reduce concentrate dewatering and drying costs, the Concentrator Division at Phelps Dodge Morenci, Inc. investigated available filtration technologies. Numerous methods were explored, including: drum, disk, belt, pressure, hyperbaric, and ceramic media filtration. An economic evaluation of the individual filtration technologies indicated the advantages of ceramic media filtration for Morenci concentrates. This paper discusses the technological development culminating in the first full scale application of ceramic media disk filters in North America. Low moisture contents are obtained at high production rates and greatly reduced operating costs.INTRODUCTIONPhelps Dodge commissioned the Morenci Concentrator Filter Plant in 1942 with four 8'6"" Dorr-Oliver cloth disk filters. That year, the filter plant processed 265,537 tons of concentrate grading 20.5% Cu. The filter cake production averaged 9.3% moisture. In 1944, the Extension Filter Plant commenced operation with three additional 8'6"" Dorr-Oliver cloth disk filters. This coincided with the expansion of the concentrator. Production that year totaled 451,567 tons of concentrate grading 23.8% Cu. Moisture averaged 9.4%.Through the years additional filter units have been added in response to increased concentrate production. An Eimco drum filter was installed on the extension side and an additional Dorr-Oliver disk filter was installed on the original side in the 1950's. In 1961, two 8'6"" Peterson disk filters were installed, one on each side to replace two worn-out DorrOlivers. The installation of four 10xl2 foot Peterson drum filters was completed in 1974, coinciding with the Metcalf Concentrator startup. An Eimco belt filter was installed later.The greatest change to concentrate dewatering at Morenci occurred in 1963 with the addition of a 10x60 foot rotary gas fired dryer. The installation also included a number of conveyors to deliver filter cake from both plants to and from the dryers. Other ancillary systems included dust scrubbers and their slurry pumps. The commencement of drying was undertaken due to the rapid increase in cake moisture as a result of the LPF process and the recycling of acid plant scrubber dust slurry from the smelter. In 1972, a second dryer system was installed to increase capacity."

Jan 1, 1993

"Sink-float analysis is often used to obtain yield-ash and density partition curves in the coal industry. These provide a valuable tool for evaluating the performance of a separation process. However, for dense minerals, obtaining complete grade-recovery and density partition curves is more difficult due to the lack of heavy liquids available with the required densities. This paper examines a potential solution to this problem which is to perform batch fractionation of mineral samples in a laboratory-scale REFLUX™ Classifier using high viscosity fluidising liquids. The REFLUX™ Classifier is a gravity separation unit consisting of a system of parallel inclined channels positioned above a vertical fluidised bed. Operated in semi-batch mode, a charge of particles is fluidised from below and particles up to a certain density are elutriated from the top of the system. The fluidisation rate is then increased incrementally to fractionate the sample at progressively increasing densities. Previous work by Hunter et al. (2014) and Iveson et al. (2015) has shown that this method provides excellent agreement with yield-ash and partition curves for coal, especially when glycerol solutions are used as the fluidising liquid. This approach has now been extended to obtain the grade-recovery and density partition curves of high density mineral samples. This method has the potential to provide the minerals industry with an effective tool to evaluate the performance of unit operations separating at cut points higher than the available heavy liquids.INTRODUCTIONMeasuring efficiency and effectiveness is of key importance in the continuous improvement of mineral processing plants. For density based separation, one way the performance of a process can be evaluated is the measurement of density-based partition curves. Currently, this is done in the coal industry using the sink-float method, where heavy liquids are used to fractionate particles into discrete density intervals. However, with high density minerals such as iron ore, liquids of sufficient density are rare, and in most cases also pose serious health and safety concerns to laboratory operators. Most commercial laboratories do not perform sink-float separations above a density of about 4400 kg/m3, the maximum density of Clerici solution without operating at excessive temperatures (Koroznikova, Klutke, McKnight & Hall, 2007; Rosenblum, 1974)."

Jan 1, 2016

By David L. Huston, Wouter Bleeker, Bruce E. Taylor, Ron Cook, Bob Stewart, Elizabeth R. Koopman

"Abstract—Detailed oxygen isotope mapping of rhyolites in and around the Kidd Creek mine indicates that the orebodies are associated with relatively low (<12‰) whole rock values that extend up to 200 m laterally from ore. The zone of low d18O values is overlain stratigraphically by a carapace of higher (>13‰) values that extends up to 1.5 km laterally from and 300 m to 500 m above ore. Immediately above the stratigraphically highest orebody this carapace is cut by a zone of lower d18O values extending from the ore zone. Zones of higher d18O values also occur in massive rhyolite bodies that occur in the footwall of the orebodies.The zone of low d18O values partly coincides with a Na2O depletion anomaly associated with hydrothermal alteration, except that the Na2O depletion anomaly has a greater lateral extent, and the low d18O anomaly extends farther into the stratigraphic hanging wall. These data suggest that d18O mapping may detect hanging wall alteration above massive sulfide bodies more effectively than conventional lithogeochemistry. Zones of high d18O values, which define zones through which large quantities of low-temperature hydrothermal fluids have passed, may also have usefulness in exploration.Oxygen isotope variations at Kidd Creek record three stages of a hydrothermal system that evolved in temperature with time, as follows: (1) an early, low-temperature event that produced rocks with high d18O values, (2) a high-temperature event that produced rocks with lower d18O values, and (3) a later, low-temperature event that also produced rocks with high d18O values. The high d18O signature of the massive rhyolite was recorded during early-stage, low-temperature (<200°C) alteration, and was probably preserved owing to decreases in permeability associated with low-temperature silicification. The low d18O signature of cherty breccia and chloritite was recorded during the thermal peak at >300°C. High d18O values in the carapace above the deposit were recorded as the hydrothermal system waned."

Jan 1, 1995

By I. Osvath, I. Gombköto, G. Mucsi, Z. Molnár

"In the present research, a deposited brown coal fly ash was used as raw material for geopolymer. The reactivity of the fly ash was altered using mechanical activation, which is one of the promising methods to improve bulk and surface reactivity. The mechanical activation experiments were carried out in a high energy density mill using 5 m/s circumferential speed, and various residence times (1, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 60 min). The effect of mechanical activation on particle size distribution was measured by a laser particle size analyzer and structural changes using FT-IR. Geopolymer samples were prepared from mechanically activated fly ash with an alkali solution. The progress of geopolymerisation was monitored using an Isothermal Conduction Calorimeter. The heat flow curve obtained indicated that reactions were more prominent and started much earlier in the mechanically activated samples. This observation is further supported by the compressive strength results which also improved in geopolymers using mechanically activated fly ash. Based on the obtained results, it can be inferred that mechanical activation is a possible way to enhance the reactivity of fly ash and consequently properties of resulting geopolymers.INTRODUCTIONCoal fired power plants generate fly ash and slag in huge amount worldwide, about 780 million tons/year (Heidrich et al. 2013). Due to the relatively low utilization rate, enormous quantities of these wastes are landfilled in ponds. The fly ash is the finest grained particle fraction of the solid ash, which is transported with flue gas, and removed by electrostatic or bag filters. The fly ash has pozzolanic activity, it does not react with water, but in the presence of calcium hydroxide solution hardens and solidifies, producing a reaction product practically insoluble in water (Opoczky, 2001). The most important property of the fly ash regarding geopolymerization is its reactivity, which depends on the chemical and phase composition, the dispersity (specific surface area, particle size distribution), and the morphology of the fly ash particles, and determined by the physical properties and chemical composition of the fly ash. Geopolymers concerning their chemical structure are polysialates, where the sialate (silicon-oxoaluminate) network is built up from the bonds of Si-oxide and Al-oxide by sharing oxygen atoms (Davidovits, 1988)."

Jan 1, 2016

By David L. Huston, Wouter Bleeker, Bruce E. Taylor, Ron Cook, Bob Stewart, Elizabeth R. Koopman

"Abstract-Detailed oxygen isotope mapping of rhyolites in and around the Kidd Creek mine indicates that the orebodies are associated with relatively low (<12‰) whole rock values that extend up to 200 m laterally from ore. The zone of low d18O values is overlain stratigraphically by a carapace of higher (>13‰) values that extends up to 1.5 km laterally from and 300 m to 500 m above ore. Immediately above the stratigraphically highest orebody this carapace is cut by a zone of lower d18O values extending from the ore zone. Zones of higher d18O values also occur in massive rhyolite bodies that occur in the footwall of the orebodies.The zone of low d18O values partly coincides with a Na2O depletion anomaly associated with hydrothermal alteration, except that the Na2O depletion anomaly has a greater lateral extent, and the low d18O anomaly extends farther into the stratigraphic hanging wall. These data suggest that d18O mapping may detect hanging wall alteration above massive sulfide bodies more effectively than conventional lithogeochemistry. Zones of high d18O values, which define zones through which large quantities of low-temperature hydrothermal fluids have passed, may also have usefulness in exploration.Oxygen isotope variations at Kidd Creek record three stages of a hydrothermal system that evolved in temperature with time, as follows: (1) an early, low-temperature event that produced rocks with high d18O values, (2) a high-temperature event that produced rocks with lower d18O values, and (3) a later, low-temperature event that also produced rocks with high d18O values. The high d18O sig- nature of the massive rhyolite was recorded during early-stage, low-temperature (<200°C) alteration, and was probably preserved owing to decreases in permeability associated with low-temperature silicification. The low d18O signature of cherty breccia and chloritite was recorded during the thermal peak at >300°C. High d18O values in the carapace above the deposit were recorded as the hydrothermal system waned."

Jan 1, 1995

By J. C. Folinsbee, D. R. Derry

"The Property of Opemiska Copper Mines (Quebec) Ltd. is in Levy Township, Chibougamau district, west of Chibougamau and south of Opemiska Lake. The original find was made in 1929 by the late Leo Springer and associates of Prospectors Airways Ltd., following observation from the air of an area of dark rocks in newly burned-over country. Work on the ground discovered three veins of high-grade chalcopyrite in gabbro (No. l, No. 2, and ""North"") and, after several seasons of trenching and diamond drilling, financed by Ventures Ltd., a shaft was sunk in 1936. This work indicated about 280,000 tons of six per cent copper ore to a depth of 500 feet. During this period, the senior author carried out a reconnaissance geological survey over the whole property and surrounding claims, which showed that the veins were in the gabbro portion of a large composite basic sill that had been folded with the enclosing lavas. Owing to the low price of copper and lack of transport work was suspended and the property remained dormant until 1951.In that year the company was re-financed, the property prepared for production, and further exploratory drilling undertaken. The drilling, based on structural indications, located a new vein of which the only previous evidence had been some irregular stringers. This vein, No. 3, was traced by drilling for a length of 2,000 feet and the indicated reserves were thereby increased to about one million tons. An additional vein, No. 4, was intersected in several holes.With this encouragement, plans for production were confirmed, and operations commenced' at the beginning of 1954 on a scale of about 400 tons a day, concentrates being shipped by truck to St. Felicien and thence by rail to Noranda. In the first year of operation concentrates were re-covered carrying 14,047,210 pounds of copper, 76,714 ounces of silver, and 6,259 ounces of gold. The operation is under the direction of J. P. Millenbach, General Manager, with J. M. Thompson as Assistant General Manager and F. G. Cooke as General Superintendent on the property."

Jan 1, 1949

By L. Wolofsky

"The Candego property is in Boisbuisson and Christie Townships, Quebec, about 13 miles south of Marsoui, a village on the north coast of the Gaspe peninsula, 80 miles east of the railhead at Matane. It was the first producing mine in the peninsula. Production to October 1954, when operations were suspended, totalled 68,497 tons of ore, which yielded concentrates containing 8,706,535 lb. lead, 5,870,272 lb. zinc, 355,526 oz. silver, and about 1,000 oz. gold. The property was acquired by the present company in the summer of 1955.The mine has been developed by seven adits, driven into the west slope of the valley of the Marsoui River. The river here is at an elevation of about 1,600 feet, and is roughly 1,500 feet below the level of the adjacent upland. Adit elevations range from 1,760 to 2,330 feet. Five of them are in one vertical zone, on what was originally believed to be a single vein. Past production has come from Nos. l to 5; the chief present high-grade ore reserves are in No. 7.The author's observations were made in adits Nos. 3 to 6, in several of the old pits, in the surface trenches, and on drill core, at various times between December 1952 and September 1953. Much of the surrounding area has been mapped by Jones (I) and McGerrigle (2) for the Quebec Department of Mines. H. M. Kingsbury served as consulting geologist to the mining company for several years.General GeologyThe Candego veins occur in Lower ( ?) Ordovician sedimentary rocks which form a strip about 15 miles wide along the north coast of the Gaspé peninsula. The series includes limestones, shales, and sandstones, mildly metamorphosed in places. Three miles south of the mine is the north contact of the granitic intrusive, regarded as Lower or Middle Devonian, which underlies the Tabletop Mountains area. This batholith is about 10 miles long, in a north-south direction, and about 4 miles wide. At Mount Albert, about 5 miles west of the Tabletop intrusion, is a group of basic rocks, amphibolites and serpentinized peridotites, thought to have been intruded at the close of the Ordovician."

Jan 1, 1949

By H. Sakurai, M. Kato, F. Tanaka

The Mitsubishi Continuous Copper Smelting/Converting Process employs an electric furnace (CL- furnace) for settling the slag/matte mixture formed in the smelting furnace. The conditions in the CL- furnace change its settling efficiency, resulting in high variability of copper losses in slag. Modifications of the operation and maintenance procedures for the CL-furnace have significantly and sustainably reduced the copper losses in Gresik smelter to below 0.7%. A series of flow patterns evaluation in the CL-furnace demonstrated how the chemical reactions and settling conditions of the CL-furnace has been improved by the new operating procedures. Settling mechanisms for the matte droplets in the CL-furnace is also discussed using image analysis of solidified slag. INTRODUCTION The Mitsubishi Continuous Copper Smelting/Converting Process employs an electric furnace (CL- furnace) for settling the slag/matte mixture formed in the smelting furnace. Since the top-blowing in the S- furnace agitates the molten bath strongly, matte droplets are dispersed over the slag phase when melts flow out of the S-furnace. Thus, the CL-furnace has an important role to settle and recover matte droplets efficiently. Since many papers have ascribed major part of copper losses to matte droplets suspended in slag (Tanaka 2007; Genevski et al., 2008; Starodub et al., 2016), flow patterns of slag in the CL-furnace can affect greatly on the profitability of smelters which have adopted the Mitsubishi process. PROCESS DESCRIPTION Figure 1 illustrates the Mitsubishi process schematically. The Mitsubishi process is the only system for continuous production of blister copper from copper concentrates and consists of 3 furnaces connected by enclosed launders those ensure the minimum emission of fugitives. In a smelting furnace (S-furnace) copper concentrates are fed with flux, oxygen-enriched air to form a mixture of slag and matte which cascades down to a slag-cleaning furnace (CL-furnace). The CL-furnace settle matte droplets in the mixture on the crucible from which matte is siphoned to a converting furnace (C-furnace), while discharging the cleaned slag (CL-slag). The C-furnace converts matte to blister copper by the top-blowing of oxygen- enriched air.

Jan 1, 2019

By J. E. Gill, A. R. Byers

"The property of Sladen Malartic Mines, Limited, is in the northern half of Fourniere township, Abitibi county, Quebec. The group is large, but the part so far found to be of economic interest is a strip 3,200 feet long between the Canadian Malartic property to the west and the East Malartic and National Malartic properties to the east ( Fig. 1).The original claims were staked in 1923 and 1924 by St. B. Sladen and H. S. Kennedy because gold was known to occur on claims nearby. In 1928, detailed mapping of the Malartic Gold Mines property (now Canadian Malartic) showed the presence of an east-west gold-bearing zone traceable almost to the Sladen boundary. During the winter of 1929, a hand-driven drill was used to secure short sections of core through casing pipe sunk to bed-rock. This proved the existence of the main Sladen ore zone, but it was not until the price of gold was increased, in 1934, that serious work was attempted.Underground work was started in 1935 and milling in January, 1938. To the end of 1945, 168,882 oz. of gold were recovered from 1,641,974 tons of ore, an average of 0.103 oz. a ton.GEOLOGYThe bed-rock underlying' the Sladen Malartic property consists mainly of Precambrian greywacke and volcanics that appear to form a conformable series with a general northwest strike and vertical to steep northerly dip. Except where disturbed locally by drag folds or faults, tops face north. Intrusive rocks that range in composition from diorite to granite cut the sediments and volcanics. The basic types, generally quartz diorite and diorite, form dykes or sills in the volcanic rocks. The more acidic types, mainly quartz syenite and related porphyries, intrude the volcanics and the sediments in the form of dykes, sills, and larger, stock-like bodies.The orebodies are parts of slightly shattered or brecciated zones, mainly in greywacke, but partly in syenite, diorite, and volcanics, that have been more or less replaced by fine-grained quartz, pyrite, and minor amounts of sphalerite, galena, sylvanite, petzite, and gold."

Jan 1, 1954

By Gérald Riverin, Bernard Boily, Daniel Bernard

"The Donalda gold deposit is located in the southern part of the Noranda camp, approximately 2 /em east of the Horne deposit. Combined past production and current reserves total over 1.5 Mt grading 6.9 grams of gold per tonne.The deposit consists of two main veins which are both narrow but persistent structures. The No 1 Vein, hosting about 80% of the gold ore, consists of an EW-striking banded quartz vein dipping on average 25° to the south. Although variable in thickness, it averages lessthan1 metre. TheNo2 Vein, located 300 m below the No 1 Vein, is similar to it except that it dips 50° south. Gold occurs mostly as fine native gold disseminated in quartz, with 2-3% pyrite and trace amounts of various sulphides and tellurides. The wall rocks are only weakly altered and mineralized with pyrite, hematite and sericite.Structurally, the Donalda deposit is centered on the Horne Creek fault (HCF) where the HCF is intersected by the ENE-trending DonaldaandCentralfaults.NorthoftheHCF,theNo1Veinishosted by the Quemont Rhyolite, whereas south of the HCF the vein is hosted by magnetic basalts and diorites of the Wilco Andesite Formation. The No 1 Vein extends across the HCF with only minor displacement, whereas the No 2 Vein has not yet been traced south of the HCF.A preliminary structural analysis of the mine shows that the HCF, which strikes 275° and dips 70° north in the mine area, has a reverse movement a lid that the flat dipping No 1 Vein is a tension vein. Both probably developed in response to the same stress conditions. Although the absolute age of the Donalda veins is not known, structural relationships indicate that they formed during the latest movements of the HCF, but prior to the intrusion of the Proterozoic D' Eldona Diabase. The occurrence along the HCF of gold-rich synvolcanic massive sulphides and much younger vein-type gold deposits (such as Donalda) indicates that the HCF was a very long-lived, deep-seated (?)structure which has controlled the circulation of gold-rich fluids over a long period of time."

Jan 1, 1990

By Corby G. Anderson

"Laboratory testing using industrial electrowinning solutions was performed to determine the best Faradic cell efficiency for copper cathode recovery. The variables tested were solution flow rate, recycle ratio, reagent addition combinations of guar and thiourea, and addition amount of acid mist suppressant CAL FAX DBA-70. The ideal flow rate was determined to be 37.85 litre/min. Additionally, the ideal recycle ratio was determined to be 10:1. The reagent addition scheme from testing which showed the highest efficiency was with 680 g/tonne guar of cathode copper won and with 135 g/tonne thiourea of cathode copper won. These values for reagent addition only reflect the best efficiency and should not be assumed to be the best reagent concentration for copper purity. The amount of foaming agent that showed the best efficiency was the test with 2 ppm of foaming agent. Again this amount of reagent is based on efficiency and should not be taken as the amount of reagent that does the best acid mist suppression. Additional proprietary surface characterization work indicates these additives may have enhanced the cathodic reduction surface morphology of some noble minor impurities. Subsequently, these operating parameters were introduced into the plant operation and proved successful after their implementation.BACKGROUNDCopper electrowinning has become a dominant technology for the production of marketable high grade copper cathode products. The literature is robust with applications, optimizations, additives and developments in this field (e.g., Classens & Harris, 1990; Pfalzgraff, 1999; Tozawa, Su, & Umetsu, 2003; San Martin, Otero, & Cruz, 2005; Houlachi, Edwards, & Robinson, 2007; Romero, Avila, Fester, & Yacher, 2007; Marsden, 2008; Beukes & Badenhorst, 2009; Vainio & Weatherseed 2009; Bender, 2010; Joy, Staley, Moats, Perkins, Uhrie, & Robinson, 2010; Khouraibchia & Moats, 2010; Moats, 2010; Rutledge & Anderson, 2015).Tests of forty hours duration and at room temperature were performed for this project using samples of actual industrial electrowinning solutions. These industrial solutions were comprised of 60 g/L Cu plus 65 g/L Ni, 3 g/L Fe, and 30 g/L free sulfuric acid. Other confidential minor impurities were also present including some solubilized precious metals. The testing apparatus utilizing stainless steel anodes and cathodes is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2."

Jan 1, 2016

By John Oxenford

There are currently two operators producing oil from the surface-mineable portions of Alberta?s oil sands (Syncrude Canada Ltd. and Suncor Inc.) and two other companies are proposing to enter the industry (Albian Sands in 2002 and True North in 2004). Tailings from the two current oil sands plants contain approximately 220 000 tonnes per year of recoverable TiO2 and approximately 80 000 tonnes per year of recoverable zircon. This represents approximately 6% of the world?s TiO 2 consumption and approximately 9% of the world?s zircon production. With the commissioning of plants by Albian Sands and True North, and the announced expansion of plants by Syncrude and Suncor, it is expected that these tonnages could quadruple in the next ten years. All of these operators have at least 50 years of reserves even at these expanded production rates. The occurrence of heavy minerals in Alberta?s oil sands has long been known and is well documented in the literature. There have been a number of attempts to produce market-grade products from this resource and the results of this work have been quite mixed. Typically, researchers have used the normal mineral dressing techniques of the industry and have found the mineral assemblage does not respond to these techniques all that well. This has led to the widelyheld suspicion that there must be some difficult metallurgical problems associated with this resource. There are three main problem areas that have created difficulties for previous researchers: 1) The bitumen coating on the sand grains; 2) Secondary mineralization such as pyrite, siderite and calcite 3) A high proportion of aluminosilicates (approximately 25%) that have the same gravity, electrostatic and magnetic properties as other minerals in the heavy mineral suite. Recent work by Lakefield Research shows that these problems can be largely overcome with some novel approaches. The bitumen can be removed by washing with a solvent in the presence of a demulsifier. The pyrite can be removed by flotation. And the titanium and zircon minerals can be separated by selective flotation followed by conventional electrostatic and magnetic separation.

May 1, 2001

By C. B. Webber, L. S. Diaz

"The paper presents the approach taken by Craigmont Mines to grinding circuit control. A detailed description is given of a fully automatic control system which bases its control actions on the continuous measurement of particle size in the cyclone overflow stream. The control system holds a specified particle size in the cyclone overflow, and grinds rod mi 11 ore feed at increased rates. The principles of operation of the system used for continuous measurement of particle size are described, end the improvements in mill throughput and copper recovery over several months of continuous operation are presented.INTRODUCTION Craigmont Mines Limited is located in the south-western interior region of the province of British Columbia, approximately 230 road miles north-east of Vancouver, and ten miles west of the town of Merritt. A moderate climate, good roads and service facilities provided by the Canadian Pacific Railway, Inland Natural Gas Company, and the B.C. Hydro and Power Authority, have provided a very favorable mine and plant site.The preliminary metallurgical design of the Craigmont mill was based on the test results of samples obtained from the original 2500' level drift during 1959. Pilot plant runs and other research testing for design pur¬poses were conducted at the Canadian Exploration Ltd. Laboratory, at Salmo, B.C. The design flowsheet was altered in progressive stages from 2,000 to 3,000, and finally 4,000 tons per day as the ore reserves became better defined. Construction work on the 2,400' level mill site commenced in late 1960. The official opening of Craigntnt Mines Limited took place on September 15, 1961, a little over two years from the time of the metallurgical assessment of the original ore samples.Mill throughput to date has varied widely both on a daily and a monthly basis, due to the varying hardness of the mine ores. The grindability af the ore appears to be related to the oxide iron content, which varies from lows of 9% to highs of 20%. Daily tonnage has ranged from 5,000 tons per day with 10% iron in the feed, to 6,000 tons per day with 20% iron feeds."

Jan 1, 1973