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By D. E. Deegan, P. M. Keeley, N. A. Rowson, T. Stachowski

An investigation into the use of Tetronics International’s thermal plasma technology based pyrometallurgical smelting process for the recovery of both platinum and rhenium was conducted. 1000 kg of Pt-Re catalysts containing 0.36 wt% Pt and 0.21 wt% Re was blended with fluxing agents, reducing agents and an iron based collector metal precursor and then fed into a plasma furnace over five individual trials at Tetronics International’s facility in Swindon, UK. Both platinum and rhenium partitioned to an iron rich collector metal phase in the furnace, which formed in-situ and accumulated beneath a less dense slag phase, derived from the inorganic substrate of the catalyst, and was easily separable. The levels of Pt and Re concentration achieved in the iron collector made it suitable for subsequent final refining. Technical recovery efficiencies of =98% for both platinum and rhenium were achieved and the concentrations of the metals in the recovered metal bullion were 2.23 wt% Pt and 1.35 wt% Re.

Jan 1, 2015

By Lawrence Devon Smith

"Within the mining industry the term “due diligence” is used to describe a detailed data review, generally in connection with the purchase or sale of a mineral property, the approval of a large capital expenditure, or the borrowing of a large sum of money.The term originates in the requirement of the board of directors of a corporation to “act honestly and in good faith and exercise the care, diligence, and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances” (OBCA, 1994). Furthermore, the law assumes that a corporation (or its board) will have exercised due diligence in the acquisition of an asset and, therefore, knowingly (in the absence of fraud or deceit) will have taken on the liabilities and obligations associated with the asset (Nelson, 1994). This is the familiar “Buyer Beware”.Directors are liable for their decisions except “if the director relies in good faith up on financial statements of the corporation represented by an officer of the corporation or in a written report of the auditor, or a report of a lawyer, accountant, engineer, appraiser, or other person whose profession lends credibility to a statement made by any such person.”(OBCA, 1994).Hence the importance of reports prepared by professionals. They provide confirmation that the directors have exercised due diligence in the performance of their duties. For this reason these reports are referred to as due diligence studies."

Jan 1, 1996

By W. G. Hubler

History The Aldermac mine is situated on the Nipissing Central railway near the ' centre of the township of Boischatel, Quebec, and is about ten miles west of Noranda. Aldermac Mines, Limited, is a subsidiary company of Towagamac Exploration Company. The property was staked by Messrs. Alderson and MacKay and McMartin, during the winter of 1922-23. During October, 1925, a copper discovery was made by K. W. Fritzsche, who was in charge of exploration work at that time, the first trench on this discovery averaging 8 per cent copper over a width of ten feet. This led to the discovery of another body 200 feet to the north, with an average of 3 per cent copper over fifteen feet in width. A magnetic survey was then carried out which led to the location of the large pyrite ore-bodies which have been developed in the past few years. Development work was carried on to a depth of 1,125 feet, and approximately three million tons of massive pyrite ore was indicated. Extensive metallurgical tests were conducted in the laboratories of the Mines Branch of the Department of Mines at Ottawa to determine the proper metallurgical treatment and the economic possibilities of the ore. Owing to the comparatively low copper content, and the uncertainty of the copper market, it was doubtful if the mine could be profitably operated for the production of copper alone. Messrs. Alderson & MacKay, however, realized the possibility of utilizing the large tonnage of pyrite as a substitute for native sulphur, 'which in past years has been imported into .Canada for the manufacture of acid and sulphate pulp in paper mills. They therefore organized the Sulphite Research Corporation with the object of developing an economical process of utilizing the pyrite.

Jan 1, 1932

By D. M. MacLean

THE property of Howey Gold Mines, Limited, is situated at Red Lake, Ontario, one hundred and seventy-five miles east of Winnipeg and eighty miles north of the Canadian National railway. The mine has been a continuous producer since April, 1930, and, at present writing, a total of 3,042,690 tons has been hoisted, giving a production of $6,422,858.55, for a grade of $2.32 per ton. From 1,064,477 tons mined during the past two years, however, the yield has been only $1,389,607.03, or $1.41 per ton (gold at $20.67). Present output is at the rate of about 1,470 tons. per day. THE ORE-BODY AND WALL-ROCK: The Howey ore-body is part of a quartz porphyry dyke, which has. intruded an area of greenstone. The dyke strikes north 65° east, and its dip varies from 85° to the south at the surface to practically vertical below the. 1,000-foot horizon. Both along the strike and on the dip, the width of the dyke varies from 25 to 200 feet, the widest portion occurring below the 1,000-foot level. To the east of the ore-body, the dyke increases in width and finally splits into tongues of porphyry enclosed in greenstone, diorite, and congloJ11erate. To the west, it passes into the adjoining property, its width at the boundary being 100 feet. The rock in the ore-body is hard to drill, but, because of numerous horizontal slip-planes, it breaks well when blasted. This characteristic makes it possible to break large breasts or benches with a relatively small number of holes. The ore broken in this manner is consequently quite coarse, a large part of it requiring secondary breaking.

Jan 1, 1938

By Lawrence Devon Smith

"What is Due Diligence?Within the mining industry the term “due diligence” is used to describe a detailed data review, generally in connection with the purchase or sale of a mineral property, the approval of a large capital expenditure, or the borrowing of a large sum of money.The term originates in the requirement of the board of directors of a corporation to “act honestly and in good faith ... and exercise the care, diligence, and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances” (OBCA, 1994). Furthermore, the law assumes that a corporation (or its board) will have exercised due diligence in the acquisition of an asset and, therefore, knowingly (in the absence of fraud or deceit) will have taken on the liabilities and obligations associated with the asset (Nelson, 1994). This is the familiar “Buyer Beware”.Directors are liable for their decisions except “if the director relies in good faith upon financial statements of the corporation represented … by an officer of the corporation or in a written report of the auditor, or a report of a lawyer, accountant, engineer, appraiser, or other person whose profession lends credibility to a statement made by any such person.” (OBCA, 1994).Hence the importance of reports prepared by professionals. They provide confirmation that the directors have exercised due diligence in the performance of their duties. For this reason these reports are referred to as due diligence studies"

Jan 1, 1997

By Pavel Vasak

The Laurentian University Virtual Reality Laboratory (VRL) has provided a unique platform for the development and testing of novel seismic and microseismic data processing and visualization technology. In collaboration with Vale?s Creighton Mine, the technology was implemented at the mine site and consists of a VRL system and site calibrated Seismic Excavation Hazard Map (SEHM) software. The SEHM was developed as a practical solution for the mine operator to identify areas of elevated, active rock mass damage processes caused by recent mining activity. This paper is a pictorial representation of the 3D stereoscopic demonstration of the Creighton Mine seismic data distribution and interpreted SEHM for the first quarter of 2009. A live demonstration is scheduled at the Laurentian University VRL as one of the conference field trips. The demonstration highlights the technology transfer of research concepts into a near-real-time excavation hazard system that utilizes the key aspects of virtual reality technology; the ability to integrate large datasets (geology, mine excavation, (seismic) monitoring data, production scheduling, stress model, etc.); the ability to manipulate and visualize large datasets in both space and in time (mining sequence); and the ability to review the datasets by a group of experts in an immersive (3D stereoscopic), collaborative environment to better understand the processes and context of the mining-induced seismicity and evaluate potential risks to the mining operation.

Oct 1, 2010

By Y. Gordon

ABSTRACT A methodology based on a two-stage approach was developed for process technology selection. The first stage includes evaluation of available technologies, followed by shortlisting the best technologies based on mass and energy balance modelling, financial analysis, and risk analysis. The second stage involves detailed analysis using refined input data, mass and energy balance modelling, and capital and operating cost estimation, as well as a more detailed financial analysis. A case study covering the selection of ironmaking technologies for a company in the Russian Federation is presented to illustrate the critical elements of the methodology and the analysis process.

Jan 1, 2014

By N. L. Richards

In manufacturing for the 21st century, the first company to market often leads the pack in product development and sales. In this respect, manufacturing processes play an important role in transforming “raw materials” into a product(s) for sale to a customer. Thus it can be seen that upfront modelling of a design concept, or modelling of manufacturing processes in a plant, can play an important role in effectively ensuring the overall design and manufacturing route is carried out in an expeditious manner. In the paper various scenarios are considered with respect to modelling the microstructure and/or process, in various manufacturing processes. Also considered are the effects of service condition on the manufactured product in terms of creep and fatigue.

Jan 1, 2010

By F. Qi, T. Frišcic, C. Mottillo

"One of the principal goals of modern industry is to minimize the environmental impact and increase the materials- and energy-efficiency of transforming raw materials into valuable products. This paper will highlight our latest laboratory-scale research in low-energy, low-solvent reactivity of metal oxides and their conversion into popular metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (e.g. Basolite® Z1200 component ZIF-8), and metallodrugs (e.g. bismuth subsalicylate, active component of Pepto-Bismol®). Mechanochemical ion- and liquid-assisted grinding (ILAG) and ""accelerated aging"" techniques will be presented, along with novel low-energy and solvent-free approaches, inspired by geological weathering processes, for converting metal oxides into metal-organic materials. INTRODUCTIONThe development of environmentally-friendly processes, which would in the same time be more materials- and energy-efficient than the existing ones, is one of the central concerns of modern chemical research. In that sense, the focus of the chemist has been mainly on the preparation of carbon-based organic molecules and adaptation of traditional organic synthesis to the recently delineated ideals of Green Chemistry. However, there is a growing realization within the chemistry community that significant energy, materials, and ecology-related benefits can be achieved and, indeed, targeted in the transformations of materials that are typically associated with inorganic chemistry and minerals processing. The principal aim of this highlight contribution is to illustrate how, through the use of approaches associated with solventfree chemistry and mechanochemistry (James et al., 2012), one can develop a clean and efficient system of chemical and materials transformations involving oxide precursors that normally belong to the realm of inorganic chemistry and mineral processing. In particular, this contribution will provide an overview of the recently developed mechanochemical and solvent-free reactivity of metal oxides towards small organic molecules. These mechanochemical reactions, including the methods of liquid-assisted grinding (LAG, Frišcic & Jones, 2009) and ion- and liquid-assisted grinding (ILAG, Frišcic, 2010), have so far provided a radically different means to construct advanced metal-organic materials (e.g. porous metal-organic frameworks, [MOFs] or metallodrugs) by rehabilitating metal oxides as precursors, eliminating the use of bulk organic solvents, and avoiding the use of high temperatures."

Jan 1, 2012

By Nav Dhadli

Tailings from Oil Sands MiningWhat are they? Challenges Solutions Regulatory Environment Definition of the AFD Tailings Treatment Process 2010 AFD Pilot/Demonstration ProgramTechnical challenges Performance and Results Next steps Oil Sands Industry Collaboration on Tailings Technology TAILINGS ?WHAT ARE THEY? Mixture of remaining water and solids following bitumen extraction process Composed of water, sand, silt, clay, small amounts of hydrocarbon (bitumen, solvent, and asphaltenes) A necessary part of production in excavation of oil sands and removal of bitumen

May 1, 2011

By A. Ignatieff

Introduction Some interest is being shown in Canada in underground gasification of coal and, as developments have now taken place in several countries of the world, it is thought that a review of progress, particularly from the viewpoint of a mining engineer, may be of interest. The literature on the subject, and notably that of Russian origin, is already very voluminous. The various methods of underground gasification of coal have evolved from initial attempts to employ underground workings as gasifiers of previously fragmented coal or to use some method that involves little or no preparatory work underground. The 'stream' method, shown schematically in Figure 1, has been the only one used in tests to date in countries outside the U.S.S.R. Other methods, involving preparatory work underground prior to gasification, are the early 'chamber' method, where fragmented coal was gasified in rooms between inlet and outlet entries, and the underground borehole' method, illustrated in Figure 2, where gasification is developed in a succession of boreholes which are temporarily sealed and then abandoned in turn after gasification. The stream method appears. to be particularly suitable for pitching seems as it is claimed that the pitch prevents ash accumulation or serious blockage from roof falls, and it also aids the circulation of the stream. As a considerable proportion of Canadian medium and high-rank coal seams are inclined, it would seem that, at least at the outset, the stream method or a modification thereof would be the one most applicable to all but the Saskatchewan lignite fields and the flat domestic-coal fields of Alberta.

Jan 1, 1949

By Stanley W. Holmes

"The discovery of extensive uranium mineralization on the Pronto property in April 1953 initiated a program of staking, exploration, and development unparalleled in Canadian mining history. Within twelve months of the discovery hole, sufficient ore had been blocked out to merit a 55-million-dollar contract with Eldorado Mining & Refining Co. On October 15, 1955, two years and four months after discovery, Pronto went into production with a mill rated at 1,000 to 1,500 tons per day. The property is on the southern edge of the Algoma uranium district, 10 miles east of the town of Blind River and close to the Canadian Pacific Railway and Highway 17. Docking facilities for Great Lakes steamers are avail-able at Spragge, 4 miles to the east.The data and conclusions presented in this paper are based on field studies, drill hole information, and underground development. The ideas of ore genesis are those of the writer, and will undoubtedly be modified as more detailed studies and research are carried out. Because of security regulations, information pertaining to grade and tonnage will not be discussed.GeologyThe general geology of the Algoma basin has been outlined in a pre-ceding paper (Joubin and James). The description below is concerned essentially with the rocks most closely associated with the Pronto deposit. They may be grouped in three structural and lithological units: (1) the pre-Huronian basement, (2) the Mississagi formation, the lowest member of the Huronian sediments lying unconformably on the basement, and (3) a series of basic intrusives cutting (I) and (2). Most of the uranium mineralization occurs in a quartz-pebble conglomerate forming the basal member of the Mississagi quartzite."

Jan 1, 1949

By C. C. Walden, A. Bruynesteyn

"Chemical and biological aspects of the formation of acidic effluents from sulfide waste materials are discussed. Test procedures to determine the acid producing potential of waste materials, as well as the characteristics of such acidic effluents, are presented. Practical applications of the test procedures are discussed with reference to predictior of environmentally unacceptable drainage and to estimation of metal recovery by dump leaching.INTRODUCTIONNatural leaching of sulfide minerals, exposed to the atmosphere, has been occurring for geological time. For centuries, man has been aware of the acid drainage originating from coal workings, copper mines and waste dumps. With the advent of the technical sciences, the processes involved in acid mine drainage production were considered to be solely chemical in nature. However, in 1947, it was shown (1) that a specific microorganism, called Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, was responsible for acid mine drainage from coal workings. It was demonstrated that under suitable conditions - this bacterium oxidized pyrite and marcosite in the coal to ferric sulfate and sulfuric acid. Numerous studies have subsequently demonstrated that - under suitable conditions - Thiobacillus ferrooxidans can attack most sulfide minerals, producing weak sulfuric acid, oxidizing ferrous to ferric iron and solubilizing other metals present (notably copper and zinc) as their sulfate salts."

Jan 1, 1980

By O. Engler, J. Friis, S. J. Andersen, C. D. Marioara, Y. Aruga

"This work investigates the early stages of precipitation in Al-Mg-Si alloys using a combination of high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Quenching from a high temperature (solution) treatment leaves an alloy in a high-energy unstable state, with solute and vacancies in supersaturation. Thus, already at room temperature (RT) a large driving force exists for solute atoms to cluster and order on the Al matrix positions. DFT calculations indicate that strain alleviation is important at this stage. We observe larger regions of Mg-dominated L10 ordering together with a Si-dominated ordering of smaller clusters in a particular geometry connected to the Si-network found in all the precipitates. In addition, building blocks of the main hardening phase ?'', stabilized by vacancies, are observed at higher, typical pre-aging temperatures.INTRODUCTION Al-Mg-Si (6xxx) alloys are widely used in industry due to a combination of favorable properties such as strength, ductility, corrosion resistance and lightweight. They undergo a complex production route, usually consisting of the following thermo-mechanical steps: casting, homogenization, extrusion or rolling, solution heat treatment (SHT) and artificial aging (AA). The SHT takes place at temperatures above the solvus line in the phase diagram, usually between 500°C and 570°C, followed by a rapid cooling to RT. This ensures that high amounts of solute atoms, uniformly distributed on the cubic face-centered (FCC) Al lattice, together with a large amount of vacancies, are quenched-in. The material is therefore in a super-saturated and unstable state. During the subsequent AA, at temperatures usually between 150°C and 220°C, the solute atoms diffuse and cluster, forming metastable precipitates with needle/ lath/ rod morphologies having the main growth direction along <100>Al. With a maximum alloy solute level (Mg + Si) of only 2%, these precipitates increase material strength up to three times that of pure Al, and are essential for the final material properties. To understand and make better use of this phenomenon, it is imperative to research the nature of the precipitates (such as their atomic structure), measure their key parameters (number density, size, volume fraction) and connect it to material properties (Marioara, Andersen, Zandbergen & Holmestad, 2005; Marioara et al., 2014). The following precipitation sequence is given for the Al-Mg-Si system:"

Jan 1, 2018

By Randy Clarkson

"Free gold particles occur in many base metal and precious metal mines throughout the world. Occasionally mine operators are unaware of the presence of free gold particles in their ores because they have not seen free gold hand specimens or at the working face of the mine.Due to the high density and malleability of gold, large circulating loads of free gold particles can build up over time in grinding circuits. This gold is often deposited in unintended traps throughout the mineral processing system.These unidentified free gold deposits represent a serious security risk as well as inaccessible inventory of gold. Deposits of free gold particles often remain undetected by mine management until they are accidentally discovered while repairing mill equipment. The trapping and subsequent release of gold particles can frustrate attempts to calculate accurate metallurgical balances.Nuclear tracers have been used to determine the free gold recovery efficiency of gravity recovery equipment, drills, and sampling equipment (Clarkson, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999 and Walsh, 1986, 1992). In 1995, the author used radiotracers to locate and eliminate gold traps at La Mine Doyon (Clarkson, 1997). In 1998 and 2001, the author also salted mineral processing circuits at Royal Oak's Pamour Mine in Timmins (Clarkson, 1999) and at Gold Corp’s Red Lake Mine in Ontario with radioactive gold particles.The gamma and X-ray radiation from gold's nuclear isotope (Au198) were detected through steel, in pipes, and in moving equipment with scintillometers. The radiotracers proved to be a safe, rapid and accurate method of identifying gold traps, improving security, determining the recovery efficiency of Knelson gold concentrators and estimating retention times of gold particles in various processes."

Jan 1, 2003

By Guy Chevalier

The QCM Mount-Wright mine and concentrator complex produces about 14 M tonnes of iron concentrate annually. Approximately 9.5 M tonnes of this concentrate are used to produce iron ore pellets at four different silica grades: Three for blast furnace operations and one for direct reduction furnaces. The paper presents the scientific approach that led to the realization of two projects where the acquisition of new process equipment led to an improved pellet plant iron recovery, a better flexibility and to lower operating costs as well as to the production of fine iron ore concentrate from the Port-Cartier tailings pond. Typical 4.8 % SiO2 concentrate is processed to achieve required pellet silica content. This is obtained with the aid of hindered settlers or hydraulic classifiers, screens, whims and, lately, spirals. The increasing demand for low silica iron ore products resulted in a greater need for upgrading. The Pellet Plant upgrading capacity being limited, more and more iron units were lost. Base on test works results and economic evaluations, QCM engineers figured out a way to increase efficiently their upgrading plant capacity and go back in the pond gather what has been lost in recent years of operation.

May 1, 2007

By O. W. Borgeson, D. K. Honsberger, R. T. Bell

The Scully Mine, situated in the Labrador Trough near the Quebec-Labrador boundary, is one of the world's largest continuous ore deposits. This paper outlines the sequence of the mining operations from the planning stages to the delivery of the ore to the crusher at an average rate of 50,000 tons per day, 7 days per week. The principal equipment required to maintain this production rate includes four 12.\1.1-inch rotary drills, seven 8-cu.-yd electric shovels and a fleet of large haulage trucks. Particular attention is given to grade control, programmed by computer, drilling and blasting techniques and operational aspects inherent with open-pit mining in Canada's North.

Jan 1, 1969

By G. S. Headley

At the Sullivan Mine, recent experience with sulphide fires, locally referred to as " hot muck", has necessitated extensive modifications to pillar mining design and operating procedures. Potentially hot pillars are now being designed and mined to prevent fires. Unusual safety hazards and difficulties are encountered in working with, and adjacent. to, existing pillar fires. Operating procedures developed for these conditions have proved successful for safe and continuing production. These changes have minimized the impact of hot ore on current operations and have promise for an improved future.

Jan 1, 1977

By A. S. Knight

THE breaking and handling of ore is obviously the most important consideration when the layout of a new mine is contemplated. The problem must be attacked with due regard to the claim area of the property, the dip of the orebody, the anticipated percentage of payability, the width of the reef, and the amount of dislocation anticipated by dykes, faults, or sills. Among these, as far as East Geduld is concerned, the three most important items are: Area. 2,640.5 claims. Average dip 12° (from flat to 35°) Average channel width 36 inches. We are fortunate on the Witwatersrand in &apos;chat there is usually sufficient information available from surrounding properties to determine, within narrow limits, the factors mentioned above. With this information avail-able, the choice of layout is not limited, and it will be found that on the Witwatersrand each group has developed its own technique to suit its individual requirements. On East Geduld, the layout of the property for handling ore is known as the endless-rope haulage system. Following is a brief description of the general principles followed.

Jan 1, 1942

By Matthew Novak, J. Brent Hiskey

It is well known that when chalcopyrite is put in direct contact with copper in an acidic medium a galvanic cell is created. Chalcopyrite is reduced to iron and sulfur deficient defect phases such as bornite, chalcocite, and at very low potentials to elemental copper. Galvanic conversion experiments were performed using three chalcopyrite concentrates. The first chalcopyrite contained less than 10% impurity phases. The second concentrate had a high concentration of pyrite, and the third concentrate had a high concentration of pyrrhotite. The effect of temperature, acid concentration, chalcopyrite grain size, copper grain size, and agitation on the rate of chalcopyrite conversion was studied.

Jan 1, 2014