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By A. L. Williamson

Bio-mining, the use of micro-organisms to recover elements of interest, is potentially useful for the economic extraction and recovery of ore metals from a variety of ore deposits, including the lowergrade uranium deposits found in the uraniferous quartz-pebble conglomerate beds of the Quirke Syncline, Elliot Lake, Ontario. The metabolism of chemolithotropic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans depends on an ability to derive energy and reducing power from the oxidation of ferrous iron found in a varirty of iron sulphide minerals associated with base, precious metal and uraniferous ores. The characteristics of this bacterium, especially the ability to oxidize both iron and sulphur with an associated high tolerance of low acidity, allow the organism to contribute significantly to bio-mining processes. Under ideal conditions, A. ferrooxidans promotes the oxidation of ferrous iron in low sulphide ore materials, breaking the crystal structure of the ore minerals .releasing protons to the surrounding solutions, thus promoting the dissolution of uranium and rare earth elements, among others. This paper provides an overview of elemental dissolution and release of uranium, rare earth elements and investigates the acid generating potential of the final residues, from a series of environmentally controlled, biologically-mediated uranium ore extraction experiments. The findings will be used to guide in the design of larger scale bio-leaching experiments to further assess the potential for successful bio-mining operations along the Quirke Syncline.

Aug 1, 2010

By J. A. Hurd

Towards the goal of a better understanding of the structure-proton conductivity relationship in PEM materials, this project concerns the design of ordered polymeric solids containing well-defined sulfonate aggregates. The approach employed involves the templation of sulfonated monomers using core principles of crystal engineering. In addition to sulfonate groups, the monomeric units contain crosslinkable functionalities to enable formation of a covalently linked network. The templation strongly directs the construction of well-defined sulfonate clusters and aggregates. Structural, sorption and conductivity data for the networks will be shown.

Jan 1, 2005

By CIM CIM

Why Workplace Important! ?We need Diversity is to do more in the industry as a whole to encourage and support diversity. It has long been an industry of white dudes and we?re not going to survive if that?s how we continue to think.? ? Mark Scott, HR Superintendent, Vale Inco PURPOSE OF MINING FOR DIVERSITY ? Share best practices in the areas of HR Development ? Support industry in attracting, recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce ? Raise awareness of industry HR challenges and collaborate with stakeholders to develop sustainable HR practices

May 1, 2009

By Arnold R. Miller

Overview ? Vehicle Projects LLC (prime contractor) and the Fuelcell Propulsion Institute have developed the world?s first fuelcell locomotive. ? Principal applications are underground mining and tunneling. ? Because fuelcell vehicles solve the problem of underground emissions, mining is expected to be their first commercially viable market. ? The first year of a three-year project to develop a fuelcell mine loader is funded and underway.

May 1, 2002

By B. S. Riess

A novel design for an automated uranium pellet stacking system is presented. This system is designed as a drop-in solution to the current production line to enhance the fuel pellet stacking process. The three main goals of this system are to reduce worker exposure to radiation to as low as reasonable achievable (ALARA), improve product quality, and increase productivity. The proposed system will reduce the potential for human error. This single automated system will replace the two existing pellet stacking stations while increasing the total output, eliminating pellet stacking as a bottleneck in the fuel bundle assembly process.

Aug 1, 2010

By Angus W. Davis

The case of the P. G. E. railway is a peculiar one. Traversing, as it does, to a large extent, a mineralized country there are as yet no producing mines along its route although I am convinced that mines will be developed in the region tributary to the railway. The Fitzimmons group of claims, a copper property near Mons station, 37 miles from Squamish is now (unless recently relinquished) under bond to the Granby Company. On Cadwallader creek, in the upper Bridge river country, certain gold properties, referred to later, are being developed. Prospectors are fairly active in the Pemberton meadows area. There are also a large number in the Bridge river, Gun creek, and Whitewater districts. East of Marguerite station some development work is being prosecuted on some copper claims located there. In addition here and there throughout the entire route of the railway prospecting is being undertaken. At Hat creek, 15 miles from Pavilion station there is an enormous deposit of lignite. It is by no means certain that this coal can be profitably mined and hauled to the railway, but as a cheap fuel it offers possibilities in the recovery of by-products by destructive distillation. Logical procedure would ? indicate the expenditure of considerable money on development and, if results justify, the construction of a spur from the main line to the deposit.

Jan 1, 1925

By F. Moraw

The use of redox fuel cells in which oxygen is replaced by other oxidants such as ferric ions can have significant advantages [1-3]. For example, the cathodic reaction rate (e.g., exchange current density) can be increased by several orders of magnitude compared to the oxygen reduction reaction, and platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts are not required. As a result of the higher aqueous solubility of the oxidant in a redox fuel cell compared to that of oxygen the rate of mass transfer (e.g., limiting current density) is greater by several orders of magnitude. The redox fuel cell can achieve high efficiencies and has other fuel cell advantages. The main issue with the redox fuel cell cathode is the regeneration of the oxidant where low conversion efficiencies are achieved even with platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts. In the work discussed here the Fe3+/Fe2+ redox fuel cell cathode is characterized over a range of electrolyte concentrations and operating conditions, and electrode materials. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are mainly used for electrochemical characterization and mechanistic determination of the cathode redox couple. Further characterization with selected compositions and materials is done in a redox fuel cell (hydrogen - Fe3+/Fe2+). The mechanism and the advantages and disadvantages of the fuel cell redox cathode are discussed with respect to other approaches and other redox couples.

Jan 1, 2005

By Z. D. Hora

Sev_eral dozen si lica occurrences have been reported from various parts of Brit ish Columbia. Some represent hydrothermal veins or parts of pegmatite bodies; other are recrystall ized sandstones. Several vein type deposits were mined for smelter flux and as a source of white chips for stucco dash and simi lar products. Some quartzites were studied as potential sources of high-grade silica for ferrosilicon and silicon metal production. The province's only production of silica for ferrosilicon has come from a pegmatitic quartz plug near Oliver in southern British Columbia. Its reserves are now practically depleted.

Jan 1, 1984

By L. Sun

Recently, micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have attracted the attention of many researchers because of their numerous advantages over larger tubular and planar SOFCs. These include excellent thermal shock properties giving rapid startup/shutdown capability, a high volumetric power density compared to larger tubular SOFCs, and reduced sealing problem compared to planar SOFCs. In order to screen cathode materials for micro-tubular SOFCs, the perovskite cathodes were deposited, using a variety of methods, on 10.5 mol % yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) tubes. Their electrochemical properties were then evaluated by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and steady-state polarization methods, based on a three electrode configuration, and with the reference electrode position carefully optimized. The oxygen reduction reaction kinetics at the cathode/electrolyte half cell were then investigated in detail.

Jan 1, 2005

By A. L. Williamson

Bio-mining is a cost-effective, energy efficient and potentially environmentally protective method of exploiting a variety of ore deposits, from high-grade base metal deposits of nickel to lower-grade uranium and rare earth deposits such as are found in the uraniferous quartz-pebble conglomerate beds of the Quirke Syncline, Elliot Lake, Ontario. The effectiveness of bio-mining in Elliot Lake depends on the success of bacterially-influenced dissolution of metals of economic importance. The determination of both the dissolution efficiency and rate controls for uranium and rare earth elements from bio-extraction processes is critical to assess the potential for success of bio-mining along the Quirke Syncline. This poster provides an overview of proton-mediated biogeochemical dissolution of more than 50 elements, including uranium and rare earth elements from samples of the low grade uraniferous ore collected as drill core from the Elliot Lake area. The elemental data is quantified using advanced spectroscopic tools (ICP-MS and ICP-AES) to analyze solutions obtained from a series of environmentally controlled biologically-mediated uranium ore extraction experiments. The findings are being to guide design of larger scale bio-leaching experiments to further assess the potential for success of bio-mining along the Quirke Syncline.

Aug 1, 2010

At 14%, the representation of women working in the mining industry is the lowest among primary industry categories in Canada1. With reference to mining operations and senior leadership, the gap in the industry is even more pronounced. In an effort to narrow the gender gap, recent industry, education, and policy efforts have been made to increase the number of women entering the industry through career awareness and early career recruitment strategies. These strategies implied that by increasing the numbers of women entering the industry there would be a natural progression of women into the hierarchies of organizations. Efforts to retain women in the industry have focused around removing career barriers such as reviewing flexible work practices and programs directed at work life balance. At this time, these efforts have resulted in negligible fluctuations to the gender gap within the industry. This research investigates the under-representation of Highly Qualified Women (HQW), and the interaction of workplace culture on their career advancement and retention within the industry. HQW (women with a bachelor?s degree or higher) are the focus of the work as they represent an essential source of leadership and technical capacity for mining organizations. This paper is based on the results of a survey of 170 HQW working in the Canadian mining sector. The findings from this research suggest that HQWs careers in mining are stalled, despite a strong indication by respondents of interest in their professional career advancement. With regards to workplace culture, respondents indicated that blatant forms of gender discrimination have been reduced in mining workplaces; however, exclusion from informal networks, implicit bias and subtler forms of workplace discrimination persist. Utilizing a framework to assess the workplace culture for women in attracting and retaining their employment, respondents provided detailed information on the aspects of workplace culture that are most problematic in relation to women?s career development in mining. Women consistently identified problematic workplace culture as a significant barrier to the career advancement and retention of women within the industry. The representation of women within the labour force will likely remain stagnant until the industry addresses workplace culture within the industry, and makes strategic efforts to develop inclusive cultures throughout mining and supportive organizations.

Aug 1, 2013

By C. Bissue, G. M. Castillo

Newmont’s Phoenix mine started production in March of 2006. Due to the extreme hardness of the ore, the mill has struggled to meet throughput projections. Grinding studies showed that optimizing the existing circuit would not achieve budgeted throughput. These studies also showed that the pebble crusher was being underutilized due to the inability of the SAG mill to break the rock. The concept was developed to supplement the feed to the existing pebble crusher with a secondary crusher. Models of this process looked favorable so a portable crusher was installed to test the process. The temporary crusher was successful at increasing the throughput by 7% and based on the operating data, plans are currently being developed to install a permanent secondary crushing system in front of the SAG mill. This paper will review the results from the test crusher and the flow sheet for the permanent secondary crusher.

Jan 1, 2012

By Mark Stephenson, Paul Henharen

"The objective in the mineral processing of primary ores is to liberate and effectively recover each individual economically viable diamond with minimal reduction in its potential value.There are three distinctive phases in diamond processing:Feed PreparationWhere the diamonds are liberated and waste material finer than the economically selected cut-off size is rejected. In this section we will discuss the various techniques utilised worldwide to effect feed preparation.Primary ProcessingWhere the diamonds are recovered into a high grade concentrate suitable for the more expensive and selective final recovery process. In this section we will discuss the development of primary processing from jigs and pans to the more current techniques utilised worldwide.Final RecoveryWhere there is selective rejection of waste particles until only diamonds remain. The diamonds may then be acidised prior to packing and marketing.Within these distinct phases a variety of unit processes have been utilised and this paper will discuss their relative merits, limitations and suitability in respect to the various stages of diamond project development from prospecting through to production.Basic capital and operating costs are compared for the autogenous milling route developed in the CIS and the crushing and scrubbing route utilised in the west."

Jan 1, 1994

Centralia?Mine Operations ?Centralia Mine ?Mountainous Terrain ?High rainfall (greater than 50 inches/yr) ?Multiple Pit/Multiple Seam ?Truck/Shovel Prestripping ?Dragline Overburden ?Coal Wash Plants

May 1, 2001

By Erol Yilmaz

This poster presents results obtained from an experimental test set-up called CUAPS (curing under applied pressure system) allowing to assess the performance and quality of cemented paste backfill (CPB) materials. CUAPS can be used for carrying out a series of tests: one-dimensional consolidation, saturated hydraulic conductivity, pore-water pressure dissipation, and curing under uniaxial stress. The poster presents CUAPS testing preliminary results including uniaxial compression tests (UCS) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). It was demonstrated that CUAPS-consolidated CPB materials cured under time-dependent stresses provide higher UCS values than standard mould (undrained and unconsolidated) CPB samples. This may be explained by the release of excess pore water within backfill that gives rise to a significant reduction in the total porosity of fresh CPB materials prior to hardening and thus, to higher mechanical strength (UCS) gain. The results obtained from MIP highlighted a good correlation between CUAPSconsolidated and mould-unconsolidated CPB samples. MIP results were also related to UCS values in order to predict the final CPB mechanical strength.

Nov 1, 2008

By David Morley

This paper considers the ideal truck-excavator combination, defined as the combination resulting in the lowest direct unit cost, in consideration of multiple haul scenarios characterized by different haul distances, material and equipment availability. Through the application of Monte Carlo simulation, selected for its unique ability to handle the uncertainty of activity durations, the ?four to six passes? loading rule is shown to not correlate with the selection of the minimum cost fleet. Additionally, through the results of the simulation it is determined that the haul truck capacity has a greater effect on the overall efficiency of the system than does the excavator capacity. As a result, in order to arrive at efficient operations, the entire earthmoving system must be viewed as whole, namely, considering haulers together with excavators, as opposed to the popular method of first selecting a loading unit and then selecting a hauler obeying the ?four to six passes? loading rule. Furthermore, truck utilization and excavator utilization exhibit an inverse relationship and neither directly correlates with the overall efficiency of the earthmoving operation. The following conclusions are drawn: first, with limited financial resources, it is more valuable to increase hauling unit size before increasing loading unit size and second, predefined rules or generalizations, not based on evidence, potentially eliminate optimal truck excavator combinations from being considered.

Aug 1, 2013

By Brian Putland, Fred Kock, Leigh Siddall

Single stage semi-autogenous / autogenous (S/AG) milling has become a common design for a variety of ore types with the advantages of being comparatively low capital cost and flexible for future expansion. The single stage SAG/AG milling option is ideal for starter projects with significant exploration and expansion potential. Currently a number of the largest SAG mills designed are installed in single stage configuration. This paper discusses the challenges associated with the process design of single stage SAG/AG milling circuits, the design flexibility required to ensure a robust circuit and the operating techniques adopted at successful installations.

Jan 1, 2012

By S. A. Willis

For over 150 years gypsum from Nova Scotia has been shipped via water to the United States east coast. The history of the movement has been one of continual improvements in quarrying, loading, and shipping. At the start, man-size rock quarried by hand auger and black powder was loaded into horse-drawn carts, hauled to the waterfront, and dumped into 100-ton sailing schooners. Last year the Canadian Gypsum Company completed the latest and most modern of these successive installations for the movement of this Nova Scotia product. The new system loads crushed gypsum into 11,600-ton vessels at Hantsport in two hours' time at high tide. At the head of the bay of Fundy are located vast deposits of gypsum. The tidal rise and fall of 45 feet twice a day, with its attendant swift currents, has always presented major navigation and shipping problems. When the tide is low, the Hantsport ship-loading pier is high and dry, with no water within 400 feet. Three hours later a large river has flooded in (running up hill) and large steamers can dock at the wharf. Before high water, the ship has been loaded and -there is a depth of 30 feet or more of water around the wharf. At high water, the ship sails away on the ebbing tide as the river runs in the other direction. Tides are caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun on the ocean. When both celestial bodies are pulling together the 'spring tide' results, which means a 50-foot variation from high to low. This occurs at new and full moon. A week later, when the sun and moon work in opposition, the difference is only 32 feet between high and low water. The bay of Fundy, having a funnel shape (150 miles wide at mouth from Yarmouth to Portland, while the upper estuary at Hantsport is only one mile wide), builds up a tidal influence from 10 feet at the mouth to an average of 45 feet at Hantsport.

Jan 1, 1948

By Franc R. Joubin, Donald H. James

"THE PROPERTY of Rexspar Uranium and Metals Mining Co. Limited is situated within 3 miles of Birch Island, British Columbia, a village on the C.N.R. main line 80 miles north of Kamloops. The claims extend up the south slope of the North Thompson River valley.Prospecting in the area dates back many years. Fluorite was reported in 1918, lead showings in 1926, and bog manganese in 1929. Diamond drilling in 1942-43 indicated more than a million tons of material containing 20 per cent fluorite and 15 per cent celestite in what is known as the 'fluorite zone'. Marketing and beneficiation difficulties have delayed further development of this deposit.Systematic checking of specimens and drill core by the B.C. Department of Mines and the Geological Survey of Canada revealed low radio-activity in the fluorite zone material. Subsequent prospecting with Geiger counters revealed zones of higher radioactivity a few hundred feet distant from the fluorite zone. The property at this stage came under the development direction of Technical Mine Consultants Limited, who undertook a program of diamond drilling. Of the several radioactive zones located, two have so far rewarded development and appear to constitute low-grade uranium orebodies. These are referred to as the ""Black Diamond"" or ""BD"", and the ""A"" zones -see section. Open-pit mining of the thick, dip-slope orebodies appears possible.General GeologyWalker (1) describes the local rocks as metamorphosed sediments cut by granodioritic intrusives and by greens tone. At the property the sequence is:GreenstoneUnconformity or intrusive contact Trachytic member -tuffs, breccia, flows. Argillite -black, thin, not always present. Schist -thin-bedded sericitic quartzite and siltstone with some calcareous layers."

Jan 1, 1949

By N. W. D. Davis

"As I have recently carried out some further research on the Navan lead-zinc deposit data while working in Michel David's research team, I should like to add a few comments on the paper- ""Universal Kriging for Ore-Reserve Estimation- Conceptual Background and Application to the Navan Deposit"", by M. Dagbert and M. David (CIM Bulletin, pp. 80-92, February 1976). The first comment is that since this research has been carried out, important new theoretical advances have been made which make for an easier application of geostatistics to the non-stationary case (see Matheron0l). This is the theory of intrinsic random functions of order k. With the aid of this theory, it has been possible to write computer programs which can carry out automatically universal kriging, although so far such applications have been largely confined to automatic contouring and not to mining problems. However, if approached with care there is no reason why these methods should not be applied to mining problems and, in this case, an automatic study has been done on this data."

Jan 1, 1976