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By U. Dillon, G. Blackwell

"Geographic information systems (GIS) provide an efficient means for the recording, manipulation, revision, display and analysis of spatially referenced data. GIS are widely used at the exploration stage of mine development, and are increasingly used for reclamation planning. The ability of a GIS to perform spatial searches and query spatially referenced data make it a powerful tool for use at all stages of mine development. As the amount of data available for analysis increases, so does the power and flexibility of GIS as a planning tool.Starting from the exploration database, this paper describes how a GIS can be used for the development of mining plans based on topography, geology and mineralization information stored in a relational database. Planning decisions approaching the optimal can then be made for a wide range of parameters, including stockpile and waste dump locations, the location of potentially acid generating and neutralizing material for dump design, profitable and risk-controlled mine extraction sequencing, and haul road locations. This is made possible by the overlay and buffer analysis capabilities of a GIS which are explored and exploited to produce a continuous mine production planning program, as well as site remediation and reclamation using a successful case study. The Ore and ProductsThe mines in the Saskatoon area — Agrium, PCS-Cory, PCS-Allan, PCS-Patience Lake, PCS-Lanigan and IMC-Colonsay — extract the ore from the Patience Lake member. The mines in the southeast corner of Saskatchewan — IMC-K1 and K2, PCSRocanville — extract from the Esterhazy member, while IMC-Belle Plaine, near Regina, solution mines potassium chloride from both potash-bearing members.Ore from the Patience Lake member is a medium-grained mixture of sylvite and halite, with a KCl content of 36%, insolubles averaging up to 5.5%, and little or no carnallite.The ore from the Esterhazy member is a coarse-grained mixture of sylvite (KCl) and halite (NaCl) with a small amount of water insolubles, and some carnallite (a K-Mg chloride). Average run-of-mine grades are about 30% KCl."

Jan 1, 2003

By I. Protkova

Versa Power Systems solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks operate at intermediate temperatures 700 ? 800 °C allowing the use of metallic interconnects. Thermal expansion good matching with other stack components and cost restriction led to selecting ferritic stainless steels as interconnect material. Analytical tools and techniques were developed to understand the ferritic stainless steel behavior at high temperature while exposed to dual environment. Analytical tools such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) have provided valuable information towards describing interconnect degradation in a variety of testing conditions. Several examples are presented to demonstrate interconnect oxidation and its relation with SOFC testing results.

Jan 1, 2005

"In the UK, Ireland, and Western Europe, the mineral resource and reserve reporting standard is the PERC Code, developed and maintained by the Pan-European Reserves and Resources Reporting Committee, which is a standing committee set up under the auspices of a number of professional organisations which include the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (loM3), the Geological Society of London (GSL), the European Federation of Geologists (EFG) and the Institute of Geologists of Ireland (IGI) to develop a Pan-European reporting code. The PERC Code supercedes the old IMMM Reporting Code 2001 and is recognised by the UK securities regulators and stock exchanges.""FOREWORD1 The Pan European Reserves and Resources Reporting Committee (PERC) Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (further referred to as 'the Code') sets out minimum standards, recommendations and guidelines for Public Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe. The history of development of this code is summarised in Appendix 4.This 2008 edition supersedes all previous editions of The Reporting Code and the IMM Reporting Code.INTRODUCTION2 In this edition of the PERC Code, important terms and their definitions are highlighted in bold text. The guidelines are placed after the respective Code clauses using indented italics. They are intended to provide assistance and guidance to users in interpreting the application of the clauses in the Code. The same indented italics typeface formatting has been applied to Table 1, and to Appendices 1 and 2 which form part of the Guidelines.3 The Code has been adopted by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (loM3), the Geological Society of London (GSL), the European Federation of Geologists (EFG) and the Institute of Geologists of Ireland (IGI), and is therefore binding on their individual members.Appendix 1 contains a table of generic terms and their equivalents, designed to avoid unnecessary duplication or ambiguity in the textAppendix 2 provides Rules of Conduct for Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimators that should be considered in addition to the Codes of Ethics normally applying to members of professional institutions."

Jan 1, 2003

By M. Tanaka, Y. Sato, H. Narita, S. Alam, T. Ogata

To ensure a stable supply of rare earth elements (REEs), it is highly necessary to establish the corresponding recycling technologies for RE magnets and phosphors in inplant wastes and endoflife products. Solvent extraction using 2ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono2ethylhexyl ester (EHPNA) is often applied in the separation and purification of REEs. In this study, the equilibrium distribution ratios of neodymium and dysprosium between 1 mol/L nitrate solution and the EHPNA in an alkane diluent were measured at 298K. The experimental data were analyzed by correcting the nonideal behavior of the organic phase using the Alstad empirical equation under the assumption that a complex with a molar ratio of 1:6 (REE:extractant monomer) was formed. The model correlated well with the experimental data and the extraction equilibrium constants were obtained. The extractant equilibrium constants obtained by this methodology would be useful in the design of REE recycling processes using solvent extraction.

Jan 1, 2014

By M-A. Thibault, C. Gauthierand, J-P. Gagné, J-Y. Carrier, P. Rochette, G. Dufour

"Anodes consumed in the electrolytic process for the production of primary aluminium are considered consumables. They need to be replaced at regular intervals of approximately one month. The so-called anode butts which are removed from the cells contain the metal supports (rods), cast iron thimbles, crust and residual carbon material. Cleaning is required to remove the waste material before the rods are fitted with new anodes. An inspection is required to ascertain if repairs to the rods are necessary. Presently, this inspection is carried out visually. ST AS, in 2004 in collaboration with Alcoa Deschambault, initiated a project to develop an automated inspection system. The objectives were to find a technical solution to perform these functions with a very simple system. Such a system was designed around ""artificial vision"". The inspection system developed uses only one fixed camera and does not require a separate step in the process for the anode rod assembly to perform the inspection. This paper presents the initial steps of the work performed to develop the equipment and software as well as a summary of the results obtained."

Jan 1, 2006

The NorthMet deposit of PolyMet Mining is located in northern Minnesota, adjacent to the Iron Range. The deposit is polymetallic with values of Cu, Ni, Co, Zn, Pt, Pd and Au. The processing route selected for extraction of these values utilizes bulk sulfide flotation followed by hydrometallurgical treatment. The hydrometallurgical process has been thoroughly tested on the bench and pilot plant scale at SGS Lakefield Research. The major steps in the process are; ? Chloride-assisted total pressure oxidation for extraction of base and precious metals ?Thickening/filtration/washing of the barren residue from total oxidation ? Reduction and precipitation of Au, Pt, Pd from the oxidation solution ? Partial neutralization of autoclave acid using limestone ? Copper SXlEW for production of copper cathode ? Treatment of a portion of the raffinate from Cu SX to recover NilCo/Zn as either a mixed Ni-Co-Zn hydroxide or as separate Ni hydroxide, Co hydroxide and a Zn sulfate solution. ? Recycling of the remaining raffinate to the autoclave as coolant The process flowsheet, chemistry and bench/pilot plant test results will be reported in this paper.

Jan 1, 2007

By Guohong Yin

Oxidized sulfidic tailings contain significant amounts of accumulated acidity in the form of water-soluble secondary sulfate minerals and thus constitute long-term sources of acid drainage at many metal mining sites. As part of site remediation activities, alkaline amendments are often added to the oxidized tailings to increase the pH and immobilize the metals. This study assessed the advantages and limitations of using lime mud, a byproduct of Kraft pulp mills rich in calcium carbonate (> 90 wt. %), as alkaline amendment. The inorganic and organic constituents of lime mud samples were quantified. Leachable impurities were determined by the TCLP method. The performance of lime mud was compared to that of reagent grade quicklime (CaO) and calcite (CaCO3). Tailings treated with lime mud or calcite have strong buffering capacities and remain at neutral pH conditions (pH ~ 6.7) for long times. In contrast, tailings treated with quicklime have a very low buffering capacity, and their pH decreases with time. Furthermore, lime mud has finer particle sizes and thus a greater specific surface area than most forms of commercially available calcite, which results in enhanced reactivity. Dissolved metal concentrations are similar in tailings slurries treated with lime mud or calcite. This study suggests that lime mud is an environmentally and economically attractive alkaline amendment for oxidized mine tailings.

Nov 1, 2002

By A. McLean, J. Hou

Waste slag is a major environmental concern within the metallurgical industry. In the steel industry, about 100 kg of slag is produced in making one tonne of liquid steel from iron in addition to that produced during ironmaking. The amount of slag from the steelmaking converter can be significantly reduced when charging hot metal with low phosphorus and sulphur contents. In this context, hot metal pretreatment is known as an effective means of preparing high quality charge material for the converter thus limiting the generation of residual slag during the steelmaking process. In the aluminum industry, about 2-4 tonnes of slag, including red mud from alumina production and dross from aluminum electrolysis and casting, are generated during the production of one tonne of aluminum. In recent years, reuse of waste slag from the aluminum industry is a topic that is receiving increasing attention. In this paper, the possibilities of using waste slag and by-products from the aluminum industry as a refining flux in the steel industry are discussed. Several successful processes to convert waste materials from the aluminum industry to steel refining fluxes are described. Some theoretical aspects of using calcium aluminate based flux for desulphurization are outlined together with results obtained from laboratory experiments on sulphur removal from hot metal. By intelligent use of waste materials, the disposal of solid waste from the metallurgical industries can be reduced.

Jan 1, 2004

By P. W. Waggitt

ABSTRACT From approximately 1986 until 2000, uranium production was at a historic low. In 2003, uranium mineral exploration surged, despite the global financial crisis; however, the shortage and aging of qualified and experienced operators and regulators might soon become a constraint to this upsurge. This is true for all types of engineers, geologists, other scientists, tradespeople, and technicians. The situation raises questions about how the global mining industry in general and the uranium sector in particular will cope with future staffing needs. In this paper, the author examines the current situation and describes how some organizations are seeking possible solutions.

Jan 1, 2014

By N. A. P. Kiran Kumar

The Zr-Nb alloys are reported to be showing superior resistance to corrosion and substantially lower hydrogen pickup when compared with zircaloys. In the present study zircaloy-4 and Zr-1Nb (E110) alloys were hydride using high pressure hydrogen gas furnace at a pressure of 20 MPa. Thermal cycling was done on the samples at a temperature of 3500C for 10 cycles with 5h soaking time at 3500C per each cycle. The Microstructural observations on zircaloy-4 samples show long and interlinked hydride like chain, oriented along the circumferential direction. Whereas in Zr-1Nb, short hydrides were observed with hydride platelets not showing interlinked chain like structure. The hydrides in Zr-1Nb were observed to be not showing particularly orientation along the circumferential directions. Electron backscatter diffraction was use to understand the hydride precipitation and their orientation in Zircaloy-4 and E110 alloy.

Aug 1, 2010

By Y. Mitani, H. Ikemi, K. Kitamura, H. Honda

"Instead of carbon capture and geological storage (CCS) that does not rely on structural aquifers, injecting carbon dioxide into sedimentary rock deep underground has been considered. For advection velocity of the fluid is slow, the permeability of sedimentary rock deep underground is low. In order to perform the CCS on the low permeable sedimentary rock, it is necessary to clarify the behavior of long term storage properties of carbon dioxide (CO2).In this study, the permeability and storativity of CO2 injected into low permeable rock has been evaluated. The injection of supercritical CO2 has been conducted on the specimen of Ainoura sandstone (unit weight: 2.39 g/cm3, porosity: 11.9 %) saturated with water by using flow pump method. The experiment has been set up to reproduce the similar condition of deep underground reservoir under 20 MPa confining pressure, 10 MPa pore pressure, 35°C temperature and 3 µl/min CO2 injection rate. In order to prevent an increase in pore pressure, the boundary condition on the outlet side of specimen has been kept a constant pressure.As a result, it has been possible to observe step by step the change of the differential pressure between both ends of specimen. Furthermore, the relative permeability and specific storage of rock under supercritical CO2 injection has been examined by the theoretical analysis of flow pump permeability test incorporating Darcy’s law for two-phase flow. It is observed that CO2 has been transmitted gradually while CO2 stored in the rock. It is also clarified that residual water has existed in specimen after showing the constant differential pressure in the end of the experiment. Using the results of the experiment, 3D core-scale flow-simulation by using TOUGH2 has been conducted due to confirm the flow of fluid and CO2 distribution in the specimen. From the experimental results and analytical solution to them, permeability and storativity are identified, and simulation results support the validity of the experimental results."

Jan 1, 2015

By R. S. Forgan

The synthesis and study of a systematic series of phenolic oximes have shown that substitution in the 3-position can greatly affect extractive efficacy. Solid state, solution and gas phase analytical techniques, including X-ray crystallography, EPR and IR spectroscopy and collision induced dissociation mass spectrometry have been assessed for their applicability in interpreting the origins of differences in extractant strength. The dominant substituent effect on pH0.5 is the change in ligand pKa, with the more acidic ligands being stronger extractants. The influence of the 3-substituent on the stabilising intracomplex H-bonding of their copper(II) complexes also affects extractant strength. The 3-NO2 substituted ligand shows the lowest pH0.5 value, due to a combination of its low pKa and a stabilising bifurcated H-bond assembly around the copper(II) centre. Appending an aminomethyl group to the 3-position gives a ligand capable of binding a metal and its attendant anion. These metal salt reagents show potential to open up new flowsheets for the processing of high tenor copper feeds.

Jan 1, 2007

By Mary Jean Buchanan

The last twenty years have seen the advent of environmental concerns and sustainable development, and the industry has witnessed the rise of Environmental Management Systems and their registration through several international standardization systems such as EMAS and ISO 14001. Beyond EMS and ISO 14001, which new goal the mining industry should aim at. Life-cycle assessment (LCA), another tool from the Environmental Management System series, is also on the rise and currently the object of an international standard (ISO 14040:1997). Through LCA, it is possible to assess the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with products and services, taking into account all the activities required for its fabrication, its use, its transportation and its disposal. How could LCA be applied to the mining industry ? Is the international market pressurizing on mining companies to supply an ?environmental ore?? What about the automobile industry and its use of LCA ? Will it influence the ferrous and non-ferrous metal industry, suppliers of raw materials ? This paper presents a review of possible applications of LCA for the mining industry as well as world trends.

May 1, 2001

By F. N. Smith

Corrosion was observed on the aluminum pressure plates and dress-caps that hold the glazing in place on a curtain-walled building, The multi-storey building in question is situated in the downtown area of a busy Canadian city, For aesthetic reasons, the original design required the dress-caps (which have L-shaped cross-sections) to be externally clad with thin copper sheet. Since the aluminum was in direct contact with the copper trim, galvanic corrosion developed that resulted in damage to the aluminum components, Soluble corrosion products washing off the copper trim may also have contributed to the accelerated corrosion of the aluminum, The aluminum pressure plates and dress-caps are being systematically replaced with components made of fibre-reinforced plastic. The outsides of these new components will be clad with thin copper sheet in order to preserve the original appearance of the building.

Jan 1, 2005

By Bish Chanda

In the minerals business, like any other commodity-based business, management faces the daily challenge of holding down costs while the real prices of products are continually falling on an inflation-adjusted basis. Since the marketplace sets the prices, often without any premium attached for product quality, being one of the lowest-cost producers is the most viable competitive strategy. Continuous improvement is the mantra that can make the difference in terms of long-term survival of a mining company. Yet, this message has not always been followed, especially during periods of prosperity ushered by high commodity prices. More often than not, the need for improvement is only triggered by a crisis. This may be caused by events such as the onset of a severe economic recession, a prolonged oversupply situation due to an optimistic expansion of capacity during the period of prosperity, or simply falling profits alerting management to bring costs under control. At that time, there would be a need to implement a new cost-saving program, bring in a consultant to find ways to reduce costs, or re-activate an old program that had been shelved for some time.

May 1, 2003

By Robert B. Parsons

"The new Ontario Liberal government introduced its first budget in October. The changes to The Mining Tax Act proposed in the budget are mean t 10 simplify the current system without any loss of revenue to the government. It goes without saying that some operators will benefit from the changes while others will pay more taxes after 1985.With regard to ongoing matters at the federal level, the proposed carve-out legislation and the issue of northern allowances are being discussed with government officials, and a small victory has recently been scored with regard 10 the laxation of certain share transactions of prospectors and grubstakers. A report on these issues is provided herein.Ontario BudgetOn October 24, 1985, Ontario Finance Minister Robert F. Nixon tabled a budget proposing several significant changes to both the Ontario Mining Tax Act and the province’s income tax legislation.Mining Tax ActA flat rate of tax and reduced processing allowances highlight proposed changes to The Mining Tax Act. The proposed changes, with a comparison to the existing system, are set out in Table I.The most significant change is the replacement of the graduated tax rate schedule with a flat 20010 tax rate. This is a welcome change for most mine operators who viewed the high rate of 30% on profit over $20 million as counter-productive.However, the flat rate of ta x may not be welcome to all operators. Generally speaking, operators with less than $ 10 million annual profit are better off under the graduated rate system, while operators with annual profit exceeding $10 million will benefit from the 20010 tax rate."

Jan 1, 1986

Planning and operational problems Difficulty in getting accurate geological interpretation Hard to plan work in advance Constant changes in engineering drawings and specifications Occasionally, a small stope portion requires changing the mining method from room-and pillar to shrinkage The ground has to remain stable until the entire stope is mined out A large stope portion is mined as development (30%) Frequent corrective excavation work due to dip changes Unstable and inclined working surface Frequent rehabilitation work is required

Feb 1, 2008

By Kevin S. Borthwick

The subject of this paper is a facility wide Distributed Control System (DCS) upgrade being completed at a large copper and molybdenum mine. This paper will discuss the innovative hardware and software technologies employed in the new control system. This paper will also describe the planning process, migration path and simulation techniques used to ensure the success of such a large and complex DCS upgrade.

May 1, 2008

By F. M. Makarinsky

"This paper describes the conversion of conventional froth flotation cells to open-trough type bank cells, with 'buried' vertical metal partitions. These changes have resulted in: total froth removal along the full length of each bank of cells; extended flotation cell retention times; and has extended the life of the metal components, particularly towards the upper flotation cell areas.INTRODUCTIONOver the past twenty years, the flotation cells used at Falconbridge Limited, Sudbury operations concentrators, have gone through major physical changes. The various concentrators generally started with 100 cubic foot Denver Sub 'A' flotation cells. From these units, we progressed to 'converted' DR units, and/or Denver DR units, if purchased new. (Figures 1, 2, 3)In 1980, the Strathcona concentrator started to pay more attention to the 'front end' rougher flotation cells. Initially, the converted DR flotation cells had 'cut-outs' removed (Figure 4) at all upper vertical cell partitions, towards the ff9th lip areas, in order to get additional froth removal."

Jan 1, 1985

By Ian Thomson

OBJECTIVES OF EXPLORATION ? Prove/Disprove presence of potentially economic mineralization ? Keep on budget ? Minimize negative environmental impacts ? Gain a ?Social License to Operate? (SLO) WHAT IS A ?SLO? ? Granted by the local community ? Intangible, informal, non-permanent ? Has to be earned and then maintained ? Defined as ? Ongoing Approval (BSR and AccountAbility) ? Ongoing Approval, broad social Acceptance (Joyce and Thomson) ? Ongoing Acceptance (Nelson, and many others) ?Expression of the quality of a ?relationship?

May 1, 2010