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By Otis M. Clarke

The purpose of geochemical research in the Alabama copper belt is to re-evaluate geochemical prospecting methods as related to igneous and metamorphic rocks in a humid climate. It is also a correlation of laboratory research on copper mineral solubility with geochemical anomalies over known mineral deposits. Geochemical prospecting in warm humid climates involves different problems and conditions than geochemical prospecting in semiarid areas. Stems and others (1972) reported soil surveys in a humid tropical environment in Bahia, Brazil, were not effective in outlining areas of copper mineralization. Clarke (1971) reported false anomalies in lateritic soils in Alabama over mafic rocks. Bjorklund (1971) reported biogeochemical sampling in Finland was ineffective in detailed work outlining potential mineralized areas, although it may serve to indicate regional areas of high mineral potential. During this investigation, water, stream sediments, residual soil, and organic matter, mainly twigs, were collected from three known copper-mineralized areas. Samples were selected so as to cross mineralized outcrops and results were correlated with copper stability charts as reported by Silman (1958) and Schmitt (1962). The geochemical research performed in Alabama should be applicable to other humid areas. Geologic, Climatic, and Pedologic Setting The area of investigation is in the southern end of the Appalachian eugosyncline in eastern Alabama. It includes the Hatchet Creek prospect, Pyriton mining district, and Stone Hill copper mine. The copper mineralization is in calcium-rich metasediments that lie along the western flank of a high rank metamorphic belt. All three deposits are in the uplands of the Ashland Plateau section of the Piedmont physiographic province. The Hatchet Creek copper prospect (Clarke, 1963; 1971) consists of three mineralized areas that contain pyrrhotite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite in small crisscrossing veinlets.

Jan 1, 1972

By P. Lenegan, R. Masethe, R. I. L. Ferreira

Underground mining in high rock-stress environments can induce unanticipated dynamic rockmass deformation, posing a serious risk to the workforce. Data collected by seismic networks are imperative for the design-as-you-mine process. Often an inappropriate assessment of the seismic hazard is done when unnecessary data are included in analytical techniques, particularly short-term time frames. Depending on the methodology or application of data analysis and interpretation, some of the information may not be relevant and even detract from the objective. By using the spatial event clusters associated with active workplaces to define the shape and size of the polygons for data selection for subsequent analysis, a problematic subjective component can be eliminated. The mining of tabular reefs in South Africa, be they gold- or platinum group metals, is very extensive, and underground workplaces are often widespread. Production stoppages are very costly, especially for marginal mines, so there is just cause not to evacuate an entire operation’s workforce following the occurrence of a large mining-induced seismic event. A rationale based on the damaging peak particle velocities (PPV) of the past seismicity can exclude the unaffected underground personnel and allow a quick orderly withdrawal where required. Micro-deformation may precede rockbursting, which can occur on-shift close to the workface. A mine-wide array of geophones suitable for the accurate location and analysis of seismicity may not be able to detect these higher-frequency emissions. Inexpensive but fit-for-purpose accelerometers, providing real-time, continuous measurement of acoustic rockmass deformation near the workplace, integrated through underground and surface communications networks, are shown to record ‘rock-talk’, clearly distinguishable from the instrument background noise, which can be in the order of hours leading up to an imminent damaging seismic event.

Jan 12, 2025

By John Hanna

Over the years the coal industry in Alabama has generated about 150 million tons of fine waste coal, increasing at a rate of 2 million tons/year, during mining and cleaning operations. Reclamation of the fine-size wastes containing 20-60% by weight clean coal provides, free of charge, mined and crushed feedstocks for coal recovery and eliminates a major source of acid water pollution. Tests were made on the impounded wastes and current plant discharges to recover the coal fraction by sizing, gravity and flotation techniques. Gravity separation of the plus 100 mesh material produced commercial grade coal averaging 8.2% ash, 0.8% sulfur and 13,350 Btu/lb. However, the coal recovery was relatively low at 50-65%. Froth flotation using mechanical and froth column methods gave similar coal products at much higher coal recovery of 87-93%. The coal produced analyzed 10% ash and 1.1% sulfur.

Jan 1, 1991

By E. A. Barrett, K. M. Kowalski

The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) conducted experiments to determine if training using a latent- image, three-dimensional (3-D) slide simulation exercise improved miners' ability to recognize roof and rib hazards. The effectiveness of this innovative type of classroom training was investigated by measuring workers' performance on a hazard recognition task. The study was unique in that hazard recognition skills were assessed in the workplace using actual coal mine roof and rib hazards. Results showed that training with a latent-image, 3- D slide simulation exercise significantly improved each subject's performance on the in-mine hazard recognition task. Further, the USBM researchers concluded that transfer of learning from the classroom to the workplace occurred.

Jan 1, 1995

By T Bookless, J Pownell, D Meadows

The ever increasing trend of the gold price has meant that ore deposits that were previously considered too complex, or unattractive by virtue of their low gold grade, are now being investigated more closely. These ore deposits present a greater risk of failure than previously was the case. To ensure that the risk of project failure is reduced and the maximum value is derived from the deposit, its mineralogy, as well as other characteristics, should be well understood such that the optimum process can be designed.Quite often the flow sheet design is assembled using individual process components, from various sources, and without consideration of the complete system. Test work programs require careful planning and an open viewpoint in terms of comminution circuit design particularly with respect to ever increasing power costs across the globe. As an example, high pressure grinding roll (HPGR) technology in many cases offers better mineral liberation than the more traditional comminution devices and it does so at a reduced energy input, and yet HPGR test work is often restricted in its scope due to the perceived novelty of the technology and the resultant lack of generally agreed and accepted test work routes.In this paper the authors outline a typical HPGR test work process route driven by the needs of different ore types and illustrate that to optimise the project value, any test work program should start from the premise that thorough understanding of the ore is vital.CITATION:Bookless, T, Meadows, D and Pownell, J, 2013. Enhancing project value through a designed high pressure grinding roll test work program, in Proceedings World Gold 2013 , pp 291-300 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 26, 2013

By S Whitton, W Wimmler, L Wimmler

“Given the increasing scrutiny of the mining industry and its relatively poor record with regards to mine tailings management, increased requirements to minimise water usage (often accompanied by very high costs of water) and the need to demonstrate achievable long-term closure strategies, it is likely that the option of a filtered tailings system will need to be considered in many operations in future.” (Australian Centre for Geomechanics, 2018). Given such a statement as a conference introduction, it is only appropriate that a range of potential technologies are investigated and compared, to create awareness for even underrated but appropriate technologies. The advantages and disadvantages of all technologies need to be considered and analysed. Suppliers are swift to promote their technologies advantages; however aspects of sustainability are not always fully understood. Perhaps a combination of two filtration technologies is appropriate. This paper delves into the technical details, good or bad, of four mechanical dewatering technologies in tailings dewatering and provides insight on an undervalued and, in the author’s opinion, young technology – the screw press.

Jul 1, 2021

By Patrick Linzer, Lindsay Linzer

By its nature, seismology has been a data intensive field since the first digital computers were introduced in the 1950s. The first empirical models were developed in the same period and are still widely used today, for instance, the Gutenberg-Richter frequency-magnitude relationship (Gutenberg and Richter, 1956). Machine learning (ML) methods make it possible to redefine these empirical models using large datasets and examining considerably more parameters, where their significance to the problem being addressed is methodically and repeatably evaluated using robust statistical methods. In this paper we develop a simple logistic model for the short-term prediction of seismic events above a threshold magnitude from a mine’s event catalogue comprising more than a million events with 14 basic parameters from which a pool of over 830 derived parameters was developed, covering a series of 11 precursory time windows. The logistic model was fitted stepwise using SAS with α = 0.025 for both entry and acceptance. 25 variables from the pool met the acceptance criterion. The findings were surprising in that parameters a rock engineer or seismologist might have expected to be the most significant in the logistic model were not; instead, it was an increase in standard deviation of the immediately-prior seismic magnitudes that carried the most weight, followed by the average maximum source displacement and median apparent volume change. These findings make intuitive sense because the increasing scatter of the magnitude shows an increasing number of large events being recorded that could be indicative of instability in the system that could lead to large events. The model is rudimentary and enormous scope exists for more exploration in terms of data pre-processing, model types, and response variable definitions.

Apr 26, 2022

By R Zhang, X Huang, M Zhou, X Lv, C Bai

Iron ore sinter accounts for a large proportion of blast furnace ferrous burden in Chinese steel mills. Depleting high-grade iron ore resources and spreading complexity of iron ores in mineralogy and morphology have made it more difficult to utilise iron ores efficiently and economically. In this paper, the physical properties of iron ore particles were characterised using mechanical sieving, laser sizing and gas adsorption. From those measurements, two physical indices (fractal dimension of the particle size distribution and surface morphological factor) are defined as important variables for optimising the granulation performance of iron ores. The moisture capacity and the contact angle of iron ore particles with water were also measured to determine the strategy of water-feed in the granulation process. It can be concluded from the experimental results that an increase in the fractal dimension of the iron ore particles will lead to a better granulation performance, while an increase in moisture capacity with a range of 12.8 ~ 14.8 per cent would increase the optimum water content where the granule packed bed achieves its best permeability. Furthermore, the optimum permeability varies inversely with the moisture capacity of the sinter mixture.CITATION:Huang, X, Lv, X, Zhang, R, Bai, C and Zhou, M, 2013. Iron ore characteristics and their application in optimising the granulation process, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2013 , pp 261-268 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 12, 2013

By Edward D. Thimons

As U.S. mines go to greater depths, the high temperatures and humidities characteristic of such depths make it difficult to maintain a comfortable environment in working areas. Better techniques for cooling these deep working areas are needed. At the Homestake gold mine in South Dakota the Bureau of Mines has tested a water spray cooler inserted into the fresh air vent tube entering a warm stope. The cooler supplied more than 6 tons of refrigeration to the stope air, which dropped from an inlet temperature of 83° F dry bulb and 75° F wet bulb to 73.5° F dry bulb and 71.5° F wet bulb. These preliminary results show the water spray cooler to be a feasible concept. However, there is a need for substantial refinement and further testing, and work on the concept will be continued under contract to the Bureau.

Jan 1, 1979

By S M. Jowitt, G M. Mudd

"The mining industry is the source for the vast majority of the metal, mineral and energy resources we use on a daily basis. New deposits are discovered over time and are developed into mines before being rehabilitated – a sequence that when repeated can help contribute to the noble notion of ‘sustainable development’, despite the generic concept of mining being the unsustainable consumption of non-renewable resources. The scale of the modern mining industry is immense – from iron ore and coal to base and precious metals, modern mines are sometimes hundreds or thousands of times bigger than their long lost historic ancestors. We also live in a world with emerging and increasing demands for so-called technology metals (aka ‘critical’, ‘e-tech’ or ‘specialty’ metals) that are needed to feed the rapid growth in renewable energy (especially solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbines), consumer electronics, sophisticated military technologies and super alloys, amongst other uses. These elements include the rare earth elements, indium, germanium, tellurium, rhenium, selenium, gallium and many others, most of which had few or no known uses in the recent past. Although the mining industry has been successful in developing ever larger mines and increasing the scale of production, the key issues underlying the future of the industry are declining ore grades, increased tailings and waste rock generation, the presence of toxic or other impurities, balancing the economics of primary and secondary products, stricter environmental conditions, more difficult exploration, increasing community expectations, as well as the processing of more complex or refractory ores, let alone the recent volatility in world commodity markets. Here, we synthesise our recent research on many of these various issues, focusing on the need to link all areas within the mining chain from mineral resources through mining to environmental performance in order to ensure we obtain the most out of our modern mining effort. The paper presents a unique and detailed assessment of the sustainability challenges and opportunities facing modern mining – and geometallurgical thinking is at the heart of this conundrum.CITATION:Mudd, G M, Jowitt, S M, 2016. From Mineral Resources to Sustainable Mining – the Key Trends to Unlock the Holy Grail?, in Proceedings The Third AusIMM International Geometallurgy Conference (GeoMet) 2016, pp 37–54 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Jun 15, 2016

By Constantino Capurro

For certain applications, coarse titanium nitride (TiN) precipitates can be deleterious for the final properties of the material. Hence, in order to better understand the mechanisms involved in the generation of these precipitates, a thorough characterization of the particles observed in steels with different titanium and nitrogen content was carried out. Samples from liquid steel (tundish), continuous casting billets and final product were evaluated using an Automatic Particle Analyzer (APA) coupled to a Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM). The location, frequency, size distribution and composition of the different particles observed were assessed. While only few TiN precipitates were observed in liquid steel samples, the density of this type of particle significantly increased in the continuous casting billets samples. Particles ranging from 1 to 10 µm were mainly found in the interdendritic zones of the as-cast structure. The density of TiN particles observed in these samples did not change after re-heating and rolling operations. A model to predict TiN precipitation during solidification was developed. A reasonable agreement was found between model results and measured data. Results of this analysis confirmed that the precipitated fraction of TiN increases as the product of steel Ti and N contents rises.

Oct 30, 2017

By James F. O'Neill

Brown iron ore deposits in Quitman County , Ga . , were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the State of Georgia , Department of Commerce , and the University of Alabama . Ninety- one holes were drilled , having an aggregate footage of 2,188 feet ; seventy- one holes penetrated 248 feet of iron mineralization . Average thickness of the ore zone was 3.5 feet under an average thickness of 14.7 feet of overburden . The drilling developed inferred reserves containing nearly 30 million long tons of crude ore with an average analysis of 28 percent iron plus minor quantities of manganese . Test work done by the Bureau on the crude ore samples indicated that they would upgrade by current log washer practice , with the use of a 1 /8 - inch screen , and yield 4.4 million dry long tons of concentrate with an average analysis of 52.1 percent iron plus manganese . The weight recovery obtained was 14.7 percent . Research studies made by the Bureau showed that the weight recovery would be increased by changing the screen size without any appreciable sacrifice of grade . The average weight recovery was increased to 18 percent with a 10 - mesh screen and 22.8 percent with a 20 - mesh screen . Screen tests studies indicated that there was no appreciable interlocking of the iron and manganese minerals and the clay and silica waste particles of the materials retained on a 200- mesh screen . Clay was prominent in micron - size slimes . Silica was deleterious in the minus 20 - mesh size .

Jan 1, 1965

By R. B. Newcombe

Despite abnormal economic conditions and the unhealthy state of the petroleum industry, 1930 closed without any marked decline in total production of oil in the Middle Western States. The most accurate figures available would indicate for this district an output of close to 25,000,000 bbl. for 1930 as compared to 26,000,000 bbl. for 1929. This can be accounted for by the settled nature of a great many of the wells producing in this area and the favorable geographical position, which affords adequate refining and marketing facilities. The only new flush production field discovered in the area was the Legrande oil pool in southeastern Hart County in western Kentucky, where wells up to 1000 bbl. initial have been reported from a shallow depth. Important extensions have been found in a number of central Ohio fields, and activity in the central Michigan area resulted in new pools along the northwest trend of the Mt. Pleasant structure. These new districts, known as the Leaton and Vernon pools, have not yet reached the scope of the Mt. Pleasant field proper, and although the structure is similar, sand conditions are not strictly analogous. Wildcatting was retarded somewhat by the scarcity of market for oil and many important wells were shut down for several months. This has not shown such a profound effect on production as the reticence of operators to drill inside proven locations. The major companies have not been able to dispose of their oil and the smaller operating units are having trouble financing their projects. The result is that oil in sight is not being produced and output is suffering accordingly. Another important effect on production was the introduction of proration by the major crude purchasers and a voluntary shut-down by Kentucky operators. This step became necessary because of the glutting of lake port refineries with Mid-Continent oil, and was not fostered by regulating state bodies, as in the case of the southwestern states. Small refining units have sprung up to meet this situation in a number of instances but they have experienced some difficulty in disposing of their product because of "dumping" tactics from other quarters. New refinery outlets on the Great Lakes and new pipe line connections should tend to alleviate this difficulty during the coming year. The

Jan 1, 1931

By B. Chalmers, S. Wojciechowski

THE structure of the equiaxed zone of several A1-Cu samples mechanically stirred during unidirectional solidification was examined. The stirring was produced by rotary oscillation of the mold about its vertical axis.' It was found that in Some samples the structure is not of the same type over the whole of the equiaxed zone; it consists of regions with two different etching responses. Fig. 1 shows this structure in a Al-1 wt pct ku sample. The lighter etching regions with a coarse structure form something like a network and the darker etching regions with a finer structure can be observed as the continuation of the coarse structure inside this network. The difference in size and shape of the dendrite branches (they are rounded in the coarser structure) is similar to that found by Williamson and Chalmers in ice crystals solidified in undercooled water: when the amount of undercooling was small, the ice crystals were more rounded and coarser than these solidified with a larger amount of undercooling.' It seems justified to conclude that the observed structure resulted from solidification under different thermal conditions: the coarser structure solidified first out of the "purer" liquid and with a smaller amount of undercooling and the finer was formed later out of solute-enriched liquid under conditions of much more rapid heat extraction. A considerable change in the heat flow conditions at the later stages of solidification can be easily understood by taking into account that the coarser crystals form a continuous network and the amount of trapped liquid is relatively small; hence the contribution of latent heat is much smaller in the later stages of solidification. The difference in structure and etching characteristic reflects a difference in composition between these two regions. It was found that the darker etching re- gions are harder (30.4 to 31.3 HV5) than the lighter etching ones (25 to 26 HV5). A similar type of structure was found in a A1-4 wt pct Cu sample grown by Czochralski method. Fig. 2 shows the structure in the lower part of a sample grown slowly and then decanted by a rapid removing of the sample from the melt. In a few places trapped liquid solidified in the same manner as in the sample shown in Fig. 1.

Jan 1, 1968

By J. Doucet, C. Price

In an industrial setting, operational changes are continually introduced, driven by new technologies or changing economics. Because of day-to-day variability, quantifying the impact of these changes based on metallurgical performance requires long trial periods to achieve statistically significant results. Tools and techniques developed by the mineral processing group at McGill University have allowed for direct measurement of process variables (e.g., bubble size, gas and solid holdup). Two case studies are described where direct measurement techniques were used to evaluate: a) a new rotor stator mechanism; and b ), the introduction of a new frother type. Application of these methods has accelerated the evaluation of process changes and improved confidence in results.

Jan 1, 2009

By Francis Lucas

EACH year we gather in this auditorium to honor the memory of a . distinguished American metallurgist and educator. I cannot bring to you reminiscences of Prof. Henry Marion Howe as other lecturers have done. It was not my good fortune to enjoy the privilege of studying and ,working under his direction. As I have reflected on the published works of Professor Howe, it has seemed to me that his mind was trained on the nature of metals and on the mechanism which produced known but unexplained effects. He was interested in controlling and regulating the causes so as to produce specific effects, useful in serving mankind. I recall an afternoon in May, 1925, when, at the invitation of Mrs. Howe, I visited his former home, Green Peace at Bedford Hills, N. Y. The purpose of my visit was to receive at the hands of the widow -an engraving of Professor Howe, a reproduction of a painting from life. Mrs. Howe showed me his study. The walls of this large attractive room, brilliantly illuminated by the spring sunshine, were literally covered with the scrolls of honors and of decorations which had been conferred on Professor Howe by governments, academies, universities, societies and. institutions the world over. As we walked about the room, she pointed out the significance of each honor and recited a few details of each occasion. I sensed the pride with which Mrs. Howe, then in the late autumn of her life, told me of her husbands' achievements, of his struggles, of his disappointments and of his successes. There was a surprisingly familiar note in the recital to which I was listening. I have found the same theme running as a disconnected thread through the written accounts of the lives of most men of science. We then went to the drawing room to chat for a few minutes before I said my farewells. As we seated ourselves, Mrs. Howe turned to me and asked: "Mr. Lucas, what of this great microscope of yours? Cannot it be applied to the study of disease? What a great blessing it would be if it could be directed to relieve the suffering of mankind."

Jan 1, 1931

By W. D. Cho

The slag chemistry in steel processing plays an important role in terms of the removal of impurities including alumina particles. In the present study, the dissolution of solid aluimina particles in CaO-based fluxes at the temperatures between 1450 and 1550 °C has been investigated to determine dissolution kinetics and mechanism. Alumina particles were added directly in the slags and the size of alumina particles was measured as a function of time using optical and scanning electron microscopes. The dissolution rate has also been obtained as a function of Si02, CaF2, MgO and MnO contents in the slags. The diffusion boundary layer between alumina and bulk slag phase has been observed and analyzed using SEM and EDX. In addition, some experiments have been performed for the dissolution of alumina in BaO-based fluxes.

Jan 1, 2003

By Z. D. Hora

The major fluorite producer in British Columbia was the Rock Candy Mine, inactive since 1942. Other deposits of economic interest include the Rexspar deposit, in which fluorite is associated with uranium and rare earth mineralization, and the Eaglet and Liard River occurrences. THE former Rock Candy fluorite mine, located 26 km north of Grand Forks, is the only major past producer of fluorite in British Columbia. The deposit was in production from 1918 to 1929 and again in 1942; total output was about 36,000 tonnes with average grade between 22 and 32 per cent CaF2. The fluorite body occupies a steeply-dipping vein structure, approximately 175 m long and up to 12 m wide, in porphyritic syenite. The chief vein-filling minerals are quartz and fluorite with local small len ses of barite. Fluorite content decreases with depth and the deposit becomes silicified. The Rexspar (or Birch Island) fluorite deposit is located 130 km north of Kamloops. The deposit is complex with rare earth elements and high uranium values, but !1uorite mineralization forms an independent zone adjacent to the uranium orebodies. Fluorite is present as fine-grained impregnations and as breccia cement in strongly schistose or brecciated alkali feld spar porphyry. Reported reserves are 1,088,000 tonnes of 22 per cent CaF2 or 450,000 tonnes of 29 per cent CaF2. 268 Another potential deposit of fluorite is Eaglet, situated on the north side of Quesnel Lake. Fluorite occurs as a stock work with scattered veins and irregular lenses up to 20 centimetres wide and as impregnations in altered Proterozoic Kaza Group feld spathic gneiss over an area of 1,500 metres by 500 metres. To date (1983) approximately $2 million have been spent on the exploration of this property and reserves of 18.8 mimon tonnes grading 11.59 per cent CaF2 have been outlined . A group of significant occurrences is known from north of Liard River Hot Springs Park , where fluorite occurs in small zones up to 17 m thick along the interface between Middle Devonian Dunedin Formation limestone and Middle Devonian to Mississippian Besa River Formation argillite. Fluorite, associated with witherite, barytocalcite and barite, is present as replacement bodies, breccia fillings and minor veins.

Jan 1, 1984

THOSE NOT MARKED ARE MEMBERS; MARKED THUS ?ARE ASSOCIATES. HEAVY-FACED TYPE SIGNIFIES HONORARY MEMBERSHIP JUNIOR MEMBERS ARE MARKED ' . THE FIGURES AT THE END OF THE ADDRESS INDICATE THE YEAR OF ELECTION. AARONS, J. BOYD See Honor Roll. '05 ? AARONSON, ALFRED E Pres., Tuloma Oil Co., Unity Bldg., Tulsa, Okla. '18 ABADIE, EMILE R., Min. En r Box 291, Porterville, Tulare Co., Cal. '76 ABBOTT, CLARENCE E., Gen'l Supt., Iron Mines Div., Tenn. Coal, Iron & R. R. Co., 1405 Minnesota Ave., Bessemer, Ala. '04 ABBOTT, Louis BENJAMIN, Chief Engr., Consolidation Coal Co., Elkhorn Div., Jenkins, Ky. '15 ABBOTT, ROBERT R Met. Engr., Peerless Motor Car Co., Cleveland, Ohio. '12 ABE, ASAKA Fujitagumi Taiwan Office, Taipeh, Formosa, Japan. '14 ABBY, HIROSHI Min. & Met. Engr., Mitsubishi Co., Tokyo, Japan. '17 ||ABOUCHAR, S. S., Cia. de Minerales y Metales, S. A., Minas Viejas, Villaldama, N. L., Mexico. '17 ABRAHAMS, A. I 1391 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. '14 ?ACKER, E. O'C., Met.,128 East Washington Lane, Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa. '86 ? ACKERMAN, ERNEST R., Pres., Lawrence Portland Cement Co., Plainfield, Union Co., N. J. '15 ACOSTA, J. N., Min. Engr., Cons. Engr Hotel Brewster, San Diego, Cal. '15 ADACHI, JINZOO 11 Shiba Park, Shiba-Ku, Tokyo, Japan. '88 ADAMI, CHARLES J., Min. Engr., Gen'l Supt., St. Joseph and Doe Run Lead Companies, Bonne Terre, Mo. '12 ADAMS, ARTHUR K., Min. Geol., Andes Copper Min. Co., Casilla 230, Antofagasta, Chile. '06

Jan 1, 1923

By G Harbort, D Clarke, D Morgan, C Sola

Northparkes Mines commenced production in 1994 and the mine has significant reserves to allow operation into the future. There are a number of potential future concentrator feed sources with variable sulfide mineralogy and grades.In February 2012 a comprehensive flotation survey was conducted to allow mass balancing and evaluate the operation of the flotation circuit. A rudimentary, copper element only, unsized flotation simulator was developed to evaluate high level potential for optimisation and improvement. In 2013 this flotation model was expanded to produce a mineral based, floatability component model to estimate the effect of future concentrator feed source on metallurgical performance. This revised model allows various circuit configurations to be simulated to provide a high level blueprint for the long-term planning to maximise performance.This paper provides a review of the process followed to develop the model, including an analysis into the mineral floatability component model and its calibration against plant operations. The effect of varying feed mineralogy and feed quality on future performance has allowed an internal review of potential circuit changes needed to accommodate the changing future feed.CITATION:Clarke, D, Harbort, G, Morgan, D and Sola, C, 2014. Northparkes Mines – flotation and planning for the future, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Mill Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 203–208 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 1, 2014