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By Margot Panta, Diego Guevara, Miriam Torres, Irayda Salinas

Los bofedales son humedales altoandinos considerados ecosistemas frágiles por la Ley General del Ambiente de Perú - Ley N° 28611. Este trabajo evalúa la fragmentación y conectividad de 20 bofedales ubicados en el distrito de Huachocolpa, departamento de Huancavelica; los mismos que abarcan un área total de 111.9 ha, con un área promedio de 5.595 ha por parche, con el fin de contribuir al mejoramiento de planes de manejo de la biodiversidad (fauna y flora) altoandina y facilitar la recuperación de dichos ecosistemas.

Sep 20, 2019

By L. M. Oshinowo

The incorporation of advanced analysis tools, such as CFD, into the process plant design process has become possible through advances in commercially available computational fluid dynamics software and faster computers. Multiphase modeling is now typically employed in the design phase of process plant design at Hatch. The multiphase models include Lagrange-Euler and Euler-Euler treatment of the multiple phases. Additionally, mixture models with interface-sharpening algorithms are applied to the prediction of free-surface flows in complex geometry. CFD is applied to applications where traditional design rules are not applicable. The additional rigor of CFD modeling in 2D and 3D allows process engineers to come closer to realizing true virtual plant design. The objective of this paper is to outline the benefits and pitfalls in the application of multiphase modeling for rigorous design. Several application examples in the hydrometallurgical field will be presented.

Jan 1, 2005

By R. T. Hukki

THE accepted basis of comparisons between mills of different diameter is the percentage critical speed. If n = actual mill speed, rpm, nc = calculated critical speed, rpm, np = calculated percentage critical speed, and D == inside diameter of the mill in feet, then n, In the following analysis capacity, T, is expressed in short tons per hour, tph, and power consumption, P, in kilowatts, kw. Accordingly power consumption per unit of capacity, P will be expressed in kilowatt hours per short ton, or kw-hr per ton. In all equations D refers to the inside diameter of the mill in feet and v to the peripheral speed of the mill in feet per minute inside the liners. ' Comparison between separate mills must be based on equivalent grinding conditions, i.e., same feed, same size distribution of feed, same size distribution of product, and same percentage of solids. In addition, comparisons between separate rod mills must be based on the same rods, same type of liners, and same percentage rod load. Comparisons between separate ball mills presuppose the same balls, similar liners, and same relative ball load. The practical np-range through which the equations apply varies, being narrower for fine grinding in ball mills and wider for coarse crushing in rod mills. The Relationship between Capacity and Speed It is the general belief that the capacity, T, of a tumbling mill is directly proportional to the speed of the mill, other things remaining constant.' Mathematically this is represented by the equation T - c¹ n tph [4] where c, is a factor related with the grinding characteristics of the ore, method of reduction, and the units chosen. It is proposed here that the general equation relating mill capacity and speed should be of the form T = c¹ nm tph [5] In other words, the capacity should be proportional to the mill speed raised to power m, the numerical value of the exponent being 1 5 m 5 1.5, depending on the circumstances. Eq. 5 can also be written in the following forms: T = c, (np)m tph, and [6] T=Ca vm tph, [71 where v = peripheral speed of the mill in feet per minute. If the observed capacity of a mill at speed n¹ is = T¹ tph, the capacity T² of the same mill at speed n² should be T² = T¹ (n²/n¹)tph [8] The Relationship between Power Consumption, Mill Diameter, and Speed The only well known theoretical deduction relating power consumption, P, and mill diameter appears to be the formula of duPont introduced by Gow, Guggenheim, Campbell, and Coghill.' According to duPont, the power required to operate a mill is a function of the mass of the balls, of the lever arm of the ball mass, and of the speed of the mill. The ball mass per unit of mill length is proportional to the square of the diameter, the lever arm is directly proportional to the diameter, and the critical mill speed or any percentage thereof is inversely proportional to the square root of the mill diameter. Following this reasoning, the original duPont formula is of the form P = c4D² c D • c6D-0.5 = c7D2.5 [9] If the mill speed in the above equation is expressed in terms of Eq. 3, the duPont formula may be written as follows: P=f1(D2) f2(D) f³(—np) or [10] vD P = c np D2.5 kw [11] Eq. 11 may also be derived from the mechanical principle of force, which is equal to mass x acceleration. Power necessary to operate a mill may be considered to be an homogeneous linear function of the force developed. Ball or rod mass per unit of mill length is a function of D2. The acceleration factor of the ball or rod mass is a function of the peripheral speed of the mill. Thus P = f4(F) = /x(D2) f5(v) Indicating that v = nDn, and n = c9 np /vD, the above equation becomes P = f2 (D2) -fa (D ca np/vD

Jan 1, 1955

By B. M. Larsen

Attempting to review the fundamental aspects of segregation in steel ingots of all types in a paper of reasonable length, we encounter two difficulties: (I) the fact that a large number of different physical and chemical effects are involved, and (2) rather incomplete and confusing evidence on certain aspects of detail and mechanism in the freezing process in which the segregation effect is involved. The best solution seemed to be to link together most of the underlying factors into a simplified theoretical picture that appears to the writer to explain most of the observed data, in the hope that this will serve as a reasonably good target for discussion and criticism. Segregation effects, especially in steel ingots or castings, are often divided into " microscopic" and "macroscopic," depending on whether the variations in concentration of solutes or dissolved elements in the iron occur as: (I) a periodic variation over the small distances between the nuclei and the surfaces of the primary grains, or (2) as a larger scale effect involving concentration gradients over distances of the order of several inches, more or less. The reason for this somewhat artificial division is, of course, that it is only the macroscopic scale effect that has much practical importance. About the only effect of practical importance that results from microscopic segregation is the banded structure often left in rolled sections, and even this is relatively harmless in most cases. However, the causes of microscopic segregation also untlerly the larger scale effect, so we must first consider matters such as the formation and growth of crystal nuclei, selective freezing and diffusion, and others that are fundamental to all sepregation effects. Undercooling and Nuclei Formation It is probable that although the degree of undercooling is small in iron, as in metals in general, a certain amount of it takes place, and also that the number of crystal nuclei increases very rapidly with increased undercooling below the liquidus temperature. In practical terms this means that the nuclei number illcreases very rapidly with increased cooling or freezing rate, thus being dependent on the rate of heat flow out from the zone of crystallization. Temperature Gradients and Heat Dissipation during Freezing Each pound of steel evolves about 100 B.t.u. when freezing. In addition to this, the temperature gradient in the solidified portion (required to dissipate the heat as freezing progresses into the axis) necessitates a loss of heat required to cool the solid metal below its freezing range, which is equivalent to an amount of not so much less in magnitude. In a 5-ton ingot, the total would include about one million B.t.u. for freezing alone and about 0.4 to 0.5 million B.t.u. for the gradient, up to the end of the freezing period. Thus the rate of freezing depends primarily on the rate of heat dissipation. In the ordinary ingot shapes, the axial rate of growth of the solid

Jan 1, 1945

By AIME AIME

WHEN I was getting data for my books on ore dressing, I traveled across the continent, visiting a great many mills, always accompanied by my vanning shovel, and I got to be a joke among the millmen. They would say "Here comes the Professor with his vanning shovel." With the aid of this vanning shovel, I examined the tailings of all the mills I visited and I found it to be universally true that they contained some extremely fine, free mineral. I looked everywhere to see if I could find a machine or a process that would save this fine mineral. But nowhere did I find anything that made any bid for success until I visited the Kennedy mill, with its Gates canvas plant, on the Mother Lode of California. There I found that the tailings of the Frue vanners were put into a one-spigot classifier of good design which yielded a spigot product entirely free from this fine, free mineral which only assayed 40c. to the ton in gold. The overflow was extremely fine and as¬sayed $3 to the ton. This overflow was fed to ten canvas tables each 10 ft. square, with the grain of the canvas running across the table to make for the roughest surface. The canvas used was No. 6 cotton duck sail cloth.

Jan 1, 1934

By LeRoy D. Loy

To facilitate effective land reclamation and comply with existing state regulations, surface coal mine operators have in recent years adopted new mining techniques and equipment utilization for steep-terrain mining. In contrast to direct spoiling with draglines or shovels, these new mining methods require some form of overburden haulage from the excavation face to the point of reclamation. Although current mining methodologies such as Block-Cut, Modified Block-Cut, and Mountaintop Removal with Head-of-Hollow Fills have proven effective in achieving reclamation objectives, some production problems have resulted from pit congestion and excessive equipment delays. Recognizing this problem, the United States Bureau of Mines contracted Skelly and Loy to design innovative mining concepts utilizing conveyor haulage in place of trucks, loaders, dozers and scrapers. Project objectives required definition of current bottlenecks and development of mining systems to: alleviate bottlenecks; increase production potential; facilitate additional resource recovery; enhance reclamation; reduce safety hazards; and improve mining economics. Successful completion of project goals within a four year program involves systematic implementation of the following separate work phases: 1) Develop Concepts for Block-Cut Mining Systems; 2) Determine the Economic and Technical Feasibility of Concepts; 3) Prepare Detailed Design and Specifications of Concepts; and 4) Prepare Specifications for Conducting Field Tests of the Most Promising Concepts. At the time of this publication, Phases 1 and 2 are finalized with Phase 3 efforts well underway.

Jan 1, 1977

By Richard A. Dick

Eight blasts were fired in a 2-1/2-ft bench in the Stewartville member of the Galena Limestone formation in an aggregate quarry near Stewartville, Minn. The shots were dimensionally proportional to production-size bench blasts and were about 5 to 10 percent of full scale. The effects of site, timing of initiation, and burden-to-spacing ratio were studied in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experiment, using three boreholes, caw;, containing a 1/2-in charge diameter of high-density ammonia dynamite, in each blast. Detonation velocity measurements indicated that the dynamite detonated satisfactorily in the 1/2-in charge diameter. The effects of the three experimental variables were analyzed by weight for the percentage of oversized material produced and for size distributions determined by screening the entire muckpiles. The bench faces were painted before each shot in an effort to determine the origin of the oversized material. The square pattern (burden and spacing = 15 in) produced finer overall fragmentation and less oversized material than the rectangular pattern (burden = 15 in; spacing = 22-1/2 in). Sites 1 and 2 were about ft apart. Although site 2 produced slightly better overall fragmentation than site 1, the amounts of oversized material produced showed no significant difference. The timing of initiation (instantaneous or delayed) did not significantly influence the overall fragmentation or the amount of oversized material produced.

Jan 1, 1973

By Ravindra M. Nadkarni, Milton E. Wadsworth

The kinetics of cetnentation of copper with iron were observed to follow first-order kinetics and increase with speed of agitation to a limiting value. Maximum rates agree closely with theoretical values based upon a model of aqueous solution diffusion through a litniting boundary film. Back reaction kinetics are shown both theoretically and experimentally to be independent of ferrous iron concentration in solution. The inlportance of attnospheres of air, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen was studied and the results have been correlated with several impovtant oxidation processes involving metallic iron and copper. The kinetics of the reaction of ferric ion with metallic iron were found to be slow in the absence of metallic copper and essentially proportional to the surface area of metallic copper present in the system. THE precipitation of copper on iron is classic as an example of a relatively ancient art applied successfully for centuries with little fundamental understanding of the important parameters involved. There is some indication that the process has been a commercial means to produce copper since the sixteenth century.' The amount of fundamental work on the cementation of copper with iron is not great. Wartman and Roberson2 carried out a series of detailed copper cementation experiments using natural and synthetic mine water. The following were presented as the three principal reactions: Reaction [I] is the desired cementation reaction and accordingly 0.88 lb of iron would produce 1 lb of copper. In actual practice iron consumption would more normally fall in the range of 1.5 to 2.5 lb per lb of copper. Wartman and Roberson attributed the excess consumption of iron to Reactions [2] and [3]. They found that Reactions [I] and [2] proceeded at approximately the same velocity while Reaction [3] was much slower and would be diminished by controlling the contact time. It was also pointed out that increased agitation is beneficial in removing hydrogen bubbles and barren layers of solution at the iron surface as well as removing contaminants resulting from the hydrolysis of iron. Episkoposyan3 and Episkoposyan and Kakovskii4 studied copper and silver cementation on rotating iron disks in chloride solutions. The kinetics based upon a diffusion model were first order and varied linearly with surface area and with angular velocity raised to the one-half power according to the Levich equation. The experimental activation energy for both copper and silver was approximately 3 kcal per per mole. Excess iron consumption was found to increase with temperature. The rate of cementation first increased with increasing acidity and then diminished at high acid concentrations. sutolov5 has presented an excellent review of the Leach-Precipitation-Flotation (LPF) process including a discussion of copper cementation from an electrochemical point of view although few experimental results were presented. From voltage considerations he predicted that cementation should not be influenced by the concentration of ferrous iron in solution. He considered several secondary reactions including Reactions [2] and [3] and pointed out the importance of oxidation of ferrous iron to ferric with oxygen. In addition it was suggested that Reaction [2] was enhanced by the dissolution of metallic copper by ferric iron which in turn consumed excess iron by the cementation reaction, Eq.[1]. Cementation of copper on metals other than iron has been studied by several investigators but, as in the case of iron, the amount of fundamental work is not extensive. Bashkova and kovalenko6 and Bashkova7 studied the cementation of copper on indium from copper and indium sulfate solutions. The rate was found to be first order and to increase with acidity. This was associated with a decrease in potential (EIn — ECu) and the simultaneous reduction of hydrogen ions at low pH. The rate of cementation also decreased with increasing indium concentrations which was postulated to be due to the decrease in the rate of diffusion of the ions in solution. Below 97°C the experimental activation energy was found to have the unusually low value of 2 kcal per mole and was attributed to diffusional control. Above 97°C the rate increased suddenly and was explained as a change in the rate-controlling step to a chemical reaction. In Part I of this study Nadkarni et a1 .1 have reported on preliminary results obtained in a laboratory study of the kinetics of the cementation process. The rate was found to be first order, proportional to the surface area of the iron, and to increase with speed of stirring until a maximum rate was observed. At low stirring speeds the deposit was spongy and adherent. At medium speeds the copper peeled off in bright strips and at high speeds finely divided copper was produced and continually removed from the surface. The amount of excess iron consumed increased with speed of stirring and with temperature. The average experimental activation energy combining results from several types of iron was 5.8 + 1.6 kcal per mole suggesting diffusional control through a limiting boundary film. Traditionally copper cementation has been carried out over the centuries in gravity-fed launders of various design containing scrap iron. More recently rotating drum precipitators and activated launders8'10 have been used. In the latter, copper-bearing solutions are

Jan 1, 1968

By W. F. Hosford, E. W. Kelley

By testing polycrystalline specimens from textured plates which had Previously been used to provide materials for growing single crystals, it has been possible to relate the plastic anisotropy of textured materials to the deformation behavior of single crystals. The deformation studies have been conducted at room temperature on textured polycrystalline magnesium and binary Mg-Th and Mg-Li alloys. Variously oriented specimens of the textured materials were deformed in plane-strain compression and in uniaxial tension and compression. The stress-strain curves are similar in their general jorm of anisotropy and stress levels to those obtained on single crystals of the same alloys. The degree of anisotropy is lower, however, in the polycrystalline materials and correlates with the intensity of the basal texture. Yield loci for the textured materials appear reasonable in terms of the deformation mechanisms, and deviate sharply from the form predicted by the Hill analysis for aniso-tropic material. A N earlier study1 of single crystals has shown that magnesium and magnesium alloys with thorium and with lithium deform at room temperature primarily by basal slip, {10i2) twinning, and (1011) banding. The (10i1) banding mode is a combination of {10ll) twinning followed by (1012) twinning and basal slip within the doubly twinned material.2, 3 Magnesium with lithium can also deform by {1010)(1210) prism slip.1'4'5 Still other deformation modes have been reported for magnesium6-11 but these are considered to play a minor role in room-temperature deformation. In a polycrystalline material, plastic deformation must occur in the individual grains through the operation of one or more of the various deformation modes. Because the critical shear stress for basal slip is very low compared to the activation stresses for the other deformation modes,' basal slip accounts for much of the deformation in the polycrystalline aggregate. However, since there are only two mutually independent basal slip systems, and because five independent systems must be active for an arbitrary shape change in any material,'' modes other than basal slip must account for some of the strain. The deformation of textured magnesium, like that of other hcp metals, must be controlled by the same mechanisms observed in single crystals. In strongly textured material, the form of the anisotropy should be similar to that of single crystals, and the degree of anisotropy should depend on the intensity of the texture. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The anisotropy of deformation was investigated through the use of plane-strain compression tests, as well as uniaxial tension and compression tests. Materials. Test specimens were cut from the three textured plates of magnesium which had previously been used to provide material for single crystals.' These plates, furnished by Dow Chemical Co., had been reduced about 80 pct during the process of being hot-rolled to their final 1/4-in. thicknesses. The plates had the three respective compositions, pure magnesium, Mg-0.5 wt pct Th (0.49 pct Th by spectro-graphic analysis), and Mg-4 wt pct Li (3.84 pct Li by chemical analysis). Impurities other than iron were less than 0.0005 pct Al, 0.01 pct Ca, 0.001 pct Cu, 0.0006 pct Mn, 0.001 pct Ni, 0.003 pct Pb, 0.001 pct Si, 0.001 pct Sn, and 0.01 pct Zn. Iron was 0.001 pct in the pure magnesium, 0.002 pct in the Mg-0.5 pct Th, and 0.014 pct in the Mg-4 pct Li. The textures of the three plates were determined by X-ray diffraction utilizing only the reflection technique out to an angle of 50 deg from the sheet normal. The resulting basal pole figures are presented in Figs. 1, 3, and 5. Grain sizes in the plates were ASTM number 4 in the pure magnesium and number 7 in each of the alloys. Plane-Strain Compression Tests. Plane-strain compression specimens approximately $ in. thick by 4 in. wide by $ in. long were prepared for each of the three compositions. These specimens were prepared in a manner similar to that used for the single-crystal specimens of the earlier study.' All polycrystalline specimens were stress-relieved at 500°F for hr as the final step in their preparation for testing. The testing procedure was identical to that used for the single crystals, involving compression in a channel and using 2-mil Teflon film as a lubricant. The specimens were tested in six orientations of interest, these being the six combinations of the rolling, transverse, and thickness directions of the material serving as loading, extension, and constraint directions in the plane-strain compression test. Each of the six orientations was assigned a two-letter identifying code. These are combinations of the letters (thickness direction), R (rolling direction), and T (transverse direction) with the first letter signifying the loading direction and the second letter the extension direction. For example, ZR specimens were compressed in the thickness direction while extension was permitted to operate in the rolling direction of the textured material. To facilitate comparison of the present work with that of the single-crystal study1 the orientations used for single crystals are given in Table I along with the polycrystalline orientations that most nearly correspond. To insure reproducibility, at least three duplicate

Jan 1, 1969

By Juan Sodi, John F. Elliott

The standard free energy of ReS2 has been measured in the range of 1050° to 1250°K using H2/H2S mixtures and a slight variation of the method described by Hager and Elliott.1 The result is: The experimental method and apparatus were modified slightly for this study. Measurements on Cu2S were made to verify the application of the method to the work on ReS2. THE EXPERIMENTS AND RESULTS Briefly, the experimental method consisted of exposing a chip of copper or rhenium at a known temperature for 8 hr to a slowly flowing gas stream at the same temperature in which Ph2S and PH2 were known. The chip was withdrawn quickly from the hot furnace, and subsequently it was inspected for the presence of a sulfided surface. In the experiments described here, there was no ambiguity in any case as to the presence or the absence of the sulfide. At a given temperature, gas compositions for sulfidization were explored systematically until two compositions were found whose values of ?G°, Eqs. [I] and [2], were within approximately 100 cal of each other, one of which was sulfi-dizing and the other was not. These are termed the "straddle" compositions and it is assumed that the equilibrium composition lies between them. The chief modification to the apparatus, which is shown schematically in Fig. 1 of Ref. 1, was to support the metal specimen on a small alumina boat which could be moved along the reaction tube, 6 mm ID, by platinum wires. An appropriate seal at each end of the reaction tube permitted the sample to be moved from the cold end of the tube into the hot zone in 2 to 3 sec, and the sample could be withdrawn equally rapidly. Thus, it was possible essentially to quench the specimen from the reaction temperature with the reaction gas or helium flowing and without danger of breaking the reaction tube. The usual practice at the end of the experiment was to switch the gas system to the helium tank, flood the reaction chamber with helium, and pull the sample out of the hot zone. The purpose of the modification was to permit study of the sulfidization of copper without the complication of the back-reaction between the gas and the specimen as the latter cooled during slow withdrawal of it from the hot zone; this was a problem in the earlier work.&apos; A further improvement located the tip of the temperature-indieating thermocouple and the specimen precisely at the hottest part of the furnace. A carefully calibrated thermocouple, with its tip at the position of the specimen and with other conditions duplicating those of an actual experiment, showed that in the temperature range of 900° to 1122°C the temperature of the specimen differed from that of the tip of the indicating thermocouple by less than 0.5°C. The two positions were 0.5 cm apart. The reaction gas was prepared from ultrahigh-purity hydrogen (<l ppm O2, <0.5 ppm H2O) and CP grade hydrogen sulfide (99.5 pct H2S). High-purity helium (99.995 pct He) was used. All of these gases were purchased from the Matheson Co. All flow meters were recalibrated by the soap-bubble method with hydrogen, H2S, helium, and several gas compositions used during the study. These calibrations gave a linear relationship with a slope of 1.0 for the plot of log flow rate vs log pressure drop across the flow meter, in accordance with the Hagen-Poiseuille equation. The analysis of the gas was determined in the same manner as was reported previously. Good checks were obtained between the composition of the gas established by the flow-meter settings and by chemical analysis of the gas taken after the mixing bulb and ahead of the furnace. The pressures of H2S, H2, S2, and HS in the equilibrium gas at temperature were calculated from the following data :3 The pressures of the species S and S8 were negligible for the conditions of the experiments.3 There was no sign of vaporization of ReS2 either by weight loss or deposits in the reaction tube. Thus it is not possible to account for the apparent volatility of the compound reported by Juza and Biltz.2 The inlet gas composition and the calculated equilibrium ratio of PH2 S/PH2 for the "straddle" points of each experiment are shown in Table I. The specimens of metal for the experiment were small clippings of annealed copper (99.9+ pct) sheet 0.005 in. thick that was obtained from Baker and Adamson and of "high-purity" rhenium (99.9+ pct) sheet 0.005 in. thick that was purchased from Chase Brass and Copper Co. A specimen was removed from the apparatus; inspected for the presence of the sulfide, and then stored in a sealed vial. A fresh clipping was used in each measurement. The condition of the surface of each specimen after the experiment is noted in Table I.

Jan 1, 1969

By S. Espley, T. Nyabeze, D. Beneteau

"Many mentorship programs are available to Canadian mining industry employees. Some are company-led initiatives, whereas others are provided through educational institutions or nonprofit organizations. In 2016, a national survey was launched to gain insight into perceptions of what mentorship is, learn about available programs, and collate experiences with formal and informal mentorship opportunities. This paper outlines survey findings and delivers recommendations to industry for consideration in employee mentorship programs. In addition, mining industry leaders share their mentor/mentee perspectives. The intent of this paper is to bring awareness of best practices that can help employees grow and develop in their profession.RÉSUMÉ Les employés de l’industrie minière canadienne ont accès à de nombreux programmes d’encadrement. Certains sont des initiatives menées par les sociétés, d’autres sont proposées par le biais d’établissements d’enseignement ou d’organismes à but non lucratif. En 2016, une enquête à l’échelle nationale a été lancée en vue d’obtenir des informations quant à la perception de ce qu’est réellement l’encadrement, de découvrir les programmes proposés et de comparer les expériences aux possibilités d’encadrement, officielles ou non. Cet article présente les résultats de cette enquête et fournit des recommandations à l’intention de l’industrie afin qu’elle les prenne en compte dans ses programmes d’encadrement des employés. En outre, des chefs de file de l’industrie minière partagent leurs points de vue conseillers/protégés. L’intention de cet article est de sensibiliser les employés aux meilleures pratiques, ce qui les aidera à évoluer et à se développer dans leur profession. INTRODUCTIONThis paper about mentorship in the mining industry is based on voluntary responses to a cold survey, written and circulated by the authors. In 2016, a link to an online mentorship survey was circulated to males and females in the mining industry with the belief that mentorship programs should be available to everyone. The link was delivered via the authors’ personal networks in mining, the CIM Reporter, Women in Mining (WIM) email blasts, LinkedIn, and Facebook. This paper summarizes the answers to the survey questions. The paper is a follow up to one by the same authors (Nyabeze, Espley, & Beneteau, 2010), which was written to gain insight into why women join and stay in the mining industry, and to learn why the overall representation of women is low."

Jan 1, 2018

By J Hutchings

An essential component to the management of any process is the measurement of key parameters, used to monitor, control, and provide the feedback necessary for improvement. This paper discusses how data collection and analysis can provide a better understanding of the blasting process, as well as additional control and improved outcomes.The drill and blast process involves the generation and use of information at a number of levels. Comparison of historical parameters and results provides a starting point for the development of ongoing blast designs and a baseline against which future results can be compared. The collection of data during implementation provides a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) function where potential defects (such as under-drilled or over-charged holes) can be rectified prior to firing. Actual quantities and production rates allow the development of realistic plans and schedules, rather than using inaccurate estimates and targets that lead to unscheduled changes to equipment paths. Over?the past several years there have been a number of technological advances in data collection technology. Drill monitoring instrumentation on blasthole drills provides location information and feedback on rock properties as drilling occurs. Hand held ‘data logger’ technology has also overcome the challenges of working on the bench, such that blasthole measurements can be collected and forwarded directly to the explosive truck. Mine sites are becoming wireless network-enabled allowing the seamless data transfer from the field back to the office, in near real time, as that information is collected. Great strides have also been made in the development of drill and blast software systems which are more user friendly, and yet provide far greater capability to manage the quantity of data generated. The blasting process is critical to the overall mining process and the delivery of a successful blast outcome requires that the blasting process be ‘in control’. The measurement of key parameters can provide the data with which to measure and maintain control of blasting, and allows the validation of performance improvement measures and identification of improvement opportunities.

Nov 8, 2011

By I. Masters, K. Buban, M. Faris, M. Antonio, M. Collins

"AngloGold Ashanti Brasil, with assistance from Sherritt International Corporation, has recently commissioned a new autoclave for the pressure oxidation of refractory gold feeds at their Corrego do Sítio operation in Brazil. Design of the new plant, including feed acidulation, pressure oxidation, oxidized solids washing and solution neutralization circuits, was based on the results of test work conducted by Sherritt at their pilot plant in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. This paper describes the results of the pilot plant study as well as highlights of the design exercise.INTRODUCTIONAngloGold Ashanti Brasil (AGA Brasil) has recently commissioned a refractory gold pressure oxidation plant at the site of the original São Bento operation in Brazil. The design of the São Bento pressure oxidation facility was based on Sherritt technology; Sherritt carried out the original process development test work in the mid-1980s, provided a process design package and detailed specifications for critical pressure oxidation equipment and participated in the training of operators and commissioning of the plant. The São Bento plant was operated between 1986 and 2007, when the original ore body was exhausted (Silva et al., 2004). AGA Brasil purchased the facility from Eldorado Gold in 2008, with the intent of refurbishing the plant to process refractory gold concentrates produced from the nearby Córrego do Sítio mining area.Sherritt International Corporation has a long history in the development and application of commercial pressure oxidation and pressure leaching processes. Sherritt’s development of technology for the pressure oxidation of refractory gold ores and concentrates commenced in the 1980s in collaboration with Homestake for application at the McLaughlin project in California. This was followed by several commercial applications in Canada, Papua New Guinea and Brazil (Berezowsky et al., 1991). More than thirty pilot plant campaigns investigating the pressure oxidation of refractory gold ores or concentrates have been conducted by Sherritt since the 1980s, and projects with Sherritt contributions to the process development studies and/or engineering design account for about half of the commercial plants that have operated to date with this type of process (Collins et al., 2011a; 2011b)."

Jan 1, 2012

By Takanori Kokubo, Kenta Suzuki, Tomohiro Sasaki, Toshiya Anami

"Previous work has shown that the strengthening Al-Mn alloys with copper leads to the formation of an undesirable reduction in recrystallized grain size. In this study the mechanisms of strengthening and recrystallization behavior in a continuously cast automotive heat exchanger fin stockof Al-1.1wt%Mn-0.5wt%Fe-0.3wt%Si with a0.3wt%Cu addition were investigated. Metallurgical analysis revealed that the Cu strengthening was dominated by the formation of dispersoid particles, while solid solution strengthening decreased with the Cu additions. This result is attributed to the decrease in the amount of Mn solid solution. The post brazing recrystallized grain size was reduced compared to that not containing Cu. It is postulated that the Cu addition leads to a decrease in the amount of Mn in solid solution which leads to a finer grain size. This effect is attributed to Mn in the aluminum matrix inhibiting boundary migration but allowing other grains to grow during heat treatment. The results are rationalized based on particle stimulated nucleation (PSN), wherein dispersoid particles are more likely to become active recrystallization nuclei during the heat treatment. The increase in the number of active dispersoid particles with Cu addition is correlated to the recrystallized grain structure.INTRODUCTIONImprovements in properties such as strength, braze ability and corrosion resistance in thermal fin stock alloys are all means to gain improved efficiency in heat exchangers particularly in automotive applications. While Al-Mn alloys dominate automotive heat exchanger fin stock alloy, even small chemical compositional changes can profoundly influence these properties (Kawaharaet al., 2004; Yoshino et al., 2009). The microstructure (particularly the grain size and shape) also plays a key role in determining the product performance and hence the thermo-mechanical processing (TMP) must also be considered. The casting method (typically conventional direct chill, DC, or continuous casting) significantly influences the properties in no small part due to the very different TMP routes that are used. Continuous casting is generally favored for fin stock applications as its higher cooling rate (which can be 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than DC casting) leads to finer as-solidified intermetallic particles and an increase in super-saturated solid solution elements (such as Mn)that are known to improve fin stock performance such as strength, braze ability(Okiet al., 2008)."

Jan 1, 2018

By H. D. B. Wilson, W C. Brisbin

The Thompson-Moak Lake nickel belt lies along the root of a Precambrian mountain range of the island-arc or alpine type. This range coin-. cides with the boundary between the Superior and Churchill blocks of the Canadian Precambrian shield. The nickeliferous peridotites and nickel ores occur along a negative gravity strip, which also coincides with strong thrust faulting and the axis of greatest deformation of the mountain range. Similar structures and highly nickeliferous peridotites occur in present-day island arcs. Much of the belt is covered by Paleozoic rocks, but a length of 270 miles may be explored by present-day methods. Nickel deposits have been located along 60 miles of the belt. The length of the favorable structure and the size of the known deposits suggest that this will be one of the world's major nickel regions. The regional gravity anomalies, which consist of a branching negative strip bordered by two positive strips, are best explained by major warps of a crust consisting of a granitic and basaltic layer. The ore deposit

Jan 1, 1961

By J. Boldy

This paper is an attempt to place Canadian Precambrian volcanogenic deposits in perspective, by examining and compiling data regarding certain neglected fundamentals of size, grade, value, frequency distribution and spatial density. The discovery roles played by various exploration methods are compared and contrasted, and. using empirical methods, the probabilities of discovery are discussed, combined with the use of an effective &apos;cost-per-target&apos; program. From these basic observations, realistic exploration judgments may be made. Using similar methodology, this format may be applied to other types of deposits. Precambrian volcanogenic deposits occur in a natural geometric progression in size. They number 110, of which 70% are pre-producers, producers or past-producers. These deposits are bonanzas and generally have a &apos;net pre-smelter&apos; value of between $43 and $62 per ton. The statistically typical deposit is that which occupies the modal position, has 400,000 tons of ore, a value of $20 million and occurs with a frequency of 40%. A median deposit has 1.4 million tons of ore, a value of $70 million and occurs with a frequency of 15%. An upper-decile deposit ha s 13.3 million tons of ore. a value of $750 million and occurs with a frequency of 6.5%. The major, mid-upper-decile deposits have a minimum of 50 million tons of ore, a value of $3 billion and occur with a frequency of 4%. Five major volcanogenic deposits occur in the Precambrian and account for 54% of production. This contrasts with 55 deposits (all below the median) which account for 3.9% of production.

Jan 1, 1977

By John C. Edwards

The U.S. Bureau of Mines has constructed a smoke chamber and developed sensitivity tests for smoke detectors. Response of ionization-and optical-type commercially available smoke detectors have been investigated. Six smoke detectors were measured with respect to visually obscuring smoke characterized by a corresponding optical density for smoldering and flaming coal combustion in the smoke chamber. It was determined that for one type of ionization smoke detector the alarm time was nearly equivalent to that of an odor monitor&apos;s alarm for smoldering coal combustion experiments and earlier for flaming coal combustion experiments. The experiments showed that an average CO concentration of 5 ppm corresponded to an optical density of 0.022 m-l for smoldering and flaming coal combustion. Two of the commercially available ionization-type smoke detectors were more responsive to flaming than smoldering coal combustion at an optical density of 0.022 m-l, whereas the optical smoke detectors showed the opposite trend. The responsive characteristics of the detectors evaluated with respect to known smoke conditions in the smoke chamber shows their potential for use as mine fire sensors or part of a mine atmospheric monitoring system to improve mine safety.

Jan 1, 2010

By C R. Fountain, R J. Sinclair

The zinc industry is dominated by the electrolytic zinc (EZ) process. The EZ process has a low tolerance for impurities, resulting in tight concentrate specifications. Many mining companies sacrifice zinc recovery in order to meet smelter specifications. Some have ore-bodies that cannot be economically developed because too much metal has to be sacrificed, or it is just not possible to meet the specification. The BUKA Zinc Process (BZP) has been developed as a method of producing high-quality zinc from a wide range of concentrates. It can have lower capital and operating costs than the conventional zinc and lead production routes. Advantages accrue from increases in metal recovery during concentrating, smelting and refining; the elimination of most of the capital and operating costs associated with lead smelting; reduced transport costs; lower zinc refining costs; reduced refinery residue disposal costs; and reduced future environmental liabilities. This paper describes results of testwork that has been undertaken to demonstrate the viability of the BZP on both test rig and laboratory-bench scale.

Jan 1, 1998

By Thais Cristina da Costa Caldas, Alline Sardinha Cordeiro Morais, Carlos Maurício Fontes Vieira, Sergio Neves Monteiro

"This work has as its objective to evaluate the firing behavior of a kaolinitic clayey body from Campos dos Goytacazes-RJ incorporated with flat glass waste (FGW) from civil construction. Incorporations of the waste, with a particle size less than 74 µm (200 mesh), were performed in the red ceramic in the following amounts: 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 wt%. Specimens were prepared by uniaxial press-molding and then fired at 850 and 1050°C. The characterization of FGW was done by X-ray Fluorescence. The physical and mechanical properties evaluated were: linear shrinkage, water absorption and flexural rupture strength. The microstructure of the fired ceramics was evaluated by optical microscopy (OM). The obtained results showed that the flat glass waste can be used as a component of ceramic bodies once it was noticed tolerable modifications of technological behavior.IntroductionBrazil is one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of clayey ceramic. Campos dos Goytacazes is located in the north of the State of Rio de Janeiro, southeast of Brazil, it’s known as a large producer of red ceramics. It is estimated that the production of bricks can reach 1 billion pieces per year [1].Nowadays, recycling processes became more and more important, due the generation of wastes in large scale and the preoccupation with environmental. The amount of glass waste has been exponentially growing with the growth of the population. It is estimated that the amount of discarded glass as bottles, construction windows, packing and other glass waste represented in 2006 an amount of 7.5% of the total weight of the world´s domestic garbage [2]."

Jan 1, 2012

By T. C. Cheng, G. P. Demopoulos

It is the object of this paper to discuss various options for improving the hematite process in terms of increased throughput hence lower capital cost and production of saleable quality hematite. With reference to increasing the throughput of the process, it has now been determined via the analysis of Akita Zinc Co&apos;s continuous industrial autoclave performance data that the process kinetics is limited by the rate of the hydrolytic precipitation reaction. By correlating the hydrolytic precipitation rate to supersaturation ratio, it is shown that accelerated kinetics can be achieved via the following measures: (1) in-situ neutralization with addition of zinc calcine; (2) elevation of temperature; and (3) dilution of feed; of which, the first one was retained for further evaluation. According to presented estimates, addition of calcine, amounting to only 2.6% of the total zinc calcine processed, can allow for shortening the retention time by at least 50%. Such drastic shortening of retention time may be either used to increase the throughput of a given autoclave circuit or alternatively to release autoclave capacity for clean hematite production. Hydrothermal treatment of the crude hematite product proved effective in producing clean hematite as according to laboratory tests, hence allowing the sulphur content of hematite to be reduced from around 4% to less than 1%. A conceptual flowsheet incorporating in-situ neutralization for accelerated kinetics with hydrothermal upgrading of crude hematite without sacrificing production capacity and with minimum upset of the plant&apos;s water balance is described.

Jan 1, 2004