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By Jarrett. K. M.

Nobody has, as yet, made a perfect machine. Therefore, when a machine is operating and functioning as it is designed to do, there is always some vibration present. This is easily and simply measurable with present-day equipment and any increase in the amount of vibration will indicate a potential failure. When an increase is noted, vibration analysis can pinpoint the cause of the potential failure and remedial action can be taken before an unscheduled shutdown is necessary or a breakdown occurs.

Jan 1, 1972

By J. Defreyne

CESL has developed a proprietary hydrometallurgical process for base metal concentrates, notably those of copper and nickel. The process is based on pressure oxidation (PO) of the sulphide minerals, which is done at elevated temperatures in mixed sulphate-chloride liquor at about pH 2 ? 3. The process achieves maximum oxidation of the metals whilst minimizing sulphur oxidation to sulphate. Almost all base metal sulphide minerals are efficiently treated under these conditions. In the case of copper minerals, pressure oxidation does not generally put the copper into solution, because of the relatively high pH prevailing in this process. Therefore, PO is followed by an acidic leaching stage, which specifically aims at maximum copper dissolution with minimal leaching of iron. The overall copper recovery is largely determined by the efficiency of this stage. The process has low capital and operating costs, partly because there is minimal use of acid or neutralizing agents for iron dissolution or precipitation, respectively; this is achieved by minimizing iron leaching during both the oxidation and leaching stages. Iron sulphides in the feed concentrate deport almost entirely to the solid leach residue as hematite, which has superior handling characteristics for filtering and washing. Iron minerals play a key role in the process, with pyrrhotite and pyrite having very different responses to the oxidation process. Acid management for the whole process is affected by the iron mineralogy, and the flowsheet is therefore tuned to the specific concentrate.

Jan 1, 2006

By Balmer Neilly

Early in my term of office it was announced that my Presidential Address would make particular reference to the subject of Mine Taxation in Canada. With this purpose in view there was drafted a Balance Sheet and Earnings' Statement of a Gold Mining Company. This in turn was submitted to the Dominion Income Tax Authorities in Ottawa and to the Minister of. Mines of each of the several Provinces of Canada. The response to the invitation was not as complete as we had hoped it would be, but the figures that were obtained will be presented during the present meeting, and they constitute, I hope, a sufficient basis for extended study and additional enquiry during the year to come ( 1) . In the form letter that accompanied our request to have the submitted earnings assessed, I made the following assertion: "In this work we have three objects in mind. 1.--We will get direct comparison between the different Provinces in Canada. 2.-We will in this way educate our members concerning taxation as it affects the mining industry. 3.-We will publish the details as to how the assessment is calculated by each body, so that a Mine Manager in the most remote district will have a ready reference to guide him in his annual return to the taxing bodies. As things stand, there is no intention of making this a basis for a critical attack on the present rates assessed. It is intended as an authoritative summary of actual conditions as they presently exist".

Jan 1, 1934

By J. W. Thomson, H. J. Lloyd, R. J. Taylor

"THE HOLLINGER MINE has been producing gold and by-product silver almost continuously for forty-eight years. The value of current production is $10,000,000 annually from one million tons of ore. Its management •has, particularly over the past decade, increasingly . concerned itself with the problem of profitable operation in a time of steadily rising costs and a fixed price of gold. At one period in the life of the mine, before World War II, production resulted in yearly profit margins that were stable and relatively thick. In winning gold from a series of inconsistent vertical ore lenses, operating management was much better protected than it is today against a general rise in cost or dip in grade of ore. The tissue-like thinness of present-day margins demand more careful handling. A sharp rise in costs, if protracted, could easily rip the tissue to shreds and close down the business. The counter-measure of raising grade and gutting the mine would bring on the end perhaps more rapidly, without having contributed much to the recovery of our national re-sources, nor to community welfare. The alternative is to keep costs under control."

Jan 1, 1960

By Leslie Gertsch

Outline First progress report ? ?Introduction ?Non-terrestrial mining ?Near-term targets ?Stages of mining ?Study procedure Capabilities needed for non-terrestrial mining ?Mining methods ?Mining unit operations ?Typical surface mine operations sequence ?Results to date General effects of gravity ?On fragmentation ?On excavation ?On transport ?Conclusions / Recommendations

May 1, 2013

By S. Kelebek, B. Ingram, C. Gibson, T. MacNeil, M. Aghamirian

"The beneficiation and upgrading of pyrochlore from its ores is carried out through flotation. In industrial practice, upgrading is conducted in a two-stage flotation process in which pyrochlore flotation is carried out after gangue mineral pre-flotation (carbonate, silicate, sulphide or phosphate reverse flotation). In this study, the flotation of pyrochlore from a low grade carbonatite ore was performed at the laboratory scale following a two-stage flotation process in which carbonate minerals were floated in advance of niobium minerals. In parallel, a simplified flotation process was developed in which pyrochlore was floated directly from gangue minerals at increasingly acidic pH. Laboratory results indicated that both two-stage and direct flotation provided similar results in terms of niobium grade-recovery. Based on these results, a large scale, integrated pilot plant was conducted using a direct flotation flowsheet. While the elimination of reverse gangue flotation resulted in flowsheet simplification, the dissolution of carbonate minerals and the subsequent effect of dissolved cations on the floatability of pyrochlore added an element of complexity. A comparison of results from locked-cycle laboratory testing and pilot plant testing highlights the challenges of scaling up a complex flowsheet. A case is made for the direct flotation process and the key parameters to achieving success in large scale direct flotation of pyrochlore are discussed.INTRODUCTIONPyrochlore (Ca,Na)2Nb2O6(OH,F) is a niobium bearing mineral which has been the primary global source of niobium since the first pyrochlore mine commenced operations in the late 1960s (Gibson et al., 2015a). Preceding the discovery and development of high grade pyrochlore deposits in North and South America, the majority of global niobium supply came from gravity concentration operations of columbite (Fe,Mn)Nb2O6, across Africa (Perrault and Manker, 1981)."

Jan 1, 2016

By M. Santaluce

"The revamp of critical process assets that require a significant plant outage (shutdown) presents a unique and demanding set of challenges for plant operators. They are executed in a more complex Brownfield environment, typically with limited working space and often involve unknown conditions or scope. For plant operators, such a project is often a high cost event both in terms of opportunity cost of lost production and the resource cost of labor and materials. It can also be a high risk event in terms safety, environment, and future plant reliability/availability. This impacts current and future performance or Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). In our experience, the sequential nature of the EPCM approach does not provide the proper framework to facilitate the level of coordination, stakeholder cooperation and detailed planning required to adequately address the construction and shutdown complexity of a critical asset revamp projects. This paper proposes a more integrated approach to handling shutdown revamps of critical assets. Its main thesis is to involve the key performing stakeholder groups early in the project lifecycle (engineering team, procurement team, construction team and plant operations) to form an integrated shutdown management team that is focused on ensuring delivered results are aligned with project objectives. In this model, the construction team executing the shutdown/construction is preparing the detailed shutdown/construction planning concurrently with detailed engineering and procurement planning. This allows construction/shutdown requirements to influence engineering and procurement, with the desire to optimize safety, speed, quality and cost. The paper also discusses how to overcome the procurement hurdle in applying such an approach. The outcome of this integrated approach is better planning, coordination, communication and alignment between the project stakeholders, a shutdown/construction driven planning approach that more fully addresses the challenges of these projects and delivered results that are aligned with project objectives."

Jan 1, 2015

By F. Barriga-Ordonez, J. A. Finch, L. Calzado, S. R. (Ram) Rao

Sludge, formed by lime treatment of acidic drainage and stored in tailing ponds of the Sudbury region, contains 5-7% Ni, mostly in a mix of hydroxides with Fe (~ 10%), Mg (~ 10%) and Cu (-0.5%), and Ca (-3.5%) as sulphate. Investigations were conducted to recover nickel by a 2-stage process. In the first stage, the sludge was leached with sulphuric acid at pH 3.2. About 90% of the nickel was extracted, producing a solution, which contained mainly nickel (2 g/L) and magnesium (3.7 g/L). In the second stage, nickel was separated by treating with ozone which recovered 99% of the nickel in the Ni(III) oxidation state as -85% pure nickel oxide-hydroxide (NiOOH) precipitate. The oxide settled and filtered readily. A potential use of the product in battery making is suggested. The leach residue contained 0.5% Ni making it less toxic for disposal. Some physical properties of nickel oxy-hydroxide and process parameters including ozone consumption will be discussed.

Jan 1, 2005

By Pierre Sauvé, Guy Perrault, Armand Savoie, Pierre Trudel

"La Mine Doyon est une entreprise détenue à parts égales par Cambior Inc. et par Minerais Lac Ltée qui en est l'opérateur. Les statistiques de production au 1"" janvier 1990 indiquent que, depuis le début de son exploitation (1980), 10.3 Mt de minerai d'une teneur moyenne de 5,9 g Au/t ont été usinées. Les réserves sont estimées a 10,4 Mt à une teneur moyenne de 6,6 g Au/t jusqu' à une profondeur de-450m.Trois zones minéralisées sont présentement en exploitation. Ces zones sont caractérisées par la présence de veines de quartz-pyrite accompagnées localement de chalcopyrite. Les roches encaissantes sont les schistes a séricite (zone# 1), les roches volcaniclastiques de composition felsique (zone #2) et intermédiaire (zone #2, zone ouest) ainsi que les roches intrusives appartenant au pluton de Mooshla (zone ouest). Toutes ces roches ont subi un métamorphisme régional dont l'intensité correspond à la limite supérieure du facies schiste vert ( -425°C}.Les zones minéralisées sont situées à I' intérieur des zones de déformation et d'altération les plus intenses. L'étude des structures mineures nous indique que la région a subi plusieurs épisodes de déformation ductile a fragile qui sont antérieurs, contemporains et postérieurs al a minéralisation. L'analyse structurale indique également que la déformation majeure est associée à une importante phase de compression orientée N-S a NNE-SSW.L’ensemble des observations suggère que la minéralisation et I' altération associée sont de type épigénétique. La mise en place du minerai se serait effectuée à la fin de l'épisode principal de métamorphisme et de la déformation."

Jan 1, 1990

By B. Courtaud, L. Donati, V. Weigel

As a growing mining company, ERAMET is looking for new positions in the strategic metals market. In this context, the Gabonese Maboumine pyrochlore deposit is currently being studied for the recovery of niobium, tantalum, rare earths and uranium. This ore shows mineralogical and chemical characteristics that make it challenging to process by existing practices, from both technical and economic points of view. ERAMET has developed since 2008 an innovative hydrometallurgical process, which has been successfully operated at a pilot plant scale (more than 35 weeks in continuous). The upstream part of the process aims to dissolve valuable elements in sulphuric acid. The first step is dedicated to dissolve the ore matrix, leaving the pyrochlore unleached. The second step consists in chemically breaking down pyrochlores in order to form soluble species of the valuable elements. After dissolution, the valuable elements are separated into different flows: niobium and tantalum are recovered and transformed as commercial ferroniobium on one side, and rare earths and uranium remain in the solution to be recovered in the downstream part of the process. The main goal of this paper is to discuss the upstream part of the process, which has given successful results.

Jan 1, 2014

By James Kear, Romain Prioul, Robert G. Jeffrey, Andrew P. Bunger, Dimitry Chuprakov

"Unconventional gas and geothermal reservoirs are typically naturally fractured and therefore the challenging problem of hydraulic fracture (HF) growth through naturally fractured rocks is an important issue especially for the development of accurate predictive HF models. This paper presents results from laboratory experiments in which HFs have been created in both sandstone and crystalline (gabbronorite) rock specimens such that they impinge either orthogonally or at an oblique angle on an unbonded, machined frictional interface. Depending on the conditions of each experiment, the fractures either cross or are blunted at the interface. The growth behavior was ascertained for these experiments based on a synthesis of the injection pressure record, active ultrasound monitoring, and direct post-experiment inspection of fractured specimens. From these experiments we observe: 1) A contrast between direct crossing and crossing with an offset for orthogonal and oblique intersection, respectively, 2) Apparent independence of crossing/blunting behavior on the friction coefficient for orthogonal intersection, 3) Dependence of the stresses required to promote crossing on the intersection angle between the HF and NF, 4) Existence of cases in which the hydraulic fracture crosses but then essentially ceases propagation such that all fluid is diverted to the interface. INTRODUCTIONHydraulic fracturing is a vital technology used to increase the productivity of oil, gas, and geothermal wells. Predicting hydraulic fracture (HF) growth is, in turn, critical to design of hydraulic fractures that grow to the desired length, accept the desired amount of proppant, and remain contained in the reservoir without unwanted height growth into surrounding layers (e.g. Economides and Nolte, 2000). The importance of HF modeling has prompted 6 decades of research during which simulators have become more efficient, more accurate, and have addressed a growing range of complexities (see review of e.g. Adachi et al., 2007).One of these complexities is the interaction between HFs and mechanical discontinuities such as natural fractures (NFs). Efforts in this area have been mainly driven by development of unconventional (i.e. low permeability) oil and gas resources because essentially all viable low permeability reservoirs, including shale gas/oil reservoirs, are naturally fractured to some degree (King, 2010). One of the most important questions for developing effective HF stimulation strategies in these reservoirs is whether the hydraulic fracture(s) is/are expected to be single-stranded or whether interaction with the NFs will lead to network-like growth. The basic building block for numerical simulators that can address this question (such as Kresse et al., 2013 and Weng et al., 2014) is whether an HF that intersects an NF will cross the NF or whether its growth will be captured by the NF so that additional fluid injection pressurizes the NF but does not generate ongoing growth of a new HF. These scenarios, including subcategories such as crossing with an offset, have been recognized for several decades (Daneshy, 1974; Warpinski and Teufel, 1987, and as recently reviewed and expanded by Chuprakov et al., 2013)."

Jan 1, 2015

By Xiaoguang Zhao

The coal mining area in Northern Shaanxi, China, has been taken as the study area, and the damage mechanism of the ecological environment is discussed on the basis of analyzing the characteristics of natural eco-environment and resource development in this area. Mining subsidence is taken as an example, and by using the Gray Correlation Analysis method, the key impact factors have been selected. An assessment model with fuzzy comprehensive evaluation has been constructed, and 12 coal mines have been quantitatively assessed. This paper also constructs an ecosystem health assessment method and index system in the coal mine area on the basis of ecosystem health theory, and assesses the ecosystem health status in the Shenfu coal mining area from 2000?2006. The research results are expected to help the eco-environment protection process in the designated coal mining area.

Aug 1, 2013

By Michael Samis

The real option valuation method is often presented as an alternative to the conventional discounted cash flow (DCF) approach because it is able to recognize additional project value due to the presence of management flexibility. However, these two valuation methods can be separated on a more fundamental level by their differences in risk discounting. Real option valuation applies the risk-adjustment to the source of uncertainty in the cash flow while the DCF method adjusts for risk at the aggregate level of net cash flow. This seemingly small difference is the reason why the real option method is able to differentiate between projects according to each project?s unique risk characteristics while the conventional DCF approach cannot. This paper provides an overview of the real options and DCF valuation frameworks and discusses the differences in risk discounting that exist between the two methods. Using grade-school mathematics, this paper clearly demonstrates how, with real options, a unique project risk discount can be calculated which is directly linked to the project?s unique risk profile. It also highlights why the DCF method fails in this regard and shows why a call to ?increase the Risk-Adjusted Discount Rate? is an incomplete solution at best. Finally, a heap-leach project and satellite reserve development project are valued with both techniques and the difference in investment conclusions is explained in terms of the risk-discounting concepts discussed here.

May 1, 2003

By V. Silins, J. Tameling, R. C. Cook

"A general review of the wear problems encountered in the mining industry is presented and current practice for wear protection systems is reviewed.A new concept in wear protection is described and compared to alternative systems. Utilization of conventional stud welding technology and abrasion-resistant wear studs is shown to be a useful supplement or substitution for conventional techniques. Operating life of many consumable components can be increased by up to four fold. The technique is highly portable for on-site field application or can be used in shop environments.Details of the wear protection model and metallurgical properties of the wear component are also reviewed. Laboratory wear test data are reported to supplement field test performance or to screen potential alloy compositions for application in specific environments.A Review of Wear Problems and Wear ProtectionThe emphasis on wear protection has increased in recent years because of the increasing impact of the potential savings in time, materials and energy. A 1974 German study concluded that attention to tribology, the study of friction and wear, could save approximately $3 billion, and a study in the U.S.A. at the same time put the figure at $100 billion of which $20 billion was for materials. A more recent American study put the energy component of the potential savings at $16.2 billion per year. A recent British study estimated the total potential savings in the U.K. as $1 billion per year, with the largest savings coming from lower maintenance and replacement costs ($500 million), lower breakdown costs ($250 million) and increased machinery life ($200 million). These three major contributions are all potentially accessible in the mining industry."

Jan 1, 1982

By J. McCreedy

"The addition of Portland cement to hydraulic sand fill has resulted in the production of stable and self-supporting cemented sand fill. The use of cemented fill in the mines of The International Nickel Company has resulted in substantial economies in timber requirements, de-creased dilution of ore and greater flexibility in mining methods.Coupled with special mining techniques, it has permit-ted mining by both cut-and-fill and shrinkage stoping methods to much greater depths than heretofore. The use of cemented sand fill has permitted revisions to undercut-and-fill mining which have significantly improved the efficiency of this method.Automated mixing systems have been developed for preparing cemented sand fill in surface sand plants on a continuous throughput basis. Control of cement-sand mixtures is obtained by the use of a mass flow measuring system and weighing cement feeders."

Jan 1, 1966

By Ham. Y. M.

The corrosion behaviour of Al-B4C metal matrix composites immersed in 2500 ppm boron-containing H3B03, 0.5 M K2SO4, and 3.5% NaC1 solutions was investigated. Effects of B4C particle volume fraction on the corrosion behaviour of composites were studied using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to study the surface morphology of the material before and after corrosion. Results show that all materials investigated are more corrosion resistant in 2500 ppm boron-containing H3B03 than in other solutions. No appreciable corrosion was observed in boric acid and sulfate solutions in contrast to an obvious pitting in NaC1 solution for both base alloy and composites. The preferential pitting sites are the interfaces of Al/Fe intermetallics for the base alloy, and the A1/B4C interfaces for the composites. Increasing the volume fraction of B4C particles in the composite decreases its corrosion resistance of Al-B4C composites.

Jan 1, 2011

By W. J. Li, L. Kong, G. L. Li, X. M. Xi, J. Qiu

"A novel hydrothermal method was applied to prepare the precursor of LiMn2O4 using pre-treated electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) and lithium hydroxide as the main raw materials. The precursor was subjected to heat treatment between 400 and 900ºC to obtain spinel Li1.05Mn1.95O4 and Li1.035Co0.035Mn1.930O4 positive materials for lithium ion batteries. The structure and morphology of the obtained powder materials were studied in detail by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). It is found that the precursor has an amorphous structure and a high reactivity, which is easily transferred to spinel structure during heat treatment, obtaining a positive material with an uniform structure and good performances. The XRD patterns reveal that single phase spinel Li1.05Mn1.95O4 can be obtained from the precursor after heat treatment at 600°C in air. The final Li-rich Li1.05Mn1.95O4 product obtained showed a well-defined stable spinel structure and distinctive crystal faces with particle size between 200 and 300 nm. The as-prepared Co-doped spinel sample exhibited a excellent electrochemical performance with an initial discharge capacity of 113.0 mAh/g and 93.8% of its original value was retained after 100 charge-discharge cycling at 0.5 C.INTRODUCTIONThe increasing demand for portable electronic devices and hybrid or full electric vehicles is driving the development of cheap, efficient, compact lightweight and environmental friendly rechargeable batteries systems (Chung et al., 2002; Scrosati, 1995). Lithium ion secondary batteries have satisfied this demand to a greater degree than other battery systems. The cathode material plays a critical role in the performance of Li-ion batteries. The high cost and toxicity of cobalt compounds for the cathode material of LiCoO2 has prompted a search for alternative materials. LiMn2O4-based spinels offer a potentially attractive alternative to LiCoO2, due to its abundance, low price, ease of preparation, environmentally friendly characteristics, better thermal stability, and its effortless recycling (Tarascon et al., 1991; Yabuuchi and Ohzuku, 2003; Amatucci et al., 1999; Tsai et al., 2003). Some achievements have been created to meet the requirements (Guo et al., 2010; Kang et al., 2005; Park et al., 2008; Takahashi et al., 2006; Lee et al., 2001; Yoshio et al., 2001; Arumugam et al., 2008). However, the largest obstacle encountered in the practical applications of LiMn2O4 is its fast capacity fading during long term cycling, which is due to Jahn-Teller distortion of the [MnO6] framework, the electrolyte decomposition at high potentials and manganese dissolution into the electrolyte (Fey et al., 2003). The electrochemical performance of LiMn2O4 is also strongly dependent on its morphological properties, such as crystallinity, phase purity, surface area, grain shape and particle size distribution, etc. All these morphological properties are closely related to the material synthetic routines and heat treatment processes (Huang et al., 2000; Myung et al., 2000; Takada et al., 1998)."

Jan 1, 2012

By Z. D. Hora

Sand and gravel resources of the southern coastal region of British Columbia may be linked to various episodes of Wisconsin glaciation. During Wisconsin and probably earlier times, the Fraser Lowland and coastal areas were subjected to repeated glaciations separated by non-glacial intervals. Each major glaciation was accompanied by isostatic and eustatic changes in sea level up to 200 m or more. As a result, the Lowland was covered by the sea during much of Quaternary time. Because the Fraser Lowland is surrounded on two sides by high mountain ranges, glaciers terminated in the sea during their maximum advance. Therefore, meltwaters released during deglaciation, together wit h retreating glacier ice, could produce widespread and extensive sand and gravel deposits both along the coast and throughout the Fraser Lowland and adjacent areas.

Jan 1, 1984

By S. S. Burns

"AbstractShovels of 18 cubic yard capacity and larger are described which incorporate advanced technology and techniques providing performance and operation tailored to meet the needs of open-pit mining.To achieve the goal s of increased production at lower cost with consideration of maximum availability, lower energy consumption per ton and low •impact on pit power, Harnischfeger Corporation developed a solid -state drive system (""Electrotorque"" - P&H trademark) and applied unique transmission methods.To date, more than 250,000 hours of experience in different parts of the world under varying operating and environmental conditions has proven that the ""Electrotorque"" shovel is the shovel of the future, today.This paper will discuss the electrical features and touch briefly on some mechanical features.Introduction to ""Electrotorque""THE hoist, crowd, propel and swing machinery of an electric mining shovel are driven by direct-current motors.A D.C. motor is used instead of an A.C. motor because the torque output per ampere input is at a maximum and the fact that it is doubly-fed (armature and field ) provides optimum flexibility in control.The power that is available in the pit is alternating current power. It is therefore necessary to change or convert this A.C. power to D.C. power so that the D.C. motors can be used."

Jan 1, 1977

By Veerendra Singh, Y. Rama Murthy, Sunil Kumar Tripathy, Nikkam Suresh

"High intensity dry magnetic separation is commonly employed to separate different para-magnetic minerals including mineral sand. Separation in these separators is majorly influenced by the combined effect of gravity, centrifugal and magnetic forces on a particle. These separators are included in the process flow-sheets either for pre-concentration purposes or for the beneficiation of paramagnetic minerals. Separation in these separators is majorly influenced by the difference in the magnetic susceptibility of the associated minerals, particle size and shape along with the process variables of the machine. Particle size is one of the major parameter that plays an important role and decides its probability of selectivity under the magnetic field. However, effect of particle size on the performance of these separators are not well understood which is evident from the literature.In the present investigation, an effort is made to bring out the effect of particle size on particle separation in an induced roll magnetic separator while treating ilmenite fines. Effects of operating parameters, such as; magnetic field intensity, roll speed, feed rate and splitter position have been studied and their influence on particle size has been analysed in terms of yield (wt.%) to magnetic product, particle size distribution characteristics in terms of D50 and D80 size, skewness, kurtosis. Also, the particle size distribution of each test was fitted in Rosin-Rammler equation. The test results were analysed statistically to understand and quantify the influence of each variable on particle separation. It is found that, rotor speed of the separator had maximum influence on yield to the magnetic product whereas splitter position had major influence on D50 and D80 (µm) size of the product."

Jan 1, 2016