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By Frands Jensen, Erik Eriksson

"Haldor Topsoe’s Wet gas Sulfuric Acid (WSA) technology has been proven in a number of industries converting sulfurous gasses to concentrated sulfuric acid. In the metallurgical sector plants have been delivered handling SO2 gasses from copper, zinc, molybdenum, and lead ore. WSA has high energy efficiency and allows autothermal operation from feed gas strengths as low as 3.0% (volume). Recent variants of the WSA process have been developed that allow very high SO2 conversion efficiencies of over 99.9%. This paper describes the technology, its advantages and industrial achievements.The WSA technology is well suited for production of concentrated sulfuric acid of commercial quality from the sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas that inevitably emerges from the metallurgical processes. Some of the features that make the WSA technology attractive for this application are:- High SO2 conversion rates (up to 99.99%)- High energy efficiency leading to a low autothermal point (~ 3% SO2)- No need for gas cooling and drying to produce concentrated sulfuric acid- No production of waste- Very low cooling water consumptionThis paper describes the WSA process principles and highlights features that make this process attractive for handling SO2 gases."

Jan 1, 2014

By R. J. McCarthy

In-pit Crushing and Conveying (IPCC) is increasingly being considered by mining companies as a means to reduce their dependence on trucks and thus, fuel, tires, labour, etc. There is potential for great savings in operating costs which ultimately can mean better economics for a mining project. Vale has considered the application of IPCC at its Moatize coal project in Mozambique. Up to three studies have been conducted with the latest, at a pre-feasibility level, showing some promise. This paper explores the mine planning and IPCC engineering elements required in an IPCC study, their application to the Moatize project, and the drivers which most impact the viability of IPCC at Moatize.

Aug 1, 2013

By J. Kouam

Al-Si-Cu and Al-Si-Mg alloys are widely used in several applications. Although they can be produced near-net-shapes, products made of these alloys very often require some machining. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the machinability of A319 and A356 under TO and T6 conditions. The machinability was assessed using during dry drilling machining process and the machinability indexes used are the chip form, the chip breakability and the cutting forces. It is found that 319 and 356 exhibit different machinability behaviors, especially in the T6-condition in terms of forces requirements, chip breakability and chip segmentation. It is also found that both the microstructure of the workpiece materials and the machining conditions significantly affect the chip formation mechanism, and therefore, the machining parameters could be selected to promote a chip form that is easily manageable in production.

Jan 1, 2011

By S. Yue, P. Vo, M. Jahazi

The flow behaviour and microstructure development of a near-alpha titanium alloy during beta working has been investigated. Typical cogging conditions were simulated through compression testing of IMI834 at temperatures of 1025°C-1100°C, strain rates of 0.01 s-1 - 1 s-1 and post-deformation heat treatments up to 4h. Using a synthesis of available literature models, a finite element model has been developed and validated through quantitative measures of flow stress-strain data and beta grain characteristics. Flow behaviour was analyzed through a self-consistent method while the microstructure development was considered with regard to the kinetics of beta recrystallization. Deformation at beta or high alpha/beta working temperatures (T>l025°C) produced minor flow softening with complete grain refinement achieved through metadynamic recrystallization.

Jan 1, 2006

Gold recovery from refractory ores can be very difficult and complicated depending on the causes of the refractoriness. Typically, a fine wind and/or the oxidation of the gold-bearing sulfide minerals are required to liberate gold from the host rock matrix. Mineral separation techniques, particularly surface¬wettability based separation (i.e., flotation) and magnetic separation, can be used to pre-concentrate the gold and sulfide minerals, or to remove mineral species that are harmful either to the oxidation of the gold-bearing sulfides or to the cyanidation following the oxidation. In this paper, several processes are described, including oil-agglomeration flotation recovery of fine-grained gold and sulfide, reverse flotation of carbonate minerals prior to pressure or bio oxidation, reverse flotation of elemental sulfur after pressure or bio oxidation but prior to cyanide leaching, and magnetic concentration of gold-bearing iron oxides. The integration of these techniques with gold hydrometallurgical processes may make the economic recovery of gold from an otherwise uneconomic refractory ore possible.

Jan 1, 2011

By M. Pötsch, A. Kluckner, P. Söllner, W. Schubert

"The in situ block size is a key parameter in the geomechanical characterization of rock masses. It describes the fracturing of the rock mass and thus is a measure for the degradation of the rock mass strength. Several classification systems use the in situ block size. For instance, the Geological Strength Index (GSI) requires the “blockiness” and joint surface condition factor as key input parameters. The “blockiness” has recently been related to the in situ block volume (Cai et al., 2004). Due to the limited information about the internals of a rock mass, it is not possible to determine the in situ block size directly. Currently, the in situ block size is determined by calculations using oversimplified models, vague estimations or, due to the lack of relevant information, it is neglected. As remote measurement systems have become available for rock mass characterization, a more comprehensive record of discontinuities can take place. Measurements can be performed on exposed rock outcrops and in particular on tunnel faces and walls, delivering the location, orientation, spacing and persistence of discontinuities at an arbitrary number and locations. An estimation of the in situ block size at the same level of sophistication is still not available. This paper aims at examining the relationship between visible and measureable information at the rock surface, and the in situ block size. Three-dimensional block model simulations were performed using the block model engine of the distinct element code 3DEC. Initial investigations focussed on the minimally required observation area in order to obtain reliable block size distributions. Based on a representative volume element, a reference distribution of the block area at the observation area for a specific discontinuity system was determined. Subsequently, the size of the observation area was decreased stepwise and each new distribution was compared to the reference distribution. For all analyzed systems, it turned out that the mean block area must be smaller than 1% of the observation area to achieve a reliable block size distribution. Further simulations focussed on discontinuity systems with three non-persistent sets. The results were compared to the formula proposed by Cai et al. (2004). A transformation factor T was introduced which replaces the persistence terms in Cai et al.’s proposed formula. The factor describes the correlation between block volumes generated by persistent and corresponding non-persistent discontinuity sets. The simulations included the variation of the discontinuity set spacing, persistence, and orientation. The mean and additionally the 25%-, 50%- and 75%-quantiles of the block size distribution were analyzed. Examining all values for the transformation factor the distribution can be described by a power function with a negative exponent. The function depends on the persistence only. Finally, the results of random simulations were compared to the analytical formula using the transformation factor. The predicted mean and selected quantiles show a good agreement with the simulation results. It gives a comprehensive picture about the block size distribution in discontinuity systems with three non-persistent sets."

Jan 1, 2015

By J. A. Hillier

"IntroductionThe purpose of sampling is to remove a portion of material from a stream which is representative of it in size, moisture and mineral content.To prevent the effects of segregation, generally caused by the way in which a conveyor, pipe or launder is loaded or directed, the sampler should cut proportionally the entire cross section of the stream.If one conveyor transfers to another at a right angle, fines may be dropped on the near side, and the coarse material thrown to the opposite side. Segregation can also occur as a result of the motion of a conveyor belt passing over the idlers causing the coarse material to roll to the sides of the belt.When slurry changes direction of flow in a launder or pipe, the heavier and coarser fraction will centrifuge to the outside of the curve and tend to remain on one side of the stream. Similarly, if two streams joining in a common launder are not mixed at the point of confluence, they will continue down the launder unmixed . This effect is particularly noticeable in a plastic lined launder.Therefore, a proportional sample is usually accomplished by a constant rate of cutter travel across the entire stream, making certain that the cutter is not full or splashing over before reaching the end of travel.The cutter should operate on a constant interval based on time, tonnage and uniformity of flow. The opening should be at least three times the width of the largest piece to be sampled. The cutter width is more critical with ore samples where particle sizes are large. With slurry samples, the opening is usually much larger than the minimum in order to obtain sufficient samples"

Jan 1, 1989

By George B. Saunders

The mines in western Canada producing steam coal will find a better opportunity this year to market their product in Winnipeg - for two reasons: First, the new wage schedules, signed with local unions at each mine, have enabled them to reduce the selling price materially. Second, the duty on slack coal coming in from the United States has been raised to 50 cents, which is equal to the duty on run-of-mine coal. This has had the effect of raising the cost of mine-run to .the importer. Formerly, it was the practice to bring in slack coal under a duty of 14 cents and lump coal under a 53-cent duty and, by judicious mixing of the two, manufacture a mine-run coal at an average duty cost of about 22 cents. Fortunately, through efforts of the Alberta Government, and other friends of the Canadian coal trade, the Federal Government was persuaded to adjust the duty on slack coal as indicated. While it will be found that the Manitoba market, this season, is slightly more easy of access we have still a long way to go before we reach the desired goal. Geographically and economically the Manitoba market should belong to western Canada. However, it has been found a very profitable market for United States mines because large tonnages of coal can be shipped, practically at the convenience of the mines, via the Great Lakes, during seasons of slack business. They will therefore not relinquish this market without a struggle.

Jan 1, 1925

By H. Salamanca

HighService has developed different equipment using wireless technology and machine vision systems that were specially designed to allow 1) the online determination of the SAG mills liner's service life, 2) the automatic detection of a missing dipper tooth in mineral extraction shovels, 3) the reduction of accident risk potential in the mineral transportation within the mine, and 4) the reduction of collision risk potential between shovels and wheel dozers during mineral extraction. For the development of all these systems at HighService, extensive research has been done in radio frequency and image processing fields. The integration of both technologies with the expert knowledge of the company on the typical harsh environment conditions of the mining industry has led to the development of heavy duty equipment that tolerate the extreme mechanical requirements of SAG mills and electrical mining shovels.

Jan 1, 2007

By Allan R. Punkkinen

Safe extraction of the valued ore resource in the deep levels of VALE Creighton Mine has progressed in a pillar-less fashion using vertical retreat, slot-slash and uppers retreat methods since the cessation of ?cut and fill? mining in the late 1980?s. Sequencing of the panel extraction and filling has been the key to successful exploitation of high stress orebodies at depth. In late 2010, discussions between the Operating Department and Creighton Ground Control revealed an opportunity to evaluate a trial primarysecondary sequence in the west end of the 400 Orebody at the 2340m horizon. To manage the trial primarysecondary project, a high level risk analysis and management of change was carried out to mitigate potential danger. As part of the requirements, an instrumentation project was conducted in the hanging wall and footwall bottomsills of the secondary panel and within the secondary panel itself. The extraction sequence was modeled with Map3D® software, confirming high stress levels with the advance of the primary panel. Enhanced ground support was installed based on modelling results. A key objective of the instrumentation project was to verify support system response to mining and to obtain knowledge in regards to the behavior of the stope. This paper describes the first time that this type of new innovative instrumented rockbolt technology had been used in a hard rock mining environment. Understanding of the physical deformation mechanisms of ground support in response to high stress conditions is the basis for an effective ground control strategy. The data played an important role in subsequent enhanced ground support system design at the mine and importantly, established the fact that the secondary pillar had not totally failed. Subsequent cavity monitor results helped establish that fact.

Jun 1, 2012

By M. Leroux, C. J. Martin, S. R. Rao, J. A. Finch

"The effect of nitrogen on the flotation separation of sulphides from complex ores from Brunswick Mining and Smelting (New Brunswick) and Mattabi Mines (Ontario) was investigated. The most significant finding was enhanced pyrite floatability after as little as 3 minutes nitrogen conditioning. This was used in a novel sphalerite/pyrite separation process developed on the Brunswick ore. After aeration and Cu/Pb bulk flotation in air using xanthate the slurry was nitrogen conditioned, xanthate added and the pyrite floated in nitrogen. As an example up to 70% pyrite recovery with about 20% sphalerite recovery was achieved. Sphalerite was recovered from the pyrite tailings and the pyrite concentrate by copper-activation, raising the pH to 10 and floating in air. About 65-70% recovery at 35-40% Zn grade was achieved compared to 25% Zn grade by the conventional route. The process offers a promising alternative to current practice which seeks to depress pyrite at all stages. A possible mechanism of the effect of nitrogen is presented. INTRODUCTIONUse of gases other than air in froth flotation has been reported from time to time. [Podobnik and Shirley, 1982; Lin and Metzer, 1975]. Of all the gases, nitrogen would appear to hold the greatest practical promise because of its easy availability and chemical inertness. It is used in froth flotation in chalcopyrite-molybdenite separation [Redfearn, 1983]. The use of nitrogen in polysulphide chalcopyrite. this case is mainly to reduce the oxidation of a compound (Nokes reagent) used as a depressant for There is no reported use of nitrogen in the flotation of other sulphide minerals."

Jan 1, 1988

By L. M. Nolan

Chemical Mechanical polishing, or CMP, has four components in the polishing interface; namely the polishing pad, the polishing fluid, the abrasives in the fluid, and the surface being polished. Understanding the way that load is transferred between these components is key to understanding and predicting wafer polishing. Numerous models of CMP and the different load sharing arrangements which occur between these four components have been proposed. These include models by Luo and Dornfield (1) and Fu, Chandra and colleagues (2). Other models focus on just one or two loading arrangements, such as `hydroplaning' when all load is transmitted by the liquid in the case of Runnels and Eyman (3). In this work, we consider four possible combinations of load transfer from pad to wafer in CMP. These combinations are listed below in Table 1 and are illustrated schematically in Figure 1. It is important to note the role of scale in this process; the illustrations in Figure 1 are drawn to scale from actual profilometer scans obtained over a length of 5 with particles of 150 nm in diameter. Table 1 - Load Transfer Combinations Load Regime Illustration Wafer - Fluid - Pad Figure la Wafer - Particles/Fluid - Pad Figure lb Wafer - Particles - Pad Figure lc Wafer-Pad Figure ld The interest in load-sharing between the system components is because some configurations are anticipated to achieve higher polishing rates than others. For instance, in hydroplaning, or hydrodynamic lubrication, the lateral force exerted on the polished surface by the particles can be no higher than the fluid shear force developed in the gap between the pad and wafer. This is not expected to generate high rates of material removal from the surface (4). For contact that is largely between the pad and the wafer, such as the regime depicted in Figure ld, the lateral load is transmitted to the wafer by the pad and is hence limited by the pad's low rigidity. This regime is not expected to generate high material removal rates either. The highest levels of material removal are expected from regimes where the mechanical load exerted on the system is transmitted by the particles, in combination with either the fluid or the pad. Under what circumstances does the polishing regime change from one to another? What must occur in order to initiate or terminate contact between the system components? This is an ongoing question in the field of tribology, and has traditionally been viewed in terms of the pressure and velocity applied to the system, the thickness of the fluid film between the two surfaces, and the roughness of those surfaces (4). In this paper, we propose a new mechanism ? that the load on the particles may be sufficient to totally embed them in the polishing pad, at which point they are no longer able to transmit load and polish the wafer surface. This is illustrated schematically in Figure 1(d).

Jan 1, 2010

By J. W. Keyes

"The original grinding circuit at East Malartic consisted of two 8 by 8 C.A.C. mills in closed circuit with two 72 inch Akins Classifiers and an 8 by 10 secondary mill in closed circuit with two 48 inch duplex classifiers. With this circuit, we experienced a drastic drop in tonnage from one month to another, due to variations in the hardness of the ore. The first step to overcome this difficulty was made by increasing the critical speeds of the mills from 78% to 82%. This resulted in an increase in the secondary mill throughput; but, when the change was made on the primary mills no increase was obtained.The drastic drops in tonnage were still experienced and through working with Allis Chalmers the 8 by 10 mill was converted to a rod mill and the two 8 by 8 n1ills to secondary mills. This change eliminated the two 72 inch Atkins classifiers and the scoops on all the mills, since the 48 inch Akins classifiers sands could then be fed by gravity to the secondary mills through feed pipes.The rod mill and secondary mill discharges were fed to a common pump box using 5 by 5 S.R.L.'s running at 1085 R.P.M. with a twenty-five foot head. When this was done the pumping costs jumped from $105. 00 for 6 months to $1050. 00 in one month, or from 0. 0004 to 2. 75 cents a ton milled. Several factors contributed to this jump in pumping costs as follows:"

Jan 1, 1964

By G. O. Crowell

This paper gives the history of the celestite deposit, now being mined by Kaiser Celestite Mining Ltd., near Sydney, Nova Scotia. Mining and milling procedures are covered, and the regional and local geology of the area are described, including the origin of the celestite.

Jan 1, 1971

By A. M. Reyes

Flow field hydrodynamics of serpentine flow channels was investigated numerically using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The velocity profile simulated by the CFD model was evaluated with respect to experimental results from the literature. Rectangular and tapered flow channels were compared with respect to mixing and water management capabilities, and pressure drop. The CFD model was further developed to account for electrochemical reaction on the cathode side to determine which channel configuration was most effective in reactant conversion. The velocity profile differences between the channels were found to impact reactant conversion, as the rectangular channel had the highest conversion. With respect to water management, although the tapered channel was found to have a higher overall pressure drop, the rectangular channel was found to have higher shear and pressure forces acting on simulated liquid water droplets in the channel.

Jan 1, 2005

By R. Chen, K. Xia

In deep mining activities, blasting induced compressive stress wave would be reflected as tensile wave at a free surface around the openings, which would facilitate the tensile failure of the deep rock since it is much weaker in tension than in compression. It is thus critical to understand the dynamic tensile failure of rocks subjected to static tension for deep rock engineering applications. A modified split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system is adopted to load Brazilian disc (BD) samples statically, and then exert dynamic load to the sample through stress wave generated by impact. The pulse shaper technique is used to generate a slowly rising stress wave and thus to facilitate the stress equilibrium of samples during each test. Five groups of Laurentian granite (with tensile strength of 12.8 MPa) BD samples under the pretension stress of 0 MPa, 2 MPa, 4 MPa, 8 MPa, and 10 MPa are tested under different loading rates. The result shows that the dynamic tensile strength of the rock decreases with the increase of pre-tension stress, which is easy to understand because pre-tension stress weakens the rock sample. It is also observed that under the same pre-tension stress, the dynamic tensile strength increases with the loading rate, revealing the so-called rate dependency that is common for engineering materials. Furthermore, it is found that the loading rate sensitivity of the rock increases with the increase of pre-tension stress. A qualitative explanation for this phenomenon is that more microcracks are generated and activated under higher pretension stress, resulting in a more viscous material. Based on the results, an empirical equation is proposed to fit the data and explain the dynamic tensile behaviour of rock under pre-tension stress. A physical model is used to simulate the dependency of the dynamic tensile strength of rock on the pre-tension stress and the loading rate, which is shown to be in good agreement with the experimental results.

Jan 1, 2015

By J. D. Robertson

An in situ water sampling device has been developed to measure biologically-available or “labile” metals in natural waters and effluents. The active mechanism involves the use of a polyacrylamide gel layer to quantitatively control metal transfer to a trace-metal-adsorbing, gel-imbedded resin. Because the resin only adsorbs free metal ions (the gel sampler methodology is a kinetic speciation technique), and because metal bioavailability is related to the free-ion activity, the device provides a direct measure of the biological-availability of metals in the environment sampled. The prototype consists of a layer of ion-permeable polyacrylamide gel which separates the solution to be sampled from an ion exchange resin. Because approximately 90% of the polyacrylamide gel is water, mass transport through the gel is diffusion-controlled, and is therefore well defined. Metal ions are rapidly bound by the resin, creating a steep concentration gradient in the gel. The amount of labile trace metal that accumulates on the resin can be related directly to the concentration of the metal in solution, the exposure time and the molecular diffusion coefficient of the labile species. In addition, the passive nature of this device affords it the potential to address many of the limitations presented by conventional sampling methods, such as sample contamination introduced during collection or filtration and changes in trace metal speciation prior to analysis. Laboratory studies and limited field trials indicate that the sampler behaves as anticipated and illustrate that biologically- available metal concentrations in many environments are a small fraction of the total concentrations and often significantly less than the dissolved concentration. The implications of this on regulatory criteria are discussed. Additional field trials and correlation with bioassays are currently underway.

Jan 1, 2000

By M. Behrouz

Thermal power plants convert thermal energy due to nuclear reactions or the combustion of coal, gas, heavy oil, or some other hydrocarbon to electrical energy. They consist of a variety of equipment, such as boilers, turbines, generators, cooling towers, and auxiliary equipment. Any factor that affects the equipment efficiency affects the overall efficiency. Analysis of the cooling tower and raw water using the Langlier Saturation and Ryznar Stability Indices showed that the cooling water at Sarchesmeh was slightly scaling with respect to silica. Cold lime softening was found to be a cost-effective method to produce cooling water with adequate properties to reduce the cooling water make up from 85 to 70 m3/h and blow down rate from 35 to 20 m3/h.

Jan 1, 2007

By Michael Loken, April Montera

"The process of blending consistent and predictable feed for the roasters is critical to optimizing product quality and controlling production costs. To assist in this process, Online PGNAA Slurry Analyzers have been installed and evaluated at a Sudbury Ontario smelter. They are used to measure 100% of the full process stream to obtain elemental composition data in real time. This paper explains the application details at Sudbury and the benefits achieved from their Full Stream, Elemental Slurry Analyzers.INTRODUCTIONSudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (Sudbury INO), a Glencore Company consists of two underground nickel/copper mines in Sudbury, Nickel Rim South and, Fraser, along with the Strathcona mill and the Sudbury smelter. The facilities are spread throughout the 60 kilometer-long, oval-shaped geological formation known as the Sudbury Basin (Figure 1). The company has been mining nickel-copper ores in the Sudbury area since 1929. Nickel and copper are the primary focus of operations at Nickel Rim South and Fraser. Other base metals such as cobalt and precious metals are also produced."

Jan 1, 2016

By A. -I. Abenhaim, I. Sasu, C. Perron, I. Mantegh, S. Larose

Manufacturing long shafts, such as those used in turbine engines, normally involves with drilling inside them in order to take the excessive mass out. Concentricity between the shaft axis and that of the drilled hole is very crucial as it impacts the mass distribution around the axis of rotation. It is important that the shaft mass be well balanced around the central axis in order to minimise the centrifugal forces on the bearings and supporting structure as well as any unwanted vibrations. The eccentricity problem, mostly in long shafts, comes due to machining limitations. It is difficult in long shafts to maintain the concentricity tolerances while drilling inside the shaft. In this work, we address the problem of correcting this eccentricity problem, i.e., when the axis of the inside hole deviates from the central axis. The presented work is based on a threepoint bending method and investigates its effect on the residual stresses and plasticity regions induced on the shaft. A full finite element model is presented that can used to design the solution parameters (bending load, location, etc.) and predict the effect. Limited experimental results are also presented to validate the finite element modelling.

Jan 1, 2006