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By W. Wallace

The aerospace industry celebrated 100 years of powered flight in 2003, and the remarkable achievements that have occurred during the past 100 years are in no small way due to major developments in materials. Modern alloys for airframes, engines and other major sub-systems have evolved through the intelligent application of new processing concepts involving melting, casting, hot and cold working, heat treatment and more recently vapour phase processing. Alloy design has evolved in parallel to allow maximum benefits to be achieved from these processing advances. However, the pace of development seems to be slowing and future gains are likely to be made by learning how to extract major value from aerospace assets. Understanding the modes of deterioration and establishing cost effective lifetimes by holistic life cycle management seem to be the way of the future. Extending component lifetimes by repair, rejuvenation and refurbishment are all viable possibilities and they offer great opportunities for Canada, which, traditionally, has been a major user of modern aerospace materials rather than a supplier. The challenges for metallurgist, physicists and engineers will be no less than in the past and should create new business opportunities for Canada. The scenario described above will be developed by calling upon examples drawn from the author's experience.

Jan 1, 2004

By A. Gakwaya, P. Vachon-Joannette, P. Gagnon, J. Lévesque

"Predictive numerical methods are essential tools for reduced development cost and improved high performance designs of modern aircrafts. Their use leads to savings in terms of design cycle time and experimental trials. Composite materials subjected to impact loadings demonstrate various damage modes such as matrix cracking, fiber breakage, delamination and, ultimately, fabric fracture. Composite laminates are extensively used in the aerospace industry, and their damage modeling is complex due to their inhomogeneity and anisotropic behavior. Damage evolution affects both in-service properties and performance of these composites. In this work, the drop-weight impact test has been simulated. Using a material model that accounts for both delamination and intralaminar damage, laminates response is analysed using numerical simulations based on 3-D finite-element models of the commercial code Abaqus/Explicit. Experimental and simulation results are compared, in terms of energy absorption and contact force. The obtained numerical results show good agreement with experimental data.INTRODUCTIONAs primary aircraft structures are increasingly being made from advanced fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites and are in general exposed to a variety of impact scenarios (bird, hail, debris etc.), an understanding of the impact event and the performance of composite materials during impact is important in the development of new structures. This work is focussed on low velocity impacts that typically occur when foreign objects hit the aircraft during maintenance or other on-the-ground operations. These impacts can cause non visible damage that affect the structural integrity of the composite components. While for metallic structures, damaging impact events typically leave noticeable dents due to plastic deformation, in contrast, for high strength carbon fiber reinforced composites, they can deform elastically to strain levels exceeding 1% and the internal damage can often occur without the formation of a visible dent. The identification and effect of impact damage on the performance of the structure is thus of great concern to the aircraft industry as the durability and damage tolerance of these composite structures are strongly influenced by the size of detectable internal damage."

Jan 1, 2016

By C. S. Lord

"The Regal Silver mine is 5 miles north-northwest of Albert canyon; a station on the main line of the Canadian Pacific railway; 21 miles east of Revelstoke; British Columbia.Development, commenced in 1918, comprises more than 8,000 feet of workings from six adits, one of which extends into the Regal Silver property from the adjacent Snowflake ground. Production has been limited to a little tungsten concentrate recovered recently from a few r..undred tons of ore treated in a small underground mill. The property has received some attention as a possible source of tin. The deposits are large quartz veins containing irregular sulphide bodies. Ore minerals normally make up less than 1 per cent of the veins and include pyrite, galena, sphalerite, scheelite, and stannite. The veins are approximately parallel with the bedding of the enclosing graphitic, siliceous to calcareous, slates and argillites. These strata are of Precambrian age, strike about northwest, and dip northeast. No other rocks are known in the vicinity of the workings . Granitic rocks, intrusive into t'he sediments, outcrop 4 miles to the southwest and 7 miles to the northeast and may underlie the property at no great depth."

Jan 1, 1954

By E. O. Reinbold, J. H. Johnson, D. E. Keski-Hynnila

A field laboratory for use in monitoring underground mine air quality has been developed and proven in underground service. The laboratory includes two separate monitoring systems and data analysis computer programs. One is the Mine Air Monitoring Laboratory (MAML). This is an enclosed trailer-mounted laboratory capable of monitoring CO2, CO, NO, NO2 particulate matter, S02, NH3, temperature and air velocity in the mine drift. The MAML can be up to 1000 feet away from the area being monitored. The second system is the vehicle data system, mounted on the load-haul-dump (LHD) vehicle, which monitors engine speed, engine fuel rack position, exhaust gas temperature, ambient temperature, vehicle speed, CO2 concentration near the operators' breathing zone and the mode of operation of the vehicle. The two computer data analysis programs and the two field instrument systems comprise a complete Mine Air Quality Laboratory (MAQL) for underground pollutant studies. Data from the systems have been used for studying vehicle duty cycles, ventilation systems, exhaust after-treatment devices, vehicle exhaust system design and portable instrumentation. Descriptions of the laboratory are presented along with a summary of some of the experiments performed. The capabilities of the lab are discussed, along with future potential uses.

Jan 1, 1981

By L. K. Nenonen

"Given the properties, locations and quantities of material to be hauled and the dump locations and capacities, the designer wishes to select the type and number of trucks and loading equipment required. Accordingly, software is being developed to assist in creation of the equipment, material and road network data bases, in selection of equipment, materials and road networks from these data bases, and in evaluation of the expected productivities both in a rapid, non-interactive, approximate fashion and a more detailed interactive fashion which permits the user to act as superintendent, if he so chooses. The basic technology has been developed and applied to an open-pit copper mine and is being refined and generalized for oil sands and coal mining applications.BackgroundA set of mathematical and interactive computer models are under development to aid in the selection of equipment and operating policies for an open-pit oil sands mine being planned by Canstar Oil Sands Ltd. This paper describes the computer models being developed of truck haulage systems. Although the interactive truck haulage model is based primarily on a model developed by the National Research Council in collaboration with Glenayre Electronics Ltd. of North Vancouver and Lornex Mines Limited(2).(3l, substantial changes and improvements are being incorporated to greatly increase its generality re equipment types, road network characteristics, dispatching and supervisory policies, etc. Although this paper is principally devoted to the truck haulage model, discussion is included concerning its interactions with other models."

Jan 1, 1982

By M. F. Goudge

THE present century has witnessed an amazing transformation in the uses of limestone. From being mainly a structural material, a role it has played since the beginning of civilization, it has become one of the in-dispensable raw materials for use in the great chemical and metallurgical industries that play such a vital part in the economic life of the nations today. Its uses have become so diversified and numerous that it enters, directly or indirectly, into nearly every phase of modern life. In this introductory paper it is proposed merely to outline the general usefulness of limestone and to point out some of its salient features, and to leave any detailed discussion of uses to the papers that follow. The term limestone as herein used embraces all kinds from the variety known as high-calcium limestone, which is composed almost entirely of calcite, to the dolomitic variety, composed largely or entirely of the mineral dolomite. Lime is simply calcined limestone and, in considering the uses of limestone, the uses of lime should also be included, particularly in view of the fact that, in many processes, it is possible to use limestone in either the raw or the calcined state.

Jan 1, 1939

By D. Beneteau

Plotting sets of data collected over time using a frequency-magnitude distribution is common with both earthquake and mining seismology. A Time-Between-Events (TBE) analysis technique simply makes use of the inter-event times and b-values (slopes of the best fit lines on the frequency-magnitude charts) from the same set of data. Four distinct patterns in TBE versus Event Magnitude have been found which suggest whether there are constant seismic sources causing populations of data, or if the smaller and larger events, within the population represent varying seismic sources. Different rates of events, identified as TBE-rates in this study, may suggest whether the events are blast induced, or not. This study was done using actual seismic datasets from hardrock mines in Canada and Australia. This was to verify the applicability of the method to multiple mining environments and to determine the practicality and implications of this methodology to enhance the interpretation of seismic source mechanisms The results of the TBE technique and other proven techniques are combined into a Seismic Mechanism Assessment Worksheet. This is a tool that allows operators to compare trends within seismic datasets with assessments of in-situ rock conditions. The goal is to enhance the understanding of rockmass failure mechanisms.

Nov 1, 2011

By A. Eslami, H. Tabatabaei, M. Kolandoozan, Z. Manafi, A. R. Shahverdi, M. Noaparast, M. Oliazadeh

Application of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans bacteria to flotation of Sarcheshmeh low-grade copper sulphide ore was studied. Sarcheshmeh low-grade ore contains pyrite, which causes some problems in the flotation of copper minerals. In this study, A. ferrooxidans was used to change the surface chemistry of pyrite and copper sulphide ores and consequently, their flotation behaviour. In the presence of A. ferrooxidans and xanthate as a collector, pyrite was depressed whereas chalcopyrite and other sulphide minerals were unaffected. In addition, the pulp pH remained unchanged. It was shown that the surface chemical properties of the bacteria can be manipulated successfully to achieve the desired effects in a flotation process. The results showed that the recovery of pyrite in the presence of the bio-depressant is 50% lower than when no bacteria were present. At the same time the recovery of chalcopyrite remained unchanged.

Jan 1, 2004

By C. Díaz, A. D. Dalvi, C. E. O'Neill

Roast-reduction smelting (RRS) of nickel concentrate, combined with flash smelting of copper concentrate, was one of the process options that Inco considered as a means of meeting its 1994 sulphur dioxide abatement target at its Copper Cliff operations. RRS involves deep roasting the nickel concentrate in fluid bed roasters. The roaster off-gas is treated in a sulphuric acid plant, and the low sulphur calcine is reduction smelted with coke in an electric furnace to yield a sulphur- deficient matte. The latter material is converted to Bessemer matte in Peirce-Smith converters, with minimal evolution of sulphur dioxide, and the converter slag is reverted to the electric furnace. Excellent nickel and cobalt recoveries (Ire obtained. This paper discusses the development of RRS, including extensive commercial scale testing at Inco's Thompson Smelter, and its key operating parameters.

Jan 1, 1994

By V. Fiedler, H. Lachmund, R. Bruckhaus

"After producing some 50 million tonnes of crude steel the two BOF vessels at Dillinger Hüitte steel plant had to be replaced in 2000/01 due to large deformations. The new vessel design was optimised after a number of theoretical evaluations.Refractory investigations were carried out as well as temperature measurements of the shell to provide a basis for selecting a suitable steel grade. This was found in a DH-GTS development - P420M HT - with high strength at elevated temperatures and excellent weldability and made it also possible to build the vessel without any cooling system.After putting the first vessel into operation the metallurgical results showed no remarkable improvement compared to the old vessel, and were therefore not satisfying. With the help of cold model investigations the arrangement of the tuyeres was modified to improve the flow conditions and the interactions between oxygen jet and the heterogeneous plume of the bottom stirring gas. Further optimisations were obtained by a variation of lance tips and a newly developed lime addition model."

Jan 1, 2004

By Mohamed Hamoud

Relative permeability curves represent an important element of special core analyses, but challenges remain in obtaining valid results and the extrapolation and use of existing permeability results is problematic. This situation is compounded in cases where core properties are altered from changes in effective stress. During the production of oil and gas reservoirs, the effective stress changes as a result of changes in pore pressure or temperature. Therefore, changes in rock properties such as porosity and permeability will occur and will consequently influence reservoir performance calculations. An experimental program was carried out to understand the behavior of dense, reconstituted sand samples at low effective stress states. Drained triaxial compression tests were set up to study the effect of stress alteration on relative permeability data through porous media. Initially, a saturation stage was performed followed by isotropic loading to bring the core sample to reservoir fluid and stress conditions. Then, while axial (deviatoric stress) loading was applied to the sample, a series of absolute and relative permeability tests was performed under steady state flow at different levels of strain during pre and post peak shearing stress. The stress-strain behavior results from the study revealed that the absolute permeability decreased during isotropic loading (compaction) and increased during shearing (dilation). However, the shape of relative permeability curve changed from contraction to dilation and showed higher initial kro and the lower initial kro respectively. The goal of this project was to understand the behavior of both absolute and relative permeability at different stresses. It is expected that geomechanical processes will be adopted for special core analyses to support the current integration of geomechanics into reservoir engineering. This will be required if, during SAGD, conventional and/or unconventional reservoir simulation, reservoir engineers implement a proper set of relative permeability data at each in situ state of stress, instead of constant curves throughout the field?s life.

Jun 1, 2012

By Jr. Wilkinson

Suncor Energy currently mines approximately nine hundred thousand tonnes of ore and waste per day at its open pit operations in the Athabasca Oilsands near Fort McMurray, Alberta. Modeling these deposits for planning purposes is particularly challenging given the characteristics associated with the deposit - stratigraphic deposition coupled with gradational grade distribution. The identification of ore and waste is a combination of bitumen cutoff grade, minimum mining thickness and separable waste thickness subject to criteria established by provincial regulatory agencies. Suncor along with Mincom Inc. have collaborated on this project to derive a methodology, automated by computer software, to streamline the ore and waste identification process. This paper explains the methodology and programs created to identify ore and waste in use at Suncor Energy and how this identification is used to categorize reserves and to generate mine design surfaces.

Apr 1, 2005

By Y. Wang, J. D. Miller, C. L. Lin, Virginia Tech

Conventional flotation machines are typically limited to a particle topsize of 150-200 microns due to inherent constraints created by the pulp and froth phases. To overcome these limitations, a novel fluidized-bed flotation system called the HydroFloatTM Separator has been developed specifically for the purpose of floating coarse particles containing only small amounts of exposed hydrophobic minerals. Over the last decade, this technology has been successfully applied to industrial minerals with several full-scale units installed to recover particles up to and exceeding 3,000 microns diameter. More recently, sulfidebased test work has shown that this novel device is also capable of recovering metalliferous values at a grind size that is much coarser than currently used in industrial concentrators. In the current study, high resolution X-ray microtomography (HRXMT) was used to experimentally compare the degree of exposed grain surface area necessary to recover coarse particles using the HydroFloatTM technology to that attainable using a traditional mechanical flotation cell. The data indicate that exposed grain surface area is a critical factor for coarse particle flotation. For the gold-bearing sulfide ore examined in this study, the HRXMT data suggest that near complete recoveries of coarse (850x500 µm) multiphase particles containing as little as 1% exposed grain surface area were realistically attainable using the HydroFloatTM technology. As such, this new technology may offer a unique opportunity for increasing concentrator capacity by increasing the primary grind size needed for rougher/scavenger separations.

Jan 1, 2016

By Gregg W. Morrison

"The Craigmont copper-iron skarn deposit is adjacent to the southern margin of the late Triassic Guichon Creek batholith in south-central British Columbia. Host to the ore are sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the western calc-alkaline belt of the Upper TriassicNicola Group. In the mine area, the Nicola Group rocks are a stratigraphically complex sequence, at least 1800 feet thick, which have been subdivided into Basalt, Rhyolite, Carbonate and Clastic Sediment units. All the units strike and dip parallel to the margin of the Guichon Creek batholith and are within the batholith contact aureole. However, only the Clastic Sediment unit is in contact with the batholith.Most of the skarn and ore is within the Carbonate unit and more specifically within an Interbedded facies that consists of lime sandstone, lime siltstone, quartzo-feldspathic siltstone and argillite. The Interbedded facies and the adjacent barren Massive Limestonefacies are interpreted aspart ofa carbonate reef complex. The distribution of skarn and ore within the Interbedded facies suggests that the facies boundary was a physical and chemical barrier that resulted in concentration of metals adjacent to the Massive Limestone facies.Two stages of skarn formation have been recognized at Craigmont. In Stage I, ore-bearing magnetite-rich and actinolite-epidote-magnetite skarns developed both in basaltic rocks and in Fe-bearing siltstone and argillite of the Interbedded facies, while barren grossular garnet-epidote-calcite-pyrite skarns developed in Fe-poor rhyolitic bands within the Interbedded and Massive Limestone facies . In Stage ll, massive, barren grandite garnet skarn replaced mineralized Stage I skarns in the vicinity of diorite plugs. and specularite ore formed in brecciated Stage I skarn and clastic rocks away from the plugs. Theformation of Stage I skarns required no addition of material, only redistribution and concentration of elements already present within the Interbedded facies. However, the concentration of Cu in Stage lore requires a mechanism for more efficient leaching of Cu from the host rocks, an anomalous concentration of Cu at the site of the Stage I orebody or an additional input of Cu from an external source. The formation of Stage II skarn and ore requires only remobilization and recrystallization of Stage I skarn and ore.Copper and iron are the only elements in economic concentrations in the ore and chalcopyrite is the only significant copper-bearing mineral. Chalcopyrite is disseminated and interstitial to magnetite in Stage I mineralized skarns and is interstitial to specularite in the matrix of Stage II breccia ores. Chalcopyrite also occurs with pyrite as stringer ore in bleached • sediments and rhyolite tuffs in the stratigraphic footwall of the main orebodies.The Craigmont deposit has more features in common with Cu-Fe deposits hosted in metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks than it has with typical skarn deposits associated with porphyry copper deposits. The orebody is more likely a product of concentration of metal contained within the Nicola Group rocks than of the mineralizing event that produced the . Highland Valley Cu-Mo porphyry deposits in the central part of the Guichon Creek batholith ."

Jan 1, 1980

By Paul A. Glapa

Quality is much more than providing a product that functions properly. True quality is a way of thinking, a way of doing business, and, ultimately, a way of satisfying a customer?s long-term needs. A true commitment to quality requires a top-down management commitment, with a willingness to change what needs to be changed and to expand upon ?best practices? that are already done well. Is there a cost to creating and maintaining a quality program? Of course there is, but the cost of not having a focused program is much greater. We have come to regard quality as an investment that pays dividends to both the supplier and customer. The lack of quality costs everyone and the customer pays the ultimate penalty. With modern, highly engineered surface mining equipment the end user calculates cost in terms of lost production (revenue), not simply the cost of the part. Bucyrus International, Inc. is a company that has listened to its customers and has dedicated itself to implementing an advanced quality program. The ultimate goal being the creation of a high quality product with extended reliability for the customer. The result is reflected in Bucyrus? current product offerings and highlighted by the new 495HF electric rope shovels at Albian Sands mine.

May 1, 2003

By J. M. Harrison

"The Nor-Acme gold mine is near the shore of Snow lake, northern Manitoba, about 75 miles east of Flin Flon. The claims that form the nucleus of the present property were staked in 1927 by C. R. Parres, but it was not until 1941 that diamond drilling disclosed the potentialities of the deposit. In that year a large-scale drilling programme was begun under the direction of F. Ebbutt, of the Howe Sound Exploration and Development Company. Two orebodies were outlined containing about 5,000,000 tons of ore assaying $5.25 in gold per ton. In August, 1945, construction of the mining plant was begun.All information and interpretations contained in the following brief description of the deposit were obtained from surface mapping.GEOLOGYThe ore lies at the contact between a coarse, basic, pyroclastic rock, which is the hanging-wall, and grey, acidic lavas and sediments, which form the footwall. These rocks are cut by irregular basic intrusions that vary in composition from diorite to hornblendite, and by small acidic dykes . Tourmaline is locally common in the hanging-wall rock near the ore.The ore occurs in brecciated, silicified, and ·slightly carbonatized rock. Arsenopyrite is the main sulphide and the gold is associated with it. Pyrrhotite is locally abundant and minor pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, and cubanite have been noted. Two orebodies are known, the Dick and the Toots. The Toots, which is much the smaller of the two, is about 1,000 feet west of the Dick."

Jan 1, 1954

By Tibor Horvath

Dust abatement is possible on bulk materials, whether conveyed or stockpiled. Minimum (ppm) quantities of chemical additives can efficiently and rapidly control dust of conveyed substrates with no effect on floatation chemistry. Top coating of large surface areas can control surface dust and wind erosion. Environmental and toxicity impact must be considered in any treatment, especially on areas with percolation runoff, leachates, or limited containment. The most effective dust control is preventing release of substrate fines rather than trapping and removing air borne dust. Techniques to prevent release of fines from conveyed substrates will be discussed. Dust control dynamics are a very complex combination of solid phase physical and chemical interactions between the substrate and the fines. ?Smart Technology? products permit dust abatement of stockpiled substrates and tailing fields with no environmental impact. Using ?Smart Technology?, the dust abatement products remain active and can re-seal damaged areas. Efficient, low environmental and toxicity impact, dust control will be demonstrated through case studies where these principals have been applied.

Oct 1, 2010

By G. W. R. Kuzyk

"Hydraulic drills, recently implemented at the Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada, Limited, Bernie Lake Mine, are proving to be an economic alternative to pneumatic drilling systems. The paper describes the application of an electric-hydraulic drill jumbo to the mechanized room-and-pillar mine and its performance. The application of these drills resulted in improved environmental and working conditions.Drill rods and bits are a major cost centre in hard-rock mining applications. The paper also discusses the performance of one manufacturer's product used on the hydraulic drills.IntroductionThe Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada, Limited (TANCO) started producing tantalum ore from its Bernie Lake pegmatite in 1969. The pegmatite, encased in amphibolite, is shallow seated and flat lying. It is defined by diamond drilling along 4,000 feet of strike and 1,500 feet down dip, ranging in thickness from 60 to 280 feet. Relatively well defined zones of mineralization occur within the pegmatite and form separate orebodies of tantalum, lithium and cesium."

Jan 1, 1981

By W. F. Giuvlore, E. Mcroberts, T. S. Golosinski

"The rising demand for Canadian coal and depletion of shallow deposits, most suitable for surface mining, result in rapidly increasing volume of waste materials which have to be moved by the coal mining industry. While at present this challenge is being successfully met using conventional mining methods, in the future, innovative methods must be considered if Canadian coal is to remain competitive.The need for more efficient mining methods is also faced by the oil sands industry to assure competitiveness of the synthetic oil price.A look at the world mining practice indicates that large volumes of material can be economically mined and moved by the continuous mining systems comprising bucket-wheel excavators, belt conveyors and stackers. To assess the state of art and applicability of this mining method to Canadian conditions, the field trip was organized by the Department of Mining Engineering o f the University of Alberta, to several typical mining operations in Europe. It is in Europe where the continuous mining methods were developed and are almost exclusively used in large-scale surface mining."

Jan 1, 1984

By Brian E. Robertson

"This paper summarizes work carried out at the Dome Mine to mechanize the mining of narrow veins of less than 1.5 m in width by the introduction of new mining methods and specifically designed electric LHDs.Extensive mining trials have been conducted using sublevel blasthole, modified Avoca, and resuing mining methods. The introduction of the Microscoop and the Jarvis Clark remote, radio-controlled scooptram has increased mucking productivity.As a result of this work, additional narrow vein stopes are now being prepared for production. In the future, narrow vein stoping wil lprovide a greater percentage of the total mill tonnage.IntroductionThe Dome Mine, which is owned and operated by Dome Mines Limited, is located at Timmins, Ontario. Production has been continuous since 1910 and in 1984 was increased from 1814 to 2721 tonnes per day.At least six distinct ore types have been recognized at the mine. In general, these orebodies can be broadly categorized into wide and narrow deposits. The wide deposits are approximately lenticular in shape and vary in width from 10 m to 40 m. The narrow orebodies consist of quartz and quartzankerite veins ranging in width from a few centimetres to six metres. The average dip of the veins is 65 degrees.Since the I970s, mining activity has been largely concentrated in the wider orebodies using highly productive open sublevel blasthole and mechanized cut-and-fill stoping methods. With the demise of shrinkage stoping in 1975, investigations were initiated to develop new mining methods and introduce LHDs - truly designed for narrow orebodies. These investigations resulted in test trials of the sublevel blasthole, modified Avoca, and resuing mining methods. Consultations with equipment manufacturers and suppliers led to the development of the Jarvis Clark remote, radio-controlled electric scooptram and the introduction of the France Loader Microscoop."

Jan 1, 1986