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By Fathi Habashi

This Historical Metallurgy Note is the second part of a three-part series, the first of which appeared in the November- December issue of the Bulletin. Part III will be published in February, 1998. This series of articles is dedicated to the memory of Nikolai Maximovitch Pereskuryakov (1940-1994), Rector of Saint Petersburg Mining Institute from 1992 to 1994 who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 54, shortly after celebrating the 275th Anniversary of his Institute.

Jan 1, 1998

By J. P. Messervey

As a result of my field examinations in this Province, I have been struck by the evidence of widespread mineralization in rocks, particularly the limestones of Carboniferous age. Six prospects of lead and zinc or lead alone scattered through the eastern part of the mainland, one copper prospect and three veins of siderite, all point to a period of mineralization subsequent to the forming of the Carboniferous rocks in which they occur. While none of the present prospects are of proved economic importance, still it is possible, and indeed probable, that further prospecting will find concentrations sufficiently large to make mines. It may possibly aid the prospecting for these base metals if the present scraps of information are assembled from various sources, and I will further briefly recount the information as a result of my observations. Gay?s River At Gay's river, midway between Halifax and Truro, and four miles east of the railway, numerous pits and natural exposures show galena and sphalerite in limestone of Carboniferous age, near where it lies unconformably upon slate and quartzite of the gold series. These exposures extend for a length of over one thousand feet along a curving contact. The pits show that on the contact there is a fossiliferous and somewhat porous layer of limestone, which is so impregnated with galena and small amounts of sphalerite as to be of ore grade. Wherever observed, the thickness of this layer is less than two feet.

Jan 1, 1929

By A. J. Basu

Air quality in underground mining operations can fluctuate significantly during the working day, but until recently the only way to ensure a mine had sufficient air quality was to over-ventilate and, with significant delay in adjusting the volume or direction of the airflow, working conditions were tolerable but rarely ideal. Underground ventilation management systems have been considered to achieve improved energy efficiency since at least 1995 in Canada. However, Mine Ventilation Optimization, (MVO) and integrating it with Ventilation on Demand (VOD) is only becoming more of a reality in the last seven (7) years. A systems approach to MVO takes into account all the elements from the point the power is distributed into the ventilation fans through to the actual quality and quantity of fresh air to the working face. Opportunities exist throughout the system for energy savings but not all of them are cost-effective. Depending on the application, these opportunities can be easily realized by properly sizing, streamlining, maintaining and operating the ventilation system using premium mine proven energy efficient components throughout. Implementation of VOD is a key step in achieving the MVO objective. However, VOD is a concept, and it requires various tools, procedures, and strategies for cost-effective and operationally viable implementations. This paper provides a historical background in the development of VOD and provides a framework for proper and cost effective implementation. In addition, an optimized ventilation system will also allow increased airflow by reducing resistances and shock losses. This turn in would allow production target improvement, which could be an attractive objective compared to energy savings. Mine ventilation is the life support system of an underground mine, and contributes to sustainable development and corporate social responsibility goals assuring health and safety aspects of strategic planning. The proposed framework addresses implementing mine ventilation optimization integrating ventilation on demand as a vehicle for energy, health and safety improvement and overall productivity gains in the mining cycle efficiency while significantly reducing carbon footprint of a mine.

Aug 1, 2013

By T. Sun, J. Kou, C. Sun, China Railway Resources Group Limited

"The polymetallic sulfide ore in Jiama county of Tibet contains 0.78% Cu, 0.046% Mo, 0.31 g/t Au and 17.9 g/t Ag in average. However, heavy loss of valuable metals was observed using high-pH process and Butyl xanthate as the collector. In this paper, the flotation was optimized through the adoption of a novel collector C-7, which is a mixture of xanthate ester and thionocarbamate. This collector showed better flotation performance under weak base conditions. The recoveries of Cu, Mo, Au and Ag increased to 93.24%, 84.60%, 78.13% and 75.41%, respectively, under 15 g/t of C-7 at pH of 8.0. The adsorption mechanism of C-7 was investigated by micro-flotation tests, zeta potential measurements, FTIR analysis and adsorption quantity measurements. Chemisorption of C-7 on chalcopyrite surface is demonstrated with adsorption density 3.8 times higher than on pyrite.INTRODUCTIONXanthates are the most commonly used collectors of strong collecting ability for separating copper sulfide minerals from gangue in froth flotation. However, the selectivity of xanthates themselves is poor to realize separation of chalcopyrite and pyrite whose floatability are quite similar (Heyes & Trahar, 1977; Chandraprabha, Natarajan, & Modak, 2004). High pH process with xanthates as collectors is proved effective in copper-sulfur separation and is widely used in treatment of copper sulfide ore flotation (Smith, 1996; Valdivieso, Cervantes, Song, Cabrera, & Laskowski, 2004). This method could get ideal separation results, but large amount of lime must be added, and could bring about increased cost, device corrosion and environmental pollution. In addition, there could also be high depression and heavy loss of associated noble metal such as Mo, Au and Ag. Consequently, a large amount of research has been conducted on substitutions of xanthates for selective flotation of copper sulfide ores under low pH conditions (Gholivand, Khodadadian, & Ahmadi, 2010; Li, 2010)."

Jan 1, 2016

By D. Asefi

A new method to detect microstructural features such as recovery and recrystallization as well as cold rolling reduction in low carbon steels was developed based on magnetic hysteresis loop measurement. To this aim, a hysteresis loop measuring apparatus, specifically designed and assembled for plate samples was employed. It is shown that maximum field (Hmax) of hysteresis loop, measured at constant maximum flux density (Bmax) of 0.5T, is an adequatemagnetic property to monitor different stages of changing microstructures during annealing.

Oct 1, 2011

By E. Cauda, K. Phillips

"Diesel particulate matter (DPM) exposures are a serious occupational health hazard in underground mines. While the complex nature of DPM makes direct analysis difficult, its primary component, elemental carbon (EC), can be used as surrogate. The near real-time FLIR Airtec monitor measures EC mass based on laser extinction. It was developed for use in underground metal/non-metal mines, and calibrated to the NIOSH Method 5040. Its effectiveness has not been demonstrated in coal mines, however, where coal-sourced EC could produce analytical interference. To gain preliminary insights regarding the Airtec’s performance in the presence of coal dust, experiments were conducted in a controlled laboratory chamber. The Airtec EC results consistently underestimated Method 5040 EC for both respirable-sized and submicron coal dusts. While underestimation of coal-sourced EC bodes well for limiting coal interference for DPM measurement, one key reason for the observed trend was non-uniform coal particle deposition on the Airtec filter. This may be problematic in coal mines where DPM and coal dust occur together in the instance that DPM deposition is also non-uniform. INTRODUCTION Diesel particulate matter (DPM) is an occupational health hazard, and underground miners have the potential for relatively high exposures due to their work in confined environments with large diesel equipment (NIOSH, 2011). DPM is heterogenous and complex in terms of its chemical composition (Birch & Cary, 1996; Noll et al., 2006), but elemental (EC) and total carbon (TC) are often used as analytical surrogates (Birch & Noll, 2004; Noll et al, 2015). EC is the solid “soot” component of DPM, whereas TC also includes particulate organic carbon (OC) (Noll et al., 2007). EC and OC can be measured in filter samples using the standard NIOSH Method 5040 (NIOSH, 2003), and summed to obtain TC. In US mines, TC has been adopted as the analytical surrogate for DPM in regulatory activities. In metal/non-metal mines, personal exposures are limited under 30 CFR Part 57. In coal mines, limitations are made on emissions from each piece of equipment (30 CFR Part 72) rather than for personal exposures. This is because coal dust has the potential to interfere with TC measurements in personal samples. In some other countries, and for non-regulatory purposes in the US, EC is also commonly used as a surrogate for DPM in mine monitoring applications [e.g., see AIOSH, 2013). EC generally exhibits a linear correlation with TC (Birch & Cary, 1996; Noll et al., 2006 and 2007) but unlike TC measurements, which are analytically intensive, EC can be determined more simply using a laser absorption/extinction principle on filter samples (Noll et al., 2013)."

Jan 1, 2019

By C. P. Verschuren, P. W. Kingston, W. F. Caley

"In recent years, there has been rapid growth in the use of natural stone building and construct ion products. The largest growing markets are for pre-fabricated natural stone panels for interior and exterior wall facing and flooring. This increased demand is attributed to advanced quarrying and processing technologies, renewed appreciation for the aesthetic appeal of natural stone, and to the superior durability of natural stone when compared to glass, steel, and concrete. Geologically, plutonic rocks, and to a lesser extent marble and limestone/dolostone, are used extensively for these applications. This paper details the economic structure of the dimension stone industry, describes the necessary characteristics of a stone quarry, and outlines the geological criteria which favour an economic quarry.INTRODUCTIONThe world building stone industry has remained relatively stable over the last 5 to 6 years. In contrast, the North American stone industry has experienced substantial growth during that period. The increased use of commercial granite is primarily responsible for this growth, where use as exterior wall veneer for commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings represents the largest and fastest growing market.This increased usage in the construction industry has been sparked by the application of new technologies in quarrying, processing and installation , ma king natural stone more competitive with man-made materials which are energy intensive to produce, and have risen dramatically in price. The development of safer, time-saving stone installation techniques has also appealed to the liability-conscience construction industry. Finally, there is a trend by designers and architects toward utilizing long-la sting weather-resistant building materials, and a renewed appreciation of the aesthetic appeal of natural stone. The other large user of granite is the monument industry of North America which, although it has decreased slightly in recent years, still consumes approximately 40% of all commercial granite produced. The local use of commercial marble has remained relatively stable, and North America still relies heavily on European sources and suppliers. There has been some concern over the use of marble for exterior applications in areas subject to acid rain, and in colder climates where the marble ma y be vulnerable to freeze thaw cycles. Despite these concerns, the greatest problem is not with the structural breakdown of marble but the inability of some marbles to retain their polished finishes in the se environments. As a result, there has been an increase in the use of granite at the expense of marble for exterior applications. Finally, commercial marble is used extensively for interior flooring, wall s, counter tops, furniture, sculptures, and stairway components"

Jan 1, 1989

By Richard Cyr, Peter Larsen, William Quesnel

"The need to continually improve efficiency and lower costs in mining operations is of paramount importance to all concerned in the industry. Mining operations are constantly testing new methods and equipment in order to lower costs and improve productivity. Equipment suppliers strive to fulfill the demands of the mines through improved design and innovative ideas for productivity increases. In some cases, however, an increase in productivity does not require new equipment design, but rather the application of an existing mining method into different operating parameters. Such is the case in applying longhole methods to narrow vein ore deposits.Bulk mining methods have long been recognized as efficient, low-cost alternatives in narrow vein operations. Typically, shrinkage and some cut-and-fill methods are employed. The shortfall of these methods is the tendency to be labour intensive. The demand for miners skilled in these methods far outweighs their availability. Consequently, labour-efficient methods have to be employed to fill the void. The application of longhole drilling techniques to narrow vein deposits is one such method.IntroductionPercussion longhole drilling evolved in Canada in the early 1940s. Prior to percussion drilling, blast holes were drilled using diamond drill equipment. Jack Gardner, of Gardner Steel, began testing with carbide percussion bits and extension drill steel in applications where diamond drills had been previously employed. Percussion drilling equipment proved to be considerably more productive and cost-efficient. The experiment eventually led to the replacement of diamond drills in this application.Over the years, the percussion methods were improved, with particular emphasis on the equipment used. Rifle bar rotation machines evolved to independent rotation. Bar and arm set ups evolved into self-contained mobile drill carriers that increased productivity while reducing the physical labour. The introduction of hydraulics further improved efficiency and production figures. Today, it is not uncommon to see fully computerized jumbos in production longhole drilling applications. These machines represent the ""state-of-the-art"" in longhole drilling equipment.Production longhole drilling is considered to be one of the most efficient bulk mining methods in use today. Production statistics normally exhibit low-cost, efficient ore extraction. As a rule, longhole (blasthole) methods are associated with substantial ore deposits. These methods have exhibited high production figures and low mining costs.Over the past decade, long hole methods have been applied to several narrow vein deposits. These applications have proven that, given the right parameters, longhole methods will produce the same advantages in narrow vein deposits as are seen in more conventional applications."

Jan 1, 1990

By Henry Smith, Stu Brown

"The Williams Mine is Canada's largest gold producer, with annual production of some 500 000 ounces of gold from two million tonnes of ore. Highly mechanized and automated underground mining practices are utilized at the property in order to help achieve high levels of productivity and the most cost-effective mining possible.Planning and design parameters for the underground ore handling system at the Williams Mine are described in this paper. Particular reference is made to the considerations that were built into the system to provide maximum operating flexibility through the use of multiple orepass systems, portable low profile jaw crushers, underground conveyors and automated hoisting equipment.IntroductionThe Williams Mine is situated in the Hernlo area of northwestern Ontario, approximately 40 Ian east of the town of Marathon (Fig. I). It is operated by the Williams Operating Corporation, which is owned equally by Teck Corporation and Corona Corporation, and is one of three adjacent properties forming the HernIo gold camp.The mine commenced operation in October 1985 at a nominal production rate of 3000 tpcd. Through an ongoing capital development program, winch was completed in late 1989, the production rate at the property was increased to its current level of 6000 tpcd. This paper describes the mine planning process and the evolution of current mining strategies with particular reference to the underground ore handling system .HistoryGold mineralization was discovered in 1944 in the Hemlo area of Northern Ontario, near the north shore of Lake Superior. A year later, 11 claims were staked over the showing and subsequently patented by the late Dr. Jack Kerr Williams.Over the next 35 years, other claims were subsequently staked, explored and abandoned in the immediate area of the 11 patented claims . In 1980 a predecessor of the Corona Corporation acquired claims adjoining the Williams property to the east. Drilling on this claim group started early in 1981 and intersected the Hemlo orebody in May of that year. In December 1981, Corona Corporation entered into an option agreement with Teck Corporation to explore and develop the property.A drilling program by LAC Minerals on the II patented claims discovered the Williams orebody in March 1982. The mine started production in 1985, pouring its first official bar of gold on December 6 of that year. Corona Corporation was awarded ownership of the Williams Mine conclusively by a decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on August 11, 1989. The court's ruling ended a legal dispute with LAC Minerals over the property initiated eight years earlier."

Jan 1, 1991

By H. C. Cooke

"The Part of the Eastern Townships dealt with in this paper is shown in the accompanying figure. Each rectangle represents one of the topographic maps published by the Department of National Defence on a scale of one mile to one inch. Each sheet covers an area approximately 24 miles long and 17 miles wide, or slightly more than 400 square miles. The north-western part of the area figured, comprising the Upton, Aston, Becancour, and the two unnamed sheets, (Three Rivers and Yamaska), together with most of the Lyster, Drummondville, and St. Hyacinthe sheets, is largely covered by clays and sands deposited in interglacial and post-glacial time in the Champlain estuary, so that outcrops are widely scattered and in-formation is correspondingly sketchy. In the remainder of the area figured, comprising more than 4,000 square miles, outcrops are reasonably numerous and have been mapped on a scale of one mile to one inch, and the structure is moderately well understood.The Eastern Townships was an area of intense orogenic disturbance, apparently beginning late in the Cambrian or early in the Ordovician, and continuing till well on in the Devonian period. During this long period, which may have lasted for a hundred million years or more, the area was subjected from time to time to intense thrusts from the east and southeast. Each of these caused folding of the rocks, accompanied by faulting, raised parts of the area above sea-level, and presumably created ranges of mountains. Long periods of erosion cut away the mountains and reduced the area nearly to sea-level after which subsidence carried it below sea-level, and permitted further sediments to accumulate before the next thrust initiated the next cycle.The first of these movements, as stated, appears to have been in late Cambrian or early Ordovician time. The group of rocks known as Caldwell was folded and, south and east of the town of Asbestos, was thrown into great drag-folds before deposition of the next overlying series, termed the Beauceville, began. Unfortunately, the date of this orogeny is very imperfectly known, because both series of rocks have been so crushed and sheared that almost all fossil remains have been destroyed. Graptolites, found in one place in slates generally considered Beauceville, give that series a tentative Middle Ordovician age. In the Caldwell rocks, which underlie the Beauceville with great unconformity, no fossils whatever have yet been found. Thus, if the Beauceville rocks are correctly dated as mid-Ordovician, the best that can be said of the movement folding the Caldwell is that it took place at some time before Middle Ordovician."

Jan 1, 1949

By S. Yano, S. Takagi, Y. Nagaya, T. Akai, T. Ishida, Z. Bennour, T. Suzuki

"It is often reported that the concept of single-plane-fracture is not sufficient to account for the productivity from shale gas/oil wells. Many researchers introduce the concept of the stimulated reservoir volume to describe observed production behaviour. However, the characteristics of the stimulated reservoir volume are not well understood. In this study, to investigate the characteristics of fractures and surrounding region induced by the hydraulic fracturing, a devised hydraulic fracturing experiment was conducted using the cylindrical shale specimens in the laboratory.Two resins were prepared as the fracturing fluid for the experiments: cyanoacrylate, an instant glue, mixed with a fluorescent paint (resin A), and methyl metaacrylate, a thermosetting acrylic resin, mixed with a fluorescent paint (resin B). These resins were able to fix within the specimen after fracturing. This is because the present study aimed to only detect fractures induced by hydraulic fracturing. Cut sections of the specimens were observed under ultraviolet light irradiation. It is expected that the hydraulically induced fractures and the surrounding regions will be detected because the induced fractures filled with the resin should emit light, while the other parts will not.The specimens, which were collected from the Kushiro Coal Mine in Hokkaido, Japan at the depth around 275 m, were roughly 85 mm in diameter, 170 mm in length, and cored normal to the sedimentary planes. An injection hole with a 10-mm diameter was drilled onto the center of the specimen parallel to the sedimentary plane to simulate hydraulic fracturing in shale gas development. The experiment was conducted under a uniaxial loading condition of 3 MPa and the fracturing fluid was injected into the sealed injection hole at a constant flow rate using a syringe pump.After the fracturing experiment, the resins were fixed in the specimens and then the cut sections were observed under ultraviolet light irradiation. As a result, the hydraulically induced fractures, which were filled with the resin, are clearly observed. Detailed microscopic observations show that the main fractures are tortuous and are accompanied by many thinner ramified fractures. Additionally, fractured regions where the resin penetrates significantly are observed around the main fractures in the specimens fractured by the resin B. These induced fractures and fractured regions are considered to be the stimulated region in which permeability is improved. The necessity of estimation on the features of fracture tortuosity and ramified fractures is indicated for more accurate understanding of the well production and the stimulated reservoir volume."

Jan 1, 2015

By Dan Zou, Ji Chen, Deqian Li

"Bayan Obo mixed RE concentrate is the largest RE source in the world. RE elements occur dominantly in bastnaesite and monazite. This paper describes a clean and green technique for processing Bayan Obo mixed rare earth (RE) concentrate. A two-step oxidation method can lead to the effective recovery of REs, thorium (Th), fluorine (F) and phosphorus (P). Ce has a property of valency change, enabling the separation of it from other RE(III) elements. Making use of the interactions of cerium (IV) (Ce(IV)), F and P, a new extraction system was created to separate Ce(IV) effectively from other RE(III) while recovering F, P and Th by complexing F and P following the oxidation of Ce(III) to Ce(IV). The method includes two parts. Firstly, bastnaesite is oxidized by air roasting and sulfuric acid leaching. And then a first leach liquor containing Ce(IV), F and P is obtained. Secondly, monazite was converted into REhydroxide through alkaline attack and then Ce(III) in the RE-hydroxide was oxidized into Ce(IV) by wetair oxidation. After sulfuric acid leaching the oxidized RE-hydroxide, a second leach liquor is obtained. The two parts of leach liquor containing Ce(IV), F and P are then extracted by Cyanex923 to obtain CeO2, CeF3 and CePO4 based on the complex of Ce(IV) with F and P. The raffinate was further extracted by the primary amine N1923, and Th-product was recovered as ThO2. The RE elements recovery yield during the whole process is greater than 92%. The new technique not only provides a new way for Bayan Obo RE ore utilization, but also avoids resource waste and environment pollution.INTRODUCTIONRare Earths (REs) refer to lanthanides, including scandium and yttrium. Owing to the similar structure and property of RE(III), it is difficult to separate them from each other, especially for the adjacent elements. According to the United States Geological Survey, in 2010, the whole world has about 142 million tonnes of rare earth reserves. In that, China ranks the second with 22% following Brazil which ranks first with 32% (Cheng, 2011). There are three main RE ore types in China with about 80% mixed ores in Bayan Obo, 10% bastnaesite ores in SiChuan and ShanDong province and 2.9% ion adsorption ores in Southern China. Bayan Obo mixed RE concentrate consists of bastnaesite and monazite. The concentrate contains CeO2/_REO of 50% and there are 7–8% F, 4-6% P and 0.2–0.3% Th."

Jan 1, 2016

By A. Kozlowski

We present research on cable fault location methods for mines where coal dust and methane explosions are a frequent potential hazard. The methodology and devices for low- and medium voltage cables fault location are well known and applied in classical power distribution networks. They are based on solutions for underground mines with a high risk of explosion. The lack of a safe solution for the location of a fault has contributed to the initiation of a research project by a group of Polish companies. The consortium consists of research institutes (Institute of Innovative Technologies EMAG, Tele and Radio Research Institute, Central Mining Institute GIG-KD ?Barbara?), Silesian University of Technology and a private entrepreneur MARTECH PLUS. Fast and exact determination of fault location is one of the important factors for minimizing power outage time. The lack of technical solutions to obtain measurements in a secure way leads to the use of the methods connected with a high risk of explosion. For example, the application of high energy can lead to arc discharge where there is a fault in insulation, creating the risk of an explosion. Measurements of methane concentration along the analyzed section of the cable reduce the risk; however the shock wave generated by the electric arc may raise coal dust and make an explosive mixture, which is an object of ignition. Low energy methods, like those based on reflection waves, have low sensitivity for high- and medium-resistance faults. This technique has difficulties in joints, which create false echoes. The fundamental problem is to determine the topology of the network using a reflectogram and find anomalies of a different nature ? not only open and short circuit. Included in the scope of the project is an analysis of Polish legal regulations related to fault location and operational work for low- and medium-voltage networks. Two of the methods used on the surface were selected as feasible to implement under explosion hazard conditions. In the process of development of the fault location methodology, installation features characteristic of underground mines were used, namely access to the whole length of a cable. This is the attribute that provides an opportunity to do measurements that are usually not possible for typical surface power nets. To carry out laboratory tests, a dedicated measuring stand with various types of cables was built. The authors describe the principle of operation of the fault locator and the results of the laboratory tests carried out on the cables with built-in damage (prepared for tests). Results of the work will be the basis for the next stage of the project associated with operational analyses of the prototype.

Aug 1, 2013

By D. Y. Kim

This paper shows an approach that a gondola-typed robot recognizes walls on building facades. It is applicable for autonomous or teleoperated building façade painting robots. The robot may react based on the wall classification data. This approach is based on 2D LRF(two-dimensional Laser Range Finder). The robot acquires relative distances to walls, and a Kalman filter decides correspondence of walls. An ARS(Attribute Reference System) sensor helps convert LRF coordinate to global coordinate. The experimental results demonstrate the conversion of LRF data.

Aug 1, 2013

By A. J. Paul Laprairie

"ADVANCE planning of mining methods, from the first development openings to stope layout and pillar recovery, has long been accepted as a normal method of operating a mine. Recently, mine managers have become increasingly aware that advance planning of cost and accounting controls can also be considered a normal method of operation. The use of such controls is wide-spread in manufacturing industries. In mining, the gold mines of South Africa have pioneered, with marked success, in this field and have been closely associated with most of the research and field work in accounting control. Canadian mine managers are also beginning to realize the advantages of using planned costs. The control procedures which subsequently have been introduced at various mines have come to be known by such names as ""Responsibility Costing"" or Budgetary Control"".Budgetary control, the term used in this paper, is based on the concept of decentralized authority with centralized control. ;The control is achieved by measuring results against yardsticks which are in the form of budgets or standards. Bud-gets are made for the future activities of each possible operation as planned by the department head, and attention is directed to variations from this plan. Furthermore, the control process charges to each operation only those costs which are incurred directly for that operation, and which can be controlled by the person in charge. Thus, budgetary control relates results to the officials responsible for those results. Expenditures are analyzed according to the organizational structure of the mine and the people who run it, and not according to production processes."

Jan 1, 1960

By Ben Cottrell

In this paper technical drilling is referred to as the process of collecting engineering and metallurgical parameters for subsequent mine design considerations. Throughout the development of a mineral exploration property there are various opportunities to ?piggy-back? technical drilling onto the routine exploration drilling process, helping to reduce future costs and delays associated with re-drilling and missing information. This article is written from the engineers and metallurgists point of view, to outline some best practices for exploration borehole planning and technical data collection requirements.

Aug 1, 2013

By G. Begin

"The expansion undertaken at Selbaie in 1985 necessitated an adaptation and expansion of the equipment maintenance system. This paper relates briefly the stages of transformation of the maintenance administrative structures, work methods and tools. The maintenance in a mechanized mine requires an expenditure level in the order of 20% of the total operating cost of the enterprise. Thus, the maintenance organization was modified to apply more computerized planning and follow-up, and the role of preventative maintenance was further advanced.IntroductionAs far as maintenance is concerned at Selbaie, the scenario described herein is a resume of the current situation. Although positive results have been obtained, this outline is in no way a detailed account of a fail-proof maintenance system.Once zone A-I was put into production, the expansion the mine experienced in 1985 had a direct impact on the equipment maintenance system. As centralized as it was in the beginning, the system is now partially decentralized.The over-all changes to the maintenance department demonstrate the flexibility required by organizations in new situations. In spite of the exceptional results obtained before the expansion, it became evident that both the maintenance and production sectors would have to be combined. In doing so, a more appropriate coordination of maintenance work could be obtained and the maintenance staff would obtain a more detailed knowledge of the equipment in each sector. In addition, by keeping the general and specialized departments centralized, it was possible to offset the negative effect s of a decentralized system, namely too much manpower."

Jan 1, 1990

By B. Hoare, H. M. Hill

"SYNOPSISTailings volumes, disposal systems, effects of dam failures, construction materials, and concentrator process water volumes are discussed. Earth dams and tailings dams are discussed in detail. Some of the fundamentals of soil mechanics relating to earth dams are presented. Brief notes on optimization are presented. The development of a triplex meter for earth dam instrumentation is described. The advantages of the hydro-cycloned dam over the spigotted dam are outlined. INTRODUCTIONThe realistic and responsible recognition of the pollution problem, combined with the grossly increased volumes of waste material from large modern mining operations, has emphasized the demand for safe tailings dams at minimum cost.Tailings may be defined as the waste material from a mining operation after the process of concentration in which the minerals have been extracted for commercial use. The present revenue from the Canadian Mining Industry is slightly over $4,000,000,000 per year and it is estimated that the quantity of tailings produced exceeds 300,000,000 tons annually. In many instances, the volume of tailings from a mining operation is greater than the volume of crude ore mined on account of the small quantity of valuable mineral recovered during concentration, and on account of the ""swell factor"" resulting from the processes of drilling and blasting, crushing, and grinding of the crude ore. Some of the larger mine tailings deposits contain over 200,000,000 cubic yards and the associated tailings dams are among the largest man-ma.de structures in the world."

Jan 1, 1970

By Hang Zhao, Xinping Li, Pingan Wu, Yi Luo

The deep-buried rock surrounding the Jinping II Hydro-power Station was taken as the engineering background. Using model specimens of classified rock materials to simulate fractured rock mass under high in-situ stress conditions, the test about acoustic propagation law on single fracture model of specimen under different pressures and different angles were carried out. The variation of p-wave velocity in fractured rock mass and axial stress-strain relationship in the whole test procedure was also studied. Based on damage mechanics principle and the acoustic wave propagation in cracked rock mass, comparative study on damage constitutive relation of fractured rock mass under high in-situ stress in consideration of equivalent strain and equivalent energy was performed. As the results showed, with the change of axial stress level under constant confining pressure, the change in wave velocity can be divided into three stages: slow increase (small variation in amplitude), rapid reduce (large variation in amplitude ) and accelerate reduction. When the confining pressure is constant, the maximum p-wave velocity and the peak strength of specimens increases with the decrease of the crack angle. When the crack angle is constant, the maximum p-wave velocity and the peak strength of specimens increases with the increase of confining pressure.It is identified that the theoretical calculation results of constitutive relation about elasto-plastic damage model containing variable wave velocity in the fractured rock mass is consistent with the model test results.Therefore,the constitutive relation can provide reasonable suggestions for engineering practice.

Jan 1, 2015

By S. Fox, Y. Fujita

Increasing demand for rare earth elements (REE) is expected to lead to new development and expansion in industries processing and or recycling REE. For some industrial operators, sending aqueous waste streams to a municipal wastewater treatment plant, or publicly owned treatment works (POTW), may be a cost effective disposal option. However, wastewaters that adversely affect the performance of biological wastewater treatment at the POTW will not be accepted. The objective of our research is to assess the effects of wastewaters that might be generated by new rare earth element (REE) beneficiation or recycling processes on biological wastewater treatment systems. We have been investigating the impact of yttrium and europium on the biological activity of activated sludge collected from an operating municipal wastewater treatment plant. We have also examined the effect of an organic complexant that is commonly used in REE extraction and separations; similar compounds may be a component of newly developed REE recycling processes. Our preliminary results indicate that in the presence of Eu, respiration rates for the activated sludge decrease relative to the no-Eu controls, at Eu concentrations ranging from <10 to 660 µM. Yttrium appears to inhibit respiration as well, although negative impacts have been observed only at the highest Y amendment level tested (660 µM). The organic complexant appears to have a negative impact on activated sludge activity as well, although results are variable. Ultimately the intent of this research is to help REE industries to develop environmentally friendly and economically sustainable beneficiation and recycling processes.

Jan 1, 2016