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Adsorption of guar gum was investigated on model minerals typically found in water-insoluble slimes of potash ores. The ionic strength of the adsorption mixtures was varied from distilled water to saturated NaC1 and KC1. The tests were also performed using a saturated brine. The adsorption density of guar gum on illite, dolomite, and kaolinite was found to be not only a function of total ionic strength but also of the type of electrolyte present in solution. Generally, the adsorption of the polymer on the clay minerals was higher in KC1 solutions than in NaCI, but the differences gradually disappeared when the electrolyte concentration approached saturation. The results were analyzed in terms of chaotropic (K ) or kosmotropic (Na') properties of background counter-ions and their different behaviors at the hydrated mineral-water interface. Guar gum adsorption on dolomite was related to the presence of calcium and magnesium sites on the mineral surface, and to the cis-configuration of OH groups of mannose units. Based on viscosity measurements, it was suggested that guar gum macromolecules form entanglements in NaCI solutions (and distilled water), but individual molecules exist in KC1 solutions thus creating different modes of adsorption of guar gum from concentrated NaCl and KCl solutions.

Jan 1, 2006

By M. J. Michaud, M. J. Lavigne

"A cornerstone of any successful mining project is an understanding of the mineral assemblage and metal distribution comprising the deposit. Knowledge of the precise mineral/ metal zoning enables an operation to utilize different mining and processing methods optimized for different parts of the deposit. The Lac des Iles mine, located in northwestern Ontario, is one operation that depends on a good understanding of these issues. Current resources for the Roby Zone total 94.1 Mt grading 1.66 g/t Pd, 0.18 g/t Pt, 0.14 g/t Au, 0.062% Cu, and 0.053% Ni.The Roby Zone occurs within the gabbroic portion of the Lac des Iles intrusive complex and consists of three compositionally and texturally different ore types with variable PGE, base and precious metal contents. PGE occur as sulphides and bismuthotellurides in net-textured sulphides, coarse sulphide blebs and as finegrained inclusions within secondary silicates.Knowledge of the precise mineral/metal zoning has directly and indirectly improved several operational aspects, including resource modelling, mining, and processing. For example, metallurgical recoveries have been increased by up to 3% to 5% and concentrate grades have increased by up to 100%. IntroductionLac des Iles Mines Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of North American Palladium Ltd., owns and operates a 3000 t/d open pit mine and concentrate facility, located 100 km north of Thunder Bay in northwestern Ontario. The Lac des Iles PGE-gold-copper-nickel mine has been in commercial production since 1993 and in 1997, produced 1.8 million grams of palladium, 127 000 g of platinum, 114 000 g of gold, 438 000 kg of copper and 354 000 kg of nickel (North American Palladium Ltd., 1998).Under the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), a two-year study of the mineralogy of the Roby Zone was undertaken with a goal of improving the profitability of the mine. Geological mapping, petrography and geochemistry of the Roby Zone were completed during this study. Utilization of the detailed mineral/metal zoning identified as part of this study was implemented at the mine and shown to positively impact many operational aspects including mining and processing."

Jan 1, 2003

By Gregory A. Johnson

Operations and Maintenance departments have long had an adversarial relationship. The widespread evolution and adoption of modern management techniques such as Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) and Lean Production however has driven interest in working co-operatively to optimize overall plant performance. Mining and minerals operations have long adopted RCM in maintenance, and are now adopting Lean throughout the organization. Modern management initiatives like these explicitly call for co-operation between the two disciplines of maintenance and production and many advances have been made in the realms of people and methodology. One area that has lagged behind in supporting these developments however is information systems. Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems in maintenance and newer Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) in operations have not been truly integrated in the way needed. Complicated plants, different software architectures, continually changing conditions and many variables have lead to systems problems which have contributed to the maintenance/operations divide. Master data synchronization (the ?plant tree?) and integrated reporting of real-time data with transactional data are just two of the issues that are being solved by new approaches in information technology including web services and service orientated architectures. New technologies are coming on-stream to enable the final ?bridging of the gap?.

Feb 1, 2008

By R. E. Jones

"Crusher sizing and application in mining operations is the selection of a crusher or a series of crushers to reduce run of mine ore to a size suitable for either autogenous or conventional grinding. It is important that the crusher or crushers be sized to operate within the range to which they have been designed. By the range to which they have been designed, we mean that the reduction ration must be held between specified limits. Reduction ration is the relationship between feed size to product size.In todays plants reduction is usually accomplished in three stages by primary, secondary and tertiary crushers.Primary crushers are either jaw or gyratory and are designed to handle run of mine feed at an open side setting of 5-1/2” to 7”. Reduction ration should not exceed 7 to 1.Jaw CrushersThe model size of a jaw crusher signifies the feed opening. A model 60 x48 jaw has a feed opening 60” wide by 48” long. The 48” is the dimension between the top of the swing jaw and the top of the stationary jaw. The 60” is the width between the two side frames. The crusher open side setting is the discharge opening at the bottom of the crushing chamber with the jaws in an open position. When corrugated jaw plates are used, the open side setting is measured from tip of one jaw plate to the valley of the opposite jaw plate. If a jaw crusher has a 6” open side setting with a 1” jaw motion, you could also say it has a 5” closed side setting."

Jan 1, 1974

By Jan E. Nesset, Phillip J. Mackey, Joo Y. Kim, Giovanni Di Prisco, André R. Laplante

Understanding the appropriate gold recovery to associate with copper recovery when assessing laboratory testing on porphyry deposits is often complicated by several factors including variable and/or complex mineralogy, and the variability contributed by the low Au content of the various flotation products. As a result, gold recovery is often underestimated and the value contributed by the gold to project economics is less than it should be, a problem that could influence overall project viability. Typically, for these types of deposits, the gold recovery is found to be lower than the copper recovery. In this unique project, having the objective of seeking a better understanding of gold recovery relative to copper recovery, mill feed samples from a selection of six operating world-class Cu-Au low-grade deposits were collected along with the mill metallurgical results for the corresponding sample periods. The samples were subjected to laboratory flotation tests, as well as the Laplante gravity recoverable gold (GRG) test, mineralogical assessment and cyanidation leaching. The aim was to better understand the copper and gold recovery relationship, the links between laboratory and plant flotation performance, the influence of mineralogical differences, and the potential for enhancing gold recovery by gravity recovery techniques. A new correlation of copper and gold recoveries based on the results is presented in the paper. The results showed that the link between copper and gold recoveries established in the best laboratory tests were maintained in the plant results, and further, that the potential for improving Au recovery by gravity or flash flotation methods is directly proportional to the amount of gold greater than 75 microns.

Jan 1, 2005

By Steve Wilkinson

"""Techniques for coarse-particle beneficiation of some gold ores and methods for determining potential for sorting any gold ore deposit.""With the advent of high speed computers, laser technology end different types of electronic sensing devices, ore sorting machinery has been developed, capable of handling significant tonnage rates while maintaining high level efficiency. Gold ores may be amenable to coarse-particle beneficiation where there exist measurable criteria upon which there can be recognition of auriferous versus barren lumps in the run of mine. Three types of criteria are suitable for sorting and are:i) Photometric - optical variance between ore and waste such as vein ores hosted by barren country rock;ii) Conductivity/Magnetic - based upon the metallic mineral content of ore end waste, and its association with Au, such as found in sulphide/arsenide Au ores,iii) Radtometric - detection of natural gamma activity occurring with uranium-bearirig gold ores.The method for determining the sortability of an ore depositconsists of, at least, three stages:i) Initial stage identification of ore and waste types,mineralogical/petrographical associations,amount of dilution in P.O.M.establishment of any sorting criteria]"

Jan 1, 1985

"IntroductionThe Chairman, in his speech to this body last year in Montreal, stated that the Dominion Coal Board looked to and depended upon the Bureau of Statistics for statistical material, and the Bureau does collect and publish monthly and annual data on coal. It may therefore be asked why an officer of the Dominion Coal Board should prepare and give a talk on statistics.I would explain that it has been our experience in the Board that, since the supply and consumption of coal in Canada is subject to a seasonal ebb and flow, it can be more profitably studied on the basis of a twelve-month period ending on March 31st than of a calendar year, since the end of March does represent a fairly stable end point in this ebb and flow. The figures are not prepared or published by the Bureau on that basis and it has therefore been thought that a presentation on this fiscal-year period would be of interest. The Bureau of Statistics has agreed that this may be valuable and all the data here presented are based on the reports secured from various sources by the Mining, Metallurgical and Chemical Division, Dominion Bureau of Statistics. The only contribution by either myself or the staff of the Dominion Coal Board has been the tabulation in a different twelve month period, and the comments upon the picture presented.It should be noted that the data for the month of March, 1950, are not available in all cases and consequently the figures for that year contain an estimate for this month."

Jan 1, 1950

By Côme Carbonneau

The ten -year case history of La Société Québécoise d'Exploration Minière (SOQUEM) is reviewed under the headings of the company's raison d'être, objectives, policies, structure and final goal. A brief analysis of its past operations is presented: aborted efforts, findings and developments. A projection is made of the future earnings, in terms of estimated present value, of its three main discoveries - Louvem , Niobec and Selim.

Jan 1, 1978

By P. A. Selvadurai

This paper presents the results of a research investigation leading to the development of a technique for the measurement of the surface permeability of Indiana Limestone. The tests are conducted on a cuboidal block of the limestone with a flat surface that can be sealed to create a circular aperture through which water influx can take place. Computational results for Darcy flow are used to interpret the results of the experiments. The water entry area can be moved over the surface area of the block to investigate, quite conveniently, the distribution of permeability across the surface of the limestone block sample.

May 1, 2009

By I. Jackman

"Gold is present in different forms and associations in different ores. Flotation is used to recover gold and minerals associated with gold, but the applicability and type of flotation vary. The purpose of flotation in a gold recovery plant is largely dependent on the mineralogical association of the gold, and environmental and economic considerations. In this paper, the role of flotation in the recovery of gold is reviewed. The paper will describe examples of gold recovery by flotation including flotation of native gold, gold associated with sulphides including specifically copper sulphides, gold associated with tellurides, gold ores containing carbonaceous material and gold contained in tailings.INTRODUCTIONFlotation is widely used in the recovery of gold. However, the objectives and the mode of application are quite variable dependent on the type of ore, the gold association(s), other metal values, marketing considerations and environmental requirements. In this paper, a range of different applications of flotation incorporated in the recovery of gold are discussed. The reasons for each particular application are outlined and metallurgical results are presented.The mineralogy of the ore and the gold associations are fundamental influences on gold recovery. The use of flotation to concentrate gold is dictated by the mineralogy of the ore and gold. The fundamental factors are mineral/gold size, liberation size, association of the gold and type of gangue minerals or other valuable minerals. Gold can exhibit a range of sizes in a host from relatively large size (+50 µ) to refractory size (1 µ and sub-micron size). Similarly, the gold can occur in a number of phases in the same host. For example, the gold was present as petzite (AgAu telluride), calaverite (AuTe2) and native gold in a gold telluride ore and each of these minerals was associated with the pyrite host.Understanding the gold mineralogy and association is important in establishing the correct process route. The gold mineralogy is established by good mineralogy, use of diagnostic tools such as diagnostic leaching and assay by size fraction analyses and basic metallurgical testwork."

Jan 1, 1995

By T. G. Joseph

Mines must manage variability from within their operations as well as those imposed upon them by external forces. This paper provides a framework to manage both internal and external variability through the review and adjustment of the mine plan where applicable to minimize lost production and maintain operational safety.

Nov 1, 2011

By T. Iwasaki

This paper points out two key elements in resource trade in general and the Canada-Japan relationship in particular. The first is that the advanced countries have a more important role than one would expect in the supply of resources in world trade. Canada 's dual role as a major resource supplier in conjunction with an advanced economy will continue to increase. The second point is the heavy reliance on foreign resource supplies in some advanced economies, particularly in Japan. Finally, as regard the future of the Canada-Japan economic relationship, particularly .in resource development, it is suggested that trade could be enhanced by an accelerated exchange of various types of resources between the two countries. These include natural resource commodities as well as the more abstract capital, technological and human resources.

Jan 1, 1978

By Gerardo Vargas

Without an adequate data sample there can be no Reliability Analysis (RA). Without analysis there can be no systematic, verifiable improvement in reliability or in operational economy. A sample is a collection of life cycles. A beginning and ending event define a failure mode life cycle. Well known obstacles impede the reliability engineer in his role to analyze maintenance data. The main problem lies in the difficulty to obtain analyzable data samples. Although modern Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMSs) should provide the needed information they rarely deliver samples of adequate quality. Cerrejon, an integrated mining operation in Colombia, South America solved the information management problem by applying a "Living Reliability Centered Maintenance (LRCM)" process to its fleets of Trucks, Graders, Dozers, Loaders, and Shovels. This paper describes a method wherein completed work orders capture reliability analysis enabling information. The 'right' maintenance observations reference significant failure modes. Work orders link to records in a continuously growing Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) structured knowledge base. Grouped and filtered knowledge-to-work order links, being instances of failure modes, provide the samples required by reliability analysis software tools and methods. LRCM software and related procedures facilitate the growth of knowledge, manage the work order-to-RCM relationship, and generate samples for subsequent reliability analysis.

May 1, 2011

By T. W. Wlodek

"AbstractSatisfactory mine drilling operations depend on the good performance of the drilling machine, and of what may be called the drill set, i.e., the following four elements: bit, attachment, drill rod, and shank end. The field performances of these four elements in the drill set are analysed and their service lives are compared. The most .common causes of service failure are reviewed and possibilities of increasing service life are discussed.The laboratory methods now employed for the simulated service testing of tungsten carbide bits, conical push-on and threaded .types of attachments, drill rods, and shank ends are described, and some results are discussed. The objectives of the research programme now being carried out •on the above mentioned elements are outlined.A number of mines in British Columbia, northern Ontario, and northern Quebec have been visited, and, with the co-operation of the C.I.M. Branches in these areas, meetings with representatives of the mining and steel industries concerned have been held. In this paper, the mechanical-metallurgical problems most frequently encountered and discussed during these visits and meetings are described and .analysed.IntroductionSUCCESSFUL mine drill operations depend to a great extent on• the satisfactory field performance of the four elements which form the mining drill set, shown diagrammatically in Figure 1.These important elements are:1. -The bit, which may be one of the following types:(a) Detachable tungsten carbide bit( b) Inserted rod bit, so called chisel bit( c) Detachable steel bit( d) Solid rod bit"

Jan 1, 1952

By C. G. McLachlan

INTRODUCTION The work described in the following paper was under-taken with a view to determining, if possible, the relative importance of some of the phenomena on which flotation seems to depend, in the hope that, if this information could be obtained, it would be of value in dealing with the problem as a whole. At the outset, brief reference will be made to three papers which had a considerable bearing on the course followed in the present investigation. In 1919, Langmuir, in a paper on 'The Mechanism of the Surface Phenomena of Flotation', showed that mono-molecular films of very great stability could be produced on solid surfaces with oleic acid, but that pure paraffin oil, though spreading readily on a dean dry surface, was easily displaced by water.

Jan 1, 1926

By Jean-Paul Drolet

"This paper charts, briefly, the :salient facts of international trade in minerals and their products and Canada's place in it. It also reviews inter-national agreements, economic groupings and national measures to channel and regulate production and trade in minerals. Canada's mineral industry now produces raw materials worth $3.7 billion per year, making this country a giant among mineral producers. Two-thirds of this production is exported, chiefly to the United States, accounting for about 30 per cent of Canada's merchandise exports and topping all other classes.However, several other nations are also pressing the development of their mineral resources and markets. The Soviet Bloc, China and principally Australia and Africa are becoming important suppliers of basic raw materials to some traditional markets of Canada in Europe and Japan.The outlook for Canadian mineral exports to the countries of the Common Market, Great Britain and Japan is good, although some tariff barriers remain troublesome.Concerning the United States, our most important market, Canada is seeking to have that country lift import quotas on lead and zinc, and re-cent statements by U.S. authorities give hope that this may be achieved soon. Moreover, Canada wishes to obtain easier access to the American market for several of its metals and minerals.Canada is now participating in the Kennedy Round of tariff talks under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and is seeking to open wider doors for its exports of products.In summary, Canada has done reasonably well in some mineral commodities on world markets, but has lost ground in others. Any slackening of Canada's efforts in the development and marketing of mineral resources would soon lead to the decline of its role in the world miueral economy."

Jan 1, 1966

By N. R. Thote, J. L. Porathur, C. P. Verma

Highwall mining is a highly mechanized coal mining method associated with several advantages, such as a very high production rate (approximately 3,000 t/d) and low production costs. There is no requirement for underground support, ventilation, or blasting. Production leads to added recovery, which is otherwise lost in the ultimate pit. The use of highwall mining can bridge the gap that exists between supply and demand in the energy sector. This paper presents a brief review of highwall mining technology, including current status, analysis tools, and design techniques. In addition, it identifies important parameters from the analysis of failure case studies.

Jan 1, 2014

By China University of Mining & Technology, Yuemin Zhao, Bo Zhang, Liang Dong, Zhenfu Luo, Chenlong Duan

"In China, approximately 65% of coal reserves are in the west region, where water shortage is a serious problem: high-efficiency dry coal beneficiation technology is desired. Using magnetic powder and fine coal as heavy medium, and using air as the fluidizing agent, a novel air dense medium fluidized bed separator is proposed for coal preparation. Coal can be efficiently separated according to density in the fluidized bed, where bed density is steady. The separator is highly reliable, the circulation quantity of heavy medium is low, and the gas distributor cannot be easily easily. The world’s first industrial modularized dry coal preparation plant was built by China University of Mining and Technology. Dry coal beneficiation technology was first used to produce low-ash coal. Results of industrial production show that the ash content of clean coal is 3.46%, the probable error E value is 0.055 g/cm3, and the organic efficiency is over 90%. The advantages of the modularized dry coal beneficiation system are the high separation accuracy, the simple process flow, the low operation cost, low energy consumption, and so on. This technology provides a new effective method for coal separation in acid region and coal tending to sliming.INTRODUCTIONCoal is the most important primary energy source in China, where coal output reached 3.68 billion tons in 2013 and represents approximately 68% of the primary energy consumption. Coal has made a great contribution to the development of the Chinese national economy, but it also brings serious environmental pollution. However, approximately 65% of coal reserves are in the arid west region in China where water shortages present a challenge for wet coal preparation technology. In addition, the abundant lignite resource, because it is easy to mud in the water, should not be treated with the wet separation method. Therefore, it is critical to develop highly efficient dry coal preparation technology to meet the demand in arid areas. Further, water resource shortages are a global problem, thus the development of efficient dry coal preparation technology in has potential application in other water-short countries like South Africa, Brazil, India and Turkey."

Jan 1, 2016

By Stanley G. Butcher

"Introduction Many operators in western Canada, with a background in the minerals industry, talk of ""coal beneficiation"", whereas the coal industry generally uses the term ""coal preparation"" . The sophisticated cleaning circuits and thermal drying units found in western Canada makes the term beneficiation particularly appropriate. This chapter uses standard coal preparation terminology(l,2J and assumes general knowledge of coal preparation unit processes and equipment(3,4,5). The geologic setting and mining methods of western Canada, described elsewhere in this volume, present for preparation run-of-mine coals which have particular problems. As a result the cost of preparation is a higher proportion of the total minesite production costs than in other coal fields . Preparation requirements are determined by the types of coals being produced and the markets in which they are sold. Western Canadian coals have a low sulphur content and do not require cleaning on this account. Prepared coal from western Canada has to be shipped vast distances -to the Pacific Rim countries and Ontario in particular -and the savings in transport costs justify the high costs of preparation. Factors which dictate selection and operation of the preparation processes are: i) Market specifications and coal rank. ii) Size distribution of particles and particularly the liability of coal and refuse particles to degrade during handling and processing. iii) Quantity and characteristics of the associated refuse. iv) Washability characteristics (the distribution of particles by specific gravity within each size fraction). v) Surface characteristics of the fines. vi) Variability of the raw coal. Where the product (coal or discard) has a high fines content special consideration must be given to dewatering, the removal of surface moisture, to give acceptable handle ability characteristics. In the severe winter climate of the western foothills and mountains thermal drying is necessary to prevent freezing of washed coal in stockpiles and railcars."

Jan 1, 1985

By I. Ruiz Bustinza, L. F. Verdeja, Daniel Sbarbaro, R. Parra, J. Mochón

The oxidation of sulfides is a complex process involving gaseous products and intermediate species given rise to emission and absorption spectra which carry out important information about the reaction process. This information could be used for on line monitoring of pyrometallurgical reactor if the appropriate sensors were available. We present in this paper an analysis of the concept that has been successfully applied in iron and steel making industry, as well on fuel combustion control, where the spectra measurement gives the possibility for online monitoring and automatic control of high temperature processes. This concept has not been widely applied in the nonferrous pyrometallurgical primary production. The design of new sensors is discussed from the analysis of spectra measurements during flash combustion of copper concentrates at laboratory scale.

Jan 1, 2015