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By J. A. Finch

In this paper, the author offers a personal view of what the next 30 years holds for mineral processing. Restating that mineral processing will remain a vibrant industry in raw material production, growth opportunities in waste management are identified. The processing sequence familiar now (mining ?mineral processing ?extraction) will become more interwoven. In situ processing (i.e., milling underground) will evolve from concept to demonstration. Opportunities to exploit physical properties altered in chemical (pyro- and hydro-) processing will present themselves. In primary grinding, the path to AG/SAG milling will progress with little deviation but opportunities in regrinding are wide open. Flotation will see the trend to designing bubble/particle reactors accelerate simultaneously with a vigorous response from mechanical cell suppliers. Gravity separation remains a bastion of the lone inventor but this author anticipates that the new lines will come from the waste management business. The paper concludes with the examination of the “research cycle” and identification of growth in small “high tech” companies and university research centres

Jan 1, 1998

By Jon A. Hummer, Aleksandar D. Bugarski, Shawn Vanderslice, Teresa Barone

A study was conducted to examine the potential of diesel emissions control strategies based on retrofitting existing power packages with exhaust aftertreatment devices and repowering with advanced power packages. The retrofit systems, a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and diesel particulate filter (DPF), were evaluated individually using a US EPA tier 2 (ter 2) engine operated under four steady-state conditions and one transient cycle. The DOC effectively curtailed emissions of CO, and to some extent organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and aerosol number concentration. The DPF system offered substantially higher reductions in OC and EC mass and aerosol number concentrations. Both, the DOC and DPF achieved reductions in the aforementioned emissions without adversely affecting emissions of NO2 and nano-sized aerosols. The strategy of repowering with an advanced system was examined using a US EPA tier 4 final (tier 4f) engine equipped with a cooled exhaust gas recirculation system and diesel exhaust fluid-based selective catalytic reduction system, but not with a DPF system. The tier 4f engine contributed substantially less than the tier 2 engine to the EC and OC mass, aerosol number, and CO, NO, and NO2 concentrations. The tier 4f engine was very effective in reducing aerosol mass, NO, and NO2 concentrations, but it was not equally effective in reducing aerosol number concentrations. The implementation of viable exhaust after treatment systems and advanced diesel power packages could be instrumental to the underground mining industry to secure a clean, economical, and dependable source of power for mobile equipment.

By J. F. McIlwain

As part of its goal to minimize the requirements for critical materials, the Federal Bureau of Mines has investigated the consolidation of an iron-base superalloy (20 pct Cr, 5 pct each Ni and Mn, 1 pct each C, W, Mo, and Cb, and the balance Fe) and its modifications by powder metallurgy (P/M) techniques. Vacuum-atomized, prealloyed powder was used. Consolidation was by sintering of cold-pressed alloy powder, or by forging plus rolling or extrusion of canned powder. Several commercial lubricants were evaluated in the pressing operation. At 50-tsi compacting pressure with up to 3 wt-pct lubricant, green strengths did not exceed 1,000 psi. Powder sintered just below the solidus temperature attained a tensile strength of 69,000 psi and 4 pct elongation. Liquid-phase sintering produced higher densities, lower tensile strengths, and nil ductility. Canned powder was forged and rolled at 1,200° C, yielding a 100-hr rup¬ture strength of 9,800 psi at 815° C and a room-temperature tensile strength of >130,000 psi at 6 pct elongation. Heat treatment of modified P/M iron-base alloy containing 0.63 pct C resulted in a 100-hr rupture strength of 17,000 psi. Oxidation resistance at 805° to 815° C of the forged and rolled P/M iron-base alloy was similar to that of the cast iron-base alloy and supe¬rior to conventional stainless steels.

Jan 1, 1981

By S. Asokan, D. Rathod, Ch. V. G. K. Murty

Tata Steel, a steel arm of Tata Group, is Asia's first and India's largest integrated private sector steel company. Tata Steel’s turnover in fiscal 2004-05 was nearly US$ 3.25 billion. As part of its vision to grow in related industries, Tata Steel is poised to enter the Titania businesses in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Titania project will involve mining, separation of ilmenite & other co-minerals, beneficiation of ilmenite to synthetic Rutile and further maximum value addition to Titanium metal. This paper outlines the journey from the concept to current findings of the Bankable Feasibility Study in developing Sattankulam Heavy Mineral Sands Deposits in the State of Tamil Nadu, India by Tata Steel.

Jan 1, 2005

By Mingchun Lu, Yunjin Yan

"This paper describes a new type of bell-less top installed on two relined blast furnaces at Tianjin Iron Works and another new-built at Echeng Steel Works in China. A compact installation was presented for existing furnace top innovation with the least reformation of existing top structure. A water cooling and sealing gearbox used for driving the chute discards completely the traditional idea about necessity of continuous supply of cooling gas for the gearbox. A multiring spreader and its dozens of selectable charging patterns enables an operator to achieve optimal burden distribution easily under the condition of a minimum investment of control equipment. Some useful conclusions have been made through a small-size model and a full-scale model tests. The excellent characteristics and the superiority of the new top have been fully proved at both works.IntroductionIt is known that there are some advantages with the bell-less top of a blast furnace: suitable for furnace to operate at high top pressure, capable of realizing optimal burden distribution, less investment and maintenance costs, etc. But why do most of blast furnaces in the world still remain using conventional bell top. One of the concerns is that current bell-less tops still have some shortcomings:1) The height of a current bell-less top might be lower than three or four-bell top or two-bell plus valve seal top, but still much higher than an ordinary two-bell top.2) The gearbox for driving the rotating chute is positioned onto the lip of the furnace. It is subject to attack by crude hot bf gas. Continuously pumping cooling gas (pressurized nitrogen or clean bf gas) into the gearbox is indispensable to withstand such a harsh working environment. Therefore, a plant furnished with blower8 and its ancillaries has to be built, It involves a large sum of investment and much expense in its annual running costs.3) Although the current bell-less charging device as a means of controlling burden distribution possesses a wide range of freedom, it is difficult to realize optimal burden distribution. There are some large blast furnaces realized better burden distribution, but sophisticated control means is indispensable so that the investment of control means is much higher."

Jan 1, 2000

By A. J. Kauffman

This study compiles data on the zircon resources of the Pacific Northwest States, Alaska, and California, to determine the productive capability of industrial concerns to make ductile zirconium and hafnium, and to investigate markets for the nonmetallic products of zircon. West coast zircon resources are large but mostly marginal to submarginal. Development of a stable and profitable zircon mining industry on the west coast will depend upon recovery and utilization of the other associated heavy minerals needed by regional and national markets. The west coast has the only completely integrated facility for processing zircon sand to reactor-grade zirconium and hafnium and for making fabricated products from these metals. The future of the zirconium metal industry appears to be good because of increased use of the metal for nuclear propulsion and power-generating plants.

Jan 1, 1965

By A F. Wilson

The use of stable isotopic measurements as a technique for elucidating the origin and history of the water in hydrothermal fluids is relatively new. Recent studies have emphasised the importance of meteoric water in the formation of many hydrothermal ore deposits including many epithermal gold-base metal deposits which occur in faulted volcanic terrane. Other vein-type gold ores are believed to have formed from fluids of magmatic or metamorphic origin and exhibit characteristic d180 values. These values also give information regarding temperatures and the degree of equilibrium. Preliminary oxygen data for some important gold deposits of eastern Australia are evaluated in the context of styles of mineralisation.

Jan 1, 1980

By A. J. Kauffman

This study compiles data on the zircon resources of the Pacific Northwest States, Alaska, and California, to determine the productive capability of industrial concerns to make ductile zirconium and hafnium, and to investigate markets for the nonmetallic products of zircon. West coast zircon resources are large but mostly marginal to submarginal. Development of a stable and profitable zircon mining industry on the west coast will depend upon recovery and utilization of the other associated heavy minerals needed by regional and national markets. The west coast has the only completely integrated facility for processing zircon sand to reactor-grade zirconium and hafnium and for making fabricated products from these metals. The future of the zirconium metal industry appears to be good because of increased use of the metal for nuclear propulsion and power-generating plants.

Jan 1, 1965

By Y. Tang

The paper studied the extraction characteristics of the fly ash from a location in Guizhou province. Under ordinary pressure, the fly ash is extracted by an acid and alkali, and then studied for its reaction characteristics with different extraction agentia, temperature, consistence and time. The results of acid extraction show that there are good reaction characteristics for Fe2O3 with HCl and the extraction rate decreases with the increasing of extraction time. There are good selective characteristics between Al2O3 and H2SO4 and they weaken with the increasing of temperature and the expanding of time. The best extraction results are shown with CaO and MgO because of their chemical characteristics and the over-saturation degree of the extraction processing. In addition, It?s found that it cannot leach all the substances from fly ash even with the higher consistence (10mol/L) of extraction agent, the longer extraction time (2h) and the higher temperature (100?) .It shows that the extraction rate of Fe2O3 is 82.81% and that of Al2O3 is 29.01%. The results of alkali extraction show that the extraction rate increases with the consistence of extraction agent and temperature, and the extraction rate of SiO2 by NaOH increases rapidly with the time expanding while that of Al2O3 falls gradually.

Jan 1, 2014

By R. E. Gilchrist, R. F. Nielsen

When a gas is displaced by mother in a porous medium, and there is a relative immobile liquid present. there is a transition zone in which the gas composition varies from essentially that of the original gas to that of the injected gas. The change in extent of this zone with time may be governed by a mixing process in the direction of flow and by the rate of establishment of gas-liquid equilibrium, if the gases are appreciably soluble in the liquid. The relative importance of these two factors in deterri~ining the growth of the transition zone is discussed, with appropriate equations and experimental data. INTRODUCTION The various solution methods of oil recovery involve a transfer of the components of a mixture, whether within a single phase or between a liquid and gas. The similarity of a natural porous medium to systems used in separation and chromatographic processes makes it seem reasonable that certain concepts used by chemical engineers in "mass transfer" might be applicable to petroleum reservoirs. One approach, the HETP (height equivalent to a theoretical plate), involves a distance or length of time over which equilibrium might be con. sidered as established. Another approach involves direct use of a rate of mixing or rate of establishment of equilibrium. The latter approach has been preferred in relation to production problems. DISCUSSION AND PROCEDURE When a gas or liquid in a porous medium is displaced by one of different composition but miscible with it there will be set up a transition zone in which the composition varies from cssentially that of the original fluid to essentially that of the injected fluid. If the fluid being displaced is a gas, and there is a relatively immobile liquid present, the transition zone may be

By Richard J. Wardle, Ambrose F. Howse

The industrial minerals industry in Newfoundland and Labrador is a significant contributor to the provincial economy. The variety ofcommodities produced reflects the diverse geological environment from which they come. A highlight of the past decade has been the continuing development of dimension stone quarries, with producers now active in anorthosite, gabbro, granite and sandstone. Other dimension stone prospects have been identified and are in various stages of assessment and development. Western Newfoundland hosts a large resource of limestone, dolomite and marble. It provides raw material for industries that produce Portland cement, agricultural limestone and aggregate, as well as chemical-grade limestone and dolomite products. In western Labrador, dolomitic marble is quarried for use in the production of self-fluxing iron ore pellets. The recent opening of a new gypsum quarry at Fischells Brook signalled the beginning of a new era in the commercial production ofgypsum, a commodity which the province has produced since the 1950s. Hopefully it will emulate the nearby Flat Bay Quarry (now closed) which was a long-time exporter to markets along the U.S. eastern seaboard, in addition to supplying local demands. Oil production and continuing exploration in the Newfoundland offshore has renewed interest in local barite deposits for potential use in drilling fluids. Already there has been some production from the Collier Point deposit, and at Buchans, an existing plant is being refurbished to recover barite from a large tailings pond. Emerging new industries include the development of an antimony mine in central Newfoundland, the development of silica deposits near Labrador City for silicon metal production, and reactivation of the St. Lawrence fluorspar mine. The province has many deposits with development potential such as rare metals at Strange Lake, white marble at Roddickton and salt deposits near St. George's Bay region.

Jan 1, 2001

Iron production in one year exceeds that of all other metals combined in ten years. It is a huge industry that started from a modest furnace producing one - two kilograms metal per day to a gigantic reactor producing 10 000 tons per day. The major milestones of these developments are reviewed.

Jan 1, 1999

By J. W. Watkins

This report describes in detail methods of making corrosion tests and chemical analyses that have been used extensively and satisfactorily in a study of plants in which various surface, waters and brines are conditioned and used for water flooding, brine disposal, and reservoir-pressure maintenance in Kansas, Oklahoma, and North Texas. The tests and analyses described were designed and adapted for use in the field in determining the relative corrosive and plugging tendencies of waters from various sources conditioned by different methods. Although the described methods were developed and used in testing oil-field waters in the Midcontinent oil-producing area of the United States, these same methods should be equally applicable to testing oil-field or highly mineralized waters throughout the world. Many of the methods used have been discussed by the writer (1)2/ previously, and some of them have been used for similar work in other laboratories. Early in the development of the practice of the subsurface injection of brines for disposal and increasing the recovery of oil, it became evident that different methods of chemical treatment and conditioning equipment would have to be devised to sustain desired injection rates into water-input wells. These changes became necessary because the highly mineralized waters produced with petroleum from deep formations became chemically unstable when pumped to the surface, owing to loss of dissolved gases as pressure and temperature dropped to atmospheric and to the contact with atmospheric oxygen at the surface.

Jan 1, 1954

By S. Nikolic

"Calcium ferrite slags are currently used in a number of copper-converting processes. Despite the industrial importance of this system the phase equilibria have not been fully investigated. Characterization of this slag system is necessary to improve the control of process parameters, including fluxing and operating temperatures. Recently, a modified experimental method has been developed; this involves rapid quenching of slag samples equilibrated at high temperatures with the resulting phase assemblages analysed using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). In the present study, experiments were completed under controlled temperatures and oxygen partial pressures using CO/C02 or H2/C02 gas mixtures. The investigated slags were supported during equilibration by a substrate of the primary phase. This technique removes the limitations arising from the use of crucibles and facilitates rapid quenching of the melt. Experiments were carried out at 1200°C and 1250°C (1473 Kand 1523 K) and in the composition range 0-40 wt.% Cu20, 0-25 wt. % CaO and 45-80 wt. % Fe203. Liquidus and solidus data are reported for the primary phase field of spinel between the oxygen partial pressures of 10-4.5 to 1 o- 6-5 atm. The analyzed compositions of liquids and solids are used to construct the phase diagram of ""Cu20"" -CaO-""F ez03"" system in equilibrium with metallic copper at fixed oxygen partial pressures."

Jan 1, 2007

By John L. Mero

"The ocean has served humanity as a source of raw materials for thousands of years, but only on a minimal scale relative to its potential. Exploration programs have shown the ocean to contain a large number of mineral deposits of great extent and attractive grade. Recent research has indicated that a number of these deposits can be economically exploited with present-day technology and that the cost of winning many industrially important minerals from the oceanic deposits is potentially much less than that of winning similar minerals from land deposits. Although the finding of mineral deposits in the sea is a relatively simple matter at the present time, the exploitation of many of these deposits has lagged due to the lack of the availability of specific mining techniques for the individual deposits. Within the past two years, however, several developments have taken place in the design and testing of ocean mining systems in depths of water as great as 12,000 feet which indicate that the problem of mining in the ocean may soon be solved.Within the next decade, the ocean should prove to be a major source of many minerals for society and should come to dominate as a source of such metals as copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese, etc. Within a few years of the initiation of the mining of the deep-sea metalliferous nodules, land sources of such metals as nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, etc. will be seriously affected and it is conceivable that the present structure of the world mining industry will undergo a substantial change in character."

Jan 1, 1972

By Roy L. Grant

The Bureau of Mines investigated the up-and-down method with factorial designs to determine if shorter, and therefore less costly, trial sequences could be used. Although sequences of 50 trials are usually recommended, sequences of 20 trials were arbitrarily chosen for the experiments with permissible coal mine explosives described in this report. These explosives were fired from a cannon pointed into a flammable natural gas-air atmosphere at the Bureau of Mines Explosives Research Center gallery to ascertain their safety properties. The investigation demonstrated that the shorter sequences led to useful conclusions with a reduction in cost of the experimental program.

Jan 1, 1967

By M. T. Thomas

Sufficient development of the X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), the Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), and the Secondary Ion Mass pectroscopy (SIMS) has made these instruments ideal for solving problems related to mineral processing -particularly gold ore processing. XPS can determine both the surface composition and chemistry of ores and tailings, and the various phases within either of them. AES can also determine surface composition with the further advantage of having greater spatial resolution so the surface chemistry associated with specific minerals in the ore can be identified. This identification helps to clarify why some minerals pass through a chemical process unaffected, while others can be successfully treated. SIMS has an elemental sensitivity from one to four orders of magnitude greater than XPS or AES which makes it useful for detecting the presence of some elements in very low concentration (parts per million).

Jan 1, 1981

By R. E. Zimmerman

Wide attention is being placed upon various methods for cleaning the fine sizes of bituminous coals. The author describes and analyzes the results achieved on wet concentrating .tables of modern design on unclassified feeds of - 1/2 in. particle sizes, including tests on high-sulphur coals.

Jan 1, 1950

By O. Ofor

Coal fines of less than 0.5 mm particle size, discarded as too fine for gravity separation, were subjected to flotation tests at varying pH and temperatures using modified dosages of kerosene as oil phase and methylisobutylketone (MIBK) as frother. Optimal coal recovery of over 74% was obtained using 200 kg kerosene and 4 kg MIBK per ton of coal fines at a pH of 9.7 and an ambient temperature of 26° C. The coal concentrate obtained under these optimal recovery conditions assayed 9.10% ash, 0.35% sulfur and 0.011% phosphorus, representing reductions in the ash, sulfur and phosphorus contents of approximately 75%, 43% and 8.3%, respectively. Its gross calorific value was 32.9 MJ/kg, its percentage of volatile matter measured 30.6 and the fixed carbon content was 66.3% (d.a.f). Caking tests showed the optimal concentrate has a standard welling number of 1 and is a Gray-King coke type C. These results show that the optimal flotation product could be utilized for such industrial purposes as steam raising or for processing in gasworks, but it would be unsuitable for metallurgical coke production.

Jan 1, 1993

By Evan J. Owen, Virginia T. McLemore

The Zuni Mountains, located in Cibola County, New Mexico is an uplifted area that exposes Proterozoic igneous and metamorphic rocks overlain by Permian and younger sediments. Sedimentary-hosted Cu deposits and fluorite veins in the district have recorded production, but other deposits exist. Proterozoic ultramafic rocks may host Ni and PGE. A recent regional stream sediment survey collected 76 samples as part of an exploration geochemistry course at New Mexico Tech with the goal of assessing the critical minerals potential of the district. Whole rock and trace element chemistry of the sediment samples (<2 mm) show a variety of critical minerals possibly worthy of future targeted exploration including up to 700 ppm As, 2100 ppm Ba, 26 ppm Bi, 25 ppm Co, 640 ppm Cu, 145 ppm Ni, 110 ppm Sb, 170 ppm V, and 500 ppm Zr. Positive correlation between Bi, As, Cu, and Sb suggest that these critical minerals are found together within copper veins related to shear zones in the district. Samples collected from streams that drained outcrop of mafic and ultramafic rocks were found to generally contain more Ni, Co, and V. Samples elevated in Ni will be reanalyzed for PGE.

Feb 1, 2025