Slags as Ceramic Raw Materials

Slags generated by the ferrous-metals industry can be used to produce high-tech ceramic materials. The properties of these ceramics can be controlled by judicious choices of composition, additives, and processing parameters. Standard methods of materials handling, such as comminution and mixing, are as applicable to slag as to any other mineralogic raw material. Materials and … Read more

Copper Oxide In-Situ Leaching Wellfield Design

Copper oxide deposits that may be considered for in situ leaching exist in unique geologic settings, different from uranium deposits. A large number of interrelated factors must be considered in wellfield design. Many of these factors are hard to quantify and are directly related to geologic features of the orebody. This paper discusses some of … Read more

Acid Rain and Smelter Agreement

In July 1985, as the U.S. copper industry contracted and the Mexican industry expanded, a transborder pollution agreement was signed which included smelter air pollution control in the “Gray Triangle”: Cananea, Nacozari and Douglas. Since then the Douglas smelter has been closed, a year earlier than initially required; though its new smelter is operating, SO2 … Read more

Poly-Met Mill Liners for Autogenous and Semiautogenous Grinding Mills

Over 25 years ago, SKEGA pioneered the use of rubber linings in grinding mills and rubber is today widely accepted and almost standard material chosen for Regrind and Secondary Mills. There are, however, only a few Primary Mills in operation with “solid” rubber linings because available materials and designs are often not cost efficient in … Read more

Increase Dissolved Oxygen in Gold Leaching with Hydrogen Peroxide

Improvement of current leaching technology was found necessary when processing ores which are more difficult to leach because they generate highly viscous, air-rejective pulps. Cyanidation of these pulps has to run at low oxygen concentrations if the conventional aeration technique with compressed air is used. Since the dissolution rate of precious metals mainly depends on … Read more

Carbonate Buffer in Soil

Data from analysis of mineralogy, water extracts, and groundwater demonstrate the significance of the neutralization of the acid from the tailings by the carbonate in the soil on the processes of retardation of contaminants. The observed data are consistent with the results of the thermodynamic calculations done with PHREEQE for the concentrations of components exiting … Read more

Heap Leach Solution Irrigation

The application of drip irrigation in Heap Leach,  has been proven to be a significant improvement over conventional spray irrigation techniques. While still under evaluation, it is evident that the use of drip irrigation will increase the operating time of a heap leach during winter and may significantly reduce operating costs through reduction in reagent costs … Read more

Selling a Mining Property

Very few mineral properties spend their entire lifespans from discovery to depletion in the hands of one owner. More likely, properties will have several owners, and partial interests may change quite often. Similarly, mineral companies are bought and sold with frequency, in recent years at what appears to be an accelerating rate. The reasons for … Read more