Applied Mineralogy in the Mining Industry

Techniques of performing applied mineralogy investigations, and applications and capabilities of recently developed instruments for measuring mineral properties are explored in this book intended for practicing applied mineralogists, students in mineralogy and metallurgy, and mineral processing engineers.The benefits of applied mineralogy are presented by using in-depth applied mineralogy studies on base metal ores, gold ores, porphyry copper ores, iron ores and industrial minerals as examples. The chapter on base metal ores includes a discussion on the effects of liberation, particle sizes and surfaces coatings of Pb, Cu, Fe, Ca and So4- on the recoveries of sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite. The chapter on gold discusses various methods of determining the quantities of gold in different minerals, including 'invisible' gold in pyrite and arsenopyrite, so that a balance of the distribution of gold among the minerals can be calculated. This book also discusses the roles of pyrite, oxygen, moisture and bacterial (thiobacillus ferrooxidans) on reactions that produce acidic drainage from tailings piles, and summarizes currently used and proposed methods of remediation of acidic drainage.

Preface. Acknowledgements. Credits. Table of Contents. Chapter 1 General Principles of Applied Mineralogy. 1.1. Introduction. 1.2. Applied mineralogy investigations. Chapter 2 Instruments for performing applied mineralogy studies. 2.1. Introduction. 2.2. Optical microscopes. 2.3. X-ray diffractometer. 2.4. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray analyser (EDS). 2.5. Electron microprobe (MP). 2.6. Proton induced x-ray emission (PIXE). 2.7. Secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) and ToF-SIMS. 2.8. Laser ionization mass spectrometer (LIMS) and ToF-LIMS. 2.9. Cathodoluminescence (CL). 2.10. Infrared spectroscopy. 2.11. Image analysis system. Chapter 3 Mineralogical Characteristics and Processing of Massive Sulfide Base Metal Ores From the Bathurst-Newcastle Mining Area. 3.1. Introduction. 3.2. General characteristics of Bathurst-Newcastle base metal deposits. 3.3. Applied mineralogy studies of Brunswick No. 12 and Brunswick No. 6 ores. 3.4. Applied mineralogy studies of products from the Cu-Pb rougher circuit in BMS concentrator. 3.5. Summary. Chapter 4 Volcanogenic Base Metal Deposits in the Flin Flon-Snow Lake Areas, Manitoba, Canada. 4.1. Introduction. 4.2. Characteristics of Trout Lake and callinan ores. 4.3. Minerals in Trout Lake and callinan ores. 4.4. Mineral processing. 4.5. Summary and conclusions. Chapter 5 Relationships Between Mineral Characteristics and Flotability 5.1. Introduction. 5.2. Flotability of chalcopyrite-bearing particles. 5.3. Nickel in serpentinized ore. Chapter 6 Applied Mineralogy Related to Gold 6.1. Introduction. 6.2. Mineralogy. 6.3. Textures and microstructures. 6.4. Types of gold deposits. 6.5. Characterizing gold ore with respect to processing. 6.6. Processing gold ores. 6.7. Selected examples of characterizing gold tailings. Chapter 7 Applied Mineralogy: Porphyry Copper Deposits 7.1. Introduction. 7.2. Characteristics of porphyry copper deposits. 7.3. Applied mineralogy related to mineral processing. 7.4. Identifying minerals. Chapter 8 Mineralogical Characteristics and Processing of Iron Ores. 8.1. Introduction. 8.2. Iron ores in the Labrador Trough. 8.3. Oolitic iron ore in the Peace River deposit. 8.4. Summary. Chapter 9 Applied Mineralogy Investigations of Industrial Minerals. 9.1. Introduction. 9.2. Graphite. 9.3. Talc. 9.4. Wollastonite. 9.5. Garnet. 9.6. Quartz. 9.7. Method of characterizing airborne dusts. Chapter 10 Applied Mineralogy to Tailings and Waste Rock Piles - Sulfide Oxidation Reactions and Remediation of Acidic Water Drainage. 10.1. Introduction. 10.2. General characteristics of tailings and waste rock piles. 10.3. Mineralogical studies of tailings and waste rock piles. 10.4. Minerals. 10.5. Reactions in tailings piles. 10.6. Remediation and prevention of acidic drainage from mine wastes. 10.7. Summary. References. Subject Index. Mineral Index.