Recycling is nothging new to mining. For some time, opportunists have turned to old mine dumps and tailings for new sources of ore. Abandoned mines are often rejunenated for another go-round at profitable mining. And it is no secret that in the nooks and crannies of old gold mills riches are to be had for recyclers. Now, Inco Ltd. is digging up its ancient furnace brick yards in an attempt to recycle nickel- and copper-laden smelter furnace bricks, which once lined furnaces and converters.
According to Inco Triangle, a publication produced by the company’s Ontario division, the combined copper-nickel content is about 10%, or about five times Inco’s average mined grades.
Since 1989, more than 21,000 tons (19,090 tonnes) of refuse firebrick, removed from dumps, crushed to a powder and fed into a flotation circuit, have yielded three million pounds (1.3 million kilograms) of copper and nickel.
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