A field-based course introducing students to mineral engineering activities in open pit and underground mines, and mineral processing plants. The course will provide essential contextual experience for later courses in years 2 to 4 of the program, as well as highlight the key role of mineral engineers in developing safe, economical, and sustainable solutions for extracting and processing natural mineral resources. A mine operation in Ontario will be visited which, depending on the site location, will require one or two overnight stays in the nearest town/city. The mine operation will provide all personal protective equipment (PPE) and will ensure that students receive comprehensive safety induction training before entering the operation. The course will run in the first week of September immediately following Labour Day.

Operational aspects of open pit mine design and mine planning. Topics will include: open pit design and pit optimization; long term and short term planning considerations; materials handling; equipment selection and optimization; industrial minerals production; mine safety and mine regulations; mining and the environment; mine personnel organization; ethics and professional issues. Pit dewatering, the location and stability of waste dumps and an examination of equipment cost and production statistics are also included.

Introduction to Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Estimation is an advanced level course that focuses on the stages of a mineral resource and mineral reserve estimation program from assembling the database through to reporting under industry guidelines. Major course topics include: statistical analysis of sampling data, geologic interpretation and deposit models; mineral resources estimation approaches and methods, mineral reserve estimation, classification of resources and reserves, and reporting under regulatory standards and industry guidelines for professional practice.

Introduction to the theory and practice of mineral beneficiation. Topics covered include comminution, sizing, froth flotation, gravity separation, magnetic separation, electrostatic separation, dewatering and tailings management. The course also covers relevant aspects of sampling, particle size measurement, metallurgical accounting, material balances, surface chemistry and the movement of solid particles in liquid media. Open to 3rd and 4th year Minerals, Materials, and Chemical Engineering students, or with permission of the instructor.

Efficient drilling and blasting is important to successful mining in rock formations. This course studies the planning, design, and economics of rock blasting for a full range of surface and underground, mining and construction projects. Emphasis will be on optimization of fragmentation using blast geometry and those variables available to the field engineer. This course covers the selection of modern industrial explosives, their history, physical properties, and safe handling, including an introduction to the theory of detonation, and rock response. Safety procedures in storage and transportation will be studied along with the monitoring and control of blast side effects. A field trip is associated with this course.

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of rock mechanics and their application to rock engineering. The following rock mechanics topics are covered: stress and strain; in situ stress; intact rock strength; discontinuity geometry, strength and stiffness; rock mass behavious; anisotropy, heterogeneity and the size effect; rock mass classifcation schemes. Rock engineering topics include: rock excavation; rock stabilisation; instability mechanisms in foundationas and slopes; rock slope design methods; underground openings in discontinuous and continuous rocks; rock-support interaction; synopsis of numerical methods. Associated laboratory sessions involve stress measurement, core logging, compressive strength determination and index testing.

This course provides an overview of the major aspects of mining environmental management from exploration, through design and development of the property, into operation, and final closure implementation. An applied approach is taken utilizing case studies and examples where possible. Participation and discussion is an integral part of the course. Topics include sustainable development, environmental impacts, designing for mitigation, environmental management systems and reclamation.

Course covers the evaluation of mineral projects, mining operations, and mining companies. Topics will include: discounted cash flow techniques including net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), net asset value (NAV); feasibility studies and due diligence reports; reserves and resources, data sources; metal prices and markets; cash flow modeling including revenue calculations, capital and operating costs, taxes, depreciation, inflation; risk and risk assessment, discount rates, red flags, checklists; financing. Guest lectures will provide industry insights into financing, fund raising, consulting, project control, and evaluation. There are two assignments: review of an annual report; due diligence report and net asset value calculation.

Operational aspects of underground mine design and mine planning. Topics will include: underground mining methods for hard and soft rock; shaft sinking, hoisting and materials handling; equipment selection and optimization; mine safety and mine regulations; mine personnel organization; ethics and professional issues. Development and production costs associated with mining are an inherent aspect of this course.

At Geology Field Camp, students will learn to incorporate geological observations into their engineering data sets. The course will focus on the recognition of rock types in the field, mapping of geological structures related to mineralization of potential economic importance, and field measurement techniques for obtaining rock engineering data. Students will learn how to make geological observations that are of critical importance to their success as mineral engineers, and to foster a sense of excitement and curiosity about the rocks that form the physical environment within which they will work as professionals. The course will be taught in the Sudbury region where there are several operating mines, numerous excellent field exposures of rocks related to the formation of the impact-related Sudbury structure, inexpensive accommodations, as well as unrelated older rock sequences typical of Archean greenstone belts where much of Canada's mineral exploration takes place. Students attend the two week Geology Field Camp prior to the start of Fourth Year Fall Session.

Introduction to Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Estimation is an advanced level course that focuses on the stages of a mineral resource and mineral reserve estimation program from assembling the database through to reporting under industry guidelines. Major course topics include: statistical analysis of sampling data, geologic interpretation and deposit models; mineral resources estimation approaches and methods, mineral reserve estimation, classification of resources and reserves, and reporting under regulatory standards and industry guidelines for professional practice.

This course provides an overview of the major aspects of mining environmental management from exploration, through design and development of the property, into operation, and final closure implementation. An applied approach is taken utilizing case studies and examples where possible. Participation and discussion is an integral part of the course. Topics include sustainable development, environmental impacts, designing for mitigation, environmental management systems and reclamation.

Mineral Project Design is a two-part capstone course that draws on all course materials developed in the first three years of the Mineral Engineering Curriculum. The course will culminate in the design of a mining or civil rock engineering project. In the first half of the course (F) students perform individual detailed case history analyses. Additional instruction in technical aspects of communication is provided during both semesters (preparing and writing technical reports, industry research and analysis, presentation skills, as well as other technical elements as required). These skills will form a foundation for students to use in industry. Critical non-technical aspects of rock engineering projects will also be examined, and guest speakers will present on specialized topics such as: cultural and social effects of rock engineering projects on communities and the environment; economic planning and impact; ethical considerations; aboriginal land claims, etc.. The social license to operate will be emphasized. Students will receive a final grade at the end of each term course, but both courses must be taken in sequence. (MIN 467H1 S cannot be taken without successful completion of MIN 466H1 F)

Mineral Project Design is a two-part capstone course that draws on all course materials developed in the first three years of the Mineral Engineering Curriculum. Part II (S) focuses on the design of a mining or civil rock engineering project. Students will be grouped into teams and provided with one or more data sets and a design problem to solve. The end product is a major engineering design report and oral presentation (including several interim reports and presentations). Technical aspects will serve to examine a "cradle to grave" view of a project, from initial planning through to final closure and site remediation. The course will include an intensive two-day Professional Supervisors Short Course. Topics include: Discovering a commonality among supervisors and their key role in maintaining standards. The importance of sharing information and expectations about costs, production goals and business objectives are explored in the context of motivation. The necessity of successful communication skills and techniques are discussed and demonstrated to achieve behaviours on the job, producing consistent results. A reliable methodology for handling difficult situations is provided. The fundamental rationale for safety and loss control is presented as well as a relevant perspective on management structure. A workable code of conduct that is a guide to professional behaviour is developed. Students will receive a final grade at the end of each term course, but both courses must be taken in sequence (MIN 467H1 S cannot be taken without successful completion of MIN 466H1 F)

Hydraulics of air flow through underground openings is studied leading to mine ventilation design calculations and ventilation network analysis. Related topics discussed in the course include: statutory regulations and engineering design criteria; application and selection of ventilation fans; auxiliary fan design; air conditioning (heating and cooling); dust and fume control; ventilation economics. Health hazards related to mine gasses, dust and radiation along with relevant statutory requirements are reviewed. Air quality and quantity measurement and survey techniques are presented.

The engineering design of conventional mine waste management systems, including tailings ponds, rock dumps, and underground mine backfill systems, is considered first. Emerging trends in integrated mine waste management systems, including paste stacking and "paste rock" on surface, and cemented paste backfill forunderground mining will then be covered. Engineering case studies will be used throughout, and each case study will be evaluated in terms of how the mine waste systems used contribute to the economic and environmental sustainability of the mining operation.

Introduces principles and fundamental concepts involved in the optimization of different aspects of mineral resource extraction. Explores the key sources of uncertainty that affect a final mine plan and design such as orebody, technological and economic uncertainties. Stochastic simulation techniques will be introduced for the quantification of uncertainties and risk management.
Other topics related to optimizing mine production and performance such as delaying or eliminating waste stripping, and more efficient resource use through better blending and cut-off grade decisions, as well as holistic mine-to-mill process optimization will be introduced.

The process of wireline logging of boreholes for mineral, hydrocarbon and groundwater exploration, geotechnical and environmental studies involve a number of measurement devices, or sondes. Some of these are passive measurement devices; others exert some influence over the rock formation being traversed. Their measurements are transmitted to the surface by means of wire line. Logging applications include the identification of geological environment, reservoir fluid contact location, fracture detection, estimate of hydrocarbon or water in place, determination of water salinity, reservoir pressure determination, porosity/pore size distribution determination, and reservoir fluid movement monitoring.

Geomechanical issues concerning the design of underground openings in hard rock are covered in the course: ground support [i.e. rock mass reinforcement] design, the dimensioning and sequencing of underground excavations and rock pillar design in hard rock applications. A review of modern concepts concerning rock and rock mass failure modes with application to support design is given. Both static and dynamic [rockburst] support design issues are addresses. Lastly instrumentation and monitoring techniques and backfill design and behaviour are also covered. Design issues are illustrated through the use of numerous field case studies .

This course covers an introduction to the field of materials science and engineering following a design-led approach. Application areas such as stiffness-limited design, fracture-limited design, strength-limited design will be used to guide further investigations into elements of the processing-structure-properties-performance paradigm. Topics covered will include material property charts, computer-aided design and materials selection, crystallographic planes and directions, crystal structures, stiffness, strength, plasticity, yielding, ductility, fracture and fracture toughness, cyclic loading and fatigue, friction and wear, thermal properties of materials, electrical properties, optical properties, materials corrosion, and materials processing.

This course will cover both the fundamentals and applications of molecular chemistry as it relates to the properties of materials. Fundamental topics will include: (1) the design of chemical structures and their relationship to optical and electronic properties; (2) the chemistry and physics of covalent and non-covalent bonding; (3) the relationship of atomic bonding to molecular geometry and local symmetry; (4) crystal structures of extended solids; and (5) extension of these principles to electronic structure, elasticity, and vector and tensor descriptions of materials properties. Applications to diverse areas of engineering will be discussed.

This is a seminar series that will introduce students to the community, upper-year experience, and core fields of Materials Science and Engineering. Seminar presenters will represent the major areas in Materials Science and Engineering and will also be drawn from an array of groups, including students, staff, faculty, and alumni. The format will vary and may include application examples, case studies, career opportunities, and research talks. The purpose of the seminar series is to provide first year students with some understanding of the various options within the Department to enable them to make educated choices as they progress through the program. This course will be offered on a credit/no credit basis.

Fundamental Thermodynamics Laws. Thermodynamic Variables and Relationships. Understanding Reversible and Irreversible Processes. Thermodynamic Equilibrium and the Gibbs
Phase Rule. Exploring the Clausius-Clapeyron Equation. Practical Thermodynamic Applications for Unary Phase Diagrams. Multicomponent Multiphase Reacting Systems in Standard State. Analyzing the Ellingham Diagram and Pre-dominance Diagrams. Binary Phase Diagrams for Materials Processing and Properties.

Topics in the Diffusion part include: diffusion mechanisms, steady-state and non-steady-state diffusion, Fick's first and second laws, Kirkendall effect, short-circuit diffusions, diffusion in metallic, polymeric, ionic and semiconducting materials, Darken's first and second equations, marker's velocity, thin film diffusion. Topics in the Kinetics part include: experimental rate laws, reaction orders, determination of order of reaction (integral, differential, and half-life methods), Arrhenius equation, elucidation of mechanism, fluid-particle reactions, kinetic models (progressive-conversion, unreacted core, shrinking core model), reactor design (batch, plug flow, and mixed flow reactors).

Introduction to two and three-dimensional crystallography and crystal structures of solids. Topics include: Pearson and Hermann-Mauguin symbols, reciprocal space, point group and space group symmetry analysis, stereographic projections. Introduction to tensor analysis of crystalline material properties, and symmetry breakdown by imperfections in crystals. Experimental techniques used to interpret structure and chemistry of solids and their defects will be covered theoretically and in the laboratory including: X-ray diffractometry, optical, electron and scanning probe microscopy, and surface/bulk spectroscopies based on optical, X-ray, electron and ion-beam analysis methods.

Principles of stress and strains; Axial loading; Torsion; Shear forces and bending moments; Stresses in Beams; Plane stresses and strains; Pressure vessels; Deflection of beams; Introduction to Finite Element Analysis

This course will teach engineering statistics and numerical methods with Python. Topics on statistics will include probability theory, hypothesis testing, discrete and continuous distribution, analysis of variance, sampling distributions, parameter estimation, regression analysis, statistical quality control and six-sigma. The topics on numerical methods will include curve fitting and interpolation, solving linear and nonlinear equations, numerical differentiation and integration, solution of ordinary and partial differential equations, initial and boundary value problems.

Review of atomic, molecular, and crystal structures. Covering acid-base and redox reactions and chemical properties of the groups in the periodic table. Concluding with an introduction to materials and energy balance in reactions, as well as kinetics and catalysis. Hands-on qualitative and quantitative analyses of inorganic compounds, by both classical "wet" volumetric and instrumental methods. Emphasis will be placed on a chemistry-based motivation of the course content.

Introduction to organic chemistry and organic materials. Naming, bonding and shapes of organic molecules. Properties and reactions of organic compounds. Key mechanisms including electrophilic addition, nucleophilic aliphatic substitution, β-elimination reactions and electrophilic aromatic substitution. Syntheses of polymers (step-growth and radical chain growth polymerization) and processing methods. Structure and properties of polymeric materials (amorphous, crystalline, elastomeric). Thermo-transition properties of polymers. Life-cycle of polymers, mechanisms of degradation and strategies of polymer recycle. Hands-on organic syntheses and separation experiments.

Important professional engineering skills of design and technical communication are developed with a particular focus on those relevant to the materials sciences. Students will learn solid modelling and computer aided design skills, engineering drawing, materials selection, and technical communication skills.

Communication skills will focus on various presentation modalities such as report writing, data analysis and presentation, oral presentations, and poster presentations.

Additionally, the design process will be supported through the use of basic computer simulations while design skills will be supported through fundamental hands-on manufacturing and prototyping followed by experimental validation of the earlier simulations.