Search Documents

By Kenneth W. Luke

A computer programing system has been devised to assist in open pit mine design planning. This system operates upon data generated for cross sections in the mine plan, and parallels present manual methods used in mine design, resulting in a minimal communications barrier between the mine planner and the computer. Input data for each cross section includes geologic interpretation and mine design parameters such as wall angles, bench heights, berm widths, and ramping system. The program will optimize the design of each cross section to give minimum stripping at any desired ore reserve level. This system is functional in the sense that it is easily adopted, changes in mine design parameters can be quickly evaluated, and each resultant design incorporates all recognized mining constraints.

Jan 1, 1973

By R. F. Pilgrim

A digital computer program to mathematically simulate the effect of limited changes in feed rate in the range of 80 to 95 tph on a plant-scale wet grinding circuit has been developed and tested. The circuit studied included an 8-ft-diam X 12-ft rod mill operating in open circuit and feeding two parallel 12-ft-diam x 10-ft pebble mills, each one operating in closed circuit with an 8 X 32-ft rake classifier. The simulation is an empirical one based on two sets of data collected manually from the operating circuit under what was said to be steady-state feed rates of 80 and 95 tph with all other operating variables also at steady state. The procedure is a combination of several published approaches to the modeling of grinding mills and classifiers and it is applicable to a wide range of circuits. The program permits the computing of the size distributions of all feeds and discharges of all grinding units and classifiers in the circuit for a specified feed rate. The data used in this report for demonstrating the program are unsatisfactory since the circuit was not operating under steady-state conditions when it was sampled. Consequently the circuit model parameters could not be accurately estimated. The predictive power would be greatly improved if new data were obtained under true steady-state conditions.

Jan 1, 1973

By A. Boltax

Precipitation processes occurring during both furnace cooling and aging of copper-iron albys were studied by means of electrical and magnetic measurements. On furnace cooling, two distinct stages in the precipitation process were detected; one occurring above and the other below 850° C. The kinetics of precipitation from quenched alloys were studied between 200° and 700°C. The reaction appears to be consistent with the concept of tmcleation of precipitate particles at dislocation loops formed by the clustering of quenched-in vacancies. A study Of in copper-iron alloys is particularly interesting because the combination of magnetic and electrical properties in these allovs provides a quantitative means of following the course of the precipitation reaction. (The details of precip-

Jan 1, 1961

By David White

While a country is small and its coal fields are not many, it may be possible to classify its coals on some basis that avoids both overlap and inconsistency, and that may be satisfactory to the particular country, such as geographic distribution or geologic age, or regional uses. In the adjoining country, however, the coals may differ more or less; broad areas may have escaped the erasure of transition zones by erosion, and the stages of alteration of the coals may lead to a classification different from and even incompatible with that of the other country. Such classifications, developed primarily along national lines, are essentially opportunistic. Further, many even of the "use" terms that have been in more common employment with a degree of international application have lost their significance and value, due to changes in industrial methods and urban life. When the number of coal fields is large and the classification is designed to cover the coals of many countries, the groups or divisions into which the coals are integrated are found to verge one into another; and, though the main divisions may be so naturally composed and oriented that they are relatively distinct and readily separated as entities or units when taken by themselves, the sequence, through classes, groups, and subdivisions, is so complete that we find transition zones through which boundaries must be arbitrarily drawn with minute technical definition. This situation, which is conspicuously illustrated in the United States, is due to the progressive evolution of all coals, irrespective of geologic age, from peats to successively higher ranks, which, if the progressive alteration goes far enough, ends with graphite. This evolution is now firmly established and its complete acceptance is but a matter of time. A classification of all coals in all coal fields can not escape this fact and must take into account all the stages in the transformation of the fuel from rank to rank through division to division, and through group to group. The plan here outlined aims at a natural classification of coals based on their evolution from peats to graphite. As in other classifications, the differentiation of the various groups and divisions takes account of changes resulting from the progressive losses of moisture and .of oxygen of constitution; the relative conservation of carbon; the progressive increase in fixed carbon (inverse to the loss of volatile matter) in

Jan 1, 1930

Jan 1, 1891

By Arthur B. Foote

Ore production from the property of the Miami Copper Co. began early in 1911. Until 1925 this ore came from the so-called high-grade orebodies, which contained a little over 2 per cent. copper. This ore was mined by the following methods: 1. Top slicing after mining the peaks by square setting, which produced 4,524,347 tons, including ore from square setting. 2. Shrinkage stoping with sublevel caving of the pillars, which produced 2,230,577 tons. 3. Undercut caving with hand tramming, which produced 15,427,672 tons. Estimating December tonnage, the total ore mined to the end of 1929 will amount to slightly more than 43,000,000 tons. The first method was described by E. G. Deane' and the second by D. B. Scott,' and the third, together with a general description of the mine, by J. H. Hensley, Jr.' The geology of the district has been worked out by Dr. F. L. Ransome.2 The author acknowledges also the assistance of R. W. Hughes, assistant mine superintendent, E. V. Graybeal, chief mine engineer, A. J. McDermid and S. R. Burdick, engineers of Miami Copper Co., Miami, Arizona. Factors Influencing Selection of Mining Methods The mining method described herein was selected primarily with a low mining cost in view and was developed to avoid as far as possible dilution of the already very low-grade ore. In 1924, with the exhaustion of the high-grade orebodies in sight, it was decided to develop the low-grade orebody, which at that time contained 36,000,000 tons of ore assaying 1.06 per cent. copper, and had an area of 50 acres with an average thickness of 206 ft. overlain by an average thickness of 320 ft. of barren capping.

Jan 1, 1930

By Bennett Bates

NOWHERE in the world has cone classification in closed-circuit grinding with tube mills reached as high a state of development as on the Witwatersrand. In the development of the Far East section the necessity of fine grinding to obtain. satisfactory residues gave rise to a situation with which the cone could cope only at a great sacrifice in efficiency of tube-mill grinding. H., A. White1 recognized the limitation of the cone in his study of the theory of tube milling as early as 1915, but it was not until Ewing, Davis and. Willey2 carried out their tests at Springs Mines during 1920 that the advantages of mechanical classifiers' were demonstrated. During the fall of 1924 the writer supervised a series of tests with Dorr classifiers undertaken by Mr. White, Consulting Metallurgist, at the mill of the Geduld Proprietary Mines, Ltd., Dersley, Transvaal (Far East Rand). The importance of classification to obtain efficient tube-mill grinding was thoroughly demonstrated. The installation of classifiers of the above type that followed the test, confirmed the results of the experimental work.

Jan 2, 1926

By R. A. Vik, C. B. Daellenbach, W. M. Mahan

The influence of reduction roasting and thermal shock on the grindability of a refractory low-grade Michigan iron ore was examined in bench-scale tests. The quantitative effects of the various treatments were evaluated at three sieve levels, 48, 100, and 400 mesh, with ball-mill-grindability and work-index parameters as response indicators. Data from the testing program were statistically analyzed to isolate the effects of cooling rate, roasting temperature, mesh level, and ore chemical condition. All four variables were found to have an important influence on the grindability of the treated ore. Ore chemical condition and roasting temperature had the most pronounced effects.

Jan 1, 1972

By Joseph Moses Botbol

This study was designed to demonstrate the viability of using high-frequency radio transmission as a means of communications between a remote field camp and a time- sharing computer system. A field camp near Johnstown, Pa., was linked by high- frequency radio to a base station 160 miles to the southeast in Vienna, Va. The base station was in turn linked by telephone to a time-sharing computer system near Los Angeles, Cal. Error-free data transmission utilized highly stable receivers and transmitters, forward error correction, and dual-frequency diversity. Three geologic applications programs resident in the Los Angeles computer were executed from a graphics cathode ray tube terminal in the field. Bulk data equivalent in volume to 4 days of typical spectrographic analytical work generated by one spectrograph and one spectrophotometer were transmitted from the field to the base station. All programs, were executed successfully, and all data were transmitted error free.

Jan 1, 1976

By G. E. Anderson

The Asientos-Tepezala district is in the north of the State of Aguasca-lientes, about 30 miles north of the city of Aguascalientes, the capital. The district is reached by a standard-gage railway on the west side through the junction, Rincon de Romos, which is on the main line of the National Railways of Mexico from El Paso to Aguscalientes. The terminal is Tepezala. On the east side a narrow gage connects Asientos with the junction, San Gil, on the main line, Asientos to San Luis Potosi. Tepezala on the west side of the Asientos hills is about 2 miles from Asientos on the east side. The area between the two mining centers is separated by a low subdued divide which forms the central part of the hills. The district is in a group of isolated hills surrounded by characteristic bolsón plains. The hills rise above the surrounding plains about 6500 to 10,000 ft.; the highest peak is Alta Mira. The two mining districts lie somewhat upon the flanks of the hills at about the same elevation, 7200 ft. The district is an old one and has been known since early in the 17th Century when the mines were worked by the Franciscan Monks. Their mining operations, which were limited to the oxidized ore above the water level, consisted chiefly in extracting silver from the Santa Francisca vein. To judge from the old workings and the remains of surface plant, the operations were on a large scale. By modern mining operations since about 1900, the various mines of the district have been one of the principal sourees of ore for the smelter located at Aguascalientes. Topography The topographic features of the Asientos hills are largely controlled by the character of the underlying rocks. During the Tertiary period, the entire group of hills was probably covered by extrusive volcanic material in the form of cones and lava flows. The central part of these have since been carried away by erosion, so that remnants have been left along the borders of the hills. These remnants form rather conspicuous peaks,

Jan 1, 1927

By R. M. Rose, C. S. Tedmon, J. Wulff

It is frequently of interest to study the influence of small quantities of interstitial impurities on the properties of various refractory metals and alloys.

Jan 1, 1964

By C. W. Thompson

The two-way belt conveyor for coal mine service simultaneously carries coal from faces and transports men and supplies into the mine, largely eliminating the necessity for rubber-tired supply and man haulage equipment and the necessity of maintaining additional headings. SINCE 1920 use of belt conveyor transportation has increased steadily, and capacity in tons per hour per unit has increased at about the same ratio. Belt conveyor systems for simultaneous two-way material transportation have been widely discussed, but heretofore have proved impractical for specific operations. Studies of a proposed means of disposing of wash-ery waste on the return trip of a main haulage conveyor, as yet uninstalled, led to the application of two-way belt haulage to Weirton's underground supply and mantrip problems. Except for a single-tracked main haulage entry, Weirton mine is essentially a full-belt haulage operation with attendant problems of supply and man-trip haulage that could not be handled with conventional belt conveyors during the regular work shift. It was necessary, therefore, to maintain rubber-tired haulage equipment and haulageways serving multiple-shift continuous operations. The conventional underground belt conveyor is primarily intended to transport coal from working faces to surface. Belts are usually reversed to haul men to face areas at the start of the working shift or to transport supplies. The two-way belt conveyor for coal mine service is not yet offered for sale as a unit by any manufacturer and must be built on order. This conveyor, with return run traveling parallel but opposite in direction to the outgoing or coal haulage run, permits not only haulage of coal from faces, but simultaneously permits transportation of men and supplies into the mine at any time, see Figs. 1 and 2. This eliminates, to a great extent, the necessity for rubber-tired supply and man haulage equipment and the maintenance of additional headings. Unlike conventional installations the return belt is in the open for inspection and maintenance. It is less subject to edge wear, since it runs on regular troughing idlers, see Fig. 3. The only points where the edge of the belt can rub are at the drive unit and the tail units where improved design should eventually eliminate edge wear entirely. Individual conveyor sections are lighter, since all that is needed is a tubular stringer on each side to carry troughing idlers only, no cover plates being necessary. The return run is carried on an assembly identical to that carrying the coal haulage run. These assemblies are definitely easier to handle and are cheaper than installations for the same length of conventional belt conveyor. The four pipes required for the complete conveyor frame may serve only as supports, or, with proper couplings, may be used for mine water discharge line, pressure line for face spraying, telephone cable conduit, or any other purpose requiring a pipe line, see Fig. 4. Additional expense, if any, for the increased number of pulleys needed to turn the belt over for the return service is more than offset by reduced expense for rubber-tired supply and mantrip haulage. The two-way belt haulage system is confined to a single heading on intake air, isolated from all other headings by stoppings on each side, and open for air circulation only at the main haulage way and at the faces. One additional heading, also on intake air, is maintained as an emergency rubber-tired haulage way, all other headings being center-posted and used as airways only until retreat work begins. This method, of course, can and should be used with any belt conveyor, since it provides two independent intake airways for escape in case of fire on the belt or elsewhere. Belt heading is heavily timbered even under good top conditions and space between the two runs permits center posting for the full length

Jan 1, 1954

Jan 1, 1949

By D. L. Katz

The critical phenomena have been studied during the past century but our knowledge of the critical temperatures and pressures of complex hydrocarbon mixtures still is very limited. The critical temperatures and pressures of pure substances have been examined in large num-bers,20 and in great detail.11,17 No experimental determinations of the critical phenomena have been reported on such complex hydrocarbon systems as a reservoir fluid. The critical temperature is defined by Taylor18 as follows: "there is some temperature for each gas above which the gas cannot be liquefied. This temperature is called the critical temperature." The critical pres-sure of a pure substance is the vapor pressure at the critical temperature. It should be noted that these definitions refer to a given substance in the pure state and do not mean that the pure substance cannot be liquefied in the presence of a second constituent. The normal procedure for obtaining the critical temperature of a substance is to heat it in a glass tube 1,20 under pressure until the meniscus between the liquid and vapor phase disappears, although other methods, especially for mixtures, have been used. 11,14 However, when considering oil and gas reservoirs, it is more enlightening to consider a critical phe-nomenon that occurs when a mixture of oil and gas are compressed at a reservoir temperature until the meniscus disappears because the two phases become equal in composition. This conception, along with erroneous applications of the definition of the critical phenomena of a pure substance to that pure substance when it is part of a complex mixture, has caused confusion even among persons familiar with the classical theories.

Jan 1, 1938

By B. F. Buie

Included in the general category of clays is a large and varied assemblage of nonmetallic silicate minerals which characteristically occur as fine-grained particles having flaky, sheetlike, or rod-shaped form. Most, though not all, are hydrous aluminum silicates. Amount and kind of impurities vary greatly, and these strongly influence the uses of the various clay types. Clays occur in a wide range of geological situations: as bedded sedimentary deposits composed of the weathering products of feldspar and other minerals; as alteration products of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks weathered or hydrothermally altered in place; and, to a more limited extent, as hydrothermally introduced materials. TYPES AND MARKETS On the basis of chemical composition and crystal structure, two major groups of clay minerals recognized are the "kandites" or kaolin group, and the "smectites" or montmorillonite group. Another major type is illite, particularly important as a constituent of shales. Two additional mineral species having economic importance are attapulgite (palygorskite) and sepiolite. For present purposes, however, a classification based on utilization is more appropriate. The U.S. Bureau of Mines recognizes six types of clay: kaolin, ball clay, fire clay, bentonite, fuller's earth, and miscellaneous clay. Kaolin The kaolin group of minerals consists of the mineral species kaolinite, halloysite (metahalloysite), dickite, and nacrite, although the latter two are not being produced commercially. Kaolin, also called china clay, is a high-purity white material. Perhaps it is best known as a principal ingredient in the manufacture of chinaware, porcelain, and other high-quality ceramic products. However, by the mid-1970s very close to 50% of the kaolin produced in the United States was going to the paper industry for use as a filler and coating material. Manufacture of refractories uses about 12% of U.S. production. Kaolin is also used in plastics, in the rubber industry as a filler in footwear, electrical cable, and similar products, and as a conditioner of rubber for automobile tires to add strength and abrasion resistance. Smaller amounts are used in printing ink, paint, and adhesives; as insecticide carriers; in the production of catalysts for the petroleum refining industry; and in many other industrial and commercial applications. Production and use of kaolin in the United States doubled in the ten years from 1946 to 1956, and doubled again by 1966. Growth continues at a rate of about 7 % per annum.

Jan 1, 1976

By Harrison R. Cooper

Measurement of process material composition with on-line instrumentation has commanded attention of metallurgical plant management as a logical extension of the sampling operation, making possible immediate determination of essential data needed to maintain efficiencies at the highest possible level. The current status of methods employed for online composition analysis of slurries and solid materials is reviewed.

Jan 1, 1984

By Sukune Takenouchi

Porphyry copper deposits in the southwestern Pacific region differ in some points of geologic features from those of the United States. The deposits distribute along old or active island arcs and are generally younger in age (1-16 m.y. B.P.). In Japan, however, no typical porphyry copper deposits are yet reported, though the geological situation of Japanese islands is similar to that of the southwestern Pacific. Fluid inclusions in some porphyry copper deposits In the southwestern Pacific region and those in igneous rocks genetically related to the ore deposits In Japan have been studied, and the genesis of ore-forming fluids from igneous rocks are discussed. From the results, the possibility of finding porphyry copper-type mineralization in Japan are considered.

Jan 1, 1976

By R. C. Rastogi, F. F. Aplan

The goal of this study is to evaluate the coal flotation process and the interaction of the chemical (reagent) and hydrodynamic (machine, operational) variables as they affect yield, flotation of various sized particles, and sulfur and ash rejection. Coal flotation is found to follow a first order process with the coal floating much faster than either pyrite or ash. This circumstance may be used to achieve gangue rejection during flotation. When floated with MZBC, cresol, or pine oil frothers, coal floats in the size sequence: 108 pm ( - 65 mesh), 589 x 808 pm (88 x 65 mesh), and 1.17 mm x: 589 pm (14 x 18 mesh). However with a substantial amount of fuel oil collector, all particles tend to float roughly in proportion to their content in the feed. An increasing aeration rate was found to be the most important variable in increasing the coal flotation rate. This increase in flotation rate, unfortunately, is also accompanied by an increase in the flotation rate of the pyrite. The rejection of pyrite during coal flotation is best accomplished at low aeration rates, low frother concentrations, and low impeller speeds.

Jan 1, 1986

By John Buch

NEARLY 25 years ago operating officials in the northern anthracite field were confronted with the problem of profitably mining virgin beds of thin coal (those 48 in. and under) or destroying them by mining under-lying thick beds. To solve this problem costly hand-mining methods were replaced by cheaper mechanical methods, which eliminated the need for the lifting of bottom or the brushing of top in excessive quantities, which was essential if proper height for hand loading' was to be provided. During this period long-face mining was an outstanding development. In its favor in comparison with any other method were the ease with which undercutting machines could be used, a differential in powder cost of about fifteen cents per ton in favor of this method over mining from a solid chamber or pillar face, and a greater production per day from a single working place, resulting in lower capital expenditures for a given total production, closer supervision and lower transportation cost. The long faces were drilled by jackhammer and undercut by machines. The coal from the cut was loaded into mine cars placed on the gangway road by means of a double-drum mechanical scraper engine and a mechan-ical V-type scoop. A tugger hoist was used to spot empty cars at the loading point from a supply placed at the operation by an electric mine locomotive. During loading the roof was supported by vertical wooden props paralleling the face. After the loading was completed the scraper engine and the ropes that had been used to propel the scoop in the loading of coal transferred the props to and along the face. A row of unfilled cogs was then built parallel to the new face and about 6 ft. from it. These cogs were usually made 6 by 3 ft., the longer dimension paralleling the face; they were placed on an average at 12-ft. centers. These wooden cogs were left in place and were buried later by falling roof. Attempts to remove them were never successful. When a new long face was started, the cog spacing would be increased to about 20-ft. centers. As successive cuts were made, weight would begin on the cogs, and they

Jan 1, 1939

By T. Clinton Taylor

QUALITATIVELY, galena (native lead sulfide) reacts with aqueous solutions of the xanthates,1 and has its surface sufficiently altered so that there is a tendency for air bubbles to attach themselves to the mineral crystals where there was no such effect before the treatment. This property is utilized in froth flotation operations where the mineral sulfide particles are raised into the froth and the gangue whose surface is not altered remains behind. The results of a study of this reaction were reported" recently and certain tentative suggestions about the interaction of galena and the alkali xanthates were offered. In this paper, there is set down the results of a detailed quantitative investigation of the ions involved in this inter-action with a view to finding out more about the condition existing imme-diately at the surface of a crystal like a heavy metal sulfide after treatment with an organic reagent. Past experimental experience showed that finely ground galena shaken with aqueous potassium xanthate abstracts xanthate ion and at the same time sulfate ion, reducing ions of the type (SmOn)= where the ratio of m to n is less than 4:1 (as in sulfate), sometimes hydroxyl ion are thrown into solution.,

Jan 1, 1933