Search Documents

The primary use of coal in the US is for electric generation. The problems associated with the use of this vast amount of coal is the central theme of these sessions. The problems discussed include: production capacity, mining problems, coal cleaning, transportation, combustion, and various environmental problems, such as health effects of coal combustion, water and air pollution, and solid waste disposal.

Jan 1, 1979

By A. H. Swart

Unplanned stope panel collapses occur on most near-surface and shallow mines in South Africa. Although these incidents often occur during blasting, they pose a major threat to the safety of underground workers and the economic extraction of orebodies. Most stope panel collapses occur due to excessive panel lengths (resulting in excessive stope spans) that are not designed according to a systematic design procedure or methodology. Instead, panel lengths are often dictated by the equipment in use and by previous experience under similar conditions. Hence, a rock engineering design methodology for the design of stable stope panels between pillars is of vital importance for optimum safety and production in shallow mining operations. Using the proposed design methodology described in this paper, rock mechanics practitioners and mine planners should be able to identify and quantify the critical factors influencing the stability of stope panels. The critical factors should then be used as input to the design of stable stope panels that will provide the necessary safe environment for underground personnel working in stopes. The proposed design methodology is an iterative process, which includes aspects such as rock mass characterization, estimation of rock mass properties, identification of potential failure modes, consideration of appropriate stability analyses and other elements of the rock engineering design process. This process continues after implementation. During monitoring, new data should be included in the database and the design process repeated on a regular basis. Design approaches included in the proposed design methodology include empirical methods such as different rock mass classification methods, analytical methods such as elastic and Voussoir beam analyses, kinematic analyses, probabilistic analyses, and numerical analyses. Keywords: stability, stope panels, design methodology, hardrock mines, shallow mining operations

Jan 1, 2005

By Amélia de Santana Cartaxo

O objetivo desta pesquisa é caracterizar matérias-primas, massas e produto final, de indústrias da cerâmica vermelha presentes na região do cariri – CE, e que ainda não tenha suporte técnico para melhorar seus produtos ou até adequá-los as Normas Técnicas vigentes. Inicialmente, foram utilizados quatro tipos de argilas provenientes da Indústria Cerâmica Pé Seco, localizada na cidade do Crato na Região do Cariri- Ceará. Estas argilas foram submetidas aos ensaios de plasticidade pelo Método Atterberg, em seguida foram queimadas em três temperaturas diferentes (700ºC, 850ºC e 1.050ºC) e avaliadas o comportamento de absorção de água, retração linear, perda ao fogo e a tensão de ruptura à flexão.Todas as amostras de argila obtiveram um aumento da perda ao fogo, tensão de ruptura e retração linear com o aumento da temperatura, entretanto houve redução da absorção de água. De acordo com o teste de plasticidade, apenas as amostras AV, AB1e BP apresentaram plasticidade dentro do recomendado.

Aug 16, 2017

By R. W. Heins, N. Street

An investigation was made of the Rehbinder-Kuznetsov pendulum as an instrument to aid in the study of rock drillability and of the effect of surface active agents on rock drillability. The "critical weight", i.e., the pendulum weight at greatest sensitivity, was determined for several solids and it was shown that a change in surface environment changed the maximum value of the apparent hardness but not the critical weight, and the critical weight increased with increase of hardness of the solid used. Using silver halides as the solid material, and solutions of either silver nitrate or the appropriate alkali halide, it was shown that there is a hardness maximum at the zero point of charge of the particular silver halide. INTRODUCTION The development of relative hardness measurement by the method of damped oscillations, or what has been called the pendulum sclerometer, is due largely to the Russian workers P. A. Rehbinder and V. D. Kuznetsov and their co-workers.1,2 The apparent simplicity of the method has led to its use in a number of fields, particularly those where relative hardness has to be determined on a brittle solid. As will be shown, the simplicity of the method belies its complexities. THEORY OF THE PENDULUM SCLEROMETER The operation of the pendulum is quite simple. Make a sharp point such as a diamond, hardened steel or tungsten carbide, as the fulcrum of a pendulum, with the center of gravity of the system below the point of support. The attenuation of this pendulum is a function only of air friction, provided no fragmentation, breakage or other work is performed by the point. However, when the solid surface breaks or disintegrates under the point, and the latter penetrates the solid, part of the energy of oscillation is absorbed in the work of creating new surface, and the rate of attenuation increases. In the case of brittle solids, the point of the pendulum produces fragmentary particles, whereas the point produces plastic deformation in a plastic solid; but in both cases damping occurs. This pendulum damping is a function of the hardness or strength of the solid. Whereas a pendulum oscillating on a hard material attenuates primarily by air friction, in the case of a soft material, the points penetrate the surface of the solid, producing new surface, and the pendulum damps much faster. Thus the attenuation rate is a function of the hardness or strength of a material in both plastic and brittle substances. Russian workers initially used a single support for the pendulum, but this created many problems because of oscillation of the pendulum in more than one plane. A revised version used two points, or sometimes a prism as support, successfully confining oscillation to one plane. The version using two points was constructed and used throughout this investigation, making the recording of the attenuation as a function of time relatively easy. That both points should be in contact with the solid during the damping is implied. Rehbinder (c.f. Kuznetsov2) proposed that the hardness H as measured by this method could be expressed by a quantity which is inversely proportional to the relative initial rate of attenuation of amplitude. where H = hardness parameter (arbitrary units) a, = initial amplitude da/dt = rate of attenuation of amplitude with time. In the simplest case of damping with a constant logarithmic decrement, H can be regarded as a constant for the duration of the whole damped oscillation process. That is

Jan 1, 1966

By Oliver Bowles

Whiting or Paris white is a fine-grained preparation of calcium carbonate having a wide variety of uses. Until recent years it was prepared almost exclusively from certain north European chalks. With the curtailment of imports of European chalk during the World War of 1914-18, however, finely ground limestone, of domestic origin was used more extensively to satisfy the American demand.

Jan 1, 1942

By Vítor Covre Evangelista da Silva

Esta proposta objetivou desenvolver uma análise teórico/experimental da influência de 2% Ag (em peso) em uma liga de solda Sn-40%Bi solidificada unidirecionalmente em regime transitório de fluxo de calor. Correlações experimentais entre os parâmetros térmicos de solidificação como velocidade de deslocamento da isoterma liquidus - VL, taxa de resfriamento - ?L e parâmetros microestruturais como espaçamentos dendríticos secundários – l2 foram determinados. A caracterização microestrutural foi realizada por meio de microscopia ótica e eletrônica, difração de raios-x, além de fluorescência de raios-x para obtenção dos perfis de macrossegregação dos solutos (Bi, Ag). Para determinação do perfil de dureza foram realizados ensaios de dureza Vickers. As microestruturas brutas de fusão da liga Sn-40%Bi-2%Ag são compostas de dendritas ricas em Sn decoradas com partículas de Bi circundadas por uma mistura eutética (Sn+Bi) e partículas primárias de Ag3Sn. Os parâmetros térmicos decresceram com aumento da camada solidificada, permitindo uma ampla variação: ?L ? 0,1 a 10,0°C/s, VL ? 0,2 a 0,9mm/s e GL ? 0,4 a 11,0°C/mm. O teor de bismuto não variou significativamente, ao passo que a prata variou de forma efetiva, concentrando-se no início do lingote (até próximo de 35mm). O surgimento de braços dendríticos terciários em 15mm conteve a diminuição da microdureza Vickers, esperada para as posições mais afastadas da interface metal/molde.

Aug 16, 2017

By J. P. Cooney

Placer Dome is learning from experience in Latin America, Asia and Africa, as well as in North America, that contributing effectively to sustainable human progress in the areas of its operations presents unending challenges to think creatively, communicate effectively and remain culturally sensitive. People must be better off in terms of their economic circumstances, their social conditions and the quality of their natural environment not only during the life of the mines, but after mines close. Stakeholders, all those who are directly or indirectly affected by a mining project, should be able to participate in decisions which affect them. The development of sustainability strategies, the monitoring of sustainability performance and the implementation of sustainability programs are best done in partnerships with governments, communities, nongovernmental organizations and multilateral development institutions. Ultimately, the success, if not the survival of mining, will depend on our ability to get the sustainability equation correct.

Jan 1, 2000

By David A. Hill, James R. Wait

This report contains a summary of analytical research on electromagnetic methods of nondestructive testing of cylindrical conductors. The principal objective is to provide theoretical insight to the operation of electromagnetic sensing of the internal properties of wire ropes that are used extensively in mine hoists. An overall review of past work is also included.

By D. R. Dollnar

At a mine in central PA, high horizontal stresses have caused long running roof falls resulting in hazardous conditions for the miners and the premature abandonment of panels. Because of these conditions, the mine requested assistance of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in utilizing the 'advance and relieve method to mitigate the affects of horizontal stress on the mine roof. "Advance and relieve" mining involves the removal of a pillar or a portion of a pillar during development, thereby creating a cave along one side of the panel. Following cave development, the horizontal stress is relieved over the workings adjacent to the cave in the active panel. The mine has used this system in three panels with a significant reduction in stress damage and no large roof falls.

Jan 1, 2002

By Harry K. Weatherbee

The paper presents a design case study for a four-story correction facility addition in south Boston, Massachusetts, supported on friction piles driven into the Boston Blue Clay. 356 mm (14-in.) square prestressed-precast (PSPC) concrete piles were selected as they were found more effective and economical. A static load test was performed where the pile was brought to "failure". The load test data were evaluated to estimate the Ultimate Pile Capacity as well as the Ultimate Unit Skin Friction (Adhesion) to serve as a design tool for friction pile projects in the south Boston Area.

Jan 1, 2003

By I. Liebman

The Bureau of Mines conducted research to develop triggered barrier systems for protection against gas explosions that can occur in underground coal mines during the use of continuous miners. Several extinguishing agents were tested in barriers at a simulated mine face. Water, powered by pressurized nitrogen, was found to be efficient in stopping fully developed gas explosions, but it had little effect against the explosion during its incipient stage. Hybrid combinations of currently known extinguishants, however, were successful against incipient explosions. Three hybrids that were developed and tested consisted of Halon 1301, combined with either an aqueous foam solution, water, or a dry chemical powder. The three hybrids were found to be more efficient than any constituent alone. Results of the tests point to a synergism between the hybrid components, and indicate that the Halon aids in dispersing its constituent and also converts the aqueous foam solution into a stable fine foam and the water into fine drops.

Jan 1, 1978

By David Bendersky

This report covers a technical and economic investigation of old electrical power systems, equipment and practices being used in the metal/non-metal raining industry. The principal sources of information were the MSHA District offices, visits to representa¬tive mines and mills, equipment manufacturers and the literature. A list of 85 mines and mills, submitted by the MSHA Districts as candidates for this study, is given and their characteristics are analysed. The electrical power systems and practices at the 10 mines and 9 mills which were visited are described. The principal areas which do not conform to standard electrical practices are discussed with emphasis on the safety aspects of these practices. The costs to update electrical power systems and practices in metal/non-metal mines and mills are given. The principal findings of the study are summarized and recommendations are submitted.

Jan 1, 1980

By S. E. Phillipson

The Mine Safety and Health Administration?s (MSHA) Roof Control Division (RCD) collects a variety of geological and engineering information pertaining to mining conditions in surface and underground mines throughout the United States. Recently, lineament analyses, trends of geologic structures, and inferred stress directions based on mapping at mines with problematic ground conditions, have been integrated into a GIS. The incorporation of different kinds of information into the same geographic coordinates and map projection, placed on digital geologic maps, allows site specific data to be evaluated in a regional geospatial context, identifying trends in the orientation of horizontal stress or patterns of structural geologic features. As more information is collected, the GIS will evolve as a tool for district- and basin-wide evaluations of controls on ground instability, and may evolve into a predictive tool for some kinds of geologic hazards. In addition to the geologic and geotechnical evaluations, the GIS also serves as a searchable database of previous mine investigations. The database can be searched for a variety of criteria, and the results displayed in real geographic coordinates to find the locations of previously visited mines or to evaluate mine fatality and injury data. This not only allows old reports to be found, but also places the information in a geospatial context with respect to neighboring mines or geographic areas. The GIS also has the capability to serve as a digital mine map repository, where maps can be stored in digital, georeferenced format for display in relation to each other and various themes of interest. This allows evaluation of multiple seam mining interactions and proximity to other mines, and on a national level could serve as an abandoned mine map database.

Jan 1, 2008

The mining industry to the lay mind is one which appears peculiarly dangerous, partly because the accidents which take place are usually of a very tragic nature, and partly because other, industries claim victims more from disease than fromviolence, and their fatal nature is not advertised to the same degree so that in spite of this idea of unusual risk, it is a fact that mining will compare favourably, as regards vital statistics, with nearly all other trades requiring special training.Neverthelessthere are a larger number offatal and serious accidents occurring year by year than one would like to see, and could the deaths which take place by accident be eliminated, it is safe to say that mining would become one of the most healthy of all species of skilled labour. If we examine the accidents appearing yearly in the reports of the Mining Departments of the various colonies, it will be at once admitted that many of them need riot, and in many cases ought not to, have occurred.It is, therefore, the object of tbis essay, to pass under review the ordinary precautions which should be adopted to minimise, as far as possible, the dangerous factors whereby fatalities are brought about.

By Vladimir G. Kochnev

Crushing and grinding account for the major portion (60 to 80 percent) of the overall expenses for ore processing. Autogenous (AG) and semiautogenous grinding (SAG) have been considered a step forward in comparison to conventional grinding circuits with several stages of crushing and using ball (and/or rod) grinding mills (Bassarear, 1982, MacPherson, 1989, Pithois, Casalis, 1983, Maripuu et al., 1983). However, there remains room for improvement to existing AG and SAG technologies and both technologies have immense economic benefit potential. Experience gained by the Technics & Technologies of Disintegration Ltd. (TTD) in the research of grinding processes shows that grinding in AG and SAG mills can be performed in a more effective way. The company's approach comprises the following elements: ? Novel mill design. ? New liners and lifters. ? Novel discharge grid design. ? Technique of treating material of critical particle size. Comparative tests that demonstrated the usefulness of these innovations are described in this article. Currently, there are hundreds of AG and SAG mills in operation throughout the world. Application of new internal elements of the mills and reconsideration of the circuit design of the existing grinding equipment using present technological solutions would significantly increase the throughput rate and diminish power requirement.

Jan 1, 2008

By R. Cotton

"1. INTRODUCTIONTo say that the environment will be a dominant issue in the 1990' s is an understatement. A world-wide ""green revolution"" is taking place not only with the general public and politicians, but in the boardrooms and plant facilities of corporations around the world. There is probably not a plant manager who has not been requested by his corporation to assist in some way on environmental issues by providing advice and strategy, by dealing with customer or community concerns, by considering environmental matters in transactions, by developing new environmental compliance policies and requirements, and so on.There are, in the author's view, three main challenges for the mining industry in the environmental area in the 1990's. This paper will discuss each in turn. The first challenge is the concept of ""sustainable development"". Whatever the meaning of this much-debated phrase, we are rapidly moving beyond the buzzword, and into the specifics. It will clearly impact on the way we manage our companies, our communities and our personal lives.The second is the challenge of personal liability; particularly for officers, directors, supervisors and managers of the corporation. For example, in Ontario today, a good percentage of prosecutions for pollution offences are against individuals, usually managers and supervisors, in addition to the prosecutions against the corporation itself for the same offence. In all likelihood, prosecutions will increase in number and will increasingly be directed at individuals. A corporate president has already served a jail term for contempt of court related to his corporation's breach of a court order related to sewer by-law offences. Although the case is on appeal, another president has become the first officer in Canada to be sentenced to jail for violation of an environmental protection statute. Other corporate officers and directors have recently been charged with breach of their duty under Ontario's Environmental Protection Act."

Jan 1, 1991

By Luis Valentim, John E. Wiegand

Highwall or face profiling has long been used to facilitate the design and placement of front row blastholes to ensure optimum burdens. Traditionally, a large number of laser measurement points obtained from the rock face or highwall, were input in profiling software packages. This method can be time consuming and requires access to the rock face with a complete view of the highwall, to be successful. Stereo photography has also been used to generate the rock face surface, but this method also requires access to the highwall (and pit floor in some instances) for measurement of reference targets or points.

Jan 1, 2016

By P. Quinn

"The Venturi-aerated flotation column (VAC) is based on a reactor and separator design for a new generation of flotation machines. The reactor is a Venturi tube, where the air/slurry contact takes place with intensive aeration for efficient particle collection. The separator is a column of 1-3 m length that provides quiescent hydrodynamic conditions for effective separation of bubble-particle aggregates from the remaining slurry.Aeration in the Venturi tube occurs via two mechanisms: air dispersion and nucleation (cavitation). By forcing air through a restricted passage with a fast flowing slurry stream, air is dispersed into fine bubbles. Bubble formation due to cavitation occurs on the surface of particles in the low-pressure section of the Venturi, from dissolved air contained in the liquid.Size-by-size recovery and flotation rate constants were determined for a small-scale laboratory Venturi-aerated flotation column. The results were compared to those obtained in a laboratory 2.2 L Denver cell. It is shown that the Venturi-aerated flotation column has slightly slower flotation kinetics to the Denver cell, but with much higher flotation selectivity. A portable Venturi-aerated flotation column can effectively be used to investigate process or equipment problems in operating plants.INTRODUCTIONFlotation processes can generally be divided into two sub-processes: 1) selective collection of hydrophobic particles by air bubbles and 2) separation of bubble-particle aggregates from hydrophilic particles that remain in the pulp. The methods of aeration, or bubble generation, control the mechanism of particle collection by either collision with, and subsequent attachment to bubbles, or by in situ bubble formation on the surfaces of hydrophobic particles. A flotation device should provide optimal aeration conditions for efficient particle collection and a suitable hydrodynamic environment for effective removal of bubble-particle aggregates from the remaining pulp."

Jan 1, 2002

By J. K. Whyatt, B. G. White

A comprehensive survey of mine seismicity and rock bursting during development of two sublevels at the Lucky Friday Mine, Mullan, ID, USA, was conducted to better define rock failure mechanisms and sources of ground control hazards. Survey data included rock burst damage reports, seismic event locations and magnitudes and, for the most energetic events, first-motion information. Several subsets of this database, including large seismic events, rock bursts, and microseismic activity near the face, were analyzed. Elements of the large-event and rock burst data sets were nearly independent. That is, there was no relationship between the risk posed by a seismic event and its energy, although such a relationship is well established for the mine as a whole. All data sets showed that certain geologic features appear to control the spatial distribution of events and the spatial distribution of rock burst risk. The data also suggest that, within the scope of this study. the greatest risk of injury occurs when a pocket of heightened rock burst risk is first encountered and that this risk is controlled when miners adapt their practices to these conditions. Recognition of the role of particular geologic features in the spatial distribution of rock burst hazards provides an opportunity for anticipating, rather than only reacting to, a changing level of rock burst hazard- However, much work will he required to make good on this promise.

By William H. Lewis

Energy Research Corp., under contract to the Bureau of Mines, has developed a new miners' caplamp battery. The new battery is based on nickel-cadmium technology and offers significant improvements in performance with reduced size and weight when compared to the conventional lead-acid battery presently in use. This report describes the design and fabrication of the nickel-cadmium battery, which utilizes a roll-bonded electrode structure. The final battery design has a 15-A-h capacity in a 2-112-lb package, which is over 2 lb lighter than the present lead-acid caplamp battery.

Jan 1, 1983