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By Kenneth F. Wyman

The following report details the successful construction of Contract 2A of the Three Rivers Water Quality Management Program, Intrenchment Creek Combined Sewer Overflow Conveyance System, in DeKalb County for the City of Atlanta, Georgia. The contract required construction of approximately 2878 m (9443 ft) of tunnel bored to an initial diameter of 7.95 m (26 ft 1 in), with provisions to concrete line those portions designated by the engineer to a finished internal diameter of 6.91 m (22 ft 8 in). Flanking the tunnel are two shafts. The upstream shaft was excavated to a nominal diameter of 4.87 m (16 ft) to accommodate a finished internal diameter of 3.66 m (12 ft). This shaft required a transition boot fully concrete lined to final dimensions of 6.91 m (22 ft 8 in) wide, 13.72 m (45 ft) long, and varying in height from 6.91 m (22 ft 8 in) to 12.80 m (42 ft). Associated work necessary to complete the contractual obligations included installation of 22.86 m (75 ft) of cut-and-cover box culvert, 484 m (1589 ft) of open-cut sewer installation in sizes ranging from 0.30 m (12 in) to 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in), one river crossing, 137.46 m (451 ft) of monolithic concrete trapezoidal channel, and installation of 19125 cu m (25000 cu yd) of select fill material compacted and graded to finished contours. The downstream shaft was excavated to a minimum diameter of 12.04 m (39 ft 6 in) and concrete lined to a finished internal diameter of 10.67 m (35 ft). Requirements here included installation of a complete pumping station with all mechanical, electrical, and structural elements necessary for dewatering the tunnel through the controlled use of four 250 hp submersible pumps discharging into the facilities of the Intrenchment Creek Water Pollution Plant. The objective of this project was to collect combined storm runoff and sanitary flows currently coursing through Intrenchment Creek

Jan 1, 1985

"Tell us how you got involved in mining?I was first exposed to mining at a young age, as a consequence of my dad and his passion for the industry and rock collecting. Even though he graduated with a degree in mining engineering from Washington State University, my dad spent most of his career working as a structural engineer for the Boeing Company. At the time, Boeing supported a range of employee activities and clubs, including one devoted to mineral prospecting, small-scale dredging and rock hounding. My dad was extremely active in the Prospectors Club, where as a family, we spent a good part of my youth tramping around the Pacific Northwest digging for mineral specimens and panning for gemstones and gold. On my mother’s side of the family, I had relatives that mined in Dawson City and Fairbanks, AK which left a family legacy of sorts. I loved the stories that my dad and a close buddy of his, who was a geologist, would tell about various operations and towns, as well as the wild times at the annual Northwest Mining Association (NWMA) meeting in Spokane, WA. My first recollection of ever being at a commercial operation was during a tour of the Bunker Hill Mine with my dad when I was 7 or 8 years old; this had to have been shortly before the May 1972 fire at Sunshine. That visit of the mine and processing facilities made a permanent impression on me. While I always knew there was something special about the Silver Valley, I began to understand why. To this day, I still get the same feeling when I visit historic mining districts like Leadville, Morenci, Virginia City, Butte, Silverton and Barkerville. During our summer excursions to Helena, MT to dig sapphires, we would usually make visits to Butte and watch mine operations inside the Berkley Pit and surface activities at the Kelly and Mountain Con. In high school, I did well in math and science and began entertaining thoughts of pursuing a degree in engineering. Above all, I wanted to go to a college in the West that had a good academic reputation, where I could also play football. As a 6-ft, 190-lb nose guard, my options for a Division I scholarship were pretty slim, and there weren’t that many technical schools in the Northwest that were Division II that offered athletic scholarships. As fate would have it, I was unexpectedly contacted by Marv Kay, a legendary coach at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), and was recruited to play ball. Fortunately, I had a couple of high school friends who were already attending CSM, and I had just secured a summer internship with Asamera Minerals in Wenatchee, WA. It was as if all the stars had aligned, and, with the support of my parents, I made the decision to attend Mines. Despite the stress of getting through CSM during a period when the mining industry was in freefall, it was a great decision to attend Mines, and I’m thankful for all the opportunities, friendships, and faculty mentoring I received as a student"

Mar 1, 2019

By Lake H. E.

The request to participate on your theme panel was accepted with some reluctance but indeed as an honor. My subject was outlined to cover 'Energy Resources - both nuclear and conventional' as related to your theme 'Minerals - Treasure Trove of the West'. This is indeed quite an order and I hope you will forgive me for concentrating mainly on the nuclear-uranium portion with brief references only to conventional fuels some of which will be covered in detail later in your conference. In regard to Uranium, I am speaking on the fringe of the area containing half the uranium reserves in your country and no doubt to many who are very conversant with knowledge of these resources. Nevertheless since our two countries have been very closely allied in both nuclear developments and uranium supplies I hope an exchange of information may be mutually beneficial. Concentration on the nuclear fuel resources is I hope understandable as nuclear energy is the coming source of power which will augment the rapid demand in the industrialized countries and provides hope for economic power in many of the more underdeveloped countries. The situation regarding conventional fuel resources is more widely known and their expanding future revolves around production cost reductions, research into diversified uses, plus more assurance of imports from countries less effected by international controversies determining export policies.

Jan 1, 1967

By T. Grammatikopoulos, C. Gibson, M. Aghamirian

"Lithium is a soft, silver-white alkali metal with atomic number 3. As of 2015, the end use of lithium was estimated to be as follows: lithium-ion batteries (35 percent), ceramics and glass (32 percent), lubricating greases (9 percent), air treatment (5 percent), continuous casting mould flux powders (5 percent), polymer production (4 percent), primary aluminum production (1 percent) and other uses (9 percent) (Jaskula, 2014). Lithium is found in brine lake deposits containing lithium chloride and in hard rock pegmatite deposits. It can be sold in a range of product types; as mineral concentrate, brine, compound (lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide) and metal depending on its intended end use (Goonan, 2012; Jaskula 2014).In the 1990s, the United States and Chile were the largest producers of lithium globally, primarily from brine operations (Ober, 1994). Most of the lithium compounds produced during this period were consumed in the glass, ceramics and aluminum industries. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were two major lithium operations in the United States: brine operations at Silver Peak, NV and a spodumene mine and lithium carbonate/lithium hydroxide plant in Kings Mountain, NC. The Kings Mountain operations ceased production in 1991 and were eventually dismantled in 1994. Brine operations were also active in Argentina and Chile, while the largest lithium ore deposit in the world was operated at Greenbushes, Western Australia. During this period, it was predicted that major shifts in demand for lithium would come from the success and widespread use of electric vehicles (Ober, 1994).Lithium is still produced from the brine operations at Silver Peak. But in more recent years, Chile has become the world’s leading producer of lithium carbonate from brines. Australia has maintained its position as the world’s largest producer of lithium mineral concentrate, the majority of which is exported to China to produce lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide (Jaskula, 2014).A spodumene concentrate was also produced at the Tanco Mine in Manitoba, Canada beginning in the 1980s through to 2010 when lithium operations were suspended due to fluctuations in the lithium market price (Martins et al., 2013)."

Jan 7, 2017

By C. E. "Sam" Lovewell

In approaching a discussion of production of cement, I hope I won't be like the porter in the bank who was asked if he could give some details on the rediscount rate. He replied, "Boss, when I said hello, I told you all I know." Need for change every so often is illustrated by the story of the little boy four years old who had not spoken a word in those four years. One morning he said, "This damned oat meal is burned'." His Dad was amazed and said, "Son, how come you haven't said a word for four years and now out of a clear, blue sky you say, "The oat meal is burned." Johnny said, "Well, up to now everything has been all right." Not being a mining engineer myself, and my subject not dealing with mining engineering directly, I can only hope that you will agree that the subject has current relevancy by the feet that it can materially improve our environment by putting to good use a potential environmental polluter; namely, fly ash. The profitable utilization of fly ash can reduce cost of use of coal as an energy source. Therefore, it behooves us all to explore to the greatest depth, the pluses and minuses occasioned by its use wherever possible. My particular subject and my particular interest lie in its utilization as a blend in the production of Type IP Portland-Pozzolan Cement meeting requirements of ASTM C-595, Type IP.

Jan 1, 1974

By L. Xia, B. Hart, V. Sidorkiewicz

Sodium silicate(s), also known as “water glass”, are one of the oldest and most widely used industrial chemicals. Its first use in North American mining operations can be traced back to around 1925, which coincided with early use of xanthates in mineral flotation. Silicate functions as a sulphide and non-sulphide gangue mineral dispersant, depressant and modifying reagent in grinding and flotation operations. It is believed that soluble sodium silicate promotes selectivity of value added sulphides against gangue minerals, resulting in both grade and recovery improvement. This paper seeks to link improved grade/recovery to the interaction characteristics of minerals and the sodium silicate. A systematic study was performed with individual mineral species, an artificially designed model ore and the feed ore from a copper metallurgical operation. The function of sodium silicate was evaluated in the context of colloidal chemistry and linked to mineral surface chemistry. Measurement of pulp rheology and mineral zeta potential identified that sodium silicate works as a dispersant. The dispersion is accomplished by increasing a mineral’s net surface charge, resulting in a mineral variable change in viscosity. Bench scale laboratory flotation tests suggest that better dispersion leads to a diminished interaction of chalcopyrite with gangue. The improved Cu grade and recovery then are likely in response to an increased accessibility to collector along with a linked increase in particle bubble attachment resulting in better separation efficiency. ToF-SIMS surface chemical analysis of the flotation samples found a higher proportion of sodium silicate on minerals from the flotation tailings relative to the concentrates. Moreover, attachment of sodium silicate appears to be mineral specific; the data indicates that sodium silicate favours the surface of gangue phases over the value sulphides. INTRODUCTION Mineral processing involves enrichment of valuable minerals from an ore, where the separation process utilizes differences between the properties of the value-added and gangue minerals. The properties of minerals, for example composition, specific gravity, particle size, magnetic properties etc., in any flotation feed ore, can vary significantly between the various minerals present. In flotation seperation surface chemistry and wettability is a significant component promoting selective separation of the various mineral phases [1,2] Mineral surface wettability can be changed, advantageously or deleteriously, by many factors including: surface layer alteration through oxidation; galvanic interactions; attachment of secondary precipitates; the adsorption of various reagents [3] In the flotation context the wettability of a minerals surface can be manipulated by various reagents. Collector reagents may selectively attach to specific minerals in the mineral/water slurry enhancing their surface hydrophobicity, increasing bubble-attachment efficiency and improve flotation kinetics and mineral recovery [4]. In contrast, depressant reagents may selectively reduce a minerals surface hydrophobicity resulting in poor particle-bubble attachment and non flotation. In essence, a mineral flotation flow sheet is designed to induce/promote a hydrophobic surface to the value mineral and a hydrophilic surface to all others. Therefore, the versatility of the froth flotation process lies in the selection of different flotation reagents.

Jan 1, 2019

By A. Vilinska

The adhesion of Leptospirillum ferrooxidans bacterial cells onto the sulfide minerals pyrite and chalcopyrite was evaluated using two different physical-chemical approaches; thermodynamic and extended DLVO theory. For the parameters incorporated into calculations, the zeta potentials and contact angles of powdered solids and bacterial cells were acquired experimentally. The Hamaker constants essential for Lifshitz-van der Waals inter-action calculations were calculated following two different methods: macroscopic and microscopic. Adsorption tests were carried out at physiologic conditions to estimate the amount of cells adsorbed onto a mineral surface and the extent of alteration of that mineral surface in biobeneficiation. The free energy of adhesion was found to be negative for both minerals, indicating that the adhesion is energetically favored and preferred. The interaction energy diagrams of the total interacting force was also negative for the cases where the particles were charged oppositely; in the remaining cases, the total force was attractive after overcoming an energetic barrier caused by the repulsive electrostatic forces. Under the conditions of the adsorption test, the experimental results are in agreement with the theoretical; this suggests that the physical-chemical forces are crucial for bacterial adhesion.

Jan 1, 2011

By R. E. Scheffel

In February, 1976, Ranchers Exploration and Development Corporation obtained an option from Foote Minerals, Inc., to evaluate reprocessing of two uranium tailing piles. Foote received ownership of the Naturita and Durango tailing piles in 1967 through the purchase of Vanadium Corporation of America. The option was exercised in November, 1976, after initial testwork proved that a viable extraction technique existed. Preparation for production at Naturita began immediately with engineering and en¬vironmental permitting proceeding simultaneously. Production began in December, 1977, just 22 months after acquisition of the property and-was completed 17 months later.

Jan 1, 1981

By R. Benemelis

The existence of resins in some coal deposits in various parts of the world has been known for many years. These resins vary considerably in chemical structure and properties. The resin that is found in Utah coal, however, is rather unique, and has properties particularly attractive for the manufacture of printing ink mastics and adhesives. This resin is a rather dark, very high melting point, low molecular weight hydrocarbon resin. Its typical properties are shown in Table I. Its largest use by far, has been in the printing ink industry. The history of Utah coal resin is interesting, but unfortunately one of disappointment and failure.

Jan 1, 1990

By Fernando Jorge Dick

Artificial sulphides have been produced on the surfaces of heavy metal-oxide, minerals at elevated temperatures (1) and these sulphides gave consistently similar flotation characteristics as the respective natural sulphides. In the case of tin, the only natural tin sulphide known is herzembergite (SnS) which is found only in minor quantities, and its flotation behavior is not known. Balberyszki, Dorenfeld, and Carmi reported (2) tests with artificial tin oxide and pure cassiterite treated with hydrogen sulphide at temperatures above 750oc. They confirmed that the product could be floated in acid pulps. However, iron sulphides derived from pyrite, limonite, and hematite which are generally the major impurities in tin bearing ores could not be separated from tin sulphides under the conditions used by previous investigators. As a practical matter, if complex tin ores or complex low grade tin concentrates are to be treated by this process, it is necessary to be able to separate sulphidized cassiterite from other sulphidized minerals in the feed. The major metallic minerals, by weight, in complex tin ores are the iron minerals--pyrite, hematite, limonite, magnetite and pyrrhotite. These minerals become (or remain) sulphidized during the sulphidization process.

Jan 1, 1978

By J. Stachurski

Flotation tests were carried out on 6 coal samples of different rank as well as their oxidized samples. A mixture of diesel oil and alcohols was used in these tests. Surface oxidation caused a distinct decrease of the flotation recovery with some improvement in the grade The reduction in the recovery increased with increasing the concentration of the oxidizing agent. The floatability of low rank coals was affected by oxidation to a higher degree than medium and high rank coals. The recovery size curves of oxidized samples mere similar in shape to that of non-oxidized coals.

Jan 1, 1990

By David Wright, Jerome Chamfray, Anthony Harding, Brian Boye

Conway’s Law states that unless we intentionally design automation tools around what we need, we will simply replicate our existing processes. While we may achieve some savings this way, there is an opportunity for greater benefits if we re-imagine the way we, as an industry, perform design. This paper examines current technology and shows how even small departures from merely encoding what we currently do could reap significant benefits. From these examples a framework is developed for a new and innovative approach tvo automation that will allow us to design more quickly, to a higher quality, and communicate outcomes more effectively.

Dec 1, 2022

By Matt Bilson, Ritesh Mahajan, Antoni Kuras, Wataru Okada

The Waterview Tunnel comprises twin 2.4 km long 13.1 m internal diameter three lane road tunnels in Auckland, New Zealand. The City Rail Link (CRL) is a 3.45 km long, 6.24 m internal diameter twin rail tunnel underneath Auckland’s city center. This paper presents an overview of the tunnel geometry, segmental lining congurations, geometric constraints, performance criteria and functional reuirements for the large diameter Waterview Tunnels and smaller diameter CRL tunnels. Other key aspects, which include sustainability, innovations, construction performance and practical aspects are discussed and compared. Lessons learnt from these mega tunnelling projects are also presented.

Jun 23, 2024

By E. D. Attanasi, M. W. Bultman, J. H. DeYoung

The 1987 recovery in the US mining industry permitted modest increases in exploration expenditures that year (Fig. 1). Favorable market conditions apparently allowed the gains to be sus¬tained in 1988. There was great uncer¬tainty early in the year as to whether world and US economic growth would be a casualty of the October 1987 worldwide stock market crash. By nearly all measures, the performance of the US minerals industry was strong¬. A weak US dollar and the strong growth of worldwide capital spending resulted in in¬creased US exports of con¬sumer and producer durable items as well as strong domes¬tic demand for metals. In fact, 1988 US steel industry exports reached levels not attained since the mid-1970s. It was re¬ported that steel industry labor productivity is now roughly twice the 1981 level. Among metals with signifi¬cant average nominal price increases in 1988 over 1987 levels were copper (43%), alu¬minum (52%0), and zinc (44%). Even though domestic copper production has grown since 1984 by 30% in mining and 24% in refining, em¬ployment in mining and milling is 4% below the 1984 level. Domestic unit costs are reported in the range of $1.10 to $1.33/kg (50 to 60 cents per lb). The US base metals industry is proba¬bly in its best cash position in many years. However, there has not been a large increase in exploration expendi¬tures. This is due mostly to the percep¬tion that worldwide capacity can easily be increased. Industry reports do show that "low cost" copper producers have been buying reserves from weaker com¬panies. The 1987 Society of Economic Ge¬ologists (SEG) survey of exploration activity indicated that 95 cents out of every exploration dollar spent by US and Canadian firms was for base and precious metals (Economic Geology, January 1989). Press reports, though, make it clear that most of that spending was targeted for precious metals. US claim staking data (Fig. 2) rein¬forces this suspicion. The apparent lag in new claim filings in Alaska and phe¬nomenal growth in filings in the lower 48 states suggests that exploration is directed at relatively low risk targets. In the conterminous 48, more than 40% of the new claims were made in Nevada, indicating an emphasis on gold (although even Nevada had some base metals exploration). Even with a price decline during 1988, the difference between the gold price and average global "cash" production cost of $7.30/g ($227 per oz) still leaves room for an attractive return (Northern Miner, 1988). Exploration plans and results Metals Economics Group (Halifax) indicated in its 1988 exploration survey that exploration expenditures by US and South African firms would be at about 1987 levels. It also reported that Canadian and Australian firms were ex¬pected to reduce their exploration spend¬ing significantly. Firms in both coun¬tries were caught in changes in tax laws. In Canada, the Mining Ex¬ploration Depletion Allow¬ance (MEDA) once permitted generous tax write-offs to in¬dividuals investing in miner¬als exploration. It was to be replaced in January 1989 with the Canadian Exploration In¬centives Program (CEIP). Although structured and ad¬ministered differently than MEDA, CEIP can provide an equivalent or possibly greater financial incentive for min¬eral exploration, for junior mining companies. In 1987, it is estimated that junior com¬panies accounted for two¬-thirds of the off-property (or grass roots) exploration ex¬penditures in Canada. Australia will revoke the tax exemption for gold in 1990. Australian operators, therfore, were expected to concentrate efforts on speeding up pro¬duction during 1988 and 1989. In 1988, Chile and Mali announced special efforts to attract gold explora¬tion by foreign companies. The Cana¬dian government continues to express concern about the write-off (and drawdown) of base metal reserves. Falconbridge did announce a new initiative to identify additional base metal reserves in the Sudbury district. Discoveries Gold deposits dominated discoveries

Jan 1, 1989

By John H. Canterford

The adsorption of uranium onto Wyoming bentonite was measured in carbonate media over the range pH 8-11. Uranium was removed from solution onto the solids by a rapid reaction, proposed to be adsorption of the anionic uranyl tricarbonato complex onto edges of the clay platelets, and a slow reaction which may be precipitation of a hydroxide. The changes in uranium content of the aqueous and solid phases of a uranium ore carbonate leach slurry were also measured as the slurry was progressively diluted. There was an increase in the uranium content of the solids as the pH of the suspension was lowered, as was observed with the Wyoming bentonite. The results indicate the conditions that should be met with respect to pH control in order to prevent the problem of excessive uranium adsorption in the counter-current decantation washing circuit of a conventional leaching process, as well as in the leaching and restoration phases of carbonate solution mining.

Jan 1, 1983

By Bill A. Hancock

In Situ leaching for the recovery of uranium from low grade sandstone deposits is one of the newest technological advances in the mineral industry. It is rapidly developing into a commercially feasible mining system which has economic, environmental, and social advantages over conventional mining systems. Because of the current uranium shortage, development of In Situ leaching into a sophisticated system has gained new impetus. In Situ leaching will become an important mining technique in the future, which will greatly help to supply uranium for our nation's energy heeds. In this paper, I will be giving an overview of the merits of the system, as well as the technology, problems, and research in solution mining of uranium.

Jan 1, 1977

By Milton E. Jennings

On May 11, 1977, the SAMARCO 20-inch, 396-kilometer (246-mile) Pipeline was placed in service. This system represents the latest thinking in slurry pipeline design and is one of the main contributors to the viability of the SAMARCO Project. This paper presents the background, description and latest information on the system's operation. Special attention is given to the handling limitations of the slurry and to the unique hardware requirements.

Jan 1, 1978

By Kenneth E. Merklin

The heavy media process is now being used extensively throughout the world for the gravity concentration of a great number of different minerals. The process is a commercial adaptation of the heavy liquid procedure which has been used in laboratories for many years to separate mineral of different specific gravities. In the heavy media process, a suspension of finely divided particles in water is used to increase the apparent specific weight of the fluid to the desired separating point. The original heavy media process used sand, galena, pyrite and occasionally other materials as the solid constituent of the separating suspensions. As the process developed, the need for a more universal media meeting the following requirements was recognized: 1. High specific gravity. 2. Resistance to abrasion. 3. Resistance to corrosion, 4. Readily reduced to a suitable size consist for suspension in water. 5. Available in quantity at economical price levels. 6. Easy to recover by a simple method.

Jan 1, 1958

By Kenneth K. Landes

So far my consulting in industrial minerals has been confined principally to carbonate rocks,-salt, coking coal, and glass sand. Much of this work has been for companies either too small for a full-time geological staff or unaware of the value of employing one or more qualified geologists permanently. It gave me considerable personal satisfaction to see several of the latter companies employ one or two full-time geologists after the completion of a consulting contract with them. One possible reason why some companies lack the wisdom to hire geologists is that they are dominated by engineers who still subscribe to the old idea that engineers are self-sufficient in all fields. They could have learned this from their professors. I once knew a Dean of Engineering who got purple in the face when a faculty committee was discussing the financing of a broad gauged engineering project and suggestions were made that assistance be obtained from the Schools of Business and Law and from some of the science departments tie pounded the table and shouted "Engineers are trained to handle all this!" In teaching engineering geology some years ago I used to tell the class repeatedly that the course would not make them geologists, that the purpose was to teach them

Jan 1, 1972

By John Barakso

The Sam Goosly or Equity silver deposit is fundamental- ly a discovery based on the analysis and interpretation of reconnaissance geochemical samples. The discovery was made by Kennco in an area of heavy forestation and wide- spread cover by thin glacial debris. No major mines had been discovered in the vicinity of the discovery prior to the geochemical reconnaissance, and the interpretation of the geochemical results therefore was based on data available through geologic mapping and the sample collection process. In the period 1959-1961, PE. Hirst and his crew, in 1962- 1965 P.T. Blackand his crew, and in 1966-1967 C.S. Ney and P.T. Black and their crew collected geochemical samples from the area of what is now the ore body. Several of these samples were compiled and reanalyzed in the winter of 1966- 1967 for various trace elements, including fluorine. A strong, almost 16-sq-km (10-sq-mile) fluorine anomaly was projected along with a very weak heavy metal anomaly. On the basis of this anomaly, a chalcopyrite-bearing quartz monzonite was discovered in 1967. This was a misleading, noneconomic discovery not associated with the Sam Goosly discovery. The interpretation of the geochemical data by Barakso that summer indicated that another source was responsible for the fluorine anomaly. The conclusion was based on the assemblage of trace elements. Therefore C.S. Ney recommended further regional soil sampling to check the original data. The early results of this follow-up sampling found over 33 ppm silver. First float, then ore outcrop was found in the area of the silver anomaly. The attached reprints complete the development of the property after the discovery of the outcrop of ore.

Jan 1, 1990