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By Gottlieb P, Sutherland DN

The paper describes a method of making quantitative mineralogical measurements on many of the major lead/zinc orebodies in Australia. The work was done using QEM*SEM. It was found that a relationship betwen phase-specific surface area and particle size, when plotted in a suitable way, gave a straight line with slope related to the grain size of the mineral in question. The method provides an excellent way of differen- tiating between minerals in existing orebodies and, consequently, an easy way to establish a comparison between a new prospect or orezone and current operations.

Jan 1, 1988

By Z. Smieszek, Z. Szota, P. Gajowski

"A new method for measuring the total quantity of suspensions contained in the electrolyte during copper electrorefining has been developed by the Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals, Gliwice. Electrolyte purity, and the suspensions content in particular, is of essential importance for the quality of electrolytic copper produced during the process. Suspensions contribute to the increase of slime impurities in electrolytic copper and increase losses in noble metals. Up to now, the laboratory method has been used for the· process control which provides analytical results with considerable time delay. Therefore, it is useless for the process control.The measuring method developed enables continuous measurements of a suspensions content directly within the stream of the flowing electrolyte. The principle of measurement is based on changes in optic properties of the electrolyte with varying suspensions content.1. IntroductionIn copper electrorefining, it is essential that the final product quality be maintained. If suspensions are present in electrolyte, the content of slime impurities in electrolytic copper, (such as Pb, Ag, Bi, Sn, Sb, and As), increases which can result in the occurrence of the so-called slime dendrites on cathodes, thus debasing the quality of the product. As a normal suspension content in electrolyte, the contents in the order of several mg/l are considered, usually not more than 5-6 mg/l, while contents exceeding 20 mg/l are referred to as an alarm state. Suspensions present in an electrolyte are usually a light fraction of anodic slime whose main components are metallic silver, lead sulphate, complexes of antimony and arsenic, and sometimes even calcium sulphate; they are mainly composed of very small particles of lead sulphate and antimony complexes. Sometimes - - in case of alarm states - - the so-called ""wandering slims"" can be observed, which are composed mainly of arsenic and antimony complexes. These ""wandering slims"" make a serious technological disturbance. In normal operating conditions of the electrorefining plant, an increase of suspension content can result from such reasons as crack of filter cloth in a slime filter, turbulent flow of the electrolyte, anodic passivation, aeration of the electrolyte, and improper servicing of an electrolytic tank. It is necessary to continuously control the suspensions content in electrolyte for proper electrorefining."

Jan 1, 1989

By A. D. Kalogeropoulos, T. N. Michalakopoulos

This paper deals with the numerical simulation of rock cutting laboratory tests using the discrete element method. The main objective is to provide a method for calibrating numerical DEM models of rock cutting in a systematic way so that realistic results are yielded. The numerical models are developed with the discrete element code Yade, which models rocks as a collection of bonded spheres. The models are calibrated in a four-step process based on the design of experiments method and optimization. The calibrated models are evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively against actual laboratory cutting tests, in terms of the ratio of the simulated mean cutting force to the actual one and the cutting force time series, respectively. The fully calibrated models showed that the simulated cutting process matched qualitatively the actual cutting force recordings and underestimated the mean cutting force by approximately 3%. It is concluded that well-calibrated numerical simulations of the rock cutting process can provide not only a better understanding of the process itself but also quantitative data regarding the cutting force and energy requirements.

Dec 28, 2022

By P. E. Cavanagh

"The Davis tube test has been used for many years as a laboratory method for determining the magnetic iron re-coverable from a magnetite iron orebody. This paper de-scribes a method for determining the recoverable iron from ores of the Labrador Trough type, with the usua1 flow sheet utilizing spirals followed by magnetic separation.The mechanical structure of a metamorphosed iron ore, resulting from recrystallization over long periods of time, is the basis for the laboratory method developed. Similarities between the structures of such recrystallized ores and the structure of annealed and recrystallized steel are noted.A laboratory technique to determine the size of the different grains of gangue and iron ore minerals is de-scribed and the application of this information to arrive at recommended grinding techniques and flow sheets is demonstrated. The use of the method to determine recoverable iron in such ores is compared to actual iron recovery in the pilot-plant and commercial concentrations of the same ore.The use of a specified lower limit of recoverable iron as determined by this method, in order to design open-pit limits, achieves practical results when compared to designing a pit based on an arbitrary lower limit of total soluble iron. The Ungava Iron Ore deposits are used in giving an example of the resulting pit design changes."

Jan 1, 1968

Titanium tetrachloride may be reduced to trichloride with hydrogen on a hot tungsten filament and other hot: surfaces. The effect of temperature, time and size of t.he filament on the rate of reaction has been studied. A laboratory unit for preparing a few pounds of trichloride at a time is described. The yield of trichloride is 2·2 - 2·4 gm/sq. cm. of hot surface/hour at 1,000°C. and the energy requirement 3'5-4 kWh/pound of trichloride produced.'INTRODUCTIONThe lower chlorides of titanium (titanium tri- and dichlorides) are amenable to electrolysis, being electrovalent in nature. Furthermore, relative to other oxygen-free titanium salts, they are easy to prepare in a pure state and their use has been investigated to prepare titanium. The experimentaJ work described in this paper deals with the preparation of titanium trichloride by reduction of titanium tetrachloride with hydrogen on hot surfaces.REDUCING AGENTS FOR TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDEThe free energy diagram (Fig. 1) for the formation of chlorides suggests that titanium' tetrachloride may be reduced to trichloride by various reducing agents such as aluminium, zinc, arsenic, antimony, tin, mercury, silver, hydrogen, sodium, potassium and magnesium. Ruff and Neumann (1923), Thorpe (1885) , Billy and Brasseur (1935) and Seurbert and Schmidt (1892) used various metals to reduce tetrachloride to trichloride and found that the yields were invariably low and the products difficult to separate.Besides the metallic reducing agents, hydrogen may also be used to reduce titanium tetrachloride to trichloride.Goerges and Stahler (1909) obtained a deposit of violet...

Jan 1, 1956

By Daniel Hodouin, Claude Bazin

"A graphical method to assess the size reduction by grinding is presented and illustrated with data collected from laboratory grinding tests and industrial grinding circuits. The method lies between the graphical comparison of size distributions and the population balance model. The method is easy to apply and provides a quick way to compare grinding mill performances under various operating conditions and processed ores. The application of the method to industrial mills shows that a grinding mill operation could present an invariant behaviour that can be exploited for simulation purposes.INTRODUCTIONThe size reduction of particles by grinding has been studied for decades and several books were published on the subject. Most of the recent studies focus on the modelling of the ball, semiautogenous and autogenous grinding mills operation (Napier-Munn et al., 1996) because accurate simulators can be used for design, optimization and control. Although the development of realistic simulators is progressing, the trial and error method is still used by many operators to identify optimum operating conditions for a grinding machine.Laboratory tests allow the characterization of the material submitted to grinding and the analysis of various operating conditions, such as ball size or shape, mill speed and slurry concentration of solids, on particle size reduction. Similar tests can be conducted in a plant, but results are often difficult to analyze due to errors associated with sampling and sensor accuracy. This paper presents a graphical method to assess the degree of size reduction carried out by a grinding machine. The paper consists of three sections. The first section describes the method and the following sections illustrate the method with data taken from laboratory and industrial grinding machines."

Jan 1, 2004

A simple method of designing effective fill drainage systems for slurry backfill is presented. By using the proposed method, it is easy to calculate and predict the expected fill drainage rates or to provide additional drainage systems to accelerate the fill drainage. The fundamentals of hydraulic fill and an efficient method to determine its permeability is also explained. The safety in hydraulic filling and bulkhead stability depends totally on achieving effective drainage regime for the fill. This paper provides the basis for creating such efficient drainage regimes. The recent fatal fill bulkhead failures in Australia were the result of poor drainage from the respective fill masses, and therefore it is more important to provide suitable drainage arrangements to continue using hydraulic fill to the benefit of the mining industry. At present there is no procedure available to mine operators to estimate the expected bulkhead pressures to design a satisfactory bulkhead. Some mines are constructing bulkheads after their initial investigations carried out years ago. Other mines have simply borrowed the ideas from the pioneer mines and using in their areas. It is high time that we develop a rational approach to estimate the expected bulkhead pressures for the design of bulkheads. We need a simple model that could be understood and used by the mine operators on a day-to-day basis. This paper also presents a model to predict the bulkhead pressures for designing safe bulkheads.

Jan 1, 2002

By S Tierney, D Cumming-Potvin, I Thin, Y Potvin, D Grant

The preliminary modifying factors for future stope design in the Southern Mine Area of Olympic Dam consisted of only a single, arbitrary value of Equivalent Linear Overbreak/Sloughing (ELOS). In order to improve this, a study was conducted which developed a more comprehensive methodology for assigning ELOS, Equivalent Linear Lost Ore (ELLO) and Equivalent Linear Fill Overbreak (ELFO) to individual stope faces based on geotechnical and mining parameters. The approach used was to look at the simple cases, which were classed as vertical stope walls in good ground (RQD 80-100%), divided into wall orientations (North, South, East, West). The stope walls were also split based on the blasting practice used (toeing, parallel or a combination of the two). The expected ELOS and ELLO from these ‘base cases’ are then modified by parameters which have historically been found to affect stope performance (Hydraulic Radius and Q’). The size of the effect found in the historical data determines the ELOS / ELLO applied. The methodology was summarised in an easy to use flow chart and was applied to all of the proposed stope shapes for the Southern Mine Area and summarised per mining block. This allowed each iteration of the mine plan to be assessed in terms of overbreak (both rock and vertical fill exposures) and underbreak.

Mar 15, 2021

By Muhammad Usman Siddiqui

Managing and analysing the vast amounts of data collected in a mining project effectively is crucial for enhancing the project's economic feasibility. The efficient utilization of this data is critical to minimising the time spent on projects and increasing project value. Process engineers can effectively integrate geometallurgical data into plant operations by employing analytical tools like Python, significantly optimizing the mine-to-mill process. This practical approach is a game-changer in the mining industry. Classifying a geomet dataset into units of similar characteristics (properties of the ore) is an important outcome of a geomet study. This approach simplifies data classification, allowing for class-by-class process modelling, which improves the decision-making process in mine planning and development. Classifying a geomet dataset involves using grade, lithology, and test work data (if available) to create blocks of similar characteristics, known as ‘geomet units.’ Compared to conventional methodologies, these units provide context and empirical evidence that can be more accurately mapped onto block-by-block process flowsheet development and net present value (NPV) estimation. This robust classification method reduces a project's technical risks and influences the initial mine planning sequence to maximise profitability. Defining robust geomet units with data sets with similar material is challenging due to the vast amounts of data available and the database's high heterogeneity. The methodology's purpose is to minimise time-consuming low-value-adding aspects of geometallurgy. The approach is different for a greenfield and a brownfield study, as all the valuable data in a brownfield process can be utilised to define the geomet units. Python has various libraries providing multiple machine-learning algorithms to assist in classification. The k-means algorithm is used for clustering, and the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method is used to quantify the effect of each feature on the clustering results. However, even with automation, the methodology still requires a keen eye to account for the nuances that appear from project to project.

Oct 1, 2024

By I. Westermann, K. Marthinsen, M. S. Remøe

"Al-Mg-Si alloys often add small additions of e.g. Mn or Cr, to form dispersoids, which may act as nucleation sites for Mg2Si particles after homogenization. The purpose is to ensure a high density of uniformly distributed small ?’-particles, which can be dissolved during further processing prior to the final age hardening step. However, their density and spatial distribution are critically dependent on the homogenization procedure. It is therefore important to have a robust and reliable method for assessing their spatial distribution. In the present work an existing methodology for assessing spatial uniformity, the Global Shannon Entropy (GSE), has been implemented and evaluated for different dispersoid structures characterized by scanning electron microscopy. This metric is highly dependent on the parameters used, but by careful selection of adequate parameters, it can be effective in detecting non-uniformity. An important weakness with the GSE was identified, and a modification to improve on the ability to differentiate degrees of non-uniformity is suggested. To evaluate the proposed methodology, the effect of heating rate on dispersoid precipitation behaviour during homogenisation of four Al-Mg-Si alloys with different Mn/Cr-content has been investigated. The metric with the new term has demonstrated promising results, and improved the ability to differentiate degrees of spatial uniformity.INTRODUCTION Al-Mg-Si series alloys are the most common aluminium extrusion alloys and are attractive for applications in a range of sectors (e.g. construction, automotive and recently also in consumer electronics), due to their generally good combination of strength, ductility and corrosion resistance. However, their extrudability and end properties depend critically on the alloy chemistry as well as prior processing conditions. Coarse ß-AlFeSi or Mg2Si-particles typically have a detrimental effect on extrudability, while small dispersoid particles may affect recrystallization, grain growth and precipitation of Mg and Si. The strengthening potential in the final age hardening step depends strongly on the amount of Mg and Si in solid solution after extrusion. The manner in which these particles are spatially distributed will decide whether the final product will exhibit uniform properties, and the number density and sizes will determine the extent of the effect. As such, these are important characteristics."

Jan 1, 2018

By D. A. Newman

The accurate prediction of mine profitability is essential for success in the present minerals market as is the ability to quantify the influence/of variations in revenues and costs on cash flow. A menu based spreadsheet template has been developed to determine annual cash flow, maintain depreciation schedules, and estimate labor and operating expenses. Sensitivity analyses may be conducted to determine the effect of productivity upon mining costs and the effect of selling price escalation upon rate of return. The advantage of this approach is that it can be used by a wide variety of professionals without extensive computer experience.

Jan 1, 1988

By V. A. Marple, K. L. Rubow, S. M. Behm

"An eight-stage cascade impactor, with cut-sizes ranging from 0.056 to 18 um at a flow rate of 30 L/min, has been developed, calibrated, and tested in field programs. This impactor, called a microorifice uniform deposit impactor, has several features not normally found in cascade impactors. Ultrafine particles as small as 0.056 um are collected while keeping the pressure drop moderate by utilizing multiple nozzles (up to 2000) as small as 52 um in diameter. At each stage the collected particles are deposited uniformly over the entire impaction plate by rotating the impaction plate relative to the nozzles and by the correct radial placement of the nozzles. The particle cutoff characteristics (collection efficiency curves) of each stage and inter-stage losses were determined by means of monodisperse aerosols. The cutoff characteristics were found to be sharp and similar for all stages.Inertial impactors are widely used for the size-selective collection of aerosol particles. One reason for their wide usage is that the principle of operation is simple: a jet of particle-laden air is directed at a flat impaction plate. Large particles are collected on the plate while smaller particles follow the airflow out of the impaction region and are not collected. The division between the size of particles collected and those that are not is quite sharp. Secondly, the particles in an impactor are classified by their aerodynamic diameter (an important size parameter in many fields of study, including those related to respirable particle health effects). Thirdly, it is easy to collect particles in discrete size ranges by passing the aerosol through a number of stages (one stage consisting of a nozzle and impaction plae) in series, with each subsequent stage collecting particles smaller than the one before it. This is known as a cascade impactor. Finally, impactors can classify particles over a wide range of particle sizes: as low as 0.005 um (Fernandez de la Mora et al., 1990) and as large as approximately 50 um (Vanderpool et al., 1987).This paper describes a general purpose cascade impactor that has been developed in our laboratory and used in a variety of studies including visibility studies (McMurry et al., 1986; McMurry and Zhang, 1989), underground mine studies (Marple et al., 1986; Rubow and Marple, 1988; Rubow et al., 1988), and general atmospheric pollution studies (Macias et al., 1981; Dzubay et al., 1984). The impactor, called a microorifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI model 100, MSP Corp., Minneapolis, Minn.), is the integration of two earlier impactor de¬velopments: the microorifice impactor (M01) (Kuhlmey et al., 1981) and the uniform deposit impactor (UDI) (Marple et al., 1981).The MOUDI has several features normally not found in other cascade impactors. These include collection of particles as small as 0.056 um in aerodynamic diameter with a moderate pressure drop, uniform particle collection on the impaction plates, inter-changeable impaction plates to allow for the plates to be easily and quickly changed in the field, and covers for these substrates to provide a means for safe storage and/or transport of the collected particles to the laboratory for analysis."

Mar 1, 1992

By John A. Baker

S EVERAL FACTORS have brought about a vastly greater interest in the gold-mining industry in the last two or three years. Outstanding is the fact that there is an open market at a fixed price for all that can be produced. a condition that holds for no other commodity. Costs of production have decreased greatly, owing to lower prices of supplies and equipment and lower wages. Improved metallurgical processes and equipment are also available. To big new gold district is being opened up but virgin ground is being prospected with some success in many of the more remote parts of the world and right here in the United States many old properties are being reopened 111 the light of present condition<, tailing dumps are being re- worked, and profitable leases taken on abandoned property. Many of the men who are becoming interested in gold are mining engineers whose experience has all been with base metals heretofore: some are engineers with no mining experience; some are not engineers at all but men who cannot find profitable employment in their usual field of activity and are attracted by the age-old lore of the yellow metal. Some are business men with a little money and an idea that under present conditions gold mining offers a safer investment for it than most other kinds of business. It is to those more or less inexperienced new- comers in the gold-mining industry that this article i4 ad dressed. Those who are connected with the large gold mines or who have had rears of experience with the small ones will find in the following pages little or nothing of interest but it is hoped that the newer generation of small mine operators, on whom the healthy growth of the industry depends so much, may find here some helpful hints.

Jan 1, 1932

By William A. Fuchs

A study of carbonaceous ore at the Santa Fe mine (Corona Gold Inc.) shows that there is no quantitative relationship between organic carbon content and preg rob, although much of this material preg robs. However, there is a relation between K20 and preg rob. Preg rob generally occurs only in those samples with greater than 2% K20. X-ray diffraction and chemical . studies show that the critical factor is the illite content of mixed (possibly interstratified) illite-smectite. Apparently illite, at a certain threshold, "geo-activates" the carbon. The potential for easily monitoring preg rob using a gamma ray spectrometer is discussed.

Jan 1, 1990

By Richter, E. Charikinya

"Mineral processing unit models require information on particulate properties such as particle size, solids flowrate and mineralogical composition to model their operations. Process models that describe the separation process can be classified based on the level of information required from the ore, i.e. the feed stream to the separating unit. The most comprehensive level of mineral processing models is the particle-based modelling approach. Particle based modelling describes a modelling approach where mineral composition, mineral liberation and textural information of particles making up the process streams is used in modelling. The advantage of this approach is that all model streams carry particle level information (size, liberation, shape). This information is obtained by applying automated mineralogy techniques such as Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by Scanning Electron Microscopy (QEMSCAN) analysis which provide accurate and detailed information on process stream particle properties. Currently the use of liberation information in modelling and simulation is rare, due to the limited number of separation models that liberation data as input. The objective of this study is to develop a particle based model for a dry magnetic separator, where mineralogical information is used directly to simulate a dry magnetic separator operation. Magnetic separation tests were carried out on high, medium and low grade magnetite ores using a laboratory magnetic separator. Streams from the separator were sampled and sized for chemical and liberation analyses. A sized mass and elemental balance around the magnetic separator was carried out. The elemental assays of each stream were converted to mineral quantities and a sized mineral balance was done. QEMSCAN measured liberation data was reconciled to the mineral balance based on mineral quantities obtained from chemical assays. This was followed by the development of a particle based model that calculates the trajectory of a single particle based on its mineral composition and textural properties. The model was tested on experimental data and was able to predict the effect of variation in process feed stream mineralogical attributes (liberation, grade, particle size) on magnetic separation performance. Results of this study highlight the benefits of the particle based modelling approach. INTRODUCTION The extraction of mineral values from ore requires liberation of the value minerals from the gangue followed by their separation. Liberation is achieved by size reduction operations (Desmond, 2008; Fuerstenau and Abouzeid, 2002). Separation of gangue material from value mineral takes place in various mineral upgrading stages such as classification, magnetic separation and flotation. In these concentration stages value minerals are separated from gangue minerals based on the physical properties of the ore particles making up the feed such as size, liberation, volume of magnetic material and density. The success of separation is related to the liberation of the feed particles, the performance of the separation technology applied, as well as the inherent characteristics of the feed material (Leißner et al., 2013)."

Jan 1, 2018

By Muhammad I. Kabir

A new minitest of in situ uranium leaching processes at reservoir conditions is proposed. The test which consists of a single observation/ production well and two observation wells is designed to permit the evaluation of both restoration and leaching parameters. It is shown that by using a straight forward history matching procedure, sometimes called a type curve analysis, both the rate of leaching and the ultimate uranium recovery can be evaluated based on the results of the test. Type curves are presented for the case in which the reaction rate is kinetically controlled and there are no other minerals competing for oxidant. Other situations can be approached using the same techniques as those presented here.

Jan 1, 1981

By Daniel G. DiCanio

Investigation of the costs of industrial accidents dates back to the 1920s. The Bureau of Mines was one of the pioneers in accident cost investigation with numerous studies published between 1928 and 1933. The bulk of these early investigations dealt only with costs which appeared as payouts on company books; that is, the direct cost of insurance premiums and the costs of medical expenses which resulted from industrial accidents. These early investigations, especially the Bureau&apos;s study of accident costs in Pennsylvania and Indiana coal mines provided the first real evidence that promotion of industrial safety pays back in dollars as well as in human life and wellbeing. In the 30s and 40s, investigations began to accumulate evidence that industrial accidents impacted more than just the direct operating expenses of a company (i.e., higher insurance premiums). The work of Heinrich pioneered these investigations, and produced strong evidence that the un¬insured costs of accidents far outweighed those costs covered by insurance. Heinrich developed and published a ratio of insured to uninsured costs of 1.4. Despite his cautionary statements about blanket application of this ratio it is used even today to estimate total costs of accidents. Simonds, in the late 40s and early 50s, extended the definitions of uninsured or indirect accident costs and developed what is now regarded as the principal method for estimating the total economic impact of industrial accidents. Simonds&apos; method served as the basis for development of the logic of the Accident Cost Indicator Model (ACIM). However, several departures from Simonds&apos; method were made to satisfy certain requirements imposed by the Bureau of Mines, and because information gathered during the course of our investigation justified a departure. These departures are noted in the discussion which follows.

Jan 1, 1977

By Nes?e Çelebi

It has never been easy to finance within mining sector. Leasing may be an alternative source of finance for mining investments. Leasing is acquiring the right of usage for an asset for a definite period of time without having the ownership of it. In this study, a model for analyzing the lease financing opportunities for mining investments under risk and suitable for establishing a satisfactory leasing policy for both lessee and lessor is developed. Using the model, it is possible to obtain an expected equilibrium lease amount acceptable by both lessor and lessee and also the expected range of the equilibrium lease amount as a decision tool. First the existing leasing policies are mentioned, then the developed model is described. A case study is presented to illustrate the use of the model in establishing a leasing policy. In conclusion, the usefulness of the model is discussed.

Jan 1, 1992

By Howard Hughes

IN drilling for water and oil to reasonable depths through the generally soft yielding clay and sand formation of the Coastal Plain of Texas, . Louisiana, and Mississippi, the rotating method of drilling was adopted, principally on account of the easy and quick penetration, and the low cost of the drilling plant. In favorable ground, free of heavy gravel and rock strata, as much as 1,000 ft. has been drilled in less than 36 hr., although such performances were of course rare. Hydraulic rotary drilling, or, as it is now called, rotary drilling, was used in the above States as early as 1880. The plant consisted of an ordinary derrick, a 25-h.p. boiler, a small hoist, a steam pump, and a water swivel with hose attachment, and an ordinary flat diamond-pointed bit. The successful drilling in of a phenomenal oil well by this process on Spindletop, near Beaumont, Texas, on Jan. 10, 1901, and the ascertained impracticability of drilling subsequent wells in the same locality by other methods (owing principally to heavy quicksand under pressure from below), brought rotary drilling into great prominence, practically to the exclusion of any other process throughout the Coastal Plain, and later on elsewhere. The method, as its name implies, involves the rotation of a pipe by means of machinery placed on the derrick floor. A drill bit attached to the lower end cuts a clearance for the drill pipe, with much the same motion and effect as an auger. Water forced through the drill pipe by means of a pump, and escaping through the bit, removes the cuttings and returns to the surface outside the drill pipe. In this manner the hole is kept open, permitting the drill stem to rotate freely. The pressure of the column of muddy water holds up the walls of the hole until it has been cased. Practically all the wells of the Gulf coast region, numbering nearly 10,000, have been drilled with this system. During the last five years its use has been extended to many other States and countries.

Jan 3, 1915

By Q. Han

A modified cast-on method has been developed to reinforce aluminum castings with steel insert. Defect-free bond between the steel insert and the aluminum casting has been consistently obtained. Data obtained from a push-out experiment indicated that the bond strength was much higher than that obtained using the Al-Fin approach. This paper introduces this modified method in four sections: the coating of the steel pins, the cast-in method, microstructure characterization, and the bond strength. The section on the coating of the steel pins contains coating material selection, electro-plating technique for plating Cu and Ni on steel, and diffusion bonding of the coatings to the steel. The section on cast-in method deals with factors that affecting the quality of the metallurgical bond between the coated steel and the aluminum castings. The results of microstructure characteristics of the bonding are presented in the microstructure characterization section. A push-out experiment and the results obtained using this method is described in the section of bond strength/mechanical property.

Jan 1, 2015