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By G. R. Fitterer

NONMETALLIC inclusions in steel have received much attention by metallurgists during the past few years. Many investigators have been emphatic in stating their belief that these impurities are the chief causes of steel failures, while others think that their effects are negligible. One of the main reasons that definite information on the effects of these impurities is lacking is that no reliable method has been developed for the exact determination of the amounts of these different impurities in steel. Some valuable new information has been brought out by a reliable method for nonmetallic inclusions which has been developed at the Pittsburgh Experiment Station of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the Metallurgical Advisory Board. This procedure satisfactorily extracts some of the more common inclusions from steels, thus enabling the investigator to correlate steel failures with inclusion content. Although the data given herein are the first to be published on the subject of the electrolytic extraction method, the interest in the subject is evidenced by the fact that it is already being used by some 20 to 30 steel companies for their various purposes. Some of the comments received from these laboratories indicate that the method is highly satisfactory: the unfavorable comments, when traced to their sources, have been found to be based on some small mistake made in either installation or operation. The chief discrepancy seems to have occurred in attempts to apply the method to the extraction of inclusions from alloy steels. The procedure can be used only for the plain carbon steels and for such low alloy steels as those containing the usual amount of copper (0.2 to 0.3 per cent). Steels containing the carbide-forming alloys such as chromium, tungsten, etc., present far too many difficulties for the accurate determination of inclusions. Luckily, the iron and manganese carbides do not offer any difficulties and no contamination of the oxide-sulfide residue results. It is highly probable that some modification of the following

Jan 1, 1931

This discussion was prepared by members of the Phelps Dodge Corpn. staff who were designated to review the minutes. It is confidential but permission has been granted to distribute copies among those who attended the Conference. The minutes of the above conference contain numerous references to the plants and practices of Phelps Dodge Corporation. As many of these references are inaccurate, the following notes are made covering such points: Construction Magnesite Brick in Reverb. Arch (1) An.18" arch, 20 feet long, was built on one furnace with 5 feet on each side of magnesite brick, the center portion .being of silica brick. The furnace was put in operation February 13, 1930 and on April 23rd after 68.8 days' operation it was replaced due to failure of the silica brick forming the center of the arch. At this time, while the silica brick had completely gone, there was 14" of magnesite left. Bridgewall Tapping (2) Tapping matte through the burner wall was first tried at the Copper Queen Smelter in April, 1925. At that time, a copper casting with 1 ½ extra heavy pipes for water cooling cast in it, and having one taphole block was used. Later, on the other (old) furnaces, similar castings, but equipped with two tapholes, were used. We found with these furnaces that we could tap through the burner wall at the beginning of a campaign, but would subsequently have to go back to side wall tapping. This was the case until sometime in 1926. The new furnaces, that went in operation at the beginning of 1927, each had water. cooled castings with two tapholes. These have been used entirely and have been quite successful. Sometime after the furnaces were put into operation sidewall tapholes were put in, simply for the removal of any accumulation of matte that might be temporarily retained at the front end by bridges or dams in the furnace formed by overcharging locally.

Jan 1, 1930

By Paul A. Beck, M. N. Parthasarathi

By determining the (220) pole figure for OFHC copper rolled to 96 pct R. .A., the occurrence of four texture components of the type (135) [211] was confirmed. It was found that the total volume fraction of material close to the four symmetrical orientations of this type is larger than the volume fraction of the other components put together. THE rolling texture of copper was described by early investigators1'" as a mixture of components of the (110)[l12] and (112) [11l] types. Other studies, still using the qualitative photographic method of texture determination arrived, instead, at orientations of the type (135) [533] or (135) [211] for copper3'4 and at the closely related "Z-texture" for a fee nickel-iron alloy.5 The prevalence of this type of orientation, near (123) [412], in the rolling texture of aluminum and of copper was later confirmed by means of quantitative diffractometer methods.' However, in a recent paper7 Jones and Fell stated that the (110) [112] and (112) [111] double texture was in better agreement with the measurements of Young's modulus for cold-rolled copper.' These authors also expressed their belief that the "roll texture" can be determined by means of two photographic quasi-fiber texture patterns taken with sheet specimens rotated around the rolling direction and the transverse direction, respectively. Jones and Fell found7 that the results obtained from such patterns for cold-rolled nickel did not agree with any of the orientations mentioned above, but they suggested that the observed diffraction spots may have been brought about by the overlapping of reflections due to the (110) [112] and (112) [11l] double texture components. Jones and Fell concluded that the (123) 14121 type orientation is inconsistent with their patterns. They also stated, without offering any supporting evidence, that this orientation is inconsistent with the (220) pole figure. "Ideal orientations" are often used for a very rough description of the principal orientations encountered in a texture, It is, however, well to remember the fact that, no matter how "accurate", these ideal orientations are only schematic representatives of a continuous distribution9, which often (as in the case of rolled copper) includes extensive orientation spreads. The attempt by Jones and Fell7 to use elastic modulus data in deciding between various ideal orientations in the rolling texture of copper neglects this fact. The inadequacy of two-dimensional "axis density figures" in describing orientation distributions in sheet textures was previously discussed.9 It was also pointed out9 that there is no reliable evidence to prove that orientation distributions derived by the "quasi-fiber method" from rotated sheet specimens are fully equivalent to the corresponding information obtainable from quantitative pole figures. The view that a sheet texture could be adequately determined by means of two photographic quasi-fiber texture patterns is obviously erroneous9. The question as to the consistency with the (220) pole figure of ideal orientations derived from the (111) and (200) pole figures is, on the other hand, certainly very relevant. Since no quantitative (220) pole figure for cold-rolled copper appears to be available in the literature, the following work was undertaken. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD An extruded rod of OFHC copper, 1 in. in diam, was given alternate rolling (30 to 35 pct R.A.) and

Jan 1, 1962

By Ulrich Langosch

In the 1990s the German mining industry introduced a new generation of shield supports. The new design of support has a maximum load capacity of 10,000 kN, making these units as strong as the shields used in Australia and in the USA. DMT took more than 3,100 underground observations in order to verify the roof fall frequency by statistical analysis. The results of this work have led to practical recommendations for roof control and the required shield support system on longwall faces. The underground observations have been correlated to Rock Mass Classification, to stress calculations and to the angle between the direction of the fissures and the direction of longwall mining_ The analysis work yielded the following two sets of results: 1. There is a critical distance between the canopy tip and the coal face (Tip to Face TF,n,). The TF,n, is predictable and relates to: the thickness of the first roof layer and its uniaxial compressive strength. The face support should have a TF that is less than the TFcrtt in every underground longwall situation. Exceeding the TF crit call immediately result in a roof fall. 2. Using the obtained regression equation DMT is able to calculate the probability of the roof fall frequency (FF), which describes the roof fall sensitivity. When TFcr;, is exceeded the predicted roof fall FF relates to: the measured support resistance (MSR) of the shield support the calculated vertical stress (p?) the fissure-direction index (DI = angle between main fissure direction and direction of mining) and the distance by which TFcrit is exceeded (ATF). Armed with these results DMT is now able to predict the critical distance between the tip of the canopy and the coal face (TFcrit), as well as the roof fall frequency, for all shield designs. By applying the new calculation method it is now possible to compare alternative longwall layouts and different shield support types under pre-set geological conditions. Mining engineers on site are therefore in a position to make the necessary roof control preparations required to run the longwall operation to maximum efficiency. The results provide a useful basis for making practical recommendations and for selecting the most effective design of shield support. The paper uses practical examples to demonstrate the R&D results and present the various methods now available for calculation and prediction in longwall roof control.

Jan 1, 2003

By E. C. Bohlen, H. l. Burghoff

The work reported in this paper was carried out to supplement the existing information concerning directional properties and recrystallization textures of annealed brass sheet and strip. These characteristics are of direct interest when the forming and drawing properties of such material are being considered. Among those who have made contributions in this field are Bass and G1ocker;l Bauer, Göler and Sachs;2 Phillips and Samans;3 Pratt;4 Price;5 Cook;6 Richards;7 Brick;8 and Brick and Williamson.9 These investigators have found, in general, that in brass strip that shows directional variations in properties, tensile strength has a minimum value and elongation has a maximum value at 45' to the rolling direction. The most pronounced directional properties have been found in material given the greatest reductions in rolling followed by high annealing temperatures. Recrystallization texture of brass has been variously reported as (II3)[II2], (ooi)[ioo], and a combination of (II0)[II5] and traces of the primary rolling texture, (110)[112]. The directional studies have been very informative, but actual tests appear to have been confined to material in its final condition. Tests at intermediate stages have received little attention although previous history of some materials has been partly considered. Perhaps the most comprehensive investigation was made by Cook,' who studied the directional properties of 70-30 brass strip for which the final and penultimate, or next to the last, anneals and the final reductions were varied. He found that, for any given combination of penultimate anneal and final reduction, the tendency toward the development of directional properties was reduced as the temperature of the final anneal was decreased. In addition to drawing cups and making tensile tests of the finished material at various angles to the rolling direction, he measured the frequency and the angles of twins in grains for several specimens. Plots of his twin counts showed directionality for the materials that produced eared cups. Test Materials and Equipment For this investigation, one commercial heat of 68-32 brass was cast in the form of bars for cold-rolling, I31/2 in wide and I1/2 in. thick. The analysis was as follows: 68.83 per cent copper, 0.04 per cent lead, 0.01 per cent iron, 31.12 per cent zinc (by difference). The bars were so processed to the final thickness, 0.020 in., as to obtain on this thickness all possible combinations of the variables listed below except those involving the sequence of 84 per cent penultimate reduction and 84 per cent final reduction: I. Penultimate reductions of 37 per cent, 50 per cent and 84 per cent; 2. Penultimate anneals at 800°, 900°, 1050° and 1200°F.; 3. Final reductions of 37 per cent, 50 per cent, 69 per cent and 84 per cent;

Jan 1, 1942

By L. F. Mondolfo

An investigation of the relationship between properties of the elements and type of binary diagram formed was conducted. It was found that, for each type of equilibrium diagram, the factors for the size, valence, electronegativity, period, melting point, entropies of fusion, and sublimation calculated for each pair of elements cover a range of values. However, these factors show sufficient relationship to the equilibrium diagram so that the correlation of several of them can be used to predict the type of diagram formed, or at least limit the choice to only a few types. ThE goal of the metallurgist concerned with alloy development has always been to find a method that predicts the properties that can be obtained when a certain metal is added to another one. In most cases a qualitative predictiton of properties can be made if the equilibrium diagram is known. However, this means that for new metals the alloy development has to start with the experimental determination of the equilibrium diagrams. Because this determination is at least as complicated and time-consuming as the determination of the properties themselves, most alloy development has taken place by trial and error, and the study of the equilibrium diagrams has followed rather than preceded the creation of new alloys. Alloy structures and properties depend on the interaction between electrons and a complete knowledge of these interactions would permit prediction of structure and properties of alloys. Unfortunately direct measurement of these interactions is extremely difficult and somewhat doubtful and only properties that depend on them can be measured easily and with certainty. Study of the relationship between properties of the elements and equilibrium diagrams is not new. Besides the well known Hume-Rothery rule of the necessity of an atomic diameter fit within 15 pct for extensive miscibility in the solid, and the wide knowledge of the effect of such factors as size, electronegativity, electron-atom ratio on solid state features,"' work relating to liquid state and liquid-solid reactions can be found in the literature. Of particular interest is the work by Axon,3 who investigated the effect of size and melting point on a selected number of eutectic and monotectic dia-

Jan 1, 1962

By C. M. Wayman, J. F. Breedis

The crystallography of the martensitic transformation in the Fe-30 Ni alloy was reinvestigated. The scatter in the habit Plane as determined from measurements on the mid-rib plane was smaller than reported previously, and the orientation relationship was determined from a martensite plate having known direction cosines. From agreement with crystallographic theory and from observations of the morphnlogy of the martensite plates, it is suggested that the mid-rib plane represents the starting region of the transformation. THE crystallography of the martensitic transformation in the iron-nickel system has been the subject of many investigations.&apos;-7 However, for iron alloys containing approximately 30 wt pct Ni, a wide scatter in the reported habit planes exists. In only one instance has a Laue determination of the orientation relationship been made, but the habit plane of the martensite plate studied was not determined experimentally. Because the most successful thermodynamic and kinetic analyses8 of the martensite transformation have been based on Fe-30 Ni alloys, it was considered desirable to reinvestigate the crystallographic features of the transformation in this alloy. Lieberman9 suggested that the most significant information for use in a theoretical treatment involves the determination of all the crystallographic observables from a single plate of the product phase. This was first done in essence by Greninger and Troiano10 for Fe-22 wt pct Ni-0.8 wt pct C, and is the method followed in this investigation. Some theoretical approaches11-13 in describing the martensitic transformation consider the overall transformation distortion to be comprised of a Bain distortion, or lattice deformation (PI, which produces the structure change, and a lattice invariant deformation (G), such as twinning, which together leave the interface or habit plane un-distorted. The incorporation of a rigid body rotation (R) results in a transformation distortion (E) such that the interface plane is left both undistorted and unrotated. In matrix notation, E = RPG where the lattice invariant deformation has "taken place" in the austenite. Bowles and Mackenzie14-16 in formulating a theoretical approach proposed an adjustable scaler quantity, denoted as 6, which represents a uniform dilation in the interface plane. This dilation acts to adjust the lattice spacings of the parent and product structures at the plane of contact. Using the dilation parameter as a variable, these authors were able to account for a continuous variation of habit planes in steels along a curve in the stereogram between {225}A and {259}A. she invariant line strain14 of the transformation is 6 RP, and the corresponding transformation distortion is E/6.) With the dilation parameter known, the invariant line is computed as the triple coincidence of the habit plane, the shear plane of the lattice invariant deformation, and the initial Bain cone.14 The contraction axis for the Bain distortion can be taken9&apos;17 as [010]A, and the correct permutation of the habit plane indices used. Kelly and Nutting 18 have established the shear plane (of twinning) in the tetragonal martensite of Fe-22 Ni-0.8C to be {112)M by means of transmission electron microscopy. The reasonable shear system is then {112}M which is equivalent to {011}A <01l>A. The as-

Jan 1, 1962

By Francisco Sena Leite, Vincius Miranda, PhD Machado Leite, PhD Pinto, Raquel Carvalhinha, Alexandre Julio, Dorival de Carvalho

Rock blasting, in particularly the drilling process, is one of the first processes in the stage of rock fragmentation and plays a fundamental role by influencing all the following stages. Given its importance, some proposals to optimize this process have been presented over the last few years. These proposals, while having different approaches, aim (in a large part) to minimize the costs of drilling and blasting respecting the limits of fragmentation required by primary crushing. Reviewing some recent articles leads us to an enriching experience, since the authors of these articles clearly model the problem, but do not address the mathematical solution of these models, which in turn, given their non-linear nature, have no directly and easy solution. Simple and even robust optimizers present in the market show different results and often do not converge to a single solution. To address this problem, an adapted gradient heuristicbased model was developed to try to find optimum values. Heuristics search for values of stemming, subdrilling, burden and spacing that minimize the costs of blasting and drilling. This search, which by the nature of the heuristic moves the solution in the direction of the gradient with maximum decrease to find optimal solution, found values that in turn, when compared with values presented by market solutions not only equaled them as, in some situations, even improved the proposed solution. The algorithm was tested and validated on the field, and although the results have already been presented in papers published in the last year by the authors of this paper, it is now presented with its mathematical formulation and comparison with the other solutions. This approach is expected to be able to improve (and even demystify) the process of pattern expansion and be the basis for future work in the continuation of the optimization process.

Jan 1, 2019

This chapter summarizes data on crude mineral production for the United States, its island possessions, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Included also are tables that show the principal mineral commodities exported from and imported into the United States, and that compare world and U.S. mineral production. Except for the mineral fuel commodities, the detailed data from which these tables were derived are contained in the individual commodity chapters of volume I and in the State chapters of volume II of this edition of the Minerals Yearbook. In October 1977, responsibility for the collection of data on mineral fuels-coal, petroleum, natural gas, and natural gas liquids-was transferred to the newly created Department of Energy. Although chapters covering these commodities will no longer appear in Volume I of the Minerals Yearbook, quantity and value data have been included in most of these summary tables to maintain statistical consistency in State and national value of overall crude mineral output. This shift in responsibility has also resulted in changes to the composition of the "Nonmetals? and "Mineral Fuels" groups in table 1 and table 2. The commodities-asphalt and related bitumens (natural), carbon dioxide (natural), helium, and peat-have been removed from the ?Mineral Fuels" group, and are now included under the "Nonmetals" group. There has been no change in the components of the "Metals" group.

Jan 1, 1981

By Douglas Scott

Highly stressed rock in stopes continues to be a primary safety risk for miners in underground mines because it can result in failures of ground that lead to both injuries and death. Spokane Research Laboratory personnel investigated electromagnetic (EM) emissions in a deep underground mine in an effort to determine if these emissions could be used as indicators of impending catastrophic ground failure. Results suggest that (1) there is no increase in the number of EM emissions prior to recorded seismic activity, (2) some EM signals are generated during blasting, (3) interference from mine electrical sources mask seismic-generated EM signals, (4) EM emissions do not give enough warning (compared to seismic monitoring) to permit miners to leave a stope, (5) the distance an EM signal can travel in the rock is between 17.7 and 39.6 m (58 and 130 ft), and (6) current data acquisition systems do not differentiate between EM signals generated from seismic activity and random mine electrical noise. These results preclude monitoring EM emissions as precursors of impending catastrophic ground failure.

Jan 1, 2004

By W. F. James, Richard Murphy, S. N. Kesten, A. H. Land

Introduction—by W. F. James and A. H. Lang This paper describes the geology and present state of development of uranium and thorium deposits in Canada. It is expected that this information will be added to that now being assembled from available American and British data to provide a background for engineers and others who may be called upon in the future to examine or search for radioactive deposits. Some generaliza- tions regarding the Canadian deposits are included, but many of these are necessarily tentative. The information contained in the paper is up to date for the end of 1948. The information contained in this paper has been derived from many sources. Much of it is from the records of the Canadian government-owned Eldorado Mining and Refining (1944) Limited and from examinations of government and private properties made by officers of the Geological Survey of Canada. Some information on privately-owned properties has been quoted from other sources mentioned in the text. The information has been assembled by W. F. James of Eldorado Mining and Refining (1944) Limited and A. H. Lang of the Geological Survey of Canada, who have written the sections for which they are credited. The description of the Eldorado mine is based on reports by Richard Murphy, formerly chief geologist for Eldorado; the report by Mr. Murphy was published previously by the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy,&apos; to whom the writers are indebted for permission to repub-lish. The section dealing with the geology of and development work in the Goldfields area, where Eldorado has important holdings, is by S. N. Kesten, field geologist for Eldorado. The geological diagram of the Goldfields area (fig. 2) was kindly supplied by A. M. Christie of the Geological Survey of Can-

Jan 1, 1951

By F. Keller, R. H. Brown

Because of the extensive use of Alclad 24s alloy sheet in aircraft construction, there is much interest in the metallurgical changes caused by heat-treatment of this product.1, 2 One of these changes is the result of the diffusion of soluble elements from the core into the coating during treatment. This paper deals with the thermal treatments that may influence diffusion and with the practical effects of diffusion on the serviceability of the product. As is well known, Alclad 24s-T sheet has a core of high-strength alloy combined with surface layers of relatively pure aluminum. The microstructure of a cross section of this product is shown by Fig. I. Not only does the relatively high-purity coating have a high resistance to corrosion, and hence serves as a mechanical barrier between the core metal and the corroding environment, but in addition this coating exerts electrochemical protection over areas where the core may be exposed, such as cut edges. In addition, the coating affords electrochemical protection to projecting heads of A17s-T, 17s-T and 24s-T rivets, or attached members made from these alloys. Under some conditions of heat-treatment, however, diffusion of copper into the coating will alter the electrochemical relationship between the coating and the core to the extent that only partial protection will be obtained under some corrosive conditions. The reason for the electrochemical protection lies in the fact that the coating layers of pure aluminum are anodic to the alloy core. The addition of copper to aluminum produces alloys in which the potential is lower than that of the pure metal. Moreover, as the amount of copper in solid solution in 24s alloy is increased, the potential of the alloy becomes more cathodic. When heat-treated at 920°F. and quenched in cold water, 24s-T is about 0.16 volt cathodic to pure aluminum. However, copper will diffuse from the core into the coating, and if it reaches the surface the potential will be altered in a cathodic direction. Thus the potential difference between the core and coating may be less than 0.16 volt, depending uponIthe thickness of the coating, and the time and temperature of heat-treatment. Of the methods available for determining the extent of diffusion of copper from the core into the coating of Alclad 24s-T, two are generally used; namely, the metallo-graphic and the solution potential methods.3 Metallographic Methods Metallographic methods will reveal the progress of diffusion of copper into the coating. For instance, the diffusion zone in the coating intermediate between the coating surface and the core is shown in Fig. I. This photomicrograph is of a polished and etched cross section of 0.040-in. Alclad 24s-T sheet. Diffusion proceeds into the coating more rapidly along the grain boundaries than through the body of the grains. Consequently, the diffusion zone is not of uniform width

Jan 1, 1944

By Benton L. Tibbetts

Comprehensive geophysical measurements were made in the Tertiary Channel gravel deposits of Badger Hill, Calif., with the refraction seismograph, gravimeter, and well logging equipment, to develop a three-dimensional physical model of the gold-bearing gravels. Tests were also made of the applicability of magnetometer and electrical resistivity techniques. Results of 14 seismic profiles revealed four distinct layers with velocities of 1,600 ft/sec for loose gravel, 5,900 ft/sec for compact gravel, 8,600 ft/sec for cemented, blue gravel, and 15,500 ft/sec for bedrock. The depth to bedrock along the middle of the channel varied from a minimum of 100 feet in the hydraulically mined pit area to a maximum of about 300 feet in the upper bench area immediately south of the pit. These geophysical methods revealed that 40 percent of the drill holes necessary to delineate the deposit could be eliminated, at a cost saving of at least 30 percent.

Jan 1, 1971

By Franklyn Oatman

IN order that the conditions which obtain in an oil well may be readily understood, a brief description of a typical California well and. a number of the phenomena accompanying same will be given. That the necessity for the exclusion of water be realized, the effects of water intrusion, a description of methods of prevention, and a discussion of causes of failure will be presented, followed by a summary and recommendations. Fig. 1 shows a section of a typical well which illustrates the relation of oil sands to overlying strata. It indicates a deep water sand separated from the oil sand by shale, and the proper place for the final shutting off of water. In this well a comparatively thick stratum of compact shale protected the oil from overlying water so that the operation of landing the water string was a simple matter. In some wells the protecting stratum may be only from 3 to 5 ft. thick and very careful operation is necessary in order to land the water string of casing properly and not puncture through to the oil sand. The cases just cited are common, but occasionally, after excluding overlying water, productive oil sands are drilled through in the expectation of finding more productive underlying sand, and a water-bearing stratum is tapped. In this case the problem is the reverse of the normal; water must be prevented from ascending rather than descending. A discussion of well-drilling methods is not within the scope of this paper, except such operations as pertain to shutting off of water. A brief outline of the several conditions which may accompany drilling follows. Some or all may be present in any particular case. The direct relation of these to prevention of intrusion will he discussed in detail further on. In drilling, the hole. becomes more or less irregular in shape, and rough, and as the casing follows the bit into the well it does not fit snugly against the walls. As a result, water may descend between the casing and walls of the well. If a circulation pump is not used during drilling, the hole is simply punched through and the pulverized material removed from the well by means of a bailer. If circulation is maintained there is a continual flow of water down inside the casing and up around the outside between the pipe and the walls of hole. This keeps an open. space around the pipe.

Jan 3, 1914

By S. S. Peng

In recent years many roof falls have been conveniently attributed to the adverse existence of a high horizontal stress. The normal practice of not conducting a follow-up study in a roof fall investigation usually leads to a wrong conclusion. This paper describes two cases of massive oriented roof falls in two separate room and pillar mines. The investigation in each case involved the analysis of past history and current conditions from which remedial measures were recommended and implemented. A follow-up period of up to three years was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the recommended remedial measures. In both cases, high horizontal stress was proven positively not the cause, contrary to the original conviction of mine management Rather, a weak immediate roof was the basic cause Under a weak immediate roof, a proper roof bolting plan and adequate entry width and intersection span must be strictly observed.

Jan 1, 1999

By Keith Jones, Martin Knights, Timothy Watson

In 1996 a KBR (Brown and Root) led international JV was appointed to design and supervise an underground and surface package. The design of 6 km of tunnels, plus enlargements, deep shafts in glacial and sandstone deposits for the conversion of the existing LEP underground laboratory at CERN, Geneva adjacent to the Jura Mountains/Lake Geneva had to be undertaken in an operational environment and in conjunction with other underground constructions associated with the US$3bn refurbishment.

Jan 1, 2003

The explosion at Appin Colliery on July 24th, 1979, demonstrated the need for a large scale facility to simulate an underground type explosion and study its effects. The effects of an explosion cannot be established quantitat- ively using small scale models. A gallery was constructed for this purpose at Londonderry Centre and commissioned in Feb- ruary, 1980. It is 50 metres long, 2.7 metres in diameter, capable of withstanding an internal pressure of 210 kPa and is the only facility available for this purpose in Australia. The gallery has provided valuable inform- ation on blast effects of explosions in tunnels and is to be used for testing the performance of explosion arresting devices, further invest- igation of explosion effects, research into basic explosion phenomena and instrumentation development. Additionally, it will provide a demonstration facility for training purposes.

Jan 1, 1981

By P Worsey, B Lane

The recommended maximum explosive weight for boulder blasting using internal charges is 0.15 kg/m 3 (Olofsson, 1988). Normally this charge results in excessive scattering and flyrock, creating increased liability for the operator, especially in congested areas. An alternative technique using smaller explosive charges is being developed at the University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR). It is designed to reduce boulder scatter, flyrock and fumes and allows shooting in close proximity, using common blasting products. The method comprises drilling a hole into the top of the boulder, inserting a small primer, filling the hole with water and shooting it. The hole is drilled approximately two thirds into the boulder and the charge (10 g/m 3 ) is placed half way into the hole filled with water. Upon initiation the primer produces a small volume of gas at extremely high pressure which acts upon the surrounding (relatively incompressible) water. The water transmits this pressure to the surrounding blasthole, hydraulically fracturing the rock. As the fractures propagate and the boulder expands a rapid increase in the blasthole volume occurs. Because of the small charge the gas pressure quickly dissipates reducing rock movement, resulting in a fractured boulder with minimal material leaving the immediate vicinity. The current work includes both laboratory and field testing programs. The laboratory program is focussed on determining optimum parameters at reduced scale using concrete cubes. The field program focuses on determining a minimum powder factor and includes shooting smaller boulders up to 1 m 3 underground and 1.5 to 5 m 3 boulders in a surface quarry. In both cases the boulders were obtained as oversize from regular production blasts.

Jan 1, 1999

By Caress ME, Knight MD

The eruption 75,000 y ago of the Younger Toba Tuff ignimbrite and associated ash-fall ranks as the greatest known volcanic event of the past million years. The ignimbrite is known to cover 21,000 km2 (it may extend farther under alluvium of the coastal plain) and forms a low-angle depositional shield centered on the Lake Toba caldera. The ignimbrite is largely nonwelded and shows systematic outward decreases in lithic and crystal contents and clast sizes. Coarse lithic lag breccias that occur at places 85 km apart point to two or more vents on a fissure having this length. The extensive associated ash-fall traceable as far as Malaysia and India is evidently a co-ignimbrite ash but could have a phreatomag-matic component. The Lake Toba caldera measures95 x 35 km and is >1 kn deep. It is not a single caldera but comprises several contiguous depressions and grabens diversified by two re-surgent domes. Earlier parts of the caldera are related to at least two earlier ignimbrites including the Older Toba Tuff dated by Chesner at 0.5 Ma. The caldera is elongated parallel to, and is only 25 km from, the great Sumatra strike-slip fault, and it can be considered almost certain that the caldera is in part a kind of pull-apart structure. The ignimbrites are very crystal-rich. There is no reason to think basaltic magma was involved in their emplacement. Together with ash-falls they have a total volume of several thousand cubic kilometers. They can be categorized as originating from partially crystallized granitic magmas that erupted because tectonic pull-apart occurred several times across the pluton. Small rhyolitic lava domes on fault-lines comprise the youngest volcanic products.

Jan 1, 1990

By T. A. Rickard

The Cripple Creek district occupies a cluster of foot-hills on the south side of Pike&apos;s Peak and is a portion of an extensive, though uneven, plateau which unites the eastern range of the Rocky mountains with the Sangre de Cristo. It is essentially a small volcanic area, of about 20 square miles, amid the granite of the Front range. But though, when regarded as a rich mining district, it may be considered as an isolated area,* yet, geologically, it is, as Whitman Cross has pointed out, only an outlying portion of a much larger volcanic region, which stretches to the south and west, around Silver Cliff and the Rosita hills, forming the picturesque country cut by the deep cañons of the Arkansas river and its tributaries. The mines are situated amid a volcanic complex, consisting of tuffs and breccias which have been penetrated by an extensive system of dikes and other intrusive masses. The prevailing formation is an andesite breccia, which lies upon the worn surface of the granite and fills the deep basin around a volcanic vent. The breccia, since its deposition, has been broken into by several eruptions of phonolite and, later still, by a series of thin dikes of basalt and other allied rocks of a highly basic composition. The successive sedimentary formatione which, elsewhere in Colorado, lie upon the basal granite, are not represented in the district; whatever sediments were laid down before the volcanic period must have been removed by erosion, and there is very little evidence which affords a datum-line whereby the geological age of the volcanic eruptions can be determined. Whit-

Jan 1, 1901