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By E. Baliktsis

We have searched and analyzed several modern technologies aiming at the best applications of environmental management, the studying of quarrying ? mining as well as the excavation sites ? utilization ? rehabilitation. We have used long-range reflectorless laser surveying systems, so as to achieve the fastest and most accurate surveying of the extractive work sites. We also used them, in order to collect field data, measure distances, surveying monitoring stations and environmental parameters ? data. Furthermore these systems can make the field work quite faster, more reliable and credible and have low cost in collecting data even in dangerous and non-approachable areas. We have used and processed on the field data in G.I.S. applications, in order to create 2-D and 3-D digital ground models. These G.I.S. applications present the existing relief and the management of the final stage of the area. The suggested techniques and works needed, for reclamation and utilization of the areas, could be tried, evaluated and well presented. The evolution and utilization of these ?smart? modern tools for the effective environmental management of quarrying ? mining ? extractive activity sites, will be presented by using case histories from the Hellenic territory.

Jan 1, 2002

By George E. Fish

This report describes investigations conducted by the Bureau of Mines from 1957 through 1959 in the Roseland anorthosite-titanium belt of Nelson and Amherst Counties, Va., for the purpose of studying the titanium resources of the area. Three titanium deposits containing much saprolite ore derived from the decomposition of anorthosite and diorite were selected for detailed study Following a reconnaissance of the reported titanium occurrences in the belt. These three deposits occur in or are associated with anorthosite. Most of the occurrences are situated on or near the contact between the anorthosite and the gneissic country rock. The saprolite deposits are as much as 1.5 miles long, 1,000 feet wide, and 100 teat deep and contain significant reserves of titanium-bearing material estimated in excess of 20 million tons. Where it was penetrated by drilling, the unweathered rock beneath the saprolite contains nearly the same titanium values as the saprolite.

Jan 1, 1962

By W. E. Wrather

CURTAILMENT of production was a matter of far more serious concern to the oil industry through 1933 than the search for new supplies of oil. The huge reserves of crude, built up during past years, instead of inspiring a feeling of security, were viewed apprehensively. The status of past laws and court decisions seemed to guarantee to operators the right to produce oil at will, and this entrenched privilege was so widely adhered to that the market was-in a constant state of chaos. The more modern idea of the ownership of oil in place and correlative rights gained headway slowly, since usually there were enough belligerent producers, staunch believers in the old established order, to defeat the efforts of the majority who sought to' introduce order and restraint. State regulatory commissions were unable to cope, with the rebellion among producers with the result that those who abided by proration rulings were penalized, while those who flouted the rulings and produced unrestrainedly were able to make profits on large volumes of flush oil even at low prices. This situation, known in the vernacular as the "hot 'oil" problem, became so acute that the industry was threatened with ruin. The low price for 36c A.P.I. in the Mid-Continent came in April. at 25c per barrel 'but gradually moved upward to the long-hoped for price of $1.00 per barrel in October, after the Federal Government had taken a hand in the matter and effectively allocated production among the oil producing states and materially curbed the "hot oil" runs.

Jan 1, 1934

By Robertson AC

Studies by Tennent, Isokangas Pty Ltd (TIP) have indicated that underground quarrying of backfill may be a cost competitive option for providing backfill for specialised situations in underground mining. Situations where suitable bulk fill material may not be available on the surface, and where the total cost of setting up a fill distribution system are prohibitive, could favour the mining of fill material underground adjacent to the stopes being mined. Considerations include environmental impact, scheduling, surface constraints and total costs. The examples quoted in this paper, and the case studies are based on the authors' personal observations and experience.

Jan 1, 1998

By L. M. Demers, D. C. Kuhn

"Kuhn, Douglas C., and Laurence M. Demers. Effect of surfactant on basal and silica-induced eicosanoid production by the alveolar macrophage. Am. J . Physiol. 269 (Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 13): L165-Ll 70, 1995.-Infiammation and fibrosis subsequent to the inhalation of certain mineral dust particles has been suggested to result from the activation of eicosanoid synthesis by the alveolar macrophage (AM). To determine if surfactant modifies dust-induced generation of eicosanoids by the AM, we evaluated the effect of the surfactant lipid dipalmitoyl lecithin (DPL) on the production of eicosanoids by rat AM exposed to respirable silica dust in vitro. During the first 24-h exposure period, DPL alone significantly increased basal production of eicosanoids but completely inhibited silica-induced thromboxane A2 synthesis. In contrast, leukotriene B4 (LTB4 ) production was only partially reduced by DPL. During a second 24-h exposure period, LTB4 production in response to the highest dose of silica remained significantly elevated in the presence of DPL. Similar results were obtained when the surfactant preparation Survanta was evaluated. These results suggest that 1 ) DPL and Survanta independently activate AM eicosanoid production, 2) DPL and Survanta modulate the response of the AM to silica dust, and 3) L TB4 may be the most important eicosanoid mediator of the long-term effects of silica dust exposure on lung pathophysiology. THE OXYGENATED METABOLITES of arachidonic acid (AA) (here collectively termed eicosanoids) have been implicated as important regulators of lung physiology and are thought to be involved in pathophysiological sequelae such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, asthma, and the pulmonary complications of sepsis (20). This role is manifested through both direct effects on lung physiology as well as through an indirect modulatory effect on the release of other mediators of lung injury, in particular profibrotic cytokines such as the interleukins and tumor necrosis factor (15). Recently, exaggerated eicosanoid production by both the alveolar macrophage (AM) and the type II epithelial cell has been demonstrated to result from the exposure of these cells to several particulates, including crystalline silica (quartz) dust (5, 9, 17). These observations have led to the suggestion that eicosanoids play a major role in the etiology of pneumoconioses.Another secretory component of the pulmonary environment, surfactant, has been shown to modulate crucial AM functions, such as bactericidal activity and the recruitment of circulating immune cells (25). Indeed, an important feature of the lung's reaction to inhaled mineral dust is an increase in surfactant production, perhaps as a compensatory or protective response (1, 16). In addition, the alteration of the surface properties of mineral dust by surfactant or its components has been shown to influence the biochemical response of the AM to the dust, perhaps by altering the surface charge of the dust particle (11, 29, 32). And recently, Wallace et al. (28) have shown that the coating of mineral dust with surfactant, and its subsequent removal by lysosomal phospholipase, unmasks differences in dust cytotoxicity that are not apparent when AM are exposed to uncoated dust. Thus it appears that the inclusion of surfactant in in vitro exposure studies may be important in evaluating both the absolute levels of eicosanoid production by the normal and dust-exposed AM and the temporal relationship between dust exposure and the production of inflammatory mediators by the AM. Therefore, we characterized the effects of the surfactants dipalmitoyl lecithin (DPL; the primary lipid component of natural surfactant) and Survanta (a commercially available surfactant derived from bovine lung) on basal and silica-induced AM eicosanoid production during two 24-h periods after exposure to dust particles to both allow the enzymatic removal of surfactant from the particle surface and evaluate the k"

Dec 1, 1996

By G. G. Eichholz

SUMMARY RADIOACTIVE dynamite has been prepared by introducing a small amount of antimony-124 into the explosive. Test work is described on the effectiveness of this tracer, on radiation levels in its neighbourhood, and on different methods of .application. Factors determining the choice of isotope, amount of activity, and overall cost of this process are discussed. INTRODUCTION Instances are known in which dynamite remains unexploded in drill holes in mining operations. Usually such 'bootlegs' are easily located by inspection of the face and the powder is removed before subsequent drilling is started. Occasionally, however, serious accidents occur because workmen drill into an undetected piece of dynamite. In order to avoid such accidents it was suggested that a different method of location might be tied, such as that afforded by the use of radioactive tracers. This paper describes some experiments that were carried out under the auspices of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys, with the active co-operation of Canadian Industries Ltd. and Canadian Refractories Ltd., to test the feasibility of such a scheme.

Jan 1, 1957

On Feb. 16, 2012, the Polish coal mining company Lubelski Wegiel Bogdanka S.A. set the world record for daily production from a plow-equipped longwall, with an output of 24.4 kt (26,900 st) of coal from a single face. The company commissioned the first Cat longwall system at its Bogdanka Mine, near Lublin in eastern Poland, in March 2010 and within six months had raised the bar to nearly 17 kt/d (18,700 stpd) of cut coal. Since then, Bogdanka has continued to increase its daily output with a plow face that began mining in the new 7/VII/385 panel last October, taking the world record to new levels. In addition to the record output achievement, the plow face advanced more than 27 m (89 ft) at a 1.63-m- (5.3-ft-) cutting height. ?We thought this achievement would be impossible for any shearer in seam heights as low as this,? said Zbigniew Stopa, vice president of Bogdanka.

Jan 1, 2012

By CORA ROELOFS

In the USA, miners are at higher risk for work-related disorders that could precipitate an opioid prescription, injury-related opioid prescriptions, and opioid overdose. We aimed to support prevention of these outcomes with an “opioid hazard awareness” miner safety training module. In January and February 2020, the training module was embedded within required mining safety and health training for stone, sand, and gravel miners in Massachusetts (USA). Training impact and reception were assessed with a pre- and post-training survey of trainee characteristics, training content knowledge, and attitudes. Over 800 miners were trained and over 600 responded to surveys. We found statistically significant improvements in opioid risk factor knowledge and knowledge of resources to help a coworker. Nonstigmatizing attitudes were high both at baseline and following the training. The training was perceived as relevant and useful by trainees. Improving opioid hazard awareness in high-risk worker populations has potential to reduce opioid dependence and downstream impacts including overdose death. Employer injury-prevention efforts should be reinforced while worker health and safety training enhances awareness of opioid-related harms and prevention strategies for miners and other high-risk worker populations.

Nov 19, 2021

By R. J. Seibel

A statistical comparison of the dust exposures of coal miners with identical occupations in Pittsburgh, Pocahontas, Freeport, and Kittanning seams was conducted. Results indicated that, in some cases, identical occupations have different dust exposures in different seams. For example, the continuous miner operator in the Pittsburgh and Pocahontas seams is exposed to more dust than the same man in the Kittanning seam, but the Kittanning seam has more dust along the haulage roads than the other seams. Also, average dust exposures for similar occupations in continuous and conventional mining operations are similar.

Jan 1, 1974

By B. Waterman, D. Ramey, L. Schlink

"Water is a primary commodity for most industrial processes. It has become a global focus in light of climate change and population growth. Reuse of process water has two major benefits - minimize the amount of fresh water added now and minimize the amount of discharge water that requires treatment later.Mining and mine product processing has its share of reused water. For example, reclaim water from a tailings impoundment, overflow from thickeners and leach solution to raffinate and back again all demonstrate the use and reuse of water in mining circuits. Eventually, a mine reduces production or ceases operations completely, eliminating the option to reuse the impacted water and, thus, requires treatment of the remaining water.Current methods of water treatment remove the impacts, providing clean water for discharge, but leaves behind a concentrated waste that requires further treatment or disposal of a hazardous waste. Freeport- McMoRan is currently testing three water treatment technologies specific for sulfate and/or metal removal from mine impacted water with the approach of transformation not concentration. These technologies provide clean water for alternative use while creating byproducts that could be marketable, or disposed as a nonhazardous material, thereby reducing the cost and longterm liability of disposal.The selection of a water treatment process is site-specific. The volume of water, contaminant to be removed, disposal options, length of time for treatment, location of plant and reagents and discharge requirements are some of the factors that need to be considered when selecting a water treatment process. Common water treatment technologies for mine impacted water consist of low- or high-density sludge (LDS/ HDS), reverse osmosis (RO) and evaporative technologies. In addition to operating costs, these processes require additional handling of the concentrated sludge or brine. Advanced water treatment technologies include ion exchange, solvent extraction and metals precipitation with or without the aid of a biological system. Some of the more complex systems have a series of unit operations to achieve required discharge regulations."

Jan 1, 2014

By George A. Morgan

The production and processing of crude petroleum and natural gas are the dominant economic sectors of the Middle East. Development of downstream petrochemical and fertilizer industries continues as a major investment area. In 1993, the 15 countries that constituted the region accounted for 29 % of world crude petroleum output, 19 % of world natural gas plant liquid production, and 6 % of world dry natural gas production. Only Cyprus and Lebanon were not crude petroleum producers. Regional output was up for most major mineral commodities. A major exception was phosphate rock, which declined sharply owing to reduced worldwide demand. Total crude petroleum output declined by over 100 Mbbls, again owing to slack demand in the major industrial countries.

Jan 1, 1995

By Robert F. Chaiken

An absorption-desorption model of particle reactivity was employed to describe the observed relationship between two apparently diverse phenomena which have been the subject of considerable study at the U.S. Bureau of Mines: (1) coal-rock dust reflectance and (2) coal-rock dust explosibility. The model accounts for heterogeneities in particle-size and material properties; however, in the present report, only particle-size distribution is considered. A mean particle-size parameter, appropriate to the explosion extinction process, is derived, and then taken as appropriate to describing optical reflectance. The derived form-to-function relationships for the two processes, when compared with experimental data, suggest that a problem exists with previously derived theory relating optical reflectance to rock dust concentration. A reexamination of that theory leads to a new theoretical expression, changed by a factor of 2, for the variation of rock dust concentration with reflectance which is in quite good agreement with experimental results. The current work offers justification for measuring and establishing rock dust requirements for specific coal dust size distribution(s) found in the mine-distributions that undoubtedly depend on the mining method and the type of coalbed.

Jan 1, 2010

By A. U. Miller

Since coal -mining records have been kept , reports of all mining States show that each year the lives of many workers have been sacrificed in the production of coal , and Illinois has contributed its share , Illinois reports for the 50 years 1882 to 1932 , inclusive , show that 6,673 men were killed -- 6,121 underground , 340 in the shaft , and 212 on the surface . Of the fatalities underground , 3,116 were caused by falls of roof or sides , 1,111 by haulage , 630 by explosives , 577 by gas explosions , 139 by electricity, and 548 by other causes ; 166 of the shaft fatalities were caused by falling down the shaft , 143 by the cage , and 31 by other causes ; 108 of the surface fatalities were caused by railroad cars , 46 by machinery , and 58 by other causes . Most of those engaged in mining are still of the opinion that it is an extremely hazardous occupation and that it is practically impossible to operate without accidents ; however , students of safety in mining now believe that with the proper attention to accident prevention mining may be conducted with little , if any , greater accident rate than that of other supposedly hazardous industries . There is no mystery connected with accidents in mining ; reports show that the majority are due to two main causes , falls of roof and sides and haulage . Mining companies in Illinois , as well as in other States , have proved in the past few years that the hazards of mining , like those of other industries , can be controlled to a large extent and the mines operated with few if any accidents , provided a great enough effort is made by employer and worker . Although the past accident rate of Illinois may compare favorably with that of other mining States it is higher than it should be ; the fact that 6,673 men (an average of 133.46 per year) were killed in and around the mines of the State between 1882- and 1932 indicates that accident prevention should receive more consideration in the future than in the past .

Nov 1, 1934

By Thomas, J. Elmer

WHEN the price of crude oil was advanced on July 26, 1928, with some 4,000,000 bbl. daily of potential production shut in under proration regulations, and with as much more new production shortly available from semi-proved undrilled reserves, students of the oil industry were made to realize that a new order of things now prevailed in petroleum economics. A new interpretation of the law of supply and demand had taken the place of the archaic method of influencing current production by changing crude price levels. Proration had caused the change. The long period of over-production just experienced, the prospects of a potential over-supply far into the future, had set up certain forces which brought about some fundamental changes. Their cause, effect and future influence can best be developed by a detailed study of the history of the period since war-time regulation

Jan 1, 1928

By K B. Bowley

This paper covers the application of a systematic maintenance plan by the Plant Engineering Department of Rio Algom Mines Limited, Milliken Division. The plan established the function of work study, developed and installed formal work planning and labour cost control procedures, and extended the existing preventive maintenance routines. In June, 1961, assisted by management consultants, a more scientific approach to maintenance was instituted. The emphasis was placed on the control of labour. The development and application of the primary control system was established with-in six months. Since then, the Department has operated for a year, consolidating the system. The procedure of the installation, the results achieved and the results to be expected will be discussed. JNTRODUCTION THE Milliken Division of Rio Algom Mines Limited operates a 3,000-ton-per-day uranium mine, in the Elliot Lake district of Ontario, which went into production in April of 1958. The lowest operating level is 3,000 feet below surface. Mining is carried out by open stopping, with planned pillar support and footwall haulage on rail.

Jan 1, 1963

By L. M. Pidgeon

MAGNESIUM metal, with a specific gravity of 1.73, is two-thirds the weight of aluminium and one-quarter that of steel. It is the lightest metal which is stable in the atmosphere. Before the war it had begun, though somewhat slowly, to take a place among the established metals. In 1939, magnesium production on this continent amounted to some 3,000 tons per annum and was confined to one company. At that time, Germany produced perhaps 20,000 tons. The advent of war, however, increased the demand to fantastic heights and introduced production problems of unprecedented magnitude. By the end of 1943, North American production is expected to reach 300,000 tons per annum (1), an increase of one hundredfold. Such a rate of expansion has not been witnessed previously in the history of metallurgy. It has given the metallurgist an opportunity to try new production methods and to learn in a short time what might otherwise have taken many years. The metallurgy of magnesium is still in its formative years and at this time widely different production methods are in operation side by side. This paper will discuss these methods in so far as information is available for publication at this time. A general description of the new Canadian industry will be included.

Jan 1, 1944

By Margaret R. Egan

A study of the combustion emission products of rigid ventilation ducting was completed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The ducting was composed of fiberglass-reinforced polyester resin. Four properties of the ducting were evaluated: (1) propensity to ignite, (2) smoke characteristics, (3) gas emissions, and (4) heat release. Particle sizes, obscuration, optical densities, and production constants for gas and smoke were also calculated. These results provide comprehensive data about the emission products, detectability, and relative hazards of fiberglass-reinforced plastic ducting and other mine combustibles under realistic fire conditions.

Jan 1, 1990

By Orlando E. Romig

As metals and alloys are composed of an aggregate of allotriomorphic crystals or grains, each possessing an individual orientation, the physical characteristics of a metal or an alloy are closely related to the properties of the individual crystals. The preparation and study of single metallic crystals are, therefore, matters of considerable importance. The advent of the X-ray spectrograph as a valuable metallurgical tool has magnified the importance of this subject, because the interpretation of some X-ray spectrographs is difficult unless single crystals are used in these studies. Previous Work The first paper, as far as the writer knows, on the behavior or preparation of single crystals of metals is by Baker.' He describes the behavior of extruded wires of sodium and potassium. These wires, when pulled in tension, instead of showing the usual conical fracture common to most metals, had a chisel-shaped fracture when they were broken. I and 11, Fig. 1, have a similar fracture. Baker checked his results by preparing single crystal wires from molten sodium and potassium and observing their properties. He pre- pared the wires by filling glass tubes, under oil, with the molten metal. The surfaces of the strained wires showed slip bands of remarkable clearness of which photographs are shown in his paper. He concluded that these wires were single crystals and "that the portions of the metal brought into play are cubes. Such cubes, when placed so that a plane through two opposite edges was parallel to the axis of the wire, would allow of lateral contraction by faces gliding over one another in one direction only and not in the direction at right angles."

Jan 1, 1927

By M. E. Lombardi

IN comparison with the mining industry the petroleum industry is new and inexperienced, and until now it might have been called the fortunate industry. Its great good fortune consisted in two things; a bountiful supply hidden by nature in the rocks of the earth, and a steady and large increase, during the past twenty-five years, in the demand for petroleum products. It is a remarkable fact that consumption of gasoline in the United States has shown an increase every year since automobiles first became important, and even in 1930 there was a four per cent increase, in spite of the universal depression; the estimated increase if the times had been normal, was ten per cent. This industry has, therefore, not passed

Jan 1, 1931

By Ernest E. Berger

"INTRODUCTIONOne of the outstanding problems in the normetallic industries, and one which involves two of the greatest of these industries, cement and gypsum, is the reaction of Portland cement with calcium sulphate. To all Portland cement clinker there is added in the manufacturing process, a small amount of retarder, as a necessary ingredient of the finished product. This retards the initial set, increases the strength, and adds to the plasticity of the cement so it will have the desired working and setting qualities. The retarder commonly used is gypsum, (CaSOA.2HO), which is the hydrous form calcium sulphate. Calcium sulphate is also available as plaster of Paris (CaSO4 1/2 HC) and anhydrite (CaSO4). The purpose of this inquiry was to determine the form or mixture of forms best adapted for retarder. The problem is complicated by the fact that cement clinker is a complex mixture of calcium silicates and aluminates, and that clinker from different mills, making cement of approximately equal quality, differs considerably in chemical constitution. Thus the same retarder may give very different results with different types of clinker, especially in the percentage of retarder required for the same degree of retardation.It has been known for some time that a small percentage of plaster of Paris will greatly retard the time of set of Portland cement as well as increase its strength and plasticity, but whether gypsum and anhydrite will have a similar effect is as such disputed question. The offects of gypsum have received little consideration in laboratory research because, even though it will not retard a clinker when the two are mixed in the laboratory, as has been noted in some instances, the cement will have a normal set when the two arc mixed in the large tube mill at the plant, so that practically, gypsum seems to be equally as goou as plaster of Paris, and because of the great saving in cost it has been used almost exclusively."

Sep 1, 1925