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By R. M. Santmyers

"Quartz and silica not only occur in diversified forms in nature but find a multiplicity of uses in industry. The purpose of the present paper is to assemble brief summaries of the many widely differing industries engaged in the production and preparation of these minerals in their principal commercial forms. Due to the scope of the subject it was though advisable to divide the paper into three parts. Part I deals with the subject of quartz and silica in general. It also contains a flow sheet of silica from deposit to consumer (fig. 1). Part II covers the uses and other economic factors of quartz, quartzite, and sandstone, the varieties of silica found in consolidated form. Part III deals with sand and miscellaneous silicas such as tripoli and diatomite. A chart showing the major ramifications of these industries is presented herewith as an introduction to the more detailed discussion that follows.For a more intensive study of many branches of the quartz and silica industries the reader is referred especially to Bulletin 263 of the United States Bureau of Mines, Technology and Uses of Silica and Sand by W. M. Weigel. For annual statistics relative to silica and its products in the United States he is referred to the annual chapters of Mineral Resources of the United States, entitled ""Silica,"" ""Sand and Gravel,"" and ""Abrasives."" With respect to diatomite reference is made to Diatomite, by Paul Hatmaker, recently issued by the U. S. Bureau of Mines as Information Circular 6391. In preparing this paper the author has drawn freely from these sources as well as Marketing of Metals and Minerals, by J. E. Spurr and F. E. Wormser; Non-Metallic Minerals, Occurrence, Preparation and Utilization, by Raymond B. Ladoo; and Abrasives - Part I, Siliceous Abrasives, by V. L. Eardley-Wilmot, Report 573, Mines Brand, Department of Mines, Ottawa, 1927.Acknowledgment is also made to the Foote Mineral Co., which has published in Foote-Prints (vol. 2 of 1929 and vol. 1 of 1930), comprehensive reviews of the uses of crystal quartz in the optical industry and as piezo¬electric crystals.The various forms of silica have attracted attention from the earliest times, and the water-clear crystallized variety was known to the Greeks as""krystallos"" (clear ice), being supposed by them to have been formed from water by the intense cold of the Alps; hence the name ""crystal"" or more commonly ""rock crystal,"" applied to this variety. The name quartz is an old German word of uncertain origin used by G. Agricola in 1529.Silica or silica dioxide (Si02) either free or in combination with other elements constitutes 59.08 per cent of the lithosphere, and quartz alone represents fully 12 per cent` of all rocks. Next to the feldspar group quartz is the most abundant mineral in the earth's crust; and it appears in a greater number of varieties and modes of occurrence than any other mineral. Silica or quartz occurs in crystalline, cryptocrystalline, microcrystalline, and amorphous forms. The most common, however, is the crystalline form, which occurs as three minerals, quartz, tridymite, and crystobalite, and of these three tridymite and crystobalite are quite rare in nature."

Aug 1, 1931

By Edward P. Barrett

DURING the past few years numerous references have been made in the technical press and Bureau of Mines Bulletin 270 to sponge iron' and so-called "direct metal" processes. The idea has been prevalent that sponge iron and "direct metals" are cheap commodities. In many instances it has been proposed that these processes be used to treat low-grade ores, utilizing low-grade coals as reducing agents. It is questionable whether or not high-grade sponge iron can be made from low-grade materials. Particles contain¬ing iron oxide and gangue become, upon almost complete deoxidation, particles containing metallic' iron and gangue. The possibility of mechanically separating the metallic iron from the gangue in these particles depends . on the physical characteristics of the particular ore under treatment. Some ores, in which the minerals constituting the gangue break free from the iron oxide upon crushing, may be concentrated magnetically after the iron oxides have been reduced to metal. The finely disseminated ores are least amenable to concentration. In general, high-grade sponge iron can only be made from high-grade raw materials. Sponge iron containing small amounts of sulfur can only be made from raw materials containing small amounts of sulfur or by

Jan 1, 1930

By John W. Shield

Oxide gold reserves are being rapidly depleted, especially in regions with long histories of gold mining, such as the Black Hills of South Dakota. However, these districts often have substantial additional deposits, where gold is refractory. It is not amenable to traditional cyanide extraction due to the presence of sulfide minerals that encapsulate or otherwise preclude the economic extraction of the gold. Several technologies have been developed to render refractory sulfide deposits amenable to traditional cyanide processing. These include roasting and pressure autoclaving. Unfortunately, these oxidation processes require substantial capital investment and incur significant operating costs. Microorganisms that obtain energy for their life processes by the oxidation of iron sulfides can be used to treat gold-bearing refractory sulfide minerals. As the bacteria convert the sulfide to sulfate, they expose any gold associated with the sulfide matrix. This makes the gold amenable to cyanide extraction.

Jan 1, 1996

By D. I. Bleiwas

Bureau of Mines personnel evaluated the potential availability of nickel from 151 deposits in 18 market economy countries and selected 126 for detailed analyses. An evaluation was made of tonnage-cost relationships indicating the quantity of nickel available at various total costs of production expressed in dollars per pound nickel, including a 15-pct rate of return on the invested capital. The 126 deposits studied contain approximately 73 million metric tons (t) of nickel. An estimated 52 million t is available from laterite deposits, of which less than 2 pct could be produced at $3.50/lb Ni, about equal to the average published price of nickel in 1981. Approximately 21 million t of nickel is available from sulfide deposits, of which about 10.0 million t can be produced at $3.50/lb. Sensitivity studies performed for both laterite deposits and sulfide deposits indicate that the total cost of nickel from laterites is most sensitive to increases in energy costs, and that sulfides are most sensitive to increases in labor costs; sulfides are also sensitive to changes in byproduct revenues. In 1983 the Nickel Mountain mine in Oregon was the only U.S. producer, though development continued on the Gasquet property in California. Of the total 5.1 million t of recoverable nickel in the United States, about 20 pct is available at or below $3.50/lb.

Jan 1, 1984

By Selim E. Woodworth

This paper, describing the milling practice on the Mother Lode as typified in the mill of the Argonaut Mining Co. at Jackson, Amador County, Calif., is one of a series prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines. The data herein presented and furnished through the courtesy of E. A. Stent, managing director and vice president of the Argonaut Co., covers operations from 1914 through the year 1929.

Jan 1, 1931

By Gary A. Kingston

This examination of Pacific Northwest (Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington) ferrous scrap-industry operations, principally those in Oregon and Washington, points out factors influencing the supply and consumption of scrap materials, such as the complete dependence of steel ingot producers in these States on scrap as a metal raw material and the sizable quantity of scrap exported from Seattle and Portland to Japan. The pattern of the industry is presented as a movement of materials from their diverse sources to the consuming market. The geographic locations of the consuming industries in relation to the areas generating scrap materials and the movement pattern of the supply from source to destination strongly influences the cost of the commodity. The best measure of the scrap supply available in an area is experience in terms of how much scrap was withdrawn at a given price. Scrap availability is not finite, because the return of materials as scrap is secular and influenced by constantly varying market conditions. Steel ingot producers use 75 percent of the approximate 500,000 tons of scrap consumed in Oregon and Washington; steel foundries take 15 percent of the total; and iron foundries, ferroalloy plants, and other miscellaneous consumers utilize the remainder. Also, from 1955 to 1960 an average of about 200,000 tons has been exported annually from Oregon and Washington. The foreign exports are supplemented by lesser shipments to other steel producing States, principally in the western United States. From 1955 to 1960 the preferred and higher value heavy melting scrap grades accounted for about 60 percent of total withdrawals which varied between 600,000 and 950,000 tons annually. Total crap withdrawals from Oregon and Washington are projected to 1.8 million tons by 1985, 60 percent (1.1 million tons) of which will be heavy melting grades. No. 1 heavy melting scrap is most attractive to scrap consumers at $35 per ton or less. Price-supply relationships compared with projected scrap requirements indicate future prices possibly over $35 per ton. High prices over a long period could motivate the Pacific Northwest scrap consumers to produce steel from iron ore. However, technologic changes taking place at integrated steel plants could reduce scrap withdrawals from the Pacific Northwest, which might keep the scrap price sufficiently attractive to obviate production of competitive iron products by the Pacific Northwest scrap consumers.

Jan 1, 1964

NEW MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period Sept. 10, 1916, to Oct. 10, 1916. BLOOMFIELD, EDWIN CHARLES, Min. Engr., 1012 Standard Bank Bldg., Vancouver, B. C., Canada. BRINGS, HENRY, Min. and Met. Engr., Chief Engr., and Geol., Mollet-Mesrine, 1212 Mills Bldg., El Paso, Texas. CHASE, MARCH F., Vice-Pres., Commercial Acid Co., 1906 Boatmens Bank Bldg., St. Louis, Mo. CUMMINGS, ALVIN M., Asst. Mine Supt., Witherbee, Sherman & Co., Inc., Mineville, Essex Co., N. Y. DOUGLASS, GEORGE M., Genl. Safety Inspector, Amer. Smelt. & Ref. Co. 120 Broadway, New Fork, N. Y. EMRICH, CLARENCE T., Chief Chemist, Old Dominion Copper Min. & Smelt. Co., Box 1163, Globe, Ariz. GARDANIER, SUTTER ALBERT, Assayer, Mgr., Douglas Assay Co., Douglas, Cochise Co., Ariz.

Jan 10, 1916

By C. Y. Haas

Of all the industrial clay minerals, attapulgite probably enjoys the widest variety of applications. A review published over three years ago by Haden and Schwint (18) cited some 80 individual uses, a list which continues to grow. In its near half-century of commercial life, attapulgite has received a generous share of research study and patent development effort, both on the part of producers as well as consumers. This work has been divided between understanding the mineral's structure or properties and applying it to specific end-uses. Naturally, information gained from the former has pointed toward opportunities in the latter. References of particular significance are cited throughout the text. Attapulgite's variety of uses derives from the unique three-dimensional structure and needle-shaped particle form of this crystalline hydrated magnesium aluminum silicate. Its inherent colloidal and sorptive properties are well known, and distinguish it from its sister clay minerals. Attapulgite is characterized by its high surface area, porosity, sorptivity, and decolorizing power. Its slips or slurries are viscous and thixotropic, however, unlike bentonite are not flocculated by electrolytes. In Table I are compared the general properties of attapulgite, bentonite, and kaolin. The properties in Table I are documented in greater detail by the wealth of scientific literature which has been published on the composition (14)(15), structure (6)(16), surface (16)(4)(22)(24), adsorption (31)(4)(5)(25), rheology (10-11)(12)(13)(26)(27)(32), plasticity (30) (31), and chemistry (23)(3)(7) of attapulgite. Attapulgite is the principal mineral constituent (70 to 80%) of attapulgite clay as it is commercially produced in the Georgia-Florida area of the United States. As mined, this clay also contains 10 to 1S% montmorillonite, sepiolite, and other clays; 4 to 8% quartz, and 1 to 5% calcite or dolomite. (18) During processing, non-clay fractions are removed so that commercial products are enriched to 85 to 90% attapulgite. By wet processing (such as practiced in the

Jan 1, 1971

By Kenneth L. Maloney

Ten small and intermediate-sized [11 GJ/hr to 264 GJ/hr (10,000 lb/hr steam to 250,000 lb/hr steam)] coal-fired boilers in the upper Midwest have each been tested on both a bituminous eastern coal and a subbituminous western coal. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of substituting western subbituminous coal for eastern bituminous coal as a means of reducing the SO x emissions from this class of boiler and to demonstrate the feasibility of greatly expanded western coal utilization as a means of reducing the use of oil and gas. The scope of this study was such that the representative boiler types were tested on both eastern and western coal for a period of time sufficient to completely characterize their individual emission and operational characteristics.

Jan 1, 1977

By Jaan Kiusalaas

This report is a self-contained User Manual for a computer program called SPASID -- Subsidence Prediction and System Identification. The program has two primary functions: (i) Precalculation of ground movements due to underground mining operations using the influence function method; (ii) Computation of influence function and site parameters from measured displacements. SPASID is written in FORTRAN and consists of four modules: (i) Preprocessor Module that prepares and maintains surface and mine data bases; (ii) Subsidence Computation Module that predicts movements of the surface; (iii) System Identification Module which is used to calculate the optimal influence function parameters, and (iv) Postprocessor Module for generating graphic displays of subsidence data. The last module is somewhat machine dependent but has internal documentation to indicate potential changes. All of the modules may be run in either batch or interactive mode. The manual does not assume previous knowledge of the influence function method or programming competence.

Jan 1, 1983

By A. T. Yu, K. A. Young, Ronald M. Hays, Sanford Terry, D. R. Campbell, J. K. Lovrien, W. L. Price, C. W. Matthews, W. R. van Slyke, S. P. Cole

Storage and transport systems are essential for mineral processing. Section 10 includes systems for storage and transport of dry bulk materials, slurries, and water necessary for operation of mineral pro¬cessing plants. All aspects of these systems are presented, including material characteristics; dry material placement in and reclamation from storage stockpiles and bins; dry material conveyance; hydraulics (liquid flow and pumping); slurry characteristics; slurry storage and reclaim, slurry flow (distributors, launders, and pipes), and pumping; water (primary and secondary process, reclaimed, fire, cooling, and domestic) supply, transport, and storage; equipment selection and sizing; power transmission; controls; and health and safety. The mate¬rials considered include crude ore; process and other water supplies; initial, intermediate; and final in-plant materials; finished materials; and tailings and other waste products. Section 10 is a compilation of practical operating data for engineers, technicians, and plant opera¬tors. For the design of mineral processing plants, including selection and sizing of equipment, the design engineer should consult with equipment manufacturers, suppliers, engineering firms, and plant op¬erators with specialized experience in particular materials handling methods. When unusual conditions are encountered, actual pilot or full scale testing may be required to insure adequate design. Operation of mineral processing plants is dependent on the proper engineering and construction of storage and transport systems for dry bulk materials, slurries, and water. It is obvious that processing plants cannot produce the required quantities of semifinished and finished products unless these material can be transported adequately to, through, within, and from the plant. Costs of storage and transport systems may exceed 50% of the total capital and/or operating costs. Considerable attention must be given to the design, layout, and engineering of these systems. These systems are interrelated with the mineral processing method and it is necessary to determine the best combination of mineral processing method and storage and transport systems. Storage and transport systems perform a major supportive func¬tion to mineral processing. The final selection of these systems depends on the final selection of the processing method and related systems (environmental control, tailings and waste disposal, etc.). The process¬ing method determines the characteristics of materials to be stored and transported; distances, elevations, flow rates for transport; and storage requirements. Flowsheet After selection of the processing method and related systems, a flowsheet must be developed. This flowsheet should indicate produc¬tion rate, percent solids or moisture, and specific gravity for all initial, intermediate, and final products or product flow streams. It also may be necessary to know the size analysis, chemical analysis, abrasiveness, and other physical characteristics of various product flow streams. The flowsheet provides basic information for plant layout, storage requirements, and selection and sizing of process and transport equip¬ment. Storage and transport systems often function improperly be¬ cause of inadequate flowsheet data or process revisions, resulting in improper equipment selection and sizing. Further details on plant design are presented in Section 33. After selection and sizing of process equipment, it is necessary to select the type of material transport equipment to be used for in¬plant materials handling as well as crude ore, tailings, and final prod¬ucts. The storage and/or surge requirements, including capacity and location, then are determined. Storage and/or surge capacity is neces¬sary for leveling production rate fluctuations due to variations in material characteristics; production scheduling; equipment mismatch¬ing, failure, or breakdown; and scheduled maintenance downtime. Variations in ore grindability will cause fluctuations in throughput or production rate for grinding mills and variations in ore grade will cause fluctuations in production rate for concentrating equipment. Variations in material moisture content and percent solids can have serious effects on the capacity of material transport equipment. In some cases, a blending system may be desirable or necessary to reduce variations and to obtain uniform production and/or metallurgy. Storage capacity often is needed because of different production schedules for various phases of the mining and mineral processing complex. As an example, the mine and coarse crushing plant may operate on a one- or two-shift-per-day schedule while the fine crushing plant and concentrator on a three-shift-per-day schedule. This would require storage between the coarse and fine crushing plants. Another example would be load-out storage where unit trains are used to haul concentrate or final products. The concentrator could be operated on a three-shift-per-day schedule while only I to 2 hr may be scheduled for unit train loading. This would require adequate load-out storage so that the concentrator can be operated continuously. Process equipment with mismatched capacities requires storage or surge capacity between the mismatched equipment to achieve oper¬ating efficiency. As an example, the fine crushers may have greater capacity than the rod mills. Storage between the fine crushers and the rod mills permits both the crushers and rod mills to be operated at optimum capacity with the crushers actually operating or running a lesser number of hours per day. Mismatched capacities for process and transport equipment also may require storage or surge capacity. Mismatching of equipment capacities most often occurs because of the difficulty in equipment sizing. Thus, the design engineer must anticipate where in the flowsheet these mismatching capacities are likely to occur while making every effort to assure that equipment is selected and sized properly. Equipment breakdown can cause major operating difficulties and lost production. These breakdowns can be reduced with adequate scheduled maintenance. Lost production due to nonscheduled down¬time caused by equipment breakdown can be reduced further by standby equipment and storage and/or surge capacity ahead of essen¬tial mechanical and electrical equipment. As an example, standby pumps and conveyors often are available as part of the in-plant trans¬port system. Storage and/or surge bins and tanks often serve dual functions, such as dewatering, mixing, and smoothing production rate fluctuations.

Jan 1, 1985

By Phillip R. Moyle

In 1985 the U.S. Bureau of Mines evaluated the mineral resources of tie Bruneau River and Jarbidge River study areas, Owyhee County, ID, for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The study areas, separated by a narrow corridor, include 90,000 acres of the 107,020-acre Bruneau River Wilderness Study Area (ID-111-17) and 47,000 acres of the 75,340-acre Jarbidge River Wilderness Study Area (ID-17-11). They lie 26 miles and 55 miles, respectively, due south of Mountain Home, ID. Approximately 38 placer claims for gold and 182 lode and placer claims for jasper, agate, and limestone were located within and adjacent to the study areas from 1893 to 1981. Currently, there are eight mining claims for jasper at Indian Hot Springs along the corridor between the study areas.

Jan 1, 1987

By Cyril Stanley Smith

ARCHEOLOGISTS, by use of the terms Bronze Age and Iron Age, indicate that metals have in the past determined the character of civilization. The relatively simple discovery by a primitive metallurgist that the addition of tin to copper both facilitated the production of castings and increased the durability of the product enabled hunter, warrior, and housewife alike to do things never dreamed of before. Similarly, the smelting of iron and the discovery of hardening methods greatly changed the arts of peace and war. Discoveries of low-melting-point alloys for joining and for making household utensils, and perhaps the adornment of a feminine form by sparkling precious-metal jewelry, have at times changed the destiny of a country. Bronze cannon, the cast and wrought iron Watt engine, copper transmission lines, and aluminum alloy aircraft, are cases of particular metals making possible the realization of an improved engineering design. Perhaps of the greatest influence of all upon civilization was the development of type metal. The rapid increase in the rate of dissemination of knowledge dates from the day that the technique of the pewterer was utilized in making rapidly reproducible and accurately sized letters for printing. It was not movable type, but metal type that was important, for metal castings could be made of identically the same shape and size at an enormous rate, and possessed excellent inking and wearing characteristics.

Jan 1, 1946

By Roger J. Higgins

Papua New Guinea is a country on the cusp of development, struggling to find a balance between the demands of national and regional growth, landowner expectations and the maintenance of cultural identity. Ok Tedi Mining Limited is the single largest contributor to PNG?s economy, representing about 10 percent of the country?s GDP. OTML is demonstrating that business and country risk can be managed through effective, respectful partnerships with local communities. OTML?s relationships with the communities of PNG?s Western Province are multifaceted. Communities have borne the brunt of the mine?s environmental impact, yet have benefited enormously from the development that the mine has brought. Importantly, the PNG economy is now the ultimate beneficiary of more than four-fifths of the dividends from the mine, the majority of which are held in trust for long-term sustainable development projects. The paper describes how OTML works with the Western Province communities to create a secure operating environment that recognizes the people?s aspirations for development and self-determination.

May 1, 2002

By Larry A. Haas

The U.S. Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. (Hibbing, MN), investigated ways of enhancing the quality (compressive strength, after-tumble and reducibility) of domestic acid and fluxed magnetite pellets by modifying the oxygen content during the preheat and induration periods of the firing operation . Oxidation of magnetite was best accomplished when sufficient oxygen and time were available before the peak induration temperature was reached. The rate of magnetite oxidation increased directly with the gas oxygen content during the preheat period at 7000 C and above. With 30 pct ( or more) O2 and a preheat rate of 2000 C/min, most of the magnetite was oxidized during the preheat period. With laboratory tube and mini-pot furnace tests, oxygen enrichment during the preheat period improved the pellet properties more in the simulated grate-kiln tests than in the simulated straight-grate tests. The longer induration period with the grate-kiln test resulted in more sintering of the residual magnetite and its reaction with the silicon compounds. When flux was present in the pellets, calcium silicates and calcium and magnesium ferrites were formed. More calcium ferrite was formed when the magnetite was oxidized early and less iron was present in the fayalitic calcium silicate slag.

Jan 1, 1993

By Roberto Seno Júnior

O Processo Bayer para a produção de Óxido de Alumínio consiste em dissolver o alumínio presente na minério de alumínio (Bauxita) com soda cáustica à quente. Os resíduos insolúveis são separados por decantação e filtração. Após lavagem deste resíduo para a recuperação da alumina e soda cáustica ele é transferido para áreas de disposição. A Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio produz 420 mil toneladas de alumínio por ano gerando cerca de 2.400 toneladas de resíduo de bauxita por dia. Este resíduo é transferido para uma área de disposição, denominada Palmital, com capacidade de estocagem para mais 9 anos. Atualmente, o Palmital contém cerca de 2 milhões de metros cúbicos de água sobrenadante. Esta água contém alumínio e soda cáustica dissolvidos que podem ser reutilizados na Refinaria de Alumina. Este trabalho estuda formas de reutilização desta água sobrenadante visando aumentar a vida útil do Palmital, ou seja, aumentar o volume disponível para disposição de resíduo de bauxita.

Jul 31, 2018

By Natália de Oliveira Roque Maciel

Atualmente uma das maiores preocupações da humanidade está relacionada as questões ambientais, o que tem motivado a pesquisa e o desenvolvimento de materiais provenientes de recursos renováveis e ambientalmente amigáveis. A despeito disso, este trabalho objetiva comparar a resistência de compósitos desenvolvidos com fibras naturais e, portanto, ambientalmente amigável e de compósitos desenvolvidos com fibras de vidro, que por sua vez apresentam impactos ambientais desde a fabricação até o descarte. Foram fabricados 13 corpos de provas para amostras contendo 0% de fibra, 30% de fibra de curauá e 30% de fibra de vidro na matriz epoxídica e ensaiado na máquina de tração. Os resultados obtidos apresentam valores bastante superiores para as amostras contendo fibras de vidro, contudo, ao relacionar a tensão do compósito com a respectiva densidade da fibra, foi possível constatar que os compósitos com fibras naturais chegam a apresentar resultados superiores aos compósitos fabricados com fibras de vidro. É possível concluir, portanto, que do ponto de vista da propriedade mecânica em questão é possível substituir as fibras de vidro por fibras de curauá.

Aug 17, 2017

By D. H. Yardley

A major purpose of this contract was to evaluate a variety of dust suppressants to determine their effectiveness in mitigating dust from taconite tailings. During the course of the investigation tailings from pilot-plant tests of Minnesota copper-nickel ores became available and chemical binders were also tested for dust mitigation effectiveness on this mineralogically different material. Field-test plots were established on taconite tailings and wind tunnel laboratory tests conducted. The laboratory tests consisted of comparing treated and untreated samples at wind velocities of 40 mph using a weight-loss method and direct dust emission measurements. It was shown that the emission of fine dust from taconite tailings, in the range of 4.5 microns to 0.85 microns, could be reduced by 99 percent using certain chemical suppressants. It was also demonstrated that a straight water spray on coarse tailings (3/4" to + 10 mesh) reduced dust emission by 95 percent. Although eight different chemicals were tested, most of the tests were made using Coherex, ammonium lignin sulfonate and sodium silicate. These same dust suppressants were used, singly and in combination on almost 75 field-test plots. The Coherex appears to provide the best results in terms of economics and durability. Wind tunnel tests on treated and untreated Cu-Ni tailings demonstrated that applications of dust suppressants reduced fugitive fine dust by better than 99 percent.

Jan 1, 1980

By R. J. Gunderman

Explosionproof electrical enclosures for coal mine face equipment have been of the same basic design for many years without significant change. Characteristics for potential improvement were investigated through interviews, visits to mines and studies. Improved safety, health and productivity were the goals. Areas identified for improvement included rapid venting of pressure build-up due to an internal explosion, quick and easy entry or removal of cable entrances, and a quick and easy cover removal for rapid component access. Concepts were identified and evaluated, and the more promising devices were fabricated and tested. Encouraging results from initial tests led to further design refinement and establishment of design guidelines. These design guidelines for a pressure vent and for an elastomeric grommet type cable entry are described along with the testing used. An application for an experimental permit was requested from MSHA. After test and evaluation experimental permit #396 for evaluation in an underground coal mine was granted.

Jan 1, 1980

By Claudio José Martins da Silva

A ferramenta PIMS (Plant Information Management System) possibilita, através dos recursos de conexão com o sistema de automação, a qualquer usuário da rede coorporativa da TKCSA o acesso à base de dados do processo produtivo e, através de suas funcionalidades o desenvolvimento, sem restrições, análises “on line" da planta banco a partir dos bancos de dados histórico que ele possui. Este trabalho apresenta a experiência da gerência técnica de utilidades da TKCSA no desenvolvimento de ferramenta de supervisão e gestão de informações através da ferramenta PIMS, intitulada Portal Utilidades. Com a ferramenta desenvolvida o corpo técnico é capaz de realizar análises on line ou consultando a base de dados do sistema, gerando diagnósticos, recomendações ou mesmo orientações às equipes de operação sobre o desempenho do sistema de Utilidades . Além de permitir todos os tipos de usuários (supervisores, mantenedores, operadores e outros) a consulta das informações a qualquer tempo suportando em atividades, como por exemplo, planejamento de manutenção e manobras dentre outras consultas.

Sep 25, 2017