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Coal geology plays an essential role in the investigation of in situ coal seam quality. Coal geology can also play an important part in laboratory studies such as coal washing and coking, and in operating plant problems.

Jan 1, 1976

From depths of 400 - 600 m, coal is transported by a conveyor in a drift or a bulk winder in a shaft, whilst men and/or materials are transported by a slope hauler or a cage winder. Assessment of the effect of alternative combinations on the key cost factors - output, capital, labour cost and construction time - allows the optimum choice for particular circumstances, there being no uniform solution.

Jan 1, 1976

By J. Herbst, C. C. Harris, G. Poling

The modern flotation machine is the result of decades of adaptation to a changing environment. In response to falling ore grades, and rising demands, tonnages, and costs, attempts are now underway to expand machine capacity by about an order of magnitude, while at the same time maintaining metallurgical performance and if possible reducing power requirements per unit throughput. Empiricism and rule-of-thumb have guided flotation machine design and scale-up, and a current need is for the development of a fundamental understanding of the subject. Design features of current and some obsolete machines are discussed in an attempt to outline those principles of flotation machine design which are known, and to delineate topics needing investigation. Attempts are made to distinguish between essential machine features required by the physics of the process, those features resulting from speculative theories on the flotation mechanisms, and features which are essentially styling variations. Topics discussed include: flotation mechanisms; tank and impeller/ stator design and dimensions; impeller speed; aeration; power consumption; particle suspension and dispersion; capacity; correlation of design parameters and operating variables; scale-up and scale- down; materials flow; problems in machine design. Design details and operating data for several current machine families are provided in Appendices.

Jan 1, 1976

By Tsuyoshi Miyashita

Onahama Refinery of Ryoho Recycle Company employs the electrothermic process for producing marketable zinc oxide from steelmaking dusts. The process comprises washing, filtration, drying, sintering and furnacing. Fume from the sinter machine is treated hydrometallurgically to recover zinc, cadmium and lead.

Jan 1, 1976

By Wylie A. W, Jarrett R. G

Two versions of a radiometric-type caliper for measuring borehole diameter are described. One, based on the bow-spring principle, is suitable for percussion (exploration) drill holes. The other, which utilizes hemispherical wall contactors actuated by springs, is suitable for blast holes. Both utilize low-power radioactive sources and employ a scintillation detector to measure the "inverse-square law" response of the device to changes in borehole radius. The performance of the device is examined and examples of its use are illustrated.

Jan 1, 1976

By C. B. Catanach

The development and in place leaching of a chalcocite ore body at Mountain City, Nevada is described. Block caving was used to induce permeability while ore removed during development was leached in heaps on the surface. Copper was recovered by precipitation on iron. Excess ground water which seeped into the mine was pumped into a deep disposal well. A parallel system was used to purify water by lime neutralization. Copper extraction was at an annualized rate of 11% during the first six full months of underground leaching and totalled approximately 30% during six months of heap leaching. Leach solution flow and distribution had a major effect on extraction rate. Enrichment of leach solutions with ferric sulfate did not produce conclusive results until analyzed with the aid of a leaching model.

Jan 1, 1976

By Y. A. Chang

The objective of the present study is to evaluate and compile the relevant phase equilibria and thermodynamic data reported in the literature for the ternary system Cu-Fe-S. It is hoped that the results presented here will be useful to practising engineers and scientists in industry who are attempting to improve continually the existing processes of copper extraction and refining. At the same time, the present work will undoubtedly reveal the lack of some basic data which are important for the improvement of our existing extractive processes. Lastly, this work will also show that the development of theoretical models for the alloy phases in the Cu-Fe-S system is essential before complete consistency between the phase equilibria and the thermodynamic data can be achieved.

Jan 1, 1976

By C. Carlson, W. Muir

"The oxygen demand of the complex lead-zinc-iron feed at the Cyuro Anvil concentrator was determined denendent on the cyanide ion con-contration of the pulp. By redistribution of the cyanide [ ] the grinding circuit in direct proportion to the amount of surface area created, a more activated flotation feed in obtained.Monitoring the oxygen demand of the flotation feed and grinding mill discharge has proved useful in diagnosing metallurgical problems day to day operation."

Jan 1, 1976

By Robert Adams

Secondary or scrap materials appear at all stages in the industrial process and in a bewildering variety of forms, grades, and values. It is useful to begin analyzing them by dividing the broad concept of "Secondary Supply" into three parts First, the concept must encompass the stock, or pool, of secondary materials. In the process of satisfying his wants, man produces desired products from the materials and natural resources found around him. As long as the rate of production is greater than the rate of obsolescence of a given product, the total stock or pool of materials embodied in that product will increase in size This stock concept relating to secondary materials is directly analogous to the "resource" concept used for primary raw materials in the preceding chapter, and includes all materials embodied in existing products (Obviously, this excludes those materials which are destroyed in the consumption process, viz , fuel oil burned to provide heat.) Consumption of a primary material in a productive process tends to reduce the resource base of that primary material In direct contrast, however, the production or use of products increases the resource base of the secondary material. Thus, we find that a country which has no resource of a primary material can, by importing products that contain the material, build up a large enough stock to provide a basis for secondary recovery. The estimated growth of the pool of copper in use in the United States through 1967 is shown in Table 5.B.1.a The estimate of 39 3 million tons at the end of 1967 includes only technologically recoverable copper and is, therefore, somewhat less than the stock concept described previously, which does not distinguish between recoverable and unrecoverable material. Nevertheless, Table 5 B.1 does give an idea of how a nation's secondary resource of a material can grow over the years. A second aspect of the concept of secondary supply is the generation of secondary materials. This includes materials generated as scrap in production as well as the movement of a material out of the stock of existing products via wear, damage, or obsolescence The quantity of materials generated is usually either nearly or completely independent of the technologic capabilities and economic forces which prevail in the secondary recovery market.b The justifications for and the qualifications to this statement are considered later. The final aspect of the concept of secondary supply consists in the secondary recovery process It is at this point that the technologic and economic forces of the secondary recovery market become the controlling fac-

Jan 1, 1976

By C. Gordon Saunders

"The ungraded-fibre mill is located at the mine site and has a rated capacity of 6,600 tons of ore input and 1,200 tons of ung1•aded fib1 •e product per day. Power for operation is obtained from a diesel generating plant located on the site, which has a capacity of 5,300 kW. The preliminary milling process consists of prima1•y and secondary crushing, drying and temporary storage of plus-1 1h -in. material. The final milling processes are two stages of crushing and three stages of screening, with air-lift separation of the fibre from the host rock. The central mill building also houses a machine shop, mill maintenance shops, a mobile equipment overhaul shop, an engine and majo1•-component overhaul shop, and a warehouse. Major changes to the milling ci1•cuits since start-up have been the addition of a larger secondary cone crusher, ct third dryer, adding a rotary distributor to the feed of the screening section and adding an automatic start-up sequence for all equipment except crushers and fans. The operation of the mill is coordinated from a central control room, where a ""mimic"" panel indicates the operation of all major units in both the ore preparation and the screening sections. Product quality is controlled by continuous sampling and frequent labo1•atory analysis, which provide data fm• the adjustment of aspirating hoods and mill feed rate. Operating problems unique to this location, and common to a sub-arctic environment, are discussed."

Jan 1, 1976

By Philip L. Collyer

A technique for evaluating the similarity of ore deposits is presented. A Q-mode cluster analysis is performed using information on tungsten mines in North America. This is a method of grouping several samples according to their similarity based on a simple matching coefficient. Tungsten mines are grouped or clustered on the basis of geologic variables. It is possible to interpret and evaluate different ore environments according to age, mineralogy, and other variables. It is well known that variable geologic conditions influence the occurrence of certain types of minerals. If one variable is responsible and identified, that variable can be searched for in exploration. If several interrelated variables are responsible for forming a favorable environment, then recognition and identification may be more difficult or completely masked. Therefore it is helpful in exporation to isolate and identify multiple interrelated variables which control the localization of mineral deposits. Cluster analysis is useful in mineral exploration where considerable amounts of data are available for analysis. Subtle relationships that might be overlooked because the data are voluminous can be isolated using this technique. Cluster analysis can be used to establish exploration prioriy in unknown areas on the basis of similarities to known metallogenetic provinces.

Jan 1, 1976

By Edward D. Thimons

Several types of inflatable stoppings, developed under Bureau of Mines contract for use as mine air barriers during underground production, have been tested by the Bureau. All of the stoppings tested showed significant internal leakage initially but, in all but one stopping, the leaks were sealed with limited effort The stoppings were tested underground in two western noncoal mines under production conditions. The results from the Colorado molybdenum mine showed the stoppings to be generally unsatisfactory for daily mine usage if they are deployed near blasting areas or in locations where near-perfect air seals are required. They were very susceptible to blast damage and seldom were better than 90 percent efficient as air barriers. However, stoppings tested in the New Mexico uranium mine were located substantially distant from any blasting. Because slight leakage past the stoppings was acceptable, they proved very satisfactory in that application.

Jan 1, 1976

By Albert L. St. Peter

The "Old Reliable" four million pound blast in March of 1972 marked the opening, as far as is known, of serious efforts to commercialize the In Situ concept. That was a coyote shot, and it was followed by three blasts at McAlester Fuel's "Zonia" operation which were surface hole shots. As the only individual who had a principal part in all four shots, it seems to be appropriate to present experiences in the developments and evolutions of the in Situ method of ore extraction. Some of the problems will be described, along with proposals for management of such projects in the future.

Jan 1, 1976

A geostatistical study is made of the drilling results available one stage prior to the present for a tabular deposit. The results show that the blocks required by the mining engineers could have been assessed by the earlier drilling grid with an accuracy significantly better than that obtained by applying conventional methods at the present stage.

Jan 1, 1976

By Doyle A. Ellerbruch

An FM-CW microwave system was investigated for measuring coal layer thickness. Measurements were made in three different mines near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, near Fairview, West Virginia, and near Coffeen, Illinois. Microwave frequencies in the range 1-2 GHz were used to measure samples up to 55 cm thick. All samples were backed with a naturally occurring shale. Measurements were also made on coal and shale samples compounded in the laboratory at the Bureau of Mines Pittsburgh Mining and Safety Research Center near Bruceton, Pennsylvania. The results indicate that layer thickness can be determined in most cases, although large anomalies may, in some cases, produce misleading results. Many anomalies that were detected with the FM-CW system were verified visually by drilling into the coal layer. The dielectric constant of coal apparently varies significantly within a coal seam. The form of the output signals from the FM-CW system seem to simplify the data interpretation and analysis process as compared to the manually swept microwave system used previously. It appears that this technique has the potential of measuring changes in the dielectric constant of a coal seam and providing an output that can be used for real-time corrections in layer thickness; measurement.

Jan 1, 1976

Direct electrowinning is an electrochemical process which has been developed for the extractive recovery of copper from dilute, acidic leach solutions. In passing through a thin particulate coke cathode. copper is reduced and electrodeposited in a thin layer forming a solid copper-coke sheet. The product is melted in a furnace to separate the coke, then the molten copper is fire refined to produce a salable product. A description is given of a prototype unit which is designed to treat 20 gpm leach liquor and recover over 100 pounds of copper per day. Economic analyses show that in a commercial facility producing about 25.000 TPY copper.*the direct electrowinning process has lower overall cost than either conventional iron-cementation or the newer liquid ion exchange-electrowinning when the leach liquors contain less than 2 grams per liter of copper.

Jan 1, 1976

By Lloyd A. Morley, Alan M. Christman

PART A. ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT – GENERAL Paragraph 1. Electrical Equipment; Examination. All electric equipment shall be examined, tested, and properly main¬tained by a qualified person to assure safe operating conditions. The examinations and tests shall be performed at intervals not exceeding six (6) months unless otherwise specified in Parts A, B, C, D, and E. When a potentially dangerous condition is found on electric equipment, such equipment shall be removed from service until such condition is corrected. A record of such examinations shall be kept and made available to an authorized representative of the Secretary and to the authorized repre¬sentative of the miners in such mine. Each item of major equipment, in¬cluding substations, switchgear, load centers, and so forth except powered hand tools, shall be recorded separately. The record of such examination shall include all dangerous conditions found, corrective action taken, and name of examiner, and shall be signed by the person responsible for main¬taining the equipment in safe operating condition, who shall also be a qualified person. Paragraph 2. Electrical Work; Qualified Personnel. No electrical work shall be performed on electrical distribution circuits or equipment, except by a qualified person or by a person trained to perform electrical work and to maintain electrical equipment under the direct supervision of a qualified person. Disconnecting devices shall be locked out and prominently tagged by the persons who perform such work, except that in cases where locking out is not possible, such devices shall be opened and prominently tagged by such persons. Locks and tags shall be removed only by the persons who installed them or, if such persons are

Jan 1, 1976

By C. Melvin Lepper

High-resolution shallow seismic reflection methods are being used by the Bureau of Mines to map underground geologic features in coal mines. These features include faults, channel sand, washouts, rolls, and steep dips. The seismic method is proving useful for locating all of these at reasonable cost and with better definition than available with drill programs alone. This report provides a capsule description of the techniques and their application to mine planning.

Jan 1, 1976

By Charles T. Baroch, Charles J. Baroch

In 20 years of commercial development, nuclear reactors have demonstrated that they are a safe, dependable, and economical source of power. Operating experience with commercial power reactors has firmly established nuclear power as a practicable source of energy. For both boiling-water (BWR) and pressurized-water (PWR) reactors, performances to date have generally met design predictions. Furthermore, it has become possible to analyze and understand the nuclear, chemical, and physical behavior of this class of reactors. The United Kingdom has had similar success with gas-cooled reactors. The Experimental Boiling Water Reactor (EBWR), the first United States experimental power reactor, began operation in 1956. It proved to be capable of supplying 4500 kw (kilowatts) of power. This reactor was followed in 1957 by the Pressurized Water Reactor at Shippingport, Pa. It was the nation's first full-scale central-station nuclear power plant and the first in the world designed exclusively for the production of civilian electric power. The Shippingport reactor was originally designed to produce 60 megawatts (MW) of electricity, and it was increased to 100 MW in 1964. In 12 years of operation, this reactor generated over 4.5-million MW-hr of electricity in spite of many shutdowns for experimental alterations. By 1969, a total of 15 central-station nuclear power reactors were operable in the United States with an aggregate electrical capacity of over 4200 MW. Early in 1964, Jersey Central Power & Light Co. announced plans for constructing a 515-MW nuclear plant at Oyster Creek, N.J., to be built without government financial assistance. The company stated that a nuclear plant had been selected competitively with fossil fuel. Their economic analysis stated that the plant would generate electricity at less than 4 mills per kw-hr, competitive with coal at 200 per million Btu (British thermal units). Coal cost in 1964 for that region averaged 26.00 per million Btu. The Jersey Central report created wide interest in public-utility circles; nevertheless, no other nuclear plants were announced in 1964. However, in 1965, six nuclear plants were announced by utilities, followed by 26 in 1966, 29 in 1967, and 10 in 1968. By Sept. 30, 1969, 97 reactors were operable, being built, or planned. The cost of these, all committed by electric utilities, was estimated at about $12 billion. When constructed, they will have an electrical capacity of 72,000 MW. The unprecedented surge in power reactors that started in 1965 tapered in 1968, and only seven reactors were announced in

Jan 1, 1976

By Frank H. Skelding

Still the world's largest producer, consumer and importer/exporter of minerals, the United States has, in recent years, become more and more aware of the many diverse forces that increasingly affect its ability to maintain free access to and trade in minerals, both domestically and abroad. The nation's growing dependence upon foreign sources of minerals in the face of mounting competition is causing many changes, not only in the mineral industries, but in national attitudes and policies as well. This paper examines the position of the United States in the world mineral economy relative to the significant trends that have and are developing. It attempts to define and evaluate the major present and future impact of these trends and to anticipate the probable effects upon the U.S. and its mineral economy.

Jan 1, 1976