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By S. S. Dean, B. Silkes

"INTRODUCTION The metallurgical-research program of the Bureau of Mines .for the past 15 years has emphasized the production of high-purity nonferreus metals through the utilization of our available resources, ores, reducing agents, fuel, and power.Ore dressing or concentration, has always been a vitally important part of nonferrous metallurgy, and the Bureau continues to give most of its attention to it. In the field of the traditional nonferrous metals, the Bureau staff has developed natural-gas reduction of zinc, the application of glomerule technique to preparing high-grade lead concentrates for Scotch-hearth smelting, the production of electrolytic antimony from precious metal-bearing ores, and the recovery of nickel from nickel-chrome-iron ores.In the field of light metals, the Bureau staff has developed several improvements in both magnesium and aluminum production and in alloys of these metals. In the so-called ""rare-metal"" field, Bureau activities have included the production of pure ductile titanium on a larger scale than heretofore attempted, the electrolytic production of cobalt, chromium, and manganese which may now take their proper places as bases for nonferrous alloys as well -as ingredients of special steels. The Bureau staff has investigated many of these new alloys. Investigations of methods of recovering vanadium from its low-grade domestic ores have given promising results. Methods for the preparation of metallic zirconium have been improved."

May 1, 1947

By Paul W. Johnson

Economic studies of four processes for using the glass fractions obtained from processing municipal incinerator residues are presented. Three processes--brick production, floor tile production, and glass wool production--use the colored glass fraction from an incinerator residue separation plant, and the fourth process, glass spheres production, uses the colorless glass fraction. The fixed capital cost and the estimated annual operating cost for six plants are presented in the report and summarized, as follows: [ ] The value of the product obtained from each of the plants was calculated on the basis of the interest rate of return method. Each of the processes appears economically attractive when comparing the product values with estimated selling prices. However, the effect of the products on market size and price must be determined.

Jan 1, 1973

By Cínthia Toshimi Ogata

Processos de fundição de ligas de alumínio com altos teores de Mg são um desafio da indústria, uma vez que diferentes taxas de resfriamento ocorrem em geometrias diversas. Este trabalho tem como objetivo caracterizar a liga de alumínio AA5052 com variações em teores de Mg por meio de experimentos de solidificação direcional transitória, e compreender seus efeitos com relação a evolução de parâmetros térmicos, microestruturais, e propriedade mecânica. As leis experimentais de evolução do espaçamento dendrítico primário (?1) com relação a taxa de resfriamento resultam em: ?_1=640 ?T ?_L?^(-1/4) para a liga 5052 com 2,4%Mg e ?_1=300 ?T ?_L?^(-1/4) para a liga com 3,2%Mg. As leis de crescimento de espaçamento dendrítico secundário (?2) com relação a velocidade de solidificação resultaram em: ?_2=27 ?V_L?^(-1,1) para a liga 5052 com 2,4%Mg e ?_2=15 ?V_L?^(-1,1) para as ligas com 2,6%Mg e 3,2%Mg. Maiores teores de Mg na liga AA5052 proporcionaram uma expressiva redução no valor de ?2 para uma determinada VL. A evolução da dureza mostrou-se diretamente relacionada ao tamanho e a distribuição dos intermetálicos presentes, sendo ?2 o fator predominante neste controle.

Oct 30, 2017

By Harold L. Gibson, Don H. Rousell, Ian R. Jonasson

"The Sudbury Structure consists of three major components: 1) the Sudbury Basin; 2) the Sudbury Igneous Complex which surrounds the basin as an elliptical collar; and 3) an outer zone of shatter-coned and intensely brecciated footwall rocks. Although the Sudbury Event which formed the structure may be unique, the area has, in fact, been shaped by a series of tectonic, magmatic and mineralization events which can be considered in terms of two Wilson cycles of continental extension and closure. The first cycle, from 2500 to 1700 Ma, included the following events: doming (uplift of Levack Gneiss Complex); NE-SW extension (Matachewan dikes); N-S to NW-SE rifting (faults, mafic intrusions, sedimentation, and Ni-Cu-PGE and U mineralization); NW-SE extension (Nipissing diabase, and Ni-Cu-PGE, Ag, Co mineralization); and NW-SE and NE-SW closure (Penokean Orogeny, 1900 to 1700 Ma) with superimposed meteorite impact (1850 Ma, Ni-Cu- PGE, Zn-Cu-Pb deposits). The second cycle, from 1700 to 1000 Ma, included: N-S extension (alkali metasomatism, Au); N-S extension (hornblende diabase dikes along the Murray fault set); NNESSW extension (olivine diabase dikes); NE-SW extension (Fecunis Lake fault set); and NW-SE closure (Grenvillian Orogeny).The rich and diverse Ni-Cu-PGE and subordinate Zn-Pb-Cu and Au mineralization of the Sudbury region is related to endogenic and impact-triggered crustal extension and magmatism. The Sudbury Structure apparently was the site of a triple junction or hot-spot. The Sudbury ores, although located within an impact structure, are analogous in terms of age and tectonic setting to Ni-Cu-PGE and Zn-Pb-Cu ores elsewhere in the world. Meteorite impact accentuated on-going ore forming processes and magmatism at Sudbury."

Jan 1, 1997

By D Prior

The Australian mining industry is a significant contributor to the nation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and like any industry, it must make efforts to reduce these. Medium- and long-term strategies will include the replacement of diesel engines with alternative energy sources, but what can be done in the short-term to reduce diesel consumption and hence CO2 emissions? Haul trucks are identified as the major contributors of CO2 emissions in the mining fleet and this paper focuses on firstly identifying what drives haul truck emissions and secondly, discussing what is the role of the Fleet Management System (FMS) in reducing these. A key enabler of this is having a robust fuel consumption model within the FMS, and I describe how this may be done. Besides novel approaches to incorporating fuel consumption (CO2) management into truck assignment algorithms, this paper also describes how the FMS can be used to implement and manage procedures and policies to reduce haul truck emissions.

Jun 22, 2022

By Harold L. Gibson, Don H. Rousell, Ian R. Jonasson

"Abstract - The Sudbury Structure consists of three major components: 1) the Sudbury Basin; 2) the Sudbury Igneous Complex which surrounds the basin as an elliptical collar; and 3) an outer zone of shatter-coned and intensely brecciated footwall rocks. Although the Sudbury Event which formed the structure may be unique, the area has, in fact, been shaped by a series of tectonic, magmatic and mineralization events which can be considered in terms of two Wilson cycles of continental extension and closure. The first cycle, from 2500 to 1700 Ma, included the following events: doming (uplift of Levack Gneiss Complex); NE-SW extension (Matachewan dikes); N-S to NW-SE rifting (faults, mafic intrusions, sedimentation, and Ni-Cu-PGE and U mineralization); NW-SE extension (Nipissing diabase, and Ni-Cu-PGE, Ag, Co mineralization); and NW-SE and NE-SW closure (Penokean Orogeny, 1900 to 1700 Ma) with superimposed meteorite impact (1850 Ma, Ni-Cu- PGE, Zn-Cu-Pb deposits). The second cycle, from 1700 to 1000 Ma, included: N-S extension (alkali metasomatism, Au); N-S extension (hornblende diabase dikes along the Murray fault set); NNESSW extension (olivine diabase dikes); NE-SW extension (Fecunis Lake fault set); and NW-SE closure (Grenvillian Orogeny).The rich and diverse Ni-Cu-PGE and subordinate Zn-Pb-Cu and Au mineralization of the Sudbury region is related to endogenic and impact-triggered crustal extension and magmatism. The Sudbury Structure apparently was the site of a triple junction or hot-spot. The Sudbury ores, although located within an impact structure, are analogous in terms of age and tectonic setting to Ni-Cu-PGE and Zn-Pb-Cu ores elsewhere in the world. Meteorite impact accentuated on-going ore forming processes and magmatism at Sudbury."

Jan 1, 1997

Aase, Glenn D., (J'40) Jr. Met.. American Smelt. k Refin. Co., Selby, Calif. Abadie, Henry G., (J'43) Petr. Engr., Avenal, Calif. Abbott, Clarence E., (M'04) Civil Engr., V.P.. Tennessee Coal, Iron & R.R. Co., 1542 Brown Marx Bldg., Birmingham, Ala. Abel, Raymond L., (M'28) Chem. Engr., C.O., Pitts¬burgh Chem. Warfare Procurement Dist., American Bank Bldg., Pittsburgh. Pa. Abel, Walter D.. (M'32) Min. Engr., Supvr. Engr., R.F.C.Lee Angeles, Calif. Abele, Louis T., (M'31) Route No. 1, Adameville, Tenn. Abell, Leo M., (M'31) Mill Supt. & Met., Emperor Gold Min. Co. Ltd., Vatukoula, Fiji Is. Abernathy, G. E., (M'38) Geol., Kansas State Geol. Survey, Pittsburg, Kans. Abernathy, Jack H,, (M'40) Asst. Cenl. Supt. of Prod., Sunray Oil Co., 11th Floor, Philtower Bldg.. Tulsa 3. Okla. Abernethy, D. Carl, (M'44) Min. Engr. Rm. 3217, N. Int. Bldg., Washington, D. C.

Jan 1, 1944

By James L. Elder, J. P. Capp, James J. Dowd

The Bureau of Mines and the Alabama Power Co., jointly, conducted the first experiment undertaken in the United States in underground gasification of coal in place, at Gorgas, Ala. Milton H. Fies, manager of coal operations, Alabama Power Co., proposed the cooperative investigation to Arno C. Fieldner, chief, Fuels and Explosives Branch, Bureau of Mines; and assisted in supervising the experiment. The objectives of the experiment were to determine whether coal in place could be burned successfully and whether the burning could be controlled; the effect of the fire on the coal bed and the overlying strata; and the yield and quality of gas that could be obtained.

Aug 1, 1947

By P. A. Rusin

Many manganiferous silver deposits remain undeveloped because standard chemical extraction methods yield poor recoveries or are ' environmentally unacceptable. Biotreatment of such ore deposits in our laboratory resulted in manganese and silver recoveries of greater than 90%. Ore and sediment samples were collected from mining sites in Colorado and Arizona. Portions of samples were incubated in a semi-solid mineral salts medium amended with 20 mM glucose mid manganese dioxide (Mn medium). The cultures were incubated at 3(fC until manganese reduction was detected by a .color change fr:om .black to clear. Bacteria from these cultures were purified on Tryptic Soy Agar and individual isolates were retested for Mn reduction by an agar overlay method. Bacteria were identified according to Bergefs Manual ?of Systematic . Bacteriology. Most of the Mn-reducing bacteria are Bacillus species. Bacterial manganese reduction kinetic experiments were performed in 52 ml mineral salts broth supplemented with manganiferous silver ore instead of manganese dioiide. These cultures were incubated with agitation for 16 d. Aliquots were removed periodically and analyzed for solubilized manganese by atoniic absorption (AA). Cyanide (1,0 M) Vias added to the remaining ore-medium mixture for a 24 h bottle roll. The supernatant was analyzed for soluble silver by AA. Similar experiments were conducted on a larger scale using 15% pulp density. After bfotreatment of the ore, standard bottle rolls were performed. The pregnant solutions and the residues were analyzed for manganese and silver?using AA or fire assay as appropriate. In sterile. controls-which received no biotreatment, manganese and silver recoveries were 0.3% and 10% respectively; During biotreatment, total manganese solubilizatiori was as high as 99.8%. The reduced manganese could . be stripped from ?the growth medium using hydrometallurgical techniques. Silver recovery vaned from 70% to 92.5%. Microbial treatment of refractory mangairlferous ores can result in high recoveries of manganese and silver. Retention time varies depending upon the relative concentrations of manganese, silver, and other metals in the ore with only two days required in some cases, The biotreatment of ore is environmentally' acceptable while the use. of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide is less so.

Jan 1, 1991

By AIME AIME

EVEN the weather man joined in a friendly conspiracy to make the fall meeting of the Industrial Minerals Division at Rolla, Mo., Oct. 23-25. the splendid surges that it was. Following weeks of rain, the foliage of the Ozarks was still green, merely enlivened here and there by splashes of autumn coloring. In contrast to the tranquil beauty of the School of Mines campus under smiling Indian summer skies, the pace of the meeting was lively. Registration was larger than at any previous meeting and included an unusual number of prominent names and delegates from all over the country. From 125 to 150 were present throughout the three technical sessions, at the Thursday evening smoker, and also at the banquet on Friday; when students trooped in to the technical sessions the audience was augmented occasionally to over 200.

Jan 1, 1941

By Paul M. Tyler

Calcium chloride is a conspicuous example of a former waste product that has found a place for itself in the onward march of civilization. Formerly considered a troublesome constituent of the effluent sewage of many chemical manufacturing plants and salt works, it has now become a commercial product of substantial importance, with sales aggregating almost six million dollars in 1929. The point has not yet been reached where it would seem profitable to undertake large-scale production of calcium chloride as a main product, but as a byproduct it has become an item that warrants serious consideration by all who are in a position to recover it at sufficiently low cost. The largely increased demand for bromine and for certain magnesium salts, which are likewise potential byproducts associated with calcium chloride in most salt-works bitterns (and brines generally), adds further impetus to commercial research directed toward the fuller utilization of the natural saline resources of the United States.

Jan 1, 1934

There is a saying, ?If it moves, it vibrates.? This is especially true in our modern industrial environments, where workers use powered tools, machinery, vehicles, and heavy equipment. How workers are affected by these elements of the industrial working environment is a concern of health professionals, govern­ments, and scientists around the world. How to adequately assess the effects of human vibration exposure is an equally important issue. The human body comprises a dynamic structure that is living, intelligent, and complex. Consequently, it is not unreasonable to consider that exposing the body to an array of vibration environments would result in outcomes that are not necessarily simple or easily predictable. Sensations caused by vibration may include nausea, annoyance, discomfort or pain, and exhilaration or pleasure. Many factors contribute to the effects of vibration on humans, including the characteristics of the motion and the exposed indi­vidual, the activities of the exposed individual, and various elements of the environment. There have been attempts to summarize the effects of occupational vibration exposures by simply recommending the avoidance of certain frequencies of vibration or by providing a graphical method, i.e., a single curve displaying all human responses to all frequencies. However, such efforts have not withstood the scrutiny of scientific research and analysis. Thus, attendees and participants at this professional gathering now have the rare opportunity to benefit from the technological advances and new scientific research to enhance their understanding of human responses to vibration that suggest more than a simplistic approach. In the tradition of the First American Conference on Human Vibration (1st ACHV) held in Morgantown, WV, June 2006, the 2nd ACHV provides a forum for scientists, engineers, medical doctors, industrial hygienists, and educators to learn and advance research and education in the specialized area of human body vibration. The conference was organized by the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, University of Illinois at Chicago, with support from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Pittsburgh Research Laboratory. As with the first conference, the 2nd ACHV provides the unique opportunity to learn about the current activities of peers and colleagues and to exchange information on topics of interest such as human response, human modeling, experimental design, sensors, new technologies, and epidemiological studies of human responses to hand-transmitted and whole-body vibration. The conference organizers hope that the publication of these conference proceedings continues to foster new research and technological advances to reduce health hazards associated with occupational vibration exposures.

Jun 1, 2009

By F. Habashi

The Republic of South Africa is a heterogeneous mixture of Black Africans, Afrikaans, British, Indians, Malayans, French Huguenots, and many others from Europe and Asia. A decisive date in its recent history is the collapse of the Apartheid Regime in 1994. For a metallurgist, South Africa is the country of diamonds, gold, platinum, and many other metals. In 1887 Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902) was able to take control of the De Beers Mining Company after the discovery of diamonds at Kimberly in 1866. It was there where the so-called School of Mines was inaugurated in 1896.

Jan 1, 2010

By L. E. Young

GERMANY'S recent collapse and the occupation by the Allies of the coal fields of the Ruhr, the Saar, Silesia, Poland, and Czechoslovakia have focused attention on the postwar coal problems of Europe. American coal operators are interested deeply in what is happening in Britain, particularly in the discussion of plans to rehabilitate and reorganize the entire British coal mining industry, as such reorganization will probably determine the place Britain will occupy in the European coal markets for the next few decades. The continuing decline of British out-ut per man-shift, particularly during wartime, has resulted in a most serious effort to determine whether this unfortunate trend is due to the physical condition of the coal seams, poor management, poor engineering and planning, inadequate use of power and machinery, or failure of labor to co-operate with management.

Jan 1, 1945

By A. J. Kraemer

Few important improvements other than the development of cracking processes were made in technical petroleum refining from 1914 to 1919. Refiners were concerned mainly with enlarging their plants and erecting new plants to meet the growing demand for petroleum products. Shell stills operated as a unit or arranged in series for progressive or continuous distillation were the prevailing distillation equipment. Some improvement was made in condensers, but in most refineries of the period coils of pipe immersed in tanks of water were used to condense vapors and cool liquid products of the stills. Heat exchangers to conserve heat and reduce costs were more highly developed at California topping plants than at other plants. In this connection Wadsworth3/states: It is regretted that information concerning the operation of topping plants with eastern and Middle West oils is not available. The writer carefully canvassed the Middle West, but did not find a plant where operation had progressed beyond the early experimental stages and reliable figures could be furnished.

Jan 1, 1941

The Black Hills Mineral Atlas briefly summarizes all pertinent date available on the mines and mineral deposits in the Black Hills that have been explored, developed, mined, or located. The purpose of the atlas is threefold: First, from available date the general potentialities of the Black Hills region can be determined, although it is not possible to calculate actual ore reserves; second, it will provide the necessary basic information regarding a given property or commodity for further detailed study; and third, the compilation is a comprehensive directory of Black Hills deposits.

Jan 1, 1954

By Martyn F. Roetter

The objectives of the work described in this report are to determine the communications requirements and need for communications, both for voice and control, on longwalls, and to make recommendations for longwall communications equipment and systems. These recommendations are designed to guide the future development of longwall communications. Information necessary for the accomplishment of this work has been gathered by a series of visits to longwall mines and discussions with longwall mine operators, as well as with suppliers of longwall communications and mining equipment and with Bureau of Mines personnel. In addition, it has proven possible, through personal interviews and literature evaluation, to gain an understanding of the experience and attitudes towards longwall communications in countries where longwall mining is far more widespread than in the U.S., namely the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.

Jan 1, 1976

By Graham W. Marks, Betsy M. Jones

"Recently4/ it was shown that the total energy method5/ of spectrochemical analysis is suitable for the quantitative estimation of many of the elements of which ores are composed. It was shown how this method can be applied to the determination of germanium, tin, and lead. Continuing this work, the present report deals with analyses for beryllium, zinc, cadmium, and indium.There are three basic problems in these investigations. The first is to study the influence of those elements that make up the greater part of an ore sample on the spectral-line intensities of the elements for which analyses are being made, the latter generally being the minor constituents. The second is to develop proper methods for the preparation of standard spectrographic curves. Finally, we are concerned with improvement in equipment and procedure, so that greater accuracy can be achieved.As discussed previously, it is better to study as groups those elements that belong to the same group in the periodic table because their spectra are similar. Beryllium, zinc, and cadmium are thus related. Indium was included in this work because it is associated with zinc and cadmium in zinc ores.The authors wish to acknowledge the valuable assistance of the staff of the Bureau of Mines Analytical Laboratory who made the chemical analyses and supplied the ore samples used in this work.A brief description of the procedures followed in making the standard curves and analyses is given below; a detailed discussion will be found in an earlier paper.6/Basically, the procedure for determining a standard curve consists of two parts: (1) Choosing a suitable line in the spectrum of the element to be determined and (2) determining the variation in the intensity of this line with the amount of the element burned in the arc."

Nov 1, 1948

By N. A. Barcza

INFACON 7, the seventh International Ferro Alloys Congress, took place in Trondheim, Norway, in June 1995. The main aim of the Congress, which was held under the auspices of Euroalliages and the Norwegian Ferroalloy Research Organization, was to present the challenges facing the ferro-alloys industry on the road to the 21st century. Halyard Tveit, Chairman of the Technical Committee, summarized these as: ? the transition to a single global market economy ? new demands with regards to quality arising from customer needs, and ? increased awareness of the global environment. In the Plenary Sessions Kouichi Nakamura (Nippon Steel) outlined, from the steel industry's point of view, the relationship between technical advances in the products and more demanding ferro-alloy specifications. Advances in steel manufacturing technology and higher product quality have been supported in the past by raising the quality standards of ferro-alloys. Future requirements are bound to bring about more severe standards, and these need to be established by common agreement between both industries.

Jan 1, 1996

By S. M. Shelton, A. L. Engel

"This report presents the results of investigations of ore-testing projects assigned to the Ore-Dressing Section, Metallurgical Division, Bureau of Mines, at the Mississippi Valley Experiment Station, Rolla Mo. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1941.The manner of approving ore-testing projects has been explained in a previous reports. 4/ The testing procedures likewise have been described. 5/The treatment methods described are based upon laboratory experiments with small amounts of sample and naturally are subject to the inherent, normal, limiting conditions of such procedure. It is not intended to describe treatments in detail, but rather to indicate applicable methods. Local operating conditions, when the laboratory results are applied to plant operations, may require further study. Large-scale pilot-plant tests should be made before commercial operations are begun, so that translation from the experimental stage will yield satisfactory results."

Mar 1, 1942