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Jan 1, 1982

J. J. RUTLEDGE,* McAlester, Okla. (written discussiont).-Research work has often a more immediate and practical application to the in-dustries than even the investigators themselves realize, but coal mining has not attracted the investigator, except in so far as the mine-accident prevention work and fuel investigations are concerned. In future, the coal geologist will study the subsurface geology of the various coal seams as the petroleum geologist now studies the oil sands, and from the results of these studies the coal operator will be able to locate his shafts to the best possible advantage and to avoid faults that would interfere with underground work. There would have been many thousands of dollars saved, and perhaps some reputations, if a good stratigrapher. had been called into consultation in the southern part of Somerset County, Pa., where a local seam of coal, quite thick, was mistaken for the Pittsburgh seam, which, if ever present at that point, had long since been eroded. Why will the Quemanhoming coal carry more sulfur without injuring the grate bars than George's Creek Big Vein? Only the investigator can answer and yet the fact that the above is true means a greater price for the thinner coal. The owner of the land in Oklahoma receives one-fourth of the cotton crop produced by the tenant who farms his land and one-third of the

Jan 11, 1919

By A. J. Strauss

The solubilily of lead in PbS as a funclion of lemperature has been investigated by means of Hall coej'icient (RH) measurentents OIL samples prepared by annealing and quenching Bridgman-grourz single crystals, which contain excess lead incorporated during /heir growth from the mell. For sufficiently long annealing times and sufficiently rapid quench rules, the samples obtained consist of n-lybe PbS snturated with In the semiconducting compounds PbS, PbSe, and PbTe, the point defects associated with the presence of lead in excess of the stoichio metric composition are shallow donors. The defects associated with the presence of excess nonmetal are shallow acceptors. lead at the annealing teuiperatiire, together luilh a dispersed second phase of lead microprecipitates. Due to the retrograde solubility of lead, the measured free carrier concentration (n = l/eR77) decreases with decreasing annealing tewperature (T) from- 2.4 X 10 em-3 for 1l85OK to 1.3 X 1018 cm-3 for 623°K. The dala are well-represented by the equation n =(1.08 x 102) exp[ - (0.37 ev.)/kT] cm-3 For most undoped samples of these compounds, the carrier concentration at room temperature and below is determined primarily by the stoichiometry, since the concentration of either excess lead or excess non-metal is large compared to the concentrations of intrinsic carriers and electrically active impurities. Therefore the dependence of composition in temperature and partial pressure can be investigated by means of Hall coefficient measurements, even though the deviations from stoichiometry do not exceed 0.03 at. Pct

Jan 1, 1968

By Pradhan GK

Blasting is one of the most important operations involved in surface coal mining. The removal of over-burden waste in surface coal mines of India had experienced many improvements in terms of blasting, explosives selection, blast design, equipment selection, deployment. etc. Two case studies of very large surface coal mines have particular importance in their blasting operations. Both these units have been equipped with large capacity excavating machines, hauling units and also have some difficult mining situations. Blasting is done in benches in close proximity to human dwellings and over coal seams developed by underground methods with problems of high wall stability etc, as well. The various steps taken to improve the blasting operations ensure smooth operation of the equipment to meet the targetted coal production.

Jan 1, 1991

By W. R. Dengler, R. S. Brown

In 1974, Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation Limited started a 48 million dollar expansion programme at their property in Bathurst, New Brunswick. A portion of the expansion plans includes a 26 foot diameter 4,525 foot deep shaft, underground crusher and conveyor excavations and lower level access development. J. S. Redpath Limited was awarded the contract for the new shaft and associated rock work in May 1974. Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation Limited, a member of the Noranda Group, operate this 10,000 ton per day lead, zinc, copper plant with proven reserves in excess of 90 million tons. While most of the ore is provided by the underground operation at the Number 12 ore body, some tonnage is produced from the open pit at the Number 6 ore body. Long range plans indicate a phasing out of the open pit and an increase in production from the underground operation. Existing facilities at the underground mine could not provide additional tonnage, thus the requirement for a new shaft. (Figure 1) The new shaft will also provide access to ore below the 2,800 level which is currently the bottom level of the existing facility. The contract called for sinking a 26 foot inside diameter, nine compartment concrete shaft 4,525 feet deep (Figure 2). Station access and ramp development from existing workings would be required to the bottom of the new shaft. In addition, development work for new crushing and conveying facilities was needed simultaneous with the shaft sinking.

Jan 1, 1976

INTRODUCTION IT is 10. years this summer since the first of the contributions which it has been my privilege to make to the working tools of the hydrometallurgist was set at work, but a full description of what has come to be known as "Dorr Machinery" has never been published in the Transactions of the Institute, and it has been suggested to me that an account of the same would prove of interest to members, although most of those engaged in cyaniding and concentration are probably familiar with it. The account which I shall give of the development of the machines must be recognized as being written from the viewpoint mainly of my own local experience and not from that of one who was familiar with the general metallurgical practice throughout the world. Most advances in any art are conceived before the time is ripe for their development and any .invention which comes into general use will usually be found to have been tried out in a crude way and abandoned more than once. If the early experimenter went as far as the Patent Office, his work may serve no other purpose than to prevent the issuance of the broadest patent to those who later may develop a commercial process. The cyanide process in the United States early in 1904 was mainly confined to the leaching of dry crushed ores, both coarse and fine, and sand treatment of tailings from concentration and amalgamation. In the Black' hills some plants were crushing in cyanide solution, leaching sands and handling the slime by the well-known decantation process. Filter pressing, in use for some years in Australia,had been tried in several places in this country and the Moors process had been abandoned at Mercur after' a short run, but was doing good work at the mill of Lindbergh, Dorr & Wilson, at Terry, and being installed at Bodie and the Liberty Bell. A general feeling, however, still existed that, slimes were to be avoided when possible, on account of the losses in treatment and the difficulty of making a good leaching product when they were present in large amounts, especially when the crushing was done in cyanide solution.

Jan 8, 1914

By H Aral

A rotating magnetic field can be produced in a magnetic separator by using a magnet rotor fitted with alternate north-south magnetic poles, similar to the rotors currently used in modern eddy current separators. Rotation of the magnetic field causes ferromagnetic particles to rotate during magnetic separation. The particle rotation can then be used simply to remove entrapment during a conventional attraction magnetic separation (RMF lift separation), or it can be used to roll particles away from non-rotating particles, and to move them out of the separator under their own rotation (RMF rotation separation). RMF (rotating magnetic field) separation is a separation for ferromagnetic particles. These particles have a very ordered magnetism that is locked into directions of easy magnetisation in the crystal. As a result, if the external field rotates, the particles attempt to rotate with it. RMF separation uses this fact to rotate the ferromagnetic particles in a rotating field. In contrast, paramagnetic particles have a magnetism that can point in any direction with almost equal ease, and these will not rotate in a rotating field. By making use of this difference in magnetic properties, RMF rotation separation can separate ferromagnetic particles from paramagnetic, even when the particles have similar susceptibilities. Some particles such as both chrome spinel and ilmenite can contain ferromagnetic regions within a paramagnetic matrix. These ferromagnetic regions can vary from very small regions dispersed throughout the crystal, through thin lamellae, to larger more bulky regions. Although most natural ilmenite is ferromagnetic and generally has a higher magnetic susceptibility than paramagnetic chrome spinel, the susceptibility ranges for the two minerals overlap considerably (Allen, 2000a) due to the presence of these ferromagnetic elements, frequently making the conventional magnetic separation of these two minerals impractical. It is known that roasting a mixture of ilmenite and chrome spinel particles increases the magnetic susceptibility of the ilmenite while leaving the spinel susceptibility substantially unchanged. This makes the use of conventional (susceptibility attraction) magnetic separation more practical for the separation of these two minerals. However, very little is known about the effects of roasting on the response of ilmenite and spinel particles to a rotating magnetic field. For example, although the optimal ilmenite roasting conditions for conventional magnetic separation are quite well established such conditions may or may not be optimal for RMF rotation separation. Low intensity conventional magnetic separation on the basis of magnetic susceptibility can be made more accurate if it is carried out in a rotating field, because the rapid spinning of the separating particles prevents the formation of magnetic flocs, and reduces entrapment and entrainment. Medium intensity RMF rotation-only separation (no attraction component) has the ability to separate rotating (ferromagnetic) from non-rotating (paramagnetic) particles, irrespective of their relative magnetic susceptibilities. RMF rotation separation is of particular interest in this case because ilmenite particles generally rotate much better than the mainly paramagnetic chrome spinel particles, and roasting could enhance this difference further. Further information on the use of RMF to separate minerals can be found in Allen (2000a; b and c). The aim of this series of tests on a number of Australian ilmenites was to compare some different oxidising and reducing roast methods and to establish whether the use of RMF rotation separation improves the chrome spinel rejection.

Jan 1, 2001

The Institute would he glad to purchase from any Member a copy of the Bulletin for May, 1914.

Jan 5, 1917

By D. T. A. Symons, M. M. Kapnistos

"Gravity profiles were established over five known Middle Silurian pinnacle reef s in Lambton County, southwestern Ontario. The profiles were approximately 3 km long, with stations every 60 m. Four fairly recent technological developments were used which now make the gravity method relatively efficient and inexpensive compared to the techniques available two decades ago. These are: (1) a La Coste-Romberg model G gravimeter to measure the gravitational attraction with a sensitivity of 0.01 mgal; (2) a Sokkisha model B-2 semiautomatic engineers level to measure the station elevations with an accuracy of 0.5 cm; (3) a Huntec FS-3 hammer reflection seismograph to determine the overburden thickness to an accuracy of ± 7%; and (4) a modern microcomputer to process the data sets and mathematically filter the gravity values. Thus, two men can measure and analyze approximately 1 km of profile per day and obtain the residual gravity profile to an accuracy of ± 0. 05 mgal. Positive gravity anomalies of 0.17 to 0.72 mgal were observed along all five profiles that approximately delineate the dimensions of the known pinnacle reefs, which have an average height of 120 m, diameter of 1500 m and depth to top of 575 m. The relative ease of the gravity survey method makes it a cost-effective technique for hydrocarbon exploration in southwestern Ontario. IntroductionPinnacle reefs are important sources of oil and gas. Although the pinnacle reefs in southwestern Ontario are small, they may contain commercial pools of oil and gas because of their proximity to refineries. They are also useful for subsurface storage of gas to meet the winter surge in gas demand.At present, geophysical exploration for new pinnacle reefs is done primarily by relatively expensive seismic methods, which are also limited in southwestern Ontario by prohibitions on blasting. Gravity methods of exploration were attempted more than two decades ago in this region. (Pohly, 1954); however, the level of technology at that time made the method marginal in sensitivity and quite expensive. Several subsequent developments- gravimeters with greater sensitivity and operating ease, ""self-levelling"" levels for elevation control, hammer seismic reflection units for determining overburden thickness and portable microcomputers for efficient data analysis-have significantly improved the precision and cost effectiveness of the gravity method. Five known pinnacle reefs were selected in Lambton County, southwestern Ontario (Fig. 1), to test the effectiveness of integrating these developments to locate and define additional reefs. Isolated reefs were chosen to avoid the problem of the gravity effect s of one reef interfering with those of a neighbouring reef. The surveys were facilitated by choosing reefs with a concession road passing directly over them ."

Jan 1, 1980

By Otto Ruhl

"INTRODUCTION With the conclusion of the war and the ensuing readjustment of industry to peacetime conditions, the Bureau of Mines recognized that definite and complete figures on the reserves of zinc and lead ores in the Tri-State District would be needed for an evaluation of the problem of reconversion. In October 1945 its engineers began examination of all the mines and pros¬pects in the Tri-State area and assembling of the basic data for a complete detailed estimate of the reserves of the field. Six to twelve months will be required to complete the report with the personnel available; therefore, it has been deemed advisable to provide as much data as possible for imme¬diate use. Accordingly, a confidential report prepared in January 1944 for the use of and in cooperation with the War Production Board has been brought up to date to form the basis of this preliminary estimate of reserves.The 1944 report has been revised by first subtracting from the reserves then set up for each mill group the amounts mined and milled by those properties for 1944 and 10 months of 1945, with November and December estimated. These production statistics were taken from the monthly reports of the Metal Economics Division of the Bureau of Mines. The remaining reserves were then adjusted by additions of tonnages of new reserves disclosed by developments during the years 1944 and 1945. Such additions were based upon the data furnished by various operators, upon estimates supplied by the Federal Geological Survey District Office at Miami, Okla., and upon estimates of the engineers of the Bureau of Mines Joplin field office.It is apparent from the work so far accomplished in the detailed exami¬nations now under way that the final estimate of reserves will probably be somewhat greater and will differ to a certain degree from these preliminary totals, not only as to the tonnages of ere but also as to grades and distribution by areas. This is due to the fact that all the factors of development, exploration, and geology are being considered in the present examination and report for each individual mine and prospect, whereas the previous reports covered only the immediate development factors surrounding each mill group then in active operation or projected for operation at some early date in accordance with the possible needs for war production."

Aug 1, 1946

By Falih Ergunalp

REGULAR production of chrome in Turkey started in 1860 with the operation of the Bursa deposits (5, Fig. I). Others were discovered at Makri, near Fethiye (3, Fig. I). For 33 years Turkey remained the principal source of this mineral. While new discoveries were coming in elsewhere, Turkey's output declined until 1921, as a result of four successive wars, which ruined the economics of the country. In 1927 a revival came with the production of 18,000 tons. In that year the Société Minière de Fethiye was formed. This company now operates mines in the Vilayets of Aydin, Denizli, Burdur and Mentese, and it has reached a maximum production of between 80,000 and 90,000 tons annually. The Turkish output therefore increased from 29,000 tons in 1930 to 55,000 tons in 1931; and to 119,009 tons in 1934. The second phase in the increase in chrome production in Turkey came about in 1935, when the Government decided to reorganize and control the mineral industry of the country according to the principles of "government control" of the present regime. Up to that time the mineral resources of the country had been exploited by private concerns. In 1935, the M.T.A. (Maden Tetkik ve Arama) Institute (Institute of Mining Research and Geological Survey) was established by the Government to do the geological and geophysical survey work and discover new mineral resources for the country. Before the establishment of the M.T.A. Institute, the chief chrome-producing region was Fethiye (3 and 4, Fig. I). As a result of the extensive work of this bureau, many new chrome deposits have been discovered and are now in production. The operational field of the mineral industry was given to Eti Bank, another Government-sponsored and Government-controlled establishment. Eti Bank gradually took over the exploitation of existing mines by purchasing them from privately operated companies. Attention was first given to the Zonguldak collieries and to the different chrome deposits scattered over the country. The Guleman mines (14, Fig. 1) were developed and put in operation in 1936. Since then the bulk of Turkish chrome output has come from this mine, which yields the highest grade ore in the world (averaging 52 per cent Cr2O3). In 1939, the recently discovered chrome deposits to the north of Eskisehir went into production, yielding ore having a Cr2O3 content of 51 to 52 per cent. Today, more than ever, the efforts of both the M.T.A. Institute and the Eti Bank are concentrated on finding new deposits and placing them in operation. There are still many promising regions of the country that merit systematic surveying and prospecting for chrome ores. Thus it is probable that Turkey will continue to make noteworthy progress in chrome output. As the annual chrome production of

Jan 1, 1944

By A. J. Shaler, J. Prieto Isaza, J. Wulff

Tantalum metal has a number of unique properties which give it widespread application in modern technology and in research. In electronic apparatus involwing high temperatures in vacuo some of the refractory metals 6ecome brittle. Tantalum retains its ductility at elevated temperatures, and this property, together with its low vapor pressure and its ability to absorb gases, make it important in this field. Its chemical inertness in the presence of acids, halogens, and other corrosive media, makes it useful in chemical apparatus and in neuro and orthopedic surgical applications. As an addition to tungsten carbide in steel-cutting grades of cemented-carbide tools, the carbides of tantalum and of its sister element colum-bium have found considerable use. The present-day method1 of manufacturing tantalum is to sinter a powder compact of the metal in vacuo. Because tantalum-columbium alloys are difficult to work and since tantalum ores almost always contain columbium, the two metals must be separated chemically, the products of the separation being generally in the form of potassium tantalum fluoride and potassium columbium oxyfluoride. These salts are used in fused-salt electrolytic baths from which coarse metallic powder is deposited as a sponge at the cathode. Finer powder can be made from the coarse product or from tantalum scrap by first submitting it to an embrittling heat treatment in hydrogen and then crushing it. The fine hydrogen-containing powder may subsequently be degassed in vacuo at a high temperature. Prompted by the success of others2,3 in the magnesium reduction of titanium and zirconium halides; one of the authors undertook4 an investigation of the thermochemistry of the reaction between solid magnesium and gaseous tantalum penta-chloride, a subject which had not previously been studied. He found that the heat of formation of tantalum pentachloride is approximately 364,250 cal per mol at temperatures lower than the melting point of magnesium. A value of 83 units was found for the standard entropy at these temperatures. With these values, it was shown that magnesium and tantalum pentachloride are capable of reacting exo-thermically at temperatures less than the melting point of magnesium, and that no great violence is to be expected when these substances are heated together. The exothermic nature of the reaction indicated that the Drocess should be efficient and should not require much externally applied energy. Tantalum pentachloride is not commonly made commercially, and any process using it therefore involves the subsidiary problem of producing and handling this substance. A series of experiments was carried out in which dried chlorine saturated with carbon tetrachloride was passed over heated tanta-

Jan 1, 1949

By John A. Franklin, Tom C. Palangio, Norbert H. Maerz

No blast evaluation is complete without fragmentation measurements which until now were inaccurate, costly, time consuming and created delays in production. “WipFrag.s”is a fully automated PC based fragmentation analysis system that uses digital photo analysis techniques to measure broken rock. Fragmentation can be measured in minutes using compact videocameras for image acquisition. Even subtle changes in rack quality can be detected providing the information necessary for pattern optimization, explosives evaluation, timing selection, benchmarking and blast model validation.

Jan 1, 1995

By Elaine T. Cullen, Thomas W. Camm

The mentor/learner model is a time-honored approach to teaching, including within the mining industry. Miners know when they see excellence and have a deep respect for experts in their field. By using expert miners as mentors to other, less-experienced miners, training programs can be developed that will have a legitimacy and credibility that resonates with those being trained. Building upon concepts in current theories of adult education, this paper highlights the unique advantages of using mentoring as a teaching method that can make the educational experience both interesting and effective. Current NIOSH safety training materials use these concepts to deliver effective adult learning experiences for workers in the mining industry.

Jan 1, 2002

By N. C. Matheson

The West's Shell Pile has been used on sites with very soft ground conditions for over 60 years. Fibre reinforced precast concrete shells 900mm long are threadled onto an internal mandrel which can be extended according to the depth driven to attain the load bearing resistance. On completion of driving the mandrel is removed leaving the precast shells to form a permanent lining to the cast insitu concrete core. To give resistance to high contamination, a tar based epoxy coat is sprayed on the outside of the shells or a flexible PVC liner is installed inside the shells to protect the core. Fundamental to the resistance to contamination is the quality of the precast fibre reinforced concrete shell, the mix design and method of manufacture. A series of detailed laboratory experiments were carried out using samples immersed in concentrated acid and sulphate solution. The long term effects of exposure to contamination is recorded in the case studies of existing piles at two gasworks sites.

Jan 1, 1989

By Kumara S. Rachamalla

Long-term stability, appropriate taxation and incentive policies are essential to attract and stimulate investment in the mineral sector. An outline of Ontario's $4.6 billion industry and associated tax incentives is presented. Producers are offered incentives under The Mining Tax Act, federal and provincial income tax acts for exploration and development by reducing Me after tax cost to 13-25¢ for each dollar spent. The Mining Tax Act provides generous processing incentives which have positive effects in enhancing investment and economic advantages of building processing facilities. Non-mining companies and entrepreneurial individuals can receive 25% of eligible exploration expenditures in grants/tax credits under the Ontario Mineral Exploration Program.

Jan 1, 1982

By Ian J. Graham, Cornel E. J. de Ronde

New Zealand lies astride a convergent plate boundary that extends north-eastwards from the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) to Tonga. This boundary is marked by the Kermadec arc, c. 1200 km of which falls within New Zealand’s EEZ, and which is host to numerous volcanic edifices both on the arc and in a zone immediately behind the arc to the west. In 1999, thirteen volcanic centres in the southern 260 km of the arc were surveyed for their hydrothermal plumes with seven of them discharging vent fluids into the surrounding ocean. Three of the seven volcanic centres have had mineralised rocks recovered from them during dredging and submersible operations, namely Brothers, Rumble II West and Clark. Presentday plume data combined with mineralogical evidence indicate that the vent sites at Rumble II West and Clark are waning, although the presence of Cu-rich sulphides in samples recovered from Rumble II West suggest there may be a massive sulphide (Cu-Zn-Pb-Ba ± Au) deposit located within the caldera. Brothers volcanic centre is host to the largest polymetallic mineral deposit discovered along the Kermadec arc and has numerous, up to 7 m tall chimneys within a c. 600 x 200 m area located on its NW caldera wall. Geochemical data indicate that concentrations of base metals are variable and depend critically on sample type. When combined with mineralogical and plume data, this indicates addition of a magmatic fluid component to the vent fluids.

Aug 24, 2006

By Jamsa-Jouneia SL, Lahteenmaki S

Sophisticated control systems require sufficient and reliable information from the process to be controlled. At the Pyhasalmi concentrator two novel measurements, a particle size indicator (PSI) and a mill level monitor (MLM), have led to significant progress in the control of the grinding circuit. The PSI and the MLM measurements have brought additional information from the process. The PSI has been an absolute prerequisite for determining the overall grinding circuit efficiency and the design of the integrated grinding and flotation control system. The MLM measurement has enabled studies on the volumetric filling of a mill to be utilised for maximising the mill throughput. The paper describes the operation principles of the PSI and MLM devices and the additional process information received. The results of a metallurgical pre-control audit are discussed and finally the design of the integrated control system is outlined.

Jan 1, 1993

By Sanat Talmaki

Construction and mining worksites pose unique challenges to workers and equipment operators due to their dynamic and unstructured nature. Narrow haul roads, crowded work spaces and presence of workers and equipment in close proximity, combined with large blind spots and overall poor visibility afforded to operators lead to collisions and run-over-type accidents between equipment, workers, and other entities that may be present on the jobsite. Operations that involve machine-infrastructure interaction, particularly in the case of concealed infrastructure such as excavation and drilling lead to unintended strikes between the equipment?s end-effect or and the infrastructure. Such accident-prone scenarios can be avoided by providing operators with real-time feedback and warnings using 3D visualization and proximity monitoring of the entities present in the equipment?s vicinity. Thus the jobsite in the real world is abstracted and represented in a 3D virtual world. However, this requires the ability to create a seamless link between real-world sensors present on the equipment and/or the jobsite and the virtual environment. This paper describes a non-restrictive acquisition allocation framework that allows position and orientation sensor streams from construction and mining job sites to be used for updating 3D virtual scenes in real-time for providing vital collision avoidance warnings to equipment operators.

Aug 1, 2013

By James Westfield

This report covers the calendar year 1953 and has been prepared and submitted in accordance with the provisions of Sec. 106(a) and Sec. 212(c) of the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act (66 Stat. 692; 30 U.S.C. Secs. 451-483). During this first full calendar year of operations under the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act, the coal-mining industry of the United States attained the best injury records in its history - improving the former best records (made in 1952) by 91 fatal and 10,020 nonfatal injuries. Whereas, the mandatory provisions of the act were intended and designed to prevent major mine disasters, apparently the effects have reached beyond the scope thereof in reducing mine accidents generally.

Jan 1, 1954