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By F. W. Brackebusch, R. O. Sack

"A method for determining the fineness of Au in electrum from the composition of fahlore coexisting with pyrite and chalcopyrite is presented. This method is based on previously published experimental brackets and activitycomposition models for electrum and fahlore, and it is potentially useful for defining temperatures of hydrothermal mineralization and retrograde evolution of precious metals deposits. The authors demonstrate that it successfully predicts compositions of electrum reported for this assemblage in the literature and illustrate its application for three gold-quartz vein deposits from the Coeur d’Alene mining district, Idaho, that are prospects of the New Jersey Mining Company, the Coleman vein, High-Grade prospect, and Silver Strand mine. Temperatures calculated from average electrum compositions estimated from gravity concentrates (molar Au/(Au+Ag) = 0.76-0.39) and from microprobe analyses of the fahlores (molar Ag/(Ag+Cu) = 0.039 ± 0.004, Zn/(Zn+Fe) = 0.57 ± 0.03, As/(As+Sb) = 0.23 ± 0.02) from the Coleman vein indicate that the electrums underwent retrograde re-equilibration to temperatures between about 80°C and 240°C, roughly 80°C below the temperature of hydrothermal mineralization and 10°C to 40°C above the temperature inferred for retrograde equilibration of Fe and Zn between sphalerite and fahlore. Fahlores from the High-Grade prospect [molar Ag/(Ag+Cu) = 0.009 ± 0.004, Zn/(Zn+Fe) = 0.55 ± 0.11, and As/(As+Sb) = 0.04 ± 0.03] and Silver Strand mineralized zone [molar Ag/(Ag+Cu) = 0.10 ± 0.04, Zn/(Zn+Fe) = 0.63 ± 0.02, and As/(As+Sb) = 0.06 ± 0.02] exhibit strong core to rim depletions in Ag due to retrograde operation of the reaction1/10Cu10Fe2Sb4S13 + Ag + FeS2 =Cu-fahlore electrum pyriteCuFeS2 + 1/10Ag10Fe2Sb4S13chalcopyrite Ag-fahlorewhich proceeds to the left with decreasing temperature. Electrum inclusions in arsenopyrite from the High-Grade prospect [molar Au/(Au+Ag) = 0.90 ± 0.02] define a minimum bound on the temperature of hydrothermal mineralization of 273°C, and the temperatureelectrum composition curve constructed for the most Ag-rich fahlore in the Silver Strand mine indicates that the fineness of its electrum is significantly less than in the other deposits."

Jan 1, 2004

By Donald P. Schlick

Gentlemen, today I would like to talk to you about metal and nonmetal mine health and safety--past, present and future. Briefly, I will comment on the past because it is important to an understanding of our present activity and our plans for the future. Federal inspection of noncoal mines was not authorized until 1966, when congress passed the federal metal and nonmetal mine health and safety act; public law 89-577, with the passage of this act, the federal inspector, for the first time, had the delegated authority and responsibility to enforce health and safety regulations designed to prevent personal injuries and occupational diseases, the new law also provided for the education and training of our miners; assistance to the operator through the transmission of technical and scientific information and assistance and equally important, the law made provision for state participation in the congressional mandate to prevent injuries and save lives in the mineral industry, Before I tell you about our program and our future plans, I want you to know that I am here to listen as well as to talk! In my view, the only kind of communication that is meaningful is two-way communication. Our nationwide progress in metal and nonmetal mine health and safety during 1972 cannot be measured in reduced fatalities or injuries. The unforeseen tragedy that took pace in Kellogg, Idaho, in may of last year mode that almost a certainty.

Jan 1, 1973

By S. Crewdson

Vertical hoisting of materials using hoists and skips is common in the Mining Industry. These systems have a number of drawbacks, one being limited hoisting capacity at medium depths. FKC-Lake Shore and Metso Flexowell have been developing and installing vertical belts for medium depth shaft applications for many years, progressively going deeper whilst increasing belt capacity. The latest development from Metso the Pocketlift® belt advances this technology allowing higher tonnages to be lifted from greater depths. The design, manufacture, installation and operational experience of a 1818 tonnes capacity, 273 meters vertical lift Pocketlift® system at the White County Coal Pattiki 2 mine is the subject of this work.

Jan 1, 2003

By William B. Hughes

The rubber-sleeve core barrel was developed to improve core recovery from unconsolidated sands, where it is most difficult to obtain cores with conventional barrels. The use of a rubber-sleeve core retainer, together with other departures from clsual design, has required a considerable amount of testing to prove its op-erability. Tests run in shallow experimental holes and in drilling wells in the U. S. and Vemzuela have, to a large extent, proved the operation of the barrel. Internal mechanism troubles, such as sandbinding of the sleeve, have been largely overcome. Cores have been recovered from completely unconsolidated sands where conventional coring has almost been abandoned because of poor recovery. In addition to retaining the core until brought to the surface, the barrel gives a "packaged-ar-cut" core, which is coilverzient for handling and transportatiorz. In the initial work, drag blade cutters, roller cutters, and tungsten carbide insert cutters were usrd for cutting unconsolidated sands. Further bit head development is presently being conducted using diamond heads in unconsolidated sands where shaler, hard sands, and limestones are encountered in adjacent formations. Thir work should render the barrel capable of cratting and recovering most types of formations, possibly including broken and frac- tured fornlations. This development is being carried on in cooperation with a diamond bit manufacturer. INTRODUCTIO N For many years the oil industry has needed greater recovery of cores from unconsolidated formations. Conventional equipment has been used to core unconsolidated sands with little success. Specifically, a core barrel was needed which would recover unconsolidated sands in a condition that would give useful reservoir information. DEVELOPMENT OF 'THE RUBBER-SLEEVE CORE BARREL Basic Requirements of Unconsolidated Sand Corino The basic need was defined as a core barrel that would obtain a continuous unconsolidated core with sand grains in place as deposited in the formation. A preliminary survey of coring equipment and search of the literature pointed out the weaknesses of conventional core barrels. Laboratory tests using unconsolidated sand in a metal tube simulated actual sand movement into the core barrel during conventional coring. In conventional barrels the core sometimes crumbles and bridges, or fails under compressive column action, becomes oversize, and wedges against the walls of the inner barrel. The core barrel requirements established by the surveys and preliminary tests are as follows. 1. The core should be held to- gether as it is cut so it cannot crumble and bridge against the walls of the coring tool, care being taken not to permit damage from fluid circulation. 2. The core should be continuously supported as it is cut so it will not have to support itself in compression. 3. The core should be packaged in the barrel to retain an undisturbed condition during the trip out of the well. The packaging should be such that the core can be removed from the barrel and shipped to the core analysis laboratory without physical disturbance or alteration of fluid content by exposure to the atmosphere. Operation of the Rubber-Sleeve Core Barrel The rubber-sleeve core barrel (Fig. 1) meets the basic requirements for the recovery of unconsolidated sands.

By N. J. Roodt

Mine dumps created in terms of the pre-MPRDA regime (old order mine dumps) are currently not regulated by the MPRDA, and the common law owners of such dumps are free to process them without the need to obtain the relevant rights. The MPRDA Amendment Act purports to change this position. However, the wording of the Amendment Act raises a number of problems which render the post-amendment position at best unclear and at worst absurd and unworkable. The primary concern with the Amendment Act is that, on one interpretation, material placed on the same dump at different times may be treated differently at law. Thus, parts of a dump may be subject to one person?s right while others may be subject to another?s right. Moreover, case law has generally regarded mine dumps as movable property and, by extending the MPRDA to apply to all mine dumps, the Legislature is extending the ambit of the Act to cover movable property, a scenario not contemplated by the wording of the Act (even after its amendment) in relation to applications for rights. The better interpretation of the amendments, which are not yet in force, is that they will not apply retrospectively to old order mine dumps.

Jan 1, 2010

By Valery M. Yubko

"The conceptual basis of the developed model is based on the ideas that evolution of geological-geomorphological structure of the CCZ is controlled by four types of geologic factors: geodynamic, sedimentary, volcano-tectonic and erosion-lithodynamic. In terms of time span two factors (geodynamic and sedimentary) can be considered as permanent and the other two as sporadic.The geodynamic factor is responsible for two interrelated geological processes. One is going under conditions of the axial zones of spreading centers and results in formation of the CCZ basement. Historically this process is considered as a starting point for each of the heterochronous fragments of the CCZ. The second one controls gradual shifting towards the Pacific Plate (Hawaiian direction) and subsidence to greater depths of the neogenic fragments (basement). Thus, those processes control basic topography, geomorphology and the seabed depth within the CCZ.Volcanogenic-hydrothermal activity of the EPR is one of the main sources of the ore components, which finally compose manganese nodules as a result of complicated processes of their dissemination and transportation to the bottom in dissolved and organically bound forms.The role of the other constant factor (sedimentary) is displayed in two ways. Firstly, initial relief is smoothed under the influence of this factor, which, subsequently, makes favorable conditions for manganese nodules formation. Secondly, it favors transportation of the majority of the ore components, participating in manganese nodules formation into zones of active nodules formation."

Jan 1, 2017

By R. M. Brick, R. G. Treuting

Despite the basic importance of slip in the plastic deformation of metals, and the considerable experimental investigation, thought, and speculation that have been devoted to the fundamental nature of these processes, surprisingly few data have been reported regarding the microscopic appear- ance and distribution of slip lines,‡ the external manifestation of the slip process. Photographs hitherto reproduced in the literature are in general at low or unspecified magnifications with no correlation to the prior shear. A single-crystal cylindrical tensile specimen of alpha brass about 1/2 in. in diameter, one of many previously prepared by H. L. Burghoff,1 was available for study. A plane about 3/16 in. wide, parallel to the specimen axis and normal to the plane containing the slip direction and the specimen axis, was ground and metallographically polished along the entire 5-in. gauge length. Heavy etching produced a surface free of both scratches and flow. The specimen was strained in tension until slip markings first became visible on the polished surface (Figs. 1 and 2). Re-stressing the crystal caused additional markings to appear at an initially lower stress than previously was required. Stretching the specimen to produce a dense concentration of slip lines caused such variations in level in the polished surface (normal to the slip direction) that microscopic study at higher magnifications became impossible. After annealing 15 hr. at 850°C, the specimen recrystallized to form two grains with a boundary approximately normal to the specimen axis and about midway along its length. Each was X-rayed, and two planes were again polished along the length of the specimen, in this case each parallel to the slip direction in one of the two crystals. A light longitudinal scratch parallel to the specimen axis was drawn down the center of each plane. A Huggen-berger extensometer was attached to the crystal A, whose slip plane would have the higher resolved shear stress of the two, and the specimen was again strained in tension.

Jan 1, 1942

By Billy W. Parks

This paper reports on the first 2 years in operation of a special-purpose coal handling rig which provides blending, temperature reduction, and continuous, automatic mechanical sampling as part of midstream barge to ship coal transfers. Briefly reviewing some of the characteristics of coal handling peculiar to midstream transfers, the paper discusses how the most beneficial aspects of midstreaming were enhanced through the design of this blending and sampling rig.

Jan 1, 1986

By Lightfoot BW, Wand PD, Towne DV

Sampling and e.m.f. probes were used in the liquid flow from the blast furnace and in the forehearth to evaluate the performance of the copper smelting system at E.R. & S. Significant variations in temperature, oxygen potential and copper content with slag depth and with position in the forehearth indicated that convective currents were causing considerable stirring in the forehearth. This was attributed to temperature fluctuations in the stream from the blast furnace, which resulted in colder slag being underlain by hotter matte. Tracer tests in the feed to the smelter and in the feed to the forehearth revealed considerable holdup of material in the plant and confirmed that the forehearth involved small scale turbulence but little large scale mixing. The results indicated that the copper content of slag continuously tapped from the forehearth could be lowered by at least 0.15% if better settling could be achieved and means of attaining this are discussed. As part of the investigation the recovery of copper from spent refractory bricks recycled through the smelter was evaluated. It was found that the recovery was high but it seems likely that the brick material is partly responsible for a build up of solid material in the forehearth.

Jan 1, 1981

By Raymond L. Orr

Calorimetric measurements have been made of the heats of solution of gold axd indium in a number of liquid tin-rich alloys at a temperature of 705°K. Relative partial molar enthalpies of gold were determined as a function of dilute solute concentrations in the binary Au-Sn system and in the ternary Ag-Au-Sn and Au-In-Sn systems. Relative partial molar enthalpies of indium were determined for dilute solute concentrations in the In-Sn, Ag-In-Sn, and Au-In-Sn systems. Through application of the interaction coefficient concept introduced by Wagner and more recently extended by Lupis and Elliott, ualues have been obtained for the Au-Au, Ag-Au, Au-In, and Ag-In enthalpy interaction coefficients in liquid tin. The results are inte@reted in terms of solute atom distributions through comparisons with the predictions of dilute solution models. INTEREST in the thermodynamic behavior of dilute liquid alloys stems from two primary sources. From a practical viewpoint, it is often of importance to know or to be able to predict the effect that one solute will have on the thermodynamic properties of the other solutes in a multicomponent system. Studies of dilute solutions may also be rewarding from the theoretical point of view. Some of the difficulties arising from the more complex interactions possible in concentrated solutions are avoided, leading to easier interpretations in terms of solutibn models and bonding energies. For example, in a binary alloy the limiting values of the partial molar properties of the solute represent the case for which each solute atom is completely surrounded by atoms of the solvent, and no other interactions are possible. Solute - solute interactions in dilute solutions are conveniently treated by the interaction coefficient concept of ~agner.' Using a Taylor series expansion for the logarithm of the activity coefficient, In yi, of a component, i, in a solution consisting of dilute solutes with atomic fractions xi, xj, xk, and so forth, in a solvent, s, and neglecting the second- and higher-order terms, Wagner obtained the expression: Where Wheyz is the limiting value of yi in the pure solvent, s. The interaction coefficients, e:, e:, and so forth, are defined by: Since yi is related to the excess partial molar Gibbs energy of component i by GfS = RT In yi, E: is re- ferred to as the "Gibbs energy interaction coefficient". Lupis and Elliott~ extended Wagner's treatment to the relative partial molar enthalpy, aHi, and the excess partial molar entropy, qS. They defined the enthalpy interaction coefficient as: and the excess entropy interaction coefficient as: leading to expressions similar to Eq. [I]: The three interaction coefficients are related by? The self-interaction coefficients, E:,qf,and at, represent the effects of interactions between atoms of component i in solvent s; €3, q{, and 03 represent the effects of interactions between i and j atoms in solvent s; and so forth. From the Maxwell-type relationships between partial molar quantities, it may be shown1'2 that e{ = ej, r}\ =tj), and ai - crj. Experimental determination of the interaction coefficients requires extremely precise measurements of the appropriate properties as functions of solute concentrations in very dilute regions. Few such data exist for intermetallic alloys, even for binary systems, because of experimental difficulties. This is especially true with respect to enthalpy data for dilute alloys. Examination of the compilation of data for binary alloys by Hultgren, Orr, Anderson, and ~elle~~ reveals that determination of limiting values of &fii(Xi =0) often requires extrapolations to infinite dilution from xi = 0.05 to 0.10. Direct measurements of the enthalpy interaction coefficient, qi, for multicomponent systems are virtually nonexistent. This quantity is of course subject to direct calorimetric measurement, but its determination must be limited to cases where high experimental precision is possible. The heats of solution of gold and indium in liquid tin can be measured with relatively high precision, which makes determinations of 73 involving these metals as the measured solutes experimentally attractive. This paper presents the results of such determinations of the Au-Au, Ag-Au, Au-In, and Ag-In enthalpy interaction coefficients in liquid tin. MODELS FOR DILUTE-SOLUTION BEHAVIOR Random-Solution Behavior. In the quasi-chemical treatment of solutions, only nearest-neighbor bonds are considered, and a composition independent value

Jan 1, 1967

By Jeff Mattern

"Slope performance monitoring, dependable operational practices and ongoing collection of geologic data in openpit slopes all provide valuable information for quantifying potential steepening of subsequent slopes. Mining at the Goldstrike openpit has been ongoing since the early 1980s, having its share of slope instabilities. In areas where slopes have remained stable, consideration has been made for potential slope steepening of final walls.While technology can be efficient, interesting for collecting needed data, slope design fundamentals based on that data can be applied to create much added value.With the proper available equipment, steepening of bench face angles via presplit blasting is not an uncommon method for steepening of interramp slope angles. As an alternative at Goldstrike, the commonly used Modified Ritchie Criteria for empirical catch bench width has been adjusted, resulting in quantified, rock-specific formulas for bench width and rock fall berm placement. The result is an inter-ramp slope angle increase of 2° on a 305- m (1,000-ft) high slope, without the necessary purchases and procedural changes that would be required for presplit drilling and blasting. The result has shown significant net benefits through reduction in mined waste tons and an increase in gold reserves.LocationThe Goldstrike openpit is located in the Great Basin, on the northern end of the Carlin Trend gold belt in northeastern Nevada (Fig. 1). The mine has produced more than 1.2 kt (43 million oz) of gold during the past 30 years."

Dec 1, 2018

By E. W. Dean

The Bureau of Mines is engaged in the work of obtaining data regarding the physical and chemical properties of typical crude oils from the various producing fields of the, United" States. Preliminary reports have been published that cover the eastern fields* and the' Rocky Mountain districts.** Since the appearance of these, reports: it has been suggested that certain additional data. I regarding the samples would be of practical value. It was believed that a knowledge of the viscosity of crude oil was desirable, particularly in connection with the design and operation of pipe lines. In accordance with this suggestion, the authors have made viscosity tests upon as many of the samples of the two series as wore still available for examination. Determinations were made at temperatures of 70° and 100°F., and in addition the oils were Subjected to the A. S. T M, pour-test*** to as certain the lowest temperatures at which they remain in a fluid condition.

Jan 1, 1921

By D J. Thobaven

Project financing challenges caused by declining commodity prices have heightened the need to improve project metrics such as minimising capital payback and maximising net present value (NPV). Khnaiguiyah Mining Company (KMC) recognised the need to improve early cash flows at their Khnaiguiyah zinc-copper project after initial studies showed the project could not provide the desired financial outcomes necessary to compete for investment dollars in the current market.A significant improvement to the project cash flow in early years was realised through simultaneous optimisation of cut-off grade, mining sequence and strategic stockpiling. This improvement was achieved by accelerating mining in the pits, stockpiling lower value material and feeding higher value material directly to the plant. The schedule required higher mining and stockpile capacities than the sequential mine plan although minimal change occurred in the definition of ore and waste as measured by tonnes and grade. The practicality of the strategic schedule was demonstrated by implementation in the production plan with excellent conformance.CITATION:Thobaven, D J, 2014. An application of simultaneous optimisation – improving the payback period of a zinc-copper open cut project, in Proceedings Orebody Modelling and Strategic Mine Planning Symposium 2014 , pp 137–144 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 24, 2014

By Lloyd Williams

1. The investigation shows that the Wilder (locally known as the Bon Air No. 2) is the only known bed of commercial importance in Putnam County, although at least 5 coal horizons are known. All of the coal production now reported comes from this bed, which is found In a basin with no known coal outcrops. Further drilling in the east end of the basin should disclose the location of the eastern end of the axial trough and the lateral extent of the basin in Putnam County and adjoining areas in Cumberland County. Continuity of this deposit with that in the area in Putnam County north of Monterey is not conclusively established but may exist. 2 Known (measured plus indicated) reserves of coal, based on a minimum bed thickness of 14 inches and on 1,800 tons per acre-foot in place, are estimated at 29 million tons, as of January 1, 1953. Of this total, 28 million tons are in beds 28 inches and more thick. All born coal reserves in Putnam County me under less than 400 feet of overburden.

Jan 1, 1954

By Frank E. Cash

The information in this report covers the accident experience of the pebble-phosphate industry of Florida for 1935 and 1936, as well as the 5 years 1930-34, inclusive, statistics of which were published in Information Circular 69174/. The compilation and publication of such accident experience statistics enable the pebble-phosphate industry, as well as other industries, to consider relative hazards and to compare experience and thereby promote accident prevention.

Jan 1, 1937

By A. C. Fieldner, W. A. Selvig

Ash in coal has always becri regarded as an undesirable substance, as the heat content of a coal dccreases in direct proportion to its ash contcnt. It represents so much inert materid that has to be transported, handled when the coal is burned, and finally disposed of. W. R. Roberts, in an address bcfore the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, on Sept. 29, 1925, said that on an annual output of five hundred rnillion tons of coal, a reduction of 3 per cent. of ash means fifteen million tons of refusc and a decrcase of $30,000,000 in freight charges. Ash also often prevents effieient utilization of the coal through the formation of clinker causcd by the mcltirig of the ash constituents when subjected to heat. The mineral constituents of coal may be of such nature as to make the coal unsuited for speeifie uses as for instance, high-sulfur coal for making metallurgical coke. While the usual proximate analysis of coal gives the amount of ash, it gives no information as to the nature and coniposition of the ash nor of the minera1 constituents from which the ash is produced. For the efficient washing of coal to remove ash-forining constituents it is desirable to know the composition and distribution of the ash-fonning constituents. Obviously such information is also desirable for the most efficient utilization of coal. Nature and Composition of Coal Ash Coal ash may be defined as the inorganic residue remailning after cornplete ignitior of coal. It is dcrived from the mineral constituents of thc coal. The ash-forming constituents may be roughly classified as inherent impurities and extraneous impurities. The former are mixed intimately with the coal substance, and arc derived either from the original coal-forming material or from external sources such as sedimentation and preeipitation while the vegetal coal-forming plant remains accumulated. The latter are present in the coal bed as partings, bands or nodules of pyrite! slate, shale, calcit,e, bone, etc. These are formed either during the laying down of the coal bed, or subsequently. Flag-

Jan 1, 1927

By A. T. Coumbe

The Bureau of Mines has compiled pipeline mileage every 5 years since 1926, with the exception of the war period 1941 to 1949. The present survey has been made to reflect the progress under mobilization of the petroleum pipeline industry where efforts have been made by the government to stimulate construction of those facilities that would best equip the nation for a possible major emergency. This report summarizes the total mileage change 1n petroleum pipelines for 1950 through 1952. In order to increase the value of the information gathered the reporting companies were requested for the first time to report not only the net change in mileage as formerly, but also all new and used pipe laid and the total taken up. This new information permits effective appraisal of the construction effort of the industry and relates it to steel requirements.

Jan 1, 1953

By Duane H. Haley

Dr. F. Well, the first thing that you have to realize is what is the Bureau of Mines? The Bureau of Mines basically has two functions. First it does the research and development relating to mining, processing, conversion, refining, recycling and substitution for minerals and materials. We work hand in hand with the U. S. Geological Survey on the geological end, although the exploration part of the game is theirs, and there is a very good relationship between the Survey and the Bureau of Mines. There are some overlaps with the Office of Coal Research, and we expect to be able to straighten out the areas of overlap, because it's important than OCR and the Bureau work together. Both the Office of Coal Research and the Bureau of Mines will have increased budgets next year, assuming that they are appropriated by the Congress. The other general area is in the whole area of mineral policy. The Bureau of Mines again is the key agency for developing data and analyses and making recommendations on all types of mineral policy in the Federal Government. It's a focal point for all types of minerals activities. It's the only real centralized focal point, along with the USGS, in the whole Federal Government. The problem areas, to answer your question specifically, are first of all the Bureau of Mines budget this year is $105 million and the budget for next year is $215 million, so it's more than double. Now, assuming that this budget is appropriated by the Congress, most of that money will be used for research and development in the energy area.

Jan 4, 1974

By Robert G. Lundquist

REAM (for Rapid Excavation And Mining) is a method of rock fragmentation by high-velocity projectile impact developed by Physics International Company. This paper reports the results of field testing over the last two years. The success of the method is based on the fact that the amount of rock broken per shot scales nonlinearly with projectile impact energy. Thus, high energy impact yields spectacularly low specific energies for rock breakage. The field work reported used 90- and 105-mm military guns to accelerate 8-1/2 and 10-pound concrete and steel projectiles to velocities of 5000 to 5500 fps. All tests were performed in a competent 25,000 psi granodiorite at Hope Valley, California. During the first year of field testing 26 feet of 13-foot-diameter tunnel were produced with the 105-mm gun. The first 20 feet of this tunnel were line-drilled to aid in producing a stable portal. During the second year the tunnel was extended an additional 29 feet using the 90-mm gun. The 55-foot tunnel was produced by 590 shots. Between 1-1/4 and 1-1/2 tons of granite were broken by each shot. A silenced 90-mm gun was placed underground and the tunnel portal closed with a steel barrier. Overpressures of less than 1 psi were measured on the inside of the barrier, corresponding to an impulse noise of about 170 db. The muck produced was similar to drill and blast muck. Overbreak and ground support problems appeared to be less than with drill and blast. The contour of the tunnel was easily controlled using the 90-mm gun; the tests were also conducted using a 57-mm gun for trimming. Projections indicate that advance rates with REAM will be three to seven times faster than drill and blast, at less than two-thirds the cost. This is based on the development of a fully integrated continuous system and an inexpensive propellant giving a total expendables cost of less than $3 per shot. Other applications of the REAM technology are found in secondary breakage for open pit mining, in drilling large diameter holes, and in underground mining for longwall mining, overhand stoping, and raising.

Jan 1, 1974

By John Norton

FOR many years the copper-bearing steels have been of considerable interest to the metallurgist because of their corrosion-resistant properties. More recently the discovery of their definite age-hardening characteristics has focused attention on them again. In a recent paper, Smith and Palmer(1)? have given an admirable description of the behavior of a considerable number of steels of this type and a study of their results suggests two questions, of a more or less fundamental sort. In the first place, it has been plainly shown that the hardening effect of added copper does not increase up to the maximum solubility of copper in iron as given by earlier investigators, but reaches its greatest value considerably below this point. This fact suggests that either the solubil-ity is not, so great as previous investigators have stated, or that the age-hardening mechanism is not the simple precipitation phenomenon that has been postulated. In the second place, the nature of the aging mechanism in this partic-ular system should be determined. Recent developments in the study of age-hardening processes have shown that the increase of hardness is often, but not always, accompanied by precipitation and the action of a particular system is not predictable on the basis of its components or type of phase diagram. It would be of considerable interest to study the aging of the iron-rich iron-copper alloys in detail. One would like to know whether the aging mechanism is different at high and low aging tempera-tures, and whether the extreme sluggishness of the system may perhaps represent some new type of aging process.

Jan 1, 1934