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The mountains of Utah contain one of the largest deposits of high grade bituminous coal in the world. According to the United States Geological Survey, there are 13,130 square miles of land known to contain workable coal, and these extensive fields contain 196,000,000,000 tons of coal. More remarkable than the extent of the coal fields is the thickness of the coal beds. Over three-fourths of the output of coal in Utah is recovered from beds ranging from 8 to 17 feet in thickness, as com- pared to one-eighth of the output of the entire country from such beds. In 1917, Utah mined one-third of its coal from seams at least 16 feet thick, compared to one-half of one per cent of the total bituminous output of the country from like seams. Coal at Wales, in Sanpete county, and in the vicinity of Coalville, Utah, was, it is reported, the first discovered by white men in the state. Wales claims the distinction of having produced the first coal mined in Utah. Two men, who had been coal miners in Wales, learned of the coal from an old Indian chief who called it "rock that would burn." In 1857, the town of Wales was founded and coal mined, and in 1858 some coke was manufactured and hauled by ox team to Salt Lake City. South of Wales is Castle Valley, in Wasatch Plateau field. From 50 to 60 miles of the old Spanish Trail from Santa Fe. New Mexico, to Monterey, California, lies in Castle Valley. The coal in this field may or may not have been known at the time the trail was used extensively. The first published reference to this coal, however, was made by a party of the Corps of Topographic Engineers in their journal for October 11, 1853.

Jan 1, 1925

By H. R. Hanley, C. Y. Clayton

One of the most important contributions to the art of electrolytic zinc production has been the aluminum cathode. This has been used in all major production since its commercial developmerit in 1916. The literature is replete with important contributions, some of which may have been replaced by better ones, but thus far there appears no other metal to take the place of aluminum as cathode material. Credit for this innovation goes to Sherard Cowper Coles, of England. When experimenting on the extraction of zinc from Broken Hill ore at Hayle, Cornwall, in 1893, he introduced the aluminum cathode, and in 1895 obtained . British Patent No. 20073. The reason for this dominant position of aluminum as cathode material in zinc sulphate electrolytes is its unique surface, to which electro-deposited metals usually do not tightly adhere. The metal must be of high purity for best results. It is possible to develop a starting-sheet method by which thin electro-deposited sheets of cathode zinc are made and stripped from a smooth aluminum plate. Such thin sheets of cathode zinc may be used as are the copper sheets in standard electrolytic copper-refinery practice. However, complications arise because of extreme warping of the zinc starting sheet after a few hours of deposition, and thus special arrangements must be made to compensate for this abnormality. Reasons advanced for the ease with which deposits may be stripped from the aluminum surface are: (1) presence of a permanent oxide coating on the metal, (2) failure of aluminum to alloy with the deposit, (3) differences in coefficient of expansion, (4) high position of aluminum in the electromotive series of metals. Of these reasons for nonadherence, which may have some application in general deposition, probably the oxide coating has the greatest bearing on the subject of zinc deposition. Adherence of zinc deposits has occasionally had serious effect on tonnage and production costs. Opinions have differed as to the specific

Jan 1, 1944

By B. Fernow

The question of preserving the forests in this country is an impor tant one, not only to trades using wood but to the whole nation, and though agitated for many years has not received that general consid eration which its broad bearing demands. Those who are interested in and working for reform in the treat ment of American forests are looking to the government for help, suggesting the creation of a commission to study the conditions of forests at home and abroad, and hope that a sound system of manag ing the woodlands will be thereby inaugurated. This reform will cost time and money, all the more because the government can bring to bear upon private owners hardly any power but that of good example and encouragement. There is, however, another aspect of the question to which I wish to draw your attention, namely; the more economical use of the valuable material which our forests offer, a more careful and ex haustive utilization of its constituents in all cases where wood or its products are applied. The wasteful consumption of wood in the United States is in every way so enormous as to justify the statement that by merely adopting an economical husbandry in this particular the destruction of forests might be delayed for many years, while the neglect of this imperatively needed and immediately practicable reform deprives legislative remedies of much of their value. In this regard I wish to draw the attention of metallurgists, especially those who are in terested in the manufacture of charcoal iron, to a more economical and profitable use of wood in iron manufacture. For thousands of years of human history wood was the main, nay, the only material used for fuel. Mineral coal came into use only in the fourteenth century, and it is only recently that it has largely displaced its less carbonaceous predecessor as fuel. The art of concentrating carbon in the form of charcoal for easier transportation and readier use in distant places was, according to Pliny, known to the ancients long before Christ., and was practiced in all countries, especially in connection with the iron-manufacture.

Jan 1, 1879

By A Lechner, T Baumgartl, S Arnold, P Audet

When revegetation is a part of a rehabilitation strategy at mine sites in arid and semi-arid environments, its success can be strongly affected by the availability of water prior or during the time of seed dormancy, germination and early growth of seedlings. The semi-arid and arid environments of northern Australia are characterised by highly variable and erratic rainfall and hence the actual weather conditions at and around the time of germination and seedling emergence play a critical role in determining the success of plant establishment and the type of plant community that may develop.Using available climate data, an analysis has been undertaken and a set of indices has been developed which describe the suitability of the climatic conditions for rehabilitation. In total, eight sites from Queensland and one site from New South Wales, Australia have been analysed. It could be determined that regular rainfall and relatively short periods of water-deficit are key characteristics of climate suitability. A comparison of the locations studied allowed the separation into suitable and susceptible locations in terms of the availability of water, amount of rain and duration of drought between rain events.In our experience, specific estimates of climate suitability are rarely incorporated into the design of mined land rehabilitation programs. We consider that the regional intensity, seasonality and extremity of climate represent an overarching component of landscape complexity, which in turn will influence the development of post-disturbance ecosystems in these regions. This paper presents the outcome of climate analyses paired with the development of suitability indices. A conceptual framework is presented explaining the suitability matrix and its incorporation as a prognosis tool to achieve greater certainty for success in rehabilitation development.CITATION:Baumgartl, T, Arnold, S, Audet, P and Lechner, A, 2014. Development of climate-based suitability indices for the improvement of success in rehabilitation, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2014 , pp 483–490 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 16, 2014

By Y. Hayashi, A. Fuwa

To analyze zinc vaporization kinetics of zinc smelting slag in the ISP furnace, reduction reaction rate of zinc oxide from ZnO-FeOx-CaO-SiO2 slag system with CO-CO2-Ar gas mixtures has been measured by a therm o-gravim etric apparatus at various ZnO content, Pco, and temperature. The reduction rate was measured under a chemical reaction control in the initial three minutes where surface zinc content can be assumed constant. Through the reaction rate dependency analysis on ZnO contents, Pco and temperature, discussion has been made on its reaction mechanistic information in terms of rate coefficient, adsorption/desorption mechanism and activation energy.

Jan 1, 2008

By B. E. Davis

A problem that has continued to plague the Florida phosphate industry is the loss of coarse phosphate in the flotation circuit. Attempts to remedy this problem such as floating the coarse material (plus 425 µ m) in a separate circuit have resulted in limited success, but recovery is still not optimum. The Bureau of Mines is investigating ways to improve the recovery of coarse phosphate through improvements in the conditioning step. Studies to optimize conditioning parameters such as agitation energy, conditioning time, conditioner solids, and residual clay content have resulted in improved P2O5 recovery. Optimizing these and other conditioning parameters resulted in a rougher concentrate grading 30 pct P2O5 with a P2O5 recovery of 97 pct.

Jan 1, 1993

By Tell Ertl

The term oil shale is defined. Foreign oil-shale developments are outlined briefly. The richest and most extensive oil-shale deposits in the United States lie in western Colorado. The Bureau of Mines is opening two adjacent areas for underground mining. in western Colorado. From the first area the oil shale is mined selectively as required by the retorting plant. The second area is being developed as a unit of a full scale oil-shale mine to ascertain the most practical methods of mining oil shale and to determine costs. In both of these mining areas, research will be carried on to develop new and improved practices for mining oil shale. Introduction Oil shale is a sedimentary rock containing a solid mineraloid of indefinite composition known as kerogen. On heating oil shale, the kerogen undergoes thermal decomposition and some of the vapor products of the decomposition can be condensed as shale oil. Oil from shale can be a major source of liquid fuels since extensive deposits of oil shale are known to exist throughout the world. The United States considers the establishment of an oil-shale industry only when doubt exists of the adequacy of the domestic supply of crude petroleum. On the other hand, oil shale is not strange to foreign oil men. The industry is an old one in other parts of the world. The French industry has been in existence since 1838, the Scottish since 1859, the Australian since 1860, the Estonian and Swedish The since World War 1, and the Manchurian industry since 1929. The most highly exploited oil-shale deposits are the Carboniferous shales of Scotland. About 20 seams ranging from 4 to I2 ft in thickness are worked. The yield during recent years in scotland has been 18 to 25 gal of shale oil per ton, from 3&"30'000 tons per year' The French and Swedish oil-shale deposits are of lower grade than the Scottish. The Estonian oil-shale deposits are 7 ft thick, and the oil yield averages 50 gal per ton. Over 1,000,-ooo tons are mined each year, half of which is used directly as fuel to substitute for coal and the other half is used for the production of oil. Immense deposits of oil shale that will yield 10 to 15 gal per ton exist in Germany. Because of the impending loss of the Rumanian and Polish oil fields and the bombing of synthetic liquid fuel plants, the Nazis in 1943 started a large-scale oil-shale program in Germany. By V-E Day, it is said, oil-shale production had reached the rate of 2500 tons per day and rapid expansion of the industry was imminent. Australian oil shale, known as torbanite, occurs in beds 2 to 6 ft thick. It is of a very high grade and on retorting yields 80 to 160 gal per ton. The oil-shale industry of Manchuria was the largest in the world during the past decade. The well-known Fushun coal deposit in Manchuria has an overburden of 500 million tons of oil shale about 450 ft thick that will yield 10 to 15 gal of shale oil per ton. The oil shale is

Jan 1, 1949

By M. J. McPherson, R. Venkataramani

R. Venkataramani (Assistant Professor of Mining Engineering, Dept. of Mining, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.)-Y. J. Wang and L. W. Saperstein are to be congratulated for their paper on the computer solution of ventilation problems. The limitations on the problem size to be solved by the program (Appendix II) has been outlined in the paper. I would like to add the following additional limitations of this computer program: The dimensions of the variable J1and J2 should be changed to J, (550) and J2 (550) to handle problems containing more than 400 branches, and up to 550 branches. If there are a large number of branches common to the various meshes, another limitation on the problem size will be the dimension of the variable NA. While a higher-order polynomial fitting for the fan characteristic data points is more rigorous, a quadratic relation, if linear interpolation between the points is inadequate, will result in saving computing time without much loss of accuracy. Of course, this can be handled by minor modifications to the existing polynomial fitting routine in the program. M. J. McPherson (Dept. of Mining Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England)-The

Jan 1, 1972

By Hossaini SMF

The applicability of four empirical strength criteria for rock masses, namely, Hoek and Brown, Bieniawski - Yudhbir et al., Ramamurthy - Arora and Johnston - Sheorey et al. has been tested against the triaxial test data for jointed plaster of Paris of Arora. The following modified Bieniawski criterion shows best agreement with the triaxial test data for jointed plaster of Paris: 611=1+B(63)O.825 acm 6cm where a1= axial compressive stress at failure, MPa; a3 = confining pressure, MPa; acm = uniaxial compressive strength of jointed plaster of Paris, MPa; and B = - 3.988 + 9.674 (aim ) -0.185 The modified Bieniawski strength criterion can be used to estimate the strength of a coal pillar, based on a knowledge of stress distribution in it.

Jan 1, 1992

By Thornton D, Firth B, Kojovic T, Brien G, O&apos

Coal fragmentation is a function of coal type and mining process. Each unit step in the mining, handling and crushing chain of coal imparts energy to the material and impacts on size degradation and consequent mineral matter liberation and pla

Jan 1, 1998

By Oboso A, Nakahiro Y, Takenaka Y, Wakamatsu T

As part of the fundamental studies on the recovery of Au by solvent extraction, the synergism of combined extractants on the extraction of An from the sulphuric acid solution containing thiourea was investigated. Extractants tested were di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), tri-n-octylamine (TOA), tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP), and trioctyl phosphine oxide (TOPO). Four kinds of extractant combinations, D2EHPA/TBP, D2EHPA/TOPO, TOA/I'BP, and TOAITOPO, were tested to clarify the synergism on the extraction of Au in terms of various concentration ratios, diluents, the concentration of sulphuric acid, and the concentration of thiourea.

Jan 1, 1993

By H. R. Ogden, E. S. Bartlett, A. G. Imgram

THE tensile and notch tensile ductile-to-brittle transition characteristics of several refractory metals and alloys have been well documented.1-3 Electron-beam melted tantalum and columbium have been shown to retain excellent ductility at very low temperatures. Some indications of brittle behavior (low ductility and cleavage fracture) were observed with columbium tested at -253oC, but no similar effects were noticed with tantalum. Increasing the interstitial oxygen content in these two materials resulted in the detection of indications of brittle behavior at higher temperatures, although good ductility was retained in both bases at -196°C when they contained about 1 at. pet 0. Detailed descriptions of the impact transition behavior of these two materials at various purity levels have not been available. This technical note describes the effect of interstitial oxygen on the impact properties of wrought, fibered tantalum and columbium and compares the transition behavior to the previously determined tensile transition characteristics. Tantalum and columbium impact specimens with three different interstitial oxygen levels indicated in Table I were tested at temperatures ranging from -196o to 300°C. Oxygen additions were made to 1/2-in.-diam bars of electron-beam melted material in a Seiverts Apparatus. The oxygenated bars were then homogenization-annealed to obtain uniform cross-section hardnesses and swaged to

Jan 1, 1964

By M. Rudolph, E. Schach, M. Buchmann, T. Leißner, N. Krupko, U. Peuker, M. Kern

"In mineral processing, density and magnetic susceptibility are two very fundamental properties. For the beneficiation of valuables to produce a saleable concentrate a detailed understanding of these properties is essential. Especially when it comes to the processing of cassiterite, which is the main mineral for tin production, they become highly prominent. Due to the chemically inert character of cassiterite towards most industrial applied leaching agents, density and magnetic separation processes are mainly applied for its beneficiation. To guarantee an optimized utilization of the different operations not only cassiterite but also the different gangue minerals have to be considered. In this study, a skarn ore is characterized by density and magnetic susceptibility. Therefore, the material was first split into different density classes by heavy liquid separation. The obtained classes were further separated by their susceptibility to finally obtain a density-susceptibility matrix. For this purpose, an isodynamic separator was used. A more detailed characterization of the materials is done via gas pycnometer, magnetic susceptibility balance and vibrating sample magnetometer to estimate the characteristics of density and susceptibility for the various classes. Further, the determination of the chemical assay and the mineral intergrowth by mineral liberation analysis is used to generate a three dimensional database for detailed characterization of the present ore. The objective of this study is to estimate potential material streams for a modular processing plant via characterization of the material for the entire deposit by the two afore mentioned characteristic properties. The established multidimensional data matrix, enables predictions for the separation properties of the material and contributes to the characterization of the deposit within the context of geometallurgy."

Jan 1, 2018

The current global economic climate has adversely affected the resources industry in general. For the gold mining industry, even though the gold price has been stable as compared to other resources, there is still a need to cut costs even further in order to be profitable and sustainable. Of all the costs that are associated with mining, comminution of ore accounts for the majority. Comminution costs constitute mainly electricity, grinding balls and liners. Of these three components, grinding balls form the major portion of the consumable costs, and can be as high as 40%?45% of the total. As a result, proper grinding ball selection is a key consideration towards reducing mining costs. This paper discusses quality control procedures that can be conducted in order to select the best grinding balls for a particular application. Keywords: grinding balls, forged, semi steel, hardness, chemical, metallography, wear testing, impact test

Jan 1, 2009

By D. Janicijevic

This paper describes the process of scraper winch pull force measurement and shows the results of the actual winch pull force in extreme stall situations as well as during the face and gulley cleaning. It was found that by slowing down the motor and causing it to slip, torque up to 3.5 times higher than the nominal can be developed, resulting in the same increase of winch pull force. On the other hand, measurements of the actual force needed for cleaning of the face and the gully have shown that the currently used winches are too powerful. The extra torque that can be developed by the already too powerful winch motor poses a significant danger and necessitates the implementation of measures that will eliminate this risk.

Jan 1, 2008

By Thomas L. Vandergrift

With the inevitable expansion of homes, businesses, and infrastructure in coal mining regions, the potential for future subsidence above abandoned mines is of increasing concern. Of particular concern are areas underlain by room-and-pillar coal mines. Unlike areas above longwall mines, where total extraction causes subsidence in a predictable and timely manner, subsidence above room-and-pillar mines is difficult to predict and may be active for many decades. As part of a geotechnical assessment of a water pipeline replacement project, NSA Engineering recently performed an evaluation of tong-terns subsidence potential along the proposed alignment due to time¬dependent failure of underlying room-and-pillar workings. The alignment of the replacement pipeline closely follows an existing concrete pipeline, which lies 150 11 to 300 fl above workings that both pre- and post-date the pipeline. Annual surveys along the existing alignment indicate that some subsidence has occurred, primarily from partial pillaring performed in the early 1980's, but that this subsidence is not active. Using the boundary-clement code LAMODEL as the primary analysis tool, NSA followed a three-step approach to estimate future subsidence impacts on the replacement pipeline. First, historical information for the mine was compiled, allowing for calibration of models to actual field conditions. Then, numerical models of workings directly under and adjacent to the proposed alignment were nun, with model input parameters varied until resulting loading patterns matched historical data, and subsidence in the model approximated that measured along survey lines. Finally, time-dependent deterioration of coal pillars was simulated by decreasing the coal strength in the calibrated model until a realistic "worst-case" condition (stability of barriers, but Yielding of production pillars and pillar remnants) was attained. Subsidence from the previous calibrated model was then subtracted from that of the worst case model to estimate future subsidence and related ground movement parameters that slay occur along the proposed alignment. The replacement pipeline design, incorporating couplings capable of withstanding the ground movements predicted, is now being finalized.

Jan 1, 2000

By Norma R. Golumsic

Gasoline and other liquid fuels may be obtained from coal by direct and indirect hydrogenation.3/ The direct process, usually termed the coal-hydro-genation or the Bergius process, was patented in Germany by F. Bergius in 1914 and developed to a commercial stage by the inventor and I. G. Farben-industrie. From a chemical point of view, the coal-hydrogenation process consists of adding hydrogen to the complex coal molecules and removing oxygen so that its chemical constitution is changed to that of petroleum, whereupon the coal substance liquefies, yielding an aromatic crude oil. In the indirect-hydrogenation process, known as the Fischer-Tropsch process (invented by Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch in Germany), coal, lignite, or natural gas is first converted to water gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. This mixture of gases, in proper proportion and after suitable purification, is then passed over a solid catalyst at relatively low pressures (1 to 20 atmospheres) and temperatures ranging from 180° to 260° C. The products obtained are gasoline, Diesel oil, liquefiable gases, and paraffin wax.

Jan 1, 1946

By J. F. Myers, F. M. Lewis

The Tennessee Copper Company's operations are in the Ducktown Basin, in the extreme southeast corner of Tennessee. The ore is of the heavy sulphide type, the predominating sulphides being pyrite, pyr-rhotite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite. The gangue is a micaceous schist, with varying amounts of free quartz. The mining operation develops two classes of ore, each of which is concentrated by the flotation process in separate mills. Table 1 shows a typical analysis of the ore treated in each mill. The London mill was built in 1922, with a capacity of 400 tons per day. This was gradually increased to 600 tons by 1926, to 900 tons in 1928, and to 1350 tons in 1938. Fig. 1 shows the crushing and grinding flowsheet in 1928, when the capacity was 900 tons; Fig. 2, the crushing and grinding flowsheet that was developed by 1938, for the treatment of 1350 tons per day. A comparison of these flowsheets reveals that this increase in tonnage, with a subsequent improved operation, was accomplished with identically the same major equipment. Improving a concentrator's capacity, metallurgical results, and costs as time goes by is a commonplace practice, and is accomplished in various ways, depending upon the local conditions. The reason for presenting the data of how this was accomplished in the mills of the Tennessee Copper Co. is that a fast-running rod mill plays such an interesting role

Jan 1, 1943

By Alfred R. Powell

Late in 1944 a group of petroleum and coal technologists was organized in Washington under the sponsorship of the Petroleum Administration for War and the U. S. Bureau of Mines. This group, known as the Technical Oil Mission, was placed under the authority of the Technical Industrial Intelligence Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which was then promoting the organization of other missions to be sent to Germany to obtain technical information regarding various industries in that country. The objective of the Tehnical oil Mission was to obtain technical data on German production of synthetic oil from coal and all other commercial practices and research projects connected with the oil industry. The primary purpose was to obtain such data as were immediately essential to assist the war against Germany and Japan, with secondary emphasis on technical information that would assist American industry after the end of the war. since oil-production facilities in Germany and the occupied countries controlled by Germany were the top targets for strategic bombing, the Technical Oil Mission was the first group under the Technical Induslrial Intelligence Com,mittee to enter Germany. A few members of the group flew to London in February 1945 and the majority of the remainder followed in March. In London they were joined by an equal number of British investigators and the combined mission was then sent into Germany under the authority of the Combined Intelligence Objectives Subcommittee (CIOS). A summary of the more important information gained by this combined British and American mission is presented below. German Oil Production The oil available to Germany, both natural and synthetic, and including production from occupied countries, reached a peak in late 1943 and early 1944 Production at this time was at the rate of 1,200,000 metric tons Per month, equivalent to 100,000,000 bbl. per year, or about 7 per cent of the wartime production in the United States. Of this production, jo per cent was crude oil from Romania and Hungary, 12 Per cent was crude oil from Germany itself, including Austria, 9 per cent cumprised coal-carbonization products, that is, tar and light oil, and only the remaining 29 per cent was synthetic liquid fuel made from coal or tar. Synthetic liquid fuel made in Germany was equivalent therefore to less than 2 per cent of wartime production of crude oil in the United States. The success of the strategic bombing campaign against German oil-production facilities is demonstrated by the fact that by September 1944 the Ploesti fields of Romania and much of the syrlthetic oil production had been eliminated, so that the amount of oil available to the German war machine was only 25 per Cent of the peak qualltity mentioned above. By early 1945, when the combined British and American oil mission was entering

Jan 1, 1947

By John H. Scott

At the request of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, the Bureau of Mines evaluated the model BT 300 C-D blasting machine tester, manufactured and distributed by Research Energy of Ohio, Inc. (REO), to determine whether the tester performed as stated by the manufacturer and responded satisfactorily to electrical faults introduced into the blasting machine circuit. Tester readings were recorded for 13 blasting machines and for 12 circuits constructed to simulate the electrical parameters of actual machines. The tester readings were acceptable for all of the blasting machines, although the switch position assigned to one machine produced an off-scale reading. The tester responded satisfactorily to the simulated circuits and detected serious voltage or capacitance faults when they were introduced. However, it did not respond accurately to certain resistance faults. Temperature tests were also made, and the tester performed equally well at temperatures of 20°, 42°, and 81° F. This tester was judged a useful accessory for field checking blasting machines for defective batteries and capacitors, despite its limitations. It is recommended that the tester manufacturer specify the lowest acceptable reading at which a blasting machine may be used and below which the blasting machine should be returned to the laboratory or manufacturer for maintenance.

Jan 1, 1981