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This paper describes a mine truck hauling process called "Truck Jigging" which is currently the subject of a process patent application.The investigation explores the production and cost advantages of using the potential energy available in a descending haul truck to assist in elevating an ascending vehicle. Applications are studied for both strip cut mines and open pit operations. Various mechanical connections between the two vehicles are considered, based on a pulley mounted rope system. Fifteen year operating cost estimates show savings of up to 26.5 percent over conventional mine truck operations.

Jan 1, 1989

THE term mountain bump describes the sudden rupture of one or more coal pillars under excessive stress. These bursts occur with varying degrees of violence and sometimes include adjacent strata, especially the bottom rock. Many failures do not develop enough violence to be dangerous and are regarded as an aid to coal production, but severe occurrences are accompanied by tons of flying coal, dense clouds of dust, and excessive gas emission. Such bursts sometimes throw heavy machinery several feet. Major factors to be considered in the problem are the nature of the strata above and below the seam and the depth of cover. Bumps are classified as to their nature, extent of damage, and point of occurrence, e. g., face bump, coal bump, high side bump, low side pavement bump, and district bump.

Jan 8, 1958

By O. M. Bishop

Large reserves of copper are contained in waste dumps which have been created by open-pit mining of porphyry-type copper deposits in the Western United States. Nearly 6 billion tons of copper-bearing material exists in the waste dumps at present, and another billion tons will be added each three to four years as additional material is stripped from the present mines and new open-pit mines are developed. The dumps constitute an enormous resource containing some 7 to 10 billion dollars worth of copper. Increased attention is being given to the recovery of copper by leaching from these dumps as attested by the fact that in 1968 approximately $175 million of copper was recovered by leaching operations. During the leaching process, however, numerous problems exist which prevent complete extraction of the copper from the dumps. Probably the most important problem encountered is the incomplete contact of the copper-bearing materials by the leaching solutions. This problem is mainly created by the formation of physically compacted and chemically cemented layers within the dumps which prevent solution flow to many sections of the interior of the dumps.

Jan 1, 1970

The mining industry is the largest source of foreign income for South Africa. It is also the main source of employment in the country and, as an industry; it is also one of the largest. Due to the labour-intensive nature of the industry, labour costs in South African mines make up nearly 50 per cent of the total mine cost. It is thus imperative to have optimum labour planning and labour management systems in place.The focus of this study was to investigate current underground labour-planning models. It is shown that there are serious limitations. The range between an oversupply and undersupply of labour can be as high as ten per cent. A new system was therefore developed to ensure a constant labour demand and supply on a daily basis. One of the main objectives was to determine the existing labour supply range and thus the requirements to fill the undersupply. For this purpose, a specific methodology was designed to capture and process all the relevant information. Mine personnel was involved throughout the entire process to ensure ownership of the new model. This buy-in was achieved through planning workshops, interactive presentations and discussions. The improved frequency of daily blasts validated the new system by providing the correct amount and mix of the labour force. The new labour-planning model was then extended to optimise revenue. Implementation on a mine resulted in increased income of R95 million.

Dec 6, 2010

By Joe Silvestri, James Carroll, Steve Rondinelli, Raelene Shelly, Jason Miller

"The I-70 Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel (EJMT) Fixed Fire Suppression System (FFSS) will help protect the traveling public as well as the entire tunnel itself, which is a critical asset of the Colorado highway system. This project is part of an effort to avoid any closure or long-term damage to these tunnels after a fire event. Historically, the EJMT complex has experienced two to three fires a year. While CDOT has firefighting capability at the EJMT complex, the fixed fire suppression system will provide first responders the critical time needed to safely approach the scene and take action, and is a necessary tool in combating tunnel fires, keeping the public safe, protecting the tunnel structure, and minimizing disruptions to traffic. This paper provides a case history of the first-of-a-kind design and construction of the EJMT FFSS. Major project elements include; water-only deluge fire suppression system, fiber optic linear heat detection system, updated fire alarm system and new drainage system. PROJECT BACKGROUND The I-70 EJMT FFSS was awarded to the Design Build Team lead by Barnard Construction, supported by Rondinelli Life Safety, BCER Engineering, ILF Consulting, Western States Fire Protection and Systems Group. The team conducted successful live fire tests at the Boulder Regional Fire Training Facility in November 2014, with the final design of the FFSS and other supporting infrastructure completed in the spring of 2015. Construction began in early summer of 2015 and the project was completed in December 2015. While CDOT currently has firefighting capability at the EJMT complex, this project features an intelligent linear heat detection system that can accurately identify a fire within feet of its location and subsequently activate the corresponding water-only FFSS deluge zone, bringing water in from an existing supply system on the west side of Loveland Pass. The detection system also activates cameras so the EJMT onsite control room personnel can view and better assess a fire event. The uniqueness of this design is that the majority of the installation occurred above the traffic lanes in the tunnel, which resulted in minimal impacts to motorists below. The fire suppression system will help protect the traveling public as well as the tunnel structure, a critical asset to the highway system. This project is intended to reduce damage and avoid long-term closures of the tunnel due to fires. A long-term closure could cost Colorado billions of dollars and negatively impact tourism along the I-70 mountain corridor."

Jan 1, 2016

By Néstor D. Córdova

El presente trabajo revisa las técnicas empleadas y las condiciones previas para el sostenimiento y construcción del tunel Gandolini de la unidad minera Julcani. En esta perspectiva, el túnel sirvió de base para realizar las investigaciones de campo, obteniéndose así la información básica para un mejor entendimiento del comportamiento del macizo rocoso con miras a la solución de los problemas que planteaba su construcción. Por ello, la mecánica de rocas como técnica empleada, evalúa la alteración al equilibrio del macizo rocoso en el que se construye el túnel. Asimismo, se establecen criterios para la determinación de las cargas del techo y se los relaciona a los diferentes parámetros de diseño para llegar al cálculo del sostenimiento, dándose finalmente los aspectos prácticos relacionados a la selección de los tipos de sostenimiento más adecuados.

Oct 14, 1980

By M. A. Rodrigues da Silva Enríquez

One of the rare consensual points among different resource-based economic analytical approaches refers to the strategic role of rent from mineral extraction, as a decisive tool to ensure that the temporary wealth generated in the present can turn into permanent income in the future. For this reason, evaluation, distribution and use of mining rent plays a central role in the sustainable development of mining cities. Brazilian legislation provides for this at the municipal level by means of participation in the financial results of mineral extraction accomplished in these municipalities, with the Financial Compensation for Mineral Exploration (CFEM). CFEM is a type of ad valorem royalty, which charges taxes of up to 3% of the net revenue of mineral production. However, legislation does not establish how these resources should be used. Therefore, there is wide variation in the use of CFEM income among Brazilian mining cities. A study from a sample of the 15 largest mining cities in eight Brazilian states made possible identification of two main patterns with regards to the use of CFEM which were labeled "sustained use" and " the pitfall of the single treasury." In that regard, this article discusses the pressuring factors that contribute to these patterns, as well as the institutional arrangements which may be more favorable to inducing more sustained use of CFEM.

Jan 1, 2011

By K. Thuro, H. Käsling, C. Wieser, G. Nuijten

"The time-dependent behavior of brittle rocks during stress relaxation is of great interest for mining industry, nuclear waste disposal as well as tunneling and underground construction. Several studies have shown that both elastic as well as inelastic deformation occur during stress relaxation (Emery, 1964; Zang & Berckhemer, 1989). While elastic strain occurs already during the drilling process, inelastic deformation is time-dependent and can endure for hours, days or weeks. To investigate the evolution of microcracks during core relaxation, two crystalline core samples were recovered from high in situ stress conditions in Europe’s deepest mine in Pyhäsalmi (Finland). Samples were prepared for testing within one hour after coring such that a large portion of the time-dependent component of relaxation could be recorded over several days using ultrasonic velocity as well as acoustic emission (AE) measurements.Results from AE analysis show an exponential decrease in the number of events over a period of several hours. Repeated sudden increases of acoustic events can be related to the propagation or the interaction of cracks. In the first hours of recording also the signal energies reached the highest values and the increases in signal energy correlate well with increased event rates. On additional drill cores, P-wave velocities were measured parallel and in 45° distances perpendicular to the core axis. After core recovery, stress-induced microcracking caused an exponential decrease in wave velocities similar to AE rates. Lowest compressional wave velocities were measured parallel to the core axis and thus normal to the foliation and in the direction of the maximum in situ stress component. The highest measured velocities occurred parallel to the foliation plane. Within the samples, the anisotropy ratios were up to 1.37 at the beginning of the measurements and increased to values of up to 1.8 after 45 days. The wave velocity anisotropy is in agreement with the in situ stress orientations."

Jan 1, 2015

To develop a magnetic levitation transport system that can reduce the cost and improve safety in transporting coal from the face of underground coal mines to the surface. Background Many conventional mining operations use conveyor belts to transport coal from an underground face to the surface of the mine. The Mag-Lev Transport System design replaces conveyor belts with magnetically levitated coal haulage containers moving through a dedicated pipe¬line. Cost estimates, based on current design data, show the Mag-Lev Transport System would have operating and capital costs that are less than or equal to those of an equivalent-capacity conveyor belt system. The safety hazards associated with conveyor belt systems include exposure to moving parts and pinch points, potential fire hazards due to mechanical friction, and the exposure of miners to respirable dust. These hazards would be eliminated or significantly reduced by this novel technology. Approach The Mag-Lev Transport System uses magnetic levitation technology that allows noncontact, frictionless conveyance of a levitated body within a dedicated transit corridor. The mag-lev technology utilizes two types of permanent magnets coupled with an electronic position control system to achieve noncontact levitation. Levitation is provided by neodymium-iron boron (NdFeB) magnets mounted in the base of the haulage containers and inexpensive ceramic-5 magnets located in the bed of the transit corridor. An electronic position control system is used to overcome the inherent instability of the repelling permanent magnets. Proximity sensors, a signal processing circuit, electromagnetic actuators, and fixed ferrous side rails are the major components of the positioning system.

Jan 1, 1994

By H. M. Bannerman, E. N. Cameron

During the years 1942-1934, about 125 New England deposits were mined for sheet and punch mica, and many others were briefly prospected. During this period the Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior, carried on detailcd studies of the deposits and the pegmatite bodies that contain them. The primary purpose of the studies was to provide geological information that would contribute toward efficient mine development and operation. The studies were aimed directly at practical production problems. Detailed maps showing the structure of the deposits were prepared, and geological findings were closely correlated with data on specific yields and costs of mining and processing. The result is information that permits a reasonably accurate appraisal of the mica deposits of New England and the mining industry that they support. At a time when the future of the industry is in doubt, it seems desirable to submit this appraisal for consideration. Domestic mica deposits supply only a small fraction of the country's needs in normal times? for only the richest domestic deposits can compete with the low-cost mines of India and Brazil. However, the possibility that this country may be cut off from its supplies in time of war gives domestic deposits an importance much greater than their peacetime production would imply. New England supplied about 22 per cent of domestic output in 1943 and 1944, the peak years of wartime production. Its actual contribution to the war effort was greater, for the proportion of sheet mica of high quality in the New England product is higher than the average for domestic mica. The data analyzed below were collected for the Geological Survey by D. M. Larra-bee, A. H. McNair, J. J. Page, V. E. Shai-nin, G. W. Stewart, and the co-authors of this paper. The cooperation of officials of Colonial Mica Corporation and of mine operators and owners in furnishing information is gratefully acknowledged. D. M. Larrabee, A. H. McNair, and V. E. Shainin have made various suggestions based on critical reading of the manuscript. Analysis oF Warrtime Operations In considering the data presented in this report, it must be remembered that the scale of mica operations is very small compared with that of many other mining industries. The typical New England mica mine of 1943 and 1944 was worked by a crew of five or six men. Equipment was varied but on the whole extremely simple. The first stage of operation at a deposit was normally opencut mining. Drilling was done mostly with jackhammers powered by portable compressors driven by gasoline engines. Muck was shoveled by hand into buckets with a capacity of 45 to 35 ton and commonly hoisted by derrick to a dump adjacent to the cut. As operations were carried to greater depth, and the tram sition to underground mining was made, these methods were modified to a degree depending largely on the attitude of the deposit mined. At steeply dipping deposits,

Jan 1, 1948

By J. B. Janus

This report continues a series of analyses of coal samples made by the Bureau of Mines in connection with the yearly purchase of several million tons of coal for various Government agencies. Listed are the analytical data on the composition and quality of tipple and de livered samples of coal collected during fiscal year 1974.

Jan 1, 1975

By Peter Hornby, Maurice Craig, Franklin G. Horowitz, Don Bone

We have developed a high-performance, flexible scheme for interpolating multi-dimensional data. The technique can reproduce exactly the results obtained, for example, from Ordinary Kriging and related techniques in 3D, or from Thin-Plate Splines (Briggs' minimum-cuwature algorithm) in 2D. Moreover, com- pared to traditional implementations of these algorithms, our method enjoys large computational-cost savings. The new approach produces an interpolation that obeys a Partial Differential Equation (PDE). The PDE may arise from physically based arguments, but its form can vary widely. It might be specified only implicitly (as through a Model Variogram), or be nonlinear (although a performance penalty could then apply). While a formal equivalence between Kriging and Splines has been known for some time (Matheron, 1980), the present derivation, from radial basis functions, further illuminates this connection. Thus, for example, we can make explicit the PDEs that underlie some of the Model Variograms most often used in Geostatistics. Besides its practical utility, the work thereby ac- quires a theoretical interest.

Jan 1, 1996

By E. G. King

Many of the rare-earth oxides are now commercially available in pure form and they have a variety of potential technical uses. Thermodynamic data for these oxides, however, are rather sparse. It is one of the functions of the Bureau of Mines to fill the need for this type of information. This report gives the results of low-temperature heat-capacity and high-temperature heat-content measurements by the Bureau of Mines of lanthanum sesquioxide. The entropy at 298.15° K. was evaluated and heat-content and entropy increments above 298.15° K. were obtained to 1,800° K. The results were combined with the known heat of formation at 298.15° K. to derive heats and free energies of formation at higher temperatures. Sufficient information is now available to permit reliable thermodynamic calculations involving lanthanum sesquioxide within the temperature range 298° to 2,000° K.

Jan 1, 1961

By W. C. Lilliendahl, H. W. Highriter

The method developed and used in this laboratory for the production of metallic uranium of such purity that it is ductile and can be cold-worked to fine wire or thin sheet by rolling has already been described1. It consists, briefly, in the electrolysis of potassium uranous fluoride (KUF5) in a molten bath composed of equal parts of sodium and calcium chlorides. The bath is contained in a graphite crucible, electrically heated to about 775° C., the crucible serving as the anode for electrolysis. The uranium deposits in finely divided form mixed with salts upon a molybdenum cathode suspended axially in the crucible. Upon completion of the electrolysis the cathode is removed and cooled, the deposit broken and leached to remove salts. The metal powder is washed with water and dilute acetic acid and dried in vacuo to reduce oxidation. Suitable amounts are then prcssed into pellets and heated in vacuo by high-frequency induction, using a thoria crucible. The uranium melts and flows away from the pellet, leaving a shell, which is largely oxide. In general, this method produced a satisfactory metal, although at times tile uranium was not ductile. The investigations recorded here were made to find the cause of this embrittlement. It was known that the metal generally contained carbon, derived from disintegration of the graphitc crucible in which electrolysis is conducted, in amounts dependent upon the thoroughness of washing the metal powder. Accordingly, analyses of several samples, both ductile and brittle, were made by combustion and absorption of CO² in Ascarite, using air instead of oxygen to reduce the temperaturc and rate of oxidation. Several of these metals were made with special precautions to reduce carbon content. The results show no relationship between ductility and carbon content in the range investigated (Table 1). Microscopic examination of ductile and brittle metals disclosed the presence in the latter of an intergranular constituent, harder than the matrix and less easily oxidizable, which was absent from the ductile material. Rough estimates of the volume of the hard constituent

Jan 1, 1935

By Blom W. M

Shareholders, creditors, government agencies and auditors all have a different perspective of financial reports which is determined by the uses to which they put the information disclosed in the report.Shareholders today are better informed than previously and are more aware of the market in which they are investing. This is the result of the increasing role of institutional investors and the increasing reliance being placed on analysts to interpret financial information.

Jan 1, 1990

By Donald Lindell

Safety Share ?Dad receives fryer for Christmas 2009 and makes delicious sweet potato fries ?When the oil fryer was pushed back on the stove for cooling, the back edge comes into contact with the stove top controls, unknowingly activating the cooking element, family leaves kitchen. ?Faint smell of smoke from the melting plastic alerted the family; teenager arrives first and pulls the fryer forward causing oil to spill onto hot stove and burst into flames that reach the microwave ?Teen runs for sink to grab pan of water but is stopped by Dad ?Dad opens refrigerator, grabs baking soda and pours it on fire, extinguishing flames Lessons 1.DO NOT USE WATER ON GREASE FIRE 2.Where is the baking soda in your kitchen?

May 1, 2010

By J. A. C. Fortescue

During the past decade, geochemical prospecting methods have become important in Canadian mineral exploration. The object of this paper is to discuss the role of geochemical methods in a typical mineral exploration program involving parallel geological and geophysical methods applied at different degrees of intensity. Particular attention is given to the description of the degree of development of geochemical prospecting under different kinds of local conditions.

Jan 1, 1967

By M. Ye. Shulgina, M. L. Bolotin, S. A. Prokopev, Ye. S. Prokopev

Iron ores concentration at Russia’s operations is carried out using conventional flow sheets. They comprise the two-four stage grinding followed by one-two stage magnetic separation. This results in the maximum recovery of magnetite to concentrate and the tailings generation. The final concentrate is generated only during the last stage of magnetic separation. Technologically, this flow sheet layout is not effective at recovering the liberated magnetite grains during grinding to the resulting concentrate. Advanced models of magnetic separators do not allow for the selective separation of the tailings and the portion of the resulting iron ore concentrate. Magnetic product which is the ore mixture of the liberated magnetite grains, high grade and low grade intergrowths is directed to the next grinding stage. In this case, regrinding of the liberated magnetite occurs. In addition, the performance of hydrocyclones during classification in closed grinding circuits is poor. Their classification efficiency does not provide the material separation in accordance with the size. In this case, simultaneous separation in accordance with the density occurs. The quartz particles with the size of 300 mm have similar velocity and trajectory like the particles of magnetite with the size of 60 mm. As a result, light and coarser intergrowths report to the overflow and free heavy magnetite grains report to underflow and return to regrinding (“the density effect”). This resulted in a significant increase of a mill circulating load, the decrease in the feed throughput and higher power consumption. In this connection, the development of iron ore concentrate stage recovery with the focus on gradual liberation of the intergrowths is getting much attention. Gravity concentration technique, particularly, spiral separation is effective at solving the problem of stage recovery not only the dump waste product but also high grade magnetite concentrates at the early concentration stages. This can be attributed to a significant difference in magnetite (4.9-5.2 g/cm3) and host minerals (quartz 2.7 g/cm3) densities, which is the principal during gravity concentration. The test work on concentration of various products samples from current operations (the mills discharges, concentrates from various stages of wet magnetic separation and cyclones underflows) was carried out. Spiral separators SV- 500 and ShV-500 manufactured by Spirit LLC were used for the test work. High grade iron ore concentrate (69.05% Fe) was generated during primary wet magnetic separation concentrate concentration using a spiral separator. During the concentration of mills discharges the content of iron in the resulting concentrates and middlings of wet magnetic separation II stage was 64.5% and 64.6%, respectively. The recovery of iron to the concentrates of spiral separation was 33.6-42.0%. The studies presented demonstrate that by using spiral separation for iron-bearing ores concentration, you can separate magnetite liberated grains at the early concentration stages, decrease their regrinding and circulating loads in grinding circuits. This process is able to improve the overall recovery and economics of iron ores concentration process.

Jan 1, 2016

By James P. Kimball

By the term weathering of coal is meant the process of deterioration to which under various circi~mstances it may be exposed at ordinary temperatures, both from outward agencies on the one hand, and on the other hand from its own constitutional qualities. This process involves along with some minor qualitative changes certain quantitative changes resulting in a gradual and limited reduction in the quantity of the organic elements, and relatively a corresponding increase of its inorganic or mineral constituents as represented by its ashes, and often in an increase of the absolute weight of the coal. In common with many mineral substances, coal absorbs oxygen

Jan 1, 1880

By Laurier Juteau

"NOT TOO LONG AGO, the CIM Education Committee saw the need for an information campaign to promote interest in mineral industry careers among young people. Today, times have changed and the Committee has now placed emphasis on the definition and function of the mining engineer. This situation, we believe, is entirely normal and the change of emphasis is not due to a change in the needs of the industry but more to a diversification of these needs. In years past, the Canadian mineral industry, although a very important part of our economy, was looked upon as a specialized craft and, because of the richness of our resources, did not suffer too much from competition. Now, times have changed and we are increasingly at the mercy of the competition and damaging inroads of price fluctuations, etc. We will therefore answer the questions raised in this discussion in the light of the role played in the past and the role to be played in the future by the Canadian mining engineer. We will begin with the following premises : (a) If mining engineers are to be involved in the massive problems of society, their traditional background is not sufficient. (b) Councils for professional development are working on criteria for the accreditation of advanced degree programs in the United States as well as in Canada, and, simultaneously, three-year technology programs are being developed along with professional engineering degree programs. (c) The difference between European and American industries regarding philosophy of life is that in Europe they appreciate wisdom more than HPs while in America the HP seems to be more important. The Engineering Digest of February 1972 reported that in the United States, during June and July of 1971, the second highest rate of unemployment was for the 55 to 64 age group ( 4.1 per cent). This survey certainly applies to Canadian industry as well. (d) Degrees to be awarded in Canadian universities and technical schools in 1972 will be:"

Jan 1, 1972