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By M. E. Ryan, C. L. Hoebbel, E. J. Haas

DISCLAIMER The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mention of any company or product does not imply endorsement does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH. ABSTRACT It has been suggested that effective disaster prevention and response in mining requires that elements of emergency management be incorporated into everyday operations, planning, and decision-making, much in the same way that the industry approaches routine risk management. Since Congress passed the MINER Act in 2006, the newly mandated structural and technological advancements in mine emergency response preparation have been made and are apparent, but measureable improvement in mineworker emergency preparedness is difficult to ascertain. To begin exploring whether measurable indicators of mine workforce preparedness can or should be addressed within a risk management framework, NIOSH researchers examined the datasets from two separate research efforts—one which measured the organizational safety climate and self-reported safety performance, and the other which measured individuals’ perceptions of their own self-escape competency. INTRODUCTION In response to the mine disasters in 2006, the United States Congress passed the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act (MINER Act), which strengthened existing regulations [30 CFR, Part 48] and introduced new provisions to improve mine emergency response. Since that time, new technological and structural features, such as mandated redundant communication systems, personnel tracking systems, and lifelines in primary and secondary escapeways, have been installed in underground coal mines across the country. Additionally, mine operators are required to develop emergency response plans, provide adequate supplies of breathable air throughout the mine, provide more frequent and realistic expectations training, and are required to immediately notify the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in the event of an accident. While the structural and technological advancements in emergency preparedness are readily observable and easily measured, levels of individual mineworker preparedness remain difficult to assess. There is a general consensus that deficiencies in competence in the non-routine tasks required for individual miners to effectively respond to a mine emergency likely remain (e.g., National Research Council [NRC], 2013), and NIOSH research continues address this concern (Haas, et al., 2015; Hoebbel et al., 2018). To maximize an operation’s capacity to effectively prevent disasters and/or respond to emergency events, it has been suggested that individual and emergency management efforts be incorporated into everyday operations, planning, and decision-making in much the same way organizations manage routine risks to health and safety (Haddow et al., 2017). To the authors’ knowledge, the mindful intersection of routine risk management policies and practices and emergency prevention and response readiness have yet to be empirically studied within the mining industry.

Jan 1, 2019

To reduce the exposure of mining machine operators to respirable dust. Approach: A protective curtain of filtered air is blown down around the operator's head, from a manifold mounted on the machine canopy. How It Works: Mine air is drawn into the system through a filter which removes respirable dust. The filtered air enters a centrifugal blower which pushes it through a flexible hose to a manifold mounted on the canopy above the operator. Air leaves the manifold through a perforated plate and flows down around the operator's head. A photograph of an installed system can be seen in Figure 1. The second photograph, Figure 2, shows the sys-tem components. An important advantage of this dust protection system is that it is not worn or carried, or in any way connected to the operator. It is therefore not uncomfortable, encumbering, or

Jan 1, 1976

By S. K. Kawatra, J. A. Halt

"Low-grade iron ores are finely ground and processed to recover iron-bearing minerals. However, the iron-rich powder is too fine to be used directly in blast furnaces and most direct reduction furnaces, and must be agglomerated or pelletized into a usable product called “pellets.” Bentonite clay has traditionally been used as a binder to make iron ore concentrate pellets, but it is expensive and contaminates the pellets. Organic binders may be a viable alternative to bentonite clay. This manuscript reviews organic materials that have been used to make iron ore concentrate pellets. Included are discussions on the development of organic binders, common pros and cons to organic binder use, organic binder structure and its effects on agglomeration, and additives to organic binders.IntroductionIron ore agglomeration turns finely disseminated, low-grade iron ores into a usable product, called pellets. During pellet production, fine-grained, iron-rich minerals are liberated from low-grade ores, concentrated, and agglomerated into round balls that are thermally hardened or cold-bonded to form pellets. Pellets are then transported to blast furnaces or direct reduction operations where they are used to produce iron; iron is further refined and shaped into the wide variety of steel-based industrial and consumer products in use today.Over the years, pellet production has become increasingly more prevalent with the increased exploitation of low-grade iron ores and increased iron and steel consumption around the world. In 2010, world iron ore pellet production was 388 Mt. It could be argued that the current pellet production process has been enabled by the use of binders – practical experience has shown that it would be nearly impossible to agglomerate iron ore concentrates using rotary drums and discs without using a binder."

Jan 1, 2015

By Lewis Martin

Spokane Research Center personnel are currently conducting research on cable bolts to assess their material and support properties, to provide design criteria for roof control systems under various types of underground mining conditions, and to provide background data for computer models of cable bolt supports. Laboratory studies of cable bolts made of conventional steel cables with Garford bulbs and collars resulted in recommendations on characteristics such as embedment length, hole diameter, cable bolt diameter, and configuration of cables. A completed series of laboratory tests has determined the minimum embedment length of resin required for resin-grouted, cable bolt ground support.

Jan 1, 1996

By P. Barnes

(Read at the Wilkes-Barre Meeting, May, 1877.) THESE furnaces are of the ordinary Siemens type, and present no special peculiarities of construction. The bed of each is 8 feet by 20 feet clear inside of the walls and ports. The producers are placed at a distance of about 200 feet from the furnaces, and the gas is collected in an iron tube and led across the yard overhead. It then drops underground into the gas flue, and is distributed to the furnaces. A considerable weight of floor-plates over the valve-pits is included in account 39, but none of the general stock of floor-plates for the mill were charged to the furnaces. In Table No. 1 is shown the money cost of the furnaces as distributed to the several accounts named. In Table 2 is shown the proportion of each account due to each of the several items or classes of expenditure named.

Jan 1, 1878

The Ok Tedi copper and gold mining project is located in the headwaters of the Fly River system in western Papua New Guinea. The project's Feasibility Study was completed in 1979, and in- cluded a preliminary environmental assessment and an environ- mental management program. Construction commenced in 1981, an environmental impact study was completed in 1982, mining and treatment of gold ore commenced in 1984, staged construction of copper ore processing facilities took place during 1986-1988, and a further major environmental study was carried out for the operat- ing mine during 1986-1989. A very considerable data base of environmental information has been assembled by means of a comprehensive monitoring program. Environmental management criteria applied to the Project have reflected the stages and nature of development and operation. Criteria have been designed to regulate potential environmental impacts in the Fly River. An Acceptable Particulate Level of suspended sediment is the principal criterion. Compliance is con- ditional upon -a limited reduction in fish biomass, and upon dis- solved and particulate copper concentrations not exceeding predicted values at various locations throughout the river system. The criteria were established by the Government of Papua New Guinea following evaluation of environmental studies undertaken by the mining company. Compliance is checked by a detailed monitoring program, frequent reporting and statistical evaluation of monitoring results.

Jan 1, 1991

By Leslie B. English

"HistoricalWHILE DIGGING caves and underground passages for living quarters, primitive man must have had some means of illumination. Most likely he used pieces of wood or slim bundles of reeds or grasses as torches, perhaps steeped in animal fats to give more light. If this is so, we may accept these as the first means of underground illumination. Very little was clone to improve lighting devices for many generations, but slowly there was developed a fount holding fatty oils, with a spout in which was inserted a form of wick.Actual mining. for metals first of all, was started about 3,000 B.C. Some of the old Greek and Roman records refer to the use of torches underground, and some evidence of clay lamps has been found. Candies came into use some time during the first century A.D. When coal mining began about the 14th Century in England, candles were used for illumination because of the ease of manufacturing and handling them. Open oil-lamps came into use early in the 16th century -Agricola, in his De Re .Metallica, written about 1540. pictures a miner with such a lamp. However, the expense of these was so great that candies still continued as the general means of underground lighting.Unfortunately, as miners went deeper underground, they encountered a mysterious gas which. upon coming in contact with open lights, flamed violently, resulting in explosions and accompanying loss of life. The first reference to the results of these gas explosions appeared in 1621. No help seemed to be available. The gas was given off when the coal was mined and the miners could not see without lamps. Attempts were made to use the phosphorescent glow from partly decayed fish, fish skins, and fungus, also to bring daylight clown into the workings by means of a series of • mirrors; •but these means of illumination proved to be impracticable."

Jan 1, 1955

By Dhar B. B, Gupta R. C

Grinding of iron ore is an essential step to utilise ore fines for pelletisation needed for DRI units. While preparing iron ore pellets for DRI production, the iron ore needs extensive grinding which is highly energy consuming step causing the process to become non-viable in some cases. In the present paper an attempt has been made to evaluate grinding performance of thermally treated ore compared to normal ore grinding. Such thermal pre-treatment has been found to reduce the energy requirement with lower consumption rate of grinding media. It has been observed that by applying thermal shock the ore is rendered weak with improved grindability. The stresses generated due to thermal treatment may extend existing micro-cracks in the ore and in some cases it may even nucleate fresh cracks. Experimental studies carried out on thermally treated hematitite ore reveals that the heating to 400¦C followed by water quenching can cause a reduction of 45 per cent in grinding energy. The paper gives the details of the experiment and the Results.

Jan 1, 1999

By Henry M. Howe

The object of the present paper is to suggest injecting into the hearths of iron blast furnaces, whose temperature has become unduly lowered, some form of fuel whose calorific intensity, under the peculiar conditions existing there, is considerably higher than than of liquid petroleum, the rose of this substance for melting out chills having grievonsly disappointed the high hopes which were at first entertained of it. A chill being a fall of the temperature below that needed for the complete liquefaction of the slag, which requires, according to Plattner, about 1800' C., one would suppose that the chief thing to be accomplished in curing it would be to raise the temperature in the crucible of the furnace. The most obvious ways of doing this seem to be to raise the temperature of the blast, and to increase the amount of fuel in the crucible itself. Simply increasing the rate at which the blast enters the furnace, if carried beyond a certain point, should lower the temperature in the crucible. The existence of a chill shows that the fuel is arriving too slowly at the tuyeres. If air be introduced so rapidly as to he in excess of that required for the combustion of the fuel, all that excess will simply lower the temperature around the tuyeres, carrying the region of intense heat upwards, and weakening its intensity by increasing its size. Up to a certain point, increasing the rate of introducing the blast will increase practically pari passu the rate at which the fuel reaches the tuyeres. But when mechanical obstructions, which so often accompany chills, retard the descent of the fuel, there must be a point beyond which this does not hold good, and beyond which farther

Jan 1, 1883

By C. M. Wayman, G. R. Srinivasan

A metallographic study of the isothermal products formed between 750° and 285°C was made in an Fe-7.9 wt pct Cr-1.11 wt pct C alloy, and a time-temperature-transformation diagram was determined. The study shows that the austenite decomposes into three different products: pearlite above 540°C, ferrite and carbide between 540° and 300°C, and lenticular bainite below 300°C. No upper bainite forms in this alloy. The results are discussed in terms of carbon diffusion models for upper bainite formation. AUSTENITE transforms into several products depending on the temperature, composition, and rate of cooling, and the various transformation products have been a source of controversy for a long time. Since the classical study of Davenport and ~ain' extensive work has been carried out. The present study concerns the isothermal transformations in an alloy which was used for a detailed investigation of bainite crystallography and provides information supplementary to the work of Lyman and Troiano who studied austenite decomposition in steels containing 1 pct C and varying amounts of chromium. Their work showed that increasing the amount of chromium in high-carbon steels had the effect of depressing the B, temperature and of shifting the TTT curves to longer times and lower temperatures. They further found that if the chromium content is increased in a 1 pct steel to about 9 pct no bainite would form even after a period of 100 days. However, a preliminary investigation by the present authors showed that bainite plates do form in steels containing about 8 pct Cr and 1 pct C. In view of this and some results from a thin-foil electron microscope investigation of the bainite formed in the present alloy: it was considered desirable to investigate the other isothermal products as well. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The alloy used in the present investigation was obtained from a triply vacuum-melted ingot prepared from high-purity materials. Chemical analysis for the alloy verified the composition to be Fe-7.9 wt pct Cr-1.11 wt pct C. Metallographic observations were made on i by i by « in. specimens which were aus-tenitized at 12 50°C for 50 to 60 hr in evacuated quartz capsules and then water-quenched. Since the M, temperature for this alloy is below room temperature, the homogenizing treatment produced a completely austenitic structure consisting of very coarse austenite grains (ASTM #0-1). Several samples of the austenitized specimens were metallographically prepared and observed for any proeutectoid carbide separation. It was found that all the carbon was in solution. The water-quenched specimens were upquenched and given isothermal treatments at temperatures between 285" and 750°C for varying periods in molten salt or lead baths. The specimens were then water-quenched, and those showing less than 5 pct transformation were used for plotting the beginning of the austenite decomposition. To ensure the removal of the disturbed layer, the mechanically prepared specimens were electropolished in a 1:6 HzS04, CHSOH solution for 10 to 15 sec at 20 v. Final polishing was done with a vibratory polisher using 0.05-p alumina. Various etchants including nital, ferric chloride, and hot ferricyanide (Murakami's reagent) were used to bring out details in the different transformation products. The ferricyanide etch was used whenever the preferential etching of carbides was desired.

Jan 1, 1969

By Edward C. Dowling

The advance of science and technology influences the modern economy in countless ways. Older industries must adapt to changes in the marketplace, while new industries are born by applying new technology to meet consumer needs. In light of declining head grades and increased unit costs in the US minerals industry, new technological developments in the production environment are paramount to maintaining a competitive footing in the international marketplace. Micro-engineering research provides the transition between the knowledge base and the application of new technology on the production level. Economic considerations The primary goal of technical development in the production environment is to reduce unit operating costs. Simply stated, this is accomplished by improving operating efficiencies and productivities on the production level. The goal of micro-engineering research in the production environment is to evaluate promising technologies and develop the criteria necessary to apply them in operations. As such, this process is the first step toward innovation and discovery. Generally, the micro-engineering research is followed by macro-engineering development. In the production environment, there are generally more development projects than can be accomplished in a timely manner. Usually, this is the result of financial and human resource limitations. Consequently, it is necessary to prioritize the work such that the most beneficial projects are accomplished first. By performing a discounted cash flow analysis and using benefit-cost ratios (for non-mutually exclusive alter¬natives) or net present value criteria (for mutually exclusive alternatives), the projects can be rated from best to worst. In this way, the financial and human resources can be best allocated to first complete those projects giving the highest returns before moving on to other activities. Moreover, this information is a prerequisite for management to justify additional financial or human resources.

Jan 1, 1992

By V P. Elpatyevskaya, V S. Arzhanova

Main geochemical problems concerning the environment and mining industry interrelation are connected with the transformation of natural water chemistry by mining wastes. The investigation of many mines in Primorye, the southern part of the Russian Far East, showed that their mining waters have high concentrations of heavy metals and aluminium. Water acidity is primarily connected with the amount of acid-forming sulphide minerals in ores and also depends on the neutralising capacity of rocks. Considerable quantity of metals occur in the waters in dissolved form. Metal concentrations in mining waters exceeds the natural levels by two to five orders of magnitude and can't be reduced to the background levels even after multiple dilution. It is necessary to develop and put into practice new technologies so that to reduce the geochemical impact upon the environment.

Jan 1, 1995

By Levent Ozdemir, Robert J. Evans, Russell J. Miller, William Sharp

This paper describes the specifications and capabilities of a 6 ft (1.83 m) diameter laboratory rotary cutting machine which was designed and fabricated under a Bureau of Mines (USBM) contract awarded to the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). The machine will be used for carrying out research and development programs aimed toward improving the design and operation of mechanical tunnel, raise and shaft boring equipment.

Jan 1, 1983

By Ronald J. Roman

All mining and milling complexes can, within limits, operate at a variety of production rates. Factors of economic importance that are affected by production rates are costs per unit production, recovery, and product grade. Once the relationship between the production rate and cost is established, dynamic-programming techniques can define the optimum production schedule (i.e., the production schedule that maximizes the present worth of the operation) for the life of the deposit. In general, the optimum production rate is not constant for the life of the deposit, but declines gradually as the deposit is being exhausted.

Jan 1, 1972

In recent years, improvements made to the longwall system have accelerated at a faster pace than those made to the gate entry development system. As a consequence, unless planned years ahead of time, extending the panel length is nearly impossible without some innovative approach. At Cyprus Amax Coal's Emerald mine the G panel length was extended by 3,500 ft- by developing three entries across it to facilitate development of its headgate and tailgate entries simultaneously when the adjoining F panel was in operation. After evaluating alternative supporting methods and associated risks, determination was made to backfill these entries and crosscuts using a low strength flyash cement mixture prior to mining thru. Instrumentation was also used to monitor the stress change or front abutment stress in both the coal and the backfilled material ahead of the face. Longwall mining thru these three entries took about four eight-hour shifts and proved to be very successful. The designed flyash cement mixture provided adequate roof stability and caused no difficulty in the shearer's cutting while eliminating an in-panel longwall face move and minimizing the risk of roof or floor failure in the in-panel openings, or in the worst scenario loss of the face during the longwall cutting thru. This approach provided the intended result of extending G panel and recovered about one million tons of coal. This paper summarizes the engineering design of the cutting-thru project and flyash cement mixture, front abutment stress changes within the longwall coal block, backfilled material, and coal pillars ahead of the longwall face, and our underground observations

Jan 1, 1997

Remnants of Plio-Pleistocene hot spring systems in Northland, New Zealand contain sulfide minerals, principally pyrite, marcasite and cinnabar. The climate is warm temperate to subtropical, with up to 3 m of rainfall per annum, and rocks are deeply weathered. Decomposition of the iron sulfides in natural outcrops and human excavations results in acid rock drainage with pH typically between 2 and 5, and locally down to pH 1. Deeply weathered basement greywacke is clay-rich and has negligible neutralisation capacity. Some overlying volcanic flows have resisted weathering, and pH is kept near neutral by relict secondary calcite in small areas. Natural rainforest soils commonly have pH between 4 and 5 over mineralised and unmineralised greywacke. Mineralised zones are enriched in arsenic, which occurs in solid solution (up to 1 wt per cent) in sulfides and phosphate minerals. Mercury also occurs in solid solution in some of these minerals, as well as in cinnabar. Base metals are present in low (background) concentrations only. Decomposition of the iron sulfides and phosphates releases the solid solution arsenic and mercury into the acid rock drainage solutions. Arsenic is readily adsorbed on to iron oxyhydroxides formed in acid rock drainage situations, and can be effectively removed from the biosphere. However, this arsenic is released back into the environment if the pH rises, as adsorbed oxyanions become less strongly bound and are displaced by hydroxyl ions. Behaviour of dissolved mercury is similar to that of arsenic but less well understood in these settings. Both arsenic and mercury are readily leached into pH 6 solutions from solid material collected from acid rock drainage sites. These observations suggest that neutralisation of acid rock drainage sites is undesirable in this setting, as arsenic and mercury will become more mobile in the environment. The naturally low pH of 4 to 5 of the forest floor, or even lower pH of natural acid rock drainage, is a preferable management option.

Jan 1, 2003

By Pierre Gouvin, Michael Oakland

"This paper covers the rapid response methods used to monitor the emergency response to damage to an historic structure. An architectural gem, the latest incarnation of the old south Church was completed in 1875, utilizing local conglomerate (pudding stone), combined with brownstone and other materials to make an incredible showcase for priceless stained glass and other details epitomizing the height of the American Industrial Revolution. As part of required American with Disabilities retrofits to the adjacent Metropolitan Boston Transit Authority Station (MBTA), a support of excavation system was implemented with tradition sheet piles. During excavation (SOE) it was determined that Jet Grouting would need to supplement the sheeting to close openings in the SOE. During Jet Grouting, the eastern side of the structure was bisected, and lifted over 2 inches up and to the south. The movement occurred rapidly, within minutes, and subsided when Jet grouting was discontinued. The paper will describe the nature of the immediate response to get a real time monitoring program established, and the follow on monitoring program that ensued to provide the needed information to the stakeholders about this critical structure to evaluate stability, safety and to develop a long term remediation plan. The real time systems and instruments used consisted of Automated Motorized Total Stations (AMTS) and Automated Crackmeters. The Paper will describe the techniques used to control construction in safe manner.INTRODUCTIONThe Old South Church of Boston was constructed in 1875 and is one of the best examples of High Victorian Gothic Architecture in the Northeast. (Fig. 1) shows the newly constructed Old South in 1882. The Roxbury Conglomerate used to construct the church combined with large stained glass window by Clayton and Bell of London provides its unique appearance. Like most of the structures constructed in Boston’s Back Bay at that time, the church is founded on timber piles which penetrate the fill and organic soils to bear in the upper Boston Blue Clay. The churches interior includes high vaulted plaster ceilings and a 1920’s E. M. Skinner organ with exposed pipes as long as 32 ft. in length. The Church was added to the list of National Historic Landmarks in 1970 and is a featured Boston attraction."

Jan 1, 2017

La presente investigación revela aspectos sobre los métodos geoquímicos aplicados a la exploración de depósitos minerales, como las aplicaciones prácticas e indicaciones sobre de las diversas técnicas empleadas en el campo y y laboratorio. La exploración química de los depósitos minerales como método de prospección, comprende la investigación e interpretación de anomalías químicas relacionadas a la mineralización dentro de varias sustancias naturales como rocas, aguas y vegetación para así localizar depósitos minerales ocultos. La naturaleza de estas anomalías se divide en dos grupos: las anomalías primarias formadas durante el periodo de mineralización y las secundarias, formadas por la destrucción y dispersión del depósito metalífero durante el ciclo de intemperismo y erosión. Sin embargo, existen algunas anomalías de naturaleza "residual" o "vestigial", las cuales son descubiertas mediante el muestreo sistemático de rocas o de los suelos que de ellas derivan. A esto se suma, la dispersión de elementos en solución puede dar origen a muchas variedades de anomalías secundarias que tienen importancia en la exploración geoquímica como las dispersiones secundarias en las aguas de fuentes, pozos y aguas corrientes, en las cajas de cuerpos mineralizados; en coberturas de carácter no residual sobre y cerca de depósitos mineralizados y aquellas dispersiones secundarias en vegetales. Paralelamente a esta exploración geoquímica, tenemos otras métodos comom los técnicas colorimétricas, basadas en reactivos que indican cambios de color y los de análisis espectográfico, que complementan paulatinamente dicho proceso minerológico.

Jul 20, 1956

By John B. Comer

Compelling evidence indicates that at least the plateau bauxite of northern and central Jamaica formed from volcanic ash. The predominance in plateau bauxite of zircon grains younger than the host limestones and the relative abundance of zircon grains having idiomorphic form support a direct ash-fall origin for much of the bauxite parent material. Based on revised mass balance calculations, not enough of the middle Eocene to lower Miocene host limestones have been dissolved to make an important contribution to bauxite. Likewise, the pre-middle Eocene rocks of Jamaica have made only a very small contribution to plateau bauxite; they may have made a more significant contribution to the graben bauxite of southern Jamaica.

Jan 1, 1984

By L. W. Brandt

As part of its objective to expand the body of mineral information as a basis for new technology, the Bureau of Mines conducted research on the fundamental behavior exhibited by phosphate clay waste in settling ponds. A semiempirical equation used to describe the compaction of ceramic powders in a single-acting die was applied to aqueous phosphatic clay waste and attapulgite slurries. This equation, [*V = a1 e ?k1/P + a2e ? k2/P] was found to describe the compaction of an attapulgite gel and a phosphate slime gel by a moving screen. [*V] is the ratio of the compaction achieved at a given pressure, P, to the compaction achieved at a pres-sure sufficient to remove all space between particles. The constant al represents the fraction of compaction achieved at low pressure by rearrangement of floes to higher packing density, and a2 represents the fraction of compaction achieved at higher pressure resulting from removal of voids within floes. K1 and K2 are constants determined from the experimental data. Both the low-pressure and high-pressure compaction mechanisms were observed in the compaction of the clays. These two compaction mechanisms offer an explanation for the observation that impounded slimes initially dewater rapidly and then dewater at a much slower rate.

Jan 1, 1982