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Jan 1, 1916

By J. W. Pugh

VANADIUM has only recently received consideration with respect to structural applications. It would appear likely to find service where its high electrical resistance and constact temperature

Jan 1, 1958

By Charles R. Wilson, Thomas W. Doe, Jane C. S Long, Howard K. Endo

An approach to treating flow through fractured rocks is presented which involves (1) determining statistical distributions for fracture area, density, orientation, and aperture from field data, (2) computer generation of fracture systems from the statistical distributions, and (3) analysis of the permeability and porosity of the fracture systems. The fracture density and orientation data my come from core logging or mapping. The hydraulically appropriate apertures and areas of the fractures come from transient flow analyses of single fracture well tests. These tests my also yield information on fracture deformability. Analysis of flow through computer generated fracture systems shows that an equivalent porous medium permeability can be defined for some fracture systems if a large number of fractures is taken into account.

Jan 1, 1982

By Ralph S. Mattson, Frederick T. Hancock

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The Granduc mine is situated on the west side of Granduc Mountain in the Leduc River area of north¬west British Columbia about 51 km (32 miles) north¬east of the town of Stewart. Entry is by means of a 16.6-km (10.3-mile) long haulage adit from the concentrator site at Tide Lake. The principal ore mineral is chalcopyrite. Ore mineralization varies from dis¬seminated to irregular semimassive stringers generally associated with highly folded and sheared biotite-rich sections of metasediments. The ore bodies vary in width from 3.6 m (12 ft) to over 18 m (60 ft) in a zone some 800 m (2600 ft) in length dipping at an average of 75° to the west and plunging steeply to the south. Capping varies in thickness from 0 to over 300 m (1000 ft). SELECTION OF MINING METHOD In the early stages of planning the primary require¬ments to be met by the mining method were: (1) suit¬ability to high output and productivity, (2) adaptability to mechanization in order to minimize operating costs, and (3) minimization of the costs and the development period for preproduction. Considering these, the selection of a mining method was narrowed to a choice be¬tween sublevel long-hole stoping or sublevel caving. A method utilizing backfill was ruled out as uneconomical, especially since mill tailings would not be readily available. At the time, the following facts about the ore body were recognized: (1) the average width of the ore body was 12 m (40 ft), (2) 30% of the stoping blocks were in areas of 6 m (20 ft) or less in width; (3) in many cases, ore zones were located in parallel lenses or were irregular in shape; (4) major faults were present in the hanging wall close to the ore, with minor faults within the different ore zones; and (5) the ore itself was lami¬nated with fractures and jointing crossing such bedding planes. Considering these factors, the two stoping meth¬ods were compared. Sublevel Open Stoping The characteristics of sublevel open stoping are: 1) It is generally not used for widths below 6 m (20 ft) since the ratio of waste development increases as level intervals are reduced to insure good control of long-hole drilling. 2) This method is used where ground is relatively competent. Otherwise more pillar support is required, increasing ore losses or mining costs with pillar recovery. 3) The method is not easily adaptable to parallel ore zones separated by relatively narrow waste bands. 4) Close control of pillar and stope design will per¬mit some degree of dilution control. Sublevel Caving Sublevel caving is characterized by the following: 1) The method can be used for a variety of ore widths, recognizing that 3 m (10 ft) in width may be an economical minimum. 2) It is particularly favorable where wall rock is weak. 3) The method has flexibility so that irregular ore bodies or parallel lenses can be mined. 4) The need to leave pillars for support is eliminated 5) Dilution and tonnage recovery are interrelated. With concern about the stability of the hanging wall and the geometry of the ore bodies, there was a growing favor to choose the sublevel caving method. However, this method was relatively new to Canadian mining practice. Teams were sent to Sweden to tour mines using sublevel caving and to study their methods and any extraction and dilution problems. The objective was to develop cost and performance data and ore recovery grades and tonnages for feasibility comparisons. Next, detailed mine plans were developed covering a three-year period using sublevel caving and sublevel open stoping. Extensive analyses of the development and production costs for each method were made. With sublevel caving, ore losses of 10% with a 20% dilution rate were used. The same ore loss was estimated for sublevel open stoping with dilution varying from 11 to 15%. As a result of these studies, the decision was made to use sublevel caving partly because slightly lower op¬erating costs, together with higher productivity, offset the adverse effects of higher dilution; and partly be¬cause, at the start, there would be less risk in being able to handle the ground, and the method offered more flexi¬bility. Open stoping was not ruled out for testing at a later date. It was recognized that some other method of mining would be required for mining the ore extensions below the glacier, where surface subsidence must be avoided. During the operating life of the mine, open stoping was tested in narrow width ore zones and found un¬satisfactory due to wall failure. A cut-and-fill stope, utilizing run-of-mine waste from development, was also operated on a trial basis. A sequence was finally estab¬lished that permitted ground control; however, produc¬tivity needed considerable improvement in order for open stoping to be considered as a sole alternative for mining below the main haulage level. At the termination of operations in June 1978 over 13 000 000 t (14,500,000 st) had been extracted from above the main haulage level at production rates varying from 3270 to 7250 t/d (4000 to 8000 stpd). Sublevel Caving Methods Two basic methods were used, transverse and longi¬tudinal. The transverse method was used mainly in the upper C ore body in widths greater than 18 m (60 ft), and occasionally as an alternative to the longitudinal method in localized areas where strike faulting inter¬fered with normal development. The longitudinal method was used in ore bodies varying in width from 3.6 to 18 m (12 to 60 ft), with a multilongitudinal varia

Jan 1, 1982

This paper describes operational experience with seam gas and spontaneous combustion management, gained during ten years of production history (1993 to 2003) in the Wynn seam at Dartbrook Coal mine. In addition, comparisons are made with more recent operational experience in the overlying Kayuga seam. Development and retreat longwall operations were undertaken in a 4.0 m thick working section of the Wynn seam, contained within the lower quarter of a circa 24 m thick mega seam, from 1993 until mining operations were relocated to the overlying Kayuga seam in 2004. Production from the first block of the Kayuga seam is currently underway with seam gas and spontaneous combustion management requirements being refined as further operational experience is gained. Seam gas management techniques, including pre-drainage with pressurised fracturing, surface to underground goaf drainage of a carbon dioxide rich seam gas and novel, high capacity ventilation circuits, were employed in the Wynn seam. Ventilation strategies included operating up to carbon dioxide STEL concentrations of 3.0 per cent in segregated return airways rather than being limited to the TWA-TLV concentration of 1.25 per cent. The spontaneous combustion experience at Dartbrook Coal has, to some degree, resulted in a change in the way the risk is managed in Australian coal mines. Values of carbon monoxide make and hydrogen concentrations are profoundly different from previously recommended management plan trigger levels and those used elsewhere in the industry. However, the detection of higher hydrocarbons together with rising oxygen depletion ratios and absolute hydrogen concentrations remain as indicators of advancing spontaneous combustion events. In this respect, experience gained in the Wynn seam was important in the initial management of the shallower Kayuga seam, an essentially greenfield site with no prior operational experience being available.

Jan 1, 2005

By Edward H. Robie

EIGHT years ago in this department we had a column on the daiquiri cocktail, which, as we pointed out at that time, was invented by mining engineers. Since then we have said little or nothing about alcoholic drinks, but having set the precedent perhaps we may now pass along a little information about martinis. We have observed that as an aperitif the martini has become increasingly popular with men, so much so that we always feel a bit peculiar if we order something else. And the call is not for just a martini either; it must be a dry martini, and some of our friends are extremely particular on this point. The matter has achieved such importance that The New York Times devoted half a page to it a few Sundays back. Several recipes are given which may be useful to some of our members when entertaining visitors from this part of the country: The standard martini is said to be half gin, half Italian vermouth, two dashes orange bitters, and a pickled onion and twist of lemon peel. This progresses to the very dry martini, which calls for five parts gin and one part vermouth with an onion, olive, or lemon peel. Several alternatives are offered for the manufacture of the very, very dry martini. One is to pour a little vermouth into the mixing glass and pour it out again before mixing gin and ice. A second way is to put the ice in a sieve, hold it over the sink, and pour a little vermouth over it; then put the ice in the mixing glass. A third is to let the draft from an electric fan blow across an open vermouth bottle toward the mixing glass. Then the ultimate is the awfully dry martini, obtained by setting the vermouth bottle next to the mixing glass and turning the bottle slowly so that the label is exposed to the gin for perhaps a second. The Times notes that Mr. Martini himself personally prefers vermouth and soda.

Jan 1, 1952

By A. J. Griest, P. D. Frost, J. R. Doig

During the past 5 years, research directed toward the development of titanium alloys having improved strength-ductility relationships and heat treatability has been carried out at Battelle for the U. S. Air Force.1"3 In the course of this work, a method of heat treating ß-stabilized titanium alloys was developed which produced a wide range of useful properties.4 The heat treatment consisted of two steps: a) solution treating at temperatures in the a-ß phase region, and b) overaging at a lower temperature in the range 800°to 1100°F. Corollary to the alloy development work, research was conducted on the mechanism of the heat-treatment reaction. The investigations of Frost and co-workers on isothermal transformation in Ti-Cr5 and Ti-Mn8 alloys disclosed the existence of the transition phase, w, during the course of the decomposition of metastable ß phase. Subsequent work at Battelle7,8 'and at Case Institute by Brotzen and co-workerss further clarified the nature of the decomposition process. Beta decomposition was found to proceed by the following series of reactions: 1 2 3 4 a + Ti, My (in eutectoid systems). ßo, ßr, and ßU refer to ß phase of original, enriched, and ultimate alloy contents, respectively. Omega is a transition phase having a complex structure. 10-13 Step 4, of course, occurs only in ß-eutectoid systems. This paper presents data correlating transformation behavior with mechanical properties for the following alloys: Ti-8Mn, Ti-8Mn-2A1, Ti-4Mn-4A1, Ti-6Al-4V, and Ti-4Fe. The isothermal decomposition of ß in titanium-manganese alloys of similar composition has been investigated by Frost and coworkers8 and the effect of various annealing treatments on alloys in this system has been studied by Holden, Ogden, and Jaffee.14 The compositions Ti-8Mn-2Al, Ti-4Mn-4A1, and Ti-6A1-4V, were studied in the present work in an effort to define more clearly the effect of aluminum on the response to solution and aging treatments. Ogden, Holden, and Jaffee15 have invesitgated the effect of aluminum on the response of a similar alloy (Ti-8.8Mn-2.46A1) to annealing treatments, and Luini and Lee16 have made an exploratory investigation of the heat-treatability of the Ti-4Mn-4Al alloy. The Ti-4Fe alloy was studied as an example of a moderate1y active eutectoid system. Holden, Ogden, and Jaffee 17 have studied Ti-Fe alloys and have presented some hardness data for aging at 400°C for alloys of Ti-2.56, 5.01, and 7.35 iron after quenching from the a-ß field (750°C). EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES The experimental procedures generally used in the precipitation-hardening study are outlined in the following sections. Departures from these techniques are noted in the discussions of the individual alloys. Table I presents the nominal and actual compositions of the alloys studied, together with the swaging and rolling temperatures. In all cases, these temperatures were in the a-ß field and the microstructures consisted of an equiaxed a-ß mixture. Melting and Fabrication—Except for the commer-

Jan 1, 1960

By Linda K. Killoran

The U.S. Bureau of Mines has developed a prototype cross well acoustic logging system and complementary tomographic image reconstruction software for the detection and delineation of abandoned underground mines and associated subsidence failure in relatively shallow environments. The logging system uses a piezoelectric, cylindrical bender as an acoustic source. A triaxial accelerometer assembly, designed to be rigidly locked in the borehole, is the receiver portion of the logging system. Both the source and receiver probes operate at high frequencies, thus providing short wavelengths capable of resolving small features in most rock types. A modified van with a dual-drum wireline winch, 4-channel data acquisition system, power amplifiers, and waveform generator supports field operation of the logging system. A field study was conducted at a test site in San Antonio, Texas, to demonstrate the cross well acoustic logging system. The underlying rock at the test site is similar to stratified sediments in coal measures. First¬arrival travel times were interpreted by tomographic reconstruction of the velocity field in the two-dimensional cross section between the source and receiver boreholes. The resulting image correlates well with geological borehole logging data for the test site.

Jan 1, 1992

By D. Park, V. Gall

The three-dimensional finite element technique combined with a progressive failure approach were used to simulate stress distributions in a complete mine section that occur in response to a longwall mining operation. Due to the availability of a Cray supercomputer, a large-scale, three-dimensional, finite-element model was developed for the analysis. The Hoek-Brown failure criterion, which describes a realistic behavior of rock masses, was used for the simulation of progressive failure. A comparison of calculated and monitored stresses in the mine has shown that the model gives a good representation of stresses in the mine structure.

Jan 1, 1992

By Harry R. Price, Jerome C. Neyer

INTRODUCTION Safety must be a primary consideration in the design and construction of tunnels. Tunnel construction has historically been considered a high-risk business. During the construction of the 14.8 kilometer (9.25) mile St. Gotthard Tunnel in the Swiss Alps in the 1870s, 310 lives were lost and another 877 workers permanently disabled. In more recent days, two tunnel construction accidents in 1971, one in Michigan and one in California, claimed the lives of 38 workers. Prior to 1971, most regulations governing safety in tunnel construction were developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. These included a 1941 Bulletin 439, "Some Essential Safety Factors for Tunneling" and a 1968 Bulletin 644 which updated Bulletin 439. In 1970, the United States passed the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) which became effective in early 1971. That act covered all sorts of workplace activities including Tunnels and Shafts in 29 CFR 1926.800. In 1989, a revised and renamed 29 CFR 1926.800 was issued for Underground Construction. Some of the changes introduced in this rule were the outgrowth of improvements made in the California and Michigan codes after the 1971 accidents. These new regulations are the "Rules to Live By" for tunnel construction in the United States and are generally accepted as appropriate for tunnel construction throughout the world.

Jan 1, 1995

Jan 1, 1958

Jan 1, 1942

By Paul D. Tomlingson

Editor's note: This is the first of two articles on maintenance. Part two, "Effective maintenance downsizing techniques," will appear in the October issue of MINING ENGINEERING. Most mine managers are aware that the cost of maintenance rarely goes down unless work is done less often and with fewer people. Fewer people translates into downsizing and seldom means making maintenance more efficient. Even so, mines that have struggled unsuccessfully to improve maintenance and are now pressed to reduce maintenance costs may opt for downsizing. On the other hand, mines with an immediate need to reduce costs may be forced to downsize because they cannot wait for needed improvements to take effect. This can be bad news for maintenance. In any case, the mine must downsize correctly to ensure effective maintenance is sustained.

Jan 1, 1994

By A. A. Densmore

Telluric Current is that portion of the electric field observed at the surface of the earth which is of an alternating nature, and which is related to solar activity and events in the ionosphere. The primary electromotance which drives the telluric current is the result of the induction process associated with time variations in the earth's magnetic field. The relationship between the electric and magnetic components of this electromagnetic field depend upon the conductor. For our purposes, we are dealing with frequencies f in the range

Jan 1, 1972

By J. E. Burke

THE origin of so-called annealing or recrystalli-zation twins in face-centered-cubic metals continues to be a matter for speculation, and in the present report an attempt is made to explain their origin and to account for at least a majority of the observations concerning their behavior. The fact that annealing twins are prominent only The speelmen was deformed 8 pet in compression and then indented over the lower left-hand corner in a Rockwell in-denter, and then annealed to cause partial recrystallization. Note intense twinning in heavily deformed part and slight twinning in less deformed part. The upper right-hand corner is unrecrystalized. Area reduced approximately 25 pot for reproduction. after recrystallization suggests that deformation may be necessary for their formation. In 1926, Mathewson1 reported the observation by Phillips that annealing twins are frequently parallel to strain markings which delineate octahedral planes in the deformed (and partially recrystallized) matrix, and suggested that strain markings are mechanical twins which grow into annealing twins during recrystallization. Later work by Burke and Barrett' has shown that strain markings are traces of planes upon which slip has occurred, and that there is no evidence for the formation of mechanical twins of microscopically resolvable width in face-centered-cubic metals. Mathewson3 has pointed out, however, that slip may produce twin faults, and later modifications of this hypothesis have assumed that twin faults rather than true mechanical twins serve as the nuclei for annealing twins. Carpenter and Tamura5 suggested, also in 1926, that annealing twins might form by accidents of growth. A close-packed layer of atoms can be added to the octahedral plane of a face-centered-cubic metal in two possible positions, the right position

Jan 1, 1951

By Gervais Soucy

During mineral and industrial processing, contaminated wastewater can be generated such as cyanide liquors (free species or in complex form). This paper presents the treatment of cyanide solution derived from the aluminum industry, by direct contact of the solution with thermal plasma in a novel reactor. The reacation energy is provided by a plasma submerged in solution which allows direct contact between the plasma and the solution to be treated. The scope of this' study was to determine the feasibility of treating free and complex cyanides in solution through mini-pilot scale operations. An innovative reactor was designed and fabricated to provide stable: process operating conditions. Many parameters were studied. These experiments permitted the evaluation of the kinetics of complex cyanides decomposition under thermal plasma conditions. At atmospheric pressure (temperature about 100°C), the rate of cyanide decomposition by thermal plasma was 12 times greater than that of thermal hydrolysis in a plug flow reactor et the same temperature. The improvements in the decomposition rates are attributed to high thermal gradients at the plasma liquid interface and photocatalysis induced by the plasma UV radiation.

Jan 1, 1998

By John D. Morgan, Sylvain J. Pirson

AN instantaneous and continuous analysis of a mineral suspension should be of great value in controlling various mineral preparation processes. Described herein is a method of analysis based on the use of high-frequency alternating current, which, under certain restrictive conditions, could be of use. THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS In a suspension of conductive minerals, the electrical effect primarily responsible for the variations in electric conductivity is the capacitance. In Fig Ia, let an alternating voltage E be applied across two electrodes F and F', between which are two rows (S and T) of mineral particles, all of approximately the same size, immersed in a fluid. Let the number of rows of particles between the electrodes be R and the number of particles in each row be N. If A is the area of a particle, D is the distance separating two particles, and K is a constant depending on the fluid, the capacity, Co, of the particle system will be given by: [KRA C0 ND] Referring now to Fig Ib, let R, the number of rows, be held constant, but let N, the number of particles in each row (S and T), be increased X-fold. The capacity, C1, of [ ]

Jan 1, 1947

By Robert Snow, Yingxue Yu, Patrick Zhang

The FIPR/SAPR process is FIPR's third approach to develop a viable alternative to the Crago "Double Float" process for phosphate flotation. SAPR stands for Single-collector, All-anionic Phosphate Recovery. The FIPR/SAPR process - offers a universal flowsheet for any anionic reagent system and flotation feed of varying sizes. For an unsized or fine flotation feed, the FIPR/SAPR process consists of the following steps: 1) high-solids conditioning with an anionic collector; 2) anionic rougher flotation, with the rougher concentrate sized at 48 (or 65) mesh and the +48 mesh recovered as a final product; and 3) cleaning flotation of the -48 mesh fraction from step 2. In a variation of step 2, the rougher concentrate from the first two cells may be collected as a final product, and the rougher concentrate from the last two cells sized at 48 or 65 mesh. The new process was tested with a blend of anionic collectors, achieving single-digit Insol at 85 + % recoveries.

Jan 1, 2002

By A. I. Kalugin, A. A. Abramov, D. E. Kozlov, D. V. Magazanik

Based on theoretical and experimental researches of phosphate and carbonate minerals flotation in the presence of soluable glass at various pH values and sodium silicate concentrations, it has been established that the presence of soluble glass in solution leads to formation of silicate compounds on the surface of phosphate and carbonate minerals causing change in their floatability for the worse. The harmful influence of soluable salts is done by tying of collector as metallic soaps, forming precipitates on the surface of minerals to be floated and causing their depression of flotation, and breaching of the froth etc. Depressing action of slimes and products of interaction with collector depends on the ratio of values and signs of potentials of the mineral surfaces. The possibility of phosphate and gangue minerals separation can be evaluated by comparing the minimum-necessary concentrations of collector required for their flotation.

Jan 1, 2002

The relationship between comminution testwork results and the milling circuit that is subsequently selected is not a direct one and frequently involves recourse to databases of past test results. This in itself reflects the lack of a systematic engineering approach in the design process. This paper reviews comminution tests for SAG mill design in an attempt to identify where the essential information comes from that will be used in mill selection. The conclusion is that results from traditional test methods, including obscure and little used procedures like the Mokken test, are more valuable from an engineering perspective than parameters for breakage rate based modelling. Suggestions are made on ways in which existing test procedures can be enhanced in order to generate parameters that can be directly related to characteristics of the milling circuit being designed.

Jan 1, 2002