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By Ethan Steward, Kyle Perry

To test the effects of impact on mine seals, a projectile generator and two seals have been constructed. The projectile generator is a 12-inch (30.5 cm) inner diameter steel pipe with a 4-inch (10 cm) wall, is 8.5 feet (2.6 m) in length, and sealed on one end. Projectiles are propelled by a charge of black powder with a wooden wad and are held in place by foam sabots in the bore. This system, combined with the large bore, allows firing of many different potential projectiles that may be found in an underground mine at a high velocity into the seals.

Feb 1, 2020

By Rclssell Gibson, F. S. Turneaure

The tin deposit of Monserrat; Bolivia, consists of one major vein 1600 m in length. The ore is unusual because of the notable quantity of teallite, even though cassiterite is the principal tin mineral. The deposit, formed at shallow depth under a wide range in temperature, may be classed as xenothermal. Polished sections reveal a complex history of replacement, with low-temperature minerals deposited before high-temperature minerals.

Jan 1, 1950

By GEORGE A. KIERSCH

The awesome destructive power of known and projected weapons of war presages a new need for geologists and engineers, who may be called upon to locate vital industry underground, thereby protecting it from sky-borne destruction. The Corps of Engineers is now conducting special tests to establish design standards covering the general field of underground installations as well as surveys a of construction methods and the operational hazards connected with such plants. National planning must dictate a policy that is either tactical, where surface manufactured parts; are stored underground and during art emergency assembled, or operational with both the manufacturing and assemblage completed in subsurface plants. Both plans of operation require the use of subterranean plants. Relocation of vital plants underground will probably involve only a small percentage of the production capacity of this nation. The cost of rebuilding in new location will obviously limit its adoption

Jan 1, 1949

By James R. Cudworth

OUR colleges and universities have met many difficulties during the past year. From a period of small enrollments and depleted faculties, the educational institutions have passed quickly to a period of the largest enrollments in their history with inadequate facilities and staffs. The results of the shortsighted policy of the Selective Service system which drained the technical schools and universities of many of the students who were potential teachers are now being felt. The movement of faculty members into positions in industry during the war years has resulted in many of them forsaking permanently the educational field for the higher salaried positions they now occupy. Competition is keen between the educational institutions, and between the institutions and industry, for technically trained men. Dean Holbrook's statement in last year's annual review that he thought it would take three or four years to restore our engineering departments to their former level in quality of instructors is even more convincing today. Somehow, the institutions must not only reach their former level in quality of instruction but they must also increase the quantity of their staffs to meet the demands of the ex-service men and the high school graduates for engineering education. The enrollments in the mineral industry fields of mining, metallurgical, geological, petroleum, and ceramic engineering, although greatly increased, are not expanding as much as in the more widely known fields of electrical, mechanical, aeronautical, and civil engineering. In fact, many educators are tremendously worried about the segregation of so many young men in a relatively few fields while the needs of others will remain unanswered.

Jan 1, 1947

By RALPH BALTES, AMIR EHSAN KIANFAR, FABIAN UTH, ELISABETH CLAUSEN

As indoor positioning provides particular challenges due to the unavailability of GPS signals, various systems such as ultrawideband (UWB), radio frequency identification (RFID), ultrasound, and wireless local area network (WLAN) have been proposed in recent years. Some of these technologies are currently being marketed and some are still being developed. UWB technology allows for higher precision while also reducing power consumption. Hence, the underground automation and localization systems can use this technology for more accuracy and robustness. This article discusses new robust UWB modules used for underground positioning and collision avoidance with regard to human safety in underground mining operations.

Jul 31, 2020

By Brahm Prakash, R. Schuhmann

Chemical conditions for flotation and nonflotation of quartz with oleic acid as collector and barium, calcium, aluminum, iron, and tin as activators were studied using a simple vacuum-flotation technique in glass-stoppered graduates. The detailed study of barium activation led to an interpretation based on ideal Langmuirian chemisorption.

Jan 1, 1950

By S. Mojeddifar, N. Ostadmahdi Aragh, M. Hemmati Chegeni

This work integrated selective principal component analysis (SPCA) with a singularity fractal model to map hydrothermal alterations of argillic, phyllic, and propylitic in the north-west of Kerman city in Iran. SPCA results were provided for short wave infrared (SWIR) bands of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor tomap phyllic and propylitic alterations. Also, the bands 5–7 were applied to map the argillic alteration zone. SPCA results could present useful information for alteration mapping but it does not show the purest pixels of alteration. Therefore, a fractal model of singularity was applied to highlight the different alteration pixels in the Kerman Cenozoic magmatic arc (KCMA). Thus, the singularity index of different hydrothermal alteration zones was produced. Comparing the obtained results with the field data showed that Kader, Serenu,Meiduk, and Abdar deposits were acceptably identified by alteration mapping. Also, it seems that the singularity index could not discriminate the hydrothermal alterations of argillic and phyllic. The same spectral signature of kaolinite and muscovite minerals is the main reason for misclassifications.

Jul 20, 2020

By John H. Hollomon

A REVIEW of the steps which have been made to increase knowledge in the field of ferrous physical metallurgy during the closing period of World War II brings both pleasure and disappointment. Contributions of great value have been made, to be sure. However, due partly to the stress of the times, researchers in this field have been in the main directing their attention toward the short-range problems involved in the development and production of materiel for war. Furthermore, publication of the results of a great number of studies has had to be delayed. Much of the German work may, indeed, be lost entirely, owing to the efficiency of our bombers, which managed to account for most of the famous Kaiser Wilhelm Institut of Dusseldorf, not to mention the other large laboratories and manufacturing plants throughout that country. It would seem safe to assume, however, that fundamental research in Germany had been forced to give way to the shallow, but more pressing, engineering problems of a country trying to avoid defeat. In Russia the picture has been clouded by the limitations imposed upon comunication; but this much does seem clear: Russia alone among the great nations of the world has maintained her long-range view and has continued to foster research of the most fundamental type. English workers; on the other hand, appear to have been able only to meet the demands of the pressing problems of war, and their studies have been of the short-range variety. That metallurgical research of any sort should have continued in France during this chaotic period in her history would seem impossible, but, amazingly, a small handful of scientists did manage to carry on their work, and it is to be hoped that more will be heard from them in the future.

Jan 1, 1946

By Yongjun Peng, Yufan Mu

Pyrite depression in the flotation of copper ores is difficult due to the activation of Cu2+ ions on pyrite surface. In this study, the radical chain reaction involving the redox cycling of Cu(I/II) induced by sodium metabisulphite (MBS) was exploited to selectively depress the flotation of copper-activated pyrite at pH 8.0. Electrochemical measurements revealed that the presence of Cu2+ and O2 was essential to the formation of SO•− 5 through sulphite oxidation, the main entity to convert the activating species Cu(I)S on pyrite to Cu(II)-hydroxide/sulphate, causing deactivation of pyrite. The depression role ofMBS on pyrite flotation was closely associated with the type of grinding media which affected the electrochemical conditions of flotation. When forged steel was used as the grinding media, a high dosage of MBS was required to depress pyrite, but a low dosage of MBS could almost completely depressed pyrite when high chrome steel grinding media was used. This is because high chrome steel produced a stronger oxidation condition with a higher amount of Cu2+ and O2 which promoted the formation of SO•− 5

Jan 26, 2021

By John S. Brown

AT opposite ends of a mineralized belt of northeast-southwest trend, and ten miles apart, are the Edwards and Balmat zinc minas, in St. Lawrence County, New York, west of the Adirondacks. The principal town is Gouverneur, fifteen miles west of Edwards, eight miles northwest of Balmat, and the area is often referred to as the Gouverneur district. (See Fig. 1.) At various times the district has been noted for its hematite mines, pyrite mines, and marble quarries, all now abandoned. At present, in addition to zinc, it is the country's largest source of industrial talc. A short distance to the east important magnetite mines are operating. Geologically the district lies at the southern margin of the Canadian shield, where this great expanse of Pre-Cambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks merges into the foothills of the Adirondacks. The rock formations in approximate order of areal extent and importance are as follows:

Jan 1, 1947

By C. M. Marquardt

Tramp iron and steel moving on a conveyor belt cause small currents to be generated in a coil situated in a strong magnetic field, which are converted to an alternating current and are amplified. The output voltage from the amplifier fires a thyratron with a relay in its anode circuit, which actuates a howler and simultaneously drops a spot of marker material on the belt.

Jan 1, 1950

By J. VAN DEN BERC

Tin production and export from the Far East are still a long way off from the prewar figures. The Malayan Peninsula, which had a rather good start directly after the war largely because of stock piles found in Singapore and elsewhere, has since been hampered in the rehabilitation of its tin mines and dredging operations by material shortages and, more recently and more severely, by revolts and attacks of communist elements and gangster bands. These hindrances make working in the mines dangerous and form a daily threat against the valuable and highly vulnerable dredges. Contrary to the conditions in Malaya are those on the tin islands of Billiton, Banka, and Singkep-all in the Netherlands East Indies-where the Dutch have re-established peaceful relations with the population. Dutch efforts since the fall of 1945 have been rewarded by continuously increasing production, extension of production facilities, and return of moderate prosperity, complete safety, and all-out co-operation among the population ? native and Chinese ? to the benefit of all concerned.

Jan 1, 1949

By Leslie C. Richards

The competitive position of producers of industrial minerals depends upon the delivered price of their product. Freight charges are a major factor in the sales to consumers. A comparison of freight rates on movements of limestone and silica rock in the Pacific Northwest shows a wide variance in mills per ton mile for like hauls, thereby favoring some localities over others.

Jan 1, 1950

By Oliver Bowles

WAR necessities have spurred inventive genius in many fields. A grinding mill without any moving grinding parts stirs the imagination. Among the new and striking accomplishments in the heterogeneous group of nonmetallic industrial minerals is the use of an electric arc to speed up manyfold the difficult and delicate task of drilling a microscopic hole in a diamond, the hardest of all known substances. Outstanding in the field of optical research is the ability that man has developed to improve upon nature by making in the laboratory optical crystals many times larger than those usually found in rocky crevices. These are merely samples of numerous events and circumstances of noteworthy import, many of which are recorded in this review. Termination of the second World War in 1945 permits an appraisal of the effects of the conflict and the probable effects of the coming restoration of a peacetime economy on the nonmetallic mineral industries. Some industries were stimulated greatly by the war, notably mica, quartz crystal, graphite, spinning asbestos, potash, fluorspar, barite, and refractories. The large-tonnage industries connected with the building trades, however, were forced to curtail their activities, except where their products were needed for wartime construction. Their reconversion to peacetime production will not be difficult.

Jan 1, 1946

By E. J. Eisenach, W. E. Jones

SAFETY and industrial hygiene have always been recognized as highly important in company policy, and the co-operative support of the company officials and entire plant personnel has contributed largely to the present success of the Company's program in this field. Growth has necessarily been slow, and dependent, at times, on trial and error but the program in its present form combines the regulations, working methods, and equipment that have proved their value under actual operating conditions. Every effort is made to keep the program on a practical basis. Continuous experimental work is carried on in conjunction with the health and safety program, with resultant periodic changes for improvement. As a proof of accomplishment, in 1945 the frequency and severity rates for accidents were the lowest in the history of the operation. A full-time safety engineer was employed in 1933 and an assistant safety engineer in 1936. During the following year a stenographer was employed in the office and a safety inspector was added for the mine. During the gradual expansion of operations that was climaxed by

Jan 1, 1946

By AIME

AS with Phil Kraft, referred to on this page last month, travel has always held a great fascination for Raymond Frank Baker and for that reason he determined to become a geologist. He had heard that geologists travel and that was what he wanted to do. Now as chief geologist for The Texas Co. his early wish has been fulfilled-he spends almost one third of his time journeying' from one oil field to another. Mr. Baker was born in New Haven, Conn., on Jan. 11, 1892, and went through the public schools in New Britain. A stalwart New Englander, he attended Yale and in 1912 received a degree in civil engineering. For a year following this he worked as a civil engineer for the New York Central Railroad, but his early urge to travel widely could not be satisfied here. So in 1913 he re-entered Yale and until 1916 studied mining and economic geology. He had a little taste of field work, which later became so enjoyable to him, in the summer of 1915 when he worked with the U. S. Geological Survey as a geologic aid. In 1916 he made his first contact with The Texas Co. when he entered their Tulsa office as a geologist. This early career was interrupted by service in the

Jan 1, 1947

By Zhiguo Chang, QINGXIANG CAI, Ebelia Manda, IZHAR MITHAL JISKANI, XIANG LU, Wei Zhou, Saleem Raza Chalgri

The concept of mine safety is highlighted in the literature of sustainable mining but not extensively discussed. This study analyzes various aspects of underground and surface mine safety and emphasizes its importance in the context of sustainable mining. More specifically, this research attempts to find the relationship between mine hazards and demographic characteristics, examine and compare the perceptual difference among miners, and determine the impact of mine hazards on workplace safety and safety climate. Descriptive analysis, chi-square test, independent samples t test, and linear regression modeling were conducted to achieve study objectives. Results confirmed that mine hazards were significantly associated with age and experience. Miners perceived lower levels of management safety practices, followed by supervisor safety, coworker safety, and job safety. The analysis showed that underground miners reported lower safety scores than surface miners. There was a statistically significant difference between miners’ perception of safety climate (p < 0.05). The results showed that the higher prevalence of mine hazards predicts poor workplace safety and a low safety climate. The regression models revealed that mine hazards have a significant effect on workplace safety (p < 0.05) and safety climate (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the distinctive model of mine safety presented here contributes to the monitoring and design of comprehensive safety interventions and helps to better understand how certain factors interact on multiple levels to influence the overall safety of the industry. In this study, some suggestions are put forward to provide directions to develop a sustainable mine safety system.

Mar 27, 2020

By Tianzu Yang, Weifeng Liu, Lin Chen, BOYI XIE, DUCHAO ZHANG, HUI XIAO

The oxygen-rich bath smelting process of copper dross was simulated using Factsage software. It was found that the two-step simulation results agreed better with the industrial data, especially in the speiss. Bi, Pb, Sb, As, and Cu contents in the speiss by two-step simulation differed from the industrial data by 0.6 wt.%, 0.8 wt.%, 2.6 wt.%, 7.2 wt.%, and 8.6 wt.%, respectively. Twostep simulation results indicated that the speiss partitioning of Sb, As, and Cu increased from 60.1%, 32.3%, and 27.5%to 81.6%, 67.8%, and 47.2%, respectively, with the smelting temperature increasing from 1050 °C to 1250 °C. While the metal partitioning of Sb and Cu increased from 0% and 2.7% to 15.2% and 13.3%, respectively, with the separation temperature increasing from 400 °C to 700 °C.

Oct 19, 2020

By G. G. Oberfell

THOUGH the largest volume use of natural gas has been, is. and in all probability will continue to be as a fuel for domestic and industrial heating, it has various market outlets, both as a fuel and as a raw material for the chemical industry. Natural gas is a preferred type of fuel where ease of control, fuel uniformity, and freedom from ash are of primary importance. Other industrially important uses are as a source of carbon black and as a fuel in various low-cost heating operations. Many other uses are of varying importance and new potential uses are continually being uncovered, some being of economic importance to the gas indus¬try as a whole, but most of them involve such small volumes of gas that they are only of passing interest. Since various products extracted from natural gas and recovered as by-products from petroleum refining, such as liquefied petroleum gas and fuel oil, are being utilized in many industrial and domestic heating applications, some consideration will have to be given such materials in order to present a reasonably complete story of the importance of natural gas. Some of these materials may prove to be transient competitors and will not be available when more profitable uses are found for them. Meanwhile, however, the potential volumes of such materials available, the current volumes being marketed, and the nature of the utilization are considered as constituting an essential part of the over-all fuel picture.

Jan 1, 1946

By Donald H. McLaughlin

MINERAL industry activities have not been seriously hampered by a lack of men with higher training. The balance between opportunities for employment and advancement and available personnel has been a happy one, with enough competition to stimulate effort but not the unfortunate conditions arising from an overabundance. of employment seekers. Nearly all mineral industry educational institutions have been concerned about the falling enrollment in mining and metallurgical courses of study during the past decade. But industry has drawn upon a supply of many types of technically trained men apart from those who prepared their careers specifically in the mineral industry. Some schools have made this possible by uniting geologists, mineralogists, and others with students in mining and engineering. On the other hand, some schools have combined their department of mining engineering with an over-all engineering department and continue to send their graduates into the mineral industry by another route. On the whole, this seems to be a good trend and is likely to result in men better trained for current problems than would have been possible under the older rigid curricula.

Jan 1, 1947