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By W. C. Lacy

It is the responsibility of educators to look ahead and prepare young engineers and scientists to cope with industrial and social problems of the future. We are faced with a review of history as well as prophesy of the future. The mining industry exists in a "bubble" with little interaction or communication with the outside. This isolation must be broken down if the industry is to survive in the U.S. and Canada. The ability to communicate with the general public and public officials is essential. Many changes are occurring that will require readjustments in technology and staffing. Aging population will result in raising retirement and increasing available workforce. This may force shorter working weeks to supply additional jobs. Environmental concerns will likely direct more attention not only to these concerns during mining, but to planning for post-mining land usage. Retraining and up-dating educational programs are required to cope with these changes.

Jan 1, 1994

By Z. Sample

"INTRODUCTION This past year commodity prices continued their dip with increased volatility causing market values to slide another 16% putting increased pressure on even the largest companies to improve their free cash flow.[1] Without a recovery in commodity prices in sight, companies must find a sustainable method to improve returns in the current economic climate. In an effort to improve plant sustainability, the mineral processing industry is investing in advanced automation technologies and innovative processing methods that are both more reliable and more efficient than ever before. One such breakthrough technology is Heap Leaching (HL). This method of extraction has certain advantages over traditional metallurgical methods making previously unsustainable operations economically feasible. While HL is already seeing use in the gold and copper industries among others, recent developments may allow for the use of HL to process primary sulfide ores which make up about 80% of today’s ores.[2] For this reason, this emerging technology is poised for exciting growth. Unfortunately, as with any process change, the implementation of HL projects requires significant training on both the control system as well as the underlying process, and further, due to the complex nature of the HL process, this can be a particularly difficult task. DEMOGRAPHIC TIME BOMB Even before the implementation of these new technologies, the availability of the skilled workforce has already become a significant problem for the mining and mineral processing industries. From a survey of 912 mining professionals, Stratum International found that a mere 0.4% of senior level candidates were between the ages of 25 and 34 and a similar proportion aged over 75 years.[3] This indicates that there is both a deficiency of young skilled workers and a skilled workforce that is retiring earlier than the previous generation. Combined with data published by the US Department of Labor stating that the median age of the mining workforce is approaching 50 years old, research suggests that up to 50% of skilled mining and mineral process professionals are expected to retire in the next 5 years, leaving with their irreplaceable knowledge and experience.[4] While it is projected that the labor pool will be sufficient to fill open positions, the real question is if this young workforce will have necessary skill sets and experiences. In addition to a rapidly aging workforce and an inexperienced labor pool, a study done by the Oil and Gas Journal showed that it takes about 7 years, on average, for new workers to achieve a level of competency that permits them to assess risks and appropriately make decisions.[5] Not only is this figure is in direct conflict with the typical tenure of 5 years in one position meaning that the thinly spread skilled labor will be required to become senior staff before they are able to achieve competency in their current role, this also means that these millennials are not given the opportunity to become competent in their role before the retirement of the more experienced workforce."

Jan 1, 2016

By R. L. Grayson, R. C. Althouse, M. J. Klishis

The health and safety of employees, efficiency of the operating system, and production are paramount goals in underground coal mining. The section foreman assumes responsibility for making his part of the total system function to meet these goals. However, section foremen often have not been prepared to assume the full range of their responsibilities upon becoming a supervisor. This paper addresses the full range of section foreman responsibilities and concomitant authority. Management principles that must be mastered by him are presented, and performance expectations as well as criteria for their evaluation are examined. The benefits realized from effective foreman training are discussed.

Jan 1, 1987

By R. L. Grayson

The health and safety of employees, efficiency of the operating system and production are paramount goals in underground coal mining. The section foreman assumes responsibility for making his part of the total system function to meet these goals. However, section foremen often have not been prepared to assume the full range of their responsibilities upon becoming a supervisor. This discussion addresses the full range of section foreman responsibilities and concomitant authority. Management principles that must be mastered by him are presented, and performance expectations as well as criteria for their evaluation are examined. The benefits realized from effective foreman training are discussed.

Jan 1, 1985

By John E. Bailey

The advent of Nuclear Energy has caused a phenomenal growth in the uranium mining industry. To keep abreast of this surge the mining industry has located many ore bodies, determined the best types of mining adaptable to this particular type of ore and developed a highly specialized type of operation. But, has the mining industry gone far enough in the planning? Has ?built-in? safety been included in the efficient methods of operation? Preplanning safety in the mining industry, as in all industries, takes engineering and ingenuity combined with the experience and cooperation of all concerned. A system of mining can be planned on a map and it will look good. However, when the actual mining takes place, conditions may be such that deviations from the original plans may be required because of excessive water faults or other conditions encountered. With safety we may also be required to change, to conform to the characteristics of a particular operation. People in the mining industry are well aware that loose back has killed miners each year. This condition occurred in practically all types of mines. The condition is not new to us. It is also known that explosives, haulage, machinery and conditions common to all types of mining have taken a heavy toll of human life in mining. In addition to these hazards in the uranium mines, the hazard of radon is also present, Radon is a radioactive gas liberated from ores containing radium. This gas is released into the active workings by the blasting or breaking up of the ore. Sometimes it is caused by radium contaminated water seepage from abandoned workings or from the ore body itself. Until the action of this gas on the human was known, many miners were affected. Un- less adequate precuations are taken to protect the people in these mines,, they may be exposed to this hazard, Health researchers made a study of this substance to determine how it would affect the health of the men, They also studied men who had worked in previous years, in mines known to have contained radioactive materials. All of this research contributed to the present knowledge of radon and its daughter products. It is not flammable nor explosive, but, if allowed to enter the body through the respiratory organs it can cause serious damage. Mines have been operated in the past and are still being operated, which were known to contain explosive and noxious gases, indicating that this problem can be controlled. Several states have instituted laws that make it mandatory to provide adequate ventilation and use of monitoring devices to limit radon and its daughter products to a maximum of 300 micro-microcuries per liter of air. This is considered a safe limit for sustained periods of human exposure. While the findings of research do not prove conclusively that the inhalation of excessive radon or its daugher products cause lung cancer, indications point to this as a possibility, particularly radium A and radium C1 of the daughter products. The threshold limits set by law in most uranium producing states are believed to be safe. In a few years, when tests and data now in the process of collection by interested state officials and laboratories is complete, these limits may be found to be ready for revision. Studies such as these take time. At present, the limits that are used are based upon estimates. The permissible limits of exposure to radon and daughter products include a large safety factor. It is considered that a good supply of fresh air delivered to the working places, adequate dust control, the sealing of unused or abandoned workings, the removal of mine water which is generally contaminated and a safe waiting period after blasting, will hold to a minimum the dangers from this source. There are, of course, problems accompanying each of these procedures. For example, the ventilating of untimbered raises and bringing fresh, uncontaminated air to the working places may be a problem. However, a good mining man can solve these problems as they apply in each particular operation. From the information available at the present time, the daughter products containing polonium and emitting alpha radiation, may be a health hazard. Fortunately, the half life of most of the daughter products is short, however, radium D has a half life of 22 years and presents a problem of contamination in the storage of old tailings. So we can see that failure to comply with the accepted good mining practices may have harmful effects on the health of miners. It is gratifying to note the interest in this potential hazard by the officials in the uranium ore producing states, who are making extensive studies and keeping records of the men who work in this type of mining. This all provide information necessary for preplanning safety. By contrast, little has been accomplished to control the injuries and deaths from some other factors connected with most underground mining operations. I would like to discuss briefly one of the hazards which take an annual toll in our underground mines, this is falls of back and walls. This problem or hazard is present, and will be

Jan 1, 1958

By Gregory E. Klosterman

American Aggregates Corporation is one of the leading producers of mineral aggregates in the nation. Production is from deposits of glacial sand and gravel and limestone and dolomite bedrock. Annual production from 33 plants is 25,000,000 tons. Land consumption is at the rate of 300 to 400 acres annually. This annual rate of consumption presents a continuing challenge to the exploration and mining personnel to meet the requirements of reserve replacement, mining and land rehabilitation.

Jan 1, 1974

By Steven J. Kirk

In the past decade, many hardrock surface miners have revegetated dumps and tailings ponds to allow those waste disposal areas to blend more easily with the surrounding landscapes. Efforts have also been made to more creatively use the flat land resulting from the disposal of overburden and tailings. However, the mines which serve the best post-mining land uses are those that have been preplanned to incorporate such end uses. To more fully explore such a philosophy, interdisciplinary team from The University of Arizona conducted a study during 1974 and 1975 of six open pit copper mines in the Santa Cruz River Basin south of Tucson, Arizona for the purpose of investigating both interim and end-use possibilities for mine waste disposal areas. Among other reasons for the study, it was felt that alternatives for such waste areas would be more socially acceptable than barren dumps or tailings ponds. The team, known as the Mines Project Group, consisted of architects, engineers, and hydrologists. As it would have been economically infeasible to move the existing waste rock dumps or tailings ponds, preplanning was limited to the disposal of waste generated after the inception of the project. To better present their concepts, architecture professors Kenneth Clark and Fred Matter constructed a large-scale cardboard relief model of the mines and the surrounding Santa Cruz River Valley (1). The model was built at a scale of 1:12 000 (1 in = 1000 ft) with 30.48 m (100 ft) contour intervals and covered an area of 40.23 km by 32.18 km (25 miles by 20 miles) in scaled area. The mines being studied were cut into the model, but the proposed waste dumps and tailings ponds were built separately so different disposal configurations could be evaluated.

Jan 1, 1980

By Charles A. Beasley, Vince Joyce, David E. Beasley, Orlando A. Gallegos, David A. Shuman, Mehmet H. Erten

COAL CHARACARISTICS AND PREPREPARATION REQUIREMENTS Preparation and Market Specifications The national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) established by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1977 require that when coal is burned, the environmental degradation should be a minimum. For this reason, even coal containing low ash and sulfur must be used in compliance with the NAAQS. The most important pollutants resulting from the combustion of coal are ash, SO2, and NOx gases, and the particulate matter escaping with the combustion gases. The ash is the residue left after complete combustion of coal. It results from the inorganic mineral matter existing in the coal before it is burned. The SO2 results from the combustion of inorganic and organic sulfur associated with the coal. The inorganic sulfur may occur as pyrite, marcasite, or as sulfate sulfur of mostly iron and calcium. The authorities disagree in the definition of organic sulfur in the coal. However, according to ASTM Standard D2492-77,1 the organic sulfur is that sulfur occurring in the coal after subtracting the sum of pyrite and sulfatic sulfurs from the total sulfur in the coal. The NOx gases are produced from high temperature oxidation of nitrogen in the coal that is released into the atmosphere. The particulate matter may consist of fly ash and unburned coal. Selective Mining The cleaning of coal from included ash and sulfur-bearing materials should start at the working faces of surface or underground mines. This can be done by (1) mining only those seams which meet certain quality standards, (2) not mining sections of the seams which may cause deterioration in overall quality of the mined coal, and (3) using a mining method that allows selective mining of coal areas or horizons either underground or on the surface. Since these steps improve the coal quality before the coal reaches the preparation plant, they can be considered to constitute precleaning of coal. During the exploration and development stage of a mine, core and channel samples taken from the coal seam are used to determine (1) petrographic analysis and physical properties,2 (2) character of roof and floor of the seam, 3,4 (3) character and quality of impurities,5 (4) proximate and ultimate analysis, and (5) washability characteristics. However, all of these parameters are subject to considerable variation even within the same seam during the advance of the coal face. This creates a problem in meeting the market demand for coal quality if the coal is to be shipped directly from the mine. If the mining operation is large enough, special blending silos or mechanical blending systems may have to be used to provide uniform quality to the market. However, even if the coal is shipped from a coal preparation plant, prepreparation

Jan 1, 1991

By Ernest N. Wolff

You here are all familar with the myriad of new laws, some enacted and some pending, that affect the mining industry. These laws, for example those dealing with suspended matter, affect us in Alaska as they do you. Likewise, our friends in government, the Geological Survey and the Bureau of Mines, provide us with the same fine services that they do elsewhere. I am not going to speak today about these, but concentrate on one act of Washington, D.C. the impact of which is felt, for now at least, principally in Alaska. A little more than a year ago, I spoke in Spokane on the subject, "Governmental Challenge to Mineral Development in Alaska." I outlined some of the policies of Government which were operating to change the rules under which the industry operates and to alter the relation- ship between government, industry, and the individual. At that time the Native Claims Settlement Act had not been passed, but was on the verge of being so. In reading over what I said in Spokane, I note that I touched on many points where Government was actually challenging mineral development in Alaska. With the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, many of these actions were given a cloak of legality, and machinery was set up to concentrate the drive to tie up the public domain, machinery which will allow govern- mental control and interference with the actions of individuals on something like 90% of Alaska's land surface. This remarkable law is going to affect each and every one of you. Now, a year after its passage, we are only just beginning to see its lesson for the future. It was created by a coalition of powerful groups, who got other groups to support them by promising to deliver something they had no intention of delivering. Alaskan issues are again being used to get various groups not to oppose legislation which will severely harm them. It will help to understand the nature of this new drive if we understand the Native Claims Act and how it came into being.

Jan 1, 1973

A significant technological development is discussed for the processing of certain problem power plant flyashes which contain a high water soluble mineral content and which are known to yield inferior flyash based brick. This development is based on the addition of hydrochloric acid to the flyash-bottom ash-sodium silicate blends used for the production of flyash based structures. Favorable changes are evident in (1) sodium silicate consumption, where often approximately one-half of the amount used for making brick from normal flyash is required; (2) processing costs; and (3) strength and appearance of the resulting freshly formed green and fired structural products. In some high cost instances-(above the cost of 30 dollars or less per thousand brick estimated for normal flyashes) hydrochloric acid additions can replace or reduce other costly additives required with problem flyashes to result in a savings of as much as nine dollars per thousand brick. These developments offer promising possibilities for utilizing problem flyashes as well as flyashes which may come into contact with water soluble, sulfur as a result of the eventual application of certain experimental air pollution control processes.

Jan 1, 1968

By K. L. Woodruff

Shredding is the usual first step in processing municipal solid waste (MSW) for resource recovery. This unit process requires high capital cost and, usually, considerable maintenance cost. In addition, some shredders at times will render certain components of the MSW in a form difficult to recover. This is particularly true in the way metal cans are distorted and the way glass is pulverized. A trommel screen was proposed (1) to pre-process packer truck refuse prior to shredding. Part of the logic for this step is that the portion of raw refuse already within the specified shredder output particle size range would bypass the primary shredder and proceed directly to further processing, such as to an air classifier or secondary shredder. This would reduce the throughput of the primary shredder and allow certain recoverable materials, such as glass, to remain in larger piece sizes, important for recovery. In this way, operating costs for the shredder would be reduced and the recoverability of materials, and hence the revenue, increased.

Jan 1, 1975

By Thomas E. Ban

D-LM at Mobile The qualified success of iron ore pelletizing processes has influenced considerations for production of highly beneficiated fur¬nace charges. Such beneficiation would necessarily involve some forms of chemical and perhaps thermal conversion for production of prereduced pellets, preheated pellets, precalcined pellets, and perhaps pellets which contain all of the above features as preheated, prereduced, precalcined products. This type of furnace burden will be adapted within a new ironmaking process to be activated commer¬cially during the latter part of 196$ in Mobile, Alabama. This process will integrate a new pelletizing system with an electric smelting furnace and the pellets will be comprised of a composite charge blended from metallurgical proportions of iron ore, coal, and limestone. The plant as designed and constructed by McDowell¬-Wellman Engineering Company will feature the D-LM process and will be owned by McWane Cast Iron Pipe Company. It is significant to

Jan 1, 1968

By W. K. Dressel

Over 2 million tons of steel furnace dusts are produced each year in the United States. Recycling of these dusts rather than disposal would conserve mineral resources, reduce land requirements for disposal, and decrease pollution. In addition to the iron content, the dusts contain appreciable amounts of zinc and lead. Removal of lead and zinc with simultaneous reduction of Iron oxide has been achieved by inert atmosphere roasting of carbon-containing pellets prepared from steel furnace wastes. High- and low-carbon wastes were blended to obtain mixtures with sufficient carbon to serve as a reductant during subsequent roasting. The mixtures were pelletized with the addition of bentonite and water, and the dried pellets were roasted in a stream of nitrogen at temperatures ranging from 900" to 1,150° C. Zinc and lead contents were reduced to the 0.1 percent level or less by roasting mixtures containing as little as 7 percent carbon for 1 hour at 1,100° C. ton metallization increases with available carbon content; 50 percent metallization is achieved with 7 percent carbon, 85 percent metallization with 12.5 percent carbon, and over 95 percent metallization when the pelletized mixtures contained in excess of 20 percent carbon.

Jan 1, 1973

By John J. Schanz

The ideal entering freshman for the College of Mineral Industries possesses the necessary aptitude to complete successfully a difficult technical curriculum, has a highly developed intellectual curiosity and adequate preparation in basic mathematics, sciences, and English, is enthusiastic about pursuing a career in the mineral industries, and puts forth a good academic effort while attending Penn State. The present programs of the University?s Division of Counseling and the College of Mineral Industries are directed toward providing the College with students who will meet these requirements. At present, freshmen are admitted to the Pennsylvania State University without entrance examination if they are in the upper two-fifths of their high school classes. All Pennsylvania students in the lower three-fifths are required to take the University Aptitude Test and all out-of-state students the College Entrance Board Examinations. Such students are admitted only if they score sufficiently high on either test to indicate the ability to do satisfactorily the work of University students. Only to this extent, are native intelligence and areas of greatest aptitude known for the Freshman prior to admission, and they are, therefore, largely beyond the control of either the Division of Counseling or the College of Mineral Industries. Because all freshmen, with exceptions that are numerically minor, are required to select a curriculum before admission to Penn State, each student who presents himself for required counseling during the summer, prior to his first semester, has already made a choice of his course of study. In many instances, such choices have been made without a rational and serious consideration of the student?s abilities and interests. Through tests given between the date of admission and the date of the counselling interview, it is possible to measure these characteristics and for the Division of Counselling to advise the student of his chances of success in his chosen curriculum. If he is qualified for the curriculum he has selected, Counselling Service goes on to direct the student?s attention to those other curriculums which are in the same general area as the one he has chosen and which will also challenge his abilities and correspond to his interests, Through this counselling, the curriculums of the College of Mineral Industries, which are often less well known to high school students than others for which they are no more qualified by ability or interest, are brought to the attention of the incoming freshman.

Jan 1, 1959

By Hans von Michaelis

Gold metallurgy has advanced remarkably over the last decade. Even more significant progress will be made over the next five years, particularly in the application of advanced comminution techniques and control, preconcentration (flotation, ore sorting and coal gold agglomeration), enhancement of cyanide leaching technology, non- cyanide leaching, treatment of refractory ores and concentrates, and improved recovery systems. Carbon adsorption processes have become standard practice for ores with relatively high gold/silver ratios, but ion exchange potentially offers distinct advantages and has recently been demonstrated to perform better in at least one application. Even in the established zinc precipitation and CIP processes several important practical improvements are emerging as experience is gained at the ever increasing number of operating plants. Improved process control and reduction of reagent consumption costs are two important goals of industry at this time.

Jan 1, 1989

By Wayne A. McCurdy

I welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss the work and program of the Office of Coal Research. Our programs are oriented to serve the conservation objectives of the Johnson Administration and of the Nation by seeking out the most efficient and best uses for coal. We believe that even if only a portion of our program is successful, the coal industry and the Nation will benefit far out of proportion to our expenditures. Operating with a budget of $7,220,000 in Fiscal Year 1966, OCR sponsors contract research which offers potential for achieving benefits to the coal industry in the form of new production and new markets. This directs us into many areas of research activity: in coal combustion, in advancements in mining methods and coal preparation, in new uses for coal, and in associated economic and marketing research.

Jan 1, 1966

By Jan Wolf

The iron ore industry presently utilizes two types of de-posits. The first are the high grade deposits generally located in remote areas and, secondly, the low grade de-posits which are normally found nearer to the steel-making centers. The high grade deposits produce a direct shipping ore which has an iron content which may be close to the maxi-mum 70% of Fe. These deposits have reserves which are ex-pressed in billions of tons. The ore needs little or no up-grading and where this is performed is restricted to ore washing. With the large demand for iron ore pellets, plus a national drive to perform as much of the upgrading as possible in the native country, there is a trend to erecting pellet plants at the mine location~ Large iron ore suppliers such as Australia, Brazil, Venezuela and Liberia already have pellet plants in operation, and there are new plants projected or expansion projects under study. The low grade ores are mined at locations closer to steel mills such as in Minnesota, Michigan and Canada. These low grade ores require methods of beneficiation to obtain a commercially accept-able product with the modern beneficiation techniques it is no~, possible to produce iron ore pellets of 68% Fe and 4.5% silica from ores containing as low as 26% Fe. Figure 1 gives a general picture of the types of iron ores and their beneficiation. The final product of the high grade ore is a coarse concentrate, sinter product or pellets. The final product of the low grade ores is pellets and, in some cases, coarse concentrates.

Jan 1, 1971

By Emmanuel V. Manlapig

The variables involved in a complex process like flotation can be classified as follows: a. Disturbance variables - which are undesired properties of the process input which affect the value of the process output but which are not subject to adjustment. They are the result of changes in the properties of the feed, like changes in head grade, flow rate, fineness of grind, etc. b. Manipulated variables (sometimes referred to as process variables or control variables) -which are those that are adjusted - reagent addition, aeration, pulp level - in order to compensate for the disturbances in the properties of feed. c. Performance variables (sometimes referred to as controlled variables) -which are those whose values measure the performance of the process. They are properties of the process output such as grade and recovery. The function of a control system is to maintain the process performance equal to the control objective in spite of the disturbances by adjusting the manipulated variables. Attempts at developing automatic control systems for mineral processing operations date back to the thirties and in many of these attempts the results were not surprisingly poor and un-stable. The poor results brought indifference and suspicion towards automatic control on the part of operators and management. The reasons for the apparent failure of these attempts were two-fold: a. the lack of adequate understanding of the behavioural responses of the process from the control point of view, and b. the lack of reliable control instrumentation which could withstand the harsh environment in mineral dressing plants. Many operators had accepted the fact that control of mineral dressing could be best conducted manually. In the case of flotation circuits, control had been virtually based on the skill and experience of operators particularly their ability to identify and rectify poor flotation performance aided by results from the laboratory (chemical) analysis of regularly collected samples from strategic points in the circuit which are at best, hourly collected samples.

Jan 1, 1978

By Arpad E. Torma

The introduction of biotechnological principles in hydrometallurgy has created new opportunities and challenges for the industry of mineral processing. During the 1950's and 608s, the mining wastes and unused complex mineral resources have been successfully treated in bacterial assisted heap and dump leaching processes, especially for the production of copper and uranium. The economic viability of bio- leaching technology lead to its world-wide acceptance by the mining industries. During the 1970's this technology grew into a more structured discipline which is called "biohydrometallurgy". Currently, bioleaching techniques are ready to be used, in addition to copper and uranium, for the extraction of cobalt, nickel, zinc, gold and silver from diverse mineral resources and for the desulfurization of certain coals. However, in a foreseeable future the biohydrometallurgical processes may be applied also for the treatment of high- grade ores and mineral concentrates using native and/or genetically engineered microorganisms.

Jan 1, 1989

By Ernest Hucke

This paper will cover basic pneumatic and electronic sensors, transducers, transmitters and their application in the Mining Industry.

Jan 1, 1965