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The two candidates in the upcoming presidential election in the United States each say that they have their own solution to the nation?s energy problems - solutions that will increase the amount of energy available, lessen the nation?s dependence on foreign sources and reduce the amount of pollution released to the atmosphere. Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama and Republican candidate Sen. John McCain both advocate research funding for coal-to-liquids and clean coal technologies. McCain also supports increased oil and gas drilling offshore. And Obama has even made some noises in that direction, although his plan leans heavily on the increased use of renewable energy sources. The energy debate is not new to this election. Congress and whichever party is in the White House has for years been trying to craft a comprehensive energy policy. One difference in this latest debate is that the increased use of nuclear energy has gained more attention. Current President George W. Bush has said he favors the increased use of nuclear power as part of the nation?s energy package. And McCain said he supports the building of more nuclear power plants. Obama has not said much about that. The American public is also showing signs of changing its stance on nuclear energy. To be sure, images of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl are still alive in some minds. However, the American public has said it wants cheaper energy and they want it produced more cleanly. With nuclear, the nation can have both. In the United States, nuclear accounts for slightly less than 20 percent of the electrical power used (see interview with Gary Steele of Energy Fuels on page 27). Globally, that figure is about 15 percent. And there are several nations that derive better than half of their power from nuclear sources. Add to that the world?s increasing need for more energy and the future of nuclear is bright.

Jan 1, 2008

By U. B. Kodukula

Attempts are made to evaluate the feasibility of using a water-injection cyclone for the concentration of iron ore fines. The separation characteristics of clay fines, containing large amounts of alumina and silica, from the iron values are discussed. The effects of critical variables, such as injection water rate, truncated cone diameter, spigot opening and vortex finder diameter, on the performance of a water-injection cyclone in terms of iron, alumina and silica grades; iron recoveries; and alumina and silica rejections are discussed. A set of 16 full-factorial experiments (24) was carried out to gain an understanding of the individual and interaction effects of the variables. The results indicate that classifying iron ore fines containing 63.0% iron, 2.5% alumina and 3.5% silica through a water-injection cyclone can produce concentrates with iron grades greater than 66.0% and alumina and silica contents less than 1.5% and 2.0%, respectively, at different study conditions. The achievable iron recovery values are greater than 88%, and alumina and silica rejections are more than 80% and 50%, respectively, within the specific study conditions. While the truncated cone diameter, injection water rate and spigot diameter influences the alumina rejection to a considerable extent, it is mostly influenced by the vortex finder diameter. The iron recovery and silica rejection values are mostly influenced by spigot diameter and truncated cone diameter. The effect of injection water on the concentration characteristics depend on the prevalent truncated cone diameter and spigot diameter conditions.

Jan 1, 2008

By Thomas H. Koenning, James R. Boulton

The coal mined by Cyprus at the Shoshone mine near Hanna, WY is highly susceptible to spontaneous combustion. Spontaneous heatings have occurred in the gob of several of the longwall panels and, in some cases, following roof falls. Prevention and detection methods have evolved over the years as more has been learned about the occurrences. Seal design and construction have progressed to reduce air leakage into the gob. Pressure balancing has been successful as a supplement to good workmanship in reducing leakage. Early heating detection has improved as knowledge has been gained. Prior methods of detection relied upon thermocouples detecting a temperature change. Later a gas chromatograph was used to analyze gob gas samples. Initially the products of combustion (POC) were relied upon for detection. Most recently, lack of oxygen depletion in the gob has been used as an early warning of problems. Examples are presented to illustrate the evolution of spontaneous combustion control at the Cyprus Shoshone coal mine. Methods have been developed which minimize the oxygen concentration in the gob and reduce the potential for spontaneous combustion.

Jan 1, 1997

By Alexander Sutulov

1. INTRODUCTION According to the classical economic approach of the open market economy, copper supply should be regulated by market forces which are (a) demand and (b) prices. In fact, demand is of primordial importance because prices are a reflection of supply-demand balance: they go up in times of shortages of supply and down when over-supply situation exists. In the past few years, this basic mechanism of market economy has been under pressure from a number of non-market forces, such as social and monetary problems of sane important copper producing countries; structural changes in copper mining companies through mergers with oil companies; and other factors which greatly contributed to distortion of the basic supply-¬demand equation. As a result, we have faced in the last three years a situation of oversupply rarely seen in the past, with a catastrophic fall in copper prices, huge losses at mines and unprecedented indebtedness of copper producers. This has deep repercussions in the copper business and its future supply outlook. This is particularly so when taking into consideration that high indebtedness and high interest rates conspire against the very survival of some traditional producers. As we write this comment (July of 1985), close to one half of U.S. copper production capacity is closed down, sane of it for good, while the same precarious situation exists in Canada, Australia, Zambia, and some other primary producers who cannot face present low prices with equally low costs. The question is then what this situation means for the medium-¬term future, until the end of this decade, Particularly when taking into consideration the fact that some of the factors influencing it are of a long-term character. 2. SUPPLY-DEMAND SITUATION IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS Since the last boon year, in 1979, when world copper consumption reached a record of 9.8 million metric tons of refined copper, demand dropped to only 9.0 million tons in 1982, when the crisis bottomed out, and then steadily recovered to the level of 9.7 million tons in 1984. Meanwhile, copper production, which in 1979 was only 9.4 million tons, in spite of the fall in demand, grew to 9.7 million tons in 1981 and 1983 and only temporarily was cut to 9.4 million tons in 1982 and to 9.5 million tons in 1984. As a result of this imbalance, hugh copper stocks were accumulated with supply systematically out¬growing demand by over 2 million tons at one time. With the Western World refined copper demand running at an average of 115,000 tons per week, this oversupply was equivalent to between 15 and 18 weeks production, i.e. twice as large as normal. This was immediately reflected in very low copper prices. Another contributing factor to relatively low copper prices was the lack of speculator interest for this commodity. Between 1981 and 1984 the world experienced a very intensive period of wealth distribution, high interest rates and intensive restructuring off world economy and its industrial sector. Therefore, much of the available money was attracted to more lucrative and attractive investments rather than to the lack-luster performance of copper, and for that matter, of the metal sector in general. The much announced and discussed recovery of the U.S. economy since 1983, and particularly in 1984, with an overall growth of the GNP by 6.8% in 1984, happened to be more oriented to the service sector than the industrial sector and therefore this recovery was not adequately reflected in copper consumption nor to metals in general. This put serious doubts about the future demand for copper. Consequently copper prices failed to improve in spite of an apparent fall in stocks and a healthy increase in the demand for copper since 1982. At the time of this writing (July, 1985), although same analysts claim that the available stocks are running at about 8 weeks of supply, which are considered to be below normal, copper prices are still very low at between 65 and 67 cents per pound of copper. Part of the answer may be the normal seasonal slow-down period in the Northern Hemisphere due to summer vacations and

Jan 1, 1986

By Tyler Luxner

Stillwater Mining Co. (SMC) is the largest primary producer of platinum and palladium in North America. SMC operates two underground mines in south central Montana, along the 45-km (28-mile) platinum/palladium J-M Reef in the Stillwater Complex. The Stillwater Mine exploits 9.6 km (6 miles) of deposit strike length and East Boulder Mine exploits 4 km (2.5 miles) of deposit length. The two mines are 20.4 km (12.7 miles) apart with SMC controlling a considerable length along the entire J-M Reef trace. Production at the Stillwater Mine began in 1986 and in 1988 the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) was commissioned, becoming an integral part of mine development at SMC. TBMs have been used for developing production footwall laterals (FWL) to access new mining blocks at the Stillwater Mine, as well as boring twin crosscut ac-cess tunnels at the East Boulder. Two TBM development expansion projects are currently in progress: the Graham Creek project at the East Boulder Mine, which will extend footwall lateral development 2,591 m (8,500 ft) to the west, and the Blitz project, where a TBM will be commissioned to extend east out of the Stillwater Mine to 3,658 m (12,000 ft) beyond the current production mining front. General strike and dip of the Reef is west to east and to the north, respectively.

Jan 1, 2012

The strength of anchorage of various types of roof bolts in permafrost depends on the types of rock in which they are installed. Variation in the mine thermal regime results in weakening of the roof and walls, and at times total loss of ice cement bonds takes place in the surrounding rockmass. In mines with positive ventilation air temperature, the wedge or expansion types of bolts may become weakened due to the transfer of heat into the anchorage through the metal rod and subsequent thawing of rocks. Effective operation and evaluation of roof bolt systems for mine workings in permafrost require predictions of the dynamics of wall thawing by warm ventilation air. This paper presents an analysis of the temperature distribution in the frozen host ground surrounding roof bolts, the area of interest being the vicinity of the anchors for point anchored bolt and the entire length for split set bolt

Jan 1, 1994

By Todd Clarke, Ralf Winterberg

For more than a decade the tunneling industry has explored the potential and benefits of macro synthetic fiber (MSF) reinforced concrete solutions for precast tunnel segments. Parallel to industry investigations, academic research is being undertaken to better understand this material when subjected to the typical loads expected during mechanized tunneling. This paper investigates the performance of MSF reinforced precast concrete tunnel segments by means of an experimental program comprising testing of full-scale tunnel segments. The presentation of the satisfactory results of the experimental testing regime will be complemented by a brief case history from a successfully executed project—an America’s First.

Jun 13, 2021

By Joseph L. Young, Richard A. Bohling

To keep Homestake's Bulldog Mountain silver and lead mining and milling operation in southwestern Colorado workable, natural ground water and decant water from the mine's sand backfilling operation must be continually pumped from the workings. Left untreated, this water exceeds maximum allowable levels for various contaminants that may be discharged to the environment. To comply with regulations, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit was obtained and a mine water treatment plant for heavy metals removal was constructed in 1977. Due to equipment capacity and operational problems, and the lack of on-site technical personnel and analytic equipment, the first water treatment plant could not consistently meet permit limits. In 1979, Homestake entered into a consent decree with EPA and the Colorado Department of Health, calling for the construction of a water treatment facility to meet NPDES permit limits. Initial construction began in the spring of 1980 and the plant now produces effluent acceptable for discharge.

Jan 12, 1981

By Donald A. Bruce

Pregrouting is an extremely important part of many rock tunneling projects. However, poor and unsatisfactory performances have been frequently recorded often with very severe consequences, technically and financially. This paper, based on personal knowledge of several relevant case histories, provides recommendations with respect to specification drafting, drilling, water pressure testing, and grouting methodologies, and cementitious grout mix design principles. Even given that the logistical challenges facing tunnel pregrouting from underground will prevent all the sophistication and innovations of contemporary dam foundation grouting being practically implemented, there is still opportunity and need to change “traditional” approaches.

Jan 1, 2005

By Adriaan de Villiers

Many conventional structural analysis and design methods in current use are not appropriate for the mining industry. Two major reasons for this are that: • The economic life of a particular mine is limited, and • Much of the equipment and machinery used by the mining industry operates at relatively low speeds. Both of these factors can have significant cost implications if they are not properly accounted for during plant design. In particular, the often used practice of mitigating excessive vibration by adding mass to machinery supports is not only expensive but may worsen the vibration effects. Some of these problems, such as increased wear and tear, are not always easy to trace back to inappropriate design. This article focuses on vibration related issues and demonstrates that the mining sector has unique problems requiring unique solutions. Vibration: the basics Historic developments leading to current vibration design practices provide the key to why such practices are often inappropriate for the mining industry. To understand this, it is necessary to introduce some basic vibration theory. Consider a simply supported beam or foundation on which a vibrating machine is mounted. For analysis of the system's dynamic response, it may be viewed as a mass attached to a spring and a damper, such as the shock absorber of a car.

Jan 1, 1992

By Paul Russell, M. M. Kimberley, Erick F. Welland, Louis Cope, C. C. Mosher, William M. Shepard, William C. Larson, Graham Closs

Exploration activities in 1980 felt the effects of unstable economic conditions and oscillating metal prices. In the cyclical, boom-or-bust precious metals and uranium markets, precious metals activity flourished and uranium was definitely in a slump. By November last year, the price for vellowcake was down nearly $20 from two years earlier. Many mining and milling operations closed, particularly in Wyoming, New Mexico, and Colorado. Decreasing emphasis on nuclear power continued to impact the market, as did the Three Mile Island accident of 1979. Earlier forecasts estimated that 10 to 12 reactors would be ordered per year by US utilities throughout the 1980s, but current forecasts suggest that it may be 1983 or 1984, or even later, before any new US plants are ordered, according to Thomas A. Boyden, vice president of Nuclear Exchange Corp. "Without those new plants, the consumption loss to industry is 4 to 5 million pounds (1.8-2.3 kt) of uranium per year. The cumulative loss to the industry is currently estimated at 25 to 30 million pounds (11.3-13.6 kt)," Boyden said in a May 1980 presenta¬tion. Despite the plunging market, there were a few notable uranium explora¬tion programs: •Exxon expanded uranium exploration in New Mexico, where the company reportedly took preliminary steps toward acquiring mineral rights to a 22-km2 prospect, 19 km south of Santa Fe. • Mountain States Resources began the second phase of an exploratory drilling program on its Sinbad/ Solo prospect in Utah. • Also in Utah, Cotter Corp. drilled its first exploratory hole in the Dirty Devil River district. Exploration for precious metals in 1980, however, appeared to tend toward the opposite extreme. High prices sparked near feverish searches in Alaska, California, Colorado, and Nevada. Numerous mines abandoned years ago were revived with some signs of success. Significant gold finds were reported in California and Nevada: • Homestake Mining Co. announced a gold discovery in California estimated to contain over 5 Mt with an average grade of about 5.8 g/t. Because the deposit consists of finely disseminated particles not visible to the eye, many speculate that prospectors bypassed the area during the 1849 California gold rush. • Newmont Mining Corp. discovered two gold ore bodies-Maggie Creek and Gold Quarry. Maggie Creek reportedly contains an estimated 13.7 t of gold in 4.3 Mt of ore, and Gold Quarry contains about 31.1 t of gold in 9 Mt of low grade ore and 2.3 Mt of higher grade ore. Highlights of this year's exploration review include articles on the modest growth recorded in geophysical activity, technical developments in exploration geochemistry, the variety of new instruments being tested or made available for exploration, and a state-by-state exploration review for the year.

Jan 5, 1981

By Ed Sullivan

"Australia is one of the richest continents when it comes to mineral extraction, ranging from exotic projects like the Olympic Dam — a copper, silver and uranium mine believed to have the world’s largest uranium resource — to the extensive iron ore, nickel, coal and gemstone formations that provide many of the country’s most rewarding exports.Among the challenges to succeed in this industry is the ability to provide efficient “pitto- port” infrastructure performance, which essentially means ensuring that minerals move seamlessly from the point of extraction to the facilities that can then move them to international market destinations.To provide such efficiencies, avoid human error and facilitate automated mining functions, producers are increasingly turning to fiber optic cable suppliers for “end-to-end” communications and control solutions. Many such solutions include ruggedized cable and connectors that ensure the survival of fiber-based DCS/PLC automation/ control architectures for various types of mining operations, even in the harshest environments.Integrating the solutionAs industrial Ethernet and fiber optic cable emerges as the medium of choice in many industrial arenas, communication and control integration using the most appropriate products for a specific application is increasingly important.“This whole ‘pit-to-port’ performance concept is focused on control and process automation,” says Boyd McDonald, Founder and Managing Director at Datalek Systems & Electrical, Rockhampton Area, Australia. “It also means bringing reliability to networks and providing the needed bandwidth. An appropriate plug-and-play solution is also important because it takes human error out of the equation.”Datalek Systems & Electrical, is responsible for the design, installation and maintenance of numerous fiber optic communications systems including those that involve automation, security, access control an CCTV systems for open-pit and underground mining operations as well as LNG and coal seam gas facilities."

Jan 1, 2015

By L Baumgardner, A. V. Castelli

Barite In 1987, United States mine production of barite increased 15.870, consumption (sold or used by grinding plants) increased by 6.97, and imports are estimated to have fallen by 19.57. World mine production decreased by 137, according to the US Bureau of Mines. The value of US produced barite, fob mine, decreased 1.4%, according to the Bureau. The declared value for cif US port of all imported unground barite during the first 10 months of 1987 decreased from $39.02/t ($35.40 per st) to $37.16/t ($33.71 per st), the Bureau stated. Nevada continued to be the leading US producer of' barite with 637r of the total. It is followed by Georgia, Missouri, California, Tennessee, and Montana. The Bureau of Mines estimates 657 of the US mine production was used as a weighting agent in drilling fluids. The remaining 35°/r was used in barium chemicals, glass or as a filler. Most of the production from Missouri, Georgia, and Tennessee was used in the non-oilfield sector. This sector continued to increase. Of the total consumption (used by grinding plants and chemical manufacturers), it is estimated that 8070 was used in drilling fluids and 2017( in the non-oilfield sector - barium chemicals and fillers in paper, plastics, and glass. The tonnage consumed in the drilling fluids market increased slightly. But the average number of rotary rigs operating decreased from 964 in 1986 to 936 in 1987. This is the lowest number of operating rigs reported since 1949. The increase in consumption in this sector is due to an increase of rigs operating in the US Gulf and other higher consumption areas over 1986. Crude barite imports were estimated to be down by 19.5% in 1987. Still, they accounted for 637 of the barite consumed in the US. During the first 10 months, China continued to be the leading exporter to the US with 86.970, followed by Mexico with 10.997, and Morocco 2.107(. About 5Y of the imported ore was used in the nonoilfield sector. Ground barite imports dropped from 19.8 kt to 8.8 kt (21,800 st to 9800 st) in 1987. Of this amount, 1.4 kt (1598 st) was used in drilling muds and the remainder of the non-oilfield use. During 1987, a few more grinding plants that supplied the drilling fluid market were closed. Along the US Gulf Coast, there are 13 operating plants versus a high of 31 in 1981. Cameron Offshore reopened its grinding plant at Cameron, LA. New Riverside Ochre Co. of Cartersville, GA, purchased a jigging-washing plant in Missouri and plans to place it in operation this year on a new deposit near Cartersville, GA. Milpark purchased Hughes Drilling Fluid in 1987 and operates under Milpark. US mine production will probably stay about the same as 1987. Price increases in the 10 % range for imported ore are expected due to water freight and the weak dollar. Baker Hughes estimates the average number of operating rotary rigs at 1070. A slight increase is expected in the non-drilling fluid market (chemicals, glass, and filler). Bauxite and alumina L. Baumgardner, US Bureau of Mines Domestic bauxite production in 1987, expressed as dried equivalent, was 581 kt (640,400 st), a 14% increase over 1986. US mine production amounted to less than 170 of total world production. Virtually none of the domestic bauxite was consumed in the production of primary alumina metal. About 30% of the bauxite produced by US mines was calcined to produce 117 kt (128,970 st) for use in abrasives, catalysts, chemicals, proppants, and refractories. Most of the uncalcined bauxite was refined to specialty aluminum oxide (alumina) forms. Metallurgical grade bauxite was imported from 10 countries in 1987. Principal suppliers of the 9.8 Mt (10.8 million st) were Guinea (4270), Jamaica (3501,), Australia (127), and Brazil (57). The average value, delivered U.S. ports, cif, as reported to US Customs Service, was $29.50/t ($26.76 per st). Calcined refractory grade baux-

Jan 6, 1988

When the 2008 Olympic Games begin in Beijing, China is September it will not only mark the end of the journey for the Olympic torch and the thou-sands of participating athletes, but the games will also mark the culmination of a massive amount of construction in the city. On display for the world to see will be 31 new and refurbished venues including the 91,000-seat National Stadium called the ?Bird?s Nest? and the aquatics center, called the Water Cube. What will not be featured as prominently on the television cameras broadcasting the games around the world will be the network of tunnels built beneath the city. But that infrastructure of rail lines will be of critical importance to the games. While preparing to host the world, China added a subway tunnel that will include four stops in the Olympic Park. The 4.4-km (2.7-mile) subway line that runs through the complex of stadiums, gymnasiums and parks began trial operations in June. Prior to the opening of that line, Beijing's No. 5 subway line, which runs through the heart of the city from north to south, opened in October. That 27.6-km (17-mile) line took nearly five years to build and includes 23

Jan 1, 2008

By R. E. Hucko

The principal thrust of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Coal Preparation R&D Program is to develop technology to reduce the ash and sulfur contents of United States coals to levels such that the resultant product can be formulated into a high quality solid or slurry fuel that could replace oil or natural gas in both new and retrofit applications. Specifically, the objective is to develop and refine cost-effective physical and chemical beneficiation processes to extract 85-95 percent of the total sulfur and ash. The Coal Preparation program is implemented by the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC) and is conducted both in-house and by a cross section of industrial organizations, universities, and national laboratories. Research is subdivided into three areas -coal characterization, beneficiation, and ancillary unit operations. This paper will provide a brief overview of many of the research projects being carried out in these areas in fiscal year 1984.

Jan 1, 1984

By R. W. Fedors, S. T. Green, F. T. Dodge, D. B. Walter

Spatial and temporal temperature variations in a high-level radioactive waste repository drift can give rise to moisture transport within the drift. Knowledge of this moisture transport may be important to assessing the potential for corrosion of all metallic components in the drift. The model presented here shows one approach to simulating evaporation, transport, and condensation of water in large underground openings using a framework based on computational fluid dynamics. Simulation results that explicitly model water and latent heat transport are presented.

Jan 1, 2004

By J. F. Archibald

It is often alleged by mine ventilation engineers that no reliable method exists to forecast the levels of radiation to be encountered in future uranium mines. It results that the design of uranium mine ventilation systems is based on factors other than radiological hazards, such as radon and radon daughter concentrations, for which permissible limits are set. Ventilation has been used to date as the main control mechanism for radon and radon daughters. Although it has become increasingly difficult to provide enough ventilating air to reduce the radon gas and its daughter products to safe levels in some mining arrangements, it is not the object of this paper to discuss alternatives to ventilation. This paper will describe a methodology followed by the authors over the years to estimate the levels of radiation to be encountered in underground and open pit uranium mines. Ventilating air is used to maintain working level concentrations within safe limits. The sources of radon and radon daughters and the quantities of each which will be produced, will be of great value in planning and designing a ventilation system to control them. This information can afterwards be integrated into the overall mine design. The methodology to be outlined can also be used to estimate, given a mine design format, the radiation levels to be encountered. If levels are not acceptable, modifications in the mine design can be made at an early stage. The emphasis is placed on an integrated effort where the ventilation engineers and the mine design engineers work in close collaboration from the very start of the mining project. Estimation of radon and radon daughter levels can be initiated as soon as core samples are obtained from the exploration programmes.

Jan 1, 1980

By J. Kemeny, J. Lyons-Baral

"Point cloud technology is now an indispensable tool in geological and geotechnical data collection, interpretation and analysis. Open-pit and underground mines of all sizes are regularly collecting point cloud data as laser scanning (LiDAR) and photogrammetry surveying devices have become affordable and the workflows fast and efficient. Past challenges of large data processing and manipulation are gone with recent technological advancements in computer hardware and software. These innovations reduce file sizes, ease rendering requirements and allow for the implementation of real-time 3D viewers and surface meshing tools. With its ability to remotely and safely, rapidly and accurately extract large quantities of georeferenced and 3D-oriented data, point cloud technology provides numerous applications to the geomechanical field. The list of uses is continuously growing. This article specifically focuses on digital outcrop modeling and digital terrain engineering. Point clouds. The high-resolution and increasing availability of point cloud technology is rapidly improving open-pit and underground mines’ investigation, interpretation and characterization of site geology and rock mass properties (Kemeny et al., 2015; Lyons-Baral, 2012). LiDAR and photogrammetry are common remote sensing methods employed to measure the coordinates of surfaces in three dimensions (3D), providing the X, Y and Z locations and typically the reflective intensity and/or the visible three-band color of each point (Fig. 1).LiDAR uses either a time-of-flight or phase-shift measurement of a laser beam reflected off targeted surfaces and received back into the device.Photogrammetry generates point clouds by merging multiple overlapping photographs and uses stereographic plotting to define the locations of object points in 3D space. These methods can be deployed from airplanes, unpiloted aerial systems (UAS or drones), tripods, land vehicles and even in a mobile backpack shown in Fig. 2. RADAR, Total Station-Prism and other remote sensing systems also offer very precise “point clouds,” but this article does not address these due to their higher cost and lower versatility and mobility."

May 1, 2016

By Louis A. Panek

Research on roof bolting has developed significant information with respect to the functions that can be performed by properly installed bolts and the methods that can be used to ensure that effective installation has been achieved. The present paper brings together results that are pertinent to the design of a bolting system for reinforcing horizontally stratified mine roof with vertical bolts. The design approach is based on the use of bolts to decrease the maximum bending stress within an arbitrary sequence of roof strata (such as shown by figure 1) in which the only loads are the weights of the individual beds. The use of rock bolts to achieve other objectives, such as to stabilize a fractured rock mass on the periphery of a mine opening (3), is excluded from consideration herein.

Jan 1, 1964

By M. S. Prasad

In earlier work it has been shown that paper filler clay products can be obtained from primary kaolin deposits of Minnesota. The objective of the current work was to reduce silica and iron contaminants and to maximize kaolin recovery to higher value products suitable for paper coating. This results in achieving a finer and cleaner product conforming to paper coating specifications. Cationic flotation and high gradient magnetic separation were used to remove free silica and iron, respectively, while attrition grinding and ultrasonics have been examined for particle size reduction. The results of this work are presented and discussed particularly with respect to application-oriented product properties. Budgetary estimates are presented for a 200,000 ton/year processing plant based on the process flowsheet developed and optimized by the study.

Jan 1, 1991