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By Kri Inwood

"IntroductionIn 1879, when the Dominion government initiated its controversial program of industrial promotion, iron smelting in Canada was limited to one company producing coke iron on the mainland of Nov a Scotia and three small charcoal blast furnaces in Quebec. There was no steel production. By the eve of the first great war, iron and steel were being produced in very large quantities, the companies active in 1879 had disappeared and new centres of integrated iron and rolled steel production at Hamilton, Sydney and Sault Ste. Marie had come to resemble the industry as we know it today.The most dramatic change was that at Sydney, Nova Scotia, where in the early 1900s, two steelmaking companies established works. The Sydney developments have been explained as the result of resource discovery and technical change. W.J. Donald, in his authoritative account of the Canadian iron and steel industry, observes:""The most rapid growth of the Canadian iron and steel industry has occured since 1897... The remarkable growth has been caused largely by the new conditions of the industry. The discovery and use of Newfoundland ores, together with the availability of Cape Breton coal, has made the Nova Scotia industry not only possible but profitable ... It is a safe conclusion that the Canadian industry would not have been an important one, had it not been for the discovery of the Michipicoten and especially the Wabana (Newfoundland) ores""Donald also argues that metallurgical progress had been necessary to render the ores valuable,""Newfoundland ores ... contain a considerable amount of phosphorus, and were made available for steel-making by recent inventions.""The purpose of this paper is to re-examine Donald's story. It will be argued that the origin of steel -making at Sydney is somewhat more complicated than Donald has indicated. The difficulty with Newfoundland ore extended beyond its phosphorus content and a resolution required more than the basic open hearth furnace identified by Donald. Moreover metallurgical change was only one of several developments necessary to induce industrial investment at Sydney. Surprisingly, however, the discovery of iron ore in the late nineteenth century does not appear to be part of the explanation."

Jan 1, 1983

By Mahony BK

This paper discusses the major infrastructure elements required to support a typical Australian mining development. Infrastructure elements are grouped into four major types, urban planning, transportation, power and communications and water supply. The design criteria applying to individual elements within these groups are briefly discussed as well as order of magnitude cost estimates. The use of simulation models to test the capacity of existing rail networks, as well as novel sources of energy generation, are also described.

Jan 1, 1983

By John R. Benham

The Bureau of Mines examined the Bear Canyon RARE II area in 1982. The area has no identified mineral deposits. The few claims that were located in the study area are devoid of any workings. No concentrations of economic minerals were found in the samples taken. There are no mineral, geothermal, or oil and gas leases in the area; the nearest oil well is 10 mi (16 km) east. The nearest mining operation was the Ruby Gold Placer worked in 1914, 7 mi (11 km) southeast (Hart, 1966, p. 45); the Pliocene Paso Robles Formation which contained the gold does not extend into the area. SETTING The Bear Canyon RARE II area covers 19.7 sq mi (51 sq km) or 12,600 acres (1500 ha) in west-central California. It lies in the Santa Lucia Range 10 mi (16 km) southwest of King City and adjoins the southeast side of the Ventana Wilderness. It is 10 mi (16 km) from the Pacific Ocean. Primary access is by the San Antonio River road on the Hunter Liggett Military Reservation, which parallels the area's southern border. Further access to the area's interior is by jeep and foot trails.

Jan 1, 1983

By W. E. Benton

Diatomite or diatomaceous earth is a siliceous sedimentary rock principally made up of the skeletal remains of the diatom, a microscopic, single-cell aquatic plant related to algae. The unique structure, chemical stability and physical properties are the major attributes of diatomite not met by other forms of silica. The production of diatomite was down in 1982 vs. 1981, reflecting the worldwide recession. The principal markets for diatomite products continue to be basically filtration and fillers. The outlook is for small but steady growth into the 1990s.

Jan 1, 1983

By Miskelly N

Construction of the Ranger uranium project located 230 kiss east of Darwin in the Northern Territory commenced in January 1979. Energy Resources of Australia Ltd (ERA) was incorporated in February 1980 to acquire all the rights in the project. The total cost to ERA of these rights was $407 million, made up of $125 million in cash to the Federal Govern- ment and the issue of 125 million $1.00 shares at par, plus a payment of $16 million in cash to each of Peko-Wallsend Ltd (Peko) and EZ Industries Ltd (EZ).

Jan 1, 1983

By Thomas A. Morley

This paper deals with the minimization of ventilation costs for the controlled-flow mine ventilation network. Cost elements considered include the cost of power and the fixed cost of the fans. The problem is modeled in a mixed-integer programming format and solved via the branch and bound method. Computational experience with sample problems is discussed.

Jan 1, 1983

By Clement K. Chase, George M. Potter

Copper dump and heap leaching operations are conducted worldwide for production of substantial amounts of copper Such dumps and heaps contain appreciable amounts of other potentially valuable elements such as gold, Iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, silver, titanium, and uranium. Except for uranium, recovery of these elements has not been attempted to any significant extent However, such recovery merits attention based upon availability of existing chemical techniques. This paper presents some thoughts on possible techniques together with opportunities for commercial applications.

Jan 1, 1983

Comalco Aluminium Limited uses a computer system for cost, supply and maintenance reporting and control at its bauxite mine in Weipa, North Queensland. The system collects data on a daily basis at a high level of detail on both cost and maintenance history. This allows useful reporting to all levels of management from the shop floor to the General Manager. The most successful aspect of the system is that the information is available in all workshops on visual display units. This allows the real spenders of the Company's money, Foremen and Tradesmen, to make well informed decisions. The system has also decreased the time taken to find parts and information which gives the Foremana greater opportunity to do his real job of supervision and quality control.

Jan 1, 1983

By J T. Schamaun

Recent applications of explosives and blasting agents to rubble rock have led to requirements for more elaborate design and analysis methods. In most blasting uses, it is necessary not only to fracture the rock, but also to move the broken rubble in a predictable manner. Many in situ extraction techniques require; rubblization to take place in a confined region where rock motion is a predominate factor in creating a permeable broken bed. In this paper, an engineering model is presented which describes the large rubble motion during blasting. This model is intended to provide the blast designer with a tool for evaluation and further refinement of blasting patterns and timing sequences.

Jan 1, 1983

By Adrian Brown

INTRODUCTION The primary tool which is available to improve the stability of an open pit mine at a given slope angle is control of groundwater pressure. This paper sets out the methods by which water pressure control can be achieved in large mines in different materials. The emphasis of this paper is on large mine slopes because. these slopes exhibit the greatest need for groundwater control, the greatest economic benefit from groundwater control, and the greatest technical challenge in achieving groundwater control. STABILIZATION USING MTER PRESSURE CONTROL Groundwater pressures reduce the stability of slopes in two fundamental ways, as shown schematically in Figure 1. In the example, a horizontal failure surface intersects a vertical joint or weak zone. Water pressure acts: o On the base plane to reduce the normal force on the sliding surface and hence reduce frictional resistance to sliding, and o On the vertical back plane, to create a driving force for the system.

Jan 1, 1983

By Brian H. Kaye

Efficient design of grinding circuits for efficient production of ultrafine material requires rapid feedback of information concerning the fineness of material leaving the grinding device. Generating this information requires efficient sampling and adequate rapid characterization of the material leaving the grinding machinery. Recent developments-in electrooptic inspection of dry end wet material leaving a grinding device are critically reviewed. New methods for characterizing ultrafines are discussed. A rapid operating automated cybernetic (intelligent) permeability device for automatic control of grinding circuits using Blaine index and other fineness indices is described.

Jan 1, 1983

By G. C. Waterman, W. E. Hawes

Mr. Grieves' paper on "Shaft Sinking Today --A Boring Business Tomorrow" in the Dec. 1981 issue of MINING ENGINEERING is an excellent description of recent improvements in speed and costs of shaft sinking. However, shaft boring techniques are not a recent development. In 1935-36, the Idaho Maryland Co. (gold), Grass Valley, CA, bored the vertical 1.5-m-diam Idaho No. 2 ventilation and supply shaft to a depth of 346 m. The equipment was designed and perfected by Branner Newsome and was, I believe, described in "Transactions." Pickands Mather later bored a 1.8-m-diam shaft to a depth of about 305 m using Newsome's design. The Idaho No. 2 shaft cut through hard gabbro, diabase dikes, soft serpentine, very incompetent ankeritized serpentine and a strong fault zone. The completed shaft did not require timber support; the fault zone was cemented. Equipment consisted of a rotating 1.5-m or 3-m core barrel with a slotted bottom which cut a 76-mm kerf. The cutting agent was chilled steel shot introduced into the slot as needed. The driving mechanism and core barrel were lowered into the shaft, the former secured to the wall and the inshaft "engineer" operated the motors which controlled core barrel rpm and advance. After an advance of 1.5-3 m the equipment was lifted out of the shaft, a half(?) stick of powder cut off the drilled core, and it was hoisted to the surface with a cable attached to an eye bolt at the tope of the core. A "shift" consisted of three men: hoistman, equipment operator (down the shaft), and a surface laborer. Advance was variable as equipment and techniques were perfected. Near the end of the job advance was, as I remember, 1.5-3 m per shift. Costs were, as I recall, about $115/m. Up to 4 m cores were lifted out in one piece and swung to the dump by a stiff leg derrick. The Newsome equipment was relatively inexpensive to build and operate and his method should be (more than?) competetive with the methods described by Grieves.

Jan 1, 1983

By Luigi P. Gonano, John C. Sharp

The Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme in South Africa with an operating head of 500m is located in sedimentary rocks containing relatively weak argillaceous strata. The paper describes design and construction aspects of the high pressure concrete-lined tunnels, and the associated investigation techniques and construction controls.

Jan 1, 1983

By J. K. Gowans

"INTRODUCTIONTo bring a mining property into production in the Canadian High Arctic a company must deal with the harsh environment, the short shipping season and the high cost of labour. In trying to minimize the effect of these factors, the concept of a barge-mounted process plant was investigated as an alternative to the conventionally built concentrator. Cominco's previous experience gained at the Black Angel Mine on Greenland's west coast suggested that this would be a practical alternative.The normal shipping season at Little Cornwallis Island is approximately six weeks long, from mid-August to the end of September. All equipment and materials must be delivered during this small ''shipping window."" The logistics problems are enormous; if the conventional approach had been used the major process equipment would have been delivered to Little Cornwallis Island at the same time as the completed barge actually was! Construction would also be starting at the start of the worst climatic conditions, the Arctic winter. Nine months production was gained by opting for the ""Barge"" approach.What the Arctic winters do to the shipping season, so do they affect the productivity and the cost of labour. Construction labour must come from southern Canada. Thus higher transportation costs and higher wage rates, with more overtime and incentives, increase the labour costs to approximately 50% over normal southern rates. Couple these rates with the lower productivity involved with men working in the extreme cold temperatures and the net effort is worth avoiding. A process plant being constructed in Southern Canada can take advantage of more accessible labour at lower costs, increased productivity and a faster construction schedule. The barge concept must still deliver the equipment and materials during the ""shipping window"" but it can in the completed form."

Jan 1, 1983

By Seth C. Schaefer

The Bureau of mines investigated thermodynamic properties of MnSO4 and 2CdO CdSO4 to obtain basic thermodynamic data applicable to the treatment of mineral concentrates during roasting and sintering processes. Standard Gibbs energies of formation were determined with high-temperature galvanic cells using stabilized Zr02 as the electrolyte. Potential measurements were obtained from the cells?

Jan 1, 1983

Provide a strategy for calculating optimum distribution of selected sensors for detecting underground mine fires. Approach The Bureau of Mines performed research to determine adequate distribution of product-of-combustion (POC) fire sensors within mine entries. This placement strategy would improve the miner's chances for escape by locating sensors where they would most effectively, quickly, and efficiently detect fires resulting from coal or wood combustion. Spacing of Sensors Placement strategy guidelines were based on the performance of 160 F heat sensors with ideal operating characteristics which were placed at intervals of ten feet in underground mine entries. Data obtained from full-scale mine fires were used to estimate fire sizes and alarm activation times for the heat sensors. Various equations were then developed to determine spacing requirements for any fire detection system installed in entries of varying heights, widths, and ventilation rates.

Jan 1, 1983

By Ronald B. Gabitzsch, Norbert P. Hanke

During 1982, record advances have been achieved in the excavation of vertical shafts with a V-Mole (a vertical shaft boring machine). The V-Mole, supplied by Wirth GmbH in Erkelenz, West Germany, has been used in West German coal mines since the early seventies, mainly for the construction of internal shafts. In 1981, it was brought into the United States for the construction of a series of ventilation shafts with depths varying between 512 m (1680 ft.) and 622 m (2040 ft.) excavated to 7.0 m (23 ft.) diameter. These shafts were needed for the development of coal mines for Jim Walter Resources, Inc. in Brookwood, Alabama. After a description of the mechanized shaft excavation system with the V-Mole, the conditions and parameters, such as ground, shaft dimensions, and linings are discussed. These factors are important considerations for a technically and economically feasible utilization of the V-Mole. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of using the V-Mole technology in comparison to other shaft construction methods are evaluated.

Jan 1, 1983

By D. L. Neylan

The Bureau of Mines evaluated various methods for identifying sources of mercury vapor in excess of the threshold limit value (TLV) of 0.05 mg of mercury per cubic meter of air set by the American Council of Government and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) for mines and mineral processing plants. Chemical spot tests and portable devices for mercury determination were evaluated, based on information from published sources and performance in laboratory tests. Among the parameters examined were sensitivity, interferences, cost, ease of use, and other factors pertinent to field application, More than 50 methods were evaluated. The investigators found that many readily available methods are suitable for identifying sources of mercury vapor in mines and mineral processing plants. The best method appears to be one that uses a commercially available mercury test paper sensitive only to mercuric ions. For some of the more promising chemical spot tests, this report includes step-by-step instructions for field application.

Jan 1, 1983

By Chuang Y-Y

A summary is made on the thermodynamic analysis for two of the four ternary systems of the quaternary Cu-Fe-Ni-S. The analysis is being extended to ternary Cu-Fe-S and then to the quaternary. An analysis is already made for the metal ternary but is not reported here. Experiment is being carried out to measure the liquidus surface. of Fe-Ni-S equilbrium with the fcc solid solutions of (Fe, Ni). The presentation at the Symposium will include all the results obtained at the time of presentation.

Jan 1, 1983

By J. J. Pavlica, I. Iwasaki

Grinding in steel milk adversely affects the flotation removal of pyrrhotite from magnetite ores. To elucidate the effect of grinding media on the floatability of pyrrhotite, rest potential and galmic current measurements were made on electrode combinations of pyrrhotite-mild steel and pvhotite- stainless steel. Galvanic contact of pyrrhotite with mild steel increased the rate of surface reactions on pyrrhotite in air-exposed and oxygenated solutions. It was postulated that the formation of an iron hydroxide coating on the pyrrhotite adversely affected its floatability. Its formation was minimal when pyrrhotite was contacted with stainless steel. Fine magnetite particles cawed slime coating on pyrrhotite surfaces by magnetic interaction and impaired the flotation of pyrrhotite.

Jan 1, 1983