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By E. McCullough, S. Gaillard

"Diesel particulate matter (DPM) remains a health concern in many underground metal/nonmetal mines, and has been regulated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration since 2002. While the NIOSH 5040 standard method for DPM monitoring is required to demonstrate regulatory compliance, the FLIR Airtec DPM Monitor can serve as complementary engineering tool. It is a handheld instrument that offers near real-time measurements. As part of an ongoing field study, the Airtec has been used to survey elemental carbon concentrations (a proxy for DPM) in an underground stone mine. Via “spot-checking” and more prolonged area monitoring, this effort was aimed at determining spatial and temporal DPM variation in several key locations. INTRODUCTION Diesel particulate matter (DPM) is the solid fraction of the exhaust emissions from a diesel engine. It is largely made up of elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC, respectively), which can be measured as proxies for estimating mass concentrations of DPM. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) considers DPM to be a health hazard and potential carcinogen [1]. It is believed to cause and/or exacerbate respiratory illness upon inhalation, deposition, and retention in lung tissue [2]. Since DPM exists in both the micro- and nano-particulate ranges, it can surpass typical auto-immuno defense mechanisms that keep larger particles out of the respiratory system [2]. Relative to other occupations, the DPM exposure potential for underground miners is high because these individuals work in enclosed environments where diesel powered equipment is frequently used [3,4]. A variety of engineering and administrative controls have been devised to reduce DPM exposures in underground mines, and increased airflow is often a key component of control strategies. In large-opening mines, which are most common in the metal/nonmetal sector, DPM abatement via increased ventilation can be especially complex due to moving and controlling the large air quantities [5]. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has regulated DPM exposure in metal/nonmetal mines since 2002. The final rule limits personal exposure to total carbon (TC, which is the sum of EC and OC) to an eight-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 160 µg/m3. To demonstrate compliance, operators must use the NIOSH 5040 Method [6]. However, the Airtec DPM Monitor (FLIR Systems, Inc., Nashua, NH) was developed as an engineering tool to provide near real-time measurements of both EC and TC for tracking personal exposures [7]. The portable Airtec works by capturing DPM on a filter and successively measuring laser extinction on the filter as DPM accumulates; the EC fraction of the DPM is dark, and so as it accumulates the filter becomes darker and absorbs more laser light [8]. The laser extinction value is directly correlated to EC, but since EC and TC are generally observed in consistent proportions (i.e., TC = EC*1.3), the Airtec is also programmed to display TC as a TWA [9]. There have been multiple studies conducted to validate the Airtec and the instrument has been adopted by some mine operators as a tool for their health and safety programs [3,8]."

Jan 1, 2016

By S. S. Deshmukh

An important element of evaluating a materials- handling system by simulation lies in being able to examine the details of the proposed operation in a fashion which closely approximates real behavior. The added factor of flexibility permits including or deleting those parts of the problem which can be shown to be important or trivial. Used carefully, simulation can match manpower and equipment far more efficiently than conventional calculations. The same is true of interacting equipment systems. This efficiency results from being able to simulate the real fluctuations in a system by using empirical probability distributions compiled from existing operations. Simulation eliminates guessing as to efficiency, absenteeism, bunching, and the broad host of delays that influence productivity and substitutes operating data in place of the usual factors. In this respect, simulation improves detail and confidence in the reliability of engineering estimates.

Jan 1, 1970

By WILFRED SYKES

IT is with particular pleasure that I welcome the members of the Open-hearth Conference of the I American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers to this meeting, as I feel this is one of the most useful activities of the Institute in the field of ferrous metallurgy. For the information of our other members I might say the Open-hearth Conference was organized by Mr. Reynders when he was president, and is made up of open-hearth superintendents and metallurgists. All the plants are invited to send representatives, and practically all do, with the exception of the U. S. Steel Corporation. It meets twice a year to discuss various problems in connection with the manufacture of steel, and its minutes are published for the benefit of those attending, the expense being defrayed by the participating companies. This conference, .1 believe, should be a model for activities in the other branches of the work covered by this Institute. It works, not by reading formal papers, which we all know is not a very satisfactory method to bring out the experience of others, but rather by a round-table method of discussion. The spirit of the meetings is such that each member feels perfectly free to state his experience, and he gets as much as he gives. A series of topics for, discussion is brought to the attention of the chairman and after one is exhausted the next point is taken up. In this way there is a real interchange of ideas and experiences which cannot fail l to be of the greatest benefit to those attending. That these meetings are beneficial is evidenced by the "continued growing attendance and lively discussions at these half-yearly meetings.

Jan 1, 1930

By Hossein Kazemi

This article is a review of fluid flow and mass transport in fractured rocks. The topics include: single-phase and multiple- phase flow theory, formation productivity or injectivity improvement by artificial fracturing, and mass transport associated with fracture acidizing. Possible extension and application of such ideas to in situ mining in fractured rocks are presented.

Jan 1, 1974

Diversity; what a wonderful topic. Diversity; the condition or quality of being diverse, different, varied to the point that the very word diversity means different things to different people. As one example of diversity the American Science Magazine (April, 1994) contained a light-hearted interview with Dr Noitall who was pushing his case for diversity.

Jan 1, 1996

By David J. Mack, A. H. Kasberg

The transformation characteristics are found to resemble a similar binary alloy. The differences are due to the alpha iron particles. While strength properties of the isothermally transformed alloys are high, ductility is low, resulting in high notch sensitivity. The elastic modulus can be varied widely and correlates with strength. Abnormal grain growth sometimes occurs. A CONSIDERABLE amount of work has been done on the isothermal transformation of high purity aluminum bronzes using the methods pioneered by Davenport and Bain.' The first isothermal study of these alloys was made by Smith and Lind-lief,' but more recently Mack", " and Klier and Grymko5 have continued the work. In commercial aluminum bronzes, one or more elements are always added to refine the ß grain size and to improve the mechanical properties. The effect of these elements on the isothermal transformation has not been reported in the literature. No systematic study of the properties of isother-mally transformed aluminum bronzes has apparently been reported, although adequate information is available on their properties after more conventional heat treatments. The fact that a eutectoid alloy will reject face-centered cubic a during isothermal transformation at appropriate temperatures2'" warrants investigation of the properties of such structures. Another cogent reason for determination of properties is the fact that the modulus of elasticity of the eutectoid alloy varies widely with the nature of the heat treatment." Preliminary experiments7 indicated that a high purity eutectoid alloy would not give reproducible results in property determinations because of ex- cessive ß grain growth during heat treatment, a single ß grain frequently occupying the entire cross-section of a standard test bar. For this reason a commercial aluminum bronze containing iron as a grain growth inhibitor was used. The isothermal transformation diagram of the alloy was first determined. On this basis, the heat treatments necessary to produce representative structures were selected and the properties determined. Material A commercial alloy (Ampco Grade 20) of the following composition was used: Cu, 83.68 pct; Al, 12.31 pct; Fe, 3.68 pct; Ni, 0.28 pct; and Mn, 0.03 pct. This alloy proved to be very close to the eutectoid composition and may be compared with the accepted value of 11.8 pct A1 in the binary Cu-A1 system. Comparison is valid only because of the "negative replacement effect" of the iron? Since traces of excess y² are present, the alloy is slightly hyper-eutectoid. The material was received in the form of 3/4 in. round, hot extruded bars. Specimens of approximately ? in. thickness were cut from this stock and drilled to allow suspension in the salt bath. The structure of the as-received material varied from 5 to 40 pct a + y2* in a matrix of ß. The amount of a + y² present was dependent upon the ß grain size of the extruded material. The coarse grained portions did not form as much a + Y, as did

Jan 1, 1952

By Jeffrey W. Lin, Jonathan D. Abbott, Patrick R. Bowden, Tyson J. Plitt

Pentolite is a class of high explosives containing trinitrotoluene (TNT) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) with PETN content typically ranging from 40 to 60 wt%. Manufacture involves melting TNT, 80 °C, followed by addition of PETN and trace ingredients to form a homogeneous mixture. Once a mix is ready to be poured, several factors can influence the behavior of the finished product including how long the mix has been at temperature and cooling rate. After the manufacturing process has been completed, storage conditions combined with manufacturing conditions may cause physical changes. Two such changes explored were exudation, liquid exuding from solid boosters, and ratchet growth, irreversible volumetric expansion. Exudation is principally caused by excess water in the process. Ratchet growth is a common phenomenon of nitroaromatic compounds such as TNT where time and temperature fluctuations can cause materials to increase volume, simultaneously decreasing density. Although neither phenomenon affects common attributes such as sensitivity, performance, and shelf-life, both can cause issues in storage and handling. In this study pentolite was cast into various forms under different manufacturing conditions and evaluated over several months of controlled storage conditions including ambient, temperature cycling and elevated isothermal. Subjective and objective measurements were made throughout the evaluation period with the aim to determine the preferred storage methodology.

Jan 21, 2025

By K. Oraee

Mining Ventures are considered as high risk projects and therefore managing the risks is inevitable. Risk assessment is an important part of the complex process of risk management, hence applying appropriated and practical methods for ranking the risks associated with projects, can help to perform a better risk management. In this research the applicability of using Techniques for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method for risk ranking in an underground mine, extracting by block caving method, was studied. Via this method, the risk associated with reserve estimation ranked as the first while in conventional method (P-I Matrix method) located in the sixteenth. Also there were significant differences in ranks of the other risks. Considering the more criteria, with different weights, in comparison with conventional methods, the results comprised from TOPSIS method are more reliable. By implementing this method risks are ranked better and more realistic and consequently then will be managed more efficient.

Jan 1, 2011

By Kunibert Hanusch

Copper in recycling material is accompanied by various groups of metals: 1) Metals which are much more negative than copper, such as Fe, Al, Si, P, Be They are mainly removed by fire refining during the recovery of copper and leave the process in form of slag. 2) Metals which are more positive than copper or difficult to separate by fire refining and which are partly reduced together with the copper. These metals are for example As,. Sb, Ni, Ag, Pb, Zn, Sn. They are enriched in intermediate products and recovered from these or remain for their major part in the fire-refined copper and can be separated by electrolytic refining and recovered from the electrolyte or anode slime. This report describes the process of Hüttenwerke Kayser AG in Germany and illustrates how considerable returns of material are partly required to separate or recover associated metals. They are finally removed in saleable products.

Jan 1, 1995

By B. L. Chulu

In the carbothermic reduction of lead sulfate to produce lead, the inclusion of soda ash (Na,CO,) in the charge provides for the control of sulfur dioxide in the effluent gas. An important mechanism in the process appears to be the carbothermic reduction of the sodium carbonate whereby sodium gas and carbon monoxide are produced. These intermediates then participate in the reduction of the lead sulfate to produce lead metal and stable sulfur species in the molten slag phase. In addition, there is some evidence that the presence of lead metal in the charge may also serve to increase the lead recovery in the process. These aspects were investigated by conducting laboratory-scale smelting tests with small charges (;3g), at 1173°K(9000C). Recovery did not exceed 74w% and the role of incipient lead metal in the charge could not be clearly assessed.

Jan 1, 1993

By J. C. Stankus

Accurate evaluation of stress and geological conditions is critical to ground control design in underground openings. For a slope entry, the problem is more difficult because a slope will transverse through many different types of strata. Over the past three years, Keystone Mining Services, LLC, an affiliate company of Jennmar Corporation, has developed a new methodology designated the ?Stress, Geologic, and Support Design System (SGSsm)?. This patent pending method analyzes the stress, geology, and support design for a mine slope. It has been successfully applied in various new slopes across the United States. This paper will detail the main concepts of the methodology including: (1) Analysis of stress and geology and identification of strong, fair and weak zones along the slope; (2) Primary and supplemental support design; (3) Long term support design in the form of steel square sets or arches, and (4) Validation of the support design utilizing advanced finite element computer modeling.

Jan 1, 2011

By Tung Vu, Michael Harrington

"The Regional Connector project is a complex subway light-rail project that runs through the heart of downtown Los Angeles, CA. The design-build contract was awarded in April 2014 to the Regional Connector Constructors (RCC), a joint venture between Skanska USA Civil West California District Inc. and Traylor Brothers Inc., and their designer team consisting of Hatch Mott McDonald (HMM) and subconsultants. The project broke ground on Sept. 30, 2014 and is expected to be completed in winter 2021-2022. The main components of the project consist of 6.4-m (21-ft) diameter twin-bored tunnels, three crosspassages, a 87-m (287-ft) long crossover SEM cavern, three new underground stations, and cut-and-cover tunnels along South Flower, Alameda and 1st Streets. The project map is shown in Fig. 1. The design and construction challenges associated with each of these main components are discussed in the following sections.Project designTunnels. The Regional Connector tunnels are located primarily within the Fernando formation consisting predominantly of extremely weak to very weak, massive, clayey siltstone. About 305 m (1,000 ft) of tunnels on the eastern end are in alluvium and mixed face of Fernando formation and alluvium. The tightest curve of the tunnel alignment is 178 m (583 ft) in radius. The tunnels were designed with a reinforced precast concrete tunnel lining (PCTL) to be used with an earth balance pressurized (EPB) tunnel boring machine. The PCTL ring is 5.5 m (18 ft-10 in.) inside diameter, 27 cm (10.5 ft) thick, 1.5 m (5 ft) long, and consists of five segments and a key. The segments were designed with 6,500 psi concrete, 80 ksi yield strength wire rebar, convex joint surfaces to enhance seismic performance, and a dosage of 1.7 lbs polypropylene microfibers per cubic yard of concrete for fire resistance. The rings are designed with a right ring and left ring pattern and a taper of 3.8 cm (1.5 ft) to allow for alignment curve negotiation. Figure 2 shows typical sections of the PCTL. The structural lining design was modeled using FLAC 3D. Four consecutive rings were modeled with 32 dowel connection. Loading considered in the lining design includes temporary ground load during excavation, long-term ground loads, seismic loads and train loads. The seismic loads on the PCTL were simulated with the racking deformation applied at vertical boundaries of the model. Due to variation of geologic condition along the tunnel alignment and different surcharge requirements, three different types of reinforcement (typical, heavy and extra heavy) were designed. The typical type PCTL was required in Fernando formation, the heavy type was required in alluvium or mixed-face condition, and the extra heavy type was required in alluvium and underneath the Japanese Village Plaza where a surcharge of 1,000 psf was required."

Sep 1, 2019

By J. L. Thompson

Lime made in a coal-fired, rotary kiln has two distinct parts: the interior of the pebble which constitutes about 90% to 95% of the mass, and the surface dust layer which is the remaining 5% to 10%. Uncalcined carbonate and impurities in the product may be present and will not contribute to the hydration reaction. Sulfur, in the form of calcium sulfate, inhibits the hydration reaction out of all proportion to its actual weigh-percent concentration (perhaps more than 100 times). If the stone contains dolomite, this will also inhibit the reaction as its rate of hydration may be nearly 3 orders of magnitude slower than that of calcium oxide. Early in the hydration reaction dolomite appears practically inert, but given sufficient time, it will hydrate. The heat of reaction is nearly the same as for calcium oxide, but the time necessary for complete hydration may be hours; whereas for calcium oxide it is only fractions of a second. The dust layer on the surface also inhibits hydration as it contains a collection of compounds which have low heats of hydration. This layer can tie up additional calcium and delay or prevent its reaction. In addition to these chemical processes, an important physical characteristic of the lime is its specific surface area. This is effected by the thermodynamics of calcination and the original stone grain chemistry. All of these factors are agglomerated in the gross slaking rate of lime. The total hydration of the chemical complex that is called commercial lime can be more easily understood by considering the individual reactions and combining them to form a more comprehensive picture of the situation. Calcium oxide and magnesium oxide hydrate similarly, differing only in their reaction kinetics. Dolomite, however, reacts differently than a simple mixture of calcium oxide and magnesium oxide as its hydration is strongly influenced by calcination thermo-dynamics and stone grain structure. Finally, the dust hydration and composition should be examined Understanding these reactions enables one to examine hydration reaction graphs with more insight into the factors which determine their shape.

Jan 1, 1978

By Paul Pedini

The challenge of Contract C19E1 of Boston's Central Artery Project called for the construction of two roadways under the commuter rail yard at North Station. Two options were offered for the method of their construction: Slurry Wall Roof-First or Soft Ground Tunneling. The instability of the indigenous soils seemed to rule out the use of tunneling, so the slurry wall method was chosen. However, these soils were incapable of holding up during slurry trench excavation. After many episodes of ground loss on early panel excavations, Modem Continental Construction suggested a method of trench wall stabilization. The Contractor (MCC) both suggested wall stabilization method and requested that the owner participate in the funding for the effort. The Project and the Contractor were able to agree on a solution which resulted in collapse-free excavation...and found an innovative way to fund the solution.

Jan 1, 2002

By William Gleason

"Sometimes it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference. In the world of mining, erosion can lead to small cracks, which can then lead to bigger problems that, over time, can eventually lead to a catastrophic event. However, when managed correctly, as in the case of the Manefey Slide at the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah, the damage can be minimized.Numerous industry conferences, technical papers, studies and resources are dedicated to these issues each year, but what is sometimes overlooked is how the erosion of personal ethics can also have life-changing effects.At the 2019 SME Minnesota Conference, April 15-17 in Duluth, MN, two inmates serving their respective prison sentences at the U.S. Federal Prison Camp in Duluth spoke to the conference about how small cracks in their ethical foundations grew over time, eventually leading each man to his new address at the minimum-security facility.The men’s full names were not released and they were introduced as Jeff and Tony. Other than the matching green uniforms, both middle-aged men could have fit in with the rest of the crowd. They are well-educated and articulate whose career paths eroded thanks to greed and careless decisions.Tony, a licensed professional engineer, enjoyed a successful career working in contract oversight for the U.S. Department of Defense. Jeff is a former senior vice president of investments who ran a well-respected investment management team. Both spoke openly about the mistakes they made and emphasized that their crimes were not flagrant violations of the black and white rules but grew from ethical violations that live in the gray area between black and white, and right and wrong.Working in contract oversight for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), Tony said he was befriended by a wealthy man who was generous with his money. As Tony told it, a few meals with this man led to a few trips to casinos and eventually to gifts of money. The donor did not ask for anything in return, and at the time, Tony said he did not think that he was doing anything wrong. He admits now that the perception of a high-ranking officer in the DOD accepting gifts is not a good one, as it could be construed as the donor might have been trying to gain favor for future contracts; which is how it was presented in court by the prosecution team."

Jun 1, 2019

By Donald H. McLaughlin, John H. Moses

IN the latitude of Lima, the broad uplifted block that forms the Andes is made up of a complex sequence of folded and faulted sediments and volcanics, broken by large and small bodies of granitic rocks and porphyries with which the principal mineral deposits are closely associated in both time and space. The intrusives are a final episode in the geologic history as revealed by the consolidated rocks, for after their emplacement and after the formation of the primary ore deposits in and about them the record is simply one of long continued erosion and uplift.

Jan 1, 1945

By E. V. Potter

For a nurnber of years, it has been known that manganese made by electro-deposition under certain conditions is ductile while under other conditions it is very brittle. The ductile metal is gamma manganese normally stable only between 1100 and 1138°C1; the brittle metal is alpha manganese, stable up to 727OC. The ductile metal is not stable, but gradually changes to the brittle form; the time required to complete the transfornlation is about 20 days at room temperature. Other observations have indicated that the transformation is completed in 10 to 15 min. at about 125°C, while at — 10°C, no appreciable change occurs in 9 months. The properties of gainma and alpha Illanganese in the pure state are ordinarilj difficult to determine because the gamma structure cannot be retained by normal quenching procedures and alpha manganese is so brittle, it is difficult to obtain specimens free from flaws. In a recent investigation2 some properties of gamma and alpha manganese were determined by studying the ductile electrolytic metal and determining the changes in its properties as it transformed to the brittle alpha form. These investigations provided an excellent opportunity for following the progress of the transition and studying its mechanism. The results of a series of such investigations are reported in this paper. Procedure Various properties of manganese were determined starting with the metal in the original ductile gamma form and following the subsequent changes in its properties as the metal transformed to the brittle alpha form. These observations were made at various temperatures, the data providing information regartling the mechanism of the transformation as well as the effect of temperature 011 the transition rate. Structure and resistivity values gave the most significant results, so this paper is concerned primarily with them. The structure was studied microscopically as well as by X ray diffraction. The resistivity was determined on strips of the metal by measuring the potential drop across a given length of the specimen. Current was passed through the specimen by wires soldered to its ends, and the potential connections were made by wires looped around the specimen near its center. The current was determined by the potential drop across a standard resistor connected in series with the specimen, the potential drop being measured on a potentiometer. In the temperature range from room temperature to 100°C an ordinary drying oven was used to heat the specimen. This was entirely satisfactory except at 100°C, where the time required to heat the specimen was long compared to the transition time, making the initial section of the resistivity curve unsatisfactory. To overcome this limitation, at 100°C and higher a thermostatically controlled oil bath was used to heat the specimens. The block on which the specimen was mountetl was plunged into the hot oil at the start of each test. The heating time was thereby reduced from 5 min. to about 6 sec, and dependable resistivity values could be obtained through 160°C. At this point the whole transition, including the warm-up time for the specimen, required only about 20 sec and it was not considered worth while trying to extend the temperature range further. Aside from the heating problem, the problem of making a sufficient number of accurate resistivity determinations became more and more difficult as the temperature was raised. Using the manually operated potentiometer, 100°C was about as far as it was possible to go. At this temperature and above, a self-balancing photoelectric recording potentiometer was used. Its response was quite rapid, and it proved to be entirely satisfactory all the way through 160°C, where the tests were stopped because of the specimen heating problem rather than any limitation of the potentiometer recorder. The metal used in these tests was prepared at the Salt Lake City laboratory of the Bureau of Mines. The method of preparation is discussed in a paper by Schlain and Prater.3 The sheets were about 2 3/8 by 5 3/16 in. and varied from 10 to 16 mils in thickness. They could be cut readily into pieces suitable for the various tests. X ray and microstructure determinations were made on pieces about 1/8 to 1/4 in. wide and about 1 in. long, while resistivity measurements were made on strips as long as possible and about 55 in. wide. The thickness of each sheet was not uniform over all its surface. This had no bearing on the X ray and microstructure determinations, but sections as nearly uniform and free from flaws as possible were chosen for the resistivity determinations. The gamma manganese was electro-deposited at 30°C, the time of deposition ranging from 5 to 12 hr for each sheet. Whenever possible, the tests were started directly after the metal was stripped from the cathode; otherwise the sheet was placed immediately

Jan 1, 1950

By Tae-kyeong Yeu, Cheon-Hong Min, Hyung-woo Kim, Sup Hong, Minuk Lee, Chang-Ho Lee

This paper concerns the optimum arrangement of the buoyancy module, which is used for stable dynamic motion and structure stability of the marine flexible riser. The main method of this study is simulation-based design using Genetic Algorithm (G.A) for optimum design and Multi-body dynamic for simulation. The marine riser connects the vessel and the seabed-tracked vehicle. The motion of the riser affects the motion of the vessel and the vehicle. In this study, a marine riser of the deep-seabed integrated mining system (Figure 1) is used. This riser has a strong effect on efficient transfer of minerals. So, the buoyancy module must be equipped to supplement problems of the structure stability and the dynamic motion. Positions and quantities of the equipping buoyancy modules are determined by the at sea experiment (Figure 2). But this method is not easy because the actual sea experiment is expensive, time-consuming and dangerous (Figure 3). Thus, the position and quantity must be determined by simulation-based design. The dynamic analysis models of the riser and the buoyancy module were built in the commercial software DAFUL. In the marine environment, factors affecting behavior are current, drag force, etc.

Sep 1, 2014

By J. Noll, A. Miller, J. Volkwein, C. Pritchard

Hecla Limited, Magee Scientific and the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) combined efforts to evaluate an in situ air filtration system for use in an underground mine environment. The purpose of the collaboration was to determine the efficacy of such a technology for reducing the concentration of airborne diesel particulate matter (DPM), with the aim of improving air quality in underground hardrock mines. A secondary goal was to evaluate the use of an aethalometer as a means of real-time measurement of black carbon as a surrogate for DPM. The evaluation included measuring the DPM-capture efficiency of the filter when it was preloaded with dust. Toward this end, rock dust was introduced at the filter inlet to create a dust layer on the filter surface, with the intent of providing improved capture of the much smaller DPM particles. The filtration efficiency for DPM was assessed by comparing measurements of DPM taken at the inlet and outlet of the system, using both realtime and time-weighted-average approaches. The real-time measurements were performed with a Model AE33 aethalometer, and filter samples analyzed by the NIOSH 5040 method were used to assess the effects of the system on time-weighted-average concentrations of total carbon. Results showed a reduction in DPM concentrations in the range of 82 to 89 percent. While the calculated efficiencies based on the two different measurement methods were similar, the DPM levels reported by the aethalometer were higher, possibly due to differences in the performance of the size selectors used for the two methods: impactors versus cyclones. More research is required to develop a robust correlation between the two methods to support the use of the aethalometer in future mining applications. The advantages of the aethalometer are that it can measure and record DPM levels for weeks at a time and can be directly connected to a mine monitoring system, potentially at multiple locations. Ideally, such data can be used to initiate the startup of the filtration system should DPM concentrations reach an action level. This work demonstrated that in situ filtration systems, modified to collect DPM and coupled with real-time monitoring, show promise in reducing DPM concentrations in the mine environment.

Mar 1, 2017

By M. M. Wong

A brief investigation was made to determine the feasibility of electro-refining beryllium in a KCI-LiCI-BeC12 bath. Thin, platelike crystals of beryllium metal were produced by electrolyzing technical-grade beryllium metal beads (about 94-percent purity) as the soluble anode. Operating cell conditions were: Temperatures of 450° to 600° C.; an inert atmosphere; bath compositions of (1) 38.1 mol. percent KC1, 54.8 mol. percent LiCl, and 7.1 mol. percent BeC12 and (2) 36.7 mol. percent KC1, 52.7 mol. percent LiCl, and 10.6 mol. percent BeC12; cell voltages of 0.30 to 0.80; and initial cathode current densities of 50 to 435 a./sq, ft. Current efficiencies ranging from 87 to 96 percent were obtained. Qualitative spectrographic analyses of the metal products indicated that impurities were reduced. This technique offers the possibility of producing a grade of beryllium purer than that now generally available, which may have better mechanical properties.

Jan 1, 1960