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By M. R. J. Wyllie, P. F. Southwick

The importance of the so-called "dirty sand" or "conductive solids" problem in electric log interpretation was first stressed in a paper presented in 1949. Since that time the problem has been generally recognized as a most serious one. Several research papers bearing on the theory of the effects of clay contaminants on reservoir rock resistivities have appeared. These papers, while contributing to the theory of the problem, have not offered any practical solution. In the present paper an experimental investigation has been made of the effects of ion-exchange materials on the electrical properties of natural and synthetic porous media. The method used to make synthetic dirty sands is entirely novel and has proved a valuable guide to a better understanding of the properties of dirty sands generally. The effects of ion-exchange materials on both the resistivity and self potential (S.P.) logs have been examined. From the data obtained it has been possible to formulate a simple, practical method whereby electrical logs of dirty sands can be qualitatively interpreted. The method is in all essentials identical to that presently in use for interpreting clean sands. New light has also been thrown on the significance of the term formation factor when it is applied to dirty sands. In 1949 a paper was presented1 which showed that the presence of so-called "conductive solids" introduced considerable complexities into the analysis of the resistivities of dirty sands, i.e., permeable formations containing clay. The reduction of the self potential (S.P.) resulting from the presence of interlaminated shale or interstitial clay in permeable formations has been discussed by Doll.2,3 Noteworthy papers which dilate further upon the effects of shale and clay on the resistivity of permeable formations are those of deWitte,4,5 Berg,6 Wyllie,7 and most recently, Winsauer and McCardell.8 The last authors have endeavored to elucidate the chemistry of the resistivity phenomena in dirty sands in terms of an adsorption hypothesis. Specifically, they attribute the electrolytic conductivity of shales and clays within a permeable formation to an ionic double-layer effect and, for this reason, regard the term "conductive solids" as a misleading one. Some consideration has been given to the effect of dirty sands on the S.P. by Wyllie7 and by McCardell, Winsauer and Williams." Published work to date has cast light only on certain theoretical aspects of the problems created by the presence of clays and shales within permeable formations. One object of this paper is to describe experiments which serve to elucidate further the theory of the dirty sand problem and particularly the significance of the term "formation factor" as applied to dirty

Jan 1, 1955

By Bernard Porter

The rate of the heterogeneous reaction between high-purity uranium metal and uranium tetrafluoride in molten lithium fluoride was measured. The apparent heat of activation for the reaction is 16.91 kilocalories per mole of UF4. A surface-controlled mechanism is suggested in which UF4 is adsorbed on the uranium metal surface. Additional UF4 reacts with the adsorbed species and the metal site to form an activated complex that decomposes to the product UF3. The reaction is an important source of metal loss in the electrowinning of uranium metal.

Jan 1, 1966

By G C. Kiel, G J. Nicholson

Corporate governance has never been more topical. A glance at any major newspaper or business publication will reveal a litany of corporate failures based upon the governance of the organisations involved (eg Byrne, 2002; Hayes, 2002; The Economist, 2002). The increased compliance requirements and speculative nature of our industry means that corporate governance systems are, if anything, more important than in the general business community (Arthur, 2001). Rather than focus exclusively on the contribution of governance to corporate failure within the mining industry, however, our objective in this paper is to examine how boards can add value to the corporations that they govern. In order to highlight how a board can add value to a company, we commence by outlining the role of the board in the modern corporation in general and the mining industry in particular. We then introduce the concept of shareholder value and identify the steps on which a board needs to focus to enhance shareholder value through value tracking processes. Our discussion pays particular attention to the importance of organisational culture to the companyÆs activities and utilises three case studies from the mining industry. We conclude with an overview of what mining boards can do to enhance their culture and drive performance changes for the benefit of the companies they govern.

Jan 1, 2002

By Giannini L. M

Optimisation techniques, based on the block model, for solving the optimum pit limit problem were discussed in an earlier paper. Of the available techniques the one based on graph theory proved to be the most attractive. In the graph theory model the vertices represent blocks and the arcs represent the mining restrictions. For large ore-bodies direct application of the graph theory method poses considerable computational and storage problems. Techniques for easing the computational effort by reducingthe problem size were introduced in an earlier paper. Further, significant computational savings can be made by exploiting the structure of the graph. This is done by building the graph up level by level and successively applying the graph theory algorithm to reduce the number of blocks. In building up the graph in this way one needs what is called a "search pattern" to indicate which arcs are to be added as new vertices are introduced. Moreover, as it is essential to keep the number of arcs to a minimum it is necessary to establish a "minimum search pattern".The problem of determining minimum search patterns for any block model and for any wall slope restrictions has not been considered in the literature.The objective of this paper is to present a complete solution to this problem and to discuss, through typical case studies, the application of the associated software developed.

Jan 1, 1988

By P. Somasundaran, Y. H. C. Wang

A detailed study of carrier flotation of kaolin clay using calcite showed the major beneficiation mechanism to be enhanced aggregation between anatase and calcite under intense agitation conditions. To develop an understanding of this selective aggregation, surface charge characteristics of kaolinite, anatase, and calcite were studied under simulated flotation conditions. Zeta potential of all these minerals tended towards a constant negative value in oleate solutions under certain conditions possibly due to adsorption or precipitation of oleate on them. However, whereas the zeta potential of anatase in the oleate solutions was not influenced by the agitation level, that of kaolinite was found to be strongly dependent on the agitation intensity. The effect of oleate on zeta potential of kaolinite was reduced by an increase in agitation intensity. It is suggested that oleate is much more firmly bound to the surface of the anatase and that this preferential attachment is responsible for the enhanced selective aggregation of the anatase with calcite. Agitation level plays a major role in carrier flotation since intense agitation is considered to enhance both the chemisorption of oleate on anatase and preferential detachment of calcium oleate precipitate from the kaolinite surface, all of this producing a large difference in the surface Properties of anatase and kaolinite, and hence in their tendency to aggregate with calcite.

Jan 1, 1983

By H. Wu, V. Izaxon

Intensive ventilation is required during the excavation of a mine opening and the subsequent exploitation of the mineral resources. The exchange of heat between the ventilation air and the rock mass has a major influence on the thermal regime of a mine, especially in the initial segment of the airway. In frozen ground, heat flow into the rock mass from the ventilation air can result in the eventual thawing of the permafrost, which can result in roof-rock instability. This paper presents a mathematical analysis of the dispersion process of ventilation-induced heat by thermosyphons placed on the surface of the mine. The principal uses of thermosyphons in the Arctic are to reduce the ground temperature to prevent potentially unstable permafrost from thawing and to increase the bearing strength of the material. The mathematical model of the physical problem, generally known as "the Stephan problem," takes into account the varying thermo-physical properties of air and the frozen and thawed rock mass, the thermal properties of the freeing fluid in the thermosyphons and the phase change of water. Finite-difference techniques were employed to determine the temperature isotherms around the thermosyphons. It was found that two rows of thermosyphons on a 10- x 10-m grid provide an acceptable design spacing for reducing the ground temperature around the mine airway.

Jan 1, 1997

By L. W. Eastwood

THE recrystallization and grain-growth phenomena of cold-worked metals have considerable industrial importance because of their role in the fabrication of metals. For this reason, and because of the general academic interest in the subject, these processes have received consider-able attention since the time of J. E. Stead's paper1 on The Crystalline Structure of Iron and Steel. There are considerable differences of opinion regarding the theory of recrystallization and grain growth and also differences in the observation of the modus operandi of the processes themselves. The value of many of the existing quantitative data on grain growth is decreased by the failure to distinguish between the grain sizes just after complete recrystallization and those resulting from coales-cence. For this reason also, the value of the diagrams of stable grain sizes, like those produced by Bass and Glocker2 and Czochralski3, is lessened in so far as an interpretation of the facts of recrystallization is concerned. It is hoped that the data presented in this paper will help to clarify and to simplify the facts relating to recrystallization, and at the same time will show that some of the present-day conceptions are unten-able. A paper on the theory of recrystallization, with additional data, will be completed in the near future by the writers.

Jan 1, 1935

By Standish N

The heterogeneous reactions of carbonaceous materials with oxidising gases are basic to all combustion phenomena and to many gasification processes. The carbon- carbon dioxide reaction at elevated temperatures (Reactivity) plays important roles in many metallurgical operations like iron blast furnace and ferro-alloys smeltings, zinc and lead smelting, alumina reduction, cupola operation and direct reduction processes. The stoichiometry but not the mechanism of the reaction between CO2 and carbon is represented by the equation (Boudouard reaction) CO2 + C 2CO (1) This reaction is more complex than that between carbon monoxide and metal oxides, which involves essentially a transfer of oxygen from the oxide to carbon monoxide to generate carbon dioxide without any change in gas volume, whereas the volume of the product gas of Equation (1) is twice that of the reactant gas. In the present paper an attempt has been made to review critically the reactivity measurements of various carbonaceous materials in carbon dioxide atmosphere. Steps in C-CO2 reactions, surface reaction mechanism, role of mass transfer on reaction kinetics, dynamic oxygen exchange reaction and rate equations and rate controlling steps are discussed. Various methods of reactivity measurements with their pros and cons are also presented. Effects of pertinent process variables on the reactivity of carbon are also described in detail.

Jan 1, 1986

By James W. Evans, Dong Xu, Jr. Jones

A physical (water) model based on particle image velocimetry (PIV) has been constructed at UC Berkeley. The PIV technique enables the use of water modeling to quantitatively characterize the fluid flow behavior in the mold during the continuous casting of steel, in a whole field sense, i.e., section by section. A method to obtain e\e time-averagevelocity (TA V) vector maps was developed by averaging 40 instant aneous vectc -r plots revealing the time average features of the flow. Another benefit of TAV vector maps is the ability to compare with present mathematical models, which are mostly based on the time-average technique. Bifurcated submerged entry nozzles (SEN) with ports inclined at various angles to the horizontal were used in the modeling to study their effects on the flow inside the caster. Argon was also introduced into the model to simulate the influence of argon injection on the metal delivery from the tundish into the caster. The bubble sizes and distribution (in specific sections) of argon were characterized, at the same time, by the imaging system of the PIV. This will allow for validation of current mathematical models that were developed to simulate argon injection in casters. Comparison with results calculated by the commercial finite element package FIDAP is also presented.

Jan 1, 1998

By Louis J. Cabri

The ion microprobe (dynamic SIMS technique) is a very sensitive instrument for the quantitative determination of trace concentrations of precious metals (often at the ppb level) occurring in common sulfide minerals, either chemically-bound or as discrete particles too small for resolution by SEM. The technique involves sputtering a 250 x 250 Jim area of the grains to a depth of about one ILm and analysing the secondary ions emitted from a circular central region in the sputter crater with a 62.5 I'm diameter. The combination of quantitative mineral-specific sub-ppm analyses together with depth-profiling and the ability to produce secondary ion maps of trace precious metals makes this a very powerful technique in quantifying the precious metal distribution in refractory and other sulfide ores and process products. The technique is particularly well-established for analysis of gold-and platinum-bearing ores and process products.

Jan 1, 1996

Water contact angles in the air/water/francolite, fuel oil/water/francolite and fuel oil/water/quartz systems were measured to describe the wetting characteristics of these minerals. It was found that white francolite is more hydrophilic than black and tan francolite both in the absence and presence of fatty acid addition. The contact angle measurement results do not correlate very well with the flotation response and it appears that kinetic aspects of the bubble attachment process play an important role in the francolite-fatty acid flotation system.

Jan 1, 1997

By L. P. Larson

In this Bureau of Mines evaluation of the domestic supply position of tungsten, certain tungsten resources in the United States are estimated as to quantity and grade and then are systematically costed in detail (excluding exploration costs). A supply curve is developed which depicts the quantity of tungsten (WO3) up to about 15.5 million short ton units that is producible at calculated price levels ranging from about $13 to $125 per short ton unit. About 10.4 million short ton units are available at a calculated price that is less than the present market price ($40). Total known resources amount to about 40.2 million short ton units. A very large portion of that quantity was not costed due to inadequate information on either resources or processing methods. Further exploration and research would have a significant effect on the availability of tungsten in the United States.

Jan 1, 1971

By N. Dahata

B206 aluminum?copper alloy has a potential for wider use in the automotive industry due to its light weight and relatively superior mechanical properties as compared to aluminum-silicon alloys. The possibility of casting this alloy via Lost Foam Casting (LFC) has not been investigated in detail. Therefore, the effects of foam types (T170B standard untreated EPS and T175-brominated EPS), coating types (Styro Shield 5553 and Styro Shield 5554), copper level (4.5 wt % and 5.0 wt %) and titanium levels (0.5 wt % and 0.25 wt %) were related to fillability, microstructure and microporosity. The metal velocity in T175 EPS pattern was higher than that in T170B EPS pattern. For T175 EPS pattern, the total solidification time was 3% higher and the loss of temperature for decomposition of EPS was lower than those in the case of T170B EPS pattern. The grain size, porosity level and maximum pore size were quantified using Light Optical Microscopy (LOM) and image analysis. The casting with T175 EPS pattern showed larger grain size relative to that with T170B EPS pattern. The porosity level and the maximum pore size decreased significantly when the titanium level was increased from 0.05 wt % to 0.25 wt %.

Jan 1, 2007

By C. Özgen Karacan

Degasification and methane control in underground coal mining is an important area augmenting conventional ventilation in order to prevent possible fires and explosions due to excessive methane emissions. Coal bed reservoir engineering has been applied for many years to coalbed methane production. In recent years, modeling the flow and draining methane, not only from coal bed itself but also from the overlying strata, have been recognized as important areas of expertise for supplementing underground ventilation. This paper demonstrates the applications of coal bed reservoir engineering and modeling techniques for optimizing and controlling methane emissions in longwall and continuous miner sections. Practical applications and some considerations are presented for reservoir modeling, borehole performances, and face emission predictions for various coal bed and borehole configurations. A section on field reservoir studies and well bore log analyses for methane control are also presented as a complementary way of controlling methane and optimizing ventilation.

Jan 1, 2009

Introduction The Homestake Mining Co. has always been big on gold. After 108 years in the business, the company and its principal product are almost synonymous. The relationship continues. On Sept. 28, 1985, Homestake held formal dedication ceremonies for its newest gold mine - McLaughlin. The McLaughlin open-pit operation is located in northern California, some 113 km (70 miles) northeast of San Francisco. It lies near the boundaries of three counties - Napa, Yolo, and Lake - and a portion of its facilities are located in each. McLaughlin was originally the site of the Manhattan mercury mine that produced nearly 80,000 flasks of the quicksilver from the 1860s to 1978. At the September dedication, Homestake renamed the mine in honor of the late Donald H. McLaughlin. McLaughlin was with Homestake for nearly 60 years. He rose from exploration geologist to his ultimate positions of chief executive officer, director, chairman of the board of directors, chairman emeritus, and chairman of the executive committee. The discovery of the McLaughlin deposit occurred in 1978, the last year of operation for the Manhattan mine. Homestake geologists used a newly developed model and found surface gold at the mine site. That same year, Homestake signed an agreement with the property owner and began a two-and-a-half year exploration program. An initial discovery announcement of 31.1 t (1 million oz) of gold was made in 1980. In 1981, this was revised to 93.3 t (3 million oz), or 18 Mt (20 million st) of ore grading 5.2 g/t (0.152 oz per st). Expected mine life is 20 years. Construction began in September 1983, following the issuance of stage one permits. Start-up of operations took place in early 1985 and the first gold-silver dore bar was poured on March 4. Since then, more than 540 kt (600,000 st) of ore has been milled, producing about 1.6 t (50,000 oz) of gold. Of special interest at McLaughlin is the use of three autoclaves for gold extraction. According to Homestake, this is a first. The autoclaves are designed for a 90% gold recovery rate. Early results have proven yields at this rate and higher. Geology The McLaughlin deposit is about 1.5 km (5000 ft) long. It occurs as a wedge-shape, narrowing to a verti-

Jan 1, 1986

By R. M. Brick

A PREVIOUS publication 1§ has described the effect of quenching stresses on the lattice parameter values of high-purity aluminum-copper alloys particularly with reference to the solution and precipitation of CuAl2. A similar study has been made of the aluminum-rich aluminum-mag-nesium alloys. Attention has been directed in the present investigation to the magnitude of the quenching stresses as affected by the specimen size and shape, the number of solute atoms and the quenching rate. The effect of cooling stresses in causing plastic deformation or cracking has been considered in relation to the physical properties of the alloy. On reheating alloys in the two-phase field, the time required for pre-cipitation to occur has been observed in connection with the degree of supersaturation, the rate of diffusion of the solute atoms as a function of the comparative atomic radii, degree of strain, temperature of reheating and grain size. A few qualitative comparisons on the relative effect of these factors have been drawn between the aluminum-copper alloys and the aluminum-magnesium alloys.

Jan 1, 1935

By Yuzo Hiroshige, Masayuki Kyoi, Tomonori Saeki, Masahide Okamoto, Toru H. Okabe, Yu Miyamoto, Tomohiko Akahori, Takeshi Nemoto

We report Hitachi's approach to establish the recycling process for rare-earth metals in magnet. We have developed a process to disassemble the used electric products to collect the magnets, a process to remove the surface plating film of the magnet, and processes to separate rare-earth metals from the magnet. All processes are operated without chemical solutions in order to minimize the environmental impact due to the waste water emission. For the disassemble process, we have developed an equipment to generate continuous shock on the electric products to loosen screws. A sand blast technique is applied for the plating removal process. Rare earth metals in the magnets are extracted by immersion of the magnets in molten magnesium. The extracted rare-earth metals are separated from Mg by evaporation of Mg. The overall yield of recovery is 86.8 %. The purity of the final rare-earth metal is 98.8 %.

Jan 1, 2014

By Yuanbo Zhang, FENG ZHOU, Guanghui Li, Zhengwei Yu, RuijunWang, Tao Jiang

Composite agglomeration process (CAP) of iron ore fines has been proved an effective route for ironmaking burden production, and is characterized by low the fuel consumption and high the productivity compared with the traditional sintering process. Sintering behavior of pelletizing feed in CAP has not been studied fully yet. In this study, individual pellet and simulated CAP cells were roasted under the simulated sintering conditions. The compressive strength, FeO content and microstructures of roasted samples were investigated. The results show that pelletizing feed either from magnetite ore hematite concentrate can be indurated under the conditions of conventional iron ore sintering. Hematite pelletizing feed has better sintering property than magnetite pelletizing feed. Pelletizing feed consolidation in CAP cells is identical to the individual pelletizing feed, but the strength of CAP cells is much higher than the individual pelletizing feed. Higher basicity in both pelletizing feed and matrix feed is beneficial to the strength of CAP cells. Individual strength of pelletizing feed is not the decisive factor in CAP as the pelletizing feed has been embedded into the matrix with high basicity and formed an organic whole. The main chemical compositions and basicity of pelletizing feed and basicity matching with matrix feed is important.

Jan 1, 2015

By Y. K. Rao

The direct reduction of lead sulfide with carbon in the presence of lime was investigated at several temperatures and under two different inert gas atmospheres. The catalyzed reduction kinetics were determined both with a nitrogen atmosphere and a helium-rich helium-nitrogen atmosphere. The reduction kinetics under the latter were d-ecidedly superior to those under the former. The differences-were interpreted in terms of faster diffusion rates in a helium medium and-synergistic effects.

Jan 1, 1983

By R. M. Genevray, M. B. Bever, E. J. Suoninen

THE martensitic transformation in the ß-phase of the Cu-Zn system has been the subject of several investigations. The transformation is known to be reversible and to be affected by stress. Its temperature range has been determined as a function of composition. In the investigation reported here, the effect of tensile stresses on the transformation was investigated quantitatively. Some information was also obtained on the thermoelastic behavior of the martensite formed in the first stages of the transformation. Most of the experiments were done with alloy E of an earlier investigation;' this alloy analyzed 60.49 pct Cu and 39.51 pet Zn by weight. The methods of shaping and heat treatment were also essentially the same as those previously used. The stress was applied to the specimen immersed in a cooling liquid. The transformation was followed by measuring the electrical resistance with a Kelvin bridge and the elongation with a cathetometer. Fig. 1 shows the M, temperature as a function of stress. Resistance and strain measurements gave essentially identical values. The results suggest a roughly linear relation between M. and in the range investigated, up to 12 kg s mm". At higher stresses, plastic deformation begins to interfere seriously with this relationship. The increase of M, with stress is consistent with published work on the effect of stress on the martensitic transformation. The slope of the curve, 4°C per kg mm ", is of the same order of magnitude as the corresponding value calculated for steel.' Fig. 1 also shows the difference, AM, between the temperature of 50 pct transformation on cooling, as measured by changes in length, and that of 50 pct reverse transformation on heating. This difference, which may be considered a measure of the hysteresis, increases with stress; the decrease at highest stresses is probably associated with plastic deformation. Preliminary work using only resistance measurements was done with an alloy containing 60.15 pct Cu and 39.79 pct Zn by weight. The results indicated higher values o-F M, in agreement with the known variation of M. with composition.' The effect of stress on M, (2°C per kg mm-') was of the same order of magnitude as that shown in Fig. 1 for composition E. An increase in hysteresis with stress was also found. The following experiment was made in order to investigate a partially transformed structure. A specimen of alloy E was cooled to — 85°C under a stress of 4.7 kg mm-'. Under these conditions, the martensitic transformation started but did not go to completion. The stress was then released and the specimen cooled to — 105°C. Fig. 2 shows the measured elongation c. The first change in the slope of the curve indicates the beginning of the transformation under stress. Removing the load at —85°C caused a decrease in length to the value corresponding to the elastic elongation of the parent phase resulting from the applied stress. Hence, the marten-site formed in the first part of the experiment apparently disappears completely and without hysteresis upon the release of the stress. The increase in length on further cooling indicates renewed formation of martensite. These conclusions are consistent with the concept of "thermoelastic" martensite," which has been confirmed by test." Acknowledgments The authors are greatly indebted to Professor M. Cohen for his advice and encouragement. They also thank F. Paxton for assistance. Thanks are due the American Brass Co. which supplied the alloys. References E. Kaminsky and G. V. Kurdjumov: Zhur. Tekhn. Fiziki SSSR (1936) 6, p. 984. A. B. Greninger and V. G. Mooradian: Trans. AIME (1938) 128, p. 337. "J. E. Reynolds, Jr. and M. B. Bever: Trans. AIME (1952) 194, p. 1065; Journal of Metals (October 1952). 'A. L. Titchener and M. B. Bever: Trai~s. AIME (1954) 200, p. 303; Journal of Metals (February 1954). " 3. A. Kulin, M. Cohen, and B. L. Averbach: Trans. AIME (1952) 194. p. 661; Journal of Metals (June 1952). "J. K. Pate1 and M. Cohen: Acta Metallurgica (1953) 1, p. 531. 'C. Crussard: Comptes Rendus (1953) 237, p. 1709. ' G. V. Kurdjumov: Zhur. Tekhn. Fiziki SSSR (1948) 18, p. 999. G. V. Kurdjumov and L. G. Khandros: Dokl Akad. Nouk. SSSR (1949) 66. p. 211.

Jan 1, 1957