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By Mark Rantapaa

Measurable improvements in throughput have been documented at Barrick Goldstrike due to increased ore fragmentation through efficient drilling and blasting techniques. A decrease in throughput at the Autoclave, due to increasingly hard ore, was identified in early 2002. A team of individuals from the Open Pit and Process areas worked closely on the Drill-to-Mill (D2M) Continuous Improvement initiative to ensure that it would address the needs of both groups, with the target of actually improving throughput in future years, despite the projected harder ores. A series of tests were conducted to determine if adjustments to drilling and blasting could positively influence throughput. Better fragmentation and a subsequent increase in mill throughput were achieved through the use of: 1) Electronic caps for more precision and flexibility, as well as for allowing extremely fast shots. 2) Explosives with a higher velocity of detonation (VOD), to provide for improved shock energy. 3) Improved distribution of the explosives by decreasing pattern spacing. Early tests indicated a significant increase in throughput when processing identified harder ore. It is anticipated that the total process throughput (hard and soft ore) will increase by six tph in 2003 due to the improved fragmentation of the hard ore. Barrick Goldstrike?s D2M initiative includes roaster ?hard ore? (BWI >17), as well as autoclave ?hard ore? (BWI >15). Approximately six million tons of D2M material is expected be shot in 2003, a relatively small amount compared to the 150 million tons to be mined. The benefit of additional ounces produced should far outweigh the additional drilling and blasting costs.

May 1, 2003

By K. Ding

The thermodynamic activity of MnO was measured in MnO-CaO-MgO-SiO2 slags that are typically encountered in the production of manganese-containing stainless steels. A gas equilibration-quenching technique was employed in measuring the activities. Activities of Mn in Pt-Mn alloys were redetermined at 1600ºC, which reconfirmed earlier results of strong negative deviations. MnO activities were then measured by equilibrating slags of various compositions based on a statistical experimental design procedure with Pt-Mn alloys under controlled partial pressure of oxygen in MnO saturated platinum crucibles at 1600ºC. Activities of MnO were found to increase with increasing concentration of MnO, basicity and CaO to MgO ratio. Two multi-coefficient regression models were developed to predict the activities and activity coefficients of MnO in slags at 1600ºC. Keywords: activity, MnO, slag

Jan 1, 2005

By Zhang Yongzhu

In hydrometallurgical processes of PGMs separation and refining, differences between 1-PGMs (Ru;Rh;Pd) and h-PGMs(Os;Ir;Pt) in thermodynamics and kinetics have been observed. The successful practice in the separation and refining of PGMs in China, is mainly based on the following two kinetically extraction sequences of: (1) for the extraction of PGMs complexes in different configurations with coordination mechanism (AuCI,) -> (MCl6)2-> (MCl4 )2-> (MCI6) 3- , and the substitution rate for h-PGMs complexes with higher effective nuclear charge Z' is much more slow than that of I-PGMs. and (2) for the extraction of PGMs in different configurations with oxonium (or ion -exchange) mechanism (AuCl4)-> (MCl4)2--> (MCl6)2-> (MCl6)3- and the extraction of h-PGMs complexes with low surface charge density is more fast than that of I-PGMs complexes. In view of atomic structure theory, the similarity of atomic radii and chemical properties and difficult separation of PGMs resulted from the Lanthanide Contruction between 5th period (1-PGMs) and 6th period (h-PGMs). The differences between h-PGMs and 1-PGMs are due to the loss shielding of 4f subshells on 5d electrons for h-PGMs with higher nuclear number, which makes h-PGMs have a higher Z' (effective nuclear charge) and strong attraction for outer space electrons. As a result, h-PGMs metals and complexes are thermodynamically more stable and kinetically more inert than the corresponding 1-PGMs. The differences between h-PGMs and 1 -PGMs in aspects of elements properties, complexes, hydration, substitution and redox reactions , are discussed.

Jan 1, 1993

By M. Brändström, R. Dube, J. Moyo, T. Perkins, G. Bermudez, L. Bartsch, C. Smith, R. Sorensen

The Kennecott Copperton concentrator is currently the bottleneck for the Kennecott operation and several projects have been initiated to increase throughput. This increase in grinding circuit throughput has resulted in a coarser grind size which has impacted flotation circuit recovery. Metso Outotec 300m3 forced air tank flotation cells are currently utilized in the rougher flotation circuit at the Copperton concentrator. Higher overall recoveries have been observed on the newer Outotec tank cells compared to the original 85m3 self-aspirated flotation cells they replaced. However, coarse particle flotation response on these large, forced air cells did not show encouraging results when compared to smaller previously installed cells. This coarse recovery loss has been attributed to the longer froth transport duration and transport distance on large cells (100m3 and larger). Cell manufacturers addressed the risks of additional coarse particle losses in large cells by installing concentric circumferential launders and crowders (also called center launders). These are designed to reduce froth transport time and distance in the last cells in rougher stages where low residual floatable minerals causes a lack of froth mobility. The center launders also increase froth crowding, which also helps to increase froth transport velocity and increases copper and molybdenum recoveries. A trial set of the center launder retrofits were installed on the last three tank cells in one of the parallel rougher flotation rows at Copperton. The launder retrofits were installed at the end of October 2020 and monitored until March 2021. This six-month trial showed statistically significant improvements in copper and molybdenum flotation recoveries through the rougher circuit.

Mar 2, 2022

By D. Hurrington

For severlrl 1e1.rs the Bureau of Mines has studied dust and ventili in metal mines a.s a.tfeoting the hea.l th, safety, and efficiency of underground workers. From its beginning this work haa been directed by G, s. Rice, chief mining engineer, A. cooperative agreement was ma.de in 1915 with the u. s. Publi Health Service; since that time tield obmervations 1n metal mines in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Michigan and Nevada, and less extensive observation, in several other States have been made by mining engineers of the U, s. Bureau of Mines, and doctors of the u. s. Pu.blic Heal.th Service. Most of the analyt:J:eal work has been done by chemists, petrographers, and other specialists in the Pittsburgb station ot the Bureau of Mines, Numerous articles have been printed by the otticial and the technical press on this important in•estigation; 1n response to the need for a btiet bibliography of this literature. it has been compiled to facilitate accp1,intance with published data ot1. the subject,

Jul 1, 1922

By R. T. O’Brien, J. M. W. Mackenzie

A microelectrophoresis technique has been used to measure the zeta potential of quartz over a range of pH and Ni (11) and Co (Ilj concentrations. Results have been discussed in terms of adsorption of Ni (11) and Co (11) cations and hydroxide precipitates. Possible relationships between the experimental results and the formation of lateritic nickel deposits have been discussed. The adsorption of metallic cations to the surface of silicate minerals is of significance in many industrial and natural processes. In an earlier publication,' the adsorption of Fe (111) to the quartz surface, a phenomenon of importance in flotation, was studied qualitatively using microelectrophoresis techniques. This paper reports the extension of this work to an investigation of the adsorption from aqueous solution of Co (11) and Ni (11) to the quartz surface. The adsorption of these metals was of interest for two reasons; firstly, the importance of such an adsorption process in the formation of nickel deposits by the lateritization of nickeliferous rocks, and secondly, the comparison of electrophoresis data for these metals, whose hydroxides precipitate in the pH range 7-8, with similar data for Fe (111) where the hydroxide first precipitates at pH 2.8. The development of laterites is essentially a near-surface geological process involving vertical and, in part, horizontal redistribution of elements derived from rock-forming minerals. This redistribution of elements leads to the formation of layers within the lateritic profile which are enriched in one or more of these elements and, depending on the nature of the original rocks, continued lateritization may give rise to iron ores, bauxites or nickeliferous laterites. The mechanisms discussed in this paper deal with the last mentioned type of deposit although the considered factors are applicable to laterites in general. Nickeliferous laterites are derived from basic and ultrabasic rocks containing ferro-magnesian silicates. These rocks may be partly or wholly converted to serpentinites. Besides their high Mg, Si and Fe contents, they also contain small amounts of Mn, Al, Cr, Ni, Co, Cu and Zn. The nickel content is usually near to 0.2-0.3%, but for economic use this must be increased during lateritization to over 1% and preferably over 2%. The zone of nickel enrichment is usually at some depth within the lateritic profile. Unpublished work by Mr. O'Brien on nickel-bearing laterites in eastern Australia indicated four visually different types of material which were separated from crushed samples under a stereo-microscope. Although chemical analyses indicated that all four types of fragments contained 2-4% nickel and smaller amounts of cobalt, X-ray diffraction and optical studies revealed only quartz, hematite and chromite as well as, in one of the types, a serpentine mineral. No distinct, nickeliferous minerals were detected. Furthermore, it was possible to extract some 60% of the nickel content of the laterites with cold 0.5N hydrochloric acid. It was therefore postulated that much of the contained nickel was present as amorphous, adsorbed material. In considering this fact, as well as the problem of the actual method of transfer and fixation of elements within the lateritic profile, it was further postulated that the transfer of these elements probably took place partly as solutions and partly as colloids and that the fixation of these was caused by adsorption and flocculation. The existence of nickel in solution in water draining from serpentinites has been confirmed by Smurov.2 Although we have no evidence for the transportation of nickel in the colloidal state, it is well accepted that colloids are important in the formation of laterites. Previous work by Mr. Mackenzie' has already indicated that iron may be adsorbed on quartz under conditions which could be expected in a lateritic profile, but no information was available for nickel or cobalt. Although adsorption possibly also takes place on minerals other than quartz, the latter is significant because silica is an important constituent of the silicate parent rocks. During lateritization, it is released to form free quartz and it is likely that it is initially extremely fine-grained. This would provide abundant opportunities for adsorption and it was de-

Jan 1, 1970

By J Kwiri, T Zvarivadza, R Mitra, F Cawood

It is crucial to record ground movement of any magnitude to enable the safe and economical design of excavations and infrastructure. The DigiMine Laboratory is equipped with technologies to record such movements. This paper analyses the effectiveness of the Digital Mine instrumentation in recording earth movements in light of the Botswanan earthquake which occurred on the 3rd of April 2017 at 17:40 UTC. Recordings from the Digital Mine are compared with other ground sensing technologies which also captured the event (USGS and GEOFON systems). USGS and GEOFON system’s recordings suggest that, there are a number of possible mechanisms that could have resulted in the earthquake as discussed in the paper. Compared to the USGS and GEOFON systems, DigiMine system could not provide an analysis that could give possible source mechanisms. However, the system’s success in recording the Botswanan earthquake, is an indication that the system works and can be further developed or improved. For a comprehensive analysis, more data from various sensors needs to be collected. For example, DigiMine connecting to the national seismic monitoring system or to the local mine’s seismic monitoring system. Such connections will enable the development of a better self-analysis system and possibly prediction of future events. More importantly, it will contribute to better understanding of regional seismicity and its potential impact on excavation design. CITATION:Kwiri, J, Zvarivadza, T, Cawood, F and Mitra, R, 2018. How efficient is DigiMine technology in recording earth movements? A look at the Botswanan earthquake, in Proceedings The Fourth Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference (AusRock), pp 414–419 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 30, 2018

By G. B. Shea

The accident experience of the California petroleum industry for 1927 was characterized by a decrease it .the number of fatalities. The year closed with a total of 41 fatal accidents, as compared with a total of 54 for the preceding year. 3 In percentage, the figure for 1927 represents a decrease of 24 per cent from that of 1926 and evidences the promising results of organized safety work, in which the industry in California has taken an absorbing interest. The percentage of decrease for 1927 is the largest recorded in any one year since the compilation of the fatality record in the California petroleum industry was begun. Although good progress has been made during the past few years, much remains to be done to reduce still further the human and economic waste caused by accidents. This review is intended to show the employee, as well as the employer, the proximate and contributing cause of accidents. To increase the value of the report, preventive measures in various instances are suggested, on the theory that accidents of a similar nature will occur unless remedial action in taken to remove the cause.

Jan 1, 1928

By John A. Church

AT a time when the treatment of gold and silver ore9 by fusion, in opposition to the mill-process, is attracting so much attention in this country, it may be useful to consider what is done in a well-conducted foreign work. For this purpose I will ask the reader to accompany me to Lend, in Austria, a small but thoroughly organized

By F. N. Kissell, R. J. Bielicki

The Bureau of Mines found sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), released from a lecture bottle, to be an ideal gaseous tracer for studying mine ventilation systems. Air samples were collected in glass syringes and analyzed by electron-capture gas chromatography. In these studies, the lower limit of detection was about 1 part per billion by volume (ppb) of SF6 per part of air. Experiments conducted in a Pennsylvania limestone mine showed this technique useful in evaluating the effectiveness of auxiliary fans, measuring low flow velocities, probing the air circulating near a working face region where ventilation appeared to be poor, and estimating volumetric flow rates in airways of large cross-sectional area and having low flow velocities. This technique was also used in a western vein-type metal mine to measure the amount of return air being recirculated into the intake air due to leakage through old stoped areas.

Jan 1, 1974

By A. F. Raschenko, Y. A. Golodcov, V. V. Elshin

"The autoclave noble metal desorption in apparatuses with a dense stationary sorbent layer is perspective for the technology of sorption gold and silver extraction from solutions and pulps by carbon sorbents. The study of the mechanism and optimization of the autoclave desorption process involve some difficulties. To overcome them it is necessary to use mathematical and quantum-chemical modelling. The given paper deals with a mathematical model for the dynamics of gold and silver desorption from active carbons by alkali solutions based on the physical-chemical notions of the process. The kinetics and the mechanism of the process were investigated using the mathematical model for gold and silver desorption.The calculation of the efficient mass-transfer coefficient (ße) for various initial and intermediate noble metal concentrations in carbon (Cy) made it possible to find that the dependence of ße on Cy in case of gold desoprtion shows a clear extreme character. The value of the initial metal concentration in carbon therewith does not influence the character of the curve the inflection point of which is changed essentially at elevated process temperatures only. The revealed characteristic property, in the author's opinion can only be indicative of the change in the mechanism of gold desorption under autoclave desorption conditions. The assumed [Au(CN)(OH)]- type intermediate that has a higher diffusion coefficient in comparison with the adsorbed complex [Au(CN)2]- can be considered as an intermediate compound in the process of gold desorption."

Jan 1, 2003

By Hui Chen

The paper describes the use of a physical model technique to investigate the failure modes of mine tunnels with reference to the in situ stress field. The characteristics of stratification commonly encountered within UK coal mining conditions have been taken into consideration. The investigation has indicated that the weak floor strata in coal mining tunnels, under the action of high rock stresses, will be subject to the floor lift problem in both predominantly horizontal and vertical stress fields. However, the failure mode and mechanism varies between the two stress field patterns. In the predominantly horizontal stress field, the tunnel floor tends to fail by gradual bending of the laminations, whilst in the predominantly vertical stress field, the floor tends to fail by a shearing action with the failed material lifting in the form of a block. The failure mechanism is discussed with reference to mechanics theory.

Jan 1, 1993

By A. D. Marlin, A. J. Gentile, E. F. Jordan

Metallurgical changes in SAE 52100 ball-bearing components resulting from overload testing are described. Changes in microstructure, hardness, and resiclctal stresses crre discussed zuitlz re.ference to material cleanliness obtained by various steel-melting practices and are compared with work by otlzer investigators. Evidence is presented to show that the initialion and development of microstruc-tural alterations are characterized by two separate reactions: the appeavance of a "dark etchingJ' constituent, and "gray lines" or a light etclzing constituent. The dependency of these tzvo reactions on material cleunliness, running tirne, and contact stresses is discussed and a failure mode related to material cleanliness and microstructural transformation is proposed. THE study of ball- and roller-bearing contact fatigue has been paced by a strong emphasis on bears ing application performance. Particular attention has been paid to conditions that effect the spalling-type failure that is characteristic of rolling contact fatigue in through-hardened components. Some of the conditions investigated are lubrication and atmosphere,1-3 material characteristics and finish,475 and speed and design fa~tors."~ A typical spalling-type failure is shown in Fig. 1. The arrow shows the motion of the ball relative to the inner-ring race surface. The leading edge of the spall is usually sharper than the trailing edge. The race surface near the trailing edge also shows small dents caused by debris from the spall. In this type of testing very little metallurgical investigation is done on failed bearings. Emphasis is placed on test conditions and statistical analyses of endurance data. More basic work has been done relating micro-structural changes to fatigue performance. Dyer" and Wood, Cousland, and sargant9 have used mostly simple materials, such as single crystals and single-phase polycrystalline specimens, under simple alternating strain to identify a systematic process of fatigue damage. drutowski" was concerned primarily with the relationship between steel structure, contact stress, and energy losses in rolling contact. dones11 and Bush, Grube, and Robinson12 utilized changes in microstructure and residual stress in overload-tested rolling contact elements as a means of investigating the fatigue process. Work is being done on an ASME-sponsored contract,13 using both simple and complex materials, but there is still a long way to go before such theories as pore and void growth in simple structures can be applied to the relatively complex bearing steel microstructure. The purpose of this paper is to report on an investigation into the effect of steel cleanliness on the structural alteration and residual stress changes found in overload-tested ball bearings. Using these results and those of previous investigators, we will propose probable failure mechanisms in both overload- and normal load-tested ball bearings.14,15 PROCEDURE Ball bearings? 3208 size, were fabricated from SAE 52100 steel obtained by five different melting practices. The melting practices, chemistry, and inclusion ratings for the five lots of steel are summarized in Tables I and 11. The nonmetallic inclusion ratings were determined by the Jernkontoret method described in ASTM E45-51 Method A. This technique consists of microscopically examining a series of polished samples taken from specified locations in the ingots, billets, or bars. Each sample is surveyed at XlOO magnification and the inclusion types and sizes are compared to standard fields. Because of the nature of these ratings all values in Table I1 are rounded to the nearest half. The elec-

Jan 1, 1965

By F. E. Jaumot, R. L. Smith

Self-diffusion in zinc at temperatures below 200°C has been studied using both single crystal and polycrystal samples. Anomalous results were obtained for single crystal samples, the data indicating that in some cases grain boundary diffusion predominated. These anomalous results are presumed to be due to low angle lineage boundaries in the single crystals. When volume diffusion occurred in either single or polycrystal samples, the values for the diffusion coefficient were as much as several orders of magnitude larger than would be expected from high temperature data. ONSIDERABLE work has been done on self-^-*diffusion at temperatures in the neighborhood of two thirds of the melting temperature (in OK) and higher, but very little has been done at lower temperatures. This is particularly true of self-diffusion in single crystals. This paper reports work on self-diffusion in zinc at temperatures below 200 °C where both polycrystalline and single crystal samples have been used. The measurements were made using both the sectioning and absorption techniques. The experiments on diffusion at low temperatures were initiated primarily for three reasons: to obtain data from single crystal diffusion covering a wide range of temperatures, to obtain values of the activation energy for grain boundary diffusion, and to obtain, if possible, a lower limit to the temperatures at which the absorption technique may be used. It is possible to determine whether volume or grain boundary diffusion predominates at low temperatures by analyzing the manner in which the concentration of the diffusing atoms varies with the depth of penetration. The analysis is possible only for the sectioning technique. For volume diffusion and for the boundary conditions of the present experiment, the curve of the logarithm of the concentration, C, vs the square of the penetration depth, x, is a straight line with the slope proportional to — 1/D. If grain boundary diffusion predominates, Fisher' has shown that a curve of In C vs the first power of the penetration depth should be a straight line. This linear dependence of concentration on depth has been observed experimentally by several investigators. (See, for example, refs. 3 and 4.) Following Fisher's analysis, the grain boundary diffusion coefficient can be written as where 8 is the grain boundary width, D, is the volume diffusion coefficient at the temperature involved, t is the time of diffusion, C is the concentration of diffusing material, and x is the depth of penetration. A more general analysis employing the same model as Fisher's but with fewer assumptions has been given by Whipple.' In contrast to Fisher's analysis the more general analysis of Whipple does not always yield a straight line relation between In C and x. Recently Turnbull and Hoffman have discussed both analyses and have applied the Fisher-Whipple model to a more refined dislocation model of the grain boundary. They have also discussed the possibility of a large effect of grain boundary direction on diffusion. In the case of the absorption technique, for which results are also given, one simply gets a value for the diffusion coefficient with no indication of the predominating mechanism. Experimental Techniques Single crystals of 99.99+ pct Zn were grown using a modified Bridgman method. Polycrystal samples were prepared in three grain sizes (small, about 4 mm2; medium, about 9 mm'; and large, about 25 mmz) by quenching, air cooling, and furnace cooling. The grains of the polycrystalline samples tended to be columnar, with some preferred texture such that the c-axis was inclined at about 20" to 25" from the normal to the diffusion face, particularly in the medium and large grain size samples. The samples were cut from the rod, polished, and heavily etched, and faces cut accurately parallel using a jeweler's lathe. They were again etched to remove the lathe smear and annealed for 3 hr at 250" to 300°C. After annealing, they were etched, examined, and the orientation determined by Laue back reflection photographs. They were then electroplated with Zn. The plated surfaces were examined for uniformity; nonuniform coatings were removed by etching and the samples replated without additional preparation. For the diffusion anneals, the samples were placed in pairs, with active faces together, in evacuated Pyrex tubes. Constant temperature baths were used, and the variation in temperature did not exceed ±l°C, Diffusion runs were made at l00°,

Jan 1, 1957

By Dimitrios Litsas, Michael Kavvadas, Panagiotis Sitarenios

"The paper discusses the results of 3D finite element analyses to investigate the effect of face support pressure and soil permeability on face stability conditions in EPB tunnelling. Two main types of face behavior are identified: Undrained conditions ahead of the tunnel face, typically occurring in soils with permeability less than about k=5·10-7m/s, are shown to be favourable for face stability; analyses show that an applied face pressure comparable with the initial hydrostatic pore pressure is sufficient for adequate face stability, even for soils of relatively low strength. Drained or partially conditions, typically occurring in soils with permeability higher than about k=5·10-6m/s, show that face stability is strongly dependent on the horizontal effective stress of the muck in the excavation chamber; the presence of even a small effective stress in the muck is very beneficial for face stability conditions and can be a possible explanation of successful EPB tunnelling through relatively permeable soils. INTRODUCTION Face stability is probably the most important aspect in urban tunnelling. Usually, Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machines are utilized, to ensure that a reasonable amount of face pressure is exerted on the advancing excavation face, reducing ground loss and preventing potential instability of the face core, thus controlling the amount of disturbance caused by tunnel excavation to surface structures. However, the ideal amount of face pressure depends on several factors (ground and groundwater conditions, tunnel size and depth, muck conditioning, etc.) which are difficult to include in analytical calculations. For many years, conventional empirical or analytical methods (e.g. Anagnostou & Kovari 1996) were the only available tools for quantifying face stability and selecting the required face pressure. In the last few years, however, numerical analyses have gained power over conventional methods, allowing more accurate designs and providing useful information about the anticipated ground deformations due to tunnelling. Numerical analyses have also been used in assessing safety against face instability using face extrusion (horizontal face displacement) calculations (e.g. Prountzopoulos 2012)."

Jan 1, 2016

By D. S. Cronan

Based on analogy with the Clarion-Clipperton zone, three main factors appear to influence the occurrence of potentially economic nodules in the study area, (i) elevated biological productivity, mainly above 50gCm-2y-l, (ii.) sea floor depth near or below the CCD, (iii) an absence of turbidite sedimentation. These conditions are fulfilled in parts of the following basins, where available data indicate that high grade and sometimes abundant nodules occur. i) The East Central Pacific Basin west of the Line Islands extending to the East Central Pacific Basin north and east of the Phoenix Islands ii) The West Central Pacific Basin west and northwest of the Phoenix Islands iii) The North Penrhyn Basin north of Penrhyn Island Notwithstanding the similarities between the environmental conditions under which potentially economic nodules occur in the Clarion-Clipperton zone and in the areas listed above, such similarities may relate only to present day conditions. During the possibly long periods of nodule formation, environmental conditions may have varied, and the deposits formed under conditions different from those prevailing at the present day. However, the fact that both present day conditions and the deposits in the two areas do show similarities suggests that applying the same genetic model to them has some validity. Possibly, any changes in environmental conditions during the period of formation of the deposits has been similar in both areas. Such uncertainties can only be resolved by a much fuller evaluation of the evolution of nodule deposits in both areas throughout recent geological time.

Jan 1, 1986

By Fredy A. Elorrieta Agramonte, Gabriel von Rickenbach, Roberto Luis Fonseca, David Córdova Rojas, Rolando Romero, Rico Brändle

The mine’s economic life is dynamic by nature. Some factors that create this scenario are the need to recognize new exploitation areas, the evolution of the mineral prices and the development of new technologies to access them. The dynamics of mining development, especially in the underground environment, changes significantly as the stages unfold. In many cases the final solution differs greatly with the initial. The frequent presence of new conditions and factors often cause the mine to develop in a quasi-permanent transition stage, which could be characterized by the generation of dynamic micro-seismic events that could cause rockburst damage in some specific areas. Although they may be infrequent, these dynamic events can have an important adverse impact on mine safety and causes serious losses. Also, changes in the production schedule during exploitation could be a big issue if the problem is not effectively addressed. When the transition of the mine to an active micro-seismic environment begins as an unforeseen scenario, it is frequent to use static ground support systems as they are readily available. Traditionally, the support systems used are reinforced shotcrete with a middle layer of Welded Standard Wire Mesh (WSWM) and Chain Link Standard Wire Mesh (CSWM) of reduced gauges, i.e. wires less or equal than 4 mm in diameter. Although, this support system is used to control static instability problems, there is no good reference of its energy absorption capacity under dynamic load conditions, creating uncertainty in the effectiveness of controlling rockburst events. These support systems are analyzed at the present paper, testing the reinforced shotcrete layer with 4 mm diameter of WSWM and CSWN under dynamic load. Additionally, the influence of the use of high tensile strength steel wire in the meshes (HSWM) compared to the previous ones, is analyzed to assess the scope in controlling rockburst events and keeping the safety of underground environment.

Apr 26, 2022

By Irving Hartmann

The Experimental Coal Mine of the Bureau of Mines has served principally as a valuable and unique testing laboratory for studies of the explosibility of coal dust and mine gas; studies of the numerous complex and interrelated chemical and physical factors that govern the ignition of coal dust and the propagation of mine explosions; and studies designed to develop measures for preventing explosions or reducing their destructive effects. These researches, coupled with educational efforts by the Bureau of Mines and enlightened safety consciousness in the mining industry, had fruitful results. This is evidenced by the remarkable reduction in the frequency of major coal-mine explosions and the number of fatalities from explosions since the Bureau of Mines was established. Despite this progress, further important unresolved problems arise; these are due in part to changes in mining conditions and methods, which have brought about increased production of fine coal dust in highly mechanized operations. To solve the new problems, research must be continued without interruption. The results of many very recent and current studies in the Experimental Coal Mine are summarized briefly, and pertinent studies by European mine-safety-research organizations are listed.

Jan 1, 1957

By P. G. Sprang, S. Rosen

The Y-Al- C ternary phase diagram for the com -position range from 55 to 100 at. pct Y and for a temperature of 950°C has been constructed from metallographic and X-ray diffraction data. The significant features of the isothermal section which is presented are the small solubility of aluminum in the binary Y3C phase and the presence of a ternary carbide phase with a small homogeneity range around the composition Y3AlC. The similarity in structure and composition between these two carbide phases is discussed in the light of the misci-bility gap which exists between room temperature and 1300°C, which was the temperature range studied. THE occurrence and stability criteria of ternary T3BC, carbide phases having the L'12 structure and the general formula T3BCx have been discussed in detail by stadelmaier1 and more recently by the present authors., Stadelmaier found many representatives of these phases formed between the T metals Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni and the B metals Mg, Al, Zn, Ca, Ge, Cd, In, Sn, Hg, T1, and Pb. The present authors reported on a new series of iso-structural carbide phases formed between the T metals of the Sc group and the B metal, aluminum. These new phases are unique in that many of the Sc group elements form stable binary carbide phases which occur about the composition T3C and which crystallize with a structure similar to that of the T9BCx ternary carbide phases. Furthermore, these binary and ternary phases are found to coexist in equilibrium with each other. The similarity in structure and composition between, for example, Y3C and Y3AlC in the light of the mis-cibility gap which had been found to exist between these two phases indicated a need for a more thorough knowledge of the phase relations which occur in alloys based upon these compositions. Consequently, an investigation of the phase equilibria in the yttrium-rich portion of the Y-A1-C phase diagram was undertaken. The limiting Y-A1 binary diagram determined by Lundin and Klodt3 and the results of Spedding et al.4 governing the Y3C phase were used as guides in , constructing the diagram. EXPERIMENTAL Alloys weighing about 10 g were prepared by arc-melting powder compacts made from the various components on a water-cooled copper hearth using a tungsten electrode in a gettered argon atmosphere. Good homogeneity was obtained by melting the alloys three times. The purity of the yttrium used was 99.9 pct (0.07 pct rare earths). The purity of the aluminum and the carbon was 99.99 pct. The results of chemical analysis on five representative alloys showed that losses during the alloying process were predominantly carbon losses and that in no instance did the measured concentration of this component differ by more than 3 at. pct from the intended composition. For this reason the alloy compositions which are reported are those of the charges prepared for melting. Three alloys which were analyzed for copper, tungsten, nitrogen, and oxygen compositions showed that no contamination had occurred either during casting or during the subsequent annealing treatments. For the major part annealing treatments were carried out on specimens which were placed in

Jan 1, 1965

By R. V. Ramani, R. Bhaskar

While the National Academy of Sciences has stated that gravimetric sampling technology for compliance purposes is adequate, research into various aspects of respirable dust control require data on many other parameters of airborne dust. These, in turn, have created the need to use many instruments, other than personal gravimetric samplers, in mine environments for dust measurement. There is a need to evaluate the performance of these instruments under conditions of potential use. As part of research in the Generic Technology Center for Respirable Dust, cascade impactors, gravimetric personal samplers and gravimetric samplers collecting dust using isokinetic sampling principles were employed for dust measurements under identical conditions in a mine airway. During the course of the experiments, 8-stage cascade impactors and gravimetric samplers drawing air isokinetically were located in the center of a mine airway at various stations. Two types of data were examined - concentration of dust and size distribution of the dust collected in the samplers. The data show that the amount of dust collected by an impactor is less than half the amount collected isokinetically. The size distributions of the dusts collected from the two instruments, though comparable, show a consistent difference in median diameters. The cause for this bias is examined. The paper presents and discusses the results of the tests, including the concentrations and size distributions obtained from the two instruments for different experimental conditions. There is a need to document the performance of various dust measuring devices in mine airflow conditions.

Jan 1, 1987