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By RICARDO ALEXANDRE MEDEIROS

Com o objetivo de garantir a segurança operacional e melhorar o desempenho operacional da Máquina Refiladeira Média 2 (RM2) para bobinas de alumínio instalada na empresa Novelis do Brasil localizada na cidade de Pindamonhangaba/SP-Brasil será implantado o projeto de modernização elétrica e automação neste equipamento que opera com bobinas de alumínio. Este projeto está sendo executado pela RUSSULA e substituirá todo o sistema de controle juntamente com o acionamento elétrico dos motores além de fornecer novos motores de Corrente Alternada em substituição aos em Corrente Contínua existentes, também serão substituídos os postos de comando que utilizarão sistema supervisório atual com comunicação com o Nível II de automação, serão utilizados servidores virtualizados e fornecidos novos sensores necessários ao processo. Juntamente serão fornecidas e implementadas as ferramentas IBA PDA, IBA Condition Monitoring e IBA Capture CAM além de sistema de monitoramento de condição dos motores elétricos.

Oct 30, 2017

By C. A. Young

Cyanide is a fast-acting, highly toxic substance but, at the same time, is deemed essential for sustaining life as well as our standard of living. In this manuscript, the facts about cyanide are presented beginning with a brief history and definition and ending with a discussion on cyanide alternatives. Other topics include speciation, physical characteristics, toxicity, manufacturing, cyanogenics, cyanide cycle, separation, destruction, and markets including those outside the mining industry. Emphasis, of course, is placed on gold production by leaching and how it is influenced by ore type, mineral characteristics and economics as well as its advantages and disadvantages.

Jan 1, 2001

By S. Jeon, N. Hiroyoshi, N. Kitajima, S. Tanaka, M. Ito, R. Pongsumrankul, C. B. Tabelin

"Gold (Au) extraction is inefficient when crushed waste mobile phones (WMPs) are directly leached by ammonium thiosulfate likely because of the cementation/precipitation of dissolved Au in the presence of base metals like copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and/or aluminum (Al). This study applied physical separation techniques to remove base metals as well as plastics and concentrate the Au containing fractions from WMPs prior to leaching. Coarse fraction of crushed WMP (+2-5.6 mm) was pretreated by jig and magnetic separation to remove plastics and base metals like Fe, Cu, and Al, while the fine fraction (-2 mm) was pretreated by flotation, and float and sink separation. The leaching results showed that Au extraction increased in both of the size fractions. In the coarse fraction, Au extraction increased by as much as 2-fold after pretreated (from 4 to 7%). Improvement of Au extraction in the fine fractions after pretreatments were even more dramatic. Au extraction increased from 4 to 61%. These results indicate that physical pretreatment to remove co-existing common metals and plastics is effective to improve Au extraction from WMPs. INTRODUCTION Global sales of mobile phones are expected to increase steadily in the foreseeable future because a lot of people buy newer phones with upgraded and more advanced functions almost every two years, which leads to the higher generation of waste mobile phones (WMPs). WMPs contain a wide variety of materials including plastics, glasses, base metals and precious metals such as gold (Au). Among all the valuable materials in WMPs, Au accounts for over 80% of its total metal price (Park et al., 2017), so recovery of Au from WMPs is needed."

Jan 1, 2018

By Edward G. Cunney

Track in underground bituminous coal mines was investigated, and technology was taken from other industries in order to obtain information on conditions that impair the safety and efficiency of the track and to develop guidelines and useful information on the construction, inspection and maintenance of mine track. Volume 1 contains information on the investigations, observed track conditions, useful technology from railroads and other industries, derivations of track condition descriptors and recommended limits, conclusions, and recommendations. Volume 2, Guidelines, contains recommended standards and practices for mine track. It includes the relation of track conditions to safe speeds; descriptions and limits for measurable track features such as gage; descriptions of conditions for track components that are normally not measurable, such as subbase soils; construction requirements and techniques, inspection requirements and methods; and methods for managing and performing track maintenance work. As a research product, it does not repeat the summary or derivations. Volume 3, Inspection Handbook, summarizes recommended standards and procedures from Volume 2 and provides related information for' ready reference by inspectors in the mines. As a research product to be used in mines, it does not repeat the summary, derivations or references.

Jan 1, 1977

By John M. Bostwick

Bitumen is a general term for a group of materials composed of mixtures of hydrocarbons that are fusible and soluble in carbon disulfide. Included in the group are petroleum, asphalts, asphaltites, and mineral waxes. Asphalt is a dark-colored, cementitious solid or semisolid, which generally softens on heating and resumes a more viscous or solid state when cooled (personal communication). It is found in native form in fissures and pore spaces in rocks and as lakes. It is also obtained from the residues produced in petroleum refining. Asphaltites are black, naturally occurring solid bitumens. They are generally shiny and break with a conchoidal fracture. Common asphaltites are gilsonite (uintahite), grahamite, and glance pitch. Mineral waxes are solid or semisolid, relatively nonvolatile bitumens of various colors, having an unctuous feel and waxy luster. Of the native waxes, ozokerite is the best known. Montan wax is also classed as a natural wax, although it never occurs in the pure state and must be extracted from lignite or cannel coal (Ladoo, 1920). Mineral waxes may also be obtained by pyroprocessing of petroleum, lignite, and peat. Pyrobitumens are dark-colored, solid hydro- carbons that are infusible and relatively insoluble in carbon disulfide. They are so-called because they will yield liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons only when heated. Asphaltic pyrobitumens are defined as "substantially free of oxygenated bodies" and include wurtzilite (elaterite), albertite, and impsonite (Thrush, 1968). Nonasphaltic pyrobitumens contain oxygenated bodies; examples are coal and peat. The nonasphaltic type will not be discussed further. Petroleum Asphalts Asphalts refined from crude petroleum have almost completely replaced the native types. Refineries can produce asphalts in every desirable grade more economically and in greater quantity than the native types and with a variety of properties that meet the requirements of the various manufacturers using them. For all practical purposes, it is estimated that more than 95% of the asphalts consumed in the United States are refined from crude petroleum (private communication).

Jan 1, 1975

By S C. Dominy

For any gold deposit-based geometallurgical study, the collection and processing of representative samples for gold grade and recovery tests is critical. Sampling protocols should be designed to suit the style of orebody in question. The proportion and size of gold particles has a direct impact on the effectiveness of sampling protocols and metallurgical recovery processes employed. Studies focussing on ore mineralogy and gold particle deportment, size and distribution are required. Key issues are the presence of gold particle clustering (important for sampling optimisation) and proportion of coarse versus fine to refractory gold. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a radiographic technique that produces high-resolution 3D computerised models of objects based on density distribution. The ‘virtual’ specimens are made up of voxels, the 3D equivalent of pixels each assigned a grey value based on X-ray absorption. This paper presents the results of recent research on the imaging of in situ gold particles in a coarse gold-bearing ore. The technique shows promise as a rapid non-destructive method for preliminary characterisation to facilitate more detailed studies. Early and rapid gold particle determination enables sampling protocol optimisation and metallurgical recovery parameters to be defined prior to detailed feasibility studies

Sep 5, 2011

By J. L. Bray, S. T. Ross

The paper provides electrometallurgical data on the problem of germanium removal from zinc sulphate solutions. Germanium traces have caused much concern to the zinc refiner. Confirmatory evidence of interaction between germanium and cadmium is presented. Statistical analysis of data expands its significance and enhances its value. Further research is outlined. THE literature contains many references to the effects of trace amounts of germanium in the production of electrolytic zinc. One of the authors had experience with this troublesome element as early as 1917 at Trail, B. C. In 1929, Tainton and Clayton' reported that concentrations of as little as one part per million of germanium were sufficient to cause serious losses in current efficiency. Liddell2 reported that trace amounts of germanium cause marked lowering of the hydrogen overvoltage of electrolytic zinc cells, so that commercial production was impaired. Bray3 recorded the history of germanium in relation to electrolytic zinc production, noting that concentrations below 10 ppm have been found to yield low current efficiencies and copious hydrogen evolution. Koehler' stated that germanium "when present to the extent of a small fraction of one part per million per liter, causes serious evolution of hydrogen with a corresponding reduction in current efficiency." Recently, however, S. W. Ross" reported, from Risdon, Tasmania, that "in the course of leaching . .. dissolved traces of germanium... if not removed almost completely ... increase the reversion of cadmium during the filtration of the copper-cadmium precipitate and reduce the current efficiency during subsequent analysis." The copper-cadmium precipitate referred to is the residue from the zinc-dusting purification of zinc sulphate leach solutions. In the face of such conflicting testimony and with the increasing industrial importance of pure germanium and zinc it was decided to investigate the relationship between cadmium and germanium. Furthermore, other work by the authors showed certain discrepancies to exist in the theories of Tainton, et al. In the laboratory, without marked efficiency decreases, the authors have deposited zinc successfully from solutions containing as high as 1 g per liter of germanium. This could be done only when there was no cadmium present. Preliminary investigations of the suspected rela- tionships were carried out by means of emission spectrographic analysis using a beryllium internal standard. Several solutions containing 100 g per liter of zinc, as zinc sulphate, and 1 g per liter of cadmium, as cadmium chloride, were prepared. These concentrations were on the order of those obtained during a commercial low-acid leaching process. Varying concentrations of germanium were added to these solutions so that the range of 0.0000 to 0.5000 g per liter of germanium was covered. A 250 ml sample of each solution was agitated with 2.5 g of zinc dust for 30 min, filtered, and the filtrates were examined spectroscopically. Qualitative evidences of cadmium traces were found in those filtrates which originally contained above 10 ppm of germanium. Reliability of the analytical method did not permit quantitative investigations since cad-Table I. Current Efficiencies Obtained at 0.0000 and 1.5000 G per Liter Cadmium Concentrations Ge Concentrastion,* Cd Concentration,* EtBclenoy, G per Liter G per Llter Pot 0.0000 0.0000 84.270 0.0010 0.0000 94.849 0.0050 0.0000 92.649 0.0075 0.0000 94.039 0.0100 0.0000 96.084 0.0000 1.5000 93.460 0.0010 1.5000 95.158 0.0050 1.5000 92.148 0.0075 1.5000 91.260 0.0100 1.5000 84.546 • Cd and Ge concentrations shown are those existing before zinc-dust purification. mium determination in the concentrations present in zinc-dusted solutions lacks sufficient sensitivity for reproducible results. As a consequence of the inability of the investigators to obtain acceptable results through direct quantitative analysis, an indirect approach was devised. This indirect method involved a study of the current efficiency, in a model zinc cell, as a function of the concentrations of cadmium and germanium. Variables such as cell temperature, voltage, current density, anode spacing, relative electrode area, degree of agitation, cathode preparation technique, time, acid concentration, and solution volume were held constant. Fig. 1 shows the cell used. The current was fur-

Jan 1, 1952

By R. J. Craig

Introduction All mining operations produce rock dust. Inhalation of rock dust, particularly if it has a high silica content, causes silicosis. Silicosis is, therefore, recognized as a hazard of the mining industry and has been made compensable throughout most of Canada. Most of the dust in any mining operation is caused by rock drilling and blasting operations and the movement and transportation of broken rock. Dust from blasting cannot be eliminated, but it can be controlled by means of increased ventilation, the use of water sprays, and the control of blasting hours. Dust from ore movement can be reduced by keeping the broken rock in a moist condition at all times. The dust from the rock drilling operation has been found to be the most difficult to control. Concentrations of dust caused by rock drills in stopes can usually be reduced to the safe minimum of 300 particles per cubic centimeter (p.p.c.c.) by diluting the air with increased ventilation. In development headings, where the machines are more confined, this is not always practicable. Therefore, the dust must be eliminated at its source. This paper deals with the reduction of dust from Leyner machines by adopting improved designs.

Jan 1, 1947

By Alastair Torrance, George Boucher, Roger Keller

An investigative blast programme has been carried out to provide information on the best blasting methods to excavate Chek Lap Kok island in Hong Kong for the new airport. The objectives of the programme included the assessment of a range of blast design parameters and their influence on fragmentation. This has been evaluated by physical assessment, photo digitising of the muckpile and computer predictions. In addition, a model to predict the three dimensional muckpile shape has been successfully calibrated.

Jan 1, 1992

By Deborah A. McCombe

"One of the cornerstones of NI43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects is the technical report. The purpose of the report is to provide a summary of the scientific and technical information concerning mineral exploration, development, and production activities on a mineral property that is material to an issuer. The reports must be prepared in accordance with NI43101 and Form 43-101F1 Technical Report and the information must be current as of the date of the filing of the technical report. As these reports provide important information to the investing public, qualified persons preparing these reports should, as much as possible, write in plain, simple language that can be easily read and understood by people who are not geoscientists or engineers. So let’s review some of the common deficiencies with technical reports. Non-current technical report Some of the factors you should consider when determining if your previously filed technical report is still current are as follows: •,Is there new technical information on the property, such as drilling, assays, metallurgical testwork? •,Have you made changes to key assumptions, parameters relating to mineral resources or mineral reserves, or economic analysis? If you have completed the previously recommended work, are your recommendations still current? Similarly, are your report recommendations consistent with what you are telling your shareholders or disclosing in the use of proceeds in your offering documents? For example, if the recommendations in the report consist of further exploration and metallurgical test-work prior to completing a preliminary feasibility study and you have completed the proposed work and are now raising money for a final feasibility study, the report is probably not current."

Jan 1, 2003

By K. Rainer Massarsch, Bengt H. Fellenius

"Abstract Vibrations generated during the driving of piles or sheet piles can affect buildings or installations in the ground. However, observed building damage is not always caused directly by dynamic effects, but can also be related to foundation conditions. The importance of geotechnical conditions is usually not taken into consideration in most vibration standards. This paper describes how building foundations, and in particular mixed foundation types, are especially sensitive to ground vibrations. A method is presented for assessing the risk of settlement due to vibrations in granular soils. Also, a simple concept is proposed for estimating settlements in the vicinity of driven piles.1. INTRODUCTIONUnder unfavorable conditions, the installation of piles or sheet piles can cause damage to buildings or other structures on the ground. Frequently, such damage is attributed to vibrations of the building itself. In many countries, national or international standards are used to assess the risk of vibration damage to buildings. As such standards are often prepared by engineers with little or no geotechnical knowledge, the effects of ground conditions on vibration propagation and damage to building foundations are generally not recognized, and damage criteria based solely on the dynamic response of buildings neglect the importance of damage mechanisms governed by geotechnical conditions. One potentially important damage mechanism is differential settlement below buildings, especially when these are founded on loose granular soils. When seeking guidance in the literature, little or no information can be found regarding methods to assess permissible levels of ground vibrations with respect to risk for settlement.This paper focuses on building damage that can be attributed to foundation conditions. In the case of ground vibrations due to pile and sheet pile driving, differential settlements are of particular importance as the ground vibrations attenuate relatively rapidly from the source. Consequently, settlement below part of the building, which is located close to the vibration source, can be significantly larger than at a distance further away.Piles are often a cost-effective foundation solution for buildings on loose and compressible soil, frequently located in urbanized areas. Sheet piles are commonly used as support for deep excavations. While impact driving is most commonly used to install piles, vibrators are frequently used for driving (and extraction) of sheet piles. It is important to recognize the fundamental differences between impact and vibratory driving. During impact driving, the pile is subjected to stress waves of short duration. The driving process creates vibrations, which radiate from the shaft and/or the toe of the pile into the soil. The larger the intensity of the stress wave, the larger the dynamic force and the intensity of ground vibrations. In addition to the vibration intensity, which often is expressed in terms of particle velocity, also the vibration frequency is important. When the dominant frequencies of the generated vibrations harmonize with the resonance frequency of buildings or building elements, the risk of building damage increases."

Jan 1, 2014

By Carlos R. Tapia

"El presente trabajo describe los métodos de explotación aplicados en la mina Carahuaca, así como una breve historiografia y contexto del yacimiento minero. En este punto, registra la ubicación de la zona minera en la provincia de Yauli, departamento de Junín, cuya geología desarrolla tres depósitos minerales tales como el depósito Norte o principal, el depósito central o viejecita y el depósito Sur o pantano. El sistema de explotación se da a cielo abierto (sistema de bancos), y pertenece a una zona mineralizada y subterránea (tajos de corte y relleno y sin entibación), la misma que se divide en dos operaciones: la remoción de la zona estéril del pendiente de la zona mineralizada y parte del yacente para dar a los bancos la inclinación final y la subterránea( tajos de corte y relleno aislados por entibación completa con cuadros ensamblados). Por último, se encuentran las labores de exploración y desarrollo que descubren, bloquean y atacan las secciones del mineral explotable (recortes y galerías, enmaderación y profundización del pique maestro al nivel 50)."

Jul 20, 1955

By K. A. Svanstrom, W. R. Opie

Problems associated with deposition of titanium infused chloride baths using TiCl4 as a feed material are reviewed. A potentially workable cell design using Alumdum diaphragms is discussed. Problems inherent to diaphragm-type cells are emphasized and experiments described which led to the development of a cell without a diaphragm. INVESTIGATORS assigned the problem of developing a commercial electrolytic process for making titanium metal have found that they are faced with the difficulty of overtaking rapidly improving magnesium and -sodium reduction processes. The ultimate goal must be a simple process that can be conducted with low-cost raw materials in equipment that is inexpensive to build and operate. This paper deals with some work of a preliminary nature conducted by personnel of the Research Laboratories, National Lead Co., Titanium Division. Many others have reported on the general subject of depositing titanium from fused salt electrolytes. A partial bibliography is attached. PRIMARY CONCEPTS Anyone attempting to deposit titanium metal from fused chloride electrolytes using TiC14 as a source material is faced with at least the following problems: 1) Getting the titanium into solution in the bath. 2) Controlling oxidation and reduction reactions associated with multiple valency of titanium, which result in low electrical efficiency. a) Prevention of dichloride oxidizing to trichloride and trichloride to tetrachloride at the anode. b) Prevention of trichloride from being reduced only to dichloride at the cathode. 3) Prevention of metal formation away from the cathode thru disproportionation of titanium dichloride to satisfy the equilibrium. 3 TiCl2 == 2 TiCl3 Ti [I] 4) Protection of reduced chlorides in the bath from reaction with oxygen from the bath container or air. 5) Removing from the bath the deposited metal formed without allowing it to become contaminated with oxygen or nitrogen. 6) Selecting cell materials of construction which will not contaminate the metal product or cause cell inefficiencies. EARLY EXPERIMENTS The initial attempts made to electrodeposit titanium from fused chloride baths using TiCl4 as a source material indicated that TiCl4 was essentially insoluble in molten chlorides of alkali and alkaline earth metals. If, however, the TiCl4 was introduced close to a nickel cathode some metal could be formed and appreciable quantities of reduced chlorides would be present. These reduced chlorides reacted with any oxygen present in the atmosphere above the bath and would also diffuse quickly to the anode (graphite) where they would react with chlorine and be evolved as TiCl4. The net electrolytic efficiency of such a cell is essentially nil. The TiCl4 evolves from the anode at almost the same rate that it is introduced in the vicinity of the cathode although a small amount of titanium metal can be formed on the walls of the cathodic pipe. It becomes apparent from the operation of such a cell that: metal can be deposited on the cathode, although of small particle size and a nonadherent nature, and when reduced chlorides are present in the electrolyte, TiCl4 can be absorbed, probably by the following reactions: TiCl4 + TiC12 - 2 TiCl3 [21 2 TiCl3 + 2 faradays - 2 TiC12 + C12 [31 DIAPHRAGM CELLS These facts encouraged the development of cells containing diaphragms to prevent migration of reduced chlorides from the cathode area to the anode. Small-scale cells for process development are described by Alpert, Schultz, and Sullivan.20 A larger brick-lined cell incorporating internal heating by passing ac through the bath is shown in

Jan 1, 1960

By Isobel Yeo, Florent Szitkar, Sven Petersen, Sebastian Graber, Meike Klischies

Technological advances and the shift towards green energies in the last decades have led to a substantial increase in the demand for metal resources. With rising political tension, and quasi-monopolistic production of some key metals, a secured supply chain cannot be guaranteed [1]. Therefore, the focus of the international research community and mining companies has expanded to the seafloor, looking for additional resources. The seafloor may have the potential to contribute significantly to a secure metal supply in the future. However, we have only investigated a fraction of our oceans in sufficient detail to assess the global resource potential. A detailed exploration of the vast seafloor is currently economically not feasible, due to its extremely time-consuming and costly nature. Seafloor massive sulfides generally form along the active plate boundaries and at active volcanoes in arc settings. However, the resources are not evenly distributed on the seafloor. Large deposits tend to be more common along slow-spreading and ultra-slow- spreading ridges that make up the majority of the global mid-ocean ridge system [2]. Therefore, it is important to establish geological models and exploration criteria in order to narrow down the permissive areas, which are likely to accommodate economically interesting deposits. Based on a detailed study of the TAG hydrothermal field in the central Atlantic Ocean, hosting a large active mound as well as several inactive mounds, we develop exploration methods and criteria to define areas of potential massive sulfide occurrences along slow-spreading sections.

Jan 1, 2018

By I. M. Masters

Iron removal and control in processes employing pressure leaching technologies developed at Dynatec Corporation are reviewed. Discussions are focused on recent developments in the processing of nickel-copper matte and copper concentrates, and on the Ambatovy laterite project in Madagascar. Iron control and its implications on flowsheet design in the pressure acid leaching (PAL) treatment of laterite ores and in the oxidative pressure leaching of mixed nickel-cobalt sulphide intermediates are also discussed.

Jan 1, 2006

By D. Minson, G. Lindner, S. Miskovic

Thickening is an essential process in the mining industry and currently one of the most costeffective technologies for recovering water from tailings streams. Improved performance of thickeners can lead to significant energy savings, and increased recovery of water close to the mill. Its performance is directly affected by the rheological properties of slurry at the raking zone. To further understand the dynamics of slurry inside thickeners, a multiphase particle-in-cell method (MP-PIC), is used to investigate its behaviour on a sliding channel. Parameters like particle-size distribution (PSD), rheological properties, and domain discretisation were benchmarked to study its influence on highly dense flows. The slurry concentration by weight of the samples ranged between 60 to 70% of solids by mass, under which conditions it is known to behave like a non-newtonian fluid. An experimental flume, 0.2 m wide and 2 m long, was used for validation under different angles and slurry composition. Visual analysis of the slurry height and shape, as well as velocity measurements, were compared with numerical data. The preliminary results show the ability of MP-PIC method to represent different types of highly dense flows, while still being computationally affordable and practical for industrial use. Keywords: High density thickener, CFD, MP-PIC, multiphase-flow

Jan 1, 2020

By A. T. Yu

On March 18, 1964, the 52,000 dwt ore carrier M/S Houn Maru called at the port of Coquimbo, Chile, on its maiden voyage to take iron ore to Japan. This marked the first time a vessel of this size ever arrived at Coquimbo, and the event promises to drastically accelerate henceforth iron ore exports from Coquimbo province. This was made possible by the use of a versatile shiploading system recently installed by Cia. Minera Santa Fe. Coquimbo has no mechanized loading facilities other than six conventional 5-ton cargo cranes. Limited space on shore further complicates the stocking problems. To make the best of what is available, a meticulously organized semi-hand-loading system has been developed through the years.

Jan 5, 1964

By Shuqiang Guo, Gonghui Yang, Xingxing Zhang, Yuyang Bian, Song Chen, Weizhong Ding, Yinhe Liu, Lan Jiang

One of the most promising refractory materials for application is zirconia in melting superalloy. In this work, the properties and phase composition of magnesia partially stabilized zirconia ceramics (MgO-PSZ) under different sintering temperatures were systematically investigated. Commercial magnesia partially stabilized zirconia (MgO-PSZ) powders were selected as the starting materials. The magnesia partially stabilized zirconia phase composition was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD), the density of sintered samples was tested by vacuum density instrument, the thermal expansion were obtained by thermal dilatometer from ambient temperature up to 1450°C, and the microstructures of MgO-PSZ were characterised by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results indicated that the properties of thermal expansion, densification, microstructures and phase composition were significantly affected by sintering temperature. Densification was consistent with SEM micrographs of MgO-PSZ at different sintering temperatures.

Jan 1, 2015

By Alexander Hauck, Dimitri Jung, Uli Leiste

This paper describes results from small scale tests conducted to determine the distribution of impulse on target plates when subjected to loading due to the detonation of a buried mine. The tests were conducted with saturated sand, dry sand, and water as the loading media. Tests were conducted for flat plates and for plates with angled bottoms. Previous testing has shown that angled bottoms can reduce the total vertical impulse delivered to the vehicle significantly. Different stand off distances were investigated as well as loading of the targets both on center and off center. It is very important to know not only the total impulse delivered by a detonating charge but also how this impulse is distributed over the bottom of the vehicle. A complete understanding of specific impulse will permit those parts of the vehicle, taking the greatest amount of loading, to be sized properly. Experimental results were compared to analytical expressions provided by Westine and Tremblay.

Jan 1, 2010

By Stephen H. Stow

Economically important heavy minerals have been studied in the sediments of offshore Alabama and Mississippi. Sandy samples have been collected from a 200 square mile area from Dauphin to Horn Islands. The minerals concentrate in sediments under 10-35 feet of water and may reach 2.4% by weight. The distribution of total heavies is related to the hydrodynamics of offshore Alabama-Mississippi; the greatest concentrations are in the Gulf where the longshore current is diverted from its westerly flow. Preliminary observations indicate that the distribution of individual minerals can be correlated with wave energy, particle size, specific gravity, and morphology of the mineral grains. The coarser, lighter minerals--kyanite, sillimanite and staurolite--are concentrated in relatively low energy areas in the Mississippi Sound and at the end of Dauphin Island in the Gulf; maximum concentration for each is 34.5%, 6.0% and 43.2%, respectively, of the heavy minerals. The smaller, more denseminerals--ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, zircon and monazite--are concentrated in high energy areas in the Gulf; maximum concentration for each, respectively, is 42.0%, 5.9%, 9.652, 10.7% and 1.3% of the heavy minerals. On the basis of a minimum concentration of 1% heavy minerals, two areas have been identified and the total amounts of different minerals have been calculated to a depth of 25 feet of sediment. The data are preliminary and in no way indicate recoverable reserves, but they do show that on the order of 20 million tons of heavies exist. These deposits should be termed "indicated resources".

Jan 1, 1975