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In connection with tin strategic minerals investigations of the Bureau of Mines and the Geological Survey under authority of the Strategic Materials Act (Public 117, 76th Cong., 1st sess.) a study is being made of tin deposits in the United States in an effort to improve the situation with respect to domestic supplies. These studies include sampling and exploration of some of the larger deposits with the objective of establishing emergency reserves, if possible to do so. Two exploration projects have been completed, and the over-all results obtained are set forth in this progress report. RESOURCES Tin was first discovered on this continent in 100 in the Temescal Mountains of what is now southern California. In the ensuing century, occurrences of tin have been reported in no less than 17 States and Alaska. Although most of these are of scientific interest only, tin-bearing veins and placers in California, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Virginia, South Dakota, Wyoming, Texas, New Mexico, and Alaska have been extensively explored, and largo sums of money have been expended in recurring attempts to exploit them.

Jan 1, 1941

By Jeffrey J. Schwoebel, Jianliang Li, Daniel J. Brunner

A United Nations (UN) administered degasification technology transfer project, funded by the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) is underway at the Shihao Mine of the Songzao Coal Mining Ad- ministration in the province of Sichuan, Peoples Republic of China. This mine exploits multiple seams at depths ranging from 300 to 600 m below surface. In-seam boreholes and frequently spaced in-mine vertical boreholes, developed from underlying galleries constructed specifically for this purpose, currently degasify the seams in advance of mining at the Shihao Mine. Because of ventilation system constraints and the in-situ gas con- tent, longwall mining of the coals at this mine could not proceed without some form of pre-mining degasification. This paper presents a simulation based degasification plan of long, in-seam horizontal boreholes for the Shihao Mine. Simulations with a coalbed reservoir program assessed time dependent degasification characteristics of both vertical and in-seam horizontal boreholes. The simulations used input data from reservoir and desorption tests conducted at the mine site. The results produced system design nomograms to assist mine engineers in defining the appropriate borehole spacing necessary to degasify the seam in the time available for pre-mining drainage. The predicted effectiveness of the current vertical degasification scheme was compared with that for a horizontal borehole program and served as the basis for the recommended in-seam borehole configuration for the project at the Shihao Mine. The horizontal borehole degasification program requires substantially less gallery and borehole development than the present vertical degasification scheme.

Jan 1, 1997

Mining Impact in Water Quality: Understanding the conflict Mining is an industrial process Metal mines that chemically process ore to concentrate metals such as copper and gold use more water than non-metal mines such as coal, salt and gravel. Tailing Ponds Water contaminated with high concentrations of metals, sulphide minerals, dissolved solids, or salts can negatively affect surface water quality, aquatic ecosystems and groundwater quality.

May 1, 2013

By B. N. Bose, M. F. Hawk

SINCE Davenport and Bain' introduced the isothermal transformation technique for the study of austenite decomposition in steels, a new field of investigation has opened up. Extensive research has been carried out on many different steels, but relatively little work has been done on eutectoid transformations in analogous alloy systems. The researches of Smith and Lindlief,² Mack,³ and Klier and Grymko²0 on the beta-phase transformation in copper-aluminum alloys, of Hibbard, Eichelrnan, and Saunders4 and Smith5 on the kappa-phase transformation in copper-silicon alloys, of Chaudron and Forester6 on the decomposition of "FeO," and of Wasserman7 on similarities between the iron-carbon, copper-aluminum, copper-tin, and copper-beryllium systems essentially comprise the field. The iron-nitrogen system, in view of its remarkable similarity to the iron-carbon system, is particularly attractive for the study of eutectoid decomposition. The present investigation is concerned with the study of isothermal transformation, proceeding by the familiar nucleation and growth processes, and of martensitic transformation characteristics of pure iron-nitrogen alloys. The kinetics of transformation and the morphology of the transformation products have been investigated, for these must be the factors determining the properties and behavior of the final product. The Iron-Nitrogen System he binary iron-nitrogen phase diagram has been a matter of considerable disagreement among vari01.1s investigators. However, the phase diagram according to Eisenhut and Kaupp8 and Lehrer10 is now considered essentially correct as reproduced in fig. 1. The important values, 2.35 pct nitrogen and 591°C, for the co-ordinates of the eutectoid point (obtained from this diagram and used in the re- search to be described) were confirmed in a concurrent study of Paranjpe, Cohen, Bever and Floe." The eutectoid decomposition involves the transformation of the ? face-centered cubic interstitial solid solution of nitrogen in iron to the a body-centered cubic interstitial solid solution of nitrogen in iron and the ?' nitride of iron. This nitride is essentially the compound Fe,N; it also possesses a face-centered cubic lattice but a considerably larger one than the ?; the nitrogen atoms in ?' are arranged in an ordered way in the centers of the unit cubes.8,10,11 A martensitic structure has also been reported8,12 in iron-nitrogen alloys and was studied in the research to be described here. Materials and Methods The specimens used in this investigation were prepared by nitriding "pure" iron. This iron was supplied by the Westinghouse Research Laboratories and is the product bearing their trade name "Puron"; it contains about 0.04 wt pct total impurities, the major portion of which is oxygen. Specimens were ribbons several inches long, a tenth of an inch wide, and 0.125 mm thick; this was the

Jan 1, 1951

By T. J. McKeon

Gravity separators such as spirals are commonly used in multistage cleaning and scavenging circuits to improve the quality and recovery of concentrates produced in the industrial minerals industry. Unfortunately, field surveys suggest that many industrial operations are poorly configured in terms of equipment layout. This shortcoming can often be attributed to a failure by engineers to make use of fundamental process engineering tools for circuit design. One of the most important of these is linear circuit analysis. This powerful tool makes it possible to mathematically compare the relative efficiency of circuit configurations in advance of experimental testing. This article provides a basic review of the linear circuit analysis concept and discusses some of the key insights it provides for the layout of multistage circuits. An industrial case study is provided to show the tremendous impact that this process engineering tool can have on the design of multistage spiral circuits in a heavy mineral wet plant.

Feb 1, 2012

By S. K. Kawatra, S. Valluri

With increased CO2 emissions from steel and coal industry, there is great opportunity to capture CO2 and utilize the captured CO2 for economic advantage. The primary goal is to develop energy-efficient processes that reductively couple CO2, an abundant and renewable carbon source, for the production of value-added chemicals such as methanol, ethanol, and oxalic acid. These chemicals can be used elsewhere in the refining process or sold as valuable by-products. Geological sequestration, in comparison, has no economic return. Current CO2 utilization research at Michigan Technological University focuses on electrochemical reduction of CO2. Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to hydrocarbons and other chemicals is a complex multistep reaction with adsorbed intermediates. The exact reaction mechanisms leading to various products are not clear from the literature to date and will likely change over the range of conditions like pH, electrode potential, electrolyte medium, catalyst, etc. This paper will present different ideas and their viability to utilize CO2 as a feedstock to produce several value-added compounds. INTRODUCTION Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere will need to be drastically reduced to curb the various undesirable effects of climate change. The large contribution in total CO2 emission originates from coal or natural gas power plants, and a considerable amount from steel plants. Average CO2 emissions in the US from steel industry is 2.9t CO2/t steel (Global CCS Institute 2013). Capturing the available CO2 from the steel and coal industries for economic advantage is a win-win situation for the industry. This technology is not only important scientifically but is also vital for a sustainable future. The various ongoing investigations can be categorized as biochemical, thermochemical, photochemical, and electrochemical approaches. Among these, the electrochemical method shows the most promise as an efficient form of CO2 conversion technology, because of its many advantages like high reactivity under ambient conditions and good extensibility from small- to large-scale processes1 BACKGROUND Extensive research has been done on the chemistry of transforming carbon dioxide into more useful products. Methods are known to convert carbon dioxide into a wide variety of substances, including methanol, isobutanol, carbohydrates, methane, carbonates, urea, formic acid, oxalic acid, carbon monoxide, epoxides, formaldehyde, and so on. Several of these (carbohydrates, formaldehyde, isobutanol etc.) are primarily results from biological processes. The rest are results of strong reduction reactions or electrolytic reduction. In short, electrolytic reduction can be used to form methane, methanol, formic acid, oxalic acid, carbon monoxide from carbon dioxide2. CO2 reduces at the cathode in an electrolysis cell. These processes have the general form of generating the carbon dioxide anion radical (2⋅−) and allowing it to react with itself or the electrolyte3. Catalysts can be added to influence the formation of the anion radical or to suppress side reactions3. The electrolyte, catalyst, voltage, electrode material and CO2 content are all known to effect the reaction pathway. Table 1 shows the overall reactions and energy requirements for electrochemical conversion of CO2 to chemicals

Jan 1, 2019

By George C. Bateman

WE in Canada want to see industry get back to a normal economic basis as soon as possible but wartime controls cannot be dispensed with immediately the war is over. Perhaps never again will we be entirely free from some of the types of controls such as those set up during the war. Certainly the taking over and disposal of surplus materials contemplates the continuation of some form of control for many years to come. However, to the extent that it is possible, the Allied nations are exponents of free enterprise.

Jan 1, 1944

By Morris Cohen

WITHIN the past two years, a number of publications have called attention to the double peaks, or stages, that appear in the hardness and strength curves of certain aging alloys. The author has shown the existence of double hardness peaks during the aging of a high-purity silver-copper alloy;1 and on the basis of electrical resistance, microscopic, dilation and lattice-parameter measurements, he concluded that the initial hardness peak occurs prior to precipitation while the secondary hardening is due to precipitation. It was suggested that the general mechanism of age-hardening involves two consecutive processes, the first consisting of nucleus or knot2 formation, and the second consisting of actual precipitation and particle growth. It was further held that the two stages are interdependent, but because of nonuniform precipitation they may overlap each other to an extent that increases as the aging temperature is raised. At high aging temperatures, the effect of the first stage cannot be detected because of the rapid occurrence of precipitation. The general theory of age-hardening recently presented by Dr. M. L. V. Gayler3 is in close agreement with the picture outlined above. With reference to work done on duralumin, copper-beryllium and copper-silver alloys, Dr. Gayler also concluded that age-hardening takes place in two consecutive steps: first, diffusion (in which the solute atoms migrate to certain crystallographic planes), and then precipitation. However, W. L. Fink and D. W. Smith4 have shown that the double aging peaks that appear in the strength curves of high-purity aluminum-copper alloys may be explained without recourse to pre-precipitation phenomena. By means of very careful metallographic technique, Fink and Smith demonstrated that during aging the precipitation takes place at an accelerated rate along the grain boundaries and slip planes as a result of the plastic deformation caused by the drastic quench from the solution heat-treatment temperature. ? The general precipitation occurs at a

Jan 1, 1938

By W. Rostoker, R. P. Elliott, B. W. Levincer

Phase equilibria in the Ti-Cr-Mo system have been investigated for alloys containing 100 to 40 pct Ti in the temperature range 550° to 1300°C. Five experimental isothermal sections and a surface of incipient melting are presented in addition to a summary projection of the space. Seven vertical sections have been constructed from the isothermal sections. A STUDY of the system Ti-Cr-Mo was undertaken as part of a program sponsored by Watertown Arsenal toward the development of titanium-base phase equilibrium diagrams of potential technical importance to alloy development. The scope of the investigation included the composition range contained by the titanium corner and the line of 64 pct Ti (all compositions are by weight) and the temperature range 550" to 1100°C. A surface of incipient melting was constructed from measurements on a large number of alloys. The system Ti-Cr has been established.&apos;-? The phase diagram is characterized by a wide miscibility field of the solid solution at elevated temperatures and a eutectoid reaction of the type: (15 pct Cr) + TiCr, (685C). The a solid solution has a very limited capacity for solution of chromium (< 0.5 pct Cr). The intermediate phase TiCr2 has at best a very narrow composition range. It has been shown that two allotropic modifications of this phase exist. However, this behavior does not appear to be perceptibly reflected in the form of phase boundaries of the type + TiCr,. In the system Ti-Mo,9-10 the phase is stabilized to successively lower temperatures with increasing molybdenum content. There are no known intermediate phases. The a solid solution is limited to less than 0.5 pct Mo. Because of the very extensive range of the phase, the ternary system was ideally suited to the determination of the phase boundaries by the parametric method of Andersen and Jette." A parametric surface was constructed to provide the necessary basis for the application of this method. Preparation and Treatment of Alloys More than 60 alloy compositions were prepared for the study of this system. Alloy buttons of 10 grams were arc-melted in a nonconsumable electrode furnace using inert atmosphere protection and a water-cooled copper crucible. The construction and operation of this type of melting unit have been adequately described elsewhere.&apos;&apos; To insure complete solution of alloy additions, the buttons were remelted alternately on top or bottom as many as five times. This was accomplished by a suitable mechanism for "flipping" over the ingots. Iodide titanium (99.97 pct Ti) was used as the alloy base. An especially high quality chromium (99.9 pct Cr) was obtained from the National Research Corp. Molybdenum sheet (0.005 in.) of 99.9 pct purity was used.

Jan 1, 1954

By H. Hejny

"The mine of the future will exploit mineral raw materials at greater depths than today, requiring completely different approaches compared to today’s deep mines, in order to get mineral rights. Only these eco-efficient mines will contribute to improved access to domestic mineral resources, secure the sustainable supply of mineral raw materials for Europe and reduce the import dependency. IntelliMine will contribute to realise these concepts of invisible, zero-impact and safe mines. The mine of tomorrow will run an integrated concept in order to guarantee the desired level of sustainability. All operations necessary for the eco-efficient provision of the minerals including waste management will be carried out underground. This will drastically reduce the volumes being transported, minimising above ground installations and thus the environmental impact. IntelliMine will develop necessary innovative methods, technologies, machines and equipment for the safe, eco-innovative, intelligent and economic exploitation of mineral raw materials in the EU, especially at greater depths."

Jan 1, 2011

By Thomas L. Hutchinson

The mechanical design of a roof support is basically a matter of a statics and dynamics problem, assuming of course, that the imposed loads and mining conditions are known. Here in the Appalachian coal fields the general conditions are known well enough to allow the majority of the proposed new faces of longwall to be furnished with standard commercially available supports equipped with suitable variants and options. While not trying to negate the primary importance of thoroughly investigating a potential face and the selection of the correct equipment for that face, it still becomes clear that an equally important aspect of the design of an adequate ground control program has in the past too of ten been overlooked, having been overshadowed by the ?endless? selection process of the roof supports proper. The equally important aspect which this paper discusses is the overall design of a mining system, which design incorporates not only the size and capacity of the equipment but the following points as well, namely: Equipment adaptability to mining scheme, Equipment va. human constraints, Operation at the designed levels, and Coordination of operation, maintenance and support design. Unless the coordination of these factors is considered in the design and selection of the equipment, a lopsided and inefficient operation is possible. How can we afford to put an 8-10 million dollar investment up to chance as to whether it will yield optimum results or not?

Jan 1, 1981

By V. Grujic, M. Grujic, D. Salatic

"Two areas are involved in the research work of the comminution process (crushing and grinding). The first one involves the changes of the size class distribution values that are definded by the differential equations in the function of the ore property and working conditions. The second area involves the comminution of the different levels in order to optimize the working parameters and to decrease the operational costs in the grinding process.We have studied, in detail, the possibility of functioning the crusher at the maximal loading, over 4500 kN, ball mills with diameters larger than 5.0 m and semiautogenous mills with diameters larger than 10.0 m.Using the computers, we have achieved the maximal loading range of the crusher, over Fc ? 4500 kN in the crushing process. In the grinding process, using the adequate differential equations in the automation process, we have established the correlation between the pulp mass capacity in the mill, pulp dencity, ore fineness in the pulp and recirculating ore charge.With the appopriate text, equations and graphs, this paper shows the results of our several years research work in the laboratory and in the ore comminution plant of Majdanpek Copper Mine."

Jan 1, 2003

By H. T. Miller, L. M. Scott

Radiation exposures in Uranium operations may result from external beta-gamma radiation emitted by Uranium and its progeny, internal exposure to alpha and beta radiation due to the inhalation and ingestion of Uranium ores, Radon gas, and Radon progeny in mine, mill, and laboratory atmospheres and from the contamination of environmental working surfaces and clothing by Uranium-bearing compounds and ore. This paper summarizes occupational experience with reference to the exploration, surface mining, underground mining, milling and transport of Uranium by one company in the U.S. and Canada.

Jan 1, 1981

By Omar A. Muhtadi

6.1 INTRODUCTION The three most critical factors in successful heap leaching operations are: • The methods employed to pretreat ore (i.e, crushing and agglomeration); • Placement of ore on the leach pad (heap building techniques); and • Wetting of the ore with cyanide (solution application techniques). Improper execution of any of these initial steps may result in a substantial sacrifice of total metal extraction or, in the worst case, in project failure. Ore preparation in terms of crushing and agglomeration was discussed in Chapter 5; this chapter therefore focuses on commonly employed techniques for heap construction and solution application. The main objective of heap construction is to obtain the most homogeneous heap possible. "Channeling" of leachate in heaps with preferential seepage paths leads to preferential leachate distribution and uneven/incomplete extraction. The two main contributing causes of channeling are inadequate attention to heap construction and uneven solution application. These pitfall s can best be avoided through a knowledge of the various techniques available and the applicability and success of these techniques with various ore types and site conditions. The remainder of this chapter provides a discussion on these two subjects. 6.2 HEAP BUILDING TECHNIQUES Successful heap building techniques vary with the type of ore and, since no two orebodies are exactly alike, some slight modifications are usually necessary for each specific project. However, it is possible to generalize in terms of the appropriate techniques to be used with ores having similar characteristics. This section discusses the three most commonly used methods of heap construction and provides some guidelines with regard to ore types, construction constraints, and lift height parameters for each of the three. 6.2.1 Run-of-Mine Dumping and Dozing The run-of-mine method of heap building can only be used with ore of a highly silicious nature (i.e., ore which will not generate a large amount of

Jan 1, 1988

By Galen G. Waddell

Several years of rock-burst research conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the mining companies of the Coeur d&apos;Alene mining district, Idaho, in addition to progress made by others throughout the world, have led to a good understanding of the rock-burst problem. This paper describes conditions which have caused specific bursts, present capabilities of detecting stress buildup and bursts, control methods, and a suggested approach to analyzing any individual mine-burst problem. A rock burst is the sudden, violent release of stored strain energy in rock by some mechanism of rock failure, generally accompanied by expulsion of rock with consequent damage to the mine. A burst may be audible for only a few hundred feet, or on the surface it may sound like a sonic boom miles away. A Dictionary of Mining, Mineral, and Related Terms, U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM)* 1968yand defines a burst as Bureau "That phenomenon which occurs when a volume of rock is strained beyond the elastic limit and the accompanying failure is of such a nature that accumulated energy

Jan 1, 1971

By Jr. East

The Bureau of Mines conducted an investigation of the Nightingale tungsten deposit about 38 miles north of Fernley, Nev., from September 1939 to March 1940, to determine possible resources of tungsten ore. The property was owned by the Gold, Silver & Tungsten, Inc., which maintained its offices in Boulder, Colo. Ore was discovered in 1917, and some ore was mined in 1918 and treated in a mill at Toulon, a station on the Southern Pacific Railroad, 40 miles east. Same shipments were made since 1918, but no production figures are available. The ore is mined from nearly vertical tactite bodies at the limestone-granite contact. The Bureau of Mines excavated 944 linear feet of trenches, drifted 52 linear feet, sunk a shaft 20 feet in depth, sampled the underground workings by cutting 743 linear feet of channels, sampled the surface trenches by cutting 415 linear feet of channels, and drilled 9 diamond-drill holes, totaling 3,000 feet. The ensuing sections note the location and physical features of the district and specify the property and ownership. The history of the mine is briefed, and the geology and mine workings are described. The work done by the Bureau of Mines is summarized and supplemented in detail by assay maps, logs of diamond-drill holes in appendix A, and a table of sample analyses in appendix B.

Jan 1, 1950

By Charles P. Williams

The lead-bearing area of Missouri has been subdivided, geographically, into the Southeastern, the Central, and the Southwestern

By E. S. Wheeler

The conversion plant of the Clirnax Molybdenum Co. is at Langeloth, Washington . County, Pennsylvania, approximately 30 miles west of Pittsburgh. The molybdenite concentrates converted originate in the company&apos;s mine and mill at Climax, Co1orado.l They are delivered to the Langeloth plant by rail packed in 175-lb. bags. War production of concentrates at the mill started in 1918 but it was not until about 1920 that any peacetime uses of the metal began to develop. Early conversion of Climax concentrates was mainly into ferromolybden um, produced for the company by a custom smelter. Chronology of Plant Development In 1924 a small hand-rabbled roaster was built at Langeloth, the roasted concentrates being used principally in the production of calcium molybdate by a conventional wet method. The size of the original plant is indicated by the fact that during 1925 about 400,000 lb. of molybdenum was converted. In 1925-1926, a multiple-hearth roaster was erected (12-ft. 0.d. 8-hearth Nichols-Herreshoff); also the first experimental ferromolybdenum was produced at Langeloth. At this time sa.1cium molybdate was produced in the furnace by a process to be described. With continued interest in and increased use of molybdenum, it was necessary to arrange for enlargement of plant facilities. Although only one 12-hearth 16-ft. 0.d. roaster was erected at this time (1929), plans were prepared for a duplicate unit, which was completed in 193 5, giving a potential roasting capacity of some 16,000 lb. Mo per day under the then prevailing roasting practice. Shortly after this second unit had gone into production, increased demand overtaxed the plant, and as a result two 12-hearth 18-ft. 0.d. roasters were placed in operation in 1936 and 1937. This gave the plant a potential roasting capacity of 40,000 to 50,000 lb. Mo per day, and necessitated major changes in auxiliary handling equipment as well as improved facilities for producing ferromolybdenum. Following the introduction (1938) of a new product—molybdic oxide briquets— and because of the constantly growing demand for molybdenum, plant facilities were again enlarged in 1940 and 1941 by the erection of two 16-hearth 18-ft. 0.d. roasters. These two new units, along with a change in roasting practice, brought the potential roasting capacity to 150,ooo to 190,000 Ib. Mo per day, based on about 15 lb. per sq. ft. of hearth area. Other departments of the plant have necessarily grown, until today the plant is modern throughout and completely mechanized, with equipment geared to produce marketable products as follows:

Jan 1, 1944

By E. S. Wheeler

THE conversion plant of the Climax Molybdenum Co. is at Langeloth, Washington County, Pennsylvania, approximately 30 miles west of Pittsburgh. The molybdenite concentrates converted originate in the company&apos;s mine and mill at Climax, Colorado.1 They are delivered to the Langeloth plant by rail packed in 175-lb. bags. War production of concentrates at the mill started in 1918 but it was not until about 1920 that any peacetime uses of the metal began to develop. Early conversion of Climax concentrates was mainly into ferromolybden um, produced for the company by a custom smelter. CHRONOLOGY OF PLANT DEVELOPMENT In 1924 a small hand-rabbled roaster was built at Langeloth, the roasted concentrates being used principally in the production of calcium molybdate by a conventional wet method. The size of the original plant is indicated by the fact that during 1925 about 400,000 lb. of molybdenum was converted. In 1925-1926, a multiple-hearth roaster was erected (12-ft. o.d. 8-hearth Nichols-Herreshoff); also the first experimental ferromolybdenum was produced at Langeloth. At this time calcium molybdate was produced in the furnace by a process to be described. With continued interest in and increased use of molybdenum, it was necessary to arrange for enlargement of plant facilities. Although only one 12-hearth 16-ft. o.d. roaster was erected at this time (1929), plans were prepared for a duplicate unit, which was completed in 1935, giving a potential roasting capacity of some 16,000 lb. Mo per day under the then prevailing roasting practice. Shortly after this second unit had gone into production, increased demand overtaxed the plant, and as a result two 12-hearth 18-ft. o.d. roasters were placed in operation in 1936 and 1937. This gave the plant a potential roasting capacity of 40,000 to 50,000 lb. Mo per day, and necessitated major changes in auxiliary handling equipment as well as improved facilities for producing ferromolybdenum. Following the introduction (1938) of a new product-molybdic oxide briquets and because of the constantly growing demand for molybdenum, plant facilities were again enlarged in 1940 and 1941 by the erection of two 16-hearth 18-ft. o.d. roasters. These two new units, along with a change in roasting practice, brought the potential roasting capacity to 150,000 to 190,000 lb. Mo per day, based on about 15 lb. per sq. ft. of hearth area. Other departments of the plant have necessarily grown, until today the plant is modern throughout and completely mechanized, with equipment geared to produce marketable products as follows:

Jan 1, 1944

By S. J. Anderson

To deftne the capabilities of a nonexplosive excavation concept, the Bureau of Mines conducted reduced-scale laboratory tests of a mechanical excavation tool called a rock splitter. The splitter investigated was capable of applying combinations of radial and axial loads to rock when placed in a predrilled hole. Experiments conducted with the tool in concrete, limestone, and granite proved it capable of excavating all three materials. Break geometry in these three materials was the same, which encourages the prediction of performance in all rocks. The design of the radial-axial loading splitter&apos;s feather components significantly affected the tool&apos;s performance. It appears the design of this in-hole component should be tailored for the rock to be excavated.

Jan 1, 1987