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By P. R. Warner

This paper reviews the development of certain aspects of the electrical specifications of Anglo American’s suite of specifications for gearless mill drives (“GMDs”). These specifications are based on experiences in both Anglo American’s and others’ operations, benchmarking against large hydro generators, the advice of industry and university experts, and continuous close co-operation with OEMs. To achieve a step change in availability additional final testing and electrical protection have been implemented, insulation requirements have been specified for machines to be operated at high altitude and clean area and access control systems have been developed.

Jan 1, 2012

By M. Afsari Nejad

A Transversely Elasto-Plastic Model was configured in FLAC (Fact Lagrangian Analysis of Continua) as a more realistic simulation of stratified and inclined strata behaviour examining surface subsidence above the inclined longwall panels (I ). The failure criterion employed was a modified Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion that assumed a variable cohesion, which changed with respect to the orientation of the plane of anisotropy . Using the proposed numerical modelling technique several longwall panels with different configurations were simulated. The results of both surface subsidence and horizontal displacements were validated against UK data using the Subsidence Engineer's Handbook (S.E.H) subsidence prediction method and the Influence Function Method (2). It was found from the research that the incite properties as well as laboratory to field reduction factors arc depth dependent. A set of relationships for calculation of anicotropic stiffness and strength parameters have been derived. The proposed modelling approach has been successfully applied to surface subsidence prediction for 3 collieries in the UK allowing the results of the simulation to he validated directly against measured data.

Jan 1, 1998

By U. Prasad

This paper summarizes the investigation carried out on a wide range of rock types, subjected to high velocity impact to simulate explosive action. A Split- Hopkinson Bar apparatus was used to generate the high velocity impact. The rock samples included both homogeneous and isotropic, and anisotropic types. The strain rate achieved was between 600 and 12OO/sec, The respective measured dynamic compressive strengths were compared with their low strain-rate or static values. It was found that the ratio of the dynamic to static values ranged between 2.5 and 4.6. It was also determined that the high strain-rate loading produced finer fragment size distribution than the static loading. The fragment size distribution from the two strain-rate regimes has been further analyzed to establish correlation with rock types and the strength characteristics. The results also confirm that high strain-rate loading (i.e. high detonation pressure and high velocity of detonation in an explosive column) would significantly affect the degree of fineness in a blast.

Jan 1, 2001

By Paktunc. A. Dogan, Nand K. Davé

Unsegregated pyritic uranium mill tailings from Elliot Lake, Ontario, with and without limestone amendment, were subjected to column leaching experiments for the purposes of predicting the onset of acidic drainage and the magnitude of metal and radionuclide release under various treatment and control strategies. The unamended tailings produced acidic drainage after approximately one and a half year. The tailings mixed with various grain-sized limestone did not produce acidic drainage during the study period. The tailings consist essentially of quartz, K-feldspar, muscovite and pyrite. The unsegregated tailings amended with very fine limestone displayed the least amounts of pyrite loss whereas those without limestone amendment had the greatest pyrite losses. Predicted onset of acid generation varied from 16 to 75 years for the top sections and in most cases greater than 100 years for bottom sections of the unsegregated tailings with limestone amendments. Unsegregated tailings mixed with fine- and very fine-grained limestone proved to be the most effective in controlling or delaying the onset of acidic drainage under unsaturated conditions.

Jan 1, 2000

Those developing or planning a new mining operation base their financial projections on amounts of gold produced as soon as practically possible. The choice and ongoing operation of mobile plant figures significantly in their projections. The implications of mobile plant selection are not always clear - until its too late.Our 'typical' gold mine would be a mine processing 800,000 tonnes of ore per annum, producing 37,000 ounces of gold with a life of mine of 10 years. Overburden layers are only evident in the first two years of operation.The pit will eventually, after some 5 years of mining, be some 300 metres deep, but confined to a mine radius of 2 kilometres.

Jan 1, 1986

By Gordon I. McPhail

Future challenges to the mining industry are many and include increasing requirements from regulatory agencies and communities, more competitive commodity pricing, increasing competition for power and water supplies, deeper mines and increasing number sulfide ore bodies requiring dealing with Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) controls and finally larger mine waste structures increasing consequences of potential failures. In this sense, the paper deals with approaches that can, and have been, used in planning the overall project and tailings facilities locations and layouts. It also discusses approaches used to achieve better planning, by considering an integrated milling, concentration, and tailings process, rather than considering tailings and the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) as an independent entity.

Oct 21, 2015

By George R. Eadie

As 1972 slipped through our grasp, coal industry adjustments to health and safety laws, environmental restrictions, rising costs and higher production targets left many mine operators groping for a new grip. The industry adopted a defensive attitude in 1972 as it faced the onslaught of inspectors. With rigid demands for improving safety and instituting environmental programs, the industry worked hard and watched production figures stagger upward while operating costs zoomed. In an effort to determine how to meet the goals that were established for fewer ignitions, fewer accidents, less respirable dust, lower noise levels, fewer law violations, better reclamation, less pollution, lower costs and higher production, industry representatives attended numerous technical meetings.

Jan 2, 1973

By Richard F. Moe

INTEREST in developing White Pine, considered since 1942, was renewed by the Korean conflict and its shortage of domestic sources of copper. In view of this Morris F. La Croix, president of Copper Range Co. of Boston, and of its wholly owned subsidiary, White Pine Copper Co., worked an agreement out with Government officials. Essentially the contract called for a construction loan of $57,185,000 at 5 pct interest, with $13 million additional supplied by Copper Range. Defense Materials Procurement Agency contracted for 243,750 tons of copper from the first 275,000 tons produced, at a base price of 25.5& per lb, the contract to expire Dec. 31, 1961.

Jan 4, 1954

By Keith Heasley

An eastern longwall mine was required to mine through a set of three entries located midway down the length of a panel. Of course, the mine desired to design a successful support system for the mine-through area at the least cost. To further complicate the design process, the mine-through entries were located directly under the end of a previously mined, overlying longwall panel and the entries were close enough to be subject to stress interactions from the overlying seam. In order to accurately evaluate the multiple-seam stresses and modify the mine-through support system appropriately, the boundary element program LaModel was used to model the stress and displacements in the two mines. Using the results of the model's stress analysis, the support density was systematically varied throughout the mine- through entries for optimum sup@ efficiency and economics. During the actual mining of the cross panel entries, the longwall experienced few, if any, additional delays, and overall, the support and mine through of the cross-panel en- tries at Harris #1 was very successful, saving the mine confineable time and money.

Jan 1, 2003

By Sturgul J. R

ZC Mines investigated a proposal to replace the present underground train haulage system with rear dump trucks. The number of rear dump trucks required to achieve target output and the required mix of trains and trucks during the changeover was of importance to the designers, and a GPSS computer simulation model of the operation was constructed using GPSS/PC, a recent form of the language for the personal computer. Three models were 'constructed to simulate initial and final configurations of underground haulage systems to transport ore from ore passes to the crusher and then to the skip for transport to the surface. The initial model simulated train operation on two levels and rear dump truck operation on a third level. The second model simulated rear dump truck operation on two levels with ore being loaded through the crusher to the skip as in the previous case. The third model replaced the rear dump trucks on the lower level with a train to establish the relative merits of the two methods of transport. The simulations identified equipment numbers, required operating hours and critical points in the operation which can then be addressed by the mine designers.

Jan 1, 1988

By Ahmad Umar

A variety of ZnO nanostructures such as sea-urchin-like structures composed of nanowires and nanorods, nanocombs, nano/micro spheres and cages, star-shaped ZnO nanostructures, flower-shaped nanostructures, needle-like nanostructures etc. have been synthesized applying two different fabrication techniques i.e. thermal evaporation and cyclic feeding chemical vapor deposition techniques at different reaction parameters such as reaction temperature, growth period, reactant concentrations, types of source material and substrates etc. It was observed from the experiments that the morphologies of the grown structures were highly influenced by the reaction parameters and fabrication techniques and specific morphology can be obtained at particular reaction parameters in a specific synthetic procedure. Extensive morphological investigations of the obtained products demonstrate that the grown structures are single crystalline and having a wurtzite hexagonal phase. Room-temperature photoluminescence spectra of all the deposited products exhibited good optical properties. Finally, the growth process of the fabricated structures were proposed and discussed in detail.

Jan 1, 2006

The 1936 meeting will be held in Salt Lake City, the exact date to be announced later. If you have any suggestions for the place or program send them to the Secretary at once.

Jan 1, 1935

Book review Proceedings of the Symposium on Mining Methods. London, Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, 1974. 160 pp. The Symposium was held from 30th October to 1st November, 1974, and the papers include an interesting range of subjects in coal-mining operations, covering the improvements achieved to date, current practice, and required development for the future. Salamon, M.D.G., and Oravecz, K. 1. Rock Mechanics in Coal Mining. 119 pp. NIM reports Report no. 1822 Stability constants and linear free-energy relations for the platimtm-group metals. (22nd Oct., 1976). Report no. 1852 A revised method for the dissolution of platiniferous materials by the sealed-tube technique. (18th Oct., 1976). Report no. 1828 y-picoline adducts of the nickel, copper, and zinc chelates of 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone. (26th Nov., 1976) Report no. 1847 A pilot-plant investigation of a kinetic model for flotation.(19th Nov., 1976)

Jan 2, 1977

By J F. Penrose

To obtain cost-efficient financing by way of securing an optimal credit rating, the operating and market risks of a single-asset mining project should be accommodated in the financial structure. Weak financing structures can cause projects to fail, as evidenced by the Murrin Murrin and Bulong examples; these can be compared to the investment-grade structure of Straits (Nifty), which managed operational, market, and financing risks well. Most mining projects are capital-intensive, and have heavy dependency on debt financing. A weak financial structure may result in the early failure of an otherwise sound and economically viable project. Appropriate management of technology, construction, and management risks generally will get a project built; of the project failures that occur, most are caused by a liquidity crisis as the project goes through ramp-up (the transition period between completion of construction and full operation). A projectÆs viability can be enhanced through sound hedging practices, while poor hedging can increase the likelihood of financial default.

Jan 1, 2003

By D. E. Ranta, M. W. Ganster, A. D. Ward

An ore zoning technique developed by Climax geologists during the past forty years has been used to contour drill-hole assay values on cross-sections for fourteen porphyry molybdenum deposits in western North America, including the Climax and Henderson orebodies. Detailed geological studies of these large, complex deposits are essential in determining ore controls, which are the factors most critical to the zoning of MoS2 and to conceptualizing geologic model s. The technique provides a detailed representation of the size, shape, grade distribution, and geologic continuity of the individual deposits. It demands a disciplined approach and adheres to rigorous rules while maintaining flexibility for adaptation to widely varying geologic conditions. By defining the limits that guide and control manual, computer-assisted conventional, and geostatistical reserve estimates, it exerts a strong geologic influence on the estimation process. A combination of ore zoning and geostatistical analysis of molybdenum deposits produces a significantly more accurate, precise, and defendable geologic reserve estimate than other methods.

Jan 1, 1984

By D. E. Ranta, M. W. Ganster, A. D. Ward

An ore zoning technique developed by Climax geologists during the past forty years has been used to contour drill-hole assay values on cross-sections for fourteen porphyry molybdenum deposits in western North America, including the Climax and Henderson orebodies. Detailed geological studies of these large, complex deposits are essential in determining ore controls, which are the factors most critical to the zoning of MoS2 and to conceptualizing geologic models. The technique provides a detailed representation of the size, shape, grade distribution, and geologic continuity of the individual deposits. It demands a disciplined approach and adheres to rigorous rules while maintaining flexibility for adaptation to widely varying geologic conditions. By defining the limits that guide and control manual, computer-assisted conventional, and geostatistical reserve estimates, it exerts a strong geologic influence on the estimation process. A combination of ore zoning and geostatistical analysis of molybdenum deposits produces a significantly more accurate, precise, and defendable geologic reserve estimate than other methods.

Jan 1, 1992

By R. E. Lund, D. E. Warnes

SELECTIVE sulfation of individual constituents in ores or metalliferous products has received increased attention in recent years. The fluid-bed reactor with its advantages of close control of both temperature and atmosphere promises to have ap-

Jan 1, 1958

By C. Norman Cochran, James L. Brandt

ALTHOUGH gas in aluminum and its effect on aluminum products have been the subject of a number of papers, not many quantitative determinations of the hydrogen content of solid aluminum and its alloys have been recorded in the literature. For solid aluminum samples, four investigators have reported hydrogen contents which appear reasonable compared with the hydrogen solubility of 0.7 ml per 100 g, STP, in molten aluminum at 660°C established by Ransley and Neufeld' and verified by Opie and Grant' and Ransley and Talbot. Sloman," who used a vacuum fusion procedure, reported the hydrogen content of some high purity aluminum as 0.66 ml per 100 g, STP. Griffith and Mallett, employing the tin fusion method, reported the internal hydrogen content of six different aluminum alloys as ranging from less than 0.1 ml per 100 g, STP, for 1100 alloy to 0.7 ml per 100 g, STP, for 4043 alloy (previously 43S, a 5 pct Si alloy). Eborall and Ransley," using a solid extraction of the gases at 600°C, reported hydrogen contents ranging from 0.1 ml per 100 g, STP, to 1 ml per 100 g, STP. Ransley and Talbot reported that several thousand analyses on 99.2 pct and higher purity aluminum as well as Duralumin type alloys indicated hydrogen contents ranging from 0.1 ml per 100 g, STP, to 0.5 ml per 100 g, STP.

Jan 1, 1957

By Maria Agostina Cinellu

Some aspects of the reactivity of the two different kinds of gold(III) oxo complexes [Au2(N,N)2(?-O)2][X]2 [N,N = 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy) (1), 6-alkyl-2,2'-bipyridine (bipyR) (2), R = Me a, CH2Me b, CHMe2 c, CMe3 d, CH2CMe3 e] and [Au2(C,N,N)2(?-O)][X]2 [HC,N,N = 6-benzyl-2,2'-bipyridine (bipyR') (3), R' = CHMeC6H5 a, CMe2C6H5 b] (X = BF4, PF6) have been studied. Treatment with water converts the unsubstituted bipyridine complex [Au2(bipy)2(?-O)2][PF6]2 (1) and the cyclometallated derivatives [Au2(C,N,N)2(?-O)][PF6]2 (3) into the water soluble monomeric hydroxo species [Au(bipy)(OH)2][PF6] (4) and [Au(C,N,N)(OH)][PF6] (5), respectively. These hydroxo species, likely the intermediates in the formation of the oxo complexes, are quantitatively reverted to the latter ones by reflux in anhydrous solvents. Both kinds of oxo complexes react with PPh3 to give OPPh3, the gold(I) complex [Au(PPh3)2][PF6] and the free bipyridine ligands. The reaction of the dioxo complexes [Au2(bipyR)2(?-O)2][PF6]2 (2a, 2b, 2c, 2e) with different alkenes gives the unprecedented alkene complexes [Au(bipyR)(?2-alkene)][PF6]. The styrene adduct [Au(bipyip)(?2- CH2=CHPh)][PF6] (7) (bipyip = 6-iso-propyl-2,2?-bipyridine c) has been characterized, inter alia, by X-ray diffraction analysis. Organic products arising from olefin oxidation are also found in the reaction mixture.

Oct 1, 2003

By R. Fritschen

In order to investigate locations, source parameters, and source mechanisms of mining induced seismic events, a local network of seismic stations was installed at a coal mine in the eastern part of the Ruhr District (Germany). The recorded events were located with the help of an anisotropic velocity model, which accounts for the fine layering of the carboniferous strata. Most of the events took place about 50 m above the working Luise 76-10. Their locations correlated with the advancing working face, and the number of events increased when pillar edges were undercut. The source mechanism, i.e., the orientation of the fracture plane and the direction of displacement on this plane, could be determined for several seismic events. The majority of them was characterized by a fracture plane parallel to the working face and an almost vertical dislocation on this plane towards the goaf a mechanism resembling the breaking down of the hanging wall. The fracture plane had a dimension of about 100 m. Probably the fracturing of a sandstone layer, located approximately 40 m above seam Luise, was responsible for the observed seismicity

Jan 1, 1999