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By L. E. Young

IT has been said the British Empire was built on British Coal. In all the postwar planning for Great Britain the necessity for producing cheap coal and the prosperity of the coal industry are given first consideration. On Jan. 23, 1945, there was released in London a "Report to the Colliery Owners" which had been awaited with great interest. This was entitled "A Plan for Coal" and was the recommendation of Robert Foot, chairman of The Mining Association (Colliery Owners), prepared at their request. Presentation of the "Plan" at this time is particularly significant as it is an answer to the demand for nationalization of the coal industry by the Labour Party and at the same time is a carefully considered program for postwar reconstruction, prosperity, and stability. In the words of Mr. Foot, If the coal industry for the first ten years after this war is to find itself in a situation similar to the one it occupied for the ten years following the last war, with its record of disputes, strikes, stoppages, short-time working, unemployment, and, with it all, a completely insufficient margin of profit, and all the insecurity and instability in our basic industry that was brought with them, it is goodbye to any real prospect of full employment, social security, and high standard of living. To present an elaborate review of the conditions which have brought to a crisis the unfortunate situation in the British coal industry is here unnecessary, but certain of the salient points

Jan 1, 1945

By M. Mortada

Nonsteady-state flow of slightly compressible liquids in porous media of non-uniform properties has been the subject of a number of recent studies. Most of these studies considered one-dimensional flow in systems with cylindrical geometry and with the properties of the porous medium varying with radial distance only. A. Houpeurt' studied the problem in its general form by examining the solutions of the differential equation, In Eq. 1, the permeability k and the porosity + are arbitrary functions of radial distance. Houpeurt concluded that, except for special forms of the functions k and the problem is not well suited for mathematical treatment, but lends itself to high-speed digital computation. Carslaw and Jaeger' discussed the solution of Eq. 1 for the case in which the permeability varies as a power of the radial distance. P. Albert3 studied analytically the pseudo steady-state solutions in systems of finite radial extent and non-uniform properties. He also obtained some numerical solutions for nonsteady-state flow using a high-speed computer. William Hurst4 examined the interference pressure drop due to a point sink located in an infinite system consisting of two permeability regions in series. In this case, the permeability changed at a radial distance r from the point sink. INTERFERENCE BETWEEN OIL FIELDS IN A NON-UNIFORM AQUIFER The interference pressure drop for oil fields located in an extensive aquifer of uniform properties is discussed in a number of places in the literature. This work considers the interference pressure drop for oil fields located in a non-uniform extensive aquifer comprising two regions of different properties as shown in Fig. 1. Region I of the aquifer extends from which is the radius of Oil Field A, to ar,,, where a>1. It has permeability k,, porosity +, and effective compressibility c,. Oil Field B is located in Region II which extends from ar, to infinity and has different properties from those of Region I, but the same formation thickness h. Region II has permeability k2, porosity and effective compressibility c2. The choice of this type of aquifer should not imply that it is of frequent occurrence. It is chosen primarily to illustrate the effects of non-uniform aquifer properties on oilfield interference. It is of interest to point out that a non-uniform radial aquifer in which both the permeability and the porosity are inversely proportional to the radial distance can be treated in a manner similar to a linear aquifer of uniform properties. The situation where only the permeability varies as the inverse of the radial distance is also amenable to analytical treatment. Both aquifers behave quite differently from a radial aquifer with uniform properties so far as the water influx and the interference pressure drop are concerned. METHOD OF SOLUTION The expression for the interference pressure drop in Oil Field B due to a constant rate of water influx in Oil Field A is developed in the Appendix. This is accomplished by the simultaneous solution of two partial differential equations describing the pressure in Regions I and 11. The two differential equations are solved subject to the following conditions: (1) at r,, the pressure gradient is constant; (2) at ar the pressure and

By E. L. Thyse

Keywords: Pyrometallurgy, converter, nickel, matte, distribution Metallic elements occupy a wide range in granulated nickel converter matte phases. The distribution of these metallic elements, particularly during crystallization path events, appears to be poorly understood. The present study serves to investigate the distribution of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Pb between nickel-sulphide, copper-sulphide, and alloy phases. A novel combination of thermo-chemical modelling, electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis was applied to understand crystallization path events and the associated metallic element distribution. This study has demonstrated that major Ni incorporated during copper-sulphide crystallization would serve to mobilize minor Co towards distribution in copper-sulphide phases. In addition, solid solution substitution of Cu by Ni is manifested by compositional zoning of copper-sulphide phases. The role played by Ni during alloy crystallization suggests that minor Co was also mobilized, along with an increase in principal Ni. Fe, by contrast, seems to be incompatible with principal Ni. In addition, solid solution substitution of Ni with PGEs and Cu is manifested by compositional zoning of NiCu-alloy phases.

Jan 1, 2011

By M. A. Trevits, J. E. Urosek, A. C. Smith, M. P. Valoski

Unlike other types of mining accidents, where an incident generally involves only a few workers, the danger of a mine fire extends to every person working in the underground environment. Mine fires can trap or kill those working underground by blocking avenues of escape and rapidly creating heat, asphyxiating gases and toxic fire products that can quickly spread throughout the mine. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in partnership with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), is conducting research to test, evaluate and improve or modify coal mine fire-fighting strategies and methodologies through large-scale tests. Because wood is the second most abundant fuel available during a coal mine fire, it was decided that a series of large-scale wood crib fire tests was needed to measure the products of combustion and to observe the capability of commonly available direct application fire suppression equipment, namely, fire extinguishers, water and gas-enhanced foam. This paper discusses the wood crib fire tests, provides insight into the products of combustion and describes observations made during the application of the fire suppression agents.1

By Paul Morrison

The paper describes the design process, trial testing and contract pile installation of 772 pre­cast concrete piles at a site in Surrey, South East England. Recommendations on how to improve the design, construction trials and main contract piling phases of the project are made. The building layout is shown in Figure 1 and is comprised of a central circulation area with five office wings radiating out from its southern side (only three of these wings were constructed in Phase 1 of the project). Approximately 60% of the circulation area and one office wing were built with a single level basement. The basement was constructed "bottom-up" in open cut with the void between the basement walls and the cut slope being back-filled with compacted site won soil above a perimeter drainage system at basement slab level. The building has up to 3 stories above basement level and is a reinforced concrete structure. The client for the project is Pfizer Ltd. Pfizer Ltd was represented on site by Laing Project Management (Laing). The consulting engineer was Ove Arup and Partners (Arup) while the piling contractor was Roger Bullivant Ltd (RBL).

Jan 1, 2000

By R Shaw, M Hidding

The design of primary sample cutters for high-capacity conveyors is critical to achieving a correct sample, both in collecting the sample and ensuring smooth sample discharge flow. Modelling usually occurs at the design stage and requires extensive experience to achieve the correct result. However, it is difficult to confirm the effectiveness of the cutter design until after installation. Even with high-speed video, confirmation of complete sample capture is difficult, especially if the material characteristics change over time. Recent investigation using discrete element method (DEM) simulation to model the flow of the ore into the cutter and observe how it interacts with the cutter has revealed some interesting design requirements not observed in the past. By including DEM modelling, the correct design and optimisation of the cutter can be more accurately determined prior to commissioning.CITATION:Hidding, M and Shaw, R, 2017. Modelling ore flow in the design of high-capacity sample cutters, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending , pp 145–150 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2017

By Stuart W. Maher

A major problem in future discoveries of base metals is their "explorability". By this I mean an exploration program must be designed that assures accurate assessment of the potential for ore, but is within reasonable budgetary constraints. As we are compelled to depend more and more on non-outcropping prospects, "blind" deposits, and as drilling costs multiply, the costs of exploration increase significantly. Solutions to the problem of defining exploration targets are influenced by our conceptions of the origin and recognition o f conditions that localize ore. The maxim that "elephants should be sought in elephant country" presumes we can recognize elephant country. This paper presents a suggested origin for some mineral deposits, and their controls; particularly those termed ?Mississippi Valley type". Tennessee is used as an example of the ideas offered. Mining districts designated "Mississippi Valley type" are, and have long been, the principal sources of barite, fluorite, lead and zinc ores in the United States and elsewhere throughout the world. A large volume of literature is available describing this class of ore deposits, explaining their habitat, and invoking genetic models for them. The quality of this literature is notably uneven, some of it demonstrably erroneous, and much of it is restricted to detailed descriptions of one aspect of the problem, or to detailed descriptions of one aspect of the problem, or to a single mine, or even a single stope. If an ore deposit is thought

Jan 1, 1977

By John Parianos

"Seafloor mining provides significant potential economic benefits for many Pacific nations that may be "land poor" but "coastline rich," meaning they have the potential to utilize and profit from the mineral wealth within their Exclusive Economic Zones that extend 200 nautical miles (360 km) out from their coastlines. The Independent State of Papua New Guinea (the State) recognizes this tremendous opportunity and is taking a leadership role in this emerging industry by becoming a 15% partner in Solwara 1 (with an option to increase their investment to 30%).The Solwara 1 Project has been gaining momentum since Nautilus Minerals and the State signed an Agreement on April 24. This new agreement with the State in which they have staked a minimum 15% interest as a meaningful partner, underscores the State’s continued and widespread support for the Project. Signing of this Agreement was a historical occasion and a milestone achievement for Nautilus Minerals and the people of PNG.The machinery being built for the Solwara 1 Project is taking shape. The Seafloor Production Tools are now over 90 percent complete. Assembly of the biggest tool, the Bulk Cutter, was completed in April this year and assembly work on the Collecting Machine and the Auxiliary Cutter commenced in May and June this year respectively. The Riser and Lifting system, which will be used to transfer the mined material from the seafloor to the surface within an enclosed system, is over 50 percent complete. The critical path for the Solwara Project is to secure a suitable vessel arrangement. Nautilus aims to have this completed by the end of this year."

Sep 1, 2014

By Wang Xuguang, Zhang Xiaozhi, Li Guozhong, Xiong Daiyu

The emulsion explosive is a new kind of water-based industrial explosives that was developed at the end of 1960s. In the 1970s, BGRIMM invented EL-series emulsion explosive that created a new era of water-based industrial explosives technology and products in China. From single type to varieties, the perfect BGRIMM emulsion explosives technology has been formed, which consists of 9 series, over 30 types explosives and related production equipments and processes such as cap-sensitive rock emulsion explosive, opencast emulsion explosive, coal permitted emulsion explosives, low-temperature-resistant emulsion explosive, high-temperature-resistant emulsion explosive, high power emulsion explosive, bulk emulsion explosive for loading truck and powder emulsion explosive. From the early 1990s, BGRIMM successfully developed opencast emulsion explosives and the computer controlled continuous production line of small-diameter cap-sensitive emulsion explosive which raised emulsion explosive production technology of our country to a new lever. With the successful development of powder emulsion explosive and related computer controlled continuous production line, on-site mixed emulsion explosive and loading truck as well, the category of industrial explosives is getting more complete and reasonable. This paper pres ents the history, achievement and development of BGRIMM emulsion explosive technology, also forecasts the future of linked technology.

Jan 1, 2003

By Nicol S. K, Swanson A. R

The poor flotation response of many coals has in the past been attributed to such factors as differences in rank, differences in degree of oxidation, differences in petrographic composition, or slime coatings. The present work shows that while all these factors undoubtedly influence flotation, the size distribution of the feed may override these. Evidence is presented which shows how this factor can lead to substantial losses of coarse coal (>250 µm)from a coal which would normally be considered amenable to flotation. Reasons for this loss of flotation response are suggested together with means of overcoming the problem.

Jan 1, 1978

By Mary Ellen Bruce Large

"INTRODUCTIONIn partnership with California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and with support from International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC), Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) organized a workshop on quality assurance (QA) practices for acceptance of post-grouted drilled shafts in conjunction with DFI’s 40th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations. The 1½-day workshop was held on October 15-16, 2015 at the Oakland Marriott City Center in Oakland, CA.Post-grouting, in the context of this workshop and report, refers to the alternative design and construction of base-grouted drilled shafts wherein a grout distribution system is installed during construction and used to grout the base under pressure after the drilled shaft concrete has gained adequate strength, resulting in a stiffer axial-compression load-displacement relationship and additional possible ground improvement effects. The primary goals of the workshop were to•?Identify and summarize the state of the practice for design, construction, inspection, verification, acceptance criteria, reliability and performance of post-grouting.•?Identify gaps and needs in quality assurance that should be addressed for successful use of post-grouting.This report is structured to follow the workshop program: workshop presentations outlined the state of practice and views from owners, engineers and contractors on acceptance of post grouting methods for drilled shafts; and subsequent workshop discussions attended by a small invited group of participants focused on identifying areas of agreement and disagreement on post-grouting best practices, acceptance criteria, design and verification procedures, and inspection requirements. A partial list of attendees of the open and closed sessions is provided as Appendix A, and copies of presentations are included as Appendix B.FHWA and Caltrans are the primary audiences for this report, and its content will be used to develop a roadmap for deploying the findings into policy and practice. The secondary audience is the broader industry group, and the report content will be disseminated in a variety of formats."

Jan 1, 2016

By E. A. Gulbransen, J. W. Hickman

DURING the past two decades considerable progress has been made in the art of manufacturing heater alloys. The conventional iron-chromium-nickel alloys have been improved by the addition of small quantities of other elements. Up to the present time, to our knowledge, there has not appeared a systematic study of these alloys where the newer tools of investigation have been brought to bear on the problem. It is not yet clear what roles the additional elements play in increasing life time in usage. As a first approximation one might guess that elements such as manganese, silicon, zirconium, calcium and aluminum would aid in the formation of a protective film on the alloy surface, thus retarding the oxidation rate and increasing lifetime. If these additional elements do form protective oxides in the outer surface of the oxide film, it may be possible to identify them by means of reflection electron diffraction. It is also possible that the additional elements may not diffuse to the surface but may remain at the interface between the oxide and the metal. Then, too, the major elements in the alloys undoubtedly form oxides which are stratified on the surface. If the minor elements concentrate in a layer in contact with the substrate where they undergo oxidation and if this oxide film offers resistance to the diffusion of iron, chromium and nickel ions, then the lifetime of the heater element might be expected to increase. It is also possible that preferential reduction in the diffusion rates of the several ions may Occur to such a degree that oxides may form in the body Of the film and On the outer surface which are different from those that would normally form if the additional elements were not present. The use Of transmisson electron diffraction may aid us in jnterpreting these phenomena. UP to the Present time all Of the factors which influence the lifetime of a given heater element are not definitely known. Among these are: (I) The rate of oxidation of the alloy. This may be dependent upon the composition and the physica1 state of the "alloy. (2) The stability of the structure of the coating which forms. Transitions from one structure to another or solid phase reactions resulting in a change of composition may occur. The tendency of the film to adhere to the substrate when heated and cooled successively will be important. (3) The evaporation of various constituents from the alloy such as the remova1 of carbon by Oxygen in a decar-burization reaction. With these possibilities in view, an electron diffraction study of the oxides occurring on six different nickel-chromium alloys was undertaken with the hope that the results of this study could be correlated with oxidation rate studies as determined by means of the vacuum microbalance method1 and with lifetime tests carried

Jan 1, 1949

By James F. Archibald

In historic mining practice, typical thin liner support systems have been considered to comprise non-reinforced or mesh-reinforced shocrete linings. In the early 1990?s, development of alternate forms of liner systems was initiated in Canada which is now undergoing significant international growth in countries which sustain major mining activity. Now internationally designated as thin, spray-on liner systems, a wide spectrum of liner materials, ranging from liquid/liquid to liquid/solid component combinations, has become commercially available. This innovative family of products is characteristically identified as being rapidly deployable, capable of creating ultra-fast setting coverage over rock surfaces, and able to develop tenacious adhesion and pull strength capacities for resisting rock falls and movements. This paper presents a summary of current liner developments and use in principal mining districts world wide. Additionally, a database of material properties for principal product types used in mining and a review of common quality control testing procedures under development are provided. Such information is based upon recent Canadian and international efforts being taken to assess and develop user standards for the implementation of thin, spray-on liners as rock support in mines. This work is intended to continue for a period of years, with the eventual goal being to establish support and installation guidelines for mines based on quantifiable laboratory and field research.

May 1, 2002

By Alex Cormode, Carlos Perucca

"Sylvinite ore from the Saskatoon area typically contains about 5% insolubles, occurring as clays and carbonates. These insoluble slimes must be removed sufficiently well to permit an efficient subsequent potassium chloride flotation, due to their high adsorptive capacity for amines used as potash collectors. The insolubles are liberated from sylvinite by high attrition scrubbing in a slurry. The liberated slimes are separated by multistage cycloning or by a selective flocculation-flotation process.An outline of the potash processing operations at Agrium Vanscoy Potash Operations is given, emphasizing the insoluble slimes froth flotation separation process. This process was originally implemented at the Agrium plant in the mid- 1970's and replaced a hydrocyclone system.IntroductionAgrium Vanscoy Potash Operations is located 40 Km southwest of Saskatoon, almost midway between the communities of Vanscoy and Delisle. Processing operations started in 1969, and the annual production capability was subsequently increased to the current 1.8 MM tonnes per year of muriate of potash.The mining operation at Agrium Potash which was described in a paper by Jones and Pruggerl , is done underground using four large continuous double rotor boring machines for the main production with development done by heliminers. Annual ore production is 5.5 MM tonnedannum. Ore is hoisted 1,100 m to surface for processing."

Jan 1, 1999

By Arthur L. Murray

"While serving as surgeon with rescue car No 11 of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, the writer visited the principal metal-mining camps of Utah during the latter part of 1919. In visiting the mines, meeting and conversing with miners, and talking over the medical situation with physicians in the various camps, the number of cases of lead poisoning encountered was great enough to attract attention.With a view to procuring more definite information as to the number and distribution of cases of lead poisoning throughout the State, a study of the records of the State Board of Health was undertaken. Utah had no ordinance re¬quiring the reporting of occupational diseases, so it was not possible to secure data an cases A study of the mortality records by years gave the following results.:Year Deaths from lead poisoning.1910,11911,01912,21913,11914,61915,41916,11917,31918,11919,2These few deaths would seem to indicate a fairly low case rate, but when it is realized that lead poisoning is rarely an immediate cause of death and that the train of sequelae in this disease frequently leads to chronic involvemeets of the digestive, nervous, circulatory or genito-urinary systems, it is apparent that the number of deaths showing lead poisoning as the cause can not be taken as an index of the cases prevalent. The time elapsing between the presence of the active signs of lead poisoning and the terminal illness from pathologic conditions excited by lead absorption may be years, and the initial cause, lead poisoning, is frequently lost sight if entirely, hence the death certificate shows no evidence of the primary cause."

Aug 1, 1921

By L. C. IlsLey

Many accidents rightly classifiable as electrically caused are not so classified for the reason that in numerous accidents the part that electricity played in causing the fatality is only suspected. For instance, a workman might receive a shock that would cause him to lose his balance and fall beneath a trip of cars; if no one saw the first part of the accident, the cause undoubtedly would be charged to "haulage." This paper covers a brief study of fatal and nonfatal electrical accidents. The first usually result from direct contact with the electrical circuit or electrical apparatus; the second more often are the result of arcing or flashing due to handling defective apparatus or making repairs on "live" equipment or circuits. It is hoped that helpful suggestions may be offered for minimizing accidents of these two classes.

Jan 1, 1938

By Zhuo Chen, Jun Zhou, Jiemin Zhou

Samples of the reacting suspension particles were taken from the reaction shaft of a commercial flash furnace at different heights. The processes of matte and slag formation and morphology of the samples in the shaft were observed and analyzed. Variations of matte and slag composition in the shaft were investigated. By analyzing the samples taken from the settler at different locations, settler processes were studied such as slag formation, agglomeration and separation of matte-slag phases, Fe3O4 reduction, copper-in-slag reduction etc. In accordance with the characteristic of matte and slag formation the flash furnace can be divided into 6 functional regions, and a mechanism model called as “Micro bath process” is proposed for matte and slag formation in a commercial flash furnace. INTRODUCTION During flash smelting, concentrate particles scattered in the reaction shaft complete their oxidation reactions in suspension. The droplets produced fall into the settler beneath with a small amount of un-melted solid particles, agglomerate and separate into matte and slag layers which are tapped out from their tap holes separately. With respect to the extent of slagging reaction in the reaction shaft, there isn’t any commonly accepted understanding in literature (Kimura, Ojima, Mori & Ishii, 1986; Kemori & Kondo et al.,1988; Kemori, Denholm & Kurokawa, 1989; Fagerlund &Jalkanen, 2000). Some assume that the slagging reaction in the shaft can be ignored and some propose that all slag is produced in the shaft. With regards to the characteristics of the physical-chemical changes of concentrate particle in the reaction shaft, although there are some research results reported from pilot scale and commercial scale experiments (Kemori, Ojima & Kondo, 1988; Hagni, Vierrether & Sohn, 1988; Jorgensen, Taylor, Dickinson & Stevenson, 1992; Swinbourne, Simak & Yazawa, 2002; Kivinen & Tuominen, 2005), they are generally limited themselves to theoretical analysis and calculations. No studies are published concerned with the processes of matte and slag generation in the shaft, quantitative analysis of the processes, variations of matte and slag composition and morphologies of the melts along the axis of the shaft, etc.

Jan 1, 2019

By G. Alfano

This investigation is concerned with the optimization of ultrafine grinding of solids. It is focused on a dynamic classifier for recovering the fine fraction, for automatic recycling of the oversize particles and for reducing power consumption. Power consumption plays a major role in these energy intensive processes and depends on several parameters such as nature of the solid, degree of fineness of the finished product and, above all, grain size of the feed. This study indicates the optimal conditions for a dynamic classifier, that is, geometric characteristics of the apparatus and its capacity, inlet air flow rate and dimensions of the classification circuit. It is also shown that a mean grain diameter (dm) of about 2.00 µm with top size (dmax) of 50 µm can be achieved with an imperfection value of below 0.40 and energy consumption of 215 kWht-1. Keywords: air classification, dynamic classifier, jet mill, energy

Sep 1, 2012

By Tom Meikle

Long tendon support systems provide several challenges when used in-cycle as part of the secondary or primary support cycle. A two-component pumpable resin, Carbothix, has been in development for use with self-drilling rock bolts, but many of the attributes of this new resin system make it ideal for grouting long tendon support systems. While neat Portland cement grouts or polyester resin capsules have been used with long tendon support systems for many years, two-component pumpable resin systems overcome many of the shortcomings in these systems. The two-component systems dramatically improve the set-time to enable mining face advance with fewer delays, enable longer pumping distances, improve quality control, and enhance load transfer mechanisms. This paper describes the key benefits associated with a new pumpable resin and details the Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum department atmospheric testing results and cable load testing completed by Minova personnel to date. It also details the results of the Australian mine site trials and the introduction of these systems into production use.

Jan 1, 2012

By R. L. Ziegfeld

It has often seemed to me that people are too prone to turn to new and untried materials in an effort to solve their problems, without giving sufficient consideration to the old stand-bys, except as a last resort, It?s a little like middle-aged men who are swept off their feet by the fresh beauty of a young girl without first considering the many advantages that a more mature woman has to offer. Maybe it?s because, like the older woman, the older materials have to make a determined effort to keep themselves looking young and attractive. T at?s just about the situation with which the lead industry is laced. We have to make a determined effort to keep lead looking young and attractive to industry. However, there is one difference and it is important, Lead can not only be kept looking young, but it can, in fact, actually be kept young, This results from two things. First, industry and technology are constantly changing. For example, we have known for years that the density of lead makes it ideal to stop gamma rays, but it is only recently that atomic fission as a source of gamma radiation has become an important tool of industry, That makes old knowledge about lead useful in developing a new market for it.

Jan 1, 1958