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By A. J. Kauffman Jr.

The Petrographic Section of the Bureau of Mines, Northwest Electrodevelopment Laboratory, Albany, Oreg., annually examines thousands of minerals and rocks. Samples are received from mining, engineers, prospectors, and government agencies, both State and Federal. During the past 2 years certain uncommon minerals have been identified in the samples submitted. Eleven occurrences have been selected for reporting in detail. These selections were made because in most cases a new locality is involved. The data reported are the result of application of the latest techniques, and widely disseminated references concerning each mineral have been added for completeness. Several occurrences have been described by other investigators; in those cases new data have been supplied to supplement the already published information on these occurrences. No uranium-bearing minerals have been included; they will be treated in another paper. The Bureau of Mines does not make chemical analyses or assays for individuals or firms In direct competition with private laboratories. Mineral¬ogical examinations, however, are made for prospectors and the general public. Such examinations a call surface to determine whether the sample in question has possible commercial value. If it has apparent value, the sender is so informed, and suggestions as to its .Arc, development and marketing are offered. The latest scientific apparatus is available to aid in identification. The apparatus includes microscopes, both wide-field and polarizing, a Bunsen-type spectroscope for visual observation of the Zinc and band spectra of many elements, differential thermal apparatus for the examination of hydrous material, apparatus for cutting and mounting either thin sections for study in transmitted or polished surfaces for reflected-light studies, and a high-intensity magnetic separator for concentrating minerals according to their magnetic susceptibility. Also, available, but not an integral part of the Section, are several laboratory-type Geiger counters, a grating spectrograph, and X-ray diffraction apparatus. If need be, all of these tools may be employed to identify a mineral or rock.

Jan 1, 1950

By R. Clark Lantz, Charles Stanley, David E. Hinton

Morphometric examination of lung alterations following exposure to toxic and pathogenic substances is invaluable in detecting subtle changes which might otherwise be overlooked. Results, from evaluation of initial structural alterations, support and guide subsequent nonmorphological techniques and, when coupled appropriately, can lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of a disease. Morphometry is a technique which can be used to determine, quantitatively, the site, extent, development, and progression of a disease state. Determination of the extent of tissue and cellular involvement in the response to inhalation of silica has been performed in order to gain a better understanding of the development of fibrosis following inhalation of this toxicant. In addition, since silica has been postulated as one of the important pathogenic minerals in coal mine dust' it is important to understand the lung tissue response to silica prior to evaluating the effects of inhaled coal mine dusts. Male Syrian golden hamsters were placed in Hazelton 1000 inhalation chambers and were exposed to either filtered air (controls, n = 24) or filtered air plus 30 mg!m3 silica (Min-U-Si110,95%ofparticles < 5 um,n =24)for16hours per day, five days per week, for two weeks. Animals were returned to the animal quarters prior to subsequent tissue processing at 1, 4, and 12 weeks following exposure. This schedule was designed to allow time for the development of fibrosis. Lungs were fixed by intratracheal perfusion of ½ strength Karnovsky's fixative at a pressure of 20 cm H20 and tissues were taken for embedment and analysis at the light level. Determination of site, extent, and development of alterations was performed using a multitiered approach. Changes in large structures (airways, blood vessels) was determined prior to evaluation of changes at the septal tissue level. Data will be presented outlining the progression of changes. Results indicate the usefulness of morphometric analysis of lungs following inhalation of toxic substances in quantitatively defining the structural alterations.

Mar 1, 1989

By L. Mpolokeng, J. P. Labuschagne, H. Yilmaz

"An investigation into pillar cutting was carried out at a platinum mine on the western limb of the Bushveld Complex. The focus was on crush pillar design and implementation in order to ultimately improve the compliance percentage for pillar cutting. The major findings from the investigation suggest that the pillar cutting problem lies with the implementation of the design rather than the design itself. Observations of the practical issues underground that prevent good pillar cutting were made. After these issues had been identified, recommendations to rectify these problems and a few other issues identified during the investigation were provided. The recommendations are aimed at improving the pillar cutting compliance and reducing the likelihood of pillar bursts or pillar runs, which will ultimately create a safer mining environment. Paper written on project work carried out in partial fulfilment of BSc. Eng. (Mining Engineering)"

Jan 1, 2015

By W. M. Weigel

The first successful use of the wire saw in slate quarrying in the United States was late in 1926, at the quarry of the Colonial Slate Co. near Wind Gap, Pa. This installation was sponsored and supervised by the United States Bureau of Mines in collaboration with the National Slate Association.&apos; The success of this trial resulted in other installations of wire saws, so that 27 were in operation at Pennsylvania slate quarries2 by October, 1928. Marble Quarrying with a Wire Saw Until recently, little or no attempt has been made to use the wire saw in the quarrying of other stone, but it is believed that its successful use in slate will be followed by attempts to take advantage of its possibilities in other quarrying operations. An example of such a trial is the recent installation of a wire saw at the marble quarry of the Saint Clair Marble Co. near Guion, in the Ozark region of northern Arkansas. This quarry is in a comparatively new district and the decision to open and develop it had to be made in the face of many unknown factors. For this reason, it was essential that the development costs be held at a minimum, and as a wire saw could be installed more cheaply than standard channeling equipment, it was decided to try it out. One factor Largely controlling the decision was that the location was peculiarly adapted to this method. The point of development selected was on the rather abrupt end of a ridge formed on the south by an almost perpendicular bluff along the White River and on the north by a rather steep slope with little or no overburden. By taking advantage of this topography it was possible to place the supporting standards for the sheaves at both the outer and driving end without the necessity of drilling or excavating openings to receive them, and to locate the motive power in line with these standards, which made it unnecessary to deflect the sheaves.

Jan 1, 1931

By Ionel Gardescu

IN connection with some of the experiments carried out by the writer on the behavior of gas and oil in a sand reservoir,1 an interesting phenomenon was observed which may throw some new light on the problem of recovery of oil from a natural reservoir. The experiments are intended to show the effect of the surface area of the occluded gas masses, originally present in a reservoir, on the further evolution of gas from the oil and its consequent effect upon the rate of production of oil. The apparatus used in the experimental work is shown in Fig. 1. It consists primarily of a sand reservoir R and a displacement chamber D, which is used to induce small variations in volume. The reservoir and displacement chamber form a unit, and a lowering of the plunger D is equivalent to increasing the volume occupied by the oil and gas in the reservoir. The reservoir was first filled with dead oil and maintained under pressure until it was ascertained that most of the free gas had gone into solution. The volume of free gas present in the reservoir was computed from the coefficient of compressibility of the fluids by means of the dis-placement chamber D, reading to 0.005 c.c. and a special gage J reading to 0.02 lb. per sq. in. The oil was saturated with gas under pressure in reservoir S by circulating the oil for a long period of time through the gear pump B. Subsequently, the saturated oil was circulated through the sand reservoir following the circuit S6, B, S5, R4, the sand reservoir R, R1, R2, F4, F1, back to reservoir S. In the following experiments the sand reservoir R was filled with gas-saturated oil at a pressure of 415 lb. per sq. in. with no free gas present. This was ascertained by. closing off all the outlet valves, and determining the coefficient of compressibility of the system by means of the dis-placement chamber D.

Jan 1, 1932

By Versiane A. Leão

The hydrochloric leaching of chrysotile tailings and soapstone powders) is discussed. This two materials are magnesium compounds associated with carbonates and iron oxides. In this work the chemical and physical characterization of formers is presented and the thermodynamic analyses of leaching is carried out. Magnesium extraction is almost complete for chrysotile tailings while, for soapstone powders, one can be reached 60%. The behavior of iron and calcium impurities is discussed.

Jan 1, 1997

By M. M. Kulkarni1

Kaolin clay is used as a filler and pigment in various applications such as paper, paint, rubber, plastics, adhesives, ink and ceramics etc. Major mineral content in crude kaolin clay is kaolinite along with some accessory minerals as quartz, hematite, mica, feldspar, anatase, rutile, illemnite etc. The Fe and Ti bearing minerals play very important role in determining quality of the kaolin, as these minerals impart yellow, pink or darker color to the white kaolin. Conventional beneficiation methods used in kaolin processing are de-gritting, classification and sodium dithionite bleaching, which improves the optical properties of kaolin, wherein reduction of color imparting constituents such as Fe2O3 and TiO2 is marginal. In the present study, these coloring impurities are separated using selective adsorption of water-soluble polymers. Degritted kaolin samples after passing through 45 micron sieve is used in the study for selective flocculation by polyacrylamide based polymers. The effect of pH, zeta potential, and polymer dose on the reduction of impurities is studied. Analytical tools such as XRF, XRD, SEM, and TEM techniques are utilized and results are discussed in detail.

Sep 1, 2012

By G. D. Mainwaring, Weng L. W, Lam Y. K.

The first power transmission cable tunnel in Singapore was the 2.6km long undersea tunnel between Pulau Seraya and mainland Singapore, constructed in the1980s. Ten years later, similar concepts were used for the Tuas Cable Tunnel. The tunnel, which includes a 2.2km long immersed tube section, was designed to accommodate 10power circuits of 400kV and 230kV capacity. It is fully equipped with sophisticated control and communication equipment, fire suppressant and life safety systems plus a maintenance vehicle which runs on tracks through the length of the tunnel. The paper discusses the planning, design, and construction of the Tuas tunnel, and the development of these concepts for future tunnels.

Jan 1, 2001

By Charles G. Maier

SCIENCE beginning in rational observation came of age, when its devotees first began to measure and count. It has been said that the most striking aspect, of science today is its growing abstraction, and its preoccupation with mathematical symbolism. Technology with specific and concrete objectives in the satisfaction of human wants, cannot conceivably achieve the abstract unification that science seeks, but .the utility of the&apos; scientist&apos;s method has been too well proved to require bolstering. Metallurgy is in its scientific infancy.

Jan 1, 1931

By George J. Allen, Laura A. Allen

Introduction This section of the text presents a general review of the different types of concentrate marketing contracts. Too often the marketing strategy is ignored in the design phase of the project and the producer is left to the mercy of the buyer. Many items such as concentrate grade, impurity levels and moisture content of the concentrate my enhance, or severely restrict the producers ability to make a profit it. Close attention should be paid to the design of the concentrator which can improve the quality of the concentrates, thus the ability to increase the rider of potential buyers can be enhanced. Difficult at best, is the position of the miner who only has one outlet available for its production. Obviously, the trade offs must be evaluated. For example, concentrate grade vs recovery and grind/filtering capacity vs moisture of the concentrate all must be weighted against freight cost to a potential buyer. In addition, the above considerations must be weighed against the capital cost to the miner. This chapter is intended to highlight important articles that are included in short and long term agreements and to give a new miner/producer some insight into hat my or my not add value to the product. Unless the miner sells the product directly to a consumer such as a gold, or silver producer, or to a large enough operation that has a totally intergrated system to make a finished product, most miners are forced to sell to buyers who ultimately will refine and market the product. Types of Contract Agreements There are many types of contract agreements just as there are colors in the rainbow, however, most contracts fall into three basic categories. (1) Smelter Schedules: Designed for the small producer, the odd lot of concentrate, smelter flux and precious metal ore. Albeit custom smelters are becoming fever by the day, because of pollution control requirements and financial difficulties, most remaining custom smelters have a smelter schedule. A smelter schedule is a posted list of charges and conditions that the smelter will buy material from a seller. Smelter schedules exist for copper, lead, zinc, silver and gold (Handbook for Small Mining Enterprises, Montana Bureau of Mines). (2) Short Term Custom Contracts: Large mine producers frequently use Short Term Contracts where the seller has the buyer frame a contract that is tailored to the sellers’ production. The short term contract my be as long as one year. A spot sale qualifes as a

Jan 1, 1986

By A. Wahab Khair

Coal mining has evolved into extensive use of continuous mining machines for development and production. This has resulted in an increase in dependence on the versatile continuous miners. The present-day continuous miners are powerful in terms of rated power but are still plagued by wear of bits which hinders development and production as the bits have to be continuously changed at regular intervals. Previous attempts to analyze bit wear has been either restricted to the theoretical approach and or laboratory testing. This paper discusses about the overall aspect of bit and drum design for different conditions. Using the laboratory model set up, numerical models and field testing, a new bit and drum design was analyzed to evaluate their performance under different conditions. The results proved that a newer bit design and drum design were successful in limiting the amount of wear as well as improving the performance of the continuous miner and production.

Jan 1, 2008

By G. G. Waddell, T. J. Crocker, S. S. M. Chan

A successful engineering structural design often depends upon a thorough understanding of the material properties of the structure. It is no exception when designing a supporting system for stable underground openings. For this reason, studies were made in the deep mines of the Coeur d&apos;Alene mining district to obtain engineering properties of rocks and rock masses immediately surrounding underground openings. In this paper, data concerning laboratory tested physical properties of rocks and in-situ deformation behavior of rock masses from the Galena, Lucky Friday, and Silver Summit mines of the district are presented. Interpretations of the data so obtained and suggestions for the use of the results of the investigations as design criteria are also outlined.

Jan 1, 1973

By P D. Munro

The spatial distribution of ore with similar processing properties or domains within an orebody may be identified early in the assessment of an orebody to provide a sound basis for later development of the orebody. The assignment of domains in the primary sulfide portion of an orebody is often more difficult than recognition of the oxidised, supergene and related domains usually located towards the top of the mineralised volume. This paper will discuss some approaches to assigning domains within the primary sulfide portion of an orebody. The processing properties of each mining block will be known if the contained domain(s) and their proportions are known. The use of both physical and chemical ore properties to assign the domains is discussed. The domains based on similar processing properties do not necessarily coincide with geological zones assigned by geoscientists. As part of assessing the physical properties of ore, the modal analysis of the ore with respect to the valuable sulfide minerals and the sulfide and non sulfide gangue minerals has to be known, along with the traditionally used elemental assays for valuable and penalty elements. Two scales for determining other physical ore properties will be considered: the mesoscopic scale (examined by human eye) and the microscopic scale (examined via a microscope under high magnification). The strengths and weaknesses of the data obtained at the two scales are discussed in the paper. Broadly, data collected at the mesoscopic scale are much less expensive but the types of data available are more limited. Methods for evaluation of chemical ore properties are also discussed. After establishing a basis for establishing the spatial distribution of domains, variability testing is required to verify the integrity of the designated domains. In contrast, each block of ore in some orebodies has been assessed principally via the results of a laboratory separation on a number of drill core samples or composites from throughout the block, with minimal or no attention to the concept of domains.

Jan 1, 2008

By J Cronin, R Burgess-Limerick, T Horberry, L Steiner

"Automation offers the mining industry great potential for improvements in productivity and safety. However, the experience of introducing automation in other industries has been that the full potential of new technology is not always realised. Designers are surprised, for example, to find that automation does not eliminate human errors. Unwanted and unexpected consequences also arise if the introduction of automation fails to consider how people will adapt to the new technology. A focus on the technical aspects of automation is necessary but not sufficient for success. The potential for improvements in productivity and safety promised by automation will only be achieved if the joint cognitive system that emerges from the combination of humans and automation is designed to perform the functions required for system success. This case study describes the human factors issues associated with the introduction of automation generally, and describes a case study of the successful implementation of loader automation at Northparkes mine.Information obtained through a site visit and interviews with operators, safety staff and the project manager revealed the following strategies for successful design and implementation of the automation system: involve the people who will be impacted encourage constant communication between operators and designers provide operators with essential information avoid providing non-essential information provide the operators with flexibility empower operators to take action take advantage of the new possibilities automation provides.CITATION:Burgess-Limerick, R, Horberry, T, Steiner, L and Cronin, J, 2017. Mining automation human-systems integration – CMOC-Northparkes case study, in Proceedings 13th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2017, pp 93–98 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Oct 16, 2017

By Keith G. Wallace, Malcolm J. McPherson

In order to model accurately a mine ventilation system in an existing mine, it is necessary to determine the resistance to airflow in all main airways. This is accomplished by measuring the airflow and pressure differential in each airway. Gauge and tube methods have been used to determine pressure drops in ramps and level airways. However, it has rarely been used in evaluating the frictional pressure drop in shafts. Because shafts commonly have the highest pressure loss in mines, it is critical that the resistance of these airways be determined accurately. This paper describes the theory and practice of using the gauge and tube method for determining the pressure drop in shafts. The pros and cons of using this method are discussed as well as a comparison between the gauge and tube and barometer measurement techniques. Case studies showing the accuracy of shaft gauge and tube measurements are also presented.

Jan 1, 1991

By Johan Richaud

Achieving high surface quality steel in the continuous casting process requires optimal mould level control. The design of the casting channel from the tundish to the mould is crucial to prevent formation of undesired instabilities or biased flows that can cause level fluctuation. With the aid of CFD and with physical water models, the geometry of the stopper nose and the nozzle seat have been studied and optimized to improve the overall mould flow stability. A special stopper nose; Ripple Stopper (RST), has been developed that reduces the formation of large and unwanted eddies in the liquid steel that destabilize the port exiting jets. Instead, the RST produces a fast release of turbulence in the form of a large number of small eddies. The large sudden fluctuations in the mould level are reduced, which in turn reduces the occurrence of surface defects. An additional benefit is derived from the local pressure around the stopper nose region being greater which reduces the refractory erosion. For a tundish gate type flow regulation, a new design encompasses an offset in the Tundish Well Nozzle (TWN) that realigns the flow and reduces the bias flow that is common to tundish gate regulation. The steel recirculation regions below the throttling gate are decreased reducing the risk of oxide depositions. The RST and the Offset bore casting channel have been applied successfully leading to a superior flow control performance between the tundish and the mould.

Jul 30, 2018

By G. V. Raymor, James T. Waber, I. Rex Harris

The lattice parameters of a series of fcc alloys of cerium and thorium were measured at 93 " and 298OK. Lattice parameters were also estimated for 171OK. Substantial deviations, y, from Vegard&apos;s law were observed. Although y was negative at the two higher temperatures, it was positive and large at the lowest temperature. A variety of models, which have been proposed in the past, were considered, and the calculated values of y were compared with the observed values. The best agreement was achieved with values computed with Friedel&apos;s equation. THE purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of temperature on the lattice parameter and on deviations from Vegard&apos;s law of Ce-Th alloys. A large negative deviation from Vegard&apos;s law was first observed independently by Weiner, Freeth, and Raynor&apos; and Van vucht2 in the room-temperature lattice parameters of Ce-Th alloys that form a continuous series of solid solutions. This observation was confirmed by Evans and Raynor. The allotropy of unalloyed cerium was reviewed recently by Gschneidner, Elliott, and McDonald. In two subsequent papers,5" these authors reported the influence of various alloying additions on the y= transformation, which occurs below room temperature. Although other rare earths tend to stabilize the double-hexagonal phase, thorium, plutonium, and scandium as solutes tend to stabilize the normal fcc phase. With addition of sufficient thorium as a solute, there is evidence that the formation of is suppressed and it becomes possible to pass continuously with decreasing temperature from the room-temperature phase to the fcc a phase. Thus there is a closed loop which is similar in many ways to the y loop well-known in ferrous alloys. A closed field also occurs in the pressure-temperature "equilibrium" diagram of unalloyed cerium. Because of interest in the effect of thorium additions and their influence on the a and phases, lattice-parameter measurements were made at low temperatures on the fcc phase for a series of alloys ranging from 10 to 90 at. pct Th. The results obtained at three temperatures are shown in Fig. 1. Evans and Raynors analyzed the deviations from Vegard&apos;s law in Ce-Th alloys in terms of changes in the occupancy of the 4f electron level in cerium,

Jan 1, 1964

By P. G. Shewmon

A novel technique for determining the surface energy (?) and its derivative with respect to orientation, (?&apos;) is described. Essentially it involves the &apos;floating" of a wedge on the substrate, said wedge being made of a material which is not wet or only slightly wet by the substrate, i. e., as a greased needle "floats" on water. A thermodynamic analysis of a system in which the wedge is supported entirely by surface energy is given. If the original suyface is not at a cusp orientation, the surface tension is directly measurable from the groove angle formed. If the original surface is at a cusp orientation, there may or may not be a groove depending on the relative value of ?&apos; and the weight of the wedge. Experiments primarily on copper and silver showed that sapphire, quartz and refractory metal wedges were wet while graphite wedges were not. The technique was demonstrated to work using graphite wedges, but the results obtained were not as eccurate as those obtained by other workers using the wire-creep experiments. It is concluded that the technique might prove most useful with non-metals where ?&apos; is large and filament creep experiments would be quite difficult. If an absolute value of the surface free energy (?) of a metal is to be determined, the most reliable methods used to date measure an average over the various orientations exposed on a polycrystalline sample. For example, ? for silver, gold, and copper have been measured by determining the force required to just keep a thin wire,&apos; or foil,&apos; specimen from contracting under the influence of ?. Herring 3 has predicted and experiment confirms, that the sensitivity of this method is inversely proportional to the grain size.&apos; Thus it cannot be used to measure ? for a particular orientation by using a foil single crystal or a very coarse-grained specimen. An accurate value if ? for tungsten averaged over a range of orientations has been determined using a field emission technique. The same techniques cannot or have not been used to measure ? for non-metallic solids, and as a result the values available are much less accurate.4 This Paper resents a means of making an absolute determination of ? for a particular surface orientation on any solid, as long as the given surface orientation does not break up into other orientations during an anneal. Experimentally ? is found to vary with orientation and at a few low index orientations it is found to have a cusped minimum, i.e., the derivative of ? with respect to the orientation of the surface changes discontinuously at the low index orientation, see Fig. 1. The slope of a plot of ? vs orientation (herein designated ?&apos;) is called the torque on the surface, since it tends to rotate the exposed surface toward the low index orientation, or if the surface is at the cusp orientation it opposes any force tending to rotate the surface out of the low index orientation. The ratio ?&apos;/? has been determined for a few metals, but in cases where this ratio is high there is presently no means of determining either ?&apos;/? or the absolute value of ?&apos; for the orientations present on an annealed surface. The technique discussed herein also provides a means of determining an absolute value of ?&apos; for those orientations which deviate only infinitesimally from a cusp orientation. It should work best on surfaces where ?&apos;/? is large; that is, for cases where no other technique is available for measuring ?&apos;. Aside from trying to learn more about surfaces through measuring ? and ?&apos;, the primary reason for wanting values of ? or ?&apos; is to study adsorption. From measurements of the variation of ? for a particular orientation with the concentration of an impurity, one can obtain the number of impurity atoms adsorbed per unit area (Ti) on that orientation using the Gibbs adsorption equation.&apos; where µi is the chemical potential of the adsorbed impurity. Thus, if absolute values of ? could be obtained for the free surface of a given surface orientation as a function of µi, ri could be determined for the given orientation. Furthermore, by equilibrating a grain boundary with the given surface at various values of ki, one could also determine ri for the grain boundary. Similarly Robertson 6 has pointed out that if y is taken to be a continuous function of and µi, then a2 ?/a @a µ2 = a2 ?/a pi a +. Thus, at all orientations away from cusps the following equation holds From a measurement of ?&apos; vs ki, it is thus possible

Jan 1, 1963

By H. E. Stauss

THE time-to-fracture test has been applied to pure platinum and to two alloys of platinum under the special conditions of small cross-sectional area of the specimens and of a test temperature above the annealing temperature. While the results are similar in character to those secured with large specimens of steel at temperatures below the annealing temperatures, two differences are noted: (I) an upward inflection in the curves for log stress vs. log time for the alloys, and (2) a sharp break in the curve for log stress vs. log time for pure platinum when single crystals filled the wire. The experiments showed that: (I) platinum and 10 per cent rhodium-platinum maintained their strengths at 1100°C. better than did 10 per cent iridium- platinum, and (2) the rhodium-platinum after a time exceeded the iridium-platinum in strength at 1100°C. Platinum alloys in their service at high temperatures encounter conditions some- what similar to those that exist in the usual form of the time-to-fracture "l test with steel. This paper is intended primarily to present results obtained by a "time-to- fracture" test under conditions approximating actual service for platinum (at the temperature 1100°C. under oxidizing conditions) with three materials, pure platinum (99.99 per cent), a platinum alloy with lo per cent iridium, and a platinum alloy with 10 per cent rhodium. The experimental procedure differed from that previously used in this type of measurement in that the samples were of small diameter (0.010 in.), were fully annealed, and were tested at a temperature definitely above their annealing points (600°C., 1000°C. and 1050°C., respectively, for 60 per cent cold reduction and 15 min. heating time2,3). The experimental arrangement was similar to that previously described,4 using as heating unit a small, horizontal, platinum- wound furnace, ½ by 12 in., maintained at constant temperature by an automatic controller. The samples were 0.010-in. wires, which had been annealed at 1200°C. by drawing them slowly through the furnace. The time-to-fracture was measured electrically. Elongation was not determined because of the difficulties inherent in the experimental arrangement. Life-that is, the time-to-fracture-was considered the important property in these first tests. No attempt was made to measure the reduction in area, but the types of fracture were noted qualitatively; in the text they are referred to as (I) the normal, plastic, or necked fracture, (2) the knife-edge fracture, and (3) the brittle or intercrystalline fracture with small reduction of area. Results for different constant applied stresses are plotted in Fig. I. In all cases at least two trials were made for each stress, although they cannot always be indicated separately on the curves. The breaking stresses drop very rapidly to a small frac-

Jan 1, 1943

By N. Musee, N. Kornelius

This study presents a neural network approach to modelling the liberation of gold bearing ores. A complete mineralogical analysis of unmilled and milled ores, including gold deportment and gangue content are used as inputs to a self-organising neural net which generates order preserving topological maps. The arrangement and shapes of these clusters are coupled to unmilled free gold data to predict gold liberation in milled ores (absolute error: 4.2%). Moreover, the self-organising maps were diagnostic of the quality of data used, indicating that the relationship between particle size and gangue material content requires further investigation.

Jan 1, 2005