Search Documents

By Thomas T., Read

SUGGESTIONS that existing schools give instruction bearing on the mineral industry, or that schools for that purpose should be established in the United States, began to be made early, and it would require too much space to catalogue them all. Some of the more important may be mentioned to indicate their general character. In the "advertisement to such parents as have now (or expect to have) children prepared to be educated in the College of New York," which appeared in the New York Mercury of June 3, 1754, Samuel Johnson, the first president of King's College, the predecessor of Columbia, said that it was the "design of this college to instruct and perfect the youth," among other things, "in the arts of Numbering and Measuring of Surveying, and Navigation and Geography. . . . and in the Air, Water and Earth around us, and, the various kinds of Meteors, Stones, Mines and Minerals, Plants and Animals; and in the knowledge of all Nature in the Heavens above us, and of everything useful for the Comfort, Convenience and the Elegance of Life . . . " Though the concept that natural science should be used to enlarge the bounds of human life was thus implicit at Columbia from the very beginning (John Stevens graduated from it in 1768, James Renwick in 1807, Horatio Allen in 1823, and A. W. Craven in 1829), it was only during the period of Renwick's professorship of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and Chemistry (1820- 1853) that much attention was given to applied science.* Among the Austin papers, published by the American Historical Association,2 there is a draft in Stephen F. Austin's handwriting of a proposed memorial from the legislature of Missouri to Congress, not only urging "the propriety and utility

Jan 1, 1941

By A. R. Hekmat

Hypereutectic Al-Si alloys are used in applications that require high resistance to wear and corrosion, hardness and low coefficient of thermal expansion, To maximize the properties of these alloys, semi-solid processing can be utilized to modify the solidification structure of the primary silicon crystals as well as to reduce microsegregation and porosity, The transformation and spheroidization of primary Si crystals by shearing in the semi-solid state are not fully understood as they precipitate in the presence of other alloy phases, The objective of the present work is the determination the rheological characteristics of A390 (Al-17%Si-4,5%Cu-0.5%Mg) alloy using a Couette type (Haake RV12) viscometer and examining the microstructural evolution during continuous cooling and isothermal shear rate experiments, The effect of shear rate, solid fraction (temperature) and morphological evolution of the silicon crystals are investigated.

Jan 1, 2005

By M. F. Vancas

The advantages of using vertical pulsed columns as replacements for conventional mixer/settlers in the uranium industry have been known for some time. The advantages of the columns offer include a reduction in real estate for the plant, elimination of diluent evaporation and crud formation. This paper presents the findings of laboratory tests of pulsed columns extracting copper from pregnant leach solutions and also discusses potential advantages of the pulse column in copper solvent extraction.

Jan 1, 1999

By Russell A. Carter

Alaska is a land of immense proportions and resources. Its very name, derived from an Aleut term, means "The Great Land." Yet, in a state slightly larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined, there are presently only two-large scale mines in production, excluding dredge operations. Once referred to by its territorial governor as "a storehouse of minerals," Alaska is, in the opinion of many industry observers, at least 20 years away from a healthy, productive mining industry. The mineral potential of the state is tremendous: coal deposits on the North Slope alone have been hypothetically pegged at 1.5 trillion tons. Copper-zinc deposits on the south flank of the Brooks Range are conservatively estimated to be worth $4 billion to $6 billion. However, the problems facing mineral development are of equal magnitude, and include:

Jan 11, 1976

By R. A. Hemstock

AREAS in which the surface de-posits consist of organic material -known in some parts of Canada as muskeg and in Europe, more generally, as peat lands -have long been some of the least rewarding of lands of the north temperature zone. Even in such countries as Great Britain, Holland, and Denmark where a good deal of incentive exists to develop all available land, the use of peat land has been negligible except as a source of fuel. Only recently have efforts shown promise in re-claiming these lands for farming or for forestry. Russia has large areas of peat and use is made of it for power generation. The Russian people have also ?developed a variety of machines for handling peat, which would indicate that they are well ahead of the Wes tern World in their technical and physical ability to solve some of the problems. Certainly in Canada, where there are over 500,000 square miles of muskeg, the economic aspects of this problem are important. This is especially true in considering the shifting emphasis to northern development. Not only is muskeg in possession of great stretches of terrain, thereby rendering it useless for agricultural purposes, but it is apparently moving into forested areas and reducing their productivity. In addition, it lies as a great barrier to movement in the search for and development of such natural resources as petroleum, natural gas and minerals generally. This situation has long been recognized in Canada but only recently have organized efforts been made to study the problems and search out ways of overcoming them.

Jan 1, 1958

By M. Wright, A. H. Mwale

Opportunities to promote enhanced eco-efficiency (i.e. the simultaneous improvement in economic and environmental performance) for the minerals industry exist across the whole value chain. However, given the current operational models of major companies within the industry, and their focus on refining of primary ore bodies, it is important to understand where such opportunities might lie within minerals beneficiation, as it is here that major environmental pressures are felt. This paper examines the combination of unit technologies in a minerals beneficiation train, and explores the inter-relationship between energy input and water consumption for a given mineralogy and product recovery, as these are two critical environmental issues which affect the overall viability of many minerals plants. In particular, we review constitutive relationships for each of the sub-processes of comminution, flotation, and tailings dewatering, and suggest how these might be integrated into a unified hybrid model, with particle size distribution as the key design variable. Such a model can then be used to explore the trade-offs between different performance objectives (be these technical, economic or environmental) as part of a multiple-objectives optimisation exercise. In this way, it may become practical to envision situations in which concentrate grade and recovery are sacrificed, marginally, in order to reduce energy demand in comminution, and improve overall water recovery. In addition, this work provides a useful baseline against which to analyse the potential for dry processing. This becomes more relevant as the industry commits to advancing the sustainable development agenda in the face of the increasing life -cycle costs and impacts of minerals processing operations, coupled to declining ore body grades, and the desire to maximise recovery of minor and trace elements. Some specific observations for copper are offered, supported by operational data from Zambian copper mines.

Jan 1, 2003

By Eugene H. Skinner

The U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted experiments on the use of lightweight concrete in the density range of 100 Ib/ft3 for liners in underground mines. Three test sections were completed: a monolithic, portal-type structure with integral walls and arch constructed aboveground; an underground test section constructed in a mine drift using plywood forms; and a second section constructed in a drift using an air-supported formwork. The lightweight concrete in the two underground test sections was placed using piston pumps and a slickline. Fiber reinforcement was added to the concrete in the mine sections without any apparent problems with either pumping or placement of the concrete. In another experiment, the Bureau and Hecla Mining Co., Mullan, rD, used lightweight concrete in the density range of 25 Iblfe to replace timber blocking in a raise preparation structure. Other experiments are described in which low-density, lightweight concrete blocks were produced for mine ventilation doors, stoppings, and barricades. Other mine uses reviewed include pillars and collapsing beams. An advantage of low-density concrete is that it will display up to 50% deformation at a constant yield stress. These hlllovative concepts in deformable concrete lining systems will aid mine operators by decreasing capital and maintenance costs, increasing the available space in underground haulageways, and providing productivity gains and improved resource recovery in the soft, caving, squeezing, or bursting grollnu conditions often found in deep mines.

Jan 1, 1989

By L. W. Kelly

The purpose of this paper is to describe several methods that have been employed in successfully recovering roof bolts in Indiana, Illinois, and western Kentucky coal mines, the States where successful roof-bolt recovery was started. As far as is known, the first bolts were recovered in a mine in western Kentucky in January or February 1951. In April 1951 a meeting was held at that mine to discuss the recovery of roof bolts. The meeting was attended by A. D. Sisk, former Chief, Kentucky Department of Mines and Minerals; and L. W. Kelly, Federal Bureau of Mines; and officials of the coal company. Inasmuch as roof bolting was in its infancy, the thinking regarding roof bolts at that time was on the problem of getting them in, not getting them out; consequently, the thought of recovering them was revolutionary. The subject was discussed at length from all angles, and it was finally agreed that, if certain safeguards were taken, no agency represented at the meeting would oppose the practice. That this decision was sound has been proved, as thou-sands of bolts have been recovered in the Middle West without a lost-time accident. Recovering roof bolts is a simple operation; consequently, no complicated equipment had to be designed or built for this purpose. However, about 5 years ago, officials of the Traux-Traer Coal Co. conceived the idea and constructed a mechanical device for recovering bolts that has been very successful and has been copied widely in this area. This device will be discussed in detail in part II of this paper.

Jan 1, 1958

By C Staak, H Mischo, A Fichtner, F Reuter

In mining and remote areas of resource industry, there has been a development towards lacking emergency medical first aid response, that creates a potential disadvantage for patients after work accidents and other medical emergencies compared to standard population. This raises the question how a professional emergency medical coverage can be provided underground, taking into account lacking medical professionals in small resource companies combined with long rescue times. Aiming on the closure of this gap, a team of the mine rescue brigade from the Research and Training Mine Reiche Zeche (Forschungs-und Lehrbergwerk (FLB) Reiche Zeche) of the TUBAF Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg in Freiberg/Germany and its cooperating emergency departments of the Freiberg District Hospital and the Zeisigwaldkliniken Bethanien Chemnitz developed a totally new rescue concept using elements from tactical medicine and advanced emergency medicine combined with a specifically designed compact equipment and a highly standardised teaching curriculum. A fully new standardised and condensed tactical medical approach was developed including specifically adjusted equipment, and was taught in a didactically optimised way within 16 lessons in two days. Objective Structured Practical Examinations (OSPE) using manikins and simulated patients were conducted and compared to the identical exam of the reference group, which consisted of advanced paramedics. The standardised tactical medical scheme includes vital functions and body checks, advanced life support, nasal and intraosseous drug application, supraglottic airway management, artificial ventilation, thoracocentesis, bleeding control including tourniquet, fracture repositioning and splinting, transport bedding and thermal preservation. The developed Tactical Medical Mining Rescue (TMR) concept was subsequently included in the German guidelines for mine rescue services in 2022 and is already implemented in many companies in Germany and several international projects.

Sep 1, 2024

By Steve Kral

The upswing in prices for base and precious metals, industrial minerals and coal has allowed the global mining industry to ramp up production at existing mines and begin construction of proposed projects. In addition to satisfying shareholders, the industry is also providing good paying jobs and creating needed infra-structure in places that previously did not have either. However, the industry has learned that the prospect of jobs and infrastructure is not necessarily a guarantee that communities will allow mines to be built. The industry must maintain even higher environmental and reclamation standards. And mining companies must help communities plan for life after a mine is closed and the company moves out.

Jan 1, 2005

For establishing sustainable material cycle process in human system, a brand new concept should be created, which could recycle the waste materials, which are land-filled and discarded under present economical situation. The concept of 'RtoS' (Reserve (of waste) to Stock) to create 'artificial deposit' of the materials concentrate is one of the best ideas to be applied. From this viewpoint, separation technology, in especial, solid phase separation such as mineral processing technology contributes much to the concentration, making 'artificial deposit' with less energy consumption compared with melting and/or dissolving technologies. Results of rare metals concentration in the e-waste are also introduced as an example with combining novel comminution and parts/powder separation.

Sep 13, 2010

Discussion of the paper of Robert Henry Lee, presented at the New York Meeting, October, 1913, and printed in Bulletin No. 82, October, 1913, pp. 2515 to 2522. J. E. JOHNSON, JR., New York, N. Y.:-This subject is of great and increasing importance, as the exhaustion of the deposits of ore of ideal character compels the iron industry to turn more and more to those which are less desirable on account of physical structure as well as analysis. Thus there has come about the use of the Mesabi ores in this country and also of the Minette ores in Europe, which produce far greater percentages of flue dust than did the lumpy ores first used. It is a matter of common knowledge that the utilization of this flue dust, containing commonly 50 per. cent. or more of metallic iron, has been a problem very difficult and tedious of solution. The number and variety of the solutions now offered is a sufficient proof of this. . I have no intention of going into the merits or demerits of any of these processes as such, but there are certain considerations concerning the effect of their product on the operation and fuel economy of the blast furnace which I believe to be new and which I desire to bring out. There are two methods, so different as almost to be direct opposites of each other, whereby an ore may exercise an unfavorable effect on the economy of the blast furnace. The first of these is well known and results from the ore being refractory and highly resistant to the action of the reducing gases of the blast furnace. This results in its being incompletely reduced when it reaches the zone of fusion and in the reduction being finished by the direct action of carbon in the lower portion of the furnace. This is so well understood as to need little elaboration or comment. There is, however, another action which may be equally as fatal to the economy of the furnace as the foregoing, and as this point is, to the best of my knowledge, not generally appreciated, it is one upon which I desire to lay particular stress. This consists in the ore being, in a sense, too reducible.

Jan 12, 1913

By G. Ferrara

The reserves of lead and zinc ores in the metalliferous district of Iglesias in south-western Sardinia are today estimated at about 30 million tons, grading from 4 to 10% Pb + Zn. Of these reserves, about 40% are in the mines owned by AMMI Sarda S.p.A. The working of these resources goes back to ancient times. Not infrequently, traces of old Roman workings and remains of ancient implements are come upon in the higher parts of some of the ore bodies. Exploitation of these mines on larger scale, however, dates from the middle of the 18th century. Initially, the more accessible zones of the ore bodies and the richer ores were worked - the galena and the rich oxidized ores (calamine* with 25-35% Zn), which were often found in large masses, the enormous empty cavities of which still remain. The poorer grade deposits have been gradually rendered workable by the development of technology - the perfecting of the

Jan 1, 1970

By T. F. Deems

The nature, usage and comparatively rare occurrence of ball clay is described. The importance of these white firing plastic clays in ceramics, particularly in the production of industrial sanitary ware and tiles, is emphasized. The US deposits are briefly discussed. What is known about relevant deposits in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela (the four largest ceramic producers in South America) is also described. The ceramic plants have been sited near the centers of population rather than the plastic clay deposits. At present, extraction is probably concentrated on surface residual deposits and lenses which require minimum investment. Native plastic clays are used exclusively in the tile plants, but in sanitary ware, they are often used as extenders of imported ball clays.

Jan 1, 1997

By D. L. Johnston

"The avenues and degree of participation by aboriginals in the Canadian minerals industry have changed significantly during the thirty years of the author's career in that industry.The typical 1950s cycle of mineral industry involvement of a local non-Europeanized aboriginal was as an individual employee. The employment relationship would begin with the best of intentions by both parties of permanence and terminate when the pioneering employee was unable to reconcile the attendance behaviour required by the employer and the social-sharing behaviour demanded by family and friends.Cominco Ltd. has been a mine operator and developer in the North since the 1920s. Cominco's early experiences with employment of non-Europeanized natives at the Con Mine in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories from 1938 to 1986 was a negative experience from both the employee and employer ends. A series of classic failures in employment of individual aboriginals was a large part of the history. A few Metis or natives from other areas were the permanent aboriginal employees at Con (2010). Racial prejudice was overt on the street in Yellowknife and, it can be assumed, in the workplace, as well.The history of aboriginal employment at the Pine Point, Northwest Territories operation (1964 to 1988) was somewhat better but also frustrating. The mine was equidistant (80 km) from the Dene communities of the Hay River Indian Reserve and Fort Resolution, both on Great Slave Lake. Despite a large aboriginal presence and many well-intentioned efforts, employment of aboriginals at Pine Point never got much beyond ten per cent. These would have been half local and half northern prairie aboriginals. One continuing success story was the railcar loading and covering crew led by Ed McKay, a local aboriginal. This predominantly aboriginal crew did its own recruiting and several are on Cominco pension."

Jan 1, 1995

By H. Thomas, I. N. M. Nday

"*Paper written on project work carried out in partial fulfilment of BSc.Eng (Mining Engineering) degreeThe optimization of the cycle time to increase productivity at Ruashi Mining was an on-site project investigation conducted from December 2017 to January 2018. The main objective of the investigation was to determine the actual cycle time components. These comprise the queuing time, loading time, hauling time, and dumping time of ADTs (articulated dump trucks). Data was also collected on two hydraulic shovels to identify where these could be optimized. The actual cycle time obtained was compared to the theoretical cycle time to ascertain the constraints, which affect productivity. By applying Systems Thinking to the cycle time, man-made constraints of the actual cycle time were identified and recommendations to mitigate them suggested to optimize the cycle time. However, rainfall is a natural constraint that adversely affects the actual cycle time, and which cannot be mitigated.In addition, both the theoretical and actual cycle time were analysed, as well as the theoretical and actual productivity for the year 2017. Based on the findings, conclusions and recommendations were made to optimize the cycle time. IntroductionThe aim of the project was to increase Ruashi Mining’s productivity by 39%, from about 7.537 Mt of broken material mined to 12..367 Mt targeted in 2017.BackgroundRuashi Mining is a copper (main commodity), cobalt (by-product), and acid producer located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 10 km from the city of Lubumbashi. Figure 1 shows the location of the Ruashi Mining open pit.Ruashi Mining started production in 1911 and in 2005 the mine was registered as a DRC company owned by Metorex Group Limited. In November 2013, the Chinese company Jinchua Group International Resources Co. Ltd. bought a majority stake in the business. Ruashi Mining currently produces 38 000 t of copper and 4400 t of cobalt per annum. The company has contracted NB Mining (a contract mining company) to transport its ore. To optimize the productivity of the mine, considering ore flow delivery at Ruashi Mining, the cycle time is the indicator used in this project. The cycle time components were recorded on site using a stopwatch."

Jul 1, 2019

By Henry T. Mulryan

Since World War II, U. S. chemical companies have loosed a flood of synthetic organic insecticides. These synthetics fall into two broad categories. DDT is the best known of the chlorinated hydro- carbons and Parathion is the most famous (or infamous) of the organic phosphate nerve gas type. Insecticide poisons are not applied at full strength but as dilute sprays or dusts. This permits a broader and more efficient distribution of the active killer.

Jan 12, 1958

By C J. Kruger, E le Roux

Anglo American Platinum has adopted a strategy of Best Practice Principles (BPP) for sampling, mass measurement, analysis and metal accounting for more than a decade now. When new plants are designed, the most suitable sampling equipment and sampling protocols are implemented and material flows and plant layouts are designed around sampling strategies. A few years ago, a crushing plant for a high-grade matte stream was commissioned.The design called for the high-grade material to be crushed to 95 per cent passing 2 mm and the design allowed for a single cutter primary Vezin sampler, increments taken from a gravity flowing stream at regular intervals, whilst filling a tanker for the pneumatic offload at our base metal refinery. This was a single point of sampling and analysis that would measure the wanted output from our smelting complex and the input to our refineries. In addition, the design incorporated the functionality to collect increments in an ‘interleaved’ fashion from the Vezin sampler for internal precision checks.The metal accounting strategy for Anglo Platinum is the ongoing measurement of all inputs, outputs and stock levels for all our operations for platinum group metal (PGM) and base metal (BM) content. Included are yearly stocktakes, usually done on 1 February every year, across the smelters and refineries (at least the base metal refinery). A trend was developing in the accounting period immediately following the introduction of the new crushing and sampling facility, whereby the absolute difference between the physical stock and theoretical stock (PGMs predominantly) increased for the two respective sites on an ongoing basis. The smelter (sender) showed an increase in physical stock compared to the theoretical stock and the base metal refinery (receiver) showed that their theoretical stock increased against their physical stock. Because of this anomaly, an additional stocktake was held in September for the period in question and it was confirmed through the physical stock measurement results, that the PGM accounting problem was indeed pointing towards the evaluation of the high-grade matte stream.This paper showcases parts of the process that took place to explain the poor accountabilities for the respective sites. Previous results from the sampler ratification process (of the interleaved sampling design) were analysed again, a physical inspection was carried out on the sampling system again and the sampler performance was monitored (quality control parameters) for the period.From these investigations, it was found that airflows present inside the Vezin introduced the sampling bias and a change in sampling protocol was introduced as well as physical changes to the sampling equipment were made to eliminate the airflow and thus the bias conditions significantly. The accounting period which followed, after a phased upgrading process, showed that the accounting between our smelter and base metal refinery had been restored to within statistical limits (difference between physical and theoretical stock below five per cent relative to theoretical stock).CITATION:Kruger, C J and le Roux, E, 2017. Pitfalls in Vezin sampling for finely crushed materials, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending , pp 151–158 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2017

By D. F. Malott

The Michigan Department of State Highways makes extensive use of geophysics for subsurface surveying which would be applicable for uses in other fields. Examples of resistivity surveys are given which include a proposed large volume excavation with suggestions for land use after excavation, subsurface evaluation for engineering design, and a subsurface survey for land appraisal. An example of a combined refraction seismic and resistivity survey is shown where the resistivity is used for outlining the unconsolidated soils, while the seismic method Is used to outline bedrock and to evaluate it for rippability. A refraction seismic survey at the bottom of bridge caissons for evaluation of bedrock uniformity and a relative aid In assessing rock strength is reported.

Jan 1, 1968

By E. J. Debicki

"At the 1992 PDAC Convention, Norman Keevil announced the formation of the Exploration Technology Division (ETD) of the Mining Industry Technology Council of Canada (MITEC). It was evident that base metal reserves in Canada were declining and that the cost of discovering a deposit in Canada was increasing. Coordinated research to develop new exploration technologies was required to discover the next generation of ore-bodies. The ETD was formed in response.The mission of the ETD is to contribute to the survival, profit, and growth of the Canadian mining industry by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of mineral exploration through development of innovative technology by man-aging and coordinating applied cooperative research. In addition, it is the intent of the ETD to become the principal agency by which cooperative research funds are transferred to researchers from the mining industry. The division is industry driven, industry funded and industry managed.The ETD’s Three-Year Plan has focussed80% of its research funds toward two objectives, improving the efficiency of exploration for VMS deposits and establishing the parameters necessary to discover the next Hemlo deposit. The remaining 20% is allocated to other projects, with the current emphasis on geophysics.In 1995, corporate members total twenty-three major mining companies accounting for90% of the exploration expenditures in Canada. The ETD is currently managing ten cooperative research projects totalling $4.6million. Other projects, estimated at $1.6 mil-lion, are currently under development."

Jan 1, 1996