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By D. G. Klaren

Self-cleaning fluidized bed heat exchangers are conquering the world for reason that they are able to solve any severe fouling problem in indirect heat transfer due to the circulation of cleaning particles through the tubes of vertical shell and tube exchangers. In most cases, these particles consist of chopped metal wire. Moreover, self-cleaning fluidized bed heat exchangers perform with excellent heat transfer at very low liquid velocities, which enables completely new designs of conventional shell and tube configurations. This article explains the principle and application of this self-cleaning heat exchange technology and also pays attention to an actual case of a revamp of the severely fouling exchangers of a conventional multi-effect evaporator into a self-cleaning configuration. Possibilities for the revamp of conventional exchangers suffering from massive and very hard scale deposits are found in a variety of metallurgical processes, such as: The refining of nickel, the production of alumina from bauxite and many others.

Jan 1, 2003

By G. O. Allard, A. Gobeil

The Chibougamau area is the eastern segment of the MatagamiChibougamau greenstone belt. The Archean rocks of the area consist of two mafic-to-felsic volcanic cycles ( Roy Group) overlain by a sedimentary-volcanic sequence (Opemisca Group). The Roy Group volcanics are intruded by many coeval and comagmatic differentiated gab bro sills. The Supracrustal rocks of the Roy Group and Opemisca Group have been folded about north-south axes, refolded isoclinally about east-trending axes and metamorphosed to the greenschist facies. The same lithologies have been identified east of the Grenville Front at amphibolite grade. The first volcanic cycle consists of 3000 metres of porphyritic pillowed basalts and comagmatic gabbro sills (0batogamau Formation) overlain by a thin sequence of felsic pyroclastics, porphyritic dacites, and iron formation (Waconichi Formation). The Dore Lake Complex is a sill-like layered complex intruded in the upper part of the Waconichi Formation. The second cycle consists of 3600 metres of pillowed basalts and gabbro sills (Gilman Formation) overlain by a volcanosedimentary assemblage less than 1000 metres thick (Blondeau Formation). The Cummings Complex consists of the Roberge sill (dunite and peridotite) at the base, the Ventures sill (gabbro) and the Bourbeau sill (leucogabbro and quartz ferrodiorite) at the top. It is emplaced within the Blondeau Formation. The Opemisca Group sediments and minor porphyritic K-rich andesites (Stella, Hauy, and Chebistuan Formations) form narrow belts preserved in the synclines of the area. The Proterozoic rocks of the Chibougamau area consist of conglomerates, arkoses, and argillites with dropstones of the Chibougamau Formation. North of Chibougamau, the Mistassini Basin forms an elongate northeast-trending basin filled with sediments of the Mistassini Group. Conglomerates, sandstones, argillites, dolomites, stromatolitic dolomites, and iron formation are the principal sediments within the basin.

Jan 1, 1984

By James W. Baxter

State geological surveys promote sound procedures for evaluation of mineral resources before development-procedures that protect the environment and accrue maximum benefit to citizens. Sophisticated laboratories have been equipped for geophysical, geochemical, petrographic, and mineralogic characterization of materials to assist citizens in land-use planning and optimum development of natural resources, activities clearly within purview of the state. Proper use of these facilities in support of exploration in a competitive, free-enterprise system should be based on achieving ultimate benefits to the public, but, in general, should not entail competition with commercial laboratories.

Jan 1, 1982

By C. E. Nighman, R. S. Foster

The following is a description of the methods used in rescuing men and extinguishing the underground fire at the Pennsylvania mine, Butte, Mont. , This fire, which cost the lives of 21 men, began about 9 p.m., Feb. 14, 1916, at or near a ventilating fan on the 1,200 air-shaft station. This shaft at that time was downcast, while the main hoisting shaft was upcast. Owing to the proximity of the fire to the air shaft, the air in the latter soon became heated, and as the fan on the level was not running— the power having been cut off shortly after the outbreak of the fire—the air shaft became upcast to the 300 level. At this point a blanket of cold air from the surface caused the smoke and gases to be drawn in on that level and carried down again through the workings to the 1,200. A short time after the discovery of the fire, water was turned down the air shaft through a series of pipes around the collar of the shaft, which caused the smoke to recede below the 300, so that within 2 hr. it was possible to search that level for the missing men. From the above it will be apparent why the air shaft was upcast instead of downcast, as under normal conditions, and why men were suffocated at considerable distances from the seat of the fire. The smoke and gases that came up the main hoisting shaft did not diffuse through the workings to any extent. There are doors on all levels in the connections to the main hoisting and air shafts, but in the confusion and running around many of these doors were left open, and this undoubtedly caused the smoke and gases to spread more rapidly than they would otherwise have done. It was necessary for most of the men on the various levels to pass close to the air shaft in going to the hoisting shaft, and when they encountered the smoke and gases in that vicinity a number turned back and climbed down with the direction of the air currents and were then suffocated, while all those who passed through the pall of smoke to the main shaft were saved. There were 220 men in the mine that night, and all but 25 were hoisted to the surface within 30 min. after the discovery of the fire. Of the 25, five went out through the Tramway mine, and one through the Moun-

Jan 1, 1918

By Alvin M. Cummings

"INTRODUCTION During July and August 1943, the Bureau of Mines undertook an investigation of the Trego lead-zinc mine, near the town of Platteville in Grart County, Wis. as part of a general investigation of the zinc-producing area of southwestern Wisconsin. The work was done when every effort was being made to increase the production of metals important to the nation's war program.The Bureau of Mines completed eight churn-drill holes and sampled mineralized faces in the mine workings to determine if further exploitation was justified in an area between the mine and a zone previously drilled to the east.Following the investigation described herein, intermittent operations were resumed. Except where otherwise stated, this report describes conditions only to the time of completion of the Bureau of Mines investigations.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSIn its program of investigation of mineral deposits, the Bureau of Mines has as its primary objective the more effective utilization of our mineral resources to the end that they make the greatest possible contribution to national security and economy. The Mining Division, Lowell B. Moon, chief, conducts preliminary examinations, performs the actual investigative work and prepares the final report. The Metallurgical Division, O. C. Ralston, chief, analyzes samples and performs beneficiation tests.The investigation described in this report was conducted under the immediate supervision of the author and 0. W. Terry, mining engineer of the Bureau of Mines, with the assistance and advice of E. D. Gardner, re¬gional engineer, and E. P. Barrett, district engineer. Final data were prepared under the direction of Paul Zinner, acting chief, Minneapolis Branch, Mining Division.A. V. Heyl, Jr., and A. F. Agnew of the Federal Geological Survey cooperated with the Bureau's engineers and made lithologic studies required during the drilling program.The cooperation of W. N. Smith and O. E. DeWitt of the Vinegar Hill Zinc Co. and Francis Piquette of the Piquette Mining Co. facilitated the investigation to a great extent."

Mar 1, 1948

By M. L. Williams

In recent years the use of visual aids has expanded the? field of safety education. This is a modern adaptation of a method employed in ancient times, when simple paintings and drawings were the only means of recording current events. In its present application, visual aid employs sound and silent motion pictures, stripfilms, lantern slides, descriptive posters, and color. According to Roberts,3/ "Visual education is a method of imparting information which is based on the psychological principle that one has a better conception of the thing he sees than of the thing he reads about or hears discussed." Dent4/ further defines visual aid as "all the materials used to facilitate the understanding of' the written or spoken word."

Jan 1, 1951

By Sun Ying, Zhang Jing, Li Qiuju

A new process of enrichment Cu in molten copper slag under electric field is presented in this article. The experiments were carried out in the laboratory on a kilogram scale. The mobility of copper slag was improved by the technique of carbon reduction. The effects of temperature, electric field strength and intermittent feeding speed were investigated on Cu migration. The results showed that the best experimental conditions were the temperature at 1523K, electric field strength was 1.5V•cm-1 and feeding rates was 15 g•(10min)-1. The copper content of the slag decreased below 0.6wt%. The process was compared to the traditional electric furnace process of slag cleaning, there was reduced the energy consumption and heat loss, and also harmful gas emissions such as SO2 and CO2, accompanied by improved the efficiency of slag cleaning.

Jan 1, 2016

By Long An, Chao Wu, Yuanhui Li, Xing Sun, Shuai Xu, Changyu Jin

Stage open stope mining (SOSM) maintains the stability of excavation openings by leaving a large number of rib pillars. Affected by the strong unloading due to stage mining and the low width-to-height (w/h) ratio of the pillars remaining, largescale destabilization disasters of rib pillars or excavation openings easily occur when the distribution of ground stress or the size of rib pillars is unreasonable. In view of these problems, a physical SOSM model test was carried out based on an underground metal mine in Chifeng City, China, revealing the deformation and failure characteristics of the SOSM pillar group by overloading. The physical model test results of SOSM and room-and-pillar mining (RPM) with a weak pillar were compared, and the failure process of the SOSM pillar group showed the characteristics of rapid and severe damage. The strength difference between a weak pillar and the adjacent pillars enhanced the stress rebalancing effect and extended the failure process of the pillar group. Similar to the SOSM pillar group with a low w/h ratio, some high-strength pillars can be used to avoid large-scale destabilization disasters caused by the synchronous failure of pillars.

Mar 8, 2023

By Arthur F. Taggart

The quality of aggregate materials is. of major importance in governing durability and permanence of concrete structures. The problem of selecting suitable aggregate materials is two-fold. Geological factors include the type and character of the aggregate source, presence of known or suspected reactive constituents, and presence of thermally incompatible materials. Laboratory investigations include petrographic studies, soundness and reactivity tests, and tests of thermal properties. The importance of each factor in the selection of satisfactory aggregate material is considered in detail.

Jan 1, 1950

By Antonio Tafra, Rene Dominguez, James Spenceley, Brady Hays

"Extracting one of the world’s most valuable natural resources — copper — hinges on the availability of the world’s most essential resource: fresh water. But try sourcing fresh water in one of the driest places on Earth, Chile’s Atacama Desert.BHP, majority owner of the Escondida copper mine in Chile’s Antofagasta region and Minera Escondida Limitada (MEL), operator of the mine, were looking for sustainable solutions to deliver desalinated water to the mine, while protecting the environment and complying with the local water authorityregulations.The mining giant chose Black & Veatch to solve this challenge.Solving a global miningchallengeMines use large quantities of water for mineral processing and metal recovery. Water supply, and not mineral ore, is often the major constraint to mining production and development of projects, especially in Chile. Mining operations must have a reliable water source that complies with local regulations, without adversely impacting the environment or affecting the water supply of nearby communities.Worldwide, mining companies and their owners, shareholders and regulators are placing new levels of focus on minimizing the impact of mines on the surrounding landscape and communities. Balancing the economic benefits and needs of mining operations with the potential freshwater impacts requires mines to pay serious heed to the environmental and social issues related to water. Today, mining companies are being proactive and are taking action to protect precious freshwater resources while seeking opportunities to reduce and mitigate their water impact.Delivering a desalination solutionBHP and MEL needed an efficient, technologically advanced seawater desalination plant, along with a conveyance system and infrastructure that would carry desalinated water more than 180 km (112 miles) from the ocean to the mine. Four pumping stations convey the water to a reservoir at the mine site, which is 3,200 m (10,500 ft) above sea level."

Jan 6, 2018

Dry weather since the third week in January has set back any prospects for an early increase in hydroelectric power in the Pacific Northwest, according to The Bonneville Power Administration. The 25% cutback made in July probably will not be restored in March or April. Noranda Aluminum, Inc., increased its price for 99.5% aluminum ingot from 66 cents to 70 cents per pound effective March 1, 1980. Revere Copper & Brass, Inc., also -increased its price for primary aluminum from 66.0 cents to 70.0 cents per pound effective February 1. Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. raised its international price for 99.5% primary aluminum from 72.6 cents to 82.6 cents per pound, c. i. f., effective February 26 on new orders and on shipments from March 15.

Jan 1, 1980

By G Bubner, C Gaughan

Magnetite mineralisation within the South Middleback Range has been known since the early 1930s; however, it was not until 1989 that BHP (then owners of the Middleback Ranges mining leases) drilled 10 700 m of diamond core into what was then known as the Iron Duchess low-grade deposit. In 2002 a review of Iron Resources left in the Middleback Ranges and the identification of downstream processing benefits using magnetite as a primary feed source led to the commencement of an 18 000 m resource drilling program of the high-grade core of the Iron Duchess low-grade orebody (renamed the Iron Magnet deposit). This paper describes the geology, processes and procedures used since drilling recommenced in early 2003. The Iron Magnet deposit is located 53 km southwest of Whyalla in the South Middleback Range, South Australia. It is a Paleoproterozoic stratabound magnetite deposit that lies down-dip and lateral to the Iron Duke hematite deposit, hosted within the Lower Middleback Iron Formation of the Hutchison Group meta-sediments within the Cleve subdomain of the Gawler Craton. Magnetite bearing host units within the Lower Middleback Iron Formation can be divided into a æmixedÆ basal sequence, a lower iron carbonate unit, a middle iron talc unit and an upper iron silica unit, all units grading up sequence and laterally into one another. The magnetite mineralisation is hydrothermal in origin. The strongest consistent mineralisation coincides with the iron carbonate unit, and the hematite orebodies of the Iron Duke are interpreted to represent up-dip supergene enrichment of the same unit. The Iron Magnet occurs within a large-scale parasitic syncline-anticline pair on the west limb of a larger syncline. Major bounding north-south shear zones occur on the east and west sides of the deposit. Cross-cutting west-northwest, northwest, northeast and east-northeast trending faults displace mineralisation. The commencement of drilling in 2003 lead to the migration of geological and geochemical databases, re-logging and re-assaying of all old cores that intersected the deposit, updating of logging codes and procedures, and strict Qa/Qc procedures to ensure the study satisfied JORC standards. External consultants were used for auditing and bench marking. The strong geophysical responses of magnetite and the wealth of close spaced ground magnetic and gravity data already completed over the Middleback Ranges allowed for refining of drill hole targets for the drilling program. It also provided an indirect method for ascertaining magnetite grade and tonnage volumes.

Jan 1, 2005

By A. Mikula, S. Karlhuber

"Unique physical and mechanical properties made the Pb-Sn solders attractive for low temperature joining of electronic parts. But since lead in solder materials has become a great enviromental problem and health concern, lead will be slowly replaced by other materials in soft solders. Some of these materials which are currently under investigation are ternary tin alloys. Many different physical properties like wetting behavior, electrical and thermal conductivity and surface tension are measured on these alloys, but on the thennodynamic properties and the phase diagram of the alloys under discussion there is only little information available. We investigated the (Ag, Au, Cu)-Sn-Zn systems and determined the thermodynamic properties over the whole composition range by emf-measurements. From these measurements we also got some information on the liquidus. In the Sn-rich corner the phase diagrams are still under investigation.IntroductionSoldering is technically defined as the joining of two base materials, mostly metals or metal coated nonmetallic substrates, with a third metal. The melting temperature of the third metal or metal alloy should be well below those of the substrates. Solder alloys can be categorized in soft and hard solders. Soft solder alloys usually contain lead, tin, bismuth, indium or cadmium and hard solders gold, zinc, aluminium or silicon. The difference between soft and hard solders is the melting temperature of the soldering material. This temperature is around 350°C.An interesting brief history of solders is given by Vianco and Frear [1]. They report, that in 4000 B.C. solders were already used in Mesopotamia. From archaeoligical evidence those solders were gold-based hard solders.Tin-lead soft solders and their use are not easily found, because in course of time tin has been reduced to stannic acid, making the identification quite difficult. Well preserved soft solder artifacts were discovered in King Tut's tomb dating from 1350 B.C. In ancient time Pb-Sn solders were used primarily for the manufacture and repair of cooking utensils and metal tools. The Romans used lead-tin solders extensively in the construction of the aqueducts."

Jan 1, 1996

By C. Haycocks

The evolution of longwall mining is briefly traced from its inception in England in the 1620's. In the beginning this method recovered 90% of coal with roof closure controlled by packs and walls. Mechanization began with kerf cutting, crude face conveyors, and improved face support. Full face mining was accompanied by the introduction of self-advancing hydraulic supports. U.S. longwalls evolved a retreating system to recover blocks of coal outlined by room and pillar panels. Computer control combined with the most modern technology has greatly increased productivity. Past trends are used to predict future technological directions.

Jan 1, 1997

By Branagan D. F

The geology of the area studied is briefly described, together with the prospecting methods used in the search for copper, lead, zinc and uranium ore bodies.Four prospects, Mt. Corella, Yanasinga, Lawlor's and Greenmount, which were diamond-drilled, are described in detail and geochemical results are discussed in relation to the mineralization found. Copper anomalies were found wherever intrusive rocks were mapped, and showed a much closer relation to geology and mineralization than did the predominantly lead and zinc anomalies.Geochemical prospecting aids in the overall mineral search programme because of its speed and economy, as it helps to pinpoint areas worthy of detailed geological examination. Geochemical anomalies are a guide to favourable zones but may not indicate the presence of ore.INTRODUCTIONDuring 1953-55 the National Lead Company of New York carried out a search for minerals in an area south and west of Cloncurry (Fig. 1) in rocks of Precambrian age. After reconnaissance mapping, a number of prospects were chosen for closer examination by detailed geological mapping and geochemical sampling, and from these prospects, five sites were selected for drilling.This paper records the salient features of the exploration programme and discusses the geology and geochemistry of four of the prospects-Mt. Corella, Yanasinga, Lawlor's and Greenmount. Practically all the prospects examined showed high zinc "anomalies" or "dispersion" trains. Greta, Mt. Corella and Lawlor's prospects showed some copper anomalies and, to a lesser extent, lead anomalies. In particular, Greenmount exhibited striking copper anomalies.

Jan 1, 1960

By William S. Roberts

The Bureau of Mines has initiated a program to determine the availability of land for mineral exploration and development in Alaska. Researchers involved in this pro-gram are comparing land availability, based on ownership and government policies and regulations, to the distribution of known mineral deposits and terranes. This report on southeastern Alaska presents the findings of the first of six regional studies that will cover the State. The study consisted largely of data compilation and analysis using various mapping techniques. Summary land availability data are presented on copies of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangles at a scale of 1:500,000. Five categories of land availability were identified: open to mineral exploration and development (approximately 9.4 million acres, or 38% of the 24.8-million-acre study area), open but with possible use restrictions (4.2 million acres, or 17%), selected (0.5 million acres, or 2%), patented (0.74 million acres, or 3%), and formally closed to mineral exploration and development (10 million acres, or 40%). Of the 1,187 known mineral deposits in the study area, approximately 38% are on land in the open category. Mineral terranes comprise approximately 6.7 million acres, or 27% of southeastern Alaska. Approximately 34% of these terranes are on open land.

Jan 1, 1985

By Francisca Tapia, Jorge Blázquez, Paulo Couceiro, Patricio Vergara, Luis Manriquez, Luis Martínez, Juan Navarro

Efficient energy transmission is critical for effective rock fragmentation in open-pit blasting. However, in zones with highly fractured or soft rock, mismatches in acoustic impedance between the explosive and the rock can lead to significant energy loss. These mismatches reduce fragmentation efficiency and, when energy input is increased to compensate, can trigger unintended side effects such as NOx fume generation. This paper presents a novel methodology that integrates the Fragment Size Energy Fan model with acoustic impedance theory to dynamically optimize explosive energy delivery. A redefined impedance formulation captures volumetric energy transfer and enables the calculation of a Rock Impedance Factor (RIF), calibrated through non-linear regression. To operationalize the model, rock impedance is estimated using the X-4Traits Model—a meta-learning algorithm that interprets Measurement While Drilling (MWD) data from both autonomous and manually operated drills to produce high-resolution, spatially distributed impedance maps. The methodology was calibrated and applied at Minera Escondida Limitada (MEL), using data from over 218,447 blastholes and 526 blasts. Two case studies illustrate its application: Expansion 1 demonstrates improved fragmentation consistency and a 10.7% reduction in powder factor by aligning explosive energy with local impedance variations; Expansion 2 highlights the model’s utility in managing NOx emissions in fractured zones by optimizing energy distribution and confinement without compromising fragmentation. This impedance-based framework provides a robust tool for improving fragmentation outcomes, optimizing energy use, and enhancing control in geologically variable blasting environments.

Jan 26, 2026

By C. Harry Benedict

This paper presents the details of milling practice and costs at the conglomerate mill of the Calumet & Hecla Consolidated Copper Co., Lake Linden, Mich., and is one of a series on milling methods being published by the Bureau of Mines. GENERAL DESCRIPTION The mines of the Calumet & Hecla. Consolidated Copper Co. are located in the Keweenaw Peninsula of northern Michigan. The mines of this district lie in a belt not over 4 miles wide and 100 miles long, which contains more or lees commercial ore. The Calumet & Hecla properties are the farthest north, except for the Seneca, of the operating mines. The district borders on Lake Superior, and by means of the Portage and Torch Lake waterways the largest lane vessels, can transport coal and other supplies from the lower Lakes directly to the company docks.

Jan 1, 1930

By George F. Crocker

Introduction The Helen mine and the Victoria mine of Algoma Ore Properties, Limited, in the Michipicoten district, Ontario, are 120 miles north of Sault Ste. Marie, on the north shore of lake Superior. They are on the Algoma Central railway between Hawk Junction and Michipicoten Harbour. Between them, these mines have produced 10,757,113 tons of iron ore. From 1900 to 1918, 2,823,369 gross tons of brown ore was shipped, and from 1939 to the end of 1949, 7,933,744 tons of siderite was produced from the open-pit operations and underground development. The finished product, known as 'Algoma sinter', is shipped to blast furnaces both in Canada and the United States. The iron-ore bodies are a part of a tabular shaped area of iron formation that extends over a length of more than 10,000 feet and has maximum width of 1,000 feet. The two siderite orebodies, known as the Helen and Victoria, are separated by two diabase dykes. The Helen orebody is 1,600 feet long with a maximum width of 250 feet and the Victoria is 1,200 feet long with a width comparable to the Helen. These orebodies are considered to be a replacement of the original rock by iron carbonate. The introduction of the iron-1bearing material probably occurred after the development of the major folded structures. The open-pit mining of siderite started in the Helen ore body in 1939 and continued until 1945. During this period, 3,853,395 tons of ore was mined. Open-pit mining started in the Victoria body in 1946 and is still being carried on. Underground development commenced in September, 1947. Diamond drilling and surface sampling had shown the Helen deposit to average 35.61 per cent Fe and 7.28 per cent SiO2, and the Vi.otoria deposit 33.73 per cent Fe and 10347 per cent SiO2?

Jan 1, 1950

By George Otis Smith

A YEAR ago, ,at the Institute's dinner, I closed my A remarks with the words: "The scientist devotes his life to the advancement of learning; the engineer gives his to the advancement of living." May 1 begin tonight where I left off then and speak first of the distinction between science and engineering? This difference is a difference both in purpose and in method: it is the sharp contrast between theory and practice; it marks the broad gap between dream and attainment. Sometimes it happens that the investigator is also the builder and applies what he discovers, yet the distinction between science and engineering serves to point out the broad dependence of the engineer upon his brother the scientist. You remember .the old - saying that "where there is no vision the people perish" translate this into modern experience and we may say that "where there is no science, the engineer fails."

Jan 1, 1929