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By H. A. Doerner

Tellurium is a silver white solid with metallic luster, the e17atal.line torm being ver., brittle aud e.g,s!ly powdered. It has a specific gravity of 6,27, melta at 45a0c. and boils at red het, giving off a. golden 1ellow vapor when air 11 excludei. When heated in air, telluri'UiD burns with a bl\te name tinged with green, and evolves wh1 te vapors ot tellurium dioxide. An amorphous form of tel­lurium, obtained by red.uction and precipi ta.tion from so).ution, haa II specific gr1.vity ot 6,015, and when heated ia cho.nged to the cry:.,talline variety. Telluri,a 11 insoluble in water, c&rbon diaiJ.phido, or h;rd.rochl oric acids, but it 11 41a-1olved bJ nitric or concen t1·ated. sulphi.U·ic acid. It 1..oea not tamiah in moiet ah•• 11 ree11tant to alkaline solutions, e,;:ctpt concentrated KOB, but it 11 cliaaolvecl by tuaed. &lkl 1••. I ts 11.to!!lic weight h..'l.a been the "J.Ubject ot mch controverq, bu\ t.he value 137 .5 :.a bl!ten generally accepted, Tho chflmietr:, of tellurium ia eim1lar to that ot IUlphur. It tonne throo xid.ee TeO, To02, and Te0 , al10 tellur14ea, t•llurite,, and. tellur1.t11, A number of halide compoWld.1, a 3iulph1de, and. a .ulpbat.e are known.

Aug 1, 1922

To provide suitable backfill material for the cut and fill mining method being used to extract ore from the C.S.A. mine, flotation tailings are deslimed in single stage cyclones. The sand fraction is stored on the surface in unagitated storage bins before being pumped underground, while the slime portion is thickened and pumped to a residue dam. Design and operating details of the sand preparation and storage sections are given.The initial preparation of a stope for filling, consists of laying percolation and decantation drainage pipes on the sill floor. Preparation for fllling of subsequent lifts consists of rearing up the ventilation pipes at the ends of the stope, preparing the decantation system, and building a barricade or wall. The fill is carried to, and discharged into, the stope through 4 in. diameter pipes and filling of any section is carried out 24 hr/day normally without supervision. The fill is retieulated underground to the 1200 ft level through rubber lined pipe installed in the upcast shaft. Boreholes of 3 in. diameter drilled from the1200 ft level convey fill to the 1800 ft level. The mine drainage system is basically designed to handle the water associated with hydraulic filling. A system of primary and secondary sumps has been installed to handle the percolation and decantation drainage from stapes and to allow settling of fines before the water is fed to the main pump station.A programme of investigation into the properties of the emplaced fill is in progress. Results to date indicate that the fill as presently placed and drained, will not cause any problems in the mining of vertical orebodies by cut and fill methods for lifts in excess of 300 ft.

Jan 1, 1969

By N. V. Melnikov, L. N. Marchenko

The latest theoretical and experimental study of physical processes initiated by explosions in solid media have made it possible to obtain a deeper insight into the mechanism of the energy transfer to ambient rock from char es of explosives interspersed with various air gaps. As shown in (17, high explosive action causes excessive fragmentation of medium in the vicinity of the charge, while expansion of the process into the massif is negligible. A theoretical outline of a more rational application of explosion energy was given with a view of obtaining more uniform fragmentation of rock convenient for loading and transportation. The proposed idea proven by experimental study consisted of the possibility of explosion control based on redistribution of explosion energy. Practical realization of the above idea was proposed (1) involving charges with air gaps for rock fragmentation. Since the Rolla Symposium on Mining Research (USA, 1961) (2), borehole charges with air gaps have become common practice. This method of rock blasting is applied in open cast and underground mines working the hardest and viscous, hard, medium hard and soft rocks (ore, quartzites, granites, 1 imes tones, sandstones, coals, etc.) as well as at enterprises for extraction of building materials and raw chemical minerals of any strength. Application of charges with air gaps results in an increase of the degree and uniformity of fragmentation (up to 94 percent of the blasted rock mass consists of fragments not exceeding 400 mm), the average fragment size decreases by 1.5-2 times and the amount of lumps is reduced by 2-10 times (in some cases there are no lumps at all ). Besides, the amount of operation for filling boreholes with tamping material is reduced, the specific consumption of explosives

Jan 1, 1971

By Alexander Squire

A BRIEF study of the effects of material and processing variations upon the tensile properties of steel formed from mixtures of iron and carbon was made in order to provide information regarding the .properties obtainable in iron-carbon compacts as influenced by forming pressure, sintering temperature, and graphite particle size. Sintered steels formed from mixtures of iron and graphite have been studied by Stern,1 who investigated the effect of various percentages of graphite on compacts formed from electrolytic iron that were repressed and heat-treated after sintering. A further study, by Stern and Greenberg,2 is concerned with the heat-treatment of steels formed by the carburization of iron compacts, and Margolies3 has reported work on the simultaneous sintering and carburization of iron-powder parts. Glauch4 investigated the effect of various types of graphite on the properties of iron-carbon powder alloys but did not determine the effect of different particle sizes of the same graphite alloyed with different types of powder. In the investigation reported in this paper, powders typical of those produced by electrolytic deposition and the decarburization of shotted steel scrap were used. The powders were mixed by tumbling in a jar mill with graphite powder ground to an average particle diameter of 2, 4, 6, and 16 microns (as determined by microscopic measurement). The properties of the iron and graphite powders are presented in tabular form as Table I. In order to obtain the maximum information from a minimum number of test specimens, the study was divided into two sections with one set of specimens treated identically in each section as a basis for comparison. In the first section, iron powder produced by the shotting and subsequent decarburization of scrap steel was mixed with 2-micron graphite powder, pressed at 50,000, 100,000, and 200,000 psi, and sintered in hydrogen at 1200°C for the periods of time ranging from 15 to 120 minutes. In the second section of the investigation, electrolytic iron powder was mixed with graphite of an average particle diameter of 2, 4, 6, and i6 microns, pressed at 100,000 psi, and sintered at temperatures ranging from 1000° to 1200°C. for periods of time of 30 to 180 minutes. By following this procedure an indication of the effect of the following variables upon the density and tensile properties of iron-carbon powder compacts was obtained: (I) forming pressure, (2) sintering time, (3) particle size of graphite powder, (4) sintering temperature, (4) type of iron powder.

Jan 1, 1947

By A. Coulombe

"RésuméL’analyse des séquences d’exploitation, actuellement en usage pour les gisements très inclinés, a démontré qu’elles ne sont pas toujours optimales du point de vue du contrôle des terrains et de la concentration des travaux d’abattage (nombre de chantiers simultanément en opération). Effectivement plusieurs séquences sont très propices à la création des nombreuses zones de hautes contraintes, qui sont à l’origine des effets de pilier. L’étude de cas de la mine Lac Shortt a démontré que certaines séquences d’exploitation, actuellement en usage, ne sont surtout pas adéquates dans le cas d’un état élevé des contraintes naturelles. En effet la mine a eu de sérieuses problèmes avec le contrôle des terrains (coups de terrains et les effondrements des épontes). Ces effondrements étaient responsables de la dilution excessive et des pertes importantes des réserves minières. Les deux nouvelles séquences proposées, visent la meilleure redistribution des contraintes d’exploitation en vue d’éliminer la création des effets de pilier. En plus elles permettent une concentration plus élevée des travaux d’abattage.À notre avis les séquences proposées pourraient améliorer substantiellement la stabilité des chantiers d’abattage et par la suite les performances technique et économique des opérations souterraines. ABSTRACTThe planning of underground mining sequences represents an important aspect of the mining operation. The analysis of mining sequences actually in use for very steep orebodies has demonstrated that they are not always optimal, considering ground control and the number of stopes simultaneously in extraction. These sequences are conducive to the creation in the rockmass of several stressed zones caused by pillar effects. The case study of Lac Shortt mine showed that the sequences of exploitation currently in use are not adequate especially in the case of a high state of the natural constraints. Indeed, the mine had serious problems with ground control (rock bursts and collapse of walls). These collapses were responsible for excessive dilution and significant losses of mining reserves. The two new sequences suggested aim for the best redistribution of exploitation constraints in order to eliminate creation of pillar effects. Moreover, they allow a higher number of stopes to be extracted simultaneously. In the opinion of the authors, the sequences suggested could substantially improve the stability of working areas and, thereafter, technical and economical performances of the underground operations."

Jan 1, 1998

By AN Gupta, N V. Srinivasa Rao

Initiating devices like detonators use sensitive primary explosives. Successful detonation of secondary explosive is achieved by suitable source of energy from primaries. The most widely used primaries contain toxic lead azide and lead styphnate, dinitrodiphenol or tetracine. All these primaries are very sensitive to friction, impact and heat. The handling of these chemicals is very hazardous and many accidents reported in detonator manufacturing were from these primaries only. In addition to this high sensitivity, lead azide and lead styphnate contain lead which is toxic.

Jan 1, 2014

The reformulation of military explosives and solid propellants into commercial explosives offers a unique solution to the problem of disposing of high energy materials with essentially zero environmental impact at a low cost and with a salable product. Studies using the insensitive PBX PBXN-4 have been completed through the pilot plant stage and have been successfully tested as a mining explosive. A number of other military explosives have been examined and their VODs and heats of explosions determined and in some instances tested in 'field" operations.

Jan 1, 1995

Organization Place Date International Mining Convention (Auspices, Van- 1919 couver Chamber of Mines) Vancouver, B. C. Jan. 8-10 American Institute of Consulting Engineers, Inc... New York, N. Y. Jan. 13 American Society of Civil Engineers New York, N. Y. Jan. 15-16 Institute of Chemical Engineers Chicago, 111. Jan. 15-18 American Wood Preservers Association St. Louis, Mo. Jan. 28-30 American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers New York, N. Y. Jan. 28-30 Automotive Engineers New York, N. Y. Feb. 4-6

Jan 1, 1919

By H. R. Hoffman

SINCE slag is a necessary product of the reactive oxygen additions necessary to the present-clay quality steelmaking, the study of the control of its volume is being attempted. With other varying factors that may affect the volume of slag kept as nearly constant as possible, the object of this investigation is to determine what effect the one factor of varying the amounts of iron-ore additions and the time of the additions may have upon the volume of slag in producing an acid electric steel heat.

Jan 1, 1947

By William Lodding

In leaching ores at atmospheric pressure it is often desirable to apply high reagent concentration, long exposure time, and elevated temperature. All of these conditions tend to increase the treatment cost. In conventional leaching, direct or countercurrent, the leaching fluid is needed to transport the solids through the process. This requires relatively large volumes of fluid and limits the reagent concentration economically feasible. The relatively high dilution also increases fuel cost if leaching is to be done above ambient temperature. Heating of water is expensive.

Jan 3, 1967

By John W. Tieman

Coal is a term applied to vegetable matter (trees, grasses, etc.) which was subjected to heat and pressure through geologic ages. This resulted in a change in both the physical and chemical properties. Because its chemical composition is variable, geologists classify coal as a heterogeneous mineral rather than a homogeneous mineral. Peat represents the initial, unconsolidated stage in the development of coal. This coalification continues with time and the application of temperature and pressure to lignite, subbituminous, bituminous, and anthracite toward the theoretical graphite end member.

Jan 1, 1981

By Maslov LA

We have considered the following characteristics of the crust and upper mantle of the Pacific Belt: seismic wave velocit> anomalies, mechanical stress and shear deformation rate fields, heat flow and the pattern of metallogenic provinces of the Belt. It has been noted that there exist certain regularities in distribution of the above mentioned geophysical characteristics and metallogenic zones within the Belt, displayed by prevalence of the lithophile elements in the Asia-Australian part of the Belt, and of the chalcophile ones within the American part.

Jan 1, 1995

By J. R. Goode

"Canada developed pioneering rare earth solvent extraction methods to recover the rare earths and thorium as by-products of uranium recovery operations in Elliot Lake, Ontario, and was a major supplier of these key elements from about 1960 until 1990. At one stage, Elliot Lake was supplying perhaps one third of the world’s yttrium as well as much of its thorium. This paper reviews the development of Canada’s early rare earth and thorium production facilities. INTRODUCTIONThe rare earths and thorium were first identified in the early 19th century but were little more than curiosities for the next century. However, in the mid-1960s the invention of rare earth-based phosphors for the cathode ray picture tube used in colour television sets launched a major demand for certain rare earths.The use of thorium as an alloying agent in aircraft and missiles grew rapidly in the late 1950s. In the same period, demand for uranium for both weapons and power production soared. Also in the late 1950s, the Elliot Lake uranium-thorium-rare earth deposits (also known as the Blind River deposits) were discovered. This conjugation of events led to uranium production in the Elliot Lake camp, quickly followed by the co-production of thorium and, later, the rare earths.Uranium production in the Elliot Lake camp continued from 1955 to 1996. Thorium was produced continuously from 1959 to 1969. Rare earths were produced, intermittently, from 1965 to 1990. Complete production records are not readily available but unquestionably Elliot Lake made a significant contribution to world thorium and the rare earth production. This paper, presented earlier in an abbreviated form (Goode, 2012), is intended to present as much of the information that is available."

Jan 1, 2012

By Takahiro Miki

In order to use metallurgical grade silicon (MG-Si) as a starting material for solar cell, phosphorus has to be removed from silicon because phosphorus is a n-type dopant. On the other hand, silicon, ferrosilicon, and silicomanganese are widely used as deoxidizers in steel refining processes. Since most of the phosphorus introduced during the deoxidation process is brought into final products, it is important -to lower the phosphorus content of these alloys. Hence, thermodynamics of phosphorus in such metals is important for the evaluation of dephosphorization processes. In the present study, thermodynamic properties of phosphorus in molten Si-P alloys at 1723- 1848K and those of Si-Fe-P and Si-Mn-P alloys at 1723K have been determined by equilibrating respective metals in a controlled phosphorus partial pressure. The results are expressed as follows.

Jan 1, 1998

Heap leaching has become one of the prime technologies used for the recovery of precious metals from low-grade ores over the past ten years. The recovery process involves mining and stacking the ore on engineered leach pads, with or without crushing and/or agglomeration, followed by leaching with a low concentration sodium cyanide solution. The metal-bearing, pregnant solution is then processed by zinc precipitation or activated carbon absorption to extract the precious metals. The leaching process continues until all economic metal values are removed at which time the spent heap leach pads, the leached materials and excess process solutions require decommissioning. The management of these solutions may present a potential challenge for successful and environmentally sound decommissioning due to their composition, volume or continuity of generation from the spent ore even though active leaching has been terminated. The principal objectives of solution management in decommissioning spent heap leach pads are to meet all operative environmental regulations in a cost-effective manner and to leave the pads in a condition where they do not present a long-term liability either to the operator or to the environment. This involves the reduction in volume of the residual process solutions and/or treatment of these solutions to where they meet applicable water quality criteria. In the past, the environmental and economic aspects of decommissioning and solution management have been overlooked or under-estimated during the planning of mining operations. As a result, there is a potential for long-term liabilities and costs to be recognized only at the end of active leaching, a time at which operating revenues and cash-flow are minimal. Therefore, the decommissioning process requires addressing at the mine planning stage and agencies now require that a plan for solution management after the cessation of operations be submitted prior to initiation of mining. This paper discusses aspects of process solution management during decommissioning, both in terms of quantity and quality, and how potential issues may be recognized and planned for in the initial stages of heap leach design.

Jan 1, 1992

Worldwide minerals exploration slipped in 1992 from 1991 levels. Although industrial production figures showed the US economy emerging from recession in early 1992, it was not until February 1993 that the lagging indicator of unemployment dropped to 7%. Most other industrialized countries are still in recession. Preliminary data for 1992 showed industrial production dropping in Japan (5%), Germany (1.4%), the United Kingdom (0.5%) and France (1.4%). The slowdown in industrial production led to reduced mineral demand. This resulted in lean cash flows from mining operations, which squeezed exploration funding. Although mineral prices were steady during most of 1992, some mineral commodity prices began falling in late 1992 and early this year. Exploration 1991-1992 According to Metals Economics Group (MEG), planned 1992 exploration expenditures were down by about 5%. Geographically, the leading exploration target was the United States with 21 % of the expenditures, followed by Australia (19%), Canada (18%), Latin America (15%), South Africa (9%) and the western Pacific (7.5%). The remaining 10% was split between Europe and Africa. There were absolute increases in exploration expenditures in the United States and Latin America. Latin America showed the largest increase. The change in the Mexican mining law allowing foreign ownership of mines should result in the inflow of direct foreign investment in Mexico's mining industry.

Jan 1, 1993

By F. Habashi

It has been estimated that about 45 tonnes of mercury are emitted annually in the USA in the atmosphere as a result of burning coal in power-generating plants. A similar situation had existed in the metallurgical industry particularly in zinc production plants but this problem has been solved long ago by introducing scrubbing systems. Methods of mercury removal and recovery are discussed.

Jan 1, 2010

By B. J. Zhao, F. L. Han, L. E. Wu, M. Chen, Y. H. Chen

Magnesium is the lightest structural metal with a density only two-thirds of aluminium and one-quarter of steel. It can be produced by electrolysis of fused magnesium chloride or high temperature reduction of the oxide. The predominant method for magnesium production is the Pidgeon process which is a batch process starting from calcined dolomite and ferrosilicon. CaF2 is commonly used in the process as the catalyst. Analyses of the slag samples and thermodynamic calculations indicated that liquid phase plays important role in the reduction process. Effects of chemistry, temperature and gas pressure on the production have been discussed and compared with the operating data. Understanding of the reaction mechanisms will provide a fundamental base for alternative processes of the magnesium production.

Mar 1, 2017

By W. G. Davenport

Chapter 4 examined Inco (oxygen) flash smelting of pure chalcopyrite concentrate. It showed that the oxygen and flux requirements for auto thermal smelting are readily determined by a matrix calculation. This chapter extends this matrix approach by applying it to a multi-mineral concentrate.

Jan 1, 2001

By H. A. Wilhelm, P. Chiotti, G. A. Tracy

A summary of analytical, X-ray, thermal, and metallographic data obtained in the study of the Mg-U system is presented. No intermetallic compounds are formed by these two elements, and their mutual solubility is limited at temperatures up to 1255°C. The compositions of the liquids which coexist at 1135°C under a pressure of 3 atm are 0.14*0.05 wt pet U in magnesium, and 0.004 wt pet Mg in uranium. The solubility of uranium in magnesium decreases to 0.0510.03 wt pet at 675OC, and to about 0.0005 wt pet at 650°C. Due to the reactivity of both uranium and magnesium toward crucible materials, the choice of a suitable crucible presented a problem. Crucibles made from high purity magnesia to which 10 wt pet MgF2 was added to reduce porosity proved to be satisfactory. Some observations made with the use of other crucibles are given. THIS investigation was made to establish the phase diagram for the Mg-U system. Ahmann,' formerly of the Ames Laboratory, did some work on the system. He used several methods in an attempt to prepare Mg-U alloys. One of the methods involved the reduction of UF, with a large excess of magnesium. In these experiments, the magnesium wet the surface of the uranium, but there was no evidence for compound formation. The maximum solubility of magnesium in uranium was indicated to be 0.01 wt pet. In another set of experiments, uranium chips as well as uranium powder were heated in contact with molten magnesium in a graphite crucible for periods of time up to 48 hr. A reaction layer was found at the Mg-U interface in several instances. X-ray analysis of the layer material showed the presence of UC and some additional unidentified lines which were interpreted as indicating the possibility of an intermetallic compound of uranium and magnesium. These studies indicated the maximum content of magnesium in uranium to be 0.043 wt pet. One sample of magnesium which had been heated at 1025°C in contact with excess uranium was found by chemical analysis to contain 0.275 wt pet U. Rules, based on empirical or semi theoretical considerations, which attempt to predict the alloying behavior of metals have been presented in the literature. Although these rules are not infallible, they nevertheless serve as useful guides. Using them, several generalizations can be made concerning the Mg-U system. According to Hume-Rothery's' atomic

Jan 1, 1957