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Mining epitomises the challenge of sustainable development, because few sectors have such a direct impact on the natural environment, yet few are more important to the economic and social health of almost every region in the globe. In a global industry, with increasing competition for exploration and mining investment dollars, sustainable development must also be resolved within an international competitiveness framework. In formulating a response to the challenge of sustainable development, the State and Federal Governments do not fully appreciate the extent to which technology drives the solution on a range of issues. In some cases` a dangerous fatalism about the state of science has led to an unhealthy æstop productionÆ attitude that puts our industry and economy at risk. As a technical institute representing the professionals in the minerals sector, The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (The AusIMM) sees one of its roles as being to highlight the way in which industry innovation can facilitate solutions. The AusIMM is currently evolving a greenhouse gas emissions policy. As a case study it throws into sharp relief the way in which irresponsible ælimits to growthÆ policies could have a negative impact on the sustainability of the sector, as well as the importance of a technology- based solution. With 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the next twenty years projected to come from developing economies, such as India and China, major reductions will only be achieved if cost-effective, low emissions energy technologies are deployed in developing countries, and more energy efficient processes of producing key commodities for them are brought online. As a supplier of the key energy resources and materials that will be in high demand to feed developing economies, and with knowledge intensive industries with excellent R&D links across mining and manufacturing, Australia is well positioned to contribute to develop key low emissions technologies. However, we will only be able to take advantage of this position if the Federal Government commits to a holistic greenhouse emissions policy that does not penalise industry. We need effective æpushÆ polices aimed at leveraging investment in low emissions R&D that are closely linked in to æpullÆ policies aimed at stimulating technology uptake.

Jan 1, 2006

By M. Pope

By 1950, packaged oil and gas fired boilers were on the market for capacities up to 30,000 lbs./hr. By 1962, capacities were up to 100,000 lbs./hr. and even higher when separate heat traps (economizers and air preheaters) were attached to the boiler packages. During this period, complete packaged coal fired boilers were developed into the 10-15,000 lbs./hr. range. Oil and gas fired plant designs became very compact, "basementless", and far: less costly than the coal fired plants of any capacity. Coal fired plants remained large and expensive, required field erection of boilers and required basements. With the spectacular strides made in automation, oil and gas plants became far less costly to operate, requiring only the part-time attendance of a single operator. Some advances were made in coal fired plants, but not to the degree attained by the fluid fuel competition.

Jan 1, 1965

By C. A. Pierce

UNDERGROUND operations of the United States Potash Co. at its mine near Carlsbad, N.M., have been continuous since the property was opened about five years ago. Approximately one million tons of potash has been mined and two shafts have been sunk, each to a depth of about 1000 ft. Outstanding in the company's operations is the fact that not a single blasting accident has occurred during the aforesaid period. The purpose of this paper is to describe the blasting practice that has made possible the achievement of this accident-prevention record. The mining method employed in extracting the thick horizontal bed of potash may be described as a double-entry room-and-pillar system. Mine development is kept well in advance of extraction operations, and a three years' supply of ore, at least, is always available. Limits of the orebody have not been determined, and in the present system of mining headings are advanced by a "shortwall" method. This was the first potash ore bed developed in the United States. The nature of the deposit, therefore, was unknown, and it was deemed expedient to outline a conservative mining policy. Later, when more is known about the deposit and certain control ascertained, a "longwall" panel retreating method may be found advisable. The necessity for a domestic supply of potash became a national issue previous to and during the World War. The United States Govern-ment came to realize that this country should not be dependent upon foreign sources of potash, and began extensive explorations in many parts of the country, seeking an orebody that would meet the exacting require-ments of the domestic market. The Department of Interior, through the Geological Survey and Bureau of Mines, made every effort to determine the location of potash deposits and encouraged their exploitation by private capital. Through the combined efforts of the Department of Interior and private industry, the deposit now being worked by the United States Potash Co. was discovered and brought into production.

Jan 1, 1936

By S. Caron

From the early 70?s, ?Centre de Recherche Minérale? (CRM) has conducted and co-ordinated Research and Development activities for the mineralurgical and metallurgical industries. Since 1999, CRM has continued its mandate through COREM which is a consortium of 13 members that uses the benefits and advantages of collaborative pre-competitive industry / university research. In particular, COREM?s ?In-Situ Optimization Group? is involved in the implementation of modern optimization and control tools. The POP Project was launched in order to increase and consolidate the use of modern optimization and control tools and methods for mineralurgical and metallurgical processes. To ensure a successful transfer in the industry, there are a number of essential activities that have to be undertaken. These activities have been identified by COREM?s members and are grouped into three main modules: - R&D Module: Research and Development in universities, research centres and other partners; - Technology Transfer Module: integration of new tools and methods into the POP Software, industrial applications and technical support; - Training Module: education of new engineers in universities, continuing education of plant personnel through on-site workshops and resource networking by specific information exchange tools. This paper outlines the opportunities that led to the definition of the POP Project and describes its main modules. The main features of the POP Software are presented, the first application is described and finally, future developments are discussed.

May 1, 2001

By H. R. Cooper, T. S. Mika

T. S. Mika (Department of Mineral Technology, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.) - Dr. Cooper's attempt to establish a correlation between process behavior and operational variables on the basis of a statistical analysis after imposing a reasonable process model is a very commendable improvement on the use of standard regression techniques. However, it must be recognized that the imposition of a model has the potential of yielding a poorer representation if its basic assumptions or mathematical formulation are invalid. It appears that at least two aspects of his treatment require some comment. First, the limitations on the kinetic law where xta represents a hypothetical terminal floatable solids concentration (cf. Bushell1), should be mentioned. Most current investigations2-9 appear to utilize the concept of a distribution of rate constants rather than a single unique value, k, to describe flotation kinetics. A distributed rate constant is certainly a more physically meaningful concept than that of a terminal concentration. The study of Jowett and safvi10 strongly indicates that xta is merely an empirical parameter, whose actual behavior does not correspond to that expected from a true terminal concentration. Rather than being a strictly mineralogical variable, as Dr. Cooper's treatment implies, it apparently represents the hydromechanical nature of the test cell as well as the flotation chemistry. The extension of batch cell kinetic results to full-scale continuous cell operation is a suspect procedure if the effect of such nonmineralogical influences on x,, remain unevaluated. There is evidence that introduction of a terminal concentration is necessitated by the inherent errors which arise in batch testing and are eliminated by continuous testing methods.' Possible lack of validity of the author's use of Eq. 1 is indicated by two unexpected results of the statistical analysis of his batch data. The first is the apparent corroboration of the assumption that the rate constant, k, is independent of particle size, i.e., of changes in the size distribution of floatable material. This assumption directly contradicts numerous results 2,4,11-l8 for cases where first order kinetics prevailed and ignores the phenomenological basis for the analysis of flotation in terms of a distribution of k's. It must be recognized that, if the rate constant is size dependent, the lumped over-all k would be time dependent; Eq. 1 would then no longer be valid. Cooper's x,, is determined by batch flotation of a distribution of sizes for an arbitrary period of time. If the size dependence of k is artificially suppressed, x,, will become a function of the experimental flotation time used in its determination. Upon reviewing the rather extensive literature concerning batch flotation kinetics, there appear to be few instances where constant k and x,, adequately adsorb variations in floatability due to particle size. The second surprising result is the low values of the distribution modulus, n, determined. Contrary to Cooper's assertion, most batch grinding (ball or rod mill) products yield values of n > 0.6, which increase as the material becomes harder.'' It is likely that the values of n = 0.25 and n = 0.42 for Trials 1 and 2, respectively, are completely unreasonable, and even the value n = 0.54 obtained for Trial 3 is unexpectedly low. Possibly, this indicates inherent flaws in the three trial models considered, in particular the assumed particle size independence of the rate constant, k. The above does not necessitate that Eq. 1 (and the terminal concentration concept) is invalid; it could constitute a good first approximation. However, the qualitative arguments used by Dr. Cooper in its justification are somewhat frail and require verification, particularly since much of the flotation kinetics literature is in opposition. Apparently, no effort was made to test these hypotheses on the actual data; in fact, since they pertain to a single batch test time, his data cannot be utilized to evaluate the kinetics of flotation. To evolve a control algorithm on the basis of this infirm foundation seems a questionable procedure. Another difficulty in his analysis arises in consideration of the froth concentrating process. As Bushel1 ' notes, for Eq. 1 to be valid it is necessary that the rate of recycle from the froth be directly proportional (independent of particle size) to the rate of flotation transport from the pulp to the froth, a restrictive condition." Harris suggests that it is more realistic to assume that depletion occurs in proportion to the amount of floatable material in the pertinent froth phase volume (treating that volume as perfectly mixed).12,21,22 The physical implications of

Jan 1, 1968

By M. B. C. Brandt

Richter magnitudes for seismic events were calibrated for use as a Local magnitude scale in the West Rand (WR), Far West Rand (FWR), and Klerksdorp–Orkney–Stilfontein–Hartebeesfontein (KOSH) gold mining areas. Richter magnitudes are currently calculated from seismograms recorded by local surface cluster networks using tabulated calibration values for Southern California, published in 1958. The Richter (1958) model is incorrect for distances of less than 30 km and should be applied only to crustal earthquakes in regions with similar attenuation properties to those of Southern California. When compared to the South African National Seismograph Network (SANSN), the cluster networks, on average, overestimate seismic event magnitudes by approximately 0.1 of a magnitude unit. A calibrated Local magnitude scale was derived by means of a multiple regression analysis between the Local magnitudes reported by the SANSN and the largest zero-to-peak trace amplitudes measured on the cluster network horizontal seismograms, after modelling the attenuation of the seismic waves as these progress from the epicentre to the station position. Magnitudes reported by individual stations for the same event show a significant scatter around the average magnitude owing to the near-surface amplifications of the seismic waves at the recordings sites. Average magnitude should be estimated using as many magnitudes of individual stations as possible to ensure an accurate estimate. Larger event magnitudes should be compared with those recorded by the SANSN.

Nov 1, 2021

By C. J. Frosch, J. A. May, H. G. White, C. D. Thurmond

Gallium phosphide epitaxial layers were grown from the vapor phase on undoped single-crystal galliurn arsenide substrates in silica tubes by an open-tube wet-hydrogen process. The epitaxial layers were grown over a range of water pressures at three substrate temperatures. Excess donor concentrations were determined by surface barvier capacitance measurelrzents without removing the layers from the substrates. The excess dmlor concentration, ND-NA, is fo~ind to vary approxilnately inversely with the pressure of water added to the hydrogen carrier gas. This is the relationship that would be expected for singly ionized silicon donors on gallium sites in extrinsic galliunz phosphide, with the silicon coming from the SiO generated by the reaction of hydrogen with the silica tube. An increase in the partial pressure of water in the hydrogen stream decreases the SiO pressure. The results indicate that ni, the intrinsic hole and electrmt concentration for gallium phosphide at the three substrate temperatures, is smaller than the concentration estimated from available data for the density of states effective masses and the energy gap. Mass-spectrographic measurements confirm that the dono?, introduced into gallium phosphide is silicon. The equilibrium concentrations of silicon in vapor-flown gallium Phosphide have been estimated from available thernzodynamic information that includes the solubility measurements of silicon in gallium phosphide in equilibrium with a gallium-rich liquid phase. Satisfactory agreement with the measured silicon concentrations is obtained. FROSCH1 has described an open-tube process for growing single-crystal Gap from the vapor phase by a GazO transport mechanism. The method depends upon the reaction of H20 in an H2 carrier gas with a heated source of polycrystalline Gap which provides the necessary vapor species. When the temperature of these vapor species is lowered, super saturation occurs and single-crystal Gap will deposit on a suitable substrate. Unintentionally doped single crystals of Gap grown by the wet H2 process in silica tubes are n type. Evidence is presented to show that the donor introduced is silicon, and that a qua si-equilibrium model accounts for the inverse dependence of the donor concentration on the water partial pressure and predicts the magnitude of the donor concentrations. Ainslie et al. experimentally showed a similar inverse relationship between the carrier density and oxygen pressure for GaAs. Emission-spectrographic analyses showed a decrease in the silicon concentration with increasing oxygen overpressure for GaAs. Cochran and Foster suggested the theoretical possibility of suppressing silicon contamination by using Ga20 generated by the reaction of gallium with water vapor. 1) EXPERIMENTAL The apparatus and procedures are essentially the same as those described by Frosch.' The apparatus consists of a 25-mm-ID SiO2 tube extending through a controlled high-temperature flat zone for the location of the polycrystalline Gap source and a downstream temperature gradient falling at a rate of about 14°C per cm. The latter provides the region of super saturation for the location of the single-crystal substrate. The partial pressure of water in the inflowing hydrogen stream, pA2, O was controlled by mixing me-tered proportions of dry H2 with H2 saturated with H2O vapor at 0°C. The total gas flows were about 200 cu cm per min in all experiments. The Gap sources were prepared by pulverizing boat-grown polycrystalline ingots to pass a 20-mesh sieve. The substrates were cut from an undoped single-crystal boat-grown GaAs ingot purchased from Monsanto. This ingot had a carrier concentration of about 1015 atoms per cu cm, a resistivity of about 5 ohm-cm, and a mobility of about 5000 sq cm per v sec at 25°C. Substrates with dimensions of 1 by 1 by 5 x lo-' cm were employed. The growth faces were chemically polished (111) arsenic faces. Epitaxial layers, at least 7.5 x 10-3 cm thick, were grown,. This required from 1 to 24 hr depending upon the Pii2Q values and the temperatures. In all of the runs, the source temperatures were 50°C higher than the substrate temperatures. Samples were prepared

Jan 1, 1968

By T Peglas, A de Aboitiz

The Queensland Government, via the special purpose company vehicle û City North Infrastructure Pty Ltd û is currently developing BrisbaneÆs Airport Link underground toll road and Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron).Airport Link is a predominantly underground toll road planned between BrisbaneÆs northern suburbs, the airport and the Brisbane Central Business District (CBD) frame. The Northern Busway forms part of BrisbaneÆs expanding busway network, sections of which will be jointly delivered with Airport Link. Airport Link will connect the North-South Bypass Tunnel, Inner City Bypass and local road network at Bowen Hills to the northern arterials of Gympie Road and Stafford Road at Kedron and Sandgate Road and the East-West Arterial in the cityÆs north-east. The Northern Busway is a two-lane, two-way bus-only roadway proposed to connect the existing Inner Northern Busway at Herston with Windsor, Lutwyche, Kedron, Chermside, Aspley and Bracken Ridge. Airport Link and Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron) is one of the largest infrastructure projects planned in the first phase of the State GovernmentÆs South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program. The paper will provide an overview of the projects, including a discussion on the technical and environmental aspects as well as the procurement of the Airport Link as a public private partnership.

Jan 1, 2008

By Norm Steenson

Rapid excavation includes rapid support and is the central theme of this paper. Over the last few years, enormous strides forward have been made in the excavation and material handling aspects of underground excavation. However, the technology necessary to support these rapidly created openings has lagged behind the other aspects. This paper would attempt to bring you up-to-date on the progress made in bringing ground support using shotcrete into the same productivity rates as the other cyclic operations. Shotcrete has become an acceptable material for temporary and permanent support for undergound openings. However, coarse aggregate shotcrete has been an expensive construction material. It has been confined in the main to difficult ground conditions where conventional methods of support have proved to be even slower and more expensive than shotcrete. There are two main factors influencing the productivity of shotcrete equipment. (1) Structural shotcrete as opposed to gunite requires 40% to 45% rock minus 3/4" in the mix design. The equipment to handle such aggregate content has been difficult to develop on a volume basis owing to the attritional nature of the material which causes intense wear problems on

Jan 1, 1974

By T. C. Huber

The southern African region has a high concentration of mineral resources and supplies much of the world?s platinum demand. As a result, the international community watches South Africa to understand the impact of supply on global markets. An analysis of supply certainty and risk plays a key role in the future of growing demand in various sectors. The southern African platinum industry experienced substantial growth in the early part of the 21st century, resulting in bullish forecasts for growth during the period of 2000?2006. However, southern African platinum producers saw a significant drop in production over the following three years as a result of many dynamic factors in operations and the global economy. Between 2006 and 2009 there was a million-ounce shortfall between forecast and actual production. This was raised as a concern at the Fourth International Platinum Conference in 2010 by Stephen Forrest during his keynote address, specifically regarding the lack of understanding in the market of the causes of this shortfall and any action that was being taken to address them. This paper reviews publicly available information in the media and corporate reports and communications for the period January 2006 to December 2009. In addition, several interviews were held with key stakeholders in the industry to provide further perspective. The paper then highlights the main reasons that are reported to have affected the loss in production over the period and discusses the possible implications of the information that the mining industry does and does not disclose regarding platinum supply.

Jan 1, 2012

By F. Weinberg

Lead single crystals have been deformed in tension over the temperature range of 4.2°K to the melting point. Changes in flow stress resulting from temperature cycling and strain rate cycling have been measured as a function of temperature for crystals of different orientations and purity. It was found that the flow stress ratio, after correcting for the temperature dependence of the shear modulus, decreased progressively with temperature above approximately 0.5Tm. The activation energy calculated from the high-temperature portion of the curve was found to be markedly higher than that of self-diffusion. For single glide crystals, the corrected flow stress showed an increase above 0.5 Tm before decreasitzg with temperature. This increase is attributed to static recovery occurrittg during temperature cycling. THE temperature dependence of the flow stress, based on temperature cycling and strain rate cycling, has been extensively investigated,' and on the basis of these results dislocation models of the work-hardening process have been proposed. In general, the flow stress is divided into two parts, ts, the short-range interaction term, which is only effective at low temperatures and which decreases with increasing temperature, and TG, the long-range stress term, which is independent of temperature after allowing for the temperature dependence of the shear modulus. The observations demonstrating that tG/µ is independent of temperature were generally carried out at low temperatures to minimize recovery effects. Several investigations have been reported on flow stress measurements at high temperatures2"5 which demonstrate that TG/µ does not remain constant at temperatures above 0.5Tm (where Tm is the melting temperature of the material in OK). Specifically, Hirsch and warrington3 carried out temperature cycling tests at two strain rates on single and polycrystalline aluminum up to 0.8 Tm and on polycrystalline copper. For aluminum they found that the flow stress ratio (the flow stress at temperature T2, divided by the flow stress at the reference temperature T1 in one temperature cycle) dropped progressively with increasing temperature above 0.5Tm. From the slopes of the high-temperature portions of the curves, they determined an activation energy for the deformation process of 1.6 ev (at best) which they considered was in agreement with the activation energy of self-diffusion, 1.35 ev. Calculations of the activation volume demonstrated that the deformation was not controlled by dislocation climb. They proposed a mechanism in which the rate-controlling process at high temperatures was due to the rate of move- ment of vacancies away from jogs, i.e., that of self-diffusion. Results of Lucke and Buhler4 on single crystals of aluminum confirmed this conclusion. They measured the critical resolved shear stress of aluminum over a wide range of temperature and strain rates. They found that the temperature dependence of the critical resolved shear stress was similar to that of the flow stress ratio, as determined by Hirsch and Warrington, and from their data calculated an activation energy for high-temperature deformation of 1.35 ev identical to that of self-diffusion. More recently Gallagher5 has carried out a detailed investigation of the temperature dependence of the flow stress ratio of copper, silver, and gold. In all cases, he found that the flow stress ratio, after adjusting for the shear modulus temperature change, drops at high temperatures. The activation energies he determined were found to be appreciably higher than the activation energy of self-diffusion of the material being considered. The flow stress ratio was found to be dependent on the orientation of the material, and, in addition, an anomalous increase in the flow stress ratio for copper, oriented for single glide, was observed above 0.5Tm. The purpose of the present investigation was to measure the critical resolved shear stress, the flow stress ratio, and the strain rate sensitivity of lead, primarily as a function of temperature. The results should indicate whether, following Lucke and Buhler, the critical resolved shear stress of lead has the same temperature dependence as the flow stress, and, following Hirsch and Warrington, whether the activation energy for high-temperature deformation in lead is the same as that of self-diffusion. Lead deforms as a normal fee material,6'7 is available in high-purity form, can readily be grown as single crystals, and, for this investigation, has the very considerable advantage of having a low melting point, 327°C. The observations of the critical resolved shear stress of lead have been published elsewhere.' EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The experimental procedure was essentially the same as that used in the critical resolved shear stress measurements.' Single crystals of 99.999 pct (59) and 99.9999 pct (69) lead were deformed in tension with a table-model Instron in a silicone oil bath above room temperatures and in a cooled methyl alcohol or liquid-nitrogen bath below room temperatures. The test specimens were rectangular in section, 0.65 by 0.33 cm, and had a 5-cm gage length. The specimens were grown as single crystals with tapered ends, which fitted into matched tapered grips for testing. To obtain the flow stress between two temperatures, specimens were first deformed approximately 1.0 pct at the higher temperature. The test was then stopped, the load relaxed, the oil bath removed without disturbing the specimen, the grips and specimen cooled with a fan and then immersed in liquid nitro-

Jan 1, 1969

By H. V. Makar

The Bureau of Mines successfully demonstrated, on a pilot plant scale, a sodium sulfate (Na2S04) refining process for removal of copper from molten ferrous scrap. Previous tests established technical feasibility on a bench scale for achieving low copper concentrations and determining the principal factors controlling process efficiency. The pilot plant study involved a 1-ton arc furnace for melting ferrous scrap and a 1-1/2-ton treatment ladle. Results of these tests showed that copper removals obtained in laboratory tests (approximately 40 relative percent copper removal with 10 weight-percent surface addition of sodium sulfate) could be achieved on the pilot plant scale when excess carbon was added with the sodium sulfate compacts. Data were obtained on temperature losses and carbon consumption related to Na2SO4 treatment.

Jan 1, 1974

Reliable sampling practices are the key to optimising the market value of a mining or chemical companyÆs stock. As a result, reliable sampling standards are needed. However, current standards on sampling present the æuniversalÆ Pierre GyÆs Sampling Theory in an ambiguous way. For example, the Total Sampling Error is divided into its basic components only in informative annexes, when it should clearly be the main body of the standard. Sampling standards are presently loaded with statistical concepts that actually belong in the annexes. Furthermore, many non-probabilistic sampling procedures are still mentioned which do not belong in a standard. The objective is not to criticise existing sampling standards, but to suggest better ones. Sections on the Sampling Theory should divide the Total Sampling Error into a sum of its nine basic components. Then, and only then, should they be addressed one at the time. Sections for establishing a sampling protocol should address the in situ Nugget Effect, the Fundamental Error, the Grouping and Segregation Error, the Long Range Quality Fluctuation Error, and the Periodic Quality Fluctuation Error. Sections for sampling methods, mechanical sampling, manual sampling, grab sampling, sampling of trucks, railroad cars, bags, and drums should be part of the critically important practical implementation of a recommended sampling protocol, called Sampling Correctness. It includes the increment Delimitation Error, the increment Extraction Error, the Weighting Error, and the Preparation Errors. Unless these errors are addressed one at a time, in an unambiguous way, the standard will remain ineffective in solving sampling problems for the industry. Therefore, a strategy is needed to create better standards required at the early stages of new projects, both by manufacturers of sampling equipment and by engineering firms. A logical sequence of important points that cannot be ignored in any sampling standard is presented. An analysis of the practical use of the words sampling uncertainty versus sampling error is recalled. Finally, as a practical example, an in-depth analysis of the correctness of cross-belt samplers is presented, and emphasis is placed on the correct ways to perform bias-tests for mechanical sampling systems.

Jan 1, 2005

By T. C. Alex

Mechanical activation of gibbsite [?-Al(OH)3] is the theme of this paper. Industrially prepared gibbsite used in the study has a mono modal size distribution with a median size, d50=110 µm. Mechanical activation of this gibbsite has been carried out in a planetary mill at ambient conditions. Mechanical activated gibbsite samples are characterised in terms of particulate characteristics, structural characteristics and reactivity. As a result, of milling, mono modal size distribution of the unmilled gibbsite changes to a broad multimodal distribution. Size reduction has been sharp in the initial stages of milling; median size reduces to ~7 µm during 15 min of milling. Thereafter no decrease in median size is observed; rather it is found to increase gradually with further increase in milling time, indicating particle aggregation. Morphological studies of milled gibbsite have shown that the platelets forming the agglomerate are separated first; the separated platelets then undergo breakage. Aggregation of particles sets in the later stages of milling as a result of increased surface area and surface energy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies have clearly revealed the changes in gibbsite structure during milling. Analyses of XRD data show that the crystallite size of gibbsite decreases as the milling time progresses whereas its microstrain is found to increase. Accumulation of energy in the structure is the result in both cases. TEM micrographs with signs of defects leading to disordering of gibbsite structure complement the XRD results. Reactivity of milled gibbsite, decrease in its deydroxylation temperature and increase in alkali dissolution, is found to increase with mechanical activation. Increased reactivity of milled gibbsite is found to have a strong correlation with the BET specific surface area. Keywords: mechanical activation, gibbsite, alkali dissolution, thermal dehydroxylation, reactivity

Sep 1, 2012

By Arthur Brant

STEEPROCK LAKE (Figure 1) lies about two miles north of Atikokan, a village approximately one hundred and forty miles west of Fort William and one hundred miles east of Fort Frances on the Canadian National railway. The possible presence of hematite beneath the waters of Middle arm was inferred by early geological investigators (1890-1903) from the dense hematite float found on the southerly shores of this portion of the lake (1). A dip-needle survey of Middle arm, undertaken in the winter of 1930-31 by J. G. Cross, indicated two areas of high magnetic attraction which Mr. Cross thought might be due to magnetic iron oxides associated with possible hematite bodies. Bedrock could not be reached by the ineffectual hand-drilling so courageously attempted, and further work was abandoned. It was not until 1937 that Mr. Jos. Errington, of Toronto, convinced of the possibilities, determined to support Mr. Cross to the extent of several thousand feet of drilling. During the winter of 1937-38, holes Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, and 13 were put down (see Figure 1). The first four of these holes demonstrated that the areas of magnetic attraction outlined by the dip-needle survey east of the Narrows and southwest of Elbow point were due to ash rock (2). As a result, Mr. Cross decided to investigate the bordering areas of low magnetic attraction and selected a location near the high ferruginous lime (3) point in the northeast of Middle arm. Dense, hard hematite beneath approximately 350 feet of water and clay was struck in the first hole, and, before the end of the winter's drilling, hematite had been encountered in holes Nos. 6 to 13 along a straight line 700 feet in length (see Figure 1). In the meantime, the Steerola ( 4) Exploration Company had been formed to continue development and already, in the spring of 1938, W. D. Neeland, the Company geologist, had come to the conclusion that the most probable location for possible hematite was at the ash-lime contact. Accordingly, during the summer, drilling was continued off-shore in holes Nos. 15, 25, and 27 (see Figure 2) toward possible hematite bodies inferred by Mr. Neeland.

Jan 1, 1940

By AIME AIME

CHARLES WASHINGTON MERRILL, the second to be honored by the award of the James Douglas gold medal, throughout his entire professional career has been identified with the cyanide method of extracting gold from ore. To his efforts this branch of the metallurgical industry owes a large measure of its success in continuing to treat some gold ores profitably, in spite of economic adversities. Mr. Merrill was born at Concord, N. H., Dec. 21, 1869, and received the degree of B. S. from the School of Mines at the University of California in 1891. Among his first professional connections was the Standard Mining Co., at Bodie, Cal., followed by a short engagement at Harqua Hala, Ariz. From 1895 to 1899 he was connected with the Montana Mining Co., at Marysvale, Mont., and then followed his nine years of fruitful association with the Homestake Mining Co. In 1909, the Merrill Co. was formed, to exploit more than a score of patents granted to Mr. Merrill, covering various phases of the cyanide process and numerous pieces of equipment for its operation; among the most noteworthy of these innovations were the Merrill filter-press, and the use of zinc dust as a precipitant. The Merrill Co. has a long record of successful accomplishments in its chosen field, to mention only the plants at the Dome mines of Ontario and at the Sta. Gertrudis mines of Mexico as among the more recent. Mr. Merrill is president also of the Western Ore Purchasing Co.; and a director in two gold dredging companies of California.

Jan 1, 1924

"The richest hill on earth" had its start as a placer gold camp in 1864. The gold was quickly worked out but then silver was discovered in the copper ores in Butte Hill. After ten years as a silver camp, rich copper ore was found in 1881 and the future of Butte was assured. In the early 1960's, the Anaconda Company began the shift from underground mining at Butte to open pit mining of the enormous, low-grade copper deposit surrounding the old high-grade veins which had been worked for over eighty years. Their first primary crusher was a 66 in. by 84 in. (168 m by 2. 13 m) jaw crusher. The pit was expanded at such a rate, however, that its location became endangered. Additionally, the new Clyde Weed concentrator had been built at Butte; and in 1969 construction of a new gyratory installation was started. The primary crusher at the Clyde Weed concentrator is one of the most unusual primary crushers ever put into operation. At times, the ore from the Berkeley pit contains large amounts of timber, pipe, rails, and so forth left in the ore body from the old underground mining operations; and the crusher installation had to be designed so this tramp material could be readily removed ahead of the crusher. Ore is delivered by 100- and 150-ton trucks to two side-by-side dump pockets, each with a capacity of 400 tons. Originally, a hydraulic grapple was installed on the dividing wall between the dump pockets; but it was found that oversize boulders large enough to block the discharge opening at the bottom of each hopper were rapidly covered with other material, and the grapple was unable to reach and remove the large boulders causing the blockage. In addition, the grapple was located in a quite vulnerable position; and it sustained damage from being struck by rock dumped from the trucks. Oversize boulders are now blasted. Underneath each pocket is a vibrating grizzly feeder with the grizzly bars set at 4 in. (102 mm). These feeder-grizzlies are 84 in. (2. 13 m) wide and 32 .ft (9. 75 m) long, with grizzly sections 16 ft (4. 88 m) long. Approximately 75% of the ore passes through the grizzlies and grizzly oversize then drops onto two parallel 6 ft (1. 83 m) wide picking belts. The belts are 3 in. (76 mm) thick and rest on idlers supported by air- filled rubber shock absorbers. At the side of each picking belt is a hydraulic grapple which is used to remove timbers too large to be removed by hand. At times, four men are used to remove timber and tramp iron. Timbers are dropped onto a transverse belt conveyor which discharges into a truck stationed outside the primary crusher building,

Jan 1, 1978

By Kanaan Hanna

Abandoned mines pose a serious threat to public health and safety, as well as the environment. When active workings approach old mine workings, miners could encounter significant hazards. Additionally, the presence of mined-out areas or voids underlying residential/commercial properties, transportation, and infrastructure systems can cause subsidence issues ranging from differential settlements and sinkholes to catastrophic collapse. All these features can result in adverse impacts in terms of cost and public safety. Traditionally, mine void detection and related engineering investigations for mine subsidence risk assessment and mitigation have been greatly dependent on systematic drilling and grouting backfill programs. The unknown location and condition of abandoned underground mines represent significant challenges to geologists and engineers in accurately evaluating subsidence hazards and developing appropriate mitigation measures. A comprehensive, multi-phase mine subsidence investigation was conducted at an abandoned western U.S. mine site. The mine operated in an approximately 8-ft (2.4-m) -thick coal seam using room-and-pillar extraction from 1919 to 1922. The mine lies at depths ranging from 50 to 100 ft (15 to 30 m), and it is overlain by critical pipeline and utility corridors. Any future subsidence/ sinkhole that occurs beneath or adjacent to the corridors could pose a significant threat, specifically to the structural integrity of the pipeline corridor. Therefore, the engineering geophysical investigation was initiated to determine the potential subsidence risk. This paper describes a recent success achieved by using integrated engineering geophysics in subsidence risk evaluation. A summary of significant results with emphasis on subsurface characterization, mine workings and voids delineation, modeling analysis, and high risk zones identification and mitigation strategy is presented.

Jan 1, 2011

By V. A. Luganov

The behavior of arsenopyrite under heating has been studied by many scientists. It has been already established that under heating at more than 650°C and without air access the arsenopyrite dissociates with the formation of one atom arsenic. Under vacuum the dissociation process begins at 550 DC with the formation of elemental arsenic. The residue of dissociation process contains pyrrhotite and throilitc. In the presence of pyrite, arsenopyrite dissociates under lower temperature and with a higher velocity than without it. The industrial realization of fool scale processing of arsenic bearing raw materials is possible only by the use of standard equipment and oxygen containing blast In this view the paper presents the results of the study on the effect of oxygen in the gaseous phase and its addition into the charge of pyrite in the process of arsenopyrite decomposition. Thermodynamic analyses showed that under thermal processing of arsenopyrite in the presence of pyrite and limited quantities of oxygen in the gaseous phase the formation of arsenic sulfides is possible according to the following reactions:

Jan 1, 2003

By Sadatoshi Ohmori, Karen Shinoda, Nobuharu Isago

Method of tunnel excavation is generally classified such as full-face excavation, bench-cut excavation, diaphragm with center pillar excavation, center drift advancing excavation and so on. These excavation methods should be selected properly in terms of ground condition, the area of tunnel section, the arrangement of construction. Center drift advancing excavation method in mountain tunnel construction, is often applied under quite weak ground condition, prior to the main tunnel widening excavation. Recently, the advancing drift is for the excavation of extreme larger section in main tunnel to confirm the stability of face. In addition, we make advancing deformation occur in drift when the construction was done in poor ground like squeezing and swelling ground, and the force occurred in main tunnel was expected to reduce by the effect of ‘dodging’ for support structure. Mechanical relation between drift and main tunnel has been mainly grasped on past experiences in Japan. However, the characteristic of tunnel enlargement was partially discussed by using the three dimensional analysis and the result was grasped by past experiences on the basis of each tunnel construction. It is considered that the natural ground stress is normally released as the advance displacement, but it was released after the main tunnel widening, causing a displacement and deformation increase. Up to now, the construction practice has shown the reduced displacement during the main tunnel widening excavation by the drift, and the numerical analysis agreed with above observation. However, there is no report found that the displacement and deformation at the time of widening excavation of the main tunnel become larger in case of a drift application. In Kyusyu area, western part of Japan, the northern part of Yoshinomoto tunnel was applied an advancing bench-cutting method for a center drift for the purpose of obtaining the geological information for support selection of the main tunnel in widening excavation. The shape of center drift was a perfect circle with a diameter of 4.0 m or 6.0 m and the same temporary support regardless of the geological situation. As a result, the displacement and deformation of the main tunnel after widening excavation were larger than the section where the center drift was not applied. Furthermore, the displacement and deformation of the main tunnel after its widening excavation was considered larger in the section where the cross-section of the center drift with 4.0 m diameter was applied than one with 6.0 m. Therefore, the center drift with a high rigidity support structure had the effect of suppressing the advancing deformation prior to the main tunnel widening excavation.

Jun 13, 2021