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By C. Aimone-Martin, C. Dowding, M. Jern, J. Gjødvad

This article compares percentages of compliance for six national standards to demonstrate how these standards vary on-site in a real project. This, to the best of the authors' knowledge, has not been accomplished before. Different standards not only vary in allowable amplitudes of induced vibrations but also in how they are measured (transducer location, transducer orientation, frequency content of vibration, etc.). Thus it is not straightforward to compare the permissible values of induced vibrations with each other. This challenge of comparison is overcome in this project by instrumenting a structure with multiple transducers according to different national standards and comparing the degrees of compliance. Compared herein are compliance with standards used in United States of America, Germany, Great Britain, France, Austria, and Sweden. Averages of the percentage of compliance and ratios of measured vibration amplitudes for all six national standards are compared both in tabular and graphical form for 20 blasts at the Aitik mine northern Sweden. It is the largest open pit mine in Europe and blasts are atypically large with more than 1000 kg charge per hole and several hundred holes per blast, lasting 3-5 seconds. Results show that percentages of compliance can vary by as much as 2 to 75 % for these blasts at this structure. The overall project is a cooperative effort between EFEE (European Federation of Explosives Engineers) and ISEE (International Society of Explosives Engineers), supported by more than 17 persons from 8 different countries. At the present the experts are the four authors of the present paper and Dr. Robert Farenfield, Dr. Nathan Rouse, Douglas Rudenko, Brent Meins, Kenneth K. Eltschlager, Karin NorénCosgriff, Travis A. Davidsavor, Vitor Luconi Rosenhaim, Johannes Kutschera, Bernard Thierry, Thomas Moser, Cory Loukedis, and Keith Best. The project began with a literature study and a survey including an evaluation of the answers provided by members of EFEE. Results were presented at the ISEE conference in Denver 2020 as well as the EFEE conference in Helsinki in 2019 (Gjødvad & Jern, 2019; 2020). The second part of the project was initiated in May 2021 with installation of 7 seismographs from two different manufactures, 3 cracs gauges and 2 microphones on a building at the Aitik mine in northern Sweden. The third part of the project has moved to the United States. Two residential structures adjacent to quarries are being monitored in Michigan and Ohio. Installation and monitoring began in March 2023 and are expected to continue for 6 to 12 months. In addition to the objectives of phase two the 2023 study includes calculations of global wall strains from measured velocity time histories and measurement of response of existing cracks to vibratory and climatological effects

Jan 1, 2024

By Sunil Koppalkar, Guillaume Noel, Ahmed Bouajila, Makni Sami, Claude Gagnon

"Gold gravity recovery circuits utilizing enhanced gravity separators have become an integral part of many of the modern gold processing plants. Thus, efforts to improve the operating efficiency have been a topic of interest for metallurgists for many years. As part of this endeavour, a methodology to estimate the portion of gold in the ore that could be recovered by gravity separation (gravity recoverable gold or GRG) was developed at McGill University. It has been reported in the literature that the gold content estimated with this methodology is the theoretical maximum that is available for gravity recovery that could only be approached but never achieved. A comparison of GRG recovery obtained in the laboratory with the actual recovery in the plant shows that plants recover between one-third to two-thirds of the value predicted by the laboratory test.Research conducted at COREM shows that particle shape transformation during grinding is a major cause of the discrepancy (even though the bleed percent processed, the quality of cyclone classification and the operating conditions of the gravity separator also contribute to the difference). To analyze the gold particle shapes and their deportment, samples were collected from different streams of a grinding-gravity circuit in a gold plant and compared to a concentrate sample from the standard GRG test. A particle characterization methodology based on gold morphology was developed. GRG mapping in a conventional grinding-gravity circuit and the transformation of GRG into non-GRG, as mainly explained by gold particle reshaping, will be discussed. The knowledge gained from the shape analysis will be used to develop shape distributions and partition curves for the classification of shapes.INTRODUCTIONGravity concentration using centrifugal concentrators has gained increasing popularity since the invention of the enhanced gravity concentrators in the nineteen eighties. Among these, the semicontinuous centrifugal gravity concentrators are most commonly used for recovering gold and platinum group minerals (PGM) from grinding circuit streams. The benefits of gold gravity recovery are now well understood and the acceptance by the mining industry is overwhelming. The occurrence of reasonable amounts of gravity recoverable gold (GRG) in an ore prompts gold mills to install gravity circuits. Thus, the increased use of gravity concentration has necessitated a better understanding of the behavior of gold in grinding circuits and of the factors affecting the performance of the gravity concentrator (Laplante et al., 1995). Due to its high density (19.3 g/cm3 when pure) and malleability properties, gold tends to accumulate in circulating streams making it attractive for gravity recovery. The gravity recovery units are typically installed on a bleed stream of the cyclone underflow, mill discharge or cyclone feed."

Jan 1, 2011

By Robert Linton

M ETHODS by which Americanization is developed among the foreign workers at the mines in the United States, with particular reference to mines of the Pennsylvania coal region, were discussed in a most constructive way at the Wilkes-Barre Meeting of the Institute. Arthur Notman, of the Phelps Dodge Corpn., as chairman, guided the discussion. Americanization was defined by E. E. Bach, !chairman of the Institute's Sub-committee on Americanization, who said: "Americanization applies either to the native-born or foreign-born and is that process of assimilation which guarantees the full functioning of American citizenship. Naturalization papers merely entitle one to the privileges of citizenship."

Jan 1, 1921

By Fred C. Delabbio

The successful implementation of a new technology in an underground production mine requires many challenges to be overcome. These challenges include mine hardening of new technology, mitigation of safety risks and hazards, mine operation support, and technology transfer to mine staff. In the end, the majority of these challenges relate to the human aspects of implementation. The approach selected to overcome these challenges must be customized and appropriate for each unique situation. This paper outlines the approach used to address these challenges as part of successful implementation and resulting demonstration of the hydrogen fuel cell locomotive at the Placer Dome (CLA) Limited, Campbell Mine. This technology demonstration at Campbell Mine is critical for determining technical, regulatory and implementation aspects to be incorporated into future fuel cell prototypes such as the LHD project.

May 1, 2003

By Mark R. Lamb

THE treatment of slime is of special interest to those engaged in cyaniding gold- and silver-ores. The usual practice is to make as small a percentage of slime as possible. In many instances the slime is given no treatment, but is impounded in dams in the hope that the future will develop some method of economically treating this product. The filter-press was the first step upward from ordinary decantation, but, on account of heavy labor-charge and high cost, its use has been limited to high-grade material. The slime at the Combination mill at Goldfield averages perhaps $20 per ton, and although the values are quickly dissolved the filter-press installation was not entirely satisfactory, resulting in the erection of the canvas-cell filter, developed by Chas. Butters and his staff. This filter is a great improvement over the filter-press, and the following description of it will be of interest to those engaged in treating slime produced in crushing ores, especially in view of the fact that, by the use of this filter, slime can be treated at a lesser cost and with a higher percentage of gold- or silver-extraction than in the ordinary treatment of sand; and, moreover, the initial outlay for an all-sliming plant is less than that for the ordinary sand- and slime-plant. The economy of construction of the Butters filter-plant is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which illustrate the 20-frame filter of 40 tons capacity, now being installed by the Nevada Goldfield Reduction Co. In this construction the slime-pump is so connected that it can pump to or from either tank or the filter by changing the valve-settings-a combination which is necessary in this particular installation, since sufficient fall is not available for filling and discharging the filter by gravity. Ordinarily, a slime-plant comprises: a filter-box with frames

Jan 1, 1907

By Reda M. Bakeer

"An approach slab is the roadway segment that immediately follows a bridge intended to provide a smooth transition between the two elements. Some approach slabs have developed rough rideability with time due to differential settlement between the roadway embankment and the bridge. Soils in south Louisiana are generally poor and highly compressible and, therefore, pile-supported approach slabs were occasionally used. Timber piles of variable lengths are driven into the soft soils where no appreciable toe support exists. This resulted in the soils both supporting loads through shaft resistance and yet experiencing long-term consolidation settlement. Field testing and review of the records of over 120 approach slabs constructed in south Louisiana yielded the conclusion that their performance is primarily governed by negative skin friction (downdrag) imposed on the relatively short timber piles. A software (TU-DRAG) was developed to evaluate the deflection profile of a pile-supported approach slab based on its geometry and conditions of the underlying soils. It evaluates the effect of dragload considering the number and spacing of the piles at each transverse row and their variable lengths along the approach slab. TU-DRAG was utilized in the design of two transportation related projects which have been in service for more than 10 years.INTRODUCTIONThe problem of differential settlement at bridge approaches or “the bump at the bridge” has been recognized for many years. Research studies (1986, 1989, 1997, 2009 and 2013) by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provided comprehensive evaluations of the performance of bridge approach slabs by assessing their field conditions and construction and maintenance records. Various states have also performed their own studies to investigate the performance of bridge approach slabs. The studies considered various types of structures including soil- and pile-supported approach slabs, integral bridge abutments and open-end abutments. Recommendations were provided for the design of new structures and for maintaining and repairing existing structures. Guidelines were offered regarding tolerable movements of bridges and their foundations based on measurements of vertical and horizontal movements of 580 bridges Moulton (1986). Vertical and horizontal movements greater than 102 mm (4 inches) and 51 mm (2 inches), respectively, were considered intolerable. Tolerable limits for angular distortion (differential settlement to span length) were suggested to be 1/250 and 1/200 for continuous and simple spans, respectively. It was reported that a differential settlement greater than 13 mm (0.5 inch) at the bridge interface would be sufficient to constitute a “bump” requiring mitigation."

Jan 1, 2017

By C. Heckman, M. S. Moats, A. Luyima, W. Cui

"Nucleation and growth of copper on 316L stainless steel from synthetic acidified copper sulfate was studied in the absence and presence of chloride ions and/or organic additives – HydroStar® 4208, DXG-F7® and Cyquest® N-900 – using a potentiostatic technique. The current–time data obtained at 0.16V versus the SHE were analyzed using nucleation and growth models. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of deposits produced at 300 A/m2 show that the addition of 20 mg/L chloride ions increased the size and reduced the number of copper nuclei. Potentiostatic current–time data from the electrolyte without organic additives, and confirmed by SEM images, indicate progressive nucleation with two-dimensional growth under diffusion control. None of the organic additives studied at a concentration of 2.5 mg/L with 20 mg/L chloride changed the nucleation and growth mechanism, but the additives increased the number and reduced the size of copper nuclei, leading to more uniform coverage of the stainless steel substrate.IntroductionElectrowinning of copper is an important process in the manufacture of high-purity copper metal. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s refined copper is produced from acidified copper sulfate solutions by electrowinning (Schlesinger, Sole and Davenport, 2011). In many plants, copper is electrodeposited on AISI 316L stainless steel substrates for a period of 6-7 days, after which the copper is stripped from the blanks. Even though the deposition time for a commercial copper electrowinning circuit is around one week, it is critically important to control the nucleation, growth and nature of the initial deposit (Sun and O’Keefe, 1992).Deposit morphology and structure are influenced by the real current density at the electrode surface. The real current density across the cathode surface is made uniform by proper design of the electrowinning cell and electrodes and careful operational practice. Even with good design and control, some current maldistribution occurs. The outcome of severe current maldistribution is poor deposits that affect product quality and/or increase energy consumption. To combat current maldistribution and create a larger operating window in terms of current density, temperature and copper concentration, small amounts of organic smoothing agents – traditionally, guar products – are added to copper electrowinning electrolytes. Moreover, these additives inhibit the growth of copper nodules and lead to improved deposit quality by producing bright, smooth and dense cathodes.Recently, the use of polysaccharides, such as HydroStar 4208 and DXG-F7, and polyacrylamides, such as Cyquest N-900, has been reported in commercial electrowinning tankhouses as replacements for guar (Ashford, Clayton and Sandoval, 2012; Robinson et al., 2013; Sandoval, Morales and Bernu, 2010). However, little information has been published on the effect of these new organic additives, especially regarding the nucleation and growth mechanisms of copper electrodeposits in their presence."

Jan 1, 2016

The following situation was submitted as an ethics case study for inclusion in the Journal. To the best of our knowledge, they are based on actual circumstances encountered in the field. Blowing the Whistle Protecting Confidentiality or Doing the Right Thing? This case centers around a construction job and involves a contractor, subcontractor/blaster, and a farmer/homeowner who lives near the job site. It is essentially a study of professional ethics versus morality, our professional code of conduct versus what is right or wrong.

Jan 1, 2007

By Willis H. Carrier

Particular interest in the ventilation of deep mines, especially those in South Africa, has been created by a very complete system of cooling of the world's deepest mine, the Turf shaft of the Robinson Deep in Johannesburg. The writer visited this mine in January, 1936, and again in 1937. During these visits and subsequently, a considerable part of the theory involved in rock cooling in tunnels was developed and this has been checked by practical observations of the rates of rock cooling made within mines. The purpose of this paper is to set forth the method of attack of the mine problem. The cooling or air conditioning of mines by the use of mechanical refrigeration was not wholly newl-5 when the Robinson Deep installation was made. The first mine to be cooled was the Morro Velho mine, in Brazil. The first installation in this mine was put into operation in December 1920, the refrigerant being ammonia.5 The surface cooling gave considerable benefit but it proved inadequate as greater depths were reached, therefore in 1929 two centrifugal refrigerating machines were installed at the 6000-ft. level. These were used in conjunction with the surface cooling system to furnish additional cooling at the lower levels. This later installation used Carrene as a refrigerant. This nonflammable refrigerant, having a boiling point of 104" at sea level, insured reasonable safety, since all parts of the machine operated at subatmospheric pressure. Very favorable reports have been received on the effectiveness of this installation, but no recent data are available. An interesting feature of that plant is that the condenser water is cooled by spraying it into the exhaust air from the mine at the base of the ventilation upcast, which permits the water to be cooled within a few degrees of the wet-bulb temperature of the air entering the upcast, and the only water that has to be supplied for condensing purposes is that lost by evaporation, or about 0.5 per cent of the volume circulating through the condenser. This plan affords an ideal means for the removal of the heat load from the refrigerating system, and of course also from the mine itself. In many mines, however, especially those in South Africa, there is no

Jan 1, 1940

By Willis H. Carrier

Particular interest in the ventilation of deep mines, especially those in South Africa, has been created by a very complete system of cooling of the world's deepest mine, the Turf shaft of the Robinson Deep in Johannesburg. The writer visited this mine in January, 1936, and again in 1937. During these visits and subsequently, a considerable part of the theory involved in rock cooling in tunnels was developed and this has been checked by practical observations of the rates of rock cooling made within mines. The purpose of this paper is to set forth the method of attack of the mine problem. The cooling or air conditioning of mines by the use of mechanical refrigeration was not wholly newl-5 when the Robinson Deep installation was made. The first mine to be cooled was the Morro Velho mine, in Brazil. The first installation in this mine was put into operation in December 1920, the refrigerant being ammonia.5 The surface cooling gave considerable benefit but it proved inadequate as greater depths were reached, therefore in 1929 two centrifugal refrigerating machines were installed at the 6000-ft. level. These were used in conjunction with the surface cooling system to furnish additional cooling at the lower levels. This later installation used Carrene as a refrigerant. This nonflammable refrigerant, having a boiling point of 104" at sea level, insured reasonable safety, since all parts of the machine operated at subatmospheric pressure. Very favorable reports have been received on the effectiveness of this installation, but no recent data are available. An interesting feature of that plant is that the condenser water is cooled by spraying it into the exhaust air from the mine at the base of the ventilation upcast, which permits the water to be cooled within a few degrees of the wet-bulb temperature of the air entering the upcast, and the only water that has to be supplied for condensing purposes is that lost by evaporation, or about 0.5 per cent of the volume circulating through the condenser. This plan affords an ideal means for the removal of the heat load from the refrigerating system, and of course also from the mine itself. In many mines, however, especially those in South Africa, there is no

Jan 1, 1940

By Douglas Rudenko

Have you ever had a neighbor complain about a blast one day, but says the next day’s blast was better, even though the Peak Particle Velocity (PPV) increased? How about neighbors that complain about a small trimming shot, but don’t complain about a big production shot? Have you ever reduced the pounds/delay and gotten more complaints ? Mine operators are often bewildered when trying to correlate blast design parameters to homeowner complaints. When complaints come, standard practice is to set up a seismograph in the neighbor’s yard to monitor the blast. Immediately after the blast, the neighbor usually reappears from the house wanting to know the seismograph reading. When told that the PPV was 0.1 in/set, well below damage levels, the homeowner explodes saying “Your machine is wrong”. Perhaps he is right. Understanding why people complain about blasting is not about PPV, it’s all about structural response. People could care less about how much the ground vibrates; they only care about how much their house vibrates. In this paper we will examine the primary factors that control structural response. Through the use of a large array of digital seismographs, the effects of two production blasts on a community surrounding a quarry are studied. The predicted structural response resulting from each blast is calculated at 175 seismograph locations. The predicted response is then correlated to previous research on human perceptibility to vibrations. The results of this analysis and correlation give a better understanding of what the residents actually feel in their homes. The detonations of two single-hole signature blasts are also recorded by the array of seismographs revealing the dynamic characteristics of the geology ‘surrounding the quarry. Once the influence of the geology was understood, blasts were configured to disrupt the natural rhythm of the site through the use of millisecond delays.

Jan 1, 2000

By Douglas Martinazzi

O processo de soldagem por fricção com pino consumível (Friction Hydro-Pillar Processing- FHPP) um método de reparo no estado sólido que consiste no processamento termomecânico de um pino metálico em alta rotação e inserido em um orifício criado no material a reparar. O pino é pressionado com uma força axial e o aquecimento resultante do atrito dos materiais é suficiente para garantir a plastificação dos mesmos promovendo o preenchimento do orifício e a união dos componentes. Este trabalho é centrado na análise da distribuição de inclusões não metálicas do tipo Sulfetos de Manganês (MnS) presentes em juntas soldadas produzidas por esta técnica com a aplicação de diferentes forças axiais. Micrografias da zona termomecanicamente afetada (ZTMA) foram realizadas por microscopia ótica em amostras polidas e sem ataque para registrar as inclusões. Essas micrografias foram avaliadas via análise de imagens visando a determinação de quantidade, tamanho e área ocupada pelas inclusões nas juntas em juntas soldadas. O mapeamento identificou a distribuição e o tamanho médio das inclusões em função das forças axiais. Concluiu-se que a região analisada é potencialmente crítica no que diz respeito a tenacidade à fratura, uma vez que foi observada uma quantidade considerável de inclusões fragmentadas de dimensões reduzidas.

Aug 7, 2018

By Oliver Bowles

The United States Bureau of Mines has within its ranks a group of engi- neers who are engaged in working out quarry problems, the solution of which will be of general benefit to the industries involved. The problems undertaken are approached in a systematic and thorough manner, all the evidence for and against any proposed change or new development being collected as carefully as an attor- ney would prepare his data on an important case. Unlike the attorney, however, the Bureau engineer does not take sides; his judgment is based entirely and in- partially on the array of facts presented. In order to gain the desired infor- mation he visits many plants, consults with the leaders in the industry, works out experiments in his laboratory, and supplements this information with a stu- dy of all available literature already published on the subject in any part of the world. As an engineer who has for eight years conducted such inquiries in the stone industry, I propose to discuss the Bureau of Mines viewpoint; and it may be of interest to consider with me in a brief and general way the engineer's method of looking at quarry problems, and some of the results attained through past and present labors. While the Bureau has conducted no investigation directly for the crushed- st one industries, two years of investigative work at cement-plant quarries, and work now being conducted at lire-plant quarries, has a very direct bearing on the problems of the crushed-stone industry, since stripping, drilling, blasting, loading, and transportation are similar in many respects in all stone quarries. The results of cement-plant quarry investigations are to be found in Bureau of Mines Bulletin #160. (b) Two short papers on lime-plant quarry problems have been issued in mimeographed form as Serial #01 (c) and Serial 3 (d).

Jan 1, 1923

By Vinod K. Sikka, René Cooper

"Cohoes, New York 12047 Intermetallics are an attractive class of advanced materials. The aluminide intermetallics offer advantages including: (1) lower density, (2) oxidation resistance, (3) carburization resistance, and (4) interesting mechanical properties because of their ordered crystal structure. Even though the attractive properties of the aluminides and other intermetallics have been known for nearly four decades, their practical applications have not been developed for two reasons: (1) the poor ductility (in some cases, both ambient and high temperatures) and (2) the lack of processability into meaningful components. Recent advances such as ductilization of Ni3Al by small additions of boron and the knowledge that environmental effects are the major cause of poor ductility in Fe3Al and FeAl systems have brought the intelmetallics into the forefront of research and their commercial applications. This paper has described a method for melting Ni3AI-based alloys that successfully utilize the exotherrn for the formation of NiAl from the elemental materials. The reaction-synthesis method has also been utilized for the production of NiAI and NiAI-based alloy powders from the elemental powders. The reaction-synthesized powders of NiAI and NiAI-based alloys were consolidated by hot extrusion and evaluated for tensile properties over a temperature range from room temperature to 1050ºC. The powder-processing conditions have been found to have more influence on the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of NiAI than the powder-production method.IntroductionIntermetallics are an attractive class of advanced materials [1-11]. The alum in ide interrnetallics offer advantages including: (1) lower density, (2) oxidation resistance, (3) carburization resistance, and (4) interesting mechanical properties because of their ordered crystal structure. Even though the attractive properties of the aluminides and other interrnetallics have been known for nearly four decades, their practical applications have not been developed for two reasons: (I) the poor ductility (in some cases, both ambient and high temperatures) and (2) the lack of processability into meaningful components. Recent advances such as ductilization of Ni3Al by small additions of boron and the knowledge that environmental effects are the major cause of poor ductility in Fe3Al and FeAl systems have brought the intermetallics into the forefront of research and their commercial applications. The paper will briefly review the processing techniques being pursued for the commercial applications of Ni3Al-based intermetallics. The major emphasis of the paper will deal with synthesis of Ni3Al and NiAI intelmetallics."

Jan 1, 1994

By E. R. Palowitch

A centrifugal float-and-sink test procedure has been developed by the Bureau of Mines to reduce the time for the gravimetric separation of coals finer than l4-mesh from as long as 24 hours to less than 1 hour. Comparative tests indicated that centrifuging a minus 14-mesh Pittsburgh-bed coal for 20 minutes at 1,500 revolutions per minute produced results that compared favorably with static float-and-sink test results. Standard deviations of the mean recovery and ash content of the float obtained centrifugally ranged from 1.31 and 0.04 percent, respectively, at 1.30 specific gravity to 0.21 and 0.05 percent, respectively, at 1.60 specific gravity. As in static separations, retreatment of the products separated at low specific gravities was required.

Jan 1, 1961

The industrial might of the Bowen Basin is primarily the result of Utah Development Co.'s work- which has opened up the Blackwater, Goonyella, Peak Downs, and Saraji mines; built the Hay Point port; and is now developing the Norwich Park mine.

Jan 1, 1977

By Kazem Oraee-Mirzamani, Nikzad Oraee-Mirzamani, Arash Goodarzi

"Unexpected movement of ground can potentially endanger lives, damage equipment or destroy property. Occupational accidents frequently occur with fatal consequences in developing countries with significant economic dependence on industries such as mining. Therefore, there is increasing need for miners' protection against such hazards. Slope stability and roof support accidents are two of the major causes of fatalities at surface and underground mining operations. According to national codes, employers are obligated to protect workers against accidents; however, these rules fall short of the standards in developed countries. National safety regulations should clearly specify support systems. The International Labor Organization (ILO) prepared two codes of practice, aiming to guide those responsible for improving standards of safety and to provide guidelines for drafting of safety regulations for the coal mine industry and quarry open cast mines. The practical recommendations of these codes in the ground control area have been analysed and the advantages and disadvantages of ILO codes concerning ground control are summarized.INTRODUCTIONTwo million people die every year from work-related accidents and diseases. An estimated 160 million people suffer from work-related diseases, and there are an estimated 270 million fatal and non-fatal work-related accidents per year. In economic terms, the ILO has estimated that 4% of the world's annual GDP is lost as a consequence of occupational diseases and accidents (ILO, 2009).Mining has always been dangerous due to many potential risks such as those associated with using machinery in enclosed spaces, rock falls, blasting operations and explosion of flammable gases, which endanger miners' safety and health. However, it is suggested that implementing new laws along with strict adherence would reduce such risks in the workplace.The severity and frequency of accidents are trending downward in developed countries, where the focus is on large private companies who invest heavily in mechanization and developing economies of scale. But in many parts of the world, particularly in developing countries, minerals are extracted by people working with simple tools and equipment; they work on a smaller scale, are more flexible, and can exploit irregular ore bodies and steep, dipping seams."

Jan 1, 2010

By A. J. Williams, R. B. Corbett

"INTRODUCTION This investigation was undertaken to obtain information concerning the effects of boron in steel and its method of addition, so that boron, which is readily obtainable domestically, may be used to relieve the great demand for those scarce, strategic, alloying elements that hitherto have been considered necessary for the successful manufacture of quality steel.Previous Work Guillet 4/ seems to have been the first to predict that boron-bearing steel might have a possible industrial use when, in 1907, he published results of an investigation into the properties of steel containing 0.21 to 1.51 percent boron.Possibly Walter 2/ was the first to appreciate the fact that extremely small percentages of boron are effective in improving the properties of a steel. His patent, issued in 1924 claimed steels containing boron within the limits of 0.001 to 0.100 percent; furthermore, the specifications disclosed that boron increased the hardenability of steel and refined its grain structure. In 1937, Naton and Piwowarsky 6/ otherwise observed that boron increased the hardenablity of steel."

Jun 1, 1945

By Donald Towse

Portland cement is a basic building material in every country in the world, and, fortunately, the raw materials required in its manufacture are widely distributed. It is a low-priced bulk commodity (price one cent a pound or less, with a density of 100 pounds per cubic foot.) Table 1. Approximate price per pound of selected mineral products. Copper 48 cents per pound Aluminum 27 Lead and zinc 15 Asbestos 3 to 18 Pumice 6 Sulfur 2 Bauxite (abrasive) 1.8 Barite 1 to 1.6 Cement 1 Primitive regions may get along without any Portland cement, but most countries use some, and it is one of the most widespread building materials, even if used in small quantities. Use of cement begins early in a country's development, and, because of local availability of raw materials, cement manufacture is one of the first heavy industries many countries desire. Use and manufacture of cement usually precedes other industrial materials such as steel and heavy chemicals, and consumption levels off for a long period during development of infrastructure and an economic base. With a mature economy comes a very high consumption. Per capita consumption varies ten times or more between nations (Figure 1).

Jan 1, 1970

By R. L. Bolmer

Rapid depletion of our known mineral resources has stimulated exploration for new mineral deposit. Abandoned mines or prospects may prove to be commercial in today's economy. Often it is necessary to revaluate such properties. Some of these may be inaccessible because of caving of flooding. Many, however, remain in good condition, except that over the years the air in the workings has become depleted of oxygen. Each year the Bureau of Mines receives numerous requests for aid in entering old mines, the air in which is incapable of supporting life. Requests of many individuals who wish to examine or explore-such places with the help, of the Bureau's self-contained oxygen breathing apparatus have been denied because of the hazards involved in the use of this equipment for such purposes. The distance to be traveled in irrespirable gases may be too great for safety; under favorable conditions, a round trip of 2,000 feet from fresh air is the maximum distance that may be traveled.3/ The use of such equipment is hazardous unless a team of at least 5 men thoroughly experienced in its use is provided; and when extensive traveling from. a fresh-air base is required, a reserve team should be provided.3/ Usually, the apparatus is requested for use in exploring workings having only one surface connection, as mines having more than one opening usually are more easily ventilated;,and in some natural ventilation is sufficient or can be made so by cleaning out obstructed openings.

Jan 1, 1951