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By Darold Woodward, Stefan Haydn, Petr Pospisil

Most fatalities in tunnel fires are caused by the spread of toxic smoke. Controlling the spread of smoke is crucial to provide a survivable environment for emergency egress. A properly designed and tuned feedback control loop is required to achieve a target flow that is slow enough to allow pedestrians to escape under different boundary conditions. Feedback control loops are also helpful in optimizing energy consumption under moving traffic conditions. A reliable feedback flow control system requires sophisticated engineering knowhow and experience, careful selection of instruments and controlled variables, and thoughtful implementation from design through field testing and commissioning.

Dec 1, 2022

By Walter R. Storms, Allan B. Bowman

This paper , which describes mining methods and practices at the Mineral Hill copper mine , is one of a series being prepared by the Division of Minerals of the Bureau of Mines on mining methods , practices , and costs in various mining districts. of the United States . The Mineral Hill mine is situated on the northeastern piedmont of the Sierrita Mountains at an altitude of 3,650 feet in sec . 35 , T. 16 S. , R. 12 E. , and sec . 2 , T. 17 S. , R. 12 E. , Pima mining district , Pima County , Ariz . ( fig . 1 ) . The claims (figs . 2 and 3) are in a gently rolling area with only scant desert vegetation . The average annual precipitation is about 11 inches . The nearest surface water is the Santa Cruz River , an intermittent stream 8 miles east of the mine . The property is owned by the Banner Mining Co. , a Nevada corporation . This report presents a brief history of the mine , describes the geology of the area and the ore deposits , outlines methods of prospecting and exploration , and gives methods of sampling and the estimation of ore reserves and values . Development and stoping methods are explained , and methods of underground transportation , ventilation , mine drainage , and safety measures are described . The concluding section of the paper is a section on milling . The Mineral Hill mine is an old mine that was reopened in 1951 after having been closed for 30 years .

May 1, 1957

By L. L. Bolton

The Department of Mines as at present constituted has evolved from the organization which came into existence following the passage of the Geology and Mines Act by the Dominion Parliament in 1907. At the outset, it may be said that it is not a function of the Department of Mines, nor of any of its branches, to administer the mining rights vested in the Crown. The title to Crown lands in the provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia ( with the exception of certain specified areas, such as Indian Reserves, Ordnance Lands, the Railway Belt of British Columbia, and the Peace River Black) is vested in the respective provincial governments ; the title to Crown Lands in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and in the Canadian Arctic, is vested in the Dominion Government, and matters pertaining thereto are (with a few exceptions) administered by the Department of the Interior, Ottawa. Nor are statistics of mineral production at present collected and published by the Department of Mines. This function did belong to the Geological Survey from 1886 to 1906, and to the Mines Branch from 1907 to 1920; but commencing with 192l this duty was transferred to the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, consequent upon the decision of Government to place the collection of all statistics under the direction of one officer.

Jan 1, 1929

By W. Kasprzak

Modern light metals processing technologies are very complex and involve a diverse set of variables that must be quantitatively evaluated. The most effective way to design new casting processes that deliver specified metallurgical and mechanical properties is to develop a method of simulating the "real-time" process within a test sample of sufficient size. The results can then be analyzed and the required optimizations can be performed. This paper presents a novel method of simulating the industrial casting processes in a laboratory environment using an experimental apparatus based on the principle of high frequency induction heating. The applicability and accuracy of the proposed analytical method is demonstrated, for example, by simulation of the solidification and heat treatment of a test sample composed of two dissimilar materials. The simulation can be used to develop a stress model for an engine block made from an aluminum based alloy with iron cylinder liner inserts.

Jan 1, 2002

By Jr. Gabler

Because of concern over the availability and reliability of an uninterrupted supply of manganese and other materials, the U.S. Congress requested that the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) study the /low of strategic and critical materials in the economy to delineate and quantify the production areas where metal values are lost. As a result, the USBM developed a generic computerized commodity flow model that is readily amenable to updating. The original model developed for cobalt, with slight modifications, was used to track the flow of manganese. This report follows the flow of manganese through its metallurgical and chemical applications and highlights areas where significant losses occur owing to downgrading, export, or disposal. The study indicates that materials containing 695,000 short tons (st) of manganese were consumed domestically in 1990. Scrap recovery specifically for manganese recycling was insignificant. However, considerable manganese was recycled through processing operations as a minor component of ferrous and nonferrous scrap and steel slag. The major loss category is manganese lost in steel processing, 323,156 st or 46 pet of the 1990 apparent consumption. Most of this loss reports to steelmaking slags. Recovery from slags is technically feasible, but is not economically feasible.

Jan 1, 1995

By E. J. Kloos, R. H. Schutz, B. I. Ferber

To Assist users in the selection of reliable and satisfactory respiratory protective devices, the Bureau of Mines has established five schedules of minimum performance requirements for the approval of respirators . The current revisions of these schedules include 13D for self-contained breathing apparatus, 14F for gas masks , 19B and the amendments to 19B for suppliedair respirators , 21B for dust , fume, and mist respirators , and 23B for chemical cartridge respirators . Copies of these schedules may be obtained from the Bureau of Mines, Publications Distribution Section, 4800 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh , Pa . , 15213 . Approval tests on respirators are performed only at the request of the manufacturer of the respirator and at his expense. If the device meets the approval requirements , a certificate of approval is granted on the complete respirator. This certificate states that as long as the respirator is manufactured as originally approved, or in accordance with any changes covered by an extension of the original approval, the manufacturer may advertise and sell his respirator as being approved by the Bureau of Mines. Many industries and regulatory agencies require that respirators approved by the Bureau of Mines be used where respiratory protection is needed. The Bureau of Mines, however, has no regulatory power over the use of the respirators that it approves. It acts as an impartial testing agency to insure the availability of suitable and safe respirators. At frequent intervals, the Bureau of Mines purchases approved respirators and replacement parts on the open market. These are examined for conformity to the approved status, and are checked to insure that the manufacturer's production facilities are maintaining a satisfactory quality control .

Jan 1, 1966

By Boyd Guthrie

As the American petroleum industry surveyed its position in early 1937, it had many reasons to be optimistic concerning its future. The industry had emerged successfully from the depression, and for the first time since 1929 it had produced over one billion barrels of crude oil in a single year. The demand for gasoline and fuel oils was up, and reserves of crude petroleum and production capacity seemed adequate for the future. Although production of crude oil dropped slightly in 1938, the oil industry was still in a good position with respect to its supply of raw material, which improved economically in 1939 with the decrease of crude-oil stocks in storage above ground. However, by 1940 a threatening cloud (the invasion of France and its rapid surrender) had appeared on the horizon. This aroused Somme fears as to the industry's immediate future, and these fears were intensified the following year when the United States entered World War II. As the war progressed, more and more ships, planes, and vehicles were produced, and the problem of obtaining enough liquid fuels to supply them intensified. Hearings were held in August 1943 before a subcommittee of the Committee on Public Lands and Surveys of the 78th Congress to determine the advisability of passing legislation to promote the development of synthetic liquid fuels.

Jan 1, 1951

By T. H. Patching

This paper provides a review of the available information on the origin and mechanisms of the release of gas from coal seams. With the opening up of new mines in Western Canada and the increased mechanization of underground coal mines, the study of gas emissions is of increasing importance in providing safe working places underground.

Jan 1, 1970

How Mining Engineers Will Fare in 1977 Mining Education- The State of the Discipline Coal Mining Technologists are a New Force in the Labor Pool Trained Manpower Provided by Mining Technology Programs Putting New Engineers to Work-A Management Perspective

Jan 1, 1977

By E. G. Erspamer

Laboratory investigations were made by the Bureau of Mines on ore containing the sulfides of both mercury and antimony to develop a method or methods for the economic recovery of mercury metal and the concurrent recovery of antimony as metal or salts,. If standard mercury-recovery techniques are applied to such ores, the antimony content interferes with the effective production of mercury metal; further-more, the antimony is lost. This report presents the results of tests on a sample of cinnabar-stibnite ore from the Red Devil mine near Sleitmute, Alaska. Red Devil ore was chosen for the investigation because it is purported to be typical of ores of the Kuskokwim River area, which, in their aggregate, constitute large potential reserves of mercury and antimony. Studies included petrographic, spectrographic, and chemical analyses, gravity-separation tests, bulk flotation of mercury and antimony sulfides, differential flotation, leaching, and furnacing of crude ore and of flotation concentrate.

Jan 1, 1956

By A. Haghighat

The Missouri University of Science and Technology?s (Missouri S&T) Experimental Mine is a teaching and research facility which has been excavated in limestone by mining engineering students over almost 100 years. The mine is currently being extended to a second level. Available fans for ventilation are two surface fans of 24 kW and two underground booster fans of 12 kW. The design of a ventilation network in conjunction with multi surface fans and booster fans entails a complex procedure. Ventsim Visual software modeling has been used for network analysis to determine the optimum surface and booster fans locations, blade settings, and speeds. Both natural and mechanical induced ventilation pressures have been taken into account. Three working faces on each level have been designated as target points that minimum air quantities are required. The model has been calibrated against a pressure and quantity survey. Design of ductwork, door/stopping positions and different fans characteristics have been examined. The optimum flow rate at identified working faces, efficiency and minimum energy losses and annual network power cost determine the best scenario. The optimum design has been determined for the ventilation network for the next 100 years. The optimum flow rate across working faces is the key criterion selected.

Feb 23, 2014

By AIME AIME

AT a joint meeting of the Tulsa Geological Society and the Mid-Continent Section of the A; I. M. E., held at Tulsa on March 21, the history of unit development in the Kettle- man Hills field was discussed. Robert C. Patterson? Super- visor for the U. S. Geological Survey at Taft, Calif., was the speaker. An abstract of some of his remarks follows: On July 1, 1923, curtailment agreement for two years was made between the operators of North Dome Kettleman and the U. S. Department of the Interior. In this it was agreed to consider a plan of unit development, or other cooperate method of developing the structure. As a result, Kettleman North Dome Association was incorporated in December, 1930, as a non-profit cooperative corporation under the laws of California. Approved in January, 1931, by California Oil and Gas Supervisor and by Secretary of Interior. On Feb. 10, 1931, it became an active organization through election of executive officers and eleven- directors. General manager chosen. Association started to function April 1, 1931. Assumed control of 10,800 acres of proved and semi-proved land, as shown in Table 1.

Jan 1, 1932

By D. D. Eyer

New or improved technology will continue to drive productivity improvements through the next decade. In January 1988, I presented a paper titled, "Large Underground Mines of the 1990s? before the SME. I will follow some of the themes developed in that paper as modified by our experience in the past two years. In order for a coal company to be profitable today, it has had to reduce unit costs experienced in the past. This is because the current average realization, even accounting for a recent strengthening, remains below that of a few years ago. Doing business as was done in the past is not good enough. The coal industry needs to increase productivity in the range of 5-10% annually merely to stay even with rising costs. Underground productivity has been increasing more rapidly than that for surface mining. With the exception of the Powder River basin of Montana and Wyoming, underground productivity has caught up with that for surface mining in many regions of America. There are a number of technological factors which have attributed to increases in underground productivity and which should be factors in the future.

Jan 1, 1990

By Charles L. Harness

The barite industry has made notable progress since the days when barite was used only as an adulterant in white-lead paints and the only method of mining it was with pick and shovel. The following chronological record may serve to show how this heavy white mineral has grown in importance in the national exonomy and at the same time to indicate development of methods for obtaining it. 1845. - Barite first, mined in Fauquier County, Va., for use as an adulterant in white-lead paints. 1850 (approx.). - French settlers 60 miles southwest of St Louis, Mo., discovered barite; called it "'tiff;' meaning white. It was mined and shipped to St. Louis for use in paint.

Jan 1, 1946

With the burgeoning opportunities for new gold mines to be developed the opportunity now exists for a reassessment of the optimal processing path for these gold ores. Projects have traditionally followed the path of whole ore cyanidation with either Carbon In Pulp (CIP), Carbon In Leach (CIL) or Merrill Crowe. The challenge ahead is whether these traditional processing methods are the best option for stakeholders, or to go beyond CIP and use a combination of currently available technologies that can be used to provide gold recovery at a significantly reduced capital cost and minimal deleterious impact on the environment. Either stand alone or combinations of gravity concentration and flotation, can produce a gold bearing concentrate that can then be fed directly to a batch or continuous intensive cyanidation unit. Treatment of a gravity/flotation concentrate by intensive cyanidation may be processed by the InLine Leach Reactor (ILR) developed by Gekko Systems of Australia. The advantages of the technology combining gravity/flotation followed by intensive cyanidation are significantly reduced capital costs; improved safety due to reduced cyanide inventories; the majority of tailings un-contaminated by cyanide; less energy required due to an opportunity for an increase in grind size û reducing green house gas emissions; detoxification of concentrate tailings can minimise tailings disposal and containment requirements.

Jan 1, 2004

By A. Vahed

The Goro Nickel Project is situated in the Southern Province of New Caledonia. Inco Limited and Goro Nickel S.A. have developed a process that features the use of pyrohydrolysis to produce nickel oxide. The process treats a blend of laterites by Pressure Acid Leaching followed by solvent extraction of nickel and cobalt using Cyanex 301®. Purified nickel chloride solution is converted to high purity NiO product and 6M hydrochloric acid, which is recycled back to the SX circuit. In co-operation with Andritz AG, spray roaster and fluid-bed pyrohydrolysis technologies were examined for this purpose. Tests were conducted at the Andritz AG pilot plant in Vienna, Austria, and at Goro in larger scale installations. The latter served to establish process engineering design parameters for scale-up. Several process variables were investigated in both technologies and the off-gas characteristics were established. Fluid-bed pyrohydrolysis was selected for the Goro commercial plant, primarily because it produced a granular nickel oxide. The main focus of this paper is to outline the results obtained in pilot plant studies of liquid fueled fluid bed pyrohydrolysis for the Goro Project. Keywords: lnco Goro Nickel, Fluid Bed Pyrohydrolysis, Pilot Plant Tests

Jan 1, 2004

By K. V. Raj, M. McNinch, A. L. Miller, J. Wilson, D. A. Parks

Diesel particulate matter (DPM) has been shown to contribute to various adverse health effects on underground miners. In order to reduce worker exposures, it is critical to measure the levels of DPM in the active work settings and in real time. However, the 5040 method, developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which quantifies the mass of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) in the samples, is based on full-shift samples, and can take days or even weeks for results. Use of real-time monitors could significantly reduce the risk of DPM exposure to miners, and available monitors have been shown to quantify DPM, mainly using the EC and other surrogates. The NIOSH Spokane Mining Research Division is conducting research aimed at developing a field-portable DPM monitor that is able to quantify both EC and OC. One part of this work is to understand the effect of OC on currently available real-time DPM monitors. This paper will present the results from experiments that were designed to observe the effect of OC on real time monitors and compare the results with the NIOSH 5040 method. BACKGROUND Diesel engines remain ubiquitous in mining environments and, as such, are one of the primary sources of ultrafine- and nano-aerosols in the mining environment in the form of diesel particulate matter (DPM). As a result of their small size, DPM has longer residence times in a mine atmosphere than the typically larger mechanically generated dust [1]. In addition, the small size enables DPM to penetrate deeply into the respiratory system [1], and exposure to DPM has been shown to contribute to various adverse health outcomes of the pulmonary system [2] and cardiovascular system [3]. Diesel exhaust has been classified as a carcinogen to humans (Group 1) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer [4]. Due to mounting concern about adverse health outcomes, extensive efforts are being made to reduce workers’ exposure to DPM, with the high exposures that often occur in underground mines being of particular concern [5]. New technologies are being developed to reduce engine emissions and thereby airborne DPM levels, including advanced engine technologies, a host of aftertreatment systems [6], and a variety of alternative fuels. The latter have been shown to markedly decrease respirable DPM and other hazardous components of diesel emissions from mining vehicles [7], yet high exposures persist, especially in underground mines [8]. In order to reduce worker exposures, it is critical to measure the levels of DPM in active work settings. In mine settings, exposures to DPM are measured by collecting air samples on filters (usually full-shift samples) and sending them to a lab for analysis using the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) P13 method, a variant of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 5040 method. The 5040 method is designed to quantify the mass of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) on the samples [9], which is then used to determine the concentration in the sampled air. MSHA has set a limit for exposure, which is based on the concentration of total carbon (TC), or the sum of both EC and OC. The allowable TC in the air (time-weighted average over the shift) is 160 μg/m3 of TC [10].

Jan 1, 2019

By Christopher R. Winter

Mining companies have sharpened their refocus on their tailings management strategies in recent years. Mining companies with tailings storage facilities that use the upstream construction method have been challenged to track the evolution of industry standards, assess risks, revise design, and communicate design revisions with regulators. While many aspects of best practices and industry standards have evolved in recent years as an attribute of continual improvement, the controlling standard in the design of many upstream dams is understanding the foundational strengths of hydraulically deposited tailings. Following best practices and industry standards, Hibbing Taconite Company managed by Cleveland-Cliffs, began the re-evaluation of foundation strengths underlying a system of upstream dams at the company’s iron ore mine tailings storage facility in northern Minnesota. Initial steps in the re-evaluation require reanalysis of design parameters and recommendations by the Engineer of Record to the Owner, which was followed by a series of meetings with the Technical Review Board to determine an initial path forward. Once a path forward and preliminary design parameters were determined, the Owner engaged with the State Dam Safety Engineer to discuss and seek approval of the plan. With continuous regulatory engagement throughout the process, further refinement of the design parameters for the hydraulically-placed tailings foundations underlying upstream dams began with field and lab geotechnical investigations. Following a review of risk assessments and trigger actions response plans, Hibbing Taconite revised its tailings storage facility operating plans and budget for the coming years. Based on the findings of the re-evaluation, reanalysis, and refinement of parameters, a paradigm shift was realized with the hydraulically placed tailings foundation strengths underlying the upstream system of dams. This paper explores the path that the Hibbing Taconite Company followed to understand the paradigm shift and construct downstream improvements. The plan involved tailings re-characterization, dam design revisions, operating plan reconciliation, budget revisions, wetland permitting, dam safety permit amendments, storm water prevention plans, borrow materials studies, new concrete decant structures and the pursuit to recognize and be consistent with industry standards.

Feb 1, 2024

By D. C. McLean

Early studies in the carbonate leaching of uranium ores led to the investigation of pressure leaching as a method to enhance the dissolution of the metal values in this system. The initial investigations conducted at the University of British Columbia supplemented by the work done by the group at the A.E.C. Grand Junction pilot plant, all established the higher efficiency and better economics of the alkaline pressure leaching system. This work was conducted either in laboratory autoclaves using oxygen overpressures, or in pilot plant sized horizontal autoclaves with air as an oxidant. Both of these testing vehicles utilized agitation provided by relatively high speed impellers (300 to 700 rpm), which apparently enhanced the oxidation of the uranium to the hexavalent state. The installation of vertical autoclaves on a production scale, which through design considerations require relatively slow agitator speeds (68 rpm), led to the studies of the utilization efficiency of the air addition and the use of catalytic type oxidants to effect a greater usage of the oxygen added through the aeration system. In addition to investigating the effects of the chemical additives, studies were also conducted on the effect of different impeller configurations on the extraction of uranium, which in itself is a measure of oxidation efficiency. The material presented in this paper was compiled in the Ambrosia Lake district of New Mexico, and the majority of the data was obtained in the Homestake- Sapin Partners mill, located at Grants, New Mexico.

Jan 1, 1960

By N. S. Wagner

The production of lightweight aggregates in Oregon is a new industry, and, like all new enterprises, it is suffering from growing pains characterized by numerous, small operations some of which flourish for a short time and then cease altogether. Normally all industrial mineral products are produced in a highly competitive atmosphere. At the present time this condition does not exist to a very marked degree in the state because as yet producers have not saturated the constantly expanding market. This paper has been prepared with the intention of outlining very briefly the current status of the various products now being used as lightweight aggregates in Oregon. The present picture will surely change, perhaps quite radically within even a short space of time.

Jan 1, 1949