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By V Yadi

Geostatistics has been widely used for more than four decades as a powerful tool in ore resource/reserve estimates and grade control. This method has gradually replaced the conventional method such as polygon and cross-section for grade estimation by more mathematical techniques such as kriging. The advances in geostatistical understanding and the availability of appropriate software packages have given much more contribution in speed and high accuracy during production. However, in many cases, these techniques are sometime applied without support with a good thorough understanding of the geological controls on metal distribution. To produce the result close to actual, the geological control in interpretation and appropriate geostatistical task is a must. Geological logging was described in the core must be consistent with the level plan produced by commercial modelling software used as a guide for grade control during production. Experience gained through evaluation of the Central I deposit resulted that the most effective systems continue to be based on geostatistical methods of resource estimation. Computer applications modelling software packages are necessarily as the core of an efficient in undertaking these assignments. They contribute to make a valued to data management and are becoming increasingly effective during processing. The latter role is particularly important to check the actual versus estimated values where will significantly to improve personnel to have a confident with their knowledge combined with experience and complete their jobs satisfy.

Aug 22, 2011

By John C. Adams, Darrel D. Porter

After conventional drill and shoot methods were determined to be unfeasible due the fractured nature of the ground, a "coyote" blast was designed to produce 250,000 tons of rock from Rhone-Poulenc's Maiden Rock silica pit located near Butte, MT. This paper will cover the design and excavation of the explosive drifts, the placement and priming of 190,000 pounds of explosives, and the backfilling of the drift to provide confinement of the charges.

Jan 1, 1993

By Ragnhild Aune

In fire refining of copper, the affinities of various impurity elements on dissolved oxygen is of great significance. Further, in the design of oxygen probes in liquid copper, the influence of solute interactions on the activity of oxygen need to be considered in order to evaluate the oxygen concentration in molten copper. The present paper presents a series of measurements of the activities of oxygen in liquid Cu-M-o alloys (where M stands for Mn, Zn, As, Se or Te) carned out by the present group employing the solid electrolyte galvanic cell technique. Extreme care was taken to control the oxygen potentials in the inert gas atmosphere, and to keep the oxygen levels very low in the molten metal. The oxygen content was determined by analysis of the samples taken out from the melt. The results obtained showed that Mn has a strong negative influence on the activity coefficient of oxygen in liquid copper. A similar, but less prominent effect was observed in the case of Zn. Arsenic had no influence on the activity of oxygen in Cu (liq.). Se and Te had slight negative effect on oxygen activities in copper at XQ >10-5, while at lower oxygen levels the interaction coefficients were found to be positive. The results obtained were compared with empirical models for the calculation of interaction coefficients available in literature.

Jan 1, 2003

The most expensive unit operation in the beneficiation of ores is grinding. The correct design of the grinding circuit is crucial to prevent unnecessary use of energy. Proper design and evaluation of SAG grinding circuits require the specific grinding energy, which is determined experimentally. The most common tests in SAG grinding are the Drop Weight Test, from the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Center (JKMRC) in Australia, and the SAG Power Index, from MinnovEX Technologies in Canada. The application of these tests to the same ore sample commonly produces different results. The work reported here aims at comparing the application of these two tests in the determination of the specific grinding energy for sulfide copper ores from Sequeirinho and Sossego deposits, Sossego Project, Companhia Vale do Rio Doce - CVRD, in Para state, Brazil.

Jan 1, 2007

By H. Z. Liu

An extra-refractory gold ore in China belongs to Carlin Type Gold Ore which is not only submicroscopic but also rich in arsenic and organic carbon. They have been proved that its floatability is not good enough and the gold in the ore could not be leached almost if it was not pretreated. The tests for the ore were carried out in accordance with flotation-concentrate preoxidation-cyanidation(or CIL) processes in order to exploit the mine. Two new depressants were discovered in the flotation tests and improved concentrate grades from about 20g/t to 32~50g/t. The methods of the concentrate preoxidation tests were alkaline atmospheric oxidation, acidic atmospheric oxidation, acidic pressure oxidation, roasting oxidation?biooxidation. The cyanidation tests after the concentrate preoxidation have proved the gold extraction of the pressure oxidation to be the highest(92.5%) and that of roasting secondary(89.3%). After fuller techno-economic comparison, it is suggested that the flotation-pressure oxidation or roasting-CIL process should be the most optimal for treating the ore. The gold recoveries of the ore were 83% for the pressure oxidation and 80% for the roasting respectively.

Jan 1, 2014

By B. W. Jong

As part of the Bureau of Mines program to develop substitutes for critical and strategic materials for metallurgical applications, the Tuscaloosa Research Center has evaluated the effect of additives and starting materials on the sintering and strength properties of sialon (silicon-aluminum-oxynitride) compositions fabricated by conventional pressing and sintering techniques. Sintering and MOR (modulus of rupture) data were developed for sialon compositions produced from three components, Si3N4, A1203, and AIN. When doped with Y203 to aid in sintering, the highest MOR values were obtained with compositions containing between 20 and 30 mole-pet (A1203 + AIN). The effect of the crystalline phase of the Si3N4 and Al203 used in the three-component system on MOR also was investigated. Alpha-Si3N4 and ?-A1203 were found to be the best starting materials. A sialon composed of 67.4 mole-pct a-Si3N4 plus 32.6 mole-pct (?-AI203 + AIN), doped with 5 wt pct Y203, had MOR values at 25°, 1,200°, and 1,400° C of 40,300, 40,300, and 31,100 psi, respectively. Samples of this composition doped with Gd203, MgO, Zr02, and ZrSi04 also were evaluated. The ZrSi04-doped sialon had higher MOR values than Gd203-, MgO-, and Zr02-doped materials but lower MOR values than the Y203-doped sialon. The MOR values of ZrSi04-doped sialons were 25,000 and 25,900 psi, respectively, at 25° and 1,400° C.

Jan 1, 1981

"Tell us how you got involved in mining and about your career path.My dad was a coal miner and my uncle was a metallurgist, so when I enrolled at Penn State’s New Kensington Campus, I chose the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences — exact majors didn’t get picked till the end of your sophomore year. Penn State New Ken had an associate degree in mining program and one of the guys in my carpool was going to take Mining 30 in the evening and the other guy (mechanical engineer) was also able to take an evening class. I didn’t want to break up the carpool, so I took Mining 30, complete with essay tests. I could write, so I did well, and the professor said I should go into mining engineering. Fast forward to the end of the next term at University Park, and I realized there wasn’t enough chemistry in mining. Switching to metallurgy would have meant another term at that point, so Dr. Lovell, my advisor, trotted me down the hall and to the next building and said I was a mineral processor. That stuck. I was a summer student at U.S. Steel Research between my junior and senior year and they paid for my master’s degree — all about clay and macerals in coal flotation. During that time, the steel industry tanked, and I thought a Ph.D. would be a good idea — I could always teach at the university level if I had those credentials. The Electric Power Research Institute had a Coal Cleaning Test Facility in Homer City, PA, and I conducted my Ph.D. research on rate and residence time in conventional coal froth flotation cells there and at a local cleaning plant. I went to work at the test facility in 1987 (later CQ Inc.) and stayed there until I started PrepTech Inc. in 1997. PrepTech offers some consulting services for coal cleaning plants and sells mineral processing equipment, mostly to coal companies. I can’t believe it’s been 21 years.And what about your SME career?Of course, I was a student SME member at Penn State. We used many of the SME books in class, so who wouldn’t want the student discount? While in Homer City, I became involved with the Appalachian Plateau Subsection of the Pittsburgh Section. We’d hold quarterly meetings with interesting speakers and had good attendance. I was the secretary. I’m still the secretary and also get the bank statements. We’ll need to close that out some time, but I guess I’ve been hoping for resurgence in the Indiana/Cambria/ Somerset area."

Jan 3, 2018

By Ramana G. Reddy, Yuxiang Peng

The long-term corrosion behavior of Haynes 230 (H230) alloy in MgCl2–KCl eutectic salt was evaluated at 1273 K for 500 h in Ni crucible in argon gas. The results showed H230 alloy has good corrosion resistance. In addition, corrosion was noted to occur by depletion of Cr, which was deposited on the Ni crucible. Based on the calculation of Gibbs energy of Ni-Cr alloy and exchange current density of Cr in MgCl2–KCl, the Tafel model was constructed to investigate the corrosion potential and rate. The galvanic corrosion can be explained as the predicted results were in agreement with the experimental data.

Mar 1, 2017

By Carlton E. Brown

This report contains information on the relation between and precision or reproducibility of counts (light-and dark-field) of the dust in liquid from simultaneous impinger, midget-impinger, electric-precipitator, and filter-paper samples. The impinger was the main sampler used from about 1922 to 1939 by industrial hygienists in the United States for collecting samples of unhygienic dust from the atmospheric environment of workers. The midget-impinger, a small modification of the preceding impinger described in 1937, has been the sampler used most since about 1939. Electric precipitators5/6/ have been used to a limited extent, mainly by the Bureau of Mines in the laboratory, for obtaining results comparable to impinger results. A filter-paper sampler for obtaining results comparable to impinger results has been described by Brown. All these samplers have a high collecting efficiency for particles larger than 1 micron in diameter revealed by the usual light-field counting procedure. However, their collecting efficiencies are quite variable for the smaller particles revealed by the dark-field counting procedure used in this study. Published information on the relation between the results of these samplers is limited and scattered. Summaries of some of this information are given in this report along with some previously unpublished information.

Jan 1, 1949

A thermochemical model is developed to study the two-stage smelting reduction process for ironmaking without post-combustion. Steady-state multi-material and heat balance equations are solved simultaneously to study the effect of metallisation, slag basicity, coal rank and heat loss on consumption rates of coal, ore, flux and oxygen and production rate of slag to produce hot metal of a given composition, tapped at a given temperature. The model is applied to the commercial data for a COREX-plant producing a wide range of hot metal compositions, tapped at different temperatures. The computed rates of coal, slag, flux, ore and oxygen were found to be close to the reported ones, but an exact match could not be obtained. It is found that a four per cent change in metallisation brings changes the coal rate by five per cent, flux rate by six per cent, slag rate by eight per cent and oxygen rate by 13 per cent, while a ten per cent change in basicity changes the coal rate by ten per cent, flux rate by 13 per cent and oxygen rate by 22 per cent. Further, it is found that an increase in metallisation decreases the coal rate and export gas. At a given per cent metallisation, the coal rate and the export gas are lowest for anthracite compared to all other types of coal.

Jan 1, 1999

By I. Filippova, L. Filippov

"The by-product potential of light rare-earth elements (LREE, La, Ce, Nd) and rare-metals (W, Nb, Sn) within the St Austell kaolin deposits (UK) is related to the kaolinisation process, which liberates the accessory heavy minerals of the host granite in the clay matrix and allows their separation in the waste streams. As a consequence these minerals are pre-concentrated in the micaceous residue which displays relatively high LREE content (around 170 ppm) hosted by monazite which is mainly distributed (up to 95%) in the -100 µm fraction. A combined gravity/flotation concentration flowsheet, starting with classification of the residue into 3 size fractions (+150 µm, 150-53 µm and -53µm) was developed. This study presents the results of the clay-rich -53 µm size fraction beneficiation by flotation using sodium oleate and hydroxamate as collectors.The effect of dispersant addition during de-sliming operations on flotation efficiency was also investigated. The LREE grade in the floated product obtained with sodium oleate increased from 3370 ppm to 5350 ppm and recovery from 30% to 80% with dispersant which is attributed to clay coating. Comparison of flotation performance and Falcon Ultra-Fine (UF) concentration of monazite to previous results obtained with Falcon Semi-Batch (SB) gravity concentrator on the unscreened raw residue clearly shows that flotation of the fine residue is more efficient than Falcon UF and Falcon SB. Indeed Falcon UF produced high recoveries (87-95%) but with almost no enrichment (1.3-1.4 ratios) whereas Falcon SB concentration of unscreened residue produced higher grades (up to 0.6 % LREE) but with low recoveries (17-22 %). These preliminary results show that LREE can be pre-concentrated suggesting that the micaceous residue stream (and the associated tailings dams) could be considered as a potential resource for these metals."

Jan 1, 2016

By C. F. Willis

The time is no longer when a man can act as an independent unit; the appreciation of the interdependence of one man upon another has emphasized the importance of the social unit. Epidemics have made us recognize that even a man's health is not distinctly his own to control as he pleases. The physical examination of workmen previous to employment started with an effort to prevent the spread of tuberculosis, for tuberculosis may be detected in its early stages and cured. But it was soon found that many other diseases were detected and the saving of lives made possible. The physical examination does not mean the elimination of the unfit—on that basis it would utterly fail—but rather the measuring of a man's physical fitness and placing the man where he can do the best for himself, his fellow worker, and the company. Industry as a whole cannot expect to live up to the standard of physical examination set for the army, nor should it expect to do so, for in all branches of industry there are types of work that do not require the same amount of endurance as does army work, and the lacing of men with physical limitations in the work for which they are capable permits a higher average of physical fitness for the work requiring physical excellence. Objects of Physical Examination The objects of physical examination are: The early detection of illness, particularly at a time when a full restoration of health is possible; the protection of employees from infection caused by working in contact with contagious diseases; the discovery of a man's physical limitations, in so far as his possibility for rendering good service is concerned; assistance to the safety movement by eliminating association in hazardous occupations with men whose physical condition renders them likely to accident to themselves and others; and the lessening of time lost by sickness. Statistics issued by the United States Department of Labor show that 22.54 per cent. of idleness is caused by sickness, with an average number of 7.71 weeks idle; whereas only 1.66 per cent. is caused by acci-

Jan 1, 1920

By Carmine D. &apos, Lemuel Tarshis, Joel Hirschhorn, Antonio

Vapor-deposited nickel films in the thickness range 700 to 4360A were tested in uniaxial tension utilizing a microtester designed specifically for this study. Contrary to the findings of some investigators, a definite thickness-strength relationship was observed below 3000 A with a four-to sevenfold increase in strength over that of bulk nickel. The films were characterized by high elastic strains and little plasticity. On the basis of these and other reported data, it is suggested that the high strength level in metal films is related to the manner in which they are produced. Vapor deposition, owing to its severe quenching effect. is believed to promote the formation of point defects which inhibit dislocation movement. IN recent years it has been reported that metals, when in the form of thin films, exhibit extraordinarily high strengths. The data published to date have been primarily concerned with silver and gold because of the ease with which these metals can be vapor-deposited and their high resistance to surface oxidation. Previous investigations into the mechanical strength of thin films has uncovered an apparent dichotomy of view on film behavior. Beams and his co-workers have reported a definite dependence of strength on film thickness. Other workers,"-'6 however, in separate studies on the strength of poly crystalline and single-crystal films have found no such thickness-strength relationship. The study of thin-film strength is extremely difficult because of the many variables associated with film preparation, handling, and testing. Moreover, the manner of test employed by different investigators has varied quite radically, ranging from simple uniaxial-tension to biaxial-bulge testing. The work reported herein was conducted in order to determine the mechanical behavior of a structural metal when in the form of a vacuum-deposited thin film and to gain some insight into the reasons for the high strengths exhibited by metals having such a con- figuration. In this study a method of test was chosen which would yield results which are easily interpreted and lend themselves to comparison with properties of the same material in bulk form. Moreover, specimen-preparation parameters and film-handling techniques are set forth so that other investigators can properly compare their findings with ours. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES A) Film Preparation. Vacuum deposition was performed in an 18 by 30 in. bell jar using a standard New York Air Brake Co. vacuum station with a 6-in. oil-diffusion pump. Before evaporation the system was pumped to a pressure of less than 2 x 10"5 torr. A shield was employed to protect the substrates from the emission of contaminants during the critical melting and outgassing of the evaporant. The source consisted of from one to six filaments (0.020 in. diam). The length of each filament was about 5 in. and was placed 6 to 8 1/2 in. from the substrate in such a manner that the substrate face was at 90 deg incidence with respect to the evaporant beam. The temperature of the source was 2000"~ during evaporation. The films were deposited onto a substrate arrangement which was composed of four basic components, that is: 1) a 3 by 1 in. glass slide; 2) a 22-mm sq micro cover glass on 1); 3) a 22 by 50 mm micro cover glass coated with collodion on 1); and 4) a stainless-steel sheet mask containing twelve rectangular openings of 1-mm and 2-mm widths and lengths of 5 mm laid over 3). Thus, test specimens of 1-mm and 2-mm widths are deposited onto a collodion substrate which precludes epitaxial effects in the specirnens. 17-le The rectangular cover glass and square cover glass were positioned in such a manner that a strip of film would be evaporated along the length and across the width of the large glass slide. This boundary of evaporated film was used to determine the film thickness by multiple-beam interferometry. The square cover glass was used for X-ray and chemical analyses. Thickness of the deposits was varied by changing the number of filaments used (one to six). The duration of evaporation was 30 sec for each filamgnt which resulted in a deposition rate of 8 to 20A per sec. Evaporations were all performed at room temperature; however, radiant heat from the source raised the substrate temperature to 40" to 60°C. All substrates were cleaned by ultrasonic agitation in a solution of spectranalyzed isopropyl alcohol. Collodion was deposited on the micro cover glass by immersion in solution of collodion in amyl acetate. B) Thickness Control and Measurement. Film

Jan 1, 1963

By Hongwei Wang, Hao Zhang, Panshi Xie, Xicai Gao, Youfu Zeng, Yongping Wu, Juan Dou

"The reserves and production of steep coal seams account for approximately 15–20% of the total coal reserves in China and 5–10% of the total annual coal production. More than 50% of the coal is high-quality coking coal and anthracite, based on reviews of steeply dipping seam mining at home and abroad. Fully mechanized mining is considered to be the only safe and efficient way to mine steeply dipping seams. To achieve fully mechanized longwall mining, four issues must be addressed: ground control, equipment stability control, development of complete sets of equipment, and safety. Engineers must focus on many factors of steeply dipping seams, such as the following: stope, roof asymmetrical structure, stability control, “roof-support-floor” system dynamics control, multi-region big-range ground control technology, adjustment false-inclined method, nonlinear layout method, control technology, safety, and development of complete sets of equipment. Engineering practices in China introduce these concepts systematically: fully mechanized mining of medium-thickness seams, fully mechanized high mining of thick seams, fully mechanized caving of extremely thick coal seams, fully mechanized mining of coal seams, roadway support, and so on. A steeply dipping seam is one with a dipping angle in the range of 35°–55°. This accounts for about 15%–20% of the total coal reserves in China. Because of the environment, more than 50% of the coal is high-quality coking coal and anthracite. Mining steeply dipping coal seams is known to be difficult in the mining industry. After the study conducted by Germany, Poland, and the former Soviet Union in the1970s–1980s, the fully mechanized mining basic theory, core technology, and key equipment research have not been a breakthrough. Being fully mechanized is a technological “restricted area” at home and abroad. A lot of steeply dipping seams are excavated by non-mechanized mining, leading to harsh job environments, labor-intensive work, low productivity, frequent accidents, and significant security hazards. The death rate per million tons of coal reaches above 4.0 and is far higher than slow inclined coal seam mining. Making steeply dipping seam mining safe and efficient is a global problem that urgently needs to be solved. Fully mechanized mining is the only way to overcome these problems (Wu, 2003; Wu, Yun, and Zhou, 2000). The realization of fully mechanized coal seam mining must solve four problems. (1) Examine the disaster mechanisms induced by overburden “key strata” mutation under steeply dipping seams as a basis for ground control methods and technical problems. (2) Work to solve the dynamic stability control technical problems of thousands of tons of complete sets of equipment under the steeply dipping seams. (3) Complete sets of equipment must be developed to adapt to the conditions of steeply dipping seams. (4) Overcome the steeply dipping face safety protection technical problems. In the last two decades, a number of universities, research institutes, and enterprises have realized the importance of safety and efficiency of steeply dipping seams in China. This is especially true of Professor Wu Yongping’s “hard coal layer safe and efficient mining” team at Xi’an University of Science and Technology. After several generations’ research and technical work, the team puts forward China’s longwall mechanized coal mining of steeply dipping seams strata control basic theory. This paper puts forth a series of key technologies of fully mechanized mining, develops and manufactures complete sets of equipment by independent innovation, and establishes a perfect face security system, forming a theory and technology system for fully mechanized longwall mining of steeply dipping seams."

Jan 1, 2017

By E. M. De Souza

"A scientific testing program, sponsored by the Mining Industry Research Organization of Canada (MIROC), was undertaken on the surface and underground facilities of Inca's Crean Hill Mine to investigate the effectiveness of using dry drilling with a dust control system.The surface test work consisted of the monitoring of advance rates and bit life white a series of 165 mm holes, wet and dry, were drilled at both mine air (0.69MPa) and high pressure air (1.72MPa). The results, based on statistical evaluations of field data, indicated that penetration rates can be increased by an average of 24% when drilling dry with high air pressure and by approximately 27.5% when drilling dry with mine air as compared with wet drilling under the same conditions. Dry drilling also has the effect of reducing button wear by approximately 69% using high pressure air. The underground test work employed a dust collection system developed for use with large diameter holes (165 mm) and high pressure drilling. The testing program has indicated that an average increase in penetration rate of 35% can be achieved when dry drilling in rock (waste) and of 49% when dry drilling in ore with high air pressure. Although preliminary dust monitoring did not indicate any appreciable increase in dust concentration during dry drilling, further dust monitoring is still required.A comparative cost analysis has indicated the potential for reduction in drilling costs when dry drilling is utilized. Further testwork is to be conducted to develop a reliable dust collection system for underground production."

Jan 1, 1992

By Felix Wolters, Michael Schütt

In over 40 years of operation, engineers at Aluminium Oxid Stade GmbH (AOS) have acquired a lot of experience whereby they have developed a series of optimizations regarding the specific primary energy consumption. The tube digester technology, invented by VAW in Germany and applied on an industrial scale for the first time in Stade, was brought to perfection by its innovative cleaning methods, which led to a constantly high heat transfer, low pressure loss and excellent availability of the digesters. Further improvements such as the heat recovery from the exhaust gas stream of the salt heater as well as the optimization of one of the fluid bed calciners and the installation of a combined heat and power generator (CHP) led AOS to where it is now—a leading alumina refinery with regard to the lowest energy consumption per ton of alumina.

Mar 1, 2017

By P. W. Ramsey, D. P. Kedzie

INCREASING demand for improved strength-weight ratios made on aircraft structures has resulted in a gradual increase in the tensile strength requirements for steels used in such applications. As the cyclic loads often are more critical than static loads, and the fatigue properties are generally the design criteria, the question arises as to whether an improvement in fatigue properties accompanies the increased tensile strength. The present investigation was undertaken to determine the relationship between fatigue and tensile properties for an aircraft quality steel in the 155 to 280 ksi (1000 psi) tensile strength range, using the Prot method of fatigue testing. Procedure and Results After preliminary work to establish proper heat treating procedures for this heat of aircraft quality electric furnace steel (a Ni-Cr-Mo-V steel," AMS- Prot Fatigue Testing Method—The determination of the endurance limit by the conventional Wohler method can be time-consuming and easily require 20 specimens when statistical variance is to be established. This is also true when endurance limit loads are determined on actual parts or subassem-blies, and the desirability of a reliable accelerated method has been evident for some time. The primary advantage of the Prot method of fatigue testing is in reducing the number of specimens and the time required for each test. Unlike the Wohler method, every Prot specimen tested con- tributes to the determination of the endurance limit, and the authors have been able to duplicate Wohler results obtained with 20 specimens with only half the specimens and a fourth of the total cycles. This new technique for defining the endurance limit was proposed in 1948' by Marcel Prot and consists of progressively increasing cyclic stress until fatigue failure occurs. By varying the load rate, a, a useful relationship is found to exist with failure stress, so that for steel the failure stress appears to

Jan 1, 1958

By Chee S. Theng

As the 2015 president of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc., I am pleased to present the 2015 issue of the Transactions of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc., Vol. 338. A significant portion of the contribution that we make as a professional society is the publication of professional and technical papers that accelerate the advancement of scientific knowledge and enable the transfer of technology. Communication within the mining community is the key to a successful society. This technology exchange continues a tradition that dates back to the 1871 meeting of 22 mining engineers in Wilkes-Barre, PA, that resulted in the founding of AIME. Those individuals envisioned that these transaction volumes “would form a most valuable and greatly needed addition to our professional literature.” This volume fulfills that pledge. The 2015 Transactions contains some of the most interesting research and insights from the past year and features an international slate of authors spanning industry, academia and government. Papers include the latest findings from the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and special-focus articles on gold processing, iron ore processing and coal processing. The 2015 Transactions consists of a total of 67 technical papers, encompassing all 22 papers published in 2015 in the Technical Papers Section of Mining Engineering (Vol. 67) and all 29 papers published in 2015 in Minerals & Metallurgical Processing (Vol. 32). Additionally, this volume contains 15 papers and one discussion that are being published for the first time in this issue. The papers presented in this volume were written by some of the most distinguished professionals in the industry worldwide. All of the technical papers were peer-reviewed. The process of review and publication requires much hard work by authors, reviewers and our publications staff. As the 2015 president of SME and on behalf of all our members, I would like to extend our gratitude to all whose volunteer efforts contributed to the publication of this volume.

Jan 1, 2015

By G. S. Scott

The Bureau of Mines is engaged in research to assess the hazards associated with the handling, storage, and use of combustible gases, vapors, and. liquids encountered in mines and in industry. As a part of this general pro-gram, numerous limits of flammability and ignition temperatures are being investigated for a wide variety of combustible materials, and methods are being developed to minimize the explosion hazards of these combustibles. The Bureau receives numerous requests for information on the explosion hazards of specified combustible mixtures under various conditions of use. This information circular has been prepared to assist those who may have similar requests. Destined primarily for the layman with a limited technical knowledge of the subject, it considers rather briefly the numerous factors that enter into the general problem of gaseous explosions and their prevention.

Jan 1, 1951

By Kent W. Hawley

An improved visibility system was developed for use on the large (100 ton+) haulage trucks typically operated in open pit and surface mines. The improved visibility system provides the truck driver' with a means of viewing hazardous situations that occur in the extensive blind areas adjacent to his true. The cost effective, reliable, visibility system consists of a closed-circuit television three unique fresnel viewers, and two improved mirrors. This report describes the visibility problems of Large trucks in the surface mining environment, shows the performance of existing mirrors, substantiates concept selection, and describes the prototype improved visibility system.

Jan 1, 1978