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By F. N. Rhines

DESPITE the large amount of study which has been devoted to the subject our present knowledge of the copper-oxygen system remains incomplete and unsatisfactory in many respects. This applies particu-larly to those regions in which solid metallic copper exists. The primary object of the present paper is the contribution of new information relative to the solid solubility of oxygen (or cuprous oxide) in copper at atmospheric pressure, together with certain observations in the low-pressure regions of the system. It seems appropriate also to present a brief summary of the outstanding previous work on the constitution of mixtures of copper with its lowest oxide in order to show the relation between the new facts and the system as a whole. The earliest recorded investigations of the copper-oxygen system are those of M. S. Lucas (1) § and of M. Chevillot(2) in 1819 and 1820. Lucas believed that liquid copper is capable of dissolving its oxide, but neither he nor Chevillot was able to furnish convincing proof of this property. It was not until 1866 that T. Graham° definitely established the existence of such a solubility. Nine years later W. Hampe(4) measured its extent and roughly outlined the copper-rich portion of the system. The first really precise examination of the constitutional relationship between copper and cuprous oxide, however, was that of E. Heyn(5) who in 1900 published a temperature-concentration diagram covering the range from 0 to 10 per cent of cuprous oxide at atmospheric pressure. Within these limits of composition cuprous oxide was found to dissolve in liquid copper, forming at 3.4 to 3.5 per cent a eutectic which melted at 1065° C. R. E. Slade and F. D. Farrow(6) extended these studies to mixtures of higher

Jan 1, 1934

By Antonio Mendoza

El presente texto describe el sistema de manejo de agua y aire, las actividades integradoras, preventivas, de análisis y ejecución realizadas para describir la respuesta a los retos del futuro inmediato para alcanzar los objetivos ambientales en la mina Antamina.

Jan 1, 2012

By B. T., Colley

AS always when metallurgical operations are conducted within or close to agricultural and stock-raising regions, the question of damage due to fume and smoke presented itself when the Cerro de Pasco Copper Corporation's new smelter commenced to operate in La Oroya in 1922, For more than twenty years the Corporation had operated its old plant close to Cerro de Pasco without encountering difficulties from smoke claims, owing to the fact that it was in an open plain where more or less constant air currents carried and dissipated the smoke over large areas, affording ample dilution. But Oroya is in a deep canyon formed by four contributing valleys up and down which the smoke travels for long distances in a more or less concentrated form. Though the altitude of Oroya is more than 12,000 ft., and the surrounding country rises to much greater elevations, nevertheless there exists there a large and important stock-raising industry and also a considerable development in agriculture, consisting of the cultivation of potatoes, barley, etc.

Jan 1, 1945

By J Dyt, S Lyons

In the mining industry, crusher-related incidents have led to 15 reported deaths in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA between 1998 and 2007 (NSW Government Resources Regulator, 2024). The majority of these fatalities occurred during routine crusher maintenance tasks. A survey of quarry and mine site maintenance staff was completed to ascertain what they thought of such safety device to understand if beneficial and if so reasons if unused. Overall, findings show, staff perceived risks differently, cost, familiarity, device awareness and not front of mind, influenced adoption. This underscores the importance of asking the right questions involving maintenance and safety staff to lead to more proactive risk assessment.

Apr 16, 2024

By C E. Vidal

Geological exploration and mining development increased their intensity and rate of success during the last five years in Peru. Particularly relevant are the mining projects of Yanacocha and Pierina for epithermal Au and Ag. Also relevant are the new mining operations at Iscaycruz and Uchucchacua for limestone replacement Zn- or Ag-rich base metal skarn deposits. Miocene continental volcanics host the low-grade but near-surface orebodies of the Yanacocha mining district in Cajamarca. Several deposits have been mined since 1994 with open-pit and heap-leach gold production increasing from 300 000 ounces to 1 300 000 ounces in 1998. In a similar geological setting, but with three times the grade of Yanacocha, the Pierina valley-leach operation in Ancash is set to produce 800 000 ounces Au during 1999. At Iscaycruz in Lima, Cretaceous limestones host massive pyrite and sphalerite skarn deposits with 10 to 20 per cent Zn. Mining and milling were started in 1996 with last yearÆs production rising to 180 000 tonnes of Zn concentrates. At Uchucchacua, selective underground mining of fracture-controlled Ag skarns, with 400 to 420 g/t, has been recently increased from 1200 to 2000 tonnes per day to produce 5.5 million ounces Ag during 1998. Advanced exploration projects are located in the framework of nine Phanerozoic metallogenic provinces. Mineral deposits of preferred attention are precious metal disseminations and veins, base metal replacements and skarns, porphyry Cu (Mo-Au), Mississippi-Valley-type Zn and base metal volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits. Geological discovery of new orebodies enables a sustainable development of the mining industry in the country.

Jan 1, 1999

By N Setoudeh, A Nosrati, N J. Welham

The current surge of interest in lithium (Li) is due to the anticipated demand for electric vehicles and small scale power storage. Brine deposits contain most of the global Li resource, however hard rock deposits can be more readily and rapidly developed and comprise the majority of proposed projects. These projects plan to use the conventional processing routes of dense medium separation and / or flotation to produce a spodumene concentrate for sale. The standard route for subsequent processing of spodumene concentrate is thermal decrepitation, acid leaching, solution purification and precipitation of lithium carbonate. This is typically followed by further purification. A number of projects have ores which contain other lithium minerals, principally micas, lepidolite and zinnwaldite, necessitating an alternative treatment route. Several different routes for spodumene processing are under development to reduce costs to compete with brine projects. This paper will give an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the current and alternative processes.CITATION:Welham, N J, Nosrati, A and Setoudeh, N, 2017. Lithium ore processing – an overview of the current and new processes, in Proceedings MetPlant 2017, pp 185–194 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 11, 2017

By J. R. Patts, A. B. Cecala, E. J. Haas

Exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) remains a serious health hazard to the US mining workforce who are potentially exposed as various ore bodies are drilled, blasted, hauled by truck, crushed, screened, and transported to their destinations. The current Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) for RCS remains at approximately 100 μg/m3 , but it is noteworthy that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has lowered its PEL to 50 μg/ m3 (with enforcement dates staggered through 2022 for various sectors), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has held a 50 μg/m3 recommended standard since 1976. To examine a method for reducing RCS exposure using a NIOSH-developed video exposure monitoring (VEM) technology (referred to as Helmet-CAM), video and respirable dust concentration data were collected on eighty miners across seven unique mining sites. The data was then collated and partitioned using a thresholding scheme to determine exposures that were in excess of ten times the mean exposure for that worker. Focusing on these short duration, high magnitude exposures can provide insight to implement controls and interventions that can dramatically lower the employee’s overall average exposure. In 19 of the 80 cases analyzed, it was found that exposure could be significantly lowered by 20% or more by reducing exposures that occur during just 10 min of work per 8-hour shift. This approach provides a method to quickly analyze and determine which activities are creating the greatest health concerns. In most cases, once identified, focused control technologies or behavioral modifications can be applied to those tasks.

By D. K. Steele

The U.S. Bureau of Mines has investigated the recovery of metals from copper industry wastes by sulfuric acid leaching in a semi-continuous, bench-scale system to solubilize arsenic, copper, and molybdenum. Leach residues contained approximately 40 wt pct PbSO4, suitable for processing at a lead smelter. Arsenic and molybdenum removal from leach solution was examined using solvent extraction with tri-n-butyl-phosphate (TBP), and copper was subsequently recovered by cementation. Bleed electrolyte from a copper refinery was determined to be a viable source of acid for the initial leach stage.

Jan 1, 1991

By John Hays, Hammond

IT is both a pleasure and an honor to be a guest of the Institute and I thank you, Mr. President and fellow-members, for giving. me the opportunity of meeting you this evening. My esteemed friend, President Smith, has requested me to do a bit of "reminiscing" as to the earlier years of my career as a mining engineer, which has now covered a period of fifty years. Let me reassure you by promising that my narrative will not include all the experiences I have had over that long period. You will, I trust, pardon what might seem egotistical but I do not see how a personal narrative could well be otherwise.

Jan 1, 1928

By Swapan Bhattacharya

United States federal and state regulatory authorities require underground mine operators to adopt adequate measures to minimize material damage to the surface caused by nine subsidence. This paper presents an approach to define and determine the extent of material damage due to subsidence from underground coal mining. The basic steps involved in the development of adequate criteria have been enumerated together with the approaches and methodologies used.

Jan 1, 1984

By L. M. English

When plotted as head vs. volume, fan curves start high and decrease in head with increasing volume while mine head curves start low and rise with increasing volume. Their intersection is the system operating point But wait a minute: Isn't head loss a negative number, a debit? And isn't fan head an energy addition, a credit? This, as every ventilation instructor knows, is often a stumbling block to student or audience comprehension. It is possible to use the intuitively correct curves -pressure losses as negative values and energy additions as positive values -and still obtain the correct operating point: adding the two curves produces a third curve that intersects the x-axis at the operating point, the point at \\tIich the fan energy input exactly matches air circulation energy loss. Using this technique also makes it easier to account for outside influences on the system, such as natural ventilating pressure; with the standard approach it is quite easy to add or subtract such influences to the wrong curve. This approach can be extended to the graphical solution of any series/parallel circuit or ventilation net\wrk. The results are the same, and the approach is logically consistent and less confusing.

Jan 1, 1997

By N. Edmonson

The demand for sulfur divides into two major categories: agricultural and industrial. Most of the agricultural demand is related to the production of phosphate fertilizer products. Industrial demand is derived from the demands for a large number of products and is related to a variety of industrial processes, no one of which characterizes it in a simple way.

Jan 1, 1994

By Melinda J. Hummel, Zachary T. Smith, Nathaniel Witter, Nina F. Carney

The revitalization of Pittsburgh’s historic Strip District has led to the redevelopment of existing properties and the development of new properties. At one time, the Strip was home to wholesale market products. Now, the historical warehouse buildings are being converted to multi-use residential and commercial properties. One such property, 1600 Smallman Street, consisted of 1 to 6-story connected buildings that housed night clubs, retail shops, and office space. The lower story portion of the building, on the southwest side of the property, was torn down to make room for a new 5-story- parking garage with street level retail space. The remaining 6-story-building, on the northeast, was gutted to be renovated into high-end condominiums, keeping the exterior historical building facade.

By Fidelis T. Suorineni

Rockbursts are a major hazard in deep hard rock underground mining and tunneling. To date a significant number of rockbursts still defy conventional explanations. A review of rockburst case histories in the literature has shown that pillars and tabular excavations under shear loading are prone to rockbursting in situations where they are least expected under conventional knowledge of rockburst causes. Despite the evidence of the effects of shear loading on underground infrastructure, and the frequency of their occurrence, little is known about how this loading mechanism causes such large magnitude events and extensive damage. In this paper analytical and numerical modeling are used to understand the behaviour of pillars and tabular excavations under shear loading. The numerical modelling results show that pillars under shear loading are less confined than their equivalents in loaded in pure compression in the same geologic environment, and are therefore more brittle and weak. For tabular excavations under shear loading, the behaviour depends on whether such excavations are continuous, co-planar or offset with rock bridges. Analytical results based on slit theory show releasable potential energy in tabular excavations increases nonlinearly with excavation half-span. The study results are important for the safe and economic extraction of orebodies under shear loading.

May 1, 2011

By R. F. Tylecote

"The closure of the iron and steel making plant at Consett in Durham in 1980 marked the end of an era-a long era in the world's iron and steel making history. Iron had been smelted in the Tyne-Wear area of the United Kingdom since before the Roman period, but apart from evidence of smithing in the Roman period, the historical evidence for iron production on a large scale dates from the 14th century.The paper describes sites in the area that first worked the bloomery process and then, in the 16th century, as did most of Europe, graduated to the blast furnace process. The main emphasis is on the early introduction of coal to iron making at the end of the 18th century and the use of the steam engine to render integrated sites possible.IntroductionIron has been smelted in the Tyne-Wear area of the United Kingdom since before the Roman period, but apart from clear evidence of smithing in the Roman period, the historical evidence for iron production on a large scale dates from the 14th century. Like many other countries, the United Kingdom benefitted from the visits of foreign observers, such as Jars, Svedenstierna, de la Houliere and Dufrenoy, who left detailed records. In modern times, information gained from excavations of iron and steel making sites has supplemented the historical record.Natural ResourcesUp to the end of the 19th century, the industry was wholly dependent on its own resources. Iron ore, limestone, wood, coal and water power were all found a short distance away from the main valleys of the Tyne and Wear. The main sources of iron ore were the coal measures, with rider ores from the lead vein s in Alston and Weardale, and carbonate ores from shale horizons in the Carboniferous limestone. Good coking coal was available from West Durham and reasonable coal from the Tyne valley and Northumberland limestone. Limestone was plentiful."

Jan 1, 1983

By R. P. Smith

In 1937 the employees of the Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines Ltd.. at Timmins. Ont., Canada, approached organized medicine for a plan to provide themselves and their families with a complete medical service including hospitalization. This approach was made because of two conditions: (1) the necessity for some organization whereby contributions could be made in instalments to offset the sudden and large expense connected with illness for which the average employee is not prepared, and (2) the need for a more cohesive quality of service to replace a contract practice then in vogue, which did not take care of the employee's family or dependents. In different parts of the United States and Canada similar plans were in force, not only for employed groups but for numbers of people in circumscribed areas. In Europe different countries had adopted various forms of health insurance plans. It then was no surprise that these employees as a group should ask for some similar plan. With the cooperation of the management, a plan was instituted. The plan has one object only—the provision of medical services, including the accessory services such as hospitaliza-tion, X-rays, nursing, and necessary drugs and medicines. It is not concerned with cash benefits, sickness and accident payments, or any form of monetary return as the result of illness, but is simply an organization to provide medical services and pay for them from a central fund. It is a nonprofit organization and the only shareholders are the employees and their families who contribute and who in turn receive services. The Hollinger plan is limited to the employees of the Hollinger mine, who live in Timmins and the immediate vicinity. At first, the membership was voluntary. In the third year, it was made a condition of employment, with the proviso that at the end of any Association financial year an employee may withdraw if he wishes to do so. After withdrawal, he cannot again become a member until the end of the next Association year, and then only by the payment of the back dues. This step was taken to ensure continuity, and to prevent employees from withdrawing when well and reentering when faced with impending illness or operations. The employee himself is subject to medical examination on application for employment, and if accepted is subject to further examination by a specialist in chest diseases under the Workmen's Compensation Board of Ontario. Thus it is possible to exclude those who have heart disease, tuberculosis, or other disabling conditions when first employed. Wives and families of employees are not subject to medical examination but other dependents of an employee—mother, father, or other relative—who are declared by the employee to be wholly dependent upon him must be examined. The employee

Jan 1, 1946

By R. E. McIvor, Brian Cornish, J. A. Finch, Yue Tan, Claude Gagnon

Fred C. Bond is recognized throughout the mineral processing world as the father of comminution equipment applied science and engineering. The Bond Work Index became a universal standard, and is the most widely used measurement tool for comminution energy consumption. This biography is the story of his lifetime of study, work experiences, experimentation, analyses and findings. His numerous published writings are reviewed. His legacy is one of comminution process engineering that will be used in perpetuity.

Feb 1, 2024

By Walter S. Lutz, J. T. Griffith

The rainfall during the last six months of 1942 in Scranton and vicinity was 24.06 in.—only 4.35 in more than the average for this district in any equivalent period—yet that rain forced The Hudson Coal Co. to handle 38.8 tons of water for every ton of coal mined. It filled to overflowing, or to a higher level, 14 flooded mine areas holding, in total volume, 8.3 billion gallons of water in storage; brought about a pumpage of 11.4 billion gallons in the months of December 1942 and January, February and March 1943 Half of the total energy generated or purchased (44,322,980 kw-hr.) was required to keep the mines sufficiently free of water to permit the mining of coal during a period of much needed output. Fig. I shows the extent to which this flooding of exhausted and idle properties has proceeded, and is known to be proceeding further, at the upper end of the Northern field. This rainfall (24.06 in.) means 80,559,444 tons of water on approximately 46.2 sq. miles of area tributary to the pumping plants. During the high rainfall period, 72,687,661 tons went underground, being pumped at the stations in this territory. This means an inflow of 88per cent, a runoff of 12 per cent compared with 64 per cent during normal conditions in a normal region. During this period no floods, either surface or underground, had to be dealt with, although the streams and rivers were high on several occasions. In general, the rainfall for the first three months of 1943 can be described as heavy but not abnormal.9 These figures not only indicate the large volumes of water to be handled but, by their very size, they also emphasize that the mine-water problem is not to be conquered, at least from an economical standpoint, by merely buying and installing more and more pumps. Into the solving of this water problem must go much planning, adhering to the principle of keeping the highest percentage of water at the highest possible level for the longest period of time; the storage of huge volumes in sumps capable of being reduced after the flood inflow and at rates less than the inflow; plans for prevention of surface inflow; provision of the minimum of pumping capacity arranged to as nearly 100 per cent pumping load factor as is possible; intercompany joint pumping plants; the conducting of water from one plant to another and from one property to another over distances measured in miles; priorities in power to the threatening situations; and. balance of the necessities and dangers existent in one colliery over another, day by day, when quantities of water are running high. Despite these astronomical figures of water volumes, their disposal to the surface is accomplished reasonably cheaply because, although the annual cost of $575,020 is a large sum, the cost per ton is about 0.1168 cents. Credit for this goes

Jan 1, 1947

By J. T. Griffith, Walter S. Lutz

The rainfall during the last six months of 1942 in Scranton and vicinity was 24.06 in.—only 4.35 in more than the average for this district in any equivalent period—yet that rain forced The Hudson Coal Co. to handle 38.8 tons of water for every ton of coal mined. It filled to overflowing, or to a higher level, 14 flooded mine areas holding, in total volume, 8.3 billion gallons of water in storage; brought about a pumpage of 11.4 billion gallons in the months of December 1942 and January, February and March 1943 Half of the total energy generated or purchased (44,322,980 kw-hr.) was required to keep the mines sufficiently free of water to permit the mining of coal during a period of much needed output. Fig. I shows the extent to which this flooding of exhausted and idle properties has proceeded, and is known to be proceeding further, at the upper end of the Northern field. This rainfall (24.06 in.) means 80,559,444 tons of water on approximately 46.2 sq. miles of area tributary to the pumping plants. During the high rainfall period, 72,687,661 tons went underground, being pumped at the stations in this territory. This means an inflow of 88per cent, a runoff of 12 per cent compared with 64 per cent during normal conditions in a normal region. During this period no floods, either surface or underground, had to be dealt with, although the streams and rivers were high on several occasions. In general, the rainfall for the first three months of 1943 can be described as heavy but not abnormal.9 These figures not only indicate the large volumes of water to be handled but, by their very size, they also emphasize that the mine-water problem is not to be conquered, at least from an economical standpoint, by merely buying and installing more and more pumps. Into the solving of this water problem must go much planning, adhering to the principle of keeping the highest percentage of water at the highest possible level for the longest period of time; the storage of huge volumes in sumps capable of being reduced after the flood inflow and at rates less than the inflow; plans for prevention of surface inflow; provision of the minimum of pumping capacity arranged to as nearly 100 per cent pumping load factor as is possible; intercompany joint pumping plants; the conducting of water from one plant to another and from one property to another over distances measured in miles; priorities in power to the threatening situations; and. balance of the necessities and dangers existent in one colliery over another, day by day, when quantities of water are running high. Despite these astronomical figures of water volumes, their disposal to the surface is accomplished reasonably cheaply because, although the annual cost of $575,020 is a large sum, the cost per ton is about 0.1168 cents. Credit for this goes

Jan 1, 1947

By Michael J. Brown

Load testing is important for controlling the quality of piled foundations. The Statnamic test is an alternative to existing testing methods with a load duration that lies between that for static and dynamic tests. Current methods of analysis offer excellent correlation between static and Statnamic tests for coarse-grained soils but often over-predict the capacity for fine-grained soils. Thus a calibration chamber is being used to produce instrumented beds of clay with reproducible properties. A model pile placed in the beds can be loaded at varying rates using a computer controlled servo-hydraulic system. Results from the modelling will be used to improve methods of analysis and govern the design of a full-scale study. Initial results suggest the rate effect can be represented by a power law relating pile velocity and resistance. Statnamic loading of the model pile produced large negative pore pressures in the clay bed.

Jan 1, 2002