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By J. C. Kerkering, J. C. Franklin, T. O. Meyer, R. W. McKibbin

A continuous survey of radon gas was made in two interconnecting stopes in a southwestern U. S. uranium mine to determine how the various phases of the mining cycle affected the radon concentration. The radon was monitored continuously with five detectors. One detector monitored the intake air, one the exhaust air, and three the stope air. The radon concentrations present during slushing, blasting, and exhaust fan shutoff were compared with concentrations on a nonwork day as a base level. Inside the stope, the radon concentration increased about 40% during slushing and 425% after blasting. Intake air radon increased 1600% and the stope air increased 550% while the surface exhaust fan was off.

Jan 1, 1979

LARGEST known fluorspar deposits in the world are mined in southern Illinois (Hardin County), and northwestern Kentucky (Crittenden County). Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, and Utah are the principal western sources in the U. S. Rosiclare Fluorspar District Hardin County, Illinois The Rosiclare area is located in the southern part of Hardin County on the Ohio River where the Illinois Central Rd. branch line terminates and provides transportation. Fluorspar has been mined commercially in this area since 1870. Aluminum Co. of America and Rosiclare Lead & Fluorspar Co. are the two major producers in this area. Ozark-Mahoning Co. operates a concentrating plant in Rosiclare but the bulk of its ore is mined near the town of Cave-in-Rock.

Jan 1, 1958

By David A. Summers, Clark R. Barker, Marian Mazurkiewicz

In May 1975 the U.S. Bureau of Mines contracted with the University of Missouri-Rolla, Rock Mechanics and Explosives Research Center to develop a Hydrominer modification to a longwall shearer unit, wherein the rotating pick-laced drums and connecting gear drives are replaced by a water jet cutting ahead.1 The concept of the water jet cutting head is based on using the high localized energy of the water jets to isolate a slice of coal by cutting a slot under, at the back of, and at the top of the web. The plow blade of the head then advances into the cut and wedges the coal cantilever over onto the conveyor (Fig. 1).

Jan 4, 1978

By J. C. Kerkering, J. C. Franklin, T. O. Meyer, R. W. McKibbin

Abstract-A continuous survey of radon gas was made in two interconnecting stopes in a southwestern U. S. uranium mine to determine how the various phases of the mining cycle affected the radon concentration. The radon was monitored continuously with five detectors. One detector monitored the intake air, one the exhaust air, and three the stope air. The radon concentrations present during slushing, blasting, and exhaust fan shutoff were compared with concentrations on a nonwork day as a base level. Inside the stope, the radon concentration increased about 40% during slushing and 425% after blasting. Intake air radon increased 1600% and the stope air increased 550% while the surface exhaust fan was off.

Jan 6, 1978

By Leon H. Nelson

Several factors which affect the segregation and solidification of killed hot-topped steel ingots are: (1) pouring temperature, (2) volume in the hot top, (3) taper in the ingot, (4) pouring rate by varying the nozzle size, (5) segregation of several elements, (6) moving ingots before completely solidified. In most of this discussion, segregation will be measured in terms of carbon variation only. All the data given are results on S.A.E. 1040 analysis of fully killed steel direct-poured in hot-topped molds giving 20-in, square ingots. Thus the variables of analysis and ingot size and contour are eliminated. Segregation results are all on the rolled-bloom size, not on the ingot itself. They are results from plant-control work and not results of special research on ingot segregation. Pouring Temperature The temperature (or, more correctly, the amount of superheat above the liquidus-solidus) of the steel entering the ingot is, of course, one of the most important factors influencing segregation and solidification. Table 1 gives the average segregation of a number of heats of S.A.E. 1040 steel with normal pouring temperatures of 2775" to 2825" F. The table also gives some data on segregation in hot heats (pouring temperature 2840" to 2870" F.) and in cold heats with some skull (poured at 2725" to 2760" F.). The results in Table 1 are on steel ingots with 20-in. square cross section and 60 in. long to the hot top. The ingot weighs 7100 lb. and the hot top contains 14.3 per cent of the total ingot volume and 11.2 per cent of the total ingot weight. The results are from drillings after rolling the ingots to bloom size. Segregation results obtained on the bloom are probably not as great as they would be in the ingot itself, since heating the ingots for rolling can perhaps cause some migration of carbon from regions of high and low carbon to those of average carbon content.

Jan 1, 1937

By John H. Stewart, Daniel R. Shawe

Major transverse structural zones in the western U.S. such as the Lewis and Clark line, Walker Lane, Texas lineament, and Colorado mineral belt, have localized important mineral districts. In Nevada and Utah the alinement of Cretaceous and Tertiary mineral deposits, such as in the Pioche, Eureka, Manhattan, and other mineral belts, may be related to similar tectonic features. All the mineral belts in Nevada and Utah have produced precious and base metals and tungsten; the Manhattan belt in addition has produced magnesite and brucite; and the Pioche belt, uranium, fluorspar, and alunite. Specific types of ore deposits seem related spatially to major belts of the Paleozoic Cordilleran geosyncline and compositionally to the intrusive bodies with which they are associated.

Jan 1, 1977

By Harold Price

PRIOR to Sept. 1, 1928, there had never been constructed what might be termed a long pipe line with electric-welded field joints. Nevertheless, by Sept. 1, 1929, within the period of a year, more than 2500 miles of electric-welded lines have been completed. These lines vary in diameter from 6 to 20 in., and in length from 50 to 700 miles. Before Sept. 1, 1928, no such line had been constructed .longer than 50 miles, and only one of nearly that length, a 40-mile 7-in. gas line in Louisiana. This was in reality the first pipe line to use electric-welded field joints. During the past year the following lines have been electric-welded by the Welding Engineering Co. alone: Texas Pipe Line Co.-157 miles of 8-in. line from Corsicana, Texas, to San Augustine, Texas. (This was the first electric-welded oil line.) Texas Pipe Line Co.-80 miles of 8-in. from Lafors, Texas, to Childress, Texas. Texas Pipe Line Co.-39 miles of 10-in. from Monahans, Texas, to Jal, New Mexico. Texas Pipe Line Co.-50 miles of 6-in, from San Antonio, Texas, to San Marcus, Texas. Texas-Empire Pipe Line Co.-424 miles of 12-in. from Cushing, Okla. to Chicago, Illinois. In addition to the field welding mentioned above,1 250 miles of 12-in. line was electric-welded into double joints at the pipe mill at Indiana Harbor, Ind.

Jan 1, 1929

Speech advocating a new law of the sea-the "common heritage of mankind." The 3rd Law of the Sea (L0S) Conference was held in Caracas in mid-1974, and a fourth UN conference, scheduled for mid-March in Geneva, will once again attempt to produce a cohesive LOS Convention to take up where the 1958 Geneva Convention left off. The 1958 Convention specified coastal state resource rights on a continental shelf out to a water depth of 200 m-a supposed technological limitation at the time. But the surge of offshore petroleum drilling and the advent of the nodule resource have long since exploded beyond the 200-m limit.

Jan 4, 1975

By AIME AIME

SHORTLY after graduation from Girard College, Francis B. Foley found employment in the open-hearth department of The Midvale Steel Co. later joining its research department. After twelve years with Midvale he became a professor in the department of metallography of the University of Minnesota. With the coming of the World War, he was called upon by the War Materials Investigation Committee to work on the manganese problem. In 1918, he took charge of the iron and steel division of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, at Pittsburgh, and. after a year of co-operative study of carbon steels with the late Henry M. Howe, was assigned to the Bureau's stations at Minne-

Jan 1, 1937

By E. L. Larison

DURING the early years of the present century a notable interest appeared in American industry in the matter of recovering and render-ing profitable byproducts of manufacturing operations. Among the byproducts of reduction of sulfide ores in many plants large amounts of sulfur dioxide gas were available. In certain instances the concentration of S02 in the gases evolved was, or could be made, sufficient to make them suitable for manufacturing sulfuric acid. At the Anaconda Reduction works such a condition existed. Large tonnages of copper concentrate were being roasted and the roaster gases were available and suitable as a source of sulfuric acid. Earlier work on a large scale at Martinez, Calif., and in the Ducktown region, Tennessee, had shown the feasibility of manufacturing sulfuric acid from the S02 contained in gases arising from the reduction of copper sulfide ores. In California and Tennessee the acid found a ready market in manufacture of fertilizers, while the situation regarding disposal of the sulfuric acid was quite different at Anaconda. No local use for acid existed, and a commodity of such low value could not stand freight charges to consuming centers. There was a very large accumulation of sand tailings from the gravity concentration mill below the plant at Anaconda. This material, made by the comparatively crude methods in use up to about 1915, contained about 13 lb. of copper per ton, largely as sulfide minerals. In 1912 serious research work toward recovery of this copper was instituted and after about two years of laboratory and pilot-plant development, a process for accomplishing it was perfected. This process involved roast-ing the sand tailings, leaching the roasted tailings with sulfuric acid, and throwing out the copper by passing the solutions over scrap iron. Under this plan each ton of sand required the introduction of about 70 lb. of 60° Be. sulfuric acid.

Jan 1, 1934

NEW MEMBERS. The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the month of March, 1913 BAECHTOLD, CHARLES A., Engr 9G Liberty St., New York, N. Y. BRANTLY, JOHN E., Instructor in Geology Tuscaloosa, Ala. CADDY, JAMES P., Net., ,Lake View & Star, Ltd Fimiston, West. Australia. LONERGAN, PHILIP J., JR., Prof. of Mining, Government University, Peking, China. MCKANNA, EDWIN A., Min. Engr P. 0. Box 834, Oklahoma City, Okla. MACDONALD, ANGUS W., Supt. Labor Dept., Dominion Coal Co., Ltd., 21 Queen St., Sydney, N. S., Canada. TSUBOI, Yoshio, Min. and Met. Engr., Kosaka Mine, Fujita Co., Akita-ken, Japan.

Jan 4, 1913

By S. S. Solomons, V. H. Tillmann, L. Smaniotto

INTRODUCTION The Zinc Corporation, Limited and New Broken Hill Consolidated Limited (ZC/NBHC) mines are situated at Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia (refer Fig. 1). Both companies are wholly owned subsidiaries of Australian Mining and Smelting Limited (AM&S). Annual production from both mines is 2.3 million tonnes of lead, silver and zinc ore mined by a variety of underground methods. From 1911 to 1968, conventional overhand cut and fill stoping (both open and square set timber) was used almost exclusively, though some trials with shrinkage and sublevel stoping were undertaken. The trial stopes used short holes in conparison with today's sublevel open stopes. Mechanised cut and fill methods with regular rockbolt support were introduced in the early 1960's and undercut and fill stoping replaced square set timber stoping for pillar extraction in the late 1960's. Since 1968, increasing emphasis has been placed on longhole open stoping (LHOS) although some areas of the orebodies are comrnrnitted to the abovemehtioned methods since existing stope development makes it impracticable to change. In 1979, approximately half the total production was mined by LHDS and it is expected that the LHOS proportion will increase in the future. A vertical crater retreat method of longhole mining has also been successfully introduced to replace the undercut and fill stoping of some pillars and it is expected that this stoping method will be used in some future primary ore extraction. This paper reviews the progress of LHOS technology at ZC/NBHC with emphasis on the stope planning and design process and the importance of rock mechanics applications. The objective has been to maximise the primary extraction of the orebody giving due consideration to stability and safety. This has led to the design of a novel sloped wall longhole stoping method which should eliminate the formation of pillars by mining the orebody in a "continuous" manner incorporating a sloped sand interface between the blocks of ore being mined and the previously mined sandfilled stope. The expected results include the complete extract of the orebody without the formation of pillars and with minimal dilution of ore with sandfill. The evolution of the method can be best illustrated by following the mining progress of the relatively new Southern 'B1 Lode orebody at the NBHC mine. GEOLOGY Southern '8' Lode is the southern extension of the 'Bt Lode orebody, which is currently being mined further to the north in ZC/NBHC (refer Fig. 2). The ore block being developed and stoped extends for a vertical height of 90 metres from No. 17 level down to approximately ten metres above No. 19 level. The ore minerals are sphalerite and galena with the zinc:lead ratio averaging approximately 3:l with a minor amount of silver associated with the galena. There is a sharp contact between the ore and the country rock on the footwall and keel, while the hanging wall gradates into medium and low grade material. The gangue is primarily quartz together with garnet, biotite, feldspar, gahnite, sericite and minor apatite. In various horizons within the orebody, grey feldspar, quartz and garnet pegmatites occur as stratiform layers. The ore and country rock are competent with some inconpetent boundaries.

Jan 1, 1981

NEW MEMBERS. The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the month of October, 1913: Members. BARNES, KENNETT F., Secty Granby Min. & Smelting Co., St. Louis, Mo. BILLINGSLEY, PAUL, Geol 526 Hennessy Bldg., Butte, Mont. BLANCHORD, RALPH C., Geol 3 Lombard St., London, England. BOYLE, ALBERT C., Jr., Prof. of Min. and Met., University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyo. BRADFORD, JULIUS S., Min. Engr Chiksan Mining Co., Chiksan, Korea: CLEMES, ALFRED W., Min. Engr P. 0. Box 6,88, Moronic, Ariz. COPELAND, DURWARD, Met Cia. Estamifera de Llallagua, Bolivia, So. America. CRAWFORD, JOHN, JR., Mgr Noble Elec. Steel Co., Heroult, Shasta Co., Cal.

Jan 11, 1913

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and guests who registered at Institute headquarters during the period Apr. 10 to May 10, 1915: William W. Elmer, Tuttletown, Cal. R. R. Freeman, Jr., Wollaston, Mass. Lawrence Addicks, Douglas, Ariz. Francis R. Pyne, Elizabeth, N. J. W. F. Durand, Stanford Univ., Cal. George B. Pickett, Ophir, Colo. S. P. Cooper, New York, N. Y. R. V. Norris has been elected President of the Columbia School of Mines Alumni Association. Robert C. Sticht has been elected President of the Australian Insti¬tute of Mining Engineers.

Jan 6, 1915

By Elliot Rexford

The quality of aggregate materials is of major importance in governing durability and permanence of concrete structures. The problem of selecting suitable aggregate materials is two-fold. Geological factors include the type and character of the aggregate source, presence of known or suspected reactive constituents, and presence of thermally incompatible materials. Laboratory investigations include petrographic studies, soundness and reactivity tests, and tests of thermal properties. The importance of each factor in the selection of satisfactory aggregate material is considered in detail.

Jan 3, 1950

By Warren W. Jamar, Philip D. Pearson

IN recent years, there have been many changes in mining operations in the Lake Superior district. To follow these trends on the Menominee Range of Michigan, information has been assembled from all of the iron informatior]mining operations in the area. There are 15 operating underground mines in the Iron River-Crystal Falls area of the Menominee Range. Within the past two years, two idle properties were reopened pasttwoyears,and are now producing, and a third and fourth are being reopened. Also, there are two siliceous openpits operated by independent companies outside this immediate area. Six companies operate the underground mines, employing some 1850 employees. Table I shows pertinent facts about these properties. During 1949, the largest mine in Iron County shipped 571,287 tons, and one of the newer mines shipped 39,378 tons, with a range total to 3,535,-373 tons. Since the Menominee Range was opened in the 1870's, the mines in Iron County have shipped 85,890,922 tons. From an operator's viewpoint rather than a geologist's, the ore is' classified as semi-hard, composed of hematite and limonite. It is not as soft as the ores of the Marquette Range nor is it as hard as the hard ores of the Marquette and Vermillion Ranges. The ore bodies have slate hanging walls and slate footwalls. In most cases the hanging walls and footwalls are soft and high in sulphur. The sulphur comes from pyrite, and these slates will ignite when piled more than 6 to 8 ft high. Ore is mined on this range by: 1—Sub-level stop-ing; 2—Shrinkage stoping; 3—Sub-level caving; 4— Block caving; 5—Top slicing. The predominance of these methods is in the order named. Underground drilling is important in the mining cycle. Some changes made and trends toward future changes fall into four categories: Drill bits, drill steel, drill machines, and compressed air pressures. Several types of bits have been tried and are in use. They include the detachable tungsten carbide, insert bit; the intraset steel bit, which is a conventional steel rod with tungsten carbide insert; the one-use bit; and the multiple-use bit. For many years, detachable multiple-use bits have been standard. In tests conducted recently to im- prove drilling efficiency, this bit was used as the basis for comparison. Under existing conditions, a multiple-use bit can be resharpened about three times before it is discarded. A thorough test of 2-in. tungsten carbide threaded bits was conducted under various ground conditions. 1—The drilled footage ranged from 48 to 600 ft per bit; averaging 357 ft per bit. Under these same conditions, a multiple-use bit ranged from 8 to 80 ft per bit. 2—The bit cost was greater for the insert bit in each case. 3—The average drilling speed for the insert bit was 12 in. in 62 sec and for the multiple-use bit was 12 in. in 64 sec. In a second test, 2V4 -in. tungsten carbide bits with the large 1 3/16-in. thread were used in moderately soft ground on a 152-lb drifting drill on a long feed jumbo. 1—The drilled footage ranged from 450 to 5000 ft per bit, averaging 1810 ft per bit. Under these same conditions, a multiple-use bit averaged 64 ft per bit. 2—The bit cost was reduced by the use of the insert bit. 3—No increase in drilling speed was recorded. 4—Minimum footage obtained was caused by thread failure. To improve the thread life, thread size on the rod was increased and the bit was attached to the rod with a pipe wrench. After this, bits failed in equal proportions because of cracked skirts, broken inserts, and gage loss. Tungsten carbide bits are now used in the operation where this second test was conducted because labor costs were lowered as a result of reducing the number of bits being changed by the miners. At the same operation and under the same conditions as the second test, 1Y4-in. insert bits with standard 1-in. threads were used. These bits did not drill much more than 300 ft before thread failure and were then welded to the rods and used until total failure. Sometimes this footage was considerable, sometimes it was not. Chisel-type 2%-in. insert bits were

Jan 1, 1952

By Eduardo J. Chibas

Location.—The principal manganese-deposits of the Department of Panama, Republic of Colombia, are located almost clue south of Viento Frio, a native village bordering on the Caribbean Sea, and about 45 miles northeast of Colon (Aspinwall). The mining-claims are the Viento Frio, the Carrano, the Nispero, and the Soledad. Each property is to the south of the preceding one in the order mentioned. The first one is about one mile from the coast, and the most southerly boundary of the Soledad is about five miles in a straight line from the same coast-line. I shall confine my remarks to the four properties mentioned and to La Guaca, west of the Carrano, because these are the only ones where mining has so far been done to more or less extent. Manganese has also been found, however, in the neighborhood of these deposits, and a large area adjoining them has been divided into sections and " denounced " as mining-claims. The relative position of the manganese-deposits and Nombre de Dios, the present terminal of the railroad and shipping-port, as well as Viento Frio and the adjacent coast, can

Jan 1, 1898

(Under this heading will be published notes sent to the Secretary of the Institute by members or other persons.) The governing body of the Imperial College of Technology, London, S. W. (Royal School of Mines), will shortly proceed to the appointment of a Professor of Metallurgy. This important Chair has been filled in the past by such eminent metallurgists as John Percy, Sir William C. Roberts-Austen, and others. Inquiry has been received at the office of the Institute for an engineer to examine a mica, deposit in one of the New England States. The position of converter blower at. a side-blow Bessemer steel casting plant is vacant.

Jan 4, 1913

RECENTLY seven Boy Scouts were chosen from all the troops in the United States for their all-around ability, excellence in' scouting, and special ability as writers. Two of the members of this selected group were sons of In-stitute members. In the accompanying illustration, Ber-nard Queneau, son of A. L. J. Queneau, of the U. S. Steel. Corp., can be seen at the extreme left, just behind Theo-dore Roosevelt, who is shaking hands with the boy next to. Carl Zapffe (standing in the middle with his hands behind him), the son of Carl Zapffe, manager of the iron ore prop-erties of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Jan 6, 1928

By Freeman Bishop

The House Ways and Means Committee recently heard a bitter dispute over whether gasoline with lead is a worse pollutant than gasoline without lead. The lead industry is also squarely in the middle of this dispute for obvious reasons. Lead used in gasoline amounts to 270,000 tpy, or more than 254 of the annual total mined in the U.S. Few industries can face the loss of such a market without wondering how they are to stay in business. The lead industry picked up unexpected support in this dispute, however, when the AFL-CIO stepped up with outright opposition to the President's proposal to tax lead in gasoline.

Jan 1, 1970