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By E. B. Graves

I have been asked to talk to you this morning about phosphate marketing and distribution. In discussing this I will attempt to answer such questions as: What is phosphate? Where do we get it? What form is it and how do we sell it? How do we distribute it? How is it applied? And last, but not least, What about the future? To start with, phosphate is one of the three primary plant nutrients. It is the element essential for root structure of plants. Plants, like humans, need a balanced diet. Thus, the amount of phosphate required by individual plants is, in part, related to how much of the other nutrients are used. Virtually all soils contain a certain amount of available phosphates. Back at the turn of the century the most common source of additional plant nutrient, including phosphates, was from cattle manure. The use of chemical fertilizers is something that has grown significantly during the last half century, and in particular, the last 20 years.

Jan 1, 1977

By Justin Srednicki, Chenming Zhou

Ambient electromagnetic (EM) noise (natural or manmade) is a major limiting factor for the design and operation of many electronic devices, including through-the-earth (TTE) communications and tracking systems. Extensive studies on EM noise were conducted by the US Bureau of Mines in the 1970s and 1980s. Changes in the design and operation of electrical equipment since then, however, have resulted in changes in the EM noise environment. This paper reviews past research on surveying EM noise in the extremely low-frequency (ELF) and very-low-frequency (VLF) bands, which are the operating bands for TTE systems, and introduces a new battery-powered, rugged, portable measurement system for surveying EM noise in mining environments. Examples of surveyed EM noise measurement results in and above an active underground coal mine, using the new system, are presented in terms of absolute magnetic field strength levels. A new metric, average noise level (ANL), is introduced to characterize the noise level relative to a particular frequency band for a specific location. It is found that EM noise in mining environments varies significantly with time and location. EM noise levels at frequencies of 30 Hz that shifted from power harmonics (e.g., 90, 150, 210, 270 Hz) are relatively low and their variation with time can be statistically modeled by a Gaussian distribution. The conclusions and findings presented in this paper can help better design and operate TTE communications and tracking systems in underground mines.

Oct 14, 2022

By R. W. Stahl

An award is a form of recognition given for superior performance in a special field of endeavor. Each year awards are given by the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association and the National Safety Council to mineral industries' mines, quarries, and plants that have worked a specific number of man-hours without a lost-time injury. These awards have a dual significance in that they prove that efficiency can be attained without injury to persons. Safety awards do not result from luck or good fortune but do result from sincere desire coupled with sufficient effort and cooperation to achieve a desired goal.

Jan 1, 1963

By Edmund J. Korber, Donald E. Raab, Frank A. Burns

During the early 1960s, the advent of self- advancing longwall roof supports triggered serious consideration by Bethlehem management to introduce the technique of longwall mining at one of our central Pennsylvania coal mines. Although longwall mining was initially justified as a means to cope with the severe roof conditions at our Mine 32 (Watson, B., 1971), the result of the endeavor has been a consistent and reliable level of coal production, first from Mine 32 and then later from Mine 33, over a period of fifteen years. Longwall production from the Cambria Division has been the mainstay of the low volatile coal required by Bethlehem Steel for steel production. Let us review the events that led to this accomplishment, as well as where we stand today.

Jan 1, 1981

By D. C. Oliver

Paper written on project work carried out in partial fulfilment of B.Sc. (Eng.) (Metallurgy and Materials) degree Corrosion in exhaust systems can occur on both the interior and exterior surfaces. Chloride-containing de-icing salts on the roads in colder countries greatly increases the rate of corrosion on the exterior surfaces. This paper investigates the relative exterior corrosion resistance of three alloys?two ferritic stainless steels( AISI Types 409 and 441) and an aluminized mild steel. The exhaust system is split into two categories?the hot end and the cold end. A test for each of these ends was designed?the standard ASTM G85test was modified to create a simulated driving cycle. The cold end test samples were exposed to ten driving cycles, and the hot end test samples were exposed to five driving cycles. A driving cycle constitutes the car being started from cold, driven until the operating temperatures are reached, and switched off and allowed to cool. Pitting corrosion is the primary corrosion mechanism occurring at the cold end of the exhaust system. The aluminized mild steel was the most resistant alloy in this test, and Type 409 the least. However, once the protective aluminium layer degrades, corrosion will occur rapidly. At the hot end of the exhaust system, spalling of the surface oxide layer is the primary corrosion mechanism occurring. Type 441 was the most resistant in this test, and the aluminized mild steel the least resistant. Potentiodynamic tests were performed on the alloys?the results agreed with the results obtained in the exposure tests.

Jan 1, 2003

By Marvin J. Udy

THE preparation of this paper is in response to many requests for in-formation on the mining and smelting developments which have been carried on for the past three years or more by the Chromium Mining and Smelting Corporation of Canada. By way of introduction, the following paragraphs, relating to the early history and present status of the chrome-mining industry in the United States, are of interest. They are quoted from Bulletin No. 76 of the California State Mining Bureau, published in August, 1918: 'Chromium was discovered about 1797 by a French chemist, Louis Nicolaus Vauquelin, in ore from Siberia. From that time until 1827, the Urals, in the region of Ekaterinburg, supplied the chromium used in . Europe. In the summer of 1827, as the historian advises us, Isaac Tyson, Jr., saw in a Baltimore market-place a cart containing a cider barrel, which was held from rolling about by some heavy black stones. He had made a study of such stones at the first-known American locality, the Bare hills near his father's home, six miles from Baltimore, and he recognized the black stones as chromite. On inquiry, he found the chromite came from the Reed farm in Harford county, 27 miles northeast of Baltimore. At this time, Tyson was one of the very few men in the country who knew the value of chromite, and in the next few years he took full advantage of this knowledge. He immediately bought the Reed farm. He found about 30 tons of float-ore on the surface, but there was no outcrop of ore in place. Never-theless, he sank a shaft, and at a depth of eight feet struck an ore-pocket which proved to be 80 ft. long, 25 ft. wide, and 8 ft. in maximum thickness. His next discovery was of placer chromite in the sands in the beds of brooks on an estate called Soldiers' Delight, 16 miles northwest of Baltimore. Thus far, Tyson's observations had shown him that chromite occurred apparently only in serpentine areas. His explorations were now leading him farther afield. In 1828, he found on the Wood Farm, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, a deposit of float chromite which led him to lease the ore-right of the farm, which he finally purChased in 1832. Here he developed the famous Wood mine, the largest single producer of chromite in the world.

Jan 1, 1938

By Marc C. Bétournay

Under the requirement to define the economic advantages of using hydrogen fuelcell vehicles, a broadscoped project was initiated to quantify the costs associated with operating fuelcell vehicles and diesel vehicles. While ventilation savings are clearly an advantage for the former, a complete and detailed analysis of this and other operational and capital cost elements was undertaken in order to provide the mining industry with factual information in considering the changeover from one technology to another. This article outlines the results of the investigations to date defining the costs/benefits associated with: capital purchases, operations (electrical/diesel, mine air heating fuel, ventilation, openings, surface and underground infrastructure, maintenance, labour, etc.), delivery of energy, regulatory obligations, and mine production. Considerations are given to the type and size of a mining operation, the depth, and location in North America. Significant ventilation power, equipment and infrastructure savings are possible with the application of fuelcells for shallower mine applications. At depth, where heat is an issue, there is a reduction in benefit. Specific qualifiers such as minimum air velocities, dust dilution, shaft and heating system velocity limits must be considered on an individual mine basis. While the capital cost for fuelcell mining equipment is currently higher than diesel versions, the high cost of fuelcells is anticipated to be reduced significantly in the near future with the intensification of manufacturing. In either case the operational savings would probably be sufficient to balance the supplementary capitalization costs. A comprehensive cost-benefit report will be issued in the near future.

May 1, 2003

By G. L. Oldright

The data in this paper were collected at the Trail smelter of the Consolidated Mining & Smelting Co. of Canada, Limited, through the courtesy of S. G. Blaylock, vice president and general manager; James Buchanan, smelter superintendent; George Murray, assistant smelter superintendent; and the staff members given in Paper XI, Report of Investigations 3243. INTRODUCTION This paper is the thirteenth of the series on Smelting in the Lead Blast Furnace, and the third of the series on Handling Zinciferous Charges. Tyro other papers have been written on the Rate of Descent of the Stock Column, and Formation of Accretions. These are Reports of Investigations 2963 and 3094, for the Tooele plant and the Bunker Hill plant, respectively.

Jan 1, 1934

By James Ransford Dankwah

This work investigates the effect of waste plastics addition on the reduction of iron oxide by sawdust. Composite pellets of iron oxide containing sawdust (SD), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and blends of SD/HDPE were fired under argon in a horizontal tube furnace at temperatures between 1300 and 1500 °C. Reduced samples were weighed after 10 minutes of reduction and the extent of reduction was calculated from the measured oxygen contents of the compact. The results showed improved extent of reduction when SD was blended with HDPE. The highest extent of reduction was achieved at SD:HDPE ratio of 2:3.

Jan 1, 2014

By S McEachern, J Lowe

An important issue currently facing the mining industry in Australia is the management and cost to the industry and other stakeholders of entry into and exit from towns and their communities. These costs can be environmental, social, economic, political or reputational. The ability of companies to engage the trust of stakeholders, including: communities, governments and investors, is critical, and corporate reputation plays a significant role in this. For the industry to secure a long-term and sustainable future, it must have the technical, business and reputation assets to proceed in a cost-effective, environmentally acceptable and socially supportive way. This research assesses reputation as a critical competitive issue for mining companies, as technology and information make mining more predictable; the physical and human assets of mining companies are less likely to be the critical resource in a Resource Based View model of competitive advantage. The proposition is that in mining today, reputation as it facilitates day-to-day operations, regulatory zeal and access to new mine sites will become the rare, inimitable and valuable resource for mining companies. This paper reports on an ongoing research program to evaluate the impact a mining companyÆs reputation(s), with its various stakeholder groups, has on a companyÆs ability to sustain competitive advantage. Integral to this study is to develop an understanding of the relationships between mining companies and their stakeholders, and the importance of corporate citizenship polices to reputation and hence to corporate sustainability. Through the identification of the drivers of reputation for the various stakeholder groups, a model of reputation formation will be developed and also reputation measures for the mining industry in Australia. The preliminary findings of this research, the results of an industry focus group conducted with representatives from regional mining operations, are reported. The industry focus group was designed to enable a better understanding of who are the main stakeholder groups and how they regard mining companies and to inform the second stage of the research project a Delphi Study of the drivers of reputation by stakeholder groups. The aim of this research is to further the understanding of the relationship between corporate citizenship, reputation and performance in the mining industry, thus assisting companies to strategically manage their corporate citizenship investments.

Jan 1, 2006

By J. L. Jobe

In planning the operation of a new mine or new sections of an operating mine, due provision must be made for the ultimate recovery of as much of the seam as is consistent with safety and economic principles. Each mining district and, indeed, each seam, especially in mining under submarine conditions, has individual problems which render hard and fast rules under all conditions of mining impossible. However, certain basic principles can be applied to all seams under specific conditions. In all mines, the two basic methods of mining, 'longwall' and ?room-and-pillar? or their variations, can be adopted, but certain fundamental factors must be analyzed before either method is finally applied to the extraction of the seam. The factors which enter into the successful, safe, and economic extraction of all seams are, briefly stated, as follows: (1) Character and thickness of the seam. (2) Character of the floor and immediate roof of the seam. (3) Composition, strength, and thickness of the overlying beds to the surface. (4) The depth of cover to the surface or sea bottom. (5) Conditions under which the seam is mined (land or submarine area). (6) Pitch of the seam. (7) Economic value of the seam. (8) Mining laws.

Jan 1, 1947

By M. M. Oosterveld

"In South West Africa diamonds are mined from ancient beach deposits by the Consolidated Diamond Mines of South West Africa, Limited.To improve the control of mining production, a computer is used for the calculation of statistically more accurate and homogeneous ore blocks. Geological and sampling information has been digitized and stored on magnetic files.The figures derived for each block entail the calculation of the diamond size frequency distribution, the diamond density distribution and the ore reserve by using the density distribution.The diamond size frequency distribution is used for estimating the revenue in an ore block.A description is given of how a linear programming system can be used for production planning."

Jan 1, 2014

By Leland E. Paulson

This investigation examined the feasibility of altering the inorganic component of North Dakota lignite by ion exchange. Lignite of specific size consist was washed with various ionic solutions and examined for evidence of exchange. Ions of higher valance substituted preferentially at equivalent concentrations. Results indicate that a major portion of the inorganic material associated with lignite is combined in exchangeable form with the organic component. Particle size of the treated coal is a critical factor in determining the rate of exchange. The data indicate that monovalent ions are easily replaced by divalent and trivalent ions, and the presence of ionic material in slurries containing finely divided lignite significantly increases filtration rates.

Jan 1, 1968

By S. McPhail, D. Richardson, G. J. Simandl, C. Akam, S. Paradis, M. Yakimoski, A. Teucher, Y. Cui, F. Ferri

Historically, extracting dissolved solids from formation water was economically motivated. Today, main drivers are environmental benefits and regulations, as large volumes of water needed for hydraulic fracturing require treatment before reuse or disposal. The concentration of dissolved solids in flowback water increases with each use and may require treatment prior to disposal. Element recovery from produced water is not profitable unless market conditions are favourable, recoverable elements are abundant, and economical recovery methods are established. Sale of recovered materials could offset recycling and disposal costs. This paper describes markets for Cl, Na, Ca, K, Sr, Mg, Br, Ba, I, B, and Li, and their concentrations in produced water from oil and gas wells in British Columbia. It recommends revising sampling protocol for produced water.

Jan 1, 2018

By E. A. Magill

This report is one of a series prepared by the Bureau of Mines on manganese deposits of the Northwestern States. It describes properties on the Olympic Peninsula, Wash. Exploration by the Federal Bureau of Mines in 1939-40 and 1954-55 on several typical deposits is summarized, and examination data are presented for other manganese deposits on the peninsula. An attempt was made to list all known occurrences; however, some properties are abandoned, and their exact location is unknown.

Jan 1, 1960

By C. T. Bischoff

Introduction Air conditioning is a term which has come into common use only during our generation. By definition, it means the positive and accurate control of temperature, humidity, movement, purity, and component constituents of the atmosphere within an enclosure. Claiming such results for Noranda's ventilation system, or for that of any other large mine, at present would be an idle boast. However, we are working toward that end with considerable success. Modern underground ventilation at Noranda dates back about six years. The later development of air conditioning is in its fourth season, but still in the experimental stage. Various ingenious methods have been devised to cool mines which, because of climatic or geological conditions or depth, are excessively warm. A few installations have been made to warm intake air during the winter months where this is necessary. However, the method currently in use at Noranda is unique in that it accomplishes both ends by one process. This method utilizes the freezing and melting of ice to equalize year-round temperatures. Mining Methods While a discussion of mining methods at Noranda is not proposed in this paper, a brief summary may be in order. The Horne mine of Noranda Mines, Limited, has been developed by six shafts, four of which are now active. The most recent, an internal shaft, extends to 6,000 feet below surface, but all of the ore mined to date has come from above the 3,000-foot level. Figure 1 shows a model of principal ore bodies. The area mined is relatively small in plan, considering its vertical extent and the tonnage per vertical foot. Most of the ore lies within an ellipse about 600 by 1,000 feet. While this has certain advantages, the mining of such massive orebodies has presented many problems.

Jan 1, 1947

By Dennis Ofiara, Michael Lewis

An experimental 1.75 meter Shaft Boring Machine was designed and manufactured by The Robbins Company. The drill was used by contractor Drillcon Raise AB to drill test shafts at an SKB underground test facility. SKB is the Swedish authority responsible for safe management of nuclear waste materials. This “SBM1.8” Shaft Boring Machine was used to drill shallow test shafts ingranitic rock at SKB’s Aspo underground laboratory. The drill used a unique vacuum mucking system. The bored shafts were held to very strict tolerances for bore diameter, straightness, and verticality. This drill was launched and operated from a mobile launcher. Headroom and working space were limited. The SBM1.8 drill produced acceptable test holes. SKB will carry out several studies to determine the suitability of this geology, and of this technique, for safe nuclear disposal. In addition to future use at SKB, many applications are foreseen, particularly in the civil construction industry.

Jan 1, 2005

By A. Warczokand

The cleaning of copper smelting slag requires magnetite and cuprous oxide reduction. The slag reduction with coke, injected coal powder or bunker oil is strongly endothermic and requires heat generation by fuel combustion or the use of electric energy. The reduction of fayalitic slag with calcium carbide is slightly exothermic and the formed calcium silicate modifies the slag. Thus, the additional energy is required only for covering furnace heat losses. Results of crucible scale tests showed the rate of slag reduction approximately five times higher in comparison of the slag reduction with coke under the same conditions. It seems that the effect of exothermic reaction and slag modification with CaO at the reaction interface results in very high rate of slag reduction. Industrial scale tests carried out in the Anglo-American Chagres Smelter demonstrated the possibilities of effective reduction and cleaning of the slags from a flash smelter and Peirce-Smith converters in a Teniente Slag Cleaning Furnace. The slag reduction was carried out without any reductant or stirring gas injection, simply by calcium carbide charging through a furnace mouth, and was very fast.

Jan 1, 2007

By MINE SAFETY BOARD

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF MINES ON CERTAIN QUESTIONS OF SAFETY AS OF FEBRUARY 3 , 1933

Jul 1, 1933

By K. Fountain

In Novemeber of last year I visited a mica mine in Hunan Province, China. For nine months , we had been trying to sell Chinese mica to a customer in Belgium. Talking to the customer was like negotitating with a stone wall. The buyer refused to communicate any -thing other than his steadfast refusal to consider Chinese mica. He would not advise us what he wanted, what specifications or grades. He would give no indication if our price at market, or reasonable, or totally out to lunch. He would not even accept samples. It took no genius to guess that the mica buyer had at some time in the past bought a shipment of Chinese mica and had received a disaster. I invited the mica mine in Hunan in order to see for myself what could be done - without massive investment in equipment and instruments - to upgrade the quality of the mica for export. We had seen this type of customer reaction before. One disgruntled customer who had pur¬chased pigment grade barites direct from China ranted and raved about unreliable and inconsistent quality. It did no good to explain to him that China is a big country, with hundreds of mines scattered throughout many areas, each producing a different product. Our further explanation that Chinese export organizations also varied in degree and efficiency of customer service fell on deaf ears. Samples had no effect on his perception. Eventually we showed him photoraphs of two mountains of pigment grade barites. One lot was our sales of pigment barites to a major European minerals processor. Our Chinese barites stood proudly white and beautiful next to a hill of other material which now appeared at best mediocre and dull by comparison, and which the buyer had decided to reject after he received our Chinese barites. Finally the customer was sufficiently impressed to look seriously at our guaranteed specification and the outturn analysis performed by our other customer.

Jan 1, 1987