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By B. N. Soutar

The design and operation of a double- V compartment vertical-flow settler by B. N. SOUTAR, B.Sc. (Mech. Eng.) Wits. (Visitor) This paper describes the development of a vertical-flow settler for underground pumping installations in the mines of Gold Fields of South Africa Ltd. The recommended settler employs the principle of 'dynamic filtration': the solids that are in suspension in mine water are filtered through a stable horizontal bed of flocculated particles, a technique that was established in about 1958.

Jan 3, 1977

By E. J. Boome, A. C. Schmidt

Pert, and how Pert techniques can be used in modern mine management By E. J. Boome, A. C. Schmidt C.A. (S.A.) This paper covers the stages of planning required to be performed and the implementation of the plan from grass roots to the partial completion of the sinking of a mine shaft system. The various steps involved in the planning are also examined in some detail. The experience gained in this project and the conclusions reached convince the authors that Pert Planning is a valuable aid to top management.

By L. Dison

This technical note is issued in two parts, as follows: Part I, after a brief introduction, discusses the value of patents and the law of patents, including patent applications and the exploitation of inventions. This is followed by some comments for the benefit of would-be inventors and potential users of patents. Part II, which will appear in the February issue of this Journal, focuses on the mining industry and then discusses views on patents that were Quoted in Part I. The last section makes recommendations as to how II1ventors and users (including mining authorities) should handle patents.

Jan 1, 1992

By A. Vogelzang

The paper describes how the level of the water-table was reduced as a result of increased pumping of water from the mine. Because such a condition in an area where there is compactable material above solid dolomite results In surface movement, steps were taken to restore the water-table to its former level. These included the return of water underground via a sinkhole and boreholes, and the piping of water from another mine.

Jan 1, 1978

By H. M. Friede

A study was made of the smelting process in two experimental furnaces patterned on Iron Age furnaces excavated at Melville Koppies Nature Reserve, Johannesburg. In a number of smelting experiments, the influences of air supply, temperature, time of operation, fuel consumption, and other operational factors were investigated. Metallurgical and metallographic aspects of the furnace operation and smelting products are discussed, and the experiments are compared with similar research work conducted in Europe and Africa.

Jan 1, 1984

By J. A. Cox, R. P. H. Willis, J. R. Dixon, A. D. Pooley

The paper describes the issues that should be considered when introducing mechanization to a mining operation. In South Africa, traditional methods of mining are well entrenched after more than a century of mining. To successfully change from these methods requires an integrated holistic approach that considers all aspects of a mining operation including setting of objectives, selection of personnel, recruitment, training and remuneration policies, organizational design, mine design, equipment selection, maintenance philosophy, standards and procedures, and monitoring and control. The paper makes reference to experience gained during a variety of on-mine case studies in drawing generic conclusions and making recommendations.

Jan 1, 2004

By W. Bleloch

In the process described, hydrogen is used to generate high-temperature steam and oxygen in the molten bath. Steel is decarburized to low levels to produce a pearlite-free steel suitable for deep drawing. The process makes use of the favourable thermodynamics in the reactions between steam, carbon, and iron, as well as providing high-temperature oxygen for the decarburizing reaction. The process can easily be incorporated in existing BOF (basic oxygen furnace) plant but can also be contemplated as a greenfield process.

Jan 1, 1987

By Colin M. Spence

If one is to discuss sensibly and beneficially the whole spectrum of education, training, and employment of engineers, it is not possible to confine oneself to Professional Engineers because the profession of engineering embraces also technologists, technicians, and those people known in South Africa as certificated engineers. It would therefore be imprudent if this seminar were to be limited to certain sectors of the profession and industry. I hope that it will review the full situation from top to bottom and from side to side. New President of FAPA Mr Douglas H. Mills took office as President of the Federation of Societies of Professional Engineers on 1st July, 1985.

Jan 1, 1985

By H. A. D. Kirsten

The paper reports on loading tests conducted on shotcrete reinforced with mesh and various types of steel fibre, and compares the results with the energy absorbing capabilities of 16 mm rebar shepherd's crooks. It is concluded that mesh-reit1forced shotcrete has sufficient energy-absorbing capabilities to contain rockbursts of significant magnitude, having greater energy absorbing capabilities, even at a thickness of 50 mm, than 16 mm rebar shepherd's crooks. Fibre-reinforced shotcrete has energy absorbing capabilities of the same order as, or better than, those of 16 mm rebar shepherd's crooks, but its performance is erratic.

Jan 1, 1995

By J. W. S. Koel, T. R. Twidle, P. C. Engelbrecht

The process flows of the three flotation circuits at the concentrator of the Black Mountain Mineral Development Company (Pty) Ltd are described. Because of the complexity of the circuits and the associated reagent regime, the plant is equipped with a comprehensive range of control equipment. The different process-control strategies are discussed, and the modifications that have been necessary to the stabilizing control loops in the copper, lead, and zinc flotation circuits are shown in detail. It is concluded that the control strategies have continued to bring about benefits and improvements to the process.

Jan 1, 1986

By S. L. Crouch

A. C. Dieringt The procedure described by Professor Crouch for the modelling of mining in faulted ground allows the elastic and inelastic deformation to occur simultaneously, that is, fault slip occurs while an element is being mined. The energy release rates (ERR) shown in Crouch's Fig. 10 are apparently calculated from his equation 9 using the i total deformation Din (see the upper load line of Fig. I) Refractories The institute of 'Gesteinsh iittenkunde' of the technical university at Aachen, the Refractories Research Institute at Bonn, and the Verein Deutscher Eisenshiittenleute (VDEh) at Diisseldorf are to hold the XXII International Refractory Colloquium on 27th and 28th September, 1979, at Aachen.

Jan 1, 1979

By P. F. S. Jackson, A. Strasheim

In the survey "Analysis of South African raw bullion" the distribution of trace elements within the bullion have been shown to be distinctively dependent on the extraction process. In general the amalgamation process produces the more impure bullion with respect to trace elements. Some chemical and physical explanations are given for the differences that have been observed in the raw bullion as received at the Rand Refinery. The value of the spark source mass spectrographic technique in the study of the elemental impurities in bullion is demonstrated.

By H. M. Friede

Mining was a widespread economic activity in the African Iron Age. This paper reviews the available evidence on, the archaeological, historical, ethnological, and technological aspects of early mining in the Transvaal. A number of analyses of ores found at archaeological sites (especially at Broederstroom) are reported, and an interpretation of the analytical results is suggested. Descriptions of Iron Age copper- and tin-mining complexes, and of iron-ore workings, are given, and techniques of Iron Age mining are discussed. The evidence of gold mining in Iron Age Transvaal is examined.

Jan 1, 1980

By A. D. Thomas, K. C. Wilson

Some years ago, the authors developed an analysis of non-Newtonian pipe flow based on enhanced turbulent microscale and associated sub-layer thickening. This analysis, which can be used for various rheologic modelling equations, has in the past been applied to smooth-walled pipes. The present paper extends the analysis to rough walls, using the popular Bingham plastic equation as a representative rheological behaviour in order to prepare friction-factor plots for comparison with measured results. The conditions for laminar-turbulent transition for both smooth and rough walls are also considered, and comparisons are made with earlier correlations and with experimental data.

Jan 1, 2007

By C. T. Connor, O&apos

The fifth University of Cape Town (UC1)/University of Stelenbosch (US) Minerals Processing Symposium was held at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Stelenbosch on Friday, 8th August, 1986. This series was initiated in 1982, the symposia being held alternately in Cape Town and Stelenbosch. The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy has kindly agreed to sponsor this event for the next three years. Cokemaking On the initiative of the European Cokemaking Commitee, the First International Cokemaking Congress will be held in Essen (F.R. Germany) from 13th to 19th September, 1987. It is being organized by the Steinkohlenbergbauverein, together with the Verein Deutscher Eisenhitenleute.

Jan 1, 1986

By J. A. Tyser

The pumping of water from mines in the Central Witwatersrand by J. A. TYSER, Pr. Eng., B.Sc. (Min.) (Associate) This paper describes a system for the removal of underground water in the mines of the Central Witwatersrand, some of which are defunct. The water is pumped by a pump station on 24 level at E.R.P.M. to a surface lime plant and then to a surface treatment plant, where it is treated so that it meets the specification of the Department of Water Affairs relating to the deposition of water in public streams.

Jan 5, 1977

By P. J. D. Lloyd

The Federation of Societies of Professional Engineers (FSPE) recently conducted a survey of professional engineering manpower in South Africa. This article presents the data relevant to mining and metallurgical engineering. FSPE in their survey attempted to determine the supply of engineers in South Africa both from local universities and by immigration. The immigrants gave some problems in that it is difficult to know whether a man who claims to be professionally qualified really is. However, it was estimated that the ratio of immigrants who claimed to be qualified to those who really are the equivalent of our local graduates was between 1,0 and 1,9 for mining engineers, and between 2,0 and 4,1 for metallurgical engineers.

Jan 1, 1980

By O. S. Lubbe, G. Annandale, J. W. van Wyk

This paper deals with the development and evolution of room and pillar mining in the South African chromitite and platinum mining industry over the past sixteen years. The paper describes the need for cheaper, more effective and safer mining methods in hard rock mining. It also describes how a mining method traditionally only applied in coal mining in South Africa evolved into a method ideally suited to conditions in chromitite and platinum mines. The paper also touches on joint efforts from mining houses, mine management and equipment manufacturers to design and build mechanized equipment custom designed and unique to South Africa in order to overcome challenges presented by the harsh operating conditions encountered in the mines in the Bushveld Complex.

Sep 1, 2001

By R. K. Brummer

The support of stopes and tunnels in South African gold mines subject to rockburst damage requires special attention. The interaction of a seismic wave with either a stope or a tunnel is subject to a number of variables, namely the distance from the source of the event, the ground velocity, the orientation of the excavation with respect to the direction of the seismic wave, and the geology and fracturing around the excavation. This paper discusses these factors in relation to the support requirements in stopes and tunnels. The need for the integration of hydraulic props with stope support and the use of yielding anchors for tunnel support are emphasized.

Jan 1, 1988

By C. R. Speers, M. I. Forsyth

The paper describes how stress analyses were used to show the defect of a tunnel's shape on the overstressing potential of its periphery. The best profile was found to be that of a horizontal ellipse, for which there was little significant scaling, permitting temporary support to be incorporated into a permanent tunnel support system. This investigation was followed by the modeling of several support systems for tunnels with a horizontal-ellipse profile, which showed that such a profile can reduce the installed support required for a tunnel of different cross section by an average of 57 per cent.

Jan 1, 1994