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By Michael Taylor, Thomas W. BoBo

Currently two of the most important characteristics of construction aggregates are (a) the particle size distribution (psd) and (b) the “shape” of the aggregate particles. The long established test methods and standards for these properties require substantial resources and most suppliers can take samples and conduct tests at intervals measured in days (psd) or even months (shape). Furthermore these tests require time: so the results are available only after material has been stockpiled or shipped. In the rare cases where problems are found the out-of-spec material has often been shipped to points unknown. There are substantial advantages to be obtained if the psd and other geometrical properties could be obtained from the material as it moves through the production processes and if the results could be reported back within seconds or minutes to Plant Control Managers. This paper describes a single on-line system used to evaluate production of crushed material in a production quarry. The system consists of an enclosure (containing the camera and lighting etc.) mounted over a production belt. Images are fed by fiber optic cable to a nearby control room where the data are analyzed; stored; displayed; and made available for integration into a process control system. Numerous forms of display can be created according to the needs of the producer. Once programmed by an automation engineer all functions of operation are fully automated. The system has permitted over 400 tests per hour with a feed back time less than 2 seconds. Sufficient geometrical measurements are made so that many different “shape” factors can be computed on a similar time scale. The paper summarizes the results from approximately 100 shifts of about 8 hours each and compares the imaging method with the current standard hand methods. Study of the data generated showed that, when combined with additional plant information, the system can be used to generate additional useful control information.

Jan 1, 2005

By Stefan Mede

Robot Supported Moulding—this is the name of Herrenknecht Formwork’s entry to the world of automated segment production. What had been considered impossible for a long time, has been achieved by Herrenknecht experts together with the Swiss company Marti AG: unmanned segment production on the working line. The moulds open and close autonomously with the help of a hydraulic system. A robot cleans and greases the moulds at one work station and inserts the injection sockets at another. The next step will include further automation and digital networking of all processes from production to installation in the tunnel.

Jun 13, 2021

By R. Kramer, A. Habibi

"Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) measurements were taken at Tronox’s Westvaco Trona mine in Wyoming. Both shift-average and real-time monitoring using Elf pumps and Airtec analyzers, were used. The mine’s underground transportation fleet consists of more than 250 diesel-powered vehicles. A vehicle monitoring log tracked fleet usage during the test; logged data consisted of vehicle type, direction of travel, and time. The log was used in analysis to determine the DPM spread rate, of normally operating equipment, in the different entries with respect to vehicle location. Airflow velocity measurements at the stations were taken during the survey. The survey results also identified vehicles with higher emission rates. An ECOM gas and a MAHA DPM analyzer, both located in the mine’s underground emission shop, were used to obtain various vehicle emission rates. The correlation of the workshop and field measurements was investigated with regard to the machine activity, fuel usage and atmospheric conditions. The results were used to identify and execute a ventilation project to reroute 45% of diesel shop air back to intake entries, by interlocking an automated door and a regulator. The result is reduced DPM downstream. INTRODUCTION DPM has been classified as a potential occupational carcinogen by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rule governing DPM exposures in metal and nonmetal mines cites total carbon (TC), a summation of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) obtained by NIOSH Method 5040, as a surrogate for determining DPM exposures (Noll, 2006). MSHA personnel use the 1973 sampling criteria outlined by the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) for collecting compliance-based respirable and inhalation samples in metal/nonmetal mines. Instrumentation developments are allowing improved real time monitoring of ventilation parameters. DPM is within the aerodynamic particle size range of the samplers used for respirable and inhalable dust measurements. If a sampler used by MSHA to collect inhalable or respirable dust samples in underground metal/nonmetal mines was used to collect DPM, both the DPM and mine ore dust would accumulate on the sample filter (Noll, 2006). To comply with the requirement and lower the DPM exposure, mines are implementing a variety of control technologies such as emission based maintenance programs where adjustments or repairs are performed on the vehicles (McGinn, 2000)."

Jan 1, 2016

By P. Zhang, D. W. H. Su, M. Van Dyke, H. Dougherty

To provide critical scientific data and engineering guidelines to federal and state regulatory agencies as well as the coal and gas industries, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) initiated a Gas Well Stability Research Program in 2016. This paper summarizes the critical scientific data acquisition, interpretation, and modeling by NIOSH regarding the stability of unconventional shale gas wells influenced by longwall mining. Currently, NIOSH is the only organization in the U.S. conducting such fundamental and impactoriented research, which receives input and collaborations from MSHA, PADEP, WVDMS, OHDNR, the coal industry, and the gas industry. Results from the NIOSH field instrumentation programs—which include surface, subsurface, and underground instrumentation—and the parallel three-dimensional numerical modeling programs indicate that, under shallow and medium covers, the measured horizontal displacements within the abutment pillar are one order of magnitude higher than those measured under deep cover. Casing couplers are found to play an important role in longwall-induced casing deformations. Cementing alternatives are found to have significant impact on longwall-induced casing stresses and deformations. Measured 60-arm caliper logging results are in good agreement with three-dimensional computer simulation results. Engineering guidelines on longwall-induced deformations, casing and cementing alternatives, gas well setback distances, as well as risk assessment strategy are proposed.

Mar 2, 2022

By L. K. Marshall

Last month's engineering fundamentals article discussed some general considerations of underground mine ventilation. This month's article takes a look at auxiliary ventilation-brattice, fans, and ducting-in underground mines. The need for good, efficient auxiliary ventilation increases as mines get deeper and move farther from ventilation shafts. New mining methods and equipment resulted in faster work area advances, liberating more dust, gas, and heat. As a result, worker health and safety requirements in the face area have become more stringent. For all these reasons the safety and efficiency of any underground mine depends heavily on its auxiliary ventilation. The purpose of such ventilation is to supply sufficient quantities of clean air to the face of the drift and to maintain air quality within desired limits until expelled from the mine.

Jan 2, 1982

By H. A. Taylor

Graphite is elemental carbon that crystallizes in the hexagonal system as six-sided platelets. It occurs naturally and is mined. And it can be made artificially from petroleum coke in the form of shapes (electrodes) and powders. The market for most kinds of graphite in most end-uses was good in 2004. The 2005 graphite market looks positive. The major graphite prices, as given in Industrial Minerals, remained unchanged throughout the year. The preliminary 2004 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) prices for natural graphite showed almost no change for crystalline flake. They were $600/t ($544/st) in 2004 and$622/t ($564/st) in 2003. Mexican amorphous graphite was almost unchanged at $150/t ($136/st) in 2004 from$152/t ($138/st) in 2003.

Jan 1, 2005

By D. M. Abbott, H. J. Sandri

The geoscience matrix method has proven useful for valuing metallic mineral properties lacking delineated mineral resources or reserves. However, the method explicitly excludes commodity markets from the factors considered; marketability is assumed. When valuing industrial mineral properties, marketability cannot be assumed, it must considered. Market considerations may also significantly affect the standard weightings of geoscience matrix parameters such as the proximity to known deposits. In some cases, such proximity is desirable but in many cases it is undesirable. Application of the geoscience matrix method to industrial mineral properties therefore requires thoughtful, market-related adjustments to the basic geoscience matrix methodology.

Jan 1, 2000

By C. R. Landis

The Wyoming bentonite industry continued its run of stable, if not strong, growth in its complex markets. Growth at the macroscale was fueled by a strong domestic economy, the weakening of the U.S. dollar in the global market and strong worldwide global demand. Challenges to the benchmark of the industry were rapid and saw ongoing increases in raw material costs(pallets, bags and additives), higher energy costs and higher overall transportation costs for all modes of movement. Exports continued to be assisted by dollar depreciation (5 percent to 10 percent) from January 2004to January 2005. This depreciation followed the significant weakening of 2003. And it was most favorable during the pullback in fuel and shipping rates in the second half of the year.

Jan 1, 2005

By G. Włoch, E. Rudnik

The oxide fraction of industrial zinc ash was characterized in terms of chemical and phase composition, leaching behavior in sulfuric acid solutions, and leaching thermal effect. The waste product contained about 68 percent zinc (Zn), 7 percent chlorine (Cl), 2 percent aluminum (Al) and less than 1 percent other metals, such as iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), calcium (Ca) and silicon (Si). It consisted mainly of zinc oxide contaminated with metallic zinc and zinc hydroxide chloride. The dissolution of metals from the zinc ash was determined for solid-to-liquid ratios ranging from 100 to 500 kg/m3, acid concentrations of 10 and 20 percent, and temperatures of 20 and 40 °C. The best result — 130 g/dm3 Zn(II) at 95 percent zinc recovery — was obtained at a solid-to-liquid ratio of 200 kg/m3, sulfuric acid concentration RI SHUFHQWDQGLQLWLDOWHPSHUDWXUHRI ƒ& 7KH¿QDOVROXWLRQVZHUHFRQWDPLQDWHGPDLQO\E\0Q ,, DQG)H ,,, ions, but the presence of cadmium (Cd(II)) and lead (Pb(II)) ions enabled electrowinning of zinc of about 99 percent SXULW\DWKLJKFXUUHQWHI¿FLHQF\RI WR SHUFHQW /HDFKLQJRIWKHPDWHULDOZDVDQH[RWKHUPLFSURFHVVZLWKUHDFWLRQ heat of about 520 kJ/kg

By H. L. Hinds

Economic pressures to increase production to profitable levels reduced the Homestake's gravity recovery and overall recovery to un-acceptable levels. The operation of the Home-stake gravity gold circuit has increased gravity gold recovery to over 50%, improved overall recovery and increased mill availability for increased tonnage. The gravity circuit consists of three gravity gold recovery stages. The Circuit has four (4) duplex jigs, four (4) belt concentrating strakes and four (4) concentrating tables.

Jan 1, 1989

By Fred J. Fleischauer

Industry requires higher speed sheet stacking. High speed sheet stacking requires equipment and techniques to solve several inherent difficult problems, such as the tendency for sheets to sail, and the need for a means to absorb the kinetic energy of the sheet without damaging the sheet. Accurate alignment of the sheets on the stack is another problem difficult to solve. The paper first analyzes the process of sheet handling into its basic elemental steps. It then describes equipment and techniques presently used for moderate sheet handling speeds, with emphasis on how each step in the stacking process is accomplished by the present equipment. The limitations to speed-up of present equipment is discussed. New high speed equipment, either recently introduced to the market, or in the process of development, is described. Magnetic, air float and vacuum conveyor stackers are compared.

Jan 1, 1973

By A. Haghighat, B. Lattimer

"Mine face ignition due to a high levels of methane is one of the most common fire incidents in underground coal mines. This work exams ignition scenarios in continuous miner headings. Depending on the magnitude of the ignition or resulting fire, the ventilation curtain in the continuous miner (CM) heading may be damaged or dislodged, affecting the ventilation into the area. A computational study was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of damage to the ventilation curtain on the ventilation flow into the CM area. The computational fluid dynamics software Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), Version 6.0 was used to predict the conditions that develop due to a 200 kW fire in the coal mine face following a methane ignition with different levels of curtain damage. Smoke layer depth, temperatures and mass flow into the CM area were used to evaluate the impact of no damage to the curtain, partially dislodged curtain, and fully removed of the curtain. Partial removal of the curtain allowed more smoke to accumulate in the CM area and a reduction in ventilation into the CM area. With full removal of the curtain, the smoke accumulated through the entire depth of the CM area and flowed out the entrance to the CM area and the ventilation completely bypassed the region. INTRODUCTION Active working faces in underground coal mines are one the most hazardous locations in terms of fire events. According to Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) data analysis, the highest number of non-fatal fire incidents was reported at mining faces, intersections and crosscut areas in comparison with other locations from 2000 to 2012. About 464 fires happened at active working faces from 2000 to 2012, most consisting of a methane ignition, in some cases followed by localized fire. These are high risk incidents due to the potential to raise float dust and damage ventilation systems, particularly auxiliary systems such as curtain or tubing. Depending on the magnitude of the ignition or fire, the ventilation curtain in the continuous miner (CM) area may be damaged or dislodged, affecting the ventilation into the area. Five computational fluid dynamics (CFD) scenarios were considered to investigate the smoke layer depth, temperature, visibility, mass flow rate, and the behavior of airflow in an entry with a continuous miner (CM) located in it. The state of the auxiliary ventilation was varied based on the assumption that as an ignition increases it magnitude it will affect ventilation curtain proportionally. Visibility and temperature along the height of the entry at different sections were investigated and the interface height at each section was determined. Also, the fresh air height was studied for tenability analysis in future. FDS, Version 6.0 was used to predict the conditions that develop due to a 200 kW fire on the coal mine face following a methane ignition with different levels of curtain damage. Smoke view software was used as the post processor to visualize and analyze methane fire behavior at the face. Most entry fires are reported as fuel-controlled fires as they are rarely restricted to air access (Ingason et al, 2014). The working face fire in the following models was assumed to be a fuel-controlled fire."

Jan 1, 2016

By Anil Kumar

In underground mine production units that employ discrete-vehicle face haulage, feeders are used in the belt network so that vehicles can unload rapidly without transmitting to the conveyor network the high material flow rates that result from rapid unloading. They prevent production bottlenecks at the face, while reducing capacity requirements for downstream materials handling equipment. Similarly, surge bins may be installed at intermediate locations in the network to smooth flows from a number of upstream sources, thereby reducing downstream belt capacity requirements. This paper introduces new stochastic process models to temporally describe loading patterns from unit operations and techniques for computing the probability of various fill levels for the feeder or surge bin. These results may be used to analyze the effect of alternative bin or feeder capacities and discharge rates on the performance and costs of the materials handling system.

Jan 1, 1994

By J. Y. Kim

Silver contained in zinc calcines undergoes several phase changes as it proceeds through the leaching circuit of a roast-leach-electrowin zinc plant. In the present study, the flotation response of silver from leach residues prepared under a variety of carefully controlled operating conditions in the pilot plant has been examined. Flotation of neutral leach residue is shown to be technically viable and to merit consideration for those plants without a high acid leach circuit, but having significant silver values in the feed. Residue leach conditions must be kept slightly acidic to promote the formation of Ag2S, (Ag, CU)2S and Ag2S rims on residual unroasted sphalerite, while simultaneously avoiding the hydrolysis of soluble iron which depresses silver recovery and grade. Factors to be considered during integration of a flotation process into an electrolytic zinc plant are discussed.

Jan 1, 1990

By F. Stanley, A. Noble, G. Luttrell

"The supply chain for coal-fired power stations involve a multi-stage network of mining units, preparation plants, blending facilities and transportation systems. Attempts to optimize the supply chain have historically been difficult due to the lack of communication/coordination between the various groups involved in coal production, transportation and utilization. In light of this issue, a new approach for globally optimizing the coal supply chain called Micro-Price Optimization has been developed to simplify the optimization problem and to provide coal producers with fundamental insight needed to improve the profitability of their operations. This fundamental concept assigns unit values to each particles (or groups of particles) passing through production units. Optimization occurs whenever the maximum tonnage of positive value particles are recovered and passed to market, while the minimum tonnage of negative value particles are recovered. Elements considered by the concept include factors such as target boiler cost/efficiency, waste disposal costs, coal quality parameters, emission penalties, transportation charges, or other quantifiable impact factors. This article reviews the basis for the micro-price concept and provides a detailed industrial case study involving the determination of optimum coal qualities that need to be supplied by mine operators to feed a coal-fired power station. INTRODUCTION The performance of coal preparation plants have long been known to play an important role in determining the overall profitability of mining operations. This significance is due to the fact that the misplacement of just 1 ton/hr of clean coal to reject resulting from poor plant performance can represent nearly $300,000 per year in lost revenues for a mine producing a steam market coal (i.e., 1 ton/hr x $50/ton x 6,000 hr/yr = $300,000/yr). This loss can be even more pronounced, occasionally approaching $1 million per year for each 1 ton/hr of misplaced clean coal, for operations producing high-quality coking coal products sold into the premium metallurgical market (i.e., 1 ton/hr x $150/ton x 6,000 hr/yr = $900,000/yr). Detailed economic studies indicate that improvements in plant yield resulting from increases in organic efficiency have one of the largest overall impacts on mine revenue when compared to other cost centers within the mining operation. One of the first studies to show this important financial impact was reported by Norton-Hambleton Consultants (Norton, 1979). Their study indicated that an unfavorable change in plant efficiency was second only to coal transportation in terms of its impact on profitability, while an unfavorable change in the cost of underground mining was a distance third. This longstanding realization has continued to provide a strong financial incentive for coal producers to optimize the separation efficiency of their coal processing and blending operations."

Jan 1, 2015

By G. R. Coonan

A number of famous studies have shown that house damage relates better to peak particle velocity than to acceleration or displacement. The relationship is true but doesn't go far enough. Why, for example, can construction shots go well above 1.0 or 2.0 inches per second without reportable damage? Recent studies have shown that vie must look at frequency and duration of an event in addition to amplitude. The complexity of measuring frequency, duration, and amplitude makes the average blaster in the field shudder. An even more excruciating problem is the need to obtain such data inside the building or residence in order to accurately predict the damage potential or human response to nearby blasting. The author reviews current research programs and suggests new areas of research necessary to help maintain a balance between complicated research requirements and simple field measurements.

Jan 1, 1980

By R. L. Zick, D. C. Finn

Introduction The high-density sludge process was originally developed by Bethlehem Steel Corp. for use on acid mine drainage (AMD) and diluted waste pickle liquor discharges requiring continuous chemical-treatment. This work began in the early 1970s and was first put into practical use around 1973. To date, there are approximately 15 operating systems that have been installed to treat mine drainage in the United States. In addition, there are another 10 systems installed outside of the United States. The dense-sludge process is an innovative and improved method for treating acidic metal-bearing streams in a manner that minimizes the volumetric generation of sludge for disposal. The technology utilizes a sludge-recycle process that forms particles with a low affinity for water. These particles are unlike conventional metal hydroxide solids that contain tightly bound interstitial waters. Typical acid mine drainage streams contain high sulfate concentrations that combine with calcium ions in lime-based treatment systems to form gypsum crystals. Compared to the form generated in conventional lime treatment systems, the physical form of the gypsum is radically altered when the dense-sludge process is utilized. The characteristics of the metals particles are also changed in this process, as the metal hydroxides are converted to metal oxides. The dense-sludge particles settle faster, dewater more readily, are more easily pumped and hold much less water than conventional precipitates. In some cases, because the metal content of the sludge is more concentrated, it can be economically recovered. In general, the conventional and dense-sludge treatment processes are very similar. The changes required to implement the dense-sludge process are minor, and, typically, much of the existing equipment can be utilized. The net results of the process are: reduced operational costs associated with sludge generation, improved process control (particularly pH control), reduced gypsum deposition (i.e., less scaling) on system components and reduced sludge generation resulting in less return water for treatment. Despite the relative simplicity of the process, the application of the technology requires careful discrimination, and the "experience factor" for implementation is an important consideration that should not be over looked.

Jan 1, 2000

By Samuel W. Woods

The Tacoma, Washington plant is one of six plants in the United States Gypsum Company's Acoustical and Mineral Fiber Division. The Tacoma facility was acquired in 1959 along with six other mineral wool plants from the American Rock Wool Company. Originally, the Tacoma plant was built as a carbide plant during the Second World War and after that was converted and operated as a mineral wool plant by several insulation companies. Through these early years, the use of raw materials at Tacoma consisted primarily of slags along with small percentages and various combinations of silica (in various forms such as gravel), limestone and basalt. These raw materials were melted in cupolas using coke as the heat source. Raw material usage and types as well as mineral wool production methods and equipment remained without major changes for many years.

Jan 1, 1983

By D. R. Zuchelli

In order for MSHA to require the use of a noise control, the control must be proven ?technologically feasible?. Technologically feasible controls must reduce a miner?s noise overexposure to the permissible exposure level (PEL) or achieve at least a 3 dBA reduction in the miner?s noise exposure. The miner?s total noise exposure should be examined from an occupational viewpoint and not solely on a machine or equipment basis. This examination requires a field evaluation of the occupation as opposed to an equipment test conducted in a laboratory. The operator of a Hilti TE MD20 LS electro-pneumatic drill realized a full shift noise exposure (TWA8) reduction exceeding 8 dBA as compared to when operating a Gardner Denver S83F pneumatic jackleg drill while installing an equal number of drill holes into the Idaho Springs Gneiss rock formation. However, the Hilti drill?s penetration rate was only 27% of that of the jackleg drill. Although the Hilti drill was proven to be technologically feasible as a noise control, its slower penetration rate would require its economic feasibility to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Jan 1, 2011

By Alden B. Carpenter

Brines (a solution containing more than 100,000 mg/l dissolved solids) in sedimentary basins are genetically related to evaporites in one of three ways: (1) dissolution of evaporite minerals, generally halite; (2) interstitial fluids in evaporites which are expelled from their source rock during compaction; (3) incongruent alteration of hydrous evaporite minerals (carnallite). Most brines of commercial interest originate as interstitial fluids in halite-rich rocks. These fluids are initially rich in magnesium, sulfate, and potassium but evolve in composition to an Na-Ca-Cl brine during their migration to their present host rock. A particularly important reaction in this process is: 2CaCO3 + Mgt+ = CaMg(CO3)2 + Cat (1a) This reaction reduces the magnesium content of the brine and ultimately converts it to a calcium-rich brine. The loss of sulfate occurs by two mechanisms. One of these is by direct precipitation as calcium sulfate (either as gypsum or anhydrite): Ca 2+ + SO4 2- = CaSO4 (2a) Additional sulfate may be lost from the brine by sulfate reduction: S042 + 1.33CH2 + 214- = H2S + 1.33CO2 + 1.33H20 (3a) The loss of carbonate species occurs by precipitation as carbonates: H2O + C02 + Cat = CaCO3 + 2H+ (4a) The net result of reactions 3 and 4 is: Ca 2+ + SO4 2- + 1.33CH2 = H2S + CaCO3 + 0.33H2O + 0.33CO2 (5a) The loss of potassium from brines is caused by the formation of potassium aluminosilicates: 2K+ + Al2Si2O5 (OH)4 + 4SiO2 = 2H + 2KAlSi2O8 + H2O (6a) The hydrogen ions produced by this reaction dissolve carbonates: 2H+ + CaCO3 = Ca 2+ + CO2 + H2O (7a) The net result of reactions 6 and 7 is: 2K+ + CaCO3 + Al2Si205 OH)4 + 4SiO2 = Ca2 + 2KA1Si3O8 + H2O + C02 (8a) A study of brines from central Mississippi has shown that the composition of these brines is related to the interaction of pore fluids from evaporites with minerals in the enclosing sedimentary rocks.

Jan 1, 1978