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By Alicia Esther Ares

The family of Zn-Al (ZA), Zn-Ag and Zn-Al-Ag (ZINAG) alloys offers high mechanical properties, ease of finishing, the advantage of low energy and pollution-free melting. Also, present alternatives to the well developed alloy systems, such as brasses, bronzes, cast irons and aluminum alloys. The main objective of this paper is to measure thermal parameters in ZA, Zn-Ag and ZINAG hypoeutectic and hypereutectic alloys directionally solidified which present columnar, equiaxed and columnar to equiaxed transition structures (CET). Also, estimate the mechanical properties, such as microhardness and tensile parameters and correlate these with the thermal (cooling rate) and structural parameters (grain size and dendritic spacing). The different types of structures were analyzed with optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed the influence of concentration, microstructural arrangement and thermal conditions during solidification on the mechanical properties. The results of the present investigation are compared with previous experiments.

Jan 1, 2010

By Nicholas G. Theofilos

The Bahamian economy weathered the worldwide recession of the last few years better than most developing countries. This was mainly owing to the ties between the tourist industry of the Bahamas and the U.S. economy. The mineral industry played a minor role in the country's economy. The chief mineral exports included an increasing amount of petroleum products horn the country?s 500,000-barrel-per-day refinery, steel pipe, salt, and aragonite. A 60,001)-barrel-per-day desulfurization facility was completed by Bahamas Oil Refinery Co. (BORCO) in Freeport. The project included vacuum gas oil desulfurization, hydrogen and sulfur recovery, steam generation, water desalinization, and offsite facilities.

Jan 1, 1980

By Bruno Gemmi

A new warehouse built with prefabricated components over an area underlined by soft marine soil deposits started showing differential settlements well before its completion. Its 103 spread footings carrying up to 4,000kN (450t) axial loads had been cast on jet-grouted columns extending and penetrating a layer of sand at a depth of 10m (33ft). Investigations performed to assess the wholeness and consistency of the jet-grouted columns revealed a state of loose jet-grouted masses and uncontrolled, off target migrations of the jet-grouting. Most of the jet-grouting itself was settling. The following remedial solutions were suggested: 1. Construction of new and better controlled jet-grouted columns. 2. Cement-based soil grouting. 3. Expanding resin injections. 4. Minipiles drilled-through the existing footings and reaching into a denser layer of sand existing at 23m below grade. Remedial solution 1. was immediately discarded due to cost and the possibility of a repeating failure in this non-granular and highly compressible soil. Tests of remedial solutions 2. and 3. were carried out. The outcome of the grouting was monitored by Electro Resistivity Tomography (ERT) (Bares et al., 2003), an innovative 3D electro tomography procedure showing where grout had been actually placed and its migrations off target. A successful 4,000kN (450t) load tests confirmed the validity of the solution. Finally, upon the completion of a successful load test, solution 4. was chosen. It supplied the highest degree of reliability thanks to the ease of controlling the final and actual location of the minipiles and to the higher safety factor provided. All remedial work to install the minipiles was eventually performed inside the building. Additional load tests and settlement measurements confirmed the adequacy and success of the chosen solution.

Jan 1, 2011

By B. McLaughlin

Agnico-Eagle started sinking the Penna Shaft in 1995 with a hoisting plant capable of hoisting 1800 t/d from a 2240 m deep shaft. Exploration success led to the installation of a hoisting plant capable of extracting 4500 t of ore and 1800 t of waste per day from a depth of 2210 m. The introduction of a new rope selection factor, permitting a safety factor of 4.0, represented the breakthrough required for a cost-effective project. This paper describes the process taken to introduce the new rope selection factor and its impact on the original plant.

Jan 1, 2004

By J. H. Brophy, M. H. Kamdar, J. Wulff

A constitutional diagram for the Ta-W-Re alloy system is presented. Rhenium dissolves in the complete range of solid solutions between tungsten and tantalum up to 48 wt pct in tantalum 'to about 30 wt pct in tungsten. Intermediate x and u phases only are found. X-ray diffraction and fluorescence, metallography and melting-point measurements were employed. THE constitution diagram of ternary alloys of tungsten, tantalum, and rhenium for temperatures above 1000°C is reported in this paper. Alloys in this system rich in tantalum and tungsten are of interest for high-temperature applications, and those rich in rhenium for electronic applications. No ternary phase diagram appears to be available in the literature. The three-component binary diagrams have been previously established1-3 and the present ternary data are consistent with these. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES Commercially pure tantalum (99.7 pct), rhenium (99.99 pet), and tungsten (99.9 or 99.95 pct) powders were purchased from Fansteel Metallurgical Corp., Chase Brass and Copper Co., and Fansteel or Westinghouse Electric Corp., respectively. These powders were pressed without binder and arc-melted under helium. The preparatory and analytical techniques employed were identical to those used for the Ta-Re system investigation carried out in this laboratory.324 These included X-ray diffraction and metallographic phase identification, X-ray fluorescent and wet chemical analyses, solidus determinations and heat treatments in a resistance-heated tantalum-filament vacuum furnace. For microstructural examinations standard mechanical polishing techniques were used through diamond laps. Polished speciments of all compositions were etched by swabbing with 4 parts HI?, 4 parts HNO3, and 1 part H20. Since the microstruc-tures of alloys containing one or two phases closely resembled their counterparts in the respective binary systems, typical examples are omitted in this presentation. In all the alloys examined, it was possible to observe the number of phases present. Particularly when there were small amounts of one phase involved, it was possible to identify it only by a combined conclusion based on X-ray diffraction, position of an alloy in a composition series, and the phase rule. A total of 100 different alloy compositions was arc-melted and studied in the as-cast condition metallographically and by X-ray diffraction. Specimens of each of these compositions were heat-treated at 2680, 2530, and 2020°C for 1, 2, and 4 hr, respectively. Those which were treated at 2020 were given a preliminary homogenization treatment at 2500°C for 1 hr. Specimens of 25 alloys were heat-treated at 1200o C for 168 hr. Solidus temperature measurements were made by the detection of incipient melting in eighteen alloy compositions. The metallographic and X-ray diffraction results are summarized in Table I. Graphically, this information appears in the isothermal plots of Figs. 2 and 3. Within the accuracy of the experimental methods, two such plots are sufficient to locate these data, since the results for 1200°C were similar to 2020 and those at 2530 resembled 2680

Jan 1, 1962

By W. P. Nel

The introduction of the Higher Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF) and the updated Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) has caused many South African university departments to rethink their programme qualification mixes (PQMs). In addition to the requirements stated in the HEQSF, a number of other factors have to be taken into consideration by a university department. These factors include, for example, the standards generated by the Engineering Standards Generating Body (ESGB) and subsequently approved by the Engineering Council of SA (ECSA) and the need to prepare students for various categories of professional registration with ECSA. This means that a university department has to choose the correct mix of Learning Programmes (LPs) from the HEQSF menu (which consists of 13 types of LPs). Preparing students for ECSA registration is aligned with the mission of universities, which is to teach and undertake research. However, research and the LPs associated with research go beyond the requirements for current ECSA registration. Assuming that universities offering engineering LPs would elect to prepare students for both ECSA registration and teach them to produce research outputs, which is mostly done at Master and Doctorate levels (NQF Levels 9 and 10), then it follows that academics are more interested in NQF Level 5 to 10 pathways (abbreviated as ?L5-10?) rather than the shorter pathways required towards professional registration. (For example, ECSA requires an NQF L5-L7 pathway for registration as a candidate professional technologist. This specific pathway may consist, for example, of two LPs, namely the 360-credit Diploma and the Advanced Diploma.) A L5-L10 pathway is a combination of LPs that will prepare the learner with a NSC (or equivalent qualification at level 4) to Doctoral level (level 10). Universities may choose at least four major pathways from the HEQSF menu in order to educate and develop students from NQF Level 5 to 10. However, various pathways towards registration in the category of candidate with ECSA are also embedded into these four NQF L5-L10 pathways, where each consist of a unique combination of LPs. Each of these pathways has an opportunity cost, and economic reality means that smaller departments may have to choose between the four pathways. Of all the many factors involved in PQM decision-making, the focus of this paper is on the HEQSF requirements, ECSA standards, and ECSA registration and how these, together with the various qualifications and educational LPs provided for by the HEQSF may impact on the PQM decision taken by engineering departments and schools at South African universities. The proposed four NQF L5-L10 ?pathway tool? for PQM decision-making may be useful for pointing out the advantages, disadvantages, and applications of the various pathways and combinations of pathways. Rather than deciding from a menu of thirteen qualifications and associated LPs, this article proposes that decision-making be undertaken on the basis of a menu of four main articulated ?NQF L5-L10? pathways (which also include one or more of the ECSA?s pathways for professional registration). The proposed ?NQF L5-L10 pathway? tool is an attempt to move one step closer to the aim of achieving a structured decision-making approach for designing a PQM at departmental level.

Jan 1, 2014

By V. F. Swanson

As part of the Bureau of Mines titanium resources examination program, samples of altered rock (saprolite) and unaltered rock from the Roseland anorthosite near Roseland, Nelson County, Va., were tested for amenability to beneficiation by flotation. A flotation technique was developed to produce bulk concentrates of ilmenite, rutile, sphene, and leucoxene. It was necessary to first float apatite using oleic acid as the collector, in an alkaline pulp with dextrine as a titanium mineral depressant. The titanium minerals could then be floated from the apatite tailing, using fluosilicic acid to depress the remaining apatite, morin to depress ferromagnesian minerals (when present), and oleic acid as the collector. A bulk titanium mineral concentrate, analyzing 66.0 percent Ti02 and 0.08 percent P205, was obtained from a sample of the unaltered rock which contained 5.45 percent TiO2 and 2.81 percent P205. Overall recovery in the concentrate was 47.1 percent of the total TiO2 in the ore. About 55 to 65 percent of the saprolite sample was clay and was removed by attrition scrubbing and decantation. The apatite prefloat procedure was applied to the saprolite sands; subsequent titanium mine: 1 flotation recovered 72.2 percent of the Ti02 in a bulk concentrate containing 65.1 percent TiO2 and 0.20 percent P205.

Jan 1, 1962

By J. A. Organiscak

In the United States, respirable coal mine dust exposures are limited to a 2 mg/m3 time weighted average for a working shift. If the silica content of the sample exceeds 5 percent, the 2 mg/m3 standard is reduced according to 10- (% silica) to limit silica dust exposures to 100 µg/m3. Examinations of dust sampling data collected by the federal coal mine inspectorate showed that roof bolter occupations continue to be at risk for overexposure to respirable silica dust. Testing at the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health assessed the effectiveness of a canopy air curtain for controlling occupational exposures to respirable silica and coal dusts. Initial testing found that zones of higher velocity airflow shrank as distance beneath the canopy increased. This suggested that protection from occupational dust exposures would likely decrease as distance beneath the canopy increased. Further testing revealed that coal dust reduction efficiencies were most affected by changes in interference air velocity and, to a lesser extent, changes in canopy air quantity. However, respirable silica dust percentages under the canopy were not affected by such changes and, in fact, were not significantly different from silica percentages measured outside the canopy. This implied that the air curtain was equally effective on both respirable coal and respirable silica dust particles.

By G. A. Gamble

Fans used to ventilate subway, passenger rail and vehicular tunnels are similar to the fans used to ventilate underground mines. However, tunnel ventilation fan systems are typically designed to meet NFPA 130 or 502 standards, while mine ventilation fan systems must comply with the appropriate federal mine safety regulations. As a result, fan operation requirements and performance criteria, as well as typical fan and duct configurations differ significantly for tunnel and mine ventilation applications. Variations in environmental conditions in tunnels as compared to mines also result in differences in fan performance and material specifications. The need to enclose tunnel fans within building structures creates space restrictions impacting fan size selection that are not commonly encountered in mine fan installations, resulting in different approaches to selecting fans for the two types of tunnels. This paper discusses the various similarities and differences in design considerations for tunnel and mine ventilation fans.

Jan 1, 2009

By K. E. Wood, K. J. DiRocco, L. A. Becker

The Russia Wharf segment of the Silver Line Phase II Project for the MBTA incorporated ground freezing and underpinning during New Austrian Tunneling Method(NATM) tunneling through timber pile foundations, urban fill, and abandoned wharf structures beneath two historic 7-story buildings with steel frames and masonry facades. During construction, the project team implemented an extensive program to monitor, evaluate, and mitigate the ground and building movements caused by the various construction activities. Mitigation included freeze cycling and building raising/lowering to compensate for ground movements and safely maintain the serviceability and occupancy of the buildings. In this paper, we present the history of the freeze, tunnel construction, and thaw-related movements that occurred and the building response that we observed.

Jan 1, 2005

Research personnel from the Bureau of Mines, representatives of the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA), and members of the mining industry met with other Government and Industry representatives at three seminars held in Pittsburgh, Pa., November 4, 1975; St. Louis, Mo., November 6, 1975; and Denver, Colo., November L1, 1975, to discuss the results of Bureau-sponsored research on coal mine illumination. The program, aimed at developing suitable illumination systems fur the working; places of underground coal mines, covered hardware development and field evaluation and the status of proposed MESA standards and proposed MESA enforcement procedures. These proceedings contain the opening remarks to the seminars and eight technical presentations an various aspects of coal mine illumination.

Jan 1, 1976

By L. W. Higley

It is estimated that well over 20 million lb of chromium and 8 million lb of nickel, plus other metal values, are diverted annually to furnace dusts, mill scale, and contaminated swarfs in the domestic stainless and other specialty steelmaking industry. Little inroad has been made toward the in-plant recycling of these wastes to reclaim the metal values. The Bureau of Mines has devised a process for recovering about 90 pct of the chromium and molybdenum and well over 90 pct of the nickel and iron from stainless steelmaking furnace dusts, swarf, and mill scale. Other metals such as manganese are also recovered. Initial laboratory results were confirmed and expanded to include a wide variation of stainless steelmaking waste mixtures. Later experiments have included specialty steelmaking wastes other than from stainless steelmaking. Significantly, the ease of technology transfer has been demonstrated by a number of industrial-sized (19-ton) commercial electric furnace heats, in which the pelletized wastes represented some 10 to 20 pct of the furnace charge, replacing part of the normal scrap charge. Results of these successful large-scale trials are presented. Some information is also presented on incorporation into the pellets of chromium-bearing particulate wastes originating from other than steelmaking production. Cost evaluation indicates the process is economically attractive.

Jan 1, 1982

By D. Harrington

This circular is part II of a series of papers reviewing the literature on air conditioning in mines with particular reference to the health, safety, and efficiency of employees. It deals with the physiological aspects of the principal physical qualities of mine air; part I (Information Circular 7001), chapters 1 to 3, discussed the physiological aspects of the chemical qualities of mine air, especially when contaminated with organic matter and noxious and toxic gases; part III will describe theoretical and practical methods of air-conditioning mines to try to correct or alleviate the conditions mentioned and will discuss the results attained by some of the systems now in use in various parts of tae world. With the present emphasis on the necessity for preserving the health of the Nation's defenders, industrial as well as military, attention should be called to the various conditions that may affect adversely their health and efficiency. One of the most important of these is exposure to abnormal air conditions, especially high temperatures and humidities. Therefore, it is believed that although the data presented here on the physiological effects of exposure to high temperatures cue intended mainly for the mining and allied industries, they are applicable to many other defense industries as well as to conditions present in some activities of the Army and Navy.

Jan 1, 1941

By Cordner G. D

Titanium is not yet being produced on a commercial scale despite the facts that it has some impressive properties, and that it occurs very abundantly in easily-mined, highgrade oxide ores. One important reason for this is that the excellent mechanical properties of the metal were not widely recognised and appreciated until about twenty years ago.Another factor which has tended to retard progress in titanium metallurgy has been the realization that the oxide minerals of titanium are very stable; in other words, considerable energy has to be expended to reduce the oxide to metal. Table 1 presents the minimum energies which would have to be expended to produce one ton of each of the metals, aluminium, magnesium, titanium and iron from their respective oxides under theoretically ideal conditions at normal temperature and pressure. At higher temperatures, the minimum energy requirements are different, but the values for the various metals still fall in the same order as indicated in Table 1.In actual fact, the energy consumption in the case of any particular metal is higher than the ideal value by an amount which can be determined only by' the results of plant practice. The only general conclusion that can be drawn from the data in Table 1 is that it might eventually prove...

Jan 1, 1950

By R. A. Harris

In this study Pt-Al thin films were prepared via electron beam physical vapour deposition (EB-PVD) with an atomic concentration ratio of Pt25:Al75. These films were heat treated at temperatures ranging from 150°C to 650°C for annealing times from 4 to 60 minutes. The resulting microstructure of these thin films were obtained via secondary electron imaging used in conjunction with depth profiling with the aid of scanning auger microscopy (PHI 700).Elemental maps of the micrographs were obtained. Simulations, based on a chemical potential Monte Carlo method1, were run for various interaction parameters. From these simulations theoretical depth-profiles and proposed microstructures were obtained. These were compared to the experimentally measured depth profiles and elemental maps. Keywords Monte Carlo, chemical potential, depth profile, Pt-Al thin films.

Jan 1, 2011

By H. Tomlinson

"INTR0DUCTIONThis publication is a third of a series devoted to falls of roof and coal in coal mines of the Western States. It gives the results of examinations of the mines of the Rock Springs coal District of Sweetwater County, Wyo., which represent the principal coal beds therein and approximately 75 percent of total production of the State.A study was made of safety conditions at all the producing mines of the district and suggestions were offered the operators regarding methods and practices which would, in the opinion of the writer, provide additional safeguards to prevent accidents from falls of roof and coal.In presenting the subject, consideration must be given to such features as character of the coal beds, depth of cover. methods of mining, timbering practice, roof testing and supervision, and for comparative purposes to certain statistical matter bearing upon relation of accidents to their causes, tonnage produced, men employed, days worked, and lost days due to accidents during the 3—year period covered by this study.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe writer acknowledges the cooperation of the officials of the various coal companies, without whose assistance this work could not have been completed.F0UR REPRESENTATIVE COAL OPERATIONSThis report relates to four representative coal operations in the Rook Springs district of Sweetwater County, Wyo., which are referred to as mines A, B, C, and D. This group employs yearly an average of 993 men, representing 37 percent of the men in coal mines of the county, and has an average annual production of 1,484,373 tons, representing approximately 44 percent of the coal produced in the county. Figure 1 is a map of the Rook Springs coal district."

May 1, 1933

By Venancio Astucuri

"El presente texto describe las cuatro competencias que debe poseer un ingenierio de minas para un desarrollo sostenible de la minería. Dichas competencias se dividen en personales, académicas, profesionales y de ingeniería. Este grupo de competencias pueden ser usados también para un proceso de autoevaluación, donde cada uno pueda medir sus competencias con el fin de determinar brechas y superarlas, de forma que las empresas puedan plantear requisitos mínimos para sus diferentes posiciones laborales y, finalmente, para que en las instituciones educativas, estos puedan diseñar de forma adecuada sus respectivos planes de estudio."

Feb 1, 2017

By O. C. Blade

Total sales of diesel fuel in the United States continue to Increase. This growth is due primarily to two causes: More conversion to diesel units by the rail-roads In recent years, and the greater use of diesel engines in trucks, busses, and tractors. Following are some figures on the distribution of the fuel computed from data issued by the Bureau of Mines.2/ [ ] Deliveries of diesel type fuel from refineries totaled 91,522,000 barrels during the first six months of 1955,3/ corresponding figure for 1954 was 91,170,000 barrels. Information on the properties of this engine fuel is very important to the petroleum industry, engine manufacturers, and consumers. To supply such information the American Petroleum Institute and the Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior, under cooperative agreement, are conducting annual surveys of diesel fuel oil produced in refineries in this country.

Jan 1, 1955

By Wolfang Ladewg

Desde enero hasta agosto de 1965 se probó un prototipo del telémetro electro-óptico EOS de VES Carl Zeiss JENA, a través de las mediciones en unos 70 días. En ese sentido, el objetivo del presente texto es determinar la exactitud de medición, así corno la constante de adición y el alcance del EOS. Para ello, se midieron distancias geodésicos a base estandard en los campos de ensayo geodésicos de Potsdarn y en una red de ensayo determinada trigonométricarnente. La medición de las distancias se realizó en tres días, empleándose un reflector de siete prismas con sus correspondientes cuñas adicionales. Mientras que en los campos de ensayo geodésicos se midieron 19 distancias entre O, 1 y 7,5 km. Las mediciones se efectuaron en un espacio de tres meses en total con diferentes números de series

Nov 1, 1970

Zircon producers are often required to lower impurity levels to meet customer specifications as most of these impurities adversely effect the end use. For example, zircon sand in foundry applications needs to be free of any surface impurities (eg clay, gibbsite and goethite) which otherwise could cause sintering or fusion between cast metal and the zircon mould. Light coloured ceramic grade zircon, typically low in iron oxides and titania, is preferred in ceramics applications. The presence of impurities in zircon sands is a problem in the magnetic and electrostatic separation stages of their concentration. Previous work (Aral et al, 1997) showed that impurities in zircon sand concentrates occurred in the form of stains on grain surfaces, discrete gangue minerals and in the mineral grains. The gangue minerals such as rutile, garnet, xenotime, monazite, spinels, ilmenite, and aluminium silicates in the concentrate in some cases (Aral et al, 1997) contribute significantly to the impurity content of the concentrate. A careful hand picking of the impurity grains from a Western Australian zircon sand showed that the impurity content of the concentrate could be lowered significantly as a result of the removal of the surface stained grains and gangue minerals. The hand-picked ædirtyÆ fraction, comprised about eight per cent by weight of the concentrate, and consisted mostly of iron-oxide/hydroxide-stained zircon, silica grains and rutile, and occasionally ilmenite, monazite, gahnite and other (unidentified) coloured grains. The chemical analysis of the remaining æcleanÆ fraction showed that the major impurities (Fe and Ti) were reduced significantly (Table 1). The reduction in the uranium content was about 30 per cent. The other measured impurities, P, Mg, Al, Th, and Ca remained mostly unchanged as shown in Table 1. The contribution of ilmenite to the overall iron content of æcleanÆ zircon was insignificant as it comprised about 0.1 per cent weight of the æcleanÆ zircon. Rutile was the major source of titanium contamination (about one per cent by weight). Recent work (Aral and Calle, 1999) on zircon sand concentrates from the Murray Basin showed that, under the electron microprobe, the bulk of the impurities occurred in the dark back scattered electron (BSE) regions of the zoned zircon grains. The impurity contents of the light BSE regions and unblemished (unzoned) grains were low. The impurity content in zoned zircons has been investigated on single, relatively large, crystals (McLaren, Gerald and Williams, 1994; Smith et al, 1991; Romans, Brown and White, 1975). These studies generally aimed to investigate the incorporation of U in zircon as zircon is used extensively for U-Pb geochronology owing to its relatively high content of uranium. Smith et al (1991) identified a striking difference in composition between the areas of lower (dark BSE) and higher (light BSE) average atomic number in the zoned zircon. Their work showed in particular that the zones of lower atomic numbers contained very significant amounts of trace metals such as Y, REE, Nb, U, Al, Fe, Ca, Ba and, by difference H2O. In this paper the impurity distribution in zoned zircon grains was investigated on statistically significant number of grains before and after a leach treatment. The distribution of impurities was also measured in unblemished areas to compare the results.

Jan 1, 2000