Search Documents

By Edward L. Mooney

In the, West, walking draglines often offer the least cost method of uncovering coal for surface mines. However, with each of these machines costing millions of dollars, a good deal of analysis can be justified by the potenial savings or, conversely, costs associated with the choice of a machine. This has resulted in the recent development of a number of computerized models for dragline selection and pit design. One of the earliest reported models for this purpose was developed by Dunlap and Jacobs (1). Later, Rumfeldt described the computer approach to sizing stripping draglines given the required production rate and mine site parameters (2). This basic approach is probably still the most widely used with models for more complicated mining methods reported by Stefanko, Tomica, Finch, as well as others (3,4,5). furthermore, detailed simulation models useful in this regard have been developed by McDonnell Douglas and Fluor, Utah (6,7)

Jan 1, 1982

By Brahm D. Prasad

As in other mineral deposits, variation in bitumen saturation, thickness of ore and discard occurs throughout Alberta's Athabasca Oil Sands deposit. The economic stripping ratio developed here to determine surface mineable limits takes into account capital and operating costs, crude oil prices, quality of ore, thickness of overburden, and thickness of inter-ore waste. The surface mining systems employed to remove bituminous sands (oil sands) from huge mines at depths of 60-70m use gigantic draglines, bucket wheel excavators and reclaimers, and large mobile equipment.

Jan 1, 1982

By J. Ramirez-Castro

The abstract and text of this chapter were not received in time for printing.

Jan 1, 1982

By David Wilson, T. V. Rao

INTRODUCTION The Alchem trona mine, owned and operated by Allied Chemical Corp., is located approximately 32 km (20 miles) west of the town of Green River, and 8 km (5 miles) north of Interstate 80 in southwest Wyoming. Trona, a naturally occuring sodium sesquicarbonate (NaCO3 • NaHCO3 • 2H2O), is used for the production of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), commonly known as soda ash. Present annual US consumption of soda ash is approximately 9.07 Mt (10 million st), out of which approximately 7.3 Mt (8 million st) is produced from the Wyoming trona mines. About 44% of soda ash is consumed by the glass industry; 3 % by exports; and the remaining portion by paper, chemical, soap, textile, and nonferrous industries. Allied Chemical operates an underground mine at an average depth of about 488 m (1600 ft). There are three other trona mines in the area operated by FMC Corp., Stauffer Chemical Corp., and Texasgulf Inc. (see Fig. 1). Allied Chemical became interested in southwest Wyoming trona deposits in the early 1940s. Explora¬tion work was begun in 1959 with the acquisition of federal leases. Exploitation of the reserves began in 1968. Two shafts, one 6.1 m (20 ft) and another 3.7 m (12 ft), were completed prior to 1968. The 6.1-m (20-ft) diam service shaft is divided in half by a cur¬tain wall, with one half used for men and material and the other for ventilation as a return air shaft. During the period from 1968 to 1974, the 3.7-m (12-ft) shaft was used as production shaft with two 7.3-t (8-st) skips. Due to the increased demand for soda ash, plant and mine expansions were completed during 1974. Under this expansion, the material handling system capacity was increased by constructing a new 2721-t (3000-st) capacity ore bin, sinking a 6.1-m (20-ft) diam produc¬tion shaft, and installing a friction hoist with two 22.7-t (25-st) skips. The Alchem mine manpower is 484 employees and about 2.3 Mt (2.5 million st) of trona was produced during 1976. Three different mining systems are used at the Alchem mine: conventional, continuous, and longwall. Allied Chemical introduced its first longwall unit in 1973, which was also the first longwall system introduced in the Wyoming trona district. At present, four conventional, seven continuous, and two longwall units are in operation. This equipment is operated in ten production areas. GEOLOGY The bedded trona and trona-halite in the Green River basin of southwestern Wyoming is a major re¬source for the nation. There are 25 beds that exceed 0.9 m (3 ft) in thickness and underlie areas of about 2590 km2 (1000 sq miles). There are other minor beds that range in thickness from 0.3 to 1.2 m (1 to 4 ft). Allied Chemical's Alchem mine is located in bed 17. The trona bed numbering system starts at the lowest elevation and increases upwards. The trona beds are in the Wilkens Peak member of the Green River formation. The Green River formation was deposited in a lake that began in early Eocene as a large body of fresh water, shrank in size and became saline, and then became fresh water again. The sedi¬ment during the saline phase of the lake, which includes the trona beds, is called the Wilkens Peak member. The underlying freshwater lake deposit is called the Tipton member and includes a 25.9-m (85-ft) sand unit which is a high pressure, low permeability aquifer. The over¬lying sediment is called the Laney shale. The Green River formation is underlaid by the Wasatch formation and overlaid by the Bridger formation (see Fig. 2). The structure of the beds in the area of the Allied Chemical mine is mostly postdepositional asymmetrical folds of small amplitude. These folds range in size of 3 to 6.1 m (10 to 20 ft) to as much as 45.7 m (150 ft). The trend of the folds is northwesterly with the north¬east flank of the anticlines having a steep dip and the southwest having gentle dips. Trona bed 17 varies in thickness from 2.4 to 3.4 m (8 to 11 ft) over the 93.2 km2 (36 sq miles) holdings of Allied Chemical and is flat lying except for the rela¬tively minor folding and a negligible regional dip of about 0.017 rad (1°). Trona occurs naturally in several physical forms in the Green River basin, being both massive and crystal¬line. The trona ore in the Alchem mine is a fine-grained massive ore with a compressive strength of approxi-

Jan 1, 1982

By Hiroyuki Abé

This paper is a review of research and development on geothermal energy extraction in Japan especially on hydraulic fracturing. First recent geothermal developments in Japan are outlined in Part I. An increase in the production rate of geothermal wells may be highly dependent on the geothermal well stimulation technology based on hydraulic fracturing. The hydraulic fracturing technique must be developed also for geothermal energy to be extracted from hot, dry rock masses. In Part II, the research on hydraulic fracturing and field application are reviewed.

Jan 1, 1982

By S. E. Sankey

High anionic functionality acrylamide co-polymers and poly(sodium acrylate) are used as red mud flocculants in bauxite processing operations. These synthetic polymers are effectively displacing starch as the dominant polymer in red mud settling. The performance of these polymers is primarily dependent on the bauxite mineralogy, the alkalinity of the red mud slurry, and the anionic functionality and molecular size (viscosity) of the polymer. In this paper, the physical and chemical properties of the synthetic watersoluble polymers will be reviewed. The relationship between polymer structure and red mud slurry properties as they control polymer performance in settling red muds common to digester and washer circuits will be illustrated. The availability of polymers of varying functionality and viscosity will permit bauxite processors to make significant improvements in the economics of red mud disposal and valuable reagent recovery.

Jan 1, 1982

By James C. Cobb

Middle Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) coals of certain areas of the Illinois and Forest City Basins contain epigenetic sphalerite and associated minerals in veins, clastic dikes, cleat, and other small-scale structural features. The presence of sphalerite in these coals records information about the geology of coals and coal basins, and represents a potential source for zinc as a byproduct of coal production. Origin of Sphalerite in Coal The origin of sphalerite in coal suggested by Cobb (1) involves sphalerite precipitation from zinc-bearing ?Na-Ca-Cl brines upon contact with sources of sulfur in the coal bed, e.g., pyrite, H2S, and organic sulfur. These brines were essentially at the temperature of the host coals as determined by fluid-inclusion thermometry and vitrinite-reflectance studies. The migration of these brines into coal beds may have been caused by compaction of sediments due to continued sediment loading of the coal basins. Zones of high permeability such as sandstones and the coals themselves presumably acted as conduits for the movement of the brines. The open spaces where sphalerite was deposited resulted from minor deformation associated with differential compaction and cleat formation enhanced by volume shrinkage during coalification.

Jan 1, 1982

By Francis Martino

Just as coal producing mines are faced with various handicaps which control the quantity of coal produced and sold, the subsequent user of that product is faced with parameters that impact the optimum utilization of coal. Traditionally, the industry focused on the quantity of mineable coal in a reserve. The mine planning development was primarily concerned with two important criteria: (1) safety and (2) the productive efficiency in a quest to produce the lowest cost coal.

Jan 1, 1982

By Gordon M. Pugh, David G. Rasmussen

INTRODUCTION Variations of cut-and-fill stoping are the most com¬monly used methods for mining narrow, nearly vertical veins in the United States. These methods offer the best results for maximum recovery with minimum dilution of ore from veins that are irregular along either the strike or dip. The vein is developed along the strike length in 61 to 122-m (200 to 400-ft) blocks or stopes and vertical lifts of 48 to 61 m (160 to 200 ft). The level development is either on the vein or parallel to the vein with crosscuts intersecting the vein at right angles. Chutes, manways, and haulageways are established in the center of the stopes at the lower level of the ore block. Mining then proceeds by blasting down horizon¬tal cuts of the vein in both directions from the chutes. As the blasting continues to the outer limits of the stope, the broken ore is slushed into chutes. When a complete horizontal cut has been made, the service raise, including chutes, is raised to a height of a few feet from the back and the stope is filled with either sand fill or waste rock. Then the mining cycle is re¬peated until the stope reaches the level above. LEVEL DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES FOROVERHAND CUT-AND-FILL STOPING The two basic methods used are: the development of the haulage drift within the vein, or development of the haulage drift paralleling the vein in the foot or hang¬ing wall with crosscuts intersecting the vein perpendicu¬larly at 61 to 122-m (200 to 400-ft) intervals. The il¬lustrated methods of development show some of the variations which can be used to develop a stope block. Development for cut-and-fill stoping does not require the more elaborate schemes outlined for shrinkage or sublevel long-hole stoping. Many factors must be considered before deciding on a particular development plan and usually the nature of the vein or host rock will dictate which specific method to use. If the vein is relatively straight, then develop¬ment on the vein is feasible. Excessive ground pressures will necessitate the leaving of a sill pillar (Fig. la) and highly fractured or "heavy" ground will require timber¬ing (Fig. 1b). Development on the vein has the advan¬tage of reducing capital outlay and waste handling prob¬lems since the mined rock has value. But removal of the sill pillar is costly and time-consuming. Also, where no sill pillar is left, excessive timbering and subsequent level repair is a drawback. Development in either the footwall or hanging wall is the more common procedure and offers greater flexi¬bility in overall development of consecutive stoping blocks by partially disassociating the level development from stoping (Fig. 2). Chutes, manways, and service compartments com¬prise the next stage of development and are established in a variety of ways. They provide access to the stope, ventilation ducts, and muck removal. Several different development systems are in common use and average costs for each have been developed. Raise borers are used to establish ventilation and ac¬cess from level to level. They are normally reamed with 1.5 or 1.8-m (5 or 6-ft) cutterhead and may either be left bald or lined with a 1.2-m (4-ft) diam corrugated liner plate, depending upon ground conditions. The use of an Alimak raise climber is another effec¬tive method of driving a raise from level to level. The size usually is 2 m (7 ft) square. This will accommodate square-set timber which is later installed. This method of raising is not common, although it is a valuable tech¬nique especially when level spacing is several hundred feet.

Jan 1, 1982

By James P. Connell

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The American Concrete Institute defines shotcrete as "mortar or concrete conveyed through a hose and pneumatically projected at high velocity onto a surface." This definition thus includes what is traditionally known as gunite, which is a pneumatically applied mortar. In mining practice, the term shotcrete is restricted to pneumatically applied concrete, and this differentiation will be used in this chapter. In 1914, following the invention of the mortar gun in 1907, then chief engineer of the US Bureau of Mines (USBM) George Rice developed the gunite process for underground test work at the USBM facility at Bruceton, PA. After World War I, gunite was used extensively in American mines and was also utilized for underground civil works such as the San Jacinto tunnel in California. The greatest development was in Europe where, as early as 1911, gunite was successfully used as an overlay for deteriorated tunnel linings. In 1951, the Swiss firm Aliva developed a pneumatic gun capable of handling coarse aggregate, thus making possible the first use of shotcrete at the Maggia hydropower development. Initially, shotcrete was used to reduce manpower requirements for forming and placing conventional concrete. However, by 1954 Sonderegger was reporting that the structural advantages of shotcrete were derived from its flexibility and from the fact that it could be applied almost immediately after the opening had been made. The incorporation of wire mesh into the shotcrete led to the new Austrian tunnel method or NATM. The use of shotcrete in American mines has been implemented more recently. This delay seems to be due to previously unsuccessful experiences with gunite as a structural material and to the US reliance on wood or steel supports in main-line haulageways. The long experience with the apparently more substantial rigid supports led mine operators to be reluctant to accept the new and seemingly unrealistic lighter shotcrete support. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS Shotcrete is a relatively new material for use in underground support systems. Consequently, experienced miners are not always available who are capable of applying the material effectively. Shotcrete, particularly in the small cross sections typical of mine shafts or haulageways, is applied in cramped quarters under less than ideal conditions. Adequate lighting should be made available. The surface should be clean and free of running or dripping water. It may be necessary to collect flowing water in plastic pipes or water collection devices. Any dry cement dust from previous shotcrete applications should be washed from the surface in order to assure a good bond. The US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) while shooting test panels at the Cunningham tunnel in 1974, found that experienced shotcrete operators were able to obtain up to three times greater compressive strengths than were obtained by unskilled operators using the same equipment and shotcrete mix. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS Since sodium and potassium hydroxide, as well as other moderately toxic compounds, are often contained in shotcrete (particularly where accelerators are used), safety precautions must be taken to prevent skin and respiratory irritation. Nozzlemen and helpers are required to wear gloves, protective clothing, and ventilation hoods with a filtered air supply. Respirators approved by USBM, equipped with chemical filters that will not pass the caustic mists, may be permitted in lieu of hoods if goggles or safety glasses are worn. Protective ointments are available to reduce skin irritation. All air and shotcrete feed hoses should be equipped with safety-type couplings and secured with safety chains at each coupling to prevent whipping in the event of a hose or coupling failure. Some environmental effects can take place down-stream from the development face being supported. The accelerator compounds, as well as the portland cement used in the shotcrete, will be found in the rebound material which falls to the invert of the heading. Since these compounds may be leached from the rebound material and carried by the drainage system, it may be necessary to install neutralizing or other water treatment facilities. Investigations may find that the final reaction with other compounds being leached from the mining operations may result in a more or less environmentally acceptable end product. USES OF SHOTCRETE General Uses Shotcrete, as a combination of cement, aggregate, and accelerator, is utilized for underground openings such as shafts, adits, haulageways, and service chambers for the following general purposes : (1) primary sup¬port; (2) final lining; (3) protective covering for excavated surfaces that are altered when exposed to air (the protective covering may be of a temporary or final nature); (4) protective covering for steel or wooden supports, rockbolts and rockbolt plates, heads, nuts, and other mats, including wire fabric, used to prevent rock-falls; and (5) as a lagging material in place of timber, steel, or concrete between steel or wooden supports. These applications can be grouped into three general use categories: shotcrete used as a rock sealant, shotcrete used as a safety measure, and shotcrete used as a structural support. Use as a Rock Sealant Thin applications of shotcrete can reduce or prevent slaking of shales or other rocks that are altered when exposed to the wetting and drying cycles created by mine ventilation circuits. While shotcrete may be effective in preventing such rock alteration, at the present time it is not as economical or efficient as other commercial sealants. However, if the sealant property can be incorporated into the structural support capability, the added contribution is usually helpful. Thin applications are not usually sufficient if the alteration of the

Jan 1, 1982

By Warder A. Shaver

INTRODUCTION Mine No. 95 of the Consolidation Coal Co., a divi¬sion of Continental Oil Co., is located in Shinnston, WV. Mine No. 95 was opened in January 1967 and has been operating continuously since that time. The mine has 544 hourly and salaried employees. In 1974 this mine was the largest coal producer in West Virginia. Opera¬tions include two longwall sections and eight Marietta Borer continuous miners. Originally there were also two Jeffrey Heliminer continuous miners, but use of these was discontinued in June 1978. Production averages 12 727 t/d (14,000 stpd). Two portals now service the mine with a third portal proposed for 1978. GEOLOGY Mining takes place in the Pittsburgh coal seam which dips 0.04 rad (21h°) northwest. The working seam is steam coal with an average height of 2.2 m (86 in.). Immediately above the seam, the overburden is com¬posed of 6.1 m (20 ft) of shales followed by 6.1 m (20 ft) of weak sandstone and 51.8 (170 ft) of shaley limestone. The shale weathers when exposed to mois¬ture. Surface water has been a problem due to a fire¬clay floor which turns to paste when mixed with water. GENERAL DESCRIPTION The present mining plan for Consol's No. 95 mine has a proposed life of 35 to 40 years. One set of main headings has been driven in the north direction and one set in a western direction. These are the areas in which the majority of the virgin coal lies. The panels are driven off of the mains at 2134 to 3048-m (7,000 to 10,000-ft) intervals. The continuous mining sections are set up 133 x 610 m (600 x 2000 ft). Longwall sections are 259 x 1220 m (850 x 7000 ft). All of these mining sections are retreating uphill. Development is with continuous miners. A Marietta Borer miner is used for the main development work. These miners cut 4.1 m (13 ft 6 in.) wide and 2.1 m (7 ft) high, leaving an arch cut. Along with the arch, a 152.4-mm (6-in.) thick layer of roof coal is left in place to protect the roof from weathering. The combi¬nation of the self-supporting arch and the roof coal al¬lows the entries to be driven 30.5 m (100 ft) without bolting. Full bolting, however, is carried outby the last open crosscut. This bolting is done on 1.5 x 1.5-m (5 x 5-ft) centers using 1.5-m (5-ft) long roof bolts with tandem anchors and 152.4-mm (6-in.) steel washer plates. When needed, crib blocks with a 50.4-mm (2-in.) drill hole are used as supplemental supports. Three-hole steel channel with the ends curved down¬ward to conform to the borer arch may also be used. In the mining sections, a 14 BU loader is used be¬hind the Marietta miner to load two Torkar shuttle cars. These haul to Long-Airdox feeder breakers which load onto a 1.07-m (42-in.) wide conveyor belt. With the exception of the shuttle cars, which use 275-V d-c power, the face equipment operates on 550-V a-c power. The main power line is 7200 V ac. The same loading and hauling equipment is used with the Marietta Borer miner for driving both panel and development entries. In the retreat sections, the same equipment with the exception of the miner is utilized. Because of the advantage of a variable cutting hight, Jeffrey Heliminer ripper-type continuous miners were employed in these retreat sections. For longwall mining the first unit uses an Eickoff EDW 300-L double-drum ranging shearer. Drum di¬ameter is 1.69 m (66 in.) with a drum rotation speed of 45 rpm. The drum is equipped with 48 Carmet 34-L-1 bits. The 300-kW (400-hp) motor operates on 1000 V. Tramming of the shearer head is done through a hydraulically driven 26-mm wide chain. Maximum cutting speed is 7.93 m/min (26 fpm), and maximum tram speed is 12.8 m/min (42 fpm) with an average cutting speed of 3.66 m/min (12 fpm). Web cutting depth is 762 mm (30 in.) and the cutting height is 2.13 m (7 ft). The conveyor width is 686 mm (27 in.). It uses a single chain, 26 mm thick, with flights on 0.91-m (3-ft) spacing. The face conveyor speed is 64.3 m/min (211 fpm) when driven by two 112-kW (150-hp) 1000-V Louis Allis motors through torque convertors. The roof support used is Gullick Dobson chocks [6-legged 77.3 t (85 st) per leg, 463.6 t (510 st) total capacity] with double-acting leg jacks. The hydraulic pressure for the legs is 13.8 MPa (2000 psi), and the hydraulic pressure for rams is 6.8 MPa (1000 psi). The yield valves are set at 57.8 MPa (8500 psi). Each chock weighs 4.09 t (4.5 st). The stage loader is an Eickoff drive, with a 68-kW (90-hp), (00-V Reliance motor. A 26-mm thick single strand chain with flights on 0.6-m (2-ft) centers runs at 75.89 m/min (249 fpm). The stage loader is self-advancing and is connected to the belt tail piece with a special fifth wheel attachment so that the stage loader can advance and guide the tail piece. The hydraulic pressure for the roof support is supplied by two 45-kW (60-hp) Reliance motors op¬erating on 699 V, with 1.26 L/s (20 gpm) constant volume Gullick hydraulic pumps. Each pump services alternate chocks, with the two pressure lines connected at the tailgate by 25.4-mm (1-in.) hydraulic hoses, rated at 27.21 MPa (4000 psi). The 6.8 MPa (1000 psi) pressure rams advance is supplied by a 45-kW (60-hp), 600-V Reliance motor and a 1.26-L/s (20-gpm) con¬stant volume Gullick pump. Return lines are 35.5-mm (1.4-in.) diam hydraulic hoses with rated capacity of 27.21 MPa (4000 psi). The fluid used in the hydraulic system consists of 95% water and 5% Hy-chock fire resistant water soluble oil. Water is stored and mixed in a 6096-L (2000-gal) track-mounted tank and goes to a 655-L (180-gal) reservoir at the pump. The belt conveyor structure is 1.07 m (42 in.) wide with 0.47 rad (27°) idlers, bottom stands located on 3.05-m (10-ft) centers, top stands on 1.5-m (5-ft) centers, and is supported on a 19-mm (3/4-in.) diam

Jan 1, 1982

By James R. Aggson, Verne E. Hooker

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS The design of a mine or any underground opening in rock is similar to the design of any other structure, such as a building or a bridge, in one important way. This similarity lies in the fact that the stability of the structure is a function of the loads that will be applied during the structure's expected lifetime. In the case of an underground opening, the applied load is the product of the existing in situ stress field and the concentration of this field that is produced by the extraction of a load¬bearing material. Thus, a knowledge of the in situ stress field is considered a basic requirement in the design process and essential to the eventual stability of the underground structure (Duvall, 1976; Obert, 1972; Merrill and Peterson, 1961; Dahl and von Schonfeldt, 1976; Hedley and Wilson, 1975). The in situ stress field can be used along with the physical properties of the rock masses involved, the ge¬ometry of the various rock types, the geometry of the openings involved, and a failure criterion to evaluate structural stability of a planned mine by theoretical or numerical techniques. This same information can be used to investigate ground control problems in existing mines. In situ rock stress determinations can be separated into three categories: the determination of applied stress, also called the absolute or field stress; the deter¬mination of concentrations of the field stress near open¬ ings; and the determination of changes in rock stress as load-bearing material is removed. The applied stress field is more difficult to determine than are stress changes. Various instruments and techniques have been developed to determine applied rock stress and stress changes in rock. ABSOLUTE OR FIELD STRESSES Theoretical Considerations In the absence of actual measurements, it is often assumed that at any point, the vertical stress is equal to the weight of the overlying material. [ ] where S„ is vertical stress, S is average weight density of overburden rock, and h is depth from the surface. This is normally consistent with actual experience. The horizontal stresses are assumed to be equal and related to the vertical stress through the Poisson effect. [] where Sh is horizontal stress, S„ is vertical stress, and v is Poisson's ratio. The derivation of Eq. 2 is dependent on lateral con¬finement of the rock mass. An increasing amount of information is rapidly becoming available which indi¬cates that the in situ stress field at a particular location cannot simply be assumed to be a gravity-induced stress distribution in which the secondary principal stresses in the horizontal plane are due to confinement and Pois¬son's effect. Rather they can be a complex function of gravity loading, regional stresses, structural features, ex¬cavation geometries, and variations in surface and/or possibly basement rock topography. Furthermore, the underground principal stress dis¬tribution is not necessarily vertical and horizontal as is often assumed. The deviation of the three-dimensional stress distribution from vertical and horizontal can be due to a combination of both topographic (Hooker, Bickel, and Aggson, 1972) and structural features.

Jan 1, 1982

By W. F. Cannon

Many high-grade manganese deposits of the world occur in marine transgressive sedimentary sequences deposited on stable platforms. These include the Nikopol and related deposits in the Soviet Union and Groote Eylandt, Australia, among others. We suggest that the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains and the vast area of Cretaceous rocks in the middle of North America are favorable provinces for sedimentary manganese deposits because regionally transgressive units are widespread. North America has 16% of the world's land area but only about 0.2% of known high-grade manganese reserves. This disparity is difficult to reconcile in view of the fact that large areas of North America are underlain by rocks that we consider at least broadly favorable to contain manganese ores, and we suggest, therefore, that important high-grade deposits remain to be found in North America.

Jan 1, 1982

By Ralph W. M. Lai

The liquid membrane separation process was first patented in 1968 for separating hydrocarbons.(1-4) This stimulated many researchers to join in the area of separating organic compounds. l Since then, its applications have been extended to the removal of contaminants from waste water,(12-33) encapsulation of enzymes and/or microorganisms for reaction and/or separation, (24-28) oxygenation of blood (artificial lung),(19) removal of toxins from blood (artificial kidney)(26,20) and metal extraction.(31-63) This paper discusses the possible process schemes for using liquid membranes to separate and concentrate copper ion from its acidic leaching solution.

Jan 1, 1982

By P. J. Lafforgue

In 1974- COGEMA (Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires) of France decided to exploit a uranium deposit discovered several years ago in a Permian formation of Southern France, near the town of Lodeve (Herault). The uranium occurs in black shales with high calcium carbonate content (7-10% CO2) and it was then necessary to use alkaline leaching. A fine grind (60-65% minue 270 mesh) was also necessary to obtain good' uranium recovery. A minimum of fresh water must be added to the alkaline system due to solution recycling. Filtration must be used because cake-washing requires less fresh water than countercurrent decantation.

Jan 1, 1982

By Richard H. Sillitoe

Gold is an important byproduct and, locally, coproduct of porphyry copper deposits, and possesses potential for discovery as the major metal in porphyry deposits in either island arcs or Cordilleran belts. Tungsten and tin occur as major components of several potentially bulk-minable porphyry deposits, as well as being byproducts from the Climax porphyry molybdenum deposit. Whereas porphyry tin systems are localized in Cordilleran back-arc settings, their tungsten counterparts appear to span a range of geotectonic settings, from Cordilleran principal arcs through back-arcs to rifts. Although silver is a common byproduct of porphyry copper deposits, it tends to be preferentially concentrated with lead and zinc on the fringes of all types of porphyry deposits and/or as late-stage superpositions; the latter situation could be of some interest in the higher parts of porphyry systems. As byproducts, rhenium, uranium, platinoids and magnetite are exploited occasionally, and rutile and the rare metals, such as tantalum and niobium, have merited consideration.

Jan 1, 1982

By L. Alan Weakly

This paper was presented at the ‘17th U. S. Symposium on Rock Mechanics’ on August 29, 1976, at Snowbird, Utah, at the SME-AIME Fall Meeting on September 1, 1976, at Denver, Colorado, and at the Polish-American conference on Ground Control in Room-and-Pillar Mining on August 7, 1980 at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to present a viable method of reinforcing rock pillars by utilizing fully grouted reinforcing steel and a cement- fly ash mortar. Although the fully bonded bolt concept is not new as exemplified by the present widespread use of resin bolts within United States mines and by the use of cement grouted reinforcing used as back pins in the Kiruna Iron Ore Mine in northern Sweden, (1)(2)the method of stabilizing mine pillars with fully bonded reinforcing is new. This method, called the "grout-rebar system", was first incorporated at St. Joe Minerals Corporation's Fletcher Mine in December of 1972. The system was used on an emergency basis before extensive research on the mechanics of the system could be completed. Since Decmeber of 1972, however, approximately 206 pillars have been reinforced at Fletcher and the system is currently being used on a regular basis at two other St. Joe mines and at two competitor mines in the area. Basically, this paper is a case study of the efforts, research and results of utilizing the grout-rebar system, on a selective basis, at the Fletcher Mine. In addition to information about the system, this paper will explain in detail the three rock mechanics instruments developed by St. Joe and used to measure and monitor rock movement to validate the group-rebar system.

Jan 1, 1982

By M. J. Laurila

Utilizing data compiled from a drilling program and bulk samples taken from a coal reserve, flowsheet performance for a coal preparation plant can be calculated using a desktop computer. Sets of equations defining material balances involving coal preparation plant unit operations are employed to depict plant performance. Techniques are discussed for interpolating washability data and extrapolating size distributions and other critical data to expand on oftentimes limited sets of quality data to a useable data base from which projections can be made. Simulation of flowsheets can be done for a number of different conditions and configurations while still remaining in a limited working memory capacity of 32,000 bytes. Presented within this paper are several pertinent examples.

Jan 1, 1982

By Vas Choudhry

The eighties are likely to witness the first commercial-size coal-to-gasoline plant(s) in the U.S., although uncertainty regarding crude prices and cautious involvement of the Federal Government in the synfuels development are evident. The formation of The U.S. Synthetic Fuels Corporation with passage of the Energy Security Act is projected to pave the way for some of the projects on a moderate scale. The corporate objectives (1) are to provide funds for supporting a number of feasibility studies and loan guarantees for the construction of at least some commercial-size plants and the possibility of product price supports or purchase commitments. There are a number of coal conversion processes (2) currently under evaluation for producing either gaseous or liquid plus gaseous fuels, the other processes such as SRC I are for producing desulfurized deashed clean solid fuel for commercial use.

Jan 1, 1982

By G. Stephan Derrickson

Any type of agitation within a confined vessel is primarily concerned with two parameters: 1) A level of agitation describing the homogeneity of the constituents (whether it be suspension or mixing) and, 2) the energy efficiency with which this level of agitation is accomplished. The following is an attempt to present a solution to the problem of adequately defining and optimizing these properties. First included is a discussion of the application of good design practices to the determination of a mechanically efficient shape to the blade elements of the propeller. These practices, excluding several appropriate modifications, have been known, but not well understood, in aircraft fluid mechanics for a number of years. Secondly, having optimized the direct impartation of energy to the medium being agitated, attention is turned to one of the more perplexing phenomena of multi-phase systems - definition and prediction of agitation levels. The result of recent study and testing is a method of scaling which the authors feel provides a lucid understanding of governing physical parameters within the agitator itself, allowing one to scale up and down with confidence.

Jan 1, 1982