Search Documents

By William C. Cooley

A literature search and survey were prepared on the technology of surface hydraulic mining, with particular reference to its possible use in the United States forstripping overburden from surface coal mines. Extensive use was made of Russian references which were translated into English. The advantages and disadvantages of hydraulic mining and hydrotransport are identified as well as criteria for selecting potential applications. At present, the major U.S. application is in the phosphate industry of Florida and North Carolina. Potential locations for hydraulic stripping of overburden from coal seams are identified in the states of Alaska, Illinois, Montana, Washington and Wyoming. Other potential applications include the hydraulic mining of peat in Minnesota, and the stripping of overburden from lignite in Texas, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Further research is recommended, particularly on the subject of dewatering of fine clay slimes to avoid water pollution and to permit rapid reclamation of mined areas.

Jan 1, 1976

By J. O. Merritt

The primary objective of this research program was to recommend ranges of minimum luminance for safety in underground metal and nonmetal mining. Visual tasks critical to safety were identified and rank-ordered. Realistic, full-scale, dynamic task simulations encompassing the most important visual components of the critical tasks were installed in a large simulated workspace. Five trained observers performed the six simulated mining tasks under varying levels of luminance. Over 13,000 measurements of visual task performance were used in developing minimum luminance recommendations for the on-foot underground worker and the mobile equipment operator.

Jan 1, 1983

By P. J. Mackey, J. B. See, D. G. C. Robertson

The production of iron and steel and non-ferrous metals by pyrometallurgical processes will remain a critical element in meeting the demand for materials in both developed and developing nations. Given the important need to reduce and minimise greenhouse gas emissions the technological focus of future pyrometallurgical R&D by universities and industry alike must concentrate on sustainability issues such as improved energy efficiency, recycling and waste minimization. Continued efforts are also needed on process optimization and new process development with a view to reducing capital and operating costs of the new large “mega” plants. Using the academic and industrial backgrounds of the authors, the present paper reviews the current status of R&D in pyrometallurgy in university departments with a particular emphasis on sustainability issues. The role of industry and government laboratories is also reviewed although primarily for developed countries. The paper also includes comments and suggestions on the future requirements for education and R&D in pyrometallurgy in developed countries to maximise sustainability. It is also suggested that future R&D in pyrometallurgy will be even more concentrated in developing countries – most notably China.

Jan 1, 2014

By Mitchell P. Rothman

This paper concentrates on profits and other measures of return in the Canadian mining industry, especially in the non-mineral-fuels sector. The paper examines the historical patterns of mining profits, both before and after taxes, as compared with profits in other sectors of the Canadian economy, as well as some of the more important influences on mining profits. These include the prices of mineral products, provincial and federal tax policies with respect to mining , and the effect of inflation on mining profits and the financial position of mining firms - in each case, comparing mining with the other sectors of the economy. Finally, the paper provides an analysis of current and prospective rates of mining profits in relation to the capital required to ensure the future viability of the Canadian mining industry.

Jan 1, 1977

By Tenney, J. B.

DEVELOPMENT of complex ores in the south- western part of the Rocky Mountain region has been retarded by the prohibitive distance to the nearest suitable zinc treatment plants. In the north- western and central Rocky Mountains the building, cluring tlie past decade, of electrolytic zinc plants at Anaconda, Great Falls, Trail, and Burke has tremendously stimulated the mining and exploiting of such .ores, greatly increasing the production of lead, zinc, copper, gold, and silver. Selective flotation permits the making of high-grade led, copper, and zinc concentrates. If the zinc concentrates could be made free from lead, copper, gold, and silver, they could be shipped economically to Mid- Western retort plants designed for such concentrates. Unfortunately a considerable proportion of the precious metal content accompanies the zinc blende in the ores of this region. Although some of it is saved in 'retort residues, the treatment cost is thereby increased so materially and the proportion saved so small, that .concentrates of ordinary grade cannot stand treatment charges and freight.

Sep 1, 1928

By Gibson J.

Further discussion at the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers' general meeting held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 3rd June 1916, on the paper published in Trans. I.Min.E., vol.LI, 1916, p.72-84, included a written contribution by Parfitt I.C. and the author's written replies to this and previous discussion

Dec 1, 1916

By E. D. Gardner

Oil shale, a long-considered potential source of motor fuel in the United States, is found over an extensive area in the Green River formation in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.4/ Oil has been retorted commercially from shale in Scotland for many years,5/ and work done by the Bureau of Mines and other investigators has shown that it is technically feasible to extract oil from American shales.6/ By refining, the shale oil may be converted into marketable products similar to those manufactured from crude petroleum. The present paper, which was finished in 1936, discusses methods that would be adaptable to mining certain American shales, and the treatment applies specifically to conditions iii the Green River formation on Naval

Jan 1, 1942

Ground control problems in the form of large dome or wedge collapses have been experienced at Tau Lekoa Mine since production began. Crush pillars in various configurations have been used and through a process of trial and error the current pillar layout has been derived. A strike pillar layout is used and additional mid-panel pillars are left spaced a maximum of 10m or 16m apart, depending on conditions and mining direction. Pillar spacing is based on an empirical relationship between fallout height and pillar spans. Analysis of the spatial distribution of large falls of ground indicates that there may be several geotechnical relationships contributing to stable pillar spans. The current focus is to define the relationship between geotechnical areas and hangingwall stability so that area specific support strategies can be formulated that could result in increased production efficiencies. Depuis le début de la production, la mine Tau Lekoa a connu des problèmes de contrôle au sol, sous la forme d’effondrements de grands dômes ou coins. Des piliers d’écrasement, dans des configurations variées, ont été utilisés et une série d’essais a résulté en la disposition de piliers en cours. Une configuration de piliers de direction est utilisée, et des piliers mi-panneau supplémentaires sont laissés, espacés d’un maximum de 10m ou 16m, selon les conditions et la direction de la mine. L’espacement des piliers est établi sur une relation empirique entre la hauteur des retombées et les intervalles entre piliers. L’analyse de la distribution spatiale de grandes tombées de terrain indique qu’il peut y avoir plusieurs relations géotechniques qui contribuent à des intervalles de piliers stables. L’intérêt présent est de définir la relation entre les zones géotechniques et la stabilité du toit, pour pouvoir formuler des stratégies de support spécifiques à un endroit, ce qui entraînerait des accroissements de production. Bodenkontrollprobleme traten seit Produktionsbeginn in Form von grossen Keil oder Dachhaubenbrüchen in der Tau Lekoa Mine auf. Bruchpfeiler in verschiedensten Konfigurationen wurden verwendet und auf Grund empirischer Fakten wurde das gegenwärtige Pfeilerlayout abgeleitet. Ein Layout für Strukturpfeiler wird verwendet und zusätzliche mittig situierte Pfeiler in einem Maximalabstand von 10m bis 16m installiert, abhängig von den Konditionen und der Vortriebsrichtung.Der Pfeilerabstand basiert auf dem empirischen Verhältnis Fallhöhe und Pfeilerspannweite. Die Analyse der räumlichen Verteilung großer Bodenabsenkungen deutet an, daß es einige geotechnische Verhältnisse geben kann, die zu stabilen Pfostenspannweiten beitragen. Der gegenwärtige Fokus soll das Verhältnis zwischen geotechnischen Bereichen und Stollendeckenstabilität definieren, damit bereichspezifische Unterstützungsstrategien formuliert werden können, welche in erhöhter Produktionsleistung resultieren könnten.

Jan 1, 2003

By R. D. Leitch, W. P. Yant, A. C. Fieldner, R. R. Sayers, S. J. Pearce

"The detection of leakage is a recognized problem in the safe and economic distribution and use of natural gas. Natural gas is practically odorless and therefore lacks he property of indicating significant leakage by the sense of smell, the means most widely used by gas employees and consumers for detecting leaks of the more odorous types of fuel eases. In view of the recognized value of the odor of gas for indicating leakage at the time of occurrence the Bureau of Mines has studied' the possibility of adding small amounts highly odorous substances to types of fuel gas (such as blue water gas and natural gas) that lack warning properties. These studies revealed that the mercaptans were promising substances to accomplish this purpose, not only for odorizing fuel gases but for other purposes° where it was desired to give warning through the sense of smell.Since completing the studies mentioned, the Bureau of Mines jointly with the American Gas Association has conducted further investigations dealing with the use of warning agents for fuel gases. The results of this work will be published later.The Bureau of Mines had been desirous of observing the practical use of ethyl mercaptan for detecting leakage of natural gas, particularly to determine whether the odor would permeate the ground and give indication of lea's in underground pipes. Opportunity for making these observations was recently given by E. A. Munyan, manager, gas department, Union Gas t Electric Co., who requested the bureau's cooperation in making leakage surveys of the company's distributing systems at Franklin and Middletown, Ohio."

Jun 1, 1930

By Bruce McDonald

This report contains the findings of a study to perform a task and skill analysis of roof-bolting operations, with respect to the operational training requirements and to prepare detailed recommendations for the operational training system. The extent of the problem was determined by visiting underground coal mines, interviewing training and safety personnel, observing and interviewing roof-bolter operators, and reviewing present training programs and facilities. In conjunction with the mine visits an extensive literature search was conducted with emphasis on training, mine safety, and accidents involving the roof-bolting operation and roof-bolter operators. A number of training programs and training devices were considered resulting in the development of a recommended training program including training devices to be used and establishing training objectives.

Jan 1, 1977

By G. Richards Gwinn

In modern warfare, mica is truly indispensable. Coordination of combatant units necessitates maintenance of intricate communications equipment, in the construction of which high-grade sheet mica is essential. Scrap, ground, and the poorer qualities of block mica, which are less essential to the military program, are not considered in this paper. Furthermore, as the paper is designed primarily to assist mica miners, mica derivatives, Such as splittings and films, also are excluded from discussion. The paper therefore relates solely to block mica of strategic quality. Understanding of t e many factor involved in marketing mica is definitely advantageous to mica, miners. The nature and detrimental effects

Jan 1, 1943

By R. E. Anderson

Canada encompasses an area of approximately 9,976,000 kilometres. It is comparable in size to the United States, but because of climatic conditions and limited transportation facilities, much of the area is unsuitable for agricultural or industrial development. We have a population of 22,000,000 - most of whom reside within a hundred mile belt paralleling the Canadian-U.S. border. Our principal cities in order of size are Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. We have a total of 10 provinces, each of which elects its own - government. The Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories covering the northern half of the country, are administered by federal government agencies. The mining industry employs approximately 9% of the labour force and accounts for more than 40% of all tonnage shipped on Canadian railroads and inland waterways. In 1974 it produced $4,800 million in mineral wealth. Canada ranks first in world production of asbestos, nickel, zinc, and silver and has significant production of copper, iron, molybdenum, lead and other mineral commodities. During the past decade Canada, like many other western countries, has undergone dramatic economic and social change. This trend is continuing, and its effect on the Canadian mining industry has produced conflicting results. From the industry's point of view, some of the more negative aspects include a steadily increasing involvement by government at municipal, provincial and federal levels through the imposition of Stricter controls, regulations and taxation policies, a rising tide of nationalism, which advocates public ownership of all natural resources, the spectre of inflation (currently increasing at the rate of 8% per year) and unsettled labour conditions.

Jan 1, 1976

By Walter Fuchs

IT is now generally conceded that coal is the product of deposition and transformation of debris of forests and swamps.29 Ample data are available to illustrate the metamorphosis of biochemical substances through biological action; other data show the progressive regional metamorphism existing in coal beds ;25 and numerous examples of change effected by intrusion of igneous dikes into coal deposits have been established.23 However, often the relative importance of the biological and the geological factor in determining the character of the various natural coals is a debatable question. Since both biological and geological factors are ever present in nature, the problem, at first glance, would appear to resemble certain probability problems: specifically the simultaneous toss of two coins, with the biological factor as heads and the geological as tails. The probability is 2 : I for the combined effect of both factors, as compared to the exclusive effect of either one, if the a priori probability is the same for each factor. This condition can be analyzed by a thermodynamic treatment of data, which may be obtained from a consideration of pertinent biological, chemical, geophysical and geological facts. SYNOPSIS OF BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL FACTS The biosphere is not sterile; i.e., microorganisms are always present. Microorganisms have been established in the ocean deep, under the ice of the polar regions, in the sand of the deserts, and in swamps far below the surface. The various biological media may be acid, neutral, or alkaline, and they may or may not be readily accessible to air. Microorganisms are encountered almost everywhere, except where the temperature is not within the range tolerable by microbial life. Of course, with changing conditions, the type of microorganisms will change. All chemical products of life-proteins, fats, carbohydrates, lignins, waxes, resins may serve as a habitat of microorganisms. In the decomposition of a medium. some microorganisms macerate organic matter mechanically and remove certain constituents for their own nutrition; others decompose a large part of the organic matter but may leave certain constituents undecomposed. Some attack only certain specific ingredients of the organic matter. All of them build up cell substance. The nitrogen content of the medium largely determines the degree of decomposition. Below 1.7 per cent nitrogen, growth of microorganisms and hence decomposition of organic material is retarded; consequently organic material will accumulate.17, 32 Such accumulations of organic material may give coal eventually. Coals differ in type and rank. The nature of the original vegetation and the conditions attending the transformation of the accumulated debris determine the type of coal such as bright, splint, cannel, and algal or boghead coals. Chemical analysis of representative samples of a given type of

Jan 1, 1941

By Harlan L. Kebel

Gypsum, the dihydrate form of calcium sulfate, has a history of usefulness to man dating back several thousand years, and a worldwide industry has been built on the mining and processing of this versatile industrial mineral. However, anhydrite, the other prin¬cipal calcium sulfate mineral, has very limited use, so much so that separate statistics for it are not always kept, but are usually included with those for gypsum. Although often found in close association, the two minerals have important chemical differences in that anhydrite is the anhy¬drous form of calcium sulfate (CaSO4) whereas gypsum is the dihydrate (CaSo4.2H20). These two molecules of combined water result in significant differences in hardness, density, and solubility of the two minerals. Of most importance, however, is the difference in thermal properties wherein gypsum, upon the application of a modest amount of heat, can be converted to the hemihydrate of calcium sulfate (CaSO4 '21H20) or plaster of paris, an intermediate product upon which is based over 90% of the value of all calcium sulfate end products. Anhydrite, on the other hand, is inert at these temperatures and its uses have been limited to only those few cases where calcium sulfate in the anhydrous form may have an advan¬tage. The earliest known use of gypsum plaster dates back some 5000 years to the time of the Pharaohs of Egypt who had discovered that gypsum rock, when exposed to fire, broke down into a powder which, when mixed with water, would form a putty that could be plastered on a rough mud brick or stone wall to make a smooth finish. It was used down through the centuries in a limited way for ornamental purposes, but did not achieve wide acceptance because of the quick (25 to 30 min) setting or hardening time which made it difficult to use. The first real understanding of gypsum chemistry was developed in France about 1755, and the gradual growth of its present utilization dates from that time. In the United States, the first utilization of gypsum was to grind it to a fine material for use as a soil conditioner at about the time of the Revolutionary War, and the term land plaster for ground gypsum was coined and has remained in use. Another cementitious material-lime or calcium oxide-had become the usual plastering material, but by about 1870 a method for retarding the set of gypsum plaster was discovered; today it has almost completely replaced lime as a plastering material. In recent years, gypsum products sold in the United States have reached a total valuation of approximately $2 Gpy as illustrated in [Table 1].

Jan 1, 1994

By Richard L. Bullock

Believe it or not, mine evaluation and feasibility studies are as old as the industry itself. In the first recorded writing on mining by Agricola (1556), he gave several clues as what to look for in evaluating a mine, to determine if it was economically feasible. Below is the guidance from Agricola, with my interpretation of what he would include today. Now a miner, before he begins to mine the orebodies must consider seven things, namely: ? The situation (the geography/topography). ? The conditions (the geologic/mineralogic and mining conditions). ? The water (availability, hydrology and ownership). ? The roads (plus the railroads, power lines, all other infrastructure). ? The climate (the weather-rainfall/environment). ? The right of ownership (the land and legal entitlement). ? The neighbors (the social environmental concerns of the area). It is amazing how much of his guidance has not changed in 455 years. Yet Agricola gives no guidance on determining the correct cost, or determining the correct commodity pricing. But he does give a few words of caution on the related ethics involved on buying mineral properties: ?A prudent owner, before he buys shares, ought to go to the mine and carefully examine the nature of the vein, for it is very important that he should be on his guard lest fraudulent sellers of shares should deceive him.? Three hundred years later (1866), to further amplify this point, in the most famous thing that Mark Twain never said, as an introduction to a lecturer to an audience of gold-miners at Red Dog, CA, the famed author/humorist allegedly described a mine as ?a hole in the ground owned by a liar? (Farrar & Rinehart, 1935). So, one might conclude that between these two dates, the mining industry did little to improve its reputation. Unfortunately, since Mark Twain allegedly made those remarks, we have not done near enough to gain accountability for the mineral industry.

Jan 1, 2011

By Jennifer A. Slatnick

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), once universally accepted as ideal compounds for use in cooling and refrigeration, in foam production, and in cleaning electronic components, are being phased out and eventually banned under extensive international agreements because the chlorine in CFC's is thought to deplete the Earth's ozone layer. The industry has responded with the introduction of alternatives in the form of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC's), which contain no chlorine, and with hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC's), which fill an intermediate gap in the replacement of CFC's. As a result of the elimination of chlorine in the HFC's and the reduction of it in the HCFC's, these alternatives contain more fluorine than the CFC's do. Other nonfluorocarbon substitutes, known as not-in-kind alternatives, contain no fluorine at all. As a result, the fluorspar mining industry, which is the source of fluorine in fluorocarbons through intermediate hydrofluoric acid, is being affected. Concern for this impact has led the U.S. Bureau of Mines to employ its capabilities to analyze various scenarios in the evolution of CFC replacements and substitutes to determine their effect on fluorspar mining. This report utilizes a network flow model to examine the effects of proposed replacements for CFC's, in terms of fluorine content, on fluorspar operations worldwide and on hydrofluoric acid plants in North America and Europe.

Jan 1, 1994

By Andrukaitis. E.

The increasing use of electronic equipment by the Canadian Forces has increased the importance of electric power. A power source that is packed with energy and yet light, small and durable is the common request of military users. However, this needs to be achieved while also addressing the requirements of safety, reliability and low temperature performance. The potential use of fuel cells in a military environment has become a possibility in several areas in the 21st century. Some examples of power source requirements and the materials related R&D required to give better, higher energy power systems in the future will be discussed.

Jan 1, 2005

By Victor V. Verbinski

This report presents the development of a raw coal concentration sensor for hydro-transport of coal and refuse (rock) from underground mines, and the results of an international test series carried out at the Colorado School of Mines Research Institute in Golden, Colorado, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, Hydraulic Transport Research Facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Saskatchewan Research Facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and the Steinkohlenbergbauverein Test Facility in Essen, West Germany. Test results are presented for a three-component sensor and also for the more rugged two-component (all nuclear) sensor.

Jan 1, 1988

By Giuseppe M. Gaspari, Tamara Kondrachova

Contract practices affect cost and schedule of tunneling works, impacting risk allocation between Owners and Contractors. The Authors compiled a dataset of projects constructed in the Toronto Area between 1990–2020 procured either Design-Build or Design-Bid-Build. Data were analyzed identifying independent cost variables across the two methods. Overall industry efficiency further comparison with historical information demonstrates the costs of engineering ongoing escalation due to rising trends in environmental requirements and public consultations stirred through modern communicative platforms. These hard to predict and estimate costs need to be included in the risks evaluated and managed by Owners and not by Contractors

Jun 13, 2021

By Walter Fuchs

IT is now generally conceded that coal is the product of deposition and transformation of debris of forests and swamps.29 Ample data are available to illustrate the metamorphosis of biochemical substances through biological action; other data show the progressive regional metamorphism existing in coal beds;25 and numerous examples of change effected by intrusion of igneous dikes into coal deposits have been established .R3 However, often the relative importance of the biological and the geological factor in determining the character of the various natural coals is a debatable question. Since both biological and geological factors are ever present in nature, the problem, at first glance, would appear to resemble certain probability problems: specifically the simultaneous toss of two coins, with the biological factor as heads and the geological as tails. The probability is 2:I for the combined effect of both factors, as compared to the exclusive effect of either one, if the a priori probability is the same for each factor. This condition can be analyzed by a thermodynamic treatment of data, which may be obtained from a consideration of pertinent biological, chemical, geophysical and geological facts. SYNOPSIS OF BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL FACTS The biosphere is not sterile; i.e., microorganisms are always present. Microorganisms have been established in the ocean deep, under the ice of the polar regions, in the sand of the deserts, and in swamps far below the surface. The various biological media may be acid, neutral, or alkaline, and they may or may not be readily accessible to air. Microorganisms are encountered almost everywhere, except where the temperature is not within the range tolerable by microbial life. Of course, with changing conditions, the type of microorganisms will change. All chemical products of life-proteins, fats, carbohydrates, lignins, waxes, resinsmay serve as a habitat of microorganisms. In the decomposition of a medium, some microorganisms macerate organic matter mechanically and remove certain constituents for their own nutrition; others decompose a large part of the organic matter but may leave certain constituents undecomposed. Some attack only certain specific ingredients of the organic matter. All of them build up cell substance. The nitrogen content of the medium largely determines the degree of decomposition. Below 1.7 per cent nitrogen, growth of microorganisms and hence decomposition of organic material is retarded; consequently organic material will accumulate.17,32 Such accumulations of organic material may give coal eventually. Coals differ in type and rank. The nature of the original vegetation and the conditions attending the transformation of the accumulated debris determine the type of coal such as bright, splint, cannel, and algal or boghead coals. Chemical analysis of representative samples of a given type of

Jan 1, 1941