Search Documents

By Amitava Gangulee, Michael B. Bever

The order-disorder transition in Ag-Mg alloys in the range 17 to 26 at. pct Mg was investigated and some thermodynamic, electrical and mechanical properties of ordered Ag-Mg alloys were measured. A modification of the phase diagram is proposed on the basis of measured transition temperatures. The stability of the ordered structure is analyzed in terms of the quasichemical theory. Kinetic aspects of the order-disorder transition were also investigated. The energies of ordering at 273°K of Ag-Mg alloys were measured by liquid metal solution calorimetry. The electrical resistivities and the tensile Properties of the ordered alloys were measured. The exothermic energy of ordering increased with magnesium concentration up to the composition Ag3Mg; it is discussed in terms of the quasichemical theory. Pronounced order hardening was observed and can be explained by several strengthening mechanisms, which are particularly effective because of a change in crystal structure associated with the ordering transition. IN silver-rich solid solutions containing approximately 17 to 26 at. pct Mg, long- range ordering may occur during appropriate therma1 treatments. Clare-brough and Nicholas1 first detected such long-range order in the solid solution of composition Ag3Mg and suggested that the unit cell of the superlattice contained 256 atoms. x-ray2 and electron diffraction3 investigations confirmed the occurrence of long-range order, but indicated a shifted Ll2-type structure. On the basis of recent X-ray measurements the crystal structure of ordered Ag3Mg has been confirmed as type D023.4 The present paper is concerned with the order-disorder transition in silver-rich Ag-Mg solid solutions and some thermodynamic, electrical, and mechanical properties of the ordered alloys. The effects of short-range order on the properties of silver-rich solid solutions containing up to 26 at. pct Mg are discussed in a concurrent paper.5 1) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES 1.1) Preparation of Specimens. Specimens of Ag-Mg alloys containing from 18 to 26 at. pct Mg were prepared in the form of 1.0-mm-diam wires as described in Section 1.1 of Ref. 5. Disordered specimens were prepared by annealing at 773°K for 1 hr and quenching into iced brine. Ordered specimens were prepared by annealing at 773°K for 1 hr and slowly cooling to room temperature over a period of 15 days. The specimens were stored at 78°K. 1.2) Resistivity Measurements. Electrical resistivi- ties were measured by a potentiometric method.' Equilibrium values were obtained at several temperatures. The kinetics of ordering were investigated by following the time-dependent changes of the resistivity of initially disordered specimens during annealing. The specimens were enclosed in copper capsules and immersed in salt pots; the heating up was accelerated by injecting preheated helium into the capsules. 1.3) Calorimetry. The energies of ordering of the alloys were measured in a tin solution calorimeter as the difference between the heat effects of additions of completely ordered and disordered specimens of the same composition. The procedure and the method of calculation have been described.6 Magnesium was used for thermal compensation in most calorimetric runs in order to improve the accuracy.677 1.4) Mechanical Tests. Tensile tests were carried out with wire specimens at room temperature as described in Section 1.5 of Ref. 5. Microhardness measurements were also made.? 2) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The characteristics of the order-disorder transition of silver-rich Ag-Mg solid solutions will be discussed first. Some thermodynamic, electrical, and mechanical properties of the ordered alloys will then be considered and compared with the corresponding properties of dis-disordered alloys. 2.1) The Order-Disorder Transition. 2.1.1) Thermodynamic and Structural Aspects. The transition temperatures Tt were determined from discontinuities in the slope of the equilibrium resistivity vs temperature curves. Normalized curves for three compositions are shown in Fig. 1. The transition temperature increases with the magnesium concentration and reaches a maximum at the stoichiometric composition Ag3Mg. The transition temperature of the alloy Ag3Mg was measured as 665° ± 2°K and compares with published values of 660°,1 663°,8 and 66°k.3 In the slopes of the resistivity vs temperature curves of alloys containing 22.2 and 22.5 at. pct Mg, discontinuities were observed at two temperatures. Such upper and lower discontinuities indicate a two-phase field. A modified form of the published phase diagram9 is shown in Fig. 2. A two-phase field was found only on the low-magnesium side of the composition Ag3Mg. On the high-magnesium side, the existence of a two-phase field could not be established because of insufficient resolution, but such a field must be present. This part of the phase diagram can be made complete by a eutec-toid-type reaction a = (a' + ß). The existence of a boundary between the two-phase fields (a + ß) and (a' + ß) is also in accord with published lattice parameters.3 The crystal structure of ordered Ag3Mg (type Do23)

Jan 1, 1969

By T. M Morris

THE rate of flotation of solid particles determines the percentage recovery of these particles which can be obtained during a given time interval. It is an established fact that the recovery is greatest in the fine sand size range and falls off on either side of this size range. It is also a fact that the history of the development of concentrating devices has been marked by a desire to recover the small particles: tables were developed to treat material too fine to recover in jigs; flotation recovers material too fine to be recovered on tables. As our ores become more complex and require finer grinding, a greater proportion is in the slow-floating size range. It is therefore of economic importance that the effect of size of particle upon rate of flotation be studied. Many studies have been made along this line. The present investigation attempts to quantify the rate of flotation by means of a rate equation, and then compares the effect of size upon the rate of flotation. It was found that the flotation rate constant increases with increase in diameter of particle in the size range smaller than the optimum size particle. The flotation rate constant decreases with an increase in diameter of particle in the size range coarser than the optimum size particle. This suggested two different actions taking place, and these are discussed. Suggestions for further work in order to improve the flotation rate of both fine and coarse particles are made. The usual method of expressing rate is to plot cumulative percent recovery vs time. If we knew the equation of this kind of curve we could replot it as a straight line, and the slope of the line would be an index of the magnitude of the flotation rate. It is easier to compare straight lines than curves. The basis used for obtaining the equation of the recovery vs time curve is the law of mass action. This law states that the "rate of a chemical reaction is proportional to the 'active masses' of the reacting substances present at any given time." This, of course, implies a constant temperature. We can modify this for our use by using the term flotation reaction instead of chemical reaction and the term floatable particle instead of active masses. dC Thus----— kc [1] where C denotes concentration of particles, t denotes time, k denotes a proportionality constant. If the exponent of C is 1, then we have a first order rate reaction. If the exponent of C is 2, then we have a second order rate reaction. For a first order rate reaction, we obtain, after integration, where k is again a proportionality constant and has the dimension of the reciprocal of time. C, is the original concentration or weight or percentage of floatable particles. C, is the concentration or weight or percentage of floatable particles remaining in the flotation cell after time t. If all particles of the mineral to be floated were capable of floating we could take C, as 100 and C, would be 100 - R, where R is the cumulative percentage recovery of mineral at time t. But it is not usual for all of the particles to be capable of floating, because of surface oxidation, etc. Therefore, we must introduce a factor x which is the percentage of un-floatable mineral. Hence the first order equation is It has been proposed by various workers1-' that this equation describes the flotation rate. More recently N. Arbiter4 states that a second order rate equation fits the recovery vs time curve more closely than does a first order rate equation. Morris- as discussed the evidence presented for this statement. It has been concluded that the first

Jan 1, 1953

By T. M. Morris

THE rate of flotation of solid particles determines the percentage recovery of these particles which can be obtained during a given time interval. It is an established fact that the recovery is greatest in the fine sand size range and falls off on either side of this size range. It is also a fact that the history of the development of concentrating devices has been marked by a desire to recover the small particles: tables were developed to treat material too fine to recover in jigs; flotation recovers material too fine to be recovered on tables. As our ores become more complex and require finer grinding, a greater proportion is in the slow-floating size range. It is therefore of economic importance that the effect of size of particle upon rate of flotation be studied. Many studies have been made along this line. The present investigation attempts to quantify the rate of flotation by means of a rate equation, and then compares the effect of size upon the rate of flotation. It was found that the flotation rate constant increases with increase in diameter of particle in the size range smaller than the optimum size particle. The flotation rate constant decreases with an increase in diameter of particle in the size range coarser than the optimum size particle. This suggested two different actions taking place, and these are discussed. Suggestions for further work in order to improve the flotation rate of both fine and coarse particles are made. The usual method of expressing rate is to plot cumulative percent recovery vs time. If we knew the equation of this kind of curve we could replot it as a straight line, and the slope of the line would be an index of the magnitude of the flotation rate. It is easier to compare straight lines than curves. The basis used for obtaining the equation of the recovery vs time curve is the law of mass action. This law states that the "rate of a chemical reaction is proportional to the 'active masses' of the reacting substances present at any given time." This, of course, implies a constant temperature. We can modify this for our use by using the term flotation reaction instead of chemical reaction and the term floatable particle instead of active masses. dC Thus----— kc [1] where C denotes concentration of particles, t denotes time, k denotes a proportionality constant. If the exponent of C is 1, then we have a first order rate reaction. If the exponent of C is 2, then we have a second order rate reaction. For a first order rate reaction, we obtain, after integration, where k is again a proportionality constant and has the dimension of the reciprocal of time. C, is the original concentration or weight or percentage of floatable particles. C, is the concentration or weight or percentage of floatable particles remaining in the flotation cell after time t. If all particles of the mineral to be floated were capable of floating we could take C, as 100 and C, would be 100 - R, where R is the cumulative percentage recovery of mineral at time t. But it is not usual for all of the particles to be capable of floating, because of surface oxidation, etc. Therefore, we must introduce a factor x which is the percentage of un-floatable mineral. Hence the first order equation is It has been proposed by various workers1-' that this equation describes the flotation rate. More recently N. Arbiter4 states that a second order rate equation fits the recovery vs time curve more closely than does a first order rate equation. Morris- as discussed the evidence presented for this statement. It has been concluded that the first

Jan 1, 1953

By Y. P. Chugh

The use of wooden supports, supplementary to the primary method of roof control using roof bolts in mines, consumes over 3 million cubic meters of hardwood in the U.S. annually. These supports arc primarily used in the form of cribs and posts. Along with a rapid depletion of high quality timber resources, supplies fluctuate seasonally, costs are escalating rapidly, and product quality is highly variable. Environmental considerations of global climate change put additional pressure on deforestation for utilization of timber for artificial supports. On the other hand, management of coal combustion byproducts (GCBs) from power plants has become a major issue to maintaining a healthy coal industry. The USA currently produces over 100 million tons of CCBs annually and the average cost for their management in the US is about $20/ton. This cost is expected to escalate rapidly with tougher environmental regulations. The principal author has been directing research, development, and demonstration studies for CCBs-based artificial supports and lightweight structural materials in mines for the past seven years and has made significant progress toward commercially viable products. More specifically, first and second generation crib elements and post elements have been developed, characterized analytically, and demonstrated in the field. It is estimated that about 2.5 x 10" tons of fly ash could be utilized for artificial supports in U.S coal mines and this would double if these materials were utilized in non-coal mines as well. The author believes that CCBs-based artificial supports have the potential to replace wooden supports and blocks with better performance and cost competitiveness while managing CCBs in an environmentally sound manner. This paper focuses on the development and field demonstration of CCBs-based artificial supports for use in underground mines, and its pilot scale fabrication facility. Recent analysis results on engineering performance evaluation of the developed crib under various loading conditions using finite element method are presented. The following comments highlight the developments: I ). Engineered artificial supports, crib and post elements, using CCBs as a major constituent, have significant potential for application in mines because their structural performance is significantly better than wooden cribs counterparts. 21. Engineered crib elements provide about 50% larger area for air-flow than a conventional wooden crib. 3). Engineered crib elements are not flammable. 4). Each engineered crib element utilizes about 10 kg of fly ash, about 40 % of the weight of crib element- Therefore, a typical crib 2.0 m high utilizes about 200 kg of fly ash. 5). Each 16.5 cm diameter engineered post utilizes 50 kg of fly ash. 6). Assuming 3.0 million cu. meter of wood consumed for post and crib support systems, it is estimated that about 4 - 5 million tons of fly ash may be utilized for supports fabrication in the USA. 7). An engineered post has excellent post-failure characteristics similar to wood. In addition, the engineered post also has excellent loading and unloading characteristics close to the yield point of about 75% of the ultimate load carrying capacity.

Jan 1, 2004

By R. E. Wilmot

This paper is based on the experiences, over many years, on the part of numerous authors in the South African mining industry and that of the hot dip galvanizing process and its application as a corrosion protection system. The paper sets out the extensive development, financial resources and stringent operating requirements of the South African mining industry. After many years of research and operational experiences, hot dip galvanizing and when necessary, duplex systems, have been found to meet the demanding requirements of this particular industry. The paper sets out the requirements from the standpoint of corrosion criteria and is followed with a practical example; ?case history? where the corrosion protection properties of hot dip galvanizing are demonstrated. This case history traces the early investigation of the expected corrosive conditions to be encountered in a new mining operation (now 10 years on) and concludes with two follow up visits to the mine in order to examine actual performance of the corrosion protection system after ten years in service.

Jan 1, 2006

By J. Z. Cui

In this paper a statistical multi-scale method for the mechanics parameter prediction of the rock mass with random distribution of multi-scale cracks/joints is presented. First the micro-structure of the rock mass with random distribution of multi-scale cracks/joints is represented. Then the statistical second-order two-scale method for the mechanics performance predictions of the rock mass structure with random cracks/joints distribution is presented, including the statistical second-order two-scale expression on the vector-valued displacement, strain tensor and stress tensor, and the algorithm procedure of statistical multi-sale computation for the mechanics parameters. Finally some numerical results for mechanical parameters for the rock mass with random distributions of multi-scale joints/cracks by statistical multi-scale method are shown.

May 1, 2009

By James Gardner

IN 1923, Oklahoma took second place as an oil-producing state; whereas in 1922 it was the leader. California surpassed it, in 1923, by nearly 100,000,000 bbl. In 1923, Oklahoma produced, according to statistics of The Oil & Gas Journal, 165,013,685 bbl., or an increase of approximately 10 per cent. over the preceding year; the increase in California was approximately 90 per cent. The number of wells drilled in Oklahoma and the results of the two years are contrasted in the following table from data published in a preliminary bulletin by the U. S. Geological Survey. 1922 1923 Oil wells 4,149,68%. 3,515, 60% Gas wells 571, 9 %u 587, 11% Dry holes 1,428,23% 1,731,29% Total wells 6,148 5,833 The initial production from wells drilled in Oklahoma in 1923, according to The Oil & Gas Journal, was the largest in the history of the state, being 1,277,936 bbl. It has been 32 years since oil development began in the state, last year being the largest in the amount of production. The production of the past year would have been considerably greater were it not for the shutdown order in the Burbank field and curtailment of production in the Hewitt and Tonkawa pools.

Jan 3, 1924

By J J. J Chen, J C. Zhao

A water/air model was developed to simulate the refining of molten aluminium by the sparging of gas through an impeller. The optimal gas dispersion depends upon selecting the correct gas rate for a given impeller rotational velocity to prevent flooding or channelling. Correlations illustrating this flooding behaviour exist for standard impellers within standard tank geometries. However the validity of these correlations has not been substantiated for gas dispersion in high temperature molten metals with non-standard tank and impeller dimensions. Metal refining is most efficient when fine bubbles are generated and uniformly distributed within the treatment tank. The application of some measuring technique able to detect this distribution within a non transparent operating treatment tank would be invaluable, enabling the optimisation of gas flow and impeller speed.   A technique has been developed to measure the pressure fluctuation levels at specific points in the water model. Comparison of these pressure fluctuation data with photographic evidence obtained in the water model suggests that the flow regime in the metal treatment unit may be determined using this technique.

Jan 1, 1995

By John J. Sammarco, Janet S. Flynt

This report (Independent Functional Safety Assessment Guidance 7.0) is the last in a nine-part series of recommendations and guidance addressing the functional safety of processor-controlled mining equipment. It is part of a risk-based system safety process encompassing hardware, software, humans, and the operating environment for the equipment’s life cycle. Figure1 shows a safety framework containing these recommendations. The reports in this series address the various life cycle stages of inception, design, approval and certification, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning. These recommendations were developed as a joint project between the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. They are intended for use by mining companies, original equipment manufacturers, and after-market suppliers to these mining companies. Users of these reports are expected to consider the set in total during the design cycle. • 1.0 Safety Introduction (Part 1).—This is an introductory report for the general mining industry. It provides basic system/software safety concepts, discusses the need for mining to address the functional safety of programmable electronics (PE), and includes the benefits of implementing a system/software safety program. • 2.1 System Safety (Part 2) and 2.2 Software Safety (Part 3).—These reports draw heavily from International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard IEC 61508 [IEC 1998a,b,c,d,e,f,g]and other standards. The scope is “surface and underground safety-related mining systems employing embedded, networked, and nonnetworked programmable electronics.” System safety seeks to design safety into all phases of the entire system. Software is a subsystem; thus, software safety is a part of the system’s safety. • 3.0 Safety File (Part 4).—This report contains the documentation that demonstrates the level of safety built into the system and identifies limitations for the system’s use and operation. In essence, it is a “proof of safety” that the system and its operation meet the appropriate level of safety for the intended application. It starts from the beginning of the design, is maintained during the full life cycle of the system, and provides administrative support for the safety program of the full system. • 4.0 Safety Assessment (Part 5).—The independent assessment of the safety file is addressed. It establishes consistent methods to determine the completeness and suitability of safety evidence and justifications. This assessment could be conducted by an independent third party. • Safety Framework Guidance.—It is intended to supplement the safety framework reports with guidance providing users with additional information. The purpose is to assist users in applying the concepts presented. In other words, the safety framework is what needs to be done and the guidance is how it can be done. The guidance information reinforces the concepts, describes various methodologies that can be used, and gives examples and references. It also gives information on the benefits and drawbacks of various methodologies. The guidance reports are not intended to promote a single methodology or to be an exhaustive treatment of the subject material. They provide information and references so that the user can more intelligently choose and implement the appropriate methodologies given the user’s application and capabilities. The guidance reports comprise parts 6 through 9 of the series and are listed below: [< 5.1 System Safety Guidance (Part 6).—This guidance supplements 2.1 System Safety. < 5.2 Software Safety Guidance (Part 7).—This guidance supplements 2.2 Software Safety. < 6.0 Safety File Guidance (Part 8).—This guidance supplements 3.0 Safety File. < 7.0 Independent Functional Safety Assessment Guidance (Part 9).—This guidance supplements 4.0 Independent Functional Safety Assessment.] [ ]

Jan 4, 2006

By Rita D. Sylvester

"THE BUREAU OF MINES was established in the public interest to conduct inquiries and scientific and technologic investigations concerning mining and the preparation, treatment, and utilization of mineral substances; to promote health and safety in the mineral industries; to conserve mineral resources and prevent their waste; to further economic development; to increase efficiency in the mining, metallurgical, quarrying, and other mineral industries; and to inquire into the economic conditions affecting these industries. The organic act of the Bureau, as amended by Congress and approved February 25, 1913, made it the province and duty of the Bureau to ""disseminate information concerning these subjects in such manner as will best carry out the purposes of this Act.""In accordance with that directive, the Bureau reports the findings of its research and investigations in its own series of publications and also in articles that appear in scientific, technical, and trade journals; in proceedings of conventions and seminars; in reference books; and in other non-Bureau sources. The number of these reports, the wide range of subjects they cover, and the variety of mediums in which they appear make the kind of list and index presented III this special publication both necessary and valuable. This issue describes Bureau reports and articles published during the period January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1964. It supplements the 50-year list of Bureau publications issued from July 1, 1910, to January 1, 1960,2 and the 50-year list of articles by Bureau authors published outside the Bureau from July 1, 1910, to January 1, 1960.3 It supersedes the annual lists of Bureau publications and articles from January 1 to December 31, 1960/ from January 1 to December 31, 1961,5 from January 1 to December 31, 1962,6 and from January 1 to December 31, 1963,1 The leading general and technical libraries of the United States maintain files of the Bureau's publications. A list of these libraries appears immediately following this introduction. BUREAU PUBLICATIONSBecause some series of Bureau reports contain both free and sales publications, and because the cost of sales publications varies, prices are indicated in the individual listings of all publications for which charges are made."

Jan 1, 1964

The Ministry of Economic Development has as its slogan æTogether making the differenceÆ. The Ministry is required to work in partnership with the private sector, local authorities, Maori economic entities, trade unions and community groups to transform New Zealand&apos;s industrial and economic base. The Government is seeking to achieve sustainable and balanced economic development by: being more actively involved in economic management; working in partnership with the public and private sector and with worker and business interests; focusing on adding value in industries (including primary industries) with long term potential; and bringing the tools of economic policy together in a coordinated way. The Ministry, particularly through its operating group Crown Minerals, is committed to working with industry to achieve mutual goals and to obtain continuing investment in minerals and coal exploration and mining and an active New Zealand minerals industry.

Jan 1, 2000

By George Stern

THE purpose of this investigation has been to study one method for making ordinary carbon steel by the powder metallurgy technique. This method con- [ ] sists of pressing and subsequently sintering an intimate mixture of iron powder and graphite in a suitable atmosphere to produce a steel. Two types of iron powder have been studied, electrolytic and reduced. The sintering of mixtures of loose carbonyl iron and carbon black for several hours at 1000° to 1100°C. (1830° to 2010°F.), followed by forging of the resultant ingots to bars, has been studied by Offermann.1 Trail&apos; has reported on the properties of hydrogen-reduced and electrolytic iron powders, both containing 0.5 per cent carbon. Methods for making steel bodies by powder metallurgy have also been sug- [ ] gested by Goetzel,3 who recommends the addition of steel powder of well-defined carbon content to pure iron powder, and Volterra,4 who suggests compaction and subsequent sintering of a mixture of steel powder, iron oxide and iron powder. Additional methods for making steel bodies by powder metallurgy have been reported in the literature by Koehring,5 Allen,6 Balke,7 Wulff,8 Boegehold,9 and others. 10,11,12 It is felt that the method of pressing iron powder and graphite, as described herein, lends itself best to production because of the lubricating action of the

Jan 1, 1946

Idaho Bureau of Mines and Geology, University of Idaho, Moscow, Ida. John W. Finch, Director. A list of publications will be sent upon application. A series of Bulletins and Pamphlets have been issued by the Bureau to date since 1920 Of the Bulletins, six are out of print, and a charge is made for eight. Each of the Bulletins, in the main, treats of the geology and resources of a particular district in Idaho, as follows (only available Bulletins listed): Bulletin 1, South central Idaho (1920), 15 cents, 7, North central Idaho (1924), 50 cents, 8, Bonneville, Bingham and Caribou counties (1924), 50 cents, 9, Boise Basin (1924), 50 cents; 10, Boundary County (1926), 50 cents; 11, Region about Silver City (1926), 50 cents; 12, Clark Fork district (1930), 50 cents, 14, Eastern Cassia County (1931), 50 cents, Press Bulletin 15, Teton County (1927), Bulletin 16, Melon Valley near Buhl (1927); 17, Concerning land slips near Whitebird, Idaho (1928) The 37 Pamphlets are issued free of cost, and each treats, also, in the main of the geology and resources of a particular district in Idaho Nos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 17, 18, 20, 22, 25, 26, 30 and 35 are out of print Of those available, attention may be called to Pamphlet 6, Reported platinum occurrences near Coeur d&apos; Alene (1925), 11, Bruneau River Basin, 12, Power and Oneida

Jan 1, 1933

By José Dávila

El presente trabajo señala el programa de manejo de datos del monitoreo biológico aplicado en BHP Tintaya. El estudio informa sobre el estado actual de las variables del medio natural, tales como la flora y la fauna, así como sus características temporales y espaciales para así diseñar las soluciones a los riesgos e incidentes ambientales referidos a ecosistemas naturales. Asi también, la investigación se complementa con el monitoreo de suelos, aguas, aire y residuos de diverso tipo, al reconocer que las actividades mineras se efectúan inmersas en medios naturales. Por lo que las empresas mineras , están obligadas a proteger el equilibrio y adecuado funcionamiento de los ecosistemas naturales.

Sep 13, 2001

By H. J. de Haan, J. van Lookeren

In view of their size and favorable characteristics, Shell&apos;s heavy-oil fields on the eastern coast of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela — known as the "Bolivar Coast" — are obvious candidates for the application of thermal recovery methods. During the last decade various methods have been tested, such as steam drive,&apos;, steam soak and in-situ combustion.3 Steam soak was discovered as a promising production method rather accidentally in 1969, during early steam drive testing in the Mene Grande Tar Sands1 When steam erupted at the surface due to breakdown of the overburden, the injection wells were back-flowed to relieve the reservoir pressure. This resulted in high oil production rates, all the more impressive because the reservoir is unproducible by primary means. It was concluded that injection of limited amounts of steam might be a very effective method for stimulation of heavy-oil wells. To obtain information that would be more widely applicable, testing of the process was continued in the eastern part of the Tia Juana field (Fig. 1). Here even more favorable results were obtained than in Mene Grande. This created sufficient confidence to prompt a large-scale project, which was considered essential for an adequate evaluation of ultimate recovery, steam requirements, mechanical problems and economic prospects. To obtain an early answer on the ultimate recovery a fairly depleted area was selected in the western part of the same field ("A" in Fig. 1). The first steam was injected in March, 1964. This paper describes the performance until the end of 1966. The production mechanism and well inflow performance are discussed in some detail. In view of the favorable results obtained so far, steam soak operations have expanded considerably since the start of this project. Presently, five other projects are under way, of which two are about the same size as the one under discussion, with further extensions being programmed. Description of the Project Reservoir Data Shell&apos;s part of the Main Tia Juana reservoir has a proven area of 8,800 acres and an average net oil sand thickness of 130 ft. It contained an initial quantity of 2,750 million bbl of stock tank oil (STOIIP), with an API gravity ranging from 10 to 15 API and a viscosity of 100 to 10,000 cp (at 122F). As a geological unit it is known locally as the Lower Lagun-illas member of the Lagunillas formation, which is early Miocene in age. The sand bodies are believed to be distributary channel sands deposited in a lower coastal plain. Most of the channel sands have lateral and some vertical communication. The field was developed mainly in the period from 1936 to 1950. The ultimate primary recovery is estimated at 18.1 percent of STOIIP, of which 12.5 percent STOIIP had been produced by the end of 1963 from some 540 wells. By then the average pressure had decreased from an initial value of 960 to 550

Jan 1, 1970

By E. Allaine

Carbochlorination kinetics of pure MoO3, Nb2O5, Ta2O5 and V2O5, by Cl2+CO+N2 gas mixtures was investigated between 380 and 1000 °C. Standard free energy of carhochlorination reactions and phase stability diagrams of these refractory metal compounds were calculated. The influence of total gas flow rate, temperature, reactants partial pressures on the reactivity of these oxides were investigated. The apparent activation energies were found to be about 83, 75, 110 and 100 kJ/mole below 650°C for MoO3, Nb2O5, Ta2O5 and V2O5, respectively. Above this temperature, the Arrhenius plots exhibit a rate anomaly attributed to thermal decomposition of COCl2 and/or structural changes of these refractory metal oxides. The apparent reaction order of carbochlorination of these oxides with respect to Cl2+CO was determined. For these refractory metal oxides, the reaction rate was maximum for a Cl2/CO ratio of about 1 in the chlorinating gas mixture. Results of carbochlorination of these oxides are compared and discussed.

Jan 1, 1995

By Kazem Oraee

In underground coal mining, particularly room-and-pillar methods, the coal pillars play a significant role in roof stability. If the pillar dimensions are increased, the pillar bearing capacity also increases, but more coal remains in the pillar and therefore the recovery of mining operation decreases. Therefore, determining the optimum pillar dimension based on technical, economical and performance parameters is important. In this paper, the coal pillar is designed by using the concept of ground reaction curve (GRC). For this purpose, the GRC for coal pillars is drawn and then the elastic and plastic zone of coal pillar behavior is determined. Based on elastic and plastic zone, different equations are presented to draw a pillar reaction curve and the process of coal pillar design based on GRC is explained. As a case study, this new technique is applied to study the coal pillar state in Tabas coal mine of Iran. The results show that the presented new approach is successfully used in the design of the optimum coal pillar dimensions, and also determines the elastic and plastic behavior limit, which is important especially for the logical design of yield pillars.

Jan 1, 2009

By Gary Jackson

Preliminary engineering for the Waller Creek Tunnel was completed in 2001, but the project was held in abeyance until the summer of 2007. This paper describes several features of the revised design, which required significant changes from the original concept. Most notable is the expected replacement of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) by conventional tunneling. The considerable influence of geological conditions on the tunnel vertical alignment is discussed, in particular the impact of the zones of Eagle Ford Shale with swelling potential. Other features which are described include the wide span tunnels and large diameter shaft requirements.

By Maurice Grieves

The great majority of shafts constructed today are still excavated by drilling and blasting, a method which changed very little in over 100 years until the introduction of the mechanical lashing unit and cactus grab by the South Africans, which enabled muck to be removed as fast as massive hoisting systems could handle it and resulted in very rapid rates of sinking. Record breaking month&apos;s performances were achieved at -Hartebeestfontein No. 4 shaft, October 1960-337.1 m; Western Reefs No. 4 shaft, October 1961-340.7 m; and Buffelsfontein eastern twin shaft, March 1962-381.2m. The method was very labor-intensive, requiring a crew of over 60 workers at the shaft bottom during the drill cycle. Safety precautions were strict, but in the drive to achieve rapid advance, cases of personal injury were still somewhat high because of the large number of people engaged in this potentially hostile environment. The South African method, as it came to be referred to throughout the rest of the world, was adopted in the United Kingdom in the late 1950s in a modified form with greatly reduced manpower and nonsimultaneous sinking and lining, which was insisted on by the British Mines Inspectorate. In that instance, it was successfully used to sink the 7.3-m-diam concrete-lined shafts at Kellingley to 770 m depth, with rates of advance of over 90 m/month achieved, a British record at that time. During the sinking of the 1.15-km-deep twin shafts at Boulby potash mine in the UK in 1970, the method was again used, but for the first time ever in Britain exemptions from the mining code permitted the use of crash beams, crash doors, jack catches, and semi-simultaneous sinking and lining techniques. New British shaft sinking records of over 120 m/month were achieved in both shafts. Similar equipment and techniques were used in the early 1970s to sink several deep shafts in Canada, notably Creighton #7 and the Con zinc mine at Yellowknife in the NW Territories. Today, this equipment is standard for deep shafts in the US and the rest of the world. However, with the tremendous escalation in mining labor costs, the impact of health and safety legislation, and environmental regulations, coupled with a very real shortage of miners willing to work in this exposed situation it was apparent that an alternative to the labor-intensive conventional method of shaft construction had to be found. Recognizing the trend is inevitable, one or two major German shaft sinking contracting firms began to take a fresh look at full face boring techniques applied to tunnels and raise bored shafts. The results were most encouraging. Tunnel drivage techniques using moles had developed considerably from Colonel Beaumont&apos;s original channel tunnel machine circa 1880 to the superbly engineered Priestley machine selected to cut the British side in 1975 and the double shielded Robbins Grandori borer on the French side of the English Channel. Full face tunnel machines were being successfully used to drive uphill in inclined shafts in Austria and Switzerland. At Mapprag in Switzerland, the Demag mole drove the first (intentional) vertical transition and curve, and then went on to successfully complete the 730-m-long penstock shaft at an inclination of 35°. In Austria, the Wirth mole drove the Kaprun Glacier ski-lift railcar tunnel at record breaking rates of 457 m/MONTH (best 30 m/d) through green schist at an inclination of 29° for a distance of 3.35 km while the Hydro tunnel at Sarrelli in Switzerland was being driven by the Robbin&apos;s mole at an inclination of 35°. Simultaneously, extremely promising results were obtained using large assemblies of cutter discs on raise borer heads, such as the 4.87-m-diam X 460-m-deep shaft raised by Teton for Jim Walter Resources Inc. Bearing in mind that most mine shafts in the future (unless in exceptionally competent rock) will require some form of lining, and the trend will be toward deeper shafts as the more easily accessible mineral deposits become exhausted, it was seen that normal raise boring had definite limitations in vertical accuracy, in the limitation imposed by the drill string on the available torque that could be applied to the cutter head, and in the risk of collapse of the unsupported shaft rock wall in friable or jointed and fissured ground, since it is not possible to apply any form of temporary support until the permanent lining is being installed. A further problem was the economics of installing a subsequent lining, necessitating setting up a headgear and hoisting arrangement approaching in size that required for conventional drill and blast sinking and lining. Because of the economics, German contractors opted for a phased transition from drill and blast to the full face, rodless, out of the solid shaft mole, by starting off with a down-the-hole shaft boring machine -without a drillstring-but using a pilot hole to get rid of the muck.

Jan 1, 1982

This paper discusses the social and economic impact of mining, and in particular goldmining, on New Zealand. The range of topics covered and their complexity has confined us in this paper to highlighting the main points of concern û a detailed report is under preparation. A major problem in undertaking this study was the lack of hard data on important environmental, economic and social issues and if there is to be effective planning in the area of natural resource use this situation must be rectified. The following conclusions were drawn: Goldmining was very important in shaping New Zealand&apos;s early social and economic development, providing wealth, employment and impetus for social change.Foreign investment and technology has been an essential element in New ZealandÆs economic development.Mining is a small industry at present by this must not be allowed to obscure its potential to broaden New Zealand&apos;s economic base and provide foreign exchange.With modern methods, development of mineral resources and environmental protection are not incompatible but certain unique and irreplaceable areas must be preserved.There are problems in evaluating mining and other projects because different groups hold different values, and arguments often hinge on the valuation of costs and benefits rather than the technical aspects of the analysis.Mineral exploration is a high risk business and the potential returns must be sufficient to attract capital if New Zealand&apos;s mineral resources are to be developed.A resurgence of goldmining will clearly have obvious benefits for Waihi but the local community must plan carefully for their future.&nbsp;New Zealand will also gain valuable foreign exchange required for higher levels of economic activity.

Jan 1, 1981