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By B. B. Broms

A method for calculating the bending moment induced in misaligned or bent piles is described, The maximum bending moment varies with the angular rotation between the pile segments, the coefficient of horizontal subgrade reaction of the soil and the flexural rigidity of the piles. A case history involving damages to misaligned 365 x 365 mm square precast concrete piles is described.

Jan 1, 2010

By S. M. Spottiswoode

Crush pillars are widely used in mine workings on the Merensky Reef in the Bushveld Complex to prevent panel collapses. Crush pillars are expected to fail as or soon after they emerge from the face and failure should occur non-violently. Unfortunately, violent failure occurs frequently and is said to be the main cause of seismicity associated with mining of the Merensky Reef. Recent work by Napier, Malan, and du Plessis has shown that limitequilibrium quasi-static models are able to simulate pillar failure using three states of strength of rock in pillars, namely intact, residual after failure, and decayed strength after later time-dependent (viscous) weakening. We have previously introduced an additional state of strength to account for the dynamic failure that results in seismic events, and found that this approach could be used to generate synthetic seismic catalogues similar to observed seismicity for deep-level gold mines, where seismicity takes place mostly on advancing faces. The less brittle seam material of the Merensky Reef, compared to the brittle quartzites and lavas of the Witwatersrand reefs, results in little or no face bursting and is modelled with an assumed plastic strain of some 0.005 over an effective stope width of 2 m before failure. When this plastic yield is surpassed, we allow the reef to fail ?seismically?. We show that synthetic seismic catalogues modelled in this way have some of the features of observed seismicity. Analysis is greatly facilitated using our custom-built software that reads the mine?s survey data into a database and presents results in an interactive graphical form.

Jan 1, 2014

By T. T. Tomimatsu

[This Bureau of Mines paper investigates explores, and analyses the Corporate structure dynamics and Rancid role to evaluate the economic health of the U.S. copper producers. It highlights the Corporate policy options and measures of corporate profitability and suggests that a competitive domestic copper industry will exist in the future. The study highlights the activities of 14 selected major copper-producing companies, including their subsidiaries o affiliates, that were responsible for more than 95 percent of the total U.S. production in each of the years since 1969. The selected firms are hot all primarily in the business of producing copper. Several of the large producers are classified by the financial institutions as integrated oil and gas enterprises.]

Jan 1, 1980

Two events during the past decade have combined to effectively alter the role of the geologist working in Papua New Guinea. The gold boom of the 1980s resulted in a substantial increase in the general awareness at village level of mining companies, gold and landowner issues, and as a consequence of the Bougainville tragedy, landowners are also very much aware of the potential problems of a mining operation in their area. Landowners know they have the power to remove a company from a project area, and government has shown itself to be virtually powerless and unable to help the company effectively. During a considerable proportion of a project's development time, the project geologist is viewed in the eyes of the local community as the 'company'. Good landowner relationships are nurtured over a reasonable time period and the input of the geologist is significant in determining the eventual fate of company-landowner relationships. The initial impressions of the company, gathered by the local community, will have a far reaching impact on the nature and direction of their future exchanges with the company.

Jan 1, 1991

The coalmining industry in most countries has, at various times, suddenly been confronted with a decrease in demand for coal. Readjustments made to reduce productive capacity to match the reduced demand for coal have often resulted in hardship to mineworkers, loss of capital investment to mineowners and loss of coal reserves. The consequences of the methods of readjustment adopted in the past have contributed to the low esteem in which coalmining has come to be regarded by a large section of the gel).eral public in many countries.Four sections of the coalmining industry, representing different periods of time, different countries, and different methods of industrial organisation have been examined:Great Britain and the U.S.A. during the inter war years, the post war European Coal and Steel Community, and post war Great Britain under the National Coal Board. An assessment has been made of the methods adopted in each case to reduce productive capacity to match a reduced demand for coal. Finally the fundamentals of the problem-as it affects the coalmining industry of any country-are considered, and possible solutions put forward.During the 1950's, surplus productive capacity was a problem in many coalmining countries, including Australia and New Zealand. As a rule no techniques are developed beforehand to solve problems introduced by a sudden decrease in demand for coal. The situation is usually tackled by a series of short term decisions based on expediency, which often in the long run only aggravate the problem.

Jan 1, 1961

Observed mineral assemblages in the Mt. Lyell copper deposit can be correlated with phase equilibrium investigations in the systems Cu-Fe-S and Fe-Zn-S. The trend of crystallization (or paragenetic sequence) of the ores is reflected in a progressive increase in the Cu: Fe and metal: sulphur ratios of the assemblages. This trend agrees with the regional zoning of the district. Tentative relationships between the paragenetic sequence, sulphur vapour pressure, and temperature are presented graphically. The absence of a suitable geological thermometer prevents precise elucidation of the range of temperatures and pressures which existed during crystallization.INTRODUCTIONRecent phase equilibrium investigations of metal-sulphur systems at the Geophysical Laboratory, Washington, D.C. provide valuable information on the stability relations of a number of important sulphide minerals. This data, when applied to natural ore deposits, may be expected to clarify two special problems which confront the ore petrologist seeking to interpret observed data in terms of a particular physical and chemical environment of ore deposition. These two problems are the sequence of formation of sulphide minerals (commonly designated the paragenetic sequence) and an elucidation of the range of temperatures and pressures which existed during crystallization. The object of this paper is to make such an interpretation of the copper mineralization of the Mt. Lyell district, Queenstown, Tasmania.The following abbreviations are used in this paper:py = pyrite, cp = chalcopyrite, en = cubanite, bn = bornite,cc = chalcocite, cv = covellite, dg = digenite, id = idaite,po = pyrrhotite, v = sulphur vapour.GEOLOGICAL SETTING AND MINERALIZATIONThe general geology of the Mt. Lyell district is well known through the recent work of Wade and Solomon (1958). The host rocks are a series of quartz-chlorite-seri-...

Jan 1, 1963

By W. G. Davenport, M. Paneni

Experiments in sheets of mercury and water have confirmed that the dynamics of bubble rise are simi-lur in Liquid metal and aqueous systems. RECOGNITION that bubble/metal interactions are important in pyrometallurgical refining processes (e.g., steelmaking, vacuum degassing, deoxidation of copper) has led to a number of investigations into the dynamic behavior of bubbles rising in liquid metals. Terminal velocities of bubbles rising in mercury (20°C)' and silver (1000" to 1050"c)1,2 have been measured. Good agreement between aqueous and liquid metal systems has been obtained. Shapes of air bubbles rising in mercury have been determined experimentally by Davenport, Bradshaw, and Richardsonl who used a system of electric probes to measure maximum horizontal and vertical dimensions, Fig. 5. In the present work the motion and shape of nitrogen bubbles rising in a thin sheet of mercury (i.e., a "two-dimensional" environment) have been studied with the view of confirming dynamic similarity between aqueous and metallic systems. The use of thin sheets of liquid permitted direct visual and photographic comparisons of bubble behavior in clear liquids and in mercury. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD The thin sheets of mercury or water were held in a clear acrylic plastic container, Fig. 1. The sheets of liquid were 80 cm high by 30 cm wide and 0.47 cm thick. Single bubbles were formed by injecting the desired volume of nitrogen into an inverted semicircular cup (stainless steel). The cup was then rotated into the upright position using an external handle thus releasing a single bubble of measured volume. Nitrogen was injected into the cup from a nitrogen cylinder through the external handle and a hollow rotating axle. The volume of a bubble (volume range 0.01 to 10 cu cm) at any instant was obtained by connecting a soap film meter to a small gas space above the liquid. By this technique any change in the volume of a gas bubble in the liquid (i.e., during cup filling or during rise) produces an equivalent displacement from gas space A into the buret B. This displacement is determined by measuring the movement of a horizontal soap film in the buret. Bubble shapes were determined using single-frame photography. Rising velocities were determined by cinephotography with a 1/100-sec stopwatch in the field of view. In both cases dimensions were referenced to a rule attached to the container surface, also in the field of view. Linear dimensions were measured on projections of the single-frame negatives. Rising velocities were calculated from measured heights of rise (10 to 20 cm) and times of rise. The effects of disturbances caused by cup rotation and by bubble release were minimized by photographing bubbles at a point not less than 25 cm above the cup. MATERIALS Mercury: Technical-grade purified: minimum 99 pct Hg; Johnson Matthey and Mallory Limited, Toronto. Nitrogen: Technical-grade purified nitrogen: 99.99 pct Nz, 0.01 pct 02, trace argon; Air Liquide Canada Limitee, Montreal.

Jan 1, 1970

By Patterson J. H

An infra-red absorption study has been made of crocidolite, country rock. and associated host rocks from Wittenoom Gorge. The spectrum of the country rock is appreciably different from those of crocidolite and the magnetite-rich host rocks which are closely similar. A process to separate crocidolite-bearing ore from country rock based on infra-red emission is therefore possible in theory.

Jan 1, 1966

The following data cover a phase in the systematic testing of gold deposits which does not appear to have been specificalIy investigated.In boring either secondary or primary deposits, gold, by virtue of its high specific gravity, will tend to migrate downward, below the driving shoe or bit, and thus cause misinterpretation of value unless final recovery Can be effected after the hole has been bottomed.Unlike fortuitous and non-recurrent errors, due to, say, running ground, "pile driving" or rock fractures, systematic error due to migration may be unpredict.able from operating data alone, and, therefore, result in serious miscalculation of the weighted average upon which the engineer's recommendation is based.Applied to diamond drilling, loss by downward migration appears to have been largely responsible for distrust of sludge assays in the past. On the other hand, although modern practice rightly trends towards an integration of both core and sludge samples in borehole valuation, the possibility of systematic loss must be investigated when using combination graphs such as those of Longyear, Moehlman and WeIler. If the sludge value is incorrect the combination graphs will serve solely to stultify the core valuation.It appears to be axiomatic that: 1. With full core, sludge assays are of minor import.2. With recovery above 90%, differentjal grinding, of the high grade sections may have occurred, and this c!ln be corrected only by the us.e of cOJ;rect sludge valuation.3. With core recovery less than, say, 70%, no accurate valuation is possible without integrating the sludge assay.4. With less than, say, 10% core recovery, the sludge assay affords the sole basis of evaluating a borehole which may have cost many hundreds of pounds.The conditions demanded for reliable sludge valuation have, in practice, been restricted to high quantitative recovery and return of nearly 90% of the drill water. It is submitted, however, that the following additional knowledge is required:1. The nature of gold distribution in the ore.2. The lifting power of the return water column, which can be gauged by the maximum quartz particle, provided that the degree of "hindrance" can be determined.3. That all gold has been cleared from the bottom of the borehole immediately after it has passed through the orebody.The three cases discussed hereunder are offered not only as proof of the thesis, but also in the hope of promoting discussion on the interpretation of borehole values and on methods for saving free gold in the sludge. The fact that two of them cover alluvial boringand the third diamond drilling has resulted in this attempt to reduce the behaviour of free gold to a basis common to all types of boring.

Jan 1, 1950

By Matters, R T, Coldham, Slee, J C, R J, Wallman

The Committee desires to thank the managers of the various mines along the line of lode for their hearty co-operation in its labours. It would also extend thanks to Messrs J C Moulden, Howchin, Twelvetrees, and the West Australian Geological Surveyfor various information; to Messrs J G Dreyer, S Pope, T Read, P Moncrieff, R Williams, and W J Rose for analyses; and to a number of local gentlemen for advice and help. Professor Skeats, of Melbourne University, gave much valued assistance in petrology, and Mr Herbert Lavers kindly undertook the study of the garnets.INTRODUCTIONThe famous Broken Hill lode is situated in a low range of hills, the Barrier Ranges, near the western border of New South Wales. It has been worked since 1884-fust for silver, then for silver and lead, and at present for lead, silver, and zinc...

Jan 1, 1910

Norton Co., the world's largest producer of abrasives, is enlarging its proppant operation. Proppants are strong chemical particles used to wedge open rock formations in deep oil wells, thereby increasing the well flow rate, sometimes as much as tenfold. Norton" aluminum oxide-based proppant is rapidly displacing less durable materials. The company is building the world's largest proppant plant in Fort Smith, AR. ALUMINUM--See also REFRACTORIES The price of primary aluminum ingot was increased by several producers in July. Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp., and Revere Copper & Brass Inc. increased the price of primary aluminum to 63.0 cents per pound, effective July I. Reynolds Metal s Co., Anaconda Aluminum Co., Howmet Aluminum Corp., and Marti n Marietta Aluminum Inc. increased the price of 99.5% primary aluminum ingot to 63.0 cents per pound, effective July 5, The Aluminum Company of America increased the price of aluminum ingot to 62.5 cents per pound, effective July 9. The range of prices at the end of the month was 58.5 to 63.0 cents per pound.

Jan 1, 1979

By Robert E. McIvor

The Functional Performance Equation for Ball Milling” was first presented in 1988. It now has been used successfully in more than a dozen mineral processing plants. This powerful, yet simple tool provides a new level of understanding of closed circuit grinding. It shows how grinding circuit efficiency is in reality comprised of two distinct efficiencies. It demonstrates how circuit production rate is related, collectively, to these two efficiencies, mill energy input, and the grindability of the ore. It links circuit performance to design and operating variables that can be manipulated, and creates an effective strategy for making plant improvements. This paper covers the derivation and industrial validation of this equation. As part of an engineering and management system that also incorporates suitable metrics and process control, other operators can now use this tool to make improvements and to manage the performance of their grinding operations with clarity and confidence.

Jan 1, 2005

By Frank J. Arland

Augered-Cast-in-Place piles have been used successfully for many deep foundation applications. The four case studies discussed herein describe ACIP pile projects where problems developed during ACIP pile installation requiring changes to the method or sequence of installation. The case studies illustrate the importance of understanding existing subsurface conditions and project constraints when considering the use of this pile type. Ground loosening and over-excavation of soil during the augering process, a significant concern for fine to medium sands and non-plastic silts below the water table, can significantly impact adjacent structures. This risk needs to be evaluated during the pile selection process and generally can be mitigated, but not eliminated, by requiring the use of piling equipment with high torque and slow auger rotation speed to advance the auger with minimum amount of rotation. In some applications where high lateral stresses in the soil are present such as at the base of retaining structures, the use of ACIP piles may not be appropriate if structure movement is unacceptable. On the other hand, ACIP piles have been successfully used to support deep foundations in preconsolidated varved deposits where the new structure was designed to accommodate recompression settlement.

Jan 1, 2004

By E. R. Spencer, D. R. Babich, L. A. Alcorn, A. K. Smith

Noise is one of the most pervasive health hazards in mining. A compilation of Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) noise survey data for fiscal year 1990 shows that approximately 40% of the total samples taken for longwall occupations exceeded the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 100% (Gigliotti et al., 1991). To effectively determine worker noise exposures on longwall coal mining systems, it is necessary to provide accurate baseline measurements for these mining systems. This research was designed to develop measurement methods and test procedures for identifying noise sources that are major contributors to the underground noise exposure of longwall coal mining system workers. The measurement system that was used to analyze the noise sources around a stageloader used stationary dosimeters in a documented repeatable pattern to record the sound pressure and dose levels. A time-motion study of the cutting cycle and stageloader operator’s work cycle was done to correlate the sound levels at measurement locations and the resulting operator’s daily dose with significant noise events. Results from the underground measurements show that the highest sound levels recorded were at the stageloader discharge segment and tailpiece controls, where sound levels remained about the same throughout the test.

By J. E. Forciea, O. E. Palasvirta, L. G. Hendrickson

AH pilot and commercial plants working with Mesabi Range taconite employ wet magnetic separation. Progress is being made with a dry magnetic process, but this has not yet been applied to taconite except in the laboratory and pilot plants. Flowsheets in all five plants are similar, including multiple stages of grinding, each followed by magnetic separation, which rejects a finished tailing. The flowsheet in Fig. 1 is used in the preliminary and commercial plants of the Erie and Reserve mining companies and in Unit C of Oliver's Pilotac plant. At Erie the desliming operation is omitted. In the Reserve plants two ball mills are used with each rod mill. Pilotac uses flowsheet 2 in Unit A-B and has also tested flowsheet 3. Principal differences in the three flowsheets are the number of grinding stages and the type of roughing. The terms open-circuit roughing and closed-circuit roughing are best defined by the diagrams. Special Test Data Given in Table I: For the Erie and Reserve commercial plants, Table I reflects routine conditions. Pilotac, the experimental plant, has been run with several flowsheets, including those followed at Erie and Reserve's commercial operations. Pilotac data for these last two flowsheets are similar to commercial plant results and are not repeated in Table I; statistics are given, however, for special test conditions. using other flowsheets. when the objective was to 'to extra-grade concentrate, Variations Among Taconites: Although crude ore tributary to these plants is generally classified as taconite, there are important differences in mineralogy and fineness of dissemination.

Jan 1, 1959

By Misra V. N, Cheng C. Y

Two types of Mt Tom Price hematite iron ore from Hamersley Iron P/L were tested using a Humboldt Wedag Jones P40 wet high intensity magnetic separator (WHIMS). The parameters tested were magnetic intensity (7000, 9000 and 11 000 Gauss), groove plate type (8R and 12R) and gap width (2.5 and 1.8 mm). It was found that at 9000 gauss magnetic intensity, reasonably high-grade and recovery in the concentrate were obtained. At 2.5 mm plate gap width, the 12R groove plate performed slightly better than the 8R groove plate. Further testwork is recommended to optimise the magnetic intensity, feed flowrate and pulp density, wash water pressure and flowrate with 12R and 8R groove plates at 2.5 mm gap width.

Jan 1, 1999

By L. Ou

This paper reports on research on leaching pyrite in a germ-free system. The effects of mineral particle size, pulp potential and various oxidation agents on pyrite leaching were studied. The results indicated that a smaller mineral particle size leads to a higher leaching rate of pyrite. The optimum results were obtained with a mineral particle size of -0.037 mm. The pulp potential reflected the leaching process and an increasing pulp potential improved pyrite leaching. The leaching rate rapidly increased with the addition of oxidation agents such as Fe3+ and H2O2. However, the precipitate generated by ferric ion coated the surface of the pyrite and prevented further leaching.

Jan 1, 2007

ABSTRACTRock stresses can be modified by physicochemical processes.If rock pores allow the ingress of water and oxygen, but are not large enough to permit the exit of larger molecules of weathering products, anomalous rock pressures develop. Rock masses may also be subjected to osmotic pressures developed as water diffuses into pores and joints filled with saline water. Anomalous rock pressures may also develop as gels filling pores undergo syneresis and as salts crystallize from pore solutions.

Jan 1, 1968

By Bruce Geller

Attending the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) meeting and exhibit has become an annual tradition for many in the mining industry. Similar to last year’s synopsis, this report is an overview of the 2003 conference from the eyes of a consulting mineralogist. It is supplemented by conversations with other participants. And it examines the conference handouts. Certain segments of the mining industry have seen improvement throughout the year in terms of metal prices, stronger demand and renewed interest by the investment community. Other segments continue their decline due to depressed commodity prices, higher oil prices, a continued weakness in the global economy and war uncertainties. SARS was known to the world, but it was not a Toronto epidemic during PDAC. In short, this year’s PDAC was permeated by an air of anxiety about the Middle East.

Jan 1, 2003

By L. Hansen

Sulphuric acid plants now and then see unexpected increases in SO2 emissions. Our experience is that it is not always easy for the acid plants to pinpoint the exact reason for the SO2 increase. Sometimes a catalyst bed is sacrificed even though reliable temperature readings and gas analyses could have verified satisfactory activity. Hence the leaking heat exchanger is never discovered and after the shutdown the SO2 emissions are still too high. This paper will look into some basic catalyst management tools: good record keeping is a necessity for collection of representative catalyst samples; reliable operating data is an inevitable starting point for all analysis; and trending of operating data is a must for plant optimization and troubleshooting. In addition, these catalyst management tools will give continuous updated knowledge of the catalyst status in each bed, providing the basis for a more effective replacement strategy. The most typical reasons for increasing SO2 emissions will be presented together with easy guidelines for cross-checking operating data, temperature optimization and good record keeping.

Jan 1, 2009