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By E. P. Williams

"Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest Maritime Province, is located in the southwestern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Province is more or less centrally located in the Maritimes Basin, a large intermontane basin within the Appalachian orogenic belt. The Maritimes Basin is subdivided into sub-basins and uplifts which exhibit two dominant structural trends: east and northeast. The Basin is known to be petroliferous because of the seeps, shows, oil shales and albertite found in southern New Brunswick and northern Nova Scotia and the gas and oil produced from the Stony Creek field near Moncton, New Brunswick.Permian beds are exposed on the Island, mostly along sea-cliffs. A maximum thickness of about 5,000 feet of red beds -shales, sandstones and conglomerates -make up the sequence. Over most of the Island, the Permian section is much thinner. Four key wells (Mississippian tests) and several shallower tests have been drilled. The Pennsylvanian-Mississippian section thickens rapidly off the Port Hill Uplift at the northwest, where it is less than 4,600 feet thick, and continues to thicken to about 20,000 feet in the Cumberland Basin at the southeast. Geological and geophysical data combine to give us the structural picture of the deeper beds.Prospective reservoir rocks are primarily in the Missis-sippian Horton and Windsor groups. Prospects are:-1. on or over structural highs in the basement; 2. on anticlines or fault highs; 3. over or peripheral to salt domes or salt-core anticlines; 4. at truncation pinchouts of Mississippian prospective beds; 5. in basal sandstone or granite wash on the pre-Carboni-ferous basement; and 6. in facies traps at changes from sandstone to shale or porous to tight carbonate rocks."

Jan 1, 1967

By Marie-France Caille, Carl Caumartin

"Audrey Resources' Mobrun Mine is located in Dufresnoy Township some 30 km to the northeast of Rouyn-Noranda. The Mobrun tine deposits consist of two major massive sulphide lenses; the newly discovered 1100 lens located 450 m south of the Main zone, and one ntellite lens, the 850-870-930 complex.The 1100 lens is hosted in a large pyroclastic unit bounded to the mouth by rhyolite and andesite flows and by a thick rhyolite unit to the art h. stratigraphically belon the three lenses. It consists of approximately 15 Mt of massive sulphide, of which 10.4 Mt are of economic ade. The Main lens lies comformably above thick rhyolite flows, ecciated and pyritized by the sulphide horizon, and is overlain by ttercalated ash tuffs and rhyolites which host the over-lying satellite ns. The Main lens consists of 3,3 Mt of massive sulphide, of which 523 000 tgrade0.80% Cu, 2.44%Zn,30.19 g/t Ag, and2.2 g/t Au he richer satellite lens (180 000 t) is part of the same volcanic stem and resulted from a resurgence of hydrothermal activity. ructure played a role in the final geometry of the deposits but did not eatly affect the volcanogenic and stratabound nature of the lens. Total production since the start of operations in 1985 amounts to 58 000 t and is restricted to the Main lens. Production from the 100 will come onstream in 1992 as ore reserves from the Main and e satellite lenses are exhausted.RESUMELa Mine Mobrun de Ressources Audrey inc. est située dans le mton Dufresnoy, a quelque 30 km au nord-est de Rouyn-Noranda. lle comprend deux lentilles de sulfures massifs d’importance majeure ~i sont les lentilles 1100 et Principale, et une lentille satellite qui est complexe 850-870-930.La lentille 1100, la plus ancienne, est contenue dans une épaisse 1ite pyroclastique bordée, au sud, par des coulées de rhyolite et d’andésites, au nord, par une épaisse unité rhyolitique. Cette lentille contient environ 15 Mt de sulfures massifs dont 10,4 Mt à teneur économique. La lentille Principale repose sur d’épaisses coulées rhyolitiques brechifiees et pyritisees à proximité de l’horizon de sulfures; elle est recouverte de tufs a cendres et de rhyolites interlitees qui contiennent la lentille satellite. La lentille Principale est constitute de 3,3 M t de sulfures massifs dont 1 523 000 t sont économiques avec une teneur moyenne de 0,80% Cu, 2,44% Zn, 30,19 g/t Ag, et 2,2 glt Au. Faisant partie de ce second épisode volcanique, la riche lentille satellite (180 000 t) temoigne d’une recrudescence de l’activité hydrothermale. La structure joue un rôle important dans la géométrie finale des dépôts mais ellen' affecte pas, de fa~on significative, la nature volcan génique des lentilles. Depuis le début des opérations, en 1985, la production totale est d’environ 568 000 t, provenant essentiellement de la lentille Principale. La mise en production de la lentille 1100 est prévue pour 1992, alors que les réserves des lentilles Principale et Satellite seront probablement épuisés."

Jan 1, 1990

By Victor Azbe

Introduction Lime enters our daily life in many ways. Our building, chemical, agricultural, sanitary, and industrial endeavours depend on it to such a great extent that it could probably be called the most important inorganic chemical, and the extent to which it is used might be considered an index of industrial development. Industrial limes vary greatly in quality, due to internal structure and other characteristics. They may be good or bad, sensitive or slow to react. While improper manufacture may not greatly alter the appearance of the lime, it may affect its properties considerably and thus its suitability in the many processes in which lime is used. In some of the processes, one kind of lime is wanted, in others another. While the nature of the stone from which it is made has much to do with whether a lime is suitable or not, its burning and hydration are the crux of the matter. Up to not so many years ago, the knowledge of lime burning was rather imperfect and it is only relatively recently that its manufacture is approaching the state of a higher industrial art. This slow development was in part due to lime manufacture being scattered among many small concerns who, independently, either lacked the inclination or could not afford to strive for a higher technical development.

Jan 1, 1946

By J. T. Kalala

The High Pressure Grinding Roll (HPGR) is gaining acceptance in the mineral processing industry and has become a competitive technology in reducing the specific energy consumption in Mineral processing plants. The amount of samples required for HPGR amenability testwork and HPGR wear tests is usually high and often cannot be available at early stage of projects were only a few drill cores are available. Although HPGR was initiated from small scale piston die compression tests, the development of small scale piston die test to predict the performance of HPGR has been slow. The objectives of this paper was to present the designs, operating procedure of piston-die press and operating conditions which have resulted in similar particle size distribution obtained from a piston die test and HPGR Labwal unit starting from the same feed size distribution. Testwork were conducted using a 2 MN piston-die press and a Labwal HPGR unit on major South African ore types, viz, gold, platinum and iron ores. The results obtained show that piston-die test can generate data to predict energy consumption, product size distribution, and even to evaluate the edge effect.

Jan 1, 2012

By A. J. Williams

"IntroductionAN EXCELLENT paper entitled Potash Discoveries in Western Canada (l) was presented to the 1948 Annual Meeting of the C.l.M. by L. Heber Cole, of the Department of Mines and Resources, Ottawa. In the intervening three and a half years, the search for oil and gas in Saskatchewan has added considerably to the information available on the occurrence of potash. It is the purpose of this paper to summarize the additional data. For greater clarity, it may be useful, first, to recapitulate some of the highlights of Mr. Cole's paper.Underlying the western plains of Canada there is a large deposit of sodium chloride, believed to be of early Devonian age. Associated with the sodium chloride are certain potash salts, primarily 'sylvinite,' a mechanical mixture of sodium chloride (halite) and potassium chloride (sylvite) crystals. The potash salts, when present, are usually near the top of the salt formation, though in at least one well they were found near the central part of the deposit. Cole reported on some seven wells in Saskatchewan which had encountered appreciable amounts of potash; these were the Ogema, Radville, Davidson Nos. 1 and 2, Prairie Salt Nos. 1 and 2, and Verbata wells. Depth of potash from surface ranged from 7,653 feet in the Radville well to a minimum of 3,466 feet in the Verbata well. Such depths do not compare favourably with those at which the potash is found in mines in the United States, France, and Germany, where about 1,000 feet is the average. The greatest concentration of sylvite encountered was in the Verbata well, where a bed 11 feet thick carried the equivalent of 21.64 per cent K20."

Jan 1, 1952

By G. R. Phare

Explosives formulation is dictated by desired field performance, which in turn is dependent on such physical properties as strength, velocity of detonation, sensitivity, and water resistance. The design of explosives to obtain these properties is discussed with some reference to detonation and rock mechanics theory.

Jan 1, 1958

By Ralph W. Edie

"IntroductionTHIS PAPER deals with chemical and mineralogical changes in wall-rocks associated with pitchblende mineralization in the Gold-fields area of Saskatchewan. The localities at which the rock specimens studied were collected, and descriptions of the various rock-types referred to, are given in a previous paper by the author (5).The geological field work upon which this paper is based was carried out while the writer was employed by the Eldorado Mining and Refining Company during the summers of 1948, 1949 and 1950. The laboratory work§ consisted largely of quantitative spectrographic analyses for both major and minor elements, supplemented by an examination of 250 thin sections of both altered and unaltered rocks.Character of the AlterationHydrothermal alteration, with associated pitchbende mineralization, is widespread in the Goldfields area of Saskatchewan. The most intense alteration is restricted to the immediate vicinity of fault or breccia zones, but large areas are affected to a minor extent.In detail, the relationship between alteration and pitchblende mineralization is complex, as individual veins do not in general have separate alteration halos. Pitchblende generally occurs in gash-like calcite veins or stringers in wide, fractured zones associated with faulting. Large, lenticular and tabular masses of slightly to intensely altered rock occur in the same wide fracture zones as the mineralized veins. However, vein deposition appears to be-long to a later fracturing period, after hydrothermal alteration was more or: less completed. Generally, the veins transect and are confined to highly altered rock, but on the other hand many highly altered zones intersected in diamond drill-core are barren of mineralized veins."

Jan 1, 1953

"One of the corporate values mentioned by many companies deals with respect for people. This paper discusses one aspect of this value, namely, the need for clarity of accountabilities and authorities. The job of the manager in achieving this goal is analyzed and the benefits of enhancing the manager-employee conversation outlined. IntroductionCorporate values usually refer to the standards of behaviour that the leaders of the organization expect of all employees, including themselves, in carrying out their duties. Terms such as integrity, respect for the individual, continuous improvement, continuous learning, teamwork, speed, and innovation are quite common. The company-specific values are typically developed by the top executives of the company, and then tested with a broader group of employees. Where the process works, employees have a good understanding of what behaviour is expected of them in doing their work, in making difficult decisions, and in interacting with others.Having spent considerable time in his career investigating and studying the management systems at over 50 of the most successful companies in Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan, the author has had the opportunity to visit organizations such as Hewlett-Packard, 3M, Xerox, Intel, Toyota, NEC, Komatsu, British Airways, and Eastman Chemical. These experiences, together with the work of many other researchers, including the work of Dr. Elliott Jacques, have helped significantly to form the thoughts expressed below.Rather than reviewing the creation of corporate values and their deployment through the organization, these remarks focus on issues over which managers and employees have some control. The value in which managers can have significant impact deals with people and the respect shown them in the workplace. The component of respect to be emphasized is to be clear about expectations or accountabilities for oneself and the people who report to you, and to ensure that personal authority matches those expectations."

Jan 1, 1999

By Tim Deans

This paper will address methods to manage hydraulic hose and coupling inventory so that parts will be available to build assemblies for the vast majority of equipment with as little inventory as possible. Topics also to be covered will include some basic hose assembly tagging techniques that will help keep equipment running by tracking problem hoses and building ?band aid? kits, having problem hoses premade in stock, and inventory usage tracking (one of the biggest problems for any inventory manager is knowing which couplings have been used so they can re-order). Cradle to grave tracking of hydraulic and industrial hoses insures reliable service of vehicles and ethical disposal of old hoses and couplings. With accountability for disposal of hose products that may contain chlorine (neoprene tube material in some hydraulic hoses) and carbon black that will be scrutinized more closely in the future, a proactive approach should be adopted in order to minimize maintenance facility problems.

Aug 1, 2013

By P. Clinton Milne

Uranium mines in Washington State include the producing Midnite and Sherwood mines and several mined-out deposits, the most productive of which was the Daybreak mine. The Midnite mine is generally classified as a hydrothermal deposit consisting of tabular orebodies in Precambrian pelitic and calcareous metasedimentary host rocks. The host rocks occur as roof pendants in a Cretaceous porphyritic quartz monzonite intrusive; the quartz monzonite averages 12 ppm U308 The uranium deposit appears to have undergone a complex genesis, involving a series of depositional and enrichment stages. The Sherwood uranium deposit, approximately 4 miles south of the Midnite mine, occurs near the bottom of a basal Late Cretaceous to Paleocene arkosic conglomerate. The conglomerate lies nonconformably on the porphyritic quartz monzonite that is associated with the Midnite deposit. The Sherwood and Midnite uranium deposits may have had a similar genetic history linked by a common uraniferous pluton source, ground-water action, and/or leaching of uranium-rich ash flows from now-eroded, overlying, Eocene volcanics. The Daybreak deposit, in northeastern Spokane County, consists entirely of secondary uranium mineralization (metaautunite) in a quartz monzonite pluton. Mineralization is confined to a low-angle fault zone and is most highly concentrated at the intersection of primary and secondary shears. Both hydrothermal and ground-water origins are feasible. Besides the Midnite-Sherwood area, 14 other areas in the western Okanogan Highlands physiographic province and Cascades region have favourable characteristics for uranium potential. Criteria include the existence of uranium occurrences, Tertiary basin sediments with intercalated volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, favourable geochemical data, alkaline plutons associated with uranium occurrences or borders of Tertiary basins, and structural controls.

Jan 1, 1979

By M. A. Perras, H. A. Kasani, G. Walton

The development of an underground repository for the storage of spent nuclear fuel relies on a multi-barrier system to isolate the used fuel from the environment – ultimately, the biosphere. These barriers include engineered copper and steal canisters, dense bentonite, and the natural rock as well. In order to reduce the potential flow pathway along the excavation induced damage zone, various slots perpendicular to the excavation axis have been proposed. These slots are called cut-off seals and generally are filled with bentonite as it has high swelling potential and very low permeability. Many different geometries have been proposed, but clear guidelines on the selection of the optimum geometry have yet to be developed. In order to assess the optimum geometry, three shapes have been selected for this numerical study, including a trapezoid, a triangle, and a thin rectangular slot. The cut-offs were modelled for a conceptual shaft constructed in the Queenston Formation from Ontario over a stress to strength ratio that has been found at many underground research laboratories. It was found that the excavation of a triangular and thin slot cut-off had the smallest increase in the damage as quantified based on the extensile volumetric strain within the plastic yield zone. Both shapes showed an increase in the damaged zone by 13 cm at a stress to strength ratio of 2.75. The trapezoidal cut-off damage zone increased by 20 cm at the same stress to strength ratio. Further study is required to better define the optimum cut-off shape for wider variety of conditions and other geological formations.

Jan 1, 2020

By W. Torres Pino, L. Mariscal Samaniego

The Ilo Smelter has been continuously operating since 1960 with Reverberatory furnaces and Pierce Smith converters producing blister copper. The original installed capacity of 1.134 tons per day of concentrated was expanded in 1976. A process of modernization started in 1995 and 1998 with the installation of an El Teniente Converter, a sulfuric acid plant and an oxygen plant to reduce the gaseous emissions to the atmosphere. With the official approval of the Environmental Compliance and Management Program (Programa de Adecuaci6n y Manejo Ambiental - PAMA) in January 1997, Southern Peru Copper Corporation made a commitment to capture 91. 7% of the S02 generated at the smelter by January 2007. After an evaluation of six different technologies, the ISASMEL T process was selected because it can be easily adapted to the present operation, has a lower capital cost and it is a simple process. The fast learning curve to reach the total capacity will allow to fulfill the PAMA commitment in time. The project construction is in process and SPCC is prepared for a successful start-up and transition of the current operations at the end of year 2006. This paper outlines the factors considered by SPCC in its choice of ISASMEL T technology and describes the construction and the start-up activities of the new facilities.

Jan 1, 2007

By G. G. W. Thom, A. A. F. Schuldt

At The Steel Company of Canada, Limited, iron oxide dust from the basic oxygen open hearths is being collected by means of electrostatic precipitators. The utilization of this dust, which has been hampered by the presence of zinc and lead oxides and sulphur compounds, is made possible by direct reduction in a rotary kiln. The description of the dust collection system and the results of kiln tests are presented.

Jan 1, 1966

By Marvin E. Lane

Viburnum, located in the foothills of the Ozarks in south-east Missouri, is the site of a modern lead mining and milling operation. Two mines are currently producing a total of 5,000 tons per day and a third mine is in the final development stage, with full production scheduled for late this year (1964). These mines will supply the tonnage required to keep the Viburnum mill operating at a full capacity of 7,000 tons per day for many years. The efficient underground mining operation is completely trackless. Drill jumbos are used to break the ore in a room and pillar method of mining. Transloaders, or St. Joe shovels, and trucks do the loading and hauling. The Viburnum mill has a world-wide reputation as a most efficient operation. This is due to the extensive use of automatic process controls, and labour saving materials handling facilities. Introduction THE St. Joseph Lead Co., has operated lead mines in southeast Missouri for 100 years. These operations have been confined largely to the area called the

Jan 1, 1964

By Tracey Bodnarchuk, Philipp Mirzoev

Sulfate balance control is a common problem for zinc plants. Roast-leach-electrowin plants are mostly concerned with the over-generation of sulfates while for the HudBay direct leach plant both extremes are possible including potential necessity to buy sulfuric acid to replenish a sulfate-depleted circuit, which makes the problem doubly important. Quantitative methods were applied at the HudBay plant to analyze sulfate generation/depletion based on a local sulfur balance and sulfate extraction calculation in the leach circuit, using a Pb-tie method. Main factors were established influencing sulfate generation/depletion, including the critical role of Pb and pyrite. Regression analysis proved to be effective and allowed the quantitative prediction of Pb concentrations necessary to reach the equilibrium for the sulfate balance. This in turn provided a firm basis for a sulfate-control strategy realized through concentrate blend correction, which allowed the plant to fine-tune sulfate generation/depletion effectively reducing economic consequences of excessive/deficient sulfate generation.

Jan 1, 2015

"The Cooperative Research Centre for Mining Technology and Equipment (CMTE) is funded by the Commonwealth Government, by its mining research members — the Universities of Queensland and Sydney and the CSIRO1, and by its industry members — BHP Coal, RioTinto R&TD, Hamersley Iron, Mining Technologies Australia, Pasminco, Shell Coal, WMC Resources, Advanced Mining Technologies, and Aberfoyle. The Centre conducts work aimed at improving the competitiveness of the Australian mining industry. The current work is focused in four areas: new mining and drilling systems, geological sensing, automation, and equipment maintenance and reliability. This paper describes much of the work in these program areas that relates to metalliferous mining. Mechanized Rock ExcavationThe disadvantages of the drill-and-blast excavation method are widely recognized and the last half of the 20th century has seen mining companies and mining research organizations aggressively pursue technology to excavate rock by other means. As discussed below, despite considerable effort and large amounts of funding, the quest for mining’s “Holy Grail” has been unsuccessful in all but the weakest rock types.COMRO (the Chamber of Mines Research Organisation) supported by the South African gold mining industry, spent three decades and (probably) tens of millions of dollars developing prototype drag bits and, later, impact breaking machines aimed at the mechanized stoping of narrow, tabular reefs. This work has not yet produced a commercially-attractive mining system. Work continues in South Africa to mechanize these stoping operations although now the emphasis is on the use of diamond-wire sawing techniques. This work remains in the experimental phase.Both British Coal and Germany’s Bergbau- Forschung spent many years developing techniques trying to extend the range of rock types which roadheaders could cut economically. Again, although new knowledge was produced, it is difficult to claim that any new commercial mining systems emerged from this work."

Jan 1, 2001

By R. Fukuzawa

"The objective of this research is to evaluate the magnitude of carbon prices required to drive process development and innovation for the global nickel industry in a direction that tackles the multifaceted sustainability challenges that the industry faces, including air pollution reduction and greenhouse gas abatement. The results suggest that the currently considered carbon prices are not sufficient to drive innovations in processing methods or upstream pollution prevention. The co-benefits of climate change mitigation and pollution prevention cannot be readily realized under climate change policy alone. Increased coordination between climate change policy and performance-based environmental legislation is necessary. INTRODUCTIONNickel is an important metal in our modern society as it is used in stainless steel, alloys, electroplating and rechargeable batteries, all of which are integral to our economic growth and development (Eckelman, 2010).However, nickel production is energy intensive and therefore susceptible to emerging climate change policies, which may lead to production curtailment and/or increased unit costs of production unless changes in efficiency or energy sources are made (Mudd, 2010). The industry is faced with multi-faceted constraints: future technology must not only deal with metallurgical, financial and environmental constraints but also promote low energy and low carbon practices. This presents a challenge for this industry where technology innovation, development and commercialization are often lengthy, risky and costly processes (Imrie, 2006).Climate change is one of the many challenges faced by our society. Others include other pollution to air, water and land, resources shortage and economic development. From a policy perspective, it is important to balance multiple and often competing needs in an integrated manner. It would require some levels of trade-off in order to maximize the overall effectiveness but also to ensure that one policy does not undermine other policy objectives.The aims of this study are to evaluate how developments in climate change policy would affect the nickel industry in the context of existing environmental regulations and how the industry could respond under these constraints."

Jan 1, 2012

By D. A. Livingstone

Abstract Golden Manitou Mines, Limited, nine miles east of the town of Val d'Or in northwestern Quebec, are presently milling, at the rate of 1,000 tons daily, a relatively complex 3.11-phide ore and producing, in decreasing order of value, zinc, silver, gold, lead, and copper. The products are a zinc concentrate, a silver-lead-copper concentrate, and a silver-gold precipitate from cyanidation. Although several independent pre-production metallurgical investigations into the treatment of the ore were carried out, current practice is different from any of the recommended methods and, while still leaving room for improvement, is considerably more effective than earlier performance. Flow-sheet developments from the commencement of operations in 1942 are dealt with briefly, showing the reasons for making numerous changes, the shortcomings of the various schemes tried, and, finally, covering data pertinent to present-day practice. From the recovery standpoint, silver has presented the greatest difficulty. The writer's association with the Company coincided with the start of production. Characteristics of the Ore The predominant metallic minerals present in the ore, in decreasing order of their abundance, are: pyrite, sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite, with lesser amounts of argentiferous tennantite-tetrahedrite, arsenopyrite, covellite, bornite, and chalcocite. The sphalerite is mostly light in colour, sometimes colourless, and practically free from combined iron. Some of the sphalerite is very closely associated with minor amounts of pyrite, chalcopyrite, and galena. Pyrie is abundantly disseminated as medium to fine grains; more rarely it is massive and contains occasional grains of sphalerite, galena, and chalcopyrite.

Jan 1, 1952

By D. Milne, G. Snell

"A new method to predict stope hangingwall failure in underground excavations is proposed. This method compares movement rate for stope hangingwalls, determined from changes in strain or deformation, with changing opening geometry. This geometry is represented by the effective radius factor (ERF), a measure of relative distance to supporting abutments from an opening surface point. This strain-ERF (SERF) approach is applied to an instrumentation program for Brunswick mine near Bathurst, New Brunswick. The SERF method for this case study predicted failure at an ERF of 13.9 m and hangingwall failure actually occurred at an approximate ERF of 12.4 m.RÉSUMÉ Cet article propose une nouvelle méthode permettant de prévoir la rupture de l’éponte supérieure des chambres d’abattage dans les excavations souterraines. Cette méthode compare la vitesse de mouvement des épontes supérieures des chambres d’abattage, déterminée à partir des changements aux niveaux des contraintes ou de la déformation, à la géométrie variable de l’ouverture au jour. Cette géométrie est représentée par le facteur du rayon effectif (ERF, de l’anglais Effective Radius Factor), une mesure de la distance relative jusqu’aux appuis latéraux de soutènement à partir d’un point de la surface d’ouverture au jour. Cette approche contraintes-ERF (SERF, de l’anglais strain-ERF) est appliquée à un programme d’instrumentation pour la mine Brunswick située près de Bathurst, dans le Nouveau-Brunswick. Pour cette étude de cas, la méthode SERF prévoyait une rupture à un ERF de 13,9 mètres (m); la rupture de l’éponte supérieure s’est effectivement produite à un ERF d’environ 12,4 m.INTRODUCTIONUnderground stope design can be improved with the installation of field instrumentation. The most commonly used instrumentation for monitoring rock mass behaviour around open stopes is extensometers. The y-axis of Figure 1 represents how the changing rate of movement, measured using either displacement- or stress-type instruments, can be observed over time. The magnitude of movement measured by extensometers can give an approximation of the load on installed support (Milne, Pakalnis, & Lunder, 1996) and a changing rate of movement can indicate approaching instability."

Jan 1, 2018

By W. J. Langford

"Conventional design criteria assume that the fracture strength of a structural material exceeds its yield strength. Fracture below the design load is not expected, y et many structures have failed in this way. The causes of the fractures are almost always discontinuities such as cracks and welding defects. Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM or simply 'fracture mechanics') provides an analytical framework for assessing the influence of sharp defects on the load-bearing capability of a structure. Fracture mechanics techniques have reached the point of acceptance by ASME Design Codes for nuclear components, and ASTM Standards now include well-defined rules for measuring fracture toughness. Starting with a simple equation which relates applied stress and crack size, the influence of the material's thickness and yield strength can be calculated. Thus, the size of defect which will cause failure under the applied stress may be determined. Armed with this information, the metallurgist can assess the safety of a structure from the viewpoints of non-destructive testing standards, construction standards and conditions of operation throughout its service life."

Jan 1, 1976