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By R. E. Wilmot

The problem of corrosion of reinforcement in concrete structures is internationally recognized and represents the single biggest expenditure in the preservation of steel reinforced concrete structures. While the corrosion protection of the reinforcing steel is no substitute for design and the placement of good quality concrete, it does provide for a viable and economical extension of structural integrity and service life in the day-to-day and practical environment in which concrete structures are constructed. The mechanism of corrosion attack and consequent deterioration of reinforced concrete structures is well understood and documented. New structures can be designed and built to withstand corrosion. However, due to short-term economic restraints, many new reinforced concrete structures continue to suffer as a result of corrosion damage, which results from the corrosion of the steel reinforcing. This paper explores the economic and practical benefits offered by the application of hot dip galvanizing as a viable means of protecting reinforcing steel concrete structures. The paper also discusses technical misconceptions that exist about application and performance provided by the use of hot dip galvanized reinforcing steel.

Jan 1, 2007

By Wilton Johnson

Native asphalt was produced in 1982 by five companies in two States, Texas and Utah. Bituminous limestone, used primarily as a paving material for street and road repair, was produced by White Uvalde Mines and by Azrock Industries, Inc., Uvalde County, Tex. Historically, gilsonite, a solidified hydrocarbon found only in Utah and Colorado, had been mined by American Gilsonite Co. and by Ziegler Chemical and Mineral Corp. from properties near Bonanza, Uintah County, Utah. During 1982, Hydrocarbon Mining Co., a subsidiary of the Oberon Oil Co., entered into a joint venture with Miocene Resources Inc. of Novato, Calif, to form Hydrocarbon Resources Co. for the purpose of mining gilsonite about 50 miles south of Vernal, Uintah County, Utah. Under the agreement, Hydrocarbon Mining contributed gilsonite-bearing properties held by lease or sublease as well as mining equipment to the venture. The property contained leases totaling 760 acres with probable reserves of 268,000 tons of gilsonite. Miocene Resources provided the partnership with a minimum of $200,000 to develop two of the leases and were to be responsible for management of the mining operations.2

Jan 1, 1983

By A. J. Sideris

It is known that Mg can act as a catalyst/solvent in the high pressure high temperature diamond synthesis. However, above pressure levels of the order of 7 GPa, and temperatures from 1700 ? 1800oC, it was not possible yet to use Mg for the industrial production of diamond. A possible alternative is the use of MgNi based alloys. However, owing to the great Mg reactivity, it was consider, so far, a difficult task to deal with such alloys. The present work presents successful results regarding the production of MgNi alloys, with different composition, at high pressure conditions. The behavior of the alloys and their microstructural characterization is analyzed.

Jan 1, 2006

By S. G. Ercelebi

In surface mining operations, truck haulage is the largest item in the operating costs, constituting 50 to 60% of the total. In order to reduce this cost, it is necessary to allocate and dispatch the trucks efficiently. This paper describes shovel and truck operation models and optimization approaches for the allocation and dispatching of trucks under various operating conditions. Closed queuing network theory is employed for the allocation of trucks and linear programming for the purpose of truck dispatching to shovels. A case study was applied for the Orhaneli Open Pit Coal Mine in Turkey. This approach would provide the capability of estimating system performance measures (mine throughput, mean number of trucks, mean waiting time, etc.) for planning purposes when the truck fleet is composed of identical trucks. A computational study is presented to show how choosing the optimum number of trucks and optimum dispatching policy affect the cost of moving material in a truck-shovel system. Keywords: Open pit mine, equipment selection, dispatching, linear programming, closed queuing network theory

Jan 1, 2009

Ore sorting is a high capacity, low cost method of pre concentrating ores and in some cases of producing a marketable concentrate. In most cases it is applied to run of mine material, immediately after primary crushing and screening in sizes ranging from 10 mm to 150 mm. Recent developments in bulk sorting of friable uranium deposits have resulted in machines capable of handling fine materials with sensing and separation being achieved on a zone by zone basis. Modern ore sorting machines rely on the synchronous operation of four internal subsystems, feed presentation, sensing, data processing and separation. A variety of different sub systems is available which can be combined in various forms to produce sorters capable of handling a wide variety of mineral types. The benefits in using ore sorting cover a wide range of situations and are applicable to both established mines as well as new mining ventures. Reduced operating costs, increased productivity, capital savings, energy and resource conservation and environmental issues are all part of the reason why ore sorting is finding rapid acceptance in today's mining industry. The suitability of different ore types for pre-concentration using anyone of the variety of ore sorting systems can be quickly established using computer based techniques which require only small samples of the materials under investigation.

Jan 1, 1980

By Kim Wiwchar, Elizabeth Mbaja, Lynne Dang, Jim Furey, Anita Marks

"Suncor Energy Inc., located north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, commenced pilot scale operation using a CPT 4’ diameter flotation column in March 2003. This larger scale trial follows two previously successful flotation column bench scale tests. They included an April 2002 trial with a 2.4” inner diameter column from the University of Alberta and a 20” diameter CPT column in August 2002. The column receives middlings stream feed from one of Suncor’s deep cone separation cells and is operated in parallel with a set of WEMCO flotation cells. The recovery, tails losses, and concentrate quality are being compared between the two systems. The column, to date, has been tested with all types of run of mine ore grades. Variables such as wash water flow and temperature, sparger nozzle size and location, sparger air/water flow rates, and column residence time has been adjusted to achieve better recovery and final product quality.Used in many mineral processing applications, column flotation is primarily used for the final stage of sulphide cleaning and flotation of phosphate or iron ore. As well, mechanical cells are often used in combination with a column to retrofit an operation and to produce a cleaner product.Initial results prove that this is the first successful application of a flotation column in an oilsand application. If viable, it will be an inexpensive process for recovery of bitumen from a middlings stream and able to produce a final product suitable for froth treatment.INTRODUCTIONSuncor’s oilsand is surface mined from the Athabasca Oilsand deposit north of Fort McMurray, Alberta. The oilsand is then mixed with hot process water (HPW) and the bitumen is slurried in a pipeline. Large separation cells as shown in Figure 1 float off the bitumen product, which is then steam or static deaerated and sent to Secondary Extraction for further cleaning. The tails stream from the cell is sent to the Final Tails Pumphouse (FTPH) for processing. The tailings flotation froth product gets recycled to the separation cell oilsand feed. The tailings are pumped from the FTPH to tailings ponds. The middlings stream is drawn off the separation cell approximately 9’ from the froth overflow level. It runs down, by gravity, to the scavenger banks for bitumen recovery. It was from this stream off of the Line 6 Separation Cell that the feed to the Canadian Process Technologies Inc (CPT) flotation column was taken."

Jan 1, 2004

Provide the U.S. mining industry with technology for designing environmentally sound, low-cost in situ leach mining operations to produce copper from small, deep, and/or low-grade copper oxide deposits. Approach Investigate the feasibility of a new mining method--in situ leach mining-as an alternative to conventional mining for copper. Study fundamental leaching technology that will facilitate future commercial operations. Develop guidelines and procedures that will enable mine operators to design and evaluate in situ leach mining operations for any specific copper oxide deposit.

Jan 1, 1989

By P. Golledge, A. D. S. Gillies

An investigation has been carried on samples of three Queensland coal dusts to determine the potential explosibility of dust-gas mixtures. The explosion potential of the samples was classified by the lean and rich limits of explosibility and the limiting oxygen concentrations for each sample. Plotting of these points showed 2-dimensional flammability limit surfaces for coal dust/oxygen, methane/oxygen and coal dust/methane mixtures. From these plots the 3-dimensional flammability envelopes defining the explosibility of the mixtures were defined. The explosion limits of the coal dust/methane/oxygen system were seen to be influenced most by the explosibility characteristics of coal dust. Methane exerted a stronger influence over the explosion limits when the coal had a low volatile content

Jun 19, 1905

By Herbert H. Kellogg

The chemistry of sulfide roasting is analyzed to show those aspects of performance which Thecan be predicted from considerations of thermodynamic equilibrium. It is concluded that equilibrium calculations can serve as a yardstick for prediction of roaster-gas composition and sulfate formation in the calcine for fluid-bed roasting practice. A method of calculation which combines the equilibrium and stoichiometric factors is outlined, and illustrated by an example from the roasting of Cu-Fe sulfides. ON first examination the roasting of sulfides would not seem to be a process to which equilibrium calculations could be applied to yield results of practical value. The burning of sulfides is an ex-tremely spontaneous reaction, excess air is always used to obtain rapid reaction, and in most traditional roaster designs (hearth roasting) the temperature and gas composition vary widely from point to point in the roaster. These are all conditions which promote a non-equilibrium state in the roasting process. However, the introduction of the fluid-bed roaster1 has brought to roasting practice new conditions of operation, so that equilibrium calculations can be used to predict certain limited aspects of practical operation. The fluid bed is characterized by uniformity of temperature, gas composition, and calcine composition from point to point throughout the bed. These relatively uniform properties of the bed make the meaningful calculation of the equilibrium state of certain reactions in roasting possible. It is the purpose of this paper to analyze roasting from an equilibrium viewpoint, to show where the method may be expected to yield valuable information, where it fails, and to outline methods of calculation. Main Roasting Reaction The reaction MS (s) + 3/2 0, = MO (s) + SO, [I] might well be called the main roasting reaction. It adequately accounts for the well known facts that metal sulfide and air are the main reactants, and metal oxide and SO, the main products. Deviations from this simple stoichiometry will be discussed under side reactions. For all metal sulfides, Reaction 1 is strongly exothermic and the equilibrium position is far to the right. Since the reaction is exothermic, the equilibrium shifts in the right-to-left direction as the temperature is raised. However, at all practical roaster temperatures (between 500" and 1200°C), the amount of this shift is small, and the equilibrium position remains far to the right. The main roasting reaction is essentially irreversible, and the application of equilibrium considerations to this reaction will not be! a fruitful field of investigation. A knowledge of the rate of this reaction. although not the proper subject of this paper, is of great importance to the roasting process. Analysis of the factors which influence this rate shows that: 1) The rate will increase rapidly with increased temperature. 2) The rate will be proportional to the partial pressure of oxygen at the surface of the reacting particle. Because of diffusion effects, the partial pressure of oxygen at the particle surface may be considerably less than in the bulk of the roaster gas. For this reason, intimate contact between gas and solid and high relative velocity between gas and solid, such as can be obtained in a fluid bed or flash roaster, will markedly increase the rate of reaction. 3) The rate will be proportional to the surface area of metal sulfide. Therefore, smaller particle size will permit a more rapid rate per unit of weight. To achieve practical rates of roasting the partial pressure of oxygen in the roaster gases must be maintained at a finite level at all times. Even where the gas-solid contact is very good, as in the fluid-bed roaster, the oxygen content of the gas must not be allowed to drop below some limiting value (perhaps 1 pct), or the rate of the main roasting reaction will become too small for practical operation. Side Reactions in the Gas Phase The gas phase during roasting of metallic sulfides contains the elements oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, by-

Jan 1, 1957

By Kevin Andrews, Terry Hamric, Scott Nelson

"Mining conditions in underground coal mines are dictated by the environment in which the coal seams were geologically deposited. Depositional features can change rapidly, significantly affecting mining conditions. Mine geologists understand factors affecting mining conditions, predict future conditions, and provide guidance to mine management. A case study demonstrates how a mine in Appalachia merged an understanding of depositional environments with mining conditions and drilling data to make informed decisions as the mine encountered geologic anomalies. The assessment included drilling, mapping of geologic hazards and mine productivity, and creation of a conceptual depositional model. Metallurgical coal quality and clean tons per foot served as incentives for continued advance. Mining in the south was historically favorable, with good production and advance rates. As mining advanced north, changing geologic conditions caused the upper seam split to abruptly disappear. The mine ramped down into the lower seam split. Mining in the north area encountered unfavorable conditions, including transition roof, “horsebacks,” sandstone intrusions, roof rolls, and bony floor, resulting in low rates of mining advance. The mine geologist characterized the features and created a predictive model for future mining. Most of the adverse conditions were attributed to the coal in the north being part of an incised, transgressive valley fill environment, as compared to the favorable conditions in the south resulting from a floodplain depositional environment. Geologic conditions, low productivity, and unfavorable future predicted conditions in the north ultimately resulted in mine closure and reallocation of resources to a new mine with better forecasted conditions.INTRODUCTIONThe role of a geologist in assisting coal mining operations to understand and predict the impact of varying geological factors on mining productivity is a critical one, especially when management decisions must be made about the future prospects of a mine operating in difficult conditions. Chase, Newman, and Rusnak (2006) provide a very thorough discussion of the evolution of the role of the coal mine geologist and emphasizes the importance of understanding geology with regard to mine management decisions. Using actual mining performance data to determine which geologic factors are the most critical for mining is a powerful tool for making informed mine management decisions. For example, Nelson, Mullennex, and Miller (1988) provide a case study of analyzing the geologic factors impacting productivity of a Kentucky longwall mine to predict future mining conditions for the operation. In that case, the difficult geologic factors for longwall mining were prevalent across much of the remaining permit area and, in response, mine management converted the operation from a longwall operation to a continuous miner (CM) operation to better adapt to the geology. In another example, Keim and Miller (1999) evaluated geologic conditions impacting a West Virginia longwall mine. In both examples, significant geotechnical and geological information was available, including the opportunity to compare predicted mining conditions against actual conditions as mining progressed. Numerous examples of advanced Geologic Hazard Mapping (GHM) methodologies have come from government agencies and academia. For example, development of the Coal Mine Roof Rating (CMRR) system (Molinda and Mark, 1994) provided a standard means for geologists and engineers to communicate quantitatively with regard to mine roof conditions, and the introduction of the Stability Mapping System (SMS) provided an efficient means for analyzing numerous factors affecting coal mine stability (Wang and Heasley, 2005)."

Jan 1, 2019

By Chris Tattersall, Tomyuki Kudo, Peter Raleigh, Nestor Garavelli, Steve Redmond, Michael J. Lehnen

Twin bore running tunnels driven approximately 4,500 route feet by a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) EPB Tunnel Boring Machine link the West Portal and East Portal on this complex Light Rail Project. One third along the way, the TBM arrives at the Beacon Hill Station which is the deepest underground “binocular” station of its kind in North America and then “walks-across” the station to be re-launched on the other side to complete the drive. This paper discusses briefly the layout and design considerations but then focuses more deeply on the approach by the Contractor to drive and supply the tunnel. The paper addresses the approach used to launch, re-launch and recover the TBM and touches briefly on muck volume control and monitoring plus settlement monitoring and the performance achieved. Also of interest is a unique solution to a difficult launch situation involving a secant pile tieback wall designed with several rows of double I-beam steel walers spanning the eye at the West Portal under the I-5 freeway.

Jan 1, 2007

Detachment of Particles from Bubbles in a Stirred Cell

Sep 13, 2010

By M. Leroux, S. R. Rao, J. A. Finch

"Poor Pb-Zn selectivity during Pb flotation in laboratory tests on a Mississippi Valley-type Pb-Zn ore was traced to apH effect. In the pH range, 9.5 to 11.0 sphalerite floated readily without copper activation. Compared to sphalerite flotation with copper activation this procedure gave equivalent selectivity but reduced flotation rate.Possible mechanisms of this sphalerite flotation without copper activation are discussed. Activation by Fe(OH)2 is suggested, the Fe- + ions being derived from superficial oxidation of pyrite in the ore. IntroductionGalena and sphalerite commonly occur together. A typical procedure, using xanthate collectors, is to float the galena first, at pH - 8, followed by flotation of sphalerite after activation with copper (II) sulphate at pH - 10 (to depress pyrite).Flotation tests following this procedure in an undergraduate laboratory course with a Pb-Zn ore from Polaris failed to achieve consistent selective flotation of galena. Occasionally a considerable amount of sphalerite, even though unactivated with CUSO4, floated. This was traced to accidentally high pH. A systematic study was carried out which revealed that sphalerite floated readily in the pH range 9.5 to 11.0 without activation by CuSO4 This paper describes the results of the study and discusses a possible mechanism of this flotation of sphalerite."

Jan 1, 1987

By James R. Kerr

This study reviews the sulfur and suliuric acid industries in Eastern United States with emphasis on patterns of consumption and marketing. Output of sulfur in the East is relatively small, and most of the area's sulfur requirements are met by gulf coast Frasch sulfur. Over the long ten recovered elemental sulfur from sour natural gas and petroleum may become the East's major source of sulfur. In 1958 sulfuric acid manufacture consumed over 80 percent of the area's sulfur requirements. The leading uses for sulfuric acid were the manufacture of superphosphates and chemicals. Over the years, unit requirements for sulfur and acid in many major markets have been reduced through improved technology, but new markets always have been developed to keep the industry vital and growing.

Jan 1, 1965

By Ken Witherly

Modern airborne EM surveys typically acquire more data than is processed or analyzed at the time of acquisition Suitable additional processing can provide more diagnostic information, thereby allowing for more effective ranking and hopefully, follow-up of outcomes

Apr 1, 2005

By JeffreyS. Vipperman, Daniel R. Babich, EricR. Bauer

In response to the continuing problem of noise induced hearing loss NIHL among mine workers, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH has conducted numerous noise surveys in coal preparation plants. The research, consisting of worker dose monitoring, task observations, and equipment noise profiling, was completed in eight separate preparation plants. Worker dose monitoring was conducted for three shifts in most cases. Workers experiencing higher than allowable doses were task-observed for one full shift to correlate dose to noise source(s). Finally, noise levels on all floors, and in lunchrooms and control rooms, were characterized. Results indicate that only workers who routinely spend a significant portion of their shift in the plants (away from the control rooms) are susceptible to overexposure from noise. Certain pieces of equipment (screens, centrifuges, sieve bends) are the loudest primary noise sources responsible for the worker noise exposures.

By John Russell

"Faster, safer, grinding mill relining offers the obvious attractions of reduced mill relining times with the knock-on incentive to reduce all other maintenance down-time, opening the possibility for increased annual plant utilisation.Leading edge liner handler technologies by RME, focused toward even shorter relines for very large SAG and AG mills, have recently split into two quite distinct paths:•,?Single SAG/AG Mill Relining Machines (MRM’s) of very large capacity, such as Newcrest Cadia’s 40’ SAG MRM of 6000 kg capacity and P.T. Freeport’s 38’/34’ SAG MRM of 7250 kg capacity;•,?Twin-machine SAG/AG Mill Relining Systems of moderate to large capacity such as BHP Billiton’s Escondida Laguna Seca 38’ SAG MRM’s, each featuring 4500 kg capacity.RME, its customers noted above and their liner suppliers are providing leadership in this important annual utilisation advance.Once the 24 hour mill shell reline becomes reality, liners designed for maximum profit, not maximum life, albeit exchanged more frequently, become possible too.INTRODUCTIONAt most mineral grinding plants, mill relining activities dictate each maintenance shutdown’s critical path. When annualized, mill relining remains the largest, single influence in defining plant availability.Because of restricted access, both inside and outside the mill, increased application of manual labour has no effect on reducing relining downtime. The only answer for RME has been to develop and apply new relining technologies now known as RME’s Mill Relining System.RME’s primary focus for over twenty years has been the reduction of grinding mill relining times while simultaneously providing a marked improvement in relining safety. Our original (1990) target was to halve traditional (pre-RME) reline times and to eliminate accidents and injury by mechanizing all physical work."

Jan 1, 2008

By N. Singh

Merensky Reef is mined extensively within the Bushveld Complex. In previously mined-out areas on the Merensky Reef horizon there are pillars, potholes and remnants that have not been mined. These unmined blocks of ground on the Merensky Reef horizon can influence the mining of the underlying UG2 Reef. The extent of the influence will depend on the size of unmined ground and the middling between the two reef horizons. This paper quantifies the influence of partially extracted Merensky Reef on mining of the UG2 Reef, and aims to provide recommendations for mining strategies, as well as regional and local support to achieve efficient and safe extraction of the UG2 Reef, for various middlings beneath the Merensky Reef horizon. In some cases it was found that relatively shallow UG2 Reef mining could encounter conditions similar to those experienced in deep and ultra-deep mining environments.

Jan 1, 2005

By James W. Harrower, Gerald S. Ball

This paper discusses the installation of steel linings in vertical, raisebored openings. Design criteria used to evaluate the applicability of liner type and design are presented as well as a brief description of installation procedures. Specific projects completed by J. S. Redpath Corporation are then outlined noting special considerations and techniques.

Jan 1, 1985

By James R. Kerr

This study reviews the sulfur and suliuric acid industries in Eastern United States with emphasis on patterns of consumption and marketing. Output of sulfur in the East is relatively small, and most of the area's sulfur requirements are met by gulf coast Frasch sulfur. Over the long ten recovered elemental sulfur from sour natural gas and petroleum may become the East's major source of sulfur. In 1958 sulfuric acid manufacture consumed over 80 percent of the area's sulfur requirements. The leading uses for sulfuric acid were the manufacture of superphosphates and chemicals. Over the years, unit requirements for sulfur and acid in many major markets have been reduced through improved technology, but new markets always have been developed to keep the industry vital and growing.

Jan 1, 1965