Search Documents

By John Gross

From the time when man first pounded one rock upon another or used heat and sudden chilling with water to disintegrate rock, the art of crushing advanced but slowly to the mule-driven arrastre and the Chilean mill stage until the advent of power-driven appliances made material progress possible. The combined efforts of manufacturers and operators have made modern machines highly efficient mechanically. Although marked progress has been made along mechanical lines, the theory and conception of underlying principles have not advanced so rapidly. This lack of advance in theory may be attributed to the unfortunate situation resulting from the controversy as to whether the Rittinger or the Kick law is applicable to crushing. Many pages of the technical literature are burdened with theoretical discussions in favor of one or the other of these laws, which have tended to cloud rather than to clear the atmosphere.

Jan 1, 1938

1. BOYD, JAMES. Statement on the Investigation of Natural Resources. Hearings before National Re-sources Economic Subcommittee, Committee on Public Lands, U.S. Senate, 80th Cong., 1st sess., on Investigation of the Factors Affecting Minerals, Fuels, Forestry, and Reclamation Projects, May 15, 16, and 20, 1947, pp. 125-131. 2. BUCH, J. W., HENDRICKS, T. A., AND TOENGES, A. L. Statement on the Investigation of Natural Resources. Hearings before National Resources Economic Sub-committee, Committee on Public Lands, U.S. Senate, 80th Cong., 1st sess., on Investigation of the Factors Affecting Minerals, Fuels, Forestry, and Reclamation Projects, May 15, 16, and 20, 1947, pp. 231-235. 3. CONGRESS, U.S. An Act to Provide for the Establishment and Operation of a Research Laboratory in the Pennsylvania Anthracite Region for Investigation of the Mining, Preparation, and Utilization of Anthracite, for the Development of New Uses and Markets, for Improvement of Health and Safety in Mining, and for a Comprehensive Study of the Region to Aid in the Solution of Its Economic Problems and to Make Its Natural and Human Resources of Maxi-mum Usefulness in the War Effort. Public, No. 812, 77th Cong., 2d sess. (S-357), ch. 764, approved Dec. IS, 1942, 2 pp.

Jan 1, 1962

By Brian FitzPatrick, Michael J. Weaver

Everyone has a role in site safety, even consultants. This paper presents a summary of how a geotechnical and environmental consulting firm, with field staff on construction and subsurface explorations sites, engaged their staff and leveraged relationships with contractors to assess the construction related risks to which its staff members are exposed. These findings were then integrated into their technical training materials for both new staff and those needing a refresher, so that safety is discussed at the same time as the technical work and not treated as a separate topic. The paper outlines the process of identifying and evaluating the construction related risks that staff members face and presents examples of how the consultant can engage contractors in the process. By doing this, knowledge can be shared and there is a better mutual understanding of the risks associated with common construction and exploration related field tasks. The work resulted in an increase in staff engagement in safety, a better understanding of the true risks that staff face in the field, better relationships with contractors, and lower safety metrics. HISTORY At Haley & Aldrich, Inc., we renewed our safety journey in May 2012. Like many others, we had concerns over injuries our staff experienced in the three previous years, and a potentially significant utility strike we experienced while excavating a trench. In 2009, 2010 and 2011 we experienced an increase in recordable injuries, including two significant injuries, which caused our Experience Modification Rate (EMR) (see note below), Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), and Days Away-Restricted, and Transferred Rate (DART) to rise significantly. See Fig. 1 for details. This caused us to step back and review our approach to safety, and our “safety culture”. The rise in reportable incidents and injuries also corresponded to the beginning of a growth period for the company.

Jan 1, 2019

By Charles L. Kusik

A study was conducted for the Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, to provide information which will lead to an increase in the recycling of mineral materials, in order to help conserve the Nation's mineral resources. Data were collected on energy requirements to recycle prompt industrial and obsolete scrap for nine metal commodities: Iron and steel, aluminum, copper, zinc, lead, stainless steel, titanium, tin, and nickel and nickel alloys. Major process routes for recycling were considered, starting from the first collection point through scrap preparation, transportation, smelting and/or refining to the molten metal, ingot, or other semi- finished form approximately equivalent to a primary metal of a similar composition. Available data for 1976 were collected on the amounts of each metal commodity recycled by major scrap categories. In addition, energy requirements were estimated for separating municipal solid wastes into four major categories: Refuse-derived fuel, and magnetic, aluminum, and glass cullet fractions. Finally, areas of research were identified to enhance recycling and/or increase the efficiency of energy use.

Jan 1, 1978

By R. Al-Hent, M. Aissa, J. Asfahani

"This paper presents regional radiometric gamma-ray spectrometry maps of Syria for total radioactivity (Ur) and surficial concentrations of equivalent uranium (eU). The maps were created by merging airborne and ground-based gamma-ray spectrometric survey datasets. On the regional radiometric eU map, eU anomalies are closely related to either phosphate and/or glauconite deposits. The Ur and eU maps delineate the boundaries of three phosphate deposits, close to the Palmyrides ridge, in the northern part of the Coastal Range and Syrian Desert. Scattered occurrences of uranium mineralization in other phosphate formations are attributed to secondary chemical and physical processes, rather than primary accumulation.RÉSUMÉ Cet article presente des cartes regionales radiometriques de spectrometrie gamma de la Syrie pour la radioactivite totale (Ur) et les concentrations en surface de l’equivalent en uranium (eU). Les cartes ont ete creees en combinant des ensembles de donnees, aeroportees et au sol, de releves de spectrometrie gamma. Sur la carte regionale radiometrique eU, les anomalies eU sont etroitement reliees aux gisements de phosphate et(ou) de glauconite. Les cartes Ur et eU delimitent les limites de trois gisements de phosphate, a proximite de la crete des Palmyrides, dans la partie nord de la chaine cotiere et du desert de Syrie. Des dispersions de mineralisation d’uranium dans d’autres formations de phosphate sont attribuees a des procedes chimiques et physiques secondaires, plutot qu’a une accumulation primaire."

Jan 1, 2016

By Rodger C. Fry

Underground coal mining has been active within the East Mountain property since the mid 1950's. As a result, coal from two seams has been extracted within large areas allowing surface subsidence to occur. Monitoring of subsidence annually, began in 1981 using on the ground conventional monumentation, surveying and photogrammetric monitoring. The data collected has shown the time benefits of photogrammetry and the relationship between observed subsidence and the geometry of the mined out area below.

Jan 1, 1986

By L. K. Witika, J. H. Masinja

"Investigations of flotation characteristics of Lumwana and Kansanshi ores using formulated frothers were carried out. Of the six frothers tested, two came from the alcohol family, two from the glycol family and last two were formulated products. The initial work involved determining the optimum mesh of grind and frother dosage for Lumwana and Kansanshi ores. Further work involved carrying out surface tension, bubble size and froth stability measurements. Finally, water recovery tests were conducted at Lumwana and Kansanshi mine sites. For froth stability tests, six frothers were tested on a two-phase (water–air) system using the Bikerman column flotation cell, while water recovery tests were conducted using a total of seven frothers, including the standards for each plant. The results of the testwork showed that (i) although a stable froth is essential for optimum recovery of valuable minerals, a higher molecular weight frother, like Dowfroth 250, caused poor selectivity when used on fine ores and (ii) a lower molecular weight frother was suited for Lumwana ore, while a mid to higher molecular weight formulated product was suitable for Kansanshi sulphide ore. INTRODUCTION Investigations of flotation characteristics of Lumwana and Kansanshi ores using formulated frothers were carried out. The initial work of this project involved determining the optimum mesh of grind and frother dosage for Lumwana and Kansanshi ores. Further work involved carrying out surface tension, bubble size and froth stability measurements. Finally, water recovery tests were conducted at Lumwana and Kansanshi mine sites. In order to investigate the gangue entrainment levels in the Lumwana and Kansanshi sulphide ores, two well-known methods (froth stability and water recovery) were used. Firstly, froth stability tests were conducted using six frothers, two from the glycol family (Dowfroth 200 and Dowfroth 250), two from alcohol family (MIBC and pine oil) and other two from the formulated family (Betafroth 20 and Betafroth 245), at the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Mineral Research (CMR) laboratories. Froth formation and stability measurements were conducted using the Bikerman column flotation cell."

Jan 1, 2015

The Application of Roasting Pretreatment for Antimonial Refractory Gold and Silver Ores

Sep 13, 2010

By Richard Belair, John Read

Ask someone what they can tell you about the Royal Canadian Mint and most likely the first thing that they will mention, is coinage. The Royal Canadian Mint manufactures Canada's one-cent coins, nickels, dimes and quarters - over 1 billion per year. Most of these coins use copper and nickel as base material, and all of this metal is mined, refined and processed in Canada prior to being shipped to the mint for coin production. In 1985 alone, 1270 metric tons of Canadian nickel and 2160 metric tons of Canadian copper were absorbed in circulating coinage. July 1987 will have marked the introduction of Canada's new one dollar coin, an important new addition to Canada's monetary system. The first phase of this program will consume about 2,235 metric tons of Canadian nickel in the initial production run. Annual requirements in subsequent years are estimated at 225 metric tons. The Royal Canadian Mint is also a major producer of circulating coinage for foreign countries. Since the state-of-the-art Winnipeg plant swung into full production in 1976 the Mint has struck more than 5.2 billion coins for some 35 nations around the world. 1985 sales have increased almost 6 fold over 1984. 1987 already shows commitments for a further significant increase in volume in this business. The use of Canadian metals in export to foreign nations as coinage adds still more to the Royal Canadian Mint's key role as a major market maker for Canada's mining industry. The success of the Mint in this realm can be directly traced to it's 75 years as one of the world's most important refiners of gold. Today, the Royal Canadian Mint is the largest refiner of gold in the Western Hemisphere, and the third largest, by volume, in the world. The R.C.M. hallmark on kilo bars, 100 troy ounce comex bars

Jan 1, 1987

By Thomas L. Starks

Surface soil/spoil Samples (0-10 cm) from experimental test sites in western North Dakota were aseptically collected during August 1975 and each month (May through September) during 1076 and 1977. Selected samples were Cultured in a defined inorganic medium and after six weeks the algae were identified. Chlorophyll u content of the soil/spoil was used as a measure of the algal abundance. Soil physical-chemical properties, species variety and abundance were statistically analyzed. All test sites revealed distinct soil algal communities and demonstrated a successional trend as evidenced by significant increase, in species variety and bionmass over time. Some soil factors, calcium, copper, and phosphorus affected species variety and abundance at more than one situ. Others were important at specific sites; silicon and aluminum at the South Beulah test site; manganese sodium and zinc at the North Beulah test site No. 1 and boron, cadmium and magnesium at the North Beulah test site No. 2. Topsoiled areas had higher species varieties and abundances when compared with control areas, as did plots treated with amendments such as leonardite and fertilizer Generally.

Jan 1, 1982

By Paul S. Goodman

This report examines the feasibility of Employee Assistance Plans for the coal industry. Three issues are examined in detail. First, the prevalence of off-the-job factors such as alcoholism, drug abuse, and marital problems are examined in a sample of miners from the eastern, midwestern, and western underground coal fields. Then data were presented that examined the link between these off-the-job factors and behaviors critical to the mines such as absenteeism and turnover. Lastly, we examined the effectiveness of the major Employee Assistance Program in underground coal mining--the HELP Program. The report contains recommendations on whether coal mining companies should implement these programs and how these programs should be designed.

Jan 1, 1986

Who's Who in Mineral Engineering 1977 - SME Membership Directory of the Society of Mining Engineers of AIME

Jan 7, 1977

By R Adamian, F. T. Da Silva, D. H. Gameiro

Schytill and Geldart diagrams were developed for the TiO2-C-Cl2 system at 1 073 and 1 273 K, so as to define the hypothetical relations between particle sizes and chlorine velocity for simultaneous fluidisation of mixtures of anatase concentrate and charcoal for carbochlorination. It was concluded that the operating limits on chlorine gas velocity will be controlled by the behaviour of the reducing agent, mainly because of its lower density. An increase in temperature from 1 073 to 1 273 K will have only a small influence on the fluid-dynamic behaviour of the mixture. For bubble fluidisation, the maximum sizes 0.413-0.478 mm for anatase and 0.529-0.611 mm for charcoal will be adequate. When the particle size distribution is large, fluidisation will be feasible only if conducted in two stages, otherwise the residence time of the small particles in the reactor will be very short. New diagrams will be needed for the gaseous chlorides in the second stage

Jun 21, 1905

The Florida phosphate industry, which supplies about three-quarters of the domestic phosphate fertilizer, produces tremendous volumes of phosphatic clay wastes (slimes). These clays retain a high percentage of water for extended periods of time. The clays also pose an environmental hazard because the disposal technique involves aboveground storage behind earthen dams. Although much research has been undertaken by numerous organizations to dewater slime, no completely satisfactory solution has been developed. In June 1972, a cooperative effort by the Federal Bureau of Mines and the Florida phosphate mining industry was initiated to develop a solution for dewatering the Florida phosphatic slimes. This report discusses various aspects of the slimes problem, reviews past research, makes recommendations for future research, and includes a bibliography of references and patents dealing with the subject.

Jan 1, 1975

By R. C. D. Phillis

The annual mine planning process is one of the most important tactical/operational steps towards achieving strategic goals. These tactical plans are part of a very comprehensive Mineral Resource Management process, with the natural sequel to planning being execution. The execution of an underground hard rock mine plan is a multi-project environment that comprises many development-construction-equipping-stoping single project paths, which are referred to as ?stoping paths?. The uncertainty that typifies execution of projects comes in the form of untimely disruptions to constituent tasks and/or project paths. Annual mining plans also include quantified objectives for occupational health and safety, production, quality, cost, employee morale, environment, and corporate social investment. Such objectives make for a highly complex environment that management must contend with?complex in the sense that all the paths and objectives have interdependent constraints. Furthermore, at the time of this paper, Sections54*and 55**of the MHSA*** put the onus on management to ensure legislative adherence. It stands to reason that planning estimates allow excess capacity?buffers?that cushions the impact of untimely disruptions. This paper concerns the fact that despite all the buffers allowed for, time, scope, and budget creeps impact on mine planning and threaten its successful execution. As a consequence, the paper deals with buffer management, the essence of Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM). Effective buffer management provided strategic (executive level) updates without losing the tactical/operational detail necessary for job card creation, especially where professional skills and experience are in short supply. Indicative bottom-line results showed CCPM to be highly effective.

Jan 1, 2011

By L. Andrews

Mineralogy, traditionally associated with concentrator studies, is being increasingly applied to problems in pyrometallurgy. Such investigations commonly make use of a number of techniques, and the results are combined for a meaningful interpretation, which can lead to a successful solution for the problem. Mineralogical techniques are described for various pyrometallurgical operations. Examples are given of studies and investigations involving mineralogy in chemical-looping combustion, feed monitoring to platinum-smelting furnaces, and losses to slag in base metal and platinum smelting.

Jan 1, 2011

By P Mesquita, A Nolan

Using a scientific-principled definition of global socio-ecological sustainability can be a useful basis for planning precious and base metal mining projects. The mining industry faces key challenges of; viability of the minerals industry; the control, use and management of land; national and local socio-economic development; environmental management; materials stewardship; and access to information. Using a framework for strategic sustainable development to assess the current reality of mine project development has resulted in identifying areas of strength and opportunities for improvement between current best practices and a desired vision of sustainability constrained by science based principles. These gaps indicate opportunities to strengthen current strategies, tools, and actions with a deeper understanding of socio-ecologic systems and a first-order, principled definition of sustainability, enabling success in moving towards achieving a sustainable society, ie sustainability. Evaluation of mine project development and their impacts on ecological and social systems using a systems perspective which recognises the underlying principles of operation, delays, feedback loops and response to change highlight specific opportunities to create value for social, economic and ecologic systems. Envisioning this future for mining projects within a sustainable society can be done by evaluating their development and operations guided by the sustainability principles. Performance indicators play a key role in measuring progress towards achieving sustainability goals yet it is necessary to consider whether indicators capture the whole systems perspective. Connected to this broader view, indicators can contribute much value to the mining industryÆs sustainability journey. This paper examines how current processes for mining projects can be developed using a whole systems perspective and measured using holistically designed performance indicators.

Jan 1, 2009

By Y. Luo

A PC based computer model has been developed by the authors for predicting the surface subsidence due to underground coal mining. Its reliability, comprehensiveness and user friendliness demonstrate that it is a good tool for the mine operators, government agencies and scientific researchers alike.

Jan 1, 1989

By D Frost, G Harbort, T Lipiec, N Deonarain

"The use of flotation columns has remained a contentious issue among mill operators. There are those who consider them an essential part of any mineral processing operation, while others consider them a necessary evil, which should only be installed if there is no alternative. Lastly, there are those who believe they should not be installed, no matter how great the perceived benefit.This paper provides an analysis of over 4000 installed flotation columns, contained in the Amec Foster Wheeler flotation database. Changing trends in column flotation use by type, commodity and geographical region are discussed. The effect of changing commodity prices and the China ‘phenomenon’ are reviewed. Special reference is made to the changing face of column flotation in Australia.Of note is the fact that after falling to a 20 year low in installed flotation column capacity in 2014, flotation columns during 2015 went through a resurgence in popularity. This resurgence was in direct contradiction to depressed metal prices and was driven by brownfield optimisations to reduce off-site costs, particularly in base metals. A case study is presented comparing the benefits of column flotation at high commodity prices with low commodity prices.Citation:Harbort, G, Deonarain, N, Frost, D, Lipiec, T and David, D, 2016. Changing Trends in Column Flotation Use - Their Impact for Australian Mill Operators, in Proceedings 13th AusIMM Mill Operators’ Conference 2016, pp 93–104 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Oct 10, 2016

By Herbert H. Einstein

Appendices A through M contain information that is the basis for many developments reported in the main text (Parts I through V); this information is, however, not needed in applying the research results. Specifically the appendices contain: A: Geology of Sampled Sites B: Comparison of Distribution Forms with Observed Trace Length Frequencies C: Joint Attitude Pole Diagrams D: Resistance and Deformability of Rock Discontinuities E: Resistance and Deformability of Joints - Details of Data Recording Procedure F: Documentation and Details for Simplified 2-Joint Wedge Analysis G: Generalization of the Stiffness Approach H: Inadequacy Due to Simplifying Assumptions in Wedge Analysis I: Rock Slope Reliability Analysis: State of the Art J: Resistance Derivations for Mechanical Model K: Supporting Derivations for Analysis Method DAYLITE L: Supporting Derivations for Simplified 2-Plane Reliability Analysis M: Plots of SLOPESIM Runs

Jan 1, 1979