Search Documents

By W. B. Mather

GEOLOGICAL studies have revealed the occurrence of hundreds of pegmatite dikes in north- east Brazil, Fig. 1, in the three states of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraiba, and Ceara. Heretofore data have not been available on the possible production of lithium minerals from these areas, and in March, April, and May 1953 the author undertook a reconnaissance survey covering a cross-section of the pegmatites. Sixty-one pegmatites were examined. The pegmatites of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba are located in an arid region (Seratao), and except in the most southerly portion there is a mini- mum of vegetation and overburden. The region is easily prospected and relatively accessible by jeep or truck. The pegmatites examined in Ceara are in an area of lush vegetation along the flanks of the Jaqueribe River valley. It is therefore more difficult to prospect, and the dirt roads, as a means of access, leave much to be desired. For all practical purposes rail transportation, except in Ceara, is not available. The rocks of the area1-4 are composed of Pre-Cambrian schist, gneiss, quartzite, and marbles. They have been intruded by granites, monzonites, and diorites and cut by quartz veins and pegmatites.

Jan 9, 1954

By E. William Heinrich

With the mounting emphasis on unconventional energy sources, total consumption of lithium minerals will increase significantly in the next decade. The recent development of the lithium battery, for example, may greatly boost the demand for lithium metal. At the same time, the growth in the ceramic, glass, and chemical industries is bound to increase the demand for lithium minerals. In fact, the entire consumption or utilization breakdown of lithium minerals will change considerably from its current pattern. Briefly, today's market for lithium minerals' can be grouped into three categories: (1) Lithium concentrates. Accounting for 57% of market use, these concentrates are beneficiated Li-A1 silicates for ceramic, glass, and glass-ceramic raw materials. The concentrates are chiefly spodumene; inverted iron-depleted beta-spodumene; and petalite or its isochemical decomposition product spodumene + quartz intergrowth ("squi"). In the past, lepidolite has also been used.

Jan 9, 1974

By Russell W. Mumford

LITHIA compounds have a place in pharmaceutical and other chemical industries and lithium minerals in glassmaking and ceramics. The metal, although rare, is used to a minor extent in alloys. During the nearly 50 years of production of lithium minerals in the United States, the silicate mineral spodumene has continued as the chief source of raw material for the manufacture of lithium salts. Although twice as much lepidolite, a lithium mica, has been mined, most of it has been used in the making of certain types of glass. Amblygonite has been an additional but minor source of lithium compounds. Triphylite, petalite, and zinnwaldite have also been utilized in the past. All of these commercial lithium minerals contain low percentages of lithium (Table 1). In 1938, a new raw material for manufacture of lithium compounds made its appearance. This product was crude dilithium sodium phosphate (Li2NaPO4), obtained as a by-product of manufacture of potash and soda chemicals from the brine of Searles Lake, California. Searles Lake, which is now dry, lies in the extreme northwest corner of San Bernardino County, California, and consists of a large mass of salts. It was estimated by the United States Geological Survey that the crystal body contained about 25 pct voids, which are filled with a saturated brine. The brine consists mainly of the sulphates, chlorides, carbonates, and borates of sodium and potassium. Several other acid radicals, including phosphates, are present. Lithium is present in the brine in an amount corresponding to 0.01 15 pct Li2O. In the course of evaporation of water from the brine, during the process of manufacture of sodium and potassium chemicals, dilithium sodium phosphate crystallizes out and is recovered by a flotation operation. The lithium concentrate is filtered and dried and is then ready for shipment. It analyzes from 19 to 21 pct Li2O and now constitutes the highest known grade of crude lithium material. It is and will continue to be a major source of lithium for manufacture of lithium products. The variation in lithia content of the commercial minerals as mined is due to replacement of the lithia by soda and potash, to partial alter-

Jan 1, 1949

By Ihor A. Kunasz

Lithium minerals occur predominantly in pegmatites which contain mineral assemblages derived from the crystallization of postmagmatic fluids or from the metasomatic action by residual pegmatitic fluids. They have been the traditional sources of raw materials for ceramic and chemical industries. However, with the discovery of Searles Lake, brines became new sources of lithium. Indeed, the 1960s may well be referred to as the "brine decade" because several brine bodies of significant economic importance were discovered. In the United States, the brines of Clayton Valley, Nevada, presently exploited by Foote Mineral Co., and the Great Salt Lake of Utah, to be exploited by the Great Salt Lake Chemicals Corp., have been defined as major sources of lithium. Also a lithium-bearing brine has been discovered in Chile. Following the termination of the AEC purchase program in 1959, several companies such as Maywood Chemical Co., American Lithium Chemicals, and Quebec Lithium Corp. were forced to close down their operations. Nevertheless, with the development of new applications in glass ceramics, air conditioning systems, synthetic rubber, and metallurgy (aluminum potlines), the lithium industry grew steadily, and with the potential application of lithium metal in batteries and nuclear reactors, a healthy growth can be foreseen. New products and new applications are likely to stimulate exploration for expanded reserves as well as the search for new sources from which lithium could be extracted economically. Geochemistry of Lithium Lithium is the third element in the periodic table. It is the lightest of all the metals, having an atomic weight of 6.938. Its ionic radius is 0.60A and its charge is + 1. The geochemistry of lithium has been extensively studied and has been summarized by Rankama and Sahama (1950), Goldschmidt (1937), and Hortsman (1957). The distribution of lithium in igneous rocks is controlled by its size and its charge, and by the (MgO+FeO)/Li2O ratio. In the early stages of crystallization of a magma, that ratio is very large. Consequently, both magnesium and iron are removed by ferromagnesian minerals in preference to lithium which is then concentrated in the residual magma. This results in an enrichment of lithium in silicic rocks and pegmatites (Strock, 1936). Pegmatites are coarse-grained igneous rocks formed by the crystallization of postmagmatic fluids. Minerals within pegmatites may also form by metasomatism (Jahns. 1955). Genetically, the pegmatites are associated kith neigh- boring intrusives. Mineralogically, granitic pegmatites contain feldspar, quartz, and mica as the main constituents and a variety of exotic elements such as lithium, beryllium, tantalum, tin, and cesium, which may or may not occur in economically significant concentrations. Detailed studies by numerous investigators (Cameron et al., 1949, 1954; Hanley et al., 1950; Jahns, 1953, 1955; Page et al., 1953) indicate that pegmatites often exhibit an internal zonal arrangement, with each zone containing a specific suite of minerals. The lithium minerals are usually found in the intermediate zones, and although as many as 13 zones have been recognized by Cameron, a complete zonal arrangement is rarely found. Zoning of pegmatite bodies has also been observed on a regional basis. The regionally zoned pegmatite sequences exhibit mineral assemblages and complexity according to their respective distance from the granitic bodies to which they are genetically related (Mulligan, 1965). Lithium is also found in small proportions in a variety of rocks. The average lithium

Jan 1, 1975

By Ihor A. Kunasz

Introduction Lithium minerals occur predominantly in pegmatites which contain mineral assemblages derived from the crystallization of postmagmatic fluids or from the metasomatic action by residual pegmatitic fluids. They have been the traditional sources of raw materials for ceramic and chemical industries. With the discovery of Searles Lake, brines became new sources of lithium. Indeed, the 1960s may well be referred to as the "brine decade" because several brine bodies of significant economic importance were discovered. In the United States, the brines of Clayton Valley, Nevada, are presently exploited by Foote Mineral Co. The brines of the Great Salt Lake of Utah, the Smackover formation, and the Imperial Valley geothermal field, have been defined as important resources of lithium. In South America, new occurrences have been identified in Bolivia and Argentina. At the Salar de Atacama, Chile, new production capacity is scheduled for 1984. Following the termination of the AEC purchase program in 1959, several companies such as Maywood Chemical Co., American Lithium Chemicals, and Quebec Lithium Corp. were forced to close their operations. Nevertheless, with the development of new applications in glass ceramics, air conditioning systems, synthetic rubber, and metallurgy (aluminum potlines), the lithium industry grew steadily, and with the potential application of lithium metal in batteries and nuclear reactors, a healthy growth can be foreseen. New products and new applications are likely to stimulate exploration for expanded, reserves as well as the search for new sources from which lithium could be extracted economically. Geochemistry of Lithium Lithium is the third element in the periodic table. It is the lightest of all the metals, having an atomic weight of 6.938, an ionic radius of 0.68Å and a charge of +1. The geochemistry of lithium has been extensively studied and has been summarized by Rankama and Sahama (1950), Goldschmidt (1937), and Hortsman (1957). The distribution of lithium in igneous rocks is controlled by its size and its charge, and by the (MgO+FeO) / Li2O ratio. In the early stages of crystallization of a magma, that ratio is very large. Consequently, both magnesium and iron are removed by ferromagnesian minerals in preference to lithium which is then concentrated in the residual magma. This results in an enrichment of lithium in silicic rocks and pegmatites (Strock, 1936). Pegmatites are coarse-grained igneous rocks formed by the crystallization of postmagmatic fluids. Minerals within pegmatites may also form by metasomatism (Jahns, 1955). Genetically, the pegmatites are associated with neighboring intrusives. Mineralogically, granitic pegmatites contain feldspar, quartz, and mica as the main constituents and a variety of exotic elements such as lithium, beryllium, tantalum, tin, and cesium, which may or may not occur in economically significant concentrations. Detailed studies by numerous investigators (Cameron et al., 1949, 1954; Hanley et al., 1950; Jahns, 1953, 1955; Page et al., 1953) indicate that pegmatites often exhibit an internal zonal arrangement, with each zone containing a specific suite of minerals. The lithium minerals are usually found in the intermediate zones, and although as many as 13 zones have been recognized by Cameron, et al. (1949), a complete zonal arrangement is rarely found. Zoning of pegmatite bodies has also been observed on a regional basis. The regionally zoned pegmatite sequences exhibit mineral assemblages and complexity according to their re-

Jan 1, 1983

By J. F. Abel, F. T. Lee

Subsidence is controlled by a complex com¬bination of mining and geologic factors. For example, a compilation of worldwide data shows that, as the percentage of shale in the overlying rock mass decreases and the amount of sandstone increases, the angle of draw (and the area affected by subsidence) decreases. Limestone in the over¬burden appears to cause a more than twofold decrease in the angle of draw compared to a like amount of sandstone. Increased amounts of sandstone were accompanied by a greater surface subsidence relative to the mining height. The total thickness of overburden did not appear to influence the subsidence magnitude above super-critical panels. The greater the thickness extracted, the smaller percentage of that thickness shows up at the surface as subsidence. The greater the percent of the seam extracted, the greater the subsidence reaching the surface. The maximum subsidence above room-and-pillar panels de¬pends on the pillar height and minimum width as well as the other factors listed.

Jan 1, 1984

By Pierre J. Goossens

The coastal Cordillera around the Panama basin is made up of a Cu-rich tholeiitic volcanic belt representing either immature, late Mesozoic, island arc, or oceanic ridge. The same belt is exposed (uplifted) along the western slope of the Cordillera Occidental of Ecuador and Colombia. Ni-lateritic, Cr-podiform, and Pt-(Au) placer deposits are formed there after or within ultramafic bodies of oceanic association. Younger calc-alkaline igneous activity provided the mechanism for porphyry copper and associated ore formation. This Cu (+Mo) mineralization occurs along a narrow belt exposed by the erosion of the volcanic cap. Ag-Pb-Zn(-Au) and Hg volcanogenic mineralizations occur within the calc-alkaline belt, but slightly eastward and only above the copper belt. To the east and in the Venezuelan Andes, Paleozoic and older sediments, volcanics, and metamorphics contain volcanogenic massive sulfide, Pb-Zn, Au, and Cu sedimentary and vein deposits, and sedimentary iron ore and phosphate. The Cenozoic Cu, Ni-Pt-Cr and a portion of Ag-Pb-Zn, Hg, and Au mineralizations occur within or just above the oceanic basement whereas the eastern- most Cenozoic Ag-Pb-Zn mineralizations occur within and above a pre-Cenozoic sialic basement. This continental crust is the northern extension of the Peru-Chilean Andes where no oceanic crust has been preserved, however. Cenozoic metallogeny and subduction relationships are unclear in the Northern Andes. Yet strong structural volcanogenic ore controls exists apparently due to deep strike-slip movement between two plates.

Jan 1, 1977

By L. S. Panyity

THE State of Ohio is among the pioneers in the production of oil and gas. Numerous anticlinals, such as the Macksburg, Cow Run and Newport, have been thoroughly developed, and the pools found in connection with them are quite in accord with the structural theory. Numerous oil and gas pools found in the Berea sand, however, demand a different explanation. The study of these pools belongs to the sub-surface geologist, as it is possible to understand the factors controlling "off-structure" accumulations only after a careful study of well records. By carefully analyzing the various 'conditions over a large territory, it is possible to understand the otherwise meaningless mass of data that one may have at hand, and put it into tangible shape, from which various conclusions may be drawn. The territory here discussed includes Belmont, Guernsey, Muskingum, Noble, Monroe, Morgan, Washington, Athens and Meigs counties, containing the majority of the prolific oil and gas pools of the Carboniferous system in southeastern Ohio. The general dip of the strata is to the southeast, the entire territory lying on the northwestern flank of the Appalachian geosyncline. The best known oil- and gas-producing horizon in the territory is the Berea sand, which lies near the lower part of the Mississippian, with the Sunburry shales (the coffee-shales of the driller) above, and the Bedford shales below it. The Bedford is underlain by the thick Ohio shales. The Ohio and Bedford contact is considered to be the dividing line between the Carboniferous and Devonian systems. The Berea is one of the most persistent of recognizable oil and gas horizons; its outcrop has always been found in its expected place, and it has always been penetrated whenever the drill went deep enough. It is not expected, however, even of the most uniform formations, that no lithological variations should occur, and the Berea is no exception. Nevertheless, there appears to be a certain regularity in its variation, the main features of which directly affect the accumulation of petroleum.

Jan 8, 1918

Swedish mining companies are noted for their excellence in underground mining practice, and this classification certainly has to be applied to their design of crushing plants also. All these mines are highly mechanized with either rail or truck haulage, and typical examples of underground crushing plants designed for each of these haulage practices are presented here. Almost all the primary breakers are of the overhead eccentric, single- toggle jaw crusher type with units as large as 55 by 71 in. (1400 by 1800 mm) being used. In contrast to North America, where jaw crushers are almost always preceded by apron or vibrating feeders, many of the. Swedish crushers are choke fed with the dump pocket being located directly above the crusher. This practice results both from excellent knowledge of the ore characteristics and the ability of the overhead eccentric crusher to also act as a feeder. An excellent example of a crushing plant of this design is shown by the sketch of the LKAB Alliansen Crusher No. 64 at Malmberget, Sweden. Forty-six st (42 mt) trucks dump magnetite ore into a 91.6 cu yd (70 m3) dump pocket mounted over a 55 by 71 in (1400 by 1800 mm) Morgards- hammar overhead eccentric crusher using a 180 hp (132 kw) motor and belt drive. Crushed ore at 10 in. (250 mm) size drops onto an air- operated tipping chute which diverts the ore to either of two 1962 cu yd (1500 m3) pockets equipped with 3 ft 11 in. by 7 ft 11 in. (1200 by 2000 mm) Schenk vibrating feeders. Dust is drawn into a wet scrubber and exhaust air is combined with mine exhaust air. Because the crusher must be assembled underground, a 45/5 ton crane is installed over the crushing installation. A crusher above ground such as at Sacaton can easily utilize a smaller crane. Capacity of this 'most interesting crushing installation is 1653 st (1500 mtph) .

Jan 1, 1978

Another excellent Swedish underground crushing plant is that at Crusher Station 51 of LKAB in Kiruna, Sweden. Bottom-dump rail cars pass over a dump scroll to discharge magnetite ore into a 288 cu yd (220 m3) pocket equipped with a Hewitt Robins E-13 vibrating grizzly feeder. The grizzly section is 59 in. (1500 mm) long and has bar spacings 3 in. (76 mm) wide. Any oversize boulders which will not pass the chute opening to the feeder are blasted. The primary breaker is a Morgardshammar overhead eccentric 55 in. by 71 in. (1400 by 1800 mm) jaw crusher powered by a 200 hp (149 kw) motor. An open side setting of 10. 8 to 11. 8 in (275 to 300 mm) accounts for the high capacity of this crushing unit (2760 stph or 2500 mtph). This figure compares favorably with the capacity of many gyratory crushers but is typical of the Swedish jaw crushing installations, which are often followed by three more stages of crushing or by autogenous grinding. Crushed ore from the jaw crusher is combined with the grizzly under- size in the crushed ore pocket and is fed by a second vibrating grizzly feeder to the secondary cone crusher. Both crushers are serviced by 50/5 ton overhead bridge cranes. During maintenance operations air -operated gates shut off the flow of ore from the dump and primary crushed ore pockets.

Jan 1, 1978

By Martti E. Maliniemi

The Svappavaara mine is located 47 km southeast of Kiruna C. The ore deposit now being worked, Leveäniemi, belongs to Luossavaara- Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB) and is the company's, and also Sweden's, third biggest mine after Kiirunavaara and Malmberget. The distance by rail to the Norwegian port of Narvik is 214 km and to Lulei on the Gulf of Bothnia 340 km (Fig. 1). The village of Svappavaara has about 800 inhabitants. The climate is arctic in character. The temperature during the months of December to February is about -20º to -35ºC, and the ground is covered by a blanket of snow for about eight months of the year. The brief, intensive summer often arrives with startling speed, bringing both sunshine and warmth. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Mining operations took place in Svappavaara as far back as 300 years ago. During the period 1655-1684, copper ore was taken from the deposit called Gruvberget in the vicinity of the village. The total production of raw copper was probably about 1,045 tons. During the 18th and 19th centuries, several attempts were made to extract iron ore from the numerous deposits found within the district. These brave attempts, however, were foiled by the high phosphorus contents and the enormous transport difficulties. The present-day mine fields in Leveäniemi were discovered in 1897. At that time, it was difficult to determine the size and value of the deposit because of the thickness of the soil cover (3 to 15 m) and the

Jan 1, 1969

By P. Dosmond

In ore mining technology, the loading and hauling operations are undoubtedly the area where the most spectacular progress has been made during the last twenty years. In the iron ore mines of Eastern France production of 62 million tons for 1962 and 19863 constitute a worthwhile experience worldwide. These deposits which are located in Lorraine are of sedimentary origin and they contain many mineralized horizons with workable seams varying in depth from 330 to 830 ft.

Jan 1, 1970

By Lawrence Adler

For openings in bedded rocks, analyzed by simple beam theory, it has been shown that roof loads can be shifted from one support to another.' This transfer is effected by controlling the relative deflection of adjacent supports. If this action is used to reduce loads in the props or bolts and increase them in the ribs or pillars, it could be productive of economies averaging 30 pct. Such savings can be realized by: 1) using smaller artifical supports such as props and bolts, and 2) increasing loads in the rib to induce eventual failure for longwall caving. Since the rib is relatively load-insensitive, it provides a natural load sink. However, caution must be used in applying such permissive deflections, for while the supports are being handled properly, the stresses in the roof itself are very sensitive to such manipulations.'

Jan 5, 1960

By Bashir Ahmed, Fred D. Wright

Numerous investigators have studied the various factors that influence the ultimate strength of model mine pillars, such as ratio of height-to-least width; restraint or friction on the top and bottom; 1,2 the effect of stress distribution in pillars on their strength;3 and the scaling factors involved in applying the results of model pillars to full-scale pillars. However, the load-bearing capacity of pillars after initial failure does not appear to have been investigated. Yet many mines employ methods in which small pillars or pillar remnants are left systematically; these pillars crush as mining progresses and, of necessity, affect the behavior of surrounding rock even after initial failure. The effect of such crushed or crushing pillars depends largely on their load-deformation characteristics. This chapter presents the results of a preliminary investigation to determine the load-deformation characteristics of a few model mine pillars to and beyond initial failure. Various investigators have also studied the elastic and viscoelastic behavior of mine structures. In such studies, computers are frequently employed to obtain numerical results by the finite difference or finite element methods. It would be entirely feasible to write a program that would approximate the load-deformation characteristics of pillars to and beyond the crushing stage if these characteristics were known. More accurate information on the induced stresses and deformations in overlying strata and on surface subsidence could be obtained, information which should result in better strata control by enabling the engineer to calculate more accurately the effects of changes in pillar spacing, size, and shape.

Jan 1, 1972

By Thomas Fraser, David R. Mitchell

THE primary purpose of the loading plant is to transfer the finished product from the preparation machines to the railroad car, truck, or barge in which it is to go to market. Secondary purposes of the loading plant are: to prevent excessive degradation of sizes during loading, to reduce segregation as much as possible, and to prevent excessive quantities of very good or off-grade coal from entering any one car. Nonuniformity of consignments is one of the chief sources of com- plaints by consumers and coal merchants. A properly designed loading plant will do much to reduce complaints and ensure uniformity, not only from shipment to shipment but also in each individual consignment along the length of the car and in cross section. DEGRADATION IN STORAGE, LOADING AND SHIPMENT The object in loading is not only to handle the coal without breakage and segregation, but also to produce a well-trimmed load that will ride to its destination without spillage or breakage en route. The small sizes present in a car of prepared coal as received by the purchaser consist-of: missed small sizes not screened out in the preparation plant, breakage during loading, and breakage caused by handling en route. For domestic sizes of anthracite shipped from the Pennsylvania anthracite field to Atlantic coast cities, the dealers' lass because of breakage in loading and shipment amounts to from 2 to 5 per cent and for anthracite shipped to Middle West cities, the loss is 8 to 9 per cent. This difference is in part because dealers in the Middle West rescreen their coal more thoroughly than is usual in the East. One dealer handling Illinois No. 6 coal shipped from southern Illinois mines to Chicago reports an average size loss of 10 per cent when lump coal is unloaded with a fork. This runs as low as 5 per cent for carefully loaded coal and as high as 15 per cent for carelessly loaded coal.

Jan 1, 1943

By Thomas Fraser, David R. Mitchell

THE primary purpose of the loading plant is to transfer the finished product from the preparation machines to the railroad car, truck, or barge in which it is to go to market. Secondary purposes of the loading plant are: to prevent excessive degradation of sizes during loading, to reduce segregation as much as possible, and to prevent excessive quantities of very good or off-grade coal from entering any one car. Nonuniformity of consignments is one of the chief sources of complaints by consumers and coal merchants. A properly designed loading plant will do much to reduce complaints and insure uniformity, not only from shipment to shipment but also in each individual consignment along the length of the car and in cross section. DEGRADATION IN STORAGE, LOADING AND SHIPMENT The object in loading is not only to handle the coal without breakage and segregation, but also to produce a well-trimmed load that will ride to its destination without spillage o~ breakage en route. The small sizes present in a car-of prepared coal as received by the purchaser consist of: missed small sizes not screened out in the preparation plant, breakage during loading, and breakage caused by handling en route. For domestic sizes of anthracite shipped from the Pennsylvania anthracite field to Atlantic coast cities, the dealers' loss because of breakage in loading and shipment amounts to from 2 to 5 per cent and for anthracite shipped to Middle West cities, the loss is 8 to 9 per cent. This difference is in part because dealers in the Middle West rescreen their coal more thoroughly than is usual in the East. One dealer handling Illinois No. 6 coal shipped from southern Illinois mines to Chicago reports an average size loss of 10 per cent when lump coal is unloaded with a fork. This runs as low as 5 per cent for carefully loaded coal and as high as 15 per cent for carelessly loaded coal. An Ohio dealer estimates the degradation in loading and shipment of West Virginia coals consigned to Ohio cities as follows: Pocahontas lump

Jan 1, 1950

By Thomas Fraser, David R. Mitchell

THE primary purpose of the loading plant is to transfer the finished product from the preparation machines to the railroad car, truck, or barge in which it is to go to market. Secondary purposes of the loading plant are: to prevent excessive degradation of sizes during loading, to reduce segregation as much as possible, and to prevent excessive quantities of very good or off-grade coal from entering any one car. Nonuniformity of consignments is one of the chief sources of com- plaints by consumers and coal merchants. A properly designed loading plant will do much to reduce complaints and ensure uniformity, not only from shipment to shipment but also in each individual consignment along the length of the car and in cross section. DEGRADATION IN STORAGE, LOADING AND SHIPMENT The object in loading is not only to handle the coal without breakage and segregation, but also to produce a well-trimmed load that will ride to its destination without spillage or breakage en route. The small sizes present in a car of prepared coal as received by the purchaser consist of: missed small sizes not screened out in the preparation plant, breakage during loading, and breakage caused by handling en route. For domestic sizes of anthracite shipped from the Pennsylvania anthracite field to Atlantic coast cities, the dealers' loss because of break- age in loading and shipment amounts to from 2 to 5 per cent and for anthracite shipped to Middle West cities, the loss is 8 to 9 per cent. This difference is in part because dealers in the Middle West rescreen their coal more thoroughly than is usual in the East. One dealer handling Illinois No. 6 coal shipped from southern Illinois mines to Chicago reports an average size loss of 10 per cent when lump coal is unloaded with a fork. This runs as low as 5 per cent for carefully loaded coal and as high as 15 per cent for carelessly loaded coal.

Jan 1, 1943

By Laurence W. Casteel

Indian Creek Mine, newest of the St. Joseph Lead Co. properties, is located in southeast Missouri on the flanks of a buried porphyry ridge. Here the orebodies are very irregular in size and shape and have a regional pitch of about 15°, which may vary locally from 0 to 90°. To maintain an economical grade of ore, selective mining is imperative. The room and casual pillar method is employed with 20-ft diam pillars 35 ft apart where possible. Stopes vary in height from 10 to 55 ft. All are too small to supply a loading unit continuously.

Dec 1, 1956

By Dale I. Hayes

Combined loader and transport, the Gismo is now built for sale in one size, 5 to 6 tons. It will operate in a minimum opening of 7x7 ft and can be built to operate at lower heights. Where space limitations are not a factor it could be designed with much greater carrying capacity-12, 18, or 25 tons-to be powered with a standard heavier tractor. The Gismo is mounted on crawler tracks of the same design as the tracks of the small Allis- Chalmers HD-6B tractor used to power it. With the HD-6B tractor it will negotiate upgrades of 12 pct and downgrades of 20 pct. The next tractor size would make the device feasible for steeper grades or for a machine of larger capacity at moderate grades.

Dec 1, 1956

By James J. Wise

INTRODUCTION One basic design feature utilized in all caving and sublevel stoping techniques is the drawpoint. These draw- points may be located on sublevels when using sublevel caving methods, or may be located at the floor pillar when using block caving, sublevel stoping, or vertical crater retreat methods. How the drawpoint is designed and developed, how the ore is withdrawn from it, and how the ore is hauled to the shaft or portal encompasses the loading and hauling function. Historically, predominate loading and hauling equipment for caving and sublevel stoping has been scraper slushes, air powered overshot loaders, and rail mounted train haulage. All of this equipment has two common constraints. 1. The equipment locked into specific work sites and is not easily shifted to another work site. This constraint can often lead to low utilization and low productivity of the equipment. 2. The equipment is designed to work in the horizontal plane, which requires that the various horizontally-oriented working levels be connected by vertical raises. Vertical development by means of raises is not only increasingly expensive, but also is not well adapted to movement of large equipment into the s topes. In the last 20 years, two revolutionary labor saving concepts have become common in caving and sublevel stoping. 1. Long-hole drilling, which has mechanized the development of the drawpoint extraction structures as well as the actual stoping and undercutting. 2. Vertical access by means of trackless ramps between levels, and the consequent use of rubber-tired vehicles not only for loading and hauling ore, but also for the rapid movement of men, material, and equipment into the stopes. The introduction of trackless mining systems for loading and hauling has not been easy. Mine planners have had to re-orient their thinking to the larger operating space required by trackless equipment. Larger access drifts have necessitated reconsideration of mine layouts to insure proper ground support. Spiral ramp developments were often laid out on slopes steeper than the equipment could negotiate economically. Mine operators had to accept the added responsibility of roadway maintenance, water removal, increased ventilation, and more technical mechanical maintenance. As the mine operators enthusiastically embraced the superior productivity of trackless mining systems, they some- times disregarded opportunities to combine the older types of equipment with trackless vehicles to maximize productivity at lowest cost. In order to gain a proper perspective on this problem, it is necessary to review the various techniques of loading and hauling and to become more aware of the advantages or disadvantages that each system or combination contributes. LOADING Loading consists of two functions, (1) primary loading from a drawpoint and (2) secondary loading into long- haul system, a truck, train, or possibly a belt conveyor. Mine planners have four basic loading systems available to fit various operating conditions. These are, (1) gravity, (2) scrapers, (3) rail-mounted loaders, and (4) trackless loaders. Each system can produce optimum results under specific conditions. Gravity Loading Gravity loading is probably the oldest system in general use today.

Jan 1, 1981