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By L. Weaver

THE Tennessee Copper Co.'s mines are in the southeast corner of the state of Tennessee, Polk Co., in the well-known Ducktown copper basin. Their new circular production shaft will eventually be the only ore hoisting shaft, and is located for handling ore from Boyd, Calloway, Mary, and Cherokee mines. A circular, rather than a rectangular, shaft was decided upon because: 1-The circular shaft section is stronger when lined with concrete. Reinforcing steel was not required, thus reducing lining cost by one- quarter. 2-Water sealing was desired; it was thought it could best be done with a concrete lining followed by pressure grouting to eliminate water seeps. 3-The shaft labor saving equipment could best be used in a large opening, so the round section was made for economy, sinking, mucking, concreting and water sealing. Less shaft steel is used than could have been possible with steel sets. There are no posts required; center beams and Tee plate assembly placed at 10 ft hold the 100 lb steel guide rails.

Jan 1, 1950

By Lendall P. Warriner, Blandford C. Burgess

Jasper County lies just north of the geographical center of Georgia, bounded on the west and north by the Ocmulgee River. The county seat, Monticello, is approximately 65 miles east-southeast of Atlanta and 40 miles north of Macon. It is served by the Macon-Athens branch of the Central of Georgia Railway Co. and by five paved highways converging from adjoining county seats. Farming and lumbering are the principal local occupations. About half the county is covered with pine and mixed hardwoods; a large part of the forested land is owned by the Soil Conservation Service of the Department of Agriculture in its Piedmont Land Utilization Project. The topography is one of gently rolling field and forest with occasional hills rising 100 ft or: more above the creek beds. Though annual rainfall is in the neighborhood of 60 in., most of it falls in torrential downpours of short duration which tend rapidly to erode the red soil and convert the country roads to greasy tracks of red mud.

Jan 1, 1949

By Edwin Ludlow

T HE OPEN FORUM on this subject called by Mr. Hoover at the recent meeting of the Institute' brought out a large number of very able papers, and a very full discussion of all the problems involved. The criticisms of the bituminous industry were: 1. That it was over-developed with the possible output nearly 50 per cent. in excess of the present requirements; that during the summer there were plenty of cars and no orders, and during the winter there were plenty of orders but no cars. 2. That the mines were not properly developed from an engineering standpoint, and that the recovery of the coal varies from 50 per cent. to 95 per cent. 3. That this industry, employing over 600,000 men, could, if running full time, release 100,000 men for other work. 4. That the studies made by the engineers of the Fuel Administration showed that the cost of production increased with a loss of time and that with a 50 per cent. operation the increase in cost was about 40 per cent.

Jan 1, 1920

By Franklin G. Pardee

IN 1920 the Minnesota Tax Commission estimated a reserve of 1,341,674,538 long tons of iron ore in Minnesota, the Michigan State Tax Commission report showed 199,092,855 long tons in reserve in that state, and the Wisconsin Geological Survey set the Wisconsin reserves at 21,500,000 long tons. The total reserve that year for the Lake Superior District amounted to 1,562,267,393 long tons. Ten years later the reserves of iron ore in these same districts were Minnesota 1,235,227,510, Michigan 168,349,823, and Wisconsin 23,000,000, or a total of 1,426,577,333 long tons. The decrease in ore reserves in this ten-year period was 135,690,060 long tons, but the shipments were 520,746,975 long tons. In other words, the ten-year depletion in reserves was only 8.68 per cent. If similar conditions carry into the future this calculation would indicate a life for the ore reserves of the Lake Superior region of over 100 years.

Jan 1, 1933

By AIME AIME

INDUSTRIAL Pittsburgh, the center of the coal and iron and steel industry of the world, was host to the Coal Division at its Fall Meeting held there on Oct. 21 and 22 at the William Penn Hotel. The past year has witnessed remarkable progress in new methods of mining and burning of coal and many of the papers on the program discussed these developments. Nearly 100 had registered at the time of the first session on Wednesday morning and this number increased to 168 on Thursday. Owing to the large number of papers on the program, eighteen in all, it was necessary to hold group meetings on Thursday morning, with a capacity attendance at each meeting. . Chairman McAuliffe was on hand early Wednesday morning to open the meeting. George Otis Smith, representing President Lovejoy, came over from Cleveland where he attended the meetings of the Institute of Metals Division. Secretary Parsons arrived later from Cleveland and spent the whole morning with the executive committee of the Division. Doctor Smith, Secretary Parsons, and J. T. Breunich were the official representatives from Institute headquarters.

Jan 1, 1936

By William D. Carter

When the first Earth Resources Technology satellite (ERTS-A) is orbited by NASA next year, mineral exploration is expected to take a giant leap forward. There are many inherent advantages in going to space to study large regions of the earth, as existing space data have shown. A preview of what can be expected has already been provided by Gemini and Apollo color photographs taken over many parts of the world in the equatorial belt to 30ºN and S latitude. These comprehensive views cover some 100 sq mi, depicting prominent geologic features in a regional context. Placed side by side with mosaics of aerial photographs covering identical areas, the space pictures point up many inadequacies in the present airborne methods of data acquisition. To obtain a regional picture from aircraft, one must piece together many bits of data, and the final result suffers from variations in lighting and photographic reproduction that may obscure features important to the mineral explorer. By contrast, space photographs provide unsegmented synoptic views of large areas as they appear in a single instant under uniform lighting conditions.

Jan 1, 1971

By J. Price Wetherill

THE coal-seams that are worked vary from 32 to 100 feet in thickness, and occur at all angles of inclination, but are never flat for any great extent. They contain coal, slate, and an unsolidified coal, called dirt by the miners, in various proportions, a uniform seam of coal alone being rare. The upper walls are composed of conglomerate, sandstone, or slate; the first two hard and solid in texture, and withstanding the action of the atmosphere and moisture sufficiently well to offer but little trouble to the mining operations ; while the latter crumbles rapidly, owing, in part, to the decomposition of iron pyrites which it contains in large quantities, and in part to its own friable character, and requires constant care to avoid accidents to the men working below it, and to prevent its mixing with the coal mined. The floors are composed of slate. As in all mining operations, the. general system pursued is to reach with a permanent outlet such a point in the seam as will

Jan 1, 1877

By Milton E. Wadsworth, W. Martin Fassell, William H. Dresher

A study of the rate of dissolution of molybdenite (MoS2) in alkaline solution was carried out under carefully controlled conditions. Effects of temperature, oxygen over-pressure, and KOH concentration were evaluated. Studies were made in the temperature range 100°C to 175°C and in the pressure range 0 to 700 psia of oxygen. Under these conditions molybdenite was found to leach according to a linear mechanism. Both oxygen over-pressure and KOH concentration were found to control the rate of leaching. The mechanism has been explained in terms of adsorption of oxygen at the molybdenite surface followed by configurational rearrangement of the adsorbed molecules. The hydroxyl ion dependency is believed to be diffusion-controlled. Laboratory batch studies have shown that molybdenite can be readily dissolved in alkaline solutions under moderate conditions of temperature and pressure. Commercial application of this process to the production of ferro-molybdenum and molybdenum chemicals is promising in view of the ease of dissolution of molybdenite and the relatively noncorrosive conditions involved in the process.

Jul 1, 1956

By Joseph Kuti

ROOF SUPPORT DEVELOPMENTS IN LONGWALL (1) European longwall mining technology developed towards its modern form in relatively deep mines. With increasing depth the stability of openings driven for ventilation, travel or transport becomes paramount in mine design considerations. As a result the number of roadways and entries, as well as their width must be a minimum. (1) Another important aspect of European mining is the high density of mineable seams, as opposed to the wide lateral extension of a single seam in the U. S. A. Multi-seam mining requires strict planning and near 100% extraction, since with increasing depth, the effect of remnant pillars can be devastating. As a result the face layout of a modern European longwall panel is based on single panel entries of moderate width and great height. The mode of extraction is generally a mixture of the advance and retreat system which is called a 2-system. It is obvious, therefore, that the supports developed for the entries and for the intersection areas are more complex than those in the U. S. A.

Jan 1, 1981

By Cyril Stanley Smith

BeTa brass (consisting of approximately equal atomic proportions of copper and zinc) exists as a random solid solution at high temperatures, hut at low temperature< an ordered structure is stable, with the copper and zinc atoms occupying alternate sites on the body-centered-cubic lattice. On cooling, ordering commences at a temperature of 450° to 470°C., depending on the composition. The degree of ordering progressively increases at lower temperatures until it becomes virtually complete at about 100°C. The electrical resistivity of the alloy illustrates the changes clearly (Fig. I). This type of reaction has been a favored subject for study by physicists. An excellent summary of the theory is to be found in a paper by F. C. Nix and W. Shock1ey.l All published data on electrical conductivity, specific heat and other properties agree in indicating that the ordering reaction in beta brass takes place so rapidly that it cannot be prevented or even retarded by quenching&apos; With most ordered alloys, cold-working induces disorder and

Jan 1, 1943

By Cyril Stanley Smith

BeTa brass (consisting of approximately equal atomic proportions of copper and zinc) exists as a random solid solution at high temperatures, hut at low temperature< an ordered structure is stable, with the copper and zinc atoms occupying alternate sites on the body-centered-cubic lattice. On cooling, ordering commences at a temperature of 450° to 470°C., depending on the composition. The degree of ordering progressively increases at lower temperatures until it becomes virtually complete at about 100°C. The electrical resistivity of the alloy illustrates the changes clearly (Fig. I). This type of reaction has been a favored subject for study by physicists. An excellent summary of the theory is to be found in a paper by F. C. Nix and W. Shock1ey.l All published data on electrical conductivity, specific heat and other properties agree in indicating that the ordering reaction in beta brass takes place so rapidly that it cannot be prevented or even retarded by quenching&apos; With most ordered alloys, cold-working induces disorder and

Jan 1, 1943

By Donald M. Hausen

Microscopic evaluation of trace quantities of metalliferous phases in flotation products requires counting large numbers of particles. Particle counts of many thousands may be required for precision, but cannot be obtained practically by conventional microscopic techniques. A less tedious microscopic method for evaluating trace sulfides in mill tailings was developed for the O&apos;okiep Mining Co. in South Africa. Hundreds of thousands of particles were evaluated by this method called "gross-counting." Gross-counting consists of counting microscopic fields rather than point-counting individual particles. Total counts are calculated by multiplying the average number of particles per field by the total number of fields examined over the entire mount. Total gross-counts range from about 20,000 particles for +200 to 100,000 or more for -400 mesh size material in lucite mounts. Sulfides and metallic particles in each field are identified and tallied along with field counts. Totals for each type of metallic particle are divided by the total gross-count to give volume percent which is corrected to weight percent by specific gravity factors.

Jan 1, 1973

By G. Herget

Finite-element analysis of slopes and a field trial of a slope support system have shown that a considerable potential for excavation reduction exists if slopes are designed with variable slope angles with depth, and if artificial support systems are made an integral part of the slope design. A cost analysis has shown that the savings for a straight 500 ft. high slope with artificial support can amount up to $900 per foot of horizontal pit extension. Horizontal stresses and displacements can be overestimated by up to 100% by employing a two-dimensional finite-element analysis instead of a three-dimensional one. Stress magnitudes differ considerably when comparing results from slope models subjected to a gravity stress field with slope models subjected to high horizontal stresses. Because the latter case appears to be predominant for open pits, slope stability analyses have to be adjusted accordingly. A field trial measuring peak accelerations and displacements has shown that the use of pre- shearing for termination bench blasts, in cases of already heavily fractured ground, can be more detrimental than beneficial.

Jan 1, 1972

By Charles M. Rolker

THIS remarkable and well-known district lies about 320 miles south of Salt Lake City, in Washington County, near the Arizona border of the territory. It is now reached by the Utah Southern Railroad and its extension, and the last 100 miles are run by stages. These vehicles are called "jerkies" in the West, which name conveys a good idea of the comfort they afford, and the relief experienced when you alight. Arriving at Silver Reef, the main camp of the district, one sees at once that he stands where once a surging sea had its domain, marked now by heavy sandstone deposits of a red and white color. The town itself, a neat, clean, and orderly mining town, is encircled on the north by traohyte and granite mountains, skirting to the west. They are cut through in places by deep gorges, left us as the only trace of the force of former currents, which drained the adjoining territory to the north; and which when swelled and infuriated by tempests and cloud-bursts, took in their grasp the huge blocks of

Jan 1, 1881

By Charles M. Rolker

THIS remarkable and well-known district lies about 320 miles south of Salt Lake City, in Washington County, near the Arizona border of the territory. It is now reached by the Utah Southern Railroad and its extension, and the last 100 miles are run by stages. These vehicles are called "jerkies" in the West, which name conveys a good idea of the comfort they afford, and the relief experienced when you alight. Arriving at Silver Reef, the main amp of the district, one sees at once that he stands where once a surging sen had its domain, marked now by heavy sandstone deposits of a red and white color. The town itself, a neat, clean, and orderly mining town, is encircled on the north by trachyte and granite mountains, skirting to the west. They are cut through in places by deep gorges, left US as the only brace of the force of former currents, which drained the adjoining territory to the north; and which when swelled and infuriated by tempests and cloud-bursts, took in their grasp the huge blocks of

Jan 1, 1881

By Ta M. Li

Recent start-up of the Pinto Valley mine and mill is expected to add to domestic copper mine capacity by some 62,500 tpy. Owned and operated by Cities Service Co.&apos;s Miami Operations, the complex lies approximately 5% miles west of Miami, Ariz. The estimated $100- million project, the largest single construction project ever undertaken by Cities Service, includes the Pinto Valley open pit mine, a 40,000-tpd concentrator, and a 10-mile slurry pipeline that will transport a 28% copper concentrate slurry to a new filter plant located in Miami. Concentrate will be treated nearby at Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co.&apos;s new smelter complex. The current pit design contains reserves of approximately 350 million tons of ore averaging 0.44% Cu. Based on an initial production target of 40,000 tpd ore and 60,000 tpd waste, mine life is estimated at 24 years. The current stripping ratio is 1.5: 1, requiring the ultimate removal of more than 500 million tons of waste and leach-grade material.

Jan 6, 1975

By J. Price Wetherill

The coal-seams that are worked vary from 3 1/2 to 100 feet in thickness, and occur at all angles of inclination, but are never flat for any great extent. They contain coal, slate, and an unsolidified coal, called dirt by the miners, in various proportions, a uniform seam of coal alone being rare. The upper walls are composed of conglomerate, sandstone, or slate; the first two hard and solid in texture, and withstanding the action of the atmosphere and moisture sufficiently well to offer but little trouble to the mining operations; while the latter crumbles rapidly, owing, in part, to the decomposition of iron pyrites which it contains in large quantities, and in part to its own friable character, and requires constant care to avoid accidents to the men working below it, and to prevent its mixing with the coal mined. The floors are composed of slate. As in all mining operations, the general system pursued is to reach with a permanent outlet such a point in the seam as will

With a total value to date of well over $200,000.000.00 for its ore production, the Tintic mining district, which is about 100 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, ranks as one of the three main ore producing areas of Utah. In it are located the biggest silver mines of the country, silver having been the chief metal produced in the camp since its start. Tintic&apos;s silver production to date has a total value of over $1 00,000,000, approximately half of the value of the camp&apos;s ore production, the balance being roughly divided among lead, gold and copper. Discovery of the camp was made in the late sixties. Lack of transportation and ore reduction facilities delayed extensive development of the area for nearly a decade. In recent years Tintic&apos;s ore production has ranged from 350,000 to 400,000 tons annually. In 1924 the camp produced one-eighth of the silver produced in the nation with an output of 7,729,700 ounces. Its lead production was 77,765,000 pounds and its gold production 26,285 ounces.

Jan 1, 1925

By Kjell Lidin, Christer Nordström

INTRODUCTION LKAB produces iron ore in several mines in northern Sweden, and has been doing so for nearly 100 years. Total production to date is 600 million tonnes of finished products of various kinds (pellets, lump ore, fines). Close to 400 million tonnes have been produced by sublevel caving. This method has been the company&apos;s standard method for more than 20 years. A review of the development of equipment over the past 15 years and an outlook up to about 1990 leads to the following general re- flections concerning probable trends. Trends for all equipment are increasing precision and stricter environmental requirements will necessitate cabs, remote control etc to an increasing extent. Conventional sublevel caving can be broken down into the following unit operations: 1. Planning incl prospecting drilling. 2. Horizontal drilling. 3. Fan drilling. 4. Charging and blasting. 5. Loading and haulage at sublevels. 6. Ore drawing in chutes. 7. Rock reinforcement. 8. Production service. This lecture will deal in brief with each of these unit operations and the trends we are experiencing for them. A number of slides illustrating equipment

Jan 1, 1981

No. 230. Two engineers, technical graduates, three to five years, experience. One to take charge of &apos;pyrite mining in Canada; the other to assist in the mining work at the head office in New York. Salary for the right man, $5000. No. 231. Two young engineers, preferably men who have just graduated from college who are looking for an opportunity to work up with a reputable mining company. Men who have had some practical experience will be considered. No. 232. Assayer. Wet analyses, principally of lead, zinc, sulphur and insoluble. Assayer will also have some mill sampling and experimental work in a new flotation installation, as well -as control of regular mill operation and development-work samples front the mine. $75 to $100 per month and board, according to experience of candidate. No. 233. Engineer to lay out, erect and operate calcium carbide and ferrosilicon plant in the State of Washington. One furnace, 1500 hp. No. 234. Professor of metallurgy for school of mines in western state. $3000 per year to man properly qualified for the work.

Jan 9, 1917