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Development of a permanent human base on the Moon for exploration requires a self sustaining system. This entails production and processing of limited amounts of raw material on the Moon. Any mining and construction activities on the Moon can only be performed by a robust excavation machine that can excavate a variety of material from loose surface regolith to consolidated (frozen) regolith with embedded rocks in the mixture. Meanwhile, limited amount of information on lunar regolith is available to develop and optimize a machine for given lunar ground conditions. Therefore, any excavator designed for use on the lunar surface should have the ability to adapt to a wide range of operating conditions. A prototype cutterhead for the lunar excavator was built and tested at the Kennametal facility in Latrobe PA A. This paper discusses the results of initial material characterization as well as full scale tests of a prototype cutterhead inrelevent material. A brief review of anticipated production rates under various assumed ground conditions will also be presented.

Jan 1, 2009

By J. Keith Haddock

"Introduction The Luscar company, Forestburg Collieries Ltd., operates the Diplomat Mine located 14 km south of Forestburg, Alberta. Production is now at a declining rate from the 1 million tonnes achieved in 1978 as the reserves are being depleted. Three pits are operated at this prairie strip mine utilizing draglines and stripping shovels to uncover the coal. The coal is hauled to a tipple on site for shipment by rail or highway vehicles or is hauled directly to the adjacent Battle River Generating Station. Geology The mine is currently extracting the Battle River seam on the north side of the Battle River. This is the lower-most seam in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation and is the only one present in the area, the upper seams having been eroded by glaciation. The seam lies generally flat and varies from 2.0 to 5.0 metres thick. It lies under glacial till overburden varying in depth from 5.0 to 12.0 metres. The mineable coal extends from the side of the Battle River valley where it outcrops, to approximately 2.5 kilometres to the north. The mine is spread out over a distance of 8.0 kilometres in an east-west direction. Reserves and Coal Quality After over 30 years of mining at Diplomat, there are now less than 1 million tonnes of mineable reserves remaining on the property. With the commencement of coal production from the Paintearth Mine in 1981, supply to the Battle River Generating Station, formerly Diplomat's biggest customer, is being transferred to Paintearth. Rail shipments and domestic supply will continue until reserves are depleted. The coal has the following specifications:"

Jan 1, 1985

By R. C. FLEMING

MINING rock asphalt for use as a paving material is an industry which has grown with the spread of the good roads movement. "Mineral Industry During 1930" reports asphaltic pavements constructed, including maintenance and repair but excluding pavement constructed with road-oil, cut-back or emulsified asphalt, as grown from 23 million square yards in 1911 to a high of 144 million in 1927. In 1930 the same source reports 106 million square yards of such paving laid and, in that year, 664,871 tons of native rock asphalt were so utilized. Many states contain rock asphalt deposits of greater or less importance but in only a few places are the de¬posits being mined commercially. In the year cited Ken¬tucky produced 305,024 tons of bituminous sandstone, Texas 270,138 tons, mostly bituminous limestone, while Alabama, Oklahoma, California and Utah produced 89,709 tons of bituminous rock for road construction. In addition Utah produced 37,906 tons of the purer asphaltic products, gilsonite, wurtzilite and ozokerite, for other uses. Speaking generally, the rock asphalt is a sandstone or limestone naturally impregnated with asphalt to an extent that makes it an ideal road surfacing material without mixing or treatment other than crushing. The asphalt content of the commercial product runs 8 to 12 per cent.

Jan 1, 1933

By M. E. Steidlitz

FABRICATION of semiconductor devices.requires the formation of electrical contacts, often involving the use of lead, tin, and lead-tin solders. In several recent instances when germanium had been bonded to nickel with lead, a new metallic phase appeared, unattached to either germanium or nickel, but rather suspended as a continuous foil wholly contained within the lead matrix. Since such metallic structures do not form in nickel-lead or lead-germanium systems under identical conditions, a brief study was made of the characteristics and possible formation mechanisms of this material. EXPERIMENTAL Specimens were prepared by placing single crystal, transistor-grade germanium discs, 30-mils in diam by 6-mils thick, into a depression in a graphite boat. =A* nickel washers, 125 mils in diam by 5-mils thick, containing a center hole of 10-mils diam, and coined into a soup bowl shape, were loaded on top of the discs, so that the bottom of the

Jan 1, 1959

By W. F. Boericke

WORLD production of silver in 1929 totaled 256 million ounces. In 1928 production was 258 million ounces, and in 1927, 254 million ounces. With an actual decrease in the amount of silver produced last year, as compared with 1928, and an increase over 1927 of less than one per cent, obviously there has been no overproduction of the metal in the popular sense. But the price of silver tells a different story. For 1927, the average quotation was 56.37 cents; it was 58.17 in 1928, and 53.0 in 1929. During the last year it reached a high point of 57 cents in January, and fell steadily, without interruption to the downward trend, to a low of 47 cents in December. Since then it has dropped to an all time low of 43 cents on February 6.

Jan 1, 1930

By Robert W. Waytulonis

Mining regulations pertaining to the use of diesel engines were solicited from foreign countries with mining operations by the Bureau of Mines. Responses were received from 27 countries; the information received and U.S. regulations were reviewed, and those parts pertaining to the use of diesel engines in underground mining were synopsized according to the following subject categories: types of engines permitted, testing and certification procedures, fuel quality specifications, emission control requirements, procedures and frequency of testing exhaust gases, mine air quality and quantity (ventilation) requirements, procedures for testing mine air quality and quantity, and noise standards. All categories except the types of engines permitted and testing and certification procedures are summarized in tables. Contacts are provided for each country to facilitate inquiries concerning regulation revisions or interpretation.

Jan 1, 1987

By Florian Häckel, Ulrich Schwarz-Schampera, Benjamin Bühring, Katja Schmidt, Dieter Garbe-Schönberg, KoschinskyM Andrea

"The Vanuatu island arc and its adjacent back-arc basins form part of the southern New Hebrides subduction system in the southwestern Pacific Ocean within a triangle defined by the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Fiji (Meffre & Crawford 2001). The back-arc region east of the volcanic front is characterized by three structural depressions namely Vate, Erromango, and Futuna (from N to S), also known as the Coriolis Troughs. Earlier studies of lava compositions reveal the occurrence of highly evolved alkali-rich dacites as well as ankaramite basalts within the individual troughs (McConachy et al. 2005).Here we present the first mineralogical and geochemical analyses of hydrothermal fluids and precipitates (sulfides, sulfates, Fe-oxyhydroxides), sediments, and volcanic rocks, sampled during the "Coriolis Volcanism and Vents" (COVOLVE) cruise SO229 in July 2013 aboard the German R/V Sonne. The samples were retrieved during several ROV Kiel 6000 dives directly from the newly discovered active vent sites at the neovolcanic Nifonea Ridge, and from multiple sites at water depths ranging between 200 to 2800 m within the Vate and Futuna Troughs as well as from the shallow water Epi Caldera NNE of the Coriolis Troughs (Fig. 1)."

Sep 1, 2014

Even though the economy of the United States remains in recession ? or not, depending on which economist you listen to ? muicipalities still need improved transportation, water and wastewater transit systems. And they are willing to spend the necessary funds on those systems, provided they are affordable, environ-mentally friendly and sustainable. From June 20-23, professionals in the tunneling and underground construction industry from around the world gathered in Portland, OR to learn new ways of providing those systems using the latest technology available. The North American Tunneling (NAT) conference attracted 803 attendees and 108 exhibiting suppliers of equipment and services.

Jan 1, 2010

Editor?s note: Each year, the June issue of Mining Engineering features an industrial minerals review. Several people put in a fair amount of time in developing the material for this issue. Thank you to the industrial minerals annual review editor, to the technical committees chair and vice-chair, and to the authors of the individual commodity profiles. Jim Norman, member SME, of GeoTrans, Inc., is the industrial minerals annual review editor. SA Ravishankar, member SME, of Cytec Industries, is chair of the industrial minerals technical committees. Technical committee vice chairs include: ? Abani Samal, member SME, of Pincock Allen & Holt, agricultural minerals. ? Aaron McMahon member SME, of Pincock, Allen & Holt, ceramics and refractories. ? Bradley S. Van Gosen, member SME, of the U.S. Geological Survey, chemical raw materials. ? Mark Zdunczyk, member SME, of Continental Placer, Inc., construction materials. ? Jerry Gauntt, member SME, of JEG Minerals Consultants, fillers and pigments. ? Michael Cheshire, member SME, of Indiana University, sorbents, filters and process aids. Their help makes possible this June industrial minerals issue. On behalf of ME readers, the editors thank them.

Jan 1, 2008

By Norman O. Lotter, Simon Yu, Tony Deng, Antonio Di Feo

"Xstrata Nickel’s Raglan operation, northern Québec, achieved paymetal recovery gains in 2007 by switching the collector from potassium amyl xanthate to sodium isobutyl xanthate. To follow on from that position, Xstrata Process Support (XPS) and A. Di Feo of Raglan proposed that a mixed xanthate system be formulated and tested towards further performance gains. This work selected ethyl and isobutyl xanthates as the candidates. An optimized ratio of these was to be determined by a designed experiment. This suggestion was based on an abundance of published literature that reported mixed collector systems outperformed single ones. A partial factorial design was used to configure four test conditions and a mid-square for the flotation work. The testwork was conducted using High Confidence Flotation Testing. The raw data were analyzed and modelled by Design-Expert software. An optimum ratio of 1.6:1.0 by mass (1.32:1.0 in molar terms) of isobutyl:ethyl xanthate was determined. Without this modelling, the optimum ratio would have been missed. Results obtained with the new baseline flotation test using this optimized mixture showed a 3.3% Ni recovery gain in the bypass concentrate and more than 1% recovery gain for PGM over the single PIBX system. This system has been proposed for and accepted as a plant scale trial in the first half of 2010.INTRODUCTIONConcentrator OperationsMilling and flotation of sulphide ores ahead of smelting and refining is a common practice. This choice results in the larger and more variable paymetal loss in the production of saleable metal [Cramer, 2001]. For this reason, it is common to see an ongoing performance improvement programme at the operations level. When successfully performed, these e"

Jan 1, 2010

The plant and processing site at Porgera has been built on a levelled mudstone ridge about lkm E of the mine. Excavation of 7xl06m3 of soil and rock was necessary to achieve the required area. The exposed mudstone belongs to the Chico Formation and is weak, sheared and readily breaks down by slaking upon exposure. Tectonic uplift and subsequent erosion have produced the present landscape of narrow bedrock ridges, with deep colluvium in the incised valleys. The deep excavation to a maximum of 60m, has rapidly unloaded the mudstone, and subsequent stress relief has caused rebound and dilation of the material. The processes of pore pressure equilibration, softening, progressive failure and loosening, combine to deteriorate the newly exposed rock mass. These processes are commonly associated with pre-existing shear surfaces, fissures and a

Jan 1, 1991

By Elliott A, Kingsnorth D. J

The development of a large high grade spodumene orebody, in excess of 30M tonnes containing at least 7M tonnes at 4.0% Li20, by Lithium Australia Ltd at Greenbushes, Western Australia is significantly increasing the world consumption of lithium minerals. The availability of two low cost sources of lithium, spodumene concentrates (7.5% Li20) and glass grade spodumene (4.8% Li20) has been welcomed by the ceramic and glass industries as it assists them to lower their raw material costs at a time when they are facing severe competition from alternative materials. While there is no shortage of lithium reserves in the world, there has been a shortage of high quality lithium minerals. The Lithium Australia development has filled this need. The favourable factors of high grade, low impurities, open cut mining and existing infrastructure make this an ideal low cost source for a long term downstream lithium industry. The Lithium Australia mine development has filled the need for a reliable long term supply of lithium minerals. The long term viability of this resource is ensured by the unique combination of the following key attributes of the development : High grade reserves of 7.OM tonnes of 4.0% Li20 within 130 metres of the surface, contained within a total proven reserve of 30M tonnes of 2.8 % Li20. Open pit mining with stripping ratio of less than 2.5:1 waste:ore. Low impurities levels, particularly in those elements, that have a detrimental effect on the colour of glass/ceramics i.e. iron, manganese, titanium and chromium. An existing mine infrastructure that includes an adequate water supply for all foreseeable processing requirements. A sophisticated spodumene concentrator utilizing statistical process control to produce a consistently high grade product with minimal impurities. A technically qualified stable workforce fully acquainted with spodumene processing techniques. Greenbushes high grade concentrates have found ready acceptance in the specialty ceramic and glass industries during the past four years. The consistency and high grade/low impurity level of the product has enabled its use in the production of television tubes, oven to table ware, glass fibres, specialty glasses and ceramic glazes.

Jan 1, 1989

Sufficient time has elapsed since the enactment of the amendments to the mining legislation in 1981 to enable an examination to be made of the way in which the licensing system operates in practice. One of the most important decisions in resource management in New Zealand is whether or not rights of access to the resource should be conferred by the Crown upon an appropriate private sector participant. The licensing system is the means for allocating these rights of access. The manner in which the licensing system is administered, therefore, is crucial to natural resource management in New Zealand. What is the mining licensing system in New Zealand designed to achieve? This simple question admits of no easy answer. Is it the identification and development of the mineral resources of New Zealand? Are these objectives tempered by issues of resource conservation and environmental protection? Is a balance to be achieved among these competing factors? Does the legislation contain any priorities? Does the system respond in an ad hoc manner to particular facts and circumstances or does it operate within a more predictable framework? To what extent are decisions made on access to minerals with reference to the development or conservation of other resources? These questions may be summarised in the title to this paper which poses the question whether mining licences are instruments for resource management.

Jan 1, 1988

By Juan Lizana

El presente trabajo describe el proceso del sistema de gestión estratégica en la mina San Rafael, Puno. En este sentido, la empresa como parte introductoria de sus operaciones, ha propuesto la solución integral, donde la herramienta principal son los índices de gestión por unidades estratégicas de negocio y los índices de gestión por unidad operativa, los mismos que permitirán evaluar el desempeño de su organización frente a sus metas, objetivos y responsabilidades. En este sentido, el establecimiento de este sistema busca crear una cultura en la organización, a través del seguimiento de cada uno de los índices, permitiendo a la alta gerencia y a los demás niveles ejecutivos de la empresa hacer control de gestión, así como una reducción de los costos operativos en el Área de Mina y mejoras en los resultados de voladura.

Sep 12, 2005

By Steven M. Rupprecht

"The artisanal mining sector in Central Africa is largely informal, yet provides an essential livelihood for many (directly or indirectly) participants, as well as facilitating an important source for the flow of income into many communities. Artisanal mining varies from site to site, but appear largely well structured despite its informality. The artisanal mining sites in Central Africa have some inherent management structure and the extraction itself is often organised. Artisanal mining is labour intensive and is generally conducted utilising hand digging methods e.g. shovels or hand chisels. Artisanal mining is generally more dangerous than small-scale or large-scale modern mining operations. This is especially true as artisanal operations are generally subsistence activities with artisanal miners focusing more on immediate concerns than the long-term consequences of their activities. When miners have no other source of income, they will usually find ways to evade controls and carry on working. The objective, through proper/dedicated training of artisanal miners is to migrate Artisanal mining to establish a small-scale mining (SSM) industry in Central Africa. Through developing the necessary skills in the fundamental areas of mining it is proposed that Artisanal Mining can become more productive and safer mining operations. The paper reviews the above focus areas, highlighting the skills and tools that are necessary to assist in establishing a sustainable small scale mining industry migrating from manual labour to semi-mechanised mining and processing. The purpose of the transformation process is to create a safe, healthy, environmental and community oriented mining operation with the objective to uplift the skills and wealth of the mineworkers and the general community."

Jan 1, 2015

By H. G. HYMER

B ECAUSE of its remote geographical position and inaccessibility, little is generally known of the mining and prospecting in Northern Rhodesia. In this rather new and promising region, the development of mines presents many difficulties. Although many mineral discoveries have been made, progress in .prospecting the huge mining concessions has been handicapped by the lack of roads, communication, transportation, native population and incomplete knowledge of geology.

Jan 1, 1929

By Wood W, Bell A

Brown coal production in Victoria's Latrobe Valley Region (Figure 1) continues to rise and currently stands at around 50 Mt per annum. With the exception of around 2 Mt used to produce some 700 Kt of brown coal briquettes, this coal is mined by the State Electricity Commission to fuel large thermal power stations with a total installed capacity of just over 5 000 Megawatts. The moisture content of the coal as mined typically exceeds 60 per cent, making Latrobe Valley coal a markedly low rank fuel. The lack of heating value is, however, compensated for through power station design and by the fact that ash yield is very low, usually within the range of one per cent to four per cent on a dry basis. This means that compared with most other coals, the burning of Latrobe Valley brown coal produces relatively small quantities of waste products and discharges a minimal level of pollutants into the atmosphere. Even so, the inherent quality of Latrobe Valley coal does vary significantly from one area to another (Gloe, 1991; Barton et al, 1992) both on a local and a regional scale. Such variations need to be recognised and understood in order to not only realise efficiency gains in existing power stations but to properly assess resource potential for future utilisation and the application of new technologies. The principal aim of this paper is not to describe coal quality variation in detail or to speculate on the nature of and reasons for such variation. Rather, it is to simply underscore that significant differences do occur and that this is clearly a factor which needs to be considered in any evaluation of Latrobe Valley brown coal as a resource for the future.

Jan 1, 1992

By P. A. Dimas

A new family of sulfide flotation collectors has been developed in our laboratory. These formulations are comprised of novel renewable materials combined with conventional reagents. The resulting diversity permits tunability of collector chemistry to meet a range of flotation problems. Several attributes of the new collectors are presented.

Jan 1, 2012

By L. T. Matthews, C. E. Loo, R. P. Williams

The behaviour of iron ores and fluxes in the high temperature zone of a sintering bed is extremely complex. Following a review of current knowledge, an attempt is made to define relevant terminology to describe the processes that occur in this part of the bed. A deformation temperature is used to quantify the initial formation of melt, which is produced predominantly by reactions between fine particles in the sinter mix. The subsequent assimilation of larger particles is considered to depend on the reactivity of the melt and the assimilation resistance of these particles. Novel laboratory experimental techniques are used to quantify these parameters. Results demonstrate that the properties of the raw materials used have an extremely important influence on the initial processes of melt formation and assimilation and also on the nature of the sintering reactions and sinter-bonding phases.

Jan 4, 1992

By Arthur Matzick

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Jan 1, 1966