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By D. P. Schlick

The German experience in dealing with the health hazard of respirable dust in underground mines is reported from first-hand observation in this Bureau of Mines paper. The report covers-- 1. The control of dust by water infusion, water spraying, and ventilation. 2. The sampling devices (tyndalloscope , konimeter , and BAT-I) and methods used to determine the dust concentrations in mines. 3. The systems of classifying hazardous and safe dust levels in mines. 4. The research facilities devoted to theoretical and applied work on mine dust and pneumoconiotic disease. Tile major research projects on dust and disease now underway in West Germany are outlined in an appendix.

Jan 1, 1970

By C. H. Wright

Introduction The rapidly expanding and increasingly complex Canadian industrial structure, with the mining, metallurgical, and chemical industries as a large integral part, has, in recent years, brought greatly increased importance and value to our industrial minerals. In the modern economy of our mineral industry the importance which is due the non-metallics has been somewhat overshadowed by the great value of our large metal production and, in addition, by the glamour and fascination usually associated with the mining and treatment of gold ores. The term 'Industrial Mineral' is used in this paper in its usual sense and refers to non-metallics other than fuels. Coal and petroleum products, including natural gas, are considered as industrial minerals in those applications in which they are used for strictly chemical process purposes. Certain reduction metallurgical industries are so closely allied to chemical industries that for purposes been of this discussion no attempt has made to differentiate between them. Chemical industry in Canada today is a fairly large factor in our national economy, whereas in 1898, when the Canadian Mining Institute was born, it was very small indeed. Chemical concerns are largely dependent on industrial minerals for raw materials and process supplies and, as the country has developed industrially, so have the demands for non-metallics increased, not only by chemical industry but also by other large consumers, such as the construction and metallurgical industries. At the present time there is a greater than normal incentive prevailing for new discoveries, due to the serious lack of balance that exists in our import and export trade. This fact has resulted in intensive efforts to rectify the situation by locating new deposits and re-assessing those already known in an effort to enlarge and improve our home production of raw materials and also to extend their processing in Canada for our own needs and for export. The rapid advances in science and technology that have taken place since 1900 have also resulted in many cases of beneficiation and utilization of otherwise too low grade materials in order to satisfy current demands. The purpose of this paper is to indicate the history and the trends of the utilization of industrial minerals in established industry and to indicate the important part played by non-metallics in connection with the opening up of new industries. Some consideration has been given to the continual competition between natural and 'synthetic products and to the general tendency towards more rigid specifications.

Jan 1, 1948

By D Misra, R Ganguli, S Bandopadhyay

The objective of this paper is to assess the accuracy and applicability of recent state-of-art methods such as the machine learning algorithms (MLA) for mineral resource estimation. Conventional methods such as geostatistics have been predominantly used in the mining industry for this purpose with varying success. Recent advances in the use of MLA have provided a fresh approach to obtain improved accuracy in the estimation of mineral resources. Two MLA methods: the neural network (NN) and the support vector machine (SVM) have been used to estimate a polymetallic ore deposit in Alaska.The general characteristic of SVM and NN emphasises the fact that they can approximate any multivariate non-linear relation among variables. Although neural network models are able to capture the nonlinear spatial relationships that may be present in the data, they are usually difficult to optimise under sparse data settings. Of the various NN alternatives, despite their effectiveness, the model selection and estimation process is typically difficult as it involves solving complex integration and optimisation of parameters. In support vector modelling (SVM), estimating of parameters involves optimisation of a convex cost function. The working principle of SVM makes it robust against noisy and extreme value data. At the same time, it can capture the spatial distribution of ore grade more effectively with careful modelling and selection of SVM parameters.The outcome of the MLA methods were compared to those of the geostatistical ordinary kriging (OK) application to study their generalisation ability. The comparison was made using the following goodness of fit criteria: mean-squared error; mean absolute error; mean error; and coefficient of determination. The results indicated that the MLA methods may improve the predictability of ore deposits and thereby reduce the inherent risk in mineral resource estimation.

Sep 26, 2011

By S. A. Scott

In 1913, potash mineralization was recognized at a depth of over 7,000 feet in an oil-well hole (Norcanol's Radville No. 1 well) drilled near the town of Raddlle, Saskatchewan. Although, at this depth, potash is not considered mineable by conventional underground mining methods, this discovery shed the first light on the potash deposits of Saskatchewan in much the same manner as oil-well drilling was responsible for the first discovery of potash in the Carlsbad Basin of New Mexico in 19:25. The discovery near Radville alerted the oil-well geologists and, as a result potash mineralization was recognized in the Verbata No. 2 well, near Unity, Saskatchewan, in 1946. The mineralization, which was at a depth ?of 3,466 feet, graded more than 20 per cent K20 over a thickness of eleven feet. This discovery, as its depth, thickness and grade were all amenable to mining,

Jan 1, 1963

By P. D. Hodgson, G. L. Kelly, H. Beladi

"The formation of ultrafine ferrite by strain induced transformation is assessed using rolling and hot torsion experiments. These experiments are used to examine the impact of thermomechanical processing conditions and steel chemistry on strain induced austenite to ferrite transformation and the formation of ultrafine ferrite. The critical strain for dynamic strain induced transformation increased with increasing carbon equivalence, deformation temperature and austenite grain size. The deformation structure in the austenite grains changes with the thermomechanical processing conditions.Drawing on these results and the current literature, the important factors for the production of ultrafine ferrite are described and a mechanism proposed."

Jan 1, 2004

By D. K. Steele

The domestic primary copper industry generates in excess of 600 million t of mining and mineral-processing waste annually. Most of the waste poses negligible environmental threat, but a small fraction, because of toxic or corrosive characteristics, may be subject to regulation under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) or other pertinent regulations. Among the wastes generated by various copper producers are flue dusts, slags, refinery-bleed solutions, and. acid-plant wastes. The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) has researched methods to mitigate the environmental threat posed by copper-processing wastes while recovering valuable metals from these materials. Acid-leach processing of flue dusts has been demonstrated feasible along with sulfide treatment of liquid refinery wastes and acid-plant-bleed and gas-cleaning solutions to precipitate dissolved metals. In, addition, the feasibility of removing copper and molybdenum from slag, as well as stabilization of precipitated sulfide wastes by vitrification, have been investigated.

Jan 1, 2010

By John H. Lichtblau

There are three parties to the oil imports controversy: the domestic oil producers, whose side has just been ably summarized by Mr. Jameson; the oil importers; and the public. Domestic producers and importers are both motivated by economic self-interests, that is by their natural and legitimate desire for profit maximization, in their respective positions. Thus, domestic producers, rightly, regard every barrel of imported crude oil (with the exception of some specialty crudes) as a displacement of a barrel of their own crude. Hence, the lower the import Level the better they like it. Conversely, U .S. refiners whose plants are located at the seaboard or at certain inland waterways generally welcome a higher level of imports because refiner profits are based primarily on the spread between the crude oil price and the refined products price, since crude oil represents by far the refiner?s largest cost factor. The relatively low cost of foreign oil means therefore higher profits to those refiners able to process such oil, This applies particularly to integrated companies whose own domestic oil production is insufficient, to meet their refinery requirements but who have developed ample low-cost foreign oil supplies.

Jan 1, 1962

By G. M. Bond

Reduction of the emissions of greenhouse gases, such as CO,, is currently the subject of extensive research. A novel strategy is put forward here, based on a biomimetic approach providing accelerated deposition into carbonate form for long-term sequestration. It offers the advantages of a process that: does not require concentration of CO, from flue gases; could potentially be used in an on-site scrubber to provide a plant-by-plant solution to reducing CO, emissions; is an environmentally benign procss with an environmentally benign product; and is based on readily available, low-cost reagents (except perhaps the catalyst).

Jan 1, 1999

By M. R. Hegge

The Jabiluka One and Two uranium deposits occur in Lower Proterozoic metasediments of the Cahill Formation, which is part of the Pine Creek Geosyncline in the East Alligator River area, Nothern Territory. The Jabiluka One deposit coincides with a "window" through unconformably overlying Middle Proterozoic sandstone of the Kombolgie Formation; Jabiluka Two is completely covered by that sandstone. The observed part of the Cahill Formation exhibits four horizons which are favourable hosts for uranium mineralization. These have been folded into an east-southeast-striking, gently plunging, open asymmetric syncline-anticline structure. The host rocks are mainly chlorite and/or graphite schists and their brecciated equivalents which have undergone initial regional prograde metamorphism to the amphibolite facies, then retrograde metamorphism to the greenschist facies. Mineralization consists of pitchblende, mainly filling open spaces and to a lesser extent in disseminated form. Chlorite, pyrite and quartz are commonly associated with the uranium mineralization. A portion of the Jabiluka Two deposit contains economic concentrations of gold. Structural preparation with low-pressure conditions at these sites appears to be the most significant ore control. Genetic hypotheses favour initial deposition in Lower Proterozoic sediments, followed by remobilization during later orogenic events. The deposits bear a marked similarity to some pitchblende deposits in central Canada.

Jan 1, 1977

By K. E. Stanfield

Asphalts from. Wyoming "black oils" are being studied at the Petroleum Experiment Station of the Bureau of Mines at Laramie, Wyo., in cooperation with the University of Wyoming. These black oils are characterized by their high-asphalt, high-sulphur, and low-gasoline content and are difficult to refine by present methods into high-octane motor fuels, burning oils, and lubricants. Accordingly, their principal use, at present, is for the manufacture of road oil and asphalt. The present production of black oil could be increased to meet a greater demand. During 1937 the daily production of these crude oils in Wyoming was slightly over 13,000 barrels, while, the estimated potential production from existing wells was 56,000 barrels.

Jan 1, 1939

By J. S. Brock

Magnetic, electromagnetic and gravimetric surveys have played an important role in the mineral exploration leading to the discovery of three major massive sulphide deposits in the Anvil-Vangorda area of the Yukon Territory. During 1964 and 1965 a saturation prospecting program, relying heavily on the integrated use of airborne and ground geophysical survey techniques, led to the discovery of the Faro deposit, which was subsequently proven to be a 63-millionton lead-zinc orebody. Locating the Faro deposit, the largest found to date in this overburden-covered region, involved an exploration sequence requiring the selection of a favourable geologic environment, aeromagnetic and electromagnetic surveys, property acquisition of anomalous areas and detailed ground geophysical surveys, followed by rotary drill testing, detailed gravimetric surveys and diamond core drilling.

Jan 1, 1973

THE first session was held in the small hall of the Academy of Music, on Tuesday evening, February 18th, 1879. The proceedings were opened by the reading, by President Eckley B. Coxe, of the following Address : SECONDARY TECHNICAL EDUCATION. Technical education is a subject to which both the American Institute of Mining Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers have of late years given much attention, and deservedly so. We all remember the admirable address of our former President, Mr. Holley, at the Washington meeting, upon this subject, and the very interesting reunion of the two societies in Philadelphia for its discussion. The problem to the solution of which the meeting devoted its attention was, "Shall the practical education of the engineer in the mine, in the rolling-mill, in the workshop, or in the field, precede, be contemporaneous with, or follow his theoretical studies in the technical school ?" I do not propose to add anything to what was so admirably said by so many of our leading engineers on that occasion ; but I shall ask your attention to another question in technical education, which seems to me equally worthy of our consideration, and which, I am sorry to say, has as yet attracted but little attention in this country. It is, "Shall the apprentices (I call them so for the want of a better general name), who are growing up and learning their trades in and around our mines and works, and from whose ranks the master mechanics and foremen of the future must be taken-shall they be provided with some means of obtaining as much theoretical training as may be necessary to enable them properly to understand the various processes and operations that they may be called upon to superintend, and not be obliged to pick up, as best they may, here a little and there a little truth mingled with much error?" In the former case, those who have the ability and industry to avail themselves of the advantages that should be offered to them would fit themselves to become real foremen, men who would understand and appreciate the true engineer and his methods. Of late years the young men of this country who have wished to enter our profession have had great facilities offered to them for so doing ; there have been undoubtedly great improvements in the methods of instruction; and although I am very far from imagining that no further progress can be made, or is demanded, yet I feel sure that

Jan 1, 1879

By E. G. Noble

The effects of hydrogen chloride (HCI) concentration and temperature on the solubility and hydration state of the alkali chlorides LiCI, NaCI, and KCI and the alkaline-earth chlorides, MgCI2, and CaCl2 were investigated by the Bureau of Mines. Saturated aqueous solutions of the chlorides were sparged with HCI gas at temperatures of 20°, 40°, and 60° C. Increased HCI concentration caused decreased salt solubility be-cause of the common ion effect. Aqueous solubilities for the chlorides of Ca, Li, Mg, K, and Na ranged from 42.6, 45.2, 35.2, 25.5, and 26.1 pct, respectively, at 20° C to 56.9, 49.4, 37.6, 31.0, and 27.0 pct, re-spectively, at 60° C. In solutions sparged to HCI saturation, solubili-ties for these chlorides ranged from 22.4, 26.5, 3.0, 1.3, and 0.05 pct, respectively, at 20° C to 53.2, 48.8, 28.3, 2.6, and 0.8 pct, respec-tively, at 60° C. The solubilities of LiCI and CaCl2 in HCI solution were high because HCI solubility is low in these solutions. The chlo-ride salts of Ca, Li, and Mg formed hydrates, which depended on tempera-ture and HCI concentration. Monohydrates for LiCI, tetrahydrates and hexahydrates for MgCI2, and dihydrates, tetrahydrates, and hexahydrates for CaCl2 were obtained.

Jan 1, 1985

In the present work, the effect of pH, non-ionic polyacrylamide flocculant and anionic polyphosphate on rheology and settling behaviour of colloidal TiO2 suspensions (15 ? 50 wt% solid) is investigated. Maximum particle aggregation, reflecting in the highest suspension settling rate and maximum shear yield stress was achieved at pH 7.2, the isoelectric point (iep), consistent with DLVO expectation. However, the maximum aggregation condition at the iep also resulted in the poorest suspension consolidation behaviour. Significantly enhanced consolidation was achieved for a more dispersed suspension at pH values away from the iep but at reduced settling rate. Thus, when pH alone is used to control conditions which facilitate strong interparticle attraction, a high settling behaviour which is not conducive to compact consolidation results. Improved suspension consolidation may be achieved at the iep via anionic polyphosphate addition which leads to attenuation of the strongly attractive van der Waals forces and emergence of "soft" repulsion due to weak inter-particle electro-steric forces. The weak repulsion act to lubricate particles involved in the hydrodynamic interactions which controls the compressibility of the sediment bed, allowing a compact consolidation of solids to be obtained. Alternatively, non-ionic polyacrylamide homo-polymer (Magnafloc 333) was fairly effective in flocculating titanium dioxide suspensions leading to high settling rate and acceptable pulp consolidation at the iep.

Jan 1, 2006

By S. Kauchali

"Underground coal gasification (UCG) is recognized as an efficient mining technique capable of chemically converting the coal from deep coal seams into synthesis gas. Depending on the main constituents of the synthesis gas, chemicals, electricity, or heat can be produced at the surface. This paper provides a high-level graphical method to assist practitioners in developing preliminary gasification processes and experimental programmes prior to detailed designs or field trials. The graphical method identifies theoretical limits of operation for sensible gasification within a thermally balanced region, based primarily on the basic coal chemistry. The analyses of the theoretical outputs are compared to actual field trials from sites in the USA and Australia, with very favourable results. A South African coal is studied to determine the possible synthesis gas outputs achievable using various UCG techniques: controlled retractable injection point (CRIP) and linked vertical wells (LVW). For CRIP techniques, an important result suggests that pyrolysis, and subsequent char production, are important intermediate phenomena allowing for increased thermal efficiencies of UCG. The conclusion is that South African coals need to be studied for pyrolysis-char behaviour as part of any future UCG programme. The results also suggest that UCG with CRIP would be a preferred technology choice for Bosjesspruit coal where pyrolysis dynamics are important. Lastly, the use of CO2 as oxidant in the gasification process is shown to produce syngas with significant higher heating value. Introduction and literature surveyCoal is a commonly utilized fossil fuel, providing over 40% of global electricity demand and about 90% of South Africa’s primary energy needs. However, less than 20% of the known world resources are suitable for possible extraction using conventional surface and underground mining techniques (Andrianopolous,, Korre, and Durucan, 2015). Underground coal gasification (UCG) has the potential to recover the energy stored in coal in an environmentally responsible manner by exploiting seams that are deemed unmineable by traditional methods. The UCG process, if successfully developed, can increase coal reserves substantially. For example, in the Limpopo region of South Africa alone, the estimated potential for UCG gas, based on existing geological records, is over 400 trillion cubic feet (TCF) natural gas equivalent – this is about a hundred times more gas than the existing 4-TCF Pande-Temane natural gas field reserve in Mozambique (de Pontes, Mocumbi, and Sangweni, 2014)."

Oct 1, 2018

By L. H. Van Loon

INTRODUCTION THE property of Madsen Red Lake Gold Mines, Limited lies between Russet and Faulkenham lakes in Baird and Heyson townships, district of Patricia, Ontario. It is about six miles south west of the town of Red Lake, with which it is connected by an all-weather road. All orebodies found to date at the property are silicified lenticular bodies which lie within tuff beds. The ore bas a specific gravity of 2.95. It consists of mica and chlorite schist, silicified and containing a considerable amount of disseminated carbonate, and mineralized with pyrite, pyrrhotite, magnetite, arsenopyrite, and chalcopyrite. Of these, pyrite, in coarse to fine disseminated grains, is by far the most abundant. Pyrrhotite occurs in ?the gangue material as medium to fine disseminated grains. A very small amount of arsenopyrite, in small crystals, is associated with the pyrite, and small grains of chalcopyrite occur in both gangue and pyrite. Although some of the gold present in the ore is quite coarse, a good deal of it is extremely fine.

Jan 1, 1951

By James W. Cameron

DESPITE the fact that, after oxygen and silicon, aluminum is the most abundant and widely distributed element in the earth's crust, it is, commercially, a modern metal. Attempts were made by Sir Humphrey Davy and other chemists to decompose alumina, the oxide, into its elements, but with unsatisfactory results, and it was not until 1827 that Wohler succeeded for the first time in isolating the metal in pure form. Some thirty years later, commercial production of aluminum was started in a plant near Alais, France, using a process developed by Deville which was a modification of that of Wohler. It was not, however, until around 1886 that possibilities of low-cost production were realized. Hall and Heroult discovered, independently, the now famous process for extraction of aluminum by the electrolysis of alumina (Al,O,) dissolved in fused cryolite. This discovery, with its subsequent effect in reducing the price of the metal, was perhaps the greatest single factor contributing to the remarkable growth of the aluminum industry. But only in the years following the Great War did aluminum begin to attain equal importance in many fields with other non-ferrous metals. Numerous factors, political and economic, in the past decade have had a profound effect on the industrial history of the metal. At present, systematic substitution of aluminum for other base-metals is proceeding at a rapid rate in such countries as Germany and Italy with a view towards 'economic self-sufficiency'. Quite naturally, ?the economic depression started extensive research and experiment in various industries in an attempt to improve efficiencies and lower costs. Partial answers have been found in the extended use of aluminum and its alloys. Even against the background of tremendous technological advance that has marked the past fifty years, the rise of the aluminum industry must necessarily stand out conspicuously.

Jan 1, 1939

By H. H. Heady

This Bureau of Mines report provides specific information regarding the analysis of ores, concentrates, and bullion. It describes analytical services provided by some Federal agencies, and discusses analytical techniques applicable to the precious metals. The appendixes list Bureau of Mines State Liaison Offices and commercial assay laboratories.

Jan 1, 1976

By F. M. Goodwin, John Campbell, G. W. Jones

"INTRODUCTION In cooperation with the Boston Edison Co. and the Boston Consolidated Gas Co. of Boston, Mass., a survey has been conducted continuously since 1929 by the Bureau of Mines to determine the general hazards of combustible gases and vapors in manholes of the Boston Edison Co. The New England Telephone & Telegraph Co. also has cooperated in the investigation, and tests have been made in its manholes from May 1, 1933, to October 15, 1937. Yearly reports. 6/ on the results obtained since the beginning of the survey have been published.The methods and procedure of conducting the survey in 1937 were the same as heretofore."

Jan 1, 1939

By R. E. Gilmore

PREAMBLE THIS PAPER comprises material presented in two separate 'Papers at the British Commonwealth Scientific Specialist Conference on Fuel Research held in London, England, in July, 1950. These papers are now available for publication in Canada, since only essential parts of the conference discussions, in addition to the resolutions resulting therefrom, will be published in the official Proceedings of the Conference. Inasmuch as the information presented concerns Canadian organizations and training facilities for fuel research, it should be of general interest to Canadian scientists, and especially to the Coal Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Part I, the alternate title of which is Facilities in Canada for Fuel Research and for Exchange of Information and Staff, does not include research on peat, oil shale, petroleum oils in general, and natural gas, and omits studies of the geology, constitution, and production of coal. Special reference is, however, made to research on the heavy crude oils and bitumen of the Western Prairie Provinces, and particularly to their production and treatment to produce crudes for oil refinery processing.

Jan 1, 1951