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By J. H. Jacobs

This report records a chapter in the history of the development of an electrolytic manganese industry in the United States. Nearly all the manganese requirements of the United States have been imported. Although there are large quantities of manganese ore in the United States, most of it is low-grade and cannot be used for the production of ferromanganese. Since the electrolytic production of manganese carried out by a process developed in the laboratories of the Bureau of Mines offers a method whereby the extensive low-grade deposits may be utilized and since commercial development had proceeded slowly, the Bureau constructed a new and larger pilot plant at Boulder City, Nev., where abundant electric power was available. An authorization in November 1940 covered a plant of only several hundred pounds daily capacity. Additions to some sections author¬ized by subsequent appropriations have enabled the plant to produce over 2,000 pounds a day for extended periods.

Jan 1, 1946

By D. Pennington

Ground-water levels and subsidence have been monitored over a longwall panel of a deep coal mining operation located in western Pennsylvania. The monitoring network includes eleven ground-water monitoring wells completed to measure water level changes in separate shallow and deep aquifer zone-, and 50-foot surveyed subsidence stations parallel and perpendicular to the panel centerline. Monthly monitoring data were collected during the premining, mining, and postmining tine periods. Aquifer testing and borehole geophysical logging were conducted during premining, and post-mining conditions to document any changes in aquifer properties and ground-water flow patterns. Results indicate ground-water declines were located with respect to the mining face and mined longwall panel. Dewatering of the deep aquifer zone caused a significant water level decline in deep wells; however, the shallow aquifer zone was isolated fro major impacts by an aquitardal layer during, the, one-year period. Transmissivity data were greatly impacted by fracturing, in the highly anisotropic aquifer system. Borehole geophysical logging indicated changes in ground-water flow patterns and zones of increased fracturing from subsidence.

Jan 1, 1984

By Maurice Hunter

The paper outlines recent design developments in the computerization of surface crawler drills for the quarry industry. It references the technology firstly developed for the underground mining and construction industry, where automation and computerization has been in demand for a number of years.

Jan 1, 2003

By P. Nicholls

Though the burning of fuels extends far back into antiquity, and though fuel beds are the most common and widely distributed example of chemical actions and engineering practice, there has been little attempt to group fuel beds by types or to define the principles associated with them. This paper does not profess to cover completely the subject of fuel beds. It suggests some of the over-all principles of the two more common types. No new investigational data are included, but the deductions are largely based on a recent publication of the U.S. Bureau of Mines'. Definition of Types There are three primary types of fuel beds: (I) Underfeed, in which the fuel and the air move in the same direction; (2) overfeed, in which the fuel and the air move in opposite directions; (3) crossfeed, in which the fuel and the air move at right angles to each other. The principle that fixes the type is the relation between directions of the flow of fuel and of air. Fig. 1 shows the three types diagrammatically. All other types are compounded of these three in a simple or more or less complex manner. It does not follow that these three type designations are limited to the methods used in representing them in Fig. 1; they may be turned in any direction, and as long as the relative directions of the fuel and air are the same the type is not changed. For example, A as shown .resembles a pot-type stoker, but the air and fuel can move downward as in the so-called smokeless heating boiler furnace. Also, C can be placed horizontal, as in chain-grate stokers. For this reason, the terms used to designate the three types are not all that could be desired; more logical ones could be coined, but those used probably are satisfactory until the discussion of fuel-bed types becomes more common.

Jan 1, 1936

By P. Nicholls

Though the burning of fuels extends far back into antiquity, and though fuel beds are the most common and widely distributed example of chemical actions and engineering practice, there has been little attempt to group fuel beds by types or to define the principles associated with them. This paper does not profess to cover completely the subject of fuel beds. It suggests some of the over-all principles of the two more common types. No new investigational data are included, but the deductions are largely based on a recent publication of the U.S. Bureau of Mines'. Definition of Types There are three primary types of fuel beds: (I) Underfeed, in which the fuel and the air move in the same direction; (2) overfeed, in which the fuel and the air move in opposite directions; (3) crossfeed, in which the fuel and the air move at right angles to each other. The principle that fixes the type is the relation between directions of the flow of fuel and of air. Fig. 1 shows the three types diagrammatically. All other types are compounded of these three in a simple or more or less complex manner. It does not follow that these three type designations are limited to the methods used in representing them in Fig. 1; they may be turned in any direction, and as long as the relative directions of the fuel and air are the same the type is not changed. For example, A as shown .resembles a pot-type stoker, but the air and fuel can move downward as in the so-called smokeless heating boiler furnace. Also, C can be placed horizontal, as in chain-grate stokers. For this reason, the terms used to designate the three types are not all that could be desired; more logical ones could be coined, but those used probably are satisfactory until the discussion of fuel-bed types becomes more common.

Jan 1, 1936

By Jürgen F. Brune, Liming Yuan, Alex C. Smith

To provide insights and assistances for the optimization of ventilation systems for U. S. under-ground coal mines facing both methane control and spontaneous combustion issues, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study is being conducted to investigate the effect of the ventilation scheme on the prevention of spontaneous combustion in longwall gob areas. This report focuses on the flow patterns within the gob under three different ventilation systems; one-entry and two-entry bleederless systems as well as a three-entry bleeder system. The gas flow in the caved gob area is simulated as a laminar flow through porous media while the gas flow in ventilation airways is simulated as a fully developed turbulent flow. The air flow patterns are visualized using flow path lines. Air velocity contours and vector data are also obtained. The possible location of critical velocity zones where the gob is most liable to spontaneous heating is discussed.

By Raymond E. Davis

LET'S imagine we are at the Grand L Coulee Dam, where daily 15,000 barrels of low-heat Portland cement and 27,000 tons of processed aggregate in various sizes are mixed to produce 30,000 tons of concrete. Inspect the autographic records which show for each 4-cu-yd. mixer batch of concrete the weights of its constituent materials including its several sizes of aggregate, cement, and water, and which also show the period of mixing and the consistency of the mix. Watch the inspectors sample and test the aggregate for gradation and moisture content of sand, and sample the concrete for homogeneity. Watch the huge buckets deposit the concrete in the forms. It looks too dry to handle, but the concrete vibrators make it melt away. Just enough vibration fully to com- pact the mass, but not enough to produce segregation of the materials; the inspector says when. See the sprinkler system covering all hardening concrete with a spray so that it may not thirst for water. Watch the cleaning of the top of an old lift preparatory to placing a new lift; the sand blasting; the blow-down; the mop-up; the minute inspection.

Jan 1, 1939

Software exhibitors at MINExpo will feature the newest, the best, the most comprehensive computer-based tools available to get minerals from the ground to the market. From the ?cloud? to the pit, the variety that will be featured is almost limitless ? a digital tool for every phase of the mining lifecycle. Blue Sky Network SkyRouter brings the Blue Sky Network to the cloud. Using its interactive Web portal, SkyRouter, with detailed mapping and integration with Google Earth, the Blue Sky Network links enterprises to personnel and assets anywhere on earth through Iridium satellites. The cloud-based solution is designed to support connectivity with remotely dispersed mobile assets, including Blue Sky?s dual-mode GSM and Iridium tracking and communications services. This enables seamless connectivity with assets in problematic cellular reception areas, where only 10 percent of the Earth is covered, and in remote locations.

Jan 1, 2012

By H. Akbari

Ordinary portland cement (OPC) is the key pozzalonic component of the concrete mix widely used as a construction material worldwide. B illions of tons of OPC are used in the construction industry each year. However, calcinations of limestone and silica that produce OPC also produce almost an equal amount of C O2 during the cement manufacturing process. Thus, OPC production accounts for nearly 7% of all anthropogenic C O2 emissions each year. The main objective of this study was to develop a geopolymer-based composite to be used as a substitute for OPC in concrete application to significantly lower the carbon footprint of the construction industry. A waste material produced during the coal combustion process was used as the main raw material for the geopolymer-based composite. It was mostly the nonmetallic content of the F-type fly ash produced from the combustion of bituminous coal. The authors envisioned extracting some of the valuable metal oxides from fly ash prior to using the major nonmetallic portion of the fly ash for geopolymer concrete application. The results obtained from this study showed that the compressive strength of geopolymer concrete compares favorably with that of conventional concrete prepared using OPC.

Dec 1, 2013

By Edward A. Metz, R. Larry Grayson, Douglas F. Scott

We describe inconsistencies in disease and illness reporting in U.S. mining, identify under-reporting of disease and illness in U.S. mining, and summarize selected disease and illness in U.S. mining from 1983 through 2001. Methods: We summarized information on mining-related disease and illness data for the years 1983-2001 from the Mining Safety and Health Administration database (MSHA). Results: Discrepancies exist in types of information collected by the Centers for Disease and Control, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Mining Safety and Health Admin¬istration database. Several factors, including a worker's fear of losing his or her job, health insurance, or other job-related benefits contribute to under-reporting of disease and illness information in the US mining industry. Conclusions: Since 1997, both number of workers employed in mining and disease and illness rates have decreased; however, the highest disease and illness rates in mining continue to be coal worker's pneumoconiosis and hearing loss.

By C. Derek Martin

"Predicting the ground response for tunnels in weak shales remains challenging. Predicting the ground response is challenged by difficulties in characterising the material, and our ability to predict deformations that are driven by coupled hydromechanical processes, when this material yields. The techniques that are used for characterizing weak shales are reviewed, and three case histories are examined that demonstrate the behaviour of these weak rocks during tunnelling. A general framework is provided for assessing the squeezing potential for weak shales.1 INTRODUCTIONGeologically, shale is an argillaceous fine-grained sedimentary rock that forms from the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles commonly referred to as ""mud"". Because of this grain size, the material is generically classed as Mudstone (Figure 1). Shale is distinguished from other mudstones because it is made up of many thin layers (laminated) and readily splits into thin pieces along the laminations (fissile). While the geological classification of shale appears straightforward, the classification for engineering purposes is often confusing. Underwood (l967) provided the first description of shale that made the distinction between “soil-like” compaction shales and “rock-like ""cemented"" shales. He coined the term ‘clay shale’ to capture the characteristics of hard clay yet recognizing its origin as a shale. In this paper weak shale is synonymous with clay shale and have strengths that typically range from R1 to R2 (1 to 25 MPa). Characterising these materials draws on methods from both soil and rock mechanics."

Jan 1, 2015

By Alan R. Buehler

The Bureau of Mines conducted a mineral investigation of the 177,000-acre Secesh study area; most of the area had been proposed as wilderness. Bureau personnel mapped and sampled several hundred mine and prospect workings; 1,715 rock, soil, and placer samples were taken during the investigation. The study area is centered about 25 mi east-northeast of McCall, Idaho, in the Payette National Forest. Five mining districts extend into or are adjacent to the study area. There have been more than 3,000 mining claims located inside the study area, 884 are current. In excess of $17 million (historical value) in placer and lode gold has reportedly been produced from the Warren district alone. The study area contains gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, tungsten, and antimony. At least six properties that would be in the proposed wilderness contain gold resources; more than 18 million tons averaging 0.038 oz/ton gold have been identified. Additional resources may be located at 4 other localities. The 4th of July mine is currently producing gold/silver/lead ore. Similar resources may be located on at least 3 other properties. Placer samples from the study area contained up to 0.34 oz gold/yd3 ($120/yd3). The samples are representative of relatively small occurrences and do not constitute resources; small quantities of gold may be recovered by recreational placer miners.

Jan 1, 1993

By Jeffrey A. Yonkey, Timothy J. Lutz, Jacob L. Carr, Christopher C. Jobes

"Since 1984, there have been 39 fatalities involving striking and pinning of the operator and other workers by the continuous mining machine (CMM). In January 2015, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) finalized a regulation to require proximity detection systems on all continuous mining machines except full-face machines (MSHA, 2015). Proximity detection systems are designed to stop machine motion to protect miners from striking/pinning hazards. Several MSHAapproved proximity detection systems are commercially available.NIOSH researchers have been involved in the development and testing of proximity detection technology since creating the HASARD system (Schiffbauer, 2002) and have recently conducted research intended to develop more advanced proximity detection technology for CMMs (DuCarme et al. 2013; Jobes et al. 2012; Carr, DuCarme et al. 2013 and Carr, Li et al. 2013). In addition, NIOSH has also conducted research investigating how the signals of a proximity detection system propagate (Li, Carr et al. 2013 and Li, Jobes et al. 2012) and have developed a novel method for determining the location of a personal wearable device (PWD) relative to the magnetic field generators (Carr et al. 2010 and Jobes, et al. 2012).To evaluate the performance of proximity detection systems implemented in industry, NIOSH researchers conducted tests in 2013 on three systems installed on CMMs at three underground mines in Illinois and West Virginia. The results of these tests indicated that, while generally consistent performance was observed, there were opportunities for improving performance. These results were presented at the 2014 SME Annual Meeting (Carr, Lutz, et al. 2014). Since that time, second-generation systems have become available to the industry and are becoming more commonly used.Beginning in early 2014, NIOSH researchers conducted underground testing of these secondgeneration proximity detection systems installed on CMMs. Five tests were conducted on four installations of second-generation proximity detection systems, with one installation being tested twice. The tests were conducted at mines located in Illinois, Virginia and Kentucky with seam heights ranging from 137 cm (54 in.) to 213 cm (84 in.). These tests were conducted using the same test protocol used during first-generation testing, which is summarized in the following section."

Jan 1, 2014

By Hernán Parra

Las pruebas cerradas de flotación (ICFT) son necesarias para el diseño de plantas a niveles de prefactibilidad y factibilidad, ya sea en proyectos greenfield o brownfield. Estas pruebas se realizan después de haber hecho un estudio previo de flotación batch y se usan para simular un circuito continuo. En este trabajo se reseñan los estudios sobre el tema, se busca establecer la manera adecuada de ejecutar la práctica de laboratorio y de evaluar los resultados experimentales, con el propósito de introducir mejoras en el diseño de plantas.

Aug 30, 2017

By Ananda Moreira Vaz Ourique de Avila

High and intermediate temperature fuel cells (FC) are power generators characterized by high efficiency and their use in cogeneration systems. The single fuel cells are connected in series by the use of interconnects to form a fuel cell stack. Ferritic stainless steels have been used in the making of high and intermediate temperature operation solid oxide fuel cells interconnects. However, at high temperatures, on the order of 700-8500C, these steels can present significant oxidation and degradation processes, promoting increased electrical resistivity and corrosion losses that result in contamination of the electrodes and reducing the performance and the useful life of the FC. Intensive R&D activities have been made to minimize these problems and the use of composite coatings on metallic substrate has been considered. This paper evaluates the use of coatings of copper and nickel, with particles of La2O3, Y2O3, CeO2, LaCrO3 and doped chromites applied on ferritic stainless steels AISI 430, AISI 441 and Crofer22APU produced by electrodeposition. The produced samples were evaluated by microscopy techniques, gravimetric analysis and by electrothermal characterization. The most significant results were obtained with chromites coatings (LaCrO3 pure, mono- and multiple-doped) showing the combination of the best features of metal coatings, substrates and ceramic particles with semiconductor properties.

Aug 7, 2018

By AIME

NEW YORK'S largest hotel, the Pennsylvania, will be filled with mining and oil men and metallurgists the third week of February when some 3000 AIME members, their wives, and guests will gather for the Institute's 1948 Annual Meeting-its 166th general meeting. Except for the usual Sunday afternoon and evening sessions of the Mineral Industry Education Division at the Columbia University Men's Faculty Club, the big assembly will be under one top and members will not this year have to consult compass and map to find their next session. Possibly enervated by the stupendous effort of the Anniversary Celebration last spring and the plethora of highly successful fall meetings, the various committees have been a trifle slow in arranging their social and technical programs, but in mid December as we go to press there is already much to report indicative of substantial fare and high interest. The definite timetable schedule will appear in the February M&M.

Jan 1, 1948

By Yi Luo

Bolting the mine roof is one of the noisiest underground mining operations. The main contribution to the noise is the drilling of the roof bolt holes, especially drilling in hard rock. Previous research shows that the specific energy consumed in drilling bolt holes is inversely proportional to the bite depth (i.e., penetration per drill revolution). Less specific energy at a reasonably high bite depth means less energy is wasted in the drilling process for producing heat, bit wear and noise. Therefore, proper control of the drilling operation to achieve a reasonably higher bite depth can reduce drilling noise from its sources as a proactive noise control approach. In order to explore the feasibility and develop the proactive technology for reducing drilling noise, drilling tests have been conducted in laboratory settings. The preliminary results show that significant reduction in noise dose can be achieved by drilling in medium hard rock with uniaxial compressive strength of about 276 bars (4,000 psi) and at a reasonably high bite depth of about 4.6 mm/rev (0.18 in./rev). This paper presents the findings from laboratory experimental studies.

By E. H. Burroughs

Persons interested in th_e study of petroleum and allied substances have long felt the need of a bibliographic index to the literature. This bibliography, which is intended to be the first elf a yearly series, has been compiled by the petroleum division of the Bureau of Mines with a view to satisfying this need. The references include only the more noteworthy writings that appeared during the year 191.5 in both ·the United States and foreign countries. Only patents plainly applicable to the industries in point have been included, although, of course, a close scrutiny of the great volume of patent literature might reveal many other patents of possible value. The references are arranged according to the subject classification on pages 3 to 11. This classification, which is to be followed in the succeeding bibliographies of this series, is offered as a guide for further study and classification of the pertinent literature.

Jan 1, 1918

By S. R. S. Sastri

By using the data of E.A. Hersam and F.C. Bond's equation for energy consumption in comminution, a method was developed to analyze the performance of industrial jaw crushers. The study showed that industrial jaw crushers are generally operated below capacity. The study also showed that industrial jaw crushers generally have sufficient installed power to operate at, full capacity. The method presented can be used to estimate the capacities and power requirements of jaw crushers.

Jan 1, 1995

By Georgene Renner, Chee Theng, William Gleason

"In February 2018, drawn in part by the states’ proud mining heritage, SME took its Annual Conference & Expo to Minneapolis, MN for the first time. More than 5,000 people and 554 exhibitors converged on the Minneapolis Convention Center for three days of networking, exhibiting and technical sessions.The state’s mining legacy, one that continues today, is fueled in large part by its vast iron ore resources in the northern part of the state. The historical significance of the mines in the Mesabi Range, otherwise known as the Iron Range north of Lake Superior, cannot be understated. “Mining is a way of life here,” said U.S. Congressman Rick Nolan of Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District. A native of the Iron Range, the three-term U.S. congressman was one of the featured speakers of the opening keynote session. “We like to think we contribute enormously to the well-being of this country and the world. We were the source of the iron ore and steel that helped win two world wars. And we like to think that we are part of the progress that has taken place in the United States ever since.” Nolan kicked off the keynote sessionthat focused on innovation and its part in the mining industry. The session included Rene Aquilar, vice president of corporate affairs and sustainability, Antofagasta Minerals Group; Bob Anderson, vice president for research and development, 3M; Rolf Weberg, executive director, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota-Duluth and Christopher Beck, executive vice president and president, Nalco Water. The panel session looked at U.S. and global minerals production, and the importance of the United States to maintain a major role in the minerals industry, both as a producer and as a technology leader. The panel also touched on the global mining industry and the issues that impact mining around the world. Sustainability, the use of water in mining and earning a social license to operate were among the topics discussed by the panel.Speaking of the importance of mining, Nolan conceded that talking about the benefits of mining to the crowded auditorium at the SME conference might be akin to a preacher speaking to the choir, but, following the adage that all politics are local, he continued to illustrate his point by emphasizing the importance of mining to the Great Lakes.“A study by Homeland Security concluded that 13 percent of the nation’s GDP comes out of Lake Superior through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie and most of that is iron ore,” said Nolan. “That study found that, if those locks fail, it would create a national depression. It would put millions of people out of work. That ore and those minerals supply the steel mills, the auto industry, the heavy industrials. They are the heart of our economy. The study concluded that if the states that make up the Great Lakes were a nation, it would be the fourth largest economy in the world.”"

Jan 5, 2018