Glossary of Geology "C"

cab

A compartment for the driver in a mine locomotive, continuous mining
machine, shuttler car, scoop, etc. All coal mine locomotives in excess of
10 st (9 t) weight must have a cab at each end or an adequate center cab.
Nelson




caballa ball

Eng. Ironstone nodule worked for iron in the Weald. Also called bulls.
See also:ballstone; bears' muck; mare ball. Arkell




caballing

An increase in density occurring when the contents of two pipes carrying
water with different temperature and salinity characteristics, but having
the same density, are mixed; the resulting fluid mixture is slightly more
dense than either of the two original types. Hy




cab guard

On a dump truck, a heavy metal shield extending up from the front wall of
the body and forward over the cab. Nichols, 1




cable

a. A heavy multiple-strand steel rope used in cable-tool drilling as the
line between the tools and the walking beam. Syn:drilling cable
AGI
b. A term used loosely to signify a wire line. See also:wire line
AGI
c. A fiber cable consists of three hawsers laid up left-handed.
See also:wire rope; cable-laid rope. Zern
d. A ropelike, usually stranded assembly of electrical conductors or of
groups of two or more conductors insulated from each other but laid up
together usually by being twisted around a central core, the whole usually
heavily insulated by outside wrappings; specif., a submarine cable.
Webster 3rd
e. A steel rope for hoisting or for aerial trams. Fay
f. A flexible rope composed of many steel wires or hemp fibers in groups,
first twisted to form strands, several of which are again twisted together
to form a rope. Also called wire cable; wire line; wire rope; steel cable.
See also:wire-line cable
g. See:armored cable; electric cable.
h. A single concentration of steel wire intended for prestressing.
Taylor
i. A nautical unit of horizontal distance, equal to 600 ft (100 fathoms;
182.9 m) and approx. 0.1 nmi (0.18 km). Hunt




cable belt conveyor

A conveyor using steel wire ropes to take the tensile pull, which in a
conventional conveyor is taken by the belt. Two-stranded steel ropes, one
on either side of the conveyor, are used for this purpose. The belt sits
on and is supported across the two ropes by means of rubber shoe forms
along the belt edges. These belts can be of long lengths, high capacities,
and high lifts. Nelson




cable bolt

A device or method for reinforcing ground prior to mining. The basic cable
bolt support consists of a high-strength cable installed in a borehole
4.12 to 6.35 cm in diameter and grouted with cement. Syn:cable tendon;
cable dowel. Schmuck




cable bolting

Complex electrical plugs and sockets used throughout a mine distribution
system to connect mobile machinery to trailing cables, to connect cables
with one another, and to connect cables to power centers, switchhouses,
and substations. SME, 1




cable control unit

A high-speed tractor winch having one to three drums under separate
control. Used to operate bulldozers and towed equipment.
Nichols, 1




cable dowel

See:cable bolt




cable drill

a. A heavy drilling rig in which a rope is used for suspending the tools
in the borehole. See also:churn drill
b. A churn or percussion drill rig, consisting of a tower (derrick), wire
rope for moving tools vertically, a power unit, and a reciprocating
device. It drills holes of up to 10 in (25.4 cm) in diameter vertically to
considerable depths. Pryor, 3




cable excavator

A long-range, cable-operated machine that works between a head mast and an
anchor. Nichols, 1




cable hook

A round hook with a wide beveled face. Nichols, 1




cable-laid rope

a. A compound-laid rope consisting of several ropes or several layers of
strands laid together into one rope, as, for instance, 6 by 6 by 7.
Hunt
b. A rope in which both the fibers forming the strands and the strands
themselves are twisted to the left. Long
c. Wire cable made of several ropes twisted together; strands of
hawser-laid rope, twisted right-handed together without limitation as to
the number of strands or direction of twist. A fiber cable-laid rope is
composed of three strands of hawser-laid rope, twisted right-handed.
Zern


cable railway

An inclined track up and down which wagons travel fixed at equal intervals
to an endless steel wire rope, either above or below the wagons.
Hammond

cable reel

A drum on which conductor cable is wound, including one or more collector
rings and associated brushes, by means of which an electric circuit is
made between the stationary winding on the locomotive or other mining
device and the trailing cable that is wound on the drum. The drum may be
driven by an electric motor, by a hydraulic motor, or mechanically from an
axle on the machine.

cable-reel locomotive

A face or gathering locomotive driven by a power cable connected to
trolley wires. The cable winds on a reel attached to the locomotive.
Nelson

cable-screw conveyor

A one-way or closed-circuit conveyor powered by a flexible,
torque-transmitting cable of which helical (screw) threads are an integral
part. Loads or load carriers engage the thread and advance a distance
equal to one pitch each revolution of the cable screw.

cable selvage belt

A conveyor belt in which the carrying section is composed of rubber and
fabric with attached intermittent transverse metal supports having both
ends supported by cables. The cables transmit the driving force, and the
center portion functions as the load-supporting medium.

cable shield

A metallic shield consisting of nonmagnetic material applied over the
insulation of the individual conductors or conductor assembly.
USBM, 2

cable splice kit

A short piece of tubing or a specially formed band of metal generally used
without solder in joining ends of portable cables for mining equipment.

cable system

One of the well-known drilling systems, sometimes designated as the
American or rope system. The drilling is performed by a heavy string of
tools suspended from a flexible manila or steel cable to which a
reciprocating motion is imparted by an oscillating "walking beam" through
the suspension rope or cable. See also:churn drill

cable-system drill

See:churn drill

cable tendon

See:cable bolt

cable-tool cuttings

The rock fragments and sludge produced in drilling a borehole with a churn
drill. Long

cable-tool dresser

See:tooldresser

cable-tool drill

See:churn drill; percussion drill.

cable-tool drilling

A method of drilling, now largely replaced by rotary drilling, in which
the rock at the bottom of the hole is broken up by a steel bit with a
blunt, chisel-shaped cutting edge. The bit is at the bottom of a heavy
string of steel tools suspended on a cable that is activated by a walking
beam, the bit chipping the rock by regularly repeated blows. The method is
adapted to drilling water wells and relatively shallow oil wells.
AGI

cable tools

The bits and other bottom-hole tools and equipment used to drill boreholes
by percussive action, using a rope, instead of rods, to connect the
drilling bit with the machine on the surface. See also:churn drill
Long

cableway

A system in which the carriers are supported by a cable and are not
detached from the operating span. The travel of the carriers is wholly
within the span. See also:aerial cableway

cableway excavator

A slackline cableway used for excavating a restricted area.
Hammond

cableway transporter

A transporter crane on which the track for the carrier is a steel wire
rope. Hammond

cabochon

a. An unfaceted cut gemstone of domed or convex form. The top is smoothly
polished; the back, or base, is usually flat or slightly convex, may be
concave, and is commonly unpolished. The girdle outline may be round,
oval, square, or any other shape.
b. The style of cutting such a gem.
c. A polished but uncut gem. See also:en cabochon

cabrerite

A hydrous arsenate of nickel, cobalt, and magnesium; possibly magnesian
annabergite.

cachalong

See:cacholong

cache

Fr. The place where provisions, safety or rescue equipment, ammunition,
etc., are cached or hidden by trappers, miners, or prospectors, in
unsettled regions. Fay

cacholong

An opaque or feebly translucent, bluish-white, pale-yellowish, or reddish
variety of common opal containing a little alumina. Syn:cachalong;
pearl opal.

cacoxenite

An orthorhombic mineral, (Fe,Al)25 (PO4 )17 O6
(OH)12 .75H2 O .

cactus grab

A digging and unloading attachment hung from a crane or excavator. It
consists of a split and hinged bucket fitted with curved jaws or teeth
which dig into the loose rock while the bucket is being dropped and
contract to lift the load while it is being raised. It is used
increasingly for mechanical mucking in shaft sinkings. See also:hoppit
Nelson

cadacryst

See:xenocryst

cadastral control

A system of established monuments whose positions are accurately
determined and are used in all correlated cadastral surveys.
Seelye, 2

cadastral map

A large-scale map showing the boundaries of subdivisions of land, usually
with the directions and lengths thereof and the areas of individual
tracts, compiled for the purpose of describing and recording ownership. It
may also show culture, drainage, and other features relating to use of the
land. AGI

cadastral survey

Survey relating to land boundaries and subdivisions, made to create or to
define the limitations of a title, and to determine a unit suitable for
transfer. Includes surveys involving retracements for the identification,
and resurveys for the restoration, of property lines. (The term
"cadastral" is practically obsolete; may be found in older historical
records; current usage is "land survey" or "property survey.")
Seelye, 2

cadger

A little pocket oilcan for miners. Fay

cadmia

a. An impure zinc oxide that forms on the walls of furnaces in the
smelting of ores containing zinc. See also:furnace cadmium
Standard, 2
b. The chemical compound CdO.
c. See:calamine

cadmium

A soft, bluish-white metal, similar in many respects to zinc, copper, and
lead ores. Almost all cadmium is obtained as a byproduct in the treatment
of these ores. Symbol, Cd. Used in electroplating, in solder, for
batteries, as a barrier to control atomic fission, and in TV tubes.
Cadmium and solutions of its compounds are toxic.
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 3

cadmium blend

The mineral greenockite, CdS . Also called cadmium ocher.

cadmium columbate

Cd2 Cb2 O7 is an antiferroelectric and has low losses
at high frequency. Syn:cadmium niobate

cadmium niobate

Cd2 Nb2 O7 ; a ferroelectric compound of potential
value as a special electroceramic; the Curie temperature is -103 degrees
C. See also:cadmium columbate

cadmium ocher

The mineral greenockite; used as a pigment. Standard, 2

cadmosellite

A hexagonal mineral, CdSe ; wurtzite structure; resinous to adamantine;
black; perfect cleavage; forms fine xenomorphic disseminations cementing
sandstone. Also spelled kadmoselite.

cafemic

Said of an igneous rock or magma that contains calcium, iron, and
magnesium. Etymol: a mnemonic term derived from calcium + ferric (or
ferrous) + magnesium + ic. AGI

cage

A vertically moving enclosed platform used in a mine shaft for the
conveyance of workers and materials, usually designed to take one or two
cars per deck and may be single or multidecked.

cage bar

Safety device that holds doors shut or keeps trams in position.
Pryor, 3

cage chain

See:bridle chain

cage cover

See:bonnet


cage guide

Conductor made of wood, iron or steel, or wire rope; used to guide the
cages in the shaft and to prevent them from swinging and colliding with
each other while in motion. See also:guides; fixed guides; rope guide.
Nelson

cage mill

Also known as a disintegrator; used for secondary crushing of stone and
gravel, and for reduction of slag, fertilizers, etc.
Pit and Quarry

cager

a. One who directs station operations and movement of cages used to raise
and lower workers, mine cars, and supplies between various levels and
surface; works at the top of a shaft or at an intermediate level inside a
mine. Also called cageman; cage tender; shaft headman; skip tender.
See also:banksman; hitcher; top cager; onsetter. DOT
b. A power-operated ram for pushing mine cars into or out of cages at the
pit top or pit bottom. Nelson
c. One who supervises weighing and the sequence of sending up components
of a furnace charge, keeps tally of the number of charges, and signals to
the top filler when it is time to hoist. Fay

cager coupler

In bituminous coal mining, one who works with a cager, coupling and
uncoupling cars at a shaft station. DOT

cage seat

Scaffolding, sometimes fitted with strong springs, to take the shock, and
on which the cage rests when reaching the pit bottom or other landing.
Fay

cage sheet

Short prop or catch on which a cage stands during caging or changing cars.
Zern

cage shoe

One of the fittings bolted to the side of a cage to engage the rigid
guides in a shaft. Usually there are two for each guide, one at the top
and one at the bottom of the cage. The shoes are usually about 1 ft (0.3
m) long and shaped to fit closely around about three-quarters of the
guide, with sufficient clearance for free movement but not sufficient to
allow the shoe to come off the guide. Nelson

cage stop

Equipment fitted on the cage floor to hold the car in position while
traveling in the shaft. Spring- or rubber-mounted stops are commonly used.
See also:kep

cagutte

A baguette; an oblong cut diamond. Hess

cahnite

A tetragonal mineral, Ca2 B(AsO4 )(OH)4 ; forms white
sphenoidal crystals.

Cainozoic

See:Cenozoic

cairn

An artificial mound of rocks, stones, or masonry, usually conical or
pyramidal, used in surveying to aid in the identification of a point or
boundary. AGI

cairngorm

Smoky-yellow or brown varieties of quartz, the coloring matter probably
due to some organic compound; named from Cairngorm in the Scottish
Grampians; the more attractively colored varieties are used as
semiprecious gem stones. Also called smoky quartz, smokestone. CTD

caisson drill

In sampling placer deposits, a caisson drill is driven by a combination of
rotational impact and the weight of the drilling equipment. SME, 1

caisson sinking

A method of sinking a shaft through wet clay, sand, or mud down to firm
strata. Cast-iron tubbing, attached ring by ring on the surface, is
gradually lowered as the shaft is excavated. There is a special airtight
working chamber at the bottom of the lining. A cutting shoe at the lower
end of the tubbing helps it to penetrate the soft ground. The caisson
method is obsolescent, being replaced by the freezing method, etc.
See also:concrete caisson sinking
Nelson

cajon

a. See:box canyon
b. A defile leading up to a mountain pass; also, the pass itself. Etymol:
Spanish cajon, large box. The term is used in the Southwestern United
States. AGI

cake

a. The solid residue left in a filter press or on a vacuum filter after
the solution has been drawn off.
b. Solidified drill sludge. Long
c. That portion of a drilling mud adhering to the walls of a borehole.
Syn:wall cake
d. See:cake of gold; mud cake.
e. To form in a mass such as when ore sinters together in roasting, or
coal cakes together in coking.

cake copper

Copper cast in a round, cake-shaped mass. See also:tough cake
Hess

caked dust

Dust particles with sufficient cohesion that a light stroke with a brush
or a light airblast, such as from the mouth, will not cause the dust to be
dispersed.

cake of gold

Gold formed into a compact mass (though not melted) by distillation of
mercury from amalgam. Also called sponge gold. Syn:cake

cake thickness

The measure of the thickness of the filter cake deposited against a porous
medium. Cake thickness and water loss constitute the determining factors
of filtration qualities.


caking coal

Coal that softens and agglomerates on heating and after volatile matter
has been driven off at high temperatures; produces a hard gray cellular
mass of coke. All caking coals are not good coking coals.
See also:coking coal

caking index

A laboratory method of indicating the degree of caking, coking, or binding
together of a coal when a sample is heated in a prescribed manner.
Syn:agglutinating power

calabashing

Panning tin gravels in a half-calabash gourd. Used in prospecting and
alluvial mining in primitive conditions. Pryor, 3

calaite

See:turquoise

calamanco

N. of Eng. Red or mottled Paleozoic marls and shales. Also called
calaminker. See also:symon

calamine

a. A commercial, mining, and metallurgical term for the oxidized ores of
zinc (including silicates and carbonates), as distinguished from the
sulfide ores of zinc. Syn:cadmia
AGI
b. A former name for hemimorphite.
c. In Great Britain, a name used for smithsonite. See also:smithsonite
d. A former name for hydrozincite.
e. A special kind of so-called galvanized iron. Also spelled kalamin.
Syn:galmei

calamine stone

Eng. A carbonate of zinc; smithsonite. Fay

calamine violet

An indicator plant which grows only on zinc-rich soils in the zinc
districts of Central and Western Europe. Hawkes, 2

calamite

An asparagus-green variety of tremolite. Standard, 2

calaverite

A monoclinic mineral, 2[AuTe2 ] ; brittle: commonly contains
silver; sp gr, 9.35; an important source of gold.

calc

Prefix meaning containing calcium carbonate.

calc-alkalic

a. Said of a series of igneous rocks in which the weight percentage of
silica is between 56 and 61 when the weight percentages of CaO and of K
2 O + Na2 O are equal. AGI
b. Said of an igneous rock containing plagioclase feldspar. AGI

calcarenite

A limestone consisting predominantly (more than 50%) of recycled calcite
particles of sand size; a consolidated calcareous sand.
CF:calcareous sandstone

calcareous

Said of a substance that contains calcium carbonate. When applied to a
rock name, it implies that as much as 50% of the rock is calcium
carbonate. AGI

calcareous crust

An indurated soil horizon cemented with calcium carbonate; caliche.
AGI

calcareous dolomite

A carbonate rock containing 50% to 90% dolomite. (Leighton & Pendexter,
1962) CF:calcitic dolomite

calcareous dust

Limestone, quicklime, hydrated lime, and cement dusts fall in this class.
These dusts are more or less soluble in the body fluids, and are
eventually absorbed. Pit and Quarry

calcareous ooze

A deep-sea pelagic sediment containing at least 30% calcareous skeletal
remains; e.g., pteropod ooze. CF:siliceous ooze

calcareous ore

Ore in which the gangue consists mainly of carbonate of lime.
Osborne

calcareous peat

See:eutrophic peat

calcareous rock

See:carbonate rock
calcareous sandstone

a. A sandstone cemented with calcite. AGI
b. A sandstone containing appreciable calcium carbonate, but in which
clastic quartz is present in excess of 50%. CF:calcarenite

calcareous sinter

See:travertine

calcareous spar

Coarsely crystalline calcium carbonate. See also:calcite

calcareous tufa

See:tufa

calcarinate

Adj. Designates the calcium carbonate cement of a sedimentary rock.
AGI

calc-dolomite

Rock consisting of both calcite and dolomite crystals. AGI

calce

Native calcium oxide, CaO, found on Mount Vesuvius, Italy. It formed from
limestone enveloped in lava and altered by the heat of the lava.
Hess

calcedony

See:chalcedony

calc-flinta

A fine-grained calc-silicate rock of flinty appearance formed by thermal
metamorphism of a calcareous mudstone, possibly with some accompanying
pneumatolytic action. See also:calc-silicate hornfels

calcian

See:calcic

calciborite

Calcium borate, CaB2 O4 , monoclinic. White radial
aggregates in drill cores from limestone skarn, from the Ural Mountains.
Named from the composition. See also:frolovite

calcic

Said of minerals and igneous rocks containing a relatively high proportion
of calcium; the proportion required to warrant use of the term depends on
circumstances. Said of a series of igneous rocks in which the weight
percentage of silica is greater than 61 when the weight percentages of CaO
and of K2 O + Na2 O are equal. Syn:calcian

calciclase

See:anorthite

calcinable

Capable of being calcined or reduced to a friable state by the action of
fire. Fay

calcination

a. The heating of a substance to its temperature of dissociation; e.g., of
limestone to CaO and CO2 or of gypsum to lose its water of
crystallization. AGI
b. Heating ores, concentrates, precipitates, or residues to decompose
carbonates, hydrates, or other compounds. CF:roasting
ASM, 1; Newton, 1
c. Heating metals at high temperatures to convert them into their oxides.
Nelson

calcine

a. Ore or concentrate after treatment by calcination or roasting and ready
for smelting. CTD
b. By heating, to expel volatile matter as carbon dioxide, water, or
sulfur, with or without oxidation; to roast; to burn (said of limestone in
making lime). Fay

calcined gypsum

Gypsum partially dehydrated by means of heat, having the approximate
chemical formula, CaSO4 .«H2 O .

calciner

See:calcining furnace

calcining

a. Roasting of ore in oxidizing atmosphere, usually to expel sulfur or
carbon dioxide. If sulfur removal is carried to practical completion, the
operation is termed sweet roasting; if CO2 is virtually removed,
dead roasting. Pryor, 3
b. Reducing to powder by heating. Mersereau, 2

calcining furnace

A furnace or kiln in which ores or metallurgical products are calcined.
Syn:calciner

calcioborite

An orthorhombic mineral, CaB2 O4 ; in white radial
aggregates in drill cores from limestone skarn in the Urals, Russia.


calciocelestite

A variety of celestite containing calcium. Standard, 2

calcioferrite

A monoclinic mineral, Ca4 Fe(Fe,Al)4 (PO4 )6
(OH)4 .13H2 O ; occurs in scales and nodules.

calciornotite

See:tyuyamunite

calciovolborthite

An orthorhombic mineral, CaCu(VO4 )(OH) ; adelite group; moderately
radioactive; in the Colorado Plateau in sandstone associated with
carnotite and tyuyamunite, or in the oxidized zone of deposits containing
vanadium minerals.

calciphyre

See:calc-silicate marble

calcisiltite

A limestone consisting predominantly of detrital calcite particles of silt
size; a consolidated calcareous silt. AGI

calcite

a. A trigonal mineral, 4[CaCO3 ] ; has prolific crystal habits,
rhombohedral cleavage; defines hardness 3 on the Mohs scale; effervesces
readily in dilute hydrochloric acid; a common and widely distributed
rock-forming, authigenic, biogenic, and vein mineral; raw material for
Portland cement, agricultural lime, flux for ore reduction, dimension
stone, and concrete aggregate; the major mineral in limestone, marble,
chalk, spongy tufa, cave deposits, and carbonatite; a cementing mineral in
many clastic sedimentary rocks; a minor mineral in some silicate igneous
and metamorphic rocks. Coarsely crystalline varieties are called nailhead
spar, dogtooth spar (acute scalenohedra), and Iceland spar (optical-grade
crystals). Abbrev.: Cc. CF:dolomite
calcspar.
b. The mineral group calcite, gaspeite, magnesite, otavite, rhodochrosite,
siderite, smithsonite, and sphaerocobaltite

calcite limestone

A limestone containing not more than 5% of magnesium carbonate.

calcite marble

A crystalline variety of limestone containing not more than 5% of
magnesium carbonate.

calcitic dolomite

A dolomite rock in which calcite is conspicuous, but the mineral dolomite
is more abundant; specif. a dolomite rock containing 10% to 50% calcite
and 50% to 90% dolomite, or a dolomite rock whose Ca/Mg ratio ranges from
2.0 to 3.5. CF:dolomitic limestone

calcitite

A rock composed of calcite; e.g., limestone.

calcitization

a. The act or process of forming calcite, such as by alteration of
aragonite. AGI
b. The alteration of existing rocks to limestone, due to the replacement
of mineral particles by calcite; e.g., of dolomite in dolomite rocks or of
feldspar and quartz in sandstones. AGI

calcitrant

Refractory; said of certain ores. Fay

calcium

A metallic element of the alkaline-earth group; never found in nature
uncombined, occurs abundantly as limestone (CaCO3 ), gypsum (CaSO
4 . 2H2 O), and fluorite (CaF2 ). Symbol, Ca. Used as
a reducing agent, deoxidizer, desulfurizer, or decarburizer for alloys; as
quicklime (CaO), it is the great cheap base of the chemical industry with
countless uses. Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 3

calcium autunite

Artificially prepared autunite in which calcium can be replaced by Na, K,
Ba, Mn, Cu, Ni, Co, and Mg. Syn:autunite

calcium carbide

CaC2 ; produced commercially by heating quicklime and carbon
together in an electric furnace. Used for the generation of acetylene and
for making calcium cyanamide.

calcium carbonate

a. White powder or colorless crystals; CaCO3 . One of the most
stable, common, and widely dispersed of materials. It occurs in nature as
aragonite, calcite, chalk, limestone, lithographic stone, marble, marl,
and travertine. Referred to as whiting, it has many uses in ceramics to
introduce calcium oxide (CaO). Also used as a separator in glass firing.
CCD, 2; Lee; Kinney
b. Calcium carbonate (molecular weight, 100.09) crystallizes in two
crystal systems: hexagonal rhombohedral or hexagonal as calcite, and
orthorhombic as aragonite. Hexagonal calcium carbonate (calcite) is
colorless, white, yellowish, or rarely pale gray, red, green, blue, or
violet; sp gr, 2.710 (at 18 degrees C); Mohs hardness, 3; melting point,
1,339 degrees C (at 1,025 atm); decomposes at 898.6 degrees C; and soluble
in water, in acids, and in ammonium chloride solution. Orthorhombic
calcium carbonate (aragonite) is colorless, white, yellow, reddish,
bluish, or black; sp gr, 2.93, ranging from 2.85 to 2.94; Mohs hardness,
3.5 to 4.0; transforms to calcite at 520 degrees C; decomposes at 825
degrees C; and soluble in water, in acids, and in ammonium chloride
solution. Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 2
c. Source of quicklime and of calcium metal.

calcium chloride process

A method used to consolidate floor dust in mine roadways in which calcium
chloride is applied with a wetting agent.

calcium feldspar

See:anorthite

calcium mica

See:margarite

calcium minerals

Naturally abundant and widely exploited in industry. Main useful ores are
calcite, dolomite, anhydrite, and gypsum. Apatite is mined for phosphorus;
fluorite for fluorides; and colemanite and ulexite for boron.
Pryor, 3



calcium montmorillonite

An artificially prepared clay mineral with calcium in place of magnesium.
Spencer, 2

calcium phosphate

See:apatite

calcium plagioclase

See:anorthite

calcouranite

See:autunite

calcrete

a. Conglomerate consisting of surficial sand and gravel cemented into a
hard mass by calcium carbonate precipitated from solution and redeposited
through the agency of infiltrating waters, or deposited by the escape of
carbon dioxide from vadose water. AGI
b. A calcareous duricrust; caliche. Etymol: "cal"careous + con"crete."
CF:silcrete; ferricrete. AGI

calc-sapropel

A deposit composed of sapropel (dominant) and remains of calcareous algae.
Tomkeieff

calc-schist

A metamorphosed argillaceous limestone with a schistose structure produced
by parallelism of platy minerals. AGI

calc-silicate hornfels

A fine-grained metamorphic rock containing a high percentage of
calc-silicate minerals. See also:calc-flinta; hornfels; limurite; skarn;
tactite.

calc-silicate marble

A marble in which calcium silicate and/or magnesium silicate minerals are
conspicuous. Syn:calciphyre

calc-silicate rock

A metamorphic rock consisting mainly of calcium-bearing silicates, such as
diopside and wollastonite, and formed by metamorphism of impure limestone
or dolomite; associated with skarn-type mineral deposits.
Syn:lime-silicate rock

calc-sinter

See:travertine

calcspar

Coarsely crystalline calcite. Also spelled: calc-spar.
See also:calcite

calc-tufa

See:tufa

calcurmolite

A secondary mineral, Ca(UO2 )3 (MoO4 )3 (OH)
2 .11H2 O .

Caldecott cone

A conical tank used to settle and discharge as a continuous underflow the
relatively coarse sand from an overflowing stream of mineral pulp.
See also:cone classifier; Callow cone. Pryor, 3

caldera

A large, basin-shaped volcanic depression, more or less circular, the
diameter of which is many times greater than that of the included vent or
vents, no matter what the steepness of the walls or the form of the floor
may be. CF:crater

calderite

An isometric mineral, (Mn,Ca)(Fe,Al)2 (SiO4 )3 ; the
dark reddish-brown manganese-iron end member of the garnet group.

caldron

See:bell mold; caldron bottom; kettle bottom.

caldron bottom

a. Mud-filled prostrate trunk of sigillaria in the roof of certain coal
seams. The trunk is a separate mass of rock, with a film of coal around
it. It is liable to collapse without any warning sound. Also called
horseback. Syn:caldron; kettle bottom. See also:pot
b. Eng. A cone-shaped mass with slippery surfaces found in the roof of
some seams. It sometimes comprises a ring of coal around a core of
material differing slightly from the ordinary roof. CF:pot bottom
called pothole. SMRB

caledonite

An orthorhombic mineral, Pb5 Cu2 (CO3 )(SO4 )
3 (OH)6 ; green (not to be confused with celadonite).

calf reel

The churn-drill winch used for handling casing and for odd jobs. Also
called casing reel. Nichols, 1


caliche

a. A term applied broadly in the Southwestern United States (esp. Arizona)
to a reddish-brown to buff or white calcareous material of secondary
accumulation; commonly found in layers on or near the surface of stony
soils of arid and semiarid regions, but also occurring as a subsoil
deposit in subhumid climates. It is composed largely of crusts of soluble
calcium salts in addition to such materials as gravel, sand, silt, and
clay. It is called hardpan, calcareous duricrust, or calcrete in some
localities, and kankar in parts of India. Syn:calcareous crust;
tepetate. ---Etymol: American Spanish, from a Spanish word for almost any
porous material (such as gravel) cemented by calcium carbonate.
AGI
b. Gravel, rock, soil, or alluvium cemented with soluble salts of sodium
in the nitrate deposits of the Atacama Desert of northern Chile and Peru;
it contains sodium nitrate (14% to 25%), potassium nitrate (2% to 3%),
sodium iodate (up to 1%) sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, and sodium
borate, mixed with brecciated clayey and sandy material in beds up to 2 m
thick. AGI
c. A term used in various geographic areas for a thin layer of clayey soil
capping a gold vein (Peru); whitish clay in the selvage of veins (Chile);
feldspar, white clay, or a compact transition limestone (Mexico); a
mineral vein recently discovered, or a bank composed of clay, sand, and
gravel in placer mining (Colombia). The term has been extended by some
authors to quartzite and kaolinite. AGI

caliente

Mex. Silver ore, generally colored with some iron sulfate, the result of
weathering. Hess

California poppy

A local indicator plant for copper in Arizona, observed over the outcrop
of the San Manuel copper deposit. Here the distribution of this species is
confined to copper-rich soil, and its population density is closely
proportional to the copper content of the soil. Hawkes, 2

California-type drag head

A device for sand dredging; the drag has a hinged afterbody that adjusts
to the angle of the drag arm, which may vary with the depth of water.
Scheffaur

California-type dredge

A single-lift dredge with stacker. Buckets, which are closely spaced,
deliver to a trommel. The oversize is piled behind the dredge by a
conveyor (stacker). Undersize is washed on gold-saving tables on the deck;
tailings discharge astern through sluices.

californite

a. A compact, massive, translucent to opaque variety of vesuvianite;
typically dark-green, olive-green, or grass-green, commonly mottled with
white or gray, closely resembling jade; an ornamental stone. Principal
sources are Fresno, Siskiyou, and Tulare Counties, CA.
Syn:American jade
b. A white variety of grossular garnet from Fresno County, CA.

caliper

a. An instrument used to measure precisely the thickness or diameter of
objects or the distance between two surfaces, etc. Long
b. An instrument used in conjunction with a microlog which, when lowered
down a borehole, measures and records the internal diameter throughout its
depth. BS, 9
c. An instrument consisting of a graduated beam and at right angles to it
a fixed arm and a movable arm which slides along the beam to measure the
diameter of logs and trees. Webster 3rd

caliper brake

Brake in which two brakeshoes are curved to the brake path and anchored
near the centerline of the drum. Sinclair, 5

caliper log

A well log that shows the variations with depth in the diameter of an
uncased borehole. It is produced by spring-activated arms that measure the
varying widths of the hole as the device is drawn upward.
Syn:section-gage log

calite

a. A heat-resistant alloy of aluminum, nickel, and iron. Hess
b. Iron or steel treated by calorizing. Hess

calk

a. To drive tarred oakum into the seams between planks and fill with
pitch. Fay
b. Limestone or chalk; also spelled caulk. Arkell
c. A variety of barite. Hey, 1
d. To peen and draw metal toward and around a diamond being hand-wet in a
malleable-steel bit blank. Also called peen. Syn:peeler
e. To wick. Long

calkinsite

An orthorhombic mineral, (Ce,La)2 (CO3 )3 .4H2
O ; pale yellow; a source of rare-earth elements.

callaganite

A monoclinic mineral, Cu2 Mg2 (CO3 )(OH)6 .2H
2 O ; azure-blue.

callainite

An apple- to emerald-green, massive, waxlike phosphate, possibly a mixture
of wavellite and turquoise.

callis

Lanc. A shaly coal. Nelson

Callon's rule

A rule stating that when a pillar has to be left in an inclined seam for
the support of a shaft or of a surface structure, a greater width should
be left on the rise side of the shaft or structure than on the dip side.
Briggs

Callow cone

A conical free-settling tank. Pulp is fed centrally; the finer solid
fraction overflows peripherally, and the coarser fraction is withdrawn at
a controlled rate via the apex at the cone's bottom.
See also:Caldecott cone; cone classifier. Pryor, 3

Callow flotation cell

An early form of pneumatic flotation cell, still in limited use. Air is
blown in at the bottom of the tank at low pressure, through a porous
septum such as a blanket, and mineralized froth overflows along the sides
while the tailings progress to the discharge end. Pryor, 3

Callow screen

A continuous belt formed of fine screen wire travels horizontally between
two drums. Pulp, fed from above, flows through together with the finer
solids, while coarser material is discharged as the screen passes over the
end drum. Pryor, 3

calomel

A tetragonal mineral, 2[Hg2 Cl2 ] ; a secondary alteration
of mercury-bearing minerals. Syn:calomelite; calomelano;
horn quicksilver; mercurial horn ore.

calomelano

See:calomel


calomel electrode

Half-cell used to measure electromotive force; potential being that of
mercury and mercurous chloride in contact with saturated solution of
potassium chloride. Used in pH measurement. Pryor, 3

calomelite

See:calomel

calorescence

The phenomenon of glowing when a substance is stimulated by heat rays that
lie beyond the red end of the visible spectrum.
See also:thermoluminescence

calorie

The gram calorie (or small calorie) is the quantity of heat required to
raise the temperature of 1 g of water from 15 to 16 degrees C. The mean
calorie is one-hundredth part of the heat required to raise 1 g of water
from 0 to 100 degrees C. CF:heat unit

calorific intensity

The temperature of a fuel attained by its combustion. Newton, 1

calorific power

The quantity of heat liberated when a unit weight or a unit volume of a
fuel is completely burned. Newton, 1

calorific value

See:gross calorific value; net calorific value.

calorimeter

Any apparatus for measuring the quantity of heat generated in a body or
emitted by it, such as by observing the quantity of a solid liquefied or
of a liquid vaporized under given conditions. Used in determining specific
heat; latent heat; the heat of chemical combinations; etc.
Standard, 2

calorimeter room

A place at the surface of a mine where drained combustible gases are
monitored or their heat content is ascertained. BS, 8

calorizing

A process of rendering the surface of steel or iron resistant to oxidation
by spraying the surface with aluminum and heating to a temperature of 800
to 1,000 degrees C. CTD

calumetite

An orthorhombic mineral, Cu(OH,Cl)2 .2H2 O ; in azure-blue
spherules and sheaves of scales having good basal cleavage; at the Calumet
Mine, Calumet, MI. Named from the locality. CF:anthonyite

calx

The friable residue (as a metal oxide) left when a mineral or metal has
been subjected to calcination or roasting; e.g., lime from calcium
carbonate. Webster 3rd

calyx

a. A steel tube attached to the upper end of a core barrel and having the
same outside diameter as the core barrel. The upper end is open except for
two web members running from the inside of the tube to a ring encircling
the drill rod. The calyx serves as a guide rod and also as a bucket to
catch cuttings that are too heavy to be flushed out of the borehole by the
circulation fluid. Syn:bucket; sludge barrel; sludge bucket.
Long
b. Syn:shot drill
c. A pipe or tube equipped with a sawtooth cutting edge, sometimes used to
obtain a core sample of a formation being drilled. CF:basket
Long
d. In well drilling, a long cylindrical vessel that guides an annular
toothed bit. Its action is like that of a diamond drill. A toothed cutter
takes the place of a diamond crown and is rotated by hollow flushing rods
with a strong constant flow of water. A core is cut, preserved in a core
barrel, and brought to the surface. The drills are made large enough so
that the holes are used as shafts. Hess
e. See:sediment tube

calyx boring

a. The process of drilling with a shot drill. Long
b. The hole or core produced by this process. Long

calyx drill

A rotary core drill that uses hardened steel shot for cutting rock, which
will drill holes from diamond-drill size up to 6 ft (1.8 m) or more in
diameter. Drilling is slow and expensive, and holes cannot be drilled more
than 35 degrees off the vertical, as the shot tends to collect on the
lower side of the hole. Also called shot drill. See also:core drill
Lewis

camber

A beam, bar, or girder bent like a bow, with the hump towards the strata.
Mason

Cambrian

The oldest of the systems into which the Paleozoic stratified rocks are
divided; also, the corresponding oldest period of the Paleozoic era.
Fay

camel back

A miner's term sometimes applied to such structures as bells, pots, kettle
bottoms, or other rock masses that tend to fall easily from a mine roof.
See also:pot bottom; tortoise. AGI

camera lucida

Mirror or prism attached to the eyepiece of a microscope, enabling an
observer to sketch the object displayed. Pryor, 3

Cammett table

A side-jerk concentrating table similar to the Wilfley table. Hess

camouflage

The substitution for a common element in a crystal lattice by a trace
element of the same valence. CF:admittance; capture. AGI


camouflet

a. A cavity formed in a borehole by the detonation of an explosive charge
placed in it. Also called chamber. See also:spring; socket.
Long
b. A quarry blasting hole enlarged by chambering. Nelson

campaign

a. The period during which a furnace is continuously in operation.
Fay
b. The working life of a tank or other melting unit between major cold
repairs. ASTM

camptonite

A lamprophyre, similar in composition to nepheline diorite, being composed
essentially of plagioclase (usually labradorite) and brown hornblende
(usually barkevikite). AGI

campylite

A yellowish to brown variety of mimetite crystallizing in barrel-shaped
forms. A source of lead. See also:mimetite

camshaft

In stamp milling, a strong horizontal revolving shaft to which a number of
cams are attached in such a manner that no two of them strike the tappets
at the same instant, thus distributing the weight to be lifted.
Fay

cam stick

In stamp battery crushing, a square-sectioned wooden stick greased on the
underside and leather-lined above; it is inserted between cam and tappet.
Pryor, 3

can

a. A term used in the tristate zinc and lead district for a bucket used in
hoisting. A "can" ranges in capacity from 1,200 to 1,400 lb (544 to 635
kg). Jackson, 3
b. In a nuclear reactor, the container in which fuel rods are sealed to
protect the fuel from corrosion and prevent gaseous diffusion products
from escaping into the coolant. Hammond

canada

a. A term used in the Western United States for a ravine, glen, or narrow
valley, smaller and less steep-sided than a canyon, such as the V-shaped
valley of a dry river bed; a dale or open valley between mountains.
AGI
b. A term used in the Western United States for a small stream; a creek.
Etymol: Spanish cana, cane, reed. AGI

Canadian asbestos

See:chrysotile

Canadian shield

The vast region of Precambrian rocks having an areal extent of 2 million
square miles (5.2 million km2 ) in eastern Canada. CTD

canal

a. An artificial watercourse cut through a land area for use in
navigation, irrigation, etc. Hunt
b. That part of a tank leading from the relatively wide fining area to the
machine. ASTM
c. See:chute; ditch.

canal ray

See:positive ray

Canamin clay

A clay consisting mainly of colloidal aluminum silicate from British
Columbia, Canada. CCD, 2

canary

a. Bird traditionally used for the detection of unsafe carbon monoxide or
low oxygen levels in early coal mines.
b. Term used for modern, handheld, electronic air quality monitors, which
replaced the use of canary birds.
c. Yellow diamond. Schaller

canary ore

A yellow, earthy argentiferous lead ore, generally pyromorphite,
bindheimite, or massicot, more or less impure. Fay

canary stone

A yellow variety of carnelian.

canch

a. A part of a bed of stone worked by quarrying.
b. Eng. Roof or floor removed to make height and side removed to make
width. If above the seam, it is called a top canch; if below the seam, a
bottom canch. A canch on a roadway close to the face is called a face
canch; a canch on a roadway outbye is called a back canch. Also called
brushing; ripping. SMRB
c. The face of the roof ripping in a roadway. It follows that the canch is
continually being excavated and advanced.
See also:ripping face support

canche

A trench with sloping sides and a very narrow bottom. Zern

cancrinite

a. A hexagonal mineral, Na6 Ca2 Al6 Si6 O (sub
24) (CO3 )2 .
b. The mineral group afghanite, cancrinite, davyne, franzinite,
guiseppettite, liottite, microsommite, sacrofanite, vishnevite, and
wenkite(?).

candite

See:ceylonite

candle coal

See:cannel coal; kennel coal.


candlepower

a. The illuminating power of a standard sperm candle. Used as a measure
for other illuminants. Crispin
b. The luminous flux emitted by a source of light per unit solid angle in
a given direction. It is expressed in terms of the international candle
and new candle. CTD

canel

See:cannel coal

canfieldite

a. This name was first given to an isometric silver sulfogermanate,
believed to be a new species, but later proved to be identical with
argyrodite. The name was then withdrawn and transferred to (b).
English
b. An orthorhombic mineral, Ag8 SnS6 ; black; forms a series
with argyrodite.

Canfield's reagent

An etchant, used for revealing phosphorus segregation in iron and steel,
containing 1.5 g cupric chloride, 5 g nickel nitrate, and 6 g ferric
chloride, in 12 mL hot water. Osborne

canga

a. Braz. A tough, well-consolidated rock consisting essentially of hard
blocks and fragments of the rocks of an iron formation, cemented with
limonite. Where these fragments are plentiful and are derived from the
hard ore outcrops, canga forms a valuable ore, which may run as high as
68% iron. Generally it is phosphoric, but there are considerable areas in
which the phosphorus is below the Bessemer limit. CF:itabirite
b. A ferruginous laterite developed from any iron-bearing rock, commonly
basalt or gabbro; e.g., as used in Sierra Leone, canga is equivalent to
lateritic iron ore. AGI

can hoisting system

A method of hoisting in shallow lead-zinc mines in areas of the United
States. Instead of the conventional engine house, operation is controlled
at the top of the shaft. The onsetter below hooks the can on, then signals
by a lamp attached to the wrist of the hoister sitting above. The can is
hoisted, swinging free. At the surface a tail rope is snapped to the
underside, a deflection plate is swung into place, and the can is lowered.
It capsizes and discharges its load to the surge bin. The empty can is
then again hoisted, freed of its tail rope, and wound down the shaft,
where it is replaced by a full can. Pryor, 3

canister

a. A hopper-shaped truck, from which coal is discharged into coke ovens.
Fay
b. A container with a filter, sorbent, or catalyst, or combination of
these items, which removes specific contaminants from the air passed
through the container. Also called cartridge. ANSI

cank

a. York. A completely cemented, compact, and fine-grained sandstone, or
any fine-grained rock that is hard to drill.
b. A hard, dark gray massive rock consisting largely of ankerite, found in
some Coal Measures marine beds. BS, 11

canker

a. Eng. The ocherous sediment in mine waters, being bicarbonate of iron
precipitated by the action of the air. Fay
b. Rust; verdigris, or copper rust. Webster 2nd

cannel

See:cannel coal

cannel coal

a. Term used for sapropelic coal containing spores, in contrast to
sapropelic coal containing algae, which is termed boghead coal. Viewed
microscopically, cannel coal shows no stratification. It is generally dull
and has a more or less pronounced waxy luster. It is very compact and
fractures conchoidally. There are transitions between cannel coal and
boghead coal, and it is not possible always to distinguish macroscopically
between them. Such a distinction can, however, be easily made a with
microscope, except in high-rank coals. In American nomenclature, cannel
coal must contain less than 5% anthraxylon. Cannel coal occurs in layers
or lenses up to several centimeters in thickness. Thin seams consisting
entirely of cannel coal are known. It occurs widely but in limited
amounts. Syn:gayet
See also:sapropelic coal; spore coal; boghead coal. IHCP
b. A variety of bituminous or subbituminous coal of uniform and compact
fine-grained texture with a general absence of banded structure. It is
dark gray to black in color, has a greasy luster, and is noticeably of
conchoidal or shell-like fracture. It is noncaking, yields a high
percentage of volatile matter, ignites easily, and burns with a luminous
smoky flame. Syn:canel; cannel; candle coal; kennel coal.

cannel shale

a. A shale in which the mineral and the organic matter are approx. in
equal proportions. Tomkeieff
b. A black shale formed by the accumulation of sapropels accompanied by a
considerable quantity of inorganic material, chiefly silt and clay.
Syn:bastard shale

cannes marble

Same as griotte marble; a reddish marble with white spots formed by fossil
shells (goniatites). Hess

cannonball mill

A mill for grinding tough materials by attrition, using cannonballs in a
rotating drum or chamber. See also:ball mill

cannon shot

See:blown-out shot

canny

Corn. Applied to lodes containing calcium carbonate and fluorspar.

canon

See:canyon

cansa

Hydrated Brazilian hematite ore resulting from the weathering of
itabirite. Osborne

cantilever

A lever-type beam that is held down at one end, is supported near the
middle, and supports a load on the other end. Nichols, 1

cantilever crane

A transporter crane with one or both ends overhanging. Hammond

cantilever grizzly

Grizzly fixed at one end only, the discharge end being overhung and free
to vibrate. This vibration of the bar is caused by the impact of the
material. The disadvantage of the ordinary bar grizzly is clogging due to
the retarding effect of the cross rods. This has been overcome in the
cantilever grizzly by eliminating the tie rods except at the head end,
where they are essential. The absence of these rods below the point of
support also aids in preventing clogging because it permits the bars to
vibrate in a horizontal plane, which keeps the material from wedging.
Pit and Quarry


cantonite

A covellite that occurs in cubes with cubic cleavage and is probably
pseudomorphous after chalcopyrite that had replaced galena; from the
Canton Mine, Georgia. Hess

canvas

Usually applied to brattice cloth, which is a heavy canvas of cotton,
hemp, or flax, frequently fireproofed. Jones, 1

canvas door

A simple square frame of about 2-in by 2-in (5.1-cm by 5.1-cm) pieces tied
with diagonal strips and covered with brattice; used for deflecting air
currents at inby points where the pressure is low. Nelson

canvas table

Inclined rectangular table covered with canvas. The pulp, to which clear
water is added if necessary, is evenly distributed across the upper
margin. As it flows down, the concentrates settle in the corrugations of
the canvas. After the meshes are filled, the pulp feed is stopped, the
remaining quartz is washed off with clear water, and finally the
concentrates are removed (by hose or brooms). Liddell

canyon

a. A long, deep, relatively narrow steep-sided valley confined between
lofty and precipitous walls in a plateau or mountainous area, often with a
stream at the bottom; similar to, but larger than, a gorge. It is
characteristic of an arid or semiarid area (such as the Western United
States) where stream downcutting greatly exceeds weathering; e.g., the
Grand Canyon. AGI
b. Any valley in a region where canyons abound. Etymol: anglicized form of
American Spanish canon. CF:canada
c. A precipitous valley; a gorge. Also spelled canon.
d. Mex. A mine-level drift or gallery.

cap

a. A detonator or blasting cap. Nelson
b. To seal, plug, or cover a borehole. Long
c. The roof or top piece in a three-piece timber set used for tunnel
support. Nichols, 1
d. A piece of plank or timber placed on top of a prop, stull, or post.
Long
e. The horizontal member of a set of timber used as a roadway support.
Nelson
f. Another name for crown. ASTM
g. Barren rock and/or soil covering an ore deposit. See also:cap rock
Long
h. Overburden consisting of unconsolidated material overlying or covering
bedrock. Also called cover; mantle. Syn:top
i. See:blue cap

capacitance

a. The capacity to store electrical energy; measured in farads,
microfarads, or micro-microfarads. Hunt
b. In flotation, a property expressible by the ratio of the time integral
of the flow rate of material or electric charge to or from a storage,
divided by the related potential change. Fuerstenau

capacitive control

An alternative to inductive control is to employ a capacitor in series
with the choke and therefore to obtain a leading power factor for the
circuit. The current in a capacitive circuit is less affected by changes
in voltage than that in an inductive circuit. Therefore, should there be a
sudden drop in mains voltage, the capacitively controlled lamp is less
likely to be extinguished than the inductively controlled lamp.
Roberts, 2

capacitor

An electric appliance or an adjustable electric appliance used in circuit
with a motor to adjust the power factor. Pryor, 3; Kentucky

capacitor-discharge blasting machine

A blasting machine in which electrical energy, stored in a capacitor, is
discharged into a blasting circuit containing electric detonators.

capacity

a. As applied to mines, smelters, and refineries, the maximum quantity of
product that can be produced in a period of time on a normally sustainable
long-term operating rate--based on the physical equipment of the plant,
and given acceptable routine operating procedures involving labor, energy,
materials, and maintenance.
b. As applied to diamond and rotary drills, the load that the hoisting and
braking mechanism of a diamond or rotary drill is capable of handling on a
single line, expressed in feet or meters as the depth to which the drill
can operate with different size bits. Long
c. In ore dressing, the capacity of a screen is the measure of the amount
of material that can be screened in a given time, and is typically
measured in tons per square foot per hour per millimeter of aperture.
Newton, 1

capacity factor

a. The ratio between the breaking strength of a winding rope and the load
suspended on it (excluding the weight of the rope itself). Nelson
b. A method of assessing the size of a rope. The capacity factor of the
rope is the static factor of safety of the rope at the capping; i.e., the
breaking strength of the rope divided by the weight of the loaded cage or
skip and the suspension gear comprising the chains, or equivalent
equipment, and a detaching hook. Sinclair, 5

capacity load

The maximum load that can be carried safely. Crispin

capacity of the market

As applied to mining, the ability of the market to buy, esp. with regard
to the quantity that can be placed in the market, and to the prices that
can be obtained. Stoces

cap crimper

A mechanical device for crimping the metallic shell of a fuse detonator or
igniter cord connector securely to a section of inserted safety fuse.
See also:crimper

Cape blue

Crocidolite asbestos found near Prieska, South Africa.
See also:crocidolite

cape diamond

A diamond with a yellowish tinge. Pryor, 3

capel

a. A wall of a lode; so called by Cornish miners, primarily where the
country rock adjacent to the lode has been more or less altered by the
same mineralizing agencies through which the lode was formed.
Syn:carrack; cappel; capping. See also:capel lode
b. A fitting at the end of the winding rope to enable the bridle chains of
the cage to be connected by a pin through the clevis.

capel lode

Corn. A lode composed of hard unpromising feldspar containing minute
particles of chlorite. See also:capel

Cape ruby

Brilliantly red garnet, gem stone. Other varieties are carbuncle and
Bohemian garnet. CF:pyrope

capillarity

a. The action by which a fluid, such as water, is drawn up (or depressed)
in small interstices or tubes as a result of surface tension.
Syn:capillary action
b. The state of being capillary. AGI
c. A phenomenon observable when making borehole inclination surveys by the
acid-etch method, wherein the upper surface of the acid curves upward,
forming a concave surface. When the acid bottle is in a vertical or
horizontal position, the concave surface is symmetrical, and the resultant
etch plane is horizontal. When the bottle is tilted, the concave surface
is asymmetric; the resultant etch plane is not horizontal, and the angle
so indicated is always greater than the true inclination of the borehole.
A capillarity correction is applied. See also:etch angle;
capillarity correction. Long
d. The action by which the surface of a liquid, where it is in contact
with a solid, is elevated or depressed depending upon the relative
attraction of the molecules of the liquid for each other and for those of
the solid. Esp. observable in capillary tubes, where it determines the
elevation or depression of the liquid above or below the level of the
liquid in which the tube is dipped. Webster 3rd


capillarity correction

The deduction of a specific angular value from the apparent angle, as
indicated by the plane of the etch line in an acid-survey bottle, to
correct for capillarity effects and thereby determine the true inclination
angle of a borehole. Proper values to be deducted from the apparent angles
read on acid bottles differing in size may be determined by referring to
charts, graphs, or tables prepared for that purpose.
See also:capillarity; capillarity-correction chart. Long

capillarity-correction chart

A chart, graph, or table from which the amount of capillarity correction
may be ascertained and applied to an angle reading taken from an acid-etch
line in an acid bottle of specific size to determine the true angle of
inclination of a borehole surveyed by the acid-etch method. Also called
correction chart; test-correction chart.
See also:capillarity correction

capillary

a. The action by which the surface of a liquid is elevated at the point at
which it is in contact with a solid (such as in a lamp wick).
See also:capillarity
b. Resembling a hair; fine, minute, slender; esp., having a very small or
thin bore usually permitting capillary. Webster 3rd
c. Said of a mineral that forms hairlike or threadlike crystals, e.g.,
millerite. Syn:filiform; moss; wire; wiry.
d. Said of tubes or interstices with such small openings that they can
retain fluids by capillarity.

capillary action

See:capillarity

capillary attraction

The adhesive force between a liquid and a solid in capillarity.
AGI

capillary movement

The rise of subsoil water above the water table through the channels
connecting the pores in the soil. Nelson

capillary pyrite

See:millerite

capillary water

a. Water held in, or moving through, small interstices or tubes by
capillarity. The term is considered obsolete. Syn:water of capillarity
AGI
b. Water of the capillary fringe. AGI

capital expenditure

The amount of money required for the purchase of the right to mine a
deposit, for its preliminary development, for the purchase of adequate
equipment and plant to operate it, and for working capital. Hoover

capital scrap

Scrap from redundant manufactured goods and equipment, collected and
processed by merchants. See also:process scrap

capitan limestone

Massive white limestone found in New Mexico and Texas. Hess

cap lamp

The term generally applied to the lamp on a miner's safety hat or cap.
Used for illumination only. See also:safety lamp;
miner's electric cap lamp. BCI

caple

Corn. A hard rock lining tin lodes. See also:capel

cap light

a. Dry-cell type. A self-contained light that permits free use of the
hands and may be suitable for gaseous or explosive atmospheres. The
headlamp, with focusing lens and bulb, is strapped to the head or hat, and
the dry cell battery unit can be clipped to the belt. To prevent
explosion, the bulb-socket ejects the bulb automatically in case of
breakage. Best, 1
b. Wet-cell type. With rechargeable, wet-cell cap lights, the battery is
worn on the belt, and the light unit, which is attached to the cap or
head, contains bulbs filled with krypton gas. The head light contains
either two separate bulbs or a single bulb with two filaments in parallel,
thus assuring the wearer of a constant source of light in the event that
one bulb or one filament burns out. Best, 1

Cappeau furnace

A modification of the Ropp furnace for calcining sulfide ore. Fay

capped fuse

A length of safety fuse to which a blasting cap has been attached.

capped primer

A package or cartridge of cap-sensitive explosive which is specif.
designed to transmit detonation to other explosives and which contains a
detonator.

capped quartz

A variety of quartz containing thin layers of clay. Fay

cappel; capping

See:capel

cappelenite

A trigonal mineral, Ba(Y,Ce)6 Si3 B6 O24 F
2 : weakly radioactive; occurs in veins in syenite associated with
wohlerite, rosenbuschite, catapleiite, orangite, lavenite, elaeolite, and
sodalite.

cap piece

a. A piece of wood usually 24 to 36 in (60.96 to 91.44 cm) long, 6 to 8 in
(15.24 to 20.32 cm) wide, and 2 to 6 in (5.08 to 15.24 cm) thick, that is
fitted over a straight post or timber to afford more bearing surface for
the support. All single posts, or timbers including safety posts, should
be covered with a cap piece to provide additional bearing surface.
Kentucky
b. Arkansas. Usually a piece of wood split from a log. Fay


capping

a. Syn:overburden
b. The overburden or rock deposit overlying a body of mineral or ore.
Nelson
c. See:gossan
d. The preparation of capped fuses. Nelson; Lewis
e. The process of sealing or covering a borehole and/or the material or
device so used.
f. The separation of a block of stone along the bedding plane.
g. The attachment at the end of a winding rope.
See also:continental gland-type capping;
interlocking wedge-type capping; white-metal cappel; capel.
Sinclair, 5
h. The fixing of a shackle or a swivel to the end of a hoisting rope.
CTD
i. The operation of fastening steel rope to a winding cage.
Pryor, 3
j. The name given to a method by which the spouting flow of a liquid or
gas from a borehole may be stopped or restricted; also, the mechanism
attached to borehole collar piping and so used. Long

capping station

A special room or building used solely for the preparation of capped
fuses. Nelson

cap rock

a. Barren vein matter, or a pinch in a vein, supposed to overlie ore.
Syn:cap
b. A hard layer of rock, usually sandstone, a short distance above a coal
seam.
c. A disklike plate over part of or all of the top of most salt domes in
the Gulf Coast States and in Germany. It is composed of anhydrite, gypsum,
limestone, and sometimes sulfur. AGI
d. A comparatively impervious stratum immediately overlying an oil- or
gas-bearing rock. AGI
e. Eng. The cap rock of the alum shale, Estuarine sandstones on the
Yorkshire coast. Arkell

capsal

See:capstan

cap sensitivity

The sensitivity of an explosive to initiation by a detonator. An explosive
material is considered to be cap sensitive if it detonates with a No. 8
strength test detonator. Atlas

cap set

A term used in square-set mining methods to designate a set of timber
using caps as posts, resulting in a set of timber shorter than the normal
set.

cap shot

A light shot of explosive placed on the top of a piece of shale that is
too large to handle, in order to break it. BCI

cap sill

The upper horizontal beam in the timber framing of a bridge, viaduct, etc.
Fay

capstan

a. A spoollike drum mounted on a vertical axis used for heave hoisting or
pulling. It is operated by steam, electric power, or hand pushes or pulls
against bars inserted in sockets provided in the upper flange or head.
Long
b. Sometimes used as a syn. for cathead. Long

captive mine

Aust. A mine that produces coal or mineral for use by the same company.
Nelson

captive tonnage

The quantity of mineral product from a mine produced solely for use by the
parent company or subsidiary.

capture

In a crystal structure, the substitution of a trace element for a major
element of lower valence; e.g., Ba+2 for K+ . Captured
trace elements generally have a higher concentration relative to the major
element in the mineral than in the fluid from which it crystallized.
CF:admittance; camouflage. AGI

car

a. A wheeled vehicle used for the conveyance of coal or ore along the
gangways or haulage roads of a mine. Also called mine car; tramcar; tub;
wagon; mine wagon. Zern; Fay
b. A wheeled carrier that receives and supports the load to be conveyed.
Generally attached to a chain, belt, cable, linkage, or other propelling
medium. See also:tray

caracolite

A monoclinic mineral, Na3 Pb2 (SO4 )3 Cl ;
pseudohexagonal; forms crystalline incrustations.

Carapella's reagent

An etchant consisting of 5 g of ferric chloride dissolved in 96 mL of
ethyl alcohol to which has been added 2 mL of hydrochloric acid; used in
etching nonferrous metals and manganese steels. Osborne

carat

a. A unit of weight for diamonds, pearls, and other gems; formerly equal
to 3-1/6 troy grains (205 mg). The international metric carat (abbreviated
M.C.) of 200 mg was made the standard in the United States in 1913, as it
was the standard in Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, France, Germany,
Japan, the Netherlands, and Sweden. A carat grain is 1/4 carat.
Syn:international metric carat
CF:point
b. Employed to distinguish the fineness of a gold alloy, and meaning 1/24
part. Pure gold is 24-carat gold. Goldsmiths' standard is 22 carats fine;
it contains 22 parts of gold, 1 part of copper, and 1 part of silver.
Fay

caratage

See:carat weight

carat count

The number of near-equal-size diamonds having a total weight of 1 carat or
200 mg; hence, 40 small diamonds weighing 1 carat would be called 40-count
diamonds, or 8 diamonds weighing 1 carat would be called 8-count diamonds.
Long

carat-goods

Diamonds averaging about 1 carat each in weight. Long

carat loss

Amount of diamond material lost or worn away by use in a drill bit,
expressed in carats. Long

carat weight

Total weight of diamonds set in a drill bit, expressed in carats. Also
called caratage. Long


carbankerite

Any coal microlithotype containing 20% to 60% by volume of carbonate
minerals (calcite, siderite, dolomite, and ankerite). AGI

carbargilite

Any coal microlithotype containing 20% to 60% by volume of clay minerals,
mica, and in lesser proportions, quartz.

carbide

a. A commercial term for calcium carbide formerly used in miner's lamps.
Fay
b. The carbide compound of tungsten. Long
c. The bit-crown matrices and shaped pieces formed by the pressure molding
and sintering of a mixture of powdered tungsten carbide and other binder
metals, such as cobalt, copper, iron, and nickel.
See also:cemented carbide; sintered carbide. Long
d. A compound of carbon with one or more metallic elements. ASM, 1

carbide insert

Shaped piece of a hard metal compound, sometimes inset with diamonds,
formed by the pressure molding and sintering of a mixture of powdered
tungsten carbide and other binder metals, such as iron, copper, cobalt, or
nickel. Inset into holes, slots, or grooves in bits, reaming shells, or
core barrels, the hard metal pieces become cutting points or
wear-resistant surfaces. Also called carbide slug. Long

carbide lamp

A lamp that is charged with calcium carbide and water and burns the
acetylene generated. Syn:acetylene lamp

carbide miner

A push-button mining machine with a potential range of 1,000 ft (304.8 m)
into a seam from the highwall, a maximum production of some 600 st (544 t)
per shift, and a recovery of 65% to 75% of the coal within the reach of
the machine. This unit is a continuous miner working controlled from
outside the seam of coal. The operator can control both the vertical and
horizontal direction of the cutting heads as shown on an oscilloscope
screen. As the cutting head advances into the coal seam, it drags a series
of conveyor sections behind it, which in turn deposit the coal into a
truck. Krumlauf

carbides

Compounds of carbon with iron and other elements in steel; e.g., Fe (sub
3) C (cementite), Fe4 W2 C , and Cr4 C2 .
CTD

carbide slug

See:carbide insert

carbide tool

A cutting tool--made of tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, tantalum
carbide, or combinations of them, in a matrix of cobalt or nickel--having
sufficient wear resistance and heat resistance to permit high machining
speeds. ASM, 1

Carbite

Trade name for an explosive. Hess

carbo-

A combining form meaning carbon, as in carbohydrate.

carbo

A Latin name for charcoal, later transferred to fossil coal.
Tomkeieff

Carbo

Clay-bonded silicon carbide; used as refractory. Bennett

carbocher

A variety of hydrocarbon containing about 8% rare earths and found
enclosed in a mineral kondrikite. From the Khibine Peninsula, Russia.
Tomkeieff

carbodynamite

A form of dynamite in which fine charcoal is used as the absorbent.
Webster 2nd

carbohumin

An amorphous carbonaceous substance, a product of decomposition of plants
and impregnating plant remains, which undergo transformation into coal. It
is assumed to be present in coal in the form of structureless jelly.
Syn:jelly; fundamental jelly; fundamental substance; gelose; jelly;
vegetable jelly. Tomkeieff

carbolic

a. Of, pertaining to, or derived from carbon and oil; of or pertaining to
coal-tar oil. Standard, 2
b. Of or pertaining to carbolic acid. Hess

carbolic acid

White; crystalline; deliquescent; C6 H5 OH; a burning taste;
and an odor resembling that of creosote. Contained in the heavy oil of
coal tar, from which it is distilled at between 165 degrees C and 190
degrees C. It is a caustic poison. Antidotes are epsom salts, alcohol, and
heat. See also:phenol

carbolite

A byproduct in iron smelting, consisting of calcium-aluminum silicon
carbide; used as a substitute for calcium carbide. Standard, 2

carbon

a. A nonmetallic element, found free in nature in three allotropic forms:
amorphous, graphite, and diamond. A fourth form, known as "white" carbon,
is now thought to exist. Symbol, C. Graphite is one of the softest known
materials, while diamond is the hardest. Occurs as a constituent of coal,
petroleum, natural gas, and all organic compounds. The isotope, carbon 14,
is radioactive and is used as a tracer in biological and organic chemical
research. Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 3
b. Rand term for thucolite in banket ore. Pryor, 3
c. A gray-to-black, opaque, tough, hard cryptocrystalline aggregate of
diamond crystals occurring in irregular shapes and sizes. It is classed as
an industrial diamond and formerly was used extensively as a
cutting-medium inset in diamond-drill bits. More recently, only
occasionally used in diamond bits and other tools. Also called black
diamond; carbonado. See also:diamond

carbon-14

A radioactive isotope of carbon having the atomic weight of 14, produced
by collisions between neutrons and atmospheric nitrogen. It is useful in
determining the age of carbonaceous material younger than 30,000 years
old. See also:carbon; carbon-14 dating.


carbon-14 dating

A method of determining an age in years by measuring the concentration of
carbon-14 remaining in an organic material, usually formerly living
matter, but also water, bicarbonate, etc. The method is based on the
assumption that assimilation of carbon-14 ceased abruptly on the death of
an organism and that it thereafter remained a closed system. The method is
useful in determining ages in the range of 500 to 30,000 years or 40,000
years, although it may be extended to 70,000 years by using special
techniques involving controlled enrichment of the sample in carbon-14.
Syn:radiocarbon dating; carbon dating. AGI

carbonaceous

a. Coaly, containing carbon or coal, esp. shale or other rock containing
small particles of carbon distributed throughout the whole mass.
Fay
b. Carbonaceous sediments include original organic tissues and
subsequently produced derivatives of which the composition is organic
chemically. AGI

carbonado

Cryptocrystalline diamond; compact, tough, opaque, dark-gray to black,
cleavage absent; generally in rounded masses, also in angular broken
fragments. Principal source is Bahia, Brazil, but also found elsewhere in
South America and Africa. Syn:black diamond; carbon diamond.
CF:ballas

carbonado bit

See:carbon bit

carbon adsorption

Recovery of dissolved soluble constituents onto activated carbon due to
some form of chemical sorption at the active sites. Carbon adsorption is
particularly useful for removing gold and silver from cyanide leach
solutions or dissolved organics from process solutions. Van Zyl

carbonate

a. A compound containing the acid radical CO3 of carbonic acid.
Bases react with carbonic acid to form carbonates. CF:carbonate
CTD
b. A mineral compound characterized by a fundamental anionic structure of
(CO3 )2- . Calcite and aragonite, CaCO3 , are
examples of carbonates. CF:borate; nitrate. AGI
c. A sediment formed by the organic or inorganic precipitation from
aqueous solution of carbonates of calcium, magnesium, or iron; e.g.,
limestone and dolomite. See also:carbonate rock
d. Ores containing a considerable proportion of metal carbonates.
Fay
e. Salts of carbonic acid, H2 CO3 . Henderson

carbonate-fluorapatite

See:dehrnite

carbonate hardness

Hardness of water, expressed as CaCO3 , that is equivalent to the
carbonate and bicarbonate alkalinity. When the total alkalinity, expressed
as CaCO3 , equals or exceeds the total hardness, all the hardness
is carbonate. It can be removed by boiling and hence is sometimes called
temporary hardness, although this syn. is becoming obsolete.
Syn:hardness

carbonate leach

a. Metallurgical process for dissolution of metal values by means of a
sodium carbonate solution. Used on high-lime ores. Ballard
b. Dissolution of uranium with an aqueous solution of sodium carbonate in
the presence of sufficient oxygen to render uranium hexavalent.
Pryor, 1
c. Tungsten autoclave dissolution.

carbonate mineral

A mineral formed by the combination of the radical (CO3 ) (super
2-) with cations; e.g., calcite, CaCO3 .

carbonate of barium

See:witherite

carbonate of calcium

See:calcite

carbonate of strontium

See:strontianite

carbonate rock

A rock, such as limestone, dolomite, or carbonatite, that consists chiefly
of carbonate minerals; specif. a sedimentary rock composed of more than
50% by weight of carbonate minerals. Syn:calcareous rock

carbonate sand

A sand derived predominantly from carbonate material such as corals,
mollusc shells, algae, etc. Cruickshank

carbonation

a. A process of chemical weathering involving the transformation of
minerals containing calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and iron into
carbonates or bicarbonates of these metals by carbon dioxide contained in
water (i.e., a weak carbonic-acid solution). Syn:carbonatization
AGI
b. Introduction of carbon dioxide into a fluid. AGI

carbonatite

A carbonate rock of apparent magmatic origin, generally associated with
kimberlites and alkalic rocks. Carbonatites have been variously explained
as derived from magmatic melt, solid flow, hydrothermal solution, and
gaseous transfer. AGI

carbonatization

a. Introduction of, or replacement by, carbonates. AGI
b. See:carbonation

carbon bit

A diamond bit in which thc cutting medium is inset carbon. Long

carbon brick

Brick usually made from crushed coke and bonded with pitch or tar.

carbon dating

See:carbon-14 dating


carbon diamond

See:carbonado

carbon dioxide

a. Heavy, colorless; irrespirable gas; CO2 ; it extinguishes a
flame. It is formed in mine explosions and in mine fires and forms part of
the afterdamp.
b. Product of complete combustion of carbon fuels. Transported in liquid
form in steel cylinders. Used in gaseous form as a fire extinguisher and
in solid form as dry ice. Crispin

carbon dioxide blasting

A method of blasting coal that has been undercut, topcut, or sheared. Into
one end of a seamless high-grade molybdenum-steel cylinder 2 to 3 in (5.08
to 7.62 cm) in diameter and 36 to 60 in (91.44 to 152.4 cm) long is put a
cartridge containing a mixture of potassium perchlorate and charcoal with
an electric match. The other end is sealed by a metal disk weaker than the
shell and held in place by a cap that has holes at about 45 degrees to the
axis of the cylinder. The cylinder is filled with liquid carbon dioxide at
a pressure of 1,000 psi (6.9 MPa) and inserted in a borehole with the cap
holes pointing outward. The heating mixture is lit and raises the gas
pressure so that the disk is sheared; the carbon dioxide escaping through
the angular holes tends to hold the cylinder in place, and break and push
the coal forward. If the gas pressure is not enough to break the coal, the
cylinder, if not properly set, will be blown from the borehole. The
cylinder can be used over and over. It is claimed that a greater portion
of lump coal is obtained than with ordinary explosives. Some smelters
loosen slag in the same way. Hess

carbon-hydrogen ratio

A method of classifying coals by determining the ratio that exists between
the carbon and hydrogen present in them. Thus, if a given coal contains
80% carbon and 5% hydrogen, the C/H ratio would be 80:5, or 16. Bituminous
coals have a C/H ratio between 14 and 17, and most anthracites have a
ratio between 24 and 29. Abbreviation: C/H ratio. See also:anthracite
Nelson

Carboniferous

The Mississippian and Pennsylvanian periods combined, ranging from about
345 million years to about 280 million years ago; also, the corresponding
systems of rocks. In European usage, the Carboniferous is considered as a
single period and is divided into upper and lower parts. The Permian is
sometimes included. AGI

carbonification

Carbonification is the process by which the vegetable substances of peat
were transformed in the partial absence of air and under the influence of
temperature and pressure throughout geological time into lignite and
subsequently into coal. See also:coalification

carbon-in-leach process

A process step wherein granular activated carbon particles much larger
than the ground ore particles are introduced into the ore pulp. Cyanide
leaching and precious metals adsorption onto the activated carbon occur
simultaneously. The loaded activated carbon is mechanically screened to
separate it from the barren ore pulp and processed to remove the precious
metals and prepare it for reuse. SME, 1

carbon-in-pulp leaching

A precious metals leaching technique in which granular activated carbon
particles much larger than the ground ore particles are added to the
cyanidation pulp after the precious metals have been solubilized. The
activated carbon and pulp are agitated together to enable the solubilized
precious metals to become adsorbed onto the activated carbon. The loaded
activated carbon is mechanically screened to separate it from the barren
ore pulp and processed to remove the precious metals and prepare it for
reuse. SME, 1

carbonite

a. A native coke, occurring at the Edgehill Mines, near Richmond, VA; it
is more compact than artificial coke and some varieties afford bitumen.
Fay
b. Coal altered by an igneous intrusion. Syn:cokeite
c. Fossil coal. Tomkeieff
d. Very brittle, black variety of bitumen, infusible and insoluble in
organic solvents, containing about 85% carbon and 6% hydrogen.
Tomkeieff
e. A permissible explosive. Fay

carbonitriding

Introducing carbon and nitrogen into a solid ferrous alloy above AC (sub
1) in an atmosphere that contains suitable gases such as hydrocarbons,
carbon monoxide, and ammonia. The carbonitrided alloy is usually
quench-hardened. ASM, 1

carbonization

a. In the process of coalification, the accumulation of residual carbon by
the changes in organic matter and decomposition products.
See also:coalification
b. The accumulation of carbon by the slow, underwater decay of organic
matter. AGI
c. The conversion into carbon of a carbonceous substance such as coal by
driving off the other components, either by heat under laboratory
conditions or by natural processes. AGI

carbonizing

The reduction of a substance to carbon by subjecting it to intense heat in
a closed vessel. Crispin

carbon monoxide

Colorless; odorless; very toxic gas; CO; burns to carbon dioxide with a
blue flame. Formed as a product of the incomplete combustion of carbon
(such as in water gas and producer gas; in the exhaust gases from
internal-combustion engines, such as automotive; and in the gases from the
detonation of explosives). Used chiefly in the synthesis of carbonyls
(such as nickel carbonyl in the refining of nickel), phosgene, and many
organic compounds (such as hydrocarbons for fuels, methanol and higher
alcohols, aldehydes, and formates). This gas is formed during mine fires
and after explosions.

carbon monoxide poisoning

In diving, this type of accident usually occurs as a result of
contamination of the diver's air supply by exhaust gases from an
internal-combustion engine. Hunt

Carbon oil

Trade name for kerosine.

carbon steel

Steel containing carbon up to about 2% and only residual quantities of
other elements except those added for deoxidation, with silicon usually
limited to 0.60% and manganese to about 1.65%. Also called plain carbon
steel; ordinary steel; straight carbon steel. ASM, 1

carbon trash

Carbon remains of plant life found in sedimentary strata and often
associated with uranium and red-bed copper mineralization.

carbopyrite

Any coal microlithotype containing 5% to 20% by volume of iron disulfide
(pyrite and marcasite). AGI

Carborundum

Trade name for green, often iridescent, artificial carbon silicide, CSi.
Hexagonal-rhombohedral plates. It is produced in an electric furnace and
used as an abrasive and as a refractory material. Is useful for sharpening
tools. Identical with moissanite. See also:moissanite
Webster 2nd; English

carboxylic acid method

In flotation, a method for treatment of various oxygen ores using
carboxylic acids as collectors with gangue depressants to float base-metal
minerals from associated impurities. The process is suitable for
processing apatite (phosphate), carbonates or oxides of lead, copper, or
zinc; somewhat less useful with other lead minerals and with hemimorphite;
and unsuitable for chrysocolla.

carbozite

A black liquid, made from a bituminous ore, used for the protection of
steel surfaces during transport and storage. This fluid dries rapidly to a
hard gloss, which is resistant to acids, alkalies, moisture, sea air, and
temperatures up to 200 degrees C. Osborne


carburan

a. A hydrocarbon related to, or identical with, thucholite, the ash of
which contains uranium, lead, and iron. Tomkeieff
b. A variety of anthraxolite, from pegmatites of Karelia, former U.S.S.R.
Crosby

carbureted hydrogen

An odorless, flammable gas, CH4 . Known in coal mines as
combustible gases or gas. See also:methane

carburization

The process of imparting carbon, such as in making cement steel.
Fay

carburizing

Hard-surfacing of steel by heating above the critical temperature in an
inert atmosphere with a source of carbon (e.g., cyanide salts), thus
forming a cementite casing above a tough core (which has already been
machined). Pryor, 3

carburizing flame

A gas flame that will introduce carbon into some heated metals such as
during a gas welding operation. A carburizing flame is a reducing flame,
but a reducing flame is not necessarily a carburizing flame.
ASM, 1

carcass

The tension-carrying portion of a conveyor belt. It may be composed of
multiple plies of fabric or cord, and simple layers of cord or steel
cable, bonded together with rubber.

car chalker

In bituminous coal mining, a laborer who chalks on a car the number of
rooms or working places from which coal is obtained in order that a
production record of all parts of a mine can be maintained. DOT

card concentrator

A table made of two planes having a flexible joint between them dividing
the table into two nearly equal triangles, forming a diagonal line along
which concentrates separate from the tailings. Liddell

cardinal point

a. One of the four principal "points" of a compass. AGI
b. A change in the speed of the ropes on a winding drum, which occurs at
certain definite intervals during the winding cycle. Sinclair, 5

Cardox

Trade name for an explosive device used principally in coal mining.
See also:carbon dioxide blasting

cardoxide

A baked mixture of caustic soda and lime, used in the container or
regenerator of self-contained mine-rescue or oxygen-breathing apparatus to
absorb the exhaled carbon dioxide. It has an advantage over straight
caustic soda in that it does not cake, liquefy, or solidify when used.
Lewis

Cardox-plant operator

In bituminous coal mining, one who recharges steel shells (tubes) known by
the trade name Cardox with metal shearing disks, electrical firing
elements, and liquid carbon dioxide to prepare them for blasting coal.
DOT

Cardox shell

Steel shell used in carbon dioxide blasting.

car dropper

See:car runner

card table

A shaking table with a grooved deck instead of nailed-on riffles. Used in
gravity concentration of sands. Pryor, 3

card tender

In the asbestos products industry, one who tends a carding machine that
cleans asbestos, cotton, or other fibers; arranges fibers parallel; and
transforms them from a roll or lap into a ropelike untwisted strand of
cotton (sliver). Also called allye tender; card feeder; card hand; card
operator; winder. DOT

car dump

See:tipple

car dumper

a. A mechanical device for tilting a railroad hopper or gondola car over
sidewise and emptying its contents. Fay
b. A person who unloads cars by upending or overturning them.

card weight pipe

A term used to designate standard or full weight pipe, which is the Briggs
standard thickness of pipe. Strock, 1

car filler

See:mucker

car haul

A pusher chain conveyor used for moving small cars, such as mine cars,
along a track. A form of tow conveyor.


caries texture

In ore microscopy, a replacement pattern in which the younger mineral
forms a series of scallop-shaped incursions into the host mineral, which
resemble filled dental cavities. AGI

carinate fold

In geology, an isoclinal fold. See also:isocline

Carinthian process

A metallurgical method for treating lead ore, the characteristics of which
are the smallness of the charge; the slow roasting, so that for every part
of lead sulfide one part of sulfate and at least two parts of oxide are
formed; the low temperature at which all of the operations are carried on;
and the aim to extract all the lead in the reverberatory. The hearth is
inclined toward the flue, and the lead is collected outside the furnace.
Syn:Corinthian process

car loader

See:loader; chute loader; boxcar loader; loading conveyor.

Carlsbad twin

A twinned crystal in which the twinning axis is the c axis, the operation
is a rotation of 180 degrees , and the contact surface is parallel to the
side pinacoid; common in the alkali feldspars. Also spelled Karlsbad twin.
AGI

carman

A worker who handles mine or railroad cars at a mine. May be designated
according to job, such as brakeman; car cleaner; car pincher; car runner;
pusher. Also called car handler. DOT

Carmichel-Bradford process

See:blast roasting

carminite

A carmine to tile-red lead-iron-arsenate, perhaps Pb3 As2 O
8 .10FeAsO4 . Found in clusters of fine needles; also in
spheroidal forms. Fay

carn

See:cairn

carnallite

An orthorhombic mineral, KMgCl3 .6H2 O ; milk-white to
reddish; a saline residue.

carnallite plant operator

In ore dressing, smelting, and refining, one who makes carnallite flux
used in magnesium refining--by weighing carnallite ingredients according
to formula and mixing them thoroughly, using a shovel. The mixture is then
melted in a furnace crucible and poured into cooling pans. DOT

carnegieite

A triclinic and isometric compound, NaAlSiO4 ; a high-temperature
polymorph of nepheline.

carnelian

A translucent pale to deep- or orange-red variety of chalcedony containing
iron impurities. CF:sard

carneol

See:carnelian

car nipper

See:car runner

carnotite

A monoclinic mineral 2[K2 (UO2 )2 (VO4 ) (sub
2) .3H2 O] ; bright yellow to lemon- and greenish-yellow; strongly
radioactive; commonly occurs mixed with tyuyamunite; widespread in
Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona; occurs chiefly in crossbedded
sandstones of Triassic or Jurassic age, either disseminated or as
relatively pure masses around petrified or carbonized vegetal matter.
Secondary in origin, having been formed from the action of meteoritic
waters on preexisting uranium minerals; a source of uranium and radium.
Syn:yellow ore

carpholite

An orthorhombic mineral, MnAl2 Si2 O6 (OH)4 ;
in yellow laths elongated in the c direction with prismatic cleavage at
68.5 degrees .

car pincher

In anthracite, bituminous, and metal mining, a laborer who moves railroad
cars into position directly under loading chutes at a breaker or tipple,
inserting a pinch bar under the car wheels and bearing down or pulling up
on it to force the car forward. Also called car shifter; car spotter;
railroad-car shifter; spotter. DOT

carrack

Eng. See:capel

Carrara marble

Any of the marbles quarried near Carrara, Italy. The prevailing colors are
white to bluish, or white with blue veins; a fine grade of statuary marble
is included.

car retarder

a. An appliance for reducing or controlling the speed of mine cars.
Nelson
b. A car retarder consists of a brakeshoe located along the track. On an
electrical impulse, it is forced against both sides of the car wheels by
compressed air. Control can be manual or automatic. Used to control the
speed of railroad cars in industrial yards. Best, 1


carriage

a. A term used with shaker conveyor supports. Carriages may be designated
as ball-frame, wheel, or roller carriages, depending on their
construction. The carriage may or may not be attached solidly to the
conveyor troughs. See also:slope cage
b. See:cage
c. A sliding or rolling base or supporting frame. Nichols, 1

carriage mounting

One or more rock drills mounted on a wheeled frame; used in tunneling.
Pryor, 3

Carribel explosive

A permitted explosive of medium strength, which can be used in wet
boreholes provided its immersion time does not exceed 2 to 3 h. Can be
used for coal and ripping shots in conjunction with short-delay
detonators. Nelson

carrier

a. A rotating or sliding mounting or case. Nichols, 1
b. Container traveling on an aerial ropeway. Pryor, 3

carrollite

An isometric mineral, Cu(Co,Ni)2 S4 ; linnaeite group.
Formerly called sychnodymite.

carrousel conveyor

A continuous platform or series of spaced platforms that move in a
circular horizontal path.

car runner

In anthracite and bituminous coal mining, a laborer who runs cars down
inclined haulageways from working places to switches or sidings at the
shaft or along main haulageways. A runner may be designated according to
material hauled, such as culm runner or rock car runner.
Syn:car dropper; car nipper; dropper; load dropper; runner. DOT

carry

a. Scot. The thickness of roof rock taken down in working a seam.
b. The thickness of seam that can be conveniently taken down at one
working.

carryall

A self-loading carrier device with a scraperlike, retractable bottom;
usually self-propelled and used esp. for excavating and hauling
unconsolidated or crushed rock and earthy materials. See also:scraper

Carryall

Trade name for a LeTourneau-Westinghouse scraper.

carryall scraper

See:carryall

carrying belt

The belt on which coal or ore is transported to the discharge point. The
carrying belt is the upper strand except in the case of a bottom belt
conveyor. See also:carrying run

carrying gate

Derb. The main haulage road in a mine.

carrying idler

a. In belt conveyors, one of the belt idlers upon which the load-carrying
portion of belting is supported.
b. In live roller conveyors, the roll upon which the load is supported
while being conveyed.

carrying roller

The conveyor roll upon which the conveyor belt or the object being
transported is supported.

carrying run

That portion of a conveyor in or on which material is conveyed.
See also:carrying belt

car slide

The ramped loading platform for a scraper loader. Nelson

car spotter

A term used for the small hoist employed to haul a trip of empty cars
under the loading end of a gathering conveyor or elevator. Also called
tugger. See also:car pincher

car stop

A contrivance to arrest the movement of a mine car. Nelson

cartographic

Of or pertaining to a map. A cartographic unit in geology is a rock or a
group of rocks that is shown on a geologic map by a single color or
pattern.

cartography

The art of map or chart construction, and the science on which it is
based. It includes the whole series of map-making operations, from the
actual surveying of the ground to the final printing of the map.
AGI


cartology

A graphic method of coal-seam correlation, involving the mapping and
drawing of both vertical and horizontal sections. AGI

carton

A lightweight inner container for explosive materials, usually encased in
a substantial shipping container called a case. Atlas

cartridge

a. An individual closed shell, bag, or tube of circular cross section
containing explosive material. Atlas
b. A cylindrical, waterproof, paper shell, filled with high explosive and
closed at both ends, that is used in blasting.
c. A cylindrical, waterproof, paper shell filled with cement or other
material used in plugging or sealing cavities or cavey ground encountered
in drilling a borehole. See also:plug
d. Cylinder--about 4 in (10 cm) long and 2-1/2 in (6.4 cm) in diameter--of
highly compressed caustic lime made with a groove along the side, used in
breaking down coal.
e. A single pellet of explosive, which may be 4 oz or 8 oz (113.4 g or
226.8 g). Nelson

cartridge count

The number of cartridges in a standard case, which typically contains
about 50 lb (22.7 kg) of explosive material.

cartridge fuse

A fuse enclosed in an insulating tube in order to confine the arc when the
fuse blows. Crispin

cartridge punch

A wooden, plastic, or non-sparking metallic device used to punch an
opening in an explosive cartridge to accept a detonator or a section of
detonating cord. Atlas

cartridge strength

A rating that compares a given volume of explosive with an equivalent
volume of straight nitroglycerin dynamite, expressed as a percentage.
Syn:bulk strength

car-type conveyor

A series of cars attached to and propelled by an endless chain or other
linkage running on a horizontal or slight incline.

car whacker

See:mine-car repairman

Casagrande liquid limit apparatus

An appliance to determine the liquid limit of a soil. It consists of a
brass dish, handle, and cam mounted on a hard rubber base. The dish falls
through a distance of 1 cm per rotation. A sample of soil 1 cm thick is
placed in the dish with a groove 11 mm wide at the top and 2 mm at the
bottom. The number of jars required to cause the 2-mm gap to close along
1/2 in (12.7 mm) is recorded. Nelson

cascade coal dryer

A thermal process for drying fine coal. An example of this type is the
Conreur dryer. Coal entering the top of the drying tower is carried down
by a series of rollers, being permeated by an ascending stream of hot air.
Fixed baffles direct the air to facilitate mingling. The very finest
particles may have to be recovered by dry filters or wet scrubbers. The
dryer treats coal with a top size ranging from 1/4 to 2 in (0.64 to 5.08
cm). See also:fluidized bed dryer; thermal drying. Nelson

cascade control

Externally impressed signal series that connects several controllers or
resetting devices in series. Pryor, 3

cascade flotation cell

Elementary type of flotation cell in which air is entrained by a plunging
cascade of pulp; mineralized bubbles are removed farther downstream.
Pryor, 3

cascade upgrading

See:countercurrent decantation

cascading

Movement of crop load in a ball mill rotating at such a speed that the
balls breaking free at the top of the rising load roll quietly down to the
toe of the charge. With increased peripheral speed, motion changes to
turbulent cataracting and, still faster, to avalanching when the upper
layer of crushing bodies breaks clear and falls freely to the top of the
crop load. Pryor, 3

cascadite

A sodic minette containing biotite, olivine, and augite phenocrysts in a
groundmass composed almost entirely of alkali feldspar. Principally a dike
rock. AGI

case

a. A small fissure, admitting water into the mine workings.
b. One of the frames, of four pieces of plank each, placed side by side to
form a continuous lining in galleries run in loose earth.
Webster 2nd
c. To line a borehole with steel tubing, such as casing or pipe.
Syn:case in
d. In a ferrous alloy, the outer portion that has been made harder than
the inner portion, or core, by casehardening. ASM, 1

cased

A borehole lined with some form of steel tubing, such as casing or pipe.
See also:case off

cased off

See:case off

casehardening

a. The geological process by which the surface of a porous rock, esp. a
sandstone or a tuff, is coated by a cement or a desert varnish; formed by
the evaporation of a mineral-bearing solution. AGI
b. Hardening a ferrous alloy so that the outer portion, or case, is made
substantially harder than the inner portion, or core. Typical processes
used for casehardening are carburizing, cyaniding, carbonitriding,
nitriding, induction hardening, and flame hardening. ASM, 1

case in

See:case


case liner

A plastic or paper barrier used to prevent the escape of explosive
materials from a case. Atlas

case off

To line a borehole with some form of steel tubing to prevent entry of
broken rock materials, gas, or liquids into the borehole. Also called
blank off; case. See also:blankoff

cash

Som. Soft shale or bind in coal mines.

casing

a. Special steel tubing welded or screwed together and lowered into a
borehole to prevent entry of loose rock, gas, or liquid into the borehole,
to prevent loss of circulation liquid into porous, cavernous, or crevassed
ground, and to support the sides of a borehole. See also:tubing;
flush-joint casing. Long
b. The large-diameter pipe cemented in the hole, such as surface casing,
protective casing, and production casing. Wheeler, R.R.
c. Process of inserting casing in a borehole. Long
d. A structure of wood, metal, or other material that completely encloses
the elevating or conveying machinery elements to support them; to afford
safety protection; to protect from the weather; to confine dust, gases, or
fumes arising from the material being conveyed; or to form a part of the
conveyor in the same manner as a trough.
e. A zone of material altered by vein action and lying between the
unaltered country rock and the vein.
f. A term applied to thin slabs of sandstone that split out between
closely spaced joints.
g. The steel lining of a circular shaft. See also:conduit

casing catcher

A safety device equipped with slips or dogs to catch and grip casing if it
is dropped while being lowered into or lifted from a borehole. Also
miscalled tubing catcher; tubing hanger. Long

casing clamp

A mechanical device designed to facilitate the hoisting or suspension of
casing in a borehole. Made by forming a half circle in a heavy steel bar.
When bolted together, in pairs, the bars fit around the outside and
tightly grip the casing. The size of the clamp is determined by the
outside diameter of the casing to be handled. See also:pipe clamp
Long

casing dog

a. A lifting device consisting of one or more serrated sliding wedges
working inside a cone-shaped collar. Used to grip and hold casing while it
is being raised or lowered into a borehole. See also:bulldog; dog.
Long
b. A fishing tool. Long

casing float

A rubber-ball-type check valve, generally placed near the bottom of a long
string of casing. Its use reduces the load imposed on the hoisting
mechanism in lowering casing into a wet borehole. Also called casing
valve; float valve. Long

casing off

Process of inserting a line of casing into a borehole. See also:case;
case off. Long

casing point

In borehole drilling, the depth to which the casing is entered.
Pryor, 3

casing pressure

The pressure built up in the casing when closed at the top of the well. It
is usually measured by placing a pressure gage on one of the side outlets
on the casing head. Porter

Cassel brown

A brown earthy substance found in peat and lignite beds and used as a
pigment; originally found near Cassel, Germany. Cologne brown or Cologne
earth is a similar substance originally found near Cologne, Germany.
Hess

cassiterite

A tetragonal mineral, 4[SnO2 ] ; rutile group; adamantine; reddish
brown to black; forms prismatic crystals, or massive concentric fibrous
structure (wood tin); sp gr, 7.03; occurs in veins associated with granite
and granite pegmatite, or placers (stream tin); a source of tin.
Syn:tin stone; tin spar; tin ore; black tin.

cast

a. Secondary rock or mineral material that fills a cavity formed by the
decay or dissolution of some or all of the original hard material.
CF:mold
b. A sedimentary structure representing the infilling of an original mark
or depression made on top of a soft bed and preserved as a solid form on
the underside of the overlying and more durable stratum; e.g., a flute
cast or a load cast. Syn:counterpart

castable

A refractory mix containing heat-resistant, hydraulic setting cement. A
refractory concrete. AISI

castable refractory

a. A refractory aggregate that will develop structural strength by
hydraulic set after having been tempered with water and compacted.
ARI
b. A mixture of a heat-resistant aggregate and a heat-resistant hydraulic
cement; for use, it is mixed with water and rammed or poured into place.
Harbison-Walker

cast-after-cast

Corn. The throwing up of ore from one platform to another successively.
See also:shamble

castanite

A former name for hohmannite, Fe+32 (SO4 )2
(OH)2 .7H2 O .

cast bit

A drill bit in which the diamond-set crown is formed on a bit blank by
pouring molten metal into a prepared mold. Also called cast-set bit;
cast-metal bit. Long

cast booster

A cast, extruded or pressed, solid high explosive used to detonate less
sensitive explosive materials. Atlas

casthouse

A building in which pigs or ingots are cast. Fay


castillite

An impure variety of bornite, containing zinc, lead, and silver sulfides.
Fay

casting

a. An object at or near finished shape obtained by solidification of a
substance in a mold. ASM, 1
b. Pouring molten metal into a mold to produce an object of desired shape.
ASM, 1
c. A process of shaping glass by pouring hot glass into molds or onto
tables or molds. See also:teemer
d. A process for forming ceramic ware by introducing a body slip into a
porous mold that absorbs sufficient water (or other liquid) from the slip
to produce a semirigid article. ASTM

casting machine

A series of iron molds on an endless-belt conveyor to receive and cast
molten pig iron into form as it comes from a furnace. Mersereau, 2

casting over

a. A quarryman's term for an operation consisting of making a cut with a
steam shovel, which, instead of loading the material on cars, moves it to
one side, forming a long ridge.
b. The operation of reestablishing benches that have been covered or
caved, and also cutting up a high bank into one or more smaller banks.
Lewis

casting pit

The space in a foundry in which molds are placed and castings are made. In
the Bessemer and open-hearth steelworks, it is the space utilized for
casting the molten steel into cast iron ingot molds. Fay

castings

One of several terms (and/or letter symbols) commonly used to designate
low-quality drill diamonds. Long

casting shrinkage

a. Liquid shrinkage--the reduction in volume of liquid metal as it cools
to the liquidus. ASM, 1
b. Solidification shrinkage--the reduction in volume of metal from the
beginning to ending of solidification. ASM, 1
c. Solid shrinkage--the reduction in volume of metal from the solidus to
room temperature. ASM, 1
d. Total shrinkage--the sum of the shrinkage in definitions a, b, and c
above. ASM, 1

casting strain

Strain in a casting caused by casting stresses that develop as the casting
cools. ASM, 1

casting stress

Stress set in a casting because of geometry and casting shrinkage.
ASM, 1

casting wheel

A large turntable with molds mounted on the outer edge. Used primarily in
the base metal industries for cast ingots, anodes, etc.

casting-wheel operator

In ore beneficiation, smelting, and refining, one who operates a large
rotating casting wheel to pour molten, nonferrous metal, such as copper or
lead, into molds mounted on the edge of the wheel. DOT

cast iron

Iron containing carbon in excess of its solubility in the austenite that
exists in the alloy at the eutectic temperature. For the various
forms--gray cast iron, white cast iron, malleable cast iron, and nodular
cast iron--the word "cast" is often left out, resulting in the terms gray
iron, white iron, malleable iron, and nodular iron, respectively.
ASM, 1

castor

See:castorite

castor amine

An oil. Used in ore flotation as a selective collector and in rustproofing
metal surfaces. Bennett

castorite

a. A natural, colorless silicate of lithium and aluminum. Bennett
b. A transparent variety of petalite. Syn:castor

cast primer

a. A cast unit of explosive commonly used to initiate detonation in a
blasting agent. Dick, 2
b. A cast unit of explosive, usually pentolite or composition B; commonly
used to initiate detonation in a blasting agent.

cast steel

Steel as cast; i.e., not shaped by mechanical working. Originally applied
to steel made by the crucible process as distinguished from that made by
cementation of wrought iron. CTD

cata-

A prefix to indicate that the rock belongs to the deepest zone of
metamorphism, which is characterized by very high temperature, hydrostatic
pressure, and relatively low shearing stress. CF:epi-; meta-; meso-.
Syn:kata-

cataclasis

Rock deformation accomplished by fracture and rotation of mineral grains
or aggregates without chemical reconstitution. AGI

cataclasite

A cataclastic rock that has been formed by shattering (or cataclasis),
which has been less extreme than in mylonite. See also:augen gneiss;
crush breccia; mylonite; mylonite gneiss.

cataclastic

a. Pertaining to the structure produced in a rock by the action of severe
mechanical stress during dynamic metamorphism; characteristic features
include the bending, breaking, and granulation of the minerals. Also said
of the rocks exhibiting such structures. See also:mortar structure
AGI
b. Pertaining to clastic rocks, the fragments of which have been produced
by the fracture of preexisting rocks by Earth stresses; e.g., crush
breccia. Syn:kataclastic


cataclysm

a. Any geologic event that produces sudden and extensive changes in the
Earth's surface; e.g., an exceptionally violent earthquake.
Syn:cataclysmic; cataclysmal. AGI
b. Any violent, overwhelming flood that spreads over the land; a deluge.
AGI

cataclysmal

See:cataclysm

cataclysmic

See:cataclysm

catalysis

Acceleration or deceleration of a chemical reaction produced by a
substance that is unchanged by the reaction.

catalyst

A substance capable of changing the rate of a reaction without itself
undergoing any net change. AGI

catalytic methanometer

A combustible-gases detector depending upon the combustion or oxidation of
methane at heated filaments. Usually the gas is drawn through the
apparatus by a rubber suction bulb, and the filaments are heated by a
battery in the instrument. A version of this principle is the resistance
methanometer. Nelson

catalytic oxidation

A process that converts the incompletely burned hydrocarbons present in
fuel exhaust into harmless gases. It involves burning up the fuel remnants
with the aid of catalysts-- chemical agents, such as platinum and
palladium, that speed up reactions without being consumed themselves.

cataphoresis

Movement of charged particles in a fluid medium in response to an electric
field. Metallic hydroxides and other positive sols migrate to the cathode
and negatives ones to the anode. See also:electrophoresis
Pryor, 3

catapleiite

A hexagonal mineral, Na2 ZrSi3 O9 .2H2 O ;
yellow to yellow-brown; forms thin, tabular hexagonal prisms.

catarinite

An obsolete term for an iron meteorite remarkable for a high proportion of
nickel.

catastrophe

In geology, a sudden, violent change in the physical conditions of the
Earth's surface; a cataclysm. Standard, 2

catch

a. Projection in a mine shaft that arrests a cage, skip, or other
reciprocating system in the event of fracture or overwind.
Pryor, 3
b. One of the catches or rests placed on shaft timbers, to hold the cage
when it is brought to rest at the top, bottom, or any intermediate
landing. See also:chair; dog; wing; rests. Fay
c. In coal work, a device for holding trams in a cage when hoisting.
See also:jack catch
d. One of the stops fitted on a cage to prevent cars from running off.
Fay

catcher

See:core lifter

catch gear

An appliance fixed in the headgear to limit the drop of a cage after an
overwind. The upward speed and momentum of the loaded cage (after its
release from the rope) may be such that its subsequent drop is so severe
as to fracture the suspension gear, resulting in the cage falling down the
shaft. The amount of drop is limited by the catch gear, which consists of
a series of catches suspended from beams supported on hydropneumatic
buffers to reduce the impact shock. The cage is released by raising it
slightly and retracting the catches. See also:detaching hook; overwind.
Nelson

catchment area

a. The recharge area and all areas that contribute water to it.
AGI
b. An area paved or otherwise waterproofed to provide a water supply for a
storage reservoir. See also:drainage basin
AGI

catch pit

a. In mineral processing, a sump in a mill to which the floor slopes
gently, and into which all spillage gravitates or is hosed either for
return by pumping to its place in the flowline or for periodical removal.
Also called catch sump. Pryor, 3
b. See:sump; tailing pit.

catch point

a. One of a set of spring-loaded points in an upgrade railway line that
close behind a rising train. If any rolling stock breaks away it is then
automatically diverted to a siding. Pryor, 3
b. Position of intersection of a road cut or fell with natural ground;
usually marked with a stake.

catch prop

Prop erected in the face to act as a temporary support until permanent
supports are brought forward. Also called watch prop; safety prop.
Nelson; CTD

catch scaffold

Eng. A platform in a shaft a few feet beneath a working scaffold; to be
used in case of accident.

catchwater drain

A surface drain to intercept and collect the flow of water from adjoining
land, so as to prevent it from reaching a road or mine sidings.
See also:subsoil drainage

cat claw

A miner's term applied locally in Illinois to a bed of marcasite from 2 to
6 in (5.08 to 15.24 cm) thick that sometimes occurs between the "clod"
roof of a coal seam and the more stratified shale above. The lower surface
of the marcasite bed is characterized by very irregular protuberances
extending downward 1 to 3 in (2.54 to 7.62 cm) into the clod. Also called
cat. AGI


cat dirt

a. Derb. A hard fireclay.
b. Derb. Coal mixed with pyrite.

catear

Sp. To search for new mines; to prospect. Hess

catenary suspension

The overhead suspension of contact wire for electric traction by vertical
links of different lengths connected to a catenary wire above it. The
contact wire will thus be maintained at a constant height. Hammond

caterpillar

An endless chain of plates that functions as a wheel for heavy vehicles.
See also:crawler track

caterpillar chain

A short endless chain on which dogs or teeth are spaced to mesh with and
move or be moved by a conveyor chain.

caterpillar chain dog

A dog or tooth attached to a "caterpillar chain" to provide the driving
contact with the conveyor chain.

caterpillar drive

A drive equipped with a "caterpillar chain" that engages and propels the
"conveyor chain."

catfaced block

In New York and Pennsylvania, a bluestone quarryman's term for a mass of
waste situated between two closely spaced open joints.

cathead sheave

A sheave set on the topmost part of a pile frame. Hammond

cathode

The electrode where electrons enter, or current leaves, an operating
system, such as a battery, an electrolytic cell, an X-ray tube, or a
vacuum tube. In the first of these, the cathode is positive; in the other
three, negative. In a battery or electrolytic cell, it is the electrode
where reduction occurs. Opposite of anode. See also:electrode
ASM, 1

cathode compartment

In an electrolytic cell, the enclosure formed by a diaphragm around the
cathode. ASM, 1

cathode copper

Electrolytically refined copper that has been deposited on the cathode of
an electrolytic bath of acidified copper sulfate solution. Such copper is
usually remelted in a furnace before being marketed as electrolytic
copper. Camm

cathode efficiency

Current efficiency at a cathode. ASM, 1

cathode film

The portion of a solution in immediate contact with the cathode during
electrolysis. ASM, 1

cathodic corrosion

Corrosion of the cathodic member of a galvanic couple resulting from the
flow of current.

cathole

A local term used in southern Michigan for a shallow boggy depression less
than 1 acre (0.4 ha) in extent, esp. one formed by a glacier in a till
plain. AGI

catholyte

The electrolyte adjacent to the cathode in an electrolytic cell.
ASM, 1

cation

a. An ion having a positive charge. Hurlbut
b. Any positive ion; named for its attraction to the cathode or negative
terminal of an electrolytic cell. CF:anion

cation exchange

The displacement of a cation bound to a site on the surface of a solid,
such as in silica-alumina clay-mineral packets, by a cation in solution.
Syn:base exchange

cationic collector

In flotation, an amine or related organic compound capable of producing
positively charged hydrocarbon-bearing ions (hence the name cationic
collector) for the purpose of floating miscellaneous minerals, including
silicates. Gaudin, 2

cationic detergent

A detergent in which the cation is the active part. ASM, 1


cationic reagent

In flotation, a surface-active substance that has the active constituent
in the positive ion. Used to flocculate and to collect minerals that are
not flocculated by the reagents, such as oleic acid or soaps, in which the
surface-active ingredient is the negative ion. Reagents used are chiefly
the quaternary ammonium compounds; e.g., cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide.
CCD, 2

catlinite

A hard red clay found in southwestern Minnesota, formerly used by the
Dakota Native Americans for making tobacco pipes. Named after George
Catlin (1796-1872), American painter. Syn:pipestone

catogene

Pertaining to sedimentary rocks, signifying that they were formed by
deposition from above, as of suspended material. AGI

cat run

A low passage that requires crawling to traverse it. Syn:crawlway
AGI

cat's-eye

a. Any gemstone that, when cut en cabochon, exhibits under a single strong
point source of light a narrow, well-defined chatoyant band or streak that
moves across the summit of the gemstone, shifts from side to side as it is
turned, and resembles a slit pupil of the eye of a cat. Internal
reflection of light from parallel inclusions of tiny fibrous crystals or
from long parallel cavities or tubes causes the cat's-eye. AGI
b. Alternate term for tiger's-eye, the silicified form of crocidolite
asbestos; sometimes polished and used as ornaments.
c. A greenish gem variety of chrysoberyl that exhibits chatoyancy.
Syn:cymophane; oriental cat's-eye.
d. A variety of minutely fibrous, grayish-green quartz (chalcedony) that
exhibits an opalescent play of light. Syn:occidental cat's-eye
e. A yellowish-brown silicified variety of crocidolite. CF:tiger's-eye
The term used alone properly applies only to (c).

catskinner

Operator of a crawler tractor. Nichols, 1

Cattermole Process

An early flotation process (1903) based on adhesion of sulfide minerals to
oil. Mineral oil or fatty acid agglomerated heavy minerals into floccules,
which were separated by classification from overflowing gangue.
Pryor, 1

catty

a. Any of various units of weight used in China and southeast Asia varying
around 1-1/3 lb or 600 g; also, a Chinese unit according to a standard set
up in 1929 equal to 1.1023 lb or 500 g. Webster 3rd
b. A gold weight that equals 2.9818 troy pounds (1.1129 kg). Fay

catwalk

A pathway, usually of wood or metal, that gives access to parts of large
machines. Nichols, 1

cauk

See:cawk

cauldron

An inclusive term for all volcanic subsidence structures regardless of
shape or size, depth of erosion, or connection with the surface. The term
thus includes cauldron subsidences, in the classical sense, and collapse
calderas. See also:caldera

cauldron subsidence

The sinking of part of the roof of an intrusion within a closed system of
peripheral faults into which magma has penetrated, often to form ring
dikes. See also:subsidence

cauliflowering

The tendency of coal to swell and open out when heated, thus exposing a
surface out of all proportion to the size of the original coal.
See also:swelling number

caunche

In coal mining, removal of part of the roof or floor to increase the
height of a roadway. Also spelled canch. Pryor, 3

caustic

Capable of destroying the texture of anything or eating away its substance
by chemical action; burning; corrosive. Webster 3rd

caustic ammonia

Gaseous or dissolved ammonia. Standard, 2

caustic embrittlement

Effect on metal of immersion in caustic alkaline solutions.
Pryor, 3

caustic soda

Sodium hydroxide, NaOH; deliquescent; a soapy feel; its solution in water
is strongly alkaline. The molten caustic dissolves such materials as
enamels, sand, or glass, which contain a high percentage of silica.

caustobiolite

A general name for a fossil combustible substance. Syn:caustolith
Tomkeieff

caustobiolith

This term designates a rock with a fairly high content of organic carbon
compounds or even pure carbon where the latter is, like the carbon
compounds, of organic origin. IHCP

caustolith

A rock that has the property of combustibility (Grabau). It is usually of
organic origin (e.g., coal and peat), but inorganic deposits (e.g.,
sulfur, asphalt, and graphite) also occur. See also:caustobiolite
AGI


caustophytolith

A caustobiolith formed by the direct accumulation of vegetal matter; e.g.,
peat, lignite, and coal. AGI

cave

a. Fragmented rock materials, derived from the sidewalls of a borehole,
that obstruct the hole or hinder drilling progress.
b. To allow a mine roof to fall without retarding supports or waste packs.
c. A falling in of the roof strata, sometimes extending to the surface and
causing a depression therein. Also called cave-in.
d. The partial or complete failure of borehole sidewalls or mine workings.
Long
e. Collapse of an unstable bank. Nichols, 2
f. A natural cavity, recess, chamber, or series of chambers and galleries
beneath the surface of the Earth, within a mountain, a ledge or rocks,
etc.; sometimes a similar cavity artificially excavated.
See also:cavity

caved stope

There are two distinct types of caved stopes. In the first, the ore is
broken by caving induced by undercutting a block of ore. In the second,
the ore itself is removed by excavating a series of horizontal or inclined
slices, while the overlying capping is allowed to cave and fill the space
occupied previously by the ore. The first type comprises the caving
methods of mining, while the second comprises the top-slicing method.

cave hole

A depression at the surface, caused by a fall of the roof in a mine.
Fay

cave-in

Collapse of the walls or roof of a mine excavation. Pryor, 3

cave-in-heave

The partial or complete collapse of the walls of a borehole.
Brantly, 1

cave line

A linear area inby the last solid ground, in a longwall-type mine, where
the roof or back caves behind the retreating excavation.
Federal Mine Safety

cave marble

See:cave onyx

cave onyx

A compact banded deposit of calcite or aragonite found in caves, capable
of taking a high polish and resembling true onyx in appearance.
See also:dripstone; onyx marble; travertine. Syn:cave marble
AGI

caver

a. Eng. A thief who steals ore or coal at a mine. Standard, 2
b. The officer appointed to guard a mine. Standard, 2
c. A person whose hobby is exploring caves. Also called a spelunker.
Schieferdecker

cavernous

Said of an area or geologic formation, such as limestone, that contains
caverns, or caves. Said of the texture of a volcanic rock that is coarsely
porous or cellular. AGI

cavil

a. To draw lots at stated periods--by miners to determine the places in
which they will work for the following period. Fay
b. A type of heavy sledge with one blunt and one pointed end. Used for
rough shaping stone at a quarry. Crispin

caving

a. A stoping method in which ore is broken by induced caving. This may be
achieved by (1) block caving, including caving to main levels and caving
to chutes or branched raises; or (2) sublevel caving. See also:stope
b. In coal mining, the practice of encouraging the roof over the waste to
collapse freely so that it fills the waste area, thereby avoiding the need
to pack. In metal mining, caving implies the dropping of the overburden as
part of the system of mining. See also:block caving; sublevel caving;
top slicing. Nelson
c. The failure and sloughing in of sidewalls of boreholes, mine workings,
or excavations. Long
d. Fall of rock underground. See also:cavings

caving by raising

See:chute caving

caving ground

Rock formations that will not stand in the walls of an underground opening
without support, such as that offered by cementation, casing, or timber.
Long

caving hole

A borehole in which fragments of the material making up the walls of the
hole slough so much that the borehole cannot be kept open without the use
of casing or cementation. Long

cavings

Fragments of borehole wall-rock material that fall into a borehole,
sometimes blocking the hole, and which must be washed or drilled out
before the borehole can be deepened. See also:caving

caving system

a. A method of mining in which the support of a great block of ore is
removed, allowed to cave or fall, and in falling to be broken sufficiently
to be handled; the overlying strata subside as the ore is withdrawn. There
are several varieties of the system. See also:block caving; fall;
top slicing and cover caving; top slicing combined with ore caving.
b. Longwall coal mining in which excavated space (gob) is left to
collapse. See also:sublevel

caving the back

See:block caving

cavitation

The formation and instantaneous collapse of innumerable tiny voids or
cavities within a liquid subjected to rapid and intense pressure changes.
Cavitation produced by ultrasonic radiation is sometimes used to give
violent localized agitation. That caused by severe turbulent flow often
leads to cavitation damage. ASM, 1

cavitation noise

The noise produced in a liquid by the collapse of bubbles that have been
created by cavitation. Hy


cavity

a. A natural underground opening or void, which may be small or large.
See also:cave; vug. Long
b. The bubble formed by a projectile at water entry. Hy
c. A void in a bit caused by a bubble of gas entrapped in the matrix
material during the manufacturing process. Long

cavity-filling deposit

A deposition of minerals in a cavity or rock opening. Bateman, 2

cawk

a. Eng. Sulfate of barium heavy spar. See also:barite
b. Scot. Chalk; limestone. Also spelled cauk. Fay

caxas

Walls of a vein; chest. Hess

c axis

a. In crystallography, a symmetrically unique reference vector, oriented
vertically by convention. In the monoclinic system, the second setting
orients the c axis at the nonorthogonal angle beta to the unique b axis,
the diad. In the triclinic system, all axes are unique with the c axis
designated by convention. CF:a axis; b axis.
b. One of three orthogonal reference axes, a, b, and c that are used in
structural geology.
c. To help describe the geometry of a fabric that possesses monoclinic
symmetry, the c axis lies in the unique symmetry plane at right angles to
a prominent fabric plane; thus in many tectonites the c axis is normal to
the schistosity.
d. In a kinematic sense, to describe a deformation plan that possesses
monoclinic symmetry, such as a progressive shear. Here the c axis lies in
the unique symmetry plane and normal to the movement plane. In a
progressive simple shear, the c axis lies normal to the shear plane.
Syn:c direction

c direction

See:c axis

C-D principle

The convergence-divergence principle used in the Frenkel mixer.
Dodd

Ceag Montlucon gas detector

This nonautomatic detector has the appearance of a mine official's
electric hand lamp. It indicates on an illuminated scale percentages of
methane from 0 to 3 in steps of 0.1. When a test for combustible gases is
to be made, the projecting front piece is turned part of a revolution;
this extinguishes the main light and lights up the illuminated scale. A
sample of air is flushed into the detector by means of a small aspirator
(or hand pump), the button switch at the side is operated, and the
percentage of combustible gases, if any, is indicated on the illuminated
scale. Cooper

cedarite

See:chemawinite

ceiling concentration

The concentration of an airborne substance that shall not be exceeded
during any part of the working exposure. ANSI

celadonite

The mineral monoclinic K(Mg,Fe)(Fe,Al)Si4 O10 (OH)2 ;
mica group; soft; green or gray-green; earthy; generally occurs in
cavities in basaltic rocks. Formerly called kmaite. Syn:svitalskite
CF:glauconite

celestine

An orthorhombic mineral, 4[SrSO4 ] ; barite group; disseminated
through limestone and sandstone; a source of strontium. Also called
celestite.

celestite

See:celestine

celite

A constituent of Portland cement clinkers. Also spelled celith.
See also:brown millerite

cell

a. A compartment in a flotation machine. Hess
b. A single element of an electric battery, either primary or secondary.
Crispin
c. Battery unit consisting of two electrodes separately contacting an
electrolyte so that there is a potential difference between them.
Bennett
d. See:galvanic cell; local cell.

cellar

Excavated area under a drill-derrick floor to provide headroom for casing
and pipe connections required at the collar of a borehole, or to serve as
a covered sump. See also:cave

cell feed

The material supplied to the cell in the electrolytic production of
metals. ASM, 1

cell texture

A network along grain boundaries, which may originate by segregation on
exsolution. A similar texture may form by the replacement of organic
forms, esp. cell walls, by ore minerals. Schieferdecker

cellular

Said of the texture of a rock (e.g., a cellular dolomite) characterized by
openings or cavities, which may or may not be connected. Although there
are no specific size limitations, the term is usually applied to cavities
larger than pores and smaller than caverns. The syn. vesicular is
preferred when describing igneous rocks. CF:porous; cavernous;
vesicular. AGI

cellular cofferdam

A cofferdam, with a double wall, consisting of steel sheet piling arranged
in intercepting rings about 50 ft (15 m) in diameter. The space between
the lines of piling is filled with sand. Hammond

cellulose

A polymeric carbohydrate composed of glucose units, formula (C6 H
10 O5 )x , making it the most abundant carbohydrate,
and with lignin, an important constituent of plant materials, from which
coal is formed. AGI


cellulose nitrate

See:nitrocellulose

celsian

A rare monoclinic mineral, BaAl2 Si2 O8 ; feldspar
group; the barium analog of anorthite; dimorphous with paracelsian.

Celsius

a. Designation of the degree on the International Practical Temperature
Scale; also used for the name of the scale, as "Celsius Temperature
Scale." Formerly (prior to 1948) called "Centigrade." The Celsius
temperature scale is related to the International Kelvin Temperature Scale
by the equation TC = TK - 273.16. ASTM
b. Symbol, C. Graduated to a scale of 100; of or pertaining to such a
scale. On the centigrade thermometer the freezing point of water is 0
degrees (C) and its boiling point is 100 degrees (C). If any degree on the
centigrade scale, either above or below 0 degrees C, is multiplied by 1.8,
the result will be, in either case, the number of degrees above or below
32 degrees F, or the freezing point of Fahrenheit. Standard, 2

cement

a. A manufactured gray powder which when mixed with water makes a plastic
mass that will set or harden. It is combined with aggregate to make
concrete. Nearly all of today's production is portland cement.
See also:cement rock
b. To place cement in a borehole to seal off caves or fissures or to fill
cavities or caverns encountered in drilling.
c. Mineral material, usually chemically precipitated, that occurs in the
spaces among the individual grains of a consolidated sedimentary rock,
thereby binding the grains together as a rigid, coherent mass; it may be
derived from the sediment or its entrapped waters, or it may be brought in
by solution from outside sources. The most common cements are silica
(quartz, opal, chalcedony), carbonates (calcite, dolomite, siderite), and
various iron oxides. Others include clay minerals, barite, gypsum,
anhydrite, and pyrite. Detrital clay minerals and other fine clastic
particles may also serve as cements. AGI
d. A term used in gold-mining regions to describe various consolidated,
fragmental aggregates, such as breccia, conglomerate, and the like, that
are auriferous.
e. A finely divided metal obtained by precipitation. The word in this
sense is generally used in combination, such as, cement copper, cement
gold, or cement silver. Standard, 2

cementation

a. The diagenetic process by which coarse clastic sediments become
lithified or consolidated into hard, compact rocks, usually through
deposition or precipitation of minerals in the spaces among the individual
grains of the sediment. It may occur simultaneously with sedimentation or
at a later time. Cementation may occur by secondary enlargement.
Syn:agglutination
b. Filling cavities or plugging a drill hole with cement or other material
to stop loss of water or entrance of unwanted liquids, gas, or fragmented
rock materials. Also called dental work.
c. The process by which loose sediments or sands are consolidated into
hard rock by injection of chemical solutions, thin cement slurries, or
self-hardening plastic. Also called cementing. Long
d. The introduction of one or more elements into the outer portion of a
metal object by means of diffusion at high temperature. ASM, 1
e. The precipitation of a more noble metal from solution by the
introduction of a less noble metal.
f. Usually, the process of raising the carbon content of steel by heating
in a carbonaceous medium. Generally, any process in which the surface of a
metal is impregnated by another substance. Also called casehardening;
carburization; carbonization. CTD

cementation sinking

A method of shaft sinking through water-bearing strata by injecting
chemicals or liquid cement into the ground. A number of small-diameter
boreholes are put down around the shaft--and about 80 ft (24 m) ahead of
the shaft bottom#m-through which cement is forced by means of pumps. The
cement, when set, seals the fissures and thus prevents water inflows
during sinking. The method is most successful in strong fissured strata
and least successful in loose alluvial deposits. See also:grouting;
precementation process. Nelson

cementation steel

Steel made by a process in which bars of wrought iron are packed into a
sealed furnace together with charcoal. The resulting material is blister
steel. Syn:cement steel

cementation water

Water containing dissolved copper or iron sulfates or other metal
compounds. Stoces

cement clinker

Portland cement as it comes from the kiln.

cement copper

Copper precipitated by iron from copper sulfate in mine water.
Bateman, 2

cement deposit

Cambrian conglomerate occupying supposedly old beaches or channels. It is
gold-bearing in the Black Hills, SD.

cemented carbide

Generally, a mixture of powdered tungsten carbide and cobalt, subjected to
pressure and heat to produce bit crowns, small plates, cubes, or cylinders
of material having a much greater hardness than steel. Mixtures also may
contain small amounts of titanium, columbium, or tantalum carbide. Cobalt
may be replaced by powdered nickel. Also called sintered carbide.
See also:carbide insert; sintered carbide. Long

cemented carbide tool

A tool made from pulverized carbides and fused into a hard tip for
heavy-duty or high-speed cutting of metals. Crispin

cement gold

Gold precipitated in fine particles from solution by a more active metal.
Fay

cement grout

A pumpable thin slurry consisting primarily of a mixture of cement, sand,
and water; injected into rock formations through boreholes as a sealant.
Also called grout; grouting; cement grouting. Long

cement gun

A mechanical device for the application of cement, in the form of gunite,
to the walls or roofs of mine openings or building walls. Also called
gunite gun. Long

cementite

a. Identical with cohenite, a meteoritic material. Hey, 1
b. An orthorhombic FeC3 that occurs as a phase in steel and changes
composition in the presence of manganese or other carbide-forming metals.
See:cohenite

cementitious

Having the property of or acting like cement, such as certain limestones
and tuffs when used in the surfacing of roads. AGI

cement-modified soil

The addition of small quantities of cement (1% to 2%) to fine-grained
soils to reduce the liquid limit, plasticity index, and water-absorption
tendency. The effect of the cement is to bring individual soil particles
into aggregations, thus artificially adjusting the grading of the soil.
See also:soil stabilization

cement mortar

Made from four (or less) parts of sand, one of cement, and adequate water.
Nelson

cement plug

Hardened cement material filling a portion of a borehole. Long


cement rock

a. Any rock that is capable of furnishing cement when properly treated.
Fay
b. Scot. Argillaceous limestone-magnesian.
See also:hydraulic limestone

cement silver

Silver precipitated from solution, usually by copper. Fay

cement slurry

A pourable or pumpable mixture of water, cement, and fine sand-- having
the consistency of a thick liquidlike heavy cream. Long

cement stabilization

The addition of cement to a soil, which acts as a binding agent and
produces a weak form of concrete called soil cement. The quantity of
cement to be added depends upon the type of soil. Cement can be used with
most types of soil, providing the clay fraction is reasonably small and
other specified impurities are not present. A small percentage of lime is
usually added. With very poor soils, cement stabilization may be
uneconomical or impracticable. See also:soil stabilization
Nelson

cement steel

See:cementation steel

cement valve

A ball, flapper, or clack-type valve placed at the bottom of a string of
casing, through which cement is pumped. When pumping ceases, the valve
closes and prevents return of cement into the casing. Long

Cenozoic

An era of geologic time, from the beginning of the Tertiary period to the
present. (Some authors do not include the Quaternary, considering it a
separate era.) The Cenozoic is considered to have begun about 65 million
years ago. Also spelled: Cainozoic; Kainozoic. AGI

center

A temporary timber framework upon which the masonry of an arch of
reinforced masonry lintel is supported until it becomes self-supporting.
See also:centers

center adjustment

In surveying, a system that allows accurate final centering of the
theodolite above (or below) its station by sliding the whole instrument on
its stand (tribrach). Important with short sights where small centering
errors could introduce serious inaccuracy. Pryor, 3

center brick

A special, hollow, refractory shape used at the base of the guide tubes in
the bottom pouring of molten steel. The center brick has a hole in its
upper face, and this is connected via the hollow center of the brick to
holes in the faces (often six in number). The center brick distributes
molten steel from the trumpet assembly to the lines of runner bricks. It
is also sometimes known as a crown brick or spider. Dodd

center constant

In air velocity determination, the ratio of the mean velocity to the
velocity measured at the center. This ratio is found to be dependent upon
the Reynolds number. See also:Reynolds number

center core method

A method of tunneling whereby the center is left to the last for
excavation. Sandstrom

center country

Aust. The rock between the limbs of a saddle reef.

center drilling

Drilling a conical hole (pit) in one end of a workpiece. ASM, 1

centering of shaft

The fixing of the center spot of a proposed shaft at the site selected and
the maintenance of the shaft sinking along this plumb line during its
entire depth. See also:plumbing

center-latch elevator and links

See:elevator

centerline

a. A line marked on the roof of a mine roadway, or a plumbline, for
controlling the direction in which the roadway is driven.
b. In U.S. public land surveys, the line connecting opposite
quarter-section or sixteenth-section corners. AGI

centerman

In anthracite and bituminous coal mining, one who locates the centerline
of underground openings in a mine, such as entries, rooms, and
haulageways, so that the miners can drive the openings in a straight line
without calling the mine surveyor. DOT

center of gravity

a. The center of mass of a cut or a fill. Nichols, 1
b. That point in a body or system of bodies through which the resultant
attraction of gravity acts when the body or system is in any position;
that point from which the body can be suspended or poised in equilibrium
in any position. AGI

center of mass

a. The point that represents the mean position of the matter in a body.
Webster 3rd
b. The point in a body through which acts the resultant resisting force
due to the body's inertia when it is accelerated. Coincident with the
center of gravity. CTD
c. In a cut or a fill, a cross section line that divides its bulk into
halves. Nichols, 1
d. Also called center of inertia.

center of shear

See:torsional center


center of symmetry

In crystallography, an element of symmetry such that, for each and every
lattice point, asymmetric unit, or crystal plane, there is another
equidistant in the opposite direction. It is represented by i or by 1.
Adj. centric or centrosymmetric. Syn:inversion

center of torsion

See:torsional center

center of twist

See:torsional center

center prop

Eng. A prop set temporarily under the center of a plank to support it
before props are set at the ends of the plank. Syn:middle prop
SMRB

centers

a. Framed supports, usually arch shaped, upon which are placed the lagging
boards used, in building an arch, for supporting the roof of a tunnel.
See also:center
b. Linear distance between coal-mine entries or crosscuts.

center shot

A shot in the center of the face of a room or entry. Also called center
cut. Fay

center spinning

A method of casting molten metal, in which the molds are spun and
centrifugal force helps to fill them. Pryor, 3

center-trace time

One of two approaches used in plotting seismic reflection data on time
cross sections. Center-trace times are the times picked on the two traces
from the respective detector groups nearest the shot and on opposite
sides. The average of the two times for each reflection is plotted at the
shot-point position. The points thus plotted for adjacent shot points are
connected by straight lines. CF:trace-by-trace plotting

centigrade

See:Celsius

centipoise

The one-hundredth part of a poise, an absolute unit of fluid viscosity.
Viscosity of drill-mud fluid is sometimes expressed in centipoise or
millipascal-second units. See also:poise

central breaker

A breaker where the coal from a number of mines in a district is prepared.
Central breakers, representing the last word in mining technology, make it
economical for operators to abandon many local breakers. Korson

centralizer

A device that lines up a drill steel or string between the mast and the
hole. Nichols, 1

centrifugal brake

A safety device on a mine hoist drum that applies a brake if the drum
speed exceeds the set limit. Pryor, 3

centrifugal casting

Casting molten metals in a rapidly revolving mold.

centrifugal clutch

Consists of a driving hub having one or more weighted sections fitted with
friction lining on the outer radial surfaces that contact a driven hub
having a flange covering that portion of the driving hub containing the
radial elements. Upon starting, the radial elements of the driving hub
have no appreciable drag, but upon accelerating to the operating speed the
force produced by the centrifugal action increases rapidly as the square
of the speed and the elements grip the driven element, thereby causing it
to speed up to the required speed of the driving hub.
Pit and Quarry

centrifugal discharge bucket elevator

A type of bucket elevator using centrifugal discharge elevator buckets
suitably spaced to permit the free discharge of bulk materials.
See also:bucket elevator; centrifugal discharge elevator bucket.

centrifugal discharge elevator bucket

A bucket designed to scoop material from the boot of an elevator and
discharge by reason of the combined effect of centrifugal force and
gravity.

centrifugal fan

a. A type of fan often used in mines and ventilation activities in which
an impeller, generally consisting of numerous blades, discharges the air
radially into an expanding scroll casing while imparting an increase in
pressure to the air. Hartman, 2
b. See:radial-flow fan

centrifugal filter

See:filter

centrifugal pump

a. A form of pump in which water is drawn through the eye of a rotating
impeller and discharged from its periphery into a chamber containing a
series of passages of gradually increasing cross section. The kinetic
energy given to the water by its centrifugal discharge is thus largely
converted to pressure energy. CF:duplex pump
b. See:turbine pump

centrifugal replacement

Mineral replacement in which the host mineral is replaced from its center
outward. CF:centripetal replacement


centrifugal separation

a. The separation of different particles by centrifugal action as used in
cyclone separators and centrifuges.
b. The use of centrifugal force to increase the apparent density of finely
divided particles so as to accelerate their movement with respect to
ambient fluid. Pryor, 3
c. Accelerated settlement of finely divided particles from pulp, removal
of moisture, or classification into relatively coarse and fine fractions
by centrifuging. Performed on a laboratory scale in small batches and
commercially in a hydrocyclone or centrifugal classifier.
See also:cyclone; cyclone washer. Pryor, 3

centrifugal ventilation

A mine ventilation system in which the air is led through a shaft in the
middle of the field into the mine and out again at the periphery of the
mining field. Stoces

centrifuge

a. A centrifugal device for dewatering, usually conical or bowl-shaped, in
which the containing surface is imperforated. The greater density of the
solid particles causes them to collect preferentially in contact with the
inside of the containing surface where they are discharged mechanically;
the water usually overflows from a position nearer to the axis.
BS, 5
b. A rotating device for separating liquids of different specific
gravities or for separating suspended colloidal particles, such as clay
particles in an aqueous suspension, according to particle-size fractions,
by centrifugal force. Colloidal particles that cannot be deposited from
suspension by gravity can be deposited by centrifugal force in a
supercentrifuge. See also:cyclone

centrifuging

Dewatering of clean coal or refuse with the aid of centrifugal force.
See also:centrifugal separation

centripetal drainage

Drainage more or less radially inward toward a center. Stokes

centripetal pump

A pump with a rotating mechanism that gathers a fluid at or near the
circumference of radial tubes and discharges it at the axis.
Standard, 2

centripetal replacement

Mineral replacement in which the host mineral is replaced from its
periphery inward. CF:centrifugal replacement

centroclinal

Said of strata and structures that dip toward a common center. Ant:
quaquaversal. CF:periclinal
0 ??[· ?¿¹ ?_ƒÌ? ??????? ? DICTIONARY TERMS:centrocline An equidimensional basin characteristic
[\B]centrocline[\N]

centrosphere

See:barysphere; core of the Earth.

centrosymmetrical

Having a center of symmetry. Centrosymmetric crystal structures cannot
exhibit pyroelectricity or piezoelectricity.

ceramet

Substance formed of a mixture of metal and ceramic, to give the requisite
conductivity to the latter. CTD

ceramic

a. As a singular or plural noun, any of a class of inorganic, nonmetallic
products that are subjected to a high temperature during manufacture or
use. ACSG, 2
b. As an adj., of or pertaining to (1) ceramic--that is, inorganic or
nonmetallic as opposed to organic or metallic; (2) products manufactured
from inorganic nonmetallic substances, which are subjected to a high
temperature during manufacture or use; (3) the manufacture or use of such
articles or materials, such as ceramic process or ceramic science.
ACSG, 2

ceramic cone

See:pyrometric cone

cerargyrite

A former name for chlorargyrite, AgCl. Also spelled kerargyrite.

cerhomilite

Borosilicate of calcium, beryllium, iron, thorium, and rare earths.
Hey, 1

cerianite

An isometric mineral (Ce,Th)O2 ; forms minute greenish-yellow
grains; named for its relationship to thorianite and uraninite.

cerite

A trigonal mineral, (Ce,Ca)10 (SiO4 )6 (OH,F)5;
generally brown, massive.

cerium

One of the most abundant of the rare earth metals. Symbol, Ce. The
minerals monazite and bastnasite are presently its two most important
sources. It is used in the manufacture of pyrophoric alloy. The oxide is a
constituent of incandescent gas mantles and is emerging as a catalyst in
self-cleaning ovens. The sulfate is used as an oxidizing agent in
quantitative analysis. Other cerium compounds are used in the manufacture
of glass, as a polishing agent, and in carbon-arc lighting, petroleum
refining, and metallurgical and nuclear applications.
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 3

cermet

A material or body consisting of ceramic particles bonded with a metal.
According to the American Society for Testing and Materials, the ceramic
phase must be present in 15% or more of the body. A ceramic foam or porous
ceramic is not a cermet because the bonding of the ceramic structure is
not dependent on or due to the metal. Hunt

cerolite

See:kerolite

cerro

A term used in the Southwestern United States for a hill, esp. a craggy or
rocky eminence of moderate height. Etymol: Spanish. AGI


certified

a. A certified employee is one who has been granted a State certificate of
competency for a given job. BCI
b. Evaluated and listed as permissible by the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health or the Mine Safety and Health
Administration. ANSI

Certified Blaster

A blaster certified by a government agency to prepare, execute, and
supervise blasting. Atlas

cerulene

a. A trade name for a form of calcium carbonate colored green and blue by
malachite or azurite, and used as a gemstone. From Bimbowrie, south
Australia. English
b. A term used less correctly for a blue variety of satin spar.

ceruleofibrite

A former name for connellite. Also spelled caeruleofibrite.

cerussite

An orthorhombic mineral, 4[PbCO3 ] ; aragonite group; adamantine;
sp gr, 6.55; in oxidized and carbonated parts of lead-ore veins; a source
of lead. Syn:white ore; white lead ore; lead carbonate; lead spar.

cervantite

An orthorhombic mineral, Sb3+ Sb5 O4 ; may be
confused with stibiconite.

cesium

A silvery white, soft and ductile alkaline element, of the rare-earth
metals. Symbol, Cs. Occurs in lepidolite and pollucite. Reacts explosively
with cold water. Because of its great affinity for oxygen, the metal is
used as a "getter" in electron tubes and as a catalyst in the
hydrogenation of certain organic compounds; it has recently found
application in ion propulsion systems.
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 3

cetane number

An indication of diesel fuel ignition quality. The cetane number of a fuel
is the percentage by volume of cetane in a mixture of cetane and alpha
methylnaphthalene, which matches the unknown fuel in ignition quality.
American diesel oil usually ranges from 30 to 60 cetane.
Nichols, 1

ceylanite

Original spelling of ceylonite. See also:ceylonite

Ceylonese peridot

The trade name for a yellowish-green variety of tourmaline, approaching
olivine in color; used as a semiprecious gemstone.
Syn:peridot of Ceylon

ceylonite

A dark-green, brown, or black variety of spinel containing iron.
Syn:pleonaste; candite; ceylanite; zeylanite.

C-frame

An angling bulldozer lift and push frame. Nichols, 1

chabazite

A trigonal mineral, 1[Ca2 (Al4 Si8 O24 ).13H
2 O] ; zeolite group; pseudocubic cleavage; occurs in cavities in
basalts and hydrothermal veins and as alteration of silicic vitreous tuffs
in alkaline saline lake deposits.

chadacryst

See:xenocryst

chain

a. A measuring instrument that consists of 100 links joined together by
rings and is used in surveying. See also:Gunter's chain
Webster 3rd
b. A unit of length prescribed by law for the survey of U.S. public lands
and equal to 66 ft (20.12 m) or 4 rods. It is a convenient length for land
measurement because 10 square chains equal 1 acre (0.4 ha). AGI

chain block

A combination of sheaves over which chains are arranged in the same manner
as the rope in a block and tackle. Also called chain hoist. Long

chain brow way

An underground inclined plane worked by an endless chain.

chain bucket dredger

A dredger with a bucket ladder. Hammond

chain bucket loader

A mobile loader that uses a series of small buckets on a roller chain to
elevate spoil to the dumping point. Also called bucket loader.
Nichols, 1

chain casing

See:chain guard

chain coal cutter

A coal cutter that cuts a groove in the coal by an endless chain traveling
around a flat plate called a jib. The chain consists of a number of pick
boxes. Each box holds a cutter pick fastened into the box by a set screw
or similar device. The coal cutter pulls itself along the face by means of
a rope at a speed ranging from 7 in/min (17.8 cm/min) to 5 ft/min (1.5
m/min) or more. The chain travels around the jib at a speed ranging from
320 to 650 ft/min (97.6 to 198.2 m/min). The cut in the coal ranges from
3-1/2 to 7-1/2 in (8.9 to 19.1 cm) high and up to 8-1/2 ft (2.59 m) in
length. See also:coal-cutter pick



chain conveyor

a. A conveyor comprising one or two endless linked chains with crossbars
or flights at intervals to move the coal or mineral. The loaded side of
the conveyor runs in a metal trough, while the empty side returns along
guides underneath. The material is transported on the conveyor partly by
riding on the chain and flights and partly by being scraped along in the
trough. The chain conveyor is widely used in coal mines, and capacities
range up to 100 st/h (90.7 t/h) with lengths of about 100 yd (91 m).
See also:armored flexible conveyor
b. See:drag-chain conveyor

chain driller

See:chain-machine operator

chain-driven belt

A conveyor similar in design to those driven by ropes, the essential
difference being that the tension is taken by chains, either under or
alongside the carrying belt. Nelson

chain elevator

See:bucket elevator

chain feeder

See:conveyor-type feeder

chain-feeder operator

See:mill feeder

chain guard

An open guard of sheet metal, expanded metal, or similar construction
around a chain drive. Jackson, 1

chain hoist

a. A block and tackle in which chain is used instead of rope.
Crispin
b. See:chain block

chain lacing

The arrangement of block positions in a cutter chain so that bits inserted
in these blocks will occupy certain positions while cutting.
Jones, 1

chain machine

Coal-cutting machine that cuts coal with a series of steel bits set in an
endless chain moved continuously in one direction either by an electric or
a compressed-air motor. These machines may be divided into four classes,
known as breast machines, shortwall machines, longwall machines, and
overcutting machines. Kiser

chain-machine operator

In bituminous coal mining, one who operates a chain-driven machine to
undercut coal preparatory to blasting it loose from the working face with
explosives. Also called chain driller. DOT

chain pillar

A pillar left to protect the gangway and airway, and extending parallel to
these passages.

chain pitch

For a roller chain, the distance in inches between the centers of adjacent
joint members. For a silent chain, the distance in inches between the
centers of the holes in a link plate. Jackson, 1

chain road

Main underground haulage road through which tubs are hauled by an endless
chain. Pryor, 3

chain-selvage belt

A belt in which the carrying section may be made up of rubber or fabric,
woven metal, or other material and along each edge of which is fastened an
endless chain with a suitable attachment. The chains carry the driving
tension. The center part functions only as a loading supporting medium.

chain silicate

Silicate mineral with silica tetrahedra linked by shared oxygens into
infinite one-dimensional chains. Single chains characterize pyroxenes;
double chains characterize amphiboles; and wider chains grade toward sheet
structures.

chain structure

A structure or texture found in a number of chromite occurrences,
consisting of a series of connected chromite crystals somewhat resembling
a chain. Schieferdecker

chain surveying

The simplest method of surveying, which has the advantage that the
equipment required is inexpensive and hard wearing. It is the ideal method
for small areas and has been employed successfully for large surveys.
Nevertheless, it has definite limitations when applied to surveys of
enclosed or built-up areas. Mason

chain takeup

An idler sprocket, or similar device, mounted on an adjustable bracket to
adjust the slack in a chain drive. See:takeup

chain tension

The actual force existing at any point in a conveyor chain.

chain-type conveyor

A conveyor using a driven endless chain or chains, equipped with flights
that operate in a trough and move material along the trough.


chainwall

a. A method of mining coal in which the roof is supported by pillars of
coal between which the coal is mined away. Standard, 2
b. Scot. A system of working by means of wide rooms and long, narrow
pillars, sometimes called "room and rance."
c. Scot. A long, narrow strip of mineral left unworked; e.g., along the
low side of a level.

chain width

For a roller chain, the distance between the link plates of a roller link.
This is not the overall width of the chain. For a silent chain, the width
over the working-link plates of the chain, exclusive of pinheads, washers,
or other fastening devices. Jackson, 1

chair

a. Movable support for a cage, arranged to hold it at the landing when
desired. See also:catch; dog; rests. Fay
b. Projection that can be set into a guide so that the skip or cage
descending in the mine shaft is brought to rest at the correct level.
Pryor, 3
c. A cast-iron support bolted to a timber or concrete railway sleeper used
to hold a bullhead rail in position. Hammond

chalcanthite

a. A triclinic mineral 2[CuSO4 .5H2 O] ; azure blue;
metallic taste; occurs in the oxidized supergene zone above copper
sulfides in arid regions; a minor ore of copper. Syn:blue vitriol;
copper sulfate; copper chalcanthite; copper vitriol; bluestone;
cyanosite.
b. The mineral group chalcanthite, jokokuite, pentahydrite, and siderotil.

chalcedonite

Fibrous quartz with a negative elongation. See also:chalcedony
Hess

chalcedony

a. A fine-grained or cryptocrystalline variety of quartz; commonly
microscopically fibrous; translucent or semitransparent, with a nearly
waxlike luster; has lower density and indices of refraction than ordinary
quartz. Chalcedony is the material of much chert, flint, and jasper;
commonly an aqueous deposit filling or lining cavities in rocks. In the
gem trade, the name refers specif. to the light blue-gray or common
variety of chalcedony. Varieties include carnelian, sard, chrysoprase,
prase, plasma, bloodstone, onyx, and sardonyx. See also:agate
Syn:calcedony, chalcedonite; white agate.
b. A general name for crystalline silica that forms concretionary masses
with radial-fibrous and concentric structure and that is optically
negative (unlike true quartz).
c. A trade name for a natural blue onyx.

chalchuite

A blue or green variety of turquoise.

chalco-

(prefix) A combining form meaning copper.

chalcoalumite

A monoclinic mineral, CuAl4 (SO4 )(OH)12 .3H2
O .

chalcocite

A monoclinic mineral, 96[Cu2 S] ; pseudohexagonal, metallic
gray-black with blue to green tarnish; sp gr, 5.5 to 5.8; a secondary vein
mineral; an important source of copper. Syn:redruthite; copper glance;
chalcosine; beta chalcocite; vitreous copper; vitreous copper ore.

chalcocyanite

An orthorhombic mineral, CuSO4 ; white; it becomes blue upon
hydration, thus formerly called hydrocyanite.

chalcodite

See:stilpnomelane

chalcogene

Said of ore deposits, such as those of copper, connected with a phase of
mountain building and plutonism.

chalcolite

See:torbernite

chalcomenite

An orthorhombic mineral, CuSeO3 .2H2 O ; dimorphous with
clinochalcomenite.

chalcomiklite

See:bornite

chalcophanite

A trigonal mineral, (Zn,Fe,Mn)Mn4 O7 .3H2 O .
Formerly called hydrofranklinite.

chalcophile

Said of an element tending to concentrate in sulfide minerals and ores.
Such elements have intermediate electrode potentials and are soluble in
iron monosulfide. Examples are S, Se, As, Fe, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, and Ag.
CF:lithophile

chalcophyllite

A trigonal mineral, Cu18 Al2 (AsO4 )3 (SO (sub
4) )3 (OH)27 .33H2 O ; green; forms tabular crystals
and foliated masses.

chalcopyrite

a. A tetragonal mineral, CuFeS2 ; brass-yellow with bluish tarnish;
massive; softer than pyrite; occurs in late magmatic hydrothermal veins
and secondary enrichment zones; the most important source of copper.
Syn:copper pyrite; cupriferous pyrite; yellow copper ore; yellow ore;
yellow pyrite; yellow copper.
b. The mineral group chalcopyrite, eskebornite, gallite, and roquesite.

chalcopyrrhotite

A former name for cubanite.


chalcosiderite

A triclinic mineral, CuFe6 (PO4 )4 (OH)8 .4H
2 O ; turquoise group; occurs in sheaflike crystalline
incrustations; forms a series with turquoise.

chalcosine

See:chalcocite

chalcostibite

A lead-gray copper-antimony sulfide, CuSbS2 . Also called
wolfsbergite. Syn:rosite; antimonial copper. Fay

chalcotrichite

A capillary variety of cuprite in fine, slender interlacing fibrous
crystals. Syn:cuprite; plush copper ore; hair copper.

chalk

A soft, earthy, fine-textured, usually white to light-gray or buff
limestone of marine origin. It consists almost wholly (90% to 99%) of
calcite, formed mainly by shallow-water accumulation of calcareous remains
of floating microorganisms (chiefly foraminifers) and of comminuted
remains of calcareous algae, set in a structureless matrix of very finely
crystalline calcite. The rock is porous, somewhat friable, and only
slightly coherent. AGI

chalk rock

Any soft, milky-colored rock resembling white chalk, such as talc,
calcareous tufa, diatomaceous shale, volcanic tuff, or white limestone.
AGI

chalky chert

A commonly dull or earthy, soft to hard, sometimes finely porous chert of
essentially uniform composition, having an uneven or rough fracture
surface, and resembling chalk. Syn:dead chert
Obsolete syn: cotton chert. CF:granular chert

challenge feeder

Ore feeder used with stamp batteries to regulate the rate of entry of ore
to a mortar box. A horizontal plate is turned by linkages operated when
the central stamp falls below a prefixed point; it then draws ore from
feeding bin. Pryor, 3

chalmersite

A former name for cubanite.

chalybite

See:siderite

chamber

a. A miner's working place, sometimes referred to as a room or breast.
Hudson
b. A large irregular or rounded body of ore, occurring alone or as an
expansion of a vein.
c. A body of ore with definite boundaries, apparently filling a
preexisting cavern.
d. A powder-storage room in a mine.
e. To enlarge the bottom of a drill hole by the use of explosives, so that
a sufficient blasting charge may be loaded for the final shot.
Syn:spring
f. A space or gallery excavated in a quarry or underground mine to receive
a large explosive charge. See also:heading blast

chamber-and-pillar

See:breast-and-pillar

chamber-and-pillar system

A modification of sublevel stoping by which a series of sublevels are
successively caved. See also:sublevel stoping

chamber blast

A large-scale blast in which explosives in bulk are placed in excavated
subterranean chambers. Also called coyote blast; gopher-hole blast.
Webster 2nd

chambered lode

A portion of the wall of a lode that is fissured and filled with ore.
See also:chamber

chambered vein

a. A vein in which the walls, particularly the hanging wall, are irregular
and brecciated, owing to the formation of the vein under low pressure at
shallow depth. See also:chambered lode
b. Stockwork.

chambering

a. The process of enlarging a portion of a blast hole (usually the bottom)
by firing a series of small explosive charges. It can also be done by
mechanical or thermal methods.
b. The enlarging of the bottom of a quarry blasting hole by the repeated
firing of small explosive charges. The enlarged hole or chamber is then
loaded with the proper explosive charge, stemmed, and fired to break down
the quarry face. See also:concentrated charge
c. A borehole in which portions of the sidewalls are breaking away and
forming cavities or small chambers. Long

chambersite

An orthorhombic mineral, Mn3 B7 O13 Cl ; the
manganese analogue of boracite; occurs in brines.

chambers without filling

See:sublevel stoping

chameleonite

A rare variety of tourmaline, olive green in daylight, changing to
brownish-red in most artificial light. Syn:alexandritelike tourmaline

chamfer

To bevel or slope an edge or corner. Also spelled chanfer.


chamoisite

See:chamosite

chamosite

A monoclinic mineral, 2[(Fe2+ ,Mg,Fe3+ )5 Al(Si
3 Al)O10 (OH,O)8 ] ; chlorite group; a constituent of
oolitic iron ores and sedimentary ironstones. Also spelled chamoisite.

chamotte

The refractory portion of a mixture used in the manufacture of firebrick,
composed of calcined clay or of reground bricks. Standard, 2

Champlain forge

A forge for the direct production of wrought iron, generally used in the
United States instead of the Catalan forge, from which it differs in using
only finely crushed ore and in working continuously.
Syn:American forge

chance

a. In coal mining, the opportunity a shot has to break the coal.
Fay
b. The opportunity to put in a shot in a good position. Fay

Chance cone

See:cone classifier

Chance sand-flotation process

A dense-media process in which coal is separated from refuse in an
artificial dense medium of sand suspended in water. The specific gravity
of this medium is such that the merchantable coal floats while the refuse
sinks to the bottom, the separation being analogous to that of a
float-and-sink separation with a heavy liquidlike zinc chloride. Named
after Thomas M. Chance, U.S. mining engineer. Mitchell

changehouse

A special building at a mine where workers may wash themselves or change
from street to work clothes and vice versa. Also called changing house;
dry; dryhouse. CF:doghouse

changing bronze

The process of changing tuyeres, plates, monkey, etc., at blast furnaces.
Fay

changing house

See:changehouse

changkol

Malay. A heavy Chinese hoe with an eye in which the handle fits; used in
cutting soft rock and earth and for stirring gravel in sluice boxes, etc.
Hess

channeler

a. A powerful quarrying machine capable of cutting slots in stone at any
angle. It is used for cutting dimension stone off the quarry face without
explosives. See also:broaching
Nelson
b. A machine that cuts a deep groove in rock, ordinarily to free dimension
stone from the mass, or to make a smooth side for a canal or other
excavation in rock. Cutting is accomplished by a group of reciprocating
chisel-pointed bars, operated by steam or compressed air while the machine
carrying them travels back and forth on a track. Ordinarily used only in
the softer rocks, such as limestone, soapstone, or slate. Also called
track channeler; bar channeler. Hess

channeling

a. In ion-exchange, fixed-bed work, development of passages in a resin
column through which the liquors flow preferentially so that the resin is
unequally loaded. Pryor, 3
b. In cyanide sand leaching, cracks in the sand bed through which cyanide
solution runs without proper percolating contact with a mass of particles.
Pryor, 3
c. The action of a blast furnace in opening up irregular openings for the
blast.

channeling machine

See:channeler

channeling-machine operator

a. In bituminous coal mining, one who operates a coal-cutting machine to
cut channels (a few inches wide) in coal, after the overlying ground has
been removed, to partly detach coal in blocks so that it may be broken
loose more easily by blasting. Also called channeler-machine operator;
channel-machine operator. DOT
b. In the quarry industry, one who sets up and operates a track-mounted
machine that cuts (drills) vertical channels (a few inches wide) in
quarrystone in which wedges are driven to crack off a block from the mass.
Also called channeler-machine operator; channeler runner; channel-machine
operator; channel-machine runner. DOT

channel man

In ore dressing, smelting, and refining, one who installs new channel
irons to form a supporting framework for a continuous anode. DOT

channel sample

Material from a level groove cut across an ore exposure to obtain a true
cross section of it. Syn:groove sample; strip sample. Pryor, 3

channel sampling

See:trench sampling

channel sand

A sand or a sandstone deposited in a stream bed, or some other channel
eroded into the underlying rock; it frequently contains oil, gold, or
other valuable minerals.

channel slide rail

One of a pair of rails used in a method of temporary rail-track advance at
a tunnel face. The rails comprise a pair of specially made channels with
ramp ends. They fit over the rail section in use and are pushed forward
periodically as a power loader clears the rock ahead. The permanent track
is extended as space becomes available. Nelson

channel terrace

A contour ridge, built of soil moved from its uphill side, that serves to
divert surface water from a field. Nichols, 1


channelway

An opening or passage in a rock through which mineral-bearing solutions or
gases may move. AGI

chap

a. Scot. A customary and rough mode of judging, by sound, of the thickness
of coal between two working places, by knocking with a hammer on the solid
coal. Fay
b. To examine the face of the coal, etc., for the sake of safety, by
knocking on it lightly. Fay
c. Scot. A blow, rap, knock, or stroke. See also:chapping; sounding.
Webster 3rd
© ?? L ?ŒN ?ÊA8 ??????? ?A?DICTIONARY TERMS:chapeau de fer A French term for gossan or iron hat
[\B]chapeau de fer[\N]

chapelet

a. A machine for raising water, or for dredging, by buckets of an endless
chain passing between two rotating sprocket wheels. Standard, 2
b. A chain pump having buttons or disks at intervals along its chain;
paternoster pump. Standard, 2
c. A device for holding the end of heavy work, such as a cannon, in a
turning lathe. Standard, 2

Chapman-Jouget plane

In a detonating explosive column, the plane that defines the rear boundary
of the primary reaction zone. The plane is the point within the reaction
at which all thermodynamic properties of temperature, pressure, energy,
gas, volume, and density are measured and calculated. Syn:C-J plane

Chapman process

A method of gold recovery in which cyanidation dissolves the metal from an
ore pulp and the aurocyanide is simultaneously absorbed by activated
carbon. This last is then retrieved by froth flotation. Pryor, 1

Chapman shield

A pair of vertical plates of sheet iron or steel arranged with a ladle
between them, which can be moved longitudinally along the front of a
furnace; it is mainly used to protect laborers from furnace heat.
Fay

chapping

Rough guess of distance separating two approaching drives underground made
by knocking with a heavy hammer. See also:chap

chapra

A term used in Bihar, India, for a kind of hoe used in mines for scraping
waste debris into pans for carrying or loading cars. Hess

char

The solid carbonaceous residue that results from incomplete combustion of
organic material. It can be burned for heat, or, if pure, processed for
production of activated carbon for use as a filtering medium.
See also:coke

characteristic ash curve

The curve obtained from the results of a float-and-sink analysis showing,
for any yield of floats (sinks), the ash content of the highest density
(lowest density) fraction passing into these floats (sinks), the yield
being plotted on the ordinate and the ash content on the abscissa.
BS, 5

characteristic curve

In general, a curve that defines one or more of the characteristics or
properties of a piece of machinery, such as a fan, pump, motor, etc.
See also:mine-ventilation fan characteristics

characteristic impedance

a. Of an explosive, the amount of energy transferred to a given rock is a
linear function of the product of density and rate of detonation.
Leet, 2
b. For rock, density times velocity of longitudinal waves in the rock.
Leet, 2

characteristic radiation

High-intensity, single-wavelength X-rays, characteristic of the element
emitting the rays, that appear in addition to the continuous white
radiation whenever the voltage of an X-ray tube is increased beyond a
critical value. ASM, 1

characterizing accessory mineral

See:varietal mineral

charcoal blacking

Charcoal used in pulverized form as dry blacking or in suspension with
clay as a black wash; either dusted or coated on the surface of molds to
improve the surface. Osborne

charcoal iron

Sulfur-free pig iron made in a charcoal furnace; it has higher quality,
higher density, and closer structure than other iron. Bennett

charcoal tinplate

Tinplate with a relatively heavy coating of tin (higher than the coke
tinplate grades). Bennett

charge

a. The liquid and solid materials fed into a furnace for its operation or
prepared for further processing. ASM, 1
b. The explosive loaded into a borehole for blasting; also, any unit of an
explosive, such as a charge of nitroglycerin or a charge of detonating
composition in a blasting cap. Fay
c. To put an explosive into a hole, to arrange the fuse or squib, and to
tamp it. CF:load

charged hole

Hole to be blasted that contains explosive material and a detonator; for
blasting operations under the jurisdiction of the Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA), charged holes must be detonated within 72 h of
charging unless prior approval has been obtained from MSHA (CFR 30, 1988 -
56.6094).

charge limit

For an explosion, the maximum weight of charge that can be fired without
causing an ignition in gallery tests. McAdam, 2

chargeman

a. A stallman. Nelson
b. A laborer who moves a mixture of concentrate, slag, and fluxing
ingredients through a hopper into charge pipes opening into a
reverberatory furnace where smelting takes place, using an air-pressure
hose. Also called feeder. DOT


charger

a. A remotely controlled device for moving single wagons at a mine surface
over a short distance. The device runs on a narrow-gage track alongside
the main rails and uses a pair of roller arms, which extend to engage on
either side of a wagon wheel. Propelled by a guided chain engaging a
power-drive chain wheel, the charger can position a wagon exactly where
required. Nelson
b. In the iron and steel industry, one who loads steel ingots into a
furnace for heating, withdraws white-hot ingots from the furnace, and
positions them on the bed of a mill for rolling, using a traveling
electric charging machine. DOT
c. See:lidman

charge weigher

In ore dressing, smelting, and refining, one who weighs out specified
amounts of coke, limestone, and copper-bearing scrap materials to make
furnace charges for recovery of copper from plant refuse. DOT

charging

a. The loading of a borehole with explosives. Fay
b. The arranging of a fuse or squib, and the tamping of the hole with
stemming material. Jones, 1
c. Feeding raw material into an apparatus, such as a furnace, for
treatment or conversion. Bennett

charging box

A box in which ore, scrap, pig iron, fluxes, etc., are conveyed to a
furnace by means of a charging machine. Fay

charging machine

A machine for delivering coal, ore, or metals to a furnace, gas retort,
coke oven, or other reactor. Fay

charging peel

A long arm or extension attached to a charging machine for conveying and
dumping scrap into an open-hearth furnace. Mersereau, 2

charging person

A laborer who charges an electric-arc furnace with metals, alloys, and
other materials. Also called furnace feeder. See also:furnace charger
DOT

charging rack

A device used for holding batteries for mining lamps and for connecting
them to a power supply while the batteries are being recharged.

charging scale

A scale for weighing the various materials used in a blast furnace.
Fay

chark

a. To burn to charcoal or coke. Webster 3rd
b. Charcoal; coke; cinder. Webster 3rd

charred peat

Peat artificially dried at a temperature that causes partial
decomposition. Bennett

chart

A base map conveying information about something other than the purely
geographic; also, a special-purpose map; esp. one designed for purposes of
navigation, such as a hydrographic chart or a bathymetric chart.
AGI

chart datum

The plane to which soundings on a chart are referred, usually low water.
Hy

chaser

An edge wheel revolving in a trough for crushing asbestos mineral, without
destroying the fiber, and for fine crushing of ore.

chaser mill

a. This type of mill usually consists of a cylindrical steel tank that is
lined with wooden blocks laid with the end grain up. The rollers are
usually wooden--with a speed of 15 to 30 rpm.
b. Occasionally synonymous with an edge-runner mill. Dodd

chasing

Following a vein by its range or direction.

chasing the vein

Derb. Following a vein along the surface by means of cast holes or
prospect pits.

chasm

A yawning hollow or rent, as in the Earth's surface; any wide and deep
gap; a cleft; fissure. See also:abyss

chasovrite

A variety of clay mineral (glinite) from the Chasovyar deposit in the
Ukraine. Spencer, 6

chat

The finely crushed gangue remaining after the extraction of lead and zinc
minerals in the Tri-State District of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The
term is derived from chert. See also:chats

chatoyance

See:chatoyancy


chatoyancy

An optical phenomenon, possessed by certain minerals in reflected light,
in which a movable wavy or silky sheen is concentrated in a narrow band of
light that changes its position as a mineral is turned. It results from
the reflection of light from minute, parallel fibers, cavities or tubes,
or needlelike inclusions within the mineral. The effect may be seen on a
cabochon-cut gemstone, either distinct and well defined (such as the
narrow, light-colored streak in a fine chrysoberyl cat's-eye) or less
distinct (such as in the usual tourmaline or beryl cat's-eye).
Syn:chatoyance

chatoyant

a. Having a luster resembling the changing luster of the eye of a cat as
seen at night. See also:cat's-eye
b. adj. Said of a mineral or gemstone possessing chatoyancy or having a
changeable luster or color marked by a narrow band of light.
c. A chatoyant gem.

chatroller

An ore-crushing machine, consisting of a pair of cast-iron rollers, for
grinding roasted ore. Fay

chats

a. Northumb. Small pieces of stone with ore. Fay
b. Eng. A low grade of lead ore. Also, middlings that are to be crushed
and subjected to further treatment. The mineral and rocks mixed together
that must be crushed and cleaned before being sold as mineral. Chats are
not the same as tailings, as the latter are not thrown aside to keep for
future milling. Fay
c. See:chat
d. Eng. Bowse when broken up on the knockstone ready for the hotchin tubs;
Yorkshire lead mines. Arkell
e. A quarrying term for cherty rock used as an abrasive.

chatter

a. Rapid vibrations caused by overfeeding a bit and/or by drill rods
rubbing against the sidewalls of a borehole. Long
b. In grinding, a vibration of the tool, wheel, or workpiece producing a
wavy surface on the work. ASM, 1
c. The finish produced by such vibrations during grinding. ASM, 1

chattermark

A spiral or flutelike, round-topped ridge, sometimes seen on the outside
surface of a drill core. Long

check

a. Applied to slit canvas or brattice cloth placed across a passage to
prevent the flow of air while still permitting the passage of personnel
and equipment. See also:check curtain
b. A brass disk with a miner's lamp number punched on it that a person
exchanges for a lamp at the lamp room every time the person enters or
leaves the mine. Nelson

check battery

A battery to close the lower part of a chute acting as a check to the flow
of coal, and as a stopping to keep air in the breasts.

check board

A board usually posted at the entrance to a mine or to a section of a mine
on which (1) miners hang their identification checks to show whether they
are in or out, or (2) the miners' loading checks are hung.

checkboarding

To divide property in a manner so that two parties acquire title to
alternating and equal-size square sections of land. Long

check curtain

a. See:curtain
b. Ventilation control consisting of jute or nylon material fastened to
the roof and placed across an entry or a crosscut. It is used to direct
the air to the working place, yet allow the passage of equipment and
persons. MSHA, 1

check dam

A dam that divides a drainageway into two sections with reduced slopes.
Nichols, 1

checker arch

One of the firebrick supports built of arch brick or keys to support the
checker work on the second, third, or fourth pass of hot-blast stoves.
Fay

checkerboard drilling

See:checkerboarded

checkerboarded

An area in which boreholes have been placed at the intersections of
equally spaced parallel lines laid out on a square grid or checkerboard
pattern. Long

checkerboard system

See:bord-and-pillar method

checking

Temporarily reducing the temperature or the volume of the air blast on a
blast furnace. Fay

checkout

Scot. The meeting of the roof and floor, the coal seam being thereby cut
off; to pinch out.

check screen

See:oversize control screen

checksheet

A sheet on which are printed illustrations of various drilling equipment
assemblies with the component items shown in their relative operating
positions; used as a guide in making up a list of the units necessary to
do various routine drilling jobs. Long

check survey

A survey made to confirm the positions of established survey stations in a
mine. BS, 7


check viewer

In bituminous coal mining, one who inspects and checks portions of a mine
that have been leased to workers to see that the terms of lease, such as
mining within specified limits, safety precautions, and production rate,
are duly observed. DOT

checkweigher

In mining, one who checks, in the interest of miners, the weighing of coal
in mine cars or other containers by the company weighmaster. The person
estimates the amount of slate, dirt, rock, and other foreign matter in the
coal and sees that only authorized deductions are made. Also called
check-docking boss; check measurer; checkweighman; justiceman.
DOT; Fay

checkweighman

See:checkweigher

cheeking

The removal of the side or sides of a roadway to increase its width.
TIME

cheeks

a. The sides or walls of a vein. Fay
b. Extensions of the sides of the eye of a hammer or pick. Fay
c. The refractory sidewalls of the ports of a fuel-fired furnace.
Dodd

chelate compound

The compound formed by the combination of a chelating agent and a metal
ion. ASM, 1

chelating agent

A substance that contains two or more electron donor groups and will
combine with a metal ion so that one or more rings are formed.
ASM, 1

chelation

The reaction between a metallic ion and a complexing agent, generally
organic, with the formation of a ring structure and the effective removal
of the metallic ion from the system. It is significant in chemical
weathering. AGI

cheleutite

a. A ferruginous, nickeliferous, and slightly cupriferous smaltite.
See also:smaltite
b. A copper-bearing variety of smaltite.

Chelsea color filter

An effective dichromatic color filter transmitting light of only two
wavelength regions--one in the deep red, the other in the yellow green.
Useful for discriminating between emerald and its imitations and for
detecting synthetic spinels and pastes colored blue with cobalt.
Anderson

chemawinite

A pale-yellow to dark-brown variety of retinite (amber) in decayed wood at
Cedar Lake, MB, Canada. Syn:cedarite

chemechol

A method of breaking down coal similar to Hydrox and applied on the same
lines as air shooting. Nelson

chemical adsorption

Surface adherence, accompanied by the formation of primary bonds.
Van Vlack

chemical affinity

a. The force that binds atoms together in molecules. CTD
b. The tendency of one substance to form a chemical compound with another.
Hess

chemical analysis

A method of determining the composition of a material employing chemical
techniques by which the various elements are quantitatively separated.

chemical brick

See:chemical stoneware

chemical-clay grout

A typical grout of this class used in Great Britain is bentonite-sodium
silicate, in which the silicate is used to render irreversible the
thixotropic nature of the bentonite suspension. The gel is stronger than
pure bentonite and is permanent, in that local vibration cannot cause it
to liquefy again. Setting time can be controlled by adjustment of the
chemical content. Nelson

chemical combination

Change in which permanent alteration of properties occurs, accompanied by
intake or release of energy. Reaction is governed by laws of mass
conservation, definite and multiple proportions, equivalence, and
volumetric reaction. Pryor, 3

chemical composition

The weight percent of the elements (generally expressed as certain oxide
molecules) in a rock. AGI

chemical constitution of coal

The elements or component parts of coal. These are determined by chemical
analyses that may be performed in different ways. An ultimate analysis
provides exact information as to the percentages of the various elements
(such as carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen) present in the coal. Another method
is by proximate analysis, which determines the relative percentages of
carbon, moisture, volatile matter (such as gas and tar), sulfur, and ash.
Nelson

chemical denudation

The processes in which the salts or the soluble minerals in the Earth are
dissolved by water and carried to the sea. Bennett


chemical deposition

The precipitation or plating-out of a metal from a solution of its salts
through the introduction of another metal or a reagent into the solution.
ASM, 1

chemical engineering

Developing, building, and operating plants in which materials are
chemically worked up to desired end products. Pryor, 3

chemical equilibrium

A state of balance between two opposing chemical reactions. The amount of
any substance being built up is exactly counterbalanced by the amount
being used up in the other reaction, so that concentrations of all
participating substances remain constant. AGI

chemical erosion

See:corrosion

chemical extraction

Term taking the place of hydrometallurgy; embraces leaching (acid,
alkaline, and pressure), ion exchange, solvation precipitation, and
calcination. See also:leaching

chemical lead

Lead of more than 99.9% purity, with traces of copper and silver, as
originally obtained from the ore; used for manufacturing storage battery
plates and chemical piping. Bennett

chemical limestone

A limestone formed by direct chemical precipitation or by consolidation of
calcareous ooze. AGI

chemically precipitated metal powder

Powder produced by the reduction of a metal from a solution of its salts
either by the addition of another metal higher in the electromotive series
or by other reducing agents. ASTM

chemical mineralogy

The investigation of the chemical composition of minerals and its
variation, the processes of mineral formation, and the changes minerals
undergo when acted upon chemically. CF:physical mineralogy;
crystallogeny.

chemical rock

A sedimentary rock composed primarily of material formed directly by
precipitation from solution or colloidal suspension (such as by
evaporation) or by the deposition of insoluble precipitates (such as by
mixing solutions of two soluble salts); e.g., gypsum, rock salt, chert, or
tufa. It generally has a crystalline texture. CF:detrital rock
AGI

chemical sediment

See:chemical rock

chemical soil consolidation

A process for sinking through loose, heavily watered ground. A gel-forming
chemical is injected into the loose material that is eventually
consolidated. The time delay in the gel formation can be controlled by
chemical means, and the rate of injection at waterlike viscosity is rapid.
See also:bentonite; silicatization process. Nelson

chemical stoneware

A clay pottery product that is widely employed to resist acids and
alkalies. It is used for utensils, pipes, stopcocks, pumps, etc.; sp gr,
2.2; hardness, scleroscope 100. Stoneware is made from special clays free
from lime and iron, low in sand content, with low temperatures, and having
sufficient plasticity to permit turning on a potter's wheel.
Syn:chemical brick

chemical water treatment

A method of treating hard water by adding selected chemical substances
that break down the offending impurities, the residue being passed on in
solution in harmless or less harmful form, driven off as a gas, or
precipitated for subsequent retention in an incorporated filter. The
general reagents are lime or soda or a combination of both with or without
the addition of zeolites or colloids. Nelson

chemical weathering

The process of weathering by which chemical reactions (hydrolysis,
hydration, oxidation, carbonation, ion exchange, and solution) transform
rocks and minerals into new chemical combinations that are stable under
conditions prevailing at or near the Earth's surface; e.g., the alteration
of orthoclase to kaolinite. CF:mechanical weathering
Syn:decomposition

chemihydrometry

Determination of flow rate and channels taken by water by the introduction
of suitable chemicals upstream and measurement of dilution. (Radiotracers
and fluorescin are also used for tracing flow direction.) Pryor, 3

chemiluminescence

Luminosity caused by chemical changes in a substance. Standard, 2

chemisorption

Irreversible sorption, an adsorbate being held as a product of chemical
reaction with an absorbent. Activation energy is relatively high.
Pryor, 3

chemist

A person versed in chemistry. One whose business is to make chemical
examinations or investigations, or one who is engaged in the operations of
applied chemistry.

chemolithotroph

Autotrophic microorganism that derives energy to do metabolic work from
the oxidation of inorganic compounds and assimilate carbon as CO2 ,
HCO3- , or CO32- ; e.g., Thiobacillus
ferrooxidans, a bacterium that oxidizes ferrous iron to ferric iron for
energy. See also:autotroph

chempure tin

Purest commercially available tin; 99.9% tin. Bennett


chenevixite

A monoclinic mineral, Cu2 Fe2 (AsO4 )2 (OH)
4 .H2 O ; earthy to opaline; associated with olivenite in
copper deposits.

Chenot process

The process of making iron sponge from ore mixed with coal dust and heated
in vertical cylindrical retorts. Fay

cheralite

A monoclinic mineral, (Ca,Ce,Th)(P,Si)O4 ; monazite group; an
intermediate member of a crystal-solution series between CePO4
(monazite) and CaTh(PO4 )2 (a synthetic compound).

cheremchite

A variety of sapropelic coal composed of a mixture of structureless humic
sapropel and algal remains. Also spelled tscheremchite. Tomkeieff

cherry picker

a. A fishing tool in the modified form of a horn socket. The lower end or
mouth is cut away on one side and resembles a scoop; because of its shape,
the device, as it is turned, works around and behind an object that has
become partly embedded in the wall of a borehole, thus engaging it where a
regular horn socket would fail. Long
b. A small hoist to facilitate car changing near the loader in a tunnel.
An empty car is either lifted above the track (to allow a loaded car to
pass beneath) or swung to one side free of the track.
See also:double-track portable switch
particularly for handling large cars. Nelson
c. In tunneling, a small traveling crane spanning tracks that transfers an
empty car to a parallel track so that a loaded one can be drawn from the
advancing end. Pryor, 3
d. A small derrick made up of a sheave on an A-frame, a winch and winch
line, and a hook. Usually mounted on a truck. Nichols, 2

cherry-red heat

A common term used on the color scale, generally given as about 1,382
degrees F (750 degrees C).

chert

A hard, dense, dull to semivitreous, microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline
sedimentary rock, consisting dominantly of interlocking crystals of quartz
less than about 30 mu m in diameter; it may contain amorphous silica
(opal). It sometimes contains impurities such as calcite, iron oxide, and
the remains of siliceous and other organisms. It has a tough, splintery to
conchoidal fracture, and may be white or variously colored. Chert occurs
principally as nodular or concretionary nodules in limestone and
dolomites, and less commonly as layered deposits (bedded chert); it may be
an original organic or inorganic precipitate or a replacement product. The
term "flint" is essentially synonymous, although it has been used for the
dark variety of chert. See also:jasper; silexite. AGI

chertification

A type of silicification in which fine-grained quartz or chalcedony is
introduced into limestones, such as in the Tri-State mining district of
the Mississippi Valley. AGI

chervetite

A monoclinic mineral, Pb2 V2 O7 ; occurs in small
crystals at the Mounana uranium mine, Gabon.

chessy copper

See:chessylite

chessylite

A term commonly used for azurite. Syn:chessy copper
See also:azurite

chesterite

Microcline feldspar found in Chester County, PA.

chestnut coal

a. In anthracite only, coal small enough to pass through a square mesh of
1 to 1-1/8 in (2.54 to 2.86 cm), but too large to pass through a mesh of
5/8 in or 1/2 in (1.59 cm or 1.27 cm). Known as No. 5 coal.
b. Arkansas. Coal that passes through a 2-in (5.1-cm) round hole and over
a 1-in (2.5-cm) round hole. See also:anthracite coal sizes

chevee

A flat gem having a polished concave depression. CF:cuvette

chevron crossbedding

Crossbedding that dips in different directions in superimposed beds,
forming a chevron pattern. Also called herringbone crossbedding; zigzag
crossbedding. Pettijohn, 1

chevron drain

A rubble-filled trench system in the slope of a railway cutting, laid out
in herringbone fashion and leading surface water into buttress drains
arranged along the line of steepest slope. Hammond

chevron fold

A fold with a sharp angular hinge and planar limbs of equal length.
Syn:zigzag fold
" ??Âç ?jé ?Ê 2 ??????? ?k?DICTIONARY TERMS:chews Scot. Coal loaded with a screening shovel; mi
[\B]chews[\N]

chiastolite

An opaque variety of andalusite containing black carbonaceous impurities
arranged in a regular manner so that a section normal to the longer axis
of the crystal shows a black Maltese cross. It has long been used for
amulets, charms, and other inexpensive novelty jewelry. Syn:cross-stone;
crucite; macle.

chiastolite slate

A rock formed by contact metamorphism of carbonaceous shale, characterized
by prominent cleavage or schistosity and the presence of conspicuous
chiastolite crystals in a fine-grained groundmass. AGI

chickenfeed

An Alaskan term for fine gravel 1/2 in (1.27 cm) or less in diameter.

Chiddy Assay

Cupellation assay, for gold content of barren cyanide solution. The gold
(and silver) is precipitated together with metallic lead as sponge on
aluminum. This metal is cupeled, and the gold prill is weighed.
Pryor, 3


chigura

A timber used in making a crib.

childrenite

A monoclinic mineral, FeAl(PO4 )(OH)2 .H2 O ; forms a
series with eosphorite.

Chilean lapis

A pale- to light-blue lapis lazuli from Chile. See:lazurite;
lapis matrix.

Chilean mill

A mill having vertical rollers running in a circular enclosure with a
stone or iron base or die. There are two classes: (1) those in which the
rollers gyrate around a central axis, rolling upon the die as they go (the
true Chile mill), and (2) those in which the enclosure or pan revolves,
and the rollers, placed on a fixed axis, are in turn revolved by the pan.
It was formerly used as a coarse grinder, but is now used for fine
grinding. Liddell

chileite

An earthy, secondary lead, zinc, and copper vanadate; occurs near
Arqueros, Chile; related to psittacinite. See also:mottramite

chilenite

An amorphous mixture(?) containing silver and bismuth.

Chile saltpeter

A former name for nitratine.

chill

a. A metal insert imbedded in the surface of a sand mold or core or placed
in a mold cavity to increase the cooling rate at that point.
ASM, 1
b. White iron occurring on a gray iron casting, such as the chill in a
wedge test. ASM, 1
c. To harden by suddenly cooling. Gordon
d. Derb. To test the roof with a tool or bar to determine its safety.
Fay

chill casting

Pouring molten metal into molds so made that it comes into contact at
desired places with metal; cooling is thus accelerated, and special
hardness is imparted. Pryor, 3

chill crystal

Small crystal formed by the rapid freezing of molten metal when it comes
into contact with the surface of a cold metal mold. CTD

chilled casting

A casting made by contacting it with something that will rapidly conduct
the heat from it, such as a cool iron mold, or by sudden cooling by
exposure to air or water. Fay

chilled contact

That part of a mass of igneous rock, near its contact with older rocks,
that is finer grained than the rest of the mass, because it cooled more
rapidly. AGI

chilled dynamite

The condition of dynamite when subjected to a low temperature not
sufficient to congeal it, but which seriously affects the strength of the
dynamite. Fay

chilled shot

In hard-rock boring with an adamantine or Calyx drill, chilled iron or
steel pellets that are driven by the drill bit and do the actual abrasive
cutting. Pryor, 3

chilled-shot drill

See:shot drill

chilled-shot drilling

A method of rotary drilling in which chilled steel shot is used as the
cutting medium. BS, 9

chimney

a. An ore shoot or pipe. See also:chute
b. A term used for limestone pinnacles bounding zinc ore deposits.
c. A vertical or nearly vertical staple shaft between a lower and an upper
coal seam.
d. An orebody that is roughly circular or elliptical in horizontal cross
section, but may have great vertical extent. Nelson
e. A restricted section in a lode; rising steeply and unusually rich.
See also:pipe
f. A cylindrical vent for volcanic rock. Standard, 2

chimney effect

See:stack effect

chimney rock

a. A column of rock standing above its surroundings, such as an igneous
rock filling a pipe-shaped vent.
b. Gulf States. A local name for any rock soft enough when quarried to be
cut or sawn readily and refractory enough for domestic chimneys, which may
harden on exposure to the air; e.g., some limestone, siliceous bauxite
clay, or soapstone. Hess

chimney work

Mid. A system of working beds of clay ironstone in patches 10 to 30 yd
(9.1 to 27.4 m) square and 18 to 20 ft (5.5 to 6.1 m) thick. The bottom
beds are first worked out; then miners work the higher ones by standing
upon the fallen debris. CF:overhand stoping

china clay

A commercial term for kaolin obtained from china-clay rock after washing,
and suitable for use in the manufacture of chinaware. AGI


china-clay rock

a. Cornwall stone.
b. Granite in its most kaolinized form, in which the feldspar is
transformed into kaolinite and the rock is so soft that it is readily
broken in the fingers. Arkell

chinaman chute

Mine opening over the haulage level through which ore from the stope above
is drawn to waiting trucks as planking is removed. Usually, an opening
between stulls below the shrinkage stope. Pryor, 3

Chinaman pebble

N.Z. A pebble or boulder made from a conglomerate of quartz pebbles
cemented by chalcedony. Jaspilite, quartz, and Chinaman pebbles are found
in many places. Hess

China metal

a. York. Shale baked to a hard, white, coarse, porcellaneous substance.
Arkell
b. Porcelain.

china stone

a. Partially kaolinized granite containing quartz, kaolin, and sometimes
mica and fluorite. It is harder than china-clay rock and is used as a
glaze in the manufacture of china. Syn:petuntze
AGI
b. A fine-grained, compact carboniferous mudstone or limestone found in
England and Wales. AGI

chingle

a. Scot. A gravel free from dirt. See also:shingle
b. That portion of a coal seam stowed away in the goaves to help support
the mine roof.

chiolite

A tetragonal mineral, Na5 Al3 F14 ; massive;
granular; occurs with cryolite.

chip

a. Small fragment of a diamond, usually thin and tabular in shape.
Long
b. To break small fragments from the surface of a diamond or other
material. Long
c. Small, angular, and generally flat pieces of rock or other materials.
Long
d. An imperfection due to breakage of a small fragment out of an otherwise
regular surface. ASTM
e. A small fragment from a crystal; specif. a diamond chip. AGI
f. A piece of rock to be cut into a thin section for microscopic
examination.

chip blasting

Shallow blasting of ledge rock. Nichols, 1

chip breaker

a. A notch or groove in the face of a tool parallel to the cutting edge,
to break the continuity of the chips. ASM, 1
b. A step formed by an adjustable component clamped to the face of a
cutting tool. ASM, 1

chipped

a. When referring to the character of diamond wear, it denotes loss of
diamond due to chips and fragments having been broken away from the body
of the diamond. Long
b. A surface pitted by loss of material in the form of chips. Long

chipping

a. Loosening of shallow rock by light blasting or airhammers.
Nichols, 1
b. The process of handsetting diamond fragments in a bit.
Nichols, 1

chippings

Crushed angular stone fragments ranging from 1/8 to 1 in (0.32 to 2.54 cm)
in size. See also:aggregate

chip sample

A regular series of ore chips or rock chips taken either in a continuous
line across an exposure or at uniformly spaced intervals. AGI

chip sampling

a. The taking of small pieces of ore or coal, with a small pick, along a
line or at random, across the width of a face exposure. The samples are
usually taken daily and often confined to exploration. Reasonable care is
taken to chip a weight of material that corresponds to the length of
sample line. See also:bulk sample
b. A variant of channel sampling, in which, owing to extreme hardness of
rock, shape of deposit, or other working difficulty, a true channel sample
cannot be taken. Often used in preliminary prospecting. Pryor, 3

chirality

Symmetrical handedness. A mirror or center of symmetry changes the
chirality of asymmetric units. CF:improper

chiropterite

Bat guano.

chisel

a. A tool of great variety whose cutting principle is that of the wedge.
Crispin
b. The steel cutting tool used in percussive boring. It ranges from 6 to
12 in (15.2 to 30.5 cm) in length with variously shaped bits to suit the
nature of the ground. The chisel is made to strike a series of blows at
the bottom of a borehole. Water or mud is circulated to convert the
chippings into sludge and to keep the chisel cool. Nelson

chisel bit

a. See:chopping bit
b. A percussive-type, rock-cutting bit having a single, chisel-shaped
cutting edge extending across the diameter and through the center point of
the bit face. Also called chisel-edge bit; chisel-point; Swedish bit.
Long

chisel draft

The dressed edge of a stone, which serves as a guide in cutting the rest.

chiver

See:shiver


chkalovite

An orthorhombic mineral, Na2 BeSi2 O6 ; occurs on the
Kola Peninsula, Russia.

chloanthite

An arsenic-deficient variety of nickel-skutterudite. Also spelled
cloanthite. Syn:white nickel ore

chloraluminite

A trigonal mineral, AlCl3 .6H2 O ; occurs in acid fumaroles
on Mt. Vesuvius, Italy.

chlorapatite

A monoclinic mineral, Ca5 (PO4 )3 Cl ; apatite group.

chlorargyrite

An isometric mineral, 4[AgCl] ; sectile; forms waxy white, yellow, or
pearl-gray incrustations, darkening to violet on exposure to light; a
supergene mineral occurring in silver veins; an important source of
silver. Formerly called cerargyrite. Syn:horn silver
CF:iodargyrite

chlorastrolite

A mottled green variety of pumpellyite used as a semiprecious stone; forms
grains, small nodules, or a radial, fibrous structure in geodes in mafic
igneous rocks; resembles prehnite; occurs in the Lake Superior region
(esp. on Isle Royale).

chlorate explosive

Explosive with a potassium chlorate base, such as the French cheddite,
which contains about 80% potassium chlorate and 5% castor oil, with
dinitrotoluene constituting nearly all the remainder. Chlorate explosives
are characterized by a hot flame on detonation. Lewis

chlorate powder

A substitute for blackpowder in which potassium chlorate is used in place
of potassium nitrate.

chloride

a. A miner's or prospector's term for an ore containing silver chloride.
AGI
b. A compound of chlorine with another element or radical. A salt or ester
of hydrochloric acid. Crispin

chloriding

Mining thin veins. Statistical Research Bureau

chloridization

An ore treatment using chlorine to produce a metal chloride.
Pryor, 3

chloridize

To convert into chloride; applied to the roasting of silver ores with
salt, preparatory to amalgamation.

chloridizing roasting

The roasting of sulfide ores and concentrates, mixed with sodium chloride,
to convert the sulfides to chlorides. CTD

chlorination process

The process in which auriferous ores are first roasted to oxidize the base
metals; then saturated with chlorine gas; and finally treated with water,
which removes the soluble chloride of gold, to be subsequently
precipitated and melted into bars. Fay

chlorinator

A machine for feeding either liquid or gaseous chlorine to a stream of
water.

chlorine

A common nonmetallic halogen element, found in the combined state only,
chiefly with sodium as common salt (NaCl). Symbol, Cl. A greenish-yellow
irritating toxic gas with a disagreeable odor; a respiratory irritant.
Used for producing safe drinking water, paper products, dyestuffs,
textiles, petroleum products, medicines, antiseptics, insecticides,
foodstuffs, solvents, paints, plastics, and many other consumer products.
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 3

chlorinity

a. The total amount in grams of chlorine, iodine, and bromine contained in
1 kg of seawater, assuming that the bromine and iodine have been replaced
by chlorine. Hy
b. The number giving the chlorinity in grams per kilogram of seawater
sample is identical with the number, giving the mass in grams of atomic
weight silver just necessary to precipitate the halogens in 0.3285233 kg
of the seawater sample. Hy

chlorite

a. The mineral group chamosite, clinochlore, cookeite, gonyerite, nimite,
orthochamosite, pennantite, and sudoite.
b. Chlorites are associated with and resemble micas (the tabular crystals
of chlorites cleave into small, thin flakes or scales that are flexible,
but not elastic like those of micas); they may also be considered as clay
minerals when very fine grained. Chlorites are widely distributed, esp. in
low-grade metamorphic rocks, or as alteration products of ferromagnesian
minerals.

chlorite schist

A schist in which the main constituent, chlorite, imparts a schistosity by
parallel arrangement of its flakes. Quartz, epidote, magnetite, and garnet
may be accessories, the last two often as conspicuous porphyroblasts.
AGI

chlorite slate

A schistose or slaty rock composed largely of chlorite.

chloritic sand

A sand colored green by sand-size chlorite grains.


chloritic schist

A schist containing chlorite.

chloritization

The replacement by, conversion into, or introduction of chlorite.

chloritoid

A monoclinic or triclinic mineral, (Fe,Mg,Mn)2 Al4 Si (sub
2) O10 (OH)4 ; dull green to gray-black; occurs in masses of
brittle folia in metamorphosed argillaceous sedimentary rocks. It is
related to the brittle micas.

chlormanganokalite

A trigonal mineral, K4 MnCl6 ; occurs in yellow rhombohedra.

chlorocalcite

See:baeumlerite

chloromelanite

a. A dark green, nearly black variety of jadeite. Fay
b. A crystal solution of roughly equal amounts of diopside, jadeite, and
acmite.

chloropal

a. A former name for nontronite.
b. A greenish variety of common opal from Silesia, Poland.

chlorophaeite

A mineral closely related to chlorite in composition and found in the
groundmass of tholeiitic basalts where it occupies interstices between
feldspar laths, forms pseudomorphs after olivine, or occurs in veinlets
and amygdules. The fresh mineral is pale green, but when weathered, it may
be dark green, brown, or red. AGI

chlorophane

A variety of fluorite that exhibits bright-green phosphorescent light if
heated. Also called cobra stone.

chlorophoenicite

A monoclinic mineral, (Mn,Mg)3 Zn2 (AsO4 )(OH,O) (sub
6) ; occurs in elongated gray-green crystals at Franklin, NJ.

chlorosis

The yellowing of the leaves of plants, sometimes caused by a deficiency of
iron necessary in the formation of chlorophyll. Has been useful as a guide
to ore since nickel, copper, cobalt, chromium, zinc, and manganese are all
antagonistic to iron in plant metabolism. Also may indicate where such
toxins have been added to soil by industrial or other human activity.

chlorosity

The number expressing chlorinity as grams per liter. Obtained by
multiplying the chlorinity of a sample by its density at 20 degrees C.
Hy

chlorospinel

A grass-green variety of spinel containing copper.

chlorothionite

An orthorhombic mineral, K2 Cu(SO4 )Cl2 ; occurs in
bright-blue crystalline crusts on lava, an alteration product at Mt.
Vesuvius, Italy.

chlorotile

A green orthorhombic hydrated arsenate of copper. CF:mixite

chloroxiphite

A monoclinic mineral, Pb3 CuCl2 (OH)2 O2 ;
dull-olive or pistachio green.

chlorutahlite

See:utahlite

chock

a. A square pillar for supporting the roof; constructed of prop timber
laid up in alternate cross-layers, in log-cabin style, the center being
filled with waste. Sometimes called crib. See also:cog;
hydraulic chock.
b. Type of longwall-mining roof support.
c. One of two blocks of hardwood placed across or between rails to prevent
tubs, cars, or wagons from running down an incline.

chock and block

Newc. Tightly filled up.

chock block

Piece of wood, square or rectangular in cross section, usually made of
oak, ash, or other hardwood. Also used to denote a shaped piece of wood
provided with a handle and designed for placing between the rails to hold
back a tub or set of tubs. TIME

chock hole

A small depression dug in the earth in which a wheel of a truck-mounted
drill rig is set to prevent the drill from moving. Long


chocking

The supporting of undercut coal with short wedges or chocks. CTD

chog

An English term for chocks, or blocks spiked into the corner of a shaft to
form a bearing for the side-walling piece, or the blocks used in headings
to separate the cap and poling board. See also:collaring
Stauffer

choke

a. In crushing practice, a stoppage of the downward flow in a
rock-crushing chamber. See also:choke point
b. A point in a cave or at the base of a pitch blocked by the influx of
clay, sand, gravel, or similar material. AGI

choke crushing

A recrushing of fine ore due to the fact that the broken material cannot
exit a machine before it is again crushed. CF:free crushing

chokedamp

a. A mine atmosphere that causes choking or suffocation due to
insufficient oxygen. As applied to "air" that causes choking, does not
mean any single gas or combination of gases. Fay
b. A name sometimes given in England to carbon dioxide.
See also:blackdamp; damp. Fay

choke fed

In comminution, rolls are choke fed when fed all of the material that they
will take. The product of choke-fed rolls is never so uniform as when free
feeding is used. Choke feeding is used only on feed of diameter about 1/4
in (0.6 cm) or less. CF:free fed

choke feed

A feeding arrangement in which the potential rate of supplying material at
the feed point exceeds the rate at which the conveyor will remove
material.

choke feeding

As deliberately used in roll crushing of ore, feed at a rate greater than
can be discharged at the set of the machine, so that the rolls are sprung
apart, the angle of nip is increased, and the product contains oversize.
Pryor, 3

choke point

Bottleneck of any crusher. Pryor, 3

choker

A chain or cable so fastened that it tightens on its load as it is pulled.
Nichols, 2

choking

Stoppage of flow, due to obstructed discharge, sticky material, packed and
compacted fines, or bad control. Pryor, 3

chondrodite

A monoclinic mineral, (Mg,Fe)5 (SiO4 )2 (F,OH) (sub
2) ; humite group; commonly occurs in contact-metamorphosed dolomites.
Also spelled condrodite.

chonolith

An intrusive mass that is so irregular in form and its relationship to the
invaded formations is so obscure that it cannot be designated a dike,
sill, or laccolith.

chop

a. To break up and drill through boulders, other rock, or lost core
encountered in sinking a drivepipe or casing through overburden. It is
done by impact produced by lifting and dropping a chopping-bit-tipped
string of drill rods.
b. Som. A local term for fault.

chop ahead

To break up boulders and other rock material below the bottom of casing or
drivepipe by using a chopping bit attached to drill rods.
See also:chop

chop feeder

A feeder in which a power-operated, swinging quadrant gate delivers
material at a predetermined rate. The action is similar to a reciprocating
plate feeder.

chopping

A term used to describe the digging action of a dragline when excavation
takes place with the bucket heel above the line of the cutting lip. This
term is usually used when referring to an operating method in which the
dragline bucket excavates above the line of the fairlead and fills above
tub level. Austin

chopping bit

A steel, chisel-shaped cutting-edged bit designed to be coupled to a
string of drill rods and used to fragment, by impact, boulders, hardpan,
and lost core in a borehole. Also called chisel bit; chisel-edge bit;
chisel-point bit; long-shank chopping bit. CF:cross-chopping bit
Long

chordal effect

The effect produced by the chain joint centers being forced to follow arcs
instead of chords of a sprocket pitch circle. Jackson, 1

chordal pitch

The length of one side of the polygon formed by the lines between the
joint centers as a chain is wrapped on a sprocket. It is a chord of the
sprocket pitch circle and is equal to the chain pitch. Jackson, 1

chorismite

A general term for a group of mixed rocks, which are the result of the
injection of the crystallization products of intruding magmas into, and/or
the mixture of such material with, the enclosing rocks, sedimentary or
metamorphic. There are several varieties. The term is not widely used.
CF:migmatite

chows

See:chews.

C/H ratio

See:carbon-hydrogen ratio

chrismatite

A butyraceous, greenish-yellow to wax-yellow hydrocarbon from Wettin,
Saxony, Germany. It has a specific gravity of less than 1 and is soft at
55 to 60 degrees C. Fay

Christiansen effect

In optical mineralogy, a dispersion phenomenon in which the boundary of a
mineral grain (Becke line) immersed in a liquid of the same index of
refraction appears blue on one side and red to orange on the other.
See also:dispersion

christobalite

See:cristobalite

chromate

A salt or ester of chromic acid; a compound containing the radical (CrO
4 )2- . AGI

chromatic aberration

In microscope lenses, the splitting of white light to form two images, one
red and the other blue. See also:aberration

chromatic color

A hue, as distinguished from white, black, or any tone of gray. Opposite
of achromatic color.

chromatite

A tetragonal mineral, CaCrO4 ; forms finely crystalline
citron-yellow crusts from clefts in limestones.

chromatograph

An instrument for analyzing gases and vapors from liquids with boiling
points up to 300 degrees C. The gas chromatograph often arranges the
molecules of a gas in increasing size, and as each group emerges from the
column, a detector measures the quantity of each. Since all the molecules
of one type emerge after the same time interval, it is possible to
identify quickly the constituents present. Nelson

chromatographic analysis

Separation of components of mixture into zones, one or more of which can
be identified by color, etc.: (1) by adsorption column, adsorbing from
solute in a tube packed with cellulose, alumina, lime, etc.; (2) by
electrochromatography, passing electricity across a column or paper strip
down which solvent mixture is flowing, causing migration to the side of a
flow line; (3) by electrophoresis, using electric current to aid
migration; and (4) by paper partition, separation into bands as suitable
solvent flows past a drop of solution, which contains compounds
(qualitative and quantitative analysis). Pryor, 3

chromatography

A chemical process of separating closely related compounds by permitting a
solution of them to filter through an absorbent so that the different
compounds become absorbed in separate colored layers comprising a
chromatogram. Hunt

chrome

A term commonly used to indicate ore of chromium, consisting esp. of the
mineral chromite or chromium-bearing minerals, such as chrome mica or
chrome diopside. AGI

chrome antigorite

A variety of antigorite containing some chromium.

chrome brick

A refractory brick manufactured substantially or entirely of chrome ore.
ASTM

chrome chert

A variety of chert that has replaced the silicate minerals of a chromite
peridotite, the more resistant chromite grains remaining unaltered in the
siliceous matrix. Holmes, 2

chrome diopside

a. A variety of diopside. Dark-green specimens are seldom either
transparent or cut as gems.
b. A bright emerald-green variety of diopside containing a small amount of
Cr2 O3 .

chrome garnet

See:uvarovite

chrome idocrase

An emerald-green variety of vesuvianite containing chromium; occurs at
Black Lake, Quebec, Canada; and Ekaterinburg, Ural Mountains, Russia.
Syn:chrome vesuvian

chrome iron ore

See:chromite

chrome mica

See:fuchsite

chrome ocher

A chromiferous clay; specif. a bright-green clay material containing 2% to
10.5% Cr2 O3 .

chrome refractory

Refractory consisting essentially of refractory-grade chrome ore bonded
chemically or by burning. Chrome refractories are nearly chemically
neutral, but may react with strong acids or bases. Henderson

chrome spinel

Another name for the mineral picotite, a member of the spinel group.
See:chromian spinel

chrome tourmaline

A variety of tourmaline found in the Ural Mountains, Russia, and Maryland.

chrome vesuvian

See:chrome idocrase

chromian spinel

A variety of spinel containing chromium, (Mg,Fe)(Al,Cr)2 O4.
Formerly called picotite. See:chrome spinel

chromic iron

See:chromite

chromite

An isometric mineral, 8[FeCr2 O4 ] ; spinel group;
dimorphous with donathite; forms crystal-solution series with
magnesiochromite in the chromite series of the spinel group, and with
hercynite; rarely occurs as a pure end member. End-member chromite
contains 68% Cr2 O3 , but natural minerals do not commonly
exceed 50%. Occurs in metallic black octahedral crystals; weakly to
moderately ferrimagnetic; an accessory in, or layers in, mafic and
ultramafic rocks; also in black sands, the major source of chromium.
Syn:chrome iron ore

chromitite

a. A rock composed chiefly of the mineral chromite. AGI
b. A mixture of chromite with magnetite or hematite. AGI

chromium

An isometric mineral, Cr ; rare; occurs in contact zones between
ultramafic rocks and marble.

chromium garnet

See:uvarovite

chromography

In mineral identification, a polished section is placed in contact with
photographic paper, a current is passed, and ions migrating to the paper
are developed so as to produce a color print suitable for microscrutiny.
It resembles sulfur printing.

chromowulfenite

A red variety of wulfenite, containing some chromium. Fay

chronograph

An apparatus for electrically recording explosion phenomena with a
continuous time record. Rice, 2

chronolith

See:time-stratigraphic unit

chronolithologic unit

Time-rock unit. See also:time-stratigraphic unit

chronostratic unit

See:time-stratigraphic unit

chronostratigraphic unit

See:time-stratigraphic unit

chrysoberyl

An orthorhombic mineral, BeAl2 O4 ; vitreous; green, brown,
yellow, or red (alexandrite variety appears emerald green in sunlight, but
red by incandescent light); occurs in granites, granite pegmatites,
schists, and alluvial deposits; a gemstone. Gem varieties: alexandrite,
chrysopal, cymophane, and golden beryl. Known as cat's-eye when it has
chatoyancy. Syn:cymophane
chrysopal.

chrysocolla

A monoclinic mineral, (Cu,Al)2 H2 Si2 O5 (OH)
4 .nH2 O ; cryptocrystalline or amorphous; soft; bluish green
to emerald green; forms incrustations and thin seams in oxidized parts of
copper-mineral veins; a source of copper and an ornamental stone.

chrysocolla quartz

A translucent chalcedony colored by chrysocolla.

chrysolite

A yellowish-green, sometimes brownish or reddish, iron-magnesium silicate.
A common mineral in basalt and diorite. When used as a gem, it is called
peridot. The name has at various times been applied to topaz, prehnite,
and apatite, but is now used only to mean olivine. See also:olivine
Fay; Hess

chrysolite cat's-eye

Chrysoberyl cat's-eye.

chrysolithus

A pale yellowish-green variety of beryl. Schaller

chrysopal

a. A translucent variety of common opal colored apple green by the
presence of nickel.
b. See:chrysoberyl
c. A gemstone trade name for opalescent chrysolite (olivine).
See also:prasopal

chrysoprase

a. An apple-green or pale yellowish-green variety of chalcedony containing
nickel and valued as a gem. See also:green chalcedony
b. A misleading name used in the gem trade for a green-dyed chalcedony
having a much darker color than natural chrysoprase.

chrysotile

A monoclinic mineral (clinochrysotile), or orthorhombic mineral
(orthochrysotile, parachrysotile), [Mg6 (OH)8 Si4 O
10 ] ; serpentine group; forms soft, silky white, yellow, green, or
gray flexible fibers as veins in altered ultramafic rocks; the chief
asbestos minerals. (Not to be confused with chrysolite.)
Syn:Canadian asbestos; serpentine asbestos.

chrysotile asbestos

A fibrous variety of serpentine.

chuck

The part of a diamond or rotary drill that grips and holds the drill rods
or kelly and by means of which longitudinal and/or rotational movements
are transmitted to the drill rods or kelly. See also:three-jaw chuck
Long

chuck block

In stamp milling, the wooden block or board that is attached to the bottom
of the screen so as to raise the depth of the issue and act as a false lip
to the mortar. Fay

chucker-on

A device for automatic rerailing of tubs or cars. Also called ramp;
rerailer. Mason

chuckie stone

One of the pebbles or cobbles of sedimentary rock or of igneous rock
occurring as an inclusion in a coalbed. One explanation for their
occurrence is that they were attached to roots of floating trees rafted
into the swamp during periods of high water. AGI

chuco

Caliche deposit in Chile composed mainly of sodium sulfate.

chudobaite

A triclinic mineral, (Mg,Zn)5 H2 (AsO4 )4 .10H
2 O .

chukhrovite

An isometric mineral, Ca3 (Ce,Y)Al2 (SO4 )F13
.10H2 O ; a rare-earth mineral in the Kara-Oba molybdenite deposit,
central Kazakhstan, and the Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Germany.

chungkol

Malaysia. Heavy hoe used to stir and loosen a bed when sluicing alluvial
tin gravels. Pryor, 3

chunked-up

Built up with large lumps of coal to increase the capacity of the car.
Also called built-up.

chunker I

In bituminous coal mining, a laborer who hand loads large lumps of coal
into cars at working places in a mine. DOT

chunker II

In bituminous coal mining, a laborer who arranges large lumps of coal
uniformly on flatcars as they are loaded at the mine surface. DOT

churchillite

See:mendipite

churchite

A monoclinic mineral, YPO4 .2H2 O . Formerly called
weinschenkite.

churn

A long iron rod used to hand bore shotholes in soft material, such as
coal. Pryor, 3

churn drill

a. Portable drilling equipment, usually mounted on four wheels and driven
by steam-, diesel-, electric-, or gasoline-powered engines or motors. The
drilling is performed by a heavy string of tools tipped with a blunt-edge
chisel bit suspended from a flexible manila or steel cable, to which a
reciprocating motion is imparted by its suspension from an oscillating
beam or sheave, causing the bit to be raised and dropped, thus striking
successive blows by means of which the rock is chipped and pulverized and
the borehole deepened; also, the act or process of drilling a hole with a
churn drill. Also called American system drill; blasthole drill; cable
drill; cable-system drill; churn-drill rig; rope-system drill; shothole
drill; spudder; spud drill; wet drill. See also:percussion drill
Syn:cable-tool drill
b. A long iron bar with a cutting end of steel, used in quarrying, and
worked by raising and letting it fall. When worked by blows of a hammer or
sledge, it is called a jumper or jump drill.

churn-drill operator

In mining and in the quarry industry, one who drills holes with a churn
(cable) drill in rock and overlying ground of open-pit mines or quarries
to obtain samples, or to provide holes in which explosives are detonated
to break up a solid mass. Syn:blasthole driller;
blasting hole well driller. DOT

churn-drill rig

See:churn drill

churn shot drill

A boring rig that combines both churn and shot drillings. The churn drill
is used for rapid penetration in barren ground where no core is required.
The shot drill is used for taking cores along important rock formations.
Nelson

chute

a. A channel or shaft underground, or an inclined trough aboveground,
through which ore falls or is shot by gravity from a higher to a lower
level. Also spelled shoot.
b. A crosscut connecting a gangway with a heading.
c. A ditch or inclined timber through which the overflow water or mud from
a borehole is conducted from the collar of the hole to the sump. The chute
may be fitted with baffles and screens to cause the cuttings to settle
before reaching the sump. Syn:canal; ditch. Long
d. A body of ore, usually of elongated form, extending downward within a
vein (ore shoot). See also:chimney; shoot.
e. A trough operated mechanically in loading coal underground.
Syn:rock chute
f. A string of rich ore in a lode (used instead of shoot). Nelson
g. Stockpile withdrawing system, such as a belt conveyor. Pryor, 3
h. A metal trough in a breaker, along which the coal slides by gravity.
Hudson
i. A steep, three-sided steel tray for the passage of coal or ore from a
conveyor into mine cars. It is designed to minimize degradation and
spillage of materials. See also:loading chute
j. Ore pass connecting a stope with the haulage level. Pryor, 3
k. A high-velocity conduit for conveying to a lower level.
Syn:course of ore

chute boss

In coal mining, a foreperson who supervises the loading and drawing of
coal into and out of chutes, esp. where coal is mined from inclined beds.
DOT

chute caving

The method involves both overhand stoping and ore caving. A chamber is
started as an overhand stope from the head of a chute and is extended up
until the back weakens sufficiently to cave. The orebody is worked from
the top down in thick slices, each slice being, however, attacked from the
bottom and the working extending from the floor of the slice up to an
intermediate point. The cover follows down upon the caved ore. Also called
caving by raising; block caving into chutes.

chute checker

In metal mining, one who keeps a record of the amount of ore drawn from
each raise or chute in an orebody being mined by the caving method (lower
part of orebody is mined and developed with a system of chutes so that the
remaining ore that sloughs, or caves, from lack of support can be drawn
off). Also called tallyman. DOT

chute drawer

See:chute loader

chute loader

a. In metal and nonmetal mining, a laborer who loads ore or rock into mine
cars underground by opening and closing chute gates. Also called chute
drawer; chute man; chute puller; chute trammer; chute tapper. DOT
b. In the quarry industry, one who loads crushed rock from bins into
trucks or railroad cars by opening and closing the chute or bin gates by
hand or by means of a lever. Also called car loader. DOT

chute operator

In the quarry industry, a laborer who loads barges with crushed rock by
operating a hand winch to lower a chute through which crushed rock flows
from a bin. DOT

chute system

A method of mining by which ore is broken from the surface downward into
chutes and removed through passageways below.
See also:glory-hole system

chute trammer

See:chute loader

cienega

A marshy area where the ground is wet because of the presence of seepage
or springs, often with standing water and abundant vegetation. The term is
commonly applied in arid regions such as the Southwestern United States.
Etymol: Spanish cienaga, marsh, bog, miry place. AGI

ciment fondu

A slow-setting, rapid-hardening cement containing 40% lime, 40% alumina,
10% silica, and 10% impurities; used in cementing drill holes. Sometimes
called bauxite cement.

cimolite

A white, grayish, or reddish hydrosilicate of aluminum; soft and claylike
or chalklike in appearance. Fay

cinder

a. A loose volcanic fragment that may range from 4 to 32 mm in diameter.
Such fragments are usually glassy or vesicular. Stokes
b. A small (1- to 4-cm), commonly vesicular, fragment of lava projected
from an erupting volcano; coarser than volcanic ash but smaller than a
volcanic bomb.
c. A juvenile vitric pyroclastic fragment that falls to the ground in an
essentially solid condition.
d. Slag, particularly from an iron blast furnace.
e. A scale thrown off in forging metal. CF:lapilli

cinder block

A block closing the front of a blast furnace and containing the cinder
notch. Webster 3rd

cinder breakout

The slag within a furnace escaping through the brickwork; caused by
erosion, corrosion, or softening of brick by heat. Fay

cinder coal

a. Coal that has been cindered by heat from an igneous intrusion. Many
coal seams have been affected in this way in Scotland and in Durham,
England. See also:metamorphism
b. Aust. A very inferior natural coke, little better than ash.
See also:natural coke

cinder cooler

In a blast furnace, a watercooled casting, usually of copper, that is
pressed into the cinder notch. Henderson

cinder fall

The dam over which the slag from the cinder notch of a furnace flows.
Fay

cinder notch

The furnace hole, about 1.5 to 2 m above the iron notch and 1 m below the
tuyeres, through which slag is flushed two to three times between casts.
See also:cinder tap

cinder pig

Pig iron made from a charge containing a considerable proportion of slag
from puddling or reheating furnaces. CTD

cinder pit

Large pit filled with water into which molten cinder is run and granulated
at cast or flush. Fay

cinder plate

See:bloomery

cinder runner

A trough carrying slag from a skimmer or cinder notch to a pit or ladle.
See also:cinder notch

cinder tap

The hole through which cinder is tapped from a furnace. Also called
Lurmann front. Fay

cinder tub

A shallow iron truck with movable sides into which the slag of a furnace
flows from the cinder runner. Fay

cinnabar

A trigonal mineral, 3[HgS] ; trimorphous with hypercinnabar and
metacinnabar; forms brilliant red acicular crystals and red to
brownish-red or gray masses; soft; sp gr, 8.1; occurs in impregnations and
vein fillings near recent volcanic rocks and hot springs, alluvial
deposits; the chief source of mercury. Syn:cinnabarite
See also:vermillion; vermilion.

cinnabarite

See:cinnabar

cinnabar matrix

A term applicable to various varieties of minerals containing numerous
inclusions of cinnabar but esp. to a Mexican variety of jasper.

cinnamite

See:cinnamon stone

cinnamon stone

a. Grossularite, a lime garnet. See also:essonite; hessonite; hyacinth.
Hess; Dana, 4
b. See:grossular

cipolino

A European term for a marble rich in silicate minerals and characterized
by layers rich in micaceous minerals. Holmes, 1

CIPW classification

See:norm system

CIPW system

See:norm system

circle

a. In the central United States, a nearly circular lead and zinc deposit
developed in clayey chert breccias in old sinkholes in Paleozoic limestone
or in dolomite (broken ground). Schieferdecker
b. In a grader, the rotary table that supports the blade and regulates its
angle. Nichols, 1

circle cutting drill

a. A pneumatic drill carried on rotating arms. Used to cut grindstones and
pulpstones from a quarry. AIME, 1
b. See:ditcher

circle haul

In strip mining, a haulage system in which the empty units enter the mine
over one lateral and leave, loaded, over the lateral nearest the tipple.
This system is utilized where laterals are built into the mine from the
main road, whether outside the outcrop or on the high-wall side of the
mine workings. This system reduces the haul on the coal surface to a
minimum, except where there are only two laterals, one at each end of the
workings.

circle reverse

The mechanism that changes the angle of a grader blade. Nichols, 1

circle spout

Eng. A trough or gutter around the inside of a shaft to catch the water
running down the sides; a garland.

circuit breaker

These differ from straight overcurrent relays in that they are primarily
used for ground protection. They are designed to measure fault current in
one or two sections. Whether faults will cause flow in one or two
directions is determined by system conditions. The two-directional relay
is used on transmission lines where ground-fault currents flow in either
direction. These relays provide directional as well as overcurrent
protection. Other directional relays provide phase protection.

circuits

Circular galleries made at different levels in a mine that enable empty
trucks to be pushed out of the cage on one side while full ones are pushed
in on the other side, thus ensuring a more rapid journey of the cage.
Circuits also aid air circulation. Syn:roundabouts

circuit tester

See:blasting galvanometer

circular arch

A roadway support consisting of an H-section girder of circular form and
usually made in three parts. The joints are secured by fishplates and
bolts. This type of steel arch is useful for withstanding pressures from
roof, sides, and floor. With close lagging between the rings, the finished
roadway resembles a tube. See also:steel arch

circular bin discharger

A revolving cone with feeder fingers around the base periphery connected
at the apex through a universal joint to a revolving arch breaker arm.

circular cutting drill

See:ditcher

circular grading table

See:rotary sorting table

circular picking table

An apparatus used for the same purpose as a picking belt and consisting of
a flat horizontal rotating annular plate. See also:picking belt
BS, 5

circular shaft

A shaft excavated as a cylinder. The circular shaft is equally strong at
all points; convenient for concrete lining and tubbing, both of which can
be made relatively watertight; and offers the least resistance to airflow.
Nelson

circular slip

A type of landslide that may occur in embankments or cuttings in clay or
homogeneous earth. See:slip surface of failure

circular tunnel kiln

The same as a straight tunnel kiln, except that it has a movable, circular
platform instead of cars.

circulating fluid

Fluid pumped into a borehole through the drill stem, the flow of which
cools the bit, washes away the cuttings from the bit, and transports the
cuttings out of the borehole. See also:reverse circulation
circulation fluid; circulation medium; drill fluid; drilling fluid.
Long

circulating head

A casing-to-drill-rod coupling. When attached to the top of the casing, it
is used during the process of pumping cement slurries or circulating water
through the casing, forcing the fluid to flow out of the casing into the
drill hole between the outside of the casing and the walls of the
borehole. Also called stuffing box; tight head. Long

circulating load

a. In mineral processing, use of a closed circuit to check mineral issuing
from a specific treatment and to return to the head of the treatment those
particles that do not satisfy the maintained conditions for release to the
next stage of treatment. Pryor, 3
b. In ore dressing, oversize material returned to a ball mill for further
grinding. Newton, 1

circulating medium

Medium in circulation in or outside a separating bath, at or about the
specific gravity of that in the separating bath. BS, 5

circulating pump

a. A pump (usually centrifugal) used to circulate water through the
condenser of a steamplant. Nelson
b. A pump used to circulate water in a coal washer or ore concentration
plant. Nelson
c. A pump used to circulate mud or water through a drilling column. Also
called slush pump. Syn:mud pump

circulating scrap

Scrap arising at steelworks and foundries during the manufacture of
finished iron and steel or of castings; consists of the sheared-off ends
of rolled and other worked products, rejected material, etc.
See also:capital scrap

circulating water

The water in the water circuit of a preparation plant. BS, 5

circulation

a. The passing of any liquid or gas from the surface to the end of the
drill string and back to the surface in the process of drilling a
borehole. Long
b. The movement of air currents through mine openings. Long
c. In rotary drilling, the process of pumping mud-laden or other fluid
down the drill pipe, through the drilling bit, and upward to the surface
through the annulus between the drill-hole walls and the drill pipe.
AGI

circulation fluid

The fluid pumped through and to the end of the drill string and back to
the surface in the process of drilling a borehole. CF:drilling mud
Long

circulation loss

The result of drilling or circulation fluid escaping into one or more
formations by way of crevices or porous media. Brantly, 1

circulation medium

See:circulating medium

circulation of air

The controlled flow of air to and from the faces to secure adequate
ventilation of all workings and traveling roads. See also:dadding
Nelson

circulation velocity

The speed, generally expressed in lineal feet per second, at which a fluid
or gas travels upward in a borehole after passing the face of the bit.
Long

circulation volume

The amount of liquid or gas circulated through the drill-string equipment
in drilling a borehole. The amount of liquid circulated is expressed in
gallons (or liters) per minute, and the amount of a gas, as air, is
expressed in cubic feet (or cubic meters) per minute. Long

circumferentor

A surveyor's compass with diametral projecting arms each carrying a
vertical slit sight. Webster 3rd

cistern

a. A settling tank for liquid slag, pulp, etc.
b. An artificial reservoir or tank for holding water. AGI

citation

Issued by regulatory representatives alleging a specific condition or
practice that violates mining, maritime, construction, environmental, or
general industry standards. NSC, 1

citrine

Not the true topaz of mineralogists, but a yellow variety of quartz, which
closely resembles topaz in color though not in other physical characters;
it is of much less value than true topaz. Known under a variety of
geographical names such as Bohemian topaz, Indian topaz, Madagascar topaz,
Madeira topaz, and Spanish topaz. Brazilian topaz is the true mineral.
Also called quartz topaz. See also:Scotch topaz; false topaz;
smoky quartz. CMD

C-J detonation

A detonation characterized by the equivalence of the detonation velocity
to the velocity of sound in the burned gas plus the velocity of flow of
the burned gases. Van Dolah

C-J plane

See:Chapman-Jouget plane

clack

a. A valve part. The hinged, lidlike part of a check, clack, or pump
valve. Also called check; flap. See also:flapper
b. A clack or pump valve. Long

clack seat

The rim or seat on which the hinged lid or flapper of a clack valve
closes. Long

clack valve

A valve having a lidlike piece hinged on one side within a chamber that
permits the flow of a fluid or gas to proceed in one direction only.
Usually, the check valve on the pickup end of a drill-pump suction hose is
a clack-type valve. Also called chock valve; flap valve; flapper valve;
foot valve. Long

clad metal

A composite metal containing two or three layers that have been bonded
together. The bonding may have been accomplished by corolling, welding,
casting, heavy chemical deposition, or heavy electroplating.
ASM, 1

claggy

a. Newc. Adhesive. When coal is tightly joined to the roof, the mine is
said to have a claggy top. Also spelled cladgy. Fay
b. Newc. Muddy or clayey dirt. Pryor, 3

claim

a. The portion of mining ground held under the Federal and local laws by
one claimant or association, by virtue of one location and record. Lode
claims, maximum size 600 ft by 1,500 ft (182.9 m by 457.3 m). Placer
claims 600 ft by 1,320 ft (182.9 m by 402.4 m). A claim is sometimes
called a location. See also:title; mining claim.
b. S. Afr. Land on a mining field to which a miner is legally entitled. A
Transvaal claim has an area of 64,025 ft2 (5,947.9 m2 or
60,000 Cape square feet). It is about 155 ft (47.3 m) along the strike of
the reef, and 413 ft (125.9 m) across the line, or along the dip of the
reef. An area of 1.44 claims is equal to a South African morgen. In Cape
feet, the claim is 150 ft by 400 ft (46.2 m by 122.0 m). Mining maps are
often designed in squares of 1,000 Cape feet by 1,000 Cape feet (304.9 m
by 304.9 m), which, therefore, contain about 16 claims measured
horizontally. Beerman
c. In Australia, a claim is defined as the portion of Crown land that any
person or number of persons shall lawfully have taken possession of and be
entitled to occupy for mining purposes. No land comprised in any mining
lease can be considered to be a claim. A claim is marked out by fixing in
the ground posts at each angle of the claim, and it need not be surveyed.
A miner is required to hold a miner's right before legally marking out or
working a claim. Nelson

claimant

In the Federal mining law, means locator. Ricketts

claim jumping

The location of a mining claim on supposedly excess ground within the
staked boundaries of an existing location on the theory that the law
governing the manner of making the original location has not been complied
with. Ricketts

claims held in common

The phrase "held in common" means a claim whereof there are more owners of
a claim than one; the use of the words "claims held in common," on which
work done upon one of such claims shall be sufficient, means that there
must be more than one claim so held, to make a case where work upon one of
them shall answer the statutory requirements as to all of them.
Ricketts

claim system

A system used mainly in the United States that grew up in the early days
of mining in the Western United States following the gold rush of 1849, as
an outgrowth of the desire of a prospector to develop a mineral deposit
discovered on the public lands and to have the claim confirmed by law. The
mining laws of the United States are based on this system, whereas most
other mining countries follow the concession system.
CF:concession system

clam

a. A clip; a haulage clip; an appliance for attaching mine cars to a rope.
See also:clip
b. A clamshell bucket. Nichols, 1
c. To mud-in the door of a kiln. ACSG, 2

clammings

Entrance to an oven. Noke

clamshell

A twin-jawed bucket without teeth; usually hung from the boom of a crane
that can be either crawler or wheel mounted. The bucket is dropped in the
open position onto the material to be excavated or handled. It is then
closed, encompassing material between the two hinged halves.

clamshell loader

A grab-type loader activated by cables. Used in mucking operations.
Lewis

clan

A compositional category for classifying igneous rocks; e.g., the
rhyolite-granite clan. A clan may be defined either by mineralogical or by
chemical composition. Clans are subdivided into families. AGI

clap-me-down

In inclined shaft timbering, a joint in which the end pieces are checked
into the cap and sill for a distance of approx. 1 in (2.5 cm), with a
bevel on the inner side. Higham

clapotis

The wave pattern established when waves are reflected by a barrier so that
the crests and troughs occur alternately in the same places with water
particle motion limited to vertical movement, while a quarter wavelength
away the particle motion is horizontal (back and forth). This is a
standing wave phenomenon. Hy

clarain

A coal lithotype characterized macroscopically by semibright, silky luster
and sheetlike, irregular fracture. It is distinguished from vitrain by
containing fine intercalations of a duller lithotype, durain. Its
characteristic microlithotype is clarite. CF:clarite; fusain; vitrain.
AGI

clarification

a. The cleaning of dirty or turbid liquids by the removal of suspended and
colloidal matter. See also:recirculation of water
b. The concentration and removal of solids from circulating water to
reduce the suspended solids to a minimum. BS, 5

clarifier

A centrifuge, settling tank, or other device for separating suspended
solid matter from a liquid. Hess

clarifying tank

A tank for clarifying cyanide or other solutions; frequently provided with
a filtering layer of sand, cotton waste, matting, etc. Fay

clarinite

a. The major maceral or micropetrological constituent of clarain. It is a
heterogeneous material that is generally translucent in thin section, and
in which there may be intercalated lenticels of such other ingredients,
such as xylinite, fusinite, resinite, suberinite, periblinite, collinite,
and ulminite. AGI
b. Strictly, not a maceral, but may be used for repetitive description.
Tomkeieff

clarite

A coal microlithotype that contains a combination of vitrinite and exinite
totalling at least 95%. The proportions of these two macerals may vary
widely, but each must be greater than the proportion of inertinite, and
neither must exceed 95%. Distinction may be made between spore clarite,
cuticular clarite, and resinous clarite. Clarite is widely distributed and
very common, particularly in clarain-type coals and occurs in fairly thick
bands. CF:clarain

clarke

The average abundance of an element in the crust of the Earth.
CF:clarke of concentration

clarkeite

A mineral, (Na,Ca,Pb)2 U2 (O,OH)7 ; strongly
radioactive; metamict; massive; dense; forms as an alteration product of
uraninite. Syn:brown gummite

clarke of concentration

The concentration of an element in a mineral or rock relative to its
crustal abundance. The term is applied to specific as well as average
occurrences. CF:clarke

Clark riffler

A sample-reducing device that splits a batch sample of ground ore into two
equal streams as it falls across an assembly of deflecting chutes.
Pryor, 3

clarodurain

A rock-type coal consisting of the maceral vitrinite (tellenite or
collinite) and large quantities of other macerals, mainly micrinite and
exinite. Micrinite and exinite are present in larger quantities than
vitrinite. Syn:clarodurite

clarodurite

The term clarodurain was introduced by G.H. Cady in 1942, and in the
modified form, clarodurite was adopted by the Nomenclature Subcommittee of
the International Committee for Coal Petrology in 1956 to designate the
microlithotype with maceral composition between that of clarite and
durite, but closer to durite than to clarite. It occurs in fairly thick
bands; is widely distributed; and, like duroclarite, is a common
constituent of most humic coal. Syn:clarodurain

clarofusain

A rock-type coal consisting of the macerals fusinite and vitrinite and may
contain all other macerals. Fusinite is present in a larger quantity than
in fusoclarain. CF:fusoclarain

clarovitrain

A rock-type coal consisting of the maceral vitrinite (collinite or
telinite) with smaller amounts of other macerals. CF:vitroclarain
AGI

clasolite

See:clastic rock

class

A division of igneous rocks based on the relative proportions of the salic
(siliceous and aluminous minerals, quartz, feldspars, and feldspathoids)
and femic (ferromagnesian minerals, pyroxene, amphibole, etc.) standard
normative minerals as calculated from chemical analyses. Holmes, 2

Class 1.1 explosive

Explosive that has a mass explosion hazard or one that will affect almost
the entire load instantaneously; previously designated by the U.S.
Department of Transportation as a Class A explosive and including, but not
limited to, dynamite, nitroglycerin, lead azide, blasting caps and
detonating primers.

Class 1.2 explosive

Explosive that has a projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard;
previously designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation as a Class
A or B explosive.

Class 1.3 explosive

Explosive that has a fire hazard and either a minor blast hazard or a
minor projection hazard or both, but not a mass explosion hazard;
previously designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation as a Class
B explosive and defined as possessing a flammable hazard, such as, but not
limited to, propellant explosives, photographic flash powders, and some
special fireworks.

Class 1.4 explosive

Explosive that presents a minor explosive hazard, and explosive effects
are confined to the package; no projection of fragments of appreciable
size or range is to be expected. An external fire must not cause virtually
an instantaneous explosion of almost the entire contents of the package;
previously designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation as a Class
C explosive and defined as containing Class A or Class B explosives, or
both, as components but in restricted quantities.

Class 1.5 explosive

Very insensitive explosive that has a mass explosive hazard but is so
insensitive that there is very little probability of initiation or of
transition from burning to detonating under normal conditions of
transport; large quantities, however, have a higher probability of
detonation subsequent to burning; previously designated by the U.S.
Department of Transportation as a blasting agent.

Class 5.1 substance

A material that yields oxygen and causes or enhances the combustion of
other materials; previously designated by the U.S. Department of
Transportation as an oxidizer.

classical washout

A belt of barren ground or thin coal produced by the erosion of a seam by
rivers that flowed during or soon after the deposition of the coal. These
erosion channels are now filled with sandy sediment.
See also:rock roll

classification

a. The process of separating particles of various sizes, densities, and
shapes by allowing them to settle in a fluid. Mitchell
b. Grading of particles too small to be screened in accordance with their
size, shape, and density by control of their settling rate through a fluid
medium (water, slurry, or air). Pryor, 3
c. The evaluation and segregation of trimmed sheet mica according to
grades and qualities. Skow
d. In powder metallurgy, separation of a powder into fractions according
to particle size. ASM, 1

classification of crystals

Of 32 crystal classes (based on 32 point groups, the possible combinations
of symmetry elements intersecting at a point) assigned to 7 crystal
systems, only 11 are found in common minerals. Each system may be
described in terms of three noncoplanar vectors (crystallographic axes)
that are generally nonorthogonal as well. Although mineral assignment to a
crystal system may require only examination of external crystal
morphology, assignment of crystal class commonly requires X-ray
diffraction analysis. The crystal systems are triclinic, monoclinic,
orthorhombic, tetragonal, trigonal, hexagonal, and isometric.
See also:crystallographic axes; crystal systems.

classification of minerals

Each mineral species is a unique, naturally occurring combination of
chemical composition and crystal system; e.g., graphite is hexagonal
carbon and diamond is isometric carbon, and halite is isometric sodium
chloride. (a) Thus, minerals may be classified according to their crystal
system. (b) Minerals may be classified chemically according to Dana as (1)
native elements and alloys; (2) sulfides, selenides, tellurides,
arsenides, and antimonides; (3) sulfosalts, sulfarsenides,
sulfantimonides, and sulfobismuthides; (4) halides; (5) oxides; (6) oxygen
salts, carbonates, silicates, borates, etc.; (7) salts of organic acids;
and (8) hydrocarbon compounds. Silicates are subdivided according to the
structural arrangements of their (SiO4 )4- tetrahedral
groups and the number of corner oxygen ions shared between them (degree of
polymerism). (c) Additionally, minerals may be classified into
isostructural groups; e.g., spinel group, garnet group, mica group,
pyroxene group, and zeolite group. (Structural classification is not
entirely congruent with chemical classification, since some structural
groups may contain more than one chemical group; e.g., the apatite group
has mainly phosphates, but some arsenates, vanadates, and silicates have
the apatite structure.) (d) Rutley classifies minerals according to group
in accordance with the periodic table as regards dominant economic
constituents. (e) Optically, minerals are classified as opaque (metallic
luster) and nonopaque (transmit light in thin section). (f) Economically,
minerals are classified as metallics if they are the source of metal from
ores and nonmetallics if their products are not metals.
See also:classification of crystals

classified sand fill

Mechanically separated sand or the sand portion of mill tails used as
backfill in underground openings. Usually conveyed hydraulically. Also
spelled classified sandfill. See also:backfill; sand fill; classifier.

classifier

a. A machine or device for separating the constituents of a material
according to relative sizes and densities, thus facilitating concentration
and treatment. Classifiers may be hydraulic or surface-current box
classifiers (spitzkasten). Webster 3rd
b. The term classifier is used in particular where an upward current of
water is used to remove fine particles from coarser material.
See also:centrifugal separation
c. In mineral beneficiation, the classifier is a device that takes the
ball-mill discharge and separates it into two portions--the finished
product, which is ground as fine as desired, and oversize material.
See also:undersize

classifier dredge

A dredge in which the gravel goes from the trommel to a classifier and
then to jigs. Lewis

classing

Sorting ore according to its quality. Gordon

clastic

Consisting of fragments of minerals, rocks, or organic structures that
have been moved individually from their places of origin. Syn:detrital;
fragmental. AGI

clastic deformation

A process of metamorphism that involves the fracture, rupture, and rolling
out of rock and mineral particles. In some instances, the crystal
structure may be preserved, but the orientation of the fragments becomes
confused. In other instances, the rock may be thoroughly pulverized.
Stokes

clastic dike

A tabular body of clastic material transecting the bedding of a
sedimentary formation, representing extraneous material that has invaded
the containing formation along a crack, either from below or from above.
See also:sandstone dike; pebble dike.

clastic rock

A consolidated sedimentary rock composed principally of broken fragments
that are derived from preexisting rocks (of any origin) or from the solid
products formed during chemical weathering of such rocks, and that have
been transported mechanically to their places of deposition; e.g., a
sandstone, conglomerate, or shale; or a limestone consisting of particles
derived from a preexisting limestone. Syn:fragmental rock; clasolite.
AGI

clathrate

A texture found chiefly in leucite rocks, in which the leucite crystals
are surrounded by tangential augite crystals in such a way as to suggest a
net or a section of a sponge, the felted mass of augite prismoids
representing the threads or walls, and the clear, round leucite crystals,
the holes. Schieferdecker

claudetite

A monoclinic mineral, As2 O3 ; dimorphous with arsenolite.

clauncher

a. Eng. A tool for cleaning blast holes. Also called clanger. Fay
b. Derb. A piece of stone that has a joint in back of it, which becomes
loose and falls when a tunnel has been driven past it. Fay

clausthalite

An isometric mineral, PbSe ; forms a crystal-solution series with galena,
which it resembles. Syn:lead selenide

clay

An extremely fine-grained natural earthy material composed primarily of
hydrous aluminum silicates. It may be a mixture of clay minerals and small
amounts of nonclay materials or it may be predominantly one clay mineral.
The type is determined by the predominant clay mineral. Clay is plastic
when sufficiently pulverized and wetted, rigid when dry, and vitreous when
fired to a sufficiently high temperature. See also:clay mineral;
fireclay; bentonite. ASTM

clay back

A back slip in a coal seam containing a clayey deposit.
See also:back slip

clay band

A light-colored, argillaceous layer in clay ironstone. Also spelled
clayband. AGI

clay barrel

See:triple-tube core barrel

clay bit

A mud auger; a mud bit; also, a bit designed for use on a clay barrel.
See also:clay-boring bit

clay book tile

Structural clay tile with tongue and groove edges resembling a book in
shape. Hess

clay-boring bit

A special coring bit used to split inner-tube core barrels. The thickness
of the bit face is reduced and the inside shoulder is not inset with
diamonds to allow a sharp-edged inner barrel to extend through and project
a short distance beyond the face of the bit. Also called clay bit; mud
bit. Long

clay course

A clay seam or clay gouge found along the sides of some veins.

claycrete

Weathered argillaceous material forming a layer immediately overlying
bedrock. AGI

clay cutter

Cutting ring at the entry to a pipe feeding into a suction cutter dredge.
Set of cutting blades in dredge trommel used to break clay brought up by
dredge buckets. Pryor, 3

clay dauber

One who seals kiln doors before burning and kiln fireboxes after burning
and assists other workers in knocking out doors and in unsealing fireboxes
after cooling. Also called dauber; plaster man. DOT

clayey

See:argillaceous

clayey soil

A soil in which clay is the basic constituent. The clay contributes to
strength by cohesion, but detracts from stability by volume change and by
plastic flow under load. Nelson

clay gall

a. Mud curl or cylinder formed by drying and cracking of thin layers of
coherent mud; commonly rolled or blown into sand and buried; flattened
upon wetting forming a lenticular bleb of clay or shale.
Pettijohn, 1
b. Eng. Clay gall pellet of clay or mudstone, often ocherous, sometimes
hollow, found esp. in false-bedded oolitic limestones such as forest
marble. Arkell

clay gouge

a. A clayey deposit in a fault zone. See also:fault gouge
b. A thin seam of clay separating masses of ore, or separating ore from
country rock. See also:gouge

clay gun

Equipment used to fire a ball of fire clay into the tap hole of a blast
furnace. See also:mud gun

clay hole

See:clay pocket

claying

Lining a borehole with clay, to keep explosives dry. Fay

claying bar

A rod or tool for lining a newly made coal shot hole with clay to seal up
any breaks in the walls of the hole. The hole is filled with clay to about
one-third of its length. The claying bar is driven in by hammer to the
limit and rotated by a tommy bar in the eyelet at the outer end of the
bar. See also:clay iron; bull; scraper and break detector.
Nelson

clay iron

An iron rod used for ramming clay into wet drill holes. See also:bull;
claying bar. Fay

clay ironstone

a. A compact hard, dark, gray or brown, fine-grained sedimentary rock
consisting of a mixture of argillaceous material (up to 30%) and iron
carbonate (siderite), occurring in layers of nodules or concretions or as
relatively continuous irregular thin beds, and usually associated with
carbonaceous strata, esp. overlying a coal seam in the coal measures of
the United States or Great Britain; a clayey iron carbonate, or an impure
siderite ore occurring admixed with clays. The term has also been applied
to an argillaceous rock containing iron oxide (such as hematite or
limonite). See also:blackband ironstone
b. A sideritic concretion or nodule occurring in clay ironstone and other
argillaceous rocks, often displaying septarian structure. AGI
c. See:ironstone; iron clay.

clay loam

a. A fine-textured soil that breaks into clods or lumps that are hard when
dry. When the moist soil is pinched between the thumb and finger, it will
form a thin ribbon that will break readily, barely sustaining its own
weight. The moist soil is plastic and will form a cast that will bear much
handling. When kneaded in the hand, it does not crumble readily but tends
to work into a heavy compact mass. Stokes
b. A soil containing 27% to 40% clay, 20% to 45% sand, and the remainder
silt. AGI

clay maker

One who blends and mixes various clays, as shipped from a mine, into a
thin, semiliquid form by operating a blunger (mixing machine). Also called
blunger machine operator; clay mixer; clay washer; slip maker; slip mixer;
wet mixer. DOT

clay marl

A chalky clay, or a marl in which clay largely predominates.

clay mineral

a. A colloidal-size, crystalline, hydroxyl silicate having a crystal
structure of the two-layer (7 Aa) type (kaolinite), or of the three-layer
(14 Aa) type (smectite), in which layers of silicon and aluminum ions have
tetrahedral coordination with respect to oxygen, while layers of aluminum,
ferrous and ferric iron, magnesium, chromium, lithium, manganese, and
other cations have octahedral coordination with respect to oxygen and to
hydroxyl ions. Exchangeable cations may attach to the silicate layers in
an amount determined by the excess negative charge within the composite
layers. These cations commonly are calcium and sodium, but may also be
potassium, magnesium, hydronium, aluminum, or others. The most common clay
minerals belong to the kaolinite, smectite, attapulgite, and illite
(hydromica) groups. Mixed-layer clay minerals are either randomly or
regularly interstratified intergrowths of two or more clay minerals.
See also:clay
b. Any mineral found in the clay fraction (less than 4 mu m) of a soil or
sediment; e.g., rock flour comminuted by glacial grinding.
c. Any kandite mineral of the kaolinite-serpentine group.

claypan

a. A playa formed by deflation of alluvial topsoils in a desert, in which
water collects after a rain. AGI
b. A term used in Australia for a shallow depression containing clayey and
silty sediment, and having a hard, sun-baked surface. AGI
c. See:hardpan

clay parting

a. Clayey material bound between a vein and its wall. Also called casing;
parting. Fay
b. Seams of hardened carbonaceous clay between or in beds of coal.
Hess

claypit

a. A sump in which a drilling mud is mixed and stored. Long
b. A pit or sump in which the return fluid from a borehole is collected
and stored for recirculation. Long
c. A pit where clay is dug.

clay pocket

A clay-filled cavity in rock; a mass of clay in rock or gravel.
Syn:clay hole

clay rock

See:claystone

clay sapropel

Clay deposit containing sapropel. Tomkeieff

clay shale

a. A consolidated sediment consisting of no more than 10% sand and having
a silt to clay ratio of less than 1:2 (Folk, 1954, p. 350); a fissile
claystone. AGI
b. A shale that consists chiefly of clayey material and that becomes clay
on weathering. AGI

clay size

Said of that portion of soil or sediment that is finer than 2 to 5 mu m.

clay slate

a. A low-grade, essentially unreconstituted slate, as distinguished from
the more micaceous varieties that border on phyllite. AGI
b. A slate derived from an argillaceous rock, such as shale, rather than
from volcanic ash; a metamorphosed clay, with cleavage developed by
shearing or pressure, as distinguished from mica slate. AGI

clay stains

Yellowish-brown or rust-colored films from deposits of clay minerals.
Skow

claystone

a. A term applicable to indurated clay in the same sense as sandstone is
applicable to indurated or cemented sand. Syn:clay rock
See also:mudstone; siltstone.
b. One of the concretionary masses of clay frequently found in alluvial
deposits, in the form of flat rounded disks either simple or variously
united so as to give rise to curious shapes.

clay temperer

See:wet-pan operator

clay vein

A body of clay, usually roughly tabular in form like an ore vein, that
fills a crevice in a coal seam. It is believed to have originated where
the pressure was high enough to force clay from the roof or floor into
small fissures and in many instances, to alter and to enlarge them. Also
called horseback. AGI

clay wash

a. A deposit of clay transported and deposited by water.
b. The agitation of an oil with fuller's earth or some other clay to
improve the color or odor of the oil. Porter
c. A thin emulsion of clay and water, sometimes used to strengthen the
face of a mold. Freeman
d. Clay thinned with water and used for coating gaggers and flasks.
Crispin

clay washer

See:clay maker

clean

a. Free from combustible gases or other noxious gases.
b. A coal seam free from dirt partings.
c. A diamond or other gem stone free from interior flaws. Hess
d. A borehole free of cave or other obstructing material. Long
e. A mineral virtually free of undesirable nonore or waste rock material.
Long
f. Free of foreign material. In reference to sand or gravel, it means lack
of binder Nichols, 1

Clean Air Act

U.S. law: 42 USC Sections 7401-7428 (1979) and resulting regulations in 40
CFR51, administered by USEPA. Its objective is to reduce atmospheric
pollution to acceptable limits. Inter alia, it empowers local authorities
to declare smoke control areas in which the emission of any smoke from
chimneys will constitute an offense. The act became part of Great
Britain's national legislation in July 1956, although its main provisions
did not become effective until June 1, 1958. See also:coal smoke;
smoke. Nelson

clean cutting

A rock formation, the cuttings of which do not tend to mud up on the face
of a diamond or other bit. Long

clean cuttings

a. Rock cuttings that do not ball or adhere to the walls of a borehole.
Long
b. Rock cuttings not contaminated by cave material or drill-mud
ingredients. Long

cleaned coal

Coal produced by a mechanical cleaning process (wet or dry). BS, 5

cleaner

Scot. A scraper for cleaning out a shothole. Fay

cleaner cell

Secondary cell for the retreatment of the concentrate from a primary cell.#WORD ®9¯ ®22¯ recleaner cell ®5362¯ ®5363¯
Syn:recleaner cell

clean hole

A borehole free of cave or other obstructing material. Long

cleaning

a. A general term for the methods and processes of separating dirt from
coal or gangue from mineral. See also:coal-preparation plant; roughing.
Nelson
b. The retreatment of the rough flotation concentrate to improve its
quality. Pryor, 4

cleaning plant

See:coal washer; preparation plant.

cleanout

a. To remove cave or other obstructing material from a borehole.
Long
b. A port or opening provided in the body or base of a machine or other
mechanism through which accumulated debris may be removed. Long

cleanout auger

See:cleanout jet auger

cleanout jet auger

An auger equipped with water-jet orifices designed to clean out collected
material inside a driven pipe or casing before taking soil samples from
strata below the bottom of the casing. Also called cleanout auger;
M.P.F.M. jet auger. Long

cleanup

a. The operation of collecting all the valuable product of a given period
of operation in a stamp mill, or in a hydraulic or placer mine.
b. The valuable material resulting from a cleanup.
c. To load all the coal a miner has broken.
d. The cleanup of sluices in placer mining is a similar process that
occurs daily or more often. The gold, tin, or other concentrate is
shoveled out for further treatment. Nelson
e. To police and tidy up a drill rig and the surrounding area.
Long

cleanup barrel

A barrel used to batch grind and then amalgamate gold-bearing concentrates
and residues. Pryor, 3

clear

a. Translucent diamond with few visible spots or flaws. Long
b. Water that has not been recirculated in drilling and hence is free of
drill cuttings and sludge. Also applied to return water when it contains
little or no entrained cuttings or sludge. Long
c. A safe working place. Long
d. Transparent, such as in clear quartz, clear glass.

clearance

a. The space between the top or side of a car and the mine roof or wall.
Fay
b. Technically, the annular space between downhole drill-string equipment,
such as bits, core barrels, casing, etc., and the walls of the borehole
with the downhole equipment centered in the hole. Loosely, the term is
commonly and incorrectly used as a syn. for exposure. See also:exposure;
inside clearance. Long
c. The amount of open space around a drill or piece of mining equipment in
an underground workplace. Long

clearance space

A space in pumps of the piston and ram types, usually quite small, between
the cylinder end and the piston at the end of its stroke. The height to
which water can be raised on the suction side is influenced by the volume
of this space. Mason

clear clay

A clay such as kaolin that is free from organic matter and so does not
give rise to bubbles if used in a vitreous enamel; such clays are used in
enamels when good gloss and clear colors are required. Dodd

clearer

A reservoir (in saltmaking) into which brine is conveyed. Fay

clearing

The removal of all standing growth, whether bushes or trees.
Carson, 1

clearing and grubbing

Removal of tree stumps before excavation starts on a construction site.
Hammond

clearing hole

A hole drilled to a slightly larger diameter than the bolt passing through
it. The clearance for black bolts is normally 1/16 in (1.6 mm).
Hammond

clear mica

Transparent muscovite without stains and with a smooth surface in
reflected light.

clear span

The clear unobstructed distance between the inner extremities of the two
supports of a beam. This dimension is always less than the effective span.
See also:effective span

cleat

a. Term applied to systems of joints, cleavage planes, or planes of
weakness found in coal seams along which the coal fractures.
See also:facing; face cleat; bord; butt cleat. Also spelled cleet.
b. Main joint in a coal seam along which it breaks most easily. Runs in
two directions, along and across the seam. Pryor, 3
c. Joints in coal more or less normal to the bedding planes.
BS, 11
d. An attachment fastened to a conveying medium to help propel material
along the path of travel.

cleat spar

York. Crystalline mineral matter, often ankerite, occurring in the cleat
cracks of coal. Arkell

cleavage

a. The breaking of a mineral along its crystallographic planes, thus
reflecting crystal structure. CF:parting
b. The property or tendency of a rock to split along secondary, aligned
fractures or other closely spaced planes or textures, produced by
deformation or metamorphism. AGI
c. In quarrying, the cleavage of rocks is often called the rift.
Nelson

cleavage banding

A compositional banding that is parallel to the cleavage rather than to
the bedding. It results from the mechanical movement of incompetent
material, such as argillaceous rocks, into the cleavage planes in a more
competent rock, such as sandstone. Ordinarily, the argillaceous bands are
only a few millimeters thick. See also:segregation banding

cleavage plane

The plane along which cleavage takes place. Fay

cleavages

As used by the diamond-cutting and diamond-bit-setting industries, the
more or less flat diamond fragments produced by splitting a crystalline
diamond along the octahedral plane. Such fragments are used primarily as a
material from which special-shaped, diamond-pointed cutting tools are
produced. See also:melee

cleave

To split a crystalline substance, such as a diamond, along a cleavage
plane. Long

cleavelandite

A white, lamellar, or leaflike variety of albite, having an almost pure Ab
content and commonly forming fan-shaped aggregates of tabular crystals
that show mosaic development and appear as though bent; formed as a
late-stage mineral in pegmatites, replacing other minerals. Also spelled
clevelandite.

cleaving

Splitting a crystal along a cleavage plane. Hess

cleaving way

Corn. A direction parallel to the bedding planes of a rock. CF:roughway;
quartering way. Fay

cleek

a. Scot. To load cages at the shaft bottom or at midworkings.
b. Scot. See:haulage clip

cleft

An abrupt chasm, cut, breach, or other sharp opening, such as a craggy
fissure in a rock, a wave-cut gully in a cliff, a trench on the ocean
bottom, a notch in the rim of a volcanic crater, or a narrow recess in a
cave floor. Obsolete syn: clift. AGI

Clerici solution

A molecular mixture of thallium malonate and thallium formate. Used as a
heavy solution for the separation of minerals. The solution has a maximum
density of 4.25 g/cm3 at 20 degrees C. It is prepared by adding
formic acid to one of two equal quantities of thallium carbonate, and
adding malonic acid to the other until each is neutralized. The two
solutions are then mixed, filtered, and evaporated until almandite floats.
CF:Sonstadt solution; Klein solution; bromoform; methylene iodide.
Hess

cleveite

A variety of uraninite containing a large percentage of UO3 ; also
rich in helium. Contains about 10% of the yttrium earths. Fay

clevis

a. In coal mining, a spring hook or snap hook used to attach the hoisting
rope to the bucket. Also called clivvy. Pryor, 3
b. A U-shaped iron hook used with an iron pin for connecting ropes to the
drawbars of cars or, when used with iron links, for coupling cars
together. Also used as a connecting link between chains or lines or to
hang a sheave in a drill tripod or derrick. Jones, 1; Long

cliachite

a. A ferruginous bauxite from Cliache, Dalmatia, Croatia. English
b. Colloidal aluminum hydroxide occurring as one of the constituents of
bauxite. Also spelled kliachite. See also:laterite; sporogelite.
Syn:alumogel

cliff

a. Wales. Shale that is laminated, splitting easily along the planes of
deposition. Also called clift.
b. The strata of rocks above or between coal seams. Standard, 2

clift

a. Obsolete var. of cleft. See:cleft
b. Dialectal var. of cliff. AGI
c. A term used in southern Wales for various kinds of shale, esp. a
strong, usually silty, mudstone. AGI

climate

In froth flotation, the prevailing balance of chemical energy reached by
the reacting electrical, physical, and chemical forces. Pryor, 1

climb

The tendency of an inclined diamond-drill hole to follow an
upward-curving, increasingly flat course; also, the tendency of a diamond
or other rotary-type bit to drill a hole curved in the updip direction
when holes are drilled in alternating hard- and soft-layer rock having
bedding planes that cross the borehole at an angle other than 90 degrees
to the face of the bit. Long

clink

One of the internal cracks formed in steel by differential expansion of
surface and interior during heating. The tendency for clinks to occur
increases with the hardness and mass of the metal, and with the rate of
heating. CTD

clinker

a. Fused or partly fused coal ash, a byproduct of combustion. CF:core
ACSG, 2
b. Coal that has been altered by an igneous intrusion.
See also:natural coke
c. Partially fused intermediate product in the manufacture of portland
cement.

clinkstone

An older term for a feldspathic rock, usually fissile; it is sonorous when
stuck with a hammer. Also spelled klinkstone. See also:phonolite
AGI

clino

A prefix to the name of a mineral species or group to indicate monoclinic
symmetry as opposed to "ortho" indicating orthorhombic symmetry. See the
root mineral name.

clinoamphibole

a. A group name for amphiboles crystallizing in the monoclinic system.
b. Any monoclinic mineral of the amphibole group; e.g., hornblende,
cummingtonite, grunerite, tremolite, actinolite, riebeckite, glaucophane,
and arfvedsonite. CF:orthoamphibole

clinoaugite

A collective name for the monoclinic pyroxenes. See also:clinopyroxene
English

clinoaxis

The inclined crystallographic axis in the monoclinic system, designated a
or b in the first setting and a or c in the second. Most mineralogists use
the second setting and designate the clinoaxis a.

clinochlore

A monoclinic mineral, 2[(Mg,Fe)5 Al(Si3 Al)4 O (sub
10) (OH)8 ; chlorite group; occurs in greenschists.

clinochrysotile

Monoclinic and orthorhombic forms of chrysotile, as determined by X-rays.
See also:chrysotile

clinoclase

A monoclinic mineral, Cu3 (AsO4 )(OH)3 ; formerly
called clinoclasite. Syn:aphanesite

clinoclasite

Former name for clinoclase.

clinodome

An open crystal form of four sides parallel to the clinoaxis a in the
monoclinic system. CF:dome; orthodome.

clinoenstenite

A name for the pyroxene series clinoenstatite and clinohypersthene.
CF:enstenite

clinoferrosilite

A monoclinic mineral, Fe2 Si2 O6 ; pyroxene group;
contains up to 15% Mg2 Si2 O6 toward
clinohypersthene; dimorphic with ferrosilite.

clinograph

An instrument for making a borehole survey; i.e., to determine if, and in
what direction, a borehole has deviated off the true vertical plane.
See also:crooked hole

clinoguarinite

a. Cesaro's name for a monoclinic form of guarinite.
See also:orthoguarinite
b. A former name for hiortdahlite.

clinohedrite

a. Breithaupt's name for tetrahedrite. English
b. A monoclinic mineral, CaZnSiO4 .H2 O; forms colorless to
white or amethystine clinohedral crystals.

clinohypersthene

An intermediate member in the series clinoenstatite-clinoferrosilite in
the pyroxene group.

clinometer

Any of various instruments used for measuring angles of slope, elevation,
or inclination (esp. the dip of a geologic stratum or the slope of an
embankment); e.g., a simple hand-held device consisting of a tube with a
cross hair, a graduated vertical arc, and an attached spirit level so
mounted that the inclination of the line of sight can be read on the
circular scale by centering the level bubble at the instant of
observation. A clinometer is usually combined with a compass (e.g., the
Brunton compass). Syn:inclinometer; plain clinometer.
CF:drift indicator

clinophone

An exceptionally accurate instrument for borehole surveying, designed
particularly for use with the freezing and cementation methods of shaft
sinking; capable of giving the slope of a borehole to within 1 min of arc.
Hammond

clinoptilolite

A monoclinic mineral, (Na,K,Ca)2 Al3 (Al,Si)2 Si (sub
13) O36 .12H2 O; of the zeolite group.

clinopyroxene

A group name for monoclinic pyroxenes. Abbrev. cpx. Syn:monopyroxene
CF:orthopyroxene

clinostrengite

A discredited name for phosphosiderite, a dimorph of strengite.

clinoungemachite

A monoclinic mineral, sodium potassium iron sulfate; possibly dimorphous
with ungemachite.

clinozoisite

An epidote having the composition of zoisite, Ca2 Al3 (SiO
4 )3 (OH) ; monoclinic; crystals striated. Dana, 4

clintonite

a. A monoclinic mineral, Ca(Mg,Al)3 (Al3 Si)O10 (OH)
2 ; mica group. Syn:seyberite; xanthophyllite.
b. A group name for the brittle micas.

Clinton ore

A red, fossiliferous sedimentary iron ore; e.g., the Clinton Formation
(Middle Silurian) or correlative rocks of the east-central United States,
containing lenticular or oolitic grains of hematite. It supplies the
ironworks at Birmingham, AL. See also:fossil ore; flaxseed ore.
AGI

clip

Connector between an underground tub, car, truck, or tram, and endless
rope haulage. A clip pulley has a broad rim into which studs are set, to
grip links of a haulage chain. See also:haulage clip; automatic clip;
coupling; clam. Pryor, 3

clip method

The clip method of making wire rope attachments is widely used.
Drop-forged clips of either the U-bolt or the double-saddle type are
recommended. When clips of the correct size are properly applied, the
method uses about 80% of the rope strength.

clod

a. Eng. Deposits interstratified with coal; Yorkshire and Midland
Counties. Nelson
b. A hard earthy clay on the roof of a working place in a coal seam; often
a fireclay. CTD
c. A miner's term applied to a soft, weak, or loosely consolidated shale
(or to a hard, earthy clay), esp. one found in close association with coal
or immediately overlying a coal seam. It is so called because it falls
away in lumps when worked. An artificially formed aggregate of soil
particles. AGI
d. A clod of dirt, of greater or less diameter, thin at the edges and
increasing in thickness to the middle. See also:kettle bottom
e. An artificially formed aggregate of soil particles.

clog

a. Mid. A short piece of timber about 3 in by 6 in by 24 in (7.6 cm by
15.2 cm by 61.0 cm) fixed between the roof and a prop. Fay
b. A flat wedge over a post. See also:lid
c. To obstruct, hinder, or choke up; e.g., the stoppage of flow through a
pipe by an accumulation of foreign matter, or the filling up of the
grooves in a file when operating on a soft metal. Crispin
d. Eng. Rock filling a fault. Arkell

close-connected

Applied to dredges in which the buckets are each connected to the one in
front without any intermediate link. Fay

closed circuit

a. A water circuit designed so that the only water added is that necessary
to replace the loss of water on the products. BS, 5
b. A system in which coal passes from comminution to a sorting device that
returns oversize for further treatment and releases undersize from the
closed circuit.

closed-circuit grinding

A size-reduction process in which the ground material is removed either by
screening or by a classifier, the oversize being returned to the grinding
unit. Typical examples are a dry pan with screens, dry milling in an
air-swept ball mill, and wet milling in a ball mill with a classifier.
See also:circulating load

closed-circuit operation

Retention and retreatment of ore in part of flow a line until it satisfies
criteria for release. Used in comminution to reduce overgrinding by
passing intermediate particles repeatedly through grinding systems,
classifying the product and returning oversize. Used in concentration
(e.g., rougher-scavenger-cleaner flotation) to retain a selected fraction
of ore in circuit for retreatment (a middling), until it is either
upgraded to rank as concentrate or sufficiently denuded of value to be
rejected as tailing. Pryor, 1

closed-circuit television

System in which television cameras relay pictures of conditions at
important points in a plant, thereby aiding workers to watch inaccessible
places and exercise extended control.

closed contour

A contour line that forms a closed loop and does not intersect the edge of
the map area on which it is drawn; e.g., a depression contour indicating a
closed depression, or a normal contour indicating a hilltop. AGI

closed fault

A fault in which the two walls are in contact. CF:open fault
AGI

closed frame

A mine support frame used esp. in inclined shafts where protection from
rock pressure is needed on all sides. This completely closed set is
provided at the bottom with a sill. The joint is usually effected by
tenons, so that when the pressure is exerted in a downward direction the
timbers interlock. Stoces


closed joint

A joint found in rocks that causes a plane of weakness known variously as
a rift or gain. This largely determines the shape of the blocks that may
be extracted from a quarry. Also called incipient joint. Syn:gain

closed-spiral auger

A soil-sampling auger made by spirally twisting a flat steel ribbon to
form a tubelike, hollow-center, corkscrewlike device. Long

closed top

See:cup and cone

closed traverse

a. A surveying traverse whose accuracy can be checked by the fact that,
when it is closed, the angles should add up to 360 degrees , and which
ends at its starting point. Hammond
b. A surveying traverse that starts and terminates upon the same station
or upon a station of known position. CF:open traverse

closed-water circuit

The separation of solids from a washery slurry so that the water can be
returned to the plant and used continuously. Nelson

close goods

a. Pure stones, of desirable shapes.
b. Highest class of South African diamonds, as sorted at Kimberly.

close-jointed

Applied to rocks in which the joints are very close together. Fay

close-joints cleavage

See:slip cleavage

close nipple

A nipple, the length of which is about twice the length of a standard pipe
thread and without any shoulder. See also:nipple

close prospecting

Detailed analysis of a proven placer deposit that should determine: (1)
the volumetric measurements of both overburden and gravel; (2) the
estimation of the gold or other mineral contents; (3) the average value of
the area in pence, cents, carats, or other unit per unit of volume; and
(4) all possible information regarding the nature of the overburden and
gravel--i.e., whether it is clayey, free wash, etc.--as well as of the
bedrock. Griffith

close-ranged

Screened or classified between close maximum and minimum limits of size or
settlement. Pryor, 4

close sheathing

Consists of planks placed side by side along a continuous frame. Its use
is to prevent local crumbling of less compacted soils. Since crevices can
exist between planks, it should not be used with fine silts or liquid
soils, which can seep through these cracks. CF:skeleton sheathing;
tight sheathing. Carson, 1

close sizing

a. In screening, choice of sieve sizes that are fairly close in mesh size
to restrict size range of each fraction of the material separated.
b. Sizing with screens.

close timbering

The setting of timber sets and lagging very close together when shaft
sinking or tunneling through very loose ground or crushed coal in thick
seams. See also:cribbing; forepoling. Nelson

closing error

When calculating or plotting the distances, angles, or coordinates of a
closed traverse or one connecting two accurately located points, the
discrepancy between starting and finishing point. This error is adjusted
in proportion to the magnitude of the angles and distances involved, if it
is below a tolerable limit. See also:error of closure

closing rope

Operating rope for opening and closing a grab. Hammond

closterite

Dense, laminated, brownish-red algal coal found in Irkutsk, Russia. It
consists of an accumulation of spheroidal algal colonies of different
sizes, among which are disseminated great numbers of desmid algae,
belonging to the living genus, Closterium. Tomkeieff

closure

a. A closed anticlinal structure.
b. The difference in the relative position of the bottom and the collar of
a borehole expressed in horizontal distance in a specific compass
direction. Long
c. The relative inward movement of the two walls of a stope.
d. A cumulative measure of the various individual errors in survey
measurements; the amount by which a series of survey measurements fails to
yield a theoretical or previously determined value for a survey quantity.
AGI
e. Used in structural geology, esp. in connection with potential oil
structures, to designate the vertical distance between the highest point
of an anticlinal structure of an anticlinal structure or fold and the
lowest contour that closes around the structure. It is an approximate
measure of the capacity of a structural trap for oil and/or gas.
Stokes
f. A portion of brick to close, when required, the end of a course as
distinguished from a half brick. See:closure

closure meter

An instrument for indicating the amount of closure that has taken place.
Wall closure in mines is measured by this instrument. Also called sag
meter. Spalding; Spalding

clot

A group of ferromagnesian minerals in igneous rock, from a few inches to a
foot or more in size, commonly drawn out longitudinally, that may be a
segregation or an altered xenolith. AGI

clothing

Eng. Brattice constructed of a coarse, specially prepared canvas.
Fay



clotting

The sintering or semifusion of ores during roasting. Fay

cloud chamber

A device that displays the tracks of charged atomic particles. It is a
glass-walled chamber filled with a supersaturated vapor. When charged
particles pass through the chamber, they leave a cloudlike track much like
the condensation trail of a plane. This track permits scientists to see
the paths of these particles and study their motion and interaction.
See also:bubble chamber; spark chamber. Lyman

clouded agate

Chalcedony with irregular or indistinct patches of color.
See also:agate

cloudy chalcedony

Chalcedony with dark, cloudy spots in a light-gray transparent base.
Schaller

cloudy stain

In mica, a cloudlike effect that occurs in various colors. Skow

cloustonite

Scot. A mineral related to asphalt, occurring in patches in blue limestone
and in blue flags at Inganess, Orkney. It is soluble in benzol and at a
red heat gives off a large amount of illuminating gas. Fay

clump

a. A bend in a roadway or passage in a coal seam. CTD
b. A large fall of roof. CTD
c. A tough fireclay. CTD

clustered carbide

See:interspersed carbide

clusterite

See:botryoid

cluster mill

A rolling mill in which each of the two working rolls of small diameter is
supported by two or more backup rolls. ASM, 1

CM

Strata containing coalbeds, particularly those of the Pennsylvanian
Period. Used as a proper name for a stratigraphic unit more or less
equivalent to the Pennsylvanian Period. Abbrev. of Coal Measures.
AGI

CMI centrifuge

A fine-coal dewatering machine consisting of two rotating elements, an
outside conical screen frame, and an inside solid cone, which carries
spiral hindrance flights. By a slight difference in the number of teeth in
the gears, the screen element moves slightly faster, in the same
direction, than the solid cone. Material enters the machine from the top
and falls on the solid cone where centrifugal force throws it against the
screen. It slides down the screen until it meets the upper end of the
hindrance flights, and, in doing so, the water begins to pass through the
screen. The flights spiral downward, and, as the screen moves slowly
around them in the direction of the downward pitch, the solids gradually
find their way to the bottom of the screen basket and the zone of maximum
centrifugal force, tending to remove all of the water.
See also:dewatering

coagulation

a. The binding of individual particles to form flocs or agglomerates and
thus increase their rate of settlement in water or other liquid.
See also:flocculation
b. The coalescence of fine particles to form larger particles.

coagulator

A soluble substance, such as lime, which, when added to a suspension of
very fine solid particles in water, causes these particles to adhere in
clusters that will settle easily. Used to assist in reclaiming water used
in flotation. Hess

coal

A readily combustible rock containing more than 50% by weight and more
than 70% by volume of carbonaceous material, including inherent moisture;
formed from compaction and induration of variously altered plant remains
similar to those in peat. Differences in the kinds of plant materials
(type), in degree of metamorphism (rank), and in the range of impurity
(grade) are characteristic of coal and are used in classification.
Syn:black diamond

coal analysis

The determination, by chemical methods, of the proportionate amounts of
various constituents of coal. Two kinds of coal analyses are ordinarily
made: (1) proximate analysis, which divides the coal into moisture
(water), volatile matter, fixed carbon, and ash. Percentage of sulfur and
heat value in Btus per pound or kilogram, each obtained by separate
determination, are usually reported with the real proximate analysis; and
(2) ultimate analysis, which determines the percentages of the chemical
elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Other elements
that may be present are considered impurities and are reported as ash.

coal ash

Noncombustible matter in coal.

coal auger

A special type of continuous miner. It consists essentially of a large
diameter screw drill that cuts, transports, and loads coal onto vehicles
or conveyors. The coal auger is used for (1) winning opencast coal without
stripping overburden; (2) pillar-and-stall mining; and (3) extraction of
pillars or percentage of pillars that would otherwise be uneconomic to
work. See also:auger; twist drill; mole mining. Nelson

coal ball

Nodules of spheroidal, lenticular, or irregular shape containing petrified
plant remains and in some cases animal remains. They vary in size from
about 1 to 40 cm or more; occasional specimens weigh more than 1 ton.
Infrequently, an entire seam in a restricted area consists largely of coal
balls. Coal balls consist mainly of calcareous, dolomitic, sideritic,
pyritic, or siliceous material surrounding or impregnating plant and
animal remains. They occur in brown coals (mainly sideritic balls) as well
as in coals of higher rank generally lying within a coal seam but
occasionally in the roof. Calcareous, dolomitic, and pyritic coal balls
are commonly found in seams having marine strata in the roof. The
distribution in seams is variable. They may occur in a broad zone running
through a coalbed or be distributed irregularly in nests.
Syn:torf dolomite

coal bank

An exposed seam of coal. Craigie

coal barrier

A protective pillar of coal. See also:barrier pillar

coal basin

a. Depression in older rock formations in which coal-bearing strata have
been deposited. See also:concealed coalfield; exposed coalfield.
b. A coalfield with a basinal structure; e.g., the Carboniferous Coal
Measures of England. AGI

coal blasting

There are two methods of breaking coal with explosives, namely, blasting
cut coal, which is the method most commonly used, and blasting off the
solid, or grunching. McAdam, 2

coalbreaker

a. A building containing the machinery for breaking coal with toothed
rolls, sizing it with sieves, and cleaning it for market.
b. A machine for breaking coal.

coal briquette

Coal made more suitable for burning by a process that forms it into a
regular square- or oval-shaped piece. Bennett

coal briquetting

See:briquette

coal bump

Sudden outburst of coal and rock that occurs when stresses in a coal
pillar, left for support in underground workings, cause the pillar to
rupture without warning, sending coal and rock flying with explosive
force.

coal burster

An appliance for loosening coal by means of high-pressure water and oil.
It consists of a round, stainless steel bar with small telescopic rams
acting on a steel liner in a shot hole. The bar is connected to a hand- or
power-operated pump placed near the face. The high-pressure liquid from
the pump causes the rams and liner to exert a pressure sufficient to
loosen or break down the coal. It is a safe method of coal breaking
without the use of explosives. It has not, however, made the progress
originally anticipated. See also:water infusion
Syn:hydraulic cartridge

coal car

A car used in hauling coal in or from a mine. Craigie

coal cart

A cart for carrying coal. Craigie

coal chute

A trough or spout down which coal slides from a bin or pocket to a
locomotive tender, or to vessels, carts, or cars. Fay

coal claim

A piece of land having, or thought to have, valuable coal deposits on it
and legally claimed by one seeking to own it. Mathews

coal classification

The grouping of coals according to certain qualities or properties, such
as coal type, rank, carbon-hydrogen ratio, and volatile matter.
See also:high-volatile coals

coal classification systems

One system classifies coal by the content of volatile matter: with 10%
volatile, anthracite; between 10% and 13% lean coal, semianthracite or
dry-steam coal; 14% to 20%, variously designated; 20% to 30%, fat or
coking coal. Other systems classify by calorific value, and caking and/or
coking property. Post-World War II classifications include (1) volatile
matter, (2) caking properties on rapid heating, and (3) coking properties.
See also:ASTM coal classification

coal clay

Clay found under a coalbed, usually a fireclay. See also:underclay

coal cleaning

The sorting, picking, screening, washing, pneumatic separation, and mixing
of coal sizes for the market.

coal cleaning equipment

Equipment used to remove impurities -- such as slate, sulfur, pyrite,
shale, fire clay, gravel, and bone -- from coal.

coal cleaning plant

A plant where raw or run-of-mine coal is washed, graded, and treated to
remove impurities and to reduce ash content. Syn:washery
Pryor, 3

coal clearing

The loading of broken coal at the face into conveyors or mine cars. The
clearing shift is the coal-loading shift or stint. Usually the miner has a
measured task or stint (stent). Nelson; Pryor, 3

coal conglomerate

A conglomerate made of fragments of coal. Tomkeieff

coal constituent classification

In the United States it is generally agreed that the maceral concept of
the nomenclature Stopes-Heerlen System fails to comprehend the effect of
the stage of coalification on the nature of coal constituents. W.
Spackman's interpretation of the maceral concept incorporates the ideas of
variable coalification in suggesting a skeletal framework upon which a
systematic classification can be built. The maceral concept, as
interpreted by Spackman, implements the classification of the products of
coalification. In this scheme, macerals possessing similar chemical and
physical properties are assembled into maceral groups that can, in turn,
be characterized by a comparatively restricted set of properties. Maceral
groups possessing similar characteristics can be classified into maceral
suites. Syn:Spackman system

coal cutter

a. The longwall coal cutter is a power-operated machine that draws itself
by rope haulage along the face, usually cutting out a thin strip of coal
from the bottom of the seam, in preparation for shot firing and loading or
a cutter loader. The bar and disk machines are obsolescent and the chain
coal cutter is now almost universal. Nelson
b. See:machineman

coal-cutter pick

One of the cutting points attached to a cutter chain for making a groove
in a coal seam. The picks are made from quality carbon steel or a hard
alloy steel and tipped with fused tungsten carbide, sintered tungsten
carbide, or other hard-wearing material. The advent of the coal-cutter
pick tipped with tungsten carbide on a heat-treated, alloy-steel shank has
resulted in marked improvements in drilling and a reduction in cutting
delays. See also:chain coal cutter; double-ended pick; duckbill pick;
tungsten carbide bit. Nelson

coal-cutter team

The miners in charge of a coal cutter. A cutting team varies from two to
five with two to three about average. The leading worker is normally
stationed in front of the machine and is in charge of the controls, and an
assistant follows behind. See also:machineman
Nelson

coal-cutting machine

A machine powered by compressed air or electricity that drives a cutting
chain or other device so as to undercut or overcut a seam, or to remove a
layer of shale. Percussive cutters are used to bore holes or to make
vertical cuts (nicking, shearing); disk, bar, and chain cutters carry
small picks that undercut the seam as the machine travels.
Pryor, 3

coal-cutting machine operator

See:machineman

coal digging

A place where coal is dug. Craigie

coal drill

Usually an electric rotary drill of a light, compact design. Aluminum and
its alloys usually are used to reduce weight. Where dust is a hazard, wet
drilling is employed. With a 1-hp (745.7-W) electric drill, speeds up to 6
ft/min (1.83 m/min) are possible. Light percussive drills, operated by
compressed air, and hand-operated drills are also employed.
See also:electric coal drill

coal driller

In coal mining, a worker who uses a hand or power drill to drill holes
into the working face of the coal into which explosives are charged and
set off to blast down the coal. DOT

coal dryer

A plant or vessel in which water or moisture is removed from fine coal.
Artificial drying of fine coal is not often employed. Fine coal is removed
from wash water by dewatering classifiers or by vacuum filtration.
See also:dryer; thermal drying. Nelson

coal dust

a. The general name for coal particles of small size. In experimental mine
testing, particles that will not pass through a 20-mesh screen--
1/32-in-square (0.8-mm-square) openings--are not considered as coal dust.
Rice, 2
b. In 1964, a series of laboratory tests were made with a spark source on
aluminum powder and cornstarch (both dusts presenting a more severe
explosion hazard than coal dust). It was found that particles passing a
U.S. Standard No. 40 sieve (particles less than 0.016 in or 0.4 mm)
contributed to an explosion in the laboratory bomb. The 0.016-in particle
diameter was recommended as the definition for dust in surface industry.
Thus, two definitions of dust exist. For coal mines, dust consists of
particles passing a U.S. Standard No. 20 sieve (particles less than 850 mu
m), and for surface industries, dust consists of particles passing a No.
40 sieve (particles less than 425 mu m). The use of two definitions is not
incongruous since the potential igniting sources in a coal mine can be
much more severe than those in surface industries. MSHA, 1
c. The dust produced by the breakage and crushing of coal underground and
at coal preparation plants. It is usually intermixed with a varying
proportion of stone dust. Coal dust in mines presents two main dangers:
explosion hazard and pneumoconiosis hazard. The explosibility of a coal
dust cloud depends upon its fineness, purity, and volatile content. The
dust particles believed to be harmful from the pneumoconiosis aspect are
those of 5 mu m and under. In mines, the most common explosive dust
encountered is bituminous coal dust. The U.S. Bureau of Mines has
established that coal dust in the absence of gas can explode and that
explosions can occur in any shape of mine opening.
See also:dust-free conditions

coal-dust explosion

A mine explosion caused by the ignition of fine coal dust. It is
considered that an explosion involving coal dust alone is relatively rare.
It demands the simultaneous formation of a flammable dust cloud and the
means of ignition within it. The flame and force of a combustible gases
explosion are the common basic causes of a coal-dust explosion. The
advancing wave of the explosion stirs up the dust on the roadways and thus
feeds the flame with the fuel for propagation.
See also:colliery explosion; gas explosion; stone-dust barrier.
Nelson

coal-dust index

Percentage of fines and dust passing the 0.0117-in (0.30-mm) mesh or
48-mesh. Bennett

coal elevator

A building in which coal is raised and stored preparatory to loading on
cars, ships, etc. Mathews

coalesced copper

Massive copper made from ground, brittle, cathode copper by briquetting
and sintering in a reducing atmosphere at high temperatures with pressure.
ASM, 1

coalette

See:briquette

coal face

a. The mining face from which coal is extracted by longwall, room, or
narrow-stall system. See also:face
b. A working place in a colliery where coal is hewn, won, got, or gotten
from the exposed face of a seam by face workers. Pryor, 3

coalfield

a. An area of country, the underlying rocks of which contain workable coal
seams. The distribution of coalfields was largely determined by folding
movements and subsequent denudation. The original coal areas were clearly
larger than the present coalfields. See also:coal basin; field.
Nelson
b. A region in which coal deposits of known or possible economic value
occur. AGI

coal flotation

See:flotation; froth flotation.

coal formation

a. A stratigraphic coal-bearing unit in coal measures.
b. A stratum in which coal predominates. Craigie

coal fuel ratio

The content of fixed carbon divided by the content of volatile matter is
called the fuel ratio. According to their fuel ratios, coals have been
classified as anthracite, at least 10; semianthracite, 6 to 10;
semibituminous, 3 to 6; and bituminous, 3 or less.

coal-hoisting engineer

In coal mining, one who operates a hoist for raising coal to the surface
where separate shafts or compartments are used for handling coal and
people. DOT

coalification

Those processes involved in the genetic and metamorphic history of
coalbeds. The plant materials that form coal may be present in vitrinized
or fusinized form. Materials contributing to coal differ in their response
to diagenetic and metamorphic agencies, and the three essential processes
of coalification are called incorporation, vitrinization, and
fusinization. See also:incorporation; carbonification.
Syn:incarbonization

coalify

To change vegetal matter into coal. Hess

coaling

a. The making of charcoal. Craigie
b. The process of supplying or taking coal for use, as in coaling a
steamer, etc.

coal interface detector

See:coal interface sensor

coal interface sensor

Any device that indicates the boundary between the coal and the
surrounding strata either at the roof or the floor. Aids the machine
operator or control system controls in positioning the coal-cutting head.
Mowrey

Coalite

A trade name for a smokeless fuel produced by carbonizing coal at a
temperature of about 600 degrees C. It has a calorific value of about
13,000 Btu/lb (30.2 MJ/kg) and is used for domestic purposes. Also called
semicoke. See also:coking coal

Coalite process

See:Parker process

coal land

Land of the public domain that contains coalbeds.

coal lateral

A railroad that parallels a coal road. Mathews

coal lead

Thin vein of coal in a fault zone. Coal leads may indicate the direction
of a displaced seam. See also:drag

coal liquefaction

The conversion of coal into liquid hydrocarbons and related compounds by
hydrogenation at elevated temperatures and pressures. In essence, this
involves putting pulverized bituminous coal into an oily paste, which is
treated with hydrogen gas under appropriate conditions of temperature and
pressure to form the liquid molecules of carbon and hydrogen that
constitute oil. Also called coal hydrogenation.
Syn:hydrogenation of coal

coal measures

a. A succession of sedimentary rocks (or measures) ranging in thickness
from a meter or so to a few thousand meters, and consisting of claystones,
shales, siltstones, sandstones, conglomerates, and limestones, with
interstratified beds of coal. AGI
b. A group of coal seams. AGI

Coal Measures

A stratigraphic term used in Europe (esp. in Great Britain) for Upper
Carboniferous, or for the sequence of rocks (typically, but not
necessarily, coal-bearing) occurring in the upper part of the
Carboniferous System. It is broadly synchronous with the Pennsylvanian of
North America. AGI

coal-measures unit

Coal-measures unit strata disclose a rough repetition or cycle of
different kinds of rock in the same regular manner. Broadly, the cycle of
strata upward is coal, shale, sandstone, and coal. This sequence is
sometimes referred to as a unit. See also:cyclothem

coal mine

Any and all parts of the property of a mining plant, on the surface or
underground, that contribute, directly or indirectly, under one management
to the mining or handling of coal. In addition to the underground
roadways, staple shafts, and workings, a coal mine includes all surface
land in use, buildings, structures and works, preparation plants, etc. A
colliery. See also:mine

coal mine explosion

The burning of gas and/or dust with evidence of violence from rapid
expansion of gases. USBM, 4

coal mine ignition

The burning of gas and/or dust without evidence of violence from expansion
of gases. USBM, 4

coal miner

One employed in the mining of coal.

coal mine regulations

National, State, and local laws, or enforceable rules that govern coal
mining.

coal mining

The industry that supplies coal and its various byproducts. Nelson

coal mining examinations

The examinations held in respective coal mining States which must be
passed by every person who wishes to become a mine foreman, assistant mine
foreman, mine examiner, or electrician. A candidate for a certificate may
submit himself or herself for a written and oral examination before a
Mining Qualifications Board. Holders of approved degrees or diplomas
usually need less mining experience to qualify for first-class
certification.

coal mining explosives

The statutory requirements regarding the use of explosives in coal mines
are very stringent. In gaseous mines only permissible (or permitted)
explosives are allowed. See also:explosive

coal mining methods

The methods of working coal seams have been gradually evolved and
progressively improved or modified as knowledge and experience were gained
and power machines became available. Over the years, a very large number
of methods of mining coal have been developed to suit the seam and local
conditions, and they may be split, broadly, into longwall, and pillar
methods of working. See also:stowing method

coal oil

Crude oil obtained by the destructive distillation of bituminous coal.

coal patch

A small settlement near a coal mine.

coal penetrometer

An instrument to assess the strength of a coal seam, its relative
workability, and the influence of roof pressure. It consists of a steel
rod of sectional area 1/4 in2 (1.6 cm2 ) that is pushed
into the coal, normal to the coal face, under the action of a light
hydraulic ram. The ram is braced against lightweight props erected at the
face. When in position, the penetrometer gives a graph of load against
penetration at a particular point. Readings are taken at a number of
points laterally and vertically along the face, and these can be
correlated with the performance of plow-type machines. Thus, the probable
performance of a machine in a seam can be estimated without the need for
costly trials. Syn:penetrometer

coalpit

Eng. A place where coal is dug. A coal mine.

coal planer

A type of continuous coaling machine developed in Germany esp. for
longwall mining. It consists of a heavy steel plow with cutting knives,
with power equipment to drag it back and forth across a coal face. A
parallel conveyor receives and carries away the coal as the planer digs it
from the face.

coal plant

A fossil plant found in coalbeds or contributing its substance to the
formation of coalbeds. Any plant species, the residue of which has entered
into the composition of coal under natural geological conditions.
Fay

coal plow

a. A cutter loader with knives to slice the coal off the face.
Nelson
b. This device carries steel blades that shear or plane off coal to a
limited depth and plow it onto the face conveyor. The plow is hauled
backward and forward along the coal face by steel ropes or chains operated
by winches in the gate roads, and it planes off a thickness of 11.8 in (30
cm) to a height one-third to one-half the seam thickness each time. The
coal is conveyed along the face by a double-chain conveyor with
double-ended drive; the conveyor sections are articulated to allow for
bends in its tracks and are moved bodily forward at each passage of the
plow, either by compressed-air jacks or by means of a torpedo or trailer
attached by rope to the plow and an auxiliary drum on the winches. Its
uses are limited to softer coal seams, or to suitably prepared coal. Also
called kohlenhobel. Mason

coal pocket

a. A structure, bunker, or bin for the storage of coal. Fay
b. An arrangement of bins to load trucks or railcars by gravity.

coal preparation

The various physical and mechanical processes in which raw coal is
dedusted, graded, and treated by dry methods (rarely) or water methods,
using dense-media separation (sink-float), jigs, tables, and flotation.
The objective is the removal of free dirt, sulfur, and other undesirable
constituents.

coal-preparation plant

a. A facility where raw coal is sized and prepared for loadout. In the
United States, plant capacities vary from 500 to 2,500 st/h (454 to 2,268
t/h). See also:cleaning; dense-medium washer; gravity concentration;
screen; washery. Nelson
b. A facility or collection of facilities that include associated support
facilities and consist of, but are not limited to: loading facilities;
storage and stockpile facilities; sheds, shops, and other buildings;
settling basins and impoundments, coal processing and other waste disposal
areas; roads, railroads, and other transport facilities. Exempted from the
meaning of coal-preparation plant is an operation that a) loads coal; b)
does not separate coal from its impurities; and c) is not located at or
near the mine site.

coal-preparation process

The process adopted for cleaning and sizing coal for the market.
Specialists select the best process for any particular run-of-mine coal.
Many conflicting factors must be weighed. The cost of a detailed
investigation is well repaid in higher recoveries, in flexibility, and in
ease of operation and maintenance. Nelson

coal-preparation shift

On mechanized longwall faces, the shift during which coal-cutting, boring,
and shot-firing operations are performed. Mason

coal-processing waste

Earth materials that are combustible, physically unstable, or acid- or
toxic-forming, which are wasted or otherwise separated from product coal.
They are slurried or otherwise transported from coal-preparation plants,
after physical or chemical processing, cleaning, or concentrating of coal.

coal rank

Classification according to degree of metamorphism or progressive
alteration, in the natural series from lignite to anthracite; higher rank
coal is classified according to fixed carbon on a dry basis; lower rank
coal according to Btus on a moist basis. Bennett

coal rash

Very impure coal containing much argillaceous material, fusain, etc.
AGI

coal room

a. Scot. A working face in stope-and-room workings. Fay
b. The open area between pillars where the coal has been removed.

coal sampling

The standard method used by the U.S. Bureau of Mines samplers is as
follows: A space of 5 ft (1.52 m) in width should be cleared of dirt and
powder from top to bottom of the seam being sampled. Down the center of
this cleared space, a zone 1 ft (0.3 m) wide is cut to a depth of at least
1 in (2.54 cm) in order to get perfectly clean coal. A cut is then made up
the center of this zone to a depth of 2 in (5.2 cm) and a width of 6 in
(15.2 cm); or, if the coal is soft, to a depth of 3 in (7.6 cm) and a
width of 4 in (10.2 cm). Approx. 5 to 6 lb (2.3 to 2.7 kg) of coal will be
obtained for each foot (0.3 m) of thickness of the seam. This should
include all bony coal included in the mining operation and exclude all
slate or partings, which are thrown out during the operation. The sample
obtained should be collected on a waterproof cloth 6 ft by 7 ft (1.83 m by
2.13 m) and then screened, the lumps being broken in a mortar, and all
passed through a 1/2-in (12.7-mm) screen. Any impurities, such as slate or
pyrite, are crushed to 1/4 in (6.4 mm) or finer and thoroughly mixed with
the coal. The coarser materials should be evenly distributed, the sample
being then quartered, remixed, and requartered. When the mixing is
complete, the sample should be placed in a can with the capacity of 3 lb
(1.35 kg) and the top screwed on and sealed with adhesive tape. The can
should be labeled with the name of the collector, the location, the date,
and any other information necessary for the analysis.
See also:channel sample; sampling. Kentucky

coal seam

A bed or stratum of coal. Craigie

coal-seam correlation

The identification of a coal seam; the linking up or matching of a seam
exposed in different parts of a mine or coalfield. A coal seam may be
correlated by lithology, by fossils, by chemical composition, or by its
spore content. Coal-seam correlation is very important in exploration and
in penetrating faults. See also:correlation

coal-sensing probe

An obsolete, nucleonic coal-sensing instrument that can measure the
thickness of coal left on the roof or floor of a seam after the passage of
a mining machine. The principle used is the measurement of the density of
the strata underlying the machine by a gamma-ray backscattering unit.
Gamma rays from a radioactive source are scattered in all directions by
the atomic particles in the coal and rock. The amount of scattered
radiation eventually reaching the Geiger counter is, approx., inversely
proportional to the density of the scattering medium; i.e., more radiation
will come back from coal than from rock. Thus, as the amount of coal
between the source and the underlying rock changes, so the amount reaching
the Geiger counter and the counting unit (the ratemeter) will change, and
consequently the output of the meter can be calibrated in terms of the
thickness of the floor coal. This instrument has been replaced by a
natural-gamma coal thickness sensor. See also:manless face
Nelson


coal separator

A machine that separates coal from associated impurities in run-of-mine
material. See also:coal-preparation plant

coal slime

A slurry containing particles of such size range that 50% or more (by
weight) will pass a 200-mesh sieve (or finer).

coal sludge

A slurry that has been partly dewatered by sedimentation, usually to a
dilution that will permit further dewatering by mechanical means.

coal slurry

Finely crushed coal mixed with sufficient water to form a fluid. To use
coal slurry pumped through a pipeline as fuel, expensive drying and
dewatering pretreatment has been necessary. Recent tests indicate that
coal slurry can be fired in a cyclone furnace as it is received from a
pipeline; i.e., a coal and water mixture. See also:slurry
Nelson

coal smoke

A suspension of very fine particles in air. A coal that breaks down easily
when heated gives off its volatile matter very easily and perhaps more
quickly than the available draft can supply the air for combustion, with
the result that dark smoke containing much unburnt or partly burnt
material is given off--a loss of fuel energy. See also:smoke
Nelson

Coal special

Explosive; used in mines. Bennett

coal split

See:split seam

coal spragger

a. In bituminous coal mining, one who sets short wooden props in a
slanting position (sprags) under the upper or overhead section of a bed of
coal to hold that section up while the lower section is being mined, or
wedges heavy slanting props (sprags) against the coal to prevent it from
flying when broken down by blasting. DOT
b. One who places short pointed wooden sprags between the spokes of a mine
car wheel to stop the car.

coal stripper

In bituminous coal mining, a general term applied to a worker who is
engaged in mining coal in a strip mine, one in which the coal is close
enough to the Earth's surface to permit the use of power shovels in
stripping back the ground and loading the coal into large cars or trucks.
Usually designated according to particular jobs. DOT

coal substance

Coal excluding its mineral matter and moisture. BS, 4

coal tar

Tar obtained by the destructive distillation of bituminous coal, usually
in coke ovens or in retorts, and consisting of numerous constituents (such
as benzene, xylenes, naphthalene, pyridine, quinoline, phenol, cresols,
light oil, and creosote) that may be obtained by distillation.
Webster 3rd

coal-tar oil

Oil obtained by the distillation of coal tar. Oils are classified into
light and heavy oils. A light oil is one having a specific gravity less
than 1.000 and contains the coal-tar napthas. Heavy oils sink in water and
contain such compounds as creosote, anthracene, anthracene oil, etc.
Porter

coal-tar pitch

A dark-brown to black residuum from the distillation of coal tar, ranging
from a sticky mass to a brittle solid, depending on the degree of
distillation. Most coal-tar pitch melts between 60 degrees C and 70
degrees C. Hess

coal testing

Evaluating coals by methods other than chemical, such as determining the
relative values of different coals as fuels by burning them under
controlled conditions in furnaces, or determining their gas- and
coke-producing properties by testing in a retort. The term coal testing is
frequently erroneously used, esp. in coal marketing, for coal analysis.

coal thickness sensor

Any measurement instrument that is designed to measure the thickness of
the coal remaining on the mine roof or floor after coal is removed by
mining.

coal tipple

See:tipple

coal type

a. A variety of coal, such as common banded coal, cannel coal, algal coal,
and splint coal. The distinguishing characteristics of each type of coal
arise from the differences in the kind of plant material that produced it.
AGI
b. A coal, particularly a bituminous coal, contains dissimilar bands or
layers that are believed to have been formed mainly from selected portions
of the plant material forming the seam. These bands, which have been given
the terms vitrain, clarain, durain, and fusain, are the different types of
coal in that seam. See also:vitrain; clarain; durain; fusain.
Nelson

coal washer

A place where mined coal is treated by sink-float methods or by froth
flotation to remove ash, shale, sulfur, and other unwanted products. The
resulting clean coal product is graded to size and regulated for maximum
ash content. Also called cleaning plant; preparation plant.

coal wheeler

In the iron and steel industry, a laborer who shovels coal into a
wheelbarrow and pushes it to a furnace. DOT

coal workings

A coal mine with its appurtenances; a colliery. Coal works.
Standard, 2; Fay

coalyard

A place where coal is stored. Craigie

coarse aggregate

The portion of an aggregate retained on the No. 4 sieve, consisting of
particles with diameters greater than 4.76 mm. CF:aggregate;
fine aggregate. AGI

coarse gold

Gold in large grains, as distinguished from gold dust. Also called coarse
quartz gold.

coarse-grained

Applied to rocks composed of large grains; used mainly in a relative
sense, but an average size greater than 5 mm in diameter has been
suggested. CF:medium-grained; fine-grained. Stokes

coarse-grained soil

A soil in which gravel and sand predominate. Coarse-grained soils are
those least affected by moisture-content changes as most surface rain,
etc., becomes gravitational water. Nelson

coarse jig

A jig used to handle the larger sizes and heavier grades of ore or metal.
Weed, 2

coarse metal

An iron-and-copper matte containing sulfur; a product of copper smelting
in a reverberatory furnace. Standard, 2

coarse roll

A large roll for the preliminary crushing of large pieces of ore, rock, or
coal. Used in stage crushing.

coarse sand

a. A geologic term for a sand particle having a diameter in the range of
0.5 to 1 mm (1 to 0 phi units). Also, a loose aggregate of sand consisting
of coarse sand particles. See also:sand
b. An engineering term for a sand particle having a diameter in the range
of 2 mm (retained on U.S. standard sieve No. 10) to 4.76 mm (passing U.S.
standard sieve No. 4). AGI

coaxial cable

Electrical cable with inner conducting wire covered by alternating layers
of insulating and conducting material. Pryor, 3

cob

a. Corn. To break ore with hammers so as to sort out the valuable portion.
b. Derb. A small solid pillar of coal left as a support for the roof.

coba

Uncemented sand or gravel underlying the nitrate (caliche) deposits of
Chile. See also:congela

cobalt

A tough, lustrous, nickel-white or silvery-gray, metallic element. Symbol,
Co. Occurs in the minerals cobaltite, smaltite, and erythrite; often
associated with nickel, silver, lead, copper, and iron ores, from which it
is most frequently obtained as a byproduct. Its alloys have unusual
magnetic strength and are used for high-speed, heavy-duty,
high-temperature cutting tools, and for dies, in jet turbines and gas
turbine generators. Its salts are used in porcelain, glass, pottery,
tiles, and enamels to produce brilliant blue colors.
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 3

cobalt bloom

Hydrated arsenate, Co3 (AsO4 )2 .2H2 O .
See also:erythrite

cobalt-bonded

Particles of a refractory material, such as powdered tungsten carbide,
cemented together with cobalt to form a metallike mixture. Long

cobalt glance

See:cobaltite

cobaltiferous wad

An impure hydrated oxide of manganese containing up to 30% cobalt; a
source of cobalt in Zaire.

cobaltite

a. An orthorhombic mineral, 4[CoAsS] ; pseudocubic; metallic; occurs in
high-temperature vein deposits associated with smaltite and in metamorphic
rocks; an important source of cobalt. Syn:cobalt glance; white cobalt;
gray cobalt.
b. The mineral group cobaltite, gersdorffite, hollingworthite, irarsite,
platarsite, tolovkite, ullmannite, and willyamite.

cobalt lollingite

See also:safflorite

cobalt melanterite

See:bieberite

cobalt-nickel pyrite

a. A name applied by Vernadsky to a steel-gray member of the pyrite group
containing 11.7% to 17.5% nickel and 6.6% to 10.6% (Fe,Ni,Co)S2 ;
small, pyritohedral crystals; isometric. Probably a mixture of siegenite
and pyrite. From Musen, Westphalia, Germany. English
b. As applied by Henglein, a syn. for hengleinite.
See also:hengleinite

cobaltoadamite

A pale rose-red to carmine variety of adamite in which cobalt replaces
some of the zinc. English

cobaltocalcite

a. Replaces the generally accepted name sphaerocobaltite for rhombohedral
CoCO3 . Not the cobaltocalcite of F. Millosevich, 1910, a red
cobaltiferous variety of calcite. Spencer, 4
b. A former name for sphaerocobaltite.

cobalt ocher

See:erythrite; asbolan; asbolane.

cobaltosphaerosiderite

A peach-blossom-red rhombohedral variety of siderite with moderate
substitution of cobalt for iron. Also spelled cobaltospharosiderite.

cobalt pentlandite

An isometric mineral, Co9 S8 ; pentlandite group.

cobalt pyrites

a. See:linnaeite
b. Cobaltiferous pyrite containing up to 14% cobalt; an ore of cobalt in
Zambia.

cobalt-rich crust

An authigenic deposit of iron-manganese oxides enriched with cobalt. These
crusts may contain potentially commercial quantities of manganese (20% to
30%), copper, nickel, and cobalt (less than 3% combined), but are
primarily evaluated on the basis of their cobalt content. They are found
as encrustations on exposed rocky seabeds on island slopes, seamounts, or
submerged plateaus in water depths between 800 m and 2,400 m. The crusts
may be up to 40 cm thick, but are more commonly 3 to 5 cm. They often
occur in association with platinum and phosphorite.

cobalt skutterudite

The pure end member, CoAs3 , of the skutterudite series.
Syn:skutterudite

cobalt vitriol

See:bieberite; rose vitriol.

cobbed ore

Eng. Ore broken from veinstone by means of a small hammer.

cobbing

a. The separation, generally with a handheld hammer, of worthless minerals
from desired minerals in a mining operation; e.g., quartz from feldspar.
Syn:hand cobbing; piking. AGI
b. Rubble, such as from furnace bottoms, impregnated with copper.
Standard, 2

cobbing board

A flat piece of wood used in cobbing. Fay

cobbing hammer

A special chisel type of hammer used to separate the mineral in a lump
from the gangue in the hand-picking of ores. Nelson

cobble

a. A usually rounded or semirounded rock fragment between 3 to 12 in (76
to 305 mm) in diameter; large than a pebble and smaller than a boulder,
rounded or otherwise abraded in the course of aqueous, eolian, or glacial
transport. Syn:cobblestone
b. Eng. Small lump coal. See also:cob coal

cobble riffle

A sluice with a cobble-paved bottom used in placer mining. Nelson

cobbles

A graded size of anthracite below large coal--about 5 in (12 cm).
Nelson

cobblestone

a. A naturally rounded, usually waterworn stone suitable for use in paving
a street or in other construction. Syn:cobble; roundstone. AGI
b. A consolidated sedimentary rock consisting of cobble-size particles.
AGI

cobbling

Eng. Cleaning the haulage road of coal that has fallen off the trams.

cob coal

A large round piece of coal.

Coblentzian

Upper Lower Devonian. AGI

cobra stone

See:chlorophane

cocarde ore

See:cockade ore

cocinerite

a. A mixture of chalcocite and silver.
b. A silver-gray copper silver sulfide found at Ramos, Mexico; perhaps a
variety of stromeyerite.

cockade ore

a. An open-space vein filling in which the ore and gangue minerals are
deposited in successive comblike crusts around rock fragments; e.g.,
around vein breccia fragments. Syn:cocarde ore; sphere ore.
See also:ring ore
b. Cockscomb pyrite; a form of marcasite.

cockade structure

The form taken by cockade ore.

cocker

To set supports in herringbone fashion. Mason

cockering

Herringbone supports. A method of support by which a center support of
beams or bars running longitudinally along the roof of a road is supported
systematically by slanted struts or props with their feet spragged in the
side of the road, the whole looking like a herringbone. Mason

cockermeg

Temporary support for the coal face. A short crosspiece is held to it by
two slanting props, one hitched in the floor, the other in the roof.
Pryor, 3

cockers

See:cockermeg

cockersprag

See:cockermeg

cockle

a. Corn. Schorl or black tourmaline. Fay
b. Any mineral occurring in dark, long crystals, esp. schorl.
Webster 2nd
c. Eng. A black, thready mineral, seeming to be a fibrous talc; occurs in
Cornish tin mines. Arkell
d. Eng. An ironstone nodule. Arkell
e. Cornish name for hard siliceous rocks. Arkell

cocko

A piece of slate or bony. Korson

cockscomb pyrite

See:marcasite

cockscomb pyrites

A crestlike variety of marcasite. See also:marcasite
Webster 3rd

cocoa mat

A fabric of wood fibers used to distribute water evenly over a smooth
surface. Nichols, 1

codorous ore

A highly siliceous hematite containing only a trace of phosphorus, but
high in potash. Osborne

coefficient of absolute viscosity

See:coefficient of viscosity

coefficient of acidity

A ratio, calculated from the normative molecular proportions of the
constituents of a rock or slag; e.g., number of atoms of oxygen in SiO
2 / number of atoms of oxygen in the basic oxides.

coefficient of compressibility

The decrease in volume per unit volume produced by a unit change of
pressure. Webster 2nd

coefficient of elasticity

See:modulus of elasticity

coefficient of friction

a. A numerical expression of the relationship between pressure and the
resistance force of friction.
b. A quantity used to calculate the head loss in a fluid or air. The loss
is a function of surface roughness, wetted perimeter, and velocity of the
fluid or gas.

coefficient of heat transmission

The quantity of heat transmitted from fluid to fluid per unit of time per
unit of surface area through a material or arrangement of materials under
a unit temperature differential between fluids. Commonly used for building
materials. Syn:heat transmission coefficient

coefficient of permeability

The rate of flow of water under laminar flow conditions through a unit
cross-sectional area of a porous medium under a unit hydraulic gradient
and a standard temperature, usually 20 degrees C.
See also:permeability

coefficient of rigidity

See:modulus of rigidity

coefficient of thermal diffusion

A thermal property of matter with the dimensions of area per unit time; it
corresponds to the thermal conductivity divided by the product of density
and heat capacity. AGI

coefficient of traction

Represents the percentage of the total engine power that can be converted
into forward motion by means of the friction between tire and track.
Carson, 1

coefficient of velocity

The rate of transformation of a unit mass during a chemical reaction.
Pryor, 3

coefficient of viscosity

a. The shearing force per unit area required to maintain a unit difference
in velocity between two parallel layers of fluid a unit distance apart.
Syn:coefficient of absolute viscosity
b. The ratio of the shear stress in a substance to the rate of shear
strain. See also:viscosity

coeruleolactite

A triclinic mineral, (Ca,Cu)Al6 (PO4 )4 (OH)8
.4H2 O ; turquoise group; occurs in white to pale-blue fibrous
crusts.

coesite

A monoclinic mineral, SiO2 ; polymorphous with cristobalite,
quartz, tridymite, and stishovite; insoluble in hydrogen fluoride.

coffee shale

Drillers' term in the Appalachian basin for well cuttings of dark-colored
shale chips mixed wih light-colored mud. AGI

coffer

a. A rectangular plank frame, used in timbering levels. Also spelled
cofer.
b. A floating dock; a caisson. Standard, 2

cofferdam

a. A set of temporary walls designed to keep soil and/or water from
entering an excavation. Nichols, 1
b. A method of shaft sinking through saturated sand or mud near the
surface. A cofferdam is an enclosure, open to the air, that keeps water
out of the shaft area to allow excavation to proceed. The enclosing wall
is constructed by driving down strips of steel with interlocking edges or
concrete piles, reinforced with steel. In general, cofferdams are used
only for short lengths and where piles can be driven into an impervious
deposit, so that normal pumping will keep the shaft sufficiently dry for
working. See also:drop shaft; piling. Nelson

coffering

A method of shaft sinking through loose, watery, or running ground. It
consists in lining the shaft with a thick wall, made of brick and cement
or brick and hydraulic lime with puddled clay in all cavities. Used for
keeping back surface water but the method is now somewhat obsolete.
Nelson

coffin

a. Corn. An old, open-mine working, in which the ore is cast up from
platform to platform. See also:goffan
b. A heavily shielded shipping cask for spent fuel elements. Some coffins
weigh as much as 75 st (68 t). Lyman

coffinite

A naturally occurring uranium mineral, U(SiO4 )1-x (OH) (sub
4x) ; sp gr, 5.1; luster adamantine; color black; commonly fine-grained
and mixed with organic matter and other minerals. Found in Colorado, Utah,
Wyoming, and Arizona. An important ore of uranium in some mines on the
Colorado plateau. CCD, 2

cog

a. Straight timbers set in a large bunch. They should be firmly set and as
close together as possible. Sometimes 12 to 20 are set at one location.
Under conditions where single straight posts will not suffice to control
the top, and yet cribs are not needed, the use of cogs may be
advantageous. May also be called a battery. See also:pigsty; cogging.
Kentucky
b. A crib made of notched timbers built up like a log house. A chock, cob,
corncob, or crib. If the timbers are squared instead of notched, the
structure is called a nog. It is ordinarily filled with waste, and rocks
are put between the timbers. See also:chock
c. A rock intrusion. Fay
d. To consolidate ingots or shape them by hammering or rolling.
Hess
e. An inserted tooth as in a cogwheel. Gears are often improperly referred
to as cogwheels. Crispin

cogging

a. The operation of rolling or forging an ingot to reduce it to a bloom or
billet. CTD
b. The propping of the roof in longwall stalls. Also spelled coggin.
See also:cog

cogging mill

A blooming mill, usually consisting of a two-high reversing mill with two
rolls, 0.6 to 1.2 m in diameter, between which a hot ingot is reduced to
blooms or slabs. Osborne

coggle

A rounded, waterworn stone, esp. of the size suitable for paving; a
cobble; also called cogglestone. Same as cobblestone.

cognate fissure

One fissure of a system of fissures that originated at the same time from
the same causes as other fissures in the same system. Cognate may
similarly apply to fractures and joints. Stokes

cognate inclusion

See:autolith

cognate xenolith

See:autolith

cogwheel ore

A miners' name for bournonite. Same as wheel ore. Dana, 4

cohenite

a. An orthorhombic mineral, (Fe,Ni,Co)3 C ; an accessory in iron
meteorites.
b. An iron carbide phase in steel. See also:cementite

cohesion

Property of like mineral grains that enables them to cling together in
opposition to forces tending to separate them. CF:adhesion
Hess

cohesionless soil

a. A soil that when unconfined has little or no strength when air-dried,
and that has little or no cohesion when submerged. ASCE
b. A frictional soil, such as sand, gravel, or clean silt. Nelson

cohesive soil

a. A soil that when unconfined has considerable strength when air-dried,
and that has significant cohesion when submerged. ASCE
b. A sticky clay or clayey silt as opposed to sand. Nelson

coil load

The total amount of heat, in British thermal units per hour, that must be
removed from the air by the cooling coils.

coining

a. A closed-die squeezing operation, usually performed cold, in which all
surfaces of the work are confined or restrained, resulting in a
well-defined imprint of the die upon the work. ASM, 1
b. A restriking operation used to sharpen or change an existing radius or
profile. ASM, 1
c. In powder metallurgy, the final pressing of a sintered compact to
obtain a definite surface configuration. (Not to be confused with
repressing or sizing.) ASM, 1

coinstone bed

Cement stone band. Stone suitable for coinstones, quoinstones, and
cornerstones, used in building. Arkell

coke

a. Bituminous coal from which the volatile constituents have been driven
off by heat, so that the fixed carbon and the ash are fused together.
Commonly artificial, but natural coke is also known; e.g., where a dike
has intersected a bituminous coalbed and has converted the bordering coal
to natural coke. Sanford
b. A derogatory syn. for carbon; carbonado; black diamond.
See also:char

coke breeze

The fine screenings from crushed coke or from coke as taken from the
ovens, of a size varied in local practice but usually passing a 1/2-in
(12.7-mm) or 3/4-in (19.0-mm) screen opening. ASTM

coke coal

a. N. of Eng. Carbonized or partially burnt coal found on the sides of
dikes. See also:natural coke
b. Coal altered by an igneous intrusion. Arkell

coke drawer

In the coke products industry, a laborer who removes coke from beehive
ovens by hand. DOT

coke dust

Coal dust that has been coked by the heat of an explosion and has assumed
different forms under different conditions; usually found either near the
origin of the explosion or in a room or wide place where the velocity of
the explosion is low and there is insufficient oxygen for complete
combustion of the coal dust. The volatile matter of coal dust seems to
burn first and, if the coal is a coking coal, coke is formed of one kind
or another, depending on the position, temperature, size of the dust, and
velocity of the explosion. Also called coked dust. Rice, 2

coke iron

Iron made in a furnace using coke as fuel. Webster 3rd

cokeite

Coal altered by an igneous intrusion. Syn:carbonite
See also:natural coke

coke mill

A mill used in the foundry for the grinding of coke for the production of
blacking. Osborne

coke oven

A chamber of brick or other heat-resistant material in which coal is
destructively distilled. Coke ovens are of two principal types: (1)
beehive ovens, which were originally built round with a spherical top like
an old-fashioned beehive. They had an opening in the top and various small
openings for draft at the base. The ovens were developed into banks (rows)
of joining cubicles; coke in long columnar pieces is characteristic and is
still known as beehive coke. Tar, gas, and other byproducts are lost. (2)
Byproduct ovens, which were built in rectangular form with the front and
back removable, but so arranged that they may be luted to practical
gastightness and all byproducts gaseous at the high temperatures may be
pumped out. Hess

coke person

In the foundry industry, a laborer who unloads, stores, and conveys coke
within the foundry. DOT

coke tower

A high tower or condenser filled with coke. Used in the manufacture of
hydrogen chloride gas to give a large surface for the union of a falling
spray of water with the rising hydrochloric acid gas. Fay

coking coal

Coal that can be converted into useful coke that must be strong enough to
withstand handling. There is no direct relation between the elementary
composition of coal and coking quality, but generally coals with 80% to
90% carbon on a dry, ash-free basis are most satisfactory.
See also:caking coal; bituminous coal; Coalite. AGI

coking stoker

A mechanical stoker or device for firing a furnace that allows the coal to
coke before feeding it to the grate, thus burning the fuel with little or
no smoke. Fay

colander shovel

An open wirework shovel used for taking salt crystals from an evaporating
brine. Fay

cold bed

A platform in a rolling mill on which cold bars are stored. Fay

cold blast

Air forced into a furnace (e.g., cupola) without being previously heated.
See also:Gayley process

cold-cracking

Cracks in cold, or nearly cold, metal, due to excessive internal stress
caused by contraction. Formation of cracks may be caused by the mold being
too hard or the design of a casting being unsuitable. Hammond

cold-draw

To draw (as metal) while cold or without the application of heat.
Webster 3rd

cold-drawing

The process of reducing the cross-sectional diameter of tubes or wire by
drawing through successively smaller dies without previously heating the
material, thereby increasing its tensile strength. Steel wire for
prestressing is made by this process. Hammond

cold-extractable metal

See:readily extractable metal

cold galvanizing

Application of powdered zinc, in suspension in an organic solvent, to iron
articles. On evaporation of the solvent an adherent coating of zinc
remains. Pryor, 3

cold noser

See:wildcatter

cold-nosing

Running an unhoused drill in cold weather. Long

cold-roll

To roll (metal) without applying heat. Webster 3rd

cold-rolled

Said of metal that has been rolled at a temperature close to atmospheric.
The cold rolling of metal sheets results in a smooth surface finish.
CTD

cold saw

A saw for cutting cold metal. Mersereau, 2

cold shot

A portion of the surface of an ingot or casting showing premature
solidification caused by a splash of metal during pouring. ASM, 1

cold soldering

Soldering in which two pieces are joined without heat (as by means of a
copper amalgam). Webster 3rd

cold working

Shaping of metals at ordinary temperatures; cold-drawing, rolling,
stamping. Within limits, in treatment of iron, copper, aluminum, induces
work hardening, thus increasing strength. If carried too far, brittleness
results. Metal that is brittle when cold is termed cold-short.
Pryor, 3

cold zone

The preheating zone of a rotary cement kiln.

colemanite

A natural hydrated calcium borate, Ca2 B6 O11 .5H
2 O ; white or colorless; white streak; vitreous to dull luster;
Mohs hardness, 4 to 4.5; sp gr, 2.26 to 2.48; found in California. One of
the raw materials in the United States for boric acid, sodium borate, etc.
CCD, 2

Cole reagent

Solution of 10 g stannous chloride, 95 mL water, 5 mL HCl, and 10 g
pyrogallol. Viscose silk impregnated with this turns red to violet in
solution containing gold. Pryor, 3

collain

a. A subvariety of euvitrain. It consists of redeposited ulmin compounds
precipitated from solution and observable microscopically. AGI
b. Approved by the Heerlen Congress of 1935 as applicable to vitrain in
which plant structure is not visible. Adopted as collite, spelled collit
in German but retaining the ain ending in English and French usage.
CF:ulmain

collapse

Complete cave-in of walls of a borehole or mine workings. Long

collapse breccia

A breccia formed by the collapse of rock overlying an opening, as by
foundering of the roof of a cave or of the roof of country rock above an
intrusion; e.g., a solution breccia. Syn:founder breccia

collapsing strength

The load expressed in pounds or tons, which, if exceeded, results in the
collapse of a structure, such as a drill tripod, derrick, or A-frame.
Long

collar

a. In a mine shaft, the first wood frame of the shaft; sometimes used in
reference to the mouth or portal of the tunnel. BCI
b. Supporting framework at top of shaft from which linings may be hung.
Pryor, 1
c. The junction of a mine shaft and the surface. Nelson
d. The beginning point of a shaft or drill hole, the surface.
Ballard
e. The mouth of a mine shaft.
f. The bar, or crosspiece, in a framed timber set. Stauffer
g. The term applied to the timbering or concrete around the mouth or top
of a shaft. Lewis
h. Scot. A frame to guide pump rods; the fastening of pipes in a shaft.
i. The mouth or opening of a borehole or the process of starting to drill
a borehole. Long
j. A pipe coupling or sleeve. Long
k. See:friction head
l. A sliding ring mounted on a shaft so that it does not revolve with it.
Used in clutches and transmissions. Nichols, 1

collar distance

The distance from the top of the powder column to the collar of the
blasthole, usually filled with stemming. Dick, 2

collared

A started hole drilled sufficiently deep to confine the drill bit and
prevent slippage of the bit from normal position.

collar in

The act or process of beginning a borehole. Long

collaring

a. The process of beginning the drilling of a borehole, or the excavation
of a mine shaft. Long
b. Eng. Timber framing for supporting pump trees in a shaft.
See also:chog
c. The term used to indicate that metal passing through a rolling mill
follows one of the rolls so as to encircle it. CTD

collaring a hole

The formation of the front end of a drill hole, or the collar, which is
the preliminary step in drilling to cause the drill bit to engage in the
rock. Fraenkel

collaring bit

A fishtail-, spudding-, or other-type bit used exclusively for beginning a
borehole. Long

collars

In rolling mills, the sections of larger diameter separating the grooves
in rolls used for the production of rectangular sections. CTD

collar structure

A heavy wooden frame erected at the mouth of a rectangular shaft to
provide a solid support for the timber sets. A more permanent structure
consists of a concrete wall extending from two to eight sets in depth. On
this concrete mass is bolted the bearer timbers that support the top heavy
set or collar set. The term also applies to the heavy concrete ring at the
mouth of a circular concrete-lined shaft. Syn:shaft collar
Nelson

collbranite

See:ludwigite

collecting agent

A reagent added to a pulp to bring about adherence between solid particles
and air bubbles. BS, 5

collective subsidence

That condition in sedimentation in which the particles and flocs are
sufficiently close together to retard the coarse fast-settling particles
while the slow-settling ones are entrapped and carried down with the mass.
Mitchell

collector

A heteropolar compound containing a hydrogen-carbon group and an ionized
group, chosen for ability to adsorb selectively in a froth flotation
process and render adsorbing surfaces relatively hydrophobic. A promoter.
Pryor, 4

collier

a. Strictly speaking, a person who mines coal with a pick, though commonly
applied to anyone who works in or about a colliery. Also called hewer;
stallman.
b. A steam or sailing vessel carrying a cargo of coal.
c. A coal merchant or dealer in coal.

Collier

Explosive; used in mines. Bennett

collier's lung

See:anthracosis

colliery

a. An entire coal mining plant, generally used in connection with
anthracite mining, but sometimes used to designate the mine, shops, and
preparation plant of a bituminous operation. BCI
b. A coal mine. Pryor, 3
c. A ship, or ships, used in the coal trade. Standard, 2

colliery bailiff

Derb. The superintendent of the colliery. Fay

colliery consumption

That part of the coal output at a colliery that is used for steam
generation and other purposes connected with the working of the colliery
itself. Nelson

colliery explosion

An explosion in the workings or roadways of a colliery as a result of the
ignition of combustible gases or coal dust or a mixture of both.
See also:coal-dust explosion; methane; stone-dust barrier.
Nelson

colliery plan

Gr. Brit. A map of the mine workings, and sections of the shafts and seams
being worked, which the colliery manager must keep at the pithead office
in accordance with the Surveyors and Plans Regulations, 1956, of the Act.
Nelson

colligative properties

These are properties only of solutions and include vapor pressure,
freezing point, boiling point, and osmotic pressure changes that occur
with changes in the characteristics of the solution. Seawater does not
follow the general rules of solutions, but departures are proportional.
Hy

collimating mark

See:fiducial mark

collimation

a. Alignment axially of parts of an optical system. Collimation error is
due to the line of sight of a survey instrument not coinciding with
traversing gear, scales, or leveling devices. The collimation line is the
line of sight, passing through the intersection of the crosshairs of the
reticule. The collimation method is the height-of-instrument method of
leveling whereby fore-and-aft readings are made on a leveling staff by an
instrument placed intermediately so that the rise or fall between the fore
station and the back station is shown by a change in the staff reading.
See also:rise and fall
b. Conversion of a divergent beam of energy or particles into a parallel
beam. ASM, 1

collimation line

The line of sight of a surveying instrument that passes through the
intersection of the cross hairs in the reticule. Hammond

collinite

A maceral of coal within the vitrinite group, consisting of homogeneous
jellified and precipitated plant material, lacking cell structure and of
middle-range reflectance under normal reflected-light microscopy.
See also:vitrinite

collinsite

A triclinic mineral, Ca2 (Mg,Fe)(PO4 )2 .2H2 O;
fairfieldite group; forms fibrous nodules.

collision blasting

Blasting in which different sections of the rocks are blasted out against
each other. Langefors

collision waves

Two waves that are propagated in opposite directions through the burned
gases, and originating at the point where two explosion waves meet.

collite

Another name for euvitrain. See also:collain

colloform

Said of the rounded, finely banded kidneylike mineral texture formed by
ultra-fine-grained rhythmic precipitation once thought to denote
deposition of colloids. CF:botryoidal; reniform. AGI

colloid

A substance composed of extremely small particles, ranging from 0.2 to
0.005 mu m, which when mixed with a liquid will not settle, but remain
permanently suspended; the colloidal suspension thus formed has properties
that are quite different from those of the simple, solid-liquid mixture or
a solution.

colloidal clay

A clay, such as bentonite, which, when mixed with water, forms a
gelatinous-like liquid. Long

colloidal fuel

A mixture of finely pulverized coal and fuel oil, which remains
homogeneous in storage. It has a high calorific value and is used in
oil-fired boilers as a substitute for fuel oil alone. Nelson

colloidal mud

A drilling mud in which the gelatinous constituents, such as bentonite,
will remain in suspension in water for a long time. Long

colloidal particles

Particles so small that their surface activity has an appreciable
influence on the properties of its aggregate. ASCE

colloidal sulfur

Amorphous sulfur in a finely divided condition. Prepared by the action of
dilute sulfuric acid on sodium thiosulfate or by the reaction of hydrogen
sulfide and sulfurous acid. Also prepared by mixing equivalent solutions
of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. Forms a clear yellow solution
containing very minute suspended particles of sulfur; the addition of alum
immediately precipitates the sulfur. Also called milk of sulfur.
Cooper

colloid mill

Grinding appliance such as two disks set close and rotating rapidly in
opposite directions, so as to shear or emulsify material passed between
them. Pryor, 1

colloid minerals

Minerals deposited as gradually hardening gelatinous or flocculent masses
instead of assuming crystalline form; may apply to some deposits of
malachite, hematite, and psilomelane. CF:botryoidal; reniform.

collophane

Generic designation for massive, amorphous, cryptocrystalline to
fine-grained apatite or phosphate that constitutes the bulk of phosphate
rock and fossil bone; not a true mineral species; analogous to the terms
limonite and bauxite. Syn:collophanite

collophanite

See:collophane

Collum washer

Mineral jig with a quick down stroke and retarded return of its plunger.
Pryor, 3

Colmol mining machine

A machine in which the coal is hewed from the solid by 10 rotating
chipping heads in 2 rows of 5, each with the lower row in advance of the
upper. Each head consists of a bit supplemented by widely spaced teeth,
each tooth being stepped back to the outside of the head. The circular
kerfs made by the heads overlap, and as the machine moves forward, the
effect is to break the coal ahead of the teeth into the free spaces,
thereby minimizing the production of fines. Mason

Cologne umber

An earthy black or brown lignite used as a pigment. Etymol. source near
Cologne, Germany. Tomkeieff

colombotantalite

A noncommittal term for members of the columbite-tantalite series.

color

a. A trace of metallic gold found in a prospector's pan after a sample of
soil or of gravel has been panned out. Prospectors say, e.g., the dirt
gave so many colors to the panful.
b. The shade or tint of the soil or rock that indicates ores; e.g., gossan
coloration.
c. Color is an important property used in megascopic and microscopic
determination of minerals. It depends on the selective absorption or
reflection of certain wavelengths of light by the mineral during
transmission or reflection. The color of metallic (or metal-bearing)
minerals is a fairly constant property, whereas that of nonmetallic
minerals is generally less so owing to the pigmentation effect of minor
impurities. The color of a massive mineral is commonly different from that
of its powder or streak.
d. The Munsell notation has come into wide use for the designation of
colors of rocks and soils. In this system, a color is specified by the
three variables of hue (dominant spectral color), value (brilliance), and
chroma (saturation or purity), and written in the order and form:
hue-value-chroma.

coloradoite

An isometric mineral, HgTe ; sphalerite group.

Colorado lapis lazuli

Dark blue lapis lazuli (lazurite) from the Sawatch Range, CO.

Colorado ruby

An incorrect name for the fiery-red garnet (pyrope) crystals obtained from
Colorado. CMD

Colorado topaz

True topaz of a brownish-yellow color obtained in Colorado, but quartz
similarly colored is sometimes sold under the same name. CTD

colored slates

Cambrian and Ordovician slates quarried in the vicinity of Granville,
Washington County, NY. Colors include red, purple, green, and black. The
slates are much used in decorative flooring.

color grade

The grade or classification into which a gem is placed by examination of
its color in comparison to the color of other gems of the same variety.

colorimeter

An instrument for measuring and comparing the intensity of color of a
compound for quantitative chemical analysis, usually based on the
relationship between concentration of a chemical solution and the amount
of absorption of certain characteristic colors of light. AGI

colorimetric determination

An analytical procedure based on measurement, or comparison with
standards, or color naturally present in samples or developed therein by
the addition of reagents.

color index

In petrology, esp. in the classification of igneous rocks, a number that
represents the percent, by volume, of dark-colored (i.e., mafic) minerals
in a rock. According to this index, rocks may be divided into leucocratic
(color index, 0 to 30), mesocratic (color index, 30 to 60), and
melanocratic (color index, 60 to 100). Syn:color ratio

colorless

Devoid of any color, as is pure water, a pane of ordinary window glass, or
a fine diamond; therefore distinctly different from white, as in milk or
white jade. As only transparent objects can be colorless, and no opaque
object can be colorless, such terms as white sapphire and white topaz are
misnomers. Rock crystal is a colorless variety of quartz; milky quartz is
a white variety.

color ratio

See:color index

colors

a. The specks of gold seen after the successful operation of a gold pan,
when finely crushed ore has been panned to remove the bulk of light
minerals. The residual heavy fraction is then scanned for visual evidence
of gold by the prospector. Pryor, 3
b. In optical mineralogy, the colors of doubly refracting substances as
seen in doubly polarized light (crossed polars).
See also:birefringence

colrake

A shovel used to stir lead ores during washing. Fay

columbite

a. The mineral group ferrocolumbite, magnocolumbite, and manganocolumbite.
b. Standing alone it generally refers to ferrocolumbite, an orthorhombic
mineral, FeNb2 O6 , in granites and pegmatites; an ore of
niobium. Syn:niobite; dianite; greenlandite. CF:magnocolumbite

columbium

See:niobium

column

a. A round pillar set vertically or horizontally in a heading to support a
machine drill.
b. The rising main or length of pipe conveying water from a mine to the
surface.
c. See:motive column
d. A solid core cut from a borehole.
e. The drill-circulation liquid confined within a borehole.
f. In borehole casing, a row of casing sections screwed together and
forming a whole.

columnar

a. Composed of columnlike individuals. Schieferdecker
b. A mineral with a form obscurely resembling prisms, e.g., hornblende.
See also:prismatic
c. In columns produced by shrinkage joints, as in columnar basalt.

columnar charge

a. A charge of explosives in a blast hole in the form of a long continuous
unbroken column.
b. A continuous charge in a quarry borehole. CF:deck charge
BS, 12

columnar crystals

Elongated crystals that grew at right angles to a surface. CMD

columnar jointing

Parallel, prismatic columns, polygonal in cross section, in basaltic flows
and sometimes in other extrusive and intrusive rocks. It is formed as the
result of contraction during cooling. Syn:columnar structure
AGI

columnar section

A geologic illustration that shows in a graphic manner, and by use of
conventional symbols for different rock types, the successive rock units
that occur throughout a given area or at a specific locality. It may be
accompanied by a very brief description of lithology and by appropriate
brief notations indicating the thickness, age, and classification of the
rocks. See also:geologic column

columnar structure

a. A mineral fabric consisting of slender crystals of prismatic cross
section, as in some amphiboles.
b. See:columnar jointing
c. Columns, 9 to 14 cm in diameter and 1 to 1.4 m in length, found in some
calcareous shales or argillaceous limestones; oval to polygonal in
section. Columns are perpendicular to bedding. Possibly a desiccation
structure. Pettijohn, 1

column flotation

a. A pneumatic flotation process with a counter-current flow of rising
bubbles against settling ore within the flotation cell. Typically, the
cell height is much greater than the cross section of the cell. The feed
slurry is input above the midpoint of the column and water sprays are used
at the top of the froth column to remove entrained hydrophilic particles
from the froth. Kelly
b. Flotation carried out in a column machine utilizing countercurrent flow
of air bubbles from the bottom and solid reagent-conditioned material from
the top, such that tailings are withdrawn at the column bottom and the
concentrate is collected over the column lip. There is no mechanical
agitation. SME, 1

column height

The length of each portion of a blast hole filled with explosive
materials. Atlas

column leaching

Simulation of in-situ leaching through the use of a long narrow column in
which ore sample and solution are in contact for measuring the effects of
typical variables encountered in actual in-situ leach mining.
SME, 1

column load

A single continuous charge. Carson, 1

column of mud

See:mud column

column of ore

A deposit of ore in a lode having a small lateral, but considerable
vertical extent. An older term for ore shoot.

column pipe

The large cast-iron (or wooden) pipe through which the water is conveyed
from the mine pumps to the surface. Syn:mounting pipe; rising main.

colusite

a. A variety of tetrahedrite containing 3.21% tin, from Japan.
Spencer, 4
b. An isometric mineral, Cu26 V2 (As,Sn,Sb)6 S (sub
32) ; in bronze-colored tetrahedra, from Butte, MT.

comagmatic

Said of igneous rocks that have a common set of chemical and mineralogic
features, and thus are regarded as having been derived from a common
parent magma. See also:consanguinity
AGI

comagmatic region

An area in which the igneous rocks are of the same general geologic age,
have certain distinguishing characteristics in common, and are regarded as
comagmatic. Syn:petrographic province

comb

In a fissure that has been filled by successive deposits of minerals on
the walls, the place where two sets of layers thus deposited approach most
nearly or meet, closing the fissure and exhibiting either a drusy central
cavity or an interlocking of crystals. See also:comb texture

comb dung

See:comedown

combed structure

In its simplest form this structure consists of a fissure lined with
crystals on each side, having their bases on the walls and their apexes
directed toward the center. In some cases the fissure is thus altogether
filled up with two sets of crystals meeting in the center.

combeite

A trigonal mineral, Na2 Ca2 Si3 O9 ; in
nephelinite at Kivu, Republic of the Congo.

combination drill

A drill equipped for cable-tool and/or diamond-drilling operations, or for
a cable-tool and/or rotary drilling operations. Syn:combination rig
Long

combination electric locomotive

A mine locomotive that can operate as a trolley locomotive or as a battery
locomotive. While operating on a battery, it can be used, under certain
conditions, at the coal face. Also it may be used on the main haulage
trolley system where, due to higher voltage, higher speeds are possible.
Nelson

combination longwall

See:longwall

combination process

Method for extracting alumina from high-silica bauxites, in which the
bauxite is first subjected to a Bayer process caustic leach. The resulting
red mud, containing sodium aluminum silicate, is sintered with limestone
plus soda ash and then leached with water to recover alumina and soda.

combination rig

a. A rig comprising a complete cable-tool outfit and a complete rotary
outfit. Porter
b. See:combination drill

combination sampler

A universal-type soil-sampling device in which some of the constructional
features of two or more special-use samplers are combined. Long

combination stoping

See:combined overhand and underhand stoping

combined carbon

The part of the total carbon in steel or cast iron that is present as
other than free carbon. ASM, 1

combined moisture

Moisture in coal that cannot be removed by ordinary drying.
CF:free moisture

combined overhand and underhand stoping

This term signifies the workings of a block simultaneously from the bottom
to its top and from the top to the bottom. The modifications are
distinguished by the support used, as open stopes, stull-supported stopes,
or pillar-supported stopes. Also known as combined stopes; combination
stoping; overhand stoping and milling system.
Syn:back and underhand stoping milling system; combination stoping.

combined shrinkage stoping and caving

In this method, the orebody is worked from the top down in successive
layers of much greater thickness than in top slicing. The mass of ore is
weakened by a series of shrinkage stopes, which are extended up between
the ribs, pillars, or blocks, which are subsequently caved. The
intervening blocks are under cut and caved as in block caving. The caver
follows the caved ore. Also called overhand stoping with shrinkage and
simultaneous caving.

combined side and longwall stoping

See:overhand stoping

combined stresses

Any state of stress that cannot be represented by a single component of
stress; i.e., one that is more complicated than simple tension,
compression, or shear. ASM, 1

combined top slicing and shrinkage stoping

In this method, the orebody is worked from the top down in successive
slices. In the working of each slice, the unit is worked as a shrinkage
stope. The broken ore serves to give lateral support to the sides of the
unit and also serves as a working platform from which the back is reached.
After working a unit, the cover is caved. No timber mat is used. Also
known as the Kimberley method.

combined twinning

A rare type of twinning in quartz in which there appears to be a 180
degrees rotation around c with reflection over (1120) or over (0001). The
crystal axes are parallel, but the polarity of the a axis is not reversed
in the twinned parts.

comb texture

A texture in which individual crystals have their long axis perpendicular
to the walls of a vein. See also:comb

combustibility

An assessment of the speed of combustion of a coal under specified
conditions. BS, 4

combustible

Capable of undergoing combustion or of burning. Used esp. for materials
that catch fire and burn when subjected to fire. CF:flammable
Webster 3rd

combustible gases

See:firedamp

combustible gases cap

A small cap that forms over the flame of a safety lamp when sufficient
combustible gases (methane) are present. CTD

combustible gases drainage

The collection of combustible gases from coal measures strata, generally
into pipes, with or without the use of suction.
See also:methane drainage

combustible gases fringe

The zone of contact between the goaf gases and the ventilation air current
at the face. Roberts, 1

combustible gases layer

A sheetlike accumulation of combustible gases under the roof of a mine
roadway where the ventilation is too sluggish to dilute and remove the
gas. Although the term is new, the hazard existed since the earliest days
of coal mining. A combustible gases layer may be specified as one in which
the gas is 5% or over and of a length greater than the width of the road
in which it occurs. See:pocket of gas
See also:stratification of methane

combustible shale

See:tasmanite

combustion

The action or operation of burning; the continuous combination of a
substance with certain elements, such as oxygen or chlorine; e.g.,
accompanied by the generation of light and heat.
See also:ignition temperature

combustion arch

A flat or curved refractory roof over a furnace to promote combustion by
reflection of heat. AISI

combustion engineer

An engineer with practical training and knowledge of all kinds of fuels
and their combustion characteristics. In general, the engineer lacks the
technical qualifications of the fuel technologist. Nelson

combustion method

A method for the quantitative determination of certain elements (such as
carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen) in organic compounds by combustion.
Webster 3rd

comedown

Softish stone occurring in the roof of a coal seam; it easily falls when
coal is removed. Syn:comb dung

comendite

A sodic rhyolite containing alkalic amphibole and/or pyroxene.

come out

To withdraw or hoist the drill string or tools from a borehole.
Long

come water

The constant or regular flow of water in a mine proceeding from old
workings or from water-bearing rocks.

comfort air conditioning

Air conditioning that controls the atmosphere that human beings breathe.
Hartman, 2

coming up to grass

Eng. Common terms used by miners for the word basset, or outcrop. Also
coming up today.

Comleyan

Lower Cambrian. AGI

commercial deposit

A deposit of oil, gas, or other minerals in sufficient quantity for
production in paying quantities. Williams

commercial explosives

Explosives designed, produced, and used for commercial or industrial
applications rather than for military purposes. Meyer

commercial granite

A general term for a decorative building stone that is hard and
crystalline. It may be a granite, gneiss, syenite, monzonite,
granodiorite, anorthosite, or larvikite. See also:black granite
AGI

commercially disposable coal

A statistical term referring to saleable coal, less colliery consumption
and coal supplied to employees. BS, 4

commercial marble

A crystalline rock composed predominantly of one or more of the following
minerals: calcite, dolomite, or serpentine, and capable of being polished.

commercial mine

A mine operated to supply purchasers in general as contrasted with a
captive mine. Zern

commercial ore

Can. Mineralized material currently profitable at prevailing prices.
Hoffman

commercial quantity

A quantity of oil, gas, or other minerals sufficient for production in
paying quantities. Williams

commercial quarry

a. Term that includes quarries for aggregate and quarries for the
production of limestone for industrial and agricultural purposes.
Streefkerk
b. Not owned or controlled by consumer. Contrasted with a captive quarry.

commercial sampling of coal

Procedures intended to produce an accuracy such that if a large number of
samples are taken from a single lot of coal, 95 out of 100 test results
will be within + or - 10% of the average of these samples.
Mitchell

comminution

a. The gradual diminution of a substance to a fine powder or dust by
crushing, grinding, or rubbing; specif., the reduction of a rock to
progressively smaller particles by weathering, erosion, or tectonic
movements. AGI
b. The breaking, crushing, or grinding by mechanical means of stone, coal,
or ore, for direct use or further processing. Syn:pulverization;
trituration. AGI

common banded coal

See:banded coal

common feldspar

See:orthoclase

common ion effect

Change in concentration of an ion in a saturated solution through addition
of another electrolyte that yields an ion in common with the solid
substance present in excess. The ion product remains constant, but with
the increase of concentration of one ion that of the other diminishes
correspondingly. Since the solution is already saturated, precipitation
occurs, the effect being a reversal of the process of ionization.
Pryor, 3

common lead

Lead (Pb) having four isotopes (mass numbers 204, 206, 207, and 208) in
the proportions generally obtained by analyzing lead from rocks and lead
minerals that are associated with little or no radioactive material;
commonly considered to be the lead present at the time of the Earth's
formation, as distinguished from lead produced later by radioactive decay.
AGI

common mica

See:muscovite

common opal

Opal without play of color. Most varieties are of no gemological interest
or importance; others because of their color or markings are set in
jewelry. CF:precious opal

common pyrite

See:pyrite

common salt

A colorless or white crystalline compound consisting of sodium chloride
NaCl , occurring abundantly in nature as a solid mineral (halite), or in
solution (constituting about 2.6% of seawater), or as a sedimentary
deposit (such as in salt domes and beds or as a crust around the margin of
a salt lake). See also:halite; rock salt; salt.

commutated current

Electric current of constant strength of which the direction of flow is
reversed at constant intervals of time. Schieferdecker

compacted yards

Measurement of soil or rock after it has been placed and compacted in a
fill. Nichols, 1

compaction curve

The curve showing the relationship between the density (dry unit weight)
and the water content of a soil for a given compactive effort.
Syn:moisture-density curve

compaction equipment

Machines, such as rollers, to expel air from a soil mass and so achieve a
high density. Smooth-wheel rollers are best for gravels, sands, and
gravels-and-clay soils with reasonably high moisture contents.
Pneumatic-tired rollers are best for clays with reasonably high moisture
content, and sheepsfoot rollers are the best for clays with low moisture
content. See also:superficial compaction

compaction test

A laboratory compacting procedure to determine the optimum water content
at which a soil can be compacted so as to yield the maximum density (dry
unit weight). The method involves placing (in a specified manner) a soil
sample at a known water content in a mold of given dimensions, subjecting
it to a compactive effort of controlled magnitude, and determining the
resulting unit weight (ASCE, 1958, term 74). The procedure is repeated for
various water contents sufficient to establish a relation between water
content and unit weight. The maximum dry density for a given compactive
effort will usually produce a sample whose saturated strength is near
maximum. Syn:moisture-density test

compact rock

A rock so closely grained that no component particles or crystals can be
recognized by the eye. Nelson

company account

Drilling done by a company on its property using its own equipment
operated by personnel working for the company. Long

comparator

a. In photographic mapping, a device for measuring accurately the two
rectangular coordinates of the image of a point on a photograph.
Seelye, 2
b. An apparatus facilitating comparison of test material with known
standard, or with other substances. A comparator miscroscope has a
duplicate optical system, so that the observer sees two fields
simultaneously (one with each eye). The Lovibond comparator has colored
disks that can be matched against colored liquids to give approximate pH
value, etc., using the same principle as with a set of pH color tubes in a
more permanent and compact style. Pryor, 3

comparator tintometer

Instrument in which color of test solution is compared with that of
reference cell or tinted glass slide. Also called colorimeter.
Pryor, 3

comparison prism

A small, right-angled prism placed in a front of a portion of the slit of
a spectroscope or a spectrograph for the purpose of reflecting light from
a second source of light into the collimator, so that two spectra may be
viewed simultaneously. CTD

compartment

a. A space or division in a shaft formed by cross buntons. The main
compartments in a winding shaft are two for cages or skips.
See also:rectangular shaft
b. One section or unit in a coal- or mineral-treatment plant.
Nelson

compass

a. An instrument or device for indicating horizontal reference directions
relative to the Earth by means of a magnetic needle or group of needles;
specif. magnetic compass. Also, a nonmagnetic device that serves the same
purpose; e.g., a gyrocompass. AGI
b. A simple instrument for describing circles, transferring measurements,
or subdividing distances; usually consisting of two pointed, hinged legs
(one of which generally having a pen or pencil point) joined at the top by
a pivot. AGI
c. A Maas or other compass device formerly used in borehole-survey work.
Long

compass deflection

a. The difference, expressed in degrees, between the direction a magnetic
compass needle points and true or astronomical north. This is termed
magnetic declination. Long
b. Differences, expressed in degrees, between magnetic north directions
and the direction a magnetic compass points, owing to local magnetic
interferences. This is termed magnetic deviation. Long

compass direction

Direction as indicated by a compass without any allowances for compass
error. The direction indicated by a magnetic compass may differ by a
considerable amount from the true direction referred to a meridian of the
Earth. Hunt

compass points

The four principal points of the compass--north, east, south, and
west--are called the cardinal points. Midway between the cardinal points
are the intercardinal points--northeast, southeast, southwest, and
northwest. Midway between each cardinal and intercardinal point is a point
with a name formed by combining that of the cardinal and intercardinal
point, the former being placed first, as north-northeast, east-northeast,
and so forth. Midway between the points already indicated are points
bearing the name of the nearest cardinal or intercardinal point followed
by the word "by" and the name of the cardinal point in the direction in
which it lies, as north by east, northeast by north, and so forth. In all,
there are 32 points separated by intervals of 11-1/4 degrees . Each of
these intervals is subdivided into quarter points. Hunt

compensating error

Random error equally likely to be plus or minus, and if of small
dimensions, reasonably likely to be compensated by further errors. In
contrast, systematic or biased errors all fall on the same side of correct
measurement and may therefore accumulate and produce serious
discrepancies. Pryor, 3

compensating rope

Balance weight ropes having direct connection with hoisting ropes.
Hammond

compensation method

A procedure for determining the voltage difference between two points in
the ground by balancing against a voltage that is adjusted in phase and
amplitude to effect the compensation. See also:compensator

compensator

An instrument to determine the voltage difference between two points in
the ground by the compensation method. Syn:accessory plate

competence

The ability of a current of water or wind to transport detritus, in terms
of particle size rather than amount, measured as the diameter of the
largest particle transported. It depends on velocity: a small, but swift
stream, e.g., may have greater competence than a larger but slower-moving
stream. Adj: competent. AGI

competent

a. Strata or rock structure combining sufficient firmness and flexibility
to transmit pressure and, by flexure under thrust, to lift a
superincumbent load. Standard, 2
b. Streams able to transport debris of a given size. Standard, 2
c. Rock formations in which no artificial support is needed to maintain a
cave-free borehole. Long
d. Rock capable of withstanding an applied load under given conditions
without falling or collapsing. See also:incompetent

competent bed

a. A rock formation that, because of massiveness or inherent strength, is
able to lift not only its own weight but also that of the overlying rock.
AGI
b. A bed that has a physical characteristic such that it responds to
tectonic forces by folding and faulting, rather than by crushing and
flowing. A competent bed is relatively strong, an incompetent bed,
relatively weak. See also:incompetent bed

competent rock

a. Rock that, because of its physical and geological characteristics, is
capable of sustaining openings without structural support, except pillars
and walls left during mining.
b. Rock formations in which no artificial support is needed to maintain a
cave-free borehole. Long
c. Rock capable of withstanding an applied load under given conditions
without falling or collapsing. Long

complement

See:rock fracture

complementary dikes

Associated dikes (or other minor intrusions) composed of different, but
related rocks, regarded respectively as leucocratic and melanocratic
differentiation products from a common magma; e.g., aplite and
lamprophyre; bostonite and camptonite. Holmes, 2

complementary forms

In crystallography, two forms combined geometrically to produce a form
having higher symmetry; e.g., two equally developed rhombohedra of quartz
resembling a hexagonal bipyramid.

complete combustion

Occurs when the products of combustion leaving the furnace or appliance do
not contain any gaseous combustible matter. Nelson

complex

a. A large-scale field association or assemblage of different rocks of any
age or origin, having structural relations so intricately involved or
otherwise complicated that the rocks cannot be readily differentiated in
mapping, e.g., a volcanic complex. See also:igneous complex;
basement complex. AGI
b. A unit that consists of a mixture of rocks of two or more genetic
classes, i.e., igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic, with or without
highly complicated structure; example: Franciscan Complex. AGI
c. Said of an ore that carries several metals difficult to extract.
von Bernewitz
d. An assemblage of rocks of any age or origin that has been folded
together, intricately mixed, involved, or otherwise complicated.
Stokes

complex crystals

Those having many crystal forms and faces.

complex fold

A fold that is cross-folded; i.e., a fold, the axial line of which is
folded.

complex ore

a. An ore containing two or more metals, as lead-zinc ore. Many complex
ores are difficult or costly to treat, e.g., gold ore with arsenic or
antimony minerals, or ore composed almost entirely of several sulfide
minerals.
b. An ore containing several metals. Bateman, 2
c. Ores named for two or more valuable metals such as lead-zinc ores,
gold-silver ores, etc. Newton, 1
d. This term has no precise meaning. It generally signifies an ore that is
difficult or costly to treat because of the presence of unusual minerals,
e.g., a gold ore with aresenic and antimony minerals, or an ore containing
two or more metals, or ore composed almost wholly of several sulfide
minerals. Nelson

complex pegmatite

A pegmatite body characterized by pneumatolytic-hydrothermal replacement
and rare minerals. Schieferdecker

complicated pneumoconiosis

A condition superimposed on simple pneumoconiosis by the effect of
tuberculosis lesions. Nelson

component of coal

Layers or bands that are petrographic entities, recognizable visually as
bands or layers of coal that have distinctive physical appearance and
characteristic microstructural features from coal to coal. IHCP

composite dike

A dike formed by two or more intrusions of different compositions into the
same fissure.

composite explosives

Explosives that contain a mechanical mixture of substances that consume
and give off oxygen with one or several simple explosives. They can be
regarded as mixed explosives with an addition of one or more simple
explosives as sensitizers, which makes for easier initiation of the
mixture and gives greater assurance of complete transformation.
Fraenkel

composite fold

See:compound fold

composite gneiss

a. A banded rock resulting from intimate penetration of magma (usually
granite) into adjacent rocks. See also:injection gneiss; migmatite.
b. Gneiss that is constituted of materials of at least two different
phases. CF:venite; veined gneiss. AGI

composite intrusion

Any igneous intrusion that is composed of two or more injections of
different chemical and mineralogical composition.
CF:multiple intrusion

composite map

A map on which several levels of a mine are shown on a single sheet.
Horizontal projection of data from different elevations. McKinstry

composite materials

Structural materials of metal alloys or plastics with built-in
strengthening agents that may be in the form of filaments, foils, or
flakes of a strong material. Hunt

composite sampling scheme

One in which different parts, or stages, of the sample are reached by
differing methods. Pryor, 3

composite sill

A sill composed of two or more intrusions having different chemical and
mineralogical compositions.

composite stone

See:assembled stone

composite stones

A comprehensive term that includes doublets, triplets, etc., in which a
stone consists of two or more parts either of the same or of different
materials cemented or otherwise joined together. Anderson

composite vein

A large fracture zone, up to many tens of feet in width, consisting of
parallel ore-filled fissures and converging diagonals, the walls and the
intervening country rock of which have undergone some replacement.

Composition B

A mixture of RDX and TNT that, when cast, has a density of 1.65 g/cm
3 and a velocity of 25,000 ft/s (7.6 km/s). It is useful as a
primer for blasting agents. Meyer

composition of forces

If two or more forces acting on a body can be replaced by a single force
the forces are said to have been compounded. This is known as composition
of forces. Morris

composition surface

A planar or irregular surface by which parts of a twin crystal are united,
not necessarily parallel to a crystal face.

compound compression

In compound compression, the work of compression is divided into two or
more stages or cylinders. In two-stage compression, air is compressed in
the first or low-pressure cylinder to a certain point, then forced into an
intercooler where it is cooled to approx. its original temperature, then
passes into the second or high-pressure cylinder, in which it is
compressed to the final or delivery pressure. The ratio of compression in
each cylinder of a two-stage compressor is equal to the square root of the
overall ratio of compression, i.e., the square root of the final absolute
pressure divided by the absolute atmospheric pressure. In three-stage
work, the ratio of compression in each cylinder is the cube root of the
overall ratio of compression. Also called stage compression. Lewis

compound cradle

An apparatus comprising three tiers of blanket tables, a shaking table,
and a mercury riffle for catching gold. Fay

compound dredger

A type of dredger combining the suction or suction cutter apparatus with a
bucket ladder. CTD

compound fault

A series of closely spaced parallel or nearly parallel faults. CTD

compound fold

A fold upon which minor folds with similar axis have developed.
Syn:composite fold

compound lode

See:compound vein

compound shaft

A shaft in which the upper stage is often a vertical shaft, while the
lower stage, or stages, may be inclined and driven in the deposit. In this
type of shaft, underground winding engines are installed to deal with the
lower stages, with transfer points and ore bins at the junction of two
stages. Sinclair, 5

compound twins

In crystallography, individual crystals of one group united according to
different laws. Standard, 2

compound vein

a. A vein or lode consisting of a number of parallel fissures united by
cross fissures, usually diagonally.
b. A vein composed of several minerals. Syn:compound lode

compound ventilation

a. An arrangement of a number of major ventilation systems serving various
large working areas and served by more than two shafts and their
associated fans, but integrated to form one ventilation system. Usually
adopted in large combined mines. See also:radial ventilation
BS, 8
b. Ventilation by means of a number of splits, which is now normal
practice. See also:ventilation

compressed air

Air compressed in volume and transmitted through pipes for use as motive
power for underground machines. Compressed air is costly to transmit long
distances, but has certain advantages, namely, it cools the air at the
working face and is relatively safe in gassy mines.
See also:air-conditioning process

compressed-air blasting

A method originated in the United States for breaking down coal by
compressed air. Air at a pressure of 10,000 to 12,000 psi (69 to 83 MPa)
is conveyed in a steel pipe to a tube- or shell-inserted shothole. The air
is admitted by opening a shooting valve and is released in the hole by the
rupture of a shear pin or disk. The sudden expansion of the air in the
confined hole breaks down the coal. Syn:Armstrong air breaker
See also:Airdox

compressed-air-driven lamps

These lamps are self-contained units and comprise a strong alloy casing
within which are a compressed-air turbine and a small alternating-current
generator with stationary windings and revolving field magnets. The air
enters the casing at one side, passes through a filter and then through a
reducing valve that maintains a constant pressure of 40 psi (276 kPa) on
the turbine blades. The air escaping from the turbine is used to scavenge
the inside of the lamp and remove any combustible gases that might have
entered when the lamp was not in use. It is finally discharged through a
series of holes of such a size that the pressure inside the lamp casing is
2 to 3 psi (14 to 21 kPa) above atmospheric. Should this pressure be lost
due to the lamp glass being broken, the light is extinguished
automatically by a spring-loaded diaphragm, which short-circuits the
generator unless held open by the excess pressure. Also called air
turbolamp. Mason

compressed-air locomotive

A mine locomotive driven by compressed air. It is very safe and is much
used in gassy mines in Europe. The air is brought down by pipeline from
the surface to a charging station near the pit bottom.
See also:locomotive haulage

compressed-air turbines

Turbines used for driving coal cutters, belt conveyors, and similar
duties. They are not so efficient in their use of the air as piston
engines, but possess the merits of extreme simplicity and robustness, and
therefore are preferred for coal face use. Mason

compressed pellets

Blasting powders manufactured in cartridge form for use in small diameter
shotholes. These pellets are particularly useful for horizontal shotholes.
McAdam, 2

compression

A system of forces or stresses that tends to decrease the volume or to
shorten a substance, or the change of volume produced by such a system of
forces. AGI

compressional wave

a. A traveling disturbance in an elastic medium characterized by volume
changes (and hence density changes) and by particle motion in the
direction of travel of the wave. AGI
b. A longitudinal wave (as a sound wave) propagated by the elastic
compression of the medium. Syn:irrotational wave; pressure wave;
P wave. Webster 3rd

compression ratio

The ratio of the volume of space above a piston at the bottom of its
stroke to the volume above the piston at the top of its stroke.
Nichols, 1

compression subsidence

That condition in sedimentation in which the flocs or particles are
conceived to be in close contact, further subsidence occurring as a direct
effect of compression resulting in the elimination of water from the flocs
and interstitial spaces. The settling velocity decreases with time of
settling. Mitchell

compression zone

The surface area affected by compressive strain. CF:neutral zone;
tension zone. Nelson

compressive strength

a. The maximum compressive stress that can be applied to a material, such
as a rock, under given conditions, before failure occurs. AGI
b. The load per unit area at which an unconfined prismatic or cylindrical
specimen of soil will fail in a simple compression test.
Syn:unconfined compressive strength

compressive stress

A stress that tends to push together the material on sides of a real or
imaginary plane. CF:tensile stress

compressor

a. A machine, steam or electrically driven, for compressing air for power
purposes. Small air compressors may be compound steam and double-stage
air. Large compressors may be triple-expansion steam and three-stage air
and are always used with condensers. Nelson
b. Any kind of reciprocating, rotary, or centrifugal pump for raising the
pressure of a gas. CTD
c. A machine that compresses air. Nichols, 1

comptonite

An opaque variety of thompsonite from the Lake Superior region.

computer

a. An automatic electronic device capable of accepting information,
applying prescribed processes to it, and supplying the results of these
processes. The term is generally used for any type of computer.
See also:analog computer
b. In seismic prospecting, one who with one or two assistants, carries on
the routine work of transforming the "wiggly lines" on the reflection
records into the form in which they are finally used. Where corrected
record sections are prepared, he or she must compute the corrections and
must assemble the other information to be fed into the playback so that it
will turn out properly corrected records. In addition to handling
corrections, the computer must mark the records, read and plot times, and
otherwise maintain the flow of data. Such individuals are not used in
processing modern digital seismic data. Dobrin

computer-assisted mining

The process of controlling single or multiple mining machines in which
sensors and computers are used to replace or enhance manual control of all
or portions of the formerly manually controlled machine operations.

comstockite

A mineral, (Mg,Cu,Zn)SO4 .5H2 O , containing 5.60% ZnO,
9.40% MgO, 9.00% CuO, and 39.07% H2 O ; from the Comstock Lode, NV.
Syn:zinc-magnesia chalcanthite

concave bit

A tungsten carbide drill bit for percussive boring. The cutting edge is
concave, while in the conventional type the edge is convex. The new bit
remains sharper for a longer period before regrinding becomes necessary
and gives a higher penetration speed. Also called saddleback tip.
See also:plug bit

concave crown

See:concave bit

concealed coalfield

A coalfield that is totally buried beneath newer deposits, usually Permian
and Trias strata, which repose unconformably on the coal measures in the
basin. A good example of a concealed coalfield is that of Kent, in
southeast England. See also:coal basin; exposed coalfield.
Nelson

concentrate

The clean product recovered in froth flotation.

concentrated charge

a. The heavy explosive charge loaded into the enlarged chamber at the
bottom of a quarry blasthole. See also:chambering
b. Means that the height of the charge is small compared with the burden
that can be given quantitatively. Langefors

concentrating plant

See:concentrator

concentrating table

A device consisting of a riffled deck, usually inclined in two directions
to the horizontal, to which a differential reciprocating motion in a
substantially horizontal direction is imparted; the material to be
separated is fed in a stream of water, the heavy particles collect between
the riffles and are there conveyed in the direction of the reciprocating
motion while the lighter particles are borne by the current of water over
the riffles, to be discharged laterally from the table. BS, 5

concentration

a. The ratio of the dry weight of sediment to the weight of water sediment
mixture of which it is part. Sediment concentration is commonly expressed
in parts per million (ppm).
b. Separation and accumulation of economic minerals from gangue.
See also:ore dressing; preparation. Bateman, 2

concentration cell

An electrolytic cell, the electromotive force of which is due to
difference in concentration of the electrolyte or active metal at the
anode and the cathode. Osborne

concentration criterion

The ratio between the density in a liquid of two minerals that are to be
separated (Mh and M1 being the heavy and light one,
respectively); C = Mh - 1/Ml , where water (sp gr, 1) is the
liquid. This ratio indicates the grain size above which separation by
gravity methods should be commercially practicable. Above 2.5 fine sands
(down to below 200 mesh) can be tabled. At 1.75 the lower limit is 100
mesh; at 1.5 about 10 mesh, and at 1.25 only gravel sizes can be treated.
Pryor, 1

concentration of output

Essentially, to secure the maximum output of coal from the minimum length
of face with due regard to safety and development. To measure the degree
of concentration at a colliery the following data are collected: (1) the
total length of coalface; (2) the total length of main haulage roads; and
(3) the total output. In general, the greater the dispersion of the
workings, the greater the manpower employed and the higher the costs of
production. See also:face concentration; geographical concentration;
overall concentration. Nelson

concentration ratio

Weight or tonnage ratio (K) of the weight of feed (F) to the weight of
concentration (C) produced: K = F/C, for a two-product treatment.
Pryor, 3

concentration table

A table on which a stream of finely-crushed ore and water flows downward;
the heavier metallic minerals lag behind and flow off in a separate
compartment. Weed, 2

concentrator

a. A plant where ore is separated into values (concentrates) and rejects
(tails). An appliance in such a plant, e.g., flotation cell, jig,
electromagnet, shaking table. Also called mill; reduction works; cleaning
plant. Syn:concentrating plant
b. An apparatus in which, by the aid of water, air, and/or gravity,
mechanical concentration of ores is performed. A concentration plant.
Fay
c. A general term for a worker, who tends concentrating tables, vanners,
and other types of equipment used to separate valuable minerals from waste
material. DOT

concentric fold

See:parallel fold; similar fold.

concentric mine cable

See:portable concentric mine cable

concentric pattern

Diamonds set in bit face in concentric circles so that a slight uncut
ridge of rock is left between stones set in adjacent circles.
CF:eccentric pattern

concentric weathering

See:spheroidal weathering

concession

See:concession system

concession system

Under this system the state or the private owner has the right to grant
concessions or leases to mine operators at discretion and subject to
certain general restrictions. It had its origin in the ancient regalian
doctrine that all mineral wealth was the prerogative of the crown or the
feudatory lord and applies in almost every mining country in the world,
except the United States. Syn:concession
See also:take

conchilite

A bowl-shaped body of limonite or goethite growing in an inverted position
on mineralized bedrock and resembling the shell of an oyster or clam
coated with a rusty deposit. It is roughly oval or circular in plan, with
a smooth or irregular and scalloped outline; it ranges from 2.5 cm to 1 m
in diameter and from 2 to 7.5 cm in height. AGI

conchoidal

Said of a type of mineral or rock fracture that gives a smoothly curved
surface. It is a characteristic habit of quartz and of obsidian. Etymol:
like the curve of a conch (seashell). AGI

conchoidal fracture

A fracture with smooth, curved surfaces, typically slightly concave,
showing concentric undulations resembling the lines of growth of a shell.
It is well displayed in quartz, obsidian, and flint, and to a lesser
extent in anthracite.

concordant

a. Said of intrusive igneous bodies, the contacts of which are parallel to
the bedding or foliation of the country rock. CF:discordant
Billings
b. Structurally conformable; said of strata displaying parallelism of
bedding or structure. The term may be used where a hiatus cannot be
recognized, but cannot be dismissed. AGI
c. Said of radiometric ages, determined by more than one method, that are
in agreement within the analytical precision for the determining methods;
or of radiometric ages given by coexisting minerals, determined by the
same method, that are in agreement. AGI

concrete

An intimate mixture of an aggregate, water, and portland cement, which
will harden to a rocklike mass.

concrete caisson sinking

A shaft-sinking method sometimes used through soft ground down to bedrock.
It is similar to caisson sinking, except that reinforced concrete rings
are used and an airtight working chamber is not adopted. Nelson

concrete plug

A thick layer of reinforced concrete placed in the bottom of a shaft after
it has been sunk to the desired depth and permanently lined. The plug
resists floor lifting and provides a clean, smooth sump. Nelson

concrete shaft lining

See:permanent shaft support; shaft wall.

concrete vibrator

Machine that helps the aggregate to consolidate with minimum interstitial
porosity. Gives greater strength as less water is incorporated in the mix,
and as consolidation is better than with punning. Pryor, 3

concretion

a. A hard, compact mass or aggregate of mineral matter, normally
subspherical, but commonly oblate, disk-shaped, or irregular with odd or
fantastic outlines; formed by precipitation from aqueous solution about a
nucleus or center, such as a leaf, shell, bone, or fossil, in the pores of
a sedimentary or fragmental volcanic rock, and usually of a composition
widely different from that of the rock in which it is found and from which
it is rather sharply separated. It represents a concentration of some
minor constituent of the enclosing rock or of cementing material, such as
silica (chert), calcite, dolomite, iron oxide, pyrite, or gypsum, and it
ranges in size from a small pelletlike object to a great spheroidal body
as much as 3 m in diameter. Most concretions were formed during
diagenesis, and many (esp. in limestone and shale) shortly after sediment
deposition. CF:nodule
b. A collective term applied loosely to various primary and secondary
mineral segregations of diverse origin, including irregular nodules,
spherulites, crystalline aggregates, geodes, septaria, and related bodies.
Not recommended usage. AGI

concretionary

Characterized by, consisting of, or producing concretions; e.g., a
concretionary ironstone composed of iron carbonate with clay and calcite,
or a zonal concretionary texture (of an ore) characterized by concentric
shells of slightly varying properties due to variation during growth.
AGI

concretionary and nodular

Minerals, usually monomineralic aggregates, which are found in detached
masses, the forms being sometimes spherical, sometimes irregular, e.g.,
flint. Nelson

concussion

Shock or sharp airwaves caused by an explosion or heavy blow.
Nichols, 1

concussion table

An inclined table, which is agitated by a series of shocks, while
operating like a buddle. It may be made self-discharging and continuous by
substituting for the table an endless rubber cloth, which is slowly moving
against the current of water, as in the Frue vanner. Also called a
percussion table. Fay

condensation

The process by which a vapor becomes a liquid or solid; the opposite of
evaporation. AGI

condenser

a. An apparatus used for condensing vapors obtained during distillation;
it consists of a condenser tube, either freely exposed to air or contained
in a jacket in which water circulates. CTD
b. An accumulator of electrical energy. Also called capacitor.
Crispin

condenser-discharge blasting machine

A blasting machine that uses batteries or magnets to energize one or more
condensers (capacitors) whose stored energy is released into a blasting
circuit, to initiate detonators. Dick, 2

condenser maker

In ore dressing, smelting, and refining, one who operates an automatic
machine in which fireclay condensers are made. DOT

condenser operator

In ore dressing, smelting, and refining, one who recovers magnesium
particles from dust-bearing gas, using shock-chilling condensers and other
dust-collecting apparatus. Also called dust operator. DOT

condensing lens

A lens for producing convergent light.

condie

See:waste

conditioned sinter

A name given to sinter with lime additions. Nelson

conditioner

An apparatus in which conditioning takes place. BS, 5

conditioners

Those substances added to the pulp to selectively treat coal or waste
surfaces prior to flotation.

conditioning

Stage of froth-flotation process in which the surfaces of the coal or
associated impurities present in a pulp are treated with appropriate
chemicals to influence their reaction when the pulp is aerated.
Pryor, 4

condition the hole

To circulate a higher-than-normal volume of drill fluid while slowly
rotating and lowering the drill string from a point a few feet above the
bottom to the bottom of the borehole to wash away obstructing materials
before resuming coring operations. Long

conductance

The quantity of heat transmitted per unit time from a unit of surface to
an opposite unit of surface of material under a unit temperature
differential between the surfaces. Strock, 2

conductor

a. Guides of rope or of rigid construction to guide the cages or skips in
the shaft. Mason
b. A relatively short length of pipe driven through the unconsolidated
zone of top soil as the first step in collaring a borehole. Also called
stand pipe. Long
c. See:brakeman

conductor-cable locomotive

An electric locomotive having a cable on a reel and connected both with
the locomotive motor and the trolley wire in the entry, so that the
locomotive may be driven into an unwired room. Zern

conduit

a. An airway. Zern
b. Pipe or casing placed in a borehole. See also:casing; drivepipe.
Long

conduit hole

A flat or nearly horizontal hole drilled for blasting a thin piece in the
bottom of a level. Zern

cone

a. A conical hill or mountain, as an alluvial cone or a volcanic cone.
b. A device used on top of blast furnaces to enable charge to be put in
without permitting gas to escape. Syn:bell
c. The conical part of a gas flame next to the orifice of the tip.
ASM, 1
d. The conical hill or conical mountain built by an active volcano.
Explosive volcanoes build their cones from debris, ranging in size from
dust to huge blocks, thrown out from the vent and have steep slopes
approaching or exceeding the angle of repose. Quieter volcanoes that pour
out lava have much gentler slopes. Hess
e. A three-sided pyramid made of unfired ceramic materials whose
composition is such that when heated at a controlled rate they will deform
and fuse at a known temperature. It is placed inside a kiln or furnace
with ceramic ware to indicate the temperature of the kiln and the fired
condition of the ware. See also:pyrometric cone
f. A solid with a circle for a base and with a convex surface that tapers
uniformly to a vertex. Jones, 1
g. Geometric pattern of the rock plug or stickup left in the bottom of a
borehole drilled by a concave bit. Long
h. Beveled coupling device on a small diamond drill or percussion rock
drill used to attach it to a drill column. Long

cone classifier

a. A cone-shaped hydraulic or free-settling classifier.
b. A conical sheet-steel vessel--usually a 60 degrees cone with its point
at the bottom--through which water, clear or weighted, flows upward. Ore,
coal, or other mineral matter is fed in at the top. The current carries
the smaller particles or those of lowest specific gravity over the rim
while the others settle. See also:Callow cone; Caldecott cone;
Allen cone; Menzies cone separator; Jeffrey-Robinson cone.
Syn:Chance cone; cone system.

cone crusher

A machine for reducing the size of materials by means of a truncated cone
revolving on its vertical axis within an outer chamber, the anular space
between the outer chamber and cone being tapered.
See also:gyratory breaker

cone cut

A cut in which a number of central holes are drilled toward a focal point
and, when fired, break out a conical section of strata. BS, 12

cone-face bit

See:concave bit

cone-in-cone structure

a. A secondary structure occurring in marls, limestones, ironstones,
coals, etc. It is a succession of small cones of approx. the same size one
within another and sharing a common axis. Holmes, 2
b. Coal exhibiting a peculiar fibrous structure passing into a singular
toothed arrangement of the particles is called cone-in-cone coal or
crystallized coal. Syn:crystallized coal

Conemaughian

Upper Middle Pennsylvanian. AGI

cone of depression

The depression, approx. conical in shape, that is produced in a water
table or in the piezometric surface by pumping or artesian flow. The shape
of the depression is because of the fact that the water must flow through
progressively smaller cross sections as it nears the well, and hence the
hydraulic gradient must be steeper. See also:water table

cone penetration test

A soil penetration test in which a steel cone of standard shape and size
is pushed into the soil and the force required to advance the cone at a
predetermined, usually slow and constant rate, or for a specified
distance, or in some designs the penetration resulting from various loads,
is recorded. AGI

cone penetrator

A 30 degrees to 60 degrees cone having a basal diameter approx. the same
size as an a-size diamond-drill rod used to determine the force required
to thrust the cone downward into silty or fine to medium-coarse sands, and
hence to obtain information that a foundation or soils engineer may use to
calculate some of the load-bearing capabilities of such formations.
Syn:cone penetrometer

cone penetrometer

A cone penetrator equipped with a device that will register the pressure
required to drive the cone downward into the formation being tested.
Syn:cone penetrator; penetrometer. Long

cone rock bit

A rotary drill, with two hardened knurled cones that cut the rock as they
roll. Syn:roller bit

cone settler

Conical vessel fed centrally with fine ore pulp. "Undersize" is discharged
through a flexible pipe (gooseneck), which permits variation of
hydrostatic pressure. This apex discharge is thick and carries the larger
sized particles. The peripheral top overflow is thin and carries the finer
fraction of the solids. Pryor, 3

cone sheet

A curved dike or sheet that is part of a concentric set of such forms that
dip inward. Billings

cone system

A method of separating impurities from coal in a metallic cone containing
a mixture of sand and water with a specific gravity higher than that of
coal and lower than the impurities. The coal floats, and the impurities
sink. See also:cone classifier

Conewangoan

Upper Upper Devonian. AGI

confined detonation velocity

The detonation velocity of an explosive or blasting agent under
confinement, such as in a borehole. Dick, 2

confined groundwater

Artesian water.

confined space

An enclosed space that has the following characteristics: its primary
function is something other than human occupancy; it has restricted entry
and exit; and it may contain potential or known hazards. Examples of
confined spaces include, but are not limited to, tanks, silos, vessels,
pits, sewers, pipelines, tank cars, boilers, septic tanks, and utility
vaults. Tanks and other structures under construction may not be
considered confined spaces until completely closed. Restricted entry and
exit means physical impediment of the body, e.g., use of the hands or
contortion of the body to enter into or exit from the confined space.
ANSI

confining bed

a. A watertight bed above or below a stratum containing artesian water.
Fay
b. An impervious stratum above and/or below an aquifier. BS, 10
c. A body of impermeable or distinctly less permeable material
stratigraphically adjacent to one or more aquifers. CF:aquitard;
aquifuge; aquiclude. AGI

confluent

Said of a stream, glacier, vein, or other geologic feature that combines
or meets with another like feature to form one stream, glacier, vein, etc.
AGI

conformability

The quality, state, or condition of being conformable, such as the
relationship of conformable strata. AGI

conformable

Successive beds or strata are conformable when they lie one upon another
in unbroken and parallel order and no disturbance or denudation took place
at the locality while they were being deposited. If one set of beds rests
upon the eroded or the upturned edges of another, showing a change of
conditions or a break between the formations of the two sets of rocks,
they are unconformable. CF:unconformable

conformal map projection

A map projection on which the shape of any small area of the surface mapped is preserved unchanged. AGI

congela

A term used in Chile for coba with a high salt content. See also:coba
AGI

congelation temperature

a. The freezing point.
b. The temperature at which an oil becomes a solid or is reduced to a
standard pasty state.

conglomerate

A coarse-grained clastic sedimentary rock, composed of rounded to
subangular fragments larger than 2 mm in diameter (granules, pebbles,
cobbles, boulders) set in a fine-grained matrix of sand or silt, and
commonly cemented by calcium carbonate, iron oxide, silica, or hardened
clay; the consolidated equivalent of gravel. The rock or mineral fragments
may be of varied composition and range widely in size, and are usually
rounded and smoothed from transportation by water or from wave action.
CF:breccia

conglomerate mudstone

See:paraconglomerate

conglomerite

A conglomerate that has reached the same state of induration as a
quartzite.

congo bort

Congos used industrially as bort. See also:bort

congo diamond

See:congos

congo rounds

Spherical- or near-spherical-shaped congos. See also:congos
Long

congos

a. Originally and commonly used as a name for a variety of diamonds found
in the Republic of the Congo diamond district in Africa and more recently
as a descriptive term applied to all diamonds having the appearance and
characteristics of those produced in the Republic of the Congo. Congos are
white to gray-green and yellow, drusy-surfaced, opaque to somewhat
translucent diamonds, having shapes corresponding to the many forms
characteristic of the isometric (cubic) crystal system. At one time,
congos were considered fit only for use in fragmented form, but a
considerable number are now used as tool stone and drill diamonds.
Syn:congo diamond
b. Sometimes designates drill diamonds ranging from one to eight stones
per carat in size. Long

congruent

a. In crystallography, any motif that may generate another by rotation or
translation, but with no change in chirality.
b. In phase equilibria, the melting of a crystalline compound to a liquid
of the same composition. CF:incongruent melting

congruent forms

In crystallography, two forms that may each be derived from the other by
rotation about an axis of symmetry. Fay

congruent melting

A geologic or metallurgical process in which a binary compound melts at a
certain concentration to a liquid of its own composition.
CF:incongruent melting

conical

Cone-shaped. In mineralogy, usually an elongated cone as are most icicles.

conical drum

A winding drum, cone-shaped at each end, for balancing the load upon the
engine during winding operations. See also:winding drum
loaded upgoing rope winds on the small diameter while the lightly loaded
downgoing rope winds off the large diameter of the cone. Nelson

conical head gyratory crusher

Gyratory-type crusher used for secondary reduction and identified by the
shape of its breaking head. The large included angle of the breaking-head
surfaces greatly increases the ratio of discharge to feed area; a large
ratio permits crushed materials to separate to prevent power-consuming
clogging and packing. The crusher's higher gyrating speed and large
discharge area make it eminently suitable for fine crushing at a high
capacity. Pit and Quarry

conical mill

See:Hardinge mill

conical refraction

The refraction of a ray of light at certain points of double-refracting
crystals, so that on emerging from the crystal it widens from an apex into
a hollow cone (external conical refraction), or on entering diverges into
a cone and issues as a hollow cylinder (internal conical refraction).
Standard, 2

conichalcite

An orthorhombic mineral, CaCu(AsO4 )(OH) ; adelite group; forms
series with austinite, with calciovolborthite, and with cobaltoaustinite;
formerly called higginsite.

coning

Method of obtaining true sample from a pile of ore by forming a cone with
the material flattening the cone, and removing shovelfuls successively
onto four separate heaps of which two are rejected. If there is sufficient
material the two opposite quadrants are rejected and the remaining two are
combined, reconed, and requartered. As the process is repeated and the
pile shrinks, it must be crushed to a smaller size to permit accurate
blending of the various sized particles during mixing. Syn:upconing;
quartering. Pryor, 3

coning and quartering

A method of sample reduction. Syn:quartering

conjugated veins

Two sets of related veins that dip in different directions.

conjugate fault system

A system of two intersecting sets of parallel faults.

conjugate impedance

Two impedances having resistive components that are equal and reactive
components that are equal in magnitude but opposite in sign are known as
conjugate impedances. Hunt

conjugate joint systems

Sets of intersecting joints that are sometimes perpendicular or
rectilinear, and often mineralized to form vein systems. Joint patterns
such as these are believed to be the result of compressive stresses that
were relieved by joint formation rather than the formation of a single
fissure. Lewis

Conkling magnetic separator

A conveying belt that passes under magnets, below which belts run at right
angles to the line of travel of the main belt. The magnetic particles
(tramp iron) are lifted up against these crossbelts and are thus removed.
Liddell

Conklin process

A dense-media coal cleaning process in which the separating medium
consists of minus 200-mesh magnetite (sp gr, 5.2) in water in the desired
proportions (4.4 parts of water to 1 part of magnetite provides an
effective specific gravity of about 1.9). This process has the advantage
that the medium requires little agitation to keep it in suspension and is
easily removed from the clean coal and refuse. Mitchell

connate

a. Originating at the same time as adjacent material; esp. pertaining to
waters and volatile materials (such as carbon dioxide) entrapped in
sediments at the time the deposits were laid down. AGI
b. Said of fluids derived from the same magma. AGI

connate water

Water entrapped in the interstices of a sedimentary rock at the time of
its deposition. CF:interstitial water; formation water. AGI

connecting frame

A device similar to a guide frame for shaker conveyors, but with provision
for insertion of the puller rod. A connecting frame can be inserted
between any two standard trough sections to serve as a substitute for a
connecting trough on single-arm electric or air devices. Jones, 1

connecting trough

A shaker conveyor trough of standard length to which special lugs or
plates have been attached to provide a means of connecting the trough to
the driving arms of the conveyor drive unit. All motion of the conveyor is
transmitted through the connecting trough. The term drive trough is
frequently used for this special type of trough. Jones, 1

connecting trough support

The means of supporting connecting troughs where they pass over the drive
unit. The support is attached to the drive unit frame and is designed to
allow the connecting trough freedom of movement in the direction of the
panline. Supports may be of the ball frame, wheel, rolled, or rocker arm
types. Jones, 1

connecting wire

Wire used to extend the firing line or leg wires in an electric blasting
circuit. Atlas

connellite

A hexagonal mineral, Cu19 Cl4 (SO4 )(OH)32 .3H
2 O ; having SO4 replaced by NO3 toward
buttgenbachkite; deep blue; formerly known as footeite.

conode

Isothermal construction line between two equilibrated phases.
See also:tie line

conoscope

A polarizing microscope using convergent light with the Bertrand lens
inserted, used to test the interference figures of crystals.
CF:orthoscope

Conrad counterflush coring system

A system, the notable feature of which is the provision of a reversed mud
flush circulation that permits uninterrupted core recovery in the rotary
system of drilling. Sinclair, 2

Conrad machine

Mechanized pit digger used in checking of alluvial boring. Five-foot-long
(1.52-m-long) sections of tubing 24 in (61 cm) in internal diameter are
worked into the ground from their mounting on a tractor, the spoil being
at the same time removed by means of a bucket or grab. In suitable ground
50 ft (15.2 m) or more depth has been reached. Pryor, 3

consanguineous

a. Said of a natural group of sediments or sedimentary rocks related to
one another by origin; e.g., a consanguineous association (such as flysch,
molasse, or paralic sediments) interrelated by common ancestry,
environment, and evolution. Syn:consanguinity
b. See:comagmatic

consanguineous association

Natural group of sediments or of rocks of related origin. AGI

consanguinity

The genetic relationship that exists between igneous rocks that are
presumably derived from the same parent magma. Such rocks are closely
associated in space and time and commonly have similar geologic occurrence
and chemical and mineralogic characteristics. Adj. consanguineous.
See also:comagmatic

consertal

A syn. of sutured, preferred in European usage, but obsolescent in
American usage. AGI

conservation

Conserving, preserving, guarding, or protecting; keeping in a safe or
entire state; using in an effective manner or holding for necessary uses,
as mineral resources. Hess

conservative properties

Those properties of the ocean, such as salinity, the concentrations of
which are not affected by the presence or activity of living organisms,
but which are affected only by diffusion and advection. Hy

conset jig

Jig developed for Mesabi iron ores in which vertical movement of water is
produced by low-pressure inflation and deflation of rubber tubes just
below screens. See also:jig

consistency

a. The degree of solidity or fluidity of bituminous materials.
b. The relative ease with which a soil can be deformed. ASCE
c. A property of a material determined by the complete flow force
relation. ASTM
d. The properties of a slip that control its draining, flowing, and
spraying behavior. ASTM
e. Percentage of solids in pulp. Pryor, 3
f. Fluidity. Pryor, 3

consistency limits

The liquid limit, plastic limit, and shrinkage limit. These all apply to
the water content of a clay, each in a certain state as defined by British
Standard 1377. See also:Atterberg limits

consolidated deposits

In geology, any or all of the processes whereby loose, soft, or liquid
earth materials become firm and coherent. Stokes

consolidated sediment

A sediment that has been converted into rock by compaction, deposition of
cement in pore spaces, or by physical and chemical changes in the
constituents.

consolidation

a. Any process whereby loosely aggregated, soft, or liquid earth materials
become firm and coherent rock; specif. the solidification of a magma to
form an igneous rock, or the lithification of loose sediments to form a
sedimentary rock. AGI
b. The gradual reduction in volume and increase in density of a soil mass
in response to increased load or effective compressive stress; e.g., the
squeezing of fluids from pore spaces. See also:lithification
AGI

consolidation hole

Borehole into which chemical solutions or grout are injected to cement or
consolidate fragmental rock material. CF:grout hole

consolidation settlement

The gradual settlement of loaded clay. Nelson

consolidation test

A test in which an undisturbed sample of clay measuring 6 cm in diameter
and 2 cm thick is confined laterally in a metal ring and compressed
between two porous plates that are kept saturated with water. A load is
applied and the clay consolidates, the excess pore water escaping through
the porous stones. After each increment of load is applied, it is allowed
to remain on the sample until equilibrium is established, and a
consolidation curve showing the deformation with time is obtained for each
increment. Nelson

consolidation trickling

During closing of bed or particles in the suction half of jigging cycle,
interstitial burrowing down of fastest moving small particles before the
mass of particles becomes too compact for movement. Pryor, 3

constantan

A group of copper-nickel alloys containing 45% to 60% copper with minor
amounts of iron and manganese, and characterized by relatively constant
electrical resistivity irrespective of temperature; used in resistors and
thermocouples. ASM, 1

constant error

A systematic error that is the same in both magnitude and sign throughout
a given series of observations (the observational conditions remaining
unchanged) and that tends to have the same effect upon all the
observations of the series or part thereof under consideration; e.g., the
index error of a precision instrument. AGI

constant-weight feeder

a. An automatic device that maintains a constant rate of feed of ore from
the bin or stockpile to the grinding circuit. It is controlled by tilt due
to the weight of ore on a balanced length of the belt conveyor; by
electrically vibrated chute; by pusher gear; by timed delivery from
automatically loaded hoppers. Pryor, 3
b. A feeder intended to deliver a certain weight per unit of time.
ACSG, 2

constituent of attritus

Constituents are the petrographic entities of the attritus that are
recognizable in thin sections only by the microscope. The following
constituents may be distinguished in coals: translucent humic degradation
matter; brown or semitranslucent matter; opaque matter (granular,
massive); resins and resinous matter; spores and pollen; cuticles and
cuticular matter; algae and algae matter. IHCP

constitutional change

Transformation of a constituent in an alloy; e.g., austenite into
pearlite. Pryor, 3

constitutional water

Water molecules completely bound into a hydrated crystal, e.g., in gypsum,
CaSO4 .2H2 O .

constitution diagram

A graphical representation of the temperature and composition limits of
phase fields in an alloy system as they actually exist under the specific
conditions of heating or cooling (synonymous with phase diagram). A
constitution diagram may be an equilibrium diagram, an approximation to an
equilibrium diagram, or a representation of metastable conditions or
phases. CF:equilibrium diagram

constructed wetland

A man-made marsh that is designed to be slow-draining so that specific
species will flourish, primarily to replace natural wetlands that have
been drained and filled prior to development. In mining, some constructed
wetlands are designed to fix metals and other contaminants, primarily by
the reduction of metal sulfates to sulfides, or the formation of oxides or
carbonates. When the term is also applied to systems constructed without
plants, they consist of buried substrates through which the contaminated
water is passed under low oxygen or reducing conditions.

constructive possession

That possession that the law annexes to the legal title or ownership of
property, when there is a right to the immediate actual possession of such
property, but no actual possession. Ricketts

consulting engineer

A specialist employed in an advisory capacity. Normally, this person does
not manage or direct any operation, and is at the service of the board
rather than of the company's administrative and executive staff.
Pryor, 3

consulting mining engineer

A highly qualified mining engineer with a wide background of experience in
this particular field. The engineer may be asked by a client or company to
examine a property and prepare a report and evaluation or to give advice
or expert evidence in cases of alleged subsidence damage. Nelson

consumable electrode-arc melting

A method of arc melting in which the electrode itself serves to supply the
metal; this method is commonly employed for melting titanium and
zirconium. Newton, 1

consume

To use up; to expend; to waste; as in the chemical and mechanical loss of
mercury in amalgamation.

consumption charge

That portion of a utility charge based on energy actually consumed, as
distinguished from the demand charge. Strock, 2

contact

a. A plane or irregular surface between two types or ages of rock.
AGI
b. The surface of delimitation between a vein and its wall, or country
rock.

contact angle

The angle across the water phase of an air-water-mineral system, used to
measure effect of surface conditioning. Pryor, 4

contact bed

In geology, a bed lying next to or in contact with a formation of
different character. Fay

contact breccia

A breccia around an igneous intrusion, caused by wall-rock fragmentation
and consisting of both intrusive material and wall rock; intrusion
breccia. CF:agmatite

contact deposit

A mineral deposit between two unlike rocks. The term is usually applied to
an orebody at the contact between a sedimentary rock and an igneous rock.
See also:contact vein

contact erosion valley

A valley that has been eroded along a zone of weakness at the contact
between two different kinds of rock, as between two different sedimentary
formations, between igneous and sedimentary rocks, along a fault, or along
an upturned unconformity.

contact goniometer

A protractor for measuring the angles between adjacent crystal faces.
See also:goniometer; reflection goniometer. Fay

contact line

The line of intersection of a contact surface with the surface of an
exposure or with the surface of bedrock covered by mantle rock; it may be
exposed or concealed.

contact logging

In this type log, provision is made for electrodes to be pressed firmly
against the borehole wall. By doing this, current flowing from the
electrodes to the wall of the borehole no longer has to traverse the mud.
The path from the electrodes through the mud filter cake that sheaths
permeable beds is also reduced to a mininium. The electrode spacing of
contact logging devices is very small by comparison with the spacings used
in conventional logging devices. Consequently, contact logging devices see
very much more detail in the beds they pass through. Wyllie

contact logging device

A device that consists of a spring bow very analogous to a section gage.
On one arm of the bow is a rubber pad shaped to fit the curvature of the
hole. In this pad, slightly recessed, are three electrodes of about
diameter 1/2 in (1.3 cm) and located at 1-in (2.54-cm) intervals. These
three electrodes are used to record two resistivity curves. One curve is a
three-electrode type with a spacing of 1-1/2 in (3.8 cm), and the second
is a two-electrode type with a spacing of 2 in. Wyllie

contact-metamorphic

Adj. of contact metamorphism.

contact metamorphic

Applied to rocks and/or minerals that have originated through the process
of contact metamorphism. AGI

contact metamorphism

A process taking place in rocks at or near their contact with a body of
igneous rock. Metamorphic changes are effected by the heat and materials
emanating from the magma and by some deformation connected with the
emplacement of the igneous mass. CF:thermal metamorphism;
metamorphic aureole. Approx. syn: pyrometasomatism. Adj:
contact-metamorphic. See also:exomorphism; endomorphism. AGI

contact-metasomatic deposit

A deposit formed by high-temperature magmatic emanations along an igneous
contact. Bateman, 2

contact metasomatism

A mass change in the composition of rocks in contact with an invading
magma, from which fluid constituents are carried out to combine with some
of the country-rock constituents to form a new suite of minerals.
AGI

contact mineral

A mineral formed by contact metamorphism.

contact process

A process for making sulfuric acid. Sulfur dioxide gas (obtained by
burning pyrite) is purified by electrical precipitation, and is passed
over a catalytic agent to form sulfur trioxide that combined with water
produces sulfuric acid. CTD

contact reef

S. Afr. This term generally denotes the Ventersdorp contact reef, a
gold-bearing conglomerate beneath the Ventersdorp lavas and frequently
overlying mineralized horizons of the Witwatersrand system.
Beerman

contact resistance

The resistance observed between a grounded electrode and the ground, or
between an electrode and a rock specimen. AGI

contact rocks

Rocks produced by contact metasomatism. They include both the border rocks
of the intrusion and metamorphosed or recrystallized portions of the
intruded rocks, esp. limestone. See also:skarn; tactite.

contact shoe

Collector shoe, which maintains contact between the conducting wire or
rail and the electric vehicle being powered. Pryor, 3

contact twin

a. The simplest type of twin, in which two portions of a crystal appear to
have been united along a common plane after one portion has been rotated
180 degrees relative to the other portion. The plane of contact (plane of
union or the composition face) may or may not be the twinning plane.
Syn:juxtaposition twin
b. A twinned crystal wherein the individual twins meet at a surface.
CF:interpenetration twin; penetration twin.

contact vein

A contact deposit in vein form. See also:contact deposit

contact zone

See:aureole

container winding

This winding system makes use of a coal receptacle on small rollers that
fits closely in the cage. During the previous wind, it is filled near the
shaft, and similarly it is emptied very quickly at the surface and
returned to the pit bottom on the next wind. Sinclair, 3

contaminant

a. See:impurity
b. A harmful, irritating, or nuisance airborne material.

contamination

Process whereby the chemical composition of a magma is altered as a result
of the assimilation of inclusions or country rock.
See also:hybridization; dilution. AGI

contango

The situation when the price of a metal for forward or future delivery is
greater than the cash or spot price of the metal. Contangos occur when the
metal is in plentiful supply. The size of the contango does not normally
exceed the cost of financing, insuring, and storing the metal over the
future delivery period. Wolff

contemporaneous

Formed or existing at the same time. Said of lava flows interbedded in a
single time-stratigraphic unit, and generally of any feature or facies
that develops during the formation of the enclosing rocks. AGI

contemporaneous deformation

Deformation that takes place in sediments during or immediately following
their deposition. Includes many varieties of soft-sediment deformation,
such as small-scale slumps, crumpling and brecciation, but in some areas
features of large dimensions. AGI

contiguous

Adjoining, touching, or connected throughout, as in a group of mining
claims.

contiguous claims

Mining claims that have a side or end line in common. Lewis

contiguous limonite

Limonite in the gangue around and adjoining a cavity or a group of
cavities formerly occupied by iron-bearing sulfide.

continental alluvium

Alluvium produced by the erosion of a highland area and deposited by a
network of rivers to form an extensive plain. AGI

continental basin

A closed structural depression of regional extent in the interior of a
continent.

continental deposit

A sedimentary deposit laid down on land or in bodies of water not directly
connected with the ocean, as opposed to a marine deposit; a glacial,
fluvial, lacustrine, or eolian deposit formed in a nonmarine environment.
See also:terrestrial deposit

continental gland-type capping

A wire-rope capping method in which a rope-clamping device is used instead
of a capping. The end of the rope is turned back upon itself over grooved
block with a suitable radius, and the short end of the rope is clamped on
to the main rope above the block. Sinclair, 5

continental margin

a. The zone separating the emergent continents from the deep sea bottom.
It generally consists of the continental shelf, the continental slope, and
the continental rise. AGI
b. The submerged prolongation of the land mass of the coastal state,
consisting of the seabed and subsoil of the shelf, the slope, and the
rise.

continental nucleus

See:shield

continental plate

Lithosphere underlying a continent that is part of a tectonic plate.
AGI

continental platform

The platformlike mass of a continent that stands above the surrounding
oceanic basins. Syn. for continental shelf. AGI

continental rise

The submarine surface beyond the base of the continental slope, generally
having a gradient of less than 1:1,000, occurring at depths from 4,500 to
17,000 ft (1.37 to 5.18 km), and leading down to abyssal plains.
AGI

continental sediment

See:continental deposit

continental shelf

a. The gently sloping tread around a continent, extending from the
low-water line to the depth of approx. 100 fathoms (183 m), at which depth there is a marked increase of slope toward the great depths.
Schieferdecker
b. The gently sloping, shallowly submerged marginal zone of the continents
extending from the shore to an abrupt increase in bottom inclination. The
greatest average depth is less than 60 ft (18.3 m), and the width ranges
from very narrow to more than 200 mi (322 km). AGI
c. An area of a coastal State comprising the seabed and subsoil of the
submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the
natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the
continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nmi (370 km) from the
baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured where
the outer edge of the continental shelf does not extend up to that
distance. See also:outer continental shelf

continental shield

See:shield

continental slope

a. The declivity from the offshore border of the continental shelf at
depths of approx. 100 fathoms (600 ft or 183 m) to oceanic depths. It is
characterized by a marked increase in gradient. AGI
b. Continuously sloping portion of the continental margin with gradient of
more than 1:40, beginning at the outer edge of the continental shelf and
bounded on the outside by a rather abrupt decrease in slope where the
continental rise begins at depths ranging from about 4,500 to 10,000 ft
(1.4 to 3.0 km). Formerly considered to extend to the abyssal plains.
AGI

continental terrace

The sediment and rock mass underlying the coastal plain, the continental
shelf, and the continental slope. AGI

continuity

The concept that where there is no change of state, seawater is
incompressible and the liquid matter is neither created nor destroyed. If
there is any vertical contraction in a volume of fluid, therefore, there
must be a horizontal expansion, so that the original volume is maintained.
This is accomplished by motion resulting in changes of the shape of the
original parcel of water. Hy

continuous azimuth method

A method of traversing by which the azimuth of the survey lines is
obtained from the instrument. BS, 7

continuous-bucket elevator

This type of elevator has the buckets so shaped and attached to the chain
or belt that the back of each serves as a discharge chute for the one
immediately succeeding it. Syn:bucket elevator

continuous-bucket excavator

An excavator consisting of a series of buckets attached to a continuous
chain, guided by two or more ladders. The buckets are drawn against the
bank face, taking a cut of constant depth, while simultaneously the
machine moves slowly along the ground on a bench above or below the bank;
often used in opencast mining in soft deposits. Nelson

continuous casting

A casting technique in which an ingot, billet, tube, or other shape is
continuously solidified while it is being poured, so that its length is
not determined by mold dimensions. ASM, 1

continuous charge

A charge of explosive that occupies the entire drill hole, except for the
space at the top required for stemming. Fay

continuous coal cutter

A coal mining machine of the type that cuts the face of the coal without
being withdrawn from the cut. Fay

continuous coring

A borehole-drilling technique whereby the cuttings-removal agent is
countercirculated through an inside flush-coupled-type drill string to
deliver both the cuttings and core produced to a tray or container at the
surface. Long

continuous cutters

Coal-cutting machines such as the shortwall cutter, longwall cutter, and
overcutting machines. They are known as continuous cutters because a
continuous cut can be made the full width of the face without stopping
these machines, while machines of the intermittent variety must be
frequently reset. Kiser

continuous deformation

Deformation accomplished by flowage of rocks rather than by rupture.

continuous drier

A drier in which the wet material moves through the drying cycle in an
uninterrupted flow pattern in contrast to a batch drier. ACSG, 2

continuous driving

In this operation, the same personnel do the drilling, blasting, and
mucking while working continuously round after round. They can in this
way--except for the time for ventilation--be at work during the whole
shift. Continuous driving is used when the advance per round is low and
the mucking or the drilling and blasting do not need more than a part of
the shift. Langefors

continuous extraction

Extraction (leaching) of solids by liquid that cycles continuously
countercurrent to the material it is depleting of the sought value (e.g.,
gold in cyanide process), the pregnant liquid at a certain stage being
stripped of value and returned as barren solution. Pryor, 1

continuous filter

See:Oliver filter

continuous-flight auger

A drill rod with continuous helical fluting, which acts as a screw
conveyor to remove cuttings produced by an auger drill head. Also called
auger. Long

continuous flow respirator

An atmosphere-supplying respirator that provides a continuous flow of
respirable gas to the respiratory inlet covering. ANSI

continuous furnace

Said of a process in which the charge enters at one end, moves through
continuously, and is discharged at the other end. Syn:furnace
CTD

continuous haulage

A process that is designed to move the mined product (usually coal) from a
continuous mining machine to a mine belt conveyor system as a continuous
flow. One end of the continuous haulage system (the outby end) always
remains positioned so that it discharges onto the mine belt; the other end
(inby end) is free to move as the mining machine advances so as to be able
to receive the product from the machine's conveyor discharge.

continuous mill

A rolling mill consisting of a number of stands of synchronized rolls (in
tandem) in which metal undergoes successive reductions as it passes
through the various stands. ASM, 1

continuous miner

A mining machine designed to remove coal from the face and to load that
coal into cars or conveyors without the use of cutting machines, drills,
or explosives. See also:Goodman miner; Marietta miner. Jones, 1

continuous mining

Mining in which the continuous mining machine cuts or rips coal from the
face and loads it onto conveyors or into shuttle cars in a continuous
operation. Thus, the drilling and shooting operations are eliminated,
along with the necessity for working several headings in order to have
available a heading in which loading can be in progress at all times.
See also:conventional machine mining; plow-type machine.
Woodruff

continuous profiling

A seismic method of shooting in which seismometer stations are placed
uniformly along the length of a line and shot from holes also spaced along
the line so that each hole records seismic-ray paths identical
geometrically with those from immediately adjacent holes, so that events
may be carried continuously by equal-time comparisons.
CF:correlation shooting

continuous reaction series

A reaction series in which early-formed crystals in a magma react with
later liquids without abrupt phase changes; e.g., the plagioclase
feldspars form a continuous reaction series.
CF:discontinuous reaction series

continuous recording

In geophysics, the process of making uninterrupted records or observations
over selected periods of time. AGI

continuous ropeway

An aerial ropeway that operates on the same principle as the endless rope
haulage. The loaded buckets are hauled by an endless rope in one direction
and the empty buckets travel back on the return rope alongside.
Nelson

continuous sampling

Taking a sample from each unit so that increments are taken at regular
intervals whenever the coal or coke is handled at the point of sampling.
BS, 2

continuous sintering

Presintering, or sintering, in such manner that the objects are advanced
through the furnace at a fixed rate by manual or mechanical means.
Syn:stoking

continuous smelter

Any smelter that is fed constantly and that discharges frit in a
continuous stream. The passage of the material through the smelter is
generally effected by gravitational flow. Enam. Dict.

continuous spectrum

a. The band of all wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum (the
rainbow colors, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet), merging one
into the other, produced by all incandescent solids. Anderson
b. The spectrum of a wave, the components of which are continuously
distributed over a frequency range. Hunt

continuous stream conveyor

See:en masse conveyor

continuous vertical retort

A type of gas retort in which coal is continuously charged into the top of
the retort, coke is extracted from the bottom, and town gas is drawn off.
Continuous vertical retorts are also used in the zinc industry. The charge
of briquetted coke and roasted concentrate is continuously added through
the top and zinc vapor is drawn off and condensed.

contortion

a. The intricate folding, bending, or twisting-together of laminated
sediments on a considerable scale, the laminae being drawn out or
compressed in such a manner as to suggest kneading more than simple
folding; esp. intraformational contortion. Also, the state of being
contorted. AGI
b. A structure produced by contortion. AGI

contour

a. An imaginary line, or a line on a map or chart, that connects points of
equal value, e.g., elevation of the land surface above or below some
reference value or datum plane, generally sea level. Contours are commonly
used to depict topographic or structural surfaces; they can also readily
show the laterally variable properties of sediments or any other
phenomenon that can be quantified. CF:structure contour
Syn:contour line
b. The outline or configuration of a surface feature seen
two-dimensionally, e.g., the contour of a mountain pass or a coastline.
AGI
c. A line drawn through points of equal elevation on any surface. It is
the intersection of a horizontal plane with the surface. Rice, 1
d. A line or a surface at all points of which a certain quantity,
otherwise variable, has the same value (as lines of equal elevation on the
ground or isothermal surfaces in a heat-conducting solid).
Webster 3rd
e. As a verb, to construct (as a road) in conformity to a contour. To
provide (as a map) with contours (contour lines). To draw or to plot a
contour. Webster 3rd
f. The profile or cross-sectional outline of a bit face. Long

contour diagram

a. A type of petrofabric diagram prepared by the contouring of a point
diagram. Its purpose is to obtain easier visualization of the results of
the petrofabric study. AGI
b. An equal-area projection of structural data in which the poles have
been contoured according to their density per unit area on the projection.
AGI

contour gradient

A line marked on the ground surface at a given constant slope.
Hammond

contour interval

a. The difference in elevation between two adjacent contour lines.
AGI
b. The difference in value between two adjacent contours; e.g., the
vertical distance between the elevations represented by two successive
contour lines on a topographic map. It is generally a regular unit chosen
according to the range of values being contoured. Syn:interval
AGI

contour line

See:contour

contour map

a. A map showing by contours (or contour lines) topographic, or
structural, or thickness, or facies differences in the area mapped.
AGI
b. A map that portrays surface configuration by means of contour lines;
esp. a topographic map that shows surface relief by means of contour lines
drawn at regular intervals above mean sea level, or a structure-contour
map that shows the configuration of a specified rock surface underground
and the inferred configuration of that surface where it has been removed
by erosion. AGI

contour mining

Surface mining that progresses in a narrow zone following the outcrop of a
coal seam in mountainous terrain, and the overburden, removed to gain
access to the mineral commodity, is immediately placed in the previously
mined area, such that reclamation is carried out contemporaneously with
extraction. SME, 1

contour plan

A plan drawn to a suitable scale showing surface contours or calculated
contours of coal seams to be developed. These plans are important during
the planning stage of a project. See also:interpolation of contours
Nelson

contour race

A watercourse following the contour of the country.

contraband

In coal mining, a term meaning cigars, cigarettes, pipes, and other
contrivances for smoking, matches, and mechanical lighters. It is a
violation of safety regulations to take contraband below ground or to have
contraband in one's possession below ground. Nelson

contract

a. A bargain or agreement voluntarily made upon good consideration,
between two or more persons capable of contracting to do, or forbearing to
do, some lawful act. Hoover
b. In mining, applies to an agreement between operator and worker to pay
the latter so much per foot for excavating drift or stope. These people
are known as contract miners and are usually skilled workers. They work
harder than people on wages due to the incentive of higher earnings.
Weed, 2
c. Agreement between contractor and employing company to construct, erect,
install, and operate specified works under agreed conditions. A cost-plus
contract is one in which the contractor undertakes a comprehensive
activity, part of which may be subcontracted (or let out). A unit contract
is one in which company awards a restricted part of the job to the
contractor. See also:agreement

contraction cavities

The bulk of the contraction that accompanies the solidification of metals
is concentrated in the feeder heads and risers, from which molten metal
flows to compensate for contraction in the casting of ingot proper.
CTD

contraction vein

A vein formed by the filling of a fissure caused by contraction resulting
from the drying or cooling of the surrounding rock.

contract loader

In bituminous coal mining, one who is paid a certain rate per ton of car
of coal mined, and employs one or more loaders whom the loader pays out of
personal earnings. DOT

contract miner

a. In anthracite and bituminous coal mining, one who operates electric or
compressed-air machines to drill holes into the working face of coal or
rock for blasting, and shovels coal into cars after blasting. A contract
miner is usually engaged in production work, i.e., the mining of coal
only, and is paid on a tonnage basis. In anthracite regions, the miner is
paid the wage rate of a consideration mine when encountering obstructions
of rock or slate that prevent earning an amount in excess of a fixed or
specified rate per day. Also called contract driller; contract
drilling-machine operator; contract contractor. DOT
b. In metal mining, one who drills, blasts, and loads ore or rock into
cars in a mine. Is usually engaged in production work, i.e., the mining of
ore only, and is paid on a contract basis (so much per ton, cubic yard, or
cars of ore produced). DOT

contractor

a. The person who signs a contract to do certain specified work at a
certain rate of payment. In mining, the contractor is an experienced miner
or hard-heading miner. He or she employs other people and the work may
proceed on a three-shift basis. Nelson
b. S. Afr. Mine worker undertaking special tasks on a contractual basis
such as shaft sinking, development blasting, etc. Beerman

contract person

See:contract miner

contract work

Work that is outside the scope of the mine price list and is performed on
the basis of an agreement between a miner and the mine manager. The
agreement may be only verbal and renewable weekly or monthly. Payment is
made according to performance. In development work, the contract rate is
usually per yard advance. There may be bonus payments for good work or for
extra performance. See also:piecework

contragradation

Stream aggradation caused by an obstruction. Syn:dam gradation

contra-rotating axial fan

A modification of the axial-flow fan. It consists of two impellers with
aerofoil shaped blades that rotate in opposite directions. The drive is by
means of a single motor through differential gears, or two separate
motors, one for each impeller. They are placed in the airstream and act as
streamlined hubs. These fans are available for auxiliary ventilation in
mines. See also:axial-flow fan

contributory negligence

In mining, means that the law imposes upon every person the duty of using
ordinary care for his or her own protection against injury. It is not
synonymous with assumption of risk. Ricketts

control

a. The dimensional data used to establish the position, elevations, scale,
and orientation of the detail of a map and that are responsible for the
interpretations placed on a map. AGI
b. A section or reach of an open channel in which natural or artificial
conditions make the water level above it a stable index of discharge. It
may be either complete (i.e., water-surface elevation above the control is
completely independent of downstream water-level fluctuations) or partial;
it may also shift. AGI
c. That waterway cross section that is the bottleneck for a given flow and
determines the energy head required to produce the flow. In an open
channel, it is the point at which flow is at critical depth; in a closed
conduit, it is the point at which hydrostatic pressure and cross-sectional
area of flow are definitely fixed, except where the flow is limited at
some other point by a hydrostatic pressure equal to the greatest vacuum
that can be maintained unbroken at that point. AGI
d. Any of the factors determining the nature of geologic formations at a
given place. Webster 3rd
e. In geology, the background and the quantity of data that are
responsible for the interpretation placed on a map or a cross section.
AGI
f. An attempt to guide a borehole to follow a predetermined course through
the use of wedges or by manipulation of the drill string. Long

control assay

An assay made by an umpire to determine the basis on which a purchaser is
to pay the seller for ore. See also:umpire

control chart

Graph showing, horizontally, the operating norm and also the upper and
lower control limits within which deviations must be held. Should these
values exceed the permitted variance, special steps must be taken to
locate and correct the upsetting factor or factors. Pryor, 3

controlled blasting

Techniques used to control overbreak and produce a competent final
excavation wall. See also:line drilling; smooth blasting;
cushion blasting. Syn:presplitting

controlled caving

A mining method utilizing the advantages of longwalls, but at the same
time without filling. In this method, the working room in front of the
working face is protected by close lines of props and cribs, which are
portable and easily taken to pieces. As the face proceeds, the cribs are
shifted as well as the props with the face, leaving the mined-out room to
cave. This method is also called mining with self-filling. Stoces

controlled cooling

Cooling from an elevated temperature in a predetermined manner to avoid
hardening, cracking, or internal damage, or to produce a desired
microstructure. This cooling usually follows a hot-forming operation.
ASM, 1

controlled footage

The specified maximum number of feet of borehole a single diamond- or
other-type bit may be allowed to drill in a specific-type rock, as
predetermined by the drill supervisor. Long

controlled gravity conveyor

See:controlled velocity roller conveyor

controlled mosaic

A mosaic in which aerial photographs or images have been adjusted,
oriented, and scaled to horizontal ground control to provide an accurate
representation with respect to distances and distortions. It is usually
assembled from photographs that have been corrected for tilt and for
variations in flight altitude. See also:mosaic

controlled release

A paradigm of mine waste management (based upon the eventual oxidation of
exposed sulfidic rock and mine wastes) that states that a slow release of
contamination over time may be superior to complete containment.
Connolly

controlled splitting

When airways are arranged in parallel and a prescribed quantity of air is
made to flow through each branch. CF:natural splitting
Hartman, 2

controlled velocity roller conveyor

A roller conveyor having means to control the velocity of the objects
being conveyed. Syn:controlled gravity conveyor
See also:roller conveyor

controller

Any mechanical or electrical device that is part of or added to a machine
or device for automatic regulation or control.

controlling rate

That at which the key machine in a series arranged for continuous ore
processing is set to work. The control function may be for quantity
passing per time, ratio of size reduction from feed to discharge, or for a
necessary physical or chemical change of state of solid or liquid phase of
the process. Pryor, 3

controlling system

In flotation, that portion of an automatic feedback control system that
compares functions of a controlled variable and a command and adjusts a
manipulated variable as a function of the difference. It includes the
reference input elements, summing point, forward and final controlling
elements, and feedback elements. Fuerstenau

control man

Person who maintains depth and composition of cryolite bath in aluminum
reduction pots within limits favorable to efficient aluminum production.
DOT

control on fracture

In quarrying, control on fracture is based on the experimental
determination of the type and the grade of explosive, the loading ratio,
and the pattern of boreholes. Streefkerk

control point

Any station in a horizontal and/or vertical control system that is
identified on a photograph and used for correlating the data shown on that
photograph. AGI

control samples

In any continuous process, samples taken often enough (whether by hand or
mechanically) so that the operation process may be guided by the samples
and weights of the materials involved. Newton, 2

convection

a. A process of mass movement of portions of any fluid medium (liquid or
gas) in a gravitational field as a consequence of different temperatures
in the medium and hence different densities. The process thus moves both
the medium and the heat, and the term convection is used to signify either
or both.
b. In hydrothermal systems, the flow of water around and through heated
zones adjacent to plutons in response to thermal gradients and controlled
by porosity-permeability, salinity, fluid viscosity, and allied factors.
The flow is generally down along the periphery, toward the system at
depth, and upward along and through its central portions, possibly
completing more than one loop. AGI

convection current

a. A thermally produced fluid flow.
b. A closed circulation of material sometimes developed during convection.
Convection currents normally develop in pairs; each pair is called a
convection cell. Leet, 1

conventional machine mining

A system of mining established for many years in British coal mines. The
longwall face is undercut, blasted, and loaded by hand to a face conveyor.
The conveyor is then moved forward ready for the next day, the packs are
built and the back props withdrawn. Such faces still produce about 60% of
the total output and is known as conventional machine mining. It has the
disadvantage that there are limits to production because it is cyclic
mining, e.g., it involves separate operations as enumerated above.
See also:turnover; continuous mining. Nelson

conventional mining

The cycle of operations that includes cutting the coal, drilling the shot
holes, charging and shooting the holes, loading the broken coal, and
installing roof support. Also known as cyclic mining. Woodruff

conventional mud

A drilling fluid containing essentially clay and water. Brantly, 1

convergence

a. The gradual decrease in the vertical distance or interval between two
specified rock units or geologic horizons as a result of the thinning of
intervening strata; e.g., the reduction in thickness of sedimentary beds
(as measured in a given direction and at right angles to the bedding
planes), caused by variable rates of deposition or by unconformable
relationship. AGI
b. Loss of height when a coal seam is extracted on a longwall face, as the
roof lowers and the floor lifts. Convergence is an important factor in
thin-seam mining.
c. Applied to the diminishing interval between geologic horizons. In some
instances, this is due to an unconformable relationship and in other
instances to variable rates of deposition. AGI
d. The line of demarcation between turbid river water and clear lake
water, which denotes a downstream movement of water on the lake bottom and
an upstream movement of water at the surface. AGI
e. In refraction phenomena, the decreasing of the distance between
orthogonals in the direction of wave travel. This denotes an area of
increasing wave height and energy concentration. AGI
f. In paleontology, resemblance that cannot be attributed to a direct
relationship or to genetic affinity. AGI
g. In oceanography, an area or zone in which the water sinks slowly
downward from the ocean surface. Schieferdecker

convergence map

See:isochore map
¾ ?? > ?4@ ?–àÑ? ??????? ?( DICTIONARY TERMS:convergence recorder An appliance for measuring cha
[\B]convergence recorder[\N]

convergent light

In optical microscopy, a condensing lens causes light to converge at a
point within a sample to display optical interference patterns or to
enhance the Becke line.

conversion burners

Fuel-burning devices (usually oil or gas) intended for installation in a
wide variety of boilers or furnaces. Strock, 2

conversion factor

A number facilitating statement of units of one system in corresponding
values in another system. Pryor, 3

converter

A furnace in which air is blown through a bath of molten metal or matte,
oxidizing the impurities and maintaining the temperature through the heat
produced by the oxidation reaction. Also used in converting copper matte.
ASM, 1; Fay

converter foreperson

A person who supervises workers engaged in converting copper matte to
blister copper and directs activities concerned with charging converter,
blowing charge, pouring of slag and copper, casting of blister copper, and
removal of castings. DOT

converter plant

A plant that incorporates into its structure an insoluble element from the
soil, and later, when the plant decays, returns that element to the soil
in a soluble form. AGI

converter skimmer

In ore dressing, smelting, and refining, one who makes blister copper
(high-grade crude copper) by oxidizing iron and sulfur impurities in
copper matte, using a converter. DOT

converting

The process of removing impurities from molten metal or metallic compounds
by blowing air through the liquid. The impurities are changed either to
gaseous compounds, which are removed by volatization, or to liquids which
are removed as slags. Kirk

Convertol process

A German process that cleans the coal and also reduces the moisture
content to about 10%. Heavy oil is added to a coal slurry containing 50%
to 60% water. On mixing, the coal particles become coated with oil and
hence resistant to water, whereas the shale particles remain uncoated and
easily wetted. By high-speed centrifuging the coal-oil mixture is retained
in the centrifuge while the shale particles pass out with the water. The
process is not as efficient as froth flotation. Nelson

conveyor

a. A mechanical contrivance generally electrically driven, which extends
from a receiving point to a discharge point and conveys, transports, or
transfers material between those points.
b. The apparatus, belt, chain, or shaker, which, in conveyor mining, moves
coal from the rooms and entries to a discharge point or to the surface.
"Mother conveyors" are the conveyors that receive the coal from several
unit conveyors in rooms or entries. See also:underground mine conveyor;
transport; armored flexible conveyor; gate conveyor; shaker conveyor;
trunk conveyor. BCI

conveyor airlock

A ventilation stopping or separation door through which a conveyor has to
run. It consists of at least two well-built partitions, each with some
form of airlock designed to pass the belt and yet to reduce to a minimum
the leakage of air and the raising of dust. An airlock chute is sometimes
used. See also:box check

conveyor chain

A chain used in the conveying medium of conveyors.

conveyor creep

The downward slippage of a conveyor on an inclined face. With powered
supports, this movement is likely to cause ram damage. Anchor stations are
necessary to arrest conveyor creep. See also:stell prop

conveyor dryer

An appliance in which the coal or ore is moved through a chamber
containing hot gases on a perforated plate or a heavy mesh,
stainless-steel continuous belt. Nelson

conveyor elevator

A conveyor that follows a path, part of which is substantially horizontal
or on a slope less than the angle of slide of the material and part of
which is substantially vertical or on a slope steeper than the angle of
slide.

conveyor emergency switch

A specif. designed cable operated emergency stop switch for use with
conveyors or conveying systems that are used with a pull cord running
alongside or above the conveyor so that it may be reached from any point
along the conveyor. Persons falling against or on top of the conveyor will
pull on the cord and deactivate the conveyor movement. Best, 2

conveyor face

A longwall face on which the coal is loaded direct onto a face conveyor.
The coal may be loaded by hand or mechanically. The face conveyor delivers
its load of coal into tubs or cars or onto a gate conveyor. Nelson

conveyor-feeder operator

See:mill feeder

conveyor loader

a. Conveyor that at its extremity has a digging head that moves with the
conveyor and works its way under the coal, which, by the unequal shaking
of the conveyor, is carried back to the car. Also called shaking-conveyor
loader. Zern
b. One who loads on a conveyor. See also:loader

conveyor man

a. Person who sets up and tends chain, belt, or shaker (reciprocating)
conveyors to transport coal or metal ore about a tipple at the surface
from working the working face in a mine. Also called loading-boom
operator. DOT
b. In the quarry industry, a person who tends an endless conveyor belt
used to transport rock from the crusher to storage bins. Syn:beltman
DOT

conveyor-operator tripper

See:tripper man

conveyor shaker type

A conveyor designed to transport material along a line of troughs by means
of a reciprocating or shaking motion. See also:shaker conveyor

conveyor shifter

A member of a team responsible for advancing the face conveyor as the coal
is worked away. In many modern layouts, the armored conveyor is pushed
forward by hydraulic rams. Nelson

conveyor track

The path, parallel to the face, occupied by a longwall conveyor. The track
is advanced every turnover. Syn:track

conveyor-tripper operator

See:tripper man

conveyor-type feeder

Any conveyor, such as apron, belt, chain, flight, pan, oscillating, screw,
or vibrating, adapted for feeder service. See also:apron feeder

cookeite

A monoclinic mineral, LiAl4 (Si3 Al)O10 (OH)8;
chlorite group.

cooler arch

An opening of truncated-cone shape in the tuyere breast of furnace. The
tuyere cooler is placed in it. Fay

coolers

Coolers in which atmospheric air is blown by a fan, through a nest of
pipes, into a tower or chamber in which it comes into intimate contact
with fine particles of water from atomizing nozzles. By the evaporation of
some of this water the air rapidly becomes saturated at the wet-bulb
temperature, the remaining water running off at the same temperature. This
water is collected and pumped back through the nest of pipes, thereby
cooling the air before it enters the spray chamber. The entering air then
has a lower dry-bulb temperature than the atmosphere and, since its
moisture content is unaltered, the wet-bulb is lower also.
Spalding

cooling agent

A chemical added to an explosive during manufacture to suppress or inhibit
the flame produced in blasting. BS, 12

cooling floor

A floor upon which hot ore is placed for the purpose of cooling.

cooling load

The total amount of sensible and latent heat to be removed from a space to
maintain desired conditions. For mines in operation, it is possible to
measure the actual amount of heat generated in underground openings by
observing temperature changes in a known weight flow rate of mine air. For
projected mines and extensions of operating mines, the amount of heat
produced must be calculated, knowing which of the sources of underground
heat is operative. Hartman, 2

cooling power

The rate at which air will remove heat from a body and may be measured dry
or wet. The cooling power of air, as determined by the kata thermometer,
is one of the basic environmental standards. Hartman, 2

coontail ore

Banded ore consisting mainly of fluorite and sphalerite in alternate
light- and dark-colored layers; occurs in the Cave-in-Rock district of
southern Illinois.

cooperite

A tetragonal mineral, (Pt,Pd,Ni)S ; sp gr, 9; in ultramafic
rocks, such as the Bushveld, Transvaal, South Africa; an ore of platinum
and palladium.

Cooper's lines

An anastomosing meshwork of minute curved and branching lines produced in
rock by shearing under pressure. Goldman

coordinate

Any one of a set of numbers designating linear and/or angular quantities
that specify the position of a point on a line, in space, or on a given
plane or other surface in relation to a given reference system; e.g.,
latitude and longitude are coordinates of a point on the Earth's surface.
The term is usually used in the plural, esp. to designate the particular
kind of reference system (such as spherical coordinates, plane
coordinates, and polar coordinates). AGI

coordinate system

Crystallographers customarily use a right-handed system with the z axis
oriented positive upward, the y axis positive to the right, and the x axis
positive toward the viewer. CF:axis; crystallographic axes.

coorongite

a. Elastic, bituminous substances derived from algae.
Schieferdecker
b. A boghead coal in the peat stage. See also:elaterite
Stutzer

coose

Lean; said of ores. Hess

copal

An inclusive term for a wide variety of hard, brittle, semitransparent,
yellowish to red fossil resins from various tropical trees (e.g.,
Copiafera and Agathis), being nearly insoluble in the ordinary solvents
and resembling amber in appearance; e.g., Congo copal and kauri. Copal
also occurs as modern resinous exudations. Syn:gum copal
See also:amber

copaline

See:copalite

copalite

An oxygenated hydrocarbon resembling copal from the blue clay of Highgate,
near London, England. Syn:copaline; fossil copal.

Copaux-Kawecki fluoride process

A process for converting beryl to beryllium oxide by sintering a mixture
of beryl, soda ash, sodium silicofluoride, and sodium ferric fluoride,
leaching with hot water, and adding caustic soda to precipitate beryllium
hydroxide, which is calcined to beryllia. USBM, 7

cope

a. Derb. To contract to mine lead ore by the dish, load, or other measure.
Fay
b. An exchange of working places between miners. Also spelled coup.
Zern
c. Derb. A duty or royalty paid to the lord or owner of a mine.
Fay
d. Eng. A superficial deposit covering or coating the substrata. A cold,
stiff, and wet clay. Arkell
e. The upper or topmost section of a flask, mold, or pattern.
ASM, 1

copel

An alloy containing 55% copper and 45% nickel; used for thermocouples.
Newton, 1; Newton, 2

coper

Derb. One who contracts to mine lead ore at a fixed rate; a miner.

copi

A name for gypsum, generally in weathered state.

copiapite

a. A triclinic mineral, Fe2+ Fe3+4 (SO4 )
6 (OH)2 .20H2 O ; Syn:ferrocopiapite;
yellow copperas; ihleite; knoxvillite.
b. The mineral group aluminocopiapite, calciocopiapite, copiapite,
cuprocopiapite, ferricopiapite, magnesiocopiapite, and zincocopiapite.
Syn:ihleite

coping

a. Cutting and trimming marble or other stone by use of a grinding wheel.
b. The top or cover of a wall usually made sloping to shed water.
c. In quarrying, the process of cutting one slab into two without regard
to the finish of the edges. AIME, 1
d. The material or units used to form a cap or finish on top of a wall,
pier, or pilaster to protect the masonry below from the penetration of
water from above. ACSG, 1
e. Shaping stone or other hard nonmetallic material by use of a grinding
wheel. ACSG, 2

coping machine

A machine consisting of a gearing and a carborundum wheel for cutting and
trimming marble slabs. Fay

coplaning

The process of moving the head of a theodolite laterally until its
vertical axis lies in the produced vertical plane common to two
plumblines. Syn:alignment

coppel

See:cupel

copper

a. A reddish metallic element that takes on a bright metallic luster and
is malleable, ductile, and a good conductor of heat and electricity.
Symbol, Cu. Occasionally occurs native, and is found in many minerals such
as cuprite, malachite, azurite, chalcopyrite, and bornite. Its alloys,
brass and bronze, are very important; U.S. coins are now copper alloys.
Its oxides and sulfates are used as an agricultural poison and as an
algicide in water purification. Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 3
b. An isometric native metal Cu ; metallic, red, soft, ductile and
malleable; sp gr, 8.9; in oxidized zones of copper deposits, formerly a
major source of native copper; the only native metal to occur abundantly
in large masses; commonly occurs in dendritic clusters or mossy
aggregates, sheets, or in plates filling narrow cracks or fissures.
See also:native copper

copperas

See:melanterite; copiapite; goslarite; coquimbite.

copperasine

A sulfate of iron and copper resulting from the decomposition of copper
pyrites. Standard, 2

copperas stone

Syn. for pyrite, from which copperas is often made. Fay

copper barilla

Bol. Native copper in granular form mixed with sand. See also:coro-coro;
barilla. Fay

copper bottoms

A metallic product of very indefinite composition, made (usually) in
reverberatory furnaces by smelting rich cupriferous substances without
sufficient sulfur to quite satisfy the copper present. Fay

copper chalcanthite

See:chalcanthite

copper compress operator

A laborer who compresses copper scrap into bales for use in charging
refining furnaces, by operating a hydraulic ram. DOT

copper direct-firing process

A metallurgical process for recovering copper from low-grade complex ores
in which a mixture of the ore and a small quantity of salt and coke are
heated, and the oxides or sulfides reduce to metal that migrates or
segregates in the form of thin films or flakes. These are later recovered
by conventional flotation procedures.

copper flower

Any one of several indicator plants that serve as guides when prospecting
for copper ores.

copper glance

See:chalcocite

copperheads

Copper-colored spots--generally in a first coat on iron and not easily
covered with a second coat. Copperheads are spots of excessive oxidation
with red iron oxide producing the color. Bryant

copper ingots

Notched bars of commercial copper used for casting purposes. The notches
are provided for convenience in breaking the bars. Mersereau, 2

copperization

Impregnation with copper, or with some compound containing copper.

copper mica

A miners' name for chalcophyllite. Weed, 1

copper nickel

See:niccolite; nickeline.

copper-ore germ

A mixture of various copper minerals, such as green malachite, green or
blue chrysocolla, blue azurite, and red cuprite. Schaller

copper pitch

A jet black to brownish pitchlike material carrying from 12.12% to 84.22%
CuO and found in the oxidized zone. It has a conchoidal fracture, and
where it occurs in large enough pieces may resemble obsidian or anthracite
coal. It apparently may be a mixture of the hydrous oxides of copper and
iron, oxide and carbonate of copper, oxide and silicate of copper, or more
or less hydrated oxides of copper and manganese. All the varieties may
have more or less chalcedony mixed with them. Hess

copper precipitate

Impure copper that has been precipitated from copper-bearing solutions; it
may contain iron and arsenic; cement copper. Camm

copper-precipitation drum operator

In ore dressing, smelting, and refining, one who precipitates copper from
mine water by tumbling mine water and shredded steel cans in a revolving
drum. DOT

copper pyrite

See:chalcopyrite

copper rain

Minute globules thrown up from the surface of molten copper, when it
contains but little suboxide. Fay

copper segregation process

The process involves heating oxidized copper ore with a reducing agent and
a halide salt at about 700 degrees C to produce metallic copper, which may
then be recovered by ammonia leaching or by flotation with conventional
copper sulfide collectors. Rampacek

copper slate

Slate impregnated with copper minerals. Fay

copper smoke

The gases from the calcination of copper sulfide ore. The gases contain
sulfur dioxide, SO2 . Fay; Hess

copper suboxide

See:cuprite

copper sulfate

See:chalcanthite; copper sulfate pentahydrate.

copper sulfate pentahydrate

CuSO4 .5H2 O ; blue; triclinic; loses 5H2 O at 150
degrees C; white when dehydrated; slowly effloresces in air. Used in ore
flotation and as a source of copper.
CCD, 2; Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 2; Lee

copper sulfide

a. A source of copper.
b. See:covellite; cupric sulfide; indigo copper. CF:digenite

copper titanate

CuTiO3 . Sometimes added in quantities up to 2% to BaTiO3 to
increase the fired density. Dodd

copper uranite

See:uranite; torbernite.

copper vitriol

See:chalcanthite

coppite

a. A niobium-containing mineral used as raw material in the production of
ferroniobium. Osborne
b. A variety of tetrahedrite. Hey, 1

coprecipitation

The carrying down by a precipitate of substances that are normally soluble
under the condition of precipitation. AGI

coproduct

One of two commodities that must be produced to make a mine economic; both
influence output. A byproduct is produced in association with a main
product or with coproducts. See also:byproduct

coprolite

Petrified excrement.

coquimbite

A trigonal mineral, Fe2 (SO4 )3 .9H2 O ;
dimorphous with paracoquimbite. Syn:white copperas

coquina

A detrital limestone composed wholly or chiefly of mechanically sorted
fossil debris that experienced abrasion and transport before reaching the
depositional site and that is weakly to moderately cemented, but not
completely indurated; esp. a porous light-colored limestone made up of
loosely aggregated shells and shell fragments, such as the relatively
recent deposits occurring in Florida and used for roadbeds and
construction. AGI

coquinoid limestone

A limestone consisting of coarse, unsorted, and often unbroken shelly
materials that have accumulated in place without subsequent transportation
or agitation, and generally having a fine-grained matrix. It is
autochthonous, unlike the allochthonous coquina. AGI

coracite

An alteration product of uraninite partly changed to gummite.
Syn:uraninite

coral

A general name for any of a large group of bottom-dwelling, sessile,
marine invertebrate organisms (polyps) that belong to the class Anthozoa
(phylum Coelenterata), are common in warm intertropical modern seas and
abundant in the fossil record in all periods later than the Cambrian,
produce external skeletons of calcium carbonate, and exist as solitary
individuals or grow in colonies. AGI

coralgal

Said of a firm carbonate rock formed by an intergrowth of frame-building
corals and algae (esp. coralline algae). The material so formed is an
excellent sediment binder in a coral reef. AGI

coral limestone

A limestone consisting of the calcareous skeletons of corals, often
containing fragments of other organisms and often cemented by calcium
carbonate. AGI

coralline

a. Pertaining to, composed of, or having the form of a coral, as coralline
limestone.
b. Any organism that resembles a coral in forming a massive calcareous
skeleton or base, such as certain algae or stromatoporoids. AGI

coral mud and sand

Marine deposits formed around coral islands and coasts bordered by coral
reefs, containing abundant fragments of corals. Near the reefs the
particle sizes are relatively coarse and the deposit is described as coral
sand; farther out, the particles become gradually smaller until the
material is a coral mud. Holmes, 2

coral ore

A curved, lamellar variety of liver-colored cinnabar from Idria, Austria.
Standard, 2

coral rag

A well-cemented, rubbly limestone composed largely of broken and rolled
fragments of coral-reef deposits; e.g., the Coral Rag of the Jurassic,
used locally in Great Britain as a building stone. AGI

coral reef

a. A coral-algal or coral-dominated organic reef; a mound or ridge of
in-place coral colonies and accumulated skeletal fragments, carbonate
sand, and limestone resulting from organic secretion of calcium carbonate
that lithifies colonies and sands. A coral reef is built up around a
potentially wave- and surf-resistant framework, esp. of coral colonies,
but often including many algae; the framework may constitute less than
half of the reef volume. Coral reefs occur today throughout the tropics,
wherever the temperature is suitable (generally above about 18 degrees C,
a winter minimum). AGI
b. A popular term for an organic reef of any type. AGI

coral sand

Sand-size particles formed from coral fragments.
See also:coral mud and sand

coral zone

The depth of the sea at which corals thrive. Fay

Cordaites

A plant group, which is now extinct, that includes the Coniferales (pines
and firs) and the Cycadales (cycads). The Cordaites were tall, slender
trees that often attained heights of 100 ft (30.5 m). For a considerable
height above the ground, the trunk was devoid of branches. The long,
straplike leaves now form matted masses among the Coal Measure fossil
plants. Nelson

cord-belt conveyor

A rubber belt consisting of spaced cotton duck cords embedded in the
rubber and protected at the top by a breaker strip with thick rubber
cover. The bottom of the belt contains one or two plies of heavy duct, to
give transverse strength. See also:nylon belt

cordierite

An orthorhombic mineral, Mg2 Al4 Si5 O18 ;
Mohs hardness, 7 to 7.5; an accessory in peraluminous granite, schist, and
gneiss; a gem material called saphir d'eau, water sapphire, dichroite, and
iolite. Syn:polychroite

cordierite norite

Metamorphosed norite containing cordierite. Holmes, 2

cordillera

a. A comprehensive term for an extensive series or broad assemblage of
more or less parallel ranges, systems, and chains of mountains, the
component parts having various trends but the mass itself having one
general direction; esp. the great mountain region of western North America
from the eastern face of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, or the
parallel chains of the Andes in South America; a mountain province.
AGI
b. An individual mountain chain with closely connected, distinct summits
resembling the strands of a rope or the links of a chain; e.g., one of the
parallel chains of the Rocky Mountains. AGI
c. A term also used in South America for an individual mountain range.
Etymol: Spanish, chain or range of mountains, from Latin chorda, cord.
AGI

Cordirie process

The refining of lead by conducting steam through it, while molten, to
oxidize certain metallic impurities. Fay

cordite

An explosive compound consisting of cellulose nitrate and a restrainer,
such as vaseline, used chiefly as a propellant. Standard, 2

cord of ore

About 7 tons, but measured by wagonloads, and not by weight. The
expression "cord" is a term used in some parts of Colorado and applied
only to low-grade ore; the smelting ore is reckoned by the ton.

Cordtex

A detonating fuse suitable for opencast and quarry mining. It consists of
an explosive core of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) contained within
plastic covering. It has an average velocity of detonation of 21,350 ft/s
(6,500 m/s). This is practically instantaneous. Cordtex detonating fuse is
initiated by electric or a No. 6 plain detonator attached to its side with
an adhesive tape. Nelson

Cordtex relay

A new device to achieve short-interval delay firing with Cordtex. A relay
is an aluminum tube with a delay device, and is inserted in a line of
Cordtex where required. The relays are made with two delays, 15 ms and 20
ms, respectively. Nelson

corduroy

A ribbed and napped textile material used for recovering coarse gold or
other heavy metal or mineral from a stream of sand passing over it. A
corduroy blanket is replaced about every 4 hours for washing to remove the
gold. Nelson

corduroy spar

See:graphic granite

corduroy texture

Bands of coarse-grained quartz and albite or microcline in rock.
Hess

cordylite

A hexagonal mineral, Ba(Ce,La)2 (CO3 )3 F2 ;
rare; in pegmatites in nepheline syenites.
4 ?? Õ ?ôÙ ?OÒ? ??????? ?’ DICTIONARY TERMS:core a. A cylindrical section of rock, usually 5 to
[\B]core[\N]

core analysis

a. The characteristics of the minerals contained in a specific section of
a core sample as determined petrographically, by metallurgical treatments
and/or by chemical or cupelling methods. Also called core assay; core
values. Long
b. As used by the petroleum industry, a study of a core sample to
determine its water and oil content, porosity, permeability, etc.
Long

Coreau detonnant

Detonating fuse used in blasting. Syn:Cordtex

core barrel

a. A hollow cylinder attached to a specially designed bit and which is
used to obtain and to preserve a continuous section, or core, of the rocks
penetrated in drilling. AGI
b. A tube inside a drill pipe and which is supported by a bit to receive
the core, in core boring. Webster 3rd

core bit

a. A hollow, cylindrical boring bit for cutting a core in rock drilling or
in boring unconsolidated earth material. It is the cutting end of a core
drill.
b. A hollow, cylindrical drill bit for cutting a core of rock in a drill
hole; the cutting end of a core drill. Syn:coring bit

core block

An obstruction inside a bit, reaming shell, or core barrel consisting of
impacted core fragments or drill cuttings, which prevents entry of core
into the core barrel. See also:block

core boring

As used by soil- and foundation-testing engineers, a syn. for core;
cuttings; drill sludge. Long

core box

a. The wooden, metal, or cardboard box divided into narrow parallel
sections, used to store the cores at the surface as they are extracted
from a core barrel or corer. AGI
b. The box in which the core, or mass of sand producing any hollow part of
a casting, is made. Fay

core breaker

a. See:core lifter
b. A sharp-cornered pluglike device inside an annular-shaped bit, which
breaks up any core produced into pieces small enough to be washed out of
the borehole as cuttings. Long

core catcher

a. Sievelike tray or device on or in which the core is ejected
continuously from the upper end of a drill string, and is caught and held
when core is recovered by counterflow or reverse-flow continuous
core-drilling techniques. Long
b. See:core lifter
c. A steel spring fitted at the lower end of a soil sampler to keep the
sample from dropping out. Nelson
d. In deep boring, a ring of steel of wedge form cut into vertical stripes
that encircles and rides on the core when drilling, but wedges the core in
the core barrel when drilling ceases and the rods are lifted.
Nelson

cored ammonium nitrate dynamite

The dynamites of this class come in cartridges 4 in (10.2 cm) and up in
diameter and in weight strengths from 20% to 70%. Their water resistance
is considered good (the gelatin core being responsible for this), but
their fume characteristics are rated as poor. Besides providing increased
water resistance, these explosives tend to exhibit the higher velocities
characteristic of gelatin explosives (10,500 ft/s, 15,000 ft/s, and 17,000
ft/s) (3,200 m/s, 4,600 m/s, and 5,200 m/s), rather than the low and
medium velocities characteristic of other straight ammonia dynamite. In
addition, the gelatin core assures propagation of detonation through the
entire explosives column. Gelatin cored ammonia dynamites also are very
useful when an operator wishes to practice alternate velocity loading to
attain a more effective one-two punch in conjunction with the use of short
period or millisecond delay, electric blasting caps.
Pit and Quarry

cored hole

a. A borehole put down by a core drill. Nelson
b. A cast hole cored with a dry-sand core instead of delivering as a hole
directly from the pattern. In general, the term is applied to any hole in
a casting that is not bored or drilled in the shop. Crispin

core dressing

A solution used to form clear skin at surface of core. Pryor, 3

core drill

a. A rotary drilling rig that cuts and brings to the surface a core from
the drill hole. It is equipped with a core bit and a core barrel.
AGI
b. A lightweight, usually mobile drill that uses tubing instead of drill
pipe and that can core down from the grass roots. AGI
c. A mechanism designed to rotate and cause an annular-shaped rock-cutting
bit to penetrate rock formations, produce cylindrical cores of the
formations penetrated, and lift such cores to the surface, where they may
be collected and examined. See also:calyx drill; diamond drill;
rotary drill; shot drill. Long
d. The act or process of producing a cylindrical core of rock, using a
core-drilling machine and equipment. Long
e. A lightweight, usually mobile drilling machine equipped with a hollow
core bit and a core barrel that by rotation cuts out and recovers a rock
core sample. AGI
f. A drill that removes a cylindrical core from the drill hole.
Webster 3rd

core drilling

a. The process of obtaining cylindrical rock samples by means of
annular-shaped rock-cutting bits rotated by a borehole-drilling machine.
Long
b. Drilling with a hollow bit and a core barrel to obtain a rock core.

core-drill sampling

The act or process of obtaining cylindrical samples of rock in the form of
a core. Long

core dryer

A form in foundry work that serves to retain the shape of a core while it
is being baked. Crispin

core extractor

a. A special tool that works like a screw or hydraulic jack, used to push
core out of a core barrel. Also called core plunger; core pusher.
Long
b. A fishing tool designed to recover core dropped from a core barrel and
resting on the bottom of a borehole. Also called basket; core basket; core
fisher; core grabber; core picker. Long

core grouting

Material used in and/or the act or process of injecting small fragments of
rock or coarse sand into a core barrel to wedge the core inside the barrel
when no core lifter is used, as when using straightwall bits or drilling
with a shot drill. Long

core hole

A boring by a diamond drill or other machine that is made for the purpose
of obtaining core samples. AGI

core intersection

The point in a borehole where an ore vein or body is encountered, as shown
by the core; also, the width or thickness of the orebody, as shown by the
core. Also called core interval. Long

core interval

See:core intersection

core jam

See:core block

core library

A structure in which boxed cores from numerous recorded localities are
stored and kept available for inspection and study. Long

core lifter

A spring clip at the base of the core barrel that grips the core, enabling
it to be broken off and brought out of the hole. Also called core clip;
core gripper; core spring; ring lifter; split-ring lifter. Syn:catcher;
core breaker; core catcher; spring lifter; spring core lifter; lifter.
BS, 9

core load

The explosive core of detonating cord, expressed as the number of grains
of explosive per foot or grams per meter. Atlas

core loss

The portion of rock cored but not recovered. CF:core recovery
Long

core of the Earth

a. The dense central part of the Earth, below a depth of about 1,800 mi
(2,900 km). Syn:centrosphere
b. The Earth is believed to consist of the following: inner core, solid,
860 mi (1,384 km) radius; outer core, liquid, 1,300 mi (2,092 km) thick;
mantle, solid, 1,800 mi (2,897 km) thick; and crust, solid, 622 mi (1,001
km) thick. Hunt

core orientation

a. The act or process of using information obtained from magnetic polarity
or other measurements of a piece of core in an attempt to determine the
downhole bearing of the structural features of the rock formation as
displayed in the core. Long
b. To place a piece of core in the same relative plane as it occupied
below the surface. See also:true dip

core plug

A cylinder containing chemically treated sand and used for stemming
shotholes in coal mines. Nelson

core rack

a. A framework built to support several tiers of core boxes. Long
b. Grooved or partitioned tray, supported on legs or sawhorses, on which
core is placed when removed from a core barrel for inspection or temporary
storage before being placed in boxes. Long

core recovery

a. The proportion of the drilled rock column recovered as core in core
drilling. The amount withdrawn generally is expressed as a percentage of
the theoretical total in general terms, as excellent, good, fair, or poor.
CF:core loss
b. The amount of the drilled rock withdrawn as core in core drilling,
generally expressed as a percentage of the total length of the interval
cored. AGI

core run

Technically, the distance cored per round trip, which is expressed in
number of feet or in relative terms, as short or long. Core blocks may
occur before the core barrel is filled; the barrel then is short of being
full, resulting in a short core run. Loosely, the amount of core recovered
per round trip. Long

core sample

One or several pieces of whole or split parts of core selected as a sample
for analysis or assay. Long

core sand

Silica sand to which a binding material has been added to obtain good
cohesion and porosity after drying for the purpose of making cores.
Osborne

core saw

A machine capable of rotating at high speed, equipped with a thin metal
disk having diamonds inset in its edge. Used somewhat like a bench saw to
cut core longitudinally into sections. CF:core splitter;
diamond-saw splitter. Long

core shack

A roofed and enclosed structure in which core-filled boxes are stored.
Also called core house; core shanty. Long

core sludge

The slurry produced during abrasion by the cutting bit, or through
fracture and grinding of part of the sample during this process.
Pryor, 3

core splitter

Tool employing a chisel to split core longitudinally in half, rarely in
quarter, sections. One-half usually is assayed, and the other half is
retained and stored. Term also may be applied to a diamond saw used for
the same purpose. See also:core saw

core test

A hole drilled with a core drill, usually for the purpose of securing
geologic information and sometimes with the purpose of investigating
geologic structure. AGI

core texture

See:atoll texture

core-type spiral chute

A spiral chute having a center core or column about which it is
fabricated, with the core serving as the inside guard.

core values

Used in a general sense as a syn. for core analysis; core assay. In a
strict sense, the term should not be used to designate the mineral content
of the core sample unless the valuable mineral is gold, silver, platinum,
etc. Long

core velocity

The zone of maximum air velocity in a mine roadway, usually at or near the
center of the road. Nelson

core wall

In a battery wall, those courses of brick, none of which are directly
exposed on either side. AISI

core wash

a. The portion of the core lost through erosive action of the drill
circulation fluid. Long
b. The act or process of erosion of core by washing action of the drill
circulation fluid. Long

coring

A variable composition between the center and surface of a unit of
structure (such as a dendrite, grain, or carbide particle) resulting from
nonequilibrium growth that occurs over a range of temperature.
ASM, 1

coring bit

See:core bit

coring tool

A tool that is used when a core is required. In drilling, where speed is
the aim, cores are not made. When, however, an important bed or horizon is
approached, and detailed geological information is required, the coring
bit is inserted and core drilling commenced. Also called corer.
Nelson

Corinthian process

See:Carinthian process

cork fossil

A variety of amphibole or hornblende, resembling cork; the lightest of all
minerals. Fay

corkscrew

a. A device resembling a corkscrew, used as a fishing tool. Long
b. A borehole following a spiraled course. Long
c. A cylindrical surface, such as the outer surface of a piece of spirally
grooved core. Also called fluted core. Long

corkscrew core

See:fluted core

corncob

See:taper bit

cornelian

A translucent red variety of chalcedony. Also spelled carnelian.
CMD

corneous manganese

a. See:photicite
b. A carbonated variety of rhodonite.

corner

a. A point on a tract of land at which two or more surveyed boundary lines
meet; e.g., a township corner. AGI
b. A term that is often incorrectly used to denote the physical station,
or monument, erected to mark the corner. AGI

corner-fastened tray conveyor

See:suspended tray conveyor

corner-hung tray conveyor

See:suspended tray conveyor

corner racking

Square or triangular strips of pinewood fixed vertically down each corner
of a rectangular shaft to secure and stiffen the timber sets.
Nelson

corners

In Wales, bands of clay ironstone.

cornetite

An orthorhombic mineral, Cu3 (PO4 )(OH)3 ; occurs in
peacock-blue minute crystals and encrustations in Katanga, Zaire, and
Bwana M'Kubwa, Zambia.

Corning table

See:Bilharz table

Cornish diamond

Eng. A quartz crystal from Cornwall. Webster 3rd

Cornish engine

See:Cornish pump

Cornish mining ton

The weight equal to 21 hundredweight of 112 lb each, or 2,352 lb (1,066.87
kg). Webster 2nd

Cornish pump

A single-acting engine in which the power for pumping operations was
transmitted through the action of a cumbersome beam.
Syn:Cornish engine

Cornish rolls

A geared pair of horizontal cylinders, one fixed in a frame and the other
held by strong springs. The distance apart is adjusted by distance pieces
of shims. Used for grinding. Pryor, 3

Cornish stone

A variety of china stone composed of feldspar, mica, and quartz and used
as a bond in the manufacture of pottery. Syn:Cornwall stone
CF:china stone

cornubianite

A hornfels formed by contact metamorphism, and consisting of micas,
quartz, and feldspar. CF:leptynolite
Cornwall, England. AGI

cornubite

A triclinic mineral, Cu5 (AsO4 )2 (OH)4 ;
dehydrated from cornwallite.

cornuite

a. A yellow, gelatinous substance, apparently in albumen with 97% water;
found in fissures in diatomite deposit of Luneburger Heide, Hanover,
Germany. It may be an organic matter derived from the diatoms or a fungus.
Tomkeieff
b. A blue, green, hydrous copper silicate; glassy. The colloidal phase of
chrysocolla. English

cornwallite

A monoclinic mineral, Cu5 (AsO4 )2 (OH)4 .H
2 O ; emerald-green; dehydrates to cornubite.

Cornwall stone

See:Cornish stone

coro-coro

A dressed product of copper works in South America, consisting of grains
of native copper mixed with pyrite, chalcopyrite, mispickel, and earthy
minerals. See also:copper barilla; barilla.

Coromant cut

A new drill hole pattern in which two overlapping holes of diameter about
2-1/4 in (5.7 cm) are drilled in the tunnel center and left uncharged.
These holes form a slot roughly 4 in by 2 in (10.2 cm by 5.1 cm) to which
the easers can break. All the holes in the round are parallel and in line
with the tunnel. Short-delay detonators are used for the easer holes and
1/2-s delays for the rest of the round. A pull of 10 ft (3.0 m) per round
has been obtained in strong rock with 10.5-ft (3.2-m) holes. Explosive
consumption for the easer holes is about 0.2 lb/ft (0.3 kg/m) of hole.
Nelson

corona

a. A microscopic zone of minerals, usually arranged radially around
another mineral. The term has been applied to reaction rims, corrosion
rims, and originally crystallized minerals. AGI
b. A Spanish term meaning crown. Sometimes used in the Southwestern United
States as a syn. for diamond bit. Long
c. Rim of alteration product surrounding an earlier formed crystal,
commonly the result of reaction with a cooling magma.
Syn:kelyphitic rim; kelyphite; reaction border; kelyphytic rim.
See also:reaction rim

coronadite

A monoclinic mineral, Pb(Mn4+ ,Mn2+ )8 O16;
cryptomelane group; pseudotetragonal; at the Coronado vein,
Clifton-Morenci district, AZ.

coronite

A rock containing mineral grains surrounded by coronas. AGI

corrasion

a. A process of erosion whereby rocks and soil are mechanically removed or
worn away by the abrasive action of solid materials moved along by wind,
waves, running water, glaciers, or gravity. Syn:abrasion; attrition.
AGI
b. A term formerly used as a syn. of corrosion, or as including the work
of corrosion. AGI

corrected effective temperature

The scales of effective temperature take into consideration the
temperature, humidity, and speed of the air. The effects of radiant heat
can be included in an assessment of effective temperature by using the
globe thermometer temperature instead of the dry-bulb temperature in those
cases when the reading of the globe thermometer is higher than the
dry-bulb temperature. In such cases, the result is described as the
corrected effective temperature. Roberts, 1

correcting wedge

A deflection wedge used to deflect a crooked borehole back into its
intended course. See also:deflecting wedge

correction chart

A chart, graph, or table giving the true angle of the inclination of a
borehole for specific apparent angles as read from the etch line in a
specific-size acid bottle. See also:capillarity-correction chart
Long

correction factor

See:assay plan factor

correction line

See:standard parallel

correctly placed material

a. Material correctly included in the products of a sizing or density
separation. BS, 5
b. In cleaning, the material of specific gravity lower than the separation
density that has been included in the low-density product, or material of
specific gravity higher than the separation density that has been included
in the high-density product. BS, 5

correlate

a. To show correspondence in character and stratigraphic position between
such geologic phenomena as formations or fossil faunas of two or more
separated areas. Adj. belonging to the same stratigraphic position or
level. AGI
b. To establish a definite stratigraphic relationship between strata that
are separated by distance or by geologic disturbance; e.g., to find which
coalbeds in one coalfield or part thereof correspond with (or are the same
as) those of another coalfield.
c. To plot or to arrange two surveys, the surveys of two mines, or the
underground and the surface, on the same base line or to a common
meridian. Mason

correlation

a. The determination of the equivalence in geologic age and/or
stratigraphic position of two formations or other stratigraphic units in
separated areas; or, more broadly, the determination of the
contemporaneity of events in the geologic histories of two areas. Fossils
constitute the chief evidence in problems of such correlation.
See also:lithologic correlation
b. The identification of a phase of a seismic record as representing the
same phase on another record, thus relating reflections from the same
stratigraphic sequence or refractions from the same marker. AGI

correlation shooting

A seismic shooting method in which isolated profiles are shot and
correlated to obtain relative structural positions of the horizons mapped.
CF:continuous profiling

corrensite

A clay mineral having 1:1 regular interstratification of trioctahedral
chlorite with either trioctahedral vermiculite or trioctahedral smectite.

corridor system

See:methane drainage

corrode

a. To eat away by degrees as if by gnawing. Webster 3rd
b. To wear away or to diminish by gradually separating or destroying small
particles or converting into an easily disintegrated substance; esp., to
eat away or to diminish by acid or alkali reaction or by chemical
alteration. Webster 3rd

corroded crystal

A phenocryst that after crystallization is more or less reabsorbed or
attacked by the magma, or a crystal in a vein or a pegmatite that is
partly dissolved by later solutions. The process is probably much the same
in all three instances. Hess

corroding lead

Lead of purity exceeding 99.94% , suitable for the production of white
lead. CTD

corrosion

a. A process of erosion whereby rocks and soil are removed or worn away by
natural chemical processes, esp. by the solvent action of running water,
but also by other reactions such as hydrolysis, hydration, carbonation,
and oxidation. Syn:chemical erosion
b. A term formerly used interchangeably with corrasion for the erosion of
land or rock, including both mechanical and chemical processes. The
mechanical part is now properly restricted to corrasion and the chemical
to corrosion. Verb: corrode. AGI
c. See:magmatic corrosion; abrasion. See also:attrition

corrosion border

One of a series of borders of one or more secondary minerals around an
original crystal, representing the modification of a phenocryst due to the
corrosive action of its magma. CF:reaction rim
resorption border. AGI

corrosion potential

The steady-state irreversible potential of a metal or alloy in a constant
corrosive environment. Schlain

corrosion rate

The rate that a metal or alloy is removed because of corrosion. This may
be expressed in terms of loss in weight or loss of thickness in a given
period of time. (Corrosion rates in terms of thickness change refer to the
loss of metal from one side only.) Hunt

corrosion surface

A pitted, irregular bedding surface found only in certain carbonate
sediments, characterized by a black manganiferous stain, and presumed to
result from cessation of lime deposition and from submarine solution or
resorption of some of the previously deposited materials.
Syn:corrosion zone

corrosion zone

See:corrosion surface; corrosion border.

corrugated

Where on a small scale, beds are much wrinkled, folded, or crumpled, they
are said to be corrugated. On a larger scale, they are said to be
contorted.

corrugated friction socket

A fishing tool. Long

corrugated trough

A trough with corrugations formed into the bottom to assist coal travel on
steep grades or under wet conditions. Jones, 1

cortex

In coal, that part of the axis of a vascular plant that surrounds the
central cylinder and is separated from the cylinder by the endodermis, and
limited on the outside by the epidermis.

corundolite

A rock consisting of corundum and iron oxides. See also:emery rock

corundophilite

An iron-bearing variety of clinchlore.

corundum

A trigonal mineral, Al2 O3 ; hematite group; forms hexagonal
prisms with basal and rhombohedral parting; red (ruby), blue (sapphire),
green (oriental emerald), reddish-brown, white, or gray; defines 9 on the
Mohs hardness scale; in nepheline syenite pegmatites and placer deposits.
Emery is granular corundum mixed with magnetite and spinel. Synthetic
corundum made from bauxite together with other manufactured abrasives have
largely replaced natural materials.

corundum cat's eye

Corundum showing a bluish, reddish, or yellowish reflection of light, or
lighter shade, than the stone itself. CF:asterism; star ruby;
star sapphire.

corvusite

A monoclinic mineral, (Na,K,Ca,Mg)2 (V5+ ,V4+ )
8 O26 .6-10H2 O ; weakly radioactive; associated with
carnotite in Colorado and Utah; a source of vanadium.
Syn:blue-black ore

cosalite

An orthorhombic mineral, Pb2 Bi2 S5 ; a source of
bismuth.

cosedimentation

Contemporaneous deposition. AGI

cosmochemistry

The study of the origin, distribution, and abundance of elements in the
universe. AGI

costean

a. A trench cut across the conjectured line of outcrop of a seam or
orebody to expose the full width. Nelson
b. The channel eroded by a flow of water to expose mineral deposits during
prospecting work. Nelson
c. In prospecting, to dig shallow pits or trenches designed to expose
bedrock. Etymol: Cornish. AGI

costeaning

a. The removal of soil and subsoil by a rushing of water, to expose rock
formations in prospecting for reefs or lodes. CTD
b. Proving an ore deposit or vein by trenching across its outcrop at
approx. right angles. Weed, 2
c. Tracing a lode by pits sunk through overburden to underlying rock.
Pryor, 3

costean pit

Corn. A pit sunk to bedrock in prospecting. Standard, 2

cotectic line

A special case of the boundary line, in ternary systems, along which one
of the two crystalline phases present reacts with the liquid, upon
decreasing the temperature, to form the other crystalline phase.
Syn:reaction curve; reaction line. AGI

cotectic surface

A curved surface in a quaternary system, representing the intersection of
two primary phase volumes, one or both of which are solid solution series.
It is the bivariant equivalent of the univariant cotectic line in ternary
systems. AGI

cotter

Eng. To mat together; to entangle. Frequently applied to a hard,
crossgrained, tough stone or coal, as cottered coal.

cotterite

A variety of quartz having a peculiar metallic pearly luster.
Standard, 2

cotton ball

See:ulexite

cotton chert

An obsolete syn. of chalky chert.

cotton rock

a. A term used in Missouri for a soft, fine-grained, siliceous, white to
slightly gray or buff magnesian limestone having a chalky or porous
appearance suggestive of cotton. AGI
b. The white or light-colored decomposed exterior surrounding the dense
black interior of a chert nodule. AGI

cotton stone

A variety of mesolite. See also:mesolite; cotton rock. Fay

Cottrell meter

This instrument applies the veiling brightness method of producing
threshold conditions. When in use the sighting telescope is directed
toward some critical detail of the visual task and the veiling brightness
is adjusted until it matches the background. The gradient filter is then
turned until the target detail is at threshold visibility.
Roberts, 2

Cottrell operator

In ore dressing, smelting, and refining, one who recovers magnesium dust
particles remaining in magnesium gas after processing, using a battery of
Cottrell electrical precipitators. Also called agglomerator operator; dust
operator. DOT

Cottrell precipitator

An electrostatic device whereby negatively charged dust or fume particles
are attracted to a positively charged wire electrode enclosed in a flue,
the walls of which act as the other electrode. Widely used for treating
sulfuric acid mist, cement mill dust, power-plant fly ash, metallurgical
fumes, etc. CCD, 2

cotunnite

An orthorhombic mineral, PbCl2 ; soft; acicular crystals.

coulee

a. A term applied in the Western United States to a small stream, often
intermittent. Also, the bed of such a stream when dry. AGI
b. A term applied in the Northwestern United States to a dry or
intermittent stream valley, gulch, or wash of considerable extent; esp. a
long, steep-walled, trenchlike gorge or valley representing an abandoned
overflow channel that temporarily carried meltwater from an ice sheet,
e.g., the Grand Coulee (formerly occupied by the Columbia River) in
Washington State. AGI
c. A small valley or a low-lying area. Etymol: French coulee, flow or rush
of a torrent. Pron: koo-lee. Syn:coulie
d. A tonguelike mass of debris moved by solifluction (Monkhouse, 1965, p.
81). AGI
e. A flow of viscous lava that has a blocky, steep-fronted form. Also
spelled: coulee. AGI

coulee lake

A lake produced by the damming of a water course by lava. AGI

coulie

See:coulee

coulomb attraction

The attraction between ions of opposite electric charges. AGI

coulomb damping

a. The dissipation of energy that occurs when a particle in a vibrating
system is resisted by a force whose magnitude is a constant independent of
displacement and velocity, and whose direction is opposite to the
direction of the velocity of the particle. Also called dry friction
damping. Hunt
b. See:specific damping capacity

coulsonite

An isometric mineral, Fe2+ V3+2 O4 ;
spinel group; a source of vanadium; formerly called vanado-magnetite.

Coulter counter

A high-speed device for particle size analysis designed by W.H. Coulter
and now made by Coulter Electronics, Inc., Chicago. A suspension of the
particles flows through a small aperture having an immersed electrode on
either side with particle concentration such that the particles traverse
the aperture substantially one at a time. Each particle, as it passes,
displaces electrolyte within the aperture, momentarily changing the
resistance between the electrodes and producing a voltage pulse of
magnitude proportional to practical volume. The resultant series of pulses
is electronically amplified, scaled, and counted. Dodd

counter

a. A gangway driven obliquely upwards on a coal seam from the main gangway
until it cuts off the faces of the workings, and then continues parallel
with the main gangway. The oblique portion is called run.
b. A crossvein.
c. An instrument for the detection of uranium and thorium. Nelson
d. A term used for any device that registers radioactive events, i.e.,
alpha counter, beta counter, Geiger-Mueller counter, scintillation
counter. The term is correctly used only for devices that actually
register number of events, but is often erroneously applied to count rate
meters that register events per unit time.
e. An apparatus for recording the number of strokes made by a pump, an
engine, or other machinery.

counterboring

Drilling or boring a flatbottomed hole, often concentric with other holes.
Syn:counterflush boring; reversed flush boring. ASM, 1

counter chute

A chute through which the coal from counter-gangway workings is lowered to
the gangway below. Fay

counter coal

Coal worked from breasts or bords to the rise of a counter gangway.
Fay

countercurrent

Arrangement in which ore, or pulp, proceeds in one direction and is
progressively stripped of part of its contained mineral, while the
enriched fraction thus produced moves in the opposite direction, the
results being central feed, with discharge of high-grade concentrate at
one end of the process and low-grade or barren tailing at the other.
Pryor, 3

countercurrent braking

Braking accomplished by reversing the motor connections, at the same time
inserting appropriate resistance in the rotor circuit to adjust the
negative torque to the desired value. With this method, complete control
of deceleration is obtained, even to a dead stop. Its greatest
disadvantage is that it is expensive in current consumption. It is
unsuitable for winders sited at depth, owing to the heat given out.
Spalding

countercurrent decantation

The clarification of washery water and the concentration of tailings by
the use of several thickeners in series. The water flows in the opposite
direction from the solids. The final products are slurry that is removed
as fluid mud and clear water that is reused in the circuit. May be broader
than just thickener. Syn:cascade upgrading

countercurrent principle

A means of maintaining the chemical potential at a uniform level during a
reaction. Newton, 1; Newton, 2

counterflow

In a heat exchanger, where the fluid absorbing heat and the fluid losing
heat are so directed that lower and higher temperature of the one is
adjacent to the lower and higher temperature of the other, respectively.
Ordinarily, the one fluid is flowing in the opposite direction from the
other, hence the term. Strock, 2

counterflush boring

See:counterboring

counter gangway

A gangway driven obliquely across the workings to a higher level, or a
gangway driven between two lifts and sending its coal down to the gangway
below through a chute. Fay

counterhead

Mid. An underground heading driven parallel to another, and used as the
return air course.

counterpart

See:cast

countersink

In a twist drill, the tapered and relieved cutting portion situated
between the pilot drill and the body. Osborne

countervein

A cross vein running at approx. right angles to the main orebody.

countess

Slate, size 20 in by 10 in (50.8 cm by 25.4 cm); a duchess is 24 in by 12
in (61.0 cm by 30.5 cm), and a princess is 24 in by 14 in (61.0 cm by 35.6
cm). Terms descriptive of slate trimmed for roofing. Pryor, 3

counting assay

Approximate method of analysis, where particles of value and gangue are
similar in shape and size, and their proportions can be assessed by
inspection, probably under a low-powered microscope. Pryor, 3

country bank

Arkansas. A small mine supplying coal for local use only.

country rock

The rock enclosing or traversed by a mineral deposit. Originally a miners'
term, it is somewhat less specific than host rock. Syn:wall rock
AGI

County of Durham system

A combination of the panel and room-and-pillar method of mining.
See also:room-and-pillar

coupled wave

A type of surface wave that is continuously generated by another wave that
has the same phase velocity. Syn:C-wave

couplet

Genetically related paired sedimentary laminae, generally occurring in
repeating series, as varves, but applied to laminated nonglacial shales,
evaporites, and other sediments as well. AGI

coupling

a. A device for connecting tubs or mine cars to form a set or journey.
See also:automatic clip; clip; shackle. Nelson
b. A connector for drill rods, casing, or pipe with identical box or pin
threads at either end. Long

coup plate

In coal mining, steel plate on which tubs are turned from one set of rails
to another. Pryor, 3

course

a. To conduct the ventilation backward and forward through the workings,
by means of properly arranged stoppings and regulators. Fay
b. A seam of coal. Fay
c. To ventilate a number of faces in series. BS, 8
d. An unproductive vein as opposed to a lode.
e. The horizontal direction of a geologic structure. Syn:course of ore;
strike. Webster 3rd

coursed ventilation

Mine ventilation by the same air current, i.e., without splitting of air.
Nelson

course of ore

a. A horizontal shoot. An older term. Nelson
b. See:chute; course.

course of vein

The strike of a vein; direction of the horizontal line on which it cuts
the country rock.

course stacking

The method of shovel operation in which no ground is hauled away. The
shovel simply stacks the ground on the opposite side from the working cut,
or it may turn entirely around, dumping the spoil on a bank behind.
Lewis

coursing

The control of ventilation in mines, as by doors, brattices, and
stoppings. Standard, 2

coursing bubble

One rising freely through the cell during froth flotation.
Pryor, 4

courthouse

A method used by companies for checking the amount of refuse in coal. The
refuse is picked daily from a few cars of run-of-mine coal, and when the
amount of refuse is considered unreasonable, it is shown to the miner and
the laborers. They may be suspended from work if the amount and size of
refuse is too high. Mitchell

courthouse inspector

In bituminous coal mining, one who examines mine cars of coal for
impurities, such as slate, rock, and dirt, by the courthouse system
(selecting cars at random for examination). Rejects, on basis of
inspection, any group or lot of cars containing too much impurity.
DOT

courtzilite

A form of asphaltum allied to gilsonite. Fay

cousin Jack

Cornish miner, usually far from home, important to U.S. mining.
Pryor, 3

covariance

A statistical measure of the correlation between two variables. In
geostatistics, covariance is usually treated as the simple inverse of the
variogram, computed as the overall sample variance minus the variogram
value. These covariance values, rather than variogram values, are actually
used in kriging matrix equations for greater computational efficiency.

covelline

See:covellite

covellite

A hexagonal mineral, CuS ; metallic indigo blue with iridescent tarnish;
soft; a supergene mineral in copper deposits; a source of copper.
Syn:blue copper; covelline; indigo copper. See also:copper sulfide

cover

a. The sedimentary accumulation over the crystalline basement.
See also:cover mass
b. The vertical distance between any position in strata and the surface or
any other position used as a reference. See:surface
c. The pattern or number of drill holes (pilot holes) deemed adequate to
detect water-bearing fissures or structures in advance of mine workings.
Syn:pilot-hole cover
d. Total thickness of material overlying mine workings or an orebody.
See also:burden; mantle; cover rock. CF:rock cover

cover brick

Common term for arch brick used to line soaking-pit covers.

cover gap

The area in advance of mine workings not adequately probed by pilot holes
to detect the presence of water-bearing fissures or structures.
Long

cover hole

One of a group of boreholes drilled in advance of mine workings to probe
for and detect water-bearing fissures or structures. Long

cover line

The point at which the overburden meets the coal. BCI

cover load

The load due to the weight of the superincumbent rock. Issacson

cover mass

The material overlying the plane of an angular unconformity.
See also:cover

cover rock

See:cover

cover stress

The stress induced by the cover load only and which is uninfluenced by the
proximity of any excavations. Issacson

cover work

Lumps of copper too large to pass the screen, which accumulate in the
bottom of the mortar of the stamp. Fay

cow

York. The finest crushed lead ore. Also called coe. Arkell

Cowper-Siemens stove

A hot-blast stove of firebrick on the regenerative principle. Fay

cowshut

Gray marl. Syn:cushat marl

cow sucker

A cylindrical heavy piece of iron attached to a cable or wire line, making
it descend rapidly into a borehole when the cable or line is not attached
to a string of drilling tools or equipment. Also called bug; bullet;
go-devil. Long

coyote hole

A small tunnel driven horizontally into the rock at right angles to the
face of the quarry. It has two or more crosscuts driven from it parallel
to the face. It is in the ends of these crosscuts that the explosive
charge is generally placed, and the remaining space in the tunnel is
filled up with rock, sand, timbers, or concrete, to act as stemming or
tamping. Same as gopher hole.

coyote-hole blasting

See:coyote shooting

coyote shooting

A method of blasting using a number of relatively large concentrated
charges of explosives placed in one or more small tunnels driven in a rock
formation. Syn:coyote-hole blasting

C.P. Hemborn dust extractor

A dust trap in which the clean air flows inwards around the outside of the
drill rods, and the dust and chippings are extracted in the airstream
passing through the hollow rods. It includes a drum-type dust container
with filter units. The appliance requires special rods and bits.
See also:dust trap

cpx

Abbrev. for clinopyroxenes. CF:opx

crab locomotive

A trolley locomotive fitted with a crab or winch for hauling mine cars
from workings where a trolley wire is not installed. Nelson

crab operator

In bituminous coal mining, one who maintains and operates a crab (electric
motor equipped with a drum and haulage cable mounted on a small truck) to
pull loaded mine cars from working places to haulageways in the mine.
DOT

crab winch

An iron machine consisting of two triangular uprights between which are
two axles, one above the other. These machines are frequently used in
connection with pumping gear where mine shafts are not deep. Also called
crab. Fay

crackle breccia

An incipient breccia having fragments parted by planes of rupture but
showing little or no displacement. It is commonly a chemical deposit.
AGI

crackled texture

A concentric texture of ore minerals in which minute cracks have developed
by shrinkage during crystallization of the original colloid.

cracks of gas

Puffs or explosions of gas in blast furnaces. Fay

crack wax

A dark-colored variety of ozokerite showing a granular fracture.
Tomkeieff

cradle

a. A wooden box, longer than wide provided with a movable slide and hopper
and mounted on two rockers, for washing gold-bearing earths. Also known as
rocker cradle.
b. The part of a car dumper in which the car rests when it is dumped.
c. The balance platform for the cage at the bottom of some shafts.
Mason
d. Device by means of which a small diamond or percussive-type drill may
be attached to a drill column or arm. Also called saddle. Long
e. The trough-shaped metal support for a mounted pneumatic drill.
CTD
f. To wash, as gold-bearing gravel in a mining-cradle. Standard, 2
g. Mounting for a rock drill. Pryor, 3

cradle dump

A tipple that dumps cars with a rocking motion. Fay

Craelius drilling machine

A small, fairly light boring machine for shallow exploratory borings
underground. It drills in any direction (downwards, upwards, horizontally,
or obliquely) to depths of from 200 to 1,000 m, but usually only 50 m. It
uses coring or solid bits, with or without flushing and can be driven
either by hand, any oil engine, compressed air, or electricity.
Stoces

crag

a. A steep precipitous point or eminence of rock, esp. one projecting from
the side of a mountain. Syn:craig
b. An obsolete term for a sharp, rough, detached, or projecting fragment
of rock. AGI

craig

See:crag

cramp

a. A contrivance for holding parts of a frame in place during
construction. It usually consists of a steel bar along which slide two
brackets between which the work is fixed, one of the brackets being pegged
into a hole in the bar while the other is adjustable for position by means
of a screw. CTD
b. A locking bar of incorrodible metal used to bind together adjacent
stones in a course, and having bent ends, one of which is fastened into
each stone. Also called a cramp iron. CTD

crampon

An appliance for holding stones or other heavy objects that are to be
hoisted by crane. It consists of a pair of bars hinged together like
scissors, the points of which are bent inwards for gripping the load,
while the handles are connected by short lengths of chain to a common
hoist ring. CTD

crandall

a. A stonecutters' hammer for dressing ashlar. Its head is made up of
pointed steel bars of square section wedged in a slot in the end of the
iron handle. Standard, 2
b. To dress stone with a crandall. Standard, 2

crandallite

a. A trigonal mineral, CaAl3 (PO4 )2 (OH)5 .H
2 O ; forms compact to cleavable or fibrous masses; formerly called
kalkwavellite.
b. The crandallite mineral group of trigonal phosphates and arsenates:
arsenocrandallite, arsenoflorencite-(Ce), arsenogorceixite,
arsenogoyazite, crandallite, dussertite, eylettersite, florencite-(Ce),
florencite-(La), florencite-(Nd), gorceixite, goyazite, lusungite,
philipsbornite, plumbogummite, waylandite, and zairite.

crane boom

A long, light boom, usually of lattice construction. Nichols, 1

crane ladle

A pot or ladle supported by a chain from a crane; used for pouring molten
metals into molds. Fay

crane rope

Wire rope consisting of 6 strands of 37 wires around a hemp center.
Hunt

crate dam

A dam built of crates filled with stone.

crater

a. A typically bowl-shaped or saucer-shaped pit or depression, generally
of considerable size and with steep inner slopes, formed on a surface or
in the ground by the explosive release of chemical or kinetic energy;
e.g., an impact crater or an explosion crater. AGI
b. A basinlike, rimmed structure that is usually at the summit of a
volcanic cone. It may be formed by collapse, by an explosive eruption, or
by the gradual accumulation of pyroclastic material into a surrounding
rim. CF:caldera
c. The formation of a large funnel-shaped cavity at the top of a well,
resulting from a blowout or occasionally from caving. Brantly, 1
d. In blasting, the funnel of rupture, which in bad rock may have very
steep sides and a relatively small volume of broken rock.
Syn:lunar crater

crater cuts

These cuts consist of one or several fully charged holes in which blasting
is carried out towards the face of the tunnel, i.e., toward a free surface
at right angles to the holes. These represent in principle a completely
new type of cut and make use of the crater effect that is obtained in
blasting a single hole at a free rock surface. The possibility of a
uniform enlargement can be counted on. This means that if the scale is
enlarged so that the diameter and depth of hole and length of the charge
are all doubled, e.g., a crater of double the depth will be obtained. The
number of holes can be increased instead of increasing the diameter of the
holes. Langefors

crater theory

Crater theory defines an optimum burden or distance to a free face at
which a spherical explosive charge is buried and produces the greatest
volume of broken and excavatable rock. This distance is unique based on
rock type and explosive type. The theory also defines the critical depth
or spherical charge buried depth at which surface disturbance is barely
detectable, resulting in slight surface mounding and minor cracking.

cratogene

See:shield

cratogenic

Of or pertaining to a craton.

craton

A part of the Earth's crust that has attained stability, and has been
little deformed for a prolonged period. The term is now restricted to the
extensive central areas of the continents. AGI

craunch

A piece of a vein left uncut as a support. Arkell

crawler

One of a pair of an endless chain of plates driven by sprockets and used
instead of wheels, by certain power shovels, tractors, bulldozers,
drilling machines, etc., as a means of propulsion. Also any machine
mounted on such tracks.

crawler track

An endless chain of plates used instead of wheels by certain power
shovels, continuous miners, etc. Nelson

crawlway

A low passageway that only permits the passage of a person by crawling.
Syn:cat run

cream

A rusty impure meerschaum. Fay

creams

Sometimes designates a very high-quality drill diamond. Long

crednerite

A monoclinic mineral, CuMnO2 .

creedite

A monoclinic mineral, Ca3 Al2 (SO4 )(F,OH)10
.2H2 O .

creek claim

A claim that includes the bed of a creek. Under the statute of Oregon, a
tract of land 100 yd (91.5 m) square, one side of which abuts on a creek
or rather extends to the middle of the stream.

creek placers

Placers in, adjacent to, and at the level of small streams.

creek right

The privilege of diverting water for the purpose of working a creek claim.
Syn:river right

creep

a. The slow and imperceptible movement of finely broken up rock material
from higher to lower levels, usually due to alternate freezing and
thawing, wetting and drying, or other causes. Also the material that has
moved. CF:crown-in
b. Slow deformation of a material that results from long application of a
stress. Part of the creep is a permanent deformation, while part of the
deformation is elastic and the specimen can recover. CF:thrust
AGI
c. See:drag
d. A very slow gradual movement of the drill-hoist drum when the brake is
worn or not securely set. See also:heave

creeper

An endless chain, with projecting bars at intervals that catch the car
axles and haul them up an inclined plane. Creepers are used on the surface
and around the pit bottom. They are also used on relatively flat roadways
to retard or propel the cars as required. Nelson

creeping

Eng. The settling or natural subsidence of the surface caused by extensive
underground mining.

creep limit

The maximum stress that a material can withstand without observable creep.
AGI

creep recovery

The gradual recovery of elastic strain when stress is released.
Syn:elastic aftereffect

creep strength

The load per unit area leading to a specified steady creep strain rate at
a given temperature. AGI

creeshy

Scot. Smooth-faced nodules of shale or bind found occasionally in the roof
of some coal seams. Also called greasy blaes. Nelson

creeshy clods

Peat which on drying breaks into irregular clods that burn with a clear
bright flame like a lump of tallow or grease. Tomkeieff

crenitic

Said of mineral veins that have been deposited by springs. Etymol: Greek
for spring. Obsolete.

crenulation

Small-scale folding (wavelength of a few millimeters) that occurs chiefly
in metamorphic rocks. CF:plication

creolite

a. Red-and-white banded jasper from Shasta or San Bernadino County, CA.
b. A silicified rhyolite from Baja California.

creosote

As used in wood preservation, a distillate of coal tar produced by
high-temperature carbonization of bituminous coal; it consists principally
of liquid and solid aromatic hydrocarbons, and contains appreciable
quantities of tar acids and tar bases; it is heavier than water; and has a
continuous boiling range of at least 125 degrees C beginning at about 200
degrees C. Also called creosote oil; creosote distillate.

crept pillars

Eng. Pillars of coal that have passed through the various stages of creep.
Fay

crest

a. The highest point on a given stratum in an anticline.
See also:crestal plane; culmination. AGI
b. See:crestline

crestal plane

The plane formed by joining the crests of all beds in an anticline.
See also:crest

crestline

In an anticline, the line connecting the highest points on the same bed in
an infinite number of cross sections. See also:crest

cresylic

Mixture of cresol isomers. Frother and froth stabilizing agent in
flotation process. Emulsion stabilizer. Pryor, 1

Cretaceous

a. Applied to the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era. Extensive
marine chalk beds were deposited during this period.
b. Of the nature of chalk or relating to chalk. Fay
c. System of strata deposited in the Cretaceous Period. Fay

crevasse

a. A wide breach or crack in the bank of a river or canal; esp. one in a
natural levee or an artificial bank of the lower Mississippi River.
Etymol: American French. AGI
b. A wide, deep break or fissure in the Earth after an earthquake.
AGI
c. A fissure in the surface of a glacier or icefall. AGI

crevice

a. A shallow fissure in the bedrock under a gold placer in which small but
highly concentrated deposits of gold may be found.
b. The fissure containing a vein. As employed in the Colorado mining
statute relative to a discovery shaft, a crevice is a mineral-bearing
vein. An older term.

crevicing

Collecting gold that is in the crevices of a rock.

crew loader

In bituminous coal mining, one of a crew of loaders who shovels coal,
blasting from working face, onto a conveyor that transports it from the
underground working place to a point where it is loaded into mine cars.
DOT

crib

A construction of timbering made by piling logs or beams horizontally one
above another, and spiking or chaining them together, each layer being at
right angles to those above and below it. See also:curb

cribbing

a. The construction of cribs, or timbers laid at right angles to each
other, sometimes filled with earth, as a roof support or as a support for
machinery. BCI
b. The close setting of timber supports when shaft sinking through loose
ground. The timber is usually square or rectangular and practically no
ground is exposed. The method is also used for constructing ore chutes.
See also:barring; close timbering; forepoling. Nelson
c. A method of timbering used primarily to rectify a mistake of removing
too great a percentage of the coal on the advance, and has the effect of
replacing part of the coal. Some are made by using timbers in pigpen
style; first laying timbers one way then placing other timbers across the
first. This is continued until the area between the bottom and the roof is
filled and wedged tight. Others are made by laying a layer of timbers
first in one direction, then another layer across at right angles to the
bottom layer. Space between the timbers in a layer varies according to
requirements. The hollow type are generally filled with gob.
Syn:penning

cribble

A sieve.

cribs

Segments of oak to encircle the shaft. Peel

crichtonite

a. A trigonal mineral, (Sr,La,Ce,Y)(Ti,Fe,Mn)21 O38 ;
formerly misidentified as a variety of ilmenite.
b. The mineral group crichtonite, davidite, landauite, loeveringite, and
senaite.

crick

See:loose

cricks

a. Som. See:clay gall
b. Vertical joints affecting only the lower strata in a quarry.
Arkell
c. Joints in slate with an inclination opposite to the dip of the rock.
Arkell

crimp

a. The flattening made by a crimper near the mouth of a blasting cap for
holding the fuse in place.
b. To fix a detonator on blasting fuse by squeezing it with special
pliers. Pryor, 3

crimper

A tool specially made for fastening a cap to a fuse.
See also:cap crimper

crimson night stone

a. Purple fluorite from Idaho. Schaller
b. A variety of purple fluorite from Utah.

crinkle

A small fold, usually a fraction of an inch in wavelength. AGI

crinkled stone

A diamond with a shallowish, wavy, or rough surface.

crinoidal limestone

A marine limestone composed largely of fossil crinoid remains, such as
plates, disks, stems, or columns.

crispite

A former name for the sagenite variety of quartz.

cristobalite

A mineral: SiO2 . It is a high-temperature polymorph of quartz and
tridymite, and occurs as white octahedrons in the cavities of the
fine-grained groundmasses of acidic volcanic rocks. Cristobalite is stable
only above 1470 degrees C; it has a tetragonal structure
(alpha-cristobalite) at low temperatures and an isometric structure
(beta-cristobalite) at higher temperatures. CF:tridymite

cristograhamite

Grahamite, a mineral asphalt, from the Cristo Mine, Huasteca, Mexico.

critical angle

a. See:stalling angle
b. The least angle of incidence at which there is total reflection when an
optic, acoustic, or electromagnetic wave passes from one medium to another
medium that is less refractive. CF:total reflection
c. The angle at which a ray of light in passing from a dense medium, such
as a gemstone, into a rarer medium, such as air, is refracted at 90
degrees to the normal. Any rays reaching the interface at angles greater
than the critical angle are unable to pass into the rarer medium and are
totally reflected.
d. The angle of incidence at which refracted light just grazes the surface
of contact between two different media.
e. The angle of refraction r for which sin r = 1/n, where n is the
refractive index of a transparent material. CF:law of refraction

critical area

In prospecting work, an area found to be favorable from geological age and
structural considerations. Syn:favorable locality

critical area of extraction

The area of coal required to be worked to cause a surface point to suffer
all the subsidence possible from the extraction of a given seam.
See also:subcritical area of extraction

critical current

As applied to electric blasting caps, the minimum current that can be
employed to fire detonators connected in series so that the chance of a
misfire will be less than 1 in 100,000. Fraenkel

critical damping

The point at which the damping constant and the undamped frequency of a
seismometer or seismograph are equal. After deflection, the moving mass
approaches rest position without overswing and the motion is said to be
aperiodic. See also:damping

critical density

The density of a substance at its critical temperature and under its
critical pressure; that density of a saturated, granular material below
which, under rapid deformation, it will lose strength and above which it
will gain strength. AGI

critical diameter

a. For any explosive, the minimum diameter for propagation of a stable
detonation. Critical diameter is affected by confinement, temperature, and
pressure on the explosive. Dick, 2
b. The minimum explosive diameter which produces the propagation of a
detonation wave at a stable velocity. It is affected by conditions of
confinement, temperature and pressure on the explosive.

critical distance

In refraction seismic work, that distance at which the direct wave in an
upper medium is matched in arrival time by that of the refracted wave from
the medium below having greater velocity. AGI

critical height

The maximum height at which a vertical or sloped bank of soil will stand
unsupported under a given set of conditions (ASCE, 1958). AGI

critical minerals

a. Minerals essential to the national defense, the procurement of which in
war, while difficult, is less serious than those of strategic minerals
because they can be either domestically produced or obtained in more
adequate quantities or have a lesser degree of essentiality, and for which
some degree of conservation and distribution control is necessary.
See also:strategic minerals; essential mineral. Hess
b. Minerals or mineral associations that are stable only under the
conditions of one given metamorphic facies and will change upon change of
facies. For example, in Eskola's greenschist facies, sericite and
chlorite, albite and epidote are critical mineral associations because
these combinations cannot persist out of the field of the greenschist
facies, although any one of the individual minerals may be found in more
than one facies. Schieferdecker

critical point

A point representing a set of conditions (pressure, temperature,
composition) at which two phases become physically indistinguishable; in a
system of one component, the temperature and pressure at which a liquid
and its vapor become identical in all properties.
Syn:decalescence point

critical pressure

a. The maximum feed pressure that can be applied to a diamond bit without
damaging the bit or core barrel. CF:total critical load
b. The minimum load, in pounds per effective diamond cutting point in a
bit face, at which the diamonds cut the rock. Below this load, the
diamonds slide on the rock surface without penetrating the rock, and the
diamonds polish, become dull, and are rendered unfit for further use in
that particular ground unless reset. Long
c. The pressure required to condense a gas at the critical temperature,
above which, regardless of pressure, the gas cannot be liquefied.
AGI

critical slope

The maximum angle with the horizontal at which a sloped bank of soil or
given height of soil will stand unsupported. Syn:angle of repose;
angle of rest. ASCE

critical temperature

a. The temperature of a system at its critical point; for a one-component
system; that temperature above which a substance can exist only in the
gaseous state, no matter what pressure is exerted.
See also:temperature
b. Transformation temperature.
c. The temperature at which a change takes place in the physical form of a
substance; e.g., the change of diamond to the amorphous form of carbon
begins at a temperature of 1,800 degrees F (982 degrees C) in the presence
of oxygen. Long
d. Synonymous for critical point if the pressure is constant.
ASM, 1
e. The temperature above which the vapor phase cannot be condensed to
liquid by an increase in pressure. See also:temperature

critical velocity

a. Reynolds' critical velocity is that at which fluid flow changes from
laminar to turbulent, and where friction ceases to be proportional to the
first power of the velocity and becomes proportional to a higher power.
Seelye, 1
b. Kennedy's critical velocity is that of fluid flow in open channels that
will neither deposit nor pick up silt. Seelye, 1
c. Belanger's critical velocity is that condition of fluid flow in open
channels for which the velocity head equals one-half the mean depth.
Seelye, 1

critical void ratio

The void ratio corresponding to the critical density. ASCE

crocidolite

An asbestiform variety of riebeckite; forms lavender-blue, indigo-blue, or
leek-green silky fibers and massive and earthy forms; suited for spinning
and weaving. Also spelled krokitolit. Syn:blue asbestos; Cape blue.

crocidolite quartz

See:tiger's-eye

crocoisite

See:crocoite

crocoite

A monoclinic mineral, PbCrO4 ; bright-red, yellowish-red, or
orange. Syn:red lead ore; crocoisite.

crocus

A term used in the Milford, NH, quarries to denote gneiss or any other
rock in contact with granite.

crocus martis

A name used for impure red ferric oxide pigments and polishing powders,
usually produced by heating iron sulfate containing calcium sulfate, lime,
or other inert filler. Also sometimes applied more generally to other
impure oxides of red or yellow color. CCD, 2

crocus of antimony

Brownish-yellow; mainly sodium or potassium thioantimonite; Na3 SbS
3 or K3 SbS3 . Obtained as a slag in refining
antimony. Webster 3rd

cronstedtite

A monoclinic or trigonal mineral, Fe2+2 Fe3+
(SiFe3+ )O5 (OH)4 ; kaolinite-serpentine group; in
low-temperature hydrothermal veins.

crook

A self-acting apparatus for running the hudges (boxes on runners) on
inclines in step coalbeds.

crooked hole

A borehole that has deviated beyond the allowable limit from the vertical
or from its intended course. AGI

crookesite

A tetragonal mineral, Cu7 (Tl,Ag)Se4 ; massive or compact.

crop

a. The outcrop of a lode; or the coal of poor quality at the outcropping
of a seam. See also:outcrop
b. Deprecated syn. of outcrop. --v. To appear at the surface of the
ground; to outcrop. AGI

crop coal

a. Coal of inferior quality near the surface. CF:exposed coalfield
Fay
b. The coal next to the roof in a seam. Nelson

crop fall

A caving in of the surface at the outcrop of the bed; caused by mining
operations. Applied also to falls occurring at points not on the outcrop
of the bed. Synonymous with day fall. Fay

cropline

A line following the outcrop. Austin

crop load

The mixture of crushing bodies, ore particles, and water being tumbled in
the ball mill.

cropping

a. Coal cutting beyond the normal cutting plane. Mason
b. Portions of a vein or other rock formation exposed at the surface.
Fay
c. See:outcrop
d. The operation of cutting off the end or ends of an ingot to remove the
pipe and other defects. CTD

cropping coal

The leaving of a small thickness of coal at the bottom of the seam in a
working place, usually in back water. The coal so left is termed "cropper
coal." Zern

crop tin

The chief portion of tin ore separated from waste in the principal
dressing beneficiation operation.

cross

See:crosscut

crossarm

a. The top member of a drill derrick of H-frame from which the sheave
wheel is suspended. Long
b. Horizontal bar fitted between two drill columns on which a small
diamond or other type rock drill can be mounted. Long

cross assimilation

The simultaneous exchange of material from magma to wall rock and vice
versa, tending to develop the same phases in both.

crossbar

The horizontal roof member of a timber set on mine roadways, or a flat
supported by props on the face. See also:beam

cross-bedded

Having minor beds or laminae inclined to the main planes of
stratification, e.g., cross-bedded sandstone.

crossbedding

a. The quality or state of being crossbedded. A crossbedded structure.
Webster 3rd
b. Lamination, in sedimentary rocks, confined to single beds and inclined
to the general stratification. Caused by swift local currents, deltas, or
swirling wind gusts, and esp. characteristic of sandstones, both aqueous
and eolian. Syn:cross lamination
c. Crossbedding is generally truncated by the overlying stratum. However,
at the base of the crossbedded formation, the crossbedding is not
truncated, but it approaches the contact with the underlying stratum in a
broad tangential curve. Forrester
d. The arrangement of laminations of strata transverse or oblique to the
main planes of stratification of the strata concerned; inclined, often
lenticular, beds between the main bedding planes. It is found only in
granular sediments. AGI
e. Syn:inclined bedding
only in profiles at right angles to the current direction. AGI

cross-bladed chisel bit

Syn. for cross chopping bit. Long

cross-chopping bit

Bit with cutting edges made by two chisel edges crossing at right angles
with the intersection of chisel edges at the center of the bit face. Used
to chop (by impact) lost core or other obstructions in a borehole. Also
called cross bit; cross-bladed chisel bit; cruciform bit. Long

cross conveyor

Any conveyor used for transporting ore or waste from one room or working
place through a crosscut to an adjacent room or working place. Used
principally where the cross conveyor receives ore or waste from a conveyor
and delivers it to another conveyor or a car. Jones, 1

crosscut

a. A small passageway driven at right angles to the main entry to connect
it with a parallel entry or air course.
b. A tunnel driven at an angle to the dip of the strata to connect
different seams or workings. Nelson
c. A crosscut may be a coal drivage. See also:pillar-and-stall
Nelson
d. An underground passage directed across an orebody to test its width and
value or from a shaft to reach the orebody. See also:level crosscut;
cross. Nelson
e. A horizontal opening driven across the course of a vein or in general
across the direction of the main workings. A connection from a shaft to a
vein. Syn:cut-through
f. In room-and-pillar mining, the piercing of the pillars at more or less
regular intervals for the purpose of haulage and ventilation.
Syn:breakthrough
g. In general, any drift driven across between any two openings for any
mining purpose.
h. A borehole directed so as to cut through a rock strata or ore vein
essentially at right angles to the dip and strike of the rock strata, a
vein, or a related structure. Long
i. See:stenton

crossed belt

A driving belt that has a twist between the driving and the driven pulleys
causing a reversal of direction. Crispin

crossed nicols

a. In optical mineralogy, an anisotropic crystal is interposed between the
nicol prisms to observe its optical interference effects. The petrographic
microscope is normally used with nicol prisms (or equivalent polarizing
devices) in the crossed position. AGI
b. Nicols is often capitalized (crossed Nicols). Two nicol prisms placed
one in front of the other, or one below the other, and so oriented that
their transmission planes for plane-polarized light are at right angles
with the result that light transmitted by one is stopped by the other
unless modified by some intervening body. Webster 3rd
c. In polarized-light microscopy, the arrangement where the permitted
electric vectors of the two nicol prisms are at right angles.
See also:crossed polars

crossed polars

A common standard configuration used in polarized-light microscopy with
the substage polarizing filter (polarizer) permitting plane polarized
light with its electric vector in an east-west direction and the
above-stage polarizing filter (analyzer) permitting plane polarized light
with its electric vector in a north-south direction. Under these
conditions all light is absorbed by the two polars. Introduction of any
anisotropic transparent material into the light path repolarizes light
between the polars so as to generate interference colors and other effects
visible in the microscope ocular. See also:crossed nicols

crossed twinning

Repeated or polysynthetic twinning according to two twin laws with twin
planes angled to one another and with twin domains so intimate that they
appear overlapping in thin section; most notable in the feldspar and
feldspathoid minerals, esp. microcline. Syn:quadrille twinning;
gridiron twinning; cross-hatched twinning.

cross entry

a. An entry or set of entries, turned from main entries, from which room
entries are turned. Federal Mine Safety
b. A horizontal gallery driven at an angle or at right angles to a main
entry. Nelson

cross face

A coal face having a general direction between end and bord line.
TIME

cross fault

A fault that strikes diagonally or perpendicularly to the strike of the
faulted strata. AGI

cross fiber

Veins of fibrous minerals, esp. asbestos, in which the fibers are at right
angles to the walls of the vein. CF:slip fiber

cross frog

A frog adapted for railroad tracks that cross at right angles.
Webster 2nd

crossgate

a. A gate road driven at an angle off the main gate in longwall mining, to
form new intermediate gates or new faces inside a disturbance. Well-sited
crossgates result in reduction of inby conveyors and in roadway
maintenance. Nelson
b. Eng. See:crossheading
c. York. Short headings driven on the strike end at right angles to the
main gates or roads. Fay

cross gateway

Aust. A road, through the goaf, that branches from the main gateway.

cross-hatched twinning

See:crossed twinning

crosshead

a. A runner or framework that runs on guides, placed a few feet above the
sinking bucket to prevent it from swinging too violently. Fay
b. A beam or rod stretching across the top of something; specif., the bar
at the end of a piston rod of a steam engine, which slides on the ways or
guides fixed to the engine frame and connects the piston rod with the
connecting rod. Fay

crosshead guide

A guide for making the crosshead of an engine move in a parallel line with
the cylinder axis. Standard, 2

crossheading

a. A passage driven for ventilation from the airway to the gangway, or
from one breast through the pillar to the adjoining working. Also called
cross hole; cross gateway; headway. Fay
b. One driven from one drift or level across to another to improve
ventilation. Pryor, 3
c. A heading driven at an angle off the main level to cut off stalls or
intermediate headings, and form new ones on the face side of the heading.
Also called oblique heading; cutting-off road. Nelson
d. Eng. A road in longwall working to cut off the gateways. Syn. for
crossgate; slope. Also called crossbow; crossend. SMRB

crossite

A monoclinic mineral, Na2 (Mg,Fe)3 (Al,Fe)2 Si (sub
8) O22 (OH)2 ; amphibole group with Fe3+ /(Fe
3+ +Al)=0.3-0.7 . CF:glaucophane

cross joint

a. A joint in an igneous rock oriented more or less perpendicular to the
flow lines. Syn:tension joint
b. A joint in sedimentary rocks that crosses more prominent joints at
approximate right angles. AGI

cross-joint fan

In igneous rock, a fanlike pattern of cross joints that follow the arching
of the flow lineation. AGI

cross lamination

a. The structure commonly present in granular sedimentary rocks that
consists of tabular, irregularly lenticular, or wedge-shaped bodies lying
essentially parallel to the general stratification and which themselves
show a pronounced laminated structure in which the laminae are steeply
inclined to the general bedding. Syn:inclined bedding; crossbedding;
false bedding. AGI
b. An arrangement of laminations, transverse to the planes of
stratification of the strata concerned. They generally end abruptly at the
top, but in general tend to become more or less parallel to the bedding
planes below. AGI
c. Cross-stratification with foresets less than 1 cm thick.
Pettijohn, 1

cross-linking agent

The final ingredient added to a water gel or slurry, causing it to change
from a liquid to a gel. Dick, 2

cross measure

A heading driven horizontally or nearly so, through or across inclined
strata.

cross-measure borehole

A borehole drilled at an angle through the rock strata generally for the
purpose of combustible gases drainage. BS, 8

cross-measure borehole system

See:methane drainage

cross-measure drift

a. A development drift driven across the strata from the surface to
intersect and work coal seams. Nelson
b. A development heading driven from a level in one coal seam to intersect
and work upper or lower seams. Nelson

cross measure tunnel

A roadway or airway driven across pitching measures on, or nearly on, a
level to reach a bed of coal or other objective, or to drain off water.
Zern

crossover

A track device that permits rail traffic to cross over another track which
heads in a different direction on the same level. Signal lights are
activated to avoid collision on the crossover.

cross-pit conveyors

Conveyor structure crossing the benches of open pit mines to reduce the
haul distance across the pit in terrace mining operations. SME, 1

cross poling

Short poling boards placed horizontally to cover the gap between runners
in excavation trench timbering. See also:runner

cross section

a. A diagram or drawing that shows features transected by a given plane;
specif. a vertical section drawn at right angles to the longer axis of a
geologic feature, such as the trend of an orebody. AGI
b. An actual exposure or cut that shows transected geologic
features.--Adj: cross-sectional. Also spelled: cross-section. AGI
c. A profile portraying an interpretation of a vertical section of the
Earth explored by geophysical and/or geological methods.
d. A horizontal grid system laid out on the ground for determining
contours, quantities of earthwork, etc., by means of elevations of the
grid points. Seelye, 2

cross-sectional area

The area of a surface cut by a plane passing through the body and
perpendicular to the long axis of the body if one exists. If not, any such
area cut by a plane.

cross-sectional method

An ore reserve estimation method in which assay and other data are
projected to predetermined planes and the areas of influence of the assay
data are determined mainly by judgment. This method is helpful not only
for ore reserve computations, but also to mine planning. Krumlauf

cross spread

a. A seismic spread that makes a large angle to the line of traverse; it
is used to determine the component of dip perpendicular to that line.
AGI
b. A seismic spread that is laid out in the pattern of a cross.
AGI

cross-spur

A vein of quartz that crosses a lode.

cross-stone

See:andalusite; staurolite; chiastolite; harmotome.

cross stoping

See:overhand stoping

cross-stratification

a. The minor laminations are oblique to the plane of the main stratum that
they help to compose. See also:crossbedding
b. The arrangement of layers at one or more angles to the dip of the
formation. A cross-stratified unit is one with layers deposited at an
angle to the original dip of the formation. Many investigators have used
crossbedding and cross lamination as synonymous for cross-stratification,
but it is proposed to restrict the terms crossbedding and cross lamination
to a quantitative meaning depending on the thickness of the individual
layers or cross strata. Stokes

crosstie

A timber or metal sill placed transversely under the rails of a railroad,
tramway, or mine-car track. Fay

cross validation

A technique for testing the validity of a variogram model by kriging each
sampled location with all of the other samples in the search neighborhood,
and comparing the estimates with the true sample values. Interpretation of
results, however, can often be difficult. Unusually large differences
between estimated and true values may indicate the presence of "spatial
outliers," or points that do not seem to belong with their surroundings.

crowd

a. The process of forcing a bucket into the digging, or the mechanism that
does the forcing. Used chiefly in reference to machines that dig by
pushing away from themselves. Nichols, 2
b. Used by some drillers as a syn. for overfeed. CF:overload
Long
c. As used by handsetters, the uneven calking of a diamond resulting in
its being pinched or forced out of its intended position in a bit.
Long
d. To place or set diamonds too closely together in the crown of a bit.
Long

crowding

In power shovel nomenclature, crowding is the thrusting of the dipper
stick forward over the shipper shaft; retracting is the reverse of
crowding. Carson, 1

crowding battle

In froth flotation, a slanted board used to direct the rising mineralized
froth toward the overflow lip of the cell. Pryor, 3

Crowe process

The treatment of pregnant cyanide solution to remove air before the gold
is precipitated with zinc dust. Also called Merrill-Crowe process.

crowfoot

a. A tool with a sideclaw, for grasping and recovering broken rods in deep
boreholes.
b. Irregular or zigzag markings found in Tennessee marble. Also called
stylolite. AGI

crown

a. The curved roof of a tunnel. Nichols, 1
b. As used by the drilling and bit-setting industries in the United
States, the portion of the bit inset or impregnated with diamonds formed
by casting or pressure-molding and sintering processes; hence the steel
bit blank to which the crown is attached is not considered part of the
crown. Syn:bit crown
c. A timber crossbar up to 16 ft (5 m) long, supported by two heavy legs,
or uprights, one at each end. Crowns may be set at 3-ft (1-m) intervals;
sometimes a roof bolt is put up through the center of the crown.
Nelson
d. The topmost part of a drill tripod, derrick, or mast. Long
e. The part of a furnace forming the top or roof.
f. The top or highest part of a mountain or an igneous intrusion; the
summit. AGI
g. The practically undisturbed material still in place and adjacent to the
highest parts of the scarp along which a landslide moved. AGI

crown block

A pulley, set of pulleys, or sheaves at the top of a drill derrick on and
over which the hoist and/or other lines run. Also called crown pulley;
crown wheel. Long

crown die

See:bit mold

crown-in

In mining, a falling of the mine roof or a heave of the mine floor due to
the pressure of overlying strata. CF:creep

crowning

The heaving or lifting of the floor beds along a roadway to form a ridge
or crown along the centerline. Nelson

crown life

See:bit life

crown mold

See:bit mold

crown pillar

An ore pillar at the top of an open stope left for wall support and
protection from wall sloughing above.

crown tree

A piece of timber set on props to support the mine roof. Zern

crown wheel

a. A wheel driven by a pinion, notably in the drive of a ball mill.
Largest wheel of any reduction gear. Pryor, 3
b. Syn:crown block

croylstone

A variety of finely crystallized barite. Standard, 2

crucible

The hearth of a blast cupola, or open hearth furnace; a refractory vessel
for melting or calcining metals, ores, etc.

crucible assay

See:assay; lead button.

crucible clays

Ball clays that are relatively refractory; used in producing crucibles
that will withstand high temperatures. CCD, 2

crucible steel

Steel made by melting blister bar, wrought iron, charcoal, and ferroalloys
in crucibles that hold about 100 lb (45 kg). This was the first process to
produce steel in a molten condition, hence the product called cast steel.
Mainly used for the manufacture of tool steels, but now largely replaced
by the electric-furnace process. CTD

crucible swelling number

The number that defines, by reference to a series of standard profiles,
the size and shape of the residue produced when a standard weight of coal
is heated under standard conditions. BS, 1

cruciform bit

a. See:cross-chopping bit
b. Percussive rock drill bit having four chisel-shaped cutting edges in
the form of a cross on the face of the bit. Also called cross bit.
Long

crucite

a. See:chiastolite; cross-stone.
b. Pseudomorph of hematite or limonite after arsenopyrite.

crud

A solid-stabilized emulsion that tends to collect at the agueous/organic
interface in the settler of a solvent extraction circuit. Kordosky

crude

A substance in its natural unprocessed state. Crude ore or crude oil, for
example. In a natural state; not cooked or prepared by fire or heat; not
altered or prepared for use by any process; not refined. Syn. for raw;
crude oil. Webster 3rd

crude anthracene

Solid product containing anthracene. Obtained on cooling the coal-tar
distillate collected above 270 degrees C. Bennett

crude asbestos

Hand selected cross-vein material of longest fibres in native or
unfiberized form. It comes in chunks and must be mechanically processed to
develop the usefulness of the fibre. Arbiter

crude mica

The crude crystals or books as extracted from the mine. Skow

crude ore

The unconcentrated ore as it leaves the mine.

crude-ore bin

A bin in which ore is dumped as it comes from the mine.

crude sulfur

Elemental sulfur that is 99.0% to 99.9% pure and is free from arsenic,
selenium, and tellurium. USBM, 7

crudy asbestos

Refers to asbestos that has been only partially milled, so that the fiber
has not been fluffed but only separated from the rock. Most of the
asbestos is still in the form of bundles of fibers like spicules.
AIME, 1

crump

Ground movement, perhaps violent, due to failure under stress of ground
surrounding underground workings usually in coal, so named because of
sound produced. See also:bump

crush

a. A species of fault in coal. Fay
b. Breakage of supports of underground workings under roof pressure.
Pryor, 3

crushability

The relative ease of crushing a sample under standard conditions.
BS, 5

crush belt

A belt of intensely crushed rock.

crush border

A microscopic, granular metamorphic structure sometimes characterizing
adjacent feldspar particles in granite due to their having been crushed
together during or subsequent to crystallization. AGI

crush breccia

A breccia formed essentially in situ by cataclasis, esp. along a fault.
See also:cataclasite; crush conglomerate. CF:tectonic breccia

crush bursts

Rockbursts in which there is actual failure at the face accompanied by
movement of the walls. Higham

crush conglomerate

a. A conglomerate produced by the crushing of rock strata in the shearing
often accompanying folding. Standard, 2
b. Similar to a fault breccia, except the fragments are more rounded in a
crush conglomerate. AGI
c. See:tectonic conglomerate; pseudoconglomerate; crush breccia.

crushed gravel

The product resulting from the artificial crushing of gravel with
substantially all fragments having at least one face resulting from
fracture.

crushed stone

a. The product resulting from the artificial crushing of rocks, boulders,
or large cobblestones, substantially all faces of which have resulted from
the crushing operation. ASTM
b. Term applied to irregular fragments of rock crushed or ground to
smaller sizes after quarrying. Syn:broken stone

crushed vein

A mineralized zone or belt of crushed material. The crushing was caused by
folding, faulting, or shearing. Fay

crusher

A machine for crushing rock or other materials. Among the various types of
crushers are the ball-mill, gyratory-crusher, Hadsel mill, hammer mill,
jaw crusher, rod mill, rolls, stamp mill, and tube mill. Fay; Hess

crusher feeder

In quarry industry, one who feeds broken rock into crusher after it is
dumped from trucks or cars, by pushing it down a chute with a shovel or
bar, or by pushing it directly into crusher from a platform. Also called
crusher loader; crusher laborer; stone breaker; trap person. DOT

crusher man

a. In the mineral and nonmineral industry, including coal, quarry
products, mineral and nonmineral ores, a person who operates a machine
that crushes rock or other material and regulates the flow of such
material into and from the crusher to the next point of processing or use.
See also:crusher; crusher feeder; crushing.
b. In quarrying, a person who operates crusher through which broken quarry
rock is run to break it into crushed stone for construction work.
DOT

crusher rock

a. Term used in quarrying to describe the weathered overlying rock that
occurs at most quarry operations and which is sold for use as road base.
b. The total unscreened product of a stone crusher. Shell

crusher rolls

Steel or chilled iron roller with parallel horizontal axis and peripheries
at a fixed distance apart so that rocks, coal, or other substances of
greater thickness cannot pass between without crushing. Rolls may be
toothed or ribbed, but for rock, including ores, the surfaces are usually
smooth. Hess

crusher-run stone

Rock that has been broken in a mechanical crusher and has not been
subjected to any subsequent screening process. Taylor

crusher setting

The distance between roll faces or plates in a crusher. In the case of jaw
and roll crushers, the setting controls the maximum size, and to some
extent the grading of the product produced. The best setting is usually
that which produces 10% to 15% of oversize pieces, which are fed back for
recrushing. Gyratory breakers do not permit any marked variation in the
setting or in the size of the product. Nelson

crusher stower

A machine that crushes ripping stone in headings and projects it through a
pipe into gate side packs. It may also be used for filling old roadways or
roof cavities. See also:pneumatic stowing

crush gate

A gate in a development face designed to be abandoned with a view to
localizing the crush effect consequent on the winning of the coal
immediately above or immediately below the development face. TIME

crushing

Size reduction into relatively coarse particles by stamps, crushers, or
rolls. See also:comminution

crushing bort

Diamond material with radial or confused crystal structure lacking
distinct cleavage forms. Color is faintly milky to grayish or dark and is
suitable only for crushing into grit powder or dust. The Bakwanga Mine,
Republic of the Congo, is the principal source of this material. Diamond
fragments from cutting establishments or recovered from waste are
frequently classed as crushing bort. Chandler

crushing bortz

See:bort

crushing cycle

The sequence of operations in crushing a material, including, e.g., the
screening of the primary product and the recirculation of the screen
overflow. BS, 5

crushing machine

A machine constructed to pulverize or crush stone and other hard and
brittle materials; a stone crusher. Fay

crushing mill

See:stamp mill; crusher.

crushing roll

A machine consisting of two heavy rolls between which ore, coal, or other
mineral is crushed. Sometimes the rolls are toothed or ribbed, but for ore
their surface is generally smooth. See also:roll

crushing strength

a. The resistance that a rock offers to vertical pressure placed upon it.
It is measured by applying graduated pressure to a cube, 1 in (2.54 cm)
square, of the rock tested. A crushing strength of 4,000 lb means that a
cubic inch of the rock withstands pressure to 4,000 lb (111 kg/cm (super
3) ) before crushing. The crushing strength is greater with shorter prisms
and less with longer prisms. Fay
b. The pressure or load at which a material fails in compression; used for
comparing the strength of walling and lining materials, such as concrete,
masonry, stone, packs, etc. Nelson
c. The maximum load per unit area, applied at a specified rate, that a
material will withstand before it fails. Typical ranges of value for some
ceramic materials are fireclay and silica refractories, 2,000 to 5,000 psi
(13.8 to 34.4 MPa); common building bricks, 2,000 to 6,000 psi (13.8 to
41.4 MPa); engineering bricks, class A, above 10,000 psi (69.0 MPa);
sintered alumina, above 50,000 psi (344 MPa). Dodd

crushing test

a. A test of the suitability of stone to be used for roads or building
purposes; a cylindrical specimen of the stone, of diameter 1 in (2.54 cm)
and 1 in long, is subjected to axial compression in a testing machine.
Syn:unconfined compression test
b. A radial compressive test applied to tubing, sintered-metal bearings,
or other similar products for determining radial crushing strength
(maximum load in compression). ASM, 1
c. An axial compressive test for determining quality of tubing, such as
soundness of weld in welded tubing. ASM, 1

crush line

A line along which rocks under great compression yield, usually with the
production of schistosity.

crush movement

Compression, thrust, or lateral movement tending to develop shattered
zones in rocks. Fay

crush plane

A plane defining zones of shattering that result from lateral thrust.
Fay

crush zone

A zone of faulting and brecciation in rocks. Fay

crust

a. The outermost layer or shell of the Earth, defined according to various
criteria, including seismic velocity, density and composition; that part
of the Earth above the Mohorovicic discontinuity, made up of the sial, or
the sial and the sima. It represents less than 0.1% of the Earth's total
volume. CF:tectonosphere
b. A laminated, commonly crinkled deposit of algal dust, filamentous or
bladed algae, or clots (from slightly arched forms to bulbous cabbagelike
heads) of algae, formed on rocks, fossils, or other particulate matter by
accretion, aggregation, or flocculation. AGI

crustal abundance

See:clarke

crustal plate

A portion of the Earth's crust that moves as a relatively rigid unit with
respect to adjacent crustal plates that collectively cover the outermost
part of the solid Earth. AGI

crustification

a. The layering of crusts of different minerals deposited successively on
the walls of a cavity.
b. Suggested for those deposits of minerals and ores that are in layers or
crusts and which, therefore, have been deposited from solution.

crustified banding

A structure of vein fillings resulting from a succession, often a rhythmic
deposition, of crusts of unlike minerals on the walls of an open space.

crustified vein

A vein filled with a succession of crusts of ore and gangue material.

crut

A short heading excavated into the face of a coal seam; a heading or drift
across the strata, or from one deposit to another. Syn:tunnel
Nelson

crutt

N. Staff.; Som. A road or heading driven in coal measures, turned from a
level, etc.

Cryderman loader

A clamshell-type loader activated by hydraulic cylinders operated from a
traveling base suspended on the stage. Used in shaft sinking operations.
Lewis

cryogenic switching elements

In information processing, logical switching information processing
elements that utilize the variability of the transition to
superconductivity as a function of magnetic field strength. Hunt

cryolite

A monoclinic mineral, Na3 AlF6 ; waxy colorless to white
(disappears in water owing to low refractive index); soft; in veinlike
cleavable masses in granite at Ivigtut, Greenland. Syn:Greenland spar;
ice stone.

cryolithionite

An isometric mineral, Na3 Li3 Al2 F12 ; forms
large colorless rhombic dodecahedra; at Ivigtut, Greenland, and the Ural
Mountains, Russia.

cryology

a. In the United States, the study of refrigeration. AGI
b. In Europe, a syn. for glaciology. See:glaciology
c. The study of ice and snow. AGI
d. The study of sea ice. AGI

cryoluminescence

The low-temperature increase of weak luminescence, or its development in
normally nonfluorescent material. AGI

cryopedology

The study of the processes of intensive frost action and the occurrence of
frozen ground, esp. permafrost, including the civil-engineering methods
used to overcome or minimize the difficulties involved. AGI

cryosphere

The part of the Earth's surface that is perennially frozen; the zone of
the Earth where ice and frozen ground are formed. AGI

cryoturbation

Frost action, including frost heaving.

crypthydrous

Refers to vegetable accumulations laid down on a wet substratum in
contrast to those deposited under water. CF:phenhydrous

cryptoclastic

Said of a rock of compact texture, composed of extremely small, fragmental
particles that are barely visible under a microscope.

cryptocrystalline

a. Said of the texture of a rock consisting of crystals that are too small
to be recognized and separately distinguished even under the ordinary
microscope (although crystallinity may be shown by use of the electron
microscope); indistinctly crystalline, as evidenced by a confused
aggregate effect under polarized light. Also, said of a rock with such a
texture. Syn:microaphanitic; microcryptocrystalline; microcrystalline;
microfelsitic. CF:dubiocrystalline
b. Said of a rock or rock texture of a crystalline rock in which the
crystals are too small to be recognized megascopically. This usage is not
recommended until crystallinity can be established by polarized-light
microscopy or X-ray diffraction. Syn:aphanitic
c. Descriptive of a crystalline texture of a carbonate sedimentary rock
having discrete crystals with maximum diameters variously set at 1 mu m, 4
mu m, and 10 mu m.

cryptoexplosion structure

A nongenetic, descriptive term for a roughly circular structure formed by
the sudden, explosive release of energy and exhibiting intense, often
localized rock deformation with no obvious relation to volcanic or
tectonic activity. Many cryptoexplosion structures are believed to be the
result of impact of meteorites of asteroidal dimensions; others may have
been produced by volcanic activity. The term largely replaces the earlier
term cryptovolcanic structure. AGI

cryptographic

a. Denoting a texture of rocks so fine that the individual constituents
cannot be distinguished under a microscope. Usually the result of a
cryptocrystalline intergrowth of quartz and feldspar.
See also:cryptocrystalline
b. Having a graphic texture of intergrowths too small to be resolved with
a light microscope.

cryptohalite

An isometric mineral, (NH4 )2 SiF6 ; dimorphous with
bararite.

cryptohydrous

The conditions under which coal was formed. Decay under water in swamps.
Tomkeieff

cryptomagmatic

Said of a hydrothermal mineral deposit without demonstrable relationship
to igneous processes. The term is little used. CF:apomagmatic;
telemagmatic. AGI

cryptomelane

a. A monoclinic mineral, K(Mn4+ , Mn2+ )8 O (sub
16) ; pseudotetragonal. CF:psilomelane
b. The mineral group coronadite, cryptomelane, hollandite, manjiroite, and
priderite.

cryptomere

See:aphanite

cryptomerous

a. A very fine crystalline texture. Stokes
b. Of or pertaining to cryptomere. Johannsen

cryptoperthite

Extremely fine-grained perthite with submicroscopic lamellae (1 to 5 mu m)
detectable only by X-ray diffraction or electron microscopy. The K-rich
host may be sanidine, orthoclase, or microcline; the Na-rich phase may be
albite or analbite. CF:perthite; microperthite.

cryptovolcanic structure

A circular structure lacking evidence of shock metamorphism or of
meteorite impact and therefore presumed to be of igneous origin, but
lacking exposed igneous rocks or obvious volcanic features; a rock
structure produced by concealed volcanic activity. Preferred term:
cryptoexplosion structure. AGI

Cryptozoic

a. Eon of hidden life. Syn. of Precambrian. AGI
b. That part of geologic time represented by rocks in which evidence of
life is only slight and of primitive forms. CF:Phanerozoic

crystal

a. A regular polyhedral form, bounded by planes, which is assumed by a
chemical element or compound, under the action of its intermolecular
forces, which passing, under suitable conditions, from the state of a
liquid or gas to that of a solid. A crystal is characterized first by its
definite internal molecular structure and second, by its external form.
Fay
b. The regular polyhedral form, bounded by plane surfaces, which is the
outward expression of a periodic or regularly repeating internal
arrangement of atoms. See also:crystal face
c. A body formed by the solidification under favorable conditions of a
chemical element, a compound, or an isomorphous mixture and having a
regularly repeating internal arrangement of its atoms; esp. such a body
that has natural external plane faces as a result of the internal
structure. Webster 3rd
d. Quartz that is transparent or nearly so and that is either colorless or only slightly tinged. Also a piece of this material. Also called rock
crystal. Webster 3rd
e. A colorless transparent diamond. Webster 3rd
f. As an adj., consisting of or resembling crystal. Syn. for crystalline;
clear; transparent. Relating to or using a crystal. Webster 3rd
g. A regular polyhedron exhibited by a chemical element or compound where
its atomic particles assume a periodic array under suitable physical and
chemical conditions. The external form is a low-energy response to the
symmetry of the internal forces with each face parallel to a high-density
plane of atomic particles.
h. Any solid material with a periodic internal structure.
Syn:crystalline
i. Glass of superior quality and high density and luster (resulting from
inclusion of lead salts in old objects), commonly with ornamental cutting,
e.g., flint glass.
j. An adj. referring to material properties, e.g., crystal structure (for
internal periodicity), crystal solution (as between end members of a
mineral series).

crystal aggregate

A number of crystals grown together so that each crystal in the group is
large enough to be seen by the unaided eye and each crystal is more or
less perfect. In gemmology, it differs from a crystalline aggregate, as a
homogenous gem stone can be cut only from an individual crystal of a
crystal aggregate. Syn:crystal group

crystal axes

Imaginary lines passing through a crystal in important symmetry
directions, intersecting in the origin at the center of the crystal. The
axes are usually three in number, and they are chosen to act as a frame of
reference by means of which the relative positions of the crystal faces
can be described. Anderson

crystal axis

a. A reference axis used for the description of the vectorial properties
of a crystal. There are generally three noncoplanar axes, chosen parallel
to the edges of the unit cell of the crystal structure so as to be
parallel to symmetry directions if possible. AGI
b. One of three minimal noncoplanar reference lines used to describe the
vectorial properties of crystalline materials.
Syn:crystallographic axis
c. A line parallel to the intersections of crystal faces.
Syn:zone axis
d. A line about which crystal symmetry appears distributed.
Syn:symmetry axis
e. A line about which a part of a crystal appears to have rotated in a
fashion not permitted by the symmetry group of the crystal.
Syn:twin axis

crystal bar

Hafnium and zirconium produced by the van Arkel and de Boer process.
Thomas

crystal casts

Fillings of a cavity left by solution or sublimation of a crystal embedded
in a fine-grained sediment. Pettijohn, 1

crystal chemistry

The study of the relations among chemical composition, internal structure,
and the physical properties of crystalline matter. AGI

crystal class

a. One of the 32 crystallographically possible combinations or groups of
symmetry operations that leave one point, or origin, fixed. AGI
b. All minerals having the symmetry of one of the 32 point groups belong
to the same crystal class. CF:point group

crystal defect

Any deviation from perfect periodicity in a crystal structure. Some
defects depend on temperature, mainly point defects; others depend on the
specific history of the crystal. The presence of defects alters the
physical properties of crystals. CF:Frenkel defect; point defect;
line defect; volume defect.

crystal defects

Irregularities in a lattice structure that affect resistance to crushing.
Microdefects are due to irregular distribution of ions. Macrodefects are
incipient strain areas or discontinuities in an otherwise regular lattice.
Mosaic defects are orderly blocks of regular lattice that are packed
together to form a larger and imperfect particle. Pryor, 3

crystal diamagnetism

The abnormal ratio of magnetization to the magnetizing force responsible
for it, as observed in some crystals, such as those of bismuth.
Hess

crystal face

a. One of the several flat or plane exterior surfaces of a crystal.
See also:crystal
b. A planar surface developed on a crystal during its growth. Crystal
faces tend to parallel planes of high lattice-point density (Bravais' law)
with the result that they make rational intercepts with the
crystallographic axes and may be assigned rational indices, e.g., (hkl).
CF:Miller indices

crystal flotation

The floating of lighter-weight crystals in a body of magma.
CF:crystal settling

crystal form

a. The form or shape in which crystals occur; the cube, the octahedron,
and others.
b. All crystal faces related by the symmetry elements of the point group
of the crystal structure belong to the same crystal form. Crystal forms
are designated by the indices of the unit face enclosed in braces, e.g.,
hkl . Forms are closed if they singly enclose a volume and open if two or
more forms are required. The terms "prism," "pyramid," "cube,"
"octahedron," and "tetrahexahedron" refer to crystal forms. A crystal form
is ideal when all faces are the same size. Syn:crystalline form

crystal fractionation

Magmatic differentiation resulting from the floating or settling, under
gravity, of mineral crystals as they form.
CF:fractional crystallization
AGI

crystal group

See:crystal aggregate

crystal growth

The study of conditions for growing crystals experimentally, esp. in the
control of chemical and physical properties and in application to the
growth history of natural crystals. Also the microchemical and isotopic
study of crystals for the physical and chemical constraints on their
formation.

crystal habit

The forms typically appearing on specimens of a mineral species or group,
rarely all the forms permitted by its point group. Crystal habits range
from highly diverse, e.g., calcite, to almost never showing crystal faces,
e.g., turquoise. In addition to describing mineral habits with form names,
e.g., prismatic, pyramidal, or tetrahedral, other names for appearances
are used, e.g., fibrous, columnar, platy, or botryoidal. Intergrowths are
given by specific description. Pryor, 3

crystal indices

a. Numbers or other representations that indicate the inclination of a
crystal face to the crystal axes.
b. Numbers based on the rational intercepts of crystal faces with
crystallographic axes. The Miller index is the reciprocal of a face's
axial intercepts. Indices of crystal faces are enclosed in parentheses
(hkl), crystal forms in braces hkl, crystal directions in brackets [hkl],
and Bragg indices with no closure hkl. For crystals with hexagonal and
trigonal symmetry, Miller-Bravais indices (hkil) may be used although the
added intercept and index number are redundant (h+k+i=0). Not all
mineralogists follow this usage. CF:Miller indices

crystal lattice

a. The regular and repeated three-dimensional arrangement of atoms that
distinguishes crystalline solids from all other states of matter.
Essentially the regularity displayed by a crystal lattice is that of a
three-dimensional mesh that divides space into identical parallelepipeds.
Imagine a number of identical atoms placed at the intersections of such a
mesh; then we have what is known as a simple lattice (synonymous with
Bravais lattice). AGI
b. A periodic array of points in three dimensions such that each point is
in an identical point environment. Fourteen possible lattices that are
used to describe the structural patterns are found in all crystalline
materials by assigning an asymmetric unit to each lattice point.
Syn:Bravais lattice; space lattice; direct lattice;
translation lattice. CF:reciprocal lattice

crystalliferous

Producing or bearing crystals. Webster 3rd

crystalliform

Having a crystalline form. Standard, 2

crystalline

a. Made of crystal. Webster 3rd
b. Resembling a crystal; clear, transparent, pure. AGI
c. Pertaining to or having the nature of a crystal, or formed by
crystallization; specif. having a crystal structure or a regular
arrangement of atoms in a space lattice. Ant: amorphous. Said of a mineral
particle of any size, having the internal structure of a crystal, but
lacking well-developed crystal faces or an external form that reflects the
internal structure. AGI
d. Said of a rock consisting wholly of crystals or fragments of crystals;
esp. said of an igneous rock developed through cooling from a molten state
and containing no glass, or of a metamorphic rock that has undergone
recrystallization as a result of temperature and pressure changes. The
term may also be applied to certain sedimentary rocks (such as quartzite,
some limestones, evaporites) composed entirely of contiguous crystals.
AGI
e. Said of the texture of a crystalline rock characterized by closely
fitting or interlocking particles (many having crystal faces and
boundaries) that have developed in the rock by simultaneous growth. A
crystalline rock. Term is usually used in the plural; e.g., the
Precambrian crystalline. This usage is not recommended. AGI
f. Referring to a homogeneous solid material that has long-range periodic
order of its atomic constituents. Crystalline materials distinctly
diffract X-rays.
g. Referring to a rock composed of crystalline minerals, e.g., granite.
h. Referring to the texture of a rock composed of contiguous mineral
crystals with or without crystal faces.
i. Referring to underlying rock with coarse texture as opposed to
overlying noncrystalline or finely crystalline rock, e.g., Precambrian
crystalline basement.

crystalline aggregate

An aggregate of crystalline intergrowths, such as granite, that does not
show well-defined crystal forms.

crystalline flake graphite

See:flake graphite

crystalline form

a. The external geometrical shape of a crystal. CMD
b. See:crystal form

crystalline grains

Minute crystals or crystalline particles which compose a granular
crystalline aggregate. Distinguished from minute fiberlike crystals which
compose fibrous crystalline aggregates.

crystalline granular texture

A primary texture due to crystallization from an aqueous medium, as in
rock salt (halite), gypsum, and anhydrite.

crystalline limestone

a. A metamorphosed limestone; a marble formed by recrystallization of
limestone as a result of metamorphism. AGI
b. A calcarenite with crystalline calcite cement formed in optical
continuity with crystalline fossil fragments by diagenesis. AGI
c. A limestone formed of abundant calcite crystals as a result of
diagenesis; specif. a limestone in which calcite crystals larger than 20
mu m in diameter are the predominant components. Examples include the
crinoidal limestones whose fragments have been enlarged by growth of
calcite. CF:marble

crystalline quartz

A term used to distinguish all the varieties of quartz which are not
cryptocrystalline, such as rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, cairngorm,
rose quartz, tiger eye, etc.

crystalline rock

a. An inexact, but convenient term designating an igneous or metamorphic
rock, as opposed to a sedimentary rock. AGI
b. A rock consisting wholly of relatively large mineral grains, e.g., a
plutonic rock, an igneous rock lacking glassy material, or a metamorphic
rock. AGI
c. The term has also been applied to sedimentary rocks, e.g., some
limestones, that are composed of coarsely crystalline grains or exhibit a
texture formed by partial or complete recrystallization. AGI

crystalline structure

See:crystal structure

crystalline tonstein

This type of tonstein contains vermicular, prismatic, or tabular kaolinite
crystals and may be either light or dark in color according to the
proportion of contained carbonaceous matter. Occasionally granular
kaolinite may also be recognized. The crystals lie embedded in either a
finely crystalline or cryptocrystalline kaolinite groundmass. IHCP

crystallinity

a. The degree to which a rock (esp. an igneous rock) is crystalline
(holocrystalline, hypocrystalline, etc.). AGI
b. The degree to which the crystalline character of an igneous rock is
developed (e.g., macrocrystalline, microcrystalline, or cryptocrystalline)
or is apparent (e.g., phaneritic or aphanitic). AGI

crystallite

a. A broad term applied to a minute body of unknown mineralogic
composition, or crystal form that does not polarize light. Crystallites
represent the initial stage of crystallization of a magma or of a glass.
Syn:crystallitic
b. Very small crystals in a mass or matrix.
c. A nucleus from which a crystal may grow.
d. Minute spots of double refraction in a glassy matrix.

crystallitic

Of, pertaining to, or formed of, crystallites.

crystallization

a. The process through which crystalline phases separate from a fluid, a
viscous, or a dispersed state (gas, liquid solution, or rigid solution).
Holmes, 1
b. The process of crystallizing. A form of body resulting from
crystallizing. Webster 3rd
c. Formation of crystalline phases during the cooling of a melt or
precipitation from a solution.

crystallization differentiation

The progressive change in composition of the liquid fraction of a magma as
a result of the crystallization of mineral phases that differ in
composition from the magma. AGI

crystallization interval

a. The interval of temperature (or less frequently pressure) between the
formation of the first crystal and the disappearance of the last drop of
liquid from a magma on cooling. It usually excludes the late-stage aqueous
fluids. AGI
b. When referring to a given mineral, the range or the ranges of
temperatures over which that particular phase is in equilibrium with
liquid. In the case of equilibria along reaction lines or reaction
surfaces, crystallization intervals, as thus defined, include temperature
ranges in which certain solid phases are actually decreasing in amount
with decrease in temperature. Syn:freezing interval

crystallization nucleus

A small particle of any kind around which crystals begin to form when a
substance crystallizes.

crystallization systems

a. The 32 possible crystal groups, distinguished from one another by their
symmetry, are classified under 6 systems, each characterized by the
relative lengths and inclinations of the assumed crystallographic axes.
These are isometric, tetragonal, hexagonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, and
triclinic. Fay
b. See:crystal systems

crystallize

a. To cause to form crystals or to assume crystalline form; esp. to cause
to assume perfect or large crystals. To cause to take a fixed and definite
form. To become converted into crystals. To solidify by crystallizing. To
deposit crystals. To become fixed and definite in form.
Webster 3rd
b. Any process by which matter becomes crystalline from a noncrystalline
state. Also spelled "crystalize."

crystallized coal

See:cone-in-cone structure

crystallizing force

a. The potentiality, or the expansive force, by which a mineral tends to
develop its own crystal form against the resistance of the surrounding
solid mass. This may be a differential force that causes the crystal to
grow preferentially and more rapidly in one crystallographic direction
than in another.
b. Expulsion of foreign constituent from a growing crystal by diffusion or
mechanical displacement.
c. Expansion resulting from a crystal phase that is less dense than its
noncrystalline melt phase, e.g., freezing water splitting rock or bursting
pipes.

crystalloblast

A crystal of a mineral produced entirely by metamorphic processes.
See also:idioblast; xenoblast. Adj: crystalloblastic. AGI

crystalloblastesis

Deformation by metamorphic recrystallization. Knopf

crystalloblastic

a. Pertaining to a crystalloblast. AGI
b. Said of a crystalline texture produced by metamorphic recrystallization
under conditions of high viscosity and directed pressure, in contrast to
igneous rock textures that are the result of successive crystallization of
minerals under conditions of relatively low viscosity and nearly uniform
pressure (Becke, 1903). CF:homeoblastic; heteroblastic. AGI
c. A metamorphic texture wherein one or more mineral species grows
substantially larger than the rock matrix, e.g., garnet schist.
CF:porphyroblastic; granoblastic.
d. A crystalline texture owed to metamorphic recrystallization. A
characteristic of this texture is that the essential constituents are
simultaneous crystallizations and are not found in sequence, so that each
may be found as inclusions in all the others.

crystalloblastic series

An arrangement of metamorphic minerals in order of decreasing form energy,
so that crystals of any of the listed minerals tend to assume idioblastic
outlines at surfaces of contact with simultaneously developed crystals of
all minerals occupying lower positions in the series. AGI

crystallochemical element

An element essential to the composition and the structure of a mineral.
AGI

crystallogenesis

The production or formation of crystals. Adj: crystallogenic.

crystallogeny

a. The science and the theory of the production of crystals.
Standard, 2
b. That branch of materials science that deals with the formation or
growth of crystals. CF:chemical mineralogy; experimental mineralogy;
phase equilibria.

crystallogram

A record, photographic or electronic, of crystal structure obtained by
means of X-ray diffraction. CF:Laue diagram; Laue photograph;
powder pattern.

crystallographic axes

a. Three axes intersecting at right angles, the vertical one being the x
axis and the two horizontal ones the y and z. The position of a crystal
face is defined by the ratio of its intercepts with these axes.
Pryor, 3
b. The three noncoplanar reference vectors used to describe crystal
properties. Depending upon the crystal system, these axes are not
necessarily orthogonal nor of equal length, with angle alpha between axes
b and c, beta between a and c, and gamma between a and b. Axes of equal
length are labeled a. Where one axis is unique (hexad, tetrad, triad, or
monad), convention sets it vertical and labels it c. A unique diad may be
labelled c (first crystallographic setting) or b (second setting,
preferred by mineralogists). By convention positive b is plotted to the
right and positive a toward the observer. Some crystal classes with a
unique triad may be referred to a set of three nonorthogonal axes of equal
length at internal angle alpha, i.e., rhombohedral coordinates ar .
In the case of a unique triad or hexad, a fourth redundant axis a3
may be added for convenience. CF:axis; coordinate system;
crystal systems; fold.

crystallographic axis

See:crystal axis

crystallographic direction

a. Refers to directions in the various crystal systems that correspond
with the growth of the mineral and often with the direction of one of the
faces of the original crystal itself.
b. Vectors referred to as crystallographic axes. Because of crystalline
periodicity, significant directions within a crystal are determined by the
rational intercepts with the crystallographic axes and may be rendered in
terms of Miller indices enclosed in brackets, e.g., [hkl] or [hkil].

crystallographic planes

a. Any set of parallel and equally spaced planes that may be supposed to
pass through the centers of atoms in crystals. As every plane must pass
through atomic centers and no centers must be situated between planes, the
distance between successive planes in a set depends on their direction in
relation to the arrangement of atomic centers. CTD
b. Those planes that make rational intercepts with crystallographic axes
and that may be noted by their intercept reciprocals, the Miller indices
enclosed in parentheses, i.e., (hkl) or (hkil). Such planes may represent
crystal faces, cleavage planes, twin planes, lattice points, or planes of
atomic particles in a crystal structure.

crystallographic system

a. Any of the major units of crystal classification, embracing one or more
symmetry classes. CTD
b. See:crystal system; holohedral.

crystallographic texture

A texture of mineral deposits formed by replacement or exsolution, in
which the distribution and form of the inclusions are controlled by the
crystallography of the host mineral. AGI

crystallography

a. The study of crystals, including their growth, structure, physical
properties, and classification by form. AGI
b. The science of the geometry of crystals and crystalline materials that
results from symmetry generated by the periodicity of their atomic
particles. See also:symmetry

crystalloid

a. Having some or all of the properties of a crystal.
b. A microscopic crystal that, when examined under a microscope, polarizes
light but has no crystal outline or readily determinable optical
properties. CF:crystallite; microlite. AGI

crystallology

The science of crystals and crystalline materials. It embraces
crystallography and crystallogeny.

crystalloluminescence

The emission of light by a substance during its crystallization.
AGI

crystallothrausmatic

A descriptive term applied to igneous rocks with an orbicular texture in
which early phenocrysts form the nuclei of the orbicules (Eskola, 1938).
CF:isothrausmatic; heterothrausmatic; homeothrausmatic. AGI

crystal material

Any substance possessing crystal structure but no definite geometric form
visible to the unaided eye. Also known as crystalline material.

crystal mush

Partially crystallized magma; an aggregate of solid crystals lubricated by
compressed water vapor. AGI

crystal optics

a. The science that treats of the transmission of light in crystals.
Fay
b. The study and characterization of the optical properties of crystalline
materials. Because each mineral species is a unique combination of
chemistry and crystal symmetry, use of optical properties of minerals,
both opaque and transparent, for their characterization and identification
is a well-developed art.

crystal pattern

A space lattice of a crystal structure. See also:space lattice
Hackh

crystal recovery

The recovery of the original properties in a crystal that has been
distorted by stress resulting from continued relief from stress, heating,
or decrease in the speed of deformation. Knopf

crystal rectifier

A point contact between a metal and a crystal (such as copper and galena),
or between two crystals (such as zincite and bornite). It has marked
unidirectional conductivity. CTD

crystals

a. Trade term for fourth-grade diamonds; colorless diamonds. Hess
b. Atomic structures with long-range order. (Euhedral surfaces are not
required.) Van Vlack
c. Geometrical forms of planar faces assumed by minerals and other
crystalline materials when grown under appropriate conditions.
d. Australian syn. for drill diamonds.

crystal sandstone

a. A sandstone in which the quartz grains have been enlarged by deposition
of silica so that the grains show regenerated crystal facets and sometimes
nearly perfect quartz euhedra. Crystal sandstones of this nature sparkle
in bright sunlight. AGI
b. A sandstone in which calcite has been deposited in the pores in large
patches or units having a single crystallographic orientation, resulting
in a poikiloblastic or luster-mottling effect. In some rare sandstones
with incomplete cementation, the carbonate occurs as sand-filled
scalenohedra of calcite--sand crystals. See also:sand crystal
AGI

crystal sedimentation

See:crystal settling

crystal settling

In a magma, the sinking of crystals because of their greater density,
sometimes aided by magmatic convection. It results in crystal
accumulation, which develops layering. CF:crystal flotation
Syn:crystal sedimentation

crystal solution

The replacement of one chemical element by others in a crystal structure
without changing its symmetry. Syn:solid solution

crystal sorting

The separation, by any process, of crystals from a magma, or of one
crystal phase from another during crystallization of the magma.
AGI

crystal spectrometer

An X-ray spectrometer employing a crystal grating. Webster 3rd

crystal structure

a. The periodic or repeated arrangement of atoms in a crystal. AGI
b. The arrangement in most pure metals may be imitated by packing spheres,
and the same applies to many of the constituents of alloys. CTD
c. The periodic array of atomic particles as represented by their
symmetrical disposition. Syn:crystalline structure

crystal system

See:crystallographic system

crystal systems

a. A classification of crystals based on the intercepts made on the
crystallographic axes by certain crystal faces (or bounding planes).
Syn:crystallization systems
CMD
b. The six main symmetry groups into which all crystals, whether natural
or artificial, can be classified. See also:symmetry
c. The classification of point groups (and their associated crystal
classes) and space lattices into seven (or six) symmetry systems; e.g.,
isometric (three equal orthogonal crystal axes), hexagonal (a unique
hexad), trigonal (a unique triad), tetragonal (a unique tetrad),
orthorhombic (three orthogonal diads), monoclinic (one diad inclined to an
axial plane), and triclinic (no symmetry higher than a center) systems. An
alternative classification of six systems assigns hexagonal and
rhombohedral divisions to the hexagonal system with a different assignment
of point groups having unique triads and hexads. CF:tetragonal

crystal tuff

An indurated deposit of volcanic ash dominantly composed of intratelluric
crystals and crystal fragments. CF:tuff; crystal-vitric tuff;
lithic tuff; vitric tuff.

crystal-vitric tuff

A tuff that consists of fragments of crystals and volcanic glass.
CF:crystal tuff; vitric tuff. AGI

crystobalite

Crystal modification of quartz, which is formed by heating clay silica
bodies at temperatures above 1,100 degrees C. Heating increases the
thermal expansion and decreases the danger of crazing. Rosenthal

C.S. jar collar

A thick-wall steel collar, the inside surface of which is tapered to fit
two serrated-face taper sleeves. The assembly may be fitted at any point
over a casing or pipe and serves as a drive collar in sinking casing or
pipe by driving and chopping. Also called self-tightening jar collar;
self-tightening jar coupling; Simmons jar block, Simmons jar collar.
Long

C.T. Nozzle

Trade name; a refractory nozzle for steel pouring designed to give a
constant teeming rate (therefore, the name). The nozzle consists of an
outer fireclay shell and a refractory insert of different composition.
Strictly speaking, the term refers to a particular type of insert
developed for the teeming of free cutting steels. Dodd

cubanite

An orthorhombic mineral, CuFe2 S3 ; dimorphous with
isocubanite. Formerly called chalmersite.

cubbyhole

A niche cut in the rib or wall of an underground mine for the storage of
explosives or detonators.

cube

a. Scot. A ventilating furnace in a mine.
b. A relatively rare crystal form of diamond having six equal-area faces
at right angles to each other. Long
c. A rectangular prism having squares for its ends and faces.
Jones, 2
d. A crystal form of six equivalent (not necessarily square) and mutually
perpendicular faces, with indices of 100. AGI
e. A hexahedron, a crystal form of the isometric system consisting of six
mutually orthogonal planar faces. Conditions of growth may yield crystal
faces that are not perfectly square, but are at mutual right angles.
f. A diamond in cube form.
g. Dice, e.g., pyrite cubes known locally as devil's dice.
h. Pseudocubic forms, e.g., quartz rhombohedra with faces at near right
angles, tetragonal prisms capped by a basal pinacoid, orthorhombic prisms
or domes terminated by a pinacoid, or three orthorhombic pinacoids of
nearly equal areas.

cube ore

Eng. An arsenate of iron, KFe4 (AsO4 )3 (OH)4
.6-7H2 O , of an olive-green to yellowish-brown color, and
occurring commonly in cubes with the copper ores of Cornwall.
Syn:pharmacosiderite

cube powder

Gunpowder made in large cubical grains and burning more slowly than the
small or irregular grains. Fay

cubic

a. Having the form of a cube, as a cubic crystal; or referring to
directions parallel to the faces of a cube, as cubic cleavage.
See also:cubic system
b. Crystal cleavage with three planes at mutual right angles.
c. An alternate name for the isometric crystal system.
See also:isometric
d. In crystal structures, a cation coordination of six equidistant anions.

cubic cleavage

a. Equally good cleavage in three mutually perpendicular directions.
Fay
b. Mineral cleavage parallel to the faces of a cube, e.g., in galena or
halite.

cubic foot per minute

A standard capacity or performance measurement for compressors.
Nichols, 1

cubicite

A cubic zeolite; analcime. Also spelled cubizite.

cubic packing

The loosest manner of systematic arrangement of uniform solid spheres in a
clastic sediment or crystal lattice, characterized by a unit cell that is
a cube whose eight corners are the centers of the spheres involved. An
aggregate with cubic packing has the maximum porosity (47.64%).
AGI

cubic plane

Any plane normal to one of the crystallographic axes in the isometric
system having Miller indices 100 .

cubic system

The crystal system that has the highest degree of symmetry; it embraces
such forms as the cube and the octahedron. See also:cubic

cubo-octahedron

a. A crystal form that has faces of both the cube and the dodecahedron.
b. The combined isometric form of a cube modified by an octahedron or an
octahedron modified by a cube.

cuckoo shots

Subsidiary shots in the roof of a longwall working, between the coal face
and the waste, or in any waste. Nelson

cuddy brae

Scot. An inclined roadway, worked in the same manner as a self-acting
incline.

cuesta

a. A hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on
the other; specif. an asymmetric ridge (as in the Southwestern United
States) with one face (dip slope) long and gentle and conforming with the
dip of the resistant bed or beds that form it, and the opposite face
(scarp slope) steep or even cliff like and formed by the outcrop of the
resistant rocks, the formation of the ridge being controlled by the
differential erosion of the gently inclined strata. AGI
b. A ridge or belt of low hills between lowlands in a region of gently
dipping sedimentary rocks (as on a coastal plain), having a gentle slope
conforming with the dip of the rocks and a relatively steep slope
descending abruptly from its crest.---Etymol: Spanish, flank or slope of a
hill; hill, mount, sloping ground. CF:hogback; wold; scarp; escarpment.
AGI

cueva

Sp. A cave or grotto.

culasse

The part of a brillant-cut stone below the girdle.

culet

a. The small lower terminus of a brilliant-cut gem. It is parallel to the
table. Standard, 2
b. The small facet that is polished parallel to the girdle plane across
what would otherwise be the sharp point or ridge that terminates the
pavilion of a diamond or other gemstone. Its principal function is to
reduce the possibility of damage to the gemstone. Also spelled collet.

culm

a. A vernacular term variously applied, according to the locality, to
carbonaceous shale, or to fissile varieties of anthracite coal.
Rice, 1
b. English Anthracite; a kind of coal, of indifferent quality, burning
with a small flame, and emitting a disagreeable odor.
c. Anthracite fines that will pass through a screen with 1/8-in holes.
Nelson
d. In anthracite terminology, the waste accumulation of coal, bone, and
rock from old dry breakers. Mitchell
e. In bituminous coal preparation, culm corresponds to slurry or slime,
depending upon the size distribution of the suspended solids.
Mitchell
f. Kolm. AGI
g. The anthracite contained in the series of shales and sandstones of
North Devon, England, known as the Culm Measures. AGI
h. Coal dust or fine-grained waste from anthracite mines. Syn:kulm
AGI

culm bank

The deposit on the surface of culm usually kept separate from deposits of
larger pieces of slate and rock. Also called culm dump. Hudson

culmiferous

Containing culm as coal. Standard, 2

culmination

The highest point of a structural feature, e.g., of a dome or anticlinal
crest. The axis of an anticline may have several culminations that are
separated by saddles. See also:crest

culture tube

See:acid-etch tube

cumengite

a. Same as volgerite. English
b. A tetragonal mineral, Pb21 Cu20 Cl42 (OH)40.
Also spelled cumengeite.

cummingtonite

A monoclinic mineral, (Fe,Mg)7 Si8 O22 (OH)2 ;
amphibole group; has Mg/(Mg + Fe2+ ) = 0.30 to 0.69 ; prismatic
cleavage; may be asbestiform; in amphibolites and dacites; fibrous
varieties (amosite, magnesium rich, and montasite, iron rich) are used as
asbestos.

cumulate

An igneous rock formed by the accumulation of crystals that settle out
from a magma by the action of gravity; examples include layered igneous
deposits such as the Bushveld complex in South Africa and the Stillwater
complex in Montana. Syn:accumulative rock

cumulative float curve

The curve obtained from the result of a float and sink analysis by
plotting the cumulative yield at each specific gravity against the mean
ash of the total floats at that specific gravity. BS, 5

cumulative plot

Graphic representation of cumulative curve results of screen analysis, in
which the cumulative percentage of weight is plotted against the screen
aperture, usually both to logarithmic scale. Pryor, 3

cumulative sink curve

The curve obtained from the results of a float and sink analysis by
plotting the cumulative yield of sinks at each specific gravity against
the mean ash of the total sinks at that specific gravity. BS, 5

cumulophyric

Said of the texture of a porphyritic igneous rock in which the
phenocrysts, not necessarily of the same mineral, are clustered in
irregular groups; also said of a rock exhibiting such texture.
Syn:glomeroporphyritic

cundy

a. Scot. The spaces from which coal has been worked out, partly filled
with dirt and rubbish between the packs. See also:openset; goaf.
Fay
b. Aust. The passage under a roadway into which an endless rope passes out
of the way at the end of its track. Also called conduct. A variation of
conduit. Fay
c. Any small passageway made to improve ventilation or facilitate movement
of materials. It is generally made through a pack or along the rib side of
a longwall face. See also:airhole

cup and cone

A machine for charging a shaft furnace, consisting of an iron hopper with
a large central opening, which is closed by a cone or bell pulled up into
it from below. In the annular space around this cone, the ore, fuel, etc.,
are placed, then the cone is lowered to drop the materials into the
furnace, after which it is again raised to close the hole.
Syn:bell and hopper; closed top. Fay

cupel

a. A small bone-ash cup used in gold or silver assaying with lead.
b. The hearth of a small furnace used in refining metals.

cupellation

a. The process of assaying for precious metals with a cupel.
b. Oxidation of molten lead containing gold and silver to produce lead
oxide, thereby separating the precious metals from the base metal.

cupeller

One who refines gold and silver in a type of reverberatory furnace known
as a cupel. DOT

cupferron

A colorless crystalline salt, C6 H5 N(NO)ONH4 , that
is a precipitant for copper and iron from solutions and is also used in
the analysis of other metals, esp. of the uranium group. Used for
separating iron and copper from other metals. Precipitates iron
quantitatively from strongly acid solutions.

cupola

a. A cylindrical vertical furnace for melting metal, esp. gray iron, by
having the charge come in contact with the hot fuel, usually metallurgical
coke. ASM, 1
b. A dome-shaped projection of the igneous rock of a batholith. Many
stocks are cupolas on batholiths. CF:roof pendant

cupola furnace

A shaft furnace used in melting pig iron (with or without iron or steel
scrap) for iron castings. Metal, coke, and flux (if used) are charged at
the top, and air is blown in near the bottom. CTD

cupreous manganese

See:lampadite

cupric sulfide

See:copper sulfide

cupriferous

Yielding or containing copper. Standard, 2

cupriferous pyrite

See:chalcopyrite

cuprite

An isometric mineral, Cu2 O ; red (crimson, scarlet, vermillion,
brownish-red); sp gr, 6.1; in oxidized parts of copper veins; an important
source of copper. Also called ruby copper; ruby copper ore.
Syn:red copper ore; red copper oxide; red glassy copper ore;
red oxide of copper; octahedral copper; cuprous oxide; copper suboxide.
See also:chalcotrichite; plush copper ore.

cuproapatite

A variety of apatite from Chile containing copper. Standard, 2

cuproauride

A former name for auricupride. Syn:gold cupride

cuprocalcite

A mixture of cuprite and calcite(?).

cuprocopiapite

A triclinic mineral, CuFe4 (SO4 )6 (OH)2 .20H
2 O ; copiapite group.

cuprodescloizite

A former name for mottramite.

cuprojarosite

A variety of melanterite containing copper (4.40% CuO) and magnesium
(4.29% MgO). Also spelled kuprojarosit. See also:jarosite
Spencer, 1

cuprokirovite

A magnesian cuprian variety of melanterite.

cupromagnesite

A monoclinic copper magnesium sulfate in bluish-green crusts at Mt.
Vesuvius, Italy; of doubtful validity.

cupromontmorillonite

Interpretation of the Russian name medmontite. See also:medmontite
Spencer, 4

cuproplumbite

A former name for bayldonite.

cuprorivaite

A tetragonal mineral, CaCuSi4 O10 ; in small blue grains at
Mt. Vesuvius, Italy.

cuprosklodowskite

A triclinic mineral, (H3 O)2 Cu(UO2 )2 (SiO
4 )2 .2H2 O ; strongly radioactive; greenish-yellow or
grass-green; a secondary mineral resulting from alteration of pitchblende
associated with other uranium minerals.

cuprous oxide

See:cuprite

curb

a. A timber frame, circular or square, wedged in a shaft to make a
foundation for walling or tubbing, or to support, with or without other
timbering, the walls of the shaft.
b. The heavy frame or sill at the top of a shaft.
c. In tunnel construction, a ring of brickwork or of cast iron, at the
base of the shaft, surmounting a circular orifice in the roof of the
tunnel. A drum curb is a flat ring of cast iron for supporting the
brickwork having the same diameter externally as the shaft of brickwork.
Temporary curbs of oak are also used. Fay
d. An iron border to the incorporating bed of a gunpowder mill.
Webster 3rd
e. An iron casing in which to ram-load molds for casting.
Webster 2nd
f. The walls of a chamber in which sulfuric acid is manufactured.
Webster 3rd
g. A wood, cast-iron, or reinforced concrete ring, made in segments,
forming a foundation for a masonry or cast-iron circular shaft lining. The
curb is set on a firm ledge of rock notched into the periphery of the
shaft. It may be removed at a later stage. Syn:wedging curb;
bricking curb; crib; walling curb. See also:foundation curb;
water ring. Nelson
h. A socket of wrought iron or steel for attaching a ring hook or swivel
to the end of a rope used for mine hoisting or haulage. CTD
i. A coaming around the mouth of a well or shaft. See also:binder
Hess
j. A shaft support ring for walling or tubbing. Mason

curb tubbing

Eng. A solid wood lining of a shaft. Syn:curb

curie

A unit of measurement of radioactivity, defined as the amount of a
radionuclide in which the decay rate is 37 billion disintegrations per
second, which is approx. equal to the decay rate of 1 g of pure radium.
AGI

Curie point

The temperature at which there is a transition in a substance from one
phase to another of markedly different magnetic properties. Specif., the
temperature at which there is a transition between the ferromagnetic and
paramagnetic phases. Webster 3rd

Curie's law

The susceptibility of a paramagnetic substance is inversely proportional
to the absolute temperature. A law of magnetism that has been replaced by
the Curie-Weiss law. Webster 3rd

Curie temperature

The temperature of magnetic transformation below which a metal or alloy is
magnetic and above which it is paramagnetic. ASM, 1

curite

An orthorhombic mineral, Pb2 U5 O17 .4H2 O ;
radioactive; orange-red; an alteration product of uraninite.

curlstone

Shrop. Ironstone exhibiting cone-in-cone formation.

curly coal

A folded and distorted oil shale.

curly stone

Shrop. Shale belonging to the coal formation, which on exposure to the air
hardens and assumes a peculiar form, sometimes called cone-upon-cone. Also
called curlstone. Arkell

current

a. The part of a fluid body esp. as air or water, that is moving
continuously in a definite direction, often with a velocity much swifter
than the average, or in which the progress of the fluid is principally
concentrated. AGI
b. A horizontal movement or continuous flow of water in a given direction
with a more or less uniform velocity, producing a perceptible mass
transport, set in motion by winds, waves, gravity, or differences in
temperature and density, and of a permanent or seasonal nature, esp. an
ocean current. AGI
c. The velocity of flow of a fluid in a stream. AGI
d. The swiftest part of a stream. Webster 3rd
e. A tidal or a nontidal movement, often horizontal, of lake or ocean
water. Syn:drift
f. Condition of flowing. Flow marked by force or strength. Syn:flow;
flux. Webster 3rd

current bedding

Any bedding or bedding structure produced by current action; specif.
cross-bedding resulting from water or air currents of variable direction.
See also:false bedding

current density

The current per unit area perpendicular to the direction of current flow.
AGI

current electrode

a. A piece of metal connected to a cable that, when buried in the earth in
a shallow hole or lowered into a well, provides enough contact to permit
the passage of substantial electrical current into the surrounding earth.
AGI
b. A metal contact with the ground used to facilitate current flow through
the ground. AGI

current leakage

Portion of the firing current bypassing part of the blasting circuit
through unintended paths. Atlas

current leakage tester

See:earth fault tester

current-limiting device

An electric or electromechanical device that limits current amplitude;
duration of current flow; or total energy of the current delivered to an
electric blasting circuit. Atlas

current meter

a. Any one of numerous instruments for measuring the speed alone, or both
speed and direction, of flowing water, as in a stream or the ocean; it is
usually activated by a wheel equipped with a set of revolving vanes or
cups whose rate of turning is proportional to the velocity of the current.
AGI
b. An instrument, as a galvanometer, for measuring the strength of an
electric current. Standard, 2

current rose

A graphical representation of currents, usually by 1 degrees quadrangles,
using arrows of different lengths for the cardinal and intercardinal
compass points to show resultant drift and frequency of set for a given
period of time. Hy

curry pit

Leic. A hole sunk from an upper to a lower portion of a thick seam of coal
through which the return air passes from the stalls to the airway.
Fay

cursing in work

Can. False affidavit of assessment work on mining claims. Hoffman

curtain

a. A sheet of brattice cloth hung across an entry in such a way as to
prevent the passage of an air current but not to hinder the passage of
mules or mine cars. In coal mines, curtains are used to deflect the air
from the entries into the working rooms and to hold the air along the
faces. They are usually made of a number of overlapping strips of heavy
curtain material, that should be of fireproof or fire-resistant material.
Syn:check curtain
b. Also called cover. Long
c. A thin sheet of dripstone hanging from the ceiling or projecting from
the wall of a cave. Schieferdecker
d. A rock formation that connects two neighboring bastions. AGI
e. One of a series of steps cut in a valley side and exaggerated by
cultivation. AGI

curtain hole

See:cover hole

curtisite

a. A crystalline hydrocarbon, found in a form of greenish deposits from a
hot spring in California. Tomkeieff
b. A former name for idrialite.

curvature of gravity

A vector quantity calculated from torsion-balance data indicating the
shape of the equipotential surface. It points in the direction of the
longer radius of curvature. AGI

curved jib

A chain coal cutter jib with the outer end bent upward or downward through
90 degrees . Thus, the machine can make a horizontal and also a vertical
cut in one operation. Curved jibs make coal preparation easier, but their
use is limited because of the excessive strain and wear on the cutter
chain. See also:turret jib; multicut chain. Nelson

cusec

A unit of waterflow or airflow that equals 1 ft3 /s (0.028 m
3 /s). Nelson

cushat marl

See:cowshut

cushion

A course of some compressible substance, such as soft wood, inserted
between more rigid material. In mine support, it can be placed between the
footwall or the hanging wall and the concrete, or internally in the
support. Spalding

cushion blasting

A method of blasting in which an airspace is left between the explosive
charge and the stemming, or in which the shothole is of substantially
larger diameter than the cartridge. See also:controlled blasting
BS, 12

cushion cut

A style of faceting gems in which the finished gem is roughly rectangular
in outline but with gently outward curving sides and rounded corners.
Sinkankas

cushion firing

See:water-ampul stemming

custom mill

A mill that depends on purchased ores mostly or entirely for processing
rather than on its own organizational source.

custom ore

Ore bought by a mill or smelter, or treated for customers. Hess

custom plant

A mill, concentrator, or smelter that purchases ore or partly processed
mineral for treatment in terms of an appropriate contract, priced on
tonnage, complexity of operation, permissible losses, and specification of
feed, product, and (perhaps) lost tailings. Pryor, 3

custom smelter

a. A smelter which buys ores or treats them for customers. Hess
b. A smelter which depends for its intake mostly on concentrate purchased
from independent mines and on scrap metal, rather than its own captive
mine sources. Wolff

cut

a. An arrangement of holes used in underground mining and tunnel blasting
to provide a free face to which the remainder of the round can break.
Also, the opening created by the cut hole.
b. To intersect a vein or working.
c. To shear one side of an entry or crosscut by digging out the coal from
floor to roof with a pick. See also:undercut
d. Eng. In Somerset, a staple or drop pit.
e. Eng. The depth to which a drill hole is put in for blasting.
f. A term applied where the cutting machine has cut under the coal.
g. The drill-hole pattern for firing a round of shots in a tunnel or
sinking shaft, e.g., the burn cut. Nelson
h. A machine cut in a coal seam; e.g., floor cut. Nelson
i. See:stint; sump.
j. An excavation, generally applied to surface mining; to make an incision
in a block of coal; in underground mining, that part of the face of coal
that has been undercut. BCI
k. In mining, when used in conjunction with shaft and drift, a surface
opening in the ground intersecting a vein. Ricketts
l. Depth to which material is to be excavated (cut) to bring the surface
to a predetermined grade; the difference in elevation of a surface point
and a point on the proposed subgrade vertically below it.
Seelye, 2
m. To excavate coal.
n. To drive to or across a lode. Gordon
o. The groups of holes fired first in a round to provide additional free
faces for the succeeding shots. BS, 12
p. To lower an existing grade. Nichols, 1

cut-and-fill stoping

A stoping method in which the ore is excavated by successive flat or
inclined slices, working upward from the level, as in shrinkage stoping.
However, after each slice is blasted down, all broken ore is removed, and
the stope is filled with waste up to within a few feet of the back before
the next slice is taken out, just enough room being left between the top
of the waste pile and the back of the stope to provide working space. The
term cut-and-fill stoping implies a definite and characteristic sequence
of operations: (1) breaking a slice of ore from the back; (2) removing the
broken ore; and (3) introducing filling. See also:underhand longwall

cut-chain brae

Scot. An incline on which cut chains are used.

cut holes

a. The first hole or group of holes fired in a drift or tunnel face. Also
known as the cut portion of the blasting round. Lewis
b. In tunneling, easers so drilled and fired as to break out a leading
wedge-shaped hole and thus enable the later holes in the complete round of
shots to act more effectively. See also:trimmers; drill-hole pattern.
Pryor, 3

cutinite

a. A variety of exinite. The micropetrologic constituent, or maceral, of
cuticular material. CF:sporinite
b. Maceral of the exinite group consisting of plant cuticle.
CF:resinite

cutinite coal

This type of coal consists of more than 50% of cuticle, the fragments of
which occur embedded in gelito-collinite, fusinito-collinite, and
collinite of fusinitic nature. In addition to cuticle, spores, resin
bodies, and fragments of finely fusinized and gelified tissue are present.
Leaf parenchyme and stem tissue, bordered by cuticle, may also be seen.
Hand specimens of this type of coal are grayish-black, matt or semimatt,
finely striated, or sometimes even banded. The coal breaks angularly and
generally has high ash. Cutinite coal occurs as thin bands in seams of
different geological age, and its use is largely determined by the other
forms of coal with which it is associated. IHCP

cutoff

a. In firing a round of shots, a misfire due to severance of fuse owing to
rock shear as adjacent charge explodes. Pryor, 3
b. A quarryer's term for the direction along which granite must be
channeled, because it will not split. Same as hardway.
c. CF:cutoff entry
d. The number of feet a bit may be used in a particular type of rock (as
specified by the drill foreman). Long
e. An impermeable wall, collar, or other structure placed beneath the base
or within the abutments of a dam to prevent or reduce losses by seepage
along a construction interface or through porous or fractured strata. It
may be made of concrete, compacted clay, interlocking sheet piling, or
grout injected along a line of holes. AGI
f. A boundary, oriented normal to bedding planes, that marks the areal
limit of a specific stratigraphic unit where the unit is not defined by
erosion, pinchout, faulting, or other obvious means. Cutoffs are
applicable to map, cross-sectional, and three-dimensional views, and are
in effect specialized facies boundaries. AGI
g. Minimum percentage of mineral or metal in an ore that can be mined
profitably. Long
h. A device for cutting off; as a mechanism for shutting off the admission
of a working fluid (as steam) to an engine cylinder. Webster 3rd
i. The point in the stroke of the piston of a steam engine at which the
entrance of live steam is stopped by the closure of the inlet valve.
Long

cutoff entry

An entry driven to intersect another and furnish a more convenient outlet
for the coal. CF:cutoff

cutoff grade

The lowest grade of mineralized material that qualifies as ore in a given
deposit; rock of the lowest assay included in an ore estimate.

cutoff hole

Missed hole resulting from the failure of a blasting cap to detonate owing
to the breaking of a fuse or conductor or to some other similar cause.
Fraenkel

cutoff shot

A shot in a delay round in which the charge has been wholly or partially
exposed to the atmosphere by reason of the detonation of an earlier shot
in the round. BS, 12

cutout

a. Opening made in a mine working in which a drill or other equipment may
be placed so as not to interfere with other mining operations.
Long
b. The act or process of removing diamonds from a used or dull bit by
dissolving the crown metal by corrosive action of an acid or electrolytic
dissolution. Also, the diamonds recovered or salvaged by such means.
Long
c. A mass of shale, siltstone, or sandstone filling an erosional channel
cut into a coal seam. CF:low; roll; washout. Syn:horseback; want.
AGI

cut point

The value of a property (e.g., density or size) at which a separation into
two fractions is desired or achieved. BS, 5

cut shot

a. A shot designed to bring down coal that has been sheared or opened on
one side. Fay
b. A shot that initially breaks ground to provide a free face for
subsequent shots. BS, 12

cut stone

a. Originally, an artificially broken and shaped carbon; now generally, a
faceted diamond or other precious or semiprecious gemstone used as an
ornament. Syn:gem
b. Structural unit for limestone that consists of blocks that are cut to
specified dimensions and surface tooled. AIME, 1

cuttable

Diamond material suitable for cutting into gems. Chandler

cutter

a. A joint in a rock that is parallel to the dip of the strata.
CTD
b. A crack in a crystal that destroys or lessens its value as a lapidary's
stone.
c. On a hydraulic dredge, a set of revolving blades at the end of the
suction line.
d. Closed or inconspicuous seams along which rock may separate or break
easily.
e. Any coal-cutting or rock-cutting machine; or the person operating it.
f. A solution crevice in limestone underlying Tennessee residual phosphate
deposits. AGI
g. See:underreamer lug

cutter bar

That part of a chain mining machine that supports the cutting chain and
extends under the coal; the bar provides the track for the cutting chain.
Fay; BCI

cutter chain

The endless chain carrying picks that travels around the jib of a chain
coal cutter at a speed varying from 320 to 650 ft/min (97.6 to 198.2
m/min). See also:coal-cutter pick

cutter dredge

In alluvial mining, one that loosens the alluvium by means of a cutting
ring, at the end of a suction pipe through which the products are pumped
up for treatment. Pryor, 3

cutterhead pipeline dredge

A hydraulic dredge in which the suction action is augmented by a rotating
propeller that operates at the point of suction. The cutterhead performs
two functions: it cuts into and loosens compacted soils and soft rock such
as coral, and it increases dredge capacity by channeling the soils into
the end of the suction pipe. The efficiency of a dredge is based on its
capacity to handle soils rather than water, and the cutterhead serves to
maintain an optimum ratio of about 1 ft3 (0.028 m3 ) of
soil handled per 5 ft3 (0.14 m3 ) of water.
Carson, 1

cutter loader

A longwall machine that cuts and loads the coal onto a conveyor as it
travels across the face. See also:loader

cutter plow

A plow-type cutter loader developed for use in hard coal seams. It has
four horizontal stepped precutting blades, which make a precut from 8 to
12 in (20.3 to 30.5 cm), to weaken the coal immediately in front of the
machine. It can be single or double ended, and is hauled along the face by
winches. The coal is loaded onto a panzer conveyor, which is advanced
behind the machine by compressed air rams. See also:plow
Nelson

cut-through

A passage cut through the coal, connecting two parallel entries.
See also:crosscut; breakthrough; jack hole. Rice, 1

cutting

a. The opening made by shearing or cutting.
b. Low-grade ore or refuse obtained from beneficiating ore.
c. The operation of making openings across a coal seam as by channeling,
or beneath a coal seam as by undercutting.
d. Excavating. Nichols, 1
e. Lowering a grade. Nichols, 1
f. Eng. The end or side of a stall next to the solid coal where the coal
is cut with a pick in a vertical line to facilitate breaking down;
channeling.
g. N. of Eng. The operation of undercutting coal with a mechanical cutter.
The machine, which runs on electricity, employs two cutterpersons.
Trist

cutting chain

The sprocket chain that carries the steel points used for undermining the
coal with chain mining machines. Fay

cutting down

a. The trimming of shaft walls to increase their sectional area.
Zern
b. Removing roughness or irregularities of a metal surface by abrasive
action. ASM, 1

cutting edge

a. The point or edge of a diamond or other material set in a bit that
comes in contact with and cuts, chips, or abrades the rock. Also called
cutting point. CF:cutting stones
b. That part of a bit in actual contact with rock during drilling
operations. Long
c. The leading edge of a lathe tool where a line of contact is made with
the work during machining. CF:cutter

cutting face

That part of a bit containing the cutting points, excluding the points
inset as reamers. Long

cutting fluid

A fluid, usually a liquid, used in metal cutting to improve finish, tool
life, or dimensional accuracy. On being flowed over a tool and a
workpiece, the fluid reduces friction, heat generated, and tool wear, and
prevents galling. It conducts heat away from the point of generation and
also serves to wash chips away. ASM, 1

cutting grain

The direction along a plane on which a diamond can be most easily abraded.
Long

cutting horizon

The position in a coal seam in which a horizontal machine cut is made. The
normal cutting horizon is along the bottom of the seam.
See also:bottom cut

cutting machine

A power-driven machine used to undercut or shear the coal to facilitate
its removal from the face. BCI

cutting motor

The motor in a cutting machine that provides power for the operation of
the cutting chain. Jones, 1

cuttings

a. The particles of rock produced in a borehole by the abrasive or
percussive action of a drill bit; excess material caused by the rubbing of
core against core or core against steel; erosive effect of the circulating
liquid; or cavings from the borehole. Also called drill cuttings;
drillings; sludge. CF:borings
b. The fragmental rock samples broken or torn from the rock penetrated
during the course of drilling. AGI
c. Eng. See:holings
d. See:bug dust

cutting sand

Composed of sharp, solid quartz grains and used as abrasive for sawing
stone; usually ungraded and about equivalent to a No. 1 sandblasting sand.
AIME, 1

cutting speed

a. The linear or peripheral speed of relative motion between a tool and a
workpiece in the principal direction of cutting. ASM, 1
b. See:feed rate

cutting stones

Diamonds set in a bit face having points or edges that will be in contact
with, and will cut or abrade, the rock when drilling. CF:cutting edge;
gage stone. Long

cutting wheel

A cutting disk, the edge of which is impregnated with an abrasive, such as
diamond dust or aloxite. It is rotated at high speed in a coolant and used
to cut rock specimens into suitable thin sections for microscopic
inspection in transmitted light with a polarized-light microscope or,
after polishing, with a reflected-light (ore) microscope.

cutty clay

Plastic clay formerly used in England for making tobacco pipes; "pipe
clay." AGI

cuvette

A large-scale basin in which sedimentation has occurred or is taking
place, as distinguished from a tectonic basin due to folding of
preexisting rocks; e.g., the Anglo-Parisian cuvette of Southeast England
and Northeast France, in which Cenozoic rocks accumulated and were later
folded into several distinct but smaller basins, such as the London Basin
and the Paris Basin. Etymol: French, small tub or vat. Sometimes
misspelled curvette. AGI

Cuylen conveyor

A single-chain conveyor with an open side to facilitate power loading.
Sinclair, 5

Cuyuna

The name of an iron range in Minnesota. It is composed of the syllables,
"Cuy" and "Una," the former being a contraction of the given name of
Cuyler Adams, who was active in the early development of that territory,
and the last syllable being the name of his dog "Una."

C-wave

See:coupled wave

cyanamide

White; crystalline; NH2 CN . Formed variously by the action of
cyanogen chloride on ammonia. Standard, 2

cyanicide

Any substance present in a pulp that attacks or destroys the cyanide salt
being used to dissolve precious metals. Pryor, 1

cyanidation

A process of extracting gold and silver as cyanide slimes from their ores
by treatment with dilute solutions of potassium cyanide or sodium cyanide.
The slimes are subsequently fused and cast into ingots or bullion.
Henderson

cyanidation vat

A large tank, with a filter bottom, in which sands are treated with sodium
cyanide solution to dissolve out gold. CTD

cyanide

Usually refers to cyanide solution in circulation in a mill treating gold
or silver ores. The stock or solution is of two main types: barren, from
which all possible value has been extracted, and pregs or pregnant, which
is charged with gold or silver and awaits their removal. Pryor, 4

cyanide hardening

Introducing carbon and nitrogen into the surface of a steel alloy by
heating in a bath of molten sodium cyanide and usually followed by quench
hardening.

cyanide man

In ore dressing, smelting, and refining, a person who tends equipment in
which finely ground gold or silver ore is treated with a cyanide solution
to separate free gold or silver from the gangue (waste material).
DOT

cyanide mill

See:cyanide process

cyanide process

A process for the extraction of gold from finely crushed ores,
concentrates, and tailings by means of cyanide of potassium or sodium used
in dilute solutions. The gold is dissolved by the solution and
subsequently deposited upon metallic zinc or other materials.
Syn:cyanide mill
Fay

cyanide pulp

The mixture obtained by grinding crude gold and silver ore and dissolving
the precious-metal content in a sodium-cyanide solution. CCD, 2

cyanide slime

Precious metal in the form of finely divided particles precipitated from a
cyanide solution used in its extraction from ore. ASM, 1

cyaniding

The process of treating finely ground gold and silver ores with a weak
solution of sodium or potassium cyanide, which readily dissolves these
metals. The precious metals are then obtained by precipitation from
solution with zinc, or by adsorbtion on activated carbon. CTD

cyanite

A former spelling of kyanite.

cyanochalcite

A phosphoriferous variety of chrysocolla from Nijni Tagilks, Perm, Russia.

cyanochroite

A monoclinic mineral, K2 Cu(SO4 )2 .6H2 O ;
picomerite group; a clear-blue alteration product from Mt. Vesuvius,
Italy.

cyanogen

a. A univalent radical; present in hydrogen cyanide and in other simple
and complex cyanides (as ferricyanides). Webster 3rd
b. Colorless, flammable, poisonous gas; (CN)2 . It has an odor like
that of peach leaves, is variously formed (as by heating mercuric
cyanide), and polymerizes readily. Webster 3rd

cyanosite

A former name for chalcanthite. Also spelled cyanose.

cyanotrichite

An orthorhombic mineral, Cu4 Al2 (SO4 )(OH)12
.2H2 O ; sky-blue to smalt-blue; minutely crystalline or
spheroidal. Formerly called lettsomite. Syn:velvet copper ore

cycle of denudation

Cycle of erosion. AGI

cycle of erosion

The complete series of changes or stages through which a landmass passes
from the inception of erosion on a newly uplifted or exposed surface
through its dissection into mountains and valleys to the final stage when
it is worn down to the level of the sea or to some other base level. The
cycle is usually subdivided into youthful, mature, and old-age stages. One
type or many types of erosion may be involved, and the landforms produced
and destroyed depend to a large extent on the climate, geographic
situation, and geologic structure of the landmass.
Syn:cycle of denudation; geographic cycle; geomorphic cycle.
Stokes

cycle of operations

In mining operations, such as tunnel driving, shaft sinking, and coal
winning, there are certain tasks that must be repeated in cyclic fashion.
In tunnel driving, they are (1) drilling the round; (2) charging and
firing; (3) loading; and (4) supporting and track extension. This cycle of
operations is time analyzed to achieve maximum efficiency and speed.
Nelson

cycle of sedimentation

a. A sequence of related processes and conditions, repeated in the same
order, that is recorded in a sedimentary deposit. AGI
b. The deposition of sediments in a basin between the beginnings of two
successive marine transgressions, comprising the deposits formed initially
on dry land, followed by shallow-water and then deep-water deposits that
in turn gradually change to shallow-water and then dry-land type during a
marine regression. AGI
c. See:cyclothem; sedimentary cycle.

cycle skipping

An instrumental phenomenon occurring in acoustic velocity logs. It
consists of intervals where the velocity recorded drops sharply to very
low values, and equally sharply, returns to a normal scale figure. Such a
log is spiky. Wyllie

cycle time

The time required for the dipper of a mechanical shovel to push through
the bank and fill, swing to the haul unit, unload, and swing back to the
digging position. Cycle time is established under standard conditions of a
90 degrees angle of swing and with an optimum depth of cut.
Carson, 1

cyclic

Adj. of cycle; recurrent rather than secular. AGI

cyclic mining

A mining system in which each shift has a specific task to complete on the
conveyor face. If the task on any shift is not completed in time, the
following shifts are disorganized. In general, the face is machine cut
during the night shift; shot-firing and hand-filling of the coal occupy
the day shift; and the afternoon shift is responsible for moving the
conveyor and roof supports to the new line of face.
See also:conventional machine mining; conventional mining.
Nelson

cyclic surge

In classification, periodic upset of correct separating density of pulp,
resulting in wrong release of oversize material from the closed grinding
circuit. Pryor, 3

cyclic test

In batch tests of small quantities of ore during development of a method
of concentration, the retention of selected fractions (usually middlings)
for admixture with fresh samples. Used to study effect of recycling
minerals or solutions, which they may have contaminated; also, to observe
effects of increased concentration of such compounds on the process as a
whole. See also:locked test

cyclic twin

Repeated twinning of three or more individual crystals according to the
same twin law but with the twin axes or twin planes not parallel, commonly
resulting in threefold, fourfold, fivefold, sixfold, or eightfold twins,
which, if equally developed, display geometrical symmetry not found in
single crystals, e.g., chrysoberyl, rutile. CF:repeated twinning;
polysynthetic twinning.

cyclic twinning

The repeated twinning of three or more individuals according to the same
twin law but with the twinning axes not parallel. Often simulates a higher
order of symmetry than that of the untwinned crystal.
CF:polysynthetic twinning

cyclic winding

See:automatic cyclic winding

cyclone

a. The conical-shaped apparatus used in dust collecting operations and
fine grinding applications. In principle, the cyclone varies the speed of
air, which determines whether a given particle will drop through force of
specific gravity or be carried through friction of the air.
Enam. Dict.
b. A classifying (or concentrating) separator into which pulp is fed, so
as to take a circular path. Coarser and heavier fractions of solids report
at apex of long cone while finer particles overflow from central vortex.
Also called hydrocyclone. See also:cyclone washer;
centrifugal separation; centrifuge. Pryor, 4

cyclone angle

Included angle of conical section of hydrocyclone. Pryor, 3

cyclone classifier

A device for classification by centrifugal means of fine particles
suspended in water, whereby the coarser grains collect at and are
discharged from the apex of the vessel, while the finer particles are
eliminated with the bulk of the water at the discharge orifice.
BS, 5

cyclone dust collector

An apparatus for the separation by centrifugal means of fine particles
suspended in air or gas. BS, 5

cyclone furnace

A forced circulation heat treatment furnace designed to operate at a
maximum temperature of 760 degrees C, which is either gas fired or
electrically heated. The gas circulates at the rate of 0.89 m/s.
Osborne

cyclone overflow

A finer classified fraction, which leaves via the vortex finder of a
hydrocyclone. Pryor, 3

cyclone separator

A funnel-shaped device for removing material from an airstream by
centrifugal force. ASM, 1

cyclone size

Diameter of cylindrical section of hydrocyclone. Also diameter of inlet
orifice if round. Dimensions or area in given inches or square inches if
opening is rectangular. Pryor, 3

cyclone underflow

A coarser sized fraction, which leaves via apex aperture of hydrocyclone.
Pryor, 3

cyclone washer

Cyclone washing of small coal originates from the Netherlands. Clean
separation is effected with the aid of centrifugal force. The heavier
shale particles move to the wall of the cyclone and are eventually
discharged at the bottom while the lighter coal particles are swept toward
the central vortex and are discharged through an outlet at the top. The
washer may be used for cleaning coal up to 3/4 in (1.9 cm). The coal is
normally deslimed at about 0.5 mm before cleaning. The separating medium
is water and ground magnetite, the bulk of which is recovered and returned
to the circuit. A 20-in (50.8-cm) cyclone has a feed capacity of about 50
t/h of coal sized between 1/2 in (12.7 mm) and 1/2 mm.
See also:centrifugal separation; cyclone. Nelson

cyclosteel

Steel produced by blowing iron-ore powder into a hot gas. CTD

cyclothem

A series of beds deposited during a single sedimentary cycle of the type
that prevailed during the Pennsylvanian period. The cyclothem, which
ideally consists of 10 members (in western Illinois, the fifth member is a
coal layer), indicates an unstable coastal environment in which marine
submergence and emergence occurred. A cyclothem ranks as a formation in
the scale of stratigraphic nomenclature. Syn:coal-measures unit

cyclotron

A particle accelerator in which charged particles receive repeated
synchronized accelerations by electrical fields as the particles spiral
outward from their source. The particles are kept in the spiral by a
powerful magnet. Lyman

cylinder cuts

In cylinder cuts the blasting is performed toward an empty hole in such a
way that, as the charges in the first, second, and subsequent holes
detonate, the broken rock is thrown out of the cut. The opening is
successively and uniformly (cylindrically) enlarged in its entire length.
Langefors

cylindrical drum

See:parallel drum

cylindrical land

Land having zero relief. ASM, 1

cylindrical mill

See:tube mill

cylindrical structure

A vertical structure in sandstone, a few centimeters to several decimeters
in diameter and several decimeters in length, with a structureless
interior, attributed to a rising water column or a spring channel.
Syn:sandstone pipe

cylindrite

A triclinic mineral, Pb4 FeSn4 Sb2 S16 ; forms
cylinders that separate under pressure into distinct shells or folia, or
is massive; at Poopo, Bolivia.

cylindroconical drum

A combination of a cone and a cylinder. The ascending rope is wound on the
smaller diameter of the cone; as the engine reaches full speed after the
period of acceleration, the rope is wound on the larger cylindrical part.
For deep shafts the rope is wound back on itself for the last part of the
hoisting period, thus reducing the width of the drum.
See also:bicylindroconical drum

cymoid loop

The splitting of a vein along its dip or strike into two branches, both of
which curve away from the general trend and then unite to resume a
direction parallel to but not in line with the original trend.
See also:cymoid structure

cymoid structure

A vein, or a vein-shaped structure, shaped like a reverse curve.
See also:cymoid loop

cymophane

See:cat's-eye; chrysoberyl.

cymrite

A monoclinic mineral, BaAl2 Si2 (O,OH)8 .H2 O;
pseudohexagonal; at the Benalt manganese mine, Wales. Named from Cymru,
the Welsh name for Wales.

cyprine

A variety of vesuvianite or idocrase, of a blue tint, which is supposedly
due to copper. Fay

cypritic steel

A steel containing approx. 15% chromium and 9% copper; claimed to be
resistant to corrosion in the atmosphere and to tap water, but its
corrosion-resistant properties are inferior to the conventional austenitic
chromium-nickel steels of the 18-8 type. Osborne

cyrilovite

A tetragonal mineral, NaFe3 (PO4 )2 (OH)4 .2H
2 O ; in pegmatite at Cyrilov, Moravia, Czech Republic.

cyrtolite

A variety of zircon.

Czochralski's reagent

An etchant for iron or steel, consisting of a solution of 10% to 20%
ammonium persulfate in water. Osborne

Czochralski technique

A method of growing single crystals of refractory oxides, and of other
compounds, by pulling from the pure melt; the compound must melt
congruently. Dodd