As an expert in the field of mining, I have witnessed the evolution of silver mining machinery and its impact on the industry. From simple hand tools to advanced technology, the methods used to extract precious metals have drastically changed over time. In this article, I will discuss the different machines used in silver mining and how they have shaped the industry.
The Three Main Ways to Mine on the Surface
There are three main ways to mine on the surface: quarrying, open pit mining, and open pit mining. Each method requires specific machinery to extract the desired minerals.Let's take a closer look at some of the most important machines used in silver mining.
Excavators, Draglines, and Shovels
These machines are essential for digging and removing large amounts of earth and rock.Excavators
are versatile machines that can be used for a variety of tasks, including digging, loading, and lifting.Draglines
are massive machines that use a bucket attached to a long boom to remove overburden (the layer of earth and rock covering the mineral deposit).Shovels
are similar to excavators but are typically larger and more powerful.Giant Trucks
Once the earth and rock have been removed, giant trucks are used to transport the materials to their destination.These trucks can carry large loads and are essential for moving large quantities of ore from one location to another.
Shredders and Mills
After the ore has been extracted from the ground, it needs to be processed into a usable form.Shredders
are used to break down large pieces of ore into smaller fragments, making it easier to extract the valuable minerals.Mills
are then used to crush the ore into a fine powder, which can then be separated from the waste material.The Evolution of Mining Technology
To truly understand the machines used in silver mining, we must also look at the evolution of mining technology. A cross section of Virginia City's Belcher mine provides a glimpse into the early days of mining technology.The square-shaped cutting method, which became the hallmark of Comstock mining, dominated the drawing. A lithograph from Harper's magazine shows the interior of a sophisticated and technologically advanced factory. Mining technology consists of the tools, methods, and knowledge used to locate, extract, and process mineral and metal deposits on Earth. The methods used to locate mineral deposits range from field recognition by prospectors to remote sensing techniques, such as satellite images. Mining excavations are carried out on the surface or underground.
The First Mines in Nevada
The first mines in Nevada uncovered and removed placer deposits (gravels carried by water) or hard rock through superficial excavation.Miners used simple hand tools such as picks and shovels to dig holes or open pits to reach the mineral deposit. Placer miners sometimes used high-pressure water sprinklers (hydraulic mining) to excavate gravel deposits. To make it easier to transport water, California gold rush miners from China introduced Chinese pumps, bucket elevators that were part of an endless chain driven by a hydraulic wheel.
The Introduction of Open-Pit Mining
In the late 19th century, open-pit mining with electric shovels was first developed in the Mesabi iron mountain range in Minnesota and later in the Bingham well in Utah. This changed the scale of open-pit mining in the 20th century considerably.Underground mining was carried out both in hard rock and placer deposits and used excavation, support, elevation, ventilation, and drainage technologies.
The Evolution of Underground Mining
The first miners dug shallow wells to reach the mineral deposit, which they then followed to create unplanned underground wells or unplanned underground excavations. As engineers became more involved in the planning and design of underground works, the use of hand drills and black powder gave way to dynamite and mechanical drills. The underground works were based on wood, the best known of which is square wood invented in 1860 in the Comstock, and on rock pillars without excavating or the shrinkage system at the beginning of the 20th century.The Transportation of Ore
Early miners transported ore by hand or used simple machines such as windmills, whims, or small steam engines. However, as mining operations became more extensive, new lifting technologies were introduced.These included large steam engines and high-speed cages. To ensure proper ventilation in the mines, some used manual bellows or motor-driven fans. Others drained underground works with tunnels or seesaws.
Mineral Processing Technologies
Once the ore has been extracted from the ground and transported to the surface, it needs to be processed into a usable form. Mineral processing technologies extract economically valuable minerals and metals.They include the collection of metals and minerals of natural origin (e.g., free-milling minerals require the simplest processing technologies).
Separating Metals and Minerals from Rocks
Placer miners used simple tools such as pans and pans, rockers, locks, Long Toms, and dry cleaners to separate free metals from gravel. Sometimes they used mercury, which forms an amalgam with small particles of gold and silver. Miners used mechanical crushing and crushing machines to break down minerals for further processing. The first miners used Mexican trawls or stamp mills, which peaked at the end of the 19th century, to crush minerals and turn them into sand-sized particles.The Introduction of Cyanide Milling
The development of cyanide milling in the late 19th century required the grinding of smaller, more uniformly sized particles in Chilean mills, ball mills, and tube mills.After crushing or milling, miners used vibrating or agitating machines called concentrators (for example, flotation, which used foaming machines to mix air bubbles with petroleum and finely ground ore), which emerged in the early 20th century to do the same.
