Technological investigations of alluvial garnet sands from the Kola Peninsula

The paper presents the investigation results on two technological samples of alluvial garnet sands from Yavr area located in the southwest of the Kola Peninsula. The first sample TP-11/2 (mass 250 kg) was used to study the granulometric, mineralogical and chemical composition of garnet sands. The second sample TP-12 (mass about 6.5 ton) was used to manufacture some garnet concentrates for the waterjet cutting testing. It has been established that the main material of TP-11/2 sample is concentrated in the size of -0.63 + 0.10 mm. The larger particles make 5.0%, the smaller particles make 7.0%. The size distribution in the TP-12 sample is similar. The main minerals of the sands are quartz, feldspar, garnet, amphiboles, pyroxenes, mica, rutile and ilmenite. The percentage of secondary minerals represented by sillimanite, kyanite, apatite, tourmaline, graphite, magnetite, and single zircon grains is less than 2%. Garnet in Javr area sands is 9–-97% in the free phase. The mass concentration of garnet in the sands is 15–19%, the mass concentration of rutile is 1.0%. Garnet corresponds to almandine in composition. A small part of garnets (about 15–20%) contains a pyrope component. The prevailing shape of garnet grains is angular; the profile of the grains is predominantly isometric and elongated. The garnet sands were dressed at the pilot concentration plant of the Mining Institute, in the gravitymagnetic-electric circuit using the following equipment: a fine screen, a spiral sluice, a concentration table, a weak field magnetic separator, a high-intensity magnetic separator, an electrostatic separator for scavenging of rough garnet concentrates. According to the test results, all garnet concentrates with the size of –0.63 + 0.315 mm, –0.315 + 0.18 mm, –0.18 + 0.10 mm were assumed suitable for the waterjet cutting.

Industrial scale-up of fiber recovery technology from mixed office waste fine screen rejects

Industrial-scale testing was performed for fine screen reject recovery technology with a mixed office waste (MOW) pulping line. Results showed that the recovery system removed macrostickies and dirt specks with an efficiency of 95.7% to 98.3% and 51.5% to 76.8%, respectively. These results were not affected by the running consistency (0.26% to 1.44%). The recovery system improved the physical strength of the pulp. Relative to untreated rejects, the tensile index increased 5.1% to 15.2%, the tear index increased 6.6% to 11.4%, and the breaking index increased 6.6% to 25.7%. Running consistency had no obvious effects on tensile strength and tear strength, but bursting strength increased with increasing running consistency (%). The volume energy consumption (y) increased with increasing running consistency (x), and a linear relationship of y = 0.73x + 4.2191 (R² = 0.9466) was observed. The specific energy consumption (y) of the pulp decreased with increasing running consistency (x), and the relationship could be expressed as y = 499.67x-0.906 (R² = 0.9959).

Health and Survival of Moon Jellies (Aurelia Aurita) in Hand-Built Pseudo-Kreisel Aquaria

Jellies are typically considered difficult organisms to raise in the lab by many scientists. This is due to their requirements for constant water current and the absence of corners. In the wild, jellies such as moon jellies (Aurelia aurita) rarely encounter habitats outside of the open ocean where they are part of the plankton, so they are not adapted to navigate obstacles or get out of small spaces such as the corners of aquaria. In order to conduct an experiment utilizing live moon jellies to assess their utility in bioremediation of oil spills, we designed and built 4 pseudo-kreisel aquaria to house our jellies using a limited budget and many readily-available materials. Here, we present the methods used to construct these aquaria inexpensively (important for undergraduate research!) and evidence of their effectiveness in long-term housing of live jellies so that other researchers interested in jelly research can construct similar housing. Briefly, we removed the corners from 10 gallon aquaria and also provided for continuous circular water currents by adding quarter pieces of the sides of 5 gallon buckets attached via silicon sealant. Current was provided by spray bars that provided even water flow in all areas of the aquaria, driven by pumps in the external sump and filtration systems. We built the sump/filtration systems using 5-gallon buckets containing bio-balls and filter floss. Water was delivered to the sumps via PVC overflow plumbed into the aquaria via a bulkhead set into the glass at the desired water level. The overflows were covered with a small piece of fine screen and directly behind the spray bars in order to prevent jellies from becoming stuck as water leaves the system for filtration. Results of husbandry including survival and indicators of jelly health such as pulsing rate and holes in their bells over approximately 3 months will be presented.

41SM195A, The Browning Site

A surface collection of early 19th century historic sherds led to archeological investigations in 2002 and 2003 at the Browning site (41SM195A) in Smith County, Texas. My interest was whetted by mention in the original land abstract that the property had once been deeded to the Cherokee. In all, a total of 6.5 cubic meters was excavated, including twenty-two shovel tests and 10 1 x 1 m test units, and a fine-screen sample was taken from the midden. As a result, 1076 prehistoric and historic artifacts were recovered, along with new information about the Woodland period archeology in this part of East Texas. The initial shovel tests found, in addition to the historic component, a buried midden with evidence of Woodland period occupation. Based on the excavations, the midden covered approximately 500 m2. The 19th century historic artifacts were found in the upper sediment zone (a light brown sandy loam that was mostly gravel-free) covering the midden. The buried midden was a dark yellowish-brown gravelly loam that contained prehistoric pottery, bone, charred wood and nutshells, lithic materials, including lithic debris, flake tools, arrow and dart points, and ground stone tools. A calibrated radiocarbon date of AD 625 to 880 (2 sigma), with a calibrated intercept of AD 685, was obtained on charred nutshell from 40-50 cm bs in the midden zone. A series of Oxidizable Carbon Ratio dates from the midden indicate that the midden began to form about AD 147, with dates of AD 359-817 from the main part of the midden, indicating when the Browning site was most intensively occupied in prehistoric times.