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| Salting |
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The act of introducing metals or minerals into a deposit or samples, resulting in false assays. This can be done with the intent of defrauding the public or by accident.
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| Sample |
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A small portion of rock or a mineral deposit, taken so that the metal content can be determined by assaying.
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| Scanner |
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Generally an optical or laser/camera measuring device. Scanners are composed of a transmitter head and a receiver head, which permit electronics system to obtain the shape and the dimensions an object.
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| Scintillation counter |
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An instrument used to detect and measure radioactivity. More sensitive than a geiger counter. Certain minerals emanate radioactivity.
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| Screening equipment |
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The sifter (also referred to as sieves, screens and screeners) is a separator, usually oscillating, with a number of screens. It is used to separate crumbles or granules by particle size depending on the size of hole used in the screens.
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| Secondary deposit |
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Ore minerals deposited as a result of alteration or weathering of a primary deposit.
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| Sedimentary |
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Formed by the deposition of eroded material and laid down by rivers and streams.
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| Seismic prospecting |
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Geophysical method of prospecting using the known speed of reflected sound waves in rock.
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| Selective mining |
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Mining with the goal to obtain a relatively high-grade mine product. Often results in higher exploration and development costs.
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| Semi-autogenous grinding |
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Semi-autogenous grinding involves the use of coarse ore particles and an additional charge of steel balls as media. The predominant grinding mechanism is attrition and impact.
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| Sequence |
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The order of a series of operations or movements.
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| Sequencing valve |
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A pressure operated valve which, at its setting, diverts flow to a secondary line while holding a predetermined minimum pressure in the primary line.
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| Servo mechanism (servo) |
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A mechanism subjected to the action of a controlling device which will operate as if it were directly actuated by the controlling device, but capable of supplying power output many times that of the controlling device, this power being derived from an external and independent source.
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| Servo valve |
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Electro-mechanical device used to control a setworks hydraulic cylinder. An electrical signal is sent to the servo valve which opens, allowing hydraulic fluid to flow into the cylinder. The voltage level and direction of the electrical signal determine the speed and direction of the setworks movement.
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| Set complete |
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The actual position of a setworks is within a certain distance of the command position to which it was sent.
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| Set complete range |
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The maximum distance allowed between the actual position of a setworks and the position to which the setworks was sent. When the setworks position is in this range, the setworks is at set complete.
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| Shale |
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Rock with a laminated structure formed from clay, mud, or silt. Composed of minerals essentially unaltered since deposition.
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| Shearer |
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Equipment used in longwall mining. It uses a rotating action to "shear" the material from the face as it progresses.
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| Sheave wheel |
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A large grooved wheel in the top of a headframe over which the hoisting rope passes.
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| Shieve |
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Common term for a pulley.
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| Shim |
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A thin piece or strip of metal used to fill in, as in leveling.
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| Short ton |
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2,000 pounds or 0.9072 tonnes.
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| Shortwall mining |
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Underground mining method where small areas are worked by a continuous miner.
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| Signal |
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A control impulse from a control device or sensor.
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| Single jack |
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A light hammer used for drilling holes by hand.
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| Sinter |
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Fine particles of iron ore that have been treated by heat to produce blast furnace feed.
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| Slag |
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The vitreous mass separated from the fused metals in the smelting process.
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| Smelter |
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A facility where metal is separated by fusion (melting) from those impurities with which it may be chemically combined or physically mixed, such as in ore.
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| Solvent extraction-Electrowinning (SX-EW) |
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A metallurgical technique, so far applied only to copper ores, in which metal is dissolved from the rock by organic solvents and recovered from solution by electrolysis.
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| Specimen |
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A selected piece of rock or ore taken for examination or display.
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| Sphalerite |
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Sulphide mineral of zinc. A common ore mineral of zinc.
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| Spiral concentrator |
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Revolving drum or pan with an interior section made of spiral riffles. Used for gravity concentration of heavy minerals.
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| Spool |
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A term loosely applied to almost any moving cylindrically shaped part of a hydraulic component which moves to direct flow through the component.
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| Stamp mill |
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An early method of crushing gold ore. Heavy iron pestles are continuously dropped into a trough containing water and the ore until it is fine enough to filter through screens. Also called a stamp battery.
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| Stink damp |
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A hydrogen sulphide gas that is very poisonous with a pungent smell of rotten eggs. Seldom found in dangerous quantities.
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| Stockpile |
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Mined ore kept aside prior to processing which could be used as a strategic above-ground ore reserve.
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| Strip |
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To remove the overburden or waste rock overlying an orebody in preparation for mining by open pit methods.
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| Strip mine |
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Open pit mine, mined by removing overburden and excavating the coal or ore.
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| Stripping Ratio |
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Waste to ore ratio that needs to be removed from an open-pit mine.
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| Stroke |
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1. The length of travel of a piston or plunger.
2. To change the displacement of a variable displacement pump or motor.
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| Sub-plate |
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An auxiliary mounting for a hydraulic component providing a means of connecting piping to the component.
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| Suction line |
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The hydraulic line connecting the pump inlet port to the reservoir or sump.
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| Sulphur dioxide |
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Gas liberated during the smelting of most sulphide ores.
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| Supercharge |
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1. To replenish a hydraulic system above atmospheric pressure.
2. To fill an accumulator with fluid under pressure (See Precharge pressure).
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| Surge |
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A transient rise of pressure or flow.
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| Survey |
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Exploration technique to locate the presence of a potential ore body. Geophysical, geochemical and airborne based methods are used.
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| Swash plate |
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A stationary canted plate in an axial type piston pump which causes the pistons to reciprocate as the cylinder barrel rotates.
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| Sylvite |
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The principal ore of potassium.
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| Synchro |
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A rotary electromagnetic device generally used as an AC feedback signal generator which indicates position. It can also be used as a reference signal generator.
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