Rescuers Still Searching For Four Trapped In East China Tungsten Mine Accident

November 22, 2008 11:51 AM

NANCHANG, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- Rescuers are still working all-out Saturday to search for four miners that have been trapped under a tungsten mine in east China's Jiangxi Province for more than 36 hours, Xinhua news agency reported.

A spokesman with the provincial work safety bureau said there was hope for the miners to survive, because as of Saturday morning, they were still heard knocking the walls in a shaft of Hantan Tungsten Mine of Jiahu Village in Longnan County.

The four miners were found missing at 8 p.m. Thursday. Co-workers suspected a cave-in had trapped them underground. They knocked the track leading to the shaft and heard the trapped miners knocking in response, a rescuer said.

The accident was reported to the local safety watchdog at 11 p.m..

Rescuers had since piped wind and dripped water through the ventilation system to help the miners survive. Ambulances and medical workers are standing by for first-aid.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

-- BERNAMA    Source

Developing micro-needle array sensors in tungsten carbide

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

Welsh engineers have helped to develop micro technology that could lead to a bionic man becoming reality.

Experts hope the micro-needle array sensors, which are around the size of a matchstick head, may someday allow amputees to move artificial limbs with brainpower.

The sensors comprise of 100 needles just thicker than a human hair and were developed and manufactured by Cardiff University firm MicroBridge Services. The sensor would sit on the brain and send out nerve impulses to prosthetics.

Researchers at Utah University asked MicroBridge Services to develop the micro-needle array sensors in tungsten carbide, an extremely hard material that conducts electricity. Read more...

Product Of The Month

November 18, 2008

The Nila Lighting System is a modular solid-state light designed for film and television lighting applications, especially where the light is going to get put through its paces. It is designed to be rugged and durable enough to stand up to the rigors of location shooting and is weather-resistant. With its compact size and low power draw, it is suitable for shooting car scenes but is just as adept mixing with tungsten and HMI sources in a studio. Read more...

Cadillac Announces Senior Management Appointment

TORONTO, ONTARIO, Nov 18, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Cadillac Ventures Inc. (CNQ: CDC) ("Cadillac" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that David Poynton has joined the Company as Senior Vice-President and General Counsel. Mr. Poynton brings to the Company legal expertise in excess of 20 years experience in private practice, focused on domestic and international mining business affairs and financing transactions. This experience has formed the basis of Mr. Poynton's unique understanding of the diverse issues which face global exploration and development focused companies such as Cadillac.[...]

About Cadillac

Cadillac is a development focused exploration Company which presently has two Canadian exploration projects, located in regions that have been historically active.[...] 

The Burnt Hill Project is 51% owned by the Company, and located outside of Fredericton, New Brunswick. This operation was previously productive with a small scale pilot plant operating onsite recovering tungsten via photometric sorting. In recent drill campaigns the Company has received assay results demonstrating the previously disregarded presence of molybdenum and tin on the property. The objective of the drilling programs is the delineation of a 43-101 compliant reserve and resource, focusing in some part on the areas of historic production, in addition to the mineralization newly demonstrated at depth and along strike. The Company has also added significantly to the land position of this project, encompassing several other surface showing of tungsten, tin and molybdenum. Read more...

New Fashion Style Debut: Premier Coin Edge Tungsten Wedding Band Ring for Men

November 12, 2008

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 12, 2008 -- Titanium Kay, one of the most trusted online jewelers based in Los Angeles, California is pleased to announce the introduction of their Premier Coin Edge Tungsten Wedding Band Ring.

Coin Edge Tungsten Carbide Wedding Ring

Tungsten carbide and titanium are two of the most durable metals for the crafting fine jewelry. With a well-earned reputation for traditional and innovative styles from the most respected designers, in 1994 Titanium Kay became one of the first to specialize in producing jewelry made from aircraft grade titanium.

Their latest creation, the exclusive tungsten carbide coin edge wedding band ring for men is manufactured in a gunmetal color, polished to a high finish. The sophisticated presentation of the ring carries the distinctive "reeding" or grooved notch design originally produced on the edge of coins during the minting process to deter counterfeiting.

[...]

Pairing the incredible strength of tungsten carbide with the elegant coin edge motif produces a stunning and unique men's wedding band ring. With a hardness rating of 8.5 to 9.5 on the Mohs scale, this metal has been used industrially for years for its wear-resistance, making it an ideal medium for mens jewelry. Continue...

Conforma Clad to expand operations

November 12, 2008

Conforma Clad, a New Albany company that coats metal with tungsten carbide cladding to prevent corrosion and wear, will invest $11.7 million to expand operations and purchase equipment. Continue...

Wolf upgrades Hemerdon tungsten resource by 20%

November 11, 2008

ON THE back of continued drilling during the year and resource estimations by independent consultants, Wolf Minerals has announced a significant upgrade to the Hemerdon Ball tungsten and tin mine in Devon, England.

Largo drills 79.4 m of 0.29% WO3 at Northern Dancer

2008-11-10 07:22 ET - News Release

Mr. Mark Brennan reports

LARGO CONTINUES TO REPORT ENCOURAGING RESULTS FROM NORTHERN DANCER TUNGSTEN PROJECT, YUKON

Largo Resources Ltd. has received additional results for 10 additional drill holes that are part of the recently completed drill program of 38 holes totalling 11,500 metres at the company's Northern Dancer tungsten-molybdenum property in the Yukon.

These downdip and infill holes continue to upgrade and expand the limits of the higher-grade tungsten and molybdenum zones outlined during the 2007 drill program. The company believes that these results will support a further upgrade of a significant portion of the inferred and indicated resource reported previously (see April 10, 2008, news in Stockwatch), to a measured and indicated category in order to support a prefeasibility study.

Wide zones of mineralization continue to be intersected consisting of numerous quartz veins and veinlets containing varying amounts of scheelite and molybdenite. LT08-119 was an exceptional hole, intersecting a higher-grade tungsten and molybdenum zone which returned 79.4 metres grading 0.29 per cent WO3 and 0.032 per cent Mo. LT08-121, 123 and 126 all intersected narrower-but-higher-grade tungsten zones which are 40 per cent to 300 per cent higher grade than the deposit grade. Largo has received additional results for 10 holes totalling 1,379 samples. Results are still pending on the remaining six holes. Click here

Using Tungsten to freeze water at room temperature

 

This is pretty weird. It turns out that water can freeze at room temperature in response to atomic-scale friction.

Joost Frenken and others at Leiden University used an instrument called a friction force microscope to create nano-friction by dragging a tungsten wire over a graphite surface. They wanted to test the theory that water vapour in the air might condense and become ice. And it did.

They were even able to draw frozen patterns on the graphite surface. They think that "icy nanoscale water bridges" form as water vapour condenses in the nanoscopic gaps between the two surfaces.

So far, so strange. But the researchers say the discovery could also have practical uses. This is because the tiny frozen bridges turn water from a lubricant into a kind of glue. So the effect could be important in the future for building nanoscale devices or structures. Curiously, there are other ways to turn water to ice at room temperature, such as using electric fields.

Thermal Technology uses 100% Tungsten to make Highest Temperature Zone Refiner

Zone refining, as a process, has been used to purify metals for decades and is performed worldwide on a daily basis. Typically, zone refining is applied to materials with melting points in the range of 600°C to 1200°C. When the need arises to zone refine oxides with melting points over 2000°C, special system designs and capabilities are necessary.
Thermal Technology recently delivered and installed what is reportedly the industry's highest temperature zone refiner. The system is capable of refining Alumina at a temperature of 2200°C. In order to attain these temperatures and not contaminate the Alumina, a 100% Tungsten heating system as well as a transport system fabricated primarily of Tungsten was utilized. 

 

"This high temperature zone refiner system operates at extended temperatures for a period of days – or even weeks – refining oxides to purity levels not commercially available," says Matt Mede, president and CEO of Thermal Technology.

Thermal Technology custom-built this high temperature zone refiner to meet the strict requirements of its customer. "The on-time delivery and successful implementation of this system were icing on the cake of this exciting and interesting project," adds Mede.
Thermal Technology designs and manufactured high temperature vacuum furnaces for laboratory and production use. The furnaces accommodate metals, ceramics, glass, nanopowders, and emerging materials. They also manufacture crystal growing systems. Thermal Technology's manufacturing and corporate offices are located in Santa Rosa, California. They also have sales offices in Illinois, New Hampshire, Germany and China.
For more information on Thermal Technology, visit www.thermaltechnology.com

Geodex Minerals Engages In Some Belt-Tightening On Its Tungsten Properties, But Overall The Fundamentals Still Look Good

November 03, 2008

[...]

[...] The first is the price of tungsten, the primary metal the company has in its portfolio, and the second is the price of molybdenum, which Geodex also has significant quantities of. Geodex’s IR chief Christopher Anderson paid Minesite a visit this week, and explained how tungsten, as a non-terminal traded metal, is now actually reflecting the supply and demand balance better than LME-traded metals, where prices are complicated by hedging and other complex financial products. At US$9.00 per pound, tungsten’s off a bit since the financial crisis began, but not much, and the same goes for moly, which is now down in the high US$20s, but still a long way ahead of where it was a few years ago.

But in a way, the tungsten story is unique, and has its own unique support. When the world’s largest producer, China, switched from being a net exporter to a net importer back in 2005, the tungsten price re-rated dramatically. It’s still up at the new price levels, and given that new mines may now be put back as funding becomes harder to get hold of, supply may be squeezed even further. Certainly development at Geodex’s Sisson Brook project in New Brunswick has been slowed. On the current timetable, the likely date for first production has been pushed back from 2012 to 2013. But that’s planned, rather than forced. Geodex is looking to ride out the storms, rather steer into them. With any luck, when the next big development decision comes to be made on Sisson Brook, the world economic situation may look a little brighter. Read the full story here

Trent West, Benchmark Jewelry Settle Tungsten Carbide Suit

 Jewelry Designer Trent West, owner of TrewTungsten, announced today that his lawsuit in California against Benchmark and Jewelry Innovations has been settled.

Both Benchmark and Jewelry Innovations have agreed to sell non-infringing tungsten carbide rings and to pay substantial penalties for past sales of infringing product. In return, they have been granted licenses to continue to sell their tungsten carbide rings to selected independent jewelry retailers in the United States.

West comments, "I am pleased that we have come to an amicable solution and look forward to Benchmark and Jewelry Innovations also selling these innovative and high-quality rings."

Trent West Designs is the premier manufacturer of tungsten carbide wedding rings. Benchmark and Jewelry Innovations join Frederick Goldman, Inc. as licensees of West's portfolio of seven U.S. patents relating to the concept and manufacture of tungsten carbide rings.

Global Tungsten Market to Reach 91 Thousand Metric Tons by 2012, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

October 28, 2008

Consumption of tungsten in hardmetals/cement carbides is the largest and is expected to increase further. The global tungsten market is projected to reach 91 thousand metric tons by the year 2012.

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) October 28, 2008 -- Though tungsten demand is persistently growing owing to rapid development in national defense, civil and war industries throughout the globe, increase in supply shortage has become a major growth dampener for the distinctive metal. Prices increased sharply in recent years. End users largely depend on China, which represents over 85% of worldwide tungsten supply. The leading global producer of tungsten is China followed by Russia, Canada, Austria, Bolivia, and Portugal. China supplies a major portion of tungsten to the US. China is also the largest stockpile for tungsten in the world accounting for over 55% of world reserves. Of late, China significantly reduced exports of tungsten due to its growing domestic requirements and restrictions on exports of certain metals, which included tungsten. Therefore, growth of tungsten market depends largely on new discoveries and explorations.

Asia-Pacific (including China & Japan) represents the largest and the fastest growing tungsten market in the world and is projected to cross 45 thousand metric tons by the year 2010, as stated by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Among end-use sectors, chemicals represent the fastest growing market for tungsten with a compounded annual rate of over 8% during the 2001-2010 analysis period, while hardmetals/cement carbides end-use segment represents the largest market and is projected to reach 48 thousand metric tons by the year 2010. Read full report here

Ormonde reports high grade results in Spain

Tue 28 Oct 2008

Shares in Irish mining company Ormonde advanced after it reported 'very encouraging results' from the first infill cross section at its Barruecopardo Tungsten Project in Salamanca, Spain.

The group, which completed drilling at the project's first infill cross section, said high grades were revealed.

"This intersection has an estimated true thickness of 16 metres, and includes the highest individual one-metre sample grade recorded at the Project of 7.8% WO3," the company said in a statement.

Commenting on the drilling results, managing director Kerr Anderson added, "The infill drilling continues to impress us, with these new results including some truly spectacular tungsten grades."

New use of Tungsten carbide, potentially lowers the cost of ethylene glycol production by 50 times

A China-US team has developed a new catalyst to directly convert cellulose, the most common form of biomass, into a useful chemical.

The chemical, ethylene glycol, is widely used in products from polyester fibres to antifreeze for cars.

Once industrialised, the improved catalyst will lower the cost of ethylene glycol production. Additionally, as the raw material is not a food crop, it will not compromise food security, say the researchers.

Currently ethylene glycol is mainly produced from crude oil - whose reserve is rapidly reducing - and cellulose, commonly found in crop straws and wood waste, is considered a better alternative.

Researchers find new use of bio mass

A China-US team has developed a new catalyst to directly convert cellulose, the most common form of biomass, into a useful chemical.

The chemical, ethylene glycol, is widely used in products from polyester fibres to antifreeze for cars.

Once industrialised, the improved catalyst will lower the cost of ethylene glycol production. Additionally, as the raw material is not a food crop, it will not compromise food security, say the researchers.

Currently ethylene glycol is mainly produced from crude oil - whose reserve is rapidly reducing - and cellulose, commonly found in crop straws and wood waste, is considered a better alternative

But converting cellulose into ethylene glycol is a slow process involving several expensive agents, including platinum-group metals.

The new catalyst, comprising the chemical compound tungsten carbide and nickel, will greatly simplify the process and allow 100 per cent conversion of cellulose, says Jingguang Chen at the US-based University of Delaware, a co-leader of the research team.

Chen adds that this combination increases the proportion of ethylene glycol to 61 per cent from 27 per cent using tungsten carbide alone.

Zhang Tao, head of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics in China and another co-leader, says the new catalyst could potentially lower the cost of ethylene glycol production by 50 times compared with platinum-group metals.

But two key problems remain before commercialisation is possible, the researchers say.

Firstly, the catalyst needs high temperatures and pressures to work. "It will be costly for such a high-pressure industrial process," says Chen.

The other issue concerns the purification of final products. "We still require further work on the separation of all the alcohol by-products," Zhang says.

Wang Zhongying, a senior official with the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission, says that although it is too early to draw conclusions on the prospect of this catalyst, such research is "strategically significant" for any country in the face of fuel shortage and increasing food demand.

The research was published online in Angewandte Chemie International Edition last month

Adex's Fire Tower at 13.48mt of 0.33% WO3, 0.21% MoS2 I

Adex Mining Inc. has completed an updated National Instrument 43-101 mineral resource estimate for the Fire Tower zone (FTZ) tungsten-molybdenum deposit at its wholly owned Mount Pleasant mine property in New Brunswick, Canada. The resource estimate includes an indicated resource of 13,489,000 tonnes, as well as an inferred resource of 841,700 tonnes.

"Upgrading the FTZ resource estimate to National Instrument 43-101 indicated status was a necessary prerequisite to advancing the FTZ to the feasibility stage of development," said Kabir Ahmed, president and chief executive officer of Adex. "Having efficiently and effectively achieved this important milestone, we look forward to continuing our fast-track approach to mine development at Mount Pleasant."

The resource estimate, completed by SRK Consulting (Canada) Ltd. using an updated Gemcom model, was conducted in conjunction with the preparation of an independent NI 43-101 technical report currently being completed by Watts, Griffis and McOuat Ltd. (WGM), all under the supervision of Trevor Boyd, PGeo, the company's geological consultant. Details of the resource estimate are shown in the attached table.

 

Read the full release on the Company Website www.AdexMining.com

 

Golden Predator gets air quality permit for Springer tungsten facility

Golden Predator Mines Inc.'s wholly owned subsidiary, the Springer Mining Co., has received the new Class II air quality operating permit AP1061-2442 for the Springer tungsten facility in Pershing county, Nev. This permit was issued by the Bureau of Air Pollution Control, a branch of the Nevada division of Environmental Protection.

The company also wishes to report that the notice of proposed action for the draft water pollution control permit NEV2007108 was posted in the Lovelock Review-Miner newspaper. The regulatory 30-day public comment period will end at 5 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2008.

The notice of proposed action for the draft reclamation permit was posted in the Lovelock Review-Miner newspaper last week. The regulatory 30-day public comment period is expected to end at 5 p.m. on Nov. 15, 2008, for this permit. This leaves the water pollution control permit and the reclamation permit as the only permits outstanding at this time for Springer. All other required permits are in hand.

Steve Vanry, president, observed: "Receipt of the environmental permits for Springer is moving along smoothly. As each of these permits is granted, the property progresses toward satisfying regulatory requirements and moves ever closer to being fully permitted and operational."

www.GoldenPredator.com

Playfair Mining Ltd.: Grey River Tungsten Deposit Expanded

Oct 23 2008
 Playfair Mining (TSX VENTURE:PLY)  Drilling has successfully defined a significant down plunge zone of tungsten mineralization extending the #10 Vein Deposit at depth and to the north. Drill Hole 122 yields a highlight intercept of 1.13% WO3 over 2.4 metres.  Read the full release

Tungsten producer tops fastest list for second year

October 22, 2008

On the desk of North American Tungsten CEO Stephen Leahy there's a framed quotation from U.S. president Calvin Coolidge that goes to the heart of his company's success.

It begins: "Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence."

Persistence, Leahy says, is his middle name. Acquiring an aging but major world-class asset in the 1990s, the Cantung tungsten mine north of the Arctic circle, keeping it when cash was tight and commodity prices flat, and then experiencing all the tribulations of bringing a junior mining company into production, required a deep belief in what he was doing and the determination to see it through.

"It's quite an ordeal," he says.

That ordeal has paid off for Leahy, chairman and third largest shareholder. North American Tungsten has made the No. 1 spot on the Vancouver Sun's Top 100 list of fastest-growing companies for the second year in a row, an unprecedented feat.

In 2007, North American Tungsten's Cantung mine in the Northwest Territories was fully operational for the first time. Production was up 20 per cent, sales revenues increased 15 per cent, operating cash flow climbed 300 per cent and the junior mining company came close to being profitable, cutting losses to $1.2 million from $2.7 million in 2006.

[...]

Tungsten has exceptional properties: a high melting point that makes it useful for filaments in incandescent lights, a near-diamond hardness needed in the manufacture of high-grade drill bits and saw blades, and a density higher than lead, yet without lead's toxicity. Read the full story

First sales for Queensland Ores

QUEENSLAND Ores shipped its first load of tungsten concentrates from the Wolfram Camp Mine in Far North Queensland yesterday.