Students can carry out bench scale tests on ores to crush, grind, screen, and separate mineral values from them using flotation, magnetic separation, leaching, or other techniques. Students also experience hands-on opportunities to prepare both metallic and ceramic materials. Bench scale apparatus is available to fabricate these materials from powders, and to observe the microstructures of these and other bulk materials using standard metallographic techniques. Both hot and cold isostatic presses are available for consolidation, and annealing furnaces as well for densification. In addition, pilot scale work is being carried out using emerging plasma technologies to prepare materials.
Equipment is also available for mechanical testing and for electrochemical corrosion studies.
The mechanical properties of rock are of major importance to mine engineers for designing both surface and underground mines that provide a safe working environment. A rock mechanics laboratory is maintained for determining these properties. Of equal importance is the basic design of mines. Computer systems, consisting of high speed work stations, are available to assist the engineer in the design process, using expert systems that give the engineer a powerful tool for this process. Such systems permit the engineer to design the most economical and operationally efficient plan for entry into the mine, for removal of ore, transportation of workers, and for ventilating the mine.