WorldWide Drilling Resource

Focus on EXPOMIN 2014 The largest mining event in Santiago, Chile - EXPOMIN 2014 - is set for April 21-25, at Espacio Riesco. This biennial event is the place to be for mining equip- ment, machinery, supplies, and services. Over 60,000 atten- dees from around the globe will come to explore the 2500 trade show exhibits, sit in on the many seminars and dis- cussions by mining experts, and get inspired by keynote speaker Nel son Pi zar ro, Lumina Copper Chile CEO and international congress president of EXPOMIN 2014. Be sure to look for the red jackets of WWDR in the official U.S. International Pavilion, where there are more than 200 exhibit spaces organized by Kallman Worldwide, Inc. For more information on the U.S. Pavilion, visit www.kallman.com 55 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® MARCH 2014 "0",-" - 0 &' '" "0",-" - 0 &' '" &) (*-. -&2"- )! )/( ", *# ' !"- "1 -"! &.- *'" +")",- , $ &.- &)$- ((",- ((", &.- &0",.",- " .&++&)$ . &'&2",- ' 1 &.- &+" &+"- *'. *) "".% / - * &'" &. *&) ,*! %*.( &' *( 111 &. *&) *( Space Technology Prevents Mine Explosions Adapted from Information Provided by the European Space Agency Vintage space technology is being utilized to reduce the risks of explosions and increase safety in mines around the world. Deep in the ground, mining equip- ment, like other modern machinery, uses computer screens to show operators what is taking place. Glass screens would be ideal under ordinary circum- stances; but when it comes to mining, this is not the case since they can be bro- ken too easily. Plastic screens also have a major drawback. When touched, they build up a static charge and can potentially create a tiny spark, much like the one that occurs after walking across carpet and touching a metal door handle. This can be life-threatening in a mine. Tunnels filled with clouds of fine coal or mineral dust are explosions waiting to happen, so screens made of scratch-resistant plastic require a pro- tective covering. Engineers worked with European Space Agency (ESA) Technology Transfer Network’s MST Aerospace to find a solution. With the help of MST, engi- neers connected with MAT PlasMATec in Dresden, Germany, which has a long history of developing protective coat- ings for space. The company’s experience dates back to before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Engineer Andreas Mucha was part of a Soviet-era team which pioneered indi- um-tin oxides (ITOs) to coat lenses and windows for space- craft. Coatings simi- lar to these were used later on ESA’s SOHO satel l ite for thermal control of the cargo pointing toward the sun. In 1976, the Soyuz-22 manned spacecraft carrying the East German MKF-6 multispectral sensor camera spent eight days in orbit. Dr. Mucha and his team coated the camera lens with an extremely thin layer of ITO to give it a tiny bit of electromagnetic resistance. In space, the coating allowed the lens to be slightly heated via an electric current to prevent condensa- tion. These coatings now have many applications. One of the most recent is in the protection of miners’ computer screens. “We coated their polycarbonate screens with basically the same con- ductive [ITO] layer we once developed for the lens of the MKF-6 space cam- era,” explained Dr. Mucha. This conductive coating can poten- tially prevent underground explosions. “A conductive film gives the possi- bi l ity to have no electrical charg- ing or sparks if you brush it with your hands,” Dr. Mucha said. “It’s a differ- ent purpose than for space, but the same process.” Readily available space technolo- gies are currently being used to support many non-space industries. Mine control displays. SOHO satellite. Mincon hammers displayed in 2012. Photos by WWDR . Santiago is the capital and largest city of Chile, yet still has a rural feel because of the nearby Andes Mountains.