A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

T

Tabular       A plate-like structure in certain minerals.

Taconite       A highly abrasive iron ore.

Tail section       A term used in both belt and chain conveyor work to designate that portion of the conveyor at the extreme opposite end from the delivery point. In either type of conveyor it consists of a frame and either a sprocket or a drum on which the chain or belt travels, plus such other devices as may be required for adjusting belt or chain tension.

Tailgate       A subsidiary gate road to a conveyor face as opposed to a main gate. The tailgate commonly acts as the return airway and supplies road to the face.

Tailings       Material rejected from a mill after most of the recoverable valuable minerals have been extracted. Normally consists of ground up rock in the sand to silt size range.

Tailings pond       A low-lying depression used to confine tailings, the prime function of which is to allow enough time for heavy metals to settle out or for cyanide to be destroyed before water is discharged into the receiving watershed.

Tailpiece       Also known as foot section pulley. The pulley or roller in the tail or foot section of a belt conveyor around which the belt runs.

Talus       A heap of broken, coarse rock found at the base of a cliff or mountain.

Tamping       Or stemming. The act of packing a substance in behind an explosive to make it air tight and therefore work more efficiently.

TBM       See Tunnel Boring Machine

Telluride       A chemical compound consisting of tellurium and another element, often gold or silver.

Tenor       The relative value or mineral content of an ore.

Tension       The act of stretching.

Terrace       A relatively fiat area lying between the various levels of bench gravels.

Tertiary       Lateral or panel openings (e.g., ramp, crosscut).

Thermal coal       Coal burned to generate the steam that drives turbines to generate electricity.

Thickener       A large, round tank used in milling operations to separate solids from liquids; clear fluid overflows from the tank and rock particles sink to the bottom.

Through-steel       A system of dust collection from rock or roof drilling. The drill steel is hollow, and a vacuum is applied at the base, pulling the dust through the steel and into a receptacle on the machine.

Till       An unstratified and unconsolidated sediment deposited by glaciers.

Timber       A collective term for underground wooden supports.