South African Iron Research Articles

Assessment of stature in Iron Age populations of South Africa

Worldwide and in South African Stone Age contexts, much research has been done on the relationship between stature of past populations and general well-being, as well as trends and patterns in stature through time. This research is aimed at collating and assessing all available stature and long bone data for Bantu-speaker individuals living in the South African Iron Age. Data for only 25 female and 32 male individuals, dating from circa AD 550 to AD 1823, could be found. In general, methods used to reconstruct stature were inconsistent and data were poorly reported. From the available data, no clear trends or patterns in stature through time could be observed and stature seems to be on a par relative to those of early twentieth century individuals. Recommendations are made as to which methods to use in stature estimations in this context. The data provided in this research can serve as reference material for future similar studies and can assist in interpreting individual stature estimations from bioarcheological research in the region.

Amenability of South African Banded Iron Formation (BIF) to Fines Gravity Processing

Banded Iron Formations (BIF) are sedimentary rock formations ranging in age from 0.8 to 3.8 billion years and consist of alternating layers of silica and iron. The thickness of the alternating layers varies between and within deposits, with this lithology forming approximately two-thirds of South Africa’s future low-grade hematite resources. The production costs for South African iron ore producers are approximately double that of the largest iron ore producers, namely, Brazil and Australia. This in conjunction with volatile commodity prices, necessitated a cost-sensitive beneficiation strategy for low-grade hematite to sustain the industry and extend life of mine. A BIF sample grading at 44% Fe and comprising predominantly of hematite and quartz with minor amounts of magnetite and goethite was subjected to three fines gravity processing routes to establish the amenability of this sample to beneficiation. To provide flexibility for iron ore producers who still have high-grade resources available, two product grades were considered, namely a 60% Fe product for further blending or a 63% Fe product for direct sales.

The Sishen-Saldanha railway project in South Africa: Arguments for and against construction, 1970 - 1976

The Sishen-Saldanha railway project was an undertaking of gigantic proportions in South Africa’s history, which currently serves as the longest freight train trajectory for iron ore in the world. It became imperative to provide reliable and efficient access to the coast for export purposes in a country with vast mineral resources. After the discovery of iron ore deposits at Sishen in the north-western Cape Province, South Africa’s largest mining corporation, the South African Iron and Steel Corporation (ISCOR), took the leading initiative for the proposed planning of a railway line connecting Sishen to Saldanha Bay on the West Coast. As a result of pressing international sanctions, the apartheid government sought to forge ahead with infrastructural developments in order to stabilise economic growth. With the dwindling market exports becoming an ever-serious concern, ISCOR’s project was to be a bulwark for ensuring optimum exports and economic development. In political circles, an intense parliamentary debate ensued in 1973 revolving around the acceptance and promulgation of the Sishen-Saldanha Railway Construction Bill. It reflected the controversial discussions between the ruling National Party and the United Party as liberal opposition party on pivotal issues concerning the construction of the railway line. Simultaneously, an underlying contention existed as to the choice of location of an appropriate export port at Saldanha or St. Croix. The author seeks to assess the primary sources pertaining to the proposed Sishen-Saldanha railway during its formative years from 1970 to 1976.

The role of decision support frameworks in industrial policy development: A South African iron and steel scrap case study

Downstream mineral resource beneficiation has potential to promote socio-economic growth in resource-rich nations, which has resulted in it receiving growing prioritisation and promotion in a number of African nations. Decisions surrounding downstream mineral beneficiation are complex due to the multitude of factors to be considered to ensure maximum sustainable benefits are realised. Decision support frameworks (DSFs) are recognised to be of value for strategic planning in the minerals sector. This paper explores DSF applicability by means of a case study of the South African iron and steel scrap industry, with a focus on the potential for increased local beneficiation of scrap in steel mills or foundries. The findings reinforce the value of the stakeholder consultation process that underpins DSFs in enabling the exploration of the underlying complexities and factors that contribute to any challenges an industry may be facing, as well as their effect on different stakeholders. In this case, a policy intervention was implemented in a bid to increase local beneficiation. However, there has been no indication of it achieving its objectives with stakeholders reporting it was not effectively tailored in the context of the sustainability issues being faced by the industry, due to insufficient meaningful stakeholder consultation. The structure of DSFs forced stakeholders who prioritised micro-economic issues to engage with sustainability issues beyond their purview. The results of the quantitative performance analysis demonstrate the complexity associated with sustainability performance assessments with no alternative definitely out-performing the others. Thus, in existing industries, DSFs can facilitate informed decision-making based on the current health of an industry as well as long-term potential sustainability benefits that could be realised. Ultimately, this may enable the development of well-informed targeted strategies and policies that take into consideration the realities of the industry as well as stakeholder perspectives, increasing the likelihood of their success. This is of particular importance in the context of African downstream mineral beneficiation, which in many cases has been bedevilled by a lack of grounded and targeted policies.

SOUTH AFRICAN IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRIAL EVOLUTION: AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE

The paper focuses on the evolution of the South African iron and steel industry from the industrial engineering perspective. The earliest ironmaking in South Africa dates to the fifth century CE; but the major evolution of the industry began in 1882 and, by the year 1934, steel production from native ore was in full swing. The study highlights the major developments in South Africa’s iron and steel industry, and ends by exploring the extent of the application of industrial engineering techniques to published research into the steel industry.

Comparison of collector performance for a South African and a Brazilian iron ore considering mineralogical characteristics

The behaviour of cationic amine collectors used in the reverse cationic flotation of quartz from iron oxide minerals appears to change from one mineral system to the other, deviating from theoretical predictions based on the reagent chemistry. The performance of five amine collectors in the flotation of a South African iron ore and a Brazilian iron ore, each with different textural characteristics was investigated using reverse flotation techniques from Brazil. Furthermore, the overall collection efficacy of the five collectors in iron ore reverse flotation was analysed. Batch flotation tests and a mineralogical characterisation of the ore using QEMSCAN was conducted. Mineral liberation heavily influenced the flotation behaviour of the two ores. A well liberated Brazilian iron ore was amenable to reverse cationic flotation, whereas, the texturally complex South African iron ore did not respond well to reverse cationic flotation. Alkyl ether amines proved to be superior to quaternary amine compounds in the flotation of quartz from hematite.

A Comparison of Accuracy and Precision in Remote Sensing Stone‐walled Structures with Google Earth, High Resolution Aerial Photography and LiDAR; a Case Study from the South African Iron Age

AbstractIn the southern Gauteng Province of South Africa we have used Google Earth satellite imagery to survey some 8000 km2 of landscape to record stone‐walled structures. Around 7000 such structures have been located but we wonder how many, and which types of structures we have missed because of the relatively low resolution of Google Earth imagery, and how this might affect our interpretation of the archaeological sequence in the study area. Here we objectively compare three high resolution remote sensing views (low altitude aerial photography, LiDAR greyscale visualization and LiDAR hillshade visualization) of a 49 ha focus zone. We can confirm significant differences in the results from the different platforms, but each has its advantages. We then compare these results with our Google Earth survey within the same 49 ha focus area. Even though Google Earth imagery cannot match the high resolution views and fails to reveal significant detail which can negatively affect archaeological interpretations of the regional sequence of occupation, we conclude that for our large‐scale regional remote sensing survey in the southern Gauteng it remains the only viable option for now. LiDAR and high resolution aerial photographs should be deployed on smaller areas of high interest to obtain maximum information, but they are impractical for regional coverage. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Afrikaner Nationalism, Anglo American and Iscor: The Formation of the Highveld Steel & Vanadium Corporation, 1960–70

The article is concerned with the history of the South African steel industry in the 1960s. It provides an account of Anglo American's formation of the Highveld Steel & Vanadium Corporation which challenged the dominant position of the public enterprise, the South African Iron & Steel Corporation (Iscor). The article examines the interaction between the incumbent firm and the entrant's parent company. It argues that the dynamics and the resulting collusive alliance, also encompassing the South African interests of the British Steel Corporation, can only be understood if they are placed within a South African political context. In particular it is argued that the politics of Afrikaner nationalism was crucial in shaping Iscor's response to Anglo and consequently the structure of the ownership of the South African steel and engineering industry. The alliance which took the form of a company called the International Pipes & Steel Investment South Africa (Ipsa) defined the control of the steel and engineering industry for roughly the next ten years.

Britain, South Africa and the Entente Internationale de L'Acier: The development of the South African iron and steel industry 1934–1945

Abstract The development of the iron and steel industry in South Africa, late by comparison with the other Dominions and India, began in earnest with the formation of the South African Iron and Steel Corporation (Iscor) in 1928. Iscor, under the direction of Dr H.J. van der Bijl, built an integrated iron and steel plant at Pretoria West which was opened in August 1934. Great significance was attached to the construction of Iscor because the possession of an iron and steel industry was intrinsically linked to South Africa's emergence as an independent country. 1 Even the previously sceptical Rand Daily Mail declared proudly that it was an indication that “South Africa [was] passing into its Steel Age”, 2 and indeed it was, but it was to prove a difficult passage.

Respiratory disease mortality patterns among South African iron moulders.

To assess the influence of foundry exposure on malignant and non-malignant respiratory disease, the proportional mortality ratio (PMR) was used to compare the cause of death distributions of the 578 dead members of the Iron Moulders Society of South Africa, recipients of the union's death benefit fund between 1961 and 1983. Comparisons were made with the age and period specific white male deaths. For the 419 members where job information was available, the influence of occupation (journeyman, production moulder) was assessed using different techniques--the relative proportional mortality ratio (RPMR), the mortality odds ratio (MOR), and the proportional cancer mortality ratio (PCMR) for comparison. Excess PMRs were found for cancer of the trachea, bronchus, and lung (1.71, p = 0.03; Poisson one sided test) for those over 65 and for non-malignant respiratory disease (1.58, p = 0.01) and for injuries and poisonings (2.61, p less than 0.0001) in those under 65. Reduced PMRs were found for all cancers (0.75, p = 0.03) and all circulatory disease (0.91, p = 0.12) in those under 65. When comparing job types, raised risks were obtained for journeymen using all methods (RPMR, MOR, PCMR) but the small cell sizes rendered the results non-significant. The raised PMRs due to respiratory disease are unlikely to be due to smoking because of a poor association with other causes of death related to smoking. A more likely explanation is that these excess rates for malignant and non-malignant respiratory disease are due to exposure to the foundry environment. Of additional concern are the high PMRs due to injuries and poisonings, which could be related to the high accident rates in the iron and steel industry.

Die Eise Wat die Praktyk Aan Die Beroepsosioloog Stel

Abstract Occupational sociologists are classified into four broad categories, viz academic sociologists, research sociologists administrative sociologists and planning sociologists. The latter three categories of sociologists are regarded as persons who are involved in the practical situation. In an attempt to ascertain the demands imposed by the practical situation, interviews were held with occupational iociologists representative of each ofthese three categories. Sociologists attached to the following bodies were inl'olved: The Institute for Sociological. Demographic and Criminological Research of the Human Sciences Research Council. the National Institute for Personnel Reseerch ofthe Councilfor Scientific and Industrial Research, the Department of Planning. the South African Defence Force and the South African Iron and Steel Industrial Corporation. The demands which the practical situation imposes on these occupational sociologists can be summarised as follows: (1)|A thorough theoretical grounding (2)...

The Phalaborwa story: Archaeological and enthnographic investigation of a South African iron age group

Abstract An archaeological investigation of Iron Age sites in the Phalaborwa district, Transvaal, South Africa provides a chronological sequence which begins perhaps as early as the eighth century A.D., and can be positively documented from the tenth century to the late 1900s. A concurrent ethnographic investigation among the BaPhalaborwa, a Sotho group, provides conclusive evidence to link the tribe with the archaeological sequence, especially through the continuity of the ceramic tradition. Oral traditions of the BaPhalaborvva provide valuable data for the interpretation of the archaeological record, leading to an account which integrates archaeology, ethnography and ethnohistory.

South African Iron Age and present‐day Venda architecture and pottery from the Northern Transvaal, South Africa

(1968). South African Iron Age and present‐day Venda architecture and pottery from the Northern Transvaal, South Africa. African Studies: Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 181-188.

Three Great Basins of Precambrian Banded Iron Formation Deposition: A Systematic Comparison

The origin of Precambrian banded iron formations is controversial. One type of evidence is a comparison of different occurrences. Three of the best-preserved basins of Precambrian iron formation deposition are here denned and compared systematically: the Hamersley Basin of Western Australia, the Animikie Basin of North America, and the Transvaal System Basin of South Africa. After a brief summary of the broad structural and stratigraphic evolution of each basin, their differences and similarities are reviewed. They differ mainly in: major stratigraphic sequence, thickness of iron formation, thickness variation, stratigraphic continuity, lithology of iron formation, nature of sedimentary structures, conspicuousness of varves (micro-banding), clastic association, and abundance of diagenetic riebeckite. With some reservations, they resemble each other in: age, basin size, chemistry and mineralogy, broad time-structural evolution of basin, precedence of chert, volcanic association, and in the restricted, medial and transitional stratigraphic status of the main iron formation. It is concluded that the Western Australian and South African iron formations are very closely similar, but that both differ markedly from the Animikie iron formations of the Lake Superior area. However, all three are more closely similar in chemistry than is required by the fact that their definition is chemical. Quantitative geochemical argument indicates a direct volcanic contribution of iron to the Hamersley Basin; it is possible that such vulcanicity is restricted to a limited medial part of basin development in a particular kind of basin-forming process.

Rotor steelmaking and the tandem furnace

The operation of two Graef Rotor furnace steelmaking plants of the South African Iron and Steel Industrial Corp. Ltd.,—at Pretoria and Vanderbijlpark, South Africa—is described. The results of over four years of operation are presented and analyzed, with special attention being paid to plant and oxygen blowing modifications, refractory life, and Fe yield. A description of the Tandem furnace steelmaking process and the considerations that have led ISCOR to contemplate this type of furnace, rather than another Rotor or any other type of oxygen steelmaking process, for its expansion at Vanderbijlpark are given.

South African Iron Age Pottery from the Southern Transvaal

South African Iron Age Pottery from the Southern Transvaal

Highway Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand

DR. BERNARD H. KNIGHT, research officer in highway engineering in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, has been appointed to the newly created chair of highway engineering in that University, with effect from April 1 next. It is believed that this chair of highway engineering, which is tenable in the Department of Civil Engineering, is the first of its kind to be founded in the British Empire outside Great Britain. Its establishment has been made possible by the joint support of the South African Iron and Steel Corporation and the National Road Board. Dr. Knight, who was formerly lecturer in road engineering at the College of Estate Management, London, was appointed senior research assistant in highway engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand early in 1939. Since then, three postgraduate scholarships in highway engineering have been established in its Department of Civil Engineering. The marked development in highway engineering research which has taken place at this University has been made possible by the provision of the new Civil Engineering Laboratories situated in the Hillman Building, which was officially opened by the Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa, General Smuts, in June, 1941.