Pub. 5 2015 Issue 3

9 MINING FOCUS pigments are Titanium Dioxide (which is white), Chrome Green Oxide, and Yellow and Red Iron Oxides. The ex - tender pigments include Calcite (Calcium Carbonite), talc (Magnesium Silicate), Mica, and Barytes (such as Barium Sulfate). The resin is a binder that holds pigment particles together. It also sticks to the painted surface. There is a wide variety of resins. Solvents carry the pigments and the resin; sometimes it is organic, and sometimes it is just water. The additives are introduced to improve the paint’s performance so it is easier to brush on, will resist mold and scuffing, and so on. Powder coating is a dry-finishing process. During one application method, it starts out as a flour-like powder that is sprayed onto metal. The metal is then placed in a furnace where heat causes a chemi- cal reaction in the powder and causes it to melt onto the object. Powder coatings usually involve polymer resin systems that are combined with curatives, flow modifiers, leveling agents, pigments, and other additives. • Freon hydrocarbons, ammonia, or water. Hydrocarbons have been used since 1867; before CFC refrigerants were used they were used along with ammonia. After CFC re- frigerants were banned, they were a logical replacement. They are considered to be a liquefied petroleum gas prod - uct. Ammonia is a gas made from nitrogen and hydrogen. It occurs naturally and can be dissolved in water. It was synthesized for the first time in 1823 and produced com - mercially in 1913. The world has two billion metric tons, of which five percent has been manufactured. Less than two percent is used for refrigeration. By now it is quite obvious that the HVAC systems in your home and office are made possible by mining. And, don’t forget that in Utah more than 70% of the electricity used to power your HVAC system is generated by low-sulfur, high-BTU coal mined in Utah. So when you are warm and cozy this winter, or nice and cool next summer, remember to thank a miner! X An air conditioner usually consists of four parts: the pump, the evaporator , the con- denser, and an expansion valve. There are also two fluids . One is the working fluid, and the other is the opposing fluid medium .