Regional Oral History Office University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Global Mining and Materials in the Twenty-First Century Oral History Project Roshan Bhappu Science and Values in the Life of a Metallurgical Engineer Interviews conducted by Paul Burnett in 2014 Copyright © 2014 by The Regents of the University of California ii Since 1954 the Regional Oral History Office has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral History is a method of collecting historical information through tape-recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The tape recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is bound with photographs and illustrative materials and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ********************************* All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Roshan Bhappu dated June 9, 2014. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Excerpts up to 1000 words from this interview may be quoted for publication without seeking permission as long as the use is non-commercial and properly cited. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to The Bancroft Library, Head of Public Services, Mail Code 6000, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-6000, and should follow instructions available online at http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/collections/cite.html It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Roshan Bhappu, “Roshan Bhappu: Science and Values in the Life of a Metallurgical Engineer” conducted by Paul Burnett in 2014, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 2014. iii Roshan Bhappu, 2014 iv ACKNOWLEGEMENTS This interview was conducted with funds from an endowment that was established by the Hearst Foundation. We are also grateful for the numerous donations to that project from private individuals over the last twenty years. Finally, we are grateful to Eleanor Swent for establishing the Western Mining in the Twentieth Century Project at the Regional Oral History Office and for her advice in the transition to the new Global Mining and Materials Research Project. v Table of Contents—Roshan Bhappu Introduction by Paul Burnet xi Introduction by Ross Bhappu xiii Interview 1: March 5, 2014 Audio File 1 1 Birth in 1926 in Karachi, India (now Pakistan) into Zoroastrian family with Persian roots — learning Zoroastrian values: good thoughts, good words, good deeds — Zoroastrian history, migration to Bombay area to escape forced conversion after Muslim conquest of Persia in 1300s — Parsi community in India, focus on education and business — entrepreneurial grandfather’s influence — British style schooling, influence of Principal Pithawalla — Zoroastrian emphasis on hard work, charity — the Tata family in India — the Parsi community’s special relationship with the British Raj — sea scouting as a boy — father’s friendship with US Senator Goldwater — 1947 partition, political chaos, diminishing religious tolerance and security for Zoroastrians — 1943 graduation, decision to study geology at the University of Bombay in Pune — living with uncle at the fire temple in Pune — 1948 opening of American Embassy in Karachi, visa application, advice from a consulate, choosing Colorado School of Mines — political upheaval during college years in Pune, pleurisy and six month recovery — focus on metallurgy, practical training at Colorado School of Mines — American and international schoolmates — arriving in New York, traveling to Colorado by train, a stop in Chicago — finding Americans very welcoming, adjusting to life in the US, meeting WWII vets returned from abroad — taking on a master’s thesis studying a chromite mine near Quetta — producing a chromite flow sheet — student membership with the American Institute of Mining, gaining the attention of Professor Antoine Marc Gaudin — invitation to MIT — Dr. Gaudin’s encouragement: bowtie instructions, music appreciation, weekend invitations — remembering the advice of Karachi’s high priest: mine the earth but do not pollute the water and land — mining industry’s later environmental awareness — pleurisy relapse due to Boston’s weather — return to Colorado to preserve health and continue PhD work Audio File 2 17 Professor Gaudin’s background: Montana School of Mines, Columbia, MIT — his humanitarianism: “You can be a miner, but don’t forget to be a gentleman.” — Gaudin’s emphasis on examining pure minerals — surface chemistry — making use of chemical properties for separation: electrostatic charge, density, magnetic susceptibility, reflectivity — Gaudin’s contributions to improving froth floatation by adding reagents to the solution — using floatation to separate increasingly lower grade ores — liberating particles: stage comminution, solvent extraction — the importance of geology in exploration and mineral analysis — the vi interdisciplinary process of developing a flow sheet — the new awareness of biology and using bacteria in extraction — the problems of too-small particles: loss of surface characteristics — flocculation to create larger particles for processing — 1951 return to Colorado School of Mines from MIT to work on dissertation, 1954 post-doctoral work in the school’s experimental mine — making connections in the mining community — service to the mining industry through the college’s Bureau of Mines office, the history of A&M college’s outreach — practical research projects: processing tailings to recover residual value and to ameliorate environmental damage Audio File 3 32 Chief metallurgist at Miami Copper in Arizona — using sulfuric acid in-situ leaching to recover copper from residual low-grade material after decades of block cave mining — help from the Bureau of Mines to determine the presence of oxidizing bacteria in the soil — 1960 move to Socorro, New Mexico; position as senior metallurgist for the New Mexico State Bureau of Mines — establishing the interdisciplinary In-situ Mining Research Center at New Mexico Tech — working with an interdisciplinary team to mine uranium in Grants, NM, using in-situ leaching — using nuclear fission in block cave blasting — 1964 consultancy with the United Nations Development Project — Corale and Jim Brierly — developing small scale models to determine economic feasibility of dump leaching and heap leaching — 1969 sabbatical at the Middle Eastern Technical University in Ankara, Turkey — work for Kennecott’s Bingham mine — connection to University of Arizona after 1972 move to Tucson, working with students — UN work training Pakistani gem miners, establishing cottage industries in jewelry making — UN work in Brazil to improve workers’ conditions and preserve heritage materials Audio File 4 47 UNDP, mining, and post-colonial international development — tracers that indicate below-ground mineral content, developing low-tech solutions, organizing collectives — encouraging village industry to supplement mining communities — developing “exploration evaluation” to streamline and shorten the process of setting up a mining operation — the feasibility study process — the Saindak mine in Pakistan — foreign aid and questions of loyalty when a mining operation goes live under the direction of a foreign company — tailings and the UN’s environmental mandate — technological advances in handling mining waste — 1972 beginnings of Mountain States Research and Development International — partnering with Ed Frohling, setting up a lab in Vail, Arizona — 1987-1989 partnership buyout vii Interview 2: March 6, 2014 Audio File 5 59 Early mining in the US: small scale in scarcely-populated areas, few environmental concerns — growth of mining industry and environmental awareness — the introduction of cyanidation — larger operations creating larger tailings, smelters, growing awareness of environmental and health impacts, increasing regulation by state mining bureaus — growing awareness of water use, pollution, and conservation — recycling water used in mining — 1972 Clean Water Act — conflicts with environmentalist groups — research and collaboration between university chemistry, water, and mining departments to meet environmental regulations — attempted environmentalist sabotage — 1968 class offering in environmental research in metallurgy at New Mexico School of Mines — the increasingly high cost of regulation — the importance of mining outreach and education to counter mining’s dirty reputation — changing standards for international mining — negotiating tolerances for environmental standards — more on the need for education and greater public awareness of the mining industry Audio File 6 74 The evolution of