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By E. C. Houston

The phosphate ores mined in middle Tennessee typically consist of granular rock phosphate particles disseminated in a clayey matrix. In the TVA plant near Columbia, Tenn., the phosphate ore is mined, made into a slurry with the addition of a small amount of sodium hydroxide as dispersant, and treated in a hydroseparator to remove minus 10 micron material. The hydro-separator underflow, comprising a rough concentrate, is transported by pipeline to the plant; the hydro-separator overflow, comprising a tailing, is flocculated by addition of calcium sulphate and is discharged to settling ponds at a rate of about 1400 gpm. Sedimentation in the ponds produces a clarified effluent, which may be recycled for use as process water or discharged to surface drainage. This method of tailing treatment is not entirely satisfactory since poor sedimentation characteristics of the tailing result in poor ultimate utilization of pond storage volume.

Jan 1, 1949

By M. F. Goudge

LIMESTONE surpasses any other rock or mineral in the number and diversity of its uses and in the quantity consumed fur industrial purposes. Either in the raw state or when calcined to lime it enters directly or indirectly into the manufacture of a great variety of products and its sphere of usefulness is continually expanding. The term "limestone" as here employed includes all varieties from high-calcium limestone, consisting almost entirely of the mineral calcite, to the highly magnesian variety, largely dolomite. Lime is also discussed .because lime is simply calcined limestone and often the material may be used in either the calcined or natural state. Limestone has been of service to man since prehistoric times but only in the last hundred years has it become one of the most important raw materials in industry. In every industrial country it comprises the greater part of the total stone produc-

Jan 1, 1937

By T. B. Nolan, R. N. Hunt

In terms of present metal prices, analysis of extant records of the Eureka district indicate past production of the magnitude of $200,000,000 in recovered silver, lead, and gold. Production to date has been thoroughly oxidized ore from massive replacements, fissures, manta, and pipe-like bodies-in large part from the massive Eldorado (middle Cambrian) and Hamburg (middle to late Cambrian) dolomite horizons. In the productive area of about 6 square miles carbonate rocks comprise 80 per cent of the section, which includes early Cambrian to late Ordovician horizons. Four-fifths or more of the district's production came from a block of Eldorado dolomite in Ruby Hill that was moved in over younger horizons on strands of a regional thrust fault. The lower 500 to 600 feet of the block was much fractured and brecciated and became host to the ores. The Ruby Hill fault, a late normal fault, limits the Ruby Hill block of dolomite on the north for its entire length of nearly a mile and terminates the downward extent and exploitation of its ores. It introduced an hiatus of some 40 years in the district's development. Drilling of the past 20-odd years, followed by underground work, has now exposed the down-faulted extension of the Ruby Hill block of Eldorado dolomite and its contained ores, dropped 1800 feet in a dip shift to depths beneath the surface of 2000 to 3000 feet. The ores at depth are the sulfide counterpart of those mined in early years on the footwall side of the fault. The ores of the district may be attributed to the same source as the intrusive quartz diorite outcropping in a limited way south of Ruby Hill but found at depth elsewhere in drill holes. The long north-south axis of the district, its anticlinal structure, its major faults, and the distribution of the intrusives and, in their relation to the surface, the ores themselves, all suggest that erosion has not cut deep enough to expose the extent of intrusives and the ores consequent upon them.

Jan 1, 1968

By J. H. Westbrook, R. W. Guard

The influence of a number of alloying additions on the structure and hardness of Ni3Al (?') has been studied. Three general effects have been observed.. solid-solution hardening, strain aging, and defect hardening arising from deviations from stoichiometry. The solid-solution hardening phenomena are complicated relative to binary terminal solid solutions due to the possibility of virtually independent substitution for the component elements and to the concomitant effects of strain aging. In many superior nickel-base high-temperature alloys the elevated temperature strength is attributable to the presence of a dispersion of Ni3A1 (?') in a solid-solution matrix. Examples of such alloys are Inconel X-550, Inco 713, Waspalloy, and Nimonic 80. It is, therefore, appropriate to seek a further understanding of the properties and alloying behavior of this compound. Ni3Al, the compound most rich in nickel in the nickel-aluminum binary system, was first detected by litakal but not established with certainty until the much later studies of Bradley and Taylor' and Alexander and Vaughan.3 More recently the mechanism of formation was clarified by Floyd4 who showed that Ni3Al is the product of a peritectic reaction at 1395°C between the melt and the compound NiAl in agreement with the original suggestion of Alexander and Vaughan.3 Ni3Al has the ordered face-centered-cubic or Cu3Au structure in which the nickel atoms occupy the face centers and the aluminum atoms the cube corners, a0 = 3.570A. Despite earlier reports to the contrary. the compound apparently remains ordered at least to 1000oC.5 It exists over a narrow range of compositions (-3 pct wide) whose limits and temperature dependencies thereof have been reviewed recently by Taylor and Floyd.' Most previous workers have found Ni3Al to be both hard and brittle7,8 although Maxwell and Grala8 obtained 2.5 to 6 pct tensile elongation at room temperature and Alexander and vaughan3 described the material as "hard and tough" on the basis of observations made while preparing metallographic specimens. In a recent study one of the present authors found that although considerable intergranu-lar brittleness was evident: individual grains of a coarse-grained inert atmosphere arc-melted specimen were readily deformable.l0 The same study also showed Ni3Al to have an anomalous temperature dependence of hardness in that such a curve exhibits a number of peaks between room temperature and 800°C which could not be associated with any microscopically observable precipitation reactions or polymorphic transformations. It was, therefore, proposed in the present study to elucidate the anomalous high-temperature strength behavior and to examine the solid-solution alloying of this compound and the effects of such alloying on hardness. Sample Preparation and Experimental Procedure-Samples, both of pure Ni,Al and of various alloyed solid solutions based on Ni3Al, were prepared by arc melting 100-g buttons in an inert atmosphere arc furnace. All buttons were heat treated for 4 hr at 1275oC and examined metallographically for homogeneity. Microstructures were typically homogeneous and single phase with ASTM grain size about 1 and unusually clean grain boundaries. Chemical analyses showed good correspondence (within a few tenths of a percent) with intended compositions. Microindentation hardness data were obtained from room temperature to 800°C in vacuo using a balanced-beam type loading system in an instrument to be described in detail elsewhere." In general a 100-g load, a loading rate of 1 mm per min and an indentation time of 15 sec were used. Various indenter materials were used according to the materials bein tested because of specimen-indenter interaction. Fl Measurements of the Vickers-type indentations were made at room temperature. Hardness-temperature curves were run at least twice on each sample to ensure that surface work-hardening effects had been eliminated." Precision lattice-parameter measurements were made on powder samples using a back-reflection

Jan 1, 1960

By AIME

The Taconites Are Ready, the editorial appearing on P. 933 of the September issue, has provoked comment from several informed engineers to the effect that the indicated profit margin was considerably exaggerated. The cost figures in the editorial, taken from the Congressional Record, were characterized as inaccurate by some correspondents. The theme of the story was, however, substantiated in the announcement (P. 1023, October) that Republic and Armco had joined forces in a $160 million project for taconite development. Chief among the dissenters was E. W. Davis, , Director of the Mines Experiment Station at the University of Minnesota. Mr. Davis has worked up the following set of cost figures:

Jan 1, 1950

Why should I pay $8.50 an hour for dealer repairs when my own mechanics work for $3.50?" The numbers vary, but that's the argument most contractors use to justify doing their own repairs. They don't realize it, but they're probably losing big money. For instance, it takes nearly a quarter of a million dollars in tools alone to equip a shop comparable to an average equipment dealer's facilities. A contractor must buy a lot of expensive, specialized tools he seldom uses, or else settle for the inefficiency of having repairs done by his mechanics with relatively unsophisticated tools. His building soaks up money in rent, maintenance insurance, taxes. His mechanics demand good wages. It even costs money when mechanics aren't repairing equipment. Mechanics get full wages for slack periods and cleanup time, too. This doesn't count as service manhours, but it's still part of the total repair cost. To help contractors uncover these hidden expenses and find out the true cost of owning a shop, some equipment dealers have devised a do-it-yourself "shop cost analysis form."

Jan 1, 1970

By AIME AIME

MICA is perhaps our No. 1. strategic mineral problem because of its large requirements in a variety of equipment for use in the military services, and because the principal source of this material has heretofore been British India, a source now threatened partly because of distance and lack of ships. [Block mica and bauxite were added to the "most critical" list published by the W.P.B. on Nov. 6.] No satisfactory substitute has yet been found for most of the uses of mica, which largely involve electrical insulation. Brazil is now our nearest and best major source of this material. No splitting plants have yet been established there but in 1941 we imported about a million pounds of block mica from that country and in 1942 that quantity will be considerably exceeded. In Brazil, mica is found almost exclusively in the pegmatite dikes along the mountain range bordering the eastern part of Minas Gerais. A belt, roughly 180 miles long by 100 miles wide, extends from Theophilo Ottoni to Carangolo. The principal mica-mining districts in this belt are the Governador Valladares area to the north and the Espera Feliz district to the south. The dikes are usually 10 to 50 meters wide and a mile or two long and intrude the old metamorphic schist formation. They are weathered and easily mined.

Jan 1, 1942

By Euclid P. Worden

In 1977, an article in World Mining1 reported a total of 2726 rotary blasthole drills in service. This figure included only those machines produced by three of the manufacturers building drills of this type. The total, therefore, is much higher. Rotary drilling in the mining industry is big business to the manufacturers and suppliers involved, and a significant cost item to mine operators. The time has come to take a hard look at rotary drilling technology with an eye to reducing costs by increasing drilling efficiency. The efficiency of any rotary drilling operation is best measured in terms of the rate of penetration achieved by the bit. In blast hole drilling, there are five factors which affect the rate of penetration. They are: (1) bit selection, (2) weight on the bit, (3) rotary speed, (4) hole cleaning, and (5) formation properties. Of these factors, all but one may be controlled by the operator. Looking at any one in detail may reveal possible improvements in the system. One of these factors -- proper hole cleaning - will be discussed in this paper. In order for a bit to perform at its maximum capability, each tooth or insert should strike fresh clean rock as it falls into its drilling position. If the tooth or insert lands on previously drilled cuttings, a major portion of the energy delivered to the bit is absorbed in redrilling this broken material. A major portion of the interest, therefore, should be directed to the proper cleaning of the bottom of the hole. In an in-depth study of the cleaning of large diameter holes, Allen2 reports that horizontal air velocities of 38.10 m/s are necessary to prevent the saltation of drilled cuttings on the bottom of the hole. The exact flow pattern on the bottom of the hole, however, is not generally known. The air leaves the bit through the jet nozzles and the mouths of the cones, but where it goes from there is uncertain. This problem should be investigated by the bit manufacturers because they can best utilize the results of such an investigation to provide a more effective product. Some work has been initiated in this area and competition will probably increase its intensity. Bailing velocity is the best criteria to measure the cleaning of the hole, including the bottom, and is the factor on which efforts toward improvement must be concentrated. The first consideration is "What should the bailing velocity really be?" In drilling deep holes for oil and gas, 15.24 m/s is the generally accepted figure. In blasthole drilling, the figures of 25.40 m/s for average rock to 35.56 m/s for iron ore were first mentioned by Capp3 in 1962. The recommendations are the same to this day. A number of questions could be asked in regard to the apparent disparity between these two sets of figures. Various investigators have derived formulas which support one or another of these criteria. A thesis on the subject was written by Alexander4 who derived a formula based on research which resulted in velocities in the lower end of the ranges quoted previously. He set out to compare this figure to laboratory tests and his tests indicated that the velocities given by the derived formula appeared to be high.1 Perhaps the best reason that the 25.40 to 35.56 m/s range has been used, is that these velocities seem to work. Below the accepted figures, low bit life and slow penetration rates occur. Above these figures, increasing amounts of abrasive wear on the drill pipe and stabilizers seem to appear. There is a fallacy to this entire approach, however. The entire velocity calculation is made using nominal bit and pipe sizes and compressor deliveries with no compensation made for losses in the system. Perhaps an examination of some of the things that are not presently considered could lead to some practical improvements in the operation.

Jan 1, 1980

By James E. Harding

AT just about the geographical center of the peninsula of Lower California is the El Arco gold mine. It is small and spotty, and three separate attempts to operate it in the past have failed. The only reason the present operation is possible is because of the higher price of gold and because the previous operators had spent about $300,000 developing the property with shafts, four levels, machinery, and a complete mill, all of which was acquired at a bargain price. All the known ore in the mine, to say nothing of the cost of recovering it, is

Jan 1, 1937

By Thomas T. Read

The purpose of the following research, as originally planned, was to investigate the influence of temperature upon the plate¬amalgamation process. In order to consider the amalgamation process intelligently, it was first necessary to learn the nature of an amalgam. In the performance of this task it was found necessary to consult a large volume of literature and to perform experimental investigations. The conceptions of the nature of amalgams thus obtained have so important a bearing on the amalgamation-process as a whole, as well as upon the possible influences of temperature, that it was advisable to include them in the treatment of the subject. The broader title is therefore used, even though some features of the amalgamation process have been treated very briefly and others entirely omitted, there being nothing new to present regarding them and their development not required for a clear presentation of the matter in hand. I. HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. Gold was one of the earliest metals known to man. Occurring in the metallic state, it could be picked up in nuggets or washed, as gold dust, front the sand and gravel of streams. Interesting descriptions of the processes employed in early times for the recovery of gold may be found in Pliny's Natural History and in the treatise by Agricola on ores and minerals. But little progress in the treatment of the ores of gold was possible until efficient -crushing machines were devised. This want was supplied by the introduction, about the beginning of the sixteenth century, of the stamp mill to treat the ores of Saxony. Blanket strikes, or similar devices, were used to catch the

May 1, 1906

By Oliver Bowles

DELICATE PLANTS are now put to bed for the winter under glass-wool or rock-wool blankets. Thus arise new and unexpected uses for non-metallic materials and rocks and, at the same time, certain unique uses are fading out; for instance, the Italians have taken steps to bar the use of salt for money in Ethiopia. Novel sources of supply find a place in the record of recent achievements as exemplified in the migration of the frontiers of industrial mineral exploitation beyond the land area of the earth to include the ocean. Salt, of course, has been recovered from the sea for years but the treatment of enormous quantities of sea water for bromine has lately added to the importance of the ocean as a reservoir of mineral wealth. Increased use of non-metallic minerals in the commercial and economic life of the country is reflected in the wide scope and activity of the Industrial Minerals Division of the Institute. The outstanding recent achievement of the Division is the publication of a 955-page volume on industrial minerals and rocks, comprising 48 commodity chapters each written by an authority on the subject.

Jan 1, 1938

By Robert Linton

AT its meeting on May 21, the Board of Directors approved the recommendations submitted by President Lovejoy and named a nominating committee for the year that is especially well distributed as to major technical interest and as to geography. As may be seen from the list published herewith, two come from the East, two from the Midwest, and three from the far West. Mr. Linton, the chairman, has been a valued member of the Institute for 36 years. A memorandum drawn up by Paul D. Merica, representing the A.I.M.E., and W. R. Barclay, representing The Institute of Metals of Great Britain, setting forth a reciprocal plan for special memberships in each Institute for members of the other, was discussed. Both societies already have formally approved the plan in principle and Dr. Merica was clothed with full authority to agree on a few small details that have not been settled, and conclude the arrangement in behalf of the Institute.

Jan 1, 1936

Industrial minerals enjoyed a fairly successful year in 1978, despite the sluggish economy, inflation, and environmental restrictions. A glance at US Bureau of Mines statistics shows that, in general, production of industrial minerals increased from + 1% (salt) to as much as 26% (sulfur, other than Frasch or recovered). A few industrial minerals showed a decline; fluorspar production, for example, registered a 23% decrease in 1978 from 1977 due to the closing of three domestic mines. Bromine, natural sodium sulfate, Frasch sulfur, and vermiculite also had production decreases of 2-6% in 1978.

Jan 5, 1979

By AIME AIME

MEXICO embraces one of the great metal and petroleum producing provinces of the world. In this respect its history dates back to the overthrow of the Aztec empire by a Spanish force under Hernando Cortes between 1519 and 1.521. Even before then, its richness in silver and other minerals was not unknown. But it was a treasure house for the Spanish conquerors until the country became independent in 1821. It has been computed that in the 400 years following 1521, Mexico yielded 1.55,000 metric tons of silver, worth $3,000,000,000, two-thirds of the entire world production. In 1935 the country accounted for 36 per cent of the world's silver output, 14 per cent of its antimony (in 1934), 13 per cent of its lead, 3 per cent of its zinc and copper, and 21/2 per cent of its petroleum. Contrary to the impression of some, its gold output is now comparatively small, though important in the past. Its oil, as well, formerly hulked much larger than now, in 1921 being one-fourth of the world output.

Jan 1, 1936

By H. C. Fiedler

THE development of the cube-on-edge secondary re-crystallization texture in Si-Fe strip depends upon the ability of inclusions to restrain normal grain growth. This ability is determined by the number and size of inclusions, which, for a given composition, is controlled by the thermal history of the material during the prior processing.' It has been shown2 that increasing the silicon content decreases the solubility of sulfur, and it is the purpose of this note to show the consequences of this decreased solubility for secondary recrystallization. Heats were made as previously described and cast into graphite molds.' The compositions are shown in Table I. Slabs 1 in. thick were cut from the ingots and either hot-rolled from 1000°C in the as-cast condition or after one of the heat treatments described later. The processing to the final gage of 12 mils followed the previous procedure.' To avoid cracking, the 5.2 pct Si alloy was cold-rolled at 150" to 200°C rather than at room temperature. The percent cube-on-edge texture developed by isothermal heat treatments was determined by dividing the maximum torque measured on disk sam-

Jan 1, 1968

By JULIAN HINDS

Industrialization is raising the standard of living of people everywhere. The common man is demanding and getting more of everything. Perhaps more markedly than most other things, he is consuming more water. A hundred years ago water for domestic use, in all but a few large centers, was lugged from wells in buckets. This still is true in many rural areas, even in the enlightened United States of America. but pumps and pressure systems are rapidly replacing the "old oaken bucket," even on farms and in isolated country homes. Nevertheless, many still fail to see water as a ?commodity? in the same sense that coal, lumber, fertilizer, and bread are considered as commosities. Water is too frequently taken for granted.

Jan 1, 1949

By S. S. Lisnyak, B. D. Lichter

An important question in the study of the "hot corrosion" phenomenon (i.e., accelerated oxidation of Ni-Cr-base and Co-Cr-base "superalloys" in the presence of sulfur) is the condition of formation and physico-chemical properties of different sulfides in the system Ni-Co-Cr-S. seyboltl has observed the presence of ((chromium-rich" sulfides of compositions M3S4, and M2S3 in the scales of superalloys after hot corrosion; however, as he points out, much confusion exists as to the identity of sulfides found on Ni-Cr and Co-Cr alloys. According to the literature,&apos; ternary sulfides, e.g., NiCr2S4, (monoclinic structure) and CoCr2S4 (spinel structure) exist in these systems. Therefore, it is likely that these compounds are found in the scale of alloys undergoing hot corrosion. At present this possibility has not been discussed in the literature. Accordingly, we have begun investigation on the properties of ternary sulfides and their mutual interaction. The magnetic and electrical properties of pure NiCr2S4 and pure CoCr2S2 have been previously determined."-&apos; In the present work we have studied the interaction between these sulfides at high temperatures by means of X-ray diffraction and magnetic susceptibility. The measurements were carried out at room temperature after appropriate thermai treatment of samples at high temperatures. For alloys containing the three elements nickel, chromium, and cobalt this interaction may be of importance in the study of the hot corrosion phenomenon. The compounds NiCr2S4 and CoCr2S4 were prepared from stoichiometric amounts of the elements and CoS in the case of CoCr2S4. Samples were mixed and sealed in evacuated silica tubes, slowly heated to 900&apos; to 100O°C, and held at temperature for a total of 120 hr (NiCr2S4) or 80 hr (CoCr2S4) with intermediate re-grinding~. X-ray diffraction showed a pure spinel structure for CoCr2S4 and a monoclinic structure for NiCr2S4. Samples of mixtures of the two ternary sulfides were prepared with different compositions, see Table I. Samples were heated for a total of 80 hr at 900&apos;C in evacuated silica tubes, with one intermediate regrind-ing. The capsules were slow-cooled to room temperature in the furnace. Samples for X-ray diffraction were prepared by placing powder on a glass slide with vaseline. Dif- fractometer traces were obtained on a G.E. XRD-5 diffractometer using a chromium tube and vanadium filter (40 kv and 31 ma). The size of the spinel unit cell was determined from the eight highest angle peaks (80 deg < 2b < 160 deg). Calculated lattice parameters were plotted vs cos B . ctn 0 and extrapolated to 6 = 90 deg. Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility were carried out at room temperature using the Faraday method in a magnetic field of 3000 G and using a Cahn RG automatic microbalance. The system was calibrated from the well-established susceptibilities of platinum and palladium: (Xpt = 0.968 x 10-6 g-1 and Xpd 7 5.04 x 10~6 g-1). The weight of samples were approximately 0.200 g. X-ray diffraction patterns for unsintered mixtures showed Bragg peaks from both the spinel (CoCr2S4) and monoclinic (NiCr2S4) structures. After sintering no monoclinic peaks were observed in samples containing up to 40 mol pct NiCr2S4. However, the spinel peaks were displaced to higher angles with increasing

Jan 1, 1970

By Carlton D. Hulin

ARE we a "have" or a "have-not" nation in our domestic supply of metals and minerals? Impinging on the ears of a people weary of war and faced with the problems of reconversion to peace, the import of this question has built up with the momentum of an avalanche. Stemming from statistics cited by Pehrson and accelerated by the pessimistic and possibly biased statements of Ickes, hardly an issue of any technical periodical dealing with mining has appeared during the past year but within whose pages was to be found some comment, some discussion of the question: Are we a "have" or a "have-not" nation? We have proved commercial reserves of high-grade iron ore in the Lake Superior region sufficient for 22 years, based upon the prewar rate of consumption; commercial copper reserves to last only 34 years, one fourth being inferred ore; zinc sufficient for nineteen years, over half being inferred; lead for twelve years, two thirds of which is inferred; mercury for only three years. So read the figures. Although admitting that these figures may be extended by new discoveries, by the use of marginal and submarginal ore, and by further technological advances, are we nevertheless to assume complete pessimism in the acceptance of the meaning of these statistics; are we to expect a rapidly increasing dependence upon foreign sources of mineral supply; are we to believe that we are at or near the peak of the "metal age" as has been held by Theodore J. Hoover? Or is some more optimistic viewpoint possible?

Jan 1, 1947

By Walter V. Knopp, Laurence Delisle

INTRODUCTION THE aim of this work was the preparation of nickel-steels from elemental metal powders by powder metallurgy techniques. It was known that plain carbon steels could be made from a mixture of iron powder and graphite and that the effect of carbon on iron in powder form was of the same nature as that produced in fusion metallurgy. The problem in making nickel steels from elemental powders consisted therefore in finding out whether sufficient diffusion of the nickel and other incidental metals normally present in such steels could be induced in the solid state to modify the properties of plain carbon steels made from powders and produce the beneficial effect of alloying. The composition selected originally was that of an S.A.E. 2330 steel. Metal powders, in the proportion corresponding to that composition, were mixed with graphite, pressed, and heated at different temperatures for different periods of time, to produce bonding of the metal particles and mutual diffusion of the various elements without melting. Temperatures up to 1325°C and sintering periods as long as 6 hr were first investigated because it was expected that such conditions would produce maximum diffusion with an accompanying improvement in the properties of the alloy. It was found that, although diffusion proceeded to a large extent under the conditions investigated, it would not be complete unless sintering were carried out at a high temperature for much longer than 6 hr. Relatively high temperatures and long sintering times are objectionable from a practical point of view, particularly when a low cost material is to be produced, because they necessitate the use of special, costly equipment. Work could be done to improve the diffusion of iron and nickel by changing conditions other than the sintering temperature and time, i.e., finer primary or alloy powders could be used. However, a marked change in the properties of the steel had been observed even with only partial diffusion. It was thought, therefore, that instead of trying to improve the diffusion, advantage might be taken of its incompleteness to produce a special structure consisting, in the unquenched condition, of a hard constituent, rich in nickel, dispersed in a tough pearlitic matrix. Steels with such a structure, not readily obtainable by fusion, should have desirable mechanical properties. Besides, it should be possible to prepare them from elemental powders under economical conditions. This latter alternative was therefore adopted for the second phase of this work. This report is divided into four parts: 1. General Procedure. 2. Effect of Sintering Temperature. 3. Effect of Varying the Nickel Content. 4. Effect of Alloying Elements. GENERAL PROCEDURE The general technique of cold pressing as used in powder metallurgy was applied.

Jan 1, 1948

Jan 1, 1916