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By William E. Ford, Edward Salisbury Dana

506. Scope of Descriptive Mineralogy. - It is the province of Descriptive Mineralogy to describe each mineral species, as regards: (1) form and structure; (2) physical characters; (3) chemical composition including blowpipe and chemical tests; (4) occurrence in nature with reference to geo- graphical distribution and association with other species; also in connection with the above to show how it may be distinguished from other species. Further, it should classify mineral species into more or less comprehensive groups according to those characters regarded as most essential. Other points which may or may not be included are the investigation of the methods of origin of minerals; the changes that they undergo in nature and the results of such alteration; also the methods by which the same compounds may be made in the laboratory; finally, the uses of minerals as ores, for ornament and in the arts.

Jan 1, 1922

By Uwe Neis, K. Peter Kiefhaber

Whereas single particle flotation is considered to be evoked by physico-chemical bubble adhesion, floc flotation seems to be governed by other mechanisms. This study demonstrates that air bubble size does not affect the flotation efficiency of inorganic particles which have been destabilized by different means: 1. addition of simple salts and 2. polyelectrolyte dosage. The air-to-solids ratio A/S does not influence the solids removal efficiency within a broad range of examination. However, there is a significant difference between A/S-values necessary to obtain optimum flotation comparing both destabilization mechanisms. Polyelectrolyte concentration corresponding to complete particle destabilization at the isoelectric point leads to optimum sedimentation rates but not to optimum flotation efficiency. To obtain optimum solids removal by flotation higher polyelectrolyte concentrations are necessary resulting in a positive solids surface charge. These effects are explained on the basis of different floc structures.

Jan 1, 1980

By A. E. Jenkins, O. C. Roberts, D. G. C. Robertson

Using an inverted-cone coil at 450 kHz, it has been possible to levitate iron (FeS), cobalt (CoS), and nickel (NiS) sulfides. Important nontransition metal sulfides such as ZnS, PbS, and Cu2S have proven impossible to levitate although Cu-Fe-S ternary alloys containing 30 wt pct S and up to 10 wt pct Cu, and Cu-Co-S and Cu-Ni-S ternary alloys containing 30 wt pct Cu have been levitated. The levitation technique has been used in preliminary experiments on the vaporization from liquid sulfides and the reaction of liquid metal-sulfur alloys with oxidizing atmospheres. The course of the reactions with pure oxygen were followed using highspeed photography and two-color pyrometry. ELECTROMAGNETIC levitation is now established as a basic laboratory technique in high-temperature research but its application has been restricted mainly to metals and alloys. Applications have included alloy preparation,' metal purification,2'3 determination of liquid metal densities and emissivities,4,5 and studies of metal supercooling,4 alloy thermodynamics,6 and vaporization phenomena.7-9 The application of the technique to compounds has not been considered previously. The successful investigation of the reactions between dilute iron alloys and oxidizing atmospheres10'1 has prompted the current physico-chemical studies involving levitated metal sulfide drops and flowing inert or oxidizing atmospheres. This paper presents the results of such a study and provides a basis for future studies involving a wide range of other compounds of metallurgical interest. The successful levitation of many metal sulfides and mattes provides a method of studying the oxidation reactions fundamental to flash-smelting and similar pyrometallurgi-cal operations under closely controlled laboratory conditions. In addition the system allows the use of a controlled atmosphere (e.g., a gas stream of a certain H2/H2S ratio) with a particular chemical potential to study the relevant thermodynamic equilibria or the mass transfer processes between the atmosphere and the levitated drop under conditions where the hydrodynamics of the system can be closely defined. The optimum frequency for the levitation melting of metals in an inverted-cone coil type inductor is within the radio frequency range 400 to 500 kHz. At frequencies lower than 10 kHz the rate of heat generation is usually insufficient to melt the levitated charge' or where melting is achieved, "dripping" from the charge is encountered.'' At frequencies above 2 mHz the levitation force decreases. Metals, alloys and preheated elemental semiconductors such as germanium and silicon, have been levitated but the levitation of only a few metal compounds has been reported. Jostsons13 and the authors have levitated liquid titanium-oxygen alloys containing 50 at. pct 0 while clark14 has reported the levitation of mixtures of FeS and MnS for short periods. With a "cold crucible" inductor sterling15 has melted ferrites by preheating them by induction in a 4 mHz field and melting at a lower frequency. However this second type of inductor has been designed purely for the melting of materials without contamination; there is only a small gas film between the charge and the inductor and the electromagnetic levitation effect is of secondary importance. For this reason further discussion will be restricted to the use of the coil type inductor. The assessment of the suitability of a particular metal compound for levitation is based upon the following two criteria: i) thermal stability, and ii) physical "levitability". In this paper these two criteria will be considered separately. The thermal stability of a solid or liquid metal compound with respect to a gaseous environment depends upon its chemical reactivity with that environment or, in the case of an inert atmosphere considered here, its volatility. The physical criterion as to whether or not a particular compound can be levitated is based upon a comparison between those physical properties of the compound determining "levitability" which are defined by the fundamental equations of levitation theory as developed by Okress et a1.,16 and the properties of the metals. Since it is not practical to cover the vast field of metal compounds, further discussion will concentrate on the metal sulfides but the treatment would be applicable to any metal compound. THE THERMAL STABILITY OF METAL SULFIDES The temperatures usually encountered during levitation in inert atmospheres cover the range 1400" to 2000°C. The stabilities of the condensed states of the sulfides under these conditions are considered in relation to the periodic classification by reference to Table I. Two general classes of sulfides emerge. The solid sulfides of elements of group IIB and of groups further to the right are volatile while those sulfides of group IB and of groups further to the left are nonvolatile solids. The sulfides described as volatile may be dismissed as unsuitable for levitation. The stabilities of the more favorable nonvolatile sulfides under the anticipated conditions must be studied more closely From Table I it is seen that the alkali metal sulfides exist as liquids in the temperature range of in-

Jan 1, 1970

By Sidney Swensrud

ABOUT a year ago, I attempted in a general way to trace the origin and development of some of the marketing problems of the petroleum industry, and to describe certain trends which it then seemed possible to foresee. To summarize briefly, it was pointed out that the consumption of gasoline, after increasing for more than a decade at an almost unbelievable rate, was slowing down, but that the two factors which determined the supply of gasoline-namely, the production of crude oil and the percentage of gasoline derived therefrom-were tending steadily to mount. It was suggested that, while the increase in gasoline outlets began with and probably was justified at the start by the rapidly increasing demand, long after all reasonable requirements as to number of outlets had been met the number continued to increase-if anything, at a still more rapid rate-because by that time the overproduction of crude had begun to exert an impelling urge upon the owners of that crude to seek assured outlets for it in the form of gasoline. As more and more companies became integrated all the way from crude oil to marketing, there took place an ever-increasing competition among them, not only for the existing outlets but for new ones. The wide margin between wholesale cost and retail price, which is characteristic of the early stages of most new industries, persisted in the oil industry longer. than in most industries, for various reasons. The existence of that wide margin provided in large measure the means of attracting new outlets, for as the gallonage per outlet declined with the increasing number of outlets, competing companies simply offered the dealers a larger part of the total margin. The very nature of competition suggests that such a process would continue until practically all of the available margin was thus given away, and such was clearly the, tendency. It was a system that in turn produced increasing marketing expense per gallon on account of the -diluted gallonage per outlet; this increased expense might seem to have provided a justification for continuing wide margins. Economics, like its parent, nature, however, progresses by mutations and so began to throw out new types of marketers, in the form cf tank-car service stations, cut-price jobbers, and the like-heretics or

Jan 1, 1932

By C. E. Reistle

All crude oils become more viscous when chilled, but the only oils that congeal and precipitate paraffin to such an extent as actually to cause production troubles are those that contain an appreciable amount of wax. In handling these oils of high wax content, three distinct problems may be encountered before the oil reaches the refinery. The first problem is the precipitation and accumulation of paraffin in the well, either in the oil string or on the face and in the pores of the sand. The second problem is the accumulation of paraffin and the congealing of oil in the transportation lines. The third problem is the precipitation of paraffin and the formation of tank bottoms. Factors That Control the Solubility of Paraffin in Crude Oil Two main factors, possibly three, govern the solubility of wax in crude oil. The first of these is temperature. The solubility of wax in crude oil increases with an increase in temperature, and as the temperature approaches the melting point, the wax becomes soluble in all proportions in the crude oil. The higher the melting point of a wax, the less soluble it is in crude oil below its melting point. All crude oils containing wax can be chilled to a point where the oil is saturated with wax. If the temperature is decreased below this point, some of the wax will crystallize from solution. Fig. 1 shows the effect of temperature on the solubility of crude paraffin in oil. The second factor is the amount of volatile constituents and gas removed from the crude oil. Evaporation of the volatile constituents and gas lessens the volume of the oil and concentrates the solution of wax in the oil; therefore less wax can be held in solution at a definite temperature. As the natural amount of wax present in the oil is constant, this results in the oil becoming saturated with wax at a higher temperature than if the volatile constituents and gas were still in the oil. As an example of this, a fresh sample of crude oil having a gravity of 39.8

Jan 1, 1928

By James Hyslop

THE Pittsburgh seam in eastern Ohio has an average thickness of 5 ft and lies almost level Immediately above it is a layer of draw slate about 12 in thick, which normally has little structural strength, and is pulled down or allowed to fall as mining progresses Above the slate is a, variable thickness of roof coal, which in places will stand for the life of the working section and sometimes for the life of a secondary haulage entry The thickness of this roof coal varies from zero to 24 in In general, however, it does not provide a satisfactory roof, and usually is supported or pulled down About it is a mass of shale, soapstone and clay, of quite variable thickness, usually running from 5 to 8 ft and above this is a stratum of hard blue limestone, which provides a permanent roof Where entries are to be used for less than five years, the roof usually can be supported by wood or steel crossbars, but if they are to be used for a longer time, roof support is a serious problem All the roof material below the limestone disintegrates when exposed to air or moisture, and in a few years falls out between and over the crossbars Where this material is removed for a considerable height above the coal, the ribs scale and thus contribute to a further collapse of the roof As the height of the entry increases, cost of timbering is greatly increased, a problem that always is encountered where old entries are recovered or repaired METHODS During the last six years the Hanna Coal Co has used gunite for roof protection in mine entries Two general methods of guniting are practiced The first consists of the application of a I-in coating of unreinforced material This application does not provide any appreciable structural strength, and serves principally to protect the strata from exposure to air and moisture With the other method a coat at least 2 in thick is applied and provided with suitable reinforcing, which provides a structural strength proportional to the thickness of the coat and the reinforcing used The first method is adopted as a general practice, modified only where additional support is required "Gunite" is a mixture of cement, sand and water * The cement and sand are thoroughly mixed and screened before being fed into the hopper of a cement gun After the hopper lid is closed, compressed air is applied to force this dry mixture through the hose line to the nozzle, where the quantity of water needed to effect the proper hydration of the cement is added The coating is dense, and stronger than poured concrete

Jan 1, 1941

By George B. Clark

Many basic engineering principles of all four phases of mining operations, namely, prospecting, exploration, development, and exploitation, can be analyzed better in terms of quantitative geology. Geological data from both field and laboratory will also complement scientific methods now being developed. THE geological data emphasized so successfully in prospecting for new deposits, that is, structural controls, strength of solutions, and type of mineralization, are basically those required for successful exploitation. In the mining of newly discovered deposits the most economical methods should be employed as early as possible to keep the overall cost per unit produced at a minimum and to permit maximum extraction of valuable minerals. A crucial question is: How can geological data be translated into useful quantitative results which will aid in achieving this end? H. E. McKinistry' has suggested that a solution may be reached in one of two ways: 1—the usual approach, use of judgment based on experience; or 2—mathematical calculations and tests on models, both subject to certain limitations. He also suggests that in addition to better use of geology more case data and theoretical data are needed on which to base sound judgment. Further research, therefore, is necessary. Perhaps in this field the emphasis should be on more specialization in mining methods and ground movement by men with thorough training in physics, engineering, geology, and underground mining. These specialists would be equipped to point out the most economical and scientific methods of exploitation. Selection of a stoping method is governed by the amount and type of support a deposit will require in the process of being mined, or by the possibility of employing the structure of the deposit to advantage in mining the ore by a caving method. In addition to these factors there are others which almost invariably influence the choice of an economical method of mining:' 1—strength of ore and wall rocks; 2—shape, horizontal area, volume, and regularity of the boundaries of the orebody, and thickness, dip and/or pitch of the deposit and individual ore shoots; 3—grade, distribution of minerals, and continuity of the ore within the boundaries of the deposit; 4—depth below surface and nature of the capping or overburden: and 5—position of the de- posit relative to surface improvements, drainage, and other mine openings. In the final analysis it is usually necessary to disregard the less important of these factors to satisfy the requirements of the more important. Because of the variation of geological conditions throughout and surrounding the deposit, no mining method will be everywhere ideally applicable to the conditions encountered in one ore deposit. The immediate problem is to interpret the above physical characteristics of deposits in terms of geological characteristics. Very few quantitative geological data are available on the factors related to a choice of mining methods. However, there are many descriptive data in mining and geological literature which collectively show how important an effect details of geology have upon all phases of mining operations. The following categories of basic mining methods were investigated to establish the geological factors that have affected their successful application: 1— open stopes with pillars; 2—sublevel stoping; 3— shrinkage stoping; 4—cut-and-fill stoping; 5— square-set mining; 6—top slicing and sublevel caving; and 7—block caving. It should be noted that the first five of these methods are listed in the order of increasing support requirements. Mines were selected as examples only where geological descriptions were complete enough to warrant their use. A study of the geological factors involved in mining operations led to a choice of the following classifications, employed in Table I: 1—structural type of orebody; 2—dimensions (geometry); 3— country rock (type); 4—faulting, folding, and fracturing; 5—alteration of ore and rock; 6—type of mineralization; and 7—geological factors determining mining method (summary). Of these factors only one yielded results that can be defined from available data in a quantitative manner, i.e., dimensions of the deposit. These are the most reliable guides that can be used in selection of suitable mining methods. They are, in general, the properties of geologic structure most difficult to evaluate by studies of models, pho-toelastic studies, and other laboratory methods, all of which are at present more limited in their applications than the geologic method. Application of geology has proved a reliable guide in other phases

Jan 1, 1955

By O. C. Wheeler

The slackening of activity in oil development in Colombia, which was noted in 1931, continued throughout 1932. In the producing fields output was further curtailed and active operations were substantially reduced. Exploratory work was at the lowest level reached in a good many years. Applications and Contracts for New Concessions The areas covered by the four applications accepted by the government in 1931 for concessions on national lands were not finally awarded the applicants, although the indications are that these will be granted during the coming year. iln application of Sr. Luciano Restrepo for a concession of 49,232 hectares located on the north side of the Sogamoso River in the Municipality of Bolivar, Department of Santander, was accepted by the Government toward the end of the year. The Government is expected to take action toward granting or denying this concession during 1933. The Richmond Petroleum Co. (Standard Oil Co. of California subsidiary) leased from Manuel Davila P. and Eduardo Villar a private tract known as the Fierro Arriba and Fierro Abajo lands located in the municipality of Victoria, Department of Caldas, near Honda. The terms of the lease provide for a cash rental and royalty. The company is allowed 10 years in which to start exploratory work. The lease covers a period of 15 years and is subject to renewal by periods of similar duration. Richmond Petroleum Co. The Richmond Petroleum Co. finally abandoned its Repelon No. 3 at 4312 ft., owing to drilling difficulties. No new hole was made on this well during the year. This was the only active drilling project in the country outside the Tropical Oil Company's concession, and with its abandonment all wildcat activities in the country ceased. South American Gulf Oil Co. This company did no drilling on its Colombian properties during the year. As in the preceding years, small amounts of oil, of no commercial

Jan 1, 1933

By Kenneth M. Ritchie

Mineral wool is a term applied to man-made fibers of silicate glass with useful properties resulting from their fibrous nature. In contrast with crystalline fibrous minerals such as asbestos, mineral wool fibers are amorphous, solid filaments produced by drawing from molten liquid and subsequent cooling. Chemically they are silicate glass with varying percentages of metallic oxides, especially those of aluminum, calcium, magnesium, iron, and in glass wool, sodium, potassium and boron. Other elements such as manganese, titanium, sulfur, etc., result from their presence in the raw materials used and are not purposely added. In the United States, mineral wool is a generic term and may be applied to rock, slag or glass wool. In Europe, glass silk and silicate cotton are products in the same category, but the term mineral wool is less commonly used. Current usage is to ignore the actual source and to differentiate products on a composition basis; thus rock and slag wools have about 35-45 pct of silica, while glass wool has 54 to 60 pct. Much mineral wool of slag origin is called "rock wool," and this practice is increasing, although wool made of slag from lead or copper refining is often referred to as "lead slag wool." Its greenish-gray to greenish-black dark color, due to 5-25 pct Fe (reported as FeO), distinguishes it from "white" wools made from iron, blast furnace slag containing only 1-2 pct FeO or Fe203. Most mineral wool is used for thermal insulation against heat and cold; sound absorption and isolation are probably the next most important uses. Both its thermal and acoustic values result primarily from the physical structure of the heterogeneous mixture of fibers and air which is the form in which the fibers are first obtained and handled. For this reason, within fairly wide limits, differences in chemical composition are relatively unimportant, and for most conventional applications all types are competitive in properties and value. Mineral wool intended for extreme conditions of high temperature, acid resistance and special purposes must have a chemical composition which will insure the desired properties. This may differ greatly from that of ordinary wools; for example one product approximately 98 pct Si02 and another consisting of 50 pct A1203 and 50 pct Si02 are produced and sold for high temperature service up to 2000°F or more. These are considerably more expensive to manufacture and their cost limits their use. Historical The manufacture of mineral wool consists fundamentally of a process which subjects molten material to shear and/or tensile forces that draw them into fibers. The liquids are cooled at a rate which solidifies them quickly. As a solid glass they are technically super-cooled liquids since they have no true melting point. The drawing out of glass into thin rods, filaments and tubes was known from very early times, and present day continuous production of glass filament for textiles was evolved gradually by adapting hand methods to automatic machinery. Rock and slag wool manufacture had a somewhat different development. Early explorers reported finding filamentous material

Jan 1, 1960

By C. E. Ells, A. Sawatzky

The effect of neutron irradiation on tensile properties of the Zr-2.5 wt pet Nb-0.5 wt pet Cu alloy has been evaluated for integrated neutron fluxes up to 3 x 1020 n per sq cm (E > 1 Mev). Specimen temperature during irradiation was normally 300°C. The material was studied both in annealed and in quenched and aged conditions. When the alloy (fab-ricatedfrom sponge zirconium) is quenched from a temperature =40°C below the a + ß/ß transformation and aged 6 hr at 535oC, neutron irradiation up to the maximum studied has little effect 071 reduction in area, although there is a drop in uniform elongation and the yield strength is increased by = 25 pct. Conversely, irradiation of the alloy in an annealed condition can result in much greater changes in properties, with yield-strength increases of up to 200 pet. The dose dependence of irradiation hardening obeys the saturation equntion proposed by Makin and Minter to explain hardening in copper and nickel: Act = C[1 - exp(-Døt)/1/2 A rnodel is proposed to explain the effect of niobium content and metallurgical condition on irradiatiotz behavior. THE Zr-Nb alloys form a class of material susceptible to marked strengthening by quench and age heat treatment. With niobium concentrations as low as 2.5 wt pet, strengths can be developed which are double those of annealed zircaloy-2.1 Since the neutron-capture cross section of the Zr-2.5 wt pet Nb alloy is nearly identical to that of Zircaloy-2, significant gains in power-reactor neutron economy could be obtained by replacing stressed in-reactor components of Zircaloy-2 with the heat-treated Zr-Nb alloy. When the solution heat-treatment temperature is in the high (a + ß) phase, then the tensile properties of the quenched (and aged at 500°C) material have been shown to be relatively insensitive to neutron irradiation.1-3 Addition of small quantities of copper to the binary Zr-2.5 wt pet Nb alloy gives a useful reduction to the corrosion rate in air and carbon di- oxide,&apos; and a ternary alloy of composition Zr-2.5 wt pet Nb-0.5 wt pet Cu was chosen for one component in the Douglas Point Reactor. This application utilizes both the corrosion resistance to a moist air-carbon dioxide environment and the strength developed by a quench and age heat treatment. By suitable choice of solution heat treatment and aging temperatures, tensile properties of the ternary alloy can be made nearly identical to those considered as optimum for the binary alloy. One effect of the copper addition, however, is to give marked changes in the aging kinetics of the alloy.&apos; For this reason, it appeared that neutron irradiation might promote overaging in the ternary alloy, particularly at the elevated service temperature (=300°C). This paper describes the effect of neutron irradiation on the tensile behavior of the Zr-2.5 wt pet Nb-0.5 wt pet Cu alloy in several metallurgical conditions pertinent to its use as a reactor material. The metallurgical conditions included those for which aging occurs in the unirradiated material, and fully annealed conditions for which a higher degree of thermal stability could be expected. 1) EXPERIMENTAL Two batches of alloy were used, both made from sponge zirconium. The fabricator&apos;s analysis of principle constituents showed no significant difference between the two batches, Table I. The rod material was rolled to 1.5 in. diam, and then swaged to final sizes of 0.5 to 0.375 in. diam at nominal temperatures of 785" and 625°C for the AM and AS batches, respectively. Subsequent hydrogen analyses at CRNL confirmed that the hydrogen concentration of the as-received rod was indeed <20 ppm. However, it was found that the (a + ß)/ß transus for the AM material was approximately 25°C lower than that of the AS material, indicating rather more difference in oxygen concentration than given in Table I. Except for a small difference in yield-point behavior, the tensile prop-

Jan 1, 1965

By G. S. Scott, G. W. Jones

ECONOMIC waste caused by mine fires may become considerable,15 especially if a fire is allowed to spread or temporarily to get beyond control. It is important, therefore, to act promptly whenever a fire is suspected and to make every action count. To contribute toward its extinction effectively it is necessary to know at the earliest possible moment, and continuously thereafter, what is happening at the seat of the fire, which may be in a remote or inaccessible area, and also to recognize what may be expected as a result of any proposed combative measure. In combatting a fire the mining engineer and the chemist should cooperate, first deciding upon the course of action to be taken and then drawing upon the mining engineer&apos;s intimate knowledge of the physical structure of the fire area, the cost and time required to carry out proposed operations, and the probable efficiency with which these operations could be performed, and upon the chemist&apos;s knowledge for the results to be expected therefrom. After the initial steps to be taken have been decided, it devolves upon the mining engineer to see that they are carried out and upon the chemist to evaluate the results and to keep the mining engineer continuously informed in regard to a variety of matters-such as the composition and toxic or asphyxiating properties of the atmosphere in which the men may be working, whether the fire is increasing or decreasing in intensity and its probable temperature, the quantity of air leakage and the explosion hazards of the fire area. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what the chemist can and cannot contribute as a member of the fire-fighting personnel. The technical literature contains several hundred papers relating directly and indirectly to mine fires, and this fact alone is testimony to the complex nature of the phenomena involved in the birth, life, and final demise of a fire. A fire may be stopped (I) by preventing oxygen from reaching the coal or (2) by removing the conditions necessary for the rapid reaction of coal with oxygen; i.e., decreasing the temperature. All methods of prevention or control. necessarily must be based upon one or the other, or both, of these two principles. . The chemistry of a fire may be understood readily if the low-temperature oxidation of coal is considered as a starting point; then oxidation at higher temperatures (or combustion) ; and with these, the composition of the solid and gaseous products resulting from the oxidation or from the effects of the heat liberated. This discussion refers particularly to Pennsylvania anthracite, although much of the material applies equally well to coals of lower rank. OXIDATION OF COAL Oxidation of coal fundamentally is confined to the surface; that is, the rate at which oxygen penetrates into the interior of a solid block of coal is so slow that it may be ignored.6,16 Oxidation starts when a fresh surface is exposed, and the rate is

Jan 1, 1942

By E. Luttgen

The substance referred to in the title is the artificially prepared basic carbonate of magnesia, a compound of the carbonate with the hydroxide. It is the "block-magnesia " of commerce, the magnesia alba of the pharmacist. Its composition, though somewhat indefinite, may usually be expressed by the formula : 4MgCO3,Mg(OH)2, 5H2O; it is found to vary slightly with the details of the method of preparation. This substance has been employed recently with much reported success, as a non-conductor of heat. It is moulded to form coverings suitable for steam-pipes and their fittings and sectional jackets for boilers and cylinders; it is furnished also in forms suitable for lining refrigerators, walls and roofs of buildings, fire-proof safes, etc. It was with a view of ascertaining the efficiency of this material as a non-conductor, or, rather, its relative efficiency among the various non-conducting materials in use, that the writer made the experiments about to be described. A block of magnesium carbonate or magnesia alba exhibits some interesting physical qualities. It is a smooth, white, close-grained solid, in outward appearance resembling a block of Paris plaster. It possesses the lightness of cork, the porosity of sponge, and withal a degree of firmness and strength that, in view of its levity, is quite remarkable. To examine more closely the properties of this substance, a number of 1-inch cubes were sawed from the commercial block-carbonate, also some bricks, that is, blocks measuring accurately 2 x 4 x 8 inches, the dimensions of an ordinary brick. The cubes weighed from 2.2 to 2.7 grammes, the bricks weighed 140 to 175 grammes (5 to 6 ounces). The bricks were carefully measured and weighed, and placed in vessels containing distilled water, in which they became gradually submerged, owing to the displacement by water of the air inclosed in the structure of the magnesium carbonate. After twenty-four hours the blocks were removed from the water, dried superficially by contact with filter-paper and weighed. From the increase in weight, the volume of the water absorbed, and consequently that of the air displaced by it, were obtained. For example: a block which when dry weighed 155

Jan 1, 1887

By W. M. McKewan

Magnetite pellets were reduced in flowing hydrogen at pressures up to 40 atm over a temperature range of 350° to 500°C. The rate of weight loss of oxygen per unit area of the reaction surface was found to be constant with time at each temperature and pressure. The reaction rate was found to be directly proportional to hydrogen pressure up to 1 atm and to approach a maximum rate at high pressures. The results can be explained by considering the reaction surface to be sparsely occupied by adsorbed hydrogen at low pressures and saturated at high pressures. PREVIOUS investigation1,2 have shown that the reduction of iron oxides in hydrogen is controlled at the reaction interface. Under fixed conditions of temperature, hydrogen pressure, and gas composition, the reduction rate is constant with time, per unit surface area of residual oxide, and is directly proportional to the hydrogen pressure up to one atmosphere. The reduction rate of a sphere of iron oxide can be described3 by the following equation which takes into account the changing reaction surface area: where ro and do are the initial radius and density of the sphere; t is time; R is the fractional reduction; and R, is the reduction rate constant with units mass per area per time. The quantityis actually the fractional thickness of the reduced layer in terms of fractional reduction R. It was found in a previous investigation2 of the reduction of magnetite pellets in H2-H,O-N, mixtures, that the reaction rate was directly proportional to the hydrogen partial pressure up to 1 atm at a constant ratio of water vapor to hydrogen. Water vapor poisoned the oxide surface by an oxidizing reaction and markedly slowed the reduction. The enthalpy of activation was found to be + 13,600 cal per mole. It was also found that the magnetite reduced to meta-stable wüstite before proceeding to iron metal. The following equation was derived from absolute reaction-rate theory4,8 to expfain the experimental data: where Ro is the reduction rate in mg cm-2 min-&apos;; KO contains the conversion units; Ph2 and PH2O are the hydrogen and water vapor partial pressures in atmospheres; Ke is the equilibrium constant for the Fe,O,/FeO equilibrium; Kp is the equilibrium constant for the poisoning reaction of water vapor; L is the total number of active sites; k and h are Boltzmann&apos;s and Planck&apos;s constants; and AF is the free energy of activation. Tenenbaum zind Joseph5 studied the reduction of iron ore by hydrogen at pressures over 1 atm. They showed that increasing the hydrogen pressure materially increased the rate of reduction. This is in accordance with the work of Diepschlag,6 who found that the rate of reduction of iron ores by either carbon monoxide or hydrogen was much greater at higher pressures. He used pressures as high as 7 atm. In order to further understand the mechanism of the reduction of iron oxide by hydrogen it was decided to study the effect of increasing the hydrogen pressure on rebduction rates of magnetite pellets. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The dense magnetite pellets used in these experiments were made in the following manner. Reagent-grade ferric oxide was moistened with water and hand-rolled into spherical pellets. The pellets were heated slowly to 550°C in an atmosphere of 10 pct H2-90 pct CO, and held for 1 hr. They were then heated slowly to 1370°C in an atmosphere of 2 pct H2-98 pct CO, then cooled slowly in the same atmosphere. The sintered pellets were crystalline magnetite with an apparent density of about 4.9 gm per cm3. They were about 0.9 cm in diam. The porosity of the pellets, which was discontinuous in nature, was akrout 6 pct. The pellets were suspended from a quartz spring balance in a vertical tube furnace. The equipment is shown in Fig. 1. Essentially the furnace consists of a 12-in. OD stainless steel outer shell and a 3-in. ID inconel inner shell. The kanthal wound 22 in. long, 1 1/2, in. ID alumina reaction tube is inside the inconel inner shell. Prepurified hydrogen sweeps the reaction tube to remove the water vapor formed during the reaction. The hydrogen is static in the rest of the furnace. The sample is placed at the bottom of the furnace in a nickel wire mesh basket suspended by nickel wire from the quartz spring. The furnace is then sealed, evacuated, and refilled with argon several times to remove all traces of oxygen. It is then evacuated, filled with

Jan 1, 1962

By Sandford S. Cole, John S. Breitenstein

The recovery of over 80 pct of the vanadium values in titaniferous magnetite from Maclntyre Development,Tahawus, N. Y., was accomplished by an oxidizing roast with Na2O3-NaCI addition. Process description is given for leaching of roasted ore and precipitation of V2O5 and Cr2O8 from leach liquor. THE exploration and development of the Mac-Intyre orebody at Tahawus, N. Y., by the National Lead Co. provided a source of vanadium. Analyses of various composite sections of the drill cores of the MacIntyre orebody were made to establish whether or not the vanadium was constant throughout. Ten drill cores were sampled as 50 ft sections, crushed, and a portion magnetically concentrated. The head and concentrate were analyzed for total iron and vanadium. The results on the concentrates indicated that the vanadium is associated with the magnetite and maintains a close ratio to the iron content. The nominal ratio of 1:25:140 of V: TiO2:Fe was found to exist in the concentrates. Typical value for the vanadium in the magnetite both from laboratory concentration and mill production is 0.4 pct. The recovery of vanadium from the magnetite was investigated in 1942 to 1943. The research program encompassed both laboratory and pilot-plant work on sufficient scale to provide adequate data to establish the feasibility of a full scale plant. The recovery of vanadium from various ores has been reported in the literature and has been the subject of many patents. The literature dealing with recovery from titaniferous ore by roasting is quite limited. Roasting with alkaline sodium chloride, sodium chloride or alkaline earth chlorides, and sodium acid sulphate have been claimed in various processes as effective means.1-8 The reduction of the ore, followed by acid leaching, was another method proposed.&apos;-&apos; "he use of various pyrometallurgical processes for recovery of vanadium in the metal or in the slag has also been extensively investigated, but the results had little application to the problem."-" The separation of vanadium values from subsequent leach liquors and vanadium-bearing solution has been the subject of a considerable number of papers and patents. The most practical is by hydrolysis at a pH of 2 to 3 by acidifying a slightly alkaline solution. Data on solubility of V²O5 and V2O4 in water and in dilute sulphuric acid indicated a solubility of 10 g per liter in water.&apos;" Laboratory Results Magnetite Analysis: Adequate stock of magnetite was provided so that the laboratory and pilot-plant operation was on ore representative of the mill production. The ore was analyzed chemically and examined by petrographic methods to ascertain whether the vanadium was present in combined state or as an interstitial component between grain boundaries. No evidence was obtained which would indicate that the vanadium was in a free state as coulsonite.15 The analysis of the ore was as follows: Fe²O³, 47.4 pct; FeO, 29.1; TiO,, 10.1; V, 0.40; and Cr, 0.2. The screen analysis of the ore on the as-received basis was: -20 +30 mesh, 28.8 pct; —30 +40, 18.9; -40 +50, 9.7; -50 +60, 15.1; -60 4-100, 5.9; -100 + 200, 11.2; -200 +325, 3.7; and -325, 7.2. Roasting Conditions: The prior practice indicated that a chloridizing roast with or without an alkaline salt had been effective on other titaniferous magnetites. On this basis roasts with additions of sodium chloride, sodium carbonate and mixtures thereof were investigated varying the roasting temperature between 800" and 1100°C. Since the ore had shown no segregation or concentration of vanadium, the influence of particle size on the freeing of vanadium by the reagents during roasting was determined. The initial work was on silica trays in an electric resistance furnace with occasional rabbling of the charge. Subsequently, the roasting was carried out in a small Herreshoff furnace to establish the influence of products of combustion on the recovery of the vanadium. The laboratory tests showed that this ore required an alkaline chloridizing roast, in conjunction with a reduction in particle size to less than 200 mesh. When roasted in air at 900 °C with 5 pct NaCl and 10 pct Na2CO³, over 80 pct recovery of the vanadium was attained as a water-soluble salt. The presence of alkaline earth elements gave detrimental effects and care had to be exercised to avoid any contamination of the ore or roast product by such materials. The solubilization of vanadium under the various conditions is given in a series of curves in Figs. 1 to

Jan 1, 1952

By Harold Rose

THE peak of production from the Appalachian natural gas field was apparently reached about 10 years ago, and the annual production from Pennsylvania, West. Virginia and Ohio has now dropped to about two-thirds of the amounts obtained in 1916-and 1917. This falling off in production has occurred in spite of vigorous efforts and large expenditures by producing companies to maintain or increase their output. The greatly increased costs of development and handling are reflected in the present average value of natural gas at the point of consumption, which value in the three states referred to, has more than doubled in the past 10 years. While it is true that the natural gas production of the United States has increased during recent years, this increase has come from southwestern states, particularly from Oklahoma, California, Louisiana and Texas, which states are now leaders in the production of this valuable but fleeting resource. Pennsylvania, originally the leading state in natural gas production, occupies sixth place in the latest (1924) U. S. Bureau of Mines statistics. West Virginia, which held first place for 15 years, has dropped to third rank, and Ohio is the seventh state in the order of natural gas production. Domestic and industrial demands for gas are constantly increasing everywhere in the United States. These growing demands have accentuated the difficulties in the localities with depleted natural gas supplies, and serious shortages have already occurred during winter months in the Pittsburgh district. Some relief has been obtained by placing restrictions on the industrial use of natural gas, and by, increasing the price (which tends to reduce consumption). Yet these are but temporary expedients for checking gas consumption, which fail to solve the problem of adequate future supplies of gas.

Jan 10, 1926

The Atlanta Mine is located in east central Nevada, in Lincoln County, 116 km (72 miles) south of Ely and 80 km (50 miles) northeast of the old mining town of Pioche. From this famous district, high-grade copper ore was mined and shipped to a smelter in Wales in the 1850s; an early day lead blast furnace was also in operation. The Standard Slag Company began operations in May 1975 on the well known Atlanta Mine, which was operated by Roy Hardy in the 1930s. The mill is currently processing 450 mtpd (500 stpd) of gold-silver bearing ore. Mining by open pit is in a brecciated zone occurring between limestone-dolomites on the foot wall and tertiary rhyolites on the hanging wall. The quartz breccia is considered among the most abrasive in the world - shovel teeth must be replaced every week. Stripping ratio is 3.9 to 1.0. Because of the hard abrasive ore, the crushing plant consists of four units: two jaw crushers in series, one Hydrocone, and one Gyradisc. Mine feed to the primary crusher is limited to 610 mm (24 in.) in size. The remaining crushers work in closed circuit with screens to produce a mill feed of 6 to 13 mm (0.25 and 0.50 in.). Hardness of the ore is demonstrated by the fact that the reversible liners of the primary jaw crusher had to be replaced in early 1978 after handling only 39,000 mt (44,000 st) at a cost of $0.095 per mt ($0.086 per st). Another example of the extreme abrasiveness of the breccia ore was the total cost per ton in 1977 for all wear parts in the comminution circuit, including screens and grinding media. This amounted to $2.84 per mt ($2.58 per st). The Atlanta grinding plant consists of three ball mills to grind the 7 mm (1 /4 in.) crushing plant product to 85 to 90% minus 150 microns (100 mesh). Feed rate to the primary Tricone mill is determined by maintaining a cyclone overflow at 28 to 38% solids, which controls the grind mentioned above. A mixture of 90 and 65 mm (3.5 and 2.5 in. ) balls are charged to this primary mill. Both the secondary mills are charged with 50 mm (2 in ) balls. Total ball consumption is 2 kg per mt (4 lb per st). All three ball mills use rubber liners. Primary mill cyclone underflows are fed to the secondary mills close circuited with the same cyclones.

Jan 1, 1981

By K. W. Smith, E. A. Thomas

Various grades of synthetic mullite have been developed in recent years to replace or supplement natural sources of mullite deriued from the mullite group of minerals consisting of sillimanite, kyanite, and andalusite. Raw materials and heat treating processes used in making synthetic mullite are described. Chemical and physical data are given for typical grades and crystalline structure is illustrated with micrographs. Use of synthetic mullite as a refractory material in the glass and metallurgical industries is discussed. Mullite (3A12O3.2siO2), the only stable compound formed in the alumina-silica system, is usually present to some degree in all aluminum silicate ceramic products. The formation of mullite is considered beneficial to give rigidity to the structure and is dependent upon the ratio of Al2O3 to SiO2 in the original composition, particle size, degree of mixing, firing temperature, cooling rate, and the presence of auxiliary glass-forming fluxes. Mullite may also be formed at the reaction interface of fire clay or alumina-type refractories in contact with glass or slag melts. The term synthetic mullite is commonly used today to identify a class of sintered and fused aggregates or grains in the alumina-silica system having a highly developed mullite structure but derived mainly from raw materials other than the sillimanite group of minerals. Within the past 15 years extensive research has been done to develop economical processes to form sintered synthetic mullite aggregate to replace calcined Indian kyanite in super-refractories. Severa1 brands of such mullite are now being produced in commerical quantity and finding extensive use in refractories. Based on the service results of such refractories in many applications throughout the metallurgical, ceramic, and glass industry these developments have been considered successful and suitable substitutes for Indian kyanite now appear assured. EARLY DEVELOPMENT The conversion of kyanite, sillimanite and anda-lusite minerals of the sillimanite group to mullite and their use in refractories and porcelain have been discussed quite extensively in the literature by peck,&apos; Grieg,&apos; Riddle and Foster,3 Bowen and Grieg,4 and others and will only be mentioned here for reference to compare properties with synthetic mullite. In 1928, curtis5 reported on the development of a high temperature gas-converter process for forming synthetic mullite. The raw materials were derived mainly from lumps of high alumina clay of the correct natural composition or blends of clays and alumina that was interground and briquetted to form a suitable charge to maintain a surface combustion firing within the converter. Curtis was, no doubt, the first to illustrate by micrographs in natural color the crystalline structure of mullite derived from kyanite and mullite derived by sintering clay and alumina mixtures at temperatures above cone 32 (3123°F) and by electric fusion. In 1937, sei16 was issued a patent covering the use of a mixture of alumina-silica minerals and alumina in the proportion to form a mullite-yielding material at temperatures in excess of 3100&apos; F. During the period from 1930 to 1940, economic conditions were not favorable for the production of synthetic mullite mainly due to an adequate supply of good grades of Indian kyanite ore suitable for conversion to mullite. Uncertain conditions on availability of the Indian kyanite during the early stages of World War II fostered further study on the development of synthetic substitutes. In 1943, McVay and wilson7 reported on an extensive investigation of domestic substitute materials. Their work covered essentially the use of mixtures of electric furnace mullite, calcined topaz, and calcined domestic kyanite. Compositions were found that gave equivalent or better hot load strength than Indian kyanite in mullite-type brick compositions; however, the calcining of the topaz presented certain physical and chemical problems on the disposition of silicofluoride and hydrofluoric acid while the high cost of electric furnace mullite was a limiting factor. In this work it was pointed out that water-quenched fused mullite was found to be unstable on reheat and gave poor hot load strength due to excessive glass present whereas the slow cooled or annealed mullite contained large crystals of mullite and corundum with little glass and gave superior results.

Jan 1, 1961

By John I. Yellott

Since the days of Newcomen and Watt, when men first sought to turn the energy of fuels to useful purposes, coal-generated steam has supplied most of the power needed for both stationary and mobile applications. The low efficiency and large water requirements of the nineteenth century steam-power plant caused many engineers to turn their thoughts toward more direct means of converting heat into power. As far back as 1791, John Barber secured an English patent on a combination&apos; which he might well have called a "gas turbine." He proposed to generate producer gas from coal or charcoal, to burn it under pressure in air obtained from a reciprocating compressor, and to drive a turbine wheel with the resultant hot combustion products. With the optimism characteristic of the inventor, he hoped that the turbine would not only operate his compressor but also perform useful work. There is no record that Barber ever built his machine, but if he had done so he would have learned that useful power can result from such a combination only when both turbine and compressor are highly efficient and when the temperature of the gas entering the turbine is not far below 1000°F. Hot-air prime movers continued to attract attention, and both Stirling in England and Ericsson in America2 built reciprocating engines that operated with some success upon coal-heated air. The internal-combustion engine, burning liquid fuels, supplanted the hot-air type, and, for the first time, challenged the supremacy of both the steam cycle and its familiar fuel, coal. Liquid Fuels Compete with Coal As the increasing use of the automobile multiplied the demand for gasoline, the supply of residual fuel increased rapidly, and heavy oil declined in price to the point where it became competitive with coal. First in the marine field and later in stationary plants in areas adjacent to refineries, oil began to be widely used. Oil&apos;s greater convenience and higher heating value per pound of weight or per cubic foot of bunker space have caused it to take over much of the marine field. The introduction of the highly efficient diesel engine, capable of burning a fuel that is cheaper than gasoline, again threatened the position of coal, for the operating costs of the diesel became directly competitive with those of coal-burning equipment. In isolated power plants and smaller marine installations, the diesel provided the medium by which oil again successfully invaded fields formerly dominated by coal. The diesel engine, provided with an electrical transmission, found an excellent application in railroad service. The high availability of diesel-electric locomotives, resulting in part from freedom from water

Jan 1, 1947

By John I. Yellott

Since the days of Newcomen and Watt, when men first sought to turn the energy of fuels to useful purposes, coal-generated steam has supplied most of the power needed for both stationary and mobile applications. The low efficiency and large water requirements of the nineteenth century steam-power plant caused many engineers to turn their thoughts toward more direct means of converting heat into power. As far back as 1791, John Barber secured an English patent on a combination&apos; which he might well have called a "gas turbine." He proposed to generate producer gas from coal or charcoal, to burn it under pressure in air obtained from a reciprocating compressor, and to drive a turbine wheel with the resultant hot combustion products. With the optimism characteristic of the inventor, he hoped that the turbine would not only operate his compressor but also perform useful work. There is no record that Barber ever built his machine, but if he had done so he would have learned that useful power can result from such a combination only when both turbine and compressor are highly efficient and when the temperature of the gas entering the turbine is not far below 1000°F. Hot-air prime movers continued to attract attention, and both Stirling in England and Ericsson in America2 built reciprocating engines that operated with some success upon coal-heated air. The internal-combustion engine, burning liquid fuels, supplanted the hot-air type, and, for the first time, challenged the supremacy of both the steam cycle and its familiar fuel, coal. Liquid Fuels Compete with Coal As the increasing use of the automobile multiplied the demand for gasoline, the supply of residual fuel increased rapidly, and heavy oil declined in price to the point where it became competitive with coal. First in the marine field and later in stationary plants in areas adjacent to refineries, oil began to be widely used. Oil&apos;s greater convenience and higher heating value per pound of weight or per cubic foot of bunker space have caused it to take over much of the marine field. The introduction of the highly efficient diesel engine, capable of burning a fuel that is cheaper than gasoline, again threatened the position of coal, for the operating costs of the diesel became directly competitive with those of coal-burning equipment. In isolated power plants and smaller marine installations, the diesel provided the medium by which oil again successfully invaded fields formerly dominated by coal. The diesel engine, provided with an electrical transmission, found an excellent application in railroad service. The high availability of diesel-electric locomotives, resulting in part from freedom from water

Jan 1, 1947

By Foster Fraas

INTRODUCTION THAT variations in the humidity of the air and in the moisture content of a mixture of broken solids being separated electrostatically cause trouble is not new.1 Much of the reputation for unreliability commonly ascribed to the electrostatic separation processes is probably due to this one factor alone. Some operators dry thoroughly before separating; and while this is good in many instances, there are others in which it is not the remedy for trouble. Some mixtures behave best in very dry air and with the mixtures fed to the separator while hot to reduce the adsorbed water content. On the other hand, an overdried mixture on coming to equilibrium with more humid air, has been known to take up moisture selectively on one family of particles, as of coal in the presence of slate and clay, and give sharper electrostatic separation. From these observations it is concluded that there is a permissible moisture content for a particle and also for the atmosphere surrounding it, if in equilibrium, at which the particle will have a conductivity or contact potential2-4 that is ideal for electrostatic separation. This permissible moisture content varies between a wide range of limits for the different materials that are separated and with the kind of electrostatic separating process used. Water can be present as a result of adsorption and condensation from the atmosphere, as an accumulation before or during mining, or as a residue from a previous process step. The water may exist as a liquid film or as an adsorbed layer of vapor. If the water exceeds permissible limits it must be removed. Its state determines the method. Drying by evaporation is necessary for adsorbed water, for part of the liquid-film water (that is, up to several percent of the dry weight), and for free water in the internal structure. Large water contents may be removed by drainage or filtration. At just what point mechanical removal should cease and drying by evaporation begin depends upon the method of mechanical removal and its cost. Particles can also be separated according to their differences in dielectric constant when suspended in a liquid of intermediate dielectric constant. Recovery of this liquid presents a similar problem. PERMISSIBLE MOISTURE The adsorbed moisture on the outer surface of minerals can be quickly removed or replaced. Accordingly, in speaking of adsorbed moisture contents, either that of the solid or that of the surrounding air may be considered, the two values being connected by a distribution coefficient which varies with the temperature. However, such a condition does not necessarily exist in processes where an initially dry material is suddenly introduced into an atmosphere having a partial pressure of water vapor or where a moist material is suddenly introduced into a dry atmosphere. Here the resultant differences in the

Jan 1, 1947