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By W. M. Raynor

LARGE quantities of "midnight oil" have been consumed by researchers in attempting to develop a process to produce cold ductile zirconium at low cost. The tantalizing facts that zirconium is a bright, silvery, tarnish-proof metal and is 2 1/2 times as abundant in the earth's crust as copper, and thirteen times as plentiful as lead have resulted in much speculation on uses, ranging from automobile radiator grills to kitchen sinks. but unfortunately no low-cost process of producing it has so far been found. In the case of zirconium, we cannot say that "virtue is its own reward" for the principal virtues of the metal, namely, corrosion resistance at ordinary temperatures and ability to absorb gases at high temperature, are the very characteristics that defeat all of the usual recovery methods such as sintering, plating, or direct chemical reduction. The only method giving a pure metal sufficiently low in oxides, nitrides, etc. to be truly cold-malleable is the one developed by Van Arkel and DeBoer in 1925. This process involves decomposition of zirconium tetraiodide in contact with a hot filament and pre

Jan 1, 1947

By Eugene McAuliffe

AS anthracite is no longer used to a marked extent by the rail- ways of the United States (1,513,000 tons in 1933), that portion of the mining industry engaged in the production of bituminous coal is, and will continue to be, the one chiefly concerned with the future use of its product by the railways. In a period such as the present, when all enter- prise is unsettled, when fundamental principles of industrial management and control are being swept aside or else changed overnight, it is difficult to predict what will happen. The relation between the total production of bituminous coal and the volume consumed by the steam rail- ways of the United States, Classes I,

Jan 1, 1936

R. Schuhmann, Jr. (Purdue University)— Fulton and Chipman's results on rate of silica reduction from slags are analogous in many was to the results of Parlee, Seagle, and Schuhmann10 on rate of alumina reduction from alumina crucibles. Both investigations have given comparably low rates of reduction and slow approaches to equilibrium. Accordingly, we may hypothesize that the rate-determining step is the same in both kinds of experiments; that is, oxygen diffusion across the stagnant boundary layer on the liquid-metal side of the interface between the liquid metal and the oxide phase (slag or solid oxide). I suggest that silica reduction involves the following consecutive steps: I) At the slag-metal interface: SiO2(slag) Si+ 20 II) Transport of oxygen from slag-metal to gas-metal interface: a) diffusion across liquid-metal boundary layer at slag-metal interface. b) convection within the body of liquid metal. c) diffusion across boundary layer at metal-gas interface. 111) At the metal-gas interface: C +O- CO (gas) Iv) At the graphite-metal interface: C (graphite) -C At steelmaking temperatures it is reasonable to assume that equilibrium is attained in all three chemical reactions (I, 111, and IV) right at the respective interfaces. Convection within the stirred liquid metal (step IIb) is also rapid. Transport of Si and C should be orders of magnitude easier than transport of 0, because of the relatively high concentrations of Si and C. Accordingly, we might expect the overall reaction rate to be determined by boundary-layer diffusion of oxygen, either IIa or IIc. Fulton and Chipman's demonstration that bubbling CO through the system had no major effect on reaction rate indicates that IIc is not the slowest step. Therefore, it becomes logical to estimate the maximum rate for step IIa and to compare this theoretical estimate with Fulton and Chipman's experimental data. If oxygen diffusion across the liquid metal boundary layer at the slag metal interface (step IIa) is rate-determining, In this equation, dn sio, /dt is the rate of silica reduction in moles per sec,A is the area of slag-metal interface in sq cm, Do is the diffusivity of oxygen in sq cm per sec, 6, is the boundary layer thickness in cm, c,* is the oxygen concentration right at the slag-metal interface in moles per cubic cm, and co is the oxygen concentration in the body of the liquid metal, also in moles per cubic cm. Equilibrium data" on the silicon deoxidation reaction in liquid iron and steel at 1600°C indicate that the oxygen contents of the liquid metal in Fulton and Chipman's experiments at 1600°C probably fell in the range of 0.5 x10-3 x10-3wt pct. That is, the maximum conceivable value of co*-co for the system under consideration was on the order of 10"5 mole oxygen per cubic cm. On the basis of previously published data,1O,11 it is estimated that Do/0 will fall somewhere in the range from 10-3 to 10-1 cm per sec. The surface area A in Fulton and Chipman's experiments was approximately 20 sq cm, and the weight of metal involved was about 500 grams. Combination of all these figures with the above rate equation leads to an estimate that the rate of silica reduction should fall within the range from 0.002 to 0.2 wt pct Si per hr. This estimate is consistent with the experimental data. For example, Fulton and Chipman's Fig. 2 shows a change of about 0.3 pct Si in 10 hr, corresponding to an average rate of 0.03 pct per hr. According to the proposed hypothesis, increasing the temperature will increase the reaction rate ill two ways: 1) by increasing oxygen diffusivity and 2) by increasing the oxygen concentration (oxygen solubility) in the liquid metal. The combination of these two effects accounts for the high value of the observed activation energy. Summarizing, I propose that the rate of silica reduction, like that of the carbon-oxygen reaction, is diffusion controlled and that low oxygen concentration in the liquid metal is the major factor accounting for the very low observed rates of silica reduction. John Chipman (author's reply)—The authors thank Professor Schuhmann for his interesting contribution. His proposed explanation may well prove to be the correct one. There is clearly a need for much further experimental work on this problem, and further research is in progress.

Jan 1, 1961

By A. KROENLEIN

THE Cromwell 'Pool has been the outstanding development in Oklahoma during the year 1924. . Tonkawa contributed the deep "Slick Sand" bit apparently its 'peak has been reached and like other pools producing from below the Mississippi lime its decline' mill be rapid. After reaching a daily production of 67,000 bbl., the Cromwell Pool is declining because of a lull in -new completions, but a mile extension has revived activity and an area equal to that of the present producing' area is under development and will cause an increase in the present production of 38,000 bbl. This pool is seven months old, has three dry holes in one hundred twenty completions and is actually defined only on the southern extremity. This area has been one of the chief contributors to the .over-production of high gravity oil in the Mid- continent fields and will be such' for the remainder of ' the year. 1924 and first part of 1925.

Jan 1, 1924

MINING; SOLUTION U.S. 4,066,297 - In the solution mining of uranium from an underground deposit of uranium ore using an alkaline leaching solution, precipitation of alkali metal salts is avoided by maintaining the Injected leach solution of an alkaline carbonate or bicarbonate and an oxidant undersaturated with respect to carbonates Undersaturation is effected by use of a water softening unit or by bleeding a portion of the recycled alkallne leach solution. A P. Spence, assigned to Atlantic Richfield Co Jan. 3, 1978 4 pp. (299-4). Filed: 6-1-76 (69 1,344)

Jan 1, 1979

By R. W. Raymond

The death of the eldest of the honorary members of the Institute was not unexpected. Ritter von Tunner had never recovered from the effects of a paralytic stroke received in 1892, and when the same enemy struck again in February of this year the blow was plainly mortal. He passed away June 9th, gently and without pain. Thus ends a career of great distinction and fruitfulness, crowned with fame and love. This pioneer of the age of iron and steel had lived so long and wrought so much that the present generation could scarcely recall the whole category of his services. There can be no more appropriate use of the pages of these Transactions than to honor them with a record of such a life and work, for the inspiration of other lives to other labors. Peter Tunner was born May 10, 1809, near Peggau, in Styria.† In the same province, his grandfather, Josef Tunner, had purchased a primitive nail-forge and enlarged it to a ham

Jan 1, 1898

By P. T. Bail, J. E. Bobek

In reservoirs containing soft shales interbedded with oil-producing sands, it is possible to have water movement from the shales into the sands during reservoir depletion. This paper presents the results of scaled flow-model tests performed to investigate the efficiency of oil displacement by this vertical influx of water into oil-producing sands. In these model tests, the effects of rate of influx and rock wettability were considered. Oil recoveries by shale-wafer influx and by water flooding were cornpared after 0.4 hydrocarbon volume of water entered the producing sand. This comparison was made for water-wet and oil-wet systems. In water-wet sand, shale-water influx produces slightly less oil than conventional water flooding; in oil-wet sand, shale-water influx produces about one-half as much oil as conventional water flooding. In another type of comparison, it was found that shale-water influx followed by water flooding recovers less oil than water flooding alone. This is true for both water-wet and oil-wet sands. A comparison of tests run at different rates of shale-water influx shows that oil recovery is insensitive to rate in water-wet sand; in oil-wet sand, oil recovery decreases with decreasing rate of influx. INTRODUCTION Localized subsidence of the earth's surface has accompanied the depletion of some oil reservoirs, particularly in California,1, 2 along the Texas Gulf Coast,3 4 and in the Bolivar Coastal fields of Venezuela. Subsidence occurs when fluid withdrawals reduce the pressure in the reservoir. The reasons for subsidence accompanying a reduction in reservoir pressure are not known with certainty.10° However, there is considerable evidence that compaction of soft shale beds adjacent to producing oil sands can be a major cause of this subsi-dence.3, 6, 10-12 When the shales compact, a limited amount of water moves from the shales into the producing sands. A schematic illustration of this oil-producing mechanism is shown in Fig. 1. As the pressure in the sand declines due to oil production, a predominantly vertical pressure gradient develops at the sand-shale boundary. This causes water to move from the shale into the sand as indicated by the solid arrows. This paper reports the results of scaled flow-model tests to investigate the efficiency of oil displacement by the vertical influx of shale water into producing sands. The model tests were not performed with the aim of duplicating the recovery behavior of any specific reservoir. The primary purpose of the tests was to obtain a better understanding of oil displacement by shale-water influx. A knowledge of the oil- and water-production characteristics of even a simplified reservoir system should be of value to engineers estimating the performance of reservoirs where shale-water influx is occurring in conjunction with other production mechanisms. The following limitations and assumptions apply to the model work. 1. The sand of the prototype reservoir is homogeneous and horizontal. 2. The shale-water influx is uniformly distributed along the top and bottom of the sand member being studied. 3. No effects of edge-water drive or dissolved-gas drive that might accompany shale-water influx are considered. PROTOTYPE RESERVOIRS Scaled-model tests were performed to study oil displacement from three prototype reservoir sections. The reservoir sections modeled consist of single sand layers out of a sequence of -sand and -shale layers, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Each prototype represents a homogeneous, high-permeability, unconsolidated sand layer. In the field, the prototype is oriented in such a manner that one end is at the radius of drainage of a producing well and the other end is pointed toward the producing well (Fig. 2). The sand and fluid properties and the dimensions of the three prototypes are given in Table 1. The capillary pressure relationships for the three prototypes are presented in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The oil-water per-

Discussion of the paper of James R. Finlay, presented at the New York meeting, February, 1912, and printed in Bulletin No. 75, March, 1913, pp. 487 to .503. CHAIRMAN JOHN BIRKINBINE :-Having been invited to preside at this session, the Chairman feels that the part he takes in discussions should be limited, although the subject presented is one of much interest to him and there are diverse viewpoints concerning methods of valuing expectancies from what may be considered " ore in sight," a term itself subject to various definitions. Estimates of quantities upon which valuations are made may differ without subjecting the estimators to criticism of unfairness if made by a prospective purchaser or by a seller, or if they are used as the basis for taxation. The hopes of the seller may influence a liberal allowance for estimated reserves, while the expectancies of a willing purchaser are less optimistic, and the tax assessor is expected to limit his consideration to the producing capacity of a mine, with possibly modest allowance for reserves. The knowledge that a property contains or yields mineral or the expectancy that it may be a producer of value adds to the estimate placed upon it by any of the above classes, and a just determination of this value is often a complex problem.

Jan 5, 1913

Jan 1, 1907

By Warren W. Jamar, Philip D. Pearson

IN recent years, there have been many changes in mining operations in the Lake Superior district. To follow these trends on the Menominee Range of Michigan, information has been assembled from all of the iron informatior]mining operations in the area. There are 15 operating underground mines in the Iron River-Crystal Falls area of the Menominee Range. Within the past two years, two idle properties were reopened pasttwoyears,and are now producing, and a third and fourth are being reopened. Also, there are two siliceous openpits operated by independent companies outside this immediate area. Six companies operate the underground mines, employing some 1850 employees. Table I shows pertinent facts about these properties. During 1949, the largest mine in Iron County shipped 571,287 tons, and one of the newer mines shipped 39,378 tons, with a range total to 3,535,-373 tons. Since the Menominee Range was opened in the 1870's, the mines in Iron County have shipped 85,890,922 tons. From an operator's viewpoint rather than a geologist's, the ore is' classified as semi-hard, composed of hematite and limonite. It is not as soft as the ores of the Marquette Range nor is it as hard as the hard ores of the Marquette and Vermillion Ranges. The ore bodies have slate hanging walls and slate footwalls. In most cases the hanging walls and footwalls are soft and high in sulphur. The sulphur comes from pyrite, and these slates will ignite when piled more than 6 to 8 ft high. Ore is mined on this range by: 1—Sub-level stop-ing; 2—Shrinkage stoping; 3—Sub-level caving; 4— Block caving; 5—Top slicing. The predominance of these methods is in the order named. Underground drilling is important in the mining cycle. Some changes made and trends toward future changes fall into four categories: Drill bits, drill steel, drill machines, and compressed air pressures. Several types of bits have been tried and are in use. They include the detachable tungsten carbide, insert bit; the intraset steel bit, which is a conventional steel rod with tungsten carbide insert; the one-use bit; and the multiple-use bit. For many years, detachable multiple-use bits have been standard. In tests conducted recently to im- prove drilling efficiency, this bit was used as the basis for comparison. Under existing conditions, a multiple-use bit can be resharpened about three times before it is discarded. A thorough test of 2-in. tungsten carbide threaded bits was conducted under various ground conditions. 1—The drilled footage ranged from 48 to 600 ft per bit; averaging 357 ft per bit. Under these same conditions, a multiple-use bit ranged from 8 to 80 ft per bit. 2—The bit cost was greater for the insert bit in each case. 3—The average drilling speed for the insert bit was 12 in. in 62 sec and for the multiple-use bit was 12 in. in 64 sec. In a second test, 2V4 -in. tungsten carbide bits with the large 1 3/16-in. thread were used in moderately soft ground on a 152-lb drifting drill on a long feed jumbo. 1—The drilled footage ranged from 450 to 5000 ft per bit, averaging 1810 ft per bit. Under these same conditions, a multiple-use bit averaged 64 ft per bit. 2—The bit cost was reduced by the use of the insert bit. 3—No increase in drilling speed was recorded. 4—Minimum footage obtained was caused by thread failure. To improve the thread life, thread size on the rod was increased and the bit was attached to the rod with a pipe wrench. After this, bits failed in equal proportions because of cracked skirts, broken inserts, and gage loss. Tungsten carbide bits are now used in the operation where this second test was conducted because labor costs were lowered as a result of reducing the number of bits being changed by the miners. At the same operation and under the same conditions as the second test, 1Y4-in. insert bits with standard 1-in. threads were used. These bits did not drill much more than 300 ft before thread failure and were then welded to the rods and used until total failure. Sometimes this footage was considerable, sometimes it was not. Chisel-type 2%-in. insert bits were

Jan 1, 1952

By A. F. Beasley

FROM the initial Bunker Hill smelter operations in 1917, to March, 1930, only 50 per cent of the ore production of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining and Concentrating Co. was handled at this plant. Since the date last mentioned, the total mine production has been received. The old lead refinery was equipped with four 105-ton drossing kettles, three 110-ton softening furnaces, four 105-ton desilverizing kettles, three 100-ton refining furnaces, one 150-ton round refined lead-storage furnace, one 75-ton residue furnace and one hand-operated casting wheel. This equipment, with the exception of the residue furnace, could not adequately handle the increased tonnage in addition to the regular supply of custom ore. It became necessary either to install additional furnaces and kettles or to rebuild the entire plant, installing equipment of greater capacity.. The latter course was chosen, partly because of lack of space for additional equipment but mainly because of the more economical operation of larger units.

Jan 1, 1932

During the past 20 years the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. and the General Electric Co. have collected a valuable library of some 9000 volumes on electricity. The collection was intended especially for use in patent searches and is particularly rich in patent material. Files of all the principal patents relating to electric light acid power issued by America, England, France and Germany, are present, together with copies of the patents owned or controlled by the two companies. Another feature, and one of unusual value, is a series of volumes containing the records of the important adjudicated patent cases of these companies and their predecessors during the past 25 years, and forming a storehouse of electrical history. There are also files of about 100 electrical periodicals. It is a pleasure to announce that this collection has now been presented by the owners to the Engineering Societies Library. This gift, which was arranged through Mr. Charles A. Terry, Vice-president, Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co., and Mr. Charles Neave, Counsel,

Jan 7, 1918

By AIME

COAL, its acquisition and consumption, has loomed large enough in the lives of many of us at one time or another, not from a technical standpoint, perhaps, but on a utility basis, to keep the house warm and the plant going. The Chairman of the Coal Division was much like many of us in that respect until after his graduation from Northwestern in 1928. Then he went to work as geologist for the Zeigler Coal Co., investigating strip coal possibilities in western Illinois, and also did research in the microscopy of coal at the Illinois Geological Survey. His interest in coal was originated and stimulated by Gilbert H. Cady, of the Illinois Geological Survey. With his advice, and with the co-operation of M. M. Leighton, Survey chief, the results of his research work on the mineral constituents of coal at the Survey were accepted as a thesis for his doctorate which he received from Harvard in 1935. Nine days before the Christmas of 1906, Clayton Garrett Ball was born at Wauconda, Ill. His father was professor of geology at Northwestern until he retired in 1946; retirement didn't lessen his active interest in his profession; he's still teaching geology at the University of Kansas City. So it was only natural for Clayton to study at Northwestern. In 1937, following a year's connection with the Bell &

Jan 1, 1948

By W. F., Netzeband

SEVERAL criteria have been used more or less successfully in finding and developing orebodies in this district. Among them is the relation of the fracture to the orebodies. It has been known for some time that there was some relation, but it has been but recently. that careful study has been given to this subject. Like all the criteria used in this district, this relationship must be used with caution, for what-is true in one part of the district is not necessarily true in another.

Jan 1, 1928

By AIME AIME

FELIX E. WORMSER was born in Santa Barbara on Oct. 31,1894, so is one of the youngest members of the Board, only H. D. Wilde t 39) and W. M. Peirce (43) being his juniors. After graduating from the Columbia School of Mines as an E.M. in 1912, he went West and worked for the Snake River Mines, the Baker Mines Co., and the Cornucopia Mines CO., all in Oregon. Then for a year or two he was the youngest U. S. Mineral Surveyor in Oregon. In 1918 he was in the Army from which he was honorably discharged as a Second Lieutenant. Early in 1919 he joined the staff of the Bureau of Mines, at Washington, assisting in compiling reports and in War Minerals Relief work. His acquaintance there with J. E. Spurr led to his joining the staff of the Engineering and Mining Journal as assistant editor in April, 1920. He specialized in market studies and assisted in the compilation of the Journal's metal quotations until June, 1925, when he resigned to engage in active mining examination and consulting' work in the Northwest for H. H. Armstead. Three years later he returned to New York at the time of the formation of the Lead Indus- tries Association, becoming its Secretary and Treasurer, a position that he has since held.

Jan 1, 1940

By K. S. TWITCHEEL

THE different lines leading out from the vocation of a mining engineer are,' perhaps, the most' varied of all the professions. The expedition sent by Charles R. Crane of New York 'as a gift to the Imam Yahia, king of the Yemen, Arabia, was probably unique. Mr. Crane made a visit, in January,1927, to the Imam Yahia at Sanaa, capital of the Yemen. He was received with the utmost cordiality and respect, as his friend- . ship for the ,Arab world is famous; He was 'greatly impressed by the desire of the Imam to develop his country. The Imam stated that he had heard that there were minerals in his country and that he would like to secure engineers to advise him about them and other natural resources.. This seemed such a practical idea, and so greatly appealed to Mr. crane, that he offered to furnish an engineering 'expedition. Naturally the Imam gratefully accepted. This expedition was to study (as far as possible in 'the limited time) the natural resources of the ,Yemen, advise the Imam of what these consisted, and make suggestions regarding the most practical methods for their development. As agriculture is always such a fundamental part of a country's wealth, I first went to Indio, California, to study water-well drilling and the date industry, and eventually arrived at Hodeidah, the principal Yemen seaport, on Oct. 21, 1927.

Jan 1, 1929

By W. A. Barrows, Carl Zapffe

Jan 1, 1913

By Robert B. McCormick

THE major use for quartz crystal is in the manufacture of radio oscillator plates and telephone resonator and filter crystals. Quartz crystal is also cut and polished as a semiprecious gem stone, particularly in the colored varieties (amethyst, Brazilian topaz, and others), and often is carved into various objects of art. Prisms, wedges, lenses and other optical parts often are made of quartz crystal, usually for special- purpose instruments. Chips and small clear crystals below 100 grams in weight, called “lascas” by the trade, are the raw material for fused quartz products. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The Greeks believed quartz to be permanently frozen water and therefore called it krustallos, which, literally translated, means clear ice; but ages before their civilization, prehistoric man had crudely cut and polished crystals for rough charms and ornaments. About 2000 B.C., the Egyptians brought the art of cutting quartz to a high level. While there are earlier examples of crystal art that have great value, working in crystal during that period became a means of artistic and religious expression that has endured through the ages. Art museums and private collections throughout the world contain many priceless pieces. They include findings from the tombs of the earliest Egyptian rulers, as well as magnificent art objects in both clear and colored crystal encrusted with silver, gold, enamel, and precious gems of oriental and European workmanship. Pierre Curie first measured the piezoelectric effect of quartz, in 188 1, by placing a weight on the surface of a quartz crystal and measuring the resulting electrical charge, which he found was proportional to the weight applied. The following year the inverse piezoelectric effect was proved by the Curies. By applying a voltage to a piece of quartz, a measurable physical displacement occurs. The first practical application of this effect was the construction of a bimorph unit to measure voltage by measuring the amount of the displacement of the end of the bimorph. The piezoelectric properties of quartz crystal remained largely a laboratory curiosity until World War I, when a supersonic device for

Jan 1, 1949

By A. W. Schlechten, R. F. Doelling

Parkes' process crusts were vacuum distilled using a shortened Pidgeon retort. Zinc was effectively removed below 800°C and recovered as a zinc sheet easily stripped from the furnace liner. Lead dasdistillationazinc required about 950°C and the resulting lead condensate tillationtended to stick to the thin metal liner. Final purity of residue is limited only by nonvolatile metals such as copper. THE successful commercial application of vacuum distillation for the removal of zinc from lead, as described by W. T. Isbell,' raises the question of whether or not a similar method can be used for other metal separations. Preliminary laboratory experiments on the vacuum distillation of Parkes' crusts by one of the authors' gave such encouraging results that it was decided to make a series of tests with large scale equipment to determine the results that might be expected in plant operation. The pilot-plant test results are reported in this paper. The great advantages of vacuum dezincing are its simplicity, the relatively low temperature of operation, and the fact that the zinc is recovered in the metallic state ready for use again in the desilveriza-tion of lead bullion. These same advantages and others would be realized from the vacuum distillation of the zinc-lead-silver crusts made in the Parkes' process. Zinc readily will distill over at temperatures of 800" to 900 °C as contrasted with the 1200°C or more used in the Faber du Faur furnace. Furthermore, the recovery of zinc as metal is practically perfect since there is no loss by oxidation or fuming. If the vacuum distillation is continued and hastened by raising the temperature to around 1000°C, the lead will distill over at an appreciable rate and deposit in a warmer zone of the condenser. This lead will contain a small amount of silver, but it can be returned to the desilverizing kettles and there is not the chance of loss that there is in disposing of the rich litharge from cupelling. The lower temperatures required will mean a saving of fuel and less wear on the equipment. One further point is that the vacuum distillation could be run on a small scale practically continuously, so as to avoid the accumulation of large amounts of silver-rich material and the need of assembling a large crew for special cupellation runs. It should be pointed out here that the final purity of the silver residue will depend on the copper or iron content of the crusts, as these and other metals with low vapor pressure will not be eliminated. The idea of treating the silver-zinc-lead crusts from the desilverization of lead bullion by vacuum distillation is not a new one, but such experiments have not been reported, as far as can be determined. In 1912, T. Turner presented a paper3 before the Institute of Metals on the vacuum distillation of brass, and a member of the audience suggested that he try his method on Parkes' crusts. In 1935, W. J. Kroll, noted for his discovery of debismuthiz-ing lead by calcium additions, published a paper' on vacuum distillation of metals and pointed out possible applications in the lead industry. Principles of Separation The successful separation of two or more metals by distillation depends upon an appreciable difference in the effective vapor pressures of the metals in the alloy to be treated. The vapor pressures of the common metals have been determined with considerable accuracy; for example, at 800°C the vapor pressures of the individual metals which are of particular interest in this paper are about .as follows: Zn, 241 mm; Pb, 0.0553 mm; and Ag, 0.0000276 mm. Unfortunately,, data are not available on the activities of the components in the ternary system Zn-Pb-Ag, but it can be estimated that on the basis of the vapor pressures of the individual metals a good separation can be made by distillation. The preliminary laboratory tests previously mentioned' supported this assumption. The pilot-plant size vacuum distilling furnace is shown in Fig. 1. It consisted of an abbreviated Pidgeon retort, 5 ft long with an ID of 8 in., heated by six silicon carbide elements placed symmetrically

Jan 1, 1952

By Fredrick C. Kruger

Introduction This surprisingly little-known group of minerals, the nonmetallics, so-called for their lack of metallic luster, is the largest group of the mineral kingdom, and cinstitutes perhaps 75 percent of all mineral species. For the most part, these minerals are compounds of the common acids, oxides, hydroxides, and two elements, carbon and sulfur. The list of the non- metallic minerals, therefore, is very long. It includes the borates, carbonates, chlorides, fluorides, nitrates, phosphates, silicates, sulfates, and less commonly, arsenates, chromates, molybdates, suliides, tungstates, and vanadates, the latter groups, and many of the oxides, being sought principally for their metal content. Those nonmetallics used commercially are generally called the industrial minerals, although in addition this term also includes a considerable group of rocks. The list of industrial minerals and rocks is continually growing as new uses are found, and it now numbers over 300 commodities. The industrial minerals industry has developed since about 1920. There- fore, the development has been fast, and it has been more or less parallel with the development of the art of minerals beneficiation. General Discussion of the Group This group is so heterogeneous that it has defied logical, or widely accepted, classification, whether by origin, composition, or end use, and perhaps for this reason the industrial minerals generally have received short shrift in both teaching and research. Except for those involved with asbestos, cement, fertilizers, gypsum, salt, sand and gravel, few large companies have deigned to enter the field, and consequently most industrial minerals have been developed for the most part by the small operators or entrepreneurs. Yet surprisingly, except for one war year, the nonmetallics have always surpassed the metals in value and tonnage (Fig. 1). One main characteristic that most of the nonmetallics have in common is direct sensitivity to labor and transportation. In other words they are characterized by large bulk and low-unit value, and hence have what might be termed a "place value".

Jan 1, 1971