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By Lo-Ching Chang, Kenneth M. Goldman

INTRODUCTION THE kinetics and mechanism of transfer of a constituent across a slag-metal interface are fundamentally important because many metallurgical processes involve the existence of a slag phase and a metal phase. Industrial processes seldom proceed to equilibrium, and information of the rates and modes of reactions are therefore often of greater practical importance than equilibrium data. A study of the kinetics of sulphur transfer across a slag-metal interface under reducing conditions will contribute a great deal toward a better understanding of desulphurization in the blast furnace process. The general principles existing in the transfer of a constituent, such as sulphur, across a slag-metal interface can be extended to similar transfer phenomena in other metallurgical processes. The present paper will demonstrate how such studies will lead to fruitful results from both the practical and theoretical standpoints. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD The apparatus used was simple. A graphite crucible 1 5/8-in. id, a wall 1/8-in. thick, and a depth of 4 in., was packed in an outer fused silica tube with powdered magnesia. The crucible assembly was rotated at a speed of 235 rpm inside an induction coil. A charge of 250 g of Armco ingot iron was introduced into the graphite crucible and melted by induction heating. The melt was held at a desired temperature [ ] for 3-5 min., after which 7.5 g of granular ferrous sulphide was added and the bath was held for another 3-5 min. A metal sample was then taken by means of a fused silica tube and a rubber suction bulb. Immediately after the metal sample was taken, 30 g of a prefused and crushed slag were introduced. The slag reached the temperature of the furnace in 1 to 1 1/ 2 min. Slag

Jan 1, 1948

By F. P. Agterberg

It can be useful to model the mean grade values for a metal in mineral deposits containing that metal as representing the extreme value tail of a lognormal frequency distribution for the concentration values of the metal in common rocks of all types. Results for copper and zinc in the Abitibi area of the Canadian Shield are compared to results previously obtained for the Canadian Appalachian region. The lognormal model is also applied to a set of 162 large gold deposits in the Abitibi area. In the second part of the paper, 1311 large and small gold deposits in the Abitibi area are modeled as discrete events. By means of a newly developed spatial clustering model it is possible to predict the variances of random variables for frequencies of deposits in cells of different sizes.

Jan 1, 1981

By F. T. Havard

The present truce in litigation between Western smelting and ranching interests gives opportunity for a summary of the results achieved by metallurgists in condensing fume and de-acidifying furnace-gases. In the absence of complete records of past experiments, there ha's been a good deal of unliecessary duplication of attempts and failures. Yet, especially uilder the recent policy of our large corporations, looking to the economic recovery of the values of by- and waste products, . original and, in some cases, effective measures have been developed by American metallurgists. In the case of Bliss us. the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., the Montana Suprenle Court, recognizing the progressive efforts made to render the flue-gases innocuous, and the value to the community of the smelting company's operations, refused to hamper its work, and returned a verdict in favor of the defendant. In the trial, the experimental farms of the company ill the so-called "aff'ected region" were proved to be thriving perfectly, showing that immunity was guaranteed to vegetation and stock by tlle wide distribution of the sulyhurous acid gas in the dry air of Montana. Indeed, L. S. Austin has proved that by the time the fume is 4,000 ft, distant from the stack, the percentage of sulphurous acid has been diminished from 2.28 to 0.00045; and Angus Smith has shown that rain must contain 40 parts per million of free acid before vegetation is affected. The arsenic in the stack-gases is but a very small part of the original content of the ore, of which 80 per cent. and over is rejected in the coilcentrator and furnace waste-products or recovered in the flues, Nevertheless, neither the peace in Montana nor the armistice

Jan 1, 1911

By R. S. Busk, E. G. Bobalek

THE relation between gases and metals has been a subject of increasingly active investigation during the past years, principally devoted to the study of metal-hydrogen systems. It has been found that hydrogen is soluble in most molten metals to an appreciable extent and somewhat soluble in most solid metals.1,2 In every known case there is a sudden decrease in solubility at the melting point. Thus a freezing mass of metal containing hydrogen in excess of the solid solubility must in some way expel that excess during the freezing process. This leads to internal blowholes, and such effects as pinhole porosity. Gas trapped in metal that is to be fabricated by a working process such as extrusion or rolling may be the cause of blisters. For some cases, notably in copper and iron alloys, the presence of hydrogen can lead to extreme embrittlement of the metal. The aluminum-casting industry has long recognized the importance of hydrogen in its techniques. Excess gas in molten aluminum alloys often leads to the formation of "pinhole porosity" in the solid casting.3 To prevent this hydrogen pickup it is necessary to avoid overheating the melt and to protect it from such sources of hydrogen as water. In spite of all precautions, it is sometimes necessary to extract hydrogen from the melt just before pouring by bubbling with a gas such as chlorine or nitrogen. Recently it has been found that somewhat similar effects are possible with magnesium alloys, in that the presence of hydrogen can induce or aggravate microporosity.4-6 This paper is primarily concerned with a presentation of some facts concerning the solubility of hydrogen in magnesium and its alloys, with some discussion of the significance of these facts in a practical sense. In any study of gas-metal systems it is important to bear in mind a clear distinction between adsorption on surfaces and absorption within the lattice.1 Considerable attention has been directed toward determining whether hydrogen is truly soluble in any solid metal, or whether the gas extracted from a sample was present at surfaces (external and internal) only.7 Most present day evidence supports the idea of true solution in addition to adsorption. A second important factor when dealing with gas solubility is the dependence of such solubility on external pressure. For diatomic gases such as H2, solubility in both liquid and solid metals apparently is proportional to the square root of the pressure, indicating a breakdown to a monatomic gas before diffusion into the lattice .2 For true equilibrium values of solubility, therefore, the pressure at the metal surface must be constant and, preferably, known. Very little has been published concerning the hydrogen-magnesium system. Winterhager has presented the most

Jan 1, 1946

By J. A. Holmes

Venezuela has continued during 1929 to demonstrate that it is destined for many years to come to be one of our most important sources of crude petroleum. The producing fields of the Bolivar Coastal district along the east side of Lake Maracaibo have continued their phenomenal production, and two new fields have reached the near producing stage, while the results of deep test wells have strengthened the predictions and expectations that oil will be found and produced from many other pools and from several different geological formations. The finding of these new oil pools is not going to be easy, because the surface evidences of geological structure are scanty, and the subsurface problems are difficult, but intelligent effort backed by ample resources may be counted upon to overcome these obstacles and lead to a continued increase in the number of producing fields in Venezuela. During 1929 the total production of Venezuela was approximately 135,953,000 bbl., an increase of nearly 30,000,000 bbl., or 28 per cent., as compared with the preceding year. During 1929 oil in steel storage in Venezuela decreased from 13,000,000 to about 11,000,000 barrels. Tables 1, 2 and 3 briefly summarize Venezuelan production by fields and by years, and show the trend of production since its establishment on a commercial basis. Table 1.---Production of Crude Oil in Venezuela by Years, 1917 to 1929 All Figures in Barrels of 42 Gallons Total PRodUction Total PRoduction Year VeneZUela, Bbl. Year Venezuela, Bbl. 1917....................... 227,000 1927.................... 63,181,000 1918....................... 368,000 1928.................... 106,000,000 1919....................... 258,000 1929.................... 135,953,000* 1920..................... 548,000 Grand Total Since Ineep- 1921...................... 1,544,000 tion................... 380,791,000 1922....................... 2,448,000 Increase, 1929 over 1928.. . 29,953,000 1923..................... 4,170,000 Per cent. Increase......... 28.2 1924....................... 9,234,000 Per cent. 1929 Production 1925....................... 20,219,000 of Total............... 35.7 1926....................... 36,641,000 * Includes estimate for closing period of 1929.

Jan 1, 1930

NEW MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period of June 10, 1917, to July 10, 1917. BANKS, LEON MAXWELL Agent 3. Supt., Grant Leasing Co. Metcalf Ariz. BEAUCHAMP, HENRY CLAY : Mine Operator, Sisson, Siskiyou Co., Cal. BOCKING, CHARLES, Asst. Mgr., Butte & Superior ,Mining Co., Rialto Bldg., Butte, Mont. BEYER, HERMAN E., Chief Engr., Condenser Dept., Ingersoll-Rand Co., 11 Broadway, New York, N. Y. BLACK, HERBERT F 1512 Oliver Bldg., Pittsburgh, Pa. BRENNAN, PATRICK J., Gen'l. Supt., Elkhorn Division, Consolidation Coal Co., Jenkins, Ky. BUTNER, DANIEL W., Chem. & Supt., Underground Min., Spanish American Iron Co., Daiquiri, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. CARLTON, DAVE P Nevada-Douglas Cons. Copper Co., Ludwig, Nev. DE AROZENA, JOE Min. Engr., 321 Preusser St., San Angelo, Texas. DICKIE, CHARLES HERBERT, Pres., Georgia River Min. Co., Duncan, Vancouver Island, B. C., Canada. DOBBINS, WALTER Mill Foreman, Chino Copper Co., Hurley, New Mexico. DRURY, CHARLES W., Asst. Professor of Met., Queen's University, Kingston Out. Canada.

Jan 8, 1917

By L. W. Strock

Metallurgists handling lead and zinc ores have long been familiar with the spectrograph as a routine analytical tool, as its earliest regular use by American industry was in controlling impurities of zinc metal and its alloys. This application has been extended to other metal industries on an extensive scale, accompanied by refinements of procedure to such an extent that a large part of some metals produced, especially magnesium, aluminum and steel, are checked only by spectrographic methods for conformity to specifications. The spectrographic analysis of ores and other poorly conducting powdered solids presents difficulties not encountered with metallic samples, which can be arced or sparked as self-electrodes or can be readily dissolved, so that their solutions can be analyzed, as in the American Society for Testing Materials standard methods for zinc and zinc-base alloys. Spectra of powdered solid samples can be prepared by using carbon electrodes provided with a crater of suitable size, into which the sample is packed. Ore samples and many other powdered solid materials usually analyzed in the chemical and metallurgical laboratory are more complex and varied in composition than samples of metals produced in large tonnages. 'lore preliminary work therefore is usually necessary in devising a spectrographic method for analyzing a given type of powdered sample than for analyzing metal samples, in order to use that method with confidence. The howledge that the standard samples and unknowns produce equivalent line intensities at equal concentration is the fundamental basis of any quantitative spectrographic method. On the other hand, powdered samples have an advantage over metals in that any desired number of chemical compounds can be mixed dry in any desired ratio to produce a synthetic standard. Expcrience has shown, however, that spectra of elements in finely divided compounds introduced into a standard in preparing a synthetic ore sample do not always behave in the electric arc in a manner that produces spectral line intensities similar to those observed at the same concentration in a natural mineral. In ore samples minor elements frequently are contained in the crystal lattice of larger particles of an abundant ore mineral. Their dissociation and volatilization from the sample into the arc then proceeds differently in the standard and sample, with resultant differences in intensity. During the past 10 years I have devised and applied several quantitative spectrographic methods for determining various elements in rocks and minerals in connection with studies on their geochemistry,' but the incentive has gradually changed since the summer 0. 1940 to the specific practical problem of searching for domestic sources of rare and stratcgic metals. The

Jan 1, 1949

By J. R. Ross, J. B. Rosenbaum

Bureau of Mines research has resulted in the development of fluid- bed ion-exchange columns for recovering uranium from slime pulps. In pilot plant tests, slime slurries containing up to 6 percent solids were processed at flow rates of 10 gallons per square foot per minute with high uranium recoveries and efficient resin loadings. Uranium was effectively eluted in a laboratory fluid-bed elution column at eluate-to-resin ratios of less than 5:1 and eluate flow rates of 3 gallons per square foot per minute. Construction costs of mills using these improved ion exchange techniques are estimated to be 25 percent less than for mills using solvent extraction of clear solutions. For mills having a capacity of 2,000 to 2,500 tons of ore per day, the saving would be in the range of $2.5 million. In addition, a saving of about $0.80 per ton of ore in total operating costs is indicated.

Jan 1, 1973

By Robert Glass Cleland

IN gathering material for this book, I have made extensive use of the archives of Phelps Dodge, contemporary news- papers, and a wide range of secondary sources. Two manuscripts-one on the history of Phelps Dodge by Arthur Train, Jr., and John L. Lawler, the other a biography of William E. Dodge by Richard Lowitt-have been of the greatest value. I owe a particular debt to the authors whose names I have just mentioned. I have also gathered important information and obtained revealing points of view from conversations with many people. Personal visits to the company's mines and plants added knowledge and understanding that nothing else was able to supply. I am greatly obligated to the officers of the company, especially to Mr. Louis S. Cates, chairman of the board of directors, Mr. Robert G. Page, president, Mr. George R. Drysdale, vice-president of Phelps Dodge Corporation, and Mr. Walter C. Bennett, president of Phelps Dodge Refining Corporation, for their co-operation and assistance. Mr. Wylie Brown, former president of Phelps Dodge Copper Products Corporation, also supplied valuable data and deeply appreciated hospitality. In my visits to the Phelps Dodge properties, company representatives extended every hospitality and placed at

Jan 1, 1952

GENERAL GEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION The uranium mineral appraisal herein described was made for an ore deposit in New Mexico. The uranium mineralization occurs as roughly tabular to lens-shaped deposits of varying thickness within the sandstone of the Jackpile formation of Jurassic age. The mineralization occurs at several horizons within the Jackpile formation, but is not always confined to specific beds. It often transgresses across stratigraphic layers, as demonstrated when attempting correlation of uranium gamma anomalies between adjacent drill holes. Preferred mineral trends have been established in some parts of the deposit, but are not always predictable when attempting to extrapolate beyond the zones defined by drill hole sampling. MANAGEMENT OF DRILL HOLE SAMPLE DATA All of the drill hole sample data used in the appraisal were obtained from interpretation of gamma-ray logs. A brief description of gamma-ray log sampling is given in Chapter 2. Two preliminary steps are involved in preparing gamma-ray logs into sample data normally acceptable for computer manipulation. 1) The gamma analog trace produced by the downhole probe must be digitized, i.e., counts-per-second (CPS) are recorded for each 0.15 m (1/2-ft) interval across the gamma-ray anomaly. The work is usually done on a "digitizer" while following the analog trace with an electronic stylus on a special tablet or table. The other alternative is to do the work manually. Some of the newest downhole logging equipment produces a magnetic tape output which can be read by a computer. 2) The gamma-ray CPS values must then be converted to equivalent U308 assay values, taking into consideration all appropriate correction factors. The US Atomic Energy Commission, now part of the Department of Energy, developed the theory and algorithm for this conversion in the 1960's, and though the work can be done manually, it is best done with the GAMRED (gamma-reduction) computer program. Fig. 14-1 illustrates a typical analog trace produced by the probe instrumentation, including gamma-ray trace (left), self-potential electric log (center), and resistivity log (right). Fig. 14-2 shows a form of the computer output after the analog data has been digitized to 0.15-m (1h-ft) intervals and converted to percentage U308 values for the same hole. The U308 grade bar graph on the right permits rapid visual inspection of anomalous values by depth and elevation. The converted U308 sample data were next processed by the SURVEY program that assigned to each assay interval [0. 15-m (1h-ft)] an X Y Z coordinate, taking into account all deviations indicated from downhole survey information. The output file of the SURVEY program was listed on the line printer for examination by project geologists, and also became the main input file for the URAN/ COMP compositing program, which is designed to group individual 0.15-m (/-ft) U308 sample values into larger intervals representing discrete anomalous zones according to a series of specified parameters entered into the program by the user. Composite U308 intervals were computed by the URAN/COMP computer program, the logic of which may be briefly described as follows: Step 1 The program searches for the highest U308 value in the hole and builds a composite by adding the highest grade interval on either side so long as the added value is greater than a minimum acceptable grade, and the total composite, after addition, meets minimum GT (grade times thickness) constraints. Step 2 The program loops back to find the next highest assay value in the hole not already included into a composite, until all anomalies above minimum cutoff grade are composited. Step 3 Individual composites are combined if they are closer than a specified minimum waste thickness, and the resultant composite grade still meets GT minimums.

Jan 1, 1980

By F. D. Dietiker

After determination of the requirements for a given application, proper selection of a belt conveyor is made from tables and formulas commonly used by conveyor designers. Belt conveyors, which are universally accepted as a means of transporting bulk materials, also perform the important functions of stockpiling and reclaiming.

Jan 1, 1978

By Henry A. Stiff, and Lawrence E. Davis

The authors previously presented a method for predicting the tendency of oil field waters to deposit calcium sulfate. The present paper gives a similar method for calcium carbonate. Methods for predicting calcium carbonate scaling tendencies in fresh waters have been available for some time, but these could not be used for brines. By experimentally deriving the value of the K term in the Langelier equation, a method has been developed which applies to waters of high salt content. A statistical study is included which shows that the experimentally derived values of K are in good agreement with actual conditions. Several applications of the final equation to production practice are given. INTRODUCTION The authors previously presented a method for predicting the formation of calcium sulfate scale in oil field waters.' Although calcium sulfate deposition is important in production operations, the majority of scale problems involve calcium carbonate. The present communication discusses a method by which the formation of this type of scale in oil field waters can be predicted. Calcium carbonate precipitation is caused by a shift toward carbonate in the carbonate-bicarbonate-carbon dioxide equilibrium. When equilibrium shifts in the other direction, the precipitate goes back into solution. Since there is usually considerable delay between the establishment of an equilibrium and the precipitation or solution of calcium carbonate, unstable conditions exist in which a water will precipitate or dissolve calcium carbonate on standing. Tillmans? who did a major part of the early work on carbonate scaling, pointed out that the condition of equilibrium not only indicates the tendency of a water to scale but also is an indication of its corrosive properties. Previously precipitated calcium carbonate combines with iron to form a dense crust which inhibits corrosion. If the water tends to dissolve carbonate, the scale becomes porous, and electrolytic corrosion takes place. Tillmans1 work was extended by several investigators until in 1934 Langeliers developed an equation setting forth the conditions of carbonate equilibrium. By the use of this equation the pH of a water at equilibrium can be calculated. If the actual pH is higher than the calculated pH, the water has a tendency to form scale. If it is lower. the water has a tendency to be corrosive. Langelier's equation can be expressed in a simple form as follows: SI = pH-pCa-pA lk-K where: SI is the stability index. A positive index indicates scale formation. A negative index indicates corrosion. pH is the pH of the water sample, as actually determined. pCa is the negative logarithm of the calcium concentration. pAlk is the negative logarithm of the total alkalinity. K is a constant, the value of which depends on the total salt concentration and the temperature. This equation has been shown to apply to waters with totaI solid concentrations as high as 4.000 ppm. In fact, control of fresh water treatment by means of this equation has been standard text-book practice for a number of years. Nomographs have been worked out so that the stability index of a fresh water sample can be determined in a matter of minutes. Most oil field waters, however, contain well over 4,000 ppm of salts and for this reason the usual application of Langelier's equation can not be made. By an empirical method we have extended the application of the Langelier equation to waters of high salt concentration. By the use of this equation the tendency of oil field waters to deposit calcium carbonate can be predicted.

Jan 1, 1952

By T. A. Rickard

"The chief aim in style ought to be absolute precision", said Flaubert. "There is only one noun that can express your idea, only one verb that can set that idea in motion, and only one adjective that is the proper epithet for that noun." Let this be your motto. The engineer tries to be exact in all his measurements; he should measure his language with similar exactness. The technical term is a word of precision. It is not only precise, it is a word-saver. To the unscientific the earth is "a ball slightly flattened at the poles, something like an orange". To the scientific it is "an oblate spheroid". A similar contrast between the precision of the technical term and the vagueness of common words is afforded by a conversation between Ivanhoe and Rebecca: "' What device does he bear on his shield?' asked Ivanhoe. 'Something resembling a bar of iron, and a padlock painted blue on a black shield.' 'A fetterlock and shacklebolt azure', said Ivanhoe "-using the technical terms of heraldry. It is good style in writing, however, to adapt your manner of expression to the intelligence and experience of the person or persons to whom the writing is addressed. The description of a mine should be worded differently according as it is intended to inform a mining engineer, a director, or a bishop. REMEMBER THE READER. It is as incorrect to write in a technical way for a non-technical reader as to write in a popular way for a technical or scientific reader. That style is best which enables the writer to place himself in the closest mental touch with his reader, to establish the maximum of sympathetic understanding. Let your precision be\ proportioned to your accuracy. You should not try to be precise in matters that do not admit of

Jan 1, 1931

By S. Senderoff, D. E. Couch

A PROCESS for the electrolytic preparation of molybdenum from molten salts has been described previously. This previous work centered on electrowinning and electroplating characteristics of the process. In this paper the properties of the process as a refining medium are discussed. In producing metals from ores, it frequently has proven most economical to obtain a comparatively impure metal by smelting, and to purify the product by electro refining. Direct electrowinning from molten salts is rather difficult when a porous diaphragm is required in the process, as in the case of molybdenum, since satisfactory refractory materials for such a diaphragm in molten salts have not yet been developed. In electrorefining, however, a soluble anode is used. By suitable control of anode and cathode current densities, the lower-valent molybdenum compound used in the electrolyte is not oxidized, and a diaphragm is not needed, thus avoiding difficulties which are encountered with other electrowinning processes. Electrorefining may result from two different processes in the cell: Dissolution of the molybdenum and the less noble impurities with a separation of the more noble impurities as an anode sludge; the electrodeposition of molybdenum and the more noble metals at the cathode, leaving the less noble metals in the electrolyte. The amount of separation which occurs in each process is determined by the potential of the operating electrode and the relative concentration of the various species at (or in) that electrode. Since molybdenum has a comparatively noble position in the EMF series in molten alkali halides,2 most refining would be expected to occur at the cathode. In this work only the cathodic process was studied. The objective was to determine to what extent various metallic ions, if they dissolve from the anode or are otherwise introduced, were concentrated in the electrolyte. The necessary conditions for the separation of each and the limiting concentration which may be tolerated in the electrolyte for effective refining were studied. The deposits were chipped from the cathode and analyzed spectrochemically for metallic impurities. Besides determining the major contaminant, a general qualitative analysis was obtained to be sure that other metallic ions were kept at a very low level during each series of runs and to be sure that the baths were not being contaminated accidentally. Samples of the bath, for analysis, were taken at the temperature of operation so there was no chance of selective crystallization during cooling. In this way the ratio of molybdenum in the bath to the other metal could be determined readily. These data permitted a check on the anode efficiency and any volatilization that took place during the electrolysis. Experimental Apparatus—The apparatus as shown in Fig. 1 was used to determine the effect of the various foreign ions upon electrodeposited molybdenum. The entry chamber A allowed the cathodes to be removed without cooling the bath and without allowing oxygen or moisture to enter." The cathodes were made Prom 0.25-in. tungsten rods and were rotated during the electrolysis. The balloon in the lower arm B was inflated with helium after the cathode was drawn up into the upper section for removal. A new cathode was then placed into the entrance chamber A after which the chamber was flushed

Jan 1, 1959

By F. E. Rizzo, L. R. Bidwell, D. F. Frank

THE poor high-temperature oxidation resistance of the refractory metals becomes an important problem as higher operating temperatures are sought. A meaningful analysis of their oxidation behavior requires a knowledge of the phases that can appear during oxidation as well as their relative stability. Although several extensive investigations have been carried out to obtain this information for the W-0 system,1-10 serious inconsistencies still remain. First, the standard free energies of formation (AG°) determined in recent studies which used the solid electrolyte galvanic cell technique6,7,9 differ significantly from those obtained primarily from gas equilibration measurements.1,3,4,10 The disagreement is especially large for the highest oxides. These data have been used to predict the decomposition temperatures of WO2. 72 and WO2.90.1 A considerable extrapolation is required, resulting in a large uncertainty in the decomposition temperatures. Second, Bousquet and perachon3 have presented convincing evidence, ob- tained by gas equilibration measurements, in support of the long-contested existence of W30. Phillips and chang,ll on the other hand, were not able to observe this phase under similar experimental conditions. The purposes of this work, which is part of a continuing investigation of the W-Mo system, were to resolve the discrepancies between the AGO measured by gas equilibration and solid electrolyte galvanic cell techniques, to extend the latter measurements to lower temperatures, to redetermine the WO2.72 and WO2.90 decomposition temperatures, and to apply the more sensitive electromotive-force method to the question of the existence of W3O. I) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The measurement of ?G° of reaction by the use of calcia-stabilized zirconia solid electrolyte galvanic cells has been described previously.12 The method is based on the measurement of the difference in chemical potential of oxygen between an electrode containing the two oxides of interest and a reference electrode of known oxygen activity. Two different types of cell holders were used in this study. The first type of apparatus has been described earlier." It consisted of two solid electrodes separated by a disc of electrolyte. Both electrodes were exposed to the same stream of purified helium. With this design a gaseous transport of oxygen between the two electrodes is possible. The second type of apparatus, which has also been described earlier,14 effectively separated the two electrode atmospheres. It utilized a closed-end impervious, calcia-stabilized zirconia tube that was open to the atmosphere. The tube served as an electrolyte for the cell and provided a means for separating the anode compartment, which was held under a static vacuum, from an air reference cathode. The cells and reactions of interest are described in Table I. High-purity tungsten metal was obtained from the Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. and the Allied Chemical Corp. Table II contains an analysis of each material. WO3 was prepared by oxidizing the metal in air at approximately 600°C in high-purity recrystallized alumina boats and by the dehydration of reagent-grade tungstic acid in alundum boats. The two methods of preparing WO3 resulted in slightly different purities.

Jan 1, 1968

By Edward Thomas

ROCK bolting, third great change in postwar underground mining, is inseparably tied to the other two changes: better drilling and mechanized mining. Mechanized mining provided the impetus, when conventional supports restricted maneuver-ability of equipment-while carbide-tipped bits lent the means of drilling required holes cheaply. With the need and the tools at hand development snow- balled. In just six years, from January 1948 to January 1954, some 800 mines adopted bolting for systematic support, and over 100 of these mines now use rock bolts exclusively. Simultaneously, foreign mines have adopted the idea, but to a lesser extent. What held back this major change? The concept of fastening loose material to unbroken and apparently solid material is probably as old as mining itself, and sporadic use has been reported from virtually every mining region in the world. But falls of rock have always been the greatest source of both fatal and nonfatal accidents in underground mining and miners have understandable reluctance to work under roof or back material if they even suspect that it might be hanging like a "sword of Damocles" -supported only by a thin bolt.

Jan 11, 1954

By David Hall

IN October, 1926, the Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co. began the operation of its new leaching plant, which has a capacity to handle 8600 dry tons of ore daily and produce therefrom approximately 160,000 lb. of electrolytic copper per day. (See Fig. 1.) The energy for the leaching process is supplied by three motor generator sets (Fig. 2), each set consisting of one 5450-hp., 6600-volt, three FIG. 1.-LEACHING PLANT OF INSPIRATION CONSOLIDATED COPPER CO. AT INSPIRATION, Ariz. phase, 25-cycle, 500-r.p.m. synchronous motor and two 1920-kw., 150 to 320-volt, 6000-amp.,12-pole, d. c. generators, and one 70-kw., 125-volt d, c. exciter. The capacity of the three sets is 36,000 amp. at 320 volts. A description of the metallurgical processes of this plant was. given in a paper by H. W. Aldrich,1 and from his paper we quote the following figures for the month of July, 1927:

Jan 1, 1928

By C. V. O. Hughes

Florida phosphate operations are unique in the ways standard mining equipment is made to meet specialized problems. Hydraulic mining and transportation has evolved in meeting three such special problems: 1) surface mining of a shallow, poorly consolidated but wet material; 2) high pro¬duction rates, necessary because of low prices for phosphate rock in a highly competitive market; and 3) preparation of the value-bearing rock, or matrix, for washing and flotation. The magnitude of the problems is better appreciated if the reader understands the size of operations in the area. The Florida phosphate field produces and ships about 10 million tons per year of phosphate rock. All of this has to be concentrated to its shipping grade, either by scrubbing and screening or by flotation.

Jan 1, 1956

By Charles R. Keyes

A COMPLETE transformation has taken place in the boras industry during the year 1908. A most remarkable factor in this radical change in method of producing the crude borates has been its removal from the realm of industrial chemistry to the field of mining. With the development of extensive deposits of borate-minerals interstratified in thick sequences of Tertiary clays and sands, their winning becomes a strictly mining-enterprise, of the same kind and of the same certainty as the digging of coal or iron-ore. The major supply of the world's production of commercial borax now comes from the United States. While formerly all of the boric salts of commerce were laboriously extracted from the waters of saline lakes of the arid regions, or from the bottom-salts of desiccated ponds, it later was largely slowly leached from ancient desert shales and clays. During these periods the borax industry was a very hazardous and expensive vocation.

Oct 1, 1909

By Scott, Turner

IN 1933, the monetary metals were produced in a ratio of 6.7 oz. of silver to 1 oz. of gold, the lowest relatively for silver since the period from 1851 to 1865. At the beginning of that period, the virgin placers of California -and Australia began producing almost simultaneously; in consequence, there was an abrupt fall in the high silver side of the ratio that had prevailed through the centuries after America was discovered. The output from the Comstock and other silver-bearing lodes, located a decade after this influx of new gold began, soon restored the production ratio to its former proportion, that is, a relatively large weight of silver compared to gold.

Jan 1, 1934