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By C. B. Manula

Bituminous coal mining in the United States is currently experiencing a period of rapid growth which began in the early 1960's. Future demands are conservatively predicted to rise to 700 million tons by 1980 and to anywhere between 1 to 3 billion tons by the turn of the century. This means a continuous expansion of coal production by a factor of at least two can be expected before the end of the century. Over the last few years, production from underground mining has decreased; yet it is about 50% of the total coal output. In the absence of any discovery of near surface coal deposits, and even after conceding that some deeper deposits can be surface mined with changes in technology it can be reasonably assumed that coal production from underground will continue to play an important part in solving the energy crisis.

Jan 1, 1975

By J. W. Spretnak, J. N. Cordea

The gain boundary relaxation in high-purity aluminum, nickel, copper, and silver was studied by means of a low-frequency torsion pendulum. Both internal friction and creep at constant stress tests were conducted. A lognormal distribution in relaxation times was found to account for the relatively wide experimental internal friction peaks and the gradual relaxation behavior during the creep tests. This distribution was separated further into a lognormal distribution of relaxation time constants and a normal distribution in activation energies. A spread of up to ±6 kcal per mole in the activation energies accounted for the major part of the distribution. A "double-peak" internal friction phenomenon was observed in silver. The activation energies in kcal per mole derived from the grain boundary relaxation phenomena are 34.5 for aluminum, 73.5 for nickel, 31.5 for copper, and 41.5 for silver. It was found that the rain boundary relaxation strength in these metals increases with the reported stacking-fault energy. GRAIN boundary relaxation phenomena have been observed in a large number of polycrystalline metals and alloys. Numerous investigations have been conducted to study the structure of the grain boundary through this relaxation process. One of the first investigators was Ke1-4 who observed that the activation energy for grain boundary relaxation in aluminum, a brass, and a iron was about the same as that for volume diffusion. He concluded that the grain boundary behaved as if it were a thin liquid layer with neighboring grains sliding over one another. Leak5 conducted experiments on iron of a higher purity and observed that the grain boundary activation energy is comparable with that of grain boundary diffusion. He suggested that, in metals where this relationship holds, the damping may be caused by a reversible migration of grain boundaries into adjoining grains. Nowick6 has presented an interesting view of inter-facial relaxation with his "sphere of relaxation" model. A relaxed interface is represented as one where the shear stress is greater than the normal value along the edges and zero in the interior of the interface. The region of the stress relaxation is pictured as a sphere surrounding the interface. From his calculations Nowick concluded that the slip along an interface is directly proportional to its length. Therefore, the time of relaxation, T, depends on the size of the relaxation interface. This means that in the Arrhenius relationship, t = TO exp[H/RT], valid for atom movements, the relaxation time T is predicted to be proportional to the grain diameter through the pre-exponential term, TO. Since the internal friction can be given as Q-1 = ?j wt/(1 + w2r2), where ?J is the relaxation strength and w is the angular frequency, an increase in grain size at a constant frequency will shift the peak to a higher temperature. A great deal of work has been done to determine the exact relationship between the internal friction and grain size.1,5,7,8 In metals, the grain boundary peaks are found to be lower and broader than predicted theoretically.' The above model can explain this by a distribution in the size of the interface areas, represented by a distribution in the parameter tO, and an overlap of spheres of relaxation, represented by a distribution in activation energies. Both these phenomena result in an over-all distribution in the relaxation time, which could affect the internal friction peak height, breadth, and also position. This relationship between the experimental data and theoretical calculations appears very promising in the study of interfacial relaxation mechanisms. THEORY A lognormal distribution in t can sometimes be used to adequately describe the spectrum of relaxation times governing an anelastic relaxation. wiechert9 originally suggested such a distribution to explain the elastic after-effect in solids. This choice is particularly applicable to grain boundary relaxation when considering Saltykov's work.'' He found a lognormal distribution in the grain sizes within a metal. Recently Nowick and Berry11 have introduced a log-normal distribution in T into the theoretical internal friction equations. The form of the distribution function is where z = In(r/rm), and Tm is the mean value of t. The parameter ß is a measure of the distribution and is the half-width of the distribution when is l/e of its maximum, IC/(O). Nowick and Berry have described the methods to obtain the parameters Tm, ß, and ?,J from experimental internal friction and creep test data. In the idealized case, where only one relaxation event occurs with one relaxation time, only ?J and T are necessary to completely describe the event, and 0 = 0. For the broader internal friction curves 6 is some positive number greater than zero. The larger the 6, the greater is the half-width of the distribution in In t.

Jan 1, 1967

Map

Jan 1, 1960

By Wang Shulan

The synthesis process of BaTiO3 from TiO2 and BaCO3 in the molten NaOH-KOH at 350oC was studied by the A.C impedance technique. The A.C. impedance of molten NaOH-KOH (xNaOH = 0.36) and the variation of the conductivity of the salt with time during the synthesized process were measured. The synthesized reaction of the BaTiO3 and the decomposition reaction of BaCO3 are fast and were finished in 10min. The interaction between TiO2, BaO and BaTiO3 and the molten salt was confirmed by the variation of the conductivity.

Jan 1, 2005

By E. Krause

The oxidation of Fe(II) with S(IV) and oxygen can be used advantageously in leaching systems requiring both Fe(III) and sulfuric acid; e.g., heap leaching of sulfide-containing ores or concentrates. The oxidation of Fe(II) with SO2/air is several orders of magnitude faster than with air alone; rates of up to ?20 g/L'h were observed at 25°C. The reaction proceeds via an intermediate orange-red mixed-valence Fe(II)/Fe(III) sulfite complex, which is present at an essentially constant concentration throughout most of the oxidation process. The oxidation rate of Fe(II) is approximated by the formula -d[Fe(II)]/dt = k [S(IV)] [02]0'3. The concentration of the mixed-valence complex, and thus the iron oxidation rate, decreases with increasing acidity. Certain impurities, such as SCN- and thiourea, negatively affect the rate. The oxidation reaction 2Fe2 + SO2 + 02 4 2Fe3+ + S042- is accompanied by the side reaction H20 + SO2 + 1/202 4 H2SO4. The side reaction becomes particularly important at low temperatures and whenever the oxygen mass transfer is insufficient with respect to the rate of addition of S(IV). Thus, effective oxygen mass transfer is essential for achieving high oxidation rates with minimal acid formation. The activation energy was estimated as 141 kJ/mol over the temperature range 10-35°C.

Jan 1, 2006

By Lyle Dennis

Emphasis on increased production while maintaining rigid quality standards has necessitated a change in blasting technology at Dacotah Cement's limestone and gypsum quarries. The following three methods implemented during the past three years have yielded an increase in production through improved fragmentation.

Jan 1, 1996

By S. D. F. Rocha1, L. Katsarou, G. P. Demopoulos

"Crystalline scorodite (FeAsO4·2H2O) has been pointed out as the most stable compound to immobilize arsenic for disposal due to its good stability performance according to EPA’s TCLP test. However, in anaerobic conditions, arsenic releasing is increased to undesired levels due to scorodite reductive break down, in eh <100 mV at 5.5< pH <7 which causes contamination of groundwater. In this work, the concept of encapsulation by controlled deposition of mineral coatings immune to pH or redox potential variations is presented. Aluminum and calcium phosphates were evaluated as coatings and the release of arsenic from scorodite previously coated with phosphates was substantially decreased when compared to the VALUES (obtained from crude scorodite, both in oxic and anoxic conditions. INTRODUCTIONThe widely acknowledged hazardous properties of arsenic as a soil and natural water contaminant and its adverse health effects when present in drinking water have led to very strict environmental regulations (Mandal & Suzuki, 2002) aiming at the drastic reduction of the presence of arsenic in the effluents of the mining and metallurgical industries.In Canada, the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations (Government of Canada, 2002) dictate that the maximum monthly mean concentration in tailings for arsenic must be lower than 0.5 mg/L. At the same time the new Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standard for drinking water foresees concentrations of arsenic less than 0.01 mg/L, which means that the leachability limit for the industrial waste is set at 1 mg/L arsenic (EPA, 1994; Le Berre et. al, 2007). One of the preoccupations of the mining and metallurgical industries is directed to the elimination of arsenic presence in all its effluents, especially since arsenic is commonly found in many ores mainly in the form of oxides and sulphides. After processing of arsenic-containing ores and concentrates, arsenic can be present either in solid residues and tailings, liquid effluents or in flue dusts. Several of these forms of arsenic waste materials are soluble and therefore may cause the contamination of ground water, if disposed of without further treatment."

Jan 1, 2012

By J. S. Roper

"IntroductionSNOW LAKE is situated in northern Manitoba at latitude 54° 55 and longitude 100°, 400 miles northwesterly of Winnipeg, 80 miles northeast of The Pas, 80 miles east of Flin Flon. A 38-mile road from Wekusko, on the Hudson's Bay railway, serves the community.The mine is located in and close to the southern edge of the Precambrian Shield in typical low-relief muskeg and lake country.The Howe Sound Exploration Company, Limited optioned the property from Nor Acme Gold Mines, Limited, after preliminary diamond drilling had outlined two orebodies of low-grade arsenical gold ore.Following the examination and study of geological data and of 50,000 feet of diamond-drill core, and metallurgical tests made during 1942 to 1945, a decision was made to develop the mine and build a 2 ,000-ton mill concurrently. This development has been described by G. C. Lipsey in a paper entitled The Development of a Mining Operation from Diamond-Drill Data which was published in the August. 1952, issue of Mining Engineering.Geological Features of the OrebodiesThe orebodies at Snow Lake occur in volcanic rocks of acid to basic composition and, to a lesser extent, in intrusive hornblendite. The hornblendite is a massive, uniform, .coarse-textured rock except in the immediate vicinity of the ore zone, where it becomes sheared and carbonatized. The acid volcanics have been converted to quartz-garnet-biotite gneiss, and the basic volcanics to amphibolite gneiss. Orebodies have been formed by the replacement of all three rock types."

Jan 1, 1955

E. O&apos;C. Acker ?86 &apos;Truman H. Aldrich &apos;78 Anson W. Allen &apos;87 John H. Allen &apos;84 W. Lawrence Austin ?82 W. S. Ayres &apos;73 David Baker &apos;86 &apos;John Henry Banks &apos;83 &apos;Wm. de L. Benedict &apos;88 &apos;Robert Bentley &apos;84 &apos;Andrew A. Blair &apos;75 &apos;Walter M. Brodie Frederick Burbidge &apos;87 &apos;H. H. Burden &apos;83 &apos;Charles Butters &apos;88 &apos;R. C. Canby &apos;82 Arthur C. Carson &apos;84 &apos;H. M. Chance &apos;74 J. Parke Channing &apos;84 Frank D. Chase &apos;84 Clarence Raymond Claghorn &apos;84 M. E. Clark &apos;86 W. M. Claypool &apos;84

Jan 1, 1937

By Albert L. Toenges, Frank A. Jones

"INTRODUCTION The introduction of mechanized pining in coal mines, which has speeded loading, has emphasized the importance of efficient underground transportation systems. The purpose of this investigation is to study and analyze various systems now in use, and to derive conclusions therefrom. This report may be helpful to operators who are planning new systems of transportation or who are revising present systems to increase their efficiency. This paper is the first of a series on this subject and describes some systems of transportation utilizing rail haulage.ACKNOWLEDGMENTThe information used in preparing this report was obtained through the courtesy and cooperation of the officials of the companies whose mines wore studied. The descriptions of the transportation systems at the mines included herein have been checked for accuracy, and publication of the data has been approved by the executives of the several operating companies."

Jun 1, 1940

By J. F. Smith, J. E. Davison

The heat capacity of CaMg2 was measured over the temperature interval, 4.8° to 287°K, by the technique of low-temperature adiabatic calorimetry. Heat content measurements were performed with a drop calorimeter over the temperature interval, 273" to 673°K. From these data the thermodynamic functions, (FT - H0)/T, ST - So, and & - Ho, were evaluated. A third-Law calculation of the standard entropy of formation of CaMg2 yields a value of -0.25 * 0.06 cal per (°K g-atom) , and the free-energy function derived from this study when combined with existing equilibria data yields a value for the standard enthalpy of formation which is in agreement with direct calorimetric enthalpy measurements. The accompanying paper&apos; shows that the enthalpy of formation of CaMg2 has been determined with good precision by three different calorimetric techniques.&apos;-= TWO independent determinations of the Gibbs free energy of formation of CaMg2 have also been made; both determinations were based on vapor pressure measurements, being in one case hydrogen vapor pressures over ternary Ca-Mg-H alloys4 and in the other case magnesium vapor pressures over binary Ca-Mg alloys.5 The present determination of heat capacity of CaMg2 below room temperature and of the heat content of CaMg2 above room temperature was undertaken to provide supplementary data. These data are useful in their own right but can in addition be used to evaluate an entropy of formation for CaMg2 which, because of the interrelation of free energy, enthalpy, and entropy, can be used as a check of the self-consistency of the composite of the presently available information. LOW-TEMPERATURE HEAT CAPACITY The heat capacity of CaMg2 was measured over the temperature interval 4.87° to 286.64°K in an adiabatic calorimeter. The physical details of the calorimeter and the experimental procedure for measuring the heat capacity of a specimen have been adequately described by Gerstein et a1.6 The source and purity of the calcium and magnesium are described together with the methods of sample preparation and chemical analyses in the accompanying paper.&apos; Results of chemical analyses of the material which was used in the present investigation are shown in Table I. These analyses show that, on the basis of the published phase diagram,7 the heat capacity sample contained a slight excess of a calcium while the heat content sample contained a slight excess of magnesium. However, in both cases the excess was small, and X-ray diffraction patterns showed reflections which were without exception attributable to CaMg2. The sample which was used for heat capacity measurements weighed 69 g while the sample container and addenda weighed 132 g. The sample was in the form of annealed powder, 50 to 60 mesh, and was sealed into the sample container under 0.1 atm of helium. Copper fins inside the sample container facilitated thermal equilibrium of the powdered Sample. Time intervals of the order of 10 min were required for thermal equilibration, and such times are normal for this calorimeter regardless of the form of the sample. The observed heat capacities were corrected for the small excess of a calcium through use of the heat capacity values tabulated by Hultgren et a1.8 The corrected heat capacities are tabulated as a function of temperature in Table II. The free-energy function and the absolute entropy of CaMg2, which were calculated from the experimental heat capacity data, are listed in Table 111. A smooth curve was fitted to a plot of the experimental values of the heat capacity and in only two instances above 30°K did the plotted points deviate from the curve by more than 0.2 pct. Below 10°K the deviation of several of the points was as much as 50 pct. These large percentage deviations were attributed to the small value of the heat capacity and to the low sensitivity of the platinum resistance thermometer in this temperature range. The deviations in the region of 10°to 30°K were less than 5 pct. Although the percentage deviations of some of the low-temperature measurements are large, the actual value of these deviations is small since the magnitude of the heat capacity in that temperature range is small. The error in the value of the third-law entropy at 298.15°K was estimated to be less than 0.01 cal per (°K g-atom). A value of -0.25 ±0.06 cal per (°K g-atom) was obtained for the standard entropy of formation at 298.15°K from the relation:

Jan 1, 1969

By VAN. H. MANNING

Probably no year in the history of the United States showed greater progress in the mineral industries than 1916. Although this progress was undoubtedly stimulated by the war in Europe, which caused extremely high prices for some of the metals, yet the fact remains that mining is being regarded more as a business and less as a speculation, and the benefits of business methods are becoming evident. Practices that were almost universal a few years ago have been largely abolished, the mining public has been brought to recognize the folly of wasteful and dangerous methods, and there is a gratifying unanimity of opinion in regard to the conservation of life and health, as well as of our mineral resources. The people of the United States realize more fully than ever before the extent and value of the country's mineral resources and the possibilities that await intelligent and well-directed efforts at utilization. In the past, economic reasons caused deposits of valuable metals and industrial materials to lie idle; commercial reasons, many of them not truly economic, led to the waste of valuable constituents in many ores; the recovery of minerals from the ground was too often incomplete and accompanied by uncalculated loss; and the treatment of ores in mills and smelters saved altogether too Iowa proportion of the metals sought. Now better methods are being tried on every hand, and the unparalleled record of the year is largely due to the success of these efforts. According to the preliminary estimates of the United States Geological Survey the output of metals and minerals in this country in the calendar year 1916 had a total gross value of slightly more than $3,000,000,000. For many metals and minerals the figures broke all previous records, the new records of some products, as compared with 1915 figures, being as follows:

Jan 1, 1917

Jan 1, 1967

By M. T. Hepworth, T. P. Papazoglou

Hydrogen diffusion in hcp and bcc titanium in the temperature range 610° to 900°C was measured by reacting cylindrical specimens of high-purity titanium at constant temperature with small constant pressures of hydrogen of the order of a few Torr. In the range 0 to 6.7 at. pct H in hcp titanium, the diffusion coefficient D in sq cm per sec is given by: where T is in °K and R in cal per g-atom OK. Only three measurements of diffusivity in bcc titanium were made: at 900&apos; : the diffusivity in ß titanium was found to be 1.8 x 10-4 sq crn per sec. McQUILLAN1 has studied the constitution of the Ti-H system and reported the concentration of hydrogen as a function of pressure of hydrogen and temperature. He found hydrogen absorption was reversible and rapid at temperatures above 500°C in both crystallographic modifications, the a (hcp) phase and the ß (bcc) phase, with the latter phase stabilized by hydrogen additions. Wasilewski and Kehl 2 measured the diffusivity of hydrogen in hcp and bcc Ti-H alloys. For bcc alloys, they reacted cylindrical specimens of titanium with hydrogen gas at 1 atm pressure. They measured the rate of absorption of hydrogen isothermally on specimens ranging from zero hydrogen content when above the transformation temperature to hydrogen contents sufficient to stabilize the bcc phase when below the transformation temperature. By integrating Fick&apos;s second law for a cylindrical geometry, assuming a diffusion coefficient independent of composition, they calculated diffusivities as a function of temperature. In the range 650" to 1000°C their results in bcc titanium yielded the expression: where D is in sq cm per sec, T in OK, and R the gas constant in cal per g-atom-OK. Their studies on the hcp a phase were conducted by exposing long cylindrical titanium specimens to hydrogen at a sufficiently high pressure to establish a surface layer of fl phase 80 to 120 u thick for the duration of an isothermal experiment. Concentration profiles were then determined by hydrogen analysis from chips obtained upon machining quenched specimens. The diffusivity of hydrogen was then calculated yielding the expression: The present investigation was undertaken principally to redetermine the diffusivity data on a titanium by a direct absorption from the gas phase at sufficiently low hydrogen pressures to avoid the presence of a surface bcc phase and also to check the diffusivity data at low hydrogen concentrations in the bcc stmcture. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE High-purity electrolytic sponge titanium (99.9 pct) of BHN 91 was arc-melted, forged, rolled, and machined into cylinders of final hardness, upon annealing, of BHN 92. Cylindrical specimens of two sets of dimensions were used: 1.524 by 2.931 cm and 1.905 by 3.663 cm diam and length, respectively. The experimental apparatus used for annealing specimens and for admitting known amounts of hydrogen at constant pressure is shown in Fig. 1. In a typical experiment, a specimen was lightly abraded with fine-grain silicon carbide, washed with water and detergent, and then thoroughly degreased with reagent-grade tri-chlorethylene and acetone. The specimen was suspended by a Chrome1 wire in the center of a quartz furnace tube, without contact with the tube, and heated to 925°C (as measured by a thermocouple adjacent to the specimen, outside the tube) for a period of at least 4 hr under a vacuum of from 10-6 to -7 Torr as measured by an ionization gage. The furnace temperature was then adjusted to the temperature chosen for the particular diffusion study and the specimen allowed to equilibrate thermally. Hydrogen was then ad-

Jan 1, 1969

By J. G. Walters

This report presents the results of an investigation in Which the chloroform solubilities of coals and chars are related to rank, temperature of thermal treatment, time at a given temperature, vacuum thermal treatment, plasticity, oxidation, blending, and mass spectral analyses and molecular weights of the extracts. It was found that the quantity of chloroform extract obtained from chars can be altered by creating a vacuum above the charge during preparation of the char, increasing the time at temperatures within the plastic temperature range, and by utilizing different rates of heating to attain a given temperature. Relationships found between the chloroform solubilities of chars produced at temperatures within the plastic temperature range and the relative fluidities in this temperature range indicate that the chloroform-soluble portion of the char is a significant component of the plastic mass. Chloroform-extract yields from chars made from blends of coals cannot be calculated from chloroform-extract yields obtained from chars made from the component coals.

Jan 1, 1967

Written contribution by J.F. Curtist The paper is an interesting exercise in the application of mathematics to a theoretical situation presumed to oc¬cur underground. However, some of the assumptions on which the calculations are based are unlikely to occur in any actual mining situation. Assumptions made in the paper Objections to these assumptions are noted seriatim. (1) `it is assumed that any loading-rate effect will be small and can be ignored&apos; (p. 3). A loading rate of the order of 50 kN-12 per cent of the maximum load-is customary to prevent the props being dislodged by the blast. (2) `it is unlikely that all the props will be installed with their full stroke available, but for the purpose of this analysis, it is assumed that this is the case&apos; (p. 3). A more reasonable assumption would be that, with the most careful selection of prop length and the most rigid control of stope width, the available stroke length would on average be reduced by the order of 70 mm on installation-20 per cent of full stroke. (3) `each support unit supports a block of 3,3 m2 bound¬ed by vertical fractures with zero cohesion that are parallel and at right-angles to the stope face respec¬tively&apos; (p. 5). Joughin and Jager have shown this to be an unwar¬ranted assumption in respect of the positioning, the direction, and the dip of the fractures present in a stope in rockburst conditions. If, as assumed, there was `zero cohesion&apos; between such blocks, the removal of a hydraulic prop in row 3 supporting such a block would ensure that it fell out before a profile prop could be installed in the same position. (4) `the height of each of these blocks is 3,0 m, the volume of each block is 9,9M3, the mass of each block is 27 225 kg&apos; (p. 5). The concept of individual props being affected by dis¬crete blocks of known and uniform dimensions of relatively low ground velocities (less than or equal to 2,16 m/s) acting in line with the axis of the prop is one that lends itself to neat mathematical calcula¬tions. It does not, however, bear much similarity to the actual conditions that are exposed underground in excavations where rockbursts occur. Ortlepp and co-workers concluded that `the impulse of the shockwave can cause the displacement of the

Jan 1, 1991

By A. J. Kraemer

This paper is the second and concluding report of the results of the twenty-fourth semiannual survey made by the Bureau of Mines of motor gasoline marketed in the United States. The first report7 on this 1931 survey gave the results of the examination of the gasoline samples in accordance with the new Federal specification for United States Government Motor Gasoline.8 The present paper reports results of the examination of the gasolines for color, doctor test, gravity, end point, per cent recovered, copper-dish gum, and steam-oven gum. The retail price and the tax at the time each sample was taken are also reported.

Jan 1, 1932

This report describes the new Bureau of Mines Core Repository System (CORES) and presents the methods for selecting, processing, and storing physical samples and descriptive data for future reference by earth scientists. The system preserves splits of chip samples and longitudinally sliced segments of core. A records retrieval system provides for storage of data on microfilm and magnetic tapes and uses the keysort parameters of location and commodity for the identification of data.

Jan 1, 1978

By A. Kosiór

Many remnants of gold exploitation in the Middle Ages were found in the Lower Silesia region. The oldest evidence of such activity was found in the neighborhood of Zloty Stok and comes from the 7th century. Mining of precious and non-precious metal ores has a great relevance in the late Middle Ages when advanced metallurgic technologies were mastered, that allowed to obtain gold, silver, lead, copper, zinc and arsenic from complex ores occurring in the oldest middle part of Sudetes. Historically it concerned the area of the Swidnica Principality and Klodzko County. Experience obtained in Freiberg, which is located close to the Lower Silesia, was used in the development of mining. A high level of mining and metallurgic technology was obtained in the 15th century that caused significant increase of production of the metals mentioned above. Unfortunately, the good time of Lower Silesian mining lasted only up to the 18th century; the notion of preservation of cultural heritage was unknown at that time. The Lower Silesian medieval mines were not in such a fortunate situation as the ?Wieliczka? and ?Bochnia? mines, which are operating to present-day, and which made preservation of the most interesting headings and objects possible. All these objects are now available for visitors. However, in the case of the middle Sudetes it seems that it is often sufficient to localize old shafts and headings on the basis of careful observations and old maps and carry out some earthwork to uncover medieval headings and objects of underground mining activity. They are often preserved in amazingly good state; this also pertains to mining devices. Another issue is of course the permanent preservation of that heritage and its possible availability for re-searchers and tourists. Some success has been achieved in that field (Zloty Stok Gold Mine is a good example), but also problems were encountered in many cases. The Lower Silesian Coal Basin, which has not been exploited for 10 years is an evidence that there is not a holistic conception of mining heritage renovation. Many attractive mining objects disappeared irrecoverably from the mountainous landscape of the Middle Sudetes despite common consciousness of their significance for cultural development of Silesia and other regions.

Jan 1, 2006

By A. W. Sommer, H. H. Kellogg

It is shown that SO3-O2 mixtures react with sphalerite at an appreciable rate ill the temperature range of 361° to 527°C to fornz ZnSO4. The rate of reaction follows a parabolle lax. Oxygen, or O2-SO2 mixtures, have a negligible effect on sphalcrite in the same temperatuee range. PRACTICAL roasting of sphalerite is usually performed at 800°C or higher. The calcine is composed of zinc oxide unless the roaster atmosphere contains relatively large amounts of SO2 and the temperature is held to 800oC or lower, in which case zinc sul-fate may also form. Ong, Wadsworth, and assell&apos; have made a careful kinetic study of sphalerite oxidation under these "normal conditions" and have concluded that the rate of the reaction is controlled by the decomposition of an activated complex adsorbed on the sphalerite surface. They found the rate of oxidation to be small at 700°C. Extrapolation of their data to 400°C would indicate an almost negligible rate at this temperature. In our work sphalerite was reacted with air, mixtures of SO2, O2, and N2, and mixtures of SO3, O2, and N2 in the temperature range 361o to 527OC. Negligible rates of oxidation were found, except for the gas mixtures containing SOs. With this latter gas, the oxidation of finely divided sphalerite was fairly rapid and zinc sulfate was the product. Based on the limited evidence available, the rate of sphalerite oxidation by SO3 is postulated to be controlled by gaseous diffusion through pores or cracks in the zinc-sulfate coating. This evidence for the direct reaction of sphalerite and SO, at low temperature may prove of importance to the understanding of zinc-sulfate formation in the dust-collecting equipment usually associated with zinc roasters. The roaster gas carries off fine dust, much of which may be unreacted sphalerite. The temperature in dust-collecting equipment drops from the roaster temperature (about 800°C) through the range of temperature we studied, to ambient temperature. Such dusts are known to contain far larger amounts of zinc sulfate than the primary calcine. It has been assumed in the past that this sulfate is formed by reaction of ZnO dust with SO3 (or SO, plus 0,) in the partly cooled gases. Our work shows that an alternative possibility exists—the direct reaction of SO3 with ZnS dust. EXPERIMENTAL Reaction rates for sphalerite at 350° to 600°C are relatively small so that it was necessary to use finely divided material with a relatively large surface area in order to obtain measureable amounts of reaction. In the preliminary experiments, pure mineral sphalerite, ground to pass a 325-mesh sieve, and chemically precipitated ZnS (in the form of an impalpable powder) were used. In the quantitative rate experiments the ground mineral sphalerite was processed in an Infrasizer to obtain a product with particle size between 9 and 18 µ. The analysis of this material was 66.7 pct Zn, 0.09 pct Fe, and 32.7 pct S (theoretical sphalerite is 67.1 pct Zn, 32.9 pct S). The sized powder was carefully mixed and divided into l-g samples. The apparatus used for the quantitative rate measurements is shown in Fig. 1. For the preliminary experiments the following change was made: The external catalyst furnace (B, C)* was not used. *Letters refer to Fig._______1 .___- Rather, when catalysis of the SO2 + O2 reaction was desired, the glass beads in basket M were replaced by vanadium-oxide pellets. Procedure—A l-g sample of ZnS was placed on a shallow stainless-steel tray, I, and spread evenly to a depth of about 1mm. The tray was placed in the reaction assembly and the assembly inserted in the cold furnace. The furnace tube was flushed with dry argon and then heated to the desired reaction temperature. The temperature was controlled to ±0.5oC. Gas mixtures (O2 + N2 or O2 + SO2) were prepared from tank gases by means of a mixing device identical to that employed by Darken and Gurry.2 The total flow rate of gas was 205 ml per min to point A of Fig. 1. The accuracy of the individual and

Jan 1, 1960