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The old De Beers mine, which lies northwest of Dutoitspan mine at Kimberley, was the mine which launched Cecil Rhodes (In his historical career. It was the nucleus of the De Beers Mining Co. Ltd., formed in 1880, which later became De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. Inactive for more than a half century, the De Beers Mine is being rejuvenated for a new era of operations. Both mines were on the Vooruitzicht farm owned by the De Beers brothers, who had bought it from the Orange Free State Government ten years previously for £50. Although the brothers sold it soon after the discovery of diamonds at Dutoitspan, they are remembered for having given their name to the foremost diamond mining company in the world. Diamonds worth nearly R180,000,000 have come from this ground, and more will be recovered when the mine is re-opened.

Jan 9, 1963

By Bernard Lallement

INTRODUCTION Geostatistics have been used for five years at the B. R. G. M. to compute the ore reserve estimation. At present this technic is also used at the beginning of the exploration project to determine the best way to prove the orebody. The best way is a compromise between the cost of the exploration and the precision of the estimation. It is clear that geostatistics cannot be used without any data, but very often an exploration project is decided on an orebody which has already been drilled. Old data can therefore be used. This was the case this year for two orebodies: an iron deposit and a lead deposit. The iron deposit was explored by drifts and has now to be proved. We used geostatistics to determine the best drilling pattern. The variograms computed with these old data showed that an anisotropy existed between the two directions of the orebody, which meant that the drill pattern had to be rectangular. The lead deposit was explored by drill holes and a short drift in part of the orebcdy. The problem was to choose between a regular pattern of drill holes or a long drift and some added drill holes. The case of this study will be exposed afterwards. On the other hand, if the orebody is completely unknown, the exploration project generally forecasts two exploration steps (the first step

Jan 1, 1977

By R. W. Raymond

THE situation in 1872, from the standpoint of the prospector, the locator, the possessory claimant, and the patentee of mineral land under Federal statutes, cannot be understood without a knowledge of the situation prior to 1866, and between 1866 and 1872. The Situation before 1866 The western public domain acquired by the United States through treaties, as the result of conquest or purchase, was invaded after Marshall's re-discovery of gold in California, by an overwhelming multitude of prospectors and miners from all parts of the world. The mineral lands of the whole Pacific slope were practically unsurveyed. Congress, disgusted with the experiment of leasing mineral lands; which it had tried for 40 years, and abandoned in 1847, enacted no laws for the management of these public mineral lands, and the pioneers made their own laws governing mining titles. These local regulations applied at first to gulch-mining in the auriferous river-beds only; and they constituted a simple and practical system, adapted to the needs and means of primitive communities-significantly called "camps." They had the means of measuring distances, but not angles; they knew no -property except personal property in the form of pickaxes, pans, supplies, camp-equipage, horses or mules, and mining rights. The earliest codes which they developed expressed what might be called the law of the lariat. With the lariat they measured the distance assigned to each miner along the gold-bearing gulch-a double portion to the discoverer, and a single portion to his successors, in the order of their coming. With the lariat, they hung, after such due process of law as was available, the rascal who stole a horse, or a bag of gold-dust, or a; mining claim, or killed another man without giving him fair notice and a chance to defend himself. In these pioneer codes, adopted in mass-meetings and enforced by the same authority, two features concern us most:

Jan 4, 1914

By F. N. Rhines

Despite the large amount of study which has been devoted to the subject our present knowledge of the copper-oxygen system remains incomplete and unsatisfactory .in many respects. This applies particularly to those regions in which solid metallic copper exists. The primary object of the present paper is the contribution of new information relative to the solid solubility of oxygen (or cuprous oxide) in copper at atmospheric pressure, together with certain observations in the low-pressure regions of the system. It seems appropriate also to present a brief summary of the outstanding previous work on the constitution of mixtures of copper with its lowest oxide in order. to show the relation between the new facts and the system as a whole. The earliest recorded investigations of the copper-oxygen system are those of M. S. Lucas(l) $ and of M. Chevillot(2) in 1819 and 1820. Lucas believed that liquid copper is capable of dissolving its oxide, but neither he nor Chevillot was able to furnish convincing proof of this property. It was not until 1866 that T. Graham(3) definitely established the existence of such a solubility. Nine years later W. Hampe(4) measured its extent and roughly outlined the copper-rich portion of the system. The first really precise examination of the constitutional relationship between copper and cuprous oxide, however, was that of E. Heyn(5) who in 1900 published a temperature-concentration diagram covering the range from 0 to 10 per cent of cuprous oxide at atmospheric pressure. Within these limits of composition cuprous oxide was found to dissolve in liquid copper, forming at 3.4 to 3.5 per cent a eutectic which melted at 1065" C. R. E. Slade and F. D. Farrow(6) extended these studies to mixtures of higher oxygen content. They discovered that between 20 and 95 per cent of cuprous oxide the metal and oxide form two liquid phases at a monotectic reaction of 1195" C. The span of the biliquidal region diminishes slightly

Jan 1, 1934

By Lucius W. Mayer

The iron-mines of the Ilsede Hutte Co. are at a town called Peine, about 20 miles east of the city of Hanover, on the railroad to Brunswick (Braunschweig). Hanover, the capital of the province, is a military city, of approximately 250,000 inhabitants, and Brunswick, 33 miles to the westward, has half this number. The mines here described are located in a hamlet called Bulten. The Ilsede Hutte Co. operates two mines, 1.5 miles apart, in this district, Gruber Bulten Adenstadt and Gruber Lengede Bodenstadt. It also operates an iron-mine north of Hanover, known as Eiserhaven, and one in the Harz mountains, the Georg Friedrich, at Grauhof. At Bulten a coarse conglomerate, a, Figs. 1 and 2, contains nodules of limonite, cemented together by calcium phosphate. The ore contains Fe, 25 to 45; Mn, 3 to 4; P, 0.6 to 1.4; '5, 0.02 to 0.09; and CaCO,, 40 per cent. Directly above the conglomerate is limestone, 6, followed by a mixture of clay and sand, c. Below the conglomerate is a hard clay floor, d. The ore-body, from 10 to 12 km. long, and from 3 to 4 km. wide, has a maximum thickness of 20 m. It dips approximately 10" S.E., and strikes K 45° E. Diamond-drill prospecting shows that the thickness diminishes to 1 m. as the end of the deposit is approached to the northward. At this point the deposit is 250 m. below the surface. In Fig. 2, the arrow, A, indicates the general direction of the work along the face, a, which is carried forward in a straight line for its entire length. At B, a train is approaching, which has come from the bench-track, shown at C, by a circuitous route, and is dumping the overburden behind the face, in the space left by the excavated rock. Formerly the work at this mine mas essentially open-cut, the deposit having a very strong outcrop. Figs. 1 and 2 show also

Jan 1, 1909

By T. Kilner, A. Plumtree

DURING an investigation of electro-deposited silver structures, samples were prepared for metallographic examination by cold mounting in plastic, grinding on successive grades of emery paper down to 3/0, and chemically polishing by swabbing using the chromic acid solution described by Gilpin and Worzala.1 Attempts to etch these samples using the standard solutions described for silver (e.g., 5 pet KCN-5 pet Na2S2O8, H2O2-NH4OH, and various potassium dichro-mate solutions) all failed to give good results due to staining of the samples and to rapid etching. The staining was caused by the chromic acid polishing solution being trapped in small fissures between the sample and the mounting plastic, and also in small fissures in the sample itself. To overcome these difficulties, an etchant was developed which prevented staining at the same time as it slowly etched the sample. This resulted in a very clean, crisply etched surface as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This etch consisted of 10 ml of orthophosphoric acid, 10 ml of distilled water, and 2 drops of the polishing solution noted above,' which is made by mixing 100 ml of saturated CrO3 solution, 45 ml of 10 pet HC1 solution, and 800 ml of distilled water. The etching procedure involved taking the final polished sample, either immersing or swabbing in the etchant for a period of 1 to 2 min, rinsing as quickly as possible in distilled water, alcohol, and ethyl ether in that order, and then immediately drying. This etch is easily controlled due to its slow rate of etching, and produces samples with clean, sharp surfaces. Pits due to overetching produced varying contrast effects when viewed under polarized light, and are therefore obviously useful for revealing many structural details within the sample. Another effect of overetching was to produce a height varia-

Jan 1, 1968

By Ira B. Joralemon

The sampling of disseminated copper deposits has been describeu often but the method of combining assays to give the true shape and value of the orebody as it will be mined has received less attention. As the ore mined during five or ten years at several of the great disseminated properties has averaged materially lower in grade than the published estimates, the question of the sampling and estimating of these orebodies seems timely. In this paper, attention is given particularly to factors that may cause errors in the final estimate. Sampling of diamond-drill holes, churn-drill holes, and underground workings is briefly described in the first part of the paper; then the method of combining assays to give the average grade and tonnage that will be mined is taken up in some detail. The necessity of study of the geology of the deposit and of probable costs is emphasized. Finally, the methods of calculating tonnages are outlined. DlAMOND-DRILL SAMPLING There are three main requisites for accurate diamond-drill sampling. First, the core should be removed and the hole cleaned out at the beginning of every sampling interval, usually 5 ft. (1.5 m.). After the rods are let down, water should be run through them until it becomes clear. The water must be clear before drilling starts. 'In this way the material knocked down from the sides of the hole by the descending rods is washed away, instead of being left to salt the sludge sample. The second requisite is to save all the sludge and all the core from every sampling interval. Where the material is uniformly heavy, the cuttings will settle suffciently in a box, through which the sludge flows s1owly.l Where part of the material is too light to settle readily, the sludge should be run into barrels, and allowed to settle until the water becomes clear. Then the clear water is siphoned off, and the sludge evaporated to dryness over a slow fire, sacked, and assayed.2 To obtain

Jan 1, 1925

By W. L. McMorris

The Convertol process was first described in Germany by Muschenborn' in 1952. In the U. S. Fraser' reported this new process in 1953, and Brisse and McMorris" presented the results of a Convertol pilot plant at the Alpheus preparation plant in Gary, W. Va., illustrating the mechanics of the process by a series of sketches. The purpose of the present investigation was threefold: 1) to determine the relative effectiveness of various oils and hydrocarbons for recovering coal by the Convertol process, 2) to ascertain the behavior of coal pulps in this process under various operational conditions, and 3) to compare Convertol with flotation in the recovery of fine coals. APPARATUS, PROCEDURE, AND COAL SAMPLES In laboratory work with the Convertol process a Waring Blender equipped with a speed-regulating rheostat was used for wetting, conditioning, inversion, and retention of the coal pulp. A 5-in. International centrifuge was adapted to dewater the agglomerated clean coal product by installation of a 100-mesh screen inside the regular bronze basket of the centrifuge. Except where otherwise stated, the Convertol testing was performed by the following steps: 1) A 450 to 500-cc coal slurry, containing 24 pct by weight of solids, was agitated in the blender for 10 min at 100 rpm to insure complete wetting and mixing. 2) Eight percent by weight of oil was added to the coal slurry in the blender and agitated for 1 min at 11,000 rpm to result in the phase inversion or agglomeration of oil-coated coal particles. 3) The agglomerated coal slurry was poured onto a 100-mesh sieve and wet-screened for about 2 min to remove most of the ash and some of the water. 4) The material remaining on the screen was transferred into the centrifuge for final dewatering. 5) A portion of the clean coal was immediately weighed out for moisture determination, while the

Jan 1, 1960

By H. C. Howarth

This paper gives observations on ground movement and subsidence resulting from pillar drawing in the Lick Run section of Montour No. 10 mine of the Pittsburgh Coal Co. adjacent to solid coal owned by the U. S. Bureau of Mines at its Experimental mine in Snowden Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The investigation was planned by George S. Rice, chief mining engineer of the Bureau, who arranged the necessary cooperation with Dr. L. E. Young, vice president of the Pittsburgh Coal Co. Engineers of that company placed permanent monuments on the surface to establish the boundaries of the coal owned by the Bureau and to furnish fixed points to which all levels were referred. Engineers of the Experimental mine staff then covered the ground under observation with a checkerwork of monuments made of oak pegs set into the ground at 50-ft. intervals in two directions at right angles to each other. The level of these pegs was determined first from Dec. 16 to 30, 1929; again from May 25 to June 5, 1930, and finally from July 7 to 15, 1931. Observations were then discontinued because work had been stopped temporarily in this part on Montour 10 mine. General Conditions Fig. 1 is a plan of the part of the area under observation with which this paper deals. The mine is developed on a room and pillar system known locally as half advancing and half retreating. As Nos. 35 and 36 butt entries were advanced, rooms were driven from No. 36 and drawing of the room pillars followed their completion. When the entries reached the boundary, rooms were started from No. 35 butt beginning at that point, and all remaining pillars were drawn as rapidly as possible. The rib lines of Jan. 9 and June 13, 1930, were surveyed a week to 10 days after the first and second sets of levels were run, and there was some advance in that period. The rib line of July 15, 1931, agrees in time

Jan 1, 1934

BURKE BAKER, Philadelphia, Pa. (written discussion*).-The small briquetting plant of the American Briquet Co., at 25th Street and Washington Ave., Philadelphia, was built primarily as a demonstration plant. Its output per hour is 4 tons of 2-oz. briquets, which have been retailed in the, vicinity during the year the plant has been in operation. They have proved very acceptable for use in ranges, heaters and grates in-home, and in steam heating plants in apartment houses and hotels. They have not been sold for power purposes, although satisfactory tests have been made in. this field. Anthracite silt is used and is shipped direct from breaker or washery, the only preparation it receives being the removal f excess moisture by means of a Ruggles-Coles rotary dryer. Care is taken, however, to purchase silt containing less than 18 per cent. ash. The method is covered by U. S. Patent No. 941454, issued to Chas. E. Hite, and is known as the "emulsion process." The binder, which is the, basis of the patent, is composed. of 0.5 per cent. cornstarch or wheat flour; 1 per cent. asphaltum or hydrolene, and 6.5 per cent. water, on the weight of coal dust. It is prepared in a tank equipped with paddle agitators and heated by steam jets. The starch and water are first made into a paste by being brought to the boiling point with live steam; the melted asphaltum is then introduced and thoroughly beaten into the paste by the agitators. This rapid stirring breaks. the hot asphaltum into minute particles which are distributed through the paste, producing a smooth chemical emulsion. This emulsion, when dried, is not soluble in water. The binder is mixed with the dry coal dust in a horizontal paddle mixer, 8 per cent. binder to the weight of coal being used. The resultant plastic mass is then discharged into the press, which is of the simple roll type. Since the binder is a liquid and is not sticky or gummy until

Jan 3, 1918

By Richard J. Borg

The vapor pressure of Cd in equilibrium with CdSb in the presence of excess Sb has been measured using the Knudsen effusion method over the temperature range 276° to 379°C. The free energy of formation of CdSb is given by AF° = -1.58 + 1.53 x l0-4 T, kcal per mole. The enthalpy and entropy are obtained from the temperature coefficient of the .free energy. CADMIUM and antimony have almost imperceptible mutual solid solubility but form a single stable intermediate phase, CdSb. This phase, according to Han-sen,l extends from about 49.5 at. pct to 50 at. pct Cd at 300°C and has the orthorhombic structure. The free energy of formation of CdSb can be calculated from the vapor pressure of Cd for compositions which contain less than 49 at. pct Cd. The appropriate reaction and formulae are given by Eqs. [I] and [2]- CdSb(s, ~ Cd(g)-, +Sb(s) [1] Since Sb is in its standard state, Af - N,,AF'-,, = NcdRT In a,, = NcdRT InP/PO [2] In Eq. [2], P, is the vapor pressure of Cd in equilibrium with the alloy, and Po is the vapor pressure in equilibrium with pure solid Cd. It is implicit in this calculation that the free energy only slightly changes within the narrow limits of the single phase field. Thus, the value obtained from the antimony-rich boundary is truly representative of the stoi-chiometric compound. The results reported herein are obtained from a mixture near the eutectic composition, i.e. 59 at. pct Sb. Only two previous investigations" of the free energy of formation of CdSb have been made. Both relied upon the electromotive force method, and measurements were made over relatively narrow temperature ranges which strongly influences the reliability of the values of AH and aS. EXPERIMENTAL The eutectic composition is prepared by fusing reagent grade Cd and Sb by induction heating in vacuo with the starting materials held in a graphite crucible having a threaded lid. The material obtained from the initial melt is pulverized, sealed under high vacuum in a pyrex capsule, and annealed at 420°C for two weeks. X-ray analysis"gives the following lattize parameters: a = 6.436A, b = 8.230& and c = 8.498A using Cu Ka radiation with A = 1.54056. These values are in fair agreement with the result? previously reported by Al~in:4 i.e. a = 6.471A, b = 8.253A, and c = 8.526A. Vapor pressures are measured using an apparatus which has been described elsewhere,= however, with a single important modification. Knudsen effusion cells are made of pyrex with knife-edged orifices made by grinding the convex surface of the lid on #600 emery paper. Photographs taken at known magnifications using a Leitz metallograph enable the determination of the orifice area. Numerous calibration measurements of the vapor pressure of pure Cd give close agreement with values previously reported5,= thus indicating that no significant error can be ascribed to the substitution of glass cells for metal cells used in previous work. Because the vapor pressure of Cd is reliably established and because it is difficult to obtain Clausing factors for the glass cells, the final values used for the orifice areas are calculated from the calibration measurements of the vapor pressure of pure Cd. Effusion runs are started in an atmosphere of purified helium which is quickly evacuated as soon as the cell attains thermal equilibrium. Less than one minute is necessary to obtain high vacuum after evacuation begins, and the temperature seldom varies by more than 0.5oC from the value obtained prior to pumping out the helium. RESULTS The results of this investigation along with other pertinent data are tabulated in Table I. Fig. 2 is the familiar graph of log P against T-10 K. At least mean squares analysis of the data presented in Table I yields the following equation: log1DJP = 8.790 - 6472 x T"1 [3] The deviations of the individual measurements from the values calculated with Eq. 131 are given in column six of Table I; the average deviation is 4.0% of the calculated value. Although the partial molal properties change significantly with composition within the single phase region, the integral thermodynamic value should remain relatively constant. Hence the results of the following calculations, which use the data obtained for the eutectic composition, are probably representative of the equi-atomic compound. Eq. [4] describes the vapor pressure of pure Cd as a function of temperature and may be combined with Eq. [3] to

Jan 1, 1962

By Fred Bond

WHEN some materials are ground dry in a ball mill, a stage of comminution is reached at which the finely divided particles begin to adhere to the balls and to the mill lining. As grinding progresses, a coating accumulates upon the grinding media, which tends to cushion the impacts and thus retard reduction of the material, and finally becomes so thick that all grinding ceases. At this stage, the characteristic noise produced by the grinding media dur-ing normal mill operation changes to a dull, muffled sound. In most instances, the formation of the coating marks the practical limit of size reduction. Industrial requirements for fine grinding frequently meet with this obstacle, and the tendency in many com-mercial operations to grind materials to a higher degree of fineness than formerly makes the solution of this problem an im-portant one. The phenomenon is of far greater importance, therefore, than the limited amount of research and technical discussion devoted to it implies. In order to learn more about the coating of different materials when ground dry to a high degree of fineness, certain labora-tory tests were made from which it was found that different materials form coat-ings at widely different size distributions. It is probable that most materials will coat if they are ground fine enough; the exceptions have inherent lubricating qual-ities, like coal and graphite.

Jan 1, 1940

By AIME AIME

THE second session on geophysical prospecting at the February meeting of the Institute was a discussion of the mining law and the bearing of the new method of search on location of claims and assessment work thereon. Allen H. Rogers was chairman of the meeting, which he opened by reviewing the present law and the proposed changes. W. R. Ingalls commented (by letter) on the Arentz bill, as introduced into the House of Representatives in 1921 and the need for revision of the present mining law. L. W. Douglas explained (by letter) the bill that he introduced and which has been passed by the House. SAMUEL S. ARENTZ, Nevada: It is my opinion that if the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers is to sell this proposition to the people in the West, they have to sell it to the lawyers, because, after all, they are heard loudly when it comes to speaking in Congress. One man tells the other, "This thing is a vicious piece of legislation"; it might not be, but they will pass it on if it affects them. If the Institute would impress on the people affected that we need a re-codification of the mining law and that such is necessary along certain lines; that things have changed during the past decade or two, so today instead of doing our prospecting alone through the sinking of a shaft, through a discovery that may be seen, we are now moving on to more modern means of discovery through geophysics, through the churn-drill, through geology, through geological inference, I think we could get somewhere.

Jan 1, 1929

By R. S. Dean. J. R. Long T. R. Graham, Roberson A. H., Armantrout C. E.

The general program of the Federal Bureau of Mines on the study of alloys made with electrolytic manganese has been extended to copper-manganese-aluminum alloys. The initial results of the work are presented in this report and concern a determination of the mutual solubilities of these three metals to form the alpha solid solution. The principal studies of this system, reported in the literature, have been focused on the Heusler alloys containing ro to 30 per cent Mn with 9 to 15 per cent Al. These investigations concern the ferromagnetic properties and the determination of the crystallization contours, with little emphasis on the phases present in the solid state outside of this area. Heuslerl recognized a breakdown of the beta solid solution of the magnetic alloy, which he says decomposes into the alpha, beta, and gamma phases of the copper-aluminum system, somewhat modified by the presence of manganese. Rosenhain and Lantsberry2 examined alloys ranging up to 10 per cent Mn and 10 per cent A1 but were unable to reach definite conclusions concerning the phase boundaries in that area. Krings and Ostmann3 made magnetic studies and examined the system by thermal analysis. They present contours of the liquidus surface but do not place any of the phase boundaries. Corson4 has drawn a hypothetical boundary for the alpha field with few, data to support such construction. The binary systems involved have rcceived considerable attention by numerous investigators, and their general features are well established. The copper-ahminum system (Fig. I) has been thoroughly examined by Stockdale,5 who places the limit of solubility of aluminum in copper at 7.4 per cent at the liquidus and 9.5 per cent at room temperature. Smith6 established the eutectoid temperature at 570°C. by a study of isothermal decomposition of the beta phase. The copper-manganese system (Fig' ') has been recently reviewed by Dean and CO-WorkersS.7 Using high-purity alloys,

Jan 1, 1947

By Armantrout C. E., R. S. Dean. J. R. Long T. R. Graham, Roberson A. H.

The general program of the Federal Bureau of Mines on the study of alloys made with electrolytic manganese has been extended to copper-manganese-aluminum alloys. The initial results of the work are presented in this report and concern a determination of the mutual solubilities of these three metals to form the alpha solid solution. The principal studies of this system, reported in the literature, have been focused on the Heusler alloys containing ro to 30 per cent Mn with 9 to 15 per cent Al. These investigations concern the ferromagnetic properties and the determination of the crystallization contours, with little emphasis on the phases present in the solid state outside of this area. Heuslerl recognized a breakdown of the beta solid solution of the magnetic alloy, which he says decomposes into the alpha, beta, and gamma phases of the copper-aluminum system, somewhat modified by the presence of manganese. Rosenhain and Lantsberry2 examined alloys ranging up to 10 per cent Mn and 10 per cent A1 but were unable to reach definite conclusions concerning the phase boundaries in that area. Krings and Ostmann3 made magnetic studies and examined the system by thermal analysis. They present contours of the liquidus surface but do not place any of the phase boundaries. Corson4 has drawn a hypothetical boundary for the alpha field with few, data to support such construction. The binary systems involved have rcceived considerable attention by numerous investigators, and their general features are well established. The copper-ahminum system (Fig. I) has been thoroughly examined by Stockdale,5 who places the limit of solubility of aluminum in copper at 7.4 per cent at the liquidus and 9.5 per cent at room temperature. Smith6 established the eutectoid temperature at 570°C. by a study of isothermal decomposition of the beta phase. The copper-manganese system (Fig' ') has been recently reviewed by Dean and CO-WorkersS.7 Using high-purity alloys,

Jan 1, 1947

HIGH-GRADE manganese ore, from which manganese is obtained commercially, is not found in large quantities in any major steel-producing nation in the free world. The U. S. is a "have not" nation with respect to deposits of directly mineable high-grade manganese ore. Known resources of 48 pct Mn or better grade ore amount to less than 200,000 tons. In 1950 the U. S. steel industry consumed 1.8 million short tons of metallurgical grade manganese ore that contained about 800,000 tons of manganese. About 16 pct of the manganese content was lost in processing, so that about 650,000 tons, or 13 pounds per ton of steel actually entered into steel production. Under present practices use expands directly with steel output, and by 1975 the demand in both the U. S. and the rest of the free world is expected to be roughly 60 pet greater than in 1950. In peacetime about 80 pet of manganese consumption goes into steel production; high-manganese steel, dry cells, and chemicals account for the remainder. The manganese supply problem centers around high-grade ore for ferromanganese production. Use of ores containing less than 35 pet Mn sharply increase the costs of making ferromanganese. Use of ferro-manganese of grade below 70 pet in turn requires changes in steelmaking that increase steel cost. Under normal conditions the present small domestic production cannot be expected to increase. Major resources in the U. S. consist of 12 low-grade deposits. The cost of mining and treating these ores to extract a product as good as that yielded by imported ores is at least twice and in some cases more than four times the 1951 price of foreign ores delivered to the U. S. However, as long as trade relations and overseas shipping are not interrupted, deposits in India, Africa, and Brazil can meet steadily increasing demand at approximately present costs. Cost considerations indicate that the U. S. should continue to rely upon overseas sources for its peace-time supply, and that this situation is satisfactory. But, this does not take into account the question of how the U. S. will be able to meet its needs in war. Position of the Rest of the Free World In 1950, free world steel producers outside the United States, with a steel output of 70 million ingot tons, consumed about 1.3 million tons of metallurgical-grade ore. Their manganese ore demand, expected to increase directly with steel production, will by 1975 be about 2.3 million tons. Russia possesses over half the known manganese ore reserves of the world and is producing twice the tonnage of any other country. It supplied more than a third of the U. S. manganese requirements up to 1938 and again in 1948, but by 1950 Soviet manganese exports to the free world had virtually ceased. The free world's supply of manganese now comes mainly from India and Africa. Somewhat over 10 pet of U. S. imports came from Brazil and Cuba. Security Considerations In the event of war the U. S. might be substantially cut off from 90 pet of present sources. Reduction in manganese specifications might cut consumption by over 10 pet without seriously affecting steel quality. By elimination of losses in the production of ferromanganese savings as high as 10 pet might be possible. But, wartime manganese requirements cannot be met through conservation alone. To meet possible future emergencies the U. S. should continue its comprehensive security program for manganese, including stockpiling and research on the economic use of low-grade ore, domestic ores, the recovery of manganese from slag and the reduction of manganese requirements in steel production. If this work, including additional pilot plant operation is pursued vigorously, it should be possible in an emergency to get an adequate supply of manganese from domestic sources. The national stockpile then can be looked upon as a source of supply during the period of at least 2 years required to reach full-scale production from low-grade resources. Ferromanganese Smelting In comparison with smelting of pig iron, ferro-manganese smelting is a very wasteful process. Under present ferromanganese blast-furnace smelting practice, about 8 pet of the manganese in the furnace charge is lost to the slag, and roughly the same amount is lost to the stack gases; the total loss approaches 15 pct. Present practice is a compromise between excessive slag loss and excessive stack loss. In fact, it may be seriously questioned whether conventional blast furnace design is suitable for manganese smelting. U. S. Resources The known manganese deposits of the U. S. contain a total of 3500 million long tons of raw material and 75 million long tons of metallic manganese. More than 98 pct of this contained metal is in 12 large low-grade deposits of which the most important are those at Chamberlain, S. Dak; Cuyuna, Minn.; Aroostook County, Maine; and Artillery Peak, Ariz. Reserves of high-grade ore (48 pct Mn) amount to less than 200,000 tons. About 20 million tons of ore average over 15 pct Mn, and when grade is decreased to 10 pct Mn reserves amount to about 100 million long tons. If cut-off grade is decreased to 5 pet Mn, resources amount to 800 million long tons. Many of these low-grade ores may be beneficiated by flotation or other concentration methods. Pyrometallurgical Methods For smelting ferromanganese, it is essential to have an ore containing at least 50 pct manganese, with an Mn:Fe ratio of about 8:1. Direct smelting of 20 pct Mn concentrates is not promising. The only method that offers any promise involves two-step smelting.

Jan 1, 1952

By George Hulst

PRIOR to 1914, there was little demand for antimony in this country; its use was limited almost entirely to the manufacture of type and bearing metals. Practically no antimony ore was mined here, the market being supplied principally from China, and the alloy was produced by a direct mixing of lead and antimony. The great world war, with its demand for shrapnel in hitherto undreamed of quantities, precipitated a great boom in the price of antimony. Nominally quoted at 6 c. to 7 c. in 1914, the price increased by leaps and bounds to 45 c. in March, 1916. Under the stimulus of high prices many shall mines were opened, for it became profitable to work ores containing as low as 20 percent. antimony. High-grade sulfide ores (stibnite), containing 55 per cent. to 60 per cent. antimony, were received from Bolivia, China, and Alaska. Low-grade sulfide ores, running from 20 per cent. to 45 per cent., were produced in Nevada, California, Idaho, Utah, and Mexico; much of this ore was fairly rich in silver. The principal oxide ores came from Mexico and Oregon. The following analyses are representative of various types of antimony ore: Se Pn Cu Ao Au SIC), Fe S CAO ZN As Oxide Ore 25.09 46.02 0.95 0.40 10.98 0.30 0.22 Sulfide ore 5.5.20. 15.12 1.05 19.87 ? 0.40 0.25 Sulfide Ore 37.16 11.30 0.10 34.0 7.60 0.50 17.05 7.40 0.36 0.10 Sulfide Ore 41.55 15.00 0.20 76.0 0.04 5.60 0.25 18.17 0.85 0.25 0.10 The International Lead Refining Co. fortunately was equipped to handle these ores through residue and blast furnaces. The charge consisted of a variety of sulfide ores containing Sb 20 to 60 per cent. and Si02 6 to 45 per cent., oxide ores containing Sb 20 to 40 per cent. and SiO2 10 to 45 per cent. Secondary materials, such as battery plates, battery mud, lead oxide, paint, etc., together with refinery skims, softener skims, and other refinery byproducts, were treated along with the antimony ore to furnish the lead required. All silver-bearing antimony ores were treated in the residue furnace, the sulfur, iron, and copper forming matte that carried part of the silver, the balance going into lead bullion. The

Jan 9, 1919

ALABAMA. Aldrich.-Aldrich, W. F. Anniston.-Noble, A. E., 20th St. and Wilmer Ave. Auburn.-Brown, R. L., Box 0. Bessemer.-Abbott, C. E., T. C., I. & R.R. Co. Ferguson, V., U. S. C. I. Pipe & Fdy. Co. Williams, E. P., Tenn. C., I. & R. R. Co. Birmingham.-Aldricb, T. H. Aldrich, T. H., Jr., 406 Woodward Bldg. Allen, A. W., 1616 S. 14th Ave. Bowron, J., 1401 S, 20th St. Burbidge, T. A., Browu-Marx Bldg. Coxe, E. H., Tenn. C., I. & R. R. Co. Crawford, G. G., Tenn. C., 1. & R. R. Co. Crockard, F. H., Woodward Bldg. Dimmick, F. D., Dimmick Pipe Co. Ellis, E. E., 1515 Brown-Marx Bldg. Fairbairn, C. T., Woodward Bldg. Fies, M. H., 2316 Highland Ave. Hiller, E., 516 Brown-Marx Bldg. Hillman, M. P. G., 707 Empire Bldg. Ludwig, C. P., 12th Ave. and 12th St. McCormack, G. B., Lookout Mt. Iron Co. McCrery, C., Tenn. C., I. & R. R. Co. Moffett, C. A , 909 Brown-Marx Bldg. Peters, R.. Jr., Brown-Marx Bldg.

Jan 1, 1917

By Lucius W. Mayer

The iron-mines of the Ilsede Hütte Co. are at a town called Peine, about 20 miles east of the city of Hanover, on the railroad to Brunswick (Braunschweig). Hanover, the capital of the province, is a military city, of approximately 250,000 inhabitants, and Brunswick, 33 miles to the westward, has half this number. The mines here described are located in a hamlet called Bülten. The Ilsede Hütte Co. operates two mines, 1.5 miles apart, in this district, Gruber Bülten Adenstadt and Gruber Lengede Bodenstadt. It also operates an iron-mine north of Hanover, known as Eiserhaven, and one in the Harz mountains, the Georg Friedrich, at Grauhof. At Bülten a coarse conglomerate, a, Figs. 1 and 2, contains nodules of limonite, cemented together by calcium phosphate. The ore contains Fe, 25 to 45; Mn, 3 to 4; P, 0.6 to 1.4; S, 0.02 to 0.09; and CaCO3, 40 per cent. Directly above the conglomerate is limestone, b, followed by a mixture of clay and sand, c. Below the conglomerate is a hard clay floor, d. The ore-body, from 10 to, 12 km. long, and from 3 to 4 km. wide, has a maximum thickness of 20 m. It clips approximately 10° S.E., and strikes N. 45° E. Diamond-drill prospecting shows that the thickness diminishes to 1 m. as the end of the deposit is approached to the northward. At this point the deposit is 250 m. below the surface. In Fig. 2, the arrow, A, indicates the general direction of the work along the face, a, which is carried forward in a straight line for its entire length. At B, a train is approaching, which has come from the bench-track, shown at G, by a circuitous route, and is dumping the overburden behind the face, in the space left by the excavated rock. Formerly the work at this mine was essentially open-cut, the deposit having a very strong outcrop. Figs. 1 and 2 show also

Sep 1, 1908

By Samuel Taylor

IF I LIVE another fourteen months and am still con-nected with the coal industry, I shall then have com-pleted a half century with it. Since May, 1874, when .I first entered the bituminous workings as a miner, I think I have held almost every position connected with a mine except possibly that of mule driver, for which I was unfitted by reason of my religious upbringing. We are all agreed, at least I have not heard it contra-dicted, that there is serious over-production in the bituminous industry. This has come about in various ways and is easily explained. During the Fuel Admin-istration, I recall making an estimate of the possible output of the bituminous mines of the country provided they were given a full force of men and a full-car supply; my estimate was a little over a billion tons a year. A few months ago, the late Francis H. Peabody, of Chicago, made a practically identical estimate. If, however, both of these conditions should happen con-currently, there would very soon be no market for the coal, and many of the mines would close down. Even today, if 10 per cent. more cars were furnished, to the bituminous mines, market prices would drop very seriously.

Jan 4, 1923