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By D. R. Irving

Prior to this time, ample supplies of high grade mineral fillers, such as clay, have been available close to consuming centers. Now depletion of these accessible deposits, coupled with other factors such as increasing demand due to population expansion and standard of living rise, has made development of upgrading techniques attractive to producers. Various investigations being carried out by the U.S. Bureau of Mines are described. Factors making the development of improved methods for upgrading clays attractive to producers include: depletion of accessible deposits of high-grade clays, rising transportation and labor costs, more exacting specifications, and increased demand resulting from an expanding population and a constantly rising standard of living. Industry recognizes the need for upgrading presently unusable materials and has cooperated with the U.S. Bureau of Mines by providing samples from submarginal deposits and by evaluating the products that USBM upgrades. Following are some examples of recent clay beneficiation work by the Bureau. FIRE CLAY BENEFICIATION At the Rolla Metallurgical Center, Rolla, Mo., the Bureau is conducting research to develop technically and economically feasible mineral-dressing methods to remove quartz, pyrite, and other impurities from submarginal fire clays. The research has been spurred by the growing shortage of high-grade bur-ley, flint, and plastic clays in the Missouri fire-clay district resulting from increased consumption and the low rate of discovery of new deposits of adequate quality. There apparently is ample tonnage of submarginal flint and plastic clays to maintain the industry for many years if such material can be upgraded to commercial quality. Samples have been submitted to USBM by several major producers of refractories, including A. P. Green Fire Brick Co.; Harbison-Walker Refractories Co.; Mexico Refractories Div., Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp.; and Wellsville Fire Brick Co. Research on some samples has been completed and still is in progress on others. The Bureau has found that specimens containing quartz or pyrite in grains coarser than the accompanying clay generally can be upgraded either with a gravity table or hydraulic cyclone. The improvement in quality is notable not only in chemical analysis but in an increase in pyrometric cone equivalent (PCE) of one or more cones. As an example, consider the results attained on a sandy flint—a fine-grained mixture of kaolin and halloysite with quartz and minor quantities of iron and manganese oxides. Chemical analysis was: 35.4 pct alumina (A12O3) and 47.8 pct silica (SiO2). The sample contained 9.2 pct free silica as quartz. The PCE was 33. The sample was crushed to -10-mesh, blunged with water, and then stage-ground to -48-mesh. The ground sample was tabled to yield a clay fraction containing 37.6 pct A12O3, and 45.3 pct SiO2 of which 2.4 pct was free silica. The PCE was 34. Recovery of alumina by this process was 73.6 pct. Concentration of the same clay in the hydraulic cyclone was even more effective in respect to quartz removal. The clay fraction analyzed 38.6 pct A12O3, 45.0 pct SiO2 of which 0.5 pct was free silica as quartz, and had a PCE of 34. Recovery of alumina was 71.9 pct. The hydraulic cyclone was also effective in reducing the pyrite content of a plastic clay which likewise was a mixture of kaolin and halloysite, plus some pyrite, quartz, and carbonaceous material. It analyzed 30.6 pct Al2O3, 52.3 pct SiO2, 2.3 pct Fe2O3, and 0.76 pct S. The sample was blunged and screened through 10-mesh to remove some coarse pyrite, then ground to -65-mesh and cycloned to remove most of the remainder. The final product recovered 81.8 pct of the alumina at a grade of 32.3 pct A12O3, 50.9 pct SiO2, 1.4 pct Fe2O3, and 0.1 pct S. The PCE was 32-1/2, compared with a PCE of 31-1/2 for the crude clay. The fine beneficiated clays, of course, must be pelletized and dried or fired to meet commercial acceptance. This operation has already been solved by industry. Little progress has been made on two remaining problems. One is that of fine-grained impurities, not separable by table or cyclone. Flotation is being investigated to solve this. Although fine pyrite is readily rejected, a satisfactory quartz-clay separation has not been attained. The second problem, a stubborn one, is that of alkali. Samples containing as much as 5 pct potas-

Jan 1, 1961

By A. S. Richardson

THe conditions that make necessary the mechanical ventilation of the Butte mines of the Anaconda Copper Mining Go. are due to a number of causes, all of which are incidental to the depth at which mining operations are now carried on, The main object to be accomplished, of course, is the reduction of the temperature and humidity of the air in the working places. Ventilation fans, both surface and underground, have been used for many years, but increasing depth has made the problem much more difficult. Further improvement in both ventilation equipment and methods, therefore, became necessary; and it is the purpose of this paper to describe the work planned and done under the improvement program. The mines of the district have been frequently described in various technical publications, so a description is unnecessary here. From a mine-ventilation viewpoint, compared with coal-mine ventilation systems, the problem is complicated by the fact that the workings to be ventilated are situated on a large number of steeply dipping veins which frequently intersect and are faulted, and also by the fact that the extent, or existence, of orebodies is not definitely known in advance of actual development work. For these reasons ventilation work cannot be planned in advance of actual operations, nor can such regular systems of ventilation as are used in working the more uniform and continuous bodies of coal be developed. When operations are conducted at a normal rate, about 10,000 miners are employed on two shifts, so that about 5000 men will be underground at one time. But as ventilation is necessary to reduce high temperature and humidity due, mainly, to natural causes, the quantity of air per man per minute is not a governing consideration in determining ventilation requirements. Most important among the numerous sources of heat and humidity in the mines are: heat generated during decay of mine timber; heat and humidity given off by mine rock and water; heat generated by oxidation of sulfide minerals; heat given off by electrical equipment; heat generated by mine fires (in certain localities).

Jan 1, 1923

By A. S. Richardson

THe conditions that make necessary the mechanical ventilation of the Butte mines of the Anaconda Copper Mining Go. are due to a number of causes, all of which are incidental to the depth at which mining operations are now carried on, The main object to be accomplished, of course, is the reduction of the temperature and humidity of the air in the working places. Ventilation fans, both surface and underground, have been used for many years, but increasing depth has made the problem much more difficult. Further improvement in both ventilation equipment and methods, therefore, became necessary; and it is the purpose of this paper to describe the work planned and done under the improvement program. The mines of the district have been frequently described in various technical publications, so a description is unnecessary here. From a mine-ventilation viewpoint, compared with coal-mine ventilation systems, the problem is complicated by the fact that the workings to be ventilated are situated on a large number of steeply dipping veins which frequently intersect and are faulted, and also by the fact that the extent, or existence, of orebodies is not definitely known in advance of actual development work. For these reasons ventilation work cannot be planned in advance of actual operations, nor can such regular systems of ventilation as are used in working the more uniform and continuous bodies of coal be developed. When operations are conducted at a normal rate, about 10,000 miners are employed on two shifts, so that about 5000 men will be underground at one time. But as ventilation is necessary to reduce high temperature and humidity due, mainly, to natural causes, the quantity of air per man per minute is not a governing consideration in determining ventilation requirements. Most important among the numerous sources of heat and humidity in the mines are: heat generated during decay of mine timber; heat and humidity given off by mine rock and water; heat generated by oxidation of sulfide minerals; heat given off by electrical equipment; heat generated by mine fires (in certain localities).

Jan 1, 1923

By R. W. Mancantelli, J. R. Woodward

IN 1947 a large low grade deposit of uranium was located in the northwest corner of Saskatchewan, in the Beaverlodge property of Eldorado Mining & Refining Ltd. Most of the values occur as thin seams and as coatings on other minerals, and the ore, which is light and friable, is not amenable to the usual gravity methods of concentration. The acid leaching process developed to retreat the company's Port Radium tailings was also impractical, as the percentage of carbonates is high and the percentage of sulphides relatively low. Construction of the mill building and installation of equipment, both scheduled for 1952, awaited selection of a satisfactory ore dressing process on or before Oct. 1, 1951. An extensive research program on dressing of ores from the Ace mine therefore was undertaken by the Mines Branch in Ottawa, a research team at the University of British Columbia, and an ore dressing group at the company's Port Hope refinery. Pilot plant operations were conducted at the Ottawa plant of Sherritt Gordon Mines Ltd. under the general direction of C. S. Parsons, consultant on metallurgy and ore dressing for Eldorado. In mid-September, having compared results of the several research programs, Dr. Parsons recommended a process employing a carbonate or basic leach. He reported that, while the chemistry of the process had been proved, engineering of the flowsheet was incomplete, and he suggested that under normal conditions further pilot plant work at the Ace mine might be profitable. However, since this would involve a delay of 12 to 18 months in bringing the property into operation, he recommended that design of the concentrator proceed immediately. Concentrator capacity was determined by two considerations: 1) the amount of ore then available and 2) the expectation that continued improvements would be made in the ore dressing process as a result of the intensive research being carried out by the Mines Branch of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys. As these improvements could affect both the chemistry and the en-

Jan 1, 1956

By H. S. Martin

The Phosphate Recovery Corporation operates three flotation plants, NOS. 1 and 2 concentrators about three miles northeast of Mulberry, Florida, and No. 3 plant at Wales, Tennessee. These plants represent the first commercial phosphate flotation operation and are also believed to be the largest nonmetallic flotation operation in the world at the present time. The details of this paper will be confined to plant No. 2, this being the newest and largest concentrator in Florida, and the flow sheet being practically the same as at plant No. 1. The No. 3 plant has been operated but a short time and has been shut down since December, 1932, on account of the decrease in phosphate rock production. The phosphate washers usually are located centrally on a known deposit so that about two hundred acres of ground can be mined economically to each washer location. The washers are moved to new areas when the distance becomes too great for economical pumping. The flotation plants are built either adjacent to a washer, so that current debris may be utilized, or on the site of a former washer where there is sufficient accumulated debris available for mining, and the flotation plants must also be moved from time to time. Most of the water used in the Florida flotation plants is recovered after passing through a circulating system where most of the fine SUSpended matter is settled out, but some make-up water is obtained from deep wells near the plant. Power is obtained from the Tampa Electric Co. through the distribution facilities of the International Agricultural Corporation. Flotation concentrate is hauled from the plant by trolley over the International Agricultural Corporation's trolley system, to the drying plant at Prairie, one mile northwest of Mulberry. Ore Treated In the pebble phosphate district of Florida, the phosphate mineral, or collophane, is usually found in horizontal beds of varying thickness

Jan 1, 1934

Jan 1, 1968

ARTICLE I NAME AND OBJECT SEC. I. This Institute is incorporated under the Membership Corporations law of the State of New York; its corporate name is American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, Inc.; and its objects are such as are stated in its Certificate of Incorporation. ARTICLE II MEMBERS SEC. 1. The membership of the Institute shall comprise four classes, namely: 1. Members; 2. Honorary Members; 3. Associates; 4. Junior Associates. All members shall be equally entitled to the privileges of membership, excepting that Honorary Members, Junior Associates, and Members and Associates whose residences shall be outside of the United States, Mexico, and Canada shall not be entitled to vote. Members and Associates residing within the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada, .and not in arrears for dues, shall be entitled to vote in person at the meetings of the Institute, or, as hereinafter provided for, by letter ballot. SEC. 2. Members shall comprise all those persons who on the third Monday of February, 1918, were members of the Institute, and in addition thereto, all those thereafter elected or transferred into the class of Members. A person to be eligible for election or transfer into the class of Members must be at least 27 years of age and must have had at least six years' employment in the practice of engineering, mining, geology, metallurgy or chemistry, during at least three years of which he must have held positions of responsibility in one or more of these fields. Graduation from the scientific course of a college, approved by the Committee on Membership, shall be considered equivalent to two years' employment, as required in the previous sentence. Employment as a teacher of engineering, mining, geology, metallurgy or chemistry, if in direct charge, may be considered a position of responsibility as specified in the second paragraph. Persons employed in research or any scientific literary work or in teaching in the scientific departments of colleges, approved by the Committee on Membership, who at the same time are engaged in consulting or in the active practice of mining, geology, or metallurgy, shall be entitled to consider the time so spent in active practice as equivalent to an equal length of time of employment in positions of responsibility, provided the work done or the positions held seem to the Committee on Membership to warrant the equivalency. The requirement of three years' employment in positions of responsibility maybe waived by the Committee on Membership in the case of persons who have done notable original work in mining, geology, or metallurgy, or have won distinction by

Jan 1, 1925

INTRODUCTION The first installation of large, commercial, high gradient-high field cannister and matrix magnetic separators for removal of impurities from kaolin was made in 1973 (1). Since then the technology and equipment have been widely adopted for clay processing with about 12 units in commercial use. These new separators have filled a need, caught the imagination of many and become a technology worth fighting for. A fight has occurred, and a resolution on royalties for kaolin processing, at least, has been achieved. LIMITATIONS TO APPLICATIONS OF MAGNETIC SEPARATORS Other than the use of these magnets on kaolin clay, no other application has yet achieved widespread adoption. Dr. Iannicelli blames inertia, and1 would agree that it is a factor. There are other reasons too, and if they are examined, they may isolate problems that R&D can significantly assist in solving. I'd like to break the problems into two areas. Machine limitations - the mineral properties are there but performance is insufficient or uneconomic. Separation limitations - the mineral properties aren’t there, but the magnetic separation would perform well if the properties were there (size is right; concentration is right, etc).

Jan 1, 1979

By G. Sachs

X-RAY analysis and single-crystal study have been utilized in recent years as a new means of following constitutional changes in alloys. If such transformations can be suppressed by rapid cooling, they can be followed at room temperature in a particularly convenient manner. In the following we shall consider changes in solubility and polymorphic transformations with particular reference to phenomena of the age-hardening type. Finally a thermodynamic viewpoint is developed for examining such transformations.

Jan 1, 1931

By W. R. Bean

Probably few, if any, of the many serious problems confronting malleable foundries have been more difficult of solution than the question as to why malleable that is ductile, black in fracture, and normal in all respects before galvanizing should, by that process, be rendered brittle, brilliantly crystalline or "white" in fracture, and of low resistance to shock. So far as we are aware, the technical literature contains no data or discussions on this subject, except two referencesl,2 of a general character. It is apparently a question that every one concerned, producer and consumer alike, has been willing to evade as far as possible. Various theories as to the cause of the deterioration have been given but such checking of these theories as we have done indicates that there was no sound basis for most of them. This work on the galvanizing of malleable was first undertaken in 1916, and has continued until the present time. We now feel that for all practical purposes we have reached a solution and are glad to be able to offer it in a form that can be readily applied to production processes. It is impossible to give here a detailed account of the early work done on this problem. A great number of tests were instituted and an enor-

Jan 1, 1923

By W. R. Bean

Probably few, if any, of the many serious problems confronting malleable foundries have been more difficult of solution than the question as to why malleable that is ductile, black in fracture, and normal in all respects before galvanizing should, by that process, be rendered brittle, brilliantly crystalline or "white" in fracture, and of low resistance to shock. So far as we are aware, the technical literature contains no data or discussions on this subject, except two referencesl,2 of a general character. It is apparently a question that every one concerned, producer and consumer alike, has been willing to evade as far as possible. Various theories as to the cause of the deterioration have been given but such checking of these theories as we have done indicates that there was no sound basis for most of them. This work on the galvanizing of malleable was first undertaken in 1916, and has continued until the present time. We now feel that for all practical purposes we have reached a solution and are glad to be able to offer it in a form that can be readily applied to production processes. It is impossible to give here a detailed account of the early work done on this problem. A great number of tests were instituted and an enor-

Jan 1, 1923

By C. O. Worden, C. A. Zapffe, F. K. Landgraf

SUMMARY FOLLOWING the discovery of Parke and Ham that deoxidation control of cast molybdenum can be predicated upon simple fractographic examination, a special study of that metal was undertaken to investigate those patterns ascribed to forgeability and nonforgeability. An elaborately developed system of cleavage patterns immediately rewarded the study; and they are reported here as a necessarily preliminary contribution calling attention to information which is both new in type and in origin. In general, the present observations confirm those of Parke and Ham, and Woodside; but they also disclose a wealth of detail and correlated phenomena which greatly expand the earlier information. For example, the oxide pattern of nonforgeability is found to be complex, perhaps involving as many as three distinctive patterns. And the nature of the carbide seems to be at least twofold. In addition, transgranular facets are here shown for the first time. Elaborately complex, but in a characteristic manner, these facets depict distortion in original crystal growth which provides truly extraordinary patterns. No carbide and oxide forms display themselves transgranularly, except in profile as exceedingly thin superficial films at the grain boundaries. Crystallographic features are also rare-a condition undoubtedly resulting from the great substructural distortion; but occasionally registrations are found of cleavage on {001}, and faulted areas believed to be Neumann-type deformation on {112}. INTRODUCTION Parke and Ham, 1 and again Woodside, 2 have reported that the forgeability of molybdenum cast by their vacuum-electric-arc process can be predicted with great dependability by a simple fractographic observation. They state that nonforgeability is the result of a grain boundary oxide which can be readily identified on the fracture facet at high magnification; and they convert the nonforgeable condition to a forgeable one by increasing the carbon content of the melt until the oxide structures subsequently observed in the fractograph become replaced by a second strongly marked pattern characteristic of carbide and coincidentally indicative of forgeability. Considerable importance immediately attaches to such observations: (I) because of their direct commercial application to one of metallurgy's inviting and relatively unexplored metals; (2) because of a general scientific curiosity regarding the nature of these characteristic markings; and (3) perhaps more important, because of

Jan 1, 1948

By Louis B. Slichter

Prospecting is certainly the world's biggest and best gambling business. It is a game where the chips cost many thousands and where many millions, even billions, can be won. An attractive feature of this gamble is the fact that the players are free to rig the odds as favorably as possible. Only the limited bounty of nature, the restrictions of the laws of the land, the competition from other players, the limited sagacity of the player himself- only these, and other factors, restrict the possibilities for large winnings. Today probably about half the land surface of the earth remains to be searched for signs of ore visible at the surface. It is fortunate that so much land still remains for exploration by relatively economical methods. Looking to the future, it is a good guess that the costs of finding ore will increase in response to increasing technical difficulties. To continue to achieve profits from prospecting, it will become necessary to analyze the business more skillfully, in a more and more sophisticated manner. Whenever feasible, qualitative concepts must be replaced by their quantitative equivalents, improvements, and extensions.

Jan 6, 1960

By Casper A. Nelson, Wendell M. Whitecotton

A WIDE variety of lead ore is treated by the Midvale Smelter, for it is a custom plant not only treating Company lead concentrate and direct-smelting ores but also custom ores and concentrates, principally from Utah, Idaho, and Nevada, with lesser amounts from Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The principal operating departments of the plant are weighing and sampling, Wedge roaster, D&L sintering, blast furnace and drossing, and baghouse. The lead bullion produced is shipped to a subsidiary, the U.S.S. Lead Refinery, Inc., at East Chicago, while the by-products, such as matte and speiss, are shipped to other smelters or re-treated at the plant.

Jan 1, 1948

By W. R. Shimer

In his valuable report on Finishing Temperatures and Properties of Rails,l Dr. G. X. Burgess, Chief of the Division of Metallurgy, U. S. Bureau of Standards, has begun a line of investigation which should be continued by those interested in the subject, and who have proper facilities for carrying out the work. For the past year or more the Bethlehem Steel Co. has been conducting experiments to learn the effect of rail finishing temperatures on their physical properties and microstructure and the results are here given for the consideration of those interested in the rail situation. Considerable differences of opinion have been expressed by various authorities, in the past, as to the effect of large or small grain size and high or low finishing temperatures of steel rails on their physical properties and wearing qualities. Low finishing temperatures and, therefore, low shrinkage, have been advocated on the theory that the wearing qualities would be improved. Others have recommended high finishing temperatures. The generally accepted cause for rail failures, due to the development of transverse fissures, is excessive wheel pressure on hard rails. One of the causes advanced for hard rails has been that they contain too high percentages of carbon and manganese; another that the rails were finished at too low a temperature, i.e., at or near the critical point. In the experiments herein described the rails were rolled from reheated blooms. All the rail blooms were charged hot in a reheating furnace and brought up to about the original ingot-rolling temperature before rolling into rails. These rails gave better results in deflection, withstood a greater number of drops before breaking, and showed greater ductility than rails of identically the same composition and section which were rolled direct from the ingot. Rails rolled from reheated blooms, finished at somewhat higher temperatures than when rolled direct from the ingot, have a different microstructure, which the writer does not believe is due so much to the difference in finishing temperatures, as to the difference in

Jan 1, 1915

By D. L. Gardner, H. L. Barr

THE following report covers the history of the development of the mine, present equipment, methods and costs of mining and milling. In addition, a description of the ore deposit is given with emphasis on the origin of the fractures, mode and types of ore occurrence, and mechanics of granite emplacement. An endeavor has been made to present a complete and accurate statement of the San Mauricio mine, the highest grade gold mine in the Philippine Islands. Credit is gratefully acknowledged to the mine staff for descriptions and details regarding their particular field of work. All analyses were made by Mr. T. A. DeVore, head chemist, San Mauricio Mining Co. Messrs. Edward Wisser, J. E. Fyfe, A. F. Skerl and W. B. Meek, geologists, have contributed geologic information and ideas, for which thanks are extended. The Executive Committee of Marsman and Co., Inc., Managers of the Company, has kindly given permission for publication. Mr. J. B. Stapler, Division Manager, Marsman and Co., has had the courtesy to read the manuscript and to give critical and helpful suggestions. LOCATION OF AREA AND SCOPE OF WORK San Mauricio Mining Co. controls a group of 113 claims that lie immediately north of the town of Jose Pañganiban (formerly Mambulao), Camarines Norte, Luzon, P. I. (Fig. 1). Exploration work commenced in the spring of 1934; active development began in the fall of that year and has continued to the present date. Mill construction was begun Oct. 15, 1935, and production started March 10, 1936. Total production to June 1, 1939, is P10,499,105.15 ($5,249,552.57). [+]

Jan 1, 1940

By James E. York

At a meeting of the American Society for Testing Materials at Atlantic City, June, 1908, Dr. C. B. Dudley, in his presiden-tial address,' showed the vital necessity of not only making a steel rail as good as in the past, but of making it considerably better in order to meet the present and prospective requiremeuts of railroads. Doctor Dudley requested the co-operation of all who from personal experience could give information that would result in bringing about the production of a steel rail that could be relied upon to meet the present requirements. I have had considerable experience in the practical manufacture of steel of almost every grade, during the past 40 years, and I shall suggest changes that will bring about the results desired. Doctor Dudley has had a long experience as chemical and metallurgical expert for the Pennsylvania railroad, but he frankly admits that up to the present time both he and other metallurgical authorities lack the practical knowledge of steel-making that is necessary to state correctly the reasons for the unreliability of the steel rails now produced. The necessity is self-evident for more positive practical knowledge on the part of these experts of what is possible and what is impossible regarding the practical manufacturing of steel rails from the ingot to the finished product. Chemical knowledge in steel-making is far ill advance of what it was years ago, and might be said to cover every requirement (in that department) for producing reliable steel. The study of the metallography of steel has been of great value, also the physical testing of steel, but this knowledge will only de-

Jan 1, 1910

By D. J. McAdam

Results of investigation of corrosion-fatigue of metals at the U. S. Naval Engineering Experiment Station, Annapolis, Md., have been discussed by the writer in several recent paper~.1,2,3,4 In those papers references were also given to the work of Haigh in 1917.= Efforts by the writer to obtain a better understanding of some of the factors involved in corrosion-fatigue finally developed into a general investigation of the effect of time and cyclic stress on corrosion of metals. Corrosion-fatigue of Metals As described in the papers mentioned, rotating-cantilever specimens, conically tapered so that the stress is nearly uniform over a length of about 1.5 in., were subjected to simultaneous fatigue and corrosion. For this purpose a stream of water was diagonally applied so as to sweep the specimen from the outer to the inner fillet and surround the stressed surface with water. The fresh water is a calcium carbonate water, the composition of which has been given in a previous paper.2 The salt water is Severn River water having a saline content about one-third that of sea water. The previous papers described results obtained with ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The experiments showed that even slight corrosion simultaneous with fatigue may cause failure at nominal stresses far

By Frank Doxey

AT Dominion Steel & Coal Corp. it has long been recognized that continued mechanization of mine operations is necessary in the Pictou, Cumberland, and Sidney coal fields of Nova Scotia. The varied physical conditions in these fields call for special consideration of individual cases before planning is finalized. Because standard equipment cannot be procured which would operate successfully, many experiments have been necessary over the years to keep pace with the progress made in other countries. There are two mines, producing 2000 tpd, located in the Pictou coal field. The field is badly distorted and crossed by many faults. Seams are highly inclined and irregular and vary in thickness from 5 to 40 ft. Entries are difficult to maintain because of squeezing of the coal. ribs and movement of the roof and pavement. Output from the three operating mines in the Cumberland field is 3000 tpd. The field is highly inclined, inclination varying from 12° to 32°. Overlying beds consist of shales and massive sandstone lenses of extreme toughness and are responsible for bumps when the stresses are relieved by extraction. At greatest depth these are among the deepest coal workings in the world. Depth of cover ranges from 2300 to 4000 ft. This prohibits room-and-pillar working and necessitates longwall operation. Working of contiguous seams concurrently to maintain output increases the already difficult conditions. The Sydney field, with a frontage of about 30 miles, is the most important of the Nova Scotia coal fields. With the exception of one small area it is now wholly submarine. Output is approximately 21,000 tpd. Seams are 21/2 to 8 ft thick, and cover in the areas varies from 600 to 2300 ft, with an average of 1500 ft from sea bottom to the top of the seam. The seams dip in a seaward direction, pitches ranging from 6" to 4.0". The shoreline is the last place of entry to the seams and distance from the bank to the working faces is generally over 3½ miles, in some cases as much as 6½ miles. Ventilation is a problem and requires the construction of large permanent airways. Getting and Loading Coal: In 1925, in view of heavy pressures exerted by thickness of cover overlying the seams, roadways and pillars of the room-and-pillar system being worked began to break up and coal was lost. It was decided that a change in the method of extraction in areas with heavy cover was necessary, and experiments were made with many short walls and longwalls varying between 90 and 250 ft. Trial and error proved that the best operating length was between 400 and 500 ft, delivering all coal to the dip, with roadways to the face following a level course. The change-over was gradual, and the technique of roof control developed with the system, so that falls to the face are now very infrequent. An advantage of longwall mining is that it yields 95 pct extraction, especially important in coal seams of high quality or in seams where faults or disturbances restrict the workable areas. This percentage of extraction is based on the fact that the longwall advancing system takes development faces where pitch permits instead of driving headings and leaving roadway pillars. This system yields high tonnage during development and limits loss in extraction to duff left during operations. Accompanying disadvantages, on the other hand, are the heavy construction cost of main roadways and the necessity of driving all new flank face roadways through the gob. If the main roadways are driven through the solid, and large enough pillars are left on each side for protection against flank face weights, then the width of solid coal is approximately 1700 ft. This represents 10.6 pct of the coal available, or 89.4 pct extraction of the whole. These pillars, however, are of such size that they provide a useful pillar drawing area as a final operation of the mine. It may be that although the seam cannot be generally mined by the room-and-pillar method, it can be adapted to

Jan 1, 1955

By Richard W. Brummett, Robert L. Dubms

Located some 180 miles east of Los Angeles in Riverside County, California, the Eagle Mountain mine supplies iron ore concentrates for the Kaiser Steel Corporation steel plant in Fontana, California, and for export to Japan. Although the deposits were first discovered in the early 1890's, no production was realized from the area until 1948 when Kaiser Steel Corporation commenced operations. A part of the large Basin and Range province, the Eagle Mountain area's geologic column comprises a thick series of metasediments resting on Precambrian gneisses and schists that have been intruded by sill-like masses of porphyritic quartz monzonite. The metasediments are composed of three quartzite units that are separated by a schistose meta-arkose and by two ore zones. They have been folded into a large east-west trending anticlinal structure that extends completely across the Eagle Mountains. The iron ore deposits occur in two well-defined horizons in the metasedimentary series, and they are found only along the north limb of the major anticline. Host rocks for the ore zones were a series of limestones and dolomites with associated quartzites. Magnetite plus pyrite comprised the primary mineralization that formed many replacement lenses and stringers of ore within the ore zones. The primary ore has been oxidized to hematite and goethite in a broad zone at higher elevations in the deposits. Hydrothermal alteration formed actinolite- tremolite granofels, local phlogopite, and minor tourmaline in the ore zones. This alteration and the ore deposition seem related to the same magmatic event that formed the porphyritic quartz monzonite intrusion

Jan 1, 1968