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By Willard P. Ward

SOME TIME in the year 1874 or 1875, I conceived the idea that spiegeleisen might be made -in a blast furnace from ores that were not carbonates, and which did not contain both manganese and iron in the same ore. Up to this time, such ores had formed the basis of all the spiegel that had been produced; and all the ferromanganese that was on the market before 1875 was made in crucibles, and cost about 00 per ton, for 80 per cent. Mn. I consulted the great steel metallurgist of the day, Alexander Holley, who listened attentively to what I had to say, and told me he did not think my plan was practical, so I abandoned it for the time being. But I was so stubborn that I could not get the notion out of my head. It seemed to me that a good metallurgist should be able to work the thing out in some way. I had already had some experience in smelting refractory lead ores in Utah, and was young and not lacking in self confidence, so after waiting a bit, I got Anton Eilers, the best all-around metallurgist I knew, and J. H. Bramwell, the best iron blast-furnace man I knew, both intimate friends of -mine, to come to my place in Bartow County, Georgia, and look over things. They remained for several days, and made all the examination they thought necessary; and they also advised me to give up the project, and either to keep the furnace running on car-wheel iron or to blow it out. After my talk with Holley, I improved my plant in several ways. I closed the top of the furnace, put in a hot-blast stove, a steam boiler and a Weimer blowing-engine which gave me blast enough, at a pressure high enough for all the requirements of, the furnace, and which I could bring up to a temperature of 600° to 700° F.

Jan 1, 1921

By Arthur S. Huey

AS the end of the collegiate year approaches, the problem of student employment again becomes acute. This subject divides itself into two phases: (1) employment prior to graduation and (2) employment following graduation. "Experience is the best teacher," according to the old adage, and the student needs all that he can get. He is afforded every opportunity to reap from his books the theories and principles of scientific and engineering practice, and occasionally he is privileged to make field trips to observe the practical side of the subject. But it is not enough for one to know the theory and to observe its application; it is also desirable for the student to get the feel of the tools during his training Such opportunities can only be afforded the student if the major companies cooperate with the universities in giving the student part-time and vacation work.

Jan 1, 1932

By Carel Robinson

MECHANIZATION of coal mine, is radically changing the requirements for under-ground transportation. It has increased materially the need for reliability and belt conveyors are the most dependable means of moving coal away from the place where it is mined. Their record of freedom from delays is almost 100 per cent. Why then are- not belt conveyors in more general use. Part of the answer lies in the pour records made at some of the earlier installations, and in the fact that belts have so long been identified as a type of equipment suitable, in the main, only to thin seams. Another reason is lack of knowledge of the full potentialities of belt transportation.

Jan 1, 1941

By P. Payson

INTERGRANULAR corrosion in corrosion-resistant chromium-nickel steels has been widely discussed in the last few years. So far as the author knows, nothing has been published which definitely shows that this tendency can be eliminated, although suggestions have been made that a remedy is possible if certain specifications are satisfied. Strauss, Schottky and Hinueber1 suggested an increase in chromium content to an extent that would prevent the impoverishment of chromium on carbide precipitation sufficient to cause impaired corrosion resistance in the matrix. Pilling2 suggested an increase in nickel, so that the stability of the austenite matrix would be increased. Aborn and Bain,3 say that "intergranular attack-may be eliminated by preventing carbide precipitation (e. g., by lowering the carbon content or somehow raising its solubility) or by precipitating it permanently under conditions which will not remove chromium from solid solution so drastically at any points." In a later paper Aborn and Bain4 state that many different metallic elements, tungsten, vanadium, copper, aluminum, molybdenum, titanium and zirconium, have been added in small per-centages to increase the stability of these alloys, but that it has been reported that according to the copper sulfate test these added elements act only to retard the intergranular corrosion, and that increased nickel and chromium contents have similar effects. Newell5 showed that the lower the quenching temperature before reheating, the less severe was the intergranular attack.

Jan 1, 1932

By Desio S. Oddone, Mark C. Malamphy, Irnack C. Do Amaral

Most igneous rocks, and particularly those of the basic type, contain relatively high percentages of magnetite and other iron oxides, which give them moderately high magnetic susceptibilities and make them responsible for an important percentage of the magnetic anomalies observed during the course of geophysical surveys by the magnetic method. The irregular form and high susceptibility of the igneous rocks make them readily polarizable and the position and strength of the magnetic poles formed are not always explicable by theoretical calculations of anomalies due to certain assumed forms in the normal magnetic field of the area under study. During the last four years our field work has permitted us to make detailed observations of anomalies due to igneous rocks in all the states of south Brazil. The form and position of the igneous rock at some places were fairly accurately known, which made it possible to calculate theoretical anomalies and compare them with the observed data. Some of the data we obtained have been published and additional cases are now awaiting publication. In this paper, we will present a few specific cases where the geology is moderately well known and which we believe to be of considerable value as representing typical magnetic anomalies in the south magnetic hemisphere, where the inclination of the magnetic field is very low. Although the vertical intensity is negative in the Southern Hemisphere, we have adopted the convention of plotting increase in intensity (negative) as a positive anomaly; i.e., above the x axis. This convention facilitates comparison with anomalies in the north.

Jan 1, 1940

By Irnack C. Do Amaral, Mark C. Malamphy, Desio S. Oddone

Most igneous rocks, and particularly those of the basic type, contain relatively high percentages of magnetite and other iron oxides, which give them moderately high magnetic susceptibilities and make them responsible for an important percentage of the magnetic anomalies observed during the course of geophysical surveys by the magnetic method. The irregular form and high susceptibility of the igneous rocks make them readily polarizable and the position and strength of the magnetic poles formed are not always explicable by theoretical calculations of anomalies due to certain assumed forms in the normal magnetic field of the area under study. During the last four years our field work has permitted us to make detailed observations of anomalies due to igneous rocks in all the states of south Brazil. The form and position of the igneous rock at some places were fairly accurately known, which made it possible to calculate theoretical anomalies and compare them with the observed data. Some of the data we obtained have been published and additional cases are now awaiting publication. In this paper, we will present a few specific cases where the geology is moderately well known and which we believe to be of considerable value as representing typical magnetic anomalies in the south magnetic hemisphere, where the inclination of the magnetic field is very low. Although the vertical intensity is negative in the Southern Hemisphere, we have adopted the convention of plotting increase in intensity (negative) as a positive anomaly; i.e., above the x axis. This convention facilitates comparison with anomalies in the north.

Jan 1, 1940

By J. L. Craig, C. L. Edwards, M. D. Harper, J. M. Ray

The Los Alamos National Laboratory executed 19 intermediate scale cratering experiments in oil shale at the Colony Mine in Garfield County, Colorado. These experiments have led to a better under- standing of fracture characteristics and fragmentation of & - oil shale by use of a conventional high explosive. Geologic site characterization included detailed mapping, coring, and sample analyses. Site-specific geology was observed to be a major influence on the resulting crater geometry. The joint patterns at the experimental site frequently defined the final crater symmetry. Secondary influences included vugs, lithology changes, and grade fluctuations in the local stratigraphy. Most experiments, in both the rib and floor, were conducted to obtain data to investigate the fragmentation results within the craters. The rubble was screened for fragment- size distributions. Geologic features in proximity to the explosive charge had minimal effect on the rubble due to the overpowering effect of the detonation. However, these same features became more influential on the fracture and rubble characteristics with greater distances from the shothole. Postshot cores revealed a direct relationship between the grade of the oil shale and its susceptibility to fracturing. The Colony Mine experiments have demonstrated the significant role of geology in high explosive/oil shale interaction. It is probable that this role will have to be considered for larger applications to blast patterns and potential problems in retort stability in the future of oil shale development.

Jan 1, 1983

[†Aaronson, Alfred E., Oil Producer, Pres., Tuloma Oil Cc Tulsa, Okla. '18 ¦Abad, Leopoldo F., College of Min., Univ. of California Berkeley, Cal. '23 ¦Abadilla, Quirico A., Geol. Dept., Cia. Mexicans de Petroleo "EI Aguila," S. A., Edifico "El Aguila," Esq., Calles Aurora y Comercio, Tampico, Tamps., Mexico. '20 ¦Abbey, Robert Graham, Student, Case School of Applied Science Cleveland, 0. '21 Abbott, Clarence E., Gen'l Supt., Iron Mines Div., Tenn. Coal, Iron & R. R. Co., 1405 Minnesota Ave., Bessemer, Ala. '04] [ ]

Jan 1, 1925

By B. J. Nelson, F. N. Rhinos

Studies upon the rates of oxidation of copper alloys containing small quantities of the alloying elementsl,2 have shown that steady growth of the scales at predictable rates is limited to a small concentration range and to oxidation at temperatures above 600°C., whereas unpredictable and erratic oxidation behavior is found with alloys containing larger additions and at low temperatures. The latter effect appears to be associated with modifications in the geometric disposition of the oxides. At low concentrations of the baser elements in copper, simple oxidation behavior is typified by the formation of two distinguishable zones of oxidation: (I) a subscale composed of discrete particles of the oxide of the alloying element embedded in substantially pure copper and (2) an external scale composed of cuprous oxide (with a very thin layer of cupric oxide on the outside) containing particles of the alloying element distributed throughout, but most profusely near the metal surface (see Fig. 2, top). Where this type of structure obtains, the process of oxidation is believed to be implemented, and its rate controlled, by the diffusion of the reacting elements through a' continuous matrix phase; i.e., through the alpha (metallic) phase of the subscale and alloy and through the cuprous oxide of the external scale. Copper is presumed to diffuse outward through the cuprous oxide layer to the external surface, where it reacts to form more cuprous oxide.3 Oxygen is delivered at the oxide-metal interface in the form of cuprous oxide, which may either react with the alloying element to deposit its oxide at the inner limit of the external scale or dissolve in the pure copper that remains at the surface of the metal after it has become depleted in its oxidiza-ble alloying elements. Both oxygen and the alloying element are pictured as diffusing through the metal, the oxygen inward and the alloying element outward. Where the two diffusion streams meet in sufficient concentration the oxide of the subscale is precipitated. If the oxygen pressure in the surrounding atmosphere is just below the pressure necessary to maintain cuprous oxide undecomposed, no cuprous oxide can be formed; some of the oxide of the alloying element may form upon the external surface, if its decomposition pressure is below that of cuprous oxide, and a normal sub-scale appears. This condition is achieved experimentally by enclosing the alloy with cuprous oxide together with an excess of copper. At temperatures from 600°C. downward, the precipitated oxides tend to accumulate at the grain boundaries of the alpha phase where a relatively small volume establishes a partial barrier to the diffusion of the reactants- Similarly, large volumes of Precipitated oxides tend to deposit in various patterns that may be expected to

Jan 1, 1944

By F. N. Rhinos, B. J. Nelson

Studies upon the rates of oxidation of copper alloys containing small quantities of the alloying elementsl,2 have shown that steady growth of the scales at predictable rates is limited to a small concentration range and to oxidation at temperatures above 600°C., whereas unpredictable and erratic oxidation behavior is found with alloys containing larger additions and at low temperatures. The latter effect appears to be associated with modifications in the geometric disposition of the oxides. At low concentrations of the baser elements in copper, simple oxidation behavior is typified by the formation of two distinguishable zones of oxidation: (I) a subscale composed of discrete particles of the oxide of the alloying element embedded in substantially pure copper and (2) an external scale composed of cuprous oxide (with a very thin layer of cupric oxide on the outside) containing particles of the alloying element distributed throughout, but most profusely near the metal surface (see Fig. 2, top). Where this type of structure obtains, the process of oxidation is believed to be implemented, and its rate controlled, by the diffusion of the reacting elements through a' continuous matrix phase; i.e., through the alpha (metallic) phase of the subscale and alloy and through the cuprous oxide of the external scale. Copper is presumed to diffuse outward through the cuprous oxide layer to the external surface, where it reacts to form more cuprous oxide.3 Oxygen is delivered at the oxide-metal interface in the form of cuprous oxide, which may either react with the alloying element to deposit its oxide at the inner limit of the external scale or dissolve in the pure copper that remains at the surface of the metal after it has become depleted in its oxidiza-ble alloying elements. Both oxygen and the alloying element are pictured as diffusing through the metal, the oxygen inward and the alloying element outward. Where the two diffusion streams meet in sufficient concentration the oxide of the subscale is precipitated. If the oxygen pressure in the surrounding atmosphere is just below the pressure necessary to maintain cuprous oxide undecomposed, no cuprous oxide can be formed; some of the oxide of the alloying element may form upon the external surface, if its decomposition pressure is below that of cuprous oxide, and a normal sub-scale appears. This condition is achieved experimentally by enclosing the alloy with cuprous oxide together with an excess of copper. At temperatures from 600°C. downward, the precipitated oxides tend to accumulate at the grain boundaries of the alpha phase where a relatively small volume establishes a partial barrier to the diffusion of the reactants- Similarly, large volumes of Precipitated oxides tend to deposit in various patterns that may be expected to

Jan 1, 1944

By C. H. Green

. RECENTLY two papers on the structure of eutectics were read before the British Institute of Metals, one by F. L. Brady1 and the other by A. Portevin.2 In the preparation of photomicrographs of laboratory specimens as illustrations for student work, and in connection with various researches; the writer has been working along the same line for some, time and, therefore, was much interested in the results given, especially those of Portevin. He has correlated the information on the subject and has outlined a broad scientific basis for future work along this line. It is largely with the idea-of adding something by way of illustration to the work already done that this paper is written. The eutectic is generally understood to mean the alloy having the lowest melting point of any alloy of the system, and in which the melt becomes supersaturated with reference to the two or more phases which, separate out simultaneously (or alternately). From the surface pattern, the eutectic means; a structure with no primary crystals. It is not always easy to get the exact eutectic composition in making any alloy; in fact, a slight range in composition may be expected and some of the coarser particles may be richer in either of the composing metals. Even when chemical analysis shows the right composition, differences in density of the pure metals may cause segregation, or. supercooling resulting from different crystallizing properties may give a surface pattern the appearance of being on one side of the eutectic point. However, the alloys on either side of the eutectic composition, showing primary crystals of one of the phases and the effect of the pro-eutectic form on the surface pattern of the eutectic make a very interesting study, which is slightly touched upon in this paper. The phases, or microconstituents, of a eutectic may be pure metals (Pb-Sb, Tl-Au), solid solutions (Cd-Zn), a pure metal and a solid solution; (Ag-Sn), or a pure metal or solid solution with an intermetallic compound (Sb-Mg, Sb-Cu, As-Cu, Bi-Te, etc.).

Jan 2, 1925

By Stanley Reichert

The manganese deposits of the Embree Iron Co., Embreeville, Tenn., are thought to be fairly typical and representative of the East Tennessee type of deposit, and so to warrent rather detailed description. The methods used by the Embree Iron Co. for prospecting and mining, and to a lesser extent for milling; should therefore be applicable to other East Tennessee manganese deposits, as yet' undeveloped. Early History and Discovery of Manganese Brown iron ore (limonite) was mined by the Embree Iron Co. at various times from 1890 to 1910. The early method was simply pick-and-shovel mining in open pits. Later hydraulic giants were used and sluice lines carried the ore down the mountain slopes to log washers.. During this phase of mining, manganese ore was discovered under the iron ore in some of the pits. In other areas oxidized zinc ore was found under the iron. It thus happened that the valuable zinc deposits were discovered in 1914. During the World War period, from 1914 to 1918, there was sporadic prospecting for manganese ore among the abandoned iron workings, but the main activity then centered around the recently discovered lead and zinc deposits. It was not until 1934 that manganese mining began in earnest, under the supervision of R. D. Pritchett, Mine Superintendent. Geology of the Manganese Deposits United States Geological Survey Folios 151 (Roan Mountain) and 118 (Greeneville show that Bumpass Cove is a synclinal structure thrust faulted along the southeast flank, but with normal sequence of strata along the northwest flank. Fig, l. shows the areal geology of Bumpass Cove as taken from the folios superposed on the U.S.G.S. -T.V.A. 1/24,000 topographic maps of the Erwin and Telford 7 ½ minute sheets. The manganese mines occur near the contact of the unfaulted Shady dolomite and the Erwin quartzite. This contact zone is deeply weathered, with overburden averaging 40 to 60 ft. thick. The material overlying' the bedrock along this normal contact is a very tough, plastic clay, termed "buckfat" or "ocher" by the miners. It is not a true ocher, however, in the sense of having commercial value. The manganese deposits occur along this "ocher" band. Fig. 1 also shows how the manganese deposits occur along the broad topographic terrace between the 2100 and 2200-ft. contour lines. This terrace lies at the foot the Erwin quartz ridge. Apparently it is the topographic is expression of the deeply weathered zone along the Shady-Erwin contact.

Jan 1, 1941

By Nathaniel Arbiter

There is a history in all men's lives, Figuring the nature of the times deceas'd, The which observ'd, a man may prophesy, With a near aim, of the main chance of things. W. Shakespeare, Henry IV; Part 2 Introduction This nation's first century embraced two stages of the Industrial Revolution. During one, what had been a colonial agricultural economy began to industrialize; water power, then steam after 1794, were the energy sources; coal and iron were the essential ingredients. The second stage started after 1850; aided by rich and diverse mineral resources, the country began its transition from the Iron Age to the Age of Metals. Early civilizations had been built on stone, and fairly high levels were sustained on iron. But the spectacular advances in the past century in communication, in construction, in transportation by sea, rail, land and air, and in much that characterizes modern civilization have depended increasingly on the use of the complete metallic and nonmetallic resources of the earth's crust. Thus it was appropriate to define the Industrial Revolution as “the period during which man's relationship to natural resources became utterly changed”, 1 with minerals playing a major and indispensable role. But we are now becoming aware that the relationship of man to natural resources must change again. On every hand the dangers inherent in the contamination of land, sea and air by the wastes of civilization are becoming apparent. And from the growing realization that mineral wealth is finite must eventually come other far reaching changes in mineral use and distribution. For on the scale of centuries we cannot continue to exploit mineral resources even at present rates, let alone at expanded rates, without eventual depletion of the more abundant resources, and early exhaustion of the less abundant. In the past our problems were relatively easily met by the development of new and improved machinery and processes. But the future will

Jan 1, 1971

By Neville J. Price

In order that the reader may not be misled, I feel it necessary to comment upon the title of this paper. "Laws of Rock Behavior," one may take as being part of the all-embracing "Law of Nature" and this, according to the Oxford Dictionary, relates to the principles of conduct recognized as being pleasing to God. I feel it would be presumptuous to erect a code of rock behavior on this basis, so turn to a secondary definition, namely that a "Law" is that which is intrinsically reasonable. It is extremely unlikely that any group of geologists, or workers in rock mechanics would be in complete agreement about what could be taken to be "intrinsically reasonable." Therefore, this paper does not present any deified utterances, but rather deals with a few aspects of rock behavior which I consider to be intrinsically reasonable and with which I hope the reader will concur. The mode of behavior of rocks in the Earth's crust covers the range from wholly brittle to completely ductile ; with a deformation time scale which may be measured in milliseconds, for some events such as meteoritic impact, or in millions of years for the tectonic deformation involved in mountain building. A complete survey is, of course, outside the scope of an introductory paper, so I must be both brief and selective in my treatment. Any attempt to establish the mode of rock behavior in the Earth's crust should take into account data and relationships established in laboratory experiments and correlate these with field evidence. Consequently, the first section of this paper presents a brief discussion of the experimental aspects of rock mechanics which are pertinent to the subsequent discussion.

Jan 1, 1970

By Kraig W. Grubaugh, Lee W. Saperstein

Rapid growth rate of surface mining for coal has caused many states to increase the rigor and complexity of their surface mining codes. The promulgation of federal surface mining standards may cause those states containing federal land to amend their codes also. Presented is an up-to-date review of these codes with tabular summaries that divide the codes into operative functions. These summaries will be of use to new operators, multiple-state operators, and state officials. Suggestions are made for industrial efforts to present workable and acceptable amendments to these codes.

Jan 1, 1978

By J. J. Jonas, G. Gagnon

SHG zinc was extruded in the temperature range 110" to 350°C and the strain rate range 0.05 to 5 sec-1 The strain rate/flow stress/temperature results were analyzed using a power sinh stress relationship. When temperature changes due to the heat of deformation and to heat losses are neglected, the exponent of the sinh function of the stress is 5.6, and the apparent activation energy of deformation is 28 kcal per mole. When these changes are taken into account, the exponent decreases to 4.7 and the activation energy to 23 + 2 kcal per mole. The corrected stress exponent and activation energy are in very good agreement with published values obtained from creep experiments, and suggest that the hot extrusion of zinc is controlled by a mechanism involving self-diffusion. When the extrusion and creep data are compared using a Zener-Hollomon parameter and either a sinh or an exponential stress term, an appreciable offset is observed, which may be due to the difference in impurity content. For a given set of extrusion conditions the ram speed, maximum pressure, and initial temperature can also be correlated using a Zener-Hollomon parameter and a sinh pressure term. THE deformation of metals at temperatures over about one-half the absolute melting temperature has been extensively studied at creep strain rates. By contrast, relatively little work has been carried out on the behavior of metals at hot working strain rates. Most of the latter investigations have been performed using simulative methods, such as hot torsion and hot compression, in which the friction conditions and temperature rise during deformation may differ appreciably from those existing under industrial conditions. Recently, however, Wong and Jonas1 used a scaled-down industrial process to determine the stress and temperature dependence of the strain rate during the extrusion of aluminum. In such tests, the effects of friction and adiabatic heating are closer to those produced in industrial operations. Also, with regard to the testing of materials of limited ductility such as zinc, hot compression and hot torsion do not permit the attainment of true strains as large as the deformations usually applied commercially. The present study was undertaken to investigate the extrusion behavior of Special High Grade (SHG) zinc. The detailed objectives were: 1) to establish the stress and temperature dependence of the strain rate with and without a consideration of adiabatic heating, 2) to study the pressure and temperature dependence of the ram speed, and 3) to investigate the microstruc- tural changes occurring during the deformation. The last aspect of the investigation will be covered in a separate paper. The treatment described below differs from that of Wong and Jonas in that the adiabatic temperature rise during deformation is taken into account, and the calculation of the mean equivalent strain rate is based on the redundant as well as on the homogeneous work. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Rods from two shipments of continuously cast SHG zinc* were used in the investigation. The composition *Supplied by courtesy of Cominco Ltd. range of the impurities present, as given by the supplier, was: Pb: 0.0013 to 0.0023 pct, Fe: 0.001 pct max Cd: 0.0001 to 0.0006 pct, Cu: 0.0002 to 0.0005 pct, Ti: 0.0001 pct max; thus, by balance, zinc valued from 99.9963 to 99.9966 pct. The as-received rods were machined into billets having a nominal diameter of 1.56 in. and a nominal length of 1½ in.; longer billets up to 4 in. in length, were also used to investigate special aspects. The as-machined rods were annealed at 400°C for 24 hr and slowly cooled. This treatment produced a columnar grain structure, with a grain size of about $ by 2½ cm which was appreciably larger than the as-cast one. A 150-ton, direct extrusion, vertical press was used. Ram displacement and force were recorded continuously against time. A constant flow control valve permitted the maintenance of a range of preselected ram speeds up to in. per sec. The selected speed was held constant, irrespective of the required force, as long as the load developed was below the maximum available. Strain gages were used to determine the force; the gages were calibrated before and after each testing period with a 200,000-lb capacity load cell. Further details of the experimental equipment can be found in Ref. 2. The billets were preheated for 90 min in the extrusion container, which was well insulated so as to minimize temperature gradients. This period was sufficient for the billet to reach a uniform temperature at all temperatures between 110" and 350°C. A square-shoulder die having a 0.290-in. diam central hole was used. The extrusion ratio was 30 to 1. This is equivalent to a reduction in area of 96.7 pct, an elongation of 2900 pct, and a true strain of 3.4. The ram speed was varied over two orders of magnitude from 0.0027 to 0.26 in. per sec. The ram was water-cooled during most of the tests, although some experiments were conducted with a preheated, uncooled ram. All extrusions were run without lubricant, which resulted in conditions of sticking friction. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS Stress Dependence of the Strain Rate Neglecting Adiabatic Heating. The maximum force required to extrude is given in Table 1 for each of the five initial

Jan 1, 1970

By Ian Wark

IN an earlier paper1 measurements of contact angles due to the effect of xanthates on mineral surfaces were reported. The solutions in which these measurements were made differed widely from those of modern flotation circuits. It is intended, however, by introducing, one at a time, the other principal reagents of flotation, to approach gradually the solu-tion composition of flotation liquors. The work now described is an attempt to determine the effect of one of the most important of these reagents-namely, sodium cyanide-on the establishment of air-mineral contact. The work has been carried out for the following companies: Broken Hill South, North Broken Hill, Zinc Corporation, Electro-lytic Zinc of Australasia, Mount Lyell Mining and Railway, and Burma Corporation. Since the effect of cyanide is inseparably connected with the alkalinity, the results cited below deal with the mutual effects of alkalis and cyanide. Alkalis alone exert a significant effect on the air-mineral contact but comparatively large amounts are required. Since the addition of a small amount of cyanide greatly decreases the degree of alkalinity necessary for the suppression of contact at surfaces of any of the minerals experimented with (except galena) and since alkalis are rarely used alone in practice, little attention has been paid to cyanide-free solutions. It was shown in the previous paper that, excluding the dixanthogen effect, whenever contact was practicable at all in an ethyl xanthate solution the angle of contact was 60°. There is, therefore, less necessity to measure equilibrium contact angles; in fact, the experiments herein described have generally been conducted with a view to determining whether contact is possible and not to measuring the actual value of the contact angle. The separations which have generally to be effected in dealing with complex sulfide ores are: (1) galena from sphalerite, pyrite, etc.; (2) sphalerite from pyrite and/or gangue minerals; (3) copper minerals from pyrite and gangue minerals; (4) pyrite from gangue minerals; (5) chal-

Jan 1, 1933

By Bobby P. Faulkner

The Tennessee Copper Co.'s flotation plant, refer- T red to as London Mill, processes approximately 4800 tons of a massive complex sulfide ore per day. The ore is predominantly pyrrhotite and pyrite, the other sulfides being chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and a small amount of galena. Magnetite of economic value is also present. There are four concentrates produced. In decreasing tonnage, these are iron, copper, zinc and lead. The ore feeding the mill is a composite of ores from five mines which vary in grade. Therefore, in order to provide a fairly constant feed to the mill, the ore is blended several times before reaching the flotation machines. The flotation plant is divided into three main sections: bulk, copper and zinc. Fig. 1 shows a simplified flowsheet. The first two sections, the bulk and copper, were the two sections studied most closely in utilizing the computer.

Jan 11, 1966

Escalating energy costs and tough environmental standards were two major factors affecting the minerals processing area in 1978 For the most part, new startups and research and development initiatives were directed toward improving process dynamics, investigating alternative processing strategy, and lowering unit costs. In the flotation area, the trend to larger machines continued. Scientific investigation of the modeling and process control of flotation was apparent, as was the research and development of new flotation reagents.

Jan 5, 1979

By Vernon A. Mrak

The Powder River Basin of northeast Wyoming was the first area in the state to receive attention during the early days of uranium exploration. Although the uranium occurrences are many and widespread, most of the known ore deposits are quite small and difficult to mine. As a result of this, detailed regional exploration in the Powder River Basin has been neglected. The uranium ore deposits occur in that part of the Wasatch Formation that is of earliest Eocene age, and they are scattered over an area of about 400 square miles. All uranium ore deposits are associated with red beds or altered sandstones within the Wasatch Formation. Uranium ore was first shipped from the region in 1953. Total production through June of 1965 is 506,257 tons of uranium ore containing 1,922,527 pounds of U3O8. The average grade of ore is about 0.19 per cent U3O8. The major producing area of the Powder River Basin is the Monument Hill district where about 91 per cent of the basin's total uranium ore has been mined. The source of uranium is presumed to have been the Oligocene, Miocene, and perhaps Pliocene tuffaceous rocks that once overlay the area. Joints, fractures, and permeable beds or zones were the passageways for the migration of uraniferous waters from the overlying beds to the Eocene host rocks.

Jan 1, 1968