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By S. R. Gilbert, B. W. Burdett, L. B. Hales

INTRODUCTION Grinding control is currently the most publicized control subject in the minerals industry. Flotation control and crushing control have not as yet received the widespread attention that grinding control has. The primary reasons for this center around the high capital costs of grinding equipment and the fact that grinding mills are extremely energy inefficient. In a typical copper concentrator the energy requirements to produce refined copper are: (1) [Total Energy Distribution (Kw-hr/yr)% Mining4.93 x 10817.3 Mineral Processing9.63 x 10833.8 Smelting and Refining13.9 x 10848.9] One-third of the total energy used for copper production is for mineral processing. A breakdown of this energy into process steps yields the following: [Total Energy Distribution (Kw-hr/yr)% Crushing and Grinding 7.16 x 108 73.8 Flotation 0.76 x 108 7.8 Materials Handling1.78 x 10818.4] It is apparent that comminution operations consume the largest proportion of the energy for processing and as such become major targets for improvements in efficiency. Unfortunately, size reduction operations are extremely inefficient. Efficiency calculations for grinding range from less than 0.1% to about 5% depending on the evaluation criteria. Because of these facts, grinding control has been and will continue to be the focus of major process control efforts. OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS All benefits achieved as the result of grinding control are derived from modifying physical parameters which improve the efficiency of the grinding mill. These parameters include:

Jan 1, 1982

By E. Miller, J. M. Eldridge, K. L. Komarek

The liquidus curve of the Mg-Pb system was accurately redetermined. The compound Mg2Pb decomposes peritectically at 538.2° ± 0.3°C to liquid and to a compound p' which melts congruently at 35.0 at. pct Pb and 549.0° ± 0.3°C. The solidus curve of ß' was determined. X-ray diffraction studies indicate that 4' has an orthorhombic structure. Activity values of magnesium calculated from the phase diagram agree with those published in the literature. EXPERIMENTAL thermodynamic properties of binary metallic systems have to be consistent with values calculated from the phase diagram. In systems forming intermetallic compounds the shape of the liquidus curve near a compound is determined by the thermodynamic properties of the coexisting solid and liquid phases. Hauffe and Wagner' neglected the temperature dependence of the chemical potentials and obtained the potential differences of the components of the liquid alloys, relative to stoichiometric liquid. Their calculations were based on the liquidus curve and on the heat of fusion of the compound, and were only valid near the congruent melting point. Steiner, Miller, and Komarek2 developed equations which account for the temperature dependence and obtained the chemical potentials of liquid Mg-Sn alloys over the entire phase diagram from the liquidus and solidus curves and from enthalpy values with the pure components as the standard states. The Mg-Pb phase diagram has been studied by several investigators whose results have been compiled and critically evaluated by Hansen.3 Although the liquidus curve was poorly defined, the general features of the diagram, i.e., one congruent melting compound, Mg2Pb, of essentially stoichiometric composition, two eutectics, and limited terminal solid solubilities, seemed to be suitable for a similar thermodynamic analysis. A careful redeter-mination of the liquidus by thermal analysis revealed, however, the existence of another compound. The liquidus curve between the two eutectics was precisely delineated and the structure and solidus curve of the new compound were investigated. The revised phase diagram was thermodynamic ally analyzed to evaluate the activity of magnesium in the liquid alloys. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The magnesium metal (Dominion Magnesium Ltd., Toronto, Canada) had a purity of 99.99+ pct; lead (American Smelting and Refining Co.) contained 99.999 pct Pb. Most experiments were carried out in graphite crucibles. Several experiments were made in high-purity alumina (Triangle R.R., Mor-ganite, Inc.) and in Armco iron crucibles to test the inertness of the graphite crucibles. Chemical analysis of magnesium and detailed description of the procedure for thermal analysis have been given previously. For the determination of the solidus curve of the compounds, specimens of initial composition Mg2Pb were equilibrated in a closed isothermal system with magnesium vapor. The source of the magnesium vapor was an alloy which had a gross composition lying in the 0' + L field at the temperature of equilibration. As equilibrium was approached, the specimens lost magnesium to the two-phase reservoir thereby lowering the activity of magnesium in the specimens until activity and composition equaled that of the ß'/ß' + L boundary. Crucibles (1.9 cm ID by 2.2 cm OD by 4.1 cm high) and tightly fitting lids were machined from a molybdenum rod; small, shallow trays were fashioned from thin (0.005 in.) molybdenum sheet, and all the molybdenum components were degreased in hot carbon tetrachloride and then dried. The pieces were then degassed in vacuum at 950°C for about 6 hr. The two-phase alloy was placed at the bottom of the crucible and small specimens of the Mg2Pb compound, weighed on an analytical balance, were placed in two molybdenum trays above the two-phase alloy. The crucible was closed by forcing its lid on and then inserted in a titanium crucible. This crucible was evacuated, flushed twice with argon, and welded under argon. The specimens were equilibrated for about 1 week in a resistance furnace regulated by a Celectray controller, and the runs were terminated by water quenching. The specimens were again weighed and the equilibrium compositions were calculated on the basis that the weight losses were solely due to a loss of magnesium to the two-phase alloy. The structure of the B' phase was investigated by the Debye-Scherrer X-ray diffraction technique. Selected ingots from thermal-analysis experiments containing about 35 at. pct Pb were re-melted, slowly cooled, and crushed in an argon-filled glovebox until the entire ingot passed through a 50-mesh sieve. The powder was thoroughly

Jan 1, 1965

By Paul M. Tyler

FULLY a decade ago, demand for ground mica began to exceed supplies of scrap mica from manufacturing operations and of waste block from feldspar and sheet mica mining in the United States, with the result that in recent years the market has absorbed larger and larger quantities of mica recovered as a by-product from clay washing,1 as a joint product with kyanite12 and by grinding schists. So far, only schists that contain a large percentage of mica have been utilized for making ground mica, but already there has been a good deal of wishful thinking with regard to recovering mica as an aid to the prospective working of low-grade gold ores and ores of certain base metals. With wet-ground mica selling at $60 to $100 a ton and even dry-ground mica worth over $20 a ton, many ores that could not be considered as otherwise workable under present conditions will show commercial possibilities if they can be made to yield even a relatively small percentage of salable mica. An interesting paper might be written on the coming role of industrial minerals as joint products of metal mines. It is largely a matter of markets. Many years ago I watched the mess left behind the gold dredges in the mountains of Colorado and thought of the Denver sand and gravel operators who prided themselves upon their canniness in providing devices for catching gold merely as an incident to their regular business of selling what we miners classed as "tailings." Nowadays almost every milling or mining operation near settled communities finds use for at least part of its waste for road material or concrete aggregate and several eastern iron mines have gone into the crushed-stone business. Promoters now mention fertilizer "filler" as potentially salable at all the way from $1 to $10 a ton, or whatever is needed to cover costs of mining and treating the "ore" and leave the metal values as "clear profit." In emulating the pork packers in their efforts to utilize "everything but the squeal,"

Jan 1, 1938

By W. W. Norton

THE gradually increasing proportion of sulphide ores which lead smelters of to-day are called upon to handle has caused the roasting problem to become one of ever greater importance. We may look back a score of years or so and recall the old hand roasters, some of which turned out a finely divided roasted product, and others fashioned with a "fuse-box" wherein the roasted ore was slagged. Then came mechanical furnaces of several types, the Brückner cylinder, the Brown-O'Harra, the Ropp, and others, all designed to cut out the cumbersome hand labor of the old reverberatories. Roasting costs were thereupon reduced and tonnages stimulated to a gratifying extent. However, it seems to have been early recognized that this very feature of a greater amount of roasted sulphide ore as compared with oxide ore brought with it a train of difficulties at the blast furnaces. The mechanically roasted ore was fine physically, the blast furnaces were choked and the troubles of the smelterman were not at an end. Then the Huntington-Heberlein pot system of roasting appeared upon the scene, and later on the Dwight-Lloyd machines were invented, and inasmuch as both of these processes were designed not only to roast the ore but to agglomerate it as well, it was apparent that distinct steps in advance has been achieved. At the Murray plant, modern up-to-date roasting practice is fully exemplified and there are now in successful operation roasting furnaces or devices of several sorts: namely, Godfrey revolving-hearth furnaces, Wedge multiple-hearth mechanical roasters, Dwight-Lloyd. sintering machines, and Huntington-Heberlein pots. Godfrey and Wedge furnaces will properly handle material high in sulphur, say ores with 25, 30, and 35 per cent. of that element; D. &.L. machines and H. & H. pots will positively not treat efficiently ores or mixtures containing anywhere near the sulphur content mentioned, but are confined to charges containing in the neighborhood of 15 or 18 per cent. In passing, it may also be explained that, so far as the knowledge of the writer goes, Godfrey and Wedge furnaces do not economically eliminate sulphur to an extent

Jan 8, 1914

By A. B. Kinzel

SINCE the exposition of the behavior of certain iron alloys by Sykes1 involving the existence of an austenite loop and the discovery of such a loop in the chrome iron system by Bain,2 there has been much conjecture both on his part and on the part of metallurgists in general as to the exact shape and location of this loop. In previous work commercial steel has been used and the microscope has been employed to locate the critical points so that the position of the loop has been quite approximate. Numerous attempts have been made to measure the critical points of the carbon-free alloys but all of these for one reason or another have failed. A satisfactory method for studying these phenomena is presented here. MATERIAL The first difficulty in this study was to obtain pure chromium-iron alloys. This has been overcome by melting in a vacuum electrolytic Eton and chromium analyzing 99.84 Cr, Fe and C. A pure magnesite crucible was used and the melt allowed to solidify in the crucible. A typical analysis is chromium, 10.10 per cent., carbon, 0.006 per cent., silicon and manganese nil. To overcome the problem presented by segregation, ingots were made into wire 0.04 in, in diameter. This was accomplished by hand-forging the ingots into rods, using an oxyhydrogen flame for heating, in order to avoid carbon. Subsequently the rods were swaged to wire, the heating being carried out in hydrogen. Thus local segregation was eliminated although differences in analysis between portions 50 ft. apart were noted. An electric-resistance method was first tried to determine the critical points, but due to the physical defects in the wire this failed. Bain had previously shown the presence or absence of critical points in a qualitative way by observing the sag in a catenary. The author has devised the following method which gives an accurate determination of the critical points from expansion-temperature curves of suspended wire, a special telescopic dilatometer being used for the purpose.

Jan 1, 1928

By G. S. Cole, G. F. Bolling

Recent experitnents on crystal growth have indicated that thermal convection in the liquid influences the conditions of solidification and subsequent crystal characteristics. However, the important columnar-equiaxed transition in castings has not been examined as a function of this free convection. An experiment is presented here to demonstrate a change in the transition as convection is suppressed. Lead- and tin-based alloys were cast in stainless-steel molds either without special procedures or with thin grids placed horizontally across the tnold diameter in portions of the castings. While the grids allowed some diffusion of heat and mass transport to occur during solidification, massive fluid flow was hindered in the vegiotz of the grids. A larger percentage of columnar grains appeared in the grid region than in other parts of the special castings or than in all regions of normal castings. This structural difference can be explained in terms of thermal convection. THERE is little information about the possible effects of natural convection which may occur during the solidification of a casting. Ruddlel-3 has stated that the movement of liquid metal produced by convection might assist in the transfer of heat, but in the absence of confirmatory evidence he suggested that this idea be treated with caution. chalmers4 considers, but does not assess, the importance of fluid motion in casting, while Tiller5 suggests that, in liquid metals which have extremely high thermal diffusivities, the effects of thermal convection may be negligible. In addition, throughout the literature, there are statements indicating the possible presence of thermal convection but without proofs or evaluations of its influence. Natural convection may be divided into two categories: thermal convection, where liquid flow is due to density differences caused by temperature gradients in the liquid (e.g., liquid near a cold wall falling with respect to hotter liquid further away from the wall); and solute convection, where flow is due to density differences as a result of concentration gradients, see Wagner.6 In most instances thermal convection predominates over solute convection. Nevertheless, even thermal convection has not been studied in any detail and is difficult to handle, since it can vary quantitatively from one experiment to another depending upon the exact positions of heat sources and sinks or the attitude of the container with respect to gravity. In spite of these difficulties it is possible to realize that a higher rate of heat transfer must result with convection than in any situation where conduction acts alone. Thus, the degree of increased heat transfer is the important undecided question in considerations of casting. It will be demonstrated here that a reduction in convective flow leads to a suppression of the columnar-equiaxed transition in a casting and that this suppression is related to a decrease in the degree of heat transfer. Fortunately it is possible to do this by comparative rather than quantitative measures. The insertion of horizontal plates or grids into a simple mold does not appreciably influence heat transfer per se, but in reducing the allowable height through which colder liquid may fall freely it reduces natural thermal convection. This leads to a reduced fluid velocity, a different flow pattern, and an altered heat transfer which can be measured. EXPERIMENTS The alloys were prepared from elements of 99.9 pct nominal purity and cast into an uncoated 2-in.-diameter stainless-steel mold insulated at the bottom with a suitable refractory so as to ensure predominantly radial heat flow during freezing. Casting was performed either in empty molds or in molds containing grids or plates in various configurations . The grids were constructed of aluminum screen (1/32 in. thick) which was cut to the desired shape, cleaned in aqua regia, and coated with a mixture of 2 parts aqua dag graphite -1 part Sauereisen cement mixture, thus supplying a hard, protective, and insulating layer approximately 0.006 in. thick. The

Jan 1, 1965

By G. W. Binkley, R. E. Collins, G. K. Dumbauld

A mathematical analysis has shown that the primary factors affecting the deposition of cement in unfractured perforations during squeeze-cementing operations are: the properties of the cement slurry, the geometry of the perforations, and the filtration time. The validity of the analysis has been substantiated by laboratory investigations. The information presented in this paper makes possible the prediction of the rate of deposition of cement in and about unfractured perforations under given squeeze-cementing conditions, the proper filtration time to control the amount of deposition to any desired value, and the deposition properties needed in cement slurries to restrict to any desired degree the formation of nodes of cement .Solids inside the casing. INTRODUCTION The deposition of solids against a permeable medium by the process of filtration is an important property of a cement slurry. General recognition of the role of filtration in the use of cement in wells is evident in view of the fact that several patents on low-water-loss cements have been issued during the past few years. In the conventional, high-pressure squeeze-cementing technique, a large volume of cement slurry is usually displaced into the area surrounding the perforated interval after the formation has been fractured hydraulically.&apos; Near the end of the job, the pumping rate is slowed or stopped intermittently in an effort to obtain a high pressure in the wellbore. The way in which a high pressure is obtained is not understood thoroughly. but it is be- lieved to be caused by the deposition of a rigid mass of compacted cement particles either in the fractures of the formations or inside the casing opposite the perforated interval. In a method of squeeze-cementing introduced several years ago, a small amount of cement slurry is squeezed into the perforations at a low pressure to avoid fracturing the formation. The filling of the unfractured perforations with cement particles by the process of filtration is important to the success of this technique. Early in the development of this low-pressure squeeze-cementing technique, laboratory and field-size experiments showed that conventional, neat cement slurries were unsatisfactory if the tubing was extended into or through the perforated section of the casing. The extremely high filtration rate of neat cement slurries caused the deposition of a compacted mass of cement inside the casing and made it impossible to remove excess cement by reverse circulation and difficult to withdraw the tubing. Because the need for cements with a reduced filtration rate was obvioils and urgent, modified cements containing 12 per cent bentonite were used until research was completed on modified cements containing 25 per cent bentonite.< These modified cements were useful in the solution of the immediate problem, but the following questions remained unanswered: (I) what is the optimum filtration rate of cement slurries for this application, (2) how long should the squeeze pressure be applied. and (3) how great are the effects of squeeze pressure and well temperature on the rate of deposition? Furthermore, the relationship of the filtration properties of cement slurries to the dimensions of the perforations and the wellbore was unknown. In order to obtain information relative to these basic considerations, a systematic evaluation of all the factors involved in the deposition of Cement during low-pressure squeeze-cementing operations was initiated. Although the work was directed toward an evaluation of the factors influencing the deposition of Cement in the low-pressure squeeze-

By John Cogan, P. M. Gomez

A typical problem in applied rock mechanics is an accurate prediction of support requirements for deep rock cuts. This paper presents experience with this problem as obtained from excavations for a powerhouse at the Pine Flat Dam near Fresno, California. The project, sponsored by the Kings River Conservation District is still under construction. Highly jointed and weathered rock was discovered during initial excavation. Wedge failures along clay filled joints and bedding planes presented potential support problems. Detailed mapping of joints and beds was undertaken to establish basic patterns of all rock discontinuities including mean orientations and an estimate of orientation variations. Rock bolting patterns were devised to meet these patterns as excavation proceeded. Shear friction angles across joints and beds were estimated from rock wedge fallouts. Friction angles as low as 27º were identified on highly weathered joints. Weathering strongly influenced stability conditions. Examples of bolting patterns to stabilize critical slopes are presented.

Jan 1, 1982

By Robert Glass Cleland

THE THIRD and most important item on the Phelps Dodge agenda for the development of new ore supplies involved the site of the company&apos;s initial venture into Arizona, the old mining camp of Morenci. By the purchase of the Arizona Copper Company&apos;s holdings in 1921, Phelps Dodge had obtained control of virtually the entire Morenci district, including town, public utilities, and, above all, the huge mineralized area that had once been divided between numerous competing companies. Because of this rigid concentration of ownership in the hands of one organization, Phelps Dodge was able to plan and successfully carry out a program of greater magnitude than any Arizona mining company had previously under- taken. The immense deposit of low-grade ore, usually referred to as the Clay Orebody, had been known to the mining companies of Morenci for many years. Pioneer exploratory work, both by the Arizona Copper Company and later by Phelps Dodge, revealed that the deposit, mostly of light-gray porphyry rock, lay under a hard capping from two hundred to five hundred feet thick. An intensive drilling

Jan 1, 1952

By Charles E. W. Bateson

The Mojave mining district is situated in a group of small hills centering around Soledad peak, in the Mojave desert, Kern county, Cal. These hills are about 4.5 miles SSW. of Mojave, a railroad town at the junction of the Santa Fé and Southern Pacific railroads. The town of Mojave is about 50 miles north of Los Angeles, to which it is connected both by telegraph and by rail. The distance on the Southern Pacific railroad is 102 miles, covered in 3 hr. and 45 min. by express train. A sketch-map of this region is shown in Fig. 1. The Mojave district is relatively isolated. The only other mining towns in this section of California are Randsburg and Johannesburg, in a district (containing the well-known Yellow Aster mine) at the northern end of a low range of hills, which begins about 20 miles NE. of Mojave, runs nearly N. for 35 miles, and varies in width between 3 and 6 miles. As will be seen later, the origin and formation of these hills are not the same as those of Soledad peak. II. Climate and VEgetation. The climate and vegetation of the Mojave district are typical of the arid regions of the southwestern United States. During the winter and spring there is some rainfall, and the tempera ture is generally from 60" to 70" F. in the day-time. The rainfall in the spring is often very considerable for short spaces of time, and cloud-bursts are not infrequent. In summer there is continual sunshine, with temperatures, as a rule, exceeding 100" F. in the day-time, while 115" F. in the shade of a house is not at all unusual; but at night the temperature falls considerably. No rain falls during the summer. The vegetation

Jan 1, 1907

By V. A. Phillips

Transmission-electron micrographs of electro-thinned samples of bulk-aged Cu-3.1 pet Co alloy show an aging sequence, supersaturated solid solution — coherent particles — quasi -coherent particles — noncoherent particles. Hardening is due to precipitation of coherent spherical fee coball-rich particles showing coherency strain fields, which are resolved at between 15 and 30A diameter. Loss of- full coherency did not occur until well into the overaged region, even with the assistance of deformation after aging. Different average particle diameters of 123, 92, and 149 ± 10Å were observed in samples aged to peak yield strength at 600°, 650°, and 700°C, respectively, indicating that there is no critical size for peak hardening. Noncoherent particles tended to develop (111) faces and became octahedral in shape. Dislocations tended to nucleate spherical coherent particles which eventually grew together forming large elongated particles. The surface energy of a noncoherent (low-angle) inter-phase boundary is estimated to he about 50 ergs per sq cm. A number of particle lining-up phenomena were observed. Overaging is principally attributed to increase in particle spacing, progressive loss of coherency, and increase in amount of discontinzdous precipitation. COPPER dissolves about 5.6 at. pet (5.2 wt pet) of cobalt at 1110oC1 and the solubility decreases to 0.75 at. petl (0.54 at. pet)2 at 650°C and to 0.1 at. pet or less at lower temperature.&apos; It has been known for many years3-5 that Cu-Co alloys are capable of age hardening. Since cobalt is fee above 417°C and its atom size is only about 2 pet smaller than that of copper, precipitation of coherent particles would be expected. The equilibrium phase precipitated at 700°C and below contains about 10 pet Cu in solution which tends to stabilize the fee structure, lowering the transformation temperature to 340oc.l The alloy is known to undergo discontinuous precipitation in addition to general precipitation; while the former can be seen with an optical microscope, the latter precipitates are not visible except in the grosly overaged condition.5, 6 Extensive use has therefore been made of the ferromagnetic properties of the precipitate in order to follow the course of aging, and it has proved possible to measure the average particle size, spacing, approximate shape, and volume fraction and to determine that the particles are coherent without ever seeing a particle (see for example Refs. 2, 7, and 8). The magnetic measurements of particle size are limited to diameters below about 120Å.7 The present study was undertaken using the techniques of transmission-electron microscopy in order to check the above conclusions, to extend the previous magnetic work to larger particle sizes, and to attempt a more detailed correlation of properties and structure. A portion of this work has already been published.9-11 The present paper is concerned with the metallographic features of precipitation in relation to aging curves. Bonar and Kelly12&apos;13 have published preliminary results of a similar study on single crystals of Cu-2 at. pet Co. EXPERIMENTAL Preparation of Alloy. A Cu-Co alloy, containing 3.12 wt pet (3.36 at. pet) Co by analysis, was prepared from 99.999 pet purity oxygen-free copper and electrolytic-grade cobalt. The alloy was melted and cast in vacuo in a high-frequency furnace using a graphite crucible and mold: Analysis showed chat 0.004 pet C was picked up during melting. The 1-1/2-lb ingot was homogenized in hydrogen for 24 hr at 1000°C. Slices were cold-rolled to 0.005 or 0.003 in. thickness, with an intermediate 650°C anneal in hydrogen at 0.080 in. thickness. Batches of six to ten strips were solution-treated in sealed-off quartz tubes in high vacuum in a vertical furnace and quenched by dropping into iced brine containing a device which snapped off the nose of the tube. Solution treatment consisted of 1 hr at 990°C or 2 hr at 965°C. The latter was employed for all mechanical-property studies, since a tendency was noted for the higher temperature to give porous material. Strips were usually aged individually in a horizontal vacuum furnace, inserting into the hot zone and withdrawing into a cold zone without breaking the vacuum. This method gave a rapid heating rate, permitting the use of short aging times. In some cases, particularly for the longer aging times at the higher temperatures, samples were sealed individually in quartz tubes in high

Jan 1, 1964

By J. R. Thoenen

If asked whether limestone production was a mining problem I would not hesitate to answer emphatically in the affirmative. The question, "When is a quarry a mine?" is familiar. The immediate mental picture induced by the thought of limestone production is that of an open quarry. All are familiar with the open pit in the iron-producing districts of Minnesota and Michigan and the open cuts of the so-called "porphyry" coppers of the West. If these are mines, they differ little from limestone quarries in general mode of operation; if quarries, why do they need the attention of mining engineers? During 1923, the United States produced in round numbers 70,000,000 tons of iron ore. The limestone production of the United States for the same period was something over 100,000,000 tons. In tons, it about equals the oil production of the United States. The uses of limestone are legion. A paper read by a prominent engineer of Chicago, at the meeting of the National Crushed Stone Association held last February in St. Louis says: "There is no industry in the United States today that is more basic in its operation or by itself controls more industries. There is hardly a chemical operation, hardly a metallurgical operation or building operation that a crushed-stone man does not control if he will jump in and make the full utilization of it." Some of the many uses are for road metal, concrete, railway ballast, building stone: riprap, and rubble, the manufacture of iron and steel, alkalies, calcium carbide, magnesia, carbolic and carbonic acids, asphalt filler, mineral wool, poultry grit, sulfuric acid, phosphates, nitrates, soap, baking powder, the purification of copper and prevention of coal-mine explosions, to say nothing of the quantities used in the making of lime and cement. It has been said that without iron we would revert to the Stone Age; how much iron would we have without limestone? From the point of view of the mining engineer, using the term in its broad sense to include geologists and metallurgists, the production of limestone is important because of its occurrence, volume, commercial importance, and the problems presented by its recovery and treatment.

Jan 1, 1925

By Thomas Cox

This paper makes no claim to any new idea; it simply reviews the Treasury Department Regulations pertaining to the practical application of depreciation and depletion and other allowances governing taxation of oil and gas properties. Other methods may be existent, but as they may not conform to the legal status they must be discarded. In complying with the present laws governing the industry with regard to taxation and the allowable deductions therefrom, the following considerations are essential: Depletion, depreciation, amortization, other allowances, and items not, deductible. It is definitely understood that depletion is the loss or exhaustion sustained in the continuous operating of an oil and gas property, and that each unit of oil or gas taken out reduces the value of the property until its final exhaustion. Depletion applies only to the natural deposits of oil and gas due to their removal in the course of exploitation of any property. Depreciation is defined to cover the waste of assets due to exhaustion, wear and tear, and obsolescence of the physical property, and is separate and distinct from depletion; its allowance is that amount which should be set aside for the taxable year in such sums as for the useful life of the property will suffice to repay its original cost—or its value as of Mar. 1, 1913, if acquired by the taxpayer before that date—less the salvage value at the end of such useful life. Amortization is allowed for such facilities as were built or acquired on or after Apr. 6, 1917, for the production of articles contributing to the prosecution of the war and, in the case of vessels, those built and acquired after that date. The amount to be extinguished, in general, is the excess of the unextinguished or unrecovered cost of the property over its maximum value under stable post-war conditions. Claims for amortization must be unmistakably differentiated in the returns from all other claims of depreciation. The taxpayer is also required to furnish full information with the claims for amortization to the full satisfaction of the Commissioner. Further reference is directed to the specific rules and regulations for making these claims.

Jan 1, 1921

By David R. Mitchell, E. A. Reilly, G. R. Gardner, F. P. Lasseter

THE methods that may be applied to the treatment of slurries and water, as these are related to practical coal-preparation problems, are concerned essentially with the movements of solids suspended in water. It is assumed that there are no fundamental differences between the principles involved in the treatment of coal slurries and the phenomena encountered in general mineral-dressing practice, and the latter are-presented in some detail. Basic principles are correlated with present practice for both the anthracite and the bituminous coal fields, and methods are discussed which are designed to utilize best all the material subjected to treatment and suggest a sound approach to the solution of problems relating to the return of clear water to process or to streams. In order to approach the practical phases of the subject with sufficient understanding of the basic principles, it is necessary to discuss two types of phenomena that are applicable. The first is flocculation and the second is sedimentation. Descriptive matter is given covering the various methods and types of equipment employed to conduct these operations, with emphasis on their application to water and coal-slurry treatment. DEFINITION OF TERMS Definitions of terms are consistent with modern developments, and conform, in general, with their usage in mineral-dressing practice. Because of variations in coal-preparation methods, it is impossible to define a rigid upper limit of particle size for a coal slurry or sludge which will apply generally. Limits vary somewhat with the particular treatment method employed at a given plant. For purposes of definition, this limit is chosen as the particle size for which preparation methods such as Chance comes and jigs are usually dispensed with, and other methods, such as the Hydro-tator, tables, and froth flotation, are employed. Generally the limit will be 10 to 6 mesh.

Jan 1, 1950

By R. Schuhmann, G. W. Powell

The concept of local equilibrium is examined and, in particular, the applicability of the concept to two-phase binary diffusion couples is discussed. It is concluded that, if binary solid solutions are treated thermodynamically as ternary solutions, vacancies being the third component, then recent experimental observations of nonequilibrium interface compositions (i.e., compositions different from the phase diagram values) are consistent with a state of complete dynamic equilibrium at the interface. CLASSICAL approaches to diffusion and to other irreversible processes often utilize a postulate of "local equilibrium". That is, one assumes even in the presence of gradients, fluxes, and time changes of properties, a) that the Second Law can be formulated locally, and b) that thermodynamic equations of state among intensive properties are identical with those for equilibrium phases. A direct consequence of this assumption, for example, is that one would calculate the total entropy of a nonequilibrium phase simply by integrating the entropy density (eu per unit volume) over the volume of the phase, assuming that entropy density is the same function of energy and particle density as for equilibrium phases. In the study of diffusion and of diffusion-controlled phase transformations, metallurgists take this concept of local equilibrium for granted and utilize it automatically. In fact, experimental evidence of all kinds is overwhelming that "local equilibrium" is a valid limiting law, approached more and more closely as gradients and rates of change approach zero. On the other hand, we have neither experimental nor statistical thermodynamic proof that this principle of "local equilibrium" should remain rigorously valid at high gradients and for rapid processes. Theoretically, in fact, one would expect deviations because interactions between adjacent volume increments of material affect the evaluation of entropy. Also one observes experimentally structural and small energetic differences between equilibrium and nonequilibrium phases. The purpose of this paper is to present a thermodynamic framework for the study and correlation of deviations from strict local equilibrium in isothermal diffusion and related processes. This procedure, in effect, preserves the principle of local equilibrium by thermodynamically assigning the deviations from static equilibrium properties to a defect component. Although this theory is entirely phenomenological, the possibility does exist of correlating the theory with experimental observations of defects under favorable circumstances. The most immediate application appears to be to the equilibria at the interfaces in two-phase binary diffusion couples. A recent pertinent work by Eifert et al.1 has shown that the concentrations of aluminum in the a(fcc) and B(bcc) phases at the 0-8 interface in Cu:Cu-12.5 wt pct A1 diffusion couples are greater than those given by the phase diagram. It is postulated by these authors that the supersaturation of the o phase at the interface provides the driving force for the a-to-B lattice transformation; the excess free energy of the a phase, ?Gaxs, arising from the greater-than-equilibrium aluminum concentration is about 3 cal per g-atom. On the basis of the schematic free energy-composition diagram shown in Fig. 1, Eifert et al. concluded that the thermodynamic situation at the interface is one of the partial equilibrium; that is, = for the more mobile aluminum whereas will be reexamined in the latter part of this paper. THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF DEFECTS A rigorous analysis of the thermodynamics of defects requires an added degree of freedom in the Phase Rule sense, because the standard formulations of solution thermodynamics (partial molal properties of components, free energy minimization, equality of chemical potentials, and so forth) involve the implicit

Jan 1, 1970

By Peter F. Howard

Major reserves of phosphorite were found in the Georgina Basin of northern Australia in the period 1966-1968. Geological investigations by various companies and the Bureau of Mineral Resources of Australia show that these phosphorite deposits are associated with siltstones, cherts, siliceous shales, and limestones of the Beetle Creek formation or its equivalents, all of lower Middle Cambrian age. The discoveries resulted from systematic Australia-wide exploration programs by several companies utilizing, in concept, the relation of basin stratigraphy, lithologic associations, tectonics, and phosphate occurrences to paleogeography in respect to its paleolatitude and areas of supposed oceanic upwelling. In terms of field techniques, the first discovery at Duchess, North Queensland, resulted from the recognition of a phosphorite interval at depth in a stratigraphic oil well followed by prospecting of the nearest outcrop of the equivalent aged rock succession. In Northern Territory, the Wonarah-Alexandria deposits, which do not crop out, were discovered by analysis and interpretation of gamma radiation logs followed by drilling.

Jan 1, 1972

By J. Szekely, V. Stanek

Steady state heat transfer and fluid flow rates are predicted for the counter-current contacting of gas and solid streams. For a .fixed pressure drop across the bed the convective heat transfer rate is affected by the gas flow rate, which in turn is affected by the temperature distribution in the system. Variations in bed voidage and in particle size were found to change the predicted temperature profiles quite markedly, in particular when the thermal capacities of the gas and solid streams were equal. IN Part I we examined the effect of step and pulse changes in the inlet gas temperature on transients in the flow of gases through fixed packed beds. Here we shall discuss heat flow and fluid flow interactions in the counter-current heat exchange between packed solids and a gas stream. Counter-current heat exchange in packed beds has been extensively studied. In his now classical paper, Furnas&apos; assumed constant property values and developed a simple analytical. expression for the temperature profiles in the gas and in the solid stream. A highly sophisticated analysis of counterflow systems, allowing for transients and interparticle conduction was developed by Amundsen. In preparing a very readable review of this topic Elliott&apos; also presented a number of elegant solutions, including the case involving heat generation. A great deal of work has been done on the application of these concepts to the modelling of the blast furnace. However, in all this previous work the mass flow of the gas was regarded as a quantity independent of the gas-solid heat exchange process. In the following we shall consider counter-current heat exchange between a gas stream and a packed bed of solids, under conditions where the pressure drop across the bed is specified, rather than the mass flow of the gas. FORMULATION Consider a packed bed, extending from y&apos; = 0 to y&apos; = L, in which moving solids and a moving gas are contacted in a counterflow arrangement. Let cold solids, with an initial temperature Tsi and mass flow GA, enter at y&apos; = L, and hot gas with an initial temperature of Tgi and mass flow Gg enter at y&apos; = 0. In contrast to the problems considered in Part I this system has a nontrivial steady state and we shall restrict our attention to the study of the pressure drop flow relationships and the resultant temperature distributions for steady state conditions. Under these conditions the formulation of the problem requires the statement of the following: 1) heat balance on the gas 2) heat balance on the solids 3) the mechanical energy balance equation and in addition the knowledge of the equation of state, and a functional relationship between viscosity and temperature and an expression for the heat transfer coefficient in terms of the other parameters. On neglecting temperature gradients within the solids and for a constant mass flow of the gas, the solution to this problem is well known.&apos;" The expressions for the temperature profiles of the gas and solid streams may be put in the following form: where Tg and T, denote the dimensionless gas and solid temperatures respectively, y is a dimensionless distance, and R is the ratio of the thermal masses. These quantities are defined as follows: For the particular case of equal thermal mass capacities by the gas and the solid, that is R = 1, the Eqs. [1]and[2] simplify to Eqs. (71 and[8], respectively: i.e., the resultant profiles are linear. As for most practical cases , solutions given by Eqs. [7] and [8] will contain only the inlet temperatures as parameters. For a fixed, predetermined value of C;b the above

Jan 1, 1970

By L. R. Budrow, R. T. Mishler

The Lucky-Tiger mine is a silver-gold property, situated at El Tigre, in the northeastern part of Sonora, Mexico, at an elevation of 6000 ft. in the Sierra Madre Mountains. It is 30 miles by wagon road from the Esqueda station on the Nacozari railroad. Since its discovery in 1903, the mine has produced forty million ounces of silver. The ore has averaged 40 oz. silver and 0.25 oz. gold per ton. Copper, lead and zinc have been of minor importance, having averaged 0.4 per cent., 1.1 per cent., and 1.5 per cent., respectively. The richness of the ore, combined with its occurrence in narrow veins, required the use of the more expensive methods. of mining. Geology Wall Rock The wall rock is rhyolite and rhyolite tuff, both of Tertiary age. In rare instances, post-mineral andesite dikes have been intruded along the veins. In the upper part of the mine, the walls were fairly solid. On the lower levels, the walls are usually cither kaolinized and soft or silicified and fractured, both conditions requiring closely filled stopes or much timber. Veins The veins have been deposited along fracture planes in the volcanics. There are three principal veins, about 600 ft. apart, all striking nearly north-south and dipping steeply to the west. Table 1 records the approximate dimensions and assay of the veins. Although the average

Jan 1, 1925

By James E. Jopling

The county of Marquette, Michigan, includes nearly all the iron-mines that have been worked on the Marquette range, which stretches in a generally western direction from the mines at Negaunee, 10 miles from Lake Superior, to those beyond Michigamme, some thirty miles further. The geographical position of this range, nearer to eastern ports than the other iron-ranges, and its ready access from the lake, gave it for a long time a controlling advantage. The country in which the mines are situated is from 800 to 1000 feet above the level of the lake, and is for the most part broken by steep hills, which rise from 100 to 200 feet; between these the land is rolling or

Jan 1, 1898

By Wilbur C. Helt, Joseph J. Yancik

Throughout the history of mankind, the principal use of coal has been to produce heat through combustion. The heat is used in many ways: to warm air space for our comfort; to provide heat or energy to power industrial processes, such as cement and steel production; and to produce electricity. Because it is our nation&apos;s most abundant fossil energy fuel, coal in the late 20th century is on the threshold of becoming a significant source for synthetic liquids and gas energy fuels for this country. This is made possible by conversion processes which can change solid coal into various synthetic gases and liquids. These coal-derived fuels are nearly identical to the processed fuels and chemicals provided by natural gas and crude oils, which presently provide almost all the petrochemical feedstocks and energy fuels needed for the residential, light commercial, and transportation markets. A revolution is beginning to take place, not only in the United States, but in many other countries with a return to a coal-based energy economy. Also, new combustion and conversion technologies which are compatible with national health arid environmental goals are rapidly emerging. These technologies will allow coal&apos;s use to be expanded not only in its traditional markets, but also to supply markets held by natural gas and crude oil. With the worldwide decline in natural gas and crude oil reserves, coal is being looked upon to meet the energy demand. Because of these new coal conversion technologies, coal will no longer be only a combustion fuel, but a valuable raw material for production of a variety of clean fuels and chemicals. MARKETS FOR COAL: PAST AND FUTURE A simplified diagram of the marketing network for coal is shown in Fig. 1. As shown in this figure, coal is transported to its traditional

Jan 1, 1981