Search Documents

By Bunting S. Crocker

EBBLE grinding at Lake Shore is not a temporary BlE wartime substitute. The tube milling plant, with a 1000 ton per day capacity, grinds a hard siliceous ore to 90 pct — 325 mesh. The plant, prior to using pebbles, was consuming 4.3 lb of 11/4-in. grinding balls per ton of ore, which amounted to 785 tons of balls per year. At September 1951 prices, $132.60 per ton, this steel cost amounted to $104,400 per year, or $0.285 per ton milled. By the Lake Shore method of substituting screened rock for this steel, all of this cost is saved. This is one of the major economies in Lake Shore mill practice. Regardless of the ultimate price of grinding balls, a change back to steel balls is not considered. The present pebble plant is more flexible than a steel ball plant and equally efficient. For example, if it is desired to change the size of grinding media, the pebble charge in any mill can be changed completely in 4 to 5 days, as against 76 days to change completely a 1-in. steel ball charge. To change pebble size it is necessary only to change two sets of screens and clean out the rock feed storage bin. This will take 8 to 10 days as against 3 to 4 months to clean out the customary supply of grinding balls kept on hand. Also it has not always been possible to purchase all desired sizes of balls at any price. In an analysis of savings effected by the use of the pebble mills, the flexibility of the Lake Shore grinding plant should be discussed, as it has a direct bearing on these savings. The plant has always used several units to handle tonnage rather than sending all the tonnage through a single unit. This principle may result in using small diameter mills, but no objection to that is seen. At no time has any advantage been found in cost per ton ground in large diameter mills. Both the capacity and the power of any mill varies as the diameter raised to the 2.6th power. Consequently large or small mills are equally efficient, and a plant, should be designed to use as many units or combination of units as is consistent with reasonable operating practice. Mills under 5 ft diam are harder to reline, etc. To define the case at Lake Shore, 2600 tons per day formerly were milled in seven 7x6-ft ball mills and twelve 5x16-ft (and two 6x16-ft) tube mills.* This gave an excellent test plant and an extremely efficient one. In this plant the ratio of ball mills to tube mills was 1:2. When the much cheaper pebble mills were substituted for the tube mills, this ratio was changed to one ball mill to four pebble mills to take the greatest possible advantage of the cheaper operating mill, i.e., the pebble mill. This flexibility without loss in efficiency has been an important item in the cost savings. It is interesting to note that the use of pebbles for fine grinding was proved first in the laboratory in a 12-in. ball mill. In fact, since 1934 all testing on — 8 mesh material has been done in this 12-in. mill. Scope of the Tests A paper on fine grinding at Lake Shore Mines was published in July 1940.' This paper covered 7 years of intensive research on fine grinding as well as sizing methods and equipment, plant scale grinding tests on 5x16-ft tube mills with and without grate discharges both with 1-in. and -in. balls, the use of laboratory mills to evaluate plant changes, and several reports on classifiers and classification. In the following July the addendum report2 was added in which the idea of series-circuit grinding was introduced, and the results of running five stages of tube mills and bowl classifiers were shown. Since 1940, the ball milling end of the plant has been altered extensively as a result of tests on the use of 3-in. rods in 7x6-ft mills and the use of the Tyler repulping screen with from 7 to 14 mesh screens. These tests are lengthy and may be covered in a separate report later. The scope of this report is confined to ore ground by rod milling and ball milling until it passed through an 8 mesh Tyler Ty-rod screen. The —8 mesh screen undersize then was pumped to a primary bowl classifier in open circuit and the sands from the bowl sent to the primary pebble mills, see Fig. 1. In the pebble mill circuit the ore is ground to 90 pct —325 mesh (24 pct + 28 microns). In studying the flowsheet, attention should be paid to the efficiency of the classification equipment used. The Tyler repulping screen is an efficient machine on the 8 to 10 mesh separation, and the bowl classifier is equally efficient at the 325 mesh separation. Efficient classification is a necessity for series-circuit stage grinding. The ore is hard siliceous porphyry, 60 pct SiO,, 80 pct insoluble. Its grindability at different meshes has been shown near the top of the list in F. C. Bond's grindability tests.' Lake Shore is not shown, but an adjacent mine with identical ore, Wright-Hargreaves, is. Reasons for the Changeover Since 1936 grinding balls have been rising steadily in price with no sign of stopping. For a mill that used 4.5 to 5.2 lb of grinding balls for every ton of ore ground this rise represented an alarming increase in grinding costs. In many cases the quality of the grinding balls fell off as the scrap steel became more difficult to obtain. The ratio of tube mills to ball mills increased with the use of the Tyler repulping screen in the ball mill circuit. Originally only 3.0 lb of balls per ton were used in the tube mills, and this

Jan 1, 1953

By L. W. Bahney

(Cleveland Meeting, October, 1912.) THE photograph, Fig. 1, shows the apparatus a little less than half size, consisting of a filtering-flask fitted with rubber stopper, through which passes a bent glass tube, and an extraction-thimble fitted with rubber stopper through which passes a glass tube of 0.2-5-inch bore. Both tubes are connected by a short piece of rubber tubing. A section of a thimble is shown in the photograph; the tube extends to within in. of the tapered end. The object of using the thimble is to remove the acid from the beaker after all the copper has been precipitated. Time is saved, the copper is not exposed to the acid alone, and there are none of the losses attending ordinary filtration. I have accomplished these results by means of a piece of perforated platinum fastened in the end of a 0.25-in. bore glass tube and a filter-mat of asbestos, but after my supply of proper length fiber became exhausted I could not replenish it even after purchasing 14 lots from four different dealers. The above apparatus may be used to remove at least seven-eighths of a supernatant liquid from a settled precipitate without disturbing the latter. The application of the thimble is best shown by partly out-lining the assay for copper, as follows: Dilute the acid solution of copper and other sulphates to 150 cc. in a 200-cc. Jena beaker, place on a hot plate, add 2 drops of concentrated HC1, then place a strip of aluminum in the beaker (this may be bent or straight, as desired). Connect the apparatus, as shown in Fig. 1, with a filter-pump having a, strong suction. When the copper is precipitated, remove the beaker from tine hot plate and insert the extraction-thimble alongside the strip of aluminum. The acid solution will be drawn through the porous tube. Wish the upper end of the aluminum strip with a jet of hot water, wash down the sides of

Nov 1, 1912

James GayleY, New Pork City (communication to the Secretary*) :—The main thing that is sought after in this matter is that all purcliases shall be made by analysis. This is done already in special lines, as in the manufacture of various grades of steel in which phosphorus, silicon and sulphur are specified within narrow limits, and I quite agree with Mr. Cook that specifications, which are over-rigid in unessential particulars, should be avoided, as they defeat their own purpose because unreasonable requirements permitting no variation are practically not fulfilled, and it is impossible to specify grade

Jan 1, 1905

By S. Arthur Krom

(Wilkes-Barre meeting, June, 1911.) RECENT experiments indicate that the usual type of concentrating-table is not only poorly adapted to produce the desired results, but also is based upon an incorrect principle, namely, the use of riffles to perform the work of stratifying the various minerals. We have heard a good deal about riffles for concentrating-tables; exhaustive experiments have been made to discover the proper form of riffle, or to prove the superiority this or that form; disputes and patent-litigation have arisen over the matter of riffles, and thus many have been led to believe that the riffle is the saving-device upon which the process of concentration depends. In the present paper it is proposed to show that the riffle is greatly overrated as to the part it performs in the concentration of minerals, and that, in the near future, it may possibly be eliminated entirely from that process. The experiments in question have shown that the troublesome riffle can be considered of secondary importance at the most, and should be so classed in the construction of a concentrating-table built upon the right lines. The action of any form of riffle on a concentrating-table is such as to upset and retard the process of settling and stratifying the various minerals on the table-deck. From the deck of a riffled table no concentrates can be delivered until the deck is "bedded," that is, until a sufficient amount of metallic values have been fed to the table to spread over a large portion of the deck, forming a substratum of the heavier minerals. This substratum must be maintained by the feed within quite narrow limits, and directly proportional to the rate of discharge from the table, in order that the bed shall not be lost. On the other hand, the riffles having a very lim-

Jul 1, 1911

By Blamey Stevens

(San Francisco Meeting, October, 1911.) My previous paper is entitled, The Laws of Igneous Emanation Pressure. The present paper lays no claim to the exactitude and completeness of a law, since it is of a provisional nature and may be disregarded when experiments have established a basis for more exact reasoning. The general physical states in which aqueous emanations may occur are first considered. The possible physical conditions under which the mineral elements may occur in emanations are then discussed, and a classification of deposits, dependent on emanation, is proposed. A system of scientific experimental investigation is outlined, and it is shown that the physical and chemical properties of emanation may be exactly determined thereby. The investigation is urged as feasible and simple, and not necessarily requiring large and costly apparatus. It is the only step necessary to make possible the formulation of a complete set of laws of igneous emanation. Process of Emanation. In a rising column, magma ranges in temperature from 900° to 1,200°C. Exhalation must begin at some fairly great depth. What this depth may be we can only surmise, since no experimental evidence is available. Exhalation, however, continues as the magma flows upward, until at another level the occluded gases have all escaped. This depth is probably upward of 5,000 ft. (See Fig. 1.) All exhalations must come from between these two levels. As the whole emanation is the sum of the exhalations and residues, the residues must come from below the uppermost level. They will be most abundant when coming, from those parts of the intrusion which have solidified below the lower level.

Apr 1, 1912

By AIME AIME

THE 131st meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers was held in New York on Feb. 16 to 20, 1925, with the largest registration of any previous meeting, the total being 1320 compared to 1276 in 1924. The technical sessions were more largely attended and aroused more discussion than ever before. There were joint meetings with the Mining Section of the National Safety Council, under the auspices of the Industrial Relations Committee of the Institute and two very important lectures, the Howe Memorial Lecture, under the auspices of the Iron and Steel Committee, and the lecture by Dr. Carl Benedicks, of Sweden, on Corrosion, under the auspices of the Institute of Metals Division. The Petroleum Division conducted its annual Symposium on Oil which will be published later in book form. At the annual business meeting on Feb. 17, the following ticket was elected, and the reports of the President, Treasurer, and Secretary 'were presented:

Jan 1, 1925

A. Bement, Chicago,Ill. (communication to the Secretary*):— Formerly it was the general practice of engineers to designate coal that is free from moisture and ash as " combustible," notwithstandirig that it contains oxygen and nitrogen. The origin of this practice was more particularly due to the requirements in connection with boiler-testing, which demanded a consideration of that portion of the fuel which took part in the combuition-process because results based on a unit of either moist or dry coal were not comparable, since both moisture and ash were recognized as variable quantities. Thus, a pound of " combustible " became a standard of value, and was treated as a constant before employing measurements of heating-power and calculating therefrom the percentage of efficiency. The recognition of this term " combustible " was an advance to be credited to the engineer rather than to the chemist, because the latter, not having to do with the interpretation of analyses in practice outside the laboratory, usually saw no reason for reporting results in terms other than those of the moist-coal composition. Some years ago I needed a table of fuel-composition in terms of moist, dry, moisture-free and ash-free coal, and of the combustible components. This table required the use of the word combustible in its proper sense, for the purpose of designating carbon, hydrogen, and sulphur, instead of including these three elements with oxygen and nitrogen, to which aggregate the term combustible was formerly applied. To make such a tabulation involved either the use of the inconvenient and cumbersome term, "ash- and moisture-free coal," or of some other representative term, and for this purpose I adopted the expression pure coal, which is short, simple, convenient, and technically correct. It is also harmonious, because it agrees

Jan 1, 1909

By H. H. Otto

COMPARED with 1939, the year 1940 has seen no material change in the production of anthracite. Many factors seem to indicate a stabilized anthracite production of approximately 50 million tons per year. The present war has stimulated demand in the Cana¬dian and New England markets, which were formerly furnished with a portion of their needs from Great Britain and other European countries. Neither has there been any material change in the "bootleg coal" situation. This problem is more serious in the Southern anthracite field than in the Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton areas. One reason for this is the nearness of the Southern field to the large anthracite markets in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, and Harrisburg. During the past year no new large

Jan 1, 1941

By Walter Miller

DURING the second year of America's active participation in the war the main objectives of the petroleum refining industry were again to provide the four most important product needs for war: 100-octane aviation gasoline, toluene for TNT production, high-quality lubricating oils for the needs of aviation and the armed forces, and petroleum chemicals for synthetic rubber manufacture. All other materials supplied by the petroleum industry took an inferior priority ranking, depending on the degree of essentiality. To accomplish the above objectives the industry initiated and carried on a building program during 1942 and 1943 which will put those two years down in petroleum refining history as the greatest construction years of all time, a record which will hold for decades to come. Led by an estimated total of $900,000,000 going into 100octane and contributory plant investment, it is easy to picture a total of two billion dollars and more going into additional refining-industry plant investment during 1942 and 1943, most of it privately paid for, but a substantial part covered by R.F.C. Government money financing.

Jan 1, 1944

By W. S. Ayres

A BRIEF history of the growth of the anthracite-coal preparation will give a better view-point from which to judge the present problem of separating slate from coal. At the beginning of the commercial value of anthracite, 70 years ago, only the pure portions, or " splits," of the veins were mined and shipped to market, and without any preparation or screening other than the selection, while loading, of the glassy lumps, and the rejection of the fine material and the slate that had strayed accidentally into the coal. The next step was the crushing or breaking of the coal (hence the name Lt breaker" as applied to the preparation-building), and the sizing of it by means of bars or revolving screens. This stage of its development marked the advent of the "breaker-boy " as a slate-¬picker, with his ever-increasing capriciousness. As the richer veins or ? splits " became exhausted and the market demanded a still greater output, the less-pure " splits " and the thinner veins were utilized to produce the coal. Carrying as they do a far greater percentage of impurities; particularly when removing the pillars, it became necessary to build new and better equipped preparation-plants. Finally, we are now at the highest stage of complication yet known to the art of coal-preparation. We are dealing with varying specific gravities, frictional difference, hardness, structure, and form in the pieces of coal and slate coming from many different veins, and

Dec 1, 1909

THE progress in lead smelting practice in the United States during 1930 has been along previously defined lines. Since most of the material treated is high-grade concentrate relatively high in zinc, practically all the plants have been forced to adopt double sintering. This generally results in there being' no matte fall, and most of the copper in the charge is recovered in the furnace dross. The furnace dross is . smelted with. scrap iron and flux .in small reverberatories, giving a shipping matte or speiss high in copper and low in lead. Details of this reverberatory. furnace practice vary at the different plants. There is a decided tendency toward moreintensive filtration of blast- furnace and sinter fume. Bag capacity has been in- creased by using higher pressures and more frequent shaking.

Jan 1, 1931

By AIME AIME

WITHOUT frills, but with an admirable program of technical papers and discussion, many opportunities for social contact, and all New York for a playground, the 142d Meeting of the Institute will make the Engineering Societies Building a lively place from Feb. 20 to 23. Prices are down, even in New York. Come and forget the depression listening to the stories of old friends. Hear at first hand what is going on in your professional world. The fare is varied, of wide appeal. The program on the opposite page has been arranged carefully to minimize conflicts between the subjects in which you are interested. If it is not possible to come for all four days, check over the sessions that are most important to you. No changes in the scheduling are likely.

Jan 1, 1933

By G. S. Hume

Activity in geological exploration and drilling continued in Canada in 1945 at about the same rate as in the previous year, but with disappointing results as far as new production is .concerned. Both in the foothills and on the Plains of Alberta, however, there are wildcat wells that have either given encouraging shows or some production, which are very important in relation to future developments. The normal decline of Turner Valley, the largest producing field in Canada, has continued, and this decrease has not been offset by new discoveries. In addition, the closing of the Canol pipe line on March 31, 1945, isolated the Norman Wells field in the Mackenzie River valley, and the outlet at present. is confined to supplying the relatively small local requirements. This

Jan 1, 1946

The State Mining Experiment Station, Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla, Mo Charles H. Fulton, Director of the School of Mines Martin H. Thornberry, Director of the Mining Experiment Station. From the State Mining Experiment Station are issued all the general and technical bulletins of the School of Mines The latest bulletin containing a complete list of publications will be sent upon application to the Director of the Station Residents of the state may obtain bulletins as issued without charge, or may ask to be placed on the mailing list. Nonresidents should write to the Director for further information concerning specific bulletins. From the long list of bulletins the following have been care¬fully selected as being most likely to interest the geologist and the mining engineer. Vol 8, No. 1 (1916), Bibliography of concentrating ores by flotation, by J Cunningham, vol 1, No 3 (1912), Some apparatus and methods for demonstrating rock drilling and the loading of drill holes in tunneling, by L E Young, vol 2, No 1 (1915), Comparative tests of piston drill bits, by C R Forbes and L M Cummings; vol 2, No 3 (1916), Cupellation losses in assaying, by H. T Mann and C. Y Clayton; vol 4, No 1 (1917), The hydrometallurgy and electrolytic precipitation of zinc, by F D. James; vol 4, No 2 (1917), The effect of additional agents in flotation, pt 1, by M. H. Thornberry and H T. Mann, vol 5, No 1 (1919), The carbonization of Missouri cannel coals, by H L. Dunlap, K. K. Kershner and V. X Smiley. Vol 5, No. 4 (1921), Coal mining methods in Missouri, by W W Weigel, vol 6, No 1 (1921), The problem of the St Peter sand¬stone, by C L Dake, 50 cents, vol 6, No. 2 (1922), Bibliography on the electrothermic metallurgy of zinc, by B M. O'Harra, vol 6, No. 4 (1923), Experiments on the distillation of zinc from complex zinc-lead-silver ores, by B M. O'Harra and E S. Wheeler, vol 7, No 3 (1924), Underground loading devices, by C. E. van Barneveld, 81; vol 7, No. 4 (1924), Briquetting of zinc ores, by B. M. O'Harra; vol. 8, No 2 (1925), A treatise of Missouri clays, by M. H. Thornberry.

Jan 1, 1933

By Sydney H. Ball

AMERICAN consumption of industrial diamonds has increased five fold in the past 25 years and today accounts for 15 to 20 percent of the world's sale of rough diamonds. In another decade the value of industrial diamonds sold may well equal or exceed that of gemstones. It is generally understood that industrial diamonds are one of the strategic minerals being stocked by the Government in the present crisis to ensure rapid and efficient armament production. Diamond die making is a trade largely confined to artisans in Switzerland and in certain parts of France. Today, in addition to turning out pilots, we should train expert artisans in diamond die making, for thousands of miles of tremendously small-gauge wire will be needed to make the instruments by which the efficiency and safety of these pilots is assisted.

Jan 1, 1941

By F. A., King

THE problem of the proper size and capacity of the open-hearth furnace has been a predominant issue ever since its inception some sixty years ago. The original furnaces, built in 1868 at Landore, England, were only to 3 to 4 tons capacity, and from' this there has been a steadily increasing and almost uniform rate of expansion until furnaces producing 300 tons are in successful operation today. At the end of the first half of this 60-year period, or about the year 1900, 50-ton furnaces we're common. Up to this time the problems of expansion had been largely those relating to suficient capital and the engineering development of larger units. But as 75, 100-ton and larger furnaces were proposed apprehension grew and other questions assumed leading consideration.

Jan 1, 1928

By CYRIL W., William Campbell, Henry M. Howe

THIS paper gives the results of an investigation of the behavior of the argentiferous cobalt-nickel arsenides of Temiskaming, Ontario, in roasting, made in the metallurgical laboratories of the School of Mines, of Columbia University in the City of New York. The ore was kindly given by the owners of the La Rose and Trethewey properties at Cobalt, Ontario, and Mr. E. J. Hall, Tutor in Assaying in Columbia University, has helped us much. I. OBJECT OF THE INVESTIGATION. The object of the investigation was to learn:- 1. The temperature at which the arsenic is most rapidly expelled; 2. The thoroughness with which it is expelled by prolonged roasting at this temperature; 3. The effect of adding charcoal (a) near the end of the roast and (b) at the beginning of the roast. II. NATURE OF THE ORE. The important ores mined in the Temiskaming deposits are native silver-with small amounts of dyscrasite (Ag6 Sb), argentite (Ag2S), pyrargyrite (Ag3SbS3)-smaltite (CoAs2), chloanthite (NiAs2) and niccolite (NiAs). Mispickel (FeAsS) and cobaltite (CoAsS) also occur in smaller quantities. The average composition of the ore shipped from this district for the first six months of 1905 -was: silver, from 4.1 to 4.8 per cent.; cobalt, from 6.9 to 8.2 per cent ; nickel, from 3 to 4.7 per cent ; and arsenic, from 30.9 to 34.6 per cent. The ore which we treated consists chiefly of smaltite ; In our laboratory-work

Jan 1, 1907

By A. B. Parsons

DOWN in Washington an army of individuals constituting the government of a so-called "'democratic" nation is trying to manage the conduct, in its rnultifold phases, of the greatest war in history for the country that is potentially, at least, the strongest in the world and on which, consequently, the major responsibility rests. The enterprise is one of unprecedented magnitude and complexity. That individuals and groups have made and are making serious blunders, both as to the establishment and execution of policy, is to be expected.

Jan 1, 1942

By J. A. Ede

The property of the Spring Valley Coal Company, situated in Bureau county, Ill., comprises something more than 30,000 acres of coal-lands, on which have been opened four mines, designated as Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4. Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are plans of the first three; and Fig. 7 is a view of the surface-plant at No. 4, the workings of which it is not necessary to illustrate, as this mine has been practically merged in No. 2. No. 4 shaft is only 500 feet from No. 2, and both are ventilated by the same fan, and are in the same circle of air-supply. In speaking of No. 2, we now include No. 4. The system pursued in all the mines is " long-wall advancing," and the shafts are all vertical. The seam worked is locally and commercially known, in the Illinois series, as No. 3; but its position in the geological series is that of No. 2. It averages in thickness about 42 inches, arid has no partings, but mines in rectangular lumps, which stand a large amount of handling before breaking. An analysis made from Colliery No. 1 gave the following : Per cent. Moisture,.......... 1.45 Volatile combustible matter,.47.27 Fixed carbon,.........41.97 Sulphur,.........2.46 Ash,....... .. .. .. 6.85 Plate 6 shows a photographic view of this seam. The staff seen in the view is 37 inches long. The table on page 188, recorded in my office, which I presume to be correct, may be of interest. The bottom is fire-clay, varying in thickness from 6 to 24 inches. It affords what is considered good mining-ground. The roof immediately above the coal is a dark shale, lying in small bands, from 4 to 9 inches in thickness. Between the

Jan 1, 1900

By Morton Macartney

FOR many years the developers or owners of worthy mining ventures in need of financing have found it almost impossible to obtain such financing under the conditions existing in most other lines of business. High rates of interest and unfair participation in profits have robbed the developers of much of their holdings, and have resulted in over-capitalization and many other like evils. When the general financial condition of the country is bad, this difficulty increases to a point where many operations must cease and hen are thrown out of employment. In 1.934 this situation had developed to such a point that Congress attempted to aid the mining industry. It first authorized the RFC to make loans to recognized and established corporations, individuals, and partnerships engaged in the business of mining, milling, or smelting of ores in June, 1934, limiting such authority to loans adequately secured, the security to consist of mineral acreage. The requirements of the law were stringent and of the 252 requests for loans received up to June 1, 1935, 35 were authorized.

Jan 1, 1936