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By E. P. Pfleider

DIAMOND drill research work was initiated at the School of Mines, University of Minnesota, in late 1949. The Drilling Symposium held in Duluth that spring highlighted the problem of high cost and core recovery and the need for controlled testing. An advisory committee made up of informed representatives of both mining companies and drilling companies was formed to suggest and advise on a program of drill research. A Hy-Mac hydraulic drill unit, see Fig. 1, especially designed for experimental testing, was obtained for this work by the School of Mines through the courtesy of the Carboloy Co. It is an extremely flexible unit, capable of exerting a forward thrust of about 1750 lb and turning at speeds from 650 to 2200 rpm. The feed arrangement is so designed that the advance can be set either at a constant rate or permitted to vary at a fixed pressure, see Fig. 2. The

Jan 1, 1952

By E. C. Harder, D. F. Hewitt

Since early in 1916, when it became apparent that the steel industry of the United States could not depend for the duration of the war on several important foreign sources of manganese and might have to depend entirely on domestic ores, the U. S. Geological Survey, with the assistance of several cooperating organizations, has made a comprehensive investigation of domestic manganese resources. The work has included field studies in a number of states well as annual, quarterly, and monthly canvasses among operators concerning current and future production. In order that the interested public might have access to the important results of the studies, preliminary reports concerning the field work as well as periodic summaries of production were issued as promptly as possible. Although numerous summaries of production l2, l3, l4 have been prepared from time to time for the use of the several boards and committees responsible for the conduct of the war, it has been thought for some months that those engaged in the industry, as well as others, might be interested in a preliminary summary of the accumulated geologic and production data. The cessation of hostilities, in November, 1918, probably detracts from the usefulness of much of the material that is here presented, but apart from the historic interest in the performance of an important industry in war time, there is a possibility that some of the conclusions may be helpful to those who continue to exploit domestic deposits, as well as to those who wish to measure the country's independence in mineral supplies. Appropriate final geologic reports are being prepared by the geologists who did the field work. The present authors, having done but a small part of the recent field work, acknowledge with great appreciation the use of preliminary and unpublished reports and the cordial informal cooperation of the following geologists in the preparation of this paper: F. L. Ransome, G. W. Stose, F. C. Schrader, J. T. Pardee, E. L. Jones, Jr., H. D. Miser, Laurence LaForge, J. B. Umpleby, Arthur Keith, F. J. Katz, and E. S. Larsen, of the U. S. Geological Survey. Field work in Virginia was carried out in cooperation with the Virginia Geological Survey, T. L. Watson, State Geologist; in Georgia, with the Georgia

Jan 1, 1920

By K. M. Kolobova, E. Z. Kurmayev, A. Z. Menshikov, S. A. Nemnonov, V. A. Trapeznikov

The present work represents a review of our intestigations into the X-ray spectra of solids, which have been carried out by us along two lines of upproach: 1) St@ of the electronic structure of high -rnelting compounds of transition metals; 2) stzddy of the interatomic binding forces by the fine structure of absorption spectra under varying temperature and concentration conditions. With this in mind, int>estigations hare been made into the emission and absorption spectra of the K-series of atoms of transition elements in alloys and compounds. In the problem concerned with the electronic structure of high-melting compounds of transition metals, considerable importance is attached to the question of ascertaining the role played by 3d4sp electrons of metal and 2p electrons of metalloid in the formation of chemical bonds and of giving, on the strength of this data, an explanation of the properties which seem to be contradictory at first sight: good conductivity inherent in metals and high brittleness and high-melting characteristics typical of covalent compounds. Over the last few decades this question has attracted the attention of many investigators whose studies were devoted to this type of compound. Many works, both of theoretical1-3 and experimental4- l5 nature , have contributed much to the elucidation of the physical character of the phenomenon referred to. Alongside the investigations in the field of electric resistance, Hall effect, paramagnetic susceptibility, electronic heat capacity, and the temperature of transformation into a superconducting state, we should particularly emphasize the studies on X-ray spectra, which have played a significant role in the development of the zonal theory for high-melting compounds. This fact has become highly evident after the theoretical calculation of the energy spectrum has been made and the density of states curve in Tic, TiN, and Ti0 has been plotted by Ern and Switendick3 who used the method of augmented plane waves. Correlation of the results of the theoretical calculation of the band structure in the compounds listed above with the data obtained by X-ray spectroscopy studies showed that X-ray spectra can be a source of valuable information on the electronic structure of high-melting compounds within a wide range of ener- gies. It is well known that X-ray emission spectra basically give a direct picture of the occupied excited states above the Fermi level of a solid (valence band, conduction band) and that the absorption spectra (region of initial absorption) give a similar picture of states corresponding to the unoccupied levels near the Fermi surface. Full information on the density distribution of electronic states by energies can be obtained by combining the emission and absorption spectra. Such an opportunity arises from investigation

Jan 1, 1970

By Y. H. Liu, G. W. Powell

Thin foils made from the gold-rich region of- short (0.15 mm)Au-Ag diffusion couples annealed at 880°C for 1 hr were examined in ax electron microscope and the structures were compared with that of pure gold subjected to identical heat treatments. The couples underwent Plastic deformation (bending) during the diffusional anneal. The foils prepared from the diffusion zone have a higher dislocation density and incidence of subboundaries than pure gold. The plastic bending of the couple can be interpreted in terms of the climb of edge dislocations, which are pavallel to the bend axis, along the direction of diffusion. THE interaction of lattice defects during interdiffu-sion between two metals has been considered by several investigators. In particular, da Silva and Mehl,1 Barnes,' and Bardeen and Herring3 have proposed models based on interactions between point and line defects to account for the Kirkendall effect (marker movement). Each of these models is based on dislocation climb, which can either add or remove lattice planes, induced by an under- or supersaturation of vacancies. A theoretical treatment of the nucleation and growth of voids by the condensation of vacancies has been presented by Seitz.4 Stresses can arise in a binary diffusion couple as a result of the vacancy flux and the gradient in the lattice parameter. rinkmman' has investigated the effects of diffusion-induced stresses on void formation; the results of his analysis suggest that voids can form and grow under the influence of these stresses in the absence of an excess vacancy concentration. The relationships between vacancy supersaturation and diffusion-induced stresses and void formation have been elucidated also by Balluffi and seigle6 who concluded that the stress generated by a vacancy supersaturation aids the growth of voids. Experimental evidence which indirectly shows that stresses are produced by chemical diffusion has been obtained by several researchers.2,7-9 This evidence consists in part of the observation by light microscopy of the formation of subgrains, a process characteristic of the high-temperature deformation of some metals during creep.'0 More striking, however, is the plastic bending of short (0.2 mm) Cu-Ni couples observed by Barnes2 and of boron-doped silicon crystals reported by Queisser.9 Diffusion-induced dislocations in iron and silicon have been investigated by Ainslie et a1.11and Schwutte and Queisser,12 respectively, the former using transmission electron microscopy and the latter an X-ray transmission technique. Matthews and Crawford13 observed the formation of boundaries by the climb of interfacial misfit dislocations in thin, vapor-deposited Au-Pd couples diffused in situ in an electron microscope. In order to obtain additional information on the phenomena associated with defect interaction and diffusion-induced stresses in binary couples, an electron transmission study of foils prepared from the diffusion zone of short Au-Ag couples was undertaken. The initial objective was to investigate the processes occurring at various points of the diffusion zone. Subsequent research demonstrated that foils could be prepared only from the gold-rich region of the diffusion zone using the technique described herein. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Preparation and Annealing of the Diffusion Couples. The couples were made from annealed, high-purity (99.999 pct). polycrvstalline gold and silver sheets (0.075 mm thick). Shall (0.075 by 5 by 17 mm) elec-tropolished coupons of gold and silver were pressure-bonded by heating the two metals in a graphite device to 770°C and holding at this temperature for approximately 30 min. The quality of the bond was ascertained by metallographic examination at 150 times. Each couple subsequently was annealed at 880°C for 1hr; under these conditions, the extreme portions of the

Jan 1, 1968

By Harrison Schmitt

SINCE the U. S. Geological Survey published the data on the Central Mining District collected by Lindgren and Graton1 and by Paige2 much new information has been obtained by development and mapping, but none of it had been published until recently when Kniffin3 published on Fierro, Lasky4 on the Ground Hog mine, Thorne5 on Santa Rita and Landon6 filed a thesis on the Fierro-Hanover-Santa Rita area at the Uni-versity of Chicago. During the years 1927-1930 much of the writer's time was spent in mapping the geology and ore deposits of this district, particularly in the area of the zinc deposits at Hanover. Some of the data collected are presented here. Previous publications have been freely drawn upon and additional data used that were generously supplied by L. M. Kniffin, Wilfred Wright and Gerald Ballmer. Thanks are due Augustus Locke, Samuel G. Lasky, Kniffin, Wright and Ballmer for suggestions and critical readings of the manuscript, and to the Empire Zinc Co. (a subsidiary of the New Jersey Zinc Co.) for the privilege of publishing material compiled largely at its expense. The relation of the Central. or the Santa Rita-Hanover-Fierro district to the Silver City district is shown on Paige's geologic map in the Silver City folio.7 Granodiorite porphyry and quartz-monzonite porphyry

Jan 1, 1933

By T. L. Joseph

THE invention of the Bessemer converter process in 1856 added great impetus to the manufacture of steel and is one of the outstanding contributions to process metallurgy. Although the process of refining pig iron by passing air through the molten metal bears the name of Henry Bessemer, it should be mentioned in passing that William Kelley of Eddysville, Ky., worked on the process as early as 1847. Kelley was granted a patent on the process in 1857, inasmuch as he was able to prove priority in discovery.1 After considerable litigation in 1865 the respective interests of Kelley and Bessemer were combined. On Sept. 10, 1856, Robert Mushet of England obtained his first patent on the application of manganese to cast steel. Mushet anticipated trouble in purifying iron by passing currents of air through it. His patent specified that steel made in this way often contained flaws and was red short or cold short. Mushet understood the refining of pig iron into steel well enough to realize the difficulties likely to be encountered from oxidation of the iron. Mushet was not only an inventor but he was also an investigator. He understood the principle of selective oxidation which takes place in the converter process, arid he realized therefore that the remedy for over-oxidation was attainable if a suitable metal could be found at a reasonable cost and in sufficient quantities. His first experiments were made in small crucibles holding a few ounces of metal. Later his work was conducted on a larger scale and with complete success. Manganese had been used in making steel a quarter of a century before the converter

Jan 5, 1927

By Max Boehmer

(Pittsburg Meeting, March, 1910.) AFTER 30 years of development and after an output of $350,000,000 in value of gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper, there has not been published a satisfactory explanation of the origin of the immense deposits of the Leadville district. The original examination find survey of Leadville by members of the U. S. Geological Survey was a most magnificent piece of work, but their attempt to explain the origin of the ores was based upon the then-accepted theory of lateral secretion, originated by Sandberger, which theory was afterwards disproved in many cases by further development in numerous districts. This theory contended that the ore in the veins had been leached by surface-waters from the eruptive rocks in the immediate vicinity, and it had its origin in the fact that the neighboring eruptive rocks all contained, to an appreciable degree, the several metals found in the ore-deposits. But the practical miner, reasoning in a simple manner from the condition of things as he found them underground, soon discovered the fallacy of this proposition. He reasoned that, in the case of the Leadville deposits, this theory could not be true, because, if the ores were leached from the overlying eruptive rocks by surface-waters, they would as a matter of necessity be controlled by the action of gravity, and the main bodies would collect in- natural depressions of the underlying limestone, and at all points where such depressions existed. But this was not in accord with the channels of ore as he found there ; and hence the theory of lateral secretion in this district was never accepted. Another objection to it consisted in the fact that large areas within the ore-bearing district contained no ores whatever, although their formation was the same, and the same limestones were covered by the same thick sheet of

Feb 1, 1910

By Ancel St. John

Defects in the interior of metal objects are troublesome to both manufacturer and user. For the former, they frequently increase manufacturing cost through the rejection of material when defects appear after considerable work has been done. For the latter, they often cause damage to equipment, personal injury, or loss of life when a part, which has passed all inspections and has been put in service, gives way because of a hidden flaw. Methods of testing that locate such flaws without subjecting the specimen to possible, if not actual, destl-uction are few; x-ray examination, whether fluoroscopic or radiographic, is one. Hitherto, however, x-ray examination has been restricted to objects of nearly uniform thickness and regular outline; the inspection of such articles as those shown in Fig. 1 has been inconvenient and unsatisfactory. This figure represents a group of 5/16-in. hexagonal-head machine bolts,

Jan 1, 1923

By Ancel St. John

Defects in the interior of metal objects are troublesome to both manufacturer and user. For the former, they frequently increase manufacturing cost through the rejection of material when defects appear after considerable work has been done. For the latter, they often cause damage to equipment, personal injury, or loss of life when a part, which has passed all inspections and has been put in service, gives way because of a hidden flaw. Methods of testing that locate such flaws without subjecting the specimen to possible, if not actual, destl-uction are few; x-ray examination, whether fluoroscopic or radiographic, is one. Hitherto, however, x-ray examination has been restricted to objects of nearly uniform thickness and regular outline; the inspection of such articles as those shown in Fig. 1 has been inconvenient and unsatisfactory. This figure represents a group of 5/16-in. hexagonal-head machine bolts,

Jan 1, 1923

By Walter H. Bruckner, George B. Clark

SINCE the end of World War II interest has been increasing in the use of shaped charges in the mining industry and in other industries using explosives for blasting purposes. Shaped charges employ the principle known as the "Munroe effect," which was discovered by Charles E. Munroe more than 50 years ago (in 1888). Details of their design have been explained e1sewhere.l,2,3 Fig I shows the essential features of design of two types of shaped charges (with conical and hemispherical cavities) and a schematic sketch of their action upon detonation. The following discussion deals with the behavior of the metal in the cavity liners when they are subjected to intense pressures exerted when the explosive charge is detonated. Among the conclusions reached in research on shaped explosive charges, the following have been established concerning cavity liners: 1,2 I. The optimum wall thickness of a conical cavity liner is dependent upon the apex angle of the cone as well as on the base diameter of the charge. Acute apex angles require thinner walls for optimum performance and more obtuse angles require thicker walls for the same base diameter. 2. Cones were more effective in forming a penetrating jet when the walls were tapered; i.e., the thickness of the wall of the cone increased from the apex down. 3. The physical and mechanical proper- ties of metals have a marked effect upon their performance as cavity-liner material. Boiling point, ductility, malleability, tensile strength, and hardness are among the properties that influence the effectiveness of a metal used as a cavity liner. Lead, for example, makes a wide, flat crater in steel plates. Aluminum makes a deeper crater than lead, and an aluminum alloy having a high tensile strength makes a deeper hole, but slightly smaller in diameter. Cast iron makes a deep, narrow hole. These findings, together with the following analysis under Metallographic Survey of Slug, offer solutions to many of the problems involved in solving the mechanism of the formation of Munroe jets. It has been fairly well established that cavity liners collapse in a manner similar to that indicated in Fig 2. Conical liners are known to collapse upon themselves while hemispherical liners are believed to turn inside out in the process of jet formation. The first has been definitely proved by recovery of collapsed portions of cones, while liners from partly detonated charges show that hemispheres may turn inside out. Fig 3 shows a sketch of a recovered slug from a 6-in. shaped charge using a 45° cone made of cast iron. (This size of charge drilled holes up to 3 ft in depth in solid granodiorite.)

Jan 1, 1947

By Myrick N. Bolles

The concentration of gold and silver in mattes low in copper, and the subsequent separation and recovery of either or both of these metals, is a question the satisfactory solution of which has long vexed metallurgists. It covers a broad and important department of metallurgical science and brings in its train a series of attendant problems continuing from the initial operations of concentration to the final recovery of " values."

Jan 1, 1905

By W. P. Saunders, W. R. Hibbard, G. H. Eichelman

Interest in the various products of the austenite eutectoid transformation in iron-carbon alloys, particularly as produced by the isothermal sub-critical techniques introduced by Davenport and Bain,' has resulted in the application of similar heat treatments to other eutectoid transformations. Studies o f the beta copper-aluminum alloy eutectoid transformation revealed microstructures very similar to those found in iron-carbon alloys. Investigations5t6 of the kappa phase in the copper-silicon alloy system have established the eutectoid type transformation of this phase into terminal alpha and intermediate gamma phases. This transformation has been reported5 as forming a eutectoid type structure in a very sluggish manner by a long time isothermal treatment. The purpose of the present investigation is to study the products of the kappa eutectoid transformation as affected by transformation temperatures by means of microscopic and hardness methods. Preparation of Alloys The copper-silicon alloy equilibrium diagram is shown in Fig 1. The kappa field converges to a minimum silicon solubility at the eutectoid composition and all other completely kappa alloys are hypereutec-toid. Thus, kappa decomposition involves first the proeutectoid precipitation of gamma, followed by the eutectoid transformation of a lower silicon content kappa (5.2 pct) Smith6 has indicated that alloys containing between 5.4 and 5.7 pct silicon could be hot rolled, but that the latter composition was desirable in order to permit a wider kappa temperature range. The alloy was prepared by adding Baker's commercially pure silicon to an ingot of copper-silicon alloy containing 2.34 pct silicon remaining from the investigation of Brick, Martin and Angier.' Following the casting techniques of Krynitsky, Saunders and Stern,s the ingot was melted under a heavy layer of dried charcoal in a clay-graphite crucible in a gas-fired pot furnace. Small lumps of silicon were held under thc melt surface with a graphite rod. After the silicon had dissolved, the alloy was chill-cast and then remelted without a cover, stirred thoroughly, skimmed and poured into a preheated cast iron mold. The cast microstructure is shown in Fig 2. The casting, 10 X 4 X K in., was annealed at 750°C for 21 hr and furnace cooled, About }{& in. was milled from all surfaces. The plate was cut in half longitudinally and the bottom half analyzed by A.S.T.M. and The composition by weight was as follows: copper 94.24 pct, silicon 5.56 pct, iron 0.11 pct.

Jan 1, 1949

By Harold M. Mooney

WHEN apparent resistivity data are taken with the symmetrical Wenner 4-electrode spread, a fixed center position is used and readings are taken for values of electrode separation. Basic data consist of apparent resistivity plotted against separation of adjacent electrodes. The interpreter attempts to infer geologic structure, such as the depth to discontinuities and the nature of subsurface earth materials. An earlier paper1 described methods for interpreting resistivity data. All of these involve a severe assumption, namely that the earth in the region of interest consists of horizontal layers, electrically homogeneous and isotropic. The actual earth never satisfies this assumption exactly and may deviate from it so much that none of the above methods can be applied. Attempts in three directions have been made to modify the assumption so that it approaches known geologic complexity more closely.

Jan 12, 1954

By H. E. Rorschach

Activity in Oklahoma fields declined in 1938 from the banner year of 1937. During the year, 1768 wells were completed as compared to 2632 completed during the year 1937. The following tabulation sets out details regarding the wells completed during the year: These computations do not take into account the wells drilled for repres-sure and salt-water disposal, and other nonexploratory wells. Purchasers' reports filed with the Corporation Commission of the State of Oklahoma show a total of 168,789,229 bbl. of oil purchased from Oklahoma leases in 1938, or a daily average of 462,436, a decrease of about 25 per cent from the year 1937. The outstanding operation of the year was the further development of the Ramsey pool, in western Payne County, the producing horizon being classified as the Wilcox. This pool was discovered on the last day in the year 1937, by the Mid-Continent Petroleum Corporation drilling on a unitized block in see. 18, T. 18 N., R. 2 E. The map in Fig. 1 shows the development at the end of the year 1938. An important discovery of the year was the Champlin Refining Company's No. 1 Boehm, in Garfield County, sec. 4-24N-8W., the producing horizon being the second Wilcox found at a depth of approximately 6700 ft. This pool was assigned the name of Hillsdale. Some of the offsets to this discovery well had not come up to expectations at the end of the year, but the discovery seems to be important as indicating that the Wilcox sand is productive in the Anadarko Basin area, providing that the right structural conditions are present.

Jan 1, 1939

By H. E. Rorschach

Activity in Oklahoma fields declined in 1938 from the banner year of 1937. During the year, 1768 wells were completed as compared to 2632 completed during the year 1937. The following tabulation sets out details regarding the wells completed during the year: These computations do not take into account the wells drilled for repres-sure and salt-water disposal, and other nonexploratory wells. Purchasers' reports filed with the Corporation Commission of the State of Oklahoma show a total of 168,789,229 bbl. of oil purchased from Oklahoma leases in 1938, or a daily average of 462,436, a decrease of about 25 per cent from the year 1937. The outstanding operation of the year was the further development of the Ramsey pool, in western Payne County, the producing horizon being classified as the Wilcox. This pool was discovered on the last day in the year 1937, by the Mid-Continent Petroleum Corporation drilling on a unitized block in see. 18, T. 18 N., R. 2 E. The map in Fig. 1 shows the development at the end of the year 1938. An important discovery of the year was the Champlin Refining Company's No. 1 Boehm, in Garfield County, sec. 4-24N-8W., the producing horizon being the second Wilcox found at a depth of approximately 6700 ft. This pool was assigned the name of Hillsdale. Some of the offsets to this discovery well had not come up to expectations at the end of the year, but the discovery seems to be important as indicating that the Wilcox sand is productive in the Anadarko Basin area, providing that the right structural conditions are present.

Jan 1, 1939

By Henning Nielsen

SIX weeks ahead of schedule, the International Nickel Co. of Canada Ltd. has brought a 30-mile rail line into the newly born town of Thompson, Manitoba. Its construction spurs the development of a rich new mining region slated to become the world's second largest nickel-producing area-exceeded only by Inco's Sudbury, Ont., workings. Two mines, the Thompson and the Moak Lake, will be opened to meet International Nickel's scheduled annual production goal of 385 million lb of refined nickel by 1961. Accomplishment of this aim will mean an additional 75 million lb of the metal available to consumers. In addition, stepped-up out- put of Inco's Sudbury holdings may increase this figure by another 25 million lb. (For an earlier report on these developments see MINING ENGINEERING News, January 1957).

Jan 12, 1957

By A. L. Jr. Pozzi, A. O. Garder, D. W. Peaceman

A new numerical method is proposed for the solution of multidimensional miscible displacement problems. Besides the usual stationary grid associated with numerical procedures, the method uses moving points for which positions and concentrations are computed each time step. Based on the method of characteristics for treating combined transport and dispersion, the method applies equally well to any number of dimensions and, in contrast with other numerical procedures, properly takes into account the physical dispersion, no matter how small. Extensive tests show that accurate solutions of one-dimensional problems can be obtained over a wide range of values of the dispersion coefficient, including zero. They also show that the moving points do not need to be uniformly spaced, and that increasing the number of moving points beyond 2/grid interval does not significantly improve the accuracy of the solution. Two-dimmsional calculations using the new method were carried out to simulate laboratory model displacements in which gravity caused overriding of solvent. Good agreement between observed and computed profiles and measured and computed concentrations of produced fluid was obtained for a viscosity ratio of 1.89; at higher viscosity ratios, fair agreement was obtained Computed results were found to be significantly affected by vertical dispersion, and negligibly affected by dispersion in the direction of flow, in agreement with conclusions based on experimental observations. INTRODUCTION Although miscible displacement processes are potentially of great economic significance, limited progress has been made in developing mathematical methods for predicting the outcome of a solvent flood. Because of the complexity of the partial differential equations which describe multidimensional miscible displacement, numerical methods are a natural approach to their solution. The task of finding suitable numerical approximations to one of the partial differential equations, which involves both dispersion and convective transport, has been particularly difficult. Dispersion in the absence of transport is described by the heat flow equation, a second-order equation of parabolic type. This equation has been very successfully treated by numerical methods. Transport in the absence of dispersion is described by a first-order equation of hyperbolic type. This equation has been treated numerically with some success in one dimension, both by Lagrangian and Eulerian techniques, 1.2 but extension to two or more dimensions has not been satisfactorily accomplished. Usually one of two things happens: either the numerical solution develops oscillations or it becomes smeared by artificial dispersion resulting from the numerical process. When transport and dispersion are considered simultaneously, this numerical dispersion may dominate the low physical dispersivicy that generally characterizes miscible displacement. Stone and Brian2 have developed a new difference equation for treating combined transport and dispersion in one dimension. By suitable choice of certain parameters, they succeeded in markedly reducing both oscillation and numerical dispersion. However, a satisfactory extension to higher dimensions has not yet been found. Peaceman and Rachford3 presented a centered-in-time and centered-in-distance difference equation combined with a 1,transfer of overshoot" procedure which was demonstrated to work well in one dimension. The technique was applied to the two-dimensional miscible displacement problem, but subsequent calculations with zero dispersivity showed little change in results compared with the calculations they presented. This indicates that their method involved a numerical dispersion of the same order as the physical dispersion. The present paper describes an alternate method for solving the combined transport-dispersion

Jan 1, 1965

By J. A. Herbst

During the last decade it has been established that conventional mineral-processing control strategies based on classical control theory result in significant increases in plant throughput and operating-cost savings. It has, however, also been recognized that conventional strategies have important limitations for complex multivariable mineral-processing systems. These limitations center around the fact that single-input/single- output control linkings often result in highly undesirable interactions between controllers. During the last few years new and promising approaches to solving this problem have emerged. These approaches are based on the use of on-line dynamic models to make predictions which are useful for control decision-making. This paper presents a brief summary of the state-of-the-art for mineral-processing control in 1984. This summary is followed by a review of recent developments in model-based control strategies including those in optimal control, self- tuning regulators and decoupling control. Expected trends for the future in the control of mineral-processing operations are discussed.

Jan 1, 1984

By S. B. Christy

The fact that many millions of gold have been extracted by the cyanide process, during the last five or six years, from South African tailings which could not be profitably worked by any other method previously tried upon them, lends a peculiar practical interest to this branch' of metallurgy. Numerous writers have recently made valuable contributions on the process without exhausting the many complexities of the subject. Among the first American writers on the subject in its modern aspect were two former students of the University of California, Mr. Louis Janin, Jr., and Mr. Charles Butters. Young Janin was one of the first to enter this field, and performed much useful experimental work in the early stages of the history of the process. At about the same time, Mr. Charles Butters, who had left California to erect chlorination works for the Robinson mine at Johannesburg, became interested in the cyanide process, and, after getting the chlorination plant in working order, put up, for working the tailings from the Robinson mine, a cyanide plant which achieved the first large-scale success ever made with this process. The papers which Charles Butters, together with John E. Clennell and Edgar Smart, have contributed on the chemistry of the process, were among the first to give any adequate idea of its nature.* Another important contribution to the literature of the subject is the paper of Dr. A. Scheidell, published in 1894 as a " Bulletin of the California State Mining Bureau." This contains an admirable summary of the state of the art at the time of its publication.

Jan 1, 1897

By Sanford Belden

My topic, Recent Developments in the Design of Electric Mine Locomotives and Mining Machinery, does not require me to go into a general review of electricity as applied to the mining industry. Interesting as that subject always is, what I might say in regard to it, by way of introduction, would be unnecessary use of your time, since such facts are familiar to all. First, we will consider the recent development of the electric mine locomotive. We may well pause for a moment to reflect upon its importance to the coal-mining industry of to-day. With the dawn of the electrical age its advent was inevitable. Our practical interest is aroused not so much by the first crude effort as by the great efficiency attained during the 30 or more years since the electric locomotive made its first appearance. To judge accurately what it means to coal mining, and through coal mining to the industrial field at large, we would have to know how many of these locomotives are in use throughout the country and their aggregate daily performance, and then compare the results with what could be expected with other forms of power. Such data are lacking, but it requires no statistician to make it evident that the electric mining machine is a tremendous factor in modern progress, and that without it the work of the world could never have reached its present magnitude. Not only has the electric mine locomotive served its own special branch of usefulness, but incidentally it has solved in the main the whole problem of electric transportation. It is but a step from the triumph of a 25-ton locomotive leading a long train of loaded coal cars from a mine to the electrification of common carriers. We may or may not be near any great change in this respect. Economical reasons may hold it back for an indefinite period. But the fact remains that in the development of our mine locomotives we have met this larger emergency, in mechanical type and efficiency, whenever it may come.

Jan 6, 1914