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By AIME AIME

Change of Meeting from Birmingham to Chattanooga. In consequence of the disturbed conditions attending a long¬continued labor strike in Alabama, the meeting of the Institute was changed from Birmingham, Ala., to Chattanooga, Tenn., where it will. begin on Thursday evening, Oct. 1, 1908. Information. of this change bad been sent to the newspapers through the Associated Press, and by circular to all members, when news was received of the sudden and unexpected termination of the strike referred to. It was, unfortunately, too late to change once more the arrangements for the meeting. But it is hoped that the cordial invitation of the citizens of ,Birmingham may be renewed and accepted at a future time, not too remote. Office Facilities for Visiting Members. A separate room in the suite occupied by the American Institute of Mining Engineers on the ninth floor of the United Engineering Society Building, has been equipped with furniture and telephone extension for the temporary use of members of the Institute or of sister societies, or visitors suitably accredited. Members of the Institute visiting New York for a short time, who need office facilities during their stay, or members residing in the city. who need temporary office accommodation, can arrange to have set apart for their exclusive use a room, equipped with office furniture, telephone, etc.,. in the suite of the Institute. It is not the intention to give possession of the room to any individual for an indefinite time, but to offer to members of the Institute an opportunity to acquire a well-located, well-equipped business headquarters to carry on transactions which

Jan 9, 1908

By Peter K. Strangway

During 1973, a 20,000 net ton (18 100 metric ton) formcoke test was carried out at Inland's 26.5-foot (8.08-meter) hearth diameter on NO. 5 Blast Furnace. The formcoke briquettes were produced from Elko1 coal by FMC at their pilot plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The briquettes were shipped to Inland in open railroad cars and most of them were placed in an outside storage field until a sufficient amount was available for the actual blast furnace test. The test consisted of three phases: an initial four-week base period; the actual 33-day formcoke test period; and a final three-week post-test base period. During the formcoke test period, the regular coke skip loads were gradually replaced with skips of formcoke until, after a three-week period, the replacement ratio reached 80%. The furnace operated smoothly and quality hot metal was produced. The burden remained permeable and it was possible to maintain wind rates 9 of over 100,000 scfm (47 Nm3/s) without significant blast pressure increases. Dusting from the formcoke was not a problem either in the stockhouse or in the top gas. The formcoke briquettes maintained their original shape and density as they descended through the furnace. When the 80 percent replacement level had been reached, the inwall temperatures became higher than normal (about 2000 ºF (1090 ºC)) and followed an unusual steady pattern. In addition, the top gas temperature became higher than normal, and the hot metal analyses and temperatures began to fluctuate unacceptably. In general, it is felt that the high inwall temperatures were a result of channeling of the hot furnace gases along the stack walls. This channeling appears to have been promoted by a change in distribution of the burden in the top of the furnace which, undoubtedly, was caused by the increased increments of formcoke. Since it was felt to be unsafe to operate the furnace for an extended period of time with the inwall temperatures at the high level, a decision was made to remove the formcoke from the furnace. When this was done, the inwall temperatures returned to normal. Once the inwall temperatures had returned to normal, the remaining 3,800 net tons (3450 metric tons) of formcoke were used in the furnace at a nominal 40% replacement level for five continuous days. The furnace operated smoothly during this period, and the results were representative of satisfactory furnace operation with partial replacement of regular coke with formcoke. The test was successful in proving that formcoke can replace up to about 50% of the regular coke in a large furnace operating at high wind rates. However, additional work will be required to develop acceptable charging practices for using higher levels of formcoke replacement.

Jan 1, 1977

By Bernard MacDonald

Introduction. OF the treatment of the slime-pulp of gold- and silver-ores by cyanidation, agitation is an essential part. When prepared for treatment, this pulp, consisting of ore reduced to such fineness that approximately 80 per cent. of it will pass through a 200-mesh screen, is mixed with a certain proportion of water, carrying in solution the quantity of cyanide (KCN) and other chemicals required. The water-constituent of the pulp thus prepared usually ranges from 1 to 2 parts by weight to 1 of the dry ore. Thus constituted', the pulp is charged into treatment-tanks, the shape and capacity of which vary, according to the quantity of pulp to be treated daily and the method of agitation to be employed. Tanks have no other function in a cyanide-plant than that of being economical and convenient containers or receptacles for holding the pulp, solution, or water used in the operations. It is by agitation that the solids in the pulp charged into the tanks are kept in suspension in, and mixed with, the solution in the proper proportions required for the treatment. If the proper mixture of solution to solids be determined to be 2 to 1 by weight (which is, approximately, 5 to 1 by volume), this proportion should be maintained in every part of the charge ; -that is, each solid particle of the pulp, whether it be of 180- or 400-mesh size, should, be surrounded by five times its own volume of solution throughout the whole period of treatment. The reason is, that the amount of chemicals ascertained to be necessary for dissolving the gold and silver contained in the solids, is held in uniform solution in the water-constituent of the pulp, and, therefore, the determined proportions of solution and solids must be maintained at all times during treat-

Apr 1, 1912

By Carl Zapffe

THE object of the Bradley process is to free manganese oxide from its associated gangue and separate the contained iron oxide by dissolving the manganese and precipitating it from the solution. 'The fundamental features of the process are : making. both 1 a manganese ore and an iron ore; effecting a separation of manganese .and. iron by means of selective roasting; leaching- the manganese from the roasted ore by using ' ammonium sulfate; precipitating the manganese by using the ammonia gas generated during leaching; fixing the precipitate by oxidizing with air; breaking down and reforming the ammonium sulfate, so that daily very little additional ammonium sulfate beyond that originally charged into the system is required; washing the manganese precipitate and the iron-silica residue and evaporating the liquor to conserve the dissolved salts in the moistures of these two products and 'to reduce the sulfur content,; drying the precipitates; magnetic wet-concentration of the iron-silica residue; sinteriny the manganese-and .the' iron-concentrates.

Jan 1, 1929

By George Krauss, M. Cohen

The reverse martensitic transfomzation (i.e., the conversion of martensite to austenite on heating) was investigated in Fe-Ni alloys containing 30.5 to 33.5 wt pct Ni. The reversed austenite was found to be sufficiently distorted to exhibit marked differences in mechanical properties and to undergo recovery and re crystallization on further heating. In particular, the yield strength of the reversed austenite was as much as 2.5 times higher than that of the virgin austenite: with five cycles of the direct and reverse martensitic transformation, the yield strength was 2.6 times higher. There was an accompanying decrease in strain-hardening capacity and in stable ductility or uniform elongation. The recrystallization was observed to follow sigmoidal kinetics, but was characterized by an abnormal1y large temperature dependence which was evidently due to carbon segregation at the migrating grain boundaries. Upon recrystallization, the strength Properties reverted to those of the virgin austenite, but the ductility did not fully recover until the annealing temperature was further raised to dissipate the carbon segregation at the grain boundaries. The transformation of reversed austenite to produce second-generation martensite resulted in an unusually imperfect structure, thereby leaditg to additional strengthening. Horlleuer, the martensitic phase was much less responsive in this respect than was the austenite. MOST martensitic transformations are capable of undergoing a reverse transformation back to the austenitic phase on heating.&apos; This reaction, like the direct transformation to martensite on cooling, is usually athermal. In analogy with the Ms andMf temperatures for the martensitic transformation (where M, > Mf), the reverse transformation is characterized by the As andAf temperatures (where As<Af). It is well-known that the finish (Af) of the martensite-to-austenite reaction on heating may occur at a temperature where austenite is not stable relative to other phases in the equilibrium diagram.&apos; Reverse martensitic transformations have been found to influence the properties of the parent austenitic phase in a number of ferrous alloys. The austenite thus produced after one or more reversals is significantly altered in strength, microstruc-ture, diffusivity, and annealing characteristics compared to well-annealed, virgin austenite. The first detailed observations of such phenomena were made by Wasserman3 on an Fe-30 wt pct alloy. He found that the reversed austenite (i.e., austenite formed by the reverse martensitic transformation) was much stronger than the original austenite, and the second-generation martensite (i.e., martensite produced from the reversed austenite) was somewhat stronger than the first-generation martensite. On heating the reversed austenite, recrystallization occurred in a manner similar to that of a cold-worked metal; the Laue spots sharpened and the strength decreased.4 In recent years, Russian workers have shown considerable interest in these reverse martensitic transformations. Most of such investigations5-10 have been concerned with the stabilization of reversed austenite relative to subsequent martensitic transformation, and because of its unusual nature, this phenomenon will be discussed in detail elsewhere." On the other hand, the annealing behavior of reversed austenite and the attendant variation in properties have received little attention beyond the experiments of Wasserman.3,4 Gridnev eta1.,8 in one of the few such studies. followed the hardness change of reversed austenite as a function of time at three annealing temperatures. The marked strengthening of austenite achieved by the reverse martensitic transformation has been referred to as "transformation strengthening" by Wasserman3,4 and as "phase hardening" by Malyshev et a1.7,9,10 to differentiate it from hardening produced by cold working. Both groups of investigators noted that further strengthening of the austenite could be attained by repeated or cyclic transformations, but the first cycle resulted in the most pronounced effect. Evidence of the altered microstructure of reversed austenite has been reported by Maximova and Nikonorova6 and by Edmonson and KO.12 The former found that reversed austenite was much more sensitive to etching than the original austenite, and the latter authors observed a (&apos;ghost" structure resembling martensite in certain areas of the reversed austenite. Enhancement of the self-diffusion rate in reversed

Jan 1, 1962

By G. M. Lee

SEVERAL improvements have been made in Granby smelting practice since the company abandoned the direct smelting of raw ore in the blast furnaces in June, 1927, in favor of sintered concentrate. These improvements have been made in several fields, but the most novel and outstanding change was the development of a process of concentrating most of the gold, and a somewhat smaller fraction of the silver present, in a small portion of the blister copper produced. The practice of making "copper bottoms" is usually associated with the reverberatory smelting of copper ores containing high percentages of impurities, or of copper matte high in precious metals. It has for its object, in the one case, the production of a major part of the copper relatively free from impurities and, in the other case, the production of a small per¬centage of the copper carrying the major part of the precious metals. Although the blister copper produced at the Anyox plant of the Granby company is remarkably free from deleterious impurities and normally contains no great amount of precious metals, certain economic considerations made it advisable to concentrate the existing precious metals into a relatively small percentage of the blister copper produced. The process devised took advantage of principles and reactions of the usual bottoms processes, but was carried out in the converters instead of in a reverberatory furnace.

Jan 1, 1935

By AIME AIME

THE program of government drilling, conducted jointly by the U. S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Mines, has demonstrated the presence in Texas and New Mexico of potash-bearing beds of considerable importance. Information regarding the ex- tent and location of the potash deposits as presented at the non-metallic sessions was of great interest to many engineers. These subjects will be covered in greater detail in later paragraphs. The first session, with about 50 in attendance, convened at 10 a.m. on Feb. 18, with Oliver Bowles, chair- man of the Committee on Non-Metallic Minerals, pre- siding. The first paper was on "Soapstone Mining In Virginia," presented by C. W. Ryan of Lynchburg, Va. The nature and extent of the soapstone deposits of Nelson County were described in some detail. In origin, the soapstone is undoubtedly related to a basic peridotite rock though its mode of formation is some- what uncertain. This main soapstone deposit occurs in three veins, the western, middle, and eastern, the middle vein being of greatest economic importance. Methods of stripping, quarrying and milling the rock were described and the uses of soapstone were enum- erated. In discussing this paper, C. P. Berkey, of Co- lumbia University strongly favored the theory of igneous origin of the soapstone and the need for further detailed geological study. J. L. Gillson of Cambridge, Mass., stated that the Vermont and New York talc deposits were always associated with characteristic minerals, such as, a chlorite of one particular variety, siderite, amphibole, magnetite, and biotite. C. H. Behre of Cincinnati, Ohio, raised the question of parallelism in the soapstone structure and Mr. Ryan stated that such parallelism was in evidence in some parts of the deposits. H. A. Wheeler of St. Louis, Mo., also took &apos;part in the discussion.

Jan 1, 1929

By L. R. Smith

BUTANE OPERATED drilling rigs are a recent innovation in the petroleum industry, so extensive data on their operation are not available. However, experience indicates that, within limitations, as much can he accomplished with butane as with steam, at a decided reduction .in expense of installation and cost of operation. Commercial butane is a liquid motor fuel similar to gasoline, but much more volatile, so that it has to be stored under pressure. At 10° F. it is liquid at atmospheric pressure, but at 100° it has a pressure of 70 lb. or more. As soon as the pressure is reduced, it turns to vapor and in that state is far more easily mixed with the air necessary for combustion. Butane occurs as a by-product in the absorption process of natural gasoline extraction from casing-head gas. The product has been used to some extent 10 raise the octane value of gasoline. However, because of its volatile nature, such admixture is stable only to a limited degree. Attempts also have been made to introduce the product in a gaseous form into oil- hearing formations in repressuring work. It has, however, until recently, for the most part been wasted.

Jan 1, 1937

By Anthony Lucas

THE discovery of oil in 1901 on the Spindletop dome, Texas, inaugurated a new industry on the Gulf Coast, an industry which has grown with the discovery of successive fields, until today it engages the services of thousands of workers and employs enormous capital. New fields are being discovered from time to time and doubtless some still remain to be found, though of late years discoveries have become more infrequent. Nowadays several hundred dry holes are drilled each year in a fruitless and blind effort to discover new fields, for as yet geologic science has developed no effectual method of locating the coastal oil deposits in advance of drilling. Moreover, despite the occasional discovery of new fields, the total production of the Gulf Coast is today no greater than it was in 1906, for the added production of the new fields has been offset by the rapid decline and more or less complete exhaustion of some of the older ones. Careful geologic work within the fields has in some cases increased the production temporarily, but has developed no really new supplies. The Gulf Coast oil industry seems to have passed its period of greatest expansion and to be declining at a fairly steady rate, and this condition is naturally viewed with alarm by the more farsighted operators. In my opinion, the time has come for the adoption of radical and aggressive methods of prospecting, and a fraction of the money wasted yearly in drilling shallow wells in hopeless locations might well be devoted to this purpose. Many facts lead me to believe that all the salt-dome oil has had a common origin; that it has migrated up from considerable

Jan 7, 1918

By Scott Tzcrner

WITHIN recent years people have begun to realize the importance and significance of the mining and allied industries. The leading part the engineer plays in civilization is becoming recognized. However accurate quantitative knowledge of the industrial importance of mining is still seldom possessed except by those close to this business. It is true that there are a few who go to the extreme and represent the whole progress of civilization as a reflection of man&apos;s gradual mastery of mineral utilization, but on the whole, the magnitude of the-industry is underestimated. In this paper I shall call attention briefly to the importance of mining in the United States, in Canada, and in the world. Ordinarily, the annual primary mineral production of the United States is about $5,500,000,000. The average for the last 5 years has been a little over that, but last year, sadly enough, it was less than 31/4 billion. Just now, we are on the decline, and have been for the last two years. In Canada, the 5-year average was about $268,000,000, and last year it was 227 million. Due in part to gold mines (in 1930, for the first time, Canada&apos;s gold production exceeded that of the United States), the Canadian average is holding up better than ours. Average world mineral production over the last -5 years has been estimated at about $12,000,000;000 whereas in 1931 it was less than than 8 billion.

Jan 1, 1932

By F. G. Miller, E. B. Wilson

In 1972, coal mine productivity was in steady decline and labor and maintenance costs were spiralling upward. Yet, despite this sad state of affairs, nowhere in the US at that time was there a comprehensive and coordinated coal research and development plan in the offing. The Bureau of Mines had not yet been charged with such a responsibility, and industry was content to rely on machinery manufacturers for innovations. It was during this period that Bethlehem Steel Corp. determined that a new approach to coal mining research was needed for the industry as well as for the company itself. After studying Bethlehem&apos;s own mining practices, the state-of-the-art of mining research elsewhere, and development work by manufacturers, a comprehensive research package was presented to company management in late 1972. The ideas and experience of many operating and management personnel in the company contributed to the formulation of the final plan as approved.

Jan 10, 1976

By N. S. Wagner, R. S. Mason

The production of lightweight aggregates in Oregon is a new industry, and, like all new enterprises, it is suffering from growing pains characterized by numerous, small operations some of which flourish for a short time and then cease altogether. Norinally all industrial mineral products are produced in a highly competitive atmosphere. At the present time this condition does not exist to a very marked degree in the state because as yet producers have not saturated the constantly expanding market. This paper has been prepared with the intention of outlining very briefly the current status of the various products now heing used as lightweight aggregates in Oregon. The present piche will surely change, perhaps quite radically within even a short space of time. Lightweight Aggregates Used in the Northwest PUMICE Interest in Oregon pumice is not new. Deposits are abundant. Successful development, however, dates only from 1946. During 1948 a total of nine operations was engaged in full or part-time production of aggregate. The postwar building boom and increased public consciousness regarding the value of insulation are the immediate reasons behind the current development. Just how firmly this production of pumice aggregate may be established is something which cannot be foretold at the present time. Much will depend upon how successfully the pumice aggregate construction already installed stands the test of time. Some fine pumice aggregate products have been made and it seems probable that because of its unique properties a certain demand for pumice aggregate will continue in the future. Fire-proof, rodent-proof, decay-resistant properties supplement the lightness in weight and insulation properties of pumice aggregate products in rendering them particularly ideal for many types of construction. In addition there has been fabrication in the form of reinforced fence posts, street markers, and similar products of a specialized-product nature and these are not to be overlooked in terms of future production. Also pertinent to how soundlj pumice aggregate production is established will be possible future competition with other lightweight aggregates. However, this situation will be governed largely by competitive costs of production and marketing. For its present use, which is almost exclusively limited to the manufacturing of building blocks, the market for Oregon pumice aggregate has been extended from the mining area around Rend and Chemult to points as far distant as San Francisco and Seattle. Naturally enough the bulk of the production goes to the Portland and eastern Oregon consumers. Shipments are made by both rail and truck. Early in 1947 the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries made a canvass of all pumice producers in the state. The production for 1956 amounted to 26,614 cu yd and was valued at $13,649 at the plants. The United States Bureau of Mines estimates the production for 1947 as 33,240 short tons valued at $111,380. This is roughly 65,000 cu yd. No data are available for the 1948 production but it is understood to exceed that for 1947. The Oregon pumice occurrences originated largely from the eruption of Mount Mazama, the name of the formerly active volcano and the location of Crater Lake. Other lesser volcanoes throughout the area contributed to the present occurrences, however, and it has been estimated by Moore&apos; that the pumice deposits cover an area of some 3500 square miles. This area lies east of Crater Lake between Bend and Klamath Falls and embraces the southern portion of Deschutes County, the northern part of Klamath County, and the northwest corner of Lake County. Thickness of the pumice ranges from thin skims to local thicknesses of as much as 30 to 40 ft. Fragment size also varies greatly. Any attempt to describe the situation by giving screen analyses would be confusing because of the wide variations to be found in all area of this size. The picture can best be summed up by stating that places showing great variations in fragment size can be found if a search for extremes is made. For mining purposes in connection with aggregate production, it call be stated that miles and miles of pumice exist in which the fragrnent sizes range from an inch or so downward. The usual color of the pumice is a light gray to off-white. A typical pumice analysis shows a silica content of about 69 pct, alumina 15 pct, and sodium oxide about 5 pct. Potash, lime, and water are the next three most abundant constituents, running just a little over 2 pct each. Iron oxides are fairly constant at 2.75 pct. Titanium, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus occur in amounts of less than 1 pct. All of the foregoing substances are combined as a glass exhibiting cellular structure. The weight of crushed but otherwise pit-run (undried) pumice runs around 1100 Ib per cu yd according to figures furnished by various producers. The minimum and maximum weights per cubic yard reported are 1050 and 1400 lb, respectively. The 1400 lb per cu yd pumice contrasts with the pumice from most of the other

Jan 1, 1950

By James Norman, O. C. Ralston, John Dasher

MOST mineral products are used in the finely divided state, but some are sold in larger sizes. Coal, gravel, metallurgical fluorspar, phosphate rock, hematite, chromite, and other products are sold in sizes coarser than can be treated by many mineral-dressing methods. Gravity separation of coarser sizes by log washing and jigging is probably as ancient as any process now in use. The performance of jigs on a feed with sufficient difference in density of the minerals is excellent, but many families of minerals are too similar in density to be separated effectively by this method. The use of heavy suspensions of fine solids to separate coarse coal from bone and slate has been in use for some years. This separation by sink-and-float was limited until recently to light minerals. Development of galena and ferrosilicon as suspension media, by Minerals Beneficiation, Inc., at Mascot, Tenn., Pitcher, Okla., and Crosby, Minn., under patents granted during and since 1938, has permitted excellent results to be obtained on minerals of very similar densities up to 3.3. This process has been put in the hands of American Cyanamid Co. for exploitation, and further research now in progress may increase the density of suspension obtainable so that separation, at a density of 4,0 may be practicable before this is published. The Huntington-Heberlein dense-medium process, developed in England, is also being commercialized in the United States by Sink and Float Corporation. Du Pont has developed a sink-and-float separation using halogenated hydrocarbons as parting liquids; at this writing, the method is used commercially only on coal but has been successful in the pilot plant on many other minerals using tetrabromethane at densities up to 2.95. While these processes were being developed to extend the range of separation by difference in density to the coarser sizes, the Bureau of Mines was engaged in developing a process that will extend the range of separation by difference in wettability up to 2-in, size. War work has pushed aside its further development indefinitely. The results are published here with the hope that some use may be suggested that will justify post-war development, and so that readers that may be able to make immediate use of the scheme may have the information. EARLIER WORK It has been known since the time of Herodotus (B.C. 484(?)-425) that water-repellent particles will adhere to sticky surfaces. That early historian reports the

Jan 1, 1942

By James Norman, O. C. Ralston, John Dasher

Most mineral products are used in the finely divided state, but some are sold in larger sizes. Coal, gravel, metallurgical fluorspar, phosphate rock, hematite, chro-mite, and other products are sold in sizes coarser than can be treated by many mineral-dressing methods. Gravity separation of coarser sizes by log washing and jigging is probably as ancient as any process now in use. The performance of jigs on a feed with sufficient difference in density of the minerals is excellent, but many families of minerals are too similar in density to be separated effectively by this method. The use of heavy suspensions of fine solids to separate coarse coal from bone and slate has been in use for some years. This separation by sink-and-float was limited until recently to light minerals. Development of galena and ferrosilicon as suspension media, by Minerals Beneficia-tion, Inc., at Mascot, Tenn., Pitcher, Okla., and Crosby, Minn., under patents granted during and since 1938, has permitted excellent results to be obtained on minerals of very similar densities up to 3.3. This process has been put In the hands of American Cyanamid Co. for exploitation, and further research now in progress may increase the density of suspension obtainable so that separations at a density of 4.0 may be practicable before this is published. The Huntington-Heberlein dense-medium process, developed in England, is also being commercialized in the United States by Sink and Float Corporation. Du Pont has developed a sink-and-float separation using halogenated hydrocarbons as parting liquids; at this writing, the method is used commercially only on coal but has been successful in the pilot plant on many other minerals using tetrabrom-ethane at densities up to 2.95. While these processes were being developed to extend the range of separation by difference in density to the coarser sizes, the Bureau of Mines was engaged in developing a process that will extend the range of separation by difference in wettability up to 2-in. size. War work has pushed aside its further development indefinitely. The results are published here with the hope that some use may be suggested that will justify post-war development, and so that readers that may be able to make immediate use of the scheme may have the information. Earlier Work It has been known since the time of Herodotus (B.C. 484(?)-425) that water-repellent particles will adhere to sticky surfaces. That early historian reports the recovery of gold from the mud of a lake

Jan 1, 1943

By James Norman, O. C. Ralston, John Dasher

MOST mineral products are used in the finely divided state, but some are sold in larger sizes. Coal, gravel, metallurgical fluorspar, phosphate rock, hematite, chromite, and other products are sold in sizes coarser than can be treated by many mineral-dressing methods. Gravity separation of coarser sizes by log washing and jigging is probably as ancient as any process now in use. The performance of jigs on a feed with sufficient difference in density of the minerals is excellent, but many families of minerals are too similar in density to be separated effectively by this method. The use of heavy suspensions of fine solids to separate coarse coal from bone and slate has been in use for some years. This separation by sink-and-float was limited until recently to light minerals. Development of galena and ferrosilicon as suspension media, by Minerals Beneficiation, Inc., at Mascot, Tenn., Pitcher, Okla., and Crosby, Minn., under patents granted during and since 1938, has permitted excellent results to be obtained on minerals of very similar densities up to 3.3. This process has been put in the hands of American Cyanamid Co. for exploitation, and further research now in progress may increase the density of suspension obtainable so that separations at a density of 4.0 may be practicable before this is published. The Huntington-Heberlein dense-medium process, developed in England, is also being commercialized in the United States by Sink and Float Corporation. Du Pont has developed a sink-and-float separation using halogenated hydrocarbons as parting liquids; at this writing, the method is used commercially only on coal but has been successful in the pilot plant on many other minerals using tetrabromethane at densities up to 2.95. While these processes were being developed to extend the range of separation by difference in density to the coarser sizes, the Bureau of Mines was engaged in developing a process that will extend the range of separation by difference in wettability up to 2-in. size. War work has pushed aside its further development indefinitely. The results are published here with the hope that some use may be suggested that will justify post-war development, and so that readers that may be able to make immediate use of the scheme may have the information. EARLIER WORK It has been known since the time of Herodotus (B.C. 484(?)-425) that water-repellent particles will adhere to sticky surfaces. That early historian reports the

Jan 1, 1942

By James Norman, O. C. Ralston, John Dasher

Most mineral products are used in the finely divided state, but some are sold in larger sizes. Coal, gravel, metallurgical fluorspar, phosphate rock, hematite, chro-mite, and other products are sold in sizes coarser than can be treated by many mineral-dressing methods. Gravity separation of coarser sizes by log washing and jigging is probably as ancient as any process now in use. The performance of jigs on a feed with sufficient difference in density of the minerals is excellent, but many families of minerals are too similar in density to be separated effectively by this method. The use of heavy suspensions of fine solids to separate coarse coal from bone and slate has been in use for some years. This separation by sink-and-float was limited until recently to light minerals. Development of galena and ferrosilicon as suspension media, by Minerals Beneficia-tion, Inc., at Mascot, Tenn., Pitcher, Okla., and Crosby, Minn., under patents granted during and since 1938, has permitted excellent results to be obtained on minerals of very similar densities up to 3.3. This process has been put In the hands of American Cyanamid Co. for exploitation, and further research now in progress may increase the density of suspension obtainable so that separations at a density of 4.0 may be practicable before this is published. The Huntington-Heberlein dense-medium process, developed in England, is also being commercialized in the United States by Sink and Float Corporation. Du Pont has developed a sink-and-float separation using halogenated hydrocarbons as parting liquids; at this writing, the method is used commercially only on coal but has been successful in the pilot plant on many other minerals using tetrabrom-ethane at densities up to 2.95. While these processes were being developed to extend the range of separation by difference in density to the coarser sizes, the Bureau of Mines was engaged in developing a process that will extend the range of separation by difference in wettability up to 2-in. size. War work has pushed aside its further development indefinitely. The results are published here with the hope that some use may be suggested that will justify post-war development, and so that readers that may be able to make immediate use of the scheme may have the information. Earlier Work It has been known since the time of Herodotus (B.C. 484(?)-425) that water-repellent particles will adhere to sticky surfaces. That early historian reports the recovery of gold from the mud of a lake

Jan 1, 1943

Research and Development, once considered a luxury item only for well-heeled companies, has in the last two decades come into its own as a vital contributor to the fortunes of electronic, automotive, chemical and aerospace firms. In terms of money and talent poured into research, the mining industry is still far behind those industries. Although the U.S. Bureau of Mines, plus various mining and manufacturing firms and universities have made notable contributions to mining technology, the historical pattern of mining R&D shows a heavy reliance on the results of research in other industries. It is difficult to tell whether this pattern will change significantly in the future, but there is evidence of a growing awareness by mining officials that greater R&D efforts are going to be required not only to meet the nebulous demands of tomorrow&apos;s world but to meet the ever-present, mounting pressures being generated by "intra-metals" and "inter-materials" competition.

Jan 1, 1968

By C. O. Lee, R. H. Feierabend, Z. W. Bartlett

DESPITE the fact that American brimstone production has increased 2 times since the prewar period 1935-1939, the demand for sulphur exceeds the supply. To alleviate this situation efforts are being made to increase the production of sulphur and bring the shortage to an end. The most important developments are being undertaken on the Gulf Coast. One new brimstone mine has been put into operation and three others are being developed. These projects are expected to account for a large part of the additional sulphur production now anticipated for the free world.&apos;.&apos; Except for a small amount of byproduct sulphur from sour natural gas and refinery gases, American brimstone is produced by the same process devised by Frasch 60 years ago, consisting essentially of the injection of superheated water at about 325°F into sulphur-bearing formations through wells which are drilled from the surface by standard oilfield methods. Sulphur deposits vary in depth from a few hundred feet to 2500 ft from the surface; in a typical deposit the sulphur occurs as crystalline aggregates in porous limestone and gypsum in concentrations varying from 5 to 40 pct, the thickness of the formation ranging from a few feet to several hundred.3 The deposits are usually surrounded by formations impermeable to the flow of hot water, the top and sides being enclosed by impermeable sediments and the bottom by dense impermeable anhydrite. As the hot water leaves the well bore, it percolates through the formation and transmits its heat to the rock and sulphur. When the sulphur reaches 240°F it melts, separates from the rock, and flows through the hot channels downward to the bottom of the well. Here it is freed from incoming water and from formation water, which saturates the porous rock, by gravity separation, liquid sulphur being 1.8 times as heavy as water. It then is pumped to the surface in a relatively pure state, 99.5 pct or better. Chief contaminants are organic impurities, such as petroleum residues, which are soluble in sulphur and tend to discolor it.&apos; Sixteen deposits of commercial magnitude have been discovered in the Gulf Coast area. Five of these deposits have been depleted and abandoned with production totalling more than 26,886,000 tons. Eight properties are operating and have produced 65,875,-000 tons to Jan. 1, 1952, for a total Frasch-type production of 92,761,000 tons. Three new deposits are under development. Aforementioned deposits are listed in Table I. Each of these deposits has been found in the cap-rock overlying shallow intrusive salt plugs or domes and buried in several hundred to as much as 2500 ft of sediments. All salt domes do .not contain sulphur; only 16 sulphur deposits have been found in a total of 231 salt domes which are known to exist in the Gulf Coastal states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Ten of the salt domes lie in the Gulf of Mexico offshore from the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Additional offshore domes may be found, but their value as a sulphur potential is questionable owing to the great hazard and high cost that can be visualized at these exposed locations where depths of water reach 50 ft. Marsh operations of Freeport Sulphur Co. are in the southeast section of Louisiana. In general, the country is low, flat, relatively uninhabited marshland broken by many shallow lakes and bayous which extend for irregular distances inland. Geologically, the coastal area is of sedimentary origin, having been built up gradually under the sea by deposition of material carried down by large streams to their deltas. Offshore bars were formed enclosing

Jan 1, 1953

By C. O. Lee, Z. W. Bartlett, R. H. Feierabend

DESPITE the fact that American brimstone production has increased 2 times since the prewar period 1935-1939, the demand for sulphur exceeds the supply. To alleviate this situation efforts are being made to increase the production of sulphur and bring the shortage to an end. The most important developments are being undertaken on the Gulf Coast. One new brimstone mine has been put into operation and three others are being developed. These projects are expected to account for a large part of the additional sulphur production now anticipated for the free world.&apos;.&apos; Except for a small amount of byproduct sulphur from sour natural gas and refinery gases, American brimstone is produced by the same process devised by Frasch 60 years ago, consisting essentially of the injection of superheated water at about 325°F into sulphur-bearing formations through wells which are drilled from the surface by standard oilfield methods. Sulphur deposits vary in depth from a few hundred feet to 2500 ft from the surface; in a typical deposit the sulphur occurs as crystalline aggregates in porous limestone and gypsum in concentrations varying from 5 to 40 pct, the thickness of the formation ranging from a few feet to several hundred.3 The deposits are usually surrounded by formations impermeable to the flow of hot water, the top and sides being enclosed by impermeable sediments and the bottom by dense impermeable anhydrite. As the hot water leaves the well bore, it percolates through the formation and transmits its heat to the rock and sulphur. When the sulphur reaches 240°F it melts, separates from the rock, and flows through the hot channels downward to the bottom of the well. Here it is freed from incoming water and from formation water, which saturates the porous rock, by gravity separation, liquid sulphur being 1.8 times as heavy as water. It then is pumped to the surface in a relatively pure state, 99.5 pct or better. Chief contaminants are organic impurities, such as petroleum residues, which are soluble in sulphur and tend to discolor it.&apos; Sixteen deposits of commercial magnitude have been discovered in the Gulf Coast area. Five of these deposits have been depleted and abandoned with production totalling more than 26,886,000 tons. Eight properties are operating and have produced 65,875,-000 tons to Jan. 1, 1952, for a total Frasch-type production of 92,761,000 tons. Three new deposits are under development. Aforementioned deposits are listed in Table I. Each of these deposits has been found in the cap-rock overlying shallow intrusive salt plugs or domes and buried in several hundred to as much as 2500 ft of sediments. All salt domes do .not contain sulphur; only 16 sulphur deposits have been found in a total of 231 salt domes which are known to exist in the Gulf Coastal states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Ten of the salt domes lie in the Gulf of Mexico offshore from the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Additional offshore domes may be found, but their value as a sulphur potential is questionable owing to the great hazard and high cost that can be visualized at these exposed locations where depths of water reach 50 ft. Marsh operations of Freeport Sulphur Co. are in the southeast section of Louisiana. In general, the country is low, flat, relatively uninhabited marshland broken by many shallow lakes and bayous which extend for irregular distances inland. Geologically, the coastal area is of sedimentary origin, having been built up gradually under the sea by deposition of material carried down by large streams to their deltas. Offshore bars were formed enclosing

Jan 1, 1953

By AIME AIME

THIS year the Chairman of the Institute&apos;s Iron and Steel Division is THIS William Anderson Haven, better known to the membership generally as Bill Haven. The Division Chairman is an individual endowed with a broad perspective of the ferrous metal industry he result of his earlier experiences as a successful operating man in the working and management of blast furnaces and his later experiences as an engineering-consulting executive concerned with the design and erection of and steel works throughout the world. William A. Haven was born to iron steel in the Pittsburgh district on ;. 1, 1888, and in due time--or in 1909 graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor degree in industrial chemistry.

Jan 1, 1944