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By Esau Arinaitwe

The most extensively used methods and approaches for characterizing and selecting frothers for plant application are based on measurements in clean water in the absence of solids and without consideration of physicochemical factors that are known to influence the properties and behavior of practical flotation froths, and hence metallurgical performance. These factors include aquatic chemistry, collectors, modifiers, particle shape and size, and pH. Understanding interactions between these factors and the role and relevance that they play in characterizing frothers and froth zone properties will greatly aid in the frother selection and evaluation process. Such an understanding will also greatly enhance the ability to create frother solutions that are sufficiently robust to plant variability (such as mineralogical, comminution, operational, physical and chemical). This paper reports results of a “systems approach” study designed to probe ways in which physicochemical factors a) influence frothing and bubble size in 2- and 3-phase systems, and b) confound correlation of fundamental measurements with flotation outcome. The concepts and insights gleaned from fundamental frother studies, together with empirical laboratory flotation tests and a thorough understanding of plant needs and challenges were used to develop and implement customized frother formulation at a Cu-Mo flotation plant. Plant metallurgical data and qualitative assessment of froth zone properties showed that a frother formulation developed using the approach described here provided marked improvements in froth characteristics (mineralization, mobility, stability, persistence). These improvements resulted in better circuit control and significant performance advantages, such as improved coarse particle recovery, without detrimental downstream effects. INTRODUCTION Successful recovery of value minerals of sufficient grade via the flotation process requires selective manipulation of the value minerals to render them hydrophobic using collectors and modifiers. The hydrophobized minerals then attach to air bubbles and the mineral-bubble aggregates are selectively transported through the froth zone into the launder. Frothers play a critical role in froth formation and more importantly in achieving and maintaining desirable froth characteristics (for example, stability, mobility, persistence) that are essential in facilitating the selective transport and recovery of value minerals. Fundamentally, frothers contribute to the transient stability of thin liquid films and so aid in reducing bubble coalescence rates in the pulp and froth zones, thus maintaining the small bubbles required for efficient bubble-particle attachment. Invariably, the action of frothers at the liquid/gas interface in the pulp and froth zones impacts bubble stability, water and solids transport to the froth, which in turn impacts froth mobility, froth carrying capacity, and the concentrate grade. Consequently, selection and evaluation of frothers for flotation plants requires careful consideration of the frother type, though the choice is limited to only two main classes of compounds in terms of fundamental chemistry (short chain alcohols and polyglycols). Even with the selection of what is thought to be the best frother for a given application, practical knowledge of the froth zone and experience in controlling its properties is essential for maximizing metallurgical performance.

Jan 1, 2019

By Ferit Gurses

Extensive coal and lignite deposits exist in Turkey. Bituminous coal is the nation's principal mineral resource; important not only as fuel for the industrial development of the country, but also as a means of obtaining foreign exchange. Of the electrical power generated during 1939, 82.8 per cent was derived from coal.' It is anticipated that the lignite deposits will be one of the major sources of power for the electrification of the country. Bituminous Coal The locations of the four principal bituminous-coal2 basins are indicated on Fig. 1. The Eregli-Zonguldak basin lies on the Black Sea northwest of Ankara; the Canakkale basin lies near the junction of the Dardannelles; the Trakya basin is in European Turkey northwest of the Bosphorus and the Erzurum basin lies far to the east. The Eregli-Zonguldak basin is the most important of the four. This coal basin was discovered in 1829 but did not arouse interest until 1848; up to 1865, its annual production had not exceeded 50,000 metric tons. In 1865, during the Sultanate, working of coal mines was started by the Navy department, and the annual production was 61,145 metric tons. In 1908, the Minister of Commerce and Agriculture was authorized to develop the whole coal basin. Production reached 264,397 metric tons in 1910, and during 1915-1922, preceding the revolution, the total produc- tion of the basin was' 2,676,043, or an average of 334,000 metric tons annually. The period of national revolution that followed was marked by a steady increase in coal production in Turkey, although world production decreased, because of the crisis of 1929-1932, about 52 per cent. ARea and Geology of the Coal Basin The geology of the Eregli-Zonguldak area is not yet completely known. The basin begins -at Gungazi, to the west of Eregli, and extends to Sogutozu, a distance of about 106 miles. The coal beds, however, appear only in places and the overlying Cretaceous strata hide them elsewhere. This area includes the most important centers, such as Kandilli, Alacaagzi, Teflenli, Kozlu, Gelik (see Fig. 2). The geological sequence of the district is correlated with the Cretaceous of the Balkans; which is, in turn, a prolongation of the Alpine zone. Geological surveys made by G. Ralli, R. Zeiller and P. Arni3 show that the Eregli-Zonguldak formations fall into three natural divisions. Series a, The Alacaagzi in the district of that name (Fig. 2), is of the Culm stage. The strata strike generally east-west and dip about 30" south. This series appears also around Kandilli and Camli, with a steeper angle of dip, but the deposits there lack regularity. The Alacaagzi stage appears also farther east, to the south of Kozlu and Gelik. The Alacaagzi series contains 15 seams of an average thickness of 2 ft. of good coal. Series b, the Kozlu, best represented in Zonguldak, Kilimli, Catalagzi, and between

Jan 1, 1944

By Ferit Gurses

EXTENSIVE coal and lignite deposits exist in Turkey. Bituminous coal is the nation's principal mineral resource; important not only as fuel for the industrial development of the country, but also as a means of obtaining foreign exchange. Of the electrical power generated during 1939, 82.8 per cent was derived from coal.1 It is anticipated that the lignite deposits will be one of the major sources of power for the electrification of the country. BITUMINOUS COAL The locations of the four principal bituminous-coal2 basins are indicated on Fig. 1. The Eregli-Zonguldak basin lies on the Black Sea northwest of Ankara; the Canakkale basin lies near the junction of the Dardannelles; the Trakya basin is in European Turkey northwest of the Bosphorus and the Erzurum basin lies far to the east. The Eregli-Zonguldak basin is the most important of the four. This coal basin was discovered in 1829 but did not arouse interest until 1848; up to 1865, its annual production had not exceeded 50,000 metric tons. In 1865, during the Sultanate, working of coal mines was started by the Navy department, and the annual production was 61,145 metric tons. In 1908, the Minister of Commerce and Agriculture was authorized to develop the whole coal basin. Production reached 264,397 metric tons in 1910, and during 1915-1922, preceding the revolution, the total production of the basin was 2,676,043, or an average of 334,000 metric tons annually. The period of national revolution that followed was marked by a steady increase in coal production in Turkey, although world production decreased, because of the crisis of 1929-1932, about 52 per cent. AREA AND GEOLOGY OF THE COAL BASIN The geology of the Eregli-Zonguldak area is not yet completely known. The basin begins at Gungazi, to the west of Eregli, and extends to Sogutozu, a distance of about 106 miles. The coal beds, however, appear only in places and the overlying Cretaceous strata hide them elsewhere. This area includes the most important centers, such as Kandilli, Alacaagzi, Teflenli, Kozlu, Gelik (see Fig. 2). The geological sequence of the district is correlated with the Cretaceous of the Balkans; which is, in turn, a prolongation of the Alpine zone. Geological surveys made by G. Ralli, R. Zeiller and P. Arni3 show that the Eregli-Zonguldak formations fall into three natural divisions. Series a, The Alacaagzi in the district of that name (Fig. 2), is of the Culm stage. The strata strike generally east-west and dip about 30° south. This series appears also around Kandilli and Camli, with a steeper angle of dip, but the deposits there lack regularity. The Alacaagzi stage appears also farther east, to the south of Kozlu and Gelik. The Alacaagzi series contains 15 seams of an average thickness of 2 ½ ft. of good coal. Series b, the Kozlu, best represented in Zonguldak, Kilimli, Catalagzi, and between

Jan 1, 1944

By R. G. Vardiman, M. R. Achter

THERE has been interest recently in the conditions under which dislocation pipe diffusion may be observed. In order to extend the measurements to temperatures below Tm/2, where pipe diffusion becomes more important, a chemical sectioning technique was developed for silver single crystals which makes possible the removal of layers of 100A or less. The procedure is briefly as follows. Silver single crystals of 99.995 pct purity were cut in the form of discs t by 4 in., electropolished, and electropolated with Ag110 to about 1000A thickness. The thickness was determined by calibrating the activity with the weight of heavier platings, up to 10,000A. Both diffused and undiffused samples were sectioned in a two-step process. Reaction with a solution of iodine in alcohol formed a thin, even layer of AgI, which was then dissolved in a KCN solution. The reaction rate of the iodine solution varied slightly over a period of time, so that the thickness of the stripped layers, while quite even and regular for a given specimen, ranged from 65 to l00W for different specimens. This variation was checked by using a thickly plated standard with each run. Layer thickness was determined from undiffused samples by the point where the layer activity drops to half the maximum. This maximum intensity also provides, with appropriate corrections, the initial concentration per layer co. Because of the small penetration distances, it is necessary to use the exact solution of Fick's law for a source of finite thickness.' For a plating of thick- where c is the concentration at depth x. flj the error function, D the apparent diffusion coefficient, and t the time. The diffusion coefficient was obtained from the concentration-penetration data by extrapolating to x = 0 where c/co = erf h/2(Dt)1/2 Enough points were taken to impart confidence in the accuracy of the intersection, generally about ten layers. Four temperatures were used as in Table I. For best accuracy, t and h were chosen to give values of the parameter (Dt)1/2/h between 1.0 and 1.7. A typical concentration-penetration curve is shown in Fig. 1. The diffusion coefficients calculated from Eq. [I] are plotted in Fig. 2. For comparison, the high-temperature data of Tomizuka and sonder 2 which go down to 630°C are plotted as the solid line 2(a) from their expression D = 0.40 exp (-44,090/RT). Also for comparison, the lowest temperature point of Hoffman and Tumbull3 is plotted. It is apparent that our data diverge appreciably from the high-temperature extrapolation by 373°C. A better straight line fit for the low-temperature portion is obtained by subtracting the extrapolated volume diffusion coefficient from the apparent. or measured coefficient, and plotting the difference, curve (h) of

Jan 1, 1970

By Theron Wasson

The oil and gas fields of Michigan that have been under development since 1925 are in an area that extends across the middle of the lower peninsula from northeast to southwest, a distance of about 200 miles, and with a width of about 80 miles. In 19 years 70 fields have been discovered. Most of these are relatively small when compared with other oil-producing areas. This is borne out by the fact that since the first wells were drilled these fields have produced a total of only 204,000,000 bbl. However, Michigan is still maintaining its production, for during the past five years the annual production has remained fairly constant at approximately 20,000,000 bbl. Production for 1943, as reported by the Bureau of Mines, was 20,682,000 barrels. Roughly, one third oi Michigan's production in 1943 came from the Reed City field, which was discovered in 1941. During the year, 237 oil wells were completed in Michigan in 1943. The decrease of 56 from the 1942 total is probably due to the continuance of Government regulations requiring a 40-acre spacing pattern over most of the state. Fig. I shows the principal oil and gas fields of Michigan, and the columnar section, Fig. 2, shows the principal producing horizons in relation to the section drilled. The data of Table I and Table 2 have been carefully checked with previous reports to eliminate errors. Six new producing areas were discovered during 1943 and five areas discovered in 1942 were developed during the year. Both the new discoveries and the 1942 discoveries that were developed appear to be small and relatively unimportant. Goodwell Field.—The best discovery of the year is the Goodwell field, T. 14 N., R. 11 W., Goodwell township, Newaygo County. This small structure was located by core testing done by The Pure Oil Co. in 1942 and early 1943. The first producing well, C. R. Harris No. I, was completed on July 5, 1943, ill the Traverse limestone at a total depth of 2742 ft., with ail estimated potential of 1100 bbl. per day. By the end of the year, 18 wells had been completed in this field and approximately 281,000 bbl. of oil produced. The field operated under proration of 262 bbl. per day per well from Oct. I to Dec. I; 150 bbl. per day per well after that date. Woodville Field.—The small Woodville pool, T. 15 N., R. 11 W., 3 miles north of the Goodwell field, was discovered by core testing by the Ohio Oil Co. The discovery well was completed on May 5, 1943, flowing 650 bbl. of fluid, including 18 per cent salt water the first 18 hr., from the Traverse limestone at a depth of 2810 to 2815 ft. Seven wells had been completed by the end of the year and 67,000 bbl. of oil had been produced. Development is now practically at a standstill because further drilling does not aDDear economically iustified.

Jan 1, 1944

By C. R. Dale

The need for instruments to measure the movement of fluids and gas in wells has been recognized by engineers for many years. Information regarding flow in the producing interval has a direct bearing on completion practices in new wells and also provides information on the production characteristics of the well. Many hours of engineering time are spent in planning and completing wells but knowledge as to whether or not the original planning has produced the desired results has not always been complete. Many questions such as the following often arise: Why is it that two wells are completed under supposedly identical conditions, yet one well is a good one and the other is a poor one? Are the sands that look the best on the electric log contributing to the production? These and many other conditions in the producing well need to be under- stood in order to develop more efficient production practices and to improve on methods of completing new wells. It is the purpose of this paper to briefly describe one type of instrument, outline the methods of running the equipment and show the results of surveys made under various conditions. With an understanding of the use of this type of survey its importance can be evaluated in relation to the problems encountered by the operator. DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUMENT The instrument is a velocity recorder employing a clock-controlled 16mm film for recording the rpm of an extremely sensitive rotor which is rotated by the flow of fluids or gas in a well. The helical-vaned rotor and shaft, weighing one-half of one ounce are an integral unit exposed to the well fluids and are the only moving parts not enclosed in the fluid-tight housing. No packing or fluid seal of these parts is necessary and the shaft is mounted top and bottom on special jeweled bearings. Fig. A is the lower part of the instrument showing rotor and shaft with the protecting housing sleeve removed. The rpm of the rotor is recorded on the moving film by a combination electrical and optical system. The record is a series of dashes on the film, each dash and space representing twenty (20) revolutions of the rotor. (Film record of survey made in California well showing station recordings at various depths.) As the movement of the film is controlled by the clock the number of dashes and spaces in one minute of film travel represents the rpm of the rotor. The range of the instrument is from 0 to 2,500 rprn. The barrel or housing is 1-11/16 in. OD and seven feet long. Various types of expanding fluid traps are attached to the lower end of the instrument to direct the flow through the 1 in. orifice containing the rotor. The fluid trap for upward flow is shown in Figs. B and C. This assembly consists of eight arms with light spring

Jan 1, 1949

By E. A. Nesbitt

The important permanent-magnet alloys 15 years ago contained carbon and depended upon it for their permanent-magnet properties. In recent years great advances have been made in a number of new alloys substantially free of carbon. These include Remalloy,' an alloy of iron, cobalt, and molybdenum, the various iron-nickel-aluminum alloys of the Mishima2 type, and the more recent Alnico V3 in which the best properties are developed by heat-treating in a magnetic field. The Mishima and the Alnico types of alloys are very brittle and after casting must be ground to size. This article describes a permanent-magnet material4 that can be machined as cast, and when handled with some care can be rolled to thin sheet and drawn to fine wire. Optimum magnetic properties are developed by a simple heat-treatment, and at this time the ductility of the alloy disappears. If the cast alloy is heat-treated without cold-working the mag netic energy product is about 1.0 X 106. This material is called Vicalloy I (pronounced vicalloy, V for vanadium, I for iron, and C for cobalt). When the alloy is first hot-worked and then considerably reduced in area by cold-swaging, drawing or grooved rolling, it is found that after heat-treatment the magnetic energy product measured in the direction of previous extension can be increased to 2.0 to 3.5 X 106. These higher values have been obtained only after reductions in area of 75 to 95 per cent, and since the material hardens considerably during working, the reduction ordinarily can be accomplished only in fine wires, although larger sizes can be reduced by the use of powerful machinery. When the material has been cold-worked in such a manner as to improve its energy product substantially, it is called Vicalloy 11. Commercial use of Vicalloy has been made in the recording of speech. Tape 0.002 by 0.050 in. has been found superior in quality to all others tried, and is now used in the Western Electric Mirrorphone 5 In a variety of forms Vicalloy I or I1 is useful in many laboratory instruments, and in experiments in which the sizes and shapes required cannot be obtained with the other more brittle permanent-magnet materials. In 1936, during a study of other age-hardening magnetic systems, it occurred to the author that some of the iron-cobalt-vanadium alloys might be suitable for permanent magnets. The proportions of iron, cobalt, and vanadium were varied and a range of alloys of particular interest was found, as shown by the indicated area in Fig. I. The limits of this range of composition are 30 to 52 per cent iron, 36 to 62 per cent cobalt, and 4 to 16 per cent vanadium. The compositions indicated by points outside this area were also tested. Preparation and Properties OF Vicalloy I The alloys were usually cast in graphite molds into bars 3/4 in. in diameter and

Jan 1, 1946

By F. V. Lenel

This discussion is concerned with the method of manufacturing, the design possibilities, and the properties of pole pieces for direct-current electric . motors and generators made from iron powder. In such applications as pole pieces, the electric and magnetic properties of the material are of major importance, therefore they are discussed somewhat more fully. However, the main advantage in making pole pieces from powders lies in the rapid and inexpensive method of manufacturing these pieces, and in the flexibility of design, rather than in their superior electrical properties. As a matter of fact, pole pieces from iron powder have found their principal field of usefulness in small electric motors for controls and similar applications where the highest possible flux density in a given design is not required. Fig. I shows a number of different designs for pole pieces made from iron powder. The steps involved in fabricating them are: (I) briquetting—with each stroke of the briquetting press a complete . pole piece is produced; (2) sintering, and (3) sizing, which is a one-step coining operation in a hand-operated punch press. Conventionally small pole pieces are made from laminated electrical sheet steel stock by punching out the laminations and riveting them together (Fig. 2). The powder method has the advantage of being rapid and inexpensive; also, it makes possible the molding of pole pieces with a round hub, which are better from a design standpoint, as will be shown later. It is difficult to make such round-hubbed pieces from laminated stock. The pole pieces could, of course, be machined from solid stock, but this method is not widely used. The raw material for making pole pieces from powder is straight iron powder without the addition of any alloying ingredients. However, the grade of powder used is of considerable importance, as will be shown later when the influence of the grade of iron powder upon the magnetic properties is discussed. Pole pieces are briquetted in the same way that other iron-powder machine parts are made. Because the pole pieces are flanged—i.e., they have a hub and a wing section—they are made in presses that apply pressure from both ends. For best mechanical and magnetic properties, the density throughout the piece should be even and also should be constant from piece to piece. For that reason a powder of constant compressibility from batch to batch is needed for briquetting pole pieces. One method of obtaining the required magnetic properties is to sinter the pole pieces at temperatures higher than are used for most iron-powder parts. A temperature of 2400°F. and an atmosphere of hydrogen has been found satisfactory. No automatic furnaces of the roller hearth or mesh-belt type have yet been developed for such high temperatures. A box-type furnace heated with Globar heating ele-

Jan 1, 1945

By W. M. Mobley

The coal industry in Alabama, centered in Birmingham, has pioneered coal-bene-ficiation practice in the United States. The nature of the coal seams and mining methods employed have necessitated use of equipment and methods best adapted to the local conditions. Although all of the 30 or more coal seams now being mined in the state receive beneficiation, only the three most important producers of coking coals, the Pratt, Mary Lee and Black Creek, are discussed in detail. Nature of the seams, washability characteristics and equipment used are given as examples of the extent of work and progress in this field. The coal seams in Alabama are relatively thin and pitching, making mining difficult and expensive. Most of them are characterized by thin partings of rock or shale in the seam itself, as well as laminations of bone and rash. Mechanical mining methods have increased the occlusions from roof and floor to such an extent that nearly all the coal mined in the state must receive some treatment before it can be put on the market. During the year ending Sept. 30, 1943,1 18,129,792 tons of coal were mined in the state and 14,364,177 tons, or 79.2 per cent, received treatment. Excluding from the total the 1,223,014 tons produced by small wagon mines and the hand-picked lump coal, the amount re- ceiving beneficiation would be more than 90.00 per cent. This is, by far, greater than in any other coal-producing state. The earliest record of coal beneficiation in Alabama was the installation in 1890 of an experimental rig washer by Alexander Cunningham, for the Sloss Iron and Steel Co. at its blast furnace in Birmingham.* In 1894 the Jeffrey Manufacturing Co. introduced the English Robinson washer, a combination of a hydraulic classifier and centrifugal machine. Erskine Ramsay, who has contributed so much to the coal industry, saw its possibilities as well as its mechanical defects and soon had his inventive mind at work. He added a sludge tank of his own design, and many Robinson-Ramsay washers were installed in Alabama and other states. The Stewart jig appeared in 1900, followed by the Montgomery jig in 1910 and both have found extensive use. Increased interest in this field led to new designs, such as the American, Elmore, Burke and Faust. The first Baum-type Norton jig was operated in 1930 and within the last five years six large installations of this type have been made by the McNally-Pitts-burg, Jeffrey and Link-Belt Companies. Wet-washing tables were introduced in 1922 but not extensively used until recently. The two most popular types are the Deister-Overstrom and Deister Plat-O. The coal-cleaning equipment used in Alabama has been relatively simple, yet efficient, but as the amount of impurities in the raw coal has been increased by mechanical mining and labor costs have become higher, much interest has been shown in sand cones, froth flotation and

Jan 1, 1947

By G. H. Anderson

Cadmium-coppeR precipitate, a byproduct of the purification stage of the zinc plant, is composed mainly of zinc, cadmium and copper in varying amounts depending on the efficiency of precipitation and the cadmium and copper contents of the impure solution treated. The composition range is approximately: cadmium 10-12 pct, copper 6-8 pct, and zinc 3&35 pct. As received at the cadmium plant, the precipitate is a dark gray to black press cake produced by filter pressing the flocculent cadmium-copper precipitate formed when impure zinc solution is agitated with zinc dust. The details of the cadmium-copper precipitation are to be found in the paper "Electrolytic Zinc at Risdon, Tasmania," by W. C. Snow. Transactions AIME, 121, 501. The treatment, in addition to recovering cadmium as metal, yields a copper product as a residue for realization and recovers in solution for return to the zinc plant, the excess of zinc dust used during purification. The recovery of cadmium metal is approximately 200 tons† per year, but, with the amount of copper residue recovered, varies with the zinc production tonnage, composition of the original concentrates, degree of roasting and other operational factors. The operations involved in the recovery of the foregoing materials are carried out in a building adjacent to the purification section of the zinc plant and can best be described by dividing the process into the following stages: 1. Oxidation and Grinding of the cadmium-copper precipitate. 2. Leaching and Filtering. 3. Precipitation of cadmium. 4. Oxidation and Grinding of the precipitated cadmium. 5. Leaching oxidized cadmium precipitate and Purification of leach solution. 6. Electrolysis. 7. Melting, Casting and Packing. A feature of the process is the use of two distinct solution circuits. Spent electrolyte from the zinc plant circuit containing about 10 pct sulphuric acid is used as the primary solvent of the cadmium and zinc present in the oxidized precipitate. When the cadmium is later separated by precipitation and filtering, the filtrate, originally zinc plant spent electrolyte and now fortified in zinc, is returned to the zinc plant. The precipitated cadmium, after oxidation, is redissolved in spent electrolyte from cadmium electrolysis which solution is in closed circuit within the cadmium plant except for discards to the zinc plant circuit as mentioned in Section 5 hereinafter. (Fig 1.) Details of the various operations follow. I. Oxidation and Grinding of the Cadminm-copper Precipitate The precipitate having had a preliminary drying by compressed air in Dehne filter presses in the zinc plant is trucked to a storage platform of sufiicient length to store 3 to 4 days' production separately. After 48 hr exposure to atmosphere, oxidation is sufficient to enable all cadmium and zinc but only a portion of the copper to be dissolved in dilute sulphuric acid. The oxidized precipitate is shovelled into trucks and, after weighing and sampling, is broken in size by means of

Jan 1, 1950

By L. M. Barker, E. G. Lewis

THE literature of milling is replete with papers devoted to the subject of ball milling, all of which no doubt have contributed in one way or another to progress in that art. In this paper reference will be made to only a few of the many authors, but the value of the contributions of all who have written on that subject is hereby acknowledged. With a few exceptions the efforts of most students of the subject have been devoted to laboratory investigations of principles. Davis1 was one of the first to report on plant-scale investigations and to present to mill men certain criteria for the guidance of ball-milling practices. His conclusions with respect to the significance of sizing analyses of classifier sands in their relation to the factors of mill speed and ball sizing are particularly referred to. Those conclusions were: I. If the balls are large or the speed of the mill is high, crowding will appear at the finer sizes in the classifier sands. 2. If the balls are small or the speed is low, crowding will appear at the coarser sizes in the classifier sands. 3. The indications are that best efficiency is obtained when the screen analysis of the sands show a minimum crowding at any size. The last conclusion was qualified by the statement that it had not been proved conclusively. It is surprising, however, that the literature of later years reveals little evidence that millmen have made any serious attempt to apply those criteria. This may, perhaps, be explained by the fact that the average plant-scale ball-milling problem presents so many variables that an investigation of any one of them encounters the problem of control of the others-a problem that often is unsurmountable in a small plant. In a large plant, in which there is a duplication of grinding units in parallel operation, opportunity may be afforded for determining the value of such criteria. Nevertheless, a study of published data from grinding circuits of both large and small plants suggests that either Davis' criteria have been tried and found inapplicable or have never been given consideration. For the purpose of testing Davis' conclusions and with improvement of ball-milling efficiency as the final objective, a test program was initiated in the concentrator of the New Cornelia branch of the Phelps Dodge Corporation early in 1938. The practices of that plant have already been described .2 The fine-grinding units are arranged so that any one of eight units may be operated as a test unite and its results compared with those of the remaining units. All units receive similar feed from a common storage bin, in which the product of the fine-crushing plant is bedded by traveling tripper. The ball mills are all similar in size and operated at the same speeds, and are individually metered. The feeder conveyors of each unit are equipped with Merrick weightometers. The test program as initially outlined proposed investigation of the following:

Jan 1, 1941

By James Terry Duce

The symposium on production for the year 1940 contains few papers on the foreign situation. It is probable that the foreign part of next year's symposium will be even shorter. This is due to rigid censorship in various countries, as the question of the volume of petroleum supplies has become one of great strategic importance. This is even more true than in the last war, owing to greater mechanization of armies. 'It has always been the policy of officers in charge of the symposium to refrain from publishing information that might possibly injure national or private interests. At the close of the war we hope again to publish full and accurate records of production abroad. Excerpts from Circular to Authors In order to facilitate interpretation of the data in this chapter, we print the following excerpts from the Circular to Authors. The field is the unit in this tabulation. In cases of fields extending across State boundaries, such as Rodessa, it is suggested that each State author treat the section of the field in his State as a unit, and by a footnote indicate that the field extends into an adjacent State. Each space in Table I may represent one of four possibilities; either it is not applicable to the particular field, or the proper entry is not determinable, or the proper entry may be determinable but is not determinable from data available to the author, or the proper entry is determinable. When spaces are not applicable, leave blank; in spaces where the proper entries are determinable but not de-terminable frod data available to the author, please inserty; in spaces where the proper entries are determinable by the author, make such entries. y implies a hope that in some future year a definite figure will be available. The entry of a zero is a positive declaration, and an important declaration where it is in order. Inability to determine precisely the correct entry for a particular space should not lead the author to insert merely y. Contributions of great value may be made by the author in many cases where entries are not subject to precise determination. In sucli cases the author should use his good judgment and make the best entry possible under the circumstances. For many spaces the correct entries represent the opinion of the author (for example, "Area Proved') and in such cases the entry need not be hedged to such extent as when the quantities are definite yet can be ascertained only approximately by the author. In cases under definite headings but where figures are only approximate, the author may use x. It is thought that the nearest whole numbers are sufficiently accurate for our purposes except as to percentage of sulphur in oil. If an author desires to report any other figures to tenths, he may do so. The quantity of gas produced should include, where possible, gas sold or otherwise marketed, and gas blown into the air, burned as flares or otherwise wasted. Segregation of these figures would be interesting if the authors can make such segregation. In any event, the figures should represent as nearly as possible the total quantity of gas removed from the reservoir. Under the columns on "Depth," the average depth to the top of the productive zones and to the bottom of the productive wells, when

Jan 1, 1941

By James Terry Duce

The symposium on production for the year 1941 contains few papers on the foreign situation. Rigid censorship prevails in various countries, as the question of the volume of petroleum supplies has become one of great strategic importance. This is even truer than in the last war, owing to greater mechanization of armies. It has always been the policy of officers in charge of the symposium to refrain from publishing information that might possibly injure national or private interests. At the close of the war we hope again to publish full and accurate records of production abroad. Excerpts from Circular to AutHORs In order to facilitate interpretation of the data in this chapter, we print the fol-lowing excerpts from the Circular to Authors. The field is the unit in this tabulation. In cases of fields extending across State boundaries, such as Rodessa, it is suggested that each State author treat the section of the field in his State as a unit, and by a footnote indicate that the field extends into an adjacent State. Each space in Table I may represent one of four possibilities; either it is not applicable to the particular field, or the proper entry is not determinable, or the proper entry may be determinable but is not determinable from data available to the author, or the proper entry is determinable. When spaces are not applicable, leave blank; in spaces where the proper entries are determinable but not de-terminable from data available to the author, please insert y; in spaces where the proper entries are determinable by the author, make such entries. y implies a hope that in some future year a definite figure will be available. The entry of a zero is a positive declaration, and an important declaration where it is in order. Inability to determine precisely the correct entry for a particular space should not lead the author to insert merely y. Contributions of great value may be made by the author in many cases where entries are not subject to precise determination. In such cases the author should use his good judgment and make the best entry possible under the circumstances. For many spaces the correct entries represent the opinion of the author (for example, "Area Proved") and in such cases the entry need not be hedged to such extent as when the quantities are definite yet can be ascertained only approximately by the author. In cases under definite headings but where figures are only approximate, the author may use x. It is thought that the nearest whole numbers are sufficiently accurate for our purposes except as to percentage of sulphur in oil. If an author desires to report any other figures to tenths, he may do so. The quantity of gas produced should include, where possible, gas sold or otherwise marketed, and gas blown into the air, burned as flares or otherwise wasted. Segregation of these figures would be interesting if the authors can make such segregation. In any event, the figures should represent as nearly as possible the total quantity of gas removed from the reservoir.. Under the columns on "Depth," the average depth to the top of the productive zones and to the bottom of the productive wells, when

Jan 1, 1942

By Basil B. Zavoico

The symposium on production for the year 1942 contains no papers on the foreign situation except those on Argentina and Mexico. It has always been the policy of officers in charge of the symposium to refrain from publishing information that might possibly injure national or private interests. At the close of the war we hope again to publish full and accurate records of production abroad. Excerpts From Circular to Authors In order to facilitate interpretation of the data in this chapter, we print the following excerpts from the Circular to Authors. The field is the unit in this tabulation. In cases of fields extending across State boundaries, such as Rodessa, it is suggested that each State author treat the section of the field in his State as a unit, and by a footnote indicate that the field extends into an adjacent State. Each space in Table I may represent one of four possibilities; either it is not applicable to the particular field, or the proper entry is not determinable, or the proper entry may be determinable but is not determinable from data available to the author, or the proper entry is determinable. When spaces are not applicable, leave blank; in spaces where the proper entries are determinable but not determinable from data available to the author, please insert y; in spaces where the proper entries are determinable by the author, make such entries. y implies a Rope that in some future year a definite figure will be available. The entry of a zero is a positive declaration, and it is an important declaration where it is in order. Inability to determine precisely the correct entry for a particular space should not lead the author to insert merely y. Contributions of great value may be made by the author in many cases where entries are not subject to precise determination. In such cases the author should use his good judgment and make the best entry possible under the circumstances. For many spaces the correct entries represent the opinion of the author (for example, "Area Proved") and in such cases the entry need not be hedged to such extent as when the quantities are definite yet can be ascertained only approximately by the author. In cases under definite headings but where figures are only approximate, the author may use x. It is thought that the nearest whole numbers are sufficiently accurate for our purposes except as to percentage of sulphur in oil. If an author desires to report any other figures to tenths, he may do so. The quantity of gas produced should include, where possible, gas sold or otherwise marketed, and gas blown into the air, burned as flares or otherwise wasted. Segregation of these figures would be interesting if the authors can make such segregation. In any event, the figures should represent as nearly as possible the total quantity of gas removed from the reservoir. Under the columns on "Depth," the average depth to the top of the productive zones and to the bottom of the productive wells, when subtracted, should give the approximate thickness of the productive zone. For fields where this is not true because of unusually high dip or for some other reasons, it is suggested that the authors indicate in their text the approximate average thickness of the productive zone.

Jan 1, 1943

By Peter J. Szabo

Introduction There has been much said recently about the sophistication of Japanese management in turning out reliable, inexpensive products, such as cars and steel. Techniques include consensus management and quality control circles. These have been touted as prime reasons for inexpensive Japanese products. An often neglected, but major factor in the equation of cheap export goods is the role played by Japanese trading companies. These venerable institutions are a vital factor in Japan's overall strategy of keeping the price of raw materials at the absolute lowest levels. This is critical to the country's economy since the nation must import more than 85% of all its coal. A country that is so desperate for imported raw materials would appear, at first glance, to be at the mercy of its suppliers. In Japan's case, however, the opposite is true. With the exception of brief' windows in 1974-75 and 1980-81, Japan has been in the driver's seat in negotiating contract terms. Due to its dominant role in world coal trade, Japan's situation can be described as a de facto monopsony. By definition, a monopsony is a market situation where the product, in this case coal, is offered by many sellers, but is sought by one buyer. This has been due to the role of Japanese trading companies in dealing with suppliers. Table I depicts trading companies by size in 1982. Mitsubishi and Mitsui are overshadowing in terms of size. The others, though less significant, play a vital role in orchestrating the marketplace. Three critical building blocks on which the strategy of the trading companies are based include intelligence networks, exceptional training of company traders, and shrewd contract negotiation practices. Intelligence Networks All success is derived from these three key components. Of the three blocks, intelligence gathering is the most important. With all the sophistication of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Interpol, and the Surete', the Japanese trading company's method is every bit as competent and far more gentlemanly. Friendly competition is the key to survival. Although one Japanese trading company appears to be in ardent competition with its rival Japanese trading companies, when studied closely, a totally different picture emerges. The end user nominates certain trading companies as market channels and informally guarantees they will receive compensation regardless of which company wins a specific order. With this concept in mind, the pressure is off. The trading company can aim at getting the best price for the end user. Therefore, bargain, beat, and share information. Do whatever is necessary, but get the lowest price for the end user. Even with the game so gentlemanly, no victory could be assured without an adequate intelligence network. Proper intelligence is only as good as the sources drawn from. But how is one assured of getting the right information? The answer is verification. Verification is comprised of numerous independent sources each cross checked at a central processing unit in Tokyo. Each major Japanese trading company receives input, not only from its own trader, but from other trading companies as well. In addition to their own compilation, trading companies rely on the The Coal Manual, published annually in Tokyo by TEX. This manual covers every major coal producing country. Mines are located and seams identified, mining recovery, equipment lists, washing yield, railway distances

Jan 1, 1985

By W. A. Crosby, A. Bauer

The recent increase in size of open-pit mining operations has resulted in major improvements in efficiency that are beneficial to the mining industry. Higher bench heights, larger diameter blast-holes, and more powerful explosives have played an important part in reducing mining costs. These measures have, however, resulted in increased energy concentrations in the blast area, which can result in severe backbreak problems for final pit walls. If backbreak is not controlled, a decrease in the overall pit slope angle will ultimately be necessary, and consequences, such as decreased recoverable ore reserves and increased waste-to-ore ratios, will result. Greater amounts of loose face rock will be produced, and planned safety berms will be less effective or nonexistent. Hazardous working conditions can also result. Remedial measures, such as scaling large areas and using wire mesh or other artificial support, are very expensive and difficult to implement. There must be a trade-off between the money saved by using larger blasts, and the time spent to maintain pit wall quality. The best approach is to control blasting effects so the inherent strength of pit walls is not destroyed. Presplit and trim blasting are two control blasting techniques used to accomplish this. Both techniques are designed to create a low explosive energy concentration per unit of wall area at the perimeter of the pit. Energy concentration of the main production blast must also be controlled to avoid damaging the final pit wall. A low-energy concentration at the final wall can be obtained by decoupling charges, decking charges, using less powerful explosives, decreasing blasthole diameters, and changing the burden and spacing. Rock properties-fragmentation and the final state of the pit wall-influence the success of a blast. The most important properties to consider are: in situ rock strength, and the nature, frequency, and orientation of structural features. Since these variables cannot be controlled, they must be evaluated by suitable field tests, and then a control blast can be designed using controllable variables, such as spacing, burden, and hole diameter, so the blast will be successful for appropriate rock conditions. One main thrust of this article is to show how control blasts can be successfully designed for larger hole sizes, up to 381-mm-diam. While efforts to produce a good control blast in shovel/truck pits have been ongoing for some time, recent use of a modified presplit technique in dragline operations has helped reduce water problems, improve safety, and increase dragline productivity in a number of surface coal mines. This article presents examples on designing and using presplit and trim blasting for large hole operations in both shovel/truck and dragline mines. Presplit Blasting As introduction to presplit blasting, Fig. 1 illustrates a typical presplit blast layout using 102 mm-diam presplit holes for 381¬mm-diam production holes. For this type of blast, presplit holes would normally be drilled first, ahead of main production holes. The choice can then be made between loading and firing the presplit line or infilling the main blast. In the latter case, the presplit line would be fired instantaneously 100-150 milliseconds before the main blast. As shown in the figure, the presplit line is formed ahead of the main

Jan 2, 1982

By R. G. B. Pickering, B. Ebner

The hard rock gold and platinum mines in South Africa have seen little development in the technology of mining. Holes are still drilled in the rock—though the latest water hydraulic rockdrills will complete that task in two minutes compared with the eight hours for hand drilling. Charging up is with far safer explosives and with available initiation systems it is no longer necessary to run up the face lighting each fuse. Movement of rock in the stope is predominantly by means of scraper buckets and scraper winches — these were first introduced in the 1920s.Support is still mainly rock, either in sit pillars or backfill, or alternatively wood. Just as themining process has changed very little it is hardly surprising that the productivity of mining is also relatively unchanged. Major efforts have been made to mechanize the mining process. However, most of the narrow reef mines where ‘trackless mechanized mining’ was introduced in the early 1980s have reverted to conventional mining. In the wider reefs mechanized mining is the option of choice, unfortunately most of the gold and platinum mines have very narrow reefs that are not suitable to’ off the shelf’ equipment. The move to introduce room-and-pillar mining into the narrow UG2reefs is at the expense of mining more waste with the reef, fortunately it appears that appropriate waste and reef separation processes are available. Room-and-pillar mining followed by long holedrilling and blasting of a narrow slot of reef out of the pillars currently appears to offer the best of both worlds—maximum reef recovery with minimum waste dilution. All these mining methods are still dependent on blasting to break the rock. The cyclic nature of mining by blasting places severe constraints on the rate of face advance that can be achieved and consequently the utilization of the invested capital. For narrow reef hard rock mining to break out of these constraints and to really make progress in the 21st century it is necessary to follow the lead of the soft rock mining industry and change the technology of mining. In the underground coal mining industry, coal cutting has been proved to be the most cost-effective solution. In narrow reef hard rock mining the future must be based on the development of non-explosive methods of rock breaking that in turn are integrated into continuous mining systems. Non-explosive so that the mining operation can be conducted on a continuous basis, with nodelays for the removal of blasting fumes. Continuous mining also maximizes the return on the capital invested in developing the mine. Rock cutting will define the stope width and that in turn will be designed to minimize waste dilution; it will also minimize damage to the hanging and create a safer environment. Mechanization makes it possible to automate the mining process and further improve safety by positioning the operators in a safer environment. This paper defines the work to evaluate cutting processes carried out by Sandvik TamrockVoest Alpine. The evaluation was in the UG2 and the pyroxenite and norite typical of the Merensky Platinum Reefs. A novel form of mining machine is proposed that will utilize existing technology. Finally the paper describes the interaction between Sandvik Tamrock Voest Alpineand Lonmin Platinum and the initiation of an agreement to develop and trial a prototype hard rock narrow reef mining machine.

Sep 1, 2001

By Erick F. Weiland, John W. Lindemann

Introduction Minerals exploration is one step in the mining industry's task of providing raw materials to basic industries. The industry's provision of raw materials involves identifying and evaluating resources, converting them to reserves, and intelligent, economic exploitation of these reserves. The mineral process focuses on identification and evaluation. Reserves are ore bodies and ore bodies are, by definition, wasting assets. Therefore, if an adequate provision of raw materials to basic industry is to continue, these wasting assets (ore bodies) must be replaced with new or different reserves as current reserves are depleted. Minerals exploration is a geologic problem and is fundamentally deductive, flowing from the general to the specific. Past exploration methods and philosophy have amply supplied the resources to meet the demands of an industrial society. During the past decade, however, the framework where mineral resources were identified, defined, and evaluated has changed. Mineral explorationists no longer can rely solely on the successful past methods to provide the necessary resources for our complex society. Productive explorationists must effectively and efficiently use tools and procedures that will maximize exploration efforts. Past tools need not be abandoned, but should be critically reviewed and revised in light of current scientific knowledge and technical advances. Future explorationists will view their craft not as a single discipline, but as a thoughtful integration of geophysics, geochemistry, and geostatistics for solving interrelated problems. This integration of the geosciences will lead to successful mineral exploration. Not only will the productive explorationist generate new information, he will master the use of existing data for identifying and evaluating a mineral resource. The mineral exploration process consists of incentives, ideas, finance, area, staff, time, and luck. The exploration process that stems from the interaction of these elements has three stages, each bound by a major decision point. They are selection, reconnaissance, and definition. Subsequent evaluation and exploitation phases are considered more the function of mining engineers than the exploration geologist. Mineral exploration endeavors that have been productive have three attributes fundamental to success: commitment, competence, and persistence. Commitment Commitment is believing that exploring for mineral resources is worth performing. While the mining industry is the focus of this commitment, government and society must also be committed to the concept of mineral reserve identification through exploration activity. Government demonstrates its commitment by providing access to land for exploration and, if it is successful, exploitation can take place. Realistic legislation relating to taxation, land use, reclamation, and environmental constraints is indicative of government commitment to intelligent resource use. The public must come to terms with mineral resource evaluation and extraction. Without some form of commitment from the public, availability of mineral resources vital to basic industry will be largely in the control of a foreign and potentially unstable mining industry. Commitment to a mineral resource identification-evaluation-extraction system must be shared equally by government, society, and the minerals industry. The scope and direction of this commitment varies, with the industry's commitment to explore for mineral resources being the most apparent. Industry commitment is the belief at all levels of exploration (from senior corporate executives to individual field and support staff) that exploration is worth performing, that exploration goals can be met, and that their particular organization is the best and the only group that can successfully accomplish the project. Commitment can be considered at three

Jan 11, 1983

The engineering personnel shortage, present and impending, so well brought out in the article in Mining Engineering in the August, 1951 number, both in the editorial lead and the article by William B. Plank and Henry J. Petrie, has left untapped and has ignored a potential source of supply that would fill the need ably and with complete satisfaction. This source is comprised of the women engineers- and geologists, both presently, trained and able to handle work at all levels, and the many who would make splendid engineers and geologists if they could hope for even a modest taste of the square deal that should be theirs, but, as we all know, is not. I write from experience. It is not pleasant or sensible to have to urge borderline cases among men students to consider engineering and geology as careers to fill the need, when I have far more able, interested and suited young women students whom I must divert into other channels. It does not make sense to scrape the bottom and sides of the barrel to induce potentially second or third rate male engineers and geologists to enter the profession when we have superior material among the women, eager to do good work in these fields. It does not make sense for these men to become second or third rate in these fields when they might be first rate salesmen, musicians, advertising copywriters or policemen. Nor does it make any more sense to force potentially first rate female geologists and engineers to become second or third rate and very frustrated typists, kindergarten teachers, dress sales-women or clerks. At this point I am willing to admit that where superstitious -miners object to women in underground workings, men are available for the jobs. Moreover, it is not necessary for women to be sent into the most difficult country, if there is reluctance on either side of the contract. There may be fewer of them eager for the roughest assignments, in proportion to the men, but women are so accustomed to discrimination far more complete than that against any racial or religious group, that a reasonably tough assignment would seem like a heaven-descended joy. In my own experience, I have found that my girl students majoring in geology, could keep up with me in the field in the roughest terrain, but. the men, all but the best students and the most physically fit young men, complained that they could not keep up with me and that I always "walked their-legs off. The women, a few men and I always returned with bags heavy with well chosen specimens and proper notes. Most of the men carried no specimens and-but poor scraps of notes on loose bits of paper. Yet the men were urged to prepare for a career in engineering or geology if their examination marks were reasonably good. When we find that we still have a shortage of engineers and geologists, after putting all the qualified women to work, then we may begin to worry. Until then, we are simply fooling ourselves as we wander in, a forest of outmoded tradition and emotional habit reactions. MARY W. GARRETSON ASSOC. MEMBER, AIME SCARSDALE, N. Y.

Jan 1, 1952

By R. H. Kudlich

In order to assist the various Federal and State agencies using large quantities of coal to select coal best suited technically and economically to their use, the United States Bureau of Mines has placed at their disposal a fuel inspection service. As part of this service, inspections are made at the mines which propose to furnish coal to these agencies on contracts. Such inspections cover both the mine itself to ascertain its capacity to fur- nish the desired tonnage and quality of the coal, the preparation of the coal in the tipple, and the obtaining of samples for analysis to determine the quality of coal as shipped. To insure that the sample sent to the laboratory for analysis is representative of the average quality of the coal, increments are taken at intervals until a gross sample of about 1,000 pounds of coal has been collected from each of the sizes of coal shipped by the mine, while coal has been coming from all parts of the mine. In reducing this gross sample to the small sample which is sent to the laboratory for analysis it is necessary to crush and quarter the coal by a certain standardized method until only 5 or 6 pounds of coal small enough to pass through a 3/16-inch square-mesh screen remains. The ordinary method which the bureau has followed was to crush the coal by hand with a tamper, such as is used for tamping concrete, on some hare smooth surface and to reduce the volume by quartering and riffling. During the past few years the demands from various Federal and State agencies for this service have been increasing rapidly in respect to bituminous coals. In addition to this, which might be called the normal increase, numerous requests have been received for similar service in respect to anthracite. It was obvious that if this increased demand was to be met it would be necessary either to increase the force allotted to this work or to provide the present force with some means by which their work could be made more effective. A care- ful survey of the situation showed that the greatest amount of time was consumed in trans- porting the men and their equipment from mine to mine in the same district, and in reducing the gross sample to the small finely crushed sample which is to be sent to the laboratory. Both of these phases of the work could be greatly accelerated by providing a motor truck of suitable speed and capacity, carrying a power-operated crusher, and the proper auxiliary equipment to store the gross sample as collected and to reduce it in volume efficiently after it has been crushed. Such a truck has been provided and placed in service. In the eight months it has been in operation the desired results have been fully attained. About twice as many samples as usual have been taken during that time by the same 2-pan crew assigned to this work. Many of the mines in the eastern part of the United States are in hilly or mountainous regions and can be reached only over rough, practically unimproved roads. Hence the speci- fications for the truck were drawn to cover high-quality, long-life trucks, in order that

Nov 1, 1931