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By R. S. Silo

A new process for leaching oxidized copper ore (CuO) is presented. Its principle advantage is that it requires low cost raw materials. For large operations the only materials used are sodium chloride (NaCl) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3). In those operations of medium size, sulfur, which is abundant in the North of Chile, is used. However the process may also be applied to small copper plants provided low cost sulfuric acid is available as a substitute for sulfur. That is, it may be applied to those small capacity plants where large additional installations for the regeneration of the leaching solution are not needed. The method is comprised of six stages, namely: Crushing, Leaching, Washing of the Solution, Precipitation, Regeneration of the Leaching Solution, and Fusion. A flow diagram for this process in a large or medium-sized plant is given. LEACHING This process requires hydrochloric acid as the leaching solution for treating copper ores. This is easily produced from sulfuric acid and sodium chloride as follows: A small excess of NaCl is advisable to avoid the presence of free sulfuric acid. The experiments reported here were performed with 36 grams of HC1 per liter of solution to obtain a free acidity equivalent to 50 gpl of H2SO4 (the usual leaching solution concentration). Hydrochloric acid leaching may be done by either of the usual methods; i.e. percolation or agitation. The method selected depends on the characteristics of the ore. No matter which method is chosen, low pressure air can be used either as an air lift for circulation of the solution, or for agitation of the pulp with "Pachuca" tanks. In either case, there are no problems with respect to oxidation. Leaching by agitation produces good recovery; but at times, the problem of high consumption of leaching solution or the overproduction of grinding slimes which interfere with contact between phases negates this advantage. The percolation method was used in this study. Percolation took place in four 15-liter containers, 11 1/2 in. diam. by 12 in. height, having hemispheric bottoms. Each container was fitted with a wooden bottom having 1/4 in- holes. The air lift was a 3/4 in. plastic tube 10 in. high. Air at 6 psi was supplied from a rotating laboratory compressor. 10 kg of ore were charged to the container and counter-current leaching was used. The leaching solutions were fed through the center pipe in order to use the ascending solutions to reject the air in the charge. The solution circulated through the air lift in order to facilitate the movement according to the increase in density produced by the reaction between the phases present. Specific observations made in this report cannot be generalized because the leaching characteristics are dependent on the nature of the ore used, the method of leaching, and the production of primary or secondary slimes while crushing or leaching.

Jan 1, 1967

By Lyall Zickrick, R. S. Dean, F. C. Nix

The first attempt to establish an equilibrium diagram of the lead-antimony series was made by Roland-Gosselinl in 1896. This investigation classified the system as a purely eutectiferous one, with the eutectic at 12.5 per cent. antimony and 228" C. In the next year, Stead2 placed the eutectic temperature at 247' C. The error in temperature made by Roland-Gosselin, however, has been perpetuated in the literature with a remarkable degree of persistency; this value was accepted by Campbell (1902), and Ewen (1910),3 and will be found in the last edition of Desch's3 Metallography (1922). Gonterman's investigation, made in 1907, was the most complete one available at the time .the present investigation was started. He concluded4 that the system was a simple eutectiferous one and placed the eutectic at 13 per cent. antimony and 247° C. Other investigations by Tammann (1907),5 Garbow (1909),6 Rudolfi (1910),7 Loebe (1911),8 and Leroux (1913)9 added little, if anything, to Gonterman's diagram. A number of investigations have been made of physical properties of the alloys. The electrical conductivity of the series was studied by Matthiessen (1860)10 and by A. W. Smith (1921);11 the thermoforce by Rudolfi (1910),12 and Pelabon (1923) ;13 the specific heat by Durrer

Jan 1, 1926

By Donald L. Colwell

THIS is a metallurgical war. More than ever before, the mechanized forces and the air-borne warfare are deciding campaigns. Both of these are primarily dependent upon metals. There are two ways of increasing the effective supply of these metals when the demand is greater than the total over-all supply. The American custom, when a shortage of anything develops, is to get more. In the case of some nonferrous metals this has been done. For example, our potential peak output of magnesium will be almost one hundred times the prewar production. Output of aluminun has also been tremendously increased, and production of other metals is being stimulated by every possible means. Our enemies, however, have another successful method of increasing the effective supply of a material, and that is, to eliminate entirely all nonessential uses, and also to use, in essential applications, alternate materials wherever possible. Sometimes, ersatz material is inferior to the original, and consequently does not do the job as well. Often, however, it has been found superior, and many substitute items are now being used both by industry and by the military which will continue even when the original material again becomes available.

Jan 1, 1943

By E. A. Gulbransen, K. F. Andrew

The vacuum-microbalance method was used to study the oxidation behavior of Zircaloy-2 and -3A over the temperature range of 300 to 850°C and at 0.1 atm pressure. The results fit in well with the authors' earlier studies on zirconium. Tin was found to increase the rate of oxidation and also the temperature at which the metal burns. Both the cubic-rate law and the parabolic-rate law gave imperfect fits to the rate data. Since the parabolic-rate law has been derived from accepted physical principles, this rate law was used to interpret the rate data. A heat of activation of 28,600 cal per mole was calculated. The transition phenomenon previously observed in hot-water and steam-corrosion processes was studied systematically for oxygen atmospheres. Observations on the rate of oxidation, color and properties of the oxide films show that the transition phenomenon was associated with a failure in the adherence of the oxide to the alloy. ZIRCALOY-2 and -3A have found important uses in the field of reactor metals due to their low neutron adsorption, good strength and good resistance to corrosion. One feature of the corrosion reaction in steam or hot water is the sharp transition in the rate of corrosion to a higher value after a certain amount of reaction has occurred. This paper presents a study of the reaction of Zircaloy-2 and -3A with oxygen including a study of the transition phenomenon which has been found to occur also in oxygen atmospheres. A comparison will be made between the oxidation behavior of these alloys and the pure metal. It was hoped that a study of the details of the oxygen reaction would lead to a better understanding of the reactions occurring in hot-water and steam atmospheres. Literature Kinetics-—The reaction of Zircaloy-2 and -3A with hot-water and steam atmospheres has been studied by Thomas.' Goldman and Thomas,' Thomas and Forscher," and Thomas and Kass.' Empirical equations for the kinetics of the reaction have been given by Thomas and Forscher." The change from the initial slow rate of reaction to the final rapid rate of reaction has been termed transition with the post-transition corrosion kinetics following a simple linear equation in time. The corrosion behavior in high-temperature steam was similar in many features to the corrosion in high-temperature water. Goldman and Thomas' and Pray and Peoples' have shown that the addition of tin, while increasing the rate of corrosion, counteracts the deleterious effect of nitrogen. The beneficial effect of iron, nickel and chromium was to improve the adhesion of the oxide to the metal as well as to counteract the deleterious effect of nitrogen. Mallet and Albrecht" have studied the oxidation of two zirconium-tin alloys. The cubic-rate law was found to fit the oxidation data for the 1.5 pct tin alloy while the parabolic-rate law was found to fit the data for the 2.5 pct alloy. Kendall' in a recent paper has studied the oxidation of Zircaloy-2 containing 1.5 pct tin in air atmospheres. Transition Phenomenon—In steam atmospheres Thomas' has observed fora 1.8 pct tin alloy containing small amounts of iron, nickel and chromium that transition to a more rapid rate of corrosion at 400°C

Jan 1, 1959

By J. B. Clark, F. N. Rhines

brittlement or notch sensitivity progressively increases. Further, in contrast to results obtained with the impact test, the notch strength for the large specimens does not reveal a 500°F embrittlement range. The notch sensitivity as determined with the 0.3-in. specimen of 4340 steel given the stepped austenitizing treatment has been discussed elsewhere. This quantity as measured for the 1.1-in.- diam notch tensile test and given in Fig. 3, is taken to signify that reduced notch sensitivity is encountered in the 600" to 800°F tempering range for specimens given the stepped austenitizing treatment. The stepped austenitizing treatment may, there- fore, be of use in promoting deeper hardenability for a 4340 steel while at the same time giving reduced notch sensitivity in the high-strength range in which this steel is now being used. Acknowledgments The work reported was supported by the U. S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics. The authors are indebted to the Bureau of Aeronautics for granting permission to publish results of this research and to N. E. Promisel, H. Hessing, and J. Maltz for their interest.

Jan 1, 1958

By PALMER H. TYLER

WHEN the Mid-Continent Section of the A. I. M. E. met at the roof garden dining room of the Tulsa Club on Monday evening, May 13, most of the members present came prepared with a credulity-stretching yarn of some sort or other, gathered from actual experience. Perhaps it was not realized at the time that such anecdotes would eventually burst into print, but while the excellent dinner was appeasing the inner man the word was passed around that informality and spontaneity of expression would characterize the meeting, with the result that the shackles of convention were eventually cast aside and the meeting waxed better and better until the hour grew ,late, and the chairman, L. G. E. Bignell, originator of the idea, brought to a close what was agreed to be a profitable and entertaining evening. The ball was started rolling by Paul Ruedemann of the program committee, who offered the following:

Jan 1, 1929

By Carl F. Floe, Michael B. Bever

ACCELERATED by the demands of war, research and development work in nonferrous physical metallurgy has continued at a rapid pace during the past year. In particular, advances have been made in processing and fabrication, especially of the light alloys, and in the surface treatment of metals. Theoretical physical metallurgy, although less active, has not been neglected and the year has brought forth some -notable contributions to our understanding of the fundamental structure of metals and their behavior in service. Of course, much work that has been done cannot be publicly discussed because of wartime restrictions.

Jan 1, 1945

By W. Randolph Van Lewis

In determilling the relative rate and in fi~lding the point where different inlpurities containecl in copper-matte are eliminated during the process of a converter-blow, the follo~ving results were obtainecl : A converter was selected which was starting on its sccolld charge. The first charge after lining had finished its copper " hot," and conseqaently no copper was adhering to the sides of the lining. All the copper and granulated slag from the previous charpc mcrc dumped, thus removing ally possibility of " salting " the matte to be tested. The coliverter worked fast and well during the entire test. Periods of ten minutes were selected. The converter mas brought from the stack to secure each sanlple of matte to be

Jan 1, 1904

By Charles C. Goddard

Since discovery of silver-gold lode deposits in 1864, the Butte district has produced more than $2.25 billion worth of copper, zinc, manganese, silver, and gold, an unprecedented value in the mining world. Exhaustion of the gold placer deposits along Silver Bow Creek, southwest of Butte, forced the early-day placer miners to turn their attention to the bold out- crops of the many veins exposed on the hillsides above the placer diggings. These outcrops bore silver and gold, and enough so that many lode claims were located. Such famous silver mines as the Alice, Moulton, Magna Carta, Nettie, and Blue Bird were developed. These and many smaller operations contributed to making Montana the leading silver-producing state in the 1880's. As depth was gained in the silver mines in certain parts of the district, occurrence of zinc minerals became troublesome. Zinc was not recoverable at the time, and in the chloridizing, roasting, and amalgamation of the ores, silver and gold recovery was greatly reduced. A period of active silver mining continued until 1892, when a decline in the price of silver brought the silver mining period to a close. Elsewhere in the district it was discovered that while some of the veins contained silver ores in the oxidized portions, the predominant minerals that were deeper were copper-bearing. Marcus Daly exposed rich copper ore on the 300 level of the Anaconda mine in 1891, and mining in the district disclosed that copper was destined to be developed in abundance. Early copper ore shipments were made to Swansea, Wales.

Jan 3, 1959

By R. C. Hirschfeld, H. H. Einstein, R. W. Bruhn, R. A. Nelson

The objective of the model studies described in this paper is to determine the effect of planar discontinuities on the strength and deformability of a rock mass. A model material was used because it satisfied concurrently three requirements that available natural-rock samples did not: (1) low strength, which was desirable for minimizing the loads that had to be applied in the laboratory; (2) ease of producing test specimens with geometrically regular joint patterns; and (3) uniformity of the test specimens. The model tests were performed on specimens made from a single modeling material and tested under triaxial stress conditions with [u,=u,]. Results are presented in this paper for tests on specimens that had (1) a single joint set inclined at several angles to the major principal direction, including 0º and 90°, and (2) two joint sets that were mutually perpendicular, one set perpendicular to and one set parallel to the major principal direction. Several different joint spacings were used in each series. Future tests will include a series with two sets of joints that make oblique angles with each other and with the major principal direction. The results of model tests and tests on cores of jointed rock by several investigators (e.g., Müller and Pacher,l Moore,2 Krsmanovic and Milic,3 Hayashi,4 Rosenblad,5 Jaeger,6 and Lane and Heck 7, have contributed significantly to the design of these experiments, which are believed to be the first in which a comprehensive study has been made of the combined effects under triaxial loading of joint spacing and joint orientation (Fig. 1).

Jan 1, 1970

By Walter C. Lawson

THE first plans were made in 1930 for the mining by open-pit methods of the low-grade disseminated ore body now known as the Morenci open pit. It was not until 1937, however, that final plans were completed and the decision reached to go ahead with the actual development. Many advances were made in open-pit mining equipment during that period of seven years, therefore the ways and means of attack actually used were very different from those originally contemplated. Diesel-operated bulldozers, big trucks, full-revolving electric shovels and electric churn drills constitute the major equipment finally purchased for this modern stripping operation. Neither the bulldozers nor the big trucks were considered in the early operating plans, for at that time bulldozers had not been used in mining operations and the trucks as yet were undesigned. The full-revolving shovel and the churn drills were not new developments in open-pit equipment, but both had undergone remarkable manufacturing transition, emerging far more efficient and far more dependable than their predecessors. Even the ordinary drilling steel had been fundamentally changed. It was now threaded so that the dulled cutting bits could be detached and replaced, thus eliminating the costly transportation of long bars to the drill shop for resharpening. The decision to use trucks in the preliminary stripping operations was based on the desirability of this type of transportation to economically prepare the pit for rail haulage, coupled with the success that the contractors had had with them on other big excavation jobs. There are at present no plans for the use of trucks beyond the preliminary work, inasmuch as rail haulage will give lower costs after roadbeds and benches are once established. For many years to come, both ore and waste haulage will be over favorable grades. The average length of ore haul between the pit and an assembly yard will be about two miles. From there the crushers will be 1 1/3 miles with a connecting track grade of 0.4 per cent. The upper ore benches of the pit will be reached from the yard by a series of four switchbacks over a ruling grade of 4.0 per cent compensated for curvature. Tracks to the dumps will be on 0.2 per cent grades.

Jan 1, 1938

By F. H. Gilpin

SINCE Noah pitched his ark within and without with pitch, the use of asphalt in human endeavor has been increasing-for Noah's pitch was asphalt. Asphalt is a bituminous material found in nature, either pure or admixed with smaller or greater quanti-ties of mineral and non-mineral materials, or obtained by the refining of crude asphaltic-base petroleum under proper methods of control. Native or "natural" asphalts are scattered through-out the world, though the commercial value of the various deposits varies greatly, depending upon both their accessibility and magnitude and the quality of the material found. It is an acknowledged fact that such asphalts have been produced through natural causes by practically the same application of tempera-ture and pressure as are used in the modern refining of crude asphaltic-base petroleum. The best known of all the native asphalt deposits are those of Trinidad Lake in the Island of Trinidad, British West Indies, and of Bermudez Lake in Vene-zuela. Asphalt from Trinidad Lake, after refining to remove organic and some inorganic diluents, contains approximately 35 per cent, of inorganic residue, and the asphalt thus produced must be fluxed with lighter asphaltic or semi-asphaltic base oil to make it com-mercially utilizable. The refined asphalt obtained from the Bermudez Lake deposit contains from 4 to 6 per cent. of inorganic material which cannot be removed. This asphalt, also, must be fluxed to produce com-mercial products. Small quantities of similar materials are available in other locations. The best pure native asphalt' is known as. gilsonite and is mined in com-mercial quantities in the State of Utah. In numerous places in the United States, particularly Oklahoma and Kentucky, there are deposits of sand¬stone and limestone impregnated with bitumen, which are known as rock asphalts. These rock asphalts may be used, particularly in the paving industry, either as found or by slight fluxing; from some deposits the asphalt is extracted and marketed commercially.

Jan 2, 1923

By M. King Hubbert

DURING the past summer the writer was asked by the Illinois State Geological Survey to make a study of some of its economic geological problems with regard to the applicability of geophysical methods of prospecting to their solution. The following four problems were sug-gested for investigation: (1) the fluorspar area of Southern Illinois, (2) oil structures in the south central part of the state, (3) the lead and zinc-bearing area of northwestern Illinois, and (4) the water supply and gravel deposits of the glacial drift. The prime requirements were to find a means of obtaining a maximum of useful information with a fairly modest outlay of expenditure for technical staff and equipment. The method of procedure adopted was that of making a preliminary study of each of the problems named by means of available office data and published reports with supplementary field reconnaissance where necessary.

Jan 1, 1932

By Paul M. Tyler, Carle R. Hayward

DOES it pay to do really good work? Quite likely the practical millman will answer that it does not. The preparation of ores for market is primarily a business enterprise, and by and large the individual operator does not bother his head about squandering our national resources or making easier the job of the smelterman. Having accepted such ore as he may get fro111 the mine, his job is to make the best possible showing with his mill fro111 the standpoint of financial return. His success is measured in dollars and cents, and he has no rightful reason to expect more than scant acknowledgment of any other achievements from the stock- holders of his company who in the last analysis are his employers.

Jan 1, 1936

By S. K. Nowak

The lithium solubility limit in solid aluminum was determined by the use of micro-graphic techniques. The solubility limit thus established was shown to be a true equilibrium by checking the reversibility of AlLi phase precipitation and dissolution around the equilibrium temperature. The experimental results fit a straight line by plotting log N(LI) against 1/T. The metallurgical reasons explaining the lack of agreement among previous investigations are discussed. THE solubility limit of lithium in solid aluminum was determined by Shamray and Saldau1 by micrography and by Grube et al.' and also Voss-Kiihler- by measurement of electrical resistivity. Since the addition of lithium induces extremely small changes in the aluminum lattice, X-ray techniques could not be employed for this purpose; in fact, the addition of lithium does not cause an expansion of the lattice as might be expected from a consideration of atomic radii, but causes a small contraction from 4.040 to 4.037A3, 4 when the solvent aluminum is saturated with this element. An analysis of the results from previous investiga-tions'" shows that with improvement of investigation techniques the solubility limit tends toward a lower lithium content. Again, some of the author's own experimental results on the action of atomic hydrogen on A1-Li alloys seemed to indicate that the solubility of lithium should be much lower, i.e., about 0.3 pet at 300°C: instead of 1.15 pet, the lowest published value.4 For the foregoing reasons it was decided to investigate this problem. The aluminum and the lithium used for this purpose were of the highest purity. The lithium solubility limit was determined by metallographic techniques, in particular by the use of a reagent especially developed for the purpose of revealing the AlLi phase. The solubility limit thus determined was shown to be a true equilibrium by checking the reversibility of AlLi phase dissolution and precipitation around the equilibrium temperature. All of the experimental work was carried out in 1951 at the Centre d'Etudes de Chimie Metallur-gique at Vitry, France, under the direction of Georges Chaudron.

Jan 1, 1957

By Ralph W. Smith

Development of the lime industry in Ste. Genevieve County began in a crude way in 1840. According to information furnished by the Missouri Bureau of Geology, in the early days small vertical kilns built of stone were used, and wood was the fuel. Modern development began in 1904 when one company introduced steel shells lined with firebrick. Within a few years two more companies erected similar plants, and in 1925 a fourth company began operations. Thus there arc today four lime companies at Ste. Genevieve, all operating at high capacity and with a gradually increasing production. Geology The limestone of Ste. Genevieve County, which has the chemical composition and purity required for lime burning, is the upper 80 or 90 ft, of Spergen formation. The Missouri Bureau of Geology, in its geological map of Ste. Genevieve County, gives the Spergen formation a total thickness of 160 ft., but only the upper portion is pure enough for lime burning, with an average raw-stone analysis of 98.7 per cent CaCo3; 0.35 SiO2; 0.3 R2O3; 0.35 MgCO3; 0.3 SO3. The Spergen, one member of the Meramac group, Iowa series, of the Mississippian system, underlies an area approximately 12 miles long north and south, by 5 miles wide east and west (Fig. 1) in Ste. Genevieve County. The entire eastern two-thirds of Ste. Genevieve County is sedimentary, the formations dipping gently toward the east on an average grade of about 4 per cent, or 2 1/2°. Thus the outcrops of the various sedimentaries run approximately north and south. A line running west from Ste. Genevievc crosses the outcrops of the sedimentaries, ranging from the top of the Mississippian to the Ozarkian geological system in a space of 12 miles. Thus with the gentle dip of 2 1/2° the 160-ft. thickness of the Spergen formation stretches out in its outcrop so that it is approximately one mile wide. The early quarry and lime developments at Ste. Genevieve mere in this easily obtained surface rock of the Spergen outcrop.

Jan 1, 1938

By Ralph W. Smith

Development of the lime industry in Ste. Genevieve County began in a crude way in 1840. According to information furnished by the Missouri Bureau of Geology, in the early days small vertical kilns built of stone were used, and wood was the fuel. Modern development began in 1904 when one company introduced steel shells lined with firebrick. Within a few years two more companies erected similar plants, and in 1925 a fourth company began operations. Thus there arc today four lime companies at Ste. Genevieve, all operating at high capacity and with a gradually increasing production. Geology The limestone of Ste. Genevieve County, which has the chemical composition and purity required for lime burning, is the upper 80 or 90 ft, of Spergen formation. The Missouri Bureau of Geology, in its geological map of Ste. Genevieve County, gives the Spergen formation a total thickness of 160 ft., but only the upper portion is pure enough for lime burning, with an average raw-stone analysis of 98.7 per cent CaCo3; 0.35 SiO2; 0.3 R2O3; 0.35 MgCO3; 0.3 SO3. The Spergen, one member of the Meramac group, Iowa series, of the Mississippian system, underlies an area approximately 12 miles long north and south, by 5 miles wide east and west (Fig. 1) in Ste. Genevieve County. The entire eastern two-thirds of Ste. Genevieve County is sedimentary, the formations dipping gently toward the east on an average grade of about 4 per cent, or 2 1/2°. Thus the outcrops of the various sedimentaries run approximately north and south. A line running west from Ste. Genevievc crosses the outcrops of the sedimentaries, ranging from the top of the Mississippian to the Ozarkian geological system in a space of 12 miles. Thus with the gentle dip of 2 1/2° the 160-ft. thickness of the Spergen formation stretches out in its outcrop so that it is approximately one mile wide. The early quarry and lime developments at Ste. Genevieve mere in this easily obtained surface rock of the Spergen outcrop.

Jan 1, 1938

By Walter Miller

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

Jan 1, 1944

By Karl Sundberg

ELECTRICAL investigations carried out in regions containing sedimen-tary rocks showed that sediments generally are good electrical conductors, a fact which at the present time is used for structural investigations by electrical methods. It is of fundamental importance, not only for these investigations but also for electrical prospecting in general, to know the electrical properties of various soils and rocks. It will be useful, there-fore, to discuss this question with the hope that the general points of view discussed in this paper will perhaps be, completed by further observations and determinations of material from various localities. This paper is based principally on the study of literature, and the purpose is primarily a discussion of the main factors that determine the electrical conductivity of soils and rocks. It will follow, however, that the factors discussed here also frequently decide how far a certain orebody can be regarded as a good electrical conductor compared with the sur-rounding rocks. All-rocks are more or less porous; and the pores are filled with liquids and gases. Their electrical conductivity, therefore, depends on the following factors: 1. The electrical conductivity of minerals composing the rock. 2. Electrical conductivity of the liquid filling the pores. 3. Proportion of the volume of liquid filling pores of the rocks to the solid rock material. 4. Shape of the pores. 5. Arrangement of the particles of gas and liquids. 6. Temperature. Dry minerals, with the exception of certain ore minerals, are complete nonconductors from the point of view of applied geophysics; in the present investigation we deal with rocks which have no conducting minerals, and factor 1, therefore, is not important. The same is true of soils. The liquids contained in soils and rocks in most cases are waters, some-times oil. As oil is a nonconductor of electricity, the impregnating waters will determine the electrical conductivity of soils and rocks.

Jan 1, 1932

By Paul Weir

BLEACHING clays have been used extensively in the oil-refining industries for a number of years. Their use in water purification is relatively recent and less extensive. They are frequently classified as (1) those naturally active and (2) those active after artificial activation with acid. Fuller's earths fall within the general group of bleaching clays and gradually the commercial term "fuller's earth" has been applied to natural clays originating, for the most part, in the south-eastern section of the United States. Bentonitic clays are usually classed as activable and are prevalent in the southwestern section of the United States.1 Bleaching clays vary considerably in chemical and physical properties throughout the country, or even in different parts of one deposit (Table 1). TABLE 1.-Physical and Chemical Composition of Different Types of Clays Composition, Per Cent Constituents and Properties Bentonite Fuller's Mud Clay (Wyoming) Earth (P Peak)' (Alluvial) Silica (SiO2) 60.0 69.6 61.67 Alumina (Al203) 19.0 14.3 20.34 Ferric oxide (Fe203) 2.8 3.90 7.70 Titanium oxide (Ti02) 0.13 0.70 1.01 Lime (CaO) 0.5 0.80 0.00 Magnesia (MgO) 2.0 1.00 0.24 Soda (Na2O) 2.4 0.40 0.31 Ignition loss 4.7 6.77 8.51 Moisture content 8.0 10.0 20.0 Isoelectric point, pH 9.2 9.2 6.5 Average swelling volume 15.0 0.0 0.0 Weight per cubic foot, lb 55.0 40.0 65.0 Material passing 200-mesh sieve, per cent 90.0 85.0 50.0

Jan 1, 1939