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By W. T. Turrall, D. Porter

THE crystal laboratory, Dept. of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was confronted with the problem of obtaining a supply of optical grade calcium fluoride (CaF2) for use in growing synthetic CaFe2 crystals. A search of the known fluorspar deposits did not indicate that any quantity of optical spar could be obtained. Even the best material had to be sorted by hand to remove impurities. The process for growing CaF2 crystals developed by Professor D. C. Stockbarger of the Dept. of Physics, M.I.T., necessitates very pure feed materials. Exclusion of impurities is required, even in amounts detectable only spectrographically. The impurities occurred as minute inclusions of SiO2, BaSO4, CaCO3, FeS2, water or air. Crystals up to 4 in. in diam and weighing several pounds are made by the Harshaw Chemical Co. in Cleveland. Since the time required to grow a 4-in. crystal is about one week, and since the cost of manufacture is high, removal of impurities by any concentration method appeared practical. The mineral engineering section of the Dept. of Metallurgy undertook to investigate the possibility of concentrating clear optical fluorspar, -4 mesh +10 mesh, from a feed containing over 99 pct CaF2. Various innovations of the known methods of concentration were considered, but in each case the minute amount of impurities associated with the crystal produced such extremely small differences

Jan 1, 1952

By Richard E. McElvain, I. Cave

The selection of centrifugal pumps for mill discharge duty should be based on the total circuit concept. The practice of operating the mill circuit based on limitation of the pump can result in losses in one day which would offset the pump cost. Operating data from 25 grinding circuits have been reviewed and comparative results on added mill capacity have established advantages far beyond the less significant maintenance costs with increased circulating load and better cyclone operation. Mill discharge pumps should be selected on the following basis: i) Best available design for wear performance ii) Size to provide best economic life iii) Liner material best suited to circuit conditions Pump efficiency is a secondary consideration because power consumed by pumps is small compared to mill power input. Energy dissipated in mill pumps is contributing to comminution of ore.

Jan 1, 1982

NEW MEMBER, The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period Mar. 10 to Apr. 10, 1915: Members ADAMS, Louis WINFIELD, Supt., Rolling Mills, Lehigh Plant, Bethlehem Steel Co., So. Bethlehem, Pa.. ALLEN, ARTHUR WATTS, Mine Mgr Rodeo, San Juan, Argentina., BALL, EDWIN MARCOTTEL, Mine Supt., Ishkooda. Mines, Care Tenn. Coal, Iron & R. R. Co., H.F.D. 1, Birmingham, Ala. BOLN, CHARLES A., Oil salesman 135 S. 2d St., Philadelphia., Pa. BOYD, DAVID F., Naval Officer Navy Department, Washington, D. C. CAPERTON, GEORGE HENRY Charleston, W. Va. COGGESHALL, GEORGE W., Chem. Engr., Institute of Industrial Research, Washington D C

Jan 5, 1915

By Richard W. Greene, Joel S. Hirschhorn

MATERIALS containing very large amounts of porosity, in the order of 50 to 90 vol pct, are extremely difficult to evaluate according to conventional mechanical behavior tests. This is usually a consequence of their low strength and brittleness, and the difficulty of preparing standard test specimens. A simple fatigue test has been developed and used successfully on porous nickel sheet materials requiring no specimen preparation; it could also be used for configurations other than sheet or plate. Samples of the sheet. 2 in. sq and about 0.025 in. thick, are placed in a vessel that is evacuated to about 50 f Hg by a mechanical pump. Distilled and deairated water is allowed to enter the vessel thereby filling the porosity (virtually all the porosity in these nickel ma-

Jan 1, 1970

By Geo. H. Eldridge

This sketch of the Florence oil-field, presented to the Institute by permission of the Director of the U. S. Geological Survey, is accompanied with a map, Fig. 1, the topography of which has been taken from a field-manuscript of the Survey. The scale of the map and

Jan 1, 1892

By E. Gybbon Spilsbury

The recovery of gold and silver from their ores by means of the cyanide process has been so successful in the last few years that ally radical improvement would seem impossible; yet the appliance to which I wish to call attention in this paper is really a radical departure from the methods now in general use. The most modern and approved of these, known as the all-slimillg method, depends for its success on the grinding of the ore so fine that practically 90 per cent. of it will pass through a 200-mesh screen. The slimes thus produced are then agitated and aerated in tanks of various types. The main object of this treatment is to insure such a thor-

Jan 1, 1911

By Thomas B. Dellinger

Since 1950, rotary-drilled, large-diameter holes, "big holes", with depths to over 300 ft and diameters of over 30 in., have become numerous and widespread. 50 such holes have been drilled for access shafts to LPG mined caverns. Over 70 holes have been drilled for various other commercial activities. Over 150 holes have been drilled by the AEC for atomic testing purposes. These holes have ranged up to 300-in. diam with 1600-ft depths, 120- in. diam with 570-ft depths, and 72-in. diam with 4800-ft depths. Equipment is now available to drill a wide range of big holes for varied requirements. At least a dozen drilling contractors are participating or have participated in the drilling of big holes. The accompanying tables show pertinent historical, technical and economic data on over 250 holes. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the big hole drilling equipment available, a compilation of the available data on large-diameter holes, to show the experience obtained to date and to show that big hole drilling is feasible and available to the industry.

Jan 12, 1965

By C. E. Wethered

THE Morning mine is operated through one main working adit, known as No. 6 or 800 tunnel level. At a distance of 10,000 ft. underground from the portal is the vertical four-compartment, main working shaft, which extends to the 3050 level, a distance of 2250 ft. below the collar, or 800 level. Shaft-stations are cut and levels opened every 200 ft. of depth and the ore is stoped to the next level above. The vein is nearly vertical and the ore is usually fairly massive and brittle. Both walls are soft and slabby and much difficulty is therefore experienced in holding them. Stopes are usually carried up in short sections, approximately 200 ft. in length, that are mined as rapidly as possible in order to avoid a too great replacement or repair of stope timbers. The four-compartment vertical shaft, 110 ft. in the footwall of the vein, is the sole medium of outlet for all ore mined below the adit level. Two compartments of this shaft are used exclusively for hoisting ore, except at the time of changing shifts, when one compartment is used to handle some of the men and timber. The third compartment is equipped for handling men, tim-ber and all general supplies and is operated by a Nord-berg 300-hp. electric hoist. This hoist has a lifting ca-pacity of 14,000 lb. with an average rope speed of 800 ft. per minute. The fourth compartment is used solely as a manway and pipeway.

Jan 7, 1927

The Library of the above-named Societies is open from 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. on all week-days, except holidays, from September 1 to June 30, and from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. during July and August. The Library contains about 55,000 volumes, including sets of technical periodicals and the publications of scientific and technical societies. Members of the Institute, with few exceptions, are forced to spend a portion of their time in localities isolated from sources of information. To these the Library can render valuable service through correspondence; letters requesting information will receive special attention. The Library is prepared to furnish references and copies of articles on mining and metallurgical subjects; to determine the existence of mining-maps and to furnish general information as to the geology and mineral resources of all countries. All communications should be made as definite as possible so that the information received may be what is desired and not include collateral matter which may not be of interest. The time spent in searching for such collateral matter will be saved, and the information will be sent more promptly and in more usable shape. The members of the Institute can be of service to the Library by forwarding copies of mining-reports, maps privately issued, and similar material, which will be classified; indexed, and made available to other members. Suggestions for additions to the Library, either by purchase or personal solicitation as gifts, will he welcomed. It is hoped that members while in the city will use the Library freely, and assurance is given that most careful service will be rendered to them.

Jan 12, 1913

By Reamy Joyce

CONDITIONS in underground mining are so variable that in approach-ing the problem of the economies effected by the use of pressure-treated mine ties and mine timbers, it is necessary to secure specific data for each mine. Facts must first be dug out to show the service life of untreated timber and the reason for its failure. Generally speaking, decay is the usual cause of failure, but in some mines mechanical destruction is an important factor. Occasionally the two causes combine to produce fail-ures, and it is difficult to determine positively which factor is responsible. In making comparisons, it is always necessary to start with the cost in place and for this reason there must be accurate information covering the labor cost of installation and the labor cost of renewals. When treated timber is used, it is necessary to know the specifications for the treating process, whether the timber was painted, dipped, treated open tank, or impregnated under pressure according to standard specifica-tions. It is also necessary to know the preservative used and the amount of the preservative that was retained by the timber after treatment. It is also well to know whether the timber was thoroughly air-seasoned before treatment or was green at the time it was treated. The kind of timber available, both untreated and treated, must be known and all of the factors listed above must be taken into consideration in the study of any problem.

Jan 1, 1939

By Joseph G. Wargo

A meteoric rise in selling price has revived gold exploration activity throughout the world. In the United States the effort is, in large measure, channeled toward discovery of disseminated gold deposits such as the Carlin-type, i.e., with size and grade characteristics similar to Newmont's Carlin mine in Nevada. The subtle surface indications characteristic of Carlin-type gold mineralization have been examined by a number of geologists, and the more obvious prospects have been tested by surface sampling and drilling. It is likely that most of these readily recognizable deposits have already been found and, as a consequence, prospectors are now entering a new, second stage of exploration for Carlin-type and related disseminated gold deposits.

Jan 9, 1979

By R. P. Carreker

GERMANIUM is a member of that group of ele-nents—carbon, silicon, germanium, and tin-— that are currently of particular interest because of their interesting electrical properties. Near room temperature these materials of diamond cubic crystal structure are characteristically brittle. However, there have been several recent reports that germanium is not brittle at elevated temperatures These observations may be summarized as follows: 1—Germanium single crystals were observed to creep in bending under a maximum fiber stress of 6 kg per mm&apos; (8500 psi) at 500°C and above.&apos; The creep curves were sigmoidal, with an induction period that decreased with increasing temperature. 2—Germanium crystal bars have been bent 90" about radii ten times the bar thickness at 550°C.&apos; 3—-Audible clicks were heard when l/4 in. thick crystals were bent drastically at 450" to 500°C. No microstructural evidence of mechanical twinning was observed 4—Slip lines have been observed in tensile specimens deformed at 600°C, and are coincident with (111) planes, the close-packed planes of the diamond cubic structure.] The slip direction has not been established. 5—A germanium crystal has been compressed approximately 20 pct along a <110> axis at 700°C." The results reported subsequently were obtained in exploratory experiments intended to indicate some aspects of the behavior of germanium single crystals when tested in simple tension. Specimen Preparation A single crystal bar of n-type germanium was used. It was of purity corresponding to a resistance range of 2 to 20 ohm-cm. Tensile specimens were prepared by cutting small rectangular bars

Jan 1, 1957

By Ionel I. Gardescu

During the summer of 1930 the average daily oil production of Rumania registered a new peak at 128,000 bbl. per day. The estimated potential production as of September, 1930, was as high as 235,000 bbl. per day. During the latter part of the year, by mutual agreement, the operators decided to curtail their output to about 100,000 bbl., which brought the average for the year to 116,600 bbl. The total production for 1930 was 41,572,000 bbl. (last month estimated) as compared with 35,757,000 bbl. for 1929, or an increase of 16.3 per cent. over last year&apos;s production. The production for the last 10 years is given in Table 1. The curtailment of production was prorated per company, based on its total estimated potential production as of September, 1930, and not per field. As a consequence, at present there is little development of protected or slightly productive areas; viz., Arbanasi, with an average production of 1750 bbl. per day, dropped to less than one-third after curtailment came into effect. Moreni, with an average production of 92,000 bbl. per day, while producing 58 per cent. of the country&apos;s total output in 1929, went to 67 per cent. at the beginning of 1930 and to 75.2 per cent, towards the end of the year. The modified Mining Law of 1929 is still in effect. This law withdraws the restrictions set on foreign capital by the law of 1924. As a consequence a large percentage of proven state land was alloted through competitive bidding to foreign companies. The Romano-Americana (Standard of New Jersey) acquired several leases in the Boldesti and

Jan 1, 1931

By Hisahiro Kinoshita, Derek Temple, Yoshio Higashitsuji

The zinc-lead blast furnace process has been installed by two smelters in Japan. In 1966 a unit was commissioned at Harima in Hyogo prefecture by Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd. and in 1969 a consortium of other Japanese zinc and lead smelters completed their unit at Hachinohe in Aomori prefecture, managed by Mitsui Mining & Smelting Go. Ltd. , the major shareholders. The special characteristics of these two plants are described with particular emphasis on their location and operation. Reference is also made to the processing of a wide range of raw materials, including residues from other processes. Both plants pay scrupulous attention to plant and environmental hygiene to meet the high standards set by the local prefectural governments; the ways in which this has been achieved are discussed. General performance data on each furnace is included, showing that this pyrometallurgical process is supplying 16% of Japan&apos;s zinc and refined lead consumption. Note - All tonnes (t) are metric of 2204 lbs.

Jan 1, 1976

By J. M. Johns

INTRODUCTION The Climax Mine is located on the continen¬tal divide, on Fremont Pass, about 145 Km south west of Denver, Colorado. Molybdenum, along with the by products, tungsten, tin, and pyrite are produced from both the open pit and under¬ground operations. The underground operation utilizes a panel caving mining system, and produces in excess of 27,000 mt per day. In the mid 1930&apos;s, the Climax mine began changing from a grizzly level layout to the slusher drift system which is still in use to¬ day. Over the years, the slusher drift layout has been refined to correct, improve, and sim¬plify minor operational problems. In common with most older hardrock mines, the development equipment used at Climax was the standard rail mounted, pneumatic mining machinery. This type of equipment remained in use, at least to some degree, until about four years ago. For production, 112 Kw electric slushers were used, while mine traffic was rail with trolley locomotives. Beginning about ten years ago, Climax began

Jan 1, 1981

By Fred Beasley

METALLURGISTS have, in the past ten years, overcome many difficulties of high zinc in lead blast-furnace slags. This problem was brought to the front at the close of the late war, by the price obtained for lead and the high cost of labor, fuel, and flux. The Port Pirie plant of the Broken Hill Associated Smelters, Australia, early in 1919 had increased the zinc oxide in its blast-furnace slags from 13.5 to 20 per cent., at the same time reducing the iron oxide in the slag from 33.5 to 25.6 per cent. These results were obtained by the following proceduret the addition of granulated slag to the roaster charge, 10 to 12 per cent., improved conditions of the crushing and mixing and roasting of the constituents of the sinter. By experiments and improve-ments the practice at this plant has developed a normal slag that carries 22 per cent. zinc oxide, and at times runs as high as 33 per cent. zinc oxide, with only slight furnace trouble. The granulated slag is used not, only as a diluent to the sulfur in the roaster charge, but also on account of its value as a slag-forming material and on account of the physical properties it imparts to the finished sinter. The ore is mixed with flux and given a double roast. All the first roasting is by sintering with the Dwight & Lloyd machines. The final roasting is performed partly by Dwight & Lloyd machines and partly by H. & H. pots. The charge to the blast furnaces consists chiefly of the final sinter, slag shells, siliceous and non-bearing sulfur, lead ores. High blast and ore columns are the practice. The greatest care is taken to obtain in the final sinter as low a sulfur content as possible.

Jan 2, 1925

By Howard S. Strouth

Investors and mining companies in the U. S. have recently shown increased interest in the Union of South Africa. This has been sparked partially by the founding in the U. S. of a large investment trust which will hold substantial shares in many of the leading gold and uranium producers. The average U. S, mining man&apos;s judgment of the Union, however, may be somewhat clouded by recent headline news. We are inclined to take a strong dislike to the stern measures of the present Union government with regard to its native majority. Others possibly think of South Africa in krms of a British colony which, under pressure of rising African nationalism, must eventually be abandoned. These concepts frequently suffer for lack of precise information.

Jan 5, 1959

The Library of the above-named Societies is open from 9 A.M. to 10 P.M. on all week-days, except holidays, from September 1 to June 30, and from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. during July and August. The Library contains about 55,000 volumes, including sets of technical periodicals and the publications of scientific and technical societies. Members of the Institute, with few exceptions, are forced to spend a portion of their time in localities isolated from sources of information. To these the Library can render valuable service through correspondence; letters requesting information will receive special attention. The Library is prepared to furnish references and copies of articles mining and metallurgical subjects; to determine the existence of mining maps, and to furnish general information as to the geology and mineral resources of all countries. All communications should be made as definite as possible so that the information received may be what is desired and not include collateral matter which may not be of interest. The time spent in searching for such collateral matter will be saved, and the information will be sent more promptly and in more usable shape. The members of the Institute can be of service to the Library by forwarding copies of mining reports, maps privately issued, and similar material, which will be classified, indexed, and made available to other members. Suggestions for additions to the Library, either by purchase or personal solicitation as gifts, will be welcomed. It is hoped that members while in the city will use the Library freely, and assurance is given that most careful service will be rendered to them.

Jan 4, 1915

By A. S. Richardson

VENTILATION of the Butte mines has long been a rather difficult problem because of the natural high temperature of the rock. With increase in mining depth, higher rock temperatures have been encoun-tered, and this has caused a constantly growing demand for more effective ventilation measures. During recent years the hazards of dust in mine air have been more clearly recognized, and have necessitated the adoption of dust-prevention methods. To meet these ventilation problems in the mines of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., a mines ventilation department was organized in 1918, to act under the direction of the general superintendent of mines. At the present time, under normal operating conditions, the force employed includes the ventilation engineer, two chief assistant ventilation engineers and eight assistant ventilation engineers. The activities of the department are, briefly: (1) planning and supervising operation of the general ventilation system; (2) planning and supervising the operation of dust-prevention measures, together, with dust sampling and related microscopic work for the quantitation of the dust samples and determina-tion of particle-size distribution; (3) the design and development of air-conditioning methods to meet present exceptionally severe temperature conditions and in anticipation of future requirements. To a large extent the technical features of the ventilation methods have been described in earlier papers by the author. This paper is written mainly to summarize past accomplishments bearing most closely on health and safety, with a somewhat more detailed account of the dust-prevention measures that have been developed comparatively recently.

Jan 1, 1938

By P. D. Merica

Certain compositions of the light, i:e., aluminum-rich, alloys of aluminum with magnesium and copper have become quite well known within the past ten years under the name of duralumin. These alloys are used for rolling and forging and can be so treated as to develop quite remarkable mechanical properties. Thus a properly heat-treated alloy containing about 4 per cent. of copper and about 0.5 per cent. of magnesium, rolled into sheet or rod, will have a tensile strength of approximately 55,000 lb. per sq. in. (3866 kg. per sq. cm.) with an elongation in 2 in. (50.8 mm:) of about 15 per cent. This alloy, duralumin, was developed by Wilm,1 and its properties more fully described by Cohn.2 The authors considered it worth while to investigate the mechanical possibilities of the light alloys of two somewhat analogous ternary series; namely, of aluminum-magnesium-nickel and of aluminum-magnesium-manganese, to study the effect of variation of composition upon mechanical properties within the alumimum-rich group of the aluminum-magne-

Jan 7, 1919