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By B. H. Clemmons, C. H. Schack

Extractive metallurgy techniques currently employed to recover silver from primary ores and secondary scrap were reviewed and evaluated to identify and delineate metallurgical problems whose resolution would increase the supply of silver from domestic materials. The survey revealed that practically all primary silver is recovered by froth flotation concentration of various types of ores, followed by smelting and refining of the separate lead, copper, and zinc concentrates. Silver losses during the complex processing are, with rare exception, inconsequential. Furthermore, any silver production gain from base metal ores, which contribute about two-thirds of the total primary silver, is directly dependent on improvement in the market for the base metals. Statistical data on new and old silver scrap are wholly inadequate to make reliable conclusions about scrap processing problems and the possibility of increasing the recovery of silver from the many forms of secondary silverbearing materials. The available information indicates (1) that efficient silver reclamation practices are employed by the larger users of silver, and (2) that recovery of additional secondary silver involves solution of problems of collection rather than of processing. Several possibilities exist for limited increases in silver production from primary ores by improvement in metallurgical practices. Specifically, research is needed to (1) solve the problem of recovering silver from the copper ores of the Copper Range district, Michigan; and (2) devise economically feasible methods for recovery of silver from presently marginal or submarginal ores that because of grade, location, and frequently complex nature cannot presently be exploited by conventional techniques.

Mar 1, 1965

By Eldon C. Pattee

Variations of a very reliable geochemical field test for beryllium developed by Patten and Ward, have been adapted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines to facilitate rapid testing of reconnaissance samples and to aid in rapid examination of known occurrences. Although several qualitative tests for detecting beryllium have been described in the literature,1,2,3, the Patten-Ward4 morin geochemical field method has the advantages of being rapid and being quantitative for minute amounts of beryllium. In addition to the morin field method, Patten, in cooperation with Griffitts, have developed a contact- print method for determining beryllium in hand specimens.5 The semiquantitative method can be used for rapid screening of samples in exploration or reconnaissance work. The use of beads for fusing samples provides a more rapid test, but gives less accurate results than the method developed by Patten and Ward. The semiquantitative method, however, requires less equipment and combines three stock solutions into one reagent for easy application. Estimates of samples in the range from 3 to 1000 ppm varied from about 0.25 to 5 times the actual beryllium content.

Jan 5, 1965

By F. T. Davis

Many contributors have added to the fund of knowledge in the basic sciences related to mineral dressing during the past year. During 1964, the French edition of the Proceedings of the VIth International Mineral Processing Congress together with discussions was printed. Also, complete Preprints of papers delivered at the VIIth IMPC were published in September1. Over a third of the papers presented at VIIth IMPC dealt with fundamentals. COMMINUTION It has been postulated by Ponceleta that flaws need not exist before a stress is applied but rather the flaws are created at the tip of a propagating crack at a stress well below the theoretical breaking stress.

Jan 2, 1965

By T L. Horsley

This paper deals with the drilling and blasting methods employed at the Cassiar mine, which is located just south of the B.C.-Yukon border. It covers both the "pit" and "peak" mining operations. Specific problems, such as working in frozen ground, are discussed, and the breaking characteristics of the various rock formations are outlined. The paper concludes with a brief mention of the equipment used in the operation, as "~ell as an outline of the breaking costs. Introduction T HE Cassiar asbestos mine is located just south of the British Columbia -Yukon border high on a spur of McDame mountain. Chrysotile asbestos fibre occurs in a faulted enlargement of a serpentine sill lying conformably be-tween a series of sedimentary beds and volcanic flows which dip at 45 degrees into the mountain. One end of the orebody is eroded by a cirque in which a layer of permanently frozen ore and waste talus lies at the end of the mining benches. The topography at the mine is steep, with no flat areas. Roads, dumps, and areas for crushing,

Jan 1, 1965

By G. Y. Chin, A. R. Von Neida

The relationship between crystalline texture and magnetic anisotropy in a Co-10 pct Fe alloy has been investigated by means of X-ray pole .figures, hysteresis-loop tracings, and magnetic-torque measurements. The cold-rolled texture of a sample after 95 pct thickness reduction is of the "brass-type", that is, (110)[112/. At 500°C the cold-rolled material recrystallizes fo a (311)[112] orientation, plus a minor (210) [001] component. This texture persists up to 1400°C, at which point it is replaced by a secondary recrystallization texture, (111)[112]. Magnetic-torque measurements show that the easy axis of magnetization lies along the transverse direction in the cold-rolled material and changes to the rolling direction after primary recrystallization. This change is also reflected in the hysteresis characteristic; whereas the B-H loop along the rolling direction is nonsqunre with a low value of residual induction (750 vs 19,000 gauss at saturation) for the cold-rolled material, the annealed sample exhibits a very square loop with a large value of residual induction (16,000 gauss). Theoretical torque curves calculated from the texture data on the basis of magnetocystalline anisotropy energy compare favorably with the observed torque curves. Values of the crystal anisotropy constant, K1, obbained from these comparisons are in good quantitative agreement with single-crystal data. Furthermore, both the torque amplitude of the poly crystalline material and the magnitude of K1 obtained with a single crystal show an identical temperature dependence over the range from —195° 10 +220°C. It is thus conclzided that the magnetocrystalline anisotrpopy erlergy is chiefly I-esponsible. for the nzagnetic allisotropy of textured Co-10 pct Fe alloy. THE results of a study on the relationship between crystalline texture and magnetic anisotropy of an alloy containing 90 pct Co and 10 pct Fe by weight are reported in this paper. The alloy has an fcc structure: a saturation magnetization of about 19,000 gauss,2 and a nearly zero value of magnetoatriction.3 puzey4 has reported a large crystalline anisotropy constant of -7.4 X 105 ergs per cu cm, indicating the (111) directions as the easy axes of magnetization. Hence, texture variations resulting from cold work and annealing are expected to introduce a magnetic anisotropy in the polycrystalline material through the alignment of these (111) easy directions. In the present study, magnetic anisotropy of both rolled and annealed strips was determined by magnetic-torque measurements and hysteresis-loop tracings The results were correlated quantitatively with calculations based on texture data obtained by the X-ray pole-figure technique. It is established that the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy is indeed chiefly responsible for the magnetic anisotropy of textured Co-10 pct Fe alloy. EXPERIMENTAL Material Preparation. The alloy nominally contained 90 pct Co, 9.5 pct Fe, and 0.5 pct Mn by weight, the chief impurities being nickel, carbon, and silicon (less than 0.5 pct total). The cast ingot was rolled to strips 10 mils thick and slit to 1 in. in width. After strand annealing at 900°C in a hydrogen atmosphere, these strips were further cold-rolled to various thicknesses down to 0.25 mil (97.5 pct reduction), with samples collected for study of the development of texture and magnetic anisotropy as a function of thickness reduction. subsequently, samples cold-rolled from 100 mils to 0.25 mil were obtained, thus extending the thickness reduction range to 99.75 pct. In addition, 0.5-mil samples cold-rolled from 10 mils were selected

Jan 1, 1965

By J E. Curfman

This paper deals with using track-type and rubber-tired machines in the ripping and handling of overburden and ores. The techniques and proper attachments pertaining to the ripping of materials are covered in some detail. Production and relative costs of ripping, as against other methods, are covered in cases pertaining to the mining industry. The use of the refraction seismograph in predetermining the rippability of materials, including a chart relat-ing velocity to rippability, is covered. This operates on the principle that sound waves travel through subsurface materials at different velocities, depending upon the degree of consolidation of the material. It is known that the same factors that affect consolidation also affect rippability. Proper equipping of the tractor to insure maximum efficiency is also covered in some detail. Introduction T HE idea of loosening consolidated materials prior to further handling and processing is probably as old as man. The purpose of ripping is to provide fragmentation of rock and loosening of consolidated materials.

Jan 1, 1965

By J. W. Faust, H. F. John

Generalized conditions for rod or ribbon growth by the twin plane re-entrant edge mechanism are given. It was shown that this mechanism can result in growth of twinned platelets from dilute metal solutions. The platelrts 01 the fee metals are faceted by (111) planes and contain two or more twin planes. Microsegregation traces were revealed in silver grown from a thallium solution. VOGEL has already set down conditions for dendritic growth;1 however, this was the normal single-crystal dendritic growth experienced during solidification. In this work it is desired to set down the crystallographic conditions that will lead to rod or ribbon growth with smooth facets. These are as follows. a) The growth must be crystallographically limited (i.e., faceted growth). b) In order to have directed growth, some mechanism must allow easier nucleation than two-dimensional nucleation. That mechanism is afforded by the re-entrant edges at twin planes.213 Thus there must be twin planes present in the rods or ribbons. c) The growth direction must lie in the twin plane. If not, the twin plane will grow to the face or side of the ribbon and the site of easy nucleation will be lost. d) The growth direction must be parallel to at least one plane of the faceting planes, and no set of the faceting planes can be perpendicular to the growth direction. A corollary to these conditions involves the number of twin planes necessary to maintain the indestructible re-entrant edge. The number depends on the crystal structure of the material. An analysis of the data available shows that a material whose faceting planes form an open figure requires at least one twin plane while materials whose faceting planes form a closed figure require at least two twin planes in order to form the indestructible re-entrant edges for extended growth. The conditions and an assessment of the possibility of rod or ribbon growth are given in Table I for several crystal systems. As can be seen the fee, diamond and zinc blende, or-thorhombic, rhombohedral, and one form of the hexagonal lattice systems can yield this type of growth, but not the bcc metals nor the hexagonal

Jan 1, 1965

By R. R. Nothdurft

The internal friction of eight single crystals of magnesium with orienta-tion ranging from 10° to 84° was measured at 33.5 kc and 272° C, and the results were interpreted in terms of the pinned-dislocation model proposed by Granato and Lucke. Results show that the strain-amplitude-dependent decrement varies with orientation in a manner predictable by the G-L model. Different values of strain-amplitude-independent decrement were observed at different orientation angles, but correlation with the theory was not conclusive. Problems and steps for further study are discussed.

Jan 1, 1965

By Robert E. Ennis

The somewhat misnomered "continuous" face section is in most mines today still far from perfect continuity. Achieving uninterrupted flow of coal from the mining machine to the outside has been a long sought for goal. Clearly, the largest problem to be solved in continuous mining today is one of increasing the cutting time of the miner. Full machine utilization can never be achieved with the new high capacity miners, as long as their performance is tied to that of the shuttle car. Figure No. I illustrates the point at which shuttle car haulage distance determines unit productivity rather than the productive capacity of the miner. Continuous mining is never realized. A recent development has proven, however, that truly continuous mining and haulage is possible. The Bell & Zoller Coal Company working with the Research and Development Department of Hewitt-Robins Inc. developed and perfected a new mining system which offers advantages in terms of increased productivity at reduced mining costs and enhances the safety of personnel at the face. This new system involves the use of two pieces of equipment that form a unbroken link, at all times, between the mining machine and the mine belt haulage system. These pieces are a Mobile Bridge Conveyor, and an extensible panel conveyor. The following areas of discussion will be covered during the review of this development. I. The design and operating features of the new system. 2. Its application in underground mining 3. The performance of the system to date 4. Operation and maintenance cost considerations 5. Safety features of the system

Jan 1, 1965

By S. Feuerstein, J. M. Galligan

SURFACE effects in the deformation of metal single crystals have been noted by a variety of workers.&apos; A large majority of these experiments have used surface roughening or a second chemical constituent at the surface. We performed the following experiment to see how the presence of a fine polycrystalline layer influenced the stress-strain behavior of single crystals of zinc. Spherical single crystals oriented for single slip were acid-machined into cylindrical dumbbell-shape shear specimens having a gage length of 3.2 mm and a cross section of 20 sq mm. The crystals were then deformed varying amounts at the surface of the gage section with emery paper. Following this treatment, the crystals were heated for approximately 8 hr at 200°C. This resulted in a polycrystalline surface layer, with an observed grain size of approximately 1/10 mm in diameter. Deformation of these crystals was undertaken at 78°K in pure shear, the shear direction <1120> lying in the basal plane. The deformation apparatus has been described elsewhere.2 The presence of a polycrystalline layer markedly raises the first observed plastic deformation, as can be seen from Fig. 1. This yield stress is then followed by a region of low work hardening comparable to that observed in shear tests on similar untreated zinc single crystals. However, the extent of easy glide is quite seriously curtailed, and is followed by a more rapid increase in work hardening, reminiscent of Stage II observed in the deformation of fcc crystals. The higher yield can probably be attributed to the difficulty of penetrating the grain boundaries by dis locations from sources interior to the boundaries. If we associate this yield stress with this breakthrough, then we might expect that more dislocations would be trapped in the crystal than is normally the case. If there is an increased density of trapped dislocations, this could lead to an increase in the amount of trapping with increasing strain, giving a larger strain hardening in the crystal. Although other explanations can be given, it is quite tempting to characterize the region of increased work hardening as a manifestation of Stage II-type deformation. This seems reasonable if the polycrystalline layer is quite efficient in holding up a large number of dislocations. In zinc crystals, since it is well-known that the slip distance can be as large as the specimen dimensions, one would only expect to entrap a large number of dislocation with very large crystals or by applying surface layers. If this interpretation of increased strain hardening is correct, it might present a method of studying Stage II in single crystals of zinc. This research was supported, in part, by the Office of Naval Research (1959). The encouragement and stimulation given by Professor E. R. Parker is gratefully acknowledged.

Jan 1, 1965

By A. Z. Dimitroff

An improvised rock-dust disseminator, consisting of a 10-gallon galvanized metal milk can that dispenses rock dust in return air currents by the injection of compressed air has reduced the float dust explosion hazards at the Koehler coal mine, Koehler, N. Mex.

Jan 1, 1965

By S. E. Valji

Clay slurries are normally dewatered using flocculents like sulfuric acid or aluminum sulfate. This type of flocculation is based on the electrolytic mechanism. For certain clay dewatering applications, this method of flocculation is unsatisfactory. Flocculation, based on the bridging mechanism, using organic polymers has been utilized to overcome such problem situations. This method of flocculation offers solutions not possible by previous methods. Normally these flocculents are used to assist dewatering. In this case, not only is dewatering promoted, but also further processing is assisted by a change in the dilatant character of the filter cake that is formed. Discharge of filter cake is easier, extrusion of filter cake on to conveyor dryer is possible or improved, and heat transfer and drying rates of the extruded filter cake are substantially higher. Both natural and synthetic organic polymers have been utilized for this purpose. Selection, application techniques, and economics are described.

Jan 1, 1965

By O E. Weightman

This paper describes the methods used for the ventilation of raises, sublevels and drawholes at Cominco&apos;s Sullivan mine. The problems involved in ventilation during blasting, drilling and scraping operations are first re-viewed, and then the air mover, a piece of equipment developed at the Sullivan mine, is described. The design of this device is discussed, along with the operating procedures used. Some figures are given to show the effectiveness of the method. THE Sullivan mine, located at Kimberley in the southeast corner of British Columbia, is owned and operated by The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada Limited. Current daily production is approximately 10,000 tons. The mine is developed by sixteen levels over a vertical range of 2,000 feet. The total ventilation requirements, which amount to approximately 1,000,000 cubic feet per minute, are handled through a network of fresh air intake and foul air exhaust circuits. In addition to the many development and production headings, there are three crushing chambers and an extensive conveyor system which must be ventilated.

Jan 1, 1965

By Edmund C. Bitzer

The unit costs of dry crushing, within the efficient reduction ranges of equipment now available, are considerably less than those for the reduction of the same material in the same size range by wet mills using grinding media. This is a commonly recognized fact which cannot be disputed; still we find considerable imbalance in costs between the crushing and grinding sections of many operating mills. In other words, there are many instances where more reduction could be accomplished in the lower cost area of dry crushing. In addition, equipment is now available which enlarges this area and makes it possible to consider much finer crushing than has been heretofore economically feasible. There has been a tendency for the past two decades to utilize wet rod-¬milling in the reduction step. This actually amounts to a fourth stage of crushing in a size range formerly served by roll crushers which have fallen from favor on account of high operating costs, Some investigations have indicated that there is not sufficient difference in the operating costs of rolls and rod-mills to give a clear cut advantage to either method, There has for some time been a need and an opportunity for a dry crushing process to improve costs in the range now served by these two systems.

Jan 1, 1965

By Nicholas J. Grant

It is the purpose of this paper to examine a number of the recent developments in powder metallurgy, being most concerned with those which are yet to prove themselves rather than those which have achieved commercial maturity. Such developments include the production of very much coarser and very much finer powders, down to the near-micron size range. Also considered are activated sintering, direct powder rolling and extrusion (both hot and cold), brazing and welding, hydrides of reactive metals, oxide dispersion strengthened alloys and theoretical evaluations. Introduction T HERE surely can&apos;t be very much argument with the fact that powder metallurgy has made large advances on many fronts during the past ten or more years (1). These advances have taken place in raw materials, in processing, in product development and in a better understanding of many of the phenomena which occur in the various steps involved in powder metallurgy. It should be clear, in view of such growth, that it will not be possible to highlight all of the new developments in the present paper. Many of these developments,

Jan 1, 1965

By Jr. Oitto

A polyester-type resin and deformed-steel reinforcing bars (rebars) were used in to strengthen and to stabilize bolted, fractured wall rock along pas 1:&apos;y. in a western gold mine. Reinforcing bars were placed in boreholes drilled into fractured rock and then were surrounded by resin pumped under pressure into the holes and intersecting fractures until the wall rock was thoroughly impregnated. Pumping and injection equipment and infusion procedures are described. Visual examinations for movement in bonded and adjacent unbonded rock were made for 3 years. Fractured walls containing resin-rebar installations were strengthened. The results suggest that resin-rebar support can be used advantageously and economically in repairing fractured or broken rock when compared with rock bolting or timbering.

Jan 1, 1965

The purpose of this paper is to present the methods used in ground water control and the considerations that affected the development of these techniques. Production at Knob Lake is currently proceeding at depths which may be as much as 200 feet below the original standing water table. In order to produce a more saleable product and to improve operating and maintenance conditions, it is necessary to depress the water table below the mining level. Considerable success has been achieved by drilling deep wells in strategic locations and installing vertical tur-bine pumps at depths of up to 400 feet. This method is especially suitable for operation under severe winter conditions and has reduced the detrimental effects by a far greater extent than other methods of water control, Spring runoff is handled in open sumps, but all other water from four mines, with flows exceeding 16,000 g.p.m., is pumped all year &apos;round from about thirty-five wells. T HE Knob Lake operation of the. Iron Ore Company of Canada is located on the Quebec-Labrador border, 320 miles north of Sept Iles,

Jan 1, 1965

By A. A. Dor

Recent developments in the design of concentration plants have reflected the increased recognition that has been given to the economic and metallurgical advantages of autogenous grinding. This has manifested itself in the increasing adoption of primary auto genous grinding in iron ore &apos;beneficiation plants in North America. Table 1 lists eleven major iron ore beneficiation plants which have either been put in operation since 1961 or are under construction at present. Seven out of these eleven plants have adopted primary autogenous grinding. Four of them have coarse grinding mills (8 to 14 mesh) and three have fine grinding primary circuits (48 to 65 mesh). Their nominal capacity totals 26. 2 million ltpy of concentrates or pellets, representing very nearly 75% of the aggregate capacity 135. 3 million ltpy) of the eleven concentrators listed. For a long time there was a tendency to consider that primary autogenous grinding was only applicable to suitable coarse grained ores, However, extensive testing of a very wide variety of ores, and actual operating performance in several commercial plants, seem to have established beyond reasonable doubt, that the majority of mineral ores which the beneficiation engineer may be called upon to process can be ground autogenously. The basis for the selection of autogenous or conventional grinding mills, becomes principally economic and depends on the liberation characteristics of the ores under consideration and their relative hardness and grindability.

Jan 1, 1965

By Delbert L. Keenon

The principal concepts of computer control and automation have been successfully applied in industries world-wide, The enthusiasm generated by the proponents of computer control, and the apparent mystery enveloping the techniques of computer control, have caused attention to be focused on this infant industry from all quarters. Consequently, the motivation to "computerize" may be the hope that computers will solve all economic problems. The truth remains that not only have there been monumental successes, but there have been some colossal failures. This paper will attempt to outline a generalized guide to computer control and present methods for avoiding some of the major pitfalls. Since the investment required for computer control systems has been drastically reduced in the past year, small operations will likely find that computerized process control is attractive in areas where it has never been considered before, The discussion presented here is intentionally non-technical and directed towards those who may soon find they have a possible application for a control computer. The primary purpose of computer control is to reduce expenditure and increase profits by improving the quality of product, increasing the efficiency of operation, reducing the materials and man hours required or a combination of these. Success or failure to reach the desired goal depends, to a large degree, on a well-planned approach. This includes recognizing a possible computer application, properly defining the job which is to be accomplished, evaluating computer systems, selecting a capable manufacturer, and following through with sound systems engineering and programming.

Jan 1, 1965

By Dell P. Williams, Howard G. Nelson

The tensile behavior of magnesium single crystals at a temperature of 26º ± 2ºC was investigated at varying pressure levels from 760 to 8 X 10-8 tow. For crystals deformed at a constant linear strain rate of 0.061 min-1. there was no apparent effect of the vacuum environment down to 10-8 torr. However, from a vacuum of 10-5 torr down to the lowest pressure attained (8 x 10-8 tor,), the effect of the vacuum environment was to increase the strain at the end of the first linear (or easy-glide) stage and to decrease the slope of this stage; the magnitude of this effect was found to be dependent on pressure. The slope of the second linear stage was also decreased at the lower pressure levels; however, this effect appears to be caused primarity by the vacuum effect on the first linear stage. The magnitude of the vacuum-environmrnt effect was also found to be dependent upon strain rate. The reduction in flow stress at 5 x 10-8 torr, as compared to the stress in air, was obserced to be about 10 pct for a strain rate of 0.0250 min-&apos; and 70 pct for a strain rate of 0.67 min-1. No systematic effect of pressure on the critical resolvled shear stress was observed. The data interpreted in terms of a modified form of Mott&apos;s work-hardening mechanism for hexagonal metals. It has long been known that surface conditions influence the mechanical behavior of materials. Roscoe 1 demonstrated the importance of surface conditions on mechanical behavior by testing cadmium crystals with oxide layers. He found that the "apparent" critical resolved shear stress for cadmium was increased approximately 2.5 times by the presence of an oxide layer 1000 atoms thick. The magnitude of this effect was dependent on film thickness with crystals having films less than 20 atoms thick still showing a definite increase. This observed strengthening could not be attributed to any strength of the oxide film because of 1) the thinness of the films and 2) an observed increase in the flow stress as deformation proceeded. Harper and cottrel12 obtained similar results on zinc crystals which had been etched and steamed to give artificially thick oxide films. However, in the course of this study, they also carefully examined the very early stages of plastic flow for zinc crystals which in one case had been electrolytically polished and in the other had been lightly etched to produce a thin film. They then found that the critical resolved shear stress for both surface treatments of the crystals was actually identical but that the etched crystal exhibited a much more rapid initial hardening rate. This had not been noted previously. This result indicated that, in fact, the film caused an increase in the stress for continuation of slip, rather than for the initiation of slip. Lipsett and King3 investigated the effect of evaporated gold films on the plastic behavior of cadmium single crystals. For large angles (=75 deg) between the specimen axis and the normal to the slip plane, they found that the stress-strain curve of the coated specimen always lies above that for a clean specimen. The shear strain at the end of the first linear stage was greater in clean specimens than in coated specimens and the slope of the second linear stage was

Jan 1, 1965