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By A. G. Lyle, J. D. Runkle, G. A. Gillies

THE evaluation of data obtained by selective flotation from even a simple ore is a very difficult process, and when the ore tested is complex the process becomes extremely difficult and cumbersome. The authors, in the course of an investigation into the selective behavior of various flotation reagents on nonmetallic minerals§ were confronted with an aggravated form of this difficulty, owing to the large mass of data that had accumulated over a period of years. They finally devised a method whereby the results of the various flotation tests could be correlated and interpreted by means of graphs representing recoveries and rejections of the component minerals in the ore. This method of graphical analysis proved so useful in nonmetallic flotation that it was afterwards applied to sulphide flotation, where it yielded equally satisfactory results. Since this method of analysis leads to very definite conclusions as to the effect of changes in reagents and flotation procedure, it is felt that a wider application of the method might assist the industry by reducing the amount of test work required, and possibly increase the accuracy of the final analysis. GRAPHS In Fig. I, four curves are plotted on the same graph with cumulative percentages as ordinates and cumulative weights as abscissas. In this instance the four curves are named, respectively: the barite-recovery curve, the limestone-rejection curve, the silica-rejection curve, and the summation curve. In these tests barite was the mineral concentrated, therefore a barite concentrate was produced. Definitions Before explaining the curves in detail it might be advisable to define several new terms, such as "percentage rejection," "summation index," and "summation curve," as well as the word "test," which has been used in a special sense. A "test" will include all the operations performed upon a batch of ore from the time it is placed in the rod mill until the last product has been assayed. Thus a test may be a comparatively simple procedure producing only one concentrate and a tailing, or it may be a very complicated procedure producing five or more concentrates of a specific mineral as well as a tailing. The number of concentrates produced will depend entirely upon whether the collector was added to the pulp in the flotation cell in one lot or was added in five or more portions. Percentage Rejection.-The ability of a selective flotation collector to reject an undesired mineral is just as important as its ability to collect the desired mineral. The percentage rejection curves shown on the graphs give this factor due consideration and its value is calculated as follows: Suppose a concentrate contains 5 per cent of an undesired mineral. This indicates

Jan 1, 1942

By W. C. Krumbein

GEOLOGICAL problems are approached from a geometrical (space relations) viewpoint, a kinematical (time sequence) viewpoint, or a dynamical viewpoint. The first two require sound training in conventional geology and in field methods. The third approach requires a solid foundation of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Modern training for geologists should include close integration of basic sciences with geological principles.

Jan 1, 1941

By A. W. Hale

In a work published in 1838, De Morgan, the author of the article on " Probabilities," in the Encyclopedia Metropolltimn, says: " The method of least squares is not yet introduced intb the affairs of common life,.....that many things which are denlonstrable only by the higher branches of mathematics are looked upon as useless." And he mentions an instance in which "a method was suggested for estimating the relative importance of boroughs, by considering their population and ~wntributions to the revenue con)-

Jan 1, 1881

By D. S. Lachtman

Government and labor sources have speculated that exposure to diesel exhaust may have adverse health consequences. The purpose of this discussion is to analyze the merits of these statements and place them in perspective to underground mining. It would be ideal to eliminate exposure to all substances until they are proven safe. This is impossible, since nothing can be proven safe. Rather, one must extrapolate by using the best available scientific information to make reasonable judgements and decisions. It makes little sense to ensure that a mine atmosphere maintains a lower concentration of a substance than that allowed for ambient environments. Such regulations are set at more stringent levels than those tolerated in the occupational work place. However, levels of pollutants that are in excess of concentrations tolerated in the work place would not be appropriate in any environment.

Jan 1, 1983

Estimation of local recoveries is an important issue in a selective mining operation. Two techniques, probability kriging and multigaussian kriging, are applied to estimate local recoveries at Jerritt Canyon. The pros and cons of each method are discussed in light of the results. Both methods provide simple and satisfactory solutions to the problem of estimating local recoveries. Consequently, they can be useful tools to work with in a selective mining operation.

Jan 1, 1986

By R. M. Rose, C. S. Tedmon, J. Wulff

It is frequently of interest to study the influence of small quantities of interstitial impurities on the properties of various refractory metals and alloys.

Jan 1, 1964

The third special war meeting of the New York Section was held on Thursday evening, Sept. 27, in joint session with the New York Section of the American Electrochemical Society, in conjunction with the Third National Exposition -of-Chemical Industries, at the Grand Central Palace. The topic for discussion was ferro-alloys, and the supply' of raw materials for their manufacture. After a few introductory remarks by President Philip N. Moore, of the Institute, and President Colin G. Fink of the American Electrochemical Society, Mr. C. S. Newcomb presented his paper on "Chrome Mining and Concentration."

Jan 11, 1917

By T. R. A. Davey

A Survey of current and recent research and developmental work is supplemented by predictions for processes which should be developed over the remainder of this century.

Jan 1, 1970

By Paul B. Barton

Unconventional mineral deposits are those that differ significantly from productive deposits in mineralogy, grade, or geologic setting. Thus, the initial representatives of each deposit type are, by definition, “unconventional” until they are exploited. The “unconventional” status changes to "conventional" because of economic shifts (e.g., bulk silver ores), because of technological innovations (e.g., froth flotation), or simply through the recognition of, and production from, novel mineral concentrations. Heretofore the discovery of new deposit types has been almost entirely accidental, but the long- established concept of the geochemical cycle provides a nearly untouched opportunity and challenge for the application of geochemistry in predicting novel, potentially economic, mineral concentrations.

Jan 1, 1983

By F. Milton Lewis, Roshan B. Bhappu

In Part I of this article, published in the September issue of MINING ENGINEERING, Edward S. Frohling and Robert M. McGeorge of Mountain States Mineral Enterprises, Inc., reviewed the general overall financial aspects and methods of raising the necessary capital for developing the mine. In Part 2 of this two-article series, we will present several case histories to show how realistic feasibility studies are used for evaluating the choices and options entailed in mining ventures. Basically, after a potential ore body has been discovered, and the necessary funds obtained for the development of the deposit, the next major problem is one of ascertaining what specifically is to be produced, and the costs of production. The profit potential of the mining venture can then be accurately assessed by the mine owner, operator, or loan officer.

Jan 10, 1975

By R. Casting, J. Philibert, and C. Crussard

APPARATUS described in this paper uses the properties of X-radiation, emitted by substances under electron bombardment, as a means of rapid chemical point analysis. The method is based upon the principles of emission X-ray spectrography pioneered by Moseley in 1913. A very finely focused beam of electrons—the electron probe—is projected on the surface of a sample, which has a very large area compared with the beam diameter, at the point where it is desired to know the chemical composition. The minute volume of the sample which is thus irradiated emits a complex X-ray spectrum consisting principally of the characteristic radiations of the elements present in the volume. Measurement of the wavelength and intensity of each component of this spectrum thus affords a simple method of determining the chemical identity and concentration of these elements. The volume of sample which is analyzed at each position of the beam is limited by the diffusion of electrons in the sample. For an accelerating potential of the electron beam of about 30 kv, which is a convenient value for producing the characteristic radiation, this diffusion extends over a diameter of about 1 µ normal to the beam, and about 2 µ in the direction of the beam. Thus a beam of 1 µ in diameter leads to a volume of about 2 µ in diameter being irradiated. The limits of the analyzed region are thus considerably smaller than those obtained by using spark or arc emission spectrometry, which must extend to about 50 µ at right angles to the beam, and those obtained in X-ray fluorescence analysis, where the penetration of the specimen is considerably greater. The apparatus itself consists of three main parts: an electron optical system. an X-ray spectrograph and an optical microscope. The electron opticai system consists of a tungsten cathode emitting the electrow and a pair of magnetic lenses which focus the electron beam on the specimen to be analyzed. The specimen is prepared in the usual way, as in optical micrography. The X-radiation, emitted at the focal spot where the electrons strike the sample, is analyzed with a curved crystal, Geiger-Müller counter, vacuum spectrograph. The light microscope, designed to observe the surface of the sample in the region to be analyzed, is provided with a reflecting objective placed on the axis of the second magnetic lens. Its magnification is X450. The quantitative determination of an element A in the analyzed region is made by measuring the intensity I, of a strong characteristic line of the element, as emitted from the sample, and then the intensity I (A) of this same line as emitted from a

Jan 1, 1958

By G. Sachs, E. J. Ripling, J. J. Lynch

It is general practice to evaluate the strength properties of a particular metal from its stress-strain (s1 — el) curve obtained by means of a conventional tension test. Such a stress-strain curve, Fig I, illustrates two important properties of a metal, its ability to strain harden, and its ability to withstand a certain limiting stress, the "fracture stress," (s), and a certain limiting strain, the "ductility" (es), before it fails by separation. These two fracturing characteristics are the coordinates of the point of fracture in Fig I. In the case of a metal which necks in a tension test, both the fracture stress and the ductility (measured in a tension test) are dependent upon (I) the shape of the neck and (2) average values of the stresses and strains over the cross-section at the moment of fracture. However, for the pur. pose of this investigation, these average quantities, rather than the actual values, may be considered for reasons of simplicity. It appears that the conclusiom also hold true if the analysis were carried out for actual values of fracture stress and ductility at the locos of failure. In this paper, the effects of straining (at room temperature) by various methods on the above metal characteristics, which were determined by subsequent tension tests will be discussed. According to Our present knowledge, any such prestrainitlg results in a stress-strain curve (in subsequent testing by tension), Fig 2, the general shape, or flow characteristics, of which can be derived from the original stress-strain curve of the unstrained metal minus a certain portion exhausted by the initial straining. This phenomenon is called strain hardening, and may be measured by the magnitude of the cut-off, or the "effective strain,'' from which the new curve must start in order to coincide in its plastic branch with the original stress-strain curve.

Jan 1, 1949

By Simon D. Strauss

COPPER In terms of mining activity, copper is the leading nonferrous metal. It is true that in recent years the volume of aluminum consumption in the non-Communist world has exceeded the volume of copper consumption, but virtually the entire primary aluminum supply is derived from bauxite. On the average, only four tons of bauxite need be mined to produce a ton of aluminum. By contrast, the highest-grade, large-scale copper mines now in operation (those in the Congo) must mine at least 20 tons of ore to produce a ton of copper. In the United States an average of 150 tons of ore must be mined to produce a ton of copper. This does not take into account the huge amounts of waste overburden that must be stripped from the open-pit mines to account for their steadily rising share of the world's copper output. Copper epitomizes the economic problems of the mining industry in many ways. Its price is highly volatile, considering its great economic importance. It has been a tool of mankind longer than any other of the base metals-the dawn of history has been classified as "The Bronze Age." World Copper Production Although copper is mined in many countries, in recent years 70% of the non-Communist world production has come from six countries. Two of these are industrialized countries and are large consumers-United States and Canada. The other four are developing countries with very small domestic requirements-Chile, Zambia, Zaire, and Peru. Heavily dependent on copper exports to sustain their domestic economies, these countries find themselves oscillating between prosperity and depression with the changing levels of copper prices. In an effort to control their own destiny, in 1968 they formed an organization of copper exporting countries (CIPEC) which was designed to study copper markets and possibly to intervene actively in these markets. (When this chapter was being prepared, no actual steps along such lines had been taken.) Many of the leading industrialized nations are wholly dependent on imports for their primary copper supplies. These include West Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and many others. Japan, now the non-Communist world's second largest copper consumer, produces only 10 to 15% of its requirements from domestic mines. Although the bulk of the copper output is smelted in the country where it is mined, there is a limited international trade in copper concentrates. Canada, the Philippines, Australia, and Papua-New Guinea are significant exporters of copper concentrates; Japan, Germany, the United States, and Sweden are importers. However, this trade accounted for only about 10% of the non-Communist world production of copper during the decade of the 1960s.

Jan 1, 1976

By P. W. Bridgman

IT is characteristic of most scientific investigators that they are not satisfied with the discovery of new facts, no matter how curious or unex-pected, but that along with the factual discovery there is a constant effort to understand. It appears that one's interest in, and satisfaction with, the discovery of an array of new experimental facts is enormously increased if one has at the same time a theory or hypothesis guiding one's expectation of what sort of new experimental discovery may lie around the corner. Conversely, as a theoretical physicist one's satisfaction with his theory is greatly enhanced if along with the development of the theory can go the discovery of new experimental facts, confirming or perhaps modifying the theory as it grows. Of course, there have been long arid stretches in the history of physics in which new data of unquestioned ultimate importance have piled up, without much inspiration or illumina-tion in the way of understanding. For 50 years spectroscopy had such an arid history, but how irksome this was felt to be is plainly shown by the almost audible relief that greeted the first success by Bohr in injecting understanding into the situation, and by the fresh rush of experimenters into this field when the prospect of understanding had once been offered. The investigations in the field of high pressure, which have occupied me for a long time,1 until the last few years have been in very much the same sort of situation as spectroscopy before the advent of Bohr. A great many kinds of data were collected for a great many solid and liquid sub-stances, and there could be no question of the importance of these data, because the uniform change of dimensions produced by hydrostatic pressure is perhaps the simplest conceivable type of alteration to which a body can be subjected. But except for a few isolated flashes, there was no theoretical illumination, so that it had to be to a large extent the enthu-siasm of the collector that kept me going. However, within the last few years the wave-mechanics theory of solids has progressed so rapidly that

Jan 1, 1938

By W. M. McCardell, W. O. Winsauer, M. Williams

The mechanism by which an electrical potential difference is developed between two salt solutions separated by shale is shown to be a consequence of the electrical double layer of the shale surfaces. A mathematical derivation is presented to show -the dependence of the potential on the shale characteristic.? and on the concentration of the salt solutions. The equations developed describe adequately the potential-concentration behavior of a long shale core. The equations also describe the variation of potential of sand-shale mixtures with variation of clay content. Ion adsorption i* an important factor in he developments of the surface charge on the shale. and electrical resistivity and ion transference number data are emlployed to estimate the increase of surface charge with concentration. Since the potential is shown to be dependent on the characteristics of the particular .system. water salinities estimated from the potential log by previously proposed methods may be low in some rase;. INTRODUCTION That the electric well log exists today may he attributed to the ingenuity of the Schlumberger brothers who adapted to the logging of wells techniques which were originally developed as surface prospecting methods for the location of ore bodies Empirically it was found that the potential curve of the electric log usually gave values for clean sands which were negative with respect to the values for shales. It was suggested that the potential was responsive to porosity. It was postulated in explanation? that the potential was the sum of a streaming potential, which differed for sands and shales, and of an "electro-chemical" potential of undetermined origin. Mounce and Rust in 1943 showed that the streaming potential is small in most cases and that the potential is generated by a process in which shale and a salinity difference play-essential party. Dickey.:' in the same year, concluded that the potential is dependent upon adsorptive properties of reservoir rock. Wyllie in 1949. and Wyllie and Patnode, in 1950, measured the potential-: between two salt solutions separated by barriers of either naturally-compacted or artificially-compacted shales and concluded that the potential can be expressed by where E is the potential R is the gas content F is Faraday's constant T is the absolute temperature are the activities of the two uni-univalent solutions These authors postulated that shale. in the ideal case is impermeable to the migration of negative ions. Any potential less than the "ideal" shale potential was considered to be due to imperfections in the shale barrier. Although the studies by Wyllie and Patnode of the development of the shale potential are fairly recent. investigators in fields other than well logging have discussed the mechanisms responsible for analogous potentials over a period of several decades. Although it is evident that much thought has been devoted to the question of the origin of the potential observed in wells, it is also apparent that all of the explanations presented to

Jan 1, 1953

By Rush Greenslade

The oil and gas lease is the basic contract of the oil and gas industry; it is the foundation stone upon which the producing industry, particularly, is based. As the industry is precarious and highly speculative, the foundation contract should be of the utmost integrity and certainty. But right there an anomaly exists; the oil and gas lease is the most obscure, most uncertain, doubtful contract in the realm of law today. That is a condition that must be considered when taking oil and gas leases, and when buying, selling, and holding them. It may fairly be asked why should this industry rest upon so insecure a foundation. Why should not the oil industry rest upon the contract that is the basis of all industry, the warranty deed? There are many contributing reasons, but the principal one is business expediency. The Anglo-Saxon idea of ownership of land is that every land owner owns from the center of the earth to the sky—all that is above and all that is below—consequently the oil and gas are owned by the person who owns the surface. That idea is not exactly true with reference to oil and gas, for many states have adopted the doctrine that oil and gas are like wild animals; they are fugacious and migratory and belong to the man that traps them. But, except for that doctrine, we believe that oil and gas are owned by the owner of the surface, wherein we differ from the Latin-American countries where the mineral rights are owned by the government. The United States was settled largely by homesteading. The owners of land were, in the main, farmers, who did not have the means or the faith to drill for oil or gas. The operators or speculators did not want to buy the land on the mere possibility of finding oil; hence a compromise resulted by which the land owner gave the speculator or the operator what he called an oil and gas lease, or a right to go upon his land and drill for oil and gas. What is supposed to be the first oil lease placed on record reads as follows: Agreed this 4th day of July, a.d. 1853, with J. D. Angier of Cherrytree township in the county of Venango Pennsylvania that he shall repair up and keep in order the old oil springs on land in said Cherrytree township, or dig and make new springs, and the expense to be deducted out of the proceeds of the oil, and the balance, if any, to be

Jan 1, 1924

By B. D. Thomas

GRAVITY concentration is a general term designating processes for separating and sorting granular material by means of forces that depend on the density, size and shape of the particles. When these forces are applied to the particles the latter are caused to move, those of a given density along one path and those of a different density along another, until ultimately they are sufficiently separated to be removed from the operation of the process. The forces producing this separation are in general complex and, unfortunately, no completely rigorous analysis of them has as yet been devised. The science of the hydrodynamics of viscous fluids deals with the little that is known about the problem. Every observer of nature is familiar with the fact that an object moving in a fluid encounters a force of resistance. We have only to walk against a brisk wind or stir a cup of coffee, or observe the slow fall of a grain of sand in water, to experience directly the fact that such forces exist. The exchange of force between an object and a fluid in which it is moving operates on the fluid as well as on the object. Thus a sailboat may be set in motion by the force exerted by the wind on the sail; but the sail also deflects the wind-furthermore, the water in which the boat floats is set in motion by the force exerted by the boat as it cleaves through the water. The wind is thus enabled to do work on the water through the intermediary of the boat. In general, an object moving through a fluid encounters a force that opposes the motion and also acts to change the motion of the fluid. In gravity concentration we are dealing with this force of resistance acting - on the granular particles that are to be separated. Furthermore, the motion induced in the fluid by a particle will in turn affect the motion of a neighboring particle. This effect will be reciprocated and in consequence there will be an exchange of forces between all the particles in the material. These effects are complex and the most that can be expected is that we may be able to determine in a qualitative way how they operate. In gravity concentration, then, the following types of forces may be distinguished as acting on the particles: 1. The force of gravity, which acts on every particle in the system in proportion to its mass. 2. Buoyant forces, which arise from the force of gravity acting on the fluid.

Jan 1, 1950

By G. G. Griswold, B. S. Morrow

The copper-bearing ores concentrated at the Anaconda plant of the Anaconda Copper Mining Go. are principally a mixture of copper and iron sulfides associated in a gangue consisting of quartz, lightly altered granite and feldspars, with sphalerite and galena and more rarely barite and hubnerite as accessory minerals. The predominant sulfide is pyrite. The copper minerals present are: chalcocite, bornite (erubescite), enargite, chalcopyrite, covellite, tetrahedrite and some tennantite. Normal concentrator practice removes a slime prior to ball-mill grinding. The deslimed ore is ground to approximately 10 per cent plus 65 mesh for flotation. Two selective flotation circuits are used, one for deslimed ore and one for slime. Microscopic studies of concentrator products disclose such an interlocking of copper minerals with pyrite that any material increase in concentrate grade entails additional grinding unless recovery is sacrificed to a considerable extent. During the latter part of 1931 and the early part of 1932 the problem of producing a high-grade concentrate (40 per cent Cu) with at least no

Jan 1, 1935

By J. C. Draper, R. J. Houston, R. E. Pepperman

Duquesne Light Co. and CAI Consultants, Inc. conducted a demonstration program to establish permanent vegetative cover directly on acidic, deep coal mine refuse. Several plots were treated with formulas varying in soil amendment application rates and plant speak. Periodic monitoring of refuse chemistry indicated when maintenance applications of seed and soil amendments were required. To establish drainage control, the site had to be regraded. The most successful experimental formula was used as the bank for the formula applied to regraded portions of the site. Specific treatment for acidic spots has been initiated. Results of the program indicate that adequate permanent vegetation has been established.

Jan 1, 1985

Still, the subject of iron ore is associated in peoples' minds mostly with the Lake Superior region and this is as it should be. The Minnesota Section meeting exposed the forces that over a period of two decades, 1950 to 1970, are revolutionizing the industry. The Lake Superior region has been at the center of these changes and has been deeply affected by them. The rise of foreign sources of iron ore that did not require beneficiation and taxation considerations were for a number of years a giant setback for the Lake Superior region and Minnesota in particular. However, the companies in this region have led the drive to improve the quality of ores which are culminating in the tailored pellet. This is a product in which iron content, silica, without significant impurities, is manufactured for optimum blast furnace performance. The oxide pellet does not seem to be the end as partially or prereduced pellets are closer at hand.

Jan 3, 1966