Search Documents

R. W. Raymond, New York City: From a study of Mr. Johnson's paper, I conclude that his apparatus is simple in construction and operation, and imitates in a revolving machine the movements of hand-shoveling. It does what a man would do in removing sand from the waste-water with a perforated shovel. I am sorry to say that I fear the present condition of the brown-ore mining industry in the East, as long as

Jan 1, 1899

By J. C. Prof. Smock

(Read at the Philadelphia Meeting, February, 1878.) THE fire-clays of New Jersey belong in two geological ages, the cretaceous and quaternary, or post-tertiary. Three very small deposits of plastic clays have been discovered within the limits of the Archoean rocks. These are not refractory and of little importance, excepting in a geological consideration. They have resulted from a decomposition of the feldspars of the rock in situ, and they have been classified as inferior kaolins.

Jan 1, 1878

By J. L. Martin, W. M. Campbell

A new electric logging method, called displacement logging, often gives a direct indication of the presence of mobile hydrocarbons in hydrocarbon-bearing formations. This method is based on the detection of a bank of connate water which is formed between the invading mud filtrate and virgin formation fluids in these cases. The existence of this phenomenon has beer, verified by laboratory studies and by actual field logs taken in known oil sands. INTRODUCTION During the past decade increasing use has been made of conventional electric logs to determine the amount of oil or gas in formations traversed by a borehole. This determination requires knowledge of several factors, such as true resistivity of the formation, formation factor, and water resistivity. Sometimes all of the factors necessary to make a reliable saturation calculation are not available. Also, the computations and corrections which are necessary in such a study often require the services of an experienced log analyst. It has long been the desire of exploration people to have a logging device which will locate hydrocarbon-bearing formations directly without requiring complex interpretation methods. The displacement log, while not completely fulfilling this desire, appears to be a Step in that direction. Basis for the Device The basis for this device stems from a phenomenon which occurs when mud filtrate invades a formation which contains displaceable hydrocarbons. As the mud filtrate invades the formation, most of the oil or gas is pushed out of the invaded zone, leaving residual oil. However, in addition to displacing most of the oil or gas, the connate water is also swept out, since the originally irreducible water is mobile in the presence of a water phase.1,2,3 Tonsequently, this irreducible water piles up as a bank between the virgin oil zone and the invading filtrate. If the mud filtrate is of higher resistivity than the formation water— as is commonly the case—the resulting annular zone, containing the bank of formation water, will be of lower resistivity than either the virgin oil-bearing formation resistivity or the invaded zone resistivity. This resistivity configuration, going from high to low to high again as the distance from the borehole increases, is found only in those zones which contain displaceable hydrocarbons. A device which would reliably detect this low resistivity zone would give a direct indication of mobile hydrocarbons. Illustrations This phenomenon is illustrated in Fig. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 shows a sketch of a zone containing salty connate water plus displaceable hydrocarbons, along with graphs showing fluid content and electrical resistivity vs distance from the borehole, before invasion occurs. Fig. 2 shows this zone, together with fluid content and resistivity graphs. after invasion by a fresh water mud. The resistivity pattern on moving away from the borehole is high: low: high. The absence of the low zone phenomenon in water zones is illustrated in Fig. 3 and 4. Fig. 3 shows a sketch of a zone containing salty formation water and residual oil, along with graphs showing fluid content and electrical resistivity vs distance from the borehole, before invasion occurs. Fig. 4 shows this water zone, together with fluid content and resistivity graphs, after invasion bv a fresh water mud. In this case the resistivity pattern on moving away from the borehole is high: low since there is no change in water saturation at the head ol

Jan 1, 1956

By John H. Puffer, Andreas H. Vassiliou

The Bemco mine area is within the Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rock terrain of the New Jersey Highlands province. Rocks In the area include a pyroxene granite, a hornblende granite, a quartz-oligoclase gneiss and a pegmatite and its host rock, a lens of amphibolite which becomes a sulfide-rich pyroxenite near the ore zone. The ore-bearing zone occurs along the hanging wall and foot-wall contact of the pegmatite which was emplaced discordantly into the amphibolite-pyroxenite.

Jan 1, 1985

President MRS THORNS E LLOYD 14 Green Hill Road Morristown, N J First Vice-President MRS A B PARSONS 52 Edgewood Road Scarsdale, N Y Second Vice-President MRS H A PROSSER 1001 Park Avenue New York, N Y Third Vice-President MRS HARRY J WOLF 3 Glenwood Avenue Littleneck, N Y Fourth Vice-President MRS MARK LAWRENCE REQUA 140 North Plymouth Blvd Los Angeles, Calif Fifth Vice-President MRS NEWELL G ALFORD 314 South Homewood Avenue Pittsburgh, Pa

Jan 1, 1952

By A. Kenneth Schellinger

IF the ball mill is considered only from an energy standpoint, it can be thought of as a converter of kinetic energy into heat energy and surface energy. The law of the conservation of energy must apply to the ball mill as it does to any machine or process in nature. The heat energy output of the ball mill is apparent to any casual observer of the operating mill since the outflow pulp will be appreciably warmer than the inflow water and rock. The rock in the ball mill is crushed by shearing of its ionic bonding caused by some impact-induced stresses beyond the elastic limit. As the bonds holding the mineral crystal lattices together are ruptured, new surface area is created on each unit of which a definite number of unsaturated bonds exist. Such unsaturated energy of bonding may be termed the "surface energy," and is a potential energy figure. This created energy was withdrawn from the ball mill system and represents an absorption, or disappearance of heat. To reduce the size of the rock, surface area must be created and with it the at-

Jan 6, 1951

By M. H. Merriss

In the last few years, there have been developed at the plant of the Nichols Copper Co., Laurel Hill, 'Borough of Queens, New York City, improvements in electrolytic copper refining by the series system that have materially increased the flexibility and economy of that system. The purpose of this paper is to discuss, as of interest to refiners and to those who have copper to refine, as well as to the engineering profession in general, the changes' that have taken place resulting in wider application and increased efficiency of the series system. Copper is electrolytically refined in two ways, which are spoken of as the "multiple system" and the "series system." In both systems, the electrolytic tanks are in series electrically. In the multiple system the electrodes in a single tank are in multiple or in parallel, thus: There are two important adaptations of the series process, one represented by the series electrolytic tank room at the Baltimore Copper, Smelting & Rolling Co., Baltimore, Md., and the other by that of the Nichols Copper Co.'s plant. At Baltimore, the anode is rolled to perfect

Jan 1, 1926

By M. H. Merriss

IN THE last few years, there have been developed at the plant of the Nichols Copper Co., Laurel Hill, Borough of Queens, New York City, improvements in electrolytic copper refining by the series system that have materially increased the flexibility and economy of that system. The purpose of this paper is to discuss, as of interest to refiners and to those who have copper to refine, as well as to the engineering profession in general, the changes that have taken place resulting in wider application and increased efficiency of the series system. Copper is electrolytically refined in two ways, which are spoken of as the "multiple system" and the "series system." In both systems, the electrolytic tanks are in series electrically. In the multiple system the electrodes in a single tank are in multiple or in parallel, thus: In the series system, the electrodes in a single tank are in series, thus: There are two important adaptations of the series process, one represented by the series electrolytic tank room at the Baltimore Copper, Smelting & Rolling Co., Baltimore, Md., and the other by that of the Nichols Copper Co.'s plant. At Baltimore, the anode is rolled to perfect

Jan 6, 1925

By A. M. Gaudin, C. S. Chang

Adsorption was measured for barium ion and laurate radical, using radioactively marked agents, over wide range of concentrations. Laurate adsorbed in absence of barium fails to float. With barium, flotation-effective laurate coating needs not exceed 5 pct of monolayer. Barium adsorption then is several fold larger. No barium laurate coating is obtained. IN general, fatty acids or their alkali salts do not cause clean quartz to float. However, the presence of multivalent ions, such as the alkaline-earth metal ions and heavy-metal ions, can activate quartz and thus make it respond to soap flotation. The mechanism of activation and soap flotation of quartz has been studied.'-' The problem was attacked by making flotation tests rather than by careful adsorption measurements on suspensions of ground quartz in solutions containing the activator and the collector. Attempts have been made to determine the adsorption of barium ion and calcium ion on quartz. The results have only qualitative value as the analytical methods were not adequately precise. Artificial radioactivity and progress in radioactivity detection have introduced a new analytical tool, which can have a sensitivity several orders of magnitude greater than that of other methods."-" In the experimental work described in this paper the radioactive tracers, barium 140 and carbon 14, were employed. Lauric acid was synthesized, having a radioactive carbon atom and was used with Ba" to study the adsorption of barium and laurate ions from aqueous solution on ground quartz. Flotation tests, using the vacuum flotation technique,' were run in conjunction with the adsorption experiments. The object of this investigation was to understand better the reaction mechanism of barium activation and soap flotation of quartz. Methods and Materials Quartz Sample Preparation: Lumps of hand-picked quartz, washed free of stains, were reduced in size to —20 mesh in laboratory crushers. The product was boiled in concentrated hydrochloric acid to remove the abraded iron. The cleaned product then was ground dry in a laboratory porcelain mill, using siliceous pebbles, to pass through a 200 mesh screen. The ground product was deslimed by sedimentation at 37 microns. This —200 mesh +400 mesh material was subjected again to boiling with concentrated hydrochloric acid, followed by washing with distilled water and further desliming. The cycle was repeated until no trace of iron could be detected in the wash liquor. During the final washing, the pH of the wash water was checked to insure the complete removal of the acid from the mineral. The quartz then was rinsed with conductivity water. The resulting product was dried in a drying oven and stored in mason jars. The impurities (spectrographic) were as follows: Al, 0.01 to 0.001 pct; Li, Mg, Mn, Na, each less than 0.001 pct; Fe and Cu not detected. The specific surface of the quartz sample was determined by the krypton gas adsorption method.' The average of two measurements was 881 sq cm per g. The calculated specific surface for 37/74-micron quartz particles, using a surface factor of 1.96; is 900 sq cm per g. This is in good agreement with the measured value of 881 sq cm per g. Beta-Counting Method: The radioactive isotope of barium used in the experimental work was barium 140. It has a sufficiently long half-life, 12.8 days, emits high-energy beta particles (up to 1.0

Jan 1, 1953

By A. M. Gaudin, C. S. Chang

Adsorption was measured for barium ion and laurate radical, using radioactively marked agents, over wide range of concentrations. Laurate adsorbed in absence of barium fails to float. With barium, flotation-effective laurate coating needs not exceed 5 pct of monolayer. Barium adsorption then is several fold larger. No barium laurate coating is obtained. IN general, fatty acids or their alkali salts do not cause clean quartz to float. However, the presence of multivalent ions, such as the alkaline-earth metal ions and heavy-metal ions, can activate quartz and thus make it respond to soap flotation. The mechanism of activation and soap flotation of quartz has been studied.'-' The problem was attacked by making flotation tests rather than by careful adsorption measurements on suspensions of ground quartz in solutions containing the activator and the collector. Attempts have been made to determine the adsorption of barium ion and calcium ion on quartz. The results have only qualitative value as the analytical methods were not adequately precise. Artificial radioactivity and progress in radioactivity detection have introduced a new analytical tool, which can have a sensitivity several orders of magnitude greater than that of other methods."-" In the experimental work described in this paper the radioactive tracers, barium 140 and carbon 14, were employed. Lauric acid was synthesized, having a radioactive carbon atom and was used with Ba" to study the adsorption of barium and laurate ions from aqueous solution on ground quartz. Flotation tests, using the vacuum flotation technique,' were run in conjunction with the adsorption experiments. The object of this investigation was to understand better the reaction mechanism of barium activation and soap flotation of quartz. Methods and Materials Quartz Sample Preparation: Lumps of hand-picked quartz, washed free of stains, were reduced in size to —20 mesh in laboratory crushers. The product was boiled in concentrated hydrochloric acid to remove the abraded iron. The cleaned product then was ground dry in a laboratory porcelain mill, using siliceous pebbles, to pass through a 200 mesh screen. The ground product was deslimed by sedimentation at 37 microns. This —200 mesh +400 mesh material was subjected again to boiling with concentrated hydrochloric acid, followed by washing with distilled water and further desliming. The cycle was repeated until no trace of iron could be detected in the wash liquor. During the final washing, the pH of the wash water was checked to insure the complete removal of the acid from the mineral. The quartz then was rinsed with conductivity water. The resulting product was dried in a drying oven and stored in mason jars. The impurities (spectrographic) were as follows: Al, 0.01 to 0.001 pct; Li, Mg, Mn, Na, each less than 0.001 pct; Fe and Cu not detected. The specific surface of the quartz sample was determined by the krypton gas adsorption method.' The average of two measurements was 881 sq cm per g. The calculated specific surface for 37/74-micron quartz particles, using a surface factor of 1.96; is 900 sq cm per g. This is in good agreement with the measured value of 881 sq cm per g. Beta-Counting Method: The radioactive isotope of barium used in the experimental work was barium 140. It has a sufficiently long half-life, 12.8 days, emits high-energy beta particles (up to 1.0

Jan 1, 1953

[ZAY JEFFRRIES, Vice-chairman PAUL D, MERICA, Chairman W, M, CORSE, Secretary Executive Committee J. It, FREEMAN, JR., Local Section S. SKOWRONSKI, Papers Committee R. S, ARCHER, Non-ferrous Data Sheets H, C, JENNISON, Membership Committee E, C, BAIN, Journal Committee L, W. SPRING Local Section Committee J. R, FREEMAN, JR,, Chairman R. J, ANDERSON, Cincinnati R. L. DOWDELL, Minneapolis R. S. WILLIAMS, Boston G, H, CLAMER, Philadelphia W. A. SCHEUCH, Chicago R, F, WOOD, New York]

Jan 1, 1928

President and Director GROVER J HOLT, '59, Ishpeming, Michigan Past President and Director CARL E REISTLE, JR, '58, Houston, Texas President-elect and Director AUGUSTUS B KINZEL '60, New York City Vice-Presidents and Directors W A DEAN, '58, Cleveland Ohio W W MEIN, JR, '58, San Francisco, Calif L E ELKINS, '59, Tulsa, Okla J L GILLSON,'59, Wilmington, Delaware E C BABSON, '60, Calgary, Alberta, Canada R V PIERCE, '60, Salt Lake City, Utah

Jan 1, 1957

E. H. Dix, JR., Chairman L. W. M. PEIRCE, Past-chairman R. F. MEHL, Vice-chairman ALBERT J. PHILLIPS, Vice-chairman E. M. WISE, Secretary International Nickel Co., Bayonne, N. J. W. M. CORSE, Treasurer LOUIS JORDAN, Executive Secretary 29 West 39th St., New York, N. Y. Executive Committee W. H. BASSETT, JR. R. H. LEACH' W. H. FINKELDEY W. E. REMMERS2 J. A. GANN H. J. ROAST G. O. HIERS C. S. SMITHS L ZICKRICK

Jan 1, 1936

By F. J. Deadrick, A. L. Ramirez, R. J. Lytle

This article describes the evaluation of a new geophysical technique used to map fractures between boreholes: electromagnetic geotomography used in conjunction with salt water tracers. An experiment has been performed in a granitic rock mass. Geotomographic images have been generated and compared with borehole geophysical data: neutron logs, acoustic velocity logs, caliper logs and acoustic televiewer records. Comparisons between the images and the geophysical logs indicate that clusters of fractures were detected but single fractures were not.

Jan 1, 1982

By James Gayley

The occurrence of obstructions in furnace-hearths is nothing new to blast-furnace managers. The removal of them is becoming more and more simplified every day. The appliances that can be readily obtained at any works, are so simple in construction and effective in operation that they can overcome the most obstinate condition of affairs that can exist in a furnace-hearth. The old method of opening up tuyeres and notches with sledges and chipping-bass,. Was

Jan 1, 1886

By S. L. Couling, D. J-P. Adenis

i2) twinning in poly crystalline magnesium does not usually occur homogeneously but is concentrated in localized regions or bands inclined at about 45 deg to the stress axis. These bands of twinning are in many ways similar to the Luders bands seen in mild steel alzd Al-Mg alloys. Within a hand the percentage of the volume twinned may approach 100 with no twinning outside the band. Bands are not produced in specimens of grain size a3 x 10-= in. or in samples deformed at temperatures 300°F. Annealing of heavily twinned regions leads to re crystallization textures markedly different from those found in the starting material. The exact preferred orientation appears to depend on the starting grain size, the amount of compres-sive strain and the manner in which it is introduced. MAGNESIUM, with its hexagonal crystal structure, deforms plastically at room temperature by a variety of deformation mechanisms, one of the most important of which is (1012) twinning. In single crystals such twinning occurs on compression parallel to the basal plane or tension perpendicular to it. In wrought polycrystalline magnesium, such as rolled sheet, the preferred orientation is such that almost all the grains have their basal planes nearly parallel to the sheet surface. Therefore, if sheet material is deformed by cold rolling or by tension in the plane of the sheet, deformation of the grains by (1012) twinning is not favored. On the other hand, twins form readily on compression parallel to the plane of the sheet as in a compression test, on the compression side of a bent sample, or at the outer rim of a drawn cup. The first part of this paper deals with the morphology of (1012) twinning in polycrystalline magnesium. Some aspects of this subject were covered by Barrett and ~aller.' Of direct bearing on the work to be reported here are the comments of Jetter' in discussion to Ref. 1. He shows that Mg + 1.5 pct Mn alloy sheet when bent about a transverse axis develops a pattern of transverse bands on the surface of compression. A longitudinal section through the sheet shows that the bands are wedge-shaped and inclined to the rolling direction. The bands were identified as "outcrops of regions in which deformation is localized as the result of the reorientation brought about by (1012) twinning". The second part of the paper treats the recrys-tallization texture of the specimens twinned by compression. Magnesium deformed and then annealed generally recrystallizes with no change in orientation.1'3'4 This statement is true provided that the amount of (1012) twinning occurring during deformation is small. In an isolated observation, Anse15 has shown that, when deformation produces much (1072) twinning, annealing causes new maxima to appear in the pole figure. The second part of the paper elaborates on this point. I) MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES All of the experimental work to be reported was done using the commercial sheet and plate alloy AZ31B (nominal composition: 3 pct Al, 1 pct Zn, 0.4 pct Mn, balance magnesium). This alloy is available commercially in two tempers, -0 (fully annealed) and -H24 (partially annealed), and specimens of both tempers were used in various experiments. The average grain. diameter (AGD) for -0 temper 0.125-in. sheet is about 0.5 x 10- in.; where material of larger grain size was desired, anneals at elevated temperature were used to grow the grains. compression tests were made on a screw-driven "hard" machine. The specimens were clamped in a

Jan 1, 1964

By Joseph W. Richards

(New York Meeting, February, 1912.) THE Ashio copper-mine of the Furukawa Mining Co. is situated 18 miles from Nikko, and 109 miles north of Tokyo, near the center of Japan. The mine-waters are run over scrap-iron, whereby most of the copper is precipitated as cement copper, leaving iron sulphate with some copper sulphate in solution. After using in the wet concentrating ore-dressing plant, the waste water contains clay and ore-slimes. The only avenue of disposal of this water is the Watarese river; but as this flows through valleys in which the water is used for irrigating the rice-crops, it is necessary to purify and clarify the water before discharge. The water amounts to from 600 to 700 cu. ft. (from 17 to 20 cu. m.) per minute, and averages about 0.00025 per cent. of copper, representing more than 18 tons of copper per month. The water carries H2SO4, FeSO4, Fe, (SO,),, CuSO4 and other metallic sulphates in solution, and clay, ore-fines, slimes and basic. iron sulphates as suspended matters. To purify and clarify the water, precipitation by milk of lime has been used, in three different ways, as follows: I. First Method, Copper not Recovered. Milk of lime was run into the water, and the mixture run through six settling-ponds, and then through a sand filter into the river. Fig. 1 is a view of the settling- and filtering-ponds. In the first pond, sand and metallic hydrates free from copper collected; in the next five ponds, slime, calcium sulphate, and metallic hydrates carrying copper settled out. The effluent carried from 0.1 to 0.05 mg. of copper per liter

Jun 1, 1912

By P. J. Clifford, A. B. Brown

The development of computerised mine planning has been hindered by the cost of processing the large data bases associated with mineral deposits and the inherent inconvenience of performing an interactive process on a time-shared computer. A dedicated computer is ideally suited for the purpose but reasonably priced micro/mini-computers have not had the capacity to store the volume of data or the processing capability required. Hardware development has cleared the way for the development of truly interactive mine planning software, covering the complete range of activities associated with mine planning, from geological assessment to short-term scheduling of operations, incorporating them into a single system using a common database. The integrated system, comprising software and dedicated hardware, adds previously unattainable speed, flexibility and clarity to the planning process because it has been tailored exclusively for that purpose.

Jan 1, 1983

By J. D. Forrester, Erich Sarapuu, T. C. Cheasley

Electrocarbonization of coal will produce cheap fuel for electric power plants. The complete electrification of industry and domestic power consumption of gas generated as fuel in situ is a worthwhile goal for the coal industry. Production of synthetic oils, gasoline, and coal chemicals from coal gas will create additional new markets for the coal industry. RANKING high in the nation's wealth of natural resources, readily available liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons are nevertheless falling steadily in supply, while industrial requirements for hydrocarbon compounds are greater today than during the peak period of World War 11. Theoretically, several processes will increase the future supply of liquid and gaseous fuels, but the practical application of these methods depends on two controlling factors: 1—that enough carbon-bearing material be available to warrant industrial exploitation, and 2—that the given process be physically, chemically, and economically applicable. With regard to the first factor, the Western Hemisphere is fortunately well supplied, see Table I. Table I not only shows the extensive occurrence of many fuel sources, but also the wide discrepancy among quantities of fuel substances in various materials. Great quantities of potentially available fuel have not been recovered. Many coal seams and other hydrocarbon-bearing deposits are so situated that production is uneconomical by present-day mining or oilwell pumping methods, and even in many exploitable deposits where the most efficient production methods are used a large proportion of material is never recovered. Industrial production of hydrocarbon liquids and gases must be better balanced, and processes must be developed which will convert coals, oil sand, and oil shales into fabricated commodities. Among the techniques employed by scientists and engineers to secure fuel masses not economically available at present are several processes of underground gasification. These are all concerned with converting raw materials into gaseous products by thermal treatment of source substances while they are still in the ground and therefore require that a subsurface heat (fire) zone be induced to affect pervasively the buried raw fuel deposit. This is possible only where sufficiently high temperature exists and where the fuel material is satisfactorily opened or channelized. Also, to compete successfully with common mining or oilfield practices, a given method must be controllable and must not involve greater operational expense than regular methods. Preferably, it should be less expensive. Since the close of World War 11, England has continued field studies of underground gasification methods. Experiments have also been conducted in Sweden, Estonia, France, Belgium, Italy, and Germany. The U. S. Government has sponsored field studies at Gorgas, Ala., and because gasification in situ is vitally important to establishment of the nation's fuel resources, the mining engineering department at the Missouri School of Mines has been actively interested in developing the process of underground electrocarbonization. Research was conceived by Erich Sarapuu, and preliminary experiments in treating bituminous coal were begun at the school in September 1947. The work consisted of laboratory experimentation until June 1948, at which time, through a cooperative agreement with the Sinclair Coal Co. of Missouri, pilot plant studies were instituted at the Tiger mine of the Hume-Sinclair Coal Co. near Hume, Mo., to test the encouraging laboratory findings. This comprehensive field program was pursued continuously until the beginning of 1952."'" The broad term underground electrocarbonization describes a unique gasification process that releases by electricity the desired economic constituents from a raw carbon-bearing material, converting the substance of such deposits into deliverable form and greatly reducing the cost-of-mining factor. Underground electrocarbonization is not subject to the major limitations of many other underground gasifi-

Jan 1, 1955

By E. W. Davis

About a year ago several carloads of magnetite ore from New York state were sent to the Mines Experiment Station at the University of Minnesota for grinding and concentration tests. The flowsheet used minus ½-in. ore as feed to a 3 by 3-ft. overflow cylindrical ball mill operating at 37 r.p.m. in closed ciruit with a vibrating screen. The screen oversize was returned to the mill for further grinding and the screen undersize was concentrated magnetically. Several different screens, between 8 and 35 mesh, were used and it was desired to determine the capacity of the ball mill operating in closed circuit with each screen. From earlier tests using this flowsheet and equipment, it was known that when comparatively coarse screens were used it was necessary to increase the grinding dilution in the mill beyond that ordinarily used when grinding in closed circuit with classifiers. It was also known that after the circulating load had passed about 100 per cent of the original feed it tended to increase rapidly in amount, and grinding conditions appeared to become unstable. These conditions may be peculiar to this small ball mill but they were very marked in this series of tests. If conditions were not right, the mill would suddenly "go dead," and it was found desirable to operate so that the occasional rattle of balls against the lining of the mill could be detected. As the test proceeded, it was found that the cure for almost any difficulty that developed in the grinding circuit was to add more water to the mill feed. To begin with, the mill was operated at pulp densities of from 60 to 65 per cent solids but gradually it was found that with higher dilutions grinding conditions were more stable and the ball-mill power per ton of screen undersize decreased. Actually, the most satisfactory operating conditions were secured with a pulp density of about 40 per cent solids. The ore was hard but it was possible to grind ½-in. feed so that all would pass an 8-mesh screen with a power expenditure in the ball mill of less than 2½ kw-hr. per ton and with a circulating load of less than 50 per cent. With so high a dilution in the feed to the mill, it was feared that steel wear would be very high. However, the mill was not noisy, and in order to find exactly the grinding conditions, a special test was made at the end of the main series of tests. After the mill had been in operation for several hours and grinding conditions had become balanced, the power to all the equipment was shut off at a given signal. The ball mill made about one revolution after the power was turned off, and just as soon as the mill stopped, a spout was placed at the discharge trunnion and all of the pulp that flowed out of the mill was caught in tanks. The manhole in the mill was then opened and the whole mill charge dumped into other tanks. Both of these products were weighed, dried, and weighed again. The balls were screened out and weighed, and the dry solids were sized. In this way it was possible to determine the nature of the pulp and the ore within the mill under actual grinding conditions.

Jan 1, 1947