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By James S. Browning

The Mineral Resources Institute and State Mine Experiment Station of the University of Alabama conducted Humphreys spiral tests on fine coal waste from nine preparation plants of Alabama strip mining operations to determine the feasibility of recovering low ash and sulfur fuel meeting steam coal specifications. The ash in the samples ranged from 9 - 5l%, and the total sulfur ranged from 0.4J- 2.39%. Continuous laboratory tests using a Humphreys spiral gave good recovery of the coal with excellent rejection of the ash and pyritic sulfur. Coal recoveries of 83.6 - 94.1% were achieved from the different samples. Ash content of the clean coal products fell within a range of 5 - 12.2%, with a total sulfur content of 0.62 and 1.10%. In quality, the products were comparable or superior to those now being shipped from the preparation plants.

Jan 1, 1980

By C. F. Riisness, E. R. Parker

THAT grain size has a great effect on the mechanical properties of metals has been recognized for a long time. Bassett and Davis1 in 1919 did excellent work in [ ] determining the effect of grain size on the hardness of brass. About the same time Jeffries2 and Sykes3 ascertained the effect of grain size on the strength and ductility of several metals at temperatures ranging from 80°K. to their melting points. When creep was recognized as an important property of metals, those engaged in the study of this property tried to determine the effect of grain size 4-9 on creep rates. Unfortunately, most of the investigations were conducted on only two grain sizes, often designated simply as "fine" and "coarse." It is well known that at high temperatures coarse-grained test bars creep less than fine-grained bars. The relation between grain size and size of test bar, [ ] however, has been frequently overlooked. In his early work, Jeffries2 showed that the number of grains in the cross section has a more important influence on the properties of the material than the actual grain size. More recently Hanson and Sandford10 and Pell-Walpole,11 in their measurements of the creep and tensile properties of tin, tested a wide range of grain sizes and correlated the grain size with the strength. Hanson9 later established the relation between the number of grains in the cross section and the. creep rate: At high temperatures, generally a coarse-grained structure is considered superior in creep to a fine-grained structure, but it is evident that for a given bar size continuously increasing the grain size will

Jan 1, 1944

By D. R. Mitchell

This paper discusses some of the fundamental physical and chemical characteristics of coal in Illinois that affect its preparation for the market. At the present time preparation consists almost entirely of sizing and hand-picking. The washing of coal has almost entirely disappeared from the state. This is a rather startling fact when one considers that in the year 1908 Illinois outranked all other states in the quantity of coal washed and a few years later, in 1912, 85 washing plants were reported. Two reasons are apparent for this change. One, which is probably the most important, is that immense areas of comparatively clean coal were opened; the other is that many of the early washing plants were inefficient, so that washed coal was looked upon with disfavor in many trade centers. Objectives of Operators Some of the outstanding preparation aims being given due consideration by operating men are: 1. The greatest possible production of lump and domestic sizes which bring in the market at least $1 per ton more than the fine sizes or screenings. 2. Efficient screen sizing with as little breakage as is consistent with economical operation. 3. The removal of extraneous ash and sulfur. 4. Utilization of low-priced screenings. 5. Suppression of dust in domestic coal shipments. Preparation Underground To get the greatest possible production of the larger sizes, preparation must start at the face. Improvements in blasting and loading have increased the sizes larger than 2 in. by as much as 20 per cent. at some mines. Tiffany and McKitterickl report the results of an investigation they made at a mine in southern Illinois in which, by a carefully controlled

Jan 1, 1931

By P. LaRochelle, K. Y. Lo, A. L. Tamuly Phukan

In many civil or mining engineering works, the stresses and deformations of natural or excavated slopes due to the combined effect of self-weight and initial stresses are of interest. Because of the mathematical complexities of this problem, however, no complete exact solution exists for the simplest case, that of assuming the stress-strain relation of the rock to be perfectly elastic. Efforts have therefore been directed toward numerical and experimental technique. The stresses within an elastic slope have been obtained by LaRochelle,1 using the photoelastic and finite difference method to determine the difference and sum of principal stresses. Subsequently, Finn,2 Hoyaux and Ladanyi,3 and Duncan and Dunlop4 attempted to solve the same problem by using the finite element method. The problem was also investigated by Brown and Goodman5 and Brown and King6 who emphasize the importance of the effect of loading or unloading procedure on the stress distribution within the slope. Although the geometry of the slope and the boundary conditions involved are identical or similar, the results obtained by these various authors by no means agree. It is therefore necessary to review briefly the results of elastic analysis in order to lend credence to the methods used in the solution. Although the stress-strain behavior of some rocks may be reasonably approximated by the elastic modrl, other rocks generally exhibit an elasto-plastic behavior with strain hardening or strain softening as shown in Fig. 1. Experiments show that for most rocks, the stress-strain relationship is approximately linear from the origin to the point P (neglecting the small concave region under low stresses). At P, the curve deviates

Jan 1, 1970

By Jos D. Weeks

On the extreme fringe of' the great Appalachian coal-basin is a long narrow detached coal-field, which is, in some respects, one of the most important in the United States. This field, about 90 miles long by 2½ to 16 miles wide, extends from the southwest corner of Somerset county, Pennsylvania, through Allegany and Garrett counties, Maryland, Mineral, Grant and Tucker counties, West Virginia, into Randolph county, West Virginia. In this distance four distinct sub-districts are recognized, the Wellersburg in Pennsylvania, the Cumberland-Georges creek in Maryland, and the Elk Garden and the Upper Potomac in West Virginia. The output of coal from the whole field including steam, domestic, smithing and coking-coal of the best quality, is about 4,500,000 tons annually. It is the nearest to tide-water of all the bituminous coal-fields which supply the great coal-markets of the Northern Atlantic seaboard ;

Jan 1, 1895

By R. H. Jacoby, M. J. Rzasa

Experimental equilibrium vaporization ratios were obtained for nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, ethane, and hydrogen sulfide in natural gas-condensate systems. Two different overall mixture compositions were investigated over the pressure range 500 to 4,000 psia at 100°, 150°, and 200 °F. Partial phase diagrams of the mixtures were obtained; one of these showed a critical point at 204°F and 3,875 psia. These and earlier data' were compared with the Kellogg correlation' at! 100°F and 1,000 psia. INTRODUCTION The authors' have presented equilibrium vaporization ratios for nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, ethane, and hydrogen sulfide in complex mixtures, such as natural gas-crude oil and natural gas-absorber oil. Since mixtures of the natural gas-condensate type also occur widely in petroleum reservoirs and often contain the non-hydrocarbons mentioned, it would be useful to have appropriate K data for calculating equilibrium vaporization conditions. Roland, Smith, and Kave-ler' obtained K's for methane and the light hydrocarbons in gas-condensate mixtures; and Poettmann and Katz3 obtained K's for carbon dioxide in a gas-condensate system. The data presented in this paper extend this coverage to include K's for nitrogen and hydrogen sulfide and phase diagrams for the experimental mixtures. EXPERIMENTAL WORK The equipment and experimental procedure was essentially as described previously, except for analysis of the vapor samples. The vapor sample bombs were filled at the pressure and temperature of the run. Immediately after sampling, a portion of this sample was flushed from the bomb into a 650 cc glass bulb, filling it to near atmospheric pressure. The sample in the glass bulb was then analyzed by the mass spectrometer. Some checks were made on this analytical procedure to find the accuracy of measurement of the C + content of the vapor samples. The modifications tried were complete fractionation of the vapor sample and the use of several liquids (depropanized condensate and retrograde liquid from several vapor samples) as calibrating materials for the mass spectrometer. The results obtained from these various checks differed by about 10 per cent relative and this is believed to be the order of accuracy of the vapor C+ concentrations.

Jan 1, 1953

By New kensington P. A, W. L. Fink, H. R. Freche

The investigation of aluminum alloy systems prior to 1923 was severely handicapped by the low purity of the best aluminum available. However, by that time, the electrolytic purification of aluminum had been developed by the Aluminum Company of America,(1)† and in May, 1923, there was initiated, under the direction of E. H. Dix, Jr.,(2) a program for the investigation of the aluminum-alloy systems using the purest electrolytically refined aluminum. Up to the present time 15 papers (3) have been published, most of which are on the binary aluminum systems. Work is now in progress on the ternary systems, and it seems probable that most of the future work will be on ternary systems. Therefore this survey of the binary aluminum systems investigatcd up to the present time (the sixteenth paper of the series) concludes the first phase of this program. Certain qualitative relations between corresponding portions of the various binary diagrams as well as between different parts of the same diagram were noted some time ago by R. S. Archer.(4) In the present paper these relations and others are considered quantitatively by the application of well-known thermodynamic equations or by newly discovered empirical relations. No attempt will be made here to present the history of the development of the thermodynamic equations defining equilibrium or their application to metallic systems, although a list of references is given at the end of this paper for those who are interested in this phase of the subject. Two thermodynamic equations, which will be employed extensively in this paper, are: loge x1 = - L/RT + C

Jan 1, 1934

By George H. Ashley

The present critical state of the supply, distribution, and utilization of coal and the necessity for pooling and zoning coals calls renewed attention to the lack of any fully adequate classification of coal. In the past coals have been classified as anthracite, semianthracite, semibitumi-nous, bituminous, subbituminous coals, and lignite, and a few special types, such as splint coal and cannel coal. But under the term bituminous coal are included a great variety of coals differing markedly both physically and chemically. The term subbituminous coal covers as great a range of chemical differences. In order to distinguish these varieties of bituminous coals it has been customary to designate coal by names derived from the place where mined, or by the name of the bed from which it is mined. Thus, in the market reports, coals are quoted as Pocahontas coal, New River or Sewell coal, Moshannon coal, Ohio coal, Williamson County coal, Jellico coal, and so on indefinitely, no limit being set as to the boundaries of the area to which a given name is applied. Nor is there any scale by which the coal from one place may be compared with the coal from some other district or some other bed. On the one hand, coals from the same district may be quite distinct and sell at very different prices or coal from the same bed may differ greatly in different districts; on the other hand, coals from different states may be so similar physically and chemically that one could replace the other in practical use without any appreciable difference in service. The following classification, arrived at after a careful review of a large number of systems of classification and of all of the recognized characteristics of coal, brings together all coals that so nearly resemble each other physically, chemically, and in heating qualities that any coal of a given type could replace any other coal of the same type and grade in use. Thus, if coals A and B are classed as of the same type and grade they have, so far as known to the writer, approximately the same heating value when burned under the same conditions, and the same character, length of flame, and properties affecting transportation and stocking; and if of the same grade, approximately the same percentage of impurities.

Jan 1, 1920

By S. J. Kidder

The Mogollon mining district is in the southwestern part of New Mexico near the southern end of the Mogollon range, from which the district takes its name. The town of Mogollon is but 371/2 miles in an air line northeast of Clifton, Ariz. The air-line distance from Silver City is 521/2 miles and from Tyrone, 57 miles. Supplies are transported by motor truck from Silver City. The distance by road is 75 miles, half of which is an improved highway of modern construction. Transportation has always been a large item of expense in carrying on operations in the district. Valuable ore is said to have been discovered in the Mogollon Mountains as early as 1870 but the first regular prospecting was carried on in 1875, by James C. Cooney, a sergeant from Fort Bayard. His discovery of rich silver-copper ores in the region of Mineral Creek led to the establishment of the Camp of Cooney. Remote from any settlements where there was a semblance of law and order, and harassed by the Apaches, development was slow and nearly 10 years elapsed before the village of Mogollon was established on Silver Creek. Prospecting in this section of the district had disclosed the outcrops of several promising veins containing silver-gold ores. Among the early claims located were the Last Chance, Top and Confidence, on what has proved to be the most productive vcin in the district. To the end of 1922, the Last Chance and Top claims had produced approximately 600,000 tons of ore and nearly 200,000 tons had come from the Confidence group of claims. The total value of the ore produced from this vein alone has amounted to about $9,600,000 in silver and gold. The Fanney vein was developed later and during its most active period of production contributed more than half of the output of the district. Other important locations, though far less productive than the above, were the Maude S, Deep Down, the Deadwood and the Pacific.

Jan 1, 1925

By Jasper Johnson

Taken in all its bearings there is, perhaps, no more interesting coal-field than that locally known and designated as " Wilmington," both on account of the superior qualities of its product as a household and steam fuel, when compared with other Illinois coal, and its geological position. The territory underlaid with coal, to which this name was originally given, embraced a very small area, including only the south half of sections 31 and 32 (township 33 north, range 9 east) in Wilmington township, and sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 30, and 31, with occasional outliers in sections 3, 4, and 9, and, possibly, in sections 20, 28, 29, 30, and 32 (township 32 north, range 9 east) of Reed township, in Will County, comprising eleven square miles of workable coal within the known basin. Borings indicate the presence of coal on sections 30 and 33 in Wilmington

By Jasper Johnson

TAKEN in all its bearings there is, perhaps, no more interesting coal-field than that locally known and designated as " Wilmington," both on account of the superior qualities of its product as a house- hold and steam fuel, when compared with other Illinois coal, and its geological position. The territory underlaid with coal, to which this name was originally given, embraced a very small area, including only the south half of sections 31 and 32 (township 33 north, range 9 east) in Wilmington township, and sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 30, and 31, with occasional outliers in sections 3, 4, and 9, and, possibly, in sections 20, 28, 29,30, and 32 (township 32 north, range 9 east) of Reed township, in Will County, comprising eleven square miles of workable coal within the known basin. Borings indicate the presence of coal on sections 30 and 33 in Wilmington

Jan 1, 1875

By J. A. Herbst, J. L. Sepulveda, J. D. Miller

Abstract-Lead cake, a zinc smelter flue dust residue, consists primarily of lead sulfate. Characteristic properties of lead cake were determined in order to aid the understanding of reaction mechanisms involved in bismuth removal from lead cake by sulfuric acid digestion. Sp gr (specific gravity) measurements, surface area measurements, and photomicrographs revealed that the particles of lead cake are quite porous and seem to consist of an agglomeration of submicron grains (0.4 pm) fused together in a manner similar to cement clinker. Analysis of experimental rate data, which was independent of particle size, indicates that the dissolution reaction involves two distinct, rate limiting steps. The initial stage of reaction appears to be limited mainly by intergranular diffusion of the reactant, hydrogen ion, while the latter stage of reaction appears to be controlled by diffusion of soluble reaction products through the reaction product layer of the individual grains.

Jan 4, 1978

Salt Lake City was founded July 24, 1847, by Mormons under the leadership of Brigham Young. It had a population of 1 18.1 10, according to the United States census of 1920, and of 15 1,968, according to a civic survey, January 1, 1925. The Salt Lake metropolitan district is estimated to have 180.079 inhabitants. The city's area is 5 1.8 square miles. Its altitude is 4,354 feet. It has 514 miles of streets, of which 91 miles are paved. The streets in the main portion of the city are 132 feet wide and the blocks are 660 feet long. It has 144 miles of street railway and 2,200 electric street lights. It has fifteen parks and playgrounds, forty public schools and six private schools. It has eighty-nine church edifices, of which forty-nine are devoted to denominations other than the Mormon church.

Jan 1, 1925

By Sebastian Paul Musco

The importance of the recovery of precious metals, specifically platinum group metals, was recently expressed by Robert McNamara, former head of the World Bank, who stated that the United States should stockpile strategic metals. More than 90% of the platinum metals are imported into the United States from South Africa and Russia. Mr. McNamara's concern is based on the possibility of a disruption of obtaining these metals due to any racial unrest in South Africa and a renewal of the Cold War with Russia. The United States has a platinum mine from coast to coast. Since 1974, the automotive industry has consumed 3 million ounces of platinum and palladium, and the recovery of these metals from auto catalyst converters is estimated to be 300,000 ounces of platinum per year. This would make the United States the 4th largest producer in the world.

Jan 1, 1984

By Phil Hulse

The Atlanta mine is located in east-central Nevada, approximately 360 km (225 miles) from Las Vegas. It lies in Lincoln County, 116 km (72 miles) south of Ely and 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Pioche. The property is currently operated by the Standard Slag Co. under a joint venture agreement with Bobcat Properties Inc, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Operations began in May 1975, and the mill is currently processing 109 000 to 122 500 t/y (120,000 to 135,000 stpy) of gold- and silver-bearing ore. Open-pit mining takes place in a breccia zone that occurs between Ordovician limestones and dolomites on the footwall and Tertiary rhyolites on the hanging wall. The quartz breccia ore is among the most abrasive in the world-shovel teeth must be replaced every week, 19-mm-thick (3/4-in.) steel chutes last about a month.

Jan 9, 1978

An overland belt conveyor system installed at Simco-Peabody's mine near Coshocton, Ohio, is presently carrying coal three miles at an estimated cost of 4.499 per ton-mile. Installed by Link-Belt Co. in late 1961, this system transports coal from open pit and underground mining operations to the Conesville Power Plant. Simco-Peabody has mining operations over a considerable area just east of the Conesville Station. In 1960 the power plant completed plans to enlarge by adding a third boiler. As a result, Simco-Peabody was required to provide means to produce and handle more coal. The haulage equipment, which consisted of one 90-ton, five 60-ton and one 50-ton off- highway trucks, was too small to handle the increasing daily coal demands. Annual tonnage was approaching a million tons and in a few years would be well over that figure.

Jan 4, 1963

By G. H. Kesler, J. E. Oberele, C. E. Dryden, J. H. Oxley

Heat-transfer rates were measured in a model of a multifilament vapor-deposition bulb fo the preparation of high-purzty metals. Local transfer coefficients for heat transfer frow the filaments to the circuates process stream were determined as a functiol of gas flow rates and bulb, inlet, and filament, geowzetvies. These results a-e then convertted to n mass-t7,ansfer basis to provide a method of correlating vapor-deposition rates and to predict the performance of commercial urzits. The firm1 cor?,elating equation for mass transfer was found to be- wheve k, is the mass-transfer coefficient; D, is bze gas difficsivity : P is the system pressure; R is the gas constant; T is the gas temperature; Df, DB, and Di ave tlze diameters of the filament, bulb, and inlet, respectively; k is the gas conductivity; C, is the specific heat of the gas, M is the wzolecular zleight of the gas; Npr . N,,, NRe a7'e the Prandtl, Schmidt, and Reynolds numbem of the system, respectively; LB is the height of the bulb; and SB and Sf are the total suyiace area of the bulb and filaments, respectively. ONE of the more conventional methods of preparing very high-purity metals is the vapor deposition of the metal upon heated filaments. The reactions which can be employed in such a process generally fall into two classes: 1) Pyrolysis of a volatile metal compound. Generally because of their instabilities, metal iodides are used; however, other metal halides and hydrides have been employed. These processes are frequently carried out under vacuum conditions, and the filaments are maintained at high temperatures. 2) Hydrogen reduction of a volatile metal compound. A metal chloride is normally the preferred feed for these processes, but other halides are sometimes used under special conditions. These hydro- gen-reduction processes are usually operated at atmospheric pressure. Many of the current processes for the production of semiconductor materials are actually vapor-deposition processes. However, the vapor-deposition process itself is relatively old, and almost all metals can be prepared in a state of very high purity by the use of vapor-deposition techniques. Loonam has recently given an excellent review of the iodide process for metal deposition,' and Owen has started some detailed studies with a carbonyl system.' A more general treatment of all vapor-deposition processes has been outlined by Powell, Campbell, and Gonser.3 Despite the fact that vapor-deposition techniques have been employed since 1890, there is a surprising lack of fundamental information regarding the transport characteristics of even the simplest deposition system, the heated filament. The purpose of the investigation described in this paper was to extend some of the earlier data obtained at Battelle to predict deposition rates and the uniformity of deposition in large-diameter, multifilament deposition bulbs under forced convection conditions.4'5 A number of other investigators have already presented a simplified treatment of the deposition process under non-flow conditions, i.e., pure diffusion.6"9 To obtain information on the transport characteristics of a deposition bulb, a model of a typical plant deposition unit was constructed, and local heat-transfer coefficients from the filaments to a circulating air stream were determined under various conditions of air-flow rates and bulb, inlet, and filament geometries. These results were then converted to a mass-transfer basis, and consequently provided a method to correlate experimental vapor-deposition rates and to design commercial deposition units. EXPERIMENTAL WORK Description of Model. The apparatus which was used in this work was a scaled model of one type of deposition bulb. It was constructed of Lucite and was easily altered to give several combinations of diameter of bulb liner, inlet size and location, number of filaments, and outlet geometry. The model is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The bulb shell was made octagonal for convenience in construction and observation, and the bulb liners were cylindrical. Air, introduced through one of several different jet inlets, was used as the test fluid in these model studies. Filaments for deposition of metal were simulated by metal rods 1/4-in. in diam. Two of the rods could be heated by passing electrical current through them ¦ while the remaining rods could not be heated. This procedure minimized the amount of heat which was

Jan 1, 1962

By J. T. Berling, J. B. Conway

MANY studies have been devoted to the correlation of low-cycle fatigue behavior. Several of these have also been concerned with the identification of an effective approach to the prediction of low-cycle fatigue behavior from short-term tensile data. Perhaps the first such approach was that reported by coffin1 in the form: where is the plastic strain range, Nf is the number of cycles to failure, and c is a constant characteristic of a material. In this analysis by Coffin it was reasoned that in a short-term tensile test the value of Nf could be considered as equal to a , in which case the value of c is interpreted as the tensile ductility, f, measured in such a test. If, therefore, the Coffin equation is assumed to be applicable to a given material, it is a simple matter to predict the low-cycle fatigue behavior. Once the tensile ductility is known, this point is located at Nf = 1/4 on a log-log plot of vs Nf and a line is drawn through this point with a slope of to yield a prediction for the fatigue life. Actually, while this equation is quite useful it is not generally applicable, for experiment has shown that the value of —$ does not reflect the relationship between and Nf for all materials or even for a given material over all temperature ranges. An equation similar to the Coffin equation was prepared almost simultaneously by Manson.2 This expression had the form: In this case the exponent on Nf was not assigned any particular numerical value in accord with the various values of this exponent which had been observed for different materials and at different test conditions. Because of this characteristic it will be recognized that little use can be made of this expression in predicting low-cycle fatigue results. A fairly effective expression for use in predicting fatigue behavior was proposed by Manson3 based on a study of numerous sets of experimental results. This relation (Method of Universal Slopes) makes use of modulus of elasticity, ultimate strength, and tensile ductility, and assumes an exponent on Nf equal to 0.6 in representing the plastic strain range contribution to total strain range. While this equation of Man-Son does not yield completely accurate results it must be recognized as being the best means available at

Jan 1, 1970

By N. Plint, E. T. Pinkney

Copper segregation developments within the Anglo American Group are described with particular reference to the work of the TORCO Project Team. Some radical differences have been adopted in the mechan-ical approach as compared with methods used by previous workers. Most important among these are the following: (1) The heating unit is a fluidized-bed roaster. (2) A moving bed segregation chamber is used in which a packed bed of heated ore, to which reagents have been added, moves slowly downwards under gravity and is discharged at a controlled rate by means of a suitable valve mechanism. (3) The quantities of reagents used (sodium chloride and some form of carbon) are only a small fraction of those recommended by other investigators. (4) Retention times of only 2 min have been satisfactory for the complete segregation of many types of ore. Project TORCO is the code name given by Anglo American Corp. of South Africa, Ltd., to the investigation undertaken in Zambia to develop a plant capable of treating large tonnages of refractory copper-bearing ores by the segregation process. The process has now been under investigation for six years (1960-66) and during that period work has progressed from bench-scale laboratory tests through small-scale pilot-plant work to a 500-tpd commercial pilot unit. Test work has been carried out mainly on the ores of the Zambian Copperbelt and results have been encouraging. Recoveries on the order of 90% have been obtained on all Copperbelt ores tested with high concentrate grades. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION Laboratory scale segregation test work on Nchanga banded sandstone ore and oxidized ore from Kansan-shi was originally conducted by Professor Maurice Rey. SociCtC Miniere et Mktallurgique de Pefiarroya, in 1957. Both ores responded favorably to the process. In November, 1960, the consulting engineers of Anglo American Corp. of South Africa, Ltd., initiated preliminary investigations on the application of the segregation process to Copperbelt ores. In early laboratory work, samples were heated in a closed, externally heated tube furnace for one hour at temperatures ranging from 800 to 830°C. The free moisture content of the ore feed was 4% and reagent additions were 0.5% salt and 1.0% coal. Both salt and coal were pre-crushed to -48 mesh Tyler.* All samples except an ore from the Bancroft mine responded well to the process and recoveries of over 90% were obtained. The presence of dolomite was responsible for the relatively poor recoveries from the Bancroft ore, as tests on one of the other ores with additions of calcite or dolomite confirmed. Recoveries dropped from 94 to 45% Grades of all the rougher flotation concentrates produced were low at 10-15% copper. The laboratory investigation was then followed up on a pilot-plant scale. An attempt was made to carry out the segregation process in a coal-fired 5-ft-diam fluidized-bed roaster. The feed consisted of a banded sandstone from Nchanga to which 0.5% sodium chloride had been added. Reducing conditions were maintained in the roaster by the addition of coal in excess of that required for heating the feed. The excess coal and added salt constituted the segregation reagents and the temperature of the bed was held at approximately 750°C. Recoveries of copper and grades of concentrates were low. The reasons for lack of success were: (1) The reaction is a gaseous one and a fluidized-bed roaster is therefore unsuitable as a segregation unit. (2) Coal in excess of that required for heating was introduced into the fluidized bed and under these conditions some of the copper would be reduced in situ. The term "reduced in situ" is used here to describe any copper mineral reduced to the metallic state in its original site within the ore particles. If this copper is to be recovered by subsequent froth flotation it must first be liberated from the gangue by grinding or some other method which, in practice, is usually not feasible on ores of this type.

Jan 1, 1969

By N. A. Gokcen

The construction and operation of a simple and accurate vacuum-fusion apparatus are described in detail. Absolute accuracy of the oxygen analysis has been determined by the reduction of oxides weighed to 20.01 mg. The Bureau of Standards steel samples have been analyzed repeatedly, and their inadequacy for the acceptable range of oxygen is presented. The limits of interference of manganese, aluminum, and titanium, and the effects of tin and water-cooling of the furnace tube have been investigated in detail. ANALYSIS by the vacuum-fusion method consists of melting a sample in a degassed graphite crucible under high vacuum and extracting oxygen as carbon monoxide, and nitrogen and hydrogen as gaseous elements. The resulting gas mixture is analyzed for its constituents, from which oxygen, nitrogen, and frequently hydrogen may be determined within 1/2 hr or less. The history and summary of methods1-4 and extensive reviews of literature'.' for the determination of gases in metals have been published in detail. The foundation of the modern vacuum-fusion method of analysis was laid by Jordan and Eckman,11 and Oberhoffer and his associates.1, 10 Diergarten,11, 12 Meyer,13 Thanheiser et al.,14, 15 Ericson and Benedicks,16 Ziegler,17, 18 Sloman,16-23 Thompson et al.,24 and later many others contributed to the improvement, accuracy, and limitations of the method. In some investigations, however, the limitations of the procedure and the errors involved in the analysis require further critical examination and evaluation. In many apparatuses, lunnecessarily complicated and cumbersome features and elaborate precautionary measures do not have conclusive advantages. The purpose of this invest:igation was, therefore, a) to construct a very simple and accurate apparatus, b) to determine the absolute accuracy of results, c) to establish the limits of interference of manganese. aluminum, and titanium, d) to reexamine critically the reduction and recovery of oxygen from oxide powders of various sizes, and e) to evaluate critically the eight steels of the Bureau of Standards."' Apparatus The apparatus used in this investigation is shown in Fig. 1. It has been used for over three years, during which several modifications were made. A brief description of the apparatus is as follows. The transparent silica or Vycor tube, E, is joined to the Pyrex head, B, by mean of a face to face ground joint sealed with mercury. A similarly sealed ball and socket joint would also have been satisfactory. A standard tapered ground joint, successfully used by some investigators, was tried, but in the absence of grease or vacuum cement it was very difficult to disassemble the joint. The graphite crucible, G, 15/16 or l 1/8 in. OD, 2 1/2 or 3 in. high, 1/10 in. wall, shown enlarged in Fig. 3a, is made from the rods containing less than 0.08 pet ash. Two baffles, overlapping sufficiently to prevent spattering, are inserted in two opposite slots cut on a band saw. Two small holes in the baffles permit the temperature measurement of the melt. A second type of crucible, Fig. 2, G, shown enlarged in Fig. 3b, is also satisfactory, though not as convenient as the crucible shown in Fig. 3a. Somewhat similar but more elaborate crucibles with baffles were first tried by Ericson and Benedicks,'" but were abandoned in favor of a crucible with a stopper and a peripheral graphite powder filter. Various versions of their crucible with a stopper have later been used by other analysts, 10-27, 27-30 The crucible is packed directly in E, Figs. 1 and 2, with —35 + 48 graphite powder for shielding and insulation. A minimum layer of 7 mm of powder is necessary for keeping E cool and minimizing the blank. The first use of graphite powder was made by Sloman,10-23 Who found that —200 mesh was the most satisfactory. The author tried various size powders from +20 to —100 mesh and found that a) particles of 28 mesh or larger were not sufficiently insulating and were heated by the induction current, b) the powder finer than 60 mesh packed too much and did not readily permit the escape of gases even when the crucible was heated very slowly; hence, the powder was occasionally blown out of the side in the crucible and in the mercury pump. The optimum size powder is, therefore, 35 to 48 mesh size or 0.4 mm in average diameter. The furnace is designed to eliminate excessive amounts of

Jan 1, 1959