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By A. D. Hodges

In 1874 my attention was called to what seemed to me an interesting and new nickel and cobalt combination found in Ludwig and Carter's copper mine, near Mason Valley, Esmeralda County, Nevada. With the assistance of Mr. A. Hebberling I made several partial analyses of the mineral or minerals. I also communicated with my friend, Professor H. B. Cornwall, of the John C. Green School of Science, College of New Jersey, who analyzed a couple of specimens which I forwarded to him. The copper ore occurs in the mine principally as carbonate and to a certain extent as silicate, the latter generally in connection with clay seams or bands. In some places, together with the copper silicate and clay, generally interstratified with them, there occurred a compact shining black mineral (a) containing nickel and cobalt. Occasionally, in cavities, in connection with (a) was found a black substance (b), either massive and in this case very similar to (a) but with driller lustre, or forming an incrustation with rough and botryoidal surface and radial-fibrous structure, or granular and earthy. A few specimens were found having on the surface very fragile black needles (c) sometimes 1/2-inch long, interspersed with needles of malachite. The mineral (a) seemed, according to the analyses, to be of nearly constant composition, and was considered by Professor Cornwall to be a chrysocolla containing nickel and cobalt—a new occurrence to

Jan 1, 1885

By W. B. Devereux

I have observed three deposits of iron ore in Pitkin County, which present unusnal characteristics, and wliich seem to throw some light upon the genesis of iron ores under certain conditions. They occur in the precipitons mountain ranges, forming spurs on the Pacific slope of the main continental backbone. The first is a body of limonite, lying upon the side of a high mountain, which forms part of the base of Hayden's Peak. This limonite forms a sheet of considerable area, and is thin at the edges, and about 3 feet in thickness in the central portions. It is conformable with the slope of the mountain side, and rests upou the eroded rocks, but is not comformable to them. The ore is laminated and shaly in texture, and has the physical characteristics of the hard limonites, such as are found in the Marquette District, Lake Superior. It is covered with loose earth and rocks, from 1 to 2 feet in thickness. Much of the ore is filled with impressions of' spruce leaves, such as are found in the forests now covering the slope of the mountain. In the rocks forming the mountain, iron pyrites occurs in bodies, and this limonite probably owes its origin to such a body not far distant. Not far up the mountain large masses of conglomerate are now forming, the cementing material being a similar hydrated oxide of iron. The iron is

Jan 1, 1884

By L. L. Wyman

PREVIOUS studies1 by the writer dealing with the embrittlement of copper have been concerned with the behavior of various pure and deoxidized coppers when exposed to an oxidation-reduction cycle, and the consequent evaluation of these materials on the basis of their resist-ance to this action. No attention was devoted to the variations in pene-tration of embrittlement with time, when these copper materials are exposed to a strong reducing gas, such as hydrogen, nor to the variations in oxygen penetration, with time and temperature, into the "pure" coppers. The cause of the embrittlement is the reduction of the oxygen in the copper by the hot reducing gas, so that a consideration of time, tempera-ture, the occurrence of hydrogen and oxygen must be given. For the purpose of differentiating some of "the involved factors, the present work may be divided into two separate series of experiments. The first of these deals with the oxidation of purified coppers under various conditions and then the subjection of these to a standard hydrogen treatment. The second series concerns the reduction, under different conditions, of tough-pitch coppers of several oxygen contents. The resulting data will give the rates of oxidation, and of reduction, for the materials involved. The first series of experiments will reveal how rapidly copper may become oxidized, while the second series will indicate how rapidly embrittlement will penetrate into an oxygen-containing copper when it is exposed to hydrogen at different temperatures.

Jan 1, 1933

By W. A. Clark

THE production of sand in an oil well increases operating costs because of abnormal wear in subsurface equipment, the necessity for frequent cleanouts, and the need for a means of disposing of the sand. Moreover, removal of sand from the zone can bring about the creation of cavities from which bodies of formation, sand or shale, may slough into the hole, endangering the shutoff, impeding production or collapsing the liner. The procedure known as gravel packing is attracting attention as a means of controlling these factors and contributing to the productive life of a well. That gravel packing is now substantially beyond the preliminary stage on the Pacific Coast is reflected in the 191,000 bbl, of oil produced monthly by the 66 gravel-packed wells in 11 different producing sectors. REASONS FOR GRAVEL-PACKING Gravel packing, if properly carried out, can be expected to provide the following benefits: 1. Prevent the movement of sand and thus eliminate sand production and sand fills, and prevent the formation of cavities. 2. Provide a practical, relatively inexpensive, large-diameter hole, which will provide well-known theoretical advantages. 3. Support the walls of the hole by completely filling the space between the liner and the formation, regardless of its irregularities, and afford a support for liners. 4. Provide for more efficient pumping operations in wells by: (a) possibly utilizing the gravel as a gas trap in pumping gaseous fluids, (b). allowing deep submergence of the pump into the oil zone.

Jan 1, 1939

By Stephen Birch

The Chitina mining district of Alaska is located at the headwaters of the Chitina and Copper Rivers. At present, the only producing mining properties are the mines of the Kennecott Copper Corpn. and the Mother Lode Coalition Co., which are situated 196 miles from Cordova, the port of entry. The first claims, later acquired by the Kennecott Mines Co. and afterwards transferred to the Kennecott Copper Corpn., were discovered in 1900. The Copper River & Northwestern Ry., which connects the mines with tide water at Cordova, was completed in the spring of 1911. Contemporary with the construction of the railroad, aerial tram equipment was brought to the mines by pack train and a tramway, 3 miles long, connecting Bonanza mine with the proposed railroad terminal, was finished, enabling shipments of high-grade ore to be made immediately the railroad was completed. A mill to treat the lower grade ore was begun the same year. The Kennecott company's holdings consist of 111 mineral claims. The Mother Lode Coalition Mines Co., which is controlled by the Kennecott Copper Corpn., owns 73 claims adjoining the Kennecott holdings. All data on operations and geology refer equally well to the Mother Lode property. Geology The general geology of the district has been covered by the U. S. Geological Survey1 and the geological features of the mines have been carefully studied by A. M. Bateman, in his capacity as consulting geologist to the company.2

Jan 1, 1925

By Frederick K. Allgaier

As part of an ongoing research program, the Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, is monitoring surface subsidence over six longwall panels at three Utah coal mines. These sites are characterized by mining depths of 244 to 610 meters (800 to 2,000 ft .), thick and massive sandstone layers in the overburden strata, multiple seam mining, extraction heights of approximately 1.8 to 3 meters (6 to 10 ft.), and rugged surface topography. Maximum subsidence, angle of draw, timing relative to mining, horizontal strain, and rate of subsidence development are being determined and correlated with mining and geologic variables. Results to date indicate the maximum vertical subsidence over the monitored panels ranges from 0.6 to 0.9 meters (2 to 3 ft.). The major factors controlling the amount of subsidence are the panel dimensions and the status of adjacent panel mining. Only minor surface cracking at the panel ends was evident at any of the sites. In all cases, there was a time lag of several months between the start of mining and subsidence at the surface. As subsequent panels are monitored and additional data become available, better estimates of the effect of various site characteristics on the subsidence will be possible. Ultimately, improved prediction capabilities will allow mine operators in the West to evaluate the potential for subsidence-related damage which could affect the current or future land use above the mine.

Jan 1, 1982

By W. F. Tanner

A river delivers a given load of sand, and hence heavy materials, into the sea. The load is fixed by drainage basin characteristics and processes. Wave energy available for redistributing that load is fixed in an entirely different way. An equilibrium diagram of these two parameters (load vs energy) pennits a tentative prediction of what will happen to the heavy minerals. Alluvial rivers transport a mechanical load which consists essentially of wash load (finer than about 0.05 mm in particle diam), bed load (coarser than about 0.10 mm) and the transition sizes in between. A few rivers carry no appreciable mechanical load, and are excluded from this discussion. An example of the latter is the Suwannee River of Florida, which empties across an oyster bar into the Gulf of Mexico and does not build a delta despite the absence of significant waves or currents in that part of the Gulf. An alluvial river may deliver its load into a protected sediment trap (such as an estuary, sound or lagoon), onto a low-energy coast (where it builds a delta) or onto a high-energy coast (from which spot the river load is swept away). The nature and disposition of the load depends, obviously, on three sets of factors: 1) drainage basin characteristics and processes, which determine quantity and make-up of the load; 2) coastal structure and geomorphology, which determine the kind of river-sea coupling which

Jan 1, 1962

By E. H. Tenney

A DISCUSSION of the probable future use of coal for power develop-ment involves the study of several basic factors, such as future demand for power, the quantity and availability of fuels in direct competition with coal, the price of coal, and a closely related factor-the efficiency and cost of fuel utilization. Predictions based on purely statistical analyses of past coal con-sumption have definite limitations. For example, statistics showing the relation between coal utilization and total energy consumption from all sources between the years 1890 to 1930 indicate that during that period, the energy consumption per person in the United States increased five times, while the coal consumption per person increased only twice1, and there has been an actual decrease in per capita coal consumption since 1920. Figures such as these, compiled by authentic agencies, emphasize the need for caution in attempting estimates as to the future use of coal, and, incidentally, would seem to offer little basis for optimism in the coal industry. They also suggest the value of analyzing broadly the part played in the past by the related factors of power consumption, competitive fuels, coal prices and the efficiency of utilization. Proper weight must also be given in such a study to the present status and limitations of power-plant developments, and to the question of what the coal industry itself can do to further its own interests and influence the consumption of its product.

Jan 1, 1935

By N. B. Gray, R. V. Culver, W. S. Boundy, N. W. Stump

The kinetics of sulfation of single crystals of lead sulfide to lead sulfate have been studied between 969" and 1073°K in gas atmospheres of known composition using a thermobalance technique. The data are described by an equation derived on the basis that diffusion outward through the Product layer is the major controlling step. The rate of sulfation is linearly related to the logarithm of the sulfur trioxide partial DESPITE its industrial significance the oxidation of lead sulfide has received limited attention. The oxidation reactions have been studied using beds, briquettes, single crystals, or thin films of lead sulfide. Lead oxide and lead sulfate (PbSO,) were formed when Mclntoshl and Gardner2 roasted beds of galena pressure and the temperature coefficient of reaction is 40 ± 5 kcal per g mole. Gold marker experiments show that the sulfate layer grows by outward movement of ions through the sulfate layer. Initially the PbSO, adheres to the PbS but later forms an irnpewious spheroidal envelope; PbS vaporizes and pb2' ions diffuse through the envelope to react at the external surface. in air at temperatures up to 800°C. In a more extensive investigation, Tchizhykov3 obtained Pb, PbO, and PbS04 in accordance with Eqs. [1] to [4], when a bed of -200 mesh galena was oxidized in O2-N2 mixtures at 700° to 900°C.

Jan 1, 1968

By H. W. Montz

THE problem of surface support in coal mining is naturally divided into three branches: 1. Surface covered with improvements of such value as compared with the value of the underlying coal, or with such elements of danger to mining, that absolute support is essential. 2. Surface with improvements of less value than the underlying coal such that moderate settlement may be permitted, but destructive settlement must be avoided, either by reason of danger to human life or unwarranted property damage. 3. Surface of relatively small value as compared with the underlying coal where destructive settlement may be permitted. First Problem In the first case it is evident that the original support must be maintained either (a) by leaving ample pillars and confining the coal recovery to a very conservative first mining, (b) by so supporting less conservative first mining by filling or flushing that the gradual deterioration of the pillars may be prevented and subsidence avoided, or (c) by incompressible support as masonry either as an adjunct to insufficient pillars or in place of the original coal support. a. From tests made by the Scranton Engineers Club, it appears safe to figure on 2000 lb. per sq. in. as the safe squeezing strength of coal pillars in place, provided that these are, as usual, not higher than their least horizontal dimension; and from this figure the percentage of pillar to be left for various depths may be easily calculated. For safety in this

Jan 1, 1928

By H. E. Stauss, G. Sandoz

AN increase in the value of magnetostriction1 * is known to result from the annealing of some ferromagnetic alloys in a magnetic field. Similar increases may be anticipated in the value of the magnetostriction of alloys that are of interest because of their normal high values. Two were selected for trial, 87 pct Fe-13 pct Al(Fe,Al) and 69 pct Co-31 pct Fe, the latter being used as a representative of the Co-Fe alloy series. The influence of a magnetic field present during annealing is explained by the domain theory of magnetism." The field orients the domain vectors in its own direction when the alloy is at or below the Curie temperature, and holds them there until the metal is cold. During cooling the interaction stresses between neighboring grains are largely relaxed. Interaction stresses will reappear, however, if the state of magnetization of the specimen is changed in any way, and will be larger the more the new state of magnetization differs from the one existing during the magnetic anneal. In this connection the 180" reversal of a magnetization vector is not considered a change because a simple reversal does not tend to produce a change in shape of a magnetized region. When the field existing during the anneal is removed after the metal is cold, the domain vectors can turn back only to the nearest crystallographic directions of easy magnetization because return to random

Jan 1, 1953

By M. Bourgon

The conductivity of liquid copper sulfide has been measured as a function of the mole fraction of sulfur in the melt at three temperatures: 1170°, 1250°, and 1300°C. The results show that a) the conductivity of copper-rich Cu,S is independent of the sulfur pressure in the furnace, and b) the conductivity of sulfur-rich copper sulfide increases rapidly with sulfur pressure. Assuming that the band theory is applicable to liquids leads to the conclusion that copper-rich copper sulfide is an intrinsic semiconductor, in which case electrons act as carriers. The activation energy for conduction in this case has been calculated to be 0.7 ev. On the other hand, sulfur-rich copper sulfide behaves as a p-type semiconductor, positive holes being responsible for conduction. IN order to elucidate the structure of Liquid copper (1) sulfide, Derge, Pound, and Osuchl have studied the electrical conductivity of this compound as a function of temperature. Their results showed that the conductivity is rather high, of the order of 100 ohm" cm", and that the temperature coefficient of conductivity is positive. This high conductivity seemed to indicate electronic rather than ionic conduction. This conclusion was checked further by Derge, Pound, and Yang,2 who measured the current efficiencies of copper sulfide melts at various temperatures. In all cases, the current efficiency was found to be nil, indicating the absence of appreciable ionic contribution to the conduction in

Jan 1, 1958

By E. A. Wieselmann

This chapter presents a successful approach for achieving mine entry stability at the Cane Creek potash mine by the utilization of closure measurements. The mine is located in southeastern Utah (Fig. l). Mining is being conducted at depths in excess of 3000 ft under structurally complex geologic conditions typical of the Paradox salt basin. The closure measurement systems described have definite application for determining relative entry stability in other nonelastic rocks which are similar in behavior to potash. Similar types of closure measurements have been taken in various underground openings throughout the United States, Canada, arid Europe. Application of this closure data has previously met with varying degrees of success as a tool for design of under- ground openings in both elastic and nonelastic media.1-32 Closure measurements can be made easily and economically and they provide a practical solutiori to a practical problem. They are in-situ measurements which do not necessarily require laboratory correlation. Simple closure measurements have special significance in potash because "steady-state" ' closure rate, or creep, of the entries is measured. These closure rates can be utilized because nonelastic media such as potash will never achieve absolute stability around a mine entry. The potash will tend to creep or deform until all entries are closed and the overburden stress is redistributed over what was previously the mine area. The time for this ultimate effect to occur is dependent on a number of mining and geologic variables. Percentage of mine extraction, mining

Jan 1, 1972

By J. M. Gaines

THE use of oxygen in electric furnaces is relatively old, and the practice has been employed by several steelmakers prior to the recent impetus given generally to the use of oxygen in steelmaking. This application has been described recently in several publications,1 and a number of patents relating to the application of oxygen in electric furnaces have been issued.2 An effort is made in this paper to assemble recent information relating to the use of oxygen in electric furnaces and to present this material from a practical viewpoint, to an extent consistent with the withholding of certain operating data which manufacturers consider to be confidential. The use of oxygen has been extended during the past months in a number of additional steel companies by incorporating oxygen practice into regular production and by much increased experimentation. Available records show that oxygen is used more or less regularly at present in 18 shops, of which six utilize the oxygen for production and the others for experimen¬tation. The number of furnaces per shop using oxygen varies from one to six. Many types of electric-furnace steel have been prepared with the assistance of pure oxygen, including low-carbon and medium-carbon killed steels, low-carbon rimming steel and low-carbon and medium-carbon stainless and alloy steels. Oxygen has been used in furnaces of all sizes up to 90 tons capacity for accelerating charge meltdown and for reduction of carbon.

Jan 1, 1947

By Frank Nicholson

Copper ore was first noticed in Ste. Genevieve County in 1563. The diswvery mas made by a German farmer named Simon Grass, who had occasion to make a road from his farm down the hill into the neighboring valley, and while so engaged noticed pieces of a green-colored mineral, some of which he collected. Not knowing the character of the ore he had found, and supposing it to be valua ble for its brilliant green color only, he carried a piece with him into the town of Ste. Genevieve and showed it around the various bar rooms as a curiosity. No special attention was paid to the matter until nine years later, when Mr. 0. D. Harris sent a specimen of the ore to Dr. Theodore Fay, of St. Louis, for analysis. This analysis, which was the first ever made of Ste. Genevieve copper ore, showed the specimen to contain : Copper,. .........17.75 per cent. Zinc,..........3.21 " Iron........... 24.50 " Sulphur ..........1.09 " Organic matter, silica, carbon, and oxygen,. .. 53.45 " 100.00 " From this analysis it is evident that the sample was taken from near the surface, and was probably recognized by its green color. The almost entire absence of sulphur proves it to be an oxidized form. There is on file, at the office of the Ste. Genevieve Copper Works, a paper* giving three arsays of the ore made in 1875 by Henry B.

Jan 1, 1882

By R. S. McBride

The fertilizer industry is a meeting place of mining, manufacturing and agriculture. It is an industry of dynamic change, huge tonnages, and great aggregate value. In the United States from 5,000,000 to 8,000,000 tons of fertilizer are made and used per year, with a value at the works of from $200,000,000 to $300,000,000. The world uses about 50,000,000 tons yearly with an aggregate value between two-thirds and one billion dollars. This world output contains of the essential plant-food constituents, nitrogen, phosphate, and potash, approximately 8,000,000 tons. The corresponding United States quantity, as nearly as can be estimated, is 1,400,000 tons of plant food per year in the aggregate tonnage of fertilizer. With the steady increase in the practice of scientific agriculture throughout the world there has been a corresponding growth in the consumption of fertilizers. In the United States there has, indeed, been but a small upward trend in the tonnage sold, measured in millions of tons of all classes of goods which are made and marketed. The real growth has come through the increasing concentration of the essential plant foods in the mixture. Thus it is estimated that between 1920 and 1930, although there was little increase in tonnage of fertilizer, there was an increase of fully 30 per cent in the content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash. Hence, the American farmer has actually been using more plant-food to

Jan 1, 1932

By Eric Jette

IN order to control a chemical process by other than empirical, rule of thumb methods, two types of knowledge concerning the reactions involved must be available: (1) the thermodynamics of the reactions, and (2), by no means less important for efficient operation, the mechanisms and kinetics of the reactions. Information on the thermodynamic side enables the operator to decide upon initial and final conditions, whether heat must be .added or removed from the system, whether the reactions proceed farthest in the desired direction at high pressure or low, etc. Knowledge of the mechanisms involves the determination of the individual steps by which an initial set of reactants, under given conditions, proceed to give the desired final products and kinetic studies upon which the mechanisms are based give the speed at which each of these reactions or steps take place. Thus thermodynamic studies of a 'reaction enable the operator to control the direction and extent to which the reaction can proceed, while kinetic studies enable him to control rates and thus the time' efficiency of the operations. The thermodynamics set the limit to which the reacting system approaches; the kinetics tell how fast the system actually approaches this limit. The two types of information are complementary and not antagonistic even though in discussing the mechanism the introduction of thermodynamics is entirely needless and generally of no assistance, while in thermodynamic studies mechanism need not even be mentioned.

Jan 1, 1931

By Howard Eavenson

SOME time ago, in a conference considering the mechanizing of a group of mines, I was asked if I knew of any data showing the relative frequency of accidents due to the use of 275 or 550-volt current inside mines and having a recollection of seeing some in print, the answer was made that I would find what was available. Subsequent search failed to find any pub-lished records of any kind giving such figures and none of the compensation agencies of whom inquiry was made were able to supply any, excepting the Pennsyl-vania Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau, which had some data covering a few months for some companies in that State. The inquiry was confined to the three largest producing States, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Illinois. The inspection departments of neither of the first two had any such records, and in Illinois, only 275 volts has been allowed inside the mines for many years. A laborious inquiry has resulted in the data, shown in Table 1, which on this account was confined to the years 1921 and 1925, the latter being the latest figures available. In each State, to find the mines using 275 and 550-volt current respectively, it was necessary to list the mines from the Coal Catalog, and then to complete the list by inquiries from the companies directly, from Operators' Associations and from Inspection Depart-ments. As the mines not electrified, and those using

Jan 5, 1928

By Alan D. Randolph

INTRODUCTION The production of fines is an unwanted side-effect in most crystallization processes. The definition of “fines" is relative to the size of the desired product and varies from <30 mesh for coarse KC1 fertilizers to subsieve organic material produced by salting-out pro- cesses. Sometimes a well-developed fines distribution is necessary in the production of large crystals, e.g. the fines removal stream from a potash crystallizer. The production of fines is usually not desired in a crystallization separation step. However, product purity can either improve or degenerate with a decrease in crystal size depending on the relative importance of product washing vs mother liquor occlusions in determining over-all purity. Typically, both washing efficiency and mother liquor occlusions decrease with decreasing particle size. Fine crystal distributions have historically been difficult to measure and categorize; however this situation is changing rapidly with the use of electronic particle counters of the electrical zone- sensing or light scattering type. In fact, fine-crystal measurement is perhaps the key to better understanding and control of coarse- crystal crystallization processes. The fine-crystal distribution carries much useful information from which nucleation and growth rates can be inferred. The purpose of this paper is to briefly discuss a few crystallization processes in which production and/or measurement of fines is important and to categorize the process conditions which yield a fine- crystal product.

Jan 1, 1980

By Frank M. Randall

The Buick mill is located at the site of the old Buick general store, approximately 4 miles south of Bixby, Missouri on route KK. It is a part of the operations in the area now called the "New Lead Belt". The ore body lies at an elevation of 270 feet above sea level, and is fairly flat lying, becoming slightly deeper toward the south. The mineralization is due to the secondary deposition of galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, calcite, dolomite and some localized drusy quartz in a country rock of dolomitic limestone. The galena is fairly coarse grained with some large crystaline structure, and some oxidized surfaces. The sphalerite is fine grained- small crystals containing Cd (about 0.7%) and Ag (about 10 oz per ton) in solid solution. The chalcopyrite is fine grained, fine crystals that are sometimes massive in nature. The mine plan is a modified room and pillar system. Broken ore at the mine face will be transported to several different ore passes by rubber tired load-haul-dump units. Ore passes will drop the ore to a rail haulage level some 90 feet below the mining level where bottom dump cars will deliver it to a 42 in. Nordberg gyratory crusher. Two 12 ton capacity skips in balance carry the ore some 1,200 feet to the surface. The hoist is equipped with automatic controls for loading, hoisting and unloading.

Jan 1, 1970