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By William C. Buell

As used in connection with open-hearth or other high-temperature operations, "insulation" refers to a multitude of substances, natural or manufactured, that have the one principal property of preventing the flow of heat by conduction to a greater degree than refractories can prevent it, the principal properties of the latter being resistance to temperature and/or chemical action. The term "control" as commonly applied to the mechanization of management functions is inappropriate without qualification, for without some degree of control of every operation we could produce no steel worthy of the name. Although grouped together in this paper, insulation and control in open-hearth furnaces have little, if any, interrelationship, therefore the paper is made up of two distinct parts. INSULATION OF OPEN-HEARTH FURNACES More than ten years ago the writer proposed the insulation of an acid open-hearth furnace system below the charging floor, and it was accomplished, with gratifying results. Possibly that was the first time the insulation of regenerators and slag pockets of any open-hearth furnace was undertaken, but shortly thereafter such insulation became general, and when the six groups of 150-ton furnaces1 were built in 1929-1930, they were completely insulated below the charging floor. While the practice was accepted at least five years ago, it was not well understood, however, as indicated by the following incident which occurred in connection with an installation made in 1929. After the

Jan 1, 1935

By David White

While a country is small and its coal fields are not many, it may be possible to classify its coals on some basis that avoids both overlap and inconsistency, and that may be satisfactory to the particular country, such as geographic distribution or geologic age, or regional uses. In the adjoining country, however, the coals may differ more or less; broad areas may have escaped the erasure of transition zones by erosion, and the stages of alteration of the coals may lead to a classification different from and even incompatible with that of the other country. Such classifications, developed primarily along national lines, are essentially opportunistic. Further, many even of the "use" terms that have been in more common employment with a degree of international application have lost their significance and value, due to changes in industrial methods and urban life. When the number of coal fields is large and the classification is designed to cover the coals of many countries, the groups or divisions into which the coals are integrated are found to verge one into another; and, though the main divisions may be so naturally composed and oriented that they are relatively distinct and readily separated as entities or units when taken by themselves, the sequence, through classes, groups, and subdivisions, is so complete that we find transition zones through which boundaries must be arbitrarily drawn with minute technical definition. This situation, which is conspicuously illustrated in the United States, is due to the progressive evolution of all coals, irrespective of geologic age, from peats to successively higher ranks, which, if the progressive alteration goes far enough, ends with graphite. This evolution is now firmly established and its complete acceptance is but a matter of time. A classification of all coals in all coal fields can not escape this fact and must take into account all the stages in the transformation of the fuel from rank to rank through division to division, and through group to group. The plan here outlined aims at a natural classification of coals based on their evolution from peats to graphite. As in other classifications, the differentiation of the various groups and divisions takes account of changes resulting from the progressive losses of moisture and .of oxygen of constitution; the relative conservation of carbon; the progressive increase in fixed carbon (inverse to the loss of volatile matter) in

Jan 1, 1930

By R. F. Weber

The relation between the chemical composition and the refractoriness of fire-brick has long attracted the attention of manufacturers of fire-brick and others interested in their use, yet but little systematic work has been done along this line, especially in the United States. Analyses of fire-brick have been quoted for years, but fire-tests of brick, except those of durability in practical use, have usually been lacking. Although many tests and analyses of foreign fire-brick have been published, only a few have appeared in the United States; and even in the foreign literature, the references and facts are more or less scattered. The most elaborate foreign paper on the subject is that by Dr. Jochum.' One of the earliest, and perhaps the most detailed piece of work in the United States, is that of F. Platt, which was done for the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, in 1876.2 His investigation consisted of the analysis and heat-tests of 21 bricks, the testing being made in an experimental shaft-furnace at Har-risburg, Pa. All the bricks were more or less affected at the temperature reached, which was considerably higher than the melting-point of steel. The exact temperature at which individual bricks fused was not ascertained, hence the comparisons quoted in the paper are of value only for the bricks used in the test. The next comprehensive investigation, made by the New Jersey Geological Survey,³ deals chiefly with fire-clays; analyses and refractory tests having been made of 123 clays, kaolins, feldspars and fire-sands. Here; again, there was no accurate means of measuring the temperature, the only measurement of

Jan 1, 1905

By W. A. Boyer

MINE hoisting ropes can be loaded to capacity only when the strength of each component is exactly known. Characteristic curves provide this information. When load and rate of acceleration are specified for an individual rope, the characteristic curve assumes a predetermined shape. The factor of safety, is the value drived by dividing the breaking strength of the rope by the total stress on the rope where it goes over the sheave wheel. Total stress is made up of the weight of skip and cage, weight of ore, weight of rope between sheave and rope clevise or attachment, friction load, and acceleration force. Bending stresses are neglected in this discussion, as sheaves and drum di- ameters are assumed to be large enough to reduce these stresses to a negligible value. Fig. 1 gives a family of characteristic curves for 13/8-in. improved plow steel hoisting ropes of 6 x 19 or 6x21 construction with hemp core. The curves will hold for all rope sizes of this specified quality when they are subjected to an acceleration rate of 1.608 ft per sec2. As acceleration rates of most deep shaft hoists are close to this value, this family of curves is presented as a standard. Deviation is slight for other rope sizes. Note that for 0, which is the most important, the deviation is within the width of the line on the graph. In a comparison of values for ropes of 5/8-in. and 21/4-in. diam the deviation ranges from a maximum 1.2 pct at 0 ft to 0.6 of 1 pct at 5000 ft. The value of 5.55 is the same for all ropes at 2500 ft. The tabulated columns to the left of the curves are values of total connected load for each size of rope from 5/8-in. to 21/4-in. diam inclusive. With each of these connected loads the safety factor characteristic curve for the rope will be as indicated.

Jan 1, 1957

By Alwyn Birchmore Cox, Ian William Wark

Different parts of the world in which mineral separation by flotation is practiced experience vastly different natural temperatures, and in some districts there is a big difference between summer and winter temperatures. It will be shown in this paper that the temperature is of considerable importance where it is desired to separate pyrite or arsenopyrite from other minerals. It is probable that some of the differences obtained in the flotation of these minerals at plants working under otherwise similar conditions are due to temperature variations. The influence of temperature on the flotation of galena, chalcopyrite and sphalerite by xanthates is less marked than its influence on pyrite flotation. Experimental Method The methods used have been described previously.l-4 In each test the clean mineral specimen was immersed in a solution prepared by adding the reagents in the following order: (1) sodium carbonate and hydrochloric acid as necessary to buffer the solution and to give approximately the pH value desired, (2) sodium cyanide, (3) copper sulphate, (4) ethyl xanthate, followed by (5) a final adjustment of pH value. After ½ hr. the mineral was tested for a xanthate film by bringing a bubble of air into apparent contact with the submerged polished surface. If true contact (spreading) was not obtained within ½ min. and after cleaning the surface by wiping with a small linen pad, it was concluded that the adsorption of a xanthate film had been prevented. Following the method already described (ref. 2), curves have been constructed such that for a solution composition corresponding to any point below the curve, contact between mineral and air is possible, whereas for a solution composition corresponding to any point above the curve, contact is impossible.

Jan 1, 1939

By Ian William Wark, Alwyn Birchmore Cox

Different parts of the world in which mineral separation by flotation is practiced experience vastly different natural temperatures, and in some districts there is a big difference between summer and winter temperatures. It will be shown in this paper that the temperature is of considerable importance where it is desired to separate pyrite or arsenopyrite from other minerals. It is probable that some of the differences obtained in the flotation of these minerals at plants working under otherwise similar conditions are due to temperature variations. The influence of temperature on the flotation of galena, chalcopyrite and sphalerite by xanthates is less marked than its influence on pyrite flotation. Experimental Method The methods used have been described previously.l-4 In each test the clean mineral specimen was immersed in a solution prepared by adding the reagents in the following order: (1) sodium carbonate and hydrochloric acid as necessary to buffer the solution and to give approximately the pH value desired, (2) sodium cyanide, (3) copper sulphate, (4) ethyl xanthate, followed by (5) a final adjustment of pH value. After ½ hr. the mineral was tested for a xanthate film by bringing a bubble of air into apparent contact with the submerged polished surface. If true contact (spreading) was not obtained within ½ min. and after cleaning the surface by wiping with a small linen pad, it was concluded that the adsorption of a xanthate film had been prevented. Following the method already described (ref. 2), curves have been constructed such that for a solution composition corresponding to any point below the curve, contact between mineral and air is possible, whereas for a solution composition corresponding to any point above the curve, contact is impossible.

Jan 1, 1939

By Edmund S. Davenport

The production of thorium of high purity by the Ca-CaCl2 reduction has been described by Marden and Rentschler,1 who also reported some of the properties of the coherent, ductile metal obtained from this pure thorium powder. The present paper describes the properties of thorium produced by the Ca-CaCl2 process modified in some details to meet commercial conditions. The principal effect of these changes in process has been an unavoidable increase in the oxide content of the thorium. Materials and Methods The thorium employed in this investigation was made from pure thorium oxide (ThO2) by the Ca-CaCl2 reduction. The washed and dried metal powder was pressed into bars approximately 0.160 in. dia. and 10 in. long, at a pressure of 75,000 Ib. per sq. in. The bars were heat-treated in vacuum at 1175' C. for 1 hr. This treatment yielded ingots sufficiently dense and coherent for mechanical working. Thorium has been successfully worked without a protective metallic covering, but for the purposes of this investigation it was more convenient to inclose the ingots in soft iron tubes and swage or roll cold to the desired sizes. The iron sheath was dissolved with nitric acid, leaving the cold-worked thorium exposed. Chemical Analyses Analyses of typical samples of the material used in this work arc given in Table 1. Thorium powder oxidizes in moist air, even at room temperature; no unusual precautions were taken to prevent such oxidation of the material used in this investigation. A certain amount of oxidation probably takes place during pressing; certainly during heat-treating unless a very slow heating schedule is employed. These factors account

Jan 1, 1930

By Walter Crafts, W. D. Forging, John J. Egan

Although many elements reduce the tendency to porosity in steel castings, manganese, silicon, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium appear to be most generally suitable for the purpose. The manganese and silicon contents are usually maintained in a fairly constant range. Silicon-killed castings often are made to be sound with little or no addition of the stronger degasifiers. In many cases, however, it is more practical to utilize the stronger degasifying elements, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium. Since they greatly modify the composition, shape, and distribution of the nonmetallic inclusions, and thereby the ductility, the strong deoxidizers must be used in such a way as to form the least harmful types of inclusions. As the reasons for failure always to obtain good results have not been obvious, an effort has been made to determine the mechanism of solidification of steels deoxidized to produce certain types of inclusions. Diagrams representsing the mechanism of their formation have been constructed from the appearance of the nonmetallic constituents and have not only illustrated the limiting features of specific deoxidizing treatments with respect to inclusion formation and ductility, but have also indicated a relation between inclusions and resistance to hot tearing. Three different types of deoxidation treatment have been used for obtaining sound castings with relatively high ductility. The first method is to make and cast the steel under such conditions that deoxidation with silicon and a small addition of a strong deoxidizer assures soundness. The effective addition that will promote soundness without causing the formation of intergranular inclusions varies with the furnace practice and composition, but may be limitled to about 0.025 per cent Al, Zr or Ti. Up to 8.10 per cent Ca and 0.15 per cent V are also used for this purpose. The inclusions in these steels are characteristically glassy silicates and round or irregular sulphides. As pointed out by Sims and Lillieqvist,1 the formation of fine intergranular inclusions, which are detrimental to ductility, limits the amount of strong deoxidizers that may be added.

Jan 1, 1940

By John J. Egan, W. D. Forging, Walter Crafts

Although many elements reduce the tendency to porosity in steel castings, manganese, silicon, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium appear to be most generally suitable for the purpose. The manganese and silicon contents are usually maintained in a fairly constant range. Silicon-killed castings often are made to be sound with little or no addition of the stronger degasifiers. In many cases, however, it is more practical to utilize the stronger degasifying elements, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium. Since they greatly modify the composition, shape, and distribution of the nonmetallic inclusions, and thereby the ductility, the strong deoxidizers must be used in such a way as to form the least harmful types of inclusions. As the reasons for failure always to obtain good results have not been obvious, an effort has been made to determine the mechanism of solidification of steels deoxidized to produce certain types of inclusions. Diagrams representsing the mechanism of their formation have been constructed from the appearance of the nonmetallic constituents and have not only illustrated the limiting features of specific deoxidizing treatments with respect to inclusion formation and ductility, but have also indicated a relation between inclusions and resistance to hot tearing. Three different types of deoxidation treatment have been used for obtaining sound castings with relatively high ductility. The first method is to make and cast the steel under such conditions that deoxidation with silicon and a small addition of a strong deoxidizer assures soundness. The effective addition that will promote soundness without causing the formation of intergranular inclusions varies with the furnace practice and composition, but may be limitled to about 0.025 per cent Al, Zr or Ti. Up to 8.10 per cent Ca and 0.15 per cent V are also used for this purpose. The inclusions in these steels are characteristically glassy silicates and round or irregular sulphides. As pointed out by Sims and Lillieqvist,1 the formation of fine intergranular inclusions, which are detrimental to ductility, limits the amount of strong deoxidizers that may be added.

Jan 1, 1940

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 Carl Trischka

During fifty-three years of mining operations in the Warren mining district, the mineralization has been found to cover an area roughly 2 miles long by 155 miles wide. Ore extraction from the richer portions of this area has been closely followed by surface subsidence. At the western end of the district, where the ore outcrops at the surface and oxidation is more complete over a wide area, intense surface disturbance is visible in the form of closely spaced open cracks and escarpments. As work has progressed toward the east, more unoxidized ore-bodies have been found and mining has been at increasing depth, for which reasons surface subsidence is less intense and subsidence blocks become larger and in general are bounded by open cracks, which persist over long distances. There may also be traced on the surface what appears to be a boundary crack, running in a northwest-southeast direction, marking the present southerly limit of subsidence of the district as a whole. It is not completely developed, and has not as yet appeared over the very deep mining operations in the extreme easterly portion of the district. Check surveys show that vertical and horizontal dislocation is still taking place. All of the various mining operations, including open-pit work in porphyry ore and underground mining of limestone replacement and porphyry ores, have had their influence in disturbing the surface. As these influences frequently overlap, and because the surface disturbance is continuous over practically all ore occurrences, it is virtually impossible to choose an area sufficiently isolated to ascribe the amount of subsidence to any definite volume of ore removed. After due consideration of all factors, there has been selected for discussion an area 1400 ft. long by 1200 ft. wide, which will be referred to as the Queen Hill block. It is bounded on all four sides by faults, which tend to limit subsidence disturbance to that caused by ore mined from within the block, and likewise to prevent subsidence cracks due to mining outside of the block from entering the area.

Jan 1, 1934

By Steven T. Mitchell

The introduction of Vertical Crater Retreat (VCR) Stoping at the Homestake Mine in Lead, SD, constitutes a major advance in Homestake Mining Company's efforts to improve productivity and reduce costs through under- ground mine mechanization. The work to date indicates that Vertical Crater Retreat Stoping is one of the safest methods of underground hardrock mining today, and is competitive with all other forms of stoping in terms of cost and productivity. Homestake anticipates that VCR stoping will account for approximately 35% of the total mine production in 1981.

Jan 1, 1981

By AIME

TURMOIL has been rampant in the lead producing industry during 1946. The chronic labor shortage was aggravated by various work stoppages in mines, smelters, and refineries, while shortage of materials was widespread. Price uncertainties helped to confuse the situation in many countries and particularly in the United States until the removal of price control in the latter part of the year. At the end of the first year of peace, lead, which had been comparatively plentiful during the war years, was a scarce and high-priced metal throughout the world. It is the hope of the industry that the law of supply and demand, if allowed to operate without interference, will bring about a satisfactory balance between production and consumption. Under these circumstances it is not surprising that there have been few important developments in the metallurgy of lead, though a number of items of general interest to the industry have been reported. An ore body which may prove to be of considerable importance has been discovered at Mpanda, Tanganyika. The scarcity of lead ore is illustrated by the announced reopening of the La Manche lead mine in Newfoundland, idle for 56 years. A new lead producer came into production when Rhodesia Broken Hill started up its new smelter. Lead concentrate of 75 per cent grade is smelted in Scotch hearths and the lead is refined to market grade by the Harris process without desilverizing. Production is about 1000 tons per month. One Australian lead producer, Mount Isa, has returned to lead production after having operated its lead plant for the production of copper during the war. The East Chicago plant of the International Smelting and Refining Co. has been sold to the Eagle-Picher Co.

Jan 1, 1947

By L. G. Marshall

WHILE surveying in a small Western mine, the following problem was encountered: Two traverses had to be connected by running a traverse line down the main hoisting shaft, which was the only connection between the two levels. The shaft was inclined at about 80 deg. from the horizontal and measured 8 by 10 ft. The distance between levels was about 110 ft., measured on one side of the shaft. The surveying equipment consisted of a transit, tripod, level rod, 100-ft. chain, and plumb bobs. There were no side or top the- scope attachments with which to take large, vertical angles. Therefore, we were confronted with the problem of taking readings between two points, one of which could not be seen through the instrument when set up under the other point, owing to the obstruction of the horizontal plate, and of measuring the distance between these points with a chain that was too short. The method of a line of plumb bobs down the shaft was impractical because a setup would be needed part way down the shaft, which would call a halt to all hoisting operations for some time. After considerable experimentation the following method was used.

Jan 1, 1936

By Roland D. Parks

To construct a yieldable metal prop of demonstrated practicability has been the aim of the writer of this article for a period of years. Such a prop is herewith described; it involves a yielding principle not previously utilized, to the best of the author's knowledge, in any of the numerous types of props which are in use in Europe and England or on record at the United States Patent Office.' No attempt will be made in this paper to analyze the situation in regard to the economics of timber substitutes. Suffice it to say that shortage of suitable timber combined with high freight rates has already presented a problem in some mining districts, and in the relatively near future will probably demand considerable attention from the mining industry as a whole. In order to understand the problems involved in the design of timber substitutes for underground support, it will be well to review briefly the fundamentals of ground subsidence and of the action of timber as props. The forces encountered in the support of mine openings are not computable. As a rule subsiding ground moves slowly; but it moves with an irresistible force. The only way to be certain of stopping ground movement is to completely fill up the openings below such movement. This is, obviously, an impracticability from the mining standpoint. The ordinary procedure is to put in timber to hold up the loose back and permit the natural arch above to resist its own loading. Under these conditions the timber rigidly supports the loose; but if the natural arch fails, the timber is then called upon to resist this additional pressure. Usually it cannot do this. The result is a crushing of the supports. Efficient timbering is that which will last just long enough to complete in safety the mining operations necessary to extract the ore. Wood has a cellular structure. It has great longitudinal strength for its weight. Further, it possesses the ability to maintain a high percentage of its strength while it is being crushed. In other words, it rigidly supports loads up to its capabilities and then continues to sustain

Jan 1, 1934

By H. L. Riley, B. W. Gandrud

As far as the present writers know, this system of flotation has not been used elsewhere in this country, but in the last couple of years it has been introduced, with minor variations, at one plant in England and one in Wales. The system has been described and discussed in a number of publications. The following is quoted from an abstract of the latest of these," a paper presented at an International Conference on Industrial Combustion in 1952. On the basis of experience to date with the commercial plants, it is believed that the kerosene-flotation process incorporates all the necessary elements to make it greatly superior to anything else now available for treating of fines in wet processes of coal preparation. Additional study and investigation are still needed, however, to determine if certain phases of the process can be improved to such an extent as to make it generally satisfactory and acceptable to the industry. Further improvements will be needed with respect to the capacities of the flotation cells and the reagent consumption.

Nov 1, 1955

By Voyle R. McFarland, Robert A. Burmeister, David A. Stevenson

The distribution of lead between phases in the Ag-Sb-Te system was studied using microautoradio -graphy. Two compositions were investigated, both containing an intermediate phase Known as silver antimony telluride as the major phase, and one containing AgzTe and the other SbzTes as the minor phase. For both compositions, two thermal treatments were used: nonequilibrium solidification from the melt and long equilibration anneals of the as-solidified structure. For each composition, lead was segregated in the minor phase of the as-solidified structure, but was distributed in the matrix after anneal. The electrical resistivity and carrier type were insensitive to the distribution of lead in the two-phase structure. ThERE has been considerable interest in the Ag-Sb-Te system because of its thermoelectric properties. The major interest has been in compositions on the vertical section between AgzTe and SbzTes, particularly the 50 mole pct SbzTes composition AgSbTez (compositions are conveniently expressed as mole percent SbzTes along the AgzTe-SbzTes section). One of the major problems in the proper evaluation and utilization of this material is the inability to control the electrical properties through impurity additions: all alloys prepared to date have been p-type, even with the addition of large amounts of impurities. It has been shown Wit all the compositions previously studied contain an intermediate phase of the NaCl st'ructure as a major phase (denoted by b) and a second phase, either AgzTe or SbzTe3, as a minor phase.'-3 One explanation for the unusual electrical behavior of this material is that the impurity additions have a higher solubility in the second phase than in the matrix; the impurity would segregate to the second phase, leaving the bulk matrix essentially free of impurity.4 In order to investigate this mechanism with a specific impurity element, the distribution of lead between the two phases was determined using autoradiography. Lead 210 was chosen because of the suitability of its 0.029 mev 0 particle for autoradiography and also because of the interest in lead as an impurity in this system.5'6 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Two compositions were taken from the vertical section between AgzTe and SbzTes, 50 mole pet SbzTes (Viz. AgSbTez) and 75 mole pct SbzTes, in which AgzTe and SbzTes appear, respectively, as the minor phase. Lead containing radioactive lead (pb210) was added to the above compositions to provide a concentration of 0.1 wt pct Pb. The material was placed in a graphite crucible in a quartz tube which was then evacuated and sealed. The samples were melted and solidified by cooling at a rate of 8°C per min and then removed and prepared for microa~toradiography. After autoradiographic examination of these samples, they were again encapsulated and annealed in an isothermal bath at 300°C for a number of days and prepared for examination. An alternate method of preparation employed a zone-melting furnace; the molten zone traversed the sample at a rate of 1.2 cm per hr and the solid was maintained at a temperature of 500°C both before and after solidification. This treatment had the same effect as solidification at a slow rate followed by an anneal for several hours at 500°C. In order to obtain the best resolution, thin sections of the alloy were prepared by hand lapping to a thickness of approximately 20 p. Other samples were prepared for examination by lapping a flat surface on the bulk sample. The resolution, although somewhat better in the former procedure, was adequate in both instances and the majority of the samples were treated in the latter fashion. A piece of autoradiographic film (Kodak Experimental SP 764 Autoradiographic Permeable Base Safety Stripping Film) was stripped from its backing, care being taken to avoid fogging due to static-electrical discharge. A small amount of water was placed on the sample, the film applied emulsion side down on the surface of the sample, and the sample and the film dipped into water in order to assure smooth contact. After drying, the film was exposed for 2 to 5 days, the period of time selected to give the best resolution. The film was developed on the specimen and fixed and washed in place. Two major factors must be considered in establishing the reliability of an autoradiograph: the in-

Jan 1, 1964

By C. B. Gillson, Henry Fay

For several years past, investigations on the chemistry of tellurium have been carried on in the laboratory of this institution. The methods of preparation of pure telluriumf and the estimation of tellurium‡ have been studied, and an attempt to determine the atomic weight of tellurium is now in progress. All these problems had been investigated, however, along purely theoretical lines; and it was thought desirable to study the more practical application of the metal, which can now be had in considerable quantities as a waste product in the refining of copper-ores. In its physical and chemical properties tellurium is very similar to antimony, and it was thought

Jan 1, 1902

By Edward C. Mack, Ronald G. Stovash

INTRODUCTION Ronald G. Stovash General Superintendent Consolidation Coal Company Shoemaker Mine Moundsville, West Virginia Consolidation Coal Company's Shoemaker Mine is located in West Virginia's Northern panhandle near Wheeling, adjacent to the Ohio River. Steam coal is mined from the Pittsburgh #8 seam which averages 65 in. in thickness. The 10 in. of draw rock directly above the coal is taken on advancement, but remains when longwalled. The top consists of up to 12 in. of lower quality coal, and immediately over that, up to 10 ft of multi layered shales, coal, and bone. The cover ranges from 300 to 800 ft of shales and limestone. Two longwalls operate in the mine. The first longwall started in April 1975 and is retreating its eighth panel. This wall was the first to use shield supports in the United States. The second longwall started in September 1979 and is currently retreating its first 7,000 ft panel.

Jan 1, 1981

By Ross W. Smith, Salim Akhtar

INTRODUCTION Flotation of oxide minerals, particularly silicates, with cationic collectors differs substantially from classic flotation of sulfide minerals using sulfhydryl collectors. In the case of cationic flotation of these minerals, in general: 1. There is a greater importance of electrostatic interaction between mineral and collector. 2. Longer-chained collectors are required; as a rule at least 10 carbons must be present in the hydrocarbon chain. 3. Moderate concentration of collector is required. 4. Attachment between collector and mineral appears to be less strong even though the system may exhibit a large contact angle. 5. Required conditioning time before flotation is usually relatively short. 6. There is sensitivity to slimes. 7. The collectors usually possess frothing power. 8. Selectivity of cationic collectors for specific minerals is usually poor. Almost any of the oxide and silicate minerals may be floated using cationic collectors. However, specific response to these collectors varies with mineral type. The following classes and minerals are

Jan 1, 1976