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By Brad Gunn

Our program has been dictated by the necessity of broadening our markets through converting potash chemicals to fertilizers more in demand than potassium chloride. To this end, we have undertaken studies on methods of preparing potassium sulphate or potassium magnesium sulphate by rather simple conversion. When mixtures of sodium and magnesium sulphates are reacted with potassium chloride, the ratio of sodium to magnesium is quite pertinent. A range of ratios has been selected and the conversions of potassium chloride to sulphate have been assessed by cyclic operations. Results from experimental procedures for producing potassium nitrate are also avail-able. The influence on recovery for systems including organic solvents is assessed for a variety of situations.

Jan 1, 1971

By W. F. Durfee

In the year 1862 the author of this paper was called upon to design and superintend the erection and working of the machinery of an experimental works for the production of steel by a process

Jan 1, 1884

By D. G. Puglio

This Bureau of Mines study covers 25 underground mines that were active in the Upper and Lower Freeport and Lower Kittanning coalbeds in 1976. The coal ranges from low to medium volatile in rank; its primary use is for steam generation. Seven mines emit more than 100,000 cfd of methane gas; those mines are the deepest and largest producers. The methane gas content of three core samples of the Lower Kittanning coalbed was estimated by the direct method. A sample from a depth of 320 feet contained 0.5 cu cm of gas per gram, at 620 feet there was 0.8 cu cm of gas per gram, and at 1,060 feet there was 11 cu cm of gas per gram. These results suggest that methane control problems will be encountered in the future as deeper coal is mined.

Jan 1, 1979

By J. R. Tonry

In the grinding of dry non-metallic materials such as rocks, ores, gypsum, lime, and cement clinker, it is recognized that only a relatively small portion of the energy is utilized for actual size reduction, and the major portion of the energy used is converted into heat. As a result, heat is generated inside grinding mills imparting to the ground product a higher temperature than that of the mill feed. In some cases, as for instance in grinding cement clinker and gypsum into finished cement, it may be desirable to keep this temperature increase within certain limits, to avoid any change in the properties of the product and, because consumers may specify a maximum temperature of the finished product for reasons associated, with the tulimate use of the cement. The actual proportions of heat and useful work are somewhat indefinite. Some tests have indicated that nearly all the energy is converted into heat, and. other investigators have found that they could account for "everything except the noise." Investigations sponsored by the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, and carried out with an adiabatic calorimeter, indicated that a surprisingly high 19 percent of the energy might actually be used for size reduc¬tion. However, for the purpose of the following discussion it will be assumed that: (Fig. 1) 10% is lost in motor and gears 10% is lost by radiation and convection from the mill body 10% is used for size reduction, and. that 70% of the energy input leaves the mill as heat in the ground. product. A typical example (Fig. 2) would be a 7x22-ft tube mill operating in open circuit, driven by a 400 hp motor, charged with 77,000 lb of grinding media and producing 70 bbl or 26,300 lb of cement per hour. Reducing this cement from a clinker size of 96 percent passing a No. 16 mesh sieve to a specific surface of 3,230 sq cm per gm (Blaine) will increase the temperature of the cement approximately 143F above the temperature of the feed, as explained later. If the tempera¬ture of the clinker therefore is 125F, the finished cement will be 268F, which in some cases may be too hot. : When cement temperatures approach a range during grinding where dehydration of the gypsum becomes a problem, a logical consideration would be some means of reducing the temperature before it attains the range conducive to gypsum dehydration. Regardless of the varying degrees of heat generated within the mill or mills during grindingto various finenesses, consideration of the maximum safe limit for any type of cement being ground, which may vary fromplant to plant, govern in refining the mill circuit to obtain a safe temperature range. All plants are not necessarily required to do the same cooling job, and may or may not use cement coolers following the grinding circuit. (Not discussed in this paper). In the past, various means have been employed for controlling this temperature increase, Such means have included water cooling of the outside of the mill shell; equipping the shell with cooling fins; injection of moisture inside the mill; ventilation through the mill; and., in cases of closed-circuit grinding, drawing cooling air through the classifier; the purpose in all such cases being to remove heat from the grinding system.

Jan 1, 1958

By Rossiter W. Raymond

The formal outline of Mr. Hague's life and work is embraced in the following statement, chiefly based upon data furnished by him, at my request, shortly before his death. At that time the probability that I would survive to record his death was apparently small; but I urged upon him the duty of providing, whether for me or for my successor as Secretary of the Institute, trustworthy material for the notice which somebody would some day have to write—and which might otherwise be incomplete or incorrect. Mr. Hague, with characteristic promptness and freedom from affectation, did what I asked of him; and I am therefore able to present an authoritative sketch—concerning the details of which I shall add my own comments, and some particulars obtained from friends. James Duncan Hague was born Feb. 24, 1836, at Boston, Maes., where his father, Rev. William Hague, D.D.,an eminent clergyman, then resided. After a preliminary education in private schools, he studied in 1854 at the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University; in 1855 and 1856 at the University of Göttingen, Hanover; and from 1856 to 1858 at the Royal Mining Academy of Freiberg, Saxony. In 1859-1861 he was attached as chemist to a South Sea exploring expedition, sent by W. H. Webb, of New York, to examine Jarvis, Baker, and other islands for phosphate-deposits. After the outbreak of the Civil War, he entered the U. 5. Navy, serving for a year as Judge Advocate to the fleet stationed at Port Royal, S. C. In 1863 he became Superintendent of the Albany and Boston copper-mine, in the Lake Superior region, where he was also connected with the earliest development of the Calumet and Hecla property. In 1867 he became the First Assistant Geologist in Clarence King's famous Exploration of

Jan 1, 1909

By Sarracino R. S

A number of ideal detonation codes are used internationally for estimating the strength of explosives compositions. Important and far reaching decisions by explosives users are ofen based on the predictions of these codes, but since different codes can deliver very different answers for the same composition, there is a strong possibility of decision makers being misled. In order to both provide a sensible basis for comparing the theoretical energy from explosives from different manufacturers and to prevent the entire rating system from slipping into disrepute, it is in the interests of all to reach agreement on fundamental criteria used by detonation codes for detemtining strength. The problem is illustrated by a case history and basic conventions are proposed, specifically the adoption of energy of reaction as a fundamental and code independent indicator of explosive energy, and agreement on disclosure by suppliers of key non-proprietary information. These measures would assist explosives customers in assessing the true strengths of explosives from the strengths calculated by the different ideal Codes.

Jan 1, 1990

By Frank C. Canney

The word "other" in paragraph 4, line 11, column 1, page 205, should read "over;" the correct version of reason 2, this paragraph, is: 'L. . . 2) to evaluate the usefulness of certain geo-chemical techniques, V. C. Kennedy and S. W. Hobbs of the USGS had already studied the distribution of copper, lead, and zinc in the soils (both in background areas and over veins) and in the water and plants, providing a criterion for measuring the magnitude and effect of soil contamination; ...9 On page 206, in the top left hand corner of Fig. 1 (in the area bounded by 47°35' and 116°10), the reference to Fig. 3 is incorrect. The area of Pine Creek, South Fork Coeur d'Alene River, and portion of Big Creek (the area which includes, from left to right, Kingston, Pinehurst, Smelterville, and Kellogg) should be identified as that of Fig. 2A. The headings for columns 1, 3, and 4, Tables I and 11, page 209, column 2, were reversed when the paper was printed. The corrected tables are:

Jan 1, 1961

By Tracey Bodnarchuk, Philipp Mirzoev

Sulfate balance control is a common problem for zinc plants. Roast-leach-electrowin plants are mostly concerned with the over-generation of sulfates while for the HudBay direct leach plant both extremes are possible including potential necessity to buy sulfuric acid to replenish a sulfate-depleted circuit, which makes the problem doubly important. Quantitative methods were applied at the HudBay plant to analyze sulfate generation/depletion based on a local sulfur balance and sulfate extraction calculation in the leach circuit, using a Pb-tie method. Main factors were established influencing sulfate generation/depletion, including the critical role of Pb and pyrite. Regression analysis proved to be effective and allowed the quantitative prediction of Pb concentrations necessary to reach the equilibrium for the sulfate balance. This in turn provided a firm basis for a sulfate-control strategy realized through concentrate blend correction, which allowed the plant to fine-tune sulfate generation/depletion effectively reducing economic consequences of excessive/deficient sulfate generation.

Jan 1, 2015

By Moore, Richard B

PROBABLY no other metal excites as much interest, among both scientific men and the general public, as radium. This is due partly to the high cost of radium salts and partly to the peculiar properties of the element. Since radium-bearing ores were discovered in the United States, the interest of American scientific men has been stimulated and, at the present time, more radium is extracted and refined in this country than in all the rest of the world together. HISTORY The property of radioactivity was discovered, partly by accident, by Henri Becquerel, the French physicist, in 1896. He was experimenting with certain fluorescent substances in order to find, if possible, a connection between fluorescence and the recently discovered Y-rays. Among other chemicals which possess the property of fluorescence, he was using

Jan 8, 1918

By D. C. Azubike

Wolframite (FeWO4) usually having cassiterite (SnO2) as a major impurity is a primary source of tungsten. Its direct reduction/carburisation with carbon in the temperature range 1000-1400°C, and with hydrogen at 600-900°C followed by carburisation with CO at 900°C are described. Depending on the conditions and reactants employed, Fe, Fe2W, B-Sn,WC, W2C, Fe3W3C and Fe6W6C are the products. Tin was found to inhibit the overall reduction and carburisation reactions significantly. The potential for either efficient separation of iron and tungsten or a one-stage production of an iron-based metal carbide composite is discussed.

Jan 1, 1992

By R. D. Clarke, E. De Souza

"A framework for ventilation planning, with a focus on planning to the end-of-mine life, was developed for the Diavik Diamond Mine, Northwest Territories. This framework was successfully used by Diavik’s mine engineers to select a cost-effective ventilation plan that met the life-of-mine requirements. The framework achieved this result by reconciling the production plan with the ventilation plan. A set of design acceptability criteria was created and a PICK (possible, implement, challenge, kill) chart was used to quickly narrow down the generated ideas for detailed assessment and economic analysis. RÉSUMÉ Un cadre de planification de l’aérage, qui met notamment l’accent sur la planification jusqu’à la fin de vie de la mine, a été développé pour la mine de diamants Diavik. Les ingénieurs miniers de Diavik ont su mettre à profit ce cadre pour sélectionner un plan d’aérage rentable qui répondait aux exigences propres à la durée de vie de la mine. C’est en conciliant le plan de production et le plan d’aérage que cet objectif a pu être atteint. Un ensemble de critères d’acceptabilité de la conception a été créé et un tableau PICK (de l’anglais possible, implement, challenge, kill, une méthode donnant la priorité à certaines actions proposées ou à des idées visant à résoudre des problèmes) a été utilisé pour rapidement limiter les idées générées et les soumettre à une évaluation et une analyse économique détaillées.INTRODUCTION The Diavik Diamond Mine, Northwest Territories, has been an underground-only operation since 2012 and has a remaining mine life of 8 years. In the first year of underground-only operations, the production rate increased from 60 kt of ore per month to more than 160 kt of ore per month. In subsequent years, this rate was continuously increased (Table 1) because the operation went through various improvement initiatives. By the end of 2016, Diavik’s total production was 0.41 Mt (+22.8%) ahead of the 2012 budget for 2016 production."

Jan 1, 2018

By Charles W. Henderson

THE influence of mineral production on the development of the western United States has been profound. From 1848 to 1860, there was only gold production, the effect of silver began in 1860, and from then on both had a powerful influence. Lead production started in 1863, copper in 1863, and zinc in 1885, but was small until 1898. Gold alone was therefore the stimulus of the early settlement and exploration of the Western States.. But mineral deposits caused neither acquisition of territory nor determination of boundary lines. Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and parts of Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado were formally acquired from Mexico fourteen days after the actual date of the discovery (January 19, 1848)1.2 of gold at Sutters Mill, near the present town of Coloma, California (a discovery which, with the immediate new discoveries, aroused the world several months later) ; but the acquisition was by treaty (under negotiation for some time but signed February 2, 1848)3 in settlement of a war involving the boundaries of the grassy plains of Texas, an area at that time not known to contain any metals, and to date found to have but few metal deposits.4 The international boundary at 49º latitude for the far northwest states was determined by causes other than mineral deposits.

Jan 1, 1933

By Robert van Hille, Alison Lewis

The precipitation of a selection of metals from both a synthetic and an actual metal-rich effluent was investigated. The experimental aspects of this study were carried out in a two-stage process consisting of a pre-treatment clarifier and a fluidised bed (pellet) reactor. Each unit operation in the two-stage process was investigated separately. The pre-treatment clarification stage at pH ˜ 5 resulted in a 99.9% removal of iron and 97.3% removal of aluminium. The pellet reactor was used to precipitate nickel as nickel carbonate from a pure stream and a removal efficiency of 99.6% was achieved. The high local supersaturation at the reagent inlet points caused the formation of a large amount of fines, but these agglomerated onto the pellets up the length of the bed. For copper precipitated as copper sulphide from a pure stream, a maximum removal efficiency of 92% was achieved. The high local supersaturation at the reagent inlets also caused the formation of a large amount of fines, but the extremely sparingly soluble nature of copper sulphide meant that the fines were not agglomerated up the length of the bed. For removal of cobalt as cobalt carbonate from an actual stream, a stable cobalt removal of only 60% was achieved. This was found to be due to the presence of magnesium, which reduced the cobalt precipitation efficiency through the formation of the magnesium bicarbonate ion.

Jan 1, 2003

By A. A. Millar

THE output of coal from the Province of Alberta reached its peak; in the year 1928, when 7,334,179 tons were produced. Following this, a steady decline was recorded, and in 1930 a low mark of 4,564, 290 tons was made. Since that time, however, the tendency has been upward, and this year (1937) 5,551,682 tons were produced, compared with 5,696, 375 tons in 1936 and 5,462,973 tons in 1935. The value of the output in 1937 was $14,434,969, against $14, 720,004 in 1936. The coals of Alberta have been classed under three heads, viz., domestic, sub-bituminous, and bituminous The domestic (or lignite) and the sub-bituminous coals are used chiefly for domestic purposes, with the possible exception of the smaller sizes and the output of the two stripping pits at Stereo and Coal Valley The bituminous output is used mainly by the railways, for locomotive purposes, which, in 1937, accounted for 80.6 per? cenr of the total sales of bituminous coal. A fair proportion is sold for stationary engine and steam purposes and, in 1937, 25,000 tons were used in making briquettes at plants operated by the Canmore Coal Company, Limited, and Brazeau Collieries, Limited. The International Coal & Coke Company, Limited, used 99,500 tons in their plant at Coleman, for making coke. The bulk of the 66,000 tons of coke produced was sold for use at the smelter at Trail, B.C.

Jan 1, 1938

By K Higuchi, K Saito, O Ishiyama

Iron ore in Australia is predicted to increase in its phosphorus content in the near future, which is detrimental to properties of steel product. Steelmakers are concerned by the content of phosphorus in iron ore will exceed limits for steelmaking and increase the converter slag ratio to molten steel, which will finally lead to a decline in competitiveness in high-grade steel production. In this paper, fundamental development of a dephosphorisation technique by reduction gasification is considered. Basic reduction examination was carried out using Australian and a synthetic model iron ore sample with phosphorus compound reagent, varying reaction time and composition of substances to find out suitable process condition for dephosphorisation. With successful lowering of phosphorus concentrations by gasification reduction of the iron ores, dephosphorisation was assumed and further elucidation works were carried out. More than 10 mass per cent of dephosphorisation ratio is obtained from Australian iron ore through batch-type 25 g furnace experiment using hydrogen as a part of reducible mixed gas. Lowering of phosphorus content occurred preferentially either in wustite or in another reducing zones, suggesting a relationship between reducing conditions to efficient dephosphorisation of iron ores. Another result of the fundamental experiment using a model sample with reagent is different dephosphorisation occurred with different reagents contributing to with unified reduction model for phosphorus, providing positive possibility for comparative evaluation, even if new morphologies of phosphorus in iron ore are clarified in future. According to these approaches, it is important to reduce iron ore efficiently and to avoid gasified phosphorus retaining and reattaching to adjacent iron ore particle at the same time. A kiln-type furnace is suggested to overcome previous technical issue, and additional experiments using larger rotating furnace were carried out for verification.

Sep 18, 2023

By H. E. Criner, M. G. Driessen

Maurice Rey—The influence of cyclone diameter upon the fineness of separation is an important point which, however, cannot be discussed adequately if the injection pressure or the rate of flow are not specified. Perhaps some light can be thrown on the matter by using the formulas derived by Dahlstrom. Let us consider several geometrically similar cyclones where the apertures e and b are equal and proportional to the diameter D and which are operated with the same pressure drop. Eq 8 of Dahlstrom's paper can be written: Q Q = K D'. " or. if F is constant: Q = K D18 K is a constant of proportionality. Introducing this value of Q in eq 13 gives elimination efficiency = K D ,41 Elimination efficiency, in the terminology of Dahl-strom, means the diameter of particles, in microns, which divide equally between the underflow and the overflow. This denomination is regrettable and it would be preferable to call it diameter of separation or characteristic size or any other name connoting a size rather than an efficiency. Whatever the name used, the above equation shows a slow increase in the fineness of separation when the diameter of the cyclone decreases. For example, if a 14-in. cyclone gives a 400-mesh separation (37 microns), geometrically similar cyclones, having the same pressure drop will give separations at the sizes shown below.

Jan 1, 1951

By M. G. Driessen, H. E. Criner

Maurice Rey—The influence of cyclone diameter upon the fineness of separation is an important point which, however, cannot be discussed adequately if the injection pressure or the rate of flow are not specified. Perhaps some light can be thrown on the matter by using the formulas derived by Dahlstrom. Let us consider several geometrically similar cyclones where the apertures e and b are equal and proportional to the diameter D and which are operated with the same pressure drop. Eq 8 of Dahlstrom's paper can be written: Q Q = K D'. " or. if F is constant: Q = K D18 K is a constant of proportionality. Introducing this value of Q in eq 13 gives elimination efficiency = K D ,41 Elimination efficiency, in the terminology of Dahl-strom, means the diameter of particles, in microns, which divide equally between the underflow and the overflow. This denomination is regrettable and it would be preferable to call it diameter of separation or characteristic size or any other name connoting a size rather than an efficiency. Whatever the name used, the above equation shows a slow increase in the fineness of separation when the diameter of the cyclone decreases. For example, if a 14-in. cyclone gives a 400-mesh separation (37 microns), geometrically similar cyclones, having the same pressure drop will give separations at the sizes shown below.

Jan 1, 1951

By Thomas Downing

WHEN examining a coal property it is customary for the engineer to take channel samples at several coal faces. In doing so the extraneous matter, or partings, which can be removed by hand, or mechanically, with the facilities at hand, or proposed, is rejected. Where there is doubt concerning a stratum it is usually rejected from the main sample but part is taken for separate analysis. The samples are forwarded to a chemist for proximate analyses and determination of British thermal units, and, sometimes, ash fusion. Consideration is given all available commercial analyses but frequently the owner presents only the favorable ones. From the results thus obtained a general evaluation is made, monies are loaned or expended, markets are determined, and realization is estimated. In many instances, such grades are not substantiated and it is time we looked deeper for a basis which will prove more practical. Institute committees are working hard on analytic and use classifications and much valuable information has already been assembled and distributed. However, no single grade can be applied to any particular bed or region. Much study has been given the Pittsburgh No. 8 seam, yet that bed is subject to material differences in a single section; i. e., some strata of a face may differ from others in structure and analysis, particularly in sulfur content. From some localities it yields a good carbonization fuel, while in others it is chemically unfit for such use. Traveling south to the Logan, W. Va., field we find the Cedar Grove (Island Creek) seam a hard, gray splint coal. In the same field, and not far distant, the same bed changes, both structurally and chemically, and consists of excellent gas coal. In Illinois the moisture content of a bed may vary greatly in different localities. We have seen mines in which part of the coal is excellent for special purpose use but is spoiled by the product from another part of the same mine.

Jan 1, 1931

By B. R. Mohal, F. F. Aplan, S. Chander

"The wetting behavior of coal has been determined in the presence of nonyl and octyl series of nonionic surfactants containing polyethoxy groups of different sizes. The wetting behavior was determined by a modified Walker technique and contact angle measurements. The results show that the wetting rate of coal varies with coal rank, structure of the hydrocarbon chain and number of ethoxy groups in the hydrophilic group of the surfactant. A close relationship has been observed between the wetting rates and the short-time advancing contact angles.INTRODUCTIONNonionic surfactants are used in many applications to improve wettability of solids. They can be used as dispersing agents [ 1 ] or dust suppressants [ 2-5] and to control the flotation, flocculation, filtration and, flowability of particulates. This study was undertaken to study the effect of a series of nonionic surfactants on the wetting behavior of coal. Two series of surfactants, namely, ethoxylated nonyl and octyl phenols were used. The nonyl phenol series con tains a linear hydrocarbon chain containing nine carbon atoms (CH3 ( CH2 )8-C6H4- ( OC2H4 ) n, where n is the number of ethoxy groups) . The octyl phenol series contains a branched hydrocarbon chain containing eight' carbon atoms ( ( CH3 ) 3CCH2C ( CH3) 2-C6H4- ( OC2H4 ) n ).Initial wetting rates — modified Walker techniqueWalker et al. [ 6 ] developed a sink test to determine the wettability of coal particles. In this technique, coal particles are dropped individually onto the surface of surfactant solutions of different concentrations, and the most dilute concentration in which coal would sink ""instantaneously"" is determine& This technique is a variation of a procedure initially developed by Draves and Clarkson [ 7 ] to determine the effect of surfactants on wettability of cotton fibers."

Jan 1, 1989

A shrinkage stope is an overhand stope in which the broken ore accumulates until the stope is completed to, or near, the level above. As broken ore generally occupies at least 60 per cent. more space than ore in place, about a third of this must be drawn out as the stope advances to leave a working space under the back. The ore remaining supports the miners and gives temporary support to walls, and is all withdrawn when the stope is finished. The shrinkage-stope method is applicable to steep-dipping deposits of strong ore with strong walls. It may be applied to narrow or wide veins, and is simple and cheap. Five examples, which include important and varied types of deposits, are given: namely, Kennecott, Homestake, Jarbidge district, Mogollon district, and Cripple Creek district.

Jan 1, 1925