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By J. Murdoch Mackenzie

Two commercial nickel solvent extraction plants treating laterite leach solutions and using LIX®84-I have been operated in Australia. These circuits employ similar extraction chemistry but differ in their leaching and stripping operations. An alternative process involving elements of both can be conceived. The preparation of the feed solution to solvent extraction plays an important role in nickel extraction using LIX®84-I and the special features of manganese removal and cobalt oxidation in the preparation of the PLS are discussed. This paper compares these three circuit configurations with special reference to the extraction and reductive stripping of cobalt, the transfer of zinc and copper to the strip aqueous, ammonia transfer and sulfur transfer. The potential degradation of the organic and remediation using re-oximation is discussed. Keywords: Nickel, Solvent Extraction, Oxime

Jan 1, 2004

By Peter A. Adcock, Rob Fraser

Interest in monitoring nucleation overpotential in electrometallurgical processes dates back some 40 years or more. Conversely, remarkable progress has been made in recent years on describing in detail the processes involved in the formation of thin films by electrodeposition. The newer body of work underscores a need for greater clarity in speaking about the role of nucleation and in the acquisition and interpretation of nucleation overpotential measurements – the aim of this paper. In electrometallurgy, it is generally desirable to form deposits that remain smooth, compact, and relatively fine-grained while the deposit grows to a thickness on the order of 5-10 mm, about 100 times thicker than technological thin films. Hence, we distinguish two kinds of nucleation that can result in formation of new grains:- (1) initial nucleation (onto the substrate surface) of islands that coalesce into growing deposit, and (2) ongoing nucleation of new grains on the deposit surface long after the substrate has been covered and ceases to have a direct influence. Nucleation overpotential of the first type should be measured on an electrode surface truly representative of a real industrial substrate. The second type requires judicious choice of electrode material – an “ideal foreign substrate”. In general neither the industrial substrate nor native metal to be deposited is suitable for measurement of the second type of nucleation overpotential, because of interference by other processes. For the future, clear terminology is needed to distinguish these two types of nucleation potential. The second is the one for which the type of plot dubbed by Moats and Derrick as an “Adcock plot” and by us as a “Kerby-Adcock plot” was first conceived and correlated with relatively thick zinc electrodeposits. The data of Moats and Derrick showing trends for copper electrodeposition on stainless steel and on copper electrodes are interpreted within this framework.

Jan 1, 2016

By W. H. Eddy

The Bureau of Mines used several laboratory batch flotation schemes combined with magnetic separation to investigate the feasibility of recovering potash feldspar and glass sands from molybdenite tailings. Four molybdenite tailings or prospective tailings were used as test samples. Feldspar concentrates containing from 10.7 pct to 12.0 pct K2O were recovered from three of the four samples. The alkali content of the fourth sample met the grade for a mixed feldspar. All the feldspar concentrates contained iron in excess of the 0.10-pct-Fe203 specification for most uses. Electron-beam microprobe examination of the feldspar concentrates showed the presence of an iron-bearing potash feldspar in quantities that were excessive with respect to most iron specifications. However, a high-quality glass sand was produced from all of the samples.

Jan 1, 1980

By Robert R. Unterberger

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the research of the past sixteen years on three distinct methods of probing into solid rock. The first method is to use radar of the appropriate frequency. The second method is to use sonar. The third method is of recent vintage and uses techniques of nonlinear sonar also known as parametric sonar. The first two concepts, that of radar and sonar, are common to most people. Very few have heard of nonlinear sonar. Each of the probing techniques were investigated in order to overcome deficiencies in the former technique. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. It should be emphasized that all of these techniques for probing (or seeing) into rock are used in mines, and generally speaking not from the surface. Only in very special cases, such as certain very dry parts of Egypt or Peru, or, for example, the surface of the moon, will these probing techniques work from the surface. The reason for the development of these probing techniques has been to alert miners to possible hazards ahead of mining. Such hazards may be (1) old (unknown) boreholes connected with high pressure water zones above, (2) fractures that might connect to the Gulf of Mexico above the mine, (3) water-filled fractures that threaten the safety of miners, or (4) the discovery of dry faults ahead that can disrupt the planning of future operations.

Jan 1, 1983

By H. F. Yancey

This report, dealing with the separation of coal from its associated impurities by means of a pulsater-type jig, continues the series of reports that have been issued by the Bureau of Mines, in which detailed study has been made of the efficiency and mechanism of separating coal and impurities in various coal-cleaning appliances. The previous reports have dealt with the piston jig, coal-washing table, pneumatic table, and Baum-type jig. Such studies of the separation accomplished by any form of concentration device are essential and necessarily preliminary to any intelligent attempt to improve the performance of such equipment Object and Plan The pulsator-type jig was developed recently by G. A. Vissac. Although two articles(2) describing plants using this typo of cleaning unit appeared in 1936, both dealt principally with plant design and layout rather than with plant performance The object of the stork described in this report was to determine the efficiency of the separation made by the pulsator jig on a sized feed, the specific gravity at which the separation between coal and impurity was effected, and the influence of the specific-gravity composition of the coal on the character of the separation made.

Jan 1, 1938

By K. Nagai

The Asian projects are now in their second terms after the five-year first terms. Ultrafined-grained steels were developed in lab-scale and/or in practical process. Basic approach has been performed to explore the evolution mechanisms of ultrafine-grained microstructures. There have been investigated two approaches to make the ultrafine grains: the "recrystallization route" and the transformation route. In the "recrystallization" route, heavy deformation at low temperature is necessary for the ultra-refinement. In the transformation route, making the high density of ferrite initiation sites in the deformed austenite, especially of the heavily compressed austenite structures, is essential for the ultra-refinement, and further hindering the ferrite growth is also inevitable to utilize the high initiation rate. Strength and toughness are dramatically improved by the ultra-refinement. Fatigue property is also excellent. The poor uniform elongation can be enhanced by the design of the second phase dispersion. At the same time the application has been also pursued from various viewpoints of engineering to take advantages of the ultrafine-grained steels. Bridge, ship, construction, automobile and other high strength parts are being attempted for the application.

Jan 1, 2004

During heap leaching of secondary copper sulphide ores operated at low heap temperatures and high levels of leach solution salinity, copper recovery is usually unsatisfactory, due to a slow chemical and bacteriological leaching of the covellite minerals either formed from leaching of chalcocite or naturally occurring in ores. A laboratory test program was conducted to investigate the effect of leach solution temperature in the range of 20 to 50°C on copper extraction during stirred reactor, bottle roll, and short column leaching of fresh or heap leached secondary copper sulphide ores. It was demonstrated that increasing heap temperature is an effective approach for improving recovery of copper from secondary copper sulphide ores. A review of the technologies available for heating heap leach solution or decreasing solution salinity to improve copper recovery from secondary sulphide ore indicates that an integration of copper concentrate pressure leaching with heap leaching is potentially a cost-effective approach. A copper flotation concentrate sample was tested through pressure oxidation with the use of heap leach solutions of varying strengths for the repulping of the concentrate in order to examine its effect on pressure oxidation performance. The test results indicate that use of heap leach solution of high salinity in the pressure oxidation process does not cause a negative impact on the process performance for copper extraction, sulphide oxidation, and recovery of gold (if present) from pressure leach residue, and has additional advantages of removing the bacterially inhibitory aluminum from heap leach solution and generating more acid and ferric iron in the pregnant leach solution. A flowsheet configuration for full integration of the copper concentrate pressure oxidation with heap leaching of secondary copper sulphide ore is proposed and discussed.

Jan 1, 2014

By Charles S. Allbright

This report describes hydrogenation of petroleum distillate fuels in bench scale equipment and the effects of hydrogenation on the storage stability and the composition of the fuels. Two distillate fuels were hydrogenated in laboratory equipment using a commercially available cobalt molybdate catalyst. Reactor temperatures were varied from 600° to 850° F and pressures from 100 to 600 psig. Product fuels were analyzed by ASTM, Bureau of Mines, mass, and infrared methods. Hydrogenation of a catalytically cracked fuel from Oklahoma crude oil significantly improved the storage stability, reducing insoluble gum formed during 9 months of storage at 110° F from 19.0 to 1.3 mg per 100 ml fuel, average. Conversion of the olefins to other hydrocarbon types varied with the temperature of hydrogenation--at 700° to 850° F the conversion was mainly to aromatics, at 650° F about 50:50 to saturates and aromatics, at 600° F principally to saturates. Processing a fuel composed of a mixture of virgin distillate and catalytically cracked stock, both from Illinois crude, at 700° F and 200 psig effected marked improvement in stability; the buildup of insoluble gum in storage was lowered from 18.3 to less than 1 mg per 100 ml fuel.

Jan 1, 1967

By R. L. Godfrey

The Custom Coals advanced coal cleaning plant will be designed with a unique blending of existing and new processes to produce two types of compliance coals: Carefree Coal? and Self-Scrubbing Coal?. Carefree Coal will be produced by cleaning the coal in a proprietary dense media cyclone circuit utilizing fine magnetite to remove up to 90 percent of the pyritic sulfur and correspondingly greatly reduce the ash. While may utilities can achieve full S02 reduction compliance with Carefree Coal, others face higher sulfur reduction requirements due to the higher sulfur content of their existing fuel supplies. For these circumstances, a patented Self-Scrubbing Coal will be produced by taking Carefree Coal and pelletizing limestone-based additives with the finest fraction of the clean coal. These technologies will enable over 150 billion tons of non-compliance U.S. coal reserves to meet compliance requirements.

Jan 1, 1995

By H. E. Peterson, W. L. Anderson

"INTRODUCTION The great demand for tungsten incident to the war has led to the exploration of a large number of low-grade tungsten deposits. To properly evaluate the low-grade deposits it is essential to have available a dependable method of analysis applicable to all types of low-grade tungsten ores. Results reported on the tungsten content of the ores have often varied quite widely and have led to confusion. The Bureau of Mines has been requested by Government lending agencies and by companies interested in the production of tungsten to publish a general method for the determination of tungsten in low-grade ores. To meet this need, the Bureau of Mines is herein submitting two methods for analysis that have been proved on a large number of tungsten-bearing ores various types in the Bureau of Mines laboratory in Salt Lake City. Also, a third method was developed that requires no cinchonine and has proved to be applicable on most tungsten ores. The cinchonine method is the generally accepted for analysis of tungsten ores. Very reliable results can be obtained by this method if certain precautions are taken, as outlined in this report."

May 1, 1943

By Milton Fies

Introduction The first experiment in underground gasification of coal in the United States was conducted at Gorgas, Walker county, Alabama, under a co-operative arrangement between the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the Alabama Power Company, at the suggestion of the Power Company. The test was conducted on property of the Alabama Power Company, that owns some 19,000 acres of coal-bearing lands on which there is developed a highly mechanized mine producing some 2,500 cons of good quality steam coal per day. At the same locality ?there is a 200,000 kilowatt steam plant one of the largest in the southern portion of the United States. The Alabama Power Company owes much of its beginning in 1912 to British vision and courage. The original plans for building hydroelectric plants in Alabama, and for the construction of necessary transmission lines, were submitted to Sperling & Company, bankers of London, who agreed to underwrite certain bond issues, the proceeds of which would be used in launching the new Company on its programme. The set-up by which these funds from England were received was through an intermediary Canadian company, which the English investors desired. The Canadian company - Alabama Traction, Light and Power Company, Ltd. became owner of the securities of the Alabama Power Company and marketed its own securities through the banking house of Sperling & Company. Without assistance at this time the Alabama Power Company could not have gone ahead with its programme of expansion and the bringing together of the properties necessary for laying the foundation for a strong Company, fortified with ample power resources essential for future requirements and for dependable service to the public.

Jan 1, 1948

By F. R. Archibald

Introduction It is the purpose of this paper to review the subject of roasting as preparation of refractory gold ores and concentrates for cyanidation, with particular reference to operations at the mill of Beattie Gold Mines (Que.), Ltd., Duparquet, Quebec. Two earlier papers relating to the Beattie roasting operations are cited as background to the ? present discussion, and more general reference is made to other publications relating? to geology and metallurgy at Beattie. The Beattie roasting plant was built in 1937 as an addition to the existing flotation and cyanidation plant to permit complete processing of the ore at the mine property. Previously, the flotation concentrate had been cyanided, yielding 70 per cent of the gold values, followed by re-flotation of a concentrate from the cyanide residue. This re-floated residue was shipped to a smelter for recovery of gold values unavailable from direct cyanidation. The roasting plant itself is of interest through application in its design of multiple-hearth roasters and a Cottrell plant for separate recovery of dust and arsenic. In the laboratory and plant studies that accompanied development of the plant into a dependable and efficient working unit have been found principles and ideas applicable to other roasting 'problems. Before enlarging on these aspects relating particularly to the Beattie problems and plant, brief consideration is given to roasting in general.

Jan 1, 1949

By P. N. Anyalebechi

The effects of Si (0.19-0.52 wI. %), Fe (0.20 wI. %-0.44 wI. %), and Cr (0-0.10 wI.%) on the response of ingots of aluminum alloy 3004 solidified at different rates (O.IO°C/s to 30°C/s), to homogenization heat treatment have been investigated. Response to homogenization was determined by quantifying the following microstructural parameters: (i) amount of Mn retained in solid solution; (ii) types, relative amounts, sizes, size distributions, shapes, and chemical compositions of second phases; (iii) extent of the alpha-transformation (i.e., AI6(Fe,Mn) --7 (XAI12( Fe,MnhSi) reaction; (iv) dispersoid formation; and (v) alleviation of dendritic microsegregation. Of the three alloying elements investigated, Si had the greatest effect on the response of aluminum alloy 3004 to heat treatment. Increase in Si content, fineness of cast microstructure, and homogenization temperature facilitated alpha-transformation reaction, dissolution of Mg2Si, loss of Mn supersaturation, and formation of AldFe,Mn)3Si and Mg2Si dispersoids.

Jan 1, 2008

By P. B. Queneau

An operating problem encountered at the Moa Bay operation in Cuba, where nickeliferous laterite ore is processed by sulfuric acid pressure leaching, is the formation of alunite and hematite deposits on the autoclave walls. The AMPX Extractive Research & Development, Inc., metallurgical laboratory (Golden, Colorado) has made substantial improvements in the Moa Bay process in the areas of metal recovery, energy consumption, and feed versatility. One of the advantages of AMAX's process is its ability to treat substantial portions of nickel- and magnesium-rich serpentine while maintaining acid utilization efficiency. The process minimizes scale formation by combining staged acid addition with vigorous agitation and 270°C operation, but does not eliminate scaling. This paper describes how advantage can be taken of MgSO4?XH20 precipitation both to inhibit alunite scaling and to disperse hematite scale within the MgSO4?XH20 matrix. Cooling the autoclave from its 270°C operating temperature down to 180°C takes advantage of the reverse solubility of magnesium sulfate. The magnesium dissolves, liberating entrained hematite, thus providing a means for control of autoclave scale with minimum process disruption.

Jan 1, 1984

By Joe B. Rosenbaum

New applications and concepts of solvent extraction as a unit operation in extractive metallurgy have been developed in the last decade. Wider use is being made of established solvent extraction techniques in processing spent nuclear fuel elements and in winning columbium-tantalum, hafnium-zirconium, thorium, tungsten, uranium, and vanadium. Commercial application has been extended to recovery of beryllium, boron, bromine, copper, molybdenum, phosphorus, rare-earth metals, and rhenium. Systems in use and proposed typically extract metals or salts as anion, cation, or neutral species from aqueous media by reaction with a recycleable organic reagent.

Jan 1, 1971

By H. F. Yancey

This report, dealing with the separation of coal from its associated impurities by means of a pulsator-type jig, continues the series of reports that have been issued by the Bureau of Mines, in which detailed study has been made of the efficiency and mechanism of separating coal and impurities in various coal-cleaning appliances. The previous reports have dealt with the piston jig, coal-washing table, pneumatic table, and Baum-type jig.5/ Such studies of the separation accomplished by any form of concentration device are essential and necessarily preliminary to any intelligent attempt to improve the performance of such equipment Object and Plan The pulsator-type jig was developed recently by G. A. Vissac. Although two articles(2) describing plants using this type of cleaning unit appeared in 1936, both dealt principally with plant design and layout rather than with plant performance The object of the stork described in this report was to determine the efficiency of the separation made by the pulsator jig on a sized feed, the specific gravity at which the separation between coal and impurity was effected, and the influence of the specific-gravity composition of the coal on the character of the separation made.

Jan 1, 1938

By James A. Wasson

This Bureau of Mines report summarizes the application of pilot flooding in the evaluation of a potential waterflood project. Aspects of pilot flooding discussed include choice of pilot location, confined and unconfined waterfloods, operational precautions, and comparison of predicted with observed performance. Summaries of published methods of pilot flood data analysis for determination of full-scale waterflood feasibility are presented and their use illustrated for example pilot flood data.

Jan 1, 1974

By V. A. Ettel

Current practices in electrolytic winning and refining of copper , nickel and zinc are reviewed from the point of view of their respective energy requirements. The electrical energy requirements of these processes are broken down in to the individual components, which belong to two basic categories: (a) thermodynamic energy requirements (G of the desired reaction) : (b) energy losses (anode and cathode polarizations, ohmic drops in the electrolyte and in the cell hardware, energy losses due to unwanted side reactions and electrical shorts). The individual energy components are separately examined for each electrolytic process and the potential for energy saving in these processes is discussed. It is shown that many potential energy-saving measures are uneconomical at the present time, as they increase over-all operating costs. The discussion is focused on those approaches which hold most promise for the future.

Jan 1, 1977

By F. A. McLean

The past decade has witnessed a rapid increase in the number and variety of uses found for internal combustion engines in mining operations. Gasoline engines are now widely used for operating core drills, pumps, compressors, small hoists, switching locomotives, tractors, boats, and other equipment. The heavy-oil engine is employed for operating compressors, generators, shovels, ore-milling machinery, and- in the iron, copper, and coal districts- in connection with that' latest newcomer in modern railroading, the oil-electric locomotive. Each of these applications could well form a subject for a lengthy treatise in itself. This paper, however, will be confined to a discussion of some of the features of internal combustion engines as applied to mine compressing plants and mill drive. Perhaps at no time in the history of mining in Canada has the search for new mines been more vigorously carried on, more old properties rejuvenated, or more remote districts exploited than during the past three years. The mine operator of today has a far wider range of equipment and facilities at his disposal than had the pioneers of Rossland, Cobalt, or Porcupine. Each year now witnesses the hinterland driven farther and farther back as improved forms of transportation, machinery, and methods make possible the exploration of properties once considered too inaccessible to warrant serious attention. Howey, Sherritt-Gordon, Callinan-Flin Flon, Jackson-Manion, Picard Gold Mines, and a number of properties in British Columbia, afford excellent examples of work carried out on an extensive scale miles from a railway, or in comparatively inaccessible mountain regions.

Jan 1, 1928

By A. J. Hargraves

"It is difficult to quantify comparatively the gassiness of a property. The most common index to gassiness, cubic feet of gas per ton of coal mined, is very arbitrary and does not take into account the geological setting nor the mining operation. The gassiness of a virgin coal in situ can be assessed, but no method is precise and the most accurate methods involve prolonged field and laboratory experiments. In general, gassiness increases with depth. Whereas 'gas' normally implies methane, other gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc. may be present in seam gas also. The inflammability of methane is a problem, particularly the explosibility of a methane-air mixture; also oxygen dilution is involved in high gas concentrations and some gases are poisonous even in low concentrations. Cross measuring into a virgin seam is usually not as troublesome as development in the seam, where narrow openings may require strong ventilation to dilute gases exuding from the face and sides. Total extraction presents problems of gas from the working seam, or from adjacent seams, particularly at the return side, or of gas-laden air from the goaf streaming out or sometimes surging out intermittently, again on the return side. In pillar extraction or longwall retreating special roadways may be required to allow the side-to-side and end-to-end flushing of the goaf which is somewhat inherent in longwall advancing. Layering may occur, particularly where ventilation conditions are not brisk. Outbursts of gas from adjoining seams may be induced by sudden rupture of roof or floor in caving workings. Outbursts of coal and gas from the working seam may occur, mostly in development work, under special environmental circumstances. Gas problems may be reduced or eliminated by predrainage of gas ....:. rarely successful from the working seam - usually undertaken from adjoining seams prior to escape of gas released by caving. The ideal solution - general predrainage of gas to the surface from measures prior to mining - has yet to be accomplished. • In the planning of gassy mines it is possible to make an assessment of gas contained in the seams and to estimate what proportion will be released into the mine air, but emission of gas into mine workings is never steady and at present there is no better planning criterion than experience at the mine next door!"

Jan 1, 1973