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By John D. Morgan, Sylvain J. Pirson

AN instantaneous and continuous analysis of a mineral suspension should be of great value in controlling various mineral preparation processes. Described herein is a method of analysis based on the use of high-frequency alternating current, which, under certain restrictive conditions, could be of use. THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS In a suspension of conductive minerals, the electrical effect primarily responsible for the variations in electric conductivity is the capacitance. In Fig Ia, let an alternating voltage E be applied across two electrodes F and F', between which are two rows (S and T) of mineral particles, all of approximately the same size, immersed in a fluid. Let the number of rows of particles between the electrodes be R and the number of particles in each row be N. If A is the area of a particle, D is the distance separating two particles, and K is a constant depending on the fluid, the capacity, Co, of the particle system will be given by: [KRA C0 ND] Referring now to Fig Ib, let R, the number of rows, be held constant, but let N, the number of particles in each row (S and T), be increased X-fold. The capacity, C1, of [ ]

Jan 1, 1947

By L. J. Trilli

RECENT studies have indicated that there may be considerable difference in the cleanliness of the central pipe cavity of open top ingots. It has been speculated that some of this difference arises becausk of reactions that occur during reheating in the blooming mill soaking pits. In this respect, it has been recognized that an oxide coating or flow of slaggy material in the cavity could inhibit welding during hot rolling and thus reduce the amount of sound product which may be obtained. This note is intended to summarize some observations on the structure of a split ingot top which may be useful in describing a mechanism whereby the shrinkage cavity could be oxidized during reheating. A 221/2x241/2 in., big-end-down, test ingot was secured from a routine production heat. The chemical analysis representing this ingot is as follows: 0.08 pct C, 1.04 pct Mn, 0.062 pct P, 0.315 pct S, and 0.02 pct Si. The deoxidation practice used on the heat from which the experimental ingot was

Jan 1, 1957

By John Birkinbine

What is believed to be an Aztec, or possibly a Toltec, mirror, is claimed to have been taken from one of the tombs at Cholula, near the city of Puebla, Mexico, where there is a mound of considerable size, in fact a hill, largely constructed of adobe bricks by the Toltecs, or by those who antedated them. The mirror is formed from a mass of what is evidently pyrite, is nearly a true hemisphere, having a diameter of 3 1/8 inches, and weighs 19 ounces. From its unusual size it is believed to have been hung about the neck of an idol. Other Aztec mirrors of smaller dimensions, and of less weight, so as to be carried about the person, are known; but the one exhibited, being heavy, was apparently intended to be held in the hollow of the hand, in which it fits, and may have been utilized to flash heliotropic signals. The entire surface, both of the base and of the convex portion of the hemisphere proper, has been beautifully polished, but, for some reason, the mirror has been shamefully abused, the edges having been broken, and the center of the base defaced, possibly by some one testing it for precious metals. Near the top of the hemisphere a hole, one-fourth of an inch in

Jan 1, 1895

By George W. Toth

This paper describes the features of a computer cost model developed to estimate requirements and costs of individual coal mining projects. Detailed cost analysis procedures for both coal mining and preparation are incorporated into the model. This model has been developed over a period of seven years through funding provided by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The model follows a process engineering approach for the estimation of all project capital and operating costs. A discounted cash flow analysis procedure is also designed into the model to allow for the solution of cost/ton or cost/MMBtu of clean coal production. The model can be applied to most surface or underground mining deposits and can accommodate a wide variety of coal washing situations. This flexibility makes the model a particularly useful tool for preliminary project analysis, property screening, investment analysis, mining technology assessment, coal cleaning level assessment, and general property valuation.

Jan 1, 1983

By R. C. Good

Slag control for any kind of steel, rimming, straight carbon or alloy, should start with the charge and be developed well in advance of the tap because its composition, viscosity and temperature will unquestionably govern the physical and chemical properties of the steel when tapped. In the majority of plants producing alloy steels, primary consideration is given to the chemical specifications; physical characteristics usually occupy secondary place in the melter's mind. Recently, however, buyers have indicated limits of machinability, hardenability, grain size and, of course, always wanted steel free from foreign nonmetallic inclusions. It is these latter specifications that require the attention of the operator to the slag and its control. The slag must act as a vehicle for oxidized elements originating from the metallic portion of the charge; it should hold the oxides of phosphorus, silicon, manganese, iron and chromium that come into contact with it either before or after the refining and finishing stage of the heat. It must be used as a transferring medium of oxygen from the atmosphere or oxide additions to the metal and should permit a free escape of gas generated within the charge. Finally, the slag is the principal controlling factor in regulating the rate of oxidation which in turn eventually determines the quality of the steel as measured for the various characteristics mentioned above. With pig iron of uniform composition, the iron oxide in the slag increases as the limestone is increased but with the same addition of stone in every heat, the iron oxide decreases as the silicon is increased in the charge, and vice versa.

Jan 1, 1935

By Harry A. Roe

The power drag scrapers and the slackline cableway excavator have been called "long-range excavators." Broadly, their field of usefulness is restricted to work in which their long range of action permits them to operate economically, and which other, possibly more conventional, excavating units cannot do. Both of these machines dig or lift material and transport it to a remote dumping point. They combine these two functions in a single machine, nearly always in a single straight-line motion. The purpose of this paper is to examine the important features that distinguish the machines in this group from each other, as well as from other groups. The Machines The "power drag scraper" is a long-range excavating machine that employs a bottomless drag scraper operated back and forth between digging and dumping points by two haulage cables. The typical arrangement is that of Fig. 1. This is the "slusher" of the underground mine, as well as the "dragline scraper" of the sand and gravel industry, and other open-pit mining operations.

Jan 1, 1938

By K. S. Seljesater

Since the development of dispersion-hardenable lead-antimony alloys' in the laboratories of the Western Electric Co., Inc., studies have been made of the effect of various third constituents on these alloys.2 This paper covers a study of the effect of small amounts of arsenic. This element is important since it occurs as an impurity in many commercial antimonial leads and the results obtained are particularly interesting as indicating a class of addition agents which exert a stabilizing effect on dispersion-hardened alloys. Experimental In order to study the effect of increasing amounts of arsenic, a series of alloys were made up containing 1 per cent. antimony, and arsenic varying from 0. to 0.10 per cent., the balance Doe Run lead (99.997 per cent. lead). The alloys were cast into bars 1 1/2 in. wide by 3/4 in. thick and cold-rolled to about 1/8 in- thickness. Three samples of each composition were annealed 1 hr. at 225" C. and quenched in water. One set was aged at room temperature, one at 50" C., and the third at 100" C., the

Jan 1, 1929

By John T. Galey

The restrictions placed on drilling by the Federal Government, which caused a severe curtailment in activity at the beginning of the year, were relaxed somewhat so as to permit the drilling of one shallow† gas well per 40 acres. New wells numbering 574† were drilled for a combined depth of nearly 1,500,000 It., and of this number 131 were dry holes with a footage of slightly over 375,000. Inside locations account for the majority of these totals and the increasing demand for natural gas would normally have increased the number considerably, but many of the independent operators chose to ask for fewer exceptions to Order M-68 of the Office of Production Management, and consequently to curtail the number of wells drilled. Initial open flow of natural gas developed from all operations§ is over 230 million cu. ft. Nearly 191 million cu. ft. of this volume resulted from the 410 new gas wells drilled to horizons above the Lower Devonian, and the footage drilled in these wells accounts for approximately 93 per cent of the total. Shallow Development Oil.—Thirty oil, wells, with a total initial production of slightly over 152 bbl. and a footage of 50.000, were drilled during the § Including deepening wells previously drilled.

Jan 1, 1943

By K. S. Seljesater

Since the development of dispersion-hardenable lead-antimony alloys' in the laboratories of the Western Electric Co., Inc., studies have been made of the effect of various third constituents on these alloys.2 This paper covers a study of the effect of small amounts of arsenic. This element is important since it occurs as an impurity in many commercial antimonial leads and the results obtained are particularly interesting as indicating a class of addition agents which exert a stabilizing effect on dispersion-hardened alloys. Experimental In order to study the effect of increasing amounts of arsenic, a series of alloys were made up containing 1 per cent. antimony, and arsenic varying from 0. to 0.10 per cent., the balance Doe Run lead (99.997 per cent. lead). The alloys were cast into bars 1 1/2 in. wide by 3/4 in. thick and cold-rolled to about 1/8 in- thickness. Three samples of each composition were annealed 1 hr. at 225" C. and quenched in water. One set was aged at room temperature, one at 50" C., and the third at 100" C., the

Jan 1, 1929

By J. H. Swisher

HIGH-temperature anneals in wet hydrogen are widely used in research as a technique for decarburiz-ing Fe-C alloys. This technique is also used commercially in processing low-carbon steels for magnetic applications. The results of some calculations to be presented show that for temperatures up to 1100°C there is a critical temperature for maximizing the decarburization rate of alloys containing about 0.1 pct C. The low-temperature portion of the iron side of the Fe-C phase diagram1 is reproduced in Fig. 1. Preliminary calculations show that the critical temperature is between 727" and 905°C. In this range, the alloy contains two phases during heat treatment, ferrite and austenite. Decarburization therefore occurs by a process termed "diffusion accompanied by a phase change".' For intermediate stages of decarburization, the carbon concentration profile in a flat plate is shown in Fig. 2. The carbon content increases linearly from zero at the surface to a value, cB , at the two-phase boundary. cB is known from the phase diagram, see Fig. 1. At the interface where x = 5, the carbon content increases to ci, the initial concentration in the alloy. smith3 has derived an equation which describes the rate of movement of the boundary. With a rearrange-

Jan 1, 1969

By Harlan Walker

ROCK-DRILL steel has an important bearing on costs in many mining operations, both directly and indirectly. Direct factors include such items as shop expense, steel consumed per ton of ore produced, cost of distribution and the dust hazard. The latter, although no specific amount may be assigned to it, is an ever-present problem, and is receiving increased attention as the science of mining progresses. Indirectly drill-steel performance affects consumption of compressed air, mainte-nance of drills and drilling speed. The latter, in turn, increases or retards the tempo of mining and development. These factors, while not all inclusive, are preponderant in their importance. Thus it is evident that in an extensive operation drill-steel expense may run to many thousands of dollars and that thoughtful research leading toward more efficient practice is warranted.

Jan 1, 1940

By T. V. Philip, R. E. Lenhart

C. G. Dunn(General Electric Research Laboratory)— It is well recognized that understanding of the formation of the cube-on-edge texture in annealed commercial cold-rolled Si-Fe strip is important industrially as well as scientifically. I would like to make a few remarks on this subject, discuss some points in the present paper, and list two remaining problems that appear to be particularly outstanding. Attention should be drawn to the paper by P. K. Koh,23 which also considers the kinetics of secondary recrystallization in 3 pet Si-Fe, produced commercially by the Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. Koh covered a much larger temperature range than do either the present authors or P. N. Richards, whose work is mentioned in a footnote. Koh found an induction period (of short duration) even for isothermal anneals at 1260oC (2300°F). Koh and Dunn24 also found a change in texture during the 1260oC anneal for the same material. On the other hand, the material in coil D, according to Philip and Lenhart, underwent no sec-condary recrystallization, only continuous grain growth. The grade classifications of the four coils studied would suggest, however, that all four materials had developed the cube-on-edge or (110) [001] texture, but to varying degrees. Since no data on this are given and since watt loss depends

Jan 1, 1962

By M. L. White, J. L. Shafer, C. L. Caenepeel

Often an in situ leach is the only practical economic method for copper recovery from small low grade oxide deposits. The decision to develop a copper property by an in situ blast and leach is strongly dependent on ore grade, tonnage, hydrology, and the copper extraction and acid consumption rates. The inherent leachability of the ore will in part determine the desired amount of fracturing of the ore deposit by the blast in order to obtain a copper extraction rate that is economical. For the last several years Occidental Research Corp. (ORC), has undertaken a modest effort to address the question of how to best identify and determine the information necessary to predict and control the operation of an in situ leach for the economic recovery of copper.

Jan 2, 1979

By Timothy Collins

There was once a speculative period of interest in small mining companies that is commonly referred to as "the uranium boom of the 50's." In the late 60's, there was a second mining stock boom: it centered around uranium and silver, when silver had reached a new high of $3.60. In the mid 1970Js, there may be a new boom in the making, and it appears that substantial public and institutional interest in mining equities will finally result in a viable long-term capital market rather than the boom-or-bust pattern of the 50's and 60's. The reason for Wall Street's renewed interest in mining is understandable: most mineral commodities have recently gone up in price. Domestically, these price increases have come in the wake of the inflationary spiral unleashed by years of unbridled government deficit spending and erratic fiscal and monetary policies. Internationally, of course, the biggest push for higher prices has come from third-world countries whose primary income derives from indigenous natural resources. Many of these countries-whose fiscal and monetary policies haven't been models of excellence either-have attempted to cope with the worldwide economic mess by forming cartels that could control the price of commodities. What's happened to petroleum is well-known; what's happened to copper, bauxite, phosphate, and uranium is part and parcel of the same syndrome.

Jan 9, 1975

By Charles M. Stone, Dale S. Preece

Introduction The Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) is a national program dedicated to storage of large quantities of crude oil in leached salt caverns in the Texas-Louisiana gulf coast area. The program has required storage in existing caverns at each site and includes plans to leach new ones. The structural stability of each cavern depends on the behavior of the surrounding salt. In the past cavern stability has been predicted based on experience with other caverns in the vicinity. With the development of good non-linear finite element structural computer programs, it is possible to predict stability before the cavern is created. An important step in verifying the applicability of these predictive methods is comparison of analytical and field data. The analytical data come from finite element analyses of a specific cavern where the laboratory determined material properties and an approximation to the cavern geometry are used as input. These comparisons have been made for caverns in the Bayou Choctaw Dome (Louisiana) and Eminence Dome (Mississippi) with reasonably good correlation being obtained between measured and predicted volumetric response of the caverns. This paper discusses 1) the acquisition of material properties, 2) the finite element program SANCHO, and 3) the comparison of analytical and field data for each of the caverns.

Jan 1, 1982

One of the results of the work of the Committee on Precious and Base Metals is that the present Bulletin is as large as some of. the annual volumes of Transactions of the Institute, and we extend our. compliments and thanks to the Committee and express to the members thereof and to. the authors, who have so bounteously given of their time and information, the. sincere gratitude of the Institute. In order to get all these papers printed and distributed to the membership in advance of the meeting, it was necessary to divide the work between two printers. This accounts for the discrepancy in the pagination of the Bulletin; and we also ask the indulgence of our readers in case errors have crept into this preliminary edition during the period of unusual pressure. Program of the Butte Meeting.-The program of the Butte meeting will include six technical sessions for the presentation and discussion of papers and five half-clay visits to mines and metallurgical works. The following program is practically in final form, with slight additions which may be necessary later. Every effort will be made to have papers presented and discussed on scheduled time, so that members who are unable to attend the entire meeting may so plan their trip as to hear and discuss papers in which they are especially interested.

Jan 8, 1913

Advantages to Members of Our Advertising Section.-It is our intention to make the advertising section of the Bulletin as comprehensive as possible, so that members can turn to it for complete information as to where to buy the best mining and metallurgical supplies at the lowest prices. No firms or supplies of dubious reputation are advertised in the Bulletin. If members, in buying any material, will refer to the advertisement of that material in the Bulletin, or if they do not find it advertised in the Bulletin, will, when ordering, ask the manufacturers why the goods were not advertised in the Institute publication, it will be of material benefit to all of us, because the chief reason why advertisers are unable to trace direct results is because purchasers do not mention the Bulletin when writing. Finally, if members, when in need of anything whatsoever, will write to the Institute headquarters, an effort will be made to send them a complete list of manufacturers able to supply the desired materials of good quality. The furnishing of these lists will be a benefit to our Advertising Department, as well as to the members. We need scarcely call attention to the advantages obtained by the members from the money which advertising brings in, because all this money is returned directly to the members in one form or another.

Jan 7, 1913

By E. M. Norris

Phosphate deposits are distributed widely over the earth's surface. Of the known areas of deposit, eight fields are of particular interest because of their vast reserves of high grade phosphatic material and the volume of their production that goes to the world's great consuming areas. These fields, in the order of their present economic importance, are situated respectively in Florida, French Morocco, Kola Peninsula of U.S.S.R., Tunisia and Algeria, Tennessee, Mon- tana-Idaho-Wyoming-Utah, Ocean and Naru Islands in the Gilbert group, and in Egypt. The Rocky Mountain deposits have a comparatively low ranking in the phosphate trade of today, but this field contains one of the largest known reserves of phosphatic material, associated with which are recoverable trace minerals, which are of increasing importance in our national economy. The first discoveries of phosphate rock in the western states were recorded in Cache1 and Rich² counties in Utah, respectively in 1889 and 1897. Mining operations were begun on these deposits near Montpelier, Idaho, in 1906. During the latter year geological studies of the phosphate beds were started by Weeks and Ferrier of the U. S. Geological Survey. These studies have been continued to the present day by a distinguished roster of the Survey's technicians. As a result of this systematic exploratory program, the Survey has published a series of bulletins, papers, and maps, which provide the mining public with a comprehensive study of the exposed

Jan 1, 1950

By H. Sevim, T. M. Yegulalp

This paper summarizes recent developments in modeling of underground coal slurry haulage networks to determine optimum design and operating parameters. The model presented is based on a stochastic dynamic program¬ming formulation. It is applicable in any typical room-and-pillar or longwall mining configuration commonly practiced in the US. The formulation and structure of the model is general enough to handle design problems involving more than one face and mining method. Given the stochastic operating characteristics and a system layout, the model can be used to determine the equipment configuration and operating regimes that minimize the overall unit cost of coal haulage.

Jan 1, 1985

By Bruce T. Stanley

The concepts of ore reserve estimation at the Henderson mine are reviewed presenting a geostatistical approach and procedure as applied. Specific problems encountered are recapped and explained as to the nature and resolution thereof. The methodology and results are shown, along with an approximation of computer usage and capacities needed. The scope of the paper is to set forth an example of actual application, usage, and benefits realized from such a procedure. Local Conditions The Henderson molybdenite deposit is located in central Colorado about 69 kilometers west of Denver. The geology consists of a classic subvolcanic ryolite porphyry sequence with quartz-molybdenite mineralization occurring in an extensively fractured granite stock complex. Being assymetric and bilobate in section, the orebody measures approximately 300 meters thick and 600 meters by 1200 meters in plan. The orebody is sampled by means of underground drill holes which create an east-west fan pattern spaced roughly 60 meters apart in the north-south direction. Approximately 27,000 meters of drill hole assayed on 3.04-meter intervals were available for analysis. Recovery on the core is about 95 to 100 percent, thereby affording us with reliable data all prepared to the same standards.

Jan 1, 1977