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By D. L. Katz, M. J. Rzasa

The derivations of three methods of computing the static pressure gradients in natural gas wells have been presented to show the assumptions made. Charts were developed from which the pressure gradients may be read when the well-head pressure, the well fluid gravity, depth, and the average well temperature are given. A chart for estimating the well fluid gravity from the condensate content and separator gas gravity is included. The effect of the increased average well temperature after flow on the calculation of the static pressure gradient is discussed. Introduction Reservoir pressures have been calculated from well-head pressures for gas wells for many years. As the pressure measurements become more accurate, the need for a reliable calculation of the static pressure gradient often arises. This paper will develop the several methods for computing the pressure gradient in gas wells and make a comparison between them. The method of calculating static pressure gradients in common use is Eq. I (ref. I) or its counterpart which includes a factor for the deviation of the gas from the ideal gas law. P2 - P1 = P1(e0.0000347GX _ I) Eq. [I] in which P1 = pressure at well head, lb. per sq. in. abs. PP = pressure at bottom of well, Ib. per sq. in. abs. G = gas gravity X = depth of well, ft. An alternate method is to compute the average density of the gas in the well and multiply by the well depth in a manner similar to that used for liquid gradients. Derivation of Formulas A static pressure gradient is a special case of the general fluid-flow equation. Consider a pound of fluid flowing in a vertical column from point I to point 2, Fig. I. By an energy balance for fluid flowing from I to 2: U1 + P1V1 + u12/2g + X1 + q = U2 + P2V2+ u22/2g+X2 +W [2] in which U = internal energy, ft-lb. per lb. P = pressure, lb. per sq. ft. V = volume, cu. ft. per lb. u = average linear velocity, ft. per sec. X = height above datum, fl. q = heat absorbed by fluid, ft-Ib. pcr lb. W = work done by system, ft-lb. per lb. An energy balance on the fluid itself gives: U = ?TdS - ?PdV + etc. [3] in which T = temperature, deg- R- S = entropy, ft-lb. per deg. R. per lb.

Jan 1, 1945

By Irwin H. Cornell

BRIEFLY stated, the history of the St. Joseph Lead Co. is the story of how a group of men, working for ten years as officers without salaries and stockholders without dividends, developed a small mine in Missouri into what became a large and prosperous corporation. Their courage and faith in the scattered surface deposits of lead coupled with the management's engineering vision and sound financial judgment should prove an inspiration to present-day mining operators and investors. In 1717, John Law's company, known as "The Company of the West," was formed in France and letters patent were granted, for a period of 25 years by Louis XV, for exploration in the Mississippi River Valley. One of the underlying purposes of the expedition, headed by Mr. Renault and Mr. La Motte, a French metallurgist, was development of the lead mines in the area now known as Southeast Missouri.

Jan 1, 1947

By W. C. Ellis

NONFERROUS alloys upon which desirable properties can be conferred by heat treatment are becoming of increasing industrial importance. The alloys of copper with a constituent which has a solubility varying with temperature are materials of this character. Some of the constituents which are effective in producing a change in the mechanical properties of these alloys upon heat treatment are, according to Corson,1 nickel and silicon, iron and silicon, cobalt and silicon, and chromium and silicon. In addition to these elements, Gregg2 states that the combination of beryllium and silicon is effective in producing age-hardening characteristics in copper. The effect of these elements, however, as dispersion-hardening constituents in the copper alpha solid solutions does not seem to have been studied in any considerable detail. This paper deals with the heat treatment and properties of three alpha brasses containing 3 per cent. of nickel plus silicon in the proportion necessary to form the compound nickel silicide, Ni2Si. Some information of a preliminary nature in regard to the hardening by heat treatment of phosphor bronze containing the same percentages of nickel and silicon is included. The method of hardening the alloys, which is effective in increasing the tensile strength and proportional limit, is similar to that used in, the case of duralumin type aluminum alloys. It consists of a quench from a temperature at which the hardening constituent is in solid solution, followed by an aging at a lower temperature to precipitate the dissolved constituent in a dispersed condition. This results in an increased resistance of the alloy to deformation with an attendant improvement in the tensile properties.

Jan 1, 1929

By Paul L. Russell

THIS is a progress report of an experiment being undertaken in cooperation with the Bethlehem Steel Corp., the Crucible Steel Co., and the Rock Bit Sales and Service Co., involving heat treatment of the shank ends of drill steel. This experiment is being conducted by the U. S. Bureau of Mines in its experimental mine, Mining Research Branch, Bluemont, Va. The purpose of the experiment is to determine the effect of an increase in the time the steel soaks in the furnace during the hardening heat. It has been thought that increasing this time produces a soft zone below the lugs resulting in a metallurgical notch that causes early failure. Each of the steel companies furnished enough 11/4 - in. straight carbon, hollow, round steel to make up 10 sets of drill steel, in each instance the steel bars were from the same heat. These sets of drill steel, consisting of 2-ft, 4-ft, 6-ft, and 8-ft lengths were fabricated by the Rock Bit Sales and Service Co. Special attention was given to the forging of the steel to produce the best rods possible. The heat treatment of all thread ends was identical and followed the best practice. The heat treatment of the shank ends of five sets of steel from each company produced a soft zone 2 to 4 in. in front of the lugs. It was decided that possibly the best way to obtain this effect was not to overlap the hardening heat but to let the steel soak for an additional 30 min before quenching. Therefore the only variable in the test steels is the length of time the shank ends were in the furnace. The remaining drill steel shanks were treated as follows: Heat treatment in pyrometer-controlled furnace at 1550°F. Quenching oil at 105°F to 125°F temperature. Areas for heat treatment were; shanks, 11 in.; threads, 9 in. Time at heat, standard practice, 20 min for 11/4-in. steel. Actual drilling tests were made in greenstone, (a metamorphosed basaltic rock), and in epidosite. Greenstone has a specific gravity of 2.96 and a compressive strength of 44,200 psi. Epidosite has a specific gravity of 3.26 and a compressive strength of 63,100 psi. All drilling tests were made using a 31/2-in. column-mounted, automatic feed drifter, with a controlled air pressure of 90 psi at the throttle. Tungsten-carbide bits of 2 in. diameter were used for all drilling. Contrary to expectations the drill steels that were allowed to soak for the additional 30 min before quenching performed better than the steels that were heat treated according to standard practice. This performance, as shown in Table I, was especially noticeable in the drilling of epidosite. The "longheat" drill steels furnished by Company "A" drilled 154 pct more minutes than the "standard-heat" steel. Expressed in feet, the "long-heat" steel drilled 114.60 ft more before failure than the "standard-heat" steel. The "long-heat" steel furnished by Company "B" drilled 37 pet more minutes or 60.39 ft more before failure than the "standard-heat" drill steel. The effect of the long heat treatment was not as evident when the steels were drilling in greenstone (Table II). In greenstone, the increase in minutes drilled by the "long-heat" steel over the "standard-heat" steel was 47 pet and 1 pet, respectively, for Companies "A" and "B."

Jan 1, 1952

By Kenneth K. Humphreys, Joseph W. Leonard, Robert L. Llewellyn, William F. Lawrence

INTRODUCTION Cleaning fine coal sizes utilizing air currents in machines as the primary separating medium is called dry concentration or pneumatic cleaning. In 1947 approximately 18 million tons (16.38 million mt) of bituminous coal were cleaned by air machines; in 1965, 25.4 million tons (23.1 14 million mt); but in 1975, only 7 million tons (6.37 million mt). Table 11-1 shows the tonnages cleaned of bituminous coal and lignite in the United States by various types of equipment from 1938-1963. Table 11-2 shows only tonnages cleaned by pneumatic methods from 1964-1975. The decrease in tonnage to approximately 7 million tons (6.3 million mt) is due to a higher moisture content in the mined coal and the greater difficulty in cleaning the coal by air. There also was a definite trend to load raw coal at the mines, especially the slack which is the most expensive to clean due to the dewatering and drying requirements. While there have not been any applications of pneumatic cleaning in the anthracite field, its use has not been fully explored. The same is true for lignite and subbituminous coals.

Jan 1, 1979

By Carville E. Sparks, Rollin Farmin

TRIAL installations of rock bolts, of the slit-rod- and-wedge type, were under way at several units of Day Mines, Inc., when Korean hostilities interrupted the already slow deliveries of steel bars to the Coeur d'Alene district. Factory-made bolts had not yet been put on the local market, so the program was halted for lack of supplies. Interest was revived by a visitor's description of wooden roof bolts. These were said to have been used briefly with apparent success in a coal mine, until apprehension voiced by the U. S. Bureau of Mines caused the practice to be suspended

Jan 9, 1953

By T. C. Campbell

Copper is extracted from the Chuquicamata oxide ore by a hydro-metallurgical process. The ore is crushed to 3/8-in. sizing, and leached with a sulfuric acid electrolyte. Chlorine is precipitated. and the ferric iron reduced in the enriched electrolyte, after which the copper is recovered by electrolysis with insoluble Chilex and lead-antimony anodes, the spent electrolyte being returned to leaching. Cathodes are melted and refined in market furnaces and cast into commercial wire-bar and cake shapes. Sulfuric acid for the process is supplied by the brochantite in the ore. Water for washing the ore is advanced through the solution system and finally after cutting by electrolysis to from 6 to 16.0 grams per liter is completely stripped by the cuprous chloride method and run to waste. The cuprous chloride so obtained plus that resulting from precipitation of chlorine from strong solution is dissolved in ferrous chloride brine and the copper cemented on scrap iron. The cement so obtained is in part used to reduce ferric iron in electrolyte, and as it is of exceptional purity is also furnace refined and cast into an exceptional quality of fire-refined copper. Fig. 1 is flow sheet of the operation. The reduction plant is composed of seven divisions as follows: (1) crushing, (2) leaching, (3) tailings disposal, (4) dechloridizing, (5) sulfur dioxide treatment, (6) electrolytic tank house, (7) smelting and melting. A brief description of each of these divisions will be given. Crushing Ore that is frequently blocky and up to 5 ft. in section is crushed in four stages to 3/8-in. mesh. The first stage of crushing is called primary and the next three stages are known as secondary crushing. The first stage is accomplished with two 60-in. Superior McCully gyratory breakers by which the ore is broken to 9 in. The second coarse gyratory breakers crush the ore to 3-in. sizing. There are seven No. 10 McCully gyratories in this service, for one of which recently has been substituted a No. 7 cone crusher. The third and fourth stages of crushing are accomplished by fifty 48-in. disk crushers. In the third stage 14 disk crushers break the ore to 1 in., and in the last stage 36 disk crushers turn out the final product of 0.371-in. sizing. Reference to the flow sheets of Figs. 2 and 3

Jan 1, 1934

P. H. ARGALL, Magdalena, N. Mex. (written discussion *).-The Chilean mill has generally been considered a fine-crushing machine and as such has had many advocates; it has also. had quite a number of denouncers; hence, the action of the Portland engineers in using the Chilean mill for the preparatory work usually accomplished in, rolls or rock breakers and adding a ball mill to do the fine grinding is novel, though of doubtful utility in the long run, even though a fair efficiency is obtained for the combination machines, as measured by Chilean mill practice. In order to follow the development of Chilean mill practice on Cripple Creek ores, I might say that two 6-ft., Chilean mills were placed in operation in Stratton's Independence mill in April, 1908, treating ore crushed by rolls to pass Y4 in. screen aperture. Screening was, however, found to be an unnecessary refinement, as was also the use of plows in the mills; both screening and plowing were abandoned before the Portland engineers finished the experiments in stamp milling upon which they were then engaged. Two additional 6-ft. Chilean mills were added in the spring of 1911, three of them giving the required 10,000 tons per month capacity, one being always in reserve. The Portland company began using Chilean mills in June, 1910, at its Victor mill, and the same company purchased the Stratton's Independence mill in June, 1915, and remodeled it; it is now known as the Independence mill. A description of Stratton's Independence milling practice, is given in the November, 191.1, issue of Mining Majazine (London). These Chilean mills were used as fine grinders and that they accomplished their purpose is shown by the screen analyses, in which 62 per cent. of the pulp passed 150-mesh screens. To make coarse crushers of these Chilean mills, the Portland engineers have increased the speed, substituted steel in various parts for cast iron, provided new and enlarged thrust bearings to take care of the centrifugal force incident to higher speed, and have, thereby, greatly increased the cost of the machines. They have also reduced the width of the tires and dies from 8 in., as used in the original mill, to 7 in., a reduction of 12 ½ per cent. in the crushing surfaces, to say nothing of the loss of abrasion or attrition incident to the larger surface. At the same time, they have apparently increased the weight of the rollers by using tires 5 7/8 in. thick as against tires varying between 3 and 4 in. on the original mills, thereby increasing

Jan 4, 1920

By G. E. Keller

In connection with the work of Committee D5, Coal and Coke, of the American Society for Testing and Materials in developing new standards and improving old standards, series of tests were made to check the variance of sample preparation and analysis of American coals. Table I in the "Tentative Method of Preparing Coal Samples for Analysis - 02013-62T" is rather complicated, and the tests were designed to develop data for the simplification of this table. An allowance of 20% of the total variance of sampling and analysis for the sample preparation and analysis steps was used. Also, instead of coals being grouped into ash ranges, they were grouped as washed and raw (unwashed) coals. As a result of these tests, a simplified Table I for Tentative Standard 02013 has been proposed. A standard test for laboratories to check their variance of sample preparation and analysis has been developed. Committee D5 on Coal and Coke of the American Society for Testing and Materials has been making a study of all standards applying to coal for the purpose of improving and bringing them up to date and for breaking some of the existing standards covering a number of tests into single standards. As an illustration, sample preparation is now partly covered in ASTM Designation D492-48, Sampling Coals Classified According to Ash Content, and partly in ASTM Designation D271-58, Laboratory Sampling and Analysis of Coal and Coke. The latter contains, in addition to parts of sample preparation, methods for determining Moisture, Ash, Volatile Matter, etc. Although revision of sampling methods and sample preparation methods are now assigned separately, it is possible that they may end up as one standard. One of the first new Tentative Standards developed as the result of these studies was ASTM Designation D2013, Tentative Method of Preparing Coal Samples for Analysis. Although this method is quite an im- provement over that in the old standards and gives very specific instructions, Table I (attached) is quite complicated and rather hard to understand. In order to take advantage of reduced quantities or weights, it is necessary to know the ash content within rather narrow limits before sample preparation and no distinction is made as to whether the coal is cleaned or uncleaned. No limits of accuracy are assigned to the sample preparation and analysis. The total over-all accuracy of sampling, preparation and ash determination as given in D492-48 has been specified for commercial sampling procedure as follows: "This procedure is intended for an accuracy such that if a large number of samples were taken from a single lot of coal, the test results in 95 out of 100 cases would fall within ? 10 per cent of the average ash content of the sample." Although Appendix 11, Method for Determining the Over-All Variance of Reduction and Analysis in the Tentative Methods for Mechanical Sampling of Coal, ASTM Designation D2234-63T, does give a method for determing the over-all accuracy of preparation and analysis expressed as variance and also the F test, it does not permit the determination of the variance at the various stages of reduction or of the ash determination. It was decided in 1961 to ask a number of laboratories to run a series of tests for the purpose of determining the variance at various stages of reduction and analysis with the view of simplifying Table I of the Tentative Standard D2013-62-T. This paper is a record of this series of tests with recommendations which resulted from the tests. At the same time and preceding these tests the International Organization for Standardization under Committee TC/27 WG 7 was studying the same problem. Tomlinson1 of England and Dr. paul2 of West Germany had made studies giving quite a bit of information. Also Schwerd and coryel13 published some information which was the main basis for the Mechanical Division provision in ASTM Tentative Standard D2013-62T, Table I. In checking with the various laboratories which offered to cooperate in these tests, none was found which used mechanical division through the entire preparation procedure. It was then decided to use riffles at all stages with the thought that if riffles gave satisfactory variances, approved mechanical

Jan 1, 1965

By N. B. Davis

I. Introduction. II. Definition of Plasticity. III. Theories of Plasticity. A. Structure of the clay particles. (1) Fineness of grain. (2) Plate structure. (3) Interlocking particles. (4) Sponge structure of particles. B. Presence of hydrous aluminum silicates. C. Molecular attraction between particles. D. Presence of colloidal gelatinous matter. (1) Review of theory of colloids. (a) Suspension colloids. (b) Emulsion colloids. (2) Experiments. IV. The Formation of Clays. A. Residual clays. B. Transported clays. V. Summary. VI. Conclusion. I. IntRodUction While working with a number of very sticky cracking clays from western Canada the writer became interested in a study of the cause of the excessive plasticity. This led to a review of the rather bulky literature on the subject and the finding that plasticity still remains to be satisfactorily explained. Most of these investigations seem to have been carried on solely from the chemical viewpoint, the geologic aspects having been ignored. In nearly every case, the investigators have worked with the higher-grade clays of low to medium plasticity, such as the kaolins, the excessively plastic ones having generally been neglected, partly because of their limited application, yet the author believes that these are

Jan 1, 1915

By C. R. Knopp

Gas-oil relative permeability ratio is an important relationship in oil reservoir predictive calculations. A correlation has been developed from 107 gas-flood k/k tests on Venezuelan core samples. The correlating parameter is based on restored-state water saturation tests and' is applicable to both consolidated and poorly consolidated sandstone reservoirs. Data of the correlation show that there are no distinguishah1e differences between the mass-data groupings for the two c1assifications A procedure is recommended for running .sufficient relative. permeability analyses to compute a geometric mean of the sample group. The geometric mean is more representative of the total core, and probably the entire reservoir. For example, while only one in four of the k,,/k,., test curves agreed closely with the resultant correlation of this report, the geometric mean curves of the 16 suites (three samples or more). showed good agreetment ill three cases out of four. INTRODUCTION The gas-oil relative permeability ratio is an important, fundamental relationship in most oil reservoir predictive calculations. Predictive calculations are made to estimate future reservoir production characteristics and ultimate oil recovery. The k1,/k2, relationship is specifically needed to relate the surface gas-oil ratio to the reservoir oil and gas saturation, and to calculate the relative movement of these phases within the reservoir whenever some of the more complex driving mechanisms are present. Laboratory k1/k2, tests are not generally run as a routine analysis. Consequently, k1/k2 data often are not available when needed because the cost of laboratory work could not be justified or the need for such data had not been properly anticipated. When laboratory k1/k2, data are available, they are often very difficult to interpret. For example, wide divergence is sometimes shown in a family of k1,/k1, tests representative of the producing horizon in a single well. With these considerations in mind, a study was made to determine if a relationship might exist between the k1,/k2, curve and some other simple laboratory test criteria. The most probable k1/k2, curve correlation for Venezuela described in this paper is the result of the investigation. The presented correlation defines the most probable gas-flood k,,/k,, curve through the medium of air-water capillary displacement and centrifuge water saturation tests. The laboratory procedures of these tests are. relatively simple, and inexpensive; test data should be. widely available- from routine analysis. DATA AVAILABLE, LABORATORY METHODS The report correlation utilized 107 gas-Hood k1/k2, tests run on sandstone cores of Venezuelan reservoirs. Table 1 is a general tabulation of data pertinent to the tests, while Table 2 summarizes the data. Thetests include 96 from Western Venezuela and 11 from Eastern Venezuela. Eighty-two- of the 107 test samples were sandstones that varied from poorly consolidated to-unconsolidated; 25 were consolidated. The average sample porosity was 26.7 per cent and the average permeability was 1,121 md; these values typify the better sandstone reservoirs of' Venezuela. The Welge gas-flood technique,' based on fundamental Buckley-Leverett frontal displacement theory, was introduced in about 1952 and is widely accepted in the industry. The laboratory procedure is relatively simple, rapid, and can be performed on small core samples. While there have been some minor variations in sample preparation and laboratory procedure in the tests used for the correlation, these tests can be generally summarized as follows. The core sample was first sol vent-extracted and dried. Connate-water saturation was restored by the oil-flushing or evaporation-blow down methods. At the beginning of gas flood the hydrocarbon pore volume was completeiy saturated with the test oil phase. Unsteady-state gas-oil displacement then began with the injection of nitrogen or helium. while the displaced oil and gas phases were incrementally metered at the out-flow face. From the test data, the k,,/k,, curve was calculated by the Welge method.' The individual oil and gas relative permeabilities were also calculated." CORRELATING PROCEDURES In attempting to establish a basis of correlation, we found that broad mid-range sections of 105 of the 107 k,,/k,, test curves could be closely duplicated by a straight line. Only two curves did not show a degree of linearity in this region. Correlation-curve definition parameters were subsequently developed from this observation of consistent mid-range linearity. Possible correlating variables were limited to the physical properties measured on core samples that (1) were widely available as common test data and (2) could be easily and cheaply obtained through future laboratory work. The more obvious possibilities were porosity, permeability and

Jan 1, 1966

By M. W. BERNEWITZ

IT is 27 years since I last visited Broken Hill, New South Wales, one of the world's greatest lead-silver-zinc districts. Then, the flota¬tion of ores was in its infancy. The Minerals Separation process had its birth as a practicability in the Central Mill, which is still operating and yielding high recoveries. The average Australian knows that Broken Hill is an important mining center in a "corner" of New South Wales, but he does not know what a factor it is in the lead, silver, and zinc production of the world. Nor does he realize that among the ramifications arising from metal production at Broken Hill are the great lead smelter at Port Pirie, South Australia, 254 miles southeast; the electrolytic zinc works at Risdon, and the limestone mine at Davenport, Tasmania; the acid works at Cockle Creek, New

Jan 1, 1935

By P. R. Bradley

NO thought had been given to deep level mining at the Alaska Juneau mine prior to 1930, but in that year a prospect winze was started and continued for 1000 ft. vertically below the main haulage or adit level. The point at which this winze was started was selected entirely by the prevailing physical conditions, such as proximity to established workings, convenience, and the presence overhead of a substantial pillar of dimensions sufficient to lo¬cate the sheave wheel and loading pocket. It was, therefore, with some surprise that the unusually high-grade ore found just below the collar of the winze persisted, with certain vari¬ations, to a full depth of 1000 ft. vertically. Likewise this unusually high-grade ore was found to persist on the various crosscuts driven on levels at 200-ft. vertical intervals. To be brief, this deep level work found richer ore than any yet found in the mine over like areas, and inasmuch as the area was sufficient to plan for extensive deep level mining, plans for such work were given extended consideration.

Jan 1, 1936

By Hans Conrad, W. D. Robertson

FORMAL theories of yielding and flow have been developed to describe thermally activated plastic flow in metal crystals.'-" hey are all based on Becker's' original idea that thermal fluctuations aid the applied stress in overcoming internal barriers to flow and lead to the following relation. where j is the strain rate; C is a constant which includes a frequency factor, the entropy, the number of flow units, and the amount of strain associated with each successful fluctuation; E(T) is the activation energy associated with flow, and is a decreasing function of the applied stress, 7; k is Boltzmann's constant; and T is the temperature in OK. The various theories differ mainly in the model chosen and in the nature of the relationship between the applied stress and the activation energy. Beckerl and Orowan' suggest a relationship of the form E a(Ti — t)2, where .ri represents the stress required for flow without the aid of thermal fluctuations; Kauzmann,3 Cottrel1,5 and Seeger6,7 suggest E a(t — t) ; Fisher8 suggests E while Cottrell and Bilby4 suggest a more complex relationship between E and 7. Additional data are needed to test these various theories., esweciallv- in view of Dorn's9 ork. which indicates that the activation energy for creep is independent of the stress and strain. The present paper presents the stress-strain data derived from incremental loading of magnesium single crystals in tension and direct shear, in the temperature range of 78" to 364°K. Incremental loading was employed in order that the creep component of the strain could be determined. Stress-strain curves of aluminum10-13 and copper" single crvstals. derived from incremental loading tests, have been found to be in agreement with those obtained by the more conventional constant strain rate or loading rate tests. Two types of tests were conducted in the present investigation: 1) tests in which the temperature was maintained constant throughout the entire

Jan 1, 1958

By Walter Morley

This paper is a record of the first of a series of tests on sulfide minerals to be made by the metallurgical department f the University of California. The purpose of the tests here recorded is to determine the action of standard oils, oil mixtures, and addition agents on the flotation of pyrites. The question of the commercial value of pyrite was not considered. Of the many factors affecting flotation, only two-the oil and the other agent used-were made variable. The flotation agents used are given in the accompanying table. PENSACOLA TAR AND TURPENTINE CO. (PENTARCO) NON-POL., SP. Dis. REF. PER No. KIND GR. POINTS INDEX ?VISC. CENT. 200 Refined wood creosote oil 0.965 105-275 1.5096 1.7 7-8 350 Crude pine wood oil 1.019 70-345 1.525 2.9 4 75 Crude wood turpentine 0.887 65-217 1.456 0.9 10-12 80 Crude pine oil 0.911 70-232 1.4894 1.1 8 750 Heavy pine tar oil 1.063 165-350 1.557 41.0 400 Wood creosote oil 1.025 190-360 1.4977 2.9

Jan 7, 1921

By C. A. Heberlein

C. A. HEBERLEIN,* New York, N. Y.-The results stated by Rey and Brevers are so startling that they are of great interest, as the concentration of a low percentage of cinnabar by differential flotation yields a high-grade concentrate in the presence of either arsenical or iron pyrite. The authors say: "Cyanide can thus be used to depress arsenopyrite and make a good cinnabar-arsenopyrite separation. A cinnabarpyrite separation could probably be effected in the same way." Corrosive sublimate at the present price of mercury would be a very expensive reagent but the expense would be justifiable if a high rate of concentration could be obtained with a high extraction. On my request, special tests were made in the Punitaqui mill in Chile along the line suggested by the authors, without any improvement of either grade or extraction. As the recovery of the cinnabar in a complex sulphide of chalcopyrite and pyrite gave unsatisfactory results, I had tests made at the testing laboratory of the American Cyanamid Co. at Stamford, Conn. As these tests turned out to be highly satisfactory, not only at Stamford but later at the mine, they are presented here. [AMERICAN CYANAMID TEST FEED PER CENT Si02 66.54 A12032.08 CaO0.70 MgO 0.00 Alkalis1.78 Fe15.63 Cu0.44 S9.42 Hg0.45 OZ. PER TON Ag0.95 Au0.151 Screen Analysis of Tailings, Per Cent Plus650.0 Plus 1001.32 Plus 15020.75 Plus 20019.85 Minus 20058.08] The pulp had a density of 22 and a pH of 7.8. Total time of conditioning was one minute. The reagent added was Texas fuel oil, 0.116lb. Of 33.7 Bé. gravity containing 0.9 per cent sulphur. Frother, 0.062 lb. of No. 5 pine oil. Rate of concentration of mercury was 25.7: 1 [ ]

Jan 1, 1941

By W. Mostowitsch

Lead sulphate occurs as anglesite, and is formed in every roasting of lead sulphides or sulpho-salts containing lead. In smelting in the blast furnace an ore containing natural or artificial lead sulphate, a large part of the sulphur present goes to the formation of the intermediary product matte which requires further treatment for the recovery of the values it contains. It is therefore of importance to study the behavior of lead sulphate at elevated temperatures, both without and with reducing agents, especially as the information available gives data which are more or less conflicting. 11. Decomposition of PbS04 by Heat The dissociation of PbSO4 into PbO and SO3 or SO2 and 0 has been discussed by many metallurgists. The following data are considered to be representative. Doeltz and Graumannl found that PbS04 was not affected-by heat at 800" C.; that dissociation began at 900" C., and was rapid at 1,000° when the salt lost in 1 1/2 hr. 14.3 per cent. of its weight, the dry salt containing 26.43 per cent. SO3. Hofman and Wanjukow2 summarize their work upon the dissociation of metallic sulphates with the statement that the decomposition of PbS04 begins at 195' C., but progresses very slowly, with the formation of the basic salt 6PbO.5SO3 at 705"; that this salt undergoes a transformation at 847") begins to be decomposed at 888") to sinter at 896", and to fuse at 910"; rapid dissociation begins at 952") and is accompanied by volatilization of PbO; retardations at 958" and 962" indicate an acceleration of decomposition which, however, is not complete. Proske3 found that PbSO4 gave off at 900" C. in 30 min. only 0.63 per cent. of its 803, and that the loss increased with

Jan 1, 1917

By Carl Zapffe

THE object of the Bradley process is to free manganese oxide from its associated gangue and separate the contained iron oxide by dissolving the manganese and precipitating it from the solution. 'The fundamental features of the process are : making. both 1 a manganese ore and an iron ore; effecting a separation of manganese .and. iron by means of selective roasting; leaching- the manganese from the roasted ore by using ' ammonium sulfate; precipitating the manganese by using the ammonia gas generated during leaching; fixing the precipitate by oxidizing with air; breaking down and reforming the ammonium sulfate, so that daily very little additional ammonium sulfate beyond that originally charged into the system is required; washing the manganese precipitate and the iron-silica residue and evaporating the liquor to conserve the dissolved salts in the moistures of these two products and 'to reduce the sulfur content,; drying the precipitates; magnetic wet-concentration of the iron-silica residue; sinteriny the manganese-and .the' iron-concentrates.

Jan 1, 1929

By F. C. Canney

Geochemical prospecting seeks hidden mineral deposits by sampling for variations in the chemical composition of naturally occurring materials. Usually the samples are of soils and other products of weathering and erosion—surface materials extremely susceptible to contamination by human activities. Except when a survey is conducted well away from populated areas, contamination is an ever-present hazard. The program's success is particularly endangered when the contaminants are the elements sought; if these occur erratically throughout an area, spurious anomalies completely unrelated to mineralized areas can be formed. Evenly distributed contamination can be dangerous too, if it raises the background to such a level that true anomalies can no longer be easily detected. Suppose, for example, that in an area where the lead background is 20 parts per million the soil over a lead vein contains 1000 ppm of lead. Here the contrast would be 50 to 1, which is very satisfactory for geochemical surveying. Now if 1000 ppm of lead from some source were added evenly to the soil in this area, the contrast would be reduced to about 2 to 1, and the anomaly would no longer be readily detectable because a threshold of significance twice the value of the background is the minimum generally used for interpreting geochemical data. Of the many possible sources of contamination, probably most important are smelter fumes, which may distribute large quantities of metal contaminants over many square miles of ground. For several reasons, the investigation reported here was begun in the Coeur d'Alene district in northern Idaho: 1) a lead smelter has been operated in this district since 1917 and an electrolytic zinc plant since 1928, and presumably the contamination patterns are strongly developed; 2) to evaluate the usefulness of certain geochemical 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 other veins) and in the water and plants, providing a criterion for measuring the magnitude and effect of soil contamination; 3) one of the economically important parts of the district lies south of the South Fork of Coeur d'Alene River and within a radius of five miles of the reduction plants near Smelterville (Fig. 1). In this area, and in the entire district, conventional methods of prospecting are hindered by heavy vegetation and thick soil cover, and the possibility of contamination by smelter fumes has discouraged geochemical prospecting. Should data reveal that geochemical prospecting could be done successfully in such an area, a particularly useful tool would be available to mining companies and prospectors searching for concealed orebodies in this economically important part of the district. The field work on which this report is based was done from July 28 to 31, 1955. It should be emphasized that this was reconnaissance study only, and therefore far from exhaustive. Previous Investigations in U. S. : The first geochemical survey known to have been affected by contamination was conducted in 1940—a geobotan-ical reconnaissance made in the Michigan copper district by a private company. Geologists found striking variations in the copper content of oak and maple leaves, but unfortunately the high copper isograds of the study seemed to be related more to the Calumet and Hecla copper smelter fall-out than to mineralized ground.' The leaves of one oak tree near the smelter contained 0.4 pct Cu. Similar contamination was reported by Clarke (Ref. 2, p. 41), who conducted experimental geochemical soil and botanical surveys at Ray, Ariz. He found that the leaves of oak trees growing in unmineralized ground near Superior, Ariz., contained more copper than the leaves of oak trees growing on the capping of the Ray orebody and attributed this fact to contamination from the fumes of the Magma smelter at Superior. According to H. E. Hawkes,3 soils and stream sediments in the Superior area are also severely contaminated. Hawkes' work there has shown a copper content averaging 0.5 pct in the surface horizons of soils within one mile of the smelter stack. Samples taken only a few inches below the anomalous surface samples showed only background copper values. In 1950 L. C. Huff' of the USGS made a geochemical survey in an area near Jerome, Ariz., and found considerable zinc and copper in the soils over unmineralized basalt close to Clarkedale, Ariz., and over limestone close to Jerome. As the amounts were notably greater than could reasonably be expected to be derived from the underlying rocks, Huff suspected airborne contamination from the smelter at Clarkedale. Description of Area: The area sampled in detail (Fig. 1) for the study presented here is one of strong relief. The dominant watercourse is the westward-flowing South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River. East of Kellogg the South Fork flows in a rather narrow canyon, but its valley floor widens considerably to the west where much of the flood plain is covered by an extensive veneer of mining, milling, and smelting debris. South of the South Fork and between Big Creek and Pine Creek is a mountainous area where

Jan 1, 1960

By Ernest Burchard

A RECONAISSANCE of the chrome and manganese'1ore deposits of Culm was made in the spring of 191s by Albert Burch representative of the U. S. Bureau of Mines and the writer representing the U. S. Geological Survey. The object of the study was to obtain authentic information for use of the: United States Government as to the location, character, size, and availability of the Cuban deposits of the ores of these important steel-alloy metals. The Cuban Government courteously detailed Sr. E. I. Montoulieu, a mining engineer connected with the Treasury Department, to act as escort and associate throughout the work on the Island. Mr. George A. Wright, of Baracoa, Cuba, a mining engineer especially familiar with the chromite deposits of Oriente Province, was a member of the party from Feb. 25 to Mar. 20. It was possible to visit most of, the chrome-ore deposits that seemed to be of promise, but there was not sufficient time to visit all that were brought to our attention, some of which may have merit. Furthermore, no attempt was made to examine the extensive chromiferous iron-ore deposits of the Mayari, Moa, and Cubitas districts, as these deposits cannot be regarded as sources of chromium except indirectly. At the close of the field work the essential data concerning the quantity and quality of ore probably available for shipment during 1918 and 1919, in the event of the continuation of the European war, and of the tonnage of ore in reserve, were furnished to such Government bureaus as were interested, including the Shipping Board and the War Industries Board, and as soon as chemical analyses of the chrome ores could .be obtained, a press bulletin on the subject was published by the Geological Survey. In the present paper the engineering data, and tonnage estimates contained in the unpublished notes of Mr. Burch have been freely used, and their helpfulness is hereby gratefully acknowledged. Many thanks are due Senor Montoulieu and Mr. Wright for their valuable work in the field; to the officials of the Spanish American Iron Co. and of the various other companies; and to individuals holding chromite claims, for courteously facilitating the work of the party. In the study of material for the present paper, chemical analyses have been made by R. C. Wells and petrographic determinations and descriptions were furnished by Miss E. F. Bliss, both of the U. S. Geological Survey.

Jan 9, 1919