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By AIME AIME

IN many countries the lack of liquid petroleum supplies has centered interest upon the hydrogenation of coal and coal tars for the preparation of motor fuel. In the United States, hydrogenation has been of greater interest for grading up low-value petroleum fractions to the more valuable volatile fuels and for the preparation of a variety of premium products, including aviation gasolines, solvents, Diesel fuels, and lubricating oils. Chemically, the basic reason for this process is that, as shown in Table 1, the ratio of hydrogen to carbon (H/C ratio) in available raw materials is quite different from that characterizing the products sought.

Jan 1, 1936

INTRODUCTION It has been impossible for the student, the practicing engineer, and the geologist to find all of the essential elements of mineral appraisal and mineral economic analysis in a single text. Indeed, the most recent texts on mine evaluation are over 20 years old. Many of the basic principles of mine sampling and evaluation have not changed over the ensuing years, but with the advent of the digital computer the entire scope of mineral evaluation has been expanded to encompass superior techniques that heretofore were not possible when using manual methods. The old manual methods for ore reserve computations and the techniques for assignment of area of influence to drill-hole samples are now as antiquated as the Model-T Ford. With the computer making possible solutions that had not been practicable in terms of time and effort, it is important for the practicing explorationist and mining engineer to understand many of the new concepts and principles that can be applied with the resolving power of the computer. Many practicing mineral industry professionals have been disappointed by certain computer programs and thus have some reservations about computers being able to solve their very real problems. Often the gap between the practicing engineer and the ivory tower theoretician applying modern computer techniques is too broad to be bridged with scattered, fragmented publications. PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF TEXT It is the intent of this book to update and to unify a great many scattered reference works used in the mineral industry today. The ensuing pages are addressed both to the professional already working in the mineral industry who needs information on computerized methods as well as to the serious student seeking to grasp the fundamentals and modern techniques of mineral appraisal and feasibility. These techniques are based on sound mathematical principles and theory, with the computer as a tool-but a very essential tool-for the solution of the problems involved. The computer can be of value only if it is programmed by those having sufficient expertise to use its inherent problem-solving capability, and the output is interpreted by those who are sufficiently acquainted with its operation to understand the data it produces. In the pages that follow the author intends to outline in considerable detail all the essen-

Jan 1, 1980

By D. W. McGlashan, K. N. Mcleod

IN the use of free bubbles with precise temperature control and continuous pH measurement, the contact angle apparatus differs from all previous equipment. Experimental procedures differ sharply from the captive bubble method1,2 of introducing the gaseous phase in the three-phase system. When freed from the tube and captured by a solid surface, a bubble more closely conforms to the spherical ideal set up by the usual mathematical analysis of surface free energy or surface tensional relationships of the forces involved. The assembled equipment, Fig. 1, departs from the usual contact angle apparatus in providing: 1) water circulation for fixing temperature, 2) instruments to measure and record pH during testing, and 3) a system for producing and using free bubbles. The apparatus allows testing over a broad range of closely controlled conditions, and the use of free bubbles gives contact angles independent of operator manipulation, which was unavoidable in the older captive bubble method. A bubble released below the specimen rises through the liquid and contacts the mineral. If the mineral is gas-avid the bubble adheres, developing a finite contact angle. Reaction cells (1), 2x33/8x5 3/16 in. ID, are of pyrex glass 5 mm thick. To prevent optical distortion, the sides are optical flats and are planed parallel to within five wave lengths of light over the entire surface. Special cement is required to withstand chemical attack and thermal shock. The cell is placed in a thermal jacket (2) made of welded aluminum. A water seal for the optical ports is made by using O-rings tightened against the flats of the cell by fine-threaded and adjustable ports, Fig. 2. In-flow water is discharged downward from a manifold located near the bottom of the cell jacket. Water overflows the weirs at each end of the cell jacket, discharging from both sides to a collecting manifold (24). A hose (26) leads the overflow water to the thermal-conditioner well (4), which is recessed to accommodate a reaction cell and two beakers (150 ml). Both the thermal jacket and the thermal-conditioner well are insulated to minimize the effects of temperature differentials. Water, discharging from the thermal-conditioner well, returns to a thermostat bath and pump (3), from which it is pumped to the thermal jacket. The thermostat bath permits temperatures to be adjusted from 1" or 2°C to 80°C and will maintain the selected temperature within 0.2ºC. An electrode support (22) groups the four electrodes (8) so that they fit conveniently into the reaction cell, Fig. 2. This assembly holds the glass electrode, the calomel electrode, the temperature-

Jan 1, 1957

By R. J. Woody

DESIGN of the most economic continuous counter-current decantation (CCD) circuit is based on selection of the number of stages and the wash volume that will give the minimum summation of the following items: 1) Capital and operating costs of the CCD circuit. 2) Capital and operating costs of the precipitation circuit. 3) Value of the dissolved product lost.

Jan 7, 1958

By Henry G. Morris

The use of compressed air for the transmission of power has reached so great a development that we find numerous large establishments devoted to the manufacture of machinery for its production and application, and special periodicals published for the dissemination of information on the subject. Moreover, its employment is so general in mining operations that no apology is needed for the presentation to the Institute of such a paper as the present. The admirable articles of Mr. E. A. Rix, published in Conzpressed Air, show a wide range in the mechanical efficiency of air-compressors, varying, under different conditions, from 15 to 60 per cent.; and it is evident that any

Jan 1, 1902

By C. H. Benedict

Largest and most important of the milling plants under construction during the year is the Morenci plant of the Phelps Dodge Corp., in Arizona, where plans are being rushed for production in 1942. Grate mills will be used for fine-grinding, and in the pilot plant, classifiers of the spiral type have the preference for the closed- circuit work. The flotation units will be chiefly of the pneumatic type, with some mechanical units as auxiliaries. The Fagergren, Pan American, and Agitair machines were left in the competition as the year closed. If the absence of European markets for finished products has dislocated the mining industry, fortunately the lack of raw materials required in the beneficiation of ores has not been serious. except possibly as to the inability to import flint grinding pebbles. Some of the less important gold mines still use pebbles for grinding as is also the practice in the comminution of nonmetallics used in various industries. T the Calumet & Hecla in the Lake A Superior copper district pebbles have been used exclusively in open- circuit grinding in the Hardinge mills treating the

Jan 1, 1941

By W. H. Adams

Among the engineering plants with new features and deserving details which are constantly being brought to the working stage in the Southern States by the generous expenditure of capital, none can exceed in interest, whether to the public or the profession, the incline-railway built from base to summit of Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Much geological and historical interest centers in this section of the middle mountain-country. Of its geology, the Transactions of the Institute contain many particulars. Of its history, the most

Jan 1, 1888

By J. F. Mitchell, R. Bainbridge, E. A. Melvin

IN the fall of 1953, The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. of Canada Ltd. put into operation a completely new and modern plant for sintering the rather complex assortment of materials which comprise the feed to the Lead Smelter at Trail, British Columbia. This Lead Smelter is one section of an integrated metallurgical plant producing lead, zinc, silver, gold, cadmium and other metals. Since most of the incoming lead concentrate contains appreci- able zinc values, and most of the zinc concentrate similarly contains appreciable lead values, the cross-routing of residues or tails from the respective lead and zinc plants offers obvious advantages in recovery of metals, and has been practiced for many years. A disparity has existed, however, between the output of zinc plant residue and the capacity of the Lead Smelter to treat it, with the result that over the years a stock-pile of residue had been accumulating, and by the end of World War II had reached the formidable total of half a million tons. To treat this stock-pile, in addition to all current zinc plant residues and, of course, the regular quota of lead concentrates, became a prime objective of the Lead Smelter following World War 11. As zinc plant residue plays an important part in the operations to be discussed in this paper, some consideration of its

Jan 1, 1958

By C. D. King

A QUARTER century ago this country was producing an extraordinary quantity of iron and steel, with a decisive influence on the outcome of the first World War. Today this country is again demonstrating its industrial capacity with telling results. If this lapse of time has confirmed the opinion that man learns little from experience with respect to human relationships, at least we can derive some consolation from the knowledge that in the same period we have made huge strides industrially, and particularly in the steel industry. The differences represented by 25 years are striking, and have resulted from a multitude of changes that have contributed to the present-day high state of our pig iron and steel manufacture.

Jan 1, 1944

By G. V. Woody, J. D. Price

Many producers of by-product coke have spent considerable time and given considerable thought to the use of a substitute for low-volatile coal as an admixture with high-volatile coking coal for charging high-temperature by-product coke ovens. Generally speaking, there are two principal reasons for this, one being occasioned by the lack, in certain localities, of low-volatile coal delivered at a cost sufficiently low to permit its use, and another being the desirability of finding a substitute product with a delivered cost lower than the cost of the low-volatile coal. It was for the first of these reasons that the Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation was particularly interested in this subject. This paper deals with the experimental work and the results obtained by that company in producing and using low-temperature char. Overcoming Defects in Coke from Colorado Coals Colorado coking coals are all of the high-volatile type and were all laid down during the Cretaceous period, which makes them something like 80 million or so years younger, geologically, than eastern coals. They behave, when coked alone, something like the Pittsburgh-seam coals. They make a very brittle, highly cross-fractured, fingery coke of fair shatter value but quite low in resistance to abrasion. Mixed with a low-volatile coking coal such as Poca- hontas or certain Oklahoma coals, they make a coke that is equal to virtually any of the eastern cokes. The inferior quality of Colorado coke has long been recognized, and a considerable amount of time, effort and money has been spent upon investigations of means for improving its physical properties. While it has been found that some improvement in quality of coke can be secured by the adjustment and control of such variables as pulverization, moisture content, oven temperature and bulk density of charge, and through the addition of certain inert materials such as pulverized coke breeze, pitch, high-volatile noncoking or semicoking coal, the benefits so gained have been comparatively small. There are no low or medium-volatile coking coals available within a reasonable freight-cost distance. Therefore a substitute for low-vol-atile coal was developed through low-tem-perature carbonization—or, more correctly speaking, through the partial devolatiliza-tion—of high-volatile coals. The blending of this lower volatile char with the high-volatile coking coal distinctly improves the quality of coke made from Colorado coal. There is nothing especially new about this idea. In 1908 a Japanese patent was taken out by Kotaro Shimomura, whose claim was: The method of making a nonfingery coke out of bituminous coals, without using natural coals of low-volatile matter; according to which a certain coal is heated at a temperature between about 300°C. and about 600°C. so as to leave about 15 to 25 per cent volatile matter in the coal; this coal is mixed with the

Jan 1, 1944

By J. D. Price, G. V. Woody

Many producers of by-product coke have spent considerable time and given considerable thought to the use of a substitute for low-volatile coal as an admixture with high-volatile coking coal for charging high-temperature by-product coke ovens. Generally speaking, there are two principal reasons for this, one being occasioned by the lack, in certain localities, of low-volatile coal delivered at a cost sufficiently low to permit its use, and another being the desirability of finding a substitute product with a delivered cost lower than the cost of the low-volatile coal. It was for the first of these reasons that the Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation was particularly interested in this subject. This paper deals with the experimental work and the results obtained by that company in producing and using low-temperature char. Overcoming Defects in Coke from Colorado Coals Colorado coking coals are all of the high-volatile type and were all laid down during the Cretaceous period, which makes them something like 80 million or so years younger, geologically, than eastern coals. They behave, when coked alone, something like the Pittsburgh-seam coals. They make a very brittle, highly cross-fractured, fingery coke of fair shatter value but quite low in resistance to abrasion. Mixed with a low-volatile coking coal such as Poca- hontas or certain Oklahoma coals, they make a coke that is equal to virtually any of the eastern cokes. The inferior quality of Colorado coke has long been recognized, and a considerable amount of time, effort and money has been spent upon investigations of means for improving its physical properties. While it has been found that some improvement in quality of coke can be secured by the adjustment and control of such variables as pulverization, moisture content, oven temperature and bulk density of charge, and through the addition of certain inert materials such as pulverized coke breeze, pitch, high-volatile noncoking or semicoking coal, the benefits so gained have been comparatively small. There are no low or medium-volatile coking coals available within a reasonable freight-cost distance. Therefore a substitute for low-vol-atile coal was developed through low-tem-perature carbonization—or, more correctly speaking, through the partial devolatiliza-tion—of high-volatile coals. The blending of this lower volatile char with the high-volatile coking coal distinctly improves the quality of coke made from Colorado coal. There is nothing especially new about this idea. In 1908 a Japanese patent was taken out by Kotaro Shimomura, whose claim was: The method of making a nonfingery coke out of bituminous coals, without using natural coals of low-volatile matter; according to which a certain coal is heated at a temperature between about 300°C. and about 600°C. so as to leave about 15 to 25 per cent volatile matter in the coal; this coal is mixed with the

Jan 1, 1944

Jan 1, 1923

By P. F. Kinyoun

MANY interesting new features are embodied in the latest extension to the open-hearth department of the Bethlehem Steel Co., at Lackawanna, N. Y. Automatic control of the important factors in furnace operation-fuel, air, draft, pressure, slag composition, and of the temperature in various regions of the furnace-has been carried out to a remarkable degree; the human factor is minimized, and the chances for mishaps and irregularities in operation are greatly reduced.

Jan 1, 1937

By George J. Young

(San Francisco meeting, October, 1911.) THE nature of slimes handled in the treatment of gold- and silver-ores has been discussed in technical literature to a considerable extent. The subject of slime-filtration from the practical worker's stand-point has also received much comment, and scattered through the literature of the subject are descriptions of many slime-filtration installations. Articles of this nature serve a valuable purpose and assist materially in the design of new and the improvement of old plants. The subject of the physics of slime-filtration has been touched upon to only a slight extent. The underlying principles are worthy of more intensive study and experimentation than they have received, and the main purpose of this paper is to present the results of such study and experimental work as will serve to make clear in part at least many of the principles which control the filtration of slime. Nature of Slime. Much has bean written concerning an accurate definition of the term ? slime," but no comprehensive definition seems to be generally accepted. The reason for this is clear. A slime consists of at least three different substances, each, when separated, possessing distinctly different physical and to a certain extent chemical properties. These substances are extremely fine sand, a colloidal material which may be and generally is in a coagulated condition, and a colloidal material which is in a non-coagulated condition. Suspending a slime in a relatively large volume of water by shaking and allowing sedimentation to take place, results in the fine sand settling out with comparative rapidity, followed by the coagulated material, which settles much more slowly and finally a certain portion remains

Nov 1, 1911

By W. B. Coleman

Considerable discussion on the effect of iron and steel scrap in blastfurnace burdens was presented in the January, 1927, issue of Mining and Metallurgy. Therein the question is asked as to what causes the difference in physical properties of pig irons where the chemical analyses are practically the same. This point no doubt has been noticed by a number of furnace operators, but several years ago very little thought was given to it. The foundries purchased pig iron, had it analyzed and found it to be within their specification. The castings made from this iron at times would be satisfactory and at other times hardness and shrinkage would occur. Since the iron was chemically correct the foundries generally were at a loss as to what to do. They changed their method of melting in the cupola and in some cases this corrected the trouble. In some instances the foundry would continue eliminating a brand of iron until the castings produced were satisfactory. Through this process of elimination they would finally arrive at the conclusion that a certain brand of iron was causing the trouble. During the course of this elimination minor changes might have been made in the melting and in the end satisfactory castings were secured without discovering any definite reason for the trouble. Frequently the foundries blamed the manufacturer of the pig iron although the seat of the trouble was in their own method of melting. I have in mind one foundry in particular that was using three brands of pig iron for producing their castings and their losses were rather high. Three entirely new brands of iron were substituted in the charge and still the losses continued. Even after using six brands of pig iron the management felt that the pig iron was the cause. The difficulties encountered in the melting of iron in the cupola, over the past several years, reflect in a great many cases on the operation of the cupola. At different times certain brands of iron were unsuitable for producing a certain class of castings, but at the same time one could see no reason why the iron should be considered abnormal. Irons from furnaces where production and low cost are the main factors that are being used in foundries produce in most cases harder cast-

Jan 1, 1927

By E. H. Hamilton

THE furnace on which the following investigation was based had dimensions 48 by 160 in., and was in continuous operation during the three days of the test. The average charge consisted of PER CENT. LB. PER HOUR Bed ore?14.5?2,980 Roast from Dwight-Lloyds?44.5?9,160 Siliceous ore?3.5?720 Iron flux?2.1?430 Battery plates?0.5?103 Lime rock?23.9?4,925 Briquettes?4.0?825 Scrap iron?2.1?430 M. P. slag?4.2?865 L. P.speiss?0.7?142 Total 100.0 THE furnace on which the following investigation was based had dimensions 48 by 160 in., and was in continuous operation during the three days of the test. The average charge consisted of PER CENT. LB. PER HOUR Bed ore?14.5?2,980 Roast from Dwight-Lloyds?44.5?9,160 Siliceous ore?3.5?720 Iron flux?2.1?430 Battery plates?0.5?103 Lime rock?23.9?4,925 Briquettes?4.0?825 Scrap iron?2.1?430 M. P. slag?4.2?865 L. P.speiss?0.7?142 Total?100.0?20,580

Jan 1, 1924

By M. C. Dow

INTRODUCTION BELT conveyors generally are conceded to be the most economical method yet devised for the transportation of large quantities of bulk materials within plants. Belts are coming into greater use for transportation over long distances and are replacing other forms of long-haul conveyance. It is not the intent of the writer to comment on the design of belt conveyors, but to offer some suggestions for improvement in the operation of conveying belts, based on many years experience with belts in several stonecrushing plants. It is the contention of this writer that opportunities for improvement not fully realized by most operators exist in many plants and that a study of the individual conveyors can result in lower unit belt costs. GENERAL RELIABILITY It is the fool-proof nature and general reliability of the belt conveyor that is responsible for its neglect. Even when abused, a belt will carry large tonnages and last a long time, often outlasting the personnel responsible for its care. Some operators look upon the purchase of a new belt as an expensive outlay every so many years, rather than a constant and steady cost amounting in belt wear alone to several dollars every operating day. This belt wear for all conveyors in one stone-crushing plant known by the writer costs 1 1/2 cents per ton or $12 to $15 per hour, based on the present cost of belt replacements. The fact that these replacement costs are double those of prewar quality emphasizes the necessity of improving the conditions that make belts wear out. Some of those conditions are the responsibility of the conveyor designer, and if a serious original error has been made, this handicap cannot be overcome by the operator. If the belt is too narrow, too steep, or too fast for good loading, the operator finds that he has an inherently expensive belt. The other factors that decrease the life of a belt are more or less under his control. The two factors of most importance are the loading conditions and the alignment. Most of the cover wear and carcass cutting occurs at the loading point and if the alignment is not good under all conditions, edge wear or damage may result, Fig I. LOADING THE BELT It is difficult to load a belt in an ideal manner; that is, to flow the material on the moving belt at a steady rate, without impact, without turbulence, and with a velocity equal to and in the same direction as the belt. An inclined belt is especially difficult to load and particularly when its speed is over 300 or 350 fpm. Inclined conveyors require longer skirt plates to prevent spillage until the load settles. It does not seem reasonable to expect an inclined conveyor to carry the same load as a horizontal belt of the same width and speed, because of the difficulty in loading

Jan 1, 1947

By Vasily P. Muravjev, Gennady I. Razgildeev

The theory of reliability is a powerful mathematical tool for determining optimum selection of components and application of electrical power to coal mines. In order to make this tool useful, statistical material on equipment life must be gathered and all failures carefully recorded. Statistical data can be applied to new apparatus design and can be used to determine optimum configuration of network and maintenance to reduce costs. Reference is made to underground power systems in the USSR. Technical progress in the last few years has occurred in the design and application of highly productive coal mining and transporting machinery. One of the most important problems facing mining engineers is to increase the availability of the machine to obtain higher productivity. However, machine failures and breakdowns of electrical power supply components cause serious delays in the coal-winning processes. In spite of the fact that electrical equipment and the power supply contribute only a small percentage of direct mine costs, electrical failures as well as power supply delays can result in severe indirect losses. It is necessary, therefore, to consider reliability and safety in the application of electrical equipment underground. To obtain the best results, it is necessary to investigate and evaluate the reliability of the electrical mining components (starters, breakers, motors, cables, etc.) and optimal methods for minimizing maintenance, the desired result being equipment which is efficient and safe. Electrical equipment reliability directly influences economics: the lower the reliability the more frequently failures occur, causing serious working delays and possibly huge economic losses. By the same token, while increasing the number of preventive maintenance calls per unit time might result in fewer failures, thus reducing delays, the cost of making more frequent maintenance inspections will increase; this is one aspect to be discussed in detail. Obviously, failures of identical types of electrical equipment (starters with the same current and voltage, etc.) are influenced variably by different working conditions, environments, quality of the apparatus, maintenance procedures (personnel, frequency, quality), load, and other factors. Hence, the lifetime of identical types of equipment will vary depending upon usage in terms of the foregoing factors. Thus for a given type of electrical component, these factors must be considered quantitatively; the interaction of all these factors are evaluated quantitatively by a statistical method using probability theory. Equipment reliability must be quantitatively determined from a study of equipment life, since no one laboratory test can reproduce all working conditions and environmental effects. Nevertheless, reliability theory applied to electrical mining equipment is a very powerful mathematical tool for selecting as well as evaluating certain parameters. It is necessary to select several reliability parameters so that one can obtain an expression for the total overall economic situation in terms of cost, taking into consideration damage caused by electrical equipment failure and cost of maintenance. To accomplish this result, such characteristics as apparatus lifetime, breakdown idle time, and losses (damages) can be determined quantitatively on a statistical basis. For identical electrical equipment working under similar conditions, the previously mentioned reliability factors are random variables and therefore can be characterized readily by a probability density function. Investigations carried out by the authors in the Kuznetsk Basin (Kuzbas) in West Siberia, USSR, show that the reliability factors of electrical mining equipment are well described by the exponential, normal, or Erlang's distribution in most cases. Mining electrical equipment life is well-described by the exponential law. The distribution of lifetime density is

Jan 1, 1971

By Charles W. Perry

The options of enhanced oil recovery, coal syncrude, and shale syncrude are compared by approximately equivalent economics. The physical constraints for the major enhanced oil recovery processes are described, followed by new estimates of cost. The range for all three options in terms of light syncrude equivalent are $22 to $40 per barrel in 1980 dollars.

Jan 1, 1982

By Earnest R. Woakes

Those engaged in pumping from shafts, or other mining works, may be intereited in the following suggestion of what is believed to be a novel method of raising moderate quantities of water against a considerable head. It is admitted that the ordinary Cornish pump, as generally used in mines, is hard to beat, on account of both its extreme simplicity and its easy adaptation to the requirements of mining; its great drawback, however, being the enormous weight of heavy rods and successive plungers that have to be kept in motion, not to mention the necessary " balance-" and " angle-bobs," with all their accompanying friction and wear and tear. It is contended that the following method would, to a great extent, overcome these drawbacks ; though, no doubt, many old miners may say it would also introduce new ones. Possibly, this may be the case. It is only desired that this pump may be judged upon its merits. The chief novelty of the method consists in employing the almost unlimited pressure obtainable from a high column of water, augmented, if necessary, by a hydraulic ram or press at the top, to work a small-diameter piston or plunger at the bottom of a shaft or well. This high-pressure plunger, indicated at E, in Fig. 1, transmits power direct to a larger-diameter plunger, F, constituting, together with the ordinary H-piece, valves, and wind-bore, the actual pump, which raises the water, by column C, to the adit-level or other discharge, placed as far as possible below the head of the high-pressure column A and ram W. It will thus be seen, that it is only necessary to maintain a prmsnre on the small piston, E, equal to that on the larger one, F, by means of the small but high column of water, A, in order to cause F to descend, and thus force the water up through C. The up-stroke is accomplished by a small water-wheel, or other engine, connected to the light rod or wire rope B, this having only to raise the weight of the actual plungers and fill the H-piece with water from the tank or

Jan 1, 1892