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Jan 1, 1930

By W. R. Ingalls

ThE following chronology presents the history of lead-mining in the United States in a brief form and is a useful reference in connection with the statistics of production: 1621.. Lead was mined and smelted near Falling Creek, Va., to supply the local demand for bullets and shot. This was the first mining and .smelting of lead in what is now the United States. 1632. In a report made on the minerals of New England, lead-ore is mentioned. (Bishop, I., 470.) 1650. Supposed beginning of mining by Jesuits in Pima county, Ariz. 1651. Grant of lead-mine at Middletown, Conn., to Gov. John Winthrop. 1682. Lead-ore supposed to have been discovered in Wisconsin by Nicholas Perrot. (K. D. Irving, Mineral Resources of Wisconsin, Trans., viii., 498.) 1700 Discovery of lead in Missouri by Penicaut, one of Le Sueur's party. Tile same expedition discovered lead near the southern boundary of Wisconsin in August of the same year. 1712. Grant by Louis XIV. of the Crozat patents, with special privileges respecting the discovery and operation of mines in the then territory of Louisiana. Little or no mining was done under this patent until about 1720. 1717. Transfer of Crozat patents to the Mississippi Co., promoted by John Law, which prepared for active mining. 1719. First attempt to mine and smelt lead in Missouri, made by Sieur de Lochon, in behalf of the Mississippi Co., near Meramec river. Results unsuccessful.

Jan 1, 1908

By D. W. Smith, C. H. Mathewson

In a series of papers published recently,' R. F. Mehl and associates have studied the characteristics of form and orientation of many segregate structures and have found diversified conditions which can be explained only by postulating some specific kind of cooperative mechanism permitting the matrix lattice in some favorable region to transform into the segregate lattice in an adaptable region presenting a geometrically similar arrangement of atoms. We have collected the published data on crystallographic relationships of this sort, chiefly derived from Mehl's work, in Table 1. It is evident at once that the crystal structure of the matrix does not uniquely determine the location of the plate structures or other forms assumed by the segregate. Thus, the first seven items in the table represent precipitation of platelike forms from a matrix of face-centered cubic structure, but these plates are found stratified along planes of form {1111, {loo), {110) or another unidentified form, depending upon specific conditions involving the nature and concentration of the segregating substance. Again, in a matrix of body-centered cubic structure, plates, needles or stars have been found and the favored inner surface of segregation may be a plane of form (110), (112), {210), or indeed a surface without crystallographic indices defining a bundle of close-packed lattice lines (strings of atoms) taken more or less at random. Such a surface might be formed ideally by revolving one of these parallel strings of atoms around another as an axis. Hanemann and Schroder2 recently discussed these questions, principally with relation to original conceptions concerning the process of

Jan 1, 1932

By Charles A. Anderson

THE Bagdad copper deposit is of the disseminated type (porphyry copper) occurring in a quartz monzonite stock of late Cretaceous or early Tertiary age. This stock, located essentially at the intersection of two dike swarms, is the only one of several stocks cropping out in the area which is appreciably fractured and mineralized. Most of the rocks in the area are of pre-Cambrian age, but their structures have had no discernible influence on the copper mineralization. Hypogene alteration of the quartz monzonite includes the addition of quartz, orthoclase, and sericite and recrystallization of biotite. The hypogene sulphides are pyrite, chalcopyrite, and molybdenite, the latter younger than the chalcopyrite. The late Cretaceous or early Tertiary igneous rocks, veins, and faults were controlled by northeast and northwest shear zones, the intersection of which marks the zone of appreciable copper mineralization. The minor mineralized fractures carrying the bulk of the copper have a preferred orientation parallel to the intersecting shears, and it is concluded that they are of tectonic origin rather than the result of shrinkage on cooling, crystallization, or mineralization. Supergene enrichment during late Tertiary or early Pleistocene time formed a chalcocite zone providing the minable copper ore. The enrichment was controlled in large part by northeast and northwest faults, particularly at their intersection or where the faults are closely spaced.

Jan 1, 1947

By R. P. Agarwala, M. S. Anand, S. P. Murarka

Using the residual radioactivity technique, grain boundary diffusion of chromium in the a phase and lattice diffusion in the a and the ß phases of zirconiuttz have heen studied. The diffusivities (in units of square centiwzeters per second) have heen expressed as THE rate of diffusion of atoms along surfaces and grain boundaries is much greater than that through the bulk of metals. These processes dominate over volume diffusion at lower temperatures and can be isolated from it by virtue of the fact they yield high diffusion coefficients and low activation energies. In zirconium, however, it has been difficult to identify the volume-diffusion parameters separately. The values of diffusivities in a and ß phases yield activation energies which are much lower than those for volume diffusion calculated from semiempirical or empirical relations.1-3 Diffusion frequencies (Do) are also low, especially in the a phase, and they yield negative entropies of activation.4 Similar results have been obtained for the diffusion studies in titanium.5 It is yet to be investigated whether in these cases diffusion is controlled by some extraneous factor like high reactivity of these metals, or some different mechanism is operative as suggested by Pound et a1.6 However, Federer and Lundy,7 in a recent study of the diffusion of zir-conium-95 and columbium-95 in zirconium, and Gibbs et al.,8 in the study of impurity diffusion in titanium, found a temperature dependence of D, Do, and Q. Their study yielded low values of Do and Q at low temperatures, as has been found by other workers, and fairly high values at high tempera-

Jan 1, 1965

By C. V. O. Hughes

Florida phosphate operations are unique in the ways standard mining equipment is made to meet specialized problems. Hydraulic mining and transportation has evolved in meeting three such special problems: 1) surface mining of a shallow, poorly consolidated but wet material; 2) high pro¬duction rates, necessary because of low prices for phosphate rock in a highly competitive market; and 3) preparation of the value-bearing rock, or matrix, for washing and flotation. The magnitude of the problems is better appreciated if the reader understands the size of operations in the area. The Florida phosphate field produces and ships about 10 million tons per year of phosphate rock. All of this has to be concentrated to its shipping grade, either by scrubbing and screening or by flotation.

Jan 1, 1956

By G. P. Hulst

The Parkes process lead refinery of the International Lead Refining Co., at East Chicago, was built by the International Smelting & Refining CO. to treat the lead bullion produced by its Tooele plant, at Tooele, Utah. The plant was designed and constructed under the direction of the writer. Ground was broken Apr. 16, 1912, and exactly six months later the plant was in operation and lead was being cast. The capacity of the plant, running 25 days per month, is 5,000 tons. The four products of the plant are common lead, corroding lead, antimonial lead, and Dore bullion. The site is an area, 64 acres in extent, lying north of 151st Street, between McCook Avenue and the Canal. The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal, and Pennsylvania Railroad enter the yard at the plant. There are five storage tracks and space for storing 100 cars in the yard. the main lead to the storage tracks passes over a 100-ton track scale on entering the yard.

Jan 1, 1915

By Robert R. Turner, Arthur R. MacPherson

This chapter reviews the steps which should be taken from the time it is decided to consider autogenous grinding in the development of a new ore deposit or the expansion of an existing plant up until the purchase of the new autogenous mills. In this case the term autogenous includes semi -autogenous, secondary pebble mills, and lump milling as well as fully autogenous grinding systems. Also, both wet and dry grinding alternatives have been included. Before the test program it must be decided how many bulk samples are required to properly assess the autogenous grinding possibilities of the deposit. Also, a decision must be made on where and how the samples are to be ground i.e. pilot mill at site or in established location, wet and or dry grinding, etc. In the test program itself, certain fundamental data must be obtained. The testing should include enough work to determine whether fully autogenous or semi-autogenous grinding should be used and what type produces best power efficiency. Also, all the other pertinent data should be collected such as power; tonnages; feed, charge, and product sizing; circulating loads, etc. If a secondary mill is required to produce a final grind the decision on whether a pebble or ball mill should be used may require additional test work. Finally, the concentration of the mineral may play an important part in selection of the circuit and should become a part of the final testing once the grinding has been established.

Jan 1, 1978

By Edgar Kendall

A KNOWLEDGE of the fundamental principles of locating, sampling, testing and evaluating materials is essential in prospecting for mineral aggregates. In this discussion, mineral aggregates will be considered sand, gravel, crushed stone and slag that are used as materials of con-struction. The quantity of mineral aggregates produced in the United States during the year 1935 for such purposes was roughly 165,000,000 tons, about 60 per cent of which was sand and gravel, 37 per cent crushed stone and 3 per cent crushed slag. The total value of this material was approximately $100,000,000. It is apparent therefore that the prospect-ing for suitable mineral aggregates is of considerable economic importance. In prospecting for mineral aggregates, the methods employed are the same whether the organization is large or small. In the large organiza-tion there may be available geologists for locating sources of supply, a land acquisition department to arrange for the necessary options or permits, engineers to do the sampling, a laboratory for testing, and a board of consulting materials engineers to make the final selection. Even small organizations must follow the same general procedure, though the respon-sibility for the selection of aggregates may rest with one man, who may or may not be an engineer, but who must depend entirely upon his own judgment.

Jan 1, 1939

By Paul R. Cook

The ore deposit of the Buckhorn Mines Co., Buckhorn, Nev., is peculiar in being a shallow kaolinized mass of material with basalt walls, and having apparently no direct connection with any of the usual gold-bearing rocks. The average ore contains 16 per cent. water of hydration, and the cyaniding of this hydrous clayey material offered unusual difficulties as compared with an average Nevada quartz ore. The orebody was thoroughly developed; then the mill was built according to the latest cyanide practice, with such changes as were thought to be demanded by the peculiar nature of this ore. Upon starting the mill, the ore proved more difficult to handle than had been anticipated. It is hoped that an account of how these difficulties were met may prove of interest to anyone having a clayey ore to handle and to the profession in general. Geology The Buckhorn orebody lies along a north and south fault plane of perhaps 1,000 ft. dislocation, that can be traced for miles; but the only other known mineralization consists of similar ore in the Murphy mine, a mile farther north. The east or hanging wall is hard and smooth, being a typical fault plane. The best ore is along this wall, gradually grading down toward the west until at 30 to 60 ft. it is too low-grade to mine. The country rock on the west consists of alternating layers of hard and soft basalt and basalt scoria, pitching toward the mine. One of these basalt layers on the hillside a little above the mine is marked, for 3 or 4 miles in length, by a line of springs which seep out along it. Perhaps the meeting of the surface drainage, passing down these basalt layers, with the fault-plane solutions explains the formation of the Buckhorn orebody.

Jan 1, 1917

By Donald E. Crowell

In the fall of 1969, ASARCO and Newmont Mining Co. began the design of the 700tpd concentrator at their Black Cloud shaft located near Leadville, Colo. The concentractor would treat by flotation a Pb-Zn-Ag ore containing minor gold values. Flowsheet design was based on laboratory test work performed at the Minerals Research Testing Laboratory of ASARCO. Since the concentrator is located at an elevation of 11,000 ft, cold weather was a major factor in design considerations. The original capacity was designed as 700 tpd but for various reasons an ultimate capacity of 1,000 tpd was desired. This necessitated special consideration in the design of several areas, particularly the grinding circuit. The grinding circuit chosen was a single 9 X 12 ball mill operating in closed circuit with one 20-in. cyclone. The ball mill will operate at low speed and as an overflow type originally. The mill can be speeded up and converted to grate type for handling the larger tonnage when required. Thickeners and filters were oversized and space was left for additional flotation cells in order to handle the increased tonnage in these areas. Pumps were sized so that they could handle the increased tonnage by increasing their speed. Construction began in May 1970; the Black Cloud concentrator went on-stream in April 1791.

Jan 1, 1974

Jan 1, 1907

By Kiyoshi Azuma, Hiroshi Kametani

The variation of the dissolution behavior of a ferric oxide with calcining temperature has been investigated. Samples were prepared by thermal decomposition of ferric hydroxide, nitrate, oxalate, and sulfate at low temperature, followed by the calcination in the temperature range between 600" and 1200°C. The samples of eight series and a fine crystalline sample of hematite were dissolved in 1 N hydrochloric acid at 55.2°C and the results are represented on double-log graphs for convenience. It is confirmed that all dissolution courses follouj either the accelerated process or the parabolic process except in the special case of the crystalline hematite which dissolced in accordance with the uniform dissolution of a particle. Examinations of the physical properties of the oxide powders revealed that the surface area measured by the permeability method is strikingly relevant to the dissolution behavior of the oxide. In the previous paper,' detailed data were presented on the effect of the kind of acid, the solution temperature, and the concentration of acid on the dissolution of two ferric oxides. It was also shown that these sam ples dissolved in strikingly different ways. The present investigation was carried out on the dissolution of various calcined samples prepared from various ferri salts by various methods to ascertain the course of dissolution. Pryor and Evans2 pointed out a change of the dissolution rate at around 700°C for a series of calcined ferric oxides prepared from the hydroxide. Several papers374 reported also the dissolution of ferric oxide samples. It seems, however, that a systematic account of the relationship between the dissolution behavior and physical properties of the oxide has not yet been given. This paper presents the variation of the dissolution of the oxide in relation to the calcining temperature and the change of physical properties of the calcines. EXPERIMENTAL Raw materials were prepared by precalcination of ferric hydroxide, thermal decomposition of ferric nitrate, oxalate, and sulfate, and aerial oxidation of ferric chloride vapor, at as low a temperature as possible. The products were crushed, ground, if necessary, and sieved with a 100-mesh Tylor screen prior to calcination, after which the specimens were dissolved in acid solution. The following is a detailed description of the preparation of the samples. Sample H. About 500 g of ferric chloride (guaranteed reagent) were dissolved in 5 liters of deionized water and filtered. Ferric hydroxide was precipitated by addition of the minimum amount of ammonium hydroxide solution, and the precipitate was washed continuously till chloride ion was not detected by silver nitrate solution, and then filtered. The filter cake was dried at 120°C for a week and ground, and the -100 mesh portion was used. Sample S. Ferric sulfate (guaranteed reagent) was pyrolytically decomposed in a crucible at 700°C for 24 hr and the product was sieved. In this case the following calcination was carried out at temperatures over 700°C. Sample B. Commercial ferric oxide (guaranteed reagent). About 15 kg of ferric nitrate were decomposed in a furnace maintained at 800°C for 2 hr. The actual temperature of the decomposition was not measured. The product was crushed and sieved, and the -100 mesh portion was used. Sample N. About 50 g of ferric nitrate (guaranteed reagent) were decomposed in a beaker in a sand bath until a red-brown dense solid was produced. This product was crushed and sieved, and subjected to complete decomposition at 500°C. The precalcined product was again sieved and used. Sample N2.5. Since the decomposition temperature was not controlled for sample AT, a different sample was prepared in a temperature-controlled furnace. The subscript represents the decomposition at 250°C. The product was treated in the same manner as sample N. Sample Nc. Under atmospheric pressure it is prac-tically inevitable that ferric nitrate hydrate melts to form a brown liquid at about 50°C before pyrolysis. For this reason, the salt was first slowly heated under reduced pressure (about 10-3 mm Hg measured in a trap refrigerated by dry ice-alcohol) to achieve dehydration without melting. About 5 hr were required for the dehydration and the partial decomposition. Then the temperature was elevated to 500° C in air for complete decomposition. The relatively porous product was sieved and used. Sample Ov. About 200 g of ferric oxalate hydrate (extra pure) were dehydrated under reduced pressure (as described above) followed by thermal decomposition at 500°C for 6 hr in air. The decomposition of this salt was accompanied by liberation of carbon monoxide, by which the ferric salt was initially reduced to a black powder. The powder changed in turn into brown ferric oxide as the gas liberation decreased and reoxidation predominated. The product consisted of sparkling fine particles passing through a 100-mesh screen. However it was ground and sieved as for the other samples. Sample D. Commercial fine powder for magnetic tape purposes. The preparation was as follows.5 Ferric chloride vapor and preheated excess air were mixed and passed into a reaction tube where oxidation took place at 450°C. The fine powder formed was collected in a cottrell chamber. The product was vacuum-degassed at 450°C for 1 hr and sieved.

Jan 1, 1969

Jan 1, 1964

By H. M. Katz, J. L. Speirs, F. B. Hill

Jan 1, 1961

By H. G. Doll

'This paper discusses a method and apparatus for determining the dip of formations traversed by a drill hole, by means of electrical measurements in the hole. The process consists in recording the Spontaneous Potentials present along three oriented generatrices in the hole. By comparison of the three curves thus obtained, after application of a correction factor to compensate for any deviations of the hole, the dip angle and the dip direction are determined. Excellent accuracy is obtained for dip angles over 10°. Because the method is simp1e and the apparatus rugged, the measurements are rapid and reliable; consequently, they can be made at all the levels that are of interest at any time after the well has been drilled. Mechanical cores are not needed to evaluate the dips. A convenient, time-saving procedure is to perform the dipmeter survey at the time the electrical log is taken, using for both operations the same cable and truck. Actual examples of results obtained in wells of the Gulf Coast area are given. Introduction The problem of determining the angle and direction of the dip of the strata traversed by a drill hole has practical interest, and sometimes vital importance, which need not be emphasized to the oil industry. The need for that type of information has existed ever since wells have been drilled. Certainly it has not subsided, in spite of the numerous inventions and improvements made in other fields of the art of drill-hole exploration. The few examples given in this paper are but illustrative of this fact. In the past, methods have been devised, and used, to solve this problem, but generally they have met with limited success, possibly because they failed more or less to answer the requirements of a modern age for fast yet accurate measurements. If accurate, the results were obtained at the cost of very tedious and lengthy operations. The new S. P.* dipmeter service offered to the oil industry is the result of exhaustive and in this particular field. In 1032 a dipmeter and electromagnetic teleclinom-eter service was made available. The apparatus employed then was of a rather delicate and costly construction, and the measurements had to be made with precautions sometimes difficult to secure on the rig. Although the information given by the electromagnetic dipmeter was limited to the direction of the dip, very interesting results were obtained in California, Trinidad, Venezuela, Rumania and, most notably, in the Netherlands East Indies.+ Apparatus The S. P. dipmeter surveys present none of the drawbacks mentioned above. The apparatus is rugged and free from constructional complications, therefore well adapted to field use. This, combined with the new, basically simple approach to the problem, explains the rapidity of execution of the measurements. The results are remarkably accurate and they are complete, giving the

Jan 1, 1946

By C. S. Sivil

To modern civilization the platinum metals are of inestimable value. Their distinctive properties, both physical and chemical, render them indispensable in an age in which the processes of the laboratory are becoming an essential part of the daily life of the world. Generally, their function, though vital to particular processes, is not spectacular, and so remains unknown to all except the operators. Early Methods of Manufacture The properties of platinum were recognized as of prime importance for scientific work at a very early date, probably between 1750 and 1760. The difficulty of making articles from it seemed almost insurmountable, because no means of attaining the temperature necessary to melt it were known at that time. It is true that solid platinum could be obtained by fusing the metal with a more volatile metal such as arsenic, which was subsequently driven off by baking, but such a method, at its best, would give only a very brittle product, which was totally unsuitable for the purposes for which it was intended. Little, if any, progress could be made until it was discovered that platinum sponge, heated to white heat and hammered in an iron or clay mold, would metallize and retain the shape of the mold. This was a process that could not be wholly satisfactory but from it developed the method of pressing the sponge in a mold and forging it at white heat into wire or sheet. At present a somewhat similar process must be used for fabricating articles of tungsten, molybdenum and other metals of high fusing point, as with these metals we face today the same problems that the scientists of the eighteenth century encountered with platinum, but possibly the next significant advance in the metallurgy of these metals will be the devising of means to melt and cast them. TO some extent this method of preparing platinum has survived, particularly in Europe. There are one or two objections to it, but they are not serious, as they can be surmounted with proper precautions. In the first place, the material is spongy and its millions of cavities contain entrapped air. Unless this is removed by thorough forging above 1000" C. the resultant sheet shows blisters. To give such a thorough forging,

Jan 1, 1931

By H. G. Doll

'This paper discusses a method and apparatus for determining the dip of formations traversed by a drill hole, by means of electrical measurements in the hole. The process consists in recording the Spontaneous Potentials present along three oriented generatrices in the hole. By comparison of the three curves thus obtained, after application of a correction factor to compensate for any deviations of the hole, the dip angle and the dip direction are determined. Excellent accuracy is obtained for dip angles over 10°. Because the method is simp1e and the apparatus rugged, the measurements are rapid and reliable; consequently, they can be made at all the levels that are of interest at any time after the well has been drilled. Mechanical cores are not needed to evaluate the dips. A convenient, time-saving procedure is to perform the dipmeter survey at the time the electrical log is taken, using for both operations the same cable and truck. Actual examples of results obtained in wells of the Gulf Coast area are given. Introduction The problem of determining the angle and direction of the dip of the strata traversed by a drill hole has practical interest, and sometimes vital importance, which need not be emphasized to the oil industry. The need for that type of information has existed ever since wells have been drilled. Certainly it has not subsided, in spite of the numerous inventions and improvements made in other fields of the art of drill-hole exploration. The few examples given in this paper are but illustrative of this fact. In the past, methods have been devised, and used, to solve this problem, but generally they have met with limited success, possibly because they failed more or less to answer the requirements of a modern age for fast yet accurate measurements. If accurate, the results were obtained at the cost of very tedious and lengthy operations. The new S. P.* dipmeter service offered to the oil industry is the result of exhaustive and in this particular field. In 1032 a dipmeter and electromagnetic teleclinom-eter service was made available. The apparatus employed then was of a rather delicate and costly construction, and the measurements had to be made with precautions sometimes difficult to secure on the rig. Although the information given by the electromagnetic dipmeter was limited to the direction of the dip, very interesting results were obtained in California, Trinidad, Venezuela, Rumania and, most notably, in the Netherlands East Indies.+ Apparatus The S. P. dipmeter surveys present none of the drawbacks mentioned above. The apparatus is rugged and free from constructional complications, therefore well adapted to field use. This, combined with the new, basically simple approach to the problem, explains the rapidity of execution of the measurements. The results are remarkably accurate and they are complete, giving the

Jan 1, 1946

By Paul J. Sirkegian

A detail of the guide rollers is shown on Fig. I; and Fig. 2 shows a photograph of a guide roller that has been in service for several months on the haul-back cable. The former practice of supporting and guiding the haul-back cable on slusher hoists at Kimberly was accomplished by using the conventional type of snatch-block pulley, but it was found that an excessive amount of cable whipping and unreasonable wear on both rope and pulley resulted from this type of cable support. The guide, which is wholly made in the Corporation's shops, consists of two vertical and one horizontal roll assembled in a frame that is lagged to the cap timber in a slusher drift. In some slusher drifts more than one guide-roller assembly is used, depending upon the length of the drift. The installations usually are placed at 30-ft. intervals. We have found by actual experience that these rollers have increased the life of the haul-back cable approximately 200 per cent, as compared with the usage of the conventional sheave-block pulley. Cable Care The underground rigging crew and the slusher operators are trained in rope splicing. No cable clamps or knots are permitted on slusher cables and all cable "eyes" are spliced. The standard practice has been to use preformed cables of ?-in. diameter for haulage and ½-in. diameter for the haul back. The preformed cables have proved to be important factors for safety in use and speed in making splices. No external lubrication is used on the cables. It has been found that dry ropes have about 400 per cent longer life than those that were lubricated under these operating conditions. An accurate record is kept of all cable life and the tonnage moved by the slushers in each working place, and if the rope wear is excessive in any particular working place, an investigation is made to determine the reason. Wire-rope Sling for Snatch-block Anchor The rope sling is shown by Figs. 3 and 4. These slings support the snatch-block pulley for the haul-back rope. The standard practice at Kimberly is to use a roller-bearing snatch-block pulley 10 in. in diameter. The snatch-block housings are equipped with a clevis attachment in preference to swivel hooks, as it has been found that the more rigid clevis keeps the cable in better alignment. The snatch blocks are hung from the cable sling, which is wrapped around the posts of the drift sets as shown on Fig. 3. This method of anchoring the pulley provides better anchorage and flexibility than those of the rigid or spring-mounted types. When the slusher-drift headings are being advanced, the snatch blocks are hung from a "gin" pole ahead of the last set of timbers' An employee is assigned on each production shift to take care of the lubrication of all slusher hoists that are being used and he is provided with tools for minor repairs.

Jan 1, 1946

By Roshan B. Bhappu, Raul A. Deju

A method is proposed by which the chemical reactions between water and a silicate bed can be related to equations of flow. First the reaction mechanism is studied both theoretically and experimentally. Once the reaction mechanism is established, the equations of flow are solved, and a solution (under physically reasonable side conditions) is obtained. Experiments to substantiate the solution are also presented. The knowledge of surface reactions at the water-solid interface is of critical importance in extractive metallurgy. This is especially true in regard to the froth-flotation process of mineral concentration and all phases of hydro metallurgical recovery of metals. Similarly, the problem of ground-water contamination is one of growing concern, not only because of the increasing demands on our sources of supply but also because of the increasing necessity to find vehicles of waste disposal. The hydrochemistry of waste waters must be understood to exploit and develop such resources properly. To understand these problems, it is necessary to obtain a better insight into the reactions that take place between water and a solid packed bed. To do this, we will develop here in a theoretical model that predicts the fate of a chemical species in solution as it reacts with a silicate bed through which the liquid percolates. The treatment will be one-dimensional in nature and will not include dispersion. Experiments will also be presented to substantiate the theoretical model, using the silicate minerals listed in Table 1. This paper is preliminary in nature and is part of a larger study of the surface chemistry of the silicate-water interface. Mechanism of Surface Reactions In a previous paper,' the authors discussed the properties of various silicate minerals from a mineralogical standpoint. Now efforts will be made to study the reactions that occur when these minerals are put in contact with water. The reactions occur almost entirely in the surface layer of the mineralsa and are termed sorp-tion reactions. In this study sorption denotes the composite of all physical adsorption and chemical adsorption occurring between the silicate surface and the water in contact with it. A model of sorption as seen from a chemical-bond standpoint is presented below. On the basis of this model, the surface reactions between deionized water and a silicate mineral can be studied. Sorption Model: It is known that as the oxygen-silicon ratio increases from quartz to the olivines, a greater percentage of the oxygen bonding power is available for bonding to cations other than silicon. Hence, with an increasing oxygen-silicon ratio, the oxygen-to-metal bonding increases. Upon the fracturing of a silicate-mineral crystal, the oxygen-metal bond breaks more easily than the stronger oxygen-silicon bond, resulting in a negatively charged surface. Then, if the mineral is immersed in a liquid containing hydrogen ions, the negatively charged surface should tend to be neutralized by hydrogen ions from solution, resulting in a change of the solution pH. Thus, an increase in the degree of sorption of hydrogen ions must occur as the oxygen-silicon ratio in the crystal structure increases. Also in a previous paper,' the authors found that for a given silicate mineral the change of pH with time is given by

Jan 1, 1971