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By Francis M. Walters

THE problem of making iron-manganese alloys of scientific purity is a rather difficult one. They cannot be prepared in air because of the readiness with which the metals oxidize at the temperature of melting; and they cannot be prepared in vacuum because of the, high vapor pressure-of- manganese. The very property of: manganese which permits it to be purified interferes with the utilization of the best method of making pure alloys. Accordingly, it is necessary to use a gas atmosphere which will not affect the-properties of the alloys. The gases available for the purposes are hydrogen; helium and argon. Nitrogen forms intermetallic compounds with manganese very readily. Hydrogen, while valuable as a deoxidizer and having the advantage of being comparatively cheap, is explosive over a wide range and, has a rather high thermal conductivity. Helium is reported as, costing little but is difficult to secure at a reasonable price and also has a conductivity nearly as high as hydrogen. Since argon has a sufficiently low thermal conductivity, it has been selected for use in one induction furnace for melting, under a controlled, gas atmosphere, in spite of its cost, which is so high (70 cents to $1.50 per cubic foot) that it must be stored and purified.. Such a gas atmosphere-as argon makes necessary the use of the, high-frequency induction method of heating. This involves, a non-metallic container for the gas; .which is most conveniently of fused quartz or glass. The next

Jan 1, 1929

By Laurie McDonnell

As reserves of high-grade, easily accessible ores decline, it is becoming increasingly important to treat complex feeds and recover multiple target metals, and to identify approaches that will achieve this is a cost-effective manner. Hydrometallurgical treatment of sulphide based material allows for a balance between costs, recovery, and flexibility in final product selection. Glencore Technology’s hydrometallurgical solution to the treatment of sulphide ores is the Albion Process™, comprising two main steps. The first step involves ultra-fine grinding using the IsaMill™, which minimises the potential for passivation of the leaching sulphide and increases surface area for oxidation during the Albion Process™ leach. The second step is the oxidation of the finely ground sulphide concentrate utilising the HyperSparge™ for oxygen injection in Glencore Technology’s Oxidative Leach Reactors (OxiLeach™).

Sep 30, 2022

By Francis P. Sinn

LOW prices have made 1938 a difficult year for the zinc industry of the world. Particularly in the United States, output had to be radically curtailed to bring production into line with consumption. Despite these unfavorable conditions, some additional plant construction is contemplated. In Jugoslavia, through co-operation with the Government, Trepca Mines is lo build a zinc plant to produce 10,000 metric tons annually, the plant to be ready for operation in July, 1941). Cerro de Pasco is proceeding with its plans for an electrolytic plant in Peru. A pilot plant, to be ready next summer, is under construction. In eastern Canada an electrolytic plant is planned in Quebec to treat concentrates from Yoranda and other mines but no defi-

Jan 1, 1939

By Frederick Laist

THE past year has witnessed no radical changes in methods for the reduction and refining of copper. The Carson litigation was finally brought to a close ant1 the copper smelter is again free to introduce charge into his reverberatory furnaces in whatever manner suits him best. This litigation naturally led to much experimentation with various methods of charging and with various types of bath. In some cases the charge was introduced more or less centrally on a relatively dry hearth and in other cases into a bath of greater or less depth. The results of these furnaces were meticulously compared with the results obtained in side-charger furnaces, and it was apparent that it made little, if any difference how a given furnace \\.as charged so long as care was taken that there was always something in the furnace for the flames to work on. So long as this requirement was complied with, consumption of fuel per ton of charge smelted and tonnage smelted per furnace day remained substantially the same regardless of the method of charging or the depth of bath employed. In some instances the center-charged deep-bath furnaces gave slightly better results than the side-charged particularly with respect to copper losses. The slags of the deep-bath furnaces are generally a little cleaner

Jan 1, 1930

By John A. Gann

WITHIN a very few years magnesium has sprung from oblivion, from classification as a technically unknown, little appreciated, and expensive material to front-page importance in many fields of engineering. Bunsen may be considered the real founder of our present magnesium industry. In 1852; he prepared this metal by the electrolysis of fused magnesium chloride in a porcelain crucible. In the following years the electro¬lytic process became recognized as superior to chemical reduction methods and Germany became the world's chief producer, installing the first electrolytic magnesium plant in 1886. ' Thirty years later, national defense requirements, occasioned by the outbreak of the World War and the cutting off of imports, caused France, England, and the United States to begin production. Most of this magnesium was used for military purposes so the close of the war resulted in a large curtailment in production. A few companies, however, encouraged by the early success of the Germans and by the rapid developments taking place in aeronautics, and confident in the certain future and ultimate value of this metal, undertook extensive re¬searches in its production and utilization. A variety of production methods, both chemical and electrochemical, were investigated and some of them operated on a commercial scale. Reduction of the oxide with carbon at high temperatures and the electrolysis of the oxide in a fluoride

Jan 1, 1932

By AIME AIME

FORMATION of a new company through the union of two familiar names in the mining and metallurgical world has just been announced. J. V. N. Dorr and E. L. Oliver have united the businesses and assets of The Dorr Company and Oliver United Filters, Inc., of which they are the respective heads, by the formation of the Dorr-Oliver Corporation under their joint management, and stockholders have approved the merger.

Jan 1, 1931

By O. E. KEOUGH

AT the Tooele custom lead-zinc ore concentrator,' two sections, each having a daily capacity of 500 to 600 tons, are operated on slightly different types of ores with but little difference in flow sheet and reagents. The ores comprising the two general classes are the coarsely crystalline type, with low pyrite and sphalerite low in iron content, from the Park City district, and the more finely disseminated higher pyrite ores from Bingham, which are more difficult to treat by flotation. Laboratory testing determines with which general class a new ore will work better. The ores are crushed to minus 1 1/4-in. size at either the Utah Ore Sampling Company's plant at Murray, Utah, the Tooele smelter sampling plant, or the crushing plant at the concentrator. The ores for each section are mixed to maintain as nearly as possible uniform lead and zinc contents.

Jan 1, 1930

By HOWARD N. EAVENS

DURING the year just closed the bituminous industry has been marked by a continuation of the period of low prices and a steady deflation, accompanied by the closing of mines and the consolidation of small units into larger ones. This pro- gram has marked almost every field in the country, and it bids fair to continue for some time. Some figures recently published for Kentucky show that in 1924 there were 660 mines producing 45,147,000 tons; in 1928 the number had decreased to 537, while production had increased to 61,860,000 tons, and a similar movement is occurring all over the country. Prices throughout the early part of the year were very low, but during the fall and winter the prices received are more satisfactory than they were earlier in the year. One of the leading developments in the marketing of coal during the year was the trade practice movement, which began in the Harlan field, and has now been adopted in the Harlan, Hazard, Appalachian, Logan. Williamson and Kanawha fields. The purpose of this movement is to prevent the shipment of coal except on order, and by the publication of price lists to prevent much senseless price quotation. Where it has been practised the longest this movement has resulted in a considerable degree of stabilization, and, undoubtedly, it will help existing conditions very materially if it becomes universal.

Jan 1, 1930

By Paul Weaver

DURING 1932 the amount of geophysical surveying carried out as a part of oil-field development in¬creased, particularly in the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. Here the most intensive geophysical activity was displayed in the discovery of domes and prospects several years ago, after which there was a period of relative inactivity. This year many of the leases required development and geophysical methods were used to obtain pictures of the detailed structures. These were almost exclusively gravity and reflection-seismograph surveys and for the first time this latter method was generally used by oil operators to construct subsurface contours. The total number of geophysical troops in this territory increased from 16 to 40 during the year.

Jan 1, 1933

By A. B. Kinzel

ALTHOUGH calcium carbide and other compounds of calcium, as well as a number of calcium alloys, are well known and are the basis of important industries in the of United States, calcium metal has been thought of as something of a rarity and has received comparatively little attention from industrial metallurgists. The metal may he made in a number of ways, but the electrolytic deposition of calcium from a molten calcium chloride bath was the first process to be used for its commercial production and is still the standard procedure. Calcium metal has elicited little interest among nonferrous metal producers, as the demand has been relatively small and its production restricted to only a few plants, exclusively in France and Germany.

Jan 1, 1941

By Julio Bustamante, Angel Ríos, David Velazco

Antamina es un complejo minero polimetálico que produce concentrados de cobre, zinc, molibdeno, plata y plomo. En Antamina, la perforación de los sondajes diamantinos es realizada por los Socios Estratégicos. Posteriormente, se realiza la descripción de la geología en el área del Core Shack, adonde llegan las cajas de testigos. La información de las leyes está compuesta por análisis de plasma de acoplamiento inductivo (ICP), espectroscopia de absorción atómica (AA) y análisis volumétrico (Volumetría). El trabajo de recopilación de información de los sondajes por parte del equipo de perforación era muy laborioso y rutinario. Para evitar demoras y errores en la visualización y análisis de la trayectoria de los sondajes, se implementó la automatización de la trayectoria de la perforación en tiempo real.

Sep 30, 2022

By César Reyna

Con la intención de determinar si la Licencia Social para Operar (LSO) y la Rentabilidad Social (RS) pueden convertirse en criterios de valorización adicional de proyectos mineros, el presente trabajo se enfocó en desarrollar y presentar argumentos sólidos que permitan justificar su adopción o incorporación como criterios o métodos de evaluación y valorización, a la par de los tradicionales. Finalmente, los primeros resultados y conclusiones a los que se arriba, son los siguientes: tanto la Licencia Social para Operar (LSO) como la Rentabilidad Social (RS) representan criterios válidos para calcular y demostrar la sostenibilidad de las empresas evaluadas, generar estabilidad de las operaciones mineras y asegurar la viabilidad social de los proyectos, entre otros hallazgos de la investigación.

Sep 30, 2022

By H. D. Wilde

DURING 1934 conditions in the production division of the petroleum industry were reasonably satisfactory but nevertheless a decided feeling of insecurity existed largely because of the uncertainty of controlling production to consumptive demand. Over-production, especially in the East Texas field, threatened a general collapse of crude prices but in spite of this, posted prices were high. Stimulated by the prevailing posted prices, wildcatting activities were wide-spread. Although a number of small discoveries were made, particularly in the Gulf Coast belt and Oklahoma, no fields of major importance, unless it was the Fitts pool in Southern Oklahoma, were brought in. Meanwhile, the Petroleum Division of the A.I.M.E. continued its activities. It sponsored the collection of production and geological data on both foreign and domestic fields. The data on all but a few producing districts in the world were published in the "Petroleum Development and Technology" volume of the "Transactions" and comprise one of the most complete tabula¬tions of this sort ever published. Work of this kind is being continued.

Jan 1, 1935

By George S. Rice

GROUND movement and subsidence is an important matter from several points of view and it is regrettable that more papers have not been written on this subject in the past year. Damage may be done to surface buildings or to the higher workings of a mine, and a study of the subject gives valuable in- formation on hanging-wall or roof control. The latter objective is strikingly shown in a recent paper presented by Jack Spaulding on Oct. 21, 1937, before the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, of Great Britain, entitled "Theory and Practice of Ground Control in the Kolar Gold Field, India." All may not agree with some of his theories that were deduced from studies of the many violent rock bursts at depths of 5000 to 7000 ft., but the data obtained are of great value. His theories of symmetrical ring stresses and symmetrical domes which are pictured as perfect are rather hard to understand as such uniformity is un- likely in view of the irregularities in the formation due to folds and fractures of various kinds. All will agree in principle with this idea of domal effects, which have been observed in many countries, but they are generally irregular.

Jan 1, 1938

By Martin A. Moyers

THE nation's effort to win the war speedily is reflected in current trends in coal utilization, as in all other fields of our lives. In all industries, wherever coal is used for the production of heat and power the emphasis is on getting the most useful result with the least expenditure of matt.ria1. In addition to carrying its own share of the load, increased as it is by the demands of war industry, coal has had to fill in for the other fuels, mainly petroleum products, whose distribution from their more distant sources has been crippled by lack of shipping. Thus, the outstanding note in the utilization of coal this year is not the development of new methods of burning or handling coal but the extraordinary job that the industry has done in producing enough coal to serve all needs.

Jan 1, 1943

By Oliver Bowles

STRIKING new developments in the field of industrial minerals include the employment of lime, salt, coal, and air for the manufacture of stockings, and the substitution of paper for granite and marble in making tombstones. Certain minerals that have heretofore been regarded as valueless except as museum or laboratory specimens, are now being applied commercially. Serpentine, in forms neither fibrous nor ornamental, massive topaz, pinite, and zoisite are examples. For certain other minerals, notably pyrophyllite, bentonite, vermiculite, and sulphur, extension of established uses into new fields has occurred. Substitution takes a toll in many industries, but producers of industrial minerals as a class have gained more than they have lost in recent years. Encouraging progress has been made in developing at long last a suitable substitute for certain of the uses of mica, the only industrial mineral on the strategic list of commodities established by the War. and Navy Munitions Board. Some of the more important developments in process, equipment, and use .that have come

Jan 1, 1940

By John Johnston

THIS necessarily brief sketch will attempt to summarize the high lights of perhaps the best meeting so far held by the Iron and Steel Division. All sessions were well attended and the discussion was vigorous and of a high order. The technical sessions opened. on Tuesday morning. "Precipitation Hardening of Copper Steels" was discussed by Cyril S. Smith and Earl W. Palmer, and dealt with steel with a 1 per cent copper content. Discussion brought out that there were no fabricating difficulties, but that the surface might be somewhat checked due to intergranular penetration of copper which could be easily taken care of. Probable advantages of steels of this type for high temperatures were pointed out. "An Improved Nickel-chromium Hardened Chilled Cast Iron," by J. S. Vanick, described a wear-resistant cast iron and evoked a lively discussion.

Jan 1, 1933

By L. W. WALLACE

IN an engineering fashion we have made an assay of the engineering profession, using as a. sample the engineers listed in "Who's Who in America" (1928-1929). We are aware that some will say it is an unfair sample; that it came from the best mine. This is readily admitted, with this qualification: that all engineers and architects by virtue of their training and experience have been freed of most of the dross to which mankind is heir. They are -a selected group to begin with, having all the potentialities those in the sample possess. We are also aware that some will say a part of those included in the sample are not engineers. Our answer to that criticism is this: An engineer is no less an engineer because for the time being he is president of a bank, a university, an opera company, or a hotel company. Moreover, he is no less an engineer because he is a governor of a commonwealth, a United States senator, a member of the Cabinet, or the President of the United States.

Jan 1, 1929

By William B. Plank

FOR the third consecutive year, I have collected the data on enrolment and employment of graduates from the schools in. the United States and Canada that grant degrees in mineral technology. The data were collected in the same way as formerly; namely, by questionnaire, dated Jan. 5, 1935, and are therefore comparable with the figures reported for former years. This year, along with the names of the 48 schools in the United States and the six in Canada, are listed the courses offered and the degrees granted by each, school, together with the names of the professors in charge. The names and addresses of the four schools in Mexico are also given. The list is on pages 450-1, which should he valued as a directory by those interested in mineral technology education. So far as is known, this is the most complete and up-to-date list that has ever been published.

Jan 1, 1935

By S. F. Shaw

IT IS generally recognized that the natural gas absorbed in petroleum plays the leading r6le in moving the oil through the sands to the well and supplies the energy that delivers the oil to the surface when the wells are flowing. It is the purpose of this paper to note the amount of oil that could be lifted by this gas if 100 per cent. efficiency were obtained and the efficiencies actually obtained in the use of this gas. An article in MINING AND METALLURGY,' stated that in a Wyoming field, with a pressure of 300 lb. per sq. in., there would be absorbed 65 cu. ft. of gas per barrel, or 1.55 cu. ft. per gal. of oil. The writer does not know if data have been obtained, by experiment, for pressures beyond those indicated in this article, therefore, for the purpose of illustration, he has projected this curve to obtain figures for pressures greater than 300 lb., although probably experiment will show that the extended line is not quite correct.

Jan 1, 1926