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By Chung Yu Wang

During the time I was in charge of this mine, from 1914 to 1915, I had occasion to read the interesting papers by T. T. Read and C. M. Weld about these deposits, to find how far their observations corroborated mine. To quote from the paper on "The Mineral Production and Resources of China" by T. T. Read:' "The iron ores at Tayeh * * * * lie along the contact between a marble and an intrusive body of a dark gray syenitic rock. * * * * At one place it is slightly magnetic, apparently having been partly reduced to the magnetic oxide by the action of reducing solutions, which have deposited small amounts of copper and iron sulphides along the foot wall." To quote from the paper on "The Tayeh Iron Ore Deposits"2 by C. M. Weld: "I find the orebodies described as occurring along an approximately E-W contact between hornblende-granite and limestone. * * * * The granite is a granitoid rock consisting essentially of quartz, potash-feldspar and hornblende."' These quotations show the differences of opinion entertained by two observers. My own study of these interesting deposits has been intermittent amid the manifold duties devolving upon a superintendent. General DescriptLon of the Deposits The deposits are situated to the west of the Yangtse River, being connected with the river by a standard-gage railroad of 66 li (18.16 miles, 26 km.) in length, as shown in Fig. 1. The general topography of the region is of mature age, showing broad valleys with sluggishly meandering streams. These deposits are worked as two mines, named the Tieh Shan Mining Department and the Teh Tao Wan Mining Department; the former consisting of three orebodies more or less connected, named Tieh Man Kan, Sha Mau Tze and Lung Tung, and the latter consisting of Chang Pei Shan, Sze Tze Shan, Ta Shih Men, Yeh Chih Ping and Tsin Shan, also more or less connected, as shown in Fig. 2.

Jan 1, 1918

By Harry P. Hohenadel

DURING the past few years the amazing developments of the chemical industry have inspired so much publicity that the feature writers assure us that we are entering a "Chemical Age," industrially as important as the "Steel Age" and the "Electric Age," so-called. Whether or not these assurances are overstatements, it is a fact that the expansion of the chemical industry during the past 25 years has been enormous. The Chemical Bureau of the War Production Board calculates the value of chemicals produced during 1944 at $8,300,000,000, no small sum even in inflated dollars. As concerns us of the Southwest oil and gas country, four significant trends of the chemical industry are most important. (1) Many of the recently developed chemical products are new creations, not substitutes,. as new and original as the invention of the light bulb, and with a field for exploitation almost as wide. (2) Many of these chemical products will enter the mass consuming markets, which require enormous tonnages of products, and such markets are setting up an industrial demand for chemicals on a mass volume basis, compared to the relatively high-priced low-volume basis ordinarily considered as the chemical outlet of the past. (3) Most of the processes involved in producing these chemicals are adapt. able to the use, all or in part, of natural gas, oil, or refinery gases as raw mate-

Jan 1, 1945

By L. W. Rowe, S. S. Cole

A laboratory bench scale unit is described whereby finely divided chlorinatable residues are held for a short period by a restraining bed of a coarse-grained ore of comparable composition to permit 'flash' chlorination of the high surface area powder. Results on chlorinating a finely divicled titania residue using rutile sand as the restraining bed showed that 92 pct utilization of chlorine and equivalent conversion of TiO2 in the fine residue to Ticl4 were attained with a dust loss of about 3 to 4 pct and an equivalent amount of ch1om'nation of the titanium values in the restraining bed. THE chlorination of coarse grain titaniferous ores; i.e., 20 to 150 mesh sizes in fluidized beds is practiced commercially.' One effective method found for the chlorination of a very fine material in a fluidized bed is the "flash" chlorination technique.' By charging the finely divided charge material into the bottom of an established bed of optimum sized rutile, ilmenite, titanium beneficiate, or even an inert material such as sand, chlorination occurs before the dust can pass through the bed. The major requirement is that the bed be less chlorinatable than the charge. In this process, the charge consists of a finely divided (between one and 50 µ) titania residue obtained from a titaniferous ore beneficiation process. The charge is blended with a 20 pct wt basis addition of 20 to 60 .mesh size low volatile coke (to minimize hydrogen chloride formation) and fed to the bottom of the bed with the chlorine gas stream. A ball check device is used to permit entry of the charge and prevent the bed from discharging when the gas flow is cut off. The coarse pieces of coke serve to reduce compaction in the charge mixture and permit sat]sfactory feeding without plugging or jamming. Feed and gas rates are adjusted to provide for complete reaction of the charge material, with 90 to 95 pct chlorine efficiency, and maintain a gas flow in the range of 0.4 to 0.6 ft per sec. The equipment consisted of a 3-in. diam mullite tube enclosed in an electric furnace. A bow-shaped 3/4 in. Saran tube fed the charge from an air lock type of feed hopper (to prevent the escape of the chlorine gas into feed bin) to the bottom of the bed. The charge rate was set by providing a small awiliary hopper below the feed hopper where a weighed portion of the charge could be discharged in a specified time interval into the main chlorine stream. The chlorine rate was measured by a flowmeter. The reaction tube was filled with a bed of Australian rutile ore, this restraining bed serving two purposes; i.e., it rapidly heated the fresh charge to the reaction temperature and retained the particles in the bed for a sufficient time for selective chlorination to proceed. Due to the fine particle size and open, porous structure of the charge, this reaction was almost instantaneous, and, with proper adjustment of feed and gas rates, very little fine material passed through the bed without reacting and only a very small fraction of the restraining bed was chlorinated. A typical reaction procedure was to fill the bench scale fluidized bed unit with a 1 kg charge of Australian rutile ore analyzing 95.5 pct TiO2, 0.6 pct FeO, a beach sand deposit 40 to 150 mesh size. When fluidized, the bed was approximately 2 ft in depth. The ore was fluidized with a 1:l mixture of chlorine and nitrogen at a rate of 0.40 ft per sec. This gas mixture was necessitated by the comparatively short bed depth; a larger unit, with a deeper bed, could be fluidized with chlorine alone without significant free chlorine loss. Feed rate was 8.0 g per min of beneficiated ilmenite analyzing 85.0 pct TiO2, 2.6 pct FeO plus 1.6 g per min of 20 to 60 mesh petroleum coke. The

Jan 1, 1962

By Charles E. Wait

HAVING had some experience in the use of gasoline-gas in a laboratory, I have been induced by frequent inquiry to present a few hints concerning it, which I hope may be of some value to those who are out of the reach of coal-gas, and who contemplate using this gas. While I will not delay to describe the method by which this gas is made, it may not be out of place to note that, unless frequent charges are put into the carburetter, the gas is variable in richness. This may be partially avoided, it is said, by repeatedly pumping from one cell in the carburetter to another. If a machine is in constant use for many months without re charging, the gas becomes rather poor for illuminating purposes ; but in this condition it may be burned in a Bunsen burner with advan tage. Could the gas be used always in this condition, no difficulty would be experienced, and it would be quite satisfactory for general laboratory purposes. Considerable annoyance, however, is experi enced whenever the machine is filled with gasoline. The Bunsen and other burners then produce a flame too smoky to be used with com fort, and, in fact, with most of them, a full supply of air; turned on at the base of the burner, will not suffice to completely burn off all the carbon. Finding it necessary to adopt some method by which I could get a flame free from unconsumed carbon, I adopted a plan which has in every way proved satisfactory. In addition to the pipe conveying the gas to the table, and ar ranged with a stopcock, there is brought to the table, within a fern inches of the gas-pipe, another pipe, conveying air direct from the pump. This pipe is also arranged with a stop-cock. The air- and gas-pipes are now connected with one pipe by a T joint; and to this last pipe is attached, by rubber tubing, the Bunsen or other burner. I have successfully used this simple system in connection with both small and large Bunsen burners, a burner with three tubes, arid a Fletcher burner; and recently I have added a new still to our equipment, and have been tising with it a Fletcher special high power burner No. 6, to which this system has been applied. With

Jan 1, 1886

By J. B. Nau

A short time ago some interesting experiments concerning a new steel-making process in the open-hearth furnace were made by the writer at the Croton magnetic mine, N. Y.

Jan 1, 1892

By N. D. Shutler

This paper describes a numerical mathematical model of the steamflood process that depends on fewer restrictive assumptions than models previously reported. The solution, however, is obtained economically. Example calculations are presented that, on comparison with experimental results, tend to validate the model. Results that expose certain process mechanics are discussed. The model describes the simultaneous flow of three phases — oil, water and gas — in one dimension. It includes the effects of three-phase relative permeabilities, capillary pressure, and temperature- and pressure - dependent fluid properties. Interphase mass transfer of water-steam is allowed, but the oil is assumed nonvolatile and the hydrocarbon gas insoluble in the liquid phases. The model allows heat convection in one dimension and two-dimensional heat conduction in a vertical cross-section spanning the oil sand and adjacent strata. The hydrocarbon-steam gas composition is tracked, but the effect of gas composition on water-steam phase behavior is neglected. The model is solved numerically in three separate stages. The three-phase mass balances are solved simultaneously using Newtonian iteration on nonlinearities occurring in the accumulation terms. The energy balance is solved separately by noniterative application of the alternating-direction implicit procedure. Separate solution of the composition balance is accomplished by straightforward solution of the finite difference equations. The method of effecting nonsimultaneous, stable solution of the mass and energy balances is the key to the success of the model. INTRODUCTION Mathematical tools as well as laboratory and field experiments are necessary to help us understand the complex steamflood process. A mathematical model can expose process mechanics and show the relative importance of process variables, but this ability is often limited by restrictive assumptions. Most known models of steam processes,l-5 with the exception of the model of Gottfried,6 are "simplified" in that they involve analytic approximations and require many restrictive assumptions. The primary utility of these methods lies in the routine use as an aid in engineering design. By contrast, the comprehensive model presented here is numerical and requires far fewer restrictive assumptions. It finds its primary utility as a research tool. It serves as an aid in understanding the nature of the process, in interpreting laboratory experiments and in evaluating and developing simpler mathematical models for engineering design. The major reason why previously presented models have been confined to the "simplified" class is evidenced by the one published exception. In 1965, Gottfried6 presented a numerical model for the combustion process of which the steam process is a subset. The result is a comprehensive tool (though it neglects capillarity and two-dimensional heat conduction) that is troubled with convergence problems and that requires 2 to 3 hours of IBM 7094 time to complete a calculation. Though our present model does not simulate combustion, it does consider capillarity and two-dimensional heat conduction and it overcomes the convergence and computer-time problems. MATHEMATICAL DESCRIPTION OF STEAMFLOODING FLUID FLOW The equations employed to describe three-phase fluid flow are of a familiar form. Darcy's. law provides expressions for the velocities of the three phases (oil, water and gas), which, when combined with oil, water and gas mass balances, give the partial differential equations governing flow of the

Jan 1, 1970

By John V. Beall

BROMO Seltzer blue has gone to war. The blue of the Bromo Seltzer bottle is a product of cobalt, the Nation's No. 1 strategic metal. When the National Production Authority, on Nov. 21, 1950, ordered a 70 pct cutback in domestic use of cobalt, a stab of pain was felt in the hearts of the glass, porcelain enamel, steel, paint, pottery, and electrical and electronic equipment industries. The reason: A full-scale wartime economy with astronomical requirements for jet engines, high velocity projectiles, armor plate, electronic equipment, and the many products needed to win a war. There is little potential comfort for cobalt users in nonessential manufacturing, and the military will be pinched for optimum supplies of the metal. However, if proper measures are taken immediately and current plans are completed, in two years there will be far more cobalt available than ever before. When normal times return, cobalt supplies should be sufficient to meet peacetime military requirements, and greatly expanded domestic requirements that will result from new technological development for wartime but adaptable to peacetime products. The pres-

Jan 1, 1951

By L. F. Pett

ALTHOUGH Kennecott's orebody has long been outlined, it is still necessary to define further its limits. This mine, long an advocate of churn drill methods, recently supplemented its practice by using a diamond drill. So far, the diamond drill holes have been along the main canyon floor which traverses the mine area. This zone, highly fractured, is cut by numerous friable quartz veinlets encountered within the porphyry. These veinlets, formed by filling contracted porphyry fractures with hot, siliceous, mineral-bearing solutions, are often more highly mineralized than adjacent porphyry. They pulverize on contact, yielding only slight amounts of core.

Jan 7, 1951

By D. L. Pentz

The use of "probability" methods in slope stability analysis has been practised by geotechnical engineers for some time. This paper questions whether the term probability has been properly used since in many cases the term is used in a classical statistical manner only to describe frequency distributions of data. This paper proposes a definition of the term probability which includes the engineers' subjective state of confidence for all critical parameters. Such parameters may include the slope stability model, undetected structural features, strength, groundwater pressure distribution, and geological framework. This process does not make a "better" analysis but it does force the geotechnical engineer to state his opinion in such a manner that others can understand and if necessary, criticize the assumptions. Further, this technique forces the question, "What impact would failure of a slope have on the production schedule or costs of a mine?" The level of risk taken in adopting a particular slope design strategy in a mine is not a question of what Factor of Safety should be selected but, rather, what trade-offs result from steeper slopes and the associated costs of failure. This paper also presents several simple probabilistic techniques which, though widely used in other fields have been all but ignored in geotechnical slope stability analyses. These include the use of stratified sampling to optimize Monte Carlo uncertainty approaches, and the use of simple functional approximations rather than complex stability models in probabilistic analysis. The author presents a case example of this technique and discusses the results in comparison with more traditional methods.

Jan 1, 1983

By C. K. Leith

AT the outset I would like to make it clear that I do not enter this discussion in a controversial spirit, but in an attempt to contribute something helpful to an understanding of a difficult problem. I have too high regard for the sterling quality of the work of the men who have studied this subject in detail to offer anything in the way of essential contradiction to their statements of fact. Difference of opinion arises from differing valuation of the possible alternative hypothesis which these facts suggest. Some degree of recrystallization in limestone contact zones has been recognized by many investigators. Earlier investigators, for the most part, assigned an important, if not the most important, role to recrystallization in development of these zones. With the growing recognition, of introduction of ores and gangue materials into the contact zone from igneous rocks through the medium of primary magmatic solutions, there has been a tendency to ascribe to this process most, if not all, of the chemical and mineralogical characteristics of the contact zone. This has involved a correspondingly diminished emphasis on recrystallization of substances already there as a factor in the process, and in some cases even the complete elimination of this hypothesis. From detailed study of a few contacts, casual observation of others, and a general familiarity with the literature, some of us have been led in recent years to raise the question whether the pendulum has not swung too far away from recrystallization toward direct introduction from igneous sources, and to argue for more recognition of the part played by recrystallization.1 The inevitable sequence has been that those of us who have taken this view have been charged, at least by inference, with emphasizing recrys-tallization to, the total exclusion of the alternative process. Scientists, like other men, like to classify and pigeon-hole views under simple and definite designations, leaving out qualifications which would tend to make the classification more difficult to state. This has made the problem seem more definite and simple, but has tended to obscure the fact that the disagreement is primarily not one relating to essential facts, but one of

Jan 6, 1914

By C. Dinis da Gama

Because of the growing importance of back analysis for the interpretation of rock slope failures, particularly in open pit mines, it is suggested a methodologic sequence of activities for dealing with those problems. The principal mathematical tools for the interpretation of the most common mechanisms of slope failures are reviewed, including methods of stress and strain analysis, which seem to be more powerful for parametrization studies, and for developing more realistic explanations of slope behaviour, such as the measurement of displacements. An application of those methods is described, using slope failures detected in a Brazilian uranium mine (Cercado), thus providing reliable shearing strength parameters for the rock mass discontinuites, which were used in the final pit design. The concept of using backanalysis results to supply input data for pit design was implemented by means of the excavation of an experimental trench within mine limits, where specific instruments were installed, and several slope failures were monitored and backanalysed, in order to yield information about sliding mechanisms in the future open pit.

Jan 1, 1983

By Franklin H. Sharp, Kenneth L. Clifford

During the last few years the New Lead Belt of Southeastern Missouri has become the main source of lead in the United States. It also produces significant amounts of zinc, copper and silver. The mines are located on a narrow, mineralized trend extending southward from Viburnum, MG. for about 35 miles. The ore occurs as replacement deposits in the Bonneterre lime- stone formation which is about 1000 ft below the surface. In most of the mines, enough water is produced to supply the milling requirements without any reuse. There are dry areas, however, and at least two mills must rely on water reclaimed from their tailings lake to augment the mine water. These mills have no choice but to utilize recycled mill water.

Jan 7, 1973

By C. H. Jr. Herty

THE elimination of metalloids in the open-hearth process depends on oxidation of the metal by diffusion of FeO from the slag (or absorption of FeO by the metal), with subsequent reaction between dissolved iron oxide and the metalloids carbon, manganese, phosphorus, and silicon. During an investigation on deoxidation with silicon, data on rate of oxidation of the metal were obtained, and these combined with certain other information, are presented here in an attempt to show the fundamental principles governing the diffusion of FeO from slag to metal. Inasmuch as the aim of the investigation was not a study of diffusion, certain data are lacking and it has been necessary to make assumptions on metal viscosity and effect of temperature on diffusion. These factors are known to exert a considerable effect on diffusional processes. Overoxidation, or supersaturation of the metal with iron oxide, is not taken up in this paper. Overoxidation has little effect on diffusion except under a few special conditions, and the discussion has therefore been limited to diffusional processes. Though the results given in this paper should be regarded as preliminary, certain of the conclusions drawn are definitely applicable to any steelmaking process.

Jan 1, 1929

By B. M. Larsen, J. W. Campbell

Several articles have recently been published discussing the conditions necessary for accurate measurements of temperatures in the open-hearth steel furnace. In the course of a study of refractories service conditions in steel furnaces, the present writers have taken temperatures in several open-hearth shops in the Pittsburgh district. The conclusions, as to conditions necessary for accurate measurements of temperature, are somewhat at variance with those of other investigators. The subject is closely connected both with the close control of steel-making and the prevention of overheating of the silica refractories used in roofs and walls. It is becoming more and more important to obtain furnace temperatures of fairly definitely known accuracy. At present, the most useful instrument for such measurements is the disappearing-filament type of optical pyrometer. This method of measurement has formed the basis of most other discussions on the subject and was also used by the writers. Previous Investigations In 1916, Burgess' made perhaps the first systematic series of measurements in steel furnaces. The emissivity figures of 0.40 for liquid steel and of 0.53 to 0.65 for liquid slags had been determined by the Bureau of Standards and were used by Burgess in this work. These correction factors are still being used and are regarded as fairly accurate, so that the tapping and teeming temperatures on metal streams given by Burgess should be very nearly correct. Most of his temperatures of furnace roofs and slag surfaces were taken while flames were present in the furnaces and include a few roof temperatures above 1700' C. (3100' F.).

Jan 1, 1927

By J. H. Schulman, M. H. Buckenham

R. W. Christy (Manager of Sales, Sanitary Engineering Equipment, Link-Belt Co.) and C.D. Rubert (Barrett, Haentjens & Co.) — Messrs. King and Schepman have presented an excellent paper which outlines the general practice in the design of thickener mechanisms. Lifting devices, controls, special applications and underflow pumping arrangements have been reviewed in detail. Pumping arrangements were illustrated which eliminate the need for an expensive tunnel beneath the thickener floor. Most of those illustrated have the common feature of a relatively long underflow suction line extending from the hopper floor to the pump located on the bridge at the periphery of the tank. The authors limit these arrangements to comparatively dilute or thin slurrys. It is implied that dense and coarse concentrates, which are difficult to pump, cannot be handled unless a tunnel is constructed. Fig. 1 shows an underflow pump arrangement which negates the need for a tunnel but which permits the operator to convey a heavy dense slurry. The pump is mounted directly on the fixed hoist platform and the impeller is located at the base of the steel center column. Priming water is not needed. The column

Jan 1, 1963

By T. B. Nolan, R. N. Hunt

In terms of present metal prices, analysis of extant records of the Eureka district indicate past production of the magnitude of $200,000,000 in recovered silver, lead, and gold. Production to date has been thoroughly oxidized ore from massive replacements, fissures, manta, and pipe-like bodies-in large part from the massive Eldorado (middle Cambrian) and Hamburg (middle to late Cambrian) dolomite horizons. In the productive area of about 6 square miles carbonate rocks comprise 80 per cent of the section, which includes early Cambrian to late Ordovician horizons. Four-fifths or more of the district's production came from a block of Eldorado dolomite in Ruby Hill that was moved in over younger horizons on strands of a regional thrust fault. The lower 500 to 600 feet of the block was much fractured and brecciated and became host to the ores. The Ruby Hill fault, a late normal fault, limits the Ruby Hill block of dolomite on the north for its entire length of nearly a mile and terminates the downward extent and exploitation of its ores. It introduced an hiatus of some 40 years in the district's development. Drilling of the past 20-odd years, followed by underground work, has now exposed the down-faulted extension of the Ruby Hill block of Eldorado dolomite and its contained ores, dropped 1800 feet in a dip shift to depths beneath the surface of 2000 to 3000 feet. The ores at depth are the sulfide counterpart of those mined in early years on the footwall side of the fault. The ores of the district may be attributed to the same source as the intrusive quartz diorite outcropping in a limited way south of Ruby Hill but found at depth elsewhere in drill holes. The long north-south axis of the district, its anticlinal structure, its major faults, and the distribution of the intrusives and, in their relation to the surface, the ores themselves, all suggest that erosion has not cut deep enough to expose the extent of intrusives and the ores consequent upon them.

Jan 1, 1968

By W. L. McMorris, A. H. Brisse

IN the last several years the coal industry has intensified its effort to solve the growing problem of cleaning and recovering fine mesh coals. On one hand these has been increasing civic pressure for cleaner streams, and on the other hand there has been increasing production of fine mesh coal, resulting directly from adoption of the modern mining methods so essential to the economy of the coal mining industry. Cleaning fine coal with the same precision possible with coarser coals is a difficult task, and for coals finer than 200 mesh it has been impractical. Furthermore, the inclusion of —200 mesh material in the final product markedly increases costs of de-watering and thermal drying, which are necessary steps if coal is to meet market requirements. Consequently these extreme fines have generally been wasted. As a result, problems have been created in many districts because there has not been enough area for adequate settling basins. Wasting of coal in the -200 mesh slimes may account for a loss in washer yield equivalent to 2.0 to 2.5 pct of the raw coal input. With rising mining costs the value of such a loss is constantly increasing and a need for a better solution to the fines problem becomes more pressing every day. From an operating viewpoint, also, continuous removal of extreme fines from the washing plant circuit permits good water clarification practice, improving significantly the overall cleaning efficiency. The obvious desirability of recovering a commercially acceptable coal from washery slimes prompted U. S. Steel Corp. to investigate the merits of the Convertol process developed in Germany." Although this process has been used commercially in Europe for some time, little if any consideration has been given to its possible adoption in the U. S. until very recently. Fundamentals of the Convertol Process: In the Convertol process, droplets of dispersed oil are brought into intimate contact with the solids suspended in the coal slurry to be treated. This contact causes oil to displace the water on the surface of the coal by preferential wetting, or phase inversion, after which the coal particles are allowed to agglomerate in a manner permitting their re- moval from the slurry by centrifugal filtration. The clay and other particles of mineral matter suspended in the slurry do not have the affinity for oil the coal particles have. Consequently the oil treatment is preferential to coal to the extent that more than 95 pct of the oil used reports with the clean coal recovered. Figs. 1 through 3 will clarify the steps involved in the process. Fig. 1 shows the suspended material in the slurry to be treated, which is a thickened product containing 40 to 45 pct solids. Oil is now injected into the slurry under vigorous agitation to produce good oil to coal contact conditions, which result in preferential oiling of the coal particles. These coal particles are then permitted to agglomerate by gentle stirring in a conditioner to form flocs, as shown in Fig. 2. At this point in the process the agglomerated oiled coal can be washed and partially dewatered on a vibrating screen, as shown in Fig. 3. Finally, the washed flocculate can be further dewatered in a high-speed screen basket centrifuge or in a solid bowl centrifuge. Commercial Application of the Convertol Process in Germany: The original Convertol process was developed by Bergwerksverband zur Verwertung von Schutzrechten der Kohlentechnik, G.m.b.H., a German research organization controlled by the Coal Operators Assn. of the Ruhr Valley. The process as reduced to commercial practice in Germany' is shown in Fig. 4. In this process a thickened slurry (40 to 45 pct solids) mixed with a predetermined percentage of oil is fed from a surge tank to the phase inversion mill. After the phase inversion step, the slurry is usually discharged directly to a highspeed screen centrifuge. From 3 to 10 pct oil is used, depending on type of oil, size consist of coal to be recovered, and operating temperature. The top size of fine coal cleaned in Germany by the Convertol process is limited by the size of the openings in the centrifuge screen basket. Any mineral matter coarser than the basket opening, which is generally 60 to 80 mesh, must remain with the oiled coal. If the coal fines have been effectively cleaned down to about 80 mesh, the cleaning performance of the process is practically unaffected by the presence of coarse coal particles. However, since recovery of coal much coarser than 80 mesh is mow economical by conventional methods, it normally becomes more costly to allow substantial percentages of this coarse coal in Convertol process feed. Where the general plant layout does not permit effective cleaning of coal sizes down to 80 mesh or lower. there is some justification for a coarser Con-

Jan 1, 1959

By A. E. Back, S. F. Ravitz

When manganese ores are leached with sulphur dioxide, a large part of any zinc in the ore usually is extracted with the manganese.1 In the dithionate process,2,3 in which the manganese ore is leached with dilute sulphur dioxide gas and the manganese is subsequently precipitated by adding lime to the pregnant solution, the zinc is precipitated with the manganese. These facts suggested the possibility of applying the dithionate process to the recovery of zinc from oxidized ores or calcined sulphide concentrates. Accordingly, an investigation was begun, and preliminary tests were made on several ores and concentrates. The results were encouraging, but the need to devote available funds and personnel to other projects made it necessary to drop the work before the various factors involved in the process could be studied in detail. A brief mention of the process,4 however, elicited a number of inquiries, so that it appeared desirable to report the results of the preliminary work. The dithionate process as applied to zinc may be summarized briefly as follows: The ore or calcined concentrate is leached with dilute SO2 gas to dissolve the zinc, largely as zinc sulphate, in accordance with the following equation in which [ZnO] represents the "oxide zinc" in the ore or calcine: [ZnO] + SO2(g) + 1/2 O2 = Zn++SO4— [1] If, in the leaching step, the ore or calcine is suspended in calcium dithionate solution, the sulphate ion, as it is formed, is precipitated immediately as calcium sulphate, which is subsequently filtered off with the insoluble ore residue: Zn++SO4— + Ca++S2O6— = CaSO4(s) + Zn++S2O6- [2] An alternative procedure is to suspend the ore in water, filter off the insoluble ore residue after leaching, add calcium dithionate to the resulting zinc sulphate solution, and then filter off the calcium sulphate precipitate. In either event the zinc is obtained in the form of a pregnant solution of zinc dithionate, from which it can be precipitated as relatively pure zinc hydroxide by adding milk of lime: Zn++S2O6— + Ca(OH), = Zn(OH)2(s) + Ca++S2O6- [3] The zinc hydroxide precipitate is calcined to form the final zinc oxide product: Zn(OH)2 = ZnO(s) + H2O(g) [4] Theoretically the process is completely cyclic with respect to dithionate ion, the calcium dithionate required for reaction 2 being replaced by that formed in reaction 3. In practice, of course, small amounts of dithionate would be lost in the various filter cakes, depending on the economic washing limits. In the leaching step, however, some of the SO2 is oxidized to dithionale instead of sulphate, accord- ing to the following overall reaction: ZnO + 2SO2(g) + 1/2 O2(g) = Zn++S2O6-, [5] so that the dithionate losses are made up, at least in part. Ores and Concentrates Tested The analyses of the ores and concentrates tested are summarized in Table 1, which also includes the analyses of the calcines produced from the concentrates. The concentrates were roasted in a laboratory muffle furnace at the temperatures indicated until evolution of SO2 could no longer be detected; shallow clay dishes ordinarily were used; but calcines 2a and 2c were prepared in iron dishes, with the result that these two calcines were badly contaminated with iron scale. The "complex" concentrate, sample 1, consisted essentially of sphalerite grains containing inclusions of pyrite and other sulphide minerals too minute to be liberated by grinding within economic limits. In the " marmatitic" concentrate, sample 2, the iron was present largely as marmatite (that is, as iron sulphide in solid solution in zinc sulphide) rather than as pyrite inclusions. The zinc was present largely as the carbonate in the two "oxidized" ores, samples 3 and 4, and as the silicate in the "willemite" ore, sample 5. Leaching Tests The leaching cell was a 3-liter glass beaker placed in an electrically heated water bath manually controlled to maintain a temperature of 35°C in the leach slurry. The slurry was agitated by means of a flat paddle-type stirrer

Jan 1, 1950

By Harrison R. Cooper

With problems of diminishing ore grades and increasing cost of facilities, the mineral industry is acutely aware of the needs for improving beneficiation processes. Industry and universities are directing intensive technical effort to develop- ment of techniques with potential for using digital computers in automation and process analysis. The main problem of early attempts at on-line computer process control methods was that of economics. Now, with new advances in analysis and modeling making practical application economically important, it appears that minerals beneficiation is on the threshold of a significant jump in operating technology. In reviewing this work, particular note was taken of research and development applied to fundamental processes and the significant areas of effort where operations research techniques are used for process applications leading to the current state-of-the-art. Development of data automation and on-line control methods for process industries is deferred to the next section of this volume. This section deals with computer-facilitated mathematical-modeling development and reviews this work in conjunction with associated prior fundamental research leading to development of the methods. Flotation The 1960 state-of -the -art in flotation modeling was com- piled by Arbiter and Harris in the volume, 50th Anniversary of Froth Flotation, edited by Fuerstenau1. Many workers in the field of flotation initiated their research through flotation models, and this effort has led to use of simulation and operations re search methods employing computer techniques to facilitate advance of this work. The flotation model of Imaizumi and Inoue, published with supporting data in 1962, was expanded in 1968 with the objective of developing a basis for process automation.2,3 The fundamental work of Woodburn and Loveday in 1965 has led to techniques applicable to flotation circuit design optimization.4 This analysis is described in this volume by Woodburn in conjunction with King, Buchalter, and Piper. Niemi5,6 derived models for dynamics of a flotation circuit which were employed in developing a model describing

Jan 1, 1969

By Owen Thornton

Recently equations have been presented by Rose and Bruce' and by Rose², showing how the relative permeability of a reservoir rock may be determined from the capillary character of the rock. In particular, equations were developed to show the relationship between capillary pressure and the effective permeability to the wetting phase in a poly-phase flow system. The equations are as follows (nomenclature the same as in the Rose and Bruce paper) Rose and Bruce assume that the average length of path (L,), which the wetting fluid follows in flowing through a porous media is independent of the saturation to the wetting phase, so that 1 is a constant dependent only on the k rock, and the permeability to the wetting phase is a function of the saturation and of the capillnry pressure: In measuring the flow of ekctric current through partially saturated core samples, it has been observed that the electrical resistance usually is not a simple linear function of saturation. This fact indicates that the average length of path in the flow of electric current is not independent of saturation, but rather that the tortuosity of the path depends upon the average saturation to the conducting fluid as well as upon the characteristics of the rock. itself. Inasmuch as the flow of fluid and the flow of electric current in many respects are analogous, it may be indicated further that the length of path for fluid also may not be independent of saturation. The following relationship can be derived to express the resistance to flow of electric current through a core sample partially saturated with conductive wetting phase, the non-wetting phase being non-conductive: where L is the average length of path followed by the current in flowing through a length L of partially saturated core, where L is the length of current path when the core is fully saturated, and where Rs and R, are the specific resistivities of the partially saturated and saturated core sample, respectively. It will be noted that R., the specific resistivity of the core sample when S, = 1.0, is equal to the "formation resistivity factor"' multiplied by the specific resistivity of the saturating fluid. If it be assumed that the average lengths of path for fluid flow and for the flow of electric current are the same, then equation (5) may be combined with equations (l), (2) and (3) to give the following relationship: The above equation suggests including a correction for tortuosity when calculating the relative permeability of a reservoir rock to a wetting phase. The correction factor may be obtained from the resistivity-saturation relationship. For instance, the following calcu- lations are obtained for the unconsoli-dated sands described by Leverett Kw Kw Sw R°/Rs Pt/Pc¹ (Calc.) (Obs.) 0.30 0.08 0.88 0.02 0.0 0.40 0.16 0.94 0.06 0.04 0.50 0.27 0.97 0.14 0.11 0.60 0.40 0.98 0.26 0.21 0.70 0.53 0.98 0.39 0.35 0.80 0.68 0.99 0.57 0.54 0.90 0.84 0.99 0.77 0.76 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 It will be noted that the agreement between the calculated points and the observed data is rather good. Further investigation of the above method for obtaining relative permeabilities may be merited. For many sands within specified ranges of saturations the following relationship has been found to hold approximately': — =SW"......(7) Rs The exponent n in the above equation has been found to equal two for many sands so that equation (6) reduces to the following: The writer acknowledges the permission of The Texas Co. to submit this note for publication. 1. Walter Rose and W. A. Bruce—Jnl. of Pet. Tech., Vol. 1, No. 5, p. 127 (1949). 2. Walter Rose—Jnl. of Petr. Tech., Vol. 1, No. 5, p. 111 (1949). 3. G. E. Archie— -Trans. AIME, 146, 54 (1942). 4. M. C. Leverett— Trans. AIME, 142, 152 (1941). 5. M. C. Leverett—Trans. AIME, 132, 149 (1939).

Jan 1, 1949