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[†Aaronson, Alfred E., Oil Producer, Pres., Tuloma Oil Cc Tulsa, Okla. '18 ¦Abad, Leopoldo F., College of Min., Univ. of California Berkeley, Cal. '23 ¦Abadilla, Quirico A., Geol. Dept., Cia. Mexicans de Petroleo "EI Aguila," S. A., Edifico "El Aguila," Esq., Calles Aurora y Comercio, Tampico, Tamps., Mexico. '20 ¦Abbey, Robert Graham, Student, Case School of Applied Science Cleveland, 0. '21 Abbott, Clarence E., Gen'l Supt., Iron Mines Div., Tenn. Coal, Iron & R. R. Co., 1405 Minnesota Ave., Bessemer, Ala. '04] [ ]

Jan 1, 1925

By C. A. Stetefeldt

Jan 1, 1895

I-Institute of Metals Division* PAUL D MERICA, Chairman ZAY JEFFRIRS, Vice-chairman W M CORSE, Secretary Executive Committee T R FREEMAN JR, Local Section S SKOWRONSKI, Papers Committee R S ARCHER Non-ferrous Data Sheets H C JENNISON, Membership Committee C BAIN, Journal Committee L W SPRING Local Section Committee J R FREEMAN, JR, Chairman R J ANDERSON Cincinnati R L DOWDELL Minneapolis R S WILLIAMS, Boston H CLAMER, Philadelphia W A SCHEUCH, Chicago R F WOOD, New York Papers Committee S SKOWRONSKI, Chairman H S ARCHER-Aluminum W K FRANK-BRONZE F W HARRIS-Copper H BASSETT-BRASS G O HIERS-Lead Alloys M CORSE-White Nickel Base Alloys PAUL D MERICA-Nickel

Jan 1, 1923

THE Council of the Geological Society of America has named its gold medal after R. A. F. Penrose, Jr., who recognized the need of such an award and supplied the endowment. The medal is to be awarded for achievement in pure science and may be given to a worker of any race or nation. Mr. Penrose, whose own professional work has been mainly in applied geology, had previously established a medal fund for the Society of Economic Geologists. This was awarded to T. C. Chamberlin at the meet-ing of that Society at Cornell University in 1924. The new medal is to be given on the recommendation of the G. S. A. Council, but not necessarily every year.

Jan 4, 1927

University of Alabama-University, Alabama, Mining and Metallurgical Society, James W Stewart University of Alaska-College, Alaska, Mining Society of the University of Alaska, Jack R Hoskins University of Arizona-Tucson, Arizona, Miners Society, A E Gorum Birmingham-Southern College-Birmingham, Alabama, Pick and Hammer Club, Daniel D Arden University of British Columbia-Vancouver, British Columbia, G M Dawson Club, A Gunning University of California-Berkeley, California, Mineral Technology Association, Bernard York Carnegie Institute of Technology-Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The Metals Club, Gerhard Derge Case Institute of Technology-Cleveland, Ohio, Case Metallurgical Engineering Society, Robert F Hehemann City College of New York-New York, New York, CCNY Student Chapter AIME, Daniel T O'Connell

Jan 1, 1955

By L. J. Cabri

The calculation of metallurgical balances for precious metals is very dependent on a precise mineralogical understanding of the distribution of each element. Determination whether the precious metals occur as dilute solid solutions in major minerals is not always easy because of the relatively high levels of detection (9200-500 ppm) of the precious metals by the most common methods of in-situ analysis (e.g. electron microprobe). Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) analysis of sulfides from Izok Lake, N.W.T., Canada and from the Hilton mine, Mount Isa, Australia with a proton beam (proton microprobe) confirms solid solution of Ag in chalcopyrite from both deposits. In addition, chalcopyrite and sphalerite from Izok Lake both contain indium.

Jan 1, 1984

By H. B. Bell, P. C. Lidster

A study has been made of the use of ThO2-Y2O3 solid electrolytes to determine activity of chromium in Fe-Cr and Ni-Cr alloys in the temperature range 1300° to 1700°K. This method has been shown to give results which agree with the best vapor pressure measurements. SEVERAL investigations1"5 have been made of chromium activities in Fe-Cr alloys. Most of these have been made by vapor pressure measurements using knudsen cell techniques while one has been made using gas equilibration with H2/H2O gas mixtures. In the present investigation electromotive force measurements have been made on this system using a thoria yttria solid electrolyte. This system was -chosen to establish the technique of measurement at low oxygen potentials, before extending it to Fe-Ni-Cr alloys. The cell used was Pt Cr • Cr2O3 ilThO2 • Y2O3 llalloy • Cr2O3 IPt Since the oxygen pressure of the chromium-chromic oxide mixture lay in the range 10"19 to 1027 atm in the temperature range investigated, thoria yttria electrolytes were used. It was soon found during the investigation that considerable care was required to prepare satisfactory electrolytes and a study was made to find the best method of preparing pellets of TI1O2-Y2O3 solid solution of as near theoretical density as possible. Various compositions in the range 2 to 15 mole pct Y2O3 were studied but the experimental measurements were made with electrolytes containing 4 to 5 pct Y2O3. The method of preparation finally adopted was to use thorium oxalate and yttria as raw materials. The thorium oxalate was decomposed at 900°C for 6 hr to give a reactive powder. This powder was then mixed with the appropriate amount of yttria and ground in an agate mortar for about 4 hr. The powder was moistened with absolute alcohol as a lubricant and pressed in a metal die at a pressure of 7 tons per sq in. The pellets were then heated at 1100°C for 24 hr followed by 24 hr at 1250°C. After this firing cycle the material was reground and repelleted and again fired at 1100° and 1250°C followed by heating for 7 days at 1600°C. It was found in later experiments that a further firing of 4 hr at 2000°C improved the density further and gave pellets of only 2 pct porosity. After firing, the pellets were polished on emery paper and finally with the 2 µ diamond paste. The polishing was followed by a final firing of 24 hr at 1500°C. Investigation showed that this final treatment minimized reaction between the electrolytes and chromium oxide. It was believed that this was because of a lowering of the surface energy of the electrolyte surface. Two types of investigation were carried out to check that the pellets were satisfactory oxygen ion elec-

Jan 1, 1970

By F. H. Daniels

IN this, paper it is my intention to, call your attention to* a few of the many producers using blast, now, in common use in Sweden, and also those constructed by the Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company at their Quinsigamond Works. During a prolonged stay in Sweden the writer had an opportunity

Jan 1, 1881

By AIME AIME

WEST TEXAS, New Mexico and Northern Mexico form one of the most interesting regions in America for geologists and mining men and are full of points of historical and human interest for others. Including as the region does, a representative portion of the high plateau of Mexico, the front range of the Rocky Mountains and the great down-dropping plains of Texas, there is variety as well as interest in the geological and mining problems there to be studied. Gold and silver mining were the pioneer industries and are yet of high rank in importance. Among the papers to be presented at the El Paso meeting of the Institute this month will be two dealing with silver mining and ore treatment at the Shafter mine in Texas, that most un- usual property which has for so many years been the largest mining enterprise in its region. West Texas is now better known for its petroleum and gas, and in another paper will be described the problems involved in uding natural gas for smelting at the well-known El Paso smelter of the American Smelting and Refining Co. In still other papers, presented at the session sponsored by the West Texas Geological Society and cooperating organizations, the general geology of the region, the potash and the sulfur deposits will be de- scribed. At El Paso the refineries of the great com- panics will be available for visits.

Jan 1, 1930

By J. V. Gluck, Ping-Wang Chiang

The tellurium-rich region of the Sb-TI-Te ternary system was investigated by means of DTA, metallo-graphic, X-ray, and electron beam microprobe techniques on the sections Sb2Te3-T12Te3, SbTlTe2-Te, SbT1Te2-Sb2Te3, and SbTlTe2-T12Te3. The phase behavior of this region is summarized in terms of four ternary invariant reactions and a schematic reaction diagram is suggested. Isopleths for the sections SbT1Te2-Sb2Te3, Sb2Te,-T12Te3, and SbTlTe2-Te were constructed, and a schematic diagram of the projections of the liquidus lines and invariant planes is presented. No evidence was found to support the existence of the ternary compound "SbTlTe3", or pseudo-binary behavior of the section T12Te3-Sb2Te3, as reported by Borisova and Efremova. Electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity measurements were made at room temperature on fully annealed samples. 1 HE phase relationships in chalcogenides are often complex and difficult to resolve, particularly since the approach to equilibrium is a rather slow process. For example, the phase diagram of the T1-Te binary system was in doubt until clarified by Rabenau et al.,1 the phase fields at compositions near Bi2Te3 in the Bi-Te binary system have only recently been satisfactorily elucidated by Glatz,2 and there may still be some question as to the extent of the Sb2Te3 field in the Sb-Te system.3-5 In ternary systems, the existence of the compound "AgFeTe2" was the subject of a number of conflicting reports6-8 and the stoichiometry of the composition "AgSbTe2" was in doubt for a period of time.9 Recently, questions have arisen regarding the existence of certain compounds in the ternary systems Bi-Tl-Te10-14 and Sb-Tl-Te.15 The impetus for studies of these latter systems stemmed from the report of Borisova et a1.10 of a congruently melting ternary compound, "BiTlTe3", which apparently had extremely favorable thermoelectric properties for room-temperature cooling applications. Attempts by other investigators to produce the compound or confirm the transport properties proved to be unsuccessful.12-14 Recently, Chiang and Gluck14 reported studies of the phase relations in the tellurium-rich region of the Bi-T1-Te system which indicated that the section T12Te3-Bi2Te3 was not pseudobinary as suggested by Borisova et a1.10 The contention of Spitzer and sykes12 was supported that the composition "BiT1Te3" was multiphase, with the primary constituent actually being BiTlTe2, a compound whose existence has been well demonstrated.16,17 The investigation reported in the present paper was prompted by a later report of Borisova and Efremova15 on a similar study of the section T12Te3-Sb2Te3 from the Sb-T1-Te system. They also claimed this section to be pseudobinary, and that a ternary compound "SbTlTe," was formed peritectically. Some "preliminary" crystallographic data were given for the compound and thermoelectric transport properties were presented. In view of the questions concerning the behavior of the Bi-T1-Te system and the existence of the compound "BiT1Te3" it was suspected that the Sb-T1-Te system might behave in a similar fashion, particularly in light of the known existence of a compound SbT1Te2, iso-structural with BiT1Te2.17 Consequently, an investigation was undertaken to clarify the phase relationships in the tellurium-rich region of the Sb-T1-Te system. It is the purpose of this paper to present the results of this study, including a representation of the phase relations, isopleths for various composition sections, and the determination of some phase compositions and transport properties. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Commercially available high-purity (99.999+ pct) elements, purchased from the American Smelting and Refining Co., were used for the sample preparation. All samples were made from thoroughly mixed powders of previously prepared master alloys: SbTlTe2, Te, Sb2Te3, and T12Te3. Stoichiometric quantities of the constituents for each 10-g sample were weighed into a specially cleaned fused silica tube and sealed under a vacuum of better than 5 x 10-5 torr. The sealed constituents were fused and reacted at 650° to 750°C for at least 4 hr under continuous agitation in a "rocking" furnace, and the resulting product was air-cooled. The tube was opened and the sample was ground to a powder. A portion of the powder was rebottled in a DTA tube under vacuum, and the rest of the material was similarly resealed in a separate tube, re-fused in the rocking furnace, and again cooled to make the ingots for electrical and microstructural studies. All samples were subjected to further heat treatments as discussed in the section on experimental results. Each DTA tube was made of 7-mm-OD fused silica tubing with a concentric 2-mm-ID depression about 4 mm long formed in the bottom to accommodate a thermocouple. The size of a DTA sample was 0.5 to 1.0 g. An Aminco Thermoanalyzer whose accuracy was within 2°C18 was used for the DTA measurements. The metallographic samples were prepared by conventional techniques. A solution of FeCL dissolved in a methanol-HC1 mixture was found to be the most satisfactory etchant. Electron beam microprobe scanning and point-count examinations were made on polished and unetched samples using an ARL Electron Microprobe at an electron beam voltage of 20 kv. The detectors were set to receive characteristic La1 radiation. Calibration standards of the pure elements were incorporated in each sample mount; quantitative point counts were calibrated by a method similar to Ziebold

Jan 1, 1969

By R. M. Brick

EDUCATIONAL benefits for veterans of World War II have largely removed one of the two former barriers to a college education for everyone, namely financial means and intellectual capacity. This latter limita¬tion has not kept privately endowed institutions from increasing 50 to 100 percent in size of student body, even after applying moderately rigid entrance standards. Growth of some land-grant universities, which cannot well exercise such restrictive judgements, has been even greater. After a weary board of admissions, subject to student, alumni, faculty, and even political pressures, has admitted double the former number of freshmen, the university's worries really begin: to find laboratory, classroom, and instructional facilities. If this were a one- or two-year problem, the answer would be simple: double up, hold night classes, particularly of laboratories, rent space, and have instructors work 24 class or contact hours a week instead of twelve (it takes usually two to three hours of outside work by the instructor for one hour in class). However, most engineering school faculty men are worn out now from four to five years of "accelerated" (frequently downward!) programs and they couldn't continue teaching in a way satisfactory to their own consciences on

Jan 1, 1947

By R. C. Gifkins

R. C. Gifkins (CSIRO)—In this paper evidence is put forward to support the idea of grain boundary shearing in aluminum at 4.2°K and the phenomenon is explained in terms of a low-temperature "equicohesive temperature". It is stated that these findings show that grain boundary shear cannot be ruled out in any situation by temperature arguments alone. We believe, from our own recent study of "apparent grain boundary sliding'' at temperatures below 0.45 Tm, that it can be ruled out on temperature arguments alone.45 Our experiments were made principally with magnesium and a Ms-A1 alloy ("Magnox A12"). Careful examination of offsets of marker lines or steps at grain boundaries produced by deformation at room temperature (-0.3 Tm) showed many of these to result from curvature over narrow zones along the grain boundaries. A significant residuum did, however, appear as a sharp offset or step. It was found that the mean value of this step rose to a small value during the first 0.5 to 1 pct strain and then remained at this level with further strain. Moreover, exactly the same values were obtained (at the same stress) at 75°C instead of 21°C. That is, in this range of temperature the "apparent sliding" was not temperature-sensitive. At 125°C and above there was sliding which increased with strain and which was temperature-dependent. When this temperature-dependent sliding was used to calculate the sliding to be expected at room temperature, this underestimated the "apparent sliding" by a factor of 104. The conclusion drawn is that the "apparent sliding" consists of shear localized in a zone of a width measured perhaps in microns, whereas it seems that true sliding occurs on the boundary surface.46 A model for such localized shear has been developed in general terms, following a similar model of Urie and Wain.47 Other strong evidence for low-temper- ature sliding has been based on the offsets of marker lines consisting of a substructure seen using the electron microscope to resolve these.48 We have repeated this work and found that the effects can be accounted for in terms of cracks in an oxide film which is produced when the substructure is etched up; these cracks form over zones of shear rather than at actual interfaces. However, in aluminum at room temperature (-0.3 Tm) there is no "apparent sliding" which is optically detectable. We suggest that, when the temperature is much lower (and possibly the rate of strain higher, too), as in the experiments of Chin et al., then aluminum behaves like magnesium at room temperature, and a narrow zone of shear develops to accommodate differences in strain across the grain boundary. Such a zone could well give rise to triple-point cracks. It is hoped to investigate these suggestions further. B. Y. Chin, W. F. Hosford, Jr., and W. A. Backofen (authors' reply)—It is interesting to have Dr. Gif-kin's comments, although it is somewhat difficult to reply in detail without the reference containing the work that he describes. Apparently though, he does find a low-temperature temperature-independent sliding that would seem to be related to the observations reported here. Perhaps some of the difficulty has semantic origins, growing out of the distinction between ('true sliding" and "apparent sliding".

Jan 1, 1965

By W. L. Worrell

R. C. Gifkins (CSIRO)—In this paper evidence is put forward to support the idea of grain boundary shearing in aluminum at 4.2°K and the phenomenon is explained in terms of a low-temperature "equicohesive temperature". It is stated that these findings show that grain boundary shear cannot be ruled out in any situation by temperature arguments alone. We believe, from our own recent study of "apparent grain boundary sliding'' at temperatures below 0.45 Tm, that it can be ruled out on temperature arguments alone.45 Our experiments were made principally with magnesium and a Ms-A1 alloy ("Magnox A12"). Careful examination of offsets of marker lines or steps at grain boundaries produced by deformation at room temperature (-0.3 Tm) showed many of these to result from curvature over narrow zones along the grain boundaries. A significant residuum did, however, appear as a sharp offset or step. It was found that the mean value of this step rose to a small value during the first 0.5 to 1 pct strain and then remained at this level with further strain. Moreover, exactly the same values were obtained (at the same stress) at 75°C instead of 21°C. That is, in this range of temperature the "apparent sliding" was not temperature-sensitive. At 125°C and above there was sliding which increased with strain and which was temperature-dependent. When this temperature-dependent sliding was used to calculate the sliding to be expected at room temperature, this underestimated the "apparent sliding" by a factor of 104. The conclusion drawn is that the "apparent sliding" consists of shear localized in a zone of a width measured perhaps in microns, whereas it seems that true sliding occurs on the boundary surface.46 A model for such localized shear has been developed in general terms, following a similar model of Urie and Wain.47 Other strong evidence for low-temper- ature sliding has been based on the offsets of marker lines consisting of a substructure seen using the electron microscope to resolve these.48 We have repeated this work and found that the effects can be accounted for in terms of cracks in an oxide film which is produced when the substructure is etched up; these cracks form over zones of shear rather than at actual interfaces. However, in aluminum at room temperature (-0.3 Tm) there is no "apparent sliding" which is optically detectable. We suggest that, when the temperature is much lower (and possibly the rate of strain higher, too), as in the experiments of Chin et al., then aluminum behaves like magnesium at room temperature, and a narrow zone of shear develops to accommodate differences in strain across the grain boundary. Such a zone could well give rise to triple-point cracks. It is hoped to investigate these suggestions further. B. Y. Chin, W. F. Hosford, Jr., and W. A. Backofen (authors' reply)—It is interesting to have Dr. Gif-kin's comments, although it is somewhat difficult to reply in detail without the reference containing the work that he describes. Apparently though, he does find a low-temperature temperature-independent sliding that would seem to be related to the observations reported here. Perhaps some of the difficulty has semantic origins, growing out of the distinction between ('true sliding" and "apparent sliding".

Jan 1, 1965

By J. W. Powell, F. H. Spedding

A complete review of the use of chelating agents in the sepa ration of rare earths by ion-exchange is given as well as a concise description of the recent pilot-plant operations of the Ames Laboratory. The two chelating agents which show the greatest promise are ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid and N'-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediarnine-N,N,N '-triacetic acid. The first successful separations of rare earths by ion exchange were reported in a collection of papers which appeared in the November, 1947, issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.1'9 Some of this work was performed at the Ames Laboratory of the A.E.C., the remainder at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The processes developed at Oak Ridge, as well as some of the early Arnes methods, employed 5 pct citric acid-ammonium citrate eluant at low pH and were carried out on either H+-state or NH:-state resin beds. These techniques were successful for the separation of small quantities of either naturally occurring or radioactive rare earths and are still used for the isolation of rare-earth activities from fission products. Concentrated citrate is not economical, however, for use in moderate or large-scale rare-earth separations. For this reason, the Ames Laboratory turned its attention to lower concentrations and higher pH's in order to make more effective use of the eluting agent.10-14 Although elutions have been performed successfully over a wide range of conditions, 0.1 pct citrate at a pH of 8.0 is highly recommended for use on H+-state resin beds.15,16 Elu-tion with 0.1 pct citrate in the pH range from 5 to 9 brings about the separation of the constituent rare earths into a series of flat-topped elution bands which progress down the resin bed, head to tail, without actually pulling apart as do the rare-earth peaks which develop when trace quantities are eluted with 0.25M (5 pct) citrate at low pH's. Because of this, elution with 0.1 pct citrate at pH 8.0 do not produce pure rare earths unless sufficient quantities are present to provide developed bands which are at least several inches long on the columns. Although other eluting agents have proved more effective than citrate solutions, articles concerning the use of citric acid for separating rare earths still appear in the literature occasionally. For example, Ketelle and Boyd17 reported some further studies on the separation of rare earths with 5 pct citrate in 1951. They used 270 to 325 mesh Dowex-50 columns at 100°C and a pH of 3.28. vickery18 compared the effectiveness of a number of eluants for the separation of rare earths on NH+4 state Dowex-50 in 1952. He found that citric acid was more efficient than acetic, malic, tartaric, and aminoacetic acids. In 1953, Mayer and Freiling18 reported that citrate was inferior to malate, glycolate, lactate, and EDTA for the resolution of Sm-Eu and Y-Tb mixtures on 250 to 500 mesh, NH+4-state, Dowex-50 at 87°C. pinta20 used 5 pct citrate in the pH range 2.8 to 3.4 to obtain some rare earths for analytical work the same year. Trombe and Loriers21 reported the use of citric acid in their laboratory to separate rare earths in kilogram quantities. Lariers and Quesney22 reported some separations with citrate in 1954. They used 5 pct citrate at pH 2.8 to separate yttrium and the yttrium-group rare earths from the cerium-group rare earths. briers23 used 5 pct citrate at pH 3.2 and 90°C as late as 1956 to isolate thulium in fair purity. For the separation of tracer quantities of rare earths, Mayer and Freiling19 have recommended pH 5.00, 0.24M lactate at 87 °C on 250 to 500 mesh, NH+4-form Dowex-50. Freiling and Bunney24 have also employed lactic acid for the separation of fission-product rare earths. Cunninghame, Size-land, Willis, Eakins, and Mercer25 have reported a 4-hr separation of Y, Eu, Sm, Pm, Nd, and Pr with 1M lactic acid at pH 3.25 on Zeokarb-225 at 87°C. Stewart, et al.,26 reported separation factors for rare earths distributing between Dowex-50 and 0.25M glycolic acid. stewart27 also reported a 30-61 separation of Y, Tm, Er, Tb, and Lu tracers with buffered, 0.25M glycolic acid containing 0.05 pct Aerosol OT. The resin bed was 400-mesh Dowex-50 (X12). The pH of the ammonia-buffered eluant was 3.5. Various aminopolyacetic acids have also been used to obtain varying degrees of separation of the rare earths. In 1951, Fitch and Russell28 investigated iminodiacetic acid (IDA) and nitrilotriacetic

Jan 1, 1960

By W. O. Philbrook, K. M. Goldman, G. Derge

EQUILIBRIUM conditions for steelmaking reactions have been studied extensively over the past two decades by a .number of investigators, with gratifying results. Equilibrium data are essential to the understanding of any process, and such knowledge has the practical utility of placing a limit beyond which control measures cannot succeed. When, however, the driving rate of an industrial process is so fast that there is not time for reactions to reach equilibrium, it then becomes necessary that the factors which control the rates of reaction be known in order to establish full control of the process. The desulphurization of molten pig iron by slags within the iron blast furnace is one such process in which the actual degree of sulphur absorption by the slag does not approach the equilibrium distribution obtained for similar slag-metal systems in the laboratory.' A study of the rate-controlling factors governing the desulphurization of iron by slags is becoming increasingly important as the sulphur content of raw materials increases with depletion of higher grade ores and coal. Following up an initial study on kinetics,' this paper reports some results of a continuing laboratory investigation on the mechanism of sulphur transfer between molten iron saturated with carbon and slags of the CaO-SiO,-A12O3 system. Laboratory experiments cannot reproduce in detail the conditions which prevail in the hearth of a blast furnace, but they will contribute to an understanding of the smelting reactions and perhaps will explain some apparent inconsistencies in the factors controlling the equilibrium distribution of sulphur between iron and slags under reducing compared with oxidizing conditions. The mechanism of a reaction—that is, the individual steps and the sequence in which they occur to produce the overall reaction which is ordinarily observed—must be elucidated to learn which steps are the slow ones, or "bottlenecks," that fix the pace of the process as a whole. In the desulphurization reaction, for example, the overall rate might, in principle, depend upon the rate of diffusion of sulphur in the metal or in the slag, upon the speed of some homogeneous reaction taking place entirely within one of the phases, or upon some heterogeneous reaction taking place across the slag-metal interface. Even some side reaction or the back reaction might have some influence. Evidence on all of these points will be presented in this paper. The rate of diffusion of sulphur in both iron and slag is so slow that it seems necessary to assume that convection provides the mechanism of carrying

Jan 1, 1951

By E. A. Moulder

The mining industry is continually faced with problems involving dewatering, pollution, water supply, leaching and hydrochemical mining and prospecting. Greater application of the principles of ground-water hydrology to solution of these problems promises improved operating efficiency, increased safety and better public relations. Estimating the magnitude of dewatering for a proposed mine may be a major factor in determining the feasibility of proceeding with mine development. Diverting the source of ground water to an abandoned mine may save costly treatment of acid-mine drainage. Development of a large ground-water supply near an ore deposit may enhance the possibilities of a leaching operation. Detection of certain dissolved minerals in water from springs or wells may lead to hitherto unknown mineral deposits. Current efforts of industry, educational institutions and government are making these kind of events more commonplace. Dewatering of Mines The magnitude of dewatering problems was dramatized by a flooding that occurred last year in a gold mine in South Africa. During drilling operations at the West Driefortein mine, a major fracture was encountered from which large volumes of water issued necessitating evacuation of 1350 men from the mine. Dewatering required an increase in pumping of more than 80 million gpd. Models of ground-water systems are being used to test alternate plans for dewatering mines. Using the models in conjunction with computer optimization programs may lead to minimizing costs of operation. In addition to computer simulation of aquifers associated with phosphate deposits in North Carolina mentioned in last year's report, two USGS employees developed a model to estimate the amount of pumping required to dewater a mine site in Colorado.

Jan 1, 1970

By Kenneth K. Humphreys, Joseph W. Leonard, Robert L. Llewellyn, William C. McCulloch

INTRODUCTION The particular field of application of machines utilizing air currents as the primary separating medium is in the cleaning of the fine sizes of bituminous coal. Approximately 25,400,000 tons of bituminous coal were cleaned by air machines during 1965. They have not found any application for cleaning anthracite. Since the development and introduction of the first successful commercial pneumatic oscillating machine for cleaning bituminous coal in 19 16, by the Sutton, Steele and Steele Co, Dallas, Texas, and the American Coal Cleaning Corporation, formerly of Welch, W. Va., seven other successful pneumatic coal-cleaning machines have been developed and introduced to the American coal-mining industry: 1. Peale Davis: "Pneumo-Gravity" machine. 2. Arms "Concentrator," oscillating table. 3. Hey1 and Patterson oscillating table. 4. "Stump Air-Flow," pulsating air jig. 5. "Super Airflow," pulsating air jig. 6. Ridge air jig. 7. Phillip air jig. While not all coals can be beneficiated by air washing, the air washing of coals that are easy to clean can be readily proved advantageous. Of all the preparation methods, pneumatic cleaning is the most acceptable from the standpoint of delivered Btu cost. This is based on the premise that a percent of moisture is just as detrimental as a percent of ash. The principle of dry concentration has never been determined with scientific accuracy. To the present time the study has been more of an art than a science. It is possible to forecast the results of wet concentration from a study of the washability characteristics of the raw coal but only after applying rule-of-thumb methods of interpretation to the specific gravity and size distribution can it be ascertained that the raw coal is amenable to dry concentration. Air as a separating medium dates back to biblical times as exemplified in the winnowing of chaff from the grain. However, the same application of air to coal serves merely to blow the dust away and size the remaining particles. Pulsating air was the solution to the problem and largely eliminated the necessity for close screen sizing which was required on early separators. Because of the low density of air, a medium of sufficient density has to be built with the material itself. Hence there must be some device to impart to the bed the necessary mobility for proper classification. Also, the

Jan 1, 1968

By F. Robertson Jones

IF the tendency toward extending the scope of the workmen's compensation system to include life, health, accident, old age, and unemployment insurance for workers is not promptly altered, I believe there will be a complete breakdown of that system. This is not because of any objections, there may he to requiring industries to provide these additional forms of protection in whole or in part to their employees. It is rather because our workmen's compensation laws, their scale of benefits, and the administrative procedure under them are not adapted or suited to such situations. If the compensation principle is limited to its own proper sphere and is not enlarged so as to include all the ills that the flesh is heir to, it is practical, "workable, and beneficent. If it invades foreign realms, it is bound to grow into a veritable Frankenstein' which will harm principally those it 'is supposed to aid, and, at the same time, will promote waste, fraud, and Industrial demoralization. Compensation risks will become almost uninsurable; the cost to business will be intolerable; and the development of sound relief measures which will give to labor the protection now sought by the uneconomic device of enlarging the compensation law territory will be retarded.

Jan 1, 1934

By Jan Visman, S. J. Aresco

INTRODUCTION The accurate sampling of coal, as with most minerals, is a difficult task. Coal is a heterogeneous material made up of different types of coal and varying amounts of mineral matter. The product as mined may contain all the layers of coal and impurities found in the seam as well as portions of the stratas above and below the coal seam. The preparation plant is the device to size, crush, and/or remove impurities so the coal may be shipped as a salable product. Sampling may be needed at many stages in the preparation process. Although this chapter is primarily concerned with sampling in connection with preparation processes, the principles apply to all coal sampling. The main reasons for sampling in connection with coal preparation are: 1) To determine the washability characteristics of the raw coal by means of float and sink tests. These may be used for the design of a preparation plant, prediction of results to be obtained, or monitoring raw coal delivered to the plant. 2) To check the performance of various operating units in the plant, either by float. and sink tests or chemical analyses. 3) To determine the analytical characteristics of the products produced, such as moisture, ash, Btu, sulfur, etc. HISTORY The earliest accepted methods of sampling coal in the United States were given in US Bureau of Mines (USBM) publications by J. A. Holmes,l G. S. Pope,2 and A. C. Fieldner.3 The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) more or less adopted the methods proposed by USBM in their Standard D-21-1916 and it remained a standard for many years. Briefly, this standard called for a 500 lb (227 kg) sample for coals less than 94 in. (19 mm) in size and a 1000 lb (454 kg) sample for all coals over 94 in. (19 mm) in size. No mention was made of increments, but there was an instruction that the sample should spread over the coal

Jan 1, 1979

By Ogden Tweto

The classes of ore deposits in the mountain province of Colorado that have been the most productive in the past and that offer the greatest promise for the future are: (1) disseminated or stockwork molybdenum deposits associated with Tertiary stocks; (2) combination precious- and base-metal veins in Tertiary volcanic rocks; and (3) base-metal replacement deposits and veins in Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. Veins in Precambrian rocks, including precious metal-bearing sulfide veins, gold-silver telluride veins, and tungsten veins, have been mined extensively in the past, but their aggregate output has been far subordinate to that of the groups named above, and the outlook for major output from them in the future is poor. Principal ore deposits of south-central Wyoming are sedimentary iron ores of Precambrian age and uranium deposits in Tertiary sedimentary rocks. Precambrian deposits of several kinds are scattered through the mountains of both states. The most promising of these, based on present indications, are vanadiferous titaniferous magnetite in southern Wyoming and southwestern Colorado and thorium-niobium rare-earth deposits associated with alkalic intrusive complexes in Colorado. Most of the mining districts of Colorado are in the Colorado mineral belt, a generally narrow but somewhat irregular belt that extends northeastward across the north-trending mountain ranges and the north-northwest trending geologic grain of the state. The belt is characterized by intrusive rocks of Laramide and younger age and by ore deposits, and it occupies environments ranging from Precambrian crystalline rocks through Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks to Tertiary volcanic rocks. Two ages of intrusion and ore deposition recently have been recognized in the mineral belt. One is Laramide (late Cretaceous and early Tertiary), and the other is Oligocene. As interpreted herein, the major replacement deposits and most of the sulfide vein deposits in Precambrian and sedimentary rocks are Laramide in age, and the molybdenum deposits, the tungsten and the gold telluride veins in Precambrian rocks, and the precious- and base-metal veins in volcanic rocks are Oligocene in age. In general, the Laramide deposits are mesothermal in aspect, and the Oligocene deposits are principally epithermal. The existence of two mineralization stages, in considerable part characterized by different suites of metals, has many applications in exploration.

Jan 1, 1968