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By Herbert Clark Hoover, Lou Henry Hoover

QUESTIONS as to the methods of smelting ores and of obtaining metals I discussed in Book IX. Following this, I should explain in what manner the precious metals are parted from the base metals, or on the other hand the base metals from the precious'. Frequently two metals, occasionally more than two, are melted out of one ore, because in nature generally there is some amount of gold in silver and in copper, and some silver in gold, copper, lead, and iron ; likewise some copper in gold, silver, lead, id iron, and some lead in silver ; and lastly, some iron in copper2. But I will begin with gold. Gold is parted from silver, or likewise the latter from the former, whether it be mixed by nature or by art, by means of aqua valens3, and by powders which consist of almost the same things as this aqua. In order to preserve the sequence, I will first speak of the ingredients of which this aqua is made, then of the method of making it, then of the manner in which gold is parted from silver or silver from gold. Almost all these ingredients contain vitriol or alum, which, by themselves, but much more when joined with saltpetre, are powerful to part silver from gold. As to the other things that are added to them, they cannot individually by their own strength and nature separate those metals, but joined they are very powerful. Since there are many combinations, I will set out a few. In the first, the use of which is common and general, there is one libra of vitriol and as much salt, added to a third of a libra of spring water. The second contains two librae of vitriol, one of salt-petre, and as much spring or river water by weight as will pass away whilst the vitriol is being reduced to powder by the fire. The third consists of four librae of vitriol, two and a half librae of saltpetre, half a libra of alum, and one and a half librae of spring water. The fourth consists of two librae of vitriol, as many librae of saltpetre, one quarter of a libra of alum, and three-quarters of a Mbra of spring water. The fifth is composed of one libra of saltpetre,

Jan 1, 1950

By W. T. Turrall, M. J. Cook

A discussion of modern developments in beneficiation of fine sizes of anthracite, this paper includes a description of the plant flowsheet, an analysis of operating results, and a summary of fundamentals of mineral separation relative to plant operation.

Jan 9, 1953

By William A. West

One manifestation of anelastic properties in solids is the mechanical elastic aftereffect, which may be described briefly as follows: If a stress is applied to a solid body, a deformation or strain is produced. On removal of the stress, this deformation disappears, at least in part. As a first approximation, this appearance or disappearance of deformation usually has been considered instantaneous. Actually, however, for a very wide variety of substances, on application of stress the instantaneous deformation is followed by a further slow yielding, which continues, although at a rapidly diminishing rate, for as long as the stress is applied. Similarly, on removal of the stress, the instantaneous recovery from deformation is followed by a further slow recovery, which continues, although at a rapidly diminishing rate, often for a long time. This latter phenomenon has been called the "elastic after-effect." Experiments upon the elastic after-effect in metals, when properly designed and when properly interpreted, are capable of giving quite precise information regarding the relation between stress and strain in the various constituent parts of the metal. For example, if certain parts of the metal, such as grain boundaries or slip bands, behave in a viscous manner—that is, if therein—the relaxation spectrum will contain lines or bands associated with the relaxation of shear stress within these parts. No attempts have heretofore been made to utilize elastic after-effects for obtaining such detailed information. The purpose of the present paper is to explore the possibilities of properly designed and interpreted experiments on the elastic aftereffect in metals. Since new procedures and principles are employed in this study, an attempt has been made to record each step taken. Elastic after-effect observations are susceptible of simple interpretation only when the stress level employed is so low that all effects are linear with the stress. Just how low the stress level must be can he determined only by experiment. An advnntage, other than simple interpretation, is associated with low stress levels. When all effects are linear, derived quantities, such as the relaxation spectrum, are independent of the stress distribution. It is, furthermore, possible to employ the type of deformation that is most convenient from the experimental standpoint; for example torsion. It appears that in experiments involving both loading and unloading the following would be observed: I. Instantaneous deformation, recoverable instantaneously in whole, or in part. 2. Delayed deformation, recoverable slowly in whole, in part, or not at all. 3. Permanent deformation, the difference between total deformation and total recovery. In the work here described, unloading experiments only were made. Wires were

Jan 1, 1947

By William A. West

One manifestation of anelastic properties in solids is the mechanical elastic aftereffect, which may be described briefly as follows: If a stress is applied to a solid body, a deformation or strain is produced. On removal of the stress, this deformation disappears, at least in part. As a first approximation, this appearance or disappearance of deformation usually has been considered instantaneous. Actually, however, for a very wide variety of substances, on application of stress the instantaneous deformation is followed by a further slow yielding, which continues, although at a rapidly diminishing rate, for as long as the stress is applied. Similarly, on removal of the stress, the instantaneous recovery from deformation is followed by a further slow recovery, which continues, although at a rapidly diminishing rate, often for a long time. This latter phenomenon has been called the "elastic after-effect." Experiments upon the elastic after-effect in metals, when properly designed and when properly interpreted, are capable of giving quite precise information regarding the relation between stress and strain in the various constituent parts of the metal. For example, if certain parts of the metal, such as grain boundaries or slip bands, behave in a viscous manner—that is, if therein—the relaxation spectrum will contain lines or bands associated with the relaxation of shear stress within these parts. No attempts have heretofore been made to utilize elastic after-effects for obtaining such detailed information. The purpose of the present paper is to explore the possibilities of properly designed and interpreted experiments on the elastic aftereffect in metals. Since new procedures and principles are employed in this study, an attempt has been made to record each step taken. Elastic after-effect observations are susceptible of simple interpretation only when the stress level employed is so low that all effects are linear with the stress. Just how low the stress level must be can he determined only by experiment. An advnntage, other than simple interpretation, is associated with low stress levels. When all effects are linear, derived quantities, such as the relaxation spectrum, are independent of the stress distribution. It is, furthermore, possible to employ the type of deformation that is most convenient from the experimental standpoint; for example torsion. It appears that in experiments involving both loading and unloading the following would be observed: I. Instantaneous deformation, recoverable instantaneously in whole, or in part. 2. Delayed deformation, recoverable slowly in whole, in part, or not at all. 3. Permanent deformation, the difference between total deformation and total recovery. In the work here described, unloading experiments only were made. Wires were

Jan 1, 1947

By Arthur Taggart

FLOTATION of ores is a practical utilization of the energy that resides in the surfaces of solids and liquids. The best known manifestation of this energy is called surface tension; an equally important, though less apparent, phenomenon is adsorption. This paper reviews some of the recent investigations of these phenomena, and gives the results of certain experiments performed by the authors. Surface tension is a manifestation of energy having its seat at the bounding surface between the adjacent phases of a multiphase system. Thus, at the interface between a liquid and a gas, or between two immiscible liquids, or between a solid and a gas or a liquid, there are forces capable of doing work, their magnitude depending on the nature of the adjacent phases and the extent of the bounding area. These surface forces are inappreciable when the ratio of surface to volume of the adjacent phases is small, but they become powerful when this ratio becomes large, as it does when one of the phases is highly dispersed. Froth flotation, which consists in buoying solids heavier than water to the surface of water by means of gas bubbles, utilizes the force of surface tension to attach the solid particles to the gas bubbles and again to maintain the floating mass of bubbles as a more or less persistent froth at the surface of a pulp for a sufficiently long time to allow its removal. It follows from the second law of thermodynamics that the potential energy of a system in equilibrium is a minimum. Therefore a multiphase system, tending toward equilibrium, will arrange itself in such a way that the total energy of the interfaces will be the least possible. This end can be accomplished in two ways: by a change in shape that will reduce the interfacial area; by a change in the nature of the surface layer in

Jan 8, 1922

By R. S. Handy

The No. 2 unit of the West Mill of the Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining & Concentrating Co., which went into commission Apr. 17, 1912, is structurally a twin of the No. 1 unit, which was started Nov. 9, 1909. Up to the point where the ore enters the concentrating-de-partment, it follows precisely the process described by G. Cae-tani in his article entitled, Milling of Lead-Silver Ores,' under the heading, Preparation of the Mill-Ore. The process from this point forward, in the No. 2 section, is outlined on the accompanying flow-sheet. In describing it I shall attempt to analyze the products of each separate process. The constancy of the tonnage and the uniformity of the quality of the feed render this practicable. No. 1.—550 tons of feed, all having passed 30 mm., is washed into two 15-mm. trommels, 4 ft, in diameter, 60 in. long, 17 rev. per min., 1 in. slope, 3/8-in. gauge steel.

Jan 1, 1913

By J. T. Norton

As cold working is an important feature in a great many of the fabricating processes now applied, this paper presents some ideas of the nature and results of the plastic deformation produced in this operation. The art of manufacturing metal for practical uses is very old and has undergone very great development. The science of metals has also developed very rapidly recently and the various processes to which ,metals are submitted are much better understood now than they were even a short time ago. All the knowledge that can be obtained on this subject is useful because it promotes efficiency in converting metal into finished articles. ATOMIC ARRANGEMENT IN CRYSTALS In the solid state all metals are crystalline. The atoms are arranged in, a definite symmetrical configuration, which is repeated at regular intervals, and thereby defines what we may term a lattice. Presumably . the atoms exist as positive ions. The dissociated electrons place themselves between groups of positive ions, and thus define a second lattice, an "electron lattice." From such a point of view, the crystalline forces which hold a metal together are the electrostatic attractions between positive ions and negative electrons. The particular type of lattice into which a metal crystallizes depends on the number of these lattice electrons given up by each atom, and is thus connected very closely with the chemical valence of the metal.

Jan 12, 1926

By Manuel Eissler

The material presented in this paper is an abstract of a thesis submitted by the writer to the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as part requirement for the degree of Master of Science. The investigation was undertaken at the suggestion of Prof. H. 0. Hofman, and it was conducted, under his direction, in the laboratories of the Mining Department of the Institute. The purpose of the work was, first, to study some of the reactions that have been considered as a part of the mechanism of the chloridiz-ing roast, and second, to study the conditions under which nickel oxide and copper oxide may be chloridized. While the production of chlorine gas by various reactions during the chloridizing roast may not be primarily useful in the chloridation of metal oxides and compounds, it nevertheless serves a useful purpose in preventing the dissociation and decomposition of chlorides once they have been formed; for example, the dissociation of cupric chloride into cuprous chloride and chlorine. Therefore it was thought that a study of some chlorine-producing reactions would prove of interest, and the first series of experiments dealt with this phase of the subject. he object of the latter part of the work was to show the possibility of treating heavy sulphide ores, such as those of Sudbury, Ontario, containing much iron and small amounts of copper and nickel, by chloridizing and removing the copper, leaving an iron-nickel oxide product suitable for smelting in the blast furnace for nickel-bearing pig iron. The chloridizing of the copper would, of course, be preceded by a roast for the removal of sulphur, the sulphur oxides being available for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, if under the local conditions this product would be of commercial value. Reactions of the Chloridizing Roast Reaction of Sodium Chloride, Sulphur Trioxide, and Oxygen.—The first reaction studied was that involving the production of chlorine

Jan 1, 1915

By Nelson Severinghaus

Consolidated Quarries Corp. must conduct operations for an average sales price of $1.25 per ton, about the same price at which stone was sold 25 years ago when the dollar was worth twice what it is now. To maintain success in a competitive business, the company must solve the usual production problems, which will be discussed here in the order they occur in the flowsheet. Most crushed stone quarries must first remove soil and decomposed rock. Although seasons of lower sales sometimes release regular quarry excavating and haulage equipment for this purpose, overburden is often too extensive for this method to be used. In such cases, special equipment must be assigned or the job may be contracted. As many earthmoving contractors have heavy duty specialized equipment well suited to overburden removal, they should be seriously considered before the job is undertaken. Pockets of clay beneath peaks of hard stone sometimes defy mechanized removal. Pick and shovel laborers at this point might be supplanted by more ingenious use of pumps and water or some other mechanical means. Where overburden is extremely heavy or difficult to remove, underground mining must be considered.

Mar 1, 1956

By Geo. H. Eldridge

This sketch of the Florence oil-field, presented to the Institute by permission of the Director of the U. S. Geological Survey, is accompanied with a map, Fig. 1, the topography of which has been taken from a field-manuscript of the Survey. The scale of the map and

Jan 1, 1892

By W. P. Lass

The purpose of this article is not only to describe the plant and method of cyaniding the Treadwell concentrates, but to present some of the results of the experimental work obtained in the past three years for the Alaska-Treadwell Qold Mining Co., at Douglas Island, Alaska, under the direction of F. W. Bradley, Consulting Engineer, and Robert A. Kinzie, General Superintendent, of the affiliated companies. At the time the experimental work was undertaken the concentrates were being shipped to the smeltery at Tacoma, Wash., and the cost for treatment of 3-oz. (gold) concentrates was $11.95 per ton, divided as follows : Smelting-charges,......... $4.00 Loading, freight, insurance, etc., . 2.89 Interest due to time loat in transit and in settlement,... 0.05 Loss due to settlement for 95 per cent. of the gold at $20 per ounce, 6.01 Total,...$11.95 From the experimental work described later, it was estimated that 96 per cent. extraction could be made by treatment on the ground, and that the cost, when treating 80 tons per day, would be $3.25 per ton, divided as follows : Per Day. Per Ton. Labor,. $86.16 $@.827 Chemicals,.76.60 0.960 Power and steam-heat,... 67.60 0.845 Marketing-, refining- and other charges, . 49.36 0.617 Totals,.. $2.59.72 $3.250 Adding to this total the 4 per cent. treatment-loss, which on 3-02. concentrates amounts to $2.48, gives a total cost of $5.13 per ton. Comparing this with $11.95, the cost when shipping to the smelter, leaves a net gain of $6.22 per ton by the local

Jan 1, 1912

By Zay Jeffries

A. G. WORTHING, Nela Park, Cleveland, Ohio (communication to the Secretary*).-The paper by Mr. Jeffries is very interesting. He is to be commended for his pioneer work in the study of equilibrium systems at the very high temperatures which one obtains with tungsten and molybdenum. There is one statement, however, to which I must take exception. On page 1227, a statement is made which would seem to indicate that the Nela Research Laboratory joined Dr. Langmuir in the recommendation of 3,300°C. as the most probable melting point of tungsten. This is not the case. In. the paper referred to by Mr. Jeffries, I have given 3,630°K. or 3,357°C. as the melting-point temperature for tungsten. Confirming observations by other workers in our laboratory justify the belief that this latter value is correct to within a small part of the discrepancy between the two values quoted.

Jan 12, 1916

F. G. SMITH.-Probably someone will ask whether I discovered why the bottoms of the large shells broke out. I did not, as a result of this investigation. An experiment was made along the lines indicated in this paper, to determine whether abnormal grains greatly affected the physical properties of brass. Two ordinary test bars were annealed for 1/2 hr. at 750° C. and physical properties determined on one. The other was covered with indentations made with a peen hammer and then reannealed. for 5 hr. at 750° C. It was found in the tensile test to be made up of large grains 1/4 to 1/2 in. in diameter. The physical properties, however, differed from those of the first bar only as much as might be expected after a 5 hr. anneal under normal conditions. It appears then that the large grains produced in this manner do not ruin the physical qualities of the brass.

Jan 12, 1919

By F. Rosenblum, P. Spira, F. Kitzinger

The possibility of increasing the efficiency of mineral processing plants by means of computer control has prompted metallurgists to examine their flowsheets more critically in order to develop practical control strategies. Control schemes in use to date generally rely on the automation of traditional and previously manually regulated control loops, e.g., the addition of reagents to maintain a constant assay or a constant pH. This approach is predicated on the availability of well established primary sensors such as pH electrodes or on-stream analyzers. Noranda Research Center, in cooperation with Noranda Group concentrators, has developed a froth level monitor and a pulp density meter adaptable to this type of control. Although some of the basic principles on which they are based have been known for some time, their incorporation into the design of reliable, direct-reading instruments which can be interfaced with a computer is believed to be novel.

Jan 1, 1980

By Walter Crafts

ALTHOUGH many elements reduce the tendency to porosity in steel castings, manganese, silicon, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium appear to be most generally suitable for the purpose. The manganese and silicon contents are usually maintained in a fairly constant range. Sili-con-killed castings often are made to be sound with little or no addition of the stronger degasifiers. In many cases, however, it is more practical to utilize the stronger degasifying elements, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium. Since they greatly modify the composition, shape, and distribution of the nonmetallic inclusions, and thereby the ductility, the strong deoxidizers must be used in such a way as to form the least harmful types of inclusions. As the reasons for failure always to obtain good results have not been obvious, an effort has been made to determine the mechanism of solidification of steels deoxidized to produce certain types of inclusions. Diagrams representing the mechanism of their formation have been constructed from the appearance of the nonmetallic con-stituents and have not only illustrated the limiting features of specific deoxidizing treatments with respect to inclusion formation and ductility, but have also indicated a relation between inclusions and resistance to hot tearing. Three different types of deoxidation treatment have been used for obtaining sound castings with relatively high ductility. The first method is to make and cast the steel under such conditions that deoxidation with silicon and a small addition of a strong deoxidizer assures soundness. The effective addition that will promote soundness without causing the formation of intergranular inclusions varies with the furnace practice and composition, but may be limited to about 0.025 per cent Al, Zr or Ti. Up to 0.10 per cent Ca and 0.15 per cent V are also used for this purpose. The inclusions in these steels are characteristically glassy silicates and round or irregular sulphides. As pointed out by Sims and Lillieqvist,1

Jan 1, 1940

By Walter C. Holmes

IN the recently published book entitled "Man in a Chemical World," by A. Cressy Morrison, the several pages discussing explosives were included in the chapter on "Serving Industry." Such a classification is entirely correct, as blasting explosives function only as a tool for accomplishing certain useful work, a tool which is completely destroyed in one use. Explosives are so important to industry and to modern society, in fact, that it seems impossible to imagine the existence of civilized nations without access to commercial explosives as ready servants. Two main types of explosives are now in use, the low-velocity or deflagrating type, such as black powder, which is adapted for use in coal mining and other applications where a slow, heaving effect is desired, and high explosives of the dynamite type,

Jan 1, 1938

By C. L. Bulow

In this discussion of stress-corrosion cracking of widely used copper-base alloys, no attempt has been made to prepare an extensive review or bibliography since this has been quite ably covered by other investigators. An excellent bibliography was published by H. P. croft(1)2 in connection with his studies of stress-corrosion cracking in mercurous nitrate solutions and his analyses of the magnitude and distribution of stresses in brass parts. We are reporting on a few of the results which have been obtained to date in connection with an ammonia vapor test and an alternate immersion test. These are accelerated corrosion tests for determining the susceptibility of materials to failure from season or stress-corrosion cracking due to the presence of moist ammonia and oxygen so prevalent in nature. Our experiences with the ammonia test seem to indicate that it is a more searching test, than the mercurous nitrate test.

Jan 1, 1945

A preceding paragraph treats of the irregular manner in which ore deposits occur and the complex factors that control their distribution; the occurrence of metals in oreshoots in individual deposits is equally irregular, and the factors that control such segregation are equally complex. While the dimensions of oreshoots in individual deposits may not be foretold with any degree of accuracy, the occurrence of ore in shoots is not accidental, but is controlled by laws some of which are understood. Any one familiar with permutations and combinations who stops to consider the variety of factors that control ore deposition, and their varying relative importance, will admit that the science of economic geology must advance greatly before the occurrence of oreshoots may be predicted accurately in advance of exploration. The segregation of minerals in any oreshoot must be referred to some condition, or combination of conditions, local to the oreshoot as compared with the remainder of the deposit of low- grade or barren minerals. Among the localizing factors that have been recognized are, in filled fissures, the amount and distribution of open spaces available for ore deposition, and in replacement deposits, the degree of brecciation giving access to the replacing solutions; the intersection of veins with other veins, dikes, sheeted zones, or porous strata; the impounding of solutions by impervious strata; and the differing precipitative influences of enclosing rocks. A large proportion of important and well- defined oreshoots, especially in deposits of deep-seated origin, are not assignable to any of these factors. While a knowledge of the character of oreshoots in general is important, a knowledge of the behavior of the known oreshoots

Jan 1, 1932

By F. S. Jr. Norcross

MANGANESE has long been considered one of the United States' most important strategic raw materials. Its indispensabil-ity in steel manufacture makes it vital to the nation's industrial life. Coupled with this indispensability is the fact that domes-tic producers have not been able as yet to supply more than a small part of the nation's manganese needs; consequently the United States has had to depend upon such distant foreign sources as the U.S.S.R., British India, the African Gold Coast and Brazil for the major portion of its ore. The great bulk of the mineral is con-sumed in the form of ferromanganese, an alloy that averages 8o per cent manganese and 20 per cent mainly iron and carbon. Manganese is used as a deoxidizer and desulphurizer in steel manufacture. By combination with the residual oxygen and sulphur of the bath, it helps to produce a clean, sound metal. Approximately 14 lb. of manganese, it is estimated, is used in making one ton of steel. For standard-grade ferromanganese, the ore should have a minimum of about 48 per cent Mn and preferably more. Beneficiation methods have not yet been developed for making the immense low-grade deposits in the United States salable at prevail-ing prices.

Jan 1, 1940

By F. S. Jr. Norcross

MANGANESE has long been considered one of the United States' most important strategic raw materials. Its indispensabil-ity in steel manufacture makes it vital to the nation's industrial life. Coupled with this indispensability is the fact that domes-tic producers have not been able as yet to supply more than a small part of the nation's manganese needs; consequently the United States has had to depend upon such distant foreign sources as the U.S.S.R., British India, the African Gold Coast and Brazil for the major portion of its ore. The great bulk of the mineral is con-sumed in the form of ferromanganese, an alloy that averages 8o per cent manganese and 20 per cent mainly iron and carbon. Manganese is used as a deoxidizer and desulphurizer in steel manufacture. By combination with the residual oxygen and sulphur of the bath, it helps to produce a clean, sound metal. Approximately 14 lb. of manganese, it is estimated, is used in making one ton of steel. For standard-grade ferromanganese, the ore should have a minimum of about 48 per cent Mn and preferably more. Beneficiation methods have not yet been developed for making the immense low-grade deposits in the United States salable at prevail-ing prices.

Jan 1, 1940