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By A. W. Hudson, G. D. Van Ardsdale

Heap leaching, as practiced at Rio Tinto, Spain, while one of the oldest, and probably one of the cheapest, methods of extracting copper from its ores, has not had, until recently, other than experimental application in this country. This has been due partly to a mistaken idea that the Rio Tinto ores possess some obscure and mysterious quality that renders them alone suitable to the process, partly to the fact that tests properly made meant the expenditure of large sums of money and several years time, and partly to the fact that favorable commercial and other conditions are not often found. This paper gives some views on the chemistry and mechanism of the method, an account of the preliminary experiments, and the final plans adopted for a large-scale installation of the method by the Phelps Dodge Corpn. for treating low-grade ore from Sacramento Hill, Bisbee. If results comparable with those obtained from the test heap are to be had from the large plant, this plant will operate on the lowest-grade sulfide ore now being treated commercially in the country. The method has several advantages: The installation cost is low. Interest charges must, of course, be made both on the cost of the ore delivered to the plant and for the plant itself, but as these are low, there is considerable advantage in the ability to regulate output by more or less complete shutdowns in accordance with market and other conditions. The amount of labor needed is small, and the cement copper produced may be considered nearer a finished product than the sulfide concentrates from a mill, and certainly means less installation cost per ton to put into final form by present methods. At Bisbee, conditions were favorable for a trial of the method for, in the preparation of the Sacramento Hill orebody for steam shoveling,' a large amount of material below concentrating grade had to be moved to

Jan 1, 1923

By S. F. Shaw

The theory that maintaining a high back-pressure on the oil sand lowers the viscosity of the oil has been generally accepted. The theory has also been advanced that lower viscosity permits the oil to be moved through the sand to the well at an expenditure of less gas per barrel of oil than would otherwise be required. It seems reasonable to assume that production of oil at the minimum gas-oil ratio will result in a greater ultimate recovery of oil. During the past five years the writer has acquired data on thousands of tests made on wells to determine the best rate at which to produce them. In the majority of cases reduction in back-pressure did not definitely increase the gas-oil ratio. The information obtained from these tests has raised doubt in the mind of the writer as to the correctness of the theory that lowered viscosity results in lower gas-oil ratios and in higher ultimate recovery of oil. The reasons that explain the results obtained in these tests cannot yet be definitely stated, but the hypothesis is being tentatively assumed that there are other factors which outweigh the influence of viscosity. Energy in Gas Moves Oil to Well The general opinion is that in most cases it is the energy in the gas that moves the oil to the well. In wells flowing naturally it is also the energy in the gas that lifts the oil to the surface. In a flowing well, there are two very distinct operations: 1. Moving the oil through the sand to the well. 2. Lifting the oil to the surface. The more important function of the gas is that of moving the oil to the well. Means for lifting the oil can always be found once it has been delivered to the well. Principles Involved in Lifting Oil A well that flows naturally is the same as a gas-lift well except that all of the gas is supplied by the oil reservoir. This natural flow is subject

Jan 1, 1931

By E. H. Jr. Dix

THE success of the Charpy impact test in the steel industry has led those interested in aluminum alloys to investigate the possible applica¬tion of this test to aluminum and its alloys. In this paper are set forth the results of a few preliminary tests made at the Lynite Laboratories of the Aluminum Manufactures, Inc. In order to study more thor-oughly the significance of the Charpy test, slow-bending tests have been made duplicating the arrangement of the impact machine. Tests have been made on both notched and unnotched specimens of a series of copper-aluminum alloys. APPARATUS The standard American-made Charpy impact machine delivering a blow of over 200 ft.-lb. was- much too large to test aluminum-alloy specimens of the same type used for steel, so that it was necessary either to adopt a larger specimen or to have a special light-weight hammer made. Since there is no known relation between specimens of different sizes, even though geometrically similar, it was decided to adhere to the 10 by 10 mm. specimen. Accordingly, Sauveur and Boylston, the American makers of the machine, were asked to construct a special light-weight pendulum adapted to their standard machine, this pendulum to have one-tenth the capacity of the standard. The writer wishes here to acknowledge his indebtedness to Mr. H. M. Boylston for the personal interest and care exercised in constructing this pendulum. The machine with, the light-weight hammer in place is shown in Fig. 1. It is mounted on a concrete foundation with the concrete covering the flange on the base of the machine. Vibration is further prevented by four 5/8 -in. (15.8 mm.) foundation bolts. The large standard hammer shown against the wall was also used for some of the unnotched bars that requited more than 20 ft.-lb. to rupture.

Jan 4, 1920

By F. W. Miller

A brief history of byproduct coking in Alabama with short general descriptions of plants and the state's production of beehive and byproduct coke. PRIOR to the Civil War, there were several small charcoal furnaces for smelting the brown limonite ore that is found, in comparatively small bodies, throughout the central and north-central portions of the state. During the Civil War, these furnaces furnished charcoal iron to the Confederate Government. No attention was paid to the large bodies of lime-bearing hematite ore that now supplies the bulk of the ore used in the various blast-furnace plants of this district until the latter part of the 19th century. Red Mountain, which is the southernmost and one of the smaller ranges of the Appalachian Chain, lying immediately south of the Birmingham and Bessemer, is the principal source of this ore. The orebody outcrops on the northern face, extends through the mountain, and underlies Shades Valley on the southern side. When it was found that these ores could be worked satisfactorily in the blast furnaces, there was a comparatively rapid growth in the blast-furnace industry in the Birmingham district. As these ores are far more refractory than the limonite ores, this blast-furnace development was accompanied by the construction of beehive ovens to carbonize the coal, in order to supply the necessary fuel. The state's production of bee-hive coke in 1880 was 60,781 tons; ten years later this had increased to 1,072,942 tons; and, in 1897 the production had reached 1,443,017 tons. In 1898, the first byproduct oven built in the state was put in operation. This plant consisted of 120 horizontal-flue Semet-Solvay ovens, three flues in height by thirty flues in length with an average width of 16 in. The plant was constructed by Semet-Solvay Co., for the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co., and was located adjacent to the blast-furnace plant of that company at Ensley. Coal was delivered from the Pratt mines, by gravity tracks, directly into bin's of the ovens after having

Jan 9, 1924

By E. H. Dix

The success of the Charpy impact test in the steel industry has led those interested in aluminum alloys to investigate the possible application of this test to aluminum and its alloys. In this paper are set forth the results of a few preliminary tests made at the Lynite Laboratories of the Aluminum Manufactures, Inc. In order to study more thoroughly the significance of the Charpy test, slow-bending tests have been made duplicating the arrangement of the impact machine. Tests have been made on both notched and unnotched specimens of a series of copper-aluminum alloys. Apparatus The standard American-made Charpy impact machine delivering a blow of over 200 ft.-lb. was much too large to test aluminum-alloy specimens of the same type used for steel, so that it was necessary either to adopt a larger specimen or to have a special light-weight hammer made. Since there is no known relation between specimens of different sixes, even though geometrically similar, it was decided to adhere to the 10 by 10 mm. specimen. Accordingly, Sauveur and Boylston, the American makers of the machine, were asked to construct a special light-weight pendulum adapted to their standard machine, this pendulum to have one-tenth the capacity of the standard. The writer wishes here to acknowledge his indebtedness to Mr. H. M. Boylston for the personal interest and care exercised in constructing this pendulum. The machine with the light-weight hammer in place is shown in Fig. I. It is mounted on a concrete foundation with the concrete covering the flange on the base of the machine. Vibration is further prevented by four 5/8-in. (15.8 mm.) foundation bolts. The large standard hammer shown against the wall was also used for some of the unnotched bars that required more than 20 ft.-lb. to rupture. When the light-weight hammer was received, it was carefully cali-

Jan 1, 1921

ALTHOUGH the refining period of the heat is generally defined as A starting after the charge has been completely melted, it may more properly be considered as beginning with the first efforts to facilitate the shaping up of the slag and the making of corrective additions for the control of slag or metal composition. Such actions may be initiated during the latter half of the lime boil. The early part of the refining period may, then, in essence overlap the latter part of the melting period. The primary aims of the refining period are to reduce phosphorus and sulphur from the steel bath to levels safely below the maximum contents specified, to eliminate carbon as rapidly as possible and still allow time for proper conditioning of the slag and attainment of the necessary bath temperature, and to deliver the heat ready for tapping or furnace deoxidation, with slag in the proper physical and chemical condition, and with carbon and oxygen contents and the temperature of the steer bath at the proper levels for the composition and grade of steel being produced. The particular conditions that fulfil these aims are distinctly different, depending upon whether the steel is to be finished according to fully-killed, semikilled, or rimming practice and also depending upon the carbon range specified. Regard- less of the type of charging practice employed, the object of the refining period is to produce repeatedly the desired finishing and tapping conditions for the grade of steel being produced. The variations and proportions of raw materials used in the charge may cause some variations in the degree of control required during refining, but not in the method of control. The refining period can therefore be discussed from a viewpoint largely independent of charging and melting practice. SHAPING UP THE SLAG In the first helper's vocabulary, refining practice consists in "shaping up" his heat. This includes elimination of sulphur, phosphorus, and carbon, putting the slag in proper condition, and adjusting bath temperature. Shaping up the slag is a major consideration because

Jan 1, 1944

By Graham Bright

The rapid increase in reliability, the low cost of operation, the ready application of safety devices, and the growing availability of central-station power have made the question of installing a hoist of the electric type no longer debatable. Where adequate electric power is available, there are few cases where it would be advisable to install a steam or air hoist. The type of electrical equipment depends largely on the nature of the power supply, its capacity, and the form of the power contract under which power is purchased. In a large majority of cases, the available electric power is alternating current, three phase, 60 cycles. There is, however, considerable 25-cycle power in use; and in a few instances constant voltage direct current is the only power available for a small or an occasional medium-size hoist. Where a new hoist is to be installed, the designer of the mechanical parts can readily take care of the maximum stresses likely to be imposed by the motor. Where the hoist is already installed and operated by steam or air and it is desired to substitute an electric motor for the engine, a careful check should be made to determine the advisability of using the old mechanical parts. In most cases it is better to install a complete new hoist than to attempt to use old mechanical parts. A steam engine has a definite maximum torque, which the hoist has been designed to withstand, while a motor may be able to deliver momentary torques beyond the strength of the mechanical parts of the hoist. The selection of the proper type of electrical equipment can only be made after complete information is obtained and certain calculations made to determine the capacities required. There are several methods used in making hoist calculations, but no matter what method is utilized a fair degree of familiarity with hoists and hoisting conditions is necessary before an intelligent analysis and proper selection can be made. Forms Used in Hoisting Calculations Some of the hoist calculation methods are long and complicated. Where such calculations are seldom made, it is better to use the

Jan 1, 1922

By Edgar R. Kendall

A knowledge of the fundamental principles of locating, sampling, testing and evaluating materials is essential in prospecting for mineral aggregates. In this discussion, mineral aggregates will be considered sand, gravel, crushed stone and slag that are used as materials of construction. The quantity of mineral aggregates produced in the United States during the year 1935 for such purposes was roughly 165,000,000 tons, about 60 per cent of which was sand and gravel, 37 per cent crushed stone and 3 per cent crushed slag. The total value of this material was approximately $100,000,000. It is apparent therefore that the prospecting for suitable mineral aggregates is of considerable economic importance. In prospecting for mineral aggregates, the methods employed are the same whether the organization is large or small. In the large organization there may be available geologists for locating sources of supply, a land acquisition department to arrange for the necessary options or permits, engineers to do the sampling, a laboratory for testing, and a board of consulting materials engineers to make the final selection. Even small organizations must follow the same general procedure, though the responsibility for the selection of aggregates may rest with one man, who may or may not be an engineer, but who must depend entirely upon his own judgment. Locating the Supply The initial step in prospecting for mineral aggregates is the locating of suitable, adequate and economic sources of supply for the project in mind. Commercial plants in the vicinity should be investigated and a survey made of the existing structures that have been built of aggregates from these sources. If the structures are rather old and show no signs of deterioration, it is fairly good evidence that the aggregate is satisfactory. If materials of the proper quality can be obtained from commercial sources in sufficient quantity, and delivered to the job economically, it

Jan 1, 1942

By Edgar R. Kendall

A knowledge of the fundamental principles of locating, sampling, testing and evaluating materials is essential in prospecting for mineral aggregates. In this discussion, mineral aggregates will be considered sand, gravel, crushed stone and slag that are used as materials of construction. The quantity of mineral aggregates produced in the United States during the year 1935 for such purposes was roughly 165,000,000 tons, about 60 per cent of which was sand and gravel, 37 per cent crushed stone and 3 per cent crushed slag. The total value of this material was approximately $100,000,000. It is apparent therefore that the prospecting for suitable mineral aggregates is of considerable economic importance. In prospecting for mineral aggregates, the methods employed are the same whether the organization is large or small. In the large organization there may be available geologists for locating sources of supply, a land acquisition department to arrange for the necessary options or permits, engineers to do the sampling, a laboratory for testing, and a board of consulting materials engineers to make the final selection. Even small organizations must follow the same general procedure, though the responsibility for the selection of aggregates may rest with one man, who may or may not be an engineer, but who must depend entirely upon his own judgment. Locating the Supply The initial step in prospecting for mineral aggregates is the locating of suitable, adequate and economic sources of supply for the project in mind. Commercial plants in the vicinity should be investigated and a survey made of the existing structures that have been built of aggregates from these sources. If the structures are rather old and show no signs of deterioration, it is fairly good evidence that the aggregate is satisfactory. If materials of the proper quality can be obtained from commercial sources in sufficient quantity, and delivered to the job economically, it

Jan 1, 1942

By R. R. Seeber

In the copper-mining district of northern Michigan a fair-sized mine usually operates two or more shafts along the strike of the lode, these shafts being usually at least 1,000 ft. apart. The tonnage to be hoisted from each shaft is large—from 13,000 to 25,000 tons per month. The hoisting-engines used are generally steam-driven, non-condensing, duplex engines with Corliss valves, supplied by steam from separate boiler-plants where the distance between shafts is great. In an attempt to centralize power-plants and secure central-station economies, the Winona Copper Co. installed an electric hoist of the Ilgner type, with Ward Leonard control. A brief description of this plant has already been published.' The only point of variation from the simple Ilgner set lies in the connection of two generators to a single induction-motor by flexible couplings. These generators serve motors which operate hoisting ing-drums at separate shafts, viz., No. 4 shaft, Winona, and No. 1 shaft, King Philip. The hoist for No. 4 shaft is about 1,700 ft. from the power-plant, arid in this building the motor-generator set is placed. No. 1 King Philip hoist is 1,500 ft. from the motor-generator set. The equipment of the motor-geaerator set is as follows: In the middle of the set is a 12-pole, 450-h-p., 600-rev. per min., 2,080-volt, three-phase, 60-cycle, variable-speed induction-motor, connected on each side to a 20-ton fly-wheel which is 10 ft. in diameter, and to a 6-pole, 170-km, 575-volt, interpole, direct-current generator. On each side of the shaft is placed a separate exciter, which delivers current at 125 volts. The lubrication of the four main bearings that support the fly-wheels

Jan 1, 1911

PRESENTATION of the 1922 Washington Award to Capt. Robert W. Hunt, honorary member and twice president of the Institute, was made at the annual dinner of the Western Society of Engineers, in Chicago, on June 18, 1923, in the presence of 250 mem-bers and guests. W. L. Abbott, Chairman of the Award Commission, when delivering the presentation address, said The life of the Govern-ment of this country, as the lives of governments are usually measured, is short, barely 150 years, but meas-ured by what it has accom-plished, this country has reached a venerable age. The first 75 years of our country's existence were necessarily preparatory to the greater developments which came in the second, and that last half of our country's existence is ex-ceeded, by ten years, by the span of life of our honored guest. "Very little iron and steel were produced in this coun-try until after the birth of Robert W. Hunt. And it was not until after 1860, when as a boy of 21 he joined his fortunes with those of the Cambria Iron Works, that the iron and steel business of the country really took root. After a year or two with the Cambria Works, he left a promising position to go into the army, where he served for four years. After the close of the war he returned to the iron works and qualified himself as a metallurgical chemist.

Jan 7, 1923

By C. D. Woodward

THE Anaconda Copper Mining Co. purchases 25,000 kw. of electric power for its mining operations at Butte Mont. This power is delivered, over duplicate feeders, in the form of 60-cycle, 2400-volt, three-phase current, to five compressor plants, where most of the energy is used for driving air compressors. At the compressor plants are located the switching apparatus for controlling the 2400-volt power and distributing it to the various mines. At these points, also, there are a number of motor-generator sets for converting the alternating current to 275-volt. direct current for the haulage systems. Pole lines convey the power from the compressor plants to outdoor transformer substations at most of the mines. When it is not economical to distribute the power at the lower voltages in the mines, transformers and motor-generator sets are placed at strategic points .underground. All power is purchased on a maximum-demand basis, therefore there is installed at one of the compressor plants an eight-element totalizing graphic wattmeter. This instrument records simultaneously the value of all power taken at the numerous points of delivery, which not only eliminates the diversity factor but permits load dispatching between compressor and pumping plants, and thus materially reduces the maximum demand from the power system. As most of the mine hoisting is done, by 90-lb. compressed-air winding engines, the air-compressor equipment for the winding engines and mining operations is quite extensive. The standard air compressor has a rating of 7500 cu. ft. per min. of free air, and most of the compressors are directly connected to synchronous motors. The synchronous motors are designed for 80 per cent. leading power factor, thus facilitating power-factor correction of total mine load. Consequently by cooperation with the power company, the voltage of the power received at the compressor plants is constant.

Jan 2, 1922

By Henry Louis

The work performed by the Royal Commission on Mining Subsidence is likely to prove of permancnt value, less perhaps for the conclusions it has reached and for the recommendations it has based upon these than for the admirable exposition which it affords of the law concerning mining subsidence and of the legal status of the person who has suffered damage by reason of such subsidence, as also of him whose working has caused the damage. The Commission was appointed by Royal Warrant in the middle of 1925 and delivered its final report in the middle of 1927. The terms of reference to the Commission were as follows: "To consider the operation of the law relating to the support of the surface of the land, and of buildings or works on or under the surface, by underlying or adjacent minerals; to enquire into the extent and gravity of the damage caused by subsidence owing to the extraction of minerals and the incidence of the resulting liability; and to report what steps should be taken, by legislation or otherwise, to remedy, equitably to all persons concerned, any defects or hardships that may be found to arise in existing conditions." Report on the Doncaster Area The Commission submitted an interim report at the end of 1925, which referred solely to one area, usually spoken of as the Doncaster area, and recommended that a Commission of a more technical character be appointed to investigate this particular case. This recommendation was acted upon, and the Commission thus appointed reported early in 1928. Here it is necessary only to indicate the nature of the special problem that had to be solved, the proposed solution being mainly of local interest. The Doncaster area consists of about 330 sq. miles of low-lying land in the southeasterly portion of Yorkshire and adjoining parts of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. No less than 78 per cent, of this land lies below the 25-ft. contour line, and a good deal is even below high-water level. It includes a large tract of land known as Hatfield Chase, swampy ground which has always been a source of trouble on that account, so much so that in 1626 a Dutchman, Cornelius Vermuyden, was called in by King Charles I to devise and execute schemes of drainage for its reclamation. The entire Doncaster area is

Jan 1, 1930

By Ulick Evans

I SHOULD like to commence by saying how much I appreciate the honor which the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers has done me in inviting me to visit your country, and to deliver this lecture before you. In choosing a subject, and in deciding what to include and what to omit, I have endeavored to discuss as far as possible work carried out recently in Europe with which you may not be unduly familiar. It would be poor return for your hospitality, and a mistaken sort of compliment indeed, if I were to load the lecture with accounts of researches 'carried out in your own country-researches with which you are probably better acquainted than I. Not that I have in any way excluded work done on, this side of the Atlantic from my survey; one would indeed find it difficult to write on this, or on any other branch of science, without mentioning American work. But I have endeavored as far as possible to concentrate on aspects of the case which will, I hope, be comparatively fresh to you, and I feel fairly certain that this will be in accordance with your own wishes. If a strip of iron is heated strongly at one end, the other end remaining cold, there is produced over the heated portion a layer of oxide scale, the thickness of which diminishes steadily with the distance from the hot end. Somewhere in the middle of the strip, the thickness of the oxidized layer will become comparable .to the wave length of light, and over this region the thin films give rise to a series of beautiful interference tints, commonly known as "temper colors." The colors are caused by the fact that two trains of light waves are reflected respectively from the outer and inner surfaces of the oxide film, .and the possibility arises that the "crests" of one series of waves may coincide with the "troughs" of the other, thus diminishing the intensity of the light of some particular wave length. The state of affairs in this part of the strip is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1, in which the film thickness is enormously exaggerated, of course, in comparison with the length of the strip; the

Jan 1, 1929

Abbey, Robert Graham, District Mgr.. The W. W. Sly Mfg. Co., 50 Church St.. New York, N. Y. '21 Abbott, A. N., Mines Supt., Mazapil Copper Co., LtdConcepcion del Oro, Zac., Mexico. '28 *Abbott, Argyle Campbell, Dev. Dept., E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del. '29 Abbott, Clarence E., V.P., Charge of Raw Materials, Tenn. Coal, Iron & R. R. Co., 1242 Brown-Marx Bldg.. Birmingham, Ala. '04 Abbott, Louis Benjamin, Chief Engr., Elkhorn Div., Consolidation Coal Co., Jenkins, Ky. '16 Abeel, George H., Jr., Cons. Min. Engr Box 427, Santa Monica, Cal. '18 Abel, Albert E., Asst. to Pres., Valley Mould & Iron Corp Hubbard, Ohio. '19 Abel, Raymond L., Asst. Prof., Dept. of Pet. Refin., Univ. of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh. Pa. '28 Abeel, Leo M., Research Engr., Sullivan Concentrator Chapman Camp, B. C., Canada. '31

Jan 1, 1929

By Francis O. Blackwell

There are few industries in which power is more important to successful operation than mining, and none in which it is so difficult to ohtain power cheaply. Fuel is usually expeusive in mining districts, ana the ma chinery may be widely scattered and located in places difficult of access. The work is often so intermittent and variable as to prevent the economical use of steam. Mining operations are likely to exhibit accumulations of comparatively small and inefficient engines, numerous boilers and long lines of wasteful steam-pipes. Conlpressed air, as a means of transmitting power, is so handicapped by losses in the compressors and piping that it is limited to short distances and to the operation of apparatus requiring power, without regard to cost. To-day, electricity is rapidly replacing other methods of power-distribution, primarily because it is practically independent of distance. By selecting a potential proportional to the length of transmission, the cost of electric conductors and the e5ciency are the same for all distances within reasonable limits. For instance, a given amount of power can be delivered either 528 ft. away at 100 volts, or 50 miles at 50,000 volts, with the same total of copper per H.P. and with exactly the same loss of power in the transmissioo-circuk. This independence of distance permits the selection of the place most advantageous for power-development as a site for an electric power-plant, and the co~~centration there of the generation of all the power required within a radius of many miles. The powel.-site may be at a fall of water, if one is available, or a steam-plant can be built where fuel and supplies are cheapest, or where suflicient water is available for boiler-feed and condensing purposes.

Jan 1, 1904

By Francis L. Sperry

Up to within a few years, the consumption of nickel has been more directly dependent upon the available supply than that of any of the other useful metals. The Gap mine, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania,* has been, for the last quarter of a century, the only property in this country furnishing nickel in paying quantities. Its yearly output was about 300,000 pounds of metallic nickel, or nearly half the amount used annually in the United States. Foreign nickel from mines on the New Caledonia islands, in the South Pacific, found entrance into our markets as the production of the Gap mine fell off. The price of nickel was constantly maintained, and no special effort was made to extend its use. Over-production was cautiously guarded against, and all surplus metal was held by the banking-houses of the Rothschilds, who assumed the bonded indebtedness of the Sociètè le Nickel. The opening of the Ontario nickel-mines has, however, brought about a radical change; and nickel from the Sudbury district can be delivered in New York within four days, and in European markets within two weeks, as against two months consumed in transporting South Pacific ores. Former prices have been irretrievably smashed, and European trade-journals comment favorably on the influence which Canadian nickel has had in making lower prices, and breaking the backbone of the " nickel trust." Production and Costs. The quantity of nickel produced and the prices which it commanded may be briefly summarized as follows: The total production of the world from 1840 to 1860 was about 100 to 250 tons yearly of metallic nickel; from 1860 to

Jan 1, 1896

By Guy Ruggles

IN this paper the authors aim to chronicle the experience and salient points brought out in changing flotation reagents at a concentrator which had probably been using a minimum amount of oil at a minimum cost per ton, to a more complicated system requiring a partial chemical control. The original oils were coal tar and pine oil. The new reagents are line, xanthate and pine oil. It was found that there were no insur-mountable difficulties and eventually the cost of the new reagents per ton of ore proved to be very little more than that of the old. LIME PLANT When the question of handling lime came up there were two propositions open: (1) to handle the lime dry; (2) to handle it wet in the form of an emulsion. Granting that a dry lime feeder would function properly, delivering lime uniformly, the chief objection was the dust that would be raised when these feeders were being charged or operated, as the only possible location was on a gallery beneath which men were working. With this objection the handling of lime as an emulsion seemed to he the better scheme. The lime plant which was first installed was for experimental work on one section. This was gradually changed and developed until it was of sufficient size to accommodate 20 sections. The various changes will not be discussed and the following description deals only with the fully developed plant. Crude as it is, and perhaps somewhat expensive to operate, the lime-handling plant has been quite successful. Much has been learned which will pave the way for a better installation in the future.

Jan 1, 1927

By Grover J. Holt

Open-pit mining on the iron range has been in a stage of transition for several years from the standpoint of mechanization. The most radical change in open-pit mining methods was started in open-pit haulage in 1937 with the departure from the then standard system of locomotive and car transportation and the advent of the heavy duty truck as a replacement. The initial use of trucks was followed shortly by the first installation of a conveyor belt for open-pit ore haulage. The growth of the combination of trucks for gathering units delivering to a conveyor system for transportation out of the pit, has been rapid and this transition appears to have reached a peak in 1949 with locomotives and cars now being used in only a few of the largest open pits. One point which must be considered, if we assume that the maximum equipment change- over point has been reached, is that the largest pits have probably passed their peak of production. Future ore replacement must come from smaller pits wherein the truck conveyor system has done an outstanding job.

Jan 1, 1950

By Graham Bright

THE rapid increase in reliability, the low cost f operation, the ready application of safety devices, and the growing availability of central-station power have made the question of installing a hoist of the electric type no longer debatable. Where adequate electric power is available, there are few cases where it would be advisable to install a steam or air hoist. The type of electrical equipment depends largely on the nature of the power supply, its capacity, and the form of the power contract under which power is purchased. In a large majority of cases, the available electric power is alternating current, three phase, 60 cycles. There is, however, considerable 25-cycle power in use; and in a few instances constant voltage direct current is the only power available for a small or an occasional medium-size hoist. Where a new hoist is to be installed, the designer of the mechanical parts can readily take care of the maximum stresses likely to be imposed by the' motor. Where the hoist is already installed and operated by steam or air and it is desired to substitute an electric motor for the engine, a careful check should be made to determine the advisability of using the old mechanical parts. In most cases it is better to install a complete new hoist than to attempt to use old mechanical parts. A steam engine has a definite maximum torque, which the hoist has been designed to withstand, while a motor may be able to deliver momentary torques beyond the strength of the mechanical parts of the hoist. The selection of the proper type of electrical equipment can only be made after complete information is obtained and certain calculations made to determine the capacities required. There are several methods used in making hoist calculations, but no matter what method is utilized a fair degree of familiarity with hoists and hoisting conditions is necessary before an intelligent analysis and proper selection can be made.

Jan 9, 1921