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By Richard C. Timberlake

The disposal of phosphatic clays has presented a problem to the phosphate industry since the mining of phosphate rock first began in Polk County. As the flotation process was introduced in the late 1920's the problem of clay disposal was increased significantly since clay is present in proportionally greater quantities in reserves yielding flotation concentrates. Because of their physical character and the tremendous surface area per unit volume, these clays have the characteristic of retaining large volumes of water as they are slurried during processing. The disposal of clay and the recovery of a portion of the water require settling areas with a capacity ranging up to 2 cu ft for each cubic foot of phosphate matrix mined. According to a recent study by the Bureau of Mines, the average cost for disposal of these wastes is 24.5[c] per ton of product. This is a major cost of phosphate rock production.

Jan 12, 1969

By Robert C. Edmiston

The measurement of temperatures in exploratory drill holes yields information on regional and local geothermal gradients and mean surface temperatures. This data may be beneficial to the mining geologist interested in the occurrence and oxidation of metallic sulfide minerals or to the mining engineer interested in subsurface temperatures or water movement. Additionally, the estimation of mean surface temperatures by the projection of thermal gradients to the ground surface provides data on which to evaluate infrared imagery as an exploration tool. Temperature measurements in 30 diamond drill holes in the Silver Bell mining district of Arizona show that a regional geothermal gradient of 2.45°C per 100 m increases to 3.03°C per 100 m near the ground surface. It is also found that an anomaly in the mean annual surface temperature of 0.5°C is associated with the shallow occurrence of disseminated sulfides. Changes in the geothermal gradient due to topography, water circulation, and formation changes also occur.

Jan 1, 1976

By Ross W. Smith, Salim Akhtar

INTRODUCTION Flotation of oxide minerals, particularly silicates, with cationic collectors differs substantially from classic flotation of sulfide minerals using sulfhydryl collectors. In the case of cationic flotation of these minerals, in general: 1. There is a greater importance of electrostatic interaction between mineral and collector. 2. Longer-chained collectors are required; as a rule at least 10 carbons must be present in the hydrocarbon chain. 3. Moderate concentration of collector is required. 4. Attachment between collector and mineral appears to be less strong even though the system may exhibit a large contact angle. 5. Required conditioning time before flotation is usually relatively short. 6. There is sensitivity to slimes. 7. The collectors usually possess frothing power. 8. Selectivity of cationic collectors for specific minerals is usually poor. Almost any of the oxide and silicate minerals may be floated using cationic collectors. However, specific response to these collectors varies with mineral type. The following classes and minerals are

Jan 1, 1976

Discussion of the paper of MANUEL EISSLER, presented at the New York meeting, February, 1915, and printed in Bulletin. No. 9.5, November, 1914, pp. 3661 to 2703. J. W. RICHARDS, So. Bethlehem, Pa.-I do not see in the paper a description of the Mabuki hearth as used for ore smelting. I noticed it described for concentrating matte, but I believe the older Japanese process was to use it for-smelting directly, by a pyritic smelting and Bessemerizing all in one operation, in the same simple hearth apparatus. There is a monograph published in German, on Copper-Ore Smelting in the Mabuki Hearth. At Ashio the practice of injecting bituminous coal at the, tuyères is noteworthy. It is very interesting to see two men load little cartridges on the end. of an iron rod with bituminous coal, and push them into the furnace tuyères, and with a piston inject 2 or 3 lb.. of bituminous

Jan 5, 1915

By S. J. Mitchell

An analysis of bolting reinforcement of several large [approximately 18 m (60 ft) cube] pillars was performed. The many overcoring stress profiles in pillars at the mine were used to produce generalized stress distributions at various stages in pre- and post-failure. A complete stress-deformation curve was estimated from this data. The effect of pillar bolting on the load-deformation behavior was extrapolated from the observed unbolted behavior. Bolting can increase pillar strength by up to 10 percent. The effect of bolting on general mine stability was examined with a short computer analysis. The computer model was calibrated against measurements performed at the mine, and produced good agreement between measured and modeled stresses. The analysis indicated that bolting increases the bolted pillar safety factors in the event of additional pillar failure by a small amount (approximately 5 percent). Progressive pillar failure is unlikely, because arching transfers most load from yielding pillars to large unmined abutments rather than to the smaller panel pillars.

Jan 1, 1984

PRODUCTION of nonmetallic mineral raw materials used by the fertilizer, ceramic, chemical, and construction industries and many others, was greater during 1953 than in any previous year. Production of fertilizer minerals was the highest in history despite somewhat decreased consumption in the second half of the year. Marketable phosphate rock production increased 10 pct to an estimated total of 13.1 million LT, valued at $78.5 million, and potash production was estimated at 1.8 million tons of K2O equivalent, valued at over $60 million. Crude gypsum output exceeded the 1952 total and approached the record of 8.66 million tons mined in 1951, with indications that 1953 will show a new all-time high. Gains and losses among gypsum products were irregular, with major gains in plate- glass and terra-cotta plasters, sanded building plasters and miscellaneous building plasters, and principal declines in base-coat plasters, prepared finishes and tile. Lath and wallboard outputs were each about 20 pct higher than in 1952.

Jan 2, 1954

By Carl E. Williams

A computer program has been developed which will locate the economic limits of an open-pit mine and also designate which ore and waste blocks to remove per period (years or quarters) to maximize the discounted cash flow over the life of the mine. A set of operating constraints was carefully selected so that the following functions are controlled: (1) the removal of overburden by preproduction and production stripping exposes a fixed amount of ore; (2) a constant manpower and equipment usage is insured (except for trucks); (3) the tons of mill ore, concentrate, and stockpiled ore are regulated; (4) the number and extent of shovel moves are minimized; (5) the grindability of the rock is considered as well as the variable haulage cost caused by variable haulage distances and depths; and (6) the size of the shovel working area is regulated. As many as 50 alternate schedules can be produced per computer run. They are arranged in descending order starting with the best solution.

Jan 1, 1975

By B. K. Parekh, W. M. Goldberger

Silicon carbide (Sic), produced by heating rice hulls to elevated temperatures, contains a mixture of beta crystalline silicon carbide whiskers, particles, and unreacted carbon. The silicon carbide whiskers are 0.5 micron in diameter and 50 to 100 microns in length and have been found useful for reinforcing metal and other composite materials. The carbon can be removed by combustion, but this makes separation of the silicon carbide whiskers from particles difficult and a high grade whisker product cannot be made. However, a clean, high grade SiC whisker product can be obtained from the pre-burned converted rice hulls using physical separation processes that are based on differential wetting. Recovery of Sic whiskers from the pre-burned material was found to exceed 90%. A modification of the froth flotation process developed during this study is now being used commercially to separate silicon carbide whiskers and particles and to recover a high grade whisker product.

Jan 1, 1986

By Walter R. Hibbard

Whether we have occasion to think of it or not, an adequate and economic supply of energy fuels is vital to each of us. It is interesting to look ahead at the way in which fuels from supplementary sources will begin to enter into the energy mix to help meet the long-term national energy needs. From 1947 to 1965, the average annual rate of growth of energy consumption was 2.7%, with total energy demand in 1965 being equivalent to 54 quadrillion Btu's. During this short period of 18 years, the cumulative output of coal in the U.S. was 9.6 billion tons; natural gas, 193.5 trillion cu ft; and crude oil, 45.9 billion bbl. During the next decade and a half the nation's energy requirements are expected to grow at an average rate of 3.3% yearly, with consumption of energy expected to reach an annual rate of about 88 quadrillion Btu's by 1980, or 63% over the 1965 level.

Jan 12, 1967

WE, the undersigned, being all persons of full age and citizens of the United States and a majority residents of the State of New York, desiring to form a corporation pursuant to the provisions of the Membership Corporations Law for the purpose of incorporating, as provided in Section 5 of Article I. of said law, the existing unincorporated association known as American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, Incorporated, do hereby make, acknowledge and file this Certificate for that purpose, and do certify as follows: I. That the American Institute of Mining Engineers is an unincorporated association organized and existing with the object of promoting the arts and sciences connected with the economic production of the useful minerals and metals and the welfare of those employed in these industries by means of meetings for social intercourse and the reading and discussion of professional papers, and to circulate by means of publications among its members and associates the information thus obtained.

Jan 1, 1946

By Frank Foote

IN recent years the constitution of the high-silver aluminum-silver alloys has been extensively investigated. Hansen1 has re-viewed the literature to 1935. More re-ently, Obinata and Hagiya,2 Hofmann and Volk,3 Taziri4 and Tishchenko5 have con-firmed the general features of the phase diagram in the region around 25 atomic per cent aluminum. In this paper we present the results of high-precision measurements of lattice con-stants of the silver-rich alpha solid solution in the homogeneous range and the neigh-boring two-phase regions. These results are used to establish the nature of the solid solution, the identity of directly measured densities with those calculated from lattice constants and the homogeneity limits of the alpha solid solution with respect to three different neighboring phases. A study of the earlier investigations indicated that the last two subjects in particular required new and accurate data.

Jan 1, 1940

Through the courtesy of Mr. J. H. Batcheller, we are able to give the following extracts from a letter written by Mr. Caetani: It has been a nice idea of yours to collect for me all those scraps of news I received a few days ago and to send me such a long interesting letter. In four years war I have had practically no news. Burch wrote several times but several of his letters were lost and so mine. I believe I even wrote to you. Much has changed since our last days in Telluride; here and there many have disappeared. Of myself I will tell you in a few words: for a year I was in Cadore(?), where I had the good luck to do to the others what they wished to do to me, and had good luck on my side. Then I went to Macedonia for 5 months, did little fighting but lost my faithful fellow officer and companion.

Jan 6, 1919

By R. Malmstrom, H. Heden, K. Likin

Sublevel caving techniques at Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB) in Sweden have undergone significant modification over the years as management strives to maintain mine viability amidst rising costs and erratic iron ore prices. LKAB, which is 96% state-owned, is Sweden's principal iron ore producer and operates three iron mines north of the Arctic Circle. By far, the largest of LKAB operations is the Kiirunavaara (Kiruna) underground iron mine which extracts an estimated 30 million t/y of ore, Other iron mines include the Malmberget underground nine, rated at 12 million t/y of ore, and the Svappavaara open-pit mine, rated at about 4.5 million t/y. Mined ores from Kiirunavaara and Svappavaara are shipped by rail to the northwestern harbor of Narvik, while Malmberget ores are sent to Lulea, located to the southeast. LKAB iron ores are marketed by Malmexport AB, which is owned jointly by LKAB and Granges, Sweden's base metal producer.

Jan 10, 1979

By George T. Bator

If confronted with the problem of pumping a mixture of slime-free sand, gravel and boulders up to six in. in diameter, at the rate of 175 tons per hr in one single-stage pump against a static head of 90 ft and a total head of 140 ft, of which 20 is on the suction side, an engineer might be forgiven for backing away from the job, especially if he were also told that the pump wearing parts must have a minimum hardness of 550 Brine11 for the sake of abrasion resistance. Yet precisely that feat has been accomplished in the gravel pit of John B. LaGarde, Inc., near Anniston, Ala. The pump used is of decidedly novel design and its successful operation since installation 1.5 years ago suggests that it may be of timely interest in numerous other applications in the mining industry, such as pump transportation of coal washer refuse or rock from open-pit's without unduly fine crushing.

Jan 9, 1950

By Benjamin C. Koskiniemi

Introduction When evaluating any ore body, one of the first questions concerns the ore reserves. In the case of an open pit mine, this is not possible to answer reliably until the ultimate (final) pit limits have been established. Techniques used in designing an ultimate pit are classed as (1) manual, (2) computer, and (3) combined manual-computer. This chapter will describe how manual techniques can be utilized in designing an ulti¬mate pit Certain economic and design criteria must be established before the actual design begins In order to begin designing an ultimate pit, it will be assumed that the engineer already has the following data available (1) vertical sections, (2) horizontal sections for each level, (3) stripping curve, (4) bench height, (5) bank slope angle between levels, (6) level berm width, (7) roadway width, (8) pit slope angles at ultimate pit limits (estimated average including roads and ramps and between roads and ramps), and (9) minimum width of pit bottom

Jan 1, 1979

In situ mining is no longer a "last ditch" approach for recovery of uranium, but a proven and competitive method of exploiting sedimentary deposits. Today, in any feasibility study of uranium properties, the project manager would be prudent to compare the economics of in situ methods with conventional surface and underground techniques. In this comparison of in situ and open-pit mining, John J. Borkert and Carl E. Gerity of Occidental Minerals Corp., evaluated a group of hypothetical uranium deposits using the three most sensitive depositional characteristics of depth, size, and grade. Their conclusion: in situ is generally the better method to maximize total net profits and return on investment. At uranium values of $40 per pound, their analysis found open-pit mining to he unprofitable, generally, when stripping ratios were greater than 30:1, the deposit grade-thickness (GT) was 0.5 or less, or the ratio of depth to GT was greater than 200.

Jan 10, 1978

By F. E. Luborsky, K. T. Aust

RECENT interest has been shown in utilizing solid-state techniques for obtaining large oriented grains in the Alnico Alloys.1-4 Unfortunately, due to the inherent brittleness of these materials it is difficult to introduce sufficient imperfections by deformation to support the nucleation and growth of new, recrystallized grains. As a result, recrystal-lization methods for obtaining large grains, such as the strain-anneal technique, do not appear to be feasible. Steinort et a1.2 used a combination of a thermal gradient and internal strains to obtain large single crystals of Alnico 5 from a poly crystalline casting by annealing at temperatures above 1200°C. It was suggested that the strains were the result of the precipitation of the y phase which exists between -850° and 1200°C. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the grain size of the cast Alnico alloys can be markedly increased by solid state techniques involv-

Jan 1, 1963

By R. Taggart, G. R. Purdy

DURING a study of the tempering of ß-quenched alloys of cobalt in titanium, parallel lines were observed crossing certain faces of retained-ß crystals in the early stages of tempering, Fig. 1. The lines closely resemble stress-induced martensite' or substructures attributed to clusters of faults in titanium-nickel2 and copper-silicon3 alloys. The markings were observed only in intensely etched quenched and tempered alloys having compositions ranging from 4.5 pct* Co (the composi- formed by the lines was reproduced upon repolishing and reetching. Close metallographic examination indicated that the markings were troughs, Fig. 2, and that the characteristic surface substructure persisted within the troughs. The occurrence of the troughs was associated with the age hardening reaction due to the metastable u) phase (previously reported in titanium-cobalt alloys by Raub and Beeskow4 and indicated in this work by the broadening of 0 diffraction peaks and by hardnesses approaching 600 Dph). The troughs

Jan 1, 1961

By P. R. Sperry

In an investigation of the decomposition of the solid solution in a cold worked high-purity aluminum alloy containing 7 pct Mg, aged at temperatures from 30o to 82°C, the nucleating sites at the earliest stages of precipitation were observed to be of two types. Nucleation occurred at the high angle grain boundaries both when the alloy was initially cold worked and when solution annealed. Nucleation also occurred at certain unique deformation markings which began to appear in abundance at approximately 30 pct reduction in thickness by cold rolling. These deformation markings were identified as deformation (kink) bands rather than as the usually assumed "slip planes." Zn material that was cold rolled 15 pct, only the grain boundary Fig. 2—A1-7 pct Mg alloy, cold worked 60 pct and heated at 230° C for 5 min. Etched with Perryman's reagent. X500. Reduced approximately 25 pct for reproduction. (a) Bright field illumination, precipitate deeply pitted. (b) Phase contrast, showing slip markings.

Jan 1, 1962

FIGURES covering appropriations recommended by the Budget Bureau for the Bureau of Mines at Washington for next year are now available and are as quoted below. APPROPRIATION BUDGET APPROPRIATION 1928 1929 General Expenses $ 86,000` $ 86,000 Investigating Mine Accidents 386,470 399,470 Mining Investigations in Alaska.. 10,860 10,860 Operating Mine Rescue Cars and Stations 327,630 342,630 Testing Fuel 154,000 158,500 Mineral Mining Investigations.... 99,570 125,000 Oil, Gas and Oil-Shale Investiga- tions 198,260 198,260 Oil-Shale Investigations 5,000 80,000 Expenses Mining Experiment Sta- tions 173,000 173,000 Care, etc., Buildings and Grounds, Pittsburgh, Pa 71,360 76,360 Maintenance and Operation, Fuel Yards Balance Balance Helium Investigations :.... 75,000 75,000 Helium Production and Conserva- tion 1,063,000 462.000 Potash Investigations 100,000 100,000 Economics of Mineral Industries. . 225,000 275,000 Totals $2,975,150 $2,562,080

Jan 1, 1928