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By R. E. Tate, L. J. Herman

We have had occasion to produce wire of Np-237 in small diameters for use in some chemical experiments. Since the mechanical metallurgy of neptunium has not been investigated extensively, it seems desirable to report our successful extrusion technique. Because of the neptunium activity and its attendant health hazard the experimental work was done in glove boxes and related equipment also used for Pu-239. At room temperature a phase neptunium' is a hard (Dph -355) orthorhombic metal of high density (p = 20.45 g per cu cm). a neptunium transforms2 to tetragonal ß neptunium at about 280°C and this in turn transforms to bcc y neptunium at about 577°C. The y phase melts at about 637°C. A temperature of 340° to 345°C was selected for the extrusion, this temperature being a compromise be- tween a possible advantage of working with the presumably more plastic cubic y phase above 577°C and the risk of having the neptunium react with the alloy steel die to form the low-melting Fe-Np eutectic. A 0.75-in.-long, 0.26-in.-diameter ingot of good-purity* Np-237 was extruded by the direct *C = 230 ppm, Pu = 200 ppm, thirty-five metallic elements below limit of detection by spectrographic methods. process through flat-face orifices to form several sizes of wire ranging from 0.010 to 0.030 in. in diameter. Molybdenum disulfide was used as the die lubricant. The extrusion was done in a vacuum of about 10-4 torr to reduce reaction of the neptunium with atmospheric gases. British workers3 at Harwell have extruded neptunium under similar conditions. The force required to extrude 0.010-in.-diameter wire at the rate of 4 in. per min was 6000 lb, as measured with an electrical load cell. Wire 0.020 in. in diameter was extruded with a force of 4700 lb at a rate of 2 in. per min, and wire 0.030 in. in diameter was extruded with a force of 4000 lb at a rate of 1.3 in. per min. An extrusion constant, c, can be computed from the measured forces, P, for the equation4 P = c log-A/a where A/a is the extrusion ratio or the ratio of the cross-sectional areas of the container and the

Jan 1, 1965

By John Chipman, Wayne L. Worrell

Using recent thermodynamic data for the carbides and oxides of tantalum, columbium, and vanadium, the stable solid phases aboue 1300°K and at 1 atm CO(g) pressure in each M-C-O system have been determined. Pourbaix-Ellingham diagrams have been constructed and are used to estimate the minimum temperatures necessary to obtain these metals by carbothermic reduction under reduced pressures. TANTALUM, columbium, and vanadium react with carbon to form the M,C and MC carbide phases. The M,C carbides have narrow homogeneity ranges, but the MC phases possess considerable ranges of homogeneity.' The free energies of formation of the MC carbides were recently measured, and those of MC and M2Ccarbides have been estimated., (The notations MC and MC denote, respectively, the carbide compositions at the carbon-rich and at the metal-rich boundaries of the homogeneous MC phase.) In this paper, these carbide data are combined with thermodynamic data for the oxides to predict the stable phases in the Ta-C-O, Cb-C-O, and V-C-O systems at specified temperatures and oxygen pressures. M-C-O PHASE DIAGRAMS The solid phases in equilibrium above 1300°K for each M-C-0 system are shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Above 1300°K, the vapor would consist entirely of carbon monoxide; and these phase diagrams were obtained by specifying the vapor pressure of CO(g) to be 1 atm. The temperature at which any two solid phases become unstable is specified along the two-phase equilibrium lines in each diagram. To simplify the diagrams, all solid phases in the Ta-C-O and Cb-C-O systems are represented as stoichiometric compounds. However, the homogeneity ranges of VO and VC are indicated, because they form a complete series of solid solutions.3 It also should be noted that the homogeneity range of

Jan 1, 1964

By P. K. Guerrero, N. Arbiter

The correlation of power consumed by a tumbling mill with the dimensions, speed, and load has been attempted by three principal methods. One of these, the torque formula, has been reviewed critically elsewhere.' This approach, while analytical, disregards the individual motion and speed of the tumbling bodies and assumes that the gross geometry of the entire load is sufficient to establish the power requirement. A more general approach, using dimensional analysis, has been applied in this laboratory by the present authors1'1, and more recently by Rose.3 This disregards the internal conditions within the mill entirely and in effect is an empirical procedure for correlating data. Finally, the complete analysis of tumbling mill dynamics as first made by Davis' attempts to develop the power requirement from individual ball and rod paths and velocities. Although Davis' result is applicable only at a single speed for a given size and load it could be useful, since his optimum speed is at the upper limits of conventional tumbling mill practice. Where power values predicted by the Davis equation were compared with actual mill requirements, they were found too low for small mills and much too high for the largest mills. This suggested that the agreement with actual intermediate range requirements might be fortuitous, and the development of the equation was examined critically. The probable source of error was found to lie in an erroneous assumption made by Davis in converting the energy of ball or rod motion to power. With the same approach, but with different assumptions, a modified equation has been obtained which predicts results that are usually consistently high. This is to be expected, since it is assumed that there is no slip between load and shell and no interference among tumbling bodies. Both these effects should account for the difference. Development of Equation: When a cylindrical shell charged with a substantial weight of rods or balls is slowly rotated about a horizontal axis, the load surface first assumes an inclination that gradually increases to a maximum. Continued rotation results in failure within the load, characterized by a sliding of the top layers down the slope and a reduction in the angle of inclination. Further rotation again increases the angle, and the cycle repeats. If the speed is increased, there is continuous load failure and build-up and a continuous stream of rods or balls descends over the upcoming mass, which moves in circular arcs. At higher speeds the up-

Jan 1, 1961

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

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

Jan 1, 1963

By L. Adler

Longwall caving, one of the most economical and attractive mining methods, is yet one of the most difficult and hazardous.1 This dualism is inherent in a method which manipulates the mine supports themselves to aid in excavation. The difficulty is further compounded by the lack of an analytical method to predict and control results. This paper is intended to meet this need by providing a first approximation to the mechanics involved. The analysis will be limited to materials which are linear-elastic, homogeneous and isotropic. The rock structure is assumed to consist of beds of uniform thickness with no interbed bonding.2 Consequently, the mine roof can be likened to a beam, in which the action characteristic of longwall caving is the controlled deflection of the barrier supports. This deflection causes load to be intentionally transferred from these barrier props to the working face.3 Two of the requirements of this method, shared in common with other mining methods, are the provision of (1) adequate and (2) safe working space. The third requirement is the one characteristic of longwall caving and is somewhat in conflict with the second; (3) the development of near-failure static loads at the face. Requirement (1) is handled by spacing the barrier props sufficiently far from the working face for efficient operation. Requirement (2) limits the static stresses in the structure to predetermined allowable values. This means that it is not desirable to induce a maximum load on the working face as requirement (3) may imply. Such a condition could produce collapse in the whole structure. It is the purpose of the undercut to limit the depth, and thereby control the failure of the face. Therefore, requirement (3) really means the development of an optimum, not maximum, load which, in conjunction with undercutting, produces failure at the working face, with minimum powder consumption. Stress analysis requires an exact delineation of the structure and loads. The structure will be defined as the immediate roof and its supports. Since the roof is severed at the caving line, the supports reduce to the barrier props and the working face, as shown in Fig. 1. The mechanics of failure within the working face itself are complex and beyond the scope of this study, since the face represents a typical mine invert structure.4 However, this lack can be made good by the judicious collection of field data. The primary load on the structure is its own weight or body load which can be considered uniformly distributed over its upper surface. Additional loading occurs due to interference of overbeds with the structure. Wherever this occurs, the effect can be approximated by a load uniformly distributed on the upper surface of the structure.5 When this interference is intermittent, as with a much thicker overbed, the elastic curve for the overbed is superimposed on that for the structure and the extent of interference noted, as Fig. 2 shows. However, for simplicity, this study will ignore such intermittent loads without impairing the generality of approach. Consequently, the free-body diagram is that of a uniformly loaded cantilever beam with an inter-mediate support, as shown in Fig. 3. For convenience of analysis, the diagram will be divided just to the

Jan 1, 1961

By H. Kazemi, G. W. Thomas, M. S. Seth

The double-porosity model of Warren and Root7 for examining pressure drawdown and buildup phenomena in naturally fractured reservoirs has been extended to intetpret interference test results. Both analytical and numerical solutions are presented. The practicality of some of the assumptions in the Warren-Root model was also investigated. The standard procedure for interpreting interference tests in naturally fractured reservoirs beretofore employed an equivalent homogeneous reservoir model. A comparison of our results with the equivalent homogeneous model indicates the latter is inadequate for early time responses. For late time responses, however, the simpler equivalent homogeneous model yields favorable results. Finally, the effects of well spacing and the magnitude of the interporosity flow parameter are briefly cited. INTRODUCTION Interference tests can be used to provide reservoir information not obtainable from conventional pressure drawdown and buildup tests. The technique involves measuring the response in one or more wells arising from a pressure perturbation introduced into another well. It has been. successfully applied to single-layer, homogeneous, unfractured, isotropic and anisotropic formations to arrive at values of well storage capacity and a measure of directional permeability.l The techniques of interference testing usually can be extended to heterogeneous systems, provided the permeability contrast between any existing rock layers is not excessive.9 In such cases, the practical interference effects in an observation well of an interconnecting heterogeneous reservoir can be predicted using an equivalent homogeneous model. The calculated properties are then average values. Russell and Prats2 have demonstrated the utility of this approach for a single-phase, two-layer system. For naturally fractured reservoirs, some different approaches usually are necessary. The major departure from homogeneous or nearly homogeneous reservoir treatment is to characterize the fractured system as an entity having "double-porosity"; namely, we suppose the existence of both primary and secondary porosity, where the former is contained within a systematic array of identical rectangular matrix blocks and the latter is contained within an orthogonal system of continuous, uniform fractures (see Fig. 1). It is sufficient to assume that the permeability of the rock matrix is so small that movement of reservoir fluids to the producing wells is entirely through the fracture network. This assumption has been validated by Barenblatt3 and .employed by others?-7 Warren and Root7 used the double-porosity model to develop an interpretation of pressure drawdown and pressure buildup tests in naturally fractured

Jan 1, 1970

By C. K. Leith

GENERAL GEOLOGY OF THE LAKE SUPERIOR IRON-BEARING AND COPPER-BEARING SERIES. THE geology of the Lake Superior region is of general interest, both from an economic and a scientific standpoint. The presence of large and rich iron- and copper-deposits has made a knowledge of the geology of the region necessary for purposes of exploitation and exploration. The ores of the region are contained in rocks of pre-Cambrian age, 'pith for most of the country up to recent years have usually been referred to as « crystalline schists " or " crystalline complex;" and regarded principally as metamorphosed basement-unit upon which the sedimentary rocks, beginning with the Paleozoic, were laid down. In the Lake Superior re¬gion this pre-Cambrian complex presents an unusual variety of rocks with determinable relations. It has been possible, with the large expenditures which-the magnitude of the iron-mining industry warrants, to work out their stratigraphy to a larger extent than has been possible in almost any other area of pre-Cambrian rocks. The real complexity of Lake Superior geology, the confusion of names and the multiplicity of reports covering small parts of the region, are such that interested persons, other than. geologists directly engaged in the work, may well hesitate to attempt to comprehend the geology of the region as a whole. The following paper is a somewhat elementary outline of the geology of the Lake Superior region with special reference to new developments not yet covered in published reports. Geological information concerning the region has been gath¬ered by mining companies, and by the geological surveys of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, and the United States.. Perhaps in no other part of the country have the mining men themselves spent such large sums in purely geological work. This has made possible the publication of ,reports and maps by the State and Government surveys in much less time and at far less cost than would have been otherwise possible. The. U. S. Geological Survey is the only organization which has covered all of the region on the United 'States side of the boundary, and as its reports include the in¬formation gathered by the mining companies and State organi

Mar 1, 1905

By R. B. Booth, W. F. Linke

The continuous interest of the American Cyanamid Company in producing superior polymeric flocculants and dispersants for the mining industry has resulted in a broad, general study of the physical chemistry of mineral-polymer systems. The aim of this program has been to establish a sound theoretical basis on which practical problems could be analyzed, and which would lead to the development of new and improved flocculating and dispersing agents. This study has required the cooperative effort of physical, analytical, and polymer chemists, as well as engineers familiar with mining problems. This report summarizes the results of some of our investigations over the past two years. Further studies along these and other lines are in progress and will be reported in the near future. MEASURING FLOCCULATION IN THE LABORATORY The foremost problem in studying flocculation in the laboratory has been to establish reproducible methods of comparing and evaluating the effectiveness of various reagents. Previous workers have measured settling -rates 1,8 filtration rates2 , and sediment volumes3 . Direct observations of the floc size, or the clarity of the supernatant liquid, can also be used. AIthough these parameters are all interrelated, they do not always measure the same physical properties of the suspensions, and hence are not equally useful or reliable. Whatever the method of comparison selected. the testing procedure must be carefully defined and standardized. The results must be satisfactorily reproducible, and for practical purposes must accurately reflect the results obtained in mill use. In order to compare the data obtained in these various types of test, the physical nature of the flocculated system must be examined in some detail. In an unflocculated system, only the larger or denser particles (the "sands") settle at a useful rate. The sediment can be observed to build up from the bottom of the cylinder, while the fines remain in suspension for a long period of time. If the system is not disturbed, even the microscopic fines can be seen to classify themselves as they fall over a period of days. When a high molecular weight polymer is added to the system, the colloidal particles are tied together randomly in flocs, and the sands and fines settle together. The line of demarkation between solid and liquid phases moves downward from the top of the cylinder. The settling rate of the flocs depends on their size and on their effective density. For a given mineral sample, the larger the flocs, the faster the settling. Since the large flocs cannot pack as closely as small ones, they produce a sediment with more pore spaces, and hence of larger volume, which is easier to pump and to agitate. Although it is nearly impossible to measure individual floc sizes, it is relatively easy to determine settling rates and sediment volumes. Of these two, the settling rate is simpIer to measure, and hence generally more practical. Reproducible sediment volumes can only be obtained by allowing the solids to pack for a rather long period of time (e.g., hours to days), and although the volumes thus observed are directly related to the degree of flocculation (average floc size), it is often impractical to wait so long for the results.

Jan 1, 1961

By AIME AIME

A LUSTY baby of the Institute, the Coal Division, showed that it had acquired a full set of teeth and was capable of man's work at the Division meeting at Fairmont, W. Va., on March 26 and 27. At this second of a series of field meetings, the first of which was held in Pittsburgh last fall, the industry in the East was represented from top to bottom and good humor and enthusiasm were the predominant notes. West Virginians are always good hosts and this meeting would have proved the statement to any inclined to doubt it. The spacious auditorium of the Fairmont Hotel was arranged for the technical sessions, the hotel being headquarters for the meeting. About a hundred and twenty-five representatives were registered and in attendance when Thomas G. Fear, chairman, opened the morning session at 10 o'clock Mr. Fear first introduced Howard Eavenson, vice-chairman of the morning program, who, as chairman of the Coal Division, had labored long and cheerfully to make the meeting successful. Mr. Eavenson talked briefly on what the organization was doing, pointing out that these field meetings were designed to bring the members into closer touch with the parent Institute and give the younger engineers in the field a better opportunity to participate in the work the Institute is doing. He congratulated the various committees for their work in promoting the meeting.

Jan 1, 1931

By R. H. Atkinson, R. N. Rhoda

An improved technique has been developed for the deoxidation of palladium with aluminum which is especially suitable for use in making small castings with an induction-melting and casting machine. The effect of various crucible linings on the efficiency of the residual deoxidizer and accompanying oxide film in protecting palladium against oxidation during remelting also has been examined; the preferred crucible lining consists of zirconia cement. THE objective of this work was to develop a simple method of deoxidizing induction-melted palladium which would be suitable for use by manufacturers of jewelry and other small castings. In a common method of deoxidizing torch-melted palladium a piece of aluminum foil is dropped on the surface of the molten metal. If a film is present, which is usually the case, it must first be removed by oxidizing the molten metal thoroughly because it would interfere with the entry of the aluminum into the melt. Removal of the film is probably facilitated by a mild fluxing action of the silica crucibles which are used for torch-melting. However, removal of an alumina film from molten palladium in the crucibles normally used for induction melting is a much slower process and it became necessary to modify the de-oxidation procedure. In the modified procedure the charge is simply melted and the desired amount of aluminum, crimped to one end of a tungsten wire, is plunged through the film into the palladium and the wire immediately withdrawn. The trace of tungsten which dissolves along with the aluminum can be avoided, if considered objectionable, by using a palladium wire. In view of the persistence of the alumina film under the conditions of induction-melting it also was decided to ascertain the efficiency of this film in protecting palladium against oxidation during repeated remelting and casting. Melting Equipment and Materials The equipment used for melting and casting consisted of an Ecco GC:6, 6 to 8-kva high-frequency converter and an Ecco M34B centrifugal casting machine. This unit is being increasingly used for making jewelry and dental castings and it also has been found useful in making exploratory melts of a variety of nickel alloys, for which purpose it is well suited on account of its speed of melting and economy of material. A description of the machine and its operation will be published elsewhere.' A common palladium jewelry alloy, 95.5 palladi-um-4.5 ruthenium (referred to as "palladium" in the trade), was selected for the deoxidation tests. It was available as melting stock which had been melted in air to free it from oxidizable impurities, and also as clean scrap from previous melts which had been deoxidized with aluminum. The latter was thought to be typical of clean "palladium" scrap to be found in a manufacturing jeweler's establishment and it is also similar to one brand of "casting palladium." By the same token, the oxidized melting stock corresponds to "casting palladium" after the latter has been melted and thoroughly oxidized: Pure aluminum wire (99.9 pet), 0.032 in. diam; 1 in. = 0.036 g. Scrap tungsten wire, 0.014 to 0.020 in. diam. Argon, commercial water-pumped; 99.9 pet pure Experimental Procedure Samples of about 50 to 75 g of the palladium alloy were melted in a crucible lined with a proprietary refractory alumina cement. Some charges were melted in air, others in argon. The oxidized melting stock was melted and solidified a number of times in order to remove as much oxygen as possible before deoxidizing, but this treatment was unnecessary in the case of scrap. In either case the metal was deoxidized with aluminum (0.01 to 0.05 pet) by the

Jan 1, 1959

By S. F., French

IN reviewing the design of the ore haulage system for the Morenci project, the reader should bear in mind that the railroad and its equpiment cannot be considered as an independent railroad provided only for the purpose of transporting ore from one point to another, but as an integral part of the operation which begins at the electric shovels loading ore at the mine, and ends where the ore, after having been crushed in the primary crushing plant, is deposited in the bins at the secondary crushing plant. Obviously then, the problem consisted of designing a system that would function to the best possible advantage in complete co-ordination with the other units.

Jan 1, 1942

By C. J. Fleisch, C. P. Clingerman

THE recent installation of a combination dust catcher, gas washer and precipitator at Carrie blast furnaces of the Homestead Steel Works has given very satisfactory results. The following description of the gas-cleaning installation is based on actual operating experience. When Carrie blast furnace No. 3 was rebuilt the decision was made to fine-clean all the gas produced by the furnace, because the management wanted fine-cleaned gas for fuel in the stoves and boilers. In order to keep the installation cost as low as possible, the gas-cleaning system was streamlined. All by-pass lines and goggle valves for bypass lines were eliminated from the system. A radical departure from the use of 8-in. tubes in the Cottrell-type precipitators was made by using 12-in. diameter tubes in a single compartment, the single compartment being divided into two units by a single partition wall in the top header. THE FURNACE PROPER A few of the characteristic points and dimensions of the furnace proper are: [Hearth diameter 26 ft. o in. Bosh diameter 29 ft. 1 3/4 in. Stock-line diameter 20 ft. o in. Large-bell diameter 114 ft. 8 in. Small-bell diameter 6 ft. 6 in. Height of furnace from center of iron notch to bottom of large bell, closed 94 ft. 4 in. Height of furnace from center of iron notch to main platform 105 ft. o in.] The furnace top is equipped with a McKee revolving distributor, the operation of which is electrically interlocked with the skips, bell hoists, and coke-weighing and charging apparatus through a Freyn automatic charging control. The gas leaves the furnace first through four offtakes, 5 ft. g in. in diameter, then through uptakes that are approximately 85 ft. high, which feed into a single down-comer that is 9 ft. in diameter. DUST CATCHER The primary dust catcher installed (Fig. I) may be described as a single-cone type. The inlet pipe at the top of the dust catcher is g ft. in diameter; it is flared to a conical shape as it extends down inside the dust-catcher shell, which is 35 ft. in diameter, 37 ft. high on the straight side, and has a conical top and bottom. The slope of the bottom is 50° with the horizontal. The cone-shaped pipe inside the dust-catcher shell is 42 ft. high and is 19 ft. 7 in. in diameter at its bottom lip where it releases the gas in-

Jan 1, 1943

By Arnulf Muan, R. E. Johnson

Equilibrium CO2 /CO ratios of a gas phase coexisting with selected oxide phase assemblages of the system CaO-"Fe0"-SiOz and vnetallic iron have been determined at 1080°C. The data obtained are used to calculate activity-conzposition relations for metasili-cute, orthosilicate, and CaO- "FeO" solid solutions, and to determine a new value for the free energy of formation of C&S&0,. The metasilicate solution is practically ideal, whereas large deviations from ideality exist in the othe,r two solid solutions. BECAUSE of the geochemical and metallurgical importance of the oxides CaO, "FeO", and SiOz, the system CaO-"FeO"-SiO2 has been the subject of several experimental studies during the past 30 years. Following the delineation of phase relations at liquidus temperatures by a group of investigators at the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington in 1933,1 Chipman and associates in the early forties2,3 determined activities of FeO in liquids of this system. Since that time, many attempts have been made to interpret the data of Chipman et al. in terms of the constitution of the silicate liquids and the interaction parameters among the various constituents of the system (see for instance papers by Richardson4 and by Flood and coworkers5). One of the assumptions made in some of these interpretations4 is that the binary silicate systems CaSiO3-FeSiO3 and CazSi04-Fe2SiO4 mix ideally in the solid state. The objective of the present study is to provide experimental data on activity-com position relations in solid solutions of the system CaO-"FeO"-SiO2. Such data will contribute toward an understanding of the thermodynamics of silicate solid-solution phases in general, and will serve specifically to confirm or refute some of the assumptions made in interpreting liquid slag behavior. PREVIOUS WORK Phase relations in the system CaO-"FeO"-SiO2 in contact with metallic iron were determined by Bowen, Schairer, and Posnjak,1 and additional phase-equilibrium data for this system have been presented by Allen and snow.' A reproduction of the most up-to-date phase diagram for this system is shown in Fig. 1.7'8 Of particular interest in the present investigation are the relations among the various crystalline phases slightly below the lowest solidus temperature in the system, as shown in Fig. 2. The present work will be concerned primarily with some of the composition

Jan 1, 1968

By F. Haessner, M. Wilkens, U. Jakubowski

ThOUGH at present there is a wide range of possibilities for the quantitative determination of preferred orientations, pole figures of identical specimen material have not been determined by different methods as yet.''' In this paper a comparison of (Ill), (200), and (220) pole figures is presented which were obtained from a 95 pct cold-rolled high-purity cop- per sheet (99.9998 pct Cu), by three different methods. The three methods are: a) The combined X-ray reflection-transmission technique of plane samples by schulz3 and Decker, Asp, and Harker. 4 A Siemens texture goniometer was used. The experimental details are described elsewhere. 6 b) The X-ray reflection technique of spherical samples by Jetter and Boric.' A Siemens texture goniometer with some modifications was used. The samples were prepared by sticking 140 polished sheets together with an adhesive and machining a sphere (20 mm diam).* Additional

Jan 1, 1967

By C. Dinis da Gama

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

Jan 1, 1983

By D. J. Coolidge, H. L. Sheakley

THIS paper does not deal with all sands used in the glass industry in Missouri; it covers only that used in the plate-glass factory at Crystal City. However, it is probably safe to say that other sands, produced throughout the state for this purpose, are of identical nature. The glass sand used in Missouri is commonly called the St. Peter deposit, which is ascribed to the Ordovician Rock series in the form of sandstone. This St. Peter deposit, aside from a few small outliers, covers a large area of eastern Missouri. It forms, through a broad curve, the northeast margin of the typical Ozark region between Cape Girardeau on the southeast and Mineola, Montgomery County, on the northwest. The belt is extremely irregular, varying from one to ten miles in width; its length is 150 miles in a straight line. The outcrop near the entrance to the Crystal City mine appears in the form of a sandstone bluff approximately 30 ft. high, running along Plattin Creek (Fig. 1). Above the sand rock an overburden of Joachim limestone appears, which thickens to nearly 300 ft. and forms the hill commonly called Buck Knob. Test holes where drilled at various points and the drillers' log indicate that the St. Peter deposit ranges in thickness from 63 to 71 feet. PROPERTIES OF THE ST. PETER SAND From an analysis of the glass sands of the St. Peter formation in Missouri, the follow-

Jan 1, 1942

By W. J. Verner, J. R. Lucas

Billions of tons of bulk solid materials are processed through our industrial plants each year, and the tonnage is steadily rising. It has been estimated that for every dollar spent in industry as a whole, approxinlately 30 cents is consumed in the handling of bulk solid materials. It is in this category that tremendous savings are possible through the use of improved techniques. Since World War 11, the mining, steel, chemical, and grain industries, among others have made use of increased materials-handling automation in order to gain some of these savings. However, in a chain of automatic operations, every link must be completely reliable, for if there is a single failure, the whole system immediately becomes ineffective. Only too often the weak link in the chain proves to be the flow of bulk solids from bins. To contribute to the fundamental knowledge in this area, a research study has been continuing at The Ohio State University. The principal objective of the investigation has been to study the internal stresses existing in confined bulk solids. LITERATURE SURVEY Literature studies have revealed that many outstanding people have made contributions to the field of bulk solids. For instance, C. F. Jenkin,1 suggested: a. The pressure on a bin wall is not directly proportional to the depth beneath the surface of material in the bin. b. The vertical pressure distribution on the base of a bin is not actually uniform but is a variable. c. Arches form in bins as a result of very small deformations of the material in the bin. This deformation causes a series of gaps to appear, and consequently causes the disappearance of diagonal forces that cannot act across these gaps. The removal of the diagonal forces causes horizontal forces to be introduced which seem to be the chief cause of arching. 11. A. Janssen,4 in 1895 in connection with his experiments on bins, derived a differential equation to describe both the lateral and vertical pressure in bins with vertical sides. This represents a significant contribution to bulk solid theory, and thus its solution is reproduced as follows: L = KV = RW/U' [l-e -U'KY/R] I where L is the lateral pressure of the bulk solid in psf., V is the vertical pressure of the bulk solid in psf., K is the ratio of the lateral pressure to the vertical pressure at any point, R is the hydraulic radius of the bin in feet, W is the density of the bulk solid in lbs. per cubic feet, U' is the coefficient of friction between the stored material and the bin wall, and Y is the head of material above the point in question in feet. In 1903, Jamieson,6 in an elaborate series of experiments on full sized bins measured vertical and lateral pressures by hydraulic diaphragms. He determined many values for mediums of corn, wheat, peas, and flaxseed. In 1951, Caughey, Tooles, and scheer3 measured both lateral and vertical pressure in deep bins by using strain guages on steel bands. Values were calculated for cement, gravel, sand, soy beans, shelled corn

Jan 1, 1961

By Frank Rieber

THE study of earthquakes long ago developed the fact that by studying the travel times of the various groups of waves from the same earthquake, as received on seismographs at varying distances, major discontinuities in the earth's crust could be reasonably well defined. Using this original discovery, and adapting the mathematical methods originally devised in seismology for determining the depth below the surface at which such discontinuities occur, other investigators were able to develop a new branch of seismology which promises to be extremely useful in extending the boundaries of our information on local conditions below the earth's surface. As an outstanding example of the applications of this work, we have the so-called "seismograph" exploration of the Gulf Coastal region, which has resulted in the discovery of a large number of salt domes, from many of which oil fields may be developed. The original seismological investigations, from which different major discontinuities in the earth's crust were deduced, as well as these later successful experiments in locating salt-dome structures, involve relatively simple problems. In each case we are dealing with surface materials in which elastic waves will be propagated with a fairly definite velocity. Under this material we have something quite different, in which the elastic waves will be propagated with a much higher velocity. The transition from one medium to the other is likewise relatively abrupt. For example, in the Gulf Coastal region the sedimentary formations have a velocity of 6000 or 7000 ft. per sec., while the velocity of elastic waves in the cap rock of a salt dome may exceed 15,000 ft. per sec. Under such conditions, delineation of the formation is a relatively simple matter, and, furthermore, there is very little opportunity for ambiguous results.

Jan 1, 1928

By Homer S. Frankhouser

Materials may be dredged, processed, stored and loaded for shipment at a single site in water depths ranging from 250 to 1200 ft. Solution mining may also be accomplished in deep sea situations. And, open air subsea mines with direct surface access may be developed and worked under the ocean floor. These concepts for deep sea mining are the results of extensive testing of individual components of the proposed systems by Dravo Ocean Structures, Inc., a subsidiary of Dravo Corp. A basic structure in these systems is the articulated platform. The platform consists of a gravity- type base and a buoyant cylindrical column which is constructed at an onshore location, towed to the offshore site and installed in a matter of days without use of heavy equipment. The base is also buoyant for towing purposes. This allows for gradual flooding to the point of negative buoyancy for positioning and anchoring to the ocean floor.

Jan 1, 1971

By H. B. Menardi

The history, geology, ore deposits and current mining operations of the Huitzuco district have been described by C. W. Vaupelll and the current mill operations by David Segura.2 This paper completes the story of Huitzuco with a description of the reduction of the flotation concentrates. The predominant ore mineral in the Huitzuco deposit is livingstonite, a rare, mercury-antimony sulphide (HgS.2Sb2S3). Other associated minerals include cinnabar, stibnite and elemental sulphur. The gangue is largely limestone and gypsum. Former operators mined a selected grade of ore, from which the mercury was recovered by an expensive, inefficient operation. A considerable tonnage of rejects and fills, carrying mercury and antimony, was left in the mine. In order to recover both mercury and antimony from these fills and also from newly developed ore, a combination method has been developed, by means of which the livingstonite is concentrated by flotation and the flotation concentrates subsequently reduced to metallic mercury and antimony. An essential part of the flotation treatment, as developed by Segura, is the use of copper sulphate as an activating agent. A typical analysis of concentrates now being produced at the property is as follows: Hg, 7.73 per cent; Sb, 26.40; Fe, 1.20; S, 29.68; CaO, 11.50; MgO, 7.25; SiOz, 1.63; A1203, 0.65. PRocess foR Treatment op Concentrates In the development of a process for treatment of these concentrates, three different methods were investigated: (1) roasting in a Dwight-Lloyd sintering machine with an excess of air; (2) separation of mercury and antimony by distillation in a reducing atmosphere; (3) a third method, which ultimately developed into the present process. The third method involved a slow calcination at a closely regulated temperature with a limited admission of air, which separated the mercury and antimony, the raeroury passing out of the kiln with the furnace gases and the antimony remaining in the calcine or "sinter."

Jan 1, 1944