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By T. D. Thomas

CONTENTS PAGE T. D. Thomas-Misfires in Anthracite Coal Mines 3 W. H. Forbes-Misfires in Bituminous Coal Mines 12 A. W. Worthington-Misfires in Non-metallic Mining (Limestone) 18 Misfires in Anthracite Coal Mines BY T. D. THOMAS, * LANSFORD, PA. (New York Meeting, February, 1929) IN THIS paper, major attention is given to misfires in mines where electric multiple shot-firing is the system used. Misfires are sometimes caused by one action or condition and at other times by a combination of two or more. They may be divided into two classes: (1) those caused by workers in the mines, (2) mechanical or manufacturer's causes. The second cause will be discussed first.

Jan 1, 1929

By C. E. Shoenfelt

Jan 1, 1942

By C. E. Shoenfelt

Jan 1, 1942

By Sherwin Kelly

IN presenting this brief historical perspective, it is not my purpose to address myself to the geophysicists, to most of whom the story is already well known. My objective is to draw the attention of those who hold the belief that geophysics is something new, typically twentieth century, to the fact that fundamentally, whether it was known by the name of geo-physics or not, the science is an ancient and an honorable one. It began many centuries ago, and our modern civilization and its commerce owe a great debt to its founders, who today are likely to he overlooked and their names forgotten. The word "geophysics" means the physics of the earth, and is descriptive of a science that in many ways bears the same relationship to geology that astrophysics does to astronomy. When dealing with dis-tant stars or deeply buried rocks, the experimenter cannot reach them to obtain samples, which can be taken to his laboratory for study. He therefore exhibits the resourcefulness of Mahomet in the mountain episode, and makes the terrestrial globe or the cosmic universe his labora-tory, studying the effects of distant bodies on certain "fields of force"" which come to him across interstellar space, or through the rocks that make our earth. The application of these techniques of the physics laboratory to the study of the stars is the science of astrophysics, and to the investigation of the earth is geophysics. Yet the origin of the most valuable contribution to the world's trade and commerce ever made by geophysics remains lost in deep obscurity. Unknown even is the country wherein lived the unsung genius who invented the first geophysical instrument, the mariner's compass! Worse yet, it is not certain whether this invaluable guide of man had its begin-nings in Europe or in Asia. A Chinese legend tells of the Emperor Hwang-ti, who attacked his enemy Tchi-yeou on the plains of Tchou-lou in the year 2634 B.C., whereupon the latter magically raised such a fog that the Emperor could not pursue the retreating troops. Not to be outdone, the mighty ruler constructed a chariot that indicated the cardi-

Jan 1, 1938

By Erwin L. Zodrow

A geological model of the modes of formation of magnetite and its distribution in the Smallwood iron-ore mine, Labrador, Newfoundland, is given, based on observation and geological mapping. This is called the conceptual model. If mathematical expressions plus probabilistic uncertainty are used to represent the conceptual model, then this is termed a mathematical model. The purpose of this paper is to test if there exists a correspondence between the conceptual model and two related mathematical models (called factor analysis). Details of the statistical technique are given. The results of factor analyses in relation to the magnetite formations in the Smallwood mine are discussed. Several practical mine applications are presented. The difficulty of maintaining quality control over ore mined from any deposit naturally depends on geological conditions; these are usually imperfectly known to concerned mining geologists. One geological condition that would greatly facilitate ore predictions is if a relationship between the observed ore particle distribution* and its mode of origin could be demonstrated. Such a casual interrelationship is normally sought through the application of well-defined geochemical principles of primary mineralization in given geological environments. However, the application of conventional tools of geological research, including geochemistry, to areas that have undergone repeated periods of geological deformation and metamorphism subsequent to primary mineralization becomes rather difficult. More important, the interpretation of such research results are nearly impossible on an objective basis. Mineral assemblages may have been reworked and changed due to tectonic influences to the extent that the present-day observable mineralogy and ore-particle distribution can effectively obscure the mode of origin of the ore. Quantitative measurements, based on petrological investigation of mineral assemblages, reflect the sum-total of all geological influences. Which of several influences had the most effect on existing ore particle distribution is difficult to assess, for these influences can neither be measured directly nor quantified by petro-logical logical or geochemical means. The present study is concerned with the magnetite distribution and its modes of origin within the Small- wood mine,' located in the southern extension of the Labrador geosyncline; see Fig. 1. This geosyncline is thought to have undergone at least two periods of geo-tonic tectonic deformation, separated in time, since the fer-rugenous rugenous sediments were deposited." Detailed geological observations and mappings (1 in. to 40 ft) have highlighted subtle, distinctive features of the magnetite distribution in the Smallwood mine: (1) The magnetite is generally concentrated in bands or layers within this ore body; these bands alternate with specularite-rich bands and quartz bands. The banded or layered nature is common in Precambrian iron-ore deposits, and this has been interpreted as a result of changes in depositional environments. (2) The grain size of the magnetite varies; near the contacts between the iron and quartz-carbonate formations, the magnetite occurs as well-crystallized octa-hedra. In areas of intense folding, magnetite is extremely fine grained and concentrated in bands and occurs in association with earthy manganese minerals. (3) Magnetite tends to be more highly concentrated near the geological contacts of the iron and quartz-carbonate formation in the northeast part of this mine, Figs. 2, 3, and 4. (4) Magnetite is also fine grained and tends to higher concentration near and parallel to fold axes; however, in this case, the ore is much softer than given in item 2. (5) Magnetite mineralization decreases along strike and away from the areas of intense folding, i.e., towards the approximate center of the mine, Fig. 3. How can these variations of magnetite be explained on a geological basis? We can postulate a conceptual model that the distribution of magnetite appears to be related to three basic geological influences: (1) geo-tectonics, i.e., concentrations of magnetite near geological contacts of the iron and quartz-carbonate formations, the fine-grained nature of magnetite and its higher concentrations near fold axes, and decrease of magnetite towards the approximate center of the mine; (2) secondary alterations, i.e., variation of grain size of magnetite near the iron and quartz-carbonate contacts, and in areas of intense folding where magnetite occurs together with earthy manganese minerals: (3) original

Jan 1, 1971

By C. F. Wang

Page I. Introduction............:.............. 395 Manchuria in General ....................... 395 Pen-hsi-hu............................ 397 Pen-hsi-hu Coal & Iron Co., Ltd................... 399 I1. organization........................... 400 III. Coal Deposit........................... 402 Location..............................402 Geology............................. 403 Coal Mining...........'.................. 404 Mining Methods........................407 Mining Cost.........................408 IV. Coal Washing Plant.......................408 V. Coking Plant..........................410 VI. Iron Deposit...........................413 Magnetite Belt.......................... 413 Origin of Deposit......................... 414 Iron Mining........................... 415 VII. Concentration Plant........................ 417 VIII. Briquetting Plant.......................... 418 IX. Blast-furnace Smelting...................... 418 iNTKODtrCTION Manchuria in General Manchuria. called the "Three Eastern Provinces" in Chinese. forms the northeastern corner of China and is bordered by Siberia on the north and northeast. and by Korea on the east. It is a land famous in Chinese annals as the place of origin of the Ching dynasty. and in more recent times it has bcen an arena for diplomatic maneuvering and commercial competition between the Russians. advancing from the north. and the Japanese from the southeast. It derives its name of "three eastern provinces" from the fact that it is divided into three provinces; Hei-

Jan 1, 1918

By W. H. Emmons

MANY mineral veins occupy faults, and movements on certain warped fault planes have resulted in openings. On normal faults the [ ] steeper parts have the widest openings, and on reverse faults the flatter parts have the widest openings. Theoretically the width of the opening is the sine of the angle of deflection times the amount of movement on the fault plane, but actually the widths of some of the openings are probably less because of readjustments of walls along joints or of other readjustments. The first treatment of the subject seems to have been in a book on mineral veins by John Leithart, published in Newcastle, England, in 1838. Later the subject was treated in various texts published in Germany, in England, and elsewhere. The subject was not given much prominence in the earlier American literature on economic geology, but has interested several workers in that field in the past decade. In this paper examples of districts showing ore shoots on warped faults, with relations noted, are described. Fault veins of the three depth classes of veins are noted. Many epithermal veins are in normal faults, and commonly the larger ore shoots are in their steeper portions. Many mesothermal veins are in reverse faults and many others are in normal faults. The flatter parts of veins in reverse faults are commonly wider than the steeper parts, although they are not always as rich as the steeper segments of the veins. There are not many hypothermal veins in faults of measured displacement.

Jan 1, 1943

By Leon W. Dupuy

Many articles have been written describing peculiar and particular types of drilling. Little correlation has been made between the character of ground to be drilled and sampled and the type of drilling most desirable for procuring satisfactory samples. In development work, the engineer and metallurgist often desire the recovery of a sample in as physically natural a condition as possible, particularly when the sample must provide material for process tests as well as chemical and physical analyses. This paper describes the results of experimentation in drilling unconsoli-dated materials carrying titanium minerals in the Magnet Cove area, Ark. The drilling was most difficult in that the ground varied much in consistency, and it was vitally necessary to recover a physically natural sample. Ordinary churn drilling recovered a sample that could be analyzed chemically, but the sample was not in its natural state. The problem was successfully solved by utilizing and further developing methods used in the oil and clay industries. In the Magnet Cove area of Hot Spring County, Ark., the titanium minerals include rutile, brookite, ana- tase, leucoxene, and others. They occur in soil, clays, and altered rocks adjacent to novaculite in contact meta-morphic deposits. In preparing titanium minerals for use in the industry, it is necessary to know the physical characteristics of the ore. Also it is believed that the particular physical character of the titanium mineral used is just as important as the chemical character. Brookite and rutile, for example, are the same chemically but differ in crystalline structure. In preparing titanium minerals for market, beneficia-tion is necessary. For the millman to make a satisfactory laboratory test, the sample he uses must be as nearly of the same physical character as he would have from mine run ore. In the past at Magnet Cove, churn drilling had been done on the properties, and assays of total titania had been obtained. It was found, however, that the total titania was indicative merely of the presence of titania but did not tell the metallurgist the character of the material or even give him the slightest indication of what he might expect to recover. When the Bureau of Mines entered the field in the winter of 1947 and 1948, it was therefore necessary that a natural sample be recovered. LIMITATlONS IN ORDINARY PRACTICE The churn drilling that had previously been done had shown that the occurrence of titanium-bearing mineral was somewhat widespread. The samples were, however, completely beaten up and in a finely powdered state. The minerals had been slimed, and such ore dressing tests as were made from the churn-drill samples were found to be worthless. Test pitting and outcrop sampling had provided satisfactory samples of surface ore but did not represent the entire ore body. A quantity of rutile had been produced from the surface residual concentrations in the westerly part of the cove, but production ran into metallurgical trouble as depth was attained. Representative deep samples upon which ore dressing research might depend were needed.

Jan 1, 1950

By A. M. Gaudin

A great number of hypotheses has been advanced to explain the complex phenomena that are encountered in flotation. In the days of bulk-oil flotation, when a large quantity of oil was employed, it was observed that the oil-mineral aggregate floated above the ore-pulp because of its lesser density. With the advent of froth-flotation this phase of the theory had to be modified to take into account the presence of air bubbles. The reason why the mineral-bearing froth of today rises to the top of flotation cells is, of course, because the air-mineral aggregate, with whatever reagent may be associated with it, is lighter than the pulp. In an attempt to explain froth-flotation the fact has been emphasized that certain minerals are wetted and therefore remain in water; while others are not wetted and therefore become associated in preference with air. Such an "explanation" does not explain facts, it merely states them; for instance, it does not explain why minerals are wetted under some circumstances and not wetted under others. Going somewhat further, the wetting or nonwetting of minerals by water has been ascribed' to differences in the angles of contact between oil droplets and mineral surface at the surface of the minerals. This explanation, however, was abandoned when soluble flotation reagents came to replace the so-called "insoluble" reagents. Another theory, sponsored about 10 years ago by Ralston,² involves the effects of electric charges at the surface of the mineral particles and air bubbles. This theory, unfortunately, was not developed as fully as it seems desirable. The belief that adsorption phenomena might play a preponderant role in flotation3 has been rather widespread for the last 10 years. Unfor-

Jan 1, 1928

By A. Satter

Studies of wellbore heat transtnission during the injection of a hot fluid, as either gas or liquid, have appeared in he literature. The present investigation takes into account the effect of condensation, which is of practical sig-nificance when considering steam injection operations. Calculation procedures are given for superheated and for saturated and undersaturated steam. Effects of injection rate, time, pressure, temperature and depth of a well on heat losses have been analyzed. The benefits of using a packer are discussed. Also presented are correlations for estimating heat losses involved during injection of saturated steam. INTRODUCTION Studies of wellbore heat losses during the injection of a hot fluid have appeared in the literature. Ramey' has presented a useful solution for calculating temperature of a heated gas as a function of depth and injection time. Ramey and others have also presented solutions for the hot liquid case.'. ' No method is available to take into account the effect of condensation, which is of practical significance when considering steam injection operations. This paper presents a method of estimating the quality of a condensing fluid as a function of depth and time. The approach is basically the same as that used by Ramey. The following injected fluids and conditions are considered in this study: 1. Injection of superheated steam A. Decrease in temperature until cooled to the saturated state B. Condensation until condensed completely into hot (saturated) water 2. Injection of saturated or undersaturated steam; condensation until condensed completely into hot (saturated) water. Although this investigation does not include cooling of water after steam is completely condensed, Ramey's solution for the hot liquid case can be used for this purpose. The effects of various process variables on heat losses During the injection of steam into a well are investigated. THEORY QUALITY OF CONDENSING STEAM Predicting the behavior of condensing steam flowing down the injection wellbore requires an estimate of the quality of steam, i.e., the mass fraction of vapor in the mixture. Let us divide the total depth of the injection well into several segments which might be, but do not have to be, of equal magnitude. Consider condensation within a given depth interval AZ, the bottom of which is located at a depth Z from the surface (Fig 1). The following equation, derived in the Appendix- relates the quality of steam at the bottom of an interval to that at the top of the interval:

Jan 1, 1966

By Harold Roast

THE object of this investigation was to compare the arsenical antimony-lead alloy with some of the regular bearing-metal alloys. With this end in view, the following tests were made: 1. Chemical analyses to show the composition. 2. Thermal analyses. 3. Macroscopic examination of fractures. 4. Microscopic examination. 5. Tensile tests. 6. Crushing tests. 7. Scleroscope tests. 8. Brinell tests, at temperatures from 80° to 400° F. Tests 3 to 8 were conducted on both sand-cast and chill-cast specimens. For the purposes of this paper the alloys have been numbered from 1 to 6; their composition is as follows: LEAD, ANTIMONY, TIN, COPPER, ARSENIC, NUMBER PER CENT. PER CENT. PER CENT. PER CENT. PER CENT. 1 82.64 12.95 4.40 0.01 none 2 27.54 9.94 59.87 2.65 none 3 77.65 20.75 none 0.13 1.47 4 82.95 16.85 none 0.20 none 5 83.78 15.35 none 0.05 0.82 6 0.15 7.87 84.13 7.85 none The analysis, in the case of the antimony, was made by solution in sulfuric acid and titrated with permanganate. For tin, the ferric-chloride method was used; for copper, the alkaline separations, and the thiocyanate methods; for arsenic, volatilization of arsenic and titration with iodine. The lead, with the exception of alloy 6, was taken by difference.

Jan 2, 1922

By D. W. Lillie

It has been demonstrated that considerable bend ductility exists in bulk specimens of polycrystalline high-purity silicon. The possibility of hot-forming at 1200°C is suggested. EXCELLENT corrosion resistance in many media and low cross section for absorption of thermal neutrons (0.13 barn) would make silicon of interest to nuclear engineers were it not for extreme brittle-ness and the difficulty of fabrication by any reasonable means. The use of silicon for structural purposes also has been considered in view of its light weight and oxidation resistance. Johnson and Han-sen' have investigated the properties of silicon-base alloys and concluded that there was no way of making pure silicon or silicon-rich alloys ductile at room temperature. In view of reports of appreciable ductility in germanium single crystals above 550°C'." and some plastic deformation in single-crystal silicon above 900oC,' the present investigation was undertaken to define more precisely the limits of high-temperature ductility in pure silicon. After this investigation was begun torsion ductility in both germanium and silicon was reported by Greiner." Through the courtesy of F. H. Horn, a small bar of cast extra high-purity silicon was obtained and small bend specimens were made from it by careful machining and grinding. All of the reported tests results were obtained from samples from this bar (bar No. 1) and one other of similar source (bar No. 2). No complete analysis was obtained but, based on analysis of similar semi-conductor grade material, metallic impurities were under 0.01 pct total. Vacuum-fusion analysis for oxygen showed a value of 0.0018 2 0.0003 pct for the first bar tested and metallographic analysis showed no evidence of a second phase. Bend tests were carried out on an Instron tensile machine using a bend fixture with a 1 -in. span loaded at the center. Supporting and loading bars were 0.250 in. round and the load was applied by downward motion of the pulling crosshead of the machine. Specimen thickness and width were approximately 0.10 in. and % in. respectively. Loading rate was controlled by holding crosshead motion constant at 0.02 ipm. In some cases a smaller specimen was used on a 5/8-in. span with a 0.129-in.-diam loading bar. The entire bend fixture was surrounded by a hinged furnace and all heating was done in air atmosphere. Temperature measurement was made with thermocouples fastened directly to the bend fixture within less than 1 in. from the specimen. Autographic stress-strain curves were recorded during each test, and breaking load, total deflection, and plastic strain could be obtained from these curves. Stress was calculated from the beam formula S = 3PL/2bh2, where P is the load in pounds, L the span in inches, b the specimen width in inches, and h the specimen thickness in inches. This formula is strictly correct only in the elastic range but has been used to calculate a nominal stress for convenience in the plastic range. The stress given is the maximum stress in the specimen. Results The results of the complete series of tests are shown in Table I. The first group of tests (specimens Nos. 1-6) showed the beginning of plastic flow at a test temperature of 900°C, so two additional tests (Nos. 8 and 9) were made at 950°C on small-size specimens from bar No. 2. Specimen No. 8 was tested in the as-machined condition, and No. 9 was heat-treated in hydrogen at 1300°C for 2 hr, cooled to 1200°C and held 1 hr, cooled to 1000°C and held 1 hr, cooled to 900°C and held 1 hr, and finally cooled to a low temperature before removal from the hydrogen. It is apparent that the heat-treatment had a significant effect on yield strength and ductility. In addition, the magnitude of the yield point was conslderably reduced in the heat-treated specimen as is shown m Fig. 1 by tracings of the stress-strain curves. After obtaining a furnace capable of reaching higher temperatures specimens Nos. 10 to 13 were tested at 1100 and 1200°C. Strain rate was increased by up to a factor of 10 to see whether the ductility observed was excessively strain sensitive. Specimen NO. 10, strained at 0.02 ipm and 1100oC, was still bending at a deflection of 0.322 in. when the load rate was increased to 0.2 ipm, resulting in immediate

Jan 1, 1959

By R. G. Bowman

DISCUSSIONS of processes for the manufacture of white lead generally open with the statement that white lead is the oldest chemical pigment known to man. This fact is of more than historical interest; in the light of the present extensive use of white lead, ii indicates that the .compound possesses characteristics that make it unique among white pigments, and superior to all ;in its particular field. A greater variety of processes have been proposed for manufacturing white lead than for any other one chemical compound. Only a few of these processes have come into commercial use, however, and a large part of the present production here and abroad is made by the process used in ancient times. The outstanding disadvantages of the old process are that it is slow and laborious, affords no control of the product, and yields at best an impure material lacking in uniformity. Improved processes, sometimes classed all together as "quick processes," have had as their main object the shortening of the time required. Most of them accomplish this and some have yielded a superior product as well, but only two or three are now in use commercially. For centuries the manufacture and mixing of paints has been treated as an art, and the practice has been much influenced by tradition and precedent. There is a reluctance to abandon old materials for this purpose, and as few new uses for white lead have been developed, the adoption of the quick processes has been slow. The electrolytic production of white lead is not-new, a large number of processes and forms of apparatus have been proposed and patented within the past 25 years, all directed toward the, production of white lead, wholly or in part, by electrolysis. One or two of these processes were tried commercially but proved unsuccessful.

Jan 9, 1925

By A. Eilers

THE telluride of gold and silver, the " Tellurgold-silver" of Hausmann, and " Petzite" of other mineralogists, has been found in so few localities, that a late discovery of the mineral in a new locality may not be uninteresbing. So far this mineral has been found in Europe only in a few mines in Transylvania, and in Hungary; and in the United States in the Stanislaus Mine, in Calaveras County, California, in the Golden Rule Mine, Tuolumne County, California, and in a mine in Montana, the precise locality of which I have forgot, ten. The new locality referred to is at the Red Cloud Mine, Gold Hill District, Boulder County, Colorado.

By Evan Just

Throughout history mining operations have, been relatively technical in character and somewhat esoteric. In ancient times mines were places where prisoners of war or criminals were sent, to drag out short lives of hard labor, under conditions ranging from hazardous to lethal. Underground mines were damp and poorly lighted, and workers were often cramped in narrow spaces and tiresome positions. Hard rock was mined by building fires against faces and quenching with water. Combustion products from these fires and from such dim torches as were provided, plus the dampness, made the underground atmospheres quite injurious to health. During the Middle Ages, mining became less penitential and more technical. Because of the desire of sovereigns to foster production from mines, miners enjoyed special privileges as free men. Crude pumping, hoisting, and ventilation systems were introduced (Fig. 9.1). However, mining remained a relatively hardworking, hazardous occupation, separated from the lives and comprehensions of most people. With the Industrial Revolution, steam-powered pumps enabled penetration to greater depths, and the use of power-driven machinery gradually revolutionized productivity. Skill became more important than back-breaking labor. This revolution continues into the present. Mining today uses some of the largest and most complicated machinery in existence and little rock is moved by direct labor. Power drills, explosives, and boring machines penetrate and break hard rock. The modern mine, surface or underground, presents an impressive panoply of drilling, breaking, loading, and transporting equipment, facilities for power transmission, pumping, and ventilation, and expensive, complicated crushing and treatment machinery. Modern technology, machinery, and skilled workmen produce an efficiency that knows no parallel in the raw material field. Mineral substances are extracted and converted into useful forms at costs which are dwarfed by those of providing forest or agricultural products in terms of comparable weights, even though conversion of these last categories is typically much simpler. Capital investment per worker, i.e., mechanization, is greater than in nearly all other industries. Despite these features, and more than average financial risk, the mineral industries perform at modest profit. The popular concept that mines and oil fields are sources of boundless rewards is a myth, sustained by the occasional unusual episode. Before one can start actual production of minerals, he must first acquire a suitable deposit. The process of acquisition will require anything from a rather simple search to a difficult, lengthy, expensive exploration effort. After locating the desired deposit, title must be obtained by denouncement, concession, leasing, or purchase. If the deposit is solid, it can be mined in pits or underground workings. If fluid or easily fusible, it can be produced through wells. If dissolved in lake or seawater, it can be

Jan 1, 1976

By Strathmore R. B. Cooke, Iwao Iwasaki, C. S. Chang

The effects of aeration on an aqueous suspension of pyrrhotite were studied and their results correlated with flotation tests using xanthates as collectors. The effects of copper activation and of pH variation were determined and possible mechanisms postulated. PYRRHOTITE has long been considered a gangue mineral to be eliminated as tailing in the treatment of various sulphide ores. However, in recent years the world-wide lack of sulphur resources has called attention to this mineral as a potential source of both sulphur and iron. Its importance as an economic mineral, however, has not been particularly emphasized. For this reason very little is known about its response to flotation, except that it can be depressed easily in alkaline circuit, by long aeration,1,2 addition of oxidizing agents,3 or by starch.' The object of this work was to study the floatabil-ity of pyrrhotite. This includes the effect of oxidation by aeration, of copper activation, and of change in pH. Preparation of the Pyrrhotite Sample: It was desirable that the highest grade of pyrrhotite obtainable be used for this experiment, since the presence of other minerals could affect the surface properties.5 However, no pyrrhotite was available as crystals, and massive deposits of hydrothermal origin commonly contain considerable amounts of chalcopyrite. Pyrrhotite concentrate was, therefore, prepared from a sulphide deposit occurring near Aitkin, Minn. The deposit is of pyrometamorphic nature consistirlg mainly of pyrrhotite and pyrite with graphite, silicates, and carbonates as gangue. The ore, already crushed through 3 mesh when received, was screened at 65 mesh and the undersize discarded. The oversize was crushed through rolls, and then stage-ground dry in an Abbe porcelain mill, the —65 mesh portion being screened out after every 15 min of grinding until all the material passed through this size. The ground product was then concentrated with a drum-type dry magnetic separator. The rougher concentrate was cleaned twice and then demagnetized. The final product was split in a Jones splitter and stored in air-tight bottles. Microscopic examination of the concentrate showed that it was relatively clean and free of pyrite, locked particles, and gangue. By means of the krypton gas adsorption method," the specific surface was determined to be 3000 cm2 per g. The chemical and screen analyses of the final concentrate are given in Tables I and II respectively. It is a well-recognized fact that the oxidation of some sulphide ores during stockpiling, grinding, and conditioning affects their flotation behavior. The problem of oxidation may become serious in the case of pyrrhotite, since this is known to be more easily oxidized than many other sulphides. To ascertain the extent of oxidation, an experiment was carried out by aerating an aqueous suspension of pyrrhotite with air, oxygen, and nitrogen as follows. A 300-g sample of pyrrhotite in 2700 ml of water was agitated and simultaneously aerated in a Fager-gren-type laboratory flotation machine. A Precision wet test meter was connected to the air inlet valve, the flow rate of the gas being kept constant at 0.3 cu ft per min throughout the experiment. Samples of approximately 30 ml each were taken from the cell at 0, 4, 10, 20, 35, 60, and 90 min. After the pH was taken, each sample was filtered and the filtrate was analyzed for total iron and sulphur. The iron was determined colorimetrically by the thioglycolate method using a green filter.' The filtrate was oxidized with bromine to convert all of the soluble sulphur compounds into sulphate and this was determined with a Parr turbidimeter." When aeration tests were made in alkaline circuit, calcium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide was added at regular intervals to maintain a constant pH. A similar procedure was followed in an experiment to determine the abstraction of copper. ion by pyrrhotite. In this case various quantities of cupric chloride were added. The filtrate from each sample taken was analyzed for copper, total iron, and sulphur. The carbamate method with a green filter was used for the copper analysis,' since this method could tolerate a considerable amount of iron in the solution. A pneumatic cell, made from a 350-ml fritted glass Buechner funnel, was used for this experiment. The detail of the assemblage has been described elsewhere." In the present work a stainless steel baffle was inserted in the cell. This baffle overcame the tendency for the coarse pyrrhotite particles to be swirled around the wall of the cell and thus fail to collect in the froth. A 50-g sample of pyrrhotite was added to the cell which contained 260 ml of water. When pretreat-ment of the sample was desired, reagents, such as activator and pH regulator, were then added and the pulp was conditioned for a specified conditioning time. Prior to the addition of the collector approximately 15 ml of the solution were removed for pH measurement and for iron and sulphur analyses. Copper when used as activator was also determined. Collector and frother were then added and the pulp was conditioned for an additional 2 min. Air was admitted to the cell and the froth removed. The separation required from 4 to 6 min, depending on the characteristics of the froth. The float and non-float products were filtered, dried, weighed, and assayed for iron.

Jan 1, 1955

By David W. Brunton

From the old-fashioned " grab-sample " to the modern timing-device, which takes a machine-sample with mathematical precision, there is a wide gap, which was only crossed by many years of toil and unremitting endeavor. Even to-day, notwithstanding the advancement in the art, " grab-sampling " is still practiced—sometimes to afford the unscrupulous mine-promoter a basis for fairy-tales with which to entrap the too-gullible investor, and often by milling and smelting companies to determine the amount of moisture in custom-ores. The latter practice is almost as reprehensible as the former, and it causes more trouble and ill-feeling between seller and buyer than all other factors put together. -NO reputable concern to-day would think of attempting to determine by grab-sampling the amount of gold, silver, lead, or copper contained in an ore, and yet many buyers expect the miner to accept the results of grab-sampling in the determination of the amount of water contained in the ore, forgetting that accurate results are just as necessary here as in the determination of the metals, because the result determines the percentage of weight of the ore which shall be excluded and considered to have no value whatever. Samples for the determination of moisture should be taken with as great care as samples for the determination of metallic content, and in order to avoid the extra expense of a separate operation moisture-samples should be taken from the sample-safe. As the sample reaches the sample-bin in a smaller stream and by a more circuitous route than the " reject" travels in its path to the outgoing car, it loses more moisture en route, and a constant should be added to compensate for this difference. Carefullg ,con ducted experiments have shown that the differ.elice in loss of moisture between the two routes does not exceed 10 per cent. in summer and 7 per cent. in winter. For instance,

Jan 1, 1910

By H. A. Bright, H. C. Vacher, J. G. Thompson

The methods employed for the determination of oxides and oxygen in ferrous materials may be roughly classed in two groups, "wet" methods and "hot" methods, the first group including the iodine, electrolytic, mercuric chloride, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and chlorine methods; the second group including the vacuum-fusion and hydrogen-reduction methods. The wet methods depend upon preferential solubility in a selected medium to separate the metallic portion of the sample from the oxygen-containing constituents. Subsequent analysis of the insoluble residue permits the isolation and separate determination of individual oxides and compounds. The hot methods depend upon the reduction of the oxide constituents of the sample by means of carbon or hydrogen at elevated temperatures. With the exception of the recently developed fractional vacuum-fusion method, the hot methods do not identify individual oxides and compounds but yield only a single value representing the sum of the oxygen contents of several or all of the oxide constituents present. With such diversity in the principles and aims of the different groups, it is not surprising that concordance of results by different methods has usually been difficult to obtain. The present cooperative attempt to define more rigorously than has been possible heretofore the accuracy and limits of usefulness of the various methods, originated in correspondence between Dr. John Johnston, Director of Research of the United States Steel Corporation, and other interested metallurgists. The plan was, briefly, to submit identical samples to a number of laboratories for analysis by different methods and to collate the results of these analyses. The project was endorsed by the Iron and Steel Division of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers at the annual meeting in February, 1933, and has been conducted under the joint sponsorship of the Iron and Steel Division and the National Bureau of Standards. The latter organization undertook

Jan 1, 1937

By M. G. Corson

Until recently, the characteristics of cast copper have seldom been studied and such study as has been made has been inadequate. The prevailing idea seems to be that since pure copper is infrequently used in the cast stlate, there is no reason for trying to establish precise data regarding the properties of the metal in that condition. On the other hand, wrought copper either in the shape of sheets or wire rarely fails in service, except as a result of the action of reducing gases at the annealing temperatures, so there is little incentive to study the properties of the cast shapes —cakes, bars, ingots and billets—for the sake of tracing the causes of failures of the wrought metal to the cast stock. However, about a decade ago, wirebars of American origin often cracked badly while being hot-rolled in mills in Germany. This Icd to four investigations: by E. Seidl and E. Schieboldll by P. Siebe12 by 0. Bauer and G. Sachs,3 and by G. Welter.4 These authors came to the conclusion that failures in hot-rolling were due essentially to the presence of a wide zone of columnar crystals between t'he thin layer of fine crystal5 near the surfaces of the bars and the large but more nearly equiaxed grains of the central core. This macrostructural defect was explained in turn by the probable upward deviation in the temperature of the metal while it was being poured into the molds of the castling machine. More recently, cast shapes of copper were investigated by X. 1'. Allenh and by C. Blazey. Allen examined vertically cast wirebars and hori-zontally cast wedge cakes of electrolytic tough-pitch copper, but only for the distribution of densities; i.e., porosity. Blazey was interested mainly in the mechanism of the variations in electrical conductivity due to cold-work and anneal, but gave introductively an account of the composi-tion and average densities of the tough-pitch horizontally cast Wirebars used. As far as the present writer can tell, no investigation mas under-taken for the sake of presenting a picture of the distribution of mechanical characteristics in the wirebars of copper, or otherwise.

Jan 1, 1938

By M. G. Corson

Until recently, the characteristics of cast copper have seldom been studied and such study as has been made has been inadequate. The prevailing idea seems to be that since pure copper is infrequently used in the cast stlate, there is no reason for trying to establish precise data regarding the properties of the metal in that condition. On the other hand, wrought copper either in the shape of sheets or wire rarely fails in service, except as a result of the action of reducing gases at the annealing temperatures, so there is little incentive to study the properties of the cast shapes —cakes, bars, ingots and billets—for the sake of tracing the causes of failures of the wrought metal to the cast stock. However, about a decade ago, wirebars of American origin often cracked badly while being hot-rolled in mills in Germany. This Icd to four investigations: by E. Seidl and E. Schieboldll by P. Siebe12 by 0. Bauer and G. Sachs,3 and by G. Welter.4 These authors came to the conclusion that failures in hot-rolling were due essentially to the presence of a wide zone of columnar crystals between t'he thin layer of fine crystal5 near the surfaces of the bars and the large but more nearly equiaxed grains of the central core. This macrostructural defect was explained in turn by the probable upward deviation in the temperature of the metal while it was being poured into the molds of the castling machine. More recently, cast shapes of copper were investigated by X. 1'. Allenh and by C. Blazey. Allen examined vertically cast wirebars and hori-zontally cast wedge cakes of electrolytic tough-pitch copper, but only for the distribution of densities; i.e., porosity. Blazey was interested mainly in the mechanism of the variations in electrical conductivity due to cold-work and anneal, but gave introductively an account of the composi-tion and average densities of the tough-pitch horizontally cast Wirebars used. As far as the present writer can tell, no investigation mas under-taken for the sake of presenting a picture of the distribution of mechanical characteristics in the wirebars of copper, or otherwise.

Jan 1, 1938