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Abbey. Robert Graham, District Mgr.. The W. W. Sly Mfg. Co., 50 Church St., New York, N. Y. '21 Abbott, Clarence E., V.P., Charge of Raw Materials, Tenn. Coal, Iron & R. R. Co., 1242 Brown-Marx Bldg., Birmingham, Ala. '04 Abbott, Louis Benjamin, Chief Engr., Consolidation Coal Co., Watson Bldg., Fairmont, W. Va. '15 Abeel, George H., Jr., Cons. Min. Engr 12S1, S. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, Cal. '18 4 -Abel, Raymond L., Asst. Prof., Dept. of Pet. Refin.. Univ. of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, Pa. '28 Abel, Walter D., Cons. Engr 650 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, Cal. '82 Abele. Louis T., Min, & Met. Engr., Supt., Texas Hill Mine Coulterville, Cal. '31 Abell, Leo M Sullivan Concentrator, Chapman Camp, B. C., Canada '31 Abernathy, George Elmer, Prof. of Geol. & Min., Kansas State Teachers College. Pittsburg, Kan. '20 Aborn, Robert H., Asst. Met., Research Lab., U. S. Steel Corp., Lincoln Highway, Kearny, N. J. '19 Abraham, W. E. V., Member, Geological Staff of Burmah Oil Co., Ltd., Nyaunghla, Upper Burma, India. '28 Abstein, Henry T., Engr. & Mgr., Profile-Tamarack Mines Co Yellow Pine, Idaho '27 Acker, E. O'C., Met 128 East Washington Lane, Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa. '86 Ackerman, D. E., Met., Research Lab., International Nickel Co., Inc Bayonne, N: J. '24 Ackerman, George F., Engr., Real del Monte y Pachuca Min. Co., Apt. 3, Pachuca, Hgo., Mexico '29 *Acres. T. H.. Geol. Dept., Valuation & Pet. Engrg., Richfield Oil Co., 555 S. Flower St., Los Angeles, Cal. '29 Adachi, Jinzoo Address Wanted '88

Jan 1, 1934

By Leonard A. Wood, A. G. Winslow

Subsidence has occurred in several areas of the upper Gulf Coast region of Texas, although in most cases this is not evident without precise instrumental leveling. As referred to in this report, the region com- prises about 7200 sq miles of the Gulf Coastal Plain and includes all or parts of the following counties: Harris, Fort Bend, Waller, Brazoria, Galveston, Liberty, Chambers, Orange, and Jefferson (Fig. 1 ). Topographic relief is low, ranging from sea level at the Gulf of Mexico to 300 ft or more in northwestern Harris County.

Jan 10, 1959

By Joseph Jensen

No outstanding example of an important producing unit operation exists in California today where the competitive drilling drainage feature is or was entirely eliminated We need not feel, however, that the thought of unit operation had its birth in 1924, when Henry L. Doherty named and sponsored it so strongly before the American Petroleum Institute and our own organization. No man or company in California ever drilled a wildcat well without exerting every possible effort to get all of the structure, so as to control drilling and avoid competition. Overproduction did not begin in 1923, so there has always been the wish to avoid it. In this state the practice of selling acreage around a wildcat has not been followed, except possibly in rare instances. The operator drilling the wildcat knew he must pay the bill alone, so he endeavored to get the benefit of his effort by tying up all of the land around his well and by so planning his different lease obligations as to avoid as much offsetting as possible. If he failed to get all of the land, it was because someone's price was too high, some other oil man also had the same idea and already held some lands, a competitor took leases away from him while his work was still incomplete, or (as was so often the case) the hidden structure when developed did not prove to be where the wildcatter thought it would be. The last named condition often led to a forced drilling campaign by the last leases secured and thus to serious drilling drainage problems. Ownership of the Land The land situation differs a great deal in various parts of the state. In the San Joaquin Valley, all the land is surveyed into sections and townships. Railroad land grants embraced a part of the land. In the areas that were developed at an early date, as at Kern River, Coalinga, McKittrick and the Sunset-Midway field, such land as the railroad company's diligent land department had been unable to sell for a song as grazing land still remained in its ownership. Operation and ownership

Jan 1, 1930

By McDowell Graves, Joseph Jensen, W. D. Goold, M. L. Gwin

During the present year the Santa Fe Springs field has proved to be the most important oil field under development in the United States. Its production will exceed that of any other field. Without it, production within the United States would have been almost in even balance with consumption. The field has forced to the fore and compelled, more than any other single factor, serious consideration of the need of conserving the gas resources of the State of California. It has also contributed much to the development of new drilling equipment and important features in petroleum engineering, and has required the development of a new cement for use in deep wells because of high temperatures. It is the only oil field in the country where wells 8000 ft. deep have become so common that they are no longer given special attention. The field covers a little less than 1400 acres of land. In it 196 producing deep-zone wells have already been drilled since August, 1928, and 224 wells are still drilling. More wells may be drilled. This indicates that probably more than 450 wells will be drilled in the present campaign. In hardly a year's time it has caused the outlay of nearly $50,000,000 for drilling, and within the year 1929 it will have returned practically an equal amount of revenue. In contrast to conditions during 1923, when this field was once before an important and disturbing factor, the California oil industry has not been forced to refinance to meet the situation presented by such a large production of oil. There has been practically no unit selling and no stock selling, nor any unnecessary development far beyond the limits of the field. Production is now about 275,000 bbl. per day and gives every promisc of remaining at this figure or increasing to nearly 300,000 bbl. Six months from now the field should still be capable of producing more than 200,000 bbl. per day. Obviously, the need for conserving gas that would be blown to the air, incident to the production of so large a volume of oil, represents a problem in conservation deserving of the most serious attention of the oil industry and of the State of California.

Jan 1, 1930

By AIME AIME

THE Tuesday afternoon session", H. A. Bedworth chairman and T. S. Fuller, vice-chairman, was opened with D. J. McAdam, Jr.'s paper entitled "The Influence of Cyclic Stress on Corrosion." This paper dealt with the influence of cyclic stress on corrosion of alloy steels, corrosion-resisting steels, monel metal and aluminum alloys. The paper was discussed by T. S. Fuller, who pointed out that steels under stress corroded more than unstressed steels when subjected to steam.

Jan 1, 1930

By A. B. Kinzel

ALTHOUGH the iron-carbon diagram has undergone many changes in the last 20 years, the region below the eutectoid line and up to approxi-mately 1.7 per cent carbon has been little affected. This region is generally considered to consist of cementite and ferrite. Graphite has been noted occasionally in the hypereutectoid steel region, and the ready formation of graphite nodules in malleable cast iron is a phenomenon difficult to interpret in the light of cementite, supposedly stable at sub-eutectoid temperatures. In this case the graphite formation has been partly explained by the presence of silicon, and many have believed that silicon acts to change the stable state rather than to accelerate reactions so as to arrive at the stable state in a briefer period of time. Consider-ation of this phenomenon indicates that cementite is not the stable phase in the temperature composition zone referred to. In the course of examining a low-carbon steel tube taken from a petroleum cracking still, which had been in service for approximately three years at temperatures somewhat below the eutectoid temperature, observations were made that shed light on this entire subject. The tube in question analyzed:1 C, 0.15 per cent; Mn, 0.49; Si, 0.02; S, 0.023; P, 0.015. The microstructure of the tube after service is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. From these it is evident that cementite as such is absent, and that in its place nodular graphite has been formed. In order to check this observation further, samples taken from the tube were heated at 850° C. for varying periods of time. The small samples were put into a large hot furnace, and the total time is recorded. The structure of the

Jan 1, 1934

By Herbert Everest

THE idea of economical production is usually associated with large operations, tonnages, and mines, with even larger capital behind them. Nevertheless many small mines operate in the shadow of large competitors and make a good showing on the capital invested despite larger overhead expenses. For the purpose of this discussion I will divide the cost of production into classes, and specify opposite each the approximate percentage expended thereon: 1. Labor, including miners and company men; 60 to 75 per cent. 2: Development, including all necessary yardage, room turning, crosscuts, etc.; 7 to 12 per cent. 3. Deadwork, covering payment to miners for handling falls, drawslate, or faults, rock work, water, and in general, all nonproductive labor; 3 to 7 per cent. 4. Supplies: mine timbers, oil, brattice material, lumber, cement, and repairs to equipment; 2 to 6 per cent. 5. Expense: management, selling, office, taxes, etc.; 1 to 5 per cent. 6. Depreciation of coal reserves and royalties; 6 to 10 per cent. 7. Depreciation of equipment and interest on capital invested; 1 to 3 per cent. 8. Fuel; ½ to 1 ½ per cent. The labor cost for a small mine is relatively much lower than for a large mine, particularly the sum paid to company men. Idle-pay expense is cut to a minimum; the labor item being larger than all the others together, a saving in labor makes a decided showing on the total cost. The development charges in small and large mines are about the same. There should be a small showing on the Beadwork item in favor of the small mine. The unit cost for supplies is usually small in the small mine. The operator of the small mine finds, owing to a limited tonnage, that the expenses of management, selling, etc., are abnormally high.

Jan 1, 1916

By Harrison Souder

In view of the proposed visit of the Institute to Cuba this winter, the following brief sketch of the principal mineral deposits near Santiago de Cuba has been prepared largely from notes taken in February, 1903, during a visit to the mines then in operation in the province of Santiago de Cuba. Westward from Cape Maysi, the most eastern point of the island, the coast is rocky and uninviting. The usual course of the steamers is well in toward the shore, and the lines of stratification of the rocks can be distinguished clearly, the presence of iron or other ores being indicated by frequent blotches of mineral stain. One is impressed with the general rugged character of the southeastern coast-line,—an almost unbroken barrier of coral-limestone bluff's, full of caves and hollows, into which the surf rushes with a roar and bursts into tall fountains of spray. Beyond rises abruptly the Sierra Maestra range, whose sharp, peaked crest-line betrays its eruptive or igneous origin. From a height of about 800 ft. near Cape Maysi, this range gradually rises to the westward, attaining its maximum elevation of more than 8,300 ft. in the Pico Turquino, beyond Santiago. A general resemblance to the mountain-ranges of southern New Mexico is noticeable. At Daiquiri, 20 miles east of Santiago harbor, the extensive

Jan 1, 1905

By W. A. Riggs

In a single year the total transportation cost equals nearly 30 pct of the value of mineral commodities, the largest single cost from the deposit to consumer. The magnitude of this economic factor calls for more complete understanding of cost and operational problems between producer and carrier than now exists. Details are given of the costs of providing transportation as well as freight rates for selling transportation. In 1958, transportation of mineral commodities in the United States required 600 billion ton-miles to move 1 3/4 billion tons of products of mines comprising solid fuels, crude oil, industrial minerals and rocks, and ores. Possibly 17 pct was handled by more than one mode of transport, since combinations of several modes of transport may, at times, achieve better service/cost results than any single mode. Total transportation cost of nearly $5 billion equaled roughly 30 pct of the value of the mineral commodities, the largest single cost from the mineral deposit to the consumer. The tremendous magnitude of this transportation undertaking demands much more complete understanding than now exists between mineral producers and carriers about the economic and operational problems of each other. A substantial portion of the daily work of the writer is spent in trying to act as a combination interpreter and catalyst between potential shippers and carriers, hoping to direct both to points of mutual understanding and advantage. For the purpose of this paper, it is necessary to ask mining people to accept some terminology and to try to appreciate the mental approach of the freight rate making people of the carriers. This paper will consider costs of providing transportation as well as freight rates for selling transportation—although these are fields of limited certainty. There are no accurate statistical breakdowns for all modes of transport and types of carriers indicating commodities, volume of traffic, distances, costs, and rates. Much information is available for railroads, and some for the regulated portions of air, motor, pipeline, and water transportation. Unregulated carriers, handling about half of the transportation of products of mines, are not required to report, and very little is known of their activities. Figures used herein are national in scope, unless otherwise indicated, and have generally been derived from Interstate Commerce Commission reports and files. Tonnage figures have been reduced to net tons of 2000 lb. The very generalized comparison of average mileage freight rate levels for various modes of transport provided by Fig. 1 affords advantageous perspective for the entire field of transportation costs. Dashed guide lines show cents per ton-mile, and dotted guide lines show percentage of first class railroad freight rate. While costs of other than railroad transportation more nearly follow constant cents per ton-mile functions, costs of railroad transportation show characteristic taper, or decrease in cents per-ton mile with increasing length of haul. This fundamental difference in cost is due largely to the fact that railroads and pipelines provide their own fully taxed roadway facilities while highway, waterway, and air carriers use government-provided tax-free roadway at no cost other than fuel, license, and certain excise taxes. Thus railroad and pipeline transportation might be said to carry heavy threshold costs in addition to those transportation costs which are directly variable with ton miles of transportation produced. The original basis of railroad freight rate structures lies in the classification of all articles of commerce into railroad class ralings ranging from 7 to 40 pct of first class (100 pct) rate level, dependent on value, hazard, loading characteristics, service requirements, and whether carload or less than carload. Classification tables and mileage-based (but arbitrarily grouped), rate scales are published as tariffs subject to approval by regulatory bodies. Used together, these determine class rates in cents per 100 lb between points in the U. S. Where local commercial or operating conditions render it advantageous for carriers to depart from

Jan 1, 1961

By H. E. Mills

THE local auditorium of a little Alabama mining town was crowded with expectant men, women and children, as the bulletin board had announced the addition of visiting entertainers to supplement the local talent and motion pictures which usually made up the program of the regular monthly safety meeting. In the audience, near the stage, sat a group of bright-faced boys in boy scout uniforms, discussing the picture just completed. As the lights flashed on a crash and scream was heard from the outside, a shrill whistle and word of command from the scoutmaster, and five of the scouts ran out of the hall, while the mine super-intendent stepped on the stage and requested everyone to keep their seats. The scouts returned, three of them carrying a limp figure in their arms, while the other two cleared the doorway and aisle of excited spectators. They marched to the stage and, placing the apparently badly-injured boy on the floor, proceeded to give an expert demonstration of first aid to the injured. The scoutmaster then explained to the audience that the whole affair had been arranged for their benefit, and invited the local first-aid men to come up on the stage to examine and criticize the boys' work. This gave an opening for several talks on the value of first-aid training and accident prevention, which is the main object of the monthly meetings. This demonstration was given by the first-aid team of Troop One, and the entertainment was provided by members of Troop One and Twenty-eight of the Bir-mingham Scout Council, organized by the writer for the purpose of promoting interest in the welfare and safety meetings in the mining villages of the State. During the past year they have visited a number of such meet-ings and presented programs similar to the one men-tioned above. However, in order to assure a good attendance, entertainment features must also be pro-vided, and the serious part of the evening program was interspersed with excellent vocal and instrumental mu-sic, dancing and novelty acrobatic acts furnished by the visiting scouts. In addition to the numerous first-aid teams of the Birmingham Council, there are hundreds of scouts scat-tered throughout the mining district whose knowledge of first aid, safety first, life-saving, personal health and public health are a constant source of protection to their community. All of these subjects are covered by merit badge pamphlets and are required of an eagle scout.

Jan 2, 1927

Rossiter Worthington Raymond, Ph.D., LL. D-1840 to 1918.-Dr. Rossiter W. Raymond, Past President, Honorary Member and Secretary Emeritus, died suddenly of heart failure at his home, 123 Henry'St., Brooklyn, N. Y., on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 31, 1918. He was one of the founders of the Institute and its second President. A Memorial 'Service will be held on Monday afternoon, Feb. 17. James Douglas.- The Institute suffered a second very severe loss by the death of Dr. James Douglas, Honorary Member, Past President (having served as President for two years), and in three separate respects the greatest benefactor of the Institute: first, in raising funds by volun¬tary subscription and his own personal gifts to pay the Institute's share of the money owed on the land on which the Engineering Societies Build¬ing now stands; second, as original donor to Engineering Societies Library; and third, by his bequest of $100,000 for the maintenance of the library of the American Institute of Mining Engineers. A resolution regarding the death of Dr. Douglas was passed by the Board of Directors and at the meeting of the Institute on Sept. 4, 1918, in Colorado, at which time a memorial service was held in the thea¬ter of the Hotel Broadmoor, attended by about 400 members and guests. A copy of the resolution was prepared and sent to the family. A bronze tablet is now being prepared and will be placed in the Members' Room and unveiled at the February meeting. A biography and portrait of Dr. Douglas was published in the September, 1918, Bulletin. There is also placed in the Engineering Societies Library an oil portrait of Dr. Douglas which had his own approval and was presented by him. American Institute of Metals.--During the Spring of the year, plans were completed with the American Institute of Metals whereby this society became the Institute of Metals Division of the American Insti¬tute of Mining Engineers. This body was a dignified aggregation of metallurgists which had been in existence for about 11 years. A bronze tablet commemorating the American Institute of Metals is now being placed in the Members' Room of the Institute, and during the year 1919 the Bulletin will bear the following title: "Bulletin of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, with which is consolidated the American Institute of Metals." Visits to Local Sections.-During the year President Jennings made visits to six of the Local Sections, on three of which occasions he was accompanied by the First Vice-president and the Secretary. First Vice-president Goodale made five visitations and the Secretary made eight.

Jan 1, 1923

By William J. Potter, Roger N. Pyle

Introduction The primary ingredient for survival of mining companies during a recessionary period is to be innovative and resourceful in the structuring and financing of operations. Over the past decade, many mining companies have had to retrench and restructure their operations and to redeploy their assets just to survive. During the same period, traditional sources of financing for mining companies -- commercial banks, subsidized export credit loans and long term straight debt financing in the public markets -- became less available and more expensive. Meanwhile, new markets and new financing instruments provided new alternatives for mining companies. Those companies which exploited these alternatives greatly enhanced their capacity for survival and even for profitability. This article considers the strategies adopted by some companies to adapt to changes in this recessionary environment; the inadequacy of traditional sources of financing; certain of the new financing instruments, structures and markets which have become available; and how several mining companies have utilized these new instruments, structures and financial markets to improve their competitive positions. THE IMPACT OF RECESSION ON MINING COMPANIES AND TRADITIONAL FINANCING SOURCES In its 1983 year-end article "The New Economic Order" Mining Journal characterized many of the large private sector mining companies with operations in the industrialized countries as being "gripped between the jaws of high working costs and stagnating metal commodity prices." The article went on to characterize the Canadian mining industry in particular as being "in the difficult position of having to seek to sell the bulk of its output in a world market characterized by over-capacity, where production costs were determined by internal political and economic factors while prices were set by external competitive forces of supply and demand." Miners of a wide range of commodities in the industrialized countries have come to realize that their domestic mineral resources are in many cases no longer competitive with global sources of supply. To compete and survive they would have to rely on their technical and financial expertise in mineral exploration and development and in mining and processing. Strategies For Survival Global competition has compelled management in the extractive industries to improve their worldwide cost position. This is the only means whereby a mining company can differentiate its product and attain a substantial competitive advantage. During the past decade, for example, ASARCO Inc. and Inco Ltd. chopped their payrolls, postponed expansion plans and otherwise retrenched. ASARCO reduced its capital expenditures and cash requirements for operations in 1984 to a level almost equal to its internally generated cash. The company's finances were also strengthened by increasing total lines of credit from outside sources, by selling common stock, and by reducing annual pension funding through a change in actuarial assumptions. Other companies returned to their traditional organizational structure where they had a demonstrated competitive strength. Consolidated Gold Fields, for instance, resumed its operation as a mining finance house. Its capital investment programs are now devoted solely to resource development. In mid-1984, at a time of firming zinc prices, Union Miniere S.A. used the opportunity to integrate its smelting capacity and to direct investment to certain subsidiaries at the expense of less viable operations. Smaller corporations realized that it was not enough just to be the low-cost producer. For example, Drummond Coal Company in Alabama, which dominates its regional market due to its low-costs, has also developed a world-wide trading capability and has placed incremental tonnage from its own mines as well as brokered coal produced by others, thereby minimizing capital risk. In Canada, Campbell Resources has exploited difficult times by acquiring assets cheaply. In the process it improved its capacity to withstand cyclical economic swings by diversifying from solely a copper and gold producer to a company based upon asbestos, coal, copper, gold and natural gas.

Jan 1, 1985

By Gregory L. Gullord

In September, 1975, production was begun at the new milling facility of ASARCO Incorporated, the Young Mill. The mill is located adjacent to the Young Mine 35 km (22 miles) east of Knoxville, Tennessee. The Young Mill replaced the obsolete Mascot Mill which had been operating since 1913. The basic flow sheet of Mascot was retained for the construction of the Young Mill, with a 20% increase in capacity included in the design. The Young Mill is capable of processing 7710 - t/d (8500 stpd) of crude ore from three underground mines (Young, Immel and Coy) yielding 300 - t/d (330 stpd) of 63% zinc concentrate. The Young Mill is unique in that 92.5% of the ore milled is recovered as saleable products, including zinc concentrate, construction aggregate, sand and agricultural limestone. Processing at the Young Mill is divided into five basic stages: two-stage crushing, heavy media separation, grinding-flotation, concentrate filtering and drying, and limestone by-products recovery. The ore bodies are located in the Knox formation, which consists of primary dolomite, secondary dolomite and limestone with silicas in the form of chert and jasperoid. The zinc mineralization occurs as an exceptionally pure sphalerite. The ore contains an occasional abundance of pyrite and traces of fluorite and barite. TWO STAGE CRUSHING Ore enters the crushing section from two points. The Young Mine ore is hoisted into a 816 ton (900 st) bin which feeds a 1.52m (60 in) conveyor via a 1.52 m (60 in) vibrating feeder. The Immel ore is trucked 10 km (6 miles) by an independent contractor and weighed on automatic recording truck scales at the entrance to the property.

Jan 1, 1977

By Herty, C. H.

Iron oxide (FeO) plays an extremely important part in the manufacture of iron and steel. In the three major processes- blast-furnace, open-hearth, and Bessemer converter-iron oxide is the chemically predominant compound and controls to a large ex- tent the operation of the furnaces and the composition and quality of their respective products. In order to emphasize the importance of iron oxide in each process, they will be considered individually in some detail. THE OPEN-HEARTH FURNACE. Iron oxide is introduced into the open-hearth furnace in four ways : 1. The scrap charged into the open hearth is oxidized by the furnace gases, the amount of oxide formed depending primarily on the amount and type of scrap charged. It has been found' that with large scrap, 1.7 Ib. of FeO is formed per 100 Ib. of scrap charged, whereas with scrap of medium size about 5.3 Ib. of FeO is formed per 100 Ib. of scrap charged, when the period between the charging of the scrap and the addition of hot metal is 3 hours. 2. The decomposition of the limestone sets free CO, by the reaction

Jan 1, 1957

By JOHN BIRKNBINE

MR. NEILSON was born Aug. 12, 1842, at Philadelphia, Pa., where he died Dec. 30, 1906. His business career began with his graduation, in the class of 1862, from the Polytechnic College of the State of Pennsylvania. For a short time after graduation he was instructor in mathematics at the college, and then became associated with Messrs. Booth & Garrett, chemists, of his native city: In 1867 he was sent to the Adirondack mountains to care for mining interests of the late Jay Cooke, and spent about three years there, operating the forges at Elizabethtown, Essex county, N. Y. He also prepared an interesting monograph on Catalan forges and their operations. In 1868 he published a chart showing the material progress of the United States, and the cost of certain staple products during a series of years, which is believed to be the first of its kind issued in this country. In 1870 he made a trip to the Pacific Coast, prior to entering the service of the Pennsylvania Steel Company. In 1871, when the Logan Iron & Steel Co., of Burnham, Pa., failed, Mr. Neilson was appointed receiver, re-organized the company, became' its General Manager, and spent more than four years in this work. In the meantime, he became interested in the Freedom forge of the same place, and, with Mr. Wm. Burnham and Mr. Milton Brosius, laid the foundations for what is now the Standard Steel Works. From Jan. 1, 1877, to April 1, 1890, he was General Manager of these works, and closely associated with the Baldwin Locomotive Works. In 1878 he was in charge of the first consignment of Baldwin locomotives to Europe, which, with a picked crew of men from Baldwin's, he took to Eydtkennen, Russia, and placed in service. In 1890 he resigned from the Standard Steel Works and ac-

Jul 1, 1907

By H. Tabachnick, N. Hedley

The extraction of gold and silver from ores with alkaline cyanide solutions is well known. Cyanide solutions are also good solvents for many base metal minerals, particularly most of the copper minerals. Leaver and Woolf,1 who determined the solubilities of copper minerals in 0.10 pct sodium cyanide solution, showed that malachite, cuprite, chalcocite, and bornite are readily soluble in cyanide; least soluble are chalcopyrite and chrysocolla. The Mining Chemicals Laboratory of American Cyanamid Co. has studied the possibilities of using cyanide solutions for leaching base metals. In this article the authors present the results of their experiments with cyanide leaching to reduce the copper content of a zinc concentrate from 0.050 pct to the desired specification of less than 0.02 pct. Zinc Ore Sample: The sample of commercial zinc ore used in this investigation to produce zinc concentrates was ball mill feed ranging from 1/2 in. to fines. The ore was crushed to —10 mesh and riffled into 600-g charges for zinc flotation. Analysis revealed 4.54 pct Zn and 0.005 pct Cu. Examined microscopically, the ore consisted essentially of cream-colored sphalerite and carbonate gangue. It contained a small amount of pyrite, partly tarnished. The only copper mineral identified was chalcopyrite, mostly smaller than 20µ, some of which occurred as attachments on sphalerite. Flotation Procedure: Batches of zinc concentrates were made as required according to the following general procedure. A 600-g charge of —10 mesh ore was ground for 4 min at 60 pct solids in a laboratory steel rod mill. Screen sizing showed it to be all —35 mesh with 42 pct —200 mesh. The pulp was transferred to a Fagergren laboratory flotation machine, diluted to 25 pct solids and conditioned for 5 min with 0.6 lb per ton CuSO4, . -5H2O. It was then conditioned with 0.10 lb per ton Sodium Aerofloat promoter and floated for 5 min with pine oil as frother and creosote as froth stiff-ener. The pH during flotation was 8.5. A typical analysis of zinc concentrate subjected to leaching is 44.41 pct Zn and 0.051 pct Cu. The ratio of concentration was close to 10 to 1. Leaching Procedure: Aero Brand cyanide, technical calcium cyanide analyzing 49.5 pet NaCN equivalent, was used for all cyanide leaching tests. For each test three rougher concentrates floated as described were combined (total weight close to 180 g) and the water content adjusted to 150 ml. The percent solids in the pulp was thus 55. After a weighed amount of cyanide flakes had been added, the pulp was agitated on rolls for a given period, then filtered and washed. Filtrate and washed concentrate were assayed for copper content. The procedure for ammonia leaching was similar to the cyanide process. A series of tests was run in which the effects of ammonia as a solvent for copper in the zinc rougher concentrate were investigated. In each test 180 g of zinc rougher concentrate was leached with 150 ml of ammonia solution. Various strengths of ammonia and times of leaching were investigated. The results are shown in Table I. It is apparent that ammonia was a poor solvent for copper in the zinc concentrate; 60 min of agitation with a relatively strong NH:, solution extracted only 2 pct of the copper. CYANIDE LEACHING TESTS Effect of Solution Strength: The solvent effects of 0.125, 0.187, and 0.250 pct NaCN equivalent solutions were compared for leaching periods of 15 min. Residue and filtrate were assayed for copper content. The copper content of the filtrate plus wash was calculated back to the original volume of cyanide solution (150 ml). The effects of cyanide strength are given in Table II, It will be noted that 15 min leaching with 0.25 pct NaCN equivalent solution extracted 74.6 pct of the copper in the zinc concentrate. The leached product assayed 0.013 pct Cu, appreciably below the required specification of 0.020 pct. Effect of Leaching Time: Portions of zinc concentrate were leached with 0.25 pct NaCN equivalent

Jan 1, 1961

By Robert Peele

TWO outstanding members of the Institute will be honored at the Annual Meeting this month: Robert Peele, who will accept his election to the small group of Honorary Members; and Clinton Hoadley Crane, president of the St. Joseph Lead Co. and William Lawrence Saunders Medalist for 1936. Eminence in the profession character, interest in Institute activities, and general recognition as a gentleman and a friend by so many people, have contributed to the election of Professor Peele. The Saunders Medal is for "achievement in mining." In awarding it to Mr. Crane the citation reads "For distinguished achievement in the successful development and operation of low-grade lead mines."

Jan 1, 1936

Jan 1, 1922

Jan 1, 1922

By Amos L. Beaty

The oil industry can prosper only if crude production is not excessive. This is true for several reasons. In the first place, the marketing branch of the business is so highly competitive that there is little room for profits in it. There are too many service stations, too many middle men or jobbers, too many refiners eager to press their products upon the market. And the battle is between the strong. If any money is being made in oil today it is by small marketers who buy products from the refining companies and sell on guaranteed margins. In the second place, refineries are overbuilt. There is a large surplus refining capacity. If refined stocks were drawn down they could and would be replenished in short time on short notice. This excessive refining capacity is not serious, however, if the supply of crude is limited to trade requirements. True, it may reflect upon the intelligence of the industry, but if there were a shortage of crude for a few years refining capacities would be readjusted. In the meantime no great harm could result from some idle capacity. It requires no computation to see that refiners could not produce surplus stocks of products from a short supply of crude. I have in mind, of course, the increased yields from cracking. Allowance must be made for that. Still, the picture is the same; less crude is required. I think we can have prosperity in the oil business if too much crude is not produced. A proper limit at this point would be felt all the way down the line. It would slow the refiner and slow the marketer inevitably. Once this constant pressure to make more and sell more is off, operations will be normal and there will be some return on investments. Peices in Relation to Production Potential production at this time is very large, and this condition has existed for many months. As a result the price of crude is low. It is below the average cost of production. Nevertheless, if restraints were withdrawn actual production would immediately increase and the situation would become even worse than it is now. Eventually, of course, the

Jan 1, 1932