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By W. H. Smith

IN connection with some recent work on the effect of impurities on the ductility of chromium, it appeared desirable to know the solid solubility of carbon in chromium. A literature survey indicated that this information was not available. Although considerable work has been done on the Cr-C phase diagram,&apos;.&apos; previous investigators have been more concerned with the structure and phase boundaries of the carbide phases than with the terminal solid solution. The phase diagram shown in Fig. 1 is taken from the work of Bloom and Grant&apos; and represents the most recent determination. As indicated by the dashed line, the a solid-solubility limit was not determined. Experimental Procedure Alloys of chromium were prepared from hydrogen-treated and vacuum-degassed electrolytic chromium plus spectrographic grade carbon. The oxygen and nitrogen content of the alloys was <0.002 pct. After melting, analysis of the alloys showed them to contain 0.02, 0.08, 0.15, and 0.55 pct C. Pieces of the alloys were heated in a protective atmosphere to various temperatures and then quenched after holding for a time sufficient to insure equilibrium. Microscopic examination of the as-quenched alloys for the presence of a second phase was used as a measure of the solubility limit. The heats were made in a multiple hearth arc-furnace using a zirconium-gettered static argon atmosphere. A zirconium melt was made before each Cr-C heat. Triple melting was used to insure ingot homogeneity as shown by microscopic examination. The alloys were prepared by adding portions of a 4.5 pct C-Cr master alloy to high purity chromium. The carbon contents listed previously were those obtained by analysis. The nitrogen and oxygen contents after arc melting were both <0.002 pct. Sections 1/8X1/4X1/2 in. were cut from the 100-g ingots and a hole drilled in one end in order to suspend the sample from a molybdenum wire. After the surface was carefully cleaned, a sample of each melt was hung in a mullite tube heated externally by a platinum resistance furnace connected to a vacuum system. The lower portion of the mullite tube was sealed to Pyrex and closed off several inches below the furnace. This was filled with sili-cone oil kept cold by circulating cold water around the outside of the Pyrex. Quenching into the oil bath was achieved by melting a fuse wire supporting the sample. It required about 4 sec for the sample to cool from 1400" to 600°C. This severity of quench was considered satisfactory to freeze-in the high temperature equilibrium. For tests made at temperatures of 900" to 1200°C, heating was done in vacuum; for tests above 1200°C, an argon atmosphere was used. The holding time employed ranged from 12 hr at 900°C to 6 hr at 1400°C. Experiments were performed at temperatures of 900°, 1000°, 1100°, 1200°, 1300°, and 1400°C. Microscopic examination for evidence of a second phase was done at X1500. Experimental Result The microstructures of a 0.08 pct C-Cr alloy as-cast and after quenching from 1300°C are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A 0.15 pct C-Cr alloy quenched from 1300°C is shown in Fig. 4. The data obtained from the quenching experiments is shown graphically in Fig. 5. If the Van&apos;t Hoff equation is obeyed, a plot on a logarithmic scale of the mol fraction of solute vs the reciprocal of the absolute temperature should give a straight line. For dilute solutions the weight percentage can be substituted for the mol fraction without introducing any appreciable error. The Van&apos;t Hoff equation can then be written as where H is the heat of solution in calories per mol. The slope of the straight line on the log pct C vs 1/T plot gives the value of AH. Assuming that the Van&apos;t Hoff equation is obeyed, which is probably justified for the dilute solution of carbon in chromium, the heavy straight line shown on Fig. 5 represents the best fit of the data. This line was obtained as follows. On Fig. 5 the results of the microscopic examination of all alloys following quenching were plotted and designated as to whether one or two phases were seen. Below 1100°C all alloys showed a second phase on quenching. The heavy vertical lines shown in Fig. 5 therefore represent the possible range of the ter-

Jan 1, 1958

By Dr. O’Neil Thomas J., Donald W. Gentry

The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth. LaRockefoucauld INTRODUCTION The primary reason for performing a feasibility study on a proposed mining venture is to investigate all phases of the proposal in as much detail as necessary to justify either dropping the project or continuing expenditures through the next stage. The economic evaluation component of the feasibility study, therefore, must ultimately be based on information which provides an answer to the question, "What is it going to cost?" Unfortunately engineers preparing feasibility studies never have all the engineering or economic information they would like or need. Consequently, the economic portion of the analysis can only be performed if estimates of the various costs associated with the project are made. Project cost estimates, in turn, require estimates of all the physical factors affecting cost components, including anticipated performance of plant and equipment as well as all pertinent geologic, mineralogic, and metallurgical variables. Before useful cost estimating procedures can be applied considerable data must be collected, compiled, and organized. Preparatory work typically includes organization of cost data available for estimating purposes, development of techniques for updating historical costs, and establishing methods of forecasting prices and costs over the duration of the project. Cost estimates for mining and mineral processing projects involve so many features and variables that it is absolutely essential to have some means by which the vast amount of detail can be organized. It is very important to identify, in as much detail as possible, all the cost data available (historical and developed) to the estimator. These costs, after being properly identified in detail, should be com- piled, stored, updated regularly, and made readily available for use in developing new cost estimates Accessing files of current cost information requires a standardized numerical system of classifying cost data. When uniform definitions and procedures are used, every project record contributes to the common store of estimating data.

Jan 1, 1984

By Charles Barrett

SINCE 1925, when the preferred orientations in compressed aluminum were first determined1, 2 the orientations have been described as a fiber texture in which a face diagonal, [110], of the face-centered cubic lattice is parallel to the compression axis. Subsequent experiments have seemed to confirm this texture,3-5 and a number of theories (recently summarized in references 6 and 7) have been proposed to explain it and to relate it to the behavior of single crystals during compression. 3,8-11 The experiments reported in this paper prove that the orientations are not adequately described as quoted above-i.e., as a [110] fiber texture-although this is a first approximation to the actual texture. They also show that the texture cannot be thought of as a stable orienta-tion that is reached and maintained after a sufficient amount of deforma-tion. The actual texture, when studied in detail at successive stages of compression, indicates that a hitherto unsuspected range of orientations is present, both in the polycrystalline metal as a whole and in various individual grains in its interior, and that a state of dynamic equilibrium exists within this range. The reasons for the failure of previous theories to predict the actual texture become obvious when the heterogeneous nature of the flow is considered. In addition to the deformation texture, the manner of its develop-ment, and its theory, this paper presents data on the following related subjects: the identity of strain markings in aluminum; the orientation changes in aluminum single crystals during compression and a com-parison of these with the conditions in individual grains of a polycrystal-line specimen; the origin of asterism in deformed single crystals, which heretofore has been regarded as a distortion localized at the surfaces of slip planes; and the relation of plastic strain in individual grains in an aggregate to the strain of the whole.

Jan 1, 1939

By D. Geiselman, A. G. Guy

Single cvystals were grown from high-purity magnesium containing known amounts of nitvogen in the range 0.0008 to 0.0048 wt pet. Crystals of known ovientation were tested in tension in an Instron ma chine to determine the yield strength and to obsevue wheather a yield point occurred. Slowly cooled crystals or those given a solution heat treatment did not show a yield point. However, crystals that were aged following a solution treatment showed a yield point for all of the nitrogen contents studied. It was concluded that nitrogen caused the yield point by the Cottrell mechanism. NITROGEN has been shown to produce sharp yield points in single crystals of cadmium, zinc,2&apos;3 ß-brass,4 and iron,5,6 as well as in polycrystalline iron7 and molybdenum.8,9 Since magnesium has a structure similar to zinc and cadmium, it seemed reasonable that magnesium should also exhibit a sharp yield point provided it contained sufficient nitrogen. Bobalek and Shrader10 reported a total nitrogen content of 0.002 to 0.0065 wt pct in com- mercial magnesium alloys, an amount well in excess of that required by theory. However. magnesium differs from cadmium and zinc in that it forms a stable nitride, Mg3N2, which has a standard free energy of formation of -95,480 cal per mole at 25" c." If rather than being in solid solution, the nitrogen were predominantly combined as the nitride, it could not act to produce a yield point. This type of behavior is the basis for the elimination of strain aging and a yield point in steel by the addition of strong nitride formers such as titanium,12 columbium,13 aluminum,14 vanadium,15 and boron.16,17 Thus, there appeared to be factors both favorable and unfavorable to the production by nitrogen of a sharp yield point in magnesium, and the purpose of this investigation was to determine the actual behavior of magnesium crystals containing known amounts of nitrogen.

Jan 1, 1960

By D. Murgue

The circulation of air in underground workings is subject to a gradual and continuous reduction of its pressure, from intake to outlet, caused by the friction between it and the more or less rough and uneven surfaces of the passages. For comparison with the flow

Jan 1, 1894

By Stanley D. Michaelson, Norman Weiss

This was a year of realization. Some years are for planning and development, some for designing and building, others for fulfillment. With greater hopes and plans for the future than ever before, the year 1954, nevertheless, will be remembered principally because of project completion. Among copper mines, for example, there were Silver Bell, Copper Cities, Bisbee, Yerington, and White Pine. In iron, there were the Humboldt, Coleraine, Cerro Bolivar, and Eagle Mountain. In asbestos, Johns-Manville&apos;s new mill at Asbestos, Que. In uranium, completion of the ninth mill on the Colorado Plateau-Kerr-McGee&apos;s at Shiprock, N. M. In research, 1954 marked the completion of Kennecott&apos;s Research Center in Salt Lake City, one of the historic forward strides in the science of minerals beneficiation. The year was fruitful in other directions as well. Investigations of a fundamental nature were on the upswing, and pilot plant projects have also increased in size and number. Progress in new reagents and equipment was greater than normal. It can already be conservatively predicted-from the technological point of view-that 1955 and 1956 will be tremendous years.

Jan 3, 1955

By W. C. Clark, J. B. Schloen

Two papers have been written, previously concerning operations at the Montreal East plant of Canadian Copper Refiners Limited. The first one,&apos; written in 1932, described silver-refinery operations at the time for producing silver and gold bullion from tankhouse anode slimes; the second,Z published in 1933, consisted of a description of the entire plant. Since publication of these papers the refinery has become the world&apos;s largest producer of refined selenium. The first selenium was produced in August 1934. Tellurium production on a commercial scale followed in October 1935. This paper will deal with selenium and tellurium production and also with present operations in the silver refinery. Blister cakes from Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co., Flin Flon, Manitoba, and commercial anodes from Noranda Mines Limited, Noranda, Quebec, are refined at Montreal East. Both these bullions have unusually high gold, selenium and tellurium content. The average assay of raw slimes produced from domestic and Noranda anodes is about 40 per cent Cu, 3600 oz. per ton Ag, 800 ox. per ton Au, 22 per cent Se and 3.7 per cent Te. Early Silver-refinery Operations From the start of operations in 1931 until July 1934, the raw slimes were oxidiae-roasted at 700&apos; F. in a Nichols-Herreshoff furnace, acid-leached with tankhouse discarded foul electrolyte (20 per cent HzSOa), filtered and charged directly to the dor6 furnace for refining to dore metal. This is the customary method for treating tankhouse anode slimes but was not suitable at the Montreal East plant because of the high selenium and tellurium content of our slimes. In the acid-leaching process about 50 per cent of the selenium and tellurium in the roasted slimes was dissolved in the electrolyte. These elements were recovered with the copper as a sludge in a small electrolytic

Jan 1, 1944

By Walter Harvey Weed

CONTENTS. [ ] INTRODUCTION. THIS paper deals with certain ore-deposits whose structural features or mineral contents (or both) result, directly or indirectly, from igneous intrusions and their after-effects. It is largely a discussion of contact metamorphic ore-deposits based upon the physical changes in rocks due to contact action. It involves a classification of ore-deposits only so far as is abso-

Jan 1, 1913

By C. A. Pierce

STUDIES of roof and floor movement are of interest to those actively engaged in mining. This is especially true in the case of an entirely new area where there is no precedent for guidance. The potash deposit being mined is in the southeast corner of New Mexico, about 20 miles east of Carlsbad. The deposit was formed by the land-locked, shallow, Permian Sea that extended through parts of western Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, southeastern Colorado, and eastern New Mexico. The saline deposits vary from 500 to 4000 ft. thick. Neither of the companies operating in this area has delimited its com-mercial ore bodies. As all production so far has been from Federal and State leases, the Department of the Interior and the State of New Mexico have a direct interest in the development and extraction of these ore horizons. The ore is composed of an intimate mechanical mixture of sylvite (potassium chloride) and halite (sodium chloride). It lies generally in a horizontal bed varying from 5 to 12 ft. in thickness, and has a cover of approximately 1000 ft., consisting of about 500 ft. of salt beds and 500 ft, of sediments. The immediate mine roof for several feet is principally salt with some potash and clayey material. The next 500 ft. above, from the standpoint of structure, may be considered rock salt with a few inter-bedded potash members. The upper 500 ft. is of sedimentary (Permian and Triassic) origin and contains several water-bearing formations with flows varying from 10 to 500 gal. per minute. This water intensifies the interest in convergence problems as the ore and surrounding for-mations are water soluble. Potash salt (sylvite) and rock salt (halite) are plastic minerals. Plasticity is defined as a "property of solids by virtue of which they hold their shape permanently under the action of small shearing stresses but are readily deformed, worked, or molded under larger stresses."1

Jan 1, 1938

By Stanley Herold

Considerable interest has been shown, during recent years, in the possibilities of developing oil fields in the South American Republics, now that the exhaustion of our present fields can be seen in the not very distant future. The demand for fuel oil and its products has been increasing far more rapidly than our increment of production during the last few years. Increase of consumption has been largely curtailed by the lack of sufficient supply. The main factors that have contributed to our previous neglect of the southern fields have been as follows:, (a) Lack of sufficient demand for the product. (b) Competition with producing fields, having large production, low cost, and better geographical position, such as Tampico, Mexico. (c) Greater interest in home fields with ready market at hand. (d) Our ignorance of southern economic and geologic conditions, clue to the distance between those areas and our financial centers. (e) Economic conditions in the southern countries, necessitating high costs of exploration and exploitation of the fields.

Jan 9, 1918

By J. E. Tobey, David R. Mitchell, J. H. Kerrick

DETAILED knowledge of purchase specifications established by coal consumers is essential to the successful design and operation of a coal-preparation plant. ANTHRACITE Specifications should be considered by both the consumer and the producer as guide posts outlining a certain path for both to follow. Plants differ, therefore specifications must differ to meet the varied requirements. Specifications are not of themselves a "cure all" or an assurance of complete satisfaction in fuel utilization. Specifications should not be regarded as a license to engage in an orgy of buying any and all coals that may happen to fall within their limits. This would lead to the indiscriminate mixing of coals which may vary in their burning characteristics. Different coals of equal grade tend to be individualistic in their burning characteristics. Rather, specifications should be used to help simplify coal selection, to reduce the actual number of coals used over a given period; in other words, to have a stabilizing influence on coal or customer turnover. In the final analysis, the use of too many coals per year in a plant is costly to both the consumer and the producer. Too many sources usually result in higher operating and maintenance costs for the consumer and higher sales costs for the producer. Finally, the statement included in the report accompanying the com¬prehensive Coal Selection Charts prepared by the Coal Committee of the National Association of Purchasing Agents, and released in 1938, is significant. This Committee worked diligently for a period of 15 years seeking to find a scientific and reliable method for selecting coals. The two following paragraphs are quoted from its report: More important is the fact that no ready-made classification or set of specifications can possibly replace the judgment and resourcefulness of an experienced combustion engineer or fuel technologist, nor the usual need for full scale plant tests under the exact conditions of use before a final decision is made ...

Jan 1, 1943

By W. F. Boericke

INTRODUCTION THE Wisconsin zinc district, or the Upper Mississippi lead. and zinc district as it is also termed, lies in the southwestern corner of Wisconsin, and embraces adjacent portions of Illinois and Iowa. It includes Iowa, Grant, and Lafayette counties in Wisconsin, and Jo Davies county in Illinois. In Iowa, Dubuque formerly produced considerable lead, but there has been little mining there in recent years. The map, Fig. 1, shows the entire district, with roads, railways, streams, and the various towns, or "camps," around Which the mines. are clustered. The hatchwork indicates the areas iii which lead and zinc have been mined. The district is about 60 mi. (96 km.) north and south and about 40 mi. (64 km.) east and west. Not all of the territory is mineral bearing, and there are considerable areas that are believed to be barren. The grouping of the mines is patchy and irregular, though certain broad zones of mineralization extend almost the full width of the district, as from Mineral Point west through Mifflin and Livingston, and from Shullsburg west through New Diggings and Hazel Green. It is worth noting that the best mines of the district have, to date, been found within 10 mi. east or west of the fourth principal meridian line, thus lying within a long, narrow, north-and-south belt extending the length of the district. In a field as large as the Wisconsin, which has only within com-paratively recent time been worked intensively for zinc, the. chances are good for, opening new and important orebodies in parts of the district not yet, or insufficiently, prospected. However, the prospecting has been most successful around, or adjacent to, the old lead diggings of nearly a century ago, and the camps that were well known then are still centers of activity. In their order of importance they are: New Diggings, Benton, Mifflin-Livingston, Galena, Linden, Hazel Green, Shullsburg, and Highland.

Jan 8, 1919

By George M. Fowler, Joseph P. Lyden

PaGE Scope of this Report.................................................... 206 Production of Tri-State District.......................................... 207 Historical Sketch....................................................... 207 Location and Topography............................................... 211 Geology............................................................... 212 The Tri-State District.............................................. 214 Stratigraphy........................................................... 217 General Geological Section in Tri-State Region....................... 217 Stratigraphic Section of Mineralized part of Boone Formation........... 218 Stratigraphic Section Bird Dog Well.................................. 219 Metamorphism........................................................ 220 Structure............................................................. 225 Regional.......................................................... 225 Due to Metamorphism.............................................. 229 Ore Deposits.......................................................... 231 Types............................................................ 232 Hard-ground Deposits.......................................... 232 Brecciated................................................. 232 Stratified............................................ 232 Sheet Ground............................................. 232 In Dolomite............................................... 233 In Shale.................................................. 233 Soft-ground Deposits.......................................... 233 In the District as a Whole....................................... 233 Ore Minerah and Analysis......................................... 233 Paragenesis....................................................... 234 Conclusions........................................................... 236 Structure.......................................................... 236 Genesis of the Ore.................................................. 237 Future of the District............................................... 239 Acknowledgments..................................................... 239 Discussion............................................................ 239 Scope of This Report The Tri-State district. as outlined in this paper. refers to the entire mineralized area in sout&apos;hwestern Missouri. southeastern Kansas and

Jan 1, 1932

(There are 82 Local Sections in the United States, 10 Foreign) ADIRONDACK Established June 18, 1952 Official year begins in January Meets next to last Saturday monthly April through October Local Section Dues AIME Mbrs $2 Affiliate Mbrs $3 Severn P Brown, Chairman George E Erdman, Vice-Chairman Patrick F Farrell, Secretary-Treasurer Republic Steel Corp Mineville, N Y

Jan 1, 1960

Aalde, Kaare, (S&apos;40) Box 827, Socorro, N. M. Aase, Glenn D., (S&apos;40) Engr. Experiment Sta., Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. Abadesco, Enrique A., (S&apos;39) Student. College of Engrg., Univ- of the Philippines, Manila, P. 1. Abbott, John L., (S&apos;40) Met. Engr., Engr. Trainee. Wright Aeronantical Corp., Paterson, N. .J. Abbott, Robert H., (S&apos;42). Agricultural & Mech. College of Texas, College Sta., Tex. Abreu, Ovidio M., (S&apos;38) Dept. of Geol., Compauia Cousulidada de Petroleo, Caracas, Venezuela. Acomb, Allen, (S&apos;41) 3921 Chestnut St., New Or¬ leans, La. Adam, Howard W., (S&apos;41) Montana School of Mines, Butte, Mont. Adams, Charles E., (S&apos;42) Uuiv. of California, Los Angeles, Calif. Adams, Charles W., (S&apos;39) Student, Michigan Col¬ lege of Min. & Tech., Houghton, Mich. Adams, H. Travis, (S&apos;39) 310 South 5th St., Bur¬ bank, Calif. Adams, John W., (S&apos;42) Univ. of Texas, Austin, Tex. Adams, Rob L., (S&apos;40) Lt., B. 0. C. No. 12, Fort Sill, Okla. Adamson, Charles R., (S&apos;41) Uuiv. of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Jan 1, 1942

By Howard Evans

Moderate but substantive gains were recorded in 1972 in the minerals processing industry. In the area of mill design, a number of large plants under construction during the past two to three years were tuned up and went into production. The application of operating controls has also made some significant strides. Progress here has been made in the areas of on-stream particle size analysis, on-stream x-ray analysis, slurry transportation, tripper control, flotation reagent control and digital control of grinding circuits. The major contributions to improved equipment are coming from smaller specialized equipment makers.

Jan 2, 1973

By L. C. Graton

I. INTRODUCTION. The Relations of Scale in Geologic Work. MANY features of human accomplishment rest upon the possibility of representing natural objects on a scale of different magnitude from the actual one. Most drawings, for example, are of very different scale from that of the object depicted, and indeed are useful mainly on this account. More important than the question of mere convenience, however, is that of meeting the physical limitations of vision.1 Thus, a mural

Jan 5, 1913

By Frederic E. Carter

THERE have been many attempts to prove that platinum was known to the ancients, but since no traces of the metal have been found in the relics of early times, it must be concluded that it was not known to them. As far as records go, it was actually first discovered in the 16th century in a Spanish mine on the Pinto River in South America; from which source it received its name of Platina del Pinto (little silver from the Pinto). It was more or less of a rarity and was a subject of interest to a few chemists only, until the year 1822 when the metal was first discovered in Russia. In 1819 there were noticed in the washings of the gold sands of the southern part of the Ural Mountains, grains of a heavy white substance, but it was not until three years later that this substance was found to contain platinum. While at first the amounts of platinum brought from the Urals were meager, prospecting soon disclosed rich deposits extending over a considerable area, and nuggets from 10 to 20 lb. were by no means rare. This discovery assured to chemists an ample supply of platinum for their crucibles, etc. The ore is now found in various parts of the world but the richest deposits are still found in the Ural Mountains. The platinum of commerce is obtained entirely from alluvial deposits at depths varying from 6 to 40 ft. The sand and gravel of former river beds are subjected to a series of screenings and washings to effect the separation of the ore. Actually, probably all gold-bearing gravel beds of the world contain platinum, and it is more than likely that large quantities of platinum ore have been thrown away with the black sand washings from gold placer deposits. This is especially true of the alluvial deposits of the Pacific Coast in California and Oregon. Platinum ore is usually found in the form of rounded or flattened grains of "sand," and occasionally in irregular lumps of the size of peas. Large nuggets are very rare. The ore has a metallic luster and is distinguished by its steel gray color, but shows light gray streak when rubbed on a hard white surface; it has a high specific gravity, 16 to 19; is infusible in the hottest blast furnaces, and insoluble in any single acid. Platinum ore is a complex body consisting of the metal in combination with varying proportions of the other members of the platinum group; iridium,

Jan 1, 1928

By H. D. Keiser

Minor industrial minerals included in this chapter are: the alum minerals, bromine, calcium chloride, epsomite and other natural magnesium salts, iodine, meerschaum, quartz, industrial crystals other than quartz, and nonfuel gases (air, helium, carbon dioxide). Alum Minerals The natural alums comprise a group of hydrated double sulfates, the most important of which are potash alum, KAI(S04)2.12H20, the "alum" of popular usage; ammonium alum, (NH4)AI(SO4)2, known mineralogically as tschermigite; and soda alum, NaAI(SO4)2.12H20. Kalinite, KAI(SO4)2.11H20, and mendozite, NaAl(SO4)2, 11H20, are fibrous monoclinic alums, distinct from the isometric species potash alum and soda alum.4 Alunite, KAI3(S04)2(OH)6, also known as alumstone or alum rock, has been used as a raw material in the manufacture of alum since early times. All the natural alums are highly soluble and occur as surface evaporation products in arid regions or in sheltered places. Potash alum, together with the other natural alums, commonly occurs as an efflorescence or crevice filling in argillaceous rocks and brown coals that contain disseminated pyrite or marcasite. The mineral is derived by the action of sulfuric acid, formed during the weathering of the sulfide, upon alkali-rich aluminum silicates. Ammonia alum is found chiefly in lignite or broad-coal beds and bituminous shales. Alunite is most commonly associated with acid volcanic rocks, where the rock has been largely altered and alunite formed owing to the presence of sulfuric acid solutions or vapors. Aluminum sulfate, which for most uses is the essential ingredient of alum, may be found in saline residues resulting from the evaporation of natural water and may be formed by the action of acid waters upon aluminous rocks. A deposit of natural potash alum occurs in an irregular network of veins associated with sulfur in rhyolite in Esmeralda County, Nevada, about 35 miles west of Tonopah and 10 miles north of Silver Peak. Alum was recovered at a plant operated on the property between 1920 and 1923 by crushing the ore to ¾ in., grinding to minus 80-mesh, and counter-current leaching; the resulting alum solution was then filtered and crystallized. Alunite was of much interest during World War I as a source of potash and during World War II as a source of alumina. The wellknown deposits at Tolfa, Italy, are veins in trachyte and have been the basis of alum manufacture there since the middle of the fifteenth century. Pure alunite is insoluble in water and in common acids, but if it is heated to 500°C it loses its water of hydration, and the residue consists largely of anhydrous potash alum, part of which is readily soluble in water or acids. If the heat is increased beyond 500°C, most of the sulfur combined with the alumina is released as oxides and the residue consists of potassium sulfate and alumina. Thus, either potash alum (and aluminum sulfate) or potassium sulfate and alumina may be made. In the

Jan 1, 1960

By A. A. Smith, J. S. Smart, A. J. Phillips

The preparation of a sufficient quantity of high-purity copper for extensive laboratory use in the study of impurity effects has been an integral part of a research program in progress at the Central Research Laboratory of the American Smelting and Refining Co. for the past several years. Initially the degree of purity desired was that necessary to meet two essential requirements for experimental accuracy: (I) no impurity was to be present in the copper in an amount capable of producing a detectable effect on the properties to be studied, (2) even the minor changes in propertties caused by the addition of extremely small amounts of individual elements were to be measured without significant interference from contaminants. In the course of the investigation, evidence has accumulated to justify the conclusion that this copper is of exceptional purity; in fact, no impurity can be detected by any chemical method or spectrographic technique known to the authors. The present paper describes the method of production of the copper and presents some of its properties. Preparation oF High-purity Copper The elimination of impurities from commercial electrolytic copper is accomplished by a three-step purification process. The first operation consists of an electrolysis through a purified CuSO4-H2SO4 electrolyte using bagged anodes, low current density (5 amp. per sq. ft.) and low tem- perature (25°C max.). The electrolyte is prepared from commercial Cu2SO4 and is purified by heating the solution and adding I gram Fe as Fe2(SO4)3 to each 100 grams dissolved copper; sufficient hydrated oxide of copper, prepared from Cu2SO4 and NaOH, is supplied to precipitate Fe(OH)3, which carries down arsenic, antimony, tin, selenium, tellurium and other minor constituents. Silver and remaining traces of lead are removed by addition of Na2S to the acidified filtrate, which is then reatered after standing hot overnight. The cold solution is made up to 30 grams per liter Cu and 150 grams per liter H2SO4 and introduced without addition agents into the electrolytic system, which consists of a double row of hard-rubber battery boxes with the inside webbing and partitions removed, arranged in seven steps of ascending height. Electrolyte is uniformly supplied to the two highest cells by glass siphons operating from a constant-level reservoir, and flows by gravity through the bank of seven cells, entering each at the bottom and leaving at the top. Glass air lifts continuously supply the returning liquid to the constant-level reservoir for recirculation. Each cell contains three 4 3/4 by 4 3/8 by 1-in anodes cast from high-quality electrolytic wirebar copper, various lots of which have been used with equal success. The anodes are pinned to sheet copper hangars shaped to prevent crawl of the electrolyte to the multiple-wired bus bars—which would result in fouling of the contacts—-and hang inside wool flannel bags stretched over open wood frames. The deposit

Jan 1, 1941