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By Fred A. Webber

STEEL ROPE WIRE is one of the more specialized commodities among the many grades of highcarbon steel wires. In its production there are many metallurgical aspects of interest from the steelmaking on through the final stages of wire drawing. We produce rope wire in an integrated mill com prising all the operations from the blast furnaces to finished wire drawing in the wire mills. Steelmaking is carried out with close control on hot metal, selection of scrap, and fluxing materials. The basic open hearths are of 170 tons capacity. Steel is teemed into 19 1/2 in by 19 1/2 in big-end-down molds and is hot-topped with the use of clay refractory hot-tops. The weight of this ingot is 6,900 pounds. All high -carbon steel ingots are charged hot into the soaking pits and are then rolled through the blooming mill in 16 p asses to a bloom ax~ in. by 41/2 in. and approximately 65 feet long. Necessary bottom and top crops are taken on the bloom as it passes from the blooming? mill to the billet mill. The still hot bloom is continuously rolled through the billet mill in . 5 passes to a 2 3/8 in. square. Billets are cut to 32 feet in length by a flying shear and then allowed to cool on the hot bed.

Jan 1, 1957

By G. R. Webber

CHEMICAL AN AL YSIS by x-ray emission spectrometry has become increasingly important during the past few years. The method is analogous to optical spectrography ?with x-rays being used instead of light and should not be confused with methods of x-ray diffraction used? for identification of minerals and chemical compounds. X-ray emission spectrometry has many advantages for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Its optimum concentration range is higher than that of the optical spectrograph, and the group of elements which can be detected is not identical to that which can be detected by the optical spectrograph. Elements which can be detected by the x-ray spectrometer are those elements from magnesium (atomic number 12) to uranium (atomic number 92) in the periodic table. The lightest elements in this range have low sensitivities and more specialized equipment is necessary for their detection than for the heavier elements. A large number of applications of x-ray analysis have been directed toward the analysis of ores, metallurgical products, and related materials (see References at end of paper). A more complete bibliography is presented in the Norelco Reporter, Vol. 3, 1956, pp. 37-39. The periodicals Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy are a good source of current articles and references.

Jan 1, 1957

By G. G. Eichholz

SUMMARY RADIOACTIVE dynamite has been prepared by introducing a small amount of antimony-124 into the explosive. Test work is described on the effectiveness of this tracer, on radiation levels in its neighbourhood, and on different methods of .application. Factors determining the choice of isotope, amount of activity, and overall cost of this process are discussed. INTRODUCTION Instances are known in which dynamite remains unexploded in drill holes in mining operations. Usually such 'bootlegs' are easily located by inspection of the face and the powder is removed before subsequent drilling is started. Occasionally, however, serious accidents occur because workmen drill into an undetected piece of dynamite. In order to avoid such accidents it was suggested that a different method of location might be tied, such as that afforded by the use of radioactive tracers. This paper describes some experiments that were carried out under the auspices of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys, with the active co-operation of Canadian Industries Ltd. and Canadian Refractories Ltd., to test the feasibility of such a scheme.

Jan 1, 1957

By K. O. J. Sidwell

STRATMAT LIMITED, through its subsidiary, the Strategic Manganese Corporation, controls two adjoining iron-manganese properties five miles west of Woodstock, New Brunswick. One is a staked property of 77 claims traversed by one trunk highway, several secondary roads, and a branch line of the Canadian National railway. The other property, a 20-square-mile Concession immediately to the north-east, is also traversed by an excellent network of roads. Both proper-ties are situated in gently rolling farmland. The deposits were discovered in 1836 by Dr. C. T. Jackson. The first attempt to exploit them was made in 1848 when a blast furnace was erected with a capacity of 7 tons per day. The ore was mined by a series of deep trenches that followed the folds of the enclosing slates. In the late years of operation, bog iron ore from Burton and Maugerville, in Sunbury county, was used in conjunction with the Wood-stock ore. An additional 5-ton furnace was erected in 1863 and mining was carried on intermittently until 1884. No further extensive work was done until 1953. During the period of activity, approximately 70,-000 tons of ore are said to have been smelted ( 1). During these earl y operations the Iron Ore Hill and Moody Hill deposits were partially opened, with the ?bulk of the furnace feed being mined from the Iron Ore Hill workings. The low tenor and apparently limited extent of the deposits, the high. ?content of phosphorus, and the increasing scarcity of fuel, were the chief factors that brought the enterprise to an end.

Jan 1, 1957

By Grant S. Diamond

THE BIBLIOGRAPHY on the use of static electricity in mineral beneficiation consists largely of patents. Some references are found in mineral textbooks, but very little data on flow-sheets of commercial installations are known to the writer. As a matter of fact there have been relatively few successful commercial applications of importance. Johnson prepared and published a Table showing the polarity and static field intensity requirements of many minerals. There have been reports of successful beneficiation of rutile, zir-con, coal, potassium chloride, and phosphate rock. Otherwise, the field of success has been very limited. This may be due to three reasons: first, the mining industry has been averse to dry processes, be-cause of dust nuisances in dry crushing; second, the electrostatic processes used in the past apparently developed no substantial economic advantages; and third, because flotation or other . methods have proven successful on many minerals, the industry has not felt the need for a radically different process. In the feldspar industry there was ?an attempt at electrostatic beneficiation about twenty years ago which was based on the use of fluoride fuming of the pegmatite head feed, in order to make the mineral reactive in a static field. This process was originally said to be successful, but was discontinued because of corrosion damage to machinery. Another effort by use of a chemical additive such as an or-ganic hydroxyl compound has also been attempted. Neither of these processes is known to be in use today.

Jan 1, 1957

By G. W. Govier

Measurements of the settling rates and the rheological behaviour of heavy media formed of fine suspensions in water of each of magnetite, ferrosilicon, and galena have been made. For media ranging from 1.6 to 2.8 specific gravity the settling measurements gave initial settling rates of from 0.5 to 0.01 ?cm. 'Per minute for magnetite; from 4.0 to 0.8 cm. per minute for galena; and from 35 to 1.6 cm. 'Per minute for ferrosilicon. These measurements indicate the ?relative stability of the suspensions and should be helpful in establishing the useful specific gravity range for each medium. Measurements of the consistency of the media were made with a Fann Model 35 rotational viscometer. Aibnormal or non-Newtonian behaviour was observed in the case of each media, the apparent viscosity being dependent upon the rate of shear or the intensity of motion. Measurements were made over the rate of shear range of 10? to 1,000 reciprocal seconds. The apparent viscosities of the magnetite media ranged from 450 down to 4?0 centipoise at 2.30 specific gravity, and from 2,450 down to 700 centipoise at 2.80 specific gravity. In the case of the galena media, the variation was from 40, through a minimum of 6, to 10 centipoise at 2.20 specific gravity, and from 950, through a minimum of 180, to 450 centipoise at 3.6 specific gravity. The ferrosilicon suspensions exhibited apparent viscosities ranging from 42, through a minimum of 5.6, to 9 centipoise at 1.9 specific gravity, and from 160, though a minimum of 35, to 85 centipoise at 2.8 specific gravity. The dependency of apparent viscosity or consistency upon intensity of motion is considered to be of particular significance in applications of heavy media where the medium is in rapid motion.

Jan 1, 1957

By J. E. Rowland

NIOCALITE is a new mineral species which has been identified in rock from the Oka district, Quebec. It occurs as prismatic crystals up to l 0 mm. in length and I mm. in width, in coarse, white, crystalline calcite with associated apatite, diopside, biotite, pyrochlore, and niobian perovskite. The crystals of niocalite are light yellow in col-our and have a vitreous lustre. The optical properties of niocalite (I) are as follows: Biaxial negative -2V = 56° a = 1.700, [ ] = 1.730 Birefringence y -a = 0.030 Optic orientation: X = b, Z/\c 12°, Y , /\a = 32° The specific gravity is 3.32 and the hardness is approximately 6 (Mohs scale). A detailed analysis performed on 2.4 gm. of hand-picked material reveals that niocalite is essentially a calcium niobium silicate. Table I gives the result of the analysis. Crystals of niocalite, apparently suitable for X-ray diffraction work, were selected, and single crystal photographs were obtained using both Weissenberg and Precession cameras. Initial difficulties were encountered in interpreting these films, and in correlating the crystal data with the optical data. The in-consistencies were explained by the fact that every grain examined was twinned to some extent.

Jan 1, 1957

By G. E. Veins

A three-phase, continuously-operated, 250 kv.a. electric smelting furnace has been installed at the Mines Branch, Department of Mines and Technical Surveys, Ottawa, for the experimental treatment of ores and by-products of interest to the Canadian mining, metallurgical, and chemical industries. In the operation of this furnace particular emphasis is placed on the accumulation of quantitative data which will be useful in determining the most suitable smelting technique and the nature of the products, and in arriving at preliminary conclusions regarding the cast of power and electrodes. The results obtained in the experimental smelting of iron, manganese-iron, titanium- iron, nickel, and chromiumiron ores, and of a number of industrial by-products, clearly show the value of such treatment for materials of this type.

Jan 1, 1957

By The Mine Staff

THE PROPERTY of the Lamaque Mining Company, Limited, ?is located in the Town of Bourlamaque, seventy miles east of Noranda, in Bourlamaque township, Abitrbi county, north western Quebec. Gold production commenced at Lamaque in April, 1935, with an initial mill capacity of 250 tons per day. The capacity was doubled in November of the same year, and in December, 1937, it further increased to 1,200 tons per day. During the war years the mill operated at a reduced tonnage, but in 1951 milling units were added along with complementary crushing and shop facilities to bring the capacity to 1,500 tons per day. Finally, in 1953, the capacity was raised to 2,000 tons per day, which rate is being maintained at the present time. The total production at Lamaque from April 2nd, 1935, to December 31st, 1956, has been 9,168,901 tons of ore from which 2,208,168 ounces of gold was recovered. The total value of this production , excluding E.G. M.À.*, was $77,869,653.

Jan 1, 1957

By J. J. Mather

NEPHELINE SYENITE is a feldspathic rock resembling granite in texture and hardness but it is white in colour and contains appreciable quantities of the mineral nepheline, the result of a silica deficiency. It is relatively common, with known occurrences in Russia, Scandinavia, India, Canada, United States, and other parts of the world. However, the particular deposit being mined at Nephton, Ontario, by American Nepheline Limited is unique in its remarkable uniformity and low content of iron bearing minerals, both qualities essential in a ceramic raw material. The orebody is a pear-shaped mass over five miles in length, up to a mile in width, rising in three prominent ridges as much as 300 feet above the surrounding lakestudded terrain. American Nepheline holdings, consisting of 2,200 acres, comprise some 85 per cent of the total mass.

Jan 1, 1957

By R. C. A. Thurston

AT A FATIGUE SESSION organised by the A.S.T.M. in 1949, R. E. Peterson presented a brief introductory paper ( 1) in which lie referred to a discussion on the fatigue of metals which took place in England in 1849, and then proceeded to review some of the subsequent researches concerning the mechanism of fatigue. In the course of the review, he discussed metallograpl1ic studies with single crystals and polycrystalline materials, studies with X-ray methods, and the application of the electron microscope. During that hundred-year period considerable progress was made toward a better under-standing of the nature of fatigue, although it is probable that even greater attention was directed to the more practical aspects of the problem, such as the effects of notches, temperature, corrosion, surface treatment, residual stresses, and so on. Since then there has been an appreciable acceleration in the tempo of the fundamental work, partly influenced by the rapid development of the theory of dislocations, with the result that our knowledge of the mechanism of slip, the initiation of fatigue cracks, and their subsequent propagation, has still further advanced, although it is by no means complete as yet. The present paper is an attempt to out-line the more recent developments in these basic studies, to correlate them when possible, and to draw attention to those directions in which research might profitably be pursued.

Jan 1, 1957

By C. J. Sullivan

Many metalliferous ?provinces are co-extensive with particular groups of sedimentary, volcanic, or :basic plutonic rocks. Deposits may be truly syngenetic (Rand, Rhodesia-Katanga, Mans-field, Blind River, White Pine); re-. concentrated by circulating waters (Colorado Plateau, Red Bed Coppers) ; or re-concentrated thermally during metamorphism and granitization (most uranium and lead-zinc provinces ?and some copper and gold provinces). Basalts may yield important cop-per provinces when folded and re-heated. Granitization of basalts which have not reached the chlorite-carbon-ate phase of metamorphism may produce copper provinces. If they reach ?the chlorite-carbonate stage, granitization may result in a gold province. Copper and copper-nickel provinces may result if gabbros are granitized, and a ?similar alteration of per-idotite may result in asbestos or nickel ores. Many similar associations are known. Granite is not a source of ore, but a result of heat. A classification of ?ore with respect to source rocks is of greater prospecting value than are classifications based on magmatic differentiation and hydrother-mal solution theories. Volcanic centres are important ore foci because the thermally unstable metallic sulphides may be concentrated here by a distillation process. The ores found in the hot spring deposits, viz., mercury, mercury sulphide, sulphur, and the compounds of ?antimony and arsenic, are not those which are soluble in water at low temperature (epithermal sub-division of hydrothermal class), abrut those which are unstable thermally at comparatively low temperatures . Water is one of the most common thermally unstable minerals, and generally accompanies the thermally activated ore-forming sulphides.

Jan 1, 1957

MR. J. F. MYERS, Consulting J3eneficiation Engineer, Greenwich, Conn.: In the written discussion contributed by Mr. F. C. Bond in item ( 2) (page 515), speaiking about the significance of the ratio of mill diameter to the make-up ball diameter, he states: "When this ratio exceeds 100 the power and capacity of the mill are de-creased"; and the paragraph ends with a reference to the 30 per cent ball volume "with some de-crease in mill capacity". I believe this broad statement is incorrect. When we are dealing with a non-cataracting mill, pre-ceded by a good rod mill, there is a slight increase in capacity, but the power does drop. The second point that I consider needs consideration is Mr. Bond's item (8), Proper Mill Speed (page 516). This paragraph should be qualified to cover single-stage mills only. It does not apply where a rod mill is followed by a non-cataracting ball mill. The statement as is, with no qualification, gives an erroneous idea of proper mill speeds.

Jan 1, 1957

By H. Hitchen

THE PURPOSE of this paper is to indicate the working capacity of different types of ropes for various engineering and mining duties. ROPE CONSTRUCTIONS There are approximately one hundred different designs of ropes in use today but, normally, only about ten are necessary for mining and engineering duties. The rest are designed for unusual equipments, or are different ways of combining wires of special shapes. Basically, the various designs of mining ropes consist of round, triangular, and oval strands, constructed with one or several layers of wire over a single wire, or a compound construction of sever.al wires. To suit different installations ropes are made with 3, 4, 5, or more of these types of strands over a central core, the ?co re itself being manufactured from either a fibrous material or a combination of steel wires. Nevertheless, in mining, the demand for 'locked coil rope', wl1ich may be considered as a single strand, is steadily increasing, especially for use on vertical shaft winding engines. So far as the locked coil rope is concerned, many constructions have been developed to suit different requirements, such as - in addition to winding ropes - aerial carrying Topes, shaft guide ropes and haulage ropes.

Jan 1, 1957

By G. S. Hume

FOR MANY YEARS Canada lived in the hope of attaining a substantial production of petroleum and natural gas that, to geologists familiar with the sedimentary basins of this country, seemed an entirely reasonable expectation. There have been surges of exploration activity stimulated by oil and gas discoveries and development such as occurred in Turner Valley. However, it was not until the Leduc field in Alberta was found in 1947, and the significance of that discovery was realized, that the search became really intensive and continuons. Expansion now has become a matter-of-fact attitude based on results which would have been considered impossible of achievement a few years ago.

Jan 1, 1957

By John Gittins

Lots 11 and 12, Range IX, Calumet island, are underlain by a Grenville metamorphic complex into which sills of tourmaline granite pegmatite have been injected. The pegmatite has an average mode-potash feldspar 65 per cent, sodic plagicdase 10 to 20 per cent, quartz 5 to 20 per cent, tourmaline 10 to 15 per cent, accessory minerals < 5 per cent; it is unzoned except for a narrow border zone. Some of the feldspar has been replaced by calcite. Microcline has been ?partially replaced by sodic plagioclase. Three varieties of tourmaline are present (black, blue, and green) and spectrographic analysis suggests progressive compositional changes during its crystallization. The presence of U- and Th-bearing minerals in the pegmatite prompted the Quebec Nickel Cor,porat10n, Ltd., to explore the possibility of developing the pegmatite but it does not appear that this is economically possible at the ? present time. Tt\e Grenville metamorphic complex consists of recrystallized limestones and calcsilicate rocks of the albite-epidoteamphibolite facies and the amphibolite facies, which were derived from sedimentary rocks. Several of these are dis-equilibrium assemblages, and retrograde metamorphism has probably formed biotite and epidote from hornblende. The schistosity of the gneisses dips steeply eastward. Numerous strike faults are roughly parallel to the schistosity and one of the pegmatite sills is bounded by such a fault, dipping at 60 ° with about one foot of fault breccia. The general structure of the map-area seems to be an asymmetrical syncline ?overturned to the west. The emplacement of the pegmatite is associated with a period of folding, metamorphism, and igneous intrusion.

Jan 1, 1956

By Stefan Boshkov

THE ADVENT of mining at great depth has brought to the fore the question of stresses around mine openings. The many-pronged attack on this problem is certified by the accelerated appearance, in the mining literature, of articles on various topics related to this subject (1). Whereas it may be agreed that we, of the mining profession, have fallen woefully behind in research and the development of an understanding of this important facet of the general problem of mining, it must also be accepted that the analysis of the stresses in a mine structure is usually more complex than is the case in the majority of structures encountered and dealt with in civil engineering. Whereas homogeneity and isotropy are readily acceptable for most metals, such properties are but crudely approximated in rocks. Whereas the external loads on a structure in civil engineering may be readily determined, those on a mining structure are subject to ?conjecture. Whereas the limits of the structure may readily be defined in civil engineering, the boundaries of the mining structure are, in most cases, indeterminate, and subject to intelligent guesswork, at best.

Jan 1, 1956

By H. A. Steane

THIS BRIEF PAPER presents the information available on the use of Dorrclon?is in the middling re-grind unit at the lead-zinc mill of Canadian Exploration Limited. The plant throughput is 1,650 tons per twenty-four hours. The flotation feed is ground to 60 per ?Cent passing through 200 mesh. It contains some composite 11articles of sphalerite in calcite, and these reported either in the final zinc concentrate, thus lowering the grade, or in the tailing, with loss of zinc. The re-grind unit was set up in the zinc flotation circuit to liberate the sphalerite from these middling particles, to raise the grade of concentrate and improve recovery. Grinding through 325 mesh should give substantial liberation of locked sphalerite. The middling regrind unit consists of two Dorrdones and one ballmill arranged as shown in the -accompanying flow-sheet. The Hardinge ball-mill, size 7 ft. x 36 in., was free for this use as a result of recent plant expansion. The two Dorrclones were purchased, and the necessary pumps and pipe lines were installed to complete the regrind unit. The unit has been developed over a period of two years by several steps and various flow schemes until reaching tl1e present flow scheme. These steps are not elaborated here, because the changes were made to determine the best product to work on for flotation metallurgy, and not because of the Domrolone classifying ability.

Jan 1, 1956

By J. E. Rehder

IN A DISCUSSION of use of any material of ?construction in the mining industry, two points of view must &apos;be kept in mind - that of the producer or manufacturer of mining and metallurgical equipment, and that of the maintenance and operating staff of the mining plant. In the first case, the choice of material of construction is up to the manufacturer and the user of the equipment has little direct say in the matter. However, if materials are badly chosen and the equipment does not function properly, wears out rapidly, or costs too much, repeat orders ?will likely go to a different manufacturer, so that, in the end, the consumer or mine operator does have the final voice. In the case of materials for maintenance work and plant operations, however, .the mill personnel have direct control over purchases and it is then that a well-balanced knowledge of materials, their properties, and their costs, can be directly useful. With all materials of construction, the final criterion is unit cost versus service performance, so that the lowest possible total operational cost will be obtained. Sometimes this means using the cheapest material available, sometimes the most expensive, but in any case careful analysis of service performance, replacement cost, and material cost is essential to determining the material that produces lowest total cost.

Jan 1, 1956

By G. G. Hatch

FOLLOWING World War II there was an urgent need for the development of domestic sources of ilmenite to take care of the expanding needs of the titanium dioxide pigment industry. In addition, there was the interest by the pigment manufucturers and others in titanium metal. Prior to the war the pigment industry in the United States had obtained its major tonnage of ilmenite, analyzing 55- ?60 per cent Ti02, from India. However, as a result of the shipping situation which developed during the war, the pigment manufacturers had to consider the use of lower grades of ilmenite located on this continent .and several companies undertook extensive exploration programmes to locate and develop such orebodies. Probably the most significant deposit that was found as a result of these ?programmes was the orebody .at Allard Lake, Quebec, owned by the Quebec Iron and Titanium Corporation. This ?Company was formed in 1948 by the Kennecott Copper Corporation and the New Jersey Zinc Company to mine this ilmenite ore and treat it in electric furnaces to produce titanium dioxide slag for the pigment industry and iron for the steel industry.

Jan 1, 1956