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By Douglas Baker

Zinc concentrates assaying approximately 54% zinc and 30% sulfur are roasted in a suspension type roaster to yield a zinc oxide calcine assaying about 65% zinc and 0.40% sulfur. This calcine is the feed material to the sulfuric acid leaching section of an Electrolytic Zinc Plant. The SO2 gases resulting from the elimination of sulfur from the concentrates are passed through a waste heat boiler for the generation of high pressure steam, cleaned by a baghouse, and delivered to the humidifying tower of a sulfuric acid plant system. The gases are then treated in a mist precipitator for final fume removal and then converted to sulfur trioxide in a three pass contact system using vanadium pentoxide catalyst for the manufacture of sulfuric acid. Waste heat steam is used to power the steam turbine which drives the acid plant blower.

Jan 1, 1970

By Frank M. Brooks

Endeavoring to meet the requirements of more oil created by the war effort, the oil industry of Kansas in 1944 maintained a level of exploratory and development work well above the average of previous years. During the year, 1866 test wells were drilled, of which 838 were completed as new oil wells, 89 as new gas wells and 939 as dry holes. These figures compare with 895 new oil wells, 32 new gas wells and 834 dry holes for a total of 1761 tests in 1943. Thus, there was a marked decrease in the number of new oil wells, and an increase in the new gas wells and dry holes. The total daily initial potential of production discovered by the successful wells amounted to 494,689 bbl. of oil as compared with 736,297 bbl. in 1943. The increase in unsuccessful tests and decrease in the daily initial potential of production has caused considerable comment and speculation among the oil operators of the state. This tends to confirm the fact that each year it is becoming harder to find the remaining oil fields. The total number of wildcats drilled in Kansas was 651 in 1944, including the so-called "extension wildcats" (more than 1/2 to I mile from known production). Of this number, 410 are classified as "rank wildcats," being more than one mile from production. The total of 651 compares with the total of 577 for 1943, showing an increase in wildcat drilling of 74 test wells: Of these tests, 81 were successful in finding new oil fields or substafitially extending known areas of production, and 20 either found new gas pools or extended old ones. The ratio of dry holes to producing wells among the "rank" wildcats was approximately 10 to I (372 dry and 38 successful). This compares with a ratio of 10 to I in 1943, 11 to I in 1942, and 6 to I in 1941. A compilation of the results obtained by 34 active companies, including all of the major companies, reveals that their efforts accounted for 286 rank wildcat wells, of which-37 found oil or gas, making a dry-hole percentage of 87. Approximately 55 per cent of all, tests (pool and wildcat) were failures. Thc Kansas Nomenclature Committee of the Kansas Geological Society named and classified 43 new oil fields and 8 new gas fields during the year. The discovery wells of the new oil fields had a total initial potential of 18,358 bbl. for a per well average or' 427 bbl. The average initial potential per well in 1942 and 1943 was 894 and 419 bbl., respectively. With nearly all wells producing at their economic capacity, the total production for Kansas during 1944 totaled 101,896,704 bbl., which compares with total runs of 107,709,679 bbl. in 1943. Production of natural gas during 1944 reached a new high record of 135 billion cubic feet. This compares with 122 billion cubic feet for 1943, and 98 1/2 billion cubic feet for 1942. The large Hugoton field of Southwestern Kansas accounted for about half of the total gas produced. Highlights OF the Year Although 51 new fields were found in the state during 1944, it is apparent that the

Jan 1, 1945

By Louis A. Panek

MOST roof bolts are used in mines with bedded roofs, but it has not been determined to what degree thin-bedded roofs can be reinforced by bolting if there is no thick member in which to anchor the bolts, or what function the bolts must perform in such a case. Owing to widespread practice of sys- tematic bolting to support thin-bedded roofs, moreover, it is desirable to design roof-bolting systems on a quantitative basis. Specifically, a solution to the following problem is required: For a roof composed of beds of given thickness and physical properties, what is the optimum length, spacing, orientation, and tightness of bolts consistent with safety and economy? The investigation reviewed here has produced a functional equation to evaluate these variables and establish basic principles of roof bolting.

Jan 1, 1956

By John H. Hollomon

In a recent paper,' a very early suggestion by Ludwik2 concerning the nature of the mechanical behavior of metals has becn reexamined and extended. In essence it was suggested that there exists, at least under certain conditions, a mechanical equation of state; that the stress required for flow depends upon the instantaneous values of the strain, strain rate, and temperature, and not upon their past values. It is proposed that under these circumstances thc stress does not depend upon past history of these variables, but is like the temperature of a gas that depends only upon the instantaneous values of the pressure and volume. This notion has not been applied to present-day studies of metals, though it is especially applicable to the study of creep. It is the purpose of this paper to analyze the significance and possible range of applicability of this idea and to determine how it influences the accepted ideas concerning creep. Stress-strain Relations It is wcll known that the stress-strain curves of metals are influenced by both train rate and temperature. For a fixed strain rate and temperature there is associated with each metal a stress-strain curve. If either the strain rate or temperature is changed a new stress-strain curve will be characteristic (Fig. I). A much more genera1 relation between the effects of these variables is possible, however. Consider the stress-strain curves of Fig. I determined at

Jan 1, 1947

By John H. Hollomon

In a recent paper,' a very early suggestion by Ludwik2 concerning the nature of the mechanical behavior of metals has becn reexamined and extended. In essence it was suggested that there exists, at least under certain conditions, a mechanical equation of state; that the stress required for flow depends upon the instantaneous values of the strain, strain rate, and temperature, and not upon their past values. It is proposed that under these circumstances thc stress does not depend upon past history of these variables, but is like the temperature of a gas that depends only upon the instantaneous values of the pressure and volume. This notion has not been applied to present-day studies of metals, though it is especially applicable to the study of creep. It is the purpose of this paper to analyze the significance and possible range of applicability of this idea and to determine how it influences the accepted ideas concerning creep. Stress-strain Relations It is wcll known that the stress-strain curves of metals are influenced by both train rate and temperature. For a fixed strain rate and temperature there is associated with each metal a stress-strain curve. If either the strain rate or temperature is changed a new stress-strain curve will be characteristic (Fig. I). A much more genera1 relation between the effects of these variables is possible, however. Consider the stress-strain curves of Fig. I determined at

Jan 1, 1947

By D. H. Turner, F. A. Crossley

The titanium-rich corner of the system Ti-Al-Si has been studied to determine the phase relationships in the temperature interval 600° to 1200°C. Metallographic examination of long time isothermally annealed specimens was the means of investigation. PART of a program on phase relations and transformation processes of titanium alloy systems included the study of the titanium-rich corner of the Ti-Al-Si system. The investigation covered ternary compositions in the range 2 to 8 pet A1 and 0.1 to 2 pet Si and binary compositions in the range 0.2 to 2 pet Si. Temperatures were in the range of 600" to 1200°C. Alloys containing 6 pet A1-0.1 to 0.5 pet Si were investigated down to 400°C. Partial vertical sections are presented for 2, 4, 6, and 8 pet Al. The Ti-Si system has been reported by Hansen et al.' It is characterized by a eutectoid decomposition, ß = ± a + Ti3Si3, at 860°C. The maximum solubility of silicon in a is reported to be about 0.5 pet at the eutectoid temperature. The solubility of silicon in 0 increases from 0.9 pet at the eutectoid temperature to approximately 3 pet at the eutectic temperature, 1330°C. Several investigations in the composition range of interest have been reported for the Ti-A1 system."' These investigations are in agreement on the phase fields, but differ to small extents on boundary positions. However, very recent, and as yet unpublished, findings" " indicate that there are perhaps two phases which occur at lower aluminum contents than the ? (TiA1) phase, and that the solubility of aluminum in a titanium is less than 6 pet. In the present investigation phase relations found are in agreement with the published literature exemplified by the work of Bumps et al.3 Therefore, it is probable that the partial system reported herein is metastable and does not represent true equilibrium. Experimental Procedure High purity Bureau of Mines titanium sponge of 103 Bhn hardness, granulated aluminum shot of 99.7 pet purity, and silicon powder of 99.8 pet purity were used in making the alloys. For the work in the range from 600" to 1200°C, 100 g ingots were prepared by arc melting. Melting losses were negligible and spot checks by chemical analysis showed good agreement between nominal and analyzed results. Nominal compositions are used throughout this paper. Ingots were forged to 3/8 in. rounds and cut into specimens for heat treatment. Isothermal anneals in the range from 600" to 900°C were preceded by solution treatment at 1000°C for 1 hr, followed by furnace cooling to the annealing temperature. Samples were sealed in evacuated Vycor bulbs for heat treatments up to 1000°C. Higher temperature anneals were done with the samples sealed in quartz bulbs under a partial pressure of argon.

Jan 1, 1959

By J. E. Ryan

TRONA, Calif., is a miniature urban community of some 3500 people, located on the northwest shore of dry Searles Lake in the extreme northwest corner of San Bernardino County, approximately 186 miles north and east of Los Angeles. Since it is situated on the Mojave Desert, a typically desert climate prevails with wide variations in temperature between day and night, extreme daytime summer heat, and cool to cold winters. Rainfall averages somewhat less than 4 in. per year, and dust storms are common. The rate of evaporation, however, is great, amounting to 6 to 9 ft of water per year. The extremely low humidity makes the summer heat of 110°F tolerable with only a mild, temporary discomfort.

Jan 5, 1951

By AIME AIME

HARVEY MUDD, mining engineer and distinguished citizen, has achieved that balance between professional and civic activities for which many of us strive but few attain. His able direction of mining operations is known to many Institute members but perhaps few know that he was in 1936 recipient of the annual award given by the City of Los Angeles to that citizen who contributed the most valuable and unselfish service to the community. Mr. Mudd was born in Leadville,

Jan 1, 1944

By C. H. Li, S. H. Bendel, J. A. Sartell

Small additions of Mg to a 62 Cu-38 Ni alloy reduce the oxidation yates drastically between 500° and 850°C. Metallographic examination of the oxide scale disclosed a continuous network, identified by X-ray diffraction as (Ni, Mg)O solid solutions, located along the former alloy grain boundaries. This network acts as a barrier to diffusion. It is thought to result from the segregation of mg to the alloy grain boundaries. Oxidation occurs preferentially in these regions because of the presence of this more active element. To substantiate these ideas, homogenized alloys ulere oxidized. No oxide network was produced and oxidation rates were the same as for the parent 62 Cu-38 Ni alloy. An interesting aspect of the oxidation of the 62 Cu-38 Ni alloy previously described by the present authors, is the relationship between oxidation kinetics and changes in the microstructure of the oxide.' The oxide scale on these alloys consists of two layers: a thin layer of CuO outside a much thicker layer of Cu20 in which particles of NiO are dispersed. In addition, immediately beneath the oxide-metal interface there is an internally oxidized zone in which NiO particles are dispersed in a copper-rich alloy matrix. Experimental observations on the growth of the individual layers under isothermal conditions have led to the conclusion that the rate-determining step in the oxidation of this alloy is the diffusion of anions through the Cu20 layer. It has been found that this diffusion rate is increased by the recrystallization of the outer CuO layer. Willardson and Gorton have reported that the addition of magnesium to the 62 Cu-38 Ni alloy causes a decrease in the oxidation rate.2 The present investigation was undertaken in order to determine the mechanism by which magnesium additions improve the oxidation resistance of the 62 Cu-38 Ni alloy. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Fifty-gram ingots of Cu-Ni alloys were prepared by vacuum melting materials of 99.999+ pct purity. These ingots were then remelted in a He atmos- phere and magnesium added in the form of a previously prepared and analyzed Cu-Mg master alloy. This procedure was necessitated by the high reactivity of pure magnesium at high temperatures. The proportion of the alloying elements was adjusted so as to obtain alloys with the desired magnesium content while maintaining a Cu-Ni ratio of 62 :38 by weight. (All alloy compositions will be given in weight percent.) Since it was considered desirable to study the oxidation of only single-phase, solid-solution alloys, it was necessary first to determine the approximate limit of solid solubility of magnesium in the 62 Cu-38 Ni alloy. A series of melts with various magnesium contents was made, homogenized by annealing for 48 hr at 975OC, then cooled in the furnace. Metallographic samples were prepared, etched in a potassium dichromate solution and examined at XI500 for the presence of a second phase. The alloys were then chemically analyzed and it was found that the approximate limit of solid solubility of magnesium in the 62 Cu-38 Ni alloy was 1 pct Mg. The ingots containing less than 1 pct Mg (0.19, 0.29, 0.58, and 0.87 pct Mg) were cold-rolled down to thicknesses suitable for oxidation experiments and specimens for gravimetric studies were cut to dimensions of 3.0 by 1.5 by 0.05 cm, specimens for inert marker studies, 0.6 by 0.6 by 0.17 cm. These were heat-treated in a protective atmosphere at a temperature (975" C) well above the oxidation temperatures and furnace-cooled to insure structural stability of the alloy during oxidation. Immediately prior to oxidation, the specimens were chemically cleaned by immersion for 1 min in a solution of 2 parts nitric acid, 1 part acetic

Jan 1, 1961

By Rafael Errazuriz

About eighty miles north of the city of Antofagasta, Chile, located just below the Tropic of Capricorn, there spreads a wide desert area where copper oxide outcrops can be seen with the naked eye. Numerous old mining works and dump heaps with the green of atacamite and chrisocolla shining in the blazing sun, attest to the work done by miners in the beginning of this century. The dry desert air preserves the footstep marks, paths and trails of old cartwheels from years back. The mining area known as Michilla and Panizos Blancos, is located on the high plateau at 3000 ft above sea level. Around 1920 a Bleichert ropeway was built, which carried ores from the best known mine to a wharf at the Michilla bay. High grade silicious ores were shipped to the Gatico Smelter further north or to smelters in the United States or Japan.

Jan 8, 1973

By Francois E. Heuze

Today, the favored option for disposal of high-level nuclear wastes is their burial in mined caverns. As an alternative, the concept of deep disposal by rock melting (DRM) also has received some attention. DRM entails the injection of waste, in a cavity or borehole, 2 to 3 kilometers down in the earth crust. Granitic rocks are the prime candidate medium. The high thermal loading initially will melt the rock surrounding the waste. Following resolidification, a rock/waste matrix is formed, which should provide isolation for many years. The complex thermal, mechanical, and hydraulic aspects of DRM can be studied best by means of numerical models. The models must accommo¬date the coupling of the physical processes involved, and the temper¬ature dependency of the granite properties, some of which are subject to abrupt discontinuities, during [a]- ß phase transition and melting. This paper outlines a strategy for such complex modeling.

Jan 1, 1982

By Thiann R. Yu, William J. Quesnel

At Kidd Creek, the annual production of 4.5 million tonnes of ore has been achieved primarily with sublevel blasthole stoping. This mining method has allowed underground operations to meet the designed production capacity while maintaining an outstanding safety record. To achieve this goal, rock mechanics principles have been integrated into each facet of mining in the planning stage, in the production stage, and in various stages of ground support. This paper evaluates the two adopted mining sequences based on ground stress patterns, blasting control, ground reinforcement, backfill support, and numerical modelling for stope stability at the mines.

Jan 1, 1984

William Kent, New York City: I regard the paper of Professors Lord and Haas as the most important and valuable that has yet appeared on the subject of the calorific value of American coals. The close correspondence of the results they have obtained by the use of the bomb calorimeter with those calculated by the Dulong formula from the ultimate analyses, confirming the work done by Mahler in France some years before, is evidence of the extreme accuracy of their work, and gives us renewed confidence in Mahler's modification of the Berthelot calorimeter, and in Dulong's formula, which latter, until

Jan 1, 1898

By D. L. Albright, R. W. Kraft

Solidification experiments were conducted with the objective of testing the theory of eutectic colony formation. Appropriate control of variables in tests on a series of high-purity aluminum-copper specimens of eutectic composition resulted in the observation of three types of eutectic microstructures, these being a unique structure consisting of lamellae essentially parallel to one another, a banded structure, and the colony structure. Lamellar faults, which are morphologically similar in many respects to edge dislocation models in crystals, produced a complex substructure in these specimens. SOLUTE rejection at the advancing solid-liquid interface of a unidirectionally solidified single-phase metal can cause the liquid immediately in front of the interface to become constitutionally super-cooled below the equilibrium liquidus temperature. Constitutional super-cooling occurs if the solidification rate, R, is too rapid, or if the thermal gradient in the liquid at the interface, G, is too low. 1 This constitutionally supercooled layer in turn stabilizes a cellular rather than a planar interface.&apos; A similar cellular interface has been observed when lamellar and other types of eutectics were unidirectionally solidified, and it has been shown that the cellular interface led to the formation of eutectic colonies.&apos; The lamellar structure is fan-shaped at the edges of colonies (which correspond to valleys or grooves in the cellular interface) because the lamellae grow normal to the local interface. One of the possible mechanisms which might cause the formation of the cellular interface, in the case of solidifying eutectic alloys, is constitutional supercooling of the liquid with respect to a third component rejected by both phases of the eutectic.3,4 On the basis of the analogy between the solidification of single-phase metals and binary eutectics, a eutectic alloy should solidify with a planar interface if the ratio of G/R is sufficiently high to compensate for any impurity which might be present and causing constitutional supercooling. The fan-like microstruc-ture of eutectic colonies should not occur under these conditions and the lamellae should be parallel to one another and to the solidification direction for extended distances. The experiments conducted in this investigation were designed to test these ideas. Following a resume of the experimental procedure, the various microstructures observed during the study are described, and their relationship to the growth conditions which produced them is discussed. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The eutectic between an aluminum solid solution and 0 phase (approximate composition CuA12) was chosen for this work for the following reasons: it was known that a lamellar structure forms, the eutectic temperature is low enough to facilitate experimental work, and the components can be procured commercially in a very pure form. High-purity copper (est. 99.999 pct Cu, obtained from National Research Corp.) and spectrographic aluminum rods, having impurities other than copper estimated to be Zn-15 ppm, Mg-10 ppm, Fe-3 ppm, Na-2 ppm, Cd-1 ppm, and Mn < 1 ppm, were melted in a stabilized zirconia crucible in a vacuum induction furnace at a pressure of 10 pof Hg. The melt was superheated to about 1000°C to assure mixing, cooled to 780°C and cast into an investment mold which yielded sixteen cylindrical specimen blanks 1/2 in. in diam and 5 1/2 in. long. The casting was allowed to solidify under vacuum. This master heat had an analysis of 32.6 wt pct Cu and 67.4 wt pct A1 by difference. The cylindrical specimen blanks were remelted and solidified unidirectionally in an apparatus illustrated schematically in Fig. 1. An RF induction coil heated

Jan 1, 1962

ALABAMA Aldrich -Thomas, D A Altoona -Cain, J Anniston -Cowie, L K Walmsley, W N White, H E Ashland -Sturdevant, J C Bankhead -Connaway, M B Bessemer-Ball, E M McKenzie, W C, Jr Mitchell, F R Morgan, C Thompson, N E Birmingham -Abbott, C E Adams, J H

Jan 1, 1923

By L. J. Erck

H EAVY-MEDIA separation continues to be the favored process for concentrating the coarser fractions by elimination of undesirable tailing and middling fractions. The first vessel used for heavy-media separation was the closed-top cone. Further developments then led to the Akins spiral separator which fulfilled the requirements for improving metallurgica1 separation as well as gaining mechanical advantages. During the last season there has been a substantial influx of separator designs for further improvements of metallurgical separation based on the heavy- media method as well as attempting to garner further mechanical advantages with reduction in power consumption to boot. The newest of these designs was the Hardinge counter-current separator which was introduced into the field last spring in two plants. Both Hardinge separators proved satisfactory in operation and substantiat-

Jan 1, 1950

By P. B. Scotland

THE mines of the Arizona Copper Co. are situated in the Morenci-Metcalf copper district in southeastern Arizona. This copper-bearing district covers a triangular mountainous area of about 3 square miles, rising abruptly from the gravel plateau of the surrounding country. In this area, an immense intrusion of porphyry has displaced, shattered, and engulfed the shales, limestones, and quartzites formerly bedded on the basal granite. Outcrops of oxide ore were discovered in 1873, and these surface ores were found to connect in depth with large bodies of high-grade oxide ores in the limestones and shales. The smelting of these ores in blast furnaces continued until about 1893, when the rapid exhaustion of the high-grade ore led to the discovery and exploitation of the low-grade sulphide ores in the adjoining porphyry. Methods of concentration were then devised and the low-grade ores finally rendered profitable. The Arizona Copper Co. and the Detroit Copper Mining Co., operating in the same district, were the pioneers in the successful development of the low-grade "porphyry" properties of to-day. The largest mines of the Arizona Copper Co. are the Humboldt and Clay at Morenci, and the Coronado, Metcalf, and King at Metcalf. These mines produce about 4,000 tons daily of concentrating ore containing from 2.5 to 2.8 per cent. copper. The topography of the country is very rugged and mining operations are conducted principally through adit levels. A few of the mines are opened by shafts, the deepest being 1,100 ft., in the Coronado mine. ORE OCCURRENCE The low-grade sulphide ore occurs as: (1) disseminated deposits in the main stock of quartz porphyry; (2) lode deposits in fault fissures in granite. The high-grade oxide ores were found as tabular deposits in limestone and shale close to contacts with porphyry. Low-grade oxide ore formed the outcrop of some-&apos; the sulphide orebodies; the majority of the outcrops, however, were barren.

Jan 2, 1915

By A. M. Gaudin

Of the various reagents employed in the flotation of zinc-bearing ores none have attained the wide popularity that is enjoyed at present by xanthates, copper sulfate and cyanides. This situation suggests the existence of an unusual dependence in the reactions of these chemicals and of sphalerite. A study of the flotative characteristics of sphalerite when using xanthates as collectors, as related to the chemical properties of copper salts and cyanides, has therefore been conducted at the University of Utah by the writer and his associates1 during the period of 1926 to 1929. In perusing the technical literature concerning the flotation of zinc ores and of zinc-bearing lead and copper ores, a striking and general lack of agreement as to the floatability of sphalerite was observed. The underlying cause for the erratic behavior of sphalerite has not been definitely ascertained but the presence in various proportions of iron sulfide in solid solution in the sphalerite has frequently been implicitly regarded as a major factor in this respect. Although the effect of iron sulfide in solid solution in sphalerite has not been investigated in relation to the behavior of sphalerite in flotation, it is likely that it is not as important a factor as was thought at one time. The variable float-ability of sphalerite has led to the use of fairly large amounts of cyanide to prevent its flotation in the case of certain ores, whereas mere fractions of that amount of cyanide, or even none at all, have been sufficient to achieve the same result for other ores2 Similarly, the amount of copper sulfate used to promote the flotation of sphalerite has been found to vary widely. Effect of Copper Salts in Distilled Water on Sphalerite In the work at the University of Utah, over a year was spent in futile attempts at duplicating experiments until it was discovered that the

Jan 1, 1930

By Lawrence A. Roe

The magnetic reflux classifier, which utilizes the combined effects of magnetic fields and a hindered settling classifier, is a new tool for determining the quantity and quality of middlings in fine-sized magnetite concentrates. Results are given for processing a typical taconite ore, and a sketch of the apparatus is included. IN examining magnetite ores and beneficiated products it often becomes necessary to make critical studies of the amount of grinding necessary to produce the desired degree of magnetite liberation. In the past this has been accomplished by laboratory heavy-liquid tests, which provide a method for selectively removing middling particles and free magnetite from various-sized fractions. Examination of the various products under the microscope results in fairly accurate determination of the degree of liberation. The method is quite efficient on sizes coarser than 325 mesh. Thus the heavy-liquid method of middling separation was satisfactory until the advent of present day magnetic taconite studies. When magnetite concentrates ranging from 70 to 100 pct —325 mesh are studied it becomes apparent that older methods of determining liberation size are not satisfactory and that there is need for a new method. For example, some of the low-grade magnetite ores of the Wisconsin and Michigan iron ranges require grinding to 100 pct —325 mesh to produce a magnetic concentrate containing less than 12 pct silica. Examination of concentrates from such ores often reveals that many of the middling particles consist of only very minor proportions of iron mineral. Thus it becomes important to be able to determine the degree of grinding necessary not only for complete liberation, but also for liberation of only 80, 85, or 90 pct of the total iron mineral content. Actually, complete liberation is never attained, but is often used to designate that degree of liberation necessary for production of high-grade concentrates. A rougher concentrate, produced after elimination of a coarse-sized tailing, can usually be subjected to a second grinding stage and concentrated into a higher grade product than could be produced from the same crude ore with one stage of grinding resulting in the same overall size reduction. This fact adds to the importance of being able to determine partial degrees of liberation on any magnetite ore. Standard laboratory methods such as heavy-liquid separation, microscopic grain counts, Davis tube magnetic separation, magnetic flocculation, classification, flotation, and others often are not applicable, or are prohibitive because of time requirements when large numbers of fine-sized magnetite samples are investigated. The Davis tube magnetic separator is an efficient tool to use in rejecting the non-magnetic mineral particles from an ore sample. The middlings discarded by the tube separator usually are so low in iron content that they can be considered relatively unimportant in liberation studies. This condition is caused by the extremely high flux density used in the Davis tube. This flux density ranges from four to eight times the flux density produced by most of the powerful commercial machines in use today. Thus the problem resolves itself into a search for a method of selectively removing middlings from Davis tube magnetic concentrates which will be both rapid and efficient. Those methods showing most promise in the development of a process for isolating middlings from extremely fine-sized magnetic concentrates were flotation and magnetic flocculation. The use of flotation to remove middlings from magnetic concentrates is reported in the literature.&apos;.&apos; The flotation process is effective in removing middlings from a magnetite concentrate, but physical entrapment of fine-sized free magnetite in the silica-bearing froth is an undesirable feature. The flotation method of removing middlings requires time, effort, and precise control of many variables, and does not meet the required degree of middling isolation. Magnetic Flocculation Magnetic flocculation has long been resorted to"-" in efforts to upgrade magnetite concentrates. One of the new magnetic taconite plants now under construction on the Mesabi Range includes magnetic flocculation in the flowsheet&apos; as an accessory process to remove high-silica middlings and free silica which has been mechanically entrapped in magnetite flocs. The use of magnetic flocculation as a laboratory method of making precise separation of middlings was further investigated, since it offered a rapid, simple method of accomplishing the desired result. Magnetic flocculation involves the subjection of a magnetic concentrate to a strong magnetic field, passing the concentrate in a highly flocculated condition to a hydroseparator or other classifiers of various types, and removing free silica and middlings as overflow products. In an attempt to utilize simple

Jan 1, 1954

By R. V. Ramani, R. D. Zigmond, R. L. Frantz

In this paper, a computer program for determining the capital and operating costs for coal preparation plants is described along with its applications. The logic of the computer program is based upon the results of a survey of existing preparation plants, operators, plant contractors, equipment manufacturers, and consulting firms. This survey provided information on plant performance, order-of-magnitude costs, and costing procedures. Additionally, an extensive cost data file for the major capital equipment in coal preparation plants has been developed. Using the washability data and the computer program out- puts, the cleaning costs per million Btu can be calculated. Details about the program and its applications can be found in a report by the authors (Zigmond et al., 1979).

Jan 1, 1983