Search Documents

By G. F. Moulton

Extraction of minerals from Searles Lake brines has taken place since 1873. Early operations for borax and raw trona found on the surface were expanded after 1914 to include potash, salt cake, and soda ash. A new soda ash plant now in operation will double area production. The evaporite beds were formed by desiccation of eastern Sierra runoff. The resulting series of brine-bearing salt beds supply the fluids necessary to feed the area chemical plants. Production methods include evaporation and crystallization for potash, borax, and salt cake; carbonation of brine to recover soda ash; and organic extraction of borax.

Jan 1, 1982

TWO hundred enthusiastic engineers and coal, op-erators attended a joint meeting of the A. I. M. E., the National Coal Association, and the American So-ciety of Mechanical Engineers in the auditorium of the Alabama Power Co. building at Birmingham, Ala., on Jan. 21. S. W. Farnham, mining engineer of the Goodman Manufacturing Co., Chicago, in his paper on mechanical loading of coal discussed the feasibility of scraper and machine loading. A. R. Anderson of the Jeffrey Manufacturing Co., in a paper on loading coal with conveyors covered their adaptation for long-wall mining and for loading into cars. Discussion of these papers was hampered because the cheap labor costs prevailing in the district have handicapped gen-eral mechanization of the mines. The Bureau of Mines film, "The Story of a Rock-dusted Mine," showing the New Orient mine, West Frankfort, Ill., was also shown at the meeting. F. H. Crockard, president of the Wood-ward Iron Co., represented the A. I. M. E., S. L. Yerkes, vice-president of the Grider Coal Sales Agency, and J. L. Davidson, secretary of the Alabama Mining Institute, represented the National Coal Association, and Paul Wright represented the American Society of Mechan-ical Engineers.

Jan 2, 1927

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members..) Members and guests who registered at institute headquarters during the period Dec. 10, 1915 to Jan. 10, 1916: A. R. Fletcher, Palo Alto, Cal. H. L. Hollis, Chicago, Ill. R. G. Hall,. St. Louis, Mo. Howland Bancroft, Denver, Colo. Walter E. Koch, Terlingua, Tex. G. D. B. Turner, Butte, Mont. George A. Macready, Searchlight, Nev. H. A. Wheeler, St. Louis, Mo. H. W. Edmondson, Concheno, Chili., Mex. George B. Rodgers, St. Francois, Mo. Arthur F. Taggart, New Haven, Conn. Paul S. King, Wilmington, Del. H. V. Winchell, Minneapolis, Minn. G. H. Clevenger, Palo Alto, Cal. Frank A. Ross, Spokane, Wash. J. W. Beard, Syracuse, N. Y. W. D. B. Motter, Jr., Benson Mines, N. Y. Albert De Deken, Louvain, Belgium. S. Le Fevre, Forest Glen, N. Y.. James H. Smith, Jr., Mount Carmel, Pa. E. H. Hamilton, formerly manager of the Virginia Smelting Co., West Norfolk, Va., has become consulting metallurgist to the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., of Canada, Ltd., Trail, British Columbia.

Jan 2, 1916

By J. C. Norman

Jan 1, 1985

This brief resume of the events transpiring in Mexico, culled from the daily New York newspapers since the last Bulletin went to press, does not show any degree of improvement in the situation. MEXICO SEEKS TO AVOID BLAME FOR BANDIT RAIDS All foreign passengers leaving Nogales for Mexico on the Southern Pacific or Mexico Railroad. whose business would take them through territory occupied by the Yaqui Indians or Mexican bandits were requested by Mexican Consul Emilio Tamez to sign a statement that they relieve the Mexican government of responsi-bility for anything which might happen to them while in that part of Mexico. The Mexican consul stated, says the N. Y. Tribune, that this was by order of Mexican Ambassador Ignacio Bon ill as, at Washington. When the State Department was advised of this activity Secretary Phillips, in a message to the consulate at Tampico, according to the N. Y. Tribune, asserted that "compliance with the waiver requirement will not interfere with the relation existing between the United States and its citizens and that Americans so complying will in no way lose the protection of this government."

Jan 11, 1919

By I. Iwasaki, R. Titi-Manyaka

Thermogravimetric analyses were used to formulate the chlorination and chloridization behaviors of such metals as iron, manganese, copper, tin, nickel, and zinc and their oxides; of lime and magnesia; and of such minerals as calcite, siderite, rhodochrosite, rhodonite, and apatite- all commonly encountered in ironmaking raw materials. Complexities of the reaction steps involved were indicated by plotting thermogravimetric analysis curves and the possible mechanisms were discussed based on the theoretical weight changes and thermodynamic considerations. The relative effectiveness of chlorine and hydrogen chloride as chloridizing agents was considered in the light of the experimental results.

Jan 1, 1973

By Alvin L. Langstaff, Harold D. Raymond

The design of entry systems and mining panels in room-and-pillar oil shale mines seeks to optimize extraction while ensuring both short- and long-term stability of mine openings. Important criteria for optimization include the definition of allowable roof spans and minimum pillar dimensions. Factors considered pertinent to the design of roof spans and pillars are discussed in this paper. They include, but are not limited to, physical properties and grade of the oil shale, depth of burial, presence and frequency of partings and joints and adverse effects of blasting. Also discussed briefly are some of the ventilation and production considerations in mine design.

Jan 1, 1984

By R. H. Thurston

Jan 1, 1879

By Ralph M. Barnett, Albert K. Smith

During the last few years, a great deal of interest has been aroused in the use of more refined blasting techniques. It has been the effort of many mining companies to reduce powder cost, obtain better rock breakage, reduce drilling costs and provide safer working places. With the advent of new types of powder and such techniques as cushion blasting, line blasting, smoothwall or soundwall blasting, and presplitting or preshearing, these goals are approaching reality. Smoothwall blasting and presplitting have re- ceived much attention at the Climax Molybdenum Co., Climax, Colo., mine because of the large cost factor involved. An experimental program was begun in 1961, and during 1964 to the present has been used in many working areas. Some spectacular results have been achieved by the operating personnel in hard ground, but the most beneficial results have been in areas where the ground has been soft and highly fractured.

Jan 7, 1965

By I. A. Lange, A. M. Richardson

Although methods for determining shaft lining thickness are well documented, little attention has been given to the design of station breakouts and other related shaft ground support structures. This paper discusses design of selected shaft structures for the Cathedral Bluffs project, a planned 54-kt/d (60,000-stpd) oil shale mine in western Colorado. Design philosophy and construction sequences used in the three completed 520-m (1700 ft) deep, 4.6-m (15 ft) to 10.4-m (34-ft) diameter shafts are described.

Jan 1, 1984

The recent dedication of Magma Copper Co.'s San Manuel, Ariz., electrolytic copper refinery and rod casting plant marks the culmination of a three year, $250 million expansion-modernization program. The new facilities will eventually permit an annual production of 200,000 tons of marketable copper for direct sale to fabricators. The Newmont Mining Corp. subsidiary will produce and market continuous cast 5/16 in. copper redraw rod, full plate cathode copper and sheared cathode plate under its own brand name. Among the four largest in the nation, the new refinery and plant, was built at a cost of $34 million and will be fully automated. In addition, all materials used in the plant will be recycled and no waste, discard or emissions will occur.

Jan 3, 1972

New York Meets first Wednesday after first Tuesday of each month. DAVID H. BROWNS Chairman. JOHN H. JANEWAY, Vice-Chairman. F. E. PIERCE, Secretary 35 Nassau St., New York, N. Y. P. A. MOSMAN, Treasurer. LEWIS W. FRANCIS. BENJAMIN B.. LAWRENCE. Boston Meets first Monday of each winter month. HENRY L. SMYTH, Chairman. ALFRED C. LANE, Vice-Chairman. HENRY A. WENTWORTH, Secretary-Treasurer, 60 India St., Boston, Mass. A. H. EUSTIS, F. G. STANTIAL. Columbia Holds four sessions during year. Annual meeting in September or October. STANLY A. EASTON, Chairman. FREDERIC KEFFER, Vice-Chairman. LYNDON K. ARMSTRONG, Secretary-Treasurer, P. O. Drawer 2154, Spokane, Wash. D. C. LIVINGSTON, FRANK A. ROSS.

Jan 5, 1916

By W. B. Devereux

The special mriditions under which gold occurs in the Potsdam formation of the Black Hills prew~lt features worthy of a more systematic pesentation than they have heretofore received. The notes

Jan 1, 1882

By H. Rumfelt

Surface excavators for mining coal and such non- metallic minerals as quarry stone, gypsum, phosphate and the like have advanced tremendously in the last 50 years, and their advancement has paralleled that of excavators used in the construction industry during the same period. Up to a certain stage, the construction industry led the way with this development and even pioneered in how the equipment was used. Afterwards, however, new mining machinery and related operating techniques progressed along a different path than their construction counterparts because of the different demands of the two industries. The word "stage" as used above quite generally connotes a transition period, possibly of several years' duration, during which mining development followed the construction industry. Later, mining branched out and responded to its own needs. Most readers are familiar with the events which led to the development of the power shovel. The first dredge was recorded as having been used in England in the latter 1700's and was no doubt developed along the lines of some notes written in the late 1400's by Leonardo da Vinci.

Jan 1, 1971

By Isaac Vera, Hans Ruge

The El Soldado copper mineralization occurs as relatively high-grade irregular ore bodies with assay contacts and with frequent inclusions of barren rock. The sampling methods must be timely for production grade control purposes, as well as accurate and inexpensive. Sampling techniques evolved from sampling dump cars at the haulage level to sampling Scooptrams at the loading pockets. These methods were abandoned in favor of sampling production blastholes. Several sampling alternatives are discussed. These involve the selection of optimum volumes and sampling frequencies while taking into consideration geological parameters and statistical analyses of sampling data.

Jan 1, 1985

Raymond Weir Smyth, born Nov. 3, 1888, was the son of Herbert Weir Smyth, professor of Greek Literature at Harvard University. He graduated (A. B.) from Harvard in 1909 and later pursued advanced studies there in chemistry and in metallurgy. He held the position of metallurgist for the American Steel and Wire Co. at Worcester, Mass., and also for the Steel and Tube Co. at Youngstomn, Ohio. For a time he was inspector of munitions for the British Government and stationed at the Railway Steel and Spring Co. at Latrobe, Pa. For a short time, in 1917, he was Inspector of Ordnance for the U. S. Government, and the following year, having entered the U. S. Naval Reserve Force, he was ordered in a similar capacity to the Midvale Steel Co. In September, he removed to the Navy Yard, League Island, Philadelphia, to train for the obligatory minimum of six months' sea duty. There he contracted influenza, which was followed by pneumonia, from which he died, September 27, at the Navy Yard Hospital. Captain Braxton Bigelow* Captain Braxton Bigelow was the son of Major John B. Bigelow, U. S. A., retired, and grandson of the late John Bigelow, author, and Minister to France under President Grant. Captain Bigelow graduated

Jan 1, 1920

By B. Van Voorhis

Successive changes have been made in stoping methods at the Magma mine. Factors that have made these changes advisable are: vein width, heavy and swelling wall rock, abnormal rock temperatures, ventilation, labor costs, timber costs, mining speed, and labor-saving mechanical developments. Additional localized conditions, such as low angle post-mineral faulting and selective mining, have also made changes necessary. A stoping method with enough flexibility to meet most of these conditions has been in use for the past ten years. The Magma Copper Co. was organized by the late William Boyce Thompson in 1910 and acquired by purchase and location several groups of contiguous claims, among them the Silver Queen property. The Hub and Irene claims acquired in this purchase cover the apex of the vein, and all stoping done up to 1920 was from these two claims

Aug 1, 1956

By W. L. Fourney

This paper describes a number of model tests conducted in Plexiglas models to investigate the phenomenon of fracture pressurization. The models were examined with high speed photography while being subjected to explosive loading. At the same time pressure transducers were used to record the pressure in the borehole as a function of time and also along the path of the propagating fracture to measure the pressure at various locations along the fracture as a function of time. Both propellants and explosives were used to charge the borehole. Air as well as fluid filled boreholes were needed to provide a variety of pressure rise rates. On some tests eddy current displacement gauges measured crack opening displacements as a function of time. As a final check high speed photographs taken during the event were used to visually ascertain the location of the fracture at any given time.

Jan 1, 1984

By R. J. Quigg, G. P. Conard, J. F. Libsch

IN a recent investigation of the Mn-Ge system by Zwicker it was reported that two inter-metallic compounds in this system, Mn,Ge, and Mn,Ge,, exhibited ferromagnetic properties. Of these, Mn,Ge, was reported as "strongly magnetic" and Mn,Ge, was said to be "weakly magnetic" but no actual values were given. In a study of magnetic alloys of nonmagnetic elements sponsored by the United States Army Signal Corps at Lehigh University, test bars having the nominal composition of these compounds were prepared by pressing elemental powders and sintering them in a purified helium atmosphere. Magnetic values obtained on these compounds are reported in Tables I and 11. It should be cautioned that the test bars were somewhat porous and that X-ray patterns run on these materials indicated that the homogenization in the samples was not complete, but that in each case the compound reported on was the dominant phase. The (B-H) max and particularly the Br values for pure dense M&Ge, can, therefore, be expected to be somewhat higher than those reported herein, while those for Mn,Ge, may be in error in either direction. Further details on this investigation are available in previous publications.23

Jan 1, 1956

The problem of applying instrument control of variables associated with lead-zinc ore treatment has been under investigation for several years at The Zinc Corp. facilities in Broken Hill, Australia. In 1959 it was decided that there was sufficient knowledge of the problem to enable specifications to be drawn up for a system to automatically control at set conditions the roll crushing, ball milling, lead flotation and zinc flotation sections. In choosing between electrical and pneumatic control systems the broad principle was adopted that if the sensing system was pneumatic the transmission and control would also be pneumatic, whereas if electrical sensing was employed, electrical transmission and control would apply. In general. pneumatic systems were preferred owing to lack of experience with, and standardization of, the electrical systems offered at the time the specification was prepared.

Jan 12, 1964