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At the Second Pan-American Scientific Congress, meeting in Washington, D. C., from Dec. 27, 1915 to Jan. 8, 1916, the following special topics will be discussed in each of the four sub-sections of Section VII, of which Hennen Jennings is Chairman: A. Mining.-The mining law of each country and the changes that may be made to aid the development of mineral resources. History of the mining industry in each country with reference to the beginnings of that industry. The development of the Patio process. Bibliography of mining. B. Metallurgy.-Present methods of concentrating ores and the development of concentration methods. International relations in the exchange of ores and metals. Bibliography of metallurgy. A. and B. Mining and Metallurgy.-Development of hydro-electric power for mining and metallurgy, the amount probably available, and specific benefits from its utilization.

Jan 1, 1916

By G. A. REINHA

GEO. F. COMSTOCK,* Niagara Falls, N. Y. (written discussion?).-On studying this paper it has occurred to the writer that possibly it was the drilling of the test cores that produced the strains which affected in-juriously the authors' unrested bars. They found that the machining had only a slight effect, but did they also investigate the effect of the drilling by trying rest applied to the bloom sections before the cores were drilled from then? The writer has heard of a similar effect of rest after machining on test bars from castings, and it would seem more reasonable that the ductility was increased because the rests relieved strains pro-duced in chilling the test cores from the blooms, than because of any peculiar combination of solidification and rolling strains in the blooms which did not exist in smaller billets.

Jan 11, 1919

Discussion of the paper of Earl S. Bardwell, presented at the Butte meeting, August, 1913, and printed in Bulletin No. 79, July, 1913, pp. .1429 to 1441. H. O. HOFMAN, Boston, Mass. (communication to the Secretary*) :-It is pleasing to the originators of the planimetric determination of oxygen in refined copper to see that the method has been taken up by a large smelting plant to be used in every-day work after it has been simplified to suit the new conditions. Several years ago Huntington and Desch 1 had improved our mode of working. They projected the developed negative on to a screen, traced the outlines of the picture with a pencil, drew a border, and measured one constituent with. the planimeter. In order to give the work greater precision, they divided the area into squares of 1 cm. side, shaded the

Jan 11, 1913

THE late steel strike resulted in an unusual reversal of field when Brazilian interests shipped steel to the United States to assure completion of a blast furnace under construction in Cleveland for the national Volta Redonda mill. The furnace is one of the key factors in an expansion program scheduled to raise Brazilian steel production by 280,000 tons, bringing annual output to 1 million tons. The first consignment shipped to Cleveland included 500 tons of slab and plate steel, and was followed later by another 300 tons. Brazil wants to blow in the furnace by July 1, 1953, and the restricted allocation system brought about by the steel shortage offered a real threat to the deadline. Volta Redonda, established during World War II by Brazilian and American financing, accounts for more than half of Brazil's steel production.

Jan 1, 1952

By William M. Courtis

While assaying some copper carbonate ore from the Frazer claims, Similakameen, B. C., I noticed that on parting the gold button a deep orange solution was formed. The button gave off pink bands in the nitric acid, which became deep orange at a short distance from it; and as it traveled over the surface of the porcelain dish, it left a deep orange track behind. As the button brightened in the cupel, it appeared to have a bronze color; but I have since found that when amarillium is in large excess of the gold, the button is a very dark gray. The button parted easily. To the orange solution I added a salt (NaCl) solution, shook in a silver testbottle, and filtered. With H2S I obtained a precipitate, which I supposed due to platinum. However, on further tests, it did

Jan 1, 1903

By F. R. Morral

HOT-DIPPED heat-treated zinc coatings on sheet steel were examined with X-rays. The phases identified were compared with those listed in the modern literature of the zinc-iron system. The zeta (FeZn13) phase is shown to correspond to the phase found by Schueler (1925) in heat-treated zinc coatings. An investigation was undertaken to determine the phases present in hot-dipped FIG. I.-SYSTEM IRON-ZINC ACCORDING TO J. SCHRAMM.11 heat-treated zinc coatings on steel sheets and wire. This kind of coating on wire was studied some years ago by Schueler1 by microscopic and chemical methods. He reported a new phase, FeZn10. Later, Clark and Stillwell,2 using X-ray crystal analysis, identified a new phase in ordinary galva-nized wire, which was assumed to be the FeZn10 phase.

Jan 1, 1940

By Robert H. Richards

It will hardly be worth while to spend time over the discovery of this mine, how lumps of galena were picked up and brought to town, and how legends were told of an old mine from which Revolutionary bullets were made. This is an entirely new mine, with no evidences of former or ancient workings in its immediate vicinity to guide or attract the prospector. The first pit was opened in May, 1874. In August I made a visit to this pit, which was 6 feet wide in the northwest direction, 12 feet long north 80° east, and 6 feet deep..About 4 tons of a galena carrying gray copper, siderite, and quartz, had been taken from this pit. The lumps were all of them evidently float specimens, and varied from 8 to 12 inches thick, and showed very distinct indica-

By R. S. Shoemaker, F. W. McQuiston

In this Monograph are presented operating data, operating costs, plant descriptions, and detailed flowsheets of twenty seven different cyanidation plants around the world. Twenty three of these are gold producers and four are primarily silver producers. With one exception, (Pueblo Viejo scheduled to start up in late 1974), all of the plants are operating at the time of this writing. Selection of operations was based on metallurgy and were grouped into free milling lode ores, other free milling ores, ores requiring sulfide flotation in addition to cyanidation, ores requiring roasting, telluride ores, South African ores, and silver ores. Each of the plants described illustrates some unique form of cyanidation metallurgy. It is the hope of the authors that publication of this Monograph will be an aid to metallurgists in bringing new and successful cyanidation ventures into operation.

Jan 1, 1975

By Joseph M. Chelini

A cash-flow factor is any figure acquired in an evaluation that effects the cash flow potential of an eventual operation. Table I is a list of some of these cash-flow factors. There are more, such as, the payments and penalties in a smelter schedule if the concentrate would be sent to a smelter. During an evaluation it is necessary to maintain a two-way flow of communication between the evaluation people and financing people. To accomplish this, it is necessary to translate the vocabulary of the evaluating people into the vocabulary of the financing people, or geologic and engineering jargon into dollars and cents. This is done by cash-flow studies in which cash-flow factors are input, which when logically manipulated using accepted rules and procedures of accounting, provide an output in dollars and cents.

Jan 5, 1972

By Benny Langston, Frank M. Jr. Stephens

IN recent years much attention has been given to recovery, treatment, and disposal of dusts discharged into the atmosphere from operations of industry. Considerable data has been accumulated on both operational1-4 and design5,6 of dust-collector equipment for commercial installations. On the other hand, there is almost no published data on design and construction of small-scale equipment to handle dust problems that arise in the ore-dressing laboratory. Dust-collection equipment such as multiclones, single-cyclones, scrubbers, chemical and mechanical filters, settling chambers, and electrostatic separators has proved its efficiency for collecting dust in industry. In the laboratory, however, the engineer is faced with the problem of collecting small quantities of dust, inexpensively, without diverting the major effort from the metallurgical problem to the problem of collecting dust produced by the process.

Jan 8, 1954

By E. William Heinrich

With the mounting emphasis on unconventional energy sources, total consumption of lithium minerals will increase significantly in the next decade. The recent development of the lithium battery, for example, may greatly boost the demand for lithium metal. At the same time, the growth in the ceramic, glass, and chemical industries is bound to increase the demand for lithium minerals. In fact, the entire consumption or utilization breakdown of lithium minerals will change considerably from its current pattern. Briefly, today's market for lithium minerals' can be grouped into three categories: (1) Lithium concentrates. Accounting for 57% of market use, these concentrates are beneficiated Li-A1 silicates for ceramic, glass, and glass-ceramic raw materials. The concentrates are chiefly spodumene; inverted iron-depleted beta-spodumene; and petalite or its isochemical decomposition product spodumene + quartz intergrowth ("squi"). In the past, lepidolite has also been used.

Jan 9, 1974

Weston Portable Electrodynamometer The Weston Electrical Instrument Co. of Newark, N. J., believes that problems hitherto considered impossible of solution in the designing of portable electrodynamometers have been solved in its new models. The voltmeter, Model 341, is an instrument' of precision adapted to use on alterating- or direct-current circuits, guaranteed to an accuracy of 0.25 per cent. full-scale value either on direct or alternating-current circuits of any frequency to 133 cycles per second and commercial frequencies even as high as 500 cycles per second with very slight error. The polyphase electrodynamometer, Model 329, is accurate to 0.5 per cent. under the same conditions.; Double ranges are furnished in all instruments of this model. All current ranges can be used for 100 per cent. overload indefinitely without introducing error in Models 310 and 329.

Jan 12, 1915

New Device Eliminates Blasting in Coal A non-explosive device developed by duPont utilizes the high pressure of a gas generated inside a steel tube which is inserted in a hole drilled in a coal seam to break down the face of coal. Chemical reaction is started by an electric current which produces heat to initiate the action. The same heat destroys the starter wire as soon as electric current is no longer needed. The tube containing the chemical is closed at the outer end by a plug with electrical connections, and at the other with a disk that is ruptured by the compressed gases formed. When the gas has been liberated in sufficient quantities to create a desired pressure the disk breaks and the released gas breaks down the coal face. The new device is called a Chemechol.

Jan 10, 1951

By C. W. Merrill

The cyanide process in the United States, notwithstanding numerous failures made under the direction of the owners of the patent-rights, and others, has now passed its experimeiital stage, and can, undoubtedly, be made successful when intelligently applied to suitable material. Much, however, remains to be known as to the exact conditions under which this process is applicable to the treatment of gold-bearing ores. If the owners of the patent-rights in this country have ever scientifically investigated the matter, they have never published any valuable informatioil on the subject. Other parties who are now using the process (often independently of the patentees), have nothing to gain by publishing their experience; and, moreover, many of the chemical reactions described in the text-books refer to the use of solutions of potassium cyanide many times stronger than are used in the metallurgical process.

Jan 1, 1896

By Barry S. Epstein

Financing the acquisition of a going coal mine operation has not had the exposure other finance-oriented projects have had. Therefore, C.I.T. feels that coal mining people and financial people should improve their understanding of the factors involved in this important type of acquisition. The discussion consists of two major subjects: analysis of the acquisition of the property, and sources and terms of funding the acquisition. Source and Terms of Funding There is a need to keep the competent medium-sized independent operator in the coal business, especially in these times of energy shortage. The creation of a resale market for coal mines encourages new investment in the coal mining business by medium-sized operators and their financial backers. Who provides debt and equity financing to acquire going coal mine operations and on what terms?

Jan 9, 1975

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

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

By Michael D. Loy

While the coal industry in general has been slow in accepting automation, the last few years have seen a myriad of products developed by the private sector. These packages run the full gamut from sophisticated geological information systems to line entry discounted cash flow analyses. This paper is an attempt to unravel the confusion that may exist about mining software. Discussions will highlight major differences between software products (such as block vs. grid models, prefeasibility programs vs. Monte Carlo analyses), briefly discuss known vendors, list known package features and touch on hardware requirements. The paper also focuses on the costs of automation (both software and hardware), possible trade-offs, advantages to in-house systems (vs. timesharing), a recommended review/selection process (including suggested RFP format), a test case procedure, when to bring in a consultant, and staffing considerations.

Jan 1, 1983

By I. A. Violic, L. D. Cruz, M. A. Solari

In Exxon's Los Bronces Expansion Project in Chile, a stochastic simulation is performed to resolve the complex decision problem of matching the mine to mill system capacities from both technical and economic standpoints. The unique combination of weather conditions at the mine and the 30-km (18.6 mile) belt conveyor network for ore transport to the mill necessitates this analysis in the planning phase to optimize the design capacity of the system. Appropriate statistical distributions of major equipment performance, snow storm duration, power outage, etc., are developed from actual mine local records and manufacturers' specifications. The interactions of operational constraints including ore storage capacities, number and sizes of individual equipment, ore variations, and mine and mill production rates are studied more realistically than in a traditional planning approach. Details of the computer modeling and typical results of simulation studies are discussed.

Jan 1, 1984

By J. Dehais, W. A. Wallace

The pressures of urbanization are forcing producers of construction minerals either to transport their product greater distances or find new mineral sources. In areas with significant urban development near the coastal zone, offshore resources may prove to be an economically attractive alternative source. This paper addresses the economic viability of offshore mining of fine mineral aggregate. It proposes a model using a mathematical programming formulation based upon past research on both the onshore construction aggregate industry and the coal industry. The model is then used to assess offshore mining economics in the greater New York metropolitan area. Results show that in this region total consumer cost would be reduced by offshore mining of fine aggregate. In addition, increasing economies of scale could be realized by progressively larger mining operations. The distribution of these savings is also discussed.

Jan 1, 1982