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By Hugh Rose

JAY A. CARPENTER, Tonopah, Nev: (communication to the Secretary*).-This description of the Santa Gertrudis mill is of great interest to the operators of similar silver mills in Nevada. At the San Francisco meeting last September there were two excellent papers presented on Nevada silver mills; one by A. H. Jones on The Tonopah Plant of the Belmont Milling Co., and the other by E. E. Carpenter on Cyaniding Practice of the Churchill Milling Co., Wonder, Nev. At the same meeting, I presented a paper on-Slime Agitation and Solution Replacement Methods at the West End Mill, Tonopah, Nev., covering this .particular feature of our milling practice. A comparison of the data presented in these four papers is interesting in that, while the general design and practice is much the same in all cases, there is a wide difference in the design and practice in the various departments of 'the mills. It is to be regretted that Mr. Rose did not round out. this excellent article by following Mr. Jones's and Mr. Carpenter's' lead in giving the average gold and silver content of the ore milled and the resulting tailing, with the consumption of chemicals and the? cost of milling. The practice of the Santa Gertrudis mill in the use of ?cyanide and zinc offers an interesting comparison with that of the Nevada mills, and a discussion of this point may bring out the reasons for the differences that exist.

Jan 12, 1916

By R. F. Campell, W. L. Jensen

IT is not uncommon for martensitic high carbon steels having a coarse austenite grain size to exhibit microcracks when polished and etched and examined with a microscope, as described by Davenport, Roff, and Bain.' Whether such cracks exist before etching or are the result of acid attack during etching has been debated from time to time. Fig. 1 illustrates the effect of electrolytic polishing, mechanical polishing and etching subsequent to each polish on microcracks produced by oil quenching from 1800°F a steel containing 1.14 pct C, 0.23 pct Mn, 0.33 pct Si, and 0.45 pct Mo. The austenite grain size was 3-4 on the ASTM scale. Grinding on lead laps followed by either electrolytic polishing with acetic anhydride-perchloric acid solution' or mechanical polishing with Linde "B" alumina on "microcloth" (sometimes referred to as Gamal cloth) revealed microcracks without conventional etching, as shown in Fig. la and b, respectively. These same fields, after subsequent etching with saturated picral, are shown in Fig. lc and d, and the cracks are seen to be typical microcracks; moreover, the cracks appear to be broader and longer than before etching. Although the microcracks were revealed by electrolytic polishing alone, the possibility of acid attack was present; however, the mechanical polish was accomplished without any intermediate etching to remove disturbed metal, hence this is regarded as definite evidence that microcracks are present before etching.

Jan 1, 1954

By Gloyd Wiles

THE eastern section of the Park City dis-trict is drained to an elevation of 6300 ft. by means of the Ontario drain tunnel owned and maintained by Park Utah Consolidated Mines Co. This elevation represents a depth of 920 ft. in Park City Consolidated Mines Company's property. When development below the goo-ft. level was commenced, sinking was at-tempted through an incline winze in the fissure. The intensely fractured quartzite forming the walls of the vein could not be held after water was encountered, so it was decided that further sinking should be done in a vertical winze far enough in the foot-wall to be in the more solid quartzite out-side the fractured zone containing the vein. Progress was good until a depth of 200 ft. below water table was reached, where the flow of water became serious. Sinking pro-gressed 300 ft., to the 1200-ft. level, and there approximately 750 gal. of water per minute was being pumped. The last 20 ft, of sinking cost more than $200 per foot direct charges, whereas the over-all cost for the 300 ft. was $100 per foot. This high last cost was caused by excessive lost time in pumping. Crosscutting to the vein disclosed the fact that the 1050-ft. level had been devel-oped only after drainage had been effected from the 1200-ft. level, but that the 1200-ft. level could not be opened because of the

Jan 1, 1940

By G. Reinberg, C. D. Clarke

MOST underground mining operations are dependent on pumping installations to keep the mine unwatered. The reliability of such installations is obviously of paramount importance. The volume of water to be handled is often considerable, and the total head is relatively high. In these cases, both capital cost and operating expense of the pumping installations will become significant factors in overall mining costs. To insure reliability and to keep efficiencies, and hence operating cosl;s, within acceptable limits it goes without saying that mechanical maintenance of a mine pumping installation must receive scrupulous attention at all times. Large mine pumping installations today almost invariably use multistage centrifugal pumps, since positive-displacement units would not be economically competitive except under very unusual conditions of small volume combined with extremely high heads. Centrifugal pump maintenance, under ideal circumstances, would be confined to parts subject to normal running water, i.e., bearing surfaces, stuffing box packing, and shaft sleeves. Under adverse conditions, however, metal may be lost from the wetted surfaces of a pump by erosive or corrosive action of the pumped fluid, and maintenance costs can easily attain enormous proportions. The following definitions are those most generally used for the phenomena encountered. Erosion is a general term meaning mechanical removal of material from a surface. As applied to pumps, it may be the result of simple abrasion, such as that produced by suspended solid matter in the liquid being pumped. In common with other hy-

Jan 1, 1957

By R. D. Reiswig, D. J. Mack

THE use of pyrophoric alloys in ignition devices dates back more than fifty years to a German patent granted to Carl Auer von Welsbach in 1903.' This patent named a composition essentially the same as that used in most present-day cigarette lighter "flints:" 70 pct mischmetal, 30 pct Fe, referred to here as "Auer alloy." Among the few current exceptions to this composition are those "flints" based on titanium or zirconium. The rare-earth metals of which mischmetal is composed are so similar chemically and physically remarkable similarity in their alloying behaviors would be expected. Comparison of the binary phase diagrams2 of these elements with nonrare-earth metals shows that this is true to a striking degree, so much so, in fact, that it appears that a mixture of these elements may be treated as a single component of alloys without fear of serious error. In considering alloys containing mischmetal, therefore, the mixture of rare-earth elements will be referred to merely as "cerium," the predominant element in mischmetal. In polishing cerium alloys for metallographic examination, it was soon discovered that aqueous polishing media were highly corrosive. Free cerium in the alloys acts similarly to calcium (though not quite so rapidly) in evolving bubbles of hydrogen at the metal-water interface; thus, special metallographic techniques are required. The simplest polishing technique found to be satisfactory consisted of slow hand grinding on dry emery papers through

Jan 1, 1956

By Robert Anderson Cook

The subject of refractory materials occupies such an important position in all metallurgical works, and particularly in those of iron and steel, that any data concerning it must be of interest to the metallurgist. No apology is needed, therefore, for this attempt to describe the mining of fire-clay and the manufacture of fire-brick at one of the largest establishments in this country. Mount Savage is a small village situated in the northwestern part of the Cumberland coal basin, on the Cumberland & Pennsylvania Railroad, and at the foot of Savage Mountain, from which the village takes its name. Fire-brick have been manufactured here almost, if not quite, as long as in any place in America; and as the brick are still shipped to nearly half the States in the Union every month, the manufactory is probably the most generally known. In the year 1837, a company was formed called the Maryland & New York Coal & Iron Company. It built two blast-fiirnaces, the ruins of which still remain. It was in the construction of these filmaces that the first fire-brick made here were used ; and though the iron works ran but spasmodically, the brick works have been in constant operation ever since. From 1837 until 1846, the Maryland Coal & Iron Company, from then until 1548, the Lochiel Iron Co., and from 1848 until 1861, the Mount Savage Iron Co., ran the brick-works, and in

Jan 1, 1886

By C. K. McArthur

THE subject of classification is so broad that this discussion is con-fined to what the author believes is of prime importance in connection with proper grinding and classification. The years passed have witnessed many noteworthy changes in fine grinding and classification, which have been accompanied by a readjust-ment of ore-dressing flowsheets for the preparation of better ground and/or sized products at an expenditure of less. power, steel and main-tenance than formerly. Nowhere in the industry is more being done in the way of experimental work to lower costs than in grinding circuits, because, at best, grinding costs are high. Recent years have indicated that, on the average, finer grinding has a real application. Without careful preparation of the process feed, no operation can be highly efficient or successful. In an earlier paper, the findings of an extensive survey at representa-tive concentrators were presented1. Also, in the year of 1935, a technical discussion was given by Dr. J. V. N. Dorr (Some Notes on Classification Trends in America) before the Chemical, Metallurgical and Mining Society of South Africa. In both papers mentioned, much has been said regarding flowsheets, grinding and classification. The author is very familiar with these papers, having had considerable to do with the actual operation of the flowsheets, as well as large mills and classifiers in the work described. Some data from the second paper have been included in the following discussion.

Jan 1, 1937

By Frank M. Randall

The Buick mill is located at the site of the old Buick general store, approximately 4 miles south of Bixby, Missouri on route KK. It is a part of the operations in the area now called the "New Lead Belt". The ore body lies at an elevation of 270 feet above sea level, and is fairly flat lying, becoming slightly deeper toward the south. The mineralization is due to the secondary deposition of galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, calcite, dolomite and some localized drusy quartz in a country rock of dolomitic limestone. The galena is fairly coarse grained with some large crystaline structure, and some oxidized surfaces. The sphalerite is fine grained- small crystals containing Cd (about 0.7%) and Ag (about 10 oz per ton) in solid solution. The chalcopyrite is fine grained, fine crystals that are sometimes massive in nature. The mine plan is a modified room and pillar system. Broken ore at the mine face will be transported to several different ore passes by rubber tired load-haul-dump units. Ore passes will drop the ore to a rail haulage level some 90 feet below the mining level where bottom dump cars will deliver it to a 42 in. Nordberg gyratory crusher. Two 12 ton capacity skips in balance carry the ore some 1,200 feet to the surface. The hoist is equipped with automatic controls for loading, hoisting and unloading.

Jan 1, 1970

By William C. Cooley

INTRODUCTION Considerable research has been conducted on the use of steady and pulsed jets of water at high pressures to produce slots or holes in rock, and to fracture rock. The primary objectives of prior research have generally been to determine the feasibility of excavating or drilling rock or minerals and to determine the optimum jet parameters for this purpose. The present study was undertaken in order to identify the pertinent dimensionless parameters involving jet and rock properties which characterize the liquid jet penetration process and to develop empirical correlations of the existing test data which would permit engineering prediction by means of scaling relationships. The present paper is in the nature of a progress report, because not all the existing test data have been processed. Also effort has been concentrated on correlation of data on the specific energy (jet kinetic energy per unit volume of rock removed or broken), rather than correlation of jet penetration depth, hole diameter, kerf depth or kerf width. However, it is clear that this method of correlating data on specific energy in terms of dimensionless parameters shows great promise and provides insight into the nature of the physical processes of jet erosion and fracture. It therefore can help to avoid drawing incorrect conclusions from limited experimental data. DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS The method of dimensional analysis is particularly valuable where the mathematical relationships controlling a physical process are unknown or complex. The grouping

Jan 1, 1971

By Ray Schmidt

When your committee approached me for a talk on "Mechanics of Secondary Metals Collection," I replied that this subject would probably not be very interesting to a group of engineers and requested permission to dwell on the Westinghouse Salvage Setup. I will attempt to avoid duplicating the points covered by Mr. Bliven. The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. has main manufacturing Divisions in 25 cities and 9 different states, scattered throughout the country, as well as Naval Ordnance Plants in two midwest cities, and a Merchant Marine Turbine Plant, and two special War Production Plants in Eastern cities. You can, therefore, see that we must have a well rounded pro- gram with the entire respect and sponsorship of the various Division Managements. That was not so easy to get. Management has been a great deal like the general public in the past. I am sure most of you can remember the not very ancient day when each town had a ragman who had a horse and wagon and went through the streets of the town, from door to door, picking up what scrap he could accumulate. He was known as a junk man, and indeed, with the exception of the very last few years, the attitude of manufacturing management was: "We have a job to do. We have a product to manufacture. We don't have time to bother with the junk business."

Jan 1, 1943

By E. E. Russell Tratman

The use of dynamite in cold weather is attended with some difficulty, owing to the freezing of the material and its consequeut liability to fail to explode when the fuse is fired. With proper methods and care the dynamite can be thawed with reasonable safety, but numerous accidents occur (more than get reported in the public press), due to carelessness in the operation and to the treacherous nature of the material, or a combination of both conditions. Dynamite will stand treatment at one time which at another time will result in explosion. An expert on explosives says that the most dangerous means of thawing cartridges are ingeniously devised by ignorant laborers; baking, boiling and toasting being favorite methods, while at a stone-quarry, in one instance, an apparatus was arranged for steaming the cartridges over a pot of boiling water. In this latter case the nitro-glycerine leaked through the canvas cover and settled on the bottom of the pot, with the result that an explosion occurred, the water acting as a tamping to the charge. The fact that small quantities of explosives containing nitroglycerine will burn quietly and without explosion if ignited by direct contact with a flame, has led to the dangerously mistaken reasoning that merely heating the explosive can produce no ill effect. If . a dynamite cartridge is ignited or placed in a fire it will probably burn harmlessly away, but if placed on a stove or in an oven and

Jan 1, 1893

By M. D. Voegele, C. Fairhurst

INTRODUCTION A computer study of excavation support loads in tunnels and other excavations in discontinuous rock masses was undertaken with the distinct element method introduced by Cundall (1971). In the distinct element method the rock mass is modeled as a composition of individual blocks of rock defined by the joint planes. Normal and shear deformation laws are ascribed to the joint surfaces; the blocks of rock themselves are considered to be rigid. The particular version of the program utilized in this study ran a mini computer and used inter, active techniques for the input of geometrical data such as joint orientation and spacing and subsequent display of rock mass deformation and other data. Two major aspects of the behavior of excavations in jointed rock masses are examined in this paper: i) the behavior of unsupported excavations in rock masses with varying joint configuration, joint properties and in situ stress fields; and ii) the modification of the behavior of similar excavations when support is provided. In the latter case the excavation behavior was examined through the use of ground reaction curves. THE DISTINCT ELEMENT METHOD The Distinct Element method introduced by Cundall (1971) is a computer based analysis that simulates the behavior of a system of discrete, semi-rigid rock blocks. Block interactions are governed by realistic friction and stiffness laws; each block may undergo unlimited displacement and rotation while progressive failure is modeled.

Jan 1, 1982

By Otto F. Pfordte

Although the subject has no practical bearing on the metallurgy of the present day, it may not be entirely uninteresting to note how the art of silver-lead smelting has been, and in a few remote districts of Peru is still practiced by an old method, and under conditions widely different from our own. The subject will be considered under the following subdivisions,. viz.: The general conditions; construction and plan of furnaces;, fuels and ores; method of working; furnace products and slags. The mineral region of Peru varies in altitude from 10,000 to 16,000 feet above sea-level, comparatively few mines being locatedh above or below these limits. The timber-line in the valleys is at about 12,000 feet altitude on the western slope of the mountains, and even there the supply of wood is not sufficient to be utilized as fuel for furnaces. The sides of the mountains are either bare or covered with a hard bushy grass, which is most luxuriant during the latter part of the rainy season, from February to April. Agriculture on the western slope rarely reaches above 12,000 feet, while on the eastern slope its limit is at 14,000 feet; and in either case the height named is reached only in sheltered places. Transportation is slow, being carried on mainly by llamas, donkeys and mules; the former (taking 100 pounds at a load) are almost

Jan 1, 1893

By S. M. Brisbane

The life of refractory linings in rotary cement kilns can be shortened by uneven or inadequate support of the kiln and its shell and by variations in the conditions of operation. Alteration of these factors may, according to their nature, bring about mechanical deterioration of the lining or promote chemical attack. Chemical attack has been described elsewhere. The distortion of cement kilns has been discussed in a general manner by Rochow, who indicates the amount of distortion which may occur in an unlined shell, and by Rosenblad; who states that the deformations of the shell are greatest above the trunnions. The present article indicates the extent of the distortion of a kiln to an oval shape in certain selected positions and the deviation from a straight line of the kiln along its length between two supports. The cement kiln is a long, hollow, rotating cylinder consisting of steel plates which may be either welded or riveted together. This shell is supported on tires, frequently 60 ft apart, which roll on trunnions. The large mass of the kiln causes distortion of its cross-section; it becomes slightly oval, i.e., diameters lengthen as they become horizontal and shorten as they become vertical. There is also a tendency for the shell to bow between supporting tires; this bowing may be upwards or downwards depending on the position of the weight forces and the supports. The extent of the deviations from the ideal kiln shape was investigated.

Feb 1, 1956

By Kent W. Pilz

Wet dust suppression can be achieved by 1) confinement of the dust within the dust producing area with a curtain of moisture, 2) wetting of the dust by direct contact between the particles and droplets of moisture or 3) the formation of agglomerates too heavy to remain airborne, or too heavy to become airborne, by combining small dust particles with each other and with the droplets of liquid. From the standpoint of economy, availability and safety, water is the ideal fluid; however, it is not as effective for dust suppression as when small percentages of specially formulated dust control compounds are blended with it. Performance of dust control com pounds is related to surface active agents and surface activity. In all liquids there is an attractive force between molecules which varies inversely as the sixth power of the distance between molecules. Thus, in the liquid phase where molecules are crowded together, the intermolecular forces are powerful; whereas in the liquid-vapor phase where the molecules are relatively far apart, these forces diminish rapidly. In the body of a fluid there is an uneven distribution of forces resulting in an inward pull called surface tension. The force which keeps two surfaces apart or causes them to coalesce is termed interfacial tension. Fluids of high surface tension exhibit poor wetting, spreading and penetrating qualities. Water has the unusually high surface tension of 72.75 dynes per cm at 20°C.

Jan 7, 1972

By G. Hileman

During the year 1934 there were no new or extraordinary developments in the proven fields. With few exceptions all companies operating in these fields continued intensive exploitation programs on their old properties in an attempt to maintain the normal production of former years. In one or two instances these exploitation activities have had such marked success that the total production for 1934 slightly surpassed that of 1933. The most striking increase in production is that shown by the Kilometer 27 pool of the Comodoro Rivadavia field. However, this increase cannot be attributed to intensive drilling, since it is the result of a more uniform daily withdrawal distributed among all the productive wells. The Province of Salta also showed another increase, so that, judging from the statistics of the past three years and in view of proposed exploration projects, the future may reveal some interesting developments in this province. One of the most interesting occurrences in Salta is the discovery, though not yet considered commercial, made at Macueta, near the boundary line between the Argentine and Bolivia. This exploration well was drilled by the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey and is the northernmost exploratory well in the republic. The oil from this well is of the same type and commercial value as that produced in the San Pedro and Lomitas fields. The producing horizon is also the same as that in the other Salta fields; that is, the Paleozoic Permo-Carboniferous.

Jan 1, 1935

By P. K. Chatterjee

The overall success of many strip coal mining operations depends primarily upon the efficient use of draglines to remove overburden. These machines require enormous capital investment and unless used efficiently the profitability of a venture is adversely affected. It is important that the dragline works continuously and it is imperative that the walking path and other facets of its operation be predetermined exactly so that the desired production rate is achieved with a minimum of non-productive time. Details of dragline operations which are of particular interest are walking path, prediction of best cut and positioning to maximize production, the angle of swing which produces the swiftest operation, optimum fill factor allowable for the type of material and conditions of ground, the maximum depth from which it can excavate and operating level with respect to the elevation of the high wall. The aims of the present paper are: 1. To establish a cut-off point in the cost-depth ratio. 2. Predict the most economic method of stripping in a given area using graphical plots of walking path implemented with information necessary to ensure optimum production. The optimum operating efficiency of the dragline in relation to the terrain and other conditions imposed on its operation will be evaluated. The model is based upon operating data which has been collected from site observations of a large strip coal mining operation in Central Queensland, Australia.

Jan 1, 1977

Discussion of the paper of THEODORE P. HOLT, presented at the Salt Lake meeting August, 1914, and printed in Bulletin No. 91, July, 1914, pp. 1699 to 1708. F. S. SCHMIDT, Salt Lake City, Utah.-Any furnace that can make a chloridizing roast to yield an extraction of 92 to 93 per cent. and do this at a cost of less than 24c. per ton in a 10-ton unit opens great possibilities for the treatment of certain classes of ores. This cost does not include the salt and will be reduced to about 16 1/2c. per ton in the 35-ton furnace which are now being designed. On a trial run the roaster treated 9.6 ton: of Ontario stope fillings crushed to pass a ¼ -in. opening. The ore is well adapted to chlorination with the exception of insufficient sulphur and occasional days of high lime, but is not adapted to any other process The following is an analysis of the crude ore: Ag, 9.52; Au, 0.029 oz. Pb, 0.71; Cu, 0.11; SiO, 79.4; Zn, 0.57; S, 1.00; Fe, 7.9; Mn, 0.89 CaO, 1.20 per cent. The composition of the mix was: Per Cent. Dry crude ore : 83.4 Moisture 4.4 Salt 8.3 Coal dust 2.3 Pyrite, 70 per cent. pure 1.6

Jan 11, 1914

By Edward W. Parker

This plant was built in 1907 at the Bankhead mines to manufacture briquettes by the Zwoyer process under license from the Zwoyer Fuel Co., of New York, N. Y. The building was constructed to contain two units, each of a capacity of 10 tons per hr.; one unit was installed at the time the building was constructed, and the second unit is now being built. The coal used is an anthracite, which is more friable than that of Pennsylvania, and, as a consequence, a larger percentage of dust or waste is produced, which was formerly thrown upon the slack-pile as waste, but is now passed to the ? dust-bin " in the breaker, from which it is conveyed to the briquette-plant.

Jan 5, 1908

By Gilbert H. Cady

HE application of geology to problems arising A in coal mining engineering and coal preparation has, in general, been somewhat remote, or the geological problems have involved such simple forms of geological knowledge that the attention of specialists in this field has not been commonly thought necessary. Furthermore, the geology of coal beds and coal mining has received but scant attention in our educational system, even in mining education; so that coal mining engineers have become somewhat conditioned against geological thinking. Geologists, on the other hand, have commonly failed to realize that there are geological aspects to coal mining and coal preparation problems. A further reason why geology receives so little consideration in coal mining undertakings in this country lies in the fact that our coal supplies are, or have been thought to be, almost unlimited, have been easily accessible, and very cheaply mined. Conditions have been changing within recent years. Failures can be less easily endured. Great inroads have been made on our bonanza deposits of easily mined coal and the increasing cost of coal and the increasing difficulty of finding it in easily accessible and large quantities places greater and greater importance on accurate information and good technique in exploration. It seems probable, therefore, that the opinions and aid of geologists will be more commonly sought than in the past in the exploration for coal and in the development and operation of coal mines, and analyses of mining conditions, preparation, and utilization.

Jan 1, 1951