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By A. M. Rahm

PROBABLY the majority of red brass sand castings are judged merely on the basis of outside appearance and the quality of machined surfaces. Many castings, however, must individually withstand a hydraulic or air-pressure test before being accepted as parts of more complicated machin-ery. Finally, there remains a comparatively small group of castings intended for uses of considerable responsibility where only the highest possible characteristics of the metal are acceptable, and for these specially cast test bars are required. The shape of the cast piece from which the test bar must be detached varies greatly from one country to another. The test bar as specified in the American Society for Testing Materials Specification B62-36 is widely used by the American foundry industry. The actual test piece is at the bottom of the cast block and has a riser about six times its mass. It is obvious that this test bar has an advantage over the actual casting. The latter rarely possesses a riser of as much as 30 per cent of its own weight and that riser cannot generally be located in so convenient a manner. Therefore, the characteristics of the test bar cannot possibly correspond to those of the casting itself. It must be taken into consideration that red brass if melted and cast in the best possible manner may show a tensile strength of 40,000 lb. per sq. in. with 35 per cent elongation in 2 in. Such a test bar would indicate that the metal was nearly perfect from the viewpoint of its gas and inclusion content. Barring some accidental defect, a casting cor-responding to such a test bar could be accepted as being quite sound. However, actual specifications do not demand such high characteristics; indeed, few specifications require over 30,000 lb. per sq. in. and 20 per cent elongation, while one Federal specification demands merely 27,000 lb. per sq. in. strength and 15 per cent elongation. It is obvious that

Jan 1, 1939

By F. E. Smith, David R. Mitchell, B. M. Bird

DENSE-MEDIA processes utilize the familiar laboratory float-and¬-sink procedure on a commercial scale. Just as wood chips float on water and sand sinks, so coal floats and refuse sinks when placed in a medium intermediate in specific gravity between the coal and refuse. Liquids intermediate in specific gravity between coal and refuse used in commercial plants are of four types: (1) Organic liquids of high specific gravity-halogenated hydrocarbons; (2) dissolved salts in water; (3) pseudo liquids obtained by suspending solids, such as sand, in water, and (4) fluidizing a mass of sand or other solids by air currents. Those most widely used for cleaning coal are solutions of calcium chloride in water and a suspended-sand pseudo liquid. Laboratory float-and-sink testing is an intermittent operation during which every opportunity is given for particles lighter than the medium to float and particles heavier to sink. Commercial processes are con¬tinuous, vertical and horizontal currents of the separating medium occur as either part of the process or unavoidedly produced by the intro¬duction of feed and withdrawal of products, so that the exact separation of the laboratory technique is not duplicated by commercial processes. However, separations close to the theoretical are obtained in commercial machines by careful technical control of the process. Most machines in commercial installations are crowded to get as much out of the equipment as possible, so that careful technical control is necessary to get the recoveries and grade of product desired. Sizes usually cleaned are plus %6-in. or plus 3-in. in the United States and plus 36-in. in Great Britain. Coal as small as 1 mm. has been cleaned in some experimental installations. The separation of coal from refuse in sizes finer than about % in. is made difficult by viscosity effects and hence at the present time cleaning is confined to the coarser . sizes. Technical advances in the art of cleaning coal by dense-media

Jan 1, 1943

By C. J. Haigh

Stockpiled and currently produced zinc plant residues containing zinc ferrite are to be treated at a rate of 350 tonne per day in a plant that is being constructed at the Risdon works of the Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia Limited (E.Z.). Start-up of the plant is scheduled for December, 1970. The residue is to be treated by a hydrometallurgical process that was developed by E.Z. in Australia, by Det Norske Zinkkompani in Norway, and by Compagnie Royale Asturienne des Mines (Asturiana de Zinc) in Spain. The process, as it is to be used at Risdon, is simple, consisting essentially of two stages : 1. A leaching stage at atmospheric pressure in which the zinc ferrite contained in zinc plant residue is dissolved in spent electrolyte, fortified with make up sulphuric acid, at a temperature in the range 70 to 95ºC. Undissolved solids containing lead and precious metals are separated for sale to a lead smelter. 2. An iron precipitation stage at atmospheric pressure in which ferric iron is precipitated from a slightly acidic solution at 90 to 95ºC as ammonium jarosite, a crystalline double sulphate which is relatively coarse, and is easily filtered and washed free of zinc-bearing solution. Calcine is used to neutralise the acid that is liberated during precipitation of the iron. Also included in the Risdon plant are a separate stage for oxidation of ferrous iron by injection of air, and a pre-neutralisation stage, using recycled oxidation stage pulp, to neutralise excess acidity from the leaching stage before the jarosite precipitation stage. The residue treatment plant consists of conventional equipment such as covered agitated vessels, thickeners and filters. Operation will be continuous and product solution will join the main zinc plant circuit for further purifications and electrolysis. Marketable zinc production will be increased by 70 tonne per operating day by the treatment of residue.

Jan 1, 1970

By John S. Johnson, Thomas Fraser

SIZING is the process of separating mixed particles into groups of particles all of the same size, or into groups in which all particles range between certain definite maximum and minimum sizes. In coal preparation, sizing is generally accomplished by passing the coal over screens. Separation by differential settling in air or water currents has been adapted to the special field of separating very fine sizes, and these processes are in commercial use to a relatively small extent in the coal industry. Separation with screens is a very old industrial practice. Agricola described the use of screens for ore treatment in the middle ages. In the literature of the British coal industry references were made to the screening of coal as early as 1589, but the practice of extensive sizing for the market did not become general until the last half of the nineteenth century. In America, the practice of sizing developed first in the Pennsylvania anthracite region, beginning with the use of rakes' in the mine working places to recover coarse coal. This mining procedure left the fines in the mine. Preparation outside the mine started with the installation of station¬ary cast-iron plates with 4 to 6-in. square holes. The run-of-mine coal was dumped upon the platforms, the large pieces of rock were picked out by hand, and the large lumps of coal were broken with hammers. The term "breaker," which still applies to the anthracite-preparation plant, originated with this practice, but the term is no longer descriptive of the entire function of the plant. In 1884, the first power-operated anthracite coal breaker' was erected by Gideon Bart at his colliery at Wolf Creek near Minersville, Pa. This plant utilized a system of rolls for breaking the coal and revolving screens for sizing. The plant was driven by a steam engine. It 'could handle

Jan 1, 1943

By Frank L. Gaddy

Falls of roof account for over 50% of the fatalities that occur in coal mines in the US. Thus, roof control is one of the more important phases of underground mining. In reality, the control of roof influences the system of mining and is a major determinant of the width and spacing of working places, operations at the mining face, ventilation control, and surface subsidence. Frequently, the control of roof is the largest single cost item. Roof control is a never-ending task, not only at the working face and throughout sections where men are working, but along haulways and air- ways that must be maintained for the life of the mine. This is because roof, even the best of roof, slowly deteriorates, so it must be frequently examined, with corrective support applied when needed. As coal is excavated, stresses are set up in the roof because the previous equilibrium is upset, resulting in pressures that cause fractures and slight movements that are frequently hard to detect. Unless the immediate roof, in the excavated area, is given support by artificial means, it might fall or there might be a succession of falls, varying from a thin scale to several feet, depending on the nature of the top. Exceptions to this are those rare mines, or sections of mines, with hard, strong, nonweathering roof that requires no support. GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF ROOF There are two broad types of roof as far as support is concerned: the immediate roof above the coal and the main roof. Artificial support for mining purposes is only concerned with the immediate roof as nothing except large blocks of solid coal, or massive concrete, will support the main roof. The immediate roof is generally a few feet thick but can vary from inches to 6.1 m (20 ft) or more. There are examples of where there is no immediate roof as the massive main roof lies directly on the coal

Jan 1, 1981

Jan 1, 1970

By Mitchell, Edmund I.

VARIOUS suggestions as to proper fees for engineering services have been put forth by individual practitioners and by the American Institute of Consulting Engineers, the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers, the Iowa Engineering Society and the Mahoning Valley (Ohio) Engineers, for the guidance of both the engineer and his client. The American Institute of Architects also has a schedule of minimum charges (revised 1908). So far as can be determined, however, the four national societies representing civil, mining, mechanical and electrical engineering have never given consideration to this question. An examination of technical periodicals published during the past decade shows that these schedules make provision for three methods of charging; i.e., (A) a percentage of the cost of the completed project; (B) a per diem rate; and (C) a fixed sum. Suggested minimum charges are as follows:

Jan 1, 1921

By W. F. Boericke

WORLD production of silver in 1929 totaled 256 million ounces. In 1928 production was 258 million ounces, and in 1927, 254 million ounces. With an actual decrease in the amount of silver produced last year, as compared with 1928, and an increase over 1927 of less than one per cent, obviously there has been no overproduction of the metal in the popular sense. But the price of silver tells a different story. For 1927, the average quotation was 56.37 cents; it was 58.17 in 1928, and 53.0 in 1929. During the last year it reached a high point of 57 cents in January, and fell steadily, without interruption to the downward trend, to a low of 47 cents in December. Since then it has dropped to an all time low of 43 cents on February 6.

Jan 1, 1930

By AIME AIME

A FALL meeting that should have repercussions both in the "Transactions" and MINING AND METALLURGY was that of the Industrial Minerals Division (Nonmetallics) at Wilmington, Oct. 21-23; headquarters, Du Pont Hotel. The sixteen technical papers and two addresses were substantial and interesting. Moreover, in every instance but one, the author made the presentation, and the one exception must have been next of kin because the ensuing discussion indicated his command of the subject. The meeting schedule clicked at every turn, thanks to Dr. Gillson, chairman of the local committee, and even the four field trips adhered to the time table. The program pre-empted morning, noon, afternoon and night two general luncheons, two dinners, and an evening technical session reminding one of the Annual Meeting. Only the registration was disappointing - about 80.

Jan 1, 1943

Jan 11, 1951

MINING METHODS W. J. COULTER, Chairman P. B. BUCKY, Vice-Chairman CLYDE E. WEED, Vice-Chairman ROBERT S. PALMER, Secretary Alluvial Mining CLINTON BERNARD O. B. PERRY NORMAN CLEAVELAND C. M. ROMANOWITZ R. B. EARLING J. B. STAPLER BENERE H. GRANTCHARLES THURMAN Open-Cut Mining Iron. A. D. CHISHOLM EARL E. RUNNER G. E. DIEHL G. E. LEVEQUE P. G. HARRISON SIMPSON RICHEY W. A. STERLING

Jan 1, 1943

Jan 1, 1943

Jan 1, 1964

By A. S. C. Owili-eger

The computer-aided simulation model re¬ported here is an extension of the one developed by the author while at The Pennsylvania State University. The present model, however, includes consideration of the deformability and secondary fracturing of the porous system. The modifications enable simulation of multiphase shallow unsaturated-saturated and/or artesian ground water systems in dynamic mining environments. The model has been validated, verified, and evaluated on a number of field case studies and the results have been excellent.

Jan 1, 1984

By R. W. Smith

An amine used as a collector in a commercial flotation process is usually a rather impure substance. The differences in ionization constants and solubilities of various amines undoubtedly affect their collecting power or strength. This investigation explores some of the differences among several amines of similar (although not precisely the same) chain lengths. An attempt is made to relate the differences to both observed contact angle and Hallimond tube flotation behavior in quartz systems.

Jan 1, 1974

Jan 1, 1879

By Allan D. Taylor, Robert S. Shoemaker

Adopting as a principle the phrase "the mill of yesterday should not be built with the high cost money of today," the authors have designed a hypothetical concentrator which could be built for a typical southwestern United States (or other similar area) copper ore. Many of the design features could also be used for other ores in other climates. Functional design, large equipment, and outdoor type of construction have been combined in a concentrator (which includes all ancilliary facilities such as truck and maintenance shops, offices, warehouse, nominal tailings disposal, and water supply) which could be built today for substantially less than the cost of comparable but conventional plants.

Jan 1, 1973

By Paul Weir

BLEACHING clays have been used extensively in the oil-refining industries for a number of years. Their use in water purification is relatively recent and less extensive. They are frequently classified as (1) those naturally active and (2) those active after artificial activation with acid. Fuller's earths fall within the general group of bleaching clays and gradually the commercial term "fuller's earth" has been applied to natural clays originating, for the most part, in the south- eastern section of the United States. Bentonitic clays are usually classed as activable and are prevalent in the southwestern section of the United States. Bleaching clays vary considerably in chemical and physical properties throughout the country, or even in different parts of one deposit (Table 1). [ ] The fuller's earth type of clay is characterized by a lack of plasticity, relatively adsorbent, foliated structure, and does not swell to form a

Jan 1, 1939

Jan 4, 1953

By J. Hall Carpenter, James E. Lawver

Shortly after the passage of the Taconite Amendment in Minnesota, several mining companies announced their intention to build new magnetite taconite plants and another announced its intention to augment present facilities. It is clear that Minnesota will enjoy an expanding magnetite taconite industry, but despite the fact that the reserves are large, eventually they will have to be supplemented by oxidized deposits. Furthermore, not all producers have magnetite taconite reserves. Due to the extensive oxidation of most of the western part of the Mesabi Range, there are no large blocks of unaltered magnetite taconite that lend themselves to open pit operations. Unless a commercial process can be developed to concentrate the oxidized, or so- called "nonmagnetic", taconite and semi-taconite, the existing mines operating in the western part of the range will be forced to shut down when the direct shipping, wash and gravity ores are depleted, or are no longer salable, because of their poor quality compared to high-grade pellets. KNOWN PROCESSES COSTLY The enormous reserves of the oxidized iron- bearing formation have offered a tantalizing challenge to metallurgists for many years. In fact, several processes for concentrating certain types of oxidized ore have been successful at both laboratory and pilot plant level, but to date no process for concentrating semitaconite or oxidized taconite has reached commercial fruition. Magnetic roasting, followed by low-intensity magnetic separation1, has shown considerable promise because the high iron recovery makes the ratio of concentration of many of the oxidized ores more favorable than that of magnetite taconite. However, the capital and operating costs are high and, in many cases, a high- grade concentrate cannot be made without resorting to flotation of the magnetic concentrate. Hence, most research groups are investigating alternate methods of concentration with the hopes of reducing the cost.

Jan 9, 1965