Search Documents

By M. King Hubert

The growth of human knowledge is an evolutionary process. Historically our separate sciences came into existence as people became interested in various apparently unrelated domains of phenomena, and in this manner we acquired the sciences of physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology and geology. As various of these sciences became established, cognizance of them came to be taken by the universities and in this manner there arose the traditional departments of physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology and geology of our American universities. As there was no particular rationality in the boundaries separating the various sciences, in the university departments the jurisdiction of each has assumed quite arbitrary limits. In the domain of earth phenomena the first science to grow up was that of geology, which arose originally from the activities of the collectors of rocks, minerals and fossils. Thus geology evolved as a descriptive science dealing with directly observable terrestrial phenomena for which elementary rational explanations were offered. The traditional treatment of phenomena by the science of geology has rarely been with more than an elementary regard for the fact that these phenomena were also phenomena of physics and chemistry. Since the latter part of the nineteenth century, a new approach to terrestrial phenomena has been emerging and becoming of so great a significance that it can no longer be ignored. This approach has been made by people trained primarily in the sciences of physics and chemistry, who have investigated terrestrial phenomena as constituting phenomena of their respective sciences. In this manner we have acquired the so-called "borderland sciences" of geophysics, the physics of the earth, and of geochemistry, the chemistry of the earth. Neither of these fields is new, having arisen chiefly at the hands of European investigators during the latter part of the nineteenth century. The European universities have long since given official recognition at least to geophysics, by the establishment of departments or institutes of geophysics, which are on a par with the university departments of the other sciences.

Jan 1, 1940

COMPLYING with your frequently expressed wish and, your persistent request, I have decided to prepare a brief little book on metallic ores, based on ,the books of the ancient philosophers and on the experience of practicing miners, that will instruct you how to judge from promising indications which rock forma¬tions, which veins, stringers, or mineral matter are likely to bring. forth metallic ores so that it would be promising and gainful to work them. It explains according to the best of my ability, in separate chapters, as much as you need to :know for your, chosen profession or business, about such things as the favorable characteristics of the terrain, the strike, and dip* and outcrop of veins in general, and also about each metal in particular. Young Knappius: † Then it will be explained to me logically in. this little book and I shall be given a reasonable understanding which mines can be worked gainfully so that my investment will not be wasted but will show a profit. Daniel: Everybody should, of course, use his intelligence and should educate himself well and diligently to become able to understand, [2]‡ as far as that is. possible, from what matter, by what means, and where metals are generated by. Nature; and as a mere side issue he should not spurn the profit that ensues there from. But if his aim is solely and predominantly profit and gain rather

Jan 1, 1949

By R. T. Walker

GROUND waters-hot or cold-containing small amounts of the more common earth acids, such as carbonic acid, silicic acid, hydrogen sulfide, sulfurous acid and sulfuric acid, have only a very limited "solvent effect on dominantly siliceous rocks, whether of igneous or sedimentary origin, but in limestone they often form extensive cavities; and such "limestone caves" are the only openings of considerable size and continuity in rock formations that do not owe their existence directly and almost wholly to dynamic action. Limestone caves such as are developing at the present time must have been formed in all past geological ages in which limestone beds existed and where suitable conditions for the development of such caves prevailed; hence it would seem a reasonable expectation that, in the course of geological history, a certain number of ancient limestone caves must have been utilized as channels for the passage of mineralizing solutions, during portions of their course, at least, and that, in consequence, orebodies must have been deposited in such caves. Such a conception is not novel; it was proposed many years ago, but its possibilities, as explaining certain types of ore deposits, have been rather lost sight of in the development of the theory of the metasomatic replacement of rocks by minerals. It is the purpose of this article to assemble evidence to show that many of the orebodies found in limestone beds have been deposited in pre-existing caves; to discuss the criteria whereby such orebodies can be distinguished from others which have been formed along fissures and fracture zones traversing limestone, by the more common method of metasomatic replacement, analogous to orebodies in other formations; and to describe certain orebodies-particularly the "ore channels" of the Tintic district, Utah-as illustrative of the principles discussed. Limestone caves may be divided into two classes: those formed by cold, descending surface waters, which emerge again at some lower elevation as cold springs; and those formed by hot, ascending waters of deep origin or circulation, which attain the surface as thermal springs. Although these two classes are similar in many respects, there are certain characteristic and inherent differences whereby they can usually be distinguished.

Jan 1, 1928

By Stuart H. Ingram

The term lightweight aggregate implies material which may be substituted for the usual rock, sand and gravel commonly used as the major part of concrete, but distinguished by being much lighter in weight. Background The art of making and using concrete is old and well developed. Research and experience have pretty well determined the qualities necessary in its constituents, and time has tested theories and applications. Elaborate specifications and tests have been devised and generally adopted governing all phases of concrete work, from selection of material, through engineering design and down to mixing and placing. Standard practices have become routine to executives and laborers, and operations have been simplified and costs lowered. Though many lightweight aggregates meet the basic specifications necessary for usefulness, their physical qualities are so different that they fiequently will not pass standard tests, and some of them cannot be mixed and placed with the usual formulas for water and slump. As a rule their use produces a concrete with a lower modulus of elasticity which requires design change, and being produced in much smaller quantities than ordinary aggregate, production costs are higher. This latter works in a vicious circle to restrict their use and maintain prices that are not competitive, except as against each other. Increased Demand In spite of such handicaps consumption has grown steadily for the past two decades and is apparently growing even faster today. It is evident that lightweight concrete must have better qualities, and be sufficiently better to Overcome the higher cost and the other difficulties and disadvantages pertinent to the use of a new and different material in an old industry. Hence the study of its main ingredient should be of interest to all engineers. Our group has a double interest in the subject since most of the materials which have been used as sources of lightweight aggregate are either mined, Or are by-products of mining operations. We are directly interested in their production as well as their use, and since available supplies of materials suitable are limited, the increasing use, and rising demand, make the discovery of new Or or the development of processes to adapt other natural materials to this use, a promising field; and one in which our profession should take an active part. Recent Development Descriptions of ancient work contain references to the use of spalls of tuffs Or pumice in concrete masonry, but it is only since the nineteen twenties that serious attempts have been made to produce and market lightweight aggregates. A period of rapid advance in theory and practice in cements, mortars and con-

Jan 1, 1948

By Stuart H. Ingram

The term lightweight aggregate implies material which may be substituted for the usual rock, sand and gravel commonly used as the major part of concrete, but distinguished by being much lighter in weight. Background The art of making and using concrete is old and well developed. Research and experience have pretty well determined the qualities necessary in its constituents, and time has tested theories and applications. Elaborate specifications and tests have been devised and generally adopted governing all phases of concrete work, from selection of material, through engineering design and down to mixing and placing. Standard practices have become routine to executives and laborers, and operations have been simplified and costs lowered. Though many lightweight aggregates meet the basic specifications necessary for usefulness, their physical qualities are so different that they fiequently will not pass standard tests, and some of them cannot be mixed and placed with the usual formulas for water and slump. As a rule their use produces a concrete with a lower modulus of elasticity which requires design change, and being produced in much smaller quantities than ordinary aggregate, production costs are higher. This latter works in a vicious circle to restrict their use and maintain prices that are not competitive, except as against each other. Increased Demand In spite of such handicaps consumption has grown steadily for the past two decades and is apparently growing even faster today. It is evident that lightweight concrete must have better qualities, and be sufficiently better to Overcome the higher cost and the other difficulties and disadvantages pertinent to the use of a new and different material in an old industry. Hence the study of its main ingredient should be of interest to all engineers. Our group has a double interest in the subject since most of the materials which have been used as sources of lightweight aggregate are either mined, Or are by-products of mining operations. We are directly interested in their production as well as their use, and since available supplies of materials suitable are limited, the increasing use, and rising demand, make the discovery of new Or or the development of processes to adapt other natural materials to this use, a promising field; and one in which our profession should take an active part. Recent Development Descriptions of ancient work contain references to the use of spalls of tuffs Or pumice in concrete masonry, but it is only since the nineteen twenties that serious attempts have been made to produce and market lightweight aggregates. A period of rapid advance in theory and practice in cements, mortars and con-

Jan 1, 1948

By Henry Howe

- §1. INTRODUCTION.-Any given piece of metal is made up of a very great number of grains, usually microscopic, each of which is a perfect crystal save only in outward form, with cleavage planes of low cohesion, geometrically arranged quite as in the familiar non-metallic crystals. The plastic deformation of such a mass occurs chiefly through the slipping of the crystalline blocks of which each grain is composed along these cleavage planes, causing steps called slip bands to form on a previously polished surface. In this slip, the metal immediately adjoining each of the cleavage planes along which the slip takes place is thought to pass extremely rapidly through a very mobile state into the amorphous state, in which it is harder than the remaining still crystalline metal between the amorphous layers thus formed along the slip planes. Whether the slip planes below the surface in ferrite can be detected by cutting, polishing, and etching sections is in dispute; but if this detection is possible at all, it is usually made impossible by heating the metal even gently. In short, the change along the slip planes does not persist through heating, and it is thought not to persist through time even at the room temperature, nearly all the amorphous metal re-crystallizing. The network in Fig. 22 and the parallel N.-70°-E. lines in Fig. 21 are slip bands in copper.

Jan 3, 1915

By A. W. Schlechten, W. J. Kroll

As this paper is written, the only method for the commercial production of lithium metal is by the fusion electrolysis of LiC1-KC1 mixtures, as first proposed by Gunkz.2 The details of the industrial process have not been made public hut Osborg8 stated that an efficiency of more than 90 pct is obtained with a lithium metal recovery above 95 pct and that the metal is 99.5 pct pure. Pletenev9 gave a power consumption of 66 kw-hr per kilogram of lithium metal produced with a salt consumption of 9 kg of LiCl and 0.4 kg of KCI. Pletenev's figures indicate a somewhat lower recovery than that given by Osborg. In a recent report on' German lithium plants, Motock7 gives figures that are also less favorable than those reported by Osborg. At the German plants the lithium recovery in electrolysis was only 83.4 pct, with a power consumption of 140 kw-hr per kilogram of lithium. The metal averaged only 97 pct pure, with sodium and potassium as the chief impurities. The presence of SO2, SO3, SiO2, Ba, Ca, and appreciable amounts of Na and Fe2O3 were especially disturbing in the electrolysis, and it was necessary to run the cell for some time to eliminate most of these impurities and condition the bath. It may be noted here that most of these impurities do not interfere with a thermal reduction process. These facts show that the present method of producing lithium is fairly efficient and would suggest that other methods could not compete. However, fusion electrolysis has certain drawbacks, such as the necessity of supplying costly, low-voltage direct current and of collecting and processing the anodic chlorine if it is not to be wasted. An even greater disadvantage is that lithium chloride must be used for an electrolyte. It is one of the most expensive salts of lithium, since it cannot be produced in anhydrous form by precipitation from aqueous solution, as is done with LiF or Li2CO3. The reduction of lithium by a vacuum process similar to the ferrosilicon method for the production of magnesium would have certain advantages. Small units such as Pidgeon retorts, would give flexibility of production to meet demand, and a small plant would require moderate capital outlay. There is a possibility of using idle Government-owned magnesium plants for such purposes. The raw materials needed for vacuum thermal reduction would not have to be extremely pure, Director, with respect to the iron and calcium Content. This paper describes a series of experiments to determine the effectiveness of various agents for the reduction of lithium compounds. The investigation is part of a program of vacuum metallurgy con-

Jan 1, 1949

CONTENTS PAGE BARTON, D. C.-The Eötvös Torsion Balance Method of mapping Geologic Structure (T. P. No. 50) 1 GEORGE, P. W.-Experiments with Eötvös Torsion Balance in the Tri-State Zinc and Lead District (T. P. No. 65). 15 LANCASTER-JONES, E.-The Computation of Eötvös Gravity Effects (T. P. No.75) HEILAND, C. A.-A Cartographic Correction for the Eötvös Torsion Balance-(T. P. No. 52) 17 SLICHTER; L. B.-Certain Aspects of Magnetic Surveying (T. P. No. 120). . . . 18 WEAVER, W.-Certain Applications of the Surface Potential Method (T. P. No.121) LUNDBERG, H.-Recent Results in Electrical Prospecting for Ore (T. P. No. 98). . 20 HOTCHKISS, W. 0., ROONEY, W. J. and FISHER, J.-Earth-resistivity Measure-ments in the Lake Superior Copper Country (T. P. No. 82) 21 LEONARDON, E. G. and KELLY, S. F.-Some Applications of Potential Methods to Structural Studies (T. P. No. 115) 23 MASON, M.-Geophysical Exploration for Ores (T. P. No. 45) 25 The Eötvös. Torsion Balance Method of Mapping Geologic Structure Discussion of the paper of D. C.. Barton, issued as Technical Publication No. 50 with Mining and, Metallurgy, February, 1928. D. C. BARTON.-The field surveys which I have been privileged to use as illustrations for this paper were done for Mr. DeGolyer's companies and were released through his favor. W. J. MILLARD, Tulsa, Okla.-Has any oil been found by the torsion balance in West Texas? D. C. BARTON.-NO new oilfield has been discovered on the basis of torsion balance work. It has had some part in controlling the policy of certain companies in playing the extension of known oil fields. A number of "T. B." structures have been drilled and dry holes obtained. Of those known to the writer, one apparently was a structural high, one is a broad general high but locally low and probably is a deep-seated structural high, one seems normal although the control is poor, and one was considered structurally low but is now suspected by some geologists of being structurally high. E. L. DEGOLYER, New York, N. Y.-A large gravity structure, generally referred to, I believe, as the Crosby County Structure, has been found in West Texas. This structure is perfectly symmetrical with the arrows all pointing toward a common center, very much like the Nash salt-dome pattern in Dr. Barton's paper (Fig. 9). One of the peculiar things about it, from the standpoint of the gravity high, is that it is so

Jan 1, 1928

THE assay of all metal ores is made by means of fusion and they are brought to their fineness in the same way as if they were a large quantity. However, I have told you of lead, tin, copper, and iron in their own places, that they are smelted in order to obtain a good assay so that one may know from its weight whether the quantity justifies the expense. This is their assay, for it does not matter whether it be done with great exactness. But the eye is turned with much more care to the assaying of silver and gold, since they are things of value, and one tries to have a more exact knowledge of them. Thus, when you have found the mountain and the vein of ore in it, and have also uncovered it or extracted it from the mine, it is necessary to make an assay of it, for though it is often apparent to the experts what kind of metal it contains, nevertheless they do not know for sure what virtues or evilness it may have unless the light of the assay itself shows them. Therefore it is necessary to extract a quantity in some way that is as free from rock and as good as possible. To a part of this, without any addition, a smelting fire must be applied in order to see whether it can be smelted easily. If it does not smelt by itself, you must consider and try to understand what causes this, for many times it comes from the rock which accompanies it and which contains much dryness and earthiness. I do not believe that one can know this with other judgment than by experiment with powerful and strong fires. Therefore, if the efforts of ordinary methods do not succeed, it is necessary to try to soften them by means of the company of fusible things-now with marble, now with ground glass, now with lead, galena,* or litharge from lead, or with iron scale, or else with the slag of other ores. With small operations even borax, saltpeter, or ochre is used and similar things, as I shall tell you in detail in the discussion of the preparation of ores for smelting. In short, try to see whether they can be overcome by adjustment of the fires or by virtue of the means

Jan 1, 1942

By F. S. Crawford

IRON and copper are mined in the Lake Superior district. The iron mines of the district have the best safety record for that industry in the country as a whole, while the copper mines of the district rank second in two of the four years recorded (Table 1). In Utah copper comes mainly from open-pit mines, which enables that state to lead easily in safety. All of the Michigan production comes from deep under-ground workings. About 60 per cent of the iron miners in St. Louis County, Minnesota, are employed at open-pit mines; this favorably affects the combined open-pit and underground accident-frequency rate, as this county pro-vides most of the Minnesota-mined iron ore. In Michigan, however, there are few open-pit mines, the bulk of the production coming from underground mines, while all of the Wisconsin production, just across the state line from Michigan, is from underground mines. In spite of the fact that fewer mines in Michigan use the safer open-pit method, the iron-mining industry of that state maintained a consistently low record from 1931 to 1934; however, it was many points behind its nearest com petitor, Minnesota, with its much greater production from open-pit mines.

Jan 1, 1939

By George K. Burgess

The suggestion has often been made that it would be highly desirable, at least for certain grades of steel, to be able to control more certainly, by pyrometric measurement or otherwise, the temperatures of the operation of the open-hearth and other furnaces used in the manufacture of steel and iron. That the properties of the ingot and finally of the finished steel product are intimately related to the final temperatures attained by the metal in the furnace and to the temperature of casting, has been recognized by metallurgists for a long time, and this question has been very thoroughly treated, especially by Prof. Henry M. Howe, and by A. W. and H. Brearley.1 It is the object of this paper to demonstrate that in so far as casting temperatures of furnaces, steel ingots, and similar operations involving the temperatures of streams of iron and steel are concerned, well-known pyrometric methods may be easily applied—if certain recently determined corrections are made and precautions taken—with a relatively high degree of accuracy. Greater but not insurmountable difficulties will be encountered in the case of open-hearth furnace temperatures, while for those of the converter type a ready solution does not seem practicable. It appears that certain essential data have always been lacking in reporting observations such as those of Le Chatelier in 1892. Thus the correction to be applied for the characteristic radiation—or emissivity— has hitherto not been adequately taken into account nor the limitations of the several possible pyrometric methods clearly recognized. In view of the fact that in open-hearth practice the temperature to be measured in the furnace itself, in the stream of metal and slag and in the teeming into molds or ingots is usually above 1,500" C. (2,700" F.)

Jan 1, 1917

By Charles N. Becker

The practice of drying phosphate in Florida is as old as the industry, which began a little more than half a century ago. The methods, however, have changed considerably. At first, the natural process of exposure to the sun and air was used, later supplemented by wood fires beneath open-air stationary dry kilns and drying towers of various designs. It was not until the early nineties that rotary driers came into use, and at first they were of very small design and fired with wood. As the industry grew and tonnage increased, so likewise grew the number and size of rotary driers, until today the largest installations are 6 ft. up to 7 ft. 6 in. in diameter, and 55 to 60 ft. long, fired with crude oil. The reasons for drying phosphate rock are: (1) to eliminate freight on water in the shipment and (2) to facilitate the good grinding qualities required by the buyers in their acidulation. Phosphate pebbles vary materially in natural characteristics and each property has a direct bearing on the processing. In making comparisons of cost and operating conditions, the following are usually taken into consideration: 1. The hard dense pebbles, which contain very little interior moisture and 6 to 8 per cent total moisture, usually produced from the low-grade deposits. 2. The lighter, porous pebbles, which contain 4 to 5 per cent interior moisture and a total moisture ranging from 9 to 15 per cent. 3. The product of recovery operations using oily reagents, containing from 15 to 25 per cent moisture. 4. The size of the pebbles Usually the plus 5-mesh material is considered as "coarse rock"; the minus 5-mesh plus 24-mesh is "fine rock," and the minute particles below 24 mesh are called "concentrate." 5. The amount of moisture allowed in the dried product. The practice is generally to dry down to 1.5 to 2 per cent moisture. There is, however, an actual range in guarantee of from 1 per cent maximum to 3 per cent maximum.

Jan 1, 1938

By Charles N. Becker

The practice of drying phosphate in Florida is as old as the industry, which began a little more than half a century ago. The methods, however, have changed considerably. At first, the natural process of exposure to the sun and air was used, later supplemented by wood fires beneath open-air stationary dry kilns and drying towers of various designs. It was not until the early nineties that rotary driers came into use, and at first they were of very small design and fired with wood. As the industry grew and tonnage increased, so likewise grew the number and size of rotary driers, until today the largest installations are 6 ft. up to 7 ft. 6 in. in diameter, and 55 to 60 ft. long, fired with crude oil. The reasons for drying phosphate rock are: (1) to eliminate freight on water in the shipment and (2) to facilitate the good grinding qualities required by the buyers in their acidulation. Phosphate pebbles vary materially in natural characteristics and each property has a direct bearing on the processing. In making comparisons of cost and operating conditions, the following are usually taken into consideration: 1. The hard dense pebbles, which contain very little interior moisture and 6 to 8 per cent total moisture, usually produced from the low-grade deposits. 2. The lighter, porous pebbles, which contain 4 to 5 per cent interior moisture and a total moisture ranging from 9 to 15 per cent. 3. The product of recovery operations using oily reagents, containing from 15 to 25 per cent moisture. 4. The size of the pebbles Usually the plus 5-mesh material is considered as "coarse rock"; the minus 5-mesh plus 24-mesh is "fine rock," and the minute particles below 24 mesh are called "concentrate." 5. The amount of moisture allowed in the dried product. The practice is generally to dry down to 1.5 to 2 per cent moisture. There is, however, an actual range in guarantee of from 1 per cent maximum to 3 per cent maximum.

Jan 1, 1938

By W. N. Marchant, P. T. Brooks, P. B. Altringer, R. O. Dannenberg

The US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines conducted laboratory tests to devise a process for recovering a marketable grade of tungsten from the brine of Searles Lake, Calif. The brine contains only 56 ppm W (70 ppm W03). Using ion exchange resins synthesized by USBM chemists, 98% oft he tungsten was extracted from the brine and 92% of the tungsten was recovered as a marketable iron-tungsten concentrate containing 44% tungsten as tungsten trioxide. Although major technical problems have largely been resolved, research is progressing to escalate testing in a process research unit to provide more reliable data for an economic appraisal.

Jan 8, 1979

The following delegates were appointed to the National Conservation Congress on May 2, 3, and 4, 1916, in Washington, D. C. HENRY S.. DRINKER, a GEORGE OTIS SMITH, A. F. Lucas, - W. L. SAUNDERS, VAN H. MANNING. President Ricketts was appointed delegate to the dedication ceremonies of the new buildings of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in June. W. L. Saunders was appointed delegate to the ceremonies in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the founding of Rutgers College to be held in October. George C. Stone was appointed delegate to the meeting on Standard Screen Scale of the U. S. Bureau of Standards. George D. Barron and Thomas T. Read were appointed delegates to the Second National Exposition of Chemical Industries to be held in New York in September. It was resolved, that the Institute shall pay the transportation of the Secretaries of the Local Sections to and from the Arizona Meeting. It was resolved that certain general topics' should be selected for discussion at the next meeting of the Institute and a session devoted to each.

Jan 6, 1916

The U. S. Navy Department has perfected plans for the enrollment and training of considerable numbers of engineering officers. A school for this purpose, the U. S. Navy Steam Engineering School, has been established by the Department at Hoboken, N. J. The school is open to men between the ages of 21 and 40 who meet the physical requirements of the Navy, who are of thorough ability and officer-like character and who have completed the mechanical or electrical engineering course at certain recognized technical schools, or who possess an education and experience adjudged to be an equivalent thereof. Enrollment in the U. Naval Reserve Force of men properly qualified may be made at any Naval enrolling office, notation being made of the applicant's qualifications and desire to be detailed to this school. Applicants will be enrolled as Chief Machinist Mates, and during the course of instruction will draw the pay of this rating, $83 per month, plus $60 per month paid as subsistence. Upon graduation, men will be commissioned as Ensigns in the U. S. Naval Reserve, with a salary of $1700 per year. The duty to which a graduate of this school will be assigned will be that of an engineer officer in the auxiliary service of the Navy. Special provision has been made for the continuance of the school with proper material by a Navy regulation which permits undergraduates of the Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Classes in recognized engineering schools to enroll in the Naval Reserve Force with the rating of Seaman 2d Class, and continue their courses at the institutions where they have matriculated. Such men will be called into active service after their graduation, and can at that time, if they are qualified to pass an officers' physical examination, apply for admission to the U. S. Navy Steam Engineering School. Men who are registered in the draft, either graduates or undergraduates, may enroll with the proper enrolling officer by securing from their draft board a letter of release, which in all probability can be obtained for this purpose. The aim of this school is not simply to produce engineers, but to produce naval engineering officers in the true sense of the word. The course of instruction covers a period of five months, arranged in four periods.

Jan 10, 1918

By E. E. Donath, W. L. Crentz, J. D. Doherty

The principal washing problems in preparing coal for the synthetic fuel industry may be stated as: (1) ash removal for the Bergius process; and (2) sulphur removal for the Fischer-Tropsch process. A study is made of the effect of ash on oil losses during the elimination of the nonliquefiable portions of the coal in the hydrogenation process. The oil loss increases with ash content and results in increased consumption of coal, hydrogen, and power.

Jan 4, 1950

By B. J. Klee

What is the economic basis for direct, continuous particle size measurement and control? First, precise grinding control is necessary to achieve and maintain a specified recovery and throughput. Second, throughput and recovery are direct functions of particle size-and these two factors control the economic performance of the ore concentration process. Third, only size-based control using a particle size and percent solids monitor (PSM) has achieved the necessary precise control. Recovery, throughput and cost can be accurately measured for various concentrator operating conditions if particle size is closely controlled. From such data the economic results of different particle size grind points can be analyzed. This will reveal the best combination of recovery and throughput to meet objectives established by financial management. Predictable, repeatable response to set-point selection is essential if the projected profitability of the mill is to be reached.

Jan 11, 1976

By P. D. Frost, H. A. Robinson, J. R. Doig, M. W. Mote

The mechanism of hardening in heat-treatable zirconium alloys was foUNd to be analogous to that for titanium alloys. Zirconium containing a relatively large addition of a ß -stabilizing element such as molybdenum or columbium can be hardened by the following transformation: Lean alloys, having insufficient alloy content to retain ß at room temperature are hardened by the following transformation: Application of these findings in Zr-Mo-Sn and Zr-Nb-Sn alloys produced strengths as high as 190,000 psi with reasonable ductility. PRIOR research on zirconium alloys has been concerned with development of greater strengths and creep resistance by solid-solution hardening or by dispersion hardening. Although solution and aging heat treatments had been applied earlier to zirconium alloys, quenching frequently produced low ductility. The possibility that the ß-to-w transformation, discovered earlier in titanium alloys,' might also occur in zirconium alloys and cause low ductility was considered, and, indeed, was found as predicted2 to be the case. In the earliest experiments, the heat-treatment response of titanium, too, was disappointing. However, by avoiding the formation of the embrittling w phase, it became practical to obtain room-temperature strengths higher than 180,000 psi, with elongation values of 10 pct.3 Based on the present concept of titanium heat treatment, the principal requirement for a heat-treatable zirconium alloy is that it contains a certain minimum amount of one or more ß -stabilizing elements. Only molybdenum, columbium, and tantalum, when present in sufficient amounts, are known to stabilize ß zirconium to room temperature during rapid cooling from the ß field. Tantalum was undesirable because of its high thermal-neutron cross section. Aluminum and tin are effective a stabilizers, but aluminum has been shown to seriously decrease the corrosion resistance of simple zirconium alloys in hot water. Therefore, for the present study, tin was used as the stabilizer addition. The alloys selected for this evaluation are presented in Table 1 along with their analyses and ß-transus temperatures. The analyses indicated that intended compositions were usually realized. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES All of the alloys were melted from sponge zirconium and fabricated to sheet for heat treatment

Jan 1, 1960

By H. H. Kellogg

An invitation to address you on the occasion of the one-hundredth anniversary of AIME represents an honor, a challenge and an opportunity: an honor that you judge me worthy; a challenge that I present to you a picture of extractive metallurgy in the years ahead that contains some ideas of value; and finally, an opportunity for me to express some deeply felt beliefs about our profession and our industry. My topic concerns the technology of metal production in the future - the processes, new and old, that will be used to extract metals. The nature of these processes will be shaped by many forces - some technical, some economic, some political or social. A forecast of future technology must recognize the role of each of these forces, and I have endeavored to do this in the analysis that follows. In brief, my outline consists of an analysis of the forces (perhaps better called "problems") that will influence the future of our industry, followed by consideration of likely lines of technological development to meet them. Let me dwell for a moment on the nature of this industry and the profession that serves it. I have been engaged in the profession of extractive metallurgy - teaching, researching and consulting - for 30 years. I have always found the subject stimulating and rife with challenges of a scientific, engineering, economic and socio-political nature. It is a big subject - it encompasses most of the elements of periodic table; we measure the U. S. production of six metals in millions of tons per year; new plant costs range to $100 million and more. The supply of metals from our extractive plants plays an essential role in our modern industrial economy. We could do without DDT, or phosphate detergents or 300-page Sunday newspapers; we cannot do without a huge and increasing supply of metals. The Basic Goal of Extractive Metallurgy Understanding of some basic forces that shape this industry can be gained by consideration of the question: What determines the utility of metals to man? We think immediately of the inherent properties of metals - strength, ductility, electrical conductivity and so forth - but these tell only part of the story. Metal price and the available supply play equally

Jan 1, 1971