Search Documents

By R. L. Tobie, E. K. Staley

Because of high production demands at San Manuel mine (approximately 40,000 tpd) and the relatively narrow grade range of the orebody, no attempt is made by the company to mine selectively. The caving sequence is laid out to meet the production demands, and proceeds in a manner to induce the least amount of weight on extraction openings. Once an area is undercut, draw control procedures are applied uniformly until the area has been mined to depletion. The orebody, located 50 miles northeast of Tucsoil, Ariz., is a low-grade deposit of chalcopyrite disseminated throughout a structurally weak, highly fractured, strongly altered granitic host rock over- lain by several hundred feet of relatively competent andesitic conglomerate. When undercut, the granite ore caves readily into fragments which usually pass through the grizzly without either excessive breaking or an undue amount of secondary blasting.

Jan 6, 1967

By S. A. Falconer

Much attention and publicity has been given, during recent years, to grinding, classification, flotation, and thickening. The various technical papers, and symposiums held to discuss these important phases of milling, have contributed to a better under- standing of the fundamental principles and operating variables involved. Another important part of milling- to the flotation operator-is a treatment step to which frequently too little attention is given-" conditioning," or the treatment the ground mineral pulp receives before it enters the flotation machines. Conditioning" is a hackneyed and frequently misused term, commonly employed to describe the pretreatment of surfaces of minerals in ore pulps or mill pr6ducts prior to froth flotation. In general, such pretreatment is for the purpose of changing the flotation characteristics of these mineral surfaces to enable them to respond in some desired predetermined manner when subjected to flotation. Taggartl states that the function of conditioning is "either to insure selective collector coating of one mineral species while another species is not; or to take such steps as will compensate for departure there from."

Jan 1, 1949

By Arthur Notman

THE raw material men in all industries, and copper is no exception, are accustomed to think of them- selves as the whole show, and not without justice, for if there were no copper mines the world would have no copper. Nevertheless, many different things costing money and resulting in profits must be done to their product before it is ready for the world's use. In other words, they are making the frequent mistake of Chinking in terms of partial costs. Nobody really uses electrolytic copper. Possibly that is why nobody seems willing to pay anything for it. The manufacturers, being canny, do not buy any more electrolytic than they feel that they can work up and sell profitably, although they like to make the raw material men Chink that they will take all that can be produced. This is a state of affairs that has aroused my sympathy and curiosity, and has induced me to study the financial history of the copper wire and brass industry of the country or such portion of it as publishes any records readily available to the curious minded. About 60 per cent of the electrolytic copper used in this country is drawn into wire and consumed by the electrical industries. The remaining 40 per cent is

Jan 1, 1926

By Frederick Prime

AT the last meeting of the Institute, Mr. A. L. Holley read a paper on "Steel," in which he proposes for it a definition so opposed to the one generally received, as to call for some remarks. Until within the last five or six years there has been no dispute on the subject, and it seems worth while to investigate the matter. For not only does a proper tax on all importations depend on a proper appreciation of the term steel, but it is necessary to know whether steel, or wrought-iron, or homogeneous iron are requisite in all processes of manufacture in which malleable iron is employed, on account of cost, strength, etc. Karsteu* says : " Iron may be obtained, either as an unforgeable, unweldable metal, which melts at a high heat, termed cast-iron; or as a ductile, weldable, soft metal, which can only be melted at the * Karsten, Handbuch der Eisenhüttenkunde, 3d ed., vol. i, p. 6. Berlin, 1841.

Jan 1, 1876

By Ernest R. Woakes

Cana, originally called Santa Cruz de Cana, is situated in the province of Darien, in the Republic of Colombia, S. A. The river Cana is a tributary of the Tuyra, which flows into the Gulf of San Miguel, and thence into the Pacific Ocean some 80 rniles S.E. of the City of Panama. • The Espiritu Santo mine lies on the S. side of the Cana river at the foot of the Espiritu Santo range. The plateau of Cana has an elevation of 2000 feet above sea-level, and the mine is about 200 feet above the plateau. The map of the Darien accompanying this paper is the only correct one in existence. It was made by Lucien N. Bonaparte Wyse for the Panama Canal Co., and has been copied fur the present use, with permission, by Mr. L. G. Inglis. The dotted line on this map shows the route from the coast to Cana. As this mine was one of the most celebrated at the time of the Spanish occupation, it is only natural that there are a great many traditions and writings concerning its former workers and production. Dampier mentions it, though he does not seem to have been nearer to it than El Real de Santa Maria, the port on the Rio Tuyra, about 50 miles by road from Cana. Senor Vicente Restrepo's work, entitled Estudio sobre las Minas de Oro y Plata de Colombia, translated by C. TV. Fisher and published in New York in 1886, is, perhaps, the best treatise on Colombian mines. He has devoted a great deal of attention to the subject of the Espiritu Santo mine, and has had access to all that dealt with it in the archives of Bogota. It will be interesting to quote a few pasaages from the above work, which seemed like a romance to the writer of this paper some years ago, when he first came across the history. Being actually in Cana at the time, and knowing the present company had

Jan 1, 1900

By E. C. Houston

The phosphate ores mined in middle Tennessee typically consist of granular rock phosphate particles disseminated in a clayey matrix. In the TVA plant near Columbia, Tenn., the phosphate ore is mined, made into a slurry with the addition of a small amount of sodium hydroxide as dispersant, and treated in a hydroseparator to remove minus 10 micron material. The hydro-separator underflow, comprising a rough concentrate, is transported by pipeline to the plant; the hydro-separator overflow, comprising a tailing, is flocculated by addition of calcium sulphate and is discharged to settling ponds at a rate of about 1400 gpm. Sedimentation in the ponds produces a clarified effluent, which may be recycled for use as process water or discharged to surface drainage. This method of tailing treatment is not entirely satisfactory since poor sedimentation characteristics of the tailing result in poor ultimate utilization of pond storage volume.

Jan 1, 1949

By Henry F. Hebley

INTRODUCTION How often has the thoughtful observer pondered the apparent contradictions experienced in the weather? One can take records of two days, one in the winter and one in the summer. The "degree days" indicate that space heating and domestic load were present in one case and not in the other. The Business Index may be about the same, indicating that the industrial activity of the area and its concomitant use of fuel were about the same. Thus the volume of the products of combustion released to the atmosphere varied only as related to the space heating demand. Yet on one day in winter the atmosphere may be clear and bracing, while on a summer's day the air is thick and murky and the visibility sharply reduced. The situation may be reversed. What are some of the factors that contribute to the creation of these conditions? These few notes have been prepared to indicate some of the influences that are exerted on the problem. THE SOURCES OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION The industrial area of Pittsburgh, Pa., has been a dominant center for the production of iron and steel for over one hundred years. In fact, with the growth of the numerous auxiliary processes Allegheny County which contains Pittsburgh is probably the most industrialized county in the world. In addition, the type of manufacture carried out in this area is predominant dependent on thermal energy (heat). That energy is supplied from coke and coal produced in the vicinity of Pittsburgh. Indicative of the stupendous quantities of fuel that are employed in this industrial area's economy, the following (Table No. taken from the U. S. Census (1940) may I of interest. An influence that has never been fully appreciated by many individuals is the fact that no matter what adventures the gases of combustion experience as they pass through the various processes, ulti¬mately the spent gases are discharged through chimneys to the atmosphere.

Jan 1, 1948

By Jos. Van Ackeren

Although the Siemens regenerator principle was introduced into byproduct coke-oven design about 40 years ago, many problems of construction, and particularly of heat distribution and pressure conditions, have not been fully solved. Heat should be applied to the walls of a coke oven in such a way that the coking of the charge of coal will be completed everywhere at the same time, and at approximately the same temperature. This means that the application of heat should be uniform from the top to the bottom of the coal mass (except for the thin layer at the top that is purposely kept at a somewhat lower temperature to reduce cracking of the byproducts); also that a little more heat must be applied to the coke end than to the pusher end, because the coal mass is a little thicker at that end. As a modern coke oven is about 40 ft. long and 12 ft. high, a real problem is involved in the proper application of heat to the oven walls so as to secure quick coking time (without endangering the walls through local overheating) and produce coke made at a uniform temperature. Design of Ovens In all regenerative ovens, the points of combustion are arranged in duplicate sets, one set operating in one-half the area of the heating wall and the other set alternately operating in the other half. Because of the reversal of the flow of gases, the points of maximum and minimum temperatures are alternately located at the same places, thus preventing dangerous local overheating. The practicability of the principle of reversal of flow seems to have been recognized at an early date, and has been applied with every conceivable flue arrangement, combustion chamber, and means of air and gas supply. To summarize the various principles that have proved useful for the control of oven-wall temperature, the best practice seems to have resulted from the acceptance of the use of vertical flues; the separate supply of air and gas to the base of these flues, with the resulting flame

Jan 1, 1923

By Jos. Van Ackeren

Although the Siemens regenerator principle was introduced into byproduct coke-oven design about 40 years ago, many problems of construction, and particularly of heat distribution and pressure conditions, have not been fully solved. Heat should be applied to the walls of a coke oven in such a way that the coking of the charge of coal will be completed everywhere at the same time, and at approximately the same temperature. This means that the application of heat should be uniform from the top to the bottom of the coal mass (except for the thin layer at the top that is purposely kept at a somewhat lower temperature to reduce cracking of the byproducts); also that a little more heat must be applied to the coke end than to the pusher end, because the coal mass is a little thicker at that end. As a modern coke oven is about 40 ft. long and 12 ft. high, a real problem is involved in the proper application of heat to the oven walls so as to secure quick coking time (without endangering the walls through local overheating) and produce coke made at a uniform temperature. Design of Ovens In all regenerative ovens, the points of combustion are arranged in duplicate sets, one set operating in one-half the area of the heating wall and the other set alternately operating in the other half. Because of the reversal of the flow of gases, the points of maximum and minimum temperatures are alternately located at the same places, thus preventing dangerous local overheating. The practicability of the principle of reversal of flow seems to have been recognized at an early date, and has been applied with every conceivable flue arrangement, combustion chamber, and means of air and gas supply. To summarize the various principles that have proved useful for the control of oven-wall temperature, the best practice seems to have resulted from the acceptance of the use of vertical flues; the separate supply of air and gas to the base of these flues, with the resulting flame

Jan 1, 1923

By E. G. Bailey

PLANTS that normally burn coal now able too obtain a substantial increase over their normal supply for their greater power needs, and also additional tonnage for extra storage against the uncertainties of the future. Many plants previously burning oil or gas have already been converted to coal, and those which must yet change to coal will undoubtedly be able to obtain ample tonnage of coal of standard quality at reasonable prices. What a contrast this is to the conditions of 25 years ago, when the shortage of coal and transportation led to prices of $5 to $6 per ton at the mines, and degradation of quality, until the already overburdened railroads were called upon to haul 100,000 ton per day of extra ash alone. This was the result of a runaway market and the loading of gob, slate, and sub-quality coal amounting to an estimated increase in ash of 5 per cent of the total tonnage hauled. The problem of getting increased steam output from inferior coal caused unbelievable reductions in the low normal boiler efficiency of that time and untold labor in firing the hand- and stoker-fed furnaces of that day.

Jan 1, 1942

By Hans Lundberg

GEOPHYSICAL methods as described in technical articles generally fail to answer the questions of prospectors and geologists as to which method they should apply and what information they may expect from their application. This article is an attempt to discuss the use of electrical methods with special reference to the prospecting for orebodies and the map¬ping of geologic structure. Especially on virgin ground, geological reconnaissance should precede electrical prospecting, with the object of outlining carefully the orebearing rock and determining the possibilities of elec¬trical prospecting. No electrical survey will then be carried out on ground which, for geological reasons, may be considered barren or where the electrical meth¬ods are inapplicable. As the success of electrical prospecting depends on the difference in conductivity between the ore and the country rock within which the orebody is inclosed, the conductivity of the two should be considered and de¬termined, if possible. The conductivity of an orebody depends on the distribution of conductive ore minerals and, in addition, on its size (length, width and depth). Most minerals with metallic luster show good electrical conductivity; for instance, the sulfides. Zinc-blende is an exception, but as it is often associated with the ore minerals of good conductivity (for instance, pyrite or galena), there is likelihood also of finding zinc.

Jan 1, 1930

By Walter Wood

The specifications for cast-iron pipe that have been submitted at this meeting are practically the outgrowth of those which were originally adopted, about 1860, by Mr. Kirkwood of Brooklyn, N. Y. They have been changed but little since that time, the mode of testing pipe in the hydraulic press, as well as the method of coating, not having departed from the original practice. The chief addition to the specifications has been in the adoption of a test-bar 2 in. by 1 in. in crosa-section, broken between 24-in. supports by a transverse strain applied on the flat side. Test-bars were first introduced into pipe-specifications about 1870. At that time a satisfactory test-piece had to stand a tensile strain of 16,000 lb. per square inch. The present test-bar was adopted in order to give some idea of the deflection of the iron that was being used. These deflection-tests have been so satisfactory to both engineers and manufacturers, and have met the requirements of the pipe-trade so accurately, that it is considered best to hold to the . 2-in. by 1-in. bar instead of adopting the short " Arbitration Bar," which yields but little information from the stand-point of deflection. The new feature in these specifications is the effort to reach standards to which pipe shall be cast in the future, thus permitting the manufacturer to make up stock and the purchaser to find material on hand when he asks for deliveries. Heretofore there has never been ally standard weight for pipes? although in some sizes certain weights are more frequently asked for than others. The fixing of standards for pipes permits the adoption of definite standards for fittings. It has been aimed to secure such uniformity for fittings as will permit the same class of fittings to cover two or more classes of pipe. In order to accomplish

Jan 1, 1905

By Walter Wood

The specifications for locomotive-cylinders, which are given in a separate paper at this meeting, have been prepared so that castings (upon the successful use of which so much depends) shall be made to conform to standards that will yield good results. After the essentials, which go with a sound and perfect cauting, the requirements to be borne in mind are those concerning the quality of the material. These have been determined from the actual practice of the largest users,—representatives of the American Locomotive Company, the Baldwin shops, and the Pennsylvania Railroad being upon the Committee. The results called for by the test-bar have been carefully checked by actual experiment upon metal that has given satisfactory service in cylinders.

Jan 1, 1905

By Charles Law McCabe, Lyndon H. Everett, Edna A. Dancy

It has been found that the carbide phase present at equilibrium in the system M-H2-CH4, at about 600°C, is MC for the rare-earth metals Ce and Pr. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the monocarbides have fcc structures with lattice constants of 5.036 + 0.009Å and 5.131 + 0.001Å for CeC and PrC respectively. Gaseous equilibrium measurements were used to calculate the standard free energy of formation of the monocarbides from the elements. for the formation of (+ 1300) for the formation of PrC. THE rare-earthdicarbides, and their crystal structures, have been known for some years,l but only more recently were the carbides CeC,2,3 Ce2C3 2 and CeCS3 reported. In 1958 to 1959, Spedding et al. published work on the lanthanum-carbon system4 and other rare-earth metal-carbon systems,5 proving the existence of M2C3 and MC2, and measuring the lattice constants. They also demonstrated that tri-rare earth carbides, M3C, exist for the rare-earth metals samarium through ytterbium. However, they concluded that the cerium monocarbide reported by Brewer and Krikorian2 and by Warf,3 and given a fcc structure with a lattice constant of 5.130Å bythe former workers, was, in fact, cerium metal with carbon dissolved in it. They were also unable to find any evidence for the existence of Warf's CeC3, for which no structural details had been given. Even more recently, Palenik22 reported the existence of only M2C3 and MC2, having been unable to find any evidence for the existence of any other rare-earth carbides. There are no published experimentally derived thermodynamic data for the formation of any of these carbides, although Brewer and Krikorian6 have estimated values of for CeC, Ce2C3 and CeC2. The objective of the present investigation was; to determine experimentally the free energy of formation of any of the reported carbides of cerium and praseodymium, through a study of the rare-earth metal-hydrogen equilibrium. EXPERIMENTAL A methane-hydrogen mixture was circulated, in a closed system over previously prepared cerium or praseodymium hydride, and when equilibrium had been attained, the gas mixture was analyzed by selectively oxidizing the hydrogen and condensing out the water formed. The metal hydrides were used as starting material for convenience because, otherwise, the hydrogen in the gas mixture would immediately dissolve in the metals; in addition, the metals would not react with methane alone at the experimental temperature (around 600°C). The circulating system was based on that used by Browning, DeWitt, and Emmett7 for similar studies on iron carbides. It consisted of a quartz reaction vessel, all-glass circulating pump, analysis tube containing copper oxide that could be heated to 300" C by means of a small furnace, a solid CO2-methanol trap, and a double limb absolute manometer, Fig. 1. A cathetometer, capable of reading to 0.005 cm, was used to measure the difference in height between the two columns of mercury. In its final form, the reaction vessel was enclosed in an outer jacket, containing approximately the same pressure of hydrogen as that within, to reduce errors due to diffusion of hydrogen out through the fused silica of the reaction vessel., The circulating system was supplied with

Jan 1, 1962

By John W. Buch

IN my review a year ago I pointed out that a small coal-mining companies as well as large had decided that the so called ?central shop? was a benefit. These central shops replaced in a large measure the commercial shops operated by those who have no direct connection with production of cod. Central shops in this time of salvage and major repairs have proved their worth. In addition, many of the larger companies had in their central shops equipment available for the production of many thousands of parts for our vast war machine and, as subcontractors, are doing this type of work. This is a real contribution to the war endeavor. Lack of new supplies has resulted in exhaustion of those stocks formerly stored or hidden in underground shanties. This means that the small stock of repair parts likely LO be available to any mine

Jan 1, 1943

By Archer E., Wheeler

COPPER operations in the Congo mean the operations of the Union Miniere du Haut Katanga, because there are no other copper industries there. There is a mine at Bwana M'Kubwa, a little way to the South, in Rhodesia, which has been operated on a small scale, and-another farther south, the Falcon mine, but in quite a different section of the country. This Bwana M'Kubwa mine has recently been reorganized financially and the Minerals Separation interests have taken an extensive share in it, so that it may come into operation. The Union Miniere's operations are in Katanga, the most southeastern province of the Belgian Congo, and the company's concession is in the southeastern part of that province. The usual route for going into the country is by way of Cape Town, thence over the South African Railways through Kimberly and Mafe- king to Bulawayo, then by the Beira, Mashonland and Rhodesia Railways to the Rhodesia-Congo border, passing Victoria Falls on the way, and finally by the Belgian road, the Chemin de Fer du Katanga, to Elisa- bethville, the African headquarters of the company. From Cape Town to the border it is about 2150 mi. and from the border to Elisabethville about 158 mi., making a little over 2300 mi. from Cape Town, by rail.

Jan 1, 1924

By Willis H. Carrier

Particular interest in the ventilation of deep mines, especially those in South Africa, has been created by a very complete system of cooling of the world's deepest mine, the Turf shaft of the Robinson Deep in Johannesburg. The writer visited this mine in January, 1936, and again in 1937. During these visits and subsequently, a considerable part of the theory involved in rock cooling in tunnels was developed and this has been checked by practical observations of the rates of rock cooling made within mines. The purpose of this paper is to set forth the method of attack of the mine problem. The cooling or air conditioning of mines by the use of mechanical refrigeration was not wholly newl-5 when the Robinson Deep installation was made. The first mine to be cooled was the Morro Velho mine, in Brazil. The first installation in this mine was put into operation in December 1920, the refrigerant being ammonia.5 The surface cooling gave considerable benefit but it proved inadequate as greater depths were reached, therefore in 1929 two centrifugal refrigerating machines were installed at the 6000-ft. level. These were used in conjunction with the surface cooling system to furnish additional cooling at the lower levels. This later installation used Carrene as a refrigerant. This nonflammable refrigerant, having a boiling point of 104" at sea level, insured reasonable safety, since all parts of the machine operated at subatmospheric pressure. Very favorable reports have been received on the effectiveness of this installation, but no recent data are available. An interesting feature of that plant is that the condenser water is cooled by spraying it into the exhaust air from the mine at the base of the ventilation upcast, which permits the water to be cooled within a few degrees of the wet-bulb temperature of the air entering the upcast, and the only water that has to be supplied for condensing purposes is that lost by evaporation, or about 0.5 per cent of the volume circulating through the condenser. This plan affords an ideal means for the removal of the heat load from the refrigerating system, and of course also from the mine itself. In many mines, however, especially those in South Africa, there is no

Jan 1, 1940

By Willis H. Carrier

Particular interest in the ventilation of deep mines, especially those in South Africa, has been created by a very complete system of cooling of the world's deepest mine, the Turf shaft of the Robinson Deep in Johannesburg. The writer visited this mine in January, 1936, and again in 1937. During these visits and subsequently, a considerable part of the theory involved in rock cooling in tunnels was developed and this has been checked by practical observations of the rates of rock cooling made within mines. The purpose of this paper is to set forth the method of attack of the mine problem. The cooling or air conditioning of mines by the use of mechanical refrigeration was not wholly newl-5 when the Robinson Deep installation was made. The first mine to be cooled was the Morro Velho mine, in Brazil. The first installation in this mine was put into operation in December 1920, the refrigerant being ammonia.5 The surface cooling gave considerable benefit but it proved inadequate as greater depths were reached, therefore in 1929 two centrifugal refrigerating machines were installed at the 6000-ft. level. These were used in conjunction with the surface cooling system to furnish additional cooling at the lower levels. This later installation used Carrene as a refrigerant. This nonflammable refrigerant, having a boiling point of 104" at sea level, insured reasonable safety, since all parts of the machine operated at subatmospheric pressure. Very favorable reports have been received on the effectiveness of this installation, but no recent data are available. An interesting feature of that plant is that the condenser water is cooled by spraying it into the exhaust air from the mine at the base of the ventilation upcast, which permits the water to be cooled within a few degrees of the wet-bulb temperature of the air entering the upcast, and the only water that has to be supplied for condensing purposes is that lost by evaporation, or about 0.5 per cent of the volume circulating through the condenser. This plan affords an ideal means for the removal of the heat load from the refrigerating system, and of course also from the mine itself. In many mines, however, especially those in South Africa, there is no

Jan 1, 1940

By MARSHALL D. DRAPER

THERE are said to be about 150 operating companies in Kotchiu, most of these being small, corresponding in degree to lessees in western mines in the United States. Of the total number there are probably forty large companies having their own smelting plants equipped with one or two furnaces, slag crushing plant and other accessory equipment. A few plants, not more than ten, do custom smelting. There are in all about fifty smelting plants in Kotchiu. With little variation, the equipment and methods are the same. The plant usually consists of two furnaces, one being in operation while the other is being relined 01- re- paired. An adjoining house contains one or more of the large buffalo-drawn Chilean mills for crushing slag. A few houses for the working coolies, with more pretentious ones for the owners, complete the establishment, the whole being surrounded by a compound wall 8 ft. high.

Jan 1, 1931

By HOWARD RICHARDS

THE dollar was, selected as the unit of currency by the Congress of the United States of America on Apr. 2, 1792. This "Dollar" currency is so much more convenient than the older British currency that the Canadian Government, among others, has adopted it with corresponding success. Just as the dollar is the unit of United States currency, so the meter is the international unit for measuring length. The various weights and measures used in - the United States have since Apr. 5,. 1893, been based on the metric standards. These fundamental standards are kept by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, which is supported by the United States, Great Britain and the, other leading countries. of the world. Copies are held-in Washington and other capitals. (2) As the dollar is divided into 100 cents, so the meter, which is 10 per cent. longer than the yard, is divided into 100 centimeters or cm. And as the cent is divided into 10 mills, so the centimeter is divided into 10 millimeters or mm. In measuring clothing and other articles which do not require great accuracy, the centimeter is most con¬venient, so that such work is done in terms of centi¬meters.. Instead of speaking of a 15;2-in. collar, a 40-centimeter or 40-cm. collar is referred to. Where accuracy is needed, as in mechanical drawing, machineshop work, etc., millimeters are employed. Thus 8 mm., is the convenient equivalent for 5/16 inch.

Jan 1, 1921