Search Documents

By Ian William Wark, Alwyn Birchmore Cox

Different parts of the world in which mineral separation by flotation is practiced experience vastly different natural temperatures, and in some districts there is a big difference between summer and winter temperatures. It will be shown in this paper that the temperature is of considerable importance where it is desired to separate pyrite or arsenopyrite from other minerals. It is probable that some of the differences obtained in the flotation of these minerals at plants working under otherwise similar conditions are due to temperature variations. The influence of temperature on the flotation of galena, chalcopyrite and sphalerite by xanthates is less marked than its influence on pyrite flotation. Experimental Method The methods used have been described previously.l-4 In each test the clean mineral specimen was immersed in a solution prepared by adding the reagents in the following order: (1) sodium carbonate and hydrochloric acid as necessary to buffer the solution and to give approximately the pH value desired, (2) sodium cyanide, (3) copper sulphate, (4) ethyl xanthate, followed by (5) a final adjustment of pH value. After ½ hr. the mineral was tested for a xanthate film by bringing a bubble of air into apparent contact with the submerged polished surface. If true contact (spreading) was not obtained within ½ min. and after cleaning the surface by wiping with a small linen pad, it was concluded that the adsorption of a xanthate film had been prevented. Following the method already described (ref. 2), curves have been constructed such that for a solution composition corresponding to any point below the curve, contact between mineral and air is possible, whereas for a solution composition corresponding to any point above the curve, contact is impossible.

Jan 1, 1939

By R. S. Archer

THE name molybdena was employed by Pliny to denote various substances resembling lead. Later this name was applied to galena-the naturally occurring sulfide of lead-or substances of similar appearance. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was applied to graphite and to the mineral sulfide of molybdenum (MoS2) now called molybdenite. This confusion is quite understand- able inasmuch as these substances look and feel very much alike. In 1778, the Swedish chemist Scheele published a treatise in which he pointed out essential differences between graphite and molybdenite. On treatment with nitric acid, molybdenite, unlike graphite, produced a peculiar white earth with acidic properties which he called molybdic acid. Since the same mineral gave off sulfurous fumes on heating, he concluded that it was a sulfide of molybdenum. In 1790, there appeared an account of the isolation by P. J. Hjelm of the new element molybdenum, as a metallic powder, by heating the oxide with carbon. It was not until Bertelius conducted the necessary experiments, about 1818 to 1825, that the foundation of the chemistry of molybdenum was laid. The only recorded use of molybdenum during the first century after its isolation was as a chemical reagent, primarily for the determination of phosphorus. It was not until the last decade of the nineteenth century that the use of molybdenum in steel appears to have been investigated. A

Jan 1, 1953

By O. W. Walvoord

ONE particular plant has been chosen to illustrate the various factors in mill design. The problems are general in nature and with various modifications are met in the design of most milling plants. Literature on modern mill design is not extensive and certainly has not kept pace with the rapid advancement in the art of ore beneficiation. Much remains to be investigated, and continued vigilance is required to give the operator and the metallurgist the best layout to meet the industry's changing requirements. The Humboldt project, a joint venture of the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co. and the Ford Motor Co., involves an iron ore flotation plant near the town of Humboldt, on the Marquette range of the Michigan Upper Peninsula. A crushing plant, designed for an ultimate capacity of 720 long tons per hr, is followed by a first mill unit of 70 long tons per hr. Future mill units are planned to bring the total mill capacity to 5000 long tons per 24 hr.

Jan 1, 1954

By A. D. Hodges

In May, 1850, the first gold from the Comstock lode was discovered in the sands near the Carson river. It had been washed down by natural agencies, through Gold Caflon, from the decomposed rock of the ledge above. Within a few weeks, the precious metal was traced more than three miles in shallow deposits along the bed of the canon, from the river to the Devil's Gate-—a narrow, rocky cleft, notable to the teamsters of a later day chiefly as the place where " Uncle Jimmy Fair" collected high tolls, and could not reduce the rates, because " this was all he had for the education of his poor children." From 1850 to 1857, a fluctuating band of miners, whose number varied from twenty to two hundred, washed the Gold Canon placers with rockers and long-toms, making four to five dollars a day each until the last-named year, when the deposits were in great measure exhausted. The chief settlement of these miners was at Johntown. During only a third of the year was the water-supply sufficient for their work. The remainder of the time they utilized in desultory prospecting of the hills and in occasional forays for supplies among the Mormons in Carson valley. In 1857, the Grosch brothers discovered the Comstock lode at some point, now unknown, in Gold Hill, but their discovery perished with them. Early in 1858, the " Pioneer Quartz Company," having located several of the small surface-veins around Silver City (whose connection with the main lode has never been definitely shown), built an arrastra, and worked some of their ore; but the returns were so small that they soon abandoned this business. The following winter, James Finney and his partners found gold in place in

Jan 1, 1891

By Stephen Royce

[PAGE Ground Movement Adjacent to a Caving Block in the Climax Molybdenum Mine (TP 2000 by JOHN W. VANDERWILT, Min. Tech., May 1946. Discussion by STEPHEN ROYCE and the Studies of the Design of Shaped Explosive Charges and Their Effect in Breaking Concrete Blocks (TP 2157 by GEORGE B. CLARK, Min. Tech. May 1947. Discussion by PHILIP B. BUCKY, V. H. CLARK, E. D. GARDNER, M. H. HAWKINS, H. L. WALKER, and the author) 2 See TP 2377, Min. Tech., May 1948 for discussion of San Manuel ProsPect (TP 2255 by H. J. STEELE and G. R. RUBLY, Min. Tech., Sept. 1947. Discussion by L. KENNETH WILSON, ELDRED D. WILSON and the authors)] Ground Movement Adjacent to a Caving Block in the Climax Molybdenum Mine STEPHEN ROYCE•-It is interesting to note from B, Fig 2, how closely the subsidence limits approximate to the 60° angle of draw, which is so commonly found to rule in large scale rock subsidence. The tension cracks shown at B are commonly found in the initial stages of subsidence movement and spread like a halo about subsidence limits as movement extends. These tension cracks usually grow into escarpments later on. Apparently from the illustrations and description given, a system of vertical fractures is the predominating weakness in the wall rock at Climax, and therefore both tension cracks and escarpments are prevailingly vertical in attitude. The illustrations in Mr. Vanderwilt's article seem to conform to the general rule that yield by subsidence is heralded by tension cracks which foreshadow the appearance of the subsidence scarps which are both described in the paper and shown in Fig 2. The difference between the B side and the A side of Fig 2 is apparently caused mainly by the vertical fracturing which controls subsidence at Climax as compared to the relatively homogeneous rock formation at A upon which the original figure in Peele's Handbook was based. The draw at B is exactly 60°, while the draw at A is a little flatter. The influence of the vertical fractures explains the difference. The surprising feature is the relatively small deviation from the general 60° draw line, which is about the average of rock subsidence experience. The influence of local fracture systems, faults and bedding in controlling subsidence all the way from extremely low angles of draw to vertical is rather fully discussed in the Peele's Handbook article referred to. The more illustrations of subsidence there are published the better will be our knowledge. The general principles are pretty well established. The wide local differences reflect the effect of local conditions. This paper is a very valuable contribution to the subject, and for the benefit of the mining industry, it is to be hoped that there will be many more such clear and concise presentations. Particularly block caving is apt to be of greatly increasing importance in the future of a mining industry that must meet high labor costs. More examples of block caving from small scale to large scale operations like those at Climax will serve a vital need. JOHN W. VANDERWILT (author's reply)-I would like to thank Mr. Royce for his discussion; however, in his comments the meaning of subsidence, draw and tension cracks is not entirely clear. As used in my discussion of subsidence at Climax, subsidence refers to movements involving appreciable downward displacement. Tension cracks indicate only

Jan 1, 1947

By Duane H. Haley

The century we live in has been an eventful time for the Third World, particularly the country of Peru. Although it will take one or two generations more to see its end and fully evaluate its scope, it is already clear that during the twentieth century, Peru has entered a dynamic industrial, economic, social, and political revolution. This century has seen the end of old governments, and the introduction of reforms which radically change complex traditional patterns. It also has marked the beginning of an era in which the government has elected to undertake, as a national effort, most of the future economic growth of Peru. For the most part, large multinational mining companies, which have helped to discover and put into operation large mineral and ore deposits in Peru, have been sympathetic toward this philosophy. Most big foreign companies, in addition to capital, brought with them to Peru an efficient technology, modern management, and an effective organization for the further processing, sales, and distribution of refined commodities. Nationalization of all basic resources, including mining, is the, trend-not, it is hoped, to the detriment of established technology and production.

Jan 1, 1974

By H. A. Schwartz, A. F. Gorton, H. R. Payne

In a previous paper1 we published what we believed to be a correct stable equilibrium diagram for an iron-carbon alloy containing + 1.20 per cent. silicon. The purpose of the present paper is to record the results of studies concerning the effect of silicon on the location of the eutectoid points of both systems, including also certain incidental observations of general interest. We prepared white cast irons containing roughly 21/2 per cent. carbon, 0.05 per cent. manganese, and 0.03 per cent. each of phosphorus and sulfur, but of accurately known silicon contents which varied from 0.40 to 3.32 per cent. These were completely graphitized, and both A1 points determined, as in our previous work, the specimens being converted from the stable to the metastable condition and vice versa by appropriate heat treatments. Each stable alloy was heated to a few degrees above Arl for 3 to 7 hr., quenched and analyzed for total and graphitic carbon, the difference being the "combined" or, better, agraphitic2 carbon content of the saturated solid solution just above the eutectoid transformation. One specimen was lost through accident, and the 0.40-per cent. silicon material gave an anomalous result ascribed to difficulty in maintaining the stable system in the presence of but little silicon.

Jan 1, 1923

By H. R. Payne, A. F. Gorton, H. A. Schwartz

In a previous paper1 we published what we believed to be a correct stable equilibrium diagram for an iron-carbon alloy containing + 1.20 per cent. silicon. The purpose of the present paper is to record the results of studies concerning the effect of silicon on the location of the eutectoid points of both systems, including also certain incidental observations of general interest. We prepared white cast irons containing roughly 21/2 per cent. carbon, 0.05 per cent. manganese, and 0.03 per cent. each of phosphorus and sulfur, but of accurately known silicon contents which varied from 0.40 to 3.32 per cent. These were completely graphitized, and both A1 points determined, as in our previous work, the specimens being converted from the stable to the metastable condition and vice versa by appropriate heat treatments. Each stable alloy was heated to a few degrees above Arl for 3 to 7 hr., quenched and analyzed for total and graphitic carbon, the difference being the "combined" or, better, agraphitic2 carbon content of the saturated solid solution just above the eutectoid transformation. One specimen was lost through accident, and the 0.40-per cent. silicon material gave an anomalous result ascribed to difficulty in maintaining the stable system in the presence of but little silicon.

Jan 1, 1923

By B. Ramaswami, Y. Nakada, R. Schaefer

EARLY investigations1 of the tensile properties of fcc single crystals did not reveal the easy glide region of crystals with axial orientations inside the standard stereographic triangle. With the production of high-purity metal, a region of easy glide became known1 Consequently, modern work of fcc single crystals ordinarily uses high-purity metal. In order to determine whether further purification of aluminum beyond 99.992 pct purity would result in significant alteration of the tensile properties of single-crystal specimens, metal was zone-refined and crystals grown from the purified material were compared to crystals grown from the original material. Some similar studies were made of gold and silver crystals. Aluminum. The material to be zone-refined was cast into bars 1/4 by 1/2 by 8 in. A zone, approximately 1-1/2 in. in length, was passed over each bar eighteen times at a rate of 6 in. per hr. Melting and stirring were carried out by an induction heater under a vacuum of approximately 10"5 mm Hg, the metal being held in a graphite container. he last 3 in. of each processed bar were then cut off and discarded. No quantitative determination of purity was made, but the effectiveness of the zone refining was tested by a method first suggested by Walton, Tiller, Rutter, and winegard3 depending on the relation between cell structure and impurity content. Rutter and Chalmers4 have shown that a cellular substructure is associated with the presence of impurities during solidificatibn, and have shown how solute rejection at the freezing interface can lead to such an association. Thus the observation of cells gives evidence of impurities being present. To look for cells, the last quarter of a zone-refined bar was cut off, remelted, and grown rapidly into a single crystal. It was then heavily electropolished and thermally etched.~ Cells were revealed by the presence of many parallel rows of etch pits. The same process was carried out with material from the first half of the bar, but no cells were detected. These observations give evidence that a significant amount of impurity material was moved to the "dirty" end of the zone-refined bars. Further indication of purification was obtained from recrystallization experiments. It was found that, after cold rolling to a 97 pct reduction in thickness, the material from the pure end of the bar re-crystallized at room temperature, but the material from the "dirty" end did not. Other investigators6 have previously reported that zone-refined aluminum recrystallized at room temperature. The purified material was cast into 1/4 by 1/4 in. bars, and seeded crystals were grown in a (100) orientation and in a single slip orientation where the Schmid factor is m =2. The crystals were then cut to the desired length, annealed for 24 hr at 610°C, furnace-cooled, and etched in Tucker's etch. The crystals were tested in a floor-model Instron machine, using a gage length of 4 in. and a strain rate of 1/2 pct per min. The resulting curves are shown in Fig. 1. It is seen that the differences between the curves for zone-refined and original-purity materials are small. These differences are within the scatter observed for crystals of the original purity. In particular, the zone refining does not significantly affect the onset of the different "stages" of the curves.

Jan 1, 1964

By John J. Porter

Unusual problems have arisen at certain iron blast-furnaces in Virginia through the fact that the ore-supplies, derived from the Oriskany formation, contain from a trace up to 1 per cent, of zinc oxide. Since the technical literature bearing on this subject is very scant, the following notes, based on personal experience, will probably be of value to those of our members who are interested in iron blast-furnace practice. The course of zinc through the blast-furnace is readily traced. Entering the throat as zinc oxide, finely dissemiuated through the ore, it descends unchanged to the fusion-zone, since a temperature of 1,000" C. or more is required for its reduction. At the fusion-zone, the zinc oxide is reduced by solid carbon to metallic zinc, which is set free as vapor and rises with the ascending gases to the cooler zones of the furnace. In cooling through the range of temperature from 1,000" to 500° C. the zinc is re-oxidized according to the reaction Zn + CO2 = ZnO + CO, and the resulting zinc oxide, being in a very fine state of division, is readily carried along by the ascending gases. Portions, however, deposit on the descending stock and are carried down, again to pass through the same cycle of changes. Still other portions deposit on the lining of the stack, and gradually form hard masses of "cadmia." Of the remainder of the zinc oxide, the greater part passes out of the furnace, and is either deposited in the down-comer, dust-trap, stoves, boilers and flues, or passes through the chimney into the atmosphere. A small portion escapes reduction and enters the slag as zinc oxide, while still another portion is absorbed into the lining of the furnace.

Jan 1, 1908

By R. Steven Maxwell, Ulrich Petersen

Most minerals have experienced a slow hut perceptible decline in their annual primary production growth over the past hundred years. This decline is due to a combination of factors: (1) increased recycling; (2) exhaustion of the more accessible or higher grade ores; (3) partial substitution; (4) the more efficient use of materials; (5) progressive saturation of markets as living standards rise. Therefore, future demand for new mineral resources will probably be lower than anticipated. As the world population stabilizes, this slowdown in production growth will become even more pronounced.

Jan 1, 1979

By Perry G. Harrison

The first autlientic description of an iron bath for the deposition of iron is probably that of Bottger in 1846, who used a bath containing ferrous sulfate and ammonium chloride. In 1861, Kramer deposited iron from ferrous chloride solution. Electrolytic iron was produced in 1869 by Bietz, who used it for making some magnetic tests. In the same year, Klein is. said to have worked out his process. Jacobil in 1869 described the results obtained in electroplating with iron on copper for making dies and plates for bank notes, by Klein's process. A letter from Klein to Jacobi describes the bath more fully. It consisted of FeS04 + (NH4)2SO4. Lenz2 described some properties of electrolytically precipitated iron. He used Klein's bath, FeS0, + MgSO4 + MgCO3, to neutralize and obtained fine-grained and hard iron. His conclusions were as follows: 1. Electrolytic iron and copper contain gases, notably hydrogen. 2. The volume of gas absorbed by iron varies within wide limits, but it is easy for iron to take up very considerable quantities of gas. 3. The absorption of gas is principally in the first formed layers of iron. 4. When iron is heated, gas begins to come off below 100°, principally hydrogen. 5. Heated to redness, reduced iron oxidizes in water, in part at least at the expense of the oxygen of the water, decomposing it and setting free hydrogen, which is partly or wholly absorbed. Siemens,3 in 1889, was the first to propose a general process embodying a step for leaching a sulfide mineral with ferric chloride or sulfate and a step for regenerating the leach and depositing iron on a cathode in a diaphragm cell. So far as is known, Siemens did not carry out his patent

Jan 1, 1930

By Robert Pike

THE first authentic description of an iron bath for the deposition of iron is probably that of Bottger in 1846, who used a bath containing ferrous sulfate and ammonium chloride. In 1861, Kramer deposited iron from ferrous chloride solution. Electrolytic iron was produced in 1.869 by Bietz, who used it for making some magnetic tests. In the same year, Klein is said to have worked out his process. Jacobi1 in 1869 described the results obtained in electroplating with iron on copper for making dies and plates for bank notes, by Klein's process. A letter from Klein to Jacobi describes the bath more fully. It consisted of FeSO4 + (NH4)2S04. Lenz2 described ?some properties of electrolytically precipitated iron. He used Klein's bath, FeSO4 + MgSO4 + MgCO3, to neutralize and obtained fine-grained and hard iron. His conclusions were as follows: 1. Electrolytic iron and copper contain gases, notably hydrogen. 2. The volume of gas absorbed by iron varies within wide limits, but it is easy for iron to take up very considerable quantities of gas. 3. The absorption of gas is principally in the first formed layers of iron. 4. When iron is heated, gas begins to come off below 100°, principally hydrogen. 5. Heated to redness, reduced iron oxidizes in water, in part at least at the expense of the oxygen of the water, decomposing it and setting free hydrogen, which is partly or wholly absorbed. Siemens,3 in 1889, was the first to propose a general process embodying a step for leaching a sulfide mineral with ferric chloride or sulfate and a step for regenerating the leach and depositing iron on a cathode in a diaphragm cell. So far as is known, Siemens did not carry out his patent

Jan 1, 1930

By R. H. Harrington

THE definition of precipitation-hardening is well understood and its principles have been subjected to study for some time. However, the variation of properties with double aging, combined with strain-hardening, gives promise of new and useful phenomena. Properly to understand these distinctions, definitions of these terms are necessary. Precipitation-hardening. This reaction usually depends upon an alloy having such a composition that it consists only, or in major part, of but one phase, a solid solution, at a high temperature, so that, upon slow cooling, this solution breaks down into two phases, the solid solution and a compound. By heating the alloy to the temperature for maximum solution of the compound, quenching, and reheating to a suitable lower temperature for critical dispersion precipitation of the compound, useful properties of the alloy may be developed to a maximum. Double Aging.-Dougle aging in part is similar to the process for precipitation-hardening, consisting of heating a precipitation-hardening alloy to the solution temperature, quenching, reheating to the suitable dispersion precipitation temperature, strain-hardening, and again reheat-ing to a suitable temperature to develop certain useful properties to a maximum. The strain-hardening may be induced by two methods: (1) a rate of cooling from the first reheat may suffice to strain the solid solution lattice of the alloy; or (2) the alloy may be cold-worked to a suitable degree between the two reheats.

Jan 1, 1936

By P. V. Martin

Shortly after the middle of the nineteenth century, the invention of the regenerative open-hearth furnace and the development of the Bessemer process stimulated a rate of steel production whose magnitude created an unprecedented demand for pig iron. Revolutionary improvements in furnace design, auxiliary equipment, and operating technique enabled the blast furnace to keep abreast of the constantly increasing requirements of the steel mill. The development of improved blowing equipment, more adequate facilities for material handling, and particularly the general use of anthracitc and coke to replace the physically weaker charcoal, led to a rapid expansion in both the height and volume of furnaces. Beyond a doubt, however, the greatest single factor in blast-furnace improvement at this time was the use of the higher blast temperatures made available by the replacement of the recuperative iron pipe stoves by the regenerative Cowper brick stove. The increased blast temperature not only resulted in greater output but also reduced fuel consumption . far more than could be explained by the additional heat content of the blast. The progress of iron manufacturing was thus largely mechanical and thermal. Little attention was given the chemistry of the process until the publication of the investigations of Sir Lowthian Bell.1 Bell's painstaking experiments and investigations gave to the blast-furnace man his first real scientific conception of blast-furnace chemistry. Bell's recognition of the dual function of the carbon, the technical importance of reversible reactions and chemical equilibria, and his conception of the degree of oxidation of the carbon as shown by the analysis of the outgoing gases as a criterion of furnace efficiency, laid the foundation upon which has since been erected the structure of blast-furnace theory. Prominent among those availing themselves of Bell's data as .a basis of further study was M. L. Gruner,2 professor of the French School of Mines. His "Blast Furnace Phenomena," published in 1870, presented

Jan 1, 1940

By P. V. Martin

Shortly after the middle of the nineteenth century, the invention of the regenerative open-hearth furnace and the development of the Bessemer process stimulated a rate of steel production whose magnitude created an unprecedented demand for pig iron. Revolutionary improvements in furnace design, auxiliary equipment, and operating technique enabled the blast furnace to keep abreast of the constantly increasing requirements of the steel mill. The development of improved blowing equipment, more adequate facilities for material handling, and particularly the general use of anthracitc and coke to replace the physically weaker charcoal, led to a rapid expansion in both the height and volume of furnaces. Beyond a doubt, however, the greatest single factor in blast-furnace improvement at this time was the use of the higher blast temperatures made available by the replacement of the recuperative iron pipe stoves by the regenerative Cowper brick stove. The increased blast temperature not only resulted in greater output but also reduced fuel consumption . far more than could be explained by the additional heat content of the blast. The progress of iron manufacturing was thus largely mechanical and thermal. Little attention was given the chemistry of the process until the publication of the investigations of Sir Lowthian Bell.1 Bell's painstaking experiments and investigations gave to the blast-furnace man his first real scientific conception of blast-furnace chemistry. Bell's recognition of the dual function of the carbon, the technical importance of reversible reactions and chemical equilibria, and his conception of the degree of oxidation of the carbon as shown by the analysis of the outgoing gases as a criterion of furnace efficiency, laid the foundation upon which has since been erected the structure of blast-furnace theory. Prominent among those availing themselves of Bell's data as .a basis of further study was M. L. Gruner,2 professor of the French School of Mines. His "Blast Furnace Phenomena," published in 1870, presented

Jan 1, 1940

By Fred W. Shultz

The process engineer is familiar with the in any methods employed in the past for analyzing various materials. These include panning. eyeballing, and wet chemistry. Of those mentioned only wet chemistry has been and will continue to be a standard measure for the elemental content in a given material. However, wet chemistry, by the very nature of the method, can be excessively time-consuming and thus reducing obviously the number of samples that may be processed in a given period. The analysis by X-ray, in most cases, requires nothing more than assurance that the sample is in a suitable state for presentation to the X-ray spectrometer.

Jan 1, 1964

By L. S. Chabot

The bibliography of mining methods in the past few years has contained many articles dealing with the use of the diamond drill for blasthole drilling. In the Canadian mines, this method has been used with great success in stoping at Noranda, Aldermac, Waite Amulet, East Malartic and Sladen Malartic mines in the Province of Quebec. It has also been used at the Dorchester and Beattie gold mines in Duparquet, Quebec. The method has found useful application at Copper Mountain mine, British Colombia, and at Flin Flon mine in Manitoba. In the United States, the diamond drill blasthole method has been used at Cornwall Iron Ore Mines in Pennsylvania and at the Republic Steel Corporation magnetite properties in the Port Henry district of northern New York. In the Lake Superior iron district, the method has been used at the Anvil-Palms mine of Pickands, Mather and Co. at Bessemer, Mich., and is also used at the Book mine of the North Range Mining Co. at Alpha, Mich. Other companies in the district have also experimented in some degree with the method at some of their properties. This Paper is being offered as a prelimi- nary report on the use of the diamond drill method of stoping at the Book mine. Sufficient work has been done with it to prove its worth and it is the purpose of the article to present some results, operational details, equipment ideas and recommendstions which we have found in its use at our mine. Location and Description The Book mine is situated about a mile north of the village of Alpha, in the NE-NE1/4 and the SE-NE1/4 of set 12-42-33, between the Dunn mine and the Balkan-~~d~~~ mine, and about four miles southwest of the village of Crystal Falls, on the menominee Range of Michigan, The property was found to have ore near surface in sufficient quantities for open-pit operations and stripping was begun in the latter part of 1942 to prepare it for ore production in 1943. During 1943, 288,447 tons of direct shipping ore were produced from the open pit and 382,933 tons in 1944 While the mine was being operated as an open pit some 350,000 tons of lean ore were stockpiled for later treatment. This material is beilng treated in a washing and jig plant and concentrates are produced during the shipping season. The ore bodies at the Book mine are characteristic of the Menominee Range. They are found on the flanks of sharply folded anticlines which have a fairly steep pitch to the northwest. The open-pit operatiOns in 1943 and 1944 revealed two of these anticlinal structures. A detailed study and classification of the old diamond drill records, coupled with the information of some new holes drilled, has established the

Jan 1, 1949

By T. H. Dunn, P. L. Menaul

This paper discusses the results of an investigation made to develop a method of combatting corrosion of subsurface oil-well equipment caused by brines containing hydrogen sulphide. Carbon monoxide, aldehydes, and certain cyanide compounds were found by laboratory tests to effectively inhibit corrosion of steel by sulphide brines. Experiments were made for one year in eight wells in West Texas fields using formaldehyde as an inhibitor. It was found that the inhibitor treatment successfully prevented the severe corrosion previously experienced in these wells, and effected important net savings in operating costs. Introduction Corrosion of oil-field equipment has long been a problem in areas producing sour crudes. These areas include the major fields of Arkansas, Western Kansas, West Texas and New Mexico. Corrosion in these fields is caused primarily by the chemical action of hydrogen sulphide in the presence of water and by electric currents entering the wells through flow lines. Hydrogen sulphide is noncorrosive to iron or steel in the absence of water but under the usual conditions prevailing in oil wells where more or less water is present, hydrogen sulphide is very corrosive. This type of corrosion occurs over the pH range below 9, which includes all natural oil-field brines. If air is present in addition to hydrogen sulphide and water, corrosion proceeds at an extremely rapid rate. It was reported several years ago that a string of oil-well tubing was literally dissolved within 50 days where an air lift was used on a well producing considerable water and hydrogen sulphide. Air is generally absent in wells producing sour crude. After hydrogen sulphide corrosion starts, it proceeds with increasing severity and its correction becomes progressively more difficult. This characteristic of sulphide corrosion has been attributed to the formation of galvanic couples between the iron and steel equipment on one hand and the products of corrosion on the other.' Severe corrosion of subsurface oil-well equipment leads to a multitude of troubles. In addition to destruction of costly equipment, producing sands often are damaged by flooding with water leaking through corroded casing; bad mechanical conditions may develop in a well due to obstructions caused by corroded equipment lost in the hole, or partly collapsed casing; pumping operations are interfered with, and severe emulsification problems may result from the homogenizing action of corroded balls and seats.% A typical case of severe corrosion caused by hydrogen sulphide was reported in Howard County, Texas, where it was necessary to pull tubing once a week to repair leaks after the tubing had been in use for only one year. On one well in this area a string of tubing was pulled 11 times in 8 months; 11 joints of tubing being replaced because of leaks. In Ector

Jan 1, 1946

By T. H. Dunn, P. L. Menaul

This paper discusses the results of an investigation made to develop a method of combatting corrosion of subsurface oil-well equipment caused by brines containing hydrogen sulphide. Carbon monoxide, aldehydes, and certain cyanide compounds were found by laboratory tests to effectively inhibit corrosion of steel by sulphide brines. Experiments were made for one year in eight wells in West Texas fields using formaldehyde as an inhibitor. It was found that the inhibitor treatment successfully prevented the severe corrosion previously experienced in these wells, and effected important net savings in operating costs. Introduction Corrosion of oil-field equipment has long been a problem in areas producing sour crudes. These areas include the major fields of Arkansas, Western Kansas, West Texas and New Mexico. Corrosion in these fields is caused primarily by the chemical action of hydrogen sulphide in the presence of water and by electric currents entering the wells through flow lines. Hydrogen sulphide is noncorrosive to iron or steel in the absence of water but under the usual conditions prevailing in oil wells where more or less water is present, hydrogen sulphide is very corrosive. This type of corrosion occurs over the pH range below 9, which includes all natural oil-field brines. If air is present in addition to hydrogen sulphide and water, corrosion proceeds at an extremely rapid rate. It was reported several years ago that a string of oil-well tubing was literally dissolved within 50 days where an air lift was used on a well producing considerable water and hydrogen sulphide. Air is generally absent in wells producing sour crude. After hydrogen sulphide corrosion starts, it proceeds with increasing severity and its correction becomes progressively more difficult. This characteristic of sulphide corrosion has been attributed to the formation of galvanic couples between the iron and steel equipment on one hand and the products of corrosion on the other.' Severe corrosion of subsurface oil-well equipment leads to a multitude of troubles. In addition to destruction of costly equipment, producing sands often are damaged by flooding with water leaking through corroded casing; bad mechanical conditions may develop in a well due to obstructions caused by corroded equipment lost in the hole, or partly collapsed casing; pumping operations are interfered with, and severe emulsification problems may result from the homogenizing action of corroded balls and seats.% A typical case of severe corrosion caused by hydrogen sulphide was reported in Howard County, Texas, where it was necessary to pull tubing once a week to repair leaks after the tubing had been in use for only one year. On one well in this area a string of tubing was pulled 11 times in 8 months; 11 joints of tubing being replaced because of leaks. In Ector

Jan 1, 1946