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By Byron W. Cheever

At the meeting of the Institute held in St. Louis, in October, 1886 (Transactions, xv., 448), I presented a paper upon the above subject. From the well-known action of certain solvents on phosphide and phosphate of iron, the conclusion was then reached, founded on analyses, that phosphide and phosphate of iron must be present in all iron. But this conclusion was based upon the reactions obtained in the analyses of iron phosphide and phosphate, in which the phosphorus existed in conditions different from those found in commercial iron. In the former, the phosphorus is concentrated ; in the latter, diffused. This fact left a reasonable ground for doubting the existence of phosphoric acid in commercial irons. Some direct method was therefore sought which would prove its presence. After investigating the subject for some time, I came to

Jan 1, 1888

By Donald P. Bellum, Lee Nugent

Southwestern Utah is well known for its scenic attractions. The beauties of Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon and the Grand Canyon are of world renown. Thusly, Cedar City is known, at least by the local Chamber of Commerce, as the Gateway to the Utah Parks. However, of the thousands of tourists flocking to Utah's many points of interest by way of Cedar City, few realize that any mining takes place in the vicinity, in spite of the fact that iron mines have been in continuous operation for 40 years. The Pinto-Iron Springs Mining District is only 15 miles west of Cedar City, and is the largest iron ore producing district in the West. In recent years, the shipments have ranged from 2% to 4 million tons per year making Utah the fifth-ranking state in iron ore production.

Jan 11, 1963

By J. L. Wilson, D. L. Emmons

The Tucker Hill perlite deposit is located in the northwestern portion of the Devils Garden lava field in Lake County, south-central Oregon. The perlite occurs in the chill margin of a late Miocene composite rhyolite lava dome that exhibits distinct cooling zonation. The chill margin is composed of an outer glass envelope, which contains commercial-grade granular and vesicular perlite, and an inner glass envelope, which contains onionskin perlite of local commercial quality. Glassy rhyolite and rhyolite compose the lava dome core. The entire dome complex encompasses at least 5 km2 (2 sq miles). Expansion tests in commercial-scale furnaces indicate that the perlites are suitable for a wide range of applications and compare favorably with commercial perlite ores. The large tonnage deposit appears competitive for markets in the midwestern and upper northeastern states, and the Pacific Northwest of the US.

Jan 1, 1986

Mr. Raden has described the practical problems associated with fines in phosphate rock beneficiation. In this discussion, a colloid chemical viewpoint is given to the problem of separating phosphate values from phosphatic clay slurries. The phosphatic clays are predominantly colloids of a complex mixture of many minerals (1). The constituents are typically 25% apatite, 40-50% clays, and various amounts of wavellite, quartz, dolomite, fluorite, and other minerals. The clays are montmorillonite, attapulgite, and illite, with some kaolinite. The various mineral colloids in the slurry are heterogeneously coagulated in the as-produced state. Dispersion of the coagulated state is evident from the fact that dispersing agents (certain polyelectrolytes) cause a large reduction in the viscosity of the slurry (2). The as-produced slurry settles from 4 to 8% solids within a week, but thereafter settles much more slowly in the form of a sediment of flocs. The supernatant liquid is often clear because of the cooperative action of the mutual interaction of particles during settling. Mineral segregation during settling has not been observed for the same reason. The initial slow settling rates indicate that the coagulated assemblies are very small. Efforts to separate apatite from the other minerals would be complicated by the heterogeneous coagulation state. Somehow the apatite must be "liberated" from its association with the other minerals before it can be physically separated. One approach for liberating apatite is to disperse the entire suspension. While this is feasible technically, for example by using certain polyelectrolytes (2), the reagent costs based on present

Jan 1, 1979

By Henry B. Kaeding

This paper presents the results of experiments in the treatnient of the gold-bearing ores of the Pis Pis district, near the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua, C. A. Up to the present time, the methods in use in this section of the country for the extraction of the values from the ores have been of the crudest, and the waste has been criminal in its enormity. The transportation of heavy machinery being difficult and costly, recourse has been had to flimsy and inadequate installations, involving great wastes in operation. In some places $15 ore is considered the lowest workable grade. One mine that came under my observation had a 7-ft. vein of $23 ore when examined for purchase; it has been running for years and is now deeply in debt. The future metallurgy of these ores must depend upon chemical, mechanical, and economical considerations—the last being, of course, a resultant of the two former, discussed in the light of prevailing or realizable commercial and industrial conditions. I. Chemical. The ores consist principally of quartz, carrying galena, pyrite, marcasite, and chalcopyrite, and occasionally magnetite, hematite, pyromorphite, and sphalerite, in which minerals the gold lies. The quartz veins occur between malls of andesite, " porphyry," or dioritic rocks, occasionally limestone and dacite. Often the dacite itself is heavily ribbed and filled with auriferous quartz, and is mined as ore. Owing to the excessive rainfall of the country, the ores above water-level have been oxidized and leached of their sulphides, and have become in that operation highly acid and free from

Jan 1, 1912

By B. Haimson, C. Fairhurst

One of the main functions of rock mechanics research has been to find ways of determining in-situ stresses. Many methods have been suggested, the most significant ones calling for measurements inside bore- holes. These methods usually employ some instrumentation for the purpose of measuring hole deformation. Several years ago, a new method was suggested by Scheidegger,l based on previous work by Hubbert and Willis.2 It was the method of "hydraulic fracturing," which had been introduced by the oil industry in 1948 for the purpose of oil-well production stimulation. Basically, hydraulic fracturing consists of sealing off a section of a borehole, pumping in a fluid, and pressurizing it until fracture occurs. If pumping is continued vigorously, the fracture is opened up and extended. In an oil field, such an artificial fracture increases the overall permeability of the formation and usually enhances production. During the entire operation, the variation of pressure with time is ordinarily recorded. Hubbert,2 Scheidegger,1 Kehle,3 and others have shown that the recorded pressures can be theoretically related to the magnitudes of the principal in-situ stresses; the orientation of the fracture can often be used to determine the direction of the principal stresses. The advantage of hydraulic fracturing over the present in-situ stress determination methods is simplicity: no sophisticated instrumentation is required inside the borehole; hence, the stresses can be measured at any depth. Moreover, if the formation is impermeable to the fracturing fluid, no elastic constants of the rock are required in calculating the stresses, a

Jan 1, 1970

By L. W. Fagg

The purpose of this paper is to present in a convenient form data and examples necessary in making dynamometer card analyses; also to outline a procedure of well weighing. Many articles and papers have been written delving into the mathematical considerations relative to the shape and characteristics of dynamometer cards. However. it is recognized that there are too many unknown factors involved in such calculations to assure a workable degree of accuracy. For this reason the accepted procedure is to take dynamometer cards on wells in question rather than try to calculate the load curve. The polished rod dynamometer is now recognized as a necessary tool for measuring loads, torque, and horsepower. It is also used to determine pump action and trouble-shoot for any seemingly abnormal pumping condition. The apparently infinite variety of a = maximum load (height x scale constant) b = minimum load. Range of load is difference between maximum and minimum load speed—taken with stop watch stroke —measured at polished rod c = beginning of down stroke in direction of arrow. (End of up stroke) d = beginning of up stroke. (End of down stroke). Polished Rod Horsepower = (Area of card) x Scale const. x Stroke x Length x spm (Length of card) 33000x 12 1.35 1.35------x5300x 24 x 12 2.53 --------------------------= 2.06 23000x12 Appraximate Peak Torque: Upstroke = (2390) (12) (1) = 28,700 in. Ib Downstroke = (1 860) (12) (.866) = 19,300 in. Ib Counterbalance should be increased to make up stroke and down stroke peak torque equal. FIG. 1 dynamometer cards that can be obtained is one reason for the general lack of usage of the dynamometer as a control instrument rather than a means for making routine measurements of leads and horsepower. When it is considered that the dynamometer card is a record of the resultant of all forces acting on the polished rod at any particular instant during the pumping stroke. the problem is then one of breaking down this resultant into its various components. As a means of a quick review we shall consider the examples shown in Figs. 1 to 9: and Tables I and II and then proceed to the interpretation of variously shaped cards caused by some abnormal operating condition. In Table 11, when we were considering the factors involved in calculating the peak polished rod load, it can be seen that the factors involved greatly oversimplify the problem. Certain assumptions are made which may or may not he even close to the actual field conditions, such as the specific gravity of the fluid generally considered as one; that the crank has constant angular velocity; that the down-hole friction is zero; and that the fluid lift is from the pump. In the following examples we shall see what a variation in fluid weight and friction can do to the general shape and magnitude of the dynamometer card. (Figs. 10 to 22.) MAKING THE WELL STUDY It is obvious that it would be impractical to consider in detail all of these factors each time a well study is made, inasmuch as each well study job could conceivably be extended into a research project rather than serve the practical requirements of finding the answer to a specific problem. For this reason it is important that some objective be established previous to the time the well study is made. Load at TU = 3070 Ib Crank angle when polished rod is at position TU = ? ? = 30° Maximum counterbalance effect at polished rod = 2760 Ib Torque at TU = (Load at TU — Max. counterbalance effect-lbs) sin 0 x Length of Stroke 2 = (3070-2760) .5 x 24 = 1860 in. 15 2 Torque at TD = (Load at TD — Max. counterbalance effect-lbs) sin ? x Length of Stroke 2 = (530 - 2760) sin 330' x 24 = 13,400 in. Ib 2 Note: sin 0 from c to d on UPSTROKE will be positive value. sin 0 from c to d on DOWNSTROKE will be negative value Torque at c and d is zero because 0 is zero. FIG. 2 —APPROXIMATE METHOD FOR CALCUlATlNG TORQUE

Jan 1, 1950

By Gordon M. Yocom

A PROPER consideration of the subject of this paper should include economic aspects as well as the technical phases of the metallurgy, production, and properties of the product. The metallurgical phases of the processing and properties of the product will be considered only from practical aspects and within the scope of the writer's experience with tonnage production. The Bessemer process was invented 85 years ago and became important because it put steel manufacture upon a larger and less costly basis. In America the Bessemer production has declined for many years and has not maintained its proportionate place with the rapid advances of the open hearth. The achievements in the open-hearth field were attained by the greater number of technical people attracted to that branch of the industry. The antipathy of technical students for the older and less popular Bessemer field gradually weakened the forces defending it and retarded the development of new and better methods. In Europe the economic advantage of the basic Bessemer process has not been overlooked and the tonnage usually is greater than that of the open hearth. The acid process has been the subject of renewed attention in America during the past few years and those who are more familiar with it are striving to show that the method is too valuable to abandon. A considerable tonnage of Bessemer-blown metal, in both molten and ingot forms, used in connection with the open-hearth practice makes it an important auxiliary unit to the industry. This practice aids in modifying the price level of heavy remelting scrap in addition to speeding up the open-hearth operation. The use of Bessemer steel has continued not only because of periodic economic advantages but also because of certain inherent qualities of machinability, weldability and stiffness, which are valuable for many applications. The properties of stiffness and rather high reaction to cold-work require some modification in order to meet the demands of modern methods of processing, which involve cold-reduction and cold-forming. At least one factor contributing to the stiffness of this steel is the relatively high phosphorus content of the acid product. The phosphorus content of the Thomas or basic Bessemer steel of Europe is considerably lower than the normal acid product in America. The American industry has continued the use of the acid process chiefly for the reason that the available ores are more easily adapted to this process from both metallurgical and economic standpoints. In European practice the basic process is necessary with the highly phosphoric ores available and it is sustained to some degree by the sale of the rich phosphate slag as a by-product. The basic process was used in this country at several plants many years ago, but was abandoned for economic reasons. A part of the past history of these trials is given here because the author believes it has not been published and it has some bearing on the subject of this paper. The information is authentic to the extent that

Jan 1, 1941

By R. J. Brison, R. D. MacDonald

This chapter is written primarily from the standpoint of development of flotation processes for treatment of specific ores. However, most of the principles and techniques discussed are equally applicable to other forms of applied flotation research such as improvement of procedures in existing plants and development of new reagents or methods without reference to specific ores. Because it is not possible to cover this subject in detail here, much of the material presented is in the form of a guide to the literature, with emphasis on readily available, English language publications. Details are included only if considered to be widely applicable or not readily accessible in the literature. Related subjects which are covered elsewhere in this volume, such as flowsheet design and statistical techniques, are not emphasized in this chapter. The material presented is intended primarily for those familiar with the theory and practice of flotation, but with limited experience in applied flotation research. It may be of value to the experienced investigator as well, by calling to his attention some useful viewpoints or techniques that he may have overlooked. It has often been said that flotation is more of an art than a science. In- deed much of the knowledge of flotation behavior is empirical. However, the unsystematic, artisan approach to flotation problems results only in an ac- cumulation of unrelated data. Like any other physical or chemical process, flotation is amenable to investigation by systematic experimental methods. The experiments should be based, as far as possible, on an understanding of the natural laws that govern the process and on good experimental procedures. SAMPLING OF A DEPOSIT In working out a flotation process for a mineral deposit, no step is more important than that of obtaining a suitable sample or samples. Experimental procedures cannot compensate for the lack of a representative sample. Methods of sampling a deposit have been published elsewhere,l-4 but a few points are of special importance from the standpoint of flotation. First, the sample should be representative of the deposit, not only in respect to chemical composition, but also in respect to mineralogical composition and degree of dissemination of the valuable minerals. To help ensure

Jan 1, 1962

By H. H. Evinger, M. Muskat

A method has been developed whereby one may calculate the productivity factors of producing formations from a knowledge of the reservoir conditions. Account is taken not only of the heterogeneous character of the gas-oil flow system but also of the detailed variations with pressure of the shrinkage and viscosity of the oil, the solubility of the gas in the oil, and even the variability of the gas viscosity and the deviation of the gas from ideal behavior. Curves are shown giving the results of numerical calculations on the production rate as a function of the pressure differential for a high-prcssure and a low-pressure system, three values of gas-oil ratio being treated in each case. Curves are also given showing the variation with distance from the well of the pressure, oil saturation, and permeability. The effect of connate water is briefly discussed in relation to the apparently large discrepancies between the calculated and observed productivity-factor values. Introduction The significance of the productivity factor as a measure of the capacity of an oil-bearing formation to produce is well recognized; for it is the composite and integrated resultant of the physical prop-crties of both the porous medium and the fluid stream passing through it with respect to the ease with which the particular petroleum fluids present in the formation can flow through it and into producing wells. The most direct method of determining the productivity factor of a well consists, as is well known, in the simultaneous measurement of reservoir-pressure differentials and rates of production and the expression of the data in terms of rate of flow per unit pressure drop.' Actual measurements carried out in this manner on producing wells have given factors that generally lie in the range of o to Ioo bbl. per day per pound pressure drop. This wide range arises not only from variations in permeability but also from the varying sand thickness of producing formations. One of the aims of developing a theory of the mechanics of oil production obviously is that of predicting what the productivity factor should be from a knowledge of the individual characteristics of the producing formation and the fluids produced. For homogeneous fluid systems passing through a porous medium into a producing well, it has been known for some time that the steady-state rate of liquid flow Q is given by the formula:* Q ? u log r?/r? where k is the sand permeability, h its thickness, µ the liquid viscosity, ?p the pressure drop between the well and the distant parts of the reservoir, in particular that at a radius re, and r? is the well radius. This gives the productivity factor: f= Q/kh?p ? 2p/µ log re/r? f=Q/ kh?p ? 2p/µ log re/r? which will have a numerical value for a

Jan 1, 1942

By M. Muskat, H. H. Evinger

A method has been developed whereby one may calculate the productivity factors of producing formations from a knowledge of the reservoir conditions. Account is taken not only of the heterogeneous character of the gas-oil flow system but also of the detailed variations with pressure of the shrinkage and viscosity of the oil, the solubility of the gas in the oil, and even the variability of the gas viscosity and the deviation of the gas from ideal behavior. Curves are shown giving the results of numerical calculations on the production rate as a function of the pressure differential for a high-prcssure and a low-pressure system, three values of gas-oil ratio being treated in each case. Curves are also given showing the variation with distance from the well of the pressure, oil saturation, and permeability. The effect of connate water is briefly discussed in relation to the apparently large discrepancies between the calculated and observed productivity-factor values. Introduction The significance of the productivity factor as a measure of the capacity of an oil-bearing formation to produce is well recognized; for it is the composite and integrated resultant of the physical prop-crties of both the porous medium and the fluid stream passing through it with respect to the ease with which the particular petroleum fluids present in the formation can flow through it and into producing wells. The most direct method of determining the productivity factor of a well consists, as is well known, in the simultaneous measurement of reservoir-pressure differentials and rates of production and the expression of the data in terms of rate of flow per unit pressure drop.' Actual measurements carried out in this manner on producing wells have given factors that generally lie in the range of o to Ioo bbl. per day per pound pressure drop. This wide range arises not only from variations in permeability but also from the varying sand thickness of producing formations. One of the aims of developing a theory of the mechanics of oil production obviously is that of predicting what the productivity factor should be from a knowledge of the individual characteristics of the producing formation and the fluids produced. For homogeneous fluid systems passing through a porous medium into a producing well, it has been known for some time that the steady-state rate of liquid flow Q is given by the formula:* Q ? u log r?/r? where k is the sand permeability, h its thickness, µ the liquid viscosity, ?p the pressure drop between the well and the distant parts of the reservoir, in particular that at a radius re, and r? is the well radius. This gives the productivity factor: f= Q/kh?p ? 2p/µ log re/r? f=Q/ kh?p ? 2p/µ log re/r? which will have a numerical value for a

Jan 1, 1942

By O. B. Hopkins

DuRing 1931 Peru lost its place as ninth among the oil-producing countries of the world, to Argentina, and even in tenth place its production only slightly exceeded that of Trinidad. The preliminary figures for 1932 indicate that Peru will lose tenth place for that year to Trinidad. The production in barrels of the three coastal fields of Peru during the past three years was as follows: In addition to this crude production, the International and Lobitos companies produced approximately 770,000 bbl. of casinghead gasoline during 1932. There was no outstanding development in the oil industry in Peru during 1932; activity in the fields was very much restricted due to curtailment of production and the low price of oil. The potential production of the property of the International Petroleum Co. Ltd. greatly exceeded the actual production. By the beginning of 1932, a total of 2348 productive wells had been drilled on the property of the International, of which 547 had been abandoned, leaving 1801 productive wells at that' date. These wells cover a total productive area of approximately 13,500 acres. The crude produced has an average gravity of 37° to 38° Be. The Lobitos crude is of approximately the same gravity. The earliest oil pool developed in the Peruvian Coastal area is now more than 40 years old and is still producing. The major development in the area took place between 1920 and 1930. Production at the present rate can be maintained for 10 years or more.

Jan 1, 1933

By L. G. Huntley

Points out differences between the new, more liberal, law passed by the Colombian Congress and the law passed in 1919, gives a few facts about the pipe-line concession granted to a Canadian company, and tells of new drilling developments. PROBABLY the most important development in the Colombian oil situation during the past year was the passage by Congress of a new petroleum law, which went into effect Jan. 31, 1923. The principal points of interest in which this new law changes or improves the previous one are as follows: Law 120 of 1919 provided that one person or corporation could not acquire more than three exploitation zones. of 5000 ha. each, and royalties were based on a sliding scale, to wit: 6 per cent. royalty on lands 400 km., or more, from the ocean; 8 per cent. on lands 200 but not over 400 km. from the ocean, and 10 per cent. royalty on lands located less than 200 km. from the ocean. Rentals were fixed at 10 centavos per hectare for the first year; 20 centavos for the second year; 50 centavos, third year, and $1 (one peso) yearly thereafter. Under this law the term of the lease was fixed at 20 years and, at the discretion of the government, could be extended for 10 years additional. After the expiration of the lease and its corresponding extension, the machinery and other material placed upon the property would vest in the government. A bond of 20,000 pesos was also required of the lessee to guarantee faithful performance of his contract.

Jan 3, 1924

By I. Iwasaki

In the flotation of iron ores and nonmetallic ores desliming is the key to a successful operation; the technology of flotation of well-deslimed ores has become fairly well established. When finely disseminated ores are ground to liberation, however, conventional desliming of the fully dispersed pulp results in an excessive loss of valuable constituents. Selective flocculation of iron oxides followed by removal of dispersed siliceous slimes is a new development and is one of the most promising approaches to the treatment of finely disseminated, oxidized iron ores, available in vast quantities both here and abroad (1,2,3). To apply selective flocculation to the variety of refractory iron ores or to cope with the fluctuations in an individual ore and the make-up water, the factors governing this technique must be clearly formulated. For the removal of siliceous and clayey slimes from oxidized iron ores by selective flocculation, the optimum conditions are extremely sensitive to the mineralogical characteristics of the ore, the type and the amount of soluble salts in pulp solutions, and the mesh-of-grind. Certain starches appear to function better than others (4, 5). Selection of the proper reagents and their judicious use is important not only for their efficient utilization but also for minimizing the adverse effects they might exert on the flocculation and flotation steps, and the pollution the effluents might cause when discharged, either intentionally or accidentally, into lakes and streams. In the present article some of the major factors that influence the selective flocculation of iron ores are summarized.

Jan 1, 1979

By F. Weinberg

WHEN impure Zn (< 99.99 pct)&apos;&apos;Z or Zn-Cd alloys3 are progressively solidified, a cell or "corrugation" substructure4 is produced in the solid, with a high impurity or solute concentration along the cell walls. When these materials are polished and suitably etched, etch pits are often observed along the cell walls. For the Zn-Cd alloys these etch pits have been associated with decorated dislocations, present in the corrugation boundaries to accommodate the lattice strain. In the course of an investigation of Zn-2 pct Au alloy, molten metal of this alloy was poured into cold water and the resultant solid pieces were sectioned, polished and etched with a Cr0 ethant. An extremely regular cell pattern was observed on the etched surface, similar in general to the corrugation structure previously reported for impure zinc and Zn-Cd alloys. At higher magnification, regularly spaced pits were observed along the cell boundaries. An example of the regular cell pattern at the center of a specimen is shown in the center and lower portions of Fig. 1; the top of the figure shows the pattern near the specimen surface. Typical etch pits in the cell walls are shown in Fig. 2. It was surprising that a cell pattern as regular as that shown in the center of Fig. 1 was produced at the very rapid solidification rates used (estimated as > 1 cm per sec). In addition, the distribution coefficient for the Zn-Au system is greater than 1. Accordingly, the center of the cells should be rich in solute and should etch

Jan 1, 1963

By E. Seidl

THE basic material for testing aluminum, copper and zinc is a cast metal, principally in the form of wire bars (Figs. 1 to 3) and plates for the produc- tion of sheets or strips, (Figs. 4 to 7). Experience has proved that the chemical and crystallographic proper-ties of such cast metal exercise a certain influence when it is being worked, which is usually done while the metal is hot. In a chemical sense the slight impurities, which even the purest industrial metal contains, have a disturbing effect. They settle either along the outside limits of granulation, as in the case of aluminum and copper, or else in the interior of the crystal, as in the case of zinc; but frequently are also found accumulating at certain points (formation of the blowholes and skin) (Fig. 7). The crystallographic character of the metals is either that of uniformly fine granulation, or else there occurs a certain distinct casting texture marked by sharply defined cooling conditions and consisting of crys-tals of a pronounced stalk-like or blade form. Since we generally distinguish between a crystal texture and a crystal structure, the term crystal texture is used here for the arrangement of the crystals relative to each other and their microscopic composition; crystallic structure is used to mean the radioscopically ascertain-able structure of the crystal. The influence of the impurities and of the crystalline character on the working of the metals has been fre-quently pointed out in practice as well as in science.

Jan 11, 1927

By H. M. Roche

MAGNETITE mining and milling in the Eastern States in 1939 showed considerable improvement over 1938. For the first eight months of the year production of magnetite proceeded at a normal rate but operations were stepped up in the last four months owing to increased domestic demand. In New York, the Republic Steel Corp. operated the Witherbee-Sherman mines at Mineville throughout the year. Chateaugay Ore and Iron Co. operated their low-phosphorus mine at Lyon Mountain for the first seven months, but on Aug. 1, Republic Steel took over this mine -and have since operated it. In Pennsylvania, the Bethlehem Steel Co, operated the Cornwall mine continuously. In New Jersey, Mt. Hops and Scrub Oak were in operation all year. The Washington mine went into production on Nov. 1 and the Richard mine on Dec. 1.

Jan 1, 1940

WE vote this month without knowledge of either major presidential candidates&apos; position on mineral problems. Too long have we kept our own counsel, turned our backs on the public. Certainly we must formulate policies upon which we may unite in industry council, but implementation of these by legislative bodies requires popular understanding, if not support. The earth and its resources are the province of the miner and the farmer but beyond this, and the basic need of the economy for both, the similarity ends. In this election year the disparity between the poll strength of these two fundamental callings is apparent. While both candidates have found it essential to incorporate a farm plank in their platforms, mining has been neglected as not being a basic issue. If this gives the mining fraternity the advantage of voting objectively, it also leaves the general public in the dark as to the attitude of the candidate on a basic issue. It is an issue on which depends the future of the nation, but, unfortunately, the public is not aware of its own vital stake in mining. Thus election time brings with it a fresh example of the evils of automatic lawn sprinkling-a long standing peeve of ours. Back in the days of the hand-held sprinkling hose in the intimacy of the twilight the mining man had the opportunity to unburden himself on the problems of mining to his neighbor who might be a doctor, lawyer, or accountant. With the encroachment of mechanized sprinkling, yet another forum for the indoctrination of the layman into the significance of mining has disappeared. Familiarizing your neighbors with mining in the lawn sprinkling societies of yesteryear was the individual&apos;s contribution to public relations for mining. The corporations can use educational advertising in popular magazines as is practiced by such companies as Kennecott. The AIME can play an important part by providing career guidance information on the mineral industries. We offer the suggestion to the American Min¬ing Congress, that the splendid exhibitions of mining machinery featured in alternate years for metal and coal mining, respectively, might be opened to the general public one night during the week of the show. Newspaper publicity would add greatly to the public&apos;s interest in such an opportunity. Power for the public is considered a vote-getter and no candidate has neglected to make his stand on this subject. Is the price of the kilowatt in the home of greater importance to the voter than the price of the metal durable goods which he purchases every year? Not really, but the voter thinks so. Mining has as much sales appeal as &apos;potatoes or kilowatts if presented in the proper way. We suggest that a little hand lawn sprinkling by the right people in the right places would produce an abundance of publicity which would give Mr. and Mrs. American something new to expect from their representatives-a vigilance over the flowering of their mining industry.

Jan 1, 1952

CHAIRMAN (J . E. JOHNSON, J R., New York, N. Y.).-It may be n matter of some interest that sodium cyanide is now being made commercially by melting together in an electric furnace calcium cyanide with a common salt, which produces calcium chloride and sodium cyanide. It seems to me entirely possible that you have here about the same results that would be obtained by melting calcium chloride and ordinary cyanide together, only you obtain it a good deal cheaper. There is no doubt about that reaction once it is being carried on on a large industrial scale for the manufacture of cyanide for other uses. I think probably the same, thing takes place here, with the possible exception of lowering the melting point due to the presence of the calcium chloride.

Jan 5, 1919

By L. Eaton, A. W. Last, J. L. Stevens

COPPER ore from Kennecott Copper&apos;s Ray mine, about 60 miles southeast of Phoenix, Ariz., is concentrated at the company&apos;s mill at Hayden, some 18 miles south of the mine. The Hayden mill is currently treating 16,000 tons of ore per day by flotation, using raconite, a crude butyl xanthate, as a collector for the sulfide copper minerals and lime as a pyrite depressant.1 The ore contains significant amounts of nonsulfide copper minerals, but recovery of these values has been low. The Hayden mill is now being modified to provide for treatment of future ores by leach- precipitation-flotation (L-P-F). This modification, costing about $5 million, is expected to reduce the loss of nonsulfide copper values and improve overall copper recovery by an additional 2 lb per ton of ore.

Jan 11, 1957