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By W. C. Hazen, A. V. Henrickson

URANIUM plant operations of the Kerr-McGee Oil Industries at Shiprock, N. M., began in December 1954. As originally designed, the plant treated Plateau carnotite ores by the acid cure process, which dissolved both uranium and vanadium minerals. After 16 hr of acid curing, the ore was conveyed to an agitator and leached for 2 hr in acid liquor at a pH of 1.0. The leach pulp was then separated at 100 mesh in a classifier, the sands continuing through a washing classifier circuit and the slimes going to a countercurrent decantation system of four thickeners.

Jan 9, 1957

By C. Morrow

Deformation studies were performed on tuffaceous rocks fran Yucca Mountain, Nevada Test Site to determine the strengths and coefficients of friction under confining pressures from 10-50 MPa at room temperature. Frictional strengths of 30ºsawcut samples increased with pressure and reached values of around 150 MPa at the higher confining pressures. However, the failure strengths of the intact samples were quite unpredictable. The coefficients of friction ranged between 0.7 and 0.9 for all specimens. These data can be used in conjunction with in situ stress measurements at Yucca Mountain, to evaluate the potential for earthquake activity in the region.

Jan 1, 1984

By J. R. Slotemaker

As successfully pilot-tested at a quarry producing limestone for a large cement plant, swiftly flowing streams of rock enter the Gromax Selector. They are electronically scanned while in motion and light reflection data flashed to logic circuits. The logic circuits compute the total light deviations in each rock as it passes the scanner. Thus, a rock with striated or spotted impurities can be rejected or accepted on the basis of its proportional content. The actual case history of this equipment's development at a limestone quarry in the Southeast serves to illustrate its general area of usefulness.

Jan 1, 1964

A little more than a year and a half ago construction started on Canada's largest initial milling plant. Today the zinc concentrating plant 7 miles north of Barraute sits on ground that once was forest and clay flats. The plant is part of Barvue Mines Ltd. zinc-silver operation. Employees of the plant live in the model community of Barvue, built like the plant in record time. About 5000 tons of ore are handled by the plant daily, with an output of 200 tons of zinc concentrate. Management hopes to raise capacity of the $8 million plant to 6000 tons.

Jan 8, 1953

By P. L. Lavery

A numerical method to derive approximate solutions for stress intensity factors for rectilinearly anisotropic bodies without resolving to complex variable approach is presented. The method is based on the assumption that the crack opening profile can be simulated by a simple curve such as an elliptic function and a relationship is found for the stress intensity factor in terms of near tip displacements. An example solution is derived for a transversely isotropic body and the results are verified with Westergaard's stress function approach. The proposed model has a great potential for the applications to fracture mechanics of anisotropic rock materials.

Jan 1, 1984

By D. P. Seraphim

Single crystals of bee Li-Mg solid solution were grown and their internal friction was measured as a function of temperature, A peak of the Zener type was found in the damping spectrum. The activation energy for the relaxation process is 21.5 ± 1 kcal per mole and the frequency factor is 1015.7 ± 0.7 sec-1. ZENER internal-friction peaks which are observed for a wide range of solid solutions are attributed to stress-induced changes in local order.' In the present work a Zener internal-friction peak, the first reported for a solid solution of an alkali metal, is

Jan 1, 1961

By Charles M. Brinckerhoff

When I first went to Arizona in 1925, mining was primarily an underground job. Ajo, Sacramento Hill in Bisbee and Jerome were the only open pit operations in the state. Thousands of men, however, were employed in underground mining at Morenci, Miami, Inspiration, Globe, Ray, Bisbee, and Superior. The grade of ore in the larger operations was about 1-1/2% copper while a few of the smaller ones mined ore better than 2% Cu. In Utah, the Bingham pit was doing well and growing; in Montana, the vein mines of Butte still yielded ore running 6% Cu.

Jan 3, 1972

By M. P. Nackowski, Armond H. Beers, W. T. Parry

Three hundred soil samples were collected on a one-mile grid in a 400-square mile area of the Oquirrh Mountains, Utah, including the Bingham-Lark, Ophir, Rush Valley, and Mercur mining districts. The soil samples were analyzed for copper, lead, zinc, silver, molybdenum, manganese, and iron by X-ray fluorescence using arsenic as an internal standard. Anomalies coincide in most cases with the mining districts. However, in the Mercur district no anomalies were detected. Also samples collected one mile from the Bingham mine barely reflect this major producer. No samples were collected within the Bingham mine area.

Jan 1, 1973

By B. R. Eichbaum, J. E. Murphy, J. A. Eisele

The US Bureau of Mines demonstrated ferric chloride leaching of galena concentrate on a continuous bench scale basis. Leaching was performed at 95°C (200°F) and with a contact time of 15 minutes. The ferric chloride leaching solution was continuously fed to a leaching tank at a constant rate for periods up to 45 hours. In each test, a constant redox potential was maintained in the slurry exiting the leaching tank by controlling the concentrate feed rate. In the 45 hour test, lead extraction exceeded 99.5%, and the lead chloride produced was 99.97% pure.

Jan 1, 1986

By R. W. Callen, W. A. Hockings

This paper describes a computer program which calculates material balances for complex steady-state material flow circuits encountered in mineral processing. The program determines mass flows in the various process streams of a flowsheet from multicomponent analytical data obtained from samples of the streams. The program, Metallurgical Balance System (MBS), has been used extensively in treating Pilot plant test data, in production evaluation and control, and in plant design. The program performs well even on ill-conditioned data. Input to the program is easily accomplished by unskilled personnel and the output appears in well-formatted tables.

Jan 1, 1981

By V. Rajaram, H. W. Earnest, A. W. Jenike

Mine backfilling is a desirable method for the disposal of retorted oil shale. Hydraulic, mechanical and pneumatic transport and stowing methods were investigated, and the mechanical transport and stowing method using conveyors was selected as the most promising system. Transport of retorted oil shale at the rate of 2700 t/h (3000 stph) to the backfill level, situated about 610 m (2000 ft) below surface, with skips or conveyors is uneconomic. Hence, borehole transport utilizing gravity flow was investigated. This Paper describes the theory of flow, flow properties of retorted oil shale, and the design of a borehole and hopper system.

Jan 1, 1980

By W. E. Wickerman

The Magnetic Storm Monitor is an instrument that continuously records variations in the earth's total magnetic field at a fixed location. It is intended for use in conjunction with airborne magnetometer surveys. There are stormy periods when changes in the earth's magnetic field are so violent that data obtained with airborne equipment would be of little value. The Monitor provides this information so that flights may be cancelled or terminated, thus eliminating useless flying. Moreover, when some unpredictable change in the earth's field occurs during an airborne survey, the Monitor record, showing a similar event, may serve to salvage the data.

Oct 1, 1955

By T. S. Govindan

The first step in energy conservation in any industrial plant involves implementing many of the day-to-day "housekeeping" items, such as fixing leaks, turning out lights, etc. When this step has been accomplished, additional opportunities require a detailed analysis of the energy systems, evaluation of risks and costs, and assignment of priorities. Examples of conservation schemes drawn from the experience of Du Pont's Energy Management Consulting Services will be discussed. The utility of heat balances for kilns and dryers in minerals processing will be outlined. The input needed from management for the success of conservation efforts will be discussed.

Jan 1, 1981

By G. J. Cardwell

The rock and mineral analyst will be called upon to determine both the major and minor constituents in materials as varied as rocks, soil, sediments, concentrates and various liquids. These analyses will have interactions requiring extraction, matrix modification, and background correction. Analytical methodologies include classical gravimetric methods, such as fire assay, emission spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, atomic absorption, inductively coupled plasma, and neutron activation. With these capabilities the analyst can be called on to determine three-fourths of the elements in the periodic table. How can the earth scientist pick the method best suited for his particular sample?

Jan 1, 1984

By F. W. von Batchelder

The principles of microradiography and their application practically coincided with the discovery of X-rays. These principles were first used in the metallurgy field by Heycock and Neville1 in a study of the dendrite structure of alloys of Au-Na, Au-A1, Cu-A1, and Ag-A1. The method was introduced in the USA by clark2 after a visit to France. Scores of papers have been written, and a very complete bibliography on this subject was compiled by the Eastman Kodak company. Although a number of papers have discussed X-ray

Jan 1, 1959

By Daniel C. McLean

Copper concentrates produced by many operations in the United States and South America contain chalcocite (79.9% Cu) as a major component, yet the grades of these concentrates rarely exceed 25 to 28% Cu. Mineralogical studies made by E.P. Cadwell indicated that the low grades were caused by dilution by pyrite rimmed with secondary chalcocite. Laboratory and plant tests proved that concentrates could be significantly upgraded by using a simple, low cost cyanide leaching technique to dissolve the rims and reject the pyrite. The many advantages of this new procedure are cited and the process steps and a typical flowsheet are described.

Jan 1, 1984

By E. T. Laker, John C. Loretto

This chapter deals with the process piping aspects of moving slurries in mineral processing plants and the transportation of slurries such as tailings and concentrates over longer distances. The basic data required to select the process piping is given together with an example of line sizing and material selection. Alternative piping materials are discussed together with pumps and pumpbox design and the types of valves and other fittings available to the process piping designer. The long distance transportation of slurries is briefly discussed and a number of references given on this, including papers on actual installations.

Jan 1, 1978

By Arno C. Fieldner

PROBABLY no large industry in the United States is in greater need of technologic research leading to economic improvement than the coal industry. It has suffered severely from increasing substitution of petroleum and natural gas for coal and its products in the fuel markets. Part of this substitution is due to the greater convenience and suitability of liquid and gaseous fuels for special purposes, and part of it has been due to the extensive research programs conducted or sponsored by the petroleum and allied industries in the past 2 decades. A recent estimate1 places these expenditures at $100,000,000 a year.

Jan 7, 1951

By M. J. Humenick, K. Garwacka

A laboratory experimental research project was conducted to evaluate the use of chlorine for the oxidative destruction of residual ammonia that may remain in ground water after in-situ uranium solution mining operations. The work tested the idea of injecting high strength calcium hypochlorite solution into the mining zone to convert ammonia to nitrogen gas as a final cleanup process for ammonia removal from the ground water system. This paper details ammonia removal efficiency as a function of chlorine dose, reactant, and product material balances, and how the concept may be used as a final ground water restoration process.

Jan 1, 1985

By Erkki Laurila

INVESTIGATION of the methods of analyses for magnetite and ilmenite in the Otanmäki iron-titanium ore and respective mill products has resulted in certain improvements in the methods conventionally employed. The outcome of the investigations is summarized as follows: 1-Development of a diamond-drill core analyser for the determination of magnetic susceptibility of drill cores containing magnetic minerals. 2-Development of a magnetite-ilmenite analyser for pulverized products. 3-Development of a potentiometric method of chemical analysis for the determination of iron, vanadium, and titanium in succeeding steps from one test sample. 4-Proposal for a continuous and automatic magnetite assay method.

Jan 9, 1951