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By M. R. Fletcher

Slags generated by the ferrous metals industry can he used to produce high-value ceramic materials. The properties of these ceramics can be controlled by judicious choices of composition, additives, and processing parameters. Standard methods of materials handling, such as comminution and mixing, are as applicable to slag as to any other mineralogic raw material. In this study, foundry slag was ground, homogenized, melted, and, formed to produce a glass, and then heat treated to crystallize it into a high-strength glass-ceramic. The product shows promise as a low-cost, wear-resistant tile material that (-an he custom cast. This and similar materials made from slags and natural rocks are candidates for use as construction materials, acid-resistant piping, shock-resistant sheathing, rot-proof pilings, and, when foamed, even as pontoons.

Jan 1, 1990

By M. R. Fletcher

Slags generated by the ferrous-metals industry can be used to produce high-tech ceramic materials. The properties of these ceramics can be controlled by judicious choices of composition, additives, and processing parameters. Standard methods of materials handling, such as comminution and mixing, are as applicable to slag as to any other mineralogic raw material. In this study, foundry slag was ground, homogenized, melted and formed to produce a glass, and then heat treated to crystallize it into a high-strength glass-ceramic. The product shows promise as a low-cost wear-resistant tile material which can be custom cast. This and similar materials, made from slags and natural rocks, are candidates for use as construction materials, acid-resistant piping, shock-resistant sheathing, rot-proof pilings, and, when foamed, even as pontoons.

Jan 1, 1988

By L. Holappa

Ferroalloys like FeCr and FeMn are mostly produced in submerged electric arc furnaces. Typical for these processes is that the amount of slag is quite high. The role of slag for the process is thus very essential and specific chemical, physical and electrical properties are required. Slags in FeCr process are Al2O3-MgO-SiO2based with minor contents of CaO and CrOx. Slags in FeMn process are principally similar originating from silicate minerals but can have quite a large composition range depending on the manganese ore and its gangue minerals. Characteristic for FeMn process is that the slag is rich in manganese oxide up to above 30%. A common feature is that the ?ore oxides?, CrOx and MnOxin slag are not only divalent oxides but also containing some higher valent of Cr3+ and Mn3+, respectively. In FeMn production conditions the slag consists mainlyMn2+. This is a clear difference from CrOx containing slags in which both two and three valent coexists in slags in FeCr process conditions. Oxidation state of the slag depends on the ambient oxygen partial pressure and temperature in the examined process. Thermodynamics of slags in ferroalloys production are discussed in terms of phase diagrams, activities and oxidation state of chromium and manganese oxides. Further, slag properties influencing reduction kinetics and furnace operation i.e. viscosity and electrical resistivity are discussed. Keywords: review, slags, ferroalloys, ferrochromium, ferromanganese, thermodynamics, physical properties.

Jan 1, 2004

By L. Holappa

Ferroalloys like FeCr and FeMn are mostly produced in submerged electric arc furnaces. Typical of these processes is that the amount of slag is quite high. The role of slag for the process is thus essential and specific chemical, physical and electrical properties are required. Slags in FeCr process are Al2O3-MgO-SiO2 based with minor contents of CaO and CrOx. Slags in the FeMn process are principally similar, originating from silicate minerals but can have quite large composition range depending on the manganese ore and its gangue minerals. Characteristic of the FeMn process is that the slag is rich in manganese oxide up to above 30%. A common feature is that the ?ore oxides?, CrOx and MnOx in slag are not only divalent oxides but also contain some higher valent of Cr3+and Mn3+, respectively. In FeMn production conditions the slag consists mainly of Mn2+. This is a clear difference from CrOx containing slags in which both two and three valent coexist in slags in FeCr process conditions. Oxidation state of the slag depends on the ambient oxygen partial pressure and temperature in the examined process. The thermodynamics of slags in ferroalloys, production are discussed in terms of phase diagrams, activities and oxidation state of chromium and manganese oxides. Further, slag properties influencing reduction kinetics and furnace operation i.e. viscosity and electrical resistivity are discussed. Keywords: review, slags, ferroalloys, ferrochromium, ferromanganese, thermodynamics, physical properties

Jan 1, 2004

By Heikki Jalkanen

The mineralogical composition and morphology of solidified copper smelting and converting slags are of some interest from slag cleaning (by froth flotation), impurity elimination, and environmental points of view. Properties result from both the state of molten slag before solidification and processes taking place during solidification and cooling. In solidification and cooling, copper and sulfur dissolved in molten slag are .precipitating substantially from the silicate phase. Even in water quenching of slag, dissolved copper is pushed out of the solution in the form of finely divided precipitate. Elements present in the raw materials are distributed in a distinct manner between the solidified slag and non-silicate solidification products. Arsenic, antimony, and tin are strongly accumulated in copper precipitate, but not the other metallic constituents common in copper concentrates. Smelting and converting slags differ remarkably on their mineralogical composition and morphology although resulting principally of same chemical processes. Converter slags are more inhomogenous; they often contain solid particles and copper content is .as a rule higher than in matte smelting slags. The final copper content of converter slags was observed to be in a distinct manner dependent on iron oxide - silica ratio. Slag forming, solidification, and precipitation phenomena are discussed on the basis of mineralogical and morphology analysis of smelter slags and laboratory scale experiments.

Jan 1, 2002

Although the mining industry has achieved record-low fatalities and injuries for each of the last three years, there are still too many miners injured or killed in this nation ís mining operations. Many mining injuries or deaths might have been prevented by using risk assessment to identify and control or eliminate the hazards associated with a task. To focus attention on the importance of conducting risk assessments in keeping mining workplaces safe and healthful, MSHA introduced this initiative on October 12, 2004. This initiative is called SLAM. SLAM is an acronym for Stop, Look, Analyze, and Manage. The steps involved in SLAM are: Stop ñ stop and consider the work involved Look ñ look for and identify the hazards Analyze ñ analyze what needs to be done Manage ñ manage safety by developing and implementing controls Everyone should be aware of the risks of an accident before beginning a task. It may not always be obvious that performing a seemingly routine task could result in an accident. That is why conducting a risk assessment is so important. Itís important to remember that over time a mining workplace seldom remains unchanged. Risks must be assessed whenever procedures or processes change, whenever new tasks are started, or non-routine tasks are performed.

Jan 1, 2005

By Oliver Bowles

Slate is a fine-grained rock that has a more or less perfect natural cleavage, permitting it to be split readily into thin, smooth sheets. According to a definition established by the American Society for Testing Materials, slate is "a microgranular crystalline rock derived from argillaceous sediments by regional metamorphism and characterized by a perfect cleavage entirely independent of original bedding, which cleavage has been induced by pressure within the earth." Origin and Character Slates have originated from sedimentary deposits consisting largely of clay. Such materials were carried by streams and deposited in seas or lakes in successive horizontal beds. Other materials such as calcium carbonate, sand, or gravel may have been deposited over the clays, and the pressure of these superimposed materials gradually consolidated the materials below into bedded deposits of shale. Shale is a stratified rock formed by recrystallization of the clay plus adsorbed potash into the mica, sericite. Shale has neither the strength nor the splitting properties of slate since the mica is fine and the flakes unoriented, and the quartz grains do not interlock. Many shales, however, have been subjected to intense metamorphism. Mountain-building forces ever at work in the earth's crust may crumple, squeeze, and fold the shales. At the same time, accompanying high pressures and temperatures changed the original minerals into mica, interlocking quartz, or chlorite. Both mica and chlorite consist of minute tabular sheets or flakes with perfect cleavage. The intense pressure and movement tend to orient these flakes in parallel positions normal to the direction of pressure. The parallelism of the flakes results in the tendency to split with ease in one direction, which has been termed "slaty cleavage," and which is the outstanding characteristic of slate. Actually, the cleavage is through the cleavages of the individual micaceous plates. The original bedding of the slate is often folded and contorted, and the slaty cleavage commonly cuts across it at sharp angles. Composition MINERALOGICAL COMPOSITION The most abundant mineral in most slates is white mica (sericite), a hydrous silicate of potash and aluminum. It is present in very small flakes recognizable only with a microscope. Small grains of quartz (silicon dioxide) are also abundant and are regularly distributed among the mica flakes. The mica-like mineral, chlorite, is usually present in considerable quantities. Chlorites are of several kinds, the more common being hydrous silicates of aluminum and iron or magnesium. Other common minerals present in small quantities are rutile, clay, hematite, pyrite, carbonaceous matter, feldspar, zircon, tourmaline, calcite, dolomite, and siderite. The general range of the chief constituents is about as follows: Sericite, 38 to 40; quartz, 31 to 45; chlorite, 6 to 18; hematite, 3 to 6; and rutile, 1 to 1 ½ pct. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION Results of many analyses indicate that clays, shales, and slates differ little in chemical composition. The changes that take place during metamorphism are confined largely to rearrangement of the elements into new minerals with accompanying changes in physical properties such as hardness and cleavage. The general

Jan 1, 1960

By Kent C. Werle

This brief discusses the installation and application of sleeved piles of two different types for two different projects, the W, Seattle to Harbor Island Swing Bridge Project and the Seattle Access Project. A description of these relatively novel piling systems is given, as well as some notes on their installation and application. As implied by the term "sleeved" these are piles which consist of two piles, an inner pile combined with an outer concentric sleeve pile. Background, Swing Bridge The Swing Bridge project is virtually unique in the world in that it is a "lift and turn" swing bridge. It is also a concrete, cast -in-place segmental bridge which is designed to be moveable.

Jan 1, 1990

By Lauren M. Roberts, Ralph R. Sacrison

Pipeline or borehole free-fall transfer of material has long been done in support of underground mining. This paper addresses some characteristics and design elements in selecting systems suitable to the transferred media and the mine requirements. Though aspects of overall systems are discussed, principal attention is directed to the slickline/dropline/transfer line and the discharge diverter/rockbox/energy dissipator/boot. These terms are common to these systems, often used interchangeably, and will be used as appropriate to the material, equipment and construction. Following several design sections, fabrication and construction, and system operating and maintenance procedures are discussed.

Feb 1, 2025

By Klaus Gamweger

"This paper introduces an innovative solution to open and close the tap hole of different furnace types in the copper industry with a slide gate system. Two plates with defined drilled holes are slid against each other, which enables effective starting and stopping of the copper flow as well as throttling. Typically, the copper is poured via a tap hole into a launder system by rotating the furnace into an appropriate position. Control of the casting rate is also performed in this manner. Or, in case of stationary furnaces the tap hole is opened by oxygen lancing and closed manually with a clay- or copper-cone. These procedures show a lot of disadvantages including splashing, oxygen pick-up, and energy losses as well as a severe danger for the working staff. All these problems can be overcome with an appropriate slide gate system.IntroductionThe control of the casting rate of a copper anode furnace usually is performed by rotating the furnace into an appropriate position. This implies that the taping starts with the tap hole at a very high position. Copper splashing and an uncontrolled oxygen pick up are - with several more disadvantages - the consequences. RHI AG has developed an innovative solution for copper applications to open and close the tap hole with a slide gate system which allows also an accurate control of the flow rate. By using this system it is possible to start the casting procedure with the tap hole at the deepest position, directly above the launder. This paper presents this new slide gate system in detail and shows the advantages in production and safety issues."

Jan 1, 2012

By J. Tuzson, H. McL. Clark

Introduction Wear of pumps, wet cyclones and pipelines by suspended solid particles will impact their operating economies by limiting their useful life, reducing their reliability and increasing the amount of servicing. Erosion is considered a materials problem. The empirical solution consists of testing different materials in field applications. Such tests are time consuming and expensive. The prediction of localized wear rates, life estimates and appropriate material selection demand a better understanding of the slurry wear process in environments corresponding to those found in working equipment. Key words: Wear, Slurry abrasion, Coriolis erosion tester The slurry wear process Solid particles suspended in liquid generally move with the flow, but such particles deviate under the centrifugal and Coriolis forces encountered in pumps. The concentration of particles will increase, and a solid layer or bed may accumulate if the acceleration is directed against the flow passage wall. Large particles in dilute suspensions may impact the wall. dissipating their kinetic energies and removing material. However, particles smaller than about 11)(1 µm encounter great drag when moving through the liquid. and such par¬ticles have little kinetic energy left when they reach the wall. They cannot penetrate the stagnant boundary layers present in pumps. Therefore, small particles tend to form beds that slide along the wall, removing material by a process that could he called sliding erosion or wet abrasion. Wear by impact erosion from large particles in dilute slurries can he predicted by appropriate analytical and empirical methods. However, laboratory tests and calculations of wear rates that correspond to sliding erosion are more likely to correlate with field experience from wear under similar conditions. Specific energy Data from laboratory slurry erosion experiments have shown that the amount of material removed is approximately in proportion to the energy expended in the erosion process. Thus. the specific energy-energy expended in removing by erosion a unit volume of material-offers a simple, practical measure for the erosion resistance of materials. The concept was found to also apply to sliding erosion (Clark et al.. 1997). Generally, the study of the material-removal process in slurry erosion continues to remain a subject of research. Conceptually, if the flow velocities and accelerations could be calculated in a pump or pipeline, the energy dissipated at the passage walls could also be estimated, and the material removal rate would become known from the specific energy determined by laboratory tests. Slurry erosion testing Laboratory devices made specifically for slurry erosion testing may be grouped into the following: jet erosion devices, slurry pots and the Coriolis test machine (Pagalthivarthi and Helmly, 1992). Jet erosion devices use a slurry pump and nozzle to produce a high-velocity slurry jet that is directed at a flat material specimen, either perpendicularly or at some acute angle. Combined impact and sliding erosion are produced. but the processes cannot be separated, and the wear is difficult to assess except by weighing. Slurry pots consist of a cylindrical vessel containing the slurry of interest. In the slurry pot, test specimens are attached to a rotating arm. The samples are rotated in the slurry and experience local flow conditions that result in combined impact and sliding erosion. Wear depth measurements from detailed laboratory experiments have been successfully correlated with results from an analytical model of the process, and specific energy values have been calculated (Wong and Clark, 1995). In industrial use, the samples are weighed to determine the total material loss. Materials are ranked with respect to some reference material. The Coriolis erosion tester (Tuzson, 1984) consists of a rotor with a central cavity, from which two opposing radial passages lead out (Fig. 1). The slurry is fed to the centerof the rotor in one pass from a stirred overhead tank. The slurry particles are subjected to the Coriolis acceleration as they flow out through the radial passages. The material specimens are mounted into the radial passage walls facing the direction of rotation and are eroded by the particles that are pressed against them as they flow out radially. A narrow groove is worn into the sample within a few minutes, using a few gallons of slurry. Material removal is estimated accurately from profilometer traverses across the wear scar at different locations. The energy dissipated by the particles can be estimated, which leads to a well-defined experimental value for the specific energy.

Jan 1, 2000

By Rosewell H. Johnson

Discussion of the paper of ROSWELL H. JOHNSON, presented it the San Francisco meeting, September, 1915, And printed in Bulletin No. 102, June, 1915, pp. 1291 to 1294. WILLIAM A. WILLIAMS, San. Francisco, CaI.-A sliding. scale of royalties was proposed to the Department of the Interior in connection with the fixing of royalties to be charged upon oil leases made on the Osage Reservation in Oklahoma. The possibility of evasion and difficulty of enforcement required close inspection to satisfy all interests, particularly in connection with the exemption from royalty on oil to equal maintenance and interest on the junk. Mr. Johnson discusses the block method, the period method, and the cumulative method, and favors the adoption of the cumulative method with a proviso that the wells should be permitted to be pumped until the gross income is as low as the maintenance cost, which would mean exemption from royalty on the smallest wells. He recommends that depth be the variable factor upon which the sliding royalty is based and suggests that on partially developed territory in the Osage, the royalty be one-sixth for oil wells averaging less than 2,000 ft. in depth, one-eighth for wells from 2,000 to 3,000 ft., and one-twelfth above 3,000 ft.; for the rest of the Osage he suggests one-eighth above 2,800 ft. and one-twelfth below that depth. The net result, if Mr. Johnson's suggestions had been accepted in the Osage, would have been to reduce the then existing rate of royalty and considerably increase the cost of administration. The difficulties in determining the size of wells to be exempt and the possibility of obtaining oil at different depths in the same well might lead to complications which are avoided by charging a flat royalty as now universally charged throughout the United States. It is not uncommon to reduce the royalty when the production of the wells becomes unprofitable at an existing rate of royalty, accomplishing very much the same results as Mr. Johnson has attempted to accomplish by the cumulative royalties, and probably in a manner far more satisfactory to the operator and the lessor. A. C. MCLAUGHLIN, San Francisco, Cal.-The net revenue of the well depends, first, on the cost of production; second, on the amount of oil produced; therefore it would be impossible under Mr. Johnson's system to set a royalty which would be fair to all concerned. If it is impossible to set it at the beginning, it is certainly further impossible to do it from day to clay. I think it is entirely impracticable of application.

Jan 12, 1915

By John H. Nicholls

In this paper, Imperial Oil Limited reports briefly on the drilling by contract rigs of twenty-nine slim holes in the Virden, Smiley, and Souris Valley areas. The investigations showed that slim-hole penetration rates, as a result of careful control of drilling variables, can approach those achieved with 7 7/8-inch bits. It is concluded that slim-hole drilling is acceptable for development or exploratory work. Imperial also reports on the completion techniques and equipment that have been developed on twenty-seven tubingless 2 1/2-inch casing completions. Indications are that the method is economically desirable where excessive gas or water production is not anticipated.

Jan 1, 1958

By W. D. Freeborn

Slim-hole drilling and completion techniques were first used in the Cynthia area of the Pembina field, Alberta, by the Texaco Exploration Company in the summer of 1957. Prior to that time, eighty-eight wells had been drilled and completed in this area in a conventional manner. Subsequent to the initial four-well evaluation programme, twenty-one additional wells have been drilled using slim-hole techniques. No difficulty was encountered in the drilling and completion of slim-hole wells, or in obtaining production from them. A comparison of drilling and completion economics and practices has been made for slim-hole and conventionally completed wells. Penetration rates for both bit sizes (614 in. and 9 in.) were relatively equal. The shorter life of the smaller bits required the use of 15 per cent more bits per well, but the total trip time to change bits was similar for both hole sizes because of the higher hoisting speeds possible with the lighter drilling strings used in the slim holes and better hole conditions. Completion costs of the slim holes were reduced by 37 per cent as compared to the costs of conventional-type completions. This was made possible through the use of smaller well equipment, the elimination of tubing, and a reduction in rig time for completion operations.

Jan 1, 1958

By Jay Carpenter

THIS paper deals with only one step in the treatment of ore at the West End mill; not because the other steps are repetitions of practice in other mills, but because in this particular step there is in use the Trent agitator. This device, although it has apparently failed in many mills, is here giving excellent service and has proved to be well adapted for making a thorough replacement of pregnant solution with a minimum amount of barren solution. The strong and weak points of this agitator, its present simple construction, and its use as a thickener for agitator or battery pulp are features of interest; but perhaps the point of greatest interest to the metallurgist in this day of continuous decantation is its use in a series of tanks for slime treatment by the replacement method. The agitating department of the West End mill consists of six redwood tanks, 24 ft. in diameter, 18 ft. high, each equipped with aTrent agitator, a centrifugal pump, and a motor. The pulp is transferred by a pump from the top of a flat-bottomed tank to a set of arms and nozzles in the bottom of the tank, at just sufficient pressure to cause the arms to revolve. The streams from the many nozzles keep the bottom of the tank clean, and these streams, coupled with the effect of the revolving mechanism and the ascending current, keep the pulp in constant motion and of constant gravity. .These agitating tanks hold 90 tons of dry slime and 202 tons of solution with a 1.24 pulp, our ore having a specific gravity of 2.7. This capacity is about 10 per cent. in excess of the standard 15 by 45 ft. Pachuca tank. The tanks are connected in one series for continuous agitation, the pulp for each agitator being drawn by its pump through a branch suction from near the top of the preceding tank and. delivered to the bottom of the tank by the agitator arms along with the regular pulp of that agitator. This method works automatically, since the flow through the branch suction varies directly with the difference in head of the two tanks. The chance for new pulp to pass out quickly is, therefore, much less than in many other systems of continuous agitation, since the new

Jan 8, 1915

Slime Flotation Using Ethoxylated Surfactants in Solutions of the Electrolytes

Sep 13, 2010

Of late there have been various papers published on this subject by various authorities, in which certain definite factors influencing slime settlement have been brought forward. As the principles set forth by these writers are of great interest, and have, in most cases, been generally accepted, the author will review them in the hope that by discussion some more knowledge may be brought to bear on many points connected with the subject.The definition of slime at the present time is not a standard one, and varies according to different authorities, some defining slime as ore crushed to such a fineness that it will pass through a screen of standard size, say 150 or 200-mesh, in water (1, 2);others as that part of the finely-crushed material which is in the physical condition which causes it to remain in. suspension in water, and possesses pr?perties which render it almost unleachable (3). Authorities seem divided on this point, but of late American writers seem to prefer the former definition. On the contrary, B L Gardiner describes slime as a mixture of small particles of crushed ore of varying sizes which, when mixed with water, tend...

Jan 1, 1912

By George J. Young

(San Francisco meeting, October, 1911.) THE nature of slimes handled in the treatment of gold- and silver-ores has been discussed in technical literature to a considerable extent. The subject of slime-filtration from the practical worker's stand-point has also received much comment, and scattered through the literature of the subject are descriptions of many slime-filtration installations. Articles of this nature serve a valuable purpose and assist materially in the design of new and the improvement of old plants. The subject of the physics of slime-filtration has been touched upon to only a slight extent. The underlying principles are worthy of more intensive study and experimentation than they have received, and the main purpose of this paper is to present the results of such study and experimental work as will serve to make clear in part at least many of the principles which control the filtration of slime. Nature of Slime. Much has bean written concerning an accurate definition of the term ? slime," but no comprehensive definition seems to be generally accepted. The reason for this is clear. A slime consists of at least three different substances, each, when separated, possessing distinctly different physical and to a certain extent chemical properties. These substances are extremely fine sand, a colloidal material which may be and generally is in a coagulated condition, and a colloidal material which is in a non-coagulated condition. Suspending a slime in a relatively large volume of water by shaking and allowing sedimentation to take place, results in the fine sand settling out with comparative rapidity, followed by the coagulated material, which settles much more slowly and finally a certain portion remains

Nov 1, 1911

By George J. Young

Discussion of the paper of George J. Young, presented at the San Francisco meeting, October, 1911, and published in Bulletin No. 59, November, 1911, pp. 839 to 872. ASKIN M. NlCHOLAS, Melbourne, Australia (communication to the Secretary) : * Professor Young deals with quite a variety of machines and methods, but, strangely enough, makes no mention of the work done by me, although he concludes with the remark that the " thin-cake continuous filters are a decided improvement over the thick-cake filters." As those interested in slime-treatment may consider that I did nothing more than to patent a process, I submit Fig. 1, showing the working-drawings of a machine, made, tested, and proved to work satisfactorily by me early in 1905. This time is prior to any work done in slime-filtration with rotating filters by E. L. Oliver or others. I maintain that a number of appliances now in use for slime-filtration infringe my patents. And after most exhaustive inquiry, I know of no machine or process, prior to my description in 1899,1 that embodied getting rid of the residues by holding them on the cloth with the vacuum, and then discharging them with back-pressure, so as to form a cycle of the operation, the result being continuous treatment. I therefore think that any paper dealing exhaustively with this subject is not complete without a reference to the work that I have done. * Received Mar. 11, 1912. 1 U. S. Patent No. 619,211, Feb. 7, 1899.

Aug 1, 1912

By M. Mrost

Slimes disposal at South African gold mines by M. MROST*. M.Sc. (Rand) (Fellow) The soil mechanics, civil engineering, and environmental considerations applicable to the construction of slimes dams on the Witwatersrand gold mines are discussed. It is concluded that, though the procedures used in the construction of dam embankments do not accord with the best possible practice, they are entirely adequate in current local circumstances, provided that proper precautions are taken to ensure that the wall foundations are sufficiently permeable and strong, and that the dams are protected against erosion. If current trends towards larger mining and metallurgical complexes continue, it may become necessary to build larger, higher dams, and to adopt slimes embankmentbuilding practices that are inherently more reliable.

Jan 2, 1974