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By Adrian E. Ross

Diamond drilling through caving formations at depths greater than ZOO0 ft has long presented serious difficulty, generally solved either by casing or cementing. Casing is permitted only when the resulting smaller hole is acceptable, and cementing is frequently a problem at depth. A new method that injects cement under pressure at the desired location is an aid in diamond drilling deep holes. DRILLING through caving formations in diamond drill holes at depths greater than 2000 ft has long been a serious problem. These caving formations are normally passed only by casing the hole or by cementing the hole. Casing the hole is possible only when a resulting smaller hole is acceptable. In as much as only a limited number of reductions are economically practical, cementing is frequently considered the only method suitable for solving these problems. Cementing either by pumping a slurry into the hole or by dropping cylinders containing cement has proved satisfactory on holes under 2000 ft. In holes substantially deeper than 2000 ft these methods are not satisfactory, since during the pump- ing process cement separates out, whereas cylinders usually break before the bottom of the hole is reached. A new procedure, the injector method, apparently solves these problems.* With this method, cement is lowered in the hole in a cylinder, the cement being

Jan 1, 1953

By J. A. Barr, R. B. Burt, I. S. Tillotson

THE pumping of solids in water suspension is an important part of many metallurgical and mining operations. In most cases, it is still in the rule of thumb category for which no universal formula has been developed, and much research is needed. Because of the limited and incomplete data available, this article may be classed as an experience paper, which is presented with the hope that some contribution will be made toward the development of the so-called universal formula. This formula, if and when developed, may be evolved from several factors, many of which are not now available for general application. The designing engineer is interested in obtaining accurate forecasts on: 1—the minimum velocities needed to prevent choke-ups in the pipeline, which in turn dictates pipe sizes, 2—power required for pumping, 3—pump selection. The basic factors for a given problem will include: 1—weight per unit of time of solids to be handled, 2—specific gravity of solids, for calculation of volume, friction and power, 3—screen analysis of solids with the colloidal acting, i.e., the slime fraction, a very important factor, 4— shape of particle or some means of determining a friction constant, 5—effects of percentage of solids, 6—development of a viscosity factor to be used in the overall calculations, 7—calculation of the lower limits of pipeline velocities permissible, 8—calculation of total head, pump horsepower, and 9—setting up of pump specifications. In certain limited cases horsepower and total heads and minimum velocities may be computed and a suitable pump selected from basic data, but in many cases, as in mining of Florida pebble phosphate, experience rather than a hydraulic formula still should be used as a basis of selection. Pumping Florida Pebble Matrix Pumping at the Noralyn mine of International Minerals and Chemical Corp. will be used as an example. Other areas will vary as to the characteristics of the matrix, especially the slime content. A typical screen analysis of this matrix is: +14 mesh, pebble size,* 2.1 pct; —14 +35 mesh, 11.4 pct; -35 +I50 mesh, 60.5 pct; -150 mesh, 25.0; total, 100 pct; moisture in bank, 20.0 pct; weight per cu ft in bank, 120 lb. The —150 mesh fraction may increase to as much as 35 pct in adjacent areas. When thoroughly elutriated, the matrix has a relatively slow settling rate, which is an important factor in permitting lower pipeline velocities without choke-ups. Exact data is not available to evaluate settling rates. For a factor of 100 a suspension of clean building sand in water is suggested. When pumping long * Pebble is a commercial designation for the coarser fraction of finished phosphate from a washer, usually +14 mesh. distances, a quick settling matrix allows the coarser solids to settle out along the bottom of the pipeline, causing drag, turbulence, and increased friction. With a slow settling matrix as at Noralyn, turbulence acts to keep the solids in suspension at a lower friction head, regardless of the pumping distance. When the pebble content of the matrix, i.e., the + 14 mesh fraction, is in excess of 10 pct of the total solids, trouble may be expected from settling out even in normal pumping distances. To prevent choke-ups and maintain tonnage, an additional pump must be added in the long runs, where one pump would otherwise be satisfactory. A typical pulp handled is: total volume, 7800 gpm; water, 4500; solids pumped per hr, 4200 lb; sp gr pulp, 1.4; percent solids in pulp, 46.; pipe size, 16-in. ID; pulp velocity, 12.85 fps; probable critical velocity, 10 fps, as below this minimum velocity choke-ups would be numerous. In calculating friction heads the Armco handbook is used where a roughness factor based on 15-year-old pipe is set up. Because the pipe used in pumping matrix is smooth and polished because of the scouring action of the phosphate and its silica content, the head losses in the Armco table for water are practically the same as in pumping the Noralyn matrix through smooth pipe, plus the fact that conditions vary widely over short periods, making accurate determinations difficult to obtain. New pumps and pump changes are being tested continuously and a wealth of data built up. This has resulted in a substantial improvement and lower relative costs in pumping matrix. The Florida phosphate industry is constantly seeking to offset higher wage and material costs with improved technique. Until a few years ago a 12-in. discharge pump was commonly used, with heads as low as 80 ft. Sizes have gradually increased and heads more than doubled. For example, the following pump was placed under test at the Noralyn mine: make, Georgia Iron Works; size, suction 16 in., discharge 14 in.; impeller, 39-in. diam; motor, 600 hp, slip ring; full load speed, 514 rpm. The results were increased head, higher capacity than the older design, with fewer pumps in the line from mine to washer.

Jan 1, 1953

By J. A. Barr, R. B. Burt, I. S. Tillotson

DISCUSSION Howard Howie (Knoxville, Term.)—The authors are to be congratulated on the presentation of a paper containing so much valuable information on the pipeline transportation of phosphate, as there is very little literature on the subject. The writer is especially interested in the paper, as he conceived the arrangement of the Akin and Godwin plants and was in charge of the design work and the engineering incident to their construction. The Akin and other phosphate deposits in the Tennessee phosphate area lie on beds of limestone that are very irregular. The limestone beds, after the phosphate matrix has been removed, are similar in appearance to land severely eroded by the action of water and denuded of top soil. Depressions in the limestone, called cutters, are irregular in depth with vertical or overhanging walls, having the general appearance of cracks in dried clay. They change abruptly in direction, width, and depth, and vary on the Akin tract from 1 to 25 ft in depth and from 1 to 50 ft in width. Pinnacles of limestone commonly occur in the cutters which appear, when exposed, like small clifflike islands in a river. Limestone floats also occur. The phosphate matrix fills the cutters and covers the uncuttered areas, the thickness of the cover varying continually and sometimes rather abruptly. It occurs generally as stratifications of phosphate rock and clay of varying thickness. The phosphate rock in the matrix varies in hardness and in percents of silica, lime, iron oxides, and fluorine, and the clay varies in toughness. In some places the deposit consists of narrow strata of rock almost devoid of clay streaks. In other nearby locations the clay will predominate. When it is excavated, the phosphate rock breaks into thin irregular lumps, locally known as plate rock. Limestone lumps are also excavated with the matrix. Akin plate rock is generally much softer than that occurring in other deposits in the area. Because of the above described physical and chemical variations of the excavated material, the resultant slurry varies in size distribution, specific gravity, and percent of slimes. When the rock is soft or when there is an increase of clay, the slime fraction is greatly increased as it passes through pumps and pipelines, resulting in reduced pipe friction. It is obvious that the longer the pipeline the greater the reduction of coarse fractions into fines, causing a decrease in pipe friction that cannot be accurately evaluated. The matrix is mined with a dragline that drops it into a hopper with a grid composed of 9-in. parallel bar spacings located above the hammer mill. The matrix on, and passing through the grid, is subject to the action of powerful sprays which wash it down to the hammer mill, together with any limestone lumps that are not removed before passing through the grid. The hammer mill reduces the feed to lumps of plate rock and clay, most of which will pass through the 8-in. pump suction. The mixture discharges into a pool containing the pump suction pipe. Water from a hydraulic nozzle moves the mixture to the pump suction intake. The pump, driven by a variable speed motor, is the same size as the pumps mentioned on p. 279. Provision is made to remove any lumps that lodge in a bend in the suction pipe in a manner similar to that used in the Florida phosphate fields. The hammer mill and pump units are mounted on wide steel skids so that they can be moved as the mining operation progresses. The discharge from the pump flows through an abrasion-resistant spiral welded steel pipe 81/4 in. actual inside diam, 8 in. nominal diam, for a maximum distance of 2200 ft, which is the limiting pumping distance for one pump. This pipeline, referred to hereafter as pipeline A, discharges into a ball mill without balls, which in turn discharges into a rotary screen attached to it that separates the slurried matrix into 11/4-in. oversize and undersize fractions. The oversize is returned to the mill for further reduction; the undersize is pumped to a Dorrco washer and then flows into a hydroseparator 160 ft in diam. In spite of the size reduction in the hammer mill and the blunging and washing of the slurry in its passage through the pump, pipeline, mill, and washer, the discharge to the hydroseparator frequently contains mud balls almost perfectly spherical. Sometimes the discharge from the 16,000-ft pipeline at Godwin contains mud balls the size of bird shot and smaller. This pipeline will be referred to subsequently as line B. Liquid caustic is added to the slurry at the Akin plant before its passage through the hydro-separator, which decreases the size of particles in the overflow by dispersion. In passing through pumps 1, 2, and 3 and pipeline B, the slime fraction in the underflow is increased by abrasion and blunging and also by continuing dispersive action of the caustic. The matrix for use in the experimental tests referred to on p. 279 was obtained from three small surface openings on the Akin tract that were made previous to the purchase of the tract by the Authority. Matrix used in the 2 and 4-in. experimental pipeline tests was taken from the three openings and proportioned to obtain a sufficient quantity that would be fairly representative of the average in the Akin deposits. Prospecting samples of matrix had been obtained from drill holes which showed no small variation in physical and chemical properties. Some of the physical variation is evident from the size distribution of solids in samples taken during the tests covering line B flows so thoroughly made by the Authority und'er the direction of Mr. Burt, see Table V, p. 280. Hydraulic gradients for a pipe of 8-in. diam were derived from the 2 and 4-in. pipeline tests using the so-called representative matrix as above described, and plotted on the profile of pipeline B. Gradients of other materials in slurry form passing through pipelines that bore some similiarity to the Akin matrix slurry were also plotted. After a study had been made of the hydraulic gradients plotted on the profile and the varying slurry flow that would probably occur during actual operation, three pumps were ordered, referred to as No. 1, 2, and 3 on p. 279. No. 1 and 2 pumps were installed and the third kept in reserve should the operation of 1 and 2 pumps prove satisfactory, since installation of the third pump would require an attendant, as well as the laying of 5400 ft of pipe to supply it with seal-water from the Akin plant. Subsequently, it was found desirable to install the third pump to maintain capacity when the slime fraction was low and the coarse fractions were large. Reference to Fig. 6 will show that the flow in B line goes upgrade in three locations. At the outlet at Godwin, the slurry flows between two 45" bends for an approximate distance of 18 ft to rise above the ground a sufficient height to discharge into a launder feeding the first classifier. This condition requires extra energy, which is taken care of by keeping the hydraulic gradient a sufficient distance above the high points. Although there are rather heavy upgrades in the line, the choking condition that might occur at the

Jan 1, 1953

By G. M. Schwartz, D. M. Davidson

THE Duluth gabbro outcrops containing sulphides of copper, nickel, and iron are located on both sides of State Highway No. 1 an airline distance of 8.5 miles southeast of Ely in northeastern Minnesota. The region of known sulphide occurrences includes parts of sections 5, T. 61 N., R. 11 W., and parts of sections 25, 26, 32, 33, and 34, T. 62 N., R. 11 W. These sections, given in Fig. 1, are all in Lake County, Minnesota. Part of the area, which lies entirely within the Superior National Forest, is shown on the topographic map of the Ely quadrangle. The original discovery was made in 1948 when a small pit was opened in weathered gabbro rubble for use on a forest access road. A shear zone had caused unusual decomposition in this glaciated area, and the resulting copper stain was noted by Fred S. Childers, Sr., an Ely prospector, who began searching the outcrops along the base of the intrusive. He was joined in further exploration by Roger V. Whiteside of Duluth. In the summer of 1951 a small diamond drill was moved into the area and a hole 188 ft deep was drilled, passing through 11 ft of glacial drift into sulphide-bearing gabbro. This paper is a preliminary report on the geology of the newly discovered ore. The Duluth gabbro is one of the largest known basic intrusives and may be defined as a lopolith.' It extends northeastward from the city of Duluth as a great crescent-shaped mass that intersects the shore of Lake Superior again near Hovland, 130 miles to the northeast, see Fig. 2. The distance around the outside of the crescent is nearly 170 miles. The form of the intrusive is simple at Duluth where it ends abruptly north of the St. Louis River; at the east end, however, the gabbro splits into two elongated, sill-like masses separated mainly by lava flows and characterized by minor irregularities. The outcrop reaches a maximum width in the central part where it is about 30 miles across, and a maximum thickness of about 50,000 ft. It may be significant that the sulphides occur at the base of the thickest part. The lopolith has segregated into rock types ranging from peridotite to granite. The most abundant types are olivine gabbro, gabbro, troctolite, anortho-site, and granite. Of lesser importance quantitatively are peridotite, norite, pyroxenite, magnetite gabbro, and titaniferous magnetite. Grout estimates that two-thirds of the gabbro at Duluth is olivine gabbro. Variations in the percentages of plagio-clase, augite, olivine, and magnetite-ilmenite constitute the only essential differences found among the basic rock types. The predominant mineral is plagioclase, mainly labradorite. Plagioclase and olivine seem to have crystallized early, and the olivine rich rocks, usually troctolite, are found in the lower part. Segregations of titaniferous magnetite are abundant near the base of the gabbro along the eastern part and also occur far above the base. These have recently been described in detail by Grout.' Near the top, segregation has produced a gradation to granite, or "red rock," as it is known locally. This consists of quartz, red feldspar, and hornblende. The red rock forms a zone with a maximum width of nearly 5 miles but is quantitatively unimportant from Duluth northward for 35 miles. In Cook county, where the gabbro splits, each of the two sill-like masses has a red rock top somewhat thicker in proportion to the gabbro below than in the main central mass. The intrusive ranges from coarse to medium in grain size and from granitoid to diabasic in texture. Throughout much of the Duluth gabbro in Minnesota banding and foliation are well developed, as Grout has emphasized.V he bands are mainly a result of variation in the percentage of minerals, as in troctolite with alternating bands high in olivine and in plagioclase. A few bands may consist largely of one mineral, as is true of some segregations of magnetite. Many of the banded rocks show a clearly developed parallelism of platy plagioclase crystals, and both banding and foliation are believed to conform to the floor of the lopolith. Throughout its extent in Minnesota the Duluth gabbro dips east and south toward Lake Superior. It is generally believed to extend beneath Lake Superior and is found as a smaller mass exposed along the north side of the Gogebic district in Wisconsin and Michigan. The dip at and near the base ranges along most of its length from 20 to 40°, but at places the internal banding dips even more steeply. The dip of the upper part is much less, and if it is assumed that the flows along the north shore of Lake Superior are a dependable indication, it does not exceed 15". The formations shown in Table I which are intruded by the gabbro range from Keewatin to Middle Keweenawan in age. They present a significant picture. At the top, the gabbro and its accompanying

Jan 1, 1953

By F. Gordon Smith

ALTHOUGH several geological indicators of the critical type are known, including quartz inversions and decomposition of hydrous minerals such as serpentine, there are very few of the general type. Solid solutions are excepted, but the limitations of use are very restricted and interpretations are sometimes ambiguous. General methods for determining temperature and pressure conditions during the crystallization of minerals would have considerable scientific and economic value. It is not the purpose of this paper to discuss the various methods of geological thermometry and barometry, but to present one general method, applicable to all minerals, and to describe what progress has been made in the methods of measurement. The general method, in brief, is a study of the stress conditions in and around various types of foreign inclusions which are trapped in minerals during growth. The method depends upon the fact that any homogeneous gas, liquid, or solid will in general have coefficients of thermal expansion and volume compressibility different from those of any given mineral. Therefore stress must develop in and around all types of inclusions in minerals if the temperature or the pressure, or both, are changed from the conditions which prevailed during the growth of the mineral. The methods of measurement consist of determinations of the temperature-pressure conditions of fit of the inclusions in the host mineral. The types of inclusions in minerals are: I—gas, or liquid plus vapor, when observed at room temperature, due to crystallization under pneumatolytic conditions; 2—liquid, or liquid plus vapor when observed at room temperature, due to crystallization under hydrothermal conditions; 3—glassy solid, or devitrified glass, due to crystallization under magmatic or high temperature metamorphic conditions, in a siliceous liquid; and 4—crystals, due to overgrowth of other minerals crystallizing simultaneously or of other minerals which crystallized previously. A survey of the literature shows that much valuable earlier work on inclusions, especially that car- ried out in England in the last century, has dropped out of current knowledge. The following is a brief summary of the significant contributions to the problem up to the present day. Davy in 1822 asserted that fluid inclusions in minerals consist of an aqueous solution of salts and a gas bubble, the whole being either at lower or higher pressure than atmospheric.' At intervals from 1823 to 1862, Brewster contributed information concerning other types of inclusion consisting of 1—aqueous solution, a much more expansible liquid, and a gas; 2—aqueous solution, salt crystals, and a gas; and 3—the very expansible liquid and a gas. The very expansible liquid fills the gas space between 20" and 30°C. Compression strain effects were seen around inclusions in diamond, topaz, and other minerals.'-" Sorby in 1858 and 1869 further advanced the study begun by Davy, stating that fluid inclusions represent a sample of the mother liquor of crystallization and that the degree of filling of aqueous inclusions at room temperature defines the temperature-pressure relations during formation of the host. The degree of filling may be measured by determining the minimum temperature of filling of the inclusion by the liquid phase. The very expansible liquid in some fluid inclusions is liquid carbon dioxide. The temperature at which salt crystals in fluid inclusions completely dissolve in the fluid is the minimum temperature of formation. Inclusions of glass or devitrified glass indicate crystallization from a melt. Inclusions of crystals in minerals are often centers of strain, which may be seen by optical effects or by radial tension cracks. Sorby realized that an analysis of stress-strain relations about inclusions could be used to provide precise data on the temperature of crystallization, but the matter was never pursued.' , Hartley (1876, 1877),".'" Hawes (1881)," Wright (1881),'V ohnsen (1920),I3 and Holden (1925)"

Jan 1, 1953

By Peter S. Jack

"IntroductionTHE ORES treated at the concentrator of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Company, Limited, Britannia Beach, B.C., have always contained some lead, but it was not until 1950 that the combination of lead headings and lead price was such that recovery of this metal at Britannia became worthwhile. In that year, with the mining of a new orebody, the lead in the mill feed was raised from 0.07 per cent to 0.15 per cent. Chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and pyrite concentrates are produced by flotation at Britannia, •and 95 per cent of the lead in the mill feed reports with the chalcopyrite concentrate, so that the rise in lead headings was reflected almost wholly in the lead content of the copper concentrate. In 1950, investigation was started to determine if some of this lead could be recovered economically."

Jan 1, 1953

By H. B. Jensen

STUDY of the thermal-solution process was begun by treating crushed oil shale in a small autoclave at temperatures of 700° to 950° F. The effect of temperature, reaction time, type of solvent, and richness of shale upon the amount of organic matter that was removed from the oil shale was thus determined. Following this orientation work a semicontinuous, bench-scale apparatus was built so that heated solvent could be pumped through a bed of shale under elevated pressure, thus removing the converted organic matter from the spent shale. After some operating experience had been gained, a continuous unit was constructed. This permitted treating a slurry of shale oil and pulverized oil shale at about 300 p. s. i. and temperatures of 750° to 850° F. for various retention times. Considerable cracking and polymerization of the shale oil were found to take place during the process. In an attempt to prevent this, a study was made of extraction of the shale in batch-type autoclaves under high partial pressures of hydrogen at total gas pressures of as much as 4,300 p. s. i. at 850° F. The thermal-solution process was found to convert over 90 percent of the organic matter in oil shale to oil and gas. The highest yields of gas and oil obtained without hydrogen pressure were equivalent to 119 weight-percent of those obtained from the same shale by Fischer assay. With a high partial pressure of hydrogen, yields equivalent to 126 weight-percent of Fischer assay were obtained. However, the oil produced by thermal solution has a higher boiling range than that obtained by other retorting methods, particularly so if the thermal-solution process is used without a high partial pressure of hydrogen. Nondistillable oil (all benzene-soluble material that would not distill under 2 mm. Hg absolute pressure without cracking) equivalent to over 100 percent of the organic matter in the shale was obtained without hydrogen pressure in the system. When the process was carried out under hydrogen pressure, the yield of nondistillable oil amounted to 60 to 70 weight-percent of the organic matter. Part of this heavy material is formed partly by polymerization and condensation of the shale-oil solvent used. These reactions, as well as cracking of the solvent to form gas and a carbonaceous deposit on the shale, are unfavorable features of the process.

Jan 1, 1953

By James S. Browning

[The objective of this project wan to determine the technical feasibility of recovering the associated copper, lead, and zinc from the pyrrhotite axe, of the Great Gossan lead, which has bon pined only for it:, sulfur and iron contents so far. The report constituted a description and discussion of small-scale Preliminary studies. This great pyrrhotite or body has strategic value, inasmuch it contains considerable quantities of zinc, copper, and lead, as well as the iron rend sulfur. The recovery of the: copper, lead, and zinc, associated with certain of the pyrrhotite ore bodies, could augment our domestic supply of these metals.]

Jan 1, 1953

By J. F. Barkley

At the request of several Federal agencies, tests were conducted on a relatively recent type of anthracite -burning equipment named the Anthratube. This device, rated at 130,000 B.t .u. per hour, was designed to burn Pea-size anthracite automatically for steam or hot-water house heating and for domes-tic hot -water supply. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The helpful cooperation of the Anthracite Institute and the manufacturers of the equipment, Axeman-Anderson Co., Williamsport, Pa., is gratefully acknowledged.

Jan 1, 1953

By E. J. Dulis, G. V. Smith

AS reported several years ago,' nitrogen may be taken up from the atmosphere by austenitic Cr-Ni steels during creep or creep-rupture tests. This was indicated by chemical analysis and by the appearance of a new microstructural phase, or phases, tentatively identified as chromium nitride (S), at the surface or at the intergranular cracks associated with fracture. The nitrogen pickup was observed to be dependent on time, temperature, and deformation. In a more recent investigation, a sample was obtained in which there was sufficient of the precipitate to suggest that it could be readily identified by X-ray diffraction. This sample had been taken from a 1/4 in. diam creep-rupture specimen of annealed, type 304L stainless steel of the following initial composition: C, 0.03 pct; Mn, 0.65; P, 0.010; S, 0.019; Si, 0.54; Cr, 19.50; Ni, 12.02; N, 0.031; and Al, 0.005. The specimen had ruptured after 10,470 hr at 1500°F (2000 psi). In this case nitrides were distributed across the whole section of the sample, Fig. 1. The precipitate occurred both at the grain boundaries and within the grains; the latter precipitate had in some cases the appearance of pearl-ite, and in others was distinctly Widmanstatten. Chemical analysis of the sample after test showed 0.64 pct "soluble" nitrogen (soluble in 1:1 hydrochloric acid: water) and 0.18 pct "insoluble7' nitrogen (insoluble in the hydrochloric acid solution but dissolved by fuming sulphuric acid). For identification of the precipitate by X-ray diffraction, the matrix in the surface layer of the specimen was dissolved by prolonged attack in an alcoholic solution of picric and hydrochloric acids. The appearance of the specimen surface after such etching is shown in Fig. 1c. The diffraction pattern of the surface-concentrated precipitate was obtained with a recording spectrometer in both the forward and back-reflection regions (the latter by adapting a special fixture to the conventional X-ray unit). The observed X-ray diffraction lines, Table I, show the presence of Cr,N and CrN; the agreement with interplanar spacings calculated from reported data2,3 is quite good. Since it has been suggested' that CrN dissolves only in concentrated sulphuric acid, whereas Cr2N dissolves in dilute hydrochloric or sulphuric acids, an effort was made to distinguish between the two nitrides. This proved possible, inasmuch as etching in a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid gave a sample in which microscopic examination showed that much of the Widmanstatten-pearlitic precipitate within the grains had been eaten out, leaving the grain boundary precipitate in relief, and which, when examined by X-ray diffrac-

Jan 1, 1953

By S. H. Ash

THE INVESTIGATION of barrier pillars in the Southern field is part of the comprehensive study of the mine water problem in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania by the Federal Bureau of Mines (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18).4 Tim Southern field is in Carbon, Schuylkill, Dauphin, and Lebanon Counties, in eastern Pennsylvania; has an area of 200 square miles; is 70 miles long from Mauch Chunk on the east to the Susquehanna River on the west; and is 1 to 6 miles wide. In the Southern field are 37 underground water pools containing 37312 billion gallons of water (5). Most of these pools overflow to the surface because the barrier pillars controlling them are effective under existent, conditions. Abandonment of mines in the Southern field has resulted in the hooding of 34 percent of the field. The largest tonnage of reserves of anthracite lies in this field, where mining conditions are most difficult. Large reserves of anthra¬cite underlie the abandoned mine workings, and before a great part of these reserves can be developed and extracted, the abandoned workings must be unwatered and kept drained (5).

Jan 1, 1953

By Secretary of the Interior

"INTRODUCTION The Bureau of Mines Synthetic Liquid Fuels Program again forged ahead during 1952, and important technical advances led the way to improved methods of converting coal and oil shale into liquid fuels. Marking the eighth year of activities under this program, the past 12 months brought a new domestic industry nearer realization.The increasing demand for gasoline and oil and the rising cost of finding new petroleum, coupled with America's growing dependence on imports and the unsettled international situation, have continued emphasize the importance of the Bureau's Synthetic Liquid Fuels Program. Oil, the indispensable material of wartime, likewise has critical importance in peacetime, touching as it does the life of every individual. Supplementing petroleum with synthetic liquid fuels will not only conserve this Nation's petroleum reserves but also will bring into greater use its tremendous reserves of coal, as well as the vast deposits of oil shale for which no other practical use has yet been found.The Bureau of Mines Synthetic Liquid Fuels Program is one of the most important and far-reaching of the Government's research projects. Through development, of commercial synthetic liquid fuels, the United States can obtain oil products from its great inland reserves of coal and oil shale to supplement petroleum in any quantity that may be necessary, consistent with economic and other requirements, such as national defense. The use of raw materials from such deposits would be of highest importance in wartime, when shipping lanes are menaced by the enemy. The Synthetic Liquid Fuels Program of the Bureau of Mines and research efforts of industry have advanced American technology to the point where it is now possible to begin the design and construction of prototype plants. Certainly, significant improvements will be made as the program continues, but this prospect in no way alters the fact that the start of prototype plants should be encouraged. These plants, as the first step in the development of a synthetic fuels industry, would serve a threefold purpose:"

Jan 1, 1953

By Alan Stanley

THE MacIntyre Development of National Lead Co. is located at Tahawus, N. Y., in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Operations involve the mining and concentrating of a titaniferous iron ore to produce ilmenite and magnetite concentrates. A general description of the operation and metallurgy has been given by Frank R. Milliken.' Pigment plant production demands that the MacIntyre mill produce a 44.7 pct TiO, ilmenite concentrate. To achieve the required ilmenite grade and tonnage it is important that the table concentrate grade be closely controlled. Unfortunately, however, the titaniferous orebody which feeds the MacIntyre mill is not uniform. Ore dressing characteristics vary from one end of the orebody to the other, and from • one level to the next. The changeable nature of the mill feed precludes a single adjustment of the equipment for long periods of time. Thus the operators must constantly watch the equipment to insure a uniform concentrate from the fine and coarse tables and Wetherills, or dry magnetic separators. Chemical assaying of mill products requires about 4 hr from the time the sample is taken until assay results are obtained, and this is available only on a two-shift basis. The ore may change rapidly, even several times during a shift, so that assay results lose most of their control value by the time they are reported to the mill operating crew. Members of the crew have therefore tried to evaluate the table and Wetherill concentrate by visual inspection, since through long experience the shift operators, under most circumstances, can gage closely the grade of the mill products. However, there are times when the physical nature of the ore is radically different from normal. Under these conditions visual inspection is of no value, and at such times final ilmenite as low as 43 pct TiO, has been produced and shipped before the assay results have been received. The specific gravity method of assaying for TiO, has been attempted to eliminate the shipping of ilmenite below normal grade as well as to help control day to day and hour to hour mill production. Table I shows the minerals found in the MacIntyre ore along with their average weight proportions and specific gravities. The first two products considered for the specific gravity method were fine and coarse table concentrates. It was reasoned that these products were essentially ilmenite with the higher specific gravity gangue minerals. Since they were always produced the same way, and the desired grade of TiO, was always constant, the specific gravity of these materials would increase or decrease as the amount of ilmenite increased or decreased. Thus for table concentrates which assayed 40 pct TiOz a constant gravity would invariably be obtained, and as the TiO, value changed the specific gravity would change in direct proportion. The third product considered was Wetherill ilmenite. It was assumed that a desired grade of 44.7 pct Ti02 would also always contain the same amount and type of gangue minerals along with the ilmenite, and thus would always have the same specific gravity. As the TiO, value of the ilmenite concentrate changed so would its specific gravity. Dr. Kenneth Vincent, chief metallurgist of the Baroid Division of National Lead Co. at Magnet Grove, Ark., ran specific gravity tests on 17 samples of the desired products. The lowest specific gravity reading assayed the lowest in TiO, and as the specific gravity increased the trend was for the TiO, assay to increase, see Fig. 1. Since these results warranted further investigation, a 500-g capacity Torsion balance and 250 ml Le Chatelier specific gravity bottles were obtained. Shift samples of fine table concentrate, coarse table concentrate, and final ilmenite were tested. Each sample was split and 85 g weighed on the Torsion balance. The Le Chatelier bottle was filled with water to a zero mark. To avoid wetting the neck of the bottle it was found necessary to do this

Jan 1, 1953

By J. H. Hild

The Shanton magnetite-ilmenite deposits lie on the east flank of the Laramie Mountains, 43 miles northeast of Laramie, Albany County, Wyo. (fig. 1). The Shanton and other similar deposits in the Laramie Mountains were examined by Bureau of Mines engineers during 1942, 1943, and 1945, and a report2/ describing the results of a dip-needle survey and surface sampling was published in 1946. The Shanton deposits occur in a relatively flat section of the range at altitudes varying from 7,500 to 1,650 feet (fig. la). Prevailing rocks in the Shanton area consist of anorthosite with intrusive dikes of gabbro differentiates and granite. Titaniferous magnetite outcrops in five masses, which are separated at the surface by overburden and anorthosite.

Jan 1, 1953

By H. Wilton Clark

"IntroductionTHE CANADIAN use of short-period delay-action detonators in coal shooting has been carried on for about two years, mostly in British Columbia, and this is a preliminary report on progress to date. Entire coal faces are being shot successfully with one application of electric current.The electric blasting cap came into use about the beginning of the century. The low-tension electric cap, the type most commonly used, consists essentially of a metal tube containing an initiating explosive. Two wires lead into the end of the cap and are connected inside the cap with a short 'bridge wire .of very high resistance. This •bridge wire is buried in a match-head of a readily ignitable powder composition. When current goes through the lead wires, the bridge wire becomes extremely hot and sets• off the match-head which, in turn, ignites the powder just below it in the tube. This explosion sets off the main charge of explosive. Thus, by connecting a group of caps to a source of electric .current, a number of charges could be exploded simultaneously. This immediately became of great value to mine and quarry operators. Explosives could now be used to break up large masses of material at one time, as against the older, slow method .of blasting small amounts with single charges.The next step was to develop a delay detonator which would allow charges of explosive to fire one after the other, one or two seconds apart. Such detonators allowed first blasts to relieve some rock burden before the next charge fired, giving the second charge an easier task in forcing out more rock, and so on for the rest of the series of charges."

Jan 1, 1953

By N. H. Grace

"IntroductionDURING the past half century, the economy of Western Canada was largely centred on agriculture. However, the impact of World War II has led to an acceleration in the development of a variety of natural resources so that, today, Western Canada is experiencing great industrial development. Consequently, the availability •of low-cost energy assumes prime importance. In the final analysis, industrial growth and expansion are intimately linked to the energy resources.Coal ReservesHas Western Canada adequate coal reserves to meet the present accelerating demand for power in the days that lie ahead? This question must be answered before detailed consideration can be given to the probable patterns •by which various energy sources in Western Canada may be expected to meet the expanding demand. Figure 1 indicates the extent and distribution of the Canadian coal reserves, the data having been prepared by Dr. B. R. MacKay for the Royal Commission on Coal in 1946 (1). The amount of readily recoverable coal is listed as one-half the quantities shown on the chart. It is interesting-to note that upwards of 90 per cent •of the Canadian coal reserves .are located in the three most westerly Canadian provinces. It has been estimated that the coal reserves, at the present rate of mining, would be adequate for about 3,000 years. Consequently, it may be concluded that the coal •reserves in Western Canada •are indeed adequate to meet tremendous energy demands for many centuries. When the oil and natural gas have been exhausted, the great coal reserves will still be available."

Jan 1, 1953

By Joseph J. Wallace

1. From the standpoint of present production and recoverable reserves, there are two beds of major importance in Allegheny County -Pittsburgh and Upper Freeport -and one of lesser importance -Redstone. 2. Known measured and indicated reserves in all beds, based on a minimum thickness of 14 inches and 1,800 short tons per acre-foot of coal in place, are estimated at 832 million short tons as of January 1, 1953. Of this total, 768 million short tons is in beds 28 inches and more thick. Areas in some beds were omitted from the estimate because available data relative to the bed characteristics are too meager for making an estimate that conforms with the definitions of measured and indicated coal adopted for this study. Should future drilling or development prove reserves in these areas, such reserves should be added to the total estimated reserves.

Jan 1, 1953

By Donald F. Taylor

TANTALUM and columbium are newcomers in the world of metals. Many of the metals described in this volume had been known and used for centuries before either tantalum or columbium was known to exist. The scarcity of the ores and the comparative difficulty of extraction delayed their technology until specialized methods of processing could be developed. HISTORY Early in the nineteenth century, 1801, Hatchett discovered a new oxide, which he called columbium oxide, and a year later, Ekeberg announced that he had found a new element, which he named tantalum. The preparation of the metal tantalum in impure form was first announced by Berzelius in 1824, but the actual production of ductile metal did not occur until 1903, when von Bolton, of Siemens and Halske, developed a process for the production of tantalum pure enough to be drawn into electric-lamp filament wire. The use of tantalum as a filament wire began to decline when ductile tungsten was introduced in 1909. In 1921, C. W. sake, of Fansteel Metallurgical Corporation, produced the first ingot of tantalum metal in America. The first ingot of columbium was produced in 1927 in the laboratory of the same company. There are several good reasons why tantalum and columbium are often mentioned together. They occur together in their important minerals, are similar in many of their properties, and are

Jan 1, 1953

By P. A. Laxen, H. R. Spedden

WHEN a mineral particle is fractured, bonds between the atoms are broken. The unsatisfied forces that appear at the newly formed surface are considered to be responsible for the adsorption of ions at the mineral surface. A knowledge of the mechanism and extent of ion sorption from solution onto a mineral surface is of interest in the development of the theory of flotation.'*' Study of the adsorption of sodium from an aqueous solution oftheon quartz offers a simple approach to this complicated problem. The availability of a radioisotope as a tracer element meant that accurate data could be obtained."." Three main factors which appeared likely to affect the adsorption of sodium are: l—concentration of sodium in the solution, 2—concentration of onotherof cations in the solution, and 3—anions present in the solution. Hydrogen and hydroxyl ions are always present in an aqueous solution. By controlling the pH, the concentration of these two ions was kept constant. The variation in thesethe amount of sodium adsorbed with variation in sodium concentration was then determined under conditions standardized in regard to hydrogen ion. The effect of concentration of hydrogen ions and of other cations was also measured. A few experiments were made to get a preliminary idea on the effect of anions. The active isotope of sodium was available as sodium nitrate. Standard sodium nitrate solutions were used throughout these experiments except when the effects of other anions were studied. It was found that sodium adsorption increased with sodium-ion concentration, but less rapidly than in proportion to it. Increasing hydrogen-ion concentration, or conversely decreasing hydroxyl-ion, brings about a comparatively slight decrease in sodium-ion adsorption. Increasing the concentration of cations other than hydrogen or sodium decreases somewhat the adsorption of sodium ion. It would appear as if the kind of anion is a secondary factor in guiding the amount of sodium ion that is adsorbed. Materials and Methods Quartz The quartz was prepared as in previous work in the Robert H. Richards Mineral Engineering Laboratory' except for the refinement of using de-ionized distilled water for the final washing of the sized quartz, prior to drying." To minimize the laborious preparation of quartz, experiments were made to determine .whether the sodium-covered quartz could be washed free of sodium and re-used. The experiments were successful as indicated by lack of Na" activity on the repurified material and by its characteristic sodium adsorption. Table I gives the spectrographic analyses of the quartz used. The quartz ranged from 16 to 40 microns in size, averaging about 23 microns (microscope measurement), and had a surface of 1850 sq cm per g (lot I), 2210 (lot 11) and 2000 (lot 111) as determined by the Bloecher method." Radioactive Sodium Method of Beta Counting for Adsorbed Sodium: Na22, the radioisotope of sodium, possesses convenient properties.' It has a half-life of 3 years, thus requiring no allowance for decay during an experiment. On decay it emits a 0.575 mev ß+ radiation and a 1.30 mev r radiation. The decay scheme is illustrated in the following equation: ß+ NaR-------'8'77NeZ2 3 years The /3 radiation is sufficiently strong to penetrate an end-window type of Geiger-Mueller counting tube. This, in turn, makes it possible to use external counting, a great advantage in technique. Furthermore, it permits the assaying of solids arranged in infinite thickness, while assaying evaporated liquors on standardized planchets. The equipment used was standard and similar to that employed by Chang.R The original active material was 1 ml of solution containing 1 millicurie of Na" as nitrate. This active solution was diluted to 1000 ml. Five milliliters of this diluted active solution was found to give a quartz sample a sufficiently high activity for accurate evaluation of the sodium partition in the adsorption measurements. Also, 1 ml of final solution gave a sufficiently high count for precision on the liquor analyses. The sodium concentration of the diluted active solution was 1.2 mg per liter, so that 6 mg of sodium for 60 ml of test solution and 12 g of quartz was the minimum amount used. The active solution was stored in a Saftepak bottle. Procedure for Adsorption Tests: The method consisted of agitating 12 g of quartz with 60 ml of solution of known sodium concentration for enough time to establish equilibrium between the solution and the quartz surface. The quartz was separated as completely as possible from the solution by filtering and centrifuging. The activity on the quartz and in the equilibrium solution was measured and the partition of the sodium was calculated from the resulting data. The detailed procedure for the adsorption test is set forth in a thesis by Laxen." In brief, it included the following steps: 1—Ascertainment of linearity between concentration of Na" and activity measured. 2—Evaluation of factor to translate activity on solid of infinite thickness in terms of activity on an evaporated active film of minute thickness, on the various shelves of the counter shield. 3—Taking precautions to avoid evaporation of water during centrifuging

Jan 1, 1953

By Alfred R. Powell

FOR the purposes of this discussion, the direct gasification of coal means the of hydrogen and carbon monoxide by the well-known water-gas reaction. Chemicals or other synthetic products may be made from these constituents of the gas and under such circumstances the gas is called synthesis gas. Or, if the same gas is used as a fuel, it is called blue gas or water gas. This type of gas has usually been made from coke, especially in this country, and has been used both for fuel purposes and for manufacture of chemicals. Recently, natural gas has gained the ascendancy as a source of synthesis gas for manufacture of chemicals because of its relative cheapness. As natural gas becomes less readily available and more expensive, coal will take its place as a raw material for the preparation of synthesis gas. This substitution will probably take the form of direct gasification of the coal rather than the present two-step procedure of carbonization of the coal followed by gasification of the coke. The chief reason for this probability is the intensive research now being carried on by several organizations to develop successful and economical processes for the direct gasification of coal, which is a considerably cheaper fuel than coke. In the following pages an attempt has been made to predict the chemicals that will result from this future production of synthesis gas by the direct gasification of coal. CHEMICAL REACTIONS OF SYNTHESIS GAS Given the proper conditions, there are many chemical reactions leading to production of useful products that can be carried out with this mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. These many reactions may be grouped into three classes: (1) interaction of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, possibly with addition of other reactants; (2) reaction of hydrogen with various substances; (3) reaction of carbon monoxide with various substances. Thus sometimes hydrogen and carbon monoxide are utilized together in the same chemical reaction while in other instances only the hydrogen or only the carbon monoxide is required as a reactant. Fortunately, practical methods are available for securing either hydrogen or carbon monoxide from synthesis gas, some of which are also applicable for changing the ratio of these two constituents in the gas when that is desirable.

Jan 1, 1953