Search Documents

By Joseph A. Newman

THE first trial of longhole drilling of raises began in June 1949 at the Holden mine, Chelan Div., Howe Sound Co. The cost of this raise was about the same as the average cost of raising by normal methods which was sufficiently encouraging to give the method further trial. At Holden, the Noranda method of blasthole drilling is used except that percussion drills have replaced diamond drills for making blastholes in all but certain special situations. Two thirds of these holes are between 40 and 70 ft long.

Jan 10, 1951

By Chung Yu Wang

MINING ENGINEERING presents the fourth in a series of articles on strategic minerals. Preceding it are "Cobalt" in January, "Sulphur" in May, and "Nickel" in August. Here, an authority in the field analyzes the resources, production, uses, defense impact and future outlook of Tungsten

Jan 10, 1951

Jan 10, 1951

IT is certainly fitting and proper that the shortage of engineers should be the topic of frequent editorials in the professional magazine of mining engineers, but many of you are directly concerned with another shortage; namely, the shortage of skilled miners. It is often said that the military organization is built around the noncommissioned officer and it is similarly true that the mining organization depends for its production on the skilled miner-the NCO of the mining industry.

Jan 10, 1951

By T. P. Clendenin

THE northerly two thirds of Mexico falls into five main physiographic divisions, illustrated on the accompanying map. In form, these divisions are a series of strips, paralleling the northwest-southeast axis of the country.

Jan 10, 1951

By Thomas L. Kesler

IF all of the 14 million tons of kaolin produced in Georgia through 1949 had been mined from a single deposit 20 ft thick, it would represent a mined-out area of less than 1 sq mile. This measure of depletion is in such strong contrast with the large size of the area shown in Fig. 1, from which most of the output has come, that there has developed an optimistic outlook concerning future supplies of kaolin equal in grade to that already mined. Dozens of mines are widely but not evenly distributed within this area, which consists mostly of parts of Twiggs, Wilkinson, and Washington counties. There are scarcely half a dozen kaolin mines elsewhere in the state that have been appreciably productive, although the areas in which they occur may have good possibilities. Most of the efforts to find new deposits, therefore, will be confined to the area shown in Fig. 1, for it is here that the industry has established its facilities, and prospecting is encouraged by relatively numerous outcrops and opened deposits of kaolin.

Jan 10, 1951

By A. W. Asman

An analysis is made of three different types of section production units that represent the manner in which most of the nation's bituminous coal is produced. The general delays and production characteristics of these sections are presented along with a method for evaluating section performance based on actual and theoretical production characteristics.

Jan 9, 1951

Coal Transport Via Pipe Line Claimed Feasible Moving coal via pipe line is a project proposed by the U. S. Bureau of Mines. A pipe line 100 miles long capable of transporting 5000 tons of coal a day with water could be built for about $10 million. The cost of moving the coal 100 miles would be between $1.28 and $2.01 a ton.

Jan 9, 1951

By John S. Brown

IN 1925 the writer undertook a detailed statistical study of all producing areas in the Joplin district as a basis for evaluating programs and measuring objectives. For this purpose, the published figures in the yearly volumes of Mineral Resources were used, supplemented for earlier years by publications of the Missouri Geological Survey and other local and less official sources. When all else failed, the available data were projected backward to hazard a reasonable guess as to the unrecorded early output of important areas. Fortunately, the proportion of such prehistory production is not a large factor in any of the totals. These results were used during the next few years to measure the relative importance of various producing areas and to predict the peak period of development of the all-important Picher field. For the purpose of this review, the charts have been completed to the end of 1950. During World War 11, the U. S. Bureau of Mines became interested in a similar study and issued comprehensive statistical tabulations of data up to 1945 ( Info. Circular 7383), which have been checked against the figures used herein. This tabulation, however, does not include all the earlier data used by the writer nor does it offer any estimates of the wholly unrecorded era in the beginnings of the earlier camps.

Jan 9, 1951

ALL critical and strategic materials procurement functions have been transferred from the Defense Minerals Administration, General Service Administration, and the Economic Cooperation Administration and are now centered in a newly formed agency, the Defense Materials Procurement Agency. DWA will report directly to the Director of Defense Mobilization. Mr. Truman stated that he intended to appoint Jess Larson, administrator or General Services to head the new agency (see Trends P. 756). W. C. Schroeder has been named acting director of the Defense Minerals Administration replacing James Boyd. He has been named also to a newly created assistant director position of the Bureau of Mines serving under Mr. Boyd who is director. Schroeder was formerly head of' the Synthetic Liquid Fuels Division of the Bureau of Mines.

Jan 9, 1951

By Charles M. Haas

WHEN minable ore has been located, the problem of mining is synonymous with the problem of movement --movement of men and equipment to mine the ore, and movement of the ore from the earth to the mills. In slusher drifts and shafts, on shovels and dragline excavators, on churn drills and bulldozers, wire rope is essential to the transportation of men, ore, overburden, and equipment. Although a casual glance creates the impression that all wire ropes are alike, there are crucial differences between ropes. Strand diameter, number of strands, weave, core, and resistance to corrosion all decide the type of job a wire rope can do, and where and how long it can do that job. These factors are, of course, the responsibility of the rope manufacturer. Beyond this, he can extend his function into the mine itself by advising users on the use, care, and maintenance of these sinews of the mining industry. This article, then, covers both the manufacturing and end-use aspects of wire ropes.

Jan 9, 1951

By Ernest R. Dickie

IN 1945 the Bagdad Copper Corp. decided to change from block caving to open-pit mining. By early 1948 the conversion was completed and production was increased from 1500 tons per day to 4000 tons per day. Open-pit mining costs decreased approximately 40 pet from the cost of producing ore by the underground method. At present one P & H model 1400 all-electric 4 1/2-yd shovel and one P & H model 1055 Diesel 3-yd shovel are used continuously for stripping. One 21/2yd North- west shovel handles the ore. Delivery of a new P & H 1055 electric shovel for stripping is expected this month. Blasthole drilling is performed with two Bucyrus model 22 and two Bucyrus model 27 churn drills.

Jan 9, 1951

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

By A. M. Gaudin

A preliminary study of silver ion adsorption by sphalerite in ion exchange column with influent electrolyte marked with radiosilver is described. Rapid ion exchange occurs at first followed by slow reaction controlled perhaps by solid state diffusion. One experiment with radiocopper instead of radiosilver is reported briefly.

Jan 9, 1951

New Products Equipment

Jan 9, 1951

Procurement of uranium is vital to the future of the Nation. Its utilization for atomic energy can destroy mankind or raise an unsurpassable civilization-the problem of the statesmen. Uranium poses a challenge to the mining profession. Evanescent in occurrence, its discovery and mining can mean substantial profits, plus safeguarding the future of the Nation.

Jan 9, 1951

By James R. Stuart

AS the available remaining properties of iron ore reserves on the Mesabi Range are opened up for mining, the various properties located under lake beds are brought nearer an active status. The actual physical problems involved in stripping these properties do not act as a deterrent so much as the legal and political problems that are encountered.

Jan 9, 1951

By Howard B. Gundersen

CURRENTLY the mining industry faces the twin tasks of producing metals in the largest possible amounts and doing it with a dwindling and less experienced labor supply. A manpower shortage during this emergency appears inescapable. It therefore becomes necessary to develop the highest possible efficiency. Employee training is a concomitant of economical, high production. Training keeps employee morale high, reduces waste, improves skills, and increases production without speed-up or overload of workmen or supervisors.

Jan 9, 1951

NOTHING makes the run-of-the-hall Congressman feel quite so secure as to be on an investigating committee. It's sure fire publicity for one thing and is a convenient excuse for absence from Congressional sessions when controversial issues are being balloted. The minerals procurement program has just had a thorough investigation by Congressmen of the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee who heard valuable testimony from men like John D. Morgan, director of materials procurement, DPA. He listed over 40 government agencies concerned with mineral affairs. Testimony disclosed the justification for many of the agencies but Congressmen and mine operators have been regarding the defense minerals program in the same light as did the mining student who remarked to the descriptive geometry prof "it's not the intrinsic difficulty of the problem which gives me trouble; it's the multiplicity of detail."

Jan 9, 1951

By Nathaniel Arbiter

THE separation of minerals by flotation can be regarded as a rate process, with the extraction of any one mineral determined by its flotation rate, and the grade of concentrate by the relative rates for all the minerals. So regarded, the significant variables for the process are those that control the rates. These variables are of two types, the first describing the ore and its physical and chemical treatment prior to flotation and the second characterizing the separation process in the cells. This paper will examine the variation in rates for a group of separations, will show that a simple rate law appears to govern, and will consider the relation of the control variables to the rates. The use of rate constants for evaluation of performance and efficiency will be discussed.

Jan 9, 1951