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By A Annor, L J. Chen

The production of paste backfill has typically been accomplished through the adaptation of existing technology. Thickeners and disc filters have several drawbacks when applied to production of tailings paste backfill. Personnel at CANMETÆs backfill research laboratory in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada have been carrying out research into and development of methods to produce paste backfill using total mill tailings since 1991. Using a silo for production of paste is not a new concept but has been refined to a marketable level. This technology is based on a fluidization principle that assists in settling the tailings to an homogenous state in a silo. Other developments include patented de-watering technology for use in the silo to speed the settling of the solids to a suitable solids content, optimisation of silo geometry, and instrumentation related to paste backfill production and transportation. The advantages to fluidisation technology are in reduced capital cost, reduced operating costs and in the environmental benefits of using full plant tailings over classified tailings or alluvial aggregates. Another major advantage is in the ability of this technology to be retrofitted to existing hydraulic backfill plants to further reduce capital cost. This paper details the development of the new technology as well as the associated cost savings over other technologies. It will also look at the research and development of unique components that make this technology work.

Jan 1, 1998

Engineering availability of the 120/200 tonne Wabco haulpak fleet at Mt. Whaleback was in the mid fifties and unstable. The project to achieve a reliable 66% during 1980 highlighted "plannable" maintenance, short cycle scheduling, condition monitoring, backlog control, and, above all, the importance of involving all affected people. It is not sufficient for consultants to design systems and make them work. The people who use the system must understand it, support it and "own" it. In this way, they will develop it and improve results after the outside help has been withdrawn INTRODUCTION In early 1979, PA proposed a programme to improve engineering availability of the Mt. Newman Mining fleet of 70 Wabco haulpak trucks of which 53 were 120 tonne and 17 were 200 tonne units. (Subsequently five 200 tonne trucks from Hamersley Iron were added to the fleet). The ore truck workshop was also responsible for 75 tonne trucks used as water trucks and general purpose vehicles. The need for action was clear. The fleet was achieving availability in the "mid fifties" with wide variations indicating that the fleet was becoming unreliable. Projected tonnages required a reliable 66% availability to be

Jan 1, 1982

By R. W. Raymond

WISH to call the attention of the Institute to a curious subject, brought to my notice last summer by Mr. Begger, the accomplished metallurgist of the smelting-works of the Boston and Colorado Company at Black Hawk, near Central City, Colorado. At these works, the richest auriferous sulphhrets of Colorado (particularly copper pyrites) are smelted in reverberatories, together with roasted tailings (iron pyrites), and the gold and silver are concentrated into a new, artificial sulphide, or copper matte, containing $1500 and upwards of the precious metals per ton, and this is shipped to Swansea. I will say in passing, that this shipment of an unrefined product, like the similar shipments from Utah and Nevada to San Francisco, Chi¬cago, St. Louis, Newark, New York, and Europe, of crude argentiferous lead or "base bullion," is not a sign of incomplete metallurgy here, but has a sound business reason. The separation of the precious metals in the West would be more expensive, to begin with ; and then it would necessitate the movement of these metals by express, at high rates and risk, to commercial centres or coining mints, while the base metals having no home market, must be shipped and sold at little or no profit. At present, the gold and silver, safely packed, as it were, in the base metals, are transported with safety as ordinary freight; and the base metals probably more than pay cost of shipment and separation. To return to the Black Hawk reverberatories. On a recent occa-

Jan 1, 1873

By Jian Liu

The study aims to leach copper from a low-grade flotation middling by optimizing the leaching process using response surface methodology. The effect of key parameters, i.e., sulfuric acid concentration, nitric acid concentration and leaching time, on the leaching efficiency was investigated and a quadratic model was suggested by the methodology to correlate the variables to the efficiency. The results indicate that the model is in good agreement with the experimental data at a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.97 and the most influential parameter on efficiency was identified as sulfuric acid concentration. The optimum conditions for copper leaching from the middling were identified as sulfuric acid concentration at 103.74 g/L, nitric acid concentration at 12.50 g/L and leaching time of 30.98 min; under such a condition, an average leaching efficiency of 93.16% was achieved from the middling.

Jan 1, 2011

By K. C. Corin

It is well known that the grinding circuit plays a crucial role in flotation. The effect of pulp chemistry during grinding is often overlooked. It is believed that the surface properties of the minerals can be adjusted during flotation rather than during grinding. However, recent development in surface analysis techniques (TOF-SIMS, XPS, and AES etc.) have proven that the hydrophilic iron hydroxides formed at the mineral surface during grinding make it difficult for collector adsorption, which may result in poor grades and recoveries of the valuable minerals. This study investigated the effect of the pulp chemistry conditions during milling and the subsequent effects on flotation performance of an Nkomati ore. The results have shown that there was approximately 10 % increase in Ni recovery, when the ore was ground at a dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of 0 ppm (DO-0) in comparison to no gas control during the grinding stage. However, when the pH was changed from 9 to 11, no gas control resulted in a 20 % decrease in the Ni recovery compared to only 5 % decrease in the Ni recovery at DO-0. A noteworthy observation is that controlling a combination of DO and pH during grinding is of critical importance for better floatability and selectivity for such a system. It also became clear from this study that the presence of oxygen is critical to the consumption of xanthate, which is consistent with the general literature. It has been established that grinding at lower DO levels/redox potentials (Eh) in the presence of xanthate significantly improves the flotation performance of the valuable minerals.

Sep 1, 2012

By S. Narasimha Rao

Bored cast in situ piles are highly susceptible to construction defects like necking, discontinuity in concreting, poor compaction of concrete, improper end bearing condition due to inadequate cleaning of bore hole, exposure of reinforcement, segregation of concrete etc. There is a necessity to understand the behavior of piles so as to design effective foundation system. In this paper investigations of two field cases were discussed to bring out the effect of defective piles. In one case improper end bearing has been discussed for a concrete pile of length of 45m and diameter equal to 1.2 m and is reinforced with 32 no's of 28mm diameter steel bars and in another case necking of the pile has been discussed. Further model piles with preformed defects have been tested in laboratory to bring out the influence of defective piles.

Jan 1, 1996

By Young C. Kim

In the past, underground coal mine planning has traditionally focused on the mine design n aspects concerning safety and efficiency in the quest to produce low cost coal. Very little attention has been given to coal quality control aspects of mine planning at most of the underground coal mines within the U.S. With the enactment of the clean air act of 1970, the generally high sulfur content of coal has become a major concern for the coal-fired power plants in the east. Similarly, the ash and the BTU contents of coal are of equal importance from boiler efficiency standpoint. Thus, the time has come when the coal mine planning must incorporate the coal quality control aspects as well as the traditional safety and efficiency aspects.

Jan 1, 1983

By M. Christou

The LIFE-Environment Demonstration Project ?Treating Waste for Restoring Land Sustainability?(www.bangor.ac.uk/ies/TWIRLS/TWIRLS_home.htm), a project initiated by the University of Wales, Bangor, UK in which NAGREF is a partner, aims to demonstrate the effective use of industrial and municipal wastes for the remediation of post-industrial and degraded sites in urban and rural sites. Within the framework of this project, a schist quarry, which is located in a mountainous area near Athens and which has been exploited in the past for cement production, was chosen for bioremediation experiments in collaboration with the quarry owners, TITAN Cement Co. Three different areas within the quarry were selected representing 3 different topographies. These were a compacted, flat area with seasonal water logging (untreated control), a gently sloping, land formed area; and artificially created mounds of overburden rock material formed on the flat area. Compost produced from mixing municipal waste, green waste and digested sewage sludge at the recycling plant of the Association of Communities and Municipalities in the Attica Region (ACMAR), near Athens was used for nutrient amendment. Six replicates of three treatments were applied with varying compost application rates in order to examine the effect of the addition of organic matter in the establishment of suitable vegetation on the infertile schist material. Pine trees (Pinus halepensis Mill.), 4 per replicate, were pocket planted in a volume of 3 liters of schist or schist-compost mixture (1:2 and 2:1). Tree height, main stem diameter and branching were measured following planting and these measurements will be repeated annually to test hypotheses that compaction and water logging reduce Pine establishment by natural regeneration and that nutrient addition improves establishment of pine on schist waste. The availability of nutrients and variation in other soil physico-chemical parameters will also be studied in each treatment and related to plant growth. As a demonstration project, open days are planned on the site for the public and official bodies involved in municipal waste handling and other relevant areas. The aim of these will be to illustrate the effective re-use of waste for the sustainable restoration of post-industrial and degraded land.

Jan 1, 2006

By H. C. Gatos, J. T. A. Pollock

It is well known that the superconducting critical current densities of many alloy superconductors may be increased by cold working and in some cases further enhanced by a short heat treatment. This latter enhancement has been attributed to the redistribution of dislocations into cell-like networks' and to the precipitation of second phase particles,2'3 which act as flux pinning centers. In a manner analogous to dislocation pinning in precipitation hardening alloys,4 it is expected that here also a critical distribution of the pinning centers should result in maximum pinning effect. Concentration inhomogeneities exist in most or all commercial alloys yet there have been only a few attempts made to determine their effect on critical current capacity in the absence of cold working. Sutton and Baker,5 and Kramer and Rhodes6 have found that the complex precipitation processes occurring during the aging of Ti-Nb alloys can result in critical current density enhancement. Livingston7-10 has clearly shown, for lead and indium based alloys, that the distribution of precipitated second phase particles is of critical importance in determining magnetization characteristics. However, these '(soft" alloys age at room temperature and the time involved in specimen preparation prevents metallographic examination in the state in which the superconducting measurements are made. Thus results with such alloys are expected to be biased towards larger precipitates and interpar-ticle spacing. The present study of Ta-Zr alloys was undertaken to examine the influence of second phase precipitation, as controlled by heat treatment, on the critical current capacity of well annealed polycrystalline material. A study of the published phase diagram11 indicated that annealing supersaturated samples containing up to 9 at. pct Zr at suitable temperatures would result in the precipitation of a zirconium-rich second phase. It was MATERIALS AND PROCEDURE The alloys were prepared from spectrochemically pure tantalum and zirconium. Analysis was carried out by the supplier. Major impurities in the tantalum were: 12 pprn of 02, 17 pprn of N2, 19 pprn of C, and less than 10 ppm each of Mo, Nb, Al, Cr, Ni, Si, Ti. The crystal bar zirconium was pure except for the following concentrations: 15 pprn of 02, 17 ppm of C, 23 ppm of Fe, 11 ppm of Cu, and less than 10 pprn each of Al, Ca, N2, Ti, and Sn. Samples were prepared in the form of 8 to 10 g but-tons by arc melting using a nonconsumable electrode on a water-cooled copper hearth in a high purity ar-gon atmosphere. Each button was inverted and re-melted three times to ensure an even distribution of the component elements. The samples were then homogenized at temperatures close to their melting points for 3 days in a vacuum furnace maintained at 5 x 10-7 mm Hg. After this treatment the buttons were cold rolled to sheets approximately 0.020 in. thick from which specimens were cut, 0.040 in, wide and 1 in. long suitable for critical current density (J,) and critical temperature (T,) measurements. These strips were then recrystallized and further grain growth was allowed by an additional vacuum heat treatment at 1800°C for 60 hr. Some second phase precipitation occurred during cooling of the furnace and a solution treatment was necessary to produce single phase supersaturated samples. This treatment was successfully carried out by sealing the samples together with some zirconium chips in quartz tubes under a vacuum of 5 x 10-7 mm Hg, heating at 1000°C for 5 hr and then quenching into water or liquid nitrogen. The samples were then heat treated at either 350" or 550°C and quenched into water or liquid nitrogen. All samples which were heat treated at 350°C were quenched in both cases by cracking the capsules in liquid nitrogen. The samples treated at 550°C were quenched by dropping the capsules into water. Analysis for oxygen in randomly selected samples indicated that the oxygen content was in the range of 175 to 225 ppm. Values of Tc were determined by employing a self-inductance technique. Jc measurements were made at 4.2oK by increasing the direct current through the wire in a perpendicularly applied field until a voltage of 1 pv was detected with a null meter. The risk of resistive heating at the soldered joints during these latter measurements was reduced by first plating the ends of the wires with indium and then soldering to the copper current leads using tin. Metallographic examinations were performed after mechanical polishing of the same samples and etching in a 4H20:3HN03 (conc):lHF(conc) solution.

Jan 1, 1970

By R. W. Raymond

I wish to call the attention of the Institute to a curious subject, brought to my notice last summer by Mr. Begger, the accomplished metallurgist of the smelting-works of the Boston and Colorado Company at Black Hawk, near Central City, Colorado. At these works, the richest auriferous sulphurets of Colorado (particularly copper pyrites) are smelted in reverberatories, together with roasted tailings (iron pyrites), and the gold and silver are concentrated into a new, artificial sulphide, or copper matte, containing $1500 and upwards of the precious metals per ton, and this is shipped to Swansea. I will say in passing, that this shipment of an unrefined product, like the similar shipments from Utah and Nevada to San Francisco, Chicago, St. Louis, Newark, New York, and Europe, of crnde argentiferous lead or "base bullion," is not a sign of incomplete metallurgy here, but has a sound business reason. The separation of the precious metals in the West would be more expensive, to begin with ; and then it would necessitate the movement of these metals by express, . - at high rates and risk, to commercial centres or coining mints, while the base metals having no home market, must be shipped and sold at little or no profit. At present, the gold and silver, safely packed, as it were, in the base metals, are transported with safety as ordinary freight; and the base metals probably more than pay cost of shipment and separation. To return to the Black Hawk reverberatories. On a recent occa-

By A. E. Lehman

A RECENT demand for some form of panoramic display of an important railway line, showing its branches, connections, and terri tory controlled by it, revealed to the writer the advantages of' a topographical model or relief map fix this purpose. Hitherto, maps of this nature have been used chiefly for scientific and geographical purposes, and confined to a comparatively narrow field of service. They deserve to become more popular and to have their advantages better understood. Much has been written and accomplished in this direction by Prof. Lesley, Messrs. Harden, Moulten, de Mendonca Cortez, and others; but I believe their pub lished descriptions of the methods employed in the construction of these models are confined to those used by themselves. It is the writer's aim to present in condensed form these various methods, and some suggestions of practical value as to the most economical course of procedure, as well as to mention some of the uses that may be made of the results obtained Methods of Construction.—Many different materials have been prepared and used in the preparation of relief maps, such as metal, clay, plaster, gypsum, wax, putty, Card-board, papier-mache, wood, and compositions of varions kinds, with results more or less success ful : wood, however, in the writer's experience, has been found to be by far the most satisfactory, combining the advantages of stability, accuracy and ease of handling. The following is a brief description of several of the methods used in constructing topographical models : When clay, wax, putty, compositions or materials of a plastic nature are used, the operator carries his work up from its base by means of measurements or by the eye, manipulating and shaping the material as best he can, ac cording to such features of his subject as he wishes to delineate. This process requires remarkable skill, and given this, will probably fall short even then of an approximation to accuracy; lacking essential elements of detail nil over the work and exactness, particularly in position and elevation of the most important points in the territory mapped. When either of the above mentioned materials or compositions are used, metal or wooden pins are sometimes driven into the base or level datum plane of wood, the top of these pins giving the eleva-

Jan 1, 1886

By Klaus Schwerdtfeger

In order to test the performance of ZrO, (CaO) and Tho,(Yz03) electrolytes in the electrochemical determination of oxygen activities in liquid metals at steel-rrzakitng temperatures , electromotive force measurements have been made with the following cells: The oxygen-- activities are calculated from the electmrnotive forces for the investigated systems. The standard free energy of- formation of MnO and the activity of manganese in Fe-Mn melts are derived. Indications are that the Zr 0z(Ca0) electrolyte exhibits little electronic conductivity at oxygen pressures as low as 10'a atnz at 1600°C; however, the partial electronic conductivity may become noticeable at lower oxygen activities. The Tho,(Yz03) electrolyte is found to be an ionic conductor at the oxygen pressure as low as that for the Mn + MnO equilibrium, but exhibits partial electronic conductivity at oxygen pressures higher than 10"1 atm (1500°C). fi. better control of oxidation and deoxidation reactions in steelmaking may be facilitated if the oxygen activity in the steel is known during various stages of the process. In the present work oxygen activities have been measured in liquid iron, manganese, and iron alloys with galvanic cells using ZrOz(CaO) and s solid electrolytes with the object of establishing the range of oxygen pressure in which these materials can be used as electrolytes at steelmaking temperatures. Calcia-stabilized zirconia and Tho2-Y203 solid solutions are oxygen ion conductors. Such electrolytes were first used by Kiukkola and Wagner1 and Peters and ~ann' in galvanic cells for the determination of thermodynamicquantities of oxide systems in the temperature range 700" to 1200°C. At these moderate temperatures calcia-stabilized zirconia has been found to exhibit predominantly ionic conductivity at oxygen pressures as low as those for the Cr + Crz03 equilibrium,394 but at lower oxygen pressures elec- tronic contribution to conductivity becomes significants4 The Th02-Y203 solid solutions are ionic conductors at oxygen pressures lower than those applicable to zirconia base electrolytes.5'6 At high oxygen pressures Thoz base electrolytes exhibit significant p-type semiconduction. At the time the present experiments were carried out several papers1'-* were published on the electrochemical determination of oxygen activities in liquid iron using the ZrOz(CaO) electrolyte. The results of different authors do not agree well. For instance, according to Fischer and ~ckermann" stabilized zirconia can be used to measure oxygen contents in liquid iron larger than 0.02 wt pct, but according to Baker and west1' ZrOz(CaO) cannot be used for the determination of oxygen content in liquid iron because of high electronic contribution to the conductivity. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus used. About 500 g of liquid metal is contained in a crucible into which a stabilized zirconia or Th02(Y203) tube is immersed. A platinum contact wire is pressed (with a spring mechanism) against the inside bottom wall of the electrolyte tube. The tube is flushed continuously with a stream of air, CO-CO, (or Hz-C02) (at 0.96 atm and at a rate of about 300 cu cm per min), via an alumina tube inserted inside the electrolyte tube. This alumina tube also contains the Pt-Pt/10 pct Rh thermocouple. A capillary alumina tube shielding the other contact wire is immersed in the melt. The molybdenum contact wires were used mostly; in some cases platinum wire was employed. Molybdenum has the advantage that it dissolves more slowly in the melt than platinum. The whole cell was contained in the alumina reaction tube of a resistance furnace with molybdenum winding. The reaction tube was closed gas tight at both ends and flushed continuously with argon. Because of the poor thermal shock resistance of the electrolyte tubes the cell had to be assembled in the cold furnace. The electrolyte tube and alumina sheath

Jan 1, 1968

By S. C. Sircar, B. K. Dhindaw

KINETICS and mechanism of sulfation reactions have been studied extensively. Qualitative and quantitative data are reported for the kinetics and mechanism of sulfation reaction of copper oxide pellets;''2 yet it remains a controversial Subject. The mechanism and kinetics of the sulfation of zinc oxide powder (B.D.H. analar quality) were studied by gravimetric technique. A spring of high-carbon steel wire with accuracy well within 0.2 mg was used for measuring weight change. The sample was taken in a Pyrex glass bucket, hanging freely inside a Pyrex glass tube reactor, with a gold wire attached to the spring, the reactor being surrounded by a movable furnace (double wound type) with a temperature control within *5"C. Flow of oxygen, 60 cu cm per min, and sulfur dioxide, 45 cu cm per min, were measured through calibrated flowmeters and the mixture dried over PZ05 before entering the reactor. The experimental results are presented in Figs. 1 and 2. The plot of weight change of zinc oxide, giving the amount of zinc sulfate formed, was found to be linear over the temperature range of 500" to 700° C and up to a conversion of approximately 60 pct, as beyond it they divert from linearity.' The rate of sulfation was found to be affected by total flow rate of gases at a fixed ratio of SO2/O2, up to 60 cu cm per min, and was found to be linearly dependent on quantity of total powdered sample taken. The plot of rate of sulfation of zinc oxide, 70 mg, with varying amounts of vanadium pentoxide, at a constant ratio of gases as mentioned above, and at a constant temperature of 625"C, was also found to be linear as seen in Fig. 2. Extrapolation to zero V2O5 addition gives the same rate of sulfation, as in case of pure zinc oxide, 70 mg. Vz05 was prepared by heating ammonium vanadate at 600°C for 15 min in a muffle furnace. The available literature points out that the theory of sulfation that has received the maximum support postulates the following mechanism for sulfation of ZnS: 2ZnS + 30, = 2Zn0 + 2SOZ; the ZnO formed acts as a catalyst for the reaction, 2 S02 + O2 = 2S03. This SO3 reacts with ZnO to give zinc sulfate. It is suggested here that the above widely supported mechanism is operative in the sulfation reaction and that the rate-controlling step in the sulfation reaction of ZnO is the formation of SO3 from SO, and 0,. The authors are carrying on further work in this line, and the details will be published later. The authors wish to acknowledge the facilities provided and the help extended by Prof. P. R. Dhar, Head, Department of Metallurgical Engineering, and the permission granted to publish this note by the Director, I. I. T., Kharagpur.

Jan 1, 1969

By M. R. Smith, H. Kanli

The impact crusher is a popular device for producing crushed aggregates from non-abrasive rocks such as limestones, offering the advantages of high reduction ratios and relatively low installed costs. To extend the application of a process-flowsheet simulator to the quarrying industry, a mathematical model of an impact crusher was therefore developed using the general crusher models of Andersen and Whiten as a basis

Aug 1, 1995

By John L. Kaplin

The underground construction for the Phase I Combined Sewer Overflow(CSO) Project is on an impressive scale by any measure, appearing more so in a midsize city like Providence, RI. The Narragansett Bay Commission recently completed $350 mil-lion in construction to improve the water quality in Narragansett Bay. This project included a number of serious challenges, delays, and disputes. Looking back on this complex project completed within budget, it is hard to consider the work as anything other than a success. Along the way, this outcome did not always appear certain.

By N LaBranche

The resurgence of Silicosis and Coal Worker’s Pneumoconiosis (CWP) in coalmines has placed the spotlight back on the management of worker exposure to particulate matter across all mining sectors (Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Select Committee, 2017). There already exists a substantial body of knowledge on particulate matter and its impacts upon human health (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018). The contribution of silica to respiratory disease is well known and there is a growing concern for exposure to diesel particulate matter. However, it is also clear that there are major gaps in our understanding. In part, those gaps relate to the contribution to adverse health effects of mineralogical constituents in the dust (LaBranche et al, 2021a). It is also becoming evident that the size and shape of the particulate matter can affect its potential impact on human health.The University of Queensland has developed a methodology for characterising respirable and inhalable dust samples using scanning electron microscopy. Multiple samples from numerous mining operations have already been analysed using the UQ methodology. The process has been successful in showing the variety of mineralogica lcomponents and particle size distributions presentin various areas of the mines.

Oct 12, 2022

By Tony Lipiec, Chris Fleming, Larry Urbanoski

In 2009, the Canadian Mineral Processors (CMP) became aware that Canadian securities regulators were amending the contents of National Instrument 43-101. NI 43-101 is a set of regulations which establish how ore resources and reserves are presented to the investing public. The documents produced under NI 43-101 are central to the ability of many companies to raise financing for their projects. With the increase of metallurgical complexity, and decrease of head grades encountered in new deposits, the role of the Qualified Person (QP) in determining process performance has become increasingly critical in determining the classification category of resources and reserves. Given the challenges confronted by those involved in defining the concentration and extraction of minerals and metals, there is a need to provide support to these QPs. To address these concerns, the CMP established a sub-committee in 2010 to create a set of guideline documents to assist the QP involved in process matters as to what should be included at the various levels of study supporting the establishment of resources and reserves in NI 43- 101. The results of the sub-committee work are presented and the considerations in the writing of the documents are discussed.

Jan 1, 2011

By Merlyn B. Buhle

The value of the earth resistivity method in groundwater studies in Illinois has long been recognized. Owing to the sharp electrical contrasts between sand and gravel deposits and glacial till, alluvial silt or underlying shale, much of the earth resistivity prospecting has been of a relatively elementary nature and has been highly successful. Approximately 90 pct of earth resistivity interpretations by the State Geological Survey have been accurate for practical purposes. Four studies involving fairly simple geologic situations are presented in this paper as typical cases. FOR the past 20 years electrical earth resistivity exploration has been used in Illinois in many phases of study undertaken by the State Geological Survey, chiefly in locating and outlining deposits of water-bearing sand and gravel from which to obtain ground water for municipal and industrial supplies. At least 43 municipalities in the state derive their total water supply from deposits of sand and gravel discovered by resistivity methods. These deposits occur in both Quaternary and preglacial valleys and within much of the glacial drift which covers a large portion of the state. In recent years there has been much demand from rapidly growing municipalities for help from the Illinois Geological Survey to extend existing well fields. Water supplies for many and varied industries constitute a considerable portion of the Survey's studies. The diminishing need of water supplies for railroads has 'been accompanied by an increasing demand by the oil industry for water for secondary recovery programs. The instruments used by the Illinois Geological Survey follow closely the commutated direct current circuits developed by O. H. Gish and W. J. Rooney' using the Wenner2 electrode configuration. More recently replacement of the hand-driven commutator by a synchronous vibrator has led to increased ease of operation and accuracy. Continuing improvement of equipment and technique has led to many changes in the instruments, but the operating theory remains the same. In the field operation at a selected station, four electrodes are set at equal distances in the ground 6 to 10 in. deep, in a straight line. A 16 to 20-cycle current is applied to the two outside steel electrodes

Jan 1, 1954

THE metal iron has physical and chemical properties which are somewhat different from those of steels, but a knowledge of the pure metal is a useful starting point in studying the behavior of steels. Solid iron exists in two different crystalline forms, called alpha (a) and gamma (?) iron, the former being the ordinary form at room temperature. When heated above the "A2 point," 768 C (1414 F), the metal becomes nonmagnetic, and at the "A, point," 910 C (1670 F), it undergoes a change in crystalline form to become gamma iron. In the range 768 to 910 C, it is sometimes called beta (ß) iron to distinguish it from the magnetic alpha, but the two are identical in crystal structure. When gamma iron is further heated to 1400 C (2552 E), it changes into delta (d) iron, which is identical with beta or non- magnetic alpha iron. Pure iron melts (in an inert atmosphere) at 1537 C (2800 F); the melting point is generally lowered by alloys or impurities. PROPERTIES OF IRON AT HIGH TEMPERATURES Many of the properties of iron undergo abrupt changes at the transition temperatures.1 For example, in heating through the A, point, a sudden shrinkage in volume occurs. Similarly, melting is attended by sharp physical changes such as an increase in volume. Table 16-1 contains a summary of the measured physical properties of pure iron at several temperatures. Usually the properties change smoothly within the range of stability of a given form, but this is not always true. For example, the specific heat reaches a sharp maximum at the A2 point although no trans- formation occurs. (See Fig 14-1.) Solvent Powers of Liquid Iron. Liquid iron is capable of dissolving most of the other metals and many nonmetallic elements as well. Of the metals that are liquid at the melting point of iron, only lead, silver, and bismuth refuse to dissolve to an ap-

Jan 1, 1951

Principal component analysis of the variation of Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, Mn, and Cr in a control group of 96 samples of surface ironstone from the Yilgarn Block, Western Australia, was used to derive a simple graphical method, based on only Cu, Ni, and Cr, for discriminating between massive nickel gossans and other ironstones.When the graph was tested by plotting 400 control samples, it failed to correctly classify only nine out of 176 gossans and 11 out of 224 other ironstones.

Jan 1, 1974