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By T Gibbons, M Korte, C Brent, K Runge

The Barrick Osborne concentrator has gone through a number of upgrades since commissioning and steadily increased production from the original 119 t/h design capacity to 265 t/h milling throughput in 2008. This was achieved incrementally over several years, by maximising operating efficiencies, in order to minimise capital expenditure, and take advantages of economies of scale; but more importantly it was reached with no measurable loss of recovery. Osborne currently processes a blend of under- ground with open pit material from the nearby Trekelano deposit. Following primary/secondary crushing, the material is processed through a rod/ball mill grinding circuit ahead of rougher/scavenger flotation that produces a copper concentrate.Osborne was seeking a further increase in plant throughput of the order of 15 per cent, but at more sustainable levels of secondary crusher plant utilisation. In early 2008, Osborne contracted Metso Minerals Process Technology Asia-Pacific and South America (MMPT) to review the entire process from run-of-mine feed to final copper concentrate. This review would be done concurrently, with surveys of both the crushing/ grinding and flotation circuits being performed at the same time. The outcome would be a steady-state model of the complete flow sheet allowing the crushing/grinding model to interact with the flotation circuit model such that overall process optimisation was possible. Two key outcomes for the operation are exploration of the operating limits of the currently installed plant, and projection of the logical next stage of potential capital plant expansions. This paper covers Part B or the flotation component of the project. A separate paper discussing Part A or crushing and grinding is also being presented at this conference. Surveys of the Osborne flotation circuit were performed along with a comprehensive review of the cell characteristics including measurements of the gas and froth phases of individual flotation cells. These data resulted in a size-by-size floatability component model of the complete circuit. This circuit model was then used to perform steady-state simulat- ions to evaluate options to improve both overall circuit and individual cell performance. The grinding circuit model discussed in a separate paper or Part A of this project was then used interactively with the flotation circuit model to recommend the best operating regime to maximise overall efficiency. For example, the balance between increased crushing and grinding costs versus higher copper recovery and final concentrate grade. Due to changes in market conditions in the fourth quarter of 2008, the focus was shifted to prioritising operational changes rather than capital expansion modifications, in order to improve circuit performance.

Jan 1, 2009

By G. W. Thompson

G. W. THOMPSON,* Brooklyn, N. Y.-This subject has two aspects, neither of-which can be ignored: these are the economic aspect and the technical aspect. Under ordinary conditions, economic law will take care of the conservation of tin. Under present conditions it seems desirable that economic law should still be permitted to operate as far as is practicable. It is true that this law operates rather slowly, and that under war conditions it cannot be depended upon to give our Government the supply it immediately needs. There should, therefore, be a designation of the essential industries by the Government, and tin should be supplied for those needs, letting the non-essential industries take what is left. At the same time, information ought to be forthcoming as to how tin can be conserved; with tin selling at 80 c. per pound, more or less, it is to the interest of every consumer to get the best information he can as to how he can save tin. Economic law would properly punish those who do not study their own interests in this way. I deprecate, therefore, any centralized socialistic effort toward avoiding penalties through failure to observe and obey economic law. In saying this, however, I am not unmindful that it is desirable for our Government to take such control of the tin situation as may be necessary to the prosecution of the war, practically regardless of the effect of such action upon individual industry, which should studiously seek to adjust itself to the new condition. The Government should promulgate such technical information as it can collect, showing how tin can be conserved, and should urge upon every consumer the exercise of his common sense in self-protection. There is very little danger of any one attempting to hoard or corner tin, in the present state of the market. Most consumers will be glad to live from hand to mouth, covering their sales by purchases, or vice versa. As to the technical aspects: Tin and tin alloys are used to give certain practical and also certain artistic results. The practical factors are those involved in proper adhesion, continuity of surface, protection, the right degree of hardness, proper working qualities, etc. The artistic results are those that appeal purely to the eye or to our cultivated sense of what is desirable. There is no doubt that a great deal of tin could be saved if there were not a demand for certain pleasing effects. How can this saving be brought about? The users of tin hearing alloys are not the only ones involved in this question. The manufacturers of solder and babbitt have for a long time sought to give certain appearances to their fabricated bars and ingots in order to make them more salable. The user of a solder is very apt to judge of its working qualities by the appearance of the bar; the same thing is true with regard to babbitts. Under ordinary conditions, manufacturers are justified in trying to

Jan 12, 1918

By Maurice Rey, H. Beavers

THROUGH circumstances connected with the war, the senior author lost his records, therefore it has been impossible to include numerical data in this paper. The arsenical quicksilver ore investigated had been roasted, with poor metallurgical results. The vapor-tension temperature curves of mercury and arsenious trioxide are similar, and the arsenical compound hampers the coalescence of mercury drops in the condenser and is the cause of large stack losses. The ore was a gray limestone carrying small amounts of carbon and mineralized with cinnabar and two arsenic minerals, realgar (As2S2) and arsenopyrite (FeAsS). The proportion of realgar often exceeded that of cinnabar; the proportion of arsenopyrite was smaller. The grade of the ore varied between 0.8 and 4 per cent Hg. The problem was to make a high-grade mercury concentrate, as free from arsenic as possible. The water used throughout the testing was hard, having a pH of about 8. FLOTATION OF REALGAR Realgar showed a very strong tendency to float. It formed a film at the surface of the pulp and floated in abundance with only pine oil. Therefore an attempt was made to float the realgar before the cinnabar, but this was not very successful; the percentage of mercury in the realgar concentrate could never be brought below 2 or 3 per cent. Cinnabar slimed easily and floated with pine oil, so that some of it always accompanied the realgar. There was also the question of the cinnabar-arsenopyrite separation. On further investigation it was found that realgar can be floated not only with pine oil but even better with a combination of hydrocarbons and pine oil. Washing the ore with ether revealed that it contained hydrocarbons, which helped to float the realgar. In this connection it belongs to the same class as carbon, sulphur and talc. It can be floated also with a xanthate, when activated by a heavy-metal salt. The conditions favoring the two types of flotation are opposed, as activation by a copper salt facilitates xanthate flotation (in fact, is even necessary to it), whereas it hinders pine oil and petroleum flotation. One type of flotation can be termed nonpolar and the other polar, a distinction that has been stressed in a previous paper.1 DEPRESSION OF REALGAR AND FLOTATION OF CINNABAR 'Many chemicals were tested in an attempt to float the cinnabar and depress the realgar. Finally starch rendered soluble with caustic soda was tried, also several grades of commercial soluble starch, and dextrin was found to be the best and the most convenient reagent. Several of these starch preparations have a strong flocculating effect on the pulp, which is a distinct disadvantage. Dextrin, with its low flocculating power, is excellent. It is noteworthy that starch preparations are also depressants for carbon and talc, so that the fact apparently has a general

Jan 1, 1941

By A. U. Seybolt

DURING the course of experiments involving oxygen equilibrations with a high-purity Pd-5 at. pct Rh alloy, the appearance of a subscale was noted. Most of the heat treatments in a pure oxygen atmosphere were performed at 900°C. The presence of the subscale was noted when the oxygen partial pressure was in excess of approximately 95 mm, up to 1 atm, the highest pressure used. According to available thermodynamic information' on the free energy of formation of Rh2O3 (the only reliably reported solid oxide of rhodium), this oxide should not be stable under these conditions, nor, of course, any oxide of palladium. Extraction of the subscale from the matrix was affected by treatment with aqua regia, and the resulting X-ray diffraction powder pattern is shown in Table I. This pattern is not that of Rh2O3, nor that of any known rhodium or palladium oxide. It can be indexed on a hexagonal lattice with a. = 5.22Å and co = 6.0Å. In addition to this unknown material, there was a weak Rh2O3 pattern. An X-ray fluorescence analysis of the powder gave 3214 palladium counts per sec and 5381 rhodium counts per sec, thus indicating the likelihood of a double oxide of palladium and rhodium. In view of the fact that the above result was obtained on a single sample, it is perhaps best not to insist upon the above ratio of about 0.6, but possibly to tentatively assume 0.5 or 1/1. The small amount of Rh2O3 in the X-ray pattern might have occurred on cooling, and it seems possible that the double oxide, below some temperature level, is not as stable as Rh2O3. To examine this point, some of the extracted double oxide was heated on a sheet of pure palladium in air at 900°C, and allowed to furnace-cool over a period of several hours. The X-ray diffraction pattern of the powder showed approximately the same intensity of Rh2O3 and the "hexagonal" oxide as before, but, in addition, a rather faint pattern of another crystalline species made its appearance. This finding again suggests partial transformation of the major (double) oxide to other oxides on cooling from 900°C. Application of the phase rule shows that only one equilibrium oxide (subscale) could have been present at temperature. Vacuum-fusion, oxygen analysis of the extracted subscale showed 7.7 ± 0.7 pct O. Combining this information with that of the X-ray fluorescence analysis suggests the formula PdRhO. This compound should have an oxygen content of 7.07 pct, which is within the range of error of the oxygen analysis. However, until a more careful stoichiometric study is made, it is suggested that the formula be written

Jan 1, 1965

By J. F. Myers, F. M. Lewis

C. G. McLACHLAN*-I have read this paper with considerable interest and wish to congratulate the authors on the care with which they carried out their experiments and for the detailed sizing data they have presented. 011 the other hand I do not feel that these data establish their contention that "with other factors the same, the work accomplished in a fine crushing rod mill is directly proportional to the rotating speed." My reason for making this statement is that their conclusion is based on the percentage of minus 65 mesh material produced at each of the speeds at which their tests were run. The rod mill is, however, not a fine grinding machine and therefore figures based on minus 65 mesh production are figures outside the range at which it operates to best advantage. Further, if rod mill performance is to be judged on the production of such material it should have been established that a rod mill will produce it as effectively as a ball mill. To check this last point I have gone over some of the rod and ball mill grind-ing figures for our Waite-Atnulet operation and find that the ball mill at that property produces more minus 65 mesh material per horsepower than the rod mill. Moreover, this comparison is even more favorable to the ball mill if it is limited to minus 100 mesh production. It therefore seems to me that the most satisfactory basis on which to try to com-pare the performance of the rod mill in the present case is by taking a weighted average of all the new surface produced per horsepower. W. H. Coghill3 has published data which can be applied to the sizing figures presented by the authors, and if this is done the units of new surface per horsepower produced in the Tennessee tests are as follows: Admittedly the increment of increase in new surface per horsepower shown in the foregoing figures is not great, but its trend is nevertheless definitely in favor of slower speed operation, for the conditions under which these particular tests were run. I also feel that some information regarding liner contour should have been given as I think it will be found that a mill which is equipped with liners which lift the rod load can be run at a slower speed than a mill in which the liners are comparatively smooth. J. F. MYERS and F. M. LEWIS (authors' reply)—The position taken by Mr. McLachlan is to be respected even though we are all aware of the faults of surface considerations. As he points out. the increment of increase is very small. It is so small in fact that for all practical purposes it does not conflict with the conclusions of the paper. The authors appreciate Mr. McLachlan's comprehensive study of the data.

Jan 1, 1950

By Maurice Rey, H. Brevers

THROUGH circumstances connected with the war, the senior author lost his records therefore it has been impossible to include numerical data in this paper. The arsenical quicksilver ore investigated had been roasted, with poor metallurgical results. The vapor-tension temperature curves of mercury and arsenious trioxide are similar, and the arsenical compound hampers the coalescence of mercury drops in the condenser and is the cause of large stack losses. The ore was a gray limestone carrying small amounts of carbon and mineralized with cinnabar and two arsenic minerals, realgar (As2S2) and arsenopyrite (FeAsS). The proportion of realgar often exceeded that of cinnabar; the proportion of arsenopyrite was smaller. The grade of the ore varied between 0.8 and 4 per cent Hg. The problem was to make a high-grade mercury concentrate, as free from arsenic as possible. The water used throughout the testing was hard, having a pH- of about 8. FLOTATION OF REALGAR Realgar showed a very strong tendency to float. It formed a film at the surface of the pulp and floated in abundance with only pine oil. Therefore an attempt was made to float the realgar before the cinnabar, but this was not very successful; the percentage of mercury in the realgar concentrate could never be brought below 2 or 3 per cent. Cinnabar slimed easily and floated with pine oil, so that some of it always accompanied the realgar. There was also the question of the cinnabar-arsenopyrite separation. On further investigation it was found that realgar can be floated not only with pine oil but even better with a combination of hydrocarbons and pine oil. Washing the ore with ether revealed that it contained hydrocarbons, which helped to float the realgar. In this connection it belongs to the same class as carbon, sulphur and talc. It can be floated also with a xanthate, when activated by a heavy-metal salt. The conditions favoring the two types of flotation are opposed, as activation by a copper salt facilitates xanthate flotation (in fact, is even necessary to it), whereas it hinders pine oil and petroleum flotation. One type of flotation can be termed nonpolar and the other polar, a distinction that has been stressed in a previous paper. DEPRESSION OF REALGAR AND FLOTATION OF CINNABAR Many chemicals were tested in an attempt to float the cinnabar and depress the realgar. Finally starch rendered soluble with caustic soda was tried, also several grades of commercial soluble starch, and dextrin was found to be the best and the most convenient reagent. Several of these starch preparations have a strong flocculating effect on the pulp, which is a distinct disadvantage. Dextrin, with its low flocculating power, is excellent. It is noteworthy that starch preparations are also depressants for carbon and talc, so that the fact apparently has a general

Jan 1, 1941

By W. R. Ingalls

In choosing the unusual title given to this paper, in which the term "cyclic " might be substituted for "intermittent," my idea has been simply in respect of precision. We might say old method vs. new method, but that antithesis implies something of substitution that has not occurred and perhaps is not in sight. We may say horizontal retorts vs. vertical, but none of the older retorts are truly horizontal, and there are three different types of vertical retorts. Other complexities might be suggested. There is, however, a broad distinction between distilling that is accomplished in a periodic cycle, generally daily; and distilling that is accomplished continuously, irrespective of whether it be done in the vertical retorts of the New Jersey process or in the retorts of the Trollhät-tan process. In offering a summary of the present state of the art with the intermittent process, I shall not have any idea of exemplifying it through descriptions of any single plants, but shall rather divide among the main steps of the process and outline what is best developed among them. In pursuing this thought, it will manifestly be impossible to make a composition that will exemplify the acme of good practice, for the latter will always be a function of the cost of labor, fuel, etc., which are widely variable. As of 1929, in respect of labor we might generalize the average plant wage in the Pittsburgh-Wheeling district of the United States at $5 per day; in Oklahoma at $3; in Great Britain at $3; in Germany at $1.75-$2; in Belgium and France at $1. With high labor costs the metallurgist will naturally use means of the nature of mechanization that with low labor would be uneconomical when capital charges are taken into account. Nor may we from records of performance safely make positive deductions in respect of the efficiency of different types of furnaces unless they have been tested comparatively under identical conditions in the same works. We shall find gas-fired regenerative furnaces showing coal consumption from 1.2 tons down to 0.7 per ton of roasted ore, which may be ascribable to difference in the thermal value of the coal that is used or to differences in proportions of the parts of the furnace, which is something quite distinct from the principle of the furnace. Thus, we have

Jan 1, 1937

By G. Krauss, W. Pitsch

The fine structure of the bcc martensite formed in an Fe-33 wt pct ATi single crystal of arrstenite is sho~on by transmission electron microscoPy to consist of combinations of transformation twins, stacking faults, deformation twins, and regular arrays of parallel screw dislocations. These structures constitute evidence for the multiple lattice-invariant deformations which operating during the formation of martensite could produce the real habit-plane scatter measured by a two-surface analysis of the plates formed in the single crystal of this investigation and reported in the literature for other Fe-Ni rnartensites. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC theories1,2 of martensitic transformation show that the habit plane of martensite in a parent lattice is dependent in part upon an inhomogeneous distortion or lattice-invariant deformation which takes place on a fine scale within a martensite plate during its formation. Several recent theoretical papers3,4 have addressed themselves to an analysis of a wide variety of conceivable lat-tice-invarient deformations and the habit planes which they produce, while experimental investigation have been concerned with either the measurement of habit planes or the description and identification of the martensitic fine structure which reflects the nature of the lattice-invariant deformation operating during transformation. In Fe-Ni alloys with subzero Ms temperatures, the group of alloys with which this paper concerns itself, habit planes have often been found to scatter an amount greater than might be expected from possible experimental errors,5-7 and fine twinning has been identified as a major constituent of the fine structure of martensite.8-11 It has been suggested3,4 that more than one type of invariant shear occurs during martensitic transformation. This possibility has been experimentally supported12,13 by the observation of both dislocation configurations and twinning in a single martensite plate. The purpose of this paper is to report additional evidence for multiple lattice-invariant deformations in martensite and so to account for the real scatter in the habit planes of the martensite plates formed in Fe-Ni alloys. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The Fe-Ni single crystal was produced by pulling a high-purity iron and nickel charge through a single-crystal vacuum furnace in an alumina crucible. The crystal was double-melted to promote homogeneity and to increase its size by further additions on the second pass. In its final form the crystal was 4 cm in diam and 5 cm long. The nickel and carbon contents were analyzed at 32.9 and 0.006 wt pct, respectively. The austenite of this alloy first transformed to martensite by bursts at about -120°C, and, to preserve as much of the austenite as possible, all transformation was performed just below -120°C. Some observations were made on transformed samples which had been heated for 2 min at 340°C. It is assumed that the features of the martensite of these samples, Figs. 1 and 4, are the same as those of the as-quenched martensite. Orientation of the crystal by X-ray diffraction established 10.735 0.609 0.3161? as the axis of the crystal, an orientation that was checked within 2 deg by neutron diffraction. Further checks by electron diffraction of samples cut normal to the axis confirmed this orientation within the larger limits of error inherent in electron diffraction of thin foils. The X-ray orientation was the one used for the two-surface analysis of the martensite habit planes. A two-surface analysis was performed on the quadrant of the single crystal which had been oriented by both X-ray and neutron-diffraction techniques. Photomicrographs at X50 were made on two surfaces along an edge 2 cm long. Fiducial marks and the fact that many of the plates were almost completely surrounded by retained austenite made good matching of individual plates on two surfaces possible. The habit-plane trace on a surface was taken as the best line parallel to the long axis of a plate. A measure of the accuracy afforded by this criterion was provided by a family of very large plates which appeared at intervals along the entire 2 cm length of the edge. The plates all had habit-plane traces within 2 deg of one another. Many of the plates did not show midribs and, therefore, the use of midribs7 to represent habit-plane traces was not feasible in this investigation. The over-all experimental accuracy is estimated to be better than ±2 deg. Samples for transmission examination in a Siemens Elmiskop I at 100 kv were prepared by cutting 2-mm-thick discs from the single crystal, removing about 0.5 mm by chemical polishing,14 trans-

Jan 1, 1965

By Stephen Semeniuk

Discussion by Stephen Semeniuk Discussion As a valuator and SME member, I view Ross D. Lawrence's position as based on unproven and faulty assumptions made with regard to the pragmatic evidence presented in his paper. Moreover, his call for the inclusion of all mineral resources in discounted cash flow valuations is redundant, if not irrelevant, as there are procedures that already take all classes of mineralization into consideration for valuation purposes. In my experience as a valuator, I find that Canadian securities regulators are more than accommodating in allowing any valuations of mineral properties to be based on cash flow calculations. In other business areas, the same regulators usually reject discounted cash flow valuations of projects or businesses with no operating history. Instead, the regulators prefer valuations to be based on other transactions tested in the marketplace. Valuations based on actual market transactions are less subjective than discounted cash flow calculations and/or the capitalization of arbitrary, untested or undemonstrated earnings projections. In the mining and minerals sector, such projections may be made by persons not qualified to make such projections. In support of this statement, I direct readers to the article "Valuation of mineral properties which do not contain exploitable reserves" by Lionel C. Kilburn, which appeared in the August 1990 issue of the CIM Bulletin. To quote from the article: "Value of a mineral property depends basically upon metal prices, recoverable grades, mining and metallurgical practices, commodity supply and demand, and political-economic conditions, all of which vary with time. Five fields of expertise influence the value of a mineral property: •geological engineering, •commodity markets, •financial markets, •stock markets and •mineral property markets. The skills of geologists and engineers properly apply to the first field of expertise. Knowledge and consideration of the other four fields is important, but such advice is more properly sought from marketing experts, economists and stockbrokers." Securities regulators have created no hardship for valuators by excluding unsubstantiated resources in discounted cash flow valuations. In the field of engineering, best design practices apply. A margin of safety is built into the design criteria for any new equipment or structure that will exceed normally expected load levels and stresses, even though such considerations imply higher front end costs. In accounting, the comparable operating principle is conservatism. It explains why, for balancesheet presentation purposes, inventory is stated at cost or market, whichever is the lowest value. Similarly, when the engineering or geoscience-based valuator plays in the field of finance, the rules of accounting and applied economics apply. Regulators in their skepticism of income-based valuations are in tune with similar views already expressed in mining literature. To quote H. Van Tingley, in Mining Magazine, July 1996: "... the DCF method has inherent dangers when applied to undeveloped resources. Firstly, it presents an often-undeserved aura of accuracy. A DCF value is no more accurate than the least accurate of the assumptions incorporated into the calculation - and assumptions

Jan 1, 2003

By S. LeFevre

, The solution of the housing and sanitation problem in mining communities, keeping in view both economic and humanitarian aspects, demands the best thought of the management of such enterprises. Upon the solution depend the health and comfort of the employee and his family, and as a consequence his contentment and efficiency. The following description covcrs briefly the methods installed for Witherbee, Sherman & Co. The operation of the system has been for about two years under the direct supervision of T. A. Hammond, Land Agent, and I am indebted to him for a compilation of the results. Sanitation The sanitary service covers 238 tenements. The installation cost was about $22 per tenement, as follows: Privy, $15; privy box, $3; proportion of incinerator cost, $2; garbage can, $2. The operating cost is $1 per month for each tenement. In considering the installation of an ordinary village system of water supply and sewerage two difficulties were encountered: First, lack of a sufficient quantity of water; there is no stream large enough, as Mineville is situated very close to the divide between the Lake Champlain and Hudson River watersheds. A storage reservoir was tried, but the only location available, among glacial hills, would not hold water. Second, the expense of digging ditches for the distribution of water and sewer pipes is so great as to be prohibitive; Mineville is built chiefly in a valley covered in the bottom with drift, in this case a combination of boulders and hard pan. Digging in this material costs 80c. to $1 per cubic yard, and pipes must be placed 41/2 ft. down to be below frost. The houses are scattered along 4 miles of streets, the oldest having been built in the original forest 65 years ago. The newer houses have gone up a few at a time wherevcr a clear space could be found and the slopes were not too steep. This has advantages, as it separates the dwellings into

Jan 1, 1915

By John H. Johnson

This report covers research which is directed toward the measurement and control of underground mine diesel emissions. The report consists of three separate reports presented as Sections 1, 2, and 3. Section 1 "Emissions Measurement Apparatus" (EMA 1) discusses the selection and evaluation of instruments and procedures to be used as part of a diesel tailpipe emissions dilution and measurement apparatus. The instruments selected for gaseous pollutants are the Energetics Science Inc.* E.S.I.) 2000 for CO, the E.S.I. 7000 for NO and N02, and the Fuji ZFP5 for C02. Particulate matter is presently measured with the Celesco 1013 Smoke Opacity Meter. The raw exhaust concentration of one of these constituents is used Lo calculate the dilution ratio. Either a modified high range E.S.I. 2000 CO instrument or a Daco Products Cobra C02 instrument can be used, but neither is totally satisfactory. The study also indicated that it may he possible to increase the sample collection time from 15 seconds to the total 30 seconds over which the engine can be loaded without increasing the probability of damaging the vehicle hydraulic systems. Section 2 "The Effect of Fuels, Catalysts and a Filter Trap on Drift Pollutant Concentrations" discusses research in the Mine Air Quality Laboratory. A Wagner ST5D LHD with a Deutz F8L714 engine was used to compare three exhaust aftertreatment devices and a muffler-only system. The effect of these four systems on CO, C02, NO and N02 and on total, soluble, sulfate, and solid particulate matter was measured in the drift and on the LHD. The filter trap successfully reduced particulate matter for both fuels without significantly increasing the concentrations of any of the other constituents. The PTX catalyst was effective in reducing CO, and soluble particulate, but significantly increased N02 and solid and sulfate particulate matter. The Oxy Cat catalyst tested didn't seem to he working on the gases, and it significantly increased sulfate, soluble arid solid particulate concentrations. Section 3 "Diesel/Coal Particulate Matter Characterization by Laser Raman Spectroscopy" covers basic research on a method for determining the percentage by weight of diesel particulate on a filter containing a diesel-coal mixture. Signal-averaged Raman spectra provide the necessary precision. The method developed is non-destructive and uses as-received filters requiring no sample manipulation. Particulate with diesel contents in the range of 10 to 50% by weight have been analyzed with accuracies better than 6%t of the mean value. A number of samples containing diesel-coal mixtures were characterized by the procedures developed and the results are analyzed in light of various spectral and other system variables including coal rank and form and diesel engine operating conditions.

Jan 1, 1982

By R. G. B. Pickering, B. Ebner

The hard rock gold and platinum mines in South Africa have seen little development in the technology of mining. Holes are still drilled in the rock—though the latest water hydraulic rockdrills will complete that task in two minutes compared with the eight hours for hand drilling. Charging up is with far safer explosives and with available initiation systems it is no longer necessary to run up the face lighting each fuse. Movement of rock in the stope is predominantly by means of scraper buckets and scraper winches — these were first introduced in the 1920s.Support is still mainly rock, either in sit pillars or backfill, or alternatively wood. Just as themining process has changed very little it is hardly surprising that the productivity of mining is also relatively unchanged. Major efforts have been made to mechanize the mining process. However, most of the narrow reef mines where ‘trackless mechanized mining’ was introduced in the early 1980s have reverted to conventional mining. In the wider reefs mechanized mining is the option of choice, unfortunately most of the gold and platinum mines have very narrow reefs that are not suitable to’ off the shelf’ equipment. The move to introduce room-and-pillar mining into the narrow UG2reefs is at the expense of mining more waste with the reef, fortunately it appears that appropriate waste and reef separation processes are available. Room-and-pillar mining followed by long holedrilling and blasting of a narrow slot of reef out of the pillars currently appears to offer the best of both worlds—maximum reef recovery with minimum waste dilution. All these mining methods are still dependent on blasting to break the rock. The cyclic nature of mining by blasting places severe constraints on the rate of face advance that can be achieved and consequently the utilization of the invested capital. For narrow reef hard rock mining to break out of these constraints and to really make progress in the 21st century it is necessary to follow the lead of the soft rock mining industry and change the technology of mining. In the underground coal mining industry, coal cutting has been proved to be the most cost-effective solution. In narrow reef hard rock mining the future must be based on the development of non-explosive methods of rock breaking that in turn are integrated into continuous mining systems. Non-explosive so that the mining operation can be conducted on a continuous basis, with nodelays for the removal of blasting fumes. Continuous mining also maximizes the return on the capital invested in developing the mine. Rock cutting will define the stope width and that in turn will be designed to minimize waste dilution; it will also minimize damage to the hanging and create a safer environment. Mechanization makes it possible to automate the mining process and further improve safety by positioning the operators in a safer environment. This paper defines the work to evaluate cutting processes carried out by Sandvik TamrockVoest Alpine. The evaluation was in the UG2 and the pyroxenite and norite typical of the Merensky Platinum Reefs. A novel form of mining machine is proposed that will utilize existing technology. Finally the paper describes the interaction between Sandvik Tamrock Voest Alpineand Lonmin Platinum and the initiation of an agreement to develop and trial a prototype hard rock narrow reef mining machine.

Sep 1, 2001

By R. A. Vandermeer, J. C. Ogle

The preferred crystallographic orientations (texture) developed in randomly oriented, poly crystalline niobium during rolling were studied by means of X-ray diflraction techniques. The evolution of texture at both the surface and center regions of the rolled strip was carefully examined as a function of increasing defamation throughout the range 43 to 99.5 pct reduction in thickness. Certain aspects of the center texture development in niobium are in agreement with the predictions of a theory by Dillamore and Roberts, but others cannot be explained by the theory in its present form. Above 87 pct reduction by rolling, a distinctly different texture appeared in the surface layers which was unlike the center texture. The present results are compared with previous results obtained from other bcc metals and alloys. RANDOMLY oriented, poly crystalline metal aggregates when plastically deformed to a sufficiently large extent develop preferred orientations or textures. In a recent review article, Dillamore and Roberts1 pointed out that the nature of the developed texture may be influenced by a large number of variables. These include both material variables such as crystal structure and composition and treatment variables such as stress system, amount of deformation, deformation temperature, strain rate, prior thermal-mechanical history, and so forth. From a practical point of view, the control of preferred orientation may often be important for the successful fabrication of metals into usable components. During the past few decades many experiments have been devoted to the study of deformation textures. This work, however, has been confined in large part to metals and alloys that have an fcc crystal lattice. By comparison, bcc metals and alloys have received much less attention, and consequently our understanding of preferred orientations in these materials is only shallow. This state of affairs worsens when it is realized that almost all of our present howledge about this class of materials derives from studies on irons and steels.' The bcc refractory metals, which are relative newcomers to the industrial world, have, on the other hand, been given at best only passing glances in the area of texture development. Our understanding of the evolution of preferred orientations in bcc metals can only remain fairly limited until systematic studies of metals and alloys other than the irons and steels have been carried out and the influence of the many variables has been determined. To that end a program was initiated to investigate in detail texture development in niobium. The present paper reports some of the results of this study. Textures were determined at both the center and surface of strips rolled variously to as much as 99.5 pct reduction in thickness at subzero temperatures. Emphasis in this paper is on texture description and on texture evolution during rolling to progressively heavier deformation. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The niobium was purchased from the Wah Chang Corp. as a 3-in.-diam electron-beam-melted billet. Chemical analysis indicated the impurities to be less than 300 ppm Ta, 40 ppm C, 10 ppm H, 170 ppm 0, and 110 ppm N. All other impurities were below the limits of detection by spectrochemical analysis. This large-grained billet was fabricated into specimen stock so that a fine-grained randomly oriented grain structure resulted. This was accomplished in three deformation steps alternated with recrystalli-zation anneals of 1 hr at 1200°C in a vacuum of low 10"6 Torr range after each deformation step. The first step was to alternately compress the billet 10 to 20 pct in each of three orthogonal directions. The second step was to compress in only two directions 90 deg apart to produce a 2-in.-sq bar. The final step was to roll this bar 50 pct to give a 1-in. by 2-in. cross section. After the final anneal, metallo-graphic examination showed the material to have an average grain size equivalent to ASTM No. 5 at 100 times (i.e., 0.065 in. diam). Specimens cut from the center and edges of this bar gave no indication of detectable preferred orientation when examined by X-ray diffraction. Samples 1.5 in. long, either 0.625 or 0.750 in. wide, and approximately 0.400 in. thick were machined from this fabricated ingot. The surfaces corresponding to the rolling planes were ground so as to be parallel. The samples were chemically polished in a solution of 60 pct nitric acid and 40 pct hydrofluoric acid (48 pct solution) prior to rolling to remove any cold work introduced in the machining operations. Rolling was accomplished with a 2-high hand-operated laboratory rolling mill that had 2.72-in.-diam rolls. Prior to operation, the rolls were polished with 600 grit paper, cleaned with acetone, and then soaked in a container of liquid nitrogen for several hours. The samples were also soaked in liquid nitrogen prior to rolling and were recooled between each pass. While some slight heating of the samples occurred during rolling, this procedure maintained the sample temperature well below 0°C at all times. The samples were rolled unidirectionally, and the rolling plane surfaces were not inverted during any phase of the operation. The draft per pass averaged between 0.010 to 0.012 in. After 96 or 97 pct reduction the draft was reduced to 0.001 to 0.002 in. per pass. Samples were rolled to various reductions in thickness between 43 and 99.5 pct.

Jan 1, 1969

By Nicholas J. Grant, Oliver Preston

PUBLICATION of data by Irmann' indicating outstanding thermal stability and elevated-temperature strength properties in a sintered aluminum powder product (SAP) stimulated interest in the strengthening of metals by means of a highly dispersed oxide phase. This material was produced by compacting, sintering and extruding a fine flake aluminum powder, resulting in a dense product containing 10 to 16 volume pct alumina, which arises from the thin oxide film on the starting powder, highly dispersed in a matrix of pure aluminum. The method of producing SAP, and the stable high-temperature properties obtained from it, introduced the possibility of developing superior materials for high-temperature service by powder metallurgy methods. The composition of the materials of this type which are presently under consideration is predominantly metallic, containing from less than 1 pct up to about 20 volume pct of the oxide. As a result, other properties of these materials, such as electrical and thermal conductivity, thermal shock resistance, and to a certain extent ductility, notch sensitivity, machinability and hot working properties, are also predominantly metallic. These alloys do not constitute, therefore, a completely new class of materials as do the cermets, but rather present a new means of modifying the properties of a metallic matrix. In this sense, SAP type alloys are more closely analogous to the alloy aging systems. While the strength properties realized in the oxide-pure metal systems at the lower temperatures are substantially less than the best attainable in the aging systems, the thermal instabilities in the latter make them of less value for use at temperature much above their optimum aging temperatures, as indicated in Fig. 1. While the means of obtaining an oxide dispersion are more difficult and costly than conventional aging processes, in the light of the as yet limited understanding of such systems there is considerable promise of improved high temperature properties arising from the thermal stability of these structures. Since the development of SAP in 1946, its properties and the properties of a series of similarAl,O,-A1 products containing from about 1 to 20 pct aluminum oxide have been fairly extensively studied and reported.'- "articular attention has been given to

Jan 1, 1958

By K. E. Brown, F. W. Jessen

By utilizing an 8,000-ft experimental field well equipped with 10 gas-lift valves and 10 Maihak pressure recorders, gas-lift tests were conducted with port sizes ranging from 5/16 through I in. The well was equipped to provide accurate means of measuring surface pressures, temperatures, quantity of injection gas and fluid production. The tests were conducted in 2%-in. OD tubing, and the well was making 95 per cent water. A complete evaluation of gas-lift-valve port sizes shows the relationship of per cent recovery, gas-liquid ratios, minimum pressure created at the operating valve and horsepower requirements for each port. The length of time necessary for the fluid in the tubing to reach equilib.rium conditions after each cycle was recorded. Fallback of fluid at depths of 477, 969, 1,685, 2,493 and 4,290 ft was noted. For each port size, pressure loads of 2.50, 300, 350, 400 and 450 psi were lifted with a valve operating at approximately 550 psi at 6,000 ft. Gas-liquid ratios for each load were varied from excess gas to a gas volume per cycle whereby the load failed to reach the surface. Numerous curves are presented in evaluating the accumulated dara. The results show a 1-in. port to be the most efficient under all conditions. The production of intermittent liquid slugs against different-sized surface chokes was evaluated. These tests were conducted from a 7/16-in. ported valve at 4,072 ft. Tests indicate that, when possible, a %-in. in diameter choke or larger should be used at the surface. In the past few years most of the advancement in gas-lift operations has been made in continuous-flow operations. Yet, it is estimated that at least 70 per cent of the wells on gas lift in the United States are of the intermittent type. Since the term "slug flow" is sometimes used in both intermittent- and continuous-flow operations, it would be well to distinguish between the two types of flow. Continuous-flow gas lift is defined as a method whereby the fluids are produced at a continuous rate at the surface. This generally requires a continuous injection of gas through a surface choke; however, various other control devices sometimes are installed to eliminate freezing, to shut-off gas during natural flow periods, etc. The actual flow of fluids in the tubing may be of the slug type (one of many flow patterns known to exist in continuous flow). Intermittent flow is defined as a method of gas lift whereby the liquid is produced in separate piston-type slugs. Perhaps this type of flow could best be thought of as a ballistic-type flow where the liquid leaves bottom as a piston, propelled by a slug of expanding gas. Gas generally is injected through some type of control at the surface at predetermined intervals. However, the valve may have characteristics whereby gas can be injected through a small choke and still result in a ballistic-type flow. The purpose of the experimental work was to evaluate the most efficient port size to be used on the operating valve for the ballistic type of lift and, in addition, to establish the importance of utilizing a surface choke large enough to allow slugs to be produced without detrimental effects. This work is part of a compre- hensive study of both intermittent-and continuous-flow gas lift, representing a joint project conducted by the Ohio Oil Co., the Sun Oil Co., Otis Engineering Corp, and The U. of Texas. The problem of evaluating port sizes has been given little previous attention. Some work undoubtedly has been done which has not been published to date. Some tests were conducted when the wireline, mechanically-opened valve (Nixon) first came on the market. This valve was capable of utilizing full tubing area as its port size. It is known that this was a very efficient valve, but to the authors' knowledge the results of tests have never been published. EXPERIMENTAL EQUIPMENT These tests were conducted on an actual field well, the Ohio-Sun Unit Well No. 2-E, in the North Markham-North Bay City field, Matagorda County, Tex. The well incorporated 23/8-in. OD tubing and produced 95 per cent water. Since the running of equipment was to be quite elaborate and expensive, a well was selected in which both intermittent- and continuous-flow tests could be conducted. This particular well was capable of producing in excess of 1,000 B/D of liquid (95 per cent salt water), yet with a 3/64-in. in diameter bottom-hole choke, production was controlled to 82 B/D. Most of the intermittent tests were conducted at this low rate. Figs. 1 and 2 show all the surface and down-hole equipment. As can be seen, every attempt was made to insure that ample equipment was available for reliable testing procedures. Fig. 1 shows the surface testing equipment. The input gas was controlled first by a regulator, then

By Jean Howard

ThE formation of the (100) [001) texture in 3-1/4 pct Si-Fe strip was first reported by Assmus ef a1.l in 1957. Since then much experimental work has been carried out with a view to establishing the mechanism involved. The papers cited above state that the (100) [001] texture was developed in strip rolled from material melted and cast in vacuum. (The impurity content of the ingot is reported as 0.005 pct.) The present note records that similar results can be obtained in material processed by powder metallurgy. A processing schedule is described.which enables the texture to be formed in strip up to 0.010 in. thick, but there seems no reason why this should not be achieved in thicker strip, provided that large grains are developed after sintering. The materials were prepared from Carbonyl Iron Powder Grade MCP (particle size 5 to 30 p) of the International Nickel Co. (Mond) Ltd. The powder contains about 0.15 pct 0, 0.01 pct C, 0.004 pct N, <0.002 pct S, $0.005 pct Mg and Si, and 0.4 pct Ni— that is, it is substantially free from metallic impurities other than nickel, which is thought to be unimportant in the present work. The silicon powder was 99.9 pct purity, or material of transistor quality (ground in pestle and mortar). The mixed powders (3-1/4 pct Si to 96-3/4 pct Fe) are heated in hydrogen at 350" and 650°C to deoxidize the iron before sintering loose at temperatures between 1350" and 1460°C (depending upon the ultimate thickness of strip required) for up to 24 hr. The object of the high-temperature sinter is to develop a large grain size at this stage. Alternatively, the loose sintering can be done at a lower temperature followed by rolling or pressing and then annealing at temperatures between 1350" and 1460°C. Both methods produce large grains, which remain large throughout the process. The compact is then hot-rolled to approximately 1/8 in. with high-temperature interstage anneals if necessary. This step is taken to avoid intercrystalline cracking which would occur if the material of such large grain size were cold-worked. The bar is then annealed at 1050°C and reduced to its final thickness by approximately 50-pct reductions and 1050°C interstage anneals. Throughout the process the dew point of the hydrogen furnace atmosphere is maintained at about -40°C. Samples were annealed in hydrogen at various temperatures and times. Secondary recrystalliza-tion to (100) [001] was developed on the thinner material (i.e., up to 0.002 in.) by annealing in hydrogen at 1050" to 1200°C with a dew point of - 40°C or in vacuum (10-5 Torr) at 1050°C. With the thicker materials (i.e., up to 0.010 in.) the best results were obtained by annealing in hydrogen at 1200°C with a dew point of - 55°C. Complete secondary recrystal-lization to (100) [001] textures was obtained. Above these temperatures secondary recrystallization to (110) [001] tended to develop. The final annealing of samples was normally carried out with the samples placed between recrystal-lized alumina plates, but some experiments were performed with the samples suspended so that their surfaces were not in contact with anything except hydrogen, and these were equally successful in developing secondary crystals. An approximate determination of the proportion of material (before secondary recrystallization took place) having crystals with the (100) or (110) planes in or near the rolling plane showed that 11 pct of the sample had (100) and 16 pct (110). The method used for the determination is described below. A sample was annealed at a temperature just below the secondary recrystallization temperature and etched to reveal the (100) planes. The approximate area covered by crystals having (100) or (110) in or very near the surface was measured on the screen of a Vickers projection microscope. This was repeated for twenty positions chosen at random and a mean of the results calculated. The main hindrance to developing the secondary crystals in the thicker materials was the difficulty of obtaining a large enough initial primary grain size before secondary recrystallization. This was overcome by increasing the particle size of the silicon powder used. During the course of the work, it had been observed that the larger the grain size after sintering the more likely it was that the material would be successful in developing secondary crystals at a later stage. An experiment was therefore carried out to determine whether the material with the larger grain was more successful in developing secondary crystals due to the large grain produced at the sintering state per se or whether it was due to the greater reduction of silica brought about when the sintering temperature was raised in order to increase the grain size. A comparison was made between two compacts, one of which was made with silicon powder of 60 to 100 mesh, the other with silicon powder which was finer than 200 mesh. F?r this experiment, use was made of a phenomenon previously observed that the larger the particle size of the silicon powder employed in making a compact, the larger is the grain size of the compact. The silicon powder was ground

Jan 1, 1964

By S. J. Bluhm

INTRODUCTION Lesotho is a mountainous area of southern Africa from which water is to be exported in an extensive tunnel system, to industrial regions inland. The related tunnelling project has involved a num- ber of drives using tunnel boring machines [TBMs] to excavate about 100 km of 5 m diameter water tunnels [von Glehn and Bluhm, 1995). This paper describes the ventilation and cooling of some of the tunnel drives from both the operational and design points-of-view with a particular focus on heat generation. There were many common features in all of the drives but this paper is focused mainly on the Hlotse drive which was 18,4 km long. The drives were ventilated using forced ventilation systems to provide appropriate air flow throughout the tunnels and face zones. In addition, the Hlotse drive required refrigeration equip- ment which provided chilled water to the tunnel. While the sec- ondary ventilation systems play an important role in gas and dust handling, the paper concentrates on the primary ventilation and cooling issues. The ventilation of these tunnels was an exacting exercise be- cause: • Rock temperatures and geothermal heat flow were high. • TBMs with relatively high power ratings were used. • Diesel locomotives were used. • Drives were relatively long. • High altitude meant a low air density. An important feature was the simulation and monitoring of the ventilation and heat flow components and the project was characterised by analysis, monitoring and ongoing tactical decision-making throughout the progress. The thermodynamics of the systems were complex because there were many interactive effects and analyses were carried out using special computer pro- grams. The monitoring confirmed the accuracy of the models, and in this manner it was possible to confidently ensure healthy and safe working conditions and still minimise costs. Local ambient climate conditions range from temperatures higher than 35 "C in summer to below -10 OC in winter. Based on available statistical data and the thermal storage/damping effects in the system, design summer ambient conditions were taken as 15 OC/25 "C wet-bulb/dry-bulb. The barometric pressure was 80 kPa and due to the altitude, the ambient air density was only 0,9 kg/m3. The local Authority specified a maximum in-tunnel wet- bulb temperature [at any point] of 32,O OC and a mean wet-bulb temperature [from all locations] of 27,5 OC maximum. The maxi- mum height of ground cover above the tunnel was 1 200 m and the maximum virgin rock temperature was 41 OC; see Figure 1. Diesel dilution criteria specified by the local Authority was a minimum of 0.1 m3/s per rated kW of diesel engine. Other requirements related to gases such as CO, CO2, NOx and CH4 [and the need for intrinsically safe equipment] but these are not of direct relevance to this paper. The actual average face advance was about 30 m/d with good days achieving 60 m/d and good months achieving 1 000 m [23 working days]. The original design tunnelling rate was 50 m/d. DESCRIPTION OF HLOTSE DRIVE VENTILATION AND COOLING SYSTEM The ventilation requirements in the tunnels were dictated by heat and diesel dilution needs. The best ventilation and cooling policy is generally a balance between using increased quantities of fresh air or refrigeration [or both]. In this particular scenario it turned out that, since the diesel emission criteria required large quantities of air, the refrigeration needs were modest. The drive was ventilated using a ducted, forced ventilation system from fans located at the portal. The maximum ventilation requirement was 51 m3/s when the drive was at 18.4 km. From a heat flow point of view, the worst scenario was a heat load of 3.5 MW when the drive was at 7 km. This was cooled by the ventilation air and a supply of chilled water to the tunnel. Refrigeration and chilled water system In the design phase, a detailed comparison was carried out between two general alternatives for providing refrigeration. First, was a system in which refrigeration sets and air coolers are installed on the TBM train; the refrigeration sets are cooled by condenser water piped to and from cooling towers at the portal. Second, was a system in which refrigeration water chillers are in- stalled at the portal and chilled water is piped into the tunnel. The detailed comparison indicated that the capital and running costs of the second system were at least 60 % lower than the in-tunnel plant. There were also many obvious practical benefits for favouring the portal system. The refrigeration plant supplied 23 11s of cold water at a temperature of 10 OC. After providing the cooling effect in the drive, the water returned to the portal where it was initially cooled in open-circuit evaporative pre-cooling towers, chilled in the refrigeration plant and then returned to the tunnel. The cold water flowed into the tunnel in an insulated supply pipe and returned in an uninsulated pipe; the water was simply circulated to the end of the pipe and returned. The cooling effect in the tunnel was achieved entirely through heat transfer from the pipe [long linear heat exchanger] and no air coils or other heat exchangers were required. The cooling requirements were satisfied by the heat transfer to the returns chilled water steel pipe [200 mm]. The pipes were eventually installed to a maximum distance of 10,8 km in what was considered a very practical and cost effective solution.

Jan 1, 1997

By Herbert H. Kellogg

In 1930, Taggart, Taylor and Knoll1 found that addition of various electrolytes to suspensions of ground minerals resulted in the stopping or starting of Brownian movement of the suspended particles. On the basis of the many new facts found, they rejected the " classical"† theory of Brownian movement and proposed an "ioniza-tion " theory. This new theory was further supported in later publications by Taggart.3,4 The acceptance of the ionization theory by men in the field of flotation may be judged by the mention given this theory in Gaudin&apos;s "Principles of Mineral Dressing,&apos;16 Wark&apos;s "Principles of Flotation,"8 as well as in a recent paper by Fitt, Thomas and Taggart.7 The proponents of the ionization theory have gone further than the mere statement of the new theory. A parallelism between the Brownian movement of mineral particles and their behavior in flotation was reported.1,3,4 Likewise, the correlation between flocculation-dispersion of mineral particles and the Brownian movement of these particles has been investigated.&apos; Bankoffl5 has suggested that "slime-coating" can also be directly correlated with the Brownian movement of the slime particles. In each of the instances mentioned it is the ionization theory of Brownian movement that has been used to "explain" the correlations that were found. The essential conflict between the kinetic theory and the ionization theory can be understood best by a brief description of each. The kinetic theory* proposes that Brownian movement is caused by the impacts of liquid molecules against the solid particles. At any instant of time, the molecular impacts on all sides of the solid particle will not balance, and the particle will receive a push in some direction. According to this theory, dl particles suspended in a liquid are in Brownian movement. However, if the particle is very large, the impacts on all sides will very nearly balance and the motion will not be noticeable. Another factor, besides the size of the particle, that affects the magnitude of the Brownian movement is the viscosity of the liquid—the greater the viscosity, the less the displacement of particles by Brownian movement. This theory has been verified experimentally by measurement of the velocity of Brownian movement, and by measurement of the compacting of suspensoid particles under the influence of gravity.2 The originators of the ionization theory found that he addition of various electrolytes to slime pulps caused cessation or commencement of Brownian movement, depending upon the chemical nature of the particle and the electrolyte. The Brownian movement of quartz particles was observed to stop upon the addition of Certain electrolytes, where the conditions of the experiment prevented flocculation

Jan 1, 1947

By Herbert H. Kellogg

IN 1930, Taggart, Taylor and Knoll1found that addition of various electrolytes to suspensions of ground minerals resulted in the stopping or starting of Brownian movement of the suspended particles. On the basis of the many new facts found, they rejected the "classical "[t] theory of Brownian movement and proposed an "ionization" theory. This new theory was further supported in later publications by Taggart.3,4 The acceptance of the ionization theory by men in the field of flotation may be judged by the mention given this theory in Gaudin&apos;s "Principles of Mineral Dressing,"5 Wark&apos;s "Principles of Flotation,"6 as well as in a recent paper by Fitt, Thomas and Taggart.7 The proponents of the ionization theory have gone further than the mere statement of the new theory. A parallelism between the Brownian movement of mineral particles and their behavior in flotation was reported.1,3,4 Likewise, the correlation between flocculation-dispersion of mineral particles and the Brownian movement of these particles has been investigated.7 Bankoff15 has suggested that "slime-coating" can also be directly correlated with the Brownian movement of the slime particles. In each of the instances mentioned it is the ionization theory of Brownian movement that has been used to "explain" the correlations that were found. The essential conflict between the kinetic theory and the ionization theory can be understood best by a brief description of each. The kinetic theory* proposes that Brownian movement is caused by the impacts of liquid molecules against the solid particles. At any instant of time, the molecular impacts on all sides of the solid particle will not balance, and the particle will receive a push in some direction. According to this theory, all particles suspended in a liquid are in Brownian movement. However, if the particle is very large, the impacts on all sides will very nearly balance and the motion will not be noticeable. Another factor, besides the size of the particle, that affects the magnitude of the Brownian movement is the viscosity of the liquid-the greater the viscosity, the less the displacement of particles by Brownian movement. This theory has been verified experimentally by measurement of the velocity of Brownian movement, and by measurement of the compacting of suspensoid particles under the influence of gravity.2 The originators of the ionization theory found that the addition of various electrolytes to slime pulps caused cessation or commencement of Brownian movement, depending upon the chemical nature of the particle and the electrolyte. The Brownian movement of quartz particles was observed to stop upon the addition of certain electrolytes, where the conditions of the experiment prevented flocculation

Jan 1, 1945

By Herbert H. Kellogg

In 1930, Taggart, Taylor and Knoll1 found that addition of various electrolytes to suspensions of ground minerals resulted in the stopping or starting of Brownian movement of the suspended particles. On the basis of the many new facts found, they rejected the " classical"† theory of Brownian movement and proposed an "ioniza-tion " theory. This new theory was further supported in later publications by Taggart.3,4 The acceptance of the ionization theory by men in the field of flotation may be judged by the mention given this theory in Gaudin&apos;s "Principles of Mineral Dressing,&apos;16 Wark&apos;s "Principles of Flotation,"8 as well as in a recent paper by Fitt, Thomas and Taggart.7 The proponents of the ionization theory have gone further than the mere statement of the new theory. A parallelism between the Brownian movement of mineral particles and their behavior in flotation was reported.1,3,4 Likewise, the correlation between flocculation-dispersion of mineral particles and the Brownian movement of these particles has been investigated.&apos; Bankoffl5 has suggested that "slime-coating" can also be directly correlated with the Brownian movement of the slime particles. In each of the instances mentioned it is the ionization theory of Brownian movement that has been used to "explain" the correlations that were found. The essential conflict between the kinetic theory and the ionization theory can be understood best by a brief description of each. The kinetic theory* proposes that Brownian movement is caused by the impacts of liquid molecules against the solid particles. At any instant of time, the molecular impacts on all sides of the solid particle will not balance, and the particle will receive a push in some direction. According to this theory, dl particles suspended in a liquid are in Brownian movement. However, if the particle is very large, the impacts on all sides will very nearly balance and the motion will not be noticeable. Another factor, besides the size of the particle, that affects the magnitude of the Brownian movement is the viscosity of the liquid—the greater the viscosity, the less the displacement of particles by Brownian movement. This theory has been verified experimentally by measurement of the velocity of Brownian movement, and by measurement of the compacting of suspensoid particles under the influence of gravity.2 The originators of the ionization theory found that he addition of various electrolytes to slime pulps caused cessation or commencement of Brownian movement, depending upon the chemical nature of the particle and the electrolyte. The Brownian movement of quartz particles was observed to stop upon the addition of Certain electrolytes, where the conditions of the experiment prevented flocculation

Jan 1, 1947