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By R. A. Garling

INTRODUCTION Since the infancy of in situ uranium mining, a growing number of hydrometallurgical processes have been incorporated into pilot and commercial scale flowsheets. Although initial design efforts were geared toward maximizing uranium recovery and minimizing plant and wellfield flow circuit maintenance, recent emphasis has shifted to improved means of water conservation and aquifer restoration. As mining units approached depletion, evaporation ponds reached minimum freeboard, and state and federal agencies demanded proof of groundwater restoration, processes including mixed bed and conventional ion exchange, reverse osmosis and electrodialysis were adopted by the industry. These units served the additional function of reducing process bleed flows during mining in states where the deep disposal well permitting ice remains unbroken. This report concerns the use of electrodialysis as an alternative to the more conventional processes used in in situ mining. In addition to a brief history and description of the process, a comparison to reverse osmosis and operational data derived from testing an Ionics, Inc. 1.31 x 10-3 m /s (30,000 gallon/day) unit at the Teton-Nedco Leuenberger Research and Development pilot will be presented. HISTORY Commercially practicable electrodialysis was contingent upon the development of synthetic ion exchange membranes in 1940's. In 1952, Ionics Inc. demonstrated that the process was amenable to the treatment of salt and brackish water and, in 1954, made their first commercial sale. The following decade saw several major electrodialysis unit sales which were generally targeted for use on private or municipal potable water treatment. Major increases in membrane desalting unit capacities, facilitated by technological advances in the reserve osmosis industry, were noted during the 1970's. The development of polarity reversing electrodialysis equipment which reduced feed pretreatment requirements, increased water recovery rates, and simplified unit operation, kept Ionics Inc. competetive in the water treatment industry. Engineering advances which incorporated automated equipment, non-corrosive construction materials, and improved ion exchange membranes allowed the electrodialysis process to compete in industrial waste treatment among other commercial markets. PROCESS AND APPARATUS DESCRIPTION The electrodialysis process utilizes direct electrical current passed across a stack of alternating cation and anion selective membranes in order to achieve an electrochemical separation of ionized materials in an aqueous solution. The membrane stack has the appearance of a plate and frame filter press and auxilliary equipment includes solution pumps, electrically actuated valves, filters, piping and a direct current power source. The ion separation membranes are thin sheets of synthetic cation or anion selective resins. Attaching sulfonate or quaternary ammonium groups to the cross linked copolymer structure determines the ion selectivity of the membrane. The membranes are separated from each other in the stack by non-conductive spacers that house flow channels which route the flow tortuously and parallel to the membranes. Direct electrical current passing perpendicularly to the membranes and solution passages attracts cations toward the cathode and anions toward the anode (Figure 1). As the ions from the feed stream pass through the ion selective membranes, they become concentrated in the adjacent brine channel and are retained there by the combined attractive force of the electrode and the repelling force of the next membrane toward the electrode. Limiting factors on the degree of demineralization possible include chemical solubilities in the brine flow and the current density that will produce an unacceptable degree of polarization (Figure 1). Feed or brine solution treatment with complexing agents or acids has been successfully applied to prevent membrane scaling. Polarization can occur when sufficient current density is applied to dissociate water in the ion depleted region of the diluting compartments near the membrane surfaces. Significant polarization is evidenced by large electrical resistances across cell pairs and notable pH differences between diluting and concentrating streams. Limiting current densities have been increased in U.S. manufactured equipment by utilizing tortuous flow paths of relatively high linear velocities thereby promoting continous solution mixing. Energy consumption is due to separating electrolytes and solutions, oxidation and reduction reactions occurring in electrode compartments, overcoming electrical resistance, conversion from AC to DC power, solution pumping and auxiliary equipment actuation. A major improvement to the basic electrodialysis process was applied in 1970 which resulted in frequent, automatic cleaning and descaling of membrane surfaces. The process, polarity reversal, incorporates alternating the cathode and anode on a periodic basis while exchanging product and brine flow channels via electrically actuated values. The reversal reduces the potential of stack plugging with CaCO3 (calcite), CaSO4 (gypsum), and colloidal materials and, in most waters, eliminates feed pre-treatment requirements. For approximately two minutes during and following the reversal, off spec. water is flushed to waste or reintroduced to the feed supply. The usual feed treatment on polarity reversing electro-

Jan 1, 1982

By J. M. Smith, T. R. Horton, R. L. Blanchard, T. W. Fowler

INTRODUCTION Uranium mining operations release radioactive materials into both air and water and generate large quantities of solid wastes containing low levels of radioactive materials. Solid wastes produced by mining operations remain on the surface at many inactive mining sites in the Western United States. These mining effluents may present a potential health and environmental hazard. Therefore, Congress, in Section 114(c) of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, instructed the Administrator of EPA to prepare a report identifying the location and potential health, safety, and environmental hazards of uranium mine wastes and to recommend a program to eliminate these hazards. Several facts and limitations helped shape the method and approach of the EPA study. Little information on uranium mines was available; measurement information that was available on uranium mine wastes was frequently influenced (biased) by nearby uranium mills; time and resources did not permit comprehensive field studies to provide additional data; and there are inherent variations between uranium mines and sites that complicate generic assessments of mine wastes. To accommodate these facts, the EPA developed conceptual models of uranium mines and made health and environmental projections from them. The models were based upon available data from the literature, supplemented with information from discussions with persons inside and outside the EPA, and by doing several short-term field studies in Texas, New Mexico, and Wyoming. When necessary, conservative (maximizing) assumptions were employed. This paper presents a brief account of a part of the EPA study dealing with the potential health and environmental effects caused by active surface and underground uranium mines. Airborne contaminants are emphasized, although solid and liquid effluents are also included. Due to the limited space, only the methods and parameters used and the results of the assessments will be presented here. Anyone interested in the source of the data used and the development of the parameters should refer to the EPA report (Blanchard et al., 1981). The occurrence and emissions of stable elements were included in the EPA report, however, due to space limitations and their apparent small impact, except for possibly at some specific mines, only radioactive sources will be included in this presentation. MODEL URANIUM MINES The model surface mine was located in the South Powder River Basin of Wyoming and the model underground mine was located in the Ambrosia Lake area of New Mexico. These are the prevalent type mines in those areas. The model mines were based on the average production parameters of the 63 open pit mines and the 256 underground mines that were operating in the United States in 1978 (Department of Energy, 1979) and on a report of an extensive study of open pit mines in Wyoming (Nielson et al., 1979). Information contained in environmental impact statements and in reports from federal and state agencies was also used. Parameters for the model mines are listed in Table 1. The surface mining scenario is that 7 pits are opened in the 17-year mine life with overburden from each successively mined pit used to backfill a previously completed pit, resulting in an equivalent of one pit of overburden (2.4 year production) stored on the surface. No backfilling is assumed at the underground mine. Overburden or waste rock, ore, and sub-ore are separated into separate piles that are either rectangular in shape with length twice the width or in the shape of a frustum of a regular cone. Both shapes have 45 degree sloping sides. To account for bulking, the volume of the material comprising the piles was considered to be 25% greater than the volume of material removed from the ground. It was assumed that dewatering was required at both mine sites. Wastewater discharge rates at the surface and underground mines were assumed to be 3.0 and 2.0 cu m per min, respectively. SOURCE TERMS The following radioactive contaminants at active uranium mines were assessed in the EPA report: 1. Radioactive particulates in a) wind suspended dust from waste rock (overburden) pile, sub-ore pile, ore stockpile, b) suspended dust from mining activities (rock breakage, loading and unloading ore and wastes), and c) vehicular dust, 2. Rn-222 emanation from waste rock (overburden) pile, sub-ore pile, ore stockpile, and mining activities, 3. Rn-222 emanation from mine surface areas, and 4. Radionuclides in wastewater discharged to land surface. Estimated average annual dust emissions (item 1 above) from the model mines are listed in Table 2. Emission factors and the assumptions used to estimate these dust emissions are described in detail in the EPA report. Radioactive source terms were computed for each of the sources; dust emissions were multiplied by the concentrations listed in Table 1

Jan 1, 1981

By T. D. Tiemann

The chemical and mineralogical composition of Caribbean bauxite ores are described. Extraction of alumina by several processes from both Haiti and Jamaica bauxites is discussed and data presented. IMMENSE deposits of bauxite occur in the Caribbean islands of Hispaniola and Jamaica in the high plateau lands and have been excellently described by 0. C. Schmedeman.' The bauxite occurs as deposits in catchments or etched depressions in Tertiary limestone believed to have been deposited in the Eocene and Oligocene periods.' In appearance both the Haiti and Jamaica bauxites resemble a relatively high iron clay and have indeed been mistaken for such.' They are very soft and friable and disperse readily on vigorous agitation in water. The color range in general is light brown to red. Chemically, the outstanding characteristic of the bauxites is the low silica and high ferric oxide content. The extremely low silica makes them particularly valuable for the production of alumina in the Bayer plant since silica is responsible for the loss of both alumina and soda chemically combined as XNa,OYSiO2,ZAl2O2. The ferric oxide, only traces of ferrous iron are present, offers no interference in the production of high grade alumina. Typical oxide analyses of three types of ore are given in Table I2 and a list of the elements occurring in spectrographic quantities in Table 11." The size of the individual particles in the ore makes successful petrographic examination extremely difficult. The ores contain some relatively coarse grains of heavy minerals such as ilmenite, magnetite, and rutile, but other than occasional crystals of a few microns, the greater portion of the minerals are submicroscopic in size and approach colloidal dimensions. The mineralogic composition of the ores has been investigated by X-ray and differential thermal analysis.' These investigations indicate that the predominant mineral phases present are gibbsite (A1203.3H2O), boehmite (Al2O3.H2O), hematite (Fe2O3), and goethite (Fe2O3-H2O). There is no evidence of the occurrence of diaspore (Al2O3.H2O) in either the Haiti or Jamaica ores, but some type of "amorphous" alumina may be present in some of the bauxites of Jamaica." The temperature stability regions in the alumina-water system have been investigated and are given in recent literature. In the temperature range where the hydrated forms are stable, as determined by hydrothermal bomb methods," ibbsite is the stable phase to 155°C (311°F), boehmite from 155°C (311°F) to 280°C (536oF), and diaspore from 280°C (536°F) to 450°C (842°F). Although quite similar in many characteristics, the Haiti and Jamaica ore show a divergence in mineralogic composition that is reflected in the extractability of the alumina described in later paragraphs. Two principal differences occur in mineralogic composition. The iron-bearing mineral in the Haiti ores is predominantly hematite, while in the Jamaica ores goethite is predominant.4 Directly related to the extraction of alumina are the two minerals, gibbsite and boehmite. Boehmite is relatively high in the Haiti ores and in some of the less soluble Jamaica ores, while gibbsite predominates in the ores in Jamaica amenable to the American Bayer process of extraction. Pedersen and Related Processes In general, all processes for the extraction of alumina involving sintering or fusion of bauxite ores with limestone, soda ash, or a combination of limestone and soda ash followed by leaching, are based on the formation of alumina compounds that. yield alumina soluble in the subsequent leach. The principal idealized reactions in respect to alumina and silica for the three types of processes are as follows: Soda Ash Sinter: A12O3 + Na2CO3 = Na2O-Al2O, + CO2 SiO2 + Na2CO3 = Na2O . SiO2 + CO2 A12O2 + SiO2 + Na2CO3 = Na2O.Al2O8. SiO2 + CO2 Leach (with excess water): H2O + Na2O-A12O3 = 2 NaOH + A12O3 (insolution) H2O + Na2O-SiO2 = 2 NaOH + SiO2 (in solution) Soda Ash— Limestone Sinter: Na2CO2 + A12O3 = Na2O.A1203 + CO2 2CaCO3 + SiO2 = 2CaO . SiO2 + 2CO2 Leach (with excess water): Na2O' A1208 + H2O = 2NaOH + A13O3 (in solution) These latter reactions are the basis of the sinter process currently used for the recovery of soda and

Jan 1, 1952

By F. C. Bond

SIZE of grinding media is one of the principal factors affecting efficiency and capacity of tumbling-type grinding mills. It is best determined for any particular installation by lengthy plant tests with carefully kept records. However, a method of calculating the proper sizes, based on correct theoretical principles and tested by experience, can be very helpful, both for new installations and for guiding existing operations. As a general principle, the proper size of the make-up grinding balls added to an operating mill is the size that will just break the largest feed particles. If the balls are too large the number of breaking contacts will be reduced and grinding capacity will suffer. Moreover, the amount of extreme fines produced by each contact will be increased, and size distribution of the ground product may be adversely affected. If the balls added are too small, grinding efficiency is decreased by wasted contacts that are too weak to break the particles nipped; these largest particles are gradually worn down in the mill by the progressive breakage of corners and edges. Ball rationing is the regular addition of make-up balls of more than one size. The largest balls added are aimed at the largest and hardest particles. However, the contacts are governed entirely by chance, and the probability of inefficient contacts of large balls with small particles, and of small balls with large particles, is as great as the desired contact of large balls with large particles. Ball rationing should be considered an adjunct or secondary modification of the principle of selecting the make-up ball size to break the largest particle present. Empirical Equation In 19521,2 the author presented the following emerical equation for the make-up ball size: B - ball, rod, or pebble diameter in inches. F = size in microns 80 pct of new feed passes. Wi - work index at the feed size F. Cs - percentage of mill critical speed. S — specific gravity of material being ground. D == mill diameter in feet inside liners. K - 200 for balls, 300 for rods, 100 for silica pebbles. Eq. 1 was derived by selecting the factors that apparently should influence make-up ball size selection and by considering plant experience with each factor. Even though Eq. 1 is completely empirical, it has been generally successful in selecting the proper size of make-up balls for specific operations. But an equation based on theoretical considerations should be used with more confidence and have wider application. The theoretical influence of each of the governing factors listed under Eq. 1 was accordingly considered in detail, as described below, and a theoretical equation for make-up ball sizes was derived. Derivation of Theoretical Equation Ball Size and Feed Size: The basis of this analysis is that the largest ball in a mill should be just sufficient to break the largest feed particle into several pieces, excluding occasional pieces of tramp oversize. In this article the size F which 80 pct passes is considered the criterion of the effective maximum particle feed size. The smallest dimension of the largest particles present controls their breaking strength. This dimension is approximately equal to F. As a starting point for the analysis it is assumed that a 1-in. steel ball will effectively grind material with 80 pct passing 1 mm, or with F- 1000µ or about 16 mesh. The breaking force exerted by a ball varies with its weight, or as the cube of its diameter R. The force in pounds per square inch required to break a particle varies as its cross-sectional area, or as its diameter squared. It follows that when a 1-in. ball breaks a 1-mm particle, a 2-in. ball will break a 4-mm particle, and a 3-in. ball a 9-mm particle. This is in accordance with practical experience, as well as being theoretically correct. Confirmation of this reasoning is supplied by the Third Theory of Comminution," which states that the work necessary to break a particle of diameter F varies as F. Since work equals force times distance, and the distance of deformation before breaka4e varies as F it follolvs that the breaking force should vary as F½ These relationships are expressed in Table I, with a 1-in. ball representing one unit of force and breaking a 1-mm particle. This establishes theoretically the general rule used in Eq. 1 that the ball size should vary as the square root of the particle size to be broken. Ball Size and Work Index: The work input W required per ton" varies as the work index Wi, and the

Jan 1, 1959

By P. Douglas, G. M. Leak, B. Mills

The sinusoidal surface relaxation technique has been used to measure the surface self-diffusion coefficient of spectroscopically pure nickel over a wide temperature range under a hydrogen atmosphere. A kink in the Arrhenius plot has been observed. In the temperature range T/T 0.98 to 0.80 (T in O K and T, is the melting temperature) the average self diffusion coefficient is given by Below the temperature T/T,- 0.80a decrease in the slope of the log Ds us 1/T plot is observed. This is associated with a diffusion process characterized by a lower activation energy (-20,000 cal mole'') and smaller preexponential term (-10- sq cm sec"). A series of experiments were carried out at T/Tm = 0.61 under a hydrogen atmosphere of higher oxygen partial pressure than for the rest of the experiments. It was found that Ds was significantly depressed due to oxygen adsorption. This evidence supports the opinion that the low temperature process (activation energy -20,000 cal mole-') is unlikely to be due to oxygen adsorption. An interesting feature of the present data is that the transition temperature (T/Tm - 0.80) is a function of orientation. For a small number of crystals of measured orientation the transition temperature was observed to be higher towards the low index (100) pole. Theories of surface diffusion are briefly reviewed and it is concluded that the present reszuts are best explained by invoking a surface roughening process. GJOSTEIN has recently analyzed available surface diffusion data for a wide range of metals. He suggested that two mechanisms were operative for fcc metals, an adatom process at high temperatures and a vacancy process at low temperatures. Results for nickel can be summarized as follows. At low temperatures (T/T, - 0.3 to 0.44) under ultra high vacuum conditions, Melmed2 measured an activation energy Q of 21 kcal mole-' using field electron emission microscopy. At higher temperatures (T/T - 0.7 to 0.9) under a vacuum of 10- ' torr, Maiya and lakel measured y as 39 kcal mole-' using the multiple scratch smoothing technique. The present work was undertaken to try to find out if two distinct processes could be observed. High temperature results give Q about 47 kcal mole-': there is evidence also for a low temperature value of about 20 kcal mole-'. These measurements were all made under a hydrogen atmosphere, in the temperature range 860" to 1412°C. Concurrent with the present study Bonze1 and jostein> have also observed a break in the Arrhenius plot for the (110) surface of nickel. These measure- ments under ultrahigh vacuum conditions using the laser diffraction technique are in excellent agreement with the work reported here under hydrogen annealing conditions. THEORY The available surface relaxation techniques include single and multiple scratch smoothing and grain boundary grooving. The processes have been compared in detail by Gjostein for conditions where surface diffusion dominates6 and Mills et al? where volume diffusion dominates. In summary the relevant points are as follows. Grain boundary grooving gives an average Ds for the two surfaces adjacent to the boundary and this can, to some extent, be simplified by using symmetrical bicrystals. This technique has been used to study the effect of environment on Ds for silver and copper.'-'' Scratch techniques yield Ds values for the small orientation range exposed by the scratches (-2 deg). The multiple scratch process is preferable because the profile rapidly becomes sinusoidal and can then be interpreted theoretically in a relatively simple way. Also corrections for mass transport processes other than surface diffusion can be introduced easily. Mullins" considered a sinusoidal profile described the wavelength of the profile. After time t the profile can be described by the equation The terms A, A', C, and B which account, respectively, for contributions due to evaporation-condensation, diffusion through the gas phase, volume diffusion through the lattice, and surface diffusion are defined as: where Ds = the surface self diffusion coefficient ys = the surface energy per unit area p = the equilibrium vapor pressure over a flat surface pa = the equilibrium vapor density over a flat surface DG= the diffusion coefficient of vapor molecules in the inert gas DM = the mass transfer diffusion coefficient which for a pure cubic metal is Dv/f where Dv is the radiotracer diffusion coefficient and f is the correlation factor H = the molecular volume V = the surface density of atoms, il2'3 M = mass of an evaporating molecule

Jan 1, 1970

By D. M. Waldorf

Steam permeability measurements have been made in the laboratory on several samples of natural reservoir materials. The steam temperatures and pressures were selected to simulate conditions which might exist in a reservoir during the injection of steam. For each sample tested, the experimental permeability to superheated steam was comparable to that measured with air and no evidence of plugging was detected. Some samples were exposed to water at various temperatures and plugging was found to occur in materials which contained significant quantities of monmorillonite clay. Temperature had little effect on the degree of plug-ning between 75 and 325 F. The measured pemeabilities tended to increase slightly with temperature, but the changes were small compared with the initial loss of per~neability on wetting. Sequential pemzeability measurements were made on two samples using air, water, steam, water and air, in that order. Both samples were water-sensitive and plugged extensively after the initial injection of water. Upon exposure to superheated steatm the samples dehydrated and their permenbilities to superheated steam were comparable to those initially measured with air. The remaining measuretnetzts with water and air confirmed that the water plugging was reversible and that the samples were not seriorrsly damaged during the tests. INTRODUCTION The swelling of water-sensitive clays during water floods has long been recognized as a potential source of reservoir damage. The recent extensive application of steam injection and stimulation has compounded this problem since both hot water and steam (as well as fresh water at reservoir temperatures) are, at sume time, in contact with the producing zone adjacent to the bore of a steam injection well. The purpose of this paper is to present data which compare the sensitivity of some natural sedimentary rock samples to water at various temperatures, and to super-heated steam. Some properties of montmorillonite clay are briefly reviewed, and comparisons are drawn between empirical data and the predicted behavior of the montmorillonite known to be present in the samples. PROPERTIES OF MONTMORILLONIT E CLAY Water initially adsorbs on dry N a -montmorillonite clay in discrete layers in the interlaminar space between clal platelets. The platelet spacing, which is 9.6 A (angstroms) for a dehydrated clay, has been observed to expand in discrete steps to 12.4, 15.5, 18.4 and 21.4 A spacings, indicating the formation of four discrete layers of regularly oriented water molecules.' The first two layers are easily formed by hydrating a dry sample to equilibrium in an atmosphere with carefully controlled humidity. The formation of the higher layers is more difficult. The usual X-ray diffraction patterns of the more highly hydrated samples indicate a gradual increase in the average spacing betwcen 15.5 and 19.2 A, followed by a discontinuous expansion to 31 A when the weight ratio of water to dry clay is between 0.5 and 1.2.' Platelet expansion above 31 A proceeds monotonically as the moisture is increased and no regular arrangement of the platelets ib observed. Water-sensitivity in sedimentary rocks is usually associated with Na-montmorillonite clay when it is in the noncrystal-line state. Mering3 found that the average lattice spacing of sodium montmorillonite hydrated at 68 F and 70 per cent relative humidity was 15.5 A, and that the spacing, at 92 per cent humidity was 16.5 A. The water adsorbed at the higher humidity has the same free energy as liquid water at 65.6 F. Kolaian and Low' used a tensiometer to measure the thermodynamic properties of water in diffuse suspensions of montmorillonite clays relative to pure water. They observed that water in suspensions as dilute as 6 per cent clay became partially oriented when left undisturbed. The bonding associated with this orientation was not extensive because the free energy difference between the water in suspension and pure water was only a few millicalories per mole. They also found that the measured free energy difference decreased rapidly with temperature and became negligible above 100 F. This evidence indicates that montmorillonites contained in sedimentary rocks would dehydrate to a crystalline structure when exposed to superheated steam, and that the rock permeability measured with steam would be equivalent to that measured with air. The effect of elevated temperatures on the swelline of montmorillonite clays in aqueous suspensions has not been investigated. The Gouy-Chapman diffuse-ion-layer theory has been used to predict the swelling pressure of clay suspensions in dilute salt solutions at room temperature with reasonable success. theory also correctly predicts the direction of the thermal response of Na-mont-morillonite swelling pressures in dilute salt suspensions, 9 Over the temperature range of 33 to 68 F, an increase in

Jan 1, 1966

By W. R. Hansen, F. W. Boulger

Twenty-nine laboratory steels were studied to determine the effects of composition and ferrite grain size on drop-weight and Charpy V-notch transition temperatures. The experimental steels covered the following ranges in composition.. 0.10 to 0.32 pct C, 0.30 to 1.31 pct Mn, 0.02 to 0.43 pct Si, md nil to 0.136 pct acid-soluble Al. Although most of the data were obtained on hot-rolled samples, some plates were heat-treated in order to cover a wider range in ferrite grain size. The experimental data were used for a multiple-correlation analysis conducted with the aid of an electronic computer. The study showed that carbon raises and that manganese, silicon, aluminum, and finer ferrite grains lower both drop-weight and Charpy transition temperatures. Quantitatively, variations in composition and grain size have a more marked effect on V15 Charpy transition temperatures than on the drop-weight transition temperature. Useful correlations were found between transition temperatures in drop-weight tests and those defined by seven different criteria for Charpy tests. Evidence was accumulated that the conditions ordinarily used for drop-weight tests are more severe for 1-1/4-in. -thick plate than for 5/8- to 1-in. -thickplate. PROJECT SR-151, to study quantitatively the effects of metallurgical variables on performance in the drop-weight test, was established by the Ship Structure Committee late in 1958 on recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council. This project was initiated as a result of the increasing use of the drop-weight (nil-ductility) test in predicting the ductile-to-brittle behavior of steel. Qualitative data indicated the drop-weight was not as sensitive to metallurgical variables as the Charpy V-notch test. Furthermore, the available information indicated that the drop-weight test did not show the superiority of killed steels over semikilled steels reflected by Charpy tests. This difference in sensitivity to brittle fracture is considered important because the drop-weight transition temperature has been reported1 to correlate better with service-temperature failures than the V-notch test does at a constant energy level. Therefore, this project was concerned with establishing quantitatively the effects of metallurgical variables in the drop-weight test. For comparison, Charpy V-notch data were obtained for the steels investigated. This paper summarizes the results of the investigation. Most of the steels used for the study were made and processed in the laboratory. However, some tests were also made on commercial killed steels available from Project SR-139 (SSC-141). During the course of the investigation, data were obtained on the effects of carbon, silicon, manganese, and aluminum on transition temperatures of drop-weight and Charpy specimens. In addition, the effects of heat treatment which changed the ferrite grain size and the transition temperatures were also investigated. Finally a few exploratory studies were made on commercial killed steels to evaluate the effects of plate thickness, grain size, and heat treatment on the performance of drop-weight specimens. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Preparation of Materials. A total of twenty-nine 500-lb induction-furnace heats were made and processed in the laboratory for the investigation. Carbon, manganese, silicon, and aluminum contents were systematically varied. Melting and rolling techniques proven satisfactory in a previous project2 were used as a guide for the current investigation. Composition. The composition of the twenty-nine laboratory heats made for this project are given in Table I. The steels are divided into three groups. The first group consists of ten aluminum-killed steels similar in composition to Class C ship-plate steel. The second group consists of ten semikilled or Class B type steels. In both of these groups the carbon and manganese contents were intentionally varied over a wide range. This wide range in composition was helpful in obtaining quantitative data from a limited number of steels. The primary purposes of these two groups of steels was to determine the effects of carbon, manganese, and deoxidation practice. In addition, one steel in each group (Steels 2-2 and 9-2) were made about 1 year after the start of the program in order to check consistency of melting practice. The third group of nine steels listed in Table I was intended for studies on the effects of silicon and aluminum. In eight of these steels carbon and manganese were held relatively constant at levels of about 0.2 and 0.8 pct, respectively, while silicon and

Jan 1, 1963

CONCLUSIONS: Our experience, where we attempt to remove a continuous face with a seam more than six and one-half feet in thickness, has been rather disastrous. We have been able to open up faces and retreat for a distance of 75 to 100 feet in this particular character of coal, but after the supporting timbers have been removed for the second or third time we have found that the roof has a tendency to ride over the props and break off at the face of the coal support. However, where our coal is below six and one-half feet in thickness we have had very good success in handling the roof and breaking it off systematically with our break line of props, which are usually from 12 to 15 feet from the face of the coal. Our practice in to set props at about two-foot intervals in each direction and remove two sets of props, at the same time two additional sets are placed along the coal face. At all times we are very insistent that all props be removed from the gob and that entire coal be taken out so that it is possible for the roof to break freely and all come down, not having any supporting pillars in the gob. The conclusion of our experiments to date is that if all the supports beyond the breaking line of props are taken out as the long face retreats and the closer the breaking line of props is kept to the face the better the results will be. We have never felt it safe to have less than four rows of props to protect the machinery and men working along the coal face. We feel that the time element as to the rapidity with which these faces are advanced or retreated, is of vast importance, but to date have not had an opportunity or experience enough to reach any conclusion as to what time element is proper here with us. We feel that the crushing strength of the overlying strata will govern this to a large extent, and as ours varies considerably, it is going to he very difficult for us to reach a definite conclusion. My opinion is, that conditions may be such that rather than have a short face and retreat rapidly, it will be found that a longer facewith a slower retreat will work out better. Such a condition might give the overlying strata time to settle. The caving of roof or of control of this caving, with us, is quite closely associated with the ventilation. We find that the places where the strata overlying the coal are composed of shale, that the effect of the air on this is of very great importance. It is our endeavor, at all times, not only to remove obnoxious gases, but to keep a current of fresh air moving along the face and, of course, a portion of this travels over the gob and comes in contact with the roof and overlying strata. This, we find, helps materially in keeping the roof on the move. As it is our practice to keep water for sprinkling purposes at all places, we also use this water to keep the roof wet back in the gob. The effect of water on the shale is to cause it to disintegrate quite rapidly. MR. HOLMAN (Concluding): If there are any questions about this, I will be glad to answer them. I have some prints and also some pictures of the scraper loader and the shaking conveyors (distributes.) PRESIDENT MOSES: We wish to thank you, Mr. Holman, and also wish that you would thank Mr. Dupont for his paper. Are there any discussions? Do you wish to ask Mr. Holman any questions? (No response.) PRESIDENT MOSES: Mr. Holman, I would like to ask you how you take the photographs; were they taken by flashlight, or were globes used, or how were they taken, in a gaseous mine? MR. HOLMAN: Our mines being gaseous, we do not use the ordinary flashlight for taking underground photographs, but we have had considerable success, I think, with underground pictures by means of electric lights. We use 250 watt globes. We have six of these rigged up with tin reflectors, 18 inches in diameter, on standards, and we carry two or three hundred feet of wire connected with these six lights, and they can be turned on in the room where we take the photograph, by means of this extra wire. We set the kodak up and arrange the picture and take a long time-exposure. We usually take an

Jan 1, 1926

By R. A. Cattell

Since the return of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Division of the Bureau of Mines to normal peacetime functions following World War II, a coordinated program of oil and gas development and production research has been in prog- ress, and the importance of the problems has been evaluated so that the Bureau can render greater service to the oil and gas industry. Among the problems associated with development and production research, those concerned with efficient utilization of the Nation's reserves of hydro- carbons contained in gas-condensate type reservoirs continue to receive major emphasis. For a number of years an important part of the Bureau's work has been the study of two pressing problems associated with production from such reservoirs; first; an investigation of fluid properties, and the second, finding a means of controlling corrosion. Studies of the characteristics of gas-condensate fluids have resulted in the publication of a number of reports, which cover a broad field. In general they deal with subjects such as the properties of a fluid from a well; development of research equipment, means of combatting corrosion, and the many aspects of gas-condensate engineering. To provide experimental data on relative liquid and gas volumes and critical pressures and temperatures, a windowed cell was constructed that permits ob- servation of the fluid phase while making the tests. Experimentation in the field on the use of inhibitors to control corro- sion of equipment in gas-condensate wells has disclosed that solutions of chromate are effective retardants of corrosion. Engineering field studies of the Carthage and New Hope gas-condensate fields are in progress, and reports on the Sheridan and Lake Creek fields have been completed. Following a plan of making studies of important newly discovered oil fields, the Bureau is investigating the physical properties of reservoir oil

Dec 1, 1948

By Lewis C. Karrick

Although the Bureau of Mines has thus far made no large-scale experiments with oil shales, and the feasibility of the commercial manufacture of shale-oil products suited to present market requirements has not been demonstrated, there is ample reason to believe that these products will eventually supplement the more commonly used petroleum products and give equally good service. In 1919 the bureau, in cooperation with the Department of Metallurgical Research, University of Utah, began investigating the oil shales of the United States to obtain detailed information on their value. The States of Colorado and Indiana also cooperated through their State universities, in which research laboratories were organized to assist in carrying on the oil-shale studies planned and directed by the bureau. As a result of these studies much information is now available concerning laboratory methods of producing the greatest yields of the best products from oil shale. In order to study the principles that govern the retorting of oil shales and to test the oils produced, it has been necessary to develop and standardize reliable apparatus and methods for distilling shale, and to adapt to the testing of shale oils some of the methods the Bureau of Mines uses for testing petroleum. The methods employed by the Scottish shale-oil manufacturers were also studied, but most of them have been superseded by those described in this bulletin, which give more comprehensive and accurate results and employ more convenient apparatus. This paper is presented, therefore, as a manual of apparatus and methods that the bureau has developed for work on oil shale and found satisfactory for routine tests and for research. Explanation and discussion of the principles underlying the methods of testing are included wherever necessary for a clearer understanding.

Jan 1, 1926

By A. L. Podia

The purpose of this research was to develop a system capable of detecting changes in the structure of rocks, leading to failure of mine roofs, and/or excavations. A prototype system was developed, field tested and delivered to the United States Bureau of Mines for further evaluation and research. This system is based on the analysis of acoustic signals generated on the surface of the roof by an impact device and which are reflected or backscattered by flaws and discontinuities in the rock. The specially designed impact source is capable of generating high frequency acoustic signals with excellent repeatability. The system can also be used in conjunction with conventional acoustic pulse transducers. The received signal is digitized and the data transferred to a minicomputer for processing and display. This capability allows the immediate determination of wave velocity and/or distance to a reflecting interface. Various data processing techniques such as averaging, differentiating, and comparing of different signals can be selected by entering the appropriate commands on the keyboard. Being a programmable system it is possible to implement more advanced signal processing techniques. All results as well as the signal are displayed on a CRT. Furthermore, a permanent record of the data can be generated on paper tape, which can be reentered and processed at a later date. A communications interface allows transmission of the sampled signal to a large scale re-mote computer. The system was tested extensively in the laboratory, and field tested at the York Canyon Coal Mine. These tests proved the feasibility of operation in the mining environment. Results indicate that further investigation and development will have to be undertaken to fully develop the potential of this system in satisfying the goals of this research.

Jan 1, 1973

By R. S. Dean

"It has long been recognized that the properties of polycrystalline substances are not the same as those of single crystals. These differences are especially marked in metels and metallic minerals, and are of greatest practical importance in metal working and ore treatment. The property changes encountered in passing from a metal single crystal to a poly-crystalline aggregate are the same as are produced by cold-working a metal or by the precipitation of a disperse phase. Hence, we may logically assume that the property changes are all due directly or indirectly to the formation of interfacial area or internal surface. Our problem, then, is to ascertain the physicochemical state of the metal atoms at such internal surface and show how this physicochemical condition accounts for the pronounced changes of mechanical, magnetic, and electrical properties that accompany increased internal surface.GENERAL CONCEPT OF INTERNAL SURFACEIn 1678, Huyghens attempted to explain the double refraction of calcite by postulating that crystals were built from a regular arrangement of ellipsoidal particles. Over 100 years later, Abbé Hauy concluded from his studies of cleavage that crystals might be built from small units, but the units were of the same shape as the entire crystal. This idea, which was prevalent in mineralogical thought before the advent of X-ray spectrometry, was discarded when the great success of Bragg made it appear that the chemical atoms were in reality the elements of structure. In the further development of X-ray technique, however, C. G. Darwin, in England, and P. P. Ewald, in Germany, found it necessary to postulate crystal units con¬taining many atoms. The latter gave the name of mosaic crystals to those so constituted. The individual units are supposed to Possess the ideal atomic arrangements revealed by the X-ray but are not oriented with respect to one another."

May 1, 1938

By H. W. Clair, E. V. Potter, M. J. Speedlove

"INTRODUCTION The behavior of particles in a sound field has long been of scientific interest since Kundt (1) 5/ made his classic experiments on some of the interesting effects of standing waves in cylindrical tubes. With the development of the electronic tube and its application to continuous generation of sound, experimental investigation of the Kundt tube was renewed (2). The more intense vibrations set up by a continuously vibrating diaphragm or rod produce even more striking effects than those observed by Kundt. Instead of the striations at the antinode produced by the stroked rod, then, wafer like barriers are formed at the antinodes, sometimes extending over the entire cross-section of the tube. Furthermore, it was observed independently by Andrade (3), Brandt, Freund and Hiedemann (4); and by investigators in the Bureau of Mines laboratories (5) that aerosols, such as ammonium chloride or tobacco smoke, could be flocculated quickly if passed through an intense sound field, particularly when a standing wave field was set up by a resonant enclosure. Because of its possibilities as a new means for removing suspended particles from dust-laden gaseous furance or smoke, the phenomena attending the behavior of suspended particles in a und field have been studied intermittently by the Bureau of Mines over the past decade.The first experimental work was done with a magnetostriction vibrator and a Hartmann air-jet generator as sound sources. It soon became evident that neither type was entirely satisfactory. Low mechanical efficiency is an inherent characteristic of magnetostriction generators, and the air-jet generator is difficult to control and does not permit accurate measurement of the acoustic output. The search for a suitable sound source led to the development of an electromagnetic generator, which is by far the most suitable for study of the effects of intensive high-frequency sound fields in gases (6)."

Mar 1, 1948

By Lawrence F. Johnsen

In 1989, the Connecticut Department of Transportation authorized the evaluation and design for a reconstructed Route 1 bridge over the Quinnipiac River in the City of New Haven, Connecticut. The project extends from the intersection of Route 1 with East Street, easterly for approximately 3/4 mile to the intersection of Route 1 with Wheeler Street and Stiles Street. The reconstructed roadway will be relatively on-line and widened to provide for four lanes of vehicular traffic and a single-track railway line. The existing bascule bridge and approach spans, which were constructed in 1924, will be replaced by a 270-foot span lift bridge and new approach spans. The lift bridge will have a main lift span weighing approximately 3000 tons, second largest after the Burlington Northern Bridge over the Williamette River in Portland, Oregon. The new bridge will widen the navigation channel to 24 0 feet and provide vertical clearances of 13 feet when closed and 62 feet when open. The project is located in an industrial area. Adjacent properties include retail gasoline sales, auto repair, railroad transport and bulk storage of petroleum. Existing structures include the Yale Boathouse and several retaining walls serving as containment dikes for petroleum storage tanks. The Yale Boathouse, located on the east bank of the river, was constructed in 1909-1910 and is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Jan 1, 1993

By Henry Mackay

THE interesting paper recently submitted by Messrs. Tobelmann and Potter' shows that chemical problems have developed which are of great interest in this new and important branch of metallurgy. Those who realize what a process of this kind really involves will agree that it deserves a better name than "leaching process." The word leaching conveys the idea that the copper is simply leached out of the ore with acid and then precipitated on iron; the chemistry of such a process would be of little interest. As, however, during the first year's operation of this plant 24,400,532 lb. (11,067,837 kg.) or about two-thirds of the produce, was electrolytic copper, while 7,992,033 lb., or about one-third, was cement copper, it would seem more appropriate to term the process electrochemical. It further appears, from the particulars given, that efforts have been made to have the entire production in the form of electrolytic copper. -This could be done if the chemistry of the problem were kept in balance, so that it would not be necessary to discard any solutions that carried copper and acid of commercial value. A process, such as that under consideration, in which the copper is precipitated from solution by electrolysis, the solvent being at the same time regenerated, is one that requires special chemical and electrochemical knowledge and experience if all the -copper in solution that has been extracted from the ore is to be successfully and economically produced as electrolytic copper. The object of this paper is to discuss, from the practical and theoretical standpoints, the chemical and electrochemical problems involved in the working of a process of this kind, and' which must be solved to keep it in chemical and electrochemical equilibrium. In such a process, if the chemical balance is maintained, a solution can be used alternately as a

Jan 9, 1919

By S. Vennos

As a result of Synopsis 73-16 Dynadyne responded with an unsolicited proposal offering the Bureau of Mines to develop an ultra-low volume coal mine dust personal sampler. In the ensuing technical discussions the choice of a desirable volumetric rate became a focal point. While, the initial proposal was based on a volumetric rate in the area of 50 cc/min the Government expressed interest in a variety of mass flow rates ranging from 50 cc/min to 2000 cc/min. The physical characteristics such as weight, volume and configuration of a personal sampler are to a large extent - dependent on the operating volumetric rate. It became readily apparent that the optimum size of such an instrument as a function of volumetric rate was not known and that a study of the choice of optima was essential prior to beginning the development, Hence, the Government authorized a two phase approach to this project. Phase I was to include a Technical Evaluation Study of optimum characteristics in the range between 0. 1 to 2. 0 lpm. Based on these findings and in consultation with MESA personnel, the Bureau of Mines was to authorize the second phase that is, the development. Phase II, was to include the drawing of a set of performance specifications stating among others the desired operating volumetric rate. In this report, every effort was made not only to present the actual work done over the course of this development, but to reflect also our engineering "thinking" providing answers as to the "why" we preferred certain solutions over others. We believe that this added dimension is not only useful for the Government official evaluating this report, but also that the Government is entitled to it providing the official with an educational content useful in avoiding future costly repetitions of similar situations.

Jan 1, 1975

By Corby G. Anderson, Sheikh Abdul Rezan Sheikh Abdul Hamid, Sanjith Udayakumar, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd Noor, Teuku Andika Rama Putra

Chemical and mineralogical characterization of Malaysian monazite, a phosphate mineral, bearing rare earth elements separated from the tin tailings originated from Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia, was performed in this paper. The study aims to collect detailed information on the chemical composition, crystal phases, and microstructure of the mineral monazite concentrate that would aid to optimize the subsequent hydrometallurgical processes for high-efficient separation of thorium and other associated rare earth elements. A systematic characterization study of the concentrate was conducted using techniques such as optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). These techniques analyzed the morphological details on the surface, elemental analysis, and mineral association assessment and identified the surface functionalization groups. The bulk composition and the mineral phases in which the elements are present were studied by wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies respectively. The XRF analysis confirmed the presence of Ce, La, Nd, Pr, and Y (rare earth oxides: REO’s ~ 60 wt.%) while thorium dioxide (ThO2) accounted for 7 wt.% of the total composition. Traces of Ca, K, Al, Fe, Ti, and Mn were also confirmed by SEM elemental mapping. The XRD results confirmed that the concentrate was primarily composed of monazite (Ce, La, Nd, Th (PO4)) along with minor impurity phases of quartz. Automated mineralogical analysis was used as a confirmatory tool to corroborate the preliminary evidences. Based on the particle size distribution analysis supported by SEM, the majority of monazite grains were found to be present in the size range of 170–210 μm. Strong bands of PO4 and SiO4 were observed in the IR spectra corresponding to the phospho-silicate matrix of the REE mineral.

By J. H. Cloete, S. M. Bradshaw, D. K. Chibwe

"The primary function of a tundish in the steelmaking industry is to serve as a buffer tank, accepting molten steel from the batch ladle process and allowing it to be cast continuously. However, modern steelmaking has more stringent demands for the quality of the steel product, requiring increased control over the properties of the molten steel before casting. For this reason tundishes have been developed as metallurgical reactors to serve as the final step in refining of the molten steel by removing non-metallic inclusions, preventing the formation of new inclusions, and promoting chemical and thermal homogeneity. In this study the flow behaviour in a four-strand tundish was investigated by means of a half-scale water model as well as numerical modelling. Both the numerical study and physical model were used to characterize residence time distribution (RTD) in the vessel and calculate properties pertaining to the tundish flow regime. Three different tundish configurations were investigated: a bare tundish with no flow control devices, a tundish with a turbulence inhibitor and a tundish with both a turbulence inhibitor and a dam.The physical and numerical models showed that a tundish without flow control devices was prone to significant short-circuiting. A tundish with a turbulence inhibitor was shown to be successful in preventing short-circuiting and provided surface-directed flow, which aids inclusion removal in the slag. Despite the benefits of the use of turbulence inhibitors, it was observed that the upward-directed flow increased the maximum turbulence kinetic energy near to the surface by approximately 120% compared with the bare tundish. Therefore the potential for slag entrainment should be considered during the design and operation of tundishes utilizing turbulence inhibitors."

Jan 1, 2014

By D Veneziano, J Van Dyck, R Snow, W Pytel, O Zanoli

Best practice standards generally recommend assessment of the environmental and societal risks posed by tailings storage facilities, but they rarely specify how the analysis should be made. As a case study, this paper describes a safety assessment of the Zelazny Most tailings pond operated by the Hydrotechnical Unit of KGHM Polska Miedz SA in Poland. The complete assessment includes a failure mode effect criticality analysis (FMECA) that considers all conceivable failure modes, but this paper focuses on one key mode, the loss of stability during the planned raising of the crest above its current level. Reliability against static dam failure considers uncertainty on the safety factor in a limit equilibrium approach. The threat of dynamic (earthquake induced) instability is assessed by developing a model of future seismicity as a function of the mining plan and considering uncertainty on the induced permanent displacements along critical sliding surfaces. We quantify the additional level of protection against outflow provided by the beach using an event tree with expert-assigned probabilities. Continuous monitoring of the dam for premonitory signs of instability and a set of loss-prevention plans in the case of a spill provide additional layers of protection; their effectiveness is quantified by estimating the fraction of the population that could be evacuated as a function of warning time. The probabilistic analysis indicates that the safety targets are met and produces practical recommendations on how to maintain and improve the safety level while the dam crest is raised above its current level.CITATION:Van Dyck, J, Pytel, W, Veneziano, D, Snow, R and Zanoli, O, 2015. Safety of a tailings storage facility against dam instability, in Proceedings Tailings and Mine Waste Management for the 21st Century , pp 253–262 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 27, 2015

By C. H. Fisher

Coal carbonization, the basis of a major industry, consists in heating coal in the absence of air at various temperatures (ranging from 500° to 1,000° C.) that are selected according to the kind of products desired. During this treatment, the complex organic substances that comprise the major part of the coal are converted into several useful products that are quite different from the original material. The principal products of coal carbonization or distillation are coke and gas. These products, as well as others of which lower yields are obtained (light oil, tar, and ammonia), occupy an important place in present-day commerce and civilization. This paper is concerned with the composition of the tar and light oil, which, as complex mixtures of organic compounds, are the source of many important dyes, inter-mediates, medicinals, resins, etc. The volatile products obtained when bituminous coals are destructively distilled or carbonized are tar, aqueous liquor, and gas. These products vary in composition and properties, depending on the nature of the coal and the temperature and conditions of carbonization. The tar is a dark, rather thick and viscous liquid at ordinary temperatures, becoming semisolid when cooled to the freezing point of water. The aqueous liquor (chiefly water) contains several inorganic substances and certain organic compounds, which, because of their solubility characteristics, have been extracted from the tar. The carbonization gases consist chiefly of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, methane, ethane, ethylene, and several hydrocarbons of higher molecular weight. The hydrocarbons of higher molecular weight (benzene, toluene, xylene, etc.) may be re-moved as liquids from the gas by suitable means. This liquid and the first fractions obtained on distilling the tar are known as light oil.

Jan 1, 1938