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By S. M. Marshall, A. C. Richardson, H. Y. Yancey

A year ago, Marshall and Bird presented a paper in which a new method of measuring the agglutinating power of coal was described.' The procedure used was to determine the strength of a button containing 10 parts sand and one part coal, formed by carbonizing the mixture in a crucible in an electric furnace. The result of the determination was reported as the total weight in grams required to bring about complete destruction of the button. Correlations were shown between the agglutinating value and some of the characteristics of the different coals that were investigated. This agglutinating test has been in use fairly continuously during the past five years for coals of widely differing coking qualities, and it has shown reasonably concordant results accurate enough for commercial use, although there are many features of the test which should have further scientific study. During the past year a study has been made of some coals of low coking strengths, and incidental to the main investigation some data which appear to be of interest and value were obtained on the loss in agglutinating power caused by exposure to the air. Three coals were investigated, all of which were of the Tertiary age; two were from one field in Asia, and one from a field in the United States. The three were similar, as shown by the proximate and ultimate analyses in Table 1 (moisture-free basis). Coals SA and RA generally contain about 5 per cent. moisture and coal P about 3.5 per cent. moisture on the as-received basis. The large difference in the ash contents of the coals, amounting to practically 10 per cent. between SA and RA, and P, makes difficult a direct comparison of their qualities. In the second section of Table 1 the figures have been put upon an ash-free basis., This table shows that these coals are closely alike. The ultimate analyses are almost identical except for the higher nitrogen content of

Jan 1, 1930

FROM north to south activity is picking up through- out the Labrador Trough-already shown to be one of the world's great iron ore provinces. Center of current activity and interest lies in the mid-southern part of the trough as drills, equipment, and . . . money start to pour into the area near Mt. Wright and Wabush Lake. First major announcement in the area came early this spring when J&L and CCI outlined an estimated billion-ton deposit for "future" operations. Later impetus came from rumored railway for US Steel's Quebec Cartier projects in the Mt. Reed area slightly to the south. As this issue went to press US Steel's request for bids on railway and hydroelectric construction, plus IOCC's decision to step up the time- table on its program in the Wabush Lake area east of Mt. Wright, triggered a flurry of other announcements involving many of the top U. S. and Canadian iron ore firms. Do not look for most of these place names in the average atlas . . . they aren't there yet, but they soon will be.

Jan 6, 1958

By D. L. Paulson

The Bureau of Mines is investigating pyrometallurgica1 and" chemical methods to recover valuable constituents from metallurgical dusts and slags. Under this program a technique was developed to recover iron from molten copper smelting furnace slags by carbon injection. Slags from gas-fired reverberatory and electric copper smelting furnaces were treated in an 800-kva electric-arc furnace by injecting coke breeze into the bottom of the molten bath. Over 95 pct of the iron and over 90 pct of the copper contained in the smelting furnace slags were recovered, while up to 85 pct of the carbon injected into the system was utilized. It is anticipated that the metal product containing approximately 95 wt-pct iron and 2 wt-pct copper will be a satisfactory medium for recovering copper by cementation.

Jan 1, 1977

By Akira Usui

Fine-scale geochemical, mineralogical, and structural variations in ferromanganese crusts are believed to be the long-range records of paleoceanographic conditions and geological events on the small to global scales in the world oceans, which is useful in reconstructing marine environment. The chemical profiles of thick hydrogenetic ferromanganese crusts and nodules were determined by ICP/ES at 2-3 mm intervals at several locations over the Japanese Islands, Magellan Seamounts, Marshall Islands, and South Pacific Basins, together with Be-10 dating. We found general trend of Co enrichment (or high ratio of Co/Mn) in the upper layers of crusts, or outer layers of nodules, which formed in younger period probably after the late Miocene. This general trend of higher Co concentration in the surface may be true over the western to the Pacific, but local variations in growth patterns and shorter-range fluctuations in chemistry and structure were found as well. The growth rate is sometimes three times faster at the shallower depth even in a single seamount. The in-depth fluctuation of Co is well correlated with the ratios Mn/Fe ratio and Ce/La, suggesting changes in redox conditions during the growth of hydrogenetic ferromanganese crusts.

Jan 1, 2002

By D. F. Kaufman, E. D. Levine, L. R. Aronin

The deformation of' impure beryllium crystals by basal glide at room temperature invariably tevminates by basal cleavage after a few percent strain. It is generally accepted that .fracture of this type is caused by the splitting of low) -angle boundaries, or bend planes, by obstacles that restrict the motion of the bed planes in the deforming crystal. The details of such a process have been developed by Stroh, who showed that the high tensile stress norrnal to the basal plane in the region where the bend plane is split results in the propagation of a basal cleavage crack, provided there is no available dejorvrlatzon mode having a shear component normal to the basal plane It has been postulated that puvification of beryllium might lead to increased basal ductility by the vemoval of barviers to bend plane motion and possibly by the activation of nonbasal defor~rlation systems. Large increases in the amount of basal glide that can he sustained prior to fracture have been observed in crystals purified by zone refining. In each case, eventudal fracture was by sharp basal cleavage, suggesting that the split bend plane model still applies to tile fracture of beryllium of rensonably high purity. In the present work, calculations are made to show to what extent basal duetilits can be increased by purification while the split bend plane .fracture process remains applicable. Experimentally observed ductilities are generally somewhat lower than those predicted by calculation because of premature failure due to defects introd~cced during specimen preparation and testing. SEVERAL investigators1-4 have studied the deformation characteristics of beryllium single crystals of commercial purity, and have related the strong anisotropy of plastic deformation in single crystals to the problem of brittleness in polycrystalline beryllium. For most orientations, the principal deformation mode is basal slip, which, at temperatures between 300" and 900°K, begins at a critical resolved shear stress of approximately 1500 g per sq mm and terminates after 3 to 6 pet glide strain by cleavage on the basal plane in the neighborhood of (1120) bend planes that are formed during the deformation. This type of fracture, which is also observed in zinc at low temperatures, has been interpreted by stroh5 to be caused by the splitting of bend planes by obstacles to their motion. In the Stroh model, a (11.20) dislocation wall, or bend plane, moving along the slip direction under the action of the applied stress, encounters obstacles which cause part of the bend plane to be held up, the other part continuing to move. Stress concentrations are built up in the region where the bend plane is split, with a high tensile component normal to the basal plane, resulting in a microcrack at the end of the split wall. Because no deformation mode having a shear component at an angle to the basal plane is available to relieve the stress at the crack tip, the crack can propagate under a sufficiently high applied stress. The Stroh criterion for crack propagation is given by

Jan 1, 1964

By Charles D. Litton

This Bureau of Mines paper describes a novel fire detector that can be used to discriminate between smoke produced by a fire and smoke produced by a diesel engine. The detector uses a pyrolysis technique whereby a sample of smoke- laden gas passes through a short, heated tube within which fire smoke particles pyrolyze and increase their number concentration and decrease their average size, while diesel smoke particles are unaffected. The detector is designed for use in mines that use diesel-powered equipment where the detection of fires is complicated because of the diesel emissions background levels of smoke and other products of combustion.

Jan 1, 1989

By B. Ramaswami, U. F. Kocks, B. Chalmers

The latent hardening of silver and an Ag-Au alloy was investigated by lateral compression, overshoot in tension and cormpression, and the stability of multiple-slib orientations. The latent hardening of a secondary slip systenz depends on its relation to the primary slip system. For most secondary slip systems the latent hardening is larger for Ag-10 at. pct Au than for pure silver. The maximum increase in. flow stress on a secondary slip system over that of the primary slip system was 40 pct. The work hardening during the lateral-compression test on the latent system after prestress on the primary system is iuterbreted in terms of the preferential distribution of barriers to dislocation movement with respect to the active slip system in work-lzardened fcc crystals. The work-hardening in fcc crystals is mainly due to the dislocation interactions and the barriers to dislocation movement formed as a result of reactions between dislocations of different slip systems. The operation of sources on the latent system depends on the flow stress of those systems; hence, the increase in flow stress of a latent system due to glide on an active system, which is called latent hardening, is an important element in understanding the phenomenon of work hardening. The problem of latent hardening has attracted the attention of many investigators in the past. For example, a theoretical study of the elastic latent hardening of the latent systems due to glide on an operative system has been made by Haasen' and ~troh. These calculations, however, neglect the stress required for the intersection of forest dislocations by the glide dislocations, a factor which would be important for producing macroscopic strains on the secondary slip systems. The importance of this factor will become evident from the results presented here. Attempts have also been made to determine the latent hardening of different slip systems by experimental means by the methods summarized in Table I.3-9 The experimental methods used have been subject to certain limitations. For instance, in the method used by Hauser,9 frictional constraints between the specimen and the compression platen were not eliminated by proper lubrication (see Hos- ford10). Secondly, with the exception of Kocks,6 Hauser,9 and Rohm and Kochendorfer,11 latent-hardening studies have been made on only one of the slip systems, i.e., on either the conjugate or the coplanar slip system; hence, extensive results are not available on the latent hardening of different slip systems in the same materials, with the exception of aluminum.6 It was therefore decided to study the latent hardening of the conjugate, critical and half-related slip systems in silver. Similar experiments were done in Ag-10 at. pct Au to study the effect of solute (gold) on the latent hardening of silver. Lastly, indirect evidence can be obtained by a study of the orientation stability of crystals of multiple-slip orientations in tension and compression. This method has been used by Kocks6 to supplement his studies of latent hardening in aluminum. Similar studies were made at room temperature in single crystals of silver. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The single crystals of the desired orientations were grown and the tensile test specimens were prepared as described in Ref. 12. The compression tests were made on 1/4-in.-cube specimens. The specimens were cut from single crystals, in the Servomet spark-erosion machine.13 The two cut surfaces were planed using the lowest available planing rate in the machine to minimize the deformation layer. A brass strip was used as the planing tool. This method of preparation ensured plane parallel faces for the compression tests. The deformed material was removed by prolonged etching in a weak etching solution. A weak etching solution was used to prevent pitting of the surfaces and to ensure uniform etching. About 25 to 50 µ of material were removed from all faces by the etching treatment. The specimens were then annealed for 24 hr at 940°C in oxygen-free helium and cooled in the furnace to room temperature over a period of 7 hr. After annealing, the orientation of the specimens was determined by Laue back-reflection technique to make sure that no recrystallization had occurred on annealing. The compression-test technique and setup are described in Ref. 14. The Laue back-reflection technique was used to study the overshoot in tension, the overshoot in compression, and the stability of the axial orientation in tension and compression. The tests were interrupted after every few percent strain to determine the axial orientation. In investigating the overshoot in compression, the operative system was determined by studying the asterism of the Laue spots.

Jan 1, 1965

By Douglas B. Silver

The key to unlocking value is to find opportunity where others have missed it. How does a company find value in a thoroughly explored asset? This article explores the approach taken by one company and the results it achieved from working this problem. The town of Shafter is located on a small bend in the road in west Texas' Big Bend Country. Its past emulates the glory days of so many other mining camps. A discovery was made, fortunes were built and World War II shut down the operation. The Shafter deposit continues to be one of the larg¬est undeveloped primary silver deposits in North America. Gold Fields Mining Co. recognized the area's potential in 1977 and embarked on studies to reopen and develop the district. Gold Fields spent $16 million on the Shafter project. It drilled more than 86,240 m (282,940 ft) in 475 holes, sunk two shafts and developed 1,550 m (5,100 ft) of underground workings. Today, the mothballed 447-kW (600-hp), single-drum Nordberg hoist and permanent production-type, single-compartment headframe continue to crown the shaft. Other buildings onsite house compressors, mine pumps, spare parts, drill core and other supplies. All these items look as though they arrived yesterday. By 1982, Gold Fields had completed an extensive feasibility study with ambitions to. construct a 1.36-kt/d (1,500-stpd) agitated cyanidation mill and base metal gravity circuit. Reserves at Shafter stand at 4.23 Mt (4.67 million st) grading 193.5 g/t (5.65 oz/st) silver. Gold Fields planned to produce 71.5 t/a (2.3 million oz/year) of silver at a head grade of 196.2 g/t (5.73 oz/st) silver with a 77% recovery rate. Cash costs were projected to be $5.54/oz with an anticipated initial and total capital cost of $46.2 million and $51.3 million (1984 dollars), respectively. The study assumed a silver price of $8.60/oz that has not been seen since the Hunt brothers quit buying silver. When silver prices declined, Gold Fields put the property up for sale.

Jan 1, 1999

By Y. A. Chang

Heat content values of tantalum monocarbide and tungsten monocarbide have been determined from 325" to 985°K by means of a drop-type diphenyl ether calorinzeter. Based on the values obtained in the present study and those available in the literature, best values lected and computed from 298. 15°K to temperatures close to their respectiue melting points. At temperatures higher than 1700°Kfor TaC and 27000 K for WC, values of Cp and related thermodynamic quantities were extrapolated based on the two Debye parameters: one corresponds to the metal sublattice and the other to the carbon sublattice. The contrzbutzon In the total specific heat due to lattice dilation was evaluated using the Nernst-Lindemann relalionship. The calculated values of Cp were in good agreement with the In view of their refractoriness, tantalum monocar-bide (TaC) and tungsten monocarbide (WC) are of con- experimentally determined ualues. Furthermore, the calculated values of the absolute entropies at 298.15"K were 5.03 and 4.15 in comparison to the experimental values of 5.05 and 4.15, all expressed in the unit of cal per degg-atom. Using the same Debye parameters, values of the linear coefficients of ther mal expansion for TaC and WC were calculated from absolute zero to their respective melting points using the Grüneisen equation. The calculated values are in excellent agreement with the experimental values available in the literature. Finally, the values of the bulk modulus of TaC from room tenzperature to temperature near its melting Point were also calculated using the equation recently derived by Anderson. No cot~ipari-son between the calculated and experimental values can be made due to lack of experimental data. siderable practical interest. In order to completely define these materials, it is necessary to know their thermal properties as a function of temperature. Tantalum rnonocarbide having a NaCl structure (B-1 type) melts congruently at 4250PK,1 while tungsten monoearbide with a simple hexagonal structure (Bh type) melts per itectically at 3049°K into melt and graphite.2 In the present study, the heat content values (from which

Jan 1, 1968

By Frederic Benard

THE treatment of Balbach-Thum slimes at Copper Cliff by the Ontario Refining. Co. is of interest because it differs considerably from methods usually employed for the recovery of fine gold from parting-plant slimes. Owing to the comparatively high percentages of pal-ladium and platinum, wet methods are used to remove the greater proportion f these metals before electrolytic refining in the Wohlwill cells. THE PLANT The platinum-metals department, Wohlwill room, and gold-melting room extend along the north side f the silver refinery and are separated from the parting plant by a glass partition (Figs. 1 and 2). The platinum-metals department resembles a laboratory built on a large scale, with the various pieces of equipment laid out on terraces to facilitate handling. Because of the corrosive nature of the solutions, chemical stoneware is used throughout. Elevation of acids is accom-plished by means of Mariotte bottles. On the top level are three steam-jacketed stoneware kettles of 50-gal. capacity, also a packed tower. One kettle is used for digesting the slimes while the remaining kettles are used for precipitating the gold. The dissolver is equipped with a treated concrete hood, which is connected to the flue system. Gases are drawn off through the packed tower by means of a 6-in. stoneware exhaust fan. A 15 per cent solution of sodium carbonate is continually circulated through the tower. On the intermediate level are two suction filters, one for removing silver chloride and the other for the gold sand. The filter medium consists of an asbestos pad covered with a filter paper on which is a layer of twill.

Jan 1, 1938

By B. F. Tillson

Mining may be defined as a general term for the working of valuable deposits of minerals, either organic or inorganic in origin, for their removal from the crust of the earth. Besides subsurface excavations, mining generically includes opencuts, clay pits and stone quarries, oil wells, sulphur wells, salt wells, placers, coal stripping, and the leaching of ore bodies. The origin of the word "mine" or "mining" is a matter of conjecture. A Celtic origin has been suggested since the Irish word mein, or the mwyn, meant ore, but it seems to have come from an olf French verb mineor, which meant to excavate, to make an underground passage as in the military appraoch to a fortification, sometimes called ?sapping.?

Jan 1, 1949

Minimize airborne respirable quartz dust produced by continous mining machines. Approach Install a shovel-mounted underboom water spray system on the off-curtain side of the mining machine. Dusty air containing quartz is momentarily trapped under the boom, where it is captured by fine spray mist. The remaining dust cloud is directed immediately behind the curtain before it can migrate back to the machine operator's location. How It Works Previous studies have shown that most of the dust generated by continous mining machines occurs under the boon as the cutter head shears down. The primary source of respirable quartz dust on many continous mining operations is cutting or trimming roof rock immediately prior to shearing. This results in very high concentration , of

Jan 1, 1989

By H. C. Burghard, F. R. Brotzen

Experiments were performed to determine the effects of mechanical vibrations on ordering in CuAu. The effects of 5, 10, and 15 kc vibrations were investigated over a range of ordering temperatures of 280° to 360°C. A decrease in the rate of ordering was observed at all frequencies and ordering temperatures. THE effects of mechanical vibrations on certain solid-state reactions have been noted by several investigators. In 1930, Mahoux' reported a substantial increase in the case depth of a steel sample nitrided under the influence of mechanical vibrations over that of an unvibrated sample. Similarly, an accelerating effect of vibrations on the diffusion of chromium in steel was noted. Guillet, in the same year, confirmed the results of Mahoux. More recently Schenck and schmidtmann3 studied the effects of low-frequency, alternating loads on the diffusion of carbon in steel. The results of their experiments, conducted at 500 cycles per min and large strain, (0.2 pct), indicated an acceleration of the process. These workers also reported an increase in case depth of a sample vibrated at 430 kc during a carburizing treatment. Effects of high-frequency vibrations on solid-state reactions have also been investigated by Gudzoff and Gavze6 and Fairbanks and Dewez.7 The former reported an acceleration of the age-hardening process in aluminum alloys. The latter noted changes in the structure and mechanical properties of steel annealed under the influence of vibrations. On the other hand, Altenburg4 and Ehringer5 have given some theoretical reasons and experimental evidence as to the improbability of any effect of vibrations on diffusion. Comprehensive surveys of the effects of vibrations on metallurgical reactions are given by Hiedemann' and Bergmann.9 None of the above investigations led to a physical description of the effects of mechanical vibrations on solid-state reactions. In the present study an attempt was made to gain an understanding of the influence of vibrations on nucleation and diffusion. The order-disorder transformation was chosen for investigation since its mechanism has been extensively discussed in the literature. Moreover, the progress of the transformation may be easily followed by observation of electrical resistance changes. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The specimens used for the experimental observation of ordering rates were prepared from 50 at. pct Cu-Au alloy wire.* Each specimen consisted of a 0.02-in. diam wire approximately 10 in. long to which two copper potential leads were silver soldered, 2 1/2 in. apart, near one end of the wire. A 1/8-in. diam by 1/4-in. long steel stub was silver soldered

Jan 1, 1960

This paper describes modern long-term mine scheduling and gives an example of its application. It then discusses the obstacles to the implementation of such schedules.

Sep 26, 2011

By John Brennan

OK, I’ll admit it: I’ve always been a big Monty Atwater fan. Not only is the man credited with being the father of modern avalanche forecasting and safety in the United States, but he is also responsible for developing the avalauncher. Through its more than 40-year history, the avalauncher has gone through many changes yet continues to prove its worth in avalanche mitigation work.

Jan 1, 2007

By Yuta Yamamoto

Seafloor massive sulfides (SMS) which contain Au, Ag, Cu, Zn, and Pb have been interested in as a target of commercial mining these 15 years. Japan has large potential of SMS and a national R&D project for the mining has been active these 5 years. However, the economy of SMS mining is very bad, because the waste tailing disposal cost is very expensive in Japan. A slurry flushing method is experimentally examined in this study for the improvement of the economy. During the flushing, because of density difference between the metal-rich ore and the waste rock, a kind of gravity separation is possible. The results suggest a possibility of the actual application.

Sep 14, 2011

By C. G. Dunn, P. K. Koh

TWO recent review papers have considered the origin of primary and secondary recrystalliza-tion textures from the point of view of oriented nucleation and oriented growth theories."' Both theories require nuclei for primary recrystallization but provide no unequivocal answer to the question of what nuclei are. The answer to the same question regarding secondary recrystallization, however, often is that nuclei are certain primary recrystallization grains or primaries. The two theories differ, however, in specifying what the certain primaries are. In support of the oriented growth theory Beck and Hua originally stated "It may be assumed that in a re-crystallized material, even with a strong texture, there always are present some grains of practically any orientation. These may serve as nuclei for the coarse grains, provided that conditions are favorable for their growth." In commenting on this statement one would say that there are two restricting conditions: namely, that 1) the certain primaries (nuclei) are large enough to grow, and 2) their boundaries have high mobility. More recently Beck2 has con-

Jan 1, 1958

By H. K. Shearer

North Louisiana (including all townships north of the Louisiana base line) had a year of normal development in 1940, marked by the discovery of two shallow oil fields producing from the Wilcox formation in La Salle Parish and a large increase in drilling in the old Caddo shallow field. This renewal of shallow drilling activity led to a somewhat unexpected increase in the number of wells drilled, although the total footage and average depth continued to decline, as in several preceding years. Well completions and depth statistics for 1940, with previous years for coinparison, are as follows: Wildcat producers in 1940 include the discovery oil wells in the Olla and Nebo fields; also three gas wells in the vicinity oi the Olla field and a shallow gas well, which opened a new field or extension in the Greenwood area of Caddo Parish. This table illustrates the lack of important deep discoveries since 1937, in which year the Rodessa, Lisbon and Cotton Valley fields were being actively developed. Operators have been forced to return to the old type of shallow drilling, which necessarily means smaller producing wells. Oil production in 1940 was 24,381,760 bbl., a decrease of 867,880 bbl. from 1939, or 3.44 per cent. The newly discovered fields of La Salle Parish produced over a million barrels, and other increases worthy of note were at Cotton Valley, Caddo, Sligo and Sugar Creek. The greatest decrease was again at Rodessa, although this remains the principal producing field. Geological Names Revised Deep drilling during 1940 did not provide a great deal of new geological information. However, by agreement of a majority of the members of the Shreveport Geolog- ical Society, the names of some of the Lower Cretaceous formations have been revised in the interest of greater clarity and in order to make the descriptions agree better with the facts discovered in recent years. The geological section is discussed in detail and reasons for changes in nomenclature are stated in a recent publication by Ralph W. Imlay. Although not yet in universal use among field men, the new names are employed in this report and accompanying tables, as

Jan 1, 1941

By H. K. Shearer

North Louisiana (including all townships north of the Louisiana base line) had a year of normal development in 1940, marked by the discovery of two shallow oil fields producing from the Wilcox formation in La Salle Parish and a large increase in drilling in the old Caddo shallow field. This renewal of shallow drilling activity led to a somewhat unexpected increase in the number of wells drilled, although the total footage and average depth continued to decline, as in several preceding years. Well completions and depth statistics for 1940, with previous years for coinparison, are as follows: Wildcat producers in 1940 include the discovery oil wells in the Olla and Nebo fields; also three gas wells in the vicinity oi the Olla field and a shallow gas well, which opened a new field or extension in the Greenwood area of Caddo Parish. This table illustrates the lack of important deep discoveries since 1937, in which year the Rodessa, Lisbon and Cotton Valley fields were being actively developed. Operators have been forced to return to the old type of shallow drilling, which necessarily means smaller producing wells. Oil production in 1940 was 24,381,760 bbl., a decrease of 867,880 bbl. from 1939, or 3.44 per cent. The newly discovered fields of La Salle Parish produced over a million barrels, and other increases worthy of note were at Cotton Valley, Caddo, Sligo and Sugar Creek. The greatest decrease was again at Rodessa, although this remains the principal producing field. Geological Names Revised Deep drilling during 1940 did not provide a great deal of new geological information. However, by agreement of a majority of the members of the Shreveport Geolog- ical Society, the names of some of the Lower Cretaceous formations have been revised in the interest of greater clarity and in order to make the descriptions agree better with the facts discovered in recent years. The geological section is discussed in detail and reasons for changes in nomenclature are stated in a recent publication by Ralph W. Imlay. Although not yet in universal use among field men, the new names are employed in this report and accompanying tables, as

Jan 1, 1941

Flotation science and technology are related to three major sub- processes which are organized in a hierarchical structure as shown in Fig. 1. The basic sub-process is the chemical process which affects the attachment of air bubbles to mineral particles. In particular, the chem- ical process is related with the adsorption of surface active sub- stances at the gas-liquid, liquid- solid, and gas-liquid-solid inter- faces. This field has been most intensively explored in flotation research. The second domain in flotation research is concerned with the mineral particle to air bubble attachment sub- process in the system. This sub- process represents the dynamics of particle and bubble encounter where the contact angle and the induction time, determined by the surface chem- istry of the system, are among the most significant parameters. This sub-process can be referred to as the micro-process as against the third sub-process, or the macro-process, which corresponds to the integral behaviour of the system. Two other sub-processes are integrated into the macro-process in which they may not reveal themselves explicitly in the details. The third sub-process does not entail surface-chemical or physi- cal events any more, but it represents them all inclusively. To represent this sub-process we use mathematical equations, called models. Only in some simple or simplified cases can the models be solved exactly to find out the behaviour of the flotation system in which we are interested. Digital

Jan 1, 1984