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By Lawrence Wright

THE occurrence of gold, gold-silver, silver-lead-zinc ores in the post-Cambrian sediments in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and their genetic relationship to the Tertiary intrusives, is well known and accepted, but the occurrence of gold in the pre-Cambrian rocks at the Homestake mine, which underlie this Tertiary gold mineralization, has given rise to differ-ences of opinion as to the period of major gold introduction into the older rocks. Fig. 1 illustrates. the distribution of mineralization along the axis of the Tertiary uplift in both pre-Cambrian and post-Cambrian rocks. The following possibilities have been presented: 1. The Homestake gold deposit was formed in pre-Cambrian time and the deposits in the overlying Cambrian sediments formed during Ter-tiary time. 2. The Homestake lode existed at the beginning of Cambrian time, but was enriched by the passage of Tertiary auriferous solutions. 3. The Homestake lode was represented by pre-Cambrian quartz-chlorite sulfide mineralization, very low in gold content and the gold superimposed on the older nearly barren mineralization during the Ter-tiary metallogenic epoch. 4. The sulfides and sulfarsenides as well as gold were deposited in both pre-Cambrian and post-Cambrian rocks during the Tertiary period. Those favoring the first proposition feel that the question is pretty well settled, while the proponents of the second theory are more flexible in their view, feeling that the amount of gold introduced in either period is still an open question. The third and fourth theories, with some modifi-cations, are supported by the proponents of the Tertiary theory, who feel that the evidence strongly favors that period. The following pages are intended to present the evidence and to give the reaction of various observers with my own comments and conclu-sions; also, the accumulated facts of observation gathered over a period of close association with the area under discussion, beginning in 1919.

Jan 1, 1936

By Rodney P. Smith

The diffusivity of carbon (0.1 wt pct C) in Fe-Nz alloys (0 to 100 pct Ni) has been determined for the temperature range 860° to 1100°C. As a function of nickel content, the diffusivity has a maximum near 60 pct Ni (the maximum diffusivity being about 1.3 times that in the absence of nickel); the activation energy has a maximum between 40 and 50 pct Ni and a maximum between 80 and 90 pct Ni. The difference between the minimum activation energy and that in iron is about 3000 cal pev g-atom; Do has a minimum between 40 and 50 pct Ni and a maximum between 80 and 90 pct Ni. The results cannot be rationalized by an approximate thermodynamic treatment. THE diffusivity of carbon has been determined in a number of iron alloys over a limited concentration range. It seemed desirable to investigate a system which allows an extended range of alloy composition within a single-phase region. The Fe-Ni system is ideal in this respect, in that all alloys from 100 pct Fe to 100 pct Ni are fee in a convenient temperature range.&apos; The carbon diffusivity was determined by a decar-burization method. The experimental procedure was identical with that used to determine the diffusivity of carbon in y Fe-Co alloys.2 The experimental data are given in Table I. A small correction (order of a few percent) has been made to the measured carbon loss to correct for the carbon lost from the ends of the cylinders.&apos; Since the diffusivity of carbon varies with carbon content the measured diffusivity is an average value for a carbon content between zero (surface) and that at the center of the sample at the end of the decarburization periods. In making the correction in D to 0.1 wt pct C it is assumed that the measured D corresponds to the arithmetical mean of the carbon content at the surface and at the center of the sample at the end of the decarburization period.3 Since this correction is small (<4 pct in D) and since for our decarburization times the changes in carbon content at the center of the sample was small the mean carbon content could have been taken as half the initial value. It is further assumed that the change in D with carbon content for the alloys is the same as that for the diffusion of carbon in iron. From the data of Wells, Batz, and Mehl4 and of smith5 the correction of D from the mean carbon content to 0.1 wt pct C is 0.3 (0.1 - mean wt pct C). The results for iron are given in Ref. 2. Within the experimental error log Do.l%C for each alloy is a linear function of 1/T; the constants for the equation determined by the method of least squares are given in Table I. The deviations of the experimental points from the least-squares line are of the order of 2 pct in D. A comparison of our results for the diffusivity of carbon in nickel with those of other investigations is shown in Fig. 1. The lower curve in Fig. 1 is a linear extrapolation of values calculated* from the equation of Diamond6 for the relaxation time (temperature range 100° to 500°C). The results indicate a small increase in the activation energy over the temperature range 100° to 1400°C; however, it is difficult to say whether the change in Q is real or experimental error. Certainly the change in Q is less than the variation of 5 kcal per g-atom in the diffusivity of carbon in a iron.6 The experimental data for all the alloys are plotted in Fig. 2. As a function of nickel content the diffusivity has a maximum near 60 wt pct Ni at all temperatures investigated and possibly a minimum between 80 and 90 wt pct Ni for temperatures below 1000°C. The activation energy, Q, and log Do are plotted as a function of the nickel content in Fig. 3. Due to the limited temperature range of our experiments neither Q nor Do can be determined precisely; the activation energies appear to be consistent to ±0.3 kcal per g-atom; however the deviation from the absolute values may be considerably larger, see Table II. The Do values probably have little significance. The solid line for Do in Fig. 3 represents the values required to reproduce the experimental values for D when Q has values represented by the upper solid line The diffusivity of carbon may be expressed in terms of the mobility B22, the activity coefficient r2,

Jan 1, 1967

By Georges Millot

USUALLY the search for clays is left to chance in unexplored areas. A local working by the inhabitants or an outcrop is often the only guide. If the conditions of genesis of clays were always known, a set of general rules could be drawn up that would apply to this search. For example, a certain type of clay might be found wherever the sediment indicated a favorable environment. This paper sums up the considerable amount of knowledge that has been accumulated about the genesis of sedimentary days and offers some rules to be observed in prospecting for new clays. ANALYTICAL STUDY OF SEDIMENTARY CLAYS Clays may be found in many formations, both recent and ancient. All the intermediums exist between the deep-sea deposit and the mud deposited by a stream. In order to find out whether the nature of clay deposits depends on the environments in which they were formed, the samples used in the investigation described herein were very carefully chosen from: (1) ancient sedimentary series (a few from recent ones), (2) zones where conditions of genesis are typical. Ancient Formations Ancient formations were chosen because they are less difficult to sample than the bottom sediments of present-day lakes and seas. Moreover, a geo- logical section makes it possible to define the conditions of genesis of a deposit based on its facies, fossils, stratigraphic relations, and paleography. A present-day deposit is defined only by its aspect at the moment. Its previous history may have caused mixtures, alterations, and changes of environment, which escape detection. Typical Conditions of Genesis Samples from ancient deposits were taken from zones where typical conditions of genesis prevailed. Only clays from marine, lagoonal, and lacustrine environs are concerned in this study because the nature of the original en- vironments could be affirmed. In this way an inventory of the nature of sedimentary clays has been made for rocks formed in typical and individual environments; therefore the extent of the results that may be drawn from such a study will need discussion.

Jan 1, 1952

By M. Gershon

Four computerized approaches for coal blending are described and their strengths and weaknesses are explored. Spreadsheet analysis Other than word processing, spreadsheet software is the most commonly used software. Its wide availability and ease of use are two desirable features that have led many to try to adapt it to the purpose of coal blending. These are the two main advantages of this approach. To use a spreadsheet for coal blending, each row of data represents one source of coal. Each column represents a quality of the coal, with the last column specifying the tonnage of that coal in the blend. The calculated figures are. the blended qualities, which can be programmed to appear in the bottom row. A trial-and-error approach is then used to develop the best blend. Inserting any blend in the last column provides the blend characteristics at the bottom of the page. If any specifications are not met, the blend can be changed, all calculations being immediately updated. This process is repeated until all specifications are satisfied. A third advantage of this method is that it is exactly the procedure that one would go through if doing this by hand. With a spreadsheet, many more blends can be evaluated in much less time, allowing the designer to try to improve over satisfactory blends to find the best of them. The resulting improved blends or cost savings are a fourth advantage of this approach. There is only one major disadvantage of using the spread- sheet. This is that most probably the best blend is not found. As an inexpensive introduction to computer-assisted blending, which can be easily understood and cost just a few hundred dollars, this is a recommended place to begin.

Jan 1, 1987

By J. W. Spretnak

It is well-established that decohesions occurring at the interface of the matrix and rigid inclusions and second-phase particles are prime causes of ductile fracture initiation. It is not clear, however, how these decohesions occur. The idea that the interface bond is broken in tension is not particularly attractive when one considers the strength of such interfaces and the fact that plastic flow is not restricted under conditions of continuing flow required to initiate and propagate ductile fracture. A suggestion as to the mechanism of decohesion arises if one takes the position that, as the dislocation density increases with plastic flow and reaches some critical range of density, the phenomenon of flow can be regarded as fluidlike instead of the crystallographic motion of dislocations. As the spacing between dislocations decreases, the matrix becomes increasingly disordered in terms of loss of periodicity. At some critical degree of reduction of the periodicity, it is suggested that flow can be regarded as hydrodynamic, rather than crystallographic. Such a state has been referred to by rheologists as the "plasticized state", or the "fourth state of matter", between the liquid and solid state. A similar argument pertains qualitatively with the increase in equilibrium vacancy concentration as the temperature approaches the melting point. Taking the viewpoint that at larger strains the flow may become hydrodynamic in nature, a mechanism of decohesion is suggested. A well-known phenomenon in boundary-layer flow is that of "separation" locally of the boundary layer from the substrate.&apos; Under certain conditions, the flow in the immediate neighborhood of the substrate becomes reversed, causing the boundary layer to separate from it. The exact condition for separation is that the velocity gradient normal to the substrate vanishes there, or It is of interest that blunt particles such as spheres and circular cylinders are most likely to give rise to separations because of unfavorable pressure distributions behind them. The source cited gives solutions for positions of separations for various geometries. In principle, such separations can also take place when metal is flowing over a "dead zone" of stagnant metal. This may explain the initiation of fracture at the elastic-plastic boundaries of plastic enclaves under a notch.

Jan 1, 1967

TasmaniaÆs mineral endowment has resulted in 600 abandoned mines. Commonly occurring sulfide minerals such as pyrite and pyrrhotite can generate acid drainage and also mobilise heavy metals. Due to the StateÆs steep topography and high rainfall the risk to water quality in the receiving environments is significant. Surface waters impacted by abandoned mine sites typically showed high sulfate and metal distribution at pH range of 2.0 to 5.0. The impacted waters generally showed metal distribution in the high acid/extreme metal to low acid/low metal range. A similar trend was shown by sulfate distribution. Elevated levels of metals and sulfate downstream from several abandoned mine sites indicated that active sulfide oxidation is occurring and these sites may be potential point sources of metal pollution in the receiving environment. High correlation between metal and sulfate distribution suggests that sulfate distribution in surface waters may be used as a cost-effective investigation tool for preliminary assessment of acid drainage.

Jan 1, 2003

By Knezicek Zeljko, Knezicek Tihomir

Lignite open cast mine "Dubrave" is the largest lignite mine in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The open cast mine was designed with two external waste dumps. Waste dump "West" is the major dump, while "Cajici" dump is used for dumping waste taken from leveling the terrain. The major waste dump contains 14.6 million cu.m. of waste, while the side waste dump contains 3 million cu.m. of waste. Existing situation with available sites for depositing the waste shows that additional space for dumping the waste must be provided. Three options can be taken into consideration. The fact is that none of the three options are suitable for the current production situation. This article deals with the optimization process for obtaining the optimal variant where a waste dump can be located and selection of the most valuable option.

Jan 1, 2002

By S. A. Ford

A SHORT and accurate method for the estimation of manganese in iron and steel is of great advantage to Bessemer works, and I think it may be of interest to some of the members of the Institute to give in detail the process in use in the laboratory of the Edgar Thomson steel works. The process is based on the reaction first described by Beilstein and Jawein.* The steel, spiegel, or iron is dissolved in strong nitric acid, sp. gr. 1.4. Evaporation to dryness is not necessary, unless the amount of silicon is large, as in the case of certain pig irons. Then, as a clogging of the filter in the subsequent filtra¬tion is apt to follow, dissolve first in a dish in hydrochloric acid, quickly evaporate to dryness, redissolve in the strong nitric acid, boil, and while boiling throw in crystals of chlorate of potash from time to time. Violent action ensues, yellow fumes are given off, and binoxide of manganese is precipitated, since it is insoluble in strong * Berichte der deutschen chemisehen Gesellschaft, vol. xii, page 1528.

Jan 1, 1881

By W. H. Eatock

In its infancy, the potash refining industry in Saskatchewan was heavily influenced by practices developed in Carlsbad, NM, resulting in modern, highly productive plants. The first 15 years has been a period of reduced production, due to excessive capacity, when improvements tended to be emphasized in the mining rather than the refining functions. However, some innovations have been developed and applied in Saskatchewan and the industry is entering a period of massive expansion which will produce further advances. This paper discusses, in general terms, some of the different approaches and recent trends.

Jan 1, 1983

By Alfred H. Bell

Drilling activity increased in Illinois in 1935. There were 34 com-pletions as compared with 26 in 1934 and 18 wells were drilling at the end of 1935. Some large blocks of acreage were leased in Marion and Clay counties near the central part of the Illinois structural basin. Production of oil in the state totaled 4,305,000 bbl., a decrease of 4 per cent from that of 1934 There was some curtailment of production in the early part of 1935 but none after April 30 as shown in the following table. Percentage Pro-duced of Potential ProductioN (USING September 1934 Period as BaSis) Jan. .l-Feb. 20............................................ 79 Feb. 21-Feb. 25............................................ 85 Feb. 26-Feb. 38............................................ 79 Mar. 1-Mar. 11............................................ 85 Mar. 12-Mar. 31............................................ 100 Apr. 1-Apr. 9.......................................... 80 Apr. 10-Apr. 30............................................ 86 May 1-Dec. 31........................................... 100 This is equivalent to an average curtailment throughout the year of 5 per cent. The price of Illinois crude oil at the wells remained constant during 1935 at $1.13 per barrel. A small amount of oil was sold at a 1ower price, notably from the Dupo field, but to arrive at a value for the state&apos;s production there would be little error in assuming an average price of 81.13, giving a total value of $4,864,465. The following table shows production in Illinois by moths in 1935, according to the U.S. Bureau of Mines. Jan............. 332,000 May.......... 382,000 Sept ,............. 370,000 Feb............. 295,000 June. ........... 858,000 Oct.............. 391,000 Mar............ 370,000 July............ 377,000 Nov............. 369,000 April............ 338,000 Aug............. 379,000 Dec............ 344,000

Jan 1, 1936

By Alfred H. Bell

Drilling activity increased in Illinois in 1935. There were 34 com-pletions as compared with 26 in 1934 and 18 wells were drilling at the end of 1935. Some large blocks of acreage were leased in Marion and Clay counties near the central part of the Illinois structural basin. Production of oil in the state totaled 4,305,000 bbl., a decrease of 4 per cent from that of 1934 There was some curtailment of production in the early part of 1935 but none after April 30 as shown in the following table. Percentage Pro-duced of Potential ProductioN (USING September 1934 Period as BaSis) Jan. .l-Feb. 20............................................ 79 Feb. 21-Feb. 25............................................ 85 Feb. 26-Feb. 38............................................ 79 Mar. 1-Mar. 11............................................ 85 Mar. 12-Mar. 31............................................ 100 Apr. 1-Apr. 9.......................................... 80 Apr. 10-Apr. 30............................................ 86 May 1-Dec. 31........................................... 100 This is equivalent to an average curtailment throughout the year of 5 per cent. The price of Illinois crude oil at the wells remained constant during 1935 at $1.13 per barrel. A small amount of oil was sold at a 1ower price, notably from the Dupo field, but to arrive at a value for the state&apos;s production there would be little error in assuming an average price of 81.13, giving a total value of $4,864,465. The following table shows production in Illinois by moths in 1935, according to the U.S. Bureau of Mines. Jan............. 332,000 May.......... 382,000 Sept ,............. 370,000 Feb............. 295,000 June. ........... 858,000 Oct.............. 391,000 Mar............ 370,000 July............ 377,000 Nov............. 369,000 April............ 338,000 Aug............. 379,000 Dec............ 344,000

Jan 1, 1936

By A. K. Basu

Rapid industrial growth in India has caused the country to realize the strategic importance of its zinc and lead deposits. Private companies, nationalized in 1965, are now a corporate public sector organization that is making great strides in developing the nation&apos;s lead-zinc mining capability. The main mining area is centered around Zawar at Rajasthan. It consists a group of mines - Mochia, Balaria, Zawarmala and Baroi. Mining activities have also been extended by opening the mines at Rajpura-Dariba at Rajasthan, Sargipallie at Orissa and Agnigundala at Andhra Pradesh. A huge deposit has been explored at Agucha in the Bhilwara district but full-scale production has not yet begun. Annual consumption of zinc and lead in India has risen steadily from 25 and 7.9 kt (27,500 and 8700 st), respectively, in 1973-1974 to 162.8 and 80 kt (179,450 and 88,000 st), respectively, in 1989-1990. Mine production has also risen consistently to cope with the increased metal demand. The mining company hopes to increase production at existing mines and upgrade the beneficiation and smelting facilities. Moreover, mining operations may be expanded by opening up new units that are now awaiting governmental clearances. Technology status Mining technology has undergone a rapid, large-scale transformation, with an accelerated pace of new, larger capacity mine development. Notable advances include the introduction of mechanized ore extraction methods and

Jan 1, 1991

By Arthur C. Simmons

The area producing Pennsylvania-grade crude oil declined sharply in 1943, with a daily average production in the entire area of 71,056 bbl. as against a daily average in 1942 of 77,786. The total decline in the Pennsylvania-grade area amounted to 2,456,311 bbl., and 1,g81,z71 bbl. of this occurrcd within the state of Pennsylvania. The principal decline occurred in the Bradford field, where it was caused primarily by a drastic reduction in well completions. All of the zones in the Pennsylvania-grade producing area showed a decline except the part of Ohio that produces that grade, where production increased very slightly over 1942. Table I shows the average daily production by months for the several districts of the area. Table z is a comparison of the production in the two districts within the state of Pennsylvania. It is interesting to note that the Bradford field produced approximately half the total quantity of Pennsylvania grade but accounted for nearly three-fourths of the decline in production from the previous year. It is believed that this decline is ocasioned by restrictive price ceilings and a lack of adequate manpower to drill the necessary wells to maintain production. Stocks of Pennsylvania Grade At the beginning of 1942, stocks of Pennsylvania-grade crude totaled 3,196,000 bbl. and at the beginning of 1943 they totaled 2,626,000 bbl. At the end of 1943 the stocks of Pennsylvania-grade crude had declined to 1,95z,000 bbl. The available crude stocks have been almost completely consumed, as nearly all of the present crude stocks are "unavailable" and required for

Jan 1, 1944

By Arthur C. Simmons

The area producing Pennsylvania-grade crude oil declined sharply in 1943, with a daily average production in the entire area of 71,056 bbl. as against a daily average in 1942 of 77,786. The total decline in the Pennsylvania-grade area amounted to 2,456,311 bbl., and 1,g81,z71 bbl. of this occurrcd within the state of Pennsylvania. The principal decline occurred in the Bradford field, where it was caused primarily by a drastic reduction in well completions. All of the zones in the Pennsylvania-grade producing area showed a decline except the part of Ohio that produces that grade, where production increased very slightly over 1942. Table I shows the average daily production by months for the several districts of the area. Table z is a comparison of the production in the two districts within the state of Pennsylvania. It is interesting to note that the Bradford field produced approximately half the total quantity of Pennsylvania grade but accounted for nearly three-fourths of the decline in production from the previous year. It is believed that this decline is ocasioned by restrictive price ceilings and a lack of adequate manpower to drill the necessary wells to maintain production. Stocks of Pennsylvania Grade At the beginning of 1942, stocks of Pennsylvania-grade crude totaled 3,196,000 bbl. and at the beginning of 1943 they totaled 2,626,000 bbl. At the end of 1943 the stocks of Pennsylvania-grade crude had declined to 1,95z,000 bbl. The available crude stocks have been almost completely consumed, as nearly all of the present crude stocks are "unavailable" and required for

Jan 1, 1944

By T. Reed Woodbridge

The object of this paper is to bring to notice a method in use at the Cedar Point laboratory of Witherbees, Sherman & Co., for determining the phosphorus in the ore mined at Mineville, N. Y. This ore is magnetite, with a gangue containing crystals of apatite. In 1886, Mr. H. F. Dawes, then head chemist at the works, suggested that as all the phosphorus seemed to be in the apatite, it could be obtained in solution by dilute nitric acid. After some experimenting the following method was adopted, and has proved invaluable for rapidity and ease; half a dozen determinations requiring very little more time or trouble than one. From + to 10 grammes of ore are weighed into a 150 c.c. beaker; 50 C.C. hot water and 10 c.c. strong nitric acid are added; the beaker is covered and the contents are boiled for 1/2 hour (10 minutes sometimes proves sufficient; but 4 hour is safer). The bumping which ensues if more than & gramme is used need cause no trouble. The hot solution is filtered into a 250 C.C. beaker. The filtration and washing (with hot water) proceed rapidly, as the magnetite itself is but slightly acted upon. After the addition of 15 C.C. ammonia and 15 c.c. nitric acid, the solution is cooled to 45&apos; C., and from 15 to 40 C.C. of molybdic acid solution is added and stirred vigorously. In 5 minutes the precipitate will be down, and the determination can be finished by any good method. At Cedar Point the method more commonly used is weighing as yellow salt. Good washed filter-paper is used, No. 0 Swedish being preferred; and dozen 3 1/2-inch filters are numbered and dried and weighed at 110°C. These are always kept in stock. The yellow salt is filtered on one of these, washed with dilute nitric acid (2 per cent. by volume); dried for 1 hour at 110&apos; C., and then weighed, 1.63 per cent. of weight being calculated as phosphorus. The filters vary in the two weighings from

Jan 1, 1889

By J F. C L Costa, J C. Koppe

The goal of this study is to characterise co-processed clinkers by identifying the most common minor elements, their distribution in the clinkers and possible effects on the mineralogical properties of the same. The results show the presence of an elevated content of transition metals, especially manganese concentrated in the matrix (up to three per cent) of the clinkers. Anomalous concentrations of arsenic have also been detected, especially at silicate crystal edges. The results indicate that the tracer elements can perfectly be associated to the mineralogical characteristics of the clinkers.

Jan 1, 2008

By R. L. Dietrich

[ ] We at The Dow Chemical Co. have recently done some work on the deformation of magnesium alloys and although it is far from complete there have been a few observations which may be of interest in connection with this paper. In the first place, I should like to point out that the deformation of polycrystalline magnesium alloys has not been completely explained by the work on single crystals. Bakarian and Mathewson found slip on the ( 101) and {002) planes, and (102) twinning as the deformation mechanisms in magnesium single crystals, but in compression when the (002} planes were within ii° of parallel t0 the compression surfaces, fracture occurred at all temperatures up to 340°C (644°F). In commercial working processes, particularly in rolling, an orientation is quickly produced which should be unfavorable to further deformation by the three established mechanisms. The first few reductions in rolling quickly produce an orientation having

Jan 1, 1947

A simulation of the fluid flow, minera- logical and chemical aspects of in situ leaching is being developed for application to the recovery of metals from unbroken, naturally jointed rock. The fluid flow aspect has been developed. The rock is assumed to have a double-fracture property. A major joint set is responsible for bulk flow of solution, while a minor joint set, intersecting with the major set, allows the solution to contact the reactive minerals. The two-dimensional fluid flow through the major joint set is analysed by a streamline model for a particular well pattern. The other important components of the model are described briefly.

Jan 1, 1984

By Isabel Barton

This article describes and analyzes the history of research into the origins of the uranium-vanadium(-radium) deposits of the Paradox Basin. For several decades after their discovery in 1881, research was desultory and almost entirely descriptive, fluctuating with demand for vanadium and radium. Systematic geologic descriptions, accumulated between 1910 and 1950, supported rapid progress during a government-backed surge of research in the 1950s, when uranium was the chief commodity of interest. Most of the major theoretical innovations date from this decade, including the use of concepts from solution chemistry to identify the conditions and constrain the processes of deposit formation and alteration. Research from this time was highly influential in geology at large, providing the model for sandstone-hosted uranium deposits worldwide and numerous new minerals and mineral structures. After about 1960, mine production remained high but research dwindled, and most new advances were to the details of the hydrothermal model of ore formation rather than its core concepts. By the end of the 1960s, the deposits were understood to have formed at the mixing interface of an oxidized, metal-bearing water with a reducing fluid of debated origin. Research was desultory over the ensuing decades; the source of the metals and the nature of the chemicals constituting the trap were not clearly established. They remain questions today, as do factors like the relationship between ore mineralization and the geologic history of the basin. (More in the full paper.)

Jan 1, 2025

By D. W. Duncan, A. Bruynesteyn

An ore containing chalcopyrite was microbiologically leached in 6 ft columns at particle sizes ranging from -2 +1 ½ inches, to -3/8 + 3/16 inches. The rate of leaching increased exponentially as the particle size decreased. The controlling factor was the active leaching volume made up of the particle surface area and the depth of penetration of the bacteria and leach liquor into the particle. This volume became an increasingly larger part of the total volume as the particle size decreased. The sample under test leached poorly at larger particle sizes and it was calculated that under commercial conditions, it would produce at best a pregnant solution containing 100 mg/l (0.2 lb/ ton) of copper per 100 ft of dump height.

Jan 1, 1974