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By O. Tiitu

Drying is a unit process that has numerous applications in metallurgical process industry. Kumera Technology Center is a worldwide equipment and process supplier, who has expertise on both direct and indirect drying. In a conventional direct heated dryer, the required energy is obtained from combustion of fossil fuels emitting a considerable amount of off-gases. However, thermal energy can be already available in some metallurgical plants such as modem copper smelters where steam is produced by waste heat boilers of flash smelting furnaces. The total volume of off-gases, and especially the amount of harmful gases, released into atmosphere can be remarkably reduced when using steam as an indirect energy source for drying. Kumera Technology Center has developed a new type of steam dryer for drying of, for example, abrasive copper concentrate with silica sand. In the development of the new dryer, Kumera's approach has been to combine the best properties of both the existing steam dryers and the rotating drum dryers. In the design, special attention has been paid to overcoming the reported problems of excessive wear and clogging of steam tubes and to reducing the required maintenance operations. The Kumera Steam Dryer, having a patented flexible steam tube arrangement inside the rotating shell, has a high effective heating area - drum volume ratio without leading to problems with build-up and clogging. It can also be easily scaled up so that a single dryer can dry all of the feed for a large flash furnace. In this paper, we will present the operational and maintenance experiences from two years operation of the first full-scale Kumera Steam Dryer at Norddeutsche Affinerie Aktiengesellschaft in Hamburg, Germany. We will also provide an overview of the future developments with respect to construction and scale up as a response to market demands.

Jan 1, 2002

By W. H. Andrews

DEFINITION OF BAUXITE The term "bauxite" (1) dates back to 1821, when it was assigned to a deposit of red earthy material outcropping near the village of Les Baux in Southern France. Chemical analysis indicated the presence of aluminium oxide, iron oxide and water. Deposits of bauxite are widespread throughout the world although the major developments occur within 30 degrees of the Equator. Essentially bauxite is the product of weathering and leaching of a variety of sediments or rocks, generally in a high-rainfall tropical or sub-tropical climate, resulting in the enrichment of the aluminium oxide content. It is characterised by the presence of one or more of the minerals, gibbsite, boehmite, and diaspore. The other constituents are usually clay, (typically kaolin), hematite and/or goethite (iron-oxides), anatase (titanium oxide), and possibly silica as quartz. A variety of minor elements may be present, such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vanadium, gallium, manganese, and many others in very small quantities. Organic compounds are normally present from development in association with a soil horizon where vegetation may be encouraged by the high rainfall necessary for bauxitisition. The physical form depends upon the geological history of the deposit and correlation also exists with the mineralogy. Older deposits which have been subject to burial are invariably hard and compact with the alumina predominantly occurring as boehmite or diaspore, while the more recent, surface deposits are frequently less compacted and gibbsite is the dominant alumina mineral. In these later deposits, the physical form can vary from the fine red soil (terra rosa) of Jamaica to the Weipa pisolites to the cemented Arkansas type. The presence of concretionary structures is an important aid in identification in the field.

Jan 1, 1984

By Fred Wright

IN A recent paper1 a detailed discussion is given of the possibilities. of using polarized light in the examination of opaque substances. The factors underlying the problem .are there treated from the viewpoint of the electromagnetic theory of light and the presentation is necessarily mathematical in form. The practical methods resulting from the discussion are, however, relatively simple and promise to be of value in the determination of certain ores and metals when studied in reflected light under the microscope. The results of the theoretical investigation referred to may be summarized by stating that in general the optical constants, such as refractive indices and absorption indices, cannot be satisfactorily ascertained on small, random, polished sections; that the use of polarized light enables. the observer ordinarily to determine whether the crystal plate is isotropic or anisotropic, and also to ascertain the degree of anisotropism; that for this purpose methods based either on the contrast in intensity between the two reflected components of non-polarized light, or on the amount of rotation of the plane of polarization, on reflection, of vertically incident, plane-polarized light, may be employed; that methods based on the phase difference between the two reflected components are in general of little value because of the small differences in phase which ordinarily result for a relatively large change in birefringence or biabsorption. The measurement of the optical properties of transparent minerals, even in minute irregular grains, is a simple task with modern petrographic microscope methods and is accomplished by petrologists as part of their ordinary routine work. But the determination of the optical constants of opaque substances is difficult and is rarely attempted; all observations are necessarily made in reflected light and are restricted commonly to the determination of color, of hardness, of the character of crystallization, and

Jan 2, 1920

By Henry M. Howe

The death of Sir Lowthian Bell removes almost the last of the group of heroic leaders who made their age and ours the Age of Steel—a group which his luster and the luster of his peers, Bessemer, Siemens and Tunner, made one of the most brilliant, perhaps even the most brilliant, in the annals of induetry. Born on February 15th, 1816, in Newcastle-on-Tyne, he was the eldest son of Thomas Bell, an alderman of Newcastle, and of his wife Catherine Lowthian of Newbiggin, near Carlisle, in Cumberland, and was christened Isaac Lowthian, the name of his maternal grandfather. His father was born about 1788, and came in 1808 from Newbiggin to Newcastle, where he entered the office of the Cumbrian firm of Losh & Company, manufacturers of alkali and wrought-iron, at the Walker Iron and Alkali Works, at Walker, near Newcastle. Young Isaac Lowthian Bell was educated at Dr. Bruce's school in Newcastle, whence he went to Germany and Denmark, learning there German and Danish. On his return he studied at Edinburgh University, and then at the Sorbonne in Paris. As a student he already showed the remarkable character and application which later gained him such distinction. After studying the manufacture of alkali near Marseilles, he returned, and when about twenty years old (A.D. 1836) was employed in his father's firm, then called Losh, Wilson, & Bell. After spending a year in their Newcastle offices, and after visiting the important iron-making districts of France, Germany, Poland, and Austria, he took charge of their rolling-mills at. Walker, and profited so well by his opportunities, and especially by the teachings of his father and of Mr. John Vaughan (later one of the founders of the great firm of Bolckow, Vaughan & Co.), that he was made manager of the Walker works in or about

Jan 1, 1906

By T P. Hynes

Submarine tailings disposal is conceptually an attractive option for managing reactive mine wastes in coastal regions by virtue of reduced sulfide oxidation under a water cover and no infrastructure to maintain after mine closure. However, the lack of detailed knowledge of metal leaching, dispersal of fine tailings and biological impacts in the marine environment has led to no operating permits currently in effect in Canada. Detailed chemical and ecotoxicological assessments at two historic copper mine sites (Little Bay and Tilt Cove) in the north coast of Newfoundland with tailings disposed in an estuarine to shallow (=100 m) marine environment have demonstrated reduced reactivity of sulfidic tailings when submerged under water. Only non-acute toxicity is detected in biota inhabiting the immediate vicinity (A review of another historic shallow marine tailings operation in the southern tip of Vancouver Island (Jordon River) with a high-energy setting also reveals problems with unconfined tailings dispersal and temporal biological impacts. Documented studies at two deeper (140 - 360 m) marine tailings disposal operations at the northern tip of Vancouver Island (Island Copper) and northwestern coast of British Columbia (Kitsault) again illustrate imperfect predictions of tailings re-suspension and dispersal. At these sites, bioaccumulation of tailings-derived metals appears to be minimal. There is evidence of rapid re-colonisation of the tailings surface by benthos but of different species than the original population. Integrating these observations with reported metal fluxes and biological diversity associated with submarine hydrothermal vents, the risks and benefits of deep-sea (>1 km) tailings disposal are discussed. To determine if submarine tailings disposal in deep, confined basins on the seafloor is environmentally friendly, detailed multi-disciplinary research incorporating physical, chemical, biological and toxicological components will be indispensable.

Jan 1, 2003

By James Norman

DIATOMACEOUS earth occurs in deposits widely distributed throughout the nation. The chief producing areas are in the Western States, where many high-grade deposits are known. Eastern deposits of diatomite are unsatisfactory for many purposes either because of impurity or because of the extremely fine particle size. Eastern users of diatomite, on the whole, must pay for transportation of the material from the west coast. The freight rate is necessarily high because of the great bulk of the diatomite. A satisfactory process of purifying the diatomaceous earths of Maryland and Virginia, which are unsuited for wide use only because of impurities, should be of value to eastern users. In the past, benefication of diatomite by wet processes has been limited to classification or sedimentation for the removal of sand from diatoms. Calcination with salt is used to produce a white diatomite when iron is present in the impurities, and small amounts of clay are rendered inactive in the process. No treatment has been developed whereby a large proportion of clay can be removed from a low-grade diatomaceous earth to give a diatomite of very high purity. In August 1937 the Federal Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with Dr. R. C. Williams, of Baltimore, undertook the problem of purifying low-grade Maryland diatomite by froth flotation. Work was done at the Eastern Experiment Station, College Park. Unless otherwise stated, the crude diatomite used was from the Patuxent River deposits near Dunkirk. This material, consisting of roughly one-third each of clay, quartz sand and diatoms, was representative of the usual low-grade marine diatomite found in the Coastal Plain Miocene beds of Maryland and Virginia and sporadically in other Atlantic coast states. As received, it contained 50 to 60 per cent moisture and probably had been wet since its formation.

Jan 1, 1940

By E. D. Gardener, Byron O. Pichard

"Methane, frequently called fire damp or marsh gas, is very well known to coal miners but to thy average gold miner it means nothing, as it is not associated generally with the rock formations in which gold is found.We have recently been conducting a study of mine air in typical gold mines on the Pacific Coast, and out of five California mines in which the air was sampled, three showed methane. Each of these three mines, referred to below as mines A, B, and C, have had accumulations great enough to be ignited. An authentic report from another California, gold mine, which has not yet been sampled, states that recently the superintendent was seriously burned by the ignition of a pocket of gas. This mine is later mentioned as mine D.Mine A is an old mine which had been abandoned for several years and permitted to fill with water. It has been unwaterad recently, and is now being developed at greater depths. During the unwatering, gas bubbles formed on the water and upon being ignited burned freely. It is reported that two men were seriously burned from accidentally igniting the gas. Samples of the bubbles on analysis showed high percentages of methane. Since the mine has been unwatered, no trouble has been experienced through gas being ignited. However, out of a total of six air samples which we took recently in scattered working places, all showed small amounts of methane, the methane content being 0.06, 0.04, 0.05, 0.04, 0.04 and 0.07 per cent, respectively. When these samples were taken methane was not suspected, but its general presence in the mine air indicates that it is being given off constantly."

Dec 1, 1921

By Perry G. Harrison

The first autlientic description of an iron bath for the deposition of iron is probably that of Bottger in 1846, who used a bath containing ferrous sulfate and ammonium chloride. In 1861, Kramer deposited iron from ferrous chloride solution. Electrolytic iron was produced in 1869 by Bietz, who used it for making some magnetic tests. In the same year, Klein is. said to have worked out his process. Jacobil in 1869 described the results obtained in electroplating with iron on copper for making dies and plates for bank notes, by Klein's process. A letter from Klein to Jacobi describes the bath more fully. It consisted of FeS04 + (NH4)2SO4. Lenz2 described some properties of electrolytically precipitated iron. He used Klein's bath, FeS0, + MgSO4 + MgCO3, to neutralize and obtained fine-grained and hard iron. His conclusions were as follows: 1. Electrolytic iron and copper contain gases, notably hydrogen. 2. The volume of gas absorbed by iron varies within wide limits, but it is easy for iron to take up very considerable quantities of gas. 3. The absorption of gas is principally in the first formed layers of iron. 4. When iron is heated, gas begins to come off below 100°, principally hydrogen. 5. Heated to redness, reduced iron oxidizes in water, in part at least at the expense of the oxygen of the water, decomposing it and setting free hydrogen, which is partly or wholly absorbed. Siemens,3 in 1889, was the first to propose a general process embodying a step for leaching a sulfide mineral with ferric chloride or sulfate and a step for regenerating the leach and depositing iron on a cathode in a diaphragm cell. So far as is known, Siemens did not carry out his patent

Jan 1, 1930

By John Birkinbine

EXTENDED discussions, by inviting attention to problems affecting the conservation of natural resources, have encouraged investigations as to their sufficiency, with the general result that the more thorough the examination, the less cause appears for anxiety as to the exhaustion or serious depletion of these resources. The extent of industrial development, the large plants and the enormous volumes of materials required, when compared with conditions a few decades ago, are sufficiently startling to enlist the attention of those who "fear .the pace," and yet in but few instances has real solicitude for the future. been warranted by a knowledge of true conditions. In a former communication, presented 5 years ago,1 I endeavored to emphasize the fact that true conservation represented the best utilization of reserves and not the locking up of resources for future use; a conviction which has become more pronounced as the subject was investigated. Prophecies of the, early exhaustion of mineral resources have raised the question as to our permanent reliance upon these, and encouraged inquiries which have in most cases developed reassuring conditions. But the fact that the future appears less dark than prognosticated cannot excuse wastefulness or improvidence; and detailed study which demonstrates an apparent abundance of natural resources should encourage their best application. In making inventories of resources one is liable to confine conclusions as to availability upon present circumstances and conditions in the past, or to formulate data for the future upon methods which are rapidly being displaced. In reserves which are not reproductive, such as minerals, the possibilities of exhausting the supply are startling if estimates assume that future extensions will follow methods which were less economical than those now employed, or to he used, and we dare not claim that the limit of advanced practice has been attained.

Jan 9, 1914

By Samuel S. Arentz, Dorsey A. Lyon

Introduction % •................. 789 The Present Sources of Zinc ..:.......... 791 Zinc Ores.................. 791 Lead-Zinc Ores................. 793 Loss oF Zinc at the Mine.............. 793 Present Method oF Extracting Zinc From Ores....... 795 Class oF Ores Suited to Zinc Retort Smelting....... 795 Concentration Processes Used for Treating Zinc Ores .... 795 Hydro-Mechanical Processes............. 795 Electro-Mechanical Processes............. 796 Flotation Processes............... 797 Losses of Zinc in Lead and Copper Blast-Furnace Smelting .. 798 Possible Future Sources oF Zinc Supply.......... 800 The Problem oF the Metallurgist and the Present Status of New Processes................. 801 Introduction A great deal of attention has recently been given to the metallurgy of zinc, and much of that which has been said and written on this subject has been in the nature of a criticism. For instance, we are quite accustomed to hearing it said that the metallurgy of zinc has stood still, that it is antiquahed, out of date, etc. We are, however, inclined to agree with George C. Stone1 when he says that, although there have been no such spectacular and radical changes as were worked in the metallurgy of copper and iron by the introduction of converters, there has nevertheless been a decided and marked progress in the metallurgy of zinc, and especially during recent years. However, it must be admitted that, due to the fact that the chemistry of zinc is so different from that of the other metals, the retort process is the only process by which zinc is produced commercially; and, moreover, that losses which occur in the zinc industry— that is, in the mining, milling, and smelting of zinc ore—are very great, for it is stated2 that probably less than 50 per cent. of the zinc mined, even

Jan 1, 1915

By William I. Gardner

Optimum design of a structure obviously requires a thorough knowledge of the materials to be utilized in its construction. When the structure is a tunnel, a most important element in its design and construction is the geology. As a tunnel may be many miles in length and at depths of hundreds or thousands of feet, we face a real problem to meet the needs of the designer and builder. How can we determine the properties of our construction materials in this situation? Engineering geology has had a formidable challenge to meet the requirements of conventional excavation methods; the advent of machine methods for rapid excavation compounds the requirements for more detailed and more precise geological knowledge of the tunnel site. This chapter will discuss the means now at our disposal to meet the challenge to produce the required data on the tunnel site in the preconstruction stage. Our considerations will be directed towards construction of a free-flow tunnel, primarily in fractured rock formations, without any requirements for the rock mechanics type of in-situ tests that might be made for a pressure tunnel or for a large opening for an underground power plant. In essence the investigation must determine: (1) The geologic conditions affecting the type of construction equipment and excavation method of the rock to be broken and removed. (2) The quantities of water and gas to be encountered. (3) The strength and stability of the material surrounding the bore and its need for support and lining. GEOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING TUNNEL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION The engineer or contractor may classify the rock as either competent or incompetent or more pointedly as "good" or "bad" ground. The geologist may bestow a precise petrographic name upon the rock, such as granodiorite or indurated tuff breccia or name the formation, as Mancos shale, for

Jan 1, 1970

By George F. Becker

Complexity of Rock-Fractures. - The strains to which rocks have been subjected are manifestly very complex, and it is entirely safe to presume that every possible node of deformation and rupture is exemplified. The most superficial inspection of any ordinary mountain region is sufficient to assure the observer that the rocks have been pressed, stretched, bent, buckled, twisted, and shorn. The study of torsional rupture cannot fail, therefore, to throw light on geological phenomena. The question is, how areas which have been broken in this manner are to be distinguished from those which have yielded to other systems of forces. Phenomena of Joints. - It is well known that a large part of the more homogeneous rocks and some very heterogeneous rocks are intersected by partings, often called joints. These partings are frequently flat surfaces, even when seen in very large exposures, but are sometimes surfaces of moderate single or double curvature. Joints usually occur in groups, in each of which the several partings are parallel to one another, and several such groups often intersect the same rock-mass. In such cases the different systems make large angles with one another. Nearly all students of the subject of jointing have reached the conclusion that joints are faulted surfaces, the dislocations usually being of small amplitude; and this conclusion receives abundant support from the study of thin sections under the microscope. It has thus been shown that much even of what would be regarded in I hand-specimens as mere slaty cleavage consists, in reality, of innumerable microscopic faults. For this reason, Mr. Daubrée rejects the term "joint," as failing to imply the existence of relative motion, and has introduced the terms “diaclase” and “paraclase” as substitutes.1

Jan 1, 1913

Freeman, the English historian, said that he had learned from Macaulay "never to be afraid of using the same word or name over and over again if by that means anything could be added to clearness or force. Macaulay never goes. on, like some writers, talking about ' the former ' and 'the latter ', 'he ', 'she ', 'it), and 'they’, through clause after clause, while his reader has to look back to see which of several persons it is that is so darkly referred to". He might have learned also from Macaulay that a preposition makes a feeble ending for a serious statement. How often do you hear 'the former' and 'the latter' in conversation? Good conversation is a guide not to be disdained. When you must use 'the latter ', do not confuse it with 'the last '. Cheap labor, cheap fuel, and cheap transport are essential, the latter [last] being particularly important in base-metal mining. The apparatus may be used to determine such gases as hydrogen sulphide, chlorine, oxides of nitrogen and some others, as well as sulphur dioxide. In the case of the latter two, etc. The two last mentioned are "sulphur dioxide" and "some others". He should have stated which two, and he should have avoided that wretched phrase "in the case of ". Pinning may be partly prevented by use of chalk, oil, or turpentine. The latter [last] is beat. "Partly prevented" is a poor phrase. 'Prevented' is a word that does not lend itself readily to modification. He means ' checked ' or 'corrected '. These steps are necessary to produce the gas, crude oil, and ammonia, the latter [last] of which is in solution in the water obtained along with the oil.

Jan 1, 1931

By Robert H. Leach

SILVER the whitest of all metals, has been used for thousands of years. Students of antiquity agree that silver, gold, copper, and their alloys were the first metals discovered by man and they have all played an important part throughout the advance of civilization. Native silver has been found in different parts of the world in varying form and size, such as clusters of fine wires in rock cavities, thin sheets along cleavage planes in veins of rocks, and pieces of irregular shape that vary in size from extremely small particles to masses weighing many pounds. Nearly pure silver is found in, the native state but the native metal is more likely to contain copper or gold. Some of the natural alloys closely approximate the compositions of synthetic alloys that are used in the arts at the present time. As these native silver alloys usually are malleable and ductile, it is evident that prehistoric man was provided by nature with metals that he could work, with the crude tools at his command, into simple ornaments or other articles. The relative scarcity of silver combined with its resistance to attack under ordinary atmospheric conditions have been important factors in determining the purposes for which man has used it. Its scarcity and indestructible character have made its possession particularly desirable, and from the earliest times its principal use has been as a measure of wealth and a medium of exchange. The comparatively high value of silver in relation to other commodities makes it possible to transport a large amount of wealth in small bulk, and silver has traveled back and forth over all parts of the world. Even when made into ornamental pieces, such as bracelets,

Jan 1, 1953

By D. J. Goodwill

BHP Copper operates a 3,400 tpd dry concentrate, single burner, Outokumpu flash smelting furnace (FSF) at their San Manuel copper smelter in Arizona. The very fine (-325 mesh), dry concentrate is fed to the burner from a 550 metric ton (nominal) capacity furnace feed bin via two drag chain feeders. During the 10-year history of the furnace, operations have been plagued by serious flooding problems. The fine concentrate sometimes becomes aerated during discharge from the bin and flows like a fluid at very high uncontrollable rates to the burner. This results in upset conditions at the concentrate burner leading to poor furnace metallurgy. This paper will examine the problems of uncontrolled feed from the furnace bin (i.e. flooding), and' instantaneously feeding a flash smelting burner. It will show that a drag chain is a poor choice of feeder when high rates are needed, and that drag chains always produce a funnel flow pattern in a bin. BHP's drag chains cause narrow diameter, high velocity flow channels within the stored material. Consequently, there is insufficient residence: time for the concentrate to fully de-aerate before discharge, hence flooding occurs. In addition to the flooding problem, drag chains create a pulsating flow to the concentrate burner due to the tendency for material to slough off in discrete chunks at the discharge end of the slow moving chain conveyor. During the scheduled FSF rebuild in May 1999, BHP intends to remove the drag chains, modify the bin to a mass flow design and to use STAMET® multi-disc feeders to accurately and instantaneously control the rate of discharge from the bins. Air slides will be used' to convey the concentrate to the burner.

Jan 1, 1999

By C. P. Parsons

Caliper logging is a practice of measuring the variations in the diameter of the open hole in a well. This information is useful for many purposes, among which are: Determining the volumetric capacity of the portion of open hole to be cemented; the amount of gravel to be used for gravel-packing a well; the size and location of seat for a packer to be placed in a well; studying the effects of nitroglycerin shots; studying the effects of acidizing; studying the cause of drill-pipe failures; studying drilling technique; geological correlations. This is a new practice in oil fields and is eliminating considerable guesswork. Introduction Caliper logging of the open hole in oil wells, recently introduced and now showing initial results in many sections of the country, is providing information that is filling a long-felt need in oil-well cementing and in numerous other oil-field practices. Briefly, it measures the variations in diameter, of the open hole in a well. This direct physical measurement of the strati-graphic profile has considerable value for subsurface interpretations by the geologist, engineer, driller and others charged with the responsibility of properly completing and repairing oil and gas wells. The caliper shown in Fig. I is run into a well in closed position. The four arms are released when logging is to start. These arms are independent of each other. As the calipers are pulled upward through the open hole, the arms are like nimble fingers feeling the changing profile of the hole. This mechanical action is in turn converted into an electrical circuit, which is connected to a recording mechanism at the surface. a. Lowered into well in closed position. b. Arms released. Readings are made while caliper travels upward. Direct recording is made at surface, in inches. The recording of the diameter of the hole is directly in inches.

Jan 1, 1943

By Michael L. Maniocha

Most magnesia (MgO), whether of natural or synthetic origin, is used in the dead-burned or periclase form as refractory linings for the production of steel. Continued research in refractory science, combined with good refractory maintenance and improvements in steel-making processes, have resulted in decreased use of magnesia. To make up for this loss of business, producers of synthetic magnesia have started to manufacture a variety of magnesium-based chemicals that are used in many industries. There are three primary methods of producing MgO. The first involves the calcination of naturally occurring minerals species. Most of the magnesia produced by this method uses the rhombohedra1 carbonate mineral magnesite, MgCO,. To a lesser extent, the mineral brucite, Mg(OH), is calcined to magnesia. Magnesia produced by the calcination of minerals is called natural magnesia. The second production method uses magnesium-rich brines, or sea water reacting with lime or calcined dolomite to produce magnesium hydroxide. The magnesium hydroxide is subsequently calcined to magnesia. Material produced in this way is called synthetic magnesia. The third major method of production uses saline lake brines to produce magnesium chloride. Magnesium chloride brine is sprayed into a reactor where it thermally decomposes into MgO and HCl. The magnesia is purified by slaking to magnesium hydroxide followed by calcination. Magnesia produced in this manner is also know as synthetic magnesia (Duncan and McKracken, 1994). The degree to which the magnesium minerals or the synthetically prepared magnesium hydroxide is calcined governs the physical properties of the resulting MgO. It is the physical properties that dictate the end use for the product. The terms used to describe magnesia vary along with the degree of calcination. Table 1 summarizes the terminology used when discussing the various forms of magnesium oxide.

Jan 1, 1997

By T. F. Witherbee

THE Fletcherville Furnace was built in 1864 and 1865, making its first blast from August until October of the latter year, when it was blown out to prevent its "bunging-up." Repairs were made in time to enable it to be blown in again December 12th, 1865, the blast ending October 7th, 1866. Total product 1921.15 tons iron, an average of 6.8.2.5 tons per day, from ores yielding 44.8 per cent. Consumption of charcoal 223.2 bushels per ton of iron. The furnace journal up to this time shows no record of furnace dimen¬sions, or temperature of the blast, but as near as can be ascertained, they were as follows, viz. Height of stack, 42 feet. Diameter of bosh, 11 feet. Angle of bosh, 7 1/2 inches to 12 inches rise, about 58°. Diameter of open tunnel head, 42 inches. Number of tuyeres 3; each 3 inches in diameter. Dam 15 inches high. Tuyeres 24 inches high. Tymp 22 1/2 inches high. Diameter of steam cylinder, 20 1/4 inches. Stroke 5 feet. Diameter of blast cylinder, 64 inches. The engine is direct-acting horizontal non-condensing. December 26th, 1.866, the furnace was again put in blast, having been considerably altered in the crucible; the height of stack, bosh, and tunnel head remaining as before. Six tuyeres were put in, three in each of the side arches. The hearth or crucible was rectangular in form, 3 feet wide x 32 feet long x 62 feet high. Inclination of bosh 58°. Height of tuyeres 26 inches ; nozzles 2 1/4 inches diameter. Temperature of blast estimated to be about 500°.

Jan 1, 1874

By Sergio Bustos

Covellite resulting from an original 0.5 % Cu(tot) chalcocite ore has been leached in columns at different temperatures, in the lower range of 10 - 20 °C, under acid - ferric bacterial leaching conditions. Dissolution of copper from covellite depends on the rate and extent of sulphide oxidation by ferric ion. While it is recognised that the dissolution of sulphide minerals is electrochemical in nature, an apparent chemically controlled dissolution pattern was measured with activation energy of 78.09 kJ/mol (18.66 kcal/mol). Ferric iron is the main oxidant and its production and availability will depend on the bacterial activity developed in the system. This activity is characterised by the population size and by the specific oxidation rate of the bacteria. Bacterial growth was followed directly by the number of bacteria appearing in the column effluent solutions and indirectly by the generation of ferric iron or by the total oxidation observed in the columns. These results have been interpreted by using the heap oxidative capacity parameter, which indicates an equivalent ferric production of about 0.07 - 0.15 kg Fe +3/t/day at 20°C. Although bacterial activity decreases to about 0.03 kg Fe +3/t/day with decreasing temperature, a significant bacterial oxidation is still observed at 10 °C. However, extended lag times are observed, which delay the start of bacterial growth to times concurring with covellite leaching. Under these conditions, bacterial activity is displayed through a population controlled by the rate at which- ferrous iron is released from the reducing covellite surface. These results suggest the potential benefit of including some kind of inoculation when operating at lower temperatures. Also, heat loss control and/or heat addition to the heaps should be considered during process design and operation of ferric bacterial heap leaching of secondary copper sulphide ores at temperatures lower than 20°C.

Jan 1, 1999

By Leo Misagi

THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT IN PLANT SAFETY Safe Production In plant management, safe production is an ideal. It becomes reality when: 1. Plant employees work in healthful and safe conditions. 2. Plant safety is in harmony with productivity. 3. Worker absenteeism and turnover are low-the work force is stable. Plant management must apply its talents, skills, and resources to build and maintain the foundations of safe production on a system of policies, procedures, and attitudes. It must do so by marshaling all managerial functions - staffing, direction, control, innovation, and representation-toward that goal. Ideally, a plant safety program is proactive. Management should plan and implement safety activities that are aimed at prevention. Past accidents-accomplished facts-should not be the sole guide of future actions. In other words, positive preventive measures, not the fewness of accidents are the criteria for safety production. An ideal safety program is one which is cost effective. Management should view plant safety as part of a broader program-loss control. Loss control includes prevention of fires and other accidents, unhealthful conditions, and occurrences that cause bodily injury, illness, property loss, or damage. Management evaluates the employees' productivity and safety. An effective training program aimed at loss control is the hallmark of safe production. Ideally, both labor and management should be well versed in safety. They believe in the premise that work-related injury and illness, as well as property loss and damage from fire and other accidents, are manageable and preventable. Such belief prompts them to learn more about the work process and potential hazards associated with each job. They also learn how to expect and prevent fues and other accidents, and respond to emergencies at the plant. Plant management determines which individuals or groups of employees are accountable for the following functions:

Jan 1, 1991