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By C. C. Wright, T. S. Spicer

A characteristic property of bituminous coal is that upon being heated the coal becomes plastic, evolves volatile gases, and finally solidifies into coke. This fundamental characteristic is of utmost importance and is utilized in the production of the high-temperature coke upon which the steel industry is so dependent; but from the standpoint of operation in the domestic underfeed stoker this coking tendency seriously interferes with efficient combustion. When the coke formed has too strong a structure, certain difficulties result, such as low rate of burning, slow response to heat demand, and, in extreme cases, extinction of fire. The plastic mass prevents uniform distribution of air through the fuel bed and, with strongly coking coals, large dense pieces of coke are produced which have much less reacting surface than was possessed by the original coal. In both ignition and combustion of solid fuels, the extent of the reacting surface is an accelerating factor. Poor combustion permits a surplus of fuel to accumulate in the furnace because the rate of feed and the rate of combustion are not in equilibrium, and this produces an unbalanced condition detrimental to continued automatic service. In order to bum strongly coking coals satisfactorily in a conventional stoker during the three requisite types of operation—continuous, intermittent and hold-fire, frequent attention is necessary. Domestic stokers are defined by the industry as residential stoker heaters that burn 60 lb. of coal or less per hour. With a few exceptions, these units employ the underfeed principle of combustion in which both air and coal move in the same direction up and through the fuel bed. Domestic combustion equipment has difficulty in meeting the problems presented by the several variations in ash and volatile matter, in ash-clinkering tendencies, in coking properties, and in the particle size of bituminous coals. The work of Bituminous Coal Research Inc. at Battelle Memorial Institute has shown that, of these, coking characteristics and the clinkering tendencies have the greatest effect upon the operation of the conventional clinkering type of stoker. Typical coke formations in a clinkering type of underfeed domestic stoker are illustratcd in Fig. I, which shows (A) the ideal fuel bed obtained with a noncoking or free-burning coal; (B) the type of fuel bed formed with a coal that produces a weak coke; and (C) the type of fuel bed obtained with a strongly coking coal. C is characteristic of the fuel bed developed when the average Pennsylvania bituminous coal is burned in an underfeed stoker of conventional type. It is apparent from these pictures that the formation of coke trees will seriously interfere with the efficient automatic combustion of Pennsylvania bituminous coals.

Jan 1, 1942

By A. W. Gauger

It is with some trepidation that I approach my subject, for I know that I shall at once incur the suspicion of the mechanical engineer, with his concern for boiler tests and efficiencies; of the mining engineer, with his mechanization problems; and of the chemical engineer with his unit processes. Nevertheless, it must be recognized that the technology of fuels, the systematic body of knowledge relating to the production, processing and utilization of mineral fuels, has grown to such proportions and involves so many widely diverse applications of fundamental science and engineering that it behooves us to stop and consider just what its status is in relation to other technologies, as well as in relation to the present and future needs of the social order. The time has come when technologists, applied scientists and engineers must consider the possible effects that their achievements may have on Society. The development of a machine to - -replace -several hundred men is a fine achievement when considered solely from the point of view of creative endeavor. But what of the men who are displaced by the machine! Does not the responsibility for the development of this machine embrace as well the consequences of obsolescence and technological unemployment resulting from such development? I believe that it does and that we must recognize this fact in our practice of engineering and tech- nology as well as in the training of future engineers and technologists. Magnitude of the Fuels Industry Fuel technology is the body of knowledge that relates to the mineral fuels. The fuels industry is by far the most important of all Our mineral industries. The chart in Fig. I, reprinted from U. S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular No. 6643, indicates the compartive values of metals, fuels and other nonmetallic minerals for the year 1929. Of the grand total of 13¼ billions of dollars in value of minerals at the mines, the mineral fuels contributed 48 per cent. Coal, with 34.4 Per cent, exceeded the value of any other single mineral. In fact, the value of the production of the Pennsylvania anthracite mines alone anand exceeds the value of the gold production of the entire world. Petroleum and natural gas in 1929 contributed 14.3 per cent and 3.3 per cent, respectively, of the total value of world mineral production. So much for the world picture; let us now look at the situation in the United States. Over the 60-year period 1880 to '939, $46,409,727,000 of metal1ic products, $80,788,852,000 of fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas, natural gasoline) and $27,871,-ooo,ooo of nonmetallic minerals other than fuels were produced. The mineral fuels have contributed 52.7 per cent of the entire mineral wealth produced over this period that has seen such tremendous industrial development in our Our As a matter of fact, our present industrial civilization has been made possible through the use of the

Jan 1, 1942

By H. G. Landua, Leah L. Naugle, H. H. Lowry

Evidence has been accumulating in recent years, in part from the work of the Coal Research Laboratory, that coals belong to a family of natural polymers and that even in complex reactions the differences between coals are quantitative and not qualitative. This point of view leads to the expectation that if a series of coals were subjected to a closely controlled set of experimental conditions the results obtained should be related to the chemical analyses of the individual coals. The data accumulated over the past 10 years by the Bureau of Mines in its ('Survey of Coke-, Gas-, and By-Product-Making Properties of American Coals," in what has come to be recognized as the Bureau of Mines-American Gas Association (BM-AGA) carbonization assay test,l-l2 offer an unusual opportunity to check this conclusion. The present paper reports an analysis of the data on the first go coals and coal blends— including coals numbered I to 55B, inclusive —which have been carbonized according to a standard procedure at intervals of 100°C. from 500° to 1100° in either or both 13 or 18-in. cylindrical retorts.13 In Table I are given the name of the seam from which the sample was obtained, the analytical data used, and the reference to the original publication of the Bureau of Mines. The coals range in fixed carbon from 46.2 to 79.0 per cent, in volatile matter from 15.4 to 41.3 per cent, in ash from 2.1 to 15.9 per cent, in moisture from 0.8 to 19.7 per cent, and in total sulphur from 0.40 to 4.44 per cent; therefore the entire gamut of bituminous coals is represented. The petrographic nature of the individual coals is not considered in the following analysis, although both "normal" bright coals and splint coals are included in the samples studied. For information on the petrography of the coals and for further information characterizing the coals the original papers should be consulted. Although the coals that are included extend over the whole range of bituminous coals, they do not cover this range entirely adequately. In particular, only 13 of the 90 coals have moisture contents greater than 3 per cent. This concentration at low moisture values means that the effect of moisture, which is an important factor, cannot be determined with as much certainty as would be desirable. All the coals were not tested at every temperature and in both retort sizes. Only the first 30 coals were tested at 1100°, and only about 50 at the other temperatures, except at 900°, where nearly all of them were included. In the accompanying tables the actual number of observations entering into each correlation is given. In this study equations are given for calculating analyses, yields, and properties of coke and by-products from the coal analyses. To decide whether these equations are satisfactory it is necessary to know the accuracy with which these quantities were measured in the assay tests.

Jan 1, 1942

By D. P. Morton

Since 1923, which closed the speculative era in the bituminous coal fields of the United States, there have been wide annual fluctuations in the national production of bituminous coal. These changes in annual output have been variously attributed to: (1) increased competition from petroleum products, natural gas and hydroelectric power; (2) lower unit consumption of coal; and (3) fluctuations in the general business level. The purpose of this paper is to measure, from a practical standpoint, the net effect upon the annual trend of bituminous coal production, and to give those who are interested a basis for estimating in advance the probable output of bituminous coal. It can readily be shown that changes in the level of general business affect the national production of bituminous coal more than does any other factor. Therefore it is necessary to use some standard measure of the relative business level for purposes of comparison. The Federal Reserve Board Index of Industrial Production offers the basis for such a measure.l This Index, a weighted composite of 81 different series, rests upon the averages of the years 1935 to 1939 as 100, and is presented graphically in Fig. I. Even a cursory examination of the chart will indicate a definite uptrend for industrial production over a period of years. This uptrend is due to at least two factors: (I) an actual increase in national population, and (2) a probable increase in the per capita consumption of goods. This means that there is no such thing as a fixed Normal, rather Normal is a variable, tending to increase from year to year. In order to measure the amount of annual increase in normal, the Index of Industrial Production must be studied in relation to its major components, Durable Goods and Nondurable Goods, Durable Goods are those made from the lasting materials such as iron, steel, other metals, lumber, stone, cement, clay, glass. Nondurable Goods are those for early consumption, such as foods, textiles, tobacco, chemicals, paper, gasoline, and goods made of leather and rubber. The purchase of Durable Goods may be postponed, but Nondurable Goods must be purchased currently unless the standard of living is lowered. The Federal Reserve Indexes of durable and nondurable goods are shown graphically, 1920 to 1939, on Fig. a (pp. 764-765 of ref. I). It is apparent that fluctuations in the production of nondurable goods are not nearly so wide as in the production of durable goods, and that the curve of Industrial Production (Fig. I) would fall between the two curves on Fig. 2. It would, however, seem logical that both curves should follow the same long-term trend, or that over a period of two to three decades the relative proportion of durable and nondurable goods, in periods of normal production, should be the same. It is neces-

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Jan 1, 1953

By Reginald S. Dean

Manganous oxide is readily soluble in concentrated ammonia solutions containing ammonium salts. Lixiviants of ammonia and ammonium carbamate permit ready extraction of manganese from reduced ores and the manganese in such solutions may be precipitated by heating to transform the carbamate to carbonate. THE widespread occurrence of manganese in low grade oxide and carbonate ores not amenable to mechanical concentration has led to extensive investigations of hydrometallurgical methods for producing a pure manganese compound suitable for further treatment. Manganese carbonate is the preferable compound. This product when fully crystalline and of not too fine crystal size is easily filtrable and stable in air. It can be converted to other compounds such as the oxides by heating in air or can be reacted with acids for producing salts. A useful hydrometallurgical process must produce relatively concentrated solutions that can be purified easily, reagents must be cyclically used, and heat requirements must be small. Neither the ammonium sulphate nor sulphur dioxide leaching processes that have been tested extensively fulfill these requirements. Other heretofore proposed processes have obvious limitations and have not been tried on a large scale. The present process is based on the discovery by the writer of a new group of aqueous manganese-ammonia complex solutions highly concentrated in ammonia, which permit rapid solution of manganous oxide to concentrations of 80 to 100 g Mn per liter and from which a fully crystalline, easily filtrable manganese carbonate is precipitated by the addition of carbon dioxide and partial ammonia removal. Although the process may be carried out with many ammonium salts, commercial advantages dictate the use of ammonium carbamate, which is obtained when CO2 is passed into concentrated aqueous solutions of ammonia. If the carbamate is used, the only reagents, ammonia and CO2, are volatile and may therefore be recovered from solutions and residues by heating, thus eliminating washing and extensive evaporation. Impurities are controlled easily as most metal oxides are either insoluble in the lixiviant or fail to precipitate with the manganese carbonate. Others are controlled by sulphide addition. The process has been tested extensively on a small scale on a wide variety of ores, including Three Kids, Artillery Peak, Cuyuna, and Chamberlain, as repre-

Jan 1, 1953

By J. W. Snavely

A practical mathematical treatment is presented for the determination and control of conveyor belt acceleration, particularly for conditions of starting where vertical curves are involved. A typical sample problem is analyzed, with required calculations, to clarify the procedure. THE part that acceleration plays in starting a belt conveyor and its effect on belt conveyor design are well understood in a general way. Its practical importance is easily overlooked, however, and under some conditions, it is absolutely necessary to give the problem of acceleration detailed study. Most handbooks on conveyor belting design adequately present basic data for the determination of acceleration values. This paper will only attempt to present practical thinking and a convenient method of treatment of acceleration in belt conveyor design. Mathematical Analysis In working out the various problems of conveyor belt acceleration, the starting point, as presented by the handbooks, is the familiar formula of "force of acceleration is equal to the mass times acceleration." By expressing these fundamental quantities in terms of belt conveyor design, it is possible to arrive at the unsuspected conclusion that the acceleration time for horizontal belt conveyors is independent of the load, and instead, dependent upon the belt speed, the type of drive arrangement and drive pulley, and the idler coefficient of friction. The mathematics leading to this conclusion are shown in Table I, which has been prepared to show this derivation. While at first the conclusion just given may not seem to be reasonable, further reflection indicates that obviously the type of drive pulley and the type of drive do affect materially the tension in the conveyor belt, and thus, as clearly shown, the time of acceleration is dependent upon the factors mentioned. Inasmuch as all of the factors except time are predetermined by the belt conveyor design, it becomes relatively easy to establish the accelerating time and to reduce further this time determination to a simple graph from which the time in seconds can be read directly. Such a graph is given in Fig. 1. The table appearing on Fig. 1 should be explained further. For a given belt speed, the time of acceleration can be expressed as a percentage of the belt speed. The time of acceleration is also dependent on the drive arrangement, and changes in the drive arrangement consequently change the time of acceleration. It further follows that for a given belt speed, the time expressed as a percentage of that belt speed also changes with the type of drive. Obviously then, it becomes possible to graph the percentage of speed for .each type of drive against the belt speed and accelerating time, after which, for a given belt speed and type of drive, the time can be read directly in seconds. Two constants were established for Fig. 1, the first one being the limiting of the maximum acceleration tension to 35 pct of the full load operating tension in the belt. The purpose of this is to limit the total tension imposed upon the belt during the acceleration period to 135 pct of the full load operating tension, 'which is the amount required to start or breakaway the fully loaded belt conveyor from rest. The other constant is the friction factor used for the idler equipment, which has been established as 0.022. For installations where it is necessary to establish the values of acceleration, invariably high grade idler equipment is used, and it has been established from field experience that 0.022 for the idler friction factor is amply conservative. The use of this friction factor for idlers must be tempered with judgment, of course, for occasions will arise where more power than indicated is required to start, even with the very best of equipment, such as low temperature operations that tend to congeal the grease in the bearings and thus produce additional friction drag. An inspection of the table in Fig. 1 affords a convenient rule of thumb method for determining the acceleration time, which conveniently can be 5 pct of the belt speed in seconds. The 5 pct of belt speed figure is close to the average for most types of drives. In using Fig. 1 it must be emphasized that it applies accurately to horizontal belt conveyors only.

Jan 1, 1953

By R. L. Manegold

This paper outlines the reasons for and the application of suspended magnets above belt conveyors for the purpose of removing tramp iron to protect equipment. The design of a magnet strong enough to extract iron through a distance of 24 in. is described along with the proper method of application in the field. Advantages of the suspended magnet in contrast to the conventional magnetic pulley are also discussed. IN RECENT years there has been a decided trend toward bringing ores and coal out of open-pit and underground mines by long, sloping single-stage belt conveyors. Because the high investment cost of haulage conveyors dictates maximum speed and full loading for economy, conveyor belts are running faster than ever before, with a greater burden on the belts. In addition, larger blocks of ore are being mined and conveyed. Rougher use of large mining equipment generates more tramp iron; mechanical loading rejects nothing. Therefore the extraction of tramp iron and other deleterious materials for the protection of haulage conveyors at transfer points, chutes, and idlers is becoming an increasingly difficult job. In our experience, the best method of protecting long haulage conveyor belts is to extract the tramp iron, at least the large tramp iron, ahead of the main haulage conveyor or series of conveyors. It is most practical to collect the tramp iron at the earliest source possible, usually directly after the primary car unloading dump or after the primary crushers, which are ordinarily not affected by tramp iron, see Fig. 1. The coal or ore from its primary source is fed by chutes or feeders onto a buffer or shock belt conveyor, a short, ruggedly built conveyor system that can be considered somewhat expendable. Its primary function is to bring the ore up to speed for transmission to the haulage conveyor. There is no assured method of protecting this conveyor from tramp iron damage at its feed end. Likewise, there is a possibility, although remote if the magnet applied to this belt is installed correctly, that the tramp iron extraction process will damage the shock belt, which is, however, short and comparatively inexpensive. Magnetic head pulleys with their maximum effective range of about 8 or 10 in. cannot be considered for large installations, even though they are desirable because of the continuous and automatic tramp iron removal feature. Further, the most dangerous form of tramp iron with respect to potential damage to a haulage conveyor is the long rod, roof bolt, or rail segment, which is not extracted satisfactorily because of the limited tangential contact of such an iron shape with the magnet. Magnetic head pulleys are also undesirable because the dribble or fines from the head pulley discharge at the same point as the tramp iron. Screens must be used to separate the fines from the magnetics, resulting in additional expense and loss of head room. Magnetic detectors have been used with success, but they only indicate the presence of iron, and the conveyor belt must be stopped for its manual removal. The stoppage of any conveyor means that all preceding equipment must be stopped or a cascade of material on the idle conveyor will result. Occasionally combinations of detectors and magnetic head pulleys are used. The detector precedes the magnetic head pulley and detects only large pieces of tramp iron, while the magnetic pulley subsequently takes out the smaller ferrous metals. Suspended magnets overcome the disadvantages of magnetic head pulleys, detectors or a combination of both. There are several magnetic extraction problems involved in applying a suspended magnet at this

Jan 1, 1953

By Shiou-Chuan Sun

THIS paper presents the design and operation of a frothmeter capable of measuring the frothing characteristics of pine oils and other frothing reagents. The experimental data show that the froth-ability of pine oil is governed by: 1—rate of aeration, 2—time of aeration, 3—height of liquid column, 4—chemical composition of pine oil, 5—pH value of solution, 6—temperature of solution, and 7—concentration of pine oil in solution. The effect of mineral particles on the behavior of froth also was studied, and the results can be found in a separate paper.' The results also show that the relative froth-abilities of pine oils in the frothmeter generally correlate with those in actual flotation, provided that other factors are kept constant. In addition to pine oils, the other well-established flotation frothers were tested, and the results are included. In this paper, compressed air frothing is the frothing process performed by means of purified compressed air, whereas sucked air frothing is the frothing process accomplished by purified air sucked into the glass cylinder by a vacuum system. The term vacuum frothing denotes that froth was formed by degassing of the air-saturated liquid under a closed vacuum system. Apparatus The frothmeter, shown in Fig. 1, is capable of re-producibly measuring the volume and persistence of froth as well as the volume of air bubbles entrapped in the liquid and is capable of being used for compressed air frothing, sucked air frothing, and vacuum frothing. Fig. la shows that for compressed air frothing, the apparatus consists of an airflow regulating system, 1-3; a purifying and drying system, 4-8; a standardized flowmeter to measure the rate of airflow from zero to 500 cc per sec, 9; and a graduated glass cylinder, 13; equipped with an air regulating stopcock, 10; an air chamber, 11; and a fritted glass disk to produce froth, 12. The fritted glass disk, 5 cm in diam and 0.3 cm thick, has an average pore diameter of 85 to 145 microns. The pyrex glass cylinder has a uniform ID of 5.588 cm and an effective height of 63 cm. The inside cross-sectional area of the glass cylinder was calculated to be 24.53 sq cm, or 3.8 sq in. For sucked air frothing, Fig. lb shows that the apparatus for compressed air frothing is used again, with the following modifications: 1—compressed air and its regulating system, 1-3, are eliminated; and 2—a vacuum system, 16, equipped with a vapor trap, 15, and a vacuum manometer, 17, is added. The vacuum system can be either a water aspirator or a laboratory vacuum pump. Any desired rate of airflow can be drawn into the glass cylinder, 13, by adjusting the opening of the air regulating stopcock, 10. The sucked air stream is cleaned by the purifying and drying system, 4-8, before entering the glass cylinder, 13. When this setup is used for vacuum frothing, the air regulating stopcock is closed. The frothmeter has been used for almost 3 years and has proved to give reproducible results, as illustrated in Table I. With a magnifying glass and suitable illumination, the frothmeter also can be used to study the attachment of air bubbles to coarse mineral particles.' Experimental Procedures Except where otherwise stated, the data presented were established by means of the compressed air method. The volume and persistence of froth were recorded respectively at the end of 4 and 6 min of aeration at a constant rate of airflow of 29.3 cc per sec, which is equivalent to 71.6 cc per sq cm per min, or 462.6 cc per sq in. per min. The aqueous solution for each test, containing 1000 cc of distilled water and 19.2 ± 0.5 mg frothing reagent, was adjusted to a pH of 6.9 0.2. The volume of froth is expressed as cubic centimeter per square centimeter and is equivalent to the height of the froth column (the distance between the bottom and the meniscus of the froth). The volume of froth was obtained by multiplying the height of froth by the cross-sectional area of the glass cylinder, 24.53 sq cm. Before each test, the glass cylinder, 13, was cleaned thoroughly with jets of tap water, ethyl alcohol, tap water, cleaning solution, tap water, and finally distilled water. The cylinder with stopcock,

Jan 1, 1953

By Shiou-Chuan Sun

DISCUSSION shiou-chuan sun (author's correction) - Too late for revision, the author realized that the data on stability of froth presented in this paper were not based on the same height of froth column. It is recommended herein that the stability of froth is better calculated by dividing the time elapsed until the froth disappeared by the volume (in cu cm per sq cm) or height of the froth column, and is expressed in sec per cm. The stability data in Tables I, II, and III of this paper were recalculated, in accordance with this recommendation, and the results are shown respectively in the accompanying Tables VII, VIII, and IX. Compared with Tables I, II, and III of the paper, the stability data of Tables VII, VIII, and IX are more reliable in disclosing the persistence of froth of various frothers having different frothabilities. For example, the conclusion given in the paper that the stability of froth is generally proportional to the volume of froth becomes invalid when the stability of froth is expressed in sec per cm, as shown in Tables VII, VIII, and IX. Table VII shows that both the stability and volume of froth increase with the addition of small amounts of n-hexyl alcohol, and that further additions of n-hexyl alcohol decrease the stability but increase the volume of froth. Table VIII indicates that the stability of different types of frothers is governed by their chemical composition and is difficult to predict from their frothability. Table IX shows that the stability of different frothers with similar nonpolar groups tends to increase with a decrease of the hydro- philic property of their polar groups, and consequently with the decrease of their solubilities. This is further substantiated by the fact that the stability of frothers, as listed in Table IX, is generally lowered by the solvent effect of absolute ethyl alcohol. Table IX shows also that the stability of froth tends to increase with the decrease of the volume of froth* provided the frothers used have similar nonpolar groups and dissimilar polar groups.

Jan 1, 1953

By C. O. Dale, W. J. Rundle

THE upper Mississippi Valley zinc-lead area was the first major lead-producing section in the United States. The lead ore, found near the surface in crevices, was relatively pure galena that could be smelted directly into lead, at first in log hearth furnaces and later in more efficient blast type furnaces. French Canadian fur traders encouraged the Indians to mine the lead ore and showed them how to smelt it into lead that had a high value for bullets1 Nicholas Perrot found lead ore on the Mississippi River bluffs near the junction of Wisconsin and Illinois and in 1690 established a trading post on the Wisconsin side of the river opposite the present site of Dubuque, Iowa.2 Shortly after 1720 discovery of Mine La Mott in Missouri diverted considerable attention from the Upper Mississippi area. Mining continued on a desultory basis with operations concentrated in the Galena, Illinois-Dubuque, area. In 1740 at least 20 miners were at work in the Fever River area around Galena and are reported to have shipped 2500 70-lb pigs of lead to Kaskaskia in 1741." Julien Dubuque established a mining and smelting operation in 1790 near the city that bears his name and was granted sole right to exploit the mining operations on the lands of the Sauk and the Fox Indians. He is reported to have produced 30,000 70-lb pigs of lead in 1805. Following the death of Dubuque in 1810 the Indians refused to let the white miners enter their lands, and little was done on the Iowa side of the river until the Indians were removed by treaty with the United States government in 1832." Early mining was entirely for lead but as the crevices were followed down, increasing percentages of zinc sulphide and zinc carbonate were encountered and at first discarded. Later a market became available for the zinc ores, and hand jigging devices were made to separate the lead, the zinc, and the rock or waste materials. The first record of zinc production from the area is for 1860. Production of zinc passed that of lead before 1900, reached a peak of 64,000 short tons in 1917, fell off rapidly and continually to about 2000 short tons in 1938, and since 1940 has ranged from 11,000 to 19,000 short tons. Lead has been of considerably less importance since 1900, and at present only about 10 pct as much lead as zinc is produced. Practically all of the zinc ore has come from orebodies that are rather flat and wide with considerable length as compared to width. Most of the early lead came from the crevice type deposit, but present production is from the predominately flat zinc orebodies. The Graham-Snyder orebody, scene of Eagle Picher operations, is practically all zinc with little or no lead being recovered. Marcasite, present in varying amounts, makes production of finished concentrates by gravity separation impractical. Satisfactory lead and zinc concentrates have been produced since flotation was introduced in the area in 1927. An acid recovery plant was operated for about 20 years after World War I, but it has been dismantled, and no recovery of the iron sulphides in the ores of the district is being made at the present time. In June 1950 there were three companies operating mines and mills, Tri-State Zinc Co., Calumet & Hecla Consolidated Copper Co., and Eagle Picher Mining and Smelting Co. The Vinegar Hill Zinc Co. had completed a shaft at a new orebody and had started to develop the mine which will supply the Cuba City mill. The Cuba Mining Co. was holding the Andrews Mine inactive. The Dodgeville Mining Co. was not operating but was exploring for additional reserves. Several small mines were selling ore to the Eagle Picher mill. A general area map is given in Fig. 1. The Eagle Picher Mining and Smelting Co. entered the area in 1946 with an active exploration campaign. Leases on a block basis were secured for the area south from the Wisconsin-Illinois line near

Jan 1, 1953

By G. M. Schwartz, G. A. Thiel

Dimension stone was first quarried in Minnesota in 1820 and a very active industry has grown up over the years. The main basis of the present industry is a wide variety of igneous rocks sold under the general trade name of "granite." Also of considerable importance is the Ordovician dolomite sold under the locality names, Man kato, Kasota and Winona. THE first record of the quarrying of dimension stone in Minnesota dates back to 1820 when limestone was quarried locally for part of old Fort Snel-ling. Limestone quarries were operated at Stillwater, Mankato, and Winona as early as 1854. Granite was quarried first at St. Cloud in 1868, and within a few years thousands of tons were shipped to widespread points. Rough dimension stone for large buildings furnished the first important market, but beginning in 1886 paving blocks were in demand. The largest shipment was in 1888, when 1925 cars were shipped from the St. Cloud area. Quartzite was quarried first at New Ulm in 1859 and somewhat later at Pipe-stone and elsewhere in southwestern Minnesota. The productive dolomite quarries at Kasota were opened first in 1868 and have continued as large producers of a variety of stone to the present time. At present, the industry is controlled by relatively few operators, and for that reason detailed figures on dimension stone are not released for publication. A general idea may be obtained from the data in the Minerals Yearbook for 1948. The figures for total stone produced in Minnesota are 1,804,000 tons valued at $5,090,652. Probably the largest item in the latter figure is received from dimension stone. A better idea of the situation in relation to the country as a whole may be gained by using the data for 1930 when more companies were operating in Minnesota, and complete figures were published. In that year Minnesota produced granite valued at $2,668,119 and ranked third among the states in value. Minnesota's production of granite was almost exclusively for dimension stone. In the same year Minnesota produced 300,000 tons of limestone (dolomite) valued at $840,860, and this likewise was mainly dimension stone. In finished limestone Minnesota ranked second among the states in 1930. Sandstone and minor amounts of quartzite are the only other dimension stones that have been produced in Minnesota, but the quarries are now inactive. The commercial stones of Minnesota have been described in two reports by Bowlesl and by Thiel and Dutton. The early history of quarrying in Minnesota and extensive notes on the various rocks are given by N. H. Winchell.8 Small limestone and dolomite quarries were numerous throughout the area of Paleozoic rocks in southeastern Minnesota. Early production was largely dimension stone. With the increased use of Portland cement, most of these ceased production, and today only those at Kasota and Winona remain in operation. In recent years many quarries have reopened and new ones started, but these are devoted to the production of crushed rock and agricultural lime. As the application of modern quarrying and finishing methods increased, small companies in the granite business have dropped out, and the remaining companies have modernized their plants, purchased old quarries, and opened up new ones, thus furnishing a wide variety of granites suitable for most of the customary uses. It is the purpose of this review to present notes on the geology and operations of each of the quarries now operating within the state. Granites and Related Igneous Rocks The term granite as used in this report includes granites, gneisses, diorites, gabbros, and other igneous rocks. The granites of greatest economic importance are found in three widely separated regions, see Fig. 1. 1—Central Minnesota in the region of the city of St. Cloud, 2—the upper Minnesota River valley region, 3—the northeastern portion of the state, commonly referred to as the Arrowhead region. The St. Cloud Region: The rocks of the St. Cloud region are mainly granites and related rock types such as monzonites and quartz diorites. The stones may be grouped into three major types, namely, pink granite, red granite and gray granite. Most of the pink granite occurs in the area to the southwest of St. Cloud. The rock is best described as stone with large pink crystals set in a finer grained black and white background. The minerals of the matrix occur in remarkably uniform sizes, and the pink crystals are sufficiently uniform in their dis-

Jan 1, 1953

By E. P. Peleider

DIAMOND drill research work was initiated at the School of Mines, University of Minnesota, in late 1949. The Drilling Symposium held in Duluth that spring highlighted the problem of high cost and core recovery and the need for controlled testing. An advisory committee made up of informed representatives of both mining companies and drilling companies was formed to suggest and advise on a program of drill research. A Hy-Mac hydraulic drill unit, see Fig. 1, especially designed for experimental testing, was obtained for this work by the School of Mines through the courtesy of the Carboloy Co. It is an extremely flexible unit, capable of exerting a forward thrust of about 1750 lb and turning at speeds from 650 to 2200 rpm. The feed arrangement is so designed that the advance can be set either at a constant rate or permitted to vary at a fixed Pressure, see Fig. 2. The

Jan 1, 1953

By Borje Hjortzberg-Nordlund

THE great Swedish export iron ore mines are Kiruna and Malmberget in the north above the Arctic circle and Grängesberg in Central Sweden, see Figs. 1 to 3. These mines exported in 1951 about 13 million metric tons of high grade iron ore and concentrates. The origin of these three ore fields seems to be the same. They are of pre-Cambrian age and are regarded as typical instances of primary eruptive ore that has thrust up as glowing masses of lava flow between two somewhat older beds of porphyry. Apparently the ore and the porphyry became segre. gated from common parent magmas by a process of differentiation. Despite the fact that the Kiruna orebody belongs to the earliest pre-Cambrian formation, it has been influenced to an unusually small extent by later metamorphosisms, apart from its having been set on edge through folding and wrenching off by a number of later faults. The Kiruna ore occurs along a stretch of more than 4 miles as a series of slabs or lenses sloping steeply toward the east and sandwiched between two beds of porphyry. The main orebody has a length of about 3 miles and an average width of 300 ft with a maximum of 600 ft. The dip varies from 65" to 45" toward the east and the known depth is 3000 ft, although magnetic surveys indicate it may be at least 6000 ft. Malmberget has undergone a more thorough transformation, having been pressed and crumpled into a meandering band of disconnected layers and lenses. The largest of the more connected bodies of ore, the Great Ore Layer, outcrops on a low mountain ridge and has a total length of about 4 miles and a maximum width of about 300 ft. The dip varies from 30" to 70" towards the north. The main orebody in Grangesberg, the so-called

Jan 1, 1953

By A. M. Gaudin, C. S. Chang

Adsorption was measured for barium ion and laurate radical, using radioactively marked agents, over wide range of concentrations. Laurate adsorbed in absence of barium fails to float. With barium, flotation-effective laurate coating needs not exceed 5 pct of monolayer. Barium adsorption then is several fold larger. No barium laurate coating is obtained. IN general, fatty acids or their alkali salts do not cause clean quartz to float. However, the presence of multivalent ions, such as the alkaline-earth metal ions and heavy-metal ions, can activate quartz and thus make it respond to soap flotation. The mechanism of activation and soap flotation of quartz has been studied.'-' The problem was attacked by making flotation tests rather than by careful adsorption measurements on suspensions of ground quartz in solutions containing the activator and the collector. Attempts have been made to determine the adsorption of barium ion and calcium ion on quartz. The results have only qualitative value as the analytical methods were not adequately precise. Artificial radioactivity and progress in radioactivity detection have introduced a new analytical tool, which can have a sensitivity several orders of magnitude greater than that of other methods."-" In the experimental work described in this paper the radioactive tracers, barium 140 and carbon 14, were employed. Lauric acid was synthesized, having a radioactive carbon atom and was used with Ba" to study the adsorption of barium and laurate ions from aqueous solution on ground quartz. Flotation tests, using the vacuum flotation technique,' were run in conjunction with the adsorption experiments. The object of this investigation was to understand better the reaction mechanism of barium activation and soap flotation of quartz. Methods and Materials Quartz Sample Preparation: Lumps of hand-picked quartz, washed free of stains, were reduced in size to —20 mesh in laboratory crushers. The product was boiled in concentrated hydrochloric acid to remove the abraded iron. The cleaned product then was ground dry in a laboratory porcelain mill, using siliceous pebbles, to pass through a 200 mesh screen. The ground product was deslimed by sedimentation at 37 microns. This —200 mesh +400 mesh material was subjected again to boiling with concentrated hydrochloric acid, followed by washing with distilled water and further desliming. The cycle was repeated until no trace of iron could be detected in the wash liquor. During the final washing, the pH of the wash water was checked to insure the complete removal of the acid from the mineral. The quartz then was rinsed with conductivity water. The resulting product was dried in a drying oven and stored in mason jars. The impurities (spectrographic) were as follows: Al, 0.01 to 0.001 pct; Li, Mg, Mn, Na, each less than 0.001 pct; Fe and Cu not detected. The specific surface of the quartz sample was determined by the krypton gas adsorption method.' The average of two measurements was 881 sq cm per g. The calculated specific surface for 37/74-micron quartz particles, using a surface factor of 1.96; is 900 sq cm per g. This is in good agreement with the measured value of 881 sq cm per g. Beta-Counting Method: The radioactive isotope of barium used in the experimental work was barium 140. It has a sufficiently long half-life, 12.8 days, emits high-energy beta particles (up to 1.0

Jan 1, 1953

By Aureal T. Cross

THIS paper is a review of the published literature on research in coal geology, principally exclusive of resource studies, which appeared or became available during 1950 and the latter part of 1949. This report is not to be construed as being complete. The papers referred to in the bibliography are those among many more, which were read either in full or in abstract. Undoubtedly other papers were published which either escaped the author's notice or were not available to him. Those which were seen in abstract only (about one fourth of those listed) were not available in time for the inclusion of more than a notice. An outline of all papers listed in the bibliography has been arranged by subjects and reasonable subdivisions with some papers cited under more than one subject. Most papers are indexed according to the principal subject of discussion or research only as to an unusual or noteworthy section of the entire report. There will likely be some disagreement as to the quality or merit of some of the papers selected and the specialist may be supercritical of the outline or organization of papers in his field. It may be that attention has occasionally been drawn to papers reporting old information or conclusions of questionable value. Conferences and Meetings One of the best indications of the growing interest in coal geology problems in the United States is the increasing number of times this field has been the focus of attention at conferences and meetings. Notable among these are the joint meeting of the Society of Economic Geologists and the Geological Society of America at El Paso, November 1949, at which the principal thesis was concerned with low rank carbonaceous fuel deposits, especially of western United States. Among the papers given which are already available were those presented by Barghoorn,'" Parry? Roe? and Parks."' At the annual meeting of the Botanical Society of America in New York, December 1949, a joint meeting of the Paleobotanical and Microbiological Sections was held for which a symposium on Microbiology in Relation to the Geologic Accumulation of Organic Complexes was organized. Publication of the six papers presented by Ralph G. H. Siu, Elso S. Barghoorn, Irving Breger, Claude E. ZoBell, James M. Schopf, and A. C. Thayson is anticipated. At the regular meetings of the Paleobotanical Section at the same time, several other papers of interest reported on coal ball studies, partial coalification of petrified wood, and floras. In Chicago, April 1950, a symposium on Applied Paleobotany was held by the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists in conjunction with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. The five papers presented at this meeting dealt with the use of Paleozoic plant microfossils for stratigraphic work, J. M. Schopf, Devonian-Missis-sippian fossils of the black shales, Aureal T. Cross, Mesozoic plants of stratigraphic value, Th. Just, plant microfossils of the Tertiary, L. R. Wilson, and studies of the Brandon lignite, Elso S. Barghoorn. Early publication of these in the Journal of Paleontology is expected. The Nova Scotia Research Foundation and the Nova Scotia Dept. of Mines sponsored an excellent 3-day conference in June 1950, which dealt with several aspects of coal geology. Papers on coal classification, P. A. Hacquenbard, structure and sedimentation problems in Nova Scotia, T. B. Haites, new techniques of thermal analysis, W. L. White-head, geochemical investigations of Nova Scotia coals, Irving Breger, the role of fossil plant spores in coal correlation and the stratigraphy of the coal-bearing strata of the Appalachian Region, Aureal T. Cross, were given. Some discussions of these papers by those in attendance were recorded, and the entire proceedings is being prepared for publication. In September 1950, an unusual 3-day field conference was held by the Ohio and West Virginia Geological Surveys under the sponsorship of the Coal Geology Committee. This study of the stratigraphy, sedimentation, and nomenclature of the Upper Pennsylvanian and Permian coal-bearing strata of southeastern Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia was augmented by two discussions on associated rocks (clays and shales) and stratigraphic nomenclature at Wheeling and Morgantown, West Va. An extensive guidebook was prepared, and transcriptions of the Morgantown meeting were made. As a follow-up of the September field conference, a round-table discussion was held on this general topic at a special open meeting of the Coal Research Committee in conjunction with the November meeting of the Geological Society in Washington. Short prepared statements to invite discussion were given on each of several topics by L. M. Cline, Carl 0.

Jan 1, 1953

By C. O. Lee, R. H. Feierabend, Z. W. Bartlett

DESPITE the fact that American brimstone production has increased 2 times since the prewar period 1935-1939, the demand for sulphur exceeds the supply. To alleviate this situation efforts are being made to increase the production of sulphur and bring the shortage to an end. The most important developments are being undertaken on the Gulf Coast. One new brimstone mine has been put into operation and three others are being developed. These projects are expected to account for a large part of the additional sulphur production now anticipated for the free world.'.' Except for a small amount of byproduct sulphur from sour natural gas and refinery gases, American brimstone is produced by the same process devised by Frasch 60 years ago, consisting essentially of the injection of superheated water at about 325°F into sulphur-bearing formations through wells which are drilled from the surface by standard oilfield methods. Sulphur deposits vary in depth from a few hundred feet to 2500 ft from the surface; in a typical deposit the sulphur occurs as crystalline aggregates in porous limestone and gypsum in concentrations varying from 5 to 40 pct, the thickness of the formation ranging from a few feet to several hundred.3 The deposits are usually surrounded by formations impermeable to the flow of hot water, the top and sides being enclosed by impermeable sediments and the bottom by dense impermeable anhydrite. As the hot water leaves the well bore, it percolates through the formation and transmits its heat to the rock and sulphur. When the sulphur reaches 240°F it melts, separates from the rock, and flows through the hot channels downward to the bottom of the well. Here it is freed from incoming water and from formation water, which saturates the porous rock, by gravity separation, liquid sulphur being 1.8 times as heavy as water. It then is pumped to the surface in a relatively pure state, 99.5 pct or better. Chief contaminants are organic impurities, such as petroleum residues, which are soluble in sulphur and tend to discolor it.' Sixteen deposits of commercial magnitude have been discovered in the Gulf Coast area. Five of these deposits have been depleted and abandoned with production totalling more than 26,886,000 tons. Eight properties are operating and have produced 65,875,-000 tons to Jan. 1, 1952, for a total Frasch-type production of 92,761,000 tons. Three new deposits are under development. Aforementioned deposits are listed in Table I. Each of these deposits has been found in the cap-rock overlying shallow intrusive salt plugs or domes and buried in several hundred to as much as 2500 ft of sediments. All salt domes do .not contain sulphur; only 16 sulphur deposits have been found in a total of 231 salt domes which are known to exist in the Gulf Coastal states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Ten of the salt domes lie in the Gulf of Mexico offshore from the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Additional offshore domes may be found, but their value as a sulphur potential is questionable owing to the great hazard and high cost that can be visualized at these exposed locations where depths of water reach 50 ft. Marsh operations of Freeport Sulphur Co. are in the southeast section of Louisiana. In general, the country is low, flat, relatively uninhabited marshland broken by many shallow lakes and bayous which extend for irregular distances inland. Geologically, the coastal area is of sedimentary origin, having been built up gradually under the sea by deposition of material carried down by large streams to their deltas. Offshore bars were formed enclosing

Jan 1, 1953