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By Moskovits EE

Spodumene was recovered from pegmatite by flota.ticn in lAoretory tests and ;pilot-plant, operation using an anionic collector e1 ulsi3.n. i sir_tilar process applied to beryl pegmatite g^.ve encouraging results.

Jan 1, 1963

In the spring of 1944 the Congress passed Public Law 290 (58 Stat. 190, 30 U. S. C. Sec. 321) "authorizing the construction and operation of demonstration plants to produce synthetic liquid fuels from coal, oil shales, agricultural and forestry products, and other substances, in order to aid the prosecution of the war, to conserve and increase the oil resources of the Nation, and for other purposes." Section 2 reads: "In order to carry out the :purpose of this act, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized- (a) to conduct laboratory research and development work, and, with pilot plants and semi-works plants, to make careful process engineering studies, along with structural engineering studies, in order to ascertain lowest investment and operating costs necessary to determine the best demonstration plant designs and conditions of operation;

Jan 1, 1948

By E de Villiers

Several methods exist by which the capacity of a dense media separation (DMS) plant can be improved: 1) Increase the feed rate in spite of efficiency 2) Replace with bigger equipment 3) Add whole new module 4) Replace total plant 5) Change over to four shift/ seven days per week roster 6) Replace with alternative process 7) Increase the availability and utilization Options 1 ? 6 have varying degrees of cost implications. The seventh option would seem to be the easiest. Normally it is also the function of the plant operating and maintenance team to maximize this. Usually higher operating and maintenance cost are associated with an increase in these parameters. A general principle that is applicable to plants and systems is that as the complexity increases, the total availability decreases. By simplifying the flow line it may be possible to reduce cost while at the same time increase the availability and utilization. The typical standard DMS flow line contains components that compensate for the variance in pump performance or for the inefficient recovery of ferrosilicon with additional equipment. Things have changed though: 1) Advanced electronic control and monitoring is possible 2) More efficient magnetic separators are available 3) New more user friendly densifiers are available ORIGINAL FLOW LINE In principle the process consists of four flow lines or streams 1) Ore flow ? the feed is divided into a waste and product stream by means of the separating vessel

Jan 1, 2006

It is not uncommon to find large quantities of combustible materials in underground metal and non-metal mines. Support timber is the predominant combustible material. Spontaneous combustion, welding and cutting, shorted or overloaded electrical cables and careless smoking are common ignition sources. More recently, there is increased use of diesel mobile equipment that requires fuel storage and transfer areas. Diesel fuel spillage on hot engine manifolds and motors can result in rapid flame growth and heavy smoke accumulation in a matter of seconds. In-expensive, reliable fire detection and suppression systems are available to provide early warning of fire conditions and to isolate and extinguish fires that originate in fuel storage and transfer areas. This report presents an example of how technology developed and demonstrated under Bureau of Mines Contract H0242016, Mine Shaft Fire and Smoke Protection System, may be applied to protect underground diesel fuel storage and transfer areas. The area application described in this report is a representative example only; the fire protection described includes the concepts of ? Early warning and alarm ? Isolation ? Extinguishment ? Control

Jan 1, 2011

By J. Henry Harden

I desire to call the attention of the Institute to a new form of drawing-board trestle. With the ordinary four-legged trestle, commonly used, one has not the means of adjusting the height of the board to the draughtsman. To obviate this inconvenience, and at the same time to enable one to incline the board, I have devised an arrangement of curved and straight slots and thumb-screws, by means of which the hoard can be raised three or more inches, and placed at any desired angle of inclination on either side. Figures 2, 3 (Plate I) show side and end elevations of the trestle for a single board, and Figure 4 for two boards. The latter form is adapted for use in schools, or where it is desired to economize space.

By Earl C. Hutchison, Wade C. Hutchison

T 0 effectively evaluate property damage that is claimed to have been caused by blasting activities and in order to lay the proper foundation to build the best legal defense, identification of the actual causation for the damages are necessary. For the past twenty years, engineering personnel from VCE, Inc. (previously Vibration Control Engineering, Inc.) have been evaluating claimed blasting damages with pre- and postblast inspections, with analysis of seismic levels, blasting amounts at given distances, and with other engineering considerations. In addition to these evaluations, they have also documented other causes for damages which are of the types that are often claimed as blasting damage.

Jan 1, 1995

By Jun Han

Coal has been mined in the Kailuan mining area for more than 130 years. The remaining reserves consist of, in large part, coals that would have been considered economically unminable or technically not feasible by the previous generations. Some of the current operations have to resort to overmining because the lower seams had been extracted in the past. This paper deals with the feasibility and proper layout of mining roadways of overmining carried out in the No. 5 seam of Qianjiaying coal mine of Kailuan mining area using numerical and physical simulation. FLAC2D was used to investigate the characteristics of stress and displacement in the overburden after extraction of the lower seams. It also analyzed the proper layouts of gateroads in the upper seams, i.e. locating them in the stress-relief zone of the gob so that their stability can be easily maintained. In addition, a two-dimensional physical model was constructed for investigation of damages to the upper seams due to mining of the lower seams. Finally, based on the results of investigations, proper gateroads layout was designed and successful extraction was implemented for panel 1357 in the No.5 seam.

Jan 1, 2009

By Bjørn Nilsen, Werner Stefanussen

The construction of the Guaigui Multipurpose Project includes a 74 metre high concrete face rock fill dam, a 350 metre long diversion tunnel and a 350 metre long spillway tunnel. The topography in the project area is very steep, and the rock masses are characterized as soft rocks. The stability of the 80 to 100 metre high dam abutments and the excavation of the tunnels in soft rock conditions have caused various challenges and problems to be solved. Limited pre-investigations have called to a great extent for estimation of parameters for the stability calculations based on experience. The preliminary calculation of the stability of the planned rock slope above the spillway intake platform has been carried out by conventional partial factor methods and by use of a computed based Slide Program. The two methods of calculation give different results , and that rock support is necessary to obtain an acceptable factor of safety for a slope inclination of 52o. The input parameters for the rock mass characteristics need to be verified for the permanent calculations.

Jan 1, 2006

By M. Somerville, S. Sun

The liquidus temperature and viscosity of a range of melter slags produced in South Africa were determined. Drop-quench experiments were carried out on the supplied plant samples to determine the liquidus temperature and phase relations at sub-liquidus temperatures. The temperature measurement range covered 1300°C to 1630°C. Results from these experiments show liquidus temperatures for the melter slags to be in excess of 1500ºC with the chromium containing spinel as the primary crystalline phase. At lower temperatures, an olivine or pyroxene phase co-existed with the spinel phase. The viscosity of the slags was determined over a temperature range of 1350 to 1550°C, under a controlled atmosphere. Results show two orders of magnitude variation in the viscosity (0.2 to 20Pa s) with strong effects of slag chemistry and temperature. Slags with lower SiO2and Cr2O3concentrations were more fluid. Slags with the lowest FeOx and highest SiO2concentrations were the most viscous. These observations are in accord with general behaviour of silicate slags. While the presence of a spinel phase may have an effect on the viscosity of the melter slags, results obtained to date indicate a much stronger effect due to the presence of an olivine or pyroxene phase at lower temperatures. Keywords: phase equilibria, liquidus, viscosity, slags, olivine, spinel, pyroxene

Jan 1, 2004

By Lindsay D. Norman

Four chloride and seven fixed-nitrogen processes for recovering manganese from domestic resources are described. The chloride processes are divided into two classes (leaching and chloridization) depending upon the major operation responsible for converting the manganese minerals to the chloride from which manganese oxide products are obtained. The fixed nitrogen processes, all of which yield high-grade manganese oxide products, are essentially either leaching or roasting processes. The 11 processes include HC1 leach, HC1 chloridization, HC1 chloride volatilization, CaC12 chloride volatilization, NO2 leach, HNO3-NO2 leach, NH3-CO2-H2O system leach, (NH4)2SO4 leach, (NH4)2SO4 roast, and ammonium salt roast.

Jan 1, 1963

By M. Rafati

In this investigation, the effects of T4 and T6 heat treatments of AZ91 magnesium cast alloy have been studied. The effects of different microstructural details such as morphology, size and distribution of precipitates and their influence on fracture mechanisms were investigated by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical strength of the alloy after T6 treatment was found to increase in comparison to the T4 treatment, due to the formation of discontinuous precipitates in the grain boundaries. Precipitation in this alloy occurs in two ways: continuous precipitation, which nucleates and grows inside the grains, and discontinuous precipitation, which forms at the grain boundaries. During ageing, the length of the continuous precipitates increases, and, hence, interprecipitate distance decreases. The formation of discontinuous precipitates causes initiation and propagation of cracks at and the weakening of the grain boundaries. This is the principal reason for the reduction of the ultimate tensile strength in T6 heat treatment in comparison to the T4 condition.

Jan 1, 2006

Vancouver-based War Eagle Mining Co. is an advanced-stage Canadian junior mining company that is focused on becoming one of the world?s leading germanium producers. War Eagle?s primary focus is on the Tres Marias high-grade germanium mine near Chihuahua, Mexico. The Tres Marias Mine has high-grade zinc mineralization as well. War Eagle acquired the 28-km2 (17.4-sq mile) property in 2001 from Tombstone Exploration and is currently working to put the mine into production. Current exploration is focused on supporting a resource report and prefeasibility study that is expected to be completed in early 2008. War Eagle expects to have completed an estimated 80 underground diamond drill holes, 40 surface diamond drillholes, 31 percussion holes and 1,296 1.5-m (5-ft) channel samples. Eighty-seven additional exploration targets have been identified within the mining concession. Recent drill results have significantly expanded the known mineralized body at the Tres Marias Mine. The exploration and development program is expected to be completed during 2008. War Eagle owns both the drills currently in operation at Tres Marias. An advanced exploration and development program has confirmed historical grades and is producing encouraging new results from diamond and percussion drilling, channel sampling and high-resolution resistivity geophysics. Glenn R. O?Gorman, an independent geologist and consultant to War Eagle, conducted a study on the reporter. He stated that the Tres Marias concession area has the potential to host 5 to 10 Mt (5.5 to 11 million st) of minable ore.

Jan 1, 2008

By K Barns, H Law, T Whebell, P Scobie, T Perkins, J Siliezar, M Larson

With processing a variety of orebodies at Glencore’s Ernest Henry Mining (EHM) has come a changing mineralogy and more complex requirements for treatment in the concentrator. From mid-2013 and into 2014 the grind size required to achieve sufficient mineral liberation for production of a quality concentrate has reduced significantly. What was once a final P80 of 35–45 microns was forced to 20 microns. This has necessitated some creative changes to the flow sheet that previously had a 937?kW Vertimill regrinding a rougher concentrate to 40 microns. EHM is able to utilise an existing M10 000 3 MW IsaMill previously used for magnetite processing, to provide a quick convenient solution without large scale capital expenditures. Operating the Vertimill and IsaMill in parallel in closed circuit was successful at reducing the P80 of the regrind circuit to below 20 microns which increased the final concentrate grade by four per cent. This circuit and intermediate circuits used are discussed. Performance of the Vertimill and IsaMill is compared for efficiency optimisation to improve the overall circuit performance.CITATION:Siliezar, J, Whebell, T, Perkins, T, Law, H, Scobie, P, Larson, M and Barns, K, 2014. From magnetite to chalcopyrite – a story of versatility and efficiency at Glencore’s Ernest Henry mining?operation, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Mill Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 85–92 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 1, 2014

By A. E. Fiorato

A test program was conducted to evaluate use of high-strength concrete in drilled shafts (caissons). The objective of the program was to determine if internal temperatures developed during cement hydration, or other characteristics of high-strength mixes, affect in-situ strength and stiffness. This paper covers strength results. Two 10-ft (3.0-m) diameter by 40-ft (12.2-m) deep caissons were constructed using two different commercially available high-strength concretes, a "low-heat" and a "high-strength" mix. Measured 6x12-in. (150x300mm) moist cured cylinder strengths at 56 days were 13,690 psi (94 MPa) for the "low-heat" mix and 17,130 psi (118 MPa) for the "high-strength" mix. Compressive strengths and moduli of elasticity of cores taken from the caissons were compared to those of companion cylinders made during casting of the caissons and stored in a moist room. Strengths of 4x8-in. (100x200 mm) cores taken at four ages and tested between 34 and 398 days averaged 81% of strengths of 6x12-in. (150x300 mm) moist cured cylinders at corresponding ages. In-situ (core) strengths of the caissons did not appear to be measurably affected by temperature. However, the data indicate that core strengths were sensitive to level of consolidation, as reflected in entrapped air voids. Overall, the results indicate that high-strength concretes can be used in drilled shaft (caisson) foundations.

Jan 1, 1991

Maptek, an international development software company, released version 3.2 of its Vulcan three-dimensional mining and geological software package. This latest release is expected to give clients better graphics performance and improved overall solutions. In addition, the company also released the NT version of Vulcan for Unix and personal computers. More than 800 code changes have gone into the 3.2 release, the Lakewood, CO-based company said. Many of these changes were in response to requests from Maptek's customers. Others have been motivated internally by the company to achieve better performance in its Envisage graphics interface. The introduction of hot keys and user-defined menus makes Envisage a more flexible interface and a more productive working environment. A new animation option provides new ways to enhance the organization and display of data. The animated data can include point, string, grid, triangulation and photographic-draped data. The shaft-mapping facility is also included in version 3.2. It enables the cylindrical view of the shaft to be unwrapped and displayed on the screen while the data remains in its true world coordinates. Major upgrades to Vulcan include underground blast design and geotechnical modules. The new blast design module allows the user to develop a ring design in any plane defined by the stope layout. Radial and offset holes can be developed. User-friendly editing tools make adjustments to the initial design a simple task. The user defines the plotting and reporting of rings and plot style templates allow flexibility in reporting. New features in the geotechnical toolbox include options to create daylight windows and pitch lines on the stereo nets. Geotechnical databases can be directly updated from the interpretation of the stereo net. Direct annotation of the symbols on the net is now possible and the stereo net display can be customized. Improvements to the documentation and links within the text have made the on-line help easier to navigate. Maptek also released the NT version of Vulcan soft- ware. The comprehensive design of the software pack- age for Unix and personal computers provides a three-dimensional geological modeling and mine planning system within a natural graphics environment. Users who require the power to manipulate extra- large and complex data sets will still be served by the Unix platform. Users who handle small-to-large datasets can now choose between Unix and personal computer platforms. The NT version will appeal primarily to companies that already have a personal computer network. Response to industry feedback was the basis for developing the NT version. "We want to ensure that our clients receive the optimal product for their needs," said Nicolas Simon, vice president of Maptek in North America. Some advantages of the NT version include: ? Most mining professionals are familiar with the personal computer platform. ? All of the familiar personal computer tools are now available to Vulcan users. ? Resource modeling tools that previously required the powerful Unix workstations have been brought into the personal computer environment. This will help mining companies save money. From a binary data point of view, the personal computer NT version is compatible with other platforms, such as SGIIDECIHPISUN, allowing integrated personal computer and Unix environments For more information, contact Cherie LeDoux, Maptek, 165 So. Union Blvd., Suite 777, Lakewood, CO 80228, fax 303-763-4921, e-mail: info@maptek.com, Internet: http:llwww.maptek.com.

Jan 1, 1997

By Leonard B. Lipson

Boyer, Morgan and Muskat,' with improvements by Morgan, McDowell, and Doty,l and Laird and Putnam,' have described a scheme for the determination of fluid saturatic in porous media by measuring the x-ray linear absorbing power of particular fluids in the media. This method is one of several which depend on the linear absorbing power of the fluids in the porous medium. Other examples of linear absorption methods involve measurement of dielectric constant, gamma ray absorption, and ultrasonic attenuation. It is the purpose of this note to demonstrate by theortical considerations that the absorption versus saturation curve for a linear absorption method is not necessarily a single valued function of the saturation. Such non-unique behavior must be considered and evaluated before suitable saturation determinations can be made by a linear absorption method. To illustrate the discussion, examples will be given only for the simplest cases of combinations of two different dielectrics. The dielectric constant method was chosen for illustration because it was thought to demonstrate most graphically the point in question. According to Argue and Maass,4 the resultant dielectric constant of a combination of two different dielectrics depends on the orientation of the dielectrics in the electric field of the test condenser used to measure the dielectric constant. One ease involves alternate slabs of dielectrics E1 and E2 perpendicular to the electric field of the test condenser, as shown in Fig. 1A. For this case: l/'E, = A/E, + B/E,.......(1) where E,,, is the dielectric constant of the combination, A is the ratio of the path length through dielectric E, to the distance between the plates of the condenser (assuming the dielectrics have the same cross sectional area as the condenser), and B is the ratio of the path length through dielectric E2 to the distance between the plates of the condenser. It will be noted that the constants A and B are numerically equal to the fractional "saturation" of the region between the test plates of the condenser by the two dielectrics E1 and E2, respectively. Another case involves alternate columns of the two dielectrics parallel to the electric field and forming a continuous path between the condenser plates, as shown in Fig. 1B. For this case: E., = AE1 + BE2.........(2) where E., is the dielectric constant of the combination, A is the ratio of the cross sectional area of dielectric E, to the cross sectional area of the condenser plates (assuming the lengths of the dielectrics equal the distance between the condenser plates) and B is the ratio of the cross sectional area of dielectric E2 to the cross sectional area of the condenser plates. As before the constants A and B are the effective "saturation" of the condenser by the two dielectrics. Still another case is described by Lichtenecker5 where dielectric E2 is shown in the form of small particles distributed at random in dielectric E1. This is shown in Fig. 1C. For this case: log Em = A log E1 + B log E2.....(3) where Em is the dielectric constant of the combination. A is the ratio of the volume of dielectric E1 to the volume of the condenser, i.e., the effective "saturation" of the condenser by dielectric E,. B is the ratio of the volume of dielectric E2 to the volume of the condenser, i.e., "saturation" of dielectric El. Equations (l), (2) and (3) are plotted in Fig. 2 for E1 = 2.5 (oil) and E2 = 80 (water). Equations (1) and (2) may he thought of as representing the limiting cases of the configuration of two fluids which might be expected to exist in a porous medium. Equation (3),

Jan 1, 1951

By Leonard B. Lipson

Boyer, Morgan and Muskat,' with improvements by Morgan, McDowell, and Doty,l and Laird and Putnam,' have described a scheme for the determination of fluid saturatic in porous media by measuring the x-ray linear absorbing power of particular fluids in the media. This method is one of several which depend on the linear absorbing power of the fluids in the porous medium. Other examples of linear absorption methods involve measurement of dielectric constant, gamma ray absorption, and ultrasonic attenuation. It is the purpose of this note to demonstrate by theortical considerations that the absorption versus saturation curve for a linear absorption method is not necessarily a single valued function of the saturation. Such non-unique behavior must be considered and evaluated before suitable saturation determinations can be made by a linear absorption method. To illustrate the discussion, examples will be given only for the simplest cases of combinations of two different dielectrics. The dielectric constant method was chosen for illustration because it was thought to demonstrate most graphically the point in question. According to Argue and Maass,4 the resultant dielectric constant of a combination of two different dielectrics depends on the orientation of the dielectrics in the electric field of the test condenser used to measure the dielectric constant. One ease involves alternate slabs of dielectrics E1 and E2 perpendicular to the electric field of the test condenser, as shown in Fig. 1A. For this case: l/'E, = A/E, + B/E,.......(1) where E,,, is the dielectric constant of the combination, A is the ratio of the path length through dielectric E, to the distance between the plates of the condenser (assuming the dielectrics have the same cross sectional area as the condenser), and B is the ratio of the path length through dielectric E2 to the distance between the plates of the condenser. It will be noted that the constants A and B are numerically equal to the fractional "saturation" of the region between the test plates of the condenser by the two dielectrics E1 and E2, respectively. Another case involves alternate columns of the two dielectrics parallel to the electric field and forming a continuous path between the condenser plates, as shown in Fig. 1B. For this case: E., = AE1 + BE2.........(2) where E., is the dielectric constant of the combination, A is the ratio of the cross sectional area of dielectric E, to the cross sectional area of the condenser plates (assuming the lengths of the dielectrics equal the distance between the condenser plates) and B is the ratio of the cross sectional area of dielectric E2 to the cross sectional area of the condenser plates. As before the constants A and B are the effective "saturation" of the condenser by the two dielectrics. Still another case is described by Lichtenecker5 where dielectric E2 is shown in the form of small particles distributed at random in dielectric E1. This is shown in Fig. 1C. For this case: log Em = A log E1 + B log E2.....(3) where Em is the dielectric constant of the combination. A is the ratio of the volume of dielectric E1 to the volume of the condenser, i.e., the effective "saturation" of the condenser by dielectric E,. B is the ratio of the volume of dielectric E2 to the volume of the condenser, i.e., "saturation" of dielectric El. Equations (l), (2) and (3) are plotted in Fig. 2 for E1 = 2.5 (oil) and E2 = 80 (water). Equations (1) and (2) may he thought of as representing the limiting cases of the configuration of two fluids which might be expected to exist in a porous medium. Equation (3),

Jan 1, 1951

By J. E. Lawrence

Copper-decorated lattice disorders in silicon have been analyzed by electron transmission microscopy, chemical etching, and P-N junction reverse current measurements before and following different gettering treatments. Lattice disorders acted as the nucleating sites for copper precipitation. Copper precipitates in silicon resist chemical etching, absorb electron beams more than silicon, and cause excess reverse currents. Totally gettered disorders will chemically etch rapidly, be transparent to electron beams at extinction contrast, and not contribute to excess reverse currents. Three different gettering procedures were performed to determine the effectiveness of different EXTRANEOUS metal contamination can alter the minority carrier lifetime and resistivity of bulk silicon as well as cause excessive reverse currents in semiconductor devices. Previous workers have reported such activity for gold,1,2 copper,'-* iron,' and rnanganese.2,5 Gettering is a method employed to render these impurities electrically inactive. However, some property of the junction-degrading metals prevents gettering procedures from being wholly reliable. The comparative effectiveness of gettering with different agents has been the topic of earlier publications.2,3,6-11 Two mechanisms for gettering metallic impurities have been proposed: the distribution coefficient mechanism by Thurmond and Logan7 and the compound formation mechanism by Goetzberger and Shockley.2 Both of these models evolved from data gettering mechanisms. First, phosphorus was allowed to enter a protective SiO2 film but remain away from the Si-SiO2 interface to test the effectiveness of the compound formation gettering mechanism. Second, phosphorus was allowed to enter the backside of silicon wafers to test the effectiveness of the lattice strain gettering mechanism. Finally, nickel was diffused into the backside of silicon wafers to test the effectiveness of the distribution coefficient gettering mechanism. In each case, copper precipitates dissolved as a result of the gettering treatment. Tightly packed precipitates will resist gettering more than loosely packed copper precipitates. acquired by the electrical analyses of gettered semiconductor materials. An electrical analysis, however, cannot identify the fate of the gettered metals. The radiotracer technique has recently been applied to determine the redistribution of metals following different gettering treatments.3,9,10 The spatial resolu tion of the radiotracer technique prevented the analysis of metal precipitates which contribute to the excessive reverse currents of P-N junctions. The gettering processes employed by the earlier workers, almost without exception, allowed the gettering agent to enter the silicon lattice. This procedure makes it quite difficult to differentiate between the distribution coefficient and the compound formation mechanisms. The metallographic analysis of gettered copper precipitates discussed in this work supplements the earlier work by obtaining direct evidence of silicon lattice defects decorated with copper before and following different gettering treatments. The effectiveness of a process which restricts the gettering agent, phosphorus, to a dielectric film and thus away from the silicon lattice is discussed in addition to the ef-

Jan 1, 1969

By J. H. Brophy, S. J. Michalik

A constitution diagram for the system Mo-Ir has been determined. The maximum solubility of iridium in molybdenum is 16 at. pct at 2110ºC and decreases to less than 5 at. pct at 1500°C. The solubility of molybdenum in iridium is 22 at. pct. Three intermediate phases appear in the system: 8 MoJr, having the p-tungsten structure; a phase, a cornplex tetragonal structure; and the hcp ? phase. Metallography, melting point determinations, X-ray diffraction and fluorescence, and electron micro-probe unalyses were employed in establishing the diagram. PREVIOUS to the present investigation, the intermediate phases in the Mo-Ir system were identified, but no detailed account of the phase diagram has been reported in the literature. Raub1 investigated alloys of Mo-Ir over an extensive range of composition between the temperatures of 800º and 1600°C. The in-termetallic compound MosIr was found to exist with nearly pure molybdenum, as the solubility of iridium in molybdenum was not detectable parametrically in this temperature range. MO3Ir was found to be iso-morphic with a ß-tungsten type structure, having a parameter of 4.959Å. An intermediate hcp phase, designated as the ? phase, ranged in composition from 52 to 78.5 at. pct at 800ºC, and from 41 to 78.5 at. pct Ir at 1200°C. Parameters noted for the ? phase were as follows: at 42.7 at. pct Ir, a = 2.771i0, c = 4.4366, c/a = 1.601; at 78.5 at. pct Ir, a = 2.736A, c = 4.378A, c/a = 1.600. Molybdenum was found to be soluble in iridium up to 16.5 at. pct Mo (83.5 at. pct Irj, with the parameter of iridium increasing to 3.845A at the solubility limit. Knapton,2 who investigated alloys between 15 and 85 at. pct Ir, essentially agreed with Raub's data, but, in addition, found a a phase in as-melted alloys near 25 at. pcto Ir. The oaphase lattice parameters were a = 9.64Å, c = 4.96Å, c/a = 0.515. The a phase was replaced by the 8 -tungsten phase on annealing at 1600°C. Knapton concluded that the a was stable only at elevated temperatures, and placed the composition of the a phase at approximately 30 at. pct Ir. The intermetallic compound Mo3Ir, with a lattice parameter of 4.965A, was included among the 8-tungsten structures reported by ~eller.' Matthias and Corenzwit,4 and Bucke15 studied the superconducting nature of MosIr, and reported a superconducting transition temperature of 8.$K. The present investigation describes the phase relationships in the Mo-Ir alloy system determined by melting point measurements, X-ray diffraction and fluorescence, and metallography. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Alloys for the determination of the phase diagram were prepared from powders. Commercial 99.9 pct Mo from Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. and 99.9 pct Ir powder from J. Bishop and Co. Platinum Works were used. The powders were weighed to nominal compositions, mixed, and then pressed, without binder, into compacts weighing 4 to 6 g. These were presintered in uacuo between 1200' and 1400°C for 1 hr, to reduce the degree of spattering during subsequent arc-melting. The compacts were arc-melted in a nonconsumable tungsten electrode furnace six times on alternate sides on a water-cooled copper hearth in an atmosphere of zirconium-getter ed argon at 500 mm of mercury pressure. In almost all cases, this procedure yielded buttons of satisfactory homogeneity. The composition of all melted buttons were confirmed by X-ray fluorescent analysis using the experimentally determined ratio of the iridium La1 line intensity to that of the molybdenum Ka1 line as a function of composition. In this determination four alloys analyzed by wet chemical methods were used as standards. An uncertainty range of ±1 at. pct has been attributed to all indicated compositions. All heat treatments and solidus measurements were carried out in tantalum resistance heating elements in vacuum conditions of 10-4 to 10-5 mm of mercury. A detailed account of this procedure has been reported by Schwarzkopf and Brophy.8 In the heat treatment and solidus measurements of iridium-rich alloys (50 at. pct Ir or greater), a tungsten lining was inserted into the tantalum resistance heating element because of a eutectic reaction which occurs between iridium and tantalum at 1948ºc.7 Heat treatments and solidus measurements carried out at compositions less than 40 at. pct Ir both with and without tungsten linings within the resistance

Jan 1, 1963

By E. B. Viljoen

I. R. M. Chaston* As a gravity concentration man in the midst of so many eminent flotation experts I feel like Daniel. However, I would respectifully disagree with the opening remarks by Mr Viljoen. First, he suggested that gravity concentration of cassiterite was not effective in sizes below 30 microns. In a paper to the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy in 19621, I gave some figures for gravity concentration of deslimed material both for cassiterite and for wolfram which indicated that careful shaking table concentration of fine deslimed material could give recoveries of 75 to 90 percent in the size ranges above 13 micron. These were figures obtained from normal plant operation. It would be interesting to know if any tests were carried out on gravity concentration of the efficiently deslimed feed to this flotation plant to see what the recovery would be. Secondly, Mr Viljoen suggested that gravity concentration plants were expensive. He gives the cost of a flotation plant at R300 000 to treat a feed of 400 t.p.d. to the desliming section or 160 t.p.d. to the flotation cells. From his operating cost figures it would appear that the flotation cost is approximately R2 to R4 per ton of feed to flotation and the total operating cost about R2 per ton of feed. A table plant to treat this tonnage of deslimed feed would consist of about 30 tables and should cost considerably less to install and very much less to operate than the flotation plant. Third, Mr. Viljoen suggests that the concentrate grade from a gravity concentration operation would be unacceptably low. The paper quoted abovel showed that once a primary fine concentrate had been made, giving a suitably deslimed material, further gravity concentration could give concentrates of over 40 per cent Sn with high recoveries. Tailing from this dressing stage was naturally returned to the feed. To give these high grades, sulphides had been removed by flotation but this necessary flotation step is simple and cheap to operate and could be restricted to the final stage when the quantities involved are small. I would agree that flotation has a part to play in fine tin recovery but this role would only seem to become fully effective at sizes below 10 micron and would seem to require, as Mr. Viljoen has suggested, a mechanism for sizing which is effective down to, say, 1 micron. In the meantime it would be interesting to try tabling the flotation tailing to see if it was possible to recover the plus 20 micron cassiterite which is not recovered well by flotation. One point which has been made during discussion is the suggestion that cassiterite particles have a fully hydrated surface at normal pH. I wonder if this layer could materially affect the overall specific gravity of a very small cassiterite particle and, if so, whether gravity concentration of the very fine cassiterite would be improved if carried out in acid conditions, which would inhibit the formation of this hydrated surface. REFERENCES 1. CHASTON, I. R. M. 'Gravity concentration of fine cassiterite'. Trans. Inst. Min. and Met. Vol. 71, p. 4, 1961 and 1962, and discussion of this paper. Dr. R. P. King Mr Viljoen has drawn attention to the difficulties associated with the presence of very fine particles in the flotation pulp and he has indicated that, on the Union Tin plant, they must sacrifice 30 percent of the cassiterite in the minus 7 /Lm material which they separate and lose. He has also indicated that the rate of flotation of cassiterite remained high at these small sizes. The problem arises because the very small particles stabilize the froth making it impossible to handle. These stable froths cannot be easily broken and therefore cannot be pumped and processed. It seems that further fundamental research work on the properties of stabilized froths is urgently required. We have found another difficulty associated with the presence of very fine particles in phoscorite slurries; these particles can be easily floated but with very poor selectivity. We believe that it is possible that a purely physical mechanism such as entrainment is responsible for the collection of fine particles in the froth. We have also demonstrated that the presence of fine particles in the pulp adversely affects the rate of flotation of the larger particles. For esample, we have found an increase in recovery of + 100 um material from 2 percent to 17 percent in a standard laboratory batch flotation test on phoscorite when the - 37 um was removed from the feed. Such interactions between particles are not universally recognised as an important aspect of the complex flotation mechanism. They should appear in any quantitative formulation of the flotation rate process.