Search Documents

EdgaR S. Cook, Pottstown, Pa.:—Many friends and acquaintances seem to be under the impression that the Warwick Iron & Steel Co. received a' license from Mr. Gayley, free of cost, as an inducement to adopt the process. This impression is not correct, since the license was paid for, and I think it was the first payment that Mr. Gayley received for the use of his process. As president of the Warwick Iron & Steel Co., I am responsible for its earnings, and with only the experience at the Isabella furnaces as a guide, the directors of the company considered that there was a great risk in expending the large sum of money required for the plant. They, however, acted favorably upon my recommendation, and to this extent I am responsible for the installation at the Warwick furnaces. I made the best agreement possible with Mr. Gayley, and naturally our company received certain advantages. It will be contrary to all experience if subsequent plants do not show some improvements and economies in construction. It is to our indirect benefit that all subsequent licenses granted by Mr. Gayley should be charged at a much higher rate than we paid; and I trust that he will see to it that all such licenses granted, especially to companies making merchant iron, shall be at a maximum figure. The Warwick Iron & Steel Go. is not interested in any way in exploiting the merits of the Gayley dry-blast process; on the contrary, looking at the subject from a narrow and selfish standpoint, it is to the advantage of our company that no merchant blast-furnace competing with our iron-product should be equipped with a dry-blast plant. There is a clause in the contract with Mr. Gayley, whereby our company agrees to furnish him with all the data derived from the operation of the dry-blast plant, and that he or his

Jan 1, 1909

By F. W. Jessen, C. A. Johnson

The effect of treatment with ferrochrome lignosul-fonate on both sodium and calcium bentonites has been examined. In the early stages of treatment it appears that some base exchange of iron and chromium for sodium may occur with the sodium bentonite. Such exchange appears specific for exchange of sodium ions when the calcium ion concentration represents 40-5.5 per cent of the total exchangeable cations, and when additions of lignosulfonate are less than 1 lb per bbl. Adsorption appears entirely physical above 1 lb per bbl treatment level for all concentrations of calcium studied. Gel strength and plastic viscosity of both calcium and sodium bentonite systems were reduced with treatments of ferrochrome lignosulfonate up to 2 Ib per bbl, the greatest reduction occurring within a range of calcium concentration of 40-5.5 per cent of the total exchange capacity of the clay. INTRODUCTION The problem of control of viscosity and gel strength of drilling fluids by the action of thinners or dispersants has been studied by many investigators.1-7 In addition, much work has been done on formation of gel structure in clay suspensions. However, gel formation and structure still are incompletely understood, and the use of the various dispersing chemicals is based, to a large extent, on data almost entirely empirical in nature. In recent years the lignosulfonates have become increasingly important in the treatment and control of drilling fluids. More specifically, ferrochrome lignosulfonate has found rather wide acceptance, particularly in calcium systems.5-7 Lignosulfonates are refined lignin products made from spent sulfite liquor from which the fermentable sugars have been removed.15 The exact structure of lignin is not known; however, it is believed to be a phenolic propane type polymer which may exist as a branched chain or cross linked structure. The molecular weights of lignosulfonates probably range from 300 to 100,000 or more.15 A better understanding of the mechanism of adsorption of dispersants is essential before improvement and development of characteristics of drilling fluids and drilling fluid control is possible. This investigation was undertaken to determine the action of ferrochrome lignosulfonate on sodium and calcium montmOrillonite' LABORATORY INVESTIGATION A Stormer viscosimeter and Fann V-G meter were used to measure viscosity and gel strength. A Zeiss spectrophotometer was used for analysis of Fe and Cr and the flame attachment was employed in the analysis of Na, Ca and Mg. A General Electric X-ray diffraction unit utilizing Copper Ka radiation and a Ni-filter was utilized in the X-ray studies. PROCEDURE Two systems were studied. Predominately sodium clay, obtained from Wyoming, and a predominately calcium clay from Texas were used. These particular samples were chosen because of the extensive work of characterization completed by Mungan. Ionic base exchange capacity determined by flame photometry and total exchange capacity by the Kjehldahl method were obtained experimentally. A 7-per cent suspension of the sodium clay and a 20-per cent suspension of the calcium clay in distilled water were prepared by mixing with a high-speed mixer. The suspensions were allowed to stand for two weeks for complete hydration. Calcium chloride was added to portions of the sodium and calcium cla suspensions to obtain suspensions varying in Ca++ concentration as shown in Table I. A series of treatments was run with 500-ml portions of the original suspensions using a ferrochrome lignosulfonate. Treatment was carried out in the same way with each of the suspensions of varying Ca concentration. Viscosity and gel strength were measured and a filtrate obtained at each treatment level. Ten ml of filtrate were diluted to 50 ml, and aliquot portions of the 50 ml were taken for the Na, Ca, and Mg analysis by the flame photometer. The pH of these filtrates ranged from 7 to 7.3. Standard

By W. C. Elli, M. E. Fine

YOUNG'S modulus of elasticity in metals ordinarily decreases with rising temperature. The range of the thermoelastic coefficient at room tem- 1/E dE/dT perature (temperature coefficient of modulus, is illustrated1 by the values for tungsten and hard-drawn aluminum, —95 and —1220x10-6 eg C-1. However, a nearly zero thermoelastic coefficient is observed in some ferromagnetic alloys over a limited temperature range. In these alloys, as the temperature is raised, an increase in modulus arising from loss of ferromagnetism compensates the normal decrease. Iron-nickel alloys containing 36 to 52 pct Ni behave in this manner. In the present investiga- tion, the dependence of the modulus and thermo-elastic coefficient on cold working and annealing were studied in iron-nickel alloys in this range of nickel. Although these alloys, when fully annealed, have a coefficient near zero over a very small temperature interval, the temperature range of low coefficient can be extended greatly by straining and then stress-relief annealing. The modulus of face-centered cubic iron-nickel alloys annealed at 1000°C does not vary linearly with composition at room temperature but, as shown by the solid line of fig. 1, from Koster,' is minimum at 40 pct Ni and maximum at 87 pct Ni. The modulus increases with applied magnetic field but retains the minimum near 40 pct Ni. Schematic change of modulus with temperature for three compositions is shown in fig. 2.'. ' With increasing temperature, the slope becomes less negative, goes through zero (temperature of minimum modulus for the alloy), becomes positive, and resumes its normal negative value above the Curie

Jan 1, 1951

By J. P. Morris

PREVIOUS investigations1,2 have shown that alloying elements in liquid iron influence the thermodynamic activity of sulphur and thereby affect the partition of sulphur between metal and slag in the desulphurization process. For example, the greater efficiency of desulphurization in the blast furnace as compared to the open hearth can be attributed in part to a higher level of sulphur activity in blast-furnace metal due to the higher concentration of carbon and silicon. In the present investigation, a short study was made of the influence of manganese on the activity of sulphur in liquid iron and iron-carbon alloys. In contrast to carbon and silicon, manganese was found to decrease the activity coefficient of sulphur; and in iron-carbon alloys it counteracts to some extent the influence of carbon. However, at manganese concentrations normally present in the blast furnace or open hearth, the effect of manganese is small. Since manganese sulphide has a limited solubility in iron, manganese can act, under certain conditions as a desulphurizing agent. Considerable data on the manganese-sulphur product in carbon-saturated melts were obtained in the investigation and have been included in this report. The experimental procedure was the same as that used in the earlier investigations on the effect of silicon' and carbon' on sulphur activity. Briefly, the method was as follows: The molten alloy, contained in a graphite or sintered alumina crucible, was brought to equilibrium at a constant temperature with a mixture of hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide of constant composition by bubbling the gas through the metal. Samples of' the melt were taken for analysis at regular intervals by suction through a 2 to 3 mm bore silica tube dipped into the metal. The experiments were run in a graphite spiral resistance furnace with melts weighing 50 to 60 g. The gas bubbling tubes were made of sintered alumina and were 5/16 in. OD, 1/16 in. ID, and 24 in. long. Equilibrium was assumed to have been attained when the sulphur content of the liquid metal reached a constant value. During an experiment there was a rapid loss of manganese from the melt by volatilization. To offset this loss, small additions of manganese were made periodically. The rate of manganese addition needed to maintain a constant manganese concentration was determined in preliminary tests. In all of the experiments, deposits of manganese sulphide formed above the melts in a cooler region of the furnace. Apparently, these deposits resulted from a reaction between manganese vapor and hydrogen sulphide in the gas. To prove that manganese sulphide did not volatilize from the melts to a measurable extent, an experiment was run in which helium was bubbled through liquid iron containing both manganese and sulphur. Although manganese volatilized rapidly in this test, there was no appreciable loss of sulphur. Volatilization of manganese sulphide from a melt would have led to an apparent equilibrium condition in which the sulphur content of the metal was lower than the true equilibrium value. The experimental results are shown in the first seven columns of Table I. The data in the last two columns were obtained from the previous work on the effect of carbon' and show what the results would have been in the absence of manganese but with temperature, gas composition, and carbon content of the metal remaining the same. Comparison of the last four columns show that, in the presence of manganese, the sulphur content of the metal increased at equilibrium and the activity coefficient of sulphur decreased. However, the results show that, for manganese concentrations below 3 pct, the effect of manganese is small. The values for activity coefficient of sulphur given in Table I were calculated from the following relations: S (in liquid metal) + H2 (gas) = H2S (gas) [l] K ph2s/?s X %S X phg = 0.00251 [2] where K is the equilibrium constant for the reaction, PH2S and ph2 are the partial pressures of hydrogen sulphide and hydrogen, respectively, and ?s is the activity coefficient of sulphur. The standard state for sulphur was taken to be a 1 pct solution of sulphur in pure iron. The numerical value for K at 1600°C was determined in the earlier work. For the purpose of showing graphically the results of the tests run at 1600°C, the activity coefficients of sulphur were recalculated so as to correspond to a manganese concentration in the metal of 2 pct in each case. In the calculation it was assumed that the increase in sulphur content of the metal at equilibrium caused by the presence of manganese

Jan 1, 1953

By Brahm Prakash, R. Schuhmann

Maurice Rey—It may be interesting to note that depressing effects can also be obtained from cyclic compounds other than dyes. One such compound which is a dispersing agent for carbon, pigments and other compounds is known in France by the trade name "dispergine" and in the United States by the name of Lomar P W (Jacques Wolf & Co.) Dr. Rey admits that the compound is not very selective and is similar in its action to starch and dextrin.

Jan 1, 1951

By Brahm Prakash, R. Schuhmann

Maurice Rey—It may be interesting to note that depressing effects can also be obtained from cyclic compounds other than dyes. One such compound which is a dispersing agent for carbon, pigments and other compounds is known in France by the trade name "dispergine" and in the United States by the name of Lomar P W (Jacques Wolf & Co.) Dr. Rey admits that the compound is not very selective and is similar in its action to starch and dextrin.

Jan 1, 1951

By E. F. Reed

CONSIDERABLE deep hole prospect drilling has been done in the last few years in the Globe-Miami mining district about 70 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona, and in the San Manuel-Tiger area about 50 miles south of the Globe-Miami region. More than 205,000 ft of churn drilling have been completed by the San Manuel Copper Corp. at their property in the Old Hat Mining District in southern Pinal County. The deepest hole on this property is 2850 ft; there are 49 holes deeper than 2000 ft. At the adjoining Houghton property of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., where only one hole reached 2000-ft depth, there were 27,472 ft of churn drilling and 3436 ft of diamond drilling. Three churn drill holes were deepened by diamond drilling methods. Near Miami in the Globe-Miami district the Amico Mining Corp. drilled four holes by combined churn and rotary drilling methods, the total amounting to 13,879 ft, of which 2256 ft were drilled with a portable rotary rig. In the same district, besides doing a large amount of shallow prospect drilling, the Miami Copper Co. drilled two holes of 2560 and 3787 ft, respectively, which were completed by churn drilling methods. The rocks encountered in drilling at San Manuel and Tiger are described by Steele and Rubly in their paper on the San Manuel Prospect' and by Chapman in a report on the San Manuel Copper Deposit.' The rocks are well-consolidated Gila conglomerate, quartz monzonite, and monzonite porphyry. In some places these formations stand very well while being drilled, and three holes were drilled without casing, the deepest of which was 2200 ft. In other holes faulted and fractured ground made drilling difficult. In the Globe-Miami district the deep drilling was done in the down-faulted block of Gila conglomerate east of the Miami fault and in the underlying Pinal schist. The geology of this area is described by Ranaome. In the Amico holes the conglomerate varied from material consisting entirely of granite boulders and fragments to a rock made up of schist fragments in a sandy matrix; in the Miami Copper Co. holes there were more granite boulders and the material was poorly consolidated. Drilling was much more difficult and expensive in the Miami area than in the San Manuel district, mainly because of the depth of the holes and the formations drilled. All the deep hole prospecting described in this paper was done with portable rigs. The churn drill rigs were of several types, of which the Bucyrus-Erie were the most popular. Bucyrus-Erie 28L, 29W, and 36L rigs were used on some of the deeper holes on the San Manuel property. A few Fort Worth spudder types were tried, and the deepest hole at San Manuel was drilled with a Fort Worth Jumbo H. The spudder type is considerably larger than most other rigs used on this work and required a larger location site. The spudders were belt-driven machines with separate power units, and time required for setting up and moving was much longer than with the more portable drills. All the churn drilling was done by contractors or with machinery leased from them. A few of the contractors had complete equipment, including most of the necessary fishing tools. Unusual and special fishing tools were obtainable from the supply companies in the oil fields of New Mexico or in the Los Angeles area. Most of the contractors used equipment with standard API tool joints, so that much of it was interchangeable. Failure of tool joints is one of the principal causes of fishing jobs. It can be minimized if the joints are kept to the API specifications and the proper sized joints are used in the various holes. The minimum sizes that should be used with various bits are as follows: 12-in. and larger bits, 4x5-in. tool joints; 10-in. bits, 3Y4x41/4-in. tool joints; 8-in. bits, 23/4x 3 3/4-in. tool joints; 6-in. bits, 21/4x31/4-in. tool joints; 4-in. bits, 15/ix25/s-in. tool joints. Two rotary drill rigs were tried at San Manuel on the same hole, and a portable rotary drill rig was used on the Amico drilling for test coring the formation and for drilling in holes 3 and 4. Rotary drilling differs from churn drilling or cable tool drilling in that the bit is revolved by a string of drill pipe and the cuttings are removed from the hole by a thin solution of mud pumped through the drill pipe. The principal parts of a rotary rig are the power unit, a rotating table to revolve the drill pipe, hoists to raise and lower the pipe and to handle casing, and a pumping system to circulate the drilling liquid. The rig used on the Amico property at Miami was mounted on a truck. The larger rig used on the San Manuel property was hauled by several trucks and had separate turntable and pumping units. Diamond drill coring equipment was used successfully with the rotary rig in the holes on the Amico property. To allow for 2-in. drill pipe with tool joints, 31/2-in. core barrels and bits were used. With the standard 31h-in. core barrel there was considerable difficulty in maintaining circulation with mud, so a barrel was designed with a smaller inner tube and a broad-faced bit. This allowed coarser material to circulate between the barrels. Rock bits of 5 to 37/8 in. were used with the rotary rig for drilling between core runs. Diamond drill equipment is much lighter than churn drill tools, so that fishing tools can usually be obtained from supply houses by air express when needed. Three churn drill holes on the Houghton property at Tiger were deepened by diamond drilling with Longyear UG Straitline gasoline-driven machines. The open churn drill hole was cased with 21h-in. black pipe. In deep hole churn drilling, casing is one of the most important items, especially in drilling in un-consolidated material like the formations drilled by

Jan 1, 1953

By E. F. Reed

CONSIDERABLE deep hole prospect drilling has been done in the last few years in the Globe-Miami mining district about 70 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona, and in the San Manuel-Tiger area about 50 miles south of the Globe-Miami region. More than 205,000 ft of churn drilling have been completed by the San Manuel Copper Corp. at their property in the Old Hat Mining District in southern Pinal County. The deepest hole on this property is 2850 ft; there are 49 holes deeper than 2000 ft. At the adjoining Houghton property of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., where only one hole reached 2000-ft depth, there were 27,472 ft of churn drilling and 3436 ft of diamond drilling. Three churn drill holes were deepened by diamond drilling methods. Near Miami in the Globe-Miami district the Amico Mining Corp. drilled four holes by combined churn and rotary drilling methods, the total amounting to 13,879 ft, of which 2256 ft were drilled with a portable rotary rig. In the same district, besides doing a large amount of shallow prospect drilling, the Miami Copper Co. drilled two holes of 2560 and 3787 ft, respectively, which were completed by churn drilling methods. The rocks encountered in drilling at San Manuel and Tiger are described by Steele and Rubly in their paper on the San Manuel Prospect' and by Chapman in a report on the San Manuel Copper Deposit.' The rocks are well-consolidated Gila conglomerate, quartz monzonite, and monzonite porphyry. In some places these formations stand very well while being drilled, and three holes were drilled without casing, the deepest of which was 2200 ft. In other holes faulted and fractured ground made drilling difficult. In the Globe-Miami district the deep drilling was done in the down-faulted block of Gila conglomerate east of the Miami fault and in the underlying Pinal schist. The geology of this area is described by Rannome. In the Amico holes the conglomerate varied from material consisting entirely of granite boulders and fragments to a rock made up of schist fragments in a sandy matrix; in the Miami Copper Co. holes there were more granite boulders and the material was poorly consolidated. Drilling was much more difficult and expensive in the Miami area than in the San Manuel district, mainly because of the depth of the holes and the formations drilled. All the deep hole prospecting described in this paper was done with portable rigs. The churn drill rigs were of several types, of which the Bucyrus-Erie were the most popular. Bucyrus-Erie 28L, 29W, and 36L rigs were used on some of the deeper holes on the San Manuel property. A few Fort Worth spudder types were tried, and the deepest hole at San Manuel was drilled with a Fort Worth Jumbo H. The spudder type is considerably larger than most other rigs used on this work and required a larger location site. The spudders were belt-driven machines with separate power units, and time required for setting up and moving was much longer than with the more portable drills. All the churn drilling was done by contractors or with machinery leased from them. A few of the contractors had complete equipment, including most of the necessary fishing tools. Unusual and special fishing tools were obtainable from the supply companies in the oil fields of New Mexico or in the Los Angeles area. Most of the contractors used equipment with standard API tool joints, so that much of it was interchangeable. Failure of tool joints is one of the principal causes of fishing jobs. It can be minimized if the joints are kept to the API specifications and the proper sized joints are used in the various holes. The minimum sizes that should be used with various bits are as follows: 12-in. and larger bits, 4x5-in. tool joints; 10-in. bits, 31/4x41/4-in. tool joints; 8-in. bits, 23/4x 33/4-in. tool joints; 6-in. bits, 2Y4x3Y4-in. tool joints; 4-in. bits, 15/ix25/8-in. tool joints. Two rotary drill rigs were tried at San Manuel on the same hole, and a portable rotary drill rig was used on the Amico drilling for test coring the formation and for drilling in holes 3 and 4. Rotary drilling differs from churn drilling or cable tool drilling in that the bit is revolved by a string of drill pipe and the cuttings are removed from the hole by a thin solution of mud pumped through the drill pipe. The principal parts of a rotary rig are the power unit, a rotating table to revolve the drill pipe, hoists to raise and lower the pipe and to handle casing, and a pumping system to circulate the drilling liquid. The rig used on the Amico property at Miami was mounted on a truck. The larger rig used on the San Manuel property was hauled by several trucks and had separate turntable and pumping units. Diamond drill coring equipment was used successfully with the rotary rig in the holes on the Amico property. To allow for 23/8-in. drill pipe with tool joints, 31h-in. core barrels and bits were used. With the standard 31h-in. core barrel there was considerable difficulty in maintaining circulation with mud, so a barrel was designed with a smaller inner tube and a broad-faced bit. This allowed coarser material to circulate between the barrels. Rock bits of 55/8 to 3 in. were used with the rotary rig for drilling between core runs. Diamond drill equipment is much lighter than churn drill tools, so that fishing tools can usually be obtained from supply houses by air express when needed. Three churn drill holes on the Houghton property at Tiger were deepened by diamond drilling with Longyear UG Straitline gasoline-driven machines. The open churn drill hole was cased with 21h-in. black pipe. In deep hole churn drilling, casing is one of the most important items, especially in drilling in un-consolidated material like the formations drilled by

Jan 1, 1953

By E. F. Reed

CONSIDERABLE deep hole prospect drilling has been done in the last few years in the Globe-Miami mining district about 70 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona, and in the San Manuel-Tiger area about 50 miles south of the Globe-Miami region. More than 205,000 ft of churn drilling have been completed by the San Manuel Copper Corp. at their property in the Old Hat Mining District in southern Pinal County. The deepest hole on this property is 2850 ft; there are 49 holes deeper than 2000 ft. At the adjoining Houghton property of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., where only one hole reached 2000-ft depth, there were 27,472 ft of churn drilling and 3436 ft of diamond drilling. Three churn drill holes were deepened by diamond drilling methods. Near Miami in the Globe-Miami district the Amico Mining Corp. drilled four holes by combined churn and rotary drilling methods, the total amounting to 13,879 ft, of which 2256 ft were drilled with a portable rotary rig. In the same district, besides doing a large amount of shallow prospect drilling, the Miami Copper Co. drilled two holes of 2560 and 3787 ft, respectively, which were completed by churn drilling methods. The rocks encountered in drilling at San Manuel and Tiger are described by Steele and Rubly in their paper on the San Manuel Prospect' and by Chapman in a report on the San Manuel Copper Deposit.' The rocks are well-consolidated Gila conglomerate, quartz monzonite, and monzonite porphyry. In some places these formations stand very well while being drilled, and three holes were drilled without casing, the deepest of which was 2200 ft. In other holes faulted and fractured ground made drilling difficult. In the Globe-Miami district the deep drilling was done in the down-faulted block of Gila conglomerate east of the Miami fault and in the underlying Pinal schist. The geology of this area is described by Ranaome. In the Amico holes the conglomerate varied from material consisting entirely of granite boulders and fragments to a rock made up of schist fragments in a sandy matrix; in the Miami Copper Co. holes there were more granite boulders and the material was poorly consolidated. Drilling was much more difficult and expensive in the Miami area than in the San Manuel district, mainly because of the depth of the holes and the formations drilled. All the deep hole prospecting described in this paper was done with portable rigs. The churn drill rigs were of several types, of which the Bucyrus-Erie were the most popular. Bucyrus-Erie 28L, 29W, and 36L rigs were used on some of the deeper holes on the San Manuel property. A few Fort Worth spudder types were tried, and the deepest hole at San Manuel was drilled with a Fort Worth Jumbo H. The spudder type is considerably larger than most other rigs used on this work and required a larger location site. The spudders were belt-driven machines with separate power units, and time required for setting up and moving was much longer than with the more portable drills. All the churn drilling was done by contractors or with machinery leased from them. A few of the contractors had complete equipment, including most of the necessary fishing tools. Unusual and special fishing tools were obtainable from the supply companies in the oil fields of New Mexico or in the Los Angeles area. Most of the contractors used equipment with standard API tool joints, so that much of it was interchangeable. Failure of tool joints is one of the principal causes of fishing jobs. It can be minimized if the joints are kept to the API specifications and the proper sized joints are used in the various holes. The minimum sizes that should be used with various bits are as follows: 12-in. and larger bits, 4x5-in. tool joints; 10-in. bits, 3Y4x41/4-in. tool joints; 8-in. bits, 23/4x 3 3/4-in. tool joints; 6-in. bits, 21/4x31/4-in. tool joints; 4-in. bits, 15/ix25/s-in. tool joints. Two rotary drill rigs were tried at San Manuel on the same hole, and a portable rotary drill rig was used on the Amico drilling for test coring the formation and for drilling in holes 3 and 4. Rotary drilling differs from churn drilling or cable tool drilling in that the bit is revolved by a string of drill pipe and the cuttings are removed from the hole by a thin solution of mud pumped through the drill pipe. The principal parts of a rotary rig are the power unit, a rotating table to revolve the drill pipe, hoists to raise and lower the pipe and to handle casing, and a pumping system to circulate the drilling liquid. The rig used on the Amico property at Miami was mounted on a truck. The larger rig used on the San Manuel property was hauled by several trucks and had separate turntable and pumping units. Diamond drill coring equipment was used successfully with the rotary rig in the holes on the Amico property. To allow for 2-in. drill pipe with tool joints, 31/2-in. core barrels and bits were used. With the standard 31h-in. core barrel there was considerable difficulty in maintaining circulation with mud, so a barrel was designed with a smaller inner tube and a broad-faced bit. This allowed coarser material to circulate between the barrels. Rock bits of 5 to 37/8 in. were used with the rotary rig for drilling between core runs. Diamond drill equipment is much lighter than churn drill tools, so that fishing tools can usually be obtained from supply houses by air express when needed. Three churn drill holes on the Houghton property at Tiger were deepened by diamond drilling with Longyear UG Straitline gasoline-driven machines. The open churn drill hole was cased with 21h-in. black pipe. In deep hole churn drilling, casing is one of the most important items, especially in drilling in un-consolidated material like the formations drilled by

Jan 1, 1953

By E. F. Reed

CONSIDERABLE deep hole prospect drilling has been done in the last few years in the Globe-Miami mining district about 70 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona, and in the San Manuel-Tiger area about 50 miles south of the Globe-Miami region. More than 205,000 ft of churn drilling have been completed by the San Manuel Copper Corp. at their property in the Old Hat Mining District in southern Pinal County. The deepest hole on this property is 2850 ft; there are 49 holes deeper than 2000 ft. At the adjoining Houghton property of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., where only one hole reached 2000-ft depth, there were 27,472 ft of churn drilling and 3436 ft of diamond drilling. Three churn drill holes were deepened by diamond drilling methods. Near Miami in the Globe-Miami district the Amico Mining Corp. drilled four holes by combined churn and rotary drilling methods, the total amounting to 13,879 ft, of which 2256 ft were drilled with a portable rotary rig. In the same district, besides doing a large amount of shallow prospect drilling, the Miami Copper Co. drilled two holes of 2560 and 3787 ft, respectively, which were completed by churn drilling methods. The rocks encountered in drilling at San Manuel and Tiger are described by Steele and Rubly in their paper on the San Manuel Prospect' and by Chapman in a report on the San Manuel Copper Deposit.' The rocks are well-consolidated Gila conglomerate, quartz monzonite, and monzonite porphyry. In some places these formations stand very well while being drilled, and three holes were drilled without casing, the deepest of which was 2200 ft. In other holes faulted and fractured ground made drilling difficult. In the Globe-Miami district the deep drilling was done in the down-faulted block of Gila conglomerate east of the Miami fault and in the underlying Pinal schist. The geology of this area is described by Rannome. In the Amico holes the conglomerate varied from material consisting entirely of granite boulders and fragments to a rock made up of schist fragments in a sandy matrix; in the Miami Copper Co. holes there were more granite boulders and the material was poorly consolidated. Drilling was much more difficult and expensive in the Miami area than in the San Manuel district, mainly because of the depth of the holes and the formations drilled. All the deep hole prospecting described in this paper was done with portable rigs. The churn drill rigs were of several types, of which the Bucyrus-Erie were the most popular. Bucyrus-Erie 28L, 29W, and 36L rigs were used on some of the deeper holes on the San Manuel property. A few Fort Worth spudder types were tried, and the deepest hole at San Manuel was drilled with a Fort Worth Jumbo H. The spudder type is considerably larger than most other rigs used on this work and required a larger location site. The spudders were belt-driven machines with separate power units, and time required for setting up and moving was much longer than with the more portable drills. All the churn drilling was done by contractors or with machinery leased from them. A few of the contractors had complete equipment, including most of the necessary fishing tools. Unusual and special fishing tools were obtainable from the supply companies in the oil fields of New Mexico or in the Los Angeles area. Most of the contractors used equipment with standard API tool joints, so that much of it was interchangeable. Failure of tool joints is one of the principal causes of fishing jobs. It can be minimized if the joints are kept to the API specifications and the proper sized joints are used in the various holes. The minimum sizes that should be used with various bits are as follows: 12-in. and larger bits, 4x5-in. tool joints; 10-in. bits, 31/4x41/4-in. tool joints; 8-in. bits, 23/4x 33/4-in. tool joints; 6-in. bits, 2Y4x3Y4-in. tool joints; 4-in. bits, 15/ix25/8-in. tool joints. Two rotary drill rigs were tried at San Manuel on the same hole, and a portable rotary drill rig was used on the Amico drilling for test coring the formation and for drilling in holes 3 and 4. Rotary drilling differs from churn drilling or cable tool drilling in that the bit is revolved by a string of drill pipe and the cuttings are removed from the hole by a thin solution of mud pumped through the drill pipe. The principal parts of a rotary rig are the power unit, a rotating table to revolve the drill pipe, hoists to raise and lower the pipe and to handle casing, and a pumping system to circulate the drilling liquid. The rig used on the Amico property at Miami was mounted on a truck. The larger rig used on the San Manuel property was hauled by several trucks and had separate turntable and pumping units. Diamond drill coring equipment was used successfully with the rotary rig in the holes on the Amico property. To allow for 23/8-in. drill pipe with tool joints, 31h-in. core barrels and bits were used. With the standard 31h-in. core barrel there was considerable difficulty in maintaining circulation with mud, so a barrel was designed with a smaller inner tube and a broad-faced bit. This allowed coarser material to circulate between the barrels. Rock bits of 55/8 to 3 in. were used with the rotary rig for drilling between core runs. Diamond drill equipment is much lighter than churn drill tools, so that fishing tools can usually be obtained from supply houses by air express when needed. Three churn drill holes on the Houghton property at Tiger were deepened by diamond drilling with Longyear UG Straitline gasoline-driven machines. The open churn drill hole was cased with 21h-in. black pipe. In deep hole churn drilling, casing is one of the most important items, especially in drilling in un-consolidated material like the formations drilled by

Jan 1, 1953

By E. C. Bain

THE more familiar compositions of iron-carbon-chromium1 and the iron-carbon-tungsten2 systems have been investigated with a degree of thoroughness which has permitted the construction of their three-dimensional equilibrium diagrams; and it is probable that these equilibrium diagrams are sufficiently accurate for the present metallographic needs. Strangely enough, in spite of their importance, the alloys of iron, carbon and manganese apparently have not been investigated in the same systematic manner, and so far as is known, no three-component equilibrium diagram for this system is available. Even iron-carbon-nickel alloys3 have been studied rather more thoroughly; for these the solidus and liquidus surfaces have already been determined, but the solid transformations in this, as in the manganese system, have not been reported systematically. The present paper deals with the constitution at equilibrium of a series of 36 iron-carbon-manganese alloys of commercial purity limited by 1.5 per cent carbon and 15 per cent manganese, a range of compositions including most of the manganese steels. The temperature range of melting has not been determined, nor has the high-temperature (delta iron) ferrite equilibrium been included in the study, it being considered that the more important characteristics of the manganese steels are their ordinary transformations in the solid state. The delta iron region is almost certain to be a small tetrahedron not very different in magnitude or contour from that in the iron-carbon-nickel diagram. It is probably true

Jan 1, 1932

By Edward H. Robie

OF the current Adirondack iron mine development, the Benson Mines operation of the Tones and Laughlin Ore Co. (Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. wholly owned subsidiary) is the last to go into operation. Following an active construction program in 1943, the mine. concentrator and sintering plant were scheduled to enter production in the fall. This description therefore cannot include any operating data, and details of equipment and flowsheet have not as yet been released.

Jan 1, 1943

By E. F. Reed

CONSIDERABLE deep hole prospect drilling has been done in the last few years in the Globe-Miami mining district about 70 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona, and in the San Manuel-Tiger area about 50 miles south of the Globe-Miami region. More than 205,000 ft of churn drilling have been completed by the San Manuel Copper Corp. at their property in the Old Hat Mining District in southern Pinal County. The deepest hole on this property is 2850 ft; there are 49 holes deeper than 2000 ft. At the adjoining Houghton property of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., where only one hole reached 2000-ft depth, there were 27,472 ft of churn drilling and 3436 ft of diamond drilling. Three churn drill holes were deepened by diamond drilling methods. Near Miami in the Globe-Miami district the Amico Mining Corp. drilled four holes by combined churn and rotary drilling methods, the total amounting to 13,879 ft, of which 2256 ft were drilled with a portable rotary rig. In the same district, besides doing a large amount of shallow prospect drilling, the Miami Copper Co. drilled two holes of 2560 and 3787 ft, respectively, which were completed by churn drilling methods. The rocks encountered in drilling at San Manuel and Tiger are described by Steele and Rubly in their paper on the San Manuel Prospect' and by Chapman in a report on the San Manuel Copper Deposit? The rocks are well-consolidated Gila conglomerate, quartz , monzonite, and monzonite porphyry. In some places these formations stand very well while being drilled, and three holes were drilled without casing, the deepest of which was 2200 ft. In other holes faulted and fractured ground made drilling difficult. In the Globe-Miami district the deep drilling was done in the down-faulted block of Gila conglomerate east of the Miami fault and in the underlying Pinal schist. The geology of this area is described by Ransome.3 In the Amico holes the conglomerate varied from material consisting entirely of granite boulders and fragments to a rock made up of schist fragments in a sandy matrix; in the Miami Copper Co. holes there were more granite boulders and the material was poorly consolidated. Drilling was much more difficult and expensive in the Miami area than in the San Manuel district, mainly because of the depth of the holes and the formations drilled. All the deep hole prospecting described in this paper was done with portable rigs. The churn drill rigs were of several types, of which the Bucyrus-Erie were the most popular. Bucyrus-Erie 28L, 29W, and 36L rigs were used on some of the deeper holes on the San Manuel property. A few Fort Worth spudder types were tried, and the deepest hole at San Manuel was drilled with a Fort Worth Jumbo H. The spudder type is considerably larger than most other rigs used on this work and required a larger location site. The spudders were belt-driven machines with separate power units, and time required for setting up and moving was much longer than with the more portable drills. All the churn drilling was done by contractors or with machinery leased from them. A few of the contractors had complete equipment, including most of the necessary fishing tools. Unusual and special, fishing tools were obtainable from the supply companies in the oil fields of New Mexico or in the Los Angeles area. Most of the contractors used equipment with standard API tool joints, so that much of it was interchangeable. Failure of tool joints is one of the principal causes of fishing jobs. It can be minimized if the joints are kept to the API specifications and the proper sized joints are used in the various holes. The minimum sizes that should be used with various bits are as follows: 12-in. and larger bits, 4x5-in. tool joints; 10-in. bits, 3 1/4x4 1/4-in. tool joints; 8-in. bits, 2 3/4x 3 3/4-in. tool joints; 6-in. bits, 2 1/4 x3 l/4 -in. tool joints; 4-in. bits, 1 5/8 x2 5/8-in. tool joints. Two rotary drill rigs were tried at San Manuel on the same hole, and a portable rotary drill rig was used on the Amico drilling for test coring the formation and for drilling in holes 3 and 4. Rotary drilling differs from churn drilling or cable tool drilling in that the bit is revolved by a string of drill pipe and the cuttings are removed from the hole by a thin solution of mud pumped through the drill pipe. The principal parts of a rotary rig are the power unit, a rotating table to revolve the drill pipe, hoists to raise and lower the pipe and to handle casing, and a pumping system to circulate the drilling liquid. The rig used on the Amico property at Miami was mounted on a truck. The larger rig used on the San Manuel property was hauled by several trucks and had separate turntable and pumping units. Diamond drill coring equipment was used successfully with the rotary rig in the holes on the Amico property, To allow for 2 3/8-in. drill pipe with tool joints, 3 1/2-in. core barrels and bits were used. With the standard 3 1/2-in. core barrel there was considerable difficulty in maintaining circulation with mud, so a barrel was designed with a smaller inner tube and a broad-faced bit. This allowed coarser material to circulate between the barrels. Rock bits of 5 5/8 to 3 7/8 in. were used with the rotary rig for drilling between core runs. Diamond drill equipment is much lighter than churn drill tools, so that fishing tools can usually be obtained from supply houses by air express when needed. Three churn drill holes on the Houghton property at Tiger were deepened by diamond drilling with Longyear UG Straitline gasoline-driven-machines. The open churn drill hole was cased with 2 1/2-in. black pipe. In deep hole churn drilling, casing is one of the most important items, especially in drilling in unconsolidated material like the formations drilled by

Jan 1, 1952

By R. P. Aikman, F. G. Miller, J. M. Podgursky

As part of a larger study of the mechanism of froth flotation of coal, the rates at which coal particles of various size and specific gravity react to froth flotation were investigated. Results of this study show that in flotation: I) recovery rate increases, but selectivity decreases with a decrease in particle size down to 100 mesh, and 2) recovery rate is constant for all sizes between 100M and 325M. n response to the growing demand for low-sulfur coking coal for iron making, the coal industry is continually striving to perfect methods for cleaning coal to acceptable ash and sulfur levels while maintaining maximum product yield. By present standards the industry has adequate processes for cleaning coarse coal, i.e., + 28 mesh, at almost any desired specific gravity. However, in the case of fine coal, i.e., —28 mesh, neither of the two existing processes - froth flotation or hydrocycloning — in its present state of development yields products that are comparable in ash and/or sulfur content to products normally obtained from coarse coal processes. The work outlined in this paper is part of a larger study directed toward maximum exploitation of froth flotation for fine coal processing. The concepts and data presented are now serving as a basis for designing fine-coal circuits in which improved efficiency is obtained by optimum use of froth flotation with other fine-coal processing methods. The paper includes: 1) A discussion of the value of a detailed wash-ability study as a method of assessing the problems associated with fine coal processing, 2) A general discussion of hydrocyclone principles, included to serve as a basis for understanding the mechanism of coal flotation, and 3) A detailed discussion of the mechanism of coal flotation, as well as the research leading to the optimum use of froth flotation in combination with other fine-coal cleaning methods to provide efficient fine-coal processing. Our study of the rates at which coal particles of various size and specific gravity react to flotation shows that in flotation: 1) recovery rate increases but selectivity decreases with a decrease in particle size down to 100 mesh, 2) recovery rate is constant for all sizes between 100 mesh and 325 mesh, and 3) the flotation process effectively rejects only those extremely fine particles which do not contain surface carbon. (Because of this feature, froth flotation is an excellent method for rejecting clays - the only extreme fines in - 325-mesh coal that are always carbon free.) Washability studies of flotation products are used to assess flotation efficiency. These studies show that: 1) the increase in percent sulfur in flotation products above the theoretical sulfur content as defined by the washability study is due almost entirely to flotation of fine high-specific-gravity particles that are part coal and part pyrite, and 2) in a given size range particle floatability decreases with an increase in particle specific gravity. Error curves are explained and are used to compare the mechanisms of coal flotation and hydrocycloning. These comparisons show that hydrocyclone performance is affected primarily by particle mass, i.e., particle specific gravity and size, whereas coal flotation performance is dependent on both the particle mass and the coal surface available for bubble attachment. Since the error curve is a basic tool for rating the efficiency of any coal processing system, it will be useful to quickly review the principles of error curve construction. RATING COAL-PROCESSING EFFICIENCY BY THE ERROR CURVE The organic component of coal is of lower specific gravity than its impurities, and the most effective principle for coal concentration is therefore separation on the basis of specific gravity. However, since there is no sharp dividing line between pure coal and pure ash components, specific gravity must be closely controlled if the product is to have acceptable quality at maximum yields. In turn, the basis for close control in any coal processing system is the reference standard provided by precise laboratory washability studies. In these studies, coal is carefully separated into a series of progressively higher specific gravity fractions to establish a relationship

Jan 1, 1968

By H. C. George

CAREFUL- sampling and good judgment as to probable recoveries are important factors in estimates of ore reserves, based on prospecting drilling results, but other factors are equally as important and may be more misleading and perhaps disastrous if not properly interpreted. Some of these are: 1. The case where no, ore is shown in the "sludgings," when, as a matter of fact, the drill has passed through a thick sheet of ore which has been broken up and washed away into open crevices. In numerous cases, later mining operations have shown that this has happened. This condition may be discovered by shooting the drill .hole at the point where the open crevices occur, but shooting should not be done until after the drill hole is completed, because the resulting shattered formation may salt the drill hole at lower levels. 2. The case where rich cuttings are shown for a thickness of 20 or 30 ft., when ore was encountered in only the first sludging. Owing to soft or loose formation, the ore from the first sludging has salted the lower sludgings. The presence of large pieces of ore and a similar ratio between zinc and iron assays in the lower sludgings frequently indicate this condition. In the lower sludgings, the presence of oxidized ore in unaltered limestone sometimes shows this condition. 3. The case where the drill hole shows a considerable thickness of ore; but owing to the presence of a vertical sheet of ore, perhaps not more than 1 in. thick, at the place where the drill hole is located, the good assays resulting might be misleading. If this condition is suspected, the drilling of several more holes within a distance of 10 or 15, ft. will usually show it.

Jan 1, 1921

By R. A. Pallanch

Probably one of the most perplexing problems with which a mill operator contends is the proper evaluation of his mill results. True, he accurately determines his recoveries of metals and grades of products monthly, weekly, and often daily. These figures do not of themselves directly translate to mill economics. When one figure is unusually good there may be an offsetting circumstance. The advantage of high lead or zinc concentrate grade may be offset by poorer recovery; high lead recovery may be offset by poorer zinc recovery, or vice versa; and so on. Besides, grades or recoveries may not of themselves mean more than a reflection of the grade and character of the ore during the period under study. What the operator sorely needs is some one measuring stick that tells him when he has achieved his greatest return, regardless of grades or recoveries—for if he knows his methods and practices are yielding the optimum return he need no longer concern himself with the assays of products and tailings, or the corresponding distribution of metal values. At first blush it would appear that the obvious answer to this is the actual money return to the mill. Paradoxical as it may seem, however, money return does not make a dependable yardstick any more than do grades and recoveries, as ore condi- tions would vary enough to bring about greater money return during periods when the actual metallurgical work is not as good. The mill operator, of course, should always aim for the greatest return on the ore, once it is in the mill bins, with proper attention always to mill treatment cost. The need of a proper yardstick becomes more imperative with the increasing complexity of the problem. In the case of a simple, single-product operation on a fairly uniform ore, in which only one metal is of significant importance, the need is not great, as grade and recovery pretty well tell their own story. At the other extreme is the operation that makes three or four separate marketable products from a complex mixture of heterogeneous ores that vary tremendously in individual metal contents and ratios, degree of oxidation, and other characteristics, and in which gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc are all significant values. Economic Recovery The first attempt at obtaining a proper single yardstick for a fairly complex ore with which I am familiar is the use of the ''Economic Recovery" term at the lead-zinc flotation mill of the Sunnyside Mining and Milling Co., Eureka, Colorado. This method had been applied there early in Sunnyside flotation-mill history (not later than 1920) and credit for the innovation I believe belongs to Messrs. Kuryla and Marquand. The term "Economic Re-

Jan 1, 1949

R. Schuhmann, Jr. (Purdue University)— Fulton and Chipman's results on rate of silica reduction from slags are analogous in many was to the results of Parlee, Seagle, and Schuhmann10 on rate of alumina reduction from alumina crucibles. Both investigations have given comparably low rates of reduction and slow approaches to equilibrium. Accordingly, we may hypothesize that the rate-determining step is the same in both kinds of experiments; that is, oxygen diffusion across the stagnant boundary layer on the liquid-metal side of the interface between the liquid metal and the oxide phase (slag or solid oxide). I suggest that silica reduction involves the following consecutive steps: I) At the slag-metal interface: SiO2(slag) Si+ 20 II) Transport of oxygen from slag-metal to gas-metal interface: a) diffusion across liquid-metal boundary layer at slag-metal interface. b) convection within the body of liquid metal. c) diffusion across boundary layer at metal-gas interface. 111) At the metal-gas interface: C +O- CO (gas) Iv) At the graphite-metal interface: C (graphite) -C At steelmaking temperatures it is reasonable to assume that equilibrium is attained in all three chemical reactions (I, 111, and IV) right at the respective interfaces. Convection within the stirred liquid metal (step IIb) is also rapid. Transport of Si and C should be orders of magnitude easier than transport of 0, because of the relatively high concentrations of Si and C. Accordingly, we might expect the overall reaction rate to be determined by boundary-layer diffusion of oxygen, either IIa or IIc. Fulton and Chipman's demonstration that bubbling CO through the system had no major effect on reaction rate indicates that IIc is not the slowest step. Therefore, it becomes logical to estimate the maximum rate for step IIa and to compare this theoretical estimate with Fulton and Chipman's experimental data. If oxygen diffusion across the liquid metal boundary layer at the slag metal interface (step IIa) is rate-determining, In this equation, dn sio, /dt is the rate of silica reduction in moles per sec,A is the area of slag-metal interface in sq cm, Do is the diffusivity of oxygen in sq cm per sec, 6, is the boundary layer thickness in cm, c,* is the oxygen concentration right at the slag-metal interface in moles per cubic cm, and co is the oxygen concentration in the body of the liquid metal, also in moles per cubic cm. Equilibrium data" on the silicon deoxidation reaction in liquid iron and steel at 1600°C indicate that the oxygen contents of the liquid metal in Fulton and Chipman's experiments at 1600°C probably fell in the range of 0.5 x10-3 x10-3wt pct. That is, the maximum conceivable value of co*-co for the system under consideration was on the order of 10"5 mole oxygen per cubic cm. On the basis of previously published data,1O,11 it is estimated that Do/0 will fall somewhere in the range from 10-3 to 10-1 cm per sec. The surface area A in Fulton and Chipman's experiments was approximately 20 sq cm, and the weight of metal involved was about 500 grams. Combination of all these figures with the above rate equation leads to an estimate that the rate of silica reduction should fall within the range from 0.002 to 0.2 wt pct Si per hr. This estimate is consistent with the experimental data. For example, Fulton and Chipman's Fig. 2 shows a change of about 0.3 pct Si in 10 hr, corresponding to an average rate of 0.03 pct per hr. According to the proposed hypothesis, increasing the temperature will increase the reaction rate ill two ways: 1) by increasing oxygen diffusivity and 2) by increasing the oxygen concentration (oxygen solubility) in the liquid metal. The combination of these two effects accounts for the high value of the observed activation energy. Summarizing, I propose that the rate of silica reduction, like that of the carbon-oxygen reaction, is diffusion controlled and that low oxygen concentration in the liquid metal is the major factor accounting for the very low observed rates of silica reduction. John Chipman (author's reply)—The authors thank Professor Schuhmann for his interesting contribution. His proposed explanation may well prove to be the correct one. There is clearly a need for much further experimental work on this problem, and further research is in progress.

Jan 1, 1961

By B. D. Saklatwalla

FOR the proper understanding of the inclusion of certain elements in this review it seems necessary to state the meaning of "rare metals." Certain elements occur in deposits limited in extent or concentration, so that the extraction of the element in relation to market conditions becomes uneconomical. Others may occur in extensive and rich deposits but the reduction of the metal may be difficult and costly. Both these conditions effect the same result, namely, make the metal rare and costly. As an example of the first kind may be mentioned radium and of the second, calcium.

Jan 1, 1939

By David R. Mitchell

IF you are the owner of a mine, or a mine executive, or just an ordinary miner, and have a son about to go to college, do you urge him to take up mining engineering or do you try to dissuade him from such a course? If you live in the East, or the Middle West and your interest has been in coal rather than metal mining, the chances are that your young hopeful will be urged to do almost anything else rather than follow in father's footsteps.

Jan 1, 1939

By Sir Albert E. Kitson

The manganese ore deposits of the Gold Coast, British West Africa, occur in very ancient rocks, of both sedimentary and metamorphic types. In certain respects they have a strong resemblance to those of India and Brazil, as contrasted with those of Tertiary age in Georgia, but in this paper no careful comparison with them can be made. Viewed from the present condition of the manganiferous rocks, the oldest deposits are in the sediments. Later than these are the progressively metamorphosed representatives of these sediments. Youngest are the products of decay and degradation with the concentration of manganese oxide in the rocks of both groups. The oldest occurrences are in argillaceous and siliceous phyllites and slates, which show only a moderate degree of metamorphism. They belong to a series which also includes mudstones, sandstones, grits, conglomerates and subordinate limestones, with tuffs and lava-flows, largely of basic types. This has been named the Birrim System. Its age is unknown, for no definite fossils have been discovered in it. Since these non-fossiliferous strata at many plaees are of a character which in many parts of the world are suitable for the preservation of fossils, and which contain them, it is assumed that the Gold Coast deposits are pre-Cambrian. These rocks of the Birrim System have normally a northeast-southwest strike, and are folded, but not to any very great degree except in certain belts. From the Eastern Province of the Gold Coast they may be traversed diagonally across their strike for upwards of 600 miles, to the extreme northwestern corner of the Northern Territories. Thence they probably extend much farther into French territory.

Jan 1, 1927