Search Documents

By Bruce A. Kennedy

The place of the young engineer in the mining industry has been the subject of a large number of keynote addresses, magazine articles, and papers in the past year. One of the best of these was the keynote address given by Mr. J. C. Kinnear, Jr. at the Fifth Annual Intermountain Minerals Conference in Vail. Colorado. Mr. Kinnear presented as part of his address the statistics of a Canadian survey Instigated to find out why young engineers and geologists are leaving the mining industry. The results of the survey showed four main reasons for leaving: 1) insufficient money 2) slow promotion 3) lack of association with senior engineers, as well as insufficient opportunity to keep abreast of technological development 4) geographic isolation

Jan 1, 1970

By E. L. Bruce

GOLD occurs in many mineral deposits in the rocks of the Canadian Shield. It is present in the ores of many base metals and a considerable quantity is recovered as a by-product from the production of copper at Noranda, of nickel and copper at Sudbury and of copper and zinc at. Flinflon. But the greater part of the gold production of Canada is from deposits in which gold is the only metal of value. No gold is obtained from placer deposits within the borders of the Canadian Shield. A brief review of the geological relations of some of the gold deposits of the Canadian Shield will be presented in an attempt to explain certain associations. Only those which are being worked for their gold content will be considered and descriptions will be conned to representative types of deposits, chiefly those of major importance; a few others, differ-ing in certain features from those of the older and larger mines, will be included in order to illustrate the general conditions in which gold occurs in these ancient rocks. Brief summaries will be given of the geological relations of the Beattie and Siscoe mines of northern Quebec, of the mines of the Porcupine and Kirkland Lake areas of northeastern Ontario and of the Howey, Central Patricia and Little Long Lac mines of northwest-ern Ontario. Genetic relations to igneous rocks of granitic composition, outcropping in the vicinity, have been assumed for many of these deposits. Undoubt-edly the ore minerals have been derived from igneous sources and, for some occurrences, there is evidence suggestive of genetic relationship between the ore bodies and neighbouring intrusive rocks. During the past few years, however,, many investigators have expressed doubt of the genetic relationship of certain ore bodies to igneous masses near which they occur. As will be seen from references in the following descriptions the importance of the structural conditions in localizing deposition has been realized. This is pointed out for Canadian pre-Cambriang old deposits by E. T. Dougherty, who also refers to the

Jan 1, 1937

By Joseph A. Holmes

The public is already familiar with the general fact that the scope and the financial resources of the approaching St. Louis World's Fair are much larger than those of any of the preceding great expositions; and both the visitor and the exhibitor, when he comes to St. Louis in 1904, will find it to be a real World's Pair, with exhibits and visitors from every known country. Passing over the subject, as to the general Exposition, with this brief statement, I ask Sour attention to the consideration of a few important facts connected with the proposed mining exhibits at this Exposition. First of all, I may say that. reading- and writing-rooms and library facilities will be furnished in the Mines Building for miners and mining engineers, and it is expected that when they visit the Exposition they will make these rooms their headquarters, and give the Chief of the Department and his assistants an opportunity to extend to them such courtesies as may be possible. One of the exhibits in the Mines Department will consist of models and maps arranged to show the nature and extent of the mining operations in the United States at the time of the purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803, the event which

Jan 1, 1903

By Robert W. Hunt

THE first pump of this character, made by H. R. Worthington, and, so far as the writer is informed, the first and only one of this kind ever constructed, is now in daily use in the above-named works. The water-pressure necessary for the working of the hydraulic machinery of this plant had been supplied, up to the time of the building of this pump, by two Worthington Duplex High Pressure Pumps, having steam-cylinders of 20 inches diameter and 12-inch stroke, with water-plungers of 72 inches diameter; eight inlet and eight outlet valves of 22 inches diameter, and pumping into a 6-inch pipe. These pumps required a large amount of steam, and, in consequence of the various additions to their duty, their capacity became far short of the work required. In preference to putting in another engine of the same class, it was decided to accept Mr. Worthington's proposition to build the compound one under description, he guaranteeing that it should be equal to the demands of the works, and at the same time cause a saving of from 5 to 6 tons of coal per day from the amount required to run the two old pumps. The new engine has been in operation about one month, and so far has exceeded the most sanguine expectations. It consists of two high-pressure cylinders of 21 inches and two low-pressure ones of 36g inches diameter, by 36-inch stroke, with water-plungers of 91 inches diameter. There are two air-pumps of 20 inches diameter by 18-inch stroke; the condenser being 24 inches diameter by 60 inches high. Both cylinders are jacketed with wood and felt, and the low-pressure cylinder also with live steam. The high and low pressure steam-cylinders are in line and immediately adjoining each other, while the inconveniences attending an internal stuffing-box are avoided by having two piston-rods for each of the low-pressure cylinders, running through stuffing-boxes on the outside of the smaller high-pressure ones. The steam-valves are very ingeniously designed balanced

Jan 1, 1876

By AIME AIME

IT its annual meeting on Oct. 21 and 22, the Engineers' Council for Professional Development announced the selection of J. P. H. Perry. vice-president of the Turner Construction Co. and prominent civil engineer of New York City as its new Chairman. He succeeds C. F. Scott, who becomes Chairman of its Committee on Professional Recognition. S. L. Tyler, Secretary of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, succeeds A. B. Parsons as ECPD Secretary. R. E. Doherty is Vice-chairman. C. E. Davies remains as Assistant Secretary, as do R. L. Sackett as Chairman of the Committee on Student Selection and Guidance, O. W. Eshhach as Chairman of the Committee on Engineering Training, and Karl T. Compton as Chairman of the Committee on Engineering Schools.

Jan 1, 1938

By Charles Will Wright

THE economy as well as the living standards of a country depends largely upon adequate supplies of raw materials at reasonable prices. Geological and climatic conditions responsible for the occurrence of commercial minerals and the growth of raw agricultural and forest products are so varied in different parts of the world that no country can be self-sufficient. The world is rapidly shrinking because of improvement in transportation facilities, but populations are steadily increasing and so are the needs for a greater production of raw materials and for their more equitable distribution. Too many barriers between nations prevent free access to the main sources of supply of the raw materials vital to neighboring nations and it is just such barriers that are often the cause of friction and even war. The International Trade Organization is doing a commendable job in helping to. break down barriers and to reduce friction, and we should now find ways to facilitate access to these sources of supply and encourage more efficient and greater production of the raw materials so urgently needed throughout the world. This cannot be done by individual selfish governmental agencies, influenced as they are by politics, nor by socialistic governments attempting to nationalize industries. It can be done efficiently only by the free individual through private enterprise properly protected against adverse governmental action. This protection can be supplied by the World Bank.

Jan 1, 1948

By L. C. Brown, C. St. John, C. C. Sanderson

The diffusion rate in Cu-Te couples is very sensitive to compressive stress, with a load of 20 psi making a significant difference to the width of the diffusion zone. At zero stress, two phases appear in the diffusion zone (Cu4Te3 and CuTe). Under compressive loading the third stable phase (Cuz Te) also appears, and its thickness increases progressively with increasing stress. The results are explained on the basis of an incipient Kirkendall porosity which restricts the transfer of atoms from the copper into the diffusion zone. DURING a study of the Kirkendall effect in Cu-Te couples prepared by clamping together the two components, it was found that the diffusion-zone width and shape in the plane of contact were not reproducible. Although the stresses involved in clamping are not normally sufficiently high to affect diffusion rates, preliminary tests established that the Cu-Te system is particularly stress-sensitive. The phase diagram for the system Cu-Te given in Hanssen1 shows that there is practically no solid solubility at either end of the phase diagram. Many areas of the diagram are not fully substantiated, but there appear to be three intermediate phases: Cu,Te—hexagonal in structure, having a grey luster; Cu4Te3—a tetragonal defect structure, having a red-purple luster; CuTe—orthorhombic in structure and having a golden-green luster. The existence of a fourth phase, the X phase at 37 at. pct Te, is considered doubtful. The composition ranges of the three stable phases are small, and are not accurately known. The phase diagram changes little with temperature up to 305°C, at which temperature a polymorphic transformation takes place in Cu2Te. The nature of the Cu-Te phase diagram indicates that the diffusion zone in a Cu-Te couple would consist of a series of layers of intermediate phases. The relative thickness of any one phase will depend on its diffusion coefficient and composition range.' In this type of diffusion couple it is often found experimentally that some phases are not visible at all in the diffusion zone due either to a small diffusion coefficient or to a restricted composition range.3 Since the composition ranges of the phases in Cu-Te are not known, it is not possible to determine diffusion coefficients in this system from a knowledge of the phase thicknesses. Several investigations have been carried out to determine the effect of compressive stress on diffusion rates in multiphase systems. Diffusion couples of Ni-A1 have been investigated by Storchheim et al.4 and by Castleman and Seigle.5 Two phases (ß and ?) appear in the diffusion zone under zero stress and the thickness of both phases is progressively reduced with increasing stress. According to Storchheim et al.4 a stress of 25,000 psi reduces the thickness of the diffusion zone by 50 pct. In a-brass—?-brass couples the thickness of the 0 phase formed in the diffusion zone was reduced by 20 pct at a stress of 20,000 psi.6 In other investigations the compressive load has been observed to increase the width of the diffusion zone. In A1-U, several investigators3,8 have found the width of the whase UA13 to increase with stress. According to casileman,8 the rate of formation of UA13 at 520°C is 75 pct faster at a stress of 20,000 psi as compared with a stress of 2500 psi. In Cu-Sb the effect of stress is greater than in the other systems described. According to Heumann9,10 only one phase (y) appears in the diffusion zone at a stress of 500 psi, but at a stress of 850 psi two phases (y and k) are present. If a diffusion couple containing both y and k phases is annealed at a low stress level, the y phase grows at the expense of the k phase. EXPERIMENTAL The diffusion couples were prepared from electrolytic copper bar stock with a nominal purity of 99.92 pct and from tellurium of 99.7 pct purity. The tellurium proved difficult to machine because of its brittleness and a technique was developed for casting the tellurium into a graphite slab mold and spark-machining specimens from this slab. Both the copper and tellurium were produced in the form of discs 2 in. diam by approximately 1/4 in. thick with surfaces ground flat to 3/0 emery paper. The diffusion apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. Auni-axial compressive stress was applied to the system through a simple lever system. A stainless-steel rod actuated by the lever arm lay inside a stainless-steel tube. The diffusion couple lay on top of the steel rod, and pressure was applied to the couple between the rod and a plug welded into the center of the tube. To ensure a uniform stress across the couple, a hemispherical boss and cup were used to transmit the load to the diffusion couple. A 400-w tube furnace with a uniform hot zone 3 in. long slid around the stainless-steel tube and maintained the assembly at temperature. A thermocouple situated 3 in. from the specimen operated a proportional temperature controller which maintained the specimen temperature constant to ±2°C. Most diffusion runs were carried out at 250C although a few tests were made at other temperatures in the range 235° to 300°C. The specimens were inserted and removed with the furnace at operating temperature, and took only 2 min to reach diffusion temperature—a time small compared with the total diffusion time. All the diffusion experiments were carried out in a hydrogen atmosphere, since consistent results were obtained in hydrogen and nitrogen atmospheres and in

Jan 1, 1967

By G. W. Josephson

SINCE the earliest years of recorded history the durability and protective qualities of asphalt and tar have been known and utilized. The mummies of early Egyptian kings were coated with asphaltic materials, and asphalt mastics were common in Babylon. However, according to various authorities, it was not until 1780 that the first forerunner of present-day composition roofing was discovered,1 and the large-scale expansion of the industry has taken place since 1900. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Development was stimulated by the growing popularity of manufactured gas. The by-product tars from these operations accumulated in large waste piles that had no commercial value and were a source of annoyance and expense to the gas companies. These tars were offered at very attractive terms to anyone who would take them away, and the infant "composition" roofing industry benefited accordingly. At first the process consisted simply of dipping sheets of burlap or other fabric in a tank of molten tar or asphalt. The long strip of roofing was rolled up for convenient handling, and the early experimenters soon found that it was necessary to dust the surface of their new "roll roofing" with some kind of material that would prevent the tarred surfaces from sticking together. Any finely divided, low priced local material like sand or fine gravel served this purpose and from its application the roofing-granule industry grew. As time went on other characteristics of a properly applied mineral surfacing were recognized. As with wooden shingles, tar and asphalt can be ignited by flying embers from near-by fires. It was found that by increasing the largest particle size to the maximum that could be successfully embedded, and by properly controlling the amount of smaller fractions retained in the grade so as to cover the asphalt completely a Nigh degree of resistance to fire was attained. Needless to say, in this early period asphaltic roofing needed such selling points to gain acceptance in a field dominated by wood, slate, and tile. When asphalt is protected from the sun's rays it is extremely durable, but when exposed to sunlight its surface is comparatively rapidly decomposed. Completely covering asphalt roofing with mineral surfacing protects the asphalt and adds materially to the life of the roof-conservatively, 500 per cent. Slate Granules In the production of split slate shingles a large quantity of waste slate is accumulated, as 60 to go per cent of the rock quarried is discarded. This waste was a continuing burden on the industry. Some was marketed as ground slate flour for filler in paint and linoleum, and there is a record that as early as 1906 two carloads of coarse screenings from slate flour were marketed as granules for surfacing roofing. This new field appeared to the slate pro-

Jan 1, 1944

By R. D. Lord

The search for the best practical means of storing sulfide bearing tailings, where there is no residual excess of carbonate material is discussed in this paper• Usually the sulfide content decomposes, with the aid of bacterial action, and the resulting sulfuric acid escapes, along with any heavy-metal solutes, through embankments that are usually porous to some degree• The problem is typified in the tailings of the uranium operations of Elliot Lake, Ont., where mining started some 20 years ago• The approach to tailings disposal paralleled the practice for other hydrometallurgical plants treating gold and base-metal ores• Impoundment areas were designed to retain solids, and a clear and neutral overflow was considered satisfactory practice• Now experience has shown that these areas, some of which have been idle for over a dozen years, release acids in seepage and overflows to an unacceptable degree• To protect natural water courses, neutralizing plants are operated wherever required• Lime slurry is fed continuously into the tailings outflows in a quantity sufficient to raise the pH to 8•5 and precipitate heavy metals that may be in solution• The objection to this procedure is that the plants will require servicing indefinitely, unless a better remedy is found• The problem differs only slightly from that common to base-metal concentrators in that here the ore has been leached with sulfuric acid for the recovery of uranium• Any native content of calcareous material has been digested, and only that added for final neutralization is available to maintain a pH unfavorable to bacterial activity• Chemical oxidation slowly lowers the pH and when this reaches a level of 4•5 or less, bacteria become active and greatly accelerate the formation of acid. The bacterial process is probably at least ten times as fast as the chemical oxidation• Location and Processing The operations referred to, uranium and one copper mine, are located at approximately 46°N and 82°W longitude• This is typical Canadian Shield country, a land of lakes, deeply glaciated and rocky, with sparse soil which supports mixed forest cover• Drainage is to Lake Huron, 25 miles to the south• Average temperature is 45°F, ranging from -40° to +95°F• Annual precipitation is 38 in•, about half of which is snow• The ore is Precambrian, quartz-pebble conglomerate, with mineralization in the matrix• From 5 to 10% pyrite is present• All known means of pre-concentration have been tested, but a bulk sulfuric acid leach has proved the most efficient. Tailings have from the outset been neutralized before release• Current practice is to add ground limestone to bring the pH to 4•5, and then lime to raise the value to 10•5• Environmental regulations have recently been increased and the foregoing meets the new standards• Separate measures are taken to precipitate radium• Remedial Measures Since the outstanding environmental problem is the oxidation of pyrite by bacterial action, the solution is to contain the products, or arrest the process• Given the ambient temperature, favorable half of the time, four items are essential to the activity• 1) Pyrite• 2) Moisture pH < 4•5. 3) Oxygen• 4) Bacteria• Removing any one of these out of the range of tolerance will bring the reactions under control• A variety of proposals considered, and a number tested for the arrest of the process, are: (a) render embankments impermeable, (b) provide an impermeable cover, (c) cover with an oxygen absorbing layer, (d) provide a vegetative cover, (e) flood the site, (f) remove pyrite from current tailings, (g) add excess limestone to current tailings, (h) poison the bacteria• Bank Seal-On existing impoundment areas, where the embankments are several thousand yards in length, it is believed that any program of injecting sealants can have small chance of success• However, a moisture barrier is an indicated specification for future construction, and this can be highly expensive• Surface Seal-Depending on the configuration of the deposit, the downward travel of water should be prevented, and oxygen excluded• Burying a plastic membrane just below the surface has been considered, as has the application of a liquid sealant that would penetrate the surface. The objection to these remedies is the excessive cost of dealing with large areas and the expectation of only temporary benefit as a result• Frost penetration is over 4 ft, and frost action breaks up asphalt paving and all but heavy concrete in a few years• Organic Layer-An oxygen-absorbing layer, such as bark fines from paper mills has been proposed as a surface treatment• Cultivated into the tailings such material might be expected to arrest subsurface oxidation for some years• Estimates are 100 tons per acre of bark fines, or 35 tons per acre of sawdust, and these enormous quantities do not so far give assurance of providing a long-term remedy• Vegatative Cover-Several obvious benefits would result from a good growth of grass or other vegetation on abandoned tailings• While restoring the natural green of the tract the growth would prevent wind-blown dust and reduce erosion• Subsurface oxidation should be reduced, as well as the upward movement of ground moisture as occurs in dry weather. To this end, considerable research and field testing has been carried out to arrive at a formula - a prescription which will provide a self-sustaining growth on the tailings surface, or at least one that would survive with reasonable maintenance attention. Many test plots have been run with different combinations of surface treatment and seed mixtures. Generally, by addition and close cultivation of limestone, lime, and fertilizers, technical success has been demonstrated• Plants with a high tolerance for acid soil seem the more hardy, and a pH above 3 is indicated so that nutrients can be absorbed• Recommendations are for 12 to 15 tons of

Jan 1, 1977

By Albert Mendelsohn, Charles F. Jackson

The system of stoping described in this paper was first introduced at the Champion mine of the Copper Range Co., Painesdale, Mich., in 1929, and since that time has been developed to a high state of efficiency. The method was devised to overcome some of the objections to the system of horizontal cut-and-fill stoping formerly employed at this mine and has done so successfully. The objections to the old system became more pronounced as the depth of mining operations increased and a change became a matter of necessity. While the combination of conditions encountered at the Champion mine is rather unusual, it is believed that the sublevel system developed there could be employed advantageously at other mines, though certain modifications might be necessary. This paper describes the method and the results obtained through its use, and suggests modifications for making it applicable under quite different conditions from those at the Champion mine. Champion Lode The lode being mined at the Champion mine is the heavily brecciated top of what is known in the district as the Baltic lava flow. The brecciated portion of the lode varies from 6 to 50 ft. in width. Under this breccia is the thinner, tighter, amygdular portion of the lode; under the amygdular portion is the trap footwall. Native copper is found deposited in the rock fragments of the breccia, in the cementing material of the breccia, in the amygdules and in the trappy rock under the amygdular part of the lode. In some places masses of copper many tons in weight extend far into the footwall of the lode. The Baltic lode on Champion property is 8000 ft. long, very straight along the strike, and dips uniformly 70&apos; to the west for 3000 ft. in depth, at which point the dip begins to flatten slightly. The width of the copper-bearing portion of the lode varies from 10 ft. to as much as 80 ft. in a few places; the average width now mined is 17 ft. The lode rock is hard—the standard one-man drilling machines used in the mine drill from 10 to 14 in. per minute when mass copper is not

Jan 1, 1932

By Raymond B. Ladoo, C. A. Stokes

Bruce C. Netschert—It is unfortunate that the authors of this paper consider it necessary to begin with an expression of concern over possible false interpretations of the word "economics." In their preoccupation with the definition of economics, they have adopted a definition of mineral economics which is, to say the least, unduly narrow. Just as the broad field of economics is not confined to a study of the profitability of business concerns, but includes the problems of production, distribution, and consumption as they pertain to society as a whole; so an inclusive definition of mineral economics should not be confined to the determination of the profitability of mineral-producing and processing enterprises, but should include the significance of the unique characteristics of mineral resources as raw materials for the use of society. Such features as the exhaustibility and localized, haphazard occurrence of deposits, the existence of a secondary (scrap) supply, and the increasing cost of operation during the life of a mining enterprise are obviously factors which concern those businesses which are producing mineral raw materials, since they partially determine the profitability of such enterprises. They are also of concern to society as a whole, however, as characteristics of one of the basic elements of the economic system. In the last analysis, the contribution which mineral economics can make as a means of determining and guiding social policy with respect to the production and utilization of mineral resources is perhaps more important than its use as a basis for determining the cost accounting procedure of individual firms. The list of "economic factors peculiar to the industrial minerals" which the authors present is in reality an application of such a broad definition of mineral economics. An inconsistency appears, however, in the inclusion of items 8 and 9 in the list. As this writer sees it, the point in question is: What influences do the characteristics of industrial minerals have on the characteristics and operating procedures of industrial mineral enterprises which are not present in the metallic mineral field? In answering this question with items 8 and 9, Messrs. Ladoo and Stokes do not recognize that there are two distinct types of differences between the two fields of enterprise. There are, on the one hand, important basic economic distinctions due to inherent economic characteristics of industrial minerals which do not pertain to metallic minerals. On the other hand are those characteristics of the industrial mineral enterprises peculiar to them alone, but which are superficial and temporary, in that they may be changed or eliminated at the discretion of the managers of those enterprises. The lack of adequate research and development in industrial mineral production, processing, and marketing (item 8) is not due to an inherent characteristic of industrial minerals. It is true that one may perhaps describe the field of industrial mineral enterprise in terms of such a deficiency, just as one could, until recently, point to a similar lack of research and development in the coal industry; but unless it can be shown that the deficiency has been wholly or partially due to the very nature of industrial minerals themselves it is not an "economic factor peculiar to the industrial minerals" but a temporary characteristic peculiar to the industry. In the writer&apos;s opinion, the authors have not demonstrated that the former relationship exists. Similarly, item 9, the "influence of technologic developments," is also not inherently peculiar to industrial minerals. Nowhere in the discussion of this item do the authors mention anything that is not equally applicable to the field of metallic minerals. This is not meant to imply that the specific technologic developments which the authors list are of equal significance in both fields. It does mean that such a statement as, "technological advances together with new consuming areas to provide markets make deposits commercially valuable which once were of no interest" cannot be considered as an argument that technological developments have significance in the field of industrial minerals alone. In considering the problem of stockpiling, the authors note that the stockpiling of nonstrategic materials might be desirable if future wartime needs could exceed domestic production capacity, but dismiss this as hardly adequate to justify such stockpiling. The problem, however, can be stated in broader economic terms, i.e., the real costs (as distinguished from the money costs) of prewar versus wartime production. In other words, it might well be that the labor and capital required to produce a given amount of a certain mineral raw material could be used more efficiently in another industry. In such a case it is obviously advantageous to stockpile the material in prewar times rather than forego the benefits of additional production in another line of endeavor during wartime under conditions which demand the optimum use of all resources, including manpower and capital. To the writer&apos;s knowl-

Jan 1, 1951

By H. V. Welch

In this paper, as prepared for delivery at the Southern California regional meeting on Oct. 14, 1948, it was thought best to interpret the term "economics" in a rather broad manner and to include, in addition to the material losses and recoveries and associated monetary values (Part I), a limited discussion of the increased difficulties or the particular problem and the special requirements, as the particle sizes of the suspended particles range down from the relatively coarse to 100, to 10, to 1 micron or even to a fraction of one micron (Part II). Further, it is not quite in order to overlook entirely the community and individual health problems, although space requires the economics of this to be considered only very incompletely. Therefore, Part III, covering this phase of the subject, is very limited. This paper, then, is divided into 5 parts or headings as follows: I Losses and/or values in suspended solids. II Particle size. III Dust and fumes in community and individual living. IV Means and Procedures for dust and fume collection. V Description or examples of specific equipment in service and of the several types used for dust and fume collection. Because of the wide extent and wealth of subject material available and the space and time limitation imposed, presentation and discussion are less than originally planned. I—Losses and/or Values in Suspended Solids The weight involved in moving streams of industrial plant gases is commonly not appreciated, neither is their carrying power in the weight of solids maintained in suspension and moved with the gas stream from a point of origin or pick-up to a point of dissipation or settlement. These, however, are major weight figures; for example, in a modern iron blast furnace there may be five tons of gas for every ton of iron produced and by the time this blast furnace gas has been burned in stoves or under boilers the weight of gas discharged to atmosphere is on the order of eight times the weight of iron produced. Similarly for nonferrous metallurgy there may readily be from 10 to 20 times the weight of gases discharged to atmosphere as there is metal produced. A cement kiln in operation or a kiln in service to produce metallurgical lime may have on the order of 5 to 6 times the weight of stack gases as of clinker or lime produced, and at least the cement kiln, because of the very fine nature of its feed, is a very heavy dust producer. It may be noted that there have been two developments in progress for nearly three decades. Both are extraordinary in the industrial economics effected and in their ready availability to ever larger units of operation and their ever widening importance in industry, and both are productive of great quantities of finely divided material in furnacing. The first of these is the flotation process for ores, especially the metallics such as copper, lead, and zinc; and the second, powdered fuel combustion for power plant, industrial plants and metallurgical operations. Today, new developments, for example, flotation for the nonmetallics such as higher grade limestone for cement manufacture which requires still finer grinding and the powdered-coal-fired boilers with production ratings of over 1,000,000 lb of steam per hr, bring still more concentrated and hugely increased quantities of stack emission. Perhaps the honors for the greatest interest in the quantities and values escaping in waste furnace and equipment gases belong to the nonferrous metallurgical operations. Their record of achievement in the installation of dust and fume collection equipment, largely baghouses or Cottrell electrical precipitators, is exceeded by no other industry. Something of the magnitude and variety of equipment utilized in such recovery systems was covered by the writer in two papers presented to the Institute some 10 years ago.1,2 It is not intended to repeat the material of those articles, but it is thought that they complement this offering and should be noted. COPPER ROASTERS As the copper roasters are the first of the series of furnaces handling the copper-bearing concentrates in the usual copper smelter of today, it is in order to make them the first consideration. Multiple hearth sulphide roasters, not hard driven, often maintain their dust loss through exit gases at 3 pet or below of feed to furnace; in hard-driven or maximum-driven furnaces, exit gas losses often approximate 7 pet of charge with a ±2 pet variation for special conditions prevailing at some plants. A 5 pet loss of feed in a roaster gas exit, unless reclaimed, often makes the difference between a profit and loss operation, and in many cases substantial recovery is the very basis of dividend payments. As there is available very practical and successful equipment for the collection of the

Jan 1, 1950

By Raymond B. Ladoo, C. A. Stokes

Bruce C. Netschert—It is unfortunate that the authors of this paper consider it necessary to begin with an expression of concern over possible false interpretations of the word "economics." In their preoccupation with the definition of economics, they have adopted a definition of mineral economics which is, to say the least, unduly narrow. Just as the broad field of economics is not confined to a study of the profitability of business concerns, but includes the problems of production, distribution, and consumption as they pertain to society as a whole; so an inclusive definition of mineral economics should not be confined to the determination of the profitability of mineral-producing and processing enterprises, but should include the significance of the unique characteristics of mineral resources as raw materials for the use of society. Such features as the exhaustibility and localized, haphazard occurrence of deposits, the existence of a secondary (scrap) supply, and the increasing cost of operation during the life of a mining enterprise are obviously factors which concern those businesses which are producing mineral raw materials, since they partially determine the profitability of such enterprises. They are also of concern to society as a whole, however, as characteristics of one of the basic elements of the economic system. In the last analysis, the contribution which mineral economics can make as a means of determining and guiding social policy with respect to the production and utilization of mineral resources is perhaps more important than its use as a basis for determining the cost accounting procedure of individual firms. The list of "economic factors peculiar to the industrial minerals" which the authors present is in reality an application of such a broad definition of mineral economics. An inconsistency appears, however, in the inclusion of items 8 and 9 in the list. As this writer sees it, the point in question is: What influences do the characteristics of industrial minerals have on the characteristics and operating procedures of industrial mineral enterprises which are not present in the metallic mineral field? In answering this question with items 8 and 9, Messrs. Ladoo and Stokes do not recognize that there are two distinct types of differences between the two fields of enterprise. There are, on the one hand, important basic economic distinctions due to inherent economic characteristics of industrial minerals which do not pertain to metallic minerals. On the other hand are those characteristics of the industrial mineral enterprises peculiar to them alone, but which are superficial and temporary, in that they may be changed or eliminated at the discretion of the managers of those enterprises. The lack of adequate research and development in industrial mineral production, processing, and marketing (item 8) is not due to an inherent characteristic of industrial minerals. It is true that one may perhaps describe the field of industrial mineral enterprise in terms of such a deficiency, just as one could, until recently, point to a similar lack of research and development in the coal industry; but unless it can be shown that the deficiency has been wholly or partially due to the very nature of industrial minerals themselves it is not an "economic factor peculiar to the industrial minerals" but a temporary characteristic peculiar to the industry. In the writer&apos;s opinion, the authors have not demonstrated that the former relationship exists. Similarly, item 9, the "influence of technologic developments," is also not inherently peculiar to industrial minerals. Nowhere in the discussion of this item do the authors mention anything that is not equally applicable to the field of metallic minerals. This is not meant to imply that the specific technologic developments which the authors list are of equal significance in both fields. It does mean that such a statement as, "technological advances together with new consuming areas to provide markets make deposits commercially valuable which once were of no interest" cannot be considered as an argument that technological developments have significance in the field of industrial minerals alone. In considering the problem of stockpiling, the authors note that the stockpiling of nonstrategic materials might be desirable if future wartime needs could exceed domestic production capacity, but dismiss this as hardly adequate to justify such stockpiling. The problem, however, can be stated in broader economic terms, i.e., the real costs (as distinguished from the money costs) of prewar versus wartime production. In other words, it might well be that the labor and capital required to produce a given amount of a certain mineral raw material could be used more efficiently in another industry. In such a case it is obviously advantageous to stockpile the material in prewar times rather than forego the benefits of additional production in another line of endeavor during wartime under conditions which demand the optimum use of all resources, including manpower and capital. To the writer&apos;s knowl-

Jan 1, 1951

By W. C. Ralston

This note will give the cost of driving an adit at the Melones mine, in 1898, and, for purposes of comparison, the cost of similar work, in 1888, at the Hogsback mine, Placer county, Cal. The property of the Melones Consolidated Mining Company is situated on the Mother Lode of California, on Carson Hill, near Robinson&apos;s Ferry, and adjoins on the south the famous Morgan mine. The Mother Lode of California extends for a distance of over 100 miles in length through several counties, with a general strike of northwest and southeast. Three veins (commonly called the east vein, middle vein and west vein) comprise the " lode " in this section. The Melones property is situated upon the east and middle vein, and includes 1407 feet on the east vein and 5166 feet upon the middle vein. A shaft had been sunk on the Reserve mine, which is on the east rein, and within 230 feet of the Morgan mine. At the bottom of this shaft drifts and cross-cuts had been run and a large body of ore developed. It was deemed advisable by the Melones Mining Co., which holds this property under bond from the Melones Consolidated Mining Co., to run a tunnel and develop this body of ore at a greater depth. An option was obtained upon the South Carolina mine, which adjoins the property on the south, and is on the same east vein, upon which a tunnel had been run a distance of 1080 feet. This tunnel was cleaned out and continued to a point within forty feet of the Morgan mine. It passes directly under the Reserve shaft, 425 feet below the 200-foot level. The additional length of tunnel to be run was 1923 feet, and

Jan 1, 1899

By H. G. Moulton

H G. MOULTON should not be confused with the famous economist of the same name. Our H. G. stands for Herbert George, whereas the chief of the Brookings Institution is Harold Glenn. Like most so- called New York members of the Institute&apos;s hoard, Mr. Moulton came from the West, in this case from Idaho where he was born, and Oregon, where he was educated at the University of Oregon. His early work included such jobs as mucker, assayer, smelter, chemist, mine surveyor, draftsman, engineer on surveys and construction, and assistant on mine examinations. In 1909 he was engaged as mining engineer by the firm of Eugene Meyer, Jr. S&apos; Co., continuing with them for the next eight years.

Jan 1, 1937

By Gram Curtis

The apparatus described below for the handling of plates upon their delivery from the rolls, embodies features believed to be of interest to those contemplating the building of new plate-mills, and also to such owners of existing mills as may be considering the improvement of their works. The points to which attention is called are the small space required for the finishing-end of the mill, and consequently the very moderate size of the building for the amount of plates handled; the directness and ease of manipulation, and therefore the mall amount of labor required; the distribution of plates; the facilities and time allowed for their cooling. These, together with other features of detail and general arrangement scarcely less important, will become apparent when the descriptions and illustrations herewith given are understood. As these devices deal with the finishing of the plates only, they may be added to any plate-train when the floor-space and the building are large enough to permit their introduction; and it will be obvious that the features of this method, more or less modified, are applicable to any existing mill. Figs. 1 and 2 show a three-high 32-and 19- by 120-inch Lauth mill, with hydraulic lifting-tables, served by four heating-furnaces, with hydraulic cranes for charging and drawing. Upon leaving the rolls, the plate is allowed to rest with its forward edge projecting somewhat beyond the end of the catcher&apos;s table. Here it is seized by the automatic tongs, A, suspended from a buggy travelling in the overhead trough, B, and actuated by the hydraulic cylinder, C. These tongs are operated by a boy, who stands several feet from the heated plate, and controls the long light handle, D, shown in the plan, Fig. I. His duty is merely to advance the tongs by means of .the hydrulic cylinder, C, to raise or

Jan 1, 1892

By F. B. Plummer

PERHAPS the greatest progress made in the technical methods of oil production during the last year has been in handling gas from the new fields that yield light distillate fractions. At least sixteen recycling plants have been perfected and installed in South Texas fields alone during 1939 having a daily capacity of more than one billion -2 cubic feet of gas and capable of producing more than a million gallons of distillate daily. The process consists of running the gas under pres- sure through especially designed plants, separating out the condensate, then compressing the gas to 3000 lb. or more, depending on the subsurface pressure in the formation, and injecting gas back into the reservoir to be produced again later, along with more of the liquid hydrocarbons, and again recycled. Hence production in these distillate fields in sense has changed from that of producing a constantly diminishing and much-wasted product to a more or less continuous manufacturing process, in which practically all the gas is conserved-a real triumph in engineering practice.

Jan 1, 1940

By Charles Janin

ONE of the most interesting features of the world&apos;s platinum situation has been the steady increase of Russian production, which had dropped to 11,000 oz. in 1920, but increased to 92,000 oz. in 1926, and to probably over 100,000 oz. for 1927. It is ex-pected that Russian production of platinum will, be-fore long, closely equal its pre-war production, or approximately 200,000 oz. annually. The world production before the war was around 250,000 oz.; that for 1925 has been estimated at 160,000 oz., and for 1926 probably 170,000 oz. The consump-tion of platinum has, however, decreased. The esti-mate of the International Selling Agency was a de-mand of 130,000 oz. new platinum against a normal pre-war demand of over 200,000 oz. The high price of platinum during the war gave an added impetus to the search for substitutes for the metal, and sev-eral were developed that are now used extensively in place of platinum. The demand for platinum for high-class jewelry, however, was not greatly affected by the high prices, but "white" gold did replace platinum in the cheaper jewelry. Colombia is the most important producer of plati-num, next to Russia, and the production has increased from around 10,000 oz. pre-war production to 55,000 oz. or more in 1927. In 1924 important discoveries of platinum were made in South Africa. Prior to these discoveries practically all platinum was recovered from alluvial deposits, and the South African opera-tions are first to work an ore profitably for the pri-mary recovery of platinum. A number of companies were formed to develop these deposits, but only a few made any real progress. Total production for 1926 was about 5000 oz. The United States production is unimportant; that in Canada has increased to around 9000 oz., principally as a by-product in nickel-copper ores.

Jan 5, 1928

By Northcutt Ely

A year ago the petroleum code was in effect, and Congress had before it bills with powerful backing designed to extend and put on a permanent basis the Federal authority impliedly recognized in the petroleum code. Those men in the industry who were convinced of the unconstitutionality of Federal regulation, who believed in conservation, and who were seeking accomplishment of a conservation compact among the oil-producing states, were at that time encountering difficulties in bringing about such an agreement. Since then there has been a shift in the center of gravity. Today, by virtue of the Supreme Court&apos;s Schechter case decision, the petroleum code is not in existence, the industry is not operating under an oil administrator, and the Federal-control bills are not on Congress&apos; calendar. In view of what the Supreme Court has said in the Schechter case and the Hoosac Mills case about the local character of mining and manufacturing, the problem today is not whether the Federal Government or the State Governments ought to regulate oil production, but how effective we can make the devices that are available to us under the constitution for the conservation of the nation&apos;s oil resources. The interstate oil conservation compact ratified during the past year by Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado and Illinois, approved by Congress, but not yet in effect in California, is the mechanism now at work. Interstate Oil Conservation Compact What is this interstate compact? The basic theory is simple and logical. It has four elements to it. The first point is that in order to effect the maximum recovery of our oil arid gas reserves it is necessary for some governmental authority to regulate the way in which those resources are taken out of the ground, so that the reservoir energy is efficiently used, and used equitably by the various owners of the pool. Second, that the state, as distinguished from the national government, possesses the police power necessary to protect the public interest and to protect the correlative rights of the common owners of the oil pool. Third, that the state governments ought to cooperate with each other through an interstate advisory commission so that orderly production in one state is

Jan 1, 1936

By Northcutt Ely

A year ago the petroleum code was in effect, and Congress had before it bills with powerful backing designed to extend and put on a permanent basis the Federal authority impliedly recognized in the petroleum code. Those men in the industry who were convinced of the unconstitutionality of Federal regulation, who believed in conservation, and who were seeking accomplishment of a conservation compact among the oil-producing states, were at that time encountering difficulties in bringing about such an agreement. Since then there has been a shift in the center of gravity. Today, by virtue of the Supreme Court&apos;s Schechter case decision, the petroleum code is not in existence, the industry is not operating under an oil administrator, and the Federal-control bills are not on Congress&apos; calendar. In view of what the Supreme Court has said in the Schechter case and the Hoosac Mills case about the local character of mining and manufacturing, the problem today is not whether the Federal Government or the State Governments ought to regulate oil production, but how effective we can make the devices that are available to us under the constitution for the conservation of the nation&apos;s oil resources. The interstate oil conservation compact ratified during the past year by Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado and Illinois, approved by Congress, but not yet in effect in California, is the mechanism now at work. Interstate Oil Conservation Compact What is this interstate compact? The basic theory is simple and logical. It has four elements to it. The first point is that in order to effect the maximum recovery of our oil arid gas reserves it is necessary for some governmental authority to regulate the way in which those resources are taken out of the ground, so that the reservoir energy is efficiently used, and used equitably by the various owners of the pool. Second, that the state, as distinguished from the national government, possesses the police power necessary to protect the public interest and to protect the correlative rights of the common owners of the oil pool. Third, that the state governments ought to cooperate with each other through an interstate advisory commission so that orderly production in one state is

Jan 1, 1936