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By J. D. Miller, A. Cortez, J. Hupka

The separation efficiency of the hot water digestion-flotation technique used for bitumen recovery from various domestic tar sands was evaluated. Bitumen viscosity was found to be the most important tar sand property in determining the success of the bitumen separation. Bitumen viscosity of the tar sand war controlled by changes in digestion temperature and/or changes in diluent (kerosene) addition. Complete and uniform dilution of the bitumen phase was achieved by providing a sufficient presoaking, or penetration time, for a given tar sand type. For all the tar sand samples tested, an excellent correlation was obtained between the coefficient of separation and the bitumen viscosity. To achieve a satisfactory coefficient of separation, it was found that the bitumen viscosity must be reduced below 1.5 Pa.s (16 P) at the temperature of digestion. This was the case regardless of the tar sand type, grade, or origin.

Jan 1, 1984

By R. D. Nelson, D. H. Polonis

ThE eutectoid decomposition of 6 phase in the Cu-Sn system (32.53 wt pct Sn) has been studied by several investigators.1-6 On the basis of X-ray work, Iball and 0wen1 reported complete decomposition of 6 in powder specimens after 7 days at 300°C. Wang and Hansen followed the micro-structural changes during heat treatment of lump specimens and estimated 5 pct decomposition after 63 days at 300°C. Wang and Hansen suggested that the discrepancy between the decomposition rates of powder and lump specimens might be due to the excess surface free energy of powders. The present work involved 6 decomposition in copper-tin alloy powders containing 32.6 wt pct Sn. Alloy lump specimens exhibited entirely 6 phase after fairly slow cooling (air cooling) from above 350°C and were so brittle that they could be easily crushed to-200 mesh in a percussion mortar. X-ray diffraction study of the as-crushed powders (-200 mesh) revealed 100 pct 6 phase with very slight line broadening effects due to strain introduced by crushing. Only 6 phase was detected by X-ray diffraction in powders which were heat treated 4 hr at 450°C and air cooled to room tem-

Jan 1, 1960

By Charles P. Williams

The lead-bearing area of Missouri has been subdivided, geographically, into the Southeastern, the Central, and the Southwestern

By Carl F. Floe, Michael B. Bever

ACCELERATED by the demands of war, research and development work in nonferrous physical metallurgy has continued at a rapid pace during the past year. In particular, advances have been made in processing and fabrication, especially of the light alloys, and in the surface treatment of metals. Theoretical physical metallurgy, although less active, has not been neglected and the year has brought forth some -notable contributions to our understanding of the fundamental structure of metals and their behavior in service. Of course, much work that has been done cannot be publicly discussed because of wartime restrictions.

Jan 1, 1945

By E. P. Polushkin, Henry L. Shuldener

This paper describes the results of microscopic examination of a series of brass pipes removed from apartment and office buildings in New York City, adjacent localities on Long Island, and Philadelphia. They were selected as typical of approximately four hundred pipe specimens obtained over a period of five years during an investigation of corrosion in hot-water installations. A part of the investigation is reported in this paper and includes a brief history of the pipes, a description of their inside surface and microstructure, and a study of the effects of corrosion, with particular reference to the structural aspects of local and selective dezincification. Although the bibliography on the corrosion of brass pipes is quite extensive, it refers almost entirely to corrosion in sea water. The authors believe that their examination of this series of pipes, which had been subjected to the corrosive action of fresh water for various lengths of time, may throw some additional light on the problem of corrosion. Pipes Examined The pipes were made by different manufacturers and their sizes range from 3/4 in. to 4 in. nominal inside diameter, the majority being within I to 2 in. They can be divided into two groups according to chemical composition: (I) with a copper content of 60 to 62 per cent and (2) with a copper content of 65 to 68 per cent. The first group (pipes made of Muntz metal) comprises 22 pipes and the second (pipes made of high brass) comprises 18 pipes. The pipes had been in service in various locations in the hot-water systems of the buildings involved. Some were taken from horizontal lines in the basement, some from overhead distributors and some from vertical risers. The distance, in terms of feet of pipe, of the specimens from the hot-water generator was no less than 75 ft. and often IOO to 300 ft. In the majority of cases the water-heating equipment was provided with a regulator to limit the temperature of the hot water supply. The normal range of temperature in pipe systems of this kind is Ioo° to 160°F. Water Supples The average chemical composition of the water supplies carried by the pipes is shown in Table I. In evaluating the corrosiveness of a natural water, four factors are considered of prime importance: namely, hardness, alkalinity, pH and silica content. The waters listed in Table 1 are characterized by relatively low hardness, 10, alkalinity, low pH and low silica content. The waters of lower pH and higher CO2 content are more corrosive. A characteristic of all of these waters is that they do not deposit a protective mineral coating as do waters with high bicarbonate of lime content, which would be reflected

Jan 1, 1945

By R. E. Head

Under existing economic conditions, the treatment of gold ores occupies an outstanding position in metallurgical activity. The increased price of gold has automatically brought about a reclassification of old dumps and low-grade orebodies, and many that formerly were considered valueless are now being vigorously investigated and worked. This situation has developed problems that have taxed the ingenuity and ability of metallurgists to the utmost. Some gold ores give a high extraction of gold by standardized methods of treatment; other ores of apparently similar character yield but a relatively small percentage of their gold when treated by the same processes. Surface Contamination The experience gained by microscopic study of numerous gold ores and tailings has shown that there are pronounced differences in the physical characteristics of the minerals composing them, more especially of the gold. Repeated studies of tailings from flotation and cyanidation of gold ores has established the fact that surface contaminations on gold particles are often directly responsible for high gold losses; comparison of gold particles isolated from flotation concentrates and the resulting tailings have showed that the clean gold has been recovered and the tarnished or contaminated gold invariably lost in the tailing. Obviously, it is not possible to make such a comparison of gold ores treated by cyanidation, as the clean gold has been taken into solution; but when the gold found in cyanide tailing has a tarnished or coated surface, one may infer, with a reasonable degree of certainty, that the clean gold has been extracted. This premise is supported by experimental evidence obtained by isolating particles of tarnished gold and exposing them to cyanide solution in small parting cups. In one such experiment, tarnished gold particles picked from a cyanide tailing showed but slight evidence 01 dissolving at the end of 27 days. In this test, a cyanide solution of 1.6 11). per ton was used and the leach solution was decanted arid renewed every

Jan 1, 1939

By R. E. Head

Under existing economic conditions, the treatment of gold ores occupies an outstanding position in metallurgical activity. The increased price of gold has automatically brought about a reclassification of old dumps and low-grade orebodies, and many that formerly were considered valueless are now being vigorously investigated and worked. This situation has developed problems that have taxed the ingenuity and ability of metallurgists to the utmost. Some gold ores give a high extraction of gold by standardized methods of treatment; other ores of apparently similar character yield but a relatively small percentage of their gold when treated by the same processes. Surface Contamination The experience gained by microscopic study of numerous gold ores and tailings has shown that there are pronounced differences in the physical characteristics of the minerals composing them, more especially of the gold. Repeated studies of tailings from flotation and cyanidation of gold ores has established the fact that surface contaminations on gold particles are often directly responsible for high gold losses; comparison of gold particles isolated from flotation concentrates and the resulting tailings have showed that the clean gold has been recovered and the tarnished or contaminated gold invariably lost in the tailing. Obviously, it is not possible to make such a comparison of gold ores treated by cyanidation, as the clean gold has been taken into solution; but when the gold found in cyanide tailing has a tarnished or coated surface, one may infer, with a reasonable degree of certainty, that the clean gold has been extracted. This premise is supported by experimental evidence obtained by isolating particles of tarnished gold and exposing them to cyanide solution in small parting cups. In one such experiment, tarnished gold particles picked from a cyanide tailing showed but slight evidence 01 dissolving at the end of 27 days. In this test, a cyanide solution of 1.6 11). per ton was used and the leach solution was decanted arid renewed every

Jan 1, 1939

By Arthur F. Taggart, Nathaniel Arbiter

The fact that the floatability of minerals with fatty-acid collectors changes as the pH of a pulp varies was utilized in the early days of flotation, when sulphuric acid was used with oleic acid to float sphalerite and galena. from gangues which themselves float with fatty acids in alkaline pulps. Gaudin1 showed that this difference in floatability is a regular function of the extent of the change in pH. The present paper offers an explanation of the phenomenon, and on the basis thereof sets up recommendations for control of soap-flotation operations. Experimental Parallelism between floatability of a mineral in a given environment and its contact angle in that environment is so well established,2 and the contact angle is so readily and rapidly measurable, that contact angles have been used throughout the experimental work to indicate relative floatability. Experiments comprised contact-angle measurements on a number of representative minerals and metals, and a variety of subsidiary tests designed to check and to amplify the contact-angle indications. Contact-angle measurements were made by the method described in detail by del Giudice.3 Sequence of procedure for determination of the points of Fig. I was: I. Polish specimen. Most specimens yielded zero contact angle after polishing; a few showed a slight "cling." Cling is characteristic of specimens that pit on polishing; it is due to a residue of organic contamination, originally on the particle surface, which persists in the pits. The cling did not change total contact angle after conditioning, and is not, therefore, additive in the upper part of the curves of Fig. I. It may have broadened the bases of the curves for the affected minerals slightly. 2. The specimen was next conditioned in soap solution for 5 minutes. 3. The conditioned particle was transferred, under conditions that precluded surface drying, to an aqueous solution of the pH desired and contact angle determined. 4. The particle was thereupon transferred, again without surface drying, to water. The confirmatory tests will be described at the places pertinent in the argument. Discussion of Results Gaudin and Vincent4 have shown that contact angles with heptoic acid as a collector decrease for a given specimen when the concentration of collector present falls below a certain value. A similar reduction in angle occurs with collector-conditioned particles that are visibly slime-coated, and varies roughly with the extent of coating. Since in the last case the reduction in angle is certainly due to reduction in the proportion of total conditioned mineral surface presented to the bubble, the authors believe that the same condition prevails in the first case cited, and that similar reduction in angle and floatability will occur whenever starvation quantities of collector are present, whether by design or by reason of excessive consumption.

Jan 1, 1943

By Nathaniel Arbiter, Arthur F. Taggart

The fact that the floatability of minerals with fatty-acid collectors changes as the pH of a pulp varies was utilized in the early days of flotation, when sulphuric acid was used with oleic acid to float sphalerite and galena. from gangues which themselves float with fatty acids in alkaline pulps. Gaudin1 showed that this difference in floatability is a regular function of the extent of the change in pH. The present paper offers an explanation of the phenomenon, and on the basis thereof sets up recommendations for control of soap-flotation operations. Experimental Parallelism between floatability of a mineral in a given environment and its contact angle in that environment is so well established,2 and the contact angle is so readily and rapidly measurable, that contact angles have been used throughout the experimental work to indicate relative floatability. Experiments comprised contact-angle measurements on a number of representative minerals and metals, and a variety of subsidiary tests designed to check and to amplify the contact-angle indications. Contact-angle measurements were made by the method described in detail by del Giudice.3 Sequence of procedure for determination of the points of Fig. I was: I. Polish specimen. Most specimens yielded zero contact angle after polishing; a few showed a slight "cling." Cling is characteristic of specimens that pit on polishing; it is due to a residue of organic contamination, originally on the particle surface, which persists in the pits. The cling did not change total contact angle after conditioning, and is not, therefore, additive in the upper part of the curves of Fig. I. It may have broadened the bases of the curves for the affected minerals slightly. 2. The specimen was next conditioned in soap solution for 5 minutes. 3. The conditioned particle was transferred, under conditions that precluded surface drying, to an aqueous solution of the pH desired and contact angle determined. 4. The particle was thereupon transferred, again without surface drying, to water. The confirmatory tests will be described at the places pertinent in the argument. Discussion of Results Gaudin and Vincent4 have shown that contact angles with heptoic acid as a collector decrease for a given specimen when the concentration of collector present falls below a certain value. A similar reduction in angle occurs with collector-conditioned particles that are visibly slime-coated, and varies roughly with the extent of coating. Since in the last case the reduction in angle is certainly due to reduction in the proportion of total conditioned mineral surface presented to the bubble, the authors believe that the same condition prevails in the first case cited, and that similar reduction in angle and floatability will occur whenever starvation quantities of collector are present, whether by design or by reason of excessive consumption.

Jan 1, 1943

By J. K. Kerver, J. S. Osoba, J. G. Richardson, J. A. Hafford

A detailed study of a number of methods of relative permea-abilitv measurement has been made in a search for the tech-niqrle most suited to routine analysis of cores taken from reservoir rock. It has been found from tests run on the same samples of core material by a number of techniques that the Penn State, Hassler, Hafford, and dispersed feed techniques all yield results which are felt to be reliable. Conditions under which the faster single core dynamic technique may be used are described. Further work on the calculation of relative permeabilities to oil from data obtained by the gas drive method is needed before this latter rapid method can be utilized. Correlations between theoretical studies and experimental results have been obtained in studies of the boundary effect. pressure distribution in two-phase flow, and gas expansion effects. Previous conclusions that the effects of the outflow boundary could be made negligibly small have been substantiated. Results of experimentally determined oil and gas pressure distributions along a core sample during flow are presented. Further studies of the effects of rate of flow in the measurement of relative permeability-saturation relations have shown that results are independent of the rate of flow as long as the flow rate is below the point where inertial effects commence. An analysis of the effects of a severalfold expansion of gas along the flow path indicates that while saturation gradients are induced in the test sample, the errors caused by this phenomenon in relative permeability measurements are small. INTRODUCTION Many pages of literature have been devoted to pointing out the need for relative permeability-saturation relations in reservoir engineering. One of the most attractive ways of obtaining this information is by the analysis of samples of core material taken from the formation in question, and again literature has described man); methods for obtaining these data. It is the purpose of this paper to present the work that has been done in the study of some of these published methods together with some other methods that have been recently developed in this laboratory. Also, a study of some of the factors that influence the laburatory determination of relative permeability-saturation relations is presented. FACTORS WHICH AFFECT LABORATORY STUDY OF FLUID FLOW THROUGH RESERVOIR ROCK To determine relative permeability-saturation relations of samples of reservoir rock in the laboratory, it is important to know what factors affect these measurements in order that the magnitude of these effects can be ascertained and steps then can be taken to eliminate or, in some cases, to minimize them. The factors that have been investigated are the boundary effect, the effect of gas expansion. and the rate effect. Boundary Effect In laboratory experiments in which two immiscible fluids are flowed through a porous medium, there exists a discontinuity of capillary properties at the outflow face. This discontinuity exists became the fluids pass from a region of finite capillary pressure in the sample to a region of zero capillary pressure in an open receiving vessel. The capillary forces existing in the core caupe the rock to tend to retain

Jan 1, 1952

By J. A. Singmaster

A REPORT that it did not pay to use present-day galvanized iron on account of the short life of the material, accompanied by proofs of the state-ment in the form of a tabulated history of the first costs of various kinds of building materials and their main-tenance expense, started an investigation of modern galvanized products. At the very outset it was apparent that our experience with galvanized products was by no means unique. Correspondence with the State Agricultural Depart-ments, the Agricultural Experiment Stations, the County Agents and State Granges all over the United States brought a mass of complaint on this same score. Visits to large buyers of galvanized sheet and wire revealed the same condition coupled with an ever-increasing use of substitutes for galvanized iron. We believe, therefore, that the title of this article is fully warranted by the experience of the consuming public. A study of the proceedings of the various societies having to do with the testing and use of sheet iron and steel products revealed a tremendous amount of work on the life of the base metal itself. Great stress was laid on differences in life of various types of iron and steel, the difference amounting at best to months rather than years. Very little recent attention has been paid to a study of the life of the zinc coating and the causes of its present-day lack of durability. There have been some real exposure studies published, how-ever, which show that the weight of the zinc coating determines the protection afforded by the galvanizing, which is of far greater influence on the life than the base-metal composition. An interesting paper was published by the Phillipine Journal of Science in 1916, entitled: "Galvanized Roofing in the Phillipines," a contribution from the Bureau of Science of the Phillipine Island Government. The author, Mr. Arguelles, found on 18 old galvanized sheets, after from 30 to 35 years' exposure, from 2.3 to 4.1 oz. of zinc per sq. ft. of sheet and sums up the study by saying: Of the various factors influencing the durability of galvanized iron which have been studied with a view towards accounting for the difference in behavior of old and modern sheet, it appears evident that the greater weight of zinc per unit of area on the former accounts for the greater durability.

Jan 10, 1922

By H. W. Hardinge

DISREGARDING for the present the economic side of a new device, let us turn to that feature of the conical pebble-mill which is of interest from a scientific point of view, and consider the device as a puzzle in which the theories of the cylindrical type of mill have been increased. Many articles have been written on the theory of the tube-mill, and explanations have been made which do not explain.; but these have evolved suggestions of practice which have resulted in changes in the tube as to length, diameter, feed, discharge, speed of rotation, rotation on hollow trunnions, rotation on rings, and changes in the operation as to quantity and size of pebbles, charge of load above or below the axis, crushing by causing the larger pieces of the material of the charge to act as grinders, etc. The practical worker in crushing is first interested in the endeavor to reach an economic means of accomplishing a desired end; but the improvements in crushing-practice have been largely left to the manufacturer of machinery, who, as a rule, has little, if any, knowledge of the specific requirements-such as sizing for concentration without pulverizing the metals, instead of pulverizing the rock or gangue; the metals being the more friable, while the rock is tough and not so easily disintegrated. A reversal of this practice is the aim of sliming direct for cyanidation. In the ordinary cylindrical mill, having a diameter of 4 or 5 ft. and a length of from 15 to 27 ft., it has been found that the maximum size of the particles of the charge must not exceed 1 mm. (about 25 mesh), some of which, upon entering the mill, is immediately reduced to a slime. The work upon the individual particle having been finished, it should be passed out of the mill; but, instead of this, the finely comminuted material

Jan 7, 1908

By Harold B. Goldman, Don Reining

The sand and gravel industry is the largest nonfuel mineral industry in the nation. In 1981, the production of sand and gravel totaled 755 million tons valued at $2.3 billion. California, which leads the nation with more than 110 million tons, together with Alaska, Texas, Michigan, and Ohio, account for 36% of the total production in the nation (Table 1). In commercial usage, sand applies to rock or mineral fragments ranging in size from particles retained on a No. 200 sieve (0.074 mm openings) to those passing a No. 4 sieve (4.76 mm openings). Gravel consists of rock or mineral fragments larger than 4.76 mm, ranging up to 88.9 mm (3 ½ -in.) maximum size. The construction industry consumes 97% of the sand and gravel produced; the remainder is sand used for specialized products such as glass (see the chapter on "Silica and Silicon"). Utilization The building industry uses sand and gravel chiefly as aggregate in portland cement concrete, mortar, and plaster; the paving industry uses sand and gravel in both asphaltic mixtures and portland cement concrete. Aggregate is commonly designated as the inert fragmental material which is bound into a conglomerate mass by a cementing material such as portland cement, asphalt, or gypsum plaster. Portland Cement Concrete Aggregates Portland cement concrete consists of sand and gravel surrounded and held together by hardened portland cement paste. Concrete mixes commonly contain 15-20% water, 7-14% cement, and 66-78% aggregate. Sand and gravel used as concrete aggregate have to meet many requirements (Goldman, 1956). Premature deterioration of concrete has been traced in many instances to the use of unsuitable aggregates. Asphaltic Aggregate Asphaltic mixtures used predominantly for paving consist of combinations of sand, gravel, and mineral filler (material finer than 0.003 in.), uniformly coated and mixed with asphalt produced in the refining of petroleum. Except for the addition of mineral filler, sand and gravel used as asphaltic aggregate must meet the same general physical requirements as materials used for portland cement concrete aggregate. General Requirements of Aggregates Construction aggregate has many requirements that are difficult to meet if only unprocessed material from natural deposits is used. Suitable material is composed of clean, uncoated, properly shaped particles which are sound and durable. Soundness and durability are terms used to denote the ability of aggre- [ ]

Jan 1, 1983

By T. R. Cass

THE renewed interest in titanium, resulting from its increasing application as a structural material, has stimulated basic deformation studies on this metal. In the course of our work, we have developed a dislocation etchant and applied it to a perfection study of melt-grown single crystals as well as to a preliminary investigation of plastic deformation in titanium. The etchant, Keller's etch (21 cu cm HF, 64 cu cm HC1, 106 cu cm HNO3, and 160 cu cm H20), reveals the emergence of both grown-in and fresh dislocations on pure titanium and a-phase Ti-Al single crystals. Pits are produced only on surfaces within a few degrees of the basal plane; the more exactly parallel to a basal plane the surface is, the more distinct are the pits. The observed pit density, however, does not appear to depend on the surface orientation; the pits simul- taneously become less distinct as the misorientation from a basal plane increases. Etch times are short, a few seconds, for pure titanium; longer times are necessary for alloy crystals.

Jan 1, 1968

By Reynold Q. Shotts

The small domestic underfeed stoker as now designed is unusually sensitive to the coking and plastic properties of coals, and when the attempt is made to burn the high rank coking and caking coals of the Appalachian fields, serious trouble may occur. Part of the trouble may be caused by the ash content and clinkering characteristics of the particular coal in use, but more often it is the result of an excessive ac-in of coke in the form of ''trees,, or masses in the fuel bed. Often the zone of burning becomes so restricted that the fire goes out, and in extreme cases the fire may be lifted completely out of the fuel bed and away from the air ports. Even if the fire is preserved, excessive coking may cause response to subsequent heat demand to be slow and irregular. Coke trees seem to grow most readily during periods of hold-fire operation, so that in order to preserve the fire in mild weather it is often necessary to set the timer for such a long operating period each hour that much unneeded and unwanted heat is developed, causing discomfort. During demand periods the fire may pick up so slowly that the intense burning which develops just before stoker cut-off causes a serious overshooting of the thermostat. Stoker coal performance tests which have been made in a number of labora- tories1,2,3,4,5 are one method of approach to the problem Of selecting stoker coals- As yet these tests have not been standardized and they are expensive and time-consuming. The value of the results probably increases with the length of the test. Sherman and co-workers at Battelle Memorial Institute believe that even a one-week test is not too reliable a trial2 and it is quite likely that Others will agree. A great advantage of such tests is that characteristics of coals, other than the tendency to form coke masses, may be evaluated from them. The selection of stoker coals would be greatly facilitated if there existed some simp1e measure Of the tendency Of a a to form coke in a fuel bed. Although possessing all Of the disadvantages Of any small-scale laboratory test, the test for the free-swelling index of coal has been found useful for evaluating the probable effects Of swelling properties upon combustion.7 Ostborg, Limbacherand Sherman, have shown that the test can Predict, roughly, the tendency Of coke to accumulate in the fuel bed Of a domestic stoker. They also gave instances of its value in predicting combustion behavior in some large installations. The use of the test for free-swelling index has become well established and has been adopted as a standard by the American Society for Testing Materials.8 When domestic stoker coal investigations began at the State Mine Experiment Station in the summer of 1944, it was decided

Jan 1, 1949

By R. T. Hukki

The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of the unit operation of grinding and the circulating load, of the unit operation of classification and the circulating load, and of the two superimposed into one operation to clarify the overall trend of events relating the circulating load to the capacity of the closed circuit grinding system, to the specific surface area of the final fine product, and to the energy consumption in the closed circuit grinding process. The capacity of the closed circuit is frequently, if not always, determined by the classifier, not by the mill." With these words a startling idea was expressed in 1934 by Dorr and Anable.1 Today, some 30 years later, grinding in closed circuit is universally accepted. The basic curve presenting the capacity factor versus circulating load by Dorr and Anable has obviously been so convincing that not a single authoritative investigation regarding its validity seems to have been conducted. The only major subject of discussion appears to have been the relative merits of the 'high' and 'low' circulating loads. It seems to be universally agreed that much still remains to be hoped for regarding sharpness of classification. BASIC CURVES FOR CONSTANT MILL LOADING Fig. 1 presents a series of basic curves for constant mill loadings in function of new feed rate and circulating load. The mill loading indicated by each curve is the sum of hourly tonnages of new feed and circulating load. For example, at point 0 where the new feed rate is 100 t/h and the circulating load 300%, or 300 t/h, the mill loading is 400 t/h. In closed circuit grinding, the new feed rate corresponds to the rate of finished classified material produced. Although at this stage the effect of classification is excluded in construction of the basic curves, the trend indicated by these curves is strongly in favor of closed circuit operation under relatively small circulating loads. A study of the curves reveals that, e.g., a mill operating under a load of 200 t/h at point P where the new feed rate is 50 t/h and the circulating load 300% will also operate under the same total load at point Q where the new feed rate is 100 t/h and the circulating load 100%. In other words, a reduction of circulating load from 300% to 100% would lead to doubling of the new feed rate and doubling of the rate of production of finished material, without a change in the total mill loading. The obvious question is, is it also possible by a reduction of the circulating load in a closed industrial grinding circuit to increase the production of finished classified material and, if so, how and to what extent? GRINDING TESTS BY DORR AND ANABLE In a series of open circuit grinding tests reported by Dorr and Anable1 limestone was ground at various feed rates in a 3-ft ball mill. The original data are reproduced in Table I. It can be seen that with the increased feed rate production of -65-mesh material increased and the energy consumption per unit weight of the -65-mesh product decreased in the reverse ratio. The data shown in Table I have been reproduced for our purposes in Table II for a scale corresponding to grinding in a large industrial mill. This reproduction

Jan 1, 1968

By Carl L. Renzoni

INTRODUCTION This paper defines equity as the issuance of a permanent interest in the business on a broadly distributed basis. As such, it excludes the issuance of equity to either a merchant bank or to another corporation. Nearly twenty years ago the equity markets were very simple: The instruments used were primarily common shares, convertible debentures or convertible preferred shares. Another equity-type option often used, especially by junior companies, was the sale of joint venture interests. Issue sizes were generally in the order of $25 - $100 million and issues were syndicated primarily in North America and Europe by one or two investment dealers. Mining corporations today benefit from a market with much more depth. Issues are syndicated by dealers on a truly international basis, and issue sizes now often range up to $300 million. Moreover, dealers are now willing to take significant risk in buying the issues for redistribution. This discussion of trends in equity markets will encompass: 1) common shares 2) warrants to buy common shares 3) convertible debentures 4) commodity backed instruments A review follows of events that affect the mining industry and investment dealers as they have a bearing on the equity markets for the metal producers. FACTORS AFFECTING THE MINING INDUSTRY The current business cycle, up to October 1987, had been characterised by a buoyant stock market and depressed base metal prices. Mining companies entered this period with weak balance sheets and little prospect of cash flows meeting capital needs. The issuance of equity and the sale of assets were used extensively to reduce debt to manageable levels. During this period, the relative high price for gold, and more important, the very high earnings and cash flow multiples afforded to gold producers, caused companies to target gold as the only game in town. The need for capital to acquire and develop gold properties prompted an unprecedented volume of equity issues. (Burns Fry led or co-managed over $1 billion of mining equity issues per year during this period). This high demand for equity capital by the industry prompted an increase in the use of equity instruments, such as commodity backed instruments. In addition, government tax incentive programs in Canada, such as flow-through shares, allowed smaller companies to raise significantly more equity than would otherwise have been possible. Over $1 billion in flow-through equity was raised in 1987 alone. The abundance of flow-through capital in Canada made it easy to form a new company. One flow-through share fund developed a system of providing the working capital required for a company to be eligible to receive flow-through share capital so that an entrepreneur required only a mining property to get started. Many new companies were formed and several flourished in a buoyant stock market environment to the point that market capitalizations grew to $100 million or more. The current period is in stark contrast to that before October 1987. The equity markets are generally available to the resource industry only on a window basis and only for senior companies and for special situations. The industry is benefitting from buoyant metal prices, and bankers are anxious to provide debt capital. Investment dealers previously processing several equity issues

Jan 1, 1990

By E. W. Newman

DURING 1943 and 1944, there was an urgent need for certain grades of optical calcite (Iceland spar) for instruments for military uses. To find a supply of this material, prospecting was carried out in Montana, California and Colorado. Although some production was obtained by the work in California, the best results were from prospecting the large calcite veins of south central Montana. The bulk of the optical calcite mined during World War II has come from that area. The Bureau of Mines took an active part in the search for optical calcite in Montana. It examined most of the known calcite veins in the 70-mile distance between Wilsall, on the Shields River, and Absarokee, on the Stillwater River, and conducted exploration on several of the deposits. The Geological Survey also took an active part by mapping many of the veins. Actual mining of the calcite was performed at first by Calcite Operators, Inc., and later by the Metals Reserve Co., through an agent. A sorting plant was established at Clyde Park, where custom material could be sold. These activities stimulated mining by private operators. To be suitable for military uses, the calcite mined had to meet rigid specifications as to both size and quality. Individual crystals had to be clear and transparent and if in the form of rhombs had to measure at least 7/8 in. on each edge. Some color and a few inclusions in the calcite were allowable, but material with incipient or developed cleavages, or showing twinning other than parallel to the base, was unacceptable. HISTORY OF DEPOSITS The existence of large veins of calcite in south central Montana has long been known, and for many years the farmers of this region have used the common vein calcite for producing grit for chicken feed. According to reports, the first optical calcite produced from Montana came from the Cartwright deposit near Greycliff,1 but until recently the mining of optical calcite in Montana has been limited to spasmodic searching for small crystals suitable for making nicol prisms for saccharimeters and microscopes, or for mineral specimens. The possible need of substantial amounts of optical calcite for military uses began to appear late in 1942 and early in 1943, therefore the Polaroid company began searching for a source of supply in Montana and California. Work on the Wade property near Clyde Park was started on a small scale in the fall of 1942, by A. H. Hansen, of Clyde Park. During the winter and spring of 1943, a modest quantity of optical calcite was mined and shipped to the Polaroid Corporation, Cambridge, Mass. Most of this was produced from the "Hansen vug," which was found close to the surface. Early in the summer of 1943, mining on the Wade property was undertaken by Calcite Operators, Inc., a company organized for mining optical calcite from the Montana and California deposits. This com-

Jan 1, 1945

By A. J. Boyer, T. R. Meadowcroft

An experimental determination has been made of the efject of surface diffusion on the vapor pressure obtained in a Kwudsen cell. The results show that a knife-edge orifice in a molybdenum lid may give erroneous results for the vapor pressure of silver. when a correction suggested by winterbottom and Hirth is made, the results become meaningful. Experimental work with cylindrical orifices in molyhdenz~m lids and knife-edge orifices in ceramic lids shows that good vapor-pressure results may he obtained when the orifice is designed so that ejfusion is the only significant source of weight loss. THE Knudsen effusion cell technique has been used by many investigators to study relative and absolute vapor pressures over metals and alloys at elevated temperatures. As a result of this interest, some theoretical studies have been made of geometric factors affecting effusion from the orifice of a Knudsen cell. A review of these studies has been made by Margrave.1 Recently, Winterbottom and Hirth2 have suggested that a physical effect, that of condensation, surface diffusion, and re-evaporation, may seriously affect Knudsen cell measurements, especially when a knife-edge orifice is used. Inasmuch as many of the present vapor-pressure data have been obtained using knife-edge orifices. it was felt that an experimental evaluation of the effect of surface diffusion on Knudsen cell measurements would be of value both in the design of the cell orifice and in establishing realistic estimates of the limits of error for existing data. The experimental program was in two sections. Firstly, measurements of the vapor pressure of silver were made in cells with cylindrical and conical orifices in which the surface-diffusion contribution to the weight loss should be negligible. These results were correlated with existing data to give a reliable measure of the real vapor pressure of silver. Secondly, measurements made using knife-edge orifices were corrected using the surface-diffusion theory of Winterbottom and Hirth2 and were then compared to the real values. The experimental arrangement is shown in Fig. 1. The balance was an Ainsworth RV-AU-1 automatic recording microbalance capable of measuring weight changes of ±0.02 mg on a total load of up to 100 g. The temperature was measured by an optical pyrometer signted on the bottom of the suspended crucible. The temperature readings were calibrated in a separate experiment in which pyrometer measurements were made while at the same time thermocouple readings were taken of the temperature at the inside top and bottom of the crucible. The range of reproducibility with this technique was ±4°C. A constant voltage source maintained a temperature of ±2°C at 1200°C over 10 hr. Silver of 99.99 pct purity was used in nonporous alumina crucibles. Lids of molybdenum, tantalum, or magnesia were cemented to the crucible using a sodium silicate cement. Table I shows the characteristics of the lids used. The vapor pressure is obtained using the basic Knudsen formula:

Jan 1, 1965

By J. D. Forrester

Many have been prone to credit the decline of professional interest in some branches of mineral industry education to the industrialists and other agencies who use our graduates. We hear the cry that industrial salaries are too low, opportunities for advancement do not exist, and the mineral industry specifically and generally is not interested in the engineer's efforts. Perhaps the time now has come when we should "dress-ranks," examine our practices, and publicize and encourage advanced technical training instead of laying all our troubles elsewhere. There can be no doubt but that industry is interested and stands ready and willing to co-operate. This is demonstrated by the numerous grants-in-aid and co-operative industrial projects which have been made available to those relatively few schools which have been encouraging graduate study and research. There is no dearth of research problems in any of the mineral industry fields and the sooner we realize the great opportunities for constructive, technical research in all areas of our profession the sooner we will reap the benefits of our engineering enterprises by closer liaison and broader understanding with industry. An analysis is offered here of the status of graduate work and research in various phases of mineral industry education in the United States. It is

Jan 1, 1949