Copper Cementation on Iron
Cementation of copper onto iron is a historically old process for recovery of copper from leach solutions. Although about 13 percent of the Nation’s primary copper production is from cementation, this process remains more of an art than a science. The literature on cementation is extensive, but a thorough review shows that until about 1965 […]
Rare Earth & Hydrogen Oxygen Fuel Cell
The activity of rare-earth compounds for catalysis of the hydrogen-oxygen reaction is of interest because of their possible use for electrocatalysis of the cathode reaction of a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell. Although platinum metal has been widely used as a fuel cell catalyst, its high price and relatively limited supply prohibit its use in truly large-scale […]
Tailings Pond Seepage
This report is a sequel to earlier Bureau of Mines investigations which indicated the need for a seepage environmental research investigation relative to the slime zone of a typical tailings pond. In the previous studies, slope stability and location of phreati.c surface were of prime concern; consequently, only the outer portion of the pond embankment […]
Silver Barite Treatment Method
The Calico mining district in California contains extensive deposits of low-grade silver ore. The deposits cover a large area and constitute an important silver reserve if difficult concentration problems can be solved. The deposits also contain barite, which, if recovered as a byproduct during treatment of the silver ores, might contribute to the economic returns […]
Hydraulic Backfill Support
Mining companies have been confronted with a multitude of production problems in their endeavors to extract maximum quantities of ore at minimal costs. These problems are further compounded by the harsh mining conditions of deep vein operations, such as those found in the Coeur d’ Alene mining district of Idaho. One of the major obstacles […]
Underground Mine Design
The minerals industry in the field of Underground Mine Design is presently faced with the problem of meeting a rapidly increasing domestic and foreign demand for its mineral resources. This increased demand has added to the problems already plaguing the industry increased land, labor, and material costs; increased foreign competition; more rigid Federal and State […]
Mill Tailings Dam Stability
The reconnaissance-level investigations were carried out to gather supplemental data to the in-depth studies of Kennecott’ s Magna and Phelps Dodge’s Morenci tailings deposits and Kennecott’s Chino leaching dump. The data were obtained by personnel of W. A. Wahler and Associates to determine to what extent the disposal systems and techniques used at the three […]
Rapid Particle Hydrosizing Size Analysis
The knowledge of particle size distributions is a critical factor in the monitoring, control and optimization of many processes. This is particularly true of the mineral beneficiation industry, where comminution, the reduction of particle size, accounts for a major source of the processing costs. As an example, it is not uncommon in current taconite operations […]
How to Analyse Blast Furnace Slag
From May 1951 to March 1967, the Bureau of Mines, as part of its iron and steelmaking research program, operated a series of experimental blast furnaces. The first furnaces were located in Pittsburgh; later furnaces were constructed and operated at the Bruceton, Pa., facility just outside of Pittsburgh. With these furnaces, because of the shorter […]
How to Recover Zinc & Lead from Brass Smelter Dust
The recovery and recycling of metals from process wastes is a major research effort of the Bureau of Mines. The present work was undertaken by the Rolla Metallurgy Research Center to develop data that could be used in a pyrometallurgical process to recover zinc and lead from the flue dust generated in the secondary smelting […]