Blogs
Froth Flotation Process
Table of ContentsFROTH FLOTATIONFroth Flotation HandbookBubble Contact Angle Froth FlotationHow Flotation Chemicals are UsedFunctions of Flotation ReagentsClassification of Flotation ReagentsFlotation Processing Costs The Froth Flotation Process is about taking advantage of the natural hydrophobicity of liberated (well ground) minerals/metals and making/playing on making them hydrophobic (water-repel) individually to carefully separate them from one another and the slurry they are in. For
Aluminum Alloys – Chemical Spot Tests
Table of ContentsSampling DeviceSample PapersProcedure for Making TestsDescription of TestsTests for ZincPretreated PapersUntreated PapersTests for Copper and ManganesePretreated PapersUntreated PapersTests for MagnesiumPretreated PapersUntreated PapersOther TestsTest for Magnesium-Silicon AlloysTest for Magnesium-Base AlloysSafety PrecautionsIdentification Scheme The Bureau of Mines is developing technology which will contribute to realizing the most effective use of recycled metals. Development of improved methods for the rapid identification
Dispersion Strengthening of Lead by Coprecipitation Method
This research was conducted as a part of a Bureau of Mines aim to promote more efficient use of mineral-based materials. The objective of the study was to prepare high-strength, creep-resistant lead utilizing the coprecipitation method of dispersion strengthening. The excellent corrosion resistance of lead and its sound attenuation capability, easy formability, and other advantageous properties have not been fully
Heavy Liquid Cyclone Separation
Table of ContentsDescription of Heavy LiquidDescription of Continuous OperationSemi-continuous TestsContinuous TestsTests for Removal of Heavy Liquid From Continuous Plant Products Kyanite ore deposits occur in the Southeastern United States. The ore reserves in this area are estimated at about 100 million tons having an average grade range from 10 to 30 percent kyanite. The Graves Mountain kyanite-quartz rock ore deposit
Treatment High Clay Potash Ores by Flotation
Table of ContentsAttrition and Slime RemovalConditioningFlotationBatch Flotation Tests on Potash OresClosed-Circuit- Laboratory Flotation Tests On Potash OresSingle-Circuit Total Ore Flotation TestsSplit-Circuit Flotation TestsFlotation for Recovery of Granular and Coarse Potash Concentrates Potassium is one of the three basic plant nutrients along with nitrogen and phosphorus. There is no substitute for potassium compounds in agriculture; they are essential to maintain and
How to Separate Columbium, Tantalum, Titanium and Zirconium
Waste products from the chlorination of rutile present a serious disposal problem because of the toxicity of some of the metallic ions when waste residues are dissolved in water and HCl gas is released into the atmosphere. Previous work showed that the water-soluble portion of the chlorination waste contained chloride and chloride-oxide complexes of Cb, Ta, Ti, Zr, Al, Cr,
Mercury Detector
The Bureau of Mines recognized the need for a high-sensitivity mercury detector years ago and undertook the development of such an instrument at the Denver research facility. Although the detector has been used primarily in mining applications, the instrument could readily be adapted for use in pollution measurement. The amplifier circuit is designed for use in analytical laboratories where low-level
Use Recycled Waste Glass as Flux for Clay Firing
Table of ContentsRaw MaterialsWaste GlassBond ClaysFluxing TestsGlass Particle SizeClay-to-Glass RatiosHeat RequirementsFiring Time The Bureau of Mines Tuscaloosa Metallurgy Research Laboratory is conducting waste utilization research concerned with the development of building products from metal-free inorganic materials separated from municipal incinerator residues in the Bureau’s continuous residue-processing plant at the Edmonston Laboratory of the College Park Metallurgy Research Center. This is
How to Remove Bismuth from Lead
The Betts electrolytic process was for many years the only method available for debismuthizing lead Kroll suggested the use of calcium to form a high-melting-point Ca-Bi intermetallic compound that could be separated from molten lead. This process, however, was not used industrially. About a decade later, Betterton developed a commercially feasible process using a combination of calcium arid magnesium for
Hydrochloric Acid Leaching Trisodium Phosphate, Zinc, and Iron from Sludge
Table of ContentsMaterialsPhosphate SludgesSolventsChemistry of ExtractionsExperimental Procedures and ResultsAutomobile SludgeDissolution and Extraction of Iron and ZincTrisodium Phosphate ProductAppliance SludgeDissolution and Iron ExtractionZinc ExtractionDiscussion As part of its solid-waste research, the Bureau of Mines is engaged in a broad program to develop low-cost processes for recovering and recycling metals and minerals from a variety of industrial wastes. One benefit is the
How to Reduce Surface Hot Shortness of Copper Bearing Steels
Table of ContentsExperimental ProcedureIsothermal Scaling StudiesGeneral Scale ZonesOcclusion of Copper by ScaleSimulated Ingot Heating Studies of Copper Steels Containing SiliconBorax Coating Studies The use of controlled steel silicon content or the application of borax coatings showed promise in preventing molten copper from forming on the surface of steels containing up to 1 pct Cu when these steels were heated to
How to Recover Aluminum & Precious Metals from Electronic Scrap
Table of ContentsRecover Aluminum & Precious Metals from Electronic ScrapElectronic Aluminum ScrapThree-Layer Electrorefining ProcessApparatusCompartment Electrorefining ProcessApparatus Our Solid Waste Program is directed toward three main areas of research: (1) Extraction of mineral, metal, and energy values from urban refuse; (2) recovery of mineral and metal values from wastes generated in the industrial utilization of raw materials and mineral-base products; and
Extraction of Manganese by Leaching
Table of ContentsMaterials UsedGeorgia UmberLeach LiquorsExperimental WorkCocurrent ExtractionPurification of Pregnant Leach LiquorsChemical PrecipitationIon ExchangeAutoclave DigestionAir OxidationOther Exploratory TestingCentrifuge Tests Demand for manganese continues to grow, but essentially all manganese used in the United States is imported. Although large deposits of low-grade manganese minerals are located in this country, domestic manganese producers have been unable to compete with the foreign ore
Recovery of Silver and Mercury by Electrolytic Oxidation
Table of ContentsMaterials and ProceduresResults and DiscussionElectrooxidation of Unionville TailingsElectrooxidation of Austin TailingsElectrooxidation of Zacatecas TailingsRecovery of Silver and Mercury From the Pregnant Solutions Silver was one of the first metals known to man, and metallurgical processes for the recovery of silver from ores date back into antiquity. Mercury amalgamation and retorting to recover metallic silver from slags, mine tailings,
Drop Weight Impact Tester
Table of ContentsTheoretical ConsiderationsInterpretation of Force-Time ProfilesExperimental ApparatusDrop TesterForce GageReaction Detection InstrumentationExperimental StudiesForce-Time ProfileExplosivesTime-to-Reaction DataData ReproducibilityEnergy and Pressure DataExplosive Thickness Effect For many years, the impact test has been one of several techniques used to determine explosive sensitivity. This test has provided a useful index having practical value; however, it provides only an ordering of the sensitivities of a series
Electrically Leach Molybdenum by Oxidation
Classic flotation and roasting procedures for recovering molybdenum oxide from molybdenum source materials frequently result in low recovery of molybdenum. This is particularly true in molybdenum flotation from porphyry copper ores where difficulties can he encountered in refloating molybdenite which has been recycled to rougher and cleaner flotation sequences. Because copper-molybdenum separation may be less than desired, a portion of
Impact Crushing Size Distribution
Table of ContentsExperimental ProcedureAnalysis of Size DistributionCalibration of Screen AnalysesExperimental ResultsSize ReductionReproducibilityEffect of Velocity of ImpactEffect of Sample SizeSize Reduction as Function of Input Energy and Initial Particle SizeSize DistributionEvaluation and Interpretation Although the comminution process has undergone much experimental study, there is not yet an adequate theoretical basis for predicting the mean size and size distribution of the product
Extraction Process Sm2O3 Samarium Leaching
Table of ContentsEvaluation of Strip SolutionsEffect of NH4Cl Concentration on Mass Transfer and SeparationEffect of Organic Diluent on Mass Transfer and SeparationEffect of pH on Mass Transfer and SeparationTemperature Effect on Sm/Nd SeparationCountercurrent Mixer-Settler Studies The growth in demand for certain lanthanides has resulted in the development of industrial processes for their separation and purification from source materials. These operations
Electrowinning of Titanium
Table of ContentsCircular 12-Inch-Diameter CellSolid Materials Composite DiaphragmsLoose Fill Materials Composite DiaphragmsRectangular Cell Composite diaphragms were constructed and used for the electrowinning of Ti from TiCl4 to eliminate some of the problems associated with diaphragm failure. High-purity titanium (Ti) was previously electrowon from titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) fed into a molten electrolyte (520° C) composed of lithium chloride, potassium chloride, and
How Pipe Geometry Affects Flow Velocity & Head Loss
Table of ContentsExperimentationSolid ParticlesApparatusExperimental ProceduresResults and AnalysesDelivered Solids ConcentrationData Presentation and InterpretationMathematical Representation and Pipe Shape FactorMinimum Carrying VelocityCharacteristicsDetermination and ComparisonHead LossSeparation of Slurry Head LossComparison of Clear Water Head Loss Using Darcy’s EquationComparison of Solids Head Loss Using Durand’s EquationHead Loss RatioSolids Head Loss of Circular Pipe and Noncircular PipeReduction of Slurry Head Loss Transporting solids in pipelines generally
Leach Gold by Sodium Hypochlorite / Chlorine & Electrolytic Oxidation
Table of ContentsMaterials Equipment and ProceduresResults and DiscussionOxidation by NaOCl AdditionOxidation by Chlorine AdditionElectrooxidation The extraction of gold from ores that contain carbon and organic compounds has presented a problem to the cyanide mill operator ever since the widespread adoption of this classical dissolution technique in the late 1800’s. The problem was studied in 1924 by Leaver and Woolf. More
Classification Solid and Liquid Oxidizers
Table of ContentsProposed Burning Rate Test for Solid OxidizersProposed Ignition Hazard Test for Liquid OxidizersClassification of Oxidizers by Proposed Test Methods We recently prepared recommendations on methods of evaluating and classifying flammable liquids and solids for use in government transportation regulations. This report is the third in this series and describes the classification of oxidizing materials which are defined in
Classification Flammable Solids
Table of ContentsProposed Method for Flammable SolidsProposed Method for Extremely Flammable SolidsClassification of Flammable Solids by Proposed Test Methods The Bureau of Mines research programs are partly directed to developing safety guidelines for the reduction of fires and explosions in industries that produce, transport, or utilize mineral fuels and their products. As a result of a request by the Department
Bin Hopper Flow Design & Engineering
Table of ContentsReview of the Empirical ApproachFlow-No Flow CriteriaFlow Rate FormulasFlow Regime ConsiderationsCritique of the Empirical ApproachReview of the Phenomenological ApproachFlow-No Flow CriteriaFlow Rate FormulasFlow Regime ConsiderationsCritique of the Phenomenological Approach A detailed Bin Hopper Flow Design & Engineering Study: The mining industry in the United States alone produces nearly 4 billion tons of new bulk materials annually that has