A Preliminary Report on Uranium, Radium, and Vanadium

Richard Bishop Moore, Karl Ludwig Kithil · 1913 · Historical

A Preliminary Report on Uranium, Radium, and Vanadium by Richard Bishop Moore, Karl Ludwig Kithil (1913). Full text and reference in the Mountain Man Mining…

Public-domain full text preserved in the Mountain Man Mining Library. Original source: archive.org.

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Bulletin 70

Mineral Technology 2

Department Of The Interior Bureau Of Mines

JOSEPH A. HOLMES. Dibbctob

A Preliminary Report

Uranium, Radium, And Vanadium

Richard B. Moore And Karl L. Kithil

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Firat edition. October, 1913.

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Contents.

Preface 7

Inttoductioa B

Acknowledgmento 9

The camotite depositfl of Colorado and Utah 9

Description of depositB 9

Coal Creek,'Coio 10

SfcuU Croek. Colo 11

Split Mountain, Utah 13

Green River, Utah 13

Content of Green River ores 16

Table Mountain, Utah 16

Tbompaone dlBtrict, Utah 16

Paradox Valley and Bumounding diatricta 18

Long Park, Colo 21

Club Ranch, Colo 24

Saucer Bafdn, Colo 25

East Paradox Valley , north aide 26

Bast Paradox Valley, eouth side ,26

Bull Canyon, Colo 28

Mclntyre diBtrict 29

Hydraulic, Colo 29

Origin of the depoBil£ 29

Mining methoda and coat of mining 32

Tnmaportation and prices 33

Concentration ot oree 36

Necessity for concentration 36

Wet concentration 36

Reeulta of wet concentration teata 37

Dry concentration 38

Coet of concentration 39

Pooaibility ot chemical treatment 41

General atatement 41

Pitchblende deposita 43

Description of deposits in the United 8tata. 43

North Carolina deposita 43

Colorado deposits 43

Kiikmine 43

(iermaii and Belcher mines 46

The Calhoun mine 46

The Wood mine 46

Wast ot low-grade ore 46

Concentration of low-grade pitchblende ores 47

European pitchblende deposits 47

Uranium deposits in Portugal 49

Uranium ores in Australia 50

Vanadium from ores other than camotite

San Miguel County, Colo., deposits

Huerfano County, Colo., depositfl

Cutter, N. Mex., deposits.

Eagle County, Colo. , deposits

Deposifa in other States

Depoaita of patronite in Peru

Production of uranium, vanadium, and radium

Uses of vanadium, uranium, and radium

TlBes of vanadium

UseB of uranium

Uies of ladium

Kadium iuBtitutee

Market value of radium salts

Radioactive methods for testing ores . .

Method o( usii the electroecope for approximate determination8.

Method of using the electroecope for exact detnninations

Standardization of the electroscope

Correction for standardization

Method for exact determination of radium

Commercial methods of treatment of oree

Bleeker process for the recovery of vanadium

Haynes-Engle process for the recovery of uranium and vanadium

Koenig procesB ior the recovery of vanadium

Fischer process of extracting vanadium from camotite

Method used by Primos Chemical Co

Fleck method of extracting uranium and vanadium

Badclifi method for complex radium ores

Treatment of camotite ores with nitric or hydrochloric acid

Bleeker process of separating uranium from vanadium

Process of extracting vanadic acid from copper vanadate

Austrian method of extracting radium from pitchblende

Analytical methods for uranium and vanadium

Methods for the analysis of carnotite

Method for the determination of uranium and vanadium. . . .

Method for the determination of vanadium

Method for the determination of uranium

Volumetric method for uranium in camotite and vanadiferous

Gravimetric method for vanadium and uranium in carnotito and other ores .

Separation of alumina

Rapid method for the determination of vanadium in ores in the pres-

Minerak of uranium and vanadium

Publications on mineral technoliy and methods of mining

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Illustrations.

Platr I. Part of uiamum and vanadium ore rion in Utah and Colondo 10

II. A, Stratum of caniotit and vanadic aandstone o( ThompeoiiB depositfi, Utah.; B, Opening of North Star mine, Loi Park, Colo.,

ehowing outcropping camotite 16

III. A, Opening and dump of the Swindler mine, Long Park, Colo.; S, Clifi mine, Saucer Basin, Paradox Valley, showing 4-foot etxatum of carnotite and vanadium ore between tlie points marked by the

bat and the spade blade 24

IV. A, Cliff mine, &tucker Basin, Paxadox Valley. Another view of 4'foot stratum of carnotite and vanadium ore; B, Electroscope for det-

mining the radium content of an we 26

PiouRB X. Sketch map of Paradox Valley 22

2. AppamtUB for separating emanation from uraninite 67

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Preface.

Early in 1912, from information received by the Bureau of Mines, it became evident that laie quantities of valuable material were being wasted in mining the rare-metal ores of the West. In pursuance of its endeavors to increase efficiency in the miningand treatment of mineral resources in the United States, the bureau assigned Dr. R. B. Moore, physical chemist, and K. L, Kithil, mineral technologist, to investigations covering the production of uranium and vanadium ores, the elimination of waste in mining, and the development of methods for working up valuable raw material into finished products. In the chemical side of the investigation Dr. Moore has been assisted by C. F. Whittemore, to whom credit should be given for the analytical work appearing in the following pages. Mr. Eithil has been engaged with Dr. Moore in a study of the general problem, and has personally given especial attention to the development of mining and concentration methods.

As a result of this investigation it has been definitely shown that, although the Austrian Government has conserved its own resources of uranium and radium by purchasing the Joachimsthal mines and by carefully supervising pitchblende production, the deposits of radiumbearing minerals in the United States are being rapidly depleted by wasteful exploitation, chiefly for the benefit of foreign markets.

Seemingly the country has been quite unaware of the extent to which uranium ores have been sent abroad. Investigation has developed the fact that during the year 1912 camotite ores carrying 28.8 tons of uranium oxide were produced and that practically the entire amount was exported. The major part of this ore carried between 2 and 3 per cent U,Og, as it appears that no ore carrying less than 2 per cent can at present prices bear the cost of transportation. This means that S.S grams of radium chloride, or an equivalent 11.43 grams of radium bromide, will be obtained from the ore shipped from this country in 1912. Only one American company has been preparing radium salts of a high degree of radioactivity and its product has only recently been offered for sale. The American ores exported were purchased for their radium content. It is improbable that all of the ores exported are now represented by finished product, but the 1912 production of radium from American ores can not have been much less than the quantity mentioned, for uranium was being shipped abroad in almost equal quantities in 1911, and is atiU being

8 Pbeface .

aold for future manufacture. It can probably be definitely stated that in 1912 there was obtained from American ores nearly two and one-halt times as much radium as from all other sources combined.

In the mining of uranium ore, for every ton marketed there are at present some 5 tons of low-grade material thrown on the dump and much more left in the 'mine awaiting only a feasible concentration process for commercial exploitation. Mr. Kithil has shown that elutriation can be applied to both uranium and vanadium ores and that a large proportion of the valuable material now going to waste can be readily obtained in marketable condition. If water is not available, air separators may be used, or other devices for dry separration. The uranium deposits of Colorado and Utah are being rapidly depleted for foreign exploitation, and it would seem to be almost a patriotic duty to develop an industry that will retain the radiiun in America.

Although no one can predict with certainty the value of radium or its possible application to science or medicine, the subject is certainly welJ worthy of investigation by our highest scientific authorities, and, under proper technical control, it opens to American industry a profitable field for exploitation.

Although at $90 per milligram for radium chloride the total value of the radium shipped in 1912 amounts only to $792,000 and the mining and separation of the ore can accordingly be considered only as one of our snudler industries, the fact should be noted that of this amount approximately $710,000 went into foreign hands and opened to foreign medicine and science opportunities in this most promising field that have been denied to our own people except by repurchasing the manufactured radium compounds at an almost prohibitive price.

France, Austria, England, and Germany have their radium institutes fostered by their Governments or by philanthropic foimdations. Up to the present time, although the United States has been furnishing a laie part of the material for these foreign investigations, comparatively httle has been done in the hospitals and laboratories of this country.

Chables L, Parsons,

Oaef, IHvisuyn of Mineral Technology.

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A Pkeliminart Report On Urabium, Radium, And Vanadium.

By KiOHABD B. MooBE and Karl L. Kithil.

Introdttction.

This bulletin presents a summary of available infonnation regarding the sources of uranium, radium, and vanadium, the methods used in treating the ores, and the uses of the finished products. In particular the paper describes the orea found in the United States, giving special attention to those characteristics of the ores and the conditions of their occurrence that affect mining and treatment.

Acknowledgments .

In the preparation of this bulletin a number of persons rendered assistance by furnishing information and by making it possible for us to visit the camotite deposits in western Colorado and eastern Utah at a time of the year when without this assistance it would have been difficult to obtain satisfactory results. We desire to express our thanks to the following persons: Henry Hall, W. L. Cummings, T. V. Curran, K. D. Hequemboui, David Taylor, H. C. Brown, Forbes Rickard, Geoie W, Alsdorf, Dr. Herman Fleck, Orr J. Adams, C. S. Cherrington, Newt. Stewart, O. B. WiUmarth, Angus Cameron, George A. Head, and Lorimer Bros.

In addition, we also wish to express our cordial thanks to Charles F. Whittemore for a number of chemical analyses made by bim and for other valuable assistance.

The Carnotite Deposits Op Colorado And Utah.

Dbscbiftion Of Dbpostts.

Up to the present the camotite deposits of Colorado and Utah have excited little interest outside of those two States, although they are the most importuit uranium-bearing deposits known in the world. During the fall of 1912 the authors were able to visit the more important localities, which are scattered over a considerable area, as shown

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10 . UBANIUM, BADIUM, AND VANADtUU.

by the accompanying map (PI. I). A description of the deposits visited follows:

Coal Cbbek, Oolo.

TTie Coal Creek deposits of camotite are 14 miles northeast of Meeker, the county seat of Rio Blanco Comity, Colo. The claims, 10 in nmnber, are reached by wagon road and lie east of Spurlock Ranch, just beyond Henry Ranch. Little more than prospect work has been done and it is difficult to estimate the extent of the deposits.

The camotite occurs in the lower bed of a group of beds of massive white sandstone that underhes the Dakota sandstone (conglomerate). The outcrops are on or near the hogback ridge that is formed by the lowest and most massive bed. For further details of the geology, the reader is referred to Gale's work."

On the Caywood claims nine prospect pits were examined, of which several show no signs of camotite. No. i shows none; in No. 2, about 1,000 feet above Coal Creek and 300 feet higher than No. 1, is an exposure of sandstone colored a light green in streaks and layers for a thickness of about 6 feet from the top ; the entire rock is somewhat impregnated with the color, which is due to chromium. In this pit no camotite ore is exposed. Some petrified wood was found at its bottom, also showing chromimn stains.

The next pit, No, 3, just below No. 2, and southwest of it on the same hill, contains a petrified tree about 12 inches in diameter lying halfway across the pit. Cracks and interstices in this tree, which is rusty brown, are filled with powdery yellow camotite. The sandstone for 1 foot below the tree carries good ore. Under the grass roots the sandstone is soft and rather heavily impregnated with camotite. Farther below, in the white sandstone, a brownish-yellow streak occurs, underlying which is a somewhat richer yellow material a few inches in thickness. On the right aide of the pit, near the bottom, is a brownish-colored rock containing vanadium.

About 15 feet northwest from pit No. 3 is another opening in which is exposed a part of the petrified tree that is exposed in pit No. 3. Interstice in the tree, as in pit No. 3, are filled with rich yellow camotite. In this prospect hole no other signs of camotite were observed. The next pit, No. 5, about 12 feet from the one just described, shows only some yellow-colored sandstone at its mouth. In the sandstone below is a layer of black to dark-brown, much decomposed, material, rich in vanadium.

East and about 1,000 feet higher up on the ride, at an elevation of about 9,500 feet, and near the top of the highest peak of the mountain, are the so-called Elkhom claims. There are two prospect pits, in the first of which, at a depth of 9 feet measured from the

o Ottle, H. 8,, Camotite In Rio Blanoo County, Colo.; tl. S. Owl. Surrey Bull. 31S, IflO), pp. 110-117.

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OABNOniE DEPOSITS OF COLOBADO AND UTAH. 11

top, a streak of dark-brown to black material about 12 inches thick is embedded in the sandstone that imderlies the conglomerate (Dakota sandBtone). No showing of camotite was seen in the pit. The second opening, about 10 feet north of the first, shows the same occurrence of the dark-brown material near the top; about 10 feet below the surface is a layer of sandstone strongly impregnated with camotite; this layer thickens to about 13 inchee. The ore here is more Uke the camotite-bearing sandstone of Paradox Valley in the southern part of the State. Scattered over the surface of the hillside are pieces of petrified wood.

Chi the west side of the same mountain, but below pits Nos. 4 and 5, is the Caywood No. 6 daim. Here the yellow color is noticeable only where the sandstone has been exposed to the air. Beneath the surface no stains are visible. The pieces of ore lying on the dump and exposed to the air show the discoloration to a marked degree. A bed of carbonaceous material 6 to 14 inches thick lies in the sandstone about 3 feet below the surface.

Several hundred feet to the southwest are the Caywood Nos. 7 and S claims. Pit No. 7 has no indication of ore. In No. 8 the sandstone is slightly discolored with yellow camotite. Southeastward and down the same hill is a tunnel (No. 0) containing only thin streaks of yellow ore. At the bottom of the face of the ttmnel is a streak of black carbonaceous material 2 inches thick.

The development at this place is not sufficient to give any definite idea of the extent of the deposits. They are patchy and it is far from certain that the ore will be found in commercial quantities.

The freight rate for ore is about 75 cents per 100 pounds from Meeker to Rifle, and about 25 to 50 cents per 100 pounds from the deposit to Meeker.

Skull Oeeek, Colo.

Another occurrence of camotite and other vanadium ores is found in the northwestern part of Colorado, The deposits are in SkuU Creek Basin in Routt County, 65 nules west of Meeker, 42 miles east of Jensen, Utah, and about 18 miles east of the Colorado-Utah line. The deposits are best reached from Mack, Colo., a station on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, by the Uintah Railroad (narrow gage) to Watson, and thence by stage to Vernal, Utah, where an outfit can be obtained to bring the traveler by way of Jensen to Skull Creek.

These deposits are between Wolf and Red Wash Creeks and are found in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, in the hogbacks of white sandstone." Red clays and shales underhe the camotite and

Llad miueraia In westeni Routt County, Cola.; U. S. Oeol. Survey

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12 Ttbanium, Badium, And Vanadium.

vanadium bearing strata. Between the white sandstone which carries the carnotite and the conglomerate (Dakota sandstone) there is ft series of beds composed of variegated clays and marls with limestone layers.

Several of the claims were examined. The Lookout claim is on a hill, locally termed Uranium Hill, on the west side of Skull Creek Basin. The north side of the hill shows layers of green-stained white sandstone. The green material also occurs as incrustations and in muiy places is cemented with gypsum. The outcrops also show larger quantities of dark-brown and black materials, many of which cany vanadium. In two of the drifts the surface shows a beautiful color effect from green, dark-brown, black, and light-brown layers. The green color is due to malachite with many specks of blue azurite. These stains can be traced along the north side of the mountain toward the west for a considerable distance. Yellow coloring is rare.

Other claims are on top of Skull Creek Mountain, on the east side of Skull Creek Basin, about 500 feet above the valley. These deposits are difficult to reach as the steep ascent of an eroded crevice in the face of the rock on the south side of the mountain must be used. From the first pit in the little Emma claim on top of the hogback 10 tons of carnotite was shipped to Germany, but the ore was found to be too low in UgOg. From aH appearances it seems that the prospector has opened up the drift just above the camotite-bearing horizon that lies under the excavations. The rock pitches about 40° SW. The sandstone that carries the carnotite also contains copper. Overlying the carnotite ore is much green-stained sandstone, its color being largely due to malachite. Underlying the carnotite is a thin streak of black, soft, coal-like material, and also an ore with green, as well as yellow, stains due to carnotite and probably mala chite. The following layers were observed on the hanging wall of the opened drift, from top to bottom:

White material (calcite).

Sandstone with incrustation of bright greenish and yellow tint (1 to 2 inches).

Dark-brown vanadium and uranium ore with yeUow specks (2 to 5 inches).

Thin sandy layer, dark brown to black (vanadium).

White sandstone with green impregnation (several feet).

Earthy blackish-brown streak carrying vanadium.

Several other claims lie along the hogback ridge for several miles in a westerly direction in the same group of strata. These were not examined owing to lack of time. The ores seem to be mostly vana dium and copper ores containing some uranium, the valuable minerals being in the white sandstone underlying the conglomerate frequently referred to as Dakota sandstone.

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Cabkotitb Deposits Of Ooloeado And Utah. 13

From the development work done it is impossible to obtain any correct idea as to the extent of these deposits.

BPUT MOiniTAIN, UTAH.

A depict of urauimii ore bad been reported at Little Split Momitain in the vicinity of Mand Park, near tbe Horse Sboe Bend of Green River, Uinta Comity, Utah, but on investigation no such occurrence was found.

The road from Jensen by way of Rainbow Park to Island Park is rough, especially between Rainbow and Island Parks, across the mesa. The locfitity visited is about 30 miles northeast of Jensen and the trip takes an entire day. From Island Park a trail 6 miles long leads over steep mountains and through ravines to the claims on the north side of Green River. There are also some claims on the south side of the river, which cuts the mountain in two.

No m-anium or vanadium ore was found. Only tbe claims on tbe north side of the river were investigated, there being several prospect pits, drifts, and shafts. Near tbe base of the moimtain, just above the river, is a laige mass of limestone breccia; overlying this is a decomposed sbaly rock carrying iron but no camotite. Tbe layers are 20 feet thick and are thinly foliated. Just above the shale is a soft, brownish-black carbonaceous streak, 6 inches thick. Ovei lying this streak is decomposed material of sbaly appearance, somewhat similar to that mentioned above. This is overlain by 3 feet of white sandstone that shows narrow veins of malachite and azurite and is well impregnated with these carbonates. Above the sandstone is 6 to 8 inches of black coal-like material. At the bottom of the drift is a black shale carrying streaks of white sandstone about 1 inch thick that show small round green and blue specks of the copper carbonates.

The south side of the river was not examined, but in tbe openings on the claims tbe same stratification is said to be visible. The orebearing bed continues on that side of tbe river, but 500 feet up the mountain side, showing that the river has cut it in two. There is said to be a 40-foot shaft and an open cut 75 feet loi.

Qbben Biveb, Utah.

West and south of Green River, Utah, the San Raphael swell reaches a height of several hundred feet above the surrounding plain. The main axis rmis almost north and south. The eastern side is much eroded and the beds of sandstone, shale, and conglomerate are tilted at various angles. San Raphael River cuts eastward across tbe northern part of the swell, turns south through the valley that divides tbe "swells" from the "reefs," and finally again takes an eastward course through the "reefs" to join Green River,

14 UEANIUM, RADroM, AND VANADIUM.

The "reefs" dip at an average angle of about 30°. They are cut at right angles to the direction of the vailey which divides them from the "swells" by a series of nearly parallel gulleys. Many of the guUeys are only 100 or 200 yards apart, although they cut the edges of the "reefs" for several miles. The conditions are clearly favorable for prospecting, the beds being freely exposed on both sides of the valley of San Raphael River and also in the gulleys. Little prospects ing and practically no development has been attempted except in connection with ore bodies thus exposed.

Some of the vanadiimi and uranium deposits were visited by Boutwell " and later by Hess.*

Most of the camotite deposits are 10 to 12 miles southwest of the town of Green River. There is a good wagon road with no steep grades, so that in hauling ore a round trip can be made in one day. On the railroad 6 miles from the mines is a siding, but several deep gulleys have to be crossed to reach it and the road is not good, hence the ore is preferably taken to Green River.

The majority of the deposits are exposed in the gulleys that tra verse the "reefs." The camotite is always in a rather coarse sandstone overlain with fine conglomerate. Much petrified wood is exposed, also bones and other fossils. As at Meeker, the camotite stains are conspicuous about the wood, much of which is heavily impregnated. The yellow ore is found mostly in or near the wood or in cracks in the sandstone, although both the sandstone and the darker ores are lightly impregnated in many places. YeUow ore such as occurs in Paradox Valley is largely absent here, most of the ores being dark colored. They may be divided into four general types — the yellow camotite, found mainly in cracks; a dark-brown siliceous ore impregnated with camotite ; a black ore much of which is associated with carbonaceous material and some of which carries stains of camotite; and a grayish-brown laminated sandy shale, rich in vanadium and carrying some uranium. Farts of the deposits show mixed ores, but the majority of them can be classified as above.

Many samples thatshowlittleor no camotitetumyellow on exposure to the air for several weeks. This yellowing takes place quickly if the ore is heated, as by laying it on the top of a stove. Such a test frequently shows uranium in ores not sttspected of containing it, and as the test is well adapted to fieldwork, it merits a wider use.

The principal claims are the Loiimer and the Forsman. At the former is a good, permanent camp, and 8 to 12 men have been constantly employed during the year. Minrng on the other claims has not been carried on sjrstematically, ore being mined in small quanti-

o Bodlird], J. M., Vaiudium and uianlnta In smiUieuMm Duh: U, S. OeDl. Surrey Bon. StO, IVOt, p. an.

Hcs9, F. L., CuDaUle near Green , Utah: U. S. Oeol. Survey Bull. OO, 1912, p. 18.

Oabnotitb Deposits Of Colorado And Utah. 15

ties from time to time and kept ia Green River until enough for a car has accumulated.

About a mile south of the Lorimer claims is the Little Kuth claim. Below 4 feet of fine conglomerate there is 3 to 5 feet of sandstone, then about 5 inches of dark vanadium ore that carries some camotite. This can he traced through occasional outcrops for a distance of 25 yards. At places the sandstone is impr;nated with camotite. Below the pay ore is conglomerate.

North of the Little Ruth is the Napoleon claim, on which is a cut 8 to 10 feet long. A 2-foot layer of sandstone shows the color of ore, and there are some layers of black carbonaceous material. The ore as a whole is low grade.

South of the Little Ruth is the Vernon Junior claim. A cut shows conglomerate at the top, underlain by fine sandstone, 2 inches of black, rich-looking vanadium ore, and 15 inches of shaly sandstone, showing yellow status of camotite but evidently a low-grade ore. The sandstone above the black ore is lightly impregnated with camotite.

Still farther south is the Wardvem claim, where ore has been taken out of a cut about 20 yards long. A 12-inch band of sandstone is imprecated with camotite along the whole length of the cut. Above this sandstone hand is a thin streak of black ore.

The Monayunk is one of the Lorimer claims. The ore body is exposed for about 40 feet, but it pinches out at the ends. At the thickest part color shows over a widtii of 3 feet. The sandstone has stains of yellow both above and below a streak of black ore which has some wood in it and appears to he partly carbonized.

On the Grand View claim is a cave about 50 feet long that extends across the ore-hearing zone. Black vanadium ore shows in patches and stains at places along the roof.

Some of the best ore at Green River is on the Melrose Discovery claim. The ore is exposed for a distance of 120 feet. Below the conglomerate is sandstone which overlies an ore body averaging 2 feet in width. Below the ore is conglomerate, sandstone, and a second ore body 8 inches thick.

Six miles south of the Lorimer claims are the Loveless-Forsman claims. These are situated in a less broken country at the foot of the "reefs," the ore outcropping at several places from under loose and soft sand. This sand carries camotite at grass roots and is a lowgrade ore.

About 3 miles north of these claims and on the west side of the river several tons of ore have been mined at the Morris claims, the only ones that have been worked on that side of the river. Most of the prospecting has seemingly been confined to the "reefs," Utile time having been given to looking for ore along the "swells."

Id uranium, radium, and vanadium,

content of greek bivbb okbb.

Shippers from Green Hiver have had trouble in coonectioii with analyses of their ores. Analyses of six: lota of ore, a total of 36,100 pounds, showed an average content of 2.53 per cent V,0( and 3.33 per cent UjOg. These results, however, were questioned, and the ore was delayed in transit for some time pending a settlement. There is no doubt that little, if any, ore shipped out of Green River has assayed over 2 per cent UgO,. Most of the ore carries between 1 and 2 per cent. The vanadium content in the above analyses is probably correct. Some shipments have assayed as high as 8 per cent . Owing to the ore being low in uranium, it must be picked carefully in order to get ore of shipping grade, 2 per cent. Kcking causes considerable waste; moreover, efficient picking is difficult, owing to the character of the ore, many of the dark samples that seemingly show little yellow camotite being richer in uranium than some highly colored samples.

The operators at Green River have the advantage of lower combined haulage and freight rate than those at any other locality producing camotite. The transportation charges from the Lorimer camp to New York are $17.50 per ton in carload lots. The only other locality having an approximately similar rate is Thompsons, Utah. It costs more than $17.50 to haul ore from any point ia Paradox Valley to the railway at Placerville, Colo.

During the year 1912 346 tons of ore was shipped from Green River, Thompsons, and Cisco, the only points in Utah that shipped ore. A part of this carried less than 1 per cent UjOg and the returns did not equal expenses. It is doubtful whether any of the ore carried 2 per cent UjOg; most of it carried about 1,5 per cent. Approximately 125 tons additional was mined and stored but not shipped.

Table Mountain, Utah.

Forty-five miles south of Green River is Table Mountain, where are deposits of red calcium vanadate, and camotite in beds of sandstone several feet thick carrying both uranium and vanadium. Lumps of asphaltic material containing uranium and vanadium are frequently found.

Thompsons District, Utah.

The Vanadium Ores Mining & Milling Co. claims are about 16 miles southeast of Thompsons, a station on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, in Grand County, Utah.

The deposits (PI. II, A) are best reached from Thompsons over a fairly level road that after having traversed the surrounding foot hi Ha crosses a long stretch of desert lands in a southeasterly direction.

, OPENING OP NORTH STAR MINE. LONG PARK. COLO.. SHOWING OUTCROPPING CARNOTITE.

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CAENOnTB DEPOSITS OF OOLOBADO AND UTAH. 17

About 13 miles from Thompsons the desert changes into a rued hilly country. The road leads through small winding canyons to the camp, which is erected in an opening of a canyon near a spring.

The deposits are miles north and west of the camp and cover a considerable area.

During the night of our arrival in camp heavy snow fell, making a thorough examination of the claims impossible except where the surface of diggings and outcrops was exposed.

There was an exposed outcrop on Telluride No. 8 claim along the perpendicular face of a hillside. The yellow impregnations in the sandstone can be followed along the side of the hill for a considerable distance. A quantity of low-grade ore is lying on the dump. The camotite-bearing zone of the sandstone is at this place 8 to 9 inches thick. Overljdng this is a strip of carbonaceous material. Two feet below the camotite there is a layer of what looks to be roscoelite 2 feet thick.

At different places in the sandstone are small pockets of red vanadium ore, probably calcium vanadate. This ore shows imprints of fossil-feru leaves andstems.

Some richer camotite was found on claim No. S, where at various points is a grayish rock, the cracks and fissures of which are filled with incmstatioDS of rich yellow mineral. Some ore at this place is also found in pockets. In the same deposit there is a black shaly material the surface of which, after exposure to the air, turns decidedly yellow.

A decomposed sandstone is found in streaks, small layers, and pockets ; it is greenish-yellow and carries both vanadium and uranium . in small quantities.

Claim No. 1 shows at several places a thin streak of sandstone impregnated with camotite. There are small pockets of a mixture of ores in which the camotite, as well as the dark vanadium ore, is embedded in and between thin layers of crystallized gypsum. The little of this ore in sight is high grade.

Near the spring on claim No. 1 and near the top of the hill there is a small quantity of coal-like material in a hole about 3 by 10. inches. This material is highly radioactive, and after having all of the adhering camotite removed by washing and crushing it is quite as radioactive as before. It may therefore cany uranium oxide.

On top of the hill at various points in the same canyon there are several outcrops of uranium and vanadium ores. These ores are embedded in a greenish-colored sandstone which constitutes a considerable part of the rock on the hillside. At one locality, at a distance of 1 to 3 feet above the lower stratum of the sandstone, the 98742— BuU. 70—13 i

18 Uranium, Badium, And Vanadium.

yellow c&motite is found in a loose sand. It is of low grade, but might make a milling ore.

The deposits form a connecting link between those of the San Raphael swell on the west and those at Richardson on the southeast and, with several breaks, ultimately reach the districts near Hydraulic, Club Ranch, Saucer Basin, and Long Park.

The Thompsons deposits are almost flafbedded, but there is an unconformity and some faulting. At the time of the visit no work was being done, but during 1912 some ore was shipped, which, however, was held up during transit, as it contained less than 2 per cent of uranium oxide. The vanadium content was relatively high. This trouble can be obviated by more careful sorting. The ores in this district as a whole are mostly of low grade, but can probably be concentrated. It is di£BcuIt to estimate the possible amount available. Mining has been confined to the best outcrops, and the low-grade ore from hand sorting is thrown on the dump.

The water supply at or near the mines in this district is limited, and timber has to be brought from a distance. Grand River, near its confluence with the Dolores, is 8 miles west of the camp.

Other deposits cfi uranium ore in Utah are at Richardson, Fruita, and Moab. From Moab some low-grade material has been shipped.

Paradox Valley And Surrounding Districts.

The camotite deposits in San Miguel and Montrose Counties, Colo., have been known for a number of years. As far back as 1881 Andrew J. Talbert mined some ore and sent it to Leadville, where it was tested foi- gold, silver, and copper. The report stated that it carried J5 gold per ton. In 1896 Gordon Kimball and Thomas Logan sent specimens to the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, D. C, and were informed that the mineral contamed uranium. Shortly afterwards Kimball and Logan mined 10 tons of ore and shipped it to Denver where it was sold for J2,700. In 1899 Poulot and Voilleque, two Frenchmen, visited Paradox Valley, collected specimens, and sent them to Friedel and Cumenge in France, who announced in the French journals the existence of a new mineral which they named camotite and described as potassium urano-vanadate.

Poulot and Voilleque in 1900 ban operating at a copper mine at Cashin in Paradox Valley, where they used leaching vats to extract the uranium. Shortly afterwards they built a small min in the Mclntyre district, south of Paradox Valley. In this project they had the cooperation of James McBride of Burton, Mich. The mill ran until 1902, and during this time produced about 16,000 pounds of uranium oxide. The rnill was started again in 1903 by the Wtem Refining Co., but ran only until 1904. Shortly afterwards the Dolores Refining Co. built a new mill a short distance from the old one, but

Oabnotite Deposits Of Ooloeado And Utah. 19

after miming for some years it, too, shut down. The concentrate, which was ohtained by the Engle process, retained uranium and vanaditim only, not the radium. In addition to this concentrate, some ore was shipped during this period. In 1912 the American Hare Metak Co. acquired the mill of the Dolores Ke&iing Co. and is now operating. ,

Althoiigh the Mclntyre district was the scene of some activity, little was done in the Paradox district until the formation of the General Vanadium Co. in 1909. That company began work early in 1910, in the same year that the Standard Chemical Co., of Pittsburgh, Pa., entered the field, and these two companies are now the largest operators in the district. The former have at present about 60 claims and the latter 90. The total number of claims filed is between 600 and 600, but a number of these are practically worthless. With reviving interest in the deposits claims were rapidly located, and during the last two years the output of ore has been the laiest in the history of the industry.

Hillebrand and Eansome" have written concerning these deposits. Fleck and Haldane '' have given a very complete account of the deposits in the Paradox and surrounding districts during the early stages of the work. Hess' has written a short account of some of the claims. In addition, a number of articles have been published by the mining journals. However, the field of operations has, to a large extent, changed since the articles mentioned were written, old deposits having been worked out and new ones opened.

The Paradox Valley is at the western end of the high plateau that slopes westward from Norwood to the eastern base of the La Sal Mountains. The Dolores River enters on the south and runs across the valley to the northeast, instead of following the valley lengthwise along the natural grade. Hence the name "Paradox."

The deposits are confijied to a weU-defined area. The eastern boundary can be represented by a line drawn from a point a little east of the junction of Dolores River and Disappointment Creek on the south, through a point 6 miles west of Naturita, and thence due north to San Miguel River. The western boundary is the La Sal Mountains which extend north beyond Uranium almost to Gateway. The total length of this area from north to south is about 40 miles and the width 20 miles. On the western side of the La Sal Range, in Utah, are the Moab deposits, and north of them are those of Richardson and Thompsons. Farther west are Green River, Table Mountain, Pahreah, and the other Utah uranium fields. If it were not for the

s EUlebtSDd, W. F., and Ruuoiiw, F. L,, Cttnutlte and uaodaled mlneiBta In wnteni Cc Jour. SoL, vol. 10, p. IM.

A Fleck, Eertnan, and Haldane, W. O., A atud; of tbe uiaulnm and vanadium belts of an rado: Kept. State Boieau of Uluea, Colo., lM5-, pp. 4T.11S.

( Hraa, F- L., Camotlte neai Oiecn , TJlab: U. S. Oaol. Snrre; Bull. Ko, pp. IS

Uranium, Radium, And Vanadium.

break caused by the La Sal Mountaina, a close connection might be drawn between the Utah and Colorado deposits. The main difference is that the former are of lower grade and more widely scattered.

The principal localities where work has been done during the last two years are Long Park, Club Kanch, Saucer Basin, Hydraulic, north and south sides of East Paradox, 3ull Canyon, and the Mclntyre district. Roc Creek, the west end of Paradox Valley, and other localities have also furnished some ore.

The ores of the Paradox district differ in many respects from those of Utah, chiefly in carrying larger proportions of camotite, and, as a rule, are more yellow. Not only do they carry more uranium, but also on the average more Tanaditim, althou individual shipments from Vtsih might seem higher in vanadium than the average from the Paradox district. The following analyses of samples from several shipments of ore from Long Park during the past year will give some idea of the kind of ore that is being handled:

Analyiet oforelfiom the Paradox dUtrict.

Comtltu-

Percent.

Percent.

Percent.

Percent.

Percent.

Percent.

Percent.

ViO..

si 33

if.

fi.oB

!:S

2-9S 5. Os

These analyses show a vanadium and uranium content higher than the average, a considerable part of the ore shipped containing as low as 2 per cent U,Oj, whereas a large amount of lower-grade material is left in the mine or thrown on the dump. Occasionally a few hundred pounds of high grade ore carrymg 15 or 20 per cent UjOg is obtained from " bug holes." " All the shipments from Paradox Valley and the surrounding districts during the past year would probably average about per cent U3O, and between 3 and 4 per cent V,Oa.

The most typical ore is a sandstone so impregnated with yellow cai notite that the color is decidedly noticeable and containing small kidneys of brown sandy clay, "The kidneys constitute a considerable part of some of the ore; in many cases they are thinly scattered through the sandstone. It seems to be generally accepted among the operators that the kidneys are rich in vanadilim. The samples we have tested show vanadium. Although ore of the character mentioned is widely distributed in the Paradox and adjacent districts and constitutes a laie part of the ore shipped, it is by no means the only ore of commercial importance. Indeed the variety of the types of ore here and also in Utah is one of the interesting features of the uranium and vanadium deposits. We have had time to test only a few of the

n A local Urm meaning a small pocket, lloyd witb rich on, In the immatlim. It Is probably derived Ironi

Cabitotite Deposits Of Colobado And Utah. 21

large number of samples taken. There are dark-blue, brown, and black vanadium ores, the dark-blue ores being lustrous when first mined and usually carrying uranium; high-grade camotite in "bug holes," so soft that it can be molded in the fingers; the same kind of ore crystallized with gypsum; and red calcium vanadate, some in radiated form, and some mixed with camotite and blue vanadium ore. Much of the very low-grade ore on exposure to the air weathers to a green, rose, or yellow color, or to all three colors intermingled. In many places several ores of different types are mixed in an intricate mass; in other places the sandstone is impregnated along the lin of stratification and there are alternate layeis of camotite and dark vanadium ore. It can readily be seen that it requires considerable skill and experience to sort such ores properly, especially as the sorting is done on the basis of the uranium content and not the vanadium content.

The deposits are invariably pockets, many of which, however, are of considerable size; 50 tons of shipping ore from a single claim is not unusual. Several claims have yielded more than this. Many of the pockets are exposed in the sides of the canyons, but at other places, notably Long Park, development work has to be done. The ore is found in a light-colored sandstone overlain in places with shale and conglomerates. According to HUlebrand and Ransome this is the McElmo formation." The conglomerate is seen especially well in crossing from Club Ranch to the Saucer Basin. Below the McElmo formation lies a fine-grained sandstone (La Plata), and below this the Dolores or Red Beds.

Long Fark, Oolo.

The distance from Placerville, Colo., the nearest railroad point, to Long Park is 56 miles (fig. 1), which can be divided as follows: Forty miles to Naturita, the terminus of the stage route, 4 miles to Coke Ovens, where the Standard Chemical Co. has its headquarters and a large ore house, and thence 12 mUes to Long Park. Coke Ovens is at the head of Paradox Valley, and the road from that point gradually climbs the escarpment on the north side of the valley to a height of about 1 ,000 feet, then drops 200 feet on the other side into Long Part, which is 6,500 feet above sea leveL The park is about 3 miles long and one-half mile wide. The surface is gently undulating, with a gradual rise on the south side to about 200 feet, the north side bemg more precipitous.

The southern side of the western end of the park is traversed by two shallow, rather narrow valleys running from west to east. In the first of these are the Turner claims. At the time of our visit a new pocket had just been exposed. The ore was found at a depth of

iMUrerooa minerals in

; vL-lOOglC

Ss Ubahixtu, Badtoh, And Vanadixth.

2 feet in a shallow cut in the side of the spur between the two valleys. The camotite-bearing streak in the sandstone was about 8 inches wide where first cut; it thinned to 2 inches and then widened again to about 8 inches. There is considerable gypsum present.

FlsnB 1. Sketch map ot Pusdoi Valla;.

On the south side of the same valley and opposite the newly found pocket is a large cut that has furnished much shipping ore. The dip of the beds is about 20° S. The ore remaining is both yellow and black in color, the average being a grade that would require careful hand sorting. There is a lai quantity of milling ore on the dump.

OABKOnTE DEPOSITS OF COLORADO AKD TJIAH. 28

Farther south is the Turner No. 4 claim, which shows 5 or 6 feet of masBive sandstone underlain with 3 or 4 feet of hard shale partly impr;nated with camotite and containing small pockets of richer ore. Some dark vanadium ore is also present. The underlying sandstone is gray.

Several other openings on this property have yielded shipping ore, but were not being worked at the time of our visit.

In the second valley are the Curran claims, 13 in number. They are mostly situated along the north side of the lower half of the valley. Several promising openings are in the face of the low cliff overhanging the valley (PL II, B). Both tunnels and drifts are being driven and also open cuts. On the Cripple Creek claim the ore appears to have collected in a V-shaped pocket, the country rock being white sandstone. At the top of the pocket there are 15 inches of a dark-gray vanadium ore, and below this 4 feet of good uranium ore consisting of camotite mingled with a bluish-biack vanadium mineral, which lies in the camotite in small local masses and stringers. The pocket dips in the direction of an ore-bearing zone observed in a short adit a little to the east and at a lower level, indicating that one may be a continuation of the other.

The Swindler claim (PI. Ill, A) is to the west of the Cripple Creek. Herenearly200feet of tunnel work has been done, the ore having been followed from the outcrop on the face of the cliff. The ore is very similar to' that of the Cripple Creek, the width varying at different points. On the dump b considerable low-grade material which represents the waate after the ore has been hand picked. Vanadium ore low in uranium is left in the mine. A number of sacks of rich ore has been obtained from "bug holes," or rich pockets.

At the upper end of ffie same vdley is the camp of the Radium Extraction Co. which, with the General Vanadium Co., is a subsidiary company of the International Vanadium Co. of Ldverpool, England. The latter is closely associated with the George Blackwell .Sons Co. of Liverpool.

The claims of the Radium Extraction Co, are situated on the h(- back north of the camp. There are three drifts; two of them are driven northwest and seenL to Jie in the same body of ore. Lower on the hillside another drift has been driven to cut the ore body winch seemed to strike in that direction. Over the ore is a thin bed of sandstone colored red by numerous small spots of iron oxide. Below it is 8 inches of medium-grade ore, then 1 to 2 inches of high-grade ore, and below this 2 feet more of medium ore. The ore dips 10° N. and strikes 10° E. Underlying it is a dark sandstone probably carrying a little vanadium, but this is not being mmed. The ore was discovered 12 feet in the drift, from which point the ore body broadened to the dimensions stated.

24 UBANIUM, AADIUU, AlfD VANADIUM.

In drifting for ore the miners follow the upper surface of the gray sandstone, and the appearance of splotches of dark-red and almost black ore is taken as an indication that camotite is near.

In the lower part of the camotite-bearing strata are black patches of what appears to be good vanadium ore. This is thrown on the dump.

The ore mined is hand sorted into three grades, high, middle, and low, in an average proportion of 3 sacks of high to 15 of middle and 23 of low grade.

The beds show an unconformity and some are faulted. Mining and development are carried on at the same time.

The Crucible Steel Co. claims, 7 in number, are also in Long Park. Moat of them are near the Radium Extraction 'Co. claims, on the same hiU. All assessment work has been completed, but no mining for shipping purposes has been carried on. Most of the prospect holes show good values. In ore in a ravine about 200 yards soutlieast of the Radium Extraction Co. claims are several cylindrical sleevelike pockets, or "bug holea," They are 2 to 4 inches in diameter and are fUled with canary-yellow high-grade camotite. The ore when first removed is so soft that it can be molded in the hand, but on exposure to the air it becomes hard and brittle. At these pockets the ore is surrounded by a hard envelope of ferruginous sandstone about 2 inches thick, outsideof which the sandstone is soft for some distance. Such a hard coating is not found at all "bug holea," the ore at some being surrounded by soft sandstone. Occasionally the envelope is largely gypsum, showing that calcium sulphate was carried by the original mineral-bearing solution and crystallized out first.

In several places the ore-bearing sandstone contains carbonaceous material that has a yellow coating. This carbonaceous material is radioactive, but contains no vanadium.

There is another good showing of ore at an outcrop in a ledge about 75 feet above the spring close to the camp of the Radium Extraction Co.

The Primes Chemical Co. claims, 7 in number, are in and around Long Park. Most of them are along the edge of a clifE, 3 miles north of the camp of Curran and the Radium Extraction Co. Assessment work only is being done. Little ore is exposed and this is rather low-grade vanadium ore.

In addition in and near Long Park are the Standard Chemical Co., Patton, Furr, Stone, and Bossier claims.

The Club Ranch deposits are about 7 miles from Long Park. There bemg no road between the two places, it is necessary to follow a rather difficult trail across rough country. The ore must be packed

Opening And Dump (Below Arrow) Of The Swindler Mine, Long Park, Colo.

B. CLIFF MINE, SAUCER 8ASIN, PARADOX VALLEY, SHOWING 4.F00T STRATUM C CARNOTITE AND VANADIUM THE SPADE BLADE.

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Caenotite Deposits Of Colorado And Utah. 25

from the Club Ranch claims on burros to Long Park, from which point it is sent in wagons to Placerville. The main operator at Club Kanch is the Standard Chemical Co., which has an ore house at Long Park for convenient transfer of ore from burro to wagon. The deposits can also be reached from Nucla. A road passes near Club Ranch, where, after fording the river, one can take a steep trail up the cliff on the south side of San Miguel River.

There are a number of open pits, from some of which considerable ore has been taken. Several tons of low-grade material lie on the dump, much of which, probably carries 1 per cent UgOg. The ore seems to strike south and dip east. The overburden is usually 3 to 4 feet thick. The overlying sandstone, as well as the sandstone that carries the ore, contains thin seams of crystalline gypsum. Considerable work has been done here and it was stated that over 900 sacks of ore had been mined and packed from the claims. Nothing was being dpne, however, at the time of our visit.

The formation seems to be uniform throughout. The ore is in more regular layers than in the Long Park deposits, and there is more blue, 'black, and gray vanadium ore and less camotite, the latter lying between layers of vanadium ore. In many respects the deposits are similar to those at Thompsons and San Raphael swell.

The overlying sandstone is filled with small, round, reddish-brown specks of iron oxide, similar to that in Long Park.

Three mUes south of the camp of the Standard Chemical Co. at Club Ranch are the four Wilson claims, which constitute the Cliff mine. The mine is in the rim rock and lies 500 feet above the floor of Saucer Basin and 6,100 feet above sea level. To the west, at a distance of IJ miles, is the Dolores River, cuts across the canyon at its western end after having traversed Paradox Valley.

A layer of camotite-bearing sandstone extends 500 feet along the face of the cliff (Pis, III, B, and TV, A). It has more the appearance of a vein than any other similar deposit in the Paradox district. The pocket of ore is almost horizontal at the surface, but at 15 feet in, it beans to dip slightly to the north. At the top is white sandstone, then 4 to 6 inches of camotite ore showing thin dark-gray and black layers of vanadium ore. Below this is 3 feet of similar vanadium ore that carries camotite and in places narrow bands of decomposed quartzite. There seem to be two ore bodies, with 3 feet of barren sandstone between; perhaps there is only one body, which is faulted. In places the barren sandstone carried a little camotite, the result of leaching.

Most of the material exposed is low grade, but it has been found necessary to work one claim only thus far, owing to the fact that the drift has been in pay ore nearly all the time. This claim has been

one of 'the heaviest producers in the history oi the industry. Some prospect work is now being done on the property.

On a ledge a short distance from the mJne a foi had been in use for some time. The heat from the fire caused some of the surface of the near-by sandstone, previously uncolored, to show a distinct stain of camotite.

At various times considerable high-grade ore has been obtained from "bug holes." A quantity of low-grade milling ore Hes on the dump, but seems to be mixed with waste rock. A rather large quantity of low-grade ore has been left in the mine. At one place Uie deposit widened to 14 feet.

The overlying sandstone makes a good roof and little timbering has to be done. FiUare of ore are left in the workings, or, where rich ore is encountered, pillars are built of waste rock.

By building an aerial railway from the mine openings oyer a low lull to the west the ore could be cturied to the banks of .Dolores River, where a small mill could be erected for concentrating it, or the ore might be treated nearer the mine by piping water from the river. At present the ore is packed on burros 10 miles, by way of Club Ranch camp, to Long Park, thence hauled in wagons to Placerville.

Two hundred feet above the road leading from Coke Ovens to Long Park and about halfway between these two places are the Jacobs and McKeever claims, on which are two prospect cuts and two or three short tunnels. The variety of ores in a small space is laier here than at any other locality in the Paradox district — carnotite; calcium vanadate; carbonaceous material that is highly radioactive and is also rich in vanadium; blue, black, and gray ores of vanadium; and "bug holes" containing camotite. The ores are intermingled rather than deposited in layers. Although the ore body is 2 to 3 feet thick, it is diflBcult to estimate the extent of the deposits, as not enough development work has been done. A recent shipment of 13 tons from this place carried 3.43 per cent U,Og and 13.66 per cent V,0,.

Ba8T Fasadoz Vallky, Sobth 8Idb.

Along the road into Paradox Valley from Coke Ovens, the first mine on the ridge that bounds the valley on the south is the Thunderbolt, from which considerable ore has been taken. The mine is several hundred feet above the bottom of the valley and can be readied only by trail from the main road. The ore must be packed on burros to the foot of the hill and there transferred to wagons. About 2 miles down the valley, on a continuation of the same ridge at a height of 700 feet, is the main camp of the General Vanadium

id By

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CABNOTITE DfiPOeiTS OP COtObADO AH1> ttTAB. 27

Co. Operations had ceased for the winter on December 1, 1912. From most of the deposits at this place all the ore that can be shipped at a profit imder present conditions has been taken. There is, however, a large quantity of low-grade ore in place beeidee what is on the dumps. No water is available for concentrating, the supply for the camp having to be brought by team and burro at a cost of $1.25 per barrel.

The Jo Dandy, behind the camp and a little higher on the ridge, was until recently a heavy producer, but is now nearly exhausted. There are six or seven openings to the workings. The ore is in many ways similar to that of the McKeever prospect on the opposite side of the valley. A "bug hole" contained some blue-black and red vanadium ore. The surface of the sandstone on the sides of one of the openings is stained dark green, light green, purple, and orange yellow, the latter tint predominating, but the sandstone is almost white below. Gypsum is found throughout the mine, layers from an eighth to a quarter inch thick being common, and surrounds some of the "bug holes," There is considerable low-grade ore left in the mine, besides what is on the dump.

West of the Jo Dandy is the Blackboume claim, where a number of drifts follow an ore body that outcrops. All shipping ore has been removed from these drifts, but bands of low-grade ore, about 2 feet thick, outcrop almost continuously for a distance of more than 200 yards.

The Valley View, Opera Box, and Kent Smith daims lie west of the Blackboume in the order named. The Standard Chemical Co. owns one, the Genertd Vanadium Co. owns the other two. The three claims are 200 feet above the Blackbourne, the duplication of the ore-bearing zone being due to a "slide," which is visible all the way to the Monogram claim, 2 miles farther west. In the Valley View claim the ore body dips 10°, then 30", and then pinches out.

The ore left in these claims is low-ade vanadium ore that carries a little camotite, usually as thin layers. All three claims have been good producers of vanadium and have also yielded a considerable quantity of camotite.

Two miles west are the Monogram, Greenback and other Standard Chemical Co. claims, which are reached from the camp by a trail along the ridge. Also a steep trail, along which ore is packed, ascends from the valley below. The and Greenback No. 3 are both on a second "shde" and about 150 feet below the mines on the first "shde." Much of the overburden has been removed and practically all of the ore taken out. West of the Monogram and at the same level is the Quarter Circle, where a cut into thehillside yielded 100 sacks of good ore. Greenback No. 2, above Greenback No. 3, was nonproductive and Greenback No. 1, above Greenback

28 Ueanium, Badium, And Vanadium.

No. 2, yielded only 80 sacks of ore which was not high grade. "West i of the Greenback claims and above the Quarter Circle is the Bob- j tail, on which two open cuts produced some medium-ade ore. The ore body, however, pinched out. Farther west is the Last Chance, and west of this claim are the Happy Thought, little Tom, and Annie May claims. Some good ore ia exposed on the Annie May, although 150 sacks have been taken out. The overburden i is heavier than on most of the claims. On practically all there : seems to be a direct relation between the tiiickness of the overburden and the quantity and grade of the ore, the latter improving wh-e the overburden is thicker. This relation is discussed in the chapter on the origin of the deposits. The ore body in the Annie May is in the form of a series of sharply-dipping steps. On the HoUiday, below the Annie May, is a tunnel that connects with a 30-foot shaft from the Annie May. There was no ore in the tunnel, but some camotite showed in a crosscut. Some medium-rade ore was taken from the Wilson, to the southwest. Still father southwest are the Jasper and Greystone claims on which assessment work only has been done.

On all of these claims the ore is in pockets. Much of the shipping ore has already been removed.

The Standard Chemical Co. has operated many of its claims during the year, but practically all of the ore mined in 1912 was stored at its headquarters at Coke Ovens.

BULL CANYON, COhA.

Bull Canyon lies nearly due south of Paradox Valley and 8 miles from the Monogram mine. A rather rough trail ascends the ridge on the south side of Paradox Valley for 500 feet and then descends more than 1,000 feet into a long, narrow canyon which tiltimately leads into Bull Canyon. The scenery is wild and the topography rugged. The canyons are bordered by hh steep cliffs of red sandstone capped with the white sandstone in which are the uranium deposits. Some ore is taken out by way of Monogram camp on pack animals and transferred to wagons in Paradox Valley, and some is packed several miles ovr another trail and a road to Redvale, whence the ore is taken to Placerville.

The camp at the Cummings claims is well situated, and about 12 men have been employe< Operations began in October, 1912. The claims are rather scattered. The Black Fox is about i miles down the canyon from the camp. The outcrops are in the rim rock 150 feet above the canyon. There is a relatively thick overburden of sandstone containing four thin streaks of blue clay. On the south side of the ore body a sandstone roll cuts across at an angle of 45°. The ore extends to this roll, but not beyond it. At the top of the pocket

; vL-iOole

Cabnotitb Deposits Op Colohado Amtj Utah. 29

B "bug hole" 3 inches in diameter carried vanadium ore, dark blue, with some red splotches. The main body of ore, 3 feet thick, was laiely a mixture of blue and greenish-yellow vanadium and uranium ores carrying red streaks of calcium vanadate. The dip is about 10° N. About 8 feet north of the pocket the calcium vanadate disappears and the ore is yellowish green on top and black mingled with blue below. At this point the ore body was 1 foot thick, but the bottom had not been exposed. Forty sacks had already been taken from the prospect.

Two and one-half miles northeast of the Cummings camp, on the west side of the canyon and some 300 feet above the bottom of the valley, is the Boot Leg claim, on which some camotite is exposed. Seventy feet higher is the Widow claim, on which prospect work has just begun. There are indications of camotito in a greenish-yeUow sandstone that outcrops on the hillside. Overlying this sandstone is another which at first sight looks much like decomposed granite. At the Fawn claim, across the canyon from the Widow, some camotite is exposed, but only prospect work has been done.

On the Bob-o-link and Sundown claims, about 1 mile from the Cummings camp, is a fair showing of both camotite and a dark vanadium ore. Some ore has been shipped from the Bob-o-link.

The Wedding Bell claim, near the Black Fox, has produced some good ore by careful sorting.

In Bull Canyon are also the General Vanadium Co., Saunders, and Cloud claims.

The Mclntyre district, which lies south of Bull Canyon and was the scene of some of the earliest mining for carnotite, was not visited by the writers. In this region the American Rare Metals Co., of Denver, has its plant. We are informed that the work done has made only small inroads on the ore supply. The larger part of the ore is rather low grade. Shipments have to be made by way of Dolores.

The General Vanadium Co. during the year opened a number of prospects at Hydraulic, and is now working at that place an aerial tramway across the river, saving a haul of several miles.

Obioin Of The Dsfosits.

It is difficult to form a.de&iite opinion as to the origin of the carnotite and vanadium deposits. Hillebrand and Ranaome show that the ores must have been carried to their present position and that the vanadium and uranium compounds could not have been the

oolite and usodatad Taoadlftrous mlnenib In

30 Ukanium, Badium, And Vanadium.

original cementing material of the quartz grains, but in all probability locally replaced the calcite that forms the matrix of the ordinary lightrolored sandstones in which the ores occur. They express the opinion that the camotite resulted from local concentration of material already in the sandstone, and that its deposition as camotite was under conditions determined by proximity to the surface and probably was partly dependent on a semiarid climate.

Hillebrand " has shown that in small amounts vanadium is widely distributed in sandstones, limestones, and igneous rockE. Occasionally the proportion of vanadium in a sandstone is such that the material may be worked conmiercially at a profit. In the roscoelitebearing sandstone deposits around Newmire, Colo., the ore mined contains on an average per cent V,Ot, and in places as much as 2i per cent V,0,. In the newly discovered silver and vanadium bearing sandstone in Eagle County, Colo., some of the ore contains 2i per cent It is therefore not difficult to state a possible origin of the vanadium that has been concentrated in the carnotite deposits. Almost invariably vanadium minerals are associated with the camotite.

To explain the origin of the uranium is more difficult. No pitchblende, even in small quantities, has been found near these deposits, Gilpin County, several hundred mUee away, being the nearest locality where pitchblende occurs. In the absence of definite knowledge as to any deposit from which uranium could have been derived, it seems reasonable to beUeve that the uranium came from sandstone overlying or underlyii the ore bodies, having been leached from these sandstones and concentrated with the vanadium. In some cases it has been noticed that the ore is underlain by an impervious blue clay, which may have been a factor in determining the concentration of the uranium compounds. This is particularly true at Thompsons,

The so-called "bug holes" appear to have escaped the notice of Hillebrand and Eansome. Many of these holes are 30 to 40 feet long and 2 to 5 inches in diameter; the walls are usually incrusted with quartz or gypsum. Almost invariably these holes nm downward at a slight angle into the upper parts of an ore body, although a few enter the lower part of a deposit, and end abruptly in the ore. They are filled with high-grade ore, usually camotite, although in some the blue and black ores of vanadium predominate. The other end of these "bug holes" opens into a funnel-shaped mass of soft sandstone, heavily imprnated with ore, thaf grades into the country rock. The appearance of one of these "veins" is that of a funnel with a long stem. Undoubtedly these holes represent channels through which ore-bearing solutions were transported. How far

CABNOTITE DEF0SIX8 OF COLOOAIK) AlfD UTAH. 31

the ore-bearing solution traveled and whence it came are questions more difficult to answer.

We collected a number of samples of the overlying sandstones, which appeared to be perfectly free from uranium stains of any kind. Determinations of the radioactivity of some of these samples are given below:

Badxoaetiviti/ of sample* of tandttoru.

1. Sandstone 3 feet above ore, Wilson mine, Saucer Basin: 1 gram contains 3.7X10"'" gram of radium.

2. Sandstone 2 feet above ore, Loi Park: 1 gram contains 261.5X10~" of radium.

3. Sandetcne 3 feet above ore, Slcull Creek: 1 gram ctmlain 262.8X1D~" giam of radium.

4. Sandstone 3 feet above ore. Black Fox claim, Bull Canyon: 1 gram contains 9.4X10~" gram of radium.

5. Sandstone from sandstone roll. Black Fox claim. Bull Canyon: 1 gram contains 105.4X10"" gram of radium.

6. Sandstone 3 feet above ore, Telluride No. 8, Thompsons: 1 gram contains 2.9X10~" gram of radium.

7. Sandstone 1 foot above ore, Telluride No. 8, Thnmpaons: 1 gram contains 23.5X10"'" gram of radium.

There are very few sandstones in other locaUties having a radioactivity of more than 2x10"" gram of radium. That of the sandstone of the Desert of Sahara is 0.4 x 10~" gram of radium. A fair average of all sandstones is probably about 1 X 10"" gram of radium. The results given above show that the radioactivity of the sandstones tested is 3 to 262 times the average. On account of this liue variation it is difficult to draw definite conclusions, but the figures show that in many cases the sandstone 2 to 3 feet above the ore contains a quantity of radium, and therefore of uranium, many times the normal. Sample 5 was taken from a sandstone roll that cut off rich ore on the Black Fox claim. This sandstone was favorably situated to receive leachings from the rich ore, andyetit is less than half as active as some samples of sandstone collected 2 and 3 feet above ore. On the other hand, the fact that on the south side of East Pwadox Valley the thickness and richness of the ore deposits seem to vary directly with the thickness of the overburden appears to lend some weight to the theory of downward enrichment. Further examination of the country rock will probably throw light on the origin of the ore deposits. The results aheady obtained, however, seem to indicate that the uranium was disseminated in the sandstone country rock and has been concentrated in ore bodies by the action of water, the "bug holes," in some cases at least, acting as channels for the ore-bearing solutions.

d.y

32 Ubaniuh, Kadium, And Vanadium.

kiNIKa METHODS AKD COST OF HININO.

Simple methods have been employed in mining camotite, and ao far most of the surface deposits have been worked by open cute. At a few places drifts and adits have been run to follow ore into a hillside. Prospectii with drilU has not been done, so far as wc could ascertain, but drills will have to be used later when the surface deposits have been exhausted. At the Cliff mine in Saucer Basin a number of drifts and crosscuts have been driven into the cliff side; in most of them there is some timbering, but as a rule the roof is firm enough to stand without support. At another claim a deep shaft is sunk to a drift, both shaft and drift being well timbered.

Only hand drills are used in mining. The usual explosive is a "40 per cent" dynamite, which does not shatter the rock too muck Excessive shattering of the rock would cause the loss of much valuable mineral as fine dust. To reduce losses in the dust and fine ore, care must be taken in sorting.

The exact cost of min ing is not easy to ascertain, as detailed accounts are not kept by the average miner, but a safe estimate, based on information received from various persons, is that the cost including hand sorting, exceeds $20 and perhaps averages $30 per tou of shipping ore. In one case the mining, sorting, and sacking of 1 ton of carefully mined shipping ore required the services of 6 men for 3 days, the men being paid $3 each per day. Therefore, the labor cost of this ton of shipping ore was $45, To this cost must be added the cost of sacks, which is $3 per ton of ore when single bags are used. The mining and sorting cost for this ton of ore seems to be unusually high, and a cost of $30 per ton would be nearer the average. The cost of mining will increase considerably with the depth of the workings, especially as it is improbable that any extensive single deposit will be discovered, and {he prospecting and development of small deposits are expensive.

As a rule the mine operators keep no detailed account of mining and other costs. Such an account should be kept, in order that the actual profit per ton of ore mined may be arrived at and the efTiciency of operations estimated. As a suggestion in the interest of greater efficiency, a short outline of what properly kept accounts should show is given herewith:

The actual cost of mining and sorting per ton of ore.

Cost of powder, fuse, and tools per ton of ore.

Cost of bags, sacking ore, and sewing bags.

Cost of hauling.

Cost of freight.

Pro rata cost of management, charge for depreciation of investment (property and equipment), assayers' charges, ore sampling charges, etc.

CABNOTITE DEPOSITS OF COLORADO AND UTAH. 3d

In case the ore is milled, the accounts shoold show the cost of concentration per ton of ore, including the cost of fuel, water, and haul, as well as charges for amortization of plant, repairs, etc.

The sums expended in establishing a camp and in prospecting for ore should be considered and charged against the tonne obtained from properties found to be valuable. As an example, let it be assumed that an ore contains 2.5 per cent XJ,Oi and 4.5 per cent V,Ob, with a value of $97 per ton, and that the costs for each ton of marketable ore are as follows: Mining and sorting, $30; powder, tools, etc., $2; bags, sacking, etc., S4; hauling, $20; freight, $14.50; then the actual cost per ton is $70.50. If 200 tons of marketable ore are mined yearly $10 per ton should be added for management and other charges, making the total charge per ton $80.50. The net profit b $16.50 per ton of ore shipped.

If low-grade ores are concentrated, the calculation of cost must include chaises for concentration, amortization, etc., at the rate of about one-half ton of shippii ore recovered for each ton of shipping ore hand sorted without concentration, plus the extra expense, if there is any, for mining low-grade ore.

TBAHSPOaTATZOH AKD FBICES.

The cost of getting the ore to market from the different localities varies considerably. Unfortunately practically all of the ore deposits are miles from a railroad. Some of them are so far away that it is impossible to sell the ore at a profit at the present time.

At Meeker mining operations have not yet reached the stage where ore can be sold at a profit. It costs between $20 and $25 per ton to deliver the ore at Rifle. To this must be added freight chai, which are about $1 1 to New York.

The cost of transportation from the Skull Creek deposits is prohibitive, except for high-grade ore. It costs $20 per ton to carry the ore to Vernal, $15 per ton from Vernal to Watson, and $8 per ton from Watson to Mack. The freight rate from Mack to New York is about $12 per ton.

The cost of transportation for the Green River ores is probably less than that for any other of the camotite deposits. The cost of the haul from the Lorimer camp to the railroad is $4.50 per ton and the freight rate is $13 to New York.

The rates at Thompsons are a little higher. Not enough work has been done to be able to give an exact figure, but the haul from the mines to the station would probably be about $6 per ton and the freight rate practically the same as that from Green River.

The cost of haulage varies widely in Paradox Valley. This difference depends more upon whether pack trains have to be used in addi- 98742'— Bull. 70—13 3

; vL-lOOlC

34 Uranium, Badium, And Vanadium.

tioD to wagons than upon the actual distance of the mmes from Flace ville. At Long Park very little ore haa to be packed and moat of it can be loaded directly on the wagons, the cost of hauling to Placerrille bebg $20 per ton. Saucer Basin has to stand this chate for hauling and in addition a pack rate of $8 to $10 per ton. It is somewhat difficult to find out the exact cost of packing the ore on burros, as many of thecompanies own their own animals, but the figures here given may be considered approximately correct. From the East Paradox mines of the Standard Chemical Co. and the General Vanadium Co. the cost of hauling is S18 per ton; in addition the ore has to be packed down the mountain side at a cost of probably $2 or J3 per ton. From Bull Canyon the cost of hauling is at present $20 per ton, with a pack rate of $5 per ton. This figure will probably be reduced slightly after the completion of a road that is being built. The freight rate from Placerville to New York is J11.57 per ton, and from Placerville to Hambu or Liverpool, via Galveston, $14.60 per ton. The average cost of transportation of the ore is, therefore, $29.57 to $42.50 per ton. In the case of some of the outlying districts the cost per ton is even more than the higher figure. Adding to this an average cost of $34 per ton for mining, sorting, and sacking, the total cost to the operator is from $63.57 to $76.50 per ton. This does not include costs of powder, tools, assayer's chaises, etc.

Up to the present time there haa been a ready market for ore containing 2 per cent UjOg or more. Most of the purchasing agents have refused to take any ore of a lower uranium content, although a small quantity of ore has been sold during the past year containing 1.7 or 1,8 per cent. All ore is bought on the basis of its uranium content, a high-grade vanadium ore being difficult to sell if it contains less than

2 per cent TJfig. This is one of the unfortunate features of the present mining conditions, much vanadium ore carryuig a little uranium being left on the dump and in the mine. One carload of ore that contained 8 per cent but only li per cent UOj was held up indefinitely. If this ore had carried 2 per cent UjO, and less than

3 per cent , it could have been readily sold. The ore is purchased for the radium that it contains and not for the uranium and vanadium, which are considered as by-products. The foreign buyers established the 2 per cent minimum for uranium and seem to be indifferent to the percentage of vanadium in an ore.

The prices paid for'ore vary within narrow limits. One agent offers for 2 per cent U,0, ore $1.30 per pound of m-anium oxide; for 2i per cent ore, $1.40; and for 3 per cent ore, $1.50. For the , content he pays $0.30 per pound. These prices are f. o. b. New York. An operator who has received offers from several agents states that the prices quoted vary from $1.25 to $1,40 per pound of uranium oxide for 2 per cent ore and $0.35 per pound of vanadium oide for

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Oaknotttb Deposits Of Coloeapo Asd Utah. 85

ore containing more than 3 per cent of this oxide. Some operators sell their output entirely upon the basis of its uranium content and get nothing for the Tanadium. Such a basis usually prevails where the ore ia fairly high in uranium and low in vanadium. Where the ore is high in vanadium it is sold for both its vanadium and uranium content according to the pric stated above. When the vanadium is not paid for, the average price given for ore containing 2 pw cent 'UjOg is $2 per pound and for 3 per cent ore 12.25 per pound. Little more is oflFered for ore containing 3 to 6 per cent 11,0,, but for ore containing more than 5 per cent the rate is higher. The high-grade material from "bug holes," carrying 12 to 20 per cent UjOg or more, brings about S3 per pound of the oxide. These prices are all f. o. b. New York or Hambui.

Deducting the costs of mining and transportation from these prices leaves a very small profit for 2 per cent U,Og ore. One unfortunate feature of the system of marketing is the fact that much ore passes through the hands of four or five ents before it reaches the final purchaser. With better mining conditions and a lower 'cost of production, the elimination of some of the middlemen, and with prices for ore based on the fact that radium is the main valuable constituent, the operator should be able not only to get a reasonable profit on 2 per cent ore, but also to realize a small profit on ore containing IJ per cent U,Og, especially if it is high in vanadium.

Cohoektration Of Obb8.

Necessity Foe Cokcentbation.

In the course of investigations of these uranium and vanadium ore deposits it was found that much loW'ade ore was left in the mines, and thus lost, and that there was great loss in hand sorting. Since the market demand is for a material containing at least 2 per cent uranium oxide, the miner, that he may ship no ore below this limit, eliminates all ore that in his opinion contains less. As a result much low-grade and also some shippii ore are left in the mine or are thrown on the dump. By concentrating the low-grade ores at or near the mine these wastes can be reduced. There is no doubt that the ores can be concentrated. Tests made on a small scale substantiate this statement.

In concentration by mechanical means the dry as well as the wt method may perhaps be used to advantage, as little or no water is avaUable in many places where these ores occur. As formerly most of the deposits are far from a railroad, so that' wagon hauls are long and expensive. By concentration the bulk of low-grade ore to be hauled can be reduced and at the same time the percentage of mineral in the concentrate raised to a marketable point. Thus a

36 Dbaniuh, Badiuh, And Vanadiuh.

saving in hauling and freight rates is effected, and the concentrate on account of being richer should bring a better price. Low-grade ores thrown on the dump or left in the mine constitute a natural waste. Much of the low-grade material left in the ground during former operations and perhaps much of the dump material can never be recovered. Much of the ore thrown on the dump disintegrates on exposure to the air, so that much of the valuable contents is washed or blown away.' Some of the minerals in the dump rock are liable to be leached out by the rain.

Wbt_ Conobnteatioii,

The camotite ores are of great importance, especially on account of their uranium and radium content. Camotite, which contains both uranium and vanadium, is a yellow, crystalline, pulverulent material, with a specific gravity of 4.136. It occurs in white sandstone as au incrustation on the faces of joints and fractures and is deposited around and between the individual grains of the sand* stone, often strongly adhering to the even surface of a grain. The size of these grains varies greatly, but is generally from a little less than 0.1 to 0.2 mm. in diameter.

In concentrating such an ore the rock should be broken and the pieces reduced to about 40 to 80 mesh with crushers or rolls, the crushing being accompanied by rubbing in order to loosen the camotite from the sand grains. Further attrition should be applied to the 40-me8h material by convenient means. Fine grinding should be avoided, as it produces too much slime.

If the crushed and rubbed material is washed in a revolving tank or trommel provided with a rubbing device, the particles of camotite that are in suspension can be drawn off after the grains of silica have settled in the tank or cylinder. As some of the carnotite is carried down by mechanical action with the silica in settling, more water should be added and the operation repeated as many tunes as may be profitable. With such a treatment a large part of the valuable minerals can be extracted.

The slime is washed into settling tanks or other suitable device, and the water after the settling of the slimes can be used over again, as will be necessary in the arid districts, where most of the deposits are located and where water is scarce. Enough water can be collected and stored away for this purpose from seepage, springs, and during rainy days, and in many cases a wet treatment can in this way be made possible.

id By

Cabnotttb Dbpostfs Of Oolobado And Utah.

Sbsdlts Op Wet Oonobmtbation Tests.

Teats have been made of ore taken from the dumps at Tarious claims. In one instance this ore contained 2.02 per cent U,0, and 2.32 per cent V,Os. Concentration by the wet method gave the following results :

Rertdts o/amcentration by met method.

.Tss:

1,M3

.

a. 32 e.tn

Oravu.

"Toi

°T!i.

l,7Sl'

1,M3.3

Loea is concentnitioti, 0.7 ktbju. Concentntion ratio=10.156 : 1. from ore by concentration, V,O,=43.035 per cent; U,Oj=43.08 per ccDt. Ratio of or toconcentiate,vanadiumcontent=l; 4.275; uranium content— 1:4.376. Batioof radioactivity, measured in the electroscope, ore to concentrate=l:4.66, which ahowH that the concentrate is 4.66 timeB more radioactive than the ore.

Other tests made with ore containijig less U,0, and V,0( have shown that an extraction can be made with a proportionately similar result.

The following result was obtained with a reddish-brown vanadium-bearing sandstone from Utah. The ore was crushed to the size of the grains, rubbed, and then washed in cold water. The slimes thus obtained were settled and decanted or filtered.

Remit of toTuxntmtion of wmadiuTit-bearing tandtlont by wet method.

Qomtlty.

Conlenlof ViOu

Omiw.

Concentration ratio=4.72: 1. Exttaction=66.2 pet cent.

According to electroscopic measurements, and by comparison with a standard material of known UgO, content, it was found that this ore contained approximately 0.71 per cent U,0, and the concentrate contained 1.62 per cent.

In concentrating this vanadic sandstone the content of vanadium was therefore raised to 17.35 per cent , and the concentrate can be sold in competition with Peruvian patronite. In addition the uranium and the radium can be easily extracted from this ore. Some of the vanadium can not be extracted mechanically; it probably exists in the sandstone as roscoelite, which is bound in the silica.

38 mtAimjH, xaitth, aitd tanadiuu.

Drt Oonobntratiok.

Where water is sctirce, a dry procees can be adopted for low-grade orea. As good concentration with a dry as with a wet process can not he expected, but an equally efficient if not a better extraction cui be obtained.

In a dry process the rock should be reduced with cruahers and rolls B8 nearly as possible to the size of the grains of the sandstone. Much of the camotite can he obtained by sifting the crushed material through a 120 to 150 mesh screen. Care must be taken to collect all of the dust, as this is richest.

Good results can be obtained by using an air current to blow the finest particles into a dust chamber, in which they are collected. The air current must be steady and evenly expanded, so that the coarse particles will drop out of it, and strong enough to completely lift the material. The coarse material should be carried along with the currrait for some distance, so that as much as possible of the powdery material can be freed and Mown from the coarse grains, which should finally drop without carrying the powder with them. These particles should fall into a discharge spout and thence into bins or other suitaUe device. The powdery material, which carries the valuable minerals, is collected in dust chambers. These cbambers mtist be perfectly tight. Much valuable mineral has been lost in samjding shipments when the sampling device had no arrangement for saving the dust.

A number of machues that doubtless could be used for the dry separation of these ores are now on the market.

Another method of dry concentration of low-grade ores consists of simple sifting, with previous nibbing, of the crushed ore. The ore is reduced with crushers and rolls to about 40 mesh and is then passed over an oscillating 150-mesh screen. The undersize from the 150-mesh screen is concentrate. The oversize is carried to a device in which the sand grains are subjected to a thorough rubbing, which removes from the sihca the adhering fine particles of camotite.

In the experiment stiff wire brushes rubbing against a steel plate were used with success for the attrition. Ilie entire material was then brought over two screens, one overlying the other; the upper screen being 80 mesh and the lower one 150 mesh. The table below clearly shows what results can be obtained by such a process. The screens must be encased and all of the dust must be collected. The dust from the sifting operation and that which remains in suspension in the dust-proof screen boxes can be blown from these boxes by suitable means into dust chambers and then added to the concentrate.

id By

CABNOTITB DGPOaiTS OF COLORADO AND UTAH. 39

A concentratioD by this dry method on a small scale gave the following results:

Rendu of dry coruxntmtiim bg toting with previous rubbiTig.

Uesh or Steve.

Quantity.

SiZ

Urf),

Mi

Over 90

Sod

.

1.W

12. 2S

a. 70

Mo

Ilu

Conceijitratioii rtio — ore: concentrate — 3.73 : 1; extraction ViO,=50,8f> per cent; extraction per cent.

Care must be taken in crushing the ore for either wet or dry concentration that little, if any, of the dustlike material is lost. Dust chambers should be attached to the crushers, or the latter should have air-tight casings and the material should not be removed until the dust has settled.

Cost Op Concentration.

The factors to be considered in a calculation of the cost of concentrating the ore by a wet method are:

1. Cost of concentration :

(a) Water supply.

(6) Cutting wood for fuel for power and drying (or coat of

gasoline if that is used for fuel), (c) Ilaulii of fuel or gasoline. id) Wages for concentrator men.

2. Amortization of equipment for concentration (pro rata of ton-

nfe of material treated per annum for such equipment and for management).

Two men, at S3 a day each, should be able to operate a small plant. The cost of water supply should not exceed $2 a day. The cutting of fuel or cost of gasoline should not be more than $2 to 12.50 a day. The hauling of the fuel would probably cost $1.50 a day.

On an average, from 10 tons of ore mined only 1 ton of ore with a content of over 2 per cent UgOg is obtained by hand sorting. From the other 9 tons, thrown on the dump, about 5 tons of low-grade ore can be separated for concentration. Assume that auch low-grade ore contains, on an average, about 1 per cent UjO, and 1.5 per cent . With a concentration ratio of 10 to 1, half " a ton of shipping ore should be obtained. The total extraction of mineral by a wot method should be about 50 per cent, and the

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40 Ubaniuu, Radium, And Takadium.

grade of the material obtained would therefore be fairly high. In an actual test on euch a low-grade ore the percentage of UjO, in the concentrate was found to be about 4.5, This should of course conunand a proportionately higher price.

The cost of concentration by the dry process ia approximately the same, less the cost of the water supply.

The cost of concentration, including ample chaiges for amortization and for management, should not exceed $20 per ton of concentrate. These figures are conservative and probably the ores can be concentrated more cheaply.

The average cost of mining with present methods at the rate of 10 tons of ore a day with 6 men and the hand sorting done by the foreman is about $30 per ton of dipping ore. This .figure dpes not take into account the powder used in blasting, the wear of tools, etc. If the low-grade ore is utilized by means of concentration, the expense of mining is thereby increased little, if any, and only the additional cost for the concentration has to be taken into consideration, the chaises for sacking and hauling the concentrate to the stfition being the same as for a ton of ordinary ore.

Im the above it will be seen that through utilizing the low-grade ores the average tonnage per anniun could be increased 50 per cent with Uttle extra expense. But as the uranium and vanadium content of the concentrate would be at least double that of the average ores shipped, the total production of uranium, and vanadium from these ores would be doubled. For various reasons it is hardly to be expected that all of the waste material can be utilized, and therefore such a large increase will probably never be actually obtained.

Perhaps several of the operators could combine and install an equipment for mechanical concentration and treat their low-grade ores in a central plant, especially where several operators are in the same district and the claims are near each other. With such a plant in use the production of marketable ore at the present rate of mining could be increased by about one-half without increasing the cost of mining and with only the additional expense of concentration. This increase can be obtained by treating material that hitherto has been lost.

The assumption, which has been made by many of the dealers, that by concentration a large part of the radium content of the ore would be lost, is entirely without foundation, as no such losses of radium in the concentrate can occur from any mechanical treatment of the ore. This has been proved by our tests of the concentrates (pp. 37, 39). Undoubtedly the statement has reference to chemical concentration, in which, of course, such lossra might occur.

I .y

Cabnotite Deposits Op Colohado And Utah. 41

poaaiBiLiTr of chemical treatment,

A chemical treatment of the low-grade camotite ores at or near the mine would undoubtedly be better and a lair extraction could be obtained were it not that the preset high cost of hauling chemicals to the mine prohibits such treatment. In addition, the aven operator could not obtain such labor as would be necessary in a chemical proceas. The deposits worked by the smaller miners are scattered, and their probable output is too uncertain to justify the erection of even a small chemical plant. This statement does not apply to a chemical plant conveniently situated for the treatment of custom ores.

Qenebal Stateuent.

The possibility of a continuous supply of camotite ores in the future is naturally of great interest. In the Utah fields, as already stated, the ores are generally low in uranium, although occasional small pockets of high-grade ore are found. Some of these deposits have the advantage of short hauls; others, such as those at Table Mountain, have as long a haul as most of the or taken out of Paradox Valley. Since the present demand requires an ore containing at least 2 per cent UjO, the operators in the Utah fields have to do such careful sorting that a large proportion of the uranium ore is wasted. There is therefore, aa already explained, great need of a concentration method, or methods, that can be used by an operator at his own camp, or at least by a group of operators working nearby claims. In this way not only would the low-grade uranium ores be made available but also the vanadium ores that contain too little vanadium to be worth marketing under present conditions. It is quite possible that such ores may be so concentrated that the concentrates can he handled for their vanadium content alone, even though they contain too little uranium to warrant their being classified as uranium ores.

In PtCradox Valley at present httle difficulty is experienced in obtaming 2 per cent ore by careful sorting, and a fair amount of ore carrying 3 per cent or even more has been mined during the past year; but there has been much waste in the sorting of this ore and more low-grade material has been left in the mines untouched. This is particularly true in Saucer Basin and at certain points on the south side of East Paradox Valley. It is difficult to state just how much ore suitable for concentration but not rich enough to ship on the present basis is available in the Paradox and surrounding districts. It is certain, however, that there b enough already in sight to double the output for several years to come, if it could all be made marketable.

id By

42 trtlANIUH, AADIUU, AND TANADnTU.

As this is hardly poBsible a 50 per cent increase is probably aU thai could be expected under the most favorable conditions.

The present policy, which is really necessary on account of the cost of production, of shipping (inly ore containing 2 or 3 per cent UjOg, is bound to have a far-reaching result. The buyers are urging the shipment of even higher'ade ore and are offering a bonus for it. Hence the tendency has been to raise rather than to lower the minimum percent, a correspondingly larger waste resulting. Although some of the pockets in Paradox Valley are lai, a number of the largest have been worked out within the past two years. The output of 2 per cent ore may be as large for several years to come as it has been during the past year, and may even increase for a while, but after a few years the production of high-grade material will inevitably decline. Ie buyers will then eittier have to accept a smaller output or handle low-grade material. New pockets will naturally be opened from time to time and a certain percentage of high--ade material will be available for many years to come, but it is extremely important that methods be devised for utilizing at least some of the low-grade material now being thrown on the dump or left in the mine.

The United States possesses unique deposits in these camotite ores. They constitute at present the largest known supply ol radium-bearing minerab in the world. With the exception of the ore mined and utilized by two firms, practically every pound is shipped abroad. Up to the present very little interest has been shown by Americans in these deposits, which may not be duplicated in so far as quantity goes in any part of the world.

The only other large deposits of uranium-bearing ores known are those in Austria. They are considered of such importance that the Austrian Government has taken entire chaise of them. The output from the camotite fields of this country is much laier than that from the Austrian mines and is likely to continue larger for some time to come, but the ore should be mined with minimum waste and the industry should yield a maximum profit to this country.

There is Httle danger tiiat the amount of ore mined per annum will increase materially. The long hauls and the scattered occurrence of the deposits make it difficult to largely increase the production in any one year. Such an increase can be accomplished only by utilization of the low-grade ores.

A word of warning may be added at this point. The fact that camotite and its associated ores are found on a claim does not necessarily mean that such a claim is worth even the assessment work that has been expended on it. Already one company is making extravagant statements in ita advertisements, and others may follow it.

id By

Pitchblende Deposits. 43

PITCHBIiBNDE DEPOSITS.

DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITS IN ms UJSIITKD STATES.

Pitchblende has, beeQ found in the following locahties Id the United States: Feldspar quarry, at Middlotown, Conn., in laie octahedrons; in Hall's quany, at Glastonbury, BranchviUe, Conn., in a pmatite vein and usually embedded in albite; at Marietta, S. C; in the Baringer Hill district, Llano County, Tex.; in the Bald Mountain district. Black Hills, S. Dak.; in Gilpin County, Colo.; and in Mitchell County, N. C.

Nobth Cabolina Deposits.

In Mitchell County, N. C, small quantities occur near Fenland in the quartz and feldspar mines. The mineral is usually associated with quartz, but in places with orthoclase feldspar, and stih more infrequently with albite. Its presence is usually indicated by a dullgreen stain on the quartz or spar, although such stains do not invariably mean that ore is present. The pitchblende from near Fenland is usually high grade and is often associated with yellow gummite. In probably the best mine only 50 pounds have been found in ij years, so that as yet the mining of these deposits can not be considered a commercial enterprise. The ore is usually sold in small quantities as museum specimens at specimen prices.

COtOBADO DEPOSITS.

In Gilpin County, near Central City, Colo., are five mines that have produced pitchblende, namely, the EJirk, the Wood, the German, the Belcher, and the Calhoun. These mines are all within about 2 miles of Central City and are situated on or very close to Quartz Hill, at an altitude of 9,500 feet. The Elirk, Belcher, and German mines are close together on the hill; the Wood and Calhoun are in the valley.

These mines were originally gold mines and until recently have been worked mainly for gold. Gilpin County is the oldest mining district in the State of Colorado, and it was here that the first stamp mills and smelters in Colorado were built. The ores near the surface are mainly free-milling; lower down they change to sulphides. The veins are persistent, but the quality of ore often varies considerably within a short distance.

Kirk Hinb.

The original workiugs of the Elirk mine are about 100 feet deep. The majority of these have been filled up. In this manner the

id By

44 Ubanium, Badium, And Vanadium.

laiger part of the 500 feet of the lode to the east of the shaft hm been worked out to the above depth, but the 1,000 feet to the west has not been opened except bj prospect holes. An old shaft and part of the workings are still open. In this shaft and workings a considerable amount of pitchblende was mined in the early days. The miners did not know at the time what the ore was and it was wasted in an attempted treatment for gold. When the pitchblende was found the gold gave out, and therefore the owner left his shaft and started e new one 1S5 feet to the west, which is now the main shaft. The next owners knew the value of pitchblende and about 1898 took out several tons of good ore. When further development was imsuccessful, the mine was bought by the present owner. The mine is more than 400 feet deep. Tlie vein strikes almost due east anc west and dips about 80° S. The shaft follows the vein. The maii levels are at 97, 140, 200, 300, and 400 feet.

The Kirk lode is 3 to 6 feet wide, and seems to be a fissure vein li gneiss and mica schist. It carries gold, silver, and copper, in. addition to pitchblende. The best pitchblende was found betwn the 14& foot level and the 250-foot level on the east aide of the shaft. On was also .found at other places, notably just above the 400-foo level and in this level. The ore shoot seems to pitch from east if west. Except in one place, the ore was everywhere against thi country rock on the hanging wall. There were practically m stringers, spurs, or other indications that the vein was near excep that the country rock carried some uranium. Much of the ore wa; exceedingly rich, some assaying 60 to 80 per cent UjOg. At place this rich ore was a foot thick; one single piece was removed tha measured 2 feet 8 inches by 1 foot 4 inches by 1 foot.

Reliable data on the production of pitchblende from the Kirk min before the present ownership, could not be obtained. Since th present owner has had the mine, in round numbers about 20 tons o ore with an average content of 35 per cent U,Os, and something ov( 100 tons of ore with a content of 3 to 4 per cent UjO, have bee mined. Most of this ore was produced in 1905-6, and practical) all of the high-grade ore was sold abroad.

Therefore at a time when the Austrian mines were apparently the only producers of uranium ore the Kirk mine was sending pitch' blende abroad and supplying a large proportion of the radium thai was sold on the open market.

During the last few years the Kb-k has not been worked regularly; therefore the prodiiction of ore has been small.

Near the Kirk are the Jeannette and Hilda claims. Some assessment work has been done on them.

id By

Pitchblende Deposits. 45

Oerhan Amd Belchkk Mines.

The German and the Belcher mines are a short distuice north of the Kirk mine. It has been difficult to obtain satisfactory and reliable information concemiog the production of uranium from these mines previous to 1911. About three years ago the Belcher, mine produced 1,600 poimds of ore carrying 30 per cent U,Og, and shortly afterwards about the same quantity was mined in the German, During this period both mines were nm in a rather haphazard maimer with inefficient equipment. Last yew both mines were taken over by the German and Belcher Mines Co.

Tlie shaft on the German mine is down 600 feet, but is blocked at the 400-foot level. The mwn levels are at 130, 250, and 400 feet. The vein dips south, but is nearly vertical, like that of the Kirk mine. The Belcher mine is in the same vein as the German mine, several hundred feet to the east. The shaft is down 200 feet, with leyeb at 120 and 180 feet.

The country rock in these mines is gneiss and mica schist, similar to that in the Kirk. Intrusive andesite and granite are common. Unlike the Kirk, thin stringers of pitchblende are sometimes found that lead to pockets of rich ore. In addition to the pitchblende, the ore contains iron and copper pyrites and lead and zinc sulphides carrying gold and silver. The proportion of pyrites is larger than in the Kirk mine, and the ores carrying small quantities of pitchblende are much richer in sulphides than similar ores from the Kirk. Kickard" states that at plaees a "gouge" or clayey salvage mixed with soft pitchblende ore of low grade ia found. This is supposed to be the result of crushii of the vein material during a second period of rock movement. As in the Kirk, pitchblende and gold do not occur together.

There is a good showing of pitchblende in the western part of the 130-foot level. The high-grade ore is from li to 2 inches thick, some of it containing over 80 per cent U,Oj. Lower-grade material ia also found in the eastern part of the 250-foot level, indicating that the ore shoot pitches east. This is exactly opposite to the apparent pitch of the ore in the Kirk mine.

The company is doing development work chiefly at present and is working more than 20 men in two shifts, is using air drills, and has contracted for a condderable amount of diamond drilling.

The total production of pitchblende ore from the two mines from the fall of 1911 to January 1, 1913, has been 240 pounds of high-grade ore containing , more than 70 per cent U,Oj, 220 pounds of ore containing 20 per cent UjOg, S tons of ore carrying 2,6 per cent U,0|, and 1 ton of ore carrying 2 per cent UjOg.

a Bickard, ForbM, FltchUandS Innn Quarts HIU, Colo.: Ulq. ScL , June T, 1913, p. 861,

By

Uranium, Radium, And Vanadium.

Thb Oalhoun 1

The Calhoun mine, south of the Kirk and German mines, is at fffeeent worked for gold only. There are two shafts on this claim, but the east shaft is not used at present. The mine has been a esneH producer of uranium. During 1912, |1,300 worth of pitchblende was sold for specimens — the total output during the year. This was nearly aU high-grade material and was obtained at a depth of 387 feet. That portion of the mine from which the pitchblende was obtained is closed until a successful process for the concentration of low-grade ores has been developed.

The Wood mine at present is being worked under lease by three men, who have had charge about a year. As in the case of the Calhoun, the gold is sought rather than the pitchblende. Purii March, 1913, a small pocket of pitchblende was struck, from which 400 pounds of high-grade ore were taken. The vein is narrow, being only 9 to 18 inches Wide, but at places the ore is rich in gold. In addition, the ore carries lead, copper, silver, andcear the west end of the 200-foot level, also zinc. There are two shafts on the property, with levels at 135, 160, and 200 feet. Most of the ore above the 135-foot level has been stoped out. During the past 5 years about 1 ton of medium-grade pitchblende ore has been mined. This was found a little below the 160-foot level, close to where ore has recently been found.

In general these minee are similar as rards the character of tlie veins, the quality of the pitchblende, and the depth at which the latter is found. A porphyry dike outcrops at several points just west of the pitchblende mines, and the workings of the Calhoun mine extend from the west shaft into this intrusion. The Alps mine, which is close to the Kirk and German, but which has never produced any pitchblende, Ues west of this dike, which may have had something to do with localizing the deposition of the pitchblende. The sulphides, which are found in large quantitiee in these deposits, are doubtless due to secondary mineralization.

From the past showing of these mines, especially of the Kirk mine, one would be justified in classifying the veins at Quartz Hill as being among the important pitchblende deposits of the worid.

Until recently low-grade material has been laiely neglected. Nevertheless the future of these mines depends lately on the utilization of this low-grade material. It is quite probable that much of the rejected material is low-grade uranium ore. Some rejected pieces picked up in the levels of the German mine carried 12 per cent U,0,.

Pitchblende Deposits. 47

If such material as this was discarded, it is more than prohable that a laje proportion of lower grade ore was thrown out. A compdsite sample, taken by one of the writers from eight different points in the dump of the old workings at the Kirk mine, assayed 0.8 per cent U,Og. This sample, of cotirBe, was not by uiy means an average of the whole dump, but it shows that low-ade material has been discarded in the past.

Concentration Of Low-Obase Pitchbinde Obbs.

Attempts at concentrating the low-grade pitchblende ores have been made by various parties with fair results.

The ore should be hand sort before treatment by mechanical means, to remove as much of the waste rock as possible. After crushing to the desired mesh, the material should be carefully sized and classified. This is essential, as a high concentration with a small loss of valuable minerals can not be obtained with unsized material. The order of the important compounds in the ore, in regard to thar specific gravity is uraninite, pyrite, copper pyrites, and quartz. The difference in specific gravity of pyrite and copper pyrite is small, between pyrite and uraninite considerable, and quartz, being the lightest material, can easily be separated. In one concentrating test both a jig and an oscillating table were employed, and, seemingly, a better separation was obtained with the jig than with the oscillating table. The separation of the uraninite from the pyrite and copper pyrites can be accomplished by flotation, but better results can perhaps be obtained by magnetic separation after a slight roasting of the ore.

The pyrite and copper pyrites must be saved, as they may contain gold.

There is no doubt that a high concentration can be accomplished with little loss, Eesnlte obtained by the Bureau of Mines, which is working on the problem of concentrating low-grade uranium ores, will be published in another report. It is expected that ore eontainii as low as 0.5 per cent UjOg can be utilized. This should help to make mining for pitchblende a better commercial venture, especially as there is a good yield of gold and silver to be derived from by-products.

Mechanical concentration of low-grade pitchblende ores has been done in a similar manner in Austria and Germany for several years, but no definite data in rard to methods and results have been obtained.

EimOFEAN PITCHBLENDE DEPOSnS.

A comparison of the Colorado pitchblende deposits with those of

Europe may be of interest, although up to the present the former

hftve not received mud} attention. The important European deposit

; vL-iOogle

48 Uranium, Badium, And Vanadium.

are found in Germany and Austria. The ore deposits at St. Joeichimstahl, Austria," are in mica schist interbedded with lime schist and crystalline limestone. Toward the east and northeast the formation is gneiss. The gneiss was intruded by quartz porphyry subsequent to the deposition of the vein material. In the mica schist are fissures filled with volcanic material which cut the mineralized zone at various points and depths. The veins are usually 6 inches to 2 feet wide, in rare cases widening out to 3 feet. The mode of mineralization varies greatly. The ores are in both stringers and pockets, and contain the following metals: Silver (metallic and as aientite, polybasite, stephanite, tetrahedrite, proustite, pyrargyrite, etembergite, and other minerals) ; nickel (nickelin, chloanthite, and millerite); cobalt (as smaltite, bismutosmaltite, and "absolan"); bismuth (as metallic bismuth, bismite, etc.); arsenic (as metallic arsenic, arsenopyrite) ; and uranium (as uraninite, or pitchblende and other alteration products). Galenite, zincblende, pyrite, marcasite, and copper occur in minor quantities.

The ore beds show that deposition took place in three periods. The cobalt and nickel were deposited first, then the uranium was deposited, and lastly the silver. In some cases the uranium ore is partly replaced by a dark-violet bituminous fluorspar.

Pitchblende is found at Joachimstahl, in Austria, and at Johanngeorgenstadt, Marienberg, Freibei, and Schneeberg, in Saxony,- and Pribram, in Bohemia, having a similar origin. Dolomite spar is always present, which has generally a white or yellowish-white color, but changes to a peculiar browniah-red hue where pitchblende begins to appear, and is a dirty gray where it is actually in contact with the ore. Deep-blue fluorspar is always present. C!opper pyrite is found in small crystals and masses throughout the pitchblende. Fitchblende is also frequently found disseminated in small grains through a part of the mica schist forming a low-grade ore.

The mines at Joachimstahl have been worked since 1S17, In 1545 the production of silver ores declined considerably, but since then the deposits have been mined for bismuth and cobalt. During the last 10 years the mines have been worked for uranium. The Edelleut StoUen has been exploited exclusively for uranium ores and the Austrian Government has erected a factory at Joachimstahl for the handling of these ores.

In the vicinity of Annabel, on the Saxony side of the Erzgebiige, the sUver-cobalt veins resemble those at Joachimstahl. A large number of these veins are in the mountains close to the town. Tin, lead, and copper pyrite are among the minerals which have been mined in the older formations. The more recent deposits contain silver and cobalt, or iron and manganese. The gangue is composed of barite,

RlGbud, Lhra vog den £iiliigeisttUn: tc. 1, 190B, pp. 408-410.

Pitchblende Deposits. 49

fluorspar, quartz, dolomite, and pyrites. There is also some aDiethyst, calcite, aragonite, kaoliuite, and gypsum. The ores are cobalt, silver, and bismuth, with some copper pyrites, galenite, pitchblende, gununite, uraDochalcite, and arsenic. There are similar deposits at Johanngeorenstadt, Saxony. The mountain sides are filled with a network of veins. These veins contain tin and silvercobalt ores and their strike varies greatly. Where dolomite spar is found, the silver-cobalt ores contain pitchblende, as at Annaberg. In the Crottessegen mine the pitchblende occurs in the epar in pieces 2 to 3 inches in diameter. These mines are worked principally for bismuth ocher, but also for cobalt and nickel.

In the quartzie cobalt-bbmuth mines of Schneeber, Saxony, are found bismutite and various minerals of nickel, silver, and arsenic. There is also some pitchblende, uranochalcite, troerite, waIpuT> gite, zeunerite, uranoepinite, galenite, zincblende, and some copper compounds.

TmAKinu DEPOSITS nr pobtuqax.

The following description of the uranium deposits in Portugal is given by Segaud and Humery: "

The UTaaium-bearing zone liea ia the area of massive granite that occupies nearly the entire norOiem part of Portugal between the Desert of Galice to Castello Bianco and reaches into the province of Minho, Tras-oe-Montes, and Beiia. The richest part of the district is between the towns of Guarda and Sabugal, near the aouthem part of the granite area. The zone touches the outcrops of Cambrian rocks north of Guarda, the veine being especially rich in wolframite. The ion of Villar-FonnoBa, however, is almost equally uraniferous.

This zone appears also south of Guarda, where the granite forme a superficial mass thrown above the primary rocks by faulting. Apart from the uranium, the rocks of the ron are much mineralized, showing deposits of galena, ajsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, tungsten, and cassiterite. The uranium-bearii veins crop out in the granite, and also in the Cambrian schists. The granite is generally hard, firm, and little altered. In the vicinity of the veins it is altered, perhaps through mechanical action. The degree of alteration varies much at different points. In some places a remarkable parallelism of the veins in one or two directions is observed; in one instance the veins can be followed 8 miles, and in another, less important, for a considerably anger distance. ITie width of the veins varies greatly. Outcrops show a continuous Bucceesion of swellings and constrictions, and the vein in many places disappears completely, only to reappear several yards farther away. In the north of Belmont a vein is 8 meters wide for a short distance, but such width is believed to be exceptional. A width of from J to 1 meter is more common. The filling of the veine is tnosUy pegmatite and aggKiga.tioDe of crystallized feldspar and quartz. In the district of Guarda the filling of several veins ie largely quartz. The gouge is argillaceous matter, and may carry uranium. Autunite (uranium-calcium phosphate) is preeent in different forms, in small groups of square tables of an intense yellow color, in small plates, as a pure coating, or still oftener in bright yellow specks disaeminated thiough-

' aaeeaQd,— .and Hunwry,— , Dqwallfl ol uranium in Portugal; Ann. dea Mtaea, sec. 11, vol. 3, FeN niary.lBlS, pp. 111-119.

98742°— Bull. 71

id By

60 Ubanium, Kadium, And Tanadiuh.

out rock of a dull yelloviah color. In the clay part of the veiiu the uianiiut ie in places completely invisible and its presence ie revealed only by the electnwcope. There ace, alao, blotches on the surface o( the granite, giving it an intense yellow color. NotnithstasdiDg this color, the grajiite is always poor in uranium. The autunite is probably accompanied by uianyl-circite. Chalcolite of a beautiful emeraldreen color is also present. The content of the veins varies enormously. At one place on an outcrop material was found carrying values of 4 to 6 per cent.i whereas the sur rounding material carried no values whatever, Oi containing 2 per cent is excellent and that carrying 1 per cent is good average ore. The iriin 'm u m limit for profitable exploitation is & content of 0.3 per cent to 0.5 per cent ore. The unaltered mineral has probably not yet been reached, except peritape in a few placM, and it is presumed that the mineral does not differ greatly from that in outcrops.

The region of Guarda forms an elevated plateau having an altitude of about 2,700 feet. It is traversed by a railway from Fampilhoea Villar-Formoea and from Guarda to Lisbon. The transport&tion to the railroad stations is by oxcarts, but the erection of an aerial tramway is possible. The main work has been done in the more important difltrictB of the nOTtheastem part of the region around Porto. The region contains numerous small hamlets from which laborers can he easily procured at small wages.

Themost important workings are those of theGtHnpagniedeTUrane, which employs GOO men. The average net cost per yard of drifts with a cross section of by 4i feet is about 117, and the average net cost of 1 cubic meter of broken ore is about $20. The small mineral content of the ore makes treatment at the mine necessary. This treatment is entirely chemical, without previous mechanical concentration; the products are uranium oxide on one hand and sulphate of barium, rich in radium, on the other. The most important factory is at Baiaao, and is owned by the Compagnie de I'Urane. The radioactive barium sulphate is treated in the factories of .

Ubaniuu Okss In Austbalia.

Within the last few years several finds of uranium-bearing ores have been reported from Australia. These reporte, apparently, have interested not only scientific men in Austraha, but also the general public. One of these deposits is 80 miles east of Farina, a railroad station on the Great Northern line in South Australia, and lies between Mount Painter and Mount Pitt. Brown states that the rocks of the district consist of coarse and fine feldspathic, siliceous, and micaceous granite, and gneiss, and also micaceous rocks, quartzite, and mica schist. The rocks are contorted in places and penetrated by dikes of coarse, pink colored, eruptive granite.

Two of the prospect pits are on outcrops of iron oxide with cellular quartz and gossan, the whole having the appearance of an irrulax lode. The uranium minerals, torbemite and autimite, are disseminated through the ore, and are also crystallized on the walls of the fissures and cavities in it. Uranophane and gummite occur sparingly. Fergusonite and some monazite are also present. Torbemite occurs on two of the other claims, and on still another both torbemite and autunite are disseminated through the rock and in seams. The extent and width of the ore deposit have not been determined.

n TbB article docs not stale what Uwse parceDtaen

By

Yanadiuh Fboh Ores Otheb Isait Cabnotite. 51

Another uraniuin deposit lies southeast of the one just described, about 20 miles east-southeast of Olary, on the railioad line from Petersburg to Broken Hill , Soutli Australia. The ore occurs as a yellow and greenish-yellow incrustatioD and powder on the faces, joints, and cavities of a lode, which consists of titaoiferous magnetite, magnetite, etc., and quartz in association with black mica. There are two of these lode outcrops, more or less parallel and 5 to 15 yards apart. The main outcrop can be traced for some 200 yards. The ore is reported to consist almost entirely of camotite, with possibly some gununite.

fYom the accounts published most of the ore is of a very low grade. A company has been formed for exploiting the ore and extracting the radium.

TANASIUH FROM OKBS OTHEB THAN CAKNOTITB. BAN UaUBL COUNTT, COLO., DBFOSniS.

Probably the largest deposits of vanadium that have yet been discovered in the United States are in southwestern Colorado .between and close to Placerville and Newmire in San Miguel County, lliese deposits were visited by Kansome and Spencer in. 1899 and their description, together with notes on the chemical analyses and composition of roscoelite by Hillebrand, was published in 1900.° Fleck and French have also described the deposits. Fleck and Haldane later published additional descriptions, with notes on mining operatioDs.<= Hess, in 1912, published an excellent description of these deposits with notes on the possible origin, etc.

According to Cross and Purrington,' the country rock is composed of Jurassic and Triassic sediments. They have divided these into three formations, the Dolores below. La Plata above, and McElmo above the La Plata. The latter is composed of two heavy beds of lightrxtlored sandstone, separated by a thin bed of limestone. The vaoadium-bearii rock is the lower sandstone which probably consists of two beds with an unconformity between. That part above the unconformity is yellowish in color and that below is gray.

These beds outcrop on both sides of Bear Creek, south of Newmire, at a height of about 50 feet above the creek bed. A chemical company with works at Newmire, Colo., and Primos, Pa., is mining these Bear Creek deposits. On the east side of the creek the workings are rather extensive. Tlie ore is removed as found, although such

uid toodaMd TBoadiltsaiis miners in western . 134-144; U. S. Oool. Sturey Ball. Sfl 190S, pp.

t FlHtk, H., and Fmcdi, S. W., Draniiun and Vinkdlniii; Quart. Cokxado School of Uinca, JanuuTi

m.

' Flack, H., lOd HaJdaite, W. O., PteUmlnary port on tht ladloaatlvitf of camotlta In acnitb. nsHoi Colorado: Qiurt. Cobnda Bdbaoi of Ulncs, OctolMr, 1909.

'Has, F. L.. on (ha Tuiadhun daposlts near PlicBvlUe, Colo.: U. 8. GeoL Bamj BulL 530, t.1, IflU.pp. lU-ltT.

Talhirida FoUn No. GT, Gml. AUas, U. 8., U. fi. Gaol. Sucre;, ISW, p. S3.

62 Ukahium, Badiuu, And Takadixtm.

operations have resulted in the formation of lai chambers. The mining is easy, as the sandstone roof is hard and easily supported. Beyond these chambers are several drifts. Mining at present is confined to the west side of the creek. There is an easy haul of about miles from the workings to the plant, with a down grade ,all the way.

The vanadium-bearing rock is a light to dull green fine-grained sandstone. Sometimes the color is quite dark. Occasionally splotches of camotite are found in the craclra and fissuree, but the uranium content is too small to be worth saving. As a rule the richest ore follows the apparent unconformity between the two sandstones. In places a shallow layer, dark in color and from one-half to one inch thick, lies close to the unconformity and is said to be rich in vanadium. This layer partly, at least, accounts for the origin of the vanadium in the sandstone above and below.

The deposits are also found at Sawpit between Newmire and Placerville, on both sides of the Rio Grande River; in the canyon of Fall Crriek which runs into the Rio Grande below Sawpit; on the east side of the Rio Grande both north and south of Placerville; and on both sides of Leopard Creek, which runs into the Rio Grande close to Placerville. The only ore being mined at present, however, is at Bear Creek. According to Hillebrand, the green vanadium mineral to which the sandstone owes its color is not a chlorite notwithstanding its appearance, but is closely related to the mica roscoelite wherein the proportions of AljOj and V,0, are reversed. A laie proportion of the ore carries less than 1 per cent . The ore mined at Bear Creek has an average content of IJ per cent . Some of it contains as much as 2 per cent , or eveh a Httle more. The thin layer, already referred to, at places carries more than 8 per cent . These low-grade loscoelite deposits can be mined at a profit, because they are large and easily worked.

Httebfano Cottnty, Colo., Depositb.

Vanadium ore has been recently discovered in Huerfano County, Colo. The Colorado Mining Corporation claims, six in number, are in the Culebra spur of the Sangre de Cristo Range in Huerfano County. The nearest railroad station is Russell Siding, about 9 miles distant. From this siding to within a short distance of the mines the wagon road is an abandoned railroad grade. The vein is said to be a welldefined fissure vein and has been opened up at different places on the surface for a distance of 2,500 to 3,000 feet. It is 1 to 4 feet in width. The lowest workings are about 25 feet deep with the best showing in a couple of shafts about 14 feet in depth. The vein was originally

led vanadiferous minerals In western

Vanadium Pbom Obes Otheb Than Cabnotite. 53

worked for copper, but about a year ago it was found to contain vanadium. A. number of assays show the following content: 2-63, 2.91, 6.25, and 76 per cent. The copper content is 2 to 4 per cent or a little more. One assay made upon a much larger sample than was used in any of the above determinations showed 4.5 per cent V,0(. The ore is heavy, black, and banded and is probably gneiss impregnated with vanadliun minerals. It carries much green material, some of which may be copper vanadate. In places the ore is rather yellow and assays are reported showing as much as 1.75 per cent UjO„ but none of the yellow samples we examined contained more than a trace of uranium. Two or three small outcrops carrying vanadium have been found within a mile and a half east of these claims. Five miles north is a thin vein from 1 to 2 inches thick called the Santa Bcma vein, which also is said to carry some vanadium.

Oxtttbe, N. Hex., Dsposit8.

At Cutter in Sierra County, N. Mex,, on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, deposits of vanadinite have been worked by the Vanadium Mines Co. The veins lie about three-fourths of a mile south of Palomas Gap and contain, in addition to vanadium, galemte, copper carbonates, barite, fluorite, and other minerals. They were visited by Hess in 1911.° The mine has recently been abandoned and the plant removed.

Some ore has been mined on the Widner claims during the past year, but it was shipped for the lead content only.

EAGLE COUNTT, COLO., DEPOSTTS. In Eagle County, Colo., 7 miles southeast of the town of Eagle, silver ore has been found that carries also vanadium. The Lady Belle mine is 400 feet above Brush Creek on the side of Horse Mountain. There are two tunnels, one about 26 feet above the other. The upper one runs about north and follows the strike of the ore body, the dip of which is 34° E. The lower tunnel runs at an aile to the upper one and then bends until it takes almost the same direction. It is in about 60 feet and the upper one about 40 feet. The ore is a dark-greenish sandstone sbnilar in appearance to the darker types of roscoelite found at Newmire, Colo. It assays 25 to 1,000 ounces of silver to the ton. Much of the ore that is high in vanadium is low in silver, although this is not invariably true. The vanadium ore contains coarsely crystalline layers. TTie high-grade silver ore is more compact, usually darker, and has blue-black dots and splotches, due probably to silver bromide. Pieces of float ore rich in silver have been found near Horse Mountain, but no high-grade ore has

"Haas, F, L., NolM im the ranadlum depcolteoaar PlfloorriUs, Ccio.: U.S. Ged,Survy Bull. SaO, pt.1,

54 Ueasium, Badium, And Vanadium.

been found in place at the time of writing, except at the Lady Belle mine.

A section across the ore bodj, beginning with the foot wall, is as follows: Four feet of rich ore (A), 11 feet of low-grade ore (B), 4 feet of rich ore (C), and — feet of low-ade ore (D). The hanging wall has not yet been reached, and thrarore the total thickness of the ore body is not known.

Vanadium assays made by the Bureau of IGnes show the following results:

Vanadium content ofonjrom Lady Belle mine. Part of Beodon TiOi ooatciDl.

ot on body. Per eaU.

A (lower part) 2.66

A (upper part) 21

B 2.30

D 38

A sample across the breast of the lower drift showed 0.94 per cent of V,0,. No attempt to recover the vanadium has been made.

Deposits Is Other States.

A deposit of vanadium ore has recently been discovered in California. It is on low ground, a few rods from a good road, 5 miles from Klinefelter Station, on the main line of the Santa Fe Raib-oad, near the eastern border of San Bernardino County. It is stated that the vein is S feet wide and can be traced on the surface for a distance of 435 feet. The ore is largely calcite. One sample tested by the Bureau of Mines showed a content of 1.71 per cent . Water is near by, there being numerous springs.

There are several deposits of grahamite in the United States, those in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Nevada probably being the most important. Grahamite is a solid native bitumen, the origin of whidi was first described by White " as being derived from the oxidation of petroleum. Bichardson mentions the fact that both the West Virnia and Oklahoma grahamites contain vanadium in the ash. The mineral has been described as a brittle, solid, native bitumen, the result of the metamorphism of petroleum, generally pure, but at times containing adventitious mineral matter. Grahamite does not melt, but glows and burns slowly on the application of heat.

The deposits near Page, Le Flore County, Okla., and in the Impson Valley, are fully described by Taff." At Page very little development work has been done. An adit has been driven in the vein and within the adit a shaft has been sunk in the deposit, following the

White,!. C.,0rlla<>[efaaiiille: BulL 0d. Soo. oT Amsrtcs, I8W, ToL 10, pp. 377-284. b Richardaon, CliOofd, OrahamlU, a solid uaUve Utimwn: Jour. Am. Chem. Son., voL 32, pt. 3, ISIO pp. 1033-10*a. 'Tuff. J. A., Onhamlte deposlu ot Boatheaatem Oklahoma; U.S. Geol. SurvefBuU. 380, ltD8,pp.

Vanadium Fbou Obss Otheb Than Cabnohje. 55

vein for a considerable depth. The ore outcroja several hundred feet higher up on the hillside. The property has been leased to a Pittsburgh concern for the last few years, but the lease does not call for the workii of the property and it has been idle during this time.

The Oklahoma grahamite bums with a smoky flame to a yellowishbrown ash, whereas the grahamite from West Viiinia, under similar conditions, forms a pasty asphaltic mass when the volatile matter is driven off, and finally reduces to a reddish-brown ash.

Samples analyzed by the Bureau of Mines laboratory at Denver, Colo., gave the following results:

I'

noia Count;, Okla.

dn°

From outcrop.

34.' 5

.

'

Deposits Of Patbontte Js Peb.U.

The vanadium ores from the mines in the United States meet a stroi competitor in the patronite" shipped from the deposits in Peru owned by the American Vanadium Co., of Pittsburgh, Pa.

These deposits are at Minasrra, 20 miles from Cerro de Pasco. The area li along the western limit of a broad anticline in "Jura tfias" and Cretaceous rocks, A section shows the series in this locality to be composed of green shales, thin beds of limestone, and red shales. Vanadium ia found only in the red shales. The deposit proper appears to be a lens-shaped mass, 28 feet wide and 350 feet long. The dip is 75° W., and the strike is N. 20° W. The ore contains several minerals. The mineral that constitutes the laier portion of the deposit has been called "quisqueite." It is a black carbona-" ceoua substance containing sulphur, with a hardns of 2.5 and a specific gravity of 1.75. There ia also a lesser quantity of a cokelike material with a hardness of 4.5 and a specific gravity of 2.2. Neither of these contain vanadium. The vanadium is mostly at the southern end of the ore body, and to a depth of 20 feet is largely in the form of red calcium vanadate. The color is brighter than that of the calcium vanadate found in Colorado and Utah, and the ore carries as much as 50 per cent vanadium oxide. It occurs in small

"Hcirett, D. F., Anew occuirenceol vuudloni In Peru: Eng. and Uln. lour., vol. S2,Sept l, iWfl.p, 386; HUlebinnd, W. F., The vuudlum sulphide, patnmits, and Ita numerous associates trom Mlnaaragra. Pau; Joni. Am. Cliem. Soe.,To1. 29, pt. 2, ieci7, pp. 101-10e9: Bravo, I. J., ElVansdlo de Hinasragra; InlDnn. Uem. Sac. Eug, Lima, 1D0, pp. ITl-lSS; HcwM, D. F., VuiuUnm dqrata in Peru: Trans. Am. Inst tiin. £ng., vol. 40, 1909, p. 291.

66 Uranium, Badium, And Vanadium.

pockets and fills the cracks and fissures in a fine shale. Below this shtJe is the "mother lode." It is 9 to 30 feet thick, extends along the greater leith of the deposit, and dips 40°. It carries as high as 10 per cent vanadium oxide and nearly as much sulphur. On the east and south sides, below the "mother lode," is found a hard blue-black vanadium shale, carrying as much as 13 per cent vanadium oxide and 4 to 5 per cent sulphur. Patronite, the main vanadium mineral, is greenish black and has a hardness of 2.6 and a specific gravity of 2.71. It contains from 19 to 24. S per cent vanadium oxide and sometimes 50 to 55 per cent of combined sulphur. The patronite originally almost reached the surface close to a dike on the east side and the vein was followed in sinking the shaft. It is most abundant in the north half of the lens. The whole ore body is almost completely inclosed by porphyry dikes. There are also two or three intrusions in the ore body.

PROBtJCTION OP URANTUM, VANADIUM, ANB RADIUM.

During the year 1912,28.8 tons of uranium oxide, equivalent to 24.4 tons of metallic uranium, was produced in this country. In addition, 1.4 tons of uranium oxide was shipped, but has been held up in transit because the uranium oxide content was so low that it could not be marketed. The value of the uranium content of the ore shipped, on a basis of $1 .50 per pound, is $86,000. On the basis that the radium is in equilibrium (see p. 66) with the uranium, 9.77 grams of radium chloride, or 12.7 grams radium Tiromide (anhydrous), were contained in the uranium ores mined and shipped in this country durii 1912. All but a few tons of these ores, as already stated, was sent abroad and the radium was extracted in Europe. It is difficult to say at this time what the exact ratio of radium to uranium in camotito ore is, as very little work has been done on the subject except in one commercial labora.tory. Private information from this laboratory indicates that the ratio is only a little below the normal ratio of 1 part radium to 2,940,000 parts uranium. Allowing a generous maiin of 10 per cent, the actual production of radium from American ores last year, assuming that all was extracted, was equivalent to 8.8 grams of radium chloride, or 11.43 grams of the bromide, worth, at the present price of $90,000 per gram for chloride, t792,000.

We have been unable to ascertain the exact production of radium from other sources during the year 1912, as the figures from the Austrian mines are not yet available. The total production of radium preparations from the Austrian mines in 1911, calculated as

a Some ot the ore shipped toward the end of 1912 dJd not reach Europe until &ftet the close ot tbe year, and the radium in it would be extracted From it for several months. Although the pTodnctlon otcarnotlte ore in tbe United States Id 19U was on]; a lit tie less than that of 1912, less or it was sent abroad and wliat vas shipped at tbe end ot 1911 would not quite oBsal nhat was shipped at the end of J912, so tba aboTe figures on production oC radium in ISlare a little high, although it represent.s tbe larlium In tte on ahlpped.

Uses Of Vanadium, Ubantum, And Badiuu. 67

pure radium chloride, was 2.647 grams, valued at $211,750. The production of radium from other uraHium ores mined in 1912, omitting Austria and tJie United States, is probably less than grams of radium chloride. The total production of radium chloride from foreign ores, therefore, during the year 1912, assuming that the Austrian production was no laiger in that year than in 1911, was less than 4 grams. Therefore American ores supplied more than twice as much radium as was obtained fiom all other sources.

American ores in 1912 suppUed approximately 2S5 tons of vanadium metal in the form of ferrovanadium and other vanadium products. Some of this went abroad, but most of it was used in this country.

Uses Of Vauadium, Ttranium, And Radium.

TTSES OF VAKADinU.

The main use of vanadium is as an alloy m steels where great toughness and torsional strength are required, such as automobile parts, gears, piston roda, tubes, boiler plates, tires, transmission shafts, bolts, gun barrels, gun shields, and forgings of any kind which have to withstand heavy wear and tear. The vanadium content in such steels varies from 0.1 to 0.4 per cent. It is occasionally used in certain tungsten aUoys for making high-speed tool steel. The introduction of a small proportion of vanadium decidedly reduces the proportion of tungsten required to give such alloys the desired hardness and toughness.

Arnold " has given some illustrations of the effect of vanadium upon steels of different types:

One plain carbon steel containing about I per cent of carbon had a yield point of 35 tone per square inch, a. maximum atreaa of 60 tona per square inch, an elongation of 10 per cent on 2 inches, and a reduction of area of 10 per cent. The addition to this steel of about 0.6 per cent of vanadium raised the yield point from 35 to 65 tons, the mSximum stress from 60 to 86 tons per square inch, still leaving an ebngation of 7 per cent and a reduction of area of 8 per cent.

A Bteel containing 0.25 per cent of carbon and 3,3 per cent of nickel gave a yield point of 33 tons, a maximum stress of 42 tons per aquue inch, an elongation of 26 per cent on 2 indtea, and a reduction of area of 53 per cent. A practically identical steel, but containing in addition 'about 0.25 per cent of vanadium, gave a yield point of 50 tona instead of 33, a maximum stress of 68 instead of 42 tons per square inch. The elongation was 17 per cent on 2 inches and the reduction of area 36 per cent.

A steel containing 0.25 per cent of carbon and about 1 per cent of chromium roistered a yield point of 27 tons and a maximum stream of 41 tons per square inch, with an ebngation of 36 per cent on 2 inches and a reduction of area of 55 per cent. The addition of 0.25 per cent of vanadium raised the yield point from 27 to 40 and the maximtun stress from 41 to 55 tons per square inch. The elongation was lowered from 35 to 26 per cent and the reduction of area from 55 to 53 per cent.

Seme recent advances [nsdaatiflcsteiilmeullurEy: Natnra, Marchao, lS13,p.T0.

58 UKANIUM, BADm&f, AND VANADIUM.

Vanadium, therefore, differs from tungsten in having an extremely benefici effect not only on tool but also on structural steel. Arnold has shown that vanadium seemingly does not fonn a double carbide with iron, but gradually takes the carbon from the carbide of iron until, if about 5 per cent of vanadium is present, Fe,C can not exist, and only a vanadium carbide, V4C,, containing 15 per cent of carbon, is present, and this constituent is constant, at least in tool steels containing 5 to 14 per cent of vanadium. The micrographic analysis of such alloys has resulted in the discovery of three new constituents) namely, vanadium pearlite, vanadium hardenite, and vanadium cementite.

There seems to be a tendency to substitute the use of titanium to some extent for that of vanadium, although titanium probably acts only as a reducing agent. Vanadium is also used in making bronzes, in medicine, and in dyeing.

USES OF nBAHIDlE.

Uranium salts have been used for many years in glass manufactuiv ii. Uranium colors glass yellow, and in sufficient proportion imparts to glass a beautiful fluorescent color known as "opalescent." Fifteen per cent or more of the oxide may be required to give tb© desired effect. It is also used in ceramics for the purpose of obtaining brilliant, fireproof tints of yellow, orange, and black. Uranium coloring powders may be obtained in black or in six shades of yellow.

Uranium can be used as an alloy of steel, but alloys of other metals that have similar properties can be produced more cheaply. Owing to the increased supply of uranium, however, experiments are once more being tried with the object of getting some alloy with proper ties of a sufficiently distinctive character to make it a commercial product.

Ubes Of Badittk.

Rtidium is used in scientific research and in medicine. A study of radium and its disintegration products has vastly extended the conception of the composition of matter and the nature of the elements. Owing to the cost of the material, however, the quantity available for scientific research must necessarily be limited, although it is unfortimate that a larger proportion of the radium supply can not be devoted to purely scientific purposes. The commercial demand for radium must depend laiely upon what use can be made of it for medical purposes. The following data have been abstracted from scientific journals and in part obtained from the bulletin published by the Imperial Department of Public Works in Austria:

Radium treatment is given by means of baths in tadioactiTe waters, by drinking ladiosctive watera, by subjecting the patients to the radium emanation, by doeee of

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USES OF VAITADIDM, UEANItTH, JlSD BMfWU, 59

the TEuliuiu emanation artificially diaBoIved in wat to a much greater Bttength. than can be obtained from the natural waters, by subcutaneous injections of water containing the emanation in solution, and by direct exposure to the radium rays from radium preparationB.

A great number of natural Hpringe have been found to be radioactive. In fact, practically all natural waters contain at least small quantitiee of the radium emanation in solution, although comparatively few contain radium salts in solution. To say that a watei is radioactive, therefore, mona very little, aa any deep-well watr is to some extnt radioactive, and even river waters are often alightly ao. The important point is not that the water is radioactive, but to what degree it is radioactive. The variation in radioactivity is marked, some BjMiiigB being hundreds and even tlioustuids of timee as radioactive as otlieie. The radioactivity is, of course, acquired by underground water coming in direct contact either with radium emanadoD which the watr dissolves or with radium-bearing oree. Many well-known mineral springs are strongly radioactive, and there has been a tendency to attribute at least some of their therapeutic value to this radioactivity.

Recently the Austrian Oovemment has established baths in connection with the mines at St. JoachimstAhl. It is claimed that the waters from the minee have a special value in the treatment of subacute, and especially of chronic, rheumatism of the joints and muscles, for gout, diabetes, and various forms of neuralgia of arheumatic or gouty nature. It is also claimed that the waters are beneficial in the casea of chronic catarrh of the mucous membranes, slight paralysis, anemia, chlorosis, lymphatic disorders, and diseases of women. The treatment is not confined to baths only, but all of the methods indicated above are used. Direct exposure to radiuni rays is especially recommended for rheumatism, neuralgia, stiffness of the bone and joints, as well as chronic eczema.

An abstract of part of the recent report of the Radium Institute of London follows : .

It is necessary to get a constimt source of radiation in the treatment of diseases by means of radium. The different forms of apparatus used for this purpose are called "applicators," and may be of two kinds (a) those containing radium salts, and (b) those containing the emanation ca gas evolved by radium salts. The first may be divided into two types, (1) in which the radium salts are fixed by a varnish, and (2) tubes containing the radium salts.

In order to standardize these instruments a unit of cimcentration has been adopted. It is repreeentdd by 1 centigram of radium bromide covering 1 square centimeter otsurface. Such applicators are termed "fullstrength." One with half thia quantity on the same area is termed "half strength," and eo on. In order to compare instruments with applicators used elsewhere, in future the instruments will be standardized in trams of metallic radium rather than radium bromide.

The varnished applicatcos are made in the form of square, rectangular, and circular plates of silver. Kadium sulphate is mixed with varnish and spread over the metal and, after dryii, three individual coals of varnish are laid on top. The whole is finished with a last coat of a particular type of varnish which gives a glasslike surface. Such inatrumenta can be sterilized by means of heating to 120° C, or by means of alcohol, mercuric chloride, or ether. It is recommended that the tube applicators be packed tightly bo that the radium salts can not be shaken around inaide. The emanation applicators are either flat or in the form of tubes. The flat instruments are small, Imllow boxes made of German silver with one lace turned down in a lathe to a thickness of 3 mm. The instrument is fitted with a lead tube with a capillary bore. The mixture of oxygen and hydrogen which is obtained from aolutiona containing radium salts is pumped oS by means of a vacuum pump with the contained emanation. On exploding the mixed gases a smal! quantity of hydrogen ia left containing all of

60 Xtrakium, Badium, And Vanadium.

the origmal emanation. The applicator is then partly exhausted, the bydrogen aod the emanation allowed to run in and the end of the capillary tube pinched, conveniently retsinii the gasee inside.

The tube applicators have a volume of 2 c. c. ot more, and are filled with hydrcen containing emanation obtained in the manner already deacribed. If smaller tubes are desired, the emanation ia frozen out by means of liqtiid air and the hydrogen pumped oS. The tube con. then be sealed.

The institute has also prepared a lai quantity of radioactive water for its use, such water having a strength of from 1 to 2 millicuries" per liter, which is much stronger than even the more radioactive natural watora.

From August 14, 1911, to December 31, 1912, a large nimiber of patients were treated. There seems to have been no disposition to select cases in any way. The general report on these cases is aa follows:

Report on patUnt* trealedfrom. Aug. 14, 1911, to Dec. SI, 1911.

Examined but not treated 38

Received prophylactic irradiation only 39

Apparently cured 53

Cured 28

Improved 245

Hot improved 70

Abandoned treatment 88

Dead 55

Bcently treated and results not yet noted 41

These cases covered a large number of diseases, "including carcinomata of the larynx, uterus, neck, etc., rodent ulcer, malignant diseases of skin, parotid tumor, adenoma of breast, adenoma of thyroid, fibroid diseases of uterus, leucoplakia, tropical ulcer, various skin diseases, locomotor ataxia, diabetes mellitus, etc.

Statements from another source intricate that 80 per cent of cases of arthritis treated with comparatively strong doses of the radium emanation dissolved in water are either cured or greatly benefited. A similar treatment seems to be beneficial for rheumatism. The dose in such cases is aa foUoira: The radium emanation obtained in one week from 1 gram ot radium bromide in solution is dissolved in 17 liters of water. One hundred cubic centimeters of this solution ia taken twice a week by the patient. This means that 1 gram ol radiiun bromide can be used for treating about 170 patients at one time.

A word of warning seems not out ot place here. There has already been a disposition to exploit so-called radioactive waters whose radioactivity is no larger than that of ordinary deep-well water. It is by no means an assured fact that even those waters which have a radioactivity somewhat above the average can claim any special healing qualities from their small radium content. It is open to doubt

aODemiUiciirlsJs thequiuitlty o( emaiutlon In equUlbrlum with 1 me. olrodlum.

Kadium Inbtitutb8. 61

whether cures that haye been effected are due to the small proportion of radium, or to other substances in the water. AspringatSeliginan,Mo., somewhat largely advertised, was tested by a well-known chemist and proved to tave a radioactivity of 3.5 mache units — about the same as deep-well water. The exploitation of radium in medicine has been carried even further. Inhalers, which usually involve the inhaling of oxygen also, and "bath salts," containing small quantities of radium, are on the market, and the nimiber is likely to increase. It is quite possible that some of these may have a uae, but their value has not by any means been thoroughly demonstrated. It must be borne in mind that proper treatment, involving the use of radium, can not be given at present by the average physician, at least to the best advantage, because he is not well informed as to the properties of the substances used. For example, the radium emanation lose half its strength in 3.8 days. That is to say, after 3,8 days half of the gas has changed into disintration products. At the end of one month all of it has changed and there is no emanation left. Without some knowledge of radioactivity, a physician would frequently not be able to tell the strength of the material he was using.

Although the medical value of radium has been under test for several years, the quantity available for such experiments has been limited. Now that the supply of radium salts has increased a greater proportion of this supply ought to be devoted to scientific research in ' order that knowledge in regard to its uses in the arts and its medicinal properties may be extended.

Badittm Institutes.

As already stated, only a comparatively small part of the total supply of radium is at present available for use in medical and other scientific research.

The Radium Institute of Vienna was the donation of Dr. Kuppelweiaer, a philanthropist of Vienna, to the Academy of Sciences of Austria, which has tuned over the direction of the institute to the department of physics of the University of Vienna, The institute is purely a research institution, offering no courses of instruction and accepting only investigators of recognized standing. It owns about grams of relatively pure radium salts presented to it by the Austrian Government. About 1 gram of this may be rarded as 100 per cent pure. Although the institute has neither the right to sell nor loan radium, it is the repository for such preparations as the Government is holding for sale and can use them as a source of radiation for experimental purposes. Sales of radium by the Government are made on the basis of the measure of radioactivity of the substance as determined by the institute. The institute has confined its research

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62 Ueanium, Badiuu, And Vanadium.

work to purely scientific investigatioiifi and has rather ByBtflmatically avoided connection with medical researches.

In Paris the lahoratoiy of Madam Curie is a part of the Sorboane, or University of Paris, although not at present in the Sorbonne building. It will soon be moved to theuewRadium Institute which the university has built near the Pantheon. The radium owned by the laboratory was originally presented to Madam Curie in the form of uranium residues. Only about 1 gram of radium has been extracted in any dee of purity, but a large quantity of residue still remaiim on hand. This gram of radium is used for purely scientific research and not for medical purposes.

The English Radium Institute was founded by Sir Eest Cass and Viscount Iveagh, who gave a large sum for its endowment. The institute does not own a mine nor extract radium from ore, but buys whatever refined radium salts it needs. It has at its disposal probably somewhere between 1 and 2 grams of radium chloride. Its work is entirely confined to the medical and other scientific uses of radium, primarily the former. The annual report, which has recently been issued, has already been mentioned.

MARKET VAIiUE OF RADIUM SALTS.

The price of radium salts varies to some extent, depending upon the quantity purchased and also from whom purchased. The average price for radium bromide in small quantities is $70 per milligram. Some makers charge as high as $100 per milligram. This, however, is tor a specially pure and guaranteed product. Lower-rade material has a correspondingly lower price. For example, a sample containing 50 per cent radium bromide is worth half as much per milligram as one which is guaranteed to be perfectly pure. A price of $70 per milligram corresponds to $70,000 per gram, or $2,000,000 per ounce.

There is hardly any material on the open market to-day that offers better chances for fraud in connection with its sale. The reason of this is that the average chemist is imable to tell whether the radium salt is pure, and to what degree it is below the guaranteed standard. In the earlier days of the sale of radium a radioactivity standard was used. Under this standard any material that had a radioactivity of two million was represented as pure. Material of lower radioactivity contained a proportionate amount of radium. The standard was absolutely arbitrary and for temporary purposes was siifficiently exact, but conditions have changed. A person purchasing radium should insist on receiving a guarantee, stating exactly what per cent of radium chloride or radium bromide the sample contains. Upon no other basis can a purchaser be sure of obtaining a, standard article.

a Tba racUum wu apposed M 2,00a.0CO tinuB u ladloactlre BB B almilu velglit of pun nnnlumcsid*.

Mabket Value Of Badiuh Salts. 63

Another point which it js necessary to bear in mind ia that in radium chloride and radium bromide the percentage of metallic radiiun is very different, the chloride containing 76 per cent radium and the bromide less than 59 per cent. It can therefore he seen that the values of a milligram each of the two salts, based upon the metallic radium content, are different. The same price per milligram should not be paid for bromide as for chloride. All dealers should sell their products on the basis of the proportion of metaUic radium present.

With the large increase in production of radium during the last two years, the question of a market and the continuance of the present prices is a very pertinent subject. Undoubtedly it is now more difficult to dispose of radium than it was a few years ago, due to this increase in production. As already stated, the future market will depend very largely upon the successful use of radium for medical purposes. If it can he demonstrated to the satisfaction of the medical profession as a whole that it has a decided use in any one disease, the demand for radium will not only equal the present supply but will equal any supply that is likely to be put upon the market in the future. For example, if it can be proven that treatoient with the radium emanation is the best cure for rheumatism, since 1 gram of radium chloride is enough for treatii only 170 persons continuously, it can be seen that no likely supply in the immediate future could equal the demand. Therefore a supply of radium salts sufficient to meet the needs of an adequate investigation of the medicinal properties of radium should either be placed in the care of a radium institute in this country, or made available for use in some of our large hospitals. The radium in the Colorado and Utah ores should not he sent abroad in the future as it has been in the past. This coimtiy should receive the scientific and medical benefits which may be expected from its retention and lise on this side of the Atlantic.

Radioactive Methods For Testing Ores.

The matter of sorting uranium ores correctly is most important to the practical miner. From the descriptions of the ore bodies in Paradox Valley and in Utah, one can readily see that it is sometimes extremely difficult to tell what is and what is not a shipping ore. The fact that in many cases long hauls are necessary to cany the ore to the railroad makes it doubly important that no ore should be shipped that can not be marketed. The miners leam by experience to distinguish high-grade from low-grade ore, but as the appearance of the ore varies in different localities, a sorter who is successful in one place toay make serious errors in another. In addition, as already stated, a number of analytical mistakes have been made by some assayers with rather serious consequences to some of the shippers. It there-

64 Ubaniuu, Badiuu, And Tanaditju.

fore becomes exceedingly important to have some quick method by vch a mine operator can tell whether the uranium oxide content of his ore is or is not above the niinimnni of 2 per cent. This can be readily accomplished by an intelligent person with a little practice by means of an electroscope.

A suitable electroscope usually consists of two compartments; one above containing a suspended gold leaf in front of which is attached a reading microscope, and one below in which the ore to be tested is placed. Usually the leaf is electrically charged by means of a piece of vulcanite rubbed on the sleeve of the coat, the chaise causing the leaf to rise ; then the natural leak of electricity from the leaf is noted on the scale, and calculated as a certain number of divisions per minute. The ore is then placed in the compartment below and the leak of the leaf noted as before. If the ore contains iiranlum and radium, the rate at which the leaf falls will always be faster than the natural leak of the instrument itself. This is due to the fact that the rays given off by the radioactive material ionize the air in the compartment in which it is placed, and if the leaf has been charged positively the native ions will be attracted to the leaf system and will dischaie the charge which has been imparted to it. This ability to discharge electricity is the means by which we recognise radioactive substances.

There are a nnmer of precautions, however, to be taken in making such measurements. First, the illumination during the taking of the readings should be constant. It is therefore much better to make all determinations at night, when an artificial light can be placed at a definite distance behind the electroscope. Second, readings should always be taken between the same points on the scale. Third, in comparing two ores their physical condition should be aa nearly as possible the same. This may be roughly done by passing them through the same mesh sieve, preferably 40 or 60 mesh. Of course, every particle of the ore must be ground until it finally passes this sieve, otherwise there will be a partial concentration of the radioactive material in the finer portion. The same weight should be taken and the same surface should be exposed in the electroscope. A. balance is inconvenient in a minin g camp, but approximately uniform quantities of ore may be obtained in the following way:

In a brass plate about one-fourth inch thick, of a size to fit into the bottom compartment of the electroscope, should be cut by means of a lathe a circular depression one-eighth inch deep and about 2 or 3 inches in diameter. This can be done by any brass worker. The bottom and sides of the depression should be perfectly smooth. The ore

Eadioactitb Methods Fob Testing Orbs. 65

to be tested is poured into the depression, the plate tapped gently 80 as to settle the ore, and then by passing the edge of a flat piece of metal across the surface of the plate the extra ore is wiped off and the depression left exactly filled with ore with a perfectly flat surface.

In this manner a fairly uniform weight of material is obtained for comparison and the surface exposed in the electroscope is approximately constant. Of course, the density of the ores tested varies, but the method is accurate enough to give approximate results.

The plate with the ore is introduced into the bottom compartment of the electroscope and a reading taken. The ore is removed and rqilaced by a sample of camotite of known uranium content which serves as a standard. This sample, of course, is passed through the same mesh sieve as the sample being tested. The relative radioactivities; that is, the rates at which the leaf falls, are roughly proportional to the amount of UjO present, it being assumed that the ratio of radium to uranium in the two ores is the same. The following example will show how to make a calculation:

Method of oaleulating penxntage of E7,0j.

Natur&l leak of inBtrument— 5 divisioiiB is 10 mmutee.

Natural leak of mBtrument—0.5 division per minute.

Rate uf fall of leaf with standard ore (3 percentTJfO|)=48.5divi5ionBpeTmiiiute. Rate of fall of leaf with ore to be teat=36.5 divisions per minute. Subtr&cting from each, of these figures' the natural leak, 0.5 divisions per minute, '

give 48 and 36, The percent:e of U,Og in the ore will then be — jg- 2.2.

If the natural leak is as low as 0.5 division per minute and the radioactivities of the samples are as high as those indicated in the above experiment, the natural leak can be neglected, as the error from it is less than the probable experimental error.

The following actual comparison of the radioactivity of two carnotite ores, the uranium content of which was determined by analysis, will show the probable error in work that is carefully done.

ComparUon of two cantotite ore*.

FInton. Seoondora.

Percentage of UjO| 2.02 3.16

DiviaionB per minute 7. 4 12.

If the 2.02 per cent ore be taken as the standard of comparison, the electroscopic results indicate that the second ore contains 3.27 per cent U,Oa instead of 3.16 per cent, the agreement being close enoih for practical purposes.

The method outlined above is only approximately correct, because every sample of radioactive material has a different emanating power; that is, it occludes the emanation to a different d;ree. Other factors, as already explained, affect the result and are difficult to control. 98742°— BuU. 70—13 6

66 (Jbanium, Badium, And Vanadiuu.

However, with care and a little practice the electroscopic method can be successfully used to give an approximate indication of tha uranium content of the ore. The total time required for a determination, including the grinding of the material, should not be more than one-half hour.

If the radium content of the ore is desired, in order to obtain an accurate determination, it is necessary to use proper, if small laboratory facilities, a different type of electroscope, and a little more skill xa manipulation than is necessary for getting a rough approximation of the radioactivity by the method already described . There are a number of electroscopes on the market which can be used. A suitable one is shown in Plate IV, B. The upper portion, which contains the leaf system, can be unscrewed and removed from the lower portion, which aJlows repairs to the leaf system to be readily made. The insulation is either sulphur or amber. As the lower compartment must be absolutely airtight and it is difficult to get a satisfactory contact between the sulphur or amber fuad the brass, a cement should be used. One made by melting a mixture of rosin and black rubber is satisfactory. The lower compartment contains a thin brass plate or cylinder connected by means of a brass wire with the leaf system in the upper compartment. The charging device is plainly shown in the figure. The lower compartment can be partly exhausted and a radioactive gas run into it.

STANDARDIZATION OF THE BLECrBOSCOFB.

The electroscope has to be standardized; that is, the effect on it of the emanation that is in equilibrium with a given quantity of radium must be determined. When this is known, the radioactivity of the gas can be calculated by comparison with the effect obtained from the standard radium emanation. The method of standardization is based upon the fact that in any unaltered uranium mineral the ratio of the radium present to uranium is constant. Rutherford and Boltwood" have determmed this ratio and found that 1 gram of uranium is in radioactive equilibrium with 3.4 X 10 grams of radium. This means that a quantity of pitchblende, or any other unaltered lU-anium mineral, which contains 2,000 pounds of metallic uranium, or 2,360 pounds of uranium oxide, will have in it 308 mg. of metallic radium, which is equivalent to 404 mg. of radium chloride.* If, then, the emanation from a small weighed quantity of a uranium mineral, in which the percentage of uranium is known by chemical

sKaUietlOrd, E., and Baltwood, B. B., The relattva proportion of radium and nnmimn In radbMCtlra minerals: Am. Jour. Sci., aa. 4, vol. 22, 190B, p. 1.

t Accradlng to these flgorea 1 ton of 30 per oent ore nould contain 102.7 mg. of radhun caleulatsd u ebiocfde.

B&DIOAOnVE HETHODB FOB TESTIKQ 0BE8.

analysis, be introduced into the etectzoscope and the rate of fall of the leaf noted, a constant for the electroscope may he circulated from the data that shall express the uranium (or radiuin) required to cause the leaf to fall one division of the scale in a unit of time. Ilie electroscope is standardized as follows:

The emanation is separated and collected with the apparatus shown in figure 2. A small quantity of a standard sajuple of powdered uraninite or pitchblende of known uraniimi content is weighed out and put in the flask F, which has a capacity of about 50 c. c. Usually a quantity that contains 10 mg. of metfdlic uranium is conven-- lent. A rubber stopper, fitted with a small dropping funnel and a short dehvery tube, is then inserted in the flask and connections are made with the gas burette B, which has been previously filled with freshly .boiled hot distilled water containing a little sodium hydroxide. Nitric acid (1:1) is then poured into the dropping funnel, the leveling reservoir of the gas burette is towered below the level of the acid in the funnel, and then, by opening the pinchcock C and the stopcock of the funnel, most of the acid is allowed to flow into the flask. The stopcock is then closed, the leveling reservoir is replaced, and the flask is gently heated until the pitchblende is dis- Fmijei a.— ApiontuB for saperallng emanaUon from

solved. By withdrawing the uraninii*.

flame for a few moments, sufficient water is allowed to flow into the flask to continue the boilii for 10 minutes. The gas collected in the burette is then introduced into the electroscope which has previously been partly exhausted. After three hours, which is the time required for the radioactivity to attain a maximum, the rate of leak is determined.

id By

o8 nBANiuM:, babium, and vakadiuh.

coRRBtmoN yon stand akdization.

A small correction, first indicated by Boltwood,*' has to be made for each sample of pitchblende used for standardization, but 2 or 3 grams of the mineral, once this correction has been ascertained, will last for years. The correction is made as follows:

About 0.1 gram of the mineral is weighed and introduced into a small tube closed at each end by means of a piece of rubber tubing and a clip. The tube is allowed to stand until the emanation girea out by the pitchblende is in equihbrium. One end of the tube is then connected with the previously exhausted electroscope and a current of air passed gently through the tube into the electroscope. This carries into the instrument the emanation that has been given out naturally in the cold by the pitchblende. The effect on the electroscope is noted and is compared with the effect from the emanation occluded by the pitchblende, the emanation being hberated by boilii with acid as described above. If ono-tenth of the emanation is given out in the cold one-tenth more material must be used. For example, instead of taking a quantity of the pitchblende that contains 10 mg. of metallic uranium, a quantity must be used that contains 11 mg., but the calculations are made as though a quantity containing 10 mg. had been used,

Method For Exact Determination Op Raddjm.

After the electroscope has been standardized and it is desired to determine the radium content of a mineral, a definite quantity of the mineral, dependii on its uranium content, is fused with four or five times its weight of mixed sodium and potassium carbonates. In the case of a camotite containing 2 to 4 per cent U,Ob, about J gram of material should be used. The fused mass is lixiviated with water and washed with dilute sodium carbonate solution. The insoluble residue is dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid. The alkaline and acid solutions are placed in separate flasks, which are then corked. Through the stopper of each flask passes a glass tube, which is closed by a piece of rubber tubing fitted with a small cUp. On standing for one month, the radium emanation is re-formed by the radium in solution and is in equihbrium with the radium; that is, the maximum amount has been re-formed. The emanation in the two flasks is boiled off into the gas burette in a manner similar to that aheady described, but without the addition of acid, and the air containing the emanation is introduced into the electroscope. After 3 hours a reading is taken and from the data thus obtained the percentage of radium in the sample can be determined. An example of this method follows:

Boltwood, B. B., On the radloaotiTlty ol natural waters; Am. Jour. Sol., voL Ig, 1904, p. 381.

Oommeboial Methods Of Ib£Atment Of Obbb. 69

Sampk determination o/ radium eontenX of on ore.

A. temple of pitehblende loees 10 per cent of its emanatioii at room temperature. It contauui 50 per cent metallic uranium. TherefoTe 22 tng. oC the ore wUl.on dissolving in acid, liberate emanation in equilibrium vith 10 mg. (0.01 gram) of metallic uranium. This emanation, 3 houis aflr introductiDii inlo the electfoecope, causes the leaf to fall at the ral of 40.5 diviBiona pec minute. The natural leak (0.5 divisions per minut) subtracted from this leaves 40 divisions per minute due to the emanation. Therefore the fall of one division per minus lepiesente the total emanation associated with 5X10~* grams of uranium in the mineral. Thisia

the "constant" for the electroscope.

One gram of ore is fused with fusion mixture as already described. At the end of a month the emanation obtained from the two solutions is introduced into the electroscope. After 3 hoimi the rate of fall of the leaf is IS. 5 divisions per minute. Subtracting the natural leak (0.5) leaves 18 divisions per minute. Therefore 1 gram of the ore contains 18X2.5X10''*45X10~* grams of uranium. As one gram of uranium is in radioactive equilibrium with 3.4X10~' grams of radium, 1 gram of the mineral will contain (45X10-*) X (3.4X10-')=1.53X10-* grams of radium.

Commercial Methods Of Treatment Of Ores.

Almost all the commercial methods which have been proposed for treating uranimn ores, or ores carrying both uranium and vanadium, have been for the extraction of the uranium and vanadium only, without reference to the recovery of the radium. Some of these methods have been used in concentration only and not for obtaining reGned products. In such cases the radium has usually been lost. The reason that no attempts have been made until recently to extract the radium, in addition to the other two metals, is probably because of operators not knowing the best methods to use, a lack of capital, or to a hesitation in entering a new and Uttle-known field. The ores have been purchased abroad mainly for their radium content and the profit has been laiely in connection with the extraction of the radium. This can be readily shown by considering gross returns on the refined products that would be obtained from working up a camotite ore containing 3 per cent UgOg and 4 per cent , which are fairly typical values for ore from the Paradox district.

Valve of wanium and vatuuHum per ton of ore.'

3 per cent tI,Os=60 pounds per ton; at $2.50 per pound =$150

4 per cent pounds per ton; at $0.75 per pound 60 60 of UgOS.l mg. & of radium chloride; at $90 per nig.= 729

Total, 039

B This Is true raHy wbea tba uninlum and rftdJnm sre In eqnUIbrlum. In other casea it repreMDts tba theontical amoant of unulum In egnUlhrlum with the radium actual]; present. In pitchblende, since Itia a prlnuc? mlneiBl, the nitia o[ uisnlum toradlnin la constant, I gram uranium— S.lXlO-'Knuns of radium, or 2,000 pounds 312mg. RsCli.and II the percentage of uranium la known b;aiial7Sli, the amoiuit of radium presea t can be calcolated directly. In camotite and other recent uranhmi minenilg, the equilibrium ratio ta not constant and the rodtnin present has to be b7 eiperimsnt.

tThe thoceticel ooDtent ol ladhim chloride Irom BO pounds of unnlom oxide voutd be 6.3 mg.; lOptc cent has bear allowed lor the radhim and uranium not being In eQuillbrium.

TlN figures given do not take into conBtdeiatbHi loses ta tnatmant.

; vL-lOOglC

70 UBANIXJM, BADtUU, AND VANADIUM.

The refined uranium and vanadium products from a ton of the above ore would be worth S210, and the radium chloride extracted from a ton of the same ore would be worth 1729, or more than three times the vue of the uranium tmd vanadium. Therefore a method of extraction that would not be profitable if the uranium and vanadium alone were recovered might yield a profit if it recovered the radium also. It is difficult to give the exact cost of extracting and refining radium salts. This varies in different places, being governed by the cost of labor, chemicals, freight, and other items, but $20 per milligram is probably a maximum cost in Europe for extracting radium from camotite ores. Assuming that the market value of radium remains at its present figure, namely, $90 per milligram for radium chloride, this leaves a wide maifin of profit over ihe necessaiy cost of production in this countty even though the cost be somewhat more than abroad.

The camotite produced in the United States during the last two years has been the means of a sudden and large increase in the production of radium salts, and the market for radium at present is somewhat imcertain, but if prices should fall the margin is considerable. Any method, therefore, used in this country for the extraction of uranium and vanadium from camotite ores, or of uranium from pitchblende, should include the saving of the radium in marketable form, even though it does not involve final purification of radium salts. The purification, however, of radium salts of medium activity , such as those containing from 10 to 50 per cent radium chloride, is not difficult. It is difficult to obtain chemically pure radium salts, but these in most cases are not at all necessary, the lowergrade material being just as valuable, if not more so, (or most medical and other scientific purposes.

BLBBKBR PB0CB8S FOB THE BBOOVBBT OF VAlTASrtnC.

The method of treatment suggested by W. F, Bleeker involves the production of copper, iron, or lead vanadate from vanadiferoua ores and has for its object the expeditious and clean separation of the vanadium constituents of the ores. The process includes two general stages — the production of an approximately neutral vanadium solution, and the precipitation of this solution with the metallic substance. The first stage is performed in five successive 8tei: The ore is pulverized to a suitable dee of fineness; the piilverous matter is roasted after having been mixed with a flux to render the vanadium constituents soluble after roasting; the roasted product is leached with water to dissolve the alkah vanadate or vanadyl salts; the residue is leached with a dilute acid solution to dissolve any

UUJM Biotas pMoU 231,912.

; vL-jOOIC

Couheboul Ubthods Of Teeaihent Op Obes. 71

remaming Tanadium compounds; and the two solutions are mixed to obtain a neutral vanadium solution. The flux by which the vanadium constituents of the ore are rendered soluble alter roasting is composed of sodium chloride and a fixed alkali, such as potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, or sodium carbonate, preference being given to the potassium hydroxide. The product, after being roasted with this flux, is leached with water to dissolve the soluble alkali vanadates, and this rich alkaline liquor is led to storage tanks. The residue is again leached, hut with a dilute mineral acid, such as hydrochloric, for the purpose of dissolving the vanadates insoluble in water, leaving a residue practically free from vanadium. The alkaline and acid liquors are mixed in such proportions as will produce a neutral solution. Copper sulphate or any other copper salt is added to the solution to make an insoluble precipitate of copper vanadate which is easily filtered.

This process was probably devised for the treatment of the " patronite" ores from Peru in the plant of the American Vanadium Co. These ores do not carry uranium. The process might, however, be used with camotite ores and by a slight modification of it a large part of the radium recovered. A test of a small sample of camotite ore made by the Bureau of Mines, in which two parts of ore were sintered with one part of sodium carbonate and one part of sodium chloride, showed that the total radium content present in the alkaline solution, the acid solution, and the insoluble residue was as follows:

Ditiributwn o/Todivm amtent of ore in Bleecter proceti.

Alkaline solution 1.1

Acid solution 72.

Besidue 26.8

The radium could be readily obtained from the acid solution by precipitating it with a moderate quantity of barium sulphate. This will precipitate the radium as radimn sulphate, from which the radium can be recovered either by fusion with fusion mixture or by leaching with sodium carbonate, as described under methods of obtaining radimn from pitchblende residues (p. 79). The loss indicated by the figures above is altogether too large for a commercial plant, but the yield might possibly be improved by using different proportions and by changing the conditions.

Lv,iz..,,vGooIc

72 Ubanium, Badium, And Vanadium.

HA.THS!S-EHai.E PBOCESS FOR TEE BECOVEBT OF imAHItrU AND VAKADniM.

The process " of J. H, Haynes and W. D. Eogle involved the treatment of ore containing either uraniuni or Tanadium, or both of these metals. The ore is first crushed to twelve mesh, and is then boiled with a solution of alkaline carbonate, preferably sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate, until the uranium or vanadium, or both, in the ore is dissolved. The strength of the sodium-carbonate solution and the length of time necessary to boil are determined by the proportion of uranium and vanadium in the ore and will probably vary considerably. The originators of the process claim, however, that 100 pounds of sodium carbonate per ton of ore for each 1 per cent of uranium and vanadiimi, or either, present will give good results. Ordinarily the time required for boiling should be about one hour. After the minium and vanadium, or either, are dissolved, the clear solution is drained into a separate tank. The uranium is precipitated as sodium uranate by the addition of sodium hydroxide to the solution. This precipitate is removed from the solution, which contains all of the vanadium. From this solution, either with or without neutralization, the vanadium is precipitated as calcium vanadate by the addition of water-slaked lime.

"When the process was in actual operation with camotite ores an extraction of 80 per cent of the uranium and 60 to 65 per cent of the vanadium was obtained.

The main object of this method is the chemical concentration of camotite ores, involving the recovery of the uranium and vanadium. The radium, all of which passes into the insoluble residue, could be removed by the following treatment: After the residue from the alkaline solution has been thoroughly washed in order to remove all sulphates, that portion of the radium that has been converted into radium carbonate, which is insoluble in the alkaline solution, could be leached from the residue by dilute hydrochloric. acid, and the radium chloride could be recovered from this solution without difficulty. If any of the radium still remained in the residue, it could be recovered by boiling a second time with the carbonate solution, washing as before, and leaching again with dilute acid. The commercial success of such a method would depend upon whether or not all of the radium could be leached out by the first treatment with acid, the proportion of sulphates and alkaline earths in the ore largely determining this point.'

aUuited States paUnt 808,839.

AApaUntbaBbeenreoentlftakanoutbrW.F.BIeslm (U.S. patent Ifiesl), Involving the nconrj of the ndtum u indlrated.

id By

COiiUBBCUL METHODS Of TBEATMEKT OF ORES. 73

EOENia PROCESS FOB THE BECOVERT OF VANADIUK.

G. A. Koenig's process " relates to improvementa and processes for the recovery of vanadium from its ores particularly the vanadiferous sandstone of southwestern Colorado and other places. The method is based upon the fact that roscoelite, or ores of vanadium contaming the same mineral substances, can be completely decomposed and dissolved by the action of a dilute solution of sulphuric, hydrochloric, or other acid under proper heat and pressure.

In practice, the originator uses a solution containing about 20 per cent sulphuric, hydrochloric, or other acid, at a temperature of about 200° C. and under a pressure of about 225 pounda per square inch, and claims that this process will completely decompose and dissolve the roscoelite within a few hours. The filtered solution is evaporated to a mushy consistence, placed in a retort or muffle and heated gradually to a bright red heat. This heating drives out the acid, which may be recovered in any suitable manner. The residue is a mixture of the oxides of vanadium, aluminum, manganese, iron, and other metals that may be present in the ore. When sulphuric acid is used sulphates of calcium, potassium, and other sulphates are also present. The mixture of oxides and sulphates is mixed with the proper quantity of sodium carbonate and is roasted at red heat in an oxidizing flame either with or without the addition of oxidizing agents. The roasted mass is disintrated with boiling water and, while still in the boiler, is treated with carbon dioxide to precipitate the aluminum as aluminum hydroxide.

The acid methods and their value in the extraction of radixun will he discussed later.

In Siegfried Fischer's method of extracting vanadium from camotite the ore is boiled with a solution of soditun or potassium hydroxide. The process comprises three distinct steps: The conversion of vanadium compounds insoluble in water into soluble form, leaching and separating vanadium from uranium, and precipitating and drying the vanadium compound. It is claimed that the dried product is ready for reduction to ferrovanadium and that the iu:anium residue is in marketable condition. By this process, working on crude ores, Fischer claims an extraction of 65 to 67 per cent of the vanadium present, and from concentrates carrying from 9 to 16 per cent vanadium an extraction of 93 to 94.6 per cent.

In this method the uranium would remain in the insoluble residue as sodium uranate with the radium, and the value of sodium-

Xlnlted SMea patent ftSS.lSO.

W Ubanium, Badium, And Vakadium.

hydroxide leach would be simply to extract ihe vanadium. An fpreciable proportion of the sodium hydroxide would react with the silica present, involving a large waste of material. It does not seem to be a desirable method for the treatment of camotite ores when the extraction of the radiimi is desired.

XBTHOD VBETt BT PBmOS CHEKICAL 00.

The Primos Chemical Co., of Newmire, Colo., and Frimos, Fa., roast roscoehte ore with common salt. Hie ore contains ahnost no uranium and no attempt is made to recover the minute quantity found in some of it. The ore is weighed and mixed with salt. The mixture is then coarsely ground and run into a drier which reduces the moisture content to 1 per cent. The material, which comee out somewhat caked, is ground to 20 mesh and roasted in a furnace for about three hours. The roasted material is deUvered at the bottom of the furnace to conveyors, which carry it to lixiviation tanks, where it is treated with water and filtered. The vanadium is now in solution as sodium vanadate. A solution of ferrous sulphate is added to the filtrate, and the vanadium is precipitated as vanadate of iron. The precipitate is filtered out of the solution and dried. The dried material is sent to Pennsylvania, where it is reduced to ferrovanadium, probably by the Goldschniidt process. A complete extraction of vanadium is not obtained by this method.

If camotite were treated in a similar manner the solution of the vanadium as sodium vanadate mit be accomplished in the same way. The uranitmi would be converted into sodium uranate, which would remain in the residue. The raditun would also be in the residue.

For this reason the method does not appear to be applicable to camotite ores.

FLECK METHOD OF EZTIlACTIKa TmANTUK Ain> VAKADITTK.

The American Bare Metals Co., of Denver, Colo., uses a method of extraction originated by Herman Fleck. The company's plant is ia the Mclntyre district south of Paradox Valley, and the crude sulphuric acid requud in the process is hauled in wagons from Dolores. The finely crushed ore is treated with dilute sulphuric acid, whitei dissolves the uranium, vanadium, copper, and iron contained in the ore. The solution is decanted from the slime and sulphur dioxide gas is passed through it, reducing the iron and vanadium compoimds to ferrous and vanadous forms. A calculated quantity of pulverized limestone (the rock ia obtained a short distance from the plant) is then added until the metals b;in to separate, calciiun sulphate being precipitated. The solution is then decanted or filtered from this sulphate and the precipitation of the metals is completed by boiUng with more pulverized limestone. A concentrate is thus

Comhsbcial Methods Of Tbeatment Of Obeb. 75

obtained carrying about 20 per cent of uranium and vanadium calculated as oxides. Improvements in the process are contemplated by which a still higher concentration can be obtained.

The radium, of course, is in the undissolved slimes and the radium concentrate is obtained by fractionation of these slimes. A product carrying as high as 100 miUigrama of radium per ton has heeai produced.

This process is in operation at the present time and recently a shipment of uraniimi, vanadium, and radium concentrates was made from Dolores.

SADOUFP KBTHOD FOR COHFI.BZ BAStmC ORBS.

Sidney Radcliff's method " relates to the economic commercial treatment of complex radium ores for the separate recovery as marketable products of the following substances: (a) Radium, as radium and barium sulphates; (6) uranium, as oxide or uranate; (c) the "acid earths," such as tantalum, niobium, titanium, as oxides; id) the"rareearthB," such as cerium, thorium, lanthanum, and didymium, as oxides.

The crushed ore or concentrates is fused with acid sodium sulphate. A powerful decomposing and oxidizing reagent is added to the fusion. The fused mass is cooled, pulverized, and thoroughly lixiviated and agitated with water, which dissolves certain constituents. The solution, which contains sulphates of radium, barium, and other elements in suspension, is led to settling tanks. The suspended and dissolved matter ia treated as hereafter described for the recovery of tiie valuable constituents. In this manner the quantity of material to be precipitated with carbonate of soda is greatly reduced, thereby lessening the cost of treatment.

The various steps of the treatment are as follows: The ore or the concentrate is crushed to pass a 30 to 40 mesh sieve. The crushed ore is fused in a reverberatory or other suitable furnace with about times its weight of acid sodium sulphate. After the charge has been fused, and while the mass is still fluid, sodium chloride (10 or 15 per cent of the weight of the ore) is added and well rabbled. The addition of the sodium chloride and its reaction with or in the presence of the fused acid sodium sulphate causes a powerful decomposing and oxidizing effect and changes any ferrous sulphate to ferrie sulphate.

The fused product is tapped from the furnace in the liquid state, cooled, crushed to powder, chatted into suitable vats containing warm water, and agitated for some time. Most of the uranium, iron, and "rare earths," together with part of the titanium, niobium, and tantalum, go into solution. The radium is in the form of a sulphate

UnlMd States patent i,04s,U5.

76 Ubanium, Hadium, And Vanadium.

which is insoluble and remaina in suspension along with the sulphates of liiae, lead, and barium, and the fine particles of gangue material.

The turbid liquid is rapidly siphoned into suitable settling vats. The coarse residues which remain in the bottom of the vat are washed several times with warm water and then rejected, the washings being passed into the settling vats.

Prom the settling vats two products — (a) solution and (b) fine slime — are obtained.

The solution (a) contains in the case of certain ores iron, aluminum, chromium, and uranium compounds, as well as compounds of the "acid earths" and "rare earths." Sodium carbonate is added, but not in excess, to the solution and all the above-mentioned elements are precipitated. The precipitate is removed by means of a vacuum filter and the clear liquid rejected. The precipitate recovered on the filter is boiled with an excess of a solution of sodium carbonate, which causes the uranium to pass into solution. The solution is filtered off and the uranium is then recovered as sodium uranate by the addition of sulphuric acid or caustic soda. The balance of the precipitate, which still contains, in addition to compounds of iron and aluminum, "acid earths" and "rare earths," is treated with moderately dilute sulphuric acid, which dissolves all of the precipitate with the exception of the "acid earths." The latter are filtered off, washed, and ignited. The washing are added to the sulphuric acid filtrate. This filtrate is treated with oxalic acid, which precipitates the "rare earths" as oxalates. These oxalates are then washed, dried, and ignited.

The fine slimes (6) contain most of the radium and are treated according to the usual methods. The crude radium and barium sulphates are obtained in the ordinary way.

The objections to this method, in the treatment of low-grade carnotite ores, are the inconvenience and cost of fusing an ore that contains as much as 95 per cent of silica, iron, and calcium compounds in order to obtain the average 5 per cent of uranium and vanadium compounds present.

The simplest way to extract uranium, vanadium, and radium from a camotite ore is to treat the ore or concentrate directly with boiling concentrated nitric or muriatic acid. Even the vanadium and silica combinations can be decomposed by boiling with these acids (1:1) for an hour, nitric acid giving the better results. Camotite itself is soluble in cold dilute hydrochloric or nitric acid. The practicability of such a process depends on its coat and the possibility of readily recovering the radium. The first step is what counts in the main in treating these ores. After that, the separation of the uranium

Commeboial Methods Of Tbeathent Of 0Be8. 77

and vanadium is a simple matter, several methods being available. Nitric acid would be absolutely out of the question for use in a commercial process if the vanadium and uranium alone were recovered, but the large additional cost of nitric acid over sulphuric and hydrochloric acids might be more than offset by the saving of labor and time if by its use a convenient and easy method of extracting the radium in addition to the uranium and vanadium could be devised. The price of hydrochloric acid being very little more than that of sulphuric, a small additional saving in the manufacturing process will justify its use instead of the latter acid.

Some tests made on a small scale on a typical sample of camotite ore from Paradox Valley, containing 2 per cent UjOg and about 21 per cent showed the following extraction of radimn.

Extraction of raditim/rom a camotite ore.

With hot concentrated commercial muriatic acid, 97.1 per cent of the radium in the ore went into solution and 2.9 per cent remained in the residue.

With tot dilute (1 : 2) muriatic acid 88.4 per cent was dissolved in the acid and 11.6 per cent remained in the rcHidue.

With hot, concentrated, commercial nitric acid, 97.5 per cent ot the radium went int solution and 2.5 per cent remained in the residue.

With hot dilute (1 : 2) nitric acid, 96.8 per cent o£ the radium was dissolved and 3.2 per cent was kit in the residue.

The concentrated acids in both cases gave the better extraction, although the dilute nitric acid was not much inferior to the concentrated. The radium can be easQy recovered by further dilution and by the precipitation of barium sulphate in the solution. The radium which is carried down with the barium sulphate as radium sulphate can be recovered by leaching the precipitate with a solution of sodium carbonate, or by reducing the mixed sulphates to sulphides by heating the precipitate in a furnace in a current of coal gas, then dissolving the sulphides in hydrochloric acid and fractionating. Although a better extraction is obtained with nitric acid, its use in addition to the increased cost has some disadvantages. Nitric acid is unpleasant and difficidt to handle, although porcelain-lined ware is now made which withstands the action of hot nitric acid exceedingly well. Also a precipitate of barium sulphate does not cany down the radium as well from dilute nitric acid solutions as from dilute hydrochloric acid solutions. The %ures given above were obtained with the same sample of ore, which contained only a small proportion of sulphate, although the acids themselves contained some sulphate. In the case of an ore with a large gypsum content, the extraction, especially with hydrochloric acid, would be much lower than it was in this case.

The same acid could be used in treating successive portions of ore until the strength became reduced to a certain point. In addition

,yL-.OOIC

78 Ubanium, Eadium, And Vanadium.

to their uranium and vanadium content, all of these ores cany a certain proportion of iron and calcium, as well as traces of other metals. The total acid-soluble material in the ore treated as mentioned above was about 12 per cent. For some ores this figure would be higher and for others lower. The results of further investigations in this direction are to be published b; the Bureau of Mines.

Hot concentrated nitric acid can be used for dissolving pitchblende and changing both the uranium and radlmn into soluble form, provided the ore does not carry too much iron or copper pyrite. After separation and decantation from the insoluble residue, the acid can be diluted and the radium recovered with barium sulphate by precipitation. If this method is not desirable, the radium can be obtained mixed with salts of barium, strontium, or calcium, according to the method of separation that is chosen.

BIEEBB PROCESS OF SEPABATINa UBAKItJU FSOM VANASIUK.

A process " is described by W. F, Sleeker for the separation of vanadium from uranium. It is stated that this process is applicable (or treating any solution of uranium and vanadium containing an alkaline carbonate, such as sodium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, or potassium carbonate. The solution is first heated to a temperature preferably not exceeding 90° C, and heated sodium hydroxide is added in sxifficient quantity to precipitate uranium as a mixture of sodium uranate and uranyl hydrate. This precipitate carries vanadium and the resultant solution also carries some Uranium which may be recovered by any suitable subsequent treatment. The precipitate is filtered and washed with water, dissolved in acid, preferably sulphuric, forming a solution of uranyl sulphate. This solution is treated with an excess of sodium carbonate so as to make it slightly alkaline. It is then electrolyzed in a tank, the anodes being of any desired active metal, such as iron, copper, or nickel, and the vanadium is precipitated as the vanadate of the anode metal. For example, if a nickel anode is used, the product would be vanadate of nickel. The uranium remains in solution. After the solution has been electrolyzed long enough to precipitate all of the vanadium, it is filtered, and the uranium salts, free from vanadium, may be precipitated by any well-known process.

Bleeker also describes a process* of extracting vanadic acid from insoluble copper vanadate. Copper vanadate is decomposed by a dilute mineral acid, preferably sulphuric, the product obtained being an acid solution of copper and vanadium. The insoluble vanadic

COUMSBdAI. METHODS OF TBEATHBNT OF OBEB. 79

acid (ViO,), which is about 80 to 90 per cent pure, is separated by filtration, leaving copper and vanadic add in solution {Cu+V,0|+ HjSOJ. The copperis extracted from this solution, and the vanadic acid obtained by electntlyaia. The cathode is of copper, and the anode is preferaUy cwbon or platinum. The copper is deposited on the cathode, and the vanadium remains in solution (V,0,+ HjSOf). By evaporating aU or part of the sulphuric acid from tins solution, the vanadic acid may be recovered. The mother liquor upon dilutiwi is still strong enough to be used in the process of producing copper vanadate.

In the method used for treating pitchblende in Austria, the pitchblende is fused with sodium sulphate, and the uranium is thus changed to sodium Uranate, which can be dissolved by means of dilute sulphuric add. The residue conttuns all of tSie radium. Before the discovery of radium this residue was considered to be a waste product and was thrown away. The extraction of the radium from the accumulated residue is wdl described by Haitinger and Ulrich uid is, with some minor changes, similar to the method now used by the Austrian Government. The work was done in the labora toiy of the Austrian Incandescuit Gaslight and Eloctric Co., and 10,000 fcilograins (22,000 pounds) of pitchblende residues were treated, which represented about 30,000 kilcrams (66,000 pounds) of pitchblende containing 53.4 per coit of U,0,. Moisture in the various shipments varied from 10.3 to 18.4 per cent. This moisture was driven off at a temperature of 105° C, the 10,000 kilograms of residue losing 1,340 kilograms in this way. The work took two years, due to time spent on analyses at the start and to experiments (o obtaiD the best residts. The method given was developed as being most suit able to the equipment available. Five thousand kilovms annually could be treated.

The chemical operation involved, first, the decomposition of the reddues; second, the removal of the radium sulphate by precipita tJon; and, tdiird, the solution and concentration of the latter. The first step consisted of digesting the residue with sodium hydroxide, 100 kilograms being boiled for one day with a solution of 50 kilograms of hydroxide in 200 liters of water. Forty per cent of ihe allcali was converted to sulphate and to silicate. Tlie solution contained some raditun, but the total radium so dissolved from the entire 10,000 kikrams of reue represented the radiimi equivalmt of only 10 kiknuna Therefore this solution was thrown away.

; vL-jOOIC

80 Cranium, Radium, And Vanadium.

After the boiling the residue was allowed to settle and the liquid was decanted. The residue was washed to remove the greater part of the sulphates, filtering and washing being done in a funnel with a capacity of 100 kilograms, which had a lead auction tube 3 meters long. The vessel containing the washed residue was placed on a water bath and the residue was treated with an equal weight of dilute (1 : 1) crude hydrochloric acid. After prolonged heating the acid solution was decanted and the residue washed with water. This water was then used to dilute the next portion of acid for a new sample.

Crystals of calcium sulphate and lead chloride formed in the acid solution as it cooled. Neither the solution nor the crystals contained an appreciable quantity of radium, but nearly all the polouiuia and actinium was in the solution. It was therefore treated with ammoniiun hydroxide to precipitate the polonium and actinium. The filtrate was not radioactive and was discarded.

The rraidue from the treatment with crude hydrochloric acid was boiled in a solution of sodium carbonate, the carbonate (made by the ammonia process) being free from sulphates. Fifty kilograms of sodium carbonate in 200 liters of water were used for a 100 kilogram sample. By this treatment a large part of the radium sulphate was converted to radium carbonate. Therefore, in subsequent treatments the solutions had to be kept free from sulphate. The residue was washed till free from all trace of sulphate and then treated with pure hydrochloric acid. The boiling with soda and the treatment with acid was repeated three times. After the third treatment only 2 per cent of the original radium content remained in the residue which was thrown away. The soda extracts were practically free from radium. The washing of each of the various residues consumed from 4 to 6' weeks. The hydrochloric acid extracts, containing nearly all the radium, were united and the radium was precipitated as a sulphate with sulphuric acid. Besides the radium the precipitate contained, of course, the alkali earths, including calcium, much lead containing radio-lead, and a small quantity of rare earths containing actinium. The sulphate precipitate, called crude sulphate, represented from 0.5 to 2 per cent of the weight of the original residue taken.

The crude sulphate was reconverted to carbonate by repeated boiling with sodium carbonate solution. AH of the sulphate from any one sample could not be converted and the final residue from the treatments was, therefore, not thrown away, but added to a new portion of crude sulphate. After each carbonate treatment, an extraction with hydrochloric acid was made. The lead chloride formed in the solutions was removed and freed from radium by repeated crystallization in hot water. Sixty kilograms of lead

Comuebcul Mb3!0Ds Of Tbeaiubnx Of Obes. 81

chloride were thus obtained from the entire 10,000 tdlograma of residue. It was saved and treated for its content of radioead.

The hydrochloric acid solutions from the crude sulphate were freed completely from lead by hydrogen sulphide and were then evaporated to dryness on a steam bath. The calcium chloride in the residue so obtained was dissolTcd in concentrated hydrochloric acid, in which barium chloride is only slightly soluble and radium chloride is still less soluble. The residue remaining, called crude chloride, consisted of radium and baritmi chlorides, with some strontium and calcium chlorides and traces of other impurities.

From this point on the concentration was continued by fractional crystallizations from water solutions. Radium chloride, which is the least soluble of the chlorides, accumulated in the crj'stals, the foreign matter remaining more and more in the mother liquor. The first fraction was, of course, the richest in radium. Two steps had to be watched in this process — first, the separation from the system of as large a quantity of radium-free barium chloride as was possible; Second, the making of a relatively large first fraction. This second step can be taken by temporarily stopping the crystallization of the first series until the crystals of the second series are of sufficient radioactivity to be united with the first.

The crystallizations were all carried out on a steam bath in order to avoid contamination with sulphate, as might have been the case if heating had been done with a direct flame.

Finally, two portions of crystals were obtaioed, one of about 2 kilograms, containing nearly all of the radium, and the other of about 11 kilograms, with very little radium.

The 2-kilogram portion was treated as raw material for the production of radium chloride free from barium. After this had been crystallized about thirty times, the fiirst fraction of about 9 grams was further crystallized, and the lower fractions were combined into three groups according to their activity. The 9-gram portion was first purified with hydrogen sulphide, removing traces of lead which probably came from the glassware. Further work was conducted in quartz vessels. The salt was dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid, warmed and allowed to crystallize. Four fractions were so obtained.

Atomic weight determinations were made with three of the fractions, the values obtained being 143.2, 185.2, and 225, The latter represented practically pure radium chloride-.

Some of the lower fractions of barium chloride that were poor in radium were converted to the bromide and then fractionated. Only one portion, that which should contain the most radium — that is, the last of the four analagous fractions — was saved. The other portions were reconverted to chloride and added to the main chloride 98742*— BuU. 70—13 6

82 TJEANIUM, RADIUM, AND VANADroM.

cryatallization system. In all, 3 grams of pure dry radium chloride and 0.236 gram of radium bromide were obtained from 10,000 kilograms of original residue.

Analytical Methods For Uranium And Vanadium.

Operators in the Colorado and Utah uranium and vanadium fields had considerable difficulty dining the past year in having correct analyses made. As a rule, chemists have been able to check their figures on vanadium, but uranium assays from difierent men have frequently shown widely diveient results. A variation of over 100 per cent has not been uncommon in some cases. As it has been extremely difficult, if not impossible, to sell ore containing less than 2 per cent U, Og, a small error on an ore of this character may mean the difference between selling and not selling. Since the results obtained have been so variable, the foreign buyers are suspicious of such results unless the analyses were made by two or three firms in whom they have confidence. The difficulty has been a tendency to nse methods that may work fairly well with some lu-anium ores, but are of too general a character to be adapted to the large variety of ores associated with camotite.

Hethods Fob The Ahaxysis Of Cabnotitb.

The Bureau of Mines has not as yet tested out the analytical methods which are at present in use. Dr. Hillebrand of the Bureau of Standards, whom the writers asked to digest the best methods of analyzing camotite, has kindly made the followii suggestions:

Method Fob The Detebmination Of Dbamiuh And Tanadidm.

In tbe first plftce, a knowledge of the mineral compoeitjon of these oree and of the behavior of their valuable mineral components toward solvents ie important. There are several vanadium ores in Colorado and Utah besides pitchblende and the camotite oree. For instance, there are yellow and green vanadates Of copper, barium, and calcium; led vanadates of calcium, sometimes taken for the vauadic acid; and a black ore, rich in vanadium, which carried that element in three states of oxidation. Of all these I have samples and hope to describe them all. The camotite minerals themselves are perhaps in places accompanied by one or other of the above. Always flBsociald with camotite, so far as my experience goes, are potassium- vanadium-aluminum silicates, sometimee Ihe green roscoelite and again a gray amorphous powder mentioned by me in my paper on camotite.o Both of these hold vanadium aa . These silicates are but slowly decomposed by mineral acids, whereas the camotites dissolve with great ease in even very dilute acids.

This difference of behavior makes it possible to simplify the analysis of such ores, so far at least as the uranium is concerned, for a few minutes' treatment with cold and dilute acid (best nitric) extracts all the uranium almost free from iron and aluminum and accompanied by that vanadium only with which it was combined in camotite.

; vL-lOOglC

Analytical Mbthodb Fob Ubamium And Vanadidm. 83

The remamderoF the vanadium in silfbate combination can be extracted by boiling for half tui hour or eo with nitric acid (say, 1:1). The silica of the Bilicatea separates [or the moBt part inetead of diaeolving in the acid, and in a form that ia not gelatinous. It is thus easy to get both the valuable constituents of the ore into solution free from the great maes of quartz and silicate silica without reecett to an alkali fusion. In this the vanadium can determined in any convenient way.

If one piefeie, the ore toay be at once attacked by the hot acid.

If the cold acid treatment ia used my practice is as follows, wherein it must be imderetood that I aim at the composition of the cttmotite and not at the total vanadium in the ore: Evapoiate the entire solution to dryness, take up with cold water and filter through a smallfilter, wash with a little cold water but without transferring the residue to the filter. The filtrate holds almost all the uranium and all the strong bases as nitrates, the vanadium remaining imdiaaolved. The evaporation to dryness with nitric acid may be repeated on the filtrate. If the dry deposit shows a red color, repeat the extraction with water.

Dissolve the residues in a very little nitzic acid, transfer the solution by dress to a capacious porcelain boat, in which it is carried to dryness on' the hot plate. Put the boat in a glass tube provided with two laige U tubes with wr enough in them to seal the bend. Pass HCI gas (from HCl solution and HOt) through the tube. Instantly brown red tumee oE an ozychloride oE vanadium come ofF in great volume. These are held quantitatively by the U tubes whose liquid contents by and by become saturated with HGl.

When the escape of brown fumes ceases, draw the boat out, add nitric acid, evaporate !igaintodryness,andtreatanew with HCl gas, using U tubeswith fresh watr. Repeat these operations if need be till there b no further evidence of vanadium in the It may be advisable to heat the tube somewhat toward the end of the second or third distillation.

Evapoiat the combined distillates with HjSO, to expel the HCl, dilute, introduce into the blue liquid to complete the reduction of the VOg and to precipitate Mo and As if present, filter, expel the HjS, titrate with KMnOj, reduce with SO, gas (not solution), boil, and titrat ain as a dick. The SO, value is usually a little lower and is the one to be accepted.

Convert the contents of the boat to nitrates and add the solution to the main one. Add HjS water drop by drop to throw out Cu (or Pb), then a drop or two of HjSO, to precipitate barium; after a time, filter. Uranium can then be detnnuied gravimetrically after separating from alkalies, lime, iron, and aluminum, which separations oBer no difficulties if properly carried out. The little phosphorus present is with the ignited (partly at least) and can be determined and deducted.

Theee ltit operations can be shortened, if no arsenic is present, by separating iron andalumtnumatonceby ammonium carbonate and ammonium sulphide, evaporating the filtrate first with HNOj, then with H,SOj, to expel HNOj, reducing the sulphate solution with zinc and titrating with KMnO,.

All this seems perhaps more complicated than it is in reality, and the operations are not very long, even when repeated. It should be borne in mind, too, that with such valuable oros as these it pays to expend some extra time to insure good results. Moreov, no solid reagents are introduced at any stage of the analysis.

There are some things to be learned, of course, about the distilling operation. The presence of much iron or aluminum retards very much the expulsion of the vanadium, so the method is not to be recommended when these are present in some amount. Care must be taken that there is not enough liquid in the U tube nearest the boat to allow of its being explosively sucked back if the gas current slackens too much before the water becomes saturated. A rapid gas current is desirable. The red fumes liquefy in part in the tube, but if not finally driven over can be washed out with water after withdrawing the boat.

; vL-iOole

84 mUNIUU, BADIUM, AND YANADIXrU.

This melltod tUI give exact resulta if profterly carried out, but it is probably too mudi to expect of the average aesayer who has to do Quugs in a hurry.

Hillebrand also suggests tJie following methods of analysis, which are applicable to the camotite ores, but not to pitchblende. He states that he has not tested them in all iheii details, and the methods may be varied somewhat to suit the needs of a particular ore when the analyst has intelligent knowledge of the mineral composition and has sound judgment.

Method For The Determination Of Vanadium.

Boast the ore gently if it cameB oiganic natter, boil for 15 minutes with HCl, filter; ignite insoluble residue, add a few drops HO, and evaporate several times with HF. Heat till fumes of HSO, come off, add nue H0„ heat, and bring all into solution with HO, or fuse the residue with N&2CO3 and leach with H,0 and add filtrate to the first one. Evaporate with H3SO4 till fumes escape, take up with HjO and precipitate with HjS (hot at first, cold later); filter and wash; expel HjS, oxidize with E3O,, evaporate to fumes of HjSO,, then several times with strong HCl to reduce to ,, take up with HaO, and tiliate with KMnO at 60" to 70° C.

The original directions of Campagne (aa applied to Bteels) are to reduce with HCl before fuming with HSOi; otherwise reduction of the V,Oj is not quite complete, but experiments by other chemists in this country seem to ehow that in presence of . iron the reduction of to V3O, in theaeorea is complete when theorder is reversed. Care must be taken, however, in the final fuming wiOi HjSO, not to prolong this beyond the time required to expel the HCl, tor there is a slow oxidation of the V2O, after that point is reached

Method For The Determination Of Uranium.

Treat the oro with cold HCl {about 1:1) for IS minutes, filter, precipitate with (in heat, and for a long time if arsenic is present), filter, expel evaporate to dryneee and convert to nitrates by evaporating to dryness with HNO,. Treat the residue with cold water and filter at once through a Hmall filter, wadiii with a little water. This takes most of the uranitminitzate into solution, but littleor no vanadium.

Bediolve the residue in nitric acid and evaporate to dryness in a small porcelain dish. Pour NE4OE over the residue and let stand some time to dieeolve most of the VgOg; filter through a small filter. Redissolve the residue in HNO,, evaporate again to dryneas, and extract with NHOH a second time. Dissolve the final residue in HNO| and add to the solution of uranium nitrate. Neutralize this with NHOH and add {NH,)jCOj and NH,HS. Allow to stand 24 hours io a small stoppered flask, filter, wash with water containing a little (NH.jjCOa and NH,HS. Evaporate the filtrate in a lai porcelain or platinum dish, ignite gently, redissolve in HNO„ filter if necefflary, and then precipitate the uranium with ammonia that is free from carbonate. Filter and wash two or three times with water containing a little carbonatefree ammonia. Redissolve, reprecipitate, and wash as before. Ignite and wei as

nlfltlskDowntram thenhaiaclwol tbe on tliat tbe Inatmeut wEtb HQ oitnots all tha Tamdhmi, tbe insduUe needs no further IreBbneot.

b Tbe recommeudsUim of HO, Instead o[ BNOi, is based OD tliepciblllty at usenic being pnaHOt, and of tlie need ol precipitating It from a bat solutlDii by

t Tbe ammonia extrHOUoD of tbe early nitrate resldoes perhupa be omitted, but I ipg juu uaad It strongly buoaiiH we Uiereby reduce to a very small amount tlie VsO| tbat Is Bnally waited wttli tbe UiOi, and also ardd other pooiiUe Intarfarancea. Tbe ammonlacal extracts oI tbe ViOi coitaln, aooocd- Ing to my aim taats, mere traces ol uranium.

; vL-iOogle

Analytioal Ubthods F0& Ubanium Akd Tanadiubc. 85

CTude U,0. Wann with v&ty little HNO, till the U,Oj is decomposed, filter from the insbluble residue (it may contain a little silica, iron oxide, and alumina), and deduct the weight of thi from that of the crude UgOg.

Divide the filtrate into two portions. Testonefor P,Og,and if that isfound deduct its amount from the crude UOg. Evaporate the other portion with HO,, take up with water, and filter from BaSO, if present. If BBSO4 is present, deduct it equivalent of BaO from the crude U3O,. Next reduce the V,Os accompanying the uranium by a current of 8O1 gas (not solutioii of SOg) or by pure ammonium bisulphite, boil out SOa in a current of COj, and titrate at 60" to 70° C. with KMnOj. Deduct V,0, so found from crude UsOg and call the remainder V,Ot. Or, the second part of the nitrat solution may be evaporated with HCl to reduce V,0, to V,0„ then fumed with ' H0„ filtered to remove BaSO, if present, and titrated for Va04 as in the method for vanadium.

The fact that in the crude UgOg (he uranium may not be wholly UsOb. but in small part U0„ does not invalidate the method for commercial needs.

Ledoux & Co., of New York, who have had much experience in the analjsb of theee ores, have furnished the details of the methods they use. They are as follows :

The method given below is Bubstantiallj Engle's method," but some changes in manipulation have been introduced which render it more accurate.

The method depends upon the separation of uranium as a phosphate from iron, vanadium, and other metals, the susceptibility of uranium phosphate to reduction by zinc and reoxidation by per manganate in a cold acid solution, and titration of the reduced uranium in sulphuric-acid solution by standard permanganate.

Many chemists who have experimented with the zinc-reduction method have laid stress on the difficulty of completely reducing uranium solutions and the danger of reoxidation by atmospheric oxygen during titration. It is our experience that reduction from UO, to UO, is easUy attained, and further, that very prolonged reduction is apt to lead to formation of a lower oxide (CJO ?). This lower oxide is oxidized with great rapidity by atmospheric oxygen to the uranous condition, but solutions of uranous sulphate are stable in the presence of air and may be exposed to it with impunity. In fact, they may be Stated with air for several minutes without altering the state of oxidation in a measurable degree. The method is conducted as follows:

Treat S grams of the ore, or a quantity containing not over 0.3 gram of metallic uranium, in a No. 3 beaker with 10 c. c. of HNO, (1.42) and 20 c. c. of HO, (1.84). Cover with a watch glass sup-

Ene, W. D., Wteteni Chem. and Met., Nov., 1S08.

t Pullman, O. B.,Ir.. The determluatloD ol unmlum and urenyl pbospliata b; the tine radnolor: Am.- Joar. Sd., 4Uiserla9,TOl, IS, 11M3, pp. 229-239; and Xem, E. P., Tbe gusntltatlve npaTatlDii and deUr mliiatian ol uranium. Jour. Am. . Boc, tOL 23, 1901, pp. 71I)-71S.

86 VBAKtUM, BADIUU, AKD TANADtUU.

ported above the beaker witb glass hooks and evaporate till white fumes of H,SO( begin to come off. Waah the cover with a little water, remove it, add a little more water to the beaker, tniv the contents well and evaporate them almost to dryness, leaving a slightly moist residue containii about 2 c. c. of free HjSO,. This operation is easily conducted on a good hot plate; it does not require much time if the temperature is sufficient and the draft is good.

The object of usmg a large excess of nitric and sulphuric acids is to destroy organic matter, which is present in many samples. The purpose of adding water after the first evaporation to fumes is to break ' up nitroso-sulphuric compounds and to completely eliminate nitric acid.

Add 75 to 80 c. c. of water to the residue and heat until all soluble matters are dissolved; then, without filtering, pass HS gas into the warm solution until all members of the H,S group are precipitated. Filter and wash with warm water, collectii the filtrate and washings, which may measure 150 c. c, in a No. 3 beaker. Boil until all excess of is expelled and add H,0, until all iron is oxidized. Neutralize the liquid with Na,CO, and add about 2 grams in excess, then add 1 c, c. more of H,0, and boU for 15 minutes. Filter through a 12.5-cni. S. and S. No. 489 paper and wash the precipitate four or five times with hot water, stirring it well with the jet of the wash bottle. Collect the filtrate and washii in a No. 5 beaker. Wash the precipitate from the filter into the No. 3 beaker with a fine stream of water, negkcting the small part that may adhere pertinaciously to the paper. Dissolve the precipitate in a little dilute HSO, neutralize as before with Na,COt, adding about 2 grams in excess, add 10 c. c. of HjO, and boil again as before. Filter through the same paper into the No. 5 beaker and wash the precipitate three times with hot water.

The combined filtrates and washings from the two Na,CO, precipitations will contain all of the uranium and most of the vanadium. Add 5 grams of ammonium phosphate and 10 c. c. of HjSO to the hquid, boil it well until all CO, is expelled, make it slightly alkaline with ammonia and then slightly acid with acetic acid. Uranium is precipitated as ammonium-uranium phosphate and vanadium is retained in solution. Cool the beaker for three-quarters of an hour in ice water or let it stand over night. This precaution is necessary for the complete separation of the uranium precipitate. The precipitation appears to be more complete in faintly acid solutions than it is in ammoniacal liquids ; hence the addition of acetic acid.

The precipitate is slimy and difficult to wash. Filter through a 12.5-cm. No. 689 S. and S. paper which has been treated with an emulsion of paper pulp. The paper pidp filtration and prevents the precipitate from passing through the paper.

By

Awaltticai. Methods Fob Tjbanium And Vanadium. 87

Let tlie precipitate drain on the filter, and then from a wash bottle direct a stream of a dilute solution of ammonium sulphate (2 per cent) toward the inside seam of the filter paper at the top of the precipitate. The precipitate can thus be made to open affording a better drainage. Kinse the beaker with ammonium-sulphate solution and wash down the filter from the top until the paper is full. The precipitate is rather unperrious and the object of this washing is to remove vanadium-bearing solution from the beaker and the filter paper rather than actually to wash the precipitate. After the filter has drained, remove as much as possible of the precipitate from it with a glass rod, transferring it to the beaker. Wash the filter well from the top to remove vanadium from it. While the filter is draining, add a little ammonium-sulphate solution to the beaker and beat the precipitate to a thin paste with it, breaking up all allegations; then add about 100 c. c. of ammonium-sulphate wash-solution, stir well and filter as before. This method of washing is fairly rapid, and for large precipitates is more effective than washing on the filter would be; small precipitates may be washed on the filter.

Tradsfer the precipitate with a glass rod as completely as possible to the beaker and dissolve what remains on the paper in a httle hot dilute (1:4) sulphuric acid, letting the acid run through the paper into the beaker containing the precipitate. Wash the paper well with hot water so that it may be ysed for filtering the second precipitation. See that all of the uranium phosphate in the beaker is dissolved in the acid. A httle paper pulp will, of course, remain. Add 2 grams of anunonium phosphate, dilute to 250 c. c. with warm water, make slightly alkaline with anunonia, boil cautiously for several minutes and then make slightly acid with acetic acid. Cool the hquid as before and filter through the same filter, washing the beaker and the filter paper several times with ammonium sulphate solution. This procedure removes all or all but a small trace of vanadium in the case of the usual grade of uranium-vanadium ores, such as contain not over 4 per cent UjO, and less than 6 per cent . In the analysis of richer ores a third precipitation as phosphate may be required to remove every trace of vanadium.

Dissolve the manium phosphate through the filter paper in hot sulphuric acid, using in all not over 40 c. c. of dilute (1 : 4) acid. Wash the filter well with water, let the solution cool and test it with a few drops of H,0, to make sure that no vanadium is present. Since the solution is dissolved through the filter, the Hquid should be free from any suspended paper pulp. Add anexcessof astrong solution of K&bi04 and heat' the solution to boiling. The object of adding KMnO is to destroy sugars and other organic compounds formed by the action of the solution on cellulose and traces of starch from the filter papers.

88 Ueantuu, Badium, And Tanadium.

Omission of this precaution will often cause variations in the titration of solutions that have heen passed repeatedly through filter paper.

Cool the liquid, dilute it to a volume of 150 c. c. and pass it through areductor in the same way as in determining iron. The reductor we employ is simple,* The zinc column is 19 cm. long and 2 cm. in diameter, of 30-mesh granulated zinc that has heen amalgamated by treatment with a dilute solution of mercuric chloride. The reductor is worked by suction from a filter pump, and the precautions usual in making iron determinations are observed. The time required to pass the solution through the reductor is about 2 minutes, exclusive of washings.

After reduction, shake the solution vigorously for 1 minute with free access of air and titrate with a standard solution of KMnO.. Sub-

ganate as a correction for end point and reductor errors.

Treat from 2 to 5 grams of ore, according to the proportion of vanadium, iron, and uranium present, in a covered beaker, with 10 c. c. of HCl and let it stand 15 minutes, shaking it occasionally. Add 5 c. c. of HNO, and heat on a stoam hath. When the solution is quiet, remove the cover and evaporate to dryness. Add 3 c. c. of HCl and 5 c. c, of water to the residue and let it stand on the steam bath for a few minutes, stirrii occasionally. Dilute with 25 c. c. of hot water, filter into a small beaker, and wash the ride with warm water.

Some ores do not jield all the vanadium to this treatment, a little remaining with the insoluble residue. To make sure tbat all vana dium is in solution, ignite the residue in a platinum dish, treat it with 5 c. c. of HF, and evaporate to dryness on a steam bath. Do not bake the residue, for it is not necessary to expel all SiOj. Add 3 c, c. of HCl to the residue from the HF treatment and evaporate to dryness. Repeat this treatment to instu'e expulsion of HF. Treat the residue with 2 c. c. of HCl and 2 c. c. of water and stir with a glass rod until any red cruet is dissolved, then dilute the solution with water and filter it into the main liquid.

Pass H;jS into the Uquid to separate copper, lead, and other metals of this group, filter and boil the hquid to expel the HjS, Concentrate the liquid to 100 c. c. if necessary, oxidize it with an excess of HjO,, and then neutralize with dry NajCOj, adding 2 or 3 grams in excess. Boil the liquid for about 15 minutes until the yellowish uranium precipitate dissolves, leaving a brown precipitate which is Blair, Antijsls at Iron and steel, 7tb ed., p. M.

ANALYTICAL METHODS FOB tTRANIUM AND VANADIUM, 89

principally iron. Filter and wash the iron precipitate with water, reserving the filtrate. Dissolve the iron precipitate in the least possible amount of HNO, (1 : 1), -and add 10 c. c. of HjO,, neutralize with NajCOj, add an excess of 2 grams of NaCOj, and hoil as before. Filter into the beaker containing the first filtrate. The iron precipitate may contain a little vanadium — reserve it for further treatment. Evaporate the united filtrates from the iron precipitation to a volume of about 200 c. c, add 10 c. c. of strong HNO, and boil until all CO, is expelled. Neutralize the free acid with ammonia (until a slight permanent precipitate appears), then add 4 c. c. of HNO, for each 100 c. c. of liquid. Now add 10 c. c. of a 20 per cent lead acetate solution, and enough of a strong solution of ammonium acetate to neutralize the nitric acid present and substitute acetic acid for it. The object is to precipitate the vanadium as lead vanadate in an acetic acid solution. The ammonium acetate solution may be made by mixing 80 c. c. of strong ammonia, 100 c. c. of water, and 70 c. c. of acetic acid 99 per cent pure.

Heat the liquid containing the lead vanadate precipitate on the steam bath for 1 hour or more, filter on a tight filter, and wash with warm water. Dissolve the precipitate in the least possible quantity of hot dilute nitric acid, neutralize as before, add 3 c. c. of nitric acid in excess, add 2 c. c. of lead acetate solution and repeat the precipitation of lead vanadate by adding ammonium acetate in excess, filter and add the filtrate to the one from the first precipitation of lead vanadate. Reserve the precipitate of lead vanadate for treatment as described below. Evaporate the united filtrates from the lead vanadate to about 400 c. c. Add 10 c. c. of strong HjSOj to separate the bulk of the lead (derived from the excess of lead acetate) as PbSO,, filter and wash the precipitate with cold water. Neutralize the filtrate from the PbSOj with ammonia and add freshly prepared (NHjHS until the solution is yellow and the uranium and what little lead is present are precipitated as sulphides. Warm the mixture on a steam bath untU the sulphides settle well. Filter and wash slightly with warm water.

Dissolve the precipitate in a No. 2 beaker with hot dilute (1 : 2) HNOj add 5 c. c. of HjSO, and evaporate till fumes of HjSO, appear, cool and take up with water, boil, and let the small precipitate of PbSO settle until the solution is cold, filter the precipitate and wash it with very dilute HjSO,.

Separation Of Alumina.

Nearly neutralize the filtrate with ammonia, have the solutions cool (not WMTner than 30° C), and add powdered carbonate of ammonia in about 2 grams excess to precipitate the aluminum. Let the precipitate sete, filter, and wash it with warm water. If

90 UB&mnu, e&divm, and yakadium.

the precipitate is bul or ia at all yellow, dissolve it in a little dilute aad reprecipitate with carbonate of ammonia as described. Acidulate the filtrate from the almnina wit HgSOj, and boil th.oroughly to expel CO,. Make the liquid slightly alkaline with NH4OU while it is hot, and hat on the water bath until the anunoniura uranate collects and settles. Filter and wash with a very dilute (2 per cent), solution of (NHJNO,. Do not allow the precipitate to nm dry on the filter after the first washing. Dry the precipitate, ignite it in a porcelain crucible, and weigh as U,0. Dissolve tlie precipitate in HNO, and test it with HjOj for vanadium and with (NHj),CO, for aluminum.

Dissolve the lead vanadate in dilute HNO add 10 c. c. of H,S04, and evaporate the mixture to fumes. Cool, take up with water, add 10 c. c. of a concentrated solution of SO, to the mixture, boil xmtil the excess of SO, is expelled, and titrate the hot solution with a standard solution of potassium permanganate. The vanadium compound is reduced by SO, from V,Os to V,04. The iron equivalent of the permanganate solution multiplied by 1.6329 the V,0, equivalent. It is not necessary to filter out the lead sulphate before boiling the mixture to expel the SO,. The boiling is best done in a large flask.

The iron precipitate that was produced by the addition of Na,CO, and H,0, to tJie original acid solution may contain vanadium. Ignite the precipitate in a platinum crucible and fuse the residue with Na,C0,. Leach the fused mass with water, filter, and acidulate the filtrate with HSO,. The filtrate may be added to the main solution before reducing with SO,, or reduced and titrated separately, as preferred. In expelling the excess of SO,, it is necessary to boil the liquid for at least 10 minutes after the smell of SO, can no longer be detected.

Some of the factors used in calculations are; Fe value of permanganate times 0.9167=V. Fe value of permanganate times 1.6329=V,Ob. I.78124V=V,0s. U 0.84824U,O,.

BAPin METHOD FOB TOE DETEBMINATION OF VANADIUM IN OBES IN THE FBESENCE OF IBON.

Treat 2 to 5 grams of the ore in a IG-ounce Erienmeyer flask with 20 c. c, of HCl (sp. gr. 1.20) and warm for half an hour. Add 20 c. c, of water and 20 c. c. of HjSO and evaporate till fumes of HSOj are liberated. While the mixture is hot add powdered KMnO,, a little at a time, until all organic matter is oxidized and an excess of KMnO is present. Heat a few minutes, cool, and add 25 c. c. of water and a few drops of a strong solution of BMnO to insure complete oxidation. Add 50 c. c. of HG (sp. gr. 1.20) and evaporate as rapidly m possible without causing "bumping" until the HCl is

MINERALS OP tJEANroM AND VANADIUM. 91

expelled and HjSO, fumes are evolved. Continue the fuming for 10 minutes. Cool-, add a little cold water, dilute to 250 c. c. witn boiling water, and determine the v&nadium by titrating the hot solution with a standard solution of KMnO,.

In most cases it is unnecessary to remove the insoluble matter; sometimes, however; it is advisable to do so. Place the ore in a beaker, add 10 c. c. of HCl and 5 c. c. of H,SO, evaporate till fum of H,SO, are hberated, take up with water, and filter into the flask. Then add 15 c. c. more of H,SO( and proceed as above.

If arsenic and molybdenum are present, they may be removed from the dilute H,SOj solution before filtration by precipitation withHjS.

Success with this method depends upon complete destruction of the oianic matter and complete oxidation of the iron, etc., by KMnO<. Some vanadium ores contain much organic matter. In treating these the HjSOj solution should be heated longer and several cautious additions of powdered KMnOj should be made. In some cases preliminary calcination at a low temperature will save time.

A glass rod placed in the Erlenmeyer flask lessens the tendency to "bump." The rod should be removed before the acid is completely evaporated.

The method depends on the reduction of vanadic compounds to divanadyl chloride by boiling with HCl and the conversion of this to divanadyl sulphate, while the other metals present remain fully oxidized. .

The method of redaction by boiling with HCl was originated by Campagne, who states that reduction is incomplete if conducted in the presence of sulphuric acid, and therefore the acid should not be added until after the vanadium is completely reduced. We have found that in the presence of sufficient ferric iron the reduction by HCl is complete even in the presence of a large excess of HjSOj. If the ores under analis ars low in iron and high in vanadium, iron must be added to insure correct results.

MINEBAI.S OF tJRANIUM ANB VANADIT7M.

The classifications of the minerals of uranium and vanadium given in most works on mineralogy are incomplete. This incompleteness is due not only to a desire to condense such lists, but also to the fact that the commercial importance of uranium and vanadium compounds is of rather recent growth. For these reasons the authors have compiled from various sources a tabular description of the diffs-ent minerals of uranium and vanadium. This classification, although necessarily incomplete in some respects, is given below for the use of those who may be interested.

,j.y

URANIUM, BADItTH, AND VANADIUM. CUuiifieation and deteription of the mtTKrob of urontum and TtmadivM.

Uraniuu Ihneralb.

dune dI mineral.

. (PO,)t8H,0, [diosphBta.

orystala; pearly luster in micaceoUflaggneBUs;

sligntly cr

. A variety ol uraoJnfM thulium, yttrium, anti

Cubical crystals . CtAta, velvet black. Specific gravity, 7.4B.

Eblgite. Urano- £liaslte, JM -

PbCaBaJUiSIO it6H,0 (rartaly oi gammiiaX

H ( NbOi) Jl .(TIO ,) .3& O, tilano-niDbala o'

OTtbnbombki, i

PergusDDlle (tyrite, t

QTBlals, generally In

iah-black; alum in powder form, yellowian to TeddtBh brown. Bardness, B.S. Specific gravity, 4.7 to 8.5. Tetragonal. Loster doll,

brownisli-biack: brittle. Hardness, fi.S to fl. Bpaoiflc gravity, t-S.

Friticbelta. Qununlta..

KooheUte, I Lfebiglte...

Fonnuladoubtluliahydrous fluhfhate of uranium ana copper.

Square tables. Color, reddish-brown.

Amorphous, sllghOy crystalline, Colcr.reddisliyellow to oranje-red and reddish-b r o w n. Specific gravity, 3.0 to 4.2.

In octSiedroaa, Color, yellowish brown. Specific gravity, 4,77 to f.i.

In druses or reniform masses; monoctlnic. Color, apple green.

Transparent; luster vitreous on fracture. Colar, apple green; occurs In thru coalings nr inun-

,.j,

HINKBAL8 OF VBASlVlt AND VANADIUM. So

Clauifieation and detcription of tA vrnntrah of titanium and vanadium—CoatJaaad.

UBANIUIC UNEBALB—Cootlnued.

Content Oeneral deacrtpUon and ol wiih. In

Phoflphuranfllte , , FmaritB I...

Fltohblaad*.

UranlnlW. Folyunae, tee Eu

Sulphats o[ oiBulum an

oalchim. pyro-tantalate of ca]

dum, tuneHea, tic

athsmreeartlu.

t bjdnted sUkale ol kd, uranium, ud thorium.

Carbonate ol uranltunT. .

SUlcale of yttrium

Uraavl carbonalo ol

Temgouai In squan priuiu with pyramids; commoiily maaalv, nodular. Fracture imall,

Traospatent; sllghUymTB-

Regular octahediona In btowD, bromiiBh, and reddian cryaUla. Hsidoess.S.S. Spedflcgrav-

CiTStalline, puliraiilant, UKiustauona of deep iBmon-yellow color.

Color, brt canary-;rallow. EardDas3,2.Sto3. Bpaoifio grartty, 4.4 to

Orlhorbomblc; prismatic or tabular erystala; luster, vlCreous to reaiiiDiu. Color, black or broinilata. Hardness, S lo S, 8pe-

Vlrfbila, ConnECtlcut, ICassacbu- , Oreenland,

Ullobeli County,

Sweden, Fiorway,

Yellov IncrustatioDa In

Uasslre gadoUnlte.

Color, drab-ereen. Yellow crystifi

MonocUnlc crystala. Colot, biDwntsb-black.

Orthorhomblc masalTe; fracture, concboldal; luster, vitreous to resinous. Color, velmty black. Hardnes, S to a. 8|>eelflc gravity.

lilaud, Alriot. . PeanayliviJa. Uwo County, Tei. Gennao Afrin,

Tbodanits

'moTlte (onnolholite).

Torbemlte

U CiTh Oi3810i,eHiO, ellkate ol uranium, tlHHlum, load, etc; occurs witb larguson-

BlBck cubic crystals

Tetrafional and also massive. Harduea, 4.5 to 5. SpeclOc gravity, 1.8

Tebgonal crystals, foliated micaceous; brittle.

Uaoo County, Tex.

Ceylon (Gambia

emerald green and grass-

apple or sisUD green. Hardness, 2 to2.5. Bhe- dUc gravity, 3,4 to 3.S;

„

94 mULKIUH, RADIUM, AND VANAKtrM.

damification and detmption of tht mmeraU of uranium and vanadium— CoutioMd,

URAMIUU UINEBALS-Caittaiued.

Name Of mineral.

Content

melatUc uranium

(no.),AaOtlIH,0

tala; usuaUy maaslve. to dark lirown, oUve

. W -80

Baiony.

Carolina, Teiaa, Dakota, Ottawa

t3 -6a

S'c'SaS;

m radiated aggfegatlima: massive; flbroua. Colgc,

In hairlike ilobular, and

UnmytoldamniliAate (B10),Urf),.3H

M

Ouonf. Balony. -

4g

Basjny and Utali.

v3sft, ™..

pS5

In scaly or granulai orystab. Color, BisUD green.

Triclblc, in thin ydlow Color, yiUow to blaok. .. .

1B.S

Austria.

Yttrooaslta

Titanate of ytblani, Ibo-

a.!

tungsten and tin. trim phospSate (afao

aao- ppw

In crystals tesambllag sircon In habit; in rolled (Trains; brittle. Lnattr, resinous to vttrenu. Col-

#?£

60 -S3

ThelallowingnitoerBbahooontalnurantlun; Aimurodite, 13peroaut; davtdlta (Olarl, Bouth Ausbalia): hiehnlte, 4.1 per cent; naeglte (sHioate; a mineral found In lanm), 13 per oeut; aiiqlta (oomplaz nlobate), 3.3 per cent; maoontle {oranodur, see uranolila); vattoghollle, Wa eBmanklM; vote (complaz oarbona), 30.7 per cent.

HINHBALS OP UBAinuH AND TANAKirU. 96

ClMiification and devription of tJie mineraU of uraniwn and vnnorftum— Gontmued.

VANADIDK MINERALfl.

Ardennlle (demlqqiW).

(near doclol-

In*"gre6n table: aleo

granular. Amorphona, perbapa slightly cryatallne, pul-

lotlmstely miied wltli quart™, mud. Color, canai; vellow. Specl&c graTl,*-13B-

Ounotlte

C-U.,Mot,ra-

EyD.2£V,0., 3H,0.

adatofT) oontBlnlng barium nd calcium.

Utah.

Colorado and Thn-

rlngla. Germany.

tralla.

Colorado

UaaslTe: botryotUl : nodular. Color, de-p red 10 ygllowlslied sad brown ioi-ttd. Spaclao gravity, S.S to S.81.

Hsrdnera. 3.6. BpeolflD gravity, 6,9 to 8.2.

.oMt.

etc

Variety ol vanadlnlte wltharaanlc.

tS, New Mezt-

oo.andArliona.

-ju

17-M

Formula donbttUI , naadateofleadandoop-

BW)., bSunuth vana-

Velvety black incmatt.

mlcacsoui. Coin,

Ulnaaracra, Peru.

ony.

,.j,

96 Ubanium, Badium, And Vanadium.

Clatiifieatum and deteription of the minerali of uranium and vanadium, — Contmued.

VANADIUM KINEEALB-CmtinoBd.

Kameotmbunl.

CoDlent metallic

Pa tint. 14-4B

(CuCaBa),(OH),VO,, Hydrous van odaU of copper, barium, and raloluin.

t, prbmatlo, olUn hoi-

choiilali bilttle. <color,

graTtty,8.eto7.10.

New Uxico. Art-

In amall aliidl tables and In globolar (arm. Color, ollvftTMii.lemon jeJlow.

The following Bureau of Mines publications may be obtained free by applying to the Director, Bureau of Mines, Washington, D. C:

Bulletin 10. The uee of permissible exploeivee, by J. J. Rutledge and Clarence Hall. 1912. 34 pp., 5 pie., 4 figs'.

Bulletin 17. A primer on explosives for coal miners, by C. E. Hunroe and Clarence Hall. 61 pp., 10 pis., 12 figs. Reprint of United States Geological Survey Bulletin

Bulletin 44. First national mine-safety demonstration, Pittabuih, Pa,, October 30 and 31, 1911, by E. M. Wilson and A. H. Fay, with a chapter on the explosion at the experimental mine, by G, S. Rice. 1912. 75 pp., 7 pis., 4 figa.

Bulletin 45. Sand available for filling mine worHngs in lie Northern Anthracite Coal Basin of Pennsylvania, by N. H, Darton. 1913. 33 pp., 8 pis., 5 figs,

BULLETIN 48. The selection of explosives used ia engineering and mining operations, by Clarence Hall and S. F. Howell. 1913. 50 pp., 3 pis., 7 figs.

Bdllstin 50. A laboratory study of the inflammability of coal dust, by J. C. W. Frazer, E. J. Hoffman, and L. A, Scholl, jr. 1913. 60 pp., 65 figs.

Bulletin 53. Mining and treatment of feldspar and kaolin in the southern Appalachian by A. S. Watte. 1913. 171 pp., IG pis., 12 figs.

Bulletin 66. First series of coal-dust tests in the experimental mine near Bruceton, Pa., by G. S. Bice, L. M, Jonea, 3. K. Clement, and W. L. Egy. 1913. 115 pp., 12 pie., 28

Bulletin 60. Hydiaulic mine filling; its use in the Pennylvania anthracite fields; a [HliiniiiaTy report, by Charles Enzian. 1913. 77 pp., 3 pis., 12 figs.

Bulletin 64. The titaniferous iron ores in the United States; their composition and economic value, by J, T. Singewald, jr. 1913. 145 pp., 16 pis., 3 figs.

Bulletin 65. Oil and gas wells through workable coal beds; papefS and discussions, by 6. S. Bice, O, P. Hood, and others. 1913. 101 pp., 1 pi,, 11 figs.

Tbchnical Papeb 11. The use of mice and birds for detecting caibon monoxide after mine fires Qd explodons, by G. A. Burrell. 1912. 15 pp.

Pubucationb. 97

Techkicax Paper 13. Gasanalyais as an aid in fighting niiiie fires, by G. A. Burrell and F. M. Seibert. 1912. 16 pp., 1 fig.

Technical Papeb 17. The efEect of stemming on the efficiency of explosiveB, by W. 0. Snelling and Clarence Hall. 1912. 20 pp., 11 '

Technical Paper 19. The factor of safety in mine electrical installations, by E. H. Clark. 1912. 14 pp.

Technical Paper 21. The prevention of mine explosions; report and recommendations, by Victor Watleyne, Carl Meissner, and Arthur Deeborough. 12 pp. Reprint of United States Geolccal Survey Bulletin 369.

Technical Papbe 22. Electrical aymbola for mine maps, by H. H. Clark. 1912. 11 pp., 8 figs.

Technical Papek 24. Mine fires, a preliminary study, by G. S. Rice. 1912, 51 pp.. 1 fig-

Technical Paper 29. Training with mine-rescue breathing apparatus, by J. W. Paul. 1912. 16 pp.

Technical Paper 41. Mining and treatment of lead and zinc ores in the Joplin district, Mo., a preliminary report, by Clarence Wright. 1913. 43 pp., 5 flga. 98742°~Bull. 70—13 7

id By

id By

A, PagB.

Adams, Orr J., work of 9

Al3ilorr,0. fl

S0,90 Annte Uay claim (Coio.l, csaraotlte deposits at, dBscriptton of 28

Anstrfllia, uraniuni dapofiita Ln, descrlptjcm of. 50,G1 ADBtria, pitchbleade deposits io, descrtpUon of 4S,4B

B. Beok, Rldiaid, work of 48

Belcher mine deposits Id,

dtBOrlptton ol 4S

Black Fox claim (Ci.Jt deposits at,

description of. 28,29

Blackbomne claim (Colo.)i csmoUte deposits

in, description of 27

Bleeker, W. F. , piDceas of, for recovery of Ta-

nadiuDi, doscriptlon of 70,71,78

Bob-o-Iink claim (Colo.), canxitlte deposits

t, description of - 29

Bobtail claim (Colo.), cankotlte deposits at

desoriptlon of. 38

B.,wiH'kar. Ce.OS

Boot Leg claim (Colo.), carDoUta deposits at,

description of 39

Boutren, J. U., work at 14

Brown, B. C, work of 9

Brown, H. L. Y., work of

"Bug hole," definition ol 20

desorlptlan of. 30,31

Bull CaojoD, Colp., camotlt* deposits near,

dewriptiwiof, 28,29

Oalboun mine (Cdo.), pltcbblande deposits

In, description of 48

CaUlOTnla, vanadium deposits in, description

ol M

Cameron, Angus, work of B

Camotlte, chemloal treatment of, poesildity

Of 41

amcentnUvn of , necessity of 3E,H

depoalti of, description of. 9-29

extent of 41,42

extnctlon of radlnm from 7T

In Austria, extCDt of. 42

In United States, Importance of 42

mining of, cost of 32

methods of 32

ooenminoeof 3fl

origin of 30

eparation of alumina from 89,00

transportation of , cost of. 33,34

Doltiesof 33

at of, with nlliia or hydroclUorla

Camotlte ore region, map showing 10

Cassei, Ernest, work of..,. fll

Caywood claims (Colo.), camatlte deposits at,

description of. 10,11

CherTingtOB,C. S,, workof 9

C11Q mine (Colo.), tamotite deposits in, description of 25, 25

Tlewof 24,20

Cloud claim (Colo.), camotlte Ceioslts at,

description of 29

Club Randi, carikotite deposits at, description of 24,a

Coal Oeek, Cole., (wnotlte dogMiIls near,

description of 10, 11

Concentration ol ores, BdvantajBS of 36,38

costol 39,40

fectoraln 39

dry, roetliodsof 38

tests of, results of. 39

neoesslty of. 35, 38

possibility of 3B,40

wet, method ol 30

teetiol, results of 37

Cripple Creek dflim (Colo.) camotite depjslts

at, description of 21

Cross, — , work of SI

Cumenge, —..work of. IS

Cnnunlngs, W, L., workof 9

Qunmings palms (Colo.), camotlte deposits

at, description of 28,29

CuiTan,T. v., workof. 9

Curran claims (Colo.), camotlte deposits at,

description of 2t.

Cutter, TJ. Ilex., venadtum deposits at, do-

scriptlon of IS

D. Dry concentration. 8tt Concentratian.

E. Ea, Colo., vanadium deposits near, de-

scriptkinof S3,S4

East Faradctx Valley, Colo., camotlte depoa.

ltsat,deacripllonof Xt-M

Xleclrosoope, dcecriptkin of. M

flgnie showing M

standardisation of, oorRotionfor 88

method of '.. 66,07

nw of, in dBtennloatlon of ores 61

precautkins necessary In 64

as

Elkhorn claims (Colo.), camotlte deposits at,

deacrlpthinof. 10,11

Kn, W. D., work of. 72,80

F. Fawn claim (Colo.), camotlte deposits at, de-

sctlptkin of 29

Fischer, Slegftied, procees of, for recovery of

; vL-jOOIC

Page.

Fleck, Hemiaa, workof ft,lfl,M,T4

Fleck, mBUiad lor extractiaa ot uiBUium and

vaoadlum, description ot 14

desoriplJon ol. H

French, a. W., work of SI

Frledsl, — ., work )l IS

Oale, H. S., wortof 10

German mina (Gtdo-}, pitchblende deposits

in, deacription ol 45

Genaaas, pitcbhlonde deposits In, descrlp-

ttonot. - 8,4fl

QIIpiD County, Colo., pilcbblaude deposits In,

Grahamlte, analysis oL M

depoaita ot. SI

doscriptlun ot. 51

Grand View claim (Utah), camotlte deposits

at, description ot 15

Green Htver, Utah, oaraotite deposits near,

description ol 1 J-16

OneDback claims (Colo.), camotlte deposits

at, description ot 27

Greystone claim (Ccdo.), cainotits deposits

at, description of 2S

Haitinger, Ludwlg, work ot Ttl

Haldane, W. a.,workout 19,B1

Hall, Henry, work ot 9

Happy Thought claim (Colo.), camotlte deposits at, dascrlption of ZS

Haynes, J. H., work ot 72

Bead, George A., workout 9

Hequombourg, K. D., work ot. B

Hais, F. I,., work ot 14, 19,81,53

Bolllday olaim (Colo.), camotlte deposits at, dGacTlptlonof - - 28

Huerbno County, Colo., vanadltuu deposits in, description of 52,53

Humery , — , work of 49

Hydraulic, Colo., camotlte deposits at, description of 29

iTtagh, — , -work ot. . .

J. Jacobs claim (Colo.), camotlte deposits ai

dtscriptlon of,

Jasper claim (Colo.), camotlte deposits ai

descrlptioo ot

Jo Candy claim (Colo.), camotlte deposits ii

descriptkm ot

Xent claim (Colo.), carootlta deposits at, description ot

Eirk mine (Colo.), pitchblende dnpoeits In,

description ot

Zoeaig , G . A. , process ot, tor recovery ot vana-

Kuppelwelser, — , work ot

L. R

Last Chance claim (Colo.), camotite deposits

at, descriptlOD ot

Little Emma claim (Colo.), camotlte deposits

at, dBSCrlptlon ot

Little Bulh claim <Utah), camotlte deposits

at, description ot

Little Tom claim (Colo,), camotlte deposits

at, descriptlDD ot

Logsn, Thomas, wort of

Long Park, Colo., camoUle daposUs at, an-

descrlptlon o(. Zl

Lookout claim (Colo.), camotlte deposits at,

description of

Lotlmer claim (Utah), camotlte deposits at,

descriptkm ot. If

LoTeltsa-Forsman claim (Utah), camotlte deposits at, description of

.te deposits at

description ol.

McKeaver claim (Colo. ) , description ol.

Ueekar, Colo., camotlte deposits near, descriptkm ot 1(

Uebose DlscoTory claim (UCati), camotlte de-

posits

Mitchell Connty, K. C, pitchblende deposits in, description of

Monayunk claim (Utah), camotlte deposits at, description of

Monogram clan (Cok>.) , carootlte deposits at,

description ot.

N.

Napoleon claim (Utah), camotlte deposits at. description of.

Nevada, grahamlte deposits tn.dcscrlptionot.

Newmire, Coki., vanadium deposits near, description of 5

Nitric acid, use of, in treatment of ores 7

North Star mine (Cc.),oamotltc deposits ta,

Oklahoma, grabamite deposits in, description itite deposits at.

Paradox Valley, Colo., camotlte deposits al

ot, possibility ot. ol

deposits ot,de8criptton

method of treating

79,80

41). 47

PlacervUle, Colo., vanadium deposits oeai

Portugal, uranium deposits

49,.W

n (Ckilo.), carootitB d

posUs at, dflsortptlon of

Hadcliff, Sidney, method oT, tor ncovtry ol

Radloactirlty ol saudEtooe,

radiMctiTlty of. KBdloaettTity of wata-, varlat Badlum, deUrmlnatlaD ot

Iram pitchblende 79,9

Importance ol. 1'

metJiod of 7

price of

production ot, tnfOrolKncoiintrlBa.. In United BtBtffl

apparatus for

Radium Inatltate, EngHEh, vorkol.. Badtaim Instltnte of Vienna, scope of.

Ransome, F. L.,worlo[ 19,2:

mcbardson, CUflord, voik ol

Rfckanl, Forbss.work ol

KutheFrtord,E.,work(

San Miguel County, Colo,, vaniid him depoaita in, descrlptkm of " 51,63

Ban Raphael Rlrer, Utah,camDtlt deposits neiu-i dasortptton ol 14

Saucer Baaln, Colo. , camotlto deposits at, description ol 25,28

Saunders claim (Colo.), camoClte deposits at, descrlptlona ol 28

descriptkin ot. 11,12

Spencer, —, work ol SI

Stewart, Newt., work o(., 9

Sundown claim (Colo.), camotlte deposlla at,

description of. 29

Swindler mine (Colo.), camotlto deposits at,

descrtptlon ot. 23

view of 24

Ta'jie Uountaln, Utah, camotilc ilaposils at, deacriptton of. IS

Talbert, Andrew J., work of. 18

Taylor. David, work of 9

Tellurlda No. 8 claim (Utah), camotlte deposits at, doscrlptioQ of 17

Tbompsons , Utah, camotlte dsposlta at, description ol 18-18

Ex. 101

Page, Thunderbolt mine (Colo.), camotlte deposits

In. dfsariptlon of X

Turner claims (Colo.), camotlte deposlli at,

description of. 21-21

U.

Ulrieh, Karl, work ol 79

Uranlnlte, ntantlon of emanation fron), apparatus lor, figure showing 07

UiauhuD, deposits of. In Australia, descrip-

tlonol S0,S1

in Portugal, description ol 49, SO

detamtnatlon of, difficulties in making. . S3

origin of. . .

Uranium oxide, percentage of. method of

calcolsting 66

isoduction of. M

selling iilce ol 34, 3(

Valley View claim (Colo.), camotlte deposits at, description of. . .

Vanadlc acid, eztractioD of, from copp vanadsl*.

Vanadium, detomlnatloa of, dHIlcutties In

method for... 8Z-84,Sg,0C

effect of, on steel ,,,..,,,

percentage of, In ore

production of, In United States

recovery ot, method of. 7t

separation of, from uranium

Vanadium minerals, list ot. K

Vanadium oilde, telling price ol. H

Vernon Junior claim (Dtah), cornotlte deposits at, description of.

Vollleque, , work ot

WardTemcIaim (Utah), camotlte deposits at, deso-lpt Ion of. IS

Wedding BeU claim (Colo.), camotlte deports at, description of SS

West Virginia, giahamlte deposits In, description of S4

Wet concentration, CoDcentTatlon.

While,I. C, workout S4

Whittemore, Chaiica F., work ot 9

Widow claim (Colo.), camotlte deposits at, desirlptlon of. 29

WiUmartJi, O. B..wofkoI. 9

Wilson claims (Colo.), camotlte deposits at, description ot. JS,28,28

Wood mine (CokJ.), pitchblende deposits In, description of 4S

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