The Flotation Process Compiled and Edited (Classic Reprint)

This book has been prepared to meet the need of the hour. Flotation is engaging the attention of a rapidly increasing number of metallurgists, mill-men, and mine-owners. Information on the subject is lacking. The only book heretofore issued was written four years ago, and is now out of date. In 1912 the flotation process had hardly won a foothold in the United States; today fully 50,000 tons of ore is being treated daily by the frothing or bubble-levitation method. In July 1915 the Mining and Scientific Press began to publish a series of articles describing current progress in this new branch of metallurgy. These were followed by a number of interesting contributions on the theory of the subject. All of them are reproduced in this volume. They claim no finality. The physics of flotation is still a riddle unsolved; but the beginnings of investigation have been made. In the pages that follow will be found the rudiments of a connected theory explaining the phenomena underlying the life and activity of the metallurgic bubble. In preparing this volume, I am under pleasant obligation to the various contributors; it will not be deemed invidious if I express special indebtedness to Messrs. 0. C. Ralston, C. T. Durell, Dudley H. Norris, and Will H. Coghill. The reader will be particularly grateful to Mr. Ralston, of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, for his invaluable article on the testing of ores by flotation and for his resume of preferential methods. Messrs. Durell, Norris, and Coghill have helped to clarify many obscure points. To the anonymous metallurgist who wrote on the experiments at the Mexican mill and on the effects of soluble salts, I tender special thanks; also to Messrs. Butters and Clennell for their detailed account of experimental work on flotation concentrate. To all of these and to the other contributors, I extend my hand. T. A. RiCKARD, Editor of the M
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)