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Show MOLYBDENUM CAN NOWBE CAST With the successful casting of molybdenum now a reality, a principal prin-cipal by-product of Utah Copper Division of Kennecott Copper Corporation Cor-poration has assumed new and increased importance. The break-through by U.S. Bureau Bur-eau of Mines scientists in casting molybdenum has simplified the application ap-plication of this metal for high temperature requirements. Molybdenum, Molyb-denum, which has extreme strength at high temperatures, is of value in certain components of missiles which must withstand great friction heat generated by the atmosphere. Although not a result of the new found importance of the metal, Utah Copper Division is presently improving operations in connection with molybdenum production. The improvements are expected to increase in-crease the amount of molybdenite recovered. "Moly", abbreviation for molybdenite, molyb-denite, is recovered from the Utah ore as a by-product in an almost unbelievably complicated process. The moly-bearing material must bo routed through several flotation cycles tb separate the moly from the copper minerals with which it is recovered in the flotation plant. One of the most sensitive operations opera-tions is the roaster treatment to remove the chemicals of earlier flotation. The temperatures in this process are ' critical and must be maintained within narrow limits. If the heat is insufficient, the' reagents fail to burn off and subsequent flotation fails to catch the acceptable accept-able quantity of moly. To improve this process, one moly roaster at the Magna Mill has been rebuilt, and rebuilding of the other is almost al-most complete. Used principally as a hardening agent in steel alloys at present, moly now stands on the threshold of a new area. Metallurgists are presently pres-ently attempting to improve tech- i niques so that more intricate shapes can be cast in molybdenum. When 1 this process is perfected, the de- velopment of missiles, rockets and satellites will be greatly aided. It will give engineers greater flexi- bility of design and a less costly way to construct vital components. 5 ' The ore at Kennecott's mine in Bingham Canyon contains only 5 100 of one per cent moly, or about one pound per ton of ore. In spite of the extremely small a-mounts a-mounts of moly in the ore, mass production methods have resulted in a fairly high output of the important im-portant metal. At present, the Division Di-vision is producing about 1,750,000 pounds of molybdenite concentrate per month. This production, together with that at Kennecott's other mining operations, makes the company the second largest producer of molybdenum molyb-denum in the world. With the impending need for more moly in the present missile and rocket age, the production of this key metal by the Utah Copper Division will undoubtedly take on greater significance as time goes on. O |
