The Ely miner., 1935-10-31
TO Utilize
Low GRADE ORE
Prof. E. w. Davis Discusses the
Subject at the American
Congress Meeting.


Congress Meeting.
"The Practical Application of Bene-
ficiated Iron Ore to Blast Furnace
Practice" was the subject of paper
given by Prof. E. w. Davis of the Mines
Experiment Station, University of Min
nesota, at the meeting of the American
Congress in Chicago two weeks ago.
Prof. Davis has been an active worker
at the mines experiment station fol
several years on the subject of low
grade ores and through his untiring
efforts several beneficial results have
been attained.
The subject is of vast Importance to
the Lake Superior region and especially
Minnesota in particular as this state
possesses vast quantities of low grade
ores which are destined to come into
use after the exhaustion period given to
high grade ores has been reached.
In speaking of the steel industry
Prof Davis s:-"The steel industry
of the United States represents an in
vestment of $4,000, 100000. 1t is one
of the most progressive industries in
the world, and plants are modernized
entirely, or rebuilt, at great expense,
for competition is keen. At the pre-
sent time, the United States Steel
Corporation is in the midst of mod
ernizing and new plant program that
will call for the expenditure of $140,-
100000. The independent steel COM
panies are notably enterprising"
In the early days of the Mesabi
range the word went out that this new
area of the Lake Superior district con-
tanned inexhaustible quantities of iron
ore. That theory prevailed in the
nineties. Yet, as Prof. Davis points
out in his interesting paper:
'The testimonies given by various
experts in the mine tax valuation case
in Duluth last summer Q934 agreed
chantable ores of the MeSabi range was
from 36 to 40 years. These figures are
computed ON the basis of no increase in
demand in the future. The other min
ing regions of the Lake Superior dis
trict will probably be exhausted sooner
than the Mesabi range. Obviously this
is not a life of sufficient length to
satisfy those who have made enormous
investments in railways, steamships,
blast furnaces, steel plants and associ-
ated fabrication and manufacturing in
dutries, together with the various cities
and towns all of which combine to form
the greatest industry development OF
the world. Consciously or unconscious
ly it is recognized that the low-grade
ores which are so abundant on the
Mesabi range will furnish the ore sup
ply required in the future, supply far
greater and more important than the
reserves of the high-grade ores of the
present. If we knew that at the end of
80 or 40 years the iron ore of the Lake
Superior district would be exhausted
and that all the industries which exist
because of this ore would cease to exist
the future would indeed look dark, not
only to the steel makers but to the
general public as well. The reason il
does not look dark is because we be-
ieve that the low-grade ore can be
utilized for the manufacture of iron and
steel at cost which will compare fav-
orably with the cost of producing steel
from the. high grade ores.
Prof. Davis says it seems probable
that when the low-grade ores are
utilized, the cost of the iron units neces-
Sary for ton of pig iron will be about
81 above present costs" This con-
cluSion follows a lengthy discussion OF
the elements and conditions entering
into the subject, present and pros
pective, as may be estimated.
"The iron-silica ratio of this new
ore will be a little better than with
the present furnace ores, and the
alumina, manganese and PHOSPHORUS
analyses will be little lower. In order
to provide this ore at the price esti-
mated much development work must be
done and large investments for ma
chinery and equipent must be made or
the iron ranges. The best that the ore
producers can hope to do is to supply
almost indefinitely an aglomerated orr
of uniform grade and structure at 6
cost of about 1870 above present costs
Prof. Davis points out that fine iror
concentrate has already been produced
commercially from one variety of low.
grade ore at a total cost of $3.50 pei
ton, including mining, benefication
royalty, taxes and other direct operating
charges.