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The income of the Institute is derived from dues, subscriptions to MINING AND METALLURGY and sale of publications. These sources are fortunately supplemented by the interest from invested funds now amounting to over $500,000, a considerable portion constituting endowments for especial purposes. Aside from the medal funds the principal endowments are the James Douglas Fund for support of the Library, the Rocky Mountain Fund and the Seeley W. Mudd Memorial Fund. The income from the two last named is available for the support of research and a variety of other purposes. It is allocated by the Board of Directors upon recommendation of standing committees in each case. 'An active effort is being made to increase the endowments of the Institute, it being felt that unusual opportunities exist for research and public and professional service through the organization.

Jan 1, 1934

The cables brought the news last spring that the Institute had lost by death one of its most distinguished foreign members, Hjalmar Sjogren of Stockholm. For thirty-one years, Professor Sjogren had been one of our number. He was elected in 1891, joining the Institute at the time he was in the United States, in attendance at the Fifth International Geological Congress, which was held in Washington in the late summer of that year. Professor Sjogren was once more in America in 1906 and again in 1913, and on both of those visits his friends in New York had the welcome opportunity of extending courtesies to him. He was thus well known to a wide circle in our membership. His keen interest in the geology of iron ores brought him in touch with the many Americans who have studied them and who have been active in the important productive districts which he visited. Our Transactions contain (Vol. XXXVIII) one very important paper of seventy pages on the Geological Relations of the Scandinavian Iron Ores, which he contributed. Sten Anders Hjalmar Sjogren, to give his full baptismal name, was born June 13, 1856, and was the son of Anton Sjogren, a mining engineer, at the time in charge of the iron mines at Persberg, in the east and west iron-ore belt of central Sweden, about 160 miles west from Stockholm. The Persberg orebodies yielded magnetite and specular hematite from schists, with which limestones. were interstratified as well as the peculiar Swedish rocks called "halleflinte." The mines were also well known to collectors and students of minerals. While Hjalmar Sjogren was yet a lad, his father was advanced to the superintendency of a number of famous mining localities in this same district of Wermland. Paisberg, famous for its native lead, was one; and two others, Langban and Nordmarken, were among the most prolific sources of interesting minerals in all Sweden. In several localities, the pre-Cambrian limestones had obviously experienced the recrystallizing influences of intrusive igneous rocks and had been charged with the so-called "contact" minerals, which have found their way to the museums of the world. Anton Sjogren, the father, was a keen mineralogist and Hjalmar, the son, grew up in a favorable environment for receiving training and enthusiasms of the same sort. One is not surprised, therefore, to find Hjalmar Sjogren, in the long run, turning to mineralogy and geology as his final career.

Jan 1, 1923

By T. F. Petty

Oil and gas production in North Central Texas has been found in sands and limestones in the Cisco, Canyon, Strawn and Bend series of Pennsylvanian age and in lime of pre-Pennsylvanian age. Production ranges in depth below the surface from 150 to 4500 ft.; a few wells have been drilled to depths in excess of 5500 ft. and penetrated rocks of pre-Cambrian age. In Table 1, the average depth of the pools is shown. No mention, however, is made in this table of approximately 30,000 bbl. of oil produced in Callahan County from a pre-Pennsylvanian pay, presumably the Ellenberger, and an excess of 1,000,000 bbl. of oil produced from limestone, which has been identified as Silurian in the south part of Young County. This well is being produced at the present time. In Table 1 a great many pools of minor importance are listed, which are merely productive spots, and throughout the various producing counties there are numerous similar spots, which might be listed as pools. Their production, however, is listed in the county totals. In Table 2, the totals of the oil wells, gas wells, and dry holes drilled before Jan. 1,1935, include only wells on which records are available to the writer. In Brown, Callahan and Shackelford counties 2924 very shallow wells (150 to 600 ft. deep) have been drilled, on which the record is not available. Possibly there are other wells that were drilled before the district was adequately scouted. No classification as to the depths of this total of 30,644 wells is available at present. Initially, nearly all the oil wells of North Central Texas produced gas, and several areas producing dry gas have been partly developed. A number of casinghead gasoline plants strip the gasoline from the gas produced with the oil, and the manufacture of carbon black is an important industry in Stephens County. Dry and residue gas are marketed through systems serving the various towns of the district, San Angelo to the southwest and the cities of Forth Worth and Dallas to the east. Considerable gas is used in repressuring several pools, the most important of which are the Stover of Brown County and the Cook of Shackelford County. During the past year, 32 gas wells were completed, adding a

Jan 1, 1935

The cables brought the news last spring that the Institute had lost by death one of its most distinguished foreign members, Hjalmar Sjogren of Stockholm. For thirty-one years, Professor Sjogren had been one of our number. He was elected in 1891, joining the Institute at the time he was in the United States, in attendance at the Fifth International Geological Congress, which was held in Washington in the late summer of that year. Professor Sjogren was once more in America in 1906 and again in 1913, and on both of those visits his friends in New York had the welcome opportunity of extending courtesies to him. He was thus well known to a wide circle in our membership. His keen interest in the geology of iron ores brought him in touch with the many Americans who have studied them and who have been active in the important productive districts which he visited. Our Transactions contain (Vol. XXXVIII) one very important paper of seventy pages on the Geological Relations of the Scandinavian Iron Ores, which he contributed. Sten Anders Hjalmar Sjogren, to give his full baptismal name, was born June 13, 1856, and was the son of Anton Sjogren, a mining engineer, at the time in charge of the iron mines at Persberg, in the east and west iron-ore belt of central Sweden, about 160 miles west from Stockholm. The Persberg orebodies yielded magnetite and specular hematite from schists, with which limestones. were interstratified as well as the peculiar Swedish rocks called "halleflinte." The mines were also well known to collectors and students of minerals. While Hjalmar Sjogren was yet a lad, his father was advanced to the superintendency of a number of famous mining localities in this same district of Wermland. Paisberg, famous for its native lead, was one; and two others, Langban and Nordmarken, were among the most prolific sources of interesting minerals in all Sweden. In several localities, the pre-Cambrian limestones had obviously experienced the recrystallizing influences of intrusive igneous rocks and had been charged with the so-called "contact" minerals, which have found their way to the museums of the world. Anton Sjogren, the father, was a keen mineralogist and Hjalmar, the son, grew up in a favorable environment for receiving training and enthusiasms of the same sort. One is not surprised, therefore, to find Hjalmar Sjogren, in the long run, turning to mineralogy and geology as his final career.

Jan 1, 1923

By C. Morrow

Deformation studies were performed on tuffaceous rocks fran Yucca Mountain, Nevada Test Site to determine the strengths and coefficients of friction under confining pressures from 10-50 MPa at room temperature. Frictional strengths of 30ºsawcut samples increased with pressure and reached values of around 150 MPa at the higher confining pressures. However, the failure strengths of the intact samples were quite unpredictable. The coefficients of friction ranged between 0.7 and 0.9 for all specimens. These data can be used in conjunction with in situ stress measurements at Yucca Mountain, to evaluate the potential for earthquake activity in the region.

Jan 1, 1984

By Milton E. Wadsworth, W. Martin Fassell, William H. Dresher

A study of the rate of dissolution of molybdenite (MoS2) in alkaline solution was carried out under carefully controlled conditions. Effects of temperature, oxygen over-pressure, and KOH concentration were evaluated. Studies were made in the temperature range 100°C to 175°C and in the pressure range 0 to 700 psia of oxygen. Under these conditions molybdenite was found to leach according to a linear mechanism. Both oxygen over-pressure and KOH concentration were found to control the rate of leaching. The mechanism has been explained in terms of adsorption of oxygen at the molybdenite surface followed by configurational rearrangement of the adsorbed molecules. The hydroxyl ion dependency is believed to be diffusion-controlled. Laboratory batch studies have shown that molybdenite can be readily dissolved in alkaline solutions under moderate conditions of temperature and pressure. Commercial application of this process to the production of ferro-molybdenum and molybdenum chemicals is promising in view of the ease of dissolution of molybdenite and the relatively noncorrosive conditions involved in the process.

Jul 1, 1956

Since this paper was written, some changes have taken place, materially reducing the cost of iron-making as estimated in the text. These are chiefly reductions in the prices of ore and fuel. The charcoal used is now made in bee-hive ovens, and the price is con-

Jan 1, 1895

Jan 1, 1935

By R. A. Generes, H. C. H. Darley

Laboratory tests showed that at elevated temperatures a reaction takes place between all metal hydroxides and clay muds, which results in a thickening or solidifying of the mud, the extent of which depends on the nature of the ingredients. Calcium hydroxide gave the strongest solidification whereas barium hydroxide only caused a mild thickening, indicating that the use of barium hydroxide muds instead of lime muds would be a good way of preventing high-temperature solidification. It was found possible to prepare barium mud in the laboratory with caustic soda and a thinner in the same manner as lime muds, and these barium muds had the same or better toleration of high solids content, resistance to salt contamination, and low gel strengths as the corresponding lime muds. Three field trials have been made with barium mud. The principal difficulty encountered was in determining the correct proportions of the tourly treatments required to maintain low gel strengths. A satisfactory systern was finally developed, and low gels were maintained throughout the third test. The wells on which the trials were made were not carried deep enough to test the resistance to solidification adequately, but oven tests at 350°F were made periodically and no tendency to solidification was noted except immediately after severe cernent contamination had introduced excessive amounts of calcium into the system. Although barium hydroxide costs considerably more than lime, the total mud costs were as low, and on the last well significantly lower, than the average cost of lime mud wells drilled in the vicinity. INTRODUCTION The advantages of repressing dispersion and hydra-tion of clay cuttings carried in the mud, particularly when drilling through thick clay formations, are well recognized. This repression is generally achieved by the use of lime, and lime muds have in consequence the desirable characteristics of high toleration of solids, low thixotropy, and good resistance to contamination. They have, however, the disadvantage of high-temperature solidification. This phenomenon has been described in detail by Gray et al, who have shown that it is the result of a chemical reaction between the hydroxides and the clay minerals. The work described in this paper was undertaken to find a substitute for lime which would not cause this solidification. LABORATORY EXPERlMENTS The principal positive requirement for a substitute for lime is that it should repress the hydration and dispersion of clay. It is well known that monovalent cations promote hydration while polyvalent cations repress it. Therefore, a few representative polyvalent salts and hydroxides were tested to determine whether they could be used as substitutes for lime. Their efficiency at repressing hydration and dispersion was measured by means of the clay-volume test. It has been shown elsewhere' that this test is a good measure of degree of dispersion of clay in suspension and that hydration accompanies and correlates with dispersion, so that measuring one measures the other. The test is made by centrifuging a 1:100 mixture of mud and 1-N NaCl and observing the volume of sediment—the greater the volume, the greater the dispersion. The tendency to caux solidification was measured by heating the muds in pressure vessels for 16 hours at 150°F and 370°F. An approximate quantitative

Jan 1, 1957

Jan 1, 1935

By C. F. Austin

lined-cavity shaped charge is an explosive mass with a cavity at one end and the detonator at the opposite end. The cavity is lined with a dense material, such as metal, glass, or a ceramic. Such an explosive device can be a useful drilling tool. Lined-cavity shaped charges are constructed to do just one thing — create a high-velocity jet of liner particles that can bore a hole in a target. The liner must be smooth and symmetrical, and high-velocity, high-brisance explosive must be used rather than ordinary commercial dynamites. Since the depth of target penetration is related to jet length, a standoff distance should be provided to hold the charge a short distance from the target. This allows the jet to lengthen prior to target impact. The best results are obtained when the jet is perpendicular to the target surface. Charges can be positioned for firing by taping them to a stake or simply laying them on a flat surface at the proper distance and angle with respect to the target. EFFECTS ON THE TARGET When a jet strikes a rock target, the jet and target particles at the jet-target interface move outward radially with respect to the jet axis to create a tremendous compressive load on the target material immediately below the target surface. The result is a shallow crater formed by spalling at the point of target entry. After cratering ceases, the steadily deepening hole continues to form as a result of the jet's imparting radial motion to the target particles at the jet-target interface. These radially moving particles collide with one another and with the hole walls, the net motion of the spent jet particles and target particles being back out of the hole in an axial direction (the backblast). The backblast keeps the penetration free of debris during penetration, al- though loose surface rock often falls into the hole after penetration ceases. The sudden stress relief after penetration ceases sometimes results in minor hole-wall rebound, which can partially fill the hole. The hole bottom will taper as the jet velocity decreases, until the jet velocity is too low to maintain the backblast. At this point the remaining jet and the following slug material are simply packed into the hole bottom. HAZARDS INHERENT IN USE Air blast from the highly brisant explosives used in shaped charges can damage nearby structures

Jan 1, 1961

By Ellen H. Richards

The water-supply of a country may be considered from three points of view: (1) its abundance and availability for agricultural purposes; (2) its chemical properties in their relation to manufacturing purposes; and (3) its quality and quantity as affecting domestic consumption. This paper concerns only those characteristics which may affect manufacturing and domestic uses. The so-called sanitary analyses deal not only with the common mineral elements found in water, but with organic matter and with those substances which, by their presence, indicate changes taking place through the agency of living organisms. Since these living organisms are frequently accompanied by others, capable, as are believe, of causing disease, the products of their action are looked upon with suspicion even when, as in the case of nitrates, that action may have taken place at a time long past. Therefore, upon the quality of the water-supply depends much of the history of a country, when rightly read, as well as much of its promise for the future. Thus, the hardness," or content of calcium and magnesium salts, gives a means of distinguishing at once between the waters traversing only igneous or other siliceous rocks and those coming from calcareous deposits. The presence of decomposing organic matter and intermediate products betrays a use of the water as the public carrier of refuse, which renders doubtful its fitness for domestic supply. In certain regions, one of the most valuable historical records is made by the relative amount of chlorine in the different waters. In the absence of rock-deposits carrying salt,, the chlorine present in rain and snow, and hence in mountainstreams and springs, appears to be derived from the air-borne, finely divided salt spray resulting from the beating of the ocean waves on the coast. If this be true, then the amount of chlorine found in a given water not contaminated with chlorides

Jan 1, 1902

By W. F. Boericke

THE character of the Wisconsin orebodies must be clearly understood to appreciate the difficulties encountered in sampling and estimating them. Unlike the western vein deposits, they do not lie between regular walls, but form large, often highly irregular bodies, on a single floor in the so-called Galena limestone. The bottom of the ore is nearly always on the clay bed, a flat generally well-defined clay seam a few inches thick, which marks the junction of the base of the Galena lime and the top of the next formation, the Trenton lime. Above the clay bed, the orebodies make the unique pitch and flat formation described by Chamberlin.1 Theoretically, we should find two pitches, one on either side of the top crevice, diverging as they go down, with the final flats a considerable distance apart on the clay bed. The area between, known locally as core ground, should thus constitute a single defined orebody, with the richer portions near the pitches and the leaner portion in the center of the core. Practically, we find few examples of this perfect orebody. Almost invariably one pitch is better defined than the other, and often the opposite pitch is marked only by a faint line of fracture showing stronger mineralization than the wall rock, or it may be totally lacking. But with an orebody of any size or richness, at least one strong pitch usually tends to follow an east-west trend, or a quartering course. Late mining developments in the rich New Diggings field indicate that these pitches often assume a horseshoe or crescent shape, the richer ore being in the heart of the crescent and the pitches showing less mineralization as they extend outwards. In the northern end of the field, on the contrary, the pitches maintain generally a consistent direction, and have been mined for thousands of feet from the shaft. The length of the orebody may be several thousand feet, the height varying from 10 to 60 ft. and the width from 60 to 250 ft. In fact, on the core side, there is no definite end to the ore. The mineralization simply gets thinner and thinner, and the limit of working depends on the cost sheet and the profit from the recovery.

Jan 2, 1922

By Samuel H. Dolbear

THE value of a mine is basically dependent on its capacity to yield profits. Since the ore must be mined, treated, and sold, some of it in various future years. there is a risk involved as to future costs, selling price, and working conditions. It cannot be expected that the economic condition existing at the time of valuation will continue unchanged for long periods in the future. During the past 20 years, mineral production in the United States has been conducted under a changing economy in many respects more exacting than that applied to other businesses. There have been increased production incentives, technical aid, exploration of privately owned mineral deposits by government at federal expense, and liberal loans for development and equipment, with risk partially assumed by government.. Some of these benefits have been counterbalanced by price ceilings, consumption controls, and stimulation of competition from foreign producers who have been offered the same advantages extended to American operators. For the present, mines will operate under a government policy directed toward reducing federal aid and control. The tenure of this change will depend upon future elections and the status of foreign relations. War and threat of war are now of the most vital significance to the mineral industries. Other factors which influence cost of production, markets, and price of mine output might be classified as Acts of God or Acts of Government. In some countries expropriation and the difficulty of exporting earnings or investment returns are risks that must be considered by foreign capital. Recognizing that this retards American investment in foreign countries, the Mutual Security Agency offers insurance against such expropriation and guarantees the convertibility of capital and profits. Since it is impossible to predict with certainty either cost of production or selling prices of metals for long periods, some assumptions must be made as to profits in the future. The basic assumption must be that the price of the company's product will vary in proportion to changes in operating cost. There is often a lag in this reaction, however, for prices of minerals are generally more sensitive to declines and less sensitive to increases than are costs. This reflects in part the resistance of labor to downward wage revision and a corresponding alertness in realizing its share of price advances. Some labor contracts include automatic adjustments to metal prices. Notwithstanding the complexity of the, problems involved and the difficulty of weighing their effect on value, such risks may be appraised with reasonable accuracy and a rate of earnings adopted that is compatible with the risk. It is, of course, possible to revert to a yardstick of value such as the commodity dollar, which has been advocated from time to time, but while revaluation in 1933 disturbed public confidence, the theoretical gold dollar continues to be the standard of greatest stability. Its gain or loss in purchasing power is reflected ultimately in cost of production and selling price of the mine product. At present 35 dollars are allocated to one ounce of gold. Measurement of Risk In the application of the Hoskold and most other formulae, a yearly dividend rate commensurate with the risk involved is set aside out of annual earnings. If the risk is great, this rate may be 15 to 25 pct of the amount invested. The remainder is placed in a sinking fund invested in safe securities such as high grade bonds or conservative equities, and the interest or dividends from these securities are added to the sinking fund. The sum of these sinking fund payments and the compounded interest at the end of the mine life is taken as the value of the mine. Admittedly the decision as to the size of the risk rate is the most difficult element in valuation and one requiring the most exacting consideration. It is necessary to look years ahead in an effort to determine future costs, market prices, demand, competition which may develop, including that of substitutes, and other influences common to the mine and to the region in which it is situated. Another phase of risk is the enactment of unfavorable legislation, taxes, and what appears to be an alarming spread of nationalization and expropriation. Capital is sometimes borrowed from the government to finance strategic production. Such loans may be collectable only out of production and involve no liability otherwise. Valuation in these cases must recognize the effect of such a reduction in liability. Offsetting some of these risks are the possibilities of mechanization and other cost-reducing discoveries, improvements in mining and treatment methods, new uses for minerals and metals, and normal growth of markets. In this paper, the terms risk rate, dividend rate, and speculative rate are synonymous. Safe rate and redemption rate are also used interchangeably. These alternatives are used here because they are commonly found in the literature on mine valuation. In Michigan, the State Tax Commission has long employed a risk rate of 6 pct in its valuation of iron mines. There the outline of reserves is well established and operating costs and conditions are based on adequate experience. The following comment on rates appears in the report of the Minnesota Interior commission on Iron Ore Taxation submitted to the Minnesota Legislature of 1941.1 Most engineers agree that 7 percent for the specu-lative rate is "an absolute minimum". C. K. Leith in

Jan 1, 1954

By Keith Contor

The concept of using simulators to train operators of vehicles is not new. However, the Bureau of Mines initiated these programs to determine if computer controlled training devices would enhance production and improve safety in the coal mining industry. Two prototype devices have been constructed, tested and are currently operational. The continuous miner and dragline operator training systems both incorporate full scale operator stations using operational controls and displays. The operator interacts with the visual system through the cab controls to perform basic tasks and develop skills required for startup, operation and shutdown of the mining equipment. Data pertaining to the concepts and techniques applied during the design, development and evaluation of the training devices are presented. Descriptions of trainer designs and visual systems for training equipment are presented and the results of the system evaluation are summarized.

Jan 1, 1983

THE exhibits of mining equipment at the AMC Metal Mining Convention and Exposition will be the largest and most diversified ever shown to the metal and nonmetallic mining industry. Over 795 leading manufacturers have been assigned a total of 36,130 net sq ft of exhibit space - 49 pct more than the last such exposition. Following is a partial listing of exhibitors, the products they will show, and their representatives.

Jan 8, 1950

By Hillary W. St. Clair

An equation is derived for the rote of reaction of a sphere of metal oxide in a restricted enclosure through which a reducing gas is flowing. The equation takes into consideration the reaction rate coefficient, transport through the gas and through the porous shell of reduced oxide, the rate of gas flow, THIS paper describes a mathematical study of the chemical and physical processes that determine the rate of reduction of solid metal oxide with a reducing gas. The study was a part of a theoretical study leading to the development of a mathematical model for the simulation of the thermochemical behavior of the iron blast furnace. An essential feature of such and the volume of- space surrounding the sphere available for gas flow. The equation is applied to experimental data on vote of reduction of iron oxide in hydrogen. The equation serves as a model for predicting the course of reduction of a particle of. metal oxide in a shaft furnace. a model is an adequate mathematical relationship defining the rate of reaction in terms of all the important chemical and physical phenomena that affect the rate of reaction. This includes not only the reaction rate coefficients, equilibrium ratios, gas composition, and temperature, but also the relevant physical properties of the oxide, rate of gas flow, and relative volumes occupied by gas and solid. In many previous experimental studies of the rate of reduction of oxides by hydrogen or carbon monoxide, the rate of reduction was assumed to be controlled primarily by the chemical reaction at the

Jan 1, 1965

By Charles J. Haas

The effectiveness of rock bolts in resisting shear displacement along preexisting fracture surfaces or slip planes was determined in the laboratory with full-scale bolts and large-scale shear test equipment. The system variables were the type of bolt, orientation of bolt relative to shear surface, and normal pressure on the interface. Results showed that, in general, both conventional bolts and resin- grouted reinforcing bars significantly increase the shear resistance along a fracture or bedding plane when the average normal compressive stress on the plane is in the order of 25 psi and when the bolt is oriented such that it tends to lengthen as the shear progresses. An increase in shear resistance is also noted at the higher normal pressure of 250 psi; however, the increase is small compared to the corresponding shear resistance without a bolt. Conventional bolts oriented such that they lose tension as shear displacement occurs added no shear resistance since the tension drops to zero at very small shear displacements.

Jan 1, 1977

By J. Marvin Weller, M. King Hubbert

Preliminary investigations were undertaken with a Megger Ground Tester in 1931 by Hubbert to determine whether the faults in Hardin County, Illinois, could be located by earth-resistivity surveys. The results of these investigations, which were in part presented before this Institute in 1932,1 were sufficiently promising to warrant a more extensive field program in the same general area the following summer. During the second season an apparatus of the Gish-Rooney type was employed because of its greater sensitivity and to avoid the troublesome correction for resistance of potential electrodes necessitated by the use of a Megger instrument. The discussion of earth-resistivity traverses which constitute the main part of this paper is based entirely upon the results of the second season's work. All of the traverses were made with a constant electrode spacing of a equal to 100 ft., and the four-electrode technique was employed. Successive stations in these traverses were spaced at intervals of 100 ft. and the line of electrodes was carried parallel to the line of traverse. The graphs of resistivity profiles presented here (Figs. 1 to 3) are plotted with resistivities in ohm-centimeters as ordinates and with distance divided into stations at 100-ft. intervals as abscissas. After the traverses were run by Hubbert the results were computed, the profiles plotted, and tentative interpretations were made by him. These curves and interpretations were then taken into the field by Wellcr, who made a careful geological examination along the lines of traverse for the purpose of checking and supplementing Hubbert's interpretations. Weller then constructed a geologic cross-section extending along the line of each traverse. The accompanying diagrams graphically illustrate the correlation that can be made between earth resistivity and geology in this area.

Jan 1, 1934

THERE was presented for discussion at the February (1924) meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers a report of a committee named by the United States Bureau of Mines on the Use of Oxygen or Oxygenated Air in Metallurgy and Allied Processes. An extensive discussion followed the presentation of the papers, which dealt with the matter entirely from a theoretical standpoint. The results of only a limited, amount of research work were presented and discussion centered around the question: "Is it worth while to carry on research and expend money in determining what can be done in metallurgical operations if cheap oxygen can be produced?" More experimental work on this subject has not been done because metallurgists have not thought that cheap oxygen could be produced, thinking "Why waste time experimenting. with a reagent that cannot be procurable in commercial quantities?" While the producers of oxygen have said " Why waste money on the development of a process to make cheap oxygen unless we know that there will be a market for it when produced?" The discussion brought out two facts: First, many metallurgists believe that their operations can be conducted more economically if they can add oxygen to the air used in various smelting operations; second, a number of chemists believe that relatively pure oxygen can be produced in metallurgical quantities at very small cost. Negative views were expressed to both propositions, but so overwhelming was the view that if cheap oxygen could be produced, many metallurgical operations would benefit that it was voted to recommend that the Bureau of Mines continue its research work, pending the production of the cheap oxygen hoped for. Few experimental data being available, and the attitude of disputants being based largely on theoretical considerations or on reactions and temperatures incapable of positive proof, it has been decided to publish only a summary of the papers and discussions arising from their presentations. It is believed, however, that this will be sufficient to show the lines of reasoning that have been adopted, and be a guide to others who are to make their own calculations or engage in experimental work.

Jan 11, 1924