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By Joseph W. Leonard

The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss some of the less evident and sometimes neglected opportunities for progressive developments in coal research. While a great deal of both promotional and technical information flows from some areas of coal research, output deficiencies in other areas of activity have reached a magnitude where important developments have been, and will increasingly be, unfavorably affected. These areas mainly involve coal mining and preparation. Some recommendations for the intensification of effort in these areas follow: Coal Mining While a huge tonnage of in-the-ground coal is assured, the location and distribution of these tonnages are becoming less favorable. The easy-to-mine coal which is located in or near population centers has been, or is being, mined. The vigor with which the less accessible reserves are recovered by the mining industry depends largely on the condition of the coal market at the time of mining. Hence, during a buyer's market, the commercially oriented mining industry is compelled to mine the easier and less costly reserves. Conversely, during a seller's market, the need to rapidly expand production results in more difficult mining and higher cost coal as few obstacles are encountered in finding markets. Hence, a seller's market tends to enhance the recovery of reserves while a buyer's market does not. One reason for today's fuel supply problems is that the Nation has recently emerged from a long-term coal buyer's market which lasted from about 1950 to 1968. During that period, national policy caused severe production cutbacks which regretably drove the industry to mining only the more accessible and better quality reserves. Often in order to remain in business, many hundreds of millions of tons of more difficult to mine reserves were abandoned and lost behind caved areas. Many of these reserves are close to population areas and would not have been lost in a more stable economic climate. It is difficult to fully account for all the impacts that were caused by the great buyer's market of the 1950s and 1960s. Besides the obvious loss of reserves that were once considered national wealth, the mining of better reserves tended to produce a generation of technically optimistic mining people. Mining people frequently became accustomed to looking at nothing less than outstanding mining conditions as a result of the declining market. Many are now and have long since received a re-education in the other half of mining. Going from many years of mining accessible, select and easy-to-win reserves, to the crash-driving of development entries in reserves that were considered unworthy of mining during 50s and 60s, frequently results in a much higher rate of encounter with in-seam and out-of-seam rock as well as with coal-deficient areas or "washouts." Intensive entry driving activity and compulsory non-selective mining in sometimes lean reserves were brought on by the need to rapidly open up new supplies of coal. Working under these requirements presents a continuing reminder that much more needs to be known about the relatively esoteric art of planning the best direction for driving entries in order to insure that a more consistent and greater supply of coal is available during early mine development. All of the preceding discussion tends to point to a need for a better estimate of those reserves of coal that are likely to be mined in the future. Such estimates should not be limited to the compilation of the amount of coal in the ground; but, where possible, should also include information concerning the capability for producing this coal. After all, a coal seam of ample thickness may have a degree of thickness variability, undulation, bad roof or floor, so as to make what would otherwise appear to be an attractive mining condition untenable. Underlying the problem involving the feasibility of producing known reserves is the need to develop better methods for the characterization of coal seams and associated lithotypes, based on drill core data, once at area is selected for mining. Reserves and their characterization involve aspects of exploration technology that are frequently considered mature. The resulting technological deficiencies may be the main reason why coal exploration frequently does not end with core drilling of a property, as it should, but extends into the mining operation during the driving of development entries. When exploration is extended to the driving of development entries, the near absence of integrated decision-making theory involving mining, geology, mathematics, and economics becomes, once again, all too painfully apparent and frequently results in very costly rationalizations. Hence, by the formal initiation of a concentrated program to combine the cyclical effects of economics with geology and mining, more relevant estimates of reserve distribution, tonnages, and production capability should be forthcoming. Moreover, a similar formal effort is needed to develop a combination of the most advanced concepts of mathematics, geology, and mining to better "see" coal seams as a means to favorably implement many long-range decisions involving mine safety and productivity. Much more applied research needs to be done on coal mining systems for mining in thin seams and/or under bad roof. Current difficulties in both of these areas at recently opened coal mines should provide a sobering glimpse into the future. Full-scale applied research, sponsored by appropriate federal agencies, is urgently needed on a scheme involving a new combination of established mining and preparation elements. The scheme may include: (1) a continuous mining machine remotely operated by a miner stationed at some distance behind the machine using a cord attached control box; (2) hydraulic transport of coal through pipes from the mining machine to a coarse refuse removal grid, crusher, and then on to portable concentrating equipment; (3) the hydraulic transport of clean coal out of the mine in pipes to the surface for thermal dewatering, if neces-

Jan 1, 1974

By R. C. Padfield

Experience over a 3-year period in Bethlehem Steel Corporation's plants has demonstrated the reliability of open-hearth roofs of bonded sprung-arch constructzon with burned basic brick. The design principles lor constructing these roofs include a minimum hot-strength requirement for the basic brick, expansion allowances that extend the full roof thickness, structural members to control arch contour, and a specified minimum roof rise. The greater stability of bonded roofs is explained in terms of the basic stress patterns of ring constrution and bonded construction. PRIOR to the development of successful sprung-arch roofs of basic brick, the majority of open-hearth furnaces in the United States were operated with sprung-arch roofs built of silica brick. Although many silica roofs used on open-hearth furnaces were ring-arch construction, Bethlehem Steel Corp. used bonded-arch construction because of its greater stability. In ring construction, each ring of brick is separately keyed and comprises an independent arch with the straight joints between rings traverse to the longitudinal axis of the furnace. In bonded construction, the bricks are laid in rows starting from the skewbacks so that the straight joints run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the furnace. Each brick in a given row is laid so that it spans the joint between two bricks in the row beneath it. Thus, the transverse joints across the arch are broken and the arch rings are thereby interlocked or bonded. When basic roofs were first being developed, the basic brick that were available had low hot strength. Such brick could not be safely used in sprung-arch construction without some means of suspending them. With the development of higher firing techniques by brick manufacturers and the recently introduced direct bonded bricks with high hot strength, the use of burned basic brick in sprung-arch roofs became feasible. The availability of high hot strength basic brick coupled with the potentially lower cost and proven stability of bonded construction prompted Bethlehem's Research Department to study the possibility of using basic brick in bonded roofs. With the full cooperation of plant ceramic engineers and open-hearth superintendents, particularly in 3 years of fur-nace trials, we developed the design criteria for bonded roofs and the corresponding property requirements for the basic brick that are discussed in this paper. DESIGN PRINCIPLES OF SPRUNG-ARCH BRICK ROOFS Stresses in Fixed Arches. A sprung-arch open-hearth furnace roof is generally built on rigidly held skewbacks. The constraint of the fixed support at each end adds a bending moment to the horizontal and vertical reactions at the ends of the arch. Fig. 11 shows the positive direction of forces acting on an arch fixed at both ends. Fixed arches can be analyzed when the members are continuous and have elastic properties. However, brick are inelastic, and arches built with individual brick segments cannot carry tensile stresses. Therefore, for practical solution of brick arches, empirical formulas have been derived from elastic theory that place design restrictions on arch dimensions to avoid development of tensile stresses. McDowell2 cites three main conditions for stability in sprung brick arches: 1) the thrust line of the arch should be maintained in the middle third of the thickness to avoid tensile stresses and resulting open joints in inner and outer curves of the arch; 2) the angle between the line of thrust at any joint and a line perpendicular to the joint must not exceed the angle of repose between brick; and 3) the maximum pressure at any point must not exceed the strength of the arch materials at furnace operating temperatures. The first and third conditions are particularly important in designing sprung-arch basic roofs because of the comparatively low hot strength of basic brick. According to McDowell's equation, if the thrust line is maintained within the middle third of the arch thickness, the unit pressure is obtained as follows: where p = unit pressure in psi, F, = resultant thrust normal to skewback in pounds per foot, t = arch thickness in inches, and z = distance in inches of thrust line from arch axis. When the resultant thrust normal to the skewback acts along the arch axis, z equals zero and unit pressure is simply the thrust divided by the cross-sectional area. If the thrust line moves to the limits of the middle third of the arch thickness, beyond which tensile forces would develop, z then equals one-sixth of the arch thickness and the unit pressure is double that when the thrust line is acting

Jan 1, 1968

By Van Der Muelen P. A.

SOME time ago, the writer received from W. 0. Borcherdt, Manager of the, works of the Bertha Mineral Co. at Austinville, Va., several specimens of a dense yellowish slag-like material, containing cavities showing clear needle-like crystals, and representing a product formed by the fumes of zinc oxide and basic lead sulphate from the oxide furnace, attacking the firebrick lining of the flues. The matrix, which is of a greenish-yellow color, is made up chiefly of an amorphous glass, carrying numerous crystals, the latter being well-defined, clear, and transparent, but colored a very light yellow by small amounts of ferric oxide. A number of the crystals were carefully separated from the matrix and tested with the blowpipe. They have a fusibility of about 2, yield a globule of lead and a coating of lead oxide before the blowpipe on charcoal, and contain some zinc. Their hardness is 5 to 6. 1 Fig. 1. Under the microscope the crystals appear to be made up of a prism, with narrow faces, and a fairly large pinacoid, but unfortunately show no terminal faces (Fig. 1). Between crossed nicols they gave parallel extinction in. the three planes containing the crystallographic axes, and are therefore orthorhombic. The index of refraction is high. A number of the best crystals were measured on the reflection goniometer, the angles given below representing the average of measurements made on different individuals. mm = 46° 52' mb = 66° 34' a:b:c = 0.4334:1 :?

Jan 5, 1917

By Henry M. Howe

The striking features of American Bessemer practice aré its large output and its low initial silicon and initial temperature. These are interdependent. Large outputs implies short blows and short intervals between blows. Short blows imply low silicon and fast blowing. Low silicon implies short intervals and fast blowing. Our blows are short because we have little silicon to remove, and because we remove it fast by supplying blast rapidly. We get enough heat even with little silicon, because our blows and the intervals between them are so short that relatively little heat escapes from our vessels. Were we to lengthen our intervals, or to blow more slowly, we would have to meet the increased loss of heat from our vessels, either by using more silicon, or by melting hotter, i.e., by burning more coke, in the blast-furnace or in the cupola. Finally, our short intervals imply powerful machinery, efficient organization, and extreme specialization and subdivision of labor, which can be profitable only when the output is large. Let, us now take these points up in more detail, first glancing at some examples of our large outputs, given in Table I., and of the composition of our iron. Output.—On presenting such results to some foreign metallurgists, I have been told, " Oh yes, we quite understand that. You really turn out no more steel than we do. As a matter of personal pride, your manager gets up a tremendous spurt for a day, or even a week, crowds on men wastefully, rushes through great quantities of metal, and then for months afterwards has to recuperate. The machinery has been strained ; the owner's money has been wasted ; the men have been prostrated—all to gratify the manager's vanity. Your average output is no larger than ours." Personal pride has, doubtless, played its part; without it we would still be savages, or apes, or mollusks, if you prefer. These baser motives are the mudsills of progress, the soiled roots of that growth of which civilization is the flower. Great outputs were made

Jan 1, 1891

By S. L. Hoyt

Some of the more important properties of finished materials are strength, ductility, toughness, resistance to alternating and repeated stresses, etc. Of these, the property that appears to have received the least consideration, at least in this country, is toughness, which is due, possibly, to our regarding toughness as a qualitative property or, at any rate, as one that parallels ductility. This arises out of our greater experience with the simple carbon steels in the rolled or forged (non-heat-treated) condition which, qualitatively, are tough if ductile and are not tough if brittle. In this way we have erroneously become accustomed to judging the toughness of a material from its behavior in the tensile or similar test. The point of view presented in the present paper is that toughness, like hardness or tensile strength, should be regarded as an independent property and of sufficient importance to require, in so far as that may be possible, quantitative determinations. If such be true, it becomes at once necessary to devise experimental means for measuring or valuating toughness, and the notched-bar impact test (the Charpy test) is advanced as the most logical test that has so far been developed for this purpose. It is further advanced, with particular emphasis, that we have two kinds of toughness to deal with and, accordingly, they will be dealt with independently. Classification of Materials According to Toughness Toughness has been defined somewhat as follows: Tough materials are those that offer considerable resistance to permanent deformation but which, once such resistance has been overcome, may be deformed plastically, but only by the expenditure of considerable energy. In other words, tough materials may be deformed plastically but they absorb a considerable amount of work in the process. This kind of toughness may be called "static" toughness when the rate of loading is reasonably slow or "dynamic" toughness when the rate of loading is comparatively rapid, as in impact testing, but in all cases the stress distribution is essentially uniform. However, static toughness does not

Jan 1, 1920

By Harrison Schmitt

The definitions of the terms commonly used in connection with metamorphism at elevated temperature near igneous contacts are re-examined. As the study of tactite zones associated with igneous contacts progresses, more and more emphasis is put on the localization of the ore by structural forms. The generally early age of the silicates and late age of the sulphides is well established. Postsilicate structural deformation is likely to localize ore bodies. The silicates are often replaced by the ore minerals. we may not be far from proving that the elements involved in the formation of silicate aureoles are merely normal "volcanic" emanations, that silica, lime, magnesia, and alumina, and probably soda and potash, are likely to undergo local transfers only. The work of Newhouse suggests the agents of the formation of sulphides in deposits of various classifications are the volcanic emanations. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to define the terms commonly used in connection with the subject, to briefly review and discuss the broad features of the aureoles, to indicate some of the features lately recognized: to discuss the genesis, and to suggest how the associated ore deposits can best be studied and developed. When developing a subject in mining geology one is soon conscious of the vast amount of pertinent literature and that most relevant ideas, no matter how obscure, have been considered. One can only hope to make some small contribution in point of view, a few confirmatory observations, or, perhaps, suggest a small new idea indebted to the most recent data. It is nearly impossible, also, to give specific credit, and adequate credit, to all the contributors to a given subject. This study, furthermore, was not intended to cover the field exhaustively, nor is the bibliography complete. Definition OF Terms There is much confusion in the use of the broad terms concerned. Needless to say, metamorphism means change of form; metasomatism, change of substance. The term contact metamorphism, however, has been widely misused possibly by a majority of economic geologists and engineers. As originally adopted by European investigators it meant changes effected largely by heat (thermal effects) in the rocks invaded by plutonic intrusives, but did not include those local changes usually at the immediate contact brought about by the addition of substance, i.e., by metasomatism. The term has become clouded. In Europe it has

Jan 1, 1949

By Harrison Schmitt

The definitions of the terms commonly used in connection with metamorphism at elevated temperature near igneous contacts are re-examined. As the study of tactite zones associated with igneous contacts progresses, more and more emphasis is put on the localization of the ore by structural forms. The generally early age of the silicates and late age of the sulphides is well established. Postsilicate structural deformation is likely to localize ore bodies. The silicates are often replaced by the ore minerals. we may not be far from proving that the elements involved in the formation of silicate aureoles are merely normal "volcanic" emanations, that silica, lime, magnesia, and alumina, and probably soda and potash, are likely to undergo local transfers only. The work of Newhouse suggests the agents of the formation of sulphides in deposits of various classifications are the volcanic emanations. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to define the terms commonly used in connection with the subject, to briefly review and discuss the broad features of the aureoles, to indicate some of the features lately recognized: to discuss the genesis, and to suggest how the associated ore deposits can best be studied and developed. When developing a subject in mining geology one is soon conscious of the vast amount of pertinent literature and that most relevant ideas, no matter how obscure, have been considered. One can only hope to make some small contribution in point of view, a few confirmatory observations, or, perhaps, suggest a small new idea indebted to the most recent data. It is nearly impossible, also, to give specific credit, and adequate credit, to all the contributors to a given subject. This study, furthermore, was not intended to cover the field exhaustively, nor is the bibliography complete. Definition OF Terms There is much confusion in the use of the broad terms concerned. Needless to say, metamorphism means change of form; metasomatism, change of substance. The term contact metamorphism, however, has been widely misused possibly by a majority of economic geologists and engineers. As originally adopted by European investigators it meant changes effected largely by heat (thermal effects) in the rocks invaded by plutonic intrusives, but did not include those local changes usually at the immediate contact brought about by the addition of substance, i.e., by metasomatism. The term has become clouded. In Europe it has

Jan 1, 1949

By G. A. Stamboltzis, N. Arbiter, C. C. Harris

Fracture under low-velocity free-fall and double impact and under slow compression have been investigated. The pattern of breakage and the size distribution of resulting fragments of sand-cement and glass spheres have been determined. Photoelasticity methods were used to simulate the stress distributions in free-fall impact in order to explain the observed patterns of breakage. Oblique fracture planes, occurring only in free-fall impact, develop along lines which coincide with the trajectories of maximum compression as determined by mathematical analysis. Breakage efficiencies for different modes of fracture were compared for both types of spheres. For the same specimen and loading system, static loading and low-velocity dynamic loading induce geometrically similar stress fields resulting in reasonably similar fracture patterns and shapes of fragments. This work had its origin in a desire to understand three fundamental processes involved in autogenous comminution: namely; free-fall impact, double impact, and slow compression. To simplify the investigation, it is preferable to reduce the entire multi-stage fracture process to its most elementary form; that is, to study products resulting from a single-stage operation, such as the breakage of a specimen under single fracture conditions. The goal of this research is to study the energy utilization in the single fracture of brittle specimens and to relate the pattern of breakage and the resultant fragment size distribution with the nature of the material, the specimen size, the manner of load application, and the rate of loading. Published works on single fracture have mainly been concerned with tests on large (> 1-in.) irregular mineral pieces, especially coal and coke. These were mainly friability tests employing a single blow on closely sized pieces. More recently, small mineral specimens in the sieve range and glass spheres have been investigated.5-7 Kick8 has reported free-fall and double impact tests with large large cast-iron, cement, and clay spheres. The establishment of a minimum breaking height independent of size in the free-fall impact tests, and the direct proportionality between the minimum work required for fracture and the volume of the specimen in double impact tests were used by Kick as an experimental proof of his classical law of "Proportional Resistances." In the present work, spherical shapes were chosen because of their simple body geometry and consequent impact and stress field symmetry. Because the study involves several physical principles in connection with brittle-fracture, it may be of interest in fields where the strength of materials is of importance. APPARATUS The equipment for the free-fall impact testing is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. This consisted of a massive (17 x 17 x 3-in.) hard steel plate onto which specimens were dropped and a specimen release mechanism which could be set at any desired height up to 10 ft above the plate so that the impact velocity could be varied up to about 25 ft per sec. Double impact breakage is characterized by two points of loading situated at opposite poles. For this mode of breakage the apparatus was modified (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) so that a falling mass provided an impact of predetermined magnitude on a specimen resting on the plate. A spring-loaded device operated immediately after fracture to arrest the falling mass and to record its residual kinetic energy. Precautions were taken to avoid secondary breakage. Slow compression tests were performed on a conventional hydraulic testing machine, the specimen being held between two hardened parallel bearing blocks. In the case of glass spheres, carbide bits were used. Photoelasticity studies were performed on two-dimensional models held in a loading frame equipped with a force gauge (Fig. 6). The models were viewed in a polariscope and isochromatic fringe patterns were recorded photographically. SPECIMENS Sand-Cement Spheres: A series of sand-cement spheres were prepared by molding in spherical glass flasks.

Jan 1, 1970

By Edwin R. Phelps

In the year 1900 about 212 million tons of bituminous coal were produced in the United States. Almost none of this was produced by surface mines (Fig. 1), because there was no large equipment suitable for stripping overburden at that time. By 1915 the surface mines had built up their capability largely through use of the steam shovel to the point that they produced 2.8 million tons of the nation's total production of 443 million tons. Over the intervening years between 1915 and 1970 surface mining provided a continually increasing percentage of the nation's bituminous coal, stimulated by the growing availability of giant surface mining machines, some of which are presently capable of removing 220 cu yd of earth with one bite of their mighty buckets. In 1970 the nation's surface mines produced 244 million tons of bituminous coal, over 40% of the total national production. On the other hand, the nation's underground mines hit a peak of 560 million tons in 1920, dropped to a low of 273 million tons in 1961, and are presently on a very slow rise. Environmental pressures generally oppose surface mining, and have forced coal companies to consider more underground mining in future planning. Also, since strippable reserves are decreasing in the eastern states, an increase in underground mining is expected over the coming years. However, in the western states there are enormous reserves to be extracted by surface methods. Why has surface mining increased, while underground mining has decreased? It's largely a matter of economics. The cost per ton is greatly reduced by surface mining because of the relative ease of obtaining the coal. Also, there is a much greater percentage of coal recovery-nearly 85% in surface mines within the minable area, as compared to an average of about 50% in underground mines. Much surface mining recovers coal that could not be extracted by underground methods because of coal bed thinness, or multiple beds close together, split seams, the nature of the roof, and other geologic conditions. What are some of the limitations of surface mining? First of all, with presently available machinery it is difficult to surface mine at depths

Jan 1, 1973

By John T. Norton, Matthew J. Donachie

Residual lattice strai?zs were produced in 2024 aluminum and ingot iron by uniaxial tensile deformation. These strains were rneasured on the original surface and ulith depth below the surface. The strains conformed approximately to those from a macroscopic stress distribution but they were not truly macroscopic in nature. The exact mechanism which apparently causes the coherently difi9,acting region of each grain to behave as if macroscopically stressed was not determined. MACROSCOPIC stresses in metals produce strains in the lattice which result in X-ray line broadening and line displacements. The latter effect can be utilized in a technique for determining stresses in metals as first shown by Lester and born.' Subsequent advances in technique have enabled the X-ray method of stress measurement to be satisfactorily applied to many problems involving residual stresses of a macroscopic nature, such as those due to welding, grinding, shot-peening, and so forth. In the case of stresses such as those described above, the correlation of X-ray- and mechanically determined data has been generally good. However, plastically extended polycrystalline metals have sometimes been reported2 to show line displacements upon release of the applied tensile load, yet the nature or origin of the residual lattice strains, rls, producing these displacements has never been clear. As will be pointed out, this lack of clarity regarding the macroscopic or microscopic nature and origin of these stresses casts doubt on the validity of results achieved by the commonly accepted techniques of X-ray stress measurement. This anomalous behavior requires clarification to remove the doubts concerning X-ray stress measurement. The present paper is the result of an investigation of the interesting behavior of such plastically extended polycrystalline metal bodies. The studies were originated to carry out the following tasks: 1) Observe whether a residual lattice strain is produced as a result of plastic extension and show whether any residual lattice strains produced can be related to the usual concept of a macrostress. 2) Examine the origin of any residual lattice strains observed. 3) Consider the implications or consequences of the existence of such residual lattice strains on the problem of X-ray stress measurement. THEORY 1) Lattice Strains. The theoretical developments necessary for the treatment of lattice strains and their relation to stresses follow from the classical theory of elasticity and have been adequately covered by arrett. For an isotropic solid under homogeneous deformation, it can be shown that, for uniaxial stresses where Dl is the macrostress acting in the longitudinal direction; E$L is the lattice strain in the plane defined by the surface normal and the longitudinal direction at an angle, , from the surface normal; ET is the similar strain in the transverse plane; E is Young's modulus; and v is Poisson's ratio. Eq. [2] is independent of angle + and Eq. [I] is a linear function of sin2, see Fig. 1, and can be solved analytically for DL if E and u are known and EL is measured. Thus, a uniaxial macrostress will be indicated by a linear E,L vs sinZ plot and a

Jan 1, 1962

Open pits and quarries are the major sources of all hard rock tonnages mined today. Normally, ore is fractured from the pit bench face by blasting and then truck-hauled to a primary crusher on the pit rim for conveying to the concentrator; overburden (or waste) is generally truck- hauled from the pit to dump areas. This system of truck haulage of blasted ore and waste accounts for some 25 to 50% of total mining costs in a typical open pit operation and commonly is the largest single cost factor. In an effort to reduce these costs mining companies are continually replacing their older and smaller trucks with larger ones and at the same time are studying conversions to conveyor haulage, since this method of transport seems to offer possibilities of lower costs per ton of material handled. In these studies it seems logical to consider installing these conveyors as close as possible to the mining face for maximum use of conveyors and minimum use of trucks, since a conveyor is much less labor intensive than a trucking system. However, direct loading onto a conveyor near the retreating bench face is impractical because of excessive lump size. Consequently, it is conventional practice to load the blasted rock into trucks at the face for haulage to the crusher. After crushing, the rock is fed onto a conveyor. The closer the crusher is to the mine, or if it is in the mine, the shorter the truck haul and the greater the potential for cost saving. At first appearance, in-pit conveying might seem to be an obvious solution, yet many mining companies have considered such a move while few have implemented it. To determine why, it is necessary to consider the factors influencing such a decision. A conveyor system tends to be capital intensive but can have a lower operating cost per ton than trucks. Trucks, on the other hand, tend to cost less to buy but more to operate; thus, economics tend to favor the conveyor if it can be operated close to capacity and if a sufficiently large tonnage can be passed over the system to mitigate the effect of its high capital cost. In a typical hard-rock, open-pit mine it is necessary for a variety of reasons to mine several faces of both ore and waste at the same time; and any mining system must have sufficient flexibility to permit loading from one face or another at short notice. This makes it impractical to place small mobile crushers and their consequent network of conveyors at each working face. To date no alternative has been found to using trucks for bringing all rock of the same class to some convenient marshalling point from which it may be crushed and conveyed from the pit. Another advantage of trucking when compared to conveying is flexibility. Many mines wish to deliver their shot-rock to different locations, depending on the mineral content. For instance, a typical copper mine may have to simultaneously mine milling ore, leach ore,

Jan 1, 1978

By William K. Antle

The successful application of ther mo compression lead bonding to semicondtctor or thin-film electronic devices depends on the establishment of the associated parameters. The quality of a thermocompression bond is primarily related to the process temperature and bonding force. A technique using the coelyicient of friction is presented that both reduces the time necessary for determining optimum parameter values and increases the accuracy of the results. Modern theories of the friction process are used to develop mathernatical expressions for shear and tensile bond strengths in terms of friction measurements. A further application of the pararneter-deterlnination technique concerns the measurement of surface contamination that may affect thermocompression bonding. In spite of the extensive use of thermocompression bonding, adequate methods for determining the bonding parameters have not been utilized. The quality of the weld depends on the temperature, force, and time used. There is a definite value or range of values for each parameter which assures an optimum weld. The process now generally used to obtain these values is to make several weld samples at each parametric setting, determine the mean pull strength, and relate the maximum consistent strength to optimum weld conditions. This could involve a very large number of test samples if a thorough search of each parameter were made. Experience and prior knowledge can reduce this number somewhat by limiting the investigation to a range known to contain the correct value, but the time and effort involved are still objectionable. The problems associated with thermocompression bonding of interconnecting leads to semiconductor or thin-film devices can be alleviated by the application of a new technique for establishing the process parameters. Obtaining the correct temperature, force, and duration to assure an optimum bond is accomplished by a simple measurement of the coefficient of friction. This approach increases the accuracy of parameter determination and greatly reduces the time necessary to complete the process. The approach made can be better understood by analyzing the principles of adhesion and friction on which thermocompression bonding depends. When two flat polished surfaces are placed together, the area of actual contact is much less than the apparent area determined by the over-all dimensions of the surface. This is because the microscopic surface is covered with projections which prevent uniform contact. Careful measurements of the electrical resistance across the contacting surfaces indicate the actual area may only be 1100,000 of the apparent area.' Because the actual contact area is small, extremely high pressure results from moderate force. This will produce deformation and plastic flow at contact points of the microscopic projections. The process will terminate in the creation of a large number of minute welds formed at extreme pressure and cold-worked to strong, hard bonds. Load removal will generally result in fracture of most of these microbonds because of the residual elastic stresses, unless the materials are soft. Friction between metals is due to the formation and

Jan 1, 1967

By R. J. Blackwell, J. R. Rayne, J. R. Henderson, W. M. Terry, D. C. Lindley

This paper presents the results of a laboratory investigation of the efficiency of water-solvent mixtures in recovery of oil. These mixtures may have the high displacement efficiencies characteristic of solvent floods and the high sweep efficiencies characteristic of water floods. Thus, the water-solvent process may increase the number of reservoirs in which a miscible-type displacement can be used profitably. The experiments on the use of water-solvent mixtures for recovery of oil were conducted to find the general applicability of the process. These studies demonstrated that, in flowing through sands, water and solvent segregated into a solvent layer on the top and a water layer on the bottom rather than flowing through the sands as a uniform mixture. Calculations based on the simultaneous flow of the water and solvent in layers were used to predict the effective mobility of the mixtures and the optimum operation of the process in steeply dipping, homogeneous reservoirs. As most reservoirs are not suited for the operation of the process under ideal conditions, experimental studies were conducted with sand-packed models scaled to represent more realistic reservoirs. These studies included the effects on recovery of oil of rate of injection, viscosity of oil, variations of permeablity within a formation and variations in water-solvent ratio. For the range of con-ditions studied, higher recoveries of oil were obtained with water-solvent mixtures than with water or practical volumes of solvent alone. INTRODUCTION A group of intriguing—because of their great possibilities—new oil recovery methods at the disposal of the petroleum engineer are the miscible displacement processes. These processes (high-pressure gas drive, en-riched-gas drive and LPG bank driven by methane) displace all of the oil from the portions of the reservoir swept by the injection fluid. The key question confronting the engineer applying one of these techniques to a particular reservoir is, "What fraction of the reservoir can be swept by injection of a practical volume of solvent?"." Intensive laboratory studies have been made during the past several years in seeking answers to the question of the sweep efficiencies which can be expected in solvent floods.' - These studies provided the answer that low-viscosity, low-density solvents channel and by-pass oil in sands with no dip. In horizontal sands, solvent flooding becomes less efficient as the viscosity of the oil increases, the recovery of oil at solvent breakthrough decreases and larger volumes of solvent are required to achieve a given recovery. More efficient displacement of oil by solvent is observed under certain conditions in sands with dip.".' If the permeability and dip of the sand are sufficiently high, gravity segregation of low-density solvent injected updip can prevent channeling. At rates of depletion below a critical rate,"." no channeling occurs. Unfortunately, in many reservoirs, the critical rate is so low that production of oil at rates below this rate is not economically attractive. And at rates over four times the critical rate, channeling is almost as severe in sands with dip as in horizontal sands. These findings pointed out that, for solvent floods to be generally applicable in recovering oil from all types of reservoirs, new methods of improving their sweep efficiencies are needed. Simultaneous injection of water with the miscible fluid was suggested by Caudle and Dyes7 as a method for improving sweep efficiencies. They theorize that water flowing with the solvent would decrease the effective mobility of the solvent and cause it to contact more oil sand. If, indeed, the water and solvent flowed as a uniform mixture, the process should have the advantages of the high displacement efficiencies characteristic of miscible floods and the high sweep efficiencies of water floods. Thus, the method (at least in theory) would greatly increase the number of reservoirs in which miscible-type displacements would be feasible. A research program was conducted to probe the technical feasibility of the water-solvent process. It

By Edmund B. Kirby

This meeting marks the point at which the long-standing dissatisfaction with the mineral-land laws, the innumerable protests against them, and the many isolated efforts to obtain relief, have developed into a general movement for their revision. That part of the mining industry which is affected by these laws has three general organizations which are able to speak for it: the American Institute of Mining Engineers, the Mining and Metallurgical Society of . America, and the American Mining Congress; all of which are represented in this meeting. In the series of able and thoughtful papers presented here, prominent men have discussed the evils of the present laws and some of the reforms which should be made in them. We all appreciate fully the ultimate value of these studies; but we are also painfully aware of the fact that discussion of this kind has been going on for a quarter of a century without any other effect than a steady increase in the mass of printed records stored on library shelves. In order to get any practical result we Gust induce an indifferent government at Washington to act, and to do this we must unite in pushing some practical plan whereby it may act in a simple and effective way and with the least possible amount of criticism or opposition. The actual question before us is not whether the mining laws are bad; for their evils and absurdities are not only beyond discussion but also beyond the resources of a temperate and dignified vocabulary. It is not what particular changes ought to be made; for it is premature to make . specific recommendations until there is some one to listen to them. Moreover, we all know that there are wisdom and experience enough available, and awaiting that time, for the creation of a code which would be a model to the mining world. The practical question now is, how to obtain the revision; and since the American Mining Congress has of late restricted its attention to this phase of the problem I wish as one of its representatives here to present its views upon the matter.

Jan 1, 1915

By J. H. Scaff, H. C. Theuerer

Germanium may be reversibly converted from n to p type by heat treatment. Data for the conversion and the associated changes in resistreatment.tivity are given and the results are interpreted in terms of changes in the donor-acceptor balance. MEANS for controlling the electrical properties of germanium in a predictable manner are of interest because of the increasing utilization of this element as the semiconducting material in electrical devices. Since both the mechanism and the magnitude of the electrical conductivity depend upon the kind and quantity of impurities present, the conductivity usually is adjusted by first carefully purifying the germanium, and then, by standard alloying procedures, adding the elements desired. The elements usually added are from the third or fifth periodic groups depending upon whether p- or n-type germanium is desired. However, in the development of germanium rectifiers during the war, it was found that it was possible also to modify reversibly the conductivity of germanium and even to produce conversion from n to p type by heat treatment.1,5 Since then a detailed study of this effect has been made. The data are presented in this paper and an explanation is offered for the effects observed. Preparation and Experimental Procedure The method used in preparing the germanium ingots for this investigation has been previously described.' The method consists essentially of (1) reduction of GeO2* and (2) preparation of a 50-g ingot from the reduced material. Graphite containers are used in both steps. In the first step the GeO2 is reduced in hydrogen at 650 °C to form a sponge germanium which, to assure complete reduction and to obtain massive materials, is fused subsequently in the reduction furnace by gradually raising the temperature to 1000°C. The button of germanium thus obtained corresponds to a yield of 99.8 pct. The final ingot is prepared by fusion of the germanium button in a helium atmosphere. A cylindrical crucible in a vertical silica tube furnace is employed and the crucible is heated by an external induction coil. The ingot is solidified from the bottom upward by raising the induction coil at a constant rate with power to the coil kept at a fixed value. In such ingots, segregation is normal and most of the impurities are concentrated in the last region of the ingot to freeze. It follows then that the major portion of the ingot is purer than it would have been if freezing had occurred in a random fashion. Moreover the orderly advance of the freezing surface during solidification establishes in the ingot a succession of surfaces of constant composition, if it is assumed that the liquid is homogeneous and that diffusion in the solid is negligible. Therefore, some information on the distribution of impurities in the ingot may be acquired by determining the shape of the solid-liquid interface at different stages of solidification. This is of importance because the concentration of impurities will be seen to affect the response of germanium to heat treatment. Such information is difficult to acquire by direct means, for the impurities responsible for the electrical properties of germanium prepared in this way are present

Jan 1, 1952

By C. H. Stewart, R. A. Fagin

A two-dimensional, three-phasereservoir simulator was programmed for a large memory digital computer. It was designed to provide a practical solution to describing the complex physical relation between the natural forces and the physical properties of a heterogeneous reservoir when subjected to a specific set of conditions. A reservoir study is briefly described to illustrate application of the model. A full volumetric account of three phases (oil, gas and water) is performed simultaneously throughout an integration net representing the reservoir. Absence of one or two of the phases is treated as a special case of the more general situation. Expansion (or contraction) of all phases, including rock expansion, is performed so that the pressure calculation is the general unsteady-state case. To account for the large variations of subsurface elevation encountered in some reseruoirs, and to allow for segregation of the various phases, a gravity head term is included in the basic drive potential. Appropriate fluid and rock properties are used in polynominal surface form (functions of pressure and/or depth) or they can be entered as space variables at each position of the integration net. An unsteady-state water influx calculation, based on the method of van Everdingen and Hurst, l was connected to the boundary of the matrix to simulate aquifers of various sizes. In addition to reservoir calculations, three-phase fluid flow from the producing depth to the wellhead, including provisions for gas lift, was incorporated in the simulator. A workover routine was also built which can automatically switch to a different set of production relations when a gas-oil ratio or water fraction reaches a limit; or it can shut-in the well if prescribed. INTRODUCTION This paper describes a reservoir engineering mathematical simulator used to represent the complex interaction of natural forces and physical properties of a reservoir during natural depletion or with various injection schemes. The simulator, which was programmed for a large memory digital computer, is a two-dimensional calculation which handles three mobile fluid phases simultaneously (oil, gas and water). Basic requisites for the method are individual well production and pressure data, hydrocarbon fluid properties, geological data (producing depth and net sand), capillary pressure data, relative permeability data and permeability and porosity information. Matching the past performance of a combination drive reservoir often has yielded information concerning continuity and the validity of basic data. Detailed predictions of future performance can be made for continuation of current depletion methods (natural depletion) as well as for various types of recovery by gas or water injection. Combination injection cases and pattern studies can also be performed. Workover programs, gas lift and different types of artificial lift programs have been investigated using a technique similar to that described by Kern and Nicholson2 except that conditions of pressure and saturation at the block within which the well is located are used rather than average reservoir conditions. Drilling additional wells to optimize profit was explored, both as to number and location, by placing wells at different spots within the reservoir matrix. Special depletion processes can be examined, such as upstructure drainage and lateral (or strike) waterfloods in thin oil columns. In one case the mathematics of the simulator were modified to calculate the displacement in the vertical plane rather than in the horizontal plane. In this manner specific reservoir problems can be studied, such as coning of gas and/or water around production points, fingering along permeable stringers or, more generally, frontal advances in a heterogeneous section.

Jan 1, 1967

By C. E. Nelson

The purpose of this discussion is to outline briefly the practices commonly followed in this country for the melting and refining of magnesium and its alloys. The processes used for the various forms of primary magnesium, as far as there are differences in the physical shape or behavior, will be discussed. The refining of general fine scrap or secondary magnesium was presented in an earlier paper.1 Inasmuch as the use of fluxes is an essential part of all the melting and refining processes, the principal aim of this paper will be to deal with these in sufficient detail to point out their unique characteristics, in order to make their use more effective. Types oF Melting Practice All melting and refining processes for magnesium and its alloys require the use of fluxes. These fluxes have a magnesium chloride base and other halide salts or oxides are added to give a density or behavior exactly suited to the particular melting practice. The successful handling of magnesium depends upon the proper use of the correct fluxes. There are four general methods of melting, summarized in the following paragraphs and treated in more detail in the section on Melting and Refining. Open-pot Method The open-pot method makes use of No. 230 flux.2 The flux provides protection during melting and a molten pool of flux into which the solid magnesium melts. It is stirred through the molten metal bath and agglomerates oxide or similar foreign bodies; then on quiet standing separates away, leaving the refined metal ball floating in an encircling layer of molten flux. It forms only a thin fluid film over the surface of the molten metal, which may be ' parted for hand-ladling processes and tends to cover the metal again after the ladle is removed. A very light dusting of the pot surface with fresh flux immediately after the ladle is removed is usually desirable. The open-pot method is used generally in the following processes: (I) alloying and secondary smelting in the production of ingot, (2) in sand foundries for premelting and to a smaller extent for the production of small castings requiring hand ladling, (3) in permanent-mold founding for premelting and also direct ladling to castings, (4) for continuous methods of preparing metal in the production of billets or ingots from which wrought products are fabricated, (5) in general scrap recovery. Crucible Process The crucible process makes use of No. 310 flux, which has the property of being thinly fluid at the start, to provide protection and refining qualities, and then drying out or thickening after a time, leaving a protecting crust on the pot surface until the time of casting. At that time it can be readily skimmed off or held back, thus allowing the contents of the crucible to be poured out directly into castings without fear of flux contamination. This flux is not

Jan 1, 1944

By CHARLES F. DEISS

The total pipe-line runs of petroleum in Indiana during 1945 were 4,114,000 bbl., a decline of nearly 17 per cent below the estimated 4,950,000 bbl. produced in 1944. Drilling activity during the year was centered in Posey and Gibson Counties, where seven new pools were discovered in the state. Four of the pools are in Posey County-Crunk, Farmersville, Jeffries and St. Wendells East-and the other three are in Gibson County-Johnson West, Lysle and Mt. Carmel East.

Jan 1, 1946

By J. D. Verhoeven

The effectiue distriblltion coefficient has been Measured in a series of vertical, normal freezing experirtzents with large current densities passing through the solid-liquid interface. The results indicate that the effect of the current on solute redistribution is due to electvotransport in the liquid. The high currents produced extensive mixing in the liquid which was considerably reduced by solidifying in small lubing. Analysis of the convection indicates that it probably vesulls from a horizontal temperature gradient produced by the Joule heating- of the electvic crirver~t. Due to the strong dependence of this convection upon the specimen radius, it is conclnded that only for specit~ens with radii of less than somewhere between 1 and 2 mm wilt electric field freezing be getlerally effec-tire at enhancing the purification of zone-melting experittierats in loe-melting alloys. Experiments on 0.8-mm lubes illustrate some interesting potential applications of this techniqne as a means of solute control on smcrll specimens. In a number of papers published within the last few years'-4 it has been found that passage of large dc currents through the solid-liquid interface of a freezing alloy produces a change in the solute redistribution accompanying the solidification. It had been predicted theoretically by Hucke et al.s and by Pfann and Wagner that such an effect would occur as the result of electrotransport within the liquid boundary layer at the solid-liquid interface. These authors independently derived the following relation between the effective distribution coefficient and the variables of the process: Where k0 is the equilibrium distribution coefficient, V is the mobility of the solute relative to the solvent, E is the electric field intensity, D is the solute diffusion coefficient, R is the rate of interface motion, and 6 is the boundary layer thickness. Both groups of authors show that this equation predicts the possibility of extending the purification ability of zone-melting experiments by the addition of an electric current. However, there are other effects in addition to electro-transport which could be produced by the high dc current and might, perhaps, invalidate the applicability of Eq. [I]. For example, high electric current might affect the interface reaction or perhaps the equilibrium distribution which was assumed to exist at the interface. It was the purpose of this work to determine the applicability of Eq. [I] by systematically investigating a simple system for which all of the necessary parameters were known. It was of particular interest for speculating on the potential usefulness of this technique to determine the maximum practical field intensities obtainable, and the effect of these high fields upon convective mixing in the liquid. The initial work in this study was published in a previous paper3 which will be referred to as I. In that work, a current density of 2000 amps per sq cm was used with specimen diameters of 5 mm. The results gave a qualitative confirmation of Eq. [I.], and also showed that a large amount of convective mixing was produced in the liquid by the current. The present study is an extension of that work to smaller specimen diameters and higher current densities. Two points were overlooked in I and will be emphasized here: a) the value of ko has not been well-established in the Sn-Bi system and b) the observed convection could be due to thermal convection produced from the Joule heating. EVALUATION OF k0 To evaluate Eq. [ I.] it is necessary to know the value of the equilibrium distribution coefficient, k,. Tn I the value of k, was taken as 0.3 from a published phase diagram.7 According to ansen' the best data on the phase boundaries of the Sn-Bi system are those of Davidson.5 The data of Davidson give a k, value ranging from 0.21 to 0.25 for the compositions studied in this work, or an average value of around 0.23. In a recent publication, Rigaud and Tougas'10 determined ko by means of a solidification technique. For an alloy of approximately the same composition as that used in this work they obtained a ko value of 0.39. Hence, there is considerable uncertainty in the value of ko and, consequently, a series of experiments were made to determine k, more accurately.

Jan 1, 1968

By V. F. Zackay, W. A. Goering

ALLOYS of iron and aluminum up to 35 wt pct aluminum are single-phase solid solutions, and are of potentially wide applicability.1-3 In spite of early and continued interest1-4 little progress has been made until recently in the preparation and evaluation of sound alloys containing more than 6 wt pct aluminum. Vacuum-melting techniques for the production of ductile Fe-A1 alloys have been described recently.1-7 A. procedure for air melting these alloys is presented here. Low-carbon iron is induction melted without a slag in a rammed magnesia crucible. At the beginning of melt-down, aluminum pig (99.95 pct Al), charged in a clay-graphite bottom-pouring crucible is placed in a pot furnace at 1800°F. The primary deoxidation of the molten iron after melt-down is effected by the addition of 0.1 pct aluminum and 0.5 pct manganese. (Hilty and Crafts" have reported a significant increase in the deoxidation efficiency of the aluminum and manganese combination over that of the aluminum alone.) A more drastic deoxidation designed to reduce the oxyen content to the lowest possible level is accomplished by plunging metallic calcium to the bottom of the melt. This is done by wiring small cubes of the metal to a steel rod. A circular shield larger than the diameter of the crucible opening is attached to the rod so that any spa'ttering of the molten metal will not endanger the operator. Since the temperature of the molten metal is above the boiling point of calcium, the bath is vigclrously purged by calcium vapor. It is believed that the calcium-vapor treatment permits a homogeneous distribution of calcium in the melt. Owing to the vigor of the reaction the temperature of the molten metal should be kept below 2900°F prior to the calcium addition. A total of 0.05 pct calcium is added in two stages in this manner. The second calcium deoxidation is made just before charging the molten aluminum into the iron, in order that an excess of calcium be present for the remainder of the melt. The aluminum, which has been removed from the holding furnace, is then hydrogen degassed by bubbling chlorine through a quartz tube immersed in the molten aluminum. The hydrogen-chlorine reaction is an exothermic one preventing the solidification of the aluminum during the 5-min chlorination. Approximately 0.1 pct calcium, based on the amount of aluminum, is then added to the aluminum. A further excess of calcium is introduced into the melt in this manner. The oxide dross is removed, fluorspar is added to the molten iron, and the molten aluminum is poured through the fluorspar slag. The fluorspar should be dried thoroughly prior to its use, as any water present will react with the aluminum. Aluminum oxide formed during the pouring operation reacts with the fluorspar slag to form gaseous aluminum fluoride and calcium oxide. A forced-draft ventilating system is required for this operation as aluminum fluoride is toxic. As soon as the molten aluminum has been added, vigorous manual stirring of the melt is required because the slag-aluminum oxide reaction is highly exothermic and tends to take place near the top of the melt. The combination of high temperature and the slagging action of the fluorspar quickly erodes the crucible at the slag line if the aluminum is not stirred uniformly into the melt. It has been found that at least 4 min of manual stirring combined with induction stirring are necessary to ensure homogeneity. The power is shut off 1 min prior to pouring to allow metal and slag to separate. As much slag as possible is removed from the melt, which is then poured directly into cast-iron molds. A mold wash of aluminum oxide is used to prevent ingot sticking. For slab ingots which are to be rolled into sheet, a carbon-tetrachloride vapor atmosphere or a chlorinated-pitch mold wash is desirable, as the aluminum oxide formed in the pouring operation is subsequently removed by the chlorine in the presence of carbon." As in vacuum melting, a pouring temperature of about 2900°F is recommended. Adequate hot-topping is important as iron-aluminum ingots are subject to very deep piping. Ingots are removed from the molds and buried in vermiculite, where they are allowed to cool slowly to room temperature. The ingots are radiographed,

Jan 1, 1959