Search Documents

By J. D. Doherty

That America's great coal deposits eventually will be our principal source of liquid as well as solid fuels is generally accepted. Moreover, the day when synthetic oil from coal will begin to supplement our petroleum supplies does not appear to be far off. The American petroleum industry has not spared effort or expenditure in its attempt to keep pace with the demand for oil, and recent production has exceeded expectations. However, the rapidly rising demand for liquid fuels plus the increasing difficulty of finding and developing the new oil needed even to maintain present production rates make it highly unlikely that oil from domestic wells can fully meet future oil requirements. Therefore, it appears that one or more of the following courses must be followed: 1. Curtail oil consumption. 2. Incr ase imports. 3. Develop new sources such as synthetic liquid fuels. All three courses may well be needed, as it is doubtful that any one of the three alternatives alone can satisfactorily solve the problem indicated by the prevailing trend in demand for oil. Curtailment of oil consumption is not a constructive policy, except where oil is being wasted or coal can be readily substituted as in stationary steam plants. Reduced oil supplies for most uses will curb our economic advancement and, in addition to inconveniencing consumers, will have a pronounced adverse effect on American industry. The oil-burner-manufacturing industry already has been dealt a hard blow. Shipments in the first 5 months of 1948 decreased 70 pct from those in the same period in 1947.1 The effect of a similar cut in the automobile industry can be imagined. A severe prolonged shortage of gasoline could seriously disturb our present economic well-being. It might be pointed out also that even the prospect of a shortage or lack of assurance for the future can discourage buyers of equipment, as occurred in the case of oil burners. An increase in our imports of oil seems to be a necessary expedient for the immediate future. Its advantages are that it will require a minimum of manpower and steel in a time of critical shortages and will conserve domestic reserves. Any major dependence upon foreign sources for our oil supplies should be avoided, however. Other nations are increasing their oil consumption more rapidly percentagewise than the United States and eventually will compete with us for the not unlimited world supplies. In peacetime, foreign countries might restrict ship- ments of oil to this country or impose exhorbitant prices. In the event of war, there is serious danger that such sources would be cut off, and American-developed oil fields overseas might even be used against us. Although synthetic fuels cannot relieve any oil shortage that might develop within the next year or two, an immediate start toward a substantial synthetics industry to supplement petroleum not only could help relieve shortages several years hence but also would help establish the much needed "know-how" for large-scale production. By assuring ample future supplies, such a start would permit sound planning by industries dependent upon oil and maintain or restore the confidence of prospective customers for oil-con-suming equipment. If it is agreed that domestic production of crude oil cannot be expected to meet future domestic demands, that oil rationing in general is undesirable. and that too great dependence on foreign oil should be avoided—and the weight of the evidence supports such conclusions—it is inescapable that commercial synthetic fuel production should be developed to supplement domestic petroleum supplies, which, of course, will furnish the bulk of our requirements for yean to come. Sources of Synthetic Oil The three principal sources of synthetic oil are natural gas, oil shale, and coal. A commercial plant using natural gas is under construction, and expansion of this industry is expected.

Jan 1, 1950

By F. J. Deadrick, A. L. Ramirez, R. J. Lytle

This article describes the evaluation of a new geophysical technique used to map fractures between boreholes: electromagnetic geotomography used in conjunction with salt water tracers. An experiment has been performed in a granitic rock mass. Geotomographic images have been generated and compared with borehole geophysical data: neutron logs, acoustic velocity logs, caliper logs and acoustic televiewer records. Comparisons between the images and the geophysical logs indicate that clusters of fractures were detected but single fractures were not.

Jan 1, 1982

By F. E. Streigert, J. H. Mallery, A. H. Geisler

The existing data on precipitation in Cu-Be alloys have been reconciled with some new data to present a more complete and rational analysis of the atomic rearrangements involved in the process. Two different coherent precipitates were proposed. Each is responsible for a type of diffuse X-ray diffraction effect. THE nature of the atomic rearrangement involved in the precipitation of the compound y-Cu-Be from supersaturated solid solutions of the copper-base alloys has been the subject of two extensive investigations.'-" he precipitate in this alloy system has a rather simple structure; at equilibrium it has a body-centered cubic unit cell with copper atoms on the corner sites and beryllium atoms on the center site. While a simple mechanism would be expected to obtain for the precipitation process, those which have been proposed do not adequately explain all of the reported data. The purpose of the present report is to rationalize some of the previous observations and to contribute new data on the subject obtained by the usual techniques of structure analyses. The Cu-Be system of alloys represents one of the most extensively investigated precipitation systems, so a detailed review of the pertinent literature on structure is in order. Striations: Since one of the important features of the mechanism—the habit plane—is determined by microscopic examination, microstructural features that have been observed should be considered at this time in order to assess their role in the precipitation process in Cu-Be alloys. One of the most prominent features appears as regularly oriented markings or stripings (ripples or striations) across the crystals on a suitably polished and etched sample of the aged alloy. These have been observed and interpreted by many workers. Masing and Dah14 observed striations in both the a and /3 phases of a 2.5 pct Be alloy, and attributed them to the beginning of the precipitation of very fine y crystals along favored planes of the a matrix and to the local decomposition of the £ crystals into a plus y. These markings were apparent in both the a and /3 phases of the micrographs given by Smith5 for a 2.75 pct Be alloy, while Moore" detected them in the a matrix phase using polarized light. Desch7 attributed the markings to fine precipitate particles lined up on a family of matrix planes like Masing and Dahl had done, and he identified the planes as those of the (111) family, the slip planes of the matrix. The striations were presumably the structure which Northcott- eferred to as "martensitic." He found that this structure was present in samples that had been aged under widely different conditions with hardness values ranging from 160 to 400 VHN. Later Guinier and Jacquet' also found striations in both the a matrix and secondary /3 phase. Their analyses showed that the striations were along (110) planes of the matrix phase, apparently in contradiction of the results of Desch. They found that the striations were developed during aging on the surface of a specimen that had been polished prior to aging.' On this basis they concluded that the striations represented mechanical deformation by slip along (110) planes of the matrix resulting from precipitation stresses.'" Similar but fainter striations were observed in the same manner on an A1-Cu alloy sample, in which the change in volume was much less than for Cu-Be alloys and

Jan 1, 1953

By Robert F. Mehl

THE purpose of a symposium, I take it, is to gather together a group interested in a common intellectual field, in order to exchange views, and to appraise the state of knowledge. Symposia are the more successful, the greater the activity in the chosen field and the wider the range of applicability of the information gained. From time to time, as emphasis changes from one field of research to another, a given subject may enjoy popularity and later retire into a scientific somnolence, for fashions change even among engineers and scientists. The subject of this symposium, however, enjoys the advantages of wide applicability and of high current interest and productivity in results. It is a timely subject for a symposium; with much new information, surely metallurgical engineers should now devote an increasing attention to its application to practice. In beginning the symposium, I shall attempt briefly to appraise our basic knowledge in the field, to survey instances of practical usefulness, and to suggest where new work might be most productive of useful results. There are many examples of direct practical application of diffusion knowledge, and it is the purpose of the several papers in this symposium to review these. In this introduction I shall attempt to take a broad view, which, while it will but poorly serve the engineer in the solution of any given problem, may perhaps be of some use in assessing the state of knowledge in this field. RATE OF DIFFUSION Liquid Metals The process of diffusion among liquid metals, of gases in liquid or solid metals, or among solid metals, is ubiquitous, to say the least. The manufacture of alloys by the intermelting of metals, the addition of ferroalloys to molten steel, the deoxidation of molten alloys, all involve diffusion in the liquid state. The oxidation of molten copper for purposes of purification, the unsought oxidation of alloys generally during melting and casting, the reaction of liquid steel with oxidizing slags in the open-hearth furnace, the absorption of nitrogen by liquid steel, particularly in the bessemer furnace, all operate by the diffusion of gases in liquid metals. These processes have not been studied much from the viewpoint of rates of diffusion. Alloys are made by melting metals with stirring and with allowance of time for mixing (which is diffusion) but I know of no studies that seem to define the necessary times, and though in only very rare cases can faulty properties of the finished castings be ascribed to inadequate mixing, and though certainly in most cases, with stirring, the rate of diffusion is adequate to give sufficient mixing, a more quantitative treatment would be good to have. It is not wholly certain that thorough and sufficient mixing is at all times attained, for I suspect that ferroalloy additions to steel, and that additions of aluminum to steel as a deoxidizer, especially in the sampling of steels

Jan 1, 1944

By Robert J. Willard

The scanning electron microscope (SEM), became commercially available in 1966. Embodying some unique features not provided by conventional electron microscopes, this new electron-optical instrument offers the scientific community a new way of observing the surfaces of materials. In rock mechanics research, the SEM should prove a useful basic tool in characterizing rock fracture on a very small scale and thus contribute to a better understanding of rock behavior at larger scales. This article presents one example of how the SEM is being applied to such research at the Twin Cities Mining Research Center operated by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in Minneapolis. This research center conducts theoretical and experimental studies on a broad range of mechanisms that induce disintegration by the application of energy to rock.1 Some of these studies are concerned with the relation of microstructure to rock behavior and are carried out mainly with the petrographic microscope. At the same time, however, the center recognizes that this relation must be studied through several orders of magnitude, from lattice-size units of rock-forming minerals to field-size rock units. The SEM fits this scheme by extending the capability of the petrographic microscope into smaller orders of magnitude. However, because its resolution is limited to about 200 A at 10,000x, the SEM is not capable of resolving lattice-size units, and hence a conventional electron microscope with a much greater resolution capability is necessary at this order of magnitude.

Jan 6, 1969

By William L. Langdon

PRELIMINARY COMMENTS Recent years have been difficult for the mining industry, as reported in the most recently published Minerals Yearbook (Volume III), the estimated value of world crude mineral production has been generally declining since an historical peak in 1979 (16).* The costs of mineral extraction have, however, been rising rapidly. Individual project costs are, in general, exceeding the growth rate of mining companies, while operating and technical risks continue to increase (16). Risks resulting from currency flotation and political actions in the host country are also on the increase. Labor difficulties (such as those experienced by Phelps Dodge) and the Reagan Administration's recent rejection of a proposal by the International Trade Commission for higher tariffs and/or quotas on copper imports have also contributed to the mining industry's difficulties. The net result of these factors has been financial difficulties for mining companies with respect to paying for their current financial obligations as well as trouble finding new financing. It may be that one of the main factors in determining the future of the mining industry will be centered upon capital structure, i.e. how its assets are financed. Historical Perspective on Capital Structure In The Mining Industry As discussed by Isreal Borenstein in (4) and Thomas Navin in (7), mining firms typically have used a financial model based upon high financial leverage, i.e. large amounts of debt relative to equity. This has been especially true for American firms developing orebodies discovered overseas. Problems sometimes occurred for those who were forced to commit themselves to completion guarantees in order to obtain bank loans. Mines under these circumstances must be brought into operation regardless of market conditions. Politicians in overseas countries also may use the high profits required by these high risk ventures to argue for nationalization of mines. Coupled with the frequent use of high leverage, mining companies traditionally have paid out a higher percentage of earnings in the form of dividends than manufacturing firms. This is significant, in that such funds paid out in dividends are not available for other uses. Hence, a greater reliance upon debt and/or additional stock issues than would ordinarily be the case for manufacturing firms. Thomas Navin has stated in (7), that the theory behind the high dividend payout was that, "most mining investors thought of themselves as investing in a wasting asset, one that would gradually deplete over time until it ultimately became valueless." Investors, therefore, required a receipt, in the form of dividends, of a percentage of current earnings and a return on original capital. This view of reality, apparently, has not changed in some quarters, even though modern mine management ordinarily replaces depleted mines with new ones. It may be that this practice of high dividend payout coupled with relatively high financial leverage should be reexamined. Current capital structure theory could prove interesting and useful for those concerned with current conditions. Capital structure patterns and related practices in this industry are not, in many cases, congruent with those thought by some to be theoretically optimal. Prelude to Capital Structure Discussion With a few notable exceptions (such as the Guggenheims and Anaconda's chief operating,. officer in 1971) mining companies' chief executives and boards of directors have not been persons with financial backgrounds. This, one could conjecture, might have accounted for the relatively nonsophisticated nature of capital structures of mining companies. In order to appreciate the possibilities with respect to alternative influence on a firm's performance, one must be acquainted with the basics of financial theory. This paper is an attempt to familiarize the reader with (1) capital structure in general, (2) the usual components of this structure, (3) the general theory behind the use of financial leverage, and

Jan 1, 1985

By Charles C. Towle, Irving Rapaport

URANIUM mineralization along the north flank of the Zuni Uplift, in the vicinity of Haystack Butte, was discovered by Paddy Martinez, a Navajo Indian, in the spring of 1950. The find was reported to the Santa Fe Railway Co., which initiated a program of exploration upon its holdings in the district in December of 1950. The Anaconda Copper Mining Co. secured numerous leases in January and February, 1951, and began an intensive exploration and development program in March 1951. The district was extended into the Lucero Uplift in August of 1951 by the discovery of uranium mineralization in Todilto limestone by Joy Sinyella, a Supai Indian living on the Laguna Reservation. Initial reconnaissance was performed in the district by the Atomic Energy Commission in November 1950. A field office under the direction of the Denver Exploration Branch of the AEC was established at Prewitt, N. Mex. in January 1951 to study regional and detailed guides to ore, to evaluate the ore deposits, and to promote the development of the district by providing geologic services for the companies and individuals engaged in exploration. With the development of sufficient ore to warrant construction of a mill, the Grants area of New Mexico has come of age as a full fledged uranium mining district. The carnotite-type deposits of Grants, the first of major economic importance found in limestone, have extended the Colorado Plateau carnotite field into the more complex structure of the Basin and Range Province. General Geology The Grants uranium district is in northwestern New Mexico, along the southern flank of the San Juan Basin, between the cities of Gallup and Albuquerque. The region is at a mean altitude of about 6800 ft, vegetation is sparse, and outcrops are excellent. Mt. Taylor volcanic peak, at an elevation of 11,400 ft dominates the surrounding area. The overlying cliff-forming Dakota sandstone is the most resistant formation in the Grants District and characteristically erodes into dissected mesas as much as five miles wide. The principle uranium ore-bearing horizons are found in the underlying Morrison formation, and the Todilto limestone of the San Rafael group. The Morrison weathers into. a series of steep slopes and precipitous cliffs near the lower part of the Dakota-capped rims, while in contrast, the relatively resistant underlying. Todilto [ ] limestone forms broad benches extending out from the base of these Dakota rims as much as five miles wide. The Todilto benches are covered with overburden to an average depth of about 5 ft in the first thousand ft away from the Dakota rim, but increases to about 200 ft at the base of the rim. In many places however, a thick mantle of upper Cretaceous sediments and Tertiary volcanics "obscures the ore-bearing Jurassic, and precludes exploration. . The known uranium deposits of the Grants District are distributed throughout a zone 85 miles long and about 10 miles wide. Stratigraphy Rocks from pre-Cambrian through Tertiary are exposed in the uplifted areas, but uranium appears to be restricted chiefly to two zones in Jurassic sediments. The Jurassic sediments of the Colorado Plateau have been subdivided into three units, in ascending order: (1) Glen Canyon group, (2) San Rafael group, (3) Morrison formation. The Todilto limestone zone within the San Rafael group has produced the bulk of ore to date, but the promise of the Morrison zone is rapidly increasing. The Todilto formation extends about 300 miles east-west and about 100 miles in a north-south direction. It is composed of a lower, extensive, limestone member and a central, more restricted, thick, pure gypsum member. The Todilto is believed to be of lacustrine origin. The Morrison formation in this area is subdivided, rather arbitrarily, into three members: Recapture Creek, Westwater Canyon, and Brushy Basin. Ore

Jan 1, 1952

By B. Fazan, O. D. Sherby, J. E. Dorn

McLean's technique was employed to determine the effect of temperature on the contribution of grain boundary shearing to the total creep strain in pure aluminum over the range of 610° to 747°K. The contribution of grain boundary shearing at the same stress was found to depend upon a temperature-compensated time, where the activation energy AH was practically identical with that for total high temperature creep. SEVERAL outstanding investigations by McLeanl-' have demonstrated that the total creep strain in polycrystalline aluminum at 473°K arises from microscopically detectable slip, subgrain tilting, and grain boundary shearing. Whereas microscopically detectable slip arises from dislocations that move out of the grains, subgrain tilting is due to entrapment of dislocations of like sign in subgrain bound-arles. Consequently, creep in polycrystalline aggregates appears to be the resultant of two mechanisms, namely, migration of dislocations and grain boundary shearing. This suggests that an appropriate law for creep should contain two additive terms ?1 = ?d + ?yb where the total creep strain, ?1, depends on the sums of the creep strains arising from motion of dislocations, ?d, and from grain boundary shearing, ?yb. But extensive investigations5 over wide ranges of alloys, grain sizes, temperatures, and stresses have shown that the total creep strain is quite accurately dependent on the single term functional relationship ?1 = f (?), s = constant where s is the stress (constant),* ? = te-?H/RT, t is the time under stress, AH is the activation energy, R is gas constant, and T is absolute temperature. Since Eq. 2 was found to be valid over those ranges where appreciable grain boundary shearing is observed, it appears probable that the activation energy for grain boundary shearing might be identical with the activation energy for migration of dislocations. Thus, under a given stress, it could be thought that where fd and fgb represent the appropriate functions for each mechanism of creep. The primary objective of this investigation was to obtain a direct check on the accuracy of this hypothesis. Experimental Procedure and Results Rolled aluminum sheet (99.987 pct Al), 0.100 in. thick, was used in this investigation. Creep specimens having a 0.25 in. wide, 3 in. long gage section were so machined that their axes were in the rolling direction. All specimens were annealed for 9 hr at 894°K before testing to produce a mean grain diameter of about 0.1 in. One face of each specimen was polished electrolytically in 10 pct HBF4. In order to permit accurate measurements of grain boundary shearing, the polished surface was lightly scribed with a ruling machine accurate to ±0.0001 in. to give a uniform grid of lines which were 0.01 in. apart. Although it was thought that surface working might modify the creep behavior in the vicinity of the scribed grid lines, this technique nonetheless was employed because such local differences in creep properties should not modify seriously the fractions of the total creep strain due to grain boundary shearing or to migration of dislocations. All creep tests were conducted under constant load with an initial stress of 250 psi. The specimen tem-

Jan 1, 1955

It is claimed that the first mining of copper by Americans in Arizona was done at Ajo, near the Mexican border, in 1854,* a year after this region had been added to the United States, under the terms of the Gadsden purchase. A group of adventurers, organized at Los Angeles under the name of the Arizona Mining & Trading Company, came, to the district. This party of prospectors consisted of 20 men, led by Major B. Allen, J. D. Wilson, and William Blanding. † They went first to Yuma, where the party divided, some of them going southward into Mexico while the remainder took the trail to Tinaja Alta, where they heard of the copper deposits of Ajo, which is 85 miles southeast from Yuma.‡ They found attractive outcrops of copper ore, and set to work energetically, but their operations suffered many interruptions, because that part of the country was still controlled by the Mexicans, who were uncertain about the exact position of the new international boundary. The Mexicans tried to expel them, but they held their ground. The first shipment of ore, consisting of native copper and cuprite, came from what is now the western end of of the New Cornelia workings; it was hauled in ox-carts to San Diego, 400 miles across the desert. § Later shipments were hauled to Yuma and floated on barges down the Colorado river to the Gulf of California, whence the ore was loaded on

Jan 1, 1932

By N. F. Schulz

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of variables in equipment and procedure on tube test results. This information was then to be used to formulate specifications, preferably within the practical ranges of existing machines, for test procedures capable of yielding precise and meaningful data concerning the magnetic separation of any magnetite ore, regardless of its origin. A survey of current practice was conducted among laboratories using the Davis tube test. Many tube tests were performed to experimentally evaluate the variables most likely to affect test results. A simple method was then sought for adequately interpreting tube test results. The Davis magnetic tube concentrator is a laboratory machine designed to separate a small sample of pulverized magnetic iron ore into magnetic and non-magnetic fractions. It was developed in 1921 by mechanization of a test previously performed manually No significant changes have been made in the design of the apparatus since that time. The Davis magnetic tube test continues to serve as a practical basis for judging the amenability of an ore to magnetic separation and for controlling magnetic separation plant operations. The apparatus consists of an inclined cylindrical glass tube supported adjacent to closely spaced pointed poles of a powerful C-magnet. (Fig. 1). To conduct a tube test, a sample of suitably prepared ore is poured into the water-filled tube. With wash water flowing through, the tube is oscillated to gradually reject the non-magnetic and weakly magnetic ore particles until the desired degree of separation is attained. Both the magnetic concentrate and the tailings may be recovered for examination. MAGNETIC SEPARATION BY THE DAVIS TUBE Mechanical separation of a specified mineral component from an ore usually requires comminution to fine sizes for sufficient liberation. Some distinguish- ing property of the mineral is then exploited to sort the desired mineral particles from the gangue particles. The magnetic separation of iron ores is based on the fact that magnetite, Fe3O4, is strongly attracted by a magnetic field while the gangue minerals are not. Maghemite, ?-Fe2O3, which may occur in certain chemically processed ores, responds similarly to magnetite. The magnetic process is practical only when the loss of iron in the form of relatively nonmagnetic hematite, Fe2O3, goethite, Fe2O3.nH2O, or other iron mineral can be tolerated. In the Davis magnetic tube concentrator, magnetic attraction holds magnetically susceptible particles in a magnetic field. Forces due to gravity, inertia, and fluid-solid friction tend to remove the less susceptible particles from the field. The probability that a given middling particle will be rejected from the tube in a given period of time is an inverse function of its magnetite content, with some modification due to particle size and mineral specific gravities. The net result is that ore particles tend to be rejected in their order of increasing magnetite content, while the retained portion or magnetic concentrate increases in grade continuously during the process. MAGNETIC SEPARATION CHARACTERISTIC The magnetic separation characteristic or MSC of a magnetite ore is the correlation between concentrate

Jan 1, 1964

By A. L. Engel

IN the treatment of complex ores by flotation, one of the most important steps is conditioning the feed. Conditioning primarily consists of the addition, in the grinding circuit, of an alkaline reagent, for example sodium carbonate, which neutralizes any acidity of ore and mill water, counteracts the effect of 'harmful soluble salts, disperses colloids, and provides the necessary alkalinity for the best metallurgical results. The several minerals of the ore should be put in such condition that they may be floated or rejected as desired, through the action of further reagents thereafter used.

Jan 1, 1932

The rich Tiller seam in southwest Virginia averages 10 to 15 ft in thickness. But because it is separated into two benches, mining engineers for years considered it neither physically nor economically feasible to mine. Profitable recovery of this coal has been made possible only by: full-seam mining with automatic machines; and the largest and most highly automated coal preparation plant of its kind-a plant ten stories high which washes, screens, and dries at the rate of 1500 tph, and produces both metallurgical and steam coal products. The Moss No. 3 preparation plant of Clinchfield Coal Co. Div. of Pittston Co. is located at Clinch- field, Va., only a short distance from the 450-tph Moss No. 2 plant, and was designed, built and erected by Link-Belt Co.

Jan 7, 1959

By R. V. Norris, E. W. Parker

Edward W. Parker,* Philadelphia, Pa.—At the New York meeting of the Institute a year ago, Mr. R. V. Norris presented a paper on anthracite mining costs, in which he gave the results of an intensive study of this subject by the Engineers' Committee of the United States Fuel Administration. Within the last 30 days, the Federal Trade Commission has issued an official report on the same subject, which covers a longer period of time and comprises statistics of realization values and margins that were pot comprehended in the paper by Mr. Norris. As, however, the data utilized by Mr. Norris formed also a part of the basis for the report of the Federal Trade Commission, a brief digest of the latter may not be out of place at this meeting. The report of the Federal Trade Commission covers primarily the two calendar years 1917 and 1918, divided into five periods which furnish opportunity for the study of how the influence of certain definite factors affected either the cost of production or the price, or both, during the 24 months. The first period, January to April, 1917, which may be considered the basic period, comprised the 4 months in 1917 during which the wage agreement of May, 1916, without modification, was in effect. During this period, the labor cost on fresh-mined coal is placed by the Commission's report at $1.79 per gross ton, the total cost at $2.66, the average realization at $3.29, and the "margin" (sales realization over total f.o.b. mine cost) at $0.63. The second period covers the four months from May 1 to August 31, during which time the first of the supplemental wage agreements (supplemental to the agreement of 1916) was in effect. It was also the period during which the summer discounts were in effect and when prices were practically fixed by a voluntary agreement between the operators and the Federal Trade Commission. It was, further, the period in which the 75 cents differential on prepared sizes permitted to the individual operators by the Federal Trade Commission began; at that time, also, on account of war conditions an unusually large quantity of steam sizes were marketed at exceptionally good prices. On account of the two latter conditions, not explained in the Commission's report, the "margin"1 on operating

Jan 1, 1920

By Freeman Bishop

The Bureau of Mines is working on a long-term program to completely revolutionize mining-to create a mine-systems technology that integrates the need to recover minerals at low cost under safe and healthful working conditions while protecting the environment. Everyone should be brought into the planning process preceding each new mining development, the Interior Department urges, and Assistant Secretary Hollis M. Dole seems determined to push this kind of systems approach with everything he can move.

Jan 1, 1970

By J. L. Gillson

In a brief summary of the many occurrences of fluorspar in our western states, it is not possible to go into detail in regard to the geology, mining and milling methods, and reserves about individual deposits. Rather a broad review is made of the occurrences and an analysis of how the western deposits may fit into our future domestic economy is presented. General Statement on Fluorspar Situation Fluorspar has been used for years as a flux in the manufacture of basic open-hearth steel, in foundry cupolas for melting pig iron, in the manufacture of opalescent glass and in the preparation of hydrofluoric acid. In 1880 the annual production of fluorspar in the United States was around 4000 tons per year. By 1900 it was up to 21,656 tons and between 1902 and 1908 it averaged about 40,000 tons annually. Prices were then so low, by present standards, that it seems impossible to believe now that mining could have been performed profitably at the price levels then prevailing. In 1890 fluorspar sold at the mines for $6.70 per ton, in 1901 for $5.81, in 1916 for 85.92. When the United States entered World War I, flyorspar production and price skyrocketed; the production reached 263,817 tons in 1918, with prices above $20.00 per ton, and prices were even higher in 1919 and 1920. After 1920, the domestic production fell from the 1918 level to about 125,000 tons annually and the average price dropped back to about $18.00 per ton. By 1935 the average price had fallen to $15.00, but in 1940 with a rising demand the average price of all grades had gone back up to $20.31. Today it is 75 per cent higher than in 1940 and presumably the price of acid grade at .least would be even higher if it were not for price ceilings. The first subsequent year that the domestic production exceeded that of 1918 was 1941, and the 1944 production is expected to exceed 400,000 tons, or over one and a half times that of 1918. In five-year periods, average production and imports were as are shown in Table I. Many people concerned with the consumption of fluorspar believe that the postwar period ahead will show a repetition of price trends of the last such period. They believe that imports will be again an important factor in the available supply and the price will fall back gradually toward the prewar level. The following basic factors are pertinent in analyzing this conclusion:

Jan 1, 1948

By J. L. Gillson

In a brief summary of the many occurrences of fluorspar in our western states, it is not possible to go into detail in regard to the geology, mining and milling methods, and reserves about individual deposits. Rather a broad review is made of the occurrences and an analysis of how the western deposits may fit into our future domestic economy is presented. General Statement on Fluorspar Situation Fluorspar has been used for years as a flux in the manufacture of basic open-hearth steel, in foundry cupolas for melting pig iron, in the manufacture of opalescent glass and in the preparation of hydrofluoric acid. In 1880 the annual production of fluorspar in the United States was around 4000 tons per year. By 1900 it was up to 21,656 tons and between 1902 and 1908 it averaged about 40,000 tons annually. Prices were then so low, by present standards, that it seems impossible to believe now that mining could have been performed profitably at the price levels then prevailing. In 1890 fluorspar sold at the mines for $6.70 per ton, in 1901 for $5.81, in 1916 for 85.92. When the United States entered World War I, flyorspar production and price skyrocketed; the production reached 263,817 tons in 1918, with prices above $20.00 per ton, and prices were even higher in 1919 and 1920. After 1920, the domestic production fell from the 1918 level to about 125,000 tons annually and the average price dropped back to about $18.00 per ton. By 1935 the average price had fallen to $15.00, but in 1940 with a rising demand the average price of all grades had gone back up to $20.31. Today it is 75 per cent higher than in 1940 and presumably the price of acid grade at .least would be even higher if it were not for price ceilings. The first subsequent year that the domestic production exceeded that of 1918 was 1941, and the 1944 production is expected to exceed 400,000 tons, or over one and a half times that of 1918. In five-year periods, average production and imports were as are shown in Table I. Many people concerned with the consumption of fluorspar believe that the postwar period ahead will show a repetition of price trends of the last such period. They believe that imports will be again an important factor in the available supply and the price will fall back gradually toward the prewar level. The following basic factors are pertinent in analyzing this conclusion:

Jan 1, 1948

By Joseph W. Leonard, T. S. Spicer

INTRODUCTION Reasons for Thermal Drying The continuing increase in the percentage of minus %-inch coal produced as a result of the increased use of mechanical mining methods has, over the years, tended to shift considerable portions of the work of producing saleable coal to the fine coal cleaning section of the preparation plant. Because a given weight of fine coal will contain substantially greater surface area than an equivalent weight of coarse coal, it follows that, when subjected to wet cleaning processes, the fines will absorb and retain consider- ably more moisture than coarser fractions. Increased moisture pickup in the finer sizes complicates fine coal cleaning since beneficiation may not be limited to the removal of ash and sulfur but often must be expanded to include the additional step of thermal drying to remove excessive moisture. Thus, water which provides the medium for cleaning fine coal is in itself detrimental and, like ash and sulfur, reduces coal quality. Removal of surface moisture by drying is done for one or more of the following 1 reasons: (1) To avoid freezing difficulties and to facilitate handling during shipment, storage and transfer to the points of use; (2) to maintain high pulverizer capacity; (3) to reduce heat loss due to evaporation of surface moisture from the coal in the burning process, thus increasing heating efficiency; (4) to improve the quality of coal used for special purposes, such as in the production of coke, briquettes, and chemicals; (5) to decrease transportation costs; and (6) to facilitate dry coal-cleaning processes. Because benefits to coal transportation and utilization are the most common reasons for thermal drying, the following sections will examine these areas in greater detail. Benefits to Transportation Initial benefits from drying are the reduction of shipping costs from the mine to the point of utilization since more coal can be concentrated into a given weight of product when worthless moisture is removed. Non- combustible~ such as water and mineral matter in railroad shipments of coal are billed the same as coal at $3.32 per ton, according to the recent average costs. Savings of 10 to 20 dollars from drying on the shipment cost of each 50 to 60 tons of coal contained in a typical railroad car is common. Savings on coal shipments from individual mines which result from coal drying can be expressed in terms of hundreds of thousands of dollars and more each year. For example, a reduction of shipping charges of only 5 percent on one million tons per year would mean a savings of 166,000

Jan 1, 1968

By C. R. Dale

The need for instruments to measure the movement of fluids and gas in wells has been recognized by engineers for many years. Information regarding flow in the producing interval has a direct bearing on completion practices in new wells and also provides information on the production characteristics of the well. Many hours of engineering time are spent in planning and completing wells but knowledge as to whether or not the original planning has produced the desired results has not always been complete. Many questions such as the following often arise: Why is it that two wells are completed under supposedly identical conditions, yet one well is a good one and the other is a poor one? Are the sands that look the best on the electric log contributing to the production? These and many other conditions in the producing well need to be under- stood in order to develop more efficient production practices and to improve on methods of completing new wells. It is the purpose of this paper to briefly describe one type of instrument, outline the methods of running the equipment and show the results of surveys made under various conditions. With an understanding of the use of this type of survey its importance can be evaluated in relation to the problems encountered by the operator. DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUMENT The instrument is a velocity recorder employing a clock-controlled 16mm film for recording the rpm of an extremely sensitive rotor which is rotated by the flow of fluids or gas in a well. The helical-vaned rotor and shaft, weighing one-half of one ounce are an integral unit exposed to the well fluids and are the only moving parts not enclosed in the fluid-tight housing. No packing or fluid seal of these parts is necessary and the shaft is mounted top and bottom on special jeweled bearings. Fig. A is the lower part of the instrument showing rotor and shaft with the protecting housing sleeve removed. The rpm of the rotor is recorded on the moving film by a combination electrical and optical system. The record is a series of dashes on the film, each dash and space representing twenty (20) revolutions of the rotor. (Film record of survey made in California well showing station recordings at various depths.) As the movement of the film is controlled by the clock the number of dashes and spaces in one minute of film travel represents the rpm of the rotor. The range of the instrument is from 0 to 2,500 rprn. The barrel or housing is 1-11/16 in. OD and seven feet long. Various types of expanding fluid traps are attached to the lower end of the instrument to direct the flow through the 1 in. orifice containing the rotor. The fluid trap for upward flow is shown in Figs. B and C. This assembly consists of eight arms with light spring

Jan 1, 1949

By C. R. Dale

The need for instruments to measure the movement of fluids and gas in wells has been recognized by engineers for many years. Information regarding flow in the producing interval has a direct bearing on completion practices in new wells and also provides information on the production characteristics of the well. Many hours of engineering time are spent in planning and completing wells but knowledge as to whether or not the original planning has produced the desired results has not always been complete. Many questions such as the following often arise: Why is it that two wells are completed under supposedly identical conditions, yet one well is a good one and the other is a poor one? Are the sands that look the best on the electric log contributing to the production? These and many other conditions in the producing well need to be under- stood in order to develop more efficient production practices and to improve on methods of completing new wells. It is the purpose of this paper to briefly describe one type of instrument, outline the methods of running the equipment and show the results of surveys made under various conditions. With an understanding of the use of this type of survey its importance can be evaluated in relation to the problems encountered by the operator. DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUMENT The instrument is a velocity recorder employing a clock-controlled 16mm film for recording the rpm of an extremely sensitive rotor which is rotated by the flow of fluids or gas in a well. The helical-vaned rotor and shaft, weighing one-half of one ounce are an integral unit exposed to the well fluids and are the only moving parts not enclosed in the fluid-tight housing. No packing or fluid seal of these parts is necessary and the shaft is mounted top and bottom on special jeweled bearings. Fig. A is the lower part of the instrument showing rotor and shaft with the protecting housing sleeve removed. The rpm of the rotor is recorded on the moving film by a combination electrical and optical system. The record is a series of dashes on the film, each dash and space representing twenty (20) revolutions of the rotor. (Film record of survey made in California well showing station recordings at various depths.) As the movement of the film is controlled by the clock the number of dashes and spaces in one minute of film travel represents the rpm of the rotor. The range of the instrument is from 0 to 2,500 rprn. The barrel or housing is 1-11/16 in. OD and seven feet long. Various types of expanding fluid traps are attached to the lower end of the instrument to direct the flow through the 1 in. orifice containing the rotor. The fluid trap for upward flow is shown in Figs. B and C. This assembly consists of eight arms with light spring

Jan 1, 1949

By J. P. Hirth, C. S. Hartley

A simple graphical technique is presented for rapidly determining the ratio of resolved shear stress on slip systems in single crystals to the applied stress (Schmid factor) for various simple states of stress. Master plots are presented which, when used in conjunction with an appropriate stereo-graphic projection, allow one to determine the Schmid factor for all slip systems in a crystal of given orientation. It is shown that one such plot suffices for simple tension or compression, flex-ural bending, and biaxial compression, while a combination of two different plots must be used for torsion and simple shear. STUDIES of the deformation behavior of single crystals are most valuable when the applied stresses are resolved onto the various slip systems of the crystal. A careful study of the available slip systems and proper selection of the state of stress used and the specimen orientation can then yield quantitative information about the probability of specific dislocation reactions, the strength of barriers to plastic flow, and the mechanisms of yielding and flow in general. It is the purpose of this work to analyze some common states of stress used in deformation studies and to present a simplified way of determining for these cases the ratio of the resolved shear stress on the slip systems to the applied stress (Schmid factor). I) CALCULATIONS We first define two orthogonal coordinate systems: one based on the specimen geometry (a right circular cylinder of radius, R, is considered here) and one based on the particular slip system of interest. The unit vectors and angles specifying the two coordinate systems and the relationship between them are listed in Table I. The relationships among the various angles and unit vectors are shown on a stereographic projection in Fig. 1. The transformation matrix between the (XI X2 X3) and (x'1 x'2 x'3) system is x1 x2 x3 X'1 a11 al2 a13 x'2 a21 a22 a23 x'9 a31 a32 a33 where in this case the direction cosines aij are given by a11 a12 a13 aij = a21 a22 a23 a31 a32 a33 sin 0 cos F cos 0 sin F cos 9 = -cos 0 cos F sin 0 sin F sin 6 [1] 0 -sin F cos (p In terms of Eq. [I.], the stresses sij, referred to the slip system, are determined from oij, referred to the specimen axes, by1,2

Jan 1, 1965