Search Documents

By H. T. Van Ells

The following is a brief description of the cost accounts in effect at the mines of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. The accompanying chart, Table I., shows the distribution of labor, materials, and redistributable accounts to the various operating and repair accounts. OperatiNG. Development. Owing to the fact that every mine has its peculiarities in formation and methods, the question of arriving at what charges should be included under the head of " Development" is one that has occasioned considerable thought and comment, and in the cost sheet of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. this account has been sub-divided to show the expenses of breaking ground, tramming, timbering, shaft sinking, up-raising, and cutting stations and skip chutes. It has always been the policy of the company to charge the entire cost of this work to operations monthly, whether the mines are producing or not, also the cost of the opening up of new mines; and only surface construction and additions are charged to capital, excepting original machinery installed for operating pumping plants. Explanations of the charges to the various sub-accounts follow : Breaking Ground.—Work performed in driving cross-cuts from the station, or cross-cuts from the drifts, and diamond-drill work, for the purpose of discovering or developing ore bodies. Tramming.—Cost of tramming waste produced by cross-cuts mentioned above. When waste is hoisted to another level to be used for filling, the charge to this account stops at the station, and when hoisted to surface the charge includes tramming from the collar of the shaft to the dump. Timbering.—Cost of timbering the cross-cuts mentioned above includes the cost of handling and framing such timbers, but does not include the wages of station tenders and top carmen.

Jan 1, 1914

By Henry M. Howe

The transformation which steel undergoes in slow cooling, from the condition of austenite whelk above the transformation rage into that of pearlite plus either ferrite or cementite below that range, is subject to great lag. This transformation is essentially the pearlitizing of the austenite. Indeed the hardenillg of steel is due to this lag, which is made so great by extremely rapid cooling that a very large part of the transformation itself is restrained, so that the rapid cooling catches the metal in an only partly transformed state, that of martensite, and under favorable contditions even in an almost wholly untransformed state, as in the cases of Maurer's austenitic manganese steel. Hadfield's austemtic. manganese steel, 25 per cent. nickel steel, and other anstenitic alloy steels, arc austenitic even after slow cooling. It has long been known that this lag increases (1) with the rapidity of cooling, (2) with the presence of certain retarding elements, notably manganese and nickel, and (3) with the temperature from which cooling starts. The present inquiry touches the last of these influences, but incidentally it throws light on the first also. This influence of higher heating ill increasing lag manifests itself in different ways which, though they may at first seem unrelated, are in fact hut different aspects of one and the same thing. Thus, among heatings to different high temperatures, all of them above the transformation range: the higher the temperature to which the steel is heated (1) the lower is the temperature at which the transformation occurs in cooling slowly down, (2) the shorter is the time occupied in the actual cooling from above the transformation range to the room Temperature under given external conditions, Whether of slow or

Jan 1, 1914

By Kenneth Cottingham

The year 1941 brought a considerable increase in drilling activity in Ohio. In 1940, the total of wells completed was 1228, whereas in 1941 it was 1561, or an increase of approximately 27 per cent. Of the 1561 wells, 333 were oil wells, 701 gas wells and 527 dry holes. The completions for the past five years are shown in Table I; the number of productive oil or gas wells for the year 1941, arranged by producing formations, are given in Table 2; the number of wells, oil, gas or dry, completed in each county in 1941, in Table 3, and wells by sands in Table 4. The production of oil increased by about 500,000 bbl. in 1941, nearly all of the increase being in Pennsylvania grade. In 1940, the total production was 3,052,000 bbl. from 25,500 wells. In 1941 the total production was 3,547,534 bbl. from 24,801 wells. The increase in production is chiefly due to the Clinton pool in Clayton township, Perry County, which is briefly men- tioned later in this review. The number of oil wells, by grades of oil, and the total quantities produced are shown in Table ;. Annual oil production for five years is listed in Table 6. The average prices paid for crude in 1941 were slightly higher than in 1940 These 1941 prices, with dates of change, are shown in Table 7. The maximum production of natural gas in Ohio was in the year 1915, when the total was just under 80 billion cu. ft. The maximum consumption occurred in the year 1916, and was approximately 169 billion cu. ft. For the past several years, Ohio has ranged from eighth to eleventh, in order of gas production for the different states, being in tenth place in 1940. In the matter of consumption, however, Ohio remains in fifth place. Preliminary figures for 1940 indicate that production of natural gas increased II per

Jan 1, 1942

By Kenneth Cottingham

The year 1941 brought a considerable increase in drilling activity in Ohio. In 1940, the total of wells completed was 1228, whereas in 1941 it was 1561, or an increase of approximately 27 per cent. Of the 1561 wells, 333 were oil wells, 701 gas wells and 527 dry holes. The completions for the past five years are shown in Table I; the number of productive oil or gas wells for the year 1941, arranged by producing formations, are given in Table 2; the number of wells, oil, gas or dry, completed in each county in 1941, in Table 3, and wells by sands in Table 4. The production of oil increased by about 500,000 bbl. in 1941, nearly all of the increase being in Pennsylvania grade. In 1940, the total production was 3,052,000 bbl. from 25,500 wells. In 1941 the total production was 3,547,534 bbl. from 24,801 wells. The increase in production is chiefly due to the Clinton pool in Clayton township, Perry County, which is briefly men- tioned later in this review. The number of oil wells, by grades of oil, and the total quantities produced are shown in Table ;. Annual oil production for five years is listed in Table 6. The average prices paid for crude in 1941 were slightly higher than in 1940 These 1941 prices, with dates of change, are shown in Table 7. The maximum production of natural gas in Ohio was in the year 1915, when the total was just under 80 billion cu. ft. The maximum consumption occurred in the year 1916, and was approximately 169 billion cu. ft. For the past several years, Ohio has ranged from eighth to eleventh, in order of gas production for the different states, being in tenth place in 1940. In the matter of consumption, however, Ohio remains in fifth place. Preliminary figures for 1940 indicate that production of natural gas increased II per

Jan 1, 1942

By Lucien Eaton

The use of filling in mines is less common in the United States than it is in Europe, where in some places it is required by law. In most cases the filling is placed by hand, and the material used for this purpose is the waste from development and that sorted from the ore in the stopes. When these sources provide an insufficient supply, additional rock must be quarried on surface or mined underground, or some other material must be used. In different parts of the world sand, clay, gravel, culm, granulated slag, mill tailings, and even ashes, have been used as filling material in place of or in conjunction with rock. Of all the materials used for filling the best is probably clean sand. Gravel, finely crushed rock, granulated slag and coarse mill tailings are almost as good, and the methods used for placing and confining sand will apply equally well to any of these. The advantages of sand are its comparatively slight compressibility and the ease, economy and convenience with which it may be placed. On account of the voids, which necessarily occur in fills made of coarse waste, such fills will compress 10 to 25 per cent before they develop their full strength, whereas clean sand seldom compresses more than 5 per cent. Sand is especially desirable when practically complete filling is required, and sand derived from mill tailings, especially when not thoroughly cleaned, has been remarkably effective in sealing off and extinguishing mine fires. When natural sand is available on surface, or when it can be obtained from the mill tailings or tailings dump, the cost of using this material for fill will probably be considerably less than that of rock. In this paper it is not proposed to discuss all methods of filling, but to describe some of the methods used for placing sand fill and to make a brief comparison of their merits. Methods of Placing Sand Sand may be transported and placed underground by several methods, which may be classified as follows: 1. By Hand.—The sand, which must be comparatively dry, is taken down the shaft in cars on cages and is distributed to its destination in these cars, or it is dumped down raises and is drawn off and distributed by means of cars, wheelbarrows or scrapers.

Jan 1, 1932

By W. F. Rochow, W. C. Burke

Numerous designs of linings and accessories, including dams, lifters, and heat exchangers, contribute greatly to kiln efficiencies. Greater conductivity is achieved with basic brick than with fireclay and high-alumina refractories, depending largely upon the use of steel plates in radial joints between adjacent brick to increase heat transfer through the lining. Refractory lifters expose all portions of the load to radiant or convective heat and raise some portions to higher temperatures by cascading the load down through the path of the hot gases. AMONG the many factors involved in rotary kiln efficiency, advantageous use of refractories is of major importance. So far as kiln lining alone is concerned durability is most significant, as shutdowns for repairs are costly in fuel consumption and production losses. Aside from selection of refractories best suited to the widely varying conditions under which rotary kilns are operated, lining design and accessory constructions within the kiln are highly important. The refractory most economical for any combination of operating conditions can be selected from a wide range of alumina-silica and basic refractories, including insulating, castable, and plastic fire bricks. In several cases silica brick can be used to advantage. Alumina contents of alumina-silica refractories range from 35 to 90 pct in increments of 5 to 10 pct. In general, bricks of relatively low alumina content are best for abrasion resistance, an important property for the brick used in chain sections of cement kilns or in feed end sections of limestone kilns. High-duty fireclay bricks of approximately 40 pct alumina and 55 pct silica are used to line the intermediate zones. Super-duty fireclay brick at slightly higher cost is warranted in operation of kilns with high intermediate zone temperatures and severe spalling conditions. Alumina-silica refractories with an alumina content of 50 pct and higher, termed high-alumina brick, are available in commercial classes of 50, 60, 70, 80, 85, and 90 pct alumina content. These refractories are generally used as high temperature zone linings or placed adjacent to the basic brick-lined sections when the treatment they are required to withstand is excessively severe. Use of basic refractories is confined mainly to zones of maximum temperature and most severe chemical action. Basic refractories ordinarily employed for high temperature zone linings of many rotary kilns comprise the classes shown in Table I. Each class is peculiarly well suited to various particular combinations of working conditions. The approximate chemical analyses of these classes also illustrate differences in compositions with respect to the major components.

Jan 1, 1956

By George D. Roberts

Civil engineers are primarily interested in maximum core recovery. This is even more important in foundation work than in mining investigations where sludge samples are of some value. The soft materials, such as clay, gouge, or partially decomposed seams that are most readily ground up or washed away, are the materials that usually have the greatest influence on foundation and leakage conditions. Undisturbed samples of such materials should be obtained for detailed geological examination and laboratory tests. Therefore the attainable goal of sampling in connection with foundation investigations is the recovery of 99.9 pot of undisturbed core. Factors Causing Core Losses The principal factors contributing to core losses are: (1) coring badly fractured or very soft material; (2) Use of improperly designed coring equipment, including the use of bits of too small a diameter; (3) lack of the proper training and attitude on the part of the drillers and pertinent technical information on the part of the supervising personnel. Little can be done about the character of the material being cored but the other two factors contributing to unsatisfactory performance can be corrected. Although the title of this Paper is the improvement and standardization of core barrels, it is believed that the drillers' shortcomings and the lack of pertinent technical literature are more detrimental to good core recovery than either of the other factors. Uses For Large Diameter Core Barrels It is well known that the use of larger diameter bits and core barrels generally produce better cores, particularly when sampling soft or broken material. The use of larger and larger bit diameters and the insistence on better core recovery is well demonstrated by the change in practices of the various districts of the Corps of Engineers. Today NX core is the smallest diameter commonly permitted for investi-gational work and the more active districts are using coring bits up to 6 in. in diameter, as well as 36 and 40-in. calyx rigs. The latter size has proved to be just as economical because it provides more room for ctured removal and cleanup operations. The use of large diameter cores to replace the driving and jacking methods of obtaining soil samples is also increasing. The 57/8-in. Denison sampler, developed by H. L. Johnson to obtain samples from soft formations, is one example. The principal uses for bits larger than NX are: sampling soils and semi-consolidated rock; sampling decomposed rock or rock with soft seams; sampling concrete; obtaining samples for laboratory tests; drilling drainage holes, and other miscellaneous work. Core Drilling Practices of Several Engineer Districts Little Rock District The writer was employed in the Little Rock District from 1938 until 1942. Prior

Jan 1, 1949

By C. D. King

The key to maximum production of ingots for the war effort is maximum production of pig iron. For any given furnace and ore, the most important single influence on blast-furnace production is the quality of the furnace coke. It is generally recognized that undoubtedly deterioration of Pittsburgh coking coals will be accelerated by the depletion of some of the better grades of coal; the extension of mine mechanization, with attendant degradation of coal quality; and the opening of new coal fields, some of which are known to be fairly high in sulphur. All of these factors, contributing as they do to higher ash and sulphur, and not infrequently to inferior quality of coke, made it desirable that an extensive study be undertaken to determine the effect of washing some coals that closely approximate the average chemical composition of coking coals to be expected in the future by the subsidiaries of the United States Steel Corporation in the Pittsburgh district. It was deemed advisable to study the improvement obtained by washing such coals and to determine the need for supplementing the existing coal washery at Clairton to assure continued maximum production of pig iron from presently available furnace stacks. The existence of the coal washer at Clairton made it possible to conduct tests on coals used in raw form and on similar coals after washing. This study covers an investigation of the quality of furnace coke as affected by washing coking coals, and is confined to the use of 100 per cent high-volatile Pittsburgh seam coals from Fayette and Greene Counties in the manufacture of furnace coke. It covers the improvement in chemical and physical properties as well as the degree of uniformity in coke obtained by washing these coals, and includes the effect on blast-furnace production and practice. The test period involved is four months; the plants, Clairton by-product coke plant, and the Carrie No. 1 and No. 2 blast furnaces at Rankin, Pa., Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation. Clairton By-product Coke Plant and Coal Washer The Clairton by-product coke plant carbonizes 30,800 net tons of coal daily in 22 batteries containing 1482 ovens. Three oven sizes are used, commonly known as wide, medium, and narrow types, recognizing the difference in oven width, These ovens also differ in height and length. The present coal washer has a daily capacity of approximately 14,000 tons, leaving 16,800 tans to be carbonized in raw form. Washed coal is used on all the narrow ovens and on three of the six batteries with ovens of medium width, raw coals being used on all the remaining ovens. The customary arrangement is

Jan 1, 1944

By C. D. King

The key to maximum production of ingots for the war effort is maximum production of pig iron. For any given furnace and ore, the most important single influence on blast-furnace production is the quality of the furnace coke. It is generally recognized that undoubtedly deterioration of Pittsburgh coking coals will be accelerated by the depletion of some of the better grades of coal; the extension of mine mechanization, with attendant degradation of coal quality; and the opening of new coal fields, some of which are known to be fairly high in sulphur. All of these factors, contributing as they do to higher ash and sulphur, and not infrequently to inferior quality of coke, made it desirable that an extensive study be undertaken to determine the effect of washing some coals that closely approximate the average chemical composition of coking coals to be expected in the future by the subsidiaries of the United States Steel Corporation in the Pittsburgh district. It was deemed advisable to study the improvement obtained by washing such coals and to determine the need for supplementing the existing coal washery at Clairton to assure continued maximum production of pig iron from presently available furnace stacks. The existence of the coal washer at Clairton made it possible to conduct tests on coals used in raw form and on similar coals after washing. This study covers an investigation of the quality of furnace coke as affected by washing coking coals, and is confined to the use of 100 per cent high-volatile Pittsburgh seam coals from Fayette and Greene Counties in the manufacture of furnace coke. It covers the improvement in chemical and physical properties as well as the degree of uniformity in coke obtained by washing these coals, and includes the effect on blast-furnace production and practice. The test period involved is four months; the plants, Clairton by-product coke plant, and the Carrie No. 1 and No. 2 blast furnaces at Rankin, Pa., Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation. Clairton By-product Coke Plant and Coal Washer The Clairton by-product coke plant carbonizes 30,800 net tons of coal daily in 22 batteries containing 1482 ovens. Three oven sizes are used, commonly known as wide, medium, and narrow types, recognizing the difference in oven width, These ovens also differ in height and length. The present coal washer has a daily capacity of approximately 14,000 tons, leaving 16,800 tans to be carbonized in raw form. Washed coal is used on all the narrow ovens and on three of the six batteries with ovens of medium width, raw coals being used on all the remaining ovens. The customary arrangement is

Jan 1, 1944

Jan 1, 1948

Jan 1, 1948

Jan 1, 1939

Jan 1, 1948

Jan 1, 1937

Jan 1, 1904

Jan 1, 1970

Jan 1, 1935

Jan 1, 1900

Jan 1, 1935