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By M. J. McPherson, R. Venkataramani

R. Venkataramani (Assistant Professor of Mining Engineering, Dept. of Mining, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.)-Y. J. Wang and L. W. Saperstein are to be congratulated for their paper on the computer solution of ventilation problems. The limitations on the problem size to be solved by the program (Appendix II) has been outlined in the paper. I would like to add the following additional limitations of this computer program: The dimensions of the variable J1and J2 should be changed to J, (550) and J2 (550) to handle problems containing more than 400 branches, and up to 550 branches. If there are a large number of branches common to the various meshes, another limitation on the problem size will be the dimension of the variable NA. While a higher-order polynomial fitting for the fan characteristic data points is more rigorous, a quadratic relation, if linear interpolation between the points is inadequate, will result in saving computing time without much loss of accuracy. Of course, this can be handled by minor modifications to the existing polynomial fitting routine in the program. M. J. McPherson (Dept. of Mining Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England)-The

Jan 1, 1972

By John V. Beall

One Sunday night last month the phone rang and it was George Schenck from Penn State. How would we like to see a big scrap operation, he wanted to know. A few days later we were on the Connecticut turnpike headed for New Haven to visit a large scrap operation, M. Schiavone and Sons. George had a large clam basket in the back which he explained was for collecting trophies. The car shredder, he said, turns out some fancy metal shapes. In fact, they have gained a certain acceptance as objets d’art among George's friends and relatives. He thinks there may be a small, but possibly lucrative secondary market for shredded cars in the art world if the idea is imaginatively promoted. On the way to New Haven we received a briefing on the scrap industry. The scrap business grew from humble beginnings. Mostly it was started by a few immigrant Jews who collected junk in hand- or horse-drawn carts. The fortunate one might even have had a truck. Before proceeding further, we hasten to point out that the word "junk" is strictly taboo among scrap people, who prefer to refer to their industry as the "secondary metals industry."

Jan 1, 1970

By Baoshen. Liu, Lin Dezhang

Vertical and horizontal movements beyond the perimeter of the open pit have resulted from the development of deep and extensive open pits; the surface point always moves towards the centre of the open pit. The surface movements are not only great in relation to the stability of the open pit slope and the safety of mining operations but also are of significance to the stability of structures and ser- vices on the surface beyond the perimeter of the open pit. Recently, some studies on factors contributing to the surface movements have been carried out. Particular attention has been paid to prediction of vertical and horizontal movements, differential subsidence and horizontal strain and careful assessment of their influences on existing structures in the adjacent area. In the application of the theory of stochastic medium, it is assumed that ground subsidence process has the property of Markov Process. Based on the superposit ion principle, surface movements due to open pit mining are derived from the Kolmogorov Equation, and calculated in a digital computer. Quantitative calculation of surface movements is made according to the method employed in this paper and compared with the results of measurement in Morwell Open Pit, Victoria, Australia and Baiyin Open Pit, Gansu, China. The method of calculation gives reasonably satisfactory results.

Jan 1, 1983

By A. Tobey Yu

The recent adverse economic climate has added further impetus to the demand for better-grade and lower-cost raw materials, for which increasingly larger quantities of muck are being moved and processed at higher unit labor costs. As a result, the cost impact of handling and shipping has never been as keenly felt by the mining industry as it is today. Thanks to joint innovative efforts by users and manufacturers, new and improved automated bulk-handling systems and devices are now blossoming everywhere to give the mining man the tools he needs to move ore, waste and concentrates more efficiently and economically.

Jan 1, 1970

By J. H. Bramwell

The following experience in rebuilding a furnace crucible while in blast may not be wholly uninteresting to some, notwithstanding its purely practical character. Few are aware of the frequent calls made on a furnace manager's skill and ingenuity, to meet the irregularities which present themselves with kaleidoscopic variations in the operations of furnaces. Unfortunately the methods pursued in overcoming these practical difficulties are too seldom recorded, and much valuable information is lost that could not fail to be of value to many, and to none more so than the educated technical manager, with a limited practical experience, who, without a literature or record of any kind to refer to, finds himself, in times of emergency, dependent and looking for assistance from those whom it is his province to instruct and direct. With positive data, however, that like difficulties have been successfully overcome, he can confidently resort to similar expedients, with such modification; as the circumstances may demand in his particular case, and pull through seeming impossibilities in the face of ignorant prejudice. The Quinnimont Furnace (60 x 15 feet) had been in operation but two months, when it became necessary to draw the tuyeres out a distance of 18 inches, in order to give them a resting-place; the brickwork under them being completely cut away, so that after each

By J. H. Bramwell

THE following experience in rebuilding a furnace crucible while in blast may not be wholly uninteresting to some, notwithstanding its purely practical character. Few are aware of the frequent calls made on a furnace manager's skill and ingenuity, to meet the irregularities which present themselves with kaleidoscopic variations in the operations of furnaces. Unfortunately the methods pursued in overcoming these practical difficulties are too seldom recorded, and much valuable information is lost that could not fail to be of value to many, and to none more so than the educated technical manager, with a limited practical experience, who, without a literature or record of any kind to refer to, finds himself, in times of emergency, dependent and looking for assistance from those whom it is his province to instruct and direct. With positive data, however, that like difficulties have been successfully overcome, he can confidently resort to similar expedients, with such modifications as the circumstances may demand in his particular case, and pull through seeming impossibilities in the face of ignorant prejudice. The Quinnimont Furnace (60 x 15 feet) had been in operation but two months, when it became necessary to draw the tuyeres out a distance of 18 inches, in order to give them a resting-place; the brickwork under them being completely cut away, so that after each

Jan 1, 1877

By John Goheen

CONSIDERABLE work has been done in developing a pyrometer to measure the temperature of molten brasses, bronzes, and aluminum in the crucible. On account of the high melting points and the amount of zinc and sulfurous fumes given off from molten brasses, the conditions are somewhat severe for a thermocouple of standard design; but satisfactory results are obtained with a portable pyrometer, 3 ft. (0.9 m.) of connecting lead wire, and a special 5-ft. nickel-nickel chromium thermocouple, composed of rods ¼ in. (6.35 mm.) in diameter. The lower 12 or 24 in., as desired, may be made detachable so that new tips may be connected at little trouble or expense. The portable instrument need not be of the extreme high-resistance type, as the movable parts of the galvanometer of a lower resistance instrument may be better constructed to withstand the continuous handling such an instrument receives. Platinum-platinum rhodium thermocouples, protected with porcelain and graphite tubes, have been used, but the lag in registering the temperature is too great. It has been found that the range of temperature for various brasses is as follows: Red brasses 2200-2250° F. (1205-1234° C.) Yellow brasses 2250-2400° F. (1234-1318° C.) Bronzes 2300-2550° F. (1260-1400° C.)

Jan 11, 1921

By R. W. Raymond

I DESIRE to call the attention of the Institute briefly, and by no means in the way of an exhaustive description, to the interesting developments recently made on the east bank of the Hudson River, in the mining of spathic iron ores. The mines to which I refer are those of the Hudson River Spathic Iron Ore Company, situated at Oakhill on Hudson, Columbia County, N. Y., five or six miles from the city of Hudson, and opposite the town of Catskill. The ore occurs in beds, constituting apparently members of the stratified series of rocks on that side of the river, coursing nearly north and south, parallel with the river, and dipping east. The principal outcrops are presented in a range of low hills, about one mile from the river, along the crest, on the western face of which the stratum of spathic ore is more or less exposed. The length of the line in this range, along which, at various openings the ore has been discovered in profitable quantity, is about two miles. To the northward, the hills are somewhat higher, and the stratification may possibly be disturbed, though the rapid examination of the locality which I made in November last did not, include any determination of this

By Chingyuan Y. Li, C. Y. Hsieh

REALIZING that aluminum will have a great role to play in the coming industrialization of China, Chinese geologists have long been looking about for some aluminum deposits. The possible sources appear to be alunite, the alumina-rich shales, and the bauxite deposits. The locations of deposits are shown in Fig. I. ALUNITE Our attention was first directed to the alunite deposits along the southeastern coast of China. Table I summarizes the reserves now believed to exist in that region. [ ] Other alunite deposits have been found in Kiangpei, Szechuan province; Channing, Liuyang and Hsanshan, Hunnan province; Tsingchow and Chowyuan, Shantung province. No reserve figures are available. HIGH-ALUMINA SHALE Shale high enough in aluminum to serve as a source of that metal has been found in northeastern China (Table 2). [ ] In Manchuria, the Manchuria Light Metals Co., at Antung and Fushun, operating under Japanese control, has been the only active producer of aluminum. It is not known, however, whether the company uses local raw materials or imports ore from elsewhere.* SHANTUNG BAUXITE Bauxite was first recognized in China at Paoshan, Shantung province. Although the reserve is reported to be large (estimated at 271 million tons), the high content of insoluble residue (Si02) and mineral composition (diaspore) are dis-

Jan 1, 1946

By D. Torrey

CONSIDERING the two great interests of to-day, in iron upon the one hand and steel upon the other, and recognizing with measurable distinctness the peculiar fitness of each for special services to which they are applied, the proposition to unite the two metals in combination, to bring into simultaneous use the peculiar advantages which each offers, has great attractions. The limited success which has been attained by trying to bring about such combinations of the two metals through the use of fluxes in welding, has led to the general adoption of the opinion that an effective union of the two metals is impracticable, or to the view that if practicable it would have but limited commercial value. Such opinions are, I think, premature and erroneous, and having gained some knowledge of the character and value of the "Wheeler process" for welding iron and steel without the use of fluxes, I submit the following observations and opinions of the matter for your information, with the hope of eliciting such a discussion of the subject as it may require. The principle of the invention is to bring the two metals simultaneously to a welding heat in one pile, and then to manipulate it.

Jan 1, 1879

By Volker Ruth

DURING an experimental investigation of the Kirken dall effect in the Ag-Au system, cracks along grain boundaries in connection with a shift of adjoining crys tallites are observed on the gold-rich side of the couple. Also on the gold-rich side the formation of a zone of small protrusions is found.' The growth law of the width of this zone indicates that the protrusion formation is a secondary effect of diffusion. The protrusions are not found within a distance of approximately 60 from a grain boundary. Unaffected regions along grain boundaries were also observed by Doherty and Davis during precipitation of vacancies in aluminum2 and by Wyon and Lacombe during precipitation of iron in aluminum.3 Thus we may suppose that we have an effect analogous to precipitation in which the crystal tends to maintain its equilibrium vacancy concentration by transporting excess atoms to the surface. At an early stage (i.e., before sintering has influenced the shape of the protrusions) the protrusions have similar shapes (three sided pyramids and roof shapes) and similar orientations within a single grain but vary from one grain to another. Further experiments were carried out on cylindrical Au-Ag single crystal couples. During the weld-

Jan 1, 1963

By B. L. Thane

Within the past few years, the mining industry has taken a new impetus in all its branches. New mines are being opened every day, while old ones, which have been either working at a loss, or have been compelled to shut down, are now gradually being reopened and placed on a paying basis. This growth and new life is due, in a measure, to the discovery of new mining districts, but the most important cause of the progress is the wonderful advance that has been made in all branches of mine-engineering. By means of the important inventions and discoveries that have been made in mechanics, chemistry, and electricity, we are now able to work ores which, only a short time ago, would have been regarded as worthless. We find, for instance, the electrician eliminating two of our greatest difficulties, those of distance and superior elevation, while the mechanic has brought to the highest degree of perfection, not only ore-crushing and hoisting machinery, but all such devices as pertain to the mechanical handling of ores, and, at the same time, the metallurgist, with his combined chemical and mechanical skill, has helped us to extract the precious metals from the most refractory of ores. But when we turn to examine methods in actual use for

Jan 1, 1900

E.T. CONNER;. Scranton;. Pa-I had the honor of being associated with Mid. Griffith in an investigation of the Scranton mine cave problem several years ago; in the course of which we investigated rather carefully the bearing strength of various materials that might be utilized for, the support of over We found that there were no reliable data as to the resisting strength, for instance, of gob pillars or timber cogs or cribs, nor as to the amount of compression that might be expected under a given burden. We made a series of tests at the Fritz engineering laboratory of Lehigh University, from which we, reduced certain conclusions, subject, however, to further test before they could be definitely recommended. Onr study of the subject was later checked by a commission appointed by the Governor of the State of Pennsylvania, to investigate the same subject the subsidence of the surface, and the danger entailed thereby. The State, commission made a series of tests on a much more ambitious scale at Pittsburgh, in the laboratory of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, and their tests agreed quite closely with those that Mr. Griffith and I had made. As the result of our study, we determined that the most elastic support is the ordinary timber cog or crib, while the most rigid support is a

Jan 1, 1918

By A. G. Metcalfe

THE failure to detect any change in the thermal properties of cobalt at the Curie point would appear to indicate that the apparatus may have a limited sensitivity. The Curie temperature has been determined by direct methods to be 1121+3°CP and 1131°C.3 The specific heat has been determined many times'.' and weighted values are given in Table I. The allotropic transformations in iron and titanium, used by the authors to test the experiment method, involved a volume change of the order of 3 pct on going from the close-packed to the body-centered-cubic lattice. These energy changes are likely to be much larger than those involved in a diffusionless transformation from a hexagonal to a cubic-close-packed lattice. However, it has been pointed out that thermal observations are unreliable in the detection of phase changes when these are near a Curie point.' James 0. McCaldin and Pol Duwez (authors' reply)—The sensitivity of the present technique is limited to first-order transformations, so that gradual changes in specific heat, e.g., in the vicinity of Curie points, are not detected. Furthermore, the existence of first-order transformations with latent heats much smaller than those occurring in the known allotropic transformations of iron and titanium is, we agree, still pending.

Jan 1, 1956

By A. L. Holley

The three principal mines from which the celebrated Salisbury iron ores are obtained are called respectively the "Old Hill," "Davis," and "Chatfield" ore beds, and are situated in the town of Salisbury, Litchfield County, Conn., on the eastern slope of the Tocconuc range of hills.* The Old Hill Ore Bed is a tract of land of 100 acres, originally granted by the General Court in October, 1731, to be laid out by Daniel Bissell of Windsor. It mas Boon after surveyed and located by Ezekiel Ashley and John Pell. The descendants of Ashley are still proprietors in the mine. The supply of ore has been very abundant, and for many years was easily obtained, but latterly the cost of raising has been greatly increased. Up to about 1840 the average yield was estimated to be about 4500 tons per annum. The production has gradually increased until the average yield at present is estimated at 15,000 tons annually. The largest production in any one ymr was about 20,000 tons. The proprietors of this mine were incorporated many years ago under the style of " The Salisbury Ore Bed Proprietors." The Davis Ore Bed, named after an early owner, was originally called Hendricks Ore Bed, and was owned before the organization of the town of Salisbury by Thomas Lamb, one of the first settlers

Jan 1, 1879

By Richard Moldenke

In crowding the recent mass of work on the physics of cast-iron into the compass of a short review, I cannot do better than to follow the lines of Mr. W. R. Webster's suggestion, made at the Florida meeting of the Institute, March, 1895.' The classification of the properties of the metal, and the influences to which it is subjected during the various processes it undergoes, is quite complete; and as Mr. Webster gives it again in full in another paper at the present meeting, a simple reference to it now will be sufficient. I. Correspondence Between Chemical Composition, and Melting-Point, Fluidity, Shrinkage, Fracture,Chill, Micro-Structure, and Other Physical Properties. Melting-Point.—The melting-point of cast-iron had long been a subject of controversy among foundrymen. They knew that a hard iron melted faster than a soft one, but this effect was occasionally disputed, and the reasons given were unsatisfactory; but could not be well controverted. It was my good fortune to take the actual melting-temperatures of some 70 pig-irons and castings; the Le Chatelier pyrometer, suitably protected, being introduced into the interior, and the iron melted off in a specially-constructed cupola. The irons had been previously analyzed by taking the borings at the point of the intro-

Jan 1, 1905

By C. W. Crispell

The four nomograms presented in this article were designed to simplify and make more rapid the calculations connected with the compression and transmission of air. The formulae involved are rather complicated, but the graphic solutions are simple; their use requires an ability to follow explicit directions and to interpolate values on a logarithmic sca1e. † For the sake of convenience, the nomograms will be divided into two classes, and the purpose and accuracy of each will be discussed. Power foR CompREssion It is frequently desirable to determine the horsepower necessary to compress a given amount of free air from atmospheric pressure to a certain final pressure. The nomograms in Fig. 1 and 2 present a rapid method of calculating the horsepower required to compress 1 cu. ft. of free air per minute by single or two-stage compression. The general formula for the horsepower required to compress air adiabatically is: S X 144 PVn [(P')n-1/sn -1 (1) where: P = absolute atmospheric pressure at compressor, in pounds per square inch. P' = final absolute pressure of compressed air, -in pounds per square inch. V = volume of free air compressed per minute, in cubic feet. S = number of stages. n = exponent of the compression curve.

Jan 1, 1918

By C. W. Crispell

THE four nomograms presented in this article were designed to simplify and make more, rapid the calculations connected with the compression and transmission of air. The formulae involved are rather complicated, but the graphic solutions are simple; their use requires an ability to follow explicit directions and to interpolate values on a logarithmic scale. ? For the sake of convenience, the nomograms will be divided into two classes, and the purpose and accuracy of each will be discussed. Compression It is frequently desirable to determine the horsepower necessary to compress a given amount of free air from atmospheric pressure to a certain final pressure. The nomograms in Figs. 1 and 2 present a rapid method of calculating the horsepower required to compress 1 cu. ft. of free air per minute by single or two-stage compression. The general formula for the horsepower required to compress air adiabatically is: HP = S X 144/33,000 PVn/(n-1) [(P'/P) n-1/Sn -1] (1) where: P = absolute atmospheric pressure at compressor, in pounds per square inch. P' = final absolute pressure of compressed air, in pounds per square inch. V = volume of free air compressed per minute, in cubic feet. S = number of stages. n = exponent of the compression curve.

Jan 6, 1917

By Robert A. Cummings, Francis S. Kendorski

The behavior of the rock mass during block caving affects the production of the mine and dictates the loads and deformations placed on required drifts. Traditionally, the drifts used are massively reinforced and buttressed against very high and erratic mining- induced abutment loads or swell muck loads, resulting from undercut- ting. Extensive field investigations in numerous block caving mines in the porphyry intrusive environment, coupled with models developed for tunneling and longwall coal mining, have allowed the development of a unified hypothesis for ore bodies of various degrees of competence. In general, the hypothesis incorporates several sequential steps in the driftlrock mass deformation history, each with characteristic magnitudes, duration, and areal extents depending on ore body competence. 1. Prior to initiating caving, but subsequent to drift development, the rock mass and drift are in a state of near-equilibrium. Zones of stress concentration have stabilized, as for a tunnel. 2. For a newly undercut panel, the rock mass and drifts directly beneath the undercut respond by dilating towards the void created, and undergo a release of compressive strain that manifests itself as tensile failures. 3. For adjacent areas, the rock mass is compressed as the load is shed from the undercut level.

Jan 1, 1983

By Gail F. Moulton

In spite of an increase of 7 cents per barrel in the posted price of oil for the Panhandle field effective June 16, 1943, there was less drilling during 1943 than ir, any of the several previous years. The drilling statistics are compiled as Table 2 and show the material increase in the percentage of the total number of field wells completed as dry holes. This increase suggests that the productive area of the field is largely drilled up on the well-spacing pattern now followed and that new discoveries will be required to permit any important new activity in the area. The fact that only four wildcats were drilled in the area during the year indicates that some new prospecting technique or some ncw point of view is required to stimulate exploration. No new producing areas were discovered during 1943 and no additions to oil reserves were made through extensions or discovery 'of new pays. Accordingly, the proven reserves in the area declined by the amount of the production, or nearly 31 million barrels. These results of drilling are similar to those obtained during 1942, whcn no new oil areas were discovered as a result of wild-catting, a total of five wildcat wells in 1942 resulting in four failures and one gas-fieid discovery of undetermined merit. sion. The number of oil-producing wells reported by the Commission increased during the year by 163 to a total of 5576 as of December.

Jan 1, 1944