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LIST OF THE MEETINGS OF THE INSTITUTE AND THEIR LOCALITIES FROM ITS ORGANIZATION Transactions Number Place Date Vol Page I Wilkes-Barre, Pa * May, 1871 I 3 II Bethlehem, Pa August, 1871 I 10 III Troy, N Y November, 1871 I 13 IV Philadelphia, Pa February, 1872 I 17 V New York, N Y * May, 1872 I 20 VI Pittsburg, Pa October, 1872 I 25 VII Boston, Mass February, 1873 I 28 VIII Philadelphia, Pa * May, 1873 II 3 IX Easton, Pa October, 1873 II 7 X New York, N Y February, 1874 II 11 XI St Louis, Mo * May, 1874 III 3 XII Hazleton, Pa October, 1874 III 8 XIII New Haven, Conn February, 1875 III 15 XIV Dover, N J * May, 1875 IV 3 XV Cleveland, 0 October, 1875 IV 9 XVI Washington, D C February, 1876 IV 8 XVII Philadelphia, Pat June, 1876, V XVIII Philadelphia, Pa October, 1876 V 9 XIX New York, N Y February, 1877 v 27 XX Wilkes-Barre, Pa * May, 1877 vi 3 XXI Amenia, N Y October, 1877 vi 10

Jan 1, 1910

LIST OF THE MEETINGS OF THE INSTITUTE AND THEIR LOCALITIES FROM ITS ORGANIZATION Transactions Number Place Date Vol Page 1 Wilkes-Barre, Pa May, 1871 1 3 2 Bethlehem, Pa August, 1871 1 10 3 Troy, N Y November, 1871 1 13 4 Philadelphia, Pa February, 1872 1 17 5 New York, N Y May, 1872 1 20 6 Pittsburg, Pa October, 1872 1 25 7 Boston, Mass February, 1873 1 28 8 Philadelphia, Pa May, 1873 2 3 9 Easton, Pa October, 1873 2 7 10 New York, N Y February, 1874 211 11 St Louis, Mo May, 1874 3 3 12 Hazleton, Pa October, 1874 3 8 13 New Haven, Conn February, 1875 3 15 14 Dover, N J May, 1875 4 3 15 Cleveland, 0 October, 1875 4 9 16 Washington, D C February, 1876 4 18 17 Philadelphia, Pat June, 1876, 5 3 18 Philadelphia, Pa October, 1876 5 9 19 New York, N Y February, 1877 5 27 20 Wilkes-Barre, Pa May, 1877 6 3 21 Amenia, N Y October, 1877 6 10

Jan 1, 1917

LIST OF THE MEETINGS OF THE INSTITUTE AND THEIR LOCALITIES FROM ITS ORGANIZATION Transactions Number Place Date Vol Page I Wilkes-Barre, Pa * May, 1871 I 3 II Bethlehem, Pa August, 1871 I 10 III Troy, N Y November, 1871 I 13 IV Philadelphia, Pa February, 1872 I 17 V New York, N Y * May, 1872 I 20 VI Pittsburg, Pa October, 1872 I 25 VII Boston, Mass February, 1873 I 28 VIII Philadelphia, Pa * May, 1873 II 3 IX Easton, Pa October, 1873 II 7 X New York, N Y February, 1874 II 11 XI St Louis, Mo * May, 1874 III 3 XII Hazleton, Pa October, 1874 III 8 XIII New Haven, Conn February, 1875 III 15 XIV Dover, N J * May, 1875 IV 3 XV Cleveland, 0 October, 1875 IV 9 XVI Washington, D C February, 1876 IV 8 XVII Philadelphia, Pat June, 1876, V XVIII Philadelphia, Pa October, 1876 V 9 XIX New York, N Y February, 1877 v 27 XX Wilkes-Barre, Pa * May, 1877 vi 3 XXI Amenia, N Y October, 1877 vi 10

Jan 1, 1917

LIST OF THE MEETINGS OF THE INSTITUTE AND THEIR LOCALITIES FROM ITS ORGANIZATION Transactions Number Place Date Vol Page I Wilkes-Barre, Pa * May, 1871 I 3 II Bethlehem, Pa August, 1871 I 10 III Troy, N Y November, 1871 I 13 IV Philadelphia, Pa February, 1872 I 17 V New York, N Y * May, 1872 I 20 VI Pittsburg, Pa October, 1872 I 25 VII Boston, Mass February, 1873 I 28 VIII Philadelphia, Pa * May, 1873 II 3 IX Easton, Pa October, 1873 II 7 X New York, N Y February, 1874 II 11 XI St Louis, Mo * May, 1874 III 3 XII Hazleton, Pa October, 1874 III 8 XIII New Haven, Conn February, 1875 III 15 XIV Dover, N J * May, 1875 IV 3 XV Cleveland, 0 October, 1875 IV 9 XVI Washington, D C February, 1876 IV 8 XVII Philadelphia, Pat June, 1876, V XVIII Philadelphia, Pa October, 1876 V 9 XIX New York, N Y February, 1877 v 27 XX Wilkes-Barre, Pa * May, 1877 vi 3 XXI Amenia, N Y October, 1877 vi 10

Jan 1, 1917

LIST OF THE MEETINGS OF THE INSTITUTE AND THEIR LOCALITIES FROM ITS ORGANIZATION Transactions Number Place Date Vol Page I Wilkes-Barre, Pa * May, 1871 I 3 II Bethlehem, Pa August, 1871 I 10 III Troy, N Y November, 1871 I 13 IV Philadelphia, Pa February, 1872 I 17 V New York, N Y * May, 1872 I 20 VI Pittsburg, Pa October, 1872 I 25 VII Boston, Mass February, 1873 I 28 VIII Philadelphia, Pa * May, 1873 II 3 IX Easton, Pa October, 1873 II 7 X New York, N Y February, 1874 II 11 XI St Louis, Mo * May, 1874 III 3 XII Hazleton, Pa October, 1874 III 8 XIII New Haven, Conn February, 1875 III 15 XIV Dover, N J * May, 1875 IV 3 XV Cleveland, 0 October, 1875 IV 9 XVI Washington, D C February, 1876 IV 8 XVII Philadelphia, Pat June, 1876, V XVIII Philadelphia, Pa October, 1876 V 9 XIX New York, N Y February, 1877 v 27 XX Wilkes-Barre, Pa * May, 1877 vi 3 XXI Amenia, N Y October, 1877 vi 10

Jan 1, 1917

LIST OF THE MEETINGS OF THE INSTITUTE AND THEIR LOCALITIES FROM ITS ORGANIZATION Transactions Number Place Date Vol Page I Wilkes-Barre, Pa * May, 1871 I 3 II Bethlehem, Pa August, 1871 I 10 III Troy, N Y November, 1871 I 13 IV Philadelphia, Pa February, 1872 I 17 V New York, N Y * May, 1872 I 20 VI Pittsburg, Pa October, 1872 I 25 VII Boston, Mass February, 1873 I 28 VIII Philadelphia, Pa * May, 1873 II 3 IX Easton, Pa October, 1873 II 7 X New York, N Y February, 1874 II 11 XI St Louis, Mo * May, 1874 III 3 XII Hazleton, Pa October, 1874 III 8 XIII New Haven, Conn February, 1875 III 15 XIV Dover, N J * May, 1875 IV 3 XV Cleveland, 0 October, 1875 IV 9 XVI Washington, D C February, 1876 IV 8 XVII Philadelphia, Pat June, 1876, V XVIII Philadelphia, Pa October, 1876 V 9 XIX New York, N Y February, 1877 v 27 XX Wilkes-Barre, Pa * May, 1877 vi 3 XXI Amenia, N Y October, 1877 vi 10

Jan 1, 1910

By R. S. Bradley

WHAT are known as insulating firebrick are lightweight firebrick with low thermal conductivity designed primarily for use in direct contact with furnace gases. These are a recent development in the refractories industry, and are really an outgrowth of the type of insulating brick suitable for use behind refractory walls developed by the insulation manufacturers. To differentiate between these two types of brick, the manufacturers have recently agreed upon the use of the term "Insulating Firebrick" to apply to the type of brick suited for use in direct contact with furnace gases, and the term "Insulating Brick" for the type suitable for use behind refractory walls. Insulation was applied to steam pipes as far back as 1900. This was a low-temperature insulation, the most common type being magnesia blocks. The next development was applying insulation to the outside of furnace walls, a service which necessitated an insulating material of higher temperature resistance. Natural diatomaceous earth, both in the powdered and brick form, was used; this was efficient and is still used extensively for backing up refractory walls where the inner surface temperature of the insulation does not exceed 1600° F.

Jan 1, 1937

By Wm. R. Webster

This is a contribution for the proposed new discussion on the physics of steel. The former discussion on the subject started with the consideration of five papers presented at the Chicago meeting in 1893, and continued for several years. The Suggested Lines of Discussion, prepared by Doctor Howe, covered a wide field and added greatly to the success of the work. Naturally, the first step in a new discussion will be to remodel and bring up to date the old Suggested Lines of Discussion so as to embody all the important advances in the metallurgy of steel that have a bearing on the physics of steel and keep the papers and discussions within the field of work undertaken. This paper will be devoted to the practical application, in rolling steel, of the effects of carbon, phosphorus, and manganese on its tensile strength, with some suggestions on further research work. Dr. J. E. Stead, in his paper Influence of Some Elements on the Mechanical Properties of Steel,' gave a complete review of all that had been done during the past thirty years. He gave full credit to all investigators who worked on these lines, also their results, with his views on same, and in many cases his own results. All of this data and much new valuable information were put in convenient shape for reference and study. To do this required a great deal of work, which is fully appreciated by the steel manufacturers and investigators. The variations in the values given by the different investigators for the increase of the tensile strength of steel for each 0.01 per cent. of carbon, phosphorus, and manganese were largely due to the steels they worked on, the large or small variations in the amount of the elcments present, and the omission to take into consideration all the factors, from the blast furnace through to finished rolled material, that affect the character of the steel. For instance, a poorly made dirty steel requires considerably more carbon to give the same ultimate strength than a well-made clean steel with the same phosphorus and manganese content.

Jan 1, 1922

By Wm. R. Webster

This is a contribution for the proposed new discussion on the physics of steel. The former discussion on the subject started with the consideration of five papers presented at the Chicago meeting in 1893, and continued for several years. The Suggested Lines of Discussion, prepared by Doctor Howe, covered a wide field and added greatly to the success of the work. Naturally, the first step in a new discussion will be to remodel and bring up to date the old Suggested Lines of Discussion so as to embody all the important advances in the metallurgy of steel that have a bearing on the physics of steel and keep the papers and discussions within the field of work undertaken. This paper will be devoted to the practical application, in rolling steel, of the effects of carbon, phosphorus, and manganese on its tensile strength, with some suggestions on further research work. Dr. J. E. Stead, in his paper Influence of Some Elements on the Mechanical Properties of Steel,' gave a complete review of all that had been done during the past thirty years. He gave full credit to all investigators who worked on these lines, also their results, with his views on same, and in many cases his own results. All of this data and much new valuable information were put in convenient shape for reference and study. To do this required a great deal of work, which is fully appreciated by the steel manufacturers and investigators. The variations in the values given by the different investigators for the increase of the tensile strength of steel for each 0.01 per cent. of carbon, phosphorus, and manganese were largely due to the steels they worked on, the large or small variations in the amount of the elcments present, and the omission to take into consideration all the factors, from the blast furnace through to finished rolled material, that affect the character of the steel. For instance, a poorly made dirty steel requires considerably more carbon to give the same ultimate strength than a well-made clean steel with the same phosphorus and manganese content.

Jan 1, 1922

THE Institute conducts jointly with the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Institute of Electrical Engineers, certain activities as listed below, and is joint owner with them of certain properties situated at 29 West 39th Street in New York City United Engineering Trustees, Inc. When Mr Carnegie made his gift, "for the erection of a suitable union home" for the engineering societies, United Engineering Trustees, Inc (then United Engineering Society) was chartered under Chapter 703, Laws of the State of New York, 1904, for "the advancement of the engineering arts and sciences in all their branches, and to maintain a free public engineering library" The Corporation was further empowered to acquire real and personal property and to use, maintain and occupy it, with the provision that any building erected by the Corporation shall be used perpetually as a meeting place and headquarters for the Founder Societies Thus the Carnegie gift realized the ideal of bringing the engineering societies together under one roof, and the Corporation through its members nominated in equal numbers by the four Founder Societies had the necessary authority to act for the Founder Societies in their joint interests in owning and operating for them not only Engineering Societies Building, but in the course of time, Engineering Societies Library, and

Jan 1, 1952

By Wm. R. Webster

THIS is a contribution for the proposed new discussion on the physics of steel. The former discussion on the subject started with the consideration of five papers presented at the Chicago meeting in 1893, and continued for several years. The Suggested Lines of Discussion, prepared by Doctor Howe, covered a wide field and added greatly to the success of the work. Naturally, the first step in a new discussion will be to remodel and bring up to date the old Suggested Lines of Discussion so as to embody all the important advances in the metallurgy of steel that have a bearing on the physics of steel and keep the papers and discussions within the field of work undertaken. This paper will be devoted to the practical application, in rolling steel, of the effects of carbon, phosphorus, and manganese on its tensile strength, with some suggestions on further research work. Dr. J. E. Stead, in his paper Influence of Some Elements on the Mechanical Properties of Steel,1 gave a complete review of all that had been done during the past thirty years. He gave full credit to all investigators who worked on these lines, also their results, with his views on same, and in many cases his own results. All of this data and much new valuable information were put in convenient shape for reference and study. To do this required a great deal of work, which is fully appreciated by the steel manufacturers and investigators. The variations in the values given by the different investigators for the increase of the tensile strength of steel for each 0.01 per cent. of carbon, phosphorus, and manganese were largely due to the steels they worked on, the large or small variations in the amount of the elements present, and the omission to take into consideration all the factors, from the blast furnace through to finished rolled material, that affect the character of the steel. For instance, a poorly made dirty steel requires considerably more carbon to give the same ultimate strength than a well-made clean steel with the same phosphorus and manganese content.

Jan 3, 1921

AN announcement of the annual meeting to be held in New York, Feb. 14 to 17 inclusive is being mailed to all members. Particular attention is called to the necessity of asking for certificates when you purchase your ticket in order that all may secure reduced return fares.

Jan 1, 1927

By Thomas V. Falkie, Robert Stefanko

Much has been said and written recently about the manpower problem in the mining industry. The coal segment of the industry has been scrambling to staff and man its companies and operations in order to accommodate the current boom, and there are some interesting side- lights and developments which deserve further attention from coal mining people. This column will deal with the manpower problem in general and the plight of the professional-the mining engineer-in particular. At this point in the game, it is desirable and perhaps necessary to ask ourselves if there really is a manpower problem and, if so, how serious it is. Suprisingly, there are varying and conflicting answers to this question. If we are talking about warm bodies, then in most mining areas there is no problem. If, however, we are talking about skilled or trained people-at all levels-there are apparently serious shortages, especially in the coal industry and in the U. S. Bureau of Mines. To define quantitatively the present and future need for mining professionals is a formidable task, to say the least. Without pretending that these figures are anything but an educated guess, we feel there is an immediate need for about 1000 mining engineers right now and a continuing need for about 300 mining school graduates per year (double last year's number) for the next ten years in order to take up the slack, provide for attrition and maintain a normal growth rate. Mining companies, large and small, are just now beginning to realize that the industry is undergoing a revolution, It is no longer possible to design, build and operate coal mines by the "seat of the pants." Production demands, the new health and safety law and the inevitable new legislation on surface mining will require more engineering, more planning and new technology. There are mine operators who need mining engineers and don't even know that they need them. This could mean rough going for the small operator. It surely means that there will be a trend toward increasing the ratio of technical to nontechnical employees and the ratio of technical employees to dollars of capital towards levels comparable with other highly mechanized industries.

Jan 1, 1971

By L. Dudley Stamp

In my last report on Petroleum in Burma and India1, details were given of production and development up to 1932. It was pointed nut, that the only statements available for Burma were those published officially by' the Government of India in the Annual Review of the Mineral Production of India (Records of the Geological Survey of India), which are issued about 10 or 11 months after the close of the year. Operations in Burma are almost entirely in the hands of three companies—the Burmah Oil Co., the British Burmah Petroleum Co. (with its subsidiary, the Rangoon Oil Co.) and the Indo-Burma Petroleum Co.—and these companies preserve a policy of secrecy, so that details are not available of new wells, depth, wells abandoned, or of other figures, except in so far as the Government considers it advisable to publish the information in its possession. GeneRal Developments in 1933-1934 As predicted in 1933, there have been no spectacular developments and no new fields have been discovered. Nor are there any new indications of a likelihood of fresh discoveries. The policy of extremely careful exploitation. has been continued and intensified; production is being maintained at an almost steady level and can be so maintained for many years to come—indeed, it is the policy of the leading company to permit refinery and local market requirements to dictate the production required. Contrary to experience in practically every other part of the world, India has shown a slightly decreased demand for petroleum products—especially kerosene, but also for gasoline. The increased use of electricity would explain the lower demand for kerosene, but the falling off in the demand for gasolinc can only be attributed, according to the Chairman of the Burmah Oil Co., to the depression and to the incidence of heavy taxation. In India (including Burma) as a whole, production was 305,018,751 Imperial gallons in 1931 (8,714,822 U. S. barrels); 308,606,031 Imp. gal. in 1932; 306,009,022 in 1933 and is estimated at 308,000,000 in 1934.

Jan 1, 1935

By Zay Jeffries

AMONG the various metals with low specific gravity, two, aluminum and magnesium, are used in the nearly pure state or as bases for light-weight alloys. Although the production of magnesium is only about one-twenty-fifth that of aluminum, a higher percentage of its output is used in the transportation industry than that of any other metal. The per-centage varies from year to year but, on the average, more than three-fourths of the magnesium production has been used for this purpose. In the United States, about 40 per cent of the aluminum production is used for transportation purposes. It seems obvious that equipment demanding repeated movement with need for rapid acceleration and deceleration should be as light in weight as the economics of engineering materials will permit. There are, however, differences of opinion with reference to both the economics and the engineering aspects of this subject. Tables 1 to 7 inclusive relate to the principal light-metal materials currently used in the transportation industry. These, with the accom-panying titles and footnotes, are in the main self-explanatory. Although the variations in mechanical properties can be easily seen from the tables, it should be kept in mind that the values given are for ordinary tempera-tures and that the changes in properties with temperature are not the same for the different alloys. Also, the corrosion properties cannot be deduced accurately either from the compositions or from the physical properties. Again, certain of these alloys are used because they possess desirable combinations of properties not listed in tine tables, including heat conductivity, coefficient of expansion, machinability, ease of casting or working, light reflectivity, anodic coating characteristics, etc. These, together with variations in prices, must be given careful analysis to effec-tively utilize the light alloys. Some of the alloys listed in the tables are new and some are old, but all are standard. Even the older alloys are available in new shapes and larger sizes than heretofore, and all are used in the transportation industry in structures of new design. Certain of the applications of specific alloys will be touched upon in the following brief history of the use of the light metals in transportation.

Jan 1, 1936

By W. A. Nagel, R. P. Alger, H. Sherman, J. Tittmann

A sidewall epithermal neutron tool has been developed to substantially reduce environmental effects that have previously complicated neutron log interpretation. Designed for operation in uncased wells, the device provides increased accuracy in both liquid-filled and empty holes. A brief discussion of neutron moderation, diffusion and capture shows that logs using epithermal neutron detection depend on a smaller number of formation-characterizing parameters than those using thermal neutron or capture gamma ray detection. Thus, they come closer to providing an unambiguorls determination of hydrogen content. In this new device a directionally sensitive epithertnal neutron detection system has been incorporated in a side-wall source-detector skid to minimize borehole effects. The effects of variations in borehole size and shape, mud type, temperature and salinity are greatly reduced. Small residual borehole effects are then computationally accounted for in the surface control panel to provide a borehole-corrected neutron log. The log presents a direct recording of neutron-derived porosity on a linear scale. With corrections for borehole effects already applied, this direct recording of porosity simplifies log interpretation. Furthermore, comparison with a linear porosity presentation of a formation density log permits sandstones, limestones and dolomites to be readily identified. Thus, in complex or variable lithology, porosity is determined with greater accuracy and reliability than heretofore. Laboratory data and field results demonstrate the improvements in neutron logging afforded by this new side-wall epithermal neutron logging device. INTRODUCTION The new Sidewall Neutron Porosity (SNP) logging system, designed for use in uncased wells, provides reliability and accuracy never before achieved with neutron logs. The effects of variations in borehole diameter and shape, fluid salinity, mud weight and temperature—parameters that have long complicated neutron log interpretation— are suppressed or corrected for by this sidewall epithermal neutron detection system. Furthermore, to simplify interpretation the SNP log presents a direct recording of computed porosity on a linear scale. The performance improvements achieved by this new system arise primarily from the combination of two im- portant design features. First. though not unique to this new tool, an epithermal neutron detection system is used,',' Epithermal neutron detection substantially reduces the perturbing influences of the thermal neutron absorption properties of rock matrices and water salinity. Second, the neutron detection system is mounted in a directionally sensitive sidewall skid to greatly minimize borehole effects. The purpose of this paper is to explain briefy the advantages offered by the detection of epithermal neutrons, to describe the SNP equipment and the log, to present calibration and correction data and to give examples of interpretation methods made especially convenient by this new system. ADVANTAGES OF EPITHERMAL NEUTRON DETECTION Epithermal neutron detection, of all the neutron methods in current commercial use, provides the simplest determination of formation hydrogen content. Advantages of epithermal neutron detectors, as compared with thermal neutron and gamma ray detectors, are probably best explained by a brief review of the life of a source-emitted neutron. A fast neutron from the source will eventually be cap-tured by the nucleus of an atom. However. before capture is likely to occur, the fast neutron (energy of 100,000 electron volts (ev) or more) will be slowed down until it is in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings. The neutron is then considered to be a "thermal" neutron (average energy of 0.025 ev at 25C). The overwhelming majority of the slowing down thus occurs in reaching epithermal energies (energies just above thermal—0.5 to several ev). After reaching thermal energy. the neutron will "diffuse" through the formation with, on the average, no further energy change until capture. Upon the capture of the thermal neutron, relatively high energy gamma rays arc usually emitted. Hydrogen plays a very important role in the process of slowing down fast neutrons. On the other hand, the absorption effects of water salinity and low concentrations of other strong thermal neutron absorbers—relatively unimportant in the moderation process-—are very important in thermal diffusion, capture and the production of gamma rays. Thus, by detecting only epithermal neutrons with the SNP, spurious effects due to these thermal neutron absorbers are greatly minimized as compared to the effects on tools using thermal neutron or gamma ray detectors. The epithermal neutron detection system affords another important advantage. Log response in various litho-

Jan 1, 1967

By R. E. Barnes

An overall view of the perlite industry is concisely presented. The geology, mining, milling, processing, and applications of perlite, as well as the present status of the perlite industry are treated. Perlite, in strict petrological usage, describes a specific variety of volcanic glass in which strain, incident to cooling, yielded a concentric structure of fracturing which may be visible either to the naked eye or under a microscope. In commercial usage, the term perlite includes any naturally occurring acidic glass of volcanic origin that will expand when heated to a suitable temperature. The name perlite is a derivation of perlstein which originally defined "certain glassy rocks (hyaloliparites, hyalo-rhyolites) with numerous concentric cracks, from the fancied resemblance of broken out fragments to pearls."1 While perlite has been known to geologists for many years, it was not until 1941, while investigating perlite for use in enamel, that an assayer in Superior, Ariz., noted the unusual expansion characteristics of the ore. Further investigations were delayed until following World War II when many small plants were built and experimentation in the treatment and uses of perlite began. The Perlite Inst. was organized in 1949 to promote the development of the new industry, establish commercial standards through research, and to explore new uses and markets. The Institute, located in New York, represents some 50 producers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mexico, and New Zealand. In 1949, 71,l002 short tons of crude perlite were produced, sold or used by U. S. producers, and this figure increased to 325,0003 short tons by 1959. Such a rate of increase indicates the rapid and continuing growth of the perlite industry. GEOLOGY Perlite ore in its crude form has been found in seven of the mountainous western states, since un-devitrified siliceous volcanic rocks are limited to this section of the U. S. Commercially operated perlite deposits are normally of Eocene and Oli-gocene age.4 These deposits are often several hundred feet thick and may extend over hundreds of acres. In 1959, 13 companies in six states produced crude perlite, although the output in New Mexico comprised 79 pct of the total domestic crude output. Other states in order of their production were: Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado, and Utah.5 Foreign deposits of perlite which are either producing or under exploration are Australia, Canada, Greece, Hungary,6 Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Sardinia. The ore may exhibit a variety of characteristics depending partially on its water content and eruption history and may range through many shades from black to white. While these characteristics may vary slightly among deposits, perlite ore from a particular source is normally quite uniform. Available chemical analyses of perlites from a large sampling of domestic deposits were recently assembled by the Technical Committee of Perlite Institute and are presented in Table I. While the ranges given do not apply to a particular perlite, they are an indication of the chemical analysis which may be expected from any presently commercially operated deposit. The specific gravity of the perlite ore ranges between 2.2 and 2.4, and its bulk density when crushed and sized is 75 to 90 Ib per cu ft. MINING AND MILLING Perlite ore is quarried from open pits by conventional power equipment, although blasting has been occasionally employed. The rock is then stock-piled until needed. While the milling of perlite may seem a simple process compared to that required for basic metals, or even other nonmetals, the need for accurate control of particle size becomes extremely important in further processing. The first step in this operation is the primary crusher, which is normally a jaw crusher. Following crushing, the material is dried, if necessary, in a rotary dryer and conveyed to a secondary grinder which may be a rod mill, hammer-mill, or cone crusher. However, the crushing characteristics of the perlite, caused by incipient cooling fractures, requires it be removed from the grinding operation once it is reduced to the required size so as to prevent overgrinding. Following the grinding operations, various size screens are used to separate the ore according to particle sizes required for particular uses. Most plants use two or more stages of crushing with perhaps four stages of screening.

Jan 1, 1961

By Michael J. Messel

OF the various minerals that occur in fibrous form known as asbestos, chryso-tile is the variety most in demand for commercial uses, and, last year, over 683,000 tons of the various grades were produced in Canada and United States, exclusive of African and Russian production, which figures are uncertain. Production has not been able to keep up with the increased demand, and an acute shortage exists. Canada, Russia, and Africa are still the most important producers. However, Russia consumes most of its production at home and exports very little. The United States consumes over 60 pct of the total production and produces only about 4 pct of the total from deposits in Vermont and small quantities from Arizona. This paper will review mainly, some of the more recent developments concerned with the extraction and processing of this fibrous mineral for various industrial uses, such as textiles, insulation, building materials and brake linings. Four of the more important factors that have influenced recent developments are: 1. The lack of discovering and developing new deposits of any important size to supply the increased demand. 2. Rapid postwar expansion of industrial uses, especially in asbestos cement products, together with in-rreased manufacturing facilities. Euro-peal) countries are again back on the market with their demand. 3. The ability of manufacturers to develop their technique of blending fibers and obtaining more utility value out of each ton of fiber, together with the utilization of shorter grades of fiber to obtain equally as good products. In the past, many manufacturers were wasteful in their use of fibers. 4. The struggle for reduced operating costs, in face of increased wages and prices of supplies, together with the necessity, at some mines, to change the method of mining from open quarry to underground. Most of the recent capital invested in the asbestos mining industry has gone into more efficient extraction of the fibers from the existing ore, especially in the recovery of the shorter grades. There has been very little new plant expansion. Progress in the utilization of shorter fibers has been so far reaching that some of the mining companies are retreating present tailings as they leave the mill, and others are considering retreating of the old tailing dumps for recovery of fibers that, until recently, were not saleable and were discarded as part of the tailing. Many of these dumps contain much valuable fiber from days when milling was very inefficient. It might be appropriate to mention here that the present known asbestos reserves of proved commercial value (excluding Russia) are being depleted at an alarmingly rapid rate, about 10,000,000 tons of ore is being mined annually. No new deposits have come into production during the last 15 years, with the exception of certain deposits in Africa, which are the most promising, and minor developments in Canada, Venezuela, Cyprus, Australia, and Brazil. The African deposits are the only ones that hold promise of developing large reserves. Unless new deposits are developed, in twenty years or maybe sooner, the supply picture will not be a very bright one. Stimulated by the acute shortage, increasing fiber prices and technical developments, many new areas are being prospected in Canada, United States, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South America, Europe, Africa, and China. From information now available, it appears that no real progress has been made in duplicating this rare development of nature by producing synthetic asbestos. The most promising experiments were carried out at the University of Leipzig, but they seem far from practical. There has been marked progress in fiber glass manufacture, but so far, it has replaced asbestos only in very few instances for minor uses. Asbestos ore and the fiber it yields are different in some respect at each mine and vary usually in the following: 1. Percentage of fiber content by weight to the gangue. 2. Variations in proportions of long and short fibers, some deposits being predominantly long fiber and others short fiber. 3. The hardness of the rock in which the fiber occurs. 4. The nature of the fiber, as to

Jan 1, 1950

By B. N. Whittaker, C. J. Bonsall

The paper gives an account of the factors influencing the stability of coal mining tunnels and goes on to examine various bases of support and lining design of such tunnels in relation to geological and mining conditions. The different types of coal mining tunnels are compared and comments made regarding the factors influencing their choice and basic design features. Foremost amongst design considerations is the design method and special thought has been given to the validity of different formulae as related particularly to UK Carboniferous geological conditions. Emphasis is placed on the role of the stress field in relation to tunnel stability. Shape of mining tunnel has been investigated and conclusions drawn regarding the merits of different commonly excavated geometries from a stability point of view. Detailed design aspects pertaining to determination of tunnel lining strength and resulting stability are critically examined and current design methods are compared. Data from UK mining tunnels are included as the basis for comparison of these design methods.

Jan 1, 1983

By H. D. Wilde

GREAT emphasis is being placed today on petroleum as a source of chemicals. Such prominence is well merited, for rapid strides have been made in developing processes for the conversion of petroleum into synthetic chemical products, which are now being made on a huge scale. These marvelous accomplishments have resulted in some highly optimistic predictions as to what can be expected in the future. Many of these forecasts are well justified, but some writers, especially those contributing to the Sunday supplements and the popular-cience type of publications, have let their imagination run wild and present a rather distorted picture of the possibilities in this field in the postwar period. Commercial manufacture of synthetic organic chemicals had its beginning in England with the establishment of a plant by Sir William Perkin in 1857 for the manufacture of "Aniline Purple" or "Mauve." The preceding year he had discovered in the laboratory how this dyestuff could be made from aniline, one of the many derivatives of coal tar, and he soon made commercial application of his discovery. Influenced largely by his success, organic chemists began research on production of a vast array of synthetic dyestuffs, medicinals, flavors, scents, and explosives. Rapid progress was made and by the turn of the century hundreds of these products were being manufactured. Most of these synthetic chemicals were derived from materials obtained as by-products in the conversion of coal into coke. These by-products are generally referred to as "aromatics" and are obtained by processing coal tar recovered in the coking process, so they are popularly known as "coal-tar chemicals." During the early years of this century, coal-tar chemistry was the wonder of the age, and rightfully so, since the products so made seemed limitless.

Jan 1, 1944