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By B. H. Bergstrom

The Gaudin-Meloy1 size distribution equation requires the evaluation of two constants, xo and r. The common log-log representation of a screen analysis as cumulative weight percentage passing versus size, readily yields the required constants as illustrated for curves A and B in Fig. 1. The 100% passing (y = 1.0) size is simply x,. If the straight portion of the curve be extrapolated to the 100% passing (y=1.0) abscissa, the intercept is the Schuhmann size modulus, k. The ratio of xo to the size modulus, k, is r as shown: The Gaudin-Meloy equation requires that the slope, a, of the size distribution approach unity in the finer sizes, as is the case for curves A and B. Often distributions are better characterized by slopes other than unity. The schuhmann2 equation is able to represent these distributions if the upper portions of the curves are ignored. Empirically, the Gaudin-Meloy equation can be modified to yield slopes other than unity by writing it as Here, a is the familiar Schuhmann slope, and xo is the 100% passing size. The value of r is still given by Eq. 2. Eq. 4 with its easily determined constants is more versatile than either the Schuhmann or the Gaudin-Meloy equations, since a wide variety of size distributions can be closely described. It is easier to fit than the Rosin-Rammler3 equation, and has the advantage that the top size, x,, is finite. REFERENCES A. M. Gaudin and T. P. Meloy: Model and a Comminution Distribution Equation for Single Fracture, AIME Transactions, 1962, Vol. 223, pp. 40 to 43. R. Schumann, Jr.: principles of comminution, I., size Distribution and Surface Calculations, AIME Technical Publication No. 1187, 1940. P. Rosin and E. Rammler: The Laws coverning the Fineness of Powdered Coal, J. Inst. Fuel, 1933. Vol. 7, p. 29.

Jan 1, 1967

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

INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL INFERENCE The intent of the mineral appraiser in collecting samples from a mineral deposit is to arrive at accurate conclusions concerning the size and value of the deposit. In other words, he wants to derive reliable inferences about the total mineral population from the collected sample data, which (he hopes) is representative of the whole. The discussion of sampling theory in Chapter 2 was oriented toward assuring that our sampling techniques and sampling units would indeed be representative of the total mineral population. Chapter 3 described the most common statistical parameters for defining distribution in various populations. Chapter 4 gave some insight into theoretical distributions of random variables and the probabilities associated with them. The intent of this chapter is to derive inferences from the preceding information about the population mean and the population variance. Knowing something about the normal distribution, and assuming our samples represent a roughly normal population, we can make inferences or logical deductions about the estimated interval or the limits of values which can be assigned to a mineral population. ESTIMATION OF POPULATION PARAMETERS In the application of statistics to mineral deposits it is never possible to know the actual values of the parameters or the theoretical distribution of values within the deposit for which our data are samples. Even after the deposit has been mined out it is questionable if the true value of the parameters can be retrieved accurately, due to dilution, mining, and processing losses. Therefore, our problem is to determine what function of our sample values we should use to estimate the unknown parameters of greatest interest to us-namely, the population mean and the population variance of the deposit. Since we cannot know

Jan 1, 1980

By Norman Brown, Victor V. Damiano

ThE present paper proposes a mechanism of dislocation multiplication at internal inclusions or cavities and presents experimental evidence of such sources in zinc. Using an etching technique recently described by Damiano, Tint, and Herman1 to study the three-dimensional aspects of dislocations in bulk zinc crystals, an investigation was made of helically shaped and closed-loop etch patterns found to be associated with inclusions. Crystals containing 0.1 pet Cd and grown from the melt were deformed slightly by bending and then aged at room temperature to precipitate cadmium at the dislocations. The crystals were cleaved along the (0001) plane and then etched with Gilman's2 etch. Crystals were continuously viewed on the (0001) plane while the etching was in progress and numerous helical and closed-loops etch patterns were continuously recorded as shown in the sequences printed directly from the cine film in Fig. l(a) and (6). These etch patterns are not to be confused with the etch patterns previously reported by Damiano and Herman3 which revealed dissolution spirals on the (0001) plane of high-purity zinc crystals. In the present case, precipitates arranged in the form of closed loops or helicies are progressively uncovered by etching after suitable aging of cadmium doped zinc crystals. Viewed with dark-field illumination as shown in Fig. 2, portions of a helical figure and subboundaries were revealed simultaneously. Continuous viewing while the etching was in progress revealed in Fig. 1(b) that the short line segments observed on single photomicrographs were in fact continuous and described a helix which had its terminus at an inclusion. The observations suggested that a dislocation once nucleated at the interface between the inclusion and matrix may act in such a way as to produce ad-

Jan 1, 1964

By Leo F. Reinartz

This is the fourth and final installment of Leo Reinartz' summation of the steelmaking industry over the first one hundred years. ALTHOUGH basic open-hearth steel has been in the limelight for many years, it has had to share some of its glory with two lesser but nevertheless important rivals, one 50 years old and one a rejuvenated process. Electric steel Electric-steel manufacture began in a humble way in the United States in 1906, when the first heat was tapped from a 3-ton Heroult electric furnace at the Halcomb Steel Co., Syracuse, N. Y. During the intervening years, it has completely eliminated the crucible process. For many years electric melting furnaces were located predominantly in relatively small, nonintegrated plants, making all kinds of high-grade alloy steels. Most of these furnaces, with capacities ranging from 5 to 20 tons, had basic bottoms. During and after World War II, many large basic electric furnaces, some up to 200 tons in capacity, were installed in integrated plants to make commodity steels. There were several reasons for building electric furnaces. Capital investment per annual ton of capacity was low and furnaces could be installed quickly. Since these furnaces used mostly scrap iron in the charge, no extra expensive coke- and blast-furnace capacity had to be added. The perfection of the top-charging design, and the development of large transformers and furnaces, made possible tons per hour as high as from modern 350-ton. open-hearth furnaces. Electric furnaces have high availability and repair costs are low. The process is flexible. Alloy and plain carbon steels of high quality can be made. Where power costs are low, the operating cost can

Jan 1, 1961

By William H. Emmons

Discussion of the paper of William H. Emmons, presented at the Canal Zone meeting, November, 1910, and printed in Bulletin No. 46, October, 1910, pp. 767 to S37. CHARLES R,. KEYES, Des Moines, Ia. (communication to the Secretary*) :-It is not in a spirit of criticism that I offer a supplemental suggestion or two on the subjects covered by this valuable and highly instructive memoir. There are two points which, in my opinion, should have received greater emphasis in Mr. Emmons's excellent paper. One is the fundamental role played by the chlorides under certain conditions in ore-formation. The other is the possible establishment of geographic relationships among the four phenomena of (1) excessive chloridic content of mine-waters; (2) the abundance of chloridic compounds of the precious metals ; (3) the presence of. manganese oxides; and (4) the diminishing importance, in ore-genesis, of the metallic sulphates. Although Mr. Emmons's notes refer to gold alone, it may be pertinently asked whether the same principles do not hold good for silver and copper also, since these metals form, together with gold, a distinct and well-known chemical group. That the reactions involved apply equally well to the other two metals mentioned, is shown by a number of recent observations and discussions. Chloridic ores of silver are, as I have lately endeavored to show, mainly worked in. arid or desert regions only ; and the great deposits of disseminated copper-ores are similarly characteristic of such regions, in which both classes doubtless owe their formation to the abundance of saline materials derived from desert dusts, and to the .plentiful and almost universal presence of manganese oxide. Under these climatic conditions, silver is somewhat more abundantly deposited than copper and gold, because its chloride is so much * Received Nov. 11, 1910.

Jun 1, 1911

By W. D. Donnelly, M. L. Rudee

THE crystallography and morphology of ?-Al3Fe precipitates in an A1 + 0.5 wt pct Fe alloy have been studied by transmission electron microscopy. The alloy was cast in cylindrical ingots, 15 cm in diameter and 60 cm in length, and cooled slowly. The measured composition was 0.527 wt pct Fe, 0.001 wt pct Mg, and 0.003 wt pct Cu. Spectrographic analysis revealed no additional trace impurities. Thin slices were cut from the ingot and reduced by more than 95 pct by rolling to a thickness of 0.1 mm with no intermediate annealing treatments. These thin sheets were then vacuum-annealed for 1 hr at 612°C and air-cooled in their capsules. Thin foils for examination in the electron microscope were prepared by electropolishing. The precipitate is found in the form of oval platelets on the (110) planes of the matrix. The major axes of the platelets are parallel to the (110) directions of the matrix, and vary in length from 1/2 to 2 p. The thickness is about 1/10 µ. Examples of platelets, both in the plane of the foil and normal to the foil, are shown in Figs. l(a) and l(b), respectively. lack' found that ?-A13Fe (more correctly Al13Fe4) belongs to the monoclinic system. Using Black's structural data and simultaneous electron-diffraction patterns from the matrix and precipitates, the habit planes and directions were determined to be: (001)? 1 (110)Al [100]?|| H [001]Al The orthogonal crystallographic axes of the precipitates are accurately in the habit plane, while the measured coincidences of the directions are only within 10 deg. The major axis of the platelet is parallel to [010] in the 0. This orientation corresponds to the direction of nearest registry of the lattices.

Jan 1, 1964

By Maxwell Adams

CONSIDERABLE interest has recently been developed in sage-brush oil because of its possible utilization as a flotation agent in the mining industry. A list of some of its physical properties, together with the method used in its extraction, may prove of interest at this time. Something over a year ago, a study of the essential oils in desert plants was begun in the Chemical Laboratory of the University of Nevada. None of the oils so far studied possess properties of special interest to engineers, except the oil of sage, Artemesia tridentate, which has exceptional power as a flotation agent. This plant, known as common sage brush, also called black sage, is widely distributed over the semi-arid West, being found quite generally on most of the dry plains and mountains west of Missouri. The method of extracting the oil followed in these experiments is very simple. The leaves, twigs and small branches are placed in an airtight drum, having a capacity of about 27 cu. ft. Steam is admitted through a number of small openings at the bottom of the retort, and the pressure maintained at 20 to 25 lb. per sq. in. for 3 hr. The escape of the steam from the retort is regulated by allowing it to pass through a stop-cock into a condenser. The water in the receiver is drawn off from time to time and the oil, which is insoluble and floats upon the water, is thus collected. At the end of 2 hr. most of the oil has been driven out, though traces continue to come over for a much longer time. By raising the pressure, the time required could probably be shortened and the yield increased, but the lack of laboratory equipment has prevented the carrying out of this experiment.

Jan 9, 1916

By I. E. Puddington

The property of surface tension in liquids is said to have been known to Leonardo de Vinci in about 1500. Approximately'300 years later Thomas Young and others provided the ground rules relating surface tension to the wetting of solids and to the pressure drop across curved surfaces. In retrospect it seems remarkable that more than 100 additonal years were required for substantial technological use to be made of the-information. Thus super critical and freeze drying to avoid shrinkage of finely divided solids have only seen industrial use since the 1930's and doubtless additional possible applications will be equally slow in finding concurrence of conditions to make them attractive economically. The use of a second liquid phase that preferentially wets ,a suspended solid as a flocculant for that solid was pointed out in 1943 (1). Combining this phenomenon with mechanical energy to alter the morphology of the flocs or with surface chemistry to utilize it in the selective flocculation in mixed solids required more than an additional decade. A major stimulant in advancing surface energy based technology 'of suspensions was the report by D. I. Stock in 1952 (2) that mechanical agitation of a dry suspension of barium sulphate in benzene produced dense microspheres of the solid with highly desirable sedimentation characteristics. Investigation of this observation revealed that it resulted from small quantities of water in the system and mechanistically the phenomenon was identical with that reported in 1943.withthe addition of mechanical packing (3). Here then was a base from which to separate more efficiently suspended solids, to make small spheres from powders, to separate selected components from mixtures of finely divided solids or to break emulsions. Each of these possible branches of technology has been slow in developing on other than an experimental scale although considerable

Jan 1, 1979

By J. E. Warren

To clarify the specific questions raised by J. E. Warren's discussion, the following remarks are offered. 1. It is correct that stratification is assumed in the application of the statistical zonation technique, but this does not constitute a limitation. If, in fact, the reservoir is not stratified the zonation technique will show it. The reservoir is then considered as one zone with a particular distribution of permeabilities. 2. The statistical zonation technique was intended as wells may not be an adequate measure of the lateral permeability changes; e.g., if the data presented in Table A-4 of the subject paper are evaluated on the basis of two crossed classifications with interaction, the variation between zones is significant with a probability greater than .99; however, the variation betwen wells is also significant with a probability greater than .87. It is apparent that the technique suggested by the author can be generalized to provide a powerful method for describing petroleum reservoirs. This generalization can be achieved by treating the core data as a two-way classification to determine the between-zones and the between-wells variations; then, the build-up permeabilities can be analyzed, perhaps on at least-squares basis, to establish the probable distribution of the permeabilities within the zones associated with the individual wells. an additional tool for the reservoir engineer to use together with other techniques and all available information. If pressure build-up permeabilities are available, they should certainly be included. Pressure build-up tests were not available for the reservoir considered in the paper. 3. The proposed correlation of zones between adjacent wells was the best of the techniques that I examined. It is not so much a "measure" as an indication of lateral permeability changes, regardless of whether they are seemingly random or form an obvious trend.

By Wm. Hamilton Merritt

With the exception of the Vancouver Island coal, all the western coal-fields owe their present development to the completion, in the autumn of 1886, of the Canadian Pacific railroad. While it could not be expected that a very great deal could be accomplished in three years, enough has been done to pretty thoroughly establish the coal-bearing areas and their correspondence with those which have been developed to the south of the boundary along the lines of the transatlantic railroads in the United States. This summer I visited some of the important developments in the coal areas of Washington Territory, largely with the object of being better able to appreciate the corresponding coal-bearing areas in British Columbia to the north. In Western Canada, coal-bearing rocks have been found in three zones: 1. In the plains to the east of the Rocky Mountains and in the eastern flanking ranges, the coal occurs in the Cretaceous formation (including the Laramie). 2. In the interior plateau of British Columbia, the coal is found in the Tertiary formation. 3. On the coast of British Columbia, Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks are found carrying coal, and on the Island of Vancouver the well known Nanaimo coal has been worked for years in the first named formation. In all of these zones, the coals vary from lignites up to higher grades, the factor determining quality being the amount of pressute to which they have been subjected. The intensity of this pressure is generally shown by the disturbance which the coals exhibit, and, in many cases, is almost directly in proportion to the distance of the deposits from mountain ranges. This seems to be also the opinion expressed by Mr. Bailey Willis in connection with his Census Report on the coals of Washington. It has been elsewhere stated

Jan 1, 1890

By P. H. Scott, Walter Rose

Recent papers by S. T. Yuster have called attention to the largely ignored concept that there will be a transfer of viscous forces across fluid-fluid interfaces during the flow of immiscible fluid phases through porous media. This leads to the implication that the relative permeability us saturation function, as applied to each of the fluid phases of the system, will in some way be dependent on the viscosities of all the other fluid phases which are contiguous to the flowing fluid of interest. In fact, Yuster has selected and analyzed the properties of a capillary-tube model of the reservoir-prototype flow systems and concludes from his studies that relative permeability values will be very markedly influenced by the viscosity ratio in two-phase systems. On the other hand, relative permeability data have been reported in the literature for more than 20 years; and where these data are consistent at all, they consistently how no dependence on viscosity ratio (cf. chapter 7 of Muskat3 for a resume of past experiniental work). This paradoxical situation has prompted us to re-evaluate Yuster's work. The major flaw we find has to do with the properties of the model Yuster employed to give qualitative support to his predictions. This model is defective in that important surface area parameters characteristic of the prototype-reservoir flow system have not been propertly scaled. Fig. 1 shows how we believe Yuster's model should be modified to circumvent this difficulty. It depicts the capillary tube of radius R and length L, comprised of two elements in series. The first part of length, L has the nonwetting phase flowing centrally out to a radius distance r, where an interfacial boundary exists with the wetting phase which flows in the concentric annular pace of the tube. The second part of length, L-L,. has the

Jan 1, 1953

ZAY JEFFRIES, Cleveland, Ohio (written discussion?).-The authors conclude that there is a certain average size of precipitated CuAl2 par-ticle which produces maximum strength and hardness in duralumin; that when the size of particle is smaller or larger than this particular size the hardness decreases. The writer agrees with this conclusion, because it seems to he directly indicated by the facts. Why does duralumin present this apparent discrepancy? Let us con-sider some physical aspects of the precipitation of CuAl2 from a saturated solution on cooling. When a molecule of CuAI3 is removed from the solvent, or matrix, and added to another group of CuAl2 molecules, as is known to occur on slow cooling, the forces of adhesion between the CuAl2 molecule and the solvent have been exceeded. Since a. change in tem-perature only is sufficient to cause precipitation, it must also be sufficient to cause the loss of adhesion bonds between the excess CuAl2 molecules and the solvent, or matrix. Lost adhesion bonds means loss of cohesion of the mass as a whole. When duralumin is cooled from 500° in a furnace, globules of CuAl2, large enough to be seen easily with a high-power microscope, are formed. There are, however, globules so small as to be hardly distinguishable, and others too small to be resolved are suggested by the non-uniformity of the surface appearance of the section. As the smallest globule of CuAl2 resolvable with a high-power microscope contains about 2,000,-000,000 molecules, it is evident that with rapid cooling submicroscopic particles of CuAl2 must be present in large numbers; in fact, after quench-

Jan 12, 1919

By D. W. Fuerstenau

Measurement of zeta potentials is a useful tool to study the surface chemistry of minerals under flotation conditions. Because there is continued interest in this approach, the apparatus for obtaining zeta potentials of nonconducting solids by the streaming potential method is outlined here. Fig. 1 illustrates the streaming potential apparatus. The streaming potential cell or plug consists of two 24/40 standard ground joints (4) joined with a piece of pyrex tubing 60 mm long and 12 mm in diam (5). The electrodes are made of bright platinum disks 19 mm in diam and 1 mm thick through which 0.5-mm holes have been drilled (6). To the surface of each is welded a piece of 80-mesh platinum gauze. Each electrode is permanently mounted on the ends of the inner parts of the two standard joints by means of a platinum wire (7) which connects it to the tungsten seal at the end of the cell (8). For ease in cleaning and handling the apparatus, the streaming cell is fastened to the 500-ml reservoir flasks (1) by means of two 18/9 ball and socket joints (2). This particular arrangement permits passage of the solution in either direction through the plug of particles. Flow of solution can be stopped by a stopcock (3). One of the reservoir flasks has a large opening to permit insertion of either a thermometer or a pair of electrodes for measuring pH of solutions within the system. In making the experiments, the plug is filled with 48 to 65-mesh particles, but a layer of 28 to 35-mesh particles is placed at each electrode to prevent any of the finer particles from passing through holes in the electrodes.

Aug 1, 1956

By J. O. McCaldin, P. Duwez

ALLOTROPIC transformations between 1000° and 1900°C have recently been reported for several metallic elements. Since the proposed transformations are based on limited evidence, it was decided to examine the elements in question as well as some refractory metals by thermal analysis with a photoelectric technique similar to that described by Hug-gins, Roll, and Udin.1 In this method, a lead sulphide cell was used to detect thermal radiation from an electric-resistance heated strip specimen. A thermocouple spot welded to the specimen was used to calibrate the temperature of the system under steady temperature conditions, and recording was accomplished with a cathode ray oscilloscope. In the method used by the present authors, the temperature calibration was omitted and the cathode ray oscilloscope was replaced by a recording galvanometer. This technique, in which electric current passing through the specimen heats it, will be referred to henceforth as Method 1. Another arrangement was required for those cases where the specimen could not be formed into a wire or strip suitable for resistance heating. In such cases the specimen was a sintered compact heated by thermal radiation from a hot tungsten strip, Fig. 1. The specimen was insulated from the heating strip with a thin layer of thoria powder or suspended on 0.004 in. tungsten wires. The take-up spring had just sufficient tension to prevent buckling of the heating strip due to thermal expansion. This technique will be called Method 2. Both methods were tested with specimens of iron and titanium and the well known allotropic transformations, a toy and ? to 8 in iron and a to in titanium, were very clearly detected. Fig. 2 shows one of the records obtained for titanium. For this particular experiment, the iodide titanium specimen was a square rod 0.080 in. on an edge and 3 in. long.

Jan 1, 1955

By William Catron

BECAUSE the rich La Colorada orebody of the Cananea Consolidated Copper Co. does not outcrop at surface, after its discovery (by churn drill) and before mining was begun, a large amount of development work was done to learn the shape and extent of the ore and to provide for eco-nomic and effective mining. As these openings progressed, the actual shape of the orebody became known and with this knowledge came the realization that mining this rich and unusual deposit without loss of ore or danger to workmen presented several difficult problems. This paper will describe one of these problems; namely, the handling of an inverted cone-shaped core of barren rock, on the periphery of and below which the ore occurred. It was clear that as the ore was mined out from around and under this inverted cone of rock, weighing about 3,000,000 tons, it would hang over the workings, held suspended only by its own tensile strength and threatening to crash into the stopes below with disastrous results to men and mine. The method of mining developed during the years 1928, 1929 and 1930 anticipated and provided for the eventual collapse of this core of rock. In November 1936 the core settled clown gradually on the edges of the stopes, descending a total of about 50 ft. vertically. The men in the stopes had ample to warning and no lives were endangered. There were no air blasts in the mine. The core broke loose from its top support at the 500-ft. level along old fracture planes and evidently is crushed to the ninth level. Movement was of short duration; the following shift went to work in the stopes as usual. No ore was lost.

Jan 1, 1938

By E. G. Banks

This paper is presented in the belief that metallurgists and chemists will be interested in the practice of grinding in tube-mills in connection with stamps, especially since the records of working here given extend over a lengthy period of time (since May, 1905). The ore from the Waihi mine—more especially that produced in the upper levels—contains a large proportion of hard, chalce-donic quartz, and the gold exists in an exceedingly fine state, conditions which necessitate very fine crushing in order to obtain a high extraction of the precious metal. Before the introduction of tube-mills at the 90-stamp Waihi mill, it was found necessary to stamp through 40-mesh (1,600 holes per sq. in.) woven wire-screens, having a fairly high discharge. The pulp then graded : Per Cent. Per Cent. On 50-mes11, .- 0.1 On l20-mesh ..8.77 On 60-mesh, . 8-74 On 150-mesh,.... 7.48 On 80-mesh,... 16.06 Passed 150-mesh,... 55.19 On 100-mesh,.... 3.66 The stamp-dnty was 2.89 short tons per stamp per day, or a total of 260 tons daily. Although the extraction on this pulp was: gold, from 88 to 90 per cent., and silver, from 74 to 78 per cent., it was recognized that finer grinding of the sands would prove beneficial, provided a machine could be found to do this work economically. Various grinding-mills and pans were tried, but without satisfactory results, the particles of sand being so hard that the capacity of any of the machines was too small to be economical. The results of grinding in tube-mills in other countries were so satisfactory that three tube-mills mere erected at the Waihi

Jan 1, 1908

By W. H. Hoffman

During the autumn of 1891, several heavy blasts (each throwing down some 3000 tons of ore) were made on what is known as the Theall side of these mines. Immediately after one of these blasts, the writer found that at least one-third of the ore was largely impregnated with pyrites, and besides this, fully 15 per cent. of the entire blast was composed of irregular lumps of magnetic pyrites. This was a revelation wholly unexpected, as previous examinations by many experts had failed to disclose any such quantity of sulphury ore. Over the center of the Theall tunnel there suddenly appeared a perfect keystone, as it were, of pyrites, 3 feet wide at the arch of the tunnel, 13 feet ride at the top, and 20 feet high. This keystone pinched out in February, 1892; but in that month large blocks of pyrites were more plentiful on or near the western wall, and these deposits extended the entire height of the workings, some 43 feet. The second blast in November, in the face and over, and on each side of the tunnel, was far more surprising. The whole cross-section it exposed was thickly interspersed with layers of magnetic pyrites, ranging in thickness from 10 to 24 inches, and quite irregular in form, while all of the ore carried much more than the usual amount of sulphur in the non-magnetic pyrite. One hundred and fifty-five tons from a portion of this breast (western side), showed the following composition upon sampling and analysis: Per cent. Metallic iron,...45.080 Phosphorus,..........304 Sulphur,...........23.510 And the balance of the blast showed: Per cent. Metallic iron,.....• 33.210 Phosphorus,...........349 Sulphur,.......... 6.680 vol. xxI.-33

Jan 1, 1893

By H. Sherman

The general curtailment of activities, so marked in 1931, was continued and intensified in 1932 and although production was maintained at approximately the level of the previous year, 1932 was chiefly characterized by the virtual cessation of drilling in many of the proven fields, a further decline in wildcatting activities, particularly in the Maracaibo Basin, and the relinquishment of large blocks of unfavorably located acreage. A total of only 60 wells was completed during the year of which six were wildcats, while at the same time concessions aggregating approximately. 3,222,000 acres were renounced and reverted to the National Government. The maintenance of production at the previously established level was made possible through the large potential built up by drilling in previous years and by a gradual increase in pumping and gas-lift installations. Towards the end of the year there was a slight but perceptible tendency towards increased drilling in certain of the proven fields. Total production for the year came to 118,076,000 as compared to 118,418,000 bbl. for 1931, while exports amounted to 114,758,000 as against 116,683,000 bbl. in 1931. Table 1 shows production and exports and the average rate per day for the first half of 1932 as compared to the second half. Table 1.—Petroleum Production and Exports in 1932, Venezuela (Barrels of 42 Gallons) Production Rate per Day Export Rate per Day I January-June............ 61,943,000 1 390, 347 July-December.......... 56,133,000 305,071 50,788,000 276,022 Total.........,....... 118,076,000 322,612 114,758,000 313,546 During 1932 the number of active vessels comprising the Lake Maracaibo fleet of shallow-draft tankers was still further reduced, some being temporarily laid up and some transferred to service in other coun-

Jan 1, 1933

By B. T. Brady

Rock mechanics, like all engineering disciplines, must have a theoretical foundation. The subject of this chapter is the formulation of analytical methods that may aid in the rational design and determination of the stability of engineering structures in competent brittle rock materials. By an engineering structure in rock, we mean any (1) excavated sub- surface opening, (2) open surface structure, or (3) system of openings in rock that is virtually self-supporting-that is, not requiring artificial systems to carry structural stresses. One factor necessary for designing or evaluating a structure's stability is knowledge of the material's mechanical properties, such as stress-strain behavior and fracturing characteristics. The composition of most structural materials such as metals and concrete is uniform and reproducible to the degree that their mechanical properties in service are nearly the same as those measured in the laboratory. Consequently, a rational design can be made on the basis of published mechanical property values. The same equivalence does not exist for rock materials for two reasons: (1) the composition of even the most common rock types is highly variable, and (2) the problem of the size effect is present. Mechanical property tests not conducted at a scale that includes these effects in normal proportion will not be representive of the in-situ rock mass. Of course, the alternative is to perform the test in-situ. Comparatively few mechanical property tests have been performed in-situ because of the physical limitations of test equipment and the prohibitive cost. The current procedure is to design a structure based on small-scale laboratory measurements, with a safety factor usually determined by the experience of the design engineer. While this procedure is somewhat unsatisfactory, laboratory measurements can and do provide a useful basis for the initial design.

Jan 1, 1970