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By H. Landssberg

Subsidence caused by mining operations has been a matter of interest for the mining engineer for just 111 years, since the Belgian committee for study of subsidence in the city of Liege submitted its first report in 1825. This interest is fairly expressed in the enormous amount of literature that has since appeared on this subject. A bibliography, probably far from being complete, which preceded this study as a preliminary survey, comprises more than 800 titles. In spite of this fact the problem remains today as acute as it has ever been. The questions of as good a recovery as possible of the national resources, the safety of the operations, and the protection of private and public property are the important angles from which to look at the problem. The Problem To systematize an investigation regarding the effects of mine excavations two different aspects have to be dealt with: (1) the subsidence of the immediate roof above the workings, affecting the safety of the workers and the progress and efficiency of the operations; (2) the subsidence of the surface, which is also, from the point of time, the second event. The immense importance of surface subsidence as regards the impairment of surface structures of every kind in a mining area is self-evident. Both effects result from reactions of the strata overlying the excavations and they depend mainly on the extent of the excavations and the structure and geological condition of the strata. It has been stressed repeatedly, in this country principally by G. S. Ricel,† that for the understanding of the phenomenon of subsidence accurate surveys are the most urgent necessity. In the past, however, at least in the normal course of mining operations, these surveys have been very crude. The control of the roof in the mine is left to the observation of the behavior of the timber, warning cracks and sounds in roof and walls and to the general judgment and experience of the worker and his supervisors. In any given case this may or may not be sufficient to prevent fatalities but certainly it does not give any accurate information as to what is happening in roof and strata. On the surface, principally in endangered areas, surveys have been conducted more frequently, but also in this case usually weeks or even

Jan 1, 1936

By J. Weertman

An explanation is advanced for the recent results of Barrett and Sherby on the high-temperature creep of fee metals. Their measurements indicate that metals with a low stacking fault energy creep at a much slower rate than metals with a high stacking fault energy. The explanation is based on the assumption that the rate of core diffusion is much smaller in partial dislocations than in perfect dislocations. An experiment is suggested to test this assumption. The explanation also requires that the jog density is small on widely split dislocations. SHERBY and Barrett1,2 recently established an important result in the field of high-temperature steady-state creep. They have shown that fee metals whose dislocations split into partial dislocations separated by a wide stacking-fault ribbon creep at a much slower rate than fee metals whose dislocations are not split appreciably. The creep rates in the two cases may differ by a factor as high as 6000. (For the purpose of comparison, the test temperature of each metal was chosen so that its rate of self-diffusion was equal to a standard value. Similarly the stress levels were such that the ratio of the stress to an appropriate elastic modulus was the same for each metal. In all cases the stresses were sufficiently low that the steady-state creep rate was proportional to the stress raised to a power.) It is the purpose of the present paper to attempt an explanation of this interesting and significant result of Sherby and Barrett. The activation energies of high-temperature creep of the metals tested by Sherby and Barrett (aluminum, nickel, copper, and silver) were equal to their self-diffusion activation energies. Hence it appears reasonable to assume that this type of creep is controlled by a dislocation-climb process, which in turn is controlled by the diffusion of vacancies to or from dislocation lines. (It will be assumed that the diffusion of interstitial atoms is unimportant in the climb process. The analysis could be repeated for the case in which interstitial atoms are important.) In prior papers374 I have treated dislocation climb by using the assumptions that core diffusion is extremely fast down a dislocation and that a dislocation always maintains an appropriate vacancy concentration in its immediate vicinity. In this

Jan 1, 1965

He took a great interest in technical matters and his inclination was strongly toward research investigations. At the same time he was effective in manual and mechanical work and was generally found working side by side with the men under his direction. His nature was unselfish and he was extremely popular socially. He was a member of the Coeur d'Alene Commandery, Knights Templar. Stanly A. Easton. Lieutenant.Louis Baird Louis Baird, a Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery of the British Army, died on the battlefield in 1915. Lieutenant Baird was born July 28, 1880, at Stirling, Scotland. His technical education was obtained at King's College, Melbourne, Australia, in 1893 to 1895, and at the Technical College at Glasgow, Scotland, in 1897 to 1900. After an apprenticeship with the Mexican J. & 8. Rec. Co. of Mexico, lasting from 1900 to 1903, he became mill superintendent for the Cia. Minera Benito, at Juarez, Zac. During the year 1905-6 he was assistant manager of the Candelaria y Anexas, at Pinos, Zac., and from 1906 to 1907 was engineer with the Cia. Minera Jalisco, San Sebastian, Jalisco. At the time of his admission to the Institute, in 1908, he was practising as a mining engineer at Etzatlan, Jalisco, Mexico. For the next four years he practised his profession in the City of Guadalajara, Jalisco, removing, in 1913, to Ixtlan del Rio, in the State of Tepic. It was from here that he returned to England to put his services at the disposal of the British Government. The Institute is not definitely informed as to how, where, or when Lieutenant Baird met his death. Captain John H. Ballamy John H. Ballamy, Captain on the Regimental Staff of the 103d Engineers, was killed near Fismes, on Aug. 9, 1918. Captain Ballamy was born at Plvmouth. Pa.. in 1886 and graduated from' the High School of that town in 1903. In the following year he began work as a coal miner, and at the same time began the study of mining engineering in the evening and any other spare time. He continued this diligent and energetic practice for many years. For sixteen years he continued in the employment of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Rai1roa.d Company's coal mining

Jan 1, 1920

By William M. Agar

Now that both the national and state legislatures are seeking ways of reducing expenses, the appropriations for geological investigation and for the study of mineral resources have been greatly reduced and in some cases entirely stopped. Is this policy justified? The sums saved by these reductions are always small. If the work accomplished by these surveys has no intrinsic value to the community, but is only an interesting way of spending some of the people's money when that money is plentiful, there should be no surveys at any time. If, on the other hand, they perform a necessary function, it is indeed foolish and short-sighted to save these paltry sums to the detriment of the community. It is not my purpose to undertake a general justification of geological surveys. Rather, 1 wish to call attention to the work of one state survey that has been discontinued, and to indicate ways in which the work was valuable to the people, even though that state's mineral resources are not very important, and why it should be continued. Though at one time in Connecticut's history iron mining and smelting were important, and copper was mined in appreciable quantities in two localities, it is many years since it could be regarded as a mining state. At present Connecticut stands far down among the states in the value of its mineral products. Granite for architectural and structural purposes, trap rock, clay, agricultural lime, feldspar and quartz, together with a few other nonmetallic minerals, are produced in appreciable quantities, but the natural resources of the state consist at present much more largely in its attractive scenery, woods, lakes, shore line, and in the opportunities that these offer for rest and recreation. Is the prosecution of geological work in such a state a waste of the taxpayer's money? Or can it be that though it was formerly valuable, the work is now completed? The only way to answer these questions is to review the geological work done in the past and to consider the type of information the people want, as reflected in the requests that have been received by the director of the survey in the last few years. There have been two periods during which Connecticut has supported geological work within its borders. The first began in 1835 when Percival

Jan 1, 1935

He took a great interest in technical matters and his inclination was strongly toward research investigations. At the same time he was effective in manual and mechanical work and was generally found working side by side with the men under his direction. His nature was unselfish and he was extremely popular socially. He was a member of the Coeur d'Alene Commandery, Knights Templar. Stanly A. Easton. Lieutenant.Louis Baird Louis Baird, a Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery of the British Army, died on the battlefield in 1915. Lieutenant Baird was born July 28, 1880, at Stirling, Scotland. His technical education was obtained at King's College, Melbourne, Australia, in 1893 to 1895, and at the Technical College at Glasgow, Scotland, in 1897 to 1900. After an apprenticeship with the Mexican J. & 8. Rec. Co. of Mexico, lasting from 1900 to 1903, he became mill superintendent for the Cia. Minera Benito, at Juarez, Zac. During the year 1905-6 he was assistant manager of the Caridelaria y Anexas, at Pinos, Zac., and from 1906 to 1907 was engineer with the Cia. Minera Jalisco, San Sebastian, Jalisco. At the time of his admission to the Institute, in 1908, he was practising as a mining engineer at Etzatlan, Jalisco, Mexico. For the next four years he practised his profession in the City of Guadalajara, Jalisco, removing, in 1913, to Ixtlan del Rio, in the State of Tepic. It was from here that he returned to England to put his services at the disposal of the British Government. The Institute is not definitely informed as to how, where, or when Lieutenant Baird met his death. iCaptain John H. Ballamy John H. Ballamy, Captain on the Regimental Staff of the 103d Engineers, was killed near Fismes, on Aug. 9, 1918. Captain Ballamy was born at Plvmouth. Pa.. in 1886 and graduated from' the High School of that town in 1903. In the following year he began work as a coal miner, and at the same time began the study of mining engineering in the evening and any other spare time. He continued this diligent and energetic practice for many years. For sixteen years he continued in the employment of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Rai1roa.d Company's coal mining

Jan 1, 1920

By William M. Agar

Now that both the national and state legislatures are seeking ways of reducing expenses, the appropriations for geological investigation and for the study of mineral resources have been greatly reduced and in some cases entirely stopped. Is this policy justified? The sums saved by these reductions are always small. If the work accomplished by these surveys has no intrinsic value to the community, but is only an interesting way of spending some of the people's money when that money is plentiful, there should be no surveys at any time. If, on the other hand, they perform a necessary function, it is indeed foolish and short-sighted to save these paltry sums to the detriment of the community. It is not my purpose to undertake a general justification of geological surveys. Rather, 1 wish to call attention to the work of one state survey that has been discontinued, and to indicate ways in which the work was valuable to the people, even though that state's mineral resources are not very important, and why it should be continued. Though at one time in Connecticut's history iron mining and smelting were important, and copper was mined in appreciable quantities in two localities, it is many years since it could be regarded as a mining state. At present Connecticut stands far down among the states in the value of its mineral products. Granite for architectural and structural purposes, trap rock, clay, agricultural lime, feldspar and quartz, together with a few other nonmetallic minerals, are produced in appreciable quantities, but the natural resources of the state consist at present much more largely in its attractive scenery, woods, lakes, shore line, and in the opportunities that these offer for rest and recreation. Is the prosecution of geological work in such a state a waste of the taxpayer's money? Or can it be that though it was formerly valuable, the work is now completed? The only way to answer these questions is to review the geological work done in the past and to consider the type of information the people want, as reflected in the requests that have been received by the director of the survey in the last few years. There have been two periods during which Connecticut has supported geological work within its borders. The first began in 1835 when Percival

Jan 1, 1935

By T. Egleston

FOR several years I have been engaged in studying the behavior of iron' and steel under varying conditions of tension and compression, as well as of shock and abrasion. Some of these observations have been communicated to the Institute at various times. Within the past year I have been looking at the various observations that I have made as a whole, and have been led to the conclusion that there is a regular law of fatigue and refreshment of metals, and that the change which produces either the fatigue or refreshment is a chemical one, which is, however, in almost all cases accompanied by physical and molecular changes at the same time. That metals under conditions that were more or less well understood became worthless, has been known for many years. It has been known to blacksmiths that iron and steel, when improperly treated in their fires, become "burned," as they call it, and could no longer be used, and some of them have had a scrap heap into which such material was thrown. A few of them knew that after a period more or less long the iron or steel recovered some of its original properties and could, with many precautions, again be used, but that these phenomena followed any law has not to my knowledge been announced. My attention was first attracted to the varying conditions under which iron and steel rails break in service. It was not long before I became convinced that there was a general law applicable to all metals which allowed of their being used with safety within certain limits, and caused their rupture when the use extended beyond these limits, and this law I have called the law of fatigue of metals. When we observe the causes of deterioration in iron and steel rails, we find that they are principally shocks, either slight and frequent, like those produced by the passing of a train over a road-bed in good order, which produces a vibration. sensible to the ear laid on the rail, for very long distances, but distinctly audible for only a short one; or from sudden and heavy blows, like the descent of the locomotive and each car successively from a high to a low rail. * Read at the Montreal Meeting, September, 1879.

Jan 1, 1880

By L. F. Rooney

In June 1964 the Indiana Geological Survey discovered gypsum beds more than 10 ft thick in rocks of Devonian age in La Porte County, Ind. Although the extension of the Michigan Basin evaporites into northern Indiana has been recognized for some time, the gypsum beds have been regarded as either too thin or too deep for exploitation. Current Survey research, however, indicates that exploration by industry might find commercial deposits of gypsum less than 50 miles from Chicago. In four cores taken by the Survey within 1 sq mile in La Porte County, the maximum thickness of inter-bedded gypsum and anhydrite is 35.8 ft. Both gypsum and anhydrite beds contain irregular masses of limestone and dolomite that average a few inches in cross section and total about 20% of the rock by weight. The maximum thickness of gypsum in one minable unit verified by core is 12.5 ft, and its purity is 81.3%. Chloride content of the gypsum beds is less than 0.005%. Depth to the gypsum in La Porte County is 330 to 500 ft, about the same depth as the gypsum being mined in Martin County, Ind. In June 1964 the Indiana Geological Survey discovered gypsum deposits of probable commercial thickness near La Porte, Ind. (Fig. 1). This article presents preliminary data on the distribution, thickness, depth and chemical composition of the gypsum, the possible causes of gypsification, and economic considerations of immediate interest to industry. Because of the preliminary nature of the work, only a few geologic relationships concerning the genesis of the deposits will be mentioned. DEFINITIONS The following terms used throughout this article have been restricted to the following definitions: evaporites: anyydrite (CaSO4) or gypsum (CaSO4 . 2H2O). minable evaporites: any evaporite unit which may contain more than 80% evaporites, which is more than 10 ft thick, and which in places may be completely gypsified. PREVIOUS WORK The presence of gypsum and anhydrite in the Devonian rocks of northern Indiana has been recognized for at least 70 years1-4 and can be inferred from a number of reports on the geology of Michigan. For example, in a cross section from southwestern to central Michigan, Ells5 indicated the presence of

Jan 1, 1965

Discussion of the paper of O. P. Hood, presented at the Pittsburgh meeting, October, 1914, and printed in Bulletin No. 94, October, 1914, pp. 2607 to 2611. R. V. Norris, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-I have had a little experience with gasoline locomotives and I want to indorse very strongly Mr. Hood's point with regard to the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. I think .the terrible danger is not fully realized. I was foolish enough some time ago, in investigating a gasoline locomotive, to attempt to walk out of the mine entry behind it, and for several days I felt very seriously the carbon monoxide effects. The use of gasoline locomotives ought to be confined to mine entries where there is a very large amount of air. One of the grave dangers is their great convenience and the temptation to run them into chambers for just a few moments to get a car or two. GEORGE S. RICE, Pittsburgh, Pa.-Apparently one of the great dangers is in the style of the gasoline engine. When my attention was. first directed to the type of gasoline locomotives which I saw in the foreign mines-France, Belgium, and Germany, I was most favorably impressed with them, and they have given no trouble on account of fumes, so far as I could learn. Large numbers of them were being used, but all were of small capacity, and of a kind in which the speed control is by a governor of the hit-or-miss type, the engine running continuously. Their power capacity was very low, if I remember correctly it was not over 4 or 5 h.p., but they were used under favorable conditions where the grades in the mines were slight, since the entries or tunnels bad a slight grade in favor of-the load, making about the same pull for the empties against the grade as for the load with the grade. I understand the hit-or-miss valve arrangement enables a setting that will give more perfect combustion than can be insured with the valve controlled by the operating man, as in the automobile type of valve and engine used in this country. Apparently the European type of locomotive does not have the capacity to permit use under the conditions existing in this country, where most of our entries or tunnels have variable grades and long heavy trips of mine cars are used.

Jan 4, 1915

By Louis Bender

AFTER investigating the work of coal-dust fired reverberatories of the Canadian Copper Co., at Copper Cliff, Ontario, the management of the Washoe Reduction Works decided to experiment with and ascertain the advantages of using coal dust as a fuel in their reverberatories. Consequently, during the month of June, 1914, reverberatory furnace No. 8 was changed in order to use powdered coal as a fuel. The results obtained by this method of firing are gratifying and show a decided saving in cost of smelting as compared to grate firing with lump coal. The furnace, as remodeled; is 124 ft. long by 21 ft. wide, and varies in height from 8 ft. 6 in. at the back end to 5 ft. 7 in. at the skimming end. The general construction of the furnace is similar to that of the other furnaces at this plant. There are no side doors to this furnace, as it was thought that with the present arrangement for feeding no "fettling" or "claying" would be required. The interior of the furnace can be inspected through the burner port holes, after shutting off the burners and giving a few seconds' time for the gases inside the furnace to clear away. The charging is done on either side of the furnace from longitudinal hoppers, extending a distance of 74 ft. from the back end of the furnace. Leading from the hoppers into the furnace are 6-in. pipes, spaced 194 in. apart, through which the charge is intermittently dropped. The charge is kept well above the slag line at all times; in this way the side walls are protected and no fettling is needed on this portion of the furnace. The remainder of the furnace requires fettling. After operating for three months, we found that the bricks were eaten into along each side wall from the skimming door back to the point where the charge had been dropped. The depth of this cutting away was 8 in. close to the front end and gradually tapered to zero at a distance of 50 ft., and was greatest on the side of the furnace having the larger flue connection. Hoppers will be put in for the entire length of furnace, from which fettling material will be dropped, to prevent this cutting.

Jan 1, 1915

By W. I. Duvall, D. E. Stephenson. Discussion by R. G. K. Morrison

R.G.K. Morrison (Chairman, Dept. of Mining Engineering and Applied Geophysics, McGill University, Montreal, Que. Canada) - The authors have introduced a subject, the intensive study of which has awaited scientific developments. These are now such as to justify a thorough review of our thinking on the causes and control of rockbursts. The formulae developed in the paper, the comparison between rockbursts and earthquakes in figure 1 and the energy data relating to explosives serve as an effective foundation. In the paper this writer is quoted as suggesting that energy of the order of 10 x 10 11 ft. lb. may have been released in some of the heaviest rockbursts in the Kolar Gold Field. He now hastens to add that such an estimate has no scientific validity. It arises only from a casual comparison of surface and underground effects of the medium heavy bursts, referred to in the paper and estimated by Jones at 3.0 x 1010 ft.lbs., with those of obviously greater magnitude. In any case, we have the estimate by Jones above, that by a team of seismologists 1 on the Witwatersrand of 10 x 1010 ft.lbs., that by Coates of 3.8 x 10" ft.lbs., also referred to in the paper, that by Blan-chard2 for the catastrophic rockburst at Springhill, N.S., of only 7.4 X 107 ft. lbs., and finally the range covered by Cook, referred to in the paper. It is probable also that data for the heavy rockburst at Merkers3 in the WERRA potash area of Germany are available as it was recorded on seismographs from Moscow to Spain. It is the writer's impression that some standardization is present in the estimates above for 10 x 10 10, 3.8 x 1010 and 7.4 x 107 ft.lbs., respectively. The latter, for Springhill, represents a relatively low order of magnitude. It is obvious that any energy estimate must be related to the local geometry of openings at the time of the event. It is also obvious that any explanation of the causes of rockburst must be capable of providing a wide range of energy. However, we must remember that the energy release is an effect indicating magnitude. The cause lies with the mechanism initiating the primary failure, generating the seismic activity, to which much of the damage is probably due.

Jan 1, 1967

By Alexander Squire

ONE of the principal factors that have contributed to the hesitancy of design engineers to use metal-powder parts is the difficulty experienced in the determination of the mechanical properties of compacted components. Because standard test: methods cannot usually be applied in the inspection of such parts, and because adequate special test methods have not been developed, it has been considered desirable to investigate the methods that are applicable. These may then be included in specifications for metal-powder materials' and components in order that the design engineer may be assured that the subject parts possess the desired mechanical properties for satisfactory performance. It is known that direct relationships exist between usually nonmeasurable properties as tensile strength and elongation and shear strength and the angle through which compacts may be plastically deformed before fracturing. These correlations are valuable in the inspection of specific parts, but it is necessary to set up standards before they may be satisfactorily employed. Apart from the use of correlations, the number and character of the inspection methods that are applicable to almost all powder parts is limited to three-chemical analysis, density, and hardness. The last of these may or may' not be a pertinent characteristic, since the indentation hardness of many powdered-metal materials is so low as to have little significance. It is, however, occasionally desirable to use hardness measurements as an indication of the uniformity of the structure of pieces of a given type. Chemical analysis reveals very little about the physical properties of metal-powder compacts, since the unpressed powder is usually of a composition almost identical with that of the finished pieces. Density determinations are simple, to perform and have the advantage of being nondestructive in character. If the dimensions of a machine part are known (and usually they are), the average density may be determined by weighing a given number of pieces and dividing by the calculated volume of the parts. More accurate measurements may be made by the water-displacement method. , It. is recognized that mechanical properties of metal-powder materials are related to their density, but usually these relations are determined for only one type of powder, processed under a given set of conditions. Comparisons of the properties of compacts formed from different types of powders are made on the basis of compacting... pressures instead of density, and for. this reason the results obtained by using powders of different types appear widely variant.

Jan 1, 1947

By E. R. Parker, T. H. Hazlett

An understanding of the mechanism of creep of metals requires an accurate knowledge of shape of the time-deformation curve. An expression is developed which accurately expresses the creep curve for a number of structurally stable metals and alloys. VAST strides have been made in the development of high temperature creep resistant alloys; however, no sound understanding of the physical mechanism of creep exists to date. Consequently, creep resistant alloys are still developed by "cut and try" methods formerly so successful but now yielding returns at a continuously diminishing rate. It is apparent to all workers in the field that if the mechanism of creep were understood, much fruitless labor could be avoided. The dirth of fundamental knowledge has not discouraged the theorists. Speculation has flourished and numerous theories of creep have been proposed. A critical review of these theories reveals that, even though there are some general areas of agreement between the majority of the workers, there are many basic questions yet to be resolved.' It is generally conceded that theoretical speculation is far in advance of experimental evidence. The shortage of reliable creep data greatly hinders more rapid progress in this field. It is essential that the effects of different stresses and temperatures on the creep characteristics of metals be quantitatively determined. Once this has been accomplished, it will then be possible to evaluate the effects of alloying additions and, it is hoped, to provide a firm basis of facts for theoretical treatment of the creep phenomenon. The work reported herein was undertaken to determine the effects of such variables as stress, temperature, alloying, and structure on the creep characteristics of some metals. Material and Equipment Nickel was selected as the base material for the current investigation and an experimental program was initiated to determine the effects of temperature and stress on the creep characteristics of this material. Since a large quantity of high purity nickel was required for the proposed program and such material was not commercially available, it was decided to refine, cast, and prepare the required metal in our own laboratory. The resulting nickel test bars had the following composition, given in percentage by weight: Fe, 0.030 (1); Si, 0.003 (2); Ca, 0.001 (1); Mg, 0.020 (2); and S, 0.002 (2); to make total impurities of 0.056. The nickel (balance by difference) is 99.944 pct. The details of the purification process are described elsewhere.' This

Jan 1, 1954

By N. Nemeth, L. L. Sirois

The role of the filter medium in continuous-vacuum filtration and the special circumstances which influence the resistance to flow through the porous cake and filter cloth are discussed. Due to negative pressure differential, gas bubbles evolve in the slurry, constrict passages in the filter cake and medium, and further restrict flow through the tortuous channels. Filtration is a liquid-solid separation process taking place at a porous medium under a pressure differential. The liquid passes through the medium; the solids are retained on the medium as a partially dewatered cake. Filtration is far from a simple process and has been described in terms ranging from "complex" to "subtle." Because of the many variables involved, no unified filtration theory has been developed, and the filtration process is still considered very much an art. In industrial filter design, basic relationships, whether derived for idealized conditions or developed empirically, are usually adapted to suit local conditions. In the mining industry where continuous-vacuum filtration is the main dewatering process, the physical state of the concentrates and the relatively low pressure differentials permit the assumption that the cakes are noncompressible, an assumption which leads to the use of theoretically sound rate equations. Notwithstanding this simplification, there are other problems, unique in the application of vacuum to dewatering, and until now completely ignored, which demand special attention. The basics of filtration involve the capture of solids on, while permitting the flow of liquid through, a porous layer of cake and cloth. Flow is determined by the structure of the solids which make up the cake and the particles permanently attached to the cloth. The problem of this structure, essentially one of solid geometry, has been considered insoluble by Hatscheckl as early as 1907 and by Freshwater as recently as 1967. Since cake structure is determined by the slurry parameters, that problem is far too large for inclusion in this study. For theoretical considerations, uniform buildup of the filter cake must be assumed; and for efficient practical operation, the resistance of the medium must be kept constant over long periods. The latter can be achieved by careful selection of the filter cloth, since the greatest part of the total filtration resistance will develop at the cake-cloth contact. This paper discusses the role of the filter medium in continuous vacuum filtration and the special circumstances which influence the resistance to flow through the porous cake and the filter cloth.

Jan 1, 1971

By J. B. Austin

In considering so complex a process as the smelting of iron in the blast furnace, there is obviously no single method of calculating efficiency that gives a complete appraisal of the performance of the furnace in all its several functions; such a comprehensive view as is required to evaluate producing ability and manufacturing costs for a given furnace is obtained only by considering a group of efficiencies, each of which measures the performance of the furnace from a specific point of view. For instance, there is the rate of consumption of coke per ton of iron produced, which is probably the most frequently considered, and is certainly one of the most important of the group; there is the efficiency of recovery of iron charged; and there is the efficiency of utilization of energy, both chemical and thermal, in some respects related to the former two yet in other ways independent of either. In each of these cases, the calculation can be made on the basis of the actual input of material or energy, or it may be based upon a comparison with the minimum amount of material or energy that would be required by a "perfect" furnace; that is, an imaginary ideal furnace analogous to the perfect steam engine used in thermodynamic calculations, when this furnace is operating under optimum conditions. Moreover, the furnace itself can be considered either as an apparatus for smelting iron or, taking a somewhat less common point of view, as a gas producer yielding iron and slag as by-products. Some of these efficiencies are more useful than others, yet all are instructive; for a knowledge of them not only leads to good engineering practice from the standpoint of control but also discloses limits to possible improvement in performance and indicates the lines along which improvement is most likely to be profitable. Estimates of some of these efficiencies have appeared from time to time in the literature, but many of them are open to objection because they are based on data of uncertain accuracy or because they have been calculated without due regard to the thermodynamic principles involved. Moreover, so far as the author is aware, no general survey of the blast furnace comparing its performance in all the aspects mentioned has been made.

Jan 1, 1938

By J. B. Austin

In considering so complex a process as the smelting of iron in the blast furnace, there is obviously no single method of calculating efficiency that gives a complete appraisal of the performance of the furnace in all its several functions; such a comprehensive view as is required to evaluate producing ability and manufacturing costs for a given furnace is obtained only by considering a group of efficiencies, each of which measures the performance of the furnace from a specific point of view. For instance, there is the rate of consumption of coke per ton of iron produced, which is probably the most frequently considered, and is certainly one of the most important of the group; there is the efficiency of recovery of iron charged; and there is the efficiency of utilization of energy, both chemical and thermal, in some respects related to the former two yet in other ways independent of either. In each of these cases, the calculation can be made on the basis of the actual input of material or energy, or it may be based upon a comparison with the minimum amount of material or energy that would be required by a "perfect" furnace; that is, an imaginary ideal furnace analogous to the perfect steam engine used in thermodynamic calculations, when this furnace is operating under optimum conditions. Moreover, the furnace itself can be considered either as an apparatus for smelting iron or, taking a somewhat less common point of view, as a gas producer yielding iron and slag as by-products. Some of these efficiencies are more useful than others, yet all are instructive; for a knowledge of them not only leads to good engineering practice from the standpoint of control but also discloses limits to possible improvement in performance and indicates the lines along which improvement is most likely to be profitable. Estimates of some of these efficiencies have appeared from time to time in the literature, but many of them are open to objection because they are based on data of uncertain accuracy or because they have been caleulated without due regard to the thermodynamic principles involved. Moreover, so far as the author is aware. no general survey of the blast furnace comparing its performance in all the aspects mentioned has been made.

Jan 1, 1938

By J. B. Austin

In considering so complex a process as the smelting of iron in the blast furnace, there is obviously no single method of calculating efficiency that gives a complete appraisal of the performance of the furnace in all its several functions; such a comprehensive view as is required to evaluate producing ability and manufacturing costs for a given furnace is obtained only by considering a group of efficiencies, each of which measures the performance of the furnace from a specific point of view. For instance, there is the rate of consumption of coke per ton of iron produced, which is probably the most frequently considered, and is certainly one of the most important of the group; there is the efficiency of recovery of iron charged; and there is the efficiency of utilization of energy, both chemical and thermal, in some respects related to the former two yet in other ways independent of either. In each of these cases, the calculation can be made on the basis of the actual input of material or energy, or it may be based upon a comparison with the minimum amount of material or energy that would be required by a "perfect" furnace; that is, an imaginary ideal furnace analogous to the perfect steam engine used in thermodynamic calculations, when this furnace is operating under optimum conditions. Moreover, the furnace itself can be considered either as an apparatus for smelting iron or, taking a somewhat less common point of view, as a gas producer yielding iron and slag as by-products. Some of these efficiencies are more useful than others, yet all are instructive; for a knowledge of them not only leads to good engineering practice from the standpoint of control but also discloses limits to possible improvement in performance and indicates the lines along which improvement is most likely to be profitable. Estimates of some of these efficiencies have appeared from time to time in the literature, but many of them are open to objection because they are based on data of uncertain accuracy or because they have been caleulated without due regard to the thermodynamic principles involved. Moreover, so far as the author is aware. no general survey of the blast furnace comparing its performance in all the aspects mentioned has been made.

Jan 1, 1938

By L. G. Austin, R. R. Klimpel

This article demonstrates that the Gilvarry and Klimpel-Austin equations for the random fracture of solids are incorrect by deriving intuitively correct expressions for simple cases and showing that the foregoing equations do not reduce to right answers. It is the purpose of this article to point out serious errors in some existing treatments of the random fracture of solids. Gilvarry ' gives the equation where B(y,x) is the cumulative fraction by weight of particles which fall below size y when particles of size x are broken. The constants i, j, k contain shape factors and densities of flaws leading to propagating fracture surfaces. The authors believe this equation to be incorrect. Klimpel and usttin' give where r~ is the number of fracture planes originating from edge flaws (per L where L is the edge length of the original particle), rs is the number of fracture planes originating from flaws on the particle surface (per S where S is the surface of the original particle) and rv is the number of fracture planes originating from flaws within the particle volume. This equation is also incorrect. The failures of these equations will be demonstrated by deriving intuitively correct expressions for simple cases and showing that the Eqs. 1 and 2 do not reduce to the correct answer. In this process, the flaws in statistical reasoning inherent in the derivations of Eqs. 1 and 2 become apparent. THE KLIMPEL-AUSTIN EQUATION Eq. 2 was derived by considering a set number of fracture planes occurring spatially at random within a given particle. This case will be treated here in its simplest form: a line with 1, 2, 3, etc., fractures occurring at random. This is illustrated in Fig. 1, with the original length of the line as Vo. The breakage of a long, thin, brittle fiber is a corresponding physical case, with the volume of a fragment proportional to its length. Assuming independence of the occurrence of the fractures, the probability of any one fracture occurring in length dV is dV/V0. The probability of the first fracture occurring at a length V to V + dV is dV/Vo. For the case of only one fracture per particle, formation of a number-size distribution of the left-

Jan 1, 1969

By William Rawles

THIS report is the first of a series planned by The Mineral Inquiry, organized by the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers to make factual studies of the world's mineral resources in their political and international relations. The efforts of The Inquiry are directed toward filling certain notable gaps in available information, without duplication of many other investigations touching this field which are being conducted by other organizations, public and private. Much of its work is indirect-suggesting topics for study by other individuals and organizations and aiding in their planning and correlation. The present report is designed to show the nationality of the commercial control of mineral resources, in addition to the geographic distribution of production by nation-in other words, the overlapping of political and commercial control. Detailed accuracy cannot be claimed for the figures presented. For some companies division of ownership by nationality has been very difficult to ascertain, as many companies are reluctant to dis-close the extent of their holdings in other corporations, and the impossi-bility of tracing all stock ownership is obvious. Also there are frequent changes in the distribution of. stock control. The percentages given rep-resent only the participation that has been identified definitely, even though it is known in some cases with fair certainty that larger interests exist, as, for instance, American participation in foreign chromite companies. In bringing together these figures we have had the cordial co-operation of the United States Bureau of Mines, the United States Geologi-cal Survey, the Mineral Division of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, the Brookings Institution, and of many specialists connected with the mineral industries covered. The report does not cover the entire list of minerals. Coal, although it is one of the most important minerals, was omitted because , not more than one or two per cent of the world's production comes from mines that are owned by companies foreign to the countries where the coal is produced. Others, such as gold, are omitted because sufficient data have not yet been accumulated. It is hoped that some of these may be covered in subsequent reports. It is not our purpose here to discuss the significance of the figures sub-mitted, but only to point out the general nature of the problems on which they have a bearing.

Jan 1, 1933

By William Rawles

THIS report is the first of a series planned by The Mineral Inquiry, organized by the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers to make factual studies of the world's mineral resources in their political and international relations. The efforts of The Inquiry are directed toward filling certain notable gaps in available information, without duplication of many other investigations touching this field which are being conducted by other organizations, public and private. Much of its work is indirect-suggesting topics for study by other individuals and organizations and aiding in their planning and correlation. The present report is designed to show the nationality of the commercial control of mineral resources, in addition to the geographic distribution of production by nation-in other words, the overlapping of political and commercial control. Detailed accuracy cannot be claimed for the figures presented. For some companies division of ownership by nationality has been very difficult to ascertain, as many companies are reluctant to dis-close the extent of their holdings in other corporations, and the impossi-bility of tracing all stock ownership is obvious. Also there are frequent changes in the distribution of stock control. The percentages given rep-resent only the participation that has been identified definitely, even though it is known in some cases with fair certainty that larger interests exist, as, for instance, American participation in foreign chromite companies. In bringing together these figures we have had the cordial co-operation of the United States Bureau of Mines, the United States Geologi-cal Survey, the Mineral Division of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, the Brookings Institution, and of many specialists connected with the mineral industries covered. The report does not cover the entire list of minerals. Coal, although it is one of the most important minerals, was omitted because, not more than one or two per cent of the world's production comes from mines that are owned by companies foreign to the countries where the coal is produced. Others, such as gold, are omitted because sufficient data have not yet been accumulated. It is hoped that some of these may be covered in subsequent reports. It is not our purpose here to discuss the significance of the figures sub-mitted, but only to point out the general nature of the problems on which they have a bearing.

Jan 1, 1933