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By W. O. Philbrook, H. W. Hosking, N. B. Melcher

A simple and inexpensive mercury-tracer method has been develohed to study rates and Patterns of gas flow in blast furnaces. A Pulse of mercury is injected into the hot blast, and its arrival at the sampling Point is recorded by an electronic circuit that measures resonant absorbtion of ultraviolet light by mercury vapor in the gas aspirated .through the detecting. cell. A rapidly developing interest in blast-furnace technology in recent years has created a strong demand for precise knowledge of the rates and patterns of gas movement through the stock column. Classical fluid-flow theory cannot supply the desired information because the complexity of the blast-furnace situation precludes the accurate determination of many of the parameters required for solution of the equations. In fact some of the terms employed in fluid-flow treatments become almost meaningless under blast-furnace conditions. The void fraction of the stock column, for example, varies widely from place to place and is affected by the segregation of charge materials, attrition of lumps during descent, and channeling. Gas density varies with changes in local pressure, temperature, and composition, while viscosity varies with temperature and composition. Even if mean values for these functions were acceptable, they would be either impossible or extremely difficult to determine with a high degree of accuracy since the value of the mean for all gas properties would depend upon the flow distribution itself. Attempts to study gas movement by the pitot-tube determination of kinetic pressures have met with little acceptance. Reproducibility of results is extremely difficult to achieve in a situation where alignment of the tube orifice with respect to the flow direction in tortuous channels cannot be guaranteed. Because of these difficulties it would appear that progress can be achieved only with a direct method of measuring gas velocities and determining the shape of flow paths through the stock. The establishment of such a method is described in this paper. SELECTION OF METHOD Direct measurement suggests the use of a tracer by means of which the progress of a "parcel" of gas can be followed through the furnace. Several requirements must be met before any selected material can be considered a suitable tracer. First of all, it must be a substance not normally present in blastfurnace gas or dust; otherwise its presence in a gas sample will have little significance. It should be volatile at temperatures normally existing within the furnace, to ensure that it will travel with the gas, as a gas. It should possess special properties enabling its presence in the gas to be detected readily, and it should not undergo exchange reactions with any material normally present within the furnace, including refractories and coke as well as all components of the metal and slag. Radioactive materials naturally are considered because their radioactivity renders them susceptible to detection. However, of the many radioactive materials available, almost all are eliminated from final consideration by their unsuitability in terms of other properties. Radioactive silicon, carbon, calcium, phosphorus, and many others have been considered and discarded, either because they are not volatile over the whole range of significant temperatures, or because they could be expected to undergo exchange reactions with burden or refractory materials. Others which might be suitable in terms of these properties are eliminated because of a low activity, short half life, or the necessity for fragile counting apparatus. Of the many elements available in radioactive form, perhaps radon is the only one suitable for blast-furnace gas-flow studies. This has been used in several investigations1-4 with considerable success. The use of radiotracers has certain inherent disadvantages. One is the cost. An appreciable sum must be allowed for materials each time a test is made. Also, special methods of handling must be employed, and very often the progress of an investigation must be governed by the availability of isotopes and the delivery arrangements that can be made for them. An advantage is immediately gained if the tracer material can be a substance which can

Jan 1, 1960

By A. Rosen, P. Wynblatt, J. E. Dorn

The temperature, strain rate, and structure dependence of the flow stress in a poly crystalline Fe-2 pct Mn alloy was investigated between 77" and 370°K. It was possible to identify the low-temperature data from 77° to 160°K with Dorn and Rajnak's theory of the Peierls mechanism of plastic deformation. Above 160°K one or more thermally activated mechanisms must he operative; however, these were not identified in this investigation. The mechanistic basis for the rapid decrease in the flow stress of bcc metals with an increase in temperature over the low-temperature range is yet being debated. Various dislocation mechanisms have been suggested in the past but the agreement between the various proposed theories and the experimental results have not been definitive. In the present paper, the authors will demonstrate that the plastic behavior of polycrystalline iron containing 2 wt pct Mn plus interstitials agrees excellently with predictions based on the Peierls mechanism from 77" to 160°K whereas from 160" to about 370°K other as yet unidentified thermally activated mechanisms take over. Undoubtedly, the overlap of these mechanisms with the Peierls mechanism contributed to the difficulties of rationalizing the low-temperature behavior of iron and its alloys. I) EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES AND RESULTS Although extensive data are now available on the effect of temperature and strain rate on the flow stress of various bcc metals and alloys, it was, nevertheless, deemed necessary for the objectives of the present study to obtain highly accurate data of the type most pertinent for checking the theories on a series of well-documented work-hardened states. Iron containing 2 wt pct Mn was used in this investigation in order to obtain a lower ductile to brittle transition temperature than that for iron.' The additional elements present were 0.004 pct C, 0.05 pct 0, 0.004 pct S, 0.003 pct P, 0.006 pct N, and 0.001 pct Si. The as-received 3/8 by 3/4 in. bars were cold-rolled to 0.100-in. thickness, recrystallized under argon for 30 min at 1073"~, further cold-rolled to 0.063-in. thickness, and finally recrystallized under argon for 30 min at 1000°K. This treatment gave a stable reproducible equiaxed grain structure having an average grain diameter of about 90 p. Prior to the final recrystallization treatment, the sheet was machined into tensile specimens 1/4 in. wide having a 1.625-in.-long gage section. All specimens were tested in controlled-temperature baths on an Instron Testing Machine. For convenience in the theoretical analyses the data will be given in terms of the shear stress for flow, 7, the shear strain rate, f, and the shear strain, y. A series of three standard strain-hardened states were obtained by prestraining specimens at 300°K and at a shear strain rate of 7.68 x lo-' per sec to three stress levels of 6.89 X l08, 10.3 X lo8, and 14.5 x 10' dynes per sq cm, respectively. Immediately following this prestrain the temperature bath was changed and each specimen was pulled in tension at either f = 7.68 X lo-' or f = 3.06 X 10"3 per sec. In terms of the accuracy that was achieved, the values obtained did not deviate more than *0.1 X 10' dynes per sq cm and * 1°K from the reported values of stress and temperature and not more than *5 pct in the reported values of the strain rate. The tensile stresses were converted to shear stresses using a factor of 1/2. The shear stress for the initiation of flow at the test temperature was determined by taking a y = 6.16 x 10'3 offset. from the modulus line at which point good accuracy could be achieved in determining y and the associated flow stress 7, with only a negligible increase in the pre-

Jan 1, 1965

By R. H. Richards

In October, 1891,I read a paper before the Institute on a "A HandTelescope for Stadia-Work" (Bans., xx., 732), and promised to report at an early date some results showing the degree of accuracy attained with the instrument. I am now able to report on these results and also on certain improvements that I have made in the target since the first paper was read. I may say that I prefer the title, "Prismatic Stadia-Telescope," to that used in my earlier paper, for while the instrument can be used with perfect satisfaction for short sights up to, say, 300 to 600 feet when held in the hand, it is impossible to read milch longer distances without the use of a tripod, as a steady support for the instrument. Results are here given upon four combinations of prism and telescope. No. 1. A telescope made by Alvan Clark & Sons, 3-inch objective, 28 inches focal length, magnifying 60 diameters, the prism covering half the objective: Feet measured Reading of Distance reduced Reeding of rod pro by tape. the rod. to feet. portional to 100 ft. 127.66 1.1825 100 .92629 211.35 1.9585 100 .92666 326.59 3.0265 100 .92669 484.88 4.4925 100 ,92652 606.91 5.6225 100 .92641 Average,,92651 The value of this prism therefore is .92651 feet on the rod for 100 feet of distance, or 1 foot on the rod corresponds to 107.931 feet of distance. No. 2. A Bardou telescope having a 1-inch objective, magnifying 20 diameters, and a prism covering half the objective:

Jan 1, 1893

By H. Ries

INTRODUCTION OF the several interesting physical properties of clay which have claimed the attention of investigators in recent years, none is more important than the behavior of the material when heated to temperatures above those of dehydration. Some of the problems to be solved are: 1. The mineralogical changes that take place in firing. 2. The relation between temperature and change in constitution, shrinkage, porosity, etc. 3. The importance of the time factor, as duration of firing, either in reaching a given temperature, or of exposure to a constant temperature. Mineralogical Changes As a result of fusion, reactions take place between the constituents of a clay, which results in a reorganization of the mass, and the formation of new compounds. Of the new minerals developed, sillimanite is the one usually recorded, and has been referred to by a number of observers.1 There appears to he a difference of opinion, however, regarding the temperature at which it is formed. Thus. Klein2 notes that sillimanite forms only above. 1300° C., while Mellor claims that it can develop below 1200° C., the difference in results being conditioned by the time factor. In Klein's experiments the test pieces were fired in 12 hr., while in Mellor's, the temperature rose from 800° to 1180° in 24 hrs., and occupied the same time in cooling back to 800°.

Jan 9, 1917

C. P. SANDBERG, LONDON, ENG : † I think we should all be grateful to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and to their chemist, Dr., Dudley, for spending so much time and money in order to solve an important question ; nor are we less indebted to the public spirit which leads them to impart the experience thus gained. In Europe nothing similar has hitherto been done, either by a company or by any private individual. In England the great railway companies employ their engineers in other ways, and do not keep a chemist or specialist to study rails; but even if they did they would probably not publish the results. The chief professional engineers are so occupied with their private practice of railroad construction generally, that they cannot be expected to devote their time and energies to so special a question. The German Railway Union has, in my opinion, missed the real object of its elaborate researches by falling into the error of specifying costly, impracticable tests for rails-tests at the same time which do not infallibly expose the impurities that may be in the rails under examination. There has, therefore, been nothing done on this side of the Atlantic in the way of exhaustive study to determine the best composition for steel rails. America should consequently have full credit for the enlightened example which she has set. I wish, however, to make a few remarks on Dr. Dudley's second paper, a paper which follows very much upon the same lines of argument as the first read three years ago, upon which I have previously touched in my paper on the same subject read at the meeting in August last. If Dr. Dudley had discovered a new metal he could hardly, I think, have taken more pains to prove that he was correct in his first formula for the best chemical composition of steel rails. But I have seen so much done in the way of proof by experiment that I am inclined to think that almost anything can be proved by experiments and by samples. If Dr. Dudley would only give up his formula, which would not suit any country-not even America- * For the convenience of members it has bees thought best to insert the continuation of this discussion at the Virginia meeting in tide place, rather than to delay its permanent publication until the issue of Volume X, Transactions, where it would properly belong. T. M. D., Sec'y, † Sent to the secretary in manuscript.

Jan 1, 1881

By Kenyon Burch

ONE of the advantages presented by electric drive in many classes of work is the ease with which the electric motor can be controlled automatically. In a large number of cases certain features of the control are automatic-for example, the rate of acceleration may be limited automatically or the equipment may be stopped automatically at the limit of travel-but the equipment is started and ordinarily is stopped by hand. . In other cases the motion of the machinery is utilized to start, control the: speed, and stop the motor automatically, independently of any operator. A considerable proportion of the large mine hoists now in use have certain automatic features, particularly protective devices against over-winding, and, in some classes of electric hoists, devices for preventing excessive acceleration or retardation. The large automatic hoists discussed in this paper, however, are completely automatic, i.e., capable of snaking their trips without the presence of an operator at the control levers. According to circumstances, various advantages may be obtained by automatic control, chief of which are decreased power consumption', increased precision and safety of operation, and decreased, cost of attendance. The first step in the analysis of a prospective automatic mine hoist is to determine whether automatic operation is feasible at all. If men are to be hoisted, or levels changed, the attention of an operator is required for these purposes; but tinder some conditions it may be entirely practicable and advantageous to build the equipment so that, while provision is made for hoisting mien or changing levels, ore can be hoisted automatically from, any one level. If, however, an operator's attention is required every few minutes for changing levels, handling men or drills, or other work requiring hand control, it is obvious that automatic operation between times will not be of any, practical benefit.

Jan 3, 1916

By Frederic E. Carter

There have been many attempts to prove that platinum was known to the ancients, but since no traces of the metal have been found in the relics of early times, it must be concluded that it was not known to them. As far as records go, it was actually first discovered in the 16th century in a Spanish mine on the Pinto River in South America; from which source it received its name of Platina del Pinto (little silver from the Pinto). It was more or less of a rarity and was a subject of interest to a few chemists only, until the year 1822 when the metal was first discovered in Russia. In 1819 there were noticed in the washings of the gold sands of the southern part of the Ural Mountains, grains of a heavy white substance, but it was not until three years later that this substance was found to contain platinum. While at first the amounts of platinum brought from the Urals were meager, prospecting soon disclosed rich deposits extending over a considerable area, and nuggets from 10 to 20 lb. were by no means rare. This discovery assured to chemists an ample supply of platinum for their crucibles, etc. The ore is now found in various parts of the world but the richest deposits are still found in the Ural Mountains. The platinum of commerce is obtained entirely from alluvial deposits at depths varying from 6 to 40 ft. The sand and gravel of former river beds are subjected to a series of screenings and washings to effect the separation of the ore. Actually, probably all gold-bearing gravel beds of the world contain platinum, and it is more than likely that large quantities of platinum ore have been thrown away with the black sand washings from gold placer deposits. This is especially true of the alluvial deposits of the Pacific Coast in California and Oregon. Platinum ore is usually found in the form of rounded or flattened grains of "sand," and occasionally in irregular lumps of the size of peas. Large nuggets are very rare. The ore has a metallic luster and is distinguished by its steel gray color, but shows light gray streak when rubbed on a hard white surface; it has a high specific gravity, 16 to 19; is infusible in the hottest blast furnaces, and insoluble in any single acid. Platinum ore is a complex body consisting of the metal in combination with varying proportions of the other members of the platinum group; iridium,

By Y. Oinouye, H. Ries

Of the several interesting physical properties of clay which have claimed the attention of investigators in recent years, none is more important than the behavior of the material when heated to temperatures above those of dehydration. Some of the problems to be solved are: 1. The mineralogical changes that take place in firing. 2. The relation between temperature and change in constitution, shrinkage, porosity, etc. 3. The importance of the time factor, as duration of firing, either in reaching a given temperature, or of exposure to a constant temperature. Mineralogical Changes As a result of fusion, reactions take place between the constituents of a clay, which result in a reorganization of the mass, and the formation of new compounds. Of the new minerals developed, sillimanite is the one usually recorded, and has been referred to by a number of observers.' There appears to be a difference of opinion, however, regarding the temperature at which it is formed. Thus Klein2 notes that sillimanite forms only above 1300" C., while Mellor claims that it can develop below 1200" C., the difference in results being conditioned by the time factor. In Klein's experiments the test pieces were fired in 12 hr., while in Mel-lor's, the temperature rose from 800" to 1180" in 24 hr., and occupied the same time in cooling back to 800".

Jan 1, 1918

By L. Wahl, M. Allard, B. Trentini

REMOVAL of sulfur in steelmaking is presently a problem of utmost importance as requirements on final sulfur contents in finished steels become increasingly strict. This is in spite of often increased sulfur contents in the fuels used during the different stages of steel processing. According to local conditions or current economic factors, sulfur can be removed during one or more of the processing operations; for instance, in a blast furnace operated under high temperatures and with a high slag basicity ratio and also by means of high inputs of manganese into the burden. These methods of proceeding are, however, expensive and in contradiction with the acid practice which is gradually being developed owing to the fact that it allows coke and lime savings and usually permits an increase of productivity. In the melting-shop, desulfurization can proceed in the open-hearth or electric furnace with one or several very basic slags, or with special prefused slags (Perrin process) mixed with steels poured from the open-hearth, electric furnace, or converter. Liquid pig iron has also been treated separately before being used in the melting shop, in order to reduce high sulfur contents. This external desul-furization has been developed in Europe for the basic Bessemer Thomas process, which is again in favor owing to the great flexibility of such installations and to the fact that the steel produced is not polluted by impurities coming from the scrap. Since the basic Bessemer process, as usually practiced, has a low desulfurizing power, external desulfurization is generally carried out in ladles by means of alkalies such as soda ash. This method, which has the advantage of being simple and costing little, has only a medium desulfurizing power, which implies the necessity for repeating the operation several times when a substantial amount of sulfur has to be removed or when very low sulfur contents are desired. Thermal losses are high and there is a considerable decrease in output. Moreover, the resulting fluid and corrosive slag, which is extremely difficult to eliminate, attacks the refractory linings of the mixers and steel furnaces. Therefore, it seems necessary to devise a simple method for external desulfurization which would not only remove substantial quantities of sulfur from the hot metal coming from an acid blast furnace, but which would also bring the sulfur contents down to the low level required in the making of high quality steel and iron. Principle of the Process In this paper a new method will be described for desulfurizing hot metal. It has been perfected by

Jan 1, 1958

By Marcie A. Greenberg, John C. Patton, R. Tim Thompson

The Fence Lake Project is located in the Salt Lake coal field, an extension of the San Juan Basin. Geologic formations exposed in the Project area range in age from late Cretaceous to Quaternary. Coal is encountered in the Moreno Hill Formation (upper Cretaceous). Salt River Project (SRP) followed the basic textbook approach for the exploration, regional appraisal, detailed reconnaissance, detailed surface detailed and three dimensional sampling (physical exploration). SRP is exploring this property as a potential fuel source for the Coronado Generating Station. Therefore, for the physical exploration stage, the quality sampling program was designed from a utility company viewpoint to determine possible impacts to the Station. Exploration drilling was completed in spring, 1982; September, 1982, and summer, 1984. Engineering, environmental, and land acquisition studies - in the Summer, 1984 Program to more closely evaluate the potential Fence Lake Project coal supply option for the Coronado Generating Station. Studies, including drilling, are ongoing at this time.

Jan 1, 1985

By M. L. Requa

This paper is abstracted from the report of the Appraisement Committee of the Independent Oil Producers' Agency, of which the writer was Chairman. The other members of the committee were M. V. McQuigg and R. S. Haseltine. To Thomas Cox, engineer in charge of the investigation, and to his efficient staff of assistants, is due the credit for the detail work necessary in carrying out the plan of the Committee. It treats only of the valuation of the lands, wells, and piping, without going into details of equipment and other features. It was recognized, early in the operation, that the value of oil lands was the value of oil ,to be extracted and marketed, less the costs attendant thereon. Referring this back to the costs in cents per barrel, it became obvious that surface improvements, absolutely necessary in the production of oil, from wells then drilled, had no separate and independent value aside from the value of the land, but that any excess equipment, not necessary for the production of oil from present wells, such as drilling tools, well casing, etc., should be given a present condition value. In valuing the properties of the Independent Oil Producers' Agency, the Committee has considered the following facts: 1. That from each property there will ultimately be produced a certain total quantity of oil. 2. That in the production of that oil a certain total quantity of money will be expended. 3. That a certain total amount of money will be received from the oil. 4. That the total net receipts will be the total gross receipts less the cost of development and production. 5. That the present value of the net receipts must be such an amount that when invested by a purchaser it will be returned with 8 per cent, interest additional during the life of the property. The initial procedure consisted in making a general reconnaissance of the entire district in which the property was located and determining the lithological and structural conditions underlying the area. The data obtained from each individual tract comprised the logs of all the wells

Jan 1, 1918

By Stewart Murray, Philip Klapwijk

INTRODUCTION Forecasting commodity markets is like predicting winners in a horse race: to get the answers right, one needs both luck and judgement. Commodity analysts bear some resemblance to racing tipsters as they try to convince interested parties that they have an inside track on which metal is going to win the great minerals race of the 1990s. Commodity analysts share some features with the gentlemen of the turf: • They influence other people in how to spend risk capital, • They don't put their own money at risk, and • If their tips consistently fail to deliver, then they end up looking elsewhere for employment. In order to find winners we need to know about the kind of race we are in and the strengths and weaknesses of all the runners. Miners are not interested in a five furlong sprint: their race is a long distance affair -- after all, the lead-times between discovery and start-up generally approach a decade for mines that will provide the staying power which leaders require in this industry. We need to look at the environment in which our commodities will be competing: in racing parlance, the going. Our equivalent is the economic background: just as some horses are at a relative advantage when the going is soft, so some commodities will do better than others if economic growth is sluggish. If we are going to pick the winners for the late 1990s, and as an industry, make the right investment decisions, nothing is more important than being able to forecast (with at least a semblance of accuracy) how and where the world's economy is going to develop in the next decade. In addressing the question of whether minerals are going to be leaders in the 1990s, this paper considers the idea that it will increasingly be the world outside the industrialised OECD that will provide the incremental growth in demand for mineral products. Economic growth in the Developing World is fundamentally different from that in the OECD, and the pattern of demand for materials in relation to economic output is much more favourable than in the OECD. If we are to forecast the future, we need to be able to understand the past, both in the boom times of the so called Golden Sixties and in the lean years that followed them. This should help us to decide whether the future is going to be like one or other of these extremes or, on the other hand, a return to normality. Having forecast the going, we can look at individual competitors. • Which are best placed to take advantage of the economic, social and industrial trends that we can now dimly foresee? • Which can resist the continued onslaught of the new materials and technologies? • Which of them will best weather the economic storms (assuming that recessions have not yet been abolished)? If we can provide answers to these questions, we will be well on our way to picking winners, i.e., the metals and minerals that will reward their owners with growing demand, steady (and high) prices leading to profits beyond the dreams of avarice.

Jan 1, 1990

By S. W. Miller

During the examination of welds made in steel by the oxy-acetylene and electric-arc processes, the writer has met with some unusual structures, which he has not encountered elsewhere. They seem to be quite closely associated with the welding methods used, and characteristic of them, and would seem to be worth noting, especially as the references to them in the literature are few, and their explanation not clear or complete. An introductory word or two about fusion welding may not be out of place. The oxy-acetylene process is based on the great and very local heat generated by the burning of acetylene in the presence of commercially pure oxygen, the two gases being thoroughly mixed before combustion. The theoretical temperature is somewhat under 4000" C, but on account of various losses, the actual maximum temperature is probably about 3000" C.' The electric-arc process, using a metal electrode, which is also the filling rod, generates a still higher and more local temperature. The actual temperature of the positive crater of the carbon arc is given as 3500" C.2 NO figures have been found for the temperature of the arc using a metal electrode, but it would probably not be very different from that of the carbon arc, and probably higher than that of the bxy-acetylene flame. The greater localization of the electric arc is due to the fact that it is not surrounded by a large envelope flame, as well as to its higher temperature; while the oxy-acetylene white cone, or welding flame, in which the carbon of the acetylene is burned to CO, is surrounded and preceded by a long envelope flame, itself of quite high temperature, in which the CO is burned to GO2, and the hydrogen of the acetylene to H2O. This flame spreads around and over the pieces being welded, heating them to a further distance from the weld than does the electric arc.

Jan 1, 1918

By David Browne

THE literature dealing with the physical constants of nickel is so fragmentary and unrelated, that a synopsis presents unusual difficulties. It is only within the last few years that investigators have understood the importance of placing on record not only the determinations they have made but also the composition, physical treatment, and past history of the material investigated. For this reason much of the earlier literature is valueless. Determinations have been made of the same physical constants on samples differing widely in origin, composition, and treatment, and the results differ widely among themselves. In the first place nickel is almost as flexible a term as steel. Its physical properties are widely influenced by its composition and treatment. It absorbs large quantities of gases and is exceedingly difficult to prepare in a state of chemical purity comparable to gold, silver, or copper. It is vitally affected by thermal and mechanical treatment. Hence in the following pages the recorded literature, where quoted, must be accepted with a certain reserve and used, as far as possible, as a check on later observations, in which these important factors are noted. In every case where new determinations are given, an attempt has been made to record all available information concerning the composition and treatment of the material used so that the data may serve as steppingstones toward a wider knowledge of the properties of the metal. As this synopsis is an attempt by men of metallurgical training to do what should long before have been clone by physicists, it is to be expected

Jan 9, 1919

By D. J. Carney, R. L. Stephenson

M. O. Holowaty (Inland Steel Co., Chicago)—Messrs. Stephenson and Carney should be commended on the presentation of this very interesting paper. They have introduced new ideas on sampling of sinter and have thereby made a valuable contribution to the qualitative evaluation of sinter. The paper undoubtedly presents a novel approach to the problem of sinter sampling and this is to be regarded as its main value. Sampling of sinter from the pallets prior to the discharge is by no means new. This sampling procedure was used in the past by Philbrook; Hamilton and Ameen and others. The sampling basket used by the authors of this paper, however, permits one actually to obtain a good sample of the sintering mixture. The basket which can also be described as a removable pallet goes then through the entire process of sintering and thus offers a sample which is positively representative of the batch in question. The authors' method of evaluating physical properties of sinter seems to be not altogether clear, however. It is felt that the following points should be clarified: I—In the section describing the shatter test the authors state that a 5-lb sample was used in the actual tests. There is no mention of the initial size of sinter particles used and the method of obtaining this 5-lb sample from the sinter cake weighing about 100 to 120 lb. It is also surprising that the sample was dropped from a height of 3 ft instead of the conventionally used 6 ft. Unfortunately there is no mention of the number of drops to which the sample was subjected. 2—The tumbler test used by Messrs. Stephenson and Carney in testing the samples of iron ore sinter was performed in a standard ASTM coke tumbling drum. The drum measures 3 ft in diam and is equipped with two 3-in. lifter bars. The distance of fall in this testing drum is identical with the distance used in the previously described shatter test. The number of drops in the tumbling drum is approximately double the number of revolutions. The basic difference then between the drop-shatter test used by Stephenson and Carney and the tumbling test seems to be the number of drops to which the sample is subjected and the abrasive action to which the sinter particles are exposed in the rotating drum. In any case, the choice between the shatter test and the tumbler test seems to be only a matter of taste and convenience. 3—The authors of the paper state that "in order to insure getting results that were representative . . . the entire sample obtained by means of the sampling basket was used as the starting material for the tumbler test. If the sample broke in pieces, all the pieces were used regardless of their size." The initial size of the material is known to be a very important factor, influencing seriously the final size of the particles. This should be particularly important in case of hard sinters. It seems also very troublesome and inconvenient to charge 12-in. cubes of sinter weighing about 100 lb into the testing drum. This could be eliminated by taking a standard fraction of somewhat smaller particles.

Jan 1, 1954

By Roger V. Pierce

INTRODUCTION IN the last few years, much study has been devoted to increasing stoping efficiency. The reasons for this are shortage of manpower, shorter working hours, operating regulations, and shortages of essential materials. More efficiency in mining methods is needed to offset these adverse factors. In the past, attention has been centered upon haulage, hoisting equipment, mill flowsheets, etc., but recently the spotlight has been focused on the cost of stoping and the cost of handling materials. Scrapers and scraper hoists have thus assumed greater importance. In order to make it possible for certain ore bodies to be mined at a profit, it has been necessary to apply assembly-line practices to the streamlining of mining methods. All cycles of the mining operation must balance, and the sooner broken ore is removed from the working face, the sooner another round can be started. Since the introduction of scraper hoists in metal mines more than thirty years ago, much progress has been made in their design and application. Alert operators are now constantly watching for methods in which to apply scrapers. The saving of manpower in development work and the changing of mining methods that once employed manual handling of materials are increasing vital wartime tonnages. Essential ores from newly discovered ore bodies are moving rapidly from stopes to reduction plants-because it is now possible to develop an ore body and place it in production with a minimum of manpower and development work. Today, speed is one of the prime essentials of mining. Everywhere, there is a concentrated effort to use experienced miners in breaking rock, in timbering, and in carrying out the various phases of mining that require many months of training. Much effort is being made to mechanize the working places because experienced men naturally prefer to work where the majority of materials are handled mechanically. In line with this policy, many new men are being taught the details of scraper work, because even green men can quickly become acquainted with scrapers and thereby release older heads to perform the more skilled phases of mining. In some places it has been found economical to change from one system of stoping to another that more readily allows the application of mechanical muck-handling equipment. Where blocks are worked faster, the cost of materials, time, and labor is cut drastically. This favorable situation allows more manpower to remain on straight breaking and timbering-or straight production mining. More-over, when blocks are mined faster, more floors can often be mined vertically before the mucking or wheel floor is moved. This results in several direct savings. There are cases where it has been proved that by working a given block faster more area, longitudinally or vertically, could be mined at one time, thus permitting the reduction of development cost. (Fig. I.)

Jan 1, 1943

By Zay Jeffries

IMAGINE a spinning sphere of hot matter about 8000 miles in diameter, rushing through space at a velocity measured in miles per second, and you have a rough idea of what our earth is supposed to have been like about two to four billion years ago. By applying all of the science known to man and, more especially, by determining the velocity of earthquake waves at different depths, making comparisons with meteorites, studying densities, compressibility of rocks and the nature of surface rocks, a fairly definite conception of the general constitution of the earth has been obtained.1 The earth is supposed to have a central core rich in iron containing a substantial amount of nickel and small percentages of several other elements. The density of the core is assumed to be about ten times that of water and the diameter about 4200 miles. An intermediate shell of density about 4, and thickness of about 1800 miles, is sup- posed to consist of heavy rocks including sulfides, oxides, and silicates. The outer rock shell, probably about 100 miles thick and with a density around 2.8, is thought to be composed mostly of silicates, becoming in general more siliceous as the earth's surface is approached. NATURE'S SMELTING OPERATION Nature seems to have subjected the earth to a stupendous smelting operation, burying beyond reach much of the metal that man recovers in his smelting practices. We live on the surface of Nature's "slag dump" and must be content, for the near term, to recover for man's

Jan 1, 1953

Discussion of the paper of ROSWELL H. JOHNSON, presented at the New York meeting, February, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 98, February, 1915, pp. 221 to 226. A. C. LANE, Tufts College, Mass.-About a year ago Mr. Washburne read a paper on the same characteristic oil-sand waters, discussing their chemical character, and the possibility of their chemical character being modified by adsorption in passing through the shale. We are used to consider circulation as being in one stratum, and I have often gone so far as to think that 2,000 or 3,000 ft. clown I could recognize the chemical character as in part connate to a given water. For instance, the St. Peter sandstone, far underneath oil sands, seems to retain' a relatively fresh and peculiar character. I am, therefore, tempted to ask the writer if in his experiments lie has made any test to see whether the chemical character of these waters is also changed, where there is any adsorption, so that the water passing through these fine-grained beds should leave behind its salt as well as its oil. In many cases salt-waters are associated with oil and-gas. A second question has occurred to me. In these days when we hear a good deal about oil flotation, may it not be well to repeat these experi-ments with pyritic concentrates, and see if they observe precisely the same with regard to the selective accumulation of oil and gas. ROSWELL H. JOHNSON.-I thank Profesor Lane for bringing this question forward. I recognize its importance, but. am not able to say I have any data upon that point. It is also very interesting in connection with Dr. Day's hypothesis of fractional filtration, and we may very easily get something happening to the water corresponding in some degree to what we get with oil. D. B. REGER, Morgantown, W. Va.-Mr. Johnson in his paper states his belief that the oil is formed originally from organic matter in the shale, and is forced out of the shale into the porous reservoir of the sand above the shale. He states further, that as you go deeper iii the measures where there is an increasing overburdens, the oil becomes less and the gas increases in large proportion, or lie says that the oil is forced back out of the sand by pressure, into the shale.

Jan 5, 1915

By H. C. Goodrich

THE earliest record of copper production from the state of Utah comes from "The Resources of Utah," by. Mr. Fabian, in 1872, wherein it is stated that the. Mammoth mine of East Tintic was located in 1870 and that the ores yielded a large percentage of copper, silver and gold. It is also stated that shipments had been made to Swansea, England, which assayed between $200 and $300 per ton. The Mammoth-Copperopolis mine was located in, 1870 and sold the year following to an English syndicate. Some copper was shipped to. England and in 1873 there was constructed a 15-stamp mill and two copper smelting furnaces; these were operated a few months and before the end of the year were closed down and the property sold for debt. . This property -vas reorganized in 1879 and is at the present day a producer, though its principal product now is lead and silver. While a certain amount of copper has always been coming from the various lead-silver camps of Utah, the real history of copper in Utah should start with the discovery of the mines in Bingham Canyon, located about 25 miles to the southwest from Salt Lake City.

Jan 1, 1925

By Gilbert P. Moore

The production of petroleum in Argentina during 1932 was greater than in any preceding year. The total amount produced was 13,012,-756 bbl. This figure represents a decided increase in the production of oil in Argentina and can be attributed largely to the increased activities of the Royal Dutch operations at Kilometer 27 in the Comodoro Rivadavia district and those of the Standard Oil Co. of Argentina in the Salta region. Production from the Royal Dutch wells amounted to considerably more than 10,000 bbl. per day over quite a long period during the year. Of the 13,012,756 bbl. of oil produced during 1932, the Government Agency (Y. P. F.) was responsible for some 5,578,954 bbl., while 7,433,-802 bbl. were produced by private companies. Although in 1930 the Y. P. F. produced about 55 per cent of the total production and in 1930 50 per cent of the total, in 1932 its production had fallen to about 42 1/2 per cent of the total. This decrease in the proportion produced by the Y. P. F. was not due to a decrease in its production but to the decided increase in the production of private companies, particularly those two whose names are given above. One new discovery was recorded during the year. This was a well drilled by the Y. P. F. at Cacheuta in the province of Mendoza which came in pumping 80 bbl. of 15" gravity oil from a depth of 673 meters. This well was completed at approximately the same time that the provincial government of Mendoza granted a concession to the Y. P. F. and declared the whole province as a reserve in which no concessions may be granted for a period of 10 years. Under these conditions, the federally operated Y. P. F. will have no competition in the Cacheuta area from private companies such as they have in the other three fields of the republic. The Y. P. F. wildcat west of Comodoro Rivadavia at Pampa Maria Santissima on the Rio Senguerr was completed as a dry hole during 1932. This we11 was reported as a producer in 1930 by persons returning to this country from Argentina but it appears that they had been misinformed. The site of this test has been abandoned and a new location made north of the Rio Senguerr.

Jan 1, 1933