Search Documents

By William Price

DURING the past three or four years, the fabricators of silicon-bronze alloys have endeavored to induce risers of phosphor bronze to use instead the silicon-bronze alloys, claiming that the silicon bronzes are superior to the phosphor bronzes for switches and springs, or where high fatigue resistance is desired. This paper gives the results of tests comparing several phosphor bronzes with a 3 per cent silicon bronze and a copper-nickel-tin alloy (Adnic), all processed by the Scovill Manufacturing Co. So far as the authors are aware, sheet-metal fatigue tests have not been made on any of the alloys included in this report, except on one phosphor bronze, material C, Table 1, which was tested by Townsend and Greenall1.

Jan 1, 1937

By Leon Eliel

TEN years ago a broad knowledge of aerial mapping, coupled with a smattering of geology, qualified one to speak on the subject of the appli-cation of aerial mapping to geology. Today, with aerial maps a common tool in the hands of expert geologists on every continent throughout the world, it would be nothing short of presumptuous for the author of this paper, who is not a geologist, to give any geological statements on his own authority. Relatively, today we are only purveyors of general geological gossip, with a definite case here and there by way of illustration. But we can present a story of the really marvellous strides that have been made in the evolution of aerial mapping, built around a skeleton of geological tidbits, from which some useful conclusions may be drawn. The average geologist goes about reading his aerial maps much as one would approach the problem of deciphering a cryptogram. To begin with, typical key expressions appear in recurring sequences and under certain conditions. If once the meaning of these isolated bits of infor-mation can be ascertained, the message begins to take meaning. In a similar fashion, the geologist works out his key from aerial maps of territory with which he has some familiarity. He learns that a certain type of thin, white line may mean a vein of quartz. He sees that a certain change in the photographic tone of vegetation on the ground reflects two kinds of soils on opposite sides of, a contact. He sees that a certain type of alignment of topographical features often means a fault. He learns that by the erosion pattern .he can frequently distinguish soft formations from harder ones. And so, bit by bit, he ties together the information of the picture with his experience on the ground until he develops a reasonably creditable capacity of interpretation. Through the complete gamut of surface conditions, ranging all the way from flat, arid, exposed desert terrain to dense jungle, or rugged mountains, the evidence from which the geologist must make his inter-pretation varies with bewildering profusion. The quality of photographs which are obtainable may range from perfect pictures in the desert to almost useless smudges in the steaming jungles. One thing he has learned with certainty-the airplane carrying its mapping camera is a superb reconnaissance tool, only awaiting his ingenuity in correlating the pictures with the ground to simplify most exploratory problems.

Jan 1, 1936

By A. S. Richardson

Ventilation of the Butte mines has long been a rather difficult problem because of the natural high temperature of the rock. With increase* in mining depth, higher rock temperatures have been encountered, and this has caused a constantly growing demand for more effective ventilation measures. During recent years the hazards of dust in mine air have been more clearly recognized, and have necessitated the adoption of dust-prevention methods. To meet these ventilation problems in the mines of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., a mines ventilation department was organized in 1918, to act under the direction of the general superintendent of mines. At the present time, under normal operating conditions, the force employed includes the ventilation engineer, two chief assistant ventilation engineers and eight assistant ventilation engineers. The activities of the department are, briefly: (1) planning and supervising operation of the general ventilation system; (2) planning and supervising the operation of dust-prevention measures, together with dust sampling and related microscopic work for the quantitation of the dust samples and determination of particle-size distribution; (3) the design and development of air-conditioning methods to meet present exceptionally severe temperature conditions and in anticipation of future requirements. To a large extent the technical features of the ventilation methods have been described in earlier papers by the author. This paper is written mainly to summarize past accomplishments bearing most closely on health and safety, with a somewhat more detailed account of the dust-prevention measures that have been developed comparatively recently. Facilitating Flow of Am As a basic requirement for the safety of the mcn, all ventilation plans are subject to a ruling that the main operating shafts must be maintained as inlet air courses. Under this condition, a safe, fresh-air escapeway is assured if a fire occurs within the mine, and the shaft; is available as a base

Jan 1, 1940

By A. S. Richardson

Ventilation of the Butte mines has long been a rather difficult problem because of the natural high temperature of the rock. With increase* in mining depth, higher rock temperatures have been encountered, and this has caused a constantly growing demand for more effective ventilation measures. During recent years the hazards of dust in mine air have been more clearly recognized, and have necessitated the adoption of dust-prevention methods. To meet these ventilation problems in the mines of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., a mines ventilation department was organized in 1918, to act under the direction of the general superintendent of mines. At the present time, under normal operating conditions, the force employed includes the ventilation engineer, two chief assistant ventilation engineers and eight assistant ventilation engineers. The activities of the department are, briefly: (1) planning and supervising operation of the general ventilation system; (2) planning and supervising the operation of dust-prevention measures, together with dust sampling and related microscopic work for the quantitation of the dust samples and determination of particle-size distribution; (3) the design and development of air-conditioning methods to meet present exceptionally severe temperature conditions and in anticipation of future requirements. To a large extent the technical features of the ventilation methods have been described in earlier papers by the author. This paper is written mainly to summarize past accomplishments bearing most closely on health and safety, with a somewhat more detailed account of the dust-prevention measures that have been developed comparatively recently. Facilitating Flow of Am As a basic requirement for the safety of the mcn, all ventilation plans are subject to a ruling that the main operating shafts must be maintained as inlet air courses. Under this condition, a safe, fresh-air escapeway is assured if a fire occurs within the mine, and the shaft; is available as a base

Jan 1, 1940

By Ernest Lilley

THE tin deposits of Cornwall appear to have been worked for at least 3000 years. Prior to the sixteenth century, the tin came exclusively from alluvial deposits. At that time, shallow pits or mines were started in the hill sections. Mining of copper seems to have begun at the same time, but does not appear to have been especially important until about 1700. From that time until the close of the nineteenth century, copper was of major importance. Lead, and to a lesser extent, other metals, such as antimony, iron and manganese, were produced in commercial quantities during the same period. With the opening of the eighteenth century carne increasing difficulties with water because of the increasing depth of the mines. Among the efforts made to overcome this difficulty was the construction of the "Great County Adit," begun in 1748, taking 20 years to complete, and with its branches having a length of 20 miles. Adits proved capable of handling-only a few of the water problems, and led to rapid adoption of the steam pumping engine in the latter part of the eighteenth century and the early part of the nineteenth. It was in this period that the Cornish pumping engine, still considered by Cornishmen to be the most satis-factory unit for handling large quantities of water, carne into existence. The development of a means of controlling the water made possible the opening up of a number of rich deposits where profitable work-ing was further assisted by numerous improvements in mining and milling machinery. During the middle of the past century, Cornwall, with an average yearly production of 10,000 tons of tin metal and an even slightly larger tonnage of copper, enjoyed a period of unprecedented prosperity. How-ever, the relatively high prices of both copper and tin served not only to encourage prospecting (and much speculation) in Cornwall, but also in other countries. The rapid development of copper mines in the United States, together with sudden impoverishment of the lodes with increasing depth in the greatest of the Cornish copper mines, brought the copper boom to an abrupt end, the production of copper at the close of the cen-tury being negligible in importance and being secured in large measure

Jan 1, 1932

By S. H. Cathcart

Price, production and drilling operations exceeded any year since 1930. A top price for crude of $2.55 was maintained from May 1 to November 6 and increased activity about coincides with that period. The average crude price for the year was: Bradford, $2.46; Kane-Butler, $2.34; Southwest Pennsylvania, $2.13. Production for the year exceeded 15 million barrels, an increase of about 2 million barrels over 1933. That this increase was more than justified by market demand is indicated by a reduction of 892,000 bbl. in stocks for the year. Two classes of data appear on Table 1, which are differentiated by footnote references. Where possible the .figures were obtained from individuals and companies that, from long acquaintance and varied contacts, are most capable of supplying an estimate where an estimate is necessary. The remaining data represent a rather careful compilation from all available published records (see p. 378). Drilling operations and production as summarized by the Oil City Derrick are as shown on Table 2.

Jan 1, 1935

By Robert W. Fullerton, Barry G. McMillan, Donald T. King, Henning E. Soderberg

INTRODUCTION Dust control in coal preparation and related transport is a multi- faceted problem which must be anticipated whenever dry, fine coal is subject to rough handling which can disperse it in the air. This problem can be minimized by careful planning and proper design, by eliminating procedures which maximize dust production, and by utilizing the most appropriate dust-collection "hardware" for a given situation. Proper maintenance after dust-collection systems are installed is also very important, and will not only enable the selected equipment to perform properly, but will also reduce component wear, recover valuable product with the highest efficiency, provide cleaner and safer working conditions, and allow local clean-air standards to be met. This chapter is designed to provide basic information about dust control in relation to material processing and handling during coal preparation. Areas discussed should provide the reader with insight into basic dust-collection theory, particle behavior, equipment types, ductwork and hood considerations, general maintenance and design planning, and the economics of dust collection. Because of the wide range of areas covered and the various specialized problems inherent in each, the text is organized to be a practical reference, and not a complete, unabridged treatise of ventilation and dust-control design. Nevertheless, the information presented should be of value in both understanding and reducing problems of dust control in coal preparation.

Jan 1, 1979

By J. T. Norton

As cold working is an important feature in a great many of the fabricating processes now applied, this paper presents some ideas of the nature and results of the plastic deformation produced in this operation. The art of manufacturing metal for practical uses is very old and has undergone very great development. The science of metals has also developed very rapidly recently and the various processes to which ,metals are submitted are much better understood now than they were even a short time ago. All the knowledge that can be obtained on this subject is useful because it promotes efficiency in converting metal into finished articles. ATOMIC ARRANGEMENT IN CRYSTALS In the solid state all metals are crystalline. The atoms are arranged in, a definite symmetrical configuration, which is repeated at regular intervals, and thereby defines what we may term a lattice. Presumably . the atoms exist as positive ions. The dissociated electrons place themselves between groups of positive ions, and thus define a second lattice, an "electron lattice." From such a point of view, the crystalline forces which hold a metal together are the electrostatic attractions between positive ions and negative electrons. The particular type of lattice into which a metal crystallizes depends on the number of these lattice electrons given up by each atom, and is thus connected very closely with the chemical valence of the metal.

Jan 12, 1926

By O. W. Ellis

In view of the extensive use of the brasses and bronzes in engineering practice it is indeed surprising that so little scientific work has been done on the oxides in these alloys. Recognition of the ill effects of these compounds is universally accorded, both in foundry procedure and in such specifications as cover the melting of these useful mixtures. In the latter, limits, for example, are placed on the proportions of scrap metal In the charge, and clauses governing the use of fluxes are included, the addition of fluxes to the charge being made with the object of avoiding oxidation during the process of melting and of subducing and separating non-metal-lic matter from the melt.1 In the manufacture of brass it occasionally, though rarely, occurs that the virgin metals, copper and zinc, alone arc used. In the event of virgin metals being employed, that of the higher melting point is always melted first. If it is melted under suitable conditions, little or no oxidation will occur. Whether oxidation has occurred or not, however, can best be determined by microscopic examination of a sample taken from the melt. Avoidance of Oxidation in Furnace Practice When melting virgin copper in crucible practice, the avoidance of oxidation is not difficult, nor is it hard to forestall trouble in the electric furnace. In gas-fired furnaces of the barrel type, however, the avoidance of oxidation is almost impossible, no matter what the condition of the flame, the flux employed, or the amount of charcoal included in the charge. Copper melted in furnaces of this type is almost invariably so highly oxidized as to requirc very considerable additions of such deoxi-dizers as, for example, silicon copper to render it free from cuprous oxide. As a result,, the castings produced are decidedly inferior, on account of the. large amount of silica which is engendered in the metal as a result of the reaction, Cu2O + Si = SiO2 + 2Cu. The deoxidation of such oxidized copper could, of course, be effected by means of zinc with, however, even more disastrous results.

Jan 1, 1930

By J. Moore Samuel

INTRODUCTORY BEFORE the year 1909, no measurements of dust losses and flue gases had been made at the Copper Queen Reduction Works, at Douglas, Ariz. At that time the "unaccounted" loss of the smelter had reached a figure, that drew attention to the possibility of large stack losses. The measurement of dust losses had not been studied much at that time, and estimates of dust losses, with a few exceptions, were the results of tests by what has been termed "chemical methods," that is, the aspiration and filtration through cotton, wool or some similar medium of a few liters of gas, the dust being weighed on a chemical balance, and the volume of gas computed from the volume of aspirator water. The possible error of this method is enormous, and the probable error much too large for reliable results. Since the object of these tests was to discover not only the extent of the dust losses, but also the possibility of profitably reducing the same, it was decided that the method adopted must have the following characteristics: 1. The sample of gas taken for filtration must be representative of the whole volume of gas, that is to say, it must have the same dust content. This condition will be fulfilled in all cases if the gas sample is drawn off without change of rate of flow. Then it will contain the same proportion of entrained or suspended particles of dust as the original gas. In the case of flue gases which contain only fume, at a temperature above or near the sublimation point, this condition need not be adhered to since the fume will not behave as entrained particles, but more nearly as a true gas. Consequently the gas sample in this case only may be drawn off at any rate of flow. 2. The gas sample taken must be large enough (a) to yield sufficient dust to permit of accurate chemical and physical examination; (b) so that the ratio of the total volume of gas passing through the flue to the volume of gas sample taken shall not be too large.

Jan 6, 1916

By W. D. Steele, S. D. Brady

THE Pittsburgh coal seam in West Virginia contains the largest coal reserves of any coal seam in that State and is, therefore, one of the most important seams, and attains mineable thickness and purity throughout that part of the seam extending from the Northern Panhandle to Monon¬galia Co. thence south and southwest across the state to Wayne Co. near Huntington. The Pittsburgh coal is also mineable in the Upper Potomac region but is now practically exhausted there. The total mineable areas of this coal amount to 2,165 sq miles and are estimated, by the West Virginia Geological Survey, to contain 13% billion net tons. The largest body of Pittsburgh coal outcrops on the western edge of West Virginia, along the Ohio river as far south as Moundsville, West Va., going under the river at that point and extending at various depths down the river as far as Wetzel Co. line where it thins out to such an extent that it has little practical value, and on the eastern edge this large body outcrops along the Monongahela River. The territory to be covered by this paper is the area known as the Northern. West Virginia District comprising Wetzel, Monongalia, Marion, Preston, Harrison, Doddridge, Taylor, Barbour, Upshur, Lewis, Gilmer, Braxton and Calhoun Counties, and is also known as Dist. 3 under the Bituminous Coal Act. This region was originally opened for commercial mining along and adjacent to the Monongahela River around 1852 when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was constructed to Fairmont. It has been extensively developed, first, in 188o (when the Monongahela River Railroad, now B. & O. R. R., was constructed) between Fairmont and Clarksburg, and later, in 1916, between Morgantown and Fairmont when the Monongahela Railway was constructed and placed in operation, this area furnishing the major portion of the production over the past years. With the mining out of a great deal of this territory adjacent to the Monongahela River considerable interest has been developed in the back acreage; and within the past few years a number of diamond core drill holes have been made in the back areas of Monongalia and Marion Counties. In this back area the oil and gas well drilling showed that the Pittsburgh coal seam was of mineable thickness and ranged in depth from 350 to 1,000 ft below the surface of the stream valleys but this drilling did not furnish any definite data as to its thickness and quality. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE The Pittsburgh seam in Northern West Virginia is of primary importance as a coal resource not only because of its large reserves but because of its contributing a very large part of the coal used in this country for general steam uses. The Pittsburgh seam is a consistently thick seam, averaging 8 ft in thickness, with very easy grades underground, so it has always been

Jan 1, 1948

By W. L. Kerlie, J. H. Richards

The variation in hydrogen content of basic open-hearth steels during refining and the effect of changing from steam to air atomization were studied. The water content of the furnace atmosphere, the slag basicity, and the degree of oxidation of the slag-metal system largely control the hydrogen in the steel. SMALL amounts of hydrogen have an adverse effect on the ductility of steel and a wide range of hydrogen contents has an adverse effect on the internal soundness of both ferrous and nonferrous castings. This has been of major concern to the metal industry, both manufacturers and fabricators, for many years. As one of the results of continuing investigations of the hydrogen problem, much has been learned about methods of reducing the hydrogen content of liquid metals below the relatively high levels that are normally associated with such phenomena as rising ingots and excessive porosity in sand casting. However, it was not until a reliable and simple method for sampling and analyzing liquid metal was developed that much progress was possible in quantitatively evaluating the effect of steelmaking practice on hydrogen contents at levels below 6 to 8 ppm. Throughout all the work described in the following presentation the Geffner pintube technique was used to obtain samples of liquid metal1 * and the tin-fusion method, developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology,2 was used to analyze the samples. Before attempting a systematic experimental program for minimizing the hydrogen content of open-hearth steels, it was necessary to determine the variation in hydrogen in the open-hearth bath during the normal processing of a heat. The logs of ten heats are illustrated in Figs. 1 through 7. The number at each point on the graphs refers to the number of pintube samples analyzed for hydrogen. An increase in the hydrogen content of the liquid metal during the early period of refining is apparent in all heats. There is evidence of a decrease in hydrogen later in the refining period, see Fig. 2, for example. Therefore, the existence of a maximum hydrogen content at some intermediate time during the refining period is anticipated. To test for the existence of a maximum, the data illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 were grouped together so that they could be examined on a collectively comparable basis. The grouping was effected, as illustrated in Fig. 8, by superimposing Figs. 1 to 5 so that the apparent hydrogen maxima coincided at a fixed position, indicated by the zero on the time axis. Also, by vertical adjustment until the graphs appeared to the eye to be superimposed, the hydrogen scale was made to show the change in hydrogen content. That is, a standard amount was subtracted from the hydrogen values for each heat. Therefore, Fig. 8 represents a generalized presentation of the data and, for this reason, cannot be used to predict the actual hydrogen content of the bath during refining, but rather to show the probable rate of change in hydrogen during refining. Statistical examination of the grouped data in Fi.g. 8 shows that the apparent. increase and suhsequent decrease in hydrogen are real and confirms the existence of a maximum in general. The average increase In hydrogen during the early period of refining is between 0.8 and 1.3 ppm per hr, and the

Jan 1, 1958

By Louis Huber

THE Liberty tunnels extend through a very steep hill in Pittsburgh (locally called Mount Washington) for a distance of slightly over a mile. The two tunnels parallel each other and are 59 ft. apart, center to center (Fig. 1). They are for vehicular traffic, and in each there is ample space for two lines of vehicles. Northbound traffic, towards downtown Pitts- FIG. 1.-NORTH PORTAL OF LIBERTY TUNNELS. NOTE THE WINDBREAK AT END OF EAST TUNNEL. burgh, is confined to the east tunnel and southbound traffic to the west tunnel. The South Hills residential district is separated from downtown Pittsburgh by Mount Washington, a steeply rising escarpment south of and adjacent to the Monongahela River. The Mount Washington district immediately south of the Monongahela River has been reached, for many

Jan 1, 1927

By Luther Eames

THE recovery of dissolved gold from slime pulp in the cyanide process was first accomplished by intermittent decantation. This simple process consists in mixing with the pulp containing the values in solution, a solution of lower gold content, settling the mixture in a tank and decanting the clear supernatant fluid. The thick pulp remaining in the tank is pumped to a second tank together with more barren solution and again settled and decanted. After several repetitions of this operation, values are so far reduced that further washing is not profitable. The gold recovery of this process is high, but the plant required is bulky, labor cost is high and the amount of solution to be precipitated is excessive. HISTORICAL DATA As early as 1901, a plant was built in the Black Hills of South Dakota by John Randall, employing the same principles but attempting to make the process continuous by substituting for flat-bottomed tanks, cones which operated continuously, receiving a constant feed and discharging a steady stream of thickened pulp. These cones were operated in series, the thick underflow of the first one forming, with a stream of diluting solution, the feed to the second cone of the series. Barren solution was added to the tank immediately preceding the discharge tank and, after being slightly enriched by the low-grade pulp in this tank, overflowed to form a diluting solution again for the richer feed entering the third tank from the end of the series, and so on back to the richest tank of the series. Clear water was used for the wash in the final tank: This is the principle on which all successful countercurrent decantation plants operate at the present time, but Randall's plant was not successful because of mechanical difficulties in getting a continuous thick discharge from his cone tanks. A similar plant was built in South Africa although there the washes were not repeatedly used, as in Randall's case, but were precipitated after each contact with the ore. This also was abandoned

Jan 12, 1916

By Charles Wright

AT most mines where large tonnages are handled, "bulldozing" or secondary blasting is an important and costly operation. To reduce the large blocks from primary blasting operations or stoping so that they will be small enough to pass through the chutes into the cars at the haulage level, and not too large for the crushing plant, requires blasting. Often this is done by placing a few sticks of dynamite on top of a block with or without a capping of mud, but to consume less dynamite and to promote safety, most secondary blasting is now done by blockholing, or the drilling of holes 6 to 12 in. long in the blocks, using only a part of a stick of dynamite per hole. Regardless of the method of blasting, however, the term "bulldozing chamber" is applied to the room where this work is done. Bulldozing chambers permit secondary blasting at all times in a safe place without disturbance to the other mining operations. The chambers are usually high above the haulage level and well below the stope level or open-pit floor. In most instances the material is passed through a grizzly in the bulldozing chamber, but sometimes no grizzlies are used. One to four raises extend from the chamber to the stope floor and one or two from the haulage level to the chamber floor. Occasionally large slabs of ore or rock choke the raises above the bull-dozing chamber, and these have to be blasted by attaching a bundle of dynamite sticks on the end of a long pole and placing them up in the raise between the pieces causing the choke. This is called "chute-blasting." To give a picture of the progressive developments in the use of the bulldozing chamber, a few typical mines that show the application of this method to both metal and limestone mines have been selected for description here. Limestone mines have been included because many metal miners do not realize to what extent the nonmetallic, or rock, miners are now applying metal-mining methods successfully in their operations. The bulldozing chamber is the "neck of the bottle" for some mines.

Jan 1, 1935

By Thomas A. Read

THE internal friction of single crystals of metals is affected markedly by a variety of factors, which, according to the literature, are without influence on the internal friction of polycrystalline metals at strain amplitudes less than 10-5. For example, the internal friction of a suitably oriented zinc single crystal is multiplied by a factor of l00 when the vibration amplitude is slightly increased, and the internal friction of a copper crystal is markedly increased by the application of a stress of 30 lb. per sq. in. for one minute. In this paper it will be shown that these, together with the other phenomena associated with the damping of mechanical vibrations in metal single crystals, can be satisfactorily explained, at least qualitatively, in terms of an atomic mechanism that has been proposed for quite another purpose-that of accounting for slip in metals. The extraordinary agreement between the observed behavior of the metal single crystals and the behavior that could be predicted on the basis of this atomic mechanism leads to the belief that the latter is probably essentially correct. If this is so, it follows that valuable information about the slip process in metals may be gained from measurements of internal friction on single crystals. In this paper the results of the only study to date on the damping of mechanical vibrations in single crystals of metals will be presented. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The internal friction of a material is a measure of the rate at which the energy of mechanical vibrations is converted into heat. The measure of internal friction used in the present paper is the decrement A, which is defined as the fraction of the energy of vibration lost per half cycle. The measurements described here were .made for longitudinal oscillations at a frequency of 33.5 kc. for the copper crystals, and at a frequency of 39 kc. for the zinc crystals. The method used is that of the composite piezoelectric oscillator. The single-crystal specimens are in the form of circular cylinders ¼ in. in diameter and 1 ½ to 2 ½ in. long. The crystal rods are waxed in a V-block and sawed to the proper length with a fine jeweler's saw. The ends of the specimen are ground flat, and one end is cemented with a very thin film of beeswax and rosin to the end of an x-cut quartz rod which is ¼ in. in diameter and 3 in. long. The length of the specimen rod is determined by the condition that its natural frequency for longitudinal vibration be the same as that of the quartz rod, within 0.5 per cent. The lengths of the specimens are thus different for different orientations of the cylinder axis with respect to the crystallographic axes. When the specimen and quartz rods are thus matched in frequency the adhesive is at a node of stress, and it has been shown experimentally that under these circumstances

Jan 1, 1941

MINING, to be precise, ends when the ore is delivered to a bin outside the mine. Usually the next step is concentrating; or, as it is more often called, milling. A few elementary definitions will help make clear the discussion that is to follow. A rock is an aggregate of minerals; copper ore is rock that contains copper-bearing minerals in quantity sufficient to make it profitable to mine and recover the copper in the form of marketable metal. Manifestly, under a literal interpretation, a mass of material might be copper ore one day and merely copper-bearing waste rock a week later, if the price of copper happened to drop in the interim. Emphasis already has been placed on the expansion that took place in the ore reserves of the Porphyry companies as a consequence of the great strides made in the technique of mining and ore treatment. So, even if one inserted a qualifying phrase, "at an average price for the metal," after the word "profitable," the definition would still be open to criticism. Place is another factor. It is evident that a body of excellent ore in Arizona might cease to be ore in the economic sense if it were moved intact to the interior of China. However, it is with ore in its technical and scientific aspect that this chapter is concerned. Speaking in general terms, the ton of Porphyry ore as it arrives at the surface contains 25 to 70 lb. of copper minerals in the form of disseminated particles or thin coats along fracture planes. When subjected to appropriate treatment this ton yields 12 to 40 lb. of metallic copper. These ranges take into account conditions of today and of 25 years ago. Two procedures are available: (1) concentration, followed by smelting of the concentrate, or (2) leaching and precipitation, usually by electrolytic deposition. Smelting and leaching are metallurgic processes in that they involve chemical change; concentration

Jan 1, 1933

By M. W. Hayward

THE object of this paper is to record and tabulate the data and field observations obtained by the writers and their associates during 10 years of intensive study of lead-zinc deposits in the Cretaceous limestone areas in Northern Mexico, particularly in mines owned by the Cia. Minera de Peñoles, S. A. At the El Paso meeting of the Institute in October, 1930, J. G. Barry made the suggestion that a committee be appointed to correlate the ideas and theories which have been put forth by the numerous engineers and geologists who, during recent years, have made a study of the ore deposits in the area under consideration. The first step in a work of this nature would be to record all of the observed facts, and these facts would have to be accepted by those who attempted to formulate a theory of ore deposition. It is with this idea in mind that the writers have described as accurately as possible the actual, observed facts pertaining to the occurrence of the lead-zinc ores in dolomites or dolomitic horizons. By most writers the term "dolomite," is loosely used to designate magnesium-bearing limestones, regardless of the percentage of MgO present. Since no, true dolomites exist in the areas to be described, we shall also loosely use the terms dolomite or dolomitic limestone to designate those beds having a magnesia content of 5 per cent MgO or more. For a number of years the writers have been impressed with the fact that in areas where dolomite beds occur a large percentage of the lead ore is found in these beds, in spite of the fact that such beds may be overlain or underlain by pure limestone, which one would assume to be just as favorable for replacement as the dolomite, if not more 'so on account of its being more soluble in acid solutions than the dolomite. It is true that in some limestone areas, such as the Erupcion-Ahumada districts, Chihuahua, and Providencia, Zacatecas, where no dolomite beds have been found, large tonnages of lead ores have been mined. We venture to predict, however, that had there been dolomitic beds in these areas, the

Jan 1, 1931

By Ruder, W. E.

CONSIDERABLE interest has been shown lately in various types of furnaces for the production of high, temperatures, both for laboratory purposes and for small industrial uses. Dr. J. A. Harker1 described certain modifications of the Arsem graphite resistance helix for high-temperature work at the National Physical Laboratory. Dr. Northrup ,also has developed two interesting forms of high-temperature furnaces. In 1911, Messrs. Winne and Dantsizen2 described two forms, of resistance furnaces using ductile molybdenum or tungsten as resistors. Since the discovery, by this laboratory, of methods for producing these metals in ductile form, their use as resistance elements in the research laboratory of the General Electric Co. has grown to such an extent that they are now almost indispensable. These furnaces are used here for alloy research, annealing, heat-treating, and practically all f the thermal processes requiring temperatures above 900° C. Various types of furnaces have been developed to meet the general needs of laboratory work, and it is the purpose of this paper briefly to describe some of these furnaces. A tubular furnace wound with a metallic resistor is the simplest type to construct, and almost every laboratory has made such furnaces. The only essential difference between a furnace wound with platinum or base metal and one wound with tungsten or molybdenum is that the coils of the latter must be heated in a neutral or reducing atmosphere. It has long been our custom here to build our resistance furnaces with a metallic casing from which the tube could be easily removed for rewinding. The heat-insulating material-usually calcined magnesia, alumina, silica, or silex, depending upon the nature of the resistor-is used in powdered form so that it can he readily removed and replaced. In order to adapt this method to tungsten or molybdenum windings, it

Jan 2, 1918

By H. R., Collins

THE purpose of pulverizing coal before burning it is to make available every heat unit it contains. Machinery has been developed which will pulverize coal in one operation, delivering it to bins in front of the furnaces at an expenditure of about 17 hp.-hr. per ton, in a medium-sized plant. The cost of the operation depends upon the amount of moisture that must be expelled before pulverizing, the cost of labor, and the cost of coal delivered at the plant. At a small plant, requiring a pulverizer with a capacity of only ½ ton per hour, the cost per ton pulverized will naturally be greater than at a plant requiring the largest pulverizer, with a capacity of 7 tons per hour. The first step is to reduce large lumps to a size suitable for drying uniformly, before passing to the pulverizing mills; this is done in rolls, at a single pass. The second -step is the elimination of moisture, in order to facilitate pulverizing to great fineness, while also increasing the heating effect and the temperature attainable when the coal is burned. There are other mechanical advantages in the handling of, dried coal. Driers are now manufactured which are able to eliminate moisture without distilling any of the volatile combustible matter in the coal; they are fired by hand or with pulverized fuel. The heat first surrounds the shell of the drier, being confined within a chamber where complete combustion takes place; the heated gases are then led through a duct to the discharge end of the drier and enter the inside of the shell at a temperature not exceeding 300° F. This temperature is maintained by the operator and is indicated by a pyrometer. Volatile combustible matter is not likely to be distilled until the temperature rises above 400° F. On discharging from the drier, the coal is usually passed over a magnetic separator in order to prevent pieces of iron from going to the pulverizer. Two types are used: a magnetic pulley which automatically discharges its collection of iron, and a lifting type, from which the iron is removed by hand when convenient.

Jan 4, 1918