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By A. M. Gaudin

THE study that is presented here was undertaken in order to condense information concerning comminution, and covering a great variety of conditions, into one or several rules which would be of use in the development of a systematic theory as well as in many directly practical ways. As the result of this work, the following conclusions appear justified 1. Rocks may be classified, from the point of view of comminution, into two general classes which are (a) structurally homogeneous, and (b) structurally heterogenous. Structurally homogeneous rocks are those in which fracture takes place through grains and grain boundaries alike; heterogeneous rocks are those in which fracture passes in preference through grain boundaries. 2. If a sized product composed of structurally homogeneous rock grains is crushed, a product results in which the relation between the percentage weight of grains of various sizes and these sizes themselves follows a definite law. This is not true of structurally heterogeneous rocks. 3. Ball milling with structurally homogeneous rocks, and under certain conditions, presents exceptions to this rule. 4. In ball milling with structurally homogeneous rocks, there exists a critical ratio of size of feed to size of balls, above which the machine operates essentially by surface wear, and below which it operates essentially by breaking across the body of the particle. 5. In ball milling, with structurally homogeneous rocks, and when the size of feed grains exceeds the critical size, the particles worn off are of a, substantially definite size which depends upon the ball size 6. In the case of a typical heterogeneous rock, such as Manhattan schist, particles are crushed in such a way that there is a greater proportion of grains of the size that is the average grain-size of the rock than there would be in that range of size with a structurally homogeneous rock. This has been found to be true with-all the crushers tested. 7. Different methods of crushing produce grains of different shapes.

Jan 2, 1926

By Leon McCulloch

WHEN clean iron and metallic zinc dust, protected from the air, are heated below the melting point of zinc, the iron takes on a coating that has excellent protective value. This coating is a brittle alloy of zinc and iron, and the process is called sherardizing. Although the zinc particles are covered with oxide and cannot touch the iron, an extremely small amount of the zinc vaporizes and the vapor, reaching the iron, alloys with it. Other zinc then vaporizes to replace that which has been removed from the atmosphere. This process continues indefinitely at a decreasing rate, for the coating already formed permits zinc to diffuse through-it to combine with the iron beneath. In this way, the coating grows outward from the surface of the iron, as the bark grows from a tree. The method of growth was clearly seen while sherardizing small cubes of cast iron, at about 450° C., in a small glass-stoppered bottle enclosed in a rotating drum. The dust contained about 3 per cent. iron, which prevented caking, and coatings 1/2 in. thick were grown in a few hours. After a heavy layer had been formed, the cubes were again: treated for a shorter time. The layer last formed was seen to lie next to the iron, instead of at the outer surface, showing that the growth was from the surface of the iron outward. The coatings split at the edges and corners, leaving the iron exposed there. Flakes of graphite from the iron were lifted upward and embedded in the coatings. The composition of sherardized coatings varies from the outer surface inward, as would be expected from the mode of growth. That is, the iron content increases slowly at first, then more rapidly as the iron is approached. At the surface the least amount of iron possible is 6 per cent., as the experiments described below have shown.

Jan 2, 1922

By W. T. Jr. Thom

IN PREVIOUS classifications of coal, it has been customary to regard moisture eliminated from coal samples between 20° and 100° C. as extraneous matter, rather than as a constituent part of the coal. It seems, however, that the physical character and use properties of the low-rank coals are directly related to the amount of such moisture present, and recent chemical work has shown1 that such coals contain unstable groupings which decompose between 20° C. and temperatures somewhat above 100° C., with the splitting off of moisture. According to this view, the moisture eliminated from air-dried coal below boiling point is similar in all essential respects to moisture eliminated above 100° C., and is produced by analogous reactions; and inasmuch as the moisture given off above 100° C. has always been treated as a constituent of the volatile matter of coal, it would seem that consistent usage would include as a part of the volatile matter all moisture present as an essential component of the coal as it occurs in nature. As a matter of experience, it seems clear that the general physical and chemical characteristics of the low-rank coals are largely determined by or related to the moisture, whether chemically or physically combined, present in air-dried coal; it is also demonstrable by trial that the low-rank coals cannot be satisfactorily classified on a purely chemical basis by using the moisture free form of analysis. The low-rank coals of the western United States include numerous well-defined types, many of which were referred to in a classification proposed by Ashley,2 in which the physical and use properties of the coals were made the primary basis for their systematic grouping. When testing this classification by replotting analyses of these type coals according to the Seyler scheme of classification,3 a satisfactory parallelism between use properties and chemical constitution of the dry coal was found among

Jan 5, 1925

BURKE BAKER, Philadelphia, Pa. (written discussion*).-The small briquetting plant of the American Briquet Co., at 25th Street and Washington Ave., Philadelphia, was built primarily as a demonstration plant. Its output per hour is 4 tons of 2-oz. briquets, which have been retailed in the, vicinity during the year the plant has been in operation. They have proved very acceptable for use in ranges, heaters and grates in-home, and in steam heating plants in apartment houses and hotels. They have not been sold for power purposes, although satisfactory tests have been made in. this field. Anthracite silt is used and is shipped direct from breaker or washery, the only preparation it receives being the removal f excess moisture by means of a Ruggles-Coles rotary dryer. Care is taken, however, to purchase silt containing less than 18 per cent. ash. The method is covered by U. S. Patent No. 941454, issued to Chas. E. Hite, and is known as the "emulsion process." The binder, which is the, basis of the patent, is composed. of 0.5 per cent. cornstarch or wheat flour; 1 per cent. asphaltum or hydrolene, and 6.5 per cent. water, on the weight of coal dust. It is prepared in a tank equipped with paddle agitators and heated by steam jets. The starch and water are first made into a paste by being brought to the boiling point with live steam; the melted asphaltum is then introduced and thoroughly beaten into the paste by the agitators. This rapid stirring breaks. the hot asphaltum into minute particles which are distributed through the paste, producing a smooth chemical emulsion. This emulsion, when dried, is not soluble in water. The binder is mixed with the dry coal dust in a horizontal paddle mixer, 8 per cent. binder to the weight of coal being used. The resultant plastic mass is then discharged into the press, which is of the simple roll type. Since the binder is a liquid and is not sticky or gummy until

Jan 3, 1918

By William A. Longacre

IN a previous paper1 the author discussed the problem described by the title of this paper, outlining and reviewing the Gish-Rooney method, with comparison and brief analysis of the interpretation techniques of Roman2 and Tagg.3 Some aspects of the simple type of two-layer system were reviewed from various sources.4,5,6 THE TWO-LAYER PROBLEM For the configuration shown in Fig. I, and for any electrode separation A, the apparent resistivity is a function of the relative depth [HA], the overburden resistivity pi, and a factor K defined by the equation [ ] where p2 is the resistivity of the lower bed, Thus, by the known theory of electrical images, [ ] THE MULTILAYER PROBLEM As the number of isotropic, homogeneous, horizontal layers increases, the difficulties of interpretation multiply. The theory becomes much more involved, and in view of the state of our knowledge, the general problem is virtually impossible of exact solution. However, certain types of [ ] multilayer problems can be worked out in terms of two-layer theory. Hummel,7 Pirson,8 Tagg,3 Watson,9 and others have pointed out the possibility of building up approximations of multilayer resistivity curves with suitable combinations of two-layer curves. Many three-layer curves can be constructed in this way to a good degree of accuracy, and special types of four-layer curves can be approximated. It is very likely that as the number of layers increases, the method of combination will not give good approximations except in very special cases, In the analysis of actual field data, the author has found that many obviously multilayer curves can be solved partially with a good degree of accuracy, using the theory that thin adjacent beds may be considered as one layer or zone, and applying two-layer theory to the extremities of the field curve. MODIFIED TAGG METHOD OF INTERPRETATION Tagg's second method, though superior to his first, necessitates a large number

Jan 1, 1941

By W. R. Hamilton

THE knowledge of the existence of petroleum in Southern California dates back to the days of the missions. The presence of asphaltum and semisolid bitumen was reported at Santa Barbara in 1792, but no serious attempt was made to develop oil until Professor Silliman's optimistic report in 1865 started California's first oil boom. Wells were drilled in many counties of the State, but the equipment was unsuitable and the drilling difficult and no production was obtained except in Ventura County. Even there the production was of little importance commercially, and not until the early '80s did it become sufficient to again attract attention. In 1888 the production for the State had reached a total of about 700,000 bbl. per year, practically all light oil produced in Ventura County, Pico Canyon, Los Angeles County and in the Puente Hills. The production of petroleum attained the dignity of an industry in 1895 when the Los Angeles City and Coalinga fields were discovered. The subsequent development has been remarkable, and in 20 years the production has increased from 1,000,000 to 100,000,000 bbl. per year. The refining industry has kept pace with the production of oil. The Pacific Coast Oil Co., the predecessor of the Standard Oil Co. of California, was the virtual pioneer refining company of the State, having built a refinery at Alameda about 1880. When purchased by the Standard, about 1902, it was dismantled and the refinery at Point Richmond was built. The Richmond refinery is now one of the largest in the world, having a capacity in excess of 60,000 bbl. per day. A small refinery was built by the Union Oil Co. at Santa Paula in the early days of the industry and later many asphalt refineries were in operation in Southern California. The Pacific Coast Oil Co. was then, as has been its successor, the Standard Oil Co. of California, the principal refiner and marketer of light products, the most valuable of which was kerosene.

Jan 6, 1916

By Ray Arms

This paper includes a brief classification of dry-cleaning devices, with a theoretical discussion of the principles involved. It outlines the methods of handling dust and screening difficulties at the McComas plant, as well as other plants that are being constructed and other dry-cleaning devices being developed. It describes the American Pneumatic Separator and discusses the sizing required, the effect of moisture in the raw coal, disposition of the middlings, and other aspects of the process. It gives s results of tests on various coals, and results of operation at Raton and McComas. DRY CLEANING, or pneumatic separation, is not, strictly speaking, a recent discovery. Among the archives of the Patent Office may be found many patents dating back as far as 1850 which cover early attempts to separate materials of varying specific gravity or of different shape by means of air. Hundreds of patents covering this art have been issued, which may be roughly classified into four general groups, as follows: 1. Stationary devices with pulsating air currents. The separating surface is usually riffled and air is supplied by bellows or compressors. This group' also includes air jigs, which have been used rather extensively. 2. Stationary devices with continuous air currents. These submitted the material to a continuous current of air, either horizontal or vertical. Chaff is blown from wheat by such a device. 3. Reciprocating or vibrating devices with pulsating air. A small group in which the pulsating air is supplied by bellows and some motion provided in the separating surface to move the stratified material to various discharge points. 4. Reciprocating or vibrating devices with continuous air supply. This is by far the most important group and all recent developments have been along this line. All of the above groups involve the stratification of material by air and include none of the dry methods that use other principles, such as coefficient of friction, magnetism, etc.

Jan 3, 1924

By M. H. Cullender

The performance characteristics 01 gas wells producing from formations which fail to stabilize within a relatively short period of time are obscured by the interrelation of the coefficient (C) and the slope "n" of the conventional back-pressure curve q = C(P2 f- p2s)n An empirical method is presented whereby the characteristic or true slope (11) of the back-pressure curve may be determined for a particular gas well. For those gas wells which do not stabilize within a relatively short period of time, the coefficient (C) is considered as a variable with respect to time and as a constant only with respect to a specific time. Thus, the back-presrure performance of such a well is presented as a series of parallel curve5, each curve representing the performance of the well at the end of a given time interval. Through use of the method presented, a simple presture gradient is developed and maintained within the drainage area around a producing gas well during the test period in order that the variation of the coefficient (C) with respect to time does not obscure the true value of the lope. INTRODUCTION The back-pressure method of testing gas wells as set forth by Schellhardt and Rawlins1 is dependent upon the requirement that a series of flow rates and corresponding pressure data be obtained under stabilized conditions. These data arc then plotted on logarithmic coordinates of flow rate (Q) vs difference in squared pressures (P2f — P2s) in order to determine the constants (C) and (n) for Equation 1. With respect to this method of presenting the performance characteristics of a gas well, it should be pointed out that although Equation 1 is an empirical relationship, the form of the equation was justified to a considerable extent by an independent development by Muskat and Botset.2 This development was theoretical in nature; however, certain assumptions with respect to the type of flow existing (viscous vs non-viscous) were madc which may or may not be correct. As the use of the method presented by Schellhardt and Rawlins spread through the industry, it became evident that the method of testing was applicable for those wells which approached stabilized prbducing conditions within a relatively short period of time. Performance characteristics could not be determined by this method, however, for wells which approached stabilized protlucing conditions slowly over a considerable period of time. This characteristic of "slow stabilization" has generally been associated with gas wells producing frorn reservoirs of low permeability. As the demand for natural gas continued to grow through the years, a great number of wells were completed in reservoirs of low permeability which exhibited "slow stabiliz:~tion" characteristics. Consequently, the problem of determining the true performancc characteristics of these wells became more apparent. It is with this problem in mind that the isochronal performance method of determining the flow characteristics of gas wells is presented.

Jan 1, 1956

By R. S. Goodrich, G. S. Ansell

The microstructure of three Al-Al2O3 SAP-Type alloys (containing 2.0, 3.0, and 5.7 wt pct alumina, respectively) was studied utilizing transmission electron microscopy. These alloys were fabricated from aluminum powders by powder-metallurgical techniques, cold-rolled into thin strips, and recrys -tallized. Thin foils suitable for an electron-transmission study were then prepared from the strip material by electropolishing. The microstructure of these alloys is shown to consist of small (0.1 mean diameter) plate -shaped alumina particles finely distributed in an aluminum matrix. In the higher-oxide content alloys the platelets are somewhat larger and more irregular in shape. The distribution of oxide particles is not uniform and there is an increasing tendency toward clumping SINCE the discovery by Irmann1 that aluminum alloys produced by compacting, hot pressing, and extruding fine aluminum powders possess remarkable high-temperature mechanical properties, the Al-A12O3 SAP-Type alloys have been utilized extensively as model dispersion-strengthened alloys in both experimental and theoretical invest igations.2-8 The use of the SAP-Type alloys as model dispersion-strengthened alloys implicitly assumes that their microstructure has been completely delineated. This is, however, not the case. with increasing oxide content. In all the alloys studied, the mean center-to-center spacing of particles was quite small (0.2 u) due to the very fine oxide debris present. Selected-area diffraction of the specimen identified the oxide as either y Al2O3 or y' Al2o3. The re crystallized MD-5100 alloy exhibited a mean grain diameter of only 0.7u, while the grain size of the other alloys was several hundred microns. Severe pinning of the grain boundaries by oxide particles was rarely observed, and the grain boundary triple points in the small-grained MD-5100 alloy were often particle -free. Diffraction contrasts visible around the particles are attributed to elastic strain fields set up by differential thermal contraction during cooling from the recrystallization anneal. Early investigation demonstrated that optical metallography did not possess sufficient resolution to observe the microstructure of the SAP-Type alloys.' Later, extensive use was made of replication techniques to study the microstructure by means of electron microscopy.7-9 These studies indicated that the SAP-Type alloys consist of a dispertion of irregular Al2O3 platelets, approximately 150A thick 9 and a micron or so on edge,9 distributed in a matrix of commercial-purity aluminum. These oxide platelets tend to be oriented in the aluminum matrix, with their largest dimension parallel to the extrusion direction. 8,9 A study employing polarized-light techniques1' indicated that the grain size of a series of as-extruded SAP-Type alloys was several microns in diameter, while the grain size after re-crystallization was several millimeters in diameter. A more recent study 12 utilizing surface-replication techniques examined the particle morphology,

Jan 1, 1964

By Emma Smith, R. W. Guard

INVESTIGATION of the nickel-rich end of the Ni-Zr system has been prompted by an interest in the effect of small amounts of zirconium in high temperature alloys. Hansenl presents a hypothetical diagram based on the work of Allibone and Sykes,2 who investigated the system up to 44 atomic pct (55 wt pct) Zr by metallographic means. Since the alloys they used were melted in Alundum crucibles they were probably contaminated with appreciable amounts of aluminum. They found two compounds which they called Ni3Zr and Ni4Zr. Hayes, Roberson, and Paasche3 identified a compound NiZr (50 atomic pct Zr) with a melting point of 1470°C. Such a high melting compound is not compatible with the observation of Allibone and Sykes2 hat a eutectic is formed near 50 atomic pct. The alloys containing up to 60 atomic pct Zr were melted in an inert atmosphere in a noncon-sumable electrode arc furnace. Analysis of most of the alloys indicated negligible loss of zirconium. The alloys were examined in the as-cast condition and also after annealing for 6 hr at 1175°C (or 1000°C for the alloys between 25 atomic pct and 45 atomic pct). Metallographic specimens were etched using mixtures of HF-HNO3-H2O or acetic acid- HN0,-H,O. The specimens for the solidus determinations were wrapped in molybdenum foil and sealed in evacuated quartz tubes. Specimens to be heated above 1300°C were enclosed in zirconia tubes inside the quartz to prevent reaction with molybdenum. The solidus determinations were carried out by heating the specimens at various temperatures for a few minutes and then examining the interior structure metallographically to determine at what temperature melting began. The 150 mesh powders for X-ray analysis were annealed in an evacuated quartz tube for 2 hr at 540 °C to remove cold work. Alloys with 22.5 atomic pct Zr and 44.4 atomic pct Zr required annealing at 700 °C for complete recovery. The grains of both of these alloys were soft and rather ductile. Both Debye-Scherrer film patterns and spectrometer traces were made for each alloy using filtered copper radiation. Results and Discussion The presence of a substantial amount of second phase in an alloy with 1.1 atomic pct Zr indicated that the solid solubility of zirconium in nickel is somewhat less than 1 atomic pct. The a0 value for the face-centered-cubic matrix in the same alloy was equal to that of pure nickel, so that the solubility must be very small. This observation is as expected from the large atom size difference. Annealed specimens of alloys with 15.0, 16.7, 22.5, 28.6, 44.4, and 59.4 atomic pct Zr showed. micro-structures that were essentially single phase. When

Jan 1, 1958

By C. F. Allen, G. B. Walker

The sink-float methods designated by heavy-media separation processes were pioneered by C. Erb Weunsch for the treatment of base metal ores as an improvement over jigs. The work of Weunsch was further developed by Victor Rakowsky and The American Zinc, Lead and Smelting Co. Early in the development of the processes, the inherent unsuitability of galena as the solid constituent of the medium was recognized and ferrous media amenable to magnetic recovery and control were developed. The high efficiency and low cost of magnetic recovery and cleaning of ferrous media regardless of particle size, slime contamination, or surfacial oxidation had led to the adoption of ferrous media by all of the sink-float plants operating under the heavy-media separation processes patents controlled by American Zinc, Lead and Smelting Co. Approximately 2,000,000 tons of base metal and nonmetallic minerals are treated each month by these methods. Heavy-media separation processes are a modern practical and economical adaptation of the well-known laboratory procedure for separating a mixture of two solids by immersing the mixture in a liquid having a specific gravity intermediate the specific gravities of two solids. The lighter solid floats while the heavier sinks. This method of separation has been attempted on a commercial scale, but the high loss and high cost of the organic liquids halted the development of the process. Many attempts have been made to simulate a heavy liquid by using a suspension of a finely divided solid in water. If the solid phase of the suspension is ground fine enough, the suspension can be made stable or so slow settling that a substantially uniform specific gravity can be maintained from top to bottom of the bath. However, any material separated by such methods will inevitably be contaminated by some slime which will eventually accumulate in the bath and cause a viscous medium at the expense of separating efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to provide means for continually cleaning a portion of the medium to eliminate slime at the same rate at which it is introduced to the medium. The problem of efficiently cleaning the medium limits the minimum grain size of the solid of the suspension in the case of the Chance sand process for cleaning coal, because de-cantation is the only cleaning method available. If the sand is too fine, it will be lost along with the slime. Therefore, coarse sand must be used, and to maintain a semblance of a uniform suspension, it is necessary to use strong rising water currents. The combination results in a separation based more on hindered settling classification than on sink-float principles. As previously mentioned, galena was used as the solid constituent of the medium during the early stages of the development work. The high specific gravity of galena made it suitable for the preparation of medium for high specific gravity separations. Galena can be cleaned by either decantation or by froth flotation. As with sand, de-cantation limits the minimum particle size of the media that can be cleaned without excessive loss. Froth flotation for cleaning galena medium has been used, but the problem of floating fine galena that has been exposed to extensive oxidation is well known to be a most difficult one. Last year the largest heavy-media plant m the world, and the second plant to be installed, converted from galena medium to ferrous medium despite the fact that the ore contains galena which can be used as medium. The change to ferrous medium has been beneficial in many ways. Today all the heavy-media plants have been converted from galena to ferrous media. Unquestionably, ferrous media have the widest application of any media developed, for the following reasons: 1. Ease of recovery and cleaning by magnetic means. Particle size or surface condition not a factor. 2. Low consumption per ton of ore treated. 3. Resistance to abrasion. 4. Widest range of media densities, including higher workable densities (1.25 to 3.4) than have been found possible with nonferrous media. 5. Space required for recovery and cleaning of ferrous media is considerably less than that for nonferrous media. 6. Ferrous media require lower capital investment and operating costs for media recovery and cleaning. Advantages of Heavy-media Separation Processes Heavy-media separation processes offer the following positive advantages, amply demonstrated on a wide variety

Jan 1, 1950

The following advertisements show the contemporary view of the value of coal on a tract, usually as compared with farming advantages of several kinds. Fayette Gazette and Union Advertiser, February 10, 1798: "For Sale in Washington twp., Fayette Co., 211 acres of land whereon is a good new grist merchant mill, a good stone dam, and a house for the miller, about two acres of bottom, cleared and fenced, an excellent coal bank and saw-mill seat unimproved." Pittsburgh Gazette, March 19 and 26, 1802: Ads. offering for sale two properties, one of 38 acres, "together with a Coal Pitt and Lime Quarry, lying on the Monongahela side of Grant's Hill, and within one mile and a half of Pittsburgh," and the other two tracts of 700 acres on "Racoon creek, contiguous to which is a valuable limestone quarry, and a quarry of building stone, also plenty of stone coal." Pittsburgh Gazette, Oct. 8, 1802: A farm between Pittsburgh and Greensburg "with house, barn and a Smith shop-also, a fine sugar camp, and a Coal Bank within sight of the house," was offered for sale. The Farmers Register, Greensburg, Pa., March 13, 1802: An advertisement of a "plantation, six miles from Greensburg, there are two coal banks on it, one at each end of the place." The Commonwealth, Pittsburgh, Aug. 4,1805: A number of lots were laid off on Saw Mill Run, nearly opposite the first opening made on the Pittsburgh seam. They were from two to twenty acres each "and a great quantity of Limestone and stone coal." Pittsburgh Gazette, Aug. 9, Sept. 6, Sept. 27, Oct. 4, 1811; The Commonwealth, Aug. 19, 1811: Five tracts were advertised that contained coal. One had "fine springs and an inexhaustible mine of coal;" one, "excellent sugar camps, coal banks and limestone and a good mill seat;" one, "good sugar camps, an excellent coal bank and an elegant seat for a distillery;" another, a tract of 45,000 acres in Allegheny and Butler Counties affording "stone coal and iron ore, and seats for water works;" and the last a tract on Beck's Run, four miles from Pittsburgh "and a coal pit opened about one fourth of a mile from the river." The Mercury, Pittsburgh, April 8, Jan. 14, Feb. 11, 1813; Pittsburgh Gazette, April 16, Dec. 3, 1813: These tracts were advertised during the year in the vicinity of the city. One had "a good sugar camp, woodland and plenty of coal;" another, "a sugar camp and a coal bank on the premises;" while the others were "well timbered or well watered and had excellent stone coal." The Mercury, Pittsburgh, Feb. 2, 1814: A farm was offered for sale on the headwaters of Robinson's Run, in Washington County, four miles from Burgettstown, containing 60 acres, "a young bearing orchard,... a coal bank and a good sugar camp." Genius of Liberty and Fayette Advertiser, Uniontown, Pa., March 2, 1814, carried an advertisement of a sale of lots in the new town of Perriopolis; "the quantity and quality of the clay, sand and salt licks, near the premises, together with the timber and abundance of .stone coals The town of Perriopolis was situated upon a . farm at one time belonging to Washington.

Jan 1, 1942

By K. Huessener

INTRODUCTION THIS paper attempts a survey of the principles involved in the com¬bustion of blast-furnace gas in boilers and stoves. I do not expect to be able to give much information which is actually new, since the laws and methods of calculation pertaining to this problem are contained in a number of handbooks; but, so far as I am aware, they have nowhere been treated exclusively with reference to this one problem of gas economy. The road which I follow is less that of strictly scientific research than that of the practical engineer, faced by operation problems which require a. quick solution by easily accessible means without a prolonged search in scientific handbooks. For this purpose I give a number of tables and diagrams, as well as the results of many years' practical working experience as combustion engineer, which I trust will prove useful to my readers. HISTORICAL Considering the tremendous efforts made during the last 15 years to increase the efficiency of all kinds of power plants, it is highly surprising that until a comparatively very recent period, progress in the economical combustion of blast-furnace gas has been so slow. The explanation generally put forth, that fuel has been so cheap that it was hardly worth while to bother about this economy, will not hold good, for the greatest trouble was taken to improve the combustion of coal and to reduce the consumption of steam. The most plausible explanation appears to be the general impression, held as an accepted fact, that gas, especially hot, uncleaned, blast-furnace gas, was not a good boiler fuel. Many managers of high repute had tried unsuccessfully to improve the conditions of its use, and the dictum went forth that efficiencies of over 60 per cent., particularly with high loads, were impossible. This was the situation not only in the United States, with very cheap fuel, but also in Europe, where fuel prices are twice and three times as high.

Jan 2, 1916

By J. E. Tobey, David R. Mitchell, J. H. Kerrick

DETAILED knowledge of purchase specifications established by coal consumers is essential to the successful design and operation of a coal-preparation plant. ANTHRACITE Specifications should be considered by both the consumer and the producer as guide posts outlining a certain path for both to follow. Plants differ, therefore specifications must differ to meet the varied requirements. Specifications are not of themselves a "cure all" or an assurance of complete satisfaction in fuel utilization. Specifications should not be regarded as a license to engage in an orgy of buying any and all coals that may happen to fall within their limits. This would lead to the indiscriminate mixing of coals which may vary in their burning characteristics. Different coals of equal grade tend to be individualistic in their burning characteristics. Rather, specifications should be used to help simplify coal selection, to reduce the actual number of coals used over a given period; in other words, to have a stabilizing influence on coal or customer turnover. In the final analysis, the use of too many coals per year in a plant is costly to both the consumer and the producer. Too many sources usually result in higher operating and maintenance costs for the consumer and higher sales costs for the producer. Finally, the statement included in the report accompanying the com¬prehensive Coal Selection Charts prepared by the Coal Committee of the National Association of Purchasing Agents, and released in 1938, is significant. This Committee worked diligently for a period of 15 years seeking to find a scientific and reliable method for selecting coals. The two following paragraphs are quoted from its report: More important is the fact that no ready-made classification or set of specifications can possibly replace the judgment and resourcefulness of an experienced combustion engineer or fuel technologist, nor the usual need for full scale plant tests under the exact conditions of use before a final decision is made ...

Jan 1, 1943

By J. J. Rutledge

THE first method of working coal mines in the middle western states, more particularly in Illinois, Indiana and Missouri, was by means of the so-called single-entry method. In this method a single main passageway, or entry, was driven in the coal seam. with no parallel passageways, and from this pas-sageway or entry there were turned at intervals sim-ilar cross-passageways or entries, and from these cross-passageways, if the coal seam worked lay fairly horizontal, rooms were turned right and left. These crude methods of working were followed when the com-panies opening the mines were small and of very limited capital, and when the demand for coal was small and irregular. The principal desire was to produce coal in the short-est possible time and at the cheapest price. The chief evil resulting from such method of working was de-fective ventilation, although there were other serious drawbacks. There were then few or no good mining laws and no restrictions on those operating the coal mines. The hours of labor were long, the wages low, and the miners accordingly worked hard. All the coal was either sheared or undercut with a pick by hand. Very little solid shooting and no machine mining was done. What little air entered the mine, openings was introduced through the entries or. headings and thence conducted through the rooms by means of curtains; in many cases, as the workings became more exten-sive, the number of curtains added so materially to the mine resistance that ventilation was extremely in-efficient. Shots were fired by the miners at any time during the working shift and consequently there was more or less powder smoke or fumes in the mine work-ings all day long. Moreover, the working days were much longer than at present. The fine, dry coal-dust falling from the miners' picks while they were shear-ing or undercutting the coal filled the mine atmosphere and was taken into the lungs of the mine employees.

Jan 2, 1927

By Charles R. Simcoe

It was pointed out in a recent paper'g that the initial flow stress of as-quenched martensite is very low even in an alloy steel with an M, well above room temperature. It was also shown that the high ultimate tensile strength resulted from a very high rate of work

Jan 1, 1967

By R. H. Edsal, G. Horvay

The transient one-dimensional heat-conduction equation is solved for two semi-infinite media, at different initial temperatures, brought into (poor) thermal contact. It is shown that the two interface temperatures gradually approach the well-known, instantaneously assumed, common interface temperature of the case of zero contact resistance. The present analysis, with slight modifications, may be used in fair approximation also for the class of problems involving a change of phase. One particular application of the boundary value problem solved in this paper concerns the determination of the temerature distribution in metal castings and molds.P This problem has been treated extensively by analytical methods (see e.g., the literature listed in Refs. 1 to 4) by electrical analogs (see e.g., Refs. 11 to 14) and also by experimental methods (see the literature listed in Refs. 4, 5), but prior to the work of Pellini and Ruddle the experimental results were rather unreliable. Immediate motivation for the work described in this paper was to better understand the results of Pellini,' which are typified by the curves of Fig. 1. Pellini cast 20-in. high, 7-in. sq steel ingots into cast-iron molds of various thicknesses. He measured the temperatures at mid-height, at a number of stations in the casting and the mold, and obtained the cooling curves shown in Fig. 1. The most conspicuous thing about Fig. 1 is the large temperature discontinuity at the interface between casting and mold, due presumably to the shrinking away of the casting from the wall and the attendant creation of an airgap, as the casting cools. Such a contact resistance slows down the anticipated freezing rate; an analytical prediction of this is of much interest in foundry practice. The determination of the effect of contact resistance in the presence of a change of phase will be dealt with, by an approximate method, in a separate paper.' In the present paper the much simpler problem is considered in which there is contact resistance but no change of phase. This problem frequently arises in the analysis of aircraft structures.+ It can initial temperature, and may be regarded as semi-infinite. We suppose the thermal properties in the two media to be time, temperature, and space independent; there are no sources or sinks within the media. In Fig. 2(a) we illustrate, schematically, the case of no contact resistance. The semi-infinite media "0" and "2:' initially at temperatures 8 (- m) and 8(+ -), respectively, are brought into contact at time t =0. A common interface temperature 8,i = is instantaneously established, and thereafter remains constant. Temperature curves are drawn for three instants of time. When there is contact resistance between the two media, the temperature equalization occurs as sketched in Fig. 2(b). Fig. 2(c) illustrates a temperature curve, using the dimension-less notation Barber-Weiner-Boley6 have stated the equations [23a, b] given below, which govern the heat transfer in the two media, and solved them for a rather complicated special case. In their example both media "O" and "2" are finite, are insulated at their far ends, and there is steady heat input into medium 2. In Eq. [27] we give the general solution of the most important special case, where the two media are semi-infinite and there are no sources or sinks. In this case the results may be stated in simple closed form. In Fig. 3, to be discussed in the next section, we illustrate the variation of the interface temperature when steel at 2760" is brought into contact with iron at 100". This example, if we disregard the effect of the heat of fusion, is comparable to Pellini's experimental results, Fig. 1. (Unfortunately, however, experimental determination of the interface temperatures was difficult to carry out, and hence Fig. 1 is not very accurate near the interface.) In Figs. 4 and 5 of the following section, we similarly compare Pellini's sandcasting tests with analytical results for the case where steel at 2760" is brought into contact with sand at 100". It will be pointed out that, insofar as the interface temperatures are concerned, heat of fusion has a minor effect, and so the present approximation, with small modifications, may be

Jan 1, 1961

By A. E. Dwight, Paul A. Beck

Known CsCl-type phases in transition metal alloys are shown to be formed preferentially at an electron concentration of approximately 6; a tetragonally distorted version of the CsCl structure is stable at -e/a = 6.5. The relationship of the distortion to electron concentration is verified by experimental data for the quasibinary systems Time ,Os) , Ti(Re,Ir), and Ti(Re,Pt) and the ternary system Ti-Ru-Rh. It was noted some years ago1j2 that the occurrence of CsC1-type ordered structures in equiatomic binary alloys, AB, of transition metals correlates with the location of the component elements in the periodic table. One of the components, A, must be to the left and the other component. B, must be to the right of the chromium group. It was pointed out2 that the CsCl structure does not occur in CrFe. is metastable in VFe,3 and is stable in TiFe up to high temperatures, and that this progressively increasing stability may correspond to an increase in electron transfer between the two components and to a correlated decrease of the magnetic moment associated with the iron atoms. Such a decrease was in fact later demonstrated by Nevitt. 4 The binary CsC1-type phases that are formed by a transition metal with either another transition metal or a lanthanide are listed in Table I. Thirty-three of these phases occur at an average electron concentration (average number of electrons outside of closed shells) of e/a = 6. The five phases that are formed at an electron concentration of e/a = 5.5 appear to be borderline cases. This is suggested for instance by the fact that TiRe is bcc. without any long-range order, while TiTc (at the same electron concentration) has a CsCl ordered structure. Six of the undistorted CsCl phases formed by transition metals with one another have an average electron concentration of e/a = 6. 5. Table I. With the exception of Zr4,Rhs4 and Hf48Rh52. the B component in these phases is a first long-period transition metal, i.e.. iron or cobalt. TiNi. with an electron concentration of e/n = 7, appears to undergo transformation at around room temperature to a more complex ordered struct~re.~ The five other CsCl structures known to occur at e/a = 6.5 have either scandium or a lanthanide metal as the A component; the difference in the elec-tronegativity and in the e/a ratio between the component elements is in these phases very large, A(e/a) - 7, and they may be expected to have a rather strong ionic bond component. Presumably the ionic bond stabilizes the CsCl-type structure at the equiatomic composition and it overrides the electron concentration requirement. When the B element is not from the first long period and the A component is not a rare earth metal. equiatomic (AB) alloys of transition metals with an average electron concentration of e/a = 6.5 in most cases have a crystal structure closely related to the CsC1-type, but slightly distorted tetragonally, Table I. This was first found6 for VRu, NbRu. and TaRu. It was noted6 that the undistorted CsCl structure is also stable in the three systems. but at a lower electron concentration, near e/a = 6. In these systems this requires a deviation from equiatomic stoichiometry. which is otherwise ideally suited for the CsC1-type structure. A similar situation was later found in the Ti-Rh7 and the Ti-Ir systems. 8 The Ti-Rh alloys undergo a second distortion and become orthorhombic when the rhodium content becomes somewhat larger than 50 pct. As mentioned previously. TiRe does not have the CsC1-type ordered structure. In order to investigate how close TiRe is to the borderline of stability of the

Jan 1, 1970

By Aug. J. Jr. Bowie

(Read at the Wilkes-Barre Meeting, May, 1877.) Brief Outline of the General Topography of the Gold Regions of California. THE topographical features of California, as demonstrated by the explorations of the State Geological Survey, are found to be exceedingly simple. Three equidistant parallel lines can be used in conveying a general idea of the physical geography of Central California. A straight or " main axial line," whose course would be north 31° west, passing through the culminating peaks of the Sierra for a distance of five hundred miles, can be assumed as the eastern boundary of the State. A second parallel drawn fifty-five miles west of the " main axial line" will skirt the western base of the Sierra Nevada, along the edge of the foot-hills. A third parallel run equidistant from the second will represent "as nearly as possible the western base of the Coast Ranges." These parallel lines divide the State into three belts, namely, the Sierra, the Great Valley of California, and the Coast Ranges. " This arrangement of the physical features holds good for a length of four hundred miles in the direction of the main axial line, comprising almost the whole of the agricultural and the greater part of the mining districts."* The section of the country which is of immediate interest to the miner is the western slope of the Sierras. These mountains, rising in a short distance from the Sacramento plains to elevations of over seven thousand feet, with occasional peaks ten and twelve thousand feet high, are cut by numerous deep and precipitous gorges or capons, through which drains the immense watershed of the Sierra, supplying the main rivers of the State and ultimately emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Between these capons, ridges or divides are formed, on top of * See vol. i, p. 5, Geological Survey of California. J. D. Whitney, State Geologist.

Jan 1, 1878

By J. Nutting, D. H. Kirkwood

The oxidation of lead sulfide in air between 200° and 350°C has been investigated by electron diffraction from thick sulfide films and from galena surfnces. It has been demonstrated that sulfate is the stable reaction product up to 570°C. Sulfate is HAGIHARA has investigated' single crystals of galena roasted in air by the reflection electron-diffraction technique, which owing to the very limited penetration of the beam into the crystal gives information of the nature of the surface only. He has shown that up to 280°C the first oxidation product is lead sulfate, followed by lead mono-oxysulfate (PbO . PbS04). At longer times and higher temperatures more complex patterns appeared which could not be analyzed. All of these patterns were of streaks or spots arising from crystals oriented on the galena surface, and it is probable that these crystals are lead compounds whose structures have not been determined, such as the other oxysulfates (2Pb0 • PbS04 and 4Pb0 . PbS04) or a number of oxides. Certain lead sulfide films, formed chemically, give ring patterns in transmission electron diffraction2 because they are polycrystalline, and should also give ring patterns of the products after oxidation. It was thought that a diffraction study would reveal the sequence of phases produced in the reactions at different temperatures, since X-ray powder patterns are available for many lead compounds. PREPARATION OF FILMS The films were prepared by passing H2S over a saturated solution of lead nitrate in water. Once a silvery film had formed on the solution surface, no further thickening was apparent. The films were transferred by a gauze to a bath of distilled water for washing and pieces of film were caught on small discs on which they were dried. The discs were formed initially on galena up to temperatures of 300°C, followed by oxide and oxysulfates in turn at longer times. The appearance of- these phases is believed to result from an inadequate rate of supply of sulfur to the top surface 01. the crystal. standard Siemens mounts, made of platinum alloy, and had seven 20-p apertures drilled through them. The parts of the film which had dried onto the disc surface were light blue in color, which is the interference color of a film about 600A in thickness. A strong pattern of lead sulfide was obtained in transmission electron diffraction through the apertures but slight broadening indicated a crystallite size of around 200A. Tilting a sulfide film in the beam produced arcing of the rings, increasing the intensities of the (Ill), (3111, and (222) rings and reducing (200) and (220). This arises from preferred orientation in the film, a [loo] direction of the crystallites being normal to the plane of the film. These specimens were oxidized in an oven maintained at the required temperature. The reported times include that taken to heat the film to the reaction temperature. STABLE PHASES FORMED IN OXIDATION The conditions in which various oxidation products of lead sulfide are stable have been considered by the authors in a previous paper.3 It was shown that in a normal atmosphere, taken as containing lo-' atm of SOs, lead sulfate would be stable up lo about 570°C. This was confirmed by oxidizing thin films of sulfide for several days, and the analysis of the transmission-diffraction pattern is given in Table 1. The fit with the patt$rn from X-rays is good, except for the missing 3.62A ring. Some disagreement in intensities of reflections given by X-rays and electrons is to be expected. Up to 570°C a spotty pattern of sulfate was still obtained, indicating grain growth, but above this temperature the film disintegrated. Probably this is associated with the decomposition to PbO . PbS04. It needs to be emphasized that the atmosphere

Jan 1, 1965