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By J. R. Thoenen

[For several years the Bureau of Mines has conducted tests on ground vibration emanating from quarry blasting in an effort to determine Fin index of destruction for different types of structures. Results of these studies have been published in four Bureau of Mines Reports of Investigations as well as in several articles in the trade and technical press.5/ The first paper (3)6/ discussed the subject in general and gave results s of a few blasting records. Some tentative theories also were advanced. The second paper (4) discussed results s of records made from blasting in a number of quarries.]

Jan 1, 1940

By G. Sachs

THE iron-rich iron-nickel alloys have at-tracted considerable academic interest in recent years. The carbon-free alloys are of minor practical importance, but they are Atomic per cent nickel FIG. I. FIG. 2. FIG, I.-HONDA'S AND MERICA's IRON-NICKEL DIAGRAM, FIG. 2.-MARSH'S IRON-NICKEL CONSTITU-TIONAL DIAGRAM. the base of many alloys with various out-standing properties. The iron-nickel alloys, therefore, have been investigated exten-sively regarding both their structures and their properties. The researches on these alloys up to 1938 have been collected and critically reviewed by J. S. Marsh,1 and will be discussed in some detail in the sec-tions of this paper dealing with specific subjects. These numerous investigations have not succeeded in establishing the equilibrium conditions in this system. Alloys containing more than a certain amount of nickel (8 to10 per cent Ni) undergo the allotropic transformation extremely sluggishly, both on heating and cooling, showing a large hysteresis,2 which is not dependent upon

Jan 1, 1940

By K. C. Ten Brink, Allen D. Garrison

A rrevious paper1 reviewed some of the properties of clays and shales and presented some data on the nature of the gelling phenomenon. It included a brief discussion of origin of clays and shales, their composition, structure, retention of water, ionization, base exchange, and the nature of the gelling of water suspensions. Other publications of the Institute2-8 have discussed the properties of clays and their relations to drilling-fluid behavior and control. It is the purpose of this article to present some new data obtained and arranged in a different manner and making possible a better understanding of the chemical reactions involved in the control of drilling-fluid characteristics during the normal drilling operations. Experimental Procedure The difficulties involved in the measurements of the flow characteristics of plastic fluids are too familiar to recite. The possible applications of some of the well-known instruments to this problem have been adequately discussed by Hobson9 and he has given an excellent bibliography. Although there are many viscosimeters of varied design, none of them appear to fulfill the most obvious demands of accuracy in the measurement of clay or shale suspensions. Since the fluid characteristics are dependent on the rate of flow of the fluid, and the viscosity usually falls off very rapidly as the rate is increased, it is clear that the first requirement is that the instrument shall be capable of a wide variety of speeds. The viscosity of the fluid at any fixed and constant rate of flow is also a function of time, so that the second demand is that the instrument shall be capable of a constant and continuous motion for a prolonged period of time.

Jan 1, 1940

By John A. Johnson

Conclusions regarding the use or omission of stemming in blasting have not peen reached, pending completion of all aspects of this investigation. The results from the dust phase of this study on six classes of stemming prove that the kind of stemming affects the amount of dust produced from blasting. In previous work at the Mount Weather testing adit it was demonstrated that blasting produces the highest dust concentrations of any of the mining processes.5/ Under the conditions prevailing at the Mount Weather testing adit, the average of all rounds having a break of at least 95 percent showed that the least amount of dust was produced when no stemming was used.

Jan 1, 1940

By Charles S. Barrett

NUMEROUS determinations1-7 of the tex-ture of cold-rolled polycrystalline iron, steel, and ferritic alloys have been made with good agreement among the various observers as to the principal features of the texture common to all, but there has been no adequate explanation of the texture in terms of the behavior of individual grains. This study presents an explanation of the texture based on the observed rotation of single crystals when deformed in a manner similar to a grain in the aggregate, a method we have found useful in leading to a better understanding of compression and tension textures;8,9,10 in particular, the aim has been to determine experimentally the end orientations of rolled single crystals of iron. These are discussed in connection with the point of view of Wever1 and of Boas and Schmid2 that the rolling texture is a simple compression texture (compression normal to the rolling plane) superimposed on a simple tension texture (tension in the roll-ing direction), and the point of view of Kurdjumow and Sachs3 that three ideal end orientations exist.

Jan 1, 1940

During the extensive research which has been conducted in the Metallurgy Department of the University of Melbourne, into the properties of lead and its dilute alloys, the Brinell test has been used for the determination of hardness.The work described herein represents part of an investigation into the influence of various factors on such determinations, particularly when carried out on different qualities of "pure" lead. It is intended to publish the more theoretical and controversial aspects of this research elsewhere.MATERIALS USED AND THEIR PREPARATION FOR TESTINGThe tests to be reported have been conducted on a specially pure electrolytic lead, and several brands of commercially "pure" lead. The analyses of the samples upon which most of the work has been carried out are given in Table 1.Note: Oxygen was not determined, but from the work of H. W. Worner, in the Rosenhain Memorial Laboratory, it appears probable that it was approximately 0-0003% in all samples.

Jan 1, 1940

By Edmund Newton

The Haile mine has been the outstanding gold-mining operation and the largest single producer of gold in the Appalachian region. Gold was discovered at the Haile in 1827, previous to the present operation, production has been nearly $4,500,000 (gold at $20.67 per ounce.) from somewhat over a million tons of ore, with an average extraction of about 70 percent. The Haile property, now operated by Haile Gold Mines, Inc., is in the southern part of Lancaster County, South Carolina, 3-1/2 miles northeast of the town of Kershaw and 55 miles north of Columbia, the State capital. (See fig. 1.) The corporation has a lease and purchase contract on 1,805 acres, covering the present productive area. In addition, it holds lease contracts on 1,500 acres additional adjacent to this area.

Jan 1, 1940

By D. L. Griffith

THE realization by metallurgists of the important effect that traces of impurity may have upon the properties of a metal, and their steady demand for purer and still purer metals, have made the special cools for 'trace' analysis of increasing value. In the United States at least, spectrographic analysis is becoming the standard method for determining the impurities in zinc die-casting alloys. The Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company, as a producer of virtually pure zinc, uses the spectrograph to control the purity of its products, and-as the electrolytic method is employed here-to control both the impurities in the electrolyte and those 'trace' elements, which, while they do not contaminate the zinc, have a great effect on the plating efficiency. The general plan of the laboratory is shown in Figure l; the housing for air purification, which is on the roof, is indicated by broken lines. One of the chief factors affecting the layout was the easy way in which a spectrographic assay can be spoiled by contamination. To minimize the quantity of dust tracked in, the laboratory was made separate from the general research laboratories, and an office was placed between the two. This arrangement has its drawback because of the traffic through the office, but it has effectively cut down dust. For similar reasons, the available space was subdivided into a number of small rooms, and the air currents in the laboratory were so arranged that dust would be carried where it would do least harm. Air is drawn in at the roof over a 50-kilowatt bank of Calrod heaters, through Annis air filters, by a No. 4 Sirocco fan. Most of it is forced into the spectrograph room, but some goes to the office and darkroom. The air flow is from the spectrograph room, through the plate-measuring room, into the chemical laboratory, where it is exhausted by a No. 1% Sirocco fan on the fume hood. Air can also re-circulate from the plate-measuring room back to the heater. The arrangement is such that the air in the laboratory is maintained at higher pressure than the outside air; consequently, no dirt enters through cracks about the windows and doors. A thermo-regulator holds the temperature constant within one or two degrees; only on the hottest days in summer does the temperature rise enough to affect the focus of the instrument.

Jan 1, 1940

By David Sinclair, Philip B. Bucky

The dimensions and shapes of mine structures may at present be determined by (1) field experience, (2) structural calculations, and (3) barodynamic tests. § None of these, however, provide information as to the stresses, their direction and distribution in a mine structure. For the design of pillars, the placing of openings relative to working places such as gangways, haulage levels, etc., this information is desirable. Photoelastic methods provide this and, while relatively new, their application in all engineering fields is assuming increasing importance. This paper, therefore, will present the method with a few applications to mining, and with sufficient reference for further study by the reader. PART I The Photoelastic Method The photoelastic method of stress measurement determines the stress distribution in a two-dimensional model by optical means. It makes use of the fact that when a piece of isotropic transparent material, such as glass, celluloid, or Bakelite, is stressed and viewed in polarized** light a picture is seen which indicates by its color bands of light, or fringes, the magnitude of the stresses, their direction and their distribution. General Explanation The stress at any point 0 in a structure (Fig. I), may be resolved into two components, P and Q, each a pure tension or compression, at right angles to each other, called principal stresses.' To fully identify the stress, the values of P and Q and their directions or angle F must be known.

Jan 1, 1940

By L. C. Graton

[CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. By George M. Fowler2 Question 1-Is Structural Deformation of Some Character Always Necessary for the Migration of Mineralizing Solutions, Especially in Limestone or Other Dense Rock? DISCUSSION by: A. M. Bateman 10 S. F. Kelly 15 C. H. Behre, Jr 8, 13 G. B. Langford 13 T. M. Broderick11 H. E. McKinstry6 R. H. Clarke 13 D. H. McLaughlin8 J. D. Forrester for M. H. Gidel . . . 4 W. H. Newhouse13 G. M. Fowler 2, 6, 11 R. H. Sales 6 L. C. Graton 11 Edward Sampson 12 R. D. Hoffman 10 J. S. Stevenson 7 I. B. Joralemon11 L. B. Wright 2 Question 2-What Are Some of the Chemical and Physical Characteristics in Certain Beds within a Limestone Formation that Determine Their Favorable or Unfavorable Aspects as Reservoirs for Ore and Other Introduced Minerals? DISCUSSION by: G. W. Bain 17G. M. Fowler 21 C. H. Behre, Jr21L. C. Graton18 J. S. Brown 16G. F. Loughlin18 E. L. Bruce 19R. H. Sales 19 R. H. Clarke 20A. K. Snelgrove 20 Question 3-Are There Any Criteria by Which One Can Determine When Mining Operations Have Reached the Roots of an Ore Deposit? DISCUSSION by: J. M. Boutwell29G. B. Langford 29 T. M. Broderick28G. F. Loughlin25 E. Y. Dougherty27R. H. Sales 24 G. M. Fowler 22F. A. Thomson 26 I. B. Joralemon 22Edward Wisser 30 General S. F. Kelly35 References36

Jan 1, 1940

(This paper reviews the reasons for and the principles followed in designing and constructing complete new surface works at the mine of the Zinc Corporation Limited, Broken Hill, New South Wales, and describes the layout, plant, buildings and services.)The Zinc Corporation mine produces high grade lead, silver and zinc sulphide ore. Lead and zinc concentrates are sent by rail to Port Pirie, where the lead is smelted and the zinc concentrate is shipped to Tasmania, England and other overseas countries.Some time ago consideration was given to the advisability of sinking an additional shaft. For some years the old main shaft had been working at full capacity and developments underground had indicated that the mine would eventually be capable of an output greater than that which could be handled through the shaft. It was therefore decided to sink a new main shaft and the site chosen was in footwall country 900 feet south of the old main shaft. The reason for the move south was so that the new shaft would be opposite the centre of gravity of the ore-bodies at depth. The size of the new shaft is 27 ft. ,6 in. x 15 ft., and the work was put in hand early in 1936.It was intended to haul the whole mine output through this shaft, which was 1,600 feet from the mill then operating. An extensive conveyor system thus became necessary unless a new mill was built near the shaft. A careful study of the situation was made by the management and consideration was given to requirements for expansion, the condition of...

Jan 1, 1940

By Albert Smith

THE creep properties of metals have as-sumed increasing importance in recent years and many investigations have been made on various phases of the problem. In the past year the annual lectures of the Insti-tute of Metals Division1 and the Iron and Steel Division2 were concerned with this subject, and are excellent reviews. For many years the creep properties of lead and lead alloys have been investigated at the Central Research Laboratories of the American Smelting and Refining Co., and it is hoped that the present paper will contribute knowledge of some of the factors that influ-ence creep. Lead, being a metal that recrys-tallizes readily at room temperature, is an excellent material upon which to investi-gate creep phenomena because of the sim-plicity of the apparatus needed, and it might be expected that results would apply to some extent to elevated-temperature tests of other metals.

Jan 1, 1940

By Sherwin F. Kelly

The Geophysics Education Committee was organized in 1938 and presented its first report at the A.I.M.E. annual meeting in February, 1939, at a session held jointly with the Committee on Geophysical Methods of Exploration. REPORT OF 1939 The first task the Committee set itself was to find out in which universities the subject of geophysics was being taught, and the manner in which such instruction was given. A questionnaire was drawn up and sent out to 147 universities in the United States, Canada, and abroad. Of these 100 replied. Their answers were then tabulated and analyzed, yielding the information summarized in the following pages. Two universities, Colorado School of Mines and St. Louis University, actually maintain departments of geophysics, while 3 Canadian and 31 American universities give courses on the subject. In other institutions, 45 in the United States and 5 in Canada, more or less extended reference is made to geophysics in lectures on other subjects. Altogether, there are at least 86 universities in the United States and Canada at which students may obtain instruction of some kind in geophysics. To enter the courses in geophysics given by 33 American universities, certain prerequisites are demanded, varying with the level at which the subject matter is treated. In analyzing the prerequisites, some assumptions had to be made: one year of college mathematics was taken to mean up to, but not including, calculus, while three years was presumed to embrace a course in differential equations. On this basis, 16 per cent require only elementary college mathematics, 40 per cent require differential and integral calculus, and 31 per cent require differential equations. A few demand even more advanced mathematics, while some list no prerequisite mathematics beyond high school. Evidently a student contemplating the study of geophysics should ground himself in calculus and differential equations. In physics, similar assumptions have been made as to time required in the subject. All of the universities giving geophysics require their students to take physics first, and 34 per cent require a standing in

Jan 1, 1940

By Virgil Miller

Bureau of Mines Reports of Investigations 3244, 3245, 3246 and 3264 give data of detailed studies on smelting in the lead "blast furnace handling zinciferous charges at Trail, B. C. The present paper gives more on analyses of the gases leaving the top of the charge and on accretions formed on the walls of the blast furnace. New data are presented to show the effect of the temperatures at the tuyere zone on the lead content of the slags made. The greater part of this paper, however, deals with a much debated subject, namely air used in lead blast furnaces. Original data are presented to show the effects on smelting lead 'products when air is supplied to a lead blast furnace under volume versus under pressure control.

Jan 1, 1940

By D. Harrington

Approximately 6,000 coal mines are operated in the United States. All of them have in some degree the elements that are likely to contribute to an explosion, hence it is surprising that explosion disasters are not more frequent and that many mines have been operated for years and finally worked out and abandoned without experiencing an explosion. The absence of coal-mine explosions does not always indicate that effective efforts have been made to prevent them but rather that the nine has been fortunate in that the combination of circumstances necessary to cause an explosion has not existed. In view of present knowledge of the methods of preventing explosions, disasters are inexcusable and discredit the mining industry. The methods of preventing mine explosions are known to experienced, well-informed persons engaged in coal mining, yet despite this knowledge far to many coal-mine operators continue to use practices and methods that they should know have resulted in numerous explosions. Moreover, many mine workers persist in following past procedure irrespective of consequences and in breaking safety rules or indulging in practices almost certain eventually to result in disaster. Continued failure to apply known common-sense methods of accident and explosion prevention unquestionably will cell for ultimate enforcement of law.

Jan 1, 1940

By John A. Johnson

The first report of investigations5/ in this series pertaining to the investigation of stemming at the Mount Weather testing adit dealt with dust produced from blasting. The present report discusses the effect of stemming on eases generated by blasting, describes the test procedure, and analyzes the results from, blasting 61 standard rounds. Following care the types of stemming that -,re being investigated: 1, No stemming. 2. Sand in 2 paper cartridges. 3. Clay in 2 paper cartridges. 4. Commercial hydrated lime in 2 paper cartridges. 5. Combustible blasting plugs. 6. Ceramic is blasting plugs with clay in 2 paper cartridges.

Jan 1, 1940

By Oliver C. Ralston

The minerals that enter welding-rod coatings and fluxes are the main subject of this report. Few mineral producers know just what minerals and what grades and quantities of minerals are required by the welding trade, and it is for their information that this report has been prepared. The various methods of welding are discussed extensively enough to inform this type of audience. Specialists in welding probably will find little on welding that is of value to them, but they may learn something more about the minerals or mineral products that they use. The authors did not find it easy to prepare this publication, and any needed corrections will be welcomed. Regarding welding, research, Jenks4/ 1 points out that while the process of welding in simple in operation, the phenomena attending its use are extremely complicated, and the efficient and safe use of welding requires an understanding thereof. Although the fluxes and the coatings used have solved many problems, many other problems require the joint effort of the whole industry; therefore, it is hoped that this report will be found of practical value.

Jan 1, 1940

By Charles Barrett

THE orientation of metal crystals and grains, both large and small,. can be determined conveniently and accurately without the use of X-ray apparatus. This seems to be appreciated by so few metallurgists that it may be useful to explain in detail the method we have found most satis-factory in the laboratory the reflection of light from crystallographic etch pits. This note includes a description of a suitable inexpensive instrument and instructions for etching various metals and for plotting the data. As the stereographic projection is used to facilitate handling the data, this note may be considered as an appendix to an earlier review of the metallurgical uses of the stereographic projection.1 Various methods involving etch pits have been used by other investi-gators, Bridgman's method2 consists of attaching the specimen to a sphere (a transparent sphere is convenient4), holding it at arm's length, and marking a spot on it when it has been turned so that the etch pits reflect light into the eye of the observer from a lamp standing behind him. It has an accuracy of about 2° and is extremely rapid. A greater accuracy can be obtained by having the reflected light fall on a screen, as has been done by Czoehralski, 5 Chalmers,6 and Schubnikov.7 All of these methods have been intended for undeformed single crystals. Tammann and his coworkers"' developed a method for estimating the number of grains in a polycrystalline aggregate having orientations in a given region of the stereographic triangle and thus obtained statistical information about deformation and recrystallization textures. While the method has had some use in recent years,9 it is not applicable to the majority of problems in physical metallurgy. Smith and Mehl10 determined orientations by plotting the directions of the sides of individual etch pits on a stereo-

Jan 1, 1940

By A. George Stern

In the examination of bentonitic clay suspensions used for oil-well drilling fluids3/ (and for other purposes, such as a core binder for foundry sand) it is important to have comparative tests for evaluating them. A satisfactory clay for these and other purposes should 'rave the property of forming what is commonly called a "gel," but the measurement of this property has been a real problem. To date the solution has not been satisfactory, and some of the difficulties are considered in, this, paper, which describes a simple form of instrument (identified as an eykometer) for measuring the yield point under hydrostatic conditions of non-Newtonian clay suspensions, including those muds that are thixotropic. An oil-well drilling mud serves several functions, many of which depend on the "gel" characteristics of the mud. Among the more important functions are: (a) To plaster the sides of the hole to prevent caving of the walls; (b) to prevent the loss of the circulating fluid out of the hole by seepage; (c) to carry sand and cuttings out of the hole to the surface as they are formed by the rotary drill; and (d) when circulation of the fluid stops for shut-down or other unavoidable cause, to hold the cuttings in suspension by the setting up of the gel, thereby avoiding the difficulties that result when these cuttings are allowed to fall through the fluid and pack at the bottom of the hole.

Jan 1, 1940

By H. P. Greenwald

"INTRODUCTION In the course of its studies of the explosibility of various coal dusts in the Experimental coal mine, the Bureau of Mines has tested coals representing the entire range of volatile content found in the United States. In connection with their work the Bureau's field engineers some¬times meet operating officials who are not impressed by the fact that there is an explosion hazard in mines working low—volatile coals. Actually the difference in explosion hazard between high—volatile and low—volatile coals is one of degree and not of kind. The purpose of this paper is to set forth briefly the experimental evidence that has been accumulated on the explosibility of coal dusts containing 8 to 31 percent volatile matter on a dry, mineral—matter—free basis.There have been numerous dust explosions in mines in which coals were worked that have compositions within this range. Those explosions are listed in an appendix, together with a bibliography of Bureau of Mines papers describing explosion tests in the Experimental coal mine."

Jan 1, 1940