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By L. C. Raymond

Valuations in the mineral industry differ from those of other enterprises because mines and oil wells have a definitive life so cannot be considered a perpetuity. This requires that in any mineral-property evaluation the recovery of invested capital is necessary during the life of the property. Capital writeoffs for nonextractive industries are assumed to be continuously plowed back to sustain the operation and produce yields on the capital invested. The extractive or mineral industry, however, generally attempts to return to the investor both interest and principal during the life of a property. Normally this is done currently and the dividend includes both items. Where the mineral properly possesses large reserves and the life factor approximates a perpetuity, the return on investment is generally comparable to that of industrial stocks. The valuation of a mineral property, at best, is based on educated estimates and judgment factors. This is particularly true as it relates to estimating selling prices over a long term or assessing the quality of management. Also, it is possible to make various assumptions as to rapidity of working out the deposit, varying time for start-up of operations, varying earning rates, so as to obtain different results with the same basic facts. Thus it is not surprising that two engineers, irrespective of their abilities, may not agree exactly even when given the same facts, but their results should be close enough to be used in establishing a fair value for trading purposes. The valuation is no better than the source of basic data and the soundness of judgment factors. Fundamentally the basic principles of mineral valuation are similar for base metals, sulphur, oil, or any other mineral. Each mineral, however, requires an engineer to have a knowledge of such factors as its occurrence, distribution, mining and processing methods, and marketing problems in order to gather and analyze all the facts and data that have a bearing on the earning potential of the property. PRESENTVALUEOFAMINERALPROPERTY In essence the present value of a mineral property is a sum of money in today's dollars that future earnings from the property are worth. It differs

Jan 1, 1959

By D. J. McAdam

IN a recent survey of the literature, the author has found evidence incompatible with prevalent views regarding the technical cohesive strength and yield strength of metals. Some of the evidence regarding the technical cohesive strength was presented in a previous paper,21 and views were presented that are believed to be in better accord with the evidence. In that paper, it was shown that the technical cohesion limit (contrary to prevalent views) varies with the combination of principal stresses,† and that the influence of plastic deformation on the technical cohesive strength is not in accordance with prevalent views. In this paper, consideration will be given to both the technical cohesion limit and the yield stress as affected by the combination of principal stresses. Evidence will be presented that the variations of the yield stress and the technical cohesion limit with the combination of principal stresses are not in accordance with prevalent views. Consideration will also be given to ductility and work-hardening capacity, which depend on the initial difference between the technical cohesion limit and the yield stress. By the "technical cohesion limit" is meant the mean stress at actual or potential* fracture. An example of a technical cohesion limit is the "true" breaking stress of a tension-test specimen, the breaking load divided by the sectional area at fracture. The cohesion limit thus obtained for a ductile metal, however, has been greatly altered by the plastic deformation. It is important to consider the cohesion limit of the metal prior to this deformation, and the variation of the cohesive strength with plastic deformation. The relation between the cohesion limit and the corresponding flow stress† determines the ductility of a metal and the energy that it will absorb before fracture. In this paper, as in the previous paper,21 tensile stresses will be viewed as positive and compressive stresses as negative. The algebraically greatest principal stress will be designated S1, the least principal stress will be designated S3, and the intermediate principal stress will be designated S2. In the previous paper, attention was confined to stress combinations with two of the principal stresses equal (with the intermediate principal stress S2 equal either to S3 or S1). In this paper, consideration will also be given to the effect of stress combinations with all three principal stresses unequal. In the earlier sections of the paper (pp. 1 to 14), attention will be confined to stress combinations with

Jan 1, 1942

By George W. Bain

Some problems concomitant with commercial exploitalion of marble are presented as examples of interesting, useful and profitable fields for application of scientific knowledge. The marble industry is only one such field and is selected because its varying new aspects are familiar to the author. However, what is true for marble is equally so in principle for many industrial minerals. The problems of any stone industry are to maintain markets, create new outlets for stone already in demand, and develop varied uses for varieties that are not so popular. Here the geologist has a different role from most of his colleagues in metal mining. The producing branch may ask about the expectable variation in thickness or size of a deposit as development proceeds. The stock department may call for the available amount of a given type of stone before accepting a large order. The sales force requires data on the use for stone from certain parts of deposits in order to divert grades to the most suitable use. The service department wants defects rectified and the cause determined to avoid recurrence The mills want data on durability and cutting quality of abrasives. The geologist occupies no special department; he is on general call, as may be illustrated by a few types of problems that may be classified as: (1) dominantly geological in character, (2) dominantly chemical in character, (3) dominantly physical in character. Geological Problems The geological problems deal almost exclusively with the size of blocks. Size across the deposit is limited by thickness of individual beds. and along the strike by the space between crosscutting joints. Frequently the vertical depth of a block is reduced by exfoliation shells arising from spontaneous expansion. All these factors require consideration in developing a deposit to fill an order. Thickening of Marble Beds The limestone beds that became the marble deposits of the northern Appalachians and of the Yule locality in Colorado were seldom homo-

Jan 1, 1941

By George W. Bain

Some problems concomitant with commercial exploitalion of marble are presented as examples of interesting, useful and profitable fields for application of scientific knowledge. The marble industry is only one such field and is selected because its varying new aspects are familiar to the author. However, what is true for marble is equally so in principle for many industrial minerals. The problems of any stone industry are to maintain markets, create new outlets for stone already in demand, and develop varied uses for varieties that are not so popular. Here the geologist has a different role from most of his colleagues in metal mining. The producing branch may ask about the expectable variation in thickness or size of a deposit as development proceeds. The stock department may call for the available amount of a given type of stone before accepting a large order. The sales force requires data on the use for stone from certain parts of deposits in order to divert grades to the most suitable use. The service department wants defects rectified and the cause determined to avoid recurrence The mills want data on durability and cutting quality of abrasives. The geologist occupies no special department; he is on general call, as may be illustrated by a few types of problems that may be classified as: (1) dominantly geological in character, (2) dominantly chemical in character, (3) dominantly physical in character. Geological Problems The geological problems deal almost exclusively with the size of blocks. Size across the deposit is limited by thickness of individual beds. and along the strike by the space between crosscutting joints. Frequently the vertical depth of a block is reduced by exfoliation shells arising from spontaneous expansion. All these factors require consideration in developing a deposit to fill an order. Thickening of Marble Beds The limestone beds that became the marble deposits of the northern Appalachians and of the Yule locality in Colorado were seldom homo-

Jan 1, 1941

By J. R. Low, M. Gensamer

During the course of an investigation into the drawability of automobile-body sheet steel, it became apparent that certain advantages would be possessed by a deep-drawing steel with a very low yield strength, but almost normal tensile strength, provided a reduction in yield strength could be accomplished without sacrifice of ductility and fine grain size. It would also be desirable to have this steel free from strain-aging; that is, free from the tendency for the yield point to return after it had been eliminated by straining. It was known that, wet hydrogen treatment acted to eliminate aging, but as carried out by other investigators, at relatively high temperatures, this treatment resulted in grain coarsening. It has been established by some of the experiments reported in this paper that all of these objectives can be accomplished by treatment in wet hydrogen at a low temperature, in the neighborhood of 72o°C. The time of treatment is relatively short (about 3 hr, to completion with 20-gauge sheet) if the water content of the hydrogen atmosphere is made fairly high, say aimost 30 per cent by volume. At this temperature. the grain size remains fine in the time required. After this treatment sheet reduced the usual amount by cold-rolling has a grain size of about A.S.T.M. No. 7. The yield point is completely eliminated, and the yield strength is reduced to a very low value, in the neighborhood of 15,000 lb. per sq. in. The stress-strain curve departs gradually from the straight-line elastic part after the fashion of nonferrous deep-drawing alloys. This elimination of the yield point is accompanied by a verv low indentation hardness; for example, 32 Rockwell B or even lower. There is no aging as measured by increase in the yield strength upon aging at room temperature or for 3 hr. at 200°C., after stretching about 10 per cent in tension. Tensile strength is only slightly less than the box-annealed sheet, seldom dropping much below 40,-ooo lb. per sq. in. Elongation is practically unchanged, or increased slightly. The term yield point, as here used, refers to the phenomenon of heterogeneous deformation occurring at a substantiallv constant load, observed principally in annealed low-carbon steels. If such a steel is loaded in tension, the load increases steadily with elastic strain, suddenly falls, fluctuates slightly about some constant value for a time and then begins to rise again as deformation proceeds. The maximum initial load before the sudden drop is generally called the "upper yield point"; the value of the load where deformation proceeds at a

Jan 1, 1944

By J. R. Low, M. Gensamer

During the course of an investigation into the drawability of automobile-body sheet steel, it became apparent that certain advantages would be possessed by a deep-drawing steel with a very low yield strength, but almost normal tensile strength, provided a reduction in yield strength could be accomplished without sacrifice of ductility and fine grain size. It would also be desirable to have this steel free from strain-aging; that is, free from the tendency for the yield point to return after it had been eliminated by straining. It was known that, wet hydrogen treatment acted to eliminate aging, but as carried out by other investigators, at relatively high temperatures, this treatment resulted in grain coarsening. It has been established by some of the experiments reported in this paper that all of these objectives can be accomplished by treatment in wet hydrogen at a low temperature, in the neighborhood of 72o°C. The time of treatment is relatively short (about 3 hr, to completion with 20-gauge sheet) if the water content of the hydrogen atmosphere is made fairly high, say aimost 30 per cent by volume. At this temperature. the grain size remains fine in the time required. After this treatment sheet reduced the usual amount by cold-rolling has a grain size of about A.S.T.M. No. 7. The yield point is completely eliminated, and the yield strength is reduced to a very low value, in the neighborhood of 15,000 lb. per sq. in. The stress-strain curve departs gradually from the straight-line elastic part after the fashion of nonferrous deep-drawing alloys. This elimination of the yield point is accompanied by a verv low indentation hardness; for example, 32 Rockwell B or even lower. There is no aging as measured by increase in the yield strength upon aging at room temperature or for 3 hr. at 200°C., after stretching about 10 per cent in tension. Tensile strength is only slightly less than the box-annealed sheet, seldom dropping much below 40,-ooo lb. per sq. in. Elongation is practically unchanged, or increased slightly. The term yield point, as here used, refers to the phenomenon of heterogeneous deformation occurring at a substantiallv constant load, observed principally in annealed low-carbon steels. If such a steel is loaded in tension, the load increases steadily with elastic strain, suddenly falls, fluctuates slightly about some constant value for a time and then begins to rise again as deformation proceeds. The maximum initial load before the sudden drop is generally called the "upper yield point"; the value of the load where deformation proceeds at a

Jan 1, 1944

By W. G. Scott

SINCE devising the incline top-slicing method in use It the Coronado mine,1 I have had numerous inquiries is to how the same system could be adapted to larger orebodies. Based upon our experience here, 1 have outlined below some suggestions for its, application to orebodies of larger size. Modifications and extensions, of course, would have to be made to take care of different dimensions and irregularities. In order that one may have a better understanding of the scheme, a brief description of the Coronado method will he given first.

Jan 11, 1917

Carlisle: I'm in the office of Comar Wilson in London. Comar is going to be good enough to talk about some of the very interesting things that have happened to him during a full, active, exciting life. Let's start in and find out where you were born, where you went to school, etc. Wilson: My parents lived in the heart of the Lake District in Cumberland, England. My father had about a half-interest in a small lead mine which he ran. He was quite non-technical, but he ran it.

Jan 4, 1965

By Charles Malcolmson

IN the United States, improvements in methods of combustion have made possible the use of the smaller sizes of anthracite. This coal is now being reclaimed from the culm banks accumulated by the miners in the more prodigal years. To-day the freshly mined "slush" is segre¬gated and stored against the time when, through briquetting or some other means, it may be utilized as a commercial fuel. For many years Europe has achieved enviable results in the conservation of her small coal by briquetting. This profitable industry, first placed on a commercial basis in France in 1842, has grown to such magnitude that the "'production during 1913 exceeded 36,000,000 short tons. Briquets produced in Great Britain are used principally for steam purposes and the greater part of the output is either exported or taken by the Admiralty. On the Continent the briquets are sold in all branches of the coal trade. The French railways consume from 16 to 40 per cent. of their fuel in briquet form, and in Germany the lignite briquets, (of which 20,000,000 tons were produced in 1913) are as familiar and interesting to the American traveler as the huge porcelain stoves in which they are burned. It is not strange, therefore, that aggressive and far-sighted promotors heralded this means of converting our ubiquitous coal waste into revenue. To the superficial student the briquetting process seemed so simple as to make success easy. It is for this reason principally that the path of the industry in America has been strewn with failures. The rash enthusiast had either not worked out the mechanical problems involved or had failed to grasp the local conditions under which the briquets must be made and sold. It may be confidently stated, however, that in spite of the many vicissitudes through which it has passed, coal briquetting is now an accomplished economic success in this country, and as a profitable adjunct to the coal industry it has come to stay.

Jan 2, 1915

By Edgar Shepard

THE interest of the Federal Government in improvement of water-ways dates from 1820, when Congress appropriated $5000 for making a survey of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and assigned this work to the Corps of Engineers of the Army. Since that time the Government has gradually assumed increasing jurisdiction in the matter of improvement and control of inland waterways until, by the River and Harbor Act of Jan. 21, 1927, Congress assigned to the Secretary of War and to the Chief of Engineers the duty of making surveys, in accordance with House Document No. 308, 69th Congress, to formulate plans for the most effective improvement of the navigable streams of the United States and their tributaries, for navigation, development of water power, control of floods, and the needs of irrigation. Virtually all the preliminary investi-gations and surveys required by this act have been completed. The reports made to Congress have been published and often are referred to as "308 Reports." The map shown in Fig. 1 is merely a skeleton distribution of the projects covered by these reports, but it serves to indicate the magnitude of the proposed undertaking. In many instances, a single character on the map stands for a major development involving several dams and reservoirs or many miles of canals or levees. The devastating floods of 1936, and the need for worthy public works to take up the slack in employment, gave further impetus to this program and in 1936 led to the enactment of a bill authorizing a large number of these projects.

Jan 1, 1940

By H. R. Tunnell

EVERY ONE connected with a mine knows that it is hard to keep down the costs of moving ore from the place where it is broken to the shaft or portal. Considered broadly, the subject of handling would cover all work done in a mine, but here it has been limited to handling ore in stopes and drifts, through chutes, and on levels. Good Ventilation and a strict enforcement of rules for the prevention of dust safeguard the health of the men and lower transportation costs. HANDLING ORE IN STOPES AND DRIFTS The object of all stoping is to mine ore of good grade at low cost. In Butte, the major part of the ore is mined, from Veins dipping from 60° to the horizontal to those which are vertical, by means of, square-set, rill, -timbered-rill, and back-filling stopes. When blasted, a part of the rock is carried by gravity to the grizzlies over the chutes, the rest is shoveled. Rock, when broken in a stope, may be deflected by inclined floors or slides toward the top of a chute leading to the level below. Ore broken clean enough to ship should be carried, by the force of its fall, into a chute or as nearly into that chute as the safety of the stope and the men permits. Ore that requires sorting, about 80 per cent. of all ore mined, is caught on a grizzly and the waste picked out. Waste rock broken in a stope is used to fill that stope and should be blasted into the gob with as little handling as possible.

Jan 2, 1922

By Charles T. Baroch, Corbin Allardice

Nuclear energy probably has greater potentialities for changing the world's way of life than any other recent discovery. The atomic-bomb bursts over Hiroshima and Nagasaki suddenly changed the concepts of war. Peaceful uses of nuclear energy are advancing so rapidly that no study of economic trends is complete without giving them consideration. The minerals specialist, especially, must be aware of this new force in our lives, as minerals and metals are essential in harnessing the new force, and atomic energy itself is rapidly improving its competitive position in the energy field. Future historians may chronicle December 2, 1942, as the beginning of the Atomic Age. On that day Enrico Fermi and his co-workers at the University of Chicago produced and controlled the first self-sustaining nu- clear chain reaction. Like many inventions, the first application of nuclear energy was as a weapon of war. However, its potential usefulness in man's work and welfare far outweighs in economic importance its destructive use in war, unless its military effect would be considered so great and all-embracing that no major power will hereafter chance a world conflict. Recognition of this potential has generated a vast international effort to exploit the atom for peaceful beneficent purposes. Like its physical manifestation, the advent of nuclear energy has unleashed chain reactions that have pervaded the political, social, and economic environments of the world. The impact of nuclear developments in one of many fields is exemplified by the uranium mining industry. Uranium was discovered in 1789 and in the next century and a half it found only an insignificant use as a ceramic coloring agent; in fact, in the latter part of that period, it was a largely unsalable by-product of the radium and vanadium industries. Up to 1940 the total quantity of uranium metal produced was not more than a few grams, of doubtful purity. Thus the production of 12,400 pounds of pure

Jan 1, 1959

By R. L. Mauger, P. E. Damon

Potassium-argon dating of the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic intermediate to acidic plutons and volcanic rocks of Arizona and northern Sonora demonstrates the existence of two distinct magmatic episodes. The earlier episode begins in late Campanian time and dies out before the middle Eocene. Following a quiescent period in middle and late Eocene time, magmatism increases in Oligocene time, becomes most intense at the Oligocene-Miocene boundary and dies out as the Pliocene is approached. Pliocene magmatism is primarily confined to extrusion of post-orogenic basalts. The late Mesozoic-early Cenozoic magmatic pulse is essentially confined within the limits of the classical Laramide orogeny (Laramie through Wasatch time). The mid-Tertiary pulse is contemporaneous with the mid-Tertiary Basin and Range orogeny. The Laramide provides an excellent specific example of Umbgrove's concept of the pulse of the earth and in general his concept appears to be meaningful. Copper porphyry mineralization is time-congruent with Laramide magmatism and there seems to be no doubt as to the existence of a genetic relationship between the two phenomena. Two origins are tenable: direct accumulation of the copper sulfides in the copper porphyry liquid magmatic environment; or, introduction of the mineral constituents entirely from a larger source magma when the host rock is already crystalline. Transgression and regression of the epicontinental seas provide an excellent indicator of orogeny and epeirogeny. There was an overall transgression of the epicontinental seas from early Triassic time through the Turonian epoch in early late-Cretaceous time. Thereafter, there is a relatively continuous regression of the seas until the present time. Both the earlier transgressive episode and the later retreat are intermpted by temporary but distinct reversals. These interruptions can be correlated with classical orogenies. There are six distinct orogenies so indicated in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic eras. These occur at approximately 35 to 40 m.y. intervals. The regression of the epicontinental seas following the Turonian epoch was contemporaneous with the deepening of the Pacific ocean basin over the Darwin Rise. As the Darwin Rise was collapsing the East Pacific Rise was being elevated. The Western United States, situated on the eastern flank of the East Pacific Rise, was upwarped and tilted toward the east. Epeirogeny is the primary consequence of processes that operate on a global scale. Orogeny is an exothennic process that is limited in space and is treated here as a secondary consequence of epeirogenic-initiated warping. The off-campus buildings of the University of Arizona Geochronology Laboratories rest on the volcanic rocks of Tumamoc Hill. From this hill, the observer may obtain a beautiful view of typical Basin and Range topography. The city of Tucson lies below, contained within the broad Santa Cruz basin and surrounded on all sides by characteristic NW-SE trending ranges towering as much as 7000 ft above the valley floor. Since the senior author arrived in Tucson eight years ago, a great deal more has been learned about the geochronology of this and neighboring basins and ranges. For example, the volcanic rocks underlying the laboratory at Tumamoc Hill were shown on the state geologic map as Quaternary basalt. A student of the senior author has demonstrated that the so-called basalts are in fact alkali-andesites (Halva, 1961), and we now know that these alkali-andesites or doreites (Mielke, 1965) are of early Miocene age rather than Quaternary age (Bikerman and Damon, 1965). Is it any wonder then that geologists disagree on the nature and time of Basin and Range volcanism, plutonism and tec-tonism? The plain fact is that few definitive Cenozoic fossil sites were available upon which to base a chronology and geologists were forced to guess the ages of rocks in order to achieve the semblance of a time classification. We have now made considerable progress in developing a K-Ar chronology for the volcanic and plutonic rocks of the Basin and Range (Bikerman, 1965; Damon and Bikerman, 1965; Damon et al, 1964 and 1965; Mauger et al, 1965). It is the purpose of this paper to point out the main features of this chronology and to discuss the relationship of magma-tism to orogeny-epeirogeny during post-Turonian time. We will also discuss probable relationships during

Jan 1, 1967

By D. L. H. Forbes

The application of the cyanide process to complex sulphide ores for the extraction of the gold and silver is no longer a novelty; but, as an example showing modern teudencies in this direction, the following description of the new milling process at the Lucky-Tiger mine is offered: The extraordinary richuess of the ore in the upper workings of this mine made any thought of milling in its early days seem unnecessary. Its location in an almost inaccessible part of the rugged mountains just south of the Arizona boundary-line, and 60 miles from the town of Douglas, made the expense of bringing in machinery and sopplies a very serious consideration. But, after the property had been shipping high-grade ore on mule-back for a few years, there remained in the mine a considerable tonnage of vein-matter that mas too low in value to ship, but which it wag thought could be milled near the mine at a profit. The first milling-experiment consisted in the installation of Nissen stamps in conjunction with concentrating-tables and Frue vanners, but, as the ore from the upper workings contained most of its silver in the form of cerargyrite, this type of mill mas not successful. The proximity of the mine to the great copper-concentrating mills of Cananea and Moctezuma naturally made the influence of copper-milling ideas felt in the company's next instdlation. At considerable expense a stage-crushing concentrating-mill, with a capacity of 100 tons per day, was built. This mill was modeled along the lines of the most approved practice in copper-concentrators at that time, the main idea being that crushing by stages .in rolls was necessary in order to prevent losses from " sliming." Largely owing to the fact that, when the mill

Jan 1, 1913

By Franklin R. Carpenter

In area, the Black Hills are about equal to the State of Connecticut. As the accompanying geological map indicates, they exhibit in the main a simple structure, presenting a central mass of granite and Archæan rocks, on all sides of which the later sedimentary rocks dip

Jan 1, 1889

By William Kent

I DESIRE to place on record in our Transactions a recent innovation in blast-furnace practice, namely, the introduction at the Lucy Furnaces, in Pittsburgh, of four water-tube steam-boilers, of the Babcock and Wilcox pattern, aggregating 832 horse-power, builder's rating, or 9,568 square feet of heating-surface, utilizing the waste gases of the furnaces as fuel. The boilers are set in two batteries, each of 416 horse-power, and each battery occupying a ground-space of 22 feet 7 inches by 20 feet 4 inches. The accompanying dram-

Jan 1, 1885

By B. M. Larsen, T. E. Brower

An increasing amount of attention is being paid to the possible influence of oxygen, in its several modes of occurrence in steel, upon some of the properties of the metal; but clearly investigations along this line are unlikely to yield significant results until reliable analytical methods for the determination of oxygen have been established. This paper presents some results of a study of an improved Ledebur method which aims to determine a definite portion of the oxygen; namely, that which presumably is present in diffusible form in the solid steel. These more or less preliminary results lead us to believe that the oxygen so determined has some significance; their presentation at this time will, we hope, stimulate discussion of, and focus attention upon, certain rather neglected aspects of the problem. Considerable work has been done recently on methods of estimating inclusions and on the vacuum-fusion method for oxygen; with results which, however, are of somewhat questionable significance. It is commonly presumed that the oxygen in a bath of molten steel in a furnace is present partly as a separate phase consisting of suspended particles of oxides or silicates, partly in solution, the latter being probably the more important. Upon addition of a deoxidizer, it reacts with some portion of the dissolved oxygen and precipitates it as additional suspended particles; the oxygen not eliminated in this way, which remains in solution in the liquid steel, may be regarded indifferently either as dissolved oxygen or as dissolved FeO. When the steel is poured, some of the suspended particles rise towards the surface, others remain trapped in the finished steel, appearing as nonmetallic inclusions in amounts corresponding usually to about 0.01 to 0.03 per cent Oz in the steel. The dissolved oxygen may be partly eliminated as CO during freezing of the ingot, but some remains either in solution or in part precipitated as FeO. Finished steels may thus contain oxygen in several forms: (1) In non-metallic inclusions which are probably quite insoluble in the solid metal at all temperatures; (2) in solid solution which at lower temperatures may be supersaturated; (3) in FeO particles produced by relief of this

Jan 1, 1932

By W. D. Robertson, H. Conrad

Incremental loading creep tests were conducted on magnesium single crystals in tension and direct shear at 78" to 364°K. The creep curves were transient in character and exhibited waves or periodic behavior, especially at small strain rates. A sigmoidal curve was frequently observed following the first occurrence of creep. Repeating of segments of a master curve was observed at all temperatures indicating that identical conditions for flow existed after various stress and strain histories. A logarithmic time law with a independent of temperature whs observed at 78°and 203°K, while a parabolic (power) time law was approximated at 298" and 364°K. The departure from logarithmic creep was attributed. to recovery, which was observed at 298" and 364°K. The temperature independence of a represents a serious objection to the theory of low-temperature creep based on the intersection of dislocations. IN a previous paper1 it was found that the initial creep rate of magnesium single crystals, y, following the addition of a stress increment in the range of 78° to 364°K, was given by the expression ? = C exp - {?H/kT} exp {B(T- h ?)} [1] where B and C are constants, AH is an activation energy of 10,300 cal per mole, T is the applied stress, ? is the total strain at the time of the stress increment, and h is the strain-hardening coefficient. The present paper is concerned with certain other features of creep behavior observed during this investigation; namely, the form of the creep curves, time laws for creep, recovery, and microscopic and X-ray observations of the structural manifestations of the creep flow. To the authors' knowledge the temperature range of the present investigation (0.08 Tm to 0.40 Tm) has not been covered previ-

Jan 1, 1959

By John E. Greenawalt

IN view of the increasing importance of sintering in the beneficiation of iron ores preparatory to their reduction in the blast furnace, the writer believes the time is opportune for an up-to-date, though brief, discussion of the general principles of sintering, as well as a discussion of some of the recent improvements and mechanical developments that have been achieved in this industry, its present trend and future possibilities. Sintering may be defined as the agglomeration of fine mineral particles into a porous mass by incipient fusion caused by heat produced by combustion within the mass itself. Its first successful application, in connection with the treatment of lead sulphide ores, was known as blast roasting. In this process the lead ore was given a preliminary roasting in a reverberatory furnace, then the incandescent mass was placed in a pot with a grate and an updraft was applied. It was soon discovered that much better results were obtained by cooling the ore, moistening it, and placing it upon an incandescent layer of fuel previously placed upon a grate, and then applying the updraft blast of air until the charge was converted into a more or less agglomerated mass. The fuel was sulphur and the process one of desulphurization, which was the principal result desired. The application of downdraft to blast roasting brought about tremendous results; the principal one of which was that an air blast of high pressure could be passed through a layer of ore deposited on a grate, or on a grate covered by a layer of coarse porous material, without disturbing the particles of which the layer is composed. The air current is compelled to filter through the pores of the charge, whereas if the same pressure applied to the top surface of the charge with downdraft were applied to the bottom of the charge with updraft, the charge would be completely blown off the grate. Another result of reversing the draft was that a flame could readily be applied to the top surface of the charge for igniting purposes. Broadly speaking, sintering is an oxidizing or burning process, therefore the volume of air passing through the charge is the all-important factor. The air must pass through with sufficient rapidity to produce the necessary heat, and if sufficiently rapid the combustion will take place

Jan 1, 1938

By Archer Wheeler

THE copper industry in the Province of Katanga, in the Belgian Congo, which is now controlled and operated by the Union Minere du Haut Katanga, had its inception many years ago in the vision of a Scotsman, Robert Williams, now Sir Robert Williams, Baronet. He it was who personally negotiated the mineral concession with King Leopold of Belgium, sent in the prospecting parties who located most of the present mines of the company, later arranged for the Belgian participation from which the present company was formed, and has been its active mentor ever since. The idea back of his efforts was the establishment of an industry on the Congo-Zambezi divide, of sufficient importance to draw up to it the head of the Cape to Cairo Railroad, the dream of Sir Cecil Rhodes, and the consummation of which he had left as a legacy to Mr. Williams, his successor. The reports of the prospecting expeditions showed that copper in profitable quantity was there, but many difficulties lay in the way of the establishment of the infant industry. The isolated location of the mines, various tribal wars, the Boer War, and many other factors contributed to making progress very slow. However, in spite of these difficulties the railroad was finally built and a blast-furnace plant erected at Lubumbashi, near Elisabethville, the capital of the Province. Operations of this plant were started in 1911, treating high-grade oxidized ores and producing pig copper by a reducing smelting. Production has been continuous since that time and the company has grown so that at present it ranks as the largest individual copper producer in the industry. It is a fitting monument to the foresight, optimism and driving force of its founder, and the progressive policies of his Belgian colleagues. In January, 1914, the Union Miniere du Haut Katanga engaged as its consulting engineer, Archer E. Wheeler, metallurgical engineer, at that time general superintendent of the Great Falls plant of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. Mr. Wheeler was commissioned by the Board of Directors to proceed into Katanga, and make all necessary investigations to enable him to report on a comprehensive development program, and to recommend a scheme of treatment particularly for their low grade

Jan 1, 1932