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By J. H. Bramwell

The following experience in rebuilding a furnace crucible while in blast may not be wholly uninteresting to some, notwithstanding its purely practical character. Few are aware of the frequent calls made on a furnace manager's skill and ingenuity, to meet the irregularities which present themselves with kaleidoscopic variations in the operations of furnaces. Unfortunately the methods pursued in overcoming these practical difficulties are too seldom recorded, and much valuable information is lost that could not fail to be of value to many, and to none more so than the educated technical manager, with a limited practical experience, who, without a literature or record of any kind to refer to, finds himself, in times of emergency, dependent and looking for assistance from those whom it is his province to instruct and direct. With positive data, however, that like difficulties have been successfully overcome, he can confidently resort to similar expedients, with such modification; as the circumstances may demand in his particular case, and pull through seeming impossibilities in the face of ignorant prejudice. The Quinnimont Furnace (60 x 15 feet) had been in operation but two months, when it became necessary to draw the tuyeres out a distance of 18 inches, in order to give them a resting-place; the brickwork under them being completely cut away, so that after each

By J. H. Bramwell

THE following experience in rebuilding a furnace crucible while in blast may not be wholly uninteresting to some, notwithstanding its purely practical character. Few are aware of the frequent calls made on a furnace manager's skill and ingenuity, to meet the irregularities which present themselves with kaleidoscopic variations in the operations of furnaces. Unfortunately the methods pursued in overcoming these practical difficulties are too seldom recorded, and much valuable information is lost that could not fail to be of value to many, and to none more so than the educated technical manager, with a limited practical experience, who, without a literature or record of any kind to refer to, finds himself, in times of emergency, dependent and looking for assistance from those whom it is his province to instruct and direct. With positive data, however, that like difficulties have been successfully overcome, he can confidently resort to similar expedients, with such modifications as the circumstances may demand in his particular case, and pull through seeming impossibilities in the face of ignorant prejudice. The Quinnimont Furnace (60 x 15 feet) had been in operation but two months, when it became necessary to draw the tuyeres out a distance of 18 inches, in order to give them a resting-place; the brickwork under them being completely cut away, so that after each

Jan 1, 1877

By O. B. Hopkins

DuRing 1931 Peru lost its place as ninth among the oil-producing countries of the world, to Argentina, and even in tenth place its production only slightly exceeded that of Trinidad. The preliminary figures for 1932 indicate that Peru will lose tenth place for that year to Trinidad. The production in barrels of the three coastal fields of Peru during the past three years was as follows: In addition to this crude production, the International and Lobitos companies produced approximately 770,000 bbl. of casinghead gasoline during 1932. There was no outstanding development in the oil industry in Peru during 1932; activity in the fields was very much restricted due to curtailment of production and the low price of oil. The potential production of the property of the International Petroleum Co. Ltd. greatly exceeded the actual production. By the beginning of 1932, a total of 2348 productive wells had been drilled on the property of the International, of which 547 had been abandoned, leaving 1801 productive wells at that' date. These wells cover a total productive area of approximately 13,500 acres. The crude produced has an average gravity of 37° to 38° Be. The Lobitos crude is of approximately the same gravity. The earliest oil pool developed in the Peruvian Coastal area is now more than 40 years old and is still producing. The major development in the area took place between 1920 and 1930. Production at the present rate can be maintained for 10 years or more.

Jan 1, 1933

By Albert Burch

AN analysis of this subject demands a study of the theory and practice of the present system, conclusions as to its merits, and recommendations for remedying its defects if any be found. Theory of the Present Law The theory of the present law with reference to lode locations contemplates the existence upon the surface of mineral-bearing veins which have clearly marked boundaries, and which can be so readily traced that a locator may immediately mark the boundaries of his 600 by 1,500 ft. claim in such a way that the vein will pass through both of its end-lines. It also supposes that, having discovered such a mineral-bearing vein, the locator will at once post a notice upon such discovery, mark the boundaries of his location in such a manner that they can be readily traced, and from that time forward have absolute title to the ground embraced within such boundaries, as against every person except the United States. For initiating title to placer ground, the law presupposes the discovery of a valuable mineral deposit; but not necessarily in place, as in the case of lode claims; and the location must be made to conform "as nearly as may be" to the legal subdivisions of the United States public land survey. When the placer law was extended to include the acquisition of title to oil lands, no exception was made as to the necessity for the discovery of valuable mineral in advance of location!

Jan 6, 1914

By Robert W. Shearman

An historical record of the history of iron-and steelmaking in the United States has long seemed a desirable project to many in The metallurgical Society of AIME. Over a period of five years, experts in their fields have been asked to put down on paper their knowledge. The series of historical articles has been published in JOURNAL OF METALS, beginning with A. B. Wilder's article in 1956, marking the first one hundred years of Bessemer Steelmaking. The Electric Furnace Committee honored the first half-century of the use of the electric arc furnace in America during their 1956 Conference, and S. B. Casey, Jr., wrote an appropriate article for JOURNAL OF METALS. The historical series was well underway. Articles soon followed on the history of the blast furnace, on the open hearth furnace, and on ferro-alloy manufacture. The final need was an authoritative article on coke ovens. The publication of the five-part article by C. S. Finney and John Mitchell this summer has concluded our series (but not the march of progress). We now present, between two covers, a comprehensive historical review, the work of 13 authors. We are hopeful that this book will receive a welcome among ironmakers and steelmakers. and that it will be a valuable reference for home or office library. We hope also that students will find the material helpful in their studies of this most important of American industries. Perhaps also, the historian of Americana will learn something new in searching through these pages. We are indebted to our authors who have spent much time on historical research, and to their companies who have supported their endeavors. We acknowledge the support of the National Open Hearth Steel Committee and of the Blast Furnace. Coke Oven, and Raw Materials Committee in jointly assuming the financial risks in publishing this book.

Jan 1, 1961

By S. F. Kelly, Theodor Zuschlag, Bela Low

Gold has been mined in the state of Georgia for over 100 years, and although the total production is nearly $18,000,000, the output has declined to an insignificant figure in recent times. The increase in price of gold has brought about a revival of interest in this district, with the result that an electrical survey was undertaken in the McDuffie County gold belt to see whether new quartz veins could be discovered. The problem of locating quartz veins electrically has only rarely been attempted by geophysicists, because of technical difficulties. New improvements in apparatus and field procedures, the most recent of which is the designing of the Ground Comparator, now make possible the differentiation of quartz veins and enclosing rock. This instrument is designed to eliminate the effect of ground contact resistances, and measures the ratio of potential drops between successive stations. These are transformed into resistivity ratios, the highly resistant quartz veins manifesting themselves by sharp breaks in the resistivity-ratio curves. Surface variations of resistance are eliminated by a special technique. Electrical surveys were made on two properties about 40 miles west of Augusta, Georgia. A reconnaissance of the Woodall and detail work on the Hamilton required about. 13,000 ft. of electrical profile. Typical profiles from each are given, with the results of trenching certain of the electrical indications. Comparisons are made between the reactions due to veins several feet wide and those from small quartz stringers. Instances are cited where the electrical profiles were used to trace extensions of known veins, or to establish their nonextension. The discovery of several veins is described, most of which were barren, but of which at least two showed gold in encouraging amounts. The field of application of the Comparator to the prospecting for metallic and nonmetallic minerals, and to the study of various geological problems, is discussed at the close of the paper.

Jan 1, 1934

By B. L. Sackett

IN a general way, the situation in copper smelting is quite similar to that of lead smelting. In other words, the introduction and successful flotation of copper ores has tended to decrease greatly the tonnage to be handled by the smelter and therefore has resulted in curtailed smelter operation. However, copper production has increased rather than decreased. The general effect of flotation has been to decrease the number of furnaces operating, but it has also increased to a considerable extent the difficulties in handling the material, just as was outlined in the case of lead smelting. In copper smelting, the flotation concentrates must be roasted and prepared for the reverberatory furnace. HANDLING FLOTATION CONCENTRATES The handling of copper flotation concentrate, which is more or less wet and mucky, is more difficult than was the handling of the old gravity concentrate. Also, the roasting of the concentrate and the handling of the calcine produced is more difficult. That is mainly because the material is extremely fine and the tendency to higher dust losses is greatly increased. The draft in the roasting furnaces must be kept as low as, possible, and the feeding of the calcine into the reverberatory furnace must be done carefully, so that dust losses may be kept at a minimum. TRANSITION STAGES OF CONCENTRATION AND SMELTING The general process through which the copper smelter has gone as a result of flotation has been somewhat as follows: In the relatively old days, when copper ores of low grade were first treated, a large number of furnaces were required, and naturally comparatively poor recoveries were made. Also, the profits on low-grade ores were small and the handling of those ores was possible only because of the large tonnages. Then came gravity concentration, which was a great improvement but which only incompletely removed the gangue material, the insoluble and the iron, from the copper ore, and made comparatively poor copper recoveries. This still left a considerable amount of insoluble and iron, as well as the copper itself, to be treated at the smelter.

Jan 1, 1928

By Arthur B. Foote

The cams at present universally used in stamp mills lift the tappets with an involute form of curve, to which the surface of the tappet is always tangent; moreover, the line of contact between tappet and cam, if produced, would pass through the center of the stem. This is no doubt a desirable feature, but the writer has long believed that it would be much more desirable if the cam were to pick up the stamp without shock, and gradually increase the upward velocity of the stamp throughout its upward movement. The involute form of cam attempts to impart instantly a considerable upward velocity to the stamp, starting it from a state of rest, and the result is a destructive blow, a great deal of noise, and much wear and vibration. The writer has developed a form of cam which will lift the stamp pith a motion similar to that of the piston of an engine between the end and middle of its stroke; in other words, harmonic motion, from the woint of zero to maximum velocity. The curve will give this ideal motion only when the stamp is set for the exact drop for which the cam was designed, but the improved cam will not be as bad as the involute cam until the drop is reduced one-half. In other words, if a cam is designed for a 6-in. drop, it will be some improvement over the usual form of cam until the drop is only 3 in. Any cam, whatever its form, must of course lift the stamp in the same number of degrees of revolution; therefore, with this new form, since the stamp starts more slowly on its upward course, it must end up by going faster, the average speed being the same as with the involute cam. The stamp, after it is no longer in contact with the cam, keeps on going up a certain distance, which is easily calculated. It is therefore possible to hang up a stamp without a cam stick, if the fingers are not more than + in. longer than necessary to hold the tappet above, the cam. With this design of cam the surface of the tappet is not tangent to the surface of the cam throughout the lift. The possible consequences of this were studied with a full-size model, and did not seem serious, as

Jan 1, 1915

DEPENDENCY on foreign sources for many mineral raw materials is a characteristic of our economy which is becoming painfully evident. Although investment in foreign mining projects has increased, it has not kept up with the growing demand for foreign minerals. The sphere of American investment capital in mining ventures abroad has been severely limited by the rise of nationalism in many underdeveloped countries. Consequently, we can look back over half a century in which mining investment, exclusive of petroleum, has increased by 50 pct whereas other American investments abroad have multiplied by better than 300 pct. Investment in foreign mining or petroleum encounters different problems than capital investment for other industries. It is rarely invested in industrialized nations. Most of it goes to countries with expanding frontiers, like Canada, or to underdeveloped nations like Liberia. It must be used for building communities, recruiting and training labor, and establishing lines of communication and transportation. These complications are an accepted part of the mining game. However, the most complex problem is in those countries which consider mineral exploitation a usurpation of the people's natural heritage. This is a characteristic of the young government existing by a tenuous balance of power in an underdeveloped nation. American mining capital understandably has shunned these nations as being poor investment risks. However, they possess minerals which are needed by industry. Our government has attempted to stimulate mineral supplies beyond those provided from abroad by private capital. ECA, now under DMPA, makes loans to foreign mining companies. Since the ECA program cannot be expected to continue indefinitely, Point IV seems to be the logical next step to encourage foreign countries to fill our shortages. However, only 1 pct of the $35 million budget provided in the first year for Point IV was alloted for mining programs. Considering the need for minerals and the difficulties of procuring them by private investment, a larger share is needed and justifiable. Those who have been engaged in foreign mining can vouch for the fact that it takes many decades to teach the complex technology and economics of mining to the natives of under-developed countries. For this reason Point IV must be considered a long range program. Mineral requirements for the present must be met by more direct measures. Encouragement of private investment in foreign mining by such incentives as tax relief on profits from foreign sources, international bank-borrowing facilities for private capital, and diplomatic assistance in encouraging foreign countries to cooperate are imperative for our future mineral security.

Jan 1, 1952

By C. E. Shoenfelt, D. E. Winchester

NO important discoveries of petroleum during 1933 were reported from New Mexico. Lea and Eddy counties were the centers of activity during the drilling season and each had a number of interesting completions. The Hobbs pool, in Lea County, was definitely outlined on the east, north and northwest. Under an agreement reached last summer by state officials and operators, the Hobbs pool was continued under proration throughout the year. One hundred eighty-four units of 40 acres each were being produced at the end of 1933. The allowable was 21,306 bbl. daily at the beginning of 1933, but when the agreement was revised in the spring the minimum was raised to 30,000 bbl., and by the end of the year had been raised to 33,473 bbl. At present the field is being prorated on the basis of 25 per cent on acreage and 75 per cent on potentials except in the southwestern edge of the field, where water encroachment is a problem. In this area the basis of proration is 40 per cent on acreage and 60 per cent on potentials. A corrective method employed in this part of the field has been partly successful. The water is advancing in the upper part of the pay, a dolomitic limestone, and in a number of instances packers have been set in the pay below the water and above the oil. The locating of a satisfactory seat for a packer is difficult and in some instances has not been a complete success. Pipe line runs from the field during the year aggregated 11,413,218 bbl., bringing the total gross production up to 41,093,681 bbl., of which 39,000,-000 bbl. has been produced under proration, which went into effect on July 10, 1930. On Nov. 30, potentials were determined on the assigned pressure basis and the total was reduced 71,165 bbl. daily, to 1,265,-332 barrels. The outstanding completions in the Hobbs pool were three in number, of which the best was the Humble Oil & Refining Company's No. 3B Bowers in sec. 20, 18S., 38E., with an initial production of 11,664 bbl. of oil and 10,000,000 cu. ft. of gas. The Shell Petroleum Company's No. 4B McKinley, in the same section, produced at the rate of 22,940 bbl. of oil while flowing open, but when tubed, flowed at the rate of 6610 bbl. The third outstanding well, No. 4 Hardin of the Tidal Oil Co., and located in

Jan 1, 1934

By AIME

ALTHOUGH Thomas Savier Washburn, known always to his friends and associates as "Tom," entered this world in Minneapolis, the Flour Capital of America, and the tradition of flour milling was associated with his family name, he decided early to turn his back on such dusty pursuits and to court the Goddess of Fortune in the more romantic fields of mining and the metallurgy of iron and steel. Born in March 1901, his early education was gained successively in the Minneapolis public schools and the Blake School until 1918, and then in Phillips Andover Academy until 1920.

Jan 1, 1947

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