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Technology has no recognized rank in what is called polite literature; the subject-matter of engineering is not supposed to lend itself to artistic treatment; we are the hewers of wood and drawers of water to the high-priests of learning that live on the cold summit above our humbler dwellings. Therefore the hierophants smile at the notion of 'style'- “that curiously personal thing”--in technical writing. The "great art" of Pater, the "inevitable phrase" of Raleigh, the "note of distinction" that Arnold demanded are said to be beyond the scope, as they are supposed to be beside the need, of a writer on geology or engineering. This is a narrow view. Science, no less than belles lettres, calls for the best exercise of the human intelligence; the art of writing should be employed as skilfully and as earnestly in a description of the structure of the Sierra Nevada, or of the construction of a tunnel through the range, as in a rhapsody welcoming the rosy fingers of the dawn. The idea still lingers that fine writing does not befit technology, even though the masters of the Victorian period- Huxley, Tyndall, Ruskin-proved that science is worthy to be arrayed in the best robes that the looms of thought can weave. At the beginning of these lectures I quoted Barrie's remark touching the inability of the scientific man to express himself. That imputation has been passed to the technologist, whose utilitarian pursuits are supposed to make him too clumsy for the refinements of human speech. We may not have acquired the self-consciousness of those writers on Art whose "power of expression is so cultivated that their sensual caterwauling may be almost mistaken for the music of the spheres"; nor can we imitate the politicians, who have the ability to speak far beyond anything that they may have to say; but we too have a litera-

Jan 1, 1931

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and visitors who registered at Institute headquarters during November: George W. Otterson, Mauson, B. C. Roy H. Allen, Chihuahua, Mexico. E. L. C. Ayres, Bound, Brook, N. J. George A. Packard, Boston, Mass. M. Russell, Bound Brook, N. J. Richard C. Patterson, Jr., Kansas City,,Mo. Carlo Spruyt, Antwerp, Belgium. Francis C. Phillip, Pittsburg, Pa. Charles A. Pringle, San Francisco, Cal. M. H. Kuryla, Mexico City, Mexico. E. S. Bardwell, Great Falls, Mont. Arthur Chippendale, Mexico City, Mexico. Sir Robert Hadfield, London,, England. F. Danvers Power, Sydney, Australia. James A. Barr, San Francisco, Cal..

Jan 12, 1913

By John Alden

A CONSIDERABLE PROPORTION of the tonnage of aluminum used today has at some stage during its manufacture, been rolled. I. For one, therefore, was particularly pleased to hear that this Society was to hold a symposium on rolling of nonferrous metals. Metallurgists can well afford to direct their close attention to the metallurgy involved in this important operation. To one who has seen today's high production rolling mills for aluminum it is difficult to realize that the first aluminum rolling mill For sheet was installed a scant 55 yr ago, in 1892. This mill was a three-stand train of 2-high mills, driven by a steam engine and was operated for many years successfully rolling aluminum sheet. Mills for the rolling of aluminum rod were installed in 1899 to meet the demand For manufacture of electrical conductor wires and cables. Bars and rods in straight lengths were also made. While these mills were the first built for rolling aluminum products of these types some rod had previously been rolled on brass and copper mills. Not until many years later, in 1929, however, Were facilities provided for the rolling of structural shapes, such as I-beams and channels. Growth of the aluminum sheet business and the necessity for economical manufacture soon brought the realization of the economies resulting From-the rolling of sheet in long lengths and coiling it. A five-stand continuous mill driven by a steam engine, was in operation late in 1907. This took aluminum slabs coating from

Jan 1, 1948

By F. G. Cottrell

About a year and a half ago, at the San Francisco meeting of the American Chemical Society, in connection with the excursions to local smelting-works, I had occasion to show some lantern-slides illustrating the recent commercial development of electrical methods for precipitating the suspended matter from smelter-smoke, the underlying phenomena of which were clearly brought to the attention of the technical public by Sir Oliver Lodge as long ago as 1884. In the .Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, August, 1911, most of these views were reproduced, together with an account of the work from its beginning up to July, 1911. To-day I wish particularly to show you some of the further developments of the work since that time; but in order to make these clear they will be prefaced by a brief abstract of the article above referred to. The removal of suspended particles, from gases, by the aid of electric discharges is by no means a new idea. As early as 1824 we find it suggested by Hohlfeld ' as a means of suppressing ordinary smoke, and again a quarter of a century later by Guitard.2 These suggestions, which do not seem to have stimulated any practical study of the question, were soon entirely forgotten, and only brought to light again by Sir Oliver Lodge: many years after he himself had independently rediscovered the same phenomena and brought them to public attention4 in a lecture before the Liverpool Section of the So-

Jan 1, 1913

By Donald A. Brobst

The minerals barite (BaSO4 barium sulfate) and witherite (BaCO3 barium carbonate) are the chief commercial sources of the element barium and its compounds whose many uses are nearly hidden among the technical complexities of modern industrial processes and products. Barite, the major ore mineral, is extremely vital to the petroleum industry which in 1973 consumed at least 80% of the world's produc¬tion of 4.4 million tons as a major ingredient of the heavy fluid, called mud, that is circulated in rotary drilling of oil and gas wells. The re¬maining 20% of the barite production was consumed chiefly in the manufacture of barium chemicals and glass and as a pigment, filler, and extender. Barite occurs throughout much of the world and is available from three major geologic types of deposits-vein and cavity fill¬ing, residual, and bedded-in sufficient quantity at competitive prices to meet current demands. The world's demand for barite is expected to increase, and geologic circumstances are favor¬able for the discovery of new deposits of com¬mercial value. Witherite is much less common and abun¬dant than barite, although it is more desirable in many ways as a raw material for the pro¬duction of barium chemicals. The United States has not produced witherite since about 1950; England is currently the chief producer of witherite. End Uses Most of the world's barite production since 1926 has been used as a weighting agent for the muds circulated in rotary drilling of oil and gas wells. The muds fundamentally are mixtures of water, clay, and barite in different proportions that vary according to local reservoir condi¬tions. Muds with a specific gravity as great as 2.5 are used. The mud is pumped down the hollow drill stem, passes through the bit at the bottom of the hole, and rises to the surface in the space between the drill stem and the wall of the hole. In the course of this circulation the drill bit is cooled, cuttings are removed, the drill stem is lubricated, the walls of the hole are sealed, and the hydrostatic head of the column of weighted fluid helps to confine high oil and gas pressures. The latter feature aids in prevention of gushers, thus reducing both environmental pollution and waste of oil and gas resources as well as conserving the natural reservoir pressure for greater production and rate of recovery of the products contained in the rocks. Barite is particularly well suited for drilling mud because it is clean, easy to handle, soft (nonabrasive), heavy, virtually inert chemi¬cally, and relatively inexpensive compared to many other available heavy materials. Barite is used in the manufacture of glass in continuous tanks. The addition of barite ho¬mogenizes the melt and gives greater brilliance and clarity to the finished glass. Ground barite, both unbleached and bleached by sulfuric acid, is a common industrial filler, extender, and weighting agent. The rubber in¬dustry is a major consumer of barite as a filler. Barite also is added to bristolboard, heavy printing paper, playing cards, rope finishes, brake linings, clutch facings, plastics, and li¬noleum, to name but a few uses. Bleached barite has long been an extender in white lead paint because of its weight. The low index of refraction of barite, however, makes its ability to cover marks poorer than some other sub¬stances, but its low capacity for absorption of oil is a good feature. Off-color or unbleached barite can be used as a filler in colored paints. In the construction industry, some lump barite is used in concrete aggregate to weight down pipelines buried in marshy areas and to shield nuclear reactors. Because barite absorbs gamma radiation well, its use reduces the amount of expensive lead shielding otherwise

Jan 1, 1975

By R. Schuhmann

Distribution of material in the fine sizes of a comminution product generally is well represented by the empirical equation [ ] in which y = cumulative percent finer, x = particle size, = distribution modulus, and k = size modulus. Charles found that the energy consumption in comminution is usefully expressed by another empirical relation, [ ] in which E = energy input per unit volume of material, A = a constant, k = size modulus based on Eq. 1, and n = a constant; ( 1-n) is the slope of a plot of log E vs log k. Holmes has presented energy equations similar to Eq. 2.

Jan 2, 1960

By Charles R. Keyes

PAGE. I. IntRoduction,...........139 11. Four Phases of Primary Ore-Genesis,......141 1. Extraction of Ore-Materials from Sea-Water,....141 A. Early Views,........141 B. Metals in Sea-Water,.......142 C. Metallic Content of Sedimentary Rocks,... 142 D. Adequacy of Metal-Percentage to Form Ore-Deposits, . 143 E. Derivation of Metallic Elements in Sea-Water,.. 144 2. Metallic Content of Igneous Rocks,...... 145 A. Two-Fold Meaning of Term,.....145 B. Significance of Ordinary Rock-Analyses,... 146 C. Wide-Spread Occurrence of Rare Rock-Forming Minerals,.........146 D. Occurrence of Metalliferous Minerals in Rocks,.. 146 E. Metallic Content of Igneous Rocks Generally,.. 147 F. Metals in Volcanic Rocks,......148 G. Originality of Metal-Content of Rocks,...148 H. Physical Condition of Metallic Minerals,... 149 3. Magmatic Origin of Metals,.....,.149 A. Association of Ores with Cooled Magmas,... 149 B. Deep-Seated Origin of Metals,.....150 C. Magmatic Waters in Ore-Deposition,.... 150 D. Ore-Materials of Volcanic Emanations,... 151 E. Exportation of Metals from Magmas,.... 152 F. Ores of Magmatic Differentiation,.... 152 4. Meteoritic Derivation of the Metals,.....- 153 A. Planetesimal Hypothesis,...... 153 B. Number of Meteorites,.......154 C. Abundance of Meteorites in Desert-Regions,.. 156 D. Petrologic Character of Meteoric Falls,... 159 B. Metals in Meteorites,.......159 F. Incorporation of Meteoritic Materials in Ores, , .160 811. RecapitulatioN,..........161 I. Introduction. If the long controversy waged between those who, on the one hand, advocated a strictly deep-seated origin of ore-deposits, and, on the other hand, those who argued for an ore-genesis by

Jan 1, 1911

Coal Division Industrial Minerals Division Minerals Beneficiation Division Mineral Economics Division Mineral Industry Education Division Mining, Geology and Geophysics Division MINING BRANCH AND DIVISIONS OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES Council Ralph E Kirk, '55, Chairman (Coal). C M Cooley, Secretary, M D Cooper, '56 (Coal), Harold Bannennan. '55 (Ind Min Div ). R C Stephenson, '56 (Ind Min Div ) , E P Pfleider, '55 (MGGD) . J D Forrester. '56 (MGGD) , Donald W Scott, '55 (MBD). S D Michaelson, '56 (MBD). J K Richardson (MED). J R Van Pelt, Jr (MIED) COAL DIVISION Established as a Division September 20, 1929 M D Cooper. Chairman H F Yancey, Chairman-elect David R Mitchell, Secretary-Treasurer Professor of Mining The Pennsylvania State University State College. Pennsylvania

Jan 1, 1954

By Frederick Crabtree

WHEN Professor Stock asked for a paper on the above subject, it was too late to prepare by June 1, or near that time, one that would involve any appreciable amount of experimental work or original research; but the suggestion was made that a review of the literature bearing on the subject might be submitted in good time, and that later this could be supplemented by any experimental data obtained during the summer, if experiments were carried out. In accordance with this suggestion, there are submitted the following notes on references found in the literature of recent years bearing on sulfur in gas. It is to be, understood that, ill general, these notes express the opinions of the authors whose papers are abstracted, not necessarily the opinions of the abstractors. Very little published information was found bearing directly on producer-gas sulfur, so this has been supplemented, in certain phases of the subject, by references to illuminating gas. Methods of analysis and processes for the elimination of sulfur from the gas are, without much doubt, very closely related in these two products. As in illuminating gas, sulfur is found in producer gas mainly as hydrogen sulfide, mixed with a much smaller and variable quantity of carbon bisulfide.1 The presence of minute quantities of other organic-sulfur compounds has been intimated, but no definite statement is made concerning these. The amount of sulfur present in producer gas is variable and depends on several conditions. The primary factor is the quantity of sulfur in the fuel, but the form in which the sulfur exists, the temperature of the producer, the air-steam ratio, and the efficiency of the scrubbing process are all determining factors. When the coal used contains less than 0.5 per cent. of sulfur, the sulfur in the gas will not exceed the quantity found in the average illuminating gas.2 Sulfur in producer gas may safely

Jan 9, 1919

By Edward V. D’Invilliers

In connection with some recent professional work in the coalfields of Western Pennsylvania, with special reference to results of coking operations, I was asked to compile a statement giving the estimated cost of mining coal and manufacturing coke at two hypothetical plants of 500 ovens each, giving the relative yield of coal in coke at each plant; and, upon the average number of working days in each of the past five years, from 1899 to 1903, together with average selling price of coke at the ovens, to prepare an estimate of the relative commercial returns in each district. What seemed at first sight to be a comparatively simple proposition, involving only the ordinary elements of mining and coking costs, became complicated by the lack of standard published records of mining costs and sales, which would be applicable to the subject at issue. Upon searching through the usual channels of Government publicatious and the files of our technical societies and mining periodicals, I was surprised to note the absence of fundamental factors that would approximately meet the case in point. The very elaborate and interesting statistics annually published by the National Government' do not supply the required data for the following reasons:—1. Being reported by arbitrary districts, the average values are too general to be applied to special fields. 2. The value of coal charged to the ovens is apparently based upon the regional average value of the coal if sold in the market, and not upon the cost of production. 3. Some plants only use the slack (a by-

Jan 1, 1905

By E. G. Woods, A. G. Comer

A mathematical model is presented and solved for determinution of the saturation distribution and pressure in a radial gas-storage reservoir. The model consists basically of two parts: (I) the growing gas-bubble core, and (2) the surrounding aquifer. Since the total pressure at the injection well is a function of the two-phase flow in the gas bubble and the unsteady single-phase flow in the aquifer, the resistance to flow in both zones was taken into consideration. The assumptions involved for both the radial equivalent of the Buckley-Leverett two-phase-flow equation and the injection-pressure equation are as follows: (I) the geometry is radial, (2) the gas bubble is free to expand or contract, (3) compression or expansion of the gas within the bubble may occur at the beginning of a time step, (4) the fluids are immiscible, (5) water is incompressible within the gas-storage region whereas it is compressible outside of this region, (6) a stable gas-water interface exists and (7) gas injection occurs at a constant rate or a series of constant rates. The mathematical model was solved numerically using an IBM 650 computer. A comparison is presented between the predicted results of the model, the results assuming steady-state flow and the actual initial injection-pressure history of an operating reservoir. Using the initial field pressure for a basis, the average deviation between the predicted pressure and the actual field pressure was less than 4.3 per cent. INTRODUCTION Underground storage of natural gas in abandoned oil fields, in abandoned coal mines, in caverns and in aquifers has had varying degrees of success. The lack of these first three facilities in the vicinity of most major gas marketing areas is leading more and more to storage in virgin aquifers. For the most part, this storage in aquifers has led to the study upon which this paper is based. Several excellent papers have been published discussing the problems involved in the underground storage of natural gas; however, to these writers' knowledge, none of them considered the two-phase flow of fluids in the gas bubble and the fact that the gas bubble will grow or shrink in size depending upon the injection and withdrawal history of the reservoir. Not only will both of these factors influence the required injection pressure, but also they will have a definite bearing upon the amount of water production occurring upon withdrawal from the storage area. To solve this problem on an IBM 650 computer, several simplifying assumptions were made. Only the drainage portion of the relative-permeability curve was considered, thereby neglecting any hysteresis effects introduced during an imbibition cycle. The quantity of gas withdrawn during the period of the field study was only a small percentage of the total gas in place; therefore, this assumption is justified. For the problem studied in this case, the combined effects of capillarity and gravity were assumed to be negligible. This assumption becomes less valid as the formation thickness or the average pore diameter increases markedly. The justification of these assumptions should be studied in each case. THEORY This mathematical model for the prediction of saturation distribution and pressure for a radial gas-storage aquifer is based upon the equations for radial two-phase fluid flow'.' and for radial, unsteady-state, single-phase fluid flow.' The two-phase flow is considered to take place in a "core" whose radius is equal to the maximum radius that the gas zone will attain, as indicated in Fig. 1. The injection-withdrawal history is approximated by a series of constant flow rates. Within the "core", gas is assumed to behave as a semi-compressible fluid; that is, the gas is assumed to have a constant density based on the average gas-zone pressure for the flow period. Between each constant-rate time increment, the gas density is allowed to change. This involves an iterative solution of the pressure equation. The liquid phase in this zone is considered to be incompressible, whereas it behaves as a compressible liquid outside of this region. The equations of incompressible flow in the "core" may be written for the gas phase

By AIME AIME

THE third award of the W. L. Saunders Gold Medal for "distinguished achievement in mining" has been made to John Hays Hammond. The two previous awards were to David Brunton and Herbert C. Hoover. Since the principal events in Mr. Hammond's interesting life are not only well known to his many friends but were summarized in the April, 1928, issue of MINING AND METALLURGY (p. 186), it seems most appropriate to reproduce here the chronological record of his career that appears on pages 67 to 69 of "A Student Reverie," by his friend and fellow Freiberg student, F. G. Corning. Mr. Hammond, after graduating from Yale in 1876, was a student at Freiberg for the next three years.

Jan 1, 1929

By A. D. Rovig, D. W. McGlashan, Donald M. Podobnik

Crystal-chemical and stntctural properties of sulfide minerals are considered. The information gained is to be used to interpret (I ) freshly broken mineral surfaces, (2) modifications of the mineral surfaces, and (3) reactions at the mineral surfaces. From these basic disciplines, concepts with regard to the changes that surfaces undergo, reactions that might take place, the geometry of the interface, the state of different atoms and ions in the interface, and other physical and chemical properties of an interface must be developed, weighed and applied. The authors first deal with these conceptual considerations from which hypotheses are set forth to describe the environ men tal-interfacial relationships for several sulfide minerals. Qualitative and quantitative explanation of par-ticulate solid separations are unknown entities because of the lack of adequate models and mathematical relationships to explain the activity occurring between the solid and liquid phases. It is a transitional region in which it is difficult to ascertain the mechanisms of adsorption of ions, molecules, etc., on mineral surfaces, as well as other secondary reactions which occur in interfacial regions. Thus, in this paper the authors deal with conceptual considerations from which hypotheses are set forth to describe the environmental-interfacial relationships for sulfide minerals. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS Interfacial Reactions:Interfacial reactions are the cruxes of flotation schemes as well as other processes such as thickening, filtration and hydrometallurgy. However, as noted by Klassen and Mokrousov: 1 "The problems concerning the surfaces of natural minerals, the laws governing simultaneous adsorption from aqueous solution on these surfaces of a whole series of reagents, the laws of the surface reactions and the properties of water layers separating the minerals, are all known to a first approximation only." An investigator has the privilege of postulating methods of solid-liquid interfacial reactions. REACTIONS WITH WATER - Water consists of hydronium (H3 O 4) and hydroxyl (OH-) ions in the ionized state. That this is so forms the basis for the postulated reaction of the hydrated hydrogen ion with net-negative mineral surfaces as depicted in Fig. 1. In this case water is bonded to mineral surfaces through hydrogen-bridge-type bonds - possibly hydrogen bonds. Although bonding of the van der Waal type may be responsible for this reaction, it is most likely that stronger bonds are involved. Once firmly bonded to the surface, the water layer is known to be quite tenacious. It is further speculated that a shear plane exists at some distance (see Fig. 1) away from the mineral surface. Exact location of this plane is not known, but in all probability it will be positioned across a weak bond of the hydrogen-bond type where the surface-attached water is coordinated to the original hydrated hydrogen ion. REACTION WITH METAL IONS - Klassen and Mokrousov ' state: "The presence of an ion in water leads to an immediate formation around that ion of a highly condensed atmosphere of water dipoles and thus to hydration of the ion." The fact is known that multivalent cations are strongly hydrated, usually by six or eight molecules of water, and that anions are not so strongly hydrated. Conceding the fact that thermodynamics, concentration, pH, and physical considerations are of utmost importance in truly explaining a mechanism of metal ions reaction with a hydrated mineral surface, it does seem logical that the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2 is feasible. In this reaction, the metal ion (M) is coordinated in one dimension - to the mineral-surface hydration layer. Note also that explanation of this reaction requires that the shear plane move to a less stable bond configuration; that is, the shear plane has moved to a position between the metal ion and the other coordinated water molecules which are more free to dissociate. Reactions as depicted in Fig. 2 should cause the formation of an apparent mineral surface which is net-positive. Immediately, it must be noted that measurements of apparent-mineral surfaces serve - within limits - to indicate a degree of ion-surface reaction capability. The major limiting factor he re is one related

Jan 1, 1970

J. Lainson Wills, Ottawa, Can. (Communication to the Secretary) : The localities of the Quebec and Ontario apatite deposits, and the nature of their occurrence haye been often described in the Transactions and in other publications that are readily available, and I do not, therefore, intend to discuss the many details advanced in Mr. Small's paper beyond the following two points:

Jan 1, 1893

By Nicholas J. Grant, David S. Bloom

An investigation of the Cr-Ni system has revealed that there exists a eutectoid transformation at about 1180°C. 'The transformation in chromium implied by the eutectoid reaction was detected at about 100°C below its melting point. Associated with the eutectoid transformation, a metastable transition structure has been found. THE Cr-Ni phase diagram is shown in current literature to be a simple eutectic system in which the high chromium end of the diagram is incompletely determined, Fig. 1. The last investigation of this system was undertaken in 1936.' Because of limitations in metal purity, especially of chromium, and temperature measuring techniques, the diagram should be accepted with some reservations, as was indicated by Hansen.V or examwle.-, the wresence of the compound Cr²Ni, with a tetragonal structure," remains unverified and incompatible with the simple eutectic diagram. The work reported here began because of discrepancies that appeared in experimental studies in the binary alloys Cr-Ni and in the ternary system Cr-Mo-Ni. The existing binary Cr-Ni diagram failed to provide a complete explanation of observations made by microscope, X-ray, and thermal analyses. Experimental Methods The materials employed were of a higher degree of purity than were available to previous investigators. The Mond nickel used had a nominal purity of 99.87 pct, while the electrolytic chromium analyzed 99.03 pct with the major impurity being 0.5 to 0.7 pct oxygen with some iron. All alloys were melted in a vacuum furnace to remove dissolved gases, sufficient carbon was added to the charge to combine with all the oxygen as CO. Final analysis determined the carbon as about 0.02 pct and the oxygen around 0.06 pct or slightly more. Stabilized zirconia crucibles and thermocouple protection tips were used throughout and contributed no detectable impurity to the melts, as long as the oxygen in the chromium was kept low. Heats averaged about 250 g, which permitted about 2 in. of the thermocouple protection tips to be submerged. The temperature drop across the thermocouple protection tip was determined to be about 3°C, a minor source of error. The alloys, after removal from the vacuum furnace, were placed in a furnace operating in a purified argon atmosphere for the thermal analyses. An- nealed wolfram-molybdenum thermocouples provided the primary means of temperature determination, though a Pt-Pt-10 pct Rh couple was employed for a check when possible. A sensitive, high-speed Leeds and Northrup Speedomax recording potentiometer indicated the thermocouple output. X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained primarily on a Norelco unit, which permitted diffraction angles only up to 45" (28 = 90"). In general, either rotated or stationary solid samples were used, because it later evolved that many samples were susceptible to transformation resulting from the cold working involved in pulverizing. It was also noted that rotating a sample sometimes suppressed weak lines, so, usually, samples were not rotated. Later a high temperature camera was adapted for use at temperatures up to 1400 °C on the Norelco unit utilizing both solid and powdered samples. Unless otherwise noted, all X-ray patterns were made with a chromium tube and a vanadium filter. Further-

Jan 1, 1952

Robert Schorr, San Francisco, Cal. (communication to the Secretary*):—In operatioils requiring the expenditure of fuel, it is solely a question of supplying a certain number of heat-units at certain temperature-conditions. The difficulty of controlling these temperature-conditions is mainly responsible for low efficiency, unless utilizable waste heat is carefully applied either for the pre-heating of the air necessary for combustion, or for the heating of the raw materials, or in other departments of the works to generate steam, etc. A high theoretical or thermal efficiency very often does not establish a high " commercial" efficieiicy, and this fact is responsible for apparent crude practice in many arts. Coal is still very cheap in the East, and oil sells in the West for less than anywhere else in the world. Despite these favorable conditions, I believe that the list of references given in E. C. Eckel's book,' and also the contributions of C. Naske,2 will show that Mr. Eldred's statement, that a the study of the phenomena of applied combustion has been neglected," is not justified as far as the burning of cement is concerned. I have investigated the heat-balance of a lirne-kiln ailci the commercial advantage of using generator-gas for calcination. Mr. Eldred proposes to calcine the materials in the present type of rotary kiln, gas-fired with long-flame combustion, and to Pdke the fritted calcines to a special, gas-fired clinkering-kiln, which shall embody heat-regenerators. While his state-

Jan 1, 1911

By John D. Price

COAL blending, in the preparation of coal before coke making, is so commonly practiced as to be almost universal. But the reasons underlying this practice, the benefits resulting from it, and the materials used in blending vary widely. This paper will outline the various phases of the subject and present information which may be correlated with work that has been done elsewhere. It will deal entirely with work done on the high-volatile coking coals of the western part of the United States, special emphasis being given to the coals of Colorado and Utah. A surveyL of the 86 coke plants in active operation in the United States during 1949 indicates that only 9 plants, or 10.5 pct of the total, charged one single rank of coal into their ovens, while the remaining 89.5 pcl made use of blending in some form. This report indicated that of these total plants 5 used straight high-volatile coal, 4 used straight medium-volatile coal, 47 used blends of high and low-vola-tile coals, 25 used blends of high, medium, and low-volatile coals, 2 used blends of high and medium-volatile coals, 3 used blends of medium and low-volatile coals. The fact that certain plants operated on a single kind of coal should not be interpreted to mean that no blending was practiced there, for invariably such plants secure their coal from more than one source and in the interest of uniformity do blend the coals as received. The general term coal blending covers two fields, the first of which is the mechanical mixing of a number of coals to secure uniformity. Often it is found necessary to secure coal for coke production from a number of different mines; these coals, though of the same general type or rank, may differ in their chemical composition or in the physical qualities they impart to coke made from them. Again, it is not unusual to find that coal from different sections of the same mine may show variations in quality. Under such conditions it may be necessary, in the interest of a uniform final product, to introduce a system of blending bins, a bedding yard, or other mechanical methods of securing a uniform mixture. Unfortunately this form of blending has received very little attention up to the present time; it has not received the consideration its value merits. The second type of blending, while also for the purpose of coke improvement, deals more particularly with the use of a blending agent differing in character from the base coal: it is this form of blending that will be discussed here. To consider only the western coals, for blending may be found necessary for other reasons with other coals, blending has been practiced experimentally or commercially under the following conditions: 1—When a single coal or mixture of coals of the same rank does not produce a satisfactory coke. For example, a high-volatile coal when used alone is likely to contract when coked so that a comparatively weak coke is formed. Or, if of very low rank, the coal may be deficient in the necessary bitumens required for good coke production. 2—When a product of some special quality is required, for example, when a plant ordinarily producing blast furnace coke must operate at slow coking rate to produce a high-grade foundry coke. Under this condition the reduced daily production of all products which accompanies slow coking time may be undesirable, and the use of some blending agent to increase the size of coke made at faster coking rates may be necessary. 3—When greater yield of coke or its coproducts is needed. Depending upon economic values of the products it may be found desirable to increase the yield of one or the other. 4—When supply of a particular coal must be used, either to protect reserves of high quality coking coal or to utilize a surplus or inferior product not otherwise usable. Many materials have been used for blending purposes, the exact agent to be used depending both upon the condition to be corrected and the nature of the base coal. No universal blending agent that can

Jan 1, 1954

By Clarence Linville

IN an article published in the Iron. Trade Review 1 I gave a convenient arrangement for the installation of wet and dry bulb thermometers for use in making moisture determinations in the air being blown into a blast furnace, and also gave a chart for use in obtaining moisture values from the thermometer readings. The data from which this chart was prepared were obtained from the tables in use by the U. S. Weather Bureau.2 The work of Carrier 3 has shown that these tables are somewhat in error. He has recalculated the values for moisture as referred to, wet and dry bulb thermometer readings, and he has prepared a psychrometric chart from the values thus obtained. This work has priced the subject of psychrometry upon a correct scientific basis. I think it is proper that we should recognize the importance of his work and give him credit for one of the most interesting and valuable researches that have been published in recent years. Blast-furnace men are not ready to use, as he suggests 4 a value expressed in grains of water accompanying a pound of dry air. However convenient this may be for heating and ventilating work and other engineering problems, there are several reasons for preferring the use of a value expressed in grains of water in a. cubic foot of mixed air and water vapor, in connection with combustion phenomena and the effects of moisture on blast-furnace operation. Previous papers presented to the Institute have used such values and we have

Jan 10, 1913

By E. A. Jones

THE Southeast Missouri division of the St. Joseph Lead Co. normally hauls and hoists over 5 million tons of lead ore each year. This ore is mined in the stopes and headings of 20 mines, hauled to a main line system, see above, and transported up to 6.4 miles to ore-hoisting shafts. Average haulage distance is 2.16 miles. A few years ago a distinguished mining engineer visiting this area for the first time remarked, "You do not have a mining problem; yours is a haulage problem." Its relative importance may be gaged by the fact that mine haulage represents about 25 pct of the total cost of mining ore, the most costly single underground operation. The Southeast Missouri lead belt is a mining district located about 65 miles south of St. Louis. This district is roughly 6 miles wide and 10 miles long. The ore horizon lies about 400 ft below the surface where most of the ore is mined from flat-lying beds of dolomitic limestone. This paper deals with the central part of the district, namely, that portion which contains a group of interconnected mines all in a central haulage system, serving four hoisting shafts. The two major hoisting operations are carried out at Federal No. 17 shaft and Leadwood No. 12 shaft. No. 17 accounted for about 70 pct of the ore hoisted in the district during 1950, averaging about 14,000 tons per operating day. The underground dumping and skip-pocket system at this shaft is similar to those of the other shafts except that it has two rotary dumps. The other ore-hoisting shafts have only one. It might be mentioned that waste rock is hoisted at still other shafts, hauled off, and dumped on the surface by trucks. The hoisting shafts are on a connected system of about 200 miles of underground 24-in. gage main line railroad. There is also the Bonne Terre system, with its own ore-hoisting shaft, which consists of 13.5 miles of 24-in. gage main line, located in the extreme north portion of the lead belt area. Smaller outlying mines such as Doe Run No. 12 and Hayden Creek operate on trackless or shuttle car haulage. In addition to the system of main line haulage, each contributing mine group has its own extensive system of stope or heading railroad. Trackless mining is making considerable headway in the Lead-wood and Desloge mines. Here the shovel loads into a shuttle car which in turn dumps into mine cars spotted on the main line track system. When the merits of underground haulage and surface transportation are compared, it must be remembered that in early days there were many individual

Jan 1, 1954

By Clarence P. Linville

In an article published in the Iron Trade Review,' I gave a convenient arrangement for the installation of wet and dry bulb thermometers for use in making moisture determinations in the air being blown into a blast furnace, and also gave a chart for use in obtaining moisture values from the thermometer readings. The data from which this chart was prepared were obtained from the tables in use by the U. S. Weather Bureau.2 The work of Carrier3 has shown that these tables are somewhat in error. He has recalculated the values for moisture as referred to wet and dry bulb thermometer readings, and he has prepared a psychrometric chart from the values thus obtained. This work has placed the subject of psychrometry upon a correct scientific basis. I think it is proper that we should recognize the importance of his work and give him credit for one of the most interesting and valuable researches that have been published in recent years. Blast-furnace men are not ready to use, as he suggests14 a value expressed in grains of water accompanying a pound of dry air. However convenient this may be for heating and ventilating work and other engineering problems, there are several reasons for preferring the use of a value expressed in grains of water in a cubic foot of mixed air and water vapor, in connection with combustion phenomena and the effects of moisture on blast-furnace operation. Previous papers presented to the Institute have used such values and we have

Jan 1, 1914