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By Ingvar Janelid

DURING the last ten years, in the effort to save manpower and costs, methods of drilling and blasting in Sweden have changed and developed in a revolutionary manner. These developments have been accompanied by extensive alterations in methods of tunneling and in mining technique. Since the end of the 1940's there has been a 100 pct change-over in Sweden to the use of tungsten carbide tipped drill steel. Both investigations and practical results have shown clearly that a tungsten carbide chisel bit fastened directly on the drill steel is the most economical for Swedish conditions. This applies to drill steel up to the longest size it is practical to handle. In terms of drilling footage, durability of the drill steel and the tungsten carbide bit is generally the same. In this respect, therefore, a detachable bit offers no advantage over integral steel. Transportation of integral steel to the grinding plant, instead of detachable bits only, involves heavier work, but this is counteracted by placing grinding plants closer together or by grinding at the working place itself. The drilling rate with integral steel is higher, the trouble of changing bits is avoided, and the difficulties which always arise with joints are eliminated. At present steel dimensions are usually 7/8 in. with a shank 41/4 in. long, whereas the international standard shank was formerly 31/4 in. The longer shank renders possible a better guide control of the steel and consequently longer life for the rotation chuck and the water-flushing pipe. After extensive experiments and investigations, agreement has been reached in Sweden on certain series of standards, shown in Table I. Other steel dimensions are, of course, available for special purposes. The standard drill-steel set begins with a 34-mm diam and has a length interval of 2 2/3 ft. On the other hand, for ordinary drifting it has been proved more economical to use greater length intervals on the steel, so only one steel change is required for a 61/2-ft round. Moreover, owing to the relatively close hole spacing necessary in a drift round, it has been possible to reduce the diameters of the tungsten carbide bits. This results in faster and cheaper drilling. As shown by the table, the lengths of drill steels for normal drifting are 33/4 ft and 71/2 ft, with 29 and 28-mm diam bits. During the last few years operators have begun to use 3/4-in. drill steel in place of the 7/8-in. drill steel chiefly employed earlier. This is a valuable development in drilling technique, particularly in view of

Jan 1, 1955

By C. A. Stetefeldt

FoR the convenience of those who do not care to enter into the details of this long essay, I begin with a summary of the most important results it presents. The extraction of silver by the lixiviation-process from ores which have been subjected to a chloridizing-roasting, is based upon the fact that silver chloride is easily soluble in solutions of sodium or calcium hyposulphite, and that silver is precipitated from such solutions by an alkaline sulphide, with regeneration of the hyposulphite salts. In case the ore contains lead a large portion of the latter is and dissolved, lead sulphate being soluble in hyposulphite solutions. If, at the same time, copper is present, the sulphides precipitated from the solution, contain silver, copper, and lead, a combination of metals not desirable for subsequent treatment. Mr. E. H. Russell, of Park City, Utah, is the inventor and the patentee in the United States and several foreign countries of a new lixiviation-process, based upon the chemical facts discussed in this paper. Mr. Russell has discovered that lead can be completely separated from a sodium hyposulphite solution, as lead carbonate, by sodium carbonate or purified soda-ash, without precipitating any copper or silver. After decanting the solution from the lead carbonate, silver and copper are obtained from it in the usual way. This method of separating lead prohibits the use of calcium poly-sulphide as a precipitant for the sulphides, because any calcium entering the regenerated lixiviationsolution would also be precipitated as a carbonate with the lead by soda-ash. Hence, a sodium sulphide must be employed. A full investigation has demonstrated that this is by no means detrimental. Sodium sulphide and hyposulphite are more advantageously used in the lixiviation-process than the corresponding calcium-salts. Another defect in the lixiviation-process consisted in the necessity of a very perfect chlorination of the silver in the ore, because silver in

Jan 1, 1885

By C. J. Bechtoldt, H. C. Vacher

Quenched alloys, prepared by powder metallurgical techniques, were examined by microscopic and X-ray diffraction methods. The compositions and heat treatments were chosen so that the chromium and nickel solvuses could be determined and a range of composition and temperature, in which a eutectoid had been reported, could be explored in small intervals. The results showed no evidence of eutectoid reactions having taken place. ALLOYS containing iron, chromium, molybdenum, and nickel are extensively used in high-temperature applications. In order to provide basic information on the solid-state reactions that occur in such alloys, the National Bureau of Standards is engaged in an extensive study of the equilibrium phases in the binary, ternary, and quaternary systems involving these four metals. Attention was directed to the chromium-nickel system because a review of the literature showed conflicting data. A recent compendium1 of the constitution of binary alloys gives two diagrams for the chromium-nickel system, one a simple eutectic and the second a diagram showing a eutectoid and a eutectic. The eutectoid was the result of an allotropic transformation in a high-temperature solid-solution form of a chromium-rich phase called 0. The approximate temperature and composition of the eutectoid was 1200°C and 30 at. pct Ni. In the preliminary study, at the Bureau, no transformation was indicated in the chromium-rich phase of ternary and quaternary alloys in which chromium and nickel were major components. Similar results have been reported from time to time in the literature,2-8 In consequence of this situation, a systematic study was made of the constitution of heat-treated chromium-nickel alloys using metallographic and X-ray diffraction methods. The compositions of the alloys were selected so as to determine the boundaries of the chromium-rich and the nickel-rich phases and to explore in small intervals the ranges in composition and temperature in which the eutectoid had been reported. The results of this study are reported and discussed in the present paper. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Materials, Alloys, and Heat Treatments—The alloys were prepared by a powder metallurgy technique similar to that used in earlier work.9 Analyses of the materials used are given in Table I. Powders were mixed using a vibrator in 30-g batches of predetermined composition; 2-g pellets were made from the mixture by compacting at room temperature in a 1/2-in. diam mold under 60,000 lb per sq in. pressure. The pellets were sintered in dry hydrogen for 10 days at 1300°C. At the end of the sintering treatment the specimens were quenched in water, which caused a pale green film to form on the chromium-rich alloys and thin black scale to form on the nickel-rich alloys. The pellets after sintering were approximately 1/2 in. diam by 3/32 in. thick. The purification train9 was modified by inserting a tube of titanium turnings, heated at 700°C to increase the efficiency of the removal of oxgen and nitrogen. It was found in the earlier work that the sintering treatment lowered the carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen contents of chromium-rich alloys to 0.01, 0.01, and 0.004 wt pct, respectively, and that there was a loss of chromium. In order to ascertain the extent of this loss, the chromium contents of certain alloys were determined chemically. They included those alloys used to determine the parameter-composition curves and those of critical composition, used to determine the chromium-solvus microscopically; these analyses were made on samples after the final heat treatments. The mixed powder values for the chromium content of those alloys that were not analyzed were adjusted to conform to a smooth curve based on the chemically analyzed values for

Jan 1, 1962

By W. P. Haynes

ESTIMATED United States crude-oil production during 1943 established a new annual peak of 1,500,000,000 barrels, a daily average of 4,118,000 barrels. This would be an increase of 315,000 barrels per day, or 8 per cent over 1942 and 7 per cent over 1941, the previous peak. During the first ten months of the year, production jumped from 3,782,000 barrels per day in January to 4,400,000 in October. Available data for the last two months of the year indicate a leveling off of this trend, with daily rates slightly above 4,400,000 barrels.

Jan 1, 1944

By P. R. Celmer, Leonard R. Weisberg

THE principle of fractional crystallization has been successfully used to prepare high-purity (99.999 pct) Ga. Hoffman and Scribnerl removed single crystals of gallium solidifying in a gallium melt, while Zimmerman2 grew single crystals from the melt by the Kyropolous technique. In contrast, attempts at purifying gallium by zone refining have been less successful. ichards, reported that despite the passage of 40 zones through a gallium ingot, there still remained 5 to 70 ppm each of Cu, Fe, Ca, Mg, Si, Al, and Ag. Previously, Detwiler and Fox4 detected only one impurity, Pb, segregating in zone-refined ingots. These surprising results prompted an investigation of the factors controlling impurity segregation in gallium. Possible reasons for this were insufficient diffusion of impurities in the melt; recontamination of the melt by its oxide film which is not affected by the passage of the zone; reaction of gallium with the boat; sudden freezing of gallium following supercooling, especially since gallium easily supercools to and trapping of impurities at grain boundaries. Impurity segregation tests were carried out by directionally freezing gallium using the Bridgman rnethd, modified in that the molten gallium is lowered out of a furnace into a slush of dry ice and trichloroethylene, thus minimizing supercooling. Since the gallium is contained vertically, the oxide film is in contact only with the tail end of the melt. It was found that Teflon makes an excellent crucible for gallium since it is quite pure, non-reactive, translucent, flexible, machinable, and is not wet by gallium. The gallium crystals could be grown at various speeds, and the melt could be vigorously stirred by a Teflon rod moving through the gallium in a vertical reciprocating fashion. Single crystals could be grown by placing a solid Teflon plug at the bottom of the melt drilled out in such a way to cause the solidifying gallium to follow a winding path. Thus, even if many crystals are originally nucleated, only one grain will predominate. The grain structure of the gallium crystals was revealed by an etchant composed of equal volumes of HC1, HNO3 and HF, diluted with water to half strength. Emission spectrographic analyses were carried out on samples removed from the front and tail ends of the resulting gallium ingots. Typical results of this study are summarized in Table I. The rate of freezing in all three cases was about 1 in. per hr. It can be seen that even though stirring of the melt does help, it is even more important to grow a single crystal of Ga in order to obtain good segregation of impurities. The effect of crys-tallinity on the segregation of impurities was previously observed6 in the directional freezing of germanium; however, in this case, the effect was much less pronounced. This dependence of impurity segregation on the crystalline perfection of Ga may be related to its thermal conductivity which is the most anisotropic of all metals.7 The anisotropic thermal conductivity can cause the solid-liquid interface to be nonuniform, thus leading to trapping of impurities during freeing, and therefore reduced segregation. In conclusion, it is indicated that zone refining of gallium would be more successful if seeding and similar precautions are taken to insure single crystal growth. The authors are indebted to Mr. H. H. Whitaker for the spectrographic analyses and to Drs. B. Abeles and F. D. Rosi for helpful advice and encouragement throughout the course of this work. This research was supported by the Electronics Research Directorate, Air Research and Development Command, under Contract No. AF33(616)-5029. REFERENCES 'J. 1. IToffmon and B. T. Scribrer: I. Research h'atl. Bur. Standards, 1935, "01. 15, p. 205. 'W. Zirnmerman: Science, 1954, vol. 119, p. 41. %J. L. Richards: Nature, 1956, vol. 117, p. 182. 'D. P. Detwiler and W. M. Fox: I. Metals, 1955, "01. 7, p. 205. 5P. W. Bridgman, Proc. Am. ilcod. Sci., 1925, vul. 60, pp. 305,385,423. "S. L1. Christian: private c ommuni cation. 'K. W. Powell: roy. Sac., 1951, vol. 209, p. 525. 'W. G. Pfann: Zone Re fining, p. 20. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, L058.

Jan 1, 1962

By G. M. Crosby

Seven mines with important production records in the Coeur d'Alene lie adjacent to the Gem stocks —the Frisco (Gem), Hercules, Interstate, Rex (Sixteen to One), Success (Granite), Sunset, and Tamarack. Old records are incomplete, but available data given in Table I show these mines have produced 10.550,721 tons of ore containing more than 50 million oz of silver, more than 1.5 billion lb of lead, and about 1 billion lb of zinc (approximately 1.25 million tons of lead and zinc combined). Average ore grade is 4.8 oz of silver per ton, 7.2 pct Pb, and 4.6 pct Zn. This impressive production represents about 12 pct of the District's yield. At present metal prices, with modern beneficiation, the gross value would be more than $400 million. THE GEM STOCKS The Gem stocks, considered to be outliers of the Idaho batholith of Late Cretaceous age, are located in the northern half of the Mullan quadrangle, and extend from the town of Gem, Idaho, along a strike of N30°E for a distance of approximately five miles. They occur as two major masses of monzonitic rocks commonly referred to as the North stock, which covers an area of 1.1 sq miles, and the South stock, which covers 2.6 sq miles. The areal pattern is roughly club-shaped, the North stock representing the handle and the South stock the head of the club. Two and a half miles west and five miles northeast are two groups of smaller stocks, isolated from the main masses but of the same general rock type. This discussion is limited for the most part to the North and South stocks. At the north end, where the intrusion is about 3200 ft wide, the walls are about parallel and dip very steeply west. At the south end, where the mass is about 7000 ft wide at surface, the walls dip away from each other at moderately steep angles. An aeromagnetic survey' detects and outlines with surprising accuracy the two main stocks. as illustrated on the magnetic contour map (Fig. 2). Of particular interest is the location and shape of the magnetic anomaly representing the South stock. The anomaly is centered over the south end of the outcrop, and a westerly extension joins it with a smaller anomaly over the Dago Peak stocks. The latter anomaly, likewise, is located over the south end of the isolated stocks. This pattern suggests the intrusion has greater extent at depth to the south and west. Though correlation between the Dago Peak stocks and the larger masses is suggested, the controversial aspects of the Dobson Pass fault, which separates the two areas, casts doubt on a correlation. Topographically the monzonite stocks are ignored by the drainage pattern indicating these rocks, and the invaded rocks of the Lower Belt Series react similarly to erosion. The drainage patterns of Nine Mile and Canyon creeks cut indiscriminately across the monzonite-Belt contact, resulting in both valleys and ridges in the southern end of the intrusion. Nine Mile Creek traverses diagonally the entire five-mile length of the stocks. The monzonite rocks of the intrusion are referred to locally as granite, but granite is rare and the rocks comprise a wide variety of types. Their characteristics, described in detail by F. L. Ransome and F. C. Calkins,' are summarized by P. J. Shenon.' The principal rock type is coarse-grained, light gray, porphoritic monzonite containing black crystals of hornblende. Pyroxene, epidote, and titanite

Jan 1, 1960

By H. C. Jennison

Two distinct types of defects occur at times in copper wire as a result of the use of dies of improper design or undesirable wire-drawing practice. The conditions under which these defects may be produced, as well as precautions to be taken in order to prevent them, have been known to The American Brass Co. for many years. The quality of the copper wire bars and rods has too often and unjustly been held responsible for these particular defects and it is to correct any such belief that this paper is presented. An extremely high quality of electrolytic copper has been supplied to the trade by all refineries for the last 20 years at least. The purity of the copper would average well above 99.900 per cent. The casting of the wire bars has been handled in a generally satisfactory manner. The bars have been cast sound, with a flat to slightly crowning set and have been free from sloppy edges, cold sets, etc. In other words, the wire bars have met A. S. T. M. specifications and have been generally satisfactory. For the most part, they have been everything that could be desired from a quality standpoint yet most of the wire mills in this country and in Europe have at times held the quality of the copper responsible for the two types of defects described in this paper. As a matter of fact, these defects are produced entirely in the wire mills. The author has visited many of the large wire mills in the United States and in Europe to investigate these defects. In some cases the trouble has been so serious that the wire mill has ceased operations. At times the wire mills are reluctant to believe that they are responsible for the defective product. The effect of die design, wire-drawing practice, etc., upon the quality of copper wire has received little study on the part of wire mills, particularly those that have commenced operations in the last few years. Two Types of Defects One type of defect is generally known in this country as "check marks;" in Europe it is termed "crowfeet" (Fig. 1). This defect occurs in the surface of the copper wire, in the form of V's, which are always

Jan 1, 1930

By Maurice Magee

The Ducktown ore deposits have been known, explored, and mined for 120 years. Eight massive sulfide ore bodies occur in highly folded and metamorphosed graywacke, graywacke conglomerate, mica schist, chloritegarnet schist, and staurolite schist of Precambrian age. The ore deposits are tabular bodies that have been extensively folded, generally conform to the enclosing rocks, but show local complex differences. The ore deposits, ranging in size from 250,000 tons to over 20 million tons, are composed principally of the minerals pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and magnetite. Gangue minerals are quartz, calcite, actinolite, tremolite, hornblende, garnet, and masses of schistose wall- rock. Three fault systems are present that have influenced ore control and ore body configuration. Hydrothermal effects are evident in wall-rock alteration. Evidence of retrograde metamorphism is extensive in the wall and ore associated rock. Preliminary isotopic age dates have indicated four possible metamorphic events during the Paleozoic Era. Ore genesis is considered to be hydrothermal replacement of receptive beds, predominantly highly calcareous zones, quartzitic zones, and brecciated shear zones. Ore deposition is thought to have occurred during the Devonian Period, with later mobilization and recrystallization of the ore and gangue during Middle and Late Paleozoic times.

Jan 1, 1968

By F. N. Speller

Interest in the corrosion problem seems to continue without abatement and is bringing practical results. At least four important conferences on this subject have been held during the last 5 months. Those interested in steel-frame structures are taking steps to study vulnerable points on account of the failure of some minor parts in certain buildings after 35 years of service. The steam power-plant group, including the railroads, realize the importance of a better knowledge of corrosion, especially under modern high-temperature boiler operations. The chemical and refrigerating industries have already conducted a systematic study of depreciation of metals by corrosion, for which they have spent considerable money and time during the last 2 years with encouraging results. More has probably been done to control corrosion in the atmosphere and in closed water systems, because the work on these phases of the problem started over 15 years ago and the important factors are now fairly well understood. As a result of all this work, there is now little excuse for corrosion in water conduits, recirculating condensers and cooling systems, since economical means of prevention have been worked out to meet nearly all situations where such corrosion occurs. The entire Baltimore water supply was treated with lime at a cost of only 35 c. per million gallons and the rate of attack on the pipes has been reduced to not over 20 per cent. of what it was before the treatment. Yearly damage to water mains in Baltimore is estimated at $300,000, and in New York City at $5,000,000, not including damage to water conduits in buildings. In some cities corrosion is now recognized by water works' engineers as a major problem. In the oil industry, there are evidently three general classes of corrosion, relating to: (I) Production, (2) transportation, and (3) refining. (1) Production.—Some fields, those of California for example, have little corrosion trouble in the wells. In others this is a major problem and should be a strong incentive to the development of more resistant metals at a reasonable cost. E. G. Woodruff,' consulting geologist, has pointed out that more of the oil of the future will probably come from the

Jan 1, 1927

By Carl Lee

CHICAGO in the last week of June fulfilled all its promises to the visiting engineers except one. This holds true with respect to the activities of the Regional Meeting of the A. I. M. E. in particular and of Engineers' Week in general. No one expected to find much of the beautiful in the outward aspects of the Fair-the Century of Progress Exposition, to be more formal; but they expected novelty, color, and startling lighting effects at night, and they were in no sense disappointed. It has been said that the architecture is a portent of the style of the buildings of the future; most who have seen the Fair hope that this forecast will prove inaccurate. As to the exhibits themselves, they are splendid. They are in keeping with the theme of the Exposition-a Century of Progress in science, in engineering, in the industries based upon them. No attempt will be made here even to suggest the exhibits that are most interesting. There are plenty for every one; and any member of the Institute who has the opportunity should by all means visit Chicago before the end of October.

Jan 1, 1933

By Frank G. Snyder, Paul E. Gerdemann

The Southeast Missouri lead district, located about 70 miles south of St. Louis, embraces four important sub-districts and several minor ones. The important sub-districts, in order of discovery, are Mine La Motte, the Old Lead Belt, Indian Creek, and the Viburnum Lead Belt. Descriptions that follow are of geology and ore deposits of the Old Lead Belt. The ore deposits are stratiform in character and are localized in a narrow carbonate bar and algal reef environment on the flanks of exposed Precambrian of the St. Francois Mountains. Ore structures include a variety of primary depositional features such as pinchout zones, disconformities, ridge structures, reefs, and submarine gravity slides. Faulting, prior to and during ore deposition, "prepared" the host rock and strongly fractured areas are mineralized much more intensively and extensively than unfractured parts of the same sedimentary structures. The deposits are epigenetic in character. Mineralization is believed to have occurred at the time that post-lower Ordovician faulting took place. The mineralizing solutions are believed to be concentrated brines from adjacent basins that moved out of the basins during faulting, uplift, and erosion of the St. Francois positive area.

Jan 1, 1968

By AIME

IN the parlance of Hollywood, it was a super-colossal meeting. In the more restrained language of engineers, the Institute's 75th Anniversary Celebration attracted the largest crowd ever; was the longest Annual Meeting ever held, occupying a full week; had more important papers, more important people, more of an international flavor, and more glamour than ever before. And in the minds of those who came to the big city from the wide open spaces, one other record should be mentioned: for those not on an expense account, it was the most expensive affair ever staged by the Institute! To state the attendance down to the last digit for a meeting such as this is impossible. The total names registered on cards, plus those who attended the Annual Banquet but were not otherwise registered, came to 3149. But a few were registered twice, and probably a still larger few did not register at all, but just dropped in for a session or two in which they were interested. It would appear that 3200 would be about as close an estimate of attendance as could be made, and that is some 300 more than came to the biggest Annual Meeting of the past-in 1944. A considerable number of members brought their wives, but most were delegates at large.

Jan 1, 1947

By Alfred H. Bell

IN 1945, Illinois produced 75,210,000 bid. of oil, or 4.4 percent of the total for the United States, and ranked sixth in the nation in oil production for the third consecutive year. Production decreased about 3 per cent from that of 1944, when the total Illinois production was 77,413,000 bbl. This is the smallest percentage of decrease in production in the state for any year since a peak was reached in 1940. Daily average production for 1945 was approximately 206,000 bbl. Daily averages by months were as follows:

Jan 1, 1946

By Sam Tour

OF the new alloys achieving commercial prominence during the year, an aluminum-silicon magnesium casting alloy, which is similar in many respects to the 4 per cent copper alloy, developed about 1921, which has attained such a wide field of service, may be mentioned. The new alloy, like the old, is a heat-treatable type and develops about the same physical properties. The alloy casts easily and is relatively insensitive to high pouring temperatures. Its ability to produce substantially leak- proof castings is noteworthy. A second casting alloy development is the new Aluminum Co. of America No. 132, "Lo-Ex" piston alloy, a result of nearly eight years of research. The alloy contains about 14 per cent silicon and varying amounts of nickel, copper, and magnesium. It exhibits a low coefficient of expansion and thus permits small piston clearances. Its lower specific gravity is a further advantage.

Jan 1, 1932

By Jan Visman, S. J. Aresco

INTRODUCTION The accurate sampling of coal, as with most minerals, is a difficult task. Coal is a heterogeneous material made up of different types of coal and varying amounts of mineral matter. The product as mined may contain all the layers of coal and impurities found in the seam as well as portions of the stratas above and below the coal seam. The preparation plant is the device to size, crush, and/or remove impurities so the coal may be shipped as a salable product. Sampling may be needed at many stages in the preparation process. Although this chapter is primarily concerned with sampling in connection with preparation processes, the principles apply to all coal sampling. The main reasons for sampling in connection with coal preparation are: 1) To determine the washability characteristics of the raw coal by means of float and sink tests. These may be used for the design of a preparation plant, prediction of results to be obtained, or monitoring raw coal delivered to the plant. 2) To check the performance of various operating units in the plant, either by float. and sink tests or chemical analyses. 3) To determine the analytical characteristics of the products produced, such as moisture, ash, Btu, sulfur, etc. HISTORY The earliest accepted methods of sampling coal in the United States were given in US Bureau of Mines (USBM) publications by J. A. Holmes,l G. S. Pope,2 and A. C. Fieldner.3 The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) more or less adopted the methods proposed by USBM in their Standard D-21-1916 and it remained a standard for many years. Briefly, this standard called for a 500 lb (227 kg) sample for coals less than 94 in. (19 mm) in size and a 1000 lb (454 kg) sample for all coals over 94 in. (19 mm) in size. No mention was made of increments, but there was an instruction that the sample should spread over the coal

Jan 1, 1979

By THOMAS G. FEAR

THE COAL DIVISION started its share of the annual meeting Monday morning with a study of coal classi fication. A. C. Fieldner was in the chair. The report of the tellers of the ballot for division chairman, stating that Thomas G. Fear had been elected to that office, was read by M. D. Cooper. Mr. Fear acknowledged the honor in a few words. In reviewing the history of the Coal Classification Committee the chairman pointed out that this was its third symposium, the last previous one having been held at the 1930 Annual Meeting. Throughout its work the com¬mittee has had the active cooperation of the Canadian workers who are interested in the subject which should result in a uniform scheme of classification in Canada and the United States. F. E. Lathe, of the National Research Council, Ottawa, abstracted the first two papers of the session entitled "Determination of the Alkali-Soluble Ulmins in Coal," by Edgar Stansfield and K. C. Gilbart, and "Moisture Determination for Coal Classification," by the same authors. The third paper "Condition of Water in Coals of Various Ranks"' was presented by its author, A. W. Gauger. Written discussions of these papers were presented by H. C. Porter and Gilbert H. Cady. In the oral discussion which followed, W. T. Thom, Jr., brought out the advisability of considering age as a factor in classification. Mr. Fieldner favored retaining bed moisture as a partial classification basis, stating that a review of many coal analyses revealed a remarkable consistency in this item in samples from a given mine particularly where the moisture content was not high. Mr. Porter pointed out that the structure and porosity of coal often have much to do with its moisture content and that these vary in different parts of a seam, particularly in anthracite. Mr. Gauger expressed doubt as to whether the Stansfield method gives the true moisture content of coal, which is needed for classification purposes.

Jan 1, 1932

By C. A. Stetefeldt

Jan 1, 1895

G. A. Moore—The tin-fusion method has been a very favorable possibility for many years. The authors apparently have settled the question that delayed the method for a long time by showing that no hydrogen is absorbed in the tin. This, of course, is very important. I want to make a few remarks concerning the absolute accuracy of analysis, which must be the final basis for deciding among the various methods. From the figures in the paper, there seems to be some re-maining slight discrepancy on the actual amount of hydrogen present in various samples which may be presumed essentially identical. (This is of the order of the precision of individual analyses but appears in averaged results.) From the analyst's viewpoint, the tally of hydrogen content can be regarded as occurring in three portions. First is a large portion which comes off easily and automatically during sample storage and later on heating in the apparatus. This is fairly easily analyzed. Second is an item which may be either positive or negative in the tally sheet. In warm or hot evolution, this is a portion which, in practice, can never be re-

Jan 1, 1951

By AIME AIME

TO THE AMERICAN MINING CONGRESS. AMERICAN INSTITUTE OE MINING ENGINEERS. MINING AND METALLURGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. The committee that makes this report was appointed at the meeting of the American Mining Congress, at Denver, Colo., in. November, 1906. The appointment had in view the drafting. of a law for the regulation of quarrying and metalliferous mining under the police laws of the States, with the hope that the uniform adoption of such a law could tend to reduce the number of accidents in mining. Since its. appointment, the committee has had' under serious and continuous consideration the matter with which it was charged. At the meetings 0f the American Mining Congress in 19o7, 1908 and 1909, it reported progress. At the meeting in 1909 it was authorized to present its report not only to the American Mining Congress, but also to the American Institute of Mining Engineers and the. Mining and Metallurgical Society of America, and to present its report in printed form during the interim between meetings of the American Mining Congress. The committee collected from the officials of the States of the Union copies of their mining laws. With the assistance of the Engineering and Mining Journal copies of the laws 0f Great Britain, the Transvaal, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, New aland, and certain European countries were also obtained. These laws were subjected to careful study. The first publication of the committee was a summary of the more important metalliferous mining laws 0f this country. Upon the basis of the existing laws of the States of the Union, Great Britain, and the English speaking colonies, a tentative draft. was prepared and printed in limited number in 1909, for convenience in securing the advice and criticism of a considerable number 0f persons engaged in the mining industry. In this way valuable suggestions were received. At the request of the chairman of this committee, Mr. Frederick L. Hoffman, statistician of the Prudential Insurance Company, of Newark, N. J., summarized and reviewed the available statistics of fatalities in metalliferous mining in the United States. Mr. Hoffman's report was published in the Engineering and Mining

Jan 10, 1910

By C. W. Davis, L. R. Messer

THE name fuller's earth, which was derived from its early use in "fulling" or removing grease from woolen goods, is a term that is generally considered to designate mineral matter, containing hydrous aluminum silicates of the clay group, which has a high capacity for removing colors from oils, whether of animal, vegetable, or mineral origin. Fuller's earths are usually dried and may be "tempered" by heating or may be treated with water or reagents to improve their efficiency. For our purpose the term "acid-treated earths" will include those products from the partial decomposition of mineral water by acid which are equal to or more efficient than an untreated fuller's earth from Quincy, Fla., when used in bleaching mineral oil by the "contact" process. In general, the contact process for treating oils consists of heating and agitating a mixture of oil and finely divided adsorbent, the latter being subsequently removed by filtration. The term "adsorbent" is used because, although there has been a great deal of controversy over the mechanism of removal of impurities from oils by mineral matter, there is no doubt that adsorption, which involves the surface of the solid, plays a major part.' The properties that make fuller's earth useful in the treatment of petroleum products by "percolation1' and in the purification of edible oils by the contact process have long been studied, but the comparatively recent adaptation of the contact process to the bleaching of petroleum products has made desirable the further investigation of fuller's earth and other adsorbent earths.

Jan 1, 1929