Search Documents

By R. G. Davies

The activation energy for steady state creep above -500°C is observed to be independent of the applied stress although it varies from -67 kcal per mole at 2 at. pct Si to -100 kcal per mole at 11 at. pct Si due to changes in crystallographic order. The magnitude of the activation energy, by comparison with Fe-A1 alloys, indicates FeSi type of order in certain alloys. X-ray results confirmed the presence of FeSi type of order. It is proposed that dislocation climb is the rate controlling mechanism for all the alloys. It has been demonstrated that when a diffusion mechanism is the rate controlling process, the formation of a superlattice in brass,1 Fe3A1,2 Ni3Fe,3-5 and Feco6 1) increases the creep resistance, and 2) increases the activation energy for steady state creep. Furthermore, a study of creep in Fe-15 to 20 at. pct A1 alloys7 has revealed that as the alloy composition approaches the long-range order field, there is an increase in the activation energy for steady state creep which is thought to be due to an increase in short range order. Fe-A1 and Fe-Si alloys are similar in that they both form the DO3 superlattice in which aluminum or silicon atoms have only iron atoms as first and second nearest neighbors. There are, however, two important differences between the alloy systems: 1) The superlattice formation at -350°C commences at -10 at. pct si8 as compared to -20 at. pct Al,9 and 2) Fe-A1 alloys form a FeAl (B2 type) super-lattice where aluminum atoms have all iron first nearest neighbors even at 22 at. pct Al, but so far no similar FeSi superlattice has been observed. With the similarity between Fe-A1 and Fe-Si alloys in mind, alloys of iron with 2 to 11 at. pct Si were examined for variations with composition of the activation energy for steady state creep and of creep strength. The temperature range of greatest interest was above 1/2 TM (TM is the absolute melting temperature) where it is usually observed that diffusion is the rate controlling process. A subsidiary X-ray investigation of the Fe-Si system was undertaken in an attempt to define the position of the order-disorder boundary as a function of cooling rate. EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS a) Creep. Specimens whose gage length was 1.5 in. and with a cross-section 0.04 by 0.08 in. were strained in tension by a lever-arm arrangement, and the load was adjusted between each creep test to maintain constant stress. The apparatus and mode of operation have been fully described in a previous publication.7 As each test produced a creep strain of 0.25 pct, the variation in stress during the test was negligible. Creep strain was measured at the end of one of the alloy steel grips by a displacement transducer with the out-of-balance potential being recorded on a variable speed recorder. The full-scale deflection of the recorder could be varied in steps to give limits of sensitivity of between 0.1 and 0.001 pct creep strain. The alloys, Table I, were made available by the Metallurgical Department, National Physical Laboratory (N.P.L.), england,10 and by the Research Department, General Electric Co. (G.E.), Schenectady, N.Y. They were hot worked at -850°C, warm worked at 550° to 650°C, and recrystallized in vacuum at -750°C to give a grain diameter of -0.1 mm. All the alloys had a very low impurity content; those from the N.P.L., for which a complete analysis is available,&apos;&apos; show carbon less than 0.026 pct, manganese less than 0.006 pct, and oxygen plus nitrogen less than 0.0024 pct. b) X-ray Procedure. A General Electric XRD-5 X-ray set with a focussing lithium fluoride mono-chromator in the diffracted beam, and a pulse height analyzer to eliminate harmonic wavelengths of the cobalt radiation, was used to investigate the structure of several very fine grained (grain diameter <.01 mm) Fe-Si alloys after the following heat treatments: 1) Quenched from 700°C, 2) slow cooled from 650°C (-40°C per hr), and 3) very slowly cooled from 400° to 100°C (10°C per hr with a 24 hr anneal every 100°C). The method of obtaining the diffraction pattern over the range of 20 from 15 to 45 deg was to count for at least 100 sec every l/3 deg with a slit subtending 1 deg in 20 at the focus; the probable counting error was less than 2 pct.

Jan 1, 1963

THE total crude production from the Dutch East Indies, and the British Protectorates of Sarawak and Brunei for 1932 is given in the following table: BARRELS BARRELS (42 GAL.) (42 GAL.) North Sumatra 4,226,935 Ceram 326,207 South Sumatra 13,956,157 Sarawak 2,739,650 Java 3,845,568 Brunei 1,322,725 Dutch Borneo (main island) . 9,406,733 Dutch Borneo (Island of Tara- kan) 6,579,184 Total 42,403,159 Production, which had shown a rapid increase from 1921 to 1929, has since been reduced. Exploitation drilling in the majority of the larger fields was suspended and existing production kept within predetermined limits by beaning. Most of the smaller fields were shut down entirely. The depth of producing levels varies widely in the different fields. Shallow fields with drilling depths to 500 meters (1650 ft.) are still numer-ous as well as those with depths between 500 and 1000 m. (3300 ft.). A few of the newer fields reach greater drilling depths. up to 1600 m. (5250 ft.). The deepest exploration well drilled to date (Djambi field, South Sumatra) reached a depth of 2332 m. (7650 ft.) before abandon-ment in March, 1930. The specific gravities of the various crude oils produced range between 0.65 (86.2° A.P.I.) and 0.95 (17.5° A.P.I.). The lighter crudes have a high gasoline content and fuel oils are derived from the heavier crudes, which usually are rich in paraffin.

Jan 1, 1933

By E. E. White

I DISAGREE with Mr. Brinsmade on several points, and I will discuss his remarks under the same six topics which he has used. 1. Rate of Interest Earned by Sinking-Fund.-I believe Mr. Brinsmade is confused in his ideas as to the effect of new gold on the interest earned on money. The flood of gold which he mentions certainly should not operate, to increase interest rates, but since it replaces and adds to liquid capital should reduce interest rates and counteract the destruction of liquid capital which he mentions. Furthermore, it is doubtful if the destruction of capital since 1897 by wars and catastrophes has been any greater in proportion than in similar periods before 1897. With regard to savings banks, I would say that only 3 per cent. is allowed on deposits through a large part of the West. As to bonds, they can be bought to yield any rate. of interest desired up to 6 per cent., but, a 5 per. cent. bond is not as safe as a 4 per cent. bond, nor a 4 per cent. bond as safe as a 3 per cent. government security. I do not understand why Mr. Brinsmade says that Mr. Denny&apos;s quoted opinion of a 3 per cent. rate is evidently based on English conditions before the Boer War. Certainly there is no reference to the Boer war or to English conditions in Mr. Denny&apos;s article. M. Howard Burnham, in his admirable work on mine valuation, says&apos;: ". For instance, redemption is taken at 3 per cent., because even 4 per cent. represents a greater risk, as is indicated by the purchase of Government paper to bear only 3 per cent., the great desideratum of the .latter being security." . Again, Mr. Burnham says:2 "The tables are calculated on the assumption that the dividends shall accumulate at 3 per cent. only, as in accordance with the general idea set out elsewhere, a rate greater than 3 per cent. involves appreciable risk with which it were inaccurate to saddle the sinking-fund if risks are to be segregated, this being the basis of all the writer&apos;s calculations."

Jan 6, 1914

By Cleveland Meeting

Jan 1, 1945

By B. H. Bergstrom, Will Mitchell, T. G. Kirkland, C. L. Sollenberger

IN a previous article&apos; the authors outlined a study of the variables in rod milling and also reported data from a series of open circuit grinding tests on a massive limestone in a 30-in. x 4-ft end peripheral discharge rod mill. As a second part of the experimental program, an analysis is now presented for the 30-in. x 4-ft overflow rod mill grinding under identical conditions, except that discharge ports on the periphery of the mill shell have been sealed so that the products from the present series overflowed through a 9-in. diam .opening in the center of the end plate. A variance analysis has been made of the combined data for the two experiments, and performances of the two mills are compared here. Included in the first report&apos; were descriptions of feed preparation, rod mill circuit, instrumentation and controls, and techniques used to evaluate data. Dependent and independent variables were defined, and variance analyses were made to test the relative significance of variables and to establish magnitude of error for the experiment. Significant data were plotted in various combinations, and conclusions were drawn from the graphs. The procedure and analysis in this series of tests follows the first tests and is not repeated. Data from the second series are recorded in Table I. Listed in the first three columns are the independent variables of feed rate (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 1b per hr), mill speed (50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 pct of critical), and pulp density (50, 60, 70, and 80 pct). The dependent variables, Pso, P100, reduction ratio, slope of the log-log sieve analysis curve, power demand, and Bond work index follow. Of these, only the reduction ratio and the Bond work index were analyzed for significance. Production of new surface as calculated from sieve analyses has not been included for this series because of the questionable assumptions that have to be made to satisfy the formulas involved. The large number of products obtained during the runs precluded the use of surface measurement techniques by the gas adsorption methods at this time; however, samples of all products have been stored for future reference. To test the consistency of the reporting of the sieved products, an averaged sieve analysis was calculated from the wet-dry plots obtained from the three product samples of each run. The resulting averaged analysis was plotted and the P80, selected. The relative deviations of the P80&apos;s from each of the three product samples with respect to the P80 of the averaged analysis were then calculated. In only two sets were the relative deviations (6.2 and 9.9 pct) considered excessive. In each of these two sets, one sieve analysis was obviously out of line; hence that analysis was ignored and new averages were computed. This reduced the relative deviations to 1.2 and 2.7 pct respectively. The relative deviations of the product analyses with respect to their averages ranged from 0.1 to 1.4 pct at 1000 lb per hr, 0.0 to 1.1 pct at 2000 lb per hr, 0.2 to 3.0 pct at 3000 lb per hr, 0.3 to 4.3 pct at 4000 lb per hr, and 0.5 to 5.2 pct at 5000 lb per hr. The relative deviation of the 80 pct passing point for 96 dry sieve analyses of the feed with respect to that of the averaged analysis was 7.6 pct. This slightly higher percentage can probably be attributed to a greater proportion of tramp oversize in a crusher product than is ordinarily found in a rod mill product. The last column on Table I lists the adjusted work index, which has been used as the measure of efficiency for the various combinations of operating conditions investigated. Efficiency increases as the index becomes lower. It was reported in the previous paper that the work indexes for the Waukesha limestone used in these experiments decreased as the product size decreased (as calculated from Bond grindabilities). That is, this limestone becomes easier to grind as the material becomes finer. This is unusual, because the work index for most materials as calculated from the Bond grindability has remained constant as the product size decreased or has increased slightly. Table II lists the results of Bond grindability tests at all mesh sizes from 3 to 200 and the work indexes calculated from them. To remove this variation of work index with product size from the data so that results would apply to any material of constant work index, the work index values shown in Table II were plotted against product size on log-log paper. From this curve (a straight line function in this case), the expected work index for the product size for each of the runs of the experiment was obtained. The work indexes as calculated from the reduction ratio and energy consumption were then divided by the corresponding expected work index. The results obtained are reported in percentages on Table I as adjusted work index and are actually percentages of the work index for the Waukesha limestone at the size in question. Multiplication of the work index value for a material of constant index by these percentages should allow the application of the adjusted work index curves to the material. Only the adjusted work index values, not the actual experimental values, were used for the variance analyses and for the graphs.

Jan 1, 1956

By R. E. Barnes

An overall view of the perlite industry is concisely presented. The geology, mining, milling, processing, and applications of perlite, as well as the present status of the perlite industry are treated. Perlite, in strict petrological usage, describes a specific variety of volcanic glass in which strain, incident to cooling, yielded a concentric structure of fracturing which may be visible either to the naked eye or under a microscope. In commercial usage, the term perlite includes any naturally occurring acidic glass of volcanic origin that will expand when heated to a suitable temperature. The name perlite is a derivation of perlstein which originally defined "certain glassy rocks (hyaloliparites, hyalo-rhyolites) with numerous concentric cracks, from the fancied resemblance of broken out fragments to pearls."1 While perlite has been known to geologists for many years, it was not until 1941, while investigating perlite for use in enamel, that an assayer in Superior, Ariz., noted the unusual expansion characteristics of the ore. Further investigations were delayed until following World War II when many small plants were built and experimentation in the treatment and uses of perlite began. The Perlite Inst. was organized in 1949 to promote the development of the new industry, establish commercial standards through research, and to explore new uses and markets. The Institute, located in New York, represents some 50 producers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mexico, and New Zealand. In 1949, 71,l002 short tons of crude perlite were produced, sold or used by U. S. producers, and this figure increased to 325,0003 short tons by 1959. Such a rate of increase indicates the rapid and continuing growth of the perlite industry. GEOLOGY Perlite ore in its crude form has been found in seven of the mountainous western states, since un-devitrified siliceous volcanic rocks are limited to this section of the U. S. Commercially operated perlite deposits are normally of Eocene and Oli-gocene age.4 These deposits are often several hundred feet thick and may extend over hundreds of acres. In 1959, 13 companies in six states produced crude perlite, although the output in New Mexico comprised 79 pct of the total domestic crude output. Other states in order of their production were: Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado, and Utah.5 Foreign deposits of perlite which are either producing or under exploration are Australia, Canada, Greece, Hungary,6 Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Sardinia. The ore may exhibit a variety of characteristics depending partially on its water content and eruption history and may range through many shades from black to white. While these characteristics may vary slightly among deposits, perlite ore from a particular source is normally quite uniform. Available chemical analyses of perlites from a large sampling of domestic deposits were recently assembled by the Technical Committee of Perlite Institute and are presented in Table I. While the ranges given do not apply to a particular perlite, they are an indication of the chemical analysis which may be expected from any presently commercially operated deposit. The specific gravity of the perlite ore ranges between 2.2 and 2.4, and its bulk density when crushed and sized is 75 to 90 Ib per cu ft. MINING AND MILLING Perlite ore is quarried from open pits by conventional power equipment, although blasting has been occasionally employed. The rock is then stock-piled until needed. While the milling of perlite may seem a simple process compared to that required for basic metals, or even other nonmetals, the need for accurate control of particle size becomes extremely important in further processing. The first step in this operation is the primary crusher, which is normally a jaw crusher. Following crushing, the material is dried, if necessary, in a rotary dryer and conveyed to a secondary grinder which may be a rod mill, hammer-mill, or cone crusher. However, the crushing characteristics of the perlite, caused by incipient cooling fractures, requires it be removed from the grinding operation once it is reduced to the required size so as to prevent overgrinding. Following the grinding operations, various size screens are used to separate the ore according to particle sizes required for particular uses. Most plants use two or more stages of crushing with perhaps four stages of screening.

Jan 1, 1961

By W. L. Fink, H. C. Stumpf, L. A. Willey

VERY few studies of the aluminum-sodium system have been reported. Heycock and Neville1 were unable to detect any solubility of sodium in liquid aluminum. Mathewson2 prepared an equilibrium diagram consisting of two horizontal lines at the melting points of the two metals. He was unable to detect solubility at either end of the system. Scheuer3 first developed a method for the chemical determination of sodium in aluminum and then studied the solubility of sodium in liquid aluminum. His method involved heating aluminum with excess sodium under hydrogen until the two liquids were at equilibrium, chilling the melt, and analyzing the aluminum-rich layer. He reported the solubility to be 0.l0 pct sodium at 700°C, 0.115 pct at 750°C, and 0.128 pct at 800°C. This paper on the aluminum-sodium system is the twenty-first in a series from the Aluminum Research Laboratories describing equilibrium relations in aluminum alloy systems. MATERIALS The alloys for this investigation were prepared from electrolytically refined aluminum (99.99 pct) and sodium of reagent quality conforming to specifications of the American Chemical Society.4 Chemical analysis of the aluminum showed the following impurities: 0.002 pct Si, 0.002 pct Fe, 0.002 pct Cu, <0.001 pct Mn, 0.002 pct Mg and 0.001 pct Na. The sodium content of all alloys was determined by either chemical or spectrographic standard procedures5 No. IIA and No. SII respectively. DETERMINATION OF LIQUIDUS The boundary of the miscibility gap was determined by a modification of the method of Scheuer3 and of that used by Henry and Cordiano.6 As finally developed the method was as follows: A fused alumina crucible 25 mm id with 75 mm depth and 1.5 mm wall thickness was placed on the bottom of a container made from a 4-in. length of 1 ½ -in. iron pipe and pipe caps. The space around the sides of the crucible was filled with 40 mesh crystalline alundum. A charge of 60 g of aluminum and 10 to 15 g of sodium was placed in the crucible, the sodium first being trimmed and rinsed with iso-pentane to remove kerosene. The container was tightly capped, filled with argon (99.6 pct pure), and heated to the desired temperature (between 670 and 800°C). A positive pressure of argon (about 8 mm of mercury) was maintained through a small pipe to the upper cap. After soaking for from 2 to 5 hr, the container was quenched by directing a stream of water onto the base, so that solidification of the aluminum-rich layer was rapid and essentially unidirectional. Analyses were made on drillings taken from the bottom of the ingots after machining off the surface layers. Pre-

Jan 1, 1948

By J. L. Fitch, B. G. Hurd

The presence of gypsum in samples subjected to standard core analysis introduces serious errors in the measurement of water saturation and porosity. The magnitude of these errors, depending upon the type of analysis procedure used, has been evaluated experimentally and theoretically. Water-saturated pore volumes determined by vacuum distillation or retort procedures may be too high by as much as 48 per cent of the volume of gypsum present. The maximum error in this value determined by Dean-Stark extraction with toluene is 36 per cent of the gypsum volume. If pore space is measured by a Boyle&apos;s law type porosimeter the maximum erorr due to gypsum is 38 per cent of the original gypsum volume present. The conscientious core analyst may eliminate the errors caused by gypsum by either of two methods. He may apply suitable corrections for the water of crystallization removed from gypsum, or take special precautions to prevent dehydration of gypsum during core cleaning and alzalysis procedures. These alternatives are discussed and methods for obtaining reliable core analysis data are proposed. Gypsum (CaSO4 . 2H2O) occurs as a common mineral in many of the world&apos;s sedimentary basins. In addition to its presence as primary bedded evaporitic deposits, it is often found as secondary replacement zones and pore-fillings in host rocks. That it may cause false indications in porosity, both on neutron logs and in standard core analysis, has been generally recognized. False porosity interpretations from neutron logs result because the chemically bound water in gypsum attenuates neutrons as effectively as free water. Errors in core analysis result when gypsum is dehydrated prior to or during the analysis. Vacuum retort procedures used by many laboratories to determine fluid saturation and porosity effect a complete removal of water of crystallization from gypsum. The crystal water, distilled and collected with free water from the sample, is counted as water-sat11rated pore space. Dehydration of gypsum results in a decrease in volume occupied by calcium sulfate and a corresponding increase in pore volume. Thus, if gypsum is dehydrated by sample cleaning and drying procedures, subsequent porosity measurements with gas expansion or compression instruments will be high. The qualitative effect of gypsum on porosity determinations by retort procedures was discussed in a recent article by Bynum and Koepl3. They concluded that since false porosity was interpreted as being water saturated, determinations of oil content were not affected. Others in the industry, however, have pointed out that porosity values are often used with values of water saturation determined independently, e.g., from electric resistivity logs in making reserve estimates. Values of water saturation calculated from the formation resistivity using the Archie equation, S4= are actually low if values of are high due to gypsum. In this case, false porosity values due to gypsum could cause serious errors in calculations of oil-in-place. This investigation was made to determine quantitatively the effect of gypsum on porosity values determined by different core analysis procedures. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Dehydration of Gypsum The extent and rate of removal of water of crystallization from gypsum under conditions encountered in core analysis procedures were studied. Taken for the experiments were three types of relatively pure, naturally occurring gypsum, viz. selenite, satin spar and massive gypsum. Although all samples probably contained trace chemical impurities, each type lost the theoretical amount of water upon complete dehydration. An automatic recording thermobalance, similar to one described by Mauer2, was used to obtain dehydration rate data for samples heated in dry air. Water

By Vard H. Johnson

IN 1943 the U. S. Bureau of Mines undertook drilling in an effort to develop new reserves of coking coal in an area near Paonia, Colo., as a part of an attempt to alleviate the shortage of known coking coal of good quality in the western United States. Geologic mapping of the area was undertaken by the U. S. Geological Survey with the purpose of first furnishing guidance in location of drillholes and later aiding in interpreting the results of the drilling. The drilling program was under the general supervision of A. L. Toenges of the U. S. Bureau of Mines. J. J. Dowd and R. G. Travis were in charge of-the work in the field. Geologic mapping was started by D. A. Andrews of the Geological Survey in the summer of 1943 and was continued from the spring of 1944 to 1949 by the writer. The first few holes drilled failed to locate coking coal, but in the summer of 1944 coking coal was discovered by drilling 6 miles east of Somerset, Colo., the site of present mining. In the succeeding years, 1945 to 1948, 100 to 150 million tons of coal suitable for coking were blocked out by drilling. The ensuing discussion of the geologic controls on the distribution of coking coal in the area is based on the geologic mapping as well as the drilling done in the Paonia area, more complete descriptions of which have appeared or are in process of publication.1-5 In order that the possible geologic controls affecting the present distribution of coking coal may be considered, it is necessary to discuss briefly the indicators. of coking quality coals. Coking Coal Coal that cokes has the property of softening to form a pastelike mass at high temperatures under reducing conditions in the coke oven. This softening is accompanied by the release of the volatile constituents as bubbles of gas. After release of the contained gases and upon cooling, a hard gray coherent but spongelike mass remains that is referred to as coke. This substance varies greatly in physical properties and, to be suitable for industrial use, must be sufficiently dense and strong to withstand the crushing pressure of heavy furnace loads. Western coals have a generally high volatile content and therefore form a satisfactory coke only when they attain a rather high fluidity during the process of heating and distillation in-the coke oven. When this high degree of fluidity is developed, the volatile constituents escape and leave a finely porous coke. On the other hand, when the degree of fluidity is low the product is an excessively porous and therefore physically weak mass that is called char.6 Small quantities of oxygen present in coal are believed to decrease the fluidity of the material during the coking process and to favor the development of char rather than coke. In consequence, coal chemists have for some time considered the possibility of developing an index to coking. qualities by inspection of chemical analyses of coals.7 A formula has now been developed that does permit a rough preliminary estimate of the cokability of coal on the basis of the analysis on an ash and moisture-free basis. Coals may be eliminated as possible coking fuels if the oxygen content is greater than 11 pct. Similarly the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen must be greater than 0.5 and the ratio of fixed carbon to volatile constituents must be greater than 1.3. If the coal, on the basis of these limiting factors, appears to have possible coking qualities, the following formula permits determination of the coking index: Coking index =[ a+b+c+d 5] a equals 22/oxygen content on ash and moisture- free basis, . b equals two times the hydrogen content divided by oxygen content on moisture and ash-free basis, c equals fixed carbon/1.3 x volatile matter, and d equals the heating value on moist, ash-free basis/13,600. Coking indices higher than 1.0 suggest that the coal will coke, and indices above 1.1 indicate good coking tendencies. Although generally usable, this formula is not completely satisfactory because the percentage of oxygen shown in ultimate analyses is derived only by difference; i.e., by subtracting the sum of the percentages of the constituents determined analytically from 100 pct.8,9 Although the coking index indicates the coking tendencies of coal, it is necessary to make physical tests of coke before its industrial value can be determined. The U. S. Bureau of Mines has developed a standard procedure for determining the approximate strength of coke that would be formed from a given coal. In this test one part of ground coal, mixed with 15 parts of carborundum, is baked to form a standard briquette. The weight, in kilograms, necessary to crush the briquette is termed the agglutinating index. This test determines the relative fluidity attained in the coking process by measuring the cementing strength of the coal in the briquette. A

Jan 1, 1952

Safety Factor Characteristic Curves. Their Application to Mine Hoisting Ropes. (Paper by W. A. Boyer, Transactions AIME, 199, 989; Mining Engineering, October 1954. Discussion by B. E. Grant.) ............................................................................................................................. 1101 The Use of Wooden Rock Bolts in the Day Mines. (Paper by Rollin Farmin and Carville E. Sparks, Transactions AIME, 196, 922; Mining Engineering, September 1953. Discussion by Edward Thomas.) ................................................................................................................................. 1101 An Analysis of Mine Opening Failure by Means of Models. (Paper by Bernard York and John J. Reed, Transactions AIME, 196, 705; Mining Engineering, July 1953. Discussion by J. P. Zannaras.) ... 1102 B — Minerals Beneficiation Flotation and the Gibbs Adsorption Equation. (Paper by P. L. de Bruyn, J. Th. Overbeek, and R. Schuhmann, Jr., Transactions AIME, 199, 519; Mining Engineering, May 1954. Discussions by W. E. Ewers and Masayoshi Wada.)........................................................................................... 1103 Manganese Upgrading at Three Kids Mine, Nevada. (Paper by S. J. McCarroll, Transactions AIME, 199, 289; Mining Engineering, March 1954. Discussion by J. Bruce Clemmer, J. B. Rosenbaum, and C. H. Schack.)............................................................................................................. 1105 A Physical Explanation of the Empirical Laws of Comminution. (Paper by D. R. Walker and M. C. Shaw, Transactions AIME, 199, 313; Mining Engineering, March 1954. Discussions by Dimitri Kececioglu, George B. Clark, and Fred C. Bond.) ......................................................... 1106 F — Coal Underground Electrocarbonization of Coal and Related Hydrocarbons. (Paper by T. C. Cheasley, J. D. Forrester, and Erich Sarapuu, Transactions AIME, 199, 908; Mining Engineering, September 1954. Discussions by John G. Tripp and James L. Elder.)....................................................... 1108 Longwall Mining and Mechanization, with Special Reference to Nova Scotia. (Paper by Frank Doxey, Transactions AIME, 199, 701; Mining Engineering, July 1954. Discussion by Louis A. Turnbull.) ........................................................................................................................................ 1109 Cleaning Various Coals in a Drum-Type Dense-Medium Pilot Plant. (Paper by M. R. Geer, W. A. Olds, and H. F. Yancey, Transactions AIME, 196, 696; Mining Engineering, July 1953. Discussion by John Griff en.)................................................................................................................................. 1110 Frontiers in Heat Extraction from the Combustion Gases of Coal. (Paper by Elmer R. Kaiser, Transactions AIME, 199, 304; Mining Engineering, March 1954. Discussion by G. A. Vissac.) ............ 1112 Exploration of the Oaxaca Coal Fields in Southern Mexico. (Paper by Luis Toron and Salvador Cortes-Obregon, Transactions AIME, 199, 505; Mining Engineering, May 1954. Discussion by John D. Price.).................................................................................................................. 1113 H — Industrial Minerals Alkali Reactivity of Natural Aggregates in Western United States. (Paper by William Y. Holland and Roger H. Cook, Transactions AIME, 196, 991; Mining Engineering, October 1953. Discussions by Dexter H. Reynolds and W. L. Merritt.) ......................................................... 1114 Characteristics of Titaniferous Concentrates. (Paper by L. E. Lynd, H. Sigurdson, C. H. North, and W. W. Anderson, Transactions AIME, 199, 818; Mining Engineering, August 1954. Discussion by D. R. Grantham.)........................................................................................................................ 1116

Jan 1, 1955

By Roshan B. Bhappu

This is the Centennial year of AIME and many of us reading this issue of &apos; will be getting ready to attend the Centennial Celebration in New York from February 26 through March 4. The officers of the Division sincerely hope that a large number of our members will attend the fine technical sessions and social functions arranged for this really big meeting. The year 1971 will be a crucial one for MBD. This SME Division is a working group organized "to furnish a medium of cooperation among those interested in the basic unit processes and unit operations of minerals beneficiation; and to promote the advancement of this branch of mineral technology through meetings for professional intercourse, and to stimulate the preparation, reading discussion and circulation of papers connected therewith." No one can deny the worthiness of these objectives or minimize the efforts that Division officers and members have made to attain them. Much has been done over the past several years to achieve a smooth-running and effective MBD organization. However, there is still room for improvement and much more needs to be done in order to provide the best possible services for the membership and the profession.

Jan 1, 1971

By Edwin Ludlow

T HE OPEN FORUM on this subject called by Mr. Hoover at the recent meeting of the Institute&apos; brought out a large number of very able papers, and a very full discussion of all the problems involved. The criticisms of the bituminous industry were: 1. That it was over-developed with the possible output nearly 50 per cent. in excess of the present requirements; that during the summer there were plenty of cars and no orders, and during the winter there were plenty of orders but no cars. 2. That the mines were not properly developed from an engineering standpoint, and that the recovery of the coal varies from 50 per cent. to 95 per cent. 3. That this industry, employing over 600,000 men, could, if running full time, release 100,000 men for other work. 4. That the studies made by the engineers of the Fuel Administration showed that the cost of production increased with a loss of time and that with a 50 per cent. operation the increase in cost was about 40 per cent.

Jan 1, 1920

By Vard H. Johnson

IN 1943 the U. S. Bureau of Mines undertook drilling in an effort to develop new reserves of coking coal in an area near Paonia, Colo., as a part of an attempt to alleviate the shortage of known coking coal of good quality in the western United States. Geologic mapping of the area was undertaken by the U. S. Geological Survey with the purpose of first furnishing guidance in location of drillholes and later aiding in interpreting the results of the drilling. The drilling program was under the general supervision of A. L. Toenges of the U. S. Bureau of Mines. J. J. Dowd and R. G. Travis were in charge of the work in the field. Geologic mapping was started by D. A. Andrews of the Geological Survey in the summer of 1943 and was continued from the spring of 1944 to 1949 by the writer. The first few holes drilled failed to locate coking coal, but in the summer of 1944 coking coal was discovered by drilling 6 miles east of Somerset, Colo., the site of present mining. In the succeeding years, 1945 to 1948, 100 to 150 million tons of coal suitable for coking were blocked out by drilling. The ensuing discussion of the geologic controls on the distribution of coking coal in the area is based on the geologic mapping as well as the drilling done in the Paonia area, more complete descriptions of which have appeared or are in process of publication."&apos; In order that the possible geologic controls affecting the present distribution of coking coal may be considered, it is necessary to discuss briefly the indicators of coking quality coals. Coking Coal Coal that cokes has the property of softening to form a pastelike mass at high temperatures under reducing conditions in the coke oven. This softening is accompanied by the release of the volatile constituents as bubbles of gas. After release of the contained gases and upon cooling, a hard gray coherent but spongelike mass remains that is referred to as coke. This substance varies greatly in physical properties and, to be suitable for industrial use, must be sufficiently dense and strong to withstand the crushing pressure of heavy furnace loads. Western coals have a generally high volatile content and therefore form a satisfactory coke only when they attain a rather high fluidity during the process of heating arid distillation in the coke oven. When this high degree of fluidity is developed, the volatile constituents escape and leave a finely porous coke. On the other hand, when the degree of fluidity is low the product is an excessively porous and therefore physically weak mass that is called char." Small quantities of oxygen present in coal are believed to decrease the fluidity of the material during the coking process and to favor the development of char rather than coke. In consequence, coal chemists have for some time considered the possibility of developing an index to coking qualities by inspection of chemical analyses of coals.&apos; A formula has now been developed that does permit a rough preliminary estimate of the cokability of coal on the basis of the analysis on an ash and moisture-free basis. Coals may be eliminated as possible coking fuels if the oxygen content is greater than 11 pct. Similarly the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen must be greater than 0.5 and the ratio of fixed carbon to volatile constituents must be greater than 1.3. If the coal, on the basis of these limiting factors, appears to have possible coking qualities, the following formula permits determination of the coking index: a+b+c+d Coking index = -------- 5 a equals 22/oxygen content on ash and moisture-free basis, b equals two times the hydrogen content divided by oxygen content on moisture and ash-free basis, c equals fixed carbon/l.3 x volatile matter, and d equals the heating value on moist, ash-free basis/13,600. Coking indices higher than 1.0 suggest that the coal will coke, and indices above&apos; 1.1 indicate good coking tendencies. Although generally usable, this formula &apos;is not completely satisfactory because the percentage of oxygen shown in ultimate analyses is derived only by difference; i.e., by subtracting the sum of the percentages of the constituents determined analytically from 100 pct. Although the coking index indicates the coking tendencies of coal, it is necessary to make physical tests of coke before its industrial value can be determined. The U. S. Bureau of Mines has developed a standard procedure for determining the approximate strength of coke that would be formed from a given coal. In this test one part of ground coal, mixed with 15 parts of carborundum, is baked to form a standard briquette. The weight, in kilograms, necessary to crush the briquette is termed the agglutinating index. This test determines the relative fluidity attained in the coking process by measuring the cementing strength of the coal in the briquette. A

Jan 1, 1953

By Vard H. Johnson

IN 1943 the U. S. Bureau of Mines undertook drilling in an effort to develop new reserves of coking coal in an area near Paonia, Colo., as a part of an attempt to alleviate the shortage of known coking coal of good quality in the western United States. Geologic mapping of the area was undertaken by the U. S. Geological Survey with the purpose of first furnishing guidance in location of drillholes and later aiding in interpreting the results of the drilling. The drilling program was under the general supervision of A. L. Toenges of the U. S. Bureau of Mines. J. J. Dowd and R. G. Travis were in charge of the work in the field. Geologic mapping was started by D. A. Andrews of the Geological Survey in the summer of 1943 and was continued from the spring of 1944 to 1949 by the writer. The first few holes drilled failed to locate coking coal, but in the summer of 1944 coking coal was discovered by drilling 6 miles east of Somerset, Colo., the site of present mining. In the succeeding years, 1945 to 1948, 100 to 150 million tons of coal suitable for coking were blocked out by drilling. The ensuing discussion of the geologic controls on the distribution of coking coal in the area is based on the geologic mapping as well as the drilling done in the Paonia area, more complete descriptions of which have appeared or are in process of publication."&apos; In order that the possible geologic controls affecting the present distribution of coking coal may be considered, it is necessary to discuss briefly the indicators of coking quality coals. Coking Coal Coal that cokes has the property of softening to form a pastelike mass at high temperatures under reducing conditions in the coke oven. This softening is accompanied by the release of the volatile constituents as bubbles of gas. After release of the contained gases and upon cooling, a hard gray coherent but spongelike mass remains that is referred to as coke. This substance varies greatly in physical properties and, to be suitable for industrial use, must be sufficiently dense and strong to withstand the crushing pressure of heavy furnace loads. Western coals have a generally high volatile content and therefore form a satisfactory coke only when they attain a rather high fluidity during the process of heating arid distillation in the coke oven. When this high degree of fluidity is developed, the volatile constituents escape and leave a finely porous coke. On the other hand, when the degree of fluidity is low the product is an excessively porous and therefore physically weak mass that is called char." Small quantities of oxygen present in coal are believed to decrease the fluidity of the material during the coking process and to favor the development of char rather than coke. In consequence, coal chemists have for some time considered the possibility of developing an index to coking qualities by inspection of chemical analyses of coals.&apos; A formula has now been developed that does permit a rough preliminary estimate of the cokability of coal on the basis of the analysis on an ash and moisture-free basis. Coals may be eliminated as possible coking fuels if the oxygen content is greater than 11 pct. Similarly the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen must be greater than 0.5 and the ratio of fixed carbon to volatile constituents must be greater than 1.3. If the coal, on the basis of these limiting factors, appears to have possible coking qualities, the following formula permits determination of the coking index: a+b+c+d Coking index = -------- 5 a equals 22/oxygen content on ash and moisture-free basis, b equals two times the hydrogen content divided by oxygen content on moisture and ash-free basis, c equals fixed carbon/l.3 x volatile matter, and d equals the heating value on moist, ash-free basis/13,600. Coking indices higher than 1.0 suggest that the coal will coke, and indices above&apos; 1.1 indicate good coking tendencies. Although generally usable, this formula &apos;is not completely satisfactory because the percentage of oxygen shown in ultimate analyses is derived only by difference; i.e., by subtracting the sum of the percentages of the constituents determined analytically from 100 pct. Although the coking index indicates the coking tendencies of coal, it is necessary to make physical tests of coke before its industrial value can be determined. The U. S. Bureau of Mines has developed a standard procedure for determining the approximate strength of coke that would be formed from a given coal. In this test one part of ground coal, mixed with 15 parts of carborundum, is baked to form a standard briquette. The weight, in kilograms, necessary to crush the briquette is termed the agglutinating index. This test determines the relative fluidity attained in the coking process by measuring the cementing strength of the coal in the briquette. A

Jan 1, 1953

By P. D. Hunt, I. Johnson, M. G. Chasanov, H. M. Feder

The solubilities of the transition metals from scundium to nickel, inclusive, in liquid cadmium were determined by sampling saturated solutions. At 400°C these solubilities (ppm) are:Sc, Co, 22; Ni, 12000. Relative partial molal enthalpies and excess partial molal entropies at infinite dilution for the solutes Cr, Mn, Fe, and Co are compared zoitlz similar data for the post-transition metals. Three new intermetallic phases, ScCd,, TiCd, and Ti,Cd, encozaztered in the course of this work, are reported. Measurements of the solubility of the 3-d transition metals in liquid cadmium have been reported&apos; only for iron. The present measurements for the entire series were made as an aid to the study of the systematics of alloy formation. EXPERIMENTAL The apparatus and sampling techniques used for the solubility determinations were similar to those described by Martin etal.&apos; Temperatures were measured with a Pt/Pt-10 pct Rh thermocouple sheathed in recrystallized alumina and immersed in the solution. The thermocouple was recalibrated periodically during the course of the investigation. Thermocouple voltages were measured to the neares 0.01 mv with a Rubicon model 2732 potentiometer. A scaled-down version of the apparratus, in which the total metal charge was about 90 g, was employed to measure the solubility of scandium. Two-mm ID Vycor filter pipets were used to sample the scandium-cadmiurn solutions; the samples weighed about 2g- Cadmium with a minimum purity of 99.95 pct was used; the only impurities detected spectrochem-ically were C&apos;u and Mg, both less than 10 ppm. The purities of the other metals were: scandium, 99.9 pct; titanium. 99.92 pct; vanadium, 99.9 pct; chromium, 99).99 pct; manganese, 99.9+ pct; iron, 99.90 pct; cobalt, 99.95 pct; and nickel, 99.96 pct. Solidified melts were routinely analyzed spectro-graphically. No significant contamination by the crucible, sampling pipets, or other materials of construction was observed. The entire specimen obtained by sampling was dissolved to preclude analytical errors due to segregation on cooling. Colorimetric methods3 were used for the analyses of cobalt (2-nitroso-l-naphthol), manganese (permanganate), nickel (dimethylglyoxime), titanium (peroxide), and vanadium (thiocyanate).4 Chromium, iron, and scandium were neutron-irradiated to produce The dissolved samples were gamma-counted to determine solute concentration.For the separation of intermediate phases from cadmium-rich alloys selective leaching by saturated ammonium nitrate solutions was employed. The concentration of cadmium in the successive leaches was followed polarographically and the process was terminated when the rate of cadmium dissolution decreased markedly. For the further investigation of intermediate phases 1/4- in. diam powder compacts were pressed at 80,000 psi and annealed in argon at 315" to 330°C for 10 days. Larger quantities of alloys were prepared in sealed tantalum capsules heated in a rocking furnace.

Jan 1, 1962

Frontino operates three underground lode mines at Segovia in the area of northwest Antioquia, Colombia, which has been an important gold producing district since the late 1800s. Auriferous pyrite, the pre-dominent sulfide, carries very finely disseminated gold. Other minor sulfides are galena, pyrrhotite, and sphalerite in quartz gangue with the host rock being granodiorite. Silver is associated with the galena and also occurs as a sulfo-salt. In 1.973 and 1974, at an annual milling rate of 145,000 mt (160,000 st), average mill heads were 7.80 g per mt (0.23 oz per st) Au; 20.0 g per mt (0.58 oz per st) Ag; and 0.37% Pb; with a production of 1,150 kg (35,700 oz) Au and 4,500 kg (141,000 oz) Ag. Over 300 mt (330 st) of Pb concentrate were shipped. The ore is crushed to minus 16 mm (5 18 in. ) and fed to a rod mill with the discharge passing over a 1.07 m by 1.07 m (42 in. by 42 in. ) jig operating in closed circuit with the underflow from a cyclone in closed circuit with two ball mills. Cyclone overflow is bulk-floated for sulfide recovery from which the tailings are sent to the river as waste with the flotation concentrate joining the jig concentrate for cyanidation. The combined gold bearing concentrates, after cyclone classification, are reground to a very fine mesh in closed circuit with cyclone classification, with the overflow going to the primary thickener. Regrinding, classification, and thickening is done in cyanide solution, and the primary thickener produces a pregnant solution for Merrill -Crowe precipitation. The thickener underflow is the feed to the agitators, thickener, and filter from which the overflow and filtrate are sent to precipitation. The washed filter cake is repulped and floated for the recovery of a galena concentrate for shipment. About 40% of the recovered silver is in this concentrate. In the refinery the precipitate is melted into a dore bullion. This 600 mt (660 st) capacity mill employs several interesting techniques. Gold recovery of 85% to 90% from a complex sulfide denotes good practice. While total power at 42 kwh per mt (46 kwh per st) is high, it would be recognized that the grinding units are small in size and the flowsheet is complicated due to the gold occurring in the sulfide minerals. The extremely low-cost electric power is generated by

Jan 1, 1981

By H. A. Doerner

PROPOSALS to use hydrocarbon or natural gases for the reduction of zinc from oxide materials may be traced back through Patent Office files to the early years of the present century. Natural gas at rates cheap enough to compete with solid fuels has been available at or near one major zinc district for more than a decade. That the seemingly meritorious and economically interesting applications of these proposals have not devel-oped into workable processes for direct production of zinc by natural gas cannot be completely ascribed to the proverbial conservatism of the zinc industry. It is possible to produce spelter commercially in normal times from zinc oxide and carbonaceous reducing agents without having a very precise understanding of the chemistry of the process. The reduc-tion by hydrocarbons is not, however, in this class, and the technical complexity of this reduction metallurgy and chemistry prohibits solution of the inherent difficulties by the "hit and miss" methods that are some-times thought to be practical. In a thermodynamic study of the chemistry of zinc smelting, Maier1 made a preliminary study of the chemistry of the use of methane for reducing zinc oxide by thermodynamic means, pointing out that the following reactions, the limits of which could be theoretically predicted, were important: ZnO + CH4 = Zn(gas) + CO + 2H2 [1] CH4 = C -I- 2H2 [2] ZnO + CO = Zn(gas) + CO2 [3] ZnO + H2 = Zn(gas) + H2O [4] Other possible reactions, not discussed in the reference quoted, are: CO2 + CH4 = 2CO + 2H2 [5] H2O + CH4 = CO + 3H2 [6]

Jan 1, 1933

By N. S. Wagner

The production of lightweight aggregates in Oregon is a new industry, and, like all new enterprises, it is suffering from growing pains characterized by numerous, small operations some of which flourish for a short time and then cease altogether. Normally all industrial mineral products are produced in a highly competitive atmosphere. At the present time this condition does not exist to a very marked degree in the state because as yet producers have not saturated the constantly expanding market. This paper has been prepared with the intention of outlining very briefly the current status of the various products now being used as lightweight aggregates in Oregon. The present picture will surely change, perhaps quite radically within even a short space of time.

Jan 1, 1949

By A. P. Herring, S. F. Ravitz

Manganese dioxide reacts with sulfur dioxide solution in the absence of oxygen to form manganous ion and dithionate ion, together with a small amount of sulfate ion. The effects of SO, concentration, hydrogen ion concentration, stirring speed, and temperature on the rate of the reaction were studied. If it is assumed that undissociated SO2 molecules react rapidly with MnO, at active surface sites and that bisulfite ions react slowly, an equation can be derived that satisfactorily represents the observed reaction rates. For solutions in which the reaction with undissociated SO2 predominates, reaction rates and activation energies estimated from diffusion theory agree well with those found experimentally. Manganese dioxide dissolves readily in aqueous solutions of sulfur dioxide. The nature of the dissolution reaction was first investigated by Gay-Lussac and welter1 in 1819; they identified a new oxysulfur radical, the dithionate ion, S2O6, as one of the reaction products. Since then, the reaction has become a standard method of preparing dithionates in the laboratory and one of the more promising methods of leaching manganese from low-grade ores. In the "dithionate process" developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines2,3, manganese-dioxide ore is suspended in a solution of calcium dithionate and leached with gas containing sulfur dioxide. The manganese is dissolved and the sulfur dioxide is oxidized according to the reactions:

Jan 1, 1965

By W. L. Phillips

Single crystals of aluminum, brass, and copper oriented for (100) and (110) slip were extended at 25°, 400°, and 600°C in simple shear. Aluminum specimens oriented for nonoctahedral slip began to shear at a higher critical resolved shear stress than specimens oriented for octahedral slip. Parabolic stress-strain curves were obtained from zero strain. The initial rate of parabolic hardening was lower for specimens sheared on the (100) plane in a close-packed direction <110>, than for specimens sheared in a nonclose-packed direction <100>. metallographic evidence, however, showed that all slip traces could be explained in terms of (111) <100> slip. All attempts to cause nonoctahedral slip in copper and 70-30 a-brass single crystals were unsuccessful. Instead of shearing, the crystals bent, allowing {111} type planes to come into action. NONOCTAHEDRAL slip in aluminum has been reported under three different conditions: first, as the main mode of slip in tension experiments at elevated temperatures;&apos;-&apos; second, as the main mode of slip in direct shear experiments at room temperat~re; and third, as a minor mode of deformation, i.e., as cross-slip, in tension, shear, and bicrystal experiments at room and elevated temperatures."-l2 However, as far as the author knows, nonoctahedral slip has not been reported in either copper or 70-30 a-brass. The present study was undertaken to determine whether nonoctahedral slip could be obtained in aluminum, brass, or copper at room or elevated temperatures when the shear stress was approximately constant over the cross-section, a maximum at the center, or a maximum at the surface. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE A detailed description of the crystal preparation and shearing apparatus has been given previo~sly. Cylindrical crystals 1/2 in. in diam and 8 in. long were grown from the melt in a temperature-gradient furnace. The aluminum contained 0.001 pct Zn, 0.001 pct S, and 0.001 pct Fe; the 70-30 brass contained 0.015 pct Pb, 0.001 pct Fe, 0.01 pct Ni, 0.02 pct Sn, and 0.005 pct Se; the copper was certified OFHC of 99.98 pct purity. All samples were electropolished prior to testing. The shear apparatus was a modified Bausch type. The strain sensitivity was 4 x lob4 Load was applied by clamping the rods attached to the shear plates in an Instron tensile machine. The rate of loading was 0.02 in. per min. In all cases a 1/8-in. gage length was used. For the tests performed at 400° and 600°C the shear plates, collars, and rods were made of stainless steel. These elevated-temperature tests were performed in an argon atmosphere. A) Aluminum at Room Temperature. Values of a and ß for the various slip planes and slip directions investigated are shown in Table I where a is the complement of the angle between the specimen axis and the slip direction, and ß is the angle between the specimen axis and the normal to the shear plane. The shear stress is a function of a (assuming ß - 0);10 when a is less than 27 deg, the shear stress on the slip plane for which the specimen is oriented has a maximum at the center of the crystal; at a = 27 deg the shear stress is constant across the slip plane; for a greater than 27 deg the shear stress is a minimum at the center. Fig. 1 shows the stress-strain curves for specimens cut from crystals 1, 2, and 5, which were sheared on the (010) plane in the [loll direction at room temperature. These three crystals have shear-stress distributions corresponding to the three dif-

Jan 1, 1962