Search Documents

By Ian MacGregor

As I drove in from the airport on Sunday somebody said 'On the right you will see Duntroon, which is the military training school of Australia.' So I asked the driver, where did they get that name? 'Oh,' he said, 'from some people who built a house there. That was it's name- Duntroon.' It strikes a note with me because, that's the name of a 12th century castle on the west coast of Scotland where I spend what leisure hours I have and, therefore, it establishes the long connection between Australia and my native land. There is also a story I should tell you about the oil industry and its upsurge in Scotland recently which has resulted in great prosperity. And in Edinburgh, the walls of the banks are bulging-because of the incursion of foreign exchange and other resources. Charlotte Square, as some of you know, is the centre of the Scottish financial world and at one of the corners of Charlotte Square, where ho streets intersect, there are three stores-three emporia on the ground floor. Two of them at opposite corners are banks: The Royal Bank of Scotland, and not to be beaten by that, The Bank of Scotland. But the third building is occupied, or was occupied, by a furniture store over many years-very high-grade, high quality furniture that the elite of the Edinburgh society always supported. And suddenly, the store was cleared out and in came a bunch of carpenters and other people busily engaged in rebuilding the store, and finally the new tenants arrived on the scene.

Jan 1, 1978

E. E. Olcott, New York City: Prof. Kemp's valuable description of the Lancaster Gap mine is in line with many other able contributions on the origin of mineral deposits that the Institute has lately brought forward. The splendid contribution that Prof.

Jan 1, 1895

By T. M. Allen, W. H. White

THE Greenwood-Grand Forks area of southern central British Columbia, known as the Boundary District, has a long history of mining exploration and production. At the turn of the century this was the premier copper mining camp in the British Empire, its total production amounting to some 20 million tons. Most of this ore came from the great Granby mines at Phoenix, but the Motherlode mine at Deadwood camp, 6 miles to the west, and several mines in Summit camp, 5 miles north of Phoenix, made important contributions. The large deposits were exhausted in 1918 and the district since has seen only desultory exploration and salvage operations. The orebodies are mineralized skarn zones in limestone members of a thick series of Upper Paleozoic sedimentary and volcanic strata. Chalcopyrite is the primary ore-mineral. Copper carbonates and silicates occur sparingly in outcrops, but the oxidized zone generally is very shallow. Much of the surface is mantled by glacial drift which in most places ranges in thickness from 2 to 15 ft. In some of the hanging valleys, however, the glacial drift may be as much as 100 ft thick and may assume drumlin-like forms. In 1951 an ambitious program aimed at the discovery of new orebodies and important extensions of abandoned deposits was launched by Attwood Copper Mines, Ltd. In this district so thoroughly searched by an earlier generation of prospectors, any orebody which had remained undiscovered must have little or no surface indication. Consequently, in addition to the basic detailed geological work, the program of exploration included magnetometer and self-potential surveys. Geological bets and geophysical anomalies were tested further, prior to diamond drilling, by a study of copper distribution in tree twigs and/or in the soil. The soil sampling and analytical methods used and some of the results seem of sufficient importance to warrant this paper. The authors had done some plant sampling in this and other districts, using the dithizone neutral-color-end-point method (Warren and Delavault, 1948, 1949; White, 1950),1-3 but they were unfamiliar with its soil application. Finally, after much experimenting in the field, they adopted the methods described here. These methods are not entirely original or defensible on theoretical grounds, but under field conditions of rapid sampling and analysis the results are reliable enough to be of use. Fig. 1, which shows the results of duplicate analyses of duplicate soil samples taken at 50-ft intervals across an anomalous zone, indicates the relative dependability both of the sampling and analytical methods. Sampling and Analytical Equipment A 2-ft piece of 1-in. solid drill steel, one end sharpened to a broad, conical point. The steel is marked at 1 ft from the point. A 2-ft piece of ½-in. black iron pipe, one end filed to a bevelled cutting edge. The pipe is marked at 1 ft 3 in. from the cutting end. A 3-lb hammer. A plastic or rubberized sheet about 18 in. square. Moisture-proof assay pulp envelopes. A 10-mesh seive made from window screen with the paint burnt off. A small assay spatula. A pan balance sensitive to 10 mg. Two ignition trays about 4 in. square, made of sheet iron turned up along the edges. A Coleman two-burner gasoline stove. An asbestos board about 5x8 in., used as a hot plate on the gasoline stove. A circular aluminum rack to hold 8 test tubes while refluxing (design of Almond and Morris). Pyrex Glassware Large refluxing test tubes, 25x200 mm, marked at 40 ml volume. Breakers, 20 ml. Pipettes, 1, 5, and 10-ml capacity. Graduate, 50 ml. Shaking cylinders, 100 ml, glass stoppers. Burette, 25 or 50-ml capacity, with holder. Chemical Supplies 1 N sulphuric acid. Hydroxylamine hydrochloride, solid crystals. Fisher Alkacid test paper. Copper standard solution. Dithizone standard solution 60 mg per liter. Water reasonably free of metals. Soil Sampling Method: The problem of how to take a soil sample is extremely crucial. The method outlined below, adopted after a number of tests, has the advantages of uniform pattern, uniform depth, and uniform size of sample. The area to be tested was marked off by chain and compass lines 100 ft apart, normal to the strike of possible ore deposits. Numbered stakes were set at 50-ft intervals along these lines and a soil sample was taken at each stake in the following manner. The drill steel was driven into the ground normal to the slope of the surface to the marked depth of 1 ft, moved slightly from side to side, then carefully withdrawn. The iron pipe was inserted to the bottom of this hole, tapped down to the marked depth of 1 ft 3 in. and withdrawn; the 3-in. soil plug in the

Jan 1, 1955

By H. B. Bell, P. C. Lidster

A study has been made of the use of ThO2-Y2O3 solid electrolytes to determine activity of chromium in Fe-Cr and Ni-Cr alloys in the temperature range 1300° to 1700°K. This method has been shown to give results which agree with the best vapor pressure measurements. SEVERAL investigations1"5 have been made of chromium activities in Fe-Cr alloys. Most of these have been made by vapor pressure measurements using knudsen cell techniques while one has been made using gas equilibration with H2/H2O gas mixtures. In the present investigation electromotive force measurements have been made on this system using a thoria yttria solid electrolyte. This system was -chosen to establish the technique of measurement at low oxygen potentials, before extending it to Fe-Ni-Cr alloys. The cell used was Pt Cr • Cr2O3 ilThO2 • Y2O3 llalloy • Cr2O3 IPt Since the oxygen pressure of the chromium-chromic oxide mixture lay in the range 10"19 to 1027 atm in the temperature range investigated, thoria yttria electrolytes were used. It was soon found during the investigation that considerable care was required to prepare satisfactory electrolytes and a study was made to find the best method of preparing pellets of TI1O2-Y2O3 solid solution of as near theoretical density as possible. Various compositions in the range 2 to 15 mole pct Y2O3 were studied but the experimental measurements were made with electrolytes containing 4 to 5 pct Y2O3. The method of preparation finally adopted was to use thorium oxalate and yttria as raw materials. The thorium oxalate was decomposed at 900°C for 6 hr to give a reactive powder. This powder was then mixed with the appropriate amount of yttria and ground in an agate mortar for about 4 hr. The powder was moistened with absolute alcohol as a lubricant and pressed in a metal die at a pressure of 7 tons per sq in. The pellets were then heated at 1100°C for 24 hr followed by 24 hr at 1250°C. After this firing cycle the material was reground and repelleted and again fired at 1100° and 1250°C followed by heating for 7 days at 1600°C. It was found in later experiments that a further firing of 4 hr at 2000°C improved the density further and gave pellets of only 2 pct porosity. After firing, the pellets were polished on emery paper and finally with the 2 µ diamond paste. The polishing was followed by a final firing of 24 hr at 1500°C. Investigation showed that this final treatment minimized reaction between the electrolytes and chromium oxide. It was believed that this was because of a lowering of the surface energy of the electrolyte surface. Two types of investigation were carried out to check that the pellets were satisfactory oxygen ion elec-

Jan 1, 1970

On an average of at least once a year there comes to the attention of the Institute Headquarters the activities of some individual who represents himself as a member of the Institute, and by a hard-luck story or other means secures loans or advances of money which are never returned. On one or two occasions the Institute has been able to secure the arrest and conviction of these frauds. Recently some individual has been operating in California and defrauded several members of the Institute. He is described as a man of 5 ft. 7 or 8 in. height, decidedly slim, and his weight is about 140 lb. His hair and mustache are gray, eyes blue or gray and he claims to be near-sighted. He is also said to have had a keen, furtive, "Hang-dog" look and claims to have been raised in Bethlehem, Pa. He speaks with a German accent. If a man answering this description presents himself before any members and claims to be a member of the Institute it will be to the good of the profession if he can be caught making fraudulent representations and placed where his ability to defraud will be under control. The most effective means of apprehending persons of this character is the very prompt notification to Institute Headquarters of any persons claiming to be members of the Institute in hard luck. If such persons are asked to supply their signature or photograph or both to be, forwarded to Institute Headquarters for identification this will serve as an excellent check on their operations. Reluctance to comply with such a request is in itself a suspicious circumstance.

Jan 9, 1919

By Alan Morris

IN a previous paper1 the results of cutting tests on free-cutting brass rod were reported. Investigation was made of the effects of variation in lead content, microstructure and cold drawing. The author's reply to the discussion of that paper includes a study of the directional cutting properties of drawn and annealed rod. The present paper records the results of tests made on series of samples in which the tin, iron and copper contents have been varied. The apparatus, used and method of testing are described in detail in the previous paper. The machine is of the pendulum-operated milling type used and described by Airey and Oxford.2 Angular readings of the height to which the pendulum rises after falling from a fixed position, both when a cut is made and when the pendulum swings freely, give the basis for calculation of the energy consumed in making a cut. Careful weighing of the sample before and after cutting gives a measure of the amount of metal removed. The results are expressed in foot-pounds per cubic inch of metal removed, and have been called "unit cutting energy." In the course of the discussion of the author's earlier paper, W. B. Price reported large-scale tests involving some 50,000 lb. of material. These tests indicated that the addition of as much as 0.6 per cent of iron and 0.25 per cent of tin had apparently no adverse effect on the high-speed cutting characteristics of the rod. The rod also contained a small amount of nickel. The test results reported here tend to confirm his observations.

Jan 1, 1933

Dump Truck Kenworth Motor Truck Corp. is beginning full scale production of its new heavy-duty, end-dump earth mover, model 801, a truck engineered for earth moving under the most adverse operating conditions. Payload capacity of the Kenworth earthmover is 30,000 lb and it is over-tired for safety, flotation and high tire life. The truck's body capacity, struck measure, is 9.9 cu yd, with heaped [ ] load at 11.9 cu yd. The earth-mover has a full anti-friction bearing mounted, power assisted steering gear, simplified controls, minimum turning radius and wide axle track to insure ease of handling, maximum maneuverability and high stability. The offset cab of the Kenworth visibility for the driver, before and after. Circle No. 1 Safety Equipment A compact, safe, and efficient valve assembly approved by the United States Bureau of Mines for use with MSA air line respirators, abrasive masks, and abrasive helmets has been developed by Mine Safety Appliances Co. The new MSA continuous air flow control valve regulates air flow from a compressed air source to an operator using respiratory protective air line equipment. Three parts-a centridge container, a cartridge and the air flow check valve-comprise the entire assembly of the control valve. A position action adjustment knob on the cartridge container regulates the amount of air flowing to the operator. The valve can be detached from the air line instantly by pressing the trigger on the cartridge container near the check valve. As the trigger detaches the hose, the spring loaded ball-type valve, which is attached to the end of the hose, automatically stops the flow of air. Circle No. 2

Jan 1, 1952

ARTHUR CROWFOOT, Morenci, Ariz. (communication to the Secretary*).-In order to set at rest any doubts in regard to the reasons for selecting the Callow pneumatic flotation process for use in the concentrators of the Arizona Copper Co., Ltd., at Clifton and Morenci, I am presenting the following facts gained from the results of test work carried out on the Callow and Cole-Bergman types of flotation machines at Morenci. Prior to the comparative test of merit between the Callow and Cole-Bergman machines, many months' time and a large amount of money had been expended in the development and testing of the Cole-Bergman machine, and it was necessary to decide quickly what make of machine was best to install. The Callow pneumatic flotation process was recommended for installation in our concentrators for the following reasons: The results indicated: 1. That the Callow system made the highest extraction of copper values from the feed treated. 2. That the Callow system was simpler to operate and could he operated it a lower cost. 3. That the Callow system operated with a lower air pressure. (The question of the actual power consumption of the two types of machines was not definitely settled at this time.) During the official test period the Callow flotation apparatus showed an additional recovery of from 1 to 1.5 lb. of copper per ton more than the Cole-Bergman machine, this difference being maintained by further treatment of the tailing from both machines. The simplicity of the operation of the Callow flotation system is one of its notable features, two operators per shift being able to handle 90 standard cells and blower equipment.

Jan 7, 1917

By W. J. McKenna

THE International Smelting Co. concentrator at Tooele, Utah, first operated on a custom basis for the treatment of lead-zinc-iron ores on Nov.' 1, 1924, with a capacity of 500 tons per day. On May 1, 1925, the capacity was increased to 1000 tons per day by the addition of another 500-ton section. The concentrator has since operated on the two-section basis, each treating 500 tons per day entirely by flotation. LABORATORY AND TEST MILL In connection with the concentrator, a well-equipped laboratory and small continuous testing plant are maintained. The flotation equipment in the test plant is of both the Callow and Mineral Separations Sub-"A" types, so that actual concentrator conditions may be duplicated as closely as possible. PURCHASING OF ORE A new shipper usually sends to the plant a 25 to 50-lb. sample, representative of the ore to be shipped. Batch flotation tests are made on this sample to determine its amenability to the concentrator treatment flowsheet and reagent combinations. The results of these tests, which are accurately correlated with those obtained at the concentrator, both as to grades of products and recoveries, determine the actual value of the ore as submitted in the ore purchasing department's treatment schedule. Hearty cooperation has existed at all times between the ore purchasing and operating departments in the selection of ores as concentrator feed. ORE TREATED The basic tonnages for mixtures on the two sections come from the Park City and Bingham mining districts. The Park City tonnages are received by rail and consist of crude ores and gravity mill products. Those from the Bingham district are received by rail and aerial tramway,

Jan 1, 1928

By W. H. Adams

One of the most attractive subjects for technical writers is the gigantic industry of the manufacture of sulphuric acid. This is no doubt, natural when we take into account that it has grown in this country during the past twenty years, from a production of 60,000 tons in the year 1867, to that of nearly 450,000 tons in 1887. We may well excuse much of the literature which but repeats the same old story, as it serves to bring to the public notice, at proper intervals, the hidden resources of our land; and this constant application of essential truths will sooner or later be the means of freeing us from dependence upon the Old World for necessary chemical products. The present increase in manufacture of this acid in the United States is almost wholly from pyrites ores, which we have in unlimited quantities close at hand. The largest consumption of such acid is for treatment of other native products, petroleum, rock-phosphates, etc.; and, considering the knowledge we have gained during the past twenty years, it is safe to say that the industry is but fairly established, and the causes which have operated to place us in our present proud position are but natural incentives for a further growth and an increased consumption of the many other undiscovered or undeveloped resources of our American soi1. In one of his earlier editions Muspratt says: " It would seem that the manufacture of sulphuric acid, though as extensively carried on as any other business, yet seems to be the least understood; and the ignorance of some manufacturers appears to be only equalled by that of writers, who, in their description of the production of this acid, give figures of apparatus, and vaunt as improvements, things which have been exploded for years. It is possible to find in the works of eminent men drawings of apparatus, for the production of sulphuric acid, which never could possibly have worked one day—some, in fact, could never have worked at all."

Jan 1, 1888

By Charles B. Dudley

It is evident that, as the size and weight of cars have increased, the demands on the cast-iron car-wheel have become more and more severe. Fortunately, the factor of safety in the cast-iron wheel, as originally made, was so large that it was only when freight-cars approached the capacity of from 80,000 to 100,000 lb. that the question of wheels began to give some anxiety. A moment's thought will show that, as freight- and passenger-cars have increased in weight and size, a much greater duty is required of the same eight wheels than was formerly the case. In other words, although the cars have increased in capacity from 15 tons to 50 tons each, the number of wheels under a car has not been generally increased. It is true, some cars have been equipped with 12 wheels, but this construction is not the rule. Hence the duty which the wheel must perform has become much more severe, and although it was clearly able to stand some increase, there must evidently be a limit somewhere which cannot be exceeded. Meanwhile, it is the part of wisdom to make better wheels if possible, and accordingly, no little study is now being devoted to the requirements for cast-iron car-wheels; and modifications are being made, both by increasing the weight of the wheel and by improving the quality of the metal of which it is made. The desire to improve the quality of the wheel has led to the preparation of specifications for its manufacture; and within the last 15 years a more rigid scrutiny of the wheel is char-

Jan 1, 1905

By Paul Weir

BLEACHING clays have been used extensively in the oil-refining industries for a number of years. Their use in water purification is relatively recent and less extensive. They are frequently classified as (1) those naturally active and (2) those active after artificial activation with acid. Fuller's earths fall within the general group of bleaching clays and gradually the commercial term "fuller's earth" has been applied to natural clays originating, for the most part, in the south-eastern section of the United States. Bentonitic clays are usually classed as activable and are prevalent in the southwestern section of the United States.1 Bleaching clays vary considerably in chemical and physical properties throughout the country, or even in different parts of one deposit (Table 1). TABLE 1.-Physical and Chemical Composition of Different Types of Clays Composition, Per Cent Constituents and Properties Bentonite Fuller's Mud Clay (Wyoming) Earth (P Peak)' (Alluvial) Silica (SiO2) 60.0 69.6 61.67 Alumina (Al203) 19.0 14.3 20.34 Ferric oxide (Fe203) 2.8 3.90 7.70 Titanium oxide (Ti02) 0.13 0.70 1.01 Lime (CaO) 0.5 0.80 0.00 Magnesia (MgO) 2.0 1.00 0.24 Soda (Na2O) 2.4 0.40 0.31 Ignition loss 4.7 6.77 8.51 Moisture content 8.0 10.0 20.0 Isoelectric point, pH 9.2 9.2 6.5 Average swelling volume 15.0 0.0 0.0 Weight per cubic foot, lb 55.0 40.0 65.0 Material passing 200-mesh sieve, per cent 90.0 85.0 50.0

Jan 1, 1939

By Stanley F. French

ELECTRICAL power and distribution for the sulphide ore plant is an addition and extension of the existing power system which has served the oxide reduction plant since its inception in 1914. The power plant is located at Tocopilla on the west coast of Chile, some 90 miles from Chuquicamata. A brief description of this plant and the existing transmission system is necessary to an understanding of the problems involved in the provision for the sulphide plant load. Originally the Tocopilla power plant consisted of four Escher Wyss turbines driving Siemens Schuckert generators, each rated 10,000 kw. At various times, units of 10,000 and 20,000 kw were added, all of which operated at 215 psi and 600°F at throttle. In order to improve the economy of the station, a Topping unit was installed in 1938 together with a high-pressure steam generator of 360,000 lb per hr capacity. This unit is rated at 11,000 kw and was designed for 750 psi, 880°F. The exhaust from this turbine passes to the low pressure station header for operation of part of the low pressure turbines. Total kw generated by the high pressure boiler, topping turbine and associated low pressure turbines totals 33,000 kw and the total station capacity is 113,000 kw. This installation proved one of the most successful of its kind, operating almost continuously. The original plant was of German design and consequently European characteristics were incorporated into the system, the frequency being 50 cycles and voltages of 500, 5000 and 100,000 were used for low, generator, and transmission voltages,

Jan 1, 1952

By E. G. Schempp, W. A. Morgan

The influence of modifications in the molybdenum, vanadium and, to a limited degree, carbon and boron content to a basic composition of 5 pct Cr, 0.75 pct Mo, 1 pct V hot-work tool steel composition, was studied in respect to hardenability, grpain- coarsening temperature, and tempering charactevistics. Tensile, impact, and fatigue pvoperties were studied for the most promising compositions. An alloy with a typical composition of 0.43 pct C, 4.97 pct CI-, 0.33 pct Si, 2.25 pct Mo, and 1.00 pct V uas found to offer the most favorable combination of properties in respect to high-strength applicntions when tempered at 1100°F. MANY 5 pct Cr high-strength steels are at present being manufactured in North America which fit well into the classification of the AISI-SAE system. Much interest has been shown in these materials as ultra-high-strength steels for use at elevated temperatures. The limiting temperature of use lies at the point where the steels begin to soften rapidly. Although a great deal of information has been made available in the past two years on the properties of selected alloys in this series, little information exists on the effect of systematically varying the ccntent of one or more elements in the 5 pct Cr-base alloy. This paper presents the results of an investigation of the effect of variations of the carbon, molybdenum, vanadium, and, to a limited extent, the silicon, manganese, boron, and niobium content of a 5 pct Cr steel to the AISI H-13 base analysis. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE All experimental heats were melted in a 50-lb. induction furnace. The melting stock consisted of

Jan 1, 1962

By J. C. Williams, M. J. Blackburn

MANY aspects of the formation of the metastable w phase in titanium-transition metal alloys have been described in several recent papers.1-4 These papers have reviewed earlier work on the w phase and have further defined most of the important features related to the formation of this phase, e.g-., its crystal structure, composition, and morphology. There are, however, several important points regarding formation of the w phase in titanium alloys which have been described in less detail. Two of these are the relationship between lattice misfit and w phase morphology and the influence of lattice misfit on the mode of formation of the equilibrium a phase. In this communi- cation we will present transmission electron microscopy results relevant to these two points. The alloys used in this study were prepared by non-consumable electrode arc melting, each 30-g button being remelted a minimum of twelve times. The alloy compositions we have studied are listed in Table I. Thin foils were prepared using standard techniques described elsewhere. Two distinct c' phase morphologies have been reported in earlier papers. The phase is ellipsoidal in the Ti-Mo3 and Ti-Nbl system and cubical in the Ti-V3 system. Results of the present study show that the w phase is also cubical in Ti-Mn, Ti-Fe, and Ti-Cr alloys as illustrated in Fig. l(b) to (d). Fig. l(a) shows the ellipsoidal morphology in Ti-MO3 for comparison purposes. It was suggested in an earlier paper3 that the w phase morphology may be controlled by the lat-

Jan 1, 1970

By W. H. Emmons

IN 1922 Morey made a series of experiments in which he observed the cooling of a molten system containing H20, 9.1 per cent; K20, 17.3 per cent and Si02, 73.6 per cent. This system was confined in a bomb; it was fluid at 500° C. and exerted no vapor pressure. In cooling to 420° C. a large part of it crystallized and at that temperature much of the water had separated from the crystals and remained as steam, which built up a pressure of 4998 lb. per sq. in., a force sufficient to lift nearly one mile of granite.1 If granite, cooling at 600°, expels vapor in the process of crystalliza-tion it is reasonable to suppose that a considerably greater vapor pressure would result, and it is thought that the vapor expelled from crystallizing granitic batholiths probably has a pressure sufficient to lift two or three miles of granite. This vapor, collecting near the tops of cupolas of batholiths, is believed to exert sufficient pressure to fracture the hoods and roofs of batholiths above the cupolas. If that is true, one would expect to find that the fracture systems above cupolas are arranged in patterns that depend in part on the shapes of the cupolas. The mechanics of the situation seem to require that conical cupolas should have radial fracture patterns, that bluntly rounded cupolas should have fracture systems that are either irregular or rudely conjugated in plan, and that elongated stocks or cupolas should have fracture systems in which the fractures lie nearly parallel to the direction of the elongation of the cupolas.

Jan 1, 1934

By Dwight Farnham

Description of Quarry THE shale used at the Renton plant of the Denny-Renton Clay Coal Co., for the manufacture of vitrified paving brick occurs in a hill rising from 200 to 300 ft. above the level of the valley in which the plant is situated. The shale deposit, which is of unknown thickness pitches about 10° to the southeast. The 150-ft. face worked extends approximately east and west, so that the clip, as shown by the photograph, is to the left and into the hill. The shale is overlain with about 50 ft. of gravel, 70 ft. of clay, and 30 ft. of mixed loam and gravel, making altogether from 125 to 150 ft. of overburden. Disposal of Overburden The overburden is removed by sluicing. For this purpose a No. 2 Joshua Hendy giant is used, throwing a 12-in. stream', and having 60 lb. pressure at the nozzle. The water is drawn through an 8-in. pipe from Cedar river, about 1,000 ft. distant, by means of a Worthington four-stage centrifugal pump, direct connected with a 100-h.p. motor placed just south of the factory, and 1,500 ft. from the nozzle This plant handles the material satisfactorily to a height of about 75 ft. above the level of the top of the shale. When the higher levels are worked, an auxiliary plant consisting of a four-stage Byron Jackson centrifugal pump with a 100-h.p., belt-connected motor, is thrown into the system. This plant is situated on top of the shale and can be discerned at the extreme right of the trestle work in Fig. 1.

Jan 9, 1914

By P. D. Merica

The remarkable phenomena exhibited by the aluminum alloy known as duralumin were discovered during the years 1903-1911 by A. Wilm1,2 and have been described by him and by others. 3 4 5 6 The unusual feature of this alloy is the fact, as was shown by Wilm, that it can be hardened quite appreciably by quenching from temperatures below its melting point followed by aging at ordinary temperatures, which consists merely f allowing the material to stand at these temperatures. The hardness is not produced by the quenching alone but increases during the period of aging, which may be from one to three days. Cohn3, 5 gives data showing the increase of hardness of duralumin during aging, after quenching in water from about 450° C. Upon annealing, the alloy so hardened by aging is softened exactly as is hardened steel. The composition of this alloy usually varies within the following limits: Copper, 3 to 4.5 per cent.; magnesium, 0.4 to 1.0 per cent.; manganese, 0 to 0.7 per cent.; aluminum, balance; iron (as impurities), 0.4 to 1 per cent.; silicon, 0.3 to 0.6 per cent. Its density is about 2.85. It is used only in the forged or rolled condition. This alloy has been produced for some years commercially and is in demand for the fabrication of parts for which both lightness and strength are required, such as for aircraft. Its tensile strength will average 50,000 to 60,000 lb. per. sq. in. (3515 to 4218, kg. per sq. cm.) after appropriate heat treatment, such as that described by Wilm.

Jan 6, 1919

By Guy N. Bjorge

HOMESTAKE'S mining methods today are of necessity controlled to a considerable extent by that which has been done in the past. This may be shown by the fact that our two main operating shafts now, the B. & M. and Ellison, were begun in 1878 and 1896 respectively, so that-the loca-tions of shafts, locations of all the drifts on the upper levels, and a great deal of sloping was done before any of us now connected with the mine had anything to do- with it. Anything that I may say is not to be construed as criticism of those who have gone before for it would be a sad commentary indeed on us if we had not learned something from their experience. The levels down to the 1100 in the Homestake mine are spaced at 100-ft. intervals, and below that at 150-ft. intervals. The general plan of develop-

Jan 1, 1934

By W. M. Corse

AT THE TURN of the century the nonferrous alloy industry was awakening to the value of scientific metallurgy, and brass foundries and rolling mills began to establish their own research laboratories for scientific research and control. As the industry grew and its scope broadened it became apparent that an organization was needed that would stand in the same relation to the nonferrous industry as the American Foundrymen's Association did to the iron foundry business. The brass founders' group of the foundrymen's association discussed the matter and it was finally decided to appoint a com- mittee to draw up a constitution for a new organization to be known as the American Brass Founders' Association. Charles J. Caley was chairman and Dr. Richard Moldenke secretary of this committee. The object of the organization as defined by the constitution was the study of the technological development of alloying and founding non- ferrous metals, and furthering the advance of nonferrous metallurgy and the standardization of materials and operations in cooperation with the Bureau of Standards and engineering societies.

Jan 1, 1932