Search Documents

By Robert H. Richards, Richard W. Lodge

A great deal of speculation, as well as actual experiment, has been devoted to ascertaining the changes in the materials (luring their descent in an iron blast-furnace, affecting (1) the chemical constitution, (2) the mechanical condition, and (3) the arrangement of the materials. With a view to throw some light upon the third question, we constructed a model and tried experiments which are here described. Our model is a vertical section of a furnace, with the lines of the Edgar Thomson furnace D of 1885 for the use of which we arc indebted to Mr. Gayley. The model is 40 inches high, and made to scale (1/2 inch equals 1 foot), and the horizontal section of the space through which the charge falls at any point in the descent is 11/2 in. x d, d being the diameter of the furnace at that place. We are unable to say just where the idea of making this model came from ; perhaps, partly from The Principles of the Manufacture of Iron, and Steel, 1884, I. Lowthian Bell, p. 124 ; partly, also, from

Jan 1, 1888

By Theodore W. Robinson

WHEREVER the amount of work renders it practicable the plan of using permanent standard solutions, in connection with the colorimetric carbon test, affords such manifold advantages that it is to be strongly recommended. That it has not attained a wider and more general application, is mainly due to the fact that, as the method is generally employed, the difficulty attending the production of the colors, and their doubtful stability when produced, have been only too evident to those who have undertaken their composition. The old method of using standard solutions made from sugar, coffee, etc., has always been hampered by the tendency of the colors to change upon exposure to the light, and the consequent liability to serious error, unless they are closely watched. Appreciating these difficulties, while recognizing the desirability of permanent colors, Mr. Magnus Troilius, at the suggestion of Prof. F. L. Erkmann, investigated the properties of cobalt, copper and ferric chlorides, with the view of determining their efficacy in the production of standard solutions. His results, as obtained, seem to have been satisfactory, but his treatment failed to eliminate many of the objections that have rendered the use of organic colors undesirable. The

Jan 1, 1888

By W. L. Austin

The only essential difference among the three methods of collecting the precious metals from their low-grade ores by fusion is comprised in the nature of the vehicle in which those metals are concentrated. If lead- or coppper-ores are used, the processes are respectively lead- or copper-smelting; but when the sulphide of iron forms the matrix in which the gold and silver are collected, the process is known as pyritic smelting. The latter method presents rarely any advantages when lead- or copper-ores are available at rates which permit profitable treatment. Pyritic silver-smelting, defined by Percy as " the smelting of silver-ores, which are either free from lead or do not contain it in sufficient quantity to collect the silver, in conjunction with pyrites, in order to produce a regulus in which the silver may be concentrated," is not, as the name would imply, confined to ores of this metal alone, but embraces auriferous silver-ores, or even gold-ores simple. This method of collecting the precious metals from lowgrade dry ores, employed at Freiberg by Barthel Kohler in 1585, does not appear, up to the present, to have been introduced into this country on a working scale. And yet the possibility of getting rid in a single operation of all the earthy or siliceous gangue of a lowgrade ore and concentrating the precious metals in a matte without loss of lead (which includes gold and silver) by slagging, or volatilization, at the same time producing a highly siliceous slag, very nearly if not quite as clean as is usual in lead-smelting, certainly commends itself. In some parts of the country, owing to the com-

Jan 1, 1888

By Theo B. Comstock

In the summer of 1877, the writer led a party of four young men from Cleveland, Ohio, by way of the Great Lakes, to Prince Arthur's Landing (now Port Arthur), at the northwest corner of Lake Superior, thence, via the Dawson route and side journeys, as far as Cross Lake. It was the original intention to pass down the Pigeon river to its mouth, but the loss of one member of the party for six days in the forest, added to other obstacles, made it necessary to turn back. A well-filled note-book, together with illustrative collections, were sunk beyond recovery at the head of the Maligne rapids by the breaking of a tow-line, and two of our number (including myself) narrowly escaped drowning. I had, probably, obtained information of considerable economic value, but the necessity of travelling nearly 125 miles for provisions (excepting a meagre supply kindly furnished us by a Canadian government gang whom we fortunately met), rendered further note-taking impossible. Until now, such results of this expedition as could be recorded . from memory have gone unpublished, because of my inability to make them serve any useful purpose. The trip of the Institute to Vermilion Lake, only a few miles south and east of our turning point, gives some little excuse for presenting the following lines at this time. The ridge back of Port Arthur, Ontario, which follows approximately the course of the Lake Superior shore line, brings up the slates and accompanying strata through which the silver and gold veins of that region have penetrated. The interior district, hack from the lake, may be briefly described as a glaciated area, having its general drainage less modified by erosion than by the original structure. This statement, however, must be somewhat qualified with reference to minor details, which all bear the unmistakable impress of the ice-flow and its recession. In many respects there is much in this tract to remind one of the Sault Ste. Marie topography, excepting that the granitic character of the rocks is here largely replaced by fissile strata. The Kaministiquia river cuts through several of the parallel folds,

Jan 1, 1888

By Chas. A. Ashburner

The occurrence of oil- and gas-springs in the State of New York has been a fact of historical record since 1627, when the existence of the Cuba oil-spring was first recorded. The utilization of natural gas at Fredonia in 1821 attracted the attention of the public to the possibility of obtaining an illuminating gas by digging and drilling into the rocks. No active search was made, however, for oil or gas by the drilling of wells until after the discovery of commercial oil in Pennsylvania in 1859. In 1862 a well was drilled at Bradford, McKean County, Pennsylvania, but a few miles south of the New York state line, to the depth of 200 feet, in search of the oil-sand which had been found at Titusville, Oil City, and at other points in Western Pennsylvania. Immediately subsequent to this, other wells were drilled in search

Jan 1, 1888

By Fred P. Dewey

IN preparing material for the exhibit of the National Museum at the New Orleans Exposition in 1881, it was decided to attempt to photograph the interior of a coal-mine, in order to get a strictly truthful representation of a thick coal-seam, and to show incidentally the methods of mining. While we have many drawings, both mechanical and artistic, illustrating the subject, they are not satisfactory for these purposes, simply because they are drawings. Aside from this, much interest attaches to pictures of inaccessible places, and the enlarged copies (30 inches by 40 inches) of the photographs we succeeded in obtaining, have attracted a large amount of attention from the visitors to the Museum. The Kohinoor colliery, Shenandoah City, Pa., was selected as most suitable for the attempt, principally on account of the fine exposure of the Mammoth bed, and the comparatively level character of the workings, in that colliery. This is one of the many anthracite-mines of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. A detailed section of the fiftyfoot or Mammoth bed in this colliery is as follows: Feet. Inches. 1 0 Clod. 1 7 0 Coal. 1 0 Slate. Top Split. 8 0 Coal. 1 6 Slate divider.* 6 0 Coal. 1 0 6 Slate. 2 6 Coal. 0 5 Slate. 1 8 Coal. 1 2 Charcoal. 5 0 coal. 1 0 Bone and Coal. „ „ Coal. [ Bottom Split. 0 6 Bone and Slate. 3 0 Coal. 0 10 Bone and coal. 1 2 Coal. 0 2 Bone. 4 4 Coal. 0 1 Bone. 0 8 Coal.

Jan 1, 1888

By Clemens Jones

An interesting paper by J. E. Merion and Edward Hart, in Volume I., No. 2, of the Journal of Analytical Chemistry, on the Decomposition of Blast-Furnace Cinder by Acid, describes a plan of sampling the cinder by means of a previously-heated iron bar thrust into the cinder car or into the cinder at the notch, and then allowed to cool, thus chilling the cinder which adheres to the bar, and rendering it decomposable by hydrochloric acid, of 1.12 sp. gr. A short series of results is given, from which the deduction follows that blast-furnace cinder " is decomposed perfectly when chilled." Where many silica determinations are to be made, this method, if reliable, would effect notable economy of time and reagents. The conversion of insoluble silicates by fusion with an alkaline carbonate, together with the subsequent solution, evaporation, drying, etc., is destined to remain the standard method. But all fusionmethods are time-consuming and expensive. Chilling appears to render the supplementary method available for all practical purposes, in the determination of silica in cinder. But, with a view of securing more evidence on the subject, and in view of the fact that uniform results were not obtained by employing this method, it was decided to test the method in the laboratory of the Thomas Iron Company where a large number of silica determinations are made. The experience met with may not be devoid of value, both theoretical and practical. Mr. Iles's paper, in the Chemical News, Volume L., 1881, doubtless suggested to several chemists, connected with iron metallurgical

Jan 1, 1888

By James Herbert Bartlett

I desire, very briefly, to call the attention of the Institute to the iron trade of the Dominion of Canada. A wonderful development is now going on in Canada. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the numerous extensions of the various railways all over the country, combined with the progress made in nearly every kind of manufacture, is drawing attention to the field offered in Canada for the profitable employment of capital, and specially to the opportunity there is for the manufacture of iron. In a paper presented to the Institute at the Halifax meeting,* the writer gave a review of the varions attempts to manufacture iron in Canada. The facts then presented were not such as to offer much encouragement to any one to embark in similar enterprises under the conditions then existing, but, happily, these conditions are now changed, and an early development may be anticipated. There are two reasons which make the present time an appropriate one to direct attention to the field offered for enterprise in this direction, the first being the very favorable reports of the experts who examined and reported on the exhibit of minerals at the Colonial and Indian exhibition, held in London, England, last year. The exhibits there of coal and iron attracted so much attention that at the request of the Iron and Steel Institute a paper on the " Ironmaking resources of our Colonies as illustrated by the Colonial and Indian Exhibition," was prepared and read at the last meeting of the Institute.? This report of 135 pages is very exhaustive, and the conclusion arrived at, so far as Canada is concerned, is, that she has in many parts of the country every natural facility for the manufacture of iron. The second and more important reason is the recent change in the Canadian customs tariff inaugurated in May last. The tariff is now generally two-thirds of the American tariff, in addition to which the Government, in order to encourage the manufacture of iron, grants a bounty upon pig-iron made in Canada out of Canadian ore.

Jan 1, 1888

By E. B. Harden, J. H. Harden

The practical use to which topographical models or relief-maps have been put, has within the last few years taken a wider range. They are rapidly coming into favor for other than purely scientific purposes, and their value for illustration and instruction is being more fully appreciated. Topographical maps; representing by contour-curve lines the elevations and depressions of the earth's surface, are now demanded in engineering work of nearly every description, and afford a ready means of bringing out the configuration of the country in a simple manner. A beautiful example of recent topographical mapping is seen in the seventeen sheets just issued by the Geological Survey of New Jersey. By reason of the inability of unskilled persons to understand the nature of a topographical map, it is sometimes necessary to con struct the same in relief, with the rivers, canals, railroads, etc., delin eated upon it. With the aid of such a map, problems in engineer ing science which would otherwise require expert assistance to explain them, are reduced to a simple and understandable form. Relief-maps are also of value to the geologist in working out the geological structure. To the instructor they present the most ready and efficient means of imparting clear and accurate knowledge of topography and kindred subjects. To the lawyer they are invalua ble in enabling him to bring into the court-room a representation of a part of the country with all its features accurately shown, to ex plain to the court and jury the special points about which litigation is pending and which would otherwise require long and laborious description. The application of the topographical map to business purposes is shown in a relief constructed by the writers for the Cumberland Valley Railroad Company and used by that company in the various ways of calling attention to the desirability of its route. This model is based partly on actual survey and partly on sketch topography. The horizontal scale is ,%, the vertical 1/19,200 of

Jan 1, 1888

By W. H. Adams

Among the engineering plants with new features and deserving details which are constantly being brought to the working stage in the Southern States by the generous expenditure of capital, none can exceed in interest, whether to the public or the profession, the incline-railway built from base to summit of Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Much geological and historical interest centers in this section of the middle mountain-country. Of its geology, the Transactions of the Institute contain many particulars. Of its history, the most

Jan 1, 1888

By John Birkinbine

In the belief that a resume of what will be exhibited during this meeting, and a brief record of progress in the seven years which have elapsed since the Institute's first visit to Lake Superior would be interesting, the following statistical data have been prepared or copied from the most reliable sources, and considerations are also presented concerning the development or utilization of some of the resources of the Lake Superior Region. When the Institute, on the return trip from enjoying the charming panoramas of Thunder Cape or Isle Royale, and inspecting the unique development of Silver Islet, passed, in August, 1880, through the St. Mary's Falls ship canal, en route to Escanaba, the boat was lowered from the level of Lake Superior to that of Michigan and Huron lakes (18 feet), through two locks each 70 feet wide and 350 feet long, which had been in use since 1855. But as these locks accommodated vessels which drew 12 feet of water or less, a new lock 80 feet wide, 515 feet long and admitting vessels of 16 feet draught was approaching completion and was opened in September, 1881. The time required to pass the locks was utilized by the members in examining the work upon this new lock and in viewing the Sault Ste. Marie, which in discharging from Lake Superior all average volume of 90,783 cubic feet of water per second, forms a rapid, falling 18 feet in one mile. But the lake traffic through the St. Mary's ship-canal has developed so rapidly that another and larger lock is now required, and work has been commenced by the

Jan 1, 1888

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 Byron W. Cheever

At the meeting of the Institute held in St. Louis, in October, 1886 (Transactions, xv., 448), I presented a paper upon the above subject. From the well-known action of certain solvents on phosphide and phosphate of iron, the conclusion was then reached, founded on analyses, that phosphide and phosphate of iron must be present in all iron. But this conclusion was based upon the reactions obtained in the analyses of iron phosphide and phosphate, in which the phosphorus existed in conditions different from those found in commercial iron. In the former, the phosphorus is concentrated ; in the latter, diffused. This fact left a reasonable ground for doubting the existence of phosphoric acid in commercial irons. Some direct method was therefore sought which would prove its presence. After investigating the subject for some time, I came to

Jan 1, 1888

By Frank C. Roberts

Progress in the facilities for handling mining products has been largely superinduced by the necessities of commercial economy ren dered requisite in order to meet the demand of competition. So rapid has been the depreciation in the value of mineral products, primarily due to the disproportionate increase of output over con sumption, that it may be justly claimed that mining, when considered as a commercial success, depends largely upon the ease and cheap ness by which the products are brought to the surface of the ground. In all methods of performing this operation, wire rope enters as an important factor; and the object of the present sketch will be to explain, as fully as is consistent with the space allotted, the various • adaptations of wire rope employed in placing coal and ores within the reach of our overground systems of transportation. These adaptations will be considered in the following order: I. Hoists. II. Inclined planes. a. Engine planes. b. Gravity planes. c. Aerial planes. III. Haulage. a. Tail-rope system. b. Counter-rope system. c. Endless-rope system. IV. Hoists. The term " hoist" is applied to the system whereby the mine product is elevated from the mine-level to the surface through ver-

Jan 1, 1888

General Gold was discovered in quartz veins at Wiluna in 1896, and the first lode was discovered in 1904. Since 1896, some 2.5 million ounces of gold have been produced from the Wiluna area. The mining operations at Wiluna are 100 per cent owned by Wiluna Gold Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wiluna Mines Ltd. Oxide and sulphide gold ore is extracted by conventional open pit mining techniques, and ran-of-mine ore is processed through two separate circuits. The oxide circuit has a capacity to treat 600 0(X) tonnes per annum and the sulphide circuit has a capacity to treat 400 (XX) tonnes per annum. Additional gold is won by dump leaching sub-grade oxidised ore and by retreating of primary ore flotation tailings from previous operations. Testwork carried out in 1990 indicated the viability of leaching dumps of run-of-mine oxide ore, and in June 1991 Signet Engineering of Perth, WA, was awarded an EPCM contract to construct a nominal 2.5 million tonne dump leach facility, for a total construction estimate of 51.75 million.

Jan 1, 1994

By E. E. Malouf

With the continued development of low-grade porphyry copper deposits by open pit mining, substantial amounts of copper-bearing strip material have been accumulated in waste dumps adjacent to the many large mines. Since the end of World War II, the production of copper from leaching these copper-bearing wastes increased from approximately 4% of the total copper production to 10% by the early 1960's. Projected increases will probably raise this figure to 20 to 30% by the early 1970's. Furthermore, a gradual recognition of the economic feasibility of leaching mined-out areas is evident and will undoubtedly contribute additional production. Waste dumps in canyons and gulches on the periphery of open pit mines, mine stopes, caved areas, and abandoned open pits often contain substantial quantities of leachable rock ranging in concentration from 0.1 to 0.4% copper. Recent developments in the leaching of copper, mainly the recognition of bacterial oxidation of sulfide minerals combined with better under- standing of the control of the salt content of the leach solutions, both by adjusting the pH and/or by hydrolysis, are resulting in a greatly expanded recovery of copper from these hitherto uneconomic mine rejects. 11.5-1. Mechanism of Leaching. Leaching processes for the extraction of metal values from mine ore or waste may be classified for convenience as either chemical leaching or bacterial leaching. Chemical leaching is considered to be the extraction of soluble salts by metathesis in acidic, basic, or neutral water solutions. The reactions involved may be evaluated by chemical thermodynamics. Bacterial leaching, although a chemical process, is dependent on biological catalysis and this is generally a much more complex process. This justifies its separate treatment in the application to leaching. Acid ferric sulfate solutions are commonly employed in the mining industry to leach valuable metals from metal sulfide ores. The leaching mechanism is a reduction-oxidation reaction in which minerals are oxidized at the expense of ferric sulfate. Such chemical leaching is profitable when

Jan 1, 1968

By S. Frimpong, G. Galecki

Dump truck tires are often used in long-haul roads in rugged terrain, with high rolling and grade resistances. These conditions increase the ton-kilometer-per-hour (tkm/hr) or short-ton-mile-per-hour (stmph)rating of tires, leading to tread wear, cuts and complete failures. The load-bearing capacities of these tires are sometimes exceeded, with truck overloading, overstressing, heating and subsequent failures. In addition, truck tire demand far exceeds the current supply capacity, with long lead ordering time. This condition has caused severe tire shortage, and the problem is expected to be sustained in the long-term. Industry has taken extensive practical measures to prolong tire service life with significant results. However, this problem can be solved through fundamental and applied research initiatives. This paper pioneers a research effort in tire service life using multibody physics, fatigue failure modes and soil failure dynamics to develop tire-road contact force dynamics. A virtual prototype simulator of the tire-road contact, using the CAT 775E (with standard tire 24.00R35) was developed and simulated within the MSC.ADAMS/NASTRAN environments. The results show the areas of the loaded tires with maximum Von Mises, principal and shear stresses, which could result in fatigue failure, tire wear and tear and blowouts. The maximum Von Mises stresses on the six truck tires are between 35 and 58 MPa. The maximum shear stresses are also between 19 and 33 MPa. These stresses will cause early tire failures given an average operating schedule of between 20 and 24 hours per day. The isolated areas with maximum stresses will be subjected to further studies to reduce stress intensity while preserving tire performance.

Jan 1, 2012

This paper sets out to consider a specific type of corrosion protection system, which is referred to as a Duplex Coating system. The dictionary describes a duplex system as consisting of two elements or a “twofold” composition. The duplex system described in this presentation is such a two-part corrosion protection coating, viz, hot dip galvanizing as the firm base or primer, followed by a top paint system designed to combat severe corrosive environmental conditions encountered in nature. In principle, the duplex system is a cost effective and balanced, designed coating that is suited to the environmental conditions and service life requirements.

Jan 1, 2009

By Michael Heximer, Dominic Verfielst, Timothy Moore

"Teck's Trail Operations recently installed new pressure filters in the cold stage purification step in the zinc leaching plant. Alloy 2205 duplex stainless steel was chosen as the material of construction as it was in use in the hot stage purification operation. Within a year of commissioning, an unacceptably high rate (greater than 1 mm/y) of corrosion was observed on the weld heat affected zone (HAZ). Laboratory and field tests were conducted to establish the conditions under which the corrosion was occurring. The tests isolated the aggressive conditions to a unique combination of materials present during the filter regeneration stage. Furthermore, the change of the duplex grain structure of the alloy during welding resulted in the HAZ being more susceptible to the corrosive environment. A new material of construction was recommended as a result of the investigation.IntroductionThe sulphide leaching plant uses four horizontal tank pressure leaf filters to remove solids precipitated in the cold stage electrolyte purification process. The current filters were installed in 2007, and replaced a bank of filter presses. The material of construction for the filters - alloy 2205 duplex stainless steel - was selected based on its successful use in similar service areas of the leaching plant. However, within the first year, unexpected and rapid corrosion of the filter tank material was observed. Although moderate general corrosion was noted throughout the filters, the attack was particularly aggressive in the areas where intense heat was applied during fabrication, observed at the HAZs caused by welding, and on the exposed edge grain of the duplex plates. On the inaugural annual inspection of the filters in the first year of operation, a corrosion penetration rate of 1.0 to 1.5 mm/y was observed at the HAZs. The parent plate of the pressure tank was a minimum of 6 mm, with a minimum allowable thickness of 3 mm under the ASME pressure tank design rules. Therefore, the projected useful life of the filters could then be roughly calculated to be two to three years. Urgent action was required to understand and correct this problem."

Jan 1, 2012

DuPont is a chemical and energy multi-national of approximately 90,000 employees. Often regarded as the world leader in injury reduction and process safety management, DuPont operate 140 manufacturing sites around the globe. Conoco is a wholly owed subsidiary of DuPont which is involved in oil, gas and coal exploration.   Throughout this paper I will discuss DuPont statistics, developing a safety culture and training process as well as discussing possible short comings in the New Zealand safety focus. I will conclude with my recommended improvements and issues for New Zealand companies to focus on.   It is very difficult to compare DuPont and New Zealand statistics through lack of compatibility in recording methods and my ability to interpret ACC's Injury Statistics. However through considering DuPont's statistics, and comparing them to your own companies or departments, you will agree they are indeed impressive. I hope that by discussing DuPont's safety philosophy, and possible shortfalls within New Zealand Legislation many of you will find ideas and inspiration which will help you to further reduce your own injury rates.

Jan 1, 1997