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By Thomas Egleston

DURING the year 1873, my attention was called to the frequent accidents, resulting from the breaking of rails, on the different railroads in this' country, and I was requested to investigate the subject. The plan of investigation I proposed was to ascertain, in as many cases as possible, the exact hist* of broken rails, both in this country and in Europe; to collect information in Europe relating to the tests which rails used there were required to undergo, and to experiment upon the pieces of rails broken on the road, with a view to ascertain whether their fracture was due to their chemical constitution, bad manufacture, to a reduction in strength owing to temperature, or to physical changes in the constitution of the rail. The investigation was commenced by the collection of statistics, and for this purpose I spent several months in Europe, collecting information on the subject of broken rails, as well as the life of iron and steel rails generally, and inquiring into the systems of purchasing and of testing them employed by the railroads there, intending, on my return, to make a series of analyses of rails broken, both in this country and in Europe; to ascertain, if possible, how far great cold had an influence on the fracture; to examine whether the rail broken, either on the road or afterwards, underwent, at or about the fracture, any physical change, and to make a series of experiments on the strength of rails manufactured in the United States or sold in the American market. Unfortunately, the panic of 1873 came on, just before my return from Europe, and prevented the carrying out of the larger part of the plan proposed; as, however, I had collected in the meantime, a large number of statistics of different kinds from all parts of Europe, and had made a number of interesting experiments and investigations, I have thought it would be worth while to communicate some

By T. Egleston

DURING the year 1873, my attention was called to the frequent accidents, resulting from the breaking of rails, on the different railroads in this country, and I was requested to investigate the subject. The plan of investigation I proposed was to ascertain, in as many cases as possible, the exact history of broken rails, both in this country and in Europe; to collect information in Europe relating to the tests which rails used there were required to undergo, and to experiment upon the pieces of rails broken on the road, with a view to ascertain whether their fracture was due to their chemical constitution, bad manufacture, to a reduction in strength owing to temperature, or to physical changes in the constitution of the rail. The investigation was commenced by the collection of statistics, and for this purpose I spent several months in Europe, collecting information on the subject of broken rails, as well as the life of iron and steel rails generally, and inquiring into the systems of purchasing and of testing them employed by the railroads there, intending, on my return, to make a series of analyses of rails broken, both in this country and in Europe; to ascertain, if possible, how far great cold had an influence on the fracture ; to examine whether the rail broken, either on the road or afterwards, underwent, at or about the fracture, any physical change, and to make a series of experiments on the strength of rails manufactured in the United States or sold in the American market. Unfortunately, the panic of 1873 came on, just before my return from Europe, and prevented the carrying out of the larger part of the plan proposed ; as, however, I had collected in the meantime, a large number of statistics of different kinds from all parts of Europe, and had made a number of interesting experiments and investigations, I have thought it would be worth while to communicate some

Jan 1, 1875

By R. G. Knickerbocker, R. R. Lloyd, W. T. Rawles

In July 1041, the Experiment Station of the Bureau of Mines at Boulder City, Nevada, began a study of methods of producing magnesium metal from magnesium oxide, with particular emphasis upon the direct use of magnesium oxide in a molten chloride electrolyte. The program was extended to include pilot-plant study of chemical methods for the preparation of pure magnesia from dolomites and magnesites. Preliminary work on the production of magnesia from dolomite was done with the cooperation of Kobert D. Pike and the Harbison-Walker Refractories Co. These investigatipns included a cooperative arrangement whereby the Bureau tested certain steps of the Harbison-Walker-Pike process. The process finally developed by the Bureau includes the precarbonation mixing step of the H.W.P. flowsheet prepared by Mr. Pike. Two magnesium-reduction plants using MgO as a source of magnesium were being constructed in the West, and they enormously stimulated interest in various dolomite deposits as possible sources of the magnesia needed by them. This paper describes one phase of this program—the operation of a pilot plant for producing cell-grade magnesia from dolomite from Sloan, Nevada. The process developed for this purpose is an adaptation of a well-known process first proposed by Clossonl and modified by others,2"1 involving the use of calcium chloride and carbon dioxide. It is based on the following chemical reactions: MgCl2 + Ca(OH)2 = CaCl2 + Mg(OH)2 [1] Mg(OH)4 + CaCU + CO2 = MgCl2 + CaCO, + H2O [2] The first reaction proceeds almost completely to the right because of the much greater solubility of calcium hydroxide as compared with magnesium hydroxide. Under equilibrium conditions, when only the four components shown in reaction I are involved, the ratio of magnesium to calcium in solution, according to solubility-product relationship, will be: This reaction is the basis of present commercial processes for recovering magnesium from sea water and dolomite. The second reaction is, in effect, a reversal of the first reaction produced by adding COz. This reaction also proceeds nearly to completion, the solubility relationship being: Ca where P indicates partial pressure of COz, in atmospheres.

Jan 1, 1944

By Chester A. Rowland, David M. Kjos

Mineral ore comminution is generally a feed preparation step for subsequent processing stages. Grinding, the fine product phase of comminution, requires a large capital investment and frequently is the area of maximum usage of power and wear resistant materials. Grinding is most frequently done in rotating drums utilizing loose grinding media, lifted by the rotation of the drum, to break the ores in various combinations of impact, attrition and abrasion to produce the specified product. Grinding media can be the ore itself (autogenous grinding - primary and secondary), natural or manufactured non- metallic media (pebble milling) or manufactured metallic media - steel rods, steel or iron balls. This chapter covers rod and ball mills which utilize manufactured metallic grinding media. Fig. 1 shows the cross section of an overflow rod mill, Fig. 2 an overflow ball mill, and Fig. 3 a diaphragm (grate) discharge ball mill.

Jan 1, 1978

By A. L. Lee, M. H. Gonzalez, R. F. Bukacek

Experimental viscosity data for methane are presented for temperatures from 100 to 340F and pressures from 200 to 8,000 psia. A summary is given of the available data for methane, and a comparison is presented for that data common to the experimental range reported in this paper. Correlation of the data is presented, and predicted values are given for temperatures up to 460F and pressures up to 10,000 psia. INTRODUCTION The increasing ranges of temperature and pressure at which fluids are produced, transferred and processed in the petroleum and chemical industries stress the need for accurate information on physical properties, both for engineering calculation and for improving the methods used to estimate physical properties. A survey of the literature reveals that disagreements between published data on the viscosity of methane are common and that most investigations have been conducted over restricted temperature and pressure ranges. This situation made it desirable to undertake an investigation with a scope common to most of the literature data available. APPARATUS AND MATERIALS The apparatus used in this investigation was the capillary tube viscometer'described by Dolan,10 with modifications introduced in the general design and operation of the instrument. It has an effective pressure range from 14.7 to 10,000 psia and a temperature range from room temperature to 400F. The design of the viscometer is based on the establishment of a manometric head between two vessels containing the test fluid and a volume of mercury. The reservoirs are connected by a capillary tube through which the test fluid flows and a tube through which mercury flows. A pressure gradient is established by elevating one of the vessels above the other, the resulting flow of mercury displacing the test fluid through the capillary. The schematic diagram of the system (Fig. 1) shows the arrangement of the equipment auxiliary to the viscometer. The density cells assembly (E, Fig. 1) was not used in this investigation since reliable data are available on methane. 23 The assembly consists of a bank of eight 316 stainless steel pycnometers. Experimental values of the density of a natural gas19 and i-butane14 samples have been obtained for pressures up to 8,000 psia and temperatures up to 340F. The methane used was obtained from the Southern California Gas Co. Mass spectrometric analysis showed a composition of 99.8 percent CH4, 0.1 percent C2H6 and 0.1 percent C3H8. EXPERIMENTAL VALUES AND ACCURACY OF DATA Determinations were carried out at several temperatures. With the temperature in the cabinet controlled at a given level, a series of runs were made at various pressures. To establish pressures lower than that obtained from the methane cylinder, it was necessary to vent the gas slowly to the atmosphere until the desired pressure was reached. The consistency of the test run time for a particular condition can be used as a criterion for the accuracy of the data. A further check is obtained by comparison of the viscosity values obtained using different driving heads. To establish the instrument's reproducibility, a large number of runs were made at three completely different conditions of temperature and pressure. Data obtained were analyzed statistically to determine the most reliable value for the variance of the experimental data. It was found that the variances of the data taken at different experimental conditions were not statistically equivalent, but they were small. The largest variance was found at 8,000 psia and 100F, where the standard deviation was 0.385 micropoise. Therefore, 99.9 percent of the data can be expected to fall within 1.15 micropoises of the population mean, except for the intervention of systematic errors in operation.

By James R. Aggson, John C. Curran

In a cooperative research effort, the US Bureau of Mines Denver Mining Research Center and the Pittston Co. investigated floor heave ground control problems that have plagued underground coal mining of the Beckley coalbed in southern West Virginia. Floor heave is accompanied by a redistribution of stresses and loads that are associated with underground openings, causing roof and pillar problems. The floor and roof analysis techniques that were used in the USBM/Pittston investigation may have a wide range of applicability in the mining industry. Recommended orientations and geometries for mining operations are directed at floor problems, but may also enhance roof stability.

Jan 1, 1980

By E. P. Pfleider

IT is generally believed that the amount of diamond drilling will increase appreciably in the next decade, as the search for minerals throughout the world becomes more difficult and intense. An attendant problem may be one of short diamond supply, resulting in higher bit and drilling cost. With this background, the U. S. Bureau of Mines1 and the School of Mines at the University of Minnesota2 have established comprehensive research programs in diamond drilling. One of the several aims is the design of a more efficient bit, which would lower diamond consumption and increase rate of advance, both essential in reducing drilling costs.

Jan 2, 1953

By Thomas Fraser

Because of the present interest in the subject of sulfur in coal and its removal, such information as is available in the coal-washing literature on the various factors that determine the adaptability of a coal for wash- ing have been collected and are presented here together with some observations based on results of experimental work carried out in the coal-washing laboratory of the mining department of the University of Illinois, and investigative work at Illinois nrasheries in connection with the work on reduction of the sulfur content of coal, being carried on at the Urbana Station of the U. S. Bureau of Mines. This investigative

Jan 1, 1920

By T. B. Counselman

THE importance of concentration of iron ores too low in grade to be smelted direct is shown by Table I, showing 1940 ship- [ ] ments from the Lake Superior district. Canadian ores are omitted. [ ] Only in Minnesota is concentrating, other than crushing and screening, practiced at present. Tonnage produced by various methods of concentration is shown in Table 2. The curves in Fig. I show the gradual increase in tonnage of concentrated ores shipped, compared with total shipments from Minnesota. Most of the concentration work is performed on the Mesabi Range. This range is about 100 miles long, and not over 3 miles wide from the line at which the formation tapers out to a feather edge on the north to the place on the south at which, some 600 ft. thick, it is overlain with slates. CLASSES OF ORE The Mesabi Range contains three classes of iron ore. First is the unaltered taconite, or banded iron-bearing chert. It is estimated that there are some 60 billion tons of this material, which contains, roughly, 25 to 30 per cent iron. This material is virtually untouched, since no commercially successful method has yet been found for concentrating it to a grade suitable for the blast furnace. Intensive experimental work is in progress, and the problem is gradually being solved. In 1922 the Mesabi Iron Co. spent several million dollars erecting a large-scale pilot plant for concentrating and sintering the magnetic taconites on the east end of the range. An important tonnage of high-grade sinter was shipped to lower lake furnaces, proving that the taconite can be concentrated to a satisfactory grade. The costs, with equipment and methods then in use, were too high for

Jan 1, 1941

By G. W. Land, A. F. Duzy

There have been some problems associated with hot coal, defined as oxidizing coal heating toward ignition temperature, in shipments from the US to overseas markets. This paper will provide, first, a brief review, together with a selective bibliography. Second, a thorough discussion of coal oxidation is covered. Third, potential effects of storage are presented and, lastly, methods are suggested for the safe storage and bulk transfer of coal. The scope includes coal storage for power plants.

Jan 1, 1986

By Freeman Bishop

The House Ways and Means Committee recently heard a bitter dispute over whether gasoline with lead is a worse pollutant than gasoline without lead. The lead industry is also squarely in the middle of this dispute for obvious reasons. Lead used in gasoline amounts to 270,000 tpy, or more than 254 of the annual total mined in the U.S. Few industries can face the loss of such a market without wondering how they are to stay in business. The lead industry picked up unexpected support in this dispute, however, when the AFL-CIO stepped up with outright opposition to the President's proposal to tax lead in gasoline.

Jan 1, 1970

By E. N. Cameron

GRAPHITE has been included in U. S. lists of strategic minerals since the problem of mineral deficiencies was revealed during World War I. Since 1918 the domestic graphite industry has led a precarious existence, and there has been much uncertainty as to the amounts of usable graphite of various grades that would be available from domestic sources in time of emergency. In 1950-1951 therefore, the writer, assisted by Paul L. Weis, undertook a review of domestic graphite sources for the U. S. Geological Survey.' The conclusions of this study are presented here, with a discussion of some technologic and politico-economic factors bearing upon the problem. Uses of Graphite: Natural graphite as marketed exhibits a wide range of properties, which determine the uses to which it is put. The most essential uses are in the manufacture of crucibles and related refractory articles, in lubricants and packing materials, and in the manufacture of batteries, foundry facings, pencils, and carbon brushes. Numerous specifications covering the mineral in its various applications must be met by producers and processors of graphite. The problem of supply is therefore not simply one of procuring a sufficient total tonnage, but the more difficult problem of procuring enough of each different grade to meet foreseeable needs. The amount of graphite required by American industry is not large. Ordinarily only a few thousand tons of strategic grades are consumed annually, yet the elimination of this small tonnage would have serious effects in several industries. Strategic Graphite: Since World War I, 60 to 100 pct of the country's annual supply of graphite has been furnished from imports. At present, natural amorphous graphite for use in pencils and batteries is produced largely from American-owned mines in Mexico. Graphite for foundry facings is obtained from a number of sources. Neither grade is a serious problem. High purity graphite for carbon brushes and for pencil leads, however, is imported, largely from Ceylon, in the form of amorphous lump graphite. Most of the flake graphite used for crucibles and related refractory articles is likewise imported, largely from Madagascar, and much of the lubricant and packing grade graphite used by industry is obtained from the same source. The strateg'ic grades of graphite are therefore amorphous lump of the Ceylon type, crucible flake, and flake suitable for lubricants and packing. Ceylon lump and Madagascar flake have for many years been accepted as standard by domestic consumers of graphite, and various essential manufacturing processes are geared to the use of graphite from these sources. Ceylon graphite as marketed is classified into several grades based on particle size and purity. Processing methods are said to be simple, but the products marketed are carefully graded and are consistent in their characteristics, an important matter to the consumer. Nearly all the graphite produced in Ceylon is from veins. Resources are reported to be large, labor is cheap, production costs are low, and world competition is slight—factors accounting for the commercial success of the graphite mining industry in Ceylon. Madagascar is reported to have deposits of the Ceylon type, but its output consists almost entirely of flake. Madagascar graphite as received in the U. S. is further processed by importing organizations, and a large number of grades are produced to meet industry requirements, especially those for crucible flake and for lubricant and packing grade flake. Madagascar crucible flake as marketed is noted for coarseness, uniformity, toughness, clean-

Jan 1, 1957

By H. R. Peiffer

Composite alloys of silver and alumina are shown to resist flow above the melting point of the continuous matrix. The ability to resist flow depends on the fineness of the dispersion and the oxygen content of the silver. It is believed that the oxygen influences very strongly the bond between the molten silver and the finely divided alumina. RECENT needs for materials with high strength and creep resistance at high temperatures initiated mechanical property studies on dispersed phase materials to near the melting point of the continuous matrix material. Results' of these investigations have shown that certain of these materials do have promise for high-temperature applications. Experiments performed on composite materials of silver and alumina by the author have resulted in the discovery of an interesting effect above the melting point of the silver. In these materials the silver was continuous and the alumina very finely divided (Linde B). It was observed that these materials exhibited strength and resistance to flow above the melting point of the silver matrix. The purpose of this paper will be to describe these properties. METHOD OF PREPARATION The materials were prepared by mixing the proper amount of Linde B alumina and high-purity silver oxide. The alumina content was varied from 5 to 20 wt pct alumina in silver in 5 pct steps. The materials were mixed by blending the constituents in an ordinary food blendor using ethyl alcohol as a vehicle. Enough alcohol was added to the powders to form a mixture with the consistency of a thin mud. After blending for about | hr the material was dried and the silver oxide reduced by heating to 450 OC. The material was then pressed at 25 tsi into a -in. billets 3 in. long. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The specimens were horizontally supported at either end by knife edge supports of cold-rolled steel. This holder was then placed in a "globar" furnace and a chromel-alumel thermocouple placed very close to the specimen recorded its temperature to within 10°C. Each specimen was heated rapidly to 900°C initially. The specimens were held at temperature approximately 30 min and then the temperature was raised 50 deg. The procedure was repeated until deformation was noted. Photographs were made of the specimens at various temperatures and increments of time using a Polaroid Land camera. RESULTS Fig. 1 shows the 5 pct by weight "Linde B" alumina and silver material after reaching 980 °C. Failure occurred after 15 min at this temperature. There were two points of failure and silver collected at them. No additional flow of the molten silver was noted at any other place. Fig. 2 shows a 20 pct by weight "Linde B" alumina in silver specimen. After 30 min at 1400°C, bowing of this material was observed. Other concentrations of alumina were added to

Jan 1, 1961

RECENTLY seven Boy Scouts were chosen from all the troops in the United States for their all-around ability, excellence in' scouting, and special ability as writers. Two of the members of this selected group were sons of In-stitute members. In the accompanying illustration, Ber-nard Queneau, son of A. L. J. Queneau, of the U. S. Steel. Corp., can be seen at the extreme left, just behind Theo-dore Roosevelt, who is shaking hands with the boy next to. Carl Zapffe (standing in the middle with his hands behind him), the son of Carl Zapffe, manager of the iron ore prop-erties of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Jan 6, 1928

By M. Cross

INTRODUCTION The development of refining processes involving gas injection into liquid metals has seen the evolution of a variety of designs [I]. During the last few years or so the top, bottom and side blown processes have, essentially, been combined to produce a series of mixed gas blowing schemes (eg. the LBE [2,3] and LD-OB processes [4,5]). Although, a variety of mixed gas blowing processes have been carefully engineered and recorded operational experience now attests to their effectiveness, optimising their design and operational performance is another matter. Detailed process analysis of such operations is impeded by the complex nature of the physical and chemical processes involved: . fluid flow behaviour of the liquid metal and injected gases, . chemical reactions in the vessel, . mass and heat transfer within the fluid phases in the vessel, . influence of the geometry (eg. location of the tuyeres, etc.), . monitoring the operational performance. By and large, design and operating parameters evolve from a combination of laboratory scale experiments, pilot plant work and, of course, practical engineering experience. Conventionally, the gas-liquid system used to model the industrial process is air-water, for a number of valid reasons including – . visual demonstration plus geometric and (to some extent) dynamic similarity, . the fact that the system demonstrates, at least, qualitatively many of the complex features of gas injection - interaction between the gas and the liquid - the nature of the gas flow behaviour - qualitative indications of mass transfer rates Important experimental contributions to the understanding of gas liquid systems include the work of Brimacombe [6], Wraith [7], T.Robertson [8], D.Robertson [9], Guthrie [10] and Szekely [11] (these references provide starting points to identify the major published work in this area). Although air-water systems have been instrumental in providing a great deal of qualitative insight into the fluid flow behaviour of the processes, reliable quantitative predictions are more problematic. A number of workers (notably Brimacombe and colleagues [6, 12])have demonstrated that different gas-liquid systems can lead to wide variations in behaviour. Other limitations of physical modelling include the assumptions of isothermal flow, scale- up of turbulent flow behaviour and the inability to directly include the effects of chemical reactions. The above limitations in physical modelling, therefore, yield a natural role for mathematical modelling provided that it can be made comprehensive enough whilst remaining cost-effective. The major physical processes involved in gas injection systems may be summarised as . behaviour of the gas envelope structure in moving through the liquid metal . the global movement of the liquid metal . momentum interaction between the liquid metal and the injected gas . heat transfer and mass exchange via the chemical react ions. The behaviour of gas envelopes forming at a tuyere and then moving through the liquid has been investigated thoroughly by a large number of workers. Such models are generally based upon simple physic- al concepts derived from visual observation. An early model by Davidson and Schuler (DS), based upon a force balance between the liquid inertia and a combination of the bouyancy and momentum forces on the envelope, has proved to be a useful tool in predicting bubble volumes at detachment [13]. The DS model has been successfully modified in a number of ways [14-17] to cope with heat transfer and reactive transfer rates, etc. Furthermore, the basic ideas summarised above have also been confirmed on industrial converters by both Guthrie [I8] and Brimacombe [19]. Models have also been developed to predict the behaviour of the "chemical" component of some gas-liquid systems. However, one thing is clear; all gas-liquid reactive systems are governed by the degree to which effective mixing occurs. As such, the processes are dominated by the behaviour of the heat and mass exchange of the two phase fluid flow system. It is the pattern of movement of the turbulent liquid metal plus its interaction with the injected gas which must be predicted reliably, if sufficiently comprehensive comp-

Jan 1, 1984

By Giovanni Barla, Stefan H. Boshkov

This paper examines the application of gelatin mixture models to the study of factors such as gravity effects, tectonic and residual stresses, anisotropy, physical nonlinearity, time-dependent behavior of the rock mass and connectedness of the geologic space. The technique of calibrating gelatin mixtures proposed by Richards and Mark in 1966 is applied to the particular problem considered. Similitude relationships between model and prototype are discussed with reference to the constitutive equations describing the physical behavior of the rock mass. The interaction between two openings in a linearly elastic medium, under conditions of plane strain, is used as an illustrative example with the view to describing the history of stress and deformation changes on the rock medium and lining around a slusher drift while undercuts are made in block caving. The prediction of the displacement, stress field and mode of fracture associated with a given rock structure, its initial stress field, and its physical properties is essential to rock mechanics and ground control. The basic approach is to assume the rock mass to behave as a continuous, homogeneous, and isotropic medium. The classical theory of elasticity is the simplest theory based on such a concept. Specification of the elastic constants, the initial state of stress in the ground, and the boundary conditions on stress and displacement allows one to predict stress and displacement within the body. Subsequently, provided that a criterion which governs rock fracture under various stress conditions has been established, a stability analysis of the rock structure can be performed. A natural extension of the present knowledge consists of removing some of the simplifying assumptions which characterize the analytical solutions based on the classical theory of elasticity. Complex geometry, the significance of tectonic and residual stresses, anisotropy, physical nonlinearity, time-dependent behavior of the rock mass and connectedness of the geologic space are some of the important factors which are neglected in the classical approach. A better insight into the real problem can be attained with either the finite element method of stress analysis or an experimental technique. The former has already been applied with success on several occasion 1-4 and is destined to render great service in the field of rock mechanics and ground control. The latter, which will be considered in this paper, has been used extensively in applications too numerous to be enumerated. Experimental technique involves either prototype testing, if the area to be studied is accessible, or model testing. Two- and three-dimensional photo-elastic analyses are very convenient means of obtaining the stress distribution in models of complex geometry. In general, such analyses are confined to studies of stress fields around openings which are sufficiently far removed from the surface boundary so that the stresses in their neighborhood are practically equal to those produced by an initial uniform stress field; i.e., so that gravitational effects are negligible. There are, however, many rock structures where these effects must be taken into account to attain a more realistic representation of the problem. Surface and near surface rock structures, systems of openings interacting with one another, and structural components loaded only by their own weight are some of the obvious examples. This paper was written to show how factors neglected in the usual analysis based on the classical theory of elasticity, can be taken into account when gelatin mixture models are used inconjunction with photoelastic methods. The interaction between two openings in a linearly elastic medium, under conditions of plane strain, is used as an illustrative example, with a view to describing the history of stress and deformation changes on the rock medium and lining around a slusher drift while undercuts are made in block caving. The birefringence of gelatin mixtures has been known for some time. A series of experiments were carried out by Rossi in 1910,5 but after that very

Jan 1, 1970

By T. A. Rickard

The presentation to the Institute, eight years ago, of the paper of Pogepny on " The Geilesis of Ore-Deposits " has borne fruit in much fresh investigation, as is evidenced, for example, by the group of very valuable papers, by distirlguished members of the United States Geological Survey, read at the Washing-

Jan 1, 1902

By R. B. Moore

Page History................................ 708 What is Radioactivity?........................ 710 Disintegration Series.......................... 711 Radium Ore Deposits......................... 713 Metallurgical Treatment........................ 717 Methods of Ore Concentration..................... 722 Future Supply of Ore......................... 723 Uses of Radium............................ 723 Mesothorium as a Substitute for Radium................. 724 Discussion.............................. 725 Probably no other metal excites as much interest, among both scientific men and the general public, as radium. This is due partly to the high cost of radium salts and partly to the peculiar properties of the element. Since radium-bearing ores were discovered in the United States, the interest of American scientific men has been stimulated and, at the present time, more radium is extracted and refined in this country than in all the rest of the world together. HISTORY The property of radioactivity was discovered, partly by accident, by Henri Becquerel, the French physicist, in 1896. He was experimenting with certain fluorescent substances in order to find, if possible, a connection between fluorescence and the recently discovered X-rays. Among other chemicals which possess the property of fluorescence, he was using salts of uranium. His custom was to expose the fluorescent substance to the action of sunlight and then register the effect of possible penetrating radiation on a photographic plate protected from ordinary light. Bec-querel's experiments gave positive results at once, and he at first believed that he had discovered a relation between fluorescence and X-rays. Later he exposed a plate to a uranium salt which had not been previously exposed to sunlight. To his surprise, on developing this plate, he found that he had obtained the same effect as he had previously secured when

Jan 1, 1919

By J. E. Gosline

IN any theory of a hydrodynamic nature dealing with the vertical flow of gas-liquid mixtures in pipes, the two factors that present the greatest difficulty are the relative motion between the phases and the energy loss resulting from turbulence work. The former has generally been referred to in the literature as "slippage" and the latter as "fric-tion." A third factor of importance is the nature of admixture between liquid and gas for both the relative motion between the phases as well as the turbulence work are functions of the type of mixture. Although much work of a general nature has been performed on the vertical flow problem, there have been very few attempts made to study experimentally the factors involved in the phenomenon individually. Of these, perhaps the most notable is the work of Moore and Wilde1 on slippage. Some writers on the subject have assumed that over a wide range of operating conditions the controlling type of mixture, is one in which gas bubbles of uniform size are distributed throughout the liquid, and that the data obtained from experiments on the motion of single bubbles through various liquids may be used in evaluating the slippage. Ver-sluys2 has further assumed another controlling type of mixture in which the liquid occurs as a dispersed phase within the gas and applies data on the fall of drops of water in air to calculating the relative velocity. It was for the purpose of studying the applicability of data on single bubble motion to the slippage factor and to further observe the nature of mixtures that a research program was conducted at the University of California during 1932 and 1933. These experiments formed a basis for

Jan 1, 1935

Some years ago it was my good fortune to inspect some coal properties in Germany, and the most striking impression I received on my trip was that in that country every one in the coal industry, miners and operators, was proud of the fact-not apologetic about it-and that industrially coal was looked upon as a King. The explanation, of course, was that at least 90 per cent of the entire mineral value produced in Germany was from coal, and that it was the very foundation of the nation's industrial life. The feeling was so different from that existing in the United States among those engaged in producing coal that it made a profound impression on me, and many times since then I have speculated about the reasons for the difference in opinion in the two countries. Here, of course, our units are much smaller and more numerous, there is not so large a proportion of technically trained men, and we have the American trait of depreciating the things we do at home; but among those not actively

Jan 1, 1939