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By P. D. Merica

Certain compositions of the light, i:e., aluminum-rich, alloys of aluminum with magnesium and copper have become quite well known within the past ten years under the name of duralumin. These alloys are used for rolling and forging and can be so treated as to develop quite remarkable mechanical properties. Thus a properly heat-treated alloy containing about 4 per cent. of copper and about 0.5 per cent. of magnesium, rolled into sheet or rod, will have a tensile strength of approximately 55,000 lb. per sq. in. (3866 kg. per sq. cm.) with an elongation in 2 in. (50.8 mm:) of about 15 per cent. This alloy, duralumin, was developed by Wilm,1 and its properties more fully described by Cohn.2 The authors considered it worth while to investigate the mechanical possibilities of the light alloys of two somewhat analogous ternary series; namely, of aluminum-magnesium-nickel and of aluminum-magnesium-manganese, to study the effect of variation of composition upon mechanical properties within the alumimum-rich group of the aluminum-magne-

Jan 7, 1919

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.

Oct 1, 1956

By Tadeusz Cyrul

Results of a large scale compression test in situ are the subject of discussion. A cube of coal having an edge length of 1.5 meters was subjected to uniaxial compression tests in situ. At the same time both load and deformation were controlled. Deformations were measured on 60 short measurement bases, each 23 cm in length. The bases were uniformly distributed on the side surface of the cube, forming five horizontal rows and twelve columns on the development of the surface. Readings were taken from each gauge for each level of loading which was increased step by step. Due to heterogeneity of the rock, readings showed scatter. Scattered data were approximated by a plane, using the least squares method for each row separately and for the entire population of bases. Orientation of the planes are analyzed. The geometrical measure of the bending moment is introduced. It shows that the magnitude of the bending moment and the bending plane differed from row to row, thus implying that the cube was not only bent but twisted as well. This complex behaviour of the coal cube is apparently caused by its heterogeneity and vertical anisotropy. The results constitute a contribution to the verification of existing design criteria on the stability of mining pillars.

Jan 1, 1984

By John Wellington Finch

In August, 1927, the writer examined certain copper deposits in New Mexico1 which occur in beds of sandstones and shale, and in connection therewith reviewed the literature upon deposits of this type. Such deposits are known and have been reported upon at various points in Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, but in New Mexico they have been given more development than elsewhere and apparently occur there more conspicuously than in the other states. Some 25 years ago the writer examined deposits of similar origin in northern Arizona and more recently other deposits in western and southwestern Colorado, and these examinations have led him to realize how widely scattered are the deposits and how generally noncommercial they are. On superficial development, to one without a comprehension of their geologic nature, they are alluring on account of occasional small amounts of high-grade ore and much misplaced capital has been expended upon them. This paper, therefore, aims to present briefly certain theories of genesis, some details of which may possibly be new, and to lead up to practical conclusions which may be useful to other geologists and engineers. A bibliography of the more important literature upon such deposits is given below.2 Coffin's Bulletin upon the Radium, Uranium and Vanadium Deposits of Colorado, published in 1921, is a particularly clear discussion. The most comprehensive recent statement is Butler's.

Jan 1, 1928

By Bruce R. Lipin

Chromite, the only ore of chromium, occurs almost exclusively in mafic-ultramafic rocks and their weathering products. However, not all kinds of mafic-ultramafic rocks are favorable hosts for possible low-grade chromite deposits. For instance, chromium-bearing basalts are not favorable because they commonly contain <0.3% Cr203, and chromite is almost always less than 50 mp in diameter, if it is present at all. Chromite-bearing ultramafic rocks in stratiform and alpine complexes tend to be either ore grade (>25% chromite) or very low grade (<2% chromite); intermediate rocks are scarce. In most complexes, large tonnages exist only in the <2% chromite rocks and the composition of the chromite in those rocks may be unsuitable for metallurgical use. Some nickel laterite districts contain more than lo8 tons of material with 2.0 to 5.5% Cr203, and hence, chromium could be a byproduct of nickel in some laterite districts. In addition, some chromiferous sand placers may contain tens to hundreds of millions of tons of material between 2 and 5% Cr203

Jan 1, 1983

By J. C. Bartlett

The following discussion was suggested by an experiment of Mr. Krom, the Manufacturer of air-jigs, to illustrate the superiority of air over water as a medium of concentration. The paper is written in the interest of no system of concentration, but simply to test the experiment, and, perchance, to add something to the general fund of information on the subject. To speak of testing an experiment by a theoretical discussion, may seem a misuse of terms, but the theories concerning falling bodies and the resistance of fluids are pretty well crystallized into laws, which may properly be used to show where experiments which seem to refute them were improperly performed, and that instead of refuting they only corroborate. It is well known that a sphere of galena & inch in diameter, and a sphere of quartz 1/2 inch in diameter, are equal falling in water ; that is, these two spheres, being placed together in a column of water at rest or in motion, will practically remain together, filling or rising together, or remaining in suspension. Mr. Krom, to show that these

Jan 1, 1879

By John W. Cobb

The attempts of British investigators to arrive at definite knowledge concerning the nature of the nitrogenous constituents of coal have been mainly made through studies of the behavior of coal on carbonization and gasification. There have been carried out numerous determinitions of the distribution of nitrogen in the products of carbonization under laboratory and large-scale conditions; and by a careful consideration of the extent to which nitrogen is liberated, say as ammonia,. at different temperatures and under different conditions of operation as regards atmosphere, it has been possible to form some general notions as to the nature of the nitrogenous compounds present in the coal; and at the same time to arrive at clearer ideas as to what are the important operative factors in determining the ammonia yield under working conditions. This work has been spread over many years and is summarized below. The difficulties of connecting the results in such a way as to allow of the nitrogenous constituents of the coal being described in terms of specific organic structure are great. They arise, for example, in the carbonization process, because the phenomena of decomposition observed at any one temperature can only refer to compounds decomposing at that temperature, each of them with a previous history of chemical transformations occurring at lower temperatures. To put it in &other way, the compounds occurring in the coke at any stage are not in the least likely to be those present in the original coal. The same difficulty, in a milder form, occurs when the method of differential solution is attempted. There is always the preliminary question, almost impossible to answer, as to how far the separation by the use of the solvent has involved some form of decomposition of the original compounds. In the following summary, an attempt has been made to bring together results obtained by British workers.

Jan 1, 1925

By J. S. Johnson, W. C. McCulloch

All phases of plant operation must be synchronized so that the A number of interruptions in the flow of material may be reduced to a minimum. In the majority of plants operating under a labor agreement, time lost during the operating shift cannot be made up with overtime. With the work week restricted to 35 hr., the ratio of productive time to total time justifies extra effort in keeping the plant operating at capacity during the productive shift. This does not apply when central plants with adequate storage are operated by multiple shifts. In such installations the problems become similar to those of any factory or mill where added units, parallel circuits, or excess capacity serve to maintain the average production during intervals of maintenance shut- down. These plants, by special agreement, may run continuously, barring mechanical interruptions. The control of plant operation is in those procedures that are practiced to obtain from the run-of-mine product a high recovery of clean coal products to meet adopted trade standards and consumer specifications at the lowest possible cost. Correlation of all factors for continuous operation requires more than mechanical perfection in the plant. The run-of-mine coal must be delivered to the preparation plant without delays and the clean coal and refuse products taken away. Power supply and water requirements must be adequate. Signal systems must be established for emergency stops and to facilitate resumption of coal flow.

Jan 1, 1943

By George F. Becker

Complexity of Rock-Fractures.—The strains to which rocks have been subjected are manifestly very complex, and it is entirely safe to presume that every possible mode of deformation and rupture is exemplified. The most superficial inspection of any ordinary mountain region is sufficient to assure the observer that the rocks have been pressed, stretched, bent, buckled, twisted, and shorn. The study of torsional rupture cannot fail, therefore, to throw light on geological phenomena. The question is how areas which have been broken in this manner are to be distinguished from those which have yielded to other systems of forces. Phenomena of Joints.—It is well known that a large part of the more homogeneous rocks and some very heterogeneous rocks are intersected by partings often ailed joints. These partings are frequently flat surfaces even when seen in very large exposures, but are sometimes surfaces of moderate, single, or double curvature. Joint, usually occur in groups, in each of which the several partings are parallel to one another, and several such groups often intersect the same rock-mass. In such cases the different systems make large angles with one another. Nearly all students of the subject of jointing have reached the conclusion that joints are faulted surfaces, the dislocations usually being of small amplitude; and this conclusion receives abundant support from the study of thin sections under the microscope. It has thus been shown that much even of what would be regarded in hand specimens as mere slaty cleavage

Jan 1, 1895

BEFORE me is a colored mining-claim map of the productive portion of the Robinson Mining district-sometimes called the Ruth-Kimberly area-that lies a few miles west of Ely, Nevada. It covers an area of 20 sq mi and at the end of 1954 had produced just under 2,000,000 tons of copper and about 2,000,000 oz of gold as a by-product. The three principal colors on the map and the meaning of each are: Red -Property of the Nevada Mines Division of Kennecott Copper Corporation, formerly known as the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company. Yellow -Property of the Consolidated Coppermines Corporation. Green --Consolidated Coppermines property under lease to Nevada Mines. The striking feature of the map is the crazy-quilt intermingling of the colors and the tendency of property lines to intersect ore bodies. For example, the westerly one-fourth of Nevada Mines&apos; Copper Flat pit, source of most of the ore,up to date, is in Coppermines property. Nearly half of Nevada Mines&apos; Veteran pit is on leased claims; and Nevada&apos;s new Deep Ruth shaft is on a right of way on ground originally owned by Coppermines. On the other hand, the original Ruth underground mine and the new Kimbley pit are on Nevada Mines property; and the Morris and Brooks opencut mines, the most important of Cop-

Jan 1, 1957

By J. E. Willson, N. K. Bohidar

An evaluation of internal stress distribution based on photoelastic studies and destructive testing of simulation models shows that pillar failure is a function of the internal stress distribution, and that stability can be changed by altering the internal stress pattern. Induced stresses in three-dimensional epoxy disks subjected to uniaxial forces were evaluated by photoelastic studies. Stress profiles across different sections perpendicular to the loading direction revealed two maxima for each profile. Based on the stress distribution for the entire column, an attempt was made to explain pillar spalling and the hour glass pattern of failure in a mine pillar. For maximum stability and optimum design of mine pillars, it is necessary to consider the external forces, the nature and distribution of induced stresses and the characteristics of the pillar material as determined in the laboratory. This paper summarizes the research done by N. K. Bohidarl and Ben L. seegrniller2 as partial fulfilment of the requirement for Master of Science degree in Mining Engineering, University of Utah. It is an evaluation of a study to determine the stress distribution in short columns in order that regions of high stress concentration in mine pillars may be found and their effect on pillar failure be ascertained. The ratios of the dimensions of the columns studied are representative of those found in mines located in flat-bedded deposits. The weight of the overburden generally constitutes the major external force. This force is calculated by taking into account specific weight and thickness of the cover. Determination of the distribution of this force on pillars may often require a complex analytical study. There have been many investigations of the strength

Jan 1, 1968

By Julian Kennedy Edgar

THINKING that it may prove of interest to the Institute, I have prepared a short account of the blowing in and subsequent working of the "A" furnace of the Edgar Thomson Steel Works. This furnace was built for the purpose of making spiegel, but has been started and is now running on Bessemer iron. The shape and size of the furnace are shown in the accompanying drawing. It will be seen that the section is formed of lines making very small angles with each other. In fact, an arc of a circle can be drawn, from the top to the tuyeres, which will nowhere deviate more than two inches from the lines given. In building, also, great pains were taken to gradually round the angles, so that the most careful observer, standing in the crucible and looking upward, could not tell at what points the slopes changed. It will also be seen that the widest part of the furnace is almost exactly midway between the bottom and the stock line, The flattest slope is maintained for 20 feet above the crucible, and is about 1 s inch to the foot from the perpendicular. The furnace is lined with small brick throughout, and has six tuyeres four inches in diameter, which project seven inches inside of crucible. There are three Siemens-Cowper-Cochrane stoves, each 15 feet in diameter by 50 feet high. Blast is furnished by an upright engine with 32-inch steam cylinder, 84-inch air cylinder, and 48-inch stroke. The steam cylinder has balanced poppet valves, working horizontally. The steam valves are worked by a Porter link-movement in order to obtain a variable cut-off. The exhaust valves are worked by a separate eccentric. It is intended to attach a governor to the cut-off, but at present it is set by hand. The steam cylinder is

Jan 1, 1880

By J. B. Scuffham, G. I. Warwick, J. B. Lott

The development of solvent extraction processes over recent years has led to their application on an increasing scale in metal extraction plants. The author&apos;s company has recently been awarded a contract for the design of the world&apos;s largest solvent extraction plant based on pump-mix mixer-settlers. The plant is designed to extract copper from a leach liquor and has an aqueous throughput of 12,000 imperial gpm. The design is based largely upon data obtained from the company&apos;s own research laboratories, where work has been undertaken on mixer impeller design, baffle design. settler area, organic entrainment recovery, etc. Investigations have been conducted into the effects of mixer impeller speed, recirculation rates, phase continuity, phase ratio, etc., on extraction efficiency, settler area, and organic entrainment losses. The implications of the results of this work on the design of a large plant using pump-mix mixer-settlers are discussed and the techniques used in overcoming certain scaling problem are outlined.

Jan 1, 1973

By V. Rajaram

The oil shales of the Green River Formation in the United States have been considered as a source of liquid hydrocarbons since 1908, with the first retort constructed in Colorado in 1917. However, it was not until 1944 that the mining characteristics of oil shale were investigated in a systematic manner. During the period 1944 through 1956, the Selective Mine and the Demonstration Mine (also referred to as the Anvil Points Mine) were operated by the U. S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) near Rifle, Colorado. Significant progress was made in developing a room and pillar mining method by which oil shale could be mined safely at a very low cost per ton. Mechanical properties of oil shale were determined, safe room spans and roof support techniques were established, and drilling and blasting methods for oil shale were developed. As a follow-on to this USBM effort, a consortium of six oil companies with Mobil Oil Company as project manager carried out a research program during the period 1964-68 at the Mobil mine, located in the vicinity of the Anvil Points mine. Rock mechanics investigations were conducted as a part of this research program, and consisted of laboratory studies, in-situ stress determinations, and roof and pillar instrumentation. This paper will discuss the findings at the Anvil Points mine and Mobil mine to illustrate the stability considerations in underground oil shale mining.

Jan 1, 1983

By A. L. Field

A. W. FAHRENWALD, Socorro, &apos;N. M. (communication to the Secretary*).-When asked to discuss Mr. Feild&apos;s paper, I felt most highly complimented to have the privilege of commenting on such a worthy and needed piece of apparatus. In consideration of the importance of the viscosity of blast-furnace slags and the relation existing between the&apos; melting point of a slag and its viscosity, the introduction of this apparatus should be a welcome means or assistant in the study of the physical properties of a slag. Up to the present time, it is A fact that this side of the practical working of the blast furnace has been sadly neglected by those investigating slags. It is easily seen that the fluidity of a slag is of as great importance as its melting point. It is not necessarily true that a slag having a low melting point will have a correspondingly low viscosity or be highly fluid. For example, a slag having a melting point of 1,100° C. may have to be superheated to, say,1,300° C., in order to have as high a fluidity as another slag whose melting point is, say, 1,250° C. The latter in this case would be the more economical. This point has been brought out very nicely by Mr. Feild. Before discussing this paper further, I think it will be well to outline some of the points, a discussion of which may be in order:

Jan 3, 1917

By D. B. Dowling

(San Francisco Meeting, September, 1915) THE interest which has been aroused in prospecting for oil in the foot hills of southern Alberta, and in the oil possibilities of the known gas fields situated in the less-disturbed areas, called for a much closer examination of the structure, thickness, and composition of the underlying rocks of the region than had -hitherto been made. The areal geology of the larger part of the great plains was outlined by Dawson, McConnell, and Tyrrell, between 1881 and 1885. The foothill area was not critically examined at that time, owing to the time which would have been required for its proper study and the difficulty that was found in recognizing in the foothills the divisions which had been adopted in the mapping of the formations of the plains. This was clue in great measure to the paucity of exposures in continuous sections of the lower divisions of the Upper Cretaceous. Since the pioneer work on the plains was published, the beds which form continuations south into Montana have been critically examined. The Canadian beds arch over the end of a flat anticline which rises to the south; and two sections in Montana, one on each side of the anticline, help to explain some of the difficulties previously encountered in the mapping of the measures found in the foothills. The index map, Fig. 1, shows the area studied, and its relation to southeastern Alberta, and to Montana.

Jan 6, 1915

By Charles Weaver

DURING the past few years there has been considerable activity in prospecting for oil and gas in several parts of western Washington. From time to time seepages of oil or emanations of gas have been reported from various places. Several companies have been organized for the purpose of drilling, but only a part of these have actually begun operations. In certain localities very small seepages of oil occur, but up to the present time no oil or gas in commercial quantities has been obtained. In order to determine the conditions which may be favorable or unfavorable &apos;to the occurrence of petroleum it becomes necessary to know the character and extent of the geological formations in which such deposits might occur. In other regions where producing wells have been developed it is possible to know what formations contain the oil mind what structural conditions influence its concentration in reservoirs or zones. It is usually possible to determine those strata which contained the a materials from which the petroleum may have been derived and also the position and distribution of the more porous sandstone belts into which it may have collected. Detailed stratigraphic surveys, may even determine the depth at, which a certain known oil-bearing zone may be tapped at any particular place. It is also possible to recognize those formations which are presumably barren of oil, as well as those which are absolutely so.

Jan 7, 1915

By W. C. Winegard, C. J. Simpson

BNINGESSNER et al.1 have shown that the solidification substructure in dilute cadmium alloys persisted after repeated deformation, recrystallization, and annealing treatments. On the basis of this and similar evidence, Whelan has suggested in a recent publication&apos; that the solidification structure might affect the mobility of grain boundaries even after primary re-crystallization. This suggestion is important, since the technique used by previous investigators3-5 to fabricate grain growth specimens consisted only of casting, deforming, and recrystallizing prior to the grain growth anneal. Usually no attempt was made to homogenize samples with prolonged annealing. Experiments. To test the Whelan hypothesis, grain growth experiments were performed with samples in which the degree of solute segregation was altered by controlling the solidification rate of the alloys. The initial experiments were performed on the Pb-Ag system. Alloys containing 0.01 at. pct Ag were produced from 99.9999 pct Pb and 99.999 pct Ag. Cylindrical samples, 40 cm long and 12 mm in diam, were solidified in graphite-coated Vycor tubes by lowering them through a vertical furnace at varying rates with the furnace power settings constant. Six-centimeter sections were discarded from each end, and the 28-cm section from the center was cut into sections 25 mm long for grain growth experiments. These samples were deformed with the aid of a drophammer to a uniform thickness of 5.7 mm. After almost instantaneous recrystallization, the samples were given a grain growth anneal for various times at 260°C in a salt bath. Experimental results are shown

Jan 1, 1970

[ ] Granville S. Borden (Mining Taxation, P. 1049) has written two other published articles on the subject, Taxation and Mineral Resources, and An Income Tax Program for Mineral Producers. Both articles appeared in Mining Engineering. He is presently employed by Standard Oil Co. of California as a special tax counsel. He holds an LL. B and an LL. M from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Mining from the University of California. He has been chairman of the Taxation Committee of the Minerals Economics div. of the AIME. Borden fishes, plays golf, prospects, and performs mineral analysis as hobbies. [ ] Charles C. Towle (co-author, Uranium Deposits of the Grants District, New Mexico, P. 1037) graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a degree in Geological Engineering. He was a member of Sigma Nu; Theta Tau, an honorary professional society; Blue Key, honorary social society; the glee club and quartet, and a member of the student council. He has been a mucker, driller, flotation operator and mill shift boss for the Clear Creek-Gilpin Co., Idaho Springs, Colo.; Geologist, chief engineer, and chief geologist for Patino Mines & Enterprises Consolidated, Inc., Bolivia; appraisal engineer and part-time geology student, Denver; office geologist for Geology Dept., special Engineering div., Sea Level Canal Studies, Panama Canal; and geologist, div. of Raw Materials, USAEC, Grand Junction, Colo. He is currently chief of the Denver Exploration Branch, div. of Raw Materials, USAEC, Denver. Towle was at one time a tournament golfer, playing three and four times a week. While working in South America he played in numerous tournaments. Today, although playing only occa sionally, he shoots in the low eighties.

Jan 1, 1952

By P. J. Jorgensen, J. H. Westbrook

The anomalous indentation creep of nonmetallic solids is shown to be due to the presence of adsorbed water. Although a specific mechanism is not proposed, it is suggested that the water may be present in two chemically adsorbed states. DEPENDENCE of the indentation hardness of solids on the time of load application was first studied systematically by Hargreaves1 in a study of lead and certain low-melting alloys. This technique has become known as indentation creep and has been exploited particularly by underwood and by Mulhearn and Tabor3 as well as by others.4°7 For metals good correlations have been found between the time dependence of hardness over several orders of magnitude in the seconds range and creep parameters from conventional tests at the same temperature where creep strains were measured over hundreds or thousands of hours. However, Walker and Demer8 and Mitsche and Onitsch9 observed extensive indentation creep at room temperature (particularly for light loads) in certain minerals and in materials such as lithium fluoride and magnesium oxide for which conventional creep is ordinarily not observable unless the testing temperature is at a very much higher fraction of the melting point. Normal behavior was observed&apos; for metals such as copper, i.e., negligible time-dependent flow during room-temperature indentation. Walker and Demer attempted to find some distinctive difference in the surface deformation markings about indentations in the anomalously behaving materials at short and very long indentation times. No significant differences were observed. Increased duration of loading was found, however, to result in an increase in the length of glide of edge-dislocation loops extending into the interior of the crystal. Jorgensen and Westbrook,10 in a recent study of

Jan 1, 1965