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By Clarence O. Babcock

Model pillars of limestone, marble, sandstone, and granite, with length-to-diameter (LID) ratios of 3, 2, 1, 0.5, and 0.25 (0.286 for granite), were broken in axial compression to determine to what extent an increase in end constraint increased compressive strength. Radial end constraints of 13 to 23% of the average axial stress in the pillar, produced by solid steel rings bonded with epoxy to the ends of dogbone-shaped specimens, increased compressive strength somewhat above that of cylindrical pillars without ring constraint. However, when the results were compared with those obtained by other investigators for straight specimens of several rock types taken collectively, with LID ratios greater than 0.5, the resulting strengths were not significantly different. Thus, the amount of end constraint produced by the solid steel rings was about the same as that produced by the friction from the steel end plates. In other tests, a radial prestress of 3000 or 5000 psi was applied prior to axial loading by adjustable hardened steel rings to increase the constraint above that obtained for the solid rings. The average radial constraint stress, expressed as a percentage of the average axial pillar stress at failure for the 3000 psi prestress, was 54.3% for limestone, 40.3% for marble, 44.7% for sandstone, and 23.4% for granite. The average radial constraint stress, expressed as a percentage of the average axial pillar stress at failure for the 5000 psi prestress, was 74.2% for limestone, 51.2% for marble, 61.6% for sandstone, and 29.7% for granite. These constraints increased the compressive strength significantly above the strength of straight specimens and solid-ring constrained specimens. These results suggest that large horizontal stresses in orebodies mined by the room-and-pillar method should increase the strength of the pillars and allow an increase in ore recovery by a reduction of pillar size when major structural defects are absent. One important objective of the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) mining research program is the rational design of mining systems. In the design of room-and-pillar mining operations, pillar strength is a fundamental variable. It is customary to estimate this strength from uniaxial compression tests of rock samples and to correct this value for the length-to-diameter (LID) ratio of the in-situ pillar. This method of estimating pillar strength corrects for pillar shape but does not consider the effect of a large horizontal in-situ stress field that sometimes exists in underground formations. The purpose of the work covered in this report was to determine to what extent the compressive strengths of model pillars of relatively brittle rock loaded in axial compression were affected by lateral end constraint. In previous work, Obert l used solid steel rings bonded to the ends of dogbone-shaped specimens to study the creep behavior of three quasi-plastic rocks -salt, trona, and potash ore - during a test period of 1000 hr. These rings provided radial constraint during the loading cycle of 20 to 50% of the axial stress for specimens with LID ratios of 2, 0.5, and 0.25. He concluded that (1) "for a quasi-plastic material the end constraint strongly affects the specimen strength, and (2) as D/L increases (length-to-diameter decreases), the specimens lose their brittle characteristics and tend to flow rather than fracture." He also concluded that model pillars constrained by rings were better for use in predicting the strength of mine pillars than either cylindrical or prismatic specimens. This conclusion appears to be valid where mine pillars, roof, and floor are a single structural element. In the present study, 460 specimens of four relatively brittle rocks — limestone, marble, sandstone, and granite - were tested to failure. The study consisted of two parts: (1) the effect on the compressive strength of end constraint produced during the axial loading cycle by solid steel rings bonded with epoxy to the ends of the specimens, and (2) the effect on the compressive strength of increased end constraint produced in part by a prestress applied prior to axial loading and in part by lateral expansion of the specimen during the loading cycle. The first part of this study was reported in some detail earlier.2 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE AND EQUIPMENT Model rock pillars of the sizes and shapes shown in Fig. 1 were broken in axial compression when the ends were constrained as shown in Fig. 2. he straight specimens were broken without ring constraint. The specimens of dogbone shape were broken with (1) solid

Jan 1, 1970

By W. W. Whitaker, C. W. Manry, R. H. McLean

In an eccentric annulus, cement may favor the widest side and bypass slower-moving mud in the narrowest side. Tendency of the cement to bypass mud is a function of the geometry of the annulus, the density and flow properties of the mud and cement and the rate of flow. Bypassing can be prevented if the pressure gradient protluced from circulation of the cement and buoyant forces exceeds the pressure gradient necessary to drive the mud through the narrowest side of the annulus at the same velocity as the cement. In the absence of buoyant forces, one requirement for this balance is maintenance of the yield strength of the cement greater than the yield strength of the mud multiplied by the maximum distance from the casing to the wall of the borehole and divided by the minimum distance. If the yield strength of the cement is below this value, bypassing of mud cannot be prevented unless buoyant forces or motion of the casing significantly aid the displacement. INTRODUCTION Successful primary cementing leaves no continuous channels of mud capable of flow during well treatment and production. Prevention of channels requires care. Tep-litz and Hassebroek provide evidence of channels of mud after primary cementing in the field.' Channeling of cement through mud in laboratory experiments has also been reported.'-' Recommendations for improving the displacement of mud include (1) centralizing the casing in the borehole,'-" 2) attaching centralizers and scratchers to the casing and moving it during displacement,18 "3) thinning the isolating the cement by plugs while it is circulated down the casing,%( (5 establishing turbulence in the cement," and (6) holding the cement slurry at least 2 lb/gal heavier than the mud and circulating the cement slurry at a very low rate of flow.' Although much has been written about the above parameters, the relative importance of each has not been well defined. In this investigation, the mechanics of mud displacement are described through results from analytical models and experiments. The model chosen — a single string of casing eccentric in a round, smooth-walled, impermeable borehole — is analagous to casing centralized in a borehole which is not round and to placing more than one string of casing in a borehole. In each, some paths for flow are more restricted than others. A fluid flowing in the borehole may seek the least restricted, or most open, path. This tendency for uneven flow can lead to channeling of cement through mud unless preventive measures are taken. The analytical models describe channeling and give means of balancing the flow. Experimental data test the analytical models and illustrate effects of motion of the casing, differences in density and mud's tendency to gel. Results are encouraging. Piston-like displacement of mud by an equal density cement slurry is possible through proper balance of the flow properties of the mud and cement slurries to the eccentricity of the annulus. The more eccentric the annulus, the thicker must be the cement relative to the mud. If proper balance is not achieved. bypassing of mud by cement cannot be prevented without assistance from motion of the casing or buoyant forces. Increasing the rate of flow can help to start all mud flowing but cannot prevent channeling of cement through slower moving mud in an eccentric annulus. Thinning the cement slurry tends to increase channeling although the extent of turbulence in the annulus may be increased. Description of flow in an eccentric annulus begins in the next section. It is assumed that (1) the casing is eccentric and is stationary, (2) the mud and cement slurries have the same density and (3) the gel structure of the mud has been broken and the mud and cement follow the Bingham flow model. Effects related to these restrictions will be discussed. FLOW PATTERNS SlNGLE FLUID IN ANNULUS Flow of a single fluid through an eccentric annulus is illustrated in Fig. 1. Part A shows laminar flow of a Newtonian fluid. This distribution of flow was calculated by Piercy, Hooper and Winney.' In fully developed turbulent flow, the velocity distribution around the annulus is less distorted, but the flow still favors the widest part of the annulus Parts B, C and D of Fig. 1 are a qualitative representation of the flow of a Bingham fluid. The yield strength of the fluid increases the severity of bypassing compared to Newtonian flow. At a very low rate of flow, all flow is confined to that portion of the annulus which has the minimum perimeter-to-area ratio. The fluid shears on the perimeter of that area when the pressure gradient multiplied by the area just exceeds the yield stress of the fluid multiplied by the perimeter. Whether or not the minimum perimeter-to-area region encompasses all of the annulus or only a part (as shown in Part B) depends on the geometry of the annulus. If only a part begins to flow, increasing the rate of flow increases the area flowing until finally there is flow throughout the annulus.

By AIME AIME

This section contains announcements of general interest to the members of the Institute, but not always of sufficient permanent value to warrant republication in the volumes of the Transactions.

Sep 1, 1906

By Claude P. Heiner, Carl S. Westerberg

OBSERVATION of the clinkering action of coal from the Castle Gate D seam in underfeed stokers over a period of years has given rise to the present investigation of the effect of bony coal on clinkering. Some very costly examples of slagging clinkers in particular cases have been of especial interest to the authors. In such cases coal analyses and ash-softening and fluid temperatures have been found of little value. In general, it was noted that slagging was accompanied by a somewhat higher ash content of the stoker slack, and the suspicion naturally arose that foreign matter was the troublemaker. One would naturally suspect bony coal and rock impurities because of their occurrence and prevalence within the seam and the relative absence of sulphur or other impurities in the coal mined. The test results given herein indicate that the concentration of the bony coal and rock impurities in the coal determines the clinkering tendencies of the ash during combustion. CASTLE GATE D SEAM Extending from the Utah-Colorado line near Grand Junction, Colo., westward to Greenriver, Utah and thence in semi-circular form north and westward to Castle Gate, and from there southward to Mt. Hilgard in central Utah, is a line of nearly perpendicular cliffs, composed of interbedded massive sandstone and shales, making up the coal-bearing horizon of the Mesaverde formation of Upper Cretaceous age. The cliffs face roughly concentrically toward the south and southeast and the strata, with conformably enclosed coal beds, gently dip away from the face of the cliffs and at right angles to their front line. Back of these cliffs the mountain masses rise to an altitude of from 8000 to 10,000 ft. above sea level. Stretching away from their foot is a great shale plain, on which the towns are situated and over which the railroad lines and highways run. The Castle Gate mines enter the coal beds at their outcrop; the workings extending within a particular coal bed away from the outcrop and under the mountain mass back from the cliff line (Fig. 1). Throughout the Mesaverde formation in the Castle Gate general area, there are from two to five workable coal beds. Usually not all of these are coincidentally of workable size and merchantable quality throughout any given large tract. In the Castle Gate mine area, the base of the Mesaverde horizon and coal measures is marked by a massive, cliffmaking, gray sandstone bed 6o to 8o ft. thick. Locally this is referred to as the "Castle Gate sandstone floor." Frank R. Clark, in U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 793, designates it as the "Aberdeen sandstone." At Castle Gate the various coal beds are designated by the letters A, B, C, etc., commencing with the lowest bed. Fig. 2 is a graphic generalized vertical section, compiled from physical exposures

Jan 1, 1941

By S. R. Balajee, I. Iwasaki

The adsorption mechanism of corn starch and its derivatives at mineral-solution interfaces was investigated by the adsorption of cationic starch, unmodified corn starch, British Gum 9084, and anionic starch on quartz and hematite. The adsorption of these starches, which decreases in the order mentioned, is dependent on the balance between the magnitude of the electrostatic interaction and the magnitude of the hydrogen bonding. There exists a critical starch concentration for both optimum flotation and flocculation conditions of iron ores, which corresponds to a point where the starch adsorption reaches a saturation coverage. Flocculation occurs due to the adsorption of starch via electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding forces and by interparticle bridging as a result of the conformation of starch molecules at the interface. The depressant property of starches and starch derivatives in flotation' and their flocculation char: acteristics in clarification and filtration2.3 have long been recognized on a wide variety of ores. The effectiveness of a starch as a depressant for iron minerals has been the subject of much investigation in recent years both in the amine flotation of siliceous gangue and in the anionic flotation of activated silica from iron ores. It has been reported that the depressant activity of starches and dextrins in the cationic flotation of quartz from hematite increases with molecular weight, branching, and number of hydroxyl groups, 1 and that the selectivity is affected by changing the configuration of starch molecules and the composition of its polar groups.4 ,5 The manner in which starches are solubilized was shown to exert a significant influence as a depressant in the anionic silica flotation, and a series of articles covering the practical aspects of flotation and flocculation have already been reported.618 Chemical modification of the starch structure, the pulp pH, the calcium ion, and the residual starch concentration were identified as some of the more important variables affecting the flotation behavior. In the flocculation of iron ores, it was noted that most starches flocculated suspensions of hematite in water but did not flocculate similar suspensions of quartz,9 and that an excessive use of starch restabilized the suspensions due presumably to protective action. 6 An admirable application of such an observation to practice may be cited in the selective flocculation and desliming in the anionic silica flotation of iron ores, which resulted in superior metallurgy and lower reagent cost. 10 From detailed adsorption measurements, Schulz'and Cooke4 established that the adsorption of starches and their derivatives depended on the types of minerals and of starches, pH, and electrolytes present. Their adsorption data and the foregoing flotation and flocculation observations suggested that an electrical interaction between starches and charged mineral surfaces might be playing a role in their adsorption process. Adsorption of organic polymers, particularly of synthetic origin, at solid-liquid interfaces has been extensively studied in recent years,' and it is realized that their adsorption mechanism is considerably more complex than that of simple ions or molecules. A polymer molecule possesses a number of functional groups, and the adsorption at a point may restrict the adsorbability of adjacent groups. The mechanism may be further complicated by the conformation of the polymer molecules which may exist as coiled spheres, helices, or extended chains as a result of intramolecular interactions among functional groups as well as intermolecular interactions with solvent molecules. The object of the present investigation was to examine the effect of the chemical modification on the adsorption characteristics of starches and starch products on quartz and hematite at several pH values, so that by correlating this information with flocculation and flotation results, adsorption mechanism of starches on mineral-solution interface may be elucidated. EXPERIMENTAL MATERIALS Quartz: St. Peter sand was screened at 35 mesh and the undersize was scrubbed and deslimed at a Fagergren cell. The deslimed sand was cleaned with 0.1 N hot hydrochloric acid and washed repeatedly with distilled water, For anuscript, measurementsl the -200-mesh fraction of the sand was ground dry in a porcelain mill for 3 hr. The specific surface of the finely ground quartz was

Jan 1, 1970

Jan 2, 1951

By J. E. Spurr

The region here discussed is that part of Western Nevada in which. during the last few years. discoveries of rich gold- and

Jan 1, 1906

By A. Blake Caldwell

The Anaconda Company, an organization of mining people, enters a new world of copper production as it brings on stream its recently constructed Twin Buttes operation some 25 miles south of Tucson, Ariz. Twin Buttes comprises the largest earth-moving task performed in the history of mining. Some people liken this job to moving enough earth and rock to complete the famed Aswan High Dam in Egypt. In all, some 236 million tons of overburden and rock were removed from over the ore deposit.

Jan 1, 1970

By Dodge, C. E.

ONE of the first mining areas to be developed in Arizona was that in the district centering about Clifton and Morenci. Traces of metals were first noticed by Henry Clifton on an expedition in 1864. Definite copper outcroppings were also reported in the following year by General J. H. Carleton when he led his troops into the district on an Indian raid. Actual mining operations were started in the early seventies. and the first smelter was finished in 1873. Two adequately financed companies acquired most of the property, and both commenced production about 1882. These were the Arizona Copper Co.. owned by a group of Scotch investors, and the Detroit Copper Mining Co., afterwards purchased by the firm of Phelps, Dodge & Co. Later the Shannon Copper Co. acquired and operated a number of claims in the northern part of the district. These three companies all operated underground, mines independently for many years.

Jan 1, 1942

By Molly Gleiser

The standard free energies of formation of some gaseous metal oxides together with those of their condensed oxides have been plotted against temperature. The heats of formation of the gaseozcs oxides are tabulated. An explanation is given of the use of the data to predict the importance of the gaseous metal oxides at high tenzperatures. RECENT mass spectrometric work1 has resulted in the detection of several hitherto unknown gaseous oxides and the measurement of their free energies of formation. Of especial interest is the fact that several of the refractories in common use either as crucibles or furnace tubes, and metals used in Knudsen cells and in furnace windings, have been found to have one or more stable gaseous oxides. In view of the present emphasis on high-temperature techniques, the development of vacuum metallurgy.z heating by electron bombardment and plasma jets, and the resultant shift to ever higher temperatures, it is no longer possible to plan experiments without taking into consideration the significance of the presence of these gases in the system, the reactions they undergo. and their contribution to the vapor pressure. A good example of what went wrong in earlier work, when the existence of these gaseous molecules was not yet known, is presented by the work of Hoch, Nakata, and Johnston. Hoch and coworkers attempted to measure the vapor pressure of solid ZrO2 by letting the vapor in equilibrium with zir-conia effuse from a tantalum Knudsen cell. The free energies of formation of solid zirconia and tantala are such that a short calculation showed that the reaction

Jan 1, 1962

By G. J. Benard

In the 1970’s, several plants have been built and others are in the design stage which use solvent extraction for recovery of copper from acid leach solutions. Other plants are presently being built for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from laterite ores by prereduction and ammonia leaching. A review will be given on the materials of construction for these leaching and solvent extraction processes. Many plants have factors in common which permit selection with a greater degree of accuracy. Based on pilot plant corrosion data, effective use of materials of construction includes proper selection of materials, substitution of lower cost plastics for alloys, and selection of materials resistant against chloride stress corrosion cracking.

Jan 1, 1974

By Helmer Hedstrom

GRAVITY surveying with the torsion balance or the pendulum for ore prospecting purposes has generally not been considered practical or even possible. It is the intention of this paper to show that a fast and sensi-tive gravimeter can be very useful in ore prospecting, as an auxiliary to the electrical and magnetic instruments. A number of gravimeters have been constructed and put in practical use in the last seven or eight years; for instance, by Ising, Lejay-Holweck, Haalck, Hartley, Thyssen, Noergaard, the Humble Oil and Refining Co. and the Gulf Production Co. Their main application, apart from their use for geodetic surveys, has been for structure mapping in oil prospecting. There is no record that any of them have been used for ore prospecting. About the middle of 1934 the Boliden Mining Co., in Sweden, began experiments in constructing a static gravity meter sensitive enough for ore prospecting. Calculations and considerations that will be discussed later in this paper showed that this would necessitate an accuracy in the measurements of 0.1 milligal-roughly, one ten-millionth part of the total force of gravity. The first successful practical field tests of the instrument were made in January 1936. About the middle of 1937 the Boliden gravimeter was perfected. Ore prospecting with this instru-ment is now regular practice in Sweden, especially for the testing of indications given by geoelectric and magnetic methods.

Jan 1, 1938

By A. Sutulov

The segregation process, an alternative to benefi-ciation of oxidized and mixed sulfide-oxide copper ores, is studied here with particular emphasis placed on time, temperature, and coke and salt percentage factors. The results show that in a segregated charge, the copper assay of the coarsest fractions normally is of the same order as the copper assay of the tails obtained from grinding and flotation of the same charge. This observation suggests the possibility of limiting or even eliminating the grinding step from the flowsheet of a segregation plant. The segregation process, which offers an alternative to beneficiation of oxidized and mixed sulfide-oxide copper ores, was discovered in 1923 by Moulden and Taplin1,2 who were attempting to apply the Perkins process3'4 to a Chilean ore from the Sagasca mine. After a number of investigations and pilot plant tests,'-' the segregation process became a successful industrial operation.'r9 The process aroused considerable interest in Chile because of the existance of large reserves of oxidized copper minerals which could not be treated by conventional hydrometallurgical methods because of the high consumption and prohibitive cost of sulfuric acid. During the last two years, the Mineral Dressing Dept. of the Institute de Investigaciones Tecnology cas of University of concepci6n (Chile) has carried out a test program on 23 different ore samples representative of the national territory. These tests were carried out on a semi-continuous and batch scale with a rotary, automatically controlled and gas-fired furnace (supplied by Bartlett and Snow, Fig. 1). The results of these tests indicate that out of the 23 samples 20 can be successfully treated by this process with recoveries of copper ranging from 85 to 95%.10,11 The purpose of this paper is to treat some specific problems related to the segregation process. TIME AND TEMPERATURE FACTORS Time and temperature of calcination play an important role in the segregation process. When moderate salt and coke conditions were maintained (each of reagents was added in the quantity of 1 — % wt), systematic testing easily demonstrated the influence of these two factors on segregation and flotation recovery. The pertinent results are summarized in Fig. 2. To determine what specific changes the segregation process made on the ore, the samples, segregated at 700°C for different periods of time and under standard conditions, were granulometrically analysed and

Jan 1, 1963

By J. J. Kramer, W. A. Tiller, G. F. Bolling

The solidification of poly crystalline zone-refined lead has been examined. A novel casting technique was used, with several advantages such as unidirectional heat flow, atmosphere control, and decanting of the liquid during any stage of growth. The experimental results show the separate existence of two textures, a (111) surface texture at the chill surface and a texture in the columnar zone, in the absence of conditions which would produce dendritic growth. WALTON and chalmers have most recently shown that the dendrite direction is the preferred axial orientation for the solidification of many metals in casting. Experimentally, for aluminum and lead, they showed that in the columnar zone the dendrite direction, <l00>, predominated, developing from an equiaxed chill cast layer that exhibited no preferred orientation. A reasonable description of the way in which grains closer to the dendrite orientation were able to encompass other grains was then set forth. For their materials, it was also shown that high superheats could inhibit a preferred axial orientation from developing, presumably by inhibiting dendrite growth. The observations of Rosenberg and iller, on the other hand, showed that zone-refined lead, cast under conditions similar to those of Walton and halmers,&apos; had a definite <111> texture in the columnar zone. However, no examination was made of the chill surface to find out if the columnar zone texture was independent of the orientations at the surface. Since the existence of preferred growth in Upure" lead is thus in doubt, a reexamination of the casting of zone-refined lead is presented here, using a novel casting technique. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES AND RESULTS Zone-refined lead was prepared from two starting materials;99.999+pct supplied by ASARCO, and 99.999pct supplied by COMINCO. The manner of zone-refining and the phenomenological tests for purity after refining, have been describedelsewhere.&apos; The casting apparatus is shown schematically in Fig. 1. The following general procedure was used: The metal was cut directly from the best parts of

Jan 1, 1963

By R. J. Colony

The failure, or disintegration, of concrete in structures, even when the cement, sand, and coarse aggregate used have passed satisfactorily all tests and inspections, is not uncommon. Such failures occur even when proper methods of mixing and placing have been used and where weather conditions were correct. In these cases, the origin of the trouble must be sought in the cement; therefore some additional mode of determining the quality of cement must be employed. The problem is to find a simple, usable, easily applied method that will supplement the standard tests. The solution of this problem involves a knowledge of the chemical composition of Portland cements, also of their constitution (or componental composition), as the behavior of a cement, when gaged, is dependent on the physical and chemical characters of the compounds of which it is composed, the proportions existing between them, and the fineness of grinding. It is likewise essential to know the character, behavior, and composition of the hydration products of Portland cement. The most promising method of attack makes use of chemical, mechanical, and petrographic methods. Chemical, by determining quantitatively not only the usual constituents, but the carbon dioxide and water. Mechanical, by determining the fineness with the air analyzer,&apos; which separates into fractions of various grain dimensions all of that portion which in the ordinary sieve test passes the 200-mesh sieve and constitutes at least 75 per cent. of the total cement. These fractions may be further studied chemically and petrographically and micrometric measurements can be made of the grains. Petrographic, by the method of immersion, and by making thin sections from test pats of both neat cements and standard mortars. Normal Portland cement is composed of mechanical mixtures of definite chemical compounds having constant chemical and physical properties. In the order of their cementing qualities these are: Tri-

Jan 1, 1922

By H. F. Beeghly

UNTIL recently the only criteria by which steels were judged were their cost and their mechanical, chemical, and physical properties. The user was concerned with such properties as corrosion resistance, tensile strength, response to thermal treatment, hardness, ductility, and, to a growing extent in recent years, with behavior at high temperature. As plans were made to build power reactors, a new set of properties became important—the nuclear characteristics, which had to be considered by the designer and engineer in building his plant. The nuclear engineer developed methods for the rare and new metals and produced them in high purity, often at great expense. The pure metals then provided the raw materials for tailor-made alloys. For more common structural metals, such as steel, the nuclear industry depended on commercially available materials. Generally, the quantities required were small and specifications were rigid. It is not surprising, therefore, that difficulty was frequently encountered in procuring structural mate-

Jan 1, 1957

After the close of the Revolution, settlers began to pour over the mountains, to settle in the western parts of Pennsylvania, of Virginia, to move down the Ohio into Kentucky, and in the late seventeen-eighties to settle on "the Indian side" of the river, now Ohio. With the growth of population the interest in coal increased and it was not long before the production of coal west of the mountains was larger than that east of them. Foreign nations, too, became interested in the young republic and in 1783, at the instance of the Swedish government S. A. Hermelin, an engineer, visited this country to investigate its iron industry. He made a very interesting report, not published until 1931, in which he gave many details of the iron plants in the eastern United States; apparently he was not west of the mountains, but was well informed about conditions there. He says, "that some coal near the first branches of the Schuylkill River has been mined and utilized by the blacksmiths," referring, of course, to anthracite; again that "coal mines have also been worked for several years near Pittsburg," and that "great supplies of iron ore are available at the Ohio Falls and further to the west, at Coney Creek, a part of the Green River, where there is also coal."&apos; In 1788, Dr. Johann David Schoepf, who came to this country with the Hessian troops, visited Pittsburgh. He was an intelligent man and acquainted to some extent with minerals and methods of working them. In speaking of Coal Hill on the south side of the Monongahela he mentioned several strata of marble in the lower part and that

Jan 1, 1942

By P. Ramachandrarao, T. R. Anantharaman

CONSIDERABLE interest has lately been evinced as regards the nature of chill zones in solidified metals and alloys. Biloni and Chalmersl were the first to show through their study of segregation substructures in some nonferrous alloys that the formation of the dendritic region may be preceded by a diffusionless solidification process, viz., predendritic solidification. Subsequently Bower and Flemings2 tried a special solidification technique wherein the liquid was drawn into a narrow copper mold with polished surfaces and concluded that convection might trigger some multiplication mechanism leading to grain refinement. Using uncoated and partially coated surfaces for molds in the Bower-Flemings technique as well as in conventional molds, Biloni and Morando3 have very recently brought out the importance of the rate of heat extraction on the mechanism of solidification. We report here on the surface structures and substructures observed in a Sn-1 wt pct Pb alloy solidified at even higher cooling rates (riz., l05 to l07 ºc per sec) than those employed by earlier workers. The alloy was made by melting tin (99.99+ pct) and lead (99.9+ pct) in a silica tube under vacuum. Small quantities of the homogenized alloy (0.5 to 1.0 g) were then quenched (or splat-cooled) from the melt by the "gun technique" developed by Duwez et al.4 The thickness of the resultant foils varied from specimen to

Jan 1, 1970

By Waldermar Lindgren

[The observations here presented were made during a short visit at Calico, in December, 1886. The accompanying map, which does not claim to be more than a careful sketch, is based on the position of a few mines obtained from Mr. F. Lewis, at Calico, and the plats in the Land Office with the patented claims. Only a few claims are shown by their boundary lines: as usual in mining districts, there is an enormous number of them, often conflicting or overlapping, the correct mapping of which would be useless for the present purpose. The rest of the topography and the drainage are mapped from sketches, aided by compass and aneroid. The elevations are taken from Daggett as base, the altitude of this station being determined by the railroad to be 2000 feet.] Until a few years ago the product of silver in California was of little importance, compared with that of gold, and often fell short of $1,000,000, the only noteworthy counties being Mono, Inyo and San Bernardino. About 1881, however, important discoveries were made in the deserts of San Bernardino, and the remarkable increase in the production may be seen from the following figures, taken from the Reports of the Director of the Mint: Silver Production of California. Of San Bernardino Co. 1883,. .. $1,460,000 $1,050,050 1884,. .. 3,000,000 2,550,000 1885,. .. 2,568,036 2,363,436 By far the largest portion of the product of San Bernardino is derived from the district surrounding Calico, although the success there has also given fresh stimulus to prospecting and mining in other parts of the county. San Bernardino borders towards the east on Nevada and Arizona, towards the south on San Diego County, California. Topographically, as well as geologically, the largest part of it belongs to the Great Basin. Broad shallow lake-beds or valleys with an elevation of 2000 to 3000 feet, are separated by low mountain chains and

Jan 1, 1887

By G. St. J. Perrot, S. P. Kinney

Consumers of metallurgical coke are agreed that the quality of their fuel plays an important part in the performance of the furnace. Less unanimous agreement is evident when the properties of a desirable coke are discussed or when consideration is made of suitable testing methods by which the worth of a coke for metallurgical purposes may be determined quantitatively. Much has been written of the importance of combustibility as a factor in determining the performance of coke in the blast furnace and it is generally believed that cokes vary widely in this respect. The usual operating data of the furnace afford little evidence as to the combustibility of the fuel. As a part of a general investigation of the properties of metallurgical coke, the Bureau of Mines has explored the hearth combustion zone in a number of blast furnaces by means of water-cooled gas sampling tubes driven into the hearth through the tuyeres. The attempt has been made to determine the difference in combustibility of cokes varying widely in physical properties. Data have also been obtained in an experimental combustion furnace at the Bureau laboratories in Pittsburgh. This paper gives the results of experiments, made at eleven blast furnaces, in which the composition of the gases was determined at various points in the hearth in the plane of the tuyeres. Further work is in progress in which the zone above the tuyeres will be explored. Factors Affecting Coke Combustibility Brassertl has defined combustibility as the rate of progression of combustion, or, in other words, the speed at which the carbon molecules

Jan 1, 1923