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By J. B. Tyrell

A SHORT time ago I paid a visit to the alluvial gold fields on the tributaries of the Chaudière River in Beauce County, Quebec, in company with A. 0. Dufresne, late manager of the Champs d'Or Rigaud-Veaudreuil, and now Assistant to the Superintendent of Mines of the Province of Quebec. As the conditions under which the gold occurs in this district are not very generally known, and present some interesting features, a brief description of these conditions, and a consideration of the causes which gave rise to them, may be of interest to other mining engineers. During the latter half of last century the country was visited by many mining engineers and geologists, and many references to it may be found in the reports of the Geological Survey of Canada between 1848 and 1911. The most important of these are by J. A. Dresser and J. Keele and the late Robert Chalmers. The Department of Colonization and Mines of the Province of Quebec also published a report with map on the district by J. Obalski. From the earliest times the valley of the Chaudière River formed one of the main avenues of approach to the St. Lawrence in the vicinity of Quebec from the country to the south as far as the seaboard of the States of Maine and Massachusetts. The Indians had a well-known trail along the banks of the stream, and armed troops and foraging parties constantly moved backward and forward along it between Quebec and New England in those insecure times before the ceding of Canada to Great Britain. Even yet the natural advantages of this old military route are recognized, and the government of the -Province of Quebec has now under construction along it a magnificent highway from Quebec to the International Boundary Line, which is to form part of a through highway from that city to Boston; The land along the valley is naturally well suited for agriculture, and about the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries farmers began to go back from the St. Lawrence, and to occupy the higher lands along the upper portions of the Chaudière Valley. This settlement has gone on until now the country is peopled with a prosperous agricultural population.

Jan 3, 1915

By R. O. Harma

Introduction Wet autogenous grinding is utilized in three iron ore concentrating plants operated by the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company (CCI). This paper will trace some of the development in converting from the use of metal grinding mill liners to the use of rubber and will update the current performance of rubber liners in these applications. The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company is a natural resources firm with major interests in iron ore mining and processing and oil and gas contract drilling. The company also has interests in oil shale, uranium, forest products, and Great Lakes shipping. The three operations discussed in this paper are the Empire and Tilden Mines on the Marquette Iron Range in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the Sherman Mine in northern Ontario, Canada. The Empire Iron Mining Partnership is managed by The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company and is owned by Inland Steel, McLouth Steel, The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, and International Harvester. The Tilden Iron Mining Partnership is also managed by The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company and is owned by Algoma Steel Corporation, Ltd., Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation, The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, Steel Company of Canada, Wheeling-Pittsburgh, and Sharon Steel Corporation. The Sherman Mine is a joint venture managed by Cliffs of Canada, Ltd. and owned by Dominion Foundries and Steel Company, Ltd. and Tetapaga Mining Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company. The concentrators at all three mines utilize two stage autogenous grinding. Empire and Sherman process magnetic iron ores (Table 1) and utilize magnetic, hydraulic, and flotation concentration methods. Tilden processes an oxidized iron ore (martite, goethite, and hematite) and utilizes a selective-flocculation desliming and flotation concentration flowsheet. Final grind particle sizes are 90% -325M (43k) at Sherman, 90% -500M (25,u ) at Empire and 85% -500M (25 µ) at Tilden. Developmental History The success of using rubber mill linings in Scandinavia led to the first rubber mill lining used by CCI. It was installed in a conventional primary ball mill at Republic Mine in 1964 as reported by Lindroos (1970). This was followed by additional rubber liners for both primary and regrind ball mills. Generally these rubber linings provided about twice the service life as compared to the Type I Ni-hard liners previously used. Grinding efficiency of rubber was found to

Jan 1, 1982

By C. E. Jackson, E. C. Nelson, A. L. Christenson

Much information regarding the transfornlatio~lal characteristics of a steel as it cools in a known manner from the austenitic state can be obtained from dilatometric studies. This method has received more arid more attention because of its great flexibility, accuracy, and ease of interpretation. 'The method is entirely applicable to any rate of heating and cooling although the experumental procrdures for high rates of cooling have offered some difficulties. This paper presents a description of equipment employing cooling rates up to 500 °C. per secorld and the results of dilatometric observations on six commercial steels are included. French and Klopsch1 studied the cooling transformations of a serirs OF carbon steel, using the thermal arrest method. This was followed by the systematic investigatiol1 of Esser and co-workers on the effect of carhon2 and other alloying additions. in which the transforlnation temperature\ were determined by magnetic induction measurements indicated by a string galranoineter. Emphasis was placed on determining Ar' trailsformations and the critical cooling rates for these steels. The maglietic measurements wrere used in an effort to obtain more accurate data at higher cooling rates. Measurements of thermal arrest were made also to check the validity of the magnetic indications, and good correlation was found between the two, although Esser's,Ar' temperature measurements on iron-carbon alloys were about 200°F. lower than the measurements made by Fresnch and Klopsch. A notable contril~ution by Esser was the introduction gas quenching. wever and Rose4 used a moving-coil galranometcr in the study of the .Ar and Ar" of iron-carbon alloys by the thermal arrest method and obtained somewhat lover Ar" temperatures than those observed by Esser below I per cent carbon and considerably higher ahove. They concluded that the cooling rate had little influcncc on the Ar" temperatures above 0.4 per cent carbon, although Esser had observed a decrease in the -4r" temperature with increasing cooling rate with similar steels. Digges determined the .Ar" temperature4 for a scries of high-purity iron-carbon alloys, and close agreement with his results was obtained by Greninger. The thermal arrest method. together with metallographic observation used in both these studies, represents the latest investigations of this type. Any investigation by thermal analyses is dependent on the heat of reaction and the specific heat of the

Jan 1, 1945

By Douglas Bunting

The first presentation of this paper was before the Pennsylvania Anthracite Section of the Institute in May, 1914, after which a committee was selected to verify and add to the data contained in the original paper. The author is indebted to G. W. Engel, H. W. Montz, R. V. Norris, and H. H. Otto, of this committee, for additional information. I also wish to acknowledge the courtesies extended me by a number of the mining companies for information relative to accidents, systems of proving, and mining practice. The paper should bring forth additional criticism and recommendations, which will be of value in establishing future practice relative to this subject. Throughout the northern anthracite field of Pennsylvania glacial and alluvial deposits of sand, gravel, and clay exist in varying quantities. The extent and character of these deposits are described by N. H. Darton in Bulletin 45 of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, entitled, Sand Available for Filling Mine Workings in the Northern Anthracite Basin. It is estimated that the northern field contains 10,000,000,000 tons of these deposits, or a sufficient quantity to cover the 176 square miles of coal area to a depth of about 25 ft. These deposits of sand, etc., overlying the coal measures attain a maximum depth of more than 300 ft., and are usually saturated to such an extent as to render them semi-fluid. It is this condition of fluidity that limits the mining of coal seams cropping in or in close proximity to these deposits, and it is in the interest of safer and more efficient mining methods under these conditions that the study of this subject is here presented. The dangers incident to mining under deep deposits of sand have long been realized by operators in the northern anthracite field, and much has been done to prove the contour of the rock and vein croppings underlying these water-bearing deposits of sand and gravel. Although, as far as we know, the accidents of the past have not resulted in the loss of life, except in two instances, yet nearly all were attended with more or less miraculous escapes of men working in the vicinity of the breaks, so that the probable existence of pot holes, etc.,

Jan 1, 1915

By F. C. Sturges

For some time mining engineers have been interested in the possibility of using small diameter shafts, sunk by core drilling, as aids to ventilation and as emergency escapeways. The possibilities are interesting to contemplate, but new methods involve unknowns, and interest tends to remain passive until these unknowns are, solved. Recently we have completed two 36-in. diam core drilled shafts, and wish to make the data on these available to the industry. Both shafts were drilled for the McLain Fire Brick Co., one at its Buckeye mine and the other at its Colonial mine. Both mines are in the fireclay underlying the Lower Kittanning coal. Both mines have been in operation for a number of years and have required expensive maintenance work on return airways. It was decided that considerable savings could be effected by short-circuiting the air to the surface through small shafts. It was also realized that these holes, located near the present workings, would be of added value as emergency escapeways. Originally, 48-in. diam shafts were considered, but actual computations showed 36-in. diam shafts were more than ample at both mines. The shaft at the Buckeye mine is 240 ft deep, and that at the Colonial mine 258 ft deep. Both holes were started in the lower part of the Conemaugh formation and penetrated Conemaugh and Allegheny strata. The holes were started through the unconsolidated materials overlying bedrock by constructing a concrete collar with a wall thickness of 8 in. Then the shafts were drilled by the shot-core drill method. An annular groove was cut in the rock by the abrading action of chilled steel shot run under the shoe of the core barrel. The drilling was done in stages, the core barrel drilling the groove for a certain distance depending on conditions encountered, and then the cores broken off and taken out in sections. The core barrel had a 36-in. o.d. and the finished diameter of the shaft measured almost 37 in. The major questions that could not be answered until the completion of the first shaft were, (I) how much ground water would be encountered, how would it hinder the drilling, and how difficult would it be to seal off, and, (2) how would the walls of the hole stand up. The holes of course could .be cased or lined, but that is considerable added expense in any shaft.

Jan 1, 1949

By W. J. Skewes, C. T. Holland

Properly constructed stopes are necessary underground for proper ventilation and safe, healthful working conditions. Mining companies are concerned with providing the best possible stoppings at an economic cost. It is important to consider 1) proper materials, 2) construction that ensures maximum performance from the material used, and 3) keeping costs within reasonable limits for the unit operation—stopping—involved. The authors investigated all aspects of the problem and have attempted to layout a study program to provide information on all phases. Mining companies every year purchase huge amounts of material for the construction of ventilation stoppings. This material by the time it is in place in the stoppings will cost the company many thousands of dollars. In addition and more importantly these stoppings are supposed to confine air travel along certain well defined paths into areas where it is needed to provide safe and healthful atmospheres for workmen. The cost of forcing this air through the mine is large and in general increases as the total quantity increases. Consequently, if the stoppings leak, increased cost results and in addition unsatisfactory ventilation may prevail in the mine. Therefore, it is essentia1 to provide the best possible stoppings at an economic cost. When attempting to provide the best stoppings possible at an economic cost, three aspects of the problem must be considered. These are 1) getting the most suitable material for stopping constructions, 2) constructing the stopping so as to get the best performance from the material used, and 3) keeping the cost of stopping construction to a minimum for a suitable stopping. This investigation is concerned with all phases of the problem and has attempted to lay out a study to provide information on all of them. In order to develop information on the best stopping material available it seemed wise, after con- sidering the job a stopping must do, to investigate the following aspects of material used for stoppings: 1) strength in compression, 2) compressibility or yield under load, 3) porosity, and 4) permeability. To provide information on the best manner of construction the following aspects of air leakage through the stopping were investigated: 1) when the stopping is built of dry stacked materials—i.e., the joints are not mortar-laid (See Fig. 1); 2) when the stopping is built of dry stacked material and then plastered on one side (see Fig. 2); 3) when the

Jan 1, 1961

By F. A. Forward, A. H. Ross, J. Halpern

IN treating carnotite ores by carbonate leaching it is often necessary to subject the ore to a prior roast. Among the advantages that may result from roasting are: 1) improvement in settling and filtering characteristics of the ore; 2) destruction of carbonaceous impurities that would otherwise contaminate the leach solution and consume carbonate reagent; and 3) substantial increase in extraction of vanadium, which is usually low when the un-roasted ore is leached. Recovery of vanadium may be an important factor in processing carnotite ores, and the fact that vanadium is usually recovered in good yield by acid leaching has often been an economic advantage over results obtained with carbonate leaching. It has been found that response of an ore to carbonate leaching, following roasting, depends primarily on its composition and on the conditions of the prior roast treatment, particularly with regard to the roasting temperature, the atmosphere maintained above the charge during roasting and cooling, and the presence of certain reagents. These factors, especially the last, virtually determine the extractions of uranium and vanadium attainable by carbonate leaching, as well as the reagent consumption on leaching, whereas adjustment of the leaching conditions has only a limited influence. These variables were examined systematically to elucidate roasting and carbonate leaching of carnotite ores and to establish a treatment yielding high recoveries of both uranium and vanadium. Tests were conducted on samples of four different Colorado Plateau ores, described in Table I. Roasting Procedure: The roasting tests were conducted in an electrically heated furnace in which the temperature was controlled to +15oC. The ore (usually a 500-g charge) was ground to —100 mesh, mixed with the desired reagent, and spread in a silica tray to a bed depth of about 1/2 in. During the roast the charge was rabbled at intervals of 15 min. To provide free access of air the furnace was usually ventilated; however, in a few experiments a controlled atmosphere such as carbon dioxide or hydrogen was maintained above the charge. Leaching Procedure: The pulp, generally comprising 500 g of ore and a 2000-cc solution containing 80 g per liter of Na2CO3 and 20 g per liter of NaHCO3, was agitated in an autoclave at 120°C, under 30 psi O2. Samples were withdrawn periodically, and the solution and ore residue were analyzed. Under the conditions employed, maximum attainable extractions were generally achieved in 4

Jan 1, 1958

By Vernon Taylor

CANADA'S oil production is obtained almost entirely from the Turner Valley gas and oil field, in the Province of Alberta. This field, about 30 miles southwest of the city of Calgary and approximately 115 miles north of the United States border, supplied 92 per cent of production in Canada during 1937. In 1938 considerable development took place in this field and total production for the year amounted to 6,688,716 bbl., an increase of 3,922,146 bbl. over the production in 1937, which increased the percentage of production to approximately 97 per cent of Canada's total. In the British Empire, Canada's production is thus comparable to that of Bahrein Island and Burma, each of which produced approxi-mately 7,800,000 bbl. in 1937, being second to Trinidad's production of 15,500,000 bbl. The total production of the British Empire in that year amounted to 2.07 per cent of the world's total. HISTORY Development of the Turner Valley field commenced in 1913, when a well was started near a gas seepage on the banks of the South Fork of Sheep River in the central part of the Valley. This well found small quantities of a light crude oil in beds of Upper Cretaceous age and pre-cipitated a wild boom in 1913-1914 which ended with the beginning of the Great War in 1914. A small amount of drilling was done in the years from 1914 to 1922 and a few wells found small crude-oil production in the upper sands. In 1922 a few wells were started, including the Royalite Oil Company's No. 4 well (R, Fig. 1), which became the discovery well of naphtha pro-duction from the Paleozoic limestone. In October 1924, this well was completed at a depth of 3740 ft., being approximately 300 ft, in the lime-stone, with an initial flow of 600 bbl. of 72° A.P.I. gravity naphtha and 20,000 M cu. ft. of gas per day. Intense activity was not started until the latter part of 1928, when the Okalta No. 1 well (Q, Fig. 1) was drilled, with an initial production of 500 bbl. of naphtha per day. This well was only 1 ¼ miles from Royalite No. 4, but it was approximately 1300 ft.

Jan 1, 1939

With the exception of the mentions of coal in Illinois in the period 1660-1680, already referred to, the first coal found in the United States was in the James River, Virginia, field. In 1699 a large tract of .land above the present city of Richmond was allotted for a settlement of French Huguenots by the colonial, government, near the present Manakin, about fourteen miles above Richmond. They soon found coal, tradition says it was uncovered by a hunter pulling out a small tree in a. steel) bank near a stream, and Colonel William Byrd, F.R.S., the most prominent man of his day in the colony, wrote to the Colonial Council of Virginia, May 10 and 11, 1701: "The 10th of May, last., I with Coll. Randolph, Capt. Epes, Capt. Webb, &c., went up to the new settlements of ye French Refugees at ye Manaken Town.... We went tip to ye Cole, w'ch is not above a mile and a half from their settlement on the great upper Creeke, w'ch, riseing very high in great Raines hath washed away the Banks that the Coal lyes bare, otherwise it's very deep in the Earth, the land being very high, and near the surface is plenty of Slate.", Some of the Frenchmen were evidently familiar with the use of coal, as on May 22, 1702, "David Menestrier a black smith and one of ye french Refugees Inhabiting at Luciana Petitioning his Excellency that he may have leave to use ye coal mines lately discovered there for his forge his Excellency by and with ye advice of ye Council loth hereby give Leave to ye said David Menestrier to take what coales he shall want. out of ye said Coal mine for ye use of his forge according to ye Prayer of ye said Petition."2 There was some uncertainty about the grant of these lands to the Huguenots which caused the request for leave to use this coal, as a Virginia patent in its usual form allowed the owner to mine all minerals excepting gold and silver, which were subject to royalties for the Crown. After the visit to the coal above mentioned, "Wm. Byrd, understanding the land had not been granted to the French, took out a patent for 344 acres, including the same, (the coal) which patent was dated October 20, 1704".3

Jan 1, 1942

By Gifford E. White

Explanations of the basic procedure for making earth-conductivity studies by the Eltran method have already appeared in several placeS. 1,2,3 In its essentials, this method consists of applying step functions of voltage to one pair of earth grounds and measuring the transient potential resulting at a separate pair of ground points. As previously pointed out,' the transient potential resulting from a suddenly applied steady voltage is the indicia1 transfer function of Carson1 6 which has been extensively studied in network theory. The discussion here, with one special exception, will ignore the problem of how the physical configuration of the earth affects the transient response voltage; it appears that this phase of the problem has been solved in only a few special cases having any direct bearing on the prospecting problem. Entirely distinct from the potential-theory aspect of the conductivity problem is the interesting material that can be had from studying the well-known network relations between cause and effect in linear circuits, and thus deducing criteria for the application of the several experimental methods available. To do this, only one assumption need be made about the nature of the earth. The earth is to be considered a linear conductor within the tolerance of ordinary measurements. The discussion will be restricted to collinear electrode configuration like that of Fig. I, since this is the only type of spread practical for use with driving currents that vary with time. Here one pair of grounds carries the driving current, and in line with these and external to them is a RECORDING Fair of potential probes. The problem will be to consider the relation between the different voltages appearing between the potential circuit terminals when various types of driving voltage sources are inserted in the current circuit. Suppose that the grounding points G, and G2 make good contact with the earth, and that a battery of sufficient voltage to produce one ampere of direct current is introduced into the current circuit by the closing of a switch. The potential transient response to such a voltage can be measured by taking an oscillogram at the potential Directors terminals, giving the time function that has been called A(l).4 This time function has been solved for analytically in the case of a homogeneous earth,"' and the

Jan 1, 1946

By H. M. Howe

(Read at. the Lake George Meeting, October, 1878.) MANY direct processes have been proposed for the treatment of oxidized ores of copper by reducing the copper oxide to the metallic state, and by separating it from its impurities by a subsequent fusion. The radical objection common to all the methods which have come to my notice, except those in which sulphur plays the prominent part, is that the very deoxidizing agent which effects the reduction of the copper oxide, inevitably reduces at the same time a very considerable part, if not the whole, of the iron which almost invariably accompanies copper in its ores. The result is that, when the ore is subsequently fused, a very great quantity of the already reduced iron separates from the slag along with the copper, alloying with it, and necessitating costly subsequent operations for its separation. Thus, at Perm, in the Urals,* the product of the fusion of ferruginous copper oxides is a mixture of one hundred and fifty-five parts of highly cupriferous pig iron with two hundred and five parts of very impure and ferruginous black copper, containing some 10 per cent. of carbon and iron, though free from sulphur, and of course very difficult to refine. If, in order to avoid this reduction of iron to the metallic state, the reducing action be made feebler, it inevitably results that a considerable part of the copper as well escapes deoxidation ; and, consequently, the slags are so rich that it becomes necessary to treat them subsequently in order to recover the copper which they contain. Thus, in treating native copper, at Lake Superior, where the reducing action is purposely made feeble in order to prevent the deoxidation of the iron, the slags from the first fusion of the ore carry so much copper as to render it imperative to treat them again, which is done in a cupola. And yet, in spite of so far weakening the reducing action as to cause a notable slagging of the copper, a very considerable reduction of iron actually takes place. These are the two dangers which threaten the smelter of oxidized copper ores. If he wishes to avoid slagging his copper, he must have so strong a deoxidizing action as to reduce a great deal of his * Rivot, Prineipes Généraux du Traitement des Minerais Métalliques, i, p. 79.

Jan 1, 1879

By B. H. Lehnhard, C. J. Cecil

The paper describes the use of the Electric Pilot in the Permian Basin for making permeability surveys of wells and for the selective acidization of wells. A general summary of the information obtained from the many permeability surveys run in this area is given, and the possible application of this information to reservoir control problems is discussed. The application of the Electric Pilot on specific wells, involving well completion, acidizing and workover operations is also included. Introduction The Electric pilot is a comparatively new tool in oil-producing areas. From the beginning, the possibilities of this new service caught the imagination of many of the oil operators and acidizing engineers. Through the continued and ever increasing use of the pilot during the past year, and the close cooperation of the oil operators who have used this service, the efficiency and utility of the Electric Pilot service has been increased to a point where it is now a well established and recognized service. There are two major uses for the Electric Pilot: (I) permeability survey; (2) selective acid treatments. Permeability surveys are made to determine the thickness of the various permeable sections at the borehole, the vertical position of these zones at the bore hole, and the relative capacities of the various zones. Nomenclature Data obtained from the permeability survey are used to calculate three different indexes that pertain to the volume of fluid injected into the various permeable zones. A nomenclature for these various indexes has been set up, which correspond with the various productivity indexes, except that they are a measure of injected fluid rather than produced fluid. The nomenclature and definition of the indexes used in connection with a permeability survey by the Electric Pilot are as follows: 1. Capacity.—The volume of water injected into an individual permeable zone, in gallons Per minute. 2. Capacity Index.—The volume of water injected into an individual permeable Zone, in gallons Per minute Per pound Per Square inch differential Pressure. 3. Specific Capacity Index.—The volume of water injected into an individual permable zone in gallons Per minute Per pound per square inch differential per foot of thickness of the zone at the borehole. Capacity is the most generally used index, and for planning initial acidizing procedures and most workover jobs it is sufficient. For comparing permeability surveys on the same well before and after

Jan 1, 1945

By Gifford E. White

Explanations of the basic procedure for making earth-conductivity studies by the Eltran method have already appeared in several placeS. 1,2,3 In its essentials, this method consists of applying step functions of voltage to one pair of earth grounds and measuring the transient potential resulting at a separate pair of ground points. As previously pointed out,' the transient potential resulting from a suddenly applied steady voltage is the indicia1 transfer function of Carson1 6 which has been extensively studied in network theory. The discussion here, with one special exception, will ignore the problem of how the physical configuration of the earth affects the transient response voltage; it appears that this phase of the problem has been solved in only a few special cases having any direct bearing on the prospecting problem. Entirely distinct from the potential-theory aspect of the conductivity problem is the interesting material that can be had from studying the well-known network relations between cause and effect in linear circuits, and thus deducing criteria for the application of the several experimental methods available. To do this, only one assumption need be made about the nature of the earth. The earth is to be considered a linear conductor within the tolerance of ordinary measurements. The discussion will be restricted to collinear electrode configuration like that of Fig. I, since this is the only type of spread practical for use with driving currents that vary with time. Here one pair of grounds carries the driving current, and in line with these and external to them is a RECORDING Fair of potential probes. The problem will be to consider the relation between the different voltages appearing between the potential circuit terminals when various types of driving voltage sources are inserted in the current circuit. Suppose that the grounding points G, and G2 make good contact with the earth, and that a battery of sufficient voltage to produce one ampere of direct current is introduced into the current circuit by the closing of a switch. The potential transient response to such a voltage can be measured by taking an oscillogram at the potential Directors terminals, giving the time function that has been called A(l).4 This time function has been solved for analytically in the case of a homogeneous earth,"' and the

Jan 1, 1946

By C. E. Lesher

THE Disco* process for the production of low temperature coke and its immediate predecessor, the Wisner or Carbocite process have been described in the voluminous literature of low temperature carbonization.1 This paper will describe the development of the process from the first attempt at commercial operation by the American Gas and Electric Co. at Philo, Ohio, Yn the 1920's to the successful operation in 1949 by the Disco Co., a division of the Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal Co., of the 1000-ton per day Disco plant near Pittsburgh, see Figs. 1-2. In the 1924 coal industry depression following the hectic post World War I expansion, the northern Appalachian, unionized bituminous coal fields were affected first and foremost, and Western Pennsylvania as hard as any. Competitive market pressure was heaviest on the lower grades of steam coals, notably the from the Panhandle district where ash and sulphur are inherently higher than in the same Pittsburgh coal bed to the east along the rivers. The firm structure of Panhandle coal while favoring the prepared sizes, depressed the usefulness and value of the finer sizes. Panhandle slack and nut slack were marketed with difficulty at consistent, and at times considerable, loss. Many solutions were suggested, and the Pittsburgh Coal Co. investigated all. Lower delivered prices through lower mine costs and more advantageous freight rates were obvious goals, but equally obvious were the difficulties of self attainment of either in any substantial measure. Selling Btu's in pipes was abandoned as an idea after a thorough study of the economics of distribution of what was then, and is even now, the only developed continuous process of complete gasification of bituminous coal-producer gas. Although the coal company purchased huge blocks of electric power, it sold not a car of coal to the central power stations. Public utilities controlled the markets for electric current, and it was found that no matter at how low a cost current might be put on the bus bars by the coal company, distribution to its widely scattered coal mines made such an enterprise practically impossible. Consolidation of underground operations and a huge modernization program of mining operations in the 1920's were but preparation for the introduction of mechanical cleaning of the coal for market, particularly the smaller sizes of steam, gas, and by-

Jan 1, 1953

By C. E. Lesher

THE Disco* process for the production of low temperature coke and its immediate predecessor, the Wisner or Carbocite process have been described in the voluminous literature of low temperature carbonization.1 This paper will describe the development of the process from the first attempt at commercial operation by the American Gas and Electric Co. at Philo, Ohio, Yn the 1920's to the successful operation in 1949 by the Disco Co., a division of the Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal Co., of the 1000-ton per day Disco plant near Pittsburgh, see Figs. 1-2. In the 1924 coal industry depression following the hectic post World War I expansion, the northern Appalachian, unionized bituminous coal fields were affected first and foremost, and Western Pennsylvania as hard as any. Competitive market pressure was heaviest on the lower grades of steam coals, notably the from the Panhandle district where ash and sulphur are inherently higher than in the same Pittsburgh coal bed to the east along the rivers. The firm structure of Panhandle coal while favoring the prepared sizes, depressed the usefulness and value of the finer sizes. Panhandle slack and nut slack were marketed with difficulty at consistent, and at times considerable, loss. Many solutions were suggested, and the Pittsburgh Coal Co. investigated all. Lower delivered prices through lower mine costs and more advantageous freight rates were obvious goals, but equally obvious were the difficulties of self attainment of either in any substantial measure. Selling Btu's in pipes was abandoned as an idea after a thorough study of the economics of distribution of what was then, and is even now, the only developed continuous process of complete gasification of bituminous coal-producer gas. Although the coal company purchased huge blocks of electric power, it sold not a car of coal to the central power stations. Public utilities controlled the markets for electric current, and it was found that no matter at how low a cost current might be put on the bus bars by the coal company, distribution to its widely scattered coal mines made such an enterprise practically impossible. Consolidation of underground operations and a huge modernization program of mining operations in the 1920's were but preparation for the introduction of mechanical cleaning of the coal for market, particularly the smaller sizes of steam, gas, and by-

Jan 1, 1953

By H. C. George

Since 1911, when J. L. Dunn first used compressed air for repressuring depleted oil sands in southeast Ohio, the rejuvenation of many depleted oil fields has been directly due to repressuring by means of air or gas. Developments in repressuring in recent years have resulted in its successful use in the early life of some deep, high-pressure oil fields, conserving the natural gas dissolved in and associated with the oil by returning it to the producing oil sand after it has been compressed above the existing rock pressure of the reservoir. One of the most successful operations of this type is that of the Humble Oil & Refining Co., on the DeWalt salt dome at Sugarland, Texas. I quote from a personal communication with reference to this field: "Structurally, the field is dome-shaped, having a closure of approximately 350 ft. Production comes from a sandy shale interbedded with a clean sand and lying over a cap rock which is about 3400 ft. deep on top of the structure." A feature of the operation of this field is the production of the required amount of oil with the minimum of gas production. Wells on top of the dome have high gas-oil ratios, while those down structure have lower ratios, depending upon the distance of the well from the peak. To date, it has been possible to produce the oil needed from the wells circling the dome above the water zone and below the gas zone, and in this manner the average gas-oil ratio has been kept low. The gas from all separators is turned into a gas system which serves the entire field. From this system, all drilling rigs and utilities requiring gas for a fuel draw their requirements, and the remainder of the gas (about two-thirds of the production) is delivered to a compressor plant which boosts the pressure until it can be returned to the sand at the top of the dome where the rock pressure is 1400 lb, per square inch. "The Sugarland wells produce through 2-in. tubing with a 3/8-in. choke in one wing of the well-head manifold. The pressure builds up as high as 1300 lb, per square inch on the casing while on the tubing it varies from 0 to 900 lb. per square inch, depending upon the amount of gas produced with the oil."

Jan 1, 1931

By John C. Smock

THE question of the proper valuation of mines of iron ore was suggested to me by the difficulties experienced in getting answers for the United States Census Office, while I was engaged in the work of collecting the statistics of mines in New Jersey and New York The answers to the questions relating to values of real estate of mine properties varied so greatly that it was necessary to revise them according to some general principles of valuation. Generally the returns of mine proprietors Seemed to be too low. There were, however, examples of what would be termed excessive valuation. The Subject appeared to be of practical importance, and led to the paper here presented. The following table of selected mine statistics is given, prefacing the discussion of the principles of valuation. It is in part made up of census returns and partly of data obtained directly from mine owners and managers. The mines which were Selected for the Several groups and mining districts include nearly all of those from Which the more full and carefully filled returns were received, and are also representative of their respective districts. Hence the averages obtained from them become good types of these groups or districts. The mines of New Jersey appear in Six groups, each containing from three to eleven mines, or, in all, thirty-four mines. The magnetic iron ores of New York are in four well-marked groups, and there are twenty-six mines in them. Then follow the red hematite mines of St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties; and, lastly, the brown hematite groups of Dutchess and Columbia counties, and those of the adjacent parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The whole number of mines represented by the table is eighty-eight, of which twenty-eight are hematite mines. The first column gives the value of the real estate; the second that of the plant; the third is the sum of these two, or the capital invested. Then follow the number of men employed, the amount of wages paid during the census year, and the value of materials used in mining and preparing the ores for market.* The seventh column gives the total expendi- * The value of materials is somewhat uncertain in many cases, as royalties are included under this head. Likewise, under wages, the cost of explosives and light is often included. Hence it is impossible to draw the line sharply between these items of expenditure.

Jan 1, 1882

By A. R. Elsea, E. E. Fletcher

This paper describes a metallographic investigation of the influence of tungsten or molybdenum additions upon the transformation and precipitation reactions occurring in Co-rich Co-Cr alloys. It is shown that tungsten has little effect upon the a-ß transformation temperature range, while molybdenum tends to raise it. Both elements tend to promote the formation of ? phase, molybdenum being more potent in this respect than tungsten. HIGH temperature alloys, that is, alloys which have load-carrying ability at elevated temperatures, have been developed at an increasing rate during the past few years. This has resulted from the requirements in the design of modern aircraft engines. Although many alloys of this type are available, they have been developed on an empirical basis. Metallurgists do not have a clear understanding of the phases or structures that are responsible for these high temperature properties. In order to determine why these alloys possess this particular ability, a project was started at Battelle Memorial Institute with the object of learning more about the fundamental factors which promote high temperature strength in alloys. This study was to include a correlation of microstructure and the high temperature properties of Vitallium, an alloy which is widely used for high temperature service. Vitallium is a complex material both from the standpoint of composition and microstructure. Consequently, it was necessary to obtain informa- tion regarding the phase relationships in this alloy. The Co-Cr binary diagram was determined as the first phase of this investigation.' A second paper described the effects of iron, nickel, or nitrogen on the reactions occurring in the Co-rich end of this system.' The present paper covers a continuation of this investigation in which the effects of tungsten or molybdenum on the reactions occurring in Co-rich, Co-Cr-base alloys were determined. Preparation of 'rest Materials Two series of ternary Co-Cr-base alloys, representing Co-Cr ratios of 80:20 and 68:32 ( Cr x 100 =20 and 32 ) , were prepared containing ( Co + Cr = up to 6 pct W and up to 12 pct Mo. Melting stock consisted of electrolytic Co, electrolytic Cr, 99.9 pct pure W, and 99.9 pct pure Mo. Table I lists the chemical analyses of these materials. The melting furnace was a vertical porcelain tube

Jan 1, 1952

By R. Raring, W. J. Harris, J. A. Rinebolt

The effects of additions of alloying elements on the true-stress, true-strain characteristics of 0.30 pct C, 1.00 pct Mn, 0.30 pct Si pearlitic steel were studied. The alloying elements investigated were C, Mn, Si, P, The alloys are compared on the basis of fracture stress, fracture strain, energy to fracture, rate of strain hardening, strain hardening exponent, height of the flow curve, and lower yield point. IN the past, nearly all studies of the effects of alloying elements on the tensile properties of metals have compared the conventional engineering parameters, namely, tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, and reduction of area. Recently, however, the true-stress, true-strain method of recording results from the tension test has been used; Lacy and Gensamer,' Hollomon," and French and Hibbard- are used this method to study the effects of composition on strength and ductility of metals. In this paper, the effects of certain alloying elements on true-stress, true-strain curves of steels with nearly constant grain size and pearlite spacing are presented. The notation employed in this paper is given in Table I. Since the definitions of stress and strain and the analytical geometry of the stress-strain curve have been explained previously, for example by Gensamer,' they will not be reviewed here. However, the method used for the determination of energy to fracture, E,, requires mention. These energy values were calculated on the assumption that the flow curve followed the idealized equation:' corresponds to the specific energy absorption to that strain value. There is justification for preferring the use of eq 1 for the determination of the energy to a particular strain rather than the area under the experimental stress-strain curve, since Gensamer showed that the use of the Bridgman correctione for stress at the neck of a tensile specimen brought the corrected experimental curve nearer to the idealized power-law curve than to the uncorrected experimental curve. However, it should be noted that the difference between the areas under the idealized curve and the experimental curve is not great for strain of less than 1.0, as can be seen from Fig. 1. In this figure, the true-stress, true-strain curve for a 0.01 pct C, 1.00 pct Mn steel is plotted through the experimental data points. From the value of a,, from this curve and the value of n as determined by the Inm-

Jan 1, 1952

By T. N. McVay, E. E. Creitz

Rather large amounts of titanium minerals and some zircon and monazite are being recovered from dune sands about I. miles west of Jacksonville Beach, Fla. The Mining Branch of the Bureau of Mines, Southern Experiment station, has been interested in developing additional large deposits of similar sands in other areas of Florida. The results of a field study have been published1 concerning the sands occurring on Trail Ridge which runs north and south about 30 miles southwest of Jacksonville. This investigation was undertaken in order to identify the opaque titanium minerals occurring in Trail Ridge and because of the economic importance of Florida titanium minerals. Nature of the Problem The minerals present in the heavy fractions (sp gr > 2.94) of the sands are principally opaque minerals; staurolite, zircon, sillimanite, tourmaline, kyanite, rutile, a small amount of corundum, traces of the zinc spinel gahnite and garnet. Epidote, monazite, hornblende and ti-tanite are present in other dune sands but these minerals were not noted in the samples collected on Trail Ridge. All of the minerals except those which are opaque can be readily identified by the usual petrographic methods. However, Opaque minerals cannot be examined satisfactorily by transmitted light. Polished sections of the opaque-mineral grains were examined but these sections did not furnish useful information. Consequently, it was necessary to use means other than the usual petrographic methods to identify them. Previous Investigations of Heavy Minerals in Florida Sands Martens2 has described the heavy minerals in the Florida beach sands and has classified the opaque minerals as ilmenite with minor amounts of leucoxene. Miller3 studied a number of sands collected by Ross and Mertie in Florida. He states that the material from the Florida beach and dune sands that commonly has been called ilmenite has essentially the chemical composition of the material that has been called arizonite.4 The x ray diffraction patterns of several samples indicated that the supposed ilmenite is essentially amorphous, with only weak lines corresponding to ilmenite, and hence the material is unlike the type of arizonite from Arizona. Opaque Titanium Minerals Rutile is essentially titanium dioxide. However, as pointed out by Dana,5 important amounts of Fe+2 and Fe+3 as well as Cb and Ta are reported in some analyses.

Jan 1, 1949