Search Documents

By W. N. Best

This paper is not intended as a scientific discussion of the combustion of oil but is written from the standpoint of an operator who has the experience and qualifications necessary to guide others in producing the most economical results in the use of liquid fuels. Oil, in this paper, usually means petroleum or its products but incidental reference is made to other liquid and gaseous fuels, so that the term may be considered as referring to all liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons in comparison with solid fuels, as coal and wood. However, only a few of the principal factors in the use of oil as a fuel can be given. The present, and prospective, high price of coal is causing users of fuel to renew inquiry as to the merits of other forms of fuel for industrial purposes. Crude oil (petroleum) is proving to be one of the world's most valuable mineral resources. The recent discovery that oil underlies a considerable area of the United States, Mexico, and other parts of the world to a greater extent than was formerly believed and the large production of some of the wells in these areas shows the probable quantity of fuel oil that may now be available. Through the energy of Lord Cowdrey, who was one of the pioneers of the oil industry in Mexico, oil has been discovered in England; some prominent geologists believe that it may be found in quantity in Great Britain. For years, oil has been known to be of great value in the manufneture of metals. It has proved incomparable in forge shops, steel foundries, heat-treating furnaces, and wherever accuracy of temperatures is essential, or where a maximum output is desired as well as quality of metal. In some types of equipment, the output produced with oil as fuel is double that obtained with coal and at a reduction of 50 per cent. in the cost of the fuel. For example, in drop-forging plants, the metal is always waiting for the man when oil is used as fuel, whereas with coal, the man must wait for the metal to become sufficiently heated. It has only been since January, 1919, that the oil supply could be relied on for boiler service, owing to the war conditions and the inability to get oil tankers for the delivery of the oil from Mexico to Atlantic ports; but now a constant supply is assured, and many manufacturers are installing it in their power plants. The cost varies with the size of the

Jan 1, 1921

By E. A. Khopunov, V. I. Revnivtsev

The process of triboelectric separation from the point of view of its potential for selective separation of various mineral particles can be described as "dry flotation." Large scale practical applications of this technique are limited because suitable models which can describe contact charging of mineral particles have not been developed. Among the various concepts a promising one is an attempt to change development in dielectric minerals within the limits of contact phenomenon in semiconductors. Experimental investigations reported in this paper indicate that the charge development is mainly a result of contact electrification of dielectric minerals characterized by "donor" and "acceptor" type energy spectra due to lattice defects.

Jan 1, 1980

(The following list contains the names of those members of the Institute of whose connection with military service we have only recently become acquainted; it also includes the names of a few who have recently been promoted or transferred, indicated by a *. A complete list was published in the Year Book, issued as a supplement of the Bulletin for March, 1915.) ADAMS, ARTHUR K., Lieut., Co. 2, E. 0. T. S., Camp Humphreys, Va. AMIDON, CLAUDE E., 11th Training Co., Casual Camp, Camp Cody, N. M *BARBOUR, P. E., Capt., Engineer Corps, U. S. A. *BENHAM, W. M., Master Engr., Headquarters Dept., 115th Engrs. A. E. F., Care Postmaster, N. Y. BICKNELL, H. L., Pvt., Co. D, 27th Engrs., Camp Leach, D. C. *BLANDY, S. H. B., Lieut., Royal Horse Artillery, B. E. F.

Jan 10, 1918

By Guy Jordan

HIGH-IRON cements have a number of advantages over cements carrying little or no iron. The presence of iron in, Portland cement aids in the manufacture of the cement and also imparts certain advantageous physical properties to the finished product. In manufacture, the presence of iron lowers the fuel consumption, increases the ease of proper burning, and lessens the destructive action of the charge on the kiln refractories. In the finished cement the presence of iron reduces the expansion and contraction, adds strength, adds increased resistance to freezing and thawing, and increases the resistance of the cement to sea or sulphate waters. During the past few years the construction of numerous dams through-out the Southeast by the Tennessee Valley Authority has stimulated the production of high-iron cements. At present a great number of specifica-tions call for an iron cement, and the industry is supplying this demand with a Portland cement carrying approximately 5 per cent iron oxide. Several manufacturers are now making practically all of their cement of this type and a number of others manufacture it as a special cement over short periods to meet demands from the Tennessee Valley Authority and other buyers. The recent increase in the use of iron in Portland cement has created a market for iron products that previously was nonexistent. The chief sources of supply for the cement manufacturers at present are iron sand, iron sinter and slag, and ocher. The Copperhill mining district, Ten-nessee, supplies both iron sinter and slag for use in cement. The Carters-ville district supplies iron sand, ocher, and some iron resulting from the magnetic separation of iron from barite. The advantages of these products vary according to the chemical properties of the raw materials and the methods of handling used by the different manufacturers. Where the iron is to be handled by conveying belts and in hopper cars, the iron

Jan 1, 1939

By M. G. Taverner

Research was conducted into cold briquetting dross arisings and metallurgical coke fines from an Imperial Smelting Furnace (I.S.F.) as an economic means of agglomerating fine materials for smelting in a blast furnace. A mechanism was postulated whereby strong bonds were developed within the briquettes; laboratory scale smelting trials and full scale plant trials are included in the paper with a description of a two tonne/hour briquetting pilot plant. Benefits from smelting briquettes in an I.S.F. were measured directly in metallurgical coke savings and, indirectly, by a significant improvement in sinter plant productivity.

Jan 1, 1977

By I. I. Gardescu

Rumania produced during 1936 some 62,500,000 bbl. of oil. Of this production, 99 per cent comes from an area running east and west along the southern foothills of the Carpathian Mountains just north of Bucharest. This almost rectangular area measures 20 by 40 miles and is located in the districts of Dambovita and Prahova between the cities of Targovigte to the west and Mizil to the east. The remainder of the production is about evenly divided between the oil fields north and east of Mizil in the Buzh district and those to the north on the eastern flanks of the Carpathian Mountains in the district of Baciiu. The Transylvanian Basin to the north and west of the Carpathian Mountains has produced to date only dry gas from its numerous salt domes. Bucsani Field The Bucgani oil field produced 15,600,000 bbl., or 25 per cent of the total production of Rumania in 1936. Bucgani is a deep-seated salt dome 7 miles south of the old Moreni oil field. A slight surface doming, not dissimilar to the topography observed on some of the oil fields of the Californian basin, called attention to the area. It is the southernmost oil field and, together with the deep-seated and prolific Boldesti field, points to the great oil possibilities of the deep-seated domes along the northern edge of the Rumanian plains south of the Carpathian foothills. The Government is the principal owner of the oil and gas subsurface rights in the areas south of the foothills. The acquisition of leases by the operating oil companies may be made either by application for an exploration permit, the company being assigned part of the acreage in case of successful wildcatting, or, if the area has already been declared as proven territory, through competitive bidding. A block of 164 acres was auctioned recently for $200,000, or $1200 per acre. The largest producer in the Bucgani oil field is the Steaua Romana, which produced 39.5 per cent of the total for the field. The Steaua Romana is a post-war company and 50 per cent of its shares are owned by the British Steaua and the Steaua Franpaise and the other 50 per cent by a group of Rumanian banks and by the Government. The Colombia,

Jan 1, 1937

By H. E. Lee, P. C. Feddersen

Blast-fuRnace operation at the Bunker Hill smelter deviates somewhat from common practice. Under existing conditions it is economical to operate the furnaces at "forced" capacity. The furnace feed consists chiefly of sinter and averages close to 50 per cent lead. Experience in smelting such material favors a low charge column attended by smaller proportions of coke and a low blast pressure. Under such conditions the gain in furnace tonnage greatly overbalances the somewhat higher slag losses and increased percentage of material fumed Furnace Charge The ingredients for the blast-furnace feed are stored in a group of 24 charge bins (3600 cu. ft. capacity). Each bin has two discharge chutes. Beneath each chute is a steel weighing hopper, suspended from a Fairbanks scale. The several hoppers are kept filled with the exact amount of material required to complete a furnace charge. The weighed material is discharged into a standard-gauge, bottom-dump charge car containing two compartments, each of which holds a complete charge (approximately 1½ tons). It is hauled to the blast furnace by a 44011 electric trolley locomotive. The proportionate parts of the various constituents of a representative blast-furnace charge are shown in Table 1. Table 1.—Representative Blast-furnace Charge at Bunker Hill Smelter Material Pounds Sinter.................................................. 2500 Limerock............................................... 0- 50 Coke................................................. 250-300 Scrap iron.............................................. 0-25 Settler skulls.......................................... 75 Undried zinc-plant residue................................ 0-200 Siliceous ore............................................ 25 Baghouse dust.......................................... 0-50 By-product slag......................................... 100 A variable stock tonnage of zinc-plant residue and return by-products results in fluctuations in the percentages of these materials in the blastfurnace feed. Accompanying such variations are corresponding increases or decreases in the amounts of coke, limerock and scrap iron necessary to obtain good furnace operation and adequate reduction.

Jan 1, 1937

By Magnus Troilius

The importance of having methods for the rapid and accurate determination of manganese in modern steel manufacture cannot be overestimated. The method adopted in the laboratory of the Midvale Steel Works is very satisfactory, and I think it will be of interest to some of the members to give a description of it. Before giving the more detailed account of the manipulations, a review of some well-known methods and chemical facts may not be out of place. The " bromine and ammonia" process, as fully described in the tenth volume of the Transactions of this Institute, was certainly an improvement on the methods in which fixed alkaline salts were used, as these gave invariably too high resnlts, as generally carried out. But the separation of all the iron before the manganese was, in both methods, a source of great inconvenience and delay.

Jan 1, 1884

By B. Van Voorhis

Successive changes have been made in stoping methods at the Magma mine. Factors that have made these changes advisable are: vein width, heavy and swelling wall rock, abnormal rock temperatures, ventilation, labor costs, timber costs, mining speed, and labor-saving mechanical developments. Additional localized conditions, such as low angle post-mineral faulting and selective mining, have also made changes necessary. A stoping method with enough flexibility to meet most of these conditions has been in use for the past ten years. The Magma Copper Co. was organized by the late William Boyce Thompson in 1910 and acquired by purchase and location several groups of contiguous claims, among them the Silver Queen property. The Hub and Irene claims acquired in this purchase cover the apex of the vein, and all stoping done up to 1920 was from these two claims

Aug 1, 1956

By G. W. Traer

THE distillation of bituminous coals at what is commonly termed low temperature, and the quantities, nature and adaptabilities of the products have been the subject of considerable experimentation, during recent years. Fortunately, the earlier work in this country was done by men whose scientific training qualified them properly to record and interpret the results of-their experiments. The work of Prof. Parr, of the University of Illinois, is especially notable in this respect. Prof. Parr's work, added to that of English experimenters, demonstrated certain things to a degree which is generally regarded as convincing. They have proved that a caking bituminous coal, when subjected to a temperature of not more than 1000° F. (preferably somewhat less) will yield light tar having low specific gravity (about 1.06) and high value; also, that this yield, with a given coal, will depend upon the percentage of hydrocarbons in the coal, the maximum temperature used, and the promptness with which the distillate gases are removed. It is assumed that air is excluded from the retort, and that the coal is subjected to heat for a sufficient time to drive off all of the tarry hydrocarbons. The results attained in the first, or low-temperature stage of the Carbocoal process, recently described by C. T. Malcolmson, corroborate these general principles. It is the purpose of the writer to describe other work of a practical nature, directed toward the commercial adaptation of these principles, which was begun nearly two years ago; this investigation was assisted by A. J. Sayers, of the Link-Belt Co., and Carl Scholz.

Jan 9, 1918

By R. P. Aikman, F. G. Miller, J. M. Podgursky

In response to the growing demand for low-sulfur coking coal for iron-making, the coal industry is continually striving to perfect methods for cleaning coal to acceptable ash and sulfur levels while maintaining maximum product yield. By present standards the industry has adequate processes for cleaning coarse coal, (i.e., +28 mesh) at almost any desired specific gravity. However, in the case of fine coal (i.e., -28 mesh) neither of the two existing processes-froth flotation and hydrocycloning-in its present state of development yields products that are comparable in ash and/or sulfur content to products normally obtained from coarse coal processes. The work outlined in this article is part of a larger study directed toward maximum exploitation of froth flotation for fine coal processing. The concepts and data presented are now serving as a basis for designing fine-coal circuits in which improved efficiency is obtained by optimum use of froth flotation with other fine-coal processing methods.

Jan 7, 1967

By A. S. C. Owili-eger

Coal mining is one of the major activities that may affect the natural or existing hydrologic equilibrium of a basin. Consequently, the mining industry is committed to the conservation and protection of the hydrologic balance within and around mining environments. This commitment embodies thorough and careful consideration of the quantitative and qualitative variations and, in general terms, the environmental impacts of mining activity on the natural water systems. A research program was undertaken to study the impacts of full extraction coal mining on the ground water systems at one of the coal basins in the Appalachian region. The primary objective was to provide reliable information for determining the local and possibly the regional effects of longwall mining on well yields, and the hydraulic and hydrogeochemical parameters of the immediate surface and subsurface water resources.

Jan 1, 1985

By Howard E. Kremers

Since the discovery of the first-known rare earth elements more than a century ago, these metals have always been of academic interest. It is not so well known, however, that a rather stable, respectably large industry based on rare earths and their related materials has been in operation for more than 60 years. Rare earths, of course, are the elements having atomic numbers 57 through 71--lanthanum through lutetium in the periodic table. The most important commercial members of this group are mixtures of the lower atomic-numbered rare earths, and cerium. Although yttrium is not a rare earth, it occurs with rare earths and its properties are so similar to them that. it must be included in a discussion of these elements. In addition, thorium is important to most producers of rare earths because their ores generally contain this element. Thorium extractive metallurgy and technology is closely related to rare earth chemistry due to the frequent similarity of properties.

Jan 4, 1962

By J. A. Benell

DIOXIDE of silicon, commonly called silica, is one of the greatest single constituents of modern in-dustry. It is brought most clearly to the mind when we consider the various kinds of sand and their rela-tion to industry. The major portion of.all sand is silica, and should be its principal component part in building materials. As an abrasive for cutting, polish-ing and sand-blasting, sand serves a vital purpose in many industries. Even lumber is now being sand-blasted, to cut away the softer grains of wood, leaving the harder grains in relief. The result not only in-creases the beauty of the wood, but adds to it an ap-pearance of antiquity. The common uses of silica in industry may be classified about as follows: Chemical industries-filtering medium; manufacture of carborundum; manufacture of water-glass. Paint-inert extender. Mineral fillers-wood filler; filler in rubber, hard rubber, pressed and molded goods, phonograph records.

Jan 5, 1928

By J. Redstone, A. R. Laplante

Sidbec-Normines operates six large iron ore concentrate regrinding mills in parallel and open circuit at its Port-Cartier pelletizing plant. Grinding kinetics in these mills were characterized for slurry densities varying between 70 and 89% solids, using a lumped parameter size discrete model. Optimum grinding conditions were encountered at 83.5 to 84% solids. Higher densities decreased the normalized selection function and increased slurry short-circuiting, yielding a sharply coarser mill discharge. At lower slurry densities, the normalized selection function decreased and the mill discharge coarsened slightly. The grinding kinetic model predicted particle size distributions within the mill. These were found to vary significantly from the feed to the discharge end. This is likely to cause nonlinear breakage kinetics.

Jan 1, 1985

By L. W. Kemph

The thermal expansion characteristics of aluminum alloys have been examined by several investigators, among whom may be mentioned Shakespear,' Schulz,2 Hidnert13 Hidnert and Sweeney4 and McCullough.' Shakespear compared the expansion of a series of aluminum alloys containing 14 per cent copper, with separate additions of about 1 per cent each of manganese, tin and zinc with that of pure copper. Schulz examined the expansion of aluminum and zinc and some aluminum-zinc alloys. Hidnert determined with a high degree of precision the exp:tnsion characteristics of pure aluminum, some aluminum-copper, aluminum-zinc, aluminum-silicon and some commercial alloys.' Hidnert and Sweeney examined the expansion characteristics of aluminum-beryllium alloys. McCullough, by an interferometer method, determined the expansivity of some aluminum-copper, aluminum-magnesium, aluminum-iron, aluminum-nickel, aluminum-silicon and aluminum-manganese alloys. Incidental to an investigation carried out during the past six years and leading to the development and exploit,ation of an aluminum piston alloy of relatively low thermal expansivity, the expansion characteristics of a wide variety of alloys were examined. Some of the data which might be of general interest are gathered in this paper. Experimental Procedure The apparatus used was essentially similar to those developed by the Bureau of Standards6 and Howard Scott,? with a few minor changes for expediency. The specimen was approximately 4 in. long and the differential length changes between specimen and the quartz tube were

Jan 1, 1933

By Joseph D. Weeks

NOTE BY THE SECRETARY.—This address having been made the object of much hostile comment, arising, as Mr. Weeks believed, in large part from misunderstanding of its purpose and meaning, was, by his express direction, withheld from official publication in the Transactions until he should have so modified or added to it as to make such misunderstanding impossible. His illness and death prevented him from executing this intention; and, consequently, the only version of the address now in the Secretary's hands is one of which the author had forbidden the publication. Under the circumstances, therefore, it seems best to publish, in this place, only some portions of the address and its appendixes which have a historical value and are beyond controversy, giving at the same time a summary of its general nature, based upon the original manuscript and upon correspondence with Mr. Weeks. For this summary, the Secretary is alone responsible. The address was essentially a restatement of well-known and established facts, which it interpreted as proving that, of the three elements of the Bessemer process (namely, the pneumatic principle, the successful mechanical application of that principle, and the recarburization with spiegeleisen), William Kelly was the first inventor of the first, Bessemer of the second, and Mushet of the third. Mr. Weeks used the words " original inventor " in the sense (as he explained in one place) of first inventor, and neither asserted nor believed that Bessemer's con-

Jan 1, 1897

By Howard M. Wells

The investment worth of a mineral deposit can only be realistically evaluated in relation to specified engineering design criteria which fully detail the proposed method of exploitation. The operational design of a mine falls essentially within the technical discipline of the mining engineer, under the constraint that the technical design should be aimed at optimizing the financial attractiveness of the project. In the case of a marginally viable proposition it becomes vitally necessary to identify the best set of design parameters which together will add up to an optimum investment proposal. This paper examines some fundamental logic of optimization for a "wasting asset" type of investment such as a mine, with special reference to the rate of annual production and the strategy of selective mining.

Jan 12, 1978

By John E. Gale

Seven, 15 cm diameter, cores of gneissic granite, four containing induced fractures and three containing natural fractures all oriented normal to the core axis, were tested in an uniaxial compression mode over a range of 0 to 30 MPa. At given normal stress increments, over two or three loading and unloading cycles, the flowrates and changes in fracture aperture were measured. The induced fractures gave lower initial (at low stresses) and lower final flowrates (at maximum stress) than the natural fractures. Both types of fracture exhibited permanent fracture deformation between loading cycles as well as highly nonlinear, with distinct hystersis, loading and unloading flowrate-stress curves. A significant finding of this stud is the breakdown of the cubic law for fracture flow in induced fractures subjected to normal stresses greater than 20 MPa, with the breakdown occuring at much lower stresses in natural fractures.

Jan 1, 1982

By Arthur C. Spencer

HAVING suggested magmatic waters as the probable agents of vein- and ore-deposition in southeastern Alaska in a paper entitled, The Geology of the Treadwell Ore-Deposits,1 it is with particular interest that I note W. Lindgren's application of the hypothesis of igneous emanations to the gold-quartz veins of Victoria and of California.2 Mr. Lindgren says: "In the above paragraphs I have repeatedly called attention to remarkable similarities in vein-filling and metasomatic action between the Victorian quartz veins and those of Sierra Nevada. Another striking similarity is that in both of these regions the veins were formed just after the intrusions of vast masses of granite or dioritic magma into crumpled and compressed sediments. I am convinced that these similarities are due to closely similar modes of formation. With some confidence, I would formulate the hypothesis that the gold and the quartz in this type of veins have been deposited chiefly by `eruptive after-effects;' in other words, chiefly by hot ascending waters originally contained in the granitic magma and released from it by decreasing pressure, due to its eruption into the upper parts of the lithosphere. It is quite possible that atmospheric waters may have played a certain part by aiding the precipitation and by effecting certain forms of concentration in the deposits." There are many reasons for extending this hypothesis to southeastern Alaska. This region and the Sierra Nevada belt of California are undoubtedly parts of one geologic province, throughout which the main events of geologic time are evidenced by identical or closely similar records in the rocks. Our knowledge of the former region is still fragmentary, to be sure, but the origin-dates of the most prominent features of

Jan 1, 1913