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By C. G. Albert

The clay particles of 2 microns or less required for modern paper coating are predominantly flat plates, lying smoothly on the sheet and producing a high gloss. Operating speeds of today's coating machines necessitate a clay composition of 60 and sometimes 70 pct solids as against the 35 to 40 pct required in the past. Since clays in suspension may solidify in flow, only those of intrinsically low viscosity can be used as high coating solids. THE literature of paper technology contains a number of articles having reference to developments in the field of coating and filler clays for use in paper manufacture. Much of this information has not been included in mining publications and has therefore not been readily available to all in the mineral industry. Recent developments in this field, including spray drying of clays, are presented here. U. S. Bureau of Mines figures for 1952 indicate that the paper industry consumes more than 50 pct of all kaolin produced and sold in the U. S. As most of the kaolin used by the industry comes from Georgia producers, the fraction of their output destined for paper use is thus appreciably higher than 50 pct. Small wonder that the kaolin industry, especially in Georgia, is highly sensitive to the quality requirements of paper mills and must respond promptly to technological developments in paper manufacturing. The paper industry itself is not the ultimate consumer. For the greater portion of the clay the end product is the printed page, and the demands of printing and publishing have sparked some of the technological advances in paper making which have, in turn, brought about methods employed in the kaolin industry. As compared with the product of 20 or 25 years ago, one of the most striking characteristics of the graphic arts today is the mass production of quality printing of fine pictorial work, much of it in full color. During this time periodicals with printing standards close to those of yesterday's slick-paper publications that were printed on a slow schedule and for a limited circulation have grown to the point where they go out to many millions of readers, often at weekly intervals. The complexity of technological improvements brought about by this increased circulation is probably not appreciated even by technical people, unless they have had reasonably close contact with the industry. The advance has come about through developments not only in the art of printing, but also in the field of paper making and even at the level of clay mining and processing. The smoothness required for faithful reproduction of the kind of printed matter under consideration is attained with a clay-coated paper. Since the distribution expense of the publication will depend to a great extent on its weight, the paper used must not be too heavy. This means a lower basis weight than was normal for conventional clay-coated papers some 25 years ago. And for this mass production market it becomes necessary to provide a paper having these and all the other required characteristics at a very moderate price—not the premium price conventional clay-coated papers formerly demanded. This challenge has been met by a new method of producing coated paper. In the past, application of clay coating to paper was a conversion operation, performed separately from the making of the base sheet. The newer development is called machine coating. Here application of the coating is an integral step in a continuous process by which wood pulp, clay, and other ingredients are manufactured into a sheet of coated paper. Many more problems are involved in this procedural change than are apparent at a casual glance. The coating operation, for example, must function at much higher linear speed than could be obtained with coating mechanisms previously employed. The application machinery developed to meet this requirement necessitated changes in composition of the coating color.* This created new requirements, summarized below, for the clay employed as coating pigment. In addition to smoothness, a relatively glossy printing surface is needed, and to a large measure it is the function of the coating clay to make possible the development of both these surface characteristics. Traditionally, pigments such as satin-white, prepared by reacting lime with paper-makers' alum, were used to assist in producing a high finish. However, economic considerations and others preclude large-scale use of such material in the new processes. In the 1930's Maloney' discovered that a certain particle size fraction of kaolin, consisting

Jan 1, 1956

By T. M. Morris

A SEARCH of the literature reveals that no measurements have been made of the forces acting between a small solid particle whose surface is hydrophobic, and an air bubble to which the solid adheres, both immersed in water. Analyses have been made of the forces acting to support a greased solid on the surface of water, and the forces acting to cause a solid, whose surface is hydrophobic, to adhere to an air bubble in water. The latter analysis T. M. MORRIS, Junior Member AIME, is in the Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Mineral Dressing, School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla, Mo. New York Meeting, February 1950. TP 2734 B. Discussion of this paper (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before Feb. 28, 1950. Manuscript received May 16, 1949. This paper is the result of work done for part of a doctor's thesis at the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy. is often incomplete, however, because the internal pressure of the bubble has been neglected. It will be demonstrated that the internal gas pressure is not a negligible factor when dealing with bubbles of the size encountered in flotation. A study of the forces acting between an air bubble attached to a large flat surface is informative. It must be borne in mind, however, that this is not the condition present in a flotation cell, where the particle is small compared to the size of the bubble. The bubble is allowed to spread to its maximum contact angle on a large flat surface in the first case, whereas in the second case, the spread of the bubble is limited to the surface of the small particle which is presented to the bubble. Kabanov and Frumkinl studied the forces acting to cause adhesion of bubbles of hydrogen to a large surface of mercury, which served as an electrode in a dilute sulphuric acid solution. The force acting to hold the bubble to the mercury surface was found to be the vertical component of the surface tension between hydrogen and the sulphuric acid solution. The forces tending to cause the bubble to separate from the mercury surface were found to be: (1) the force exerted due to the internal pressure of the bubble acting upon the area of contact between the bubble and the mercury surface, and (2) the buoyant force of the bubble minus the hydrostatic force acting at the base of the bubble. These investigators photographed bubbles that were just on the verge of separating from the mercury surface. From these photographs, they measured the contact angle between the mercury surface and the tangent to the hydrogen-solution interface at the point of contact between bubble and mercury surface. They calculated the volume of the bubble and the internal pressure of the bubble. The equivalence between the upward acting and downward acting forces was remarkable. Wark2 pursued an investigation similar to that of Kabanov and Frumkin, and at the same time. His deductions verified those of Kabanov and Frumkin. He also considered the conditions present in flotation and was aware of the effect of the internal pressure of the bubble. Further, he proposed several conditions under which a small solid particle would adhere to an air bubble in water. In 1922, Edser," an English physicist, made the following statement. "It must be remembered that no particle could float stably, but for the possibility of variation of the contact angle, for if this were a constant, a slight tilt would inevitably cause the particle to sink." Wark criticized this statement, maintaining that the contact angle does not vary. The experimental data to be presented indicates that Edser was correct. Experimental Procedure: Briefly, the experimental procedure was as follows. A bubble of air was generated in distilled water. A rod of known diameter, one end of which was water repellent, was attached to this bubble. The weight of the 'rod was measured. The internal pressure of the bubble was measured with a manometer. The hydrostatic head from the surface of the water to the bottom of the rod was measured. The angle between the horizontal projection of the end of the rod and the tangent to the bubble at the circle of contact be-

Jan 1, 1951

Jan 1, 1922

Jan 1, 1929

By E. Kendall Cork

The traditional financial objective for a single mine company has been to operate as frugally as possible and to pay out most of the earnings as dividends. If the business is cyclical (as it is for most metals) the dividends might fluctuate quite widely. When the mine is exhausted the company disappears. This is still quite a viable strategy for a single mine company. It is not however a viable strategy for the world as a whole. The mining industry is built by mine development companies who can mobilize the people and capital to bring new mines into production. Their skills must include marketing, engineering, finance and other politics. It is very rare for a property to be brought in without the support of a major company that can provide all these services. The exceptions will usually have some other form of big brother support, for example the U.S. government uranium contracts at guaranteed generous prices. The mine development company will seek as a minimum to perpetuate itself by developing new mines in order to replace those which are running out. The more common and more ambitious objective is to grow -- that is to add to its ore reserves and current production by developing more new mines. The financial objectives for that company are very different. Obviously if all the earnings were paid out in dividends there would be nothing left to work with. The first financial policy then is to spend an appropriate amount on exploration for new properties. The next is to retain enough of the earnings to provide the capital for new projects at least sufficient for the equity. There is no magic formula as to what proportion of earnings should properly be distributed as dividends by a growth-oriented mine development company. As a rough rule of thumb distributing half or more will probably leave too little to work on and 30% or so is probably a good balance. However the circumstances differ widely from company to company. It may be useful to set an objective for the rate of growth of a company's earnings. Some have picked rates such as 15% per annum compounded. Others have set a target in real terms which might appear as 10 or 11% plus inflation. Obviously the arithmetic of compound interest is very attractive; however in practice there is much variation. Indeed current returns from existing operations swing widely with the business cycle and there is no assurance that economic new properties will be found according to someone's arbitrary time schedule. For example, Western Mining Corporation Limited in Australia explored for 30 years with little to show for it, but then found the great Australian nickel deposits and more recently the huge Roxby Downs copper. That long dry spell could not have fitted anyone's arbitrary calendar of growth and yet they would not have found such orebodies without that long period of effort. Should they have abandoned the search? Once a new property has been found or acquired there has to be a threshold rate of return on the new capital to be invested against which to evaluate the property's economics. Conventionally this seems to be 15% after tax, a number common in other heavy industries as well. In some cases it is expressed as a lower number plus allowance for inflation. Discounted cash flow analysis is a very useful tool but it does not make the decision. In the end a "go" decision depends on judgment of many factors some of which are numbers used in the DCF calculation whose credibility must be examined. It is curious how frequently investment proposals come in with the rates of return very close to 15%. The project advocates know that a number much less than 15% will not fly and that a number much more is not necessary. With much higher nominal and real interest rates of recent years, even though before tax, logic suggests that the hurdle rate should also rise. The power of compound interest is so great that 20% is very hard to achieve in any cash flow projection but 18% may be a sensible yard - stick. Once again it is remarkable how many project proposals come in with an 18% return. On the record the mining industry as a whole has not been overly restrictive in choosing its hurdle rates of return. This is shown by the abundance of metals in recent years and the failure of metal prices to keep up with inflation. All of the foregoing is standard text book stuff.

Jan 1, 1985

By W. C. Clarke

An empirical study of the nature of the embrittle-ment which occurs in martensitic and semiaustenitic precipitation hardening stainless steels upon exposure at temperatures of from about 550" to 875°F has been undertaken. This work was aimed at determining cazusation and means of controlling this phenomenon. A commercial copper bearing precipitation hardening alloy was used as a basic material for study. The effect of heat treatment variables was studied as was the effect of variations in analysis. It is concluded from the evidence that martensitic and semiaustenitic precipitation hardening stainless steels are subject to 885°F ernbrittlement similar to that observed in the straight chromium stainless steels. A characteristic of precipitation hardening stainless steels which has limited their use in certain applications is that they embrittle when held at temperatures in the range of from about 550" to 900°F. This is true to a more or less degree in all currently available alloys, either the basically martensitic type or the semiaustenitic type. The rate of embrittlement varies markedly with exposure temperature, being low at 550" to 600°F and in-creasing as the temperature increases. In spite of this embrittlement, these alloys with their unique combination of high mechanical strength, reasonable toughness, and good corrosion resistance are used in many hundreds of applications. Nevertheless, there are potential applications where the embrittle-ment described is a limiting factor. The purpose of this investigation was to study the embrittlement of these alloys and to find a way to control or eliminate it. GUIDELINES USED IN PRESENT WORK The work reported in this paper is based on a study of 17-4 PH*, a very widely used alloy. It has been used *Trademark of Armco Steel Corp., licensor. in pressurized water and boiling water atomic reactors operating at about 550°F for a number of years. As the life of such equipment is extended or operating temperatures are raised, the possibility of embrit-tlement becomes of increasing concern to materials engineers. Much investigation work was done with respect to the use of 17-4 PH at 550°F. K. C. Antony' states "Such estimation" (of an activation energy for the diffusion of chromium in iron) "would indicate W. C. CLARKE, Jr. is Senior Research Engineer, Advanced Materials Division, Armco Steel Corp., Baltimore. Md. This manuscript is based on a talk presented at the symposium on New Developments in Stainless Steel, sponsored by the IMD Corrosion Resistant Metals Committee, Detroit, Mich., October 14-15, 1968. significant secondary aging is improbable at temperatures less than 700°F within normal component service life". This statement is modified however by the recognition of the accelerating tendencies of applied stress and internal stress as well as the possible effect of irradiation. In this investigation of 17-4 PH, the H 1100 (1900°F-1 hr oil quench or air cool + 1100°F-4 hr-air cool) condition was used, partly because this condition is normally used in atomic reactors. As shown later, the precipitation hardening temperature has no real bearing on the rate of embrittlement. An exposure temperature of 800°F was selected since embrittlement at 800°F is rapid, permitting development of relative data in time periods of 400 to 500 hr. For those not familiar, a nominal present day analysis of 17-4 PH is: C Mn P S SiCrNiCuCbN 0.04 0.30 0.015 0.015 0.60 16.00 4.30 3.25 0.23 0.030 TYPICAL BEHAVIOR OF 17-4 PH Figs. 1 and 2 show the behavior of a commercial heat of 17-4 PH under the conditions defined. Characteristically, 800°F exposure causes a rapid drop in Charpy V-notch impact strength. Tensile and yield strengths gradually increase and a gradual loss of elongation and reduction of area occur, accompanied by an increase in hardness. Notched tensile strength increases to 125 hr exposure and then sharply decreases after exposure for 500 hr. The notched vs un-notched tensile ratio remains virtually constant to exposure for 125 hr (1.67 to 1.56) but drops to 1.15 after 500 hr. Tensile ductility is not alarmingly affected even after much longer exposure times than these. For example, samples aged at 1100°F for 1 hr exposed at 800°F for 4000 hr showed a drop in elonga-tion of from 13 to 11 pct and in reduction of area of from 58 to 37 pct. Notched impact is the property SmIgth KSI 3JJ[/__________^UTS-Nrteh 260 ;/- 240 —^ 200 UTS-Smooth________._, o ioo mo Sob" m Too Hours Exposure Fig. 1—Effect of exposure at 800°F for various times on notched tensile strength and smooth tensile and 0.2 pct yield strength of 17-4 PH in the H 1100 condition.

Jan 1, 1970

By Robert B. Smith

The South Texas Mineral Trend is now estimated to contain uranium reserves of 150 million pounds U308 . Within the past year, an estimated 10 million pounds U308 have been added to this gross reserve. It is probable that a similar amount has been identified in previously unknown orebodies that, as yet, have not been delimited or announced. Exploration that was limited in the past to a narrow band containing only the known trend has now expanded into older sediments updip and into younger units towards the coast. Uranium host formations are also now being explored at a considerable depth and distance eastward from known deposits. Only about 30 percent of the potential uranium host rocks in South Texas have been adequately explored. Geology The South Texas uranium deposits are confined mainly to sediments of the Tertiary system. Reserves are divided almost equally between the Whitsett Formation of the Jackson Group, the Catahoula Formation, and the Oakville Formation. A minor amount of the reserves occurs in sands of the Goliad Formation which may be either in the Tertiary or Quaternary Epoch. Figure 1 is a geologic column of the South Texas uranium host formations. These producing formations are marked with a mine symbol but there are also several prospect symbols that denote potentially favorable uranium host formations both younger and older from the producing formations. It is generally accepted by most workers in South Texas that the source for the uranium is the volcanic ash that is abundant within several of the formations. Likewise, the required reductant is considered to be hydrogen sulfide gas, derived from deeper seated hydrocarbon accumulations, that emanate upward along fault zones into favorable host-rock sand units. Within this basic framework of source, host, structure and hydrocarbons is where most of the reserves have been discovered and where most of the current exploration is either concentrating or expanding. Structure in South Texas is predominantly faults. Swarms of faults exist in zones paralleling the coast and running from the Rio Grande to the Sabine River. These faults are usually growth faults with the down-dropped block on the coastward side. Displacement may range from a few feet to a few hundred feet. Dips are near vertical in the younger rocks at the surface but become flatter as the fault cuts older beds in the subsurface. A map of the oil and gas fields in South Texas indicates a correlation between these fault swarms and accumulations of hydrocarbons. It is not coincidental that the known uranium trends closely follow the hydrocarbon accumulations and the faults swarms, all of which supports the theory of uranium concentration by groundwater movement through volcanic ash-rich beds into favorable host rocks impregnated with reducing hydrogen sulfide gases that migrate upward along fault planes from hydrocarbon accumulations. History Newcomers to South Texas are often amazed that active entry is possible in a district that has produced uranium for over 20 years. Understanding the conditions and occurrences of the past would explain why the opportunity still exists for companies not now active in South Texas to become active. Uranium was discovered in the middle 1950's in sandstone units of the Jackson Group at Tordillo Hill in Karnes County. This discovery was followed by a rush involving most of the major uranium exploration companies as well as several of the not-so-major. Those western prospectors who were used to numerous outcrops and neat land subdivisions were further discouraged by the small size and low grade of the deposits. Then after a brief blast, they left South Texas as they found it and returned to the richer diggings of New Mexico and Wyoming. Susquehanna Western was the only one to stay and develop mines in the area. Eventually they discovered enough ore along the Jackson outcrop to warrant constructing a small mill. They managed, with limited budget and diligent effort, to find enough ore to keep the mill going and eventually expanded into exploration in other formations. By the late 1960's, Susquehanna was mining from both the Jackson and Oakville deposits. About this time, the oil companies began to enter the uranium industry and found, that because of sound forward planning, they controlled the uranium on vast tracts of acreage. At this time, which was more than ten years after discovery, there was so little literature on South Texas uranium deposits that the oil companies began following the known trends and off-setting known orebodies. This, and a few kicks on some well gammaray logs, lead to the discovery of new areas in formations that previously had n o uranium discoveries. Still, the following of the trend as it crossed from one formation to another was the main geologic guide. Nowadays, we in South Texas feel that science has entered into the quest to discover new orebodies. The work of Galloway has indicated new pathways to explore. The understanding of multiple stages of oxidation and reduction has created some doubt about areas drilled in the past and abandoned. The expanded use of oil well logs and geochemical prospecting has lured the more progressive exploration companies off the mineral trend and into unexplored areas. Prognostication The fact that uranium exploration in South Texas has been active for only the past ten years is not an indication that South Texas is not a major uranium district. The geology of the South Texas uranium deposits as described here serves only to indicate that similar geology extends in all directions from the known mineral trend as can be seen on Figure 2.

Jan 1, 1979

Discussion of the paper of E.. C. LEE, presented at the St. Louis meeting, October, 1917, and printed in Bulletin-No. 130, October, 1917, pp. 1825 to 1832. H. M. WILSON, Pittsburgh, Pa.-The statement ill the paper of T. T. Read, "Increasing Dividends Through Personnel Work;" that the offering of substantial money rewards for avoidance of accidents is much more effective than mere propaganda or education respecting accident prevention, is a, point fully substantiated in the experience of insurance inspection under workmen's compensation acts. The first year under the Workmen's Compensation Law in Pennsylvania, during which over 2000 mines were tinder the observation and protection of the inspectors of the insurance companies, has resulted in several inspections of each mine, a splendid cooperation .between the operators, the State mine inspectors and the insurance inspectors, and an average reduction in premium rate for insurance from $3.83 to $2.77, a reduction of more than $1 per $100 of payroll, on an average payroll of nearly $100,000,000, In other words, the insurance companies have

Jan 1, 1918

Henry D. Hibbard, New York City (communication to the Secretary): The title of Mr. Sargent's paper is somewhat misleading, since the paper itself relates chiefly to various kinds of annealing and their effects, and in very small part only to heat-treatment proper. This term has a well-defined meaning in steel metallurgf, and always includes a rate of cooling faster than the material treated would have in the open air. In bringing about this accelerated rate of cooling, some medium other than air at rest is brought into contact with the heated steel. Usually a liquid (almost always either oil or water) is employed ; but for certain steels a blast of air, and for others an easily fusible or soft metal, such as led (either solid or melted), may be used. Heat-treatment usually includes also subsequent moderate heating, followed, it may be, with another accelerated cooling.

Jan 1, 1902

By Samuel H. Dolbear

THE value of a mine is basically dependent on its capacity to yield profits. Since the ore must be mined, treated, and sold, some of it in various future years. there is a risk involved as to future costs, selling price, and working conditions. It cannot be expected that the economic condition existing at the time of valuation will continue unchanged for long periods in the future. During the past 20 years, mineral production in the United States has been conducted under a changing economy in many respects more exacting than that applied to other businesses. There have been increased production incentives, technical aid, exploration of privately owned mineral deposits by government at federal expense, and liberal loans for development and equipment, with risk partially assumed by government.. Some of these benefits have been counterbalanced by price ceilings, consumption controls, and stimulation of competition from foreign producers who have been offered the same advantages extended to American operators. For the present, mines will operate under a government policy directed toward reducing federal aid and control. The tenure of this change will depend upon future elections and the status of foreign relations. War and threat of war are now of the most vital significance to the mineral industries. Other factors which influence cost of production, markets, and price of mine output might be classified as Acts of God or Acts of Government. In some countries expropriation and the difficulty of exporting earnings or investment returns are risks that must be considered by foreign capital. Recognizing that this retards American investment in foreign countries, the Mutual Security Agency offers insurance against such expropriation and guarantees the convertibility of capital and profits. Since it is impossible to predict with certainty either cost of production or selling prices of metals for long periods, some assumptions must be made as to profits in the future. The basic assumption must be that the price of the company's product will vary in proportion to changes in operating cost. There is often a lag in this reaction, however, for prices of minerals are generally more sensitive to declines and less sensitive to increases than are costs. This reflects in part the resistance of labor to downward wage revision and a corresponding alertness in realizing its share of price advances. Some labor contracts include automatic adjustments to metal prices. Notwithstanding the complexity of the, problems involved and the difficulty of weighing their effect on value, such risks may be appraised with reasonable accuracy and a rate of earnings adopted that is compatible with the risk. It is, of course, possible to revert to a yardstick of value such as the commodity dollar, which has been advocated from time to time, but while revaluation in 1933 disturbed public confidence, the theoretical gold dollar continues to be the standard of greatest stability. Its gain or loss in purchasing power is reflected ultimately in cost of production and selling price of the mine product. At present 35 dollars are allocated to one ounce of gold. Measurement of Risk In the application of the Hoskold and most other formulae, a yearly dividend rate commensurate with the risk involved is set aside out of annual earnings. If the risk is great, this rate may be 15 to 25 pct of the amount invested. The remainder is placed in a sinking fund invested in safe securities such as high grade bonds or conservative equities, and the interest or dividends from these securities are added to the sinking fund. The sum of these sinking fund payments and the compounded interest at the end of the mine life is taken as the value of the mine. Admittedly the decision as to the size of the risk rate is the most difficult element in valuation and one requiring the most exacting consideration. It is necessary to look years ahead in an effort to determine future costs, market prices, demand, competition which may develop, including that of substitutes, and other influences common to the mine and to the region in which it is situated. Another phase of risk is the enactment of unfavorable legislation, taxes, and what appears to be an alarming spread of nationalization and expropriation. Capital is sometimes borrowed from the government to finance strategic production. Such loans may be collectable only out of production and involve no liability otherwise. Valuation in these cases must recognize the effect of such a reduction in liability. Offsetting some of these risks are the possibilities of mechanization and other cost-reducing discoveries, improvements in mining and treatment methods, new uses for minerals and metals, and normal growth of markets. In this paper, the terms risk rate, dividend rate, and speculative rate are synonymous. Safe rate and redemption rate are also used interchangeably. These alternatives are used here because they are commonly found in the literature on mine valuation. In Michigan, the State Tax Commission has long employed a risk rate of 6 pct in its valuation of iron mines. There the outline of reserves is well established and operating costs and conditions are based on adequate experience. The following comment on rates appears in the report of the Minnesota Interior commission on Iron Ore Taxation submitted to the Minnesota Legislature of 1941.1 Most engineers agree that 7 percent for the specu-lative rate is "an absolute minimum". C. K. Leith in

Jan 1, 1954

By Joseph W. Leonard

The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss some of the less evident and sometimes neglected opportunities for progressive developments in coal research. While a great deal of both promotional and technical information flows from some areas of coal research, output deficiencies in other areas of activity have reached a magnitude where important developments have been, and will increasingly be, unfavorably affected. These areas mainly involve coal mining and preparation. Some recommendations for the intensification of effort in these areas follow: Coal Mining While a huge tonnage of in-the-ground coal is assured, the location and distribution of these tonnages are becoming less favorable. The easy-to-mine coal which is located in or near population centers has been, or is being, mined. The vigor with which the less accessible reserves are recovered by the mining industry depends largely on the condition of the coal market at the time of mining. Hence, during a buyer's market, the commercially oriented mining industry is compelled to mine the easier and less costly reserves. Conversely, during a seller's market, the need to rapidly expand production results in more difficult mining and higher cost coal as few obstacles are encountered in finding markets. Hence, a seller's market tends to enhance the recovery of reserves while a buyer's market does not. One reason for today's fuel supply problems is that the Nation has recently emerged from a long-term coal buyer's market which lasted from about 1950 to 1968. During that period, national policy caused severe production cutbacks which regretably drove the industry to mining only the more accessible and better quality reserves. Often in order to remain in business, many hundreds of millions of tons of more difficult to mine reserves were abandoned and lost behind caved areas. Many of these reserves are close to population areas and would not have been lost in a more stable economic climate. It is difficult to fully account for all the impacts that were caused by the great buyer's market of the 1950s and 1960s. Besides the obvious loss of reserves that were once considered national wealth, the mining of better reserves tended to produce a generation of technically optimistic mining people. Mining people frequently became accustomed to looking at nothing less than outstanding mining conditions as a result of the declining market. Many are now and have long since received a re-education in the other half of mining. Going from many years of mining accessible, select and easy-to-win reserves, to the crash-driving of development entries in reserves that were considered unworthy of mining during 50s and 60s, frequently results in a much higher rate of encounter with in-seam and out-of-seam rock as well as with coal-deficient areas or "washouts." Intensive entry driving activity and compulsory non-selective mining in sometimes lean reserves were brought on by the need to rapidly open up new supplies of coal. Working under these requirements presents a continuing reminder that much more needs to be known about the relatively esoteric art of planning the best direction for driving entries in order to insure that a more consistent and greater supply of coal is available during early mine development. All of the preceding discussion tends to point to a need for a better estimate of those reserves of coal that are likely to be mined in the future. Such estimates should not be limited to the compilation of the amount of coal in the ground; but, where possible, should also include information concerning the capability for producing this coal. After all, a coal seam of ample thickness may have a degree of thickness variability, undulation, bad roof or floor, so as to make what would otherwise appear to be an attractive mining condition untenable. Underlying the problem involving the feasibility of producing known reserves is the need to develop better methods for the characterization of coal seams and associated lithotypes, based on drill core data, once at area is selected for mining. Reserves and their characterization involve aspects of exploration technology that are frequently considered mature. The resulting technological deficiencies may be the main reason why coal exploration frequently does not end with core drilling of a property, as it should, but extends into the mining operation during the driving of development entries. When exploration is extended to the driving of development entries, the near absence of integrated decision-making theory involving mining, geology, mathematics, and economics becomes, once again, all too painfully apparent and frequently results in very costly rationalizations. Hence, by the formal initiation of a concentrated program to combine the cyclical effects of economics with geology and mining, more relevant estimates of reserve distribution, tonnages, and production capability should be forthcoming. Moreover, a similar formal effort is needed to develop a combination of the most advanced concepts of mathematics, geology, and mining to better "see" coal seams as a means to favorably implement many long-range decisions involving mine safety and productivity. Much more applied research needs to be done on coal mining systems for mining in thin seams and/or under bad roof. Current difficulties in both of these areas at recently opened coal mines should provide a sobering glimpse into the future. Full-scale applied research, sponsored by appropriate federal agencies, is urgently needed on a scheme involving a new combination of established mining and preparation elements. The scheme may include: (1) a continuous mining machine remotely operated by a miner stationed at some distance behind the machine using a cord attached control box; (2) hydraulic transport of coal through pipes from the mining machine to a coarse refuse removal grid, crusher, and then on to portable concentrating equipment; (3) the hydraulic transport of clean coal out of the mine in pipes to the surface for thermal dewatering, if neces-

Jan 1, 1974

By Philip B. Bucky

FIFTEEN papers were presented at the Monday and Tuesday joint sessions of the Industrial Minerals Division and Society of Economic Geologists, covering beryl, mica, wollastonite, magnesium resources, exploration for pegmatite mineral deposits, rutile, properties and uses of phosphates, and a general survey of nonmetallic minerals and their war uses.

Jan 1, 1944

By R. M. Briney

A RETURN to nonwar conditions characterized the year 1946. The acquisition and forced use, under Government auspices, of low-grade and uneconomic ores, both foreign and domestic, ceased in 1945, but there was some carry-over into the early months of 1946. The world shipping situation delayed the procurement of some foreign ores, but conditions were improving by the end of the year. No actual shortage of any important alloy was experienced, hence the industry was able to make prompt shipment of orders placed. Price levels of ferroalloys, which had remained virtually constant through the war years, were forced upward, with increases on specific products as conditions necessitated. Standard ferroman-ganese and low-carbon ferrochrome were notable exceptions in that their price did not change. No new ferroalloy smelting plants were constructed. The Defense Plant Corp.. sold the works at Ashtabula, Ohio, to the Electro Metallurgical Co. A new type of ferroalloy furnace was described at the Birmingham meeting of the Electrochemical Society. Known as the "Elkem Rotary Furnace" it is distinguished by a rotating shell. The whole furnace, including shell, refrac-

Jan 1, 1947

Jan 1, 1907

Extremes in temperature and weather, along with the highly corrosive nature of acid leach solutions used at open-pit copper mines, necessitates the use of pipeline systems that are both corrosion resistant and impervious to the environment.

Jan 6, 1976

By W. M. Peirce

FOR many years it was considered quite the proper introduction to any discussion of zinc metallurgy to remark that the methods of extracting zinc from its ores were archaic. Often there was an added implication that the industry in every phase savored of the days of alchemy. On rare occasions comments of this sort may still he heard. Fortunately, not only for the zinc industry but for the world at large, there is today no longer a basis for considering zinc metallurgy unprogressive. Progress in any industry is possible along three distinct lines. The methods of production may be improved, thereby reducing costs. In the case of basic materials, this may also have the important effect of increasing potential supply. Second, quality may be improved. Finally, the product may be made more valuable to consumers through increased knowledge of its utilization, thus holding old markets or opening new.

Jan 1, 1931

By Arthur T. Ward

WHEN the Board of Directors of the Institute in June 1931 approved the formation of the Committee on Eastern Magnetite and its then membership of eleven, little did any of those concerned envision that twelve years later the annual Committee luncheon would attract 34, and the technical session, jointly with the Iron and Steel Division, more than 70. Yet that was exactly what happened during the February meeting just passed. And what is more important, some members of the Committee are now predicting that by 1944 over 10 per cent of the iron ore produced in the United States will come from these Eastern Magnetite properties. Chairman Crockett, in opening the meeting, advised that due to the serious illness of Meredith E. Johnson, State Geologist of New Jersey, Mr. Johnson would be unable to brief his scheduled paper, which would therefore be reserved for a later date.

Jan 1, 1943

By Philip B. Bucky

THE Mining Methods sessions, one of which was run jointly with the Industrial Minerals Division, were fortunate in having a number of exceptionally fine papers. At the Tuesday session R. P. Smith presented the results of six years' experience with prepaid medical care for the employees of the Hollinger mine. It was felt that this paper was a real contribution to the cross field of mining-medicine, and the presentation was exceptionally well done. Olof V. Lindqvist acquainted us with the consider- able progress made in blast-hole diamond drilling in recent times, especially in Canada. The opening of a mine is always a matter of considerable interest and the description of the procedure and problems encountered in opening the Mather mine of Cleveland Cliffs Iron was presented by L. C. Moore.

Jan 1, 1944

By AIME AIME

ALL 32 of the Local Sections of the Institute in the continental United States and practically all of the Divisions as well, had representatives present at the Conferences of Local Section and Division Delegates at the Annual Meeting. Three sessions were held, two on Monday and one on Thursday, both the incoming and outgoing Presidents of the Institute being on hand to con- duct the meetings. H. J. Brown was called to the chair during a portion of the last session, President Fulton having to leave early. Complete minutes of the meetings have ,been sent to all delegates. In general, the Local Sections appeared, from their reports, to have risen to the wartime demands made upon them with their usual resourcefulness. Apparently more difficulty has arisen in the last year in arranging attractive programs and securing acceptable speakers, this being perhaps attributable to the fact that most technical men have been extremely busy. Careful planning ahead .has usually brought good results, however. Another wartime difficulty has been the matter of transportation to meetings, gasoline rationing and congestion on the railroads and buses being a handicap to attendance. Sharing cars has proved practical as a method of meeting this issue, this again requiring planning. Suitable meeting places and a supply of food have been another difficulty for some local groups.

Jan 1, 1944

By S. F. Shaw

MINING conditions in Mexico during the current year have been most unfavorable, synchronizing with conditions in the United States, but the outlook for the near future is improving. The chief difficulties met with are because of the following conditions: severe drop in prices of metals; high smelting rates; high prices of supplies; inadequate means of transportation; low efficiency of labor. In comparison with pre-war prices for metals it cannot be said that prices are low, particularly for silver, which recently has gone to a level that would have been considered exceedingly good in 1912. But conditions have changed so greatly that only the most favorably situated properties can operate without loss.

Jan 1, 1921