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By H. Majima, E. Peters

The oxidation rates of pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopy-rite, chalcocite, covellite, bortzite, galem, sphalerite, and stibnite have beet2 carefully compared at 120 oC, using aqueous phosphate solutions buffered at pH 2.7, 7.1, and 11.2 as zvell as in 1.0 M NaOH and in am~onia-containing solutions. Under conditions of these studies, variations in rates of more than a factor of two per unit of mineral surface area were not observed for different minerals in phosphate buffered solutions, except that pyrrhotite showed unusually rapid oxidation rates In acid solutions, and stibnite showed very rapid oxidation rates in basic solutions. In caustic solutions, oxidation vates varied considerably, the most rapid being for pyrite and the slowest for sphalerite. In the presence of ammonia, only copper minerals showed more vapid oxidation rates in neutral solutions. Oxidation rates were measured on the basis of oxygen-consunzption rates per unit surface area of exposed mineral, using equivalent surface areas, mineral mesh sizes, pulp densities, agitation, and oxygen pressure. OXIDIZING pressure leaching of sulfide minerals has been a commercial method of treating concentrates of nickel, cobalt, and copper for over a decade, and recently the treatment of lead and zinc concentrates,' and even the recovery of sulfur from pyrrhotite by such processes, have been shown to be technically feasible.' Furthermore, the leaching of uranium ores by solutions acidified through the oxidation of pyrite and other sulfides present in the ore is commercially practicable.3 5 The mechanisms by which sulfide minerals oxidize in aqueous environments are not yet understood. However, certain generalities can be made for systems containing no unusual reagents, in which oxygen is the oxidizing agent. In acid solutions the oxidation of many sulfide minerals leads to the formation of elemental sulfur.8'7 The attack of some sulfides, notably galena (PbS), sphalerite (ZnS), and pyrrhotite (FeS), at temperatures below about 110°C leads to an almost quantitative conversion of the sulfide mineral to elemental sulfur according to the equation: On the other hand pyrite (FeS2) and copper minerals do not yield elemental sulfur quantitatively. Not more than 50 pct of the sulfur in pyrite is converted to the elemental form in acid oxidation, and this percentage is lowered by higher temperatures and possibly higher oxygen pressures.8'9 Copper minerals sometimes yield elemental sulfurlo'" but, since sulfur can reduce cupric ions with the precipitation of CuS or Cu2S, it is not likely that elemental sulfur is obtained in good yield. In acid solutions sulfur that is not converted to the elemental form always appears as sulfate salts or sulfuric acid. Sulfide minerals that yield elemental sulfur nearly quantitatively on oxidation in acid solutions tend to generate H2S when the conditions are not oxidizing. However, although it has been suggested that H2S is an essential intermediate in the mechanism of oxidation," this is doubtful because it is oxidized very slowly by oxygen. In basic solutions elemental sulfur is never formed, as predicted by thermodynamical considerations, summarized in the form of a potential-pH diagram in Fig. 1. However in neutral and basic solutions, unstable forms of sulfur not shown in the diagram appear during oxidation, notably thiosulfate (SOT-) and polythi-onates (S,O;-, x = 2 to 6).l3,l4 On prolonged oxidation only hexavalent sulfur as sulfate (SOi-) or sulfamate (NHzSO;) is found to remain, the latter appearing only in the presence of ammonia. The oxidation kinetics for thiosulfate by oxygen are the subject of a separate paper,'5 and were studied on the presumption that thiosulfate may, in fact, be a primary oxidation product for sulfide minerals, at least in neutral and basic solutions. A survey of the literature indicated that comparative oxidation rates for different sulfide minerals were needed to establish the role of the mineral structure and its thermodynamic properties on the oxidation rates and mechanisms.

Jan 1, 1967

By H. W. Mossman

Three aspects of magnetite smelting are discussed. The first is the working out of equilibrium conditions for eliminating sulfur. The second is the influence of magnetite solubility on the difficulty of tapping the reverb matte. The third is an approximation of the equilibrium conditions in the reverb gases which govern whether magnetite is mode or reduced in the reverb slag by these gases and by any iron sulfide in the slag. MAGNETITE has had a varied history in the Hurley Smelter since its start in 1939. Magnetite determinations on the smelter products are made regularly only on the monthly composite samples. Variations on the monthly averages are shown in Table I. Magnetite which drops from the slag and matte in the reverb has some slight bottom buildup which comes and goes, but no substantial accumulation from this source has been found at the end of a normal nine months' furnace campaign. However, there has been some low grade magnetite bearing material mixed with considerable A1,0,, which has slid down from the bottom of the sloping flue between the reverberatory furnace and the waste heat boilers. This accretion has required drilling and blasting near the skimming end of the furnace. The magnetite has interfered with tapping at times. When the smelter was first started, tapping trouble from magnetite was extremely severe. Increasing the reverberatory furnace temperature by putting in an air preheater and a Dutch oven has helped greatly, although there still is occasional tapping trouble. When the present series of physical chemistry articles on copper smelting started coming out in 1950, they were read with interest, but no immediate application was seen for them. Results of some laboratory work in 1952 aroused a much stronger interest in this physical chemistry. A series of melts was made on some converter slags, which had magnetite in very large grain sizes, with the object of reducing the grain sizes in the slag, as it was known that it was easier to handle in the reverb in that condition. Anything done in the tests greatly reduced the grain sizes—even in the controls, where nothing was done except melt the slag and cast it. There was more magnetite in the slags after the tests than before, and with wide variations. There were no obvious reasons lor much of what happened in these tests. Much of the base material published in English in this field was made available for study. Recalculations were made on many of the type problems, and part of the data was reduced to local temperatures and compositions. Explanations were found for what happened in the 1952 series of tests on converter slags, and the same principles turned out to be a description of much of what magnetite does in the reverb. This article is to present the results of that study, from the viewpoint of applying the technical material in definite numerical form to the operating conditions in both the converters and the reverberatory furnaces at the Hurley smelter. Table I. Magnetite Variations on Monthly Averages, 1939 to 1955 Pet Magnetite Lowest Highest Average Converter slag 13.6 43.3 25.4 Roverb slaa 2.7 20.9 8.7 Matte 28 15.9 98 In general it was found that magnetite is made or reduced in both the converters and the rever-beratory furnace, depending on variations of temperature, matte composition, and reverb gas composition occurring in ordinary plant operation. Within reasonable limits, the field conditions for formation or reduction can be predicted, and probably can be set up and maintained. Converter conditions affecting magnetite formation can be put into numerical values better than for the reverb from purely technical calculations. The converter can be operated so as to keep the magnetite in the slag down to between 12 and 14 pct and still give satisfactory life for the converter brick. This depends upon having converter flux available which will make a slag with a good separation without raising the temperature too high. In the Hurley reverb and others with similar conditions, it is likely that a compromise of conditions will give a reasonably good control of combustion and still keep the magnetite from building up on the bottom. This discussion consists of three main parts. The first is the working out of the equilibrium conditions in the converter for determining in which direction the reaction 3 Fe,,O, (s) + FeS (1) F? 10 FeO (1) + SO, will go under actual converter operating conditions. The second deals with the influence of the solubility of magnetite in the slag and matte in the reverb on the difficulty of tapping matte. The third is an approximation of the equilibrium conditions in the

Jan 1, 1957

By W. H. Emmons

Many mineral veins occupy faults, and movements on certain warped fault planes have resulted in openings. On normal faults the steeper parts have the widest openings, and on reverse faults the flatter parts have the widest openings. Theoretically the width of the opening is the sine of the angle of deflection times the amount of movement on the fault plane, but actually the widths of some of the openings are probably less because of readjustments of walls along joints or of other readjustments. The first treatment of the subject seems to have been in a book on mineral veins by John Leithart, published in Newcastle, England, in 1838. Later the subject was treated in various texts published in Germany, in England, and elsewhere. The subject was not given much prominence in the earlier American literature on economic geology, but has interested several workers in that field in the past decade. In this paper examples of districts showing ore shoots on warped faults, with relations noted, are described. Fault veins of the three depth classes of veins are noted. Many epithermal veins are in normal faults, and commonly the larger ore shoots are in their steeper portions. Many mesothermal veins are in reverse faults and, many others are in normal faults. The flatter parts of veins in reverse faults are commonly wider than the steeper parts, although they are not always as rich as the steeper segments of the veins. There are not many hypothermal veins in faults of measured displacement. Introduction When faults are followed along dip or strike, many of them are found to have curving or warped surfaces, and cross sections through them in most directions show sinuous or waving intersections. Openings are formed where one wall moves away from the other (Figs. I,2). Where there is a bend in the fault, movement in any directions except along the axis of the bend will

Jan 1, 1949

By W. H. Emmons

Many mineral veins occupy faults, and movements on certain warped fault planes have resulted in openings. On normal faults the steeper parts have the widest openings, and on reverse faults the flatter parts have the widest openings. Theoretically the width of the opening is the sine of the angle of deflection times the amount of movement on the fault plane, but actually the widths of some of the openings are probably less because of readjustments of walls along joints or of other readjustments. The first treatment of the subject seems to have been in a book on mineral veins by John Leithart, published in Newcastle, England, in 1838. Later the subject was treated in various texts published in Germany, in England, and elsewhere. The subject was not given much prominence in the earlier American literature on economic geology, but has interested several workers in that field in the past decade. In this paper examples of districts showing ore shoots on warped faults, with relations noted, are described. Fault veins of the three depth classes of veins are noted. Many epithermal veins are in normal faults, and commonly the larger ore shoots are in their steeper portions. Many mesothermal veins are in reverse faults and, many others are in normal faults. The flatter parts of veins in reverse faults are commonly wider than the steeper parts, although they are not always as rich as the steeper segments of the veins. There are not many hypothermal veins in faults of measured displacement. Introduction When faults are followed along dip or strike, many of them are found to have curving or warped surfaces, and cross sections through them in most directions show sinuous or waving intersections. Openings are formed where one wall moves away from the other (Figs. I,2). Where there is a bend in the fault, movement in any directions except along the axis of the bend will

Jan 1, 1949

I would like to congratulate the authors on an interesting paper and, in particular, on their justification of the use of superposition in treating gas wells. They state, however, that no theory has previously been developed lor treating the variable rate drawdown case. In a paper published a few years ago by my colleagues and myself, a method is described which allows a constant rate drawdown curve to be derived for any well. regardless of real rate variations. This method has the great advantage that it is not necessary to make any assumptions regarding the form or uniformity of the reservoir, and the derivation suggested by the present authors is simply an idealized case of our more general treatment. In the light of several years' experience in the derivation of constant rate drawdown curves: I would like to point out that the method proposed by Odeh and Jones may lead to confusing answers, particularly if applied over an appreciable time interval. The reason is that, if pressures are measured when a well is flowing, non-linearities in plots like Figs. 1 and 2 can arise due to either (1) changes in the skin factor with time and/or flow rate, or (2) an inhomogeneous reservoir. Separation of these two effects is only possible if some of the pressures used in the analysis are measured when the well flow rate is 0 or, in other words. during brief shut-in periods. REFERENCES 1. Arthur, K. B.. Metunomski, Z. G. and Ruche, Ms "Intetet ct methode d'utilisa tion des mesures de pression [)our Petude des gisemonts" Revue de T'I.F.P. (Nov., 1962) XVII, 1299. 2. Thomere, R. and Arthur, K. R.: "Analysis of the Pressure Bet~avior of a Production Well Subject to Interterence and Its Application to Reservoir Models", Paper SPE 1189 presented at SPE :Amund Fall Mecting Ireld in Denwer, Colo. (Oct. 3-6, 1965).

Jan 1, 1966

J. S. UNGER,* Pittsburg, Pa, . (written discussion?).-The author of the paper has given an excellent description of the appliances used to cool parts of an open-hearth furnace, and some of the reasons why the refractories fail in service. Personally, I favor water-cooling, but to a limited degree. At one time I advocated more universal cooling than is now practised, but believe I must change my mind. Water-cooled, thin-lined blast furnaces have not proved as satisfactory as anticipated. While this may retard the building of many such furnaces, it will not prevent the use of regular tuyere- and bosh-cooling appliances. Water-cooling any furnace may be easily carried to the extreme. In an open-hearth furnace, excessive port or roof cooling, or cooling the working floors may preserve the lines of the furnace, lower the cost of refractories, acid to the comfort of the workmen, and necessitate fewer shutdowns for repairs, but it may not be good economy on account of the high first cost, the cost of cooling water, maintenance of cooling appliances, and the immediate reflection in a higher fuel cost. The question becomes a financial one, and is answered by using water-cooling devices up to the point at which they cease to show true economies. Open-hearth furnace bulkheads, roofs, and ports fail rapidly in about the order named. If they could be made to last indefinitely by water-cooling, the furnace would still have to be shut clown periodically for cleaning the slag pockets, regenerator chambers, and flues. Extra, or spare, pockets and regenerator chambers have been advocated to permit of continuous operation, but the space required, the cost of installation, and the fuel required to initially heat such cold chambers will largely prevent their adoption. Some particular fuels, as high-ash powdered coal, require frequent stoppages for cleaning, but for this particular fuel a special provision can' be made.

Jan 5, 1919

The question, Who won the war?, has been the text for innumerable newspaper, and magazine articles, the answers running from "bread and butter" to "poison gas," in a material sense, and from the "Y. M. C. A." to the "boys in the front lines," humanly speaking. Personally, I think the margin by which success was secured was so narrow that none of the complex, interdependent factors could have been .spared, and that, as Admiral Sampson said after the battle of Santiago: "There is glory, enough for all." But if any one human factor can be said to have been absolutely indispensable, I think all will agree that it was the engineer. The engineer, as a rule, is a modest fellow, so modest in fact and so averse to publicity of any kind that, referring to him as a class, he was hardly occupying the place he should in public estimation before the war. By way of illustration, in the early history of a mine in Bisbee, the chief owner was also the proprietor of a saloon and spent most of his time there. When asked why he did not pay more attention to the mine, lie replied: "Oh! I can hire a boy to look after that; it takes a man to run this bar." Comparisons of the position and pay of engineers with other occupations are sometimes made to show that the engineer is not getting all that he should, considering the time of preparation and the qualifications required. Perhaps at least a part of the cause may be his aloofness from many of the practical affairs of everyday life. Whether he won the war or not, the part played by the engineer has certainly placed him on a sort of pedestal in the public estimation at present and it is very desirable to keep him there and maintain the position he has made for himself.

Jan 9, 1919

By R. W. Raymond

At the Pittsburg meeting of the Institute, in March, 1910, the death of Mr. Metcalf was announced, and Col. H. P. Bope, of Pittsburg, delivered in memory of him a brief but eloquent address, which, though expressing the Norrow of Mr. Metcalf's friends, and, in general terms, the debt of gratitude which his country and his profession owed to him, was not intended to be a complete survey of his life and work. With Colonel Rope's permission, and with the aid of some of the statements in his address, I substitute for it, in our Transactions, this more cletailed, yet still inadequate memorial. As Colonel Rope justly remarked, the men who could do justice to this theme—such men as Jones, Chalfant, Bennett, Oliver, and Park—passed away before Metcalf, leaving him almost the last of the generation of great steel-makers who made Pittsburg the Sheffield of America, and who discharged a double function, as the rearguard of the old metallurgical practice and the ran-guard of the new. I knew many of them; would that I were better qualified to celebrate their achievements. William Metcalf was born Sept. 3, 1838, at Pittsburg, Pa., where his father, Orlando Metcalf, was an eminent member of the bar. At the age of sixteen, he entered the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, at Troy, N. Y., from which he was graduated in June, 1858: Returning to his native city, he became an assistant engineer in the Fort Pitt Foundry, of which he was made Superintendent in 1859. This famous establishment produced the largest castings and heaviest machinery then knolrn in the United States; and Mr. Metcalf's intense, intelligent and incessant study of his business prepared him as a manufacturer for a patriotic service to his country more valuable than, as a soldier, he could have rendered in the field. The call came in 1862, when the government needed, above all things, a supply of field, naval and siege artillery. The

Jan 1, 1911

By H. M. Howe

One of the little electric-resistance magnesia crucible-furnaces which I designed for the metallurgical laboratory of the School of Mines of Columbia University is shown, in vertical section, of full natural size, in Fig. 1. The furnace itself consists of two semi-cylinders of magnesia, A A, with a cover of magnesia, B B, and a stopper, C, also of magnesia, which is perforated to admit the leads x, y, of a thermo-electric couple. The furnace is heated by the spiral of platinum wire, D D (entering and departing by the openings I and K), through which a current of any desired strength is passed, bringing it to incandescence, and to ally temperature, not above the melting-point of platinum, which may be desired. The crucible E, actually used in this furnace, is also of magnesia. I have heard of some unsuccessful attempts with furuaces of this general class, and have attributed these failures to the use of siliceous materials for the furnace-walls. Of course such a result is what we should expect, since the silica mould readily be electrolysed by the current, and the resultant silicon would alloy with platinum ; but the little magnesia furnace here clescribed seems to be wholly free from this objection. It has been used in my laboratory for some months, and temperatures, up to 1100° C, hare been developed in it over considerable periods of time—indeed, it has been held near 1400" C. for about two hours—without indication, thus far, of any deterioration of the platinum. In the section shown, F F are a pair of steel disks, bound together, but separated by the inverted thermo-junction, N, of the thermo-electric pyrometer. This arrangement permits the observation and record of retardations in the heating and cooling of F F—in other words, the determinations of the cooling curves of steel—a purpose for which the furnace has been used, thus far, more frequently than in the determination of meltingpoints. For the latter operation, however, it is also suitable.

Jan 1, 1902

By B. B. Cox

The Iraq Petroleum Company, Ltd. continued its systematic exploration and exploitation of the Kirkuk field on a unitized basis. Pressures, gas-oil ratios, oil-water level and oil-gas level remained satisfactory. All wells were produced by flowing and more than two-thirds of the crude was stabilized. The only exports from Iraq during 1937 were from the Kirkuk field. Mosul Oilfields, Ltd., through its operating subsidiary, the British Oil Development Company, Ltd., inaugurated an exploratory program to find lighter oil than the heavy, black, sulphurous reserve proved in the Qaiyarah-Najmah-Jawan-Qasab field. Deeper drilling in this field found a small reserve of 17" to 19" A.P.I. black sulphurous oil in the Pilsner (Upper Cretaceous). Ten structures outside the proved field were tested or were under test at the end of the year. In spite of this intensive program no reserve of lighter oil was discovered. The reserve at Qaiyarah-Najmah-Jawan-Qasab averages 16" A.P.I. with 6+ per cent sulphur from the "continuous limestone" (Lower Miocene, Oligocene, Middle Eocene) and from the Pilsner (Upper Cretaceous). The Khanaqin Oil Company, Ltd., a subsidiary of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, Ltd., conducted the normal exploitation of its Naft Khaneh oil field and supplied the local Iraq market requirements. Slightly more than 31,600,000 bbl. of crude was produced in Iraq during 1937. The following table gives the total crude produced by the I.P.C. for export during the last four years. Year 42-gallon BarreL Increase over Preceding Year 1934 7,096,669 1935 27,014,904 19,918,235 1936 29,521,053 2,506,149 1937 31,171,476 1,650,423 " Converted at an average of 7.6 bbl. per ton. Published by permission of the Near East Development Corporation. Manuscript received at the office of the Institute March 11, 1938. * Geologist, Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., Inc., New York, N. Y.

Jan 1, 1938

By Robert R. Brookshire

Brush plating has been thought of by many as black magic bordering on alchemy. Actually it is a science that uses both electro-chemical and mechanical engineering skills and technology. We are not sure when brush plating was first used or by whom. I do know that many times when we would put in for patents on things we thought of as new and innovative, we would find that someone had done it many years before. It took World War I1 to get brush plating off and running. Now at this point, someone may be asking just what is brush plating? And why are we plating brushes? One way of describing what brush plating is, is by telling what it is not such as tankless plating. Brush plating-is an electro deposition of an electro-platable element or alloy onto a conductive surface. To do this a source of direct current is required; this can vary widely. I prefer stepless voltage control from 0-35 volts with a capacity depending on the size job to be done. This can vary up to 500 amps for normal applications. In one case we have used 7500 amps.. In the beginning a brush was actually used with a wire in the middle of the bristles and a jelly-like paste made up from tank plating solutions. The bristles were saturated with the gunk and the spot to be plated was muddled with the concoction at a potential which was the same as the applied tank Voltage. Metal was deposited but only thin coats were achieved. Today we use graphite wrapped or covered with cotton to form a Q-tip type anode. By using graphite rather than a specific metal we are able to either plate, de-plate or strip, electro- mill, electropolish, or anodize--all with the same equipment. Only the electrolyte needs to be changed.

Jan 1, 1984

G. SHERBURNE LAGERS (written discussion*).-Mr. Kennedy's discussion1 of Mr. Matteson's paper takes the form of a criticism of my own comments2 on this paper. Mr. Kennedy is a respected authority on matters pertaining to the salt-dome oil fields, and his characterization of my "elaborate figures" as "worthless" is sufficiently candid and comprehensive to warrant a brief reply. My "voluminous figures" consisted simply of a rough estimate of the minimum quantity of salt in the Humble dome, and a calculation of the volume of sea water and of the volume of saturated brine which this salt would represent. Mr. Kennedy apparently interprets my remarks as opposing the idea that so large a volume of salt could have been deposited from sea water, for lie cites the area and thickness of European salt beds; but nothing was further from my intention. Given an arm of the sea, an arid climate, and evaporation under a hot sun, it is easy to conceive the formation: of almost any thickness of bedded salt. I cited the figures in connection with Harris' theory of the origin of salt domes, according to which the plugs were formed by the deposition of salt from ascending brine solutions, owing to the drop in temperature as they neared the surface. I pointed out the well-known fact that the solubility of salt is only slightly affected by temperature, and that a drop of 80° C. would cause the deposition of less than one-tenth of the salt in solution; hence that more than ten times the volume of salt actually forming the plug must have been involved. If ten times the salt actually in sight be computed in terms of brine and multiplied by 50 or 60 to take into account all of the known salt domes, the resulting figure is so enormous that I am not at all as sure as Mr. Kennedy seems to be that the porous stratified rocks of eastern Texas and western Louisiana could contain or furnish so great a volume of migratory brine.

Jan 8, 1918

Discussion of the paper of N. V. Hansell, presented at the Cleveland meeting, October, 1912, and published in Bulletin. No. 72, December, 1912, pp. 1497 to 1,517. F. L. GRAMMER, Leesburg, Va. (communication to the Secretary*).:-Mr. Hansell conies from a country where charcoal is the fuel, and fuel is therefore costly. The Swedes appreciate more than most Americans the value of ore-concentration, not only in fuel-economy, but also in its influence on the quality of metal produced. Neither in these particulars nor in our knowledge of the dressing of iron-ore do I think. we can claim to be their equals. A 60 per cent. ore is not merely- twice, but more than four times, as valuable as an ore carrying 30 per cent,. Failure to appreciate this fact explains many idle American stacks, erected in defiance of it. Next to the rule that the equipment-cost of a blast-furnace increases approximately as the square of the hearth-diameter, I know of no mathematical relations involved in smelting iron which are less appreciated than the disadvantages of lean ores. Mr. Orn told me, when I was in Stockholm, that 2,500 patents on magnetic concentration had been taken out. He may have been joking as to the exact figure, but his remark indicated the great activity of inventors in this field. The magnetic separators seem to represent two main ideas, namely, wet and dry separation. The wet separators, such as the Gröndal, are applicable to ores requiring the greatest comminution by reason of the small particles of associated minerals or because of the occurrence of magnetite with a soft mineral likely to cake, as in those of Cornwall, Pa. Of the dry magnetic separators some are well suited for large-grained ores, such as those of Mineville, N. Y. We have also magnetic separators, like the Wetherill, for ores not usually classed as magnetic.

Jan 5, 1913

By Ezequiel Ordonez

I HAVE read ill the Bulletin (May, '1914) a paper by H. von Höfer relating to the Origin of Petroleum, in which the author supports his and Engler's views, expressed before, of the organic origin of petroleum. Von Höfer pronounces strongly against the hypothesis of the volcanic origin of hydrocarbons, as particularly advocated by Eugene Coste. In Mr. Coste's articles, so well known by the public, he refers incidentally to our Mexican oil occurrences, especially of the Gulf coast, as proofs of the volcanic origin of the oils. This belief comes from the fact that, in our Mexican oil fields of the east coast, the majority of the producing wells are located near volcanic necks (remnants of small volcanoes, mainly of the explosive type), or near certain gibbosities in shales, resembling mounds, some of which' are really uplifts due to volcanic forces or to abortive eruptions. The first attempt to explain the oil coming up around volcanic necks in Mexico, was made by me in a small article1 published in 1905, soon after the investigation ordered by the Mexican government as to the outlook of the Mexican Gulf coast as a future oil producer. When E. L. Doheny of Los Angeles, Cal., and I located the first producing well of Mexico, I was also the first to predict the great future of the oil industry in Mexico, just at the time when the government and some Mexican geologists felt rather pessimistic. The Mexican investors and the general public, as a result of these discouragements, did not pay attention to this important source of common wealth until recent days. The realization of the value of this source of wealth has been so sudden that we are menaced by the consequences brought about by a great boom. It was quite impossible, about five years ago, to induce Mexican capitalists to invest money in oil lands. So the few large foreign companies operating since the beginning, easily secured large holdings, in spite of the trouble frequently resulting from faulty titles or ownership.

Jan 10, 1914

By I. W. Wark

AN attempt has been made to compare the influences of the two most widely used depressants-alkalis and sodium cyanide-and the most widely used activator-copper sulfate-on the air-mineral contact induced by five sulfur-bearing compounds: (1) sodium di-ethyl dithio-phosphate (sodium Aerofloat); (2) potassium ethyl xanthate; (3) sodium di-ethyl dithiocarbamate; (4) potassium iso-amyl xanthate; (5) potassium di-n-amyl dithiocarbamate. Three different organic types are included in this group and for two of these types a higher and a lower homologue have been tested. The study of potassium ethyl xanthate, the preliminary results of which have been described,1 was continued until there had been obtained a comprehensive account of the influence of variations in pH value and in the concentrations of xanthate, sodium cyanide and copper sulfate on the adsorption of this xanthate by galena, sphalerite, pyrite and chalcopyrite. With concentrations of copper sulfate and collector that the work with ethyl xanthate indicated would give the most illuminating results, the other four collectors were tested in a less exhaustive way. The same general principles determine the influence of alkalis, cyanide and copper sulfate, no matter to which type the collector belongs, but there is a gradation in the quantitative measure of such influence. In the list above, the five collectors are cited in the order of their capacity to withstand the depressants, sodium Aerofloat being the least resistant, potassium di-n-amyl dithiocarbamate the most resistant. This order coincides substantially with that of the solubilities of the heavy metal salts formed by double decomposition with the collectors, those formed from sodium Aerofloat being most soluble. There is little difference between the third and fourth members of the series, and under certain conditions their positions are reversed.

Jan 1, 1934

By R. Van A. Norris

Although mechanical appliances for the ventilation of mines have been known siuce very early times (one being mentioned in Agricola's De Re Metnllica, 1657), it is only within the last forty years that such appliances have been generally used. A great number of different ventilators have been invented and used, but the varions forms of centrifugal machines having proved their efficiency, have now almost conlpletely replaced all others. Most if not all of the machines in use in this country are of this class, being either open-periphery fans, or closed, with chimney and spiral casing, of a more or less modified Guibal type. The theory of such machines has been demonstrated by Mr. Daniel Murgue in Theories and Practice of Centrifugal Ventilating Machines, translated by A. L. Steavenson. His statement may be condensed thus : Let a = orifice in a thin plate, of such area that its resistance to the passage of a given quantity of air equals the resist ance of the mine. I o = orifice in a thin plate of such area that its resistance to the passage of' a given quantity of air equals that of the machine. Q = quantity of air passing in cubic feet per minute. V = velocity of air passing through a. Vo = velocity of air passing through o. h = head iu feet air-column to produce velocity IT h, = head in feet air-column to produce velocity V,.

Jan 1, 1892

By W. G. Jeffery, James F. McDivitt

THE FRAMEWORK Consider where you, the reader, would place the emphasis m your answer to the following questions on mineral supply. Do you think of the mineral resources of developing countries in terms of the contribution which they can make to world mineral supply or in terms of the contribution they can make to development of the country? Do you look upon developing countries as a source of minerals for world industry or as a potential enormous market for minerals? If you are from a developed country it would be surprising I£ you did not emphasize the first alternative in each case, but it is also possible that simply raising the questions will call for some mental adjustments, because usually we do not think in these terms. If you are among the two-thirds of the world's population which comes from developing countries, you might well emphasize the second alternative. And to a growing extent during the reaming decades of the 20th century this is where emphasis must be placed. Increasing amounts of the world's mineral production come from countries which are in the early stages of development. Mineral consumers of the world look to these regions for continuing supplies of material to help meet their ever-growing needs; the producing countries look to mineral exports as one means of stimulating and financing their economic development-this seems a happy and fortuitous relationship. But due to the complexities of world mineral supply, it is a relationship which is fraught with potential confusion and misunderstanding. That this is so is not surprising when one considers that many of the producing countries are new countries which are urgently trying to find the path along which they can move towards development; that the direction of the path is by no means clear because various theories of economic development, as a planned and deliberate process, are relatively recent in origin and none are well understood; and that the very concept of the less developed countries (LDC's) is a relatively new one. To further complicate the situation there has never been a clear under- standing of the full role which minerals play in economic development, either in the case of those countries which are already classed as developed, or in the case of countries which are in the process of development. Before embarking on an investigation of some aspects of the relationship between minerals and developing countries, it seems wise to establish broad terms of reference, which may not be totally valid but which will at least give an initial direction for a journey with no clearly definable goal. First it can be noted that the world has been divided somewhat arbitrarily into a group of countries that are termed developed or advanced and a group of countries which

Jan 1, 1976

By F. V. Lenel

Resistance sintering under pressure is a method of hot pressing in which a powder compact is subjected to pressure and simultaneously heated by passing a low voltage high amperage current through it. Equipment for this process is described. Its basic characteristics such as resistance requirements for powders and compacts, temperature distribution in compacts, and gas reactions during resistance sintering are discussed. Examples of the sintering process in compacts made of a single metal or an alloy powder and in compacts made of mixtures of powders are presented. Potential commercial applications of the process are evaluated. THE usual sequence of operations in commercial powder metallurgy is to compact metal powders in a die at room temperature and sinter the compact subsequently without applying pressure while the compact is in the sintering furnaces. In hot pressing, on the other hand, the compacting and the sintering are combined. The loose powder, or in many cases a cold formed compact, is inserted into the die which is held at the hot pressing temperature, the compact is left in the die until it attains its temperature, and then pressure is applied and maintained for a given length of time. The die may be heated by surrounding it with a suitable furnace, by high frequency induction heating, or by passing current through the die. In hot pressing, compacts of high density and good mechanical properties can be produced in a relatively short time. One of the principal difficulties in hot pressing is the lack of suitable die materials which will have adequate strength at the hot pressing temperature. This difficulty can be overcome at least partially by heating only the material to be hot pressed without heating the die directly. This can be done by passing a low voltage high amperage current through the material and simultaneously subjecting it to pressure. Either loose powders or compacts can be hot pressed by this method in which the desired temperature is produced by the power dissipated in the metal powder. This method of hot pressing has been termed "electrical resistance sintering under pressure." The most significant differences between this operation and conventional hot pressing are: 1—The sintering times are very short, usually a fraction of a second and at most a few seconds. 2—The powder and die are initially cold. 3—Heat is generated within the powder itself and not conducted in from the die. 4— The pressure used is high. 5—Cooling following sintering is rapid, amounting to a quench. Resistance sintering of metal powders under pressure has been suggested repeatedly. In 1933, G. F. Taylor' proposed an apparatus which consisted of an insulating tube made of glass, or a ceramic filled with the powder to be pressed, and plungers above and below the powder. The powder was to be heated by passing an electric current through it and pressure was then applied. The apparatus was intended principally for hot pressing cemented carbides. Although the principle of resistance sintering under pressure is clearly shown in this patent, few details are given. A sintering period of a second or a fraction of a second, which is terminated by the operation of an inertia switch, is mentioned but no values for current density are mentioned. Low pressures, such as atmospheric pressure or a somewhat higher pressure exerted through a lever, are suggested. W. D. Jones' discussed electrical resistance sintering under pressure and proposed using resistance welding apparatus for this purpose. In a patent issued in 1944, G. D. Cremera described a method of electrical resistance sintering under pressure using resistance welding apparatus which was to be applied mostly to nonferrous metals such as copper, brass, bronze, and aluminum. Current densities of 400,000 amp per sq in., sintering times of 1 and 2 cycles of 60 cycle current, and pressures of 5 to 10 tsi are proposed. Cremer suggested using an

Jan 1, 1956

By John H. Hollomon

THE interpretation of notched-bar impact results has been a matter of controversy since the introduction of more or less standard tests by Fremont,1 Charpy2 and others at the turn of the century. Many investigators3-l1 have contributed to the understanding of the significance of such tests. Several symposiums12,13 have been held with the express purpose of discussing the significance and interpretation of the impact tests. It is not the purpose of this paper to review all these contributions to the development of the knowledge on this subject, but rather to present an interpretation of notched-bar impact tests that appears to be in agreement with the available published data. Fundamentally, the interpretation discussed in this DaDer of the brittle failure of some steels in notched-bar impact test is similar to the qualitative analysis presented by Ludwik3 in the 1920's. Essentially, Ludwik stated that the function of the notch was to increase the tensile stress necessary for yielding, and that brittle failure occurred when the stress necessary for yielding exceeded the normal stress required for fracture (with no plastic de- formation). Ludwik, however, had no means of measuring this normal stress necessary for failure of a plastically* undeformed metal, therefore he could not extend his interpretation beyond the qualitative stage. Kuntze14 and recently MC- Adam15 attempted to determine the effect of deformation on the stress necessary for fracture by testing, in tension, specimens notched to various depths and angles. Because of the uncertainties in Kuntze's (and RlcAdam's) analysis of the stresses (which have been pointed out by SachsI6) and the inherent nonuniformity in the stress distribution in notched bars, the results of such investigations are difficult to interpret. A more direct method of measuring the effect of deformation on the fracture stress was suggested in previous papers17-l8 and has been utilized in the present investigation. The present paper concerns itself primarily with the behavior of notched impact specimens. The effects of strain rate, temperature, and stress distribution, which are discussed with reference to the impact specimen, apply just as well to the behavior of metal at the bases of notches in any engineering structure. All that is necessary is to determine the stress distribution in the structure at the base of the notches.

Jan 1, 1944

By Peter Soo

Pvestrained Ferrovac E iron has been neutron-irradiated at approximately 90°C to an integrated flux of 1020 nut (E > 0.82 mev]. The irradiation was found to produce an incveased temperature dependence of the flow stress in addition to a greatly increased athemal stress. Measurements of the flow stress and stress relaxation, from which the activation volume and activation energy for slip were deduced, show that neutron irradiation changes the rate -controlling slip process to one based on dislocation interactions with tetragonal distortions which are Produced around submicroscopic interstitial loops in the lattice. The study indicates that without prestraining prior to irradiation the chances of detecting a change in the rate -controlling slip process are greatly reduced because in the initial stages of slip a substantial fraction of the radiation defects are swept out of the slip plane by gliding dislocations. Thus, activation parameters which are subsequently measured are representative of a greatly reduced defect density and would not differ appreciably from those for unirradi-ated material. The large increase in the athermal component of the flow stress is probably connected with the presence of depleted zones in the lattice which are introduced by irradiation. ALTHOUGH fast neutron-irradiation has not been observed to markedly alter the activation parameters for slip in bcc metals,' small but significant changes do occur. Most experimenters agree that irradiation predominantly increases the athermal component of the yield stress.'-= In addition to this, Laidler and smidt7 have shown that in iron irradiated to 5 X 10" nvt and molybdenum irradiated to 10" nvt, changes occur in the activation volumes for slip. A similar conclusion has been reached by Milasin and Malkin8 for irradiated iron. Work by Ohr et a1.5 shows that for Ferrovac E iron, irradiated to 1.2 X 1016 nvt, small increases in the activation energy for slip also occur. So far these changes in the activation parameters have not been explained on a firm theoretical basis. One important factor which would minimize the chances of detecting a change in the slip mechanism upon irradiation is the presence of "channeling" which has been observed in molybdenum,9 niobium,10 and iron.11These channels are formed by gliding dislocations which sweep irradiation defects out of the active slip planes and thereby create zones in which continued dislocation motion is encouraged. The activation parameters for the dislocations gliding in the defect-free channels would, therefore, be similar to those for unirradiated iron and a change in the rate-controlling slip process would be difficult to detect. In the present work, an attempt has been made to reduce the effect of uneven deformation on the measured activation parameters for slip in neutron-irradiated Ferrovac E iron polycrystals, so that a more realistic assessment of the effects of neutron-irradiation could be made. Primarily, the experiments involve the irradiation of specimens which had been prestrained to 9 pct elongation at room temperature prior to insertion into the reactor. It was hoped that the introduction of a large number of evenly distributed dislocations would substantially decrease any channeling effect which might otherwise occur. MATERIAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The starting material was vacuum-melted Ferrovac E iron, an analysis of which is given in Table I. The standard tensile specimen had a gage length of 1.125 in., a cross-sectional diameter of 0.120 in., and a re-crystallized grain size of 1.2 x 10-3 in. All tensile tests were conducted on a floor model "Instron" tensile machine at a strain rate of 3 x 10-4 per sec. The irradiation of the prestrained specimens was performed in the Brookhaven High Flux Beam Reactor to an integrated flux of 1020 nvt (E > 0.82 mev) at a temperature of about 90°C. All specimens were excap-sulated in high-purity aluminum sheaths which were lightly swaged around the samples to ensure good thermal contact. Subsequent measurements on the irradiated specimens showed that within experimental accuracy the swaging had not deformed them. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS Fig. 1 shows the flow stresses for a series of unirradiated control samples. In order to produce a comparable dislocation substructure throughout the test sm range, all specimens were prestrained

Jan 1, 1970