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By P. A. Beck, M. V. Nevitt

All binary and a number of ternary u alloys formed by first long period transition elements were examined and found to be ferromagnetic at low temperatures. The Curie temperatures for these alloys were measured. It was found that the correlation of the Curie temperature with composition may be described qualitatively in terms of the contributions of the various component atomic moments to the saturation moment of the alloy. Ternary Fe-Cr-Mo u phase alloys were also found to be ferromagnetic, with a Curie temperature dependent on the iron content and largely independent of the unit cell dimensions. Similar relations were found for the Co-Fe-Cr and the Co-Cr-Mo a alloys, where the Co + Fe content appears to determine the Curie temperature. RECENTLY, it has become increasingly evident that the u phase is some kind of an "electron compound." Several papers1-' discussed the empirical correlation between the composition of the various u phases in alloys of the transition elements and the distribution of electrons in the partially filled d-levels of the component atoms. However, a picture of the latter can be formed only in a more or less intuitive manner, as in the Pauling theory," and the rigorous treatment of these problems is at present prevented by lack of adequate knowledge of the electronic structure of the transition elements in the metallic state. It appeared reasonable to expect that investigation of the magnetic properties, which are related to d-shell electrons, may help in clarifying the physical nature of the foregoing empirical correlation. Qualitative tests of samples of various compositions have shown that certain u alloys become ferromagnetic at liquid nitrogen temperature." The present investigation was undertaken to determine whether or not low temperature ferromagnetism is characteristic of a large variety of u alloys and to establish how the Curie temperatures of ferromagnetic u alloys are influenced by changes in composition and in lattice parameter. In the first portion of the in- vestigation, Curie temperatures were measured for a series of u alloys containing either vanadium or chromium with one or two of the elements manganese, iron, cobalt, or nickel. In the second phase of the work, data were obtained on the Curie temperature of ternary (Fe, Co, Cr)a, (Fe, Cr, Mo)a, and (Co, Cr, MO)U alloys, as a function of composition and of interatomic spacing. Experimental Procedures High frequency vacuum melting in high purity re-crystallized alumina crucibles was employed in the preparation of the u alloys, using metals whose lot analyses are given in Table I. Approximately two-thirds of the alloys were analyzed chemically, the analytical results being in acceptable agreement with the intended compositions, as seen in Tables I1 and 111. The specimens were annealed for homogen-ization in an atmosphere of purified 92 pct He and 8 pct H, mixture or in evacuated and sealed Vycor tubes at temperatures from 780" to 1300°C, depending on the temperature range of the u phase field for the particular composition. The annealing temwerature and time for kach alloy are given in Tables 11 and 111. Curie points were determined by an induction method; the change with temperature of mutual inductance between two coils was observed when the i-u specimen was inserted into the flux path between the coils. The transformer consisted of three coils each containing 1200 turns of 0.0050 in. diam enameled copper wire. The center coil, P in Fig. 1, served as the primary coil, and was linked magnetically with each of the two secondary coils, S, and S? which were connected in series opposition. The primary coil, P, was energized by an audio-oscillator, set at a frequency of 500 cycles per sec, while the signal from the transformer secondary circuit,

Jan 1, 1956

By L. B. Herring, Harold Decker

The area under discussion includes districts 2 and 4, so designated by the Texas Railroad Commission,‡ and comprises the following 26 counties: Bee, Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, De Witt, Duval, Goliad, Gonzales, Hidalgo, Jackson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kenedy, Kleburg, Lavaca, Live Oak, Nueces, Refu-gio, San Patricia, Starr, Victoria, Webb, Willacy, Wilson and Zapata. Drilling and Production The total number of wells drilled in this district during 1944 is shown in Table 5. This indicates a 41 per cent increase in all drilling over 1943. In spite of every handicap created by the war, the oil industry more than met the crisis in its drilling program in this district. Last year we thought it would be impossible to add to the total number of wells drilled in the previous yea;, but in spite of the lack of manpower and materials this large increase was shown. During 1944 this district produced 124,201,978 bbl. of oil from 11,607 producing wells, whereas in 1943 it produced 88,421,693 bbl. from 11,211 producing wells. This is an increase of 35,780,285 bbl. of oil. Some decline has been shown in the older fields arid undoubtedly the majority of wells in the district are producing at too high a rate. However, this district has been able to meet any demands made on it by the Petroleum Administration for War for increased production. Discoveries and Extensions There was a slight decline over the preceding year in the number of wildcats drilled, but the number of discoveries increased. In most instances subsequent development has not been sufficient to arrive at preliminary valuations but it appears that the over-all oil discoveries were below normal and that the gas discovcrics were relatively more important. The Canolis and Tijerina pools, Jim Wells County, and the Dan Sullivan pool, Brooks County, appear to be the outstanding oil discoveries of the year. No important oil reserve was discovered or developed in the Wilcox horizons, although considerable wildcatting was done. Important extensions were made at Agua Dulce and Stratton in Nueces and Teleberg Counties. Production was increased appreciably at Willimar, Willacy County, and Seeligson, Jim Wells County, in sands and areas which were apparently productive at the beginning of the year. Refining Most of the major work in the changing and completing of refineries was finished this past year. Some of the most modern refineries in the industry are now located in the Corpus Christi area. Gas and Condensate No new recycling projects were commenced during the year, nor were there any important additions to the old operations. No major gas reserve was developed, although several new discoveries suggest potentid possibilities.

Jan 1, 1945

By Tell Ertl

TODAY'S mining industry is witnessing a transition in labor utilization. The drill-jumbo operator, the mucking-machine operator, the blasting crew, the scaling and timbering crew are all specialists. The all-around miner is rapidly disappearing. As mechanization has resulted in a higher order of underground skills; specialization of labor has been a natural consequence, as has the need for more supervision and engineering. Mines now are cleaner, neater, safer, and have a greater productivity per man-shift than ever before. Nothing spectacular like the continuous miner has yet come to the underground metal mines, but t a gradual improvement in methods, equipment, and technical knowledge is achieving the increased efficiency. With the exhaustion of the rich ores and large profits and who-cares-about-the-costs, mining has become a business; that of producing low value ores at costs below selling price. Charles A. Chase, patriarch of Colorado mountain mining men, manager of the Shenandoah-Dives, was one of the first to preach and prove his preachings that mining is a business. He has been mining a lead-copper-zinc-gold-silver ore, much from elevations above 1.3,000 ft, for a quarter century without a shutdown.-The ore is of such low value that most engineers and investors still would consider it foolhardy. Yet he has kept Silverton, Colo., alive, has paid wages without a lapse, has produced $25 million of new wealth and maintained a steady return to the investors. This type of responsibility is increasingly apparent in the mining business and is one feather that can be worn proudly. .Much emphasis is being placed on improving, the productive mining operations-breaking, loading and transportation. Breaking in underground metal mining is done by drilling and blasting. To the writer's knowledge, no chain or rotary-type machine has been developed for mining strong, abrasive rock. Drilling Percussion drills are still the standard drilling machines underground. Diamond drills, that: were the rage a decade ago for drilling long holes, are being superseded by the rock drill. The development of the hard abrasion-resistant carbide bit permits full-gage long holes to be drilled by percussion drills at a lower cost than diamonds. The change in the use of percussion drills is chiefly in the method of mounting. The column and arm are disappearing and the jackleg and rubber-tired or track-layer jumbo mountings are taking its place. At the Homestake mine .lightweight jackhammers mounted• on pneumatic legs using 7/8-in. hexagonal drill. rods and 1 1/2-in, tungsten-carbide detachable bits have been found more portable and maneuverable. They have less air consumption, lowered, dynamite consumption, and more footage and tonnage per man-shift than with 3 1/2-in. drifters on a column mounting. Drills now are mounted on longer feed carriages, drilling up to 20 ft without changing steel. These mountings result in great savings because the driller can set up quickly, drill the entire depth of the hole without changing the drill rod or bit using carbide and one-use bits, and can move his machine quickly to the next hole. One man to the machine is becoming general practice. The result is longer rounds rounds drilled at a lower cost than the previously used short rounds. A jumbo developed in the Tri-State can be extended to mine ore left in the roof up to 65 ft above the floor. Drill-rod life was formerly considered to be about 250 min of actual use. The increase in the drilling time per rod per day has gone up considerably with the development of the jumbo and the long-feed carriage, resulting in which is apparently more rod breakage., Consequently, a great deal of research is being done in the attempt to develop an alloy-steel rod with longer service life to offset the greater cost. Some reports indicate that alloy steel or Swedish steel results in cheaper drilling than conventional drill rod. However, several tests have shown only slightly increased life for alloy drill rod. Undoubtedly, the blow of the rock drill, the length of the drill rod, and the resiliency of the rock being drilled are important factors in the life of drill rod, so it follows that alloy steel might work well in some mines and result in no savings in others. The bit forged on the drill rod is seldom encountered and steel detachable bits are not as common as in the recent past. The one-use bit is gaining popularity because of. the difficulty in rehardening reconditioned steel bits satisfactorily. It is thought that the, carbie-insert bit is most applicable to drilling hard 'rock' where the steel bit is unable to drill out a full change, for instance, in extremely abrasive

Jan 1, 1952

By Johnson Crawford, Alan H. Hoagland

Zinc mining at Jefferson City began in 1854 with small scale production of oxidized ore from open pits. Significant production began in 1913 with the development of the Mascot Mine by the American Zinc Company. In 1965, four flotation mills were treating crude ore at the rate of about 12,000 tons per day and the Mascot-Jefferson City district currently is the largest zinc producing area in the United States. The producing mines, Mascot, Young, North Friends Station, New Market Zinc, Grasselli, Davis-Bible, Coy, and the Jefferson City, are 15 to 28 miles northeast of Knoxville in the Valley and Ridge physiographic province, an area of gentle relief lying between the more rugged Great Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland escarpment. The ore is strata bound, occurring essentially within a stratigraphic range of 200 feet in the Lower Kingsport and Upper Longview formations of Lower Ordovician age. In the lower strata of the mineralized section, the ore generally is found in coarsely crystalline elastic dolomite breccia containing silica and chert debris within a sequence of aphanitic limestones. The upper strata of the mineralized section are fine-grained primary dolomites that, in the ore zones, have been fragmented in mosaic patterns by solution collapse with the interfragmental space filled by white gangue dolomite and sphalerite. The mineralogy is unusually simple, sphalerite being the only important sulfide. Pyrite is very sparse. Dolomite gangue is abundant, silica was deposited in quite small amounts, calcite is minor, and fluorite and barite are very rare. The principal ore controlling structures are rubble breccia zones that were formed during the post-Lower Ordovician-pre-Middle Ordovician erosion interval by supergene solution as a phase of the development of a regional karst system of underground drainage that extended to' depths of at least 800 feet. The major Appalachian orogenic structures are post-ore and have been superimposed on the ore bodies. There is substantial evidence to support the current thinking of the writers that the ore deposits were formed at a depth not exc1~eding 800 feet.

Jan 1, 1968

By Samuel Wyer

F. G. CLAPP, New York, N. Y. (communication to the Secretary*).¬I assume that where this valuable paper states, near its end, that "it is not possible to establish a market price, " the author means that no particular price which will fit all conditions and fields can be given. I am not in agreement with Mr. Wyer, however, that the actual value of natural gas leaseholds is "largely a matter of opinion." I would even be willing to express myself very strongly as believing that if we, as experts, cannot give anything closer than a mere opinion, our testimony or reports are not of great value to our clients. I believe, moreover, that by detailed geological examinations and with our latest knowledge of geological structure, principles of natural gas occurrence, etc., we can approach just as near a certainty in natural gas valuations as we can in oil valuations, and much more so than in the valuation of many metal prospects, in which only the upper few feet of the vein has been opened. In other words, we are getting nearer and nearer every year to bringing geology as applied to oil and gas development into the class of an exact science. Mr. Wyer's paper gives an excellent outline for methods of leasehold valuation. Being presumably intended as an outline only, it can be expanded indefinitely by a detailed discussion of the methods of valuation for the four different classes of leaseholds which he mentions: (A) "Producing;" (B) "Protective;" (C) "Reserve;" and (D) "Prospective." This classification is probably as good as can be made in practice. In the producing leaseholds in particular it is easy to establish a market price at which these leaseholds should be bought or sold. The question would arise in any case whether or not the leases are connected with a pipe line or the distance from the pipe line. Assuming that a pipe line already taps the property and that gas is already being sold for a certain figure, this price must be multiplied by the number of thousand cubic feet still "in sight" in the ground, from which is to be deducted (a) bonuses, (b) rentals, (c) royalties, (d) cost of drilling, (e) taxes and

Jan 12, 1916

By R. B. Full

DURING the summer of 1949, the United Nations Scientific Conference on the Conservation and Utilization of Resources met at Lake Success. As summed up by one writer, the purpose was: "That everyone will try to learn how to feed more people from an acre of land." That objective is a stimulus to the phosphate rock industry as well as other industries. Phosphate rock was mined first in the Canadian province of Quebec where it was found as an apatite in pockets. In 1863, mining began near the Rideau Canal, first in open trenches and quarries until shafts were sunk. These operations were difficult since hard rock had to be drilled and blasted. Steam was the source of power. The phosphate rock was hand-selected and recovery ranged from 6 to 10 pct, averaging 70 pct to 85 pct bpl (bone phosphate of lime). Costs, f.O.b. Montreal, were $14 a ton, and selling prices averaged $17 a ton. In 1885, about 29,-000 tons were sold on this basis, but by 1892 the output fell to 8000 tons at an average price of $15 a ton at Montreal. South Carolina Deposits Phosphate rock was first discovered in South Carolina in 1837, but a mining company was not formed until 1867. It was immediately successful, and the industry continued to develop and ship an increased tonnage of land and river rock, shipments increasing from approximately 20,000 tons in 1868 to 537,000 tons in 1890, when the shipments began to decrease. In 1892 only 350,000 tons were shipped. In this field there were two types of deposits: land rock and river rock. More land rock tonnage was mined until about 1887 when river rock production began to equal it. The land rock was mined adjacent to and in the river marshes by pick, shovel, and wheelbarrow. Each worker dug daily a space 6 ft wide, 15 ft long and 6 ft deep, which was overburden, and then loaded about 3 cu yd of phosphate rock into wheelbarrows. His helper would wheel the barrows to small steam railroads up to 250 ft distant. Water was kept from the pits by steam pumps connected to railway cars. The phosphate rock was loaded into railroad cars, hauled and dumped into a log washer to which water was added, and run over trommel screens to eliminate the clay and loose sand. Steam shovels for loading were introduced about 1891. River rock was mined by floating dipper dredges and at low tide was loaded into barges by laborers using oyster tongs, the large lumps being hand-loaded. Barges and bateaus were unloaded by wheelbarrows which were wheeled to the same type of land rock washers. The washer product was piled with stacked pine cordwood in alternate layers and fired for drying. Usually this was done under sheds along the river bank. The dried rock then was transferred to ships, usually three or four-masted schooners. Cost of production of both land and river rock, including $1 a ton royalty paid to the state for state-owned property, was approximately $4.25 a ton averaging 60 pct bpl. The selling price was approximately $7 a ton f.O.b. In 1886 the courts handed down a decision permitting anyone to mine, and many additional companies were organized immediately. As a result, the selling price was lowered to a profit margin of 50Ø or less per ton. The South Carolina mines were eventually shut down when a more profitable source of phosphate rock was discovered in Florida. Florida Deposits Phosphate rock was discovered in Florida in 1882, and in 1883 a small quarry was opened near Hawthorne. In 1886 phosphate rock of good grade was discovered on Peace River, and the Arcadia Phosphate Co. was formed. In 1888 the company began shipments amounting to 3000 tons that year. During the latter part of 1888, hard-rock phosphate was discovered near Dunnellon. Exploration extended rapidly, and deposits of hard-rock phosphate were mined over a wide area so that shortly after 1900

Jan 1, 1952

IN THE past, we have, perhaps, been somewhat careless in our furnace practice, in the use of high-grade material, lowering the production costs through demanding high-grade ores, increasing the size of units, and eliminating heat losses by collecting and returning unused heat to our furnaces. Further economies would seem to be possible through keeping out of the furnace those materials that appear to serve no useful purpose and carry with them heat that should be used in reduction operations. In the manufacture of pig iron, about three tons of inert nitrogen pass through the furnace for each ton of iron produced. This nitrogen serves no useful purpose in the chemical actions involved, but when discharged into the atmosphere it carries away a considerable quantity of heat. Can not this loss be eliminated, at least in part, through the use of more oxygen in the blast? Many metallurgical chemists, during the past 20 years, have stated that they thought it can and have urged that the plan be tried. Others have expressed doubt, not being able to visualize how more oxygen could be used in present practice; they have regarded it as impracticable, without trying to conceive of an entirely new practice based on a new reagent. That more experimental work has not been done is due to the fact that no cheap oxygen has been available, but the committee believes that there is strong reason to expect that, should a demand exist, 99 per cent. oxygen may be made at a cost not to exceed $3 per ton. The theoretical studies of the committee have indicated such marked economy by using oxygenated air in various operations that its members strongly recommend experimental work to verify the anticipated economies. The committee has developed plans for experimentally determining the effects of oxygen-enriched air on the operation of an iron, blast furnace. A furnace with a height of 30 ft. has been built and it is recommended that the plans be put in, effect as the first step in the research.

Jan 11, 1924

By G. D. Marshall, D. K. Sarin, V. E. Hampton

Ground support at the Thompson Mine emphasizes scaling, rock bolting and wire mesh screening on the backs and walls of all underground stoping and development areas and also full column grouted cable bolting in the bulk mining areas. This paper describes the equipment for the point anchored rock bolts as well as the full column cable bolts. Modifications in design and testing of all components and procedures has ensured a safe and efficient method of ground support for the mining conditions existing at the Thompson Mine.

Jan 1, 1983

By Tom Westgarth

As papers are placed before you upon large gas-engines in Belgium and Germany, it was considered that some information should be given upon the same subject in Great Britain. I therefore agreed to compile these notes, which I have made very short in view of the somewhat full nature of the other papers presented to this meeting, and considering the complete nature of the many publications which have been made recently upon the subject of large gas-engines. I give below Tables I. to VI., showing the number and particulars of large gas-engines which have been built or are building by British makers, and in view of the growing size of gas-engines I have concluded that engines less than 500 h.p. cannot now be included in the category of large gas-engines, and therefore I have not considered engines under that power.

Nov 1, 1906

By AIME AIME

THE 129th meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers convened at New York City, in the Engineering Societies Building, Feb. 18-20, 1924. On February 21 an excursion was made to the Bethlehem Steel Co., at Bethlehem, where about 200 members and guests were splendidly entertained. An illustrated description of the Bethlehem Plant will be published next month. The meeting and excursion were largely attended; the registration at New York totalled 1276 versus 1201 in 1923. William Kelly, long identified with the iron-mining industry of the Lake Superior district, was elected President of the A. I. M. E. for the coming year, at ,the annual business meeting, Feb. 19, succeeding E. P. Mathewson. The following Directors were also elected (the date signifies year of termination of office; the final figure indicates the "District" the Director represents).

Jan 1, 1924

By Evan Evans

WITH the expiration on April 30, 1941, of the agreement between the anthracite operators and the United Mine Workers of America, a new agreement was entered into, providing for a general wage increase of 7 1/2 per cent effective May 1, to be brought to a total of 10 per cent on Oct. 1. Contract rates were increased from the rates established under the agreement of September 1923, and hourly rates were raised above the agreement of May 1936 as modified from the eight-to seven-hour day in May 1937. The new rates are to be in force for the duration of the agreement, ending April 30, 1943.

Jan 1, 1942

By Rudolf K. Berkhard

Static soil investigations with more or less heavy loads and extensive borings do not always have efficient results; also, they are very expensive. The new geophysical method of dynamic tests described herein is simple and cheap and avoids several disadvantages of the routine investigation, thus forming a useful supplement to the older methods and even at times replacing various static tests. The fundamental principle of dynamic soil tests consists in the application of artificial vibration. The technique employed is essentially geophysical in nature and in some respects is akin to seismic studies. Artificial vibration may be excited by centrifugal forces resulting from eccentrically supported rotating masses. The reactions of soil and structures caused by these vibrations may be measured. Their dynamic constants, such as amplitudes, phase speeds, damping, reflection, and interference effects, can be investigated. This geophysical method has been used for several years with increasing success. The results of these tests, summarized at the end of the paper, indicate that this method opens a new field for the pkactical engineer in investigating soils (capacity and formation), foundations, dams and structures, and especially buildings that must withstand earthquakes. Methods Static Method.—The first and oldest tests to investigate the bearing capacity of the soil were carried out by static weights. The penetration of these weights, however, depends not only on the soil but also on the size and the form of their lower surface. The length of time the load acts is also important. To imitate actual field conditions, heavy weights and lengthy tests are required, both of which are expensive. Furthermore, the influence of static weights affects only the surface and does not penetrate into deeper strata, therefore substitutes and supplements for static tests have to include the time factor and consequently lead to dynamic investigations. Such dynamic investigations also affect

Jan 1, 1940

By Rudolf K. Berkhard

Static soil investigations with more or less heavy loads and extensive borings do not always have efficient results; also, they are very expensive. The new geophysical method of dynamic tests described herein is simple and cheap and avoids several disadvantages of the routine investigation, thus forming a useful supplement to the older methods and even at times replacing various static tests. The fundamental principle of dynamic soil tests consists in the application of artificial vibration. The technique employed is essentially geophysical in nature and in some respects is akin to seismic studies. Artificial vibration may be excited by centrifugal forces resulting from eccentrically supported rotating masses. The reactions of soil and structures caused by these vibrations may be measured. Their dynamic constants, such as amplitudes, phase speeds, damping, reflection, and interference effects, can be investigated. This geophysical method has been used for several years with increasing success. The results of these tests, summarized at the end of the paper, indicate that this method opens a new field for the pkactical engineer in investigating soils (capacity and formation), foundations, dams and structures, and especially buildings that must withstand earthquakes. Methods Static Method.—The first and oldest tests to investigate the bearing capacity of the soil were carried out by static weights. The penetration of these weights, however, depends not only on the soil but also on the size and the form of their lower surface. The length of time the load acts is also important. To imitate actual field conditions, heavy weights and lengthy tests are required, both of which are expensive. Furthermore, the influence of static weights affects only the surface and does not penetrate into deeper strata, therefore substitutes and supplements for static tests have to include the time factor and consequently lead to dynamic investigations. Such dynamic investigations also affect

Jan 1, 1940

By E. E. Bach

The administration of industrial organization today embraces more than the cost of production and selling prices. Competition is deeper seated than mechanical devices, overhead charges, and a shrewd manipulation of the markets. Despite the " down-to-the-minute " equipment and the "last word in organization," it is quite evident that "capacity production" will be an unknown quantity until the workman is considered as a producer, in relation to his home, as he is now considered in relation to industry. Whether or not a man shall do an honest day's work is as much a psychological condition as it is a matter of physical strength or skill. His attitude toward his work each morning is determined, to a large degree, by the environment of his home. Whether this attitude, good or bad, obtains the day through will depend entirely upon the one fact as to whether the corporation which employs him does or does not differentiate between the mechanical factor and the human factor in industry. To be more specific, sociological work, under whatever name, should be of such a character as to influence the life of a workman in such a manner as to establish a cooperative interest in his work, foster within him a spirit of contentment in his home, lead him so to employ his leisure time that he will not lower his efficiency as a workman, destroy his domestic happiness, or endanger his standing in the community as a citizen. While no fixed rules of procedure can well be formulated for the development of the work, yet definite lines of activities will readily present themselves as applicable to the individual needs of a community. This is especially true where community influences and agencies pertaining to general welfare are easily correlated. Any definite work attempted must be determined by the type of the

Jan 1, 1918

By E. C. Wright

FOR many years the cost of making pig iron and steel in the Birmingham district has been about the lowest in the United States. The close proximity of the important raw materials such as coal, iron ore, limestone, and the large available scrap supply made it possible to assemble all of the important ingredients necessary for steel- making with only nominal costs for transportation. Both iron ore and coal were being mined in this district at one time for about $1 per ton from underground operations. At that time mining wages were low everywhere and the labor rate in the South was considerably below that of other mining districts. This situation persisted until the emergence of labor unions as an economic and political force, emigation of southern labor to northern plants, and continued growth of industry in the South in the years following the depression of 1932. Since that time union organizing of miners and steel workers throughout the nation has increased labor costs in mining and steelmaking. This influence has been felt particularly in underground mining operations since the proportion of labor cost to total cost is still high. The previous advantage in basic labor rate in the South has been almost entirely eliminated by the equalization of labor rates in basic industries by national unions. Since 1945 these influences have been especially noticeable in increasing the cost of mining coal and iron ore in the South. The northern steel districts are still being largely supplied with iron ore from the Minnesota open-pit mines and the cost of this ore has not increased nearly as much as the cost of ore obtained from underground mines in Birmingham. A similar situation exists in coal mining; the thinner seams in Alabama are not so amenable to mechanization as the northern mines and, as a result, the output per man-day in southern mines is only about three tons of coal as compared to five or six tons per man-day in the large captive mines of West Vir-

Jan 1, 1950

By David H. Browne

The use of coal-dust fired reverberatory furnaces, or indeed of rever-beratory furnaces of any description, was for the Canadian Copper Co. a matter of necessity, and not of choice. For 20 years smelting had been done in blast furnaces alone, and with the Herreshoff furnaces used prior to 1904 there was no trouble in treating fine ores. But little flue dust was produced, and this, following the time-honored custom, was wetted down and put back with the charge. Whether the flue dust really smelted, or whether it was worn out by being chased around in a circle, was a problem that troubled no one. With the installation of modern blast furnaces and high-pressure blowing engines, in 1904, flue dust commenced to assert itself. Evidently more dust was made than could be smelted, but so many vital. problems engaged our attention at that time that this minor question was pushed to one side. In 1906, the details of blast-furnace smelting and the conversion of matte had been worked out to a satisfactory conclusion, and the ever-increasing piles of flue dust and fine ore on the stock yard demanded serious consideration. Numerous experiments in sintering, briquetting, mixing with converter slag, forming blocks of flue dust with green-ore fines and cement, and so on, were undertaken. None of these showed much promise. Our problem was still further complicated by the question of treating converter slag. The ore was basic, the slag was not needed as a furnace flux, and it was felt that under these conditions the old method of pouring slag in molds and resmelting in the blast furnace was an unnecessary expense. If the converter slag could be settled in basic-lined reverberatory furnaces, in which at the same time flue dust and green-ore fines could be smelted, two problems might thus be solved. Reverberatory practice with our ores was, however, an unknown factor. As carried on in the West, on siliceous ores and concentrates, at least 25 per cent. of fuel was required, and even this ratio depended greatly

Jan 1, 1915

By R. J. Teitel

FOUR or five years ago an investigation was initiated to study and develop basic information on llquid metal fuels for future power nuclear reactors. The objective was to find fluid forms of uranium (solutions or dispersions) in low melting alloys. A summary of the different fuels was presented in a recent article by Teitel, Gurinsky, and Bryner.' The combination of uranium and bismuth, with its low thermal neutron cross section and low melting point, is of basic interest to the development of these fuels. Most of the previous effort on the U-Bi phase diagram was done under security regulation. Ahmann and Baldwin' reported their findings on the U-Bi system in 1945. Their results indicated that the phase diagram had at least two compounds and possibly one more. UBi, and UBi were established by chemical analyses of residues after high temperature centrifugation of alloys. UBi, decomposed peritectically at1980°C and there were signs of another reaction above that. UBi melted at a very high temperature, and there were also signs of a monotectic at high temperatures in high uranium alloys. The solubility of uranium in liquid bismuth has received attention by three groups of authors: Bareis,X ayes and Gordon,' and Ahmann and Baldwin.' The latest and most widely accepted data is that of Bareis, and it is included in Fig. 1 along with new data at higher temperatures. Brewer et al." and Ferro"'' have used X-ray diffraction to determine the number and crystal structure of the compounds. Brewer identified the structure of UBi to be a simple NaCl cubic structure having a cell edge of 6.364A. The density of the compound was calculated to be 11.52 g per cu cm. Two other unindexed patterns were presented as possibly belonging to two other compounds. Ferro agreed with Brewer on the crystal structure of UBi and identified the structure of UBi, and U,Bi,. The intermetallic compound UBi, has a tetragonal cell with a = 4.445A and c = 8.908A. The density of the compound was determined and the number of atoms per cell (six atoms) was calculated. The X-ray density reported was 12.35 g per cu cm. The compound UsBir was treated in a similar way and it was reported to have a cubic structure 9.35A on an edge and to contain 28 atoms per cell. The density was given as 12.59 g per cu cm. Teitel reported that there was a compound UaBi, and no UBi, compound. (The difference in the compositions is 3.3 pct U.) This conclusion was based upon the extrapolation of some 20 tie lines in the

Jan 1, 1958

By S. H. Ash

IN no part of the world other than a small area in Pennsylvania is anthracite mining an industry of major magnitude. As the deposits of anthracite in the United States are limited virtually to Pennsylvania, the difficulties of this industry have been commonly considered a state rather than a national problem. However, there is also national interest in the conservation and wise utilization of all the country's fuel resources and in the control of interstate waterways. The anthracite industry is confronted with a serious problem of water accumulation in many of the mines, a problem that must be solved in the near future if progressively higher mining costs are to be avoided. It cannot be solved by the operating companies without state or Federal aid, or both, owing to the magnitude of the work required, the diversity of interests of the coal and surface ownerships, the hazard to the whole mining community, and interests affected outside the mining region. 'The costs of abating the ever-increasing surface seepage to mine workings and of handling this seepage once it has occurred are beyond the eco¬nomic resources of the operating managements.

Jan 1, 1941

By William Hume-Rothery

I need not say how much I appreciate the honor of being asked to lecture to you, and how much I would thank you for your kind invitation. It is encouraging to feel that the abnormal restrictions of the war have been relaxed sufficiently to allow a free exchange of scientists between our two countries, and I hope that some of you will be persuaded to go to England, and to visit us at Oxford, so that I may repay a little of the kindness I have received from you. As this is one of the first lectures since the end of the war, I have thought it well to describe some of the advances in the theory of alloys which were made in the years between the two World Wars. From the point of view of theoretical science, these years have been of outstanding interest in the history of metallurgy. They have been years in which the development of new and more accurate experimental methods has led to the revelation of many new facts. At the same time, the theoretical developments have enabled some of these facts to be viewed as parts of a general scheme, and we may say that some of the foundations of metallurgical science have been laid. This work was naturally stopped by the Second World War, and it can therefore be reviewed as one definite stage in the development of our Science. To illustrate the new advances, I shall deal mainly with the alloys of copper and silver, since these have revealed many of the general principles. taken, and copper had been found to crystallize in the face-centered cubic structure (Fig I). The determination of this structure naturally was of immense importance in the understanding of our subject, because it meant that we were at last in a position to appreciate the underlying structure out of which the crystal of copper was built. The earlier science of metallography had shown that in many alloys of copper the addition of a second metal in not too large proportions resulted in the formation of a homogeneous alloy which was regarded as a solid solution of the one metal in copper. Fig 2, for example, shows the so-called equilibrium diagram of the copper-zinc alloys, and here you will see that there is a solid solution of zinc in copper extending to something of the order 35 to 40 at. pct zinc.

Jan 1, 1947

By William Hume-Rothery

I need not say how much I appreciate the honor of being asked to lecture to you, and how much I would thank you for your kind invitation. It is encouraging to feel that the abnormal restrictions of the war have been relaxed sufficiently to allow a free exchange of scientists between our two countries, and I hope that some of you will be persuaded to go to England, and to visit us at Oxford, so that I may repay a little of the kindness I have received from you. As this is one of the first lectures since the end of the war, I have thought it well to describe some of the advances in the theory of alloys which were made in the years between the two World Wars. From the point of view of theoretical science, these years have been of outstanding interest in the history of metallurgy. They have been years in which the development of new and more accurate experimental methods has led to the revelation of many new facts. At the same time, the theoretical developments have enabled some of these facts to be viewed as parts of a general scheme, and we may say that some of the foundations of metallurgical science have been laid. This work was naturally stopped by the Second World War, and it can therefore be reviewed as one definite stage in the development of our Science. To illustrate the new advances, I shall deal mainly with the alloys of copper and silver, since these have revealed many of the general principles. taken, and copper had been found to crystallize in the face-centered cubic structure (Fig I). The determination of this structure naturally was of immense importance in the understanding of our subject, because it meant that we were at last in a position to appreciate the underlying structure out of which the crystal of copper was built. The earlier science of metallography had shown that in many alloys of copper the addition of a second metal in not too large proportions resulted in the formation of a homogeneous alloy which was regarded as a solid solution of the one metal in copper. Fig 2, for example, shows the so-called equilibrium diagram of the copper-zinc alloys, and here you will see that there is a solid solution of zinc in copper extending to something of the order 35 to 40 at. pct zinc.

Jan 1, 1947