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Jan 1, 1920

By Julian M. Avery

In its dual role of pig-iron smelter and gas producer, the blast furnace is a remarkably satisfactory and efficient apparatus. Many metallurgists and engineers have pointed out, however, that since the primary function of the blast furnace is to produce pig iron at the lowest possible cost, its function as a gas producer should be subordinated to this primary purpose. During the past 10 years or more, improvements in blast-furnace technique and economy have, in fact, been directed primarily to increasing efficiency in the use of the reducing power of the gases produced by combustion of coke at the tuyeres, to reduce iron ore within the furnace. The net over-all result is a decrease in the fuel value of the top gas per unit of volume, and per ton of pig iron, which is evidently more than offset in value by the corollary saving in coke and the possibility of increased furnace capacity, for otherwise there would be no point in making such improvements. The purpose of the present paper is to suggest that, while progress has been made in this direction, there is another approach to the problem of increasing the chemical and thermal efficiency of the blast furnace in its primary role as a pig-iron smelter, which appears to offer possibilities of improvement in over-all ecorlomy of a different order of magnitude than results thus far obtained by the use of other expedients. The present argument is based in large part upon the hypothesis that the efficiency and economics of pig-iron smelting are seriously and adversely affected by the phenomenon known as "solution loss," and that the problem of solution loss call be successfully attacked by increasing the over-all pressure; i.e., the "top prcssure" under which the furnace is operated. It is indicated that pressure operation may also be expected to result in concomitant benefits, which may be summed up as generally improved operating conditions, together with a substantial saving in fuel and/or a substantial increase in furnace capacity. In a broad sense, the suggestion of pressure operation of the pig-iron blast furnace is not new, for operation under moderately increased over-all pressure was suggested as early as 1871, by no less an authority than

Jan 1, 1938

By Julian M. Avery

In its dual role of pig-iron smelter and gas producer, the blast furnace is a remarkably satisfactory and efficient apparatus. Many metallurgists and engineers have pointed out, however, that since the primary function of the blast furnace is to produce pig iron at the lowest possible cost, its function as a gas producer should be subordinated to this primary purpose. During the past 10 years or more, improvements in blast-furnace technique and economy have, in fact, been directed primarily to increasing efficiency in the use of the reducing power of the gases produced by combustion of coke at the tuyeres, to reduce iron ore within the furnace. The net over-all result is a decrease in the fuel value of the top gas per unit of volume, and per ton of pig iron, which is evidently more than offset in value by the corollary saving in coke and the possibility of increased furnace capacity, for otherwise there would be no point in making such improvements. The purpose of the present paper is to suggest that, while progress has been made in this direction, there is another approach to the problem of increasing the chemical and thermal efficiency of the blast furnace in its primary role as a pig-iron smelter, which appears to offer possibilities of improvement in over-all ecorlomy of a different order of magnitude than results thus far obtained by the use of other expedients. The present argument is based in large part upon the hypothesis that the efficiency and economics of pig-iron smelting are seriously and adversely affected by the phenomenon known as "solution loss," and that the problem of solution loss call be successfully attacked by increasing the over-all pressure; i.e., the "top prcssure" under which the furnace is operated. It is indicated that pressure operation may also be expected to result in concomitant benefits, which may be summed up as generally improved operating conditions, together with a substantial saving in fuel and/or a substantial increase in furnace capacity. In a broad sense, the suggestion of pressure operation of the pig-iron blast furnace is not new, for operation under moderately increased over-all pressure was suggested as early as 1871, by no less an authority than

Jan 1, 1938

By T. W. Bossert

MELTING is the initial step in the fabricating of all aluminum and aluminum-alloy products. Its function may be considered as threefold: to improve the metal quality, to adjust the composition, and to change the form to that required for subsequent fabrication. Because the melting operation is generally somewhat removed from the final product fabrication, its importance is frequently overlooked. Melting equipment and melting procedures can reflect materially on fabricating procedures as well as on quality and cost of final product. The selection of equipment and the establishment and control of melting procedures, therefore, should be given careful consideration. It is the purpose of this paper to present the various factors that should be considered in establishing melting procedures and in selecting melting equipment. Certain of these are the result of the inherent characteristics of aluminum and can be treated rather specifically. Others depend on the particular production requirements and hence will have to be considered more generally. This paper is intended to cover only the melting of solids, as differentiated from fines, such as borings, turnings, and sawdust. The melting of fines, in many respects, is a subject that should be treated by itself, and practices for melting fines are by no means as standardized as are those for melting solids. The melting of fines is today the subject of considerable developmental interest; hence practices discussed today may soon be replaced by new or improved ones. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE METAL THAT AFFECT MELTING Aluminum and aluminum alloys possess several inherent characteristics that affect the melting problem. Of the physical properties, density, heat content, thermal conductivity, emissivity, and melting temperatures are important because of their effect on equipment design. A list of such properties for commercially pure aluminum is given in Table r, compared with similar properties for iron and copper. The low density of aluminum as well as of the aluminum alloys is of material advantage in the design of melting equipment, in that such equipment can be considerably lighter than similar equipment for handling the heavier metals. The density, however, particularly of the molten metal, is not greatly different from that of the oxides and other nonmetallic materials that develop or become part of the melt during the melting process. Separation of such nonmetallics is not as rapid a process as with some of the other metals, and consideration of this must be made in establishing melting procedures. Sufficient holding time to permit such materials to separate out and, in some cases, fluxing treatments to aid the separation, are required. Since some of these nonmetallics settle to the bottom of the melt, provision should also be

Jan 1, 1946

By H. E. Mussey

When the American Institute of Mining Engineers visited the Birmingham district in May, 1888, the four Ensley furnaces (Fig. 1) then completed were referred to as monumental.' Their dimensions are givcn in Table 1. Mr. Gordon stated, with considerable satisfaction, that on the preceding day one furnace had produced 165 tons. The blast was

Jan 1, 1925

By J. L. Huitt, B. B. McGlothlin, J. J. Day

Laboratory tests were made with pure minerals and actual reservoir rock samples to study the effects of hydrothermal (steam m hot water) treatments on reservoir rock properties. These tests showed that hydro-thermal treatment of many reservoir rocks can result in significant rock softening. The softening was attributed primarily to the partial destruction of dolomite and kaolinite and the synthesis of montmorillonite in the presence of excess silica. In many cases, the softening was great enough to cause considerable healing of propped fractures; therefore, a serious reduction in welt productivity could result. In other tests it was found that the addition of ammonia to a hydrothermal treating fluid in a concentration as low as 0.013 Ib/lb of water not only could prevent rock softening but could cause rock hardening. The results of X-ray diflraction analyses of rock samples showed that when ammonia was added to the treating fluid, ammonium-mica and analcite were formed instead of montmorillonite. No significant permeability damage was observed in the sandstones that were subjected to the ammonia-hydro-thermal environment; in some sandstones, permeabifity improvements resulted. INTRODUCTION As the use of steam or hot water becomes more prevalent in well stimulation methods. the need for information on the effects of such treatments on reservoir rock properties becomes increasingly apparent. Several works have been published on high-temperature changes in rock properties,',' but these are more applicable to in situ combustion operations than to steam or hot water injection processes. The mineralogical literature contains many publications which report on the changes occurring with various pure minerals in hydrothermal systems. A review of this literature denotes the ease with which entirely new, crystalline mineral phases can be synthesized from other minerals in hydrothermal environments at temperatures, pressures and residence times typical of those encountered in oilfield thermal recovery or stimulation processes. Discussions of many of these experiments are given by Deer et al. Grim,' Roy et al., Zen\ and Hawkins.' One of the most significant of these pure mineral studies is the hydrothermal synthesis work of Levinson and Vian" in which montmorillonite was synthesized from naturally occurring minerals; i.e., kaolinite, quartz and carbonate minerals (particularly dolomite). These reactions occurred at 575F in only 2 days and at 300F in 5 days. These results may be applicable to petroleum reservoir rocks since the minerals studied were those which are commonly found in sandstones. Furthermore, the environmental conditions imposed in the studies were very similar to those involved in thermal stimulation of petroleum reservoirs, e.g., steam or hot water injection. Other studies have suggested that weak rocks could be hardened by "electrochemical induration", a process in which an electric current is applied to a clay-containing rock body. These tests can be regarded as hydrothermal treatments since they were conducted in some instances with aqueous solutions and since clay temperatures during the electrical treatment reached a maximum of about 100C. Although a number of studies of the reaction of pure minerals have been reported, very little has been published on the reactions of petroleum rock-hydrothermal systems. No work has been reported on preventing the more detrimental rock changes in rock softening which might occur during the injection of steam or hot water into reservoirs. The studies described in this paper were conducted to provide such information. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The laboratory tests included studies of the effect of hydrothermal treatment on core samples from several different reservoirs. The hydrothermal treatments (simulated steam treatments) were conducted with distilled water at 575F, for the most part, for periods of 2 to 6 days. This temperature level was selected because it represented that temperature which would probably prevail in several cases under consideration for steam injection projects. The core samples, as well as the pure mineral samples, were contained in high-pressure stainless steel, autoclave-type pressure vessels. The effects of the hydrothermal treatments were evaluated by measuring the penetrometer hardness, formation rock embedment strength and permeabilities of the core samples before and after the treatments (Fig. 1)'" In addition, the mineralogical changes in the specimens were studied by X-ray diffraction. Concomitant with the core sample studies, the mineralogical changes were studied in greater detail by conducting hydrothermal synthesis experiments with pure minerals at similar temperature levels and residence times. For the most part, samples of finely-crushed pure dolomite.

By Roberto Fernandez

Want of knowledge on the part of experts from abroad respecting the amalgamation-system, known as the Mexican or patio process, has been the cause in this country of trouble to many foreign mining companies. This process has not been looked upon by their managers as a satisfactory method of treating silver-ores, and they prefer to employ others, which, although more modern, and often more profitable in other countries, have not proved to be so under the exceptional conditions of this country, where labor is cheap and paid in silver, while fuel is very dear. The cause of this error of judgment is probably the inexact information which has been furnished by several authors respecting the economical results of the patio process. This treatment is not suitable for silver-ores of every kind. Simple sulphides of silver are best adapted to it, and, next to these, the combinations of complex sulphides, viz., pyrargyrite, polybasite, stephanite, proustite, etc. Chlorides, bromides and iodides of silver are considered rebellious ; argentiferous galena, blende, bournonite, as also argentiferous arsenical pyrites of iron and copper, are absolutelg unsuited to this treatment. Experience has proved that high-grade ores do not give as satisfactory results as those of mediurn grades, as, for instance, carrying from 1 to 2 kilos of silver per metrical ton. The patio process, as actually practiced in this district, comprises the following operations: 1. The ore is crushed in a dry state in a roller-mill, reducing it to pea-size, from which uniform samples, and, in consequence, correct assays, can be obtained. 2. It is then thrown into the arrastra, and pulverized with water, so fine that it will pass through an 80-mesh screen.

Jan 1, 1900

By H. A. Guess

Introduction. History and Production Statements. Southeast Missouri is the oldest of the large producing districts of the United States. The first recorded production from disseminated ores was in 1869, although for many years prior to that time lead had been milled from shallow pockets, and steady growth in production has been shown ever since, the greatest increases being during the past five years. The production by years for each of the operating companies from 1869 to 1907, inclusive, is given in Table I. In Table 11. is given the production by years from 1908 to 1912, inclusive, for the district as a whole, showing the tonnage of crude ore mined, yield in concentrates, average assay of concentrates; yield in metallic lead both per ton of crude ore and in total; also approximate value of the yearly production. It is interesting to note that the production for the 5-yr. period 1908 to 1912, inclusive, is practically equal to the total previous production, viz., the 39-yr. period 1869 to 1907, the summary being as follows:

Jan 1, 1915

By Otis M. Clarke

The Eufaula bauxite-kaolin district in southeastern Alabama is an important source of raw material for the refractory industries in the United States. At the present time, five companies are mining and processing bauxite and kaolin from this district and a sixth company is holding substantial reserves. Mining operations are expanding, but finding new ore reserves is a major problem. The Geological Survey of Alabama sponsored geologic research in the Eufaula district to: (1) investigate the

Jan 1, 1973

By W. L. Fink, L. A. Willey

This paper is the nineteenth of a series from the Aluminum Research Laboratories, presenting the results of the investigations of equilibrium relations in aluminum-base alloys made from electrolytically refined aluminum. In previous papers equilibrium relations have been determined and correlated for 12 binary systems. Equilibrium relations have also been determined for portions of the aluminum corners of three ternary systems (aluminum-iron-silicon, aluminum-magnesium-silicon and aluminum-copper-magnesium). The object of the present paper and those to follow is to increase our knowledge of the aluminum corner of the more important ternary systems. In 1926 Dix and Keith † suggested a new method for designating the phases encountered in alloy systems. The system has been used to a very limited extentl,2,3 The system has since been slightly modified and will be used in this and future papers. In the system as modified, a phase is designated by placing in parentheses the chemical symbols of the elements essential to the formation of that phase. The symbols in the parentheses are separated by dashes in order to clearly distinguish them from a chemical formula. Elements that are not necessary to the formation of the phase in question, but which may be present in solid solution, are not indicated in the designation. If two or more phases would have the same designation according to these rules, they are distinguished by prefixing Greek letters, and are definitely identified by X-ray diffraction patterns. Previous Investigations The solid solubility of magnesium in aluminum has been well established by the work of Dix and Keller4, Schmid and Siebe15, and Saldau and Sergeev6. There is no agreement as to the composition of the magnesium constituents at the aluminum end of the binary aluminum-magnesium system. Hanson and Gayler7 report Mg2Al3; Boyer8 found that the alloy

Jan 1, 1937

By W. F. Boericke

INTRODUCTION THE Wisconsin zinc district, or the Upper Mississippi lead. and zinc district as it is also termed, lies in the southwestern corner of Wisconsin, and embraces adjacent portions of Illinois and Iowa. It includes Iowa, Grant, and Lafayette counties in Wisconsin, and Jo Davies county in Illinois. In Iowa, Dubuque formerly produced considerable lead, but there has been little mining there in recent years. The map, Fig. 1, shows the entire district, with roads, railways, streams, and the various towns, or "camps," around Which the mines. are clustered. The hatchwork indicates the areas iii which lead and zinc have been mined. The district is about 60 mi. (96 km.) north and south and about 40 mi. (64 km.) east and west. Not all of the territory is mineral bearing, and there are considerable areas that are believed to be barren. The grouping of the mines is patchy and irregular, though certain broad zones of mineralization extend almost the full width of the district, as from Mineral Point west through Mifflin and Livingston, and from Shullsburg west through New Diggings and Hazel Green. It is worth noting that the best mines of the district have, to date, been found within 10 mi. east or west of the fourth principal meridian line, thus lying within a long, narrow, north-and-south belt extending the length of the district. In a field as large as the Wisconsin, which has only within com-paratively recent time been worked intensively for zinc, the. chances are good for, opening new and important orebodies in parts of the district not yet, or insufficiently, prospected. However, the prospecting has been most successful around, or adjacent to, the old lead diggings of nearly a century ago, and the camps that were well known then are still centers of activity. In their order of importance they are: New Diggings, Benton, Mifflin-Livingston, Galena, Linden, Hazel Green, Shullsburg, and Highland.

Jan 8, 1919

By George Kunz

(Butte Meeting, August, 1913.) . THE manifold inconveniences resulting from the absence of a uniform standard of mass for determining the weight of precious stones have long been obvious. This lack has been keenly felt in commercial transactions, and those who have devoted time and research to the study of historic diamonds and precious stones have had frequent occasion to deplore the absence of such a standard in the past. In a paper read in Chicago in 1893, before the International Congress of Weights and Measures, held in connection with the World's Columbian Exposition, the writer suggested dividing the carat into 100 parts, and constituting a standard international carat of 200 mg. ; that is, 5 diamond carats or 20 pearl grains to a French gram, making 5,000 carats or 20,000 pearl grains to a kilogram. He also called attention to the fact. that while this would depreciate the present diamond carat or pearl grain only about 2.5 per cent., it-would abolish the troublesome discrepancies between the various carat-weights now in use, and could be easily explained and understood everywhere.1 The subject of the various diamond carats, their incongruity, and the resulting confusion as to the correct. weights of historic gems when definite records of them are searched for, has been fully treated by me in an extensive study of this subject in The Book of the Pearl.2 To the earnest and unremitting efforts of C. E. Guillaume, Director of the Bureau Internationale des Poids et Mesures at Sèvres, is largely due the eventual success of this eminently desirable reform, which he has constantly urged both by articles on the subject and by addresses delivered in Paris before the International Committee for Weights and Measures.2

Jan 7, 1913

By Juanito C. Fernandez

INTRODUCTION The Philippines is endowed with mineral resources, much of which still remains unexploited. The country's known reserves, at least for the major mineral commodities, have increased every decade since the first major discoveries more than 80 years ago. Mining, therefore, naturally evolved as one of the pioneer industries and has ever since been a major factor in economic development. The Philippines has entered a new era in mineral resources development and management. One significant feature of this era is the degree to which the government is involved with the industry. In recent years, the state has increasingly encouraged the private sector to carry out detailed exploration aided by governmental contributions through extensive geological and geophysical surveys, fundamental researches and even indirect financial assistance in some specific areas. Significant changes in mineral resources development policies were brought about with the promulgation of Presidential Decree 463 or the Mineral Resources Development Decree of 1974. The Decree provides for a more rational system of administration and disposition of mineral lands to promote mineral resource exploration and exploitation. Various forms of incentives are provided. Foreign entities are allowed to participate in development through service contracts with leaseholders or with the government in the case of reserved areas. The thrust in mineral resources development has been focused on the base metals which as envisioned would provide the foundation for sound economic development. In recent years, however, major strides have been made to promote the exploitation of the non-traditionally produced commodities especially the non-metals. Development likewise point to the growing determination of the government and the private sector to expand benefits from mining. This is evident in efforts to promote downstream processing operations and to encourage investments in exploration, exploitation and mineral processing ventures. The integrated mineral resources development plan, therefore, proposes the vertical integration of mining extraction activities with the processing requirements of the metal-based manufacturing industries. While mining activities shall continue to be carved out by the private sector, the government shall influence the industry's direction by establishing legitimate goals to maximize benefits through an integrated approach giving due consideration to environmental protection and resource needs of future generations. STATUS OF MINERAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT Extent of Exploration Application of modem exploration tools and concepts complemented by intense infusion of foreign technology and rapid development of indigenous expertise have enabled the government jointly with the private sector to geologically explore vast grounds and to expand the country's known mineral resources. Approximately 93% of the country's total land area of 30 million hectares have been geologically mapped on at least 1:250,000 scale. Of the 93% total coverage, roughly 37.54% or 11.07 million hectares have been done on scales of 1:10,000 to 1:50,000 as shown in Figure I. Only 3.07% of the total coverage have been surveyed in detail. Land gravity surveys have been undertaken on over 45% of the total, while some 77,300 line km. of aeromagnetic surveys have been flown over 110,000 sq. km. of land area. Processing of data is almost complete. Total magnetic intensity and IGRF-corrected maps are available. Geological interpretation utilizing Landsat MSS imagery and low altitude aerial photography augmented by ground truthing have been undertaken in several large areas with very encouraging results. Beach and offshore mineral surveys were initiated in 1977 and have covered substantial areas in northwest and southeast Luzon and northeastern Mindanao. Highly promising areas for detrital magnetite, chromite, gold and some heavy minerals including ilmenite and titanium have been identified. In the petroleum sector, two offshore oilfields are currently producing from Miocene limestone reefs in Northwestern Palawan. Another field from the same area will be on stream in mid-1982.

Jan 1, 1982

By R. W. Culbertson, S. Kasper

During the 1920's, approximately 11,000 small gasifiers were in operation in the United States. They converted about 15 million tons (13.6 Mt) of coal per year into low Btu gas. In some cases, hot raw gas was used for applications such as firing open hearth furnaces or brick kilns. In other cases the gases produced in the gasifiers were cooled, cleaned and desulfurized for various utility and industrial purposes. The steel industry was by far the largest user. The most important fact was that the conversion of coal to a usable fuel gas was demonstrated to be commercial. During the late 1940's and early 1950's, this form of energy was largely replaced by natural gas as the pipeline net work was expanded. Producer gas was no longer economically competitive. Over the past 25 years, government controls on the interstate price of natural gas have maintained this situation. At present only three commercial small coal gasifier plants are still in operation in the United States. These facilities are operated

Jan 1, 1980

By William Kelly, F. H. Armstrong

The object of this paper is to describe the electric equipment at the iron-ore mines of Penn Iron Mining Co., Vulcan, Mich. and of Republic Iron Co., Republic, Mich.; to give the results of tests; and to discuss the methods in use from an operating as well as from an efficiency standpoint. Electricity was introduced at the Penn mines for pumping, hoisting, and compressing air in the spring of 1907, upon the completion of a hydro-electric plant built by that company on the Menominee river about 4 miles from the mines. This plant was described in a paper1 presented before the Lake Superior Mining Institute. A paper2 presented at a meeting of the same Institute describes some of the operating features, and the safety devices of the electric hoist at the Curry shaft were briefly described in the Proceedings of the First Co-operative Safety Congress held under the auspices of the Association of Iron and Steel Electrical Engineers at Milwaukee, Wis., Sept. 30 to Oct. 5, 1912. Generating PoweR Plants After the success of electrical operation was assured, a second set of water wheels and generator was installed at the falls, for which provision had been made in the original design and in the construction of the foundations, and later three additional wires were added to the main transmission line, doubling its capacity and reducing the line loss. The general conditions of this installation are particularly favorable for hydro-electric operation. In the neighborhood of three-fourths of the power used is for mine pumping, which in the main is regular and continuous. For air compressing, power is used for about 18 hr. a day for five days, and 9 hr. for one day in the week, though occasionally when shaft sinking is going on a very small amount of compressed air may be

Jan 1, 1915

By George Smith

ChillaQoe is situated in latitude 17" S., about 138 miles from the port of Cairns, with which it is now connected by rail. A township has been established on the banks of Chillagoe creek, a perennial stream of irregular volume crossing the field almost at rightrangles, nearly midway between the mining-camps of Calcifer and Mungana, which have been formed at the southeastern and western extremes of the field respectively. This situation was selected because of the water-supply and its proximity to the site most suitable for the erection of reductionworks. By its central position it commands the whole of the mines. The altitude above sea-level is about 1200 ft., whereas that of Calcifer and Mungana is 1400 ft.—a difference sufficient to account for a materially higher temperature at Chillagoe. The surrounding limestone bluffis add by radiation to the heat, and, at the same time, prevent the cool breezes from passing freely through the town; consequently, the temper* ture, which is high throughout the year, and especially so during the summer months, is here ge~ierally very oppressive also. The general trend of the field is southeast and northwest, and its length about 18 miles, with an average width of 5 miles; the approximate area is thus 90 sq. miles. The surrounding mineral-district is, however, much more extensive, and numerous other mines, sprcad over wide areas and producing a variety of minerals, exist in the same or parallel belts of mineralized country, of which Chillagoe proper covers but a very small portion. Immense bluffs of limestone, wollastonite and conglomerate, rising in places to nearly 300 ft., and so~netimes nearly a quarter-mile across, give the field a very picturesque and interesting appearance. The limestone has been classified as Devo-

Jan 1, 1904

By O.W. Ellis

Recently there has been a considerable revival of interest in the effects of the various elements commonly added to brass for the purpose of increasing its strength. For many years the work of Guillet2 alone gave reliable information in this regard. Even today his determinations of the coefficients of equivalence of the various elements relative to zinc in brass are those universally employed in industry. This is so because these coefficients have stood the test of time—their substantial correctness has been proved in almost universal practice. It is not our intention to discuss here these coefficients or their use. Rather do we wish to emphasize the need for further systernatic studies of the mechanical properties of the ternary systems of copper, zinc, and other individual elements. Since Guillet published the results of his first investigations Millington, 16 Smalley33 and Thiband 45 have added somewhat to our information. In general they have confirmed the findings of Guillet, which may be stated in the following rather general terms: 1. The addition of aluminum to the 70:30 and 60:40 brasses progressively increases their hardness and strength and reduces their ductility and resistance to shock. 2. The addition of small amounts of iron to a 60:40 brass improves its strength without affecting its ductility. 3. The addition of small amounts of manganese to a 60:40 brass causes a progressive increase in its strength and reduction in its ductility. A considerable amount of information has been amassed in regard to the effect of nickel on brass (9, 22, 41) which it is unnecessary to refer to here, in view of the scope of this paper. The situation in regard to these alloys in 1926 was very clearly stated by an anonymous writer,47 in The Metallurgist of February of that year, whose remarks were so to the point that they are well worth quoting: It will he seen that there are still large fields remaining to be studied in each of these systems (those of the aluminum, iron, nickel and manganese brasses) before our knowledge is adequate. When we come to the more complicated systems the position is even less satisfactory, and on account of the very incomplete nature of the work which has been

Jan 1, 1929

By O. W. Ellis

Recently there has been a considerable revival of interest in the effects of the various elements commonly added to brass for the purpose of increasing its strength. For many years the work of Guillet2 alone gave reliable information in this regard. Even today his determinations of the coefficients of equivalence of the various elements relative to zinc in brass are those universally employed in industry. This is so because these coefficients have stood the test of time—their substantial correctness has been proved in almost universal practice. It is not our intention to discuss here these coefficients or their use. Rather do we wish to emphasize the need for further systernatic studies of the mechanical properties of the ternary systems of copper, zinc, and other individual elements. Since Guillet published the results of his first investigations Millington, 16 Smalley33 and Thiband 45 have added somewhat to our information. In general they have confirmed the findings of Guillet, which may be stated in the following rather general terms: 1. The addition of aluminum to the 70:30 and 60:40 brasses progressively increases their hardness and strength and reduces their ductility and resistance to shock. 2. The addition of small amounts of iron to a 60:40 brass improves its strength without affecting its ductility. 3. The addition of small amounts of manganese to a 60:40 brass causes a progressive increase in its strength and reduction in its ductility. A considerable amount of information has been amassed in regard to the effect of nickel on brass (9, 22, 41) which it is unnecessary to refer to here, in view of the scope of this paper. The situation in regard to these alloys in 1926 was very clearly stated by an anonymous writer,47 in The Metallurgist of February of that year, whose remarks were so to the point that they are well worth quoting: It will he seen that there are still large fields remaining to be studied in each of these systems (those of the aluminum, iron, nickel and manganese brasses) before our knowledge is adequate. When we come to the more complicated systems the position is even less satisfactory, and on account of the very incomplete nature of the work which has been

Jan 1, 1929

By Frank R. Van Horn

It is customary to ascribe two general modes of occurrence to natural gas, namely, shale gas which, as the name indicates, is found in shale, and reservoir gas, which occurs in sandstone, conglomerate and dolomitic limestone. Both of these types are found in the Cleveland district. The shale gas has been produced on a small scale for a long period of years, probably dating back as far as 1883. Shale gas is a low-pressure gas, small in volume with variable pressure, and is limited to no definite horizon. It is generally independent of oil, may last for a long time, and is not dependent to any great extent on the structure of the rocks. There are many such wells in the district which range from 400 to 1,840 ft. in depth, although most have been completed at about 800 ft. This indicates that the wells pass through the Cleveland and Chagrin shales into the Huron or Portage shale of the Upper Devonian. During the last 2 years great interest has developed in a deeper-seated reservoir gas. What is commonly called reservoir gas is generally a high-pressure gas occurring in large volume at a definite horizon. Oil may, or may not, be associated with the gas, and in most regions in which reservoir gas is found, the geological structure is of great importance. This type of gas occurs in all large fields such as those of West Virginia which have been supplying Cleveland until the recent discovery of local gas at great depths in commercial amounts. Historical Outline The oldest well producing reservoir gas in the district was drilled in 1886 in Newburg for what was then known as the Cleveland Rolling Mill Co. This well was 3,000 ft. deep, and was thought to have reached the "Clinton" formation. Two "sands" showing small amounts of oil were recorded in the Niagara limestone at depths of 2,658 and 2,686 ft. This is about the horizon of the so-called Newburg sand which has proved to be of some importance as a source of gas and oil by recent drilling operations. The rock pressure was reported to be 400 to 500 lb. per square inch, but since the volume was only 14,000 to 16,000 cu. ft. daily, the well was not only considered unsuccessful but was thought to prove the absence of high-pressure gas in commercial quantities in the Cleveland district.

Jan 1, 1917

By J. B. Neale

FRom the beginning of its activities, the members of the National Production Committee have felt that the following points were essential to the success of its work: The operators must feel that their operations were not 100 per cent. efficient; that they should be courteous and fair in their treatment of their employees; and that they should set an example of hard work and patriotic interest in increased production. Every move made must appeal to the sense of fairness of all parties concerned. The men must feel that in working more faithfully, and consequently producing more coal, they are rendering a distinct service to their Government in the time of its great need. As the workers feel that greater efficiency on their part results only in greater profits to the operators, the advantage to the operator should be lost sight of, as far as possible, and the advantage to the Government in fighting the war emphasized. Both operators and workers should know that the Government considered increased production an obligation, and opportunity for service, resting on both parties and not on the operators or the workers alone, and that both parties could very much better the efficiency of the pre-war period. Had the committee intimated that it thought the coal shortage was due entirely to the idleness and inefficiency of the workers, its campaign would have failed, for the men would have resented the charge because only too frequently their efforts to produce more coal were thwarted by bad management; besides, the operators would have lacked stimulus to better effort. On the other hand, had the impression been given that the committee thought that the coal shortage was due entirely to bad management, the operators would have resented the charge because only too frequently their efforts to produce more coal were thwarted by the idleness and inefficiency of the workers; and the workers, having been thus indirectly pronounced 100 per cent. efficient and patriotic, would have lacked stimulus to better effort.

Jan 1, 1920