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By Jerome Strauss

IN his review of developments in 1943, Gilbert Seil, Chairman of this Committee on Reduction of the Ferroalloy Ores, tabulated the consumption of the alloying metals in relation to the steel production of that year. In the year just closed the approximate tonnage was of the same order, differing only to a minor degree or suffering some correction with more precise figuses available, as indicated in the following estimates: Consumption Metals in Tons Steel 92,000,000* Manganese 700,000 Silicon 200,000 Chromium 200,000 Nickel 75,000 Molybdenum 20,000 Tungsten 8,000 Vanadium 1,700 Titanium 1.600 Boron 10 `Production figure. The technologic studies instituted during 1942 and carried forward with such great vigor during 1943 continued into 1944 although in some instances were brought to a close either by completion of the specific development

Jan 1, 1945

By G. W. Josephson

VIRTUALLY every year inventors find one or more startling new uses for one of the varied products of the nonmetallic mineral industries. For example, in November a major step toward positive control of rainfall was made when an experimenter converted a cloud to snow by dropping a few pounds of solid carbon dioxide into it. Other examples of ingenuity in the development of markets and production methods are noted in the following pages. For most of the industrial mineral products one of the outstanding features of 1946 has been the high level of production. There are exceptions, such as quartz crystal and lithium, whose production capacity during the war outgrew current peacetime needs, but they are few. Some technical men point out that this prosperity is not an unmixed blessing to technologic progress, because so much effort must go into day-to-day production problems that relatively little opportunity is left for the pursuit of new developments.

Jan 1, 1947

By George C. Stone

AS most of you probably know, Australia has had many strikes. The two places that had the worst reputation were the Broken Hill mines and Port Pirie, where the smelter was located. About four or five years ago, the smelter changed hands. The new proprietors - immediately endeavored to get on better terms with the men and made such progress in that respect that, the men came to them and said, "There is no use giving us any more money. You have just raised our pay one- bob a day, but the store-keeper and the boarding-house keeper have raised their prices. The boarding housekeeper raised our board three bob a week and the storekeeper took the rest of it and we are no better off." Learning that what the men needed most was firewood wood the company bought the wood on a tract of ground across Spencer's Gulf and- sent men over to cut it. The wood was brought to the works and given to a man to cut up. He thought he had an easy job and loafed, but when the committee representing the men discovered that his loafing added to the cost of 'the wood, it promptly disciplined him and made -him work as he had never worked before. The next question that arose was the distribution of the wood. The committee got bids from several cartmen whose prices varied from about two to five shillings. It gave the work to the next to the lowest bidder. The fact that if delivering the wood cost more, the user would have to pay for it, was an entirely new idea to the men.

Jan 1, 1920

By K. D. Jacob

IN the decreasing order of the tonnages involved, the uses of phosphates can be grouped conveniently into three general classes, namely, fertilizer; chemicals for military, industrial, and technical purposes; and mineral feed for livestock. The quantity of phosphate used as fertilizer, principally in the form of superphosphate, has always exceeded by far that used for all other purposes, though in recent years a marked increase has occurred in its consumption for the other two general classes of uses. Prior to the present century large quantities of superphosphate, as well as a considerable portion of the production of phosphorus chemicals, score made from bone materials which were plentiful and cheap in some areas and which could be more easily processed than phosphate rock for the manufacture of chemicals. Today, however phosphate rock has almost completely displaced bone as a raw material for the manufacture of chemically processed phosphates in nearly all countries of the world.

Jan 1, 1944

By E. W. Enqelmann

INCREASED metal consumption throughout the world in the past three years has brought greater activity in the concentrators and mills that treat the ores.' Comparatively low prices have made greater economies necessary, with a continuing search for more efficient flow sheets, equipment, processes, and reagents. Comminution GRINDING has long been too ex- pensive and even any small increment of saving has been eagerly sought. Although not recently new the use of rod mills to cover the gap between intermediate crushing and coarse grinding has made further headway. They eliminate dusting and the closed- circuit operation of fine crushers, either roll or Symons cone, and the rod-mill product is suitable for secondary mills which can be operated with smaller balls and iron liners instead of coarse balls and steel liners. The newer practice is radically different from the older application of rod mills where they at- tempted to use them instead of ball mills for fine grinders. For that purpose they were not well adapted, as they do not have sufficient grinding surface available per cubic foot of mill volume.

Jan 1, 1940

All the TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS and CONTRIBUTIONS published in 1940 are available at Institute headquarters, unless otherwise noted. They are also on file in many public, university and technical libraries and, when so indicated in the list, may be found in the TRANSACTIONS. TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS in Classes A-Metal Mining, B-Milling and Concen-tration, H-Industrial Minerals, and I-Mining Geology are distributed in MINING TECHNOLOGY, which is issued every other month. Technical Publications in Classes C-Iron and Steel Division, D-Nonferrous Metallurgy and E-Institute of Metals Division are distributed in METALS TECHNOLOGY, which is issued twice quarterly. TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS in Class G-Petroleum Division are distributed in PETRO-LEUM TECHNOLOGY, which was issued quarterly in 1940 but will be issued every other month in 1941. TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS in Classes F-Coal Division, J-Mineral Industry Education Division, K-Mining Administration, and L-Geophysical Methods of Exploration are issued as separate pamphlets. An Institute member is entitled to one copy of any TECHNICAL PUBLICATION or CONTRIBUTION. Copies of TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS listed have been mailed to members of the Institute accord-ing to their registration by classes. CONTRIBUTIONS and other TECHNICAL PUBLICA-TIONS will be sent upon request. A member may purchase an additional copy of a TECHNICAL PUBLICATION or a CONTRIBUTION at one cent a page; minimum charge, 25¢. Nonmembers may purchase any CONTRIBUTION or a TECHNICAL PUBLICATION of the F, J, K, or L classes at the same rate, but the nonmember price per copy for METALS TECHNOLOGY, MINING TECHNOLOGY or PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY is $1.25 domestic, $1.35 foreign countries. TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS (separate pamphlet form), $2 per annum domestic, $2.50 foreign. METALS TECHNOLOGY, $7 per annum domestic, $7.80 foreign (Iron and Steel Division and Institute of Metals Division ferrous and nonferrous papers). MINING TECHNOLOGY, $6 per annum domestic, $6.60 foreign (metal mining, milling and concentration, Industrial Minerals Divi-sion, and mining geology papers.) PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY, $6 per annum domestic, $6.60 foreign. Bound volumes have been mailed to members that have requested them, and MINING and METALLURGY is mailed each month. A member is entitled to one volume a year on his membership and he may purchase for $2.50 one copy of a volume not already received; additional copies of the same volume, $5. Nonmembers may pur-chase the volumes listed, at $5 each, plus 60 cents for Canadian or foreign postage. Extra single copies of MINING AND METALLURGY, 25¢ current issue, back numbers 50¢ each to members; to nonmembers 506 current issue and $1 each, back issues. Subscription price to nonmembers and to members for extra copies, $3 per annum domestic, $4.00 foreign.

Jan 1, 1940

By L. A. Cowan

IF the elements of personality be those characteristics in which humans differ, and if this definition be applied to the purchasing department for the Climax operations in Colorado, it must he concluded that this department has no distinguishing traits that would give it a departmental personality different from that possessed by the similar department of any progressive mining enterprise. Or, one may go further by stating that the rudimentary functions of any purchasing practice employed principally in the acquisition of maintenance, repair, and operating supplies are much alike, whether or not the industry involved be mining or milling. However, in the fact that the principal purchases of a mining company are materials for maintenance and repair and consumable operating supplies lies that essential characteristic which differentiates mining and milling purchasing functions from those of the manufacturer, the fabricator, or the ordinary processor.

Jan 1, 1946

By T. M. Girdler

IN THESE perilous days of world- wide uncertainty, this Institute and the profession represented by it take on new importance in the economic life of the nation. I have long been impressed by the fact that the objects of the A.I.M.E. are purely professional and scientific. The country has benefited from your honorable tradition of adherence to those objectives over a period of 68 years. The Institute's policy of refraining from controversial matters - has made possible the serious, balanced, and uncolored consideration of the particular problems that come before it.

Jan 1, 1939

By K. D. Jacob

MONTANA Phosphate Produucts Co., a subsidiary of The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. of Canada Ltd., operates three properties near Garrison, Mont., known as the Anderson, Graveley, and Luke mines. All three are underground operations, mining the same narrow bed at points several miles apart. The Anderson, the oldest and largest of the three, has produced about 700,000 long tons since 1929. The Graveley has produced slightly over 100,000 long tons since 1940, and the Luke, acquired in 1943, is still in an early stage of development. The great bulk of the output has been shipped to the Trail, B. C., plant of Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. for use in the manufacture of fertilizers. The phosphate seam is the basal member of the Permian Phosphoria formation. In all three mines it has a uniform thickness of 3 to 4 ft. of oulitic phosphate, with a few shaly partings. The overlying part of the formation comprises about 50 ft. of chert and the immediate footwall consists of a few feet of shale and sandstone. underlain by the Quadrant quartzite.

Jan 1, 1944

By R. N. Hunt

GEOLOGICAL and exploration work of the United States Smelting Refining and Mining Company are handled by the mines geological and the exploration divisions of a geological department under the direction of the chief geologist. The mines division at present includes, in Utah. a geologist in charge, resident at Bingham, assisted by a geologist stationed at each operation, and a small group of geologists resident at the Bayard unit, in New Mexico. The duties of the mines division include the mapping and delineation of the geology of the mines, direction of sampling and diamond drilling, and the periodic calculation of ore reserves. At Bingham an amount of underground drilling within the limestone and porphyry formations which are hosts to the ore bodies supplements and completes development by mine workings. At Bayard, five to seven drills are kept busy underground, and eight to twelve drills operate on the surface. The mines division men live at the mine and work in close co-operation with mine superintendents and foremen. Development work is discussed, initi-

Jan 1, 1948

By E. J. KENNEDY

THE annual dinner-dance was held in the large ball room of the Commodore hotel Wednesday evening. A total of 577 were seated at the dinner, over which President Eavenson presided as chairman and toastmaster. In introducing George C. Stone, the James Douglas Medalist, W. R. Ingalls outlined the former's association with the zinc industry. He said, in part In designing and building Palmerton, Stone erected a metallurgical monument and won the title of chief engineer of the New Jersey Zinc Co., with transferal to its New York office in 1900. There lie held forth in dignity, efficiency, and with appreciation until his retirement from active service in 1929. After a few years lie was diverted from the position of chief engineer for his company to the superior one of chief metallurgist and that gave to Stone his next big chance.... This was the conception of a research department and the ability to persuade his directors to adopt it. I shall not pretend to summarize the great things that afterward developed. I shall mention only the institution of the manufacture of lithopone in this country, the charging of the Wetherill furnace with briquets, the mechanicalization of the Wetherills, the accomplishment of continuous distilling, and most recently the introduction of reflux-refining.

Jan 1, 1935

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 Claiborne C. Van Zandt

THE heavy postwar demand for Portland Cement has created shortages that are gradually being overcome by increases in plant capacity. In the post-war period, the Lone Star Cement Corp. has expanded several of its existing 15 plants and has built 2 new plants, now in operation, with a third new plant under construction in Brazil, of design somewhat different from that of the two preceding ones. The new domestic plants are located at Lone Star, Va., near Roanoke, and at Maryneal, Tex., near Sweetwater, and went into operation during 1951. Each plant is equipped with two rotary kilns and has an initial capacity of 1,500,000 bbl per year, or 6,000,000 sacks. The total cost of each plant was about $10,500,000, and on this basis $7.00 in 1951 money are required per bbl of annual capacity; at 376 lb per bbl, this corresponds to $37.00 per ton of output. The investment corresponds to approximately $80,000 per hourly-wage earner employed. The purpose of this paper is to describe the most interesting design features of the two new and almost identical Lone Star plants. Why the Dry Process Was Chosen The two new domestic Lone Star mills employ the dry process because: 1-The raw materials at both properties are particularly suitable and can be dried very, readily. 2-The Maryneal, Tex., plant does not have water available for slurry. 3-Very substantial kiln fuel savings can be obtained. 4-Dry raw grinding reduces ball and liner wear and- general maintenance, without any sacrifice in power. Operating costs to date have more than justified the choice of the dry process for these two plants. Raw Materials The chemical composition of Portland Cement raw material after crushing, grinding, and mixing, but before burning, is about as follows: [ ] sometimes tailings from an iron ore concentrating plant. Certain objectionable materials occur in raw mix: magnesia, limited in cement to 5 pct, in excessive amounts; alkalies, as sodium and potassium; phosphorous; and sulphur, generally present in coal and oil. The Roanoke raw, materials are dense limestone and shale. The Maryneal materials are soft limestone and a hard brittle clay that can be handled much like shale. Sand and iron ore are required in small quantities. General Plant Layout and Construction The two plants are so similar that one joint description will cover both, with such exceptions as will be especially indicated. The crushing plant is located in the quarry, and raw material is conveyed by belt to the storage building, where all materials are stored and handled. Fig. 1 identifies the various structures of the Roanoke plant. The large storage building is used for the storing and handling of all materials, including limestone, shale, sand, iron ore, coal, clinker, and gypsum. Directly adjoining the storage building is a structure under a similar arched roof, containing the raw and clinker grinding departments and the electrical substation. The discharge ends of kilns and coolers, and coal or gas burning equipment are also placed at one end of the mill building. The 340ft long kilns extend away from the main buildings to form the long leg of an L, at the end of which is the feeding and kiln dust collecting equipment, and the raw blending silos are conveniently located adjacent to the feed end of the kilns. The machine shop, storeroom, electrical shop, foremen's office, service rooms, and meeting hall are combined in one structure in the center of the plant, and the office and laboratory are close by. The cement silos and packhouse do not have to be tied directly into the manufacturing process and are therefore located at a point convenient to the railroad tracks.

Jan 1, 1952

By H. J. LONGMORE

MORE improvements have probably been made in the diamond-drill field in the past decade than were accomplished in the entire prior period since diamond drilling was discovered in 1864 by a French engineer named Leschot. True, machines were improved, and new accessories were adopted from time to time up to 1929, but no radical changes were made. The basic principle instituted during the early years of the industry were still in use in 1929. At that time, practically the only diamonds used were "black diamonds" or "carbon." These came from Brazil through a rather round- about route, and by the time they got to the drilling trade their cost was excessive-$175 per carat and even higher at the peak. Perhaps because of this. or perhaps because of increased competition, the industry sought ways to reduce expenses even in the face of constantly increased labor costs due to higher wages and reduction in hours worked. The solution seemed to rest in two things-use of a cheaper cutting medium to replace the carbon diamond and the development of new machines to drill faster and thus produce more hole per shift of operation.

Jan 1, 1940

By AIME AIME

THE first meeting" of the Iron and Steel Division was held Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 17, with nearly 100 men present and C. B. Murray as chairman. This was a round table discussion of iron ore beneficiation and of its relation to blast-furnace operations, and only one paper was presented, by Clyde E. Williams. Mr. Williams discussed the future of the Lake Superior district in its relation to the iron and steel industry. He stated that although estimates had shown that the total life of the present known iron ore reserves of the Lake Superior district was 20 to 30 years and that many believed that as a result of this depletion foreign ores would be brought to the Atlantic Seaboard, thus causing a displacement of the steel industry to the East, he believed that the Lake Superior district would continue to be the important producer of iron ore used in this country for decades beyond the predicted time before the exhaustion of the present known reserves. He described the three general types of ores that required concentration and pointed out the needs for research and the proper methods to be used in processes for the beneficiation of these low-grade materials. He discussed the effects of fine concentrates and the use of agglomerated ores in the blast furnace. This general summary led to interesting and valuable discussion on the various economic, ore-dressing, and blast-furnace problems in large-scale development of beneficiation. Perry Harrison described recent developments in sintering and the properties of iron ore sinter. T. B. Counselman and W. H. Coghill discussed the merits of classification of iron ore previous to tabling. Robert Faulkner and J. E. Little described the beneficiation plant of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation.

Jan 1, 1931

By AIME AIME

AN unusual interest in the question of orienting the young college man in the mineral industry was shown in a well-attended session* of the Engineering Education Committee on Monday afternoon. About seventy-five employers and educators of mining engineers were present and took part in the discussions.

Jan 1, 1929

By Joseph E. Pogue

THERE are two methods employed in the development of oil pools. The older and dominant method is one in which the primary object is the protection of the underground deposit from drainage through competing wells, and considerations of efficiency of extraction and cost of production are subordinated thereto. The newer and less prevalent method is one in which maximum efficiency and minimum cost are the first objectives and developments to these ends may proceed undisturbed by the exigencies of competitive drainage. The second method has developed mainly in pools under single ownership and the term "unit operation" has come to be applied to this procedure. A single ownership, however, is not essential to the method, for unity of operation may be achieved by agreement under split ownership, or even by a concert of enlightened purpose. There are examples of unit operation where neither the ownership nor the management is a unit, but merely where unity of procedure has been attained, as is the case of the Yates pool. .Throughout this paper unit operation is used in its broad sense without implying sole ownership or single management, although unit operation is more conveniently attained where these conditions are present.

Jan 1, 1930

By Sherwin F. Kelly

FRONTIERS of geological knowledge retreated further this past year before an ever-widening geophysical attack, as governments and endowed institutions continued to take an increasing practical interest in the geophysical line of approach to the study of earth phenomena. A year ago I opened this annual review with a brief account of the efforts to discover what formations lie concealed beneath the deep sediments which form the superficial portions of the Continental Shelf off the eastern United States. That work was but the beginning, and 1938 saw its continuation and expansion. With the assistance of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Maurice Ewing pushed his researches in the development of instruments and techniques for deep-sea seismic refraction studies. Ewing's early refraction profile from the Virginia Capes to the edge of the Continental Shelf has been followed by a similar traverse in Great Britain from the coast of Cornwall to the edge of the Continental Shelf southwest of England. This showed that the thickness of the sedimentary mantle and the rates of slope of the basement surfaces there are comparable to those in the Virginia Cape district.

Jan 1, 1939

By Robert F. Mehl

PROGRESS in the general field of nonferrous physical metallurgy during the past .year has been uneventful but healthy. A continued increase is apparent in the number of useful alloys and in the mechanical treatment and heat- treatment of finished metals and alloys nothing can hinder the multiplication of alloys or the diversification of their treatment as knowledge of the behavior of .alloys increases; as ternary and quaternary alloys are better understood, hundreds of new metal combinations with unusual properties may well be expected. Evidence of rapid progress is already at hand.

Jan 1, 1936

By AIME AIME

THOUGH the Annual Meeting of the Institute-officially numbered 158 on the records was delayed a bit at the start by low steam pressure on the locomotives bringing members to New York, the crowd that finally arrived more than lived up to expectations, and the technical program had few difficulties because of absent authors or lack of competent discussers. The transportation difficulties were occasioned by the fact that Monday, Feb. 15, was the third coldest day in the 72 year history of the New York Weather Bureau, the official temperature being 8 below zero. The New York Central's premier train, the 20th Century, due at 9:30 a.m., arrived about 6:30 p.m., and the Commodore, another crack train from Chicago, was about equally late.

Jan 1, 1943