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By W. J. Parton

D. R. MITCHELL*—The Chairman mentioned that we have had many papers on cleaning of fine coal and treatment of wash water solids. There are, of course, two reasons for that. One is that we have legislation, particularly in the east. that is making us go into these things whether we want to or not. It just so happens at the present time that I have four plants that are going up under my general direction, three new and one rehabilitation job, and in all of them, we have these problems. Therefore, I was very happy to be able to listen to these papers, because some of the things that are in them are going to help me solve some of the problems that I am facing. Of course, the second reason why we are concerned about fine coal recovery is the fact that coal has become a luxury item in a good many places, particularly in the anthracite region, so that we cannot afford to have it go to waste like we did in former years. There is a third minor reason, and that is that we are finding how to handle and use the extremely fine sizes that we did not know how to use in former years. Now, I have a couple of questions that I would like to ask. First, what are the maximum solids that you could have in a pulp going to one of these launder screens? I realize that it would be for anthracite. Second, of course the life of these screen surfaces is not very long— with brass or bronze, I believe it is a week, and with stainless steel, a month. Would it be possible to use screen surfaces like the Bixby-Zimmer round rod for the small sizes and possibly increase the life? Have you experimented with that? Another point that I would like to bring out, both in Mr. Parton's paper and in some of the others, in studying cyclones and any settling apparatus where we use orifices, the life of the orifices is very short, and that is a problem that still has to be solved. The capacity of the cyclone seems to be small, and if you have a bat-

Jan 1, 1950

By Lucien Eaton

IN anticipation of a shortage of labor for hand-tram-ming at the Cliffs shaft mine of the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co. at Ishpeming, Mich., early in 1923 three 4-ton Goodman storage-battery locomotives, equipped with Edison batteries, were purchased. Storage-battery locomotives were chosen for this work because the expense and time required to put up trolley-wire and to bond the rails of the complicated system of tracks on the levels, where the locomotives were to be used, would not have been warranted by the amount of ,ore to be handled. The only changes in the tracks necessary for storage-battery locomotives were new switches and extra ties and braces on curves. The tracks were 24-in. gage, and were laid with 20-lb. rail. Edison batteries were chosen, because it was desired to charge the batteries from the trolley circuit already, in the mine, and this would have been impracticable with lead batteries. Each locomotive is equipped with 126 A-4 Edison cells, which are charged in series from the 240-volt trolley circuit while the trolley locomotives are running; and are discharged in parallel in two banks of 63 cells each. These locomotives were so successful that later 5 smaller locomotives, weighing 11/2 tons each, were pur-chased for use e with cars that are filled by hand and on levels where the amount of ore handled is small. These locomotives, built by the Geo. D. Whitcomb Co. of Rochelle, Ill., are equipped with batteries of 40 A-4 Edison cells each, the cells being the same as those, on the larger locomotives. They are charged from mer-curial-are rectifiers. These locomotives are operated by the trammers themselves, and have not special oper-ators like the larger machines. The trammers are all young men of American birth, and take quickly to the operation of machinery, and the simplicity of the con-trol on these locomotives has made special training unnecessary. A survey of the results was made by the A. C. Nielsen So., an excerpt from which follows: Eight Edison-equipped battery locomotives are now in use at an Ishpeming mine of the Cleveland-. Cliffs Iron Co. This equipment was installed to take the place of men who formerly pushed loaded cars by hand. Results have been very satisfactory and the de-pendable, trouble-free operation of the Edison batteries is considered to have been an important factor in the effectiveness of the new hauling method.

Jan 3, 1927

By Godfrey T. Vivian

Very often important discoveries are made in one industry that may be used to advantage in another, but, owing to the rarity that men step out of one industry into another, these discoveries remain unknown outside of the trade or profession in which they are made. The present paper is written solely with the object of bringing to the notice of mining and metallurgical engineers a centrifugal ore-concentrator which eventually may have a great application. Ore- Grading. Fig. 1 represents the action which takes place when solids of different dimensions are stirred up in a box and allowed to settle as minerals of the same size but of different specific gravity. This principle is applied practically in grading china-clay and in enriching tin-slimes. In the latter case the slimes are stirred around in a tub with water and allowed to settle while at the same time the side of the tub is struck with a hammer. The colloidal slimes are then poured off and various slices taken off horizontally. The great drawback of this process is that the particles are deposited horizontally and all the colloids are lost. Fig. 2 represents the action in which the particles are deposited side by side. Here the drawback is the great length of the box needed in order to prevent excessive loss. The alternative to lengthening the box is to increase the force of gravity. Centrifugal force may be regarded practically as the force of gravity augmented. Fig. 3 illustrates the Gee centrifugal machine for grading ores. The drum, A, fitted with a box, B, is mounted on a shaft or spindle, C, the whole being suspended from a ball-bearing of special design at D, supported between girders, E. Rota-

Jan 1, 1913

By F. G. Coggin

" If you could only get that motion into a machine," said a gentleman, as he watched the process of making a " van " on a shovel, and saw the copper roll up to the highest point, "it would beat the world for slime-dressing." This idea has led to many an effort to get into a machine that peculiar motion, called the " vanning motion;" and so cams, eccentrics, eccentric gears, levers, bell-cranks, togglejoints, links, springs, etc., have been brought into requisition, while a contribution has been laid upon all the conceivable motions, rolling, tumbling, swinging, jerking, tossing, dropping, tripping, intermittent, regular and irregular, or a combination of some of them, to which have been added percussion, concussion, and more discussion —all in a vain attempt to combine in a single machine the consecutive motions of the shovel, in washing, flowing, and tossing the van. The Patent Office Reports, and the various mills of the country, show, as a result of this, a lot of gimeracks, most of which never went beyond a first trial, finding their way to the scrap-heap. Others still running might as well be there; while some have considerable merit for dressing other and richer sands than copper. It does look tempting to see that clean edge of copper climbing up the shovel-blade; but those who have seen in it such visions of large fortunes have not considered the time it takes to make a van, compared with the small quantity treated upon the shovel; and this points to the reason for the failure of all that class of machines called " vanning machines," when used for dressing copper slimes, namely, a lack of capacity. The writer has come to this conclusion through an experience with the Rittinger side percussion-table of the most improved make, sent from Germany to the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, and with the Ellenbecker tables, used by the same company, both of which are good types of that class of machines. In both of these machines, the tables are suspendetl by rods which allow them to swing, and they can also be adjusted for the purpose of varying the inclination of the table. In the Rittinger machine, the motion of the table is at a right angle to the flow of the slime, being produced by a wiper-cam which throws the table against a spring, which throws it quickly back against a stop, the percussion throwing up the mineral. In the Ellenbecker table, the motion is

Jan 1, 1884

Further discussion of the paper of JAMES JOHNSTON, presented at the New York meeting, February,. 1914, and printed in Bulletin No. 85, January, 1914, pp. 107 to 133. See also Bulletin No. 91, July, 1914, pp. 1473 to 1496. THOMAS CROWE,* Victor, Colo.-The interest manifested of late in the treatment of low-grade ores, together with Mr. Clevenger's discussion of the Mill and Metallurgical Practice of the Nipissing Mining Co., prompts me to acid a few remarks relative to concentration in connection with cyanide treatment of low-grade ores. Mr. Clevenger in this discussion does not condemn concentration in this connection, but, nevertheless, the tone of his remarks would lead one to believe that his conclusions are like those of many others: that concentration is often turned to as a last resort in an attempt to improve or obtain an extraction upon an ore by the recovery and sale of the refractory portion of the ore. This, I will attempt to point out, is not always the case. Concentration in connection with cyanidation often performs an entirely different function, i.e., one of saving fine grinding. Economy being the keynote of successful treatment of low-grade ores, the problem often becomes more commercial than metallurgical, and, as there is generally a definite ratio existing between cost of operation, degree of comminution, and percentage of extraction, the grade of ore under treatment usually imposes a limit upon these factors. With many ores grinding is the most expensive single item in their treatment; therefore, the degree of comminution is very apt to be governed by the allowable cost of operation. With most ores the degree of comminution controls to a great extent the percentage of extraction. So in the treatment of low-grade ore it often becomes necessary to sacrifice extraction, through coarse grinding for the benefit of cost, in order that the greatest ultimate profit may be obtained, and it is under these conditions that it is, possible for concentration to play an important part in overcoming to some extent the effect of mesh. The precious metals occurring in an ore are usually closely associated with the metallic portion of the ore, and as this metallic portion is generally fairly well liberated from the gangue at comparatively coarse meshes, further grinding of the ore is necessary only in order that the metallic portion may be reduced sufficiently fine that the precious metal part of it may be dissolved by cyanide solutions in a reasonable length of time.

Jan 11, 1914

By M. Van Siclen

THE outstanding fact in connection with dust disease in the United States at present is the growing recognition of its seriousness by state officials and by the more progressive operators of mining, metallurgical and allied industrial plants. The same may perhaps be said of labor in some of its better organized centers, but the average independent non-union workman continues, as of yore, to suffer the toll of disability and even of death from dust inhalation without realization of the source of his ill-being. Progress in the betterment of the handling of sufferers from dust disease and of the conditions creating dust hazards in mining and allied industries is pursuing a course similar to that of the now widespread campaign against accidents, in which the risk is more obvious, more severe, and was naturally recognized. sooner. The coming on of dust disease is generally relatively slow and its immediate effects not infre-quently masked by or attributed to other diseases. Marked exceptions to this general rule have occurred in districts where the dust is particularly pernicious, such as the Rand and Joplin; yet such exceptions, unhappy in themselves, opened the eyes of medical men, and of those in other localities charged with the responsibility for the welfare of industry, to the much more widespread if less spectacular hazard existing from the inhalation of dust in all rock-excavating operations and all industrial operations creating inorganic dust, whether it be crushing and grinding, sand-blast-ing, granite-cutting, or what not. Advancement to date in the United States in prevention and treat-ment has been slow, yet the record shows that quantitative methods for determining the degree of hazard and means for decreasing it were being developed as far back as 25 years ago; and that more rapid progress may be looked for from now on. In 1908, in this country, F. L Hoffman?(1) discussed the mortality from consumption in dusty trades, especially brass foundries; and in 1913 E. R. Hayhurst(2) described the effects of inhalation

Jan 1, 1933

By B. G. Hurd

A liquid-Freon permeameter suitable for making routine permeability determinations on small plug samples is described. The instrument is characterized by simplicity of design and ease of operation, and can be assembled inexpensively from stock items of laboratory equipment. It combines the unique advantages of both liquid and gas permeam-eters while eliminating many undesirable features of both general classes of instruments. Precision and accuracy of the specific Freon permeability measurements compare favorably with results of conventional liquid and gas permeameters. INTRODUCTION The liquid-Freon permeameter described in this paper was designed and built for special investigations of the properties of petroleum reservoir rocks. However, its unique advantages over conventional gas and liquid permeameters make it eminently suitable for routine use in the core analysis of small plug samples. In general, gas permeameters are very popular because of their simplicity of design and ease of operation. However, apparent gas permeabilities are normally higher than true specific permeabilities unless special corrections for gas-slippage are applied. Since these corrections require two or more measurements at different internal gas pressures, much of the time advantage of the specific gas permeability measurements is lost. Liquid permeability measurements, on the other hand, require no slip correction, but liquid saturation of the sample is time-consuming and difficult to insure. Often, too, the saturating liquid must be extracted or dried from the plug before it can be used for another experiment. The liquid-Freon permeameter described herein retains the inherent accuracy of the liquid permeameter, while affording the speed and ease of operation of the gas permeameter. Freon-12 (dichlorodifluoromethane) is a haloge-nated hydrocarbon, immiscible in the liquid phase with water. It may be considered as an oil phase in laboratory fluid-flow studies. Like butane and propane, it is a gas at normal room temperatures and atmospheric pressure but can be liquefied at moderate pressures. Complete liquid saturation of a plug sample with any of these fluids can be easily achieved by condensing vapors in the sample and operating the permeameter at a pressure above the vapor pressure of the liquid. Freon-12 is superior to butane or propane for permeability measurements only in that it is relatively nontoxic and completely incombustible, and thus presents no fire or explosion hazard. Freon-12 is believed to be completely nonreactive with most petroleum-reservoir rock samples. It volatilizes immediately from a plug on depressurizing to leave a clean, dry sample suitable for subsequent experiments. Thus, the inherent risk of changing physical properties of rock samples by cleaning and drying operations between permeability measurement and subsequent experiments is eliminated. DESCRIPTION OF THE PERMEAMETER The design of the liquid Freon-permeameter is shown schematically in Fig. 1. Regulated nitrogen pressure caps are used both as a driving pressure

By J. H. Frye, C. P. Sun

A Frimary substitutional solid solution is a solution that has the same crystalline structure as the solvent metal, and in which solute atoms have replaced, solvent atoms at random on the host lattice. This replacement usually results in an increase in hardness as measured by conventional penetration tests. The factors controlling this hardness increase have been investigated in some detail for copper and silver alloys.1-5 It has been shown that at least four factors are involved: (1) concentration of solute, (2) row of the periodic table from which the solute is taken, (3) increase in lattice parameter of the solvent produced by the solute, and (4) work-hardening produced by penetration of the hardness indenter.2,4 The last factor is of the utmost importance. An investigation of the available data2,4 leads to the conclusion that the solutes that produce large hardness increases in copper or silver do so principally because they increase the rate of work-hardening. Furthermore, it is doubtful whether any solute produces appreciable hardening in the absence of plastic deformation and hence work-hardening. Thus it is clear that an understanding of the effect of solutes on rate of work-hardening is essential to an understanding of the hardness of solid solutions. This effect of solutes is also important in forming operations such as rolling or deep drawing. The presence of elements that confer rapid rates of work-hardening will increase power consumption and may well decrease the amount of deformation possible between anneals. This paper is the report of an investigation of the factors that control rates of work-hardening in copper and silver solid solutions. The silver and copper alloys considered are those in which all solutes are from the B subgroups or second short period of the periodic table. Experience with hardness, with structure of alloys, and with electrical conductivity has proved that results of a fundamental nature are most likely to be obtained if alloys are made up on the basis of the positions of the constituent elements in the periodic table. In previous work, Meyer analysis data on high-purity copper and silver solid solutions were obtained through careful measurements with fully calibrated equipment and these data were corrected to correspond to a standard grain size. From these corrected Meyer analysis data rates of work-hardening have now been calculated. Calculation of Rates as Work- HARDENING The Meyer analyses, on which this study of rates of work-hardening is based, consisted in determining impression

Jan 1, 1944

By W. A. Bates, R. J. Miller

Although cresylic acids have been standard frothers in flotation for many years, there has been little discussion of their nature in the metallurgical literature. Aside from references in the patent literature, the paper by Landolt, Hill, and Lowyl in 1930, which resented a study of the frothing and collecting properties of some of the constituents of crude cresylic acids, represents the only contribution of this type. The close froth control required in the delicate selective separations of present-day flotation operations have required the flotation metallurgist to choose his frothers with care, and have caused him to require of the manufacturer a closely controlled, uniform product. A background of knowledge of the chemical composition and physical and chemical properties of the frothers, by which their action may be correlated, should aid in selecting frothers for particular flotation requirements. Further, the recent almost complete replacement in flotation of coal-tar cresylic acids by those derived from petroleum makes it especially desirable to review the flotation behavior of the acids from the old and the new sources. In view of these facts the Milling Methods Committee of the A.I.M.E. suggested to the Oronite Chemical Co. of San Francisco the preparation of a paper on the subject, and this paper has accordingly been prepared as a contribution by the California Research Corporation, the research affiliate of the Oronite Chemical Co. The discussion is from the following aspects: (I) constitution and properties; (2) sources; (3) comparison of coal-tar and petroleum cresylic acids; (4) characteristics as frothers, with particular reference to the effect of the substitution of petroleum acids for coal-tar acids. Constitution and Properties Cresylic acids are commonly regarded as mixtures of orthocresol, metacresol and paracresol. This was, indeed, the former meaning of the term, but in recent years it has been loosely applied to any mixture of alkyl phenols boiling above 190°C.; that is, excluding only phenol itself. This means that cresylic acids, as they are known today, may consist of mixtures, not only of the three isomeric cresols, but of six xylenols and of a variety of higher boiling homologues. Generically the constituents of cresylic acids are alkyl phenols, and they are often so designated in the literature to avoid the more indefinite term, "cresylic acids." They form an homologous series starting with phenol, which has the familiar benzene ring, with an hydroxyl group in place of one of the hydrogen atoms. The series of alkyl phenols is formed by the substitution of alkyl side chains, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, etc., for hydrogen atoms of the benzene ring of phenol. Some

Jan 1, 1947

By J. H. Frye, C. P. Sun

A Frimary substitutional solid solution is a solution that has the same crystalline structure as the solvent metal, and in which solute atoms have replaced, solvent atoms at random on the host lattice. This replacement usually results in an increase in hardness as measured by conventional penetration tests. The factors controlling this hardness increase have been investigated in some detail for copper and silver alloys.1-5 It has been shown that at least four factors are involved: (1) concentration of solute, (2) row of the periodic table from which the solute is taken, (3) increase in lattice parameter of the solvent produced by the solute, and (4) work-hardening produced by penetration of the hardness indenter.2,4 The last factor is of the utmost importance. An investigation of the available data2,4 leads to the conclusion that the solutes that produce large hardness increases in copper or silver do so principally because they increase the rate of work-hardening. Furthermore, it is doubtful whether any solute produces appreciable hardening in the absence of plastic deformation and hence work-hardening. Thus it is clear that an understanding of the effect of solutes on rate of work-hardening is essential to an understanding of the hardness of solid solutions. This effect of solutes is also important in forming operations such as rolling or deep drawing. The presence of elements that confer rapid rates of work-hardening will increase power consumption and may well decrease the amount of deformation possible between anneals. This paper is the report of an investigation of the factors that control rates of work-hardening in copper and silver solid solutions. The silver and copper alloys considered are those in which all solutes are from the B subgroups or second short period of the periodic table. Experience with hardness, with structure of alloys, and with electrical conductivity has proved that results of a fundamental nature are most likely to be obtained if alloys are made up on the basis of the positions of the constituent elements in the periodic table. In previous work, Meyer analysis data on high-purity copper and silver solid solutions were obtained through careful measurements with fully calibrated equipment and these data were corrected to correspond to a standard grain size. From these corrected Meyer analysis data rates of work-hardening have now been calculated. Calculation of Rates as Work- HARDENING The Meyer analyses, on which this study of rates of work-hardening is based, consisted in determining impression

Jan 1, 1944

By Hermann Wedding

I ask your permission to speak about a matter which is not of a specifically scientific nature, but more of a general—I might even say of an international—nature, and the international character which this city now presents must be my justification for introducing it. The Germans, very often, are thought to be an exceedingly warlike people, but I come to-day in the capacity of a peacemaker. Our German language is an original language; it is, therefore, a language in which it is impossible to change the meaning of a word at will. It may be, perhaps, easier in a combined language, as the English, to associate and to exchange meanings. Now, a word which we hear a great deal at the present day, is "Stahl," in English, "steel." This word means, in the German language, a substance which can be hardened. As the German literature, in relation to metallurgy, is the oldest of the modern world, this circumstance may give the German a right to ask for consideration. But I think, now, when the four languages, German, Swedish, French, and English, compete in rich metallurgical literature, it is very necessary to have uniformity in the nomenclature of iron, which would prove not only useful for science, but equally so for trade. For that purpose I propose to make the divisions of iron so that the word steel shall comprise a subdivision and not a primary division as formerly. Nature furnishes us iron mostly in the state of oxides, and if in any other condition, we must convert the ore into oxide before we can make iron. The oxides are always mixed with certain earthy substances called rock or gangue. The extraction of iron involves, therefore, the twofold process of the reduction of the iron, and imparting to it the amount of carbon necessary for technical purposes, and the separation of the reduced and carburized iron from the gangue. The reduction is always effected by carbon or carbonaceous substances (coke, anthracite, carbonic oxide, etc.), and the result is, according to the degree of heat employed, either malleable iron or a non-malleable iron. The process of malting malleable iron in this way is called, generally, the direct process—in German, Rennarbeit. It produces the iron in a solid state with a fluid cinder. By this process our ancestors made all their iron, and it has been revived in various ways in modern times up to the process of Mr. Blair, so far as I know, always without commercial success. The

By E. P. Hindes

The total amount of oil produced in the state of Oklahoma during the year 1928 was 242,286,400 bbl., as compared to 273,372,650 bbl. in 1927; 177,650,000 bbl. in 1926; and 167,900,000 bbl. in 1925. The year 1928 ranks second to 1927 in which more oil was produced in the state than in any previous year. The large in in 1927 and 1928 was due principally to the development of the Greater Seminole district. The decrease of approximately 31,000,000 bbl. in the 1928 production as compared with the production in 1927, was caused by a drop of nearly 8,500,000 bbl. in the Seminole district production and a more or less normal decline in the production of practically all the other older and more settled fields. During 1928 approximately 1800 producing wells were drilled in Oklahoma, which yielded during the year approximately 90,000,000 bbl. of oil. The average initial production of these wells was 850 bbl. per day, and the average daily production per well for the year was 137 bbl. The average daily production per well of the total number of wells producing in 1928 was 10.9 bbl., which is a 13.5 per cent. decrease from the 1927 average of 12.6 barrels. At the close of 1928 a total of 95,400 producing wells had been drilled in the state, and approximately 61,000 were still producing. The grand total amount of oil produced in the state from the time the first well was drilled up to and including 1928 was 2,553,000,000 bbl. The production in 1928 was 9.5 per cent. of the total oil produced in the state. Texas led all other states in 1928, with a production of 251,835,200 bbl. Oklahoma was second with 242,286,400 bbl., and California was third with 231,982,600 barrels. Fields outside Greater. Seminole District Practically all the old settled fields in Oklahoma experienced a normal and expected decline during the year 1928. The fields showing the most, pronounced decline as compared to 1927 were: Burbank, which dropped from 15,230,400 to 11,939, 150 bbl.; Tonkawa, from 7,692,000 to 4,952,900 bbl.; Garber, from 5,056,300 to 3,139,400 bbl., and Wewoka, from 6,188,-800 to 2,450,400 bbl. There were no new extensions, discoveries of

Jan 1, 1929

By R. H. Johnson

All strata not yielding oil or gas in commereial quantities or a corresponding amount of water may be called dry in a wide sense. In petroleum geology, however, we may exclude all sands of too low or fine porosity to yield gaseous or fluid contents to the hole drilled in the sand before any original pressure that its contents may be under is disturbed. Most rocks are of this class and they are not reservoirs in our definition; their "dryness" is wholly a matter of course. What are the contents of the pores or what is the exact porosity of such rocks is of almost no concern to us, for economically they are "dry." What does interest us is the content of a rock having sufficient porosity and the pores of sufficient size to yield oil or gas in commercial quantities, if they were present under original pressure. Dryness of these reservoirs is a matter of supreme practical importance. Three views current as to such dryness seem, to me, to apply in a few cases only. It is the purpose of this paper to give reasons for this position and for believing that, in ordinary sedimentary rocks, there is only rarely a reservoir of competent porosity and undisturbed pressure that is dry in the sense of not yielding water, oil, or gas when first penetrated. 1. Gardnerl writes of some Kentucky sands, "There has never been present any salt water or other water in the sand." Absence of water cannot demonstrate this position. It is necessary to show that the rocks were not laid down in water, but in air, and that they became so enclosed, while still above the water-table of the ground water, that water has not been able to enter since. Most of these sands, and certainly the productive limestones, were deposited in water; and such sands as have been commercially productive show no reason for believing that the overlying shale or limestone was not laid down progressively from one direction and in water that would have flooded it. NO adequate explanation has been offered for this hypothesis, which is so inherently improbable. 2, Reeves2 urges that "sands originally water filled may have been drained of their water and not filled when later covered." It is difficult I James H. Gardner: Kentucky as an Oil State. Science, N. S. (1917) 46, 279-280. Reeves: Origin of the Natural Brines of Oil Fields. Johns Hopkins Univ. Circ., N. S. (1917) N. 3; Absence of Water in Certain Sandstones of the Appalachian Field. Econ. Geol. (1917) la, 354-378.

Jan 1, 1921

By R. J. Miller, W. A. Bates

Although cresylic acids have been standard frothers in flotation for many years, there has been little discussion of their nature in the metallurgical literature. Aside from references in the patent literature, the paper by Landolt, Hill, and Lowyl in 1930, which resented a study of the frothing and collecting properties of some of the constituents of crude cresylic acids, represents the only contribution of this type. The close froth control required in the delicate selective separations of present-day flotation operations have required the flotation metallurgist to choose his frothers with care, and have caused him to require of the manufacturer a closely controlled, uniform product. A background of knowledge of the chemical composition and physical and chemical properties of the frothers, by which their action may be correlated, should aid in selecting frothers for particular flotation requirements. Further, the recent almost complete replacement in flotation of coal-tar cresylic acids by those derived from petroleum makes it especially desirable to review the flotation behavior of the acids from the old and the new sources. In view of these facts the Milling Methods Committee of the A.I.M.E. suggested to the Oronite Chemical Co. of San Francisco the preparation of a paper on the subject, and this paper has accordingly been prepared as a contribution by the California Research Corporation, the research affiliate of the Oronite Chemical Co. The discussion is from the following aspects: (I) constitution and properties; (2) sources; (3) comparison of coal-tar and petroleum cresylic acids; (4) characteristics as frothers, with particular reference to the effect of the substitution of petroleum acids for coal-tar acids. Constitution and Properties Cresylic acids are commonly regarded as mixtures of orthocresol, metacresol and paracresol. This was, indeed, the former meaning of the term, but in recent years it has been loosely applied to any mixture of alkyl phenols boiling above 190°C.; that is, excluding only phenol itself. This means that cresylic acids, as they are known today, may consist of mixtures, not only of the three isomeric cresols, but of six xylenols and of a variety of higher boiling homologues. Generically the constituents of cresylic acids are alkyl phenols, and they are often so designated in the literature to avoid the more indefinite term, "cresylic acids." They form an homologous series starting with phenol, which has the familiar benzene ring, with an hydroxyl group in place of one of the hydrogen atoms. The series of alkyl phenols is formed by the substitution of alkyl side chains, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, etc., for hydrogen atoms of the benzene ring of phenol. Some

Jan 1, 1947

By Bernard MacDonald

The writing of this paper was prompted by the discussion by H. M. Chance of the paper written by Thomas M. Chance,l and by the remarks of the editor in which he stated that while the matter contained in discussion did not refer to the original paper it " was presented as of interest to the operators of cyanide and other lixiviation processes dealing with fluid mixtures of varying specific gravity." For some years past the principle enunciated in the discussion referred to has been known to the writer and demonstrated by him to be an efficient and economical way of separating water or solution from solids in the cyanidation, lixiviation or acid leaching of ore pulps. In utilizing this principle in commercial practice he has invented a method whereby not only the separation of solution from solids may be effected in any given tank, but also the counter migration of the solids and solution may be effected continuously through a series of tanks in which the hydro-metallurgical treatment of ore pulps is being carried on. In effect this method is analogous to the counter-current system, but is different physically in that it is carried on throughout a series of tanks on practically the same level, continuously and automatically, by hydrostatic pressure and gravity-flow, without the aid of intervening pumps or elevators, at the same time that agitation is being carried on in the same tanks. In the Parral system, agitation is effected in tanks by a number of air lifts of comparatively small diameter through which the pulp is continuously transferred from the bottom of the tank and spouted horizontally on top of the charge. The spouting force of the several streams thus discharged maintains a rotary flow in the pulp charge which extends from top to bottom of the tank. This continuous transfer of pulp and the spiral flow from top to bottom of the tank maintains the pulp constituents in uniform proportions and meets the requirements of efficient treatment in a most economical manner. The quantity of compressed air required is very small, as the pulp is not lifted but simply transferred from the bottom to the top of the tank charge under hydrostatic balance. Fig. 1 gives a bird's-eye view of two adjoining tanks in any series equipped with the apparatus for producing the separation of

Jan 1, 1919

By R. R. Wilson, Robert Henderson

The Cassidy Colliery operated by the Granby Consolidated Mining Smelting & Power Co., Ltd., is situated about 9 miles in a southerly direc tion from the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The coal seam worked, which is called the Douglas bed, outcrops in the western part of the property, dipping easterly, and is opened by a slope 7 by 14 ft. in the clear, and is timbered by 12 to 14-in. framed sets of timber, 4 ft. center to center. A separate manway provides for a traveling road and at the same time forms an intake airway. The general average of the dip of the seam at Cassidy is 18º, and varies in thickness from 1 to 25 ft., averaging about 8 ft. The main slopes follow straight down the dip a distance of 4845 ft. At the bottom of the main slope two rock tunnels were driven a distance of 1500 ft. to the south, cutting through a fault, and opening up an area in the same seam which is known as No. 7 South Section. The coal is found in this section at a vertical depth of 1560 ft., and is very soft and friable. The immediate roof is a strong, sandy. shale overlain by massive sandstone while the floor is a light-colored shale, hard when freshly exposed. It does not soften materially on exposure. In the folding of the coal measures a great thrust caused a movement along the coal seam as indicated by the slickensided nature of the coal. The floor has buckled and this has rolled and squeezed the coal so that with rare exceptions it shows no normal bedding but curved slip planes, which frequently start at right angles to the floor, curving upward and then in the direction of the dip. As such planes are slickensided it is probable that there is a coating of clay which is more or less impervious to gas. Outbursts of Gas and Coal Outbursts of gas and coal have occurred in this mine previous to 1921, but not until June 14 of that year was a complete record kept of them. No outbursts occurred above the fourth levels, or, in other words, until a vertical depth of about 900 ft. was reached. Since that time quite a

Jan 1, 1927

By John J. Porter

The requirements of the standard specifications under which Portland cement is sold have materially increased within the past 10 years, but practically all companies are now furnishing cement better than these requirements; in some cases exceeding them by nearly 100 per cent. From a sales standpoint, it is desirable to have a product that is uniform to a high degree and free from occasional quality troubles. A failure in quality, even if it affects only a few hundred barrels out of a yearly output of a million or more, is apt to be talked about in the trade and to affect the salability of the entire output. For these reasons, there has recently been great activity along the lines of quality control and improvement; and some of the most interesting problems of the industry are in this field. From the manufacturing standpoint, the quality of cement is chiefly a matter of uniform and proper chemical composition of the raw mix fed to the kilns plus proper burning in the kilns; the fineness to which the cement is ground, the proportions of gypsum, the method of seasoning, and the like are contributory factors. Uniform chemical composition of the raw mix has been one of the most difficult problems to solve. Most plants will use from 1000 to 3000 tons of rock per day and in but few cases is this material as it lies in the quarry even approximately uniform in composition. The problem, then, is to quarry and mix this raw material in such a manner that every handful passing through the kilns will have practically the same analysis as every other handful. To accomplish this purpose there are two methods of preparation: the wet and the dry. In each process, a stone storage is the first requisite of a successful plant. This storage place may handle the stone before or after crushing; its capacity may vary from two to three days' up to several months' supply, but it should be so designed that it can be filled as desired by the chemist and drawn at such points as will give a mixture of the various kinds of stone coming from the quarry and a reasonably uniform material going to the mill. The size of the storage place and the method of handling should be varied according to the nature of the material.

Jan 1, 1925

By Charles Pack

EXTENSIVE progress has been made in the metallurgy of alloys for die castings. Enthusiastic proponents of some alloys are inclined to make extravagant claims for their materials, which may be justified by physical tests on test bars made from the respective alloys but are seldom justified by the results obtained with commercial die castings made from those alloys. Chemical analysis of the test bars and castings fails to determine the cause of these variations, since they are due to other physical factors entering into the commercial production of die castings. In this paper, an attempt will be made to outline some of the factors in commercial die-casting practice to which these variable results may be attributed, in the hope that the manufacturer of die castings, recognizing the importance of these factors, will devote more attention to them in the design and construction of dies and equipment. In 1914,1 the author defined die castings as "metal castings made by forcing molten metal, underpressure, into metallic molds or dies." This definition was given in order to differentiate die castings from other molded metal products such as "permanent-mold" castings, "slush" castings and similar products that are sometimes erroneously termed die castings. The term "die casting" could be interpreted to include all castings made in metal molds or dies; but since this term, like most of our technical nomenclature, has been developed by commercial practice we must look to this practice for its proper definition. The Germans, with their usual devotion to descriptive names, have adopted the name of spritzguss (squirt cast) for die castings. Undoubtedly this name is more descriptive of the die-casting process, where the metal is literally squirted into the die and serves to differentiate this process from other metal mold processes, where the metal is poured into the die. In the earlier paper mentioned, the author also emphasized the fact that the definition given for die castings indicated clearly that the satisfactory operation of the process must comprise three factors, all of which must be considered of vital importance to the successful operation of the die-casting process:

Jan 1, 1930

By E. H. Griswold, W. J. Wilkins

Pressure control of oil wells may be defined as the adjustment of pressures within a well to obtain the most efficient and economic utilization of the natural gas energy with a minimum of sand troubles or irregular water encroachment. The purpose of this paper is to present the methods used by the writers in applying pressure control and a discussion of the various effects occurring within the wells affected. The benefits to be derived from the conservation of natural gas energy have been so adequately discussed and demonstrated in prior papers by various engineers that the effects on ultimate production will not be discussed other than to mention a few representative cases. The detrimental effects of irregular edge-water encroachment and of sanding up arc of general knowledge to the industry. Effect on Ultimate Production One of the strongest objections voiced against pressure control is that of the danger or inadvisability of deferring oil production by cutting the rate of production. It has been our experience that such deferred product'ion is returned within a few weeks or months rather than years and that an increased cumulative oil production is obtained in the early life of the well by conserving the natural energy. In many cases the rate of production is increased rather than decreased by the adjustment of pressures to obtain the minimum gas factor. Fig. 1 shows the history of a Wilcox sand well in northern Oklahoma, which was pressure-controlled from completion. It is noted that during the early months while flowing naturally through the casing the gas factor was decreased rather than allowed to follow its natural tendency to increase. A string of 21/2-in. tubing was run to restrict the flow and resulted in a decreased gas factor with a more sustained rate of production. When first placed on gas-lift the gas factor again tended to increase, but after the proper pressure adjustments were made, remained approximately steady. It was necessary to defer 100 bbl. per day of oil production in order to maintain this low gas factor. In March serious

Jan 1, 1929

By Harry H. Power

While the attention of all engineering branches is focused today on changes and improvements in the several curricula, we are concerned here with the many questions arising in industry and college concerning the preparation for the petroleum engineering profession. The succession of problems confronting the petroleum engineer demands a degree of versatility not ordinarily encountered in other professions. As a consequence, the student cannot acquire mastery of all the several engineering branches represented in field practice, and as an alternative, he has learned to appreciate the value of thorough training in the basic or fundamental sciences as a Preliminary foundation for professional work. While our attention is directed primarily to the training of engineers in educational institutions, it is necessary that the ultimate education of the professional engineer be kept in mind. It is apparent that his success as an engineer is limited not only by his educational and job experience, but by his native endowments: mentality, Personality and health. The engineer's lack of job experiences often proves as much a handicap as the lack of adequate college training. If the final product proves to be satisfactory, both industry and technical institutions are to be congratulated. However, if the Product is found wanting, the one most responsible should For the most part, students of engineering colleges have had their interests in applied science awakened at a relatively early age. Manyof them entered college as a convenient means of acquiring a technical education, but undoubtedly would have had better prospects in a shorter program offered by institutions of non-college grade. The activating motive of practical interest is also strong in students suitable for college training, but in many cases an intellectual interest must be awakened in order that it may survive graduation. Numerous engineers believe that this progressive process of selection and determination of career aims is one of the essential services rendered by the engineering colleges. Industrialists, who are more inter. ested in quality than quantity of petroleum engineering graduates, have pointed out the good that should result if more emphasis were given to the work of eliminating the misfits. They also point out the protective measures that have been taken by other professions for the betterment of professional standards. Mention has been ,de of the beneficial results to be obtdned by collective determination of the market for the products of engineering schools, particularly in that the students unsuited to the profession would have an opportunity to prepare themselves for employment more suited to their personalities and other qualifications. In the event that such a system of coordinated personnel direction is developed by the

Jan 1, 1941