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By C. Stamberg, W. McGuire, R. C. Carlson, L. W. Vollmer

"The selection of materials and pre-cautionary measures for handling natural gas and condensate containing aqueous hydrogen sulphide are presented. Based on the results of a pilot production test and laboratory studies, together with several years . of operating experience, it was found that the behaviour of materials in sour gas environments can be predicted sufficiently accurately for engineering purposes.The selection of proper materials is essential for preventing sulphide-stress cracking. Where high strength materials are not required, low car-bon steel is used. Components requiring high tensile strength and hardness characteristics should be made from K-monel or properly heat-treated carbon-manganese-molybden-um and AISI 4140 steels. Welded connections are a potential source of sulphide-stress cracking. Consequently high quality welding and strict inspection are suggested as the most economical precautionary measures available.A maintenance program based,. where possible, on visual inspection of equipment and/or test spools located at strategic points should be used to follow weight loss and putting corrosion in sour gas environments. If severe weight loss or pitting corrosion is encountered, inhibitors have been found to be an effective deter-rent."

Jan 1, 1960

By H. T. Lundberg, J. H. Ratcliffe

In airborne gravity surveys effects of acceleration and irregular movements of the aircraft must be balanced out or overcome. The gradient of vertical gravity is recorded, therefore, by using two masses instead of one. As the amplitude variations are infinitesimal and difficult to measure accurately, at present it is enough to determine whether variation of gradient during flight is positive or negative. The positive portions of the pattern can then be indicated and contoured. Even with these simplifications, the source of energy must be exceptionally stable. General Principles: In the conventional gravi-meter the weight of a standard mass is determined at a number of selected points within the survey area. In most systems weight is determined by comparing the gravity pull with extension or torque

Jan 1, 1960

By Eugene T. Sheridan

This circular presents data on individual plants of the fuel-briquet and packaged-fuel industries that responded to the Bureau of Mines annual economic survey and reported production for 1959. The companies named herein represent virtually all producers of processed fuels of mineral origin. A few small companies may not have been canvassed or failed to respond, however, as some plants operate intermittently, and the survey is voluntary. No consideration was given to size of the plant and all plants that reported commercial production were included. Specifically excluded were plants that manufactured briquets from wood charcoal. Fuel briquets and packaged fuel are manufactured solid fuels, fabricated from fine-sized mineral fuels by mixing with binders and compressing into small individual shapes. Briquets usually are produced as small, pillow-shaped pieces, 2 to 4 inches long, weighing 2 to 4 ounces. Packaged fuel consists of 3- to 4-inch cubes, 6 or 8 of which are wrapped in heavy kraft paper to form a package weighing 10 to 15 pounds. The overall size of a popular package is 10-112 x 7 x 3-1/2 inches. Briquets are durable, may be stored outdoors, and shipped and used as bulk fuel. Packaged fuel is fragile, and must be stored indoors to keep it from deteriorating. Whereas briquets are consumed in many areas as a general residential fuel, packaged fuel is more of a specialty item, used at times as a supplement to other fuels. Package fuel is burned without removing the paper and referred to as the "white-glove" fuel.

Jan 1, 1960

By John D. Grothe

Laboratory experiment as a basis of commercial plant design has been the subject of much analysis and thought and on which a large number of articles and papers have been published. We would be forced to choose between an unduly brief exposition if we wanted to cover it completely, or no exposition at all. We must therefore concentrate upon the essentials without ignoring at the same time too many of the qualifying factors which, by the choice of what we want to examine, may become side issues. In doing so, we do not imply that these side issues are therefore any the less important. In every case, what is said here applies with almost equal force to the pilot plant which may be necessary as it does to the commercial plant. In discussing a recent paper by Derek C. Shelton on the Santa. Barbara Mill in Chihuahua at a meeting of the Inst. of Mining & Metallurgy (London), D. J. Ottley said on the matter of relating laboratory results and small scale tests to full scale plant results that he would like' to draw the attention of members to the great difficulty of scaling up mineral dressing plants and processes. He felt that this was an important yet neglected subject which merited considerable fundamental scientific attention from mineral dressers and plant design engineers in particular. How much of this fundamental scientific attention has, as a matter of fact, been accorded to the subject, mainly by our sister profession, Chemical Engineering. The close similarity to chemical engineering problems that we meet, particularly in hydrometallurgical operations, suggests that Chemical Engineering publications offer a rich source of information and discussions of methods useful to us. We have only to think of pressure leaching, ion exchange, liquid-liquid extraction, precipitation and so on, all problems in chemical engineering unit processes or of the new Freeport Sulphur Nickel plant in Cuba or the Sherritt Gordon plant and many others.

Jan 1, 1960

By Gilbert C. Robinson

Manufacturers of brick and tile are showing growing interest in the possibility of manufacture of a clay bonded block. The block would have the shape of concrete block, but would be made without the use of Portland cement, Instead, the block would be made' from mixtures' of an aggregate and the present raw materials of the brick industry. The finished units would weigh 20 to 30 pounds and meet the specifications for Grade A concrete block. The present status of the clay block development shows one manufacturer actually in production of these units$, two additional manufacturers are attempting production and many manufacturers are actively engaged in development work. At least four major research laboratories are engaged in the development program. There are several different processes available for clay block production. These processes differ primarily in the type of aggregate used or in the type of forming operation selected. I would like summarize these possible methods.

Jan 1, 1960

By John A. Brown

Granules are used primarily as roofing material. From the earliest times, man has been faced with the basic problem of providing protection for himself, his family, and his property against the ravages of the weather. Basically, this problem is no different today than in the past, except that today the trend is to demand shelter which is also colorful and distinctive. There has been a gradual evolution from the thatched roof to the modem ranchstyle home. In his search for a more permanent and more attractive roof, the home owner has utilized many mineral materials. All granules, whether slate or colored granules, are referred to by the asphalt roofing industry as "Slate Granules." Early Roofing Materials The development of mineral roofing in the United States followed two trends: first, the slate industry, and second, the bituminous products. The early colonists were familiar with slab slate construction from Europe and it was natural for them to continue with this type of roofing. As early as 1780, the forerunners of the present bituminous products were finding favor. Those early products consisted of saturating burlap or similar material with crude tar or pitch. This type of roofing was soon improved by dusting a variety of materials on the surface of the roofing to prevent adhesion while in rolls. Such factors as fire resistance and protection from the actinic rays of the sun soon followed. This started the general pattern which is still followed today, that is, saturating felt materials and supplying a uniform grade of crushed mineral to the surface. In commercial and public buildings, metal roofs found early favor. The attractive green color of verdigris-coated copper became a symbol of churches and institutions of learning. Aluminum roofing has become economical for large structures and is finding limited popularity in rural areas. Tile, asbestos, and cement materials, being weather resistant, found early acclaim and are still popular. Today, by far the most widely used roofing materials in the United States are asphalt products. Two important characteristics-economy and weatherability-account for their popularity. Influence of Building Trends on Roofing The postwar building boom in 1947 had many attractive features for the American people. The ranch-style one story type of home seemed well suited for suburban developments which sprang up in such profusion. As the roof in modern home construction is one of the most conspicuous aspects of its architecture, the home owner could now express his tastes not only in paint and landscaping, but could also select an attractive and harmonious roof color. Variety of Minerals Used Many naturally occurring minerals are used today in the roofing industry. Most widely used (and most noticeable to the public) is the granulated mineral surfacing applied to asphalt products. Selected natural colored granules as well as artificially colored granules are

Jan 1, 1960

By L. W. Davies

A problem often encountered is the provision of materials which have impurity contents below a certain specified level. This problem is in some cases solved by making use of the segregation of the impurity with respect to the liquid and solid states of the material: an ingot of the material is subjected to directional solidification and the ends of the ingot. which are richer in solutes which respectively raise and lower the melting point of the solvent, are removed. An important extension of this process is the zone-refining process invented by Pfann,' in which molten zones are passed successively along the length of an ingot and displace solutes towards the ends. Pfann's process is particularly appropriate in cases for which the segregation coefficient k does not differ greatly from unity, or when the impurity content must be kept extremely low (=10-6 atom fraction); it is widely used, particularly in the purification of materials for use in semiconductor electronic devices. It is the purpose of this paper to investigate theoretically the efficiency of the above refining processes; that is! we determine the most economic method of attaining a given yield of solvent of specified purity, taking into account the variables of the process. One variable of interest is the effective value of the segregation coefficient. which depends on the rate of movement of the liquid-solid interface and on the degree of stirring in the liquid; in addition to this, in the zone-refining process we are also interested in the choice of zone length for most efficient operation. A mathematical determination is made here of the lengths of successive molten zones which give, for an initially uniform distribution, the most efficient removal of a solute of arbitrary distribution coefficient. In order to be able to give a quantitative treatment of efficiency, we first define figures of merit applicable to a given distribution of solute. FIGURE OF MERIT Let an ingot of length L contain a distribution y(x) of solute: we confine our discussion to mono-tonic distributions, in order to avoid inconsistencies in the subsequent analysis. The first moments of the distribution about the origin and x = L are respectively L F = hy{x)dx [I] G = f(L -x)y(x)dx = YoL2-F, [21 where yoL is the total amount of solute present. We shall see that the quantities F and G are useful figures of merit for a discussion of the efficiency of zone-refining processes. In the first place, it is

Jan 1, 1960

By J. P. Capp

This experiment, one of a series on underground gasification of coal, was an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Mines of hydraulic fracturing as a means of increasing the air acceptance of a coalbed to permit introducing combustion air and removing product gases. Specific objectives of the investigation included: (1) Fracturing a coalbed; (2) determining the distance the coal was physically affected; (3) ascertaining the effect of the fracture on air acceptance of the coalbed; and (4) gasifying the coal. The coal was fractured with a fluid consisting of 15,000 lb. of sand mixed with 10,000 gal. of fuel oil and 5,000 gal. of kerosine, injected at pressures up to 900 p.s.i.g. and rates up to 425 g.p.m. The oil served as the fracturing medium, and the sand as a propping agent to hold the fracture open. From the fracture point, (the place in the bed where the fluid was injected), the fracture extended 200 ft. or more along the face cleats, somewhat less along the butt. cleats, and was confined to the coalbed. At the fracture point, the bed accepted about 500 std. c.f.m. of air, which was an etghtyfold increase. Fracture effects were extensive, as airflow was noted from old mine workings and outcrops 600 to 800 ft. from the fracture point. It is probable the actual fracture was much less than 600 ft. and that normal coalbed permeability beyond the fracture limits was responsible for this flow. This indicated that effects of the fracture extended beyond the area of coal physically affected. Although no attempt was made to gasify coal more than 200 ft. away, these effects plus the natural permeability of the bed likely would permit combustion beyond the outer limit of the fracture. As these experiments continued for more than 2 years, and greater air acceptance due to the fracture was observed at the beginning of each test, it is apparent that the effects of the fracturing persist for a considerable time.

Jan 1, 1960

By R. G. Aspden

Crystals with an (001) [loo] initial orientation of an iron-base alloy containing 3 pct Si were cold rolled with and without the use of constraints. A major difference in the rolling and annealing textures was observed between crystals rolled with and without constraints. These data show that the contribution of constraints at grain boundaries in a poly crystalline sheet should be considered in applying textural data on single crystals to grains in an aggregate. SILICON-iron alloys with a cube texture have been recently developed and their magnetic characteristics reported.1-4 Of interest in the development of this texture were the textural changes of single crystals accompanying rolling and annealing and the influence of constraints at grain boundaries in an aggregate on the behavior of individual grains. The present study was primarily concerned with the effect of constraints during rolling on the textures of 3 pct Si-Fe crystals initially (001)[100]. Barrett and Levenson5 were among the first to observe an influence of constraints at grain boundaries on the textural changes of individual grains during deformation. They tested Taylor's6 theory of plastic deformation of face-centered-cubic metals in which deformation textures were predicted. About one-third of the grains in poly crystalline aluminum did not rotate as predicted. Grains of the same initial orientation were observed to rotate in different directions under the influence of applied stress and anisotropic flow of neighboring grains. Recently, the various inhomogeneities of flow of crystals in an aggregate have been studied7'8 and reviewed.9-11 Barrett and Levenson" rolled (001) [loo] iron single crystals inserted in close-fitting holes in copper to limit lateral flow and to simulate rolling of grains in an aggregate. Deformation bands were formed after a 90 pct reduction in thickness, and the cold-rolling texture contained two components described by rotating the (001)[100] about 35 deg in both directions around the normal of the rolling plane. No annealing textures were reported. Chen and Maddin13 rolled molybdenum single crystals initially (001) [loo]. The crystals were mounted between two hardened silicon-iron plates and 96 pct reduced in thickness by rolling at a low rate of reduction, about 0.0001 in. per pass. The deformation texture had the mean orientation of (001) [loo], and the azimuthal spread included orientations described by rotating (001) [loo] about 35 deg in both directions about the pole of the rolling plane. The presence of deformation bands were not reported by Chen and Maddin or detected in subsequent work of Ujiiye and Maddin.14 The ideal orientation of the annealing texture was (001) [loo]. Recently, Walter and Hibbard 15 reported on the textures of 3 pct Si-Fe alloy crystals initially near (001) [loo]. Each crystal was in an aggregate cut from a columnar ingot. After 66 pct reduction by rolling, the texture consisted of two symmetrical components which had the orientations described by rotating (001) [loo] about 30 deg in both directions about the pole of the rolling plane. Annealing texture was near (001) [loo]. In the above work, the textures of body-centered-cubic crystals were studied after rolling under the influence of constraints. The deformation textures varied from (001) [loo] to near the (001) [110] type and appeared sensitive to the manner in which the crystals were rolled. No textural data were available on the effect of rolling (001) [loo] crystals with and without constraints. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the influence of constraints during rolling on the textures of 3 pct Si-Fe crystals initially (001) [loo]. Rolling and annealing textures were studied for a) crystals rolled with no constraints at different rates of reduction, and b) crystals rolled with constraints imposed by neighboring grains and by plates between which a crystal was "sandwiched". PROCEDURES AND EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES Data are presented on four crystals which are representative of several crystals studied. The orientation of each crystal prior to rolling was (001) [loo] as determined by the Laue X-ray back-reflection method," i.e., each crystal had an (001) within 3 deg of the rolling plane and [100] within 3 deg of the rolling direction. These crystals were obtained from two iron-base alloys containing 3 pct Si by weight which were prepared by vacuum melting electrolytic iron and a commercial grade of silicon. Crystals 1, 2, and S-1 were cut from a large single crystal grown from the melt of one alloy by the Bridgman technique17 in an apparatus described by

Jan 1, 1960

By F. C. Bond

B. H. Bergstrom (Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co., Milwaukee)—In reading this article, it was difficult to follow through the example given as a starting point in the derivation of the theoretical equation which relates ball size to feed size. A discussion with F. C. Bond led to the following clarification: Bond postulates that "the breaking force exerted by a ball varies ... as the cube of its diameter . . ." and that the force in pounds per square inch required to break a particle varies ... as its diameter squared." He concludes: "It follows that when a l-in. ball breaks a 1-mm particle, a 2-in. ball will break a 4-mm particle, and a 3-in. ball a 9-mm particle." The above example can be true only for a different set of assumptions. Since the first assumption is apparently true, it is the second that must be revised. The second assumption should read that the breaking force required to break a particle varies as its diameter to the 3/2 power. This relationship was derived in the next paragraph of the article.

Jan 1, 1960

By Henry H. Ginsberg

The effectiveness of 0.01 pct. molybdenum, as ammonium molybdate impregnated on coal, on the hydrogenation of a high-volatile bituminous C coal at 8,000 p.s.i.g. and 460° to 480° C. has been studied in a pilot plant by the Federal Bureau of Mines. Under these conditions, the Bureau obtained 98 to 99 pct. conversion5/ of coal to liquids and gases at throughputs of 29 to 101 lb. of m.a.f. coal per cubic foot of reaction space per hour. At 460° C. the indicated yield of oil ranged from 63 pct. (based on m.a.f. coal) at a throughput of 35 lb./c.f.h. (pounds per cubic foot per hour) to 68.5 pct. at a throughput of 58 lb./c.f.h., and the yield of gaseous hydro-carbons ranged from 25.5 to 19 pct. at the same throughputs. The maximum measured yield of oil boiling under 325° C. was 47 pct.

Jan 1, 1960

By M. C. Smith, W. V. Green, D. M. Olsen

The creep-rupture behavior of commercial powder-metallurgy molybdenum rod is reported in the temperature range 1600" to 250O°C, at stresses up to 9000 psi and times up to 1 month. The effects of temperature, stress, and grain growth are discussed. Rupture time is fitted to the Larson-Miller parameter and compared to lower-temperature and higher-stress results reported by pugh.1 BECAUSE of its high melting point, molybdenum should retain useful strength to relatively high temperatures. Combined with its ready availability in the United States, this makes it attractive for many applications in missiles, rockets, and so forth—wherever its susceptibility to oxidation can be tolerated or overcome. The mechanical properties of molybdenum rod in the temperature range —200" to 1540°C have been reported by pugh,' Bechtold,' Parke,3 and Carriker and Guard.4 Madden and chen5 have measured the tensile properties of molybdenum single crystals in vacuum up to about 2500°C. As one further step in evaluating its mechanical usefulness, the constant-load creep-rupture properties of commercial powder-metallurgy molybdenum rod have been investigated in the range 1600" to 2500°C. MATERIAL TESTED Creep specimens were machined from 1/2-in. round commercial molybdenum rod, manufactured from powder by pressing, sintering, and swaging. Spectrochemical analysis of the rod showed "traces" (less than 0.01 pct) of silicon, aluminum, chromium, iron, and zirconium, and "faint traces" (less than 0.001 pct) of manganese, magnesium, cobalt, and nickel. Carbon content was 130 to 200 ppm, nitrogen was 110 to 180 ppm, and oxygen 30 to 35 ppm. A typical microstructure of the as-received rod is shown in Fig. 1. Room temperature tensile properties for five specimens strained at about 0.015 in. per in. per min are shown in Table I. CREEP SPECIMENS USED The specimens used for creep-rupture testing are illustrated in Fig. 2. The 1/4-in.-diam gage section was 3/4 in. long, and terminated at shoulders 5 mils high. These shoulders served as fiducial marks for optical strain measurements. Surface finish on the gage section was 16pin. r.m.s. One specimen, for a "long-time" test described below, was modified by dividing the 3/4-in. gage length into three 1/4-in. long sections with individual diameters of 0.250, 0.230, and 0.210 in., each terminating in a pair of fiducial shoulders. TESTING PROCEDURE The constant-load creep-testing machine used has been described by Smith, Olson, and Brown.6 In it the specimen is held vertically on the axis of a cylindrical tantalum or tungsten heater tube by threaded molybdenum or tungsten grips. Both specimen and grips are heated by radiation from the heater-tube, which is heated by its own electrical resistance. The bottom specimen grip is held at its lower end by a clevis pin. The testing load is applied to the specimen through the upper grip by means of hanging weights, a constant force-multiplication lever system, and a pull rod sealed to the chamber lid by a bellows. The incandescent specimen is viewed by an external optical system through slots in the heater-tube and radiation shielding, and an enlarged image of it is projected on a ground-glass screen. Gage-length measurements are made on this image with a pair of cathetometers. Thorium oxide coatings were applied to the threaded ends of most specimens, to prevent diffusion-welding of specimens to grips during testing. Without such a coating welding usually occurred, and grips were often broken by subsequent efforts to remove the tested specimens.

Jan 1, 1960

By Walter B. Lenhart

Introduction and Importance of the Industry Sand, as described in this chapter, is a crude product used for ballast on railroads and highways, and as the fine aggregate in concrete, mortar, plaster and in asphalt paving materials. The sand used in glass, as a molding sand, and as a source of silica is described in Chapter 43. Sand and gravel together constitute the mineral raw materials of largest volume produced from the earth. In 1958, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Mines,21 680,080,000 tons of sand and gravel (including industrial sand) were produced in the United States. The nearest competitor was crushed rock of which 532,818,000 tons were produced. Coal, both bituminous and anthracite accounted for only 431,616,689 tons in the same year. In dollar value, sand and gravel were exceeded only by cement, crushed rock and fuels. Hence it is a major unit of the mineral-producing industry. As an example, one plant in California operates around the clock at an average rate of 1,500 tons per hour, and at peak intervals has shipped over 4,000 tons per hour, all by trucks. Nevertheless, it is controlled by one man through a panel of push buttons that control the crushing, screening, washing, grading, stock piling, and reclaiming of the products. Because sand and gravel are low-valued commodities, but are used in every construction undertaking in every city, village, farm, dam and highway, they are produced in almost every county in the United States and southern Canada, by thousands of individual operators, very few of whom operate in more than one community. Many operations, particularly those established to supply the needs of major dams that are under construction, or of major segments of new highways, are temporary in nature, and the equipment installed is more or less portable. Because of the bulky nature of sand and gravel, there is very little interstate movement, and almost no exports or imports, except a little movement back and forth across the border of the United States and Canada. First, the material needs definition. Definitions Sand and gravel have been defined as continuously graded unconsolidated materials that appear in the earth's surface as a result of the natural disintegration of rocks. Both normally appear together, but in a wide variety of sizes, types and range of size classification. The American Society for Testing Materials has tentatively revised its definition of "sand" as: granular material passing the 3/8-in. sieve and almost entirely passing the No. 4 (4760-micron) sieve and predominantly retained on the No. 200 (74-micron) sieve, and resulting from natural disintegration and abrasion of rock or processing of completely friable sandstone (ASTM Designation C 58-55T). The Society's tentative revision of its definition of "gravel" is: granular material predominantly retained on the No. 4 (4760-micron) sieve and resulting from natural disintegration and abrasion of rock or processing of weakly bound conglomerate (ASTM 125-55T). Sand and gravel deposits contain materials from the finest silt to the largest boulders. Chemical definition of the two materials is nearly impossible. Sand and gravel always are

Jan 1, 1960

By D. Krammer, E. S. Machlin

The effect of a brior high-temperature creep strain on the low-temperature ductility of commercially pure nickel has been evaluated. The low-temperature (-196°C) ductility decreases linearly with an increase in prior high-temperature (920°C) creep strain. The effect is experimentally correlated to the formation of inter crystalline cracks and voids during the prior high-temperature creep strain. The magnitude of the effect is also believed to be a function of the notch sensitivity of the material. SEVERAL mechanisms have been presented to explain the process of inter crystalline cracking in metals undergoing high-temperature creep. zenerl has suggested that grain boundary relaxation of shear stresses could build up high stresses at ob- stacles to grain boundary shear and thereby nucleate a crack. Chang and rant' have experimentally demonstrated that cracks do form at obstacles to grain boundary shear such as lines where three grains meet. The role of vacancies in the mechanism of high-temperature inter crystalline cracking has been explored by Machlt with the conclusion that the nu-cleation of voids by vacancy condensation is almost

Jan 1, 1960

By L. Adler

Any design of a mine roof in bedded deposits which ignores differential deflections at the supports can quickly lead to dangerous overstressing. As illustrated by the typical case presented on page 1029, if one support deflects only 0.1 in. more than its neighbor, stresses 50 pct higher than anticipated will result. Previous studies1-3 have assumed that the mine roof acts like a beam clamped at both ends, with no deflection or slope' at the supports (Fig. 1). Essentially this assumes:5* ?A = ?, = ?b and dA = dB = 0. However, a host of conditions can cause differential sag or deflection at one support, and even an apparently trivial deviation can have major consequences in the beam: variations in spacing, size, and material of supports; local settlement due to floor heaving or lower mine openings; non-uniformity in wedging or bolt tensioning.8 In one particular instance concrete pillars, poured in place, shrank away from the roof upon setting.' When understood and controlled, differential sag becomes a definite advantage, permitting the transfer of loads from one support to another. Where one support is a bolt or prop and the other a pillar or rib, the load on the former can be reduced while the load on the pillar or rib is increased. This means two things: 1) savings can be effected by using smaller artificial supports such as props and bolts and 2) loads can be increased in the rib to induce eventual failure for longwall caving. In this last respect, another factor underlying coal bumps becomes understandable. The design of a mine roof by beam theory assumes that when a bedded formation is homogeneous, iso-tropic, and elastic, it will act like a uniformly loaded beam, fixed or clamped at both ends,6 s in Fig. 1.'" These are important assumptions. The uniform load is the weight of the beam itself or its body load. For a beam of unit width, this load becomes per foot: w = yhb. w = uniform load y = specific weight, lb per ft3 h = depth or thickness of beam, ft b = width of beam, ft Since b = 1, w - yh [ 1 ] A beam fixed at both supports is statically indeterminate to the second degree, that is, two equations in addition to those for static equilibrium are required to determine the reactions at the supports. These equations result from the geometry. From statistics: ^F,= 0;RA + RB — wL = 0 [2] wU S,M0 = 0 ; MB H------------MA — RBL = 0 [3] it Using superposition in which the left support is kept intact and the right one resolved into an active force and moment, we obtain from Fig. 2:" ?b = ?m + ? b2 + ?B3 = 0 dB = dB1 + dB2 + dB3 / wU Ma RBL \ V d°=(-r+-2—r)-zr [5] Where: Subscripts refer to position on axis of beam R = force, lb M = moment, ft-lb w = uniformly distributed load, lb per ft L = span, ft 0 = slope, radians d = deflection, ft E = Young's Modulus, lb per ft" 1 = Moment of inertia about the neutral axis, ft4 Solving Eqs. 2 through 5 for the four unknown reactions, we obtain: 2 L3 Fig. 3 is obtained by plotting MA and M, vs d, and then plotting RA and R, vs d, and adjusting their scales to coincide with MA and M, vs d,. It should be noted in Eqs. 6 and 7 that as dB increases, MA increases the same amount that Mn decreases. Eqs. 8 and 9 show a similar relationship between RA and R,. Proof that MA is the maximum absolute moment occurring in the beam is as follows: where M, = moment at x wx-When where M,., = maximum positive moment Eqs. 6 and 8 into above: For small dn: MA> M,,,

Jan 1, 1960

By Paul T. Allsman

SCIENTIFIC inquiries concerning phenomena that may influence mining technology were widely publicized during the year. The deep-hole drilling project "Moho," 3 the use of nuclear explosives underground, and the recovery of minerals from the depths of the sea became subjects of scientific and general discussion. The mining industry continued to watch these developments with keen interest: but its more immediate concern was the increasing tempo of competition between mineral commodities, the domestic producers of these commodities, and foreign sources of supply. The competitive situation has intensified the industry's efforts to develop more efficient new mining methods, as well as to improve the efficiency of present practices. The attitude of the industry was well illustrated by rapidly expended use of low-cost ammonium nitrate explosives, the establishment of rigid schedules for equipment maintenance, and close attention to the detailed costs of production. The complexity of planning a new coal mine is aptly illustrated by the editors of Mechanization in the April 1959 Issue, in which they outline the cost of developing a mine and the various problems, factors, and decisions involved.4

Jan 1, 1960

By John C. Machisak

THIS CHAPTER reports employment data and injury experience in the metal, nonmetal, quarrying, sand and gravel, and slag (iron blast furnace) industries of the United States in 1959. Each industry is treated separately, and no attempt has been made to combine data to show an overall total for this group of mineral industries. The slag canvass is included for the first time (data on employment and injuries were not collected before 1958), and, like other canvasses included in this chapter, data are voluntary. Employment and injury experience for all mineral industries can be found in volume III. The employment and injury information in this chapter came from reports submitted to the Bureau of Mines before May 31, 1960; therefore, figures are preliminary and subject to revision. Voluntary reports submitted by operators have contributed substantially to safety promotion since 1911, when the Federal Bureau of Mines started collecting employment and injury facts.

Jan 1, 1960

Information from bores in the LatTobe Valley has been accumulating for over fifty years, and the manual extraction of details has become a limiting factor in their use.Punched card equipment, installed by the State Electricity Commission for accounting purposes, was known to be available for reasonable periods, and it was suggested that this could help in the extraction of data from the voluminous records.Investigation showed that they could be substantially duplicated on cards, with consequent gains on many operations; the cards being regarded as an auxiliary to the existing records.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF RECORDSAs a bore is drilled a continuous record of the strata is kept, together with notes on the presence of water or any unusual features which the driller may observe.When coal is struck, samples of each ten feet are usually sent for analysis.The location and surface level of each bore is fixed by surveyors, and details of dates and methods of drilling are also kept.Bores are allocated numbers, prefixed by the name of the parish within which they are drilled. Numbers are allocated in conjunction with the Department of Mines, to avoid duplication.Records of strata and analyses are kept in folders, with 100 bore numbers per folder.Standard plans are drawn, showing the locations, bore numbers and surface levels. For each bore they also show the depth and thickness of coal struck, and the total depth drilled.Cross sections are then drawn, connecting the various coal seams, which have been identified by the geologist.

Jan 1, 1960

By D. C. McLean

Early studies in the carbonate leaching of uranium ores led to the investigation of pressure leaching as a method to enhance the dissolution of the metal values in this system. The initial investigations conducted at the University of British Columbia supplemented by the work done by the group at the A.E.C. Grand Junction pilot plant, all established the higher efficiency and better economics of the alkaline pressure leaching system. This work was conducted either in laboratory autoclaves using oxygen overpressures, or in pilot plant sized horizontal autoclaves with air as an oxidant. Both of these testing vehicles utilized agitation provided by relatively high speed impellers (300 to 700 rpm), which apparently enhanced the oxidation of the uranium to the hexavalent state. The installation of vertical autoclaves on a production scale, which through design considerations require relatively slow agitator speeds (68 rpm), led to the studies of the utilization efficiency of the air addition and the use of catalytic type oxidants to effect a greater usage of the oxygen added through the aeration system. In addition to investigating the effects of the chemical additives, studies were also conducted on the effect of different impeller configurations on the extraction of uranium, which in itself is a measure of oxidation efficiency. The material presented in this paper was compiled in the Ambrosia Lake district of New Mexico, and the majority of the data was obtained in the Homestake- Sapin Partners mill, located at Grants, New Mexico.

Jan 1, 1960

By George G. Reed

Approximately 200 samples of iron ores and other iron- bearing materials have been tested for amenability to treatment by the R-N process in bench scale laboratory work. Twelve large lots, ranging in size from 900 net tons to 18,500 net tons, but generally 3,000 to 4,000 tons each, have been processed in the R-N demonstration plant. The ores tested in the demonstration plant ranged from 27 to 70 percent iron content and gave excellent results. (1) The demonstration plant has a nominal daily capacity of 50 tons of high quality iron briquettes and has now operated for over five years. A continuing program of process improvement is carried on between demonstration on potential licenses ores. An important development is the complete elimination of any secondary products which, in the past (2,3,4,5), resulted from treatment of certain low-grade ores.

Jan 1, 1960