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By Raymond Mancha

"Conventional" coal dryers really do not exist. What we really mean to say is that there are many and varied kinds of coal dryers -- and the "air handling problem" is really the only portion of it which has been approached for solution by conventional methods. It now appears that these conventional methods need supplementing by some new, relatively unconventional apparatus. In order to approach this matter with mutual understanding, here is a quick survey of the coal drying art. Figure #1 shows a McNally Pittsburgh Pulso Dryer, In the McNally Pulso Dryer, the coal is fed-onto the screen by a rotary feeder assuring even distribution of the coal. As the coal travels forward due to the action of the screen, it is subjected to a controlled pulsating flow of hot gases. T ese originate below the deck and are directed up through the moving bed of coal. Fines sifting through the deck are dried in the hopper below the screen as they fall through the hot gases to an evacuation screw. The coal remaining on the screen is dried to the desired degree when it reaches the discharge end. At this point, it is directed down into the evacuation screw to combine with the fines, or it may be discharged as a separate product. As the coal travel down the screen, it is subjected to intermittent upward currents of hot gases. These first distend the bed allowing the gases to come into intimate contact with the coal particles for rapid and efficient heat transfer. Then, as the flow of gas is cut off, the bed settles and the extreme fines sift through the screen preventing their being carried away into the exhaust system.

Jan 1, 1958

By Arvid E. Anderson

The paper describes the unique operating features of the Lebanon Concentrator Plant wherein both magnetic concentration and froth flotation are used. Chalcopyrite is selectively floated by the use of dual collectors, Aerofloats and secondary butyl xanthate. Both potassium ethyl xanthate and sodium isopropyl xanthate (dual collectors) are dissolved and emulsified with pine oil for the flotation of the pyrite. Sketches describing the plant operations are presented and plant operating metallurgical results obtained are also given. The optimum production of minerals by the froth flotation process is normally achieved [ ] smooth operating conditions, The process, because of its many variables, becomes an art as well as a science. Therefore, any phase of the operation which will aid the operator in his control of the numerous variables will help produce a smoother operating plant, One of the most important variables which the operator deals with is the addition of reagents, These are usually costly items and should be used discretely with minimum amount of waste, The danger is that ,this emphasis may reduce the reagent amount to a point below that required, or, on the other hand an excessive amount is added, Both conditions usually yield poor results. The drea of the metallurgist is to provide the operator with the tools enabling him to produce a good mineralized froth at all times. Normally the operator has no control concerning the type of reagents which he must use. This has usually been worked out for him in the laboratory and by plant-scale tests. He does have limited authority to control the amounts of the reagents at his disposal. This, I believe, is as it should be. However, the operator should be provided with the best combination of reagents for his particular job. The providing of this combination of reagents for his particular job, The providing of this combination is often difficult, yet it is very important in order to yield good results, With this in mind, the dual collector idea was introduced for the selective flotation of chalcopyrite, and also later for the flotation of pyrite at the Concentrator Plant of the Bethlehem Cornwall Corporation in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Supplying several types of collectors has given the operator an additional effective tool, even though great variations are encountered in ore tonnage treated and in ore composition, This paper deals with the use of the dual collectors and with the addition of the reagents in the form of a pine oil emulsion, or more accurately, a pine oil suspension. It is hoped that other operators may find the ideas helpful. There does not seem, to me, to be definite scientific fact which would substantiate the necessity for the use of dual collectors. However, in actual operations, the metallurgical results at Lebanon became more uniform with the use of dual collectors, I look upon it as an "insurance policy" which greatly aids the operator during those periods when he is having trouble, One theory has been advanced, i.e. one collector has a greater tendency to float the coarser minerals, whereas the other one may float the finer ones. Consequently, a combination of the two collectors will result in optimum recoveries, There has been some evidence that this is true, but it is not conclusive, on the other hand, the use of a xanthate-pine oil suspension (or emulsion) should speed up the surface reaction of the collector with the sulfide minerals, result¬ing in more uniform flotation, This has definitely happened in our particular case. A more interesting unexplainable observation has also occurred; i.e., the xanthate solution does not appear to lose its strength as rapidly when it is in the form of an emulsion (or suspension), This was first observed when a 50 gallon drum of a 20% ethyl xanthate solution was taken to Wilmington, Delaware, for a laboratory test, using a homogenizer to produce the xanthate-pine oil emulsion. Upon arrival, the drum of xanthate had developed a considerable internal pressure, The relief of this pressure was accompanied by a strong odor, When the emulsion was returned to Lebanon for the plant test orders were issued to release the pressure prior to emptying the emulsion. Nopressure had developed within the drum and there was no unusual odor present, Since this time it has been observed that xanthate pine oil suspensions have greatly decreased the possible decomposition of the xanthate solutions. In fact, suspensions have been exposed for more than a month without apparently effecting their reactions in the flotation plant. On the other hand, we found that the regularly mixed concentrated xanthate solutions, after standing for several days, did not give the same results as the freshly made ones. This effect was greatly reduced by the use of xanthate pine oil suspension (or emulsion)

Jan 1, 1958

By George W. Crawford, W. P. Aycock, E. W. Hough

Forty oilfield brines have been examined so far by a polarographic technique new in petroleum engineering called the "tensatnmetric method" by the team of biochemists who perfected its use in their field. Samples of brine were obtained from various oil fields in which the wells were known to be producing fluid from oil productive zones in well-known geologic formations. Most of the reservoirs from which the samples were obtained are believed to have an active water drive under the prevailing conditions of operation. The 40 samples represent brines produced front 16 different formations of various geologic ages. Graphs have been prepared of the data obtained in the testing of each sample, and the distinctive waife-like curves so obtained are characterized by reproducible profiles, called "response curves." Careful comparison of the response curves of salt water coming from different fields producing from the same geologic formation reveals that the curves are similar. The response curves of salt water coming from productive zones of different geologic formations are characteristically different. Preliminary work offers the further hope that response curves of an oilfield brine indigenous to a particular oil-bearing formation and hence representative of a particular geologic environment, such as deposit-ional and all subsequent morphological conditions, may be of value in reservoir engineering in the interpretation of surface and interfacial phenomena. For example, the wettability of the rock matrix and more specifically, the classification of productive oil-bearing strata as hydrophyllic or hydrophobic may be determinable. However, many more brines must be examined and the resulting response curves analyzed in comparison to known causal phenornena before this objective is achieved. INTRODUCTION One of the perennial moot questions in the literature of petroleum engineering is whether the reservoir rock is oil- or water-wet. Possibly an answer to this question could come from a careful examination of oilfield brines. None of the conventional methods of examining brines (chemical analysis, pH and electrical conductivity measurements, and the like) answer the question. Careful analysis of reservoir behavior observed in the exploitation of oil fields, particularly in the application of fluid injection, has been fruitful to the extent that a few reservoirs are believed to be properly classified. Physical chemistry suggests the behavior of reservoir brine and rock may be due to something in the brine in small amount. The ever increasing development and modification of theory in the general field of surface and interfacial chemistry has, and is, contributing to a better understanding of the problem, particularly as theory is verified by data. The work herein reported was begun in 1953 by Hough and Roebuck 1,2 who employed a new form of alternating current polarography, i.e., tensammetry, developed by Breyer, et a13,4 and who studied eight oilfield brines in adapting tensammetry to petroleum engineering needs. THEORY AND DEFINITIONS Tensammetry is a new technique of inquiry into surface phenomena. Specifically, a weak alternating current voltage is superimposed upon the direct current voltage applied to a dropping mercury electrode in contact with an electrolyte containing a small amount of a surfactant. The resultant alternating current can be measured and provides the experimental data for this new area of research. Under the influence of the direct current voltage, polar molecules arrange themselves in a double layer at the electrode. This double layer may be compared to a variable condenser, the capacitance of which is a function of the imposed direct current voltage. The direct current voltage determines the degree of adsorption of the surface active molecule on the electrode. Whenever the molecules are strongly adsorbed on the electrode, the capacitance of the double layer is low and the alternating current through the cell is low. Desorption occurs at some values of the direct current voltage, and at these voltages the capacitance of the double layer is high, resulting in an increase in the alternating current through the cell. The direct current

Jan 1, 1958

By Alex Stewart

Most iron bearing ores treated by the R=N Direct Reduction Process yield products lower in phosphorus than the initial ores. The sulfur is also removed and generally is in the range of 0.02 to 0.05 percent in the final R=N product, independent of the sulfur content of both the ore and carbon fuel used. The mechanism and thermodynamic justification of the principal reactions leading to the removal of both phosphorus and sulfur and the control of sulfur in the iron concentrate produced are discussed and supported by the results of laboratory experiments. In substantially all iron ores (containing up to 4% sulfur as sulfate) and solid carbon fuels (containing sulfur from 1 to 8%) tested, the rejection of sulfur has been in the order of 90-95%, with not more than 0.02 0.05% sulfur in the final metallic iron product. With respect to phosphorus-bearing iron ores ranging up to 0.70% P205, the rejection to tailings has been in the order of 70-95%, resulting in not more than 0.03 - 0.07% phosphorus in the final product.

Jan 1, 1958

By John Chipman, Helen Towers

DEVELOPMENT of a simple radioactive tracer technique for measurement of the diffusion coefficient of calcium ion in liquid slag has already been reported. The investigation was of a preliminary nature designed to explore the possibilities of using radioactive isotopes and to establish a method, and no great accuracy was claimed for the results. It was shown, however, that Ca15 could be used successfully, and the values obtained for the diffusion coefficient appeared to be of the right order of magnitude. However, it was considered that a better technique could be devised for carrying out the diffusion. The experiments were, therefore, continued to find a more accurate method, to check the calcium results, and to extend the investigation to include measurements of the diffusion coefficient of silicon in the same slag. There were two flaws in the original technique. Convection was the cause of too many failures, and the interface between the two slags in the diffusion cell was curved rather than plane, probably due to a surface tension effect caused by the addition of the tracer Ca45 in the form of chloride. Two methods of overcoming these defects were tried. Since it was planned to study diffusion of the short-lived isotope Si"' also, the development of methods was restricted to those which gave promise of being reasonably rapid. Method 1—The principle was identical to that previously used with respect to the diffusion conditions, but there were three differences in technique. Temperature control was more rigid, the tracer was added to the slag as Ca45O rather than the chloride and, finally, an effort was made to translate to high temperatures the elegant method developed by Cohen and BruinV or bringing together the two liquid layers and beginning the diffusion. A master slag was melted in graphite, ground to a fine powder, and analyzed (38.5 pct Ca0-20.9 pct Al2O3-40.5 pct SiO2). The tracer was received as Ca45C12 in an aqueous solution of CaC12 + HC1. From this, calcium oxalate was precipitated, ignited to calcium oxide, and added as such to the slag to give an activity of approximately 5 µc per g. The mixture was then melted into the form of a cylinder 3/16 in. diam and about 1 in. long. A solution identical to the tracer solution without Ca45 was given exactly the same treatment. The resulting Ca40O was mixed with that slag which was to form the tracer-free half of the diffusion cell, and this was likewise melted into a cylinder of the same size. Slag cylinders, two with and two without Ca15, were set in graphite blocks as shown in Fig. 1, and the crucible was lowered into position in the fur-

Jan 1, 1958

By T. W. Hunter

THE TOTAL production of energy in the United States in 1954 decreased 4.6 percent below 1953. The production of coal continued to decline, and the production of crude oil decreased for the first time since 1949. These decreases were partly offset by an increase in the production of natural gas. The total energy production of 35,365 trillion B. t. u. in 1954 was the lowest since 1950. [ ] This drop in energy production was consistent with the 1.1-percent decline in gross national product during the year-from 364.5 billion dollars in 1953 to 360.5 billion in 1954.

Jan 1, 1958

By Ellis H. Gates

BENEFICIATION of the manganese oxide ores at Three Kids Mine near Henderson, Nev., has evolved over a period of years. Commercial application of the process is on a secure basis, and an effective working hypothesis has been formulated to help solve the problems encountered in flotation. An outstanding difference between the Manganese Inc. operation and other flotation processes is the necessity for high recovery of slime mineral values. Part of the manganese minerals in the Three Kids ore deposit occurs as primary slime or as minerals that are easily slimed by grinding. High recovery of this slime portion is essential to an economic overall manganese recovery. The aim of much of the research at Manganese Inc. was to recover these slimed and finely ground minerals by flotation. Early Agglomeration Processes: Tunbridge' in 1880, followed by Everson2 in 1886 and Cattermole" in 1904, discovered that under certain pulp conditions precious metals and sulfide minerals could be agglomerated if enough soap or oil were mixed into the pulp slurry. These agglomerated particles, Which under ideal conditions ranged from 1/16 to 1/4 in. diam, were recovered by screening, tabling, and hydraulic classification. Even flotation by air occluded in the agglomkrate particles by vigorous stirring was suggested. Cattermole nearly succeeded in getting his process into commercial operation, but it was finally abandoned, presumably because he could nat compete with the low reagent requirements of the new agitation froth process. Since Cattermole's time Christensen in 1921, Borcherdt4 in 1926, and Chapman and Littleford- in 1934 have attempted to apply the principles of agglomeration. In the light of current research at Manganese Inc. on conditioning of pulp at high energy input levels, it is interesting to note the variety of equipment such as tumbling mills, mixing drums, and shakers described by Borcherdt in his patent to produce the agglomerated particles. Ore Characteristics: Manganese in the Three Kids ore occurs as a 'complex mixture of manganese oxides commonly Known as wad. The manganese minerals have Been identified as psilorflelane, hollandite, coronadite, and pyrolusite with minor amdunts of rhodonite and rhodochrbsite. The ppincipal gangue miherals are quaktz, opal, kaolinite, montmoril-lonite, calcite, gypsum, fcelesitite, and barite. Most of the mangandse ore minerals are either porous and sponge-like in structure or soft clay-like masses composed of fine grained mineral particles approaching the size range of colloids. Consequently the ore minerals from the Three Kids mine have relatively large surface areas and high void content per unit weight. The specific area of various manganese ore samples measured at the California Research Corp. laboratories ranged from 32 to 58 sq m per g. The great surface area and high void content explains in part the unusually high reagent consumption required in the treatment of this ore. Current Milling Practice: At Henderson6 he ore is crushed to —1 in. and ground with rod mills in a closed circuit with spiral rake classifiers and cyclones. Sulfur dioxide solution is added to the pulp as it leaves the grinding circuit, immediately followed by addition of a reagent mixture of soap, oil, and wetting agent in the form of an emulsion. The reagents are initially well mixed into the pulp during their passage through centrifugal pumps to the conditioning equipment. All reagents are added prior to conditioning. The intense conditioning or mechanical stirring of the pulp, in which large amounts of power are consumed, is the principal difference between the flowsheet used at Manganese Inc. and a standard flotation circuit. As much as 38 kw-hr of energy per dry short ton of ore in a pulp containing 18 to 23 pct solids is used for conditioning. After conditioning, the pulp passes to a flotation circuit that consists of one roughing stage, a scav-

Jan 1, 1958

By L. C. Brichta

During a study of the Badger-Peacock area from October 1950 to June 1953, the Federal Geological Survey and the Federal Bureau of Mines completed nearly 98 miles of resistivity profiling and drilled 96 test holes aggregating 17,628 feet of bore, In addition, seismic profile measurements were made along 8 traverse lines for an aggregate length of about 16,600 feet. The geophysical surveys were conducted by the Geophysics Branch of the Geological Survey; the drilling was done by the Bureau of Mines. Electrical-resistivity measurements disclosed 21 low-resistivity anomalies and 1 high-resistivity anomaly. Correlation of the resistivity data with the geological information revealed by the drilling disclosed that the low-resistivity anomalies indicated either slumped shale deposits in limestone sinks or undisturbed deposits of shale lying in erosional depressions in the limestone. The high-resistivity anomaly indicated hard, undisturbed limestone at or near the surface.

Jan 1, 1958

By A. L. Slaughter

A mineral deposit has been discovered and explored sufficiently to establish the presence of ore in ?commercially marketable quantities," This is the point at which exploration ends and development begins, Of course, when the presence of commercially marketable quantities of ore are thought to be present the deposit had to be evaluated before this decision could be reached. If, on the other hand, it was thought that commercially marketable quantities of ore are not present, either more exploration has to be done or the project must be abandoned. It is this decision with which this paper is concerned, more particularly, the influencing factors behind this decision. The final question to be answered is: what profit can my company reasonably expect to make by developing this property and putting it into production? The answer must be expressed as a figure for final profit per ton, money which can be used to pay dividends or to build up cash reserves. Some acquisition cost has probably been paid and the exploration cost incurred at the time of decision, (abandonment or development). In addition to returning these acquisition and exploration costs, the deposit must pay development, mining, milling, capital expense of new plants and equipment, taxes, and various other related costs.

Jan 1, 1958

By G. P. Richards

RIP is the process of recovering uranium from an unclarified slime pulp which comes in contact with a moving bed of ion exchange resin, T e sand-slime separation of the acid-leach slurry is accomplished through the use of cyclones and spiral, akins type classifiers. Course sands are discarded to tailings and the combined slimes and leach liquor become the IX feed. Uranium in the IX feed is absorbed on the resin and after exhaustion the barren pulp is directed to tails, Following the uranium exhaustion cycle an eluant solution passes through the resin bed stripping the uranium from the beads, The uranium is precipitated from the clarified pregnant eluant, filtered, dried and packaged for shipment to the AEC, Normally, the ore received at the Mines Development plant is a loosely cemented sandstone containing small quantities of clay and bentonite, The ore is easily crushed and requires only a 1/3 load of rods in the rod mill to reduce the ore to grain size, Very little of the ore is recirculated by the 42" spiral classifier.

Jan 1, 1958

By H. I. Aaronson, S. M. Kaufman, G. M. Pound

WHETHER the carbides associated with bainite precipitate from the ferritic component of bainite, as originally suggested by Davenport and Bain, or from the adjacent austenite at aus-tenite:ferrite boundaries, as proposed by Hultgren, 2 remains in dispute.3-5 A recent metallographic investigation in this laboratory has shown that the bainitic carbides formed in a plain carbon hypo-eutectoid steel nucleate entirely within ferrite at higher reaction temperatures3 and in both ferrite and austenite at lower temperatures." The present investigation was undertaken to ascertain the effects of alloying elements on the nucleation sites selected by bainitic carbides. The compositions of the steels studied were as shown in Table I. Specimens of these steels were

Jan 1, 1958

By E. S. Davenport

IT is indeed an honor and a responsibility to have been selected to present the thirty-fourth in this series of Henry Marion Howe lectures, established to perpetuate the memory of a great teacher and one of America's outstanding scientists. Previous Howe lecturers have established high standards for this annual AIME event. It has been my good fortune to have enjoyed close association with five of these former lecturers; namely, Bain, Grossmann, Johnston, Sosman, and Vilella, all of whom have been prominently identified with the research activities of the organization with which I am connected. Some years ago I had an opportunity to examine a letter written by Professor Howe in 1904. This document was particularly interesting to me since I never had the privilege of personal acquaintance with Professor Howe and do not recall even having seen him during his long and active career. In view of the fact that the letter dealt, to some extent, with matters related to the subject of today's lecture, I would like to quote briefly from it. The letter is datelined, "Bad Kissingen, June 11, 1904." The salutation reads, "Dear Bradley," which suggests that it was probably addressed to Bradley Stoughton, who, I believe, was working with Howe at Columbia University at that time. The letter reads, in part, as follows: "Austenite and Martensite. I have not examined what Osmond says in his new book. His former remarks about austenite I found very confusing, indeed unintelligible. I think we can reconcile matters well enough for the present by assuming that martensite is a transition step between austenite at one end and ferrite and cementite at the other. Above critical range for steel of 0 to 1.80 carbon, austenite is normal state; below Ar1, ferrite and cementite are normal." The letter then continues with a discussion of Osmond's ideas on metallographic nomenclature, particularly his use of the terms martensite, troostite, and sorbite, including the following pointed comment: "For common purposes it seems to me unwise to drag them in, and much simpler to confine ourselves to the end stages Austenite Ferrite plus Cementite Osmond does not really know his own mind— or does not clarify his ideas to others—as to nomenclature." Thus we see that, as far back as 1904, the transformation of austenite, and the products of that

Jan 1, 1958

By D. W. Fuerstenau, J. H. Brown

The paper by Professors Sun and Mitchell illustrates the value of ultrasonics as a tool for the mineral engineer. In particular, it opens up a number of possibilities to those interested in the field of comminution. The provision of desliming technique, which is thorough as well as rapid, is a distinct contribution, but the data of the paper suggest applications beyond desliming, in that the same treatments may be useful for size determination purposes. Fig. 1 shows that a marked dependence exists between particle size and the height to which it can be elevated by ultrasonic vibrations. While the curves are only extended down to a size of about 100 u, the fact that they appear to be increasing in slope in this range suggests that the separation may be even more marked here. This, we feel, is very strong evidence that a nlethod for fine sizing could be developed to use ultrasonic waves as the separating force. Professors Sun and Mitchell indicate that floccula-ti~n will present no difficulty: "During the investigation it was found that ultrasonic waves were able to dislodge the adhering gangue particles from the min- era1 surfaces and to disintegrate the soft particles into fine sizes." Thus, it appears that the use of ultrasonic waves as the power behind a size separation process may eliminate the problem of flocculation encountered in most wet sizing techniques. It would be interesting to size a fine material under conditions in which particles are known to be flocculated and under conditions where they are known to be dispersed. Use of a sizing technique of this nature may solve several problems that have long persisted in the fine sizing field. The flocculation problem may be overcome; the continuous production of closely sized fractions may be possible with a device similar to the one described; and with photoelectric methods, rapid analyses in the subsieve sizes may be possible. In general, we suggest that this paper be followed by a study of the sizing applications of the apparatus described. We feel that such a study would not only be rewarding in providing a new sizing technique, but also that the present paper almost requires such work to complete the picture of particle motion in a field of ultrasonic waves.

Jan 1, 1958

By William L. Russell

A new instrument for measuring bulk and grain vol-urnes is described, and compared in accuracy with two modifications of Nutting's method, All three methods are reasonably fast, and in all three the probable error in the determinations of bulk volume can be kept down to about 0.1 to 0.2 per cent. INTRODUCTION The new pycnometer described in this paper is designed to give speed without sacrificing accuracy. Some time ago Russell1 described a somewhat similar appa-ratus; however, the instrument described in the present paper is more accurate. Nutting' designed the pycnom-eter shown in Fig. 1 (A and B), and Pirson3 has shown points like those of Fig. 1-D. The procedure described in this paper for using Nutting's pycnometer has been modified from that used by Nutting. CHOICE OF LIQUIDS The best liquids for measuring grain volumes are hydrocarbons or chlorinated hydrocarbons which evaporate slowly. Trimethylbenzene or mesitylene, triethylben-zene, carbon tetrachloride, and tertalin have been used for this purpose. Any of these liquids or mercury may be used for measuring bulk volume. PREVENTING ERRORS DUE TO INVASION OF LIQUID Errors due to the invasion of the porous, permeable bulk samples by the liquid of measurement may be prevented or greatly reduced by using mercury, by applying an impervious coating, or by soaking the bulk samples in the liquid of measurement until bubbles cease issuing from them. Errors are produced only by the invasion of the samples which occurs between movement when the samples are weighed in air and the moment the weight of liquid displaced by the sample in the pycnometer is determined. No error is produced by varying degrees of filling of the pore space of the samples by the liquid of measurement. The excess liquid should be wiped from the samples immediately before the weight in air W1, is determined, and they should be placed in the pycnometers immediately. OPERATION OF NEW INSTRUMENT The new pycnometer is shown in Fig. 2. It consists of two glass parts which fit together at a ground glass joint. The spaces J and D are connected by fine glass tubes E, and the space J must be larger than the space D by at least the volume of the largest sample to be tested. The projections H afford a grip for twisting when the two parts tend to stick together. The position of the sample in mercury is shown by I, and in other liquids by M. F is a permanent mark on the glass, and G is a tem-Some marker. In order to determine the position at which G should be placed, invert the instrument so that A is at the bottom, and fill space D. Place the cub K

Jan 1, 1958

By Nicholas J. Grant, Oliver Preston

PUBLICATION of data by Irmann' indicating outstanding thermal stability and elevated-temperature strength properties in a sintered aluminum powder product (SAP) stimulated interest in the strengthening of metals by means of a highly dispersed oxide phase. This material was produced by compacting, sintering and extruding a fine flake aluminum powder, resulting in a dense product containing 10 to 16 volume pct alumina, which arises from the thin oxide film on the starting powder, highly dispersed in a matrix of pure aluminum. The method of producing SAP, and the stable high-temperature properties obtained from it, introduced the possibility of developing superior materials for high-temperature service by powder metallurgy methods. The composition of the materials of this type which are presently under consideration is predominantly metallic, containing from less than 1 pct up to about 20 volume pct of the oxide. As a result, other properties of these materials, such as electrical and thermal conductivity, thermal shock resistance, and to a certain extent ductility, notch sensitivity, machinability and hot working properties, are also predominantly metallic. These alloys do not constitute, therefore, a completely new class of materials as do the cermets, but rather present a new means of modifying the properties of a metallic matrix. In this sense, SAP type alloys are more closely analogous to the alloy aging systems. While the strength properties realized in the oxide-pure metal systems at the lower temperatures are substantially less than the best attainable in the aging systems, the thermal instabilities in the latter make them of less value for use at temperature much above their optimum aging temperatures, as indicated in Fig. 1. While the means of obtaining an oxide dispersion are more difficult and costly than conventional aging processes, in the light of the as yet limited understanding of such systems there is considerable promise of improved high temperature properties arising from the thermal stability of these structures. Since the development of SAP in 1946, its properties and the properties of a series of similarAl,O,-A1 products containing from about 1 to 20 pct aluminum oxide have been fairly extensively studied and reported.'- "articular attention has been given to

Jan 1, 1958

By V. Gregoire

THE DEVELOPMENT by the Iron Ore Company of Canada of the Quebec-Labrador mining project, which eventually led to 'Iron Ore in 1954', involved, from the start, several distinct undertakings. Among them, the most important were: The construction of a 360-mile railway, linking Knob Lake with Seven Islands. The erection of a railway terminal, and harbour facilities, at Seven Islands itself. The building of an entire townsite at Schefferville (formerly Knob Lake) The construction of two hydroelectric plants; and, finally, The development of a sufficient number of orebodies to enable a production of 10 to 15 million tons of ore a year. Since these phases of the project have already been the subject of previous discussions, this paper will not elaborate further on them but will rather concern itself with a brief outline of the Company's current mining practices.

Jan 1, 1958

By Joseph A. DeCarlo

For the first time the Bureau of Mines is combining, in one report, comprehensive tabulations on both beehive and slot-type ovens. This publication presents statistical data on the number and capacity of all such coke ovens in the United States on December 31, 1957. Combining data on both types of ovens should prove helpful to those interested in keeping abreast of the latest changes in carbonizing capacity, particularly since the coke has similar properties and uses. Annual reports furnished to the Bureau of Mines by coke-oven operators shared that 78 oven-coke plants were operating in 22 States on December 31, 1957. This was a decline of one plant from December 31, 1956, as the Republic Steel Corp. took the ovens at Canton, Ohio, out of production on December 17, 1957, for dismantling and rebuilding in 1958. Total oven-coke capacity was 80,299,400 tons in 1957.

Jan 1, 1958

By I. F. Avery

The productive capacity of natural-gasoline and cycling plants in the United States on January 1, 1958, was 48.8 million gallons per day, according to the Bureau of Mines biennial survey. This represented an increase of 2.4 million gallons per day during the 2-year period since the last survey. In the previous 2-year period, capacity had increased 7.5 million gallons per day. The major increase in operating capacity occurred in Texas and New Mexico. In New Mexico, capacity increased 43 percent. The total number of plants decreased from 600 on January 1, 1956, to 584 on January 1, 1958. The number of operating plants decreased from 571 to 558. Five new plants were completed in Colorado, increasing the number of operating plants from 7 to 12.

Jan 1, 1958

By W. A. Krivsky, R. Schuhmann

PREVIOUS papers in this series on the thermo-•t dynamics of copper-smelting systems have presented a survey of the field and an outline of the overall program: thermodynamic studies of iron silicate slags, 2-4 and thermodynamic data for simple mattes in the Cu-S system.5 Since this program was started, an excellent summary of the whole field of physical chemistry of copper smelting was published by Ruddle. The present paper represents a further step in the study of liquid mattes, and deals specifically with the Cu-Fe-S system. The importance of the Cu-Fe-S system to copper smelting is evident from the fact that these three elements constitute 90 to 99 pct of the totalweight of most commercial mattes. In copper mattes oxygen is an important fourth component. Oxygen was rigorously excluded in the work to be described in this paper. However, the behavior of oxygen in mattes was the subject of a companion research by Lander' which will be described in a subsequent publication. Several studies have been made previously of phase equilibria in the Cu-Fe-S system,8-10 so that the ternary phase diagram is fairly well established in most regions. Also, separate studies have been made of the phase diagrams and thermodynamic properties for the three binary systems: CU-S,5,12-15 CU-Fe,11,14,17 and FeS.11,14,16,17 However, no work has

Jan 1, 1958

By LaMar G. Evans

The rapid determination of uranium in ores by radiometric means was investigated by the Bureau of Mines. Among the various procedures and schemes tested, two showed most promise. They were the ratio scheme developed in the Bureau's Tucson, Ariz., laboratory and the equilibrium method developed by the Canadian Department of Mines and Technical Surveys. The ratio method is a simple, empirical procedure for classifying the state of equilibrium in ores by measuring their radioactivity by means of a Geiger-Muller counter under three different conditions, using filters. The principal merit of the method is in providing a clue as to the reliability of equivalent uranium determinations.

Jan 1, 1958