Search Documents

By R. S. Handy

This paper describing the milling practices at tae concentrators of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining and Concentrating Co. is one of a series being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines on milling methods and costs in the United States. The possibility of useful comparisons has prompted the description of all five of the mills operated by the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Company in northern Idaho. The general features of these mills are tabulated below: [ ]

Jan 1, 1930

By C. V. Millikan

Production engineering has continued its rapid progress during the past year. Many engineering efficiencies long practiced in other industries are being rapidly accepted by the oil industry, and every branch of development and production work is undergoing study that is reducing the time and hazard in the drilling of wells even for greater depths, is securing better service from equipment, and is obtaining greater ultimate recovery from the reservoirs. Deviation of Drill Holes Deviation of drill holes probably has attracted greater and wider study than any other subject. Until about one year ago it had been given little attention. Some California operators knew the common magnitude of deviation, but Mid-Continent operators hesitated to believe that holes could be drilled so crooked. The great emphasis and publicity given to the seriousness of the problem resulted in the design of many instruments to record the deviation by chart or photograph. Instruments which would give the direction as well as deviation were not generally favored because of the grave fears of the legal complications which might result if the bottom of a producing well should prove to be on a neighboring lease. With all the instruments available for determining deviation, the use of etching on a glass bottle by hydrofluoric acid is still the most common method employed. The beneficial result of this earnest effort to drill straighter holes is proved by a comparison of deviation of wells completed recently with those completed over a year ago. The time of this change is arbitrarily taken as Jan. 1, 1929, as at that time the operators were aware of the deviation which usually occurred, and most of them were making some effort to reduce it. Table I shows averages of wells completed by several companies. Data on a few wells outside the greater Seminole area are

Jan 1, 1930

By L. H. Dushak

DURING the war period of quicksilver activity there were a number of departures from what may be termed the classical quicksilver metallurgy. Attempts were made to beneficiate low-grade ores by gravity concentration and flotation; mechanical furnaces began to replace the Scott furnace and the vertical coarse-ore furnaces, and condensers of sewer tile and redwood tanks were used in place of the older brick and stone condensing chambers. Other developments that have occurred during the current period of quicksilver, activity are mainly in the nature of improvement and further refinement of those started during the war period. Each period of quicksilver activity has been accompanied by the proposal of various new processes, including wet methods for the treatment of quicksilver ores and innovations in furnaces, retorts and condenser equipment. As far as the author knows, nothing of economic significance in the way of "new processes" has been developed. There is in fact no real need for any essentially new process for the treatment of quicksilver ores; the direct furnace treatment is simple and inexpensive. Moreover, with fare exceptions, the quicksilver industry has no complex or refractory ore problems corresponding to those which are receiving more and more attention from metallurgists in other branches of the nonferrous field. Under these conditions improvements in quicksilver metallurgy must be looked for through the adaptation of current developments in engineering and metallurgy generally to the particular needs of quicksilver practice rather than through the invention of new processes.

Jan 1, 1930

By Ernest R. Darby

If the correct balance between fuel and air is maintained in an open-flame furnace,' little chemical action may be expected between the products of combustion and the metal being melted. Physical' changes in the metal are the object of the melting operation, and indirectly, under certain conditions, may be the cause of subsequent chemical actions. If sufficient heat has been introduced into the metal to bring about the change from the solid phase to the liquid phase, and still further from the liquid to the vapor phase, the metal vapor in all probability will be carried from the furnace by the exhaust and rapidly combined with the oxygen of the outside air. The charge being melted in the furnace may contain elements which are chemically inactive at normal temperatures but which will form compounds at the elevated temperatures of the metal bath, or even at a lower degree. Such indirect chemical actions are very confusing and often lead to incorrect conclusions regarding furnace atmospheres. In the open-flame furnaces used in the melting of bronze, the furnace atmosphere is spoken of as being either neutral, oxidizing or reducing in its effect upon the metal. A neutral atmosphere, as mentioned, is generally considered as the atmosphere of the furnace that will produce melted bronze, neither oxidized nor gassed. It is in effect an atmosphere which is not directly the cause of any chemical action. In such an atmosphere absolutely pure metals may be melted and poured without the absorption of gases or the formation of metallic oxide. The metal has undergone a simple, physical change. An oxidizing atmosphere is one in which the air introduced to the furnace is in excess of that required to complete combustion of the fuel used. The oxygen of the excess air may combine with the metal being melted to form metallic oxide, which may or may not be dissolved by the metal. If an absolutely pure metal is melted in a furnace operating with such an atmosphere, a portion of the metal charged may be converted into metallic oxide, the amount depending upon the duration of the

Jan 1, 1930

By W. B. Boggs

The Noranda smelter was built by Noranda Mines, Limited, from the designs of A. E. Wheeler, consulting metallurgist, New York, for the reduction of ores and concentrates from the Horne mine, and to treat, on a custom basis, ores and concentrates from other mines in the Rouyn district. The smelter is situated at Noranda in western Quebec, about 330 miles directly north of Toronto. Ground was first broken for construction in November, 1925, before the completion of the branch railway into the district, which was not finished until October, 1926. After many difficulties and delays due to the Jack 'of transportation and the severe weather during the winter months, the smelter was started in December, 1927, and the first blister copper was poured on December 17th. The smelter was built throughout in two duplicate units, each with a rated capacity of 500 tons of ore per day. Operations were started with only one unit, and after several months it was found that one unit alone would smelt 1,000 tons of ore per day. At this time only one shaft, No. 3, existed, and its hoisting capacity and the capacity of the original crushing plant were insufficient to supply ore for two units at the increased tonnage. Accordingly No. 4 shaft was sunk and a new crushing plant provided to handle the ore hoisted there. This work was completed in the latter part of November, 1929, and since that time both smelter units have been operating.

Jan 1, 1930

By Edward Capillon

THE problem of scrap is probably of greater importance inn the production of gold, silver and other precious metal alloys than is the case for base metals and alloys. Remelting of gold and silver scrap in the shop is always a costly process because it involves losses by oxidation of the base metals in the alloy with a consequent increase in the percentage of precious metal. This is most marked in the case of alloys containing the low-boiling and easily oxidized metals zinc and cadmium. Since it is. not generally feasible to assay every shop remelt it follows that the possibilities of lost values are large. So-called rolled gold and silver plate is made by soldering or welding the precious metal alloys onto base, metal. Such plate when defective must be sent to the refinery to recover the gold and silver values, thereby involving additional expense in the form of refining charges. It is obvious therefore that gold and silver alloy scrap is an important item in manufacturing cost and must be reduced to a minimum. The amount of scrap resulting from poor metal will depend on a number of factors in the manufacturing operations, not least among which is the melting and casting practice. The notes which follow are a summary of experiments performed at various times to determine what variables in melting and casting are influential in the production of sound alloys.

Jan 1, 1930

By L. C. Stevens

The particular purpose of this paper is to direct attention to the development of underground conveying as applied to methods of working coal in the mines of Alberta. Historical A retrospective view of coal mining discloses a continuous effort, on the part of those interested, to substitute mechanical contrivances for hand labour. A patent for a coal-cutting machine was granted to Michael Menzies in 1761, at which time much of the transportation of coal underground was accomplished by means of sledges. Early forms of cutting machines attempted to duplicate the action of a miner's pick, and one hundred years lacer than Menzies? patent we still find this class of machine, driven by water power or compressed air, in use to a limited extent. A coal-cutter using the principle of a circular saw and worked by hand was exhibited in London in 1851, and from these crude beginnings the machines of today have been evolved. Transportation of coal underground has similarly been subject to considerable improvement. The above mentioned Michael Menzies took out a patent in 1750 covering the use of a self-acting incline plane, which is probably the earliest record of any system devised to lighten the load of the crammer or car-pusher of those days. In the year 1868 the Gillot & Copley machine was patented, this being a compressed-air-driven disc coal-cutter which proved highly successful. The chain cutters were a natural development from this type, and for a number of reasons they have been even more successful in the majority of cases.

Jan 1, 1930

By Angus D. Campbell

Introduction Gowganda forms part of the general Cobalt area. Its rocks and ores are very similar to those of the other parts of the area. While its total production of silver is only 4 per cent of that of the famous Cobalt silver camp, its 1928 shipments contained 42 1/2 per cent as much silver as those of Cobalt for that year. During twenty years of production, 15,000,000 ounces of silver have been shipped from Gowganda. Of this, over 8,000,000 ounces have been shipped in the past five years. The area has thus made for several years a substantial contribution to the wealth of Ontario. Its future depends to a great extent on the priee of silver, which is now, unfortunately, at a record low price. This paper is a discussion of how the Gowganda ore-shoots occur, together with some notes on the milling of the ores at the Castle-Trethewey Mines. The first part is written in the hope of stimulating further study of the silver occurrences, which may lead to further discoveries. The second part, besides being a matter of record, may be of some use to operators of small mills. The drawings in the several Figures illustrating the text are by W. D. Stroud, mine superintendent of the Castle-Trethewey Mines, the benefit of whose opinions I have had in compiling these notes.

Jan 1, 1930

By Ludwig Schmidt

The economic value of reducing the evaporation losses of crude oil and of gasoline is so well founded that the petroleum industry is constantly seeking new and improved storage tanks and methods of handling its products to further reduce these losses. A comparison of the methods and apparatus used in handling and storing crude oil and its products today with those in general use 10 years ago would show that an oil tank is no longer simply a container for holding liquid, but is now considered an important piece of equipment which if, subjected to constant inspection and care. In fact, the modern vapor-tight tank often requires as much care as a boiler or pump when one considers Its various component parts such as vapor-tight gage hatches and thief-hole covers, vacuum and pressure relief valves, swing line apparatus, vapor-recovery systems, insulation, cooling devices, and often automatic gaging devices. As an auxiliary to the physical equipment of the tank itself the subject of paints and paint colors is now given considerable attention. In addition to vapor-tight tanks and auxiliary equipment, other types of tanks for reducing, evaporation which are new to the industry have also been developed and placed on the market within the past few years. The development of the floating roof type was an innovation in tank construction, directed toward the reducing of evaporation losses. This type of roof rides on the surface of the oil and thus eliminates all vapor space. It is especially valuable for working tanks.3 A recent development in tank construction is a new type of tank roof known as the diaphragm or "breather roof," Which practically eliminates the movement of air-vapor mixture from a storage tank filled with oil. It is of especial value for use on tanks in which oil is stored over long periods.

Jan 1, 1930

By Arthur Foote

AT THE end of the year 1914, the main North Star incline shaft had reached the 6300-ft. level, and encountered a vein dipping Southwest, or, exactly opposite to the North Star. Subsequent development failed to find the North Star vein continuing beyond this intersection, so the 6300-ft. level proved to be the bottom level of the North. Star vein, and very little ore was found below the 5300-ft. level. The new vein was called No. 1 vein. Development work carried on for the next 10 years discovered a third vein, called No. 2, branching off about 1200-ft. to the east, with a North-south strike and a west dip. No. 1 vein had about 900 ft. of backs above the 6300-ft. level before reaching the boundary line of the property, and No. 2 vein died out about 800 ft. above. During these 10 years, the money spent on development was increased from $54,000 in 1914 to $184,000 in 1924; the ore reserves steadily diminished until it was evident that the mine must close down unless by some means a large tonnage of ore could be developed quickly.

Jan 1, 1930

By J. R. Thoenen

During 1928 questionnaires covering the calendar year 1927 were sent to over 1700 quarries: producing stone for purposes other thaw cutting to dimension. These inclined producers of stone for limn burning; cement manufacture, rip rag, and crushed stone. The various rinds of stone represented were limestone, trap rock, sandstone, granite, and marble. Replies received from limestone producers prior to November, 1928, were compiled into tables and published in February, 1925, as a preliminary report (Bureau of Mines Report of Investigation 2911).

Jan 1, 1930

By G. S. Rice

This paper describes preliminary tests at the Bureau's Experimental Mine to determine, under conditions that may prevail in a bituminous coal-mine heading, how small a quantity of fire damp may bring coal-dust into suspension and ignite it. The results show that the explosion of as little as 150 cubic feet of an explosive mixture of gas and air containing 9 per cent natural gas may start a disastrous explosion of coal-dust. This is a very small volume, of gas, to cause such a result. Let us suppose that this amount of explosive mixture, as at the face of an entry which was 10 feet wide and the face was overcut to a depth of 6 feet and an upper layer of coal 2.5 feet thick had been removed, the recess so made would have a volume of 150 cubic feet. Furthermore, only 13 cubic feet of pure methane is needed in thin volume to produce this 9 per cent explosive mixture.

Jan 1, 1930

By W. F. Cloud

The data and information compiled under Part I of this report are the results of experiments performed in the petroleum engineering laboratory under the supervision of W. F. Cloud, Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering and William Schriever, Professor of Physics, University of Oklahoma. Problems Being Studied Most of the time has been spent in trying to determine the rate of flow and pressure gradient in a 4-in. flow tube 10 ft. long, which was packed with sand of various grain sizes. To date, only two kinds of sand have been packed in this tube: 60 to 80-mesh Canadian river sand, 60 to 80-mesh and 80 to 100-mesh Simpson sand. The original intention was to follow the same procedure and use the same types of crude under identical saturation pressures of both air and gas, as well as unsaturated (dead) oil, flowing the various crudes through several different sizes of both Canadian river and Simpson (Wilcox) sands, but lack of time has prevented such an intensive study of the problem. Some additional time has been spent flowing saturated and unsaturated crudes, similar to those used in the 4-in. tube, through 1-in. tubes, one of which was 2 ft. long and one 5 ft. long. The results obtained have been checked against those obtained by using the 4-in. tube, to obtain the relation of diameter and length of tube to rate of flow in similar sands. Laboratory Equipment Saturation Tank.—A heavy steel cylindrical saturation tank, capacity about 42 gal. was mounted on a platform of bricks, then a galvanized tin temperature bath was built around the saturation tank. This contained

Jan 1, 1930

By Roy McLellan

THE slags derived from the smelting of lead and copper ores are composed essentially of silicates. The problems arising from the smelting of these ores consequently involve the study of silicate fusions. In the absence of specific knowledge concerning the compounds occurring in slags, it has been the practice of metallurgists to treat them in terms of their total chemical composition. Slags have been classified as monosilicates, bisilicates, sesquisilicates, and subsilicates according to the relative amounts of oxygen in the acid and basic radicles of the hypothetical salt produced. While this has been a useful guide to metallurgists in computing the furnace charges, it falls far short of a basis for the scientific investigation of slags. In order to understand the nature of a slag as a whole it is necessary to learn the physical and chemical properties of the mineral compounds which go to make up that slag. The efficiency with which an ore is smelted in a furnace depends primarily on the physical properties of the compounds formed during the operation. When the melting points and fields of stability of each of the mineral compounds in slags have been established, it will be possible to determine the properties of any given slag by examining the nature and amounts of its mineral constituents.

Jan 1, 1930

By C. H. Chou, Albert Sauveur

The following experiments were conducted in order to study the influence of the rate of cooling through and below solidification on the dendritic structure (macrostructure) and microstructure of some hypo-eutectoid steel. The steel selected was of commercial grade and had the following composition: C, 0.40 per cent.; Mn, 0.85; Si, 0.70; P, 0.099; S, 0.043. After melting in vacuum in an Arsem furnace, the various samples were allowed to solidify and to cool to room temperature as indicated in Fig. I. Samples were thus obtained representing all possible combinations of slow and fast cooling through the various ranges of temperatures indicated, namely: (I) zone of solidification or primary crystallization, (2) zone of granulation, and (3) zone of secondary crystallization. The location of the different temperature zones in the iron-carbon equilibrium diagram is shown in Fig. 2. The authors adopted Belaiew's notations. The designations of the various samples readily indicate their treatment, as will be apparent from Table 1. Sample SSS.—This sample was slowly solidified and cooled to room temperature in the crucible in which it was melted. The dendritic (macro) structure is shown in Fig. 3. The dendrites an: sharp and dis-

Jan 1, 1930

G. O. SMITH,* Washington, D. C.—This program is itself a demonstration of the widespread interest in the subject of more efficient development and operation of oil fields. The statements of fact already presented and the views expressed are sufficient evidence that the engineering and economic principles fundamental to the idea of unit operation are much more generally accepted than they were even one year ago. And real progress has been made in putting these principles to the test. No one realizes better than I that the fight against waste, whether physical or economic, must be waged in the front-line trenches: Washington at best is only an observation post. Yet viewed from this distance the advance made in the last few months has been notable and to a high degree encouraging. Five years ago the Federal Oil Conservation Board, in its first contacts with the industry, raised the question, "How can new pools be explored without exploitation until new production is warranted by the country's needs?" Three and one-half years ago the Board, in its first report to the President, paid largest attention, among what it listed as fundamental conservation measures, to "cooperative methods in sane development of new fields." A year ago, in its third report, the Board again endorsed as the essential factor in conserving the nation's reserves of oil, "full cooperation in unit control, whether by voluntary agreement or by state enforcement." The function of this federal agency has been purely fact-finding and educational. The Oil Conservation Board early declared that the major part of its task was to help the industry "formulate the broader by-laws in the sense of conservation." And now, after these five years of eventful history in the oil industry, may I size up the situation as I see it from the Washington point of view? First of all, and fundamental to a successful issue, I have observed in the industry a gradual acceptance of technical opinion as the guide to executive action; and this has at last led to some agreement as to what procedure offers most promise. Analyzed in more detail, this highly desirable progress has consisted in "self-restraint actuated by enlightened self-interest." We see emerging the general desire of oil producers for efficiency in operation, which means low costs and high recovery. As shown by facts presented at this meeting, competition in drilling is in direct opposition to efficiency in oil production, in that such competition increases costs and lowers recovery. The only route to conservation of this natural resource and also of the capital and labor involved in making it available is through unit control, which substitutes cooperative, well-planned action for competitive, unregulated activity, forced by the individualism of a small minority of landowners or perhaps by a single operator. Or, in terms of actual experience, development of an oil field and its subsequent operation under unit control means the substitution of majority rule for minority rule, yet the minority enjoys to the full the resulting economic benefits. So far as it affects the public interest, unit operation of oil properties deserves unqualified approval. It means more oil from the same area over a longer period

Jan 1, 1930

By Fallins J

THE John Darling Colliery, owned by The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited, is situated 12 miles south of Neweastle, NSW and about 1 mile from the ocean. The area of the holding is approximately 10,000 acres, about half of which underlies the Pacific Ocean. The area was proved to be coal bearing by diamond drill boring: this method not only proved the coal to exist, but gave the depths from which could be calculated. It also proved the existence or otherwise of heavy faulting, which is a very important factor in the design of the underground lay-out of a mine. The location of shafts had to be carefuIly studied, and, before final selection, the following salient points had to be considered:Railway communications.Flood waters.Boiler feed water.Surface buildings.Probability of coal washing.Underground haulage arrangements.Lengths of roadways from a ventilating viewpoint.Before the shaft sites were finally selected, an underground design was prepared to determine the direction of the main drives in relation to the boundaries of the holding, and the of the coal seam: the latter, being an important factor in this particular locality, was ascertained by a geological survey of rock outcrops in the neighbourhood. Size of shafts was the next subject for consideration. This was determined by output, number of seams to be worked, amount of ventilation required, and, on...

Jan 1, 1930

By Harold C. Price

Prior to Sept. 1, 1928, there had never been constructed what might be termed a long pipe line with electric-welded field joints. A year later more than 2500 miles of electric-welded lines had been completed which varied in diameter from 6 to 20 in., and in length from 50 to 700 miles. This paper discusses methods used on five lines with a total length of about 750 miles. The welding equipment used for the firing line or rolling welds, was 300-amp. generators driven with six-cylinder gasoline engines, and for the bell-hole or tie-in welds, 200-amp. generators driven by four-cylinder gasoline engines. A welding gang consisted of a foreman, 6 to 12 firing-line welders and 2 to 4 bell-hole welders, a mechanic and a tractor driver. Coupons about 1/4 in. thick were frequently cut from completed welds, which showed a cross-section of the weld and an indication of its size and penetration. For tests of tensile strength complete welds were cut out. The tensile strength of 52 welds cut from 420 miles of 12-in. line averaged 50,870 Ib. per square inch. The following results give a fair average of the number of welds made per man per day: on 157 miles of 8-in. line both firing-line and hell-hole welds averaged 15.3—the firing-line average was 21; on 39 miles of 10-in. line the firing-line average was 19.9; on 50 miles of 6-in. line, with unfavorable weather, the average was 17.7; on 424 miles of 12-in. line most of which was welded during the spring, 10.3, and with good weather the average rose to 13 welds per day. The average time for making a complete weld on 12-in. pipe 0.313 in. thick was found to be 30 min. for the rolling weld and 45 min. for tie-in welds. A comparison of costs between electric and gas welding shows that the cost of labor for electric welding is 25 per cent. more than gas, generating cost 61 per cent. less than gas, welding wire 40 per cent. less than gas, and supervision and overhead the same. Estimating 50 per cent, annual depreciation on electric welding equipment, and no depreciation

Jan 1, 1930

The Institute conducts jointly with the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Institute of Electrical Engineers, certain activities as listed below, and is joint owner with them of certain properties. United Engineering Trustees, Inc.* When Mr. Carnegie made his gift which made possible a home for the engineering societies, a separate corporation was organized to act as a holding company and to manage the common property. This was long known as the United Engineering Society but the name has now been changed to one which more nearly reflects the real function of the corporation. It holds title to the Engineering societies Building and to various funds placed in its charge and is managed by a Board of Trustees of which three are chosen by each of the four societies, American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Institute of Electrical Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers, which own equal and undivided interests in the property. The land and building cost two million dollars. The interest of each of the Founders societies, aside from especial trust funds, is now valued at $493,352. The A. I. M. E. trustees are Arthur S. Dwight, J. V. N. Dorr and H. A. Guess. George D. Barron will succeed Mr. Guess as trustee at the end of this year. The President of the Board is Francis Lee Stuart and the Secretary, Alfred D. Flinn. The Engineering Foundation The Engnieering Foundation was established in 1814 as a result of a gift of $200,000 made by Ambrose Swasey. It is intended not only "for the Furtherance of research" along broad lines but also "for the advancement of" a wide variety of other activities of benefit to engineering as need arises. The endowment fund, which now amounts to $630,000, is administered by the United Engineering Trustees, Inc. Through The Engineering Foundation board, on which the Institute is now represented by J. V. N. Dorr, John M. Callow and Galen H. Clevenger, the income of the endowment, approximately $28,000 a year, and funds contributed for special projects are appropriated for the purposes intended. H. C. Bellinger will succeed Mr. Callow on the board at the end of this year. Alfred D. Flinn is Secretary- and Director. Researches of wide interest in many lines have been aided by Engineering Foundation. . A grant from it to the Mining Methods Committee assisted in the preparation of Volume 72 of the Transactions. For several years the Foundation has aided in support of the study of Blast-furnacc Slags by R. 8. McCaffery at the University of Wisconsin, sponsored by the Institute. The Foundation has raised over $230,000 to support the Alloys of Iron Research endorsed by the Institute and George B. Water-house is serving as Chairman and Director of the Iron Alloys Committee which has been brought together to direct this work. The Foundation has also on recommendation of the Institute made a grant in aid of the studies of Mining and Strata being conducted at Columbia University by P. B. Bucky, which promise information of great usefulness relative to mine subsidence and support of ground. John Fritz Medal Board of Award The medal was established in 1902 and lias since, been awarded not oftener than annually by a hoard of sixteen members, four representatives each from the American Societies of Civil, Mining and Metallurgical, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineers.

Jan 1, 1930

Jan 1, 1930