Search Documents

By AIME AIME

SOMETIMES family backgrounds have a deep, if not direct, influence on a man's lifework. Dean Callen's paternal grandfather came from Wales and was a mine official in the Pennsylvania anthracite field: his maternal grandfather was a retail coal dealer. His father and uncle began their careers a. breaker boys but later completed their educational work and ended up in the professions. With that background, and with the slate region ( Pen Argyl, Pa.. July 1;. 1888) as his birthplace it is not strange that "Cope" Callen became a teacher of mining engineering. Graduating from Lehigh with an E.M. in 1909, lie taught there for two years while working for his master's degree. In 1911 he returned to teaching, going to the University of Illinois as instructor in mining engineering. In 1917, he was called to West Virginia University as head of the department of mining engineering and director of mining extension. The extension work was about dead. bus a new staff was built and the six-weeks' short course in coal mining was revamped into an attractive and efficient course which has grown in popularity with the years. Callen's work attracted the attention of the Federal Board for Vocational Education and in 1919 he was invited to serve that board as special agent for mining, taking a six-months' leave front the University.

Jan 1, 1944

By T. Egleston

ALTHOUGH the success of metallurgical operations depends so largely on the possibility of finding proper refractory materials, which enter so prominently into the cost of their operations, it can hardly be said that our knowledge of them is in a very satisfactory condition, or even that we know very much about them, beyond a few facts which have been gathered through their use. Experience, as a general thing, is an excellent master, but the requirements of * This article was written at the suggestion of the Committee of the Institute on Refractory Materials, with a view of calling attention to the anomalies and difficulties of the subject. It was hoped that its discussion would eventually lead to the appointment of a Commission, by the great metallurgical interests of the United States, to investigate the whole subject, since it is believed that a better and cheaper artificial product can be made than any now in use, and that many other important incidental results would be accomplished by such an investigation.

Jan 1, 1876

By Henry S. Burnholz, Charles Y. Clayton, Francis B. Foley

This work was first undertaken for the U. S. Bureau of Mines, in 1919-20, by C. E. Julihn, superintendent of the station at Minneapolis. Learning of the interest, in this subject, of B. F. Tillson, of the New Jersey Zinc Co., Mr. Julihn and Mr. Foley went to Franklin, N. J., and discussed the matter with him. A conference in Chicago, in November, 1920, was attended by Dr. F. G. Cottrell, who was then Director of the Bureau of Mines, and representatives of the Bureau of Mines and of the hlissouri School of Mines and Metallurgy; at this time a cooperative plan of work was agreed upon by the Bureau of Mines and the Missouri School of Mines. In February, 1921, Mr. 'Tillson arranged a conference on this subject at the time of the annual meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, at which several technical papers were presented. In a paper, the Breakage and Heat Treatment of Hock Drill Stcels, he suggested a program that might be carried out in connection with the investigation of the problem. At this conference Mr. Manning, former Director of the Bureau of Mines, suggested the formation of an advisory committee to the Bureaus of Mines and of Standards for prosecution of this investigation. On Feb. 20, 1922, a secoud conference in New York, at the time of the annual meeting of the American Institute of mlining and Metallurgical Engineers, was attended by representatives of various technical societies. At this meeting, the report of Nov. 20, 1921, of the Chiefs of Divisions of Metallurgy of the Bureaus of Mines and of Standards, was discussed and it was agreed: 1. That the survey recommended by the two bureaus should be undertaken, which survey would have for its object the ascertaining of the present status of the practice of the heat treatment of drill steels, the extent to which the breakage occurs, etc.; and 2. That a report should be presented, of the findings of those who made the survey, to the Advisory Board to the Bureaus of Mines and of Standards. The Bureau of Standards assigned $4000 to the prosecution 01 a three-months' survey, which was carried out in April, May, and June, 1922, of about sixty mines

Jan 1, 1923

By Charles Y. Clayton, Henry S. Burnholz, Francis B. Foley

This work was first undertaken for the U. S. Bureau of Mines, in 1919-20, by C. E. Julihn, superintendent of the station at Minneapolis. Learning of the interest, in this subject, of B. F. Tillson, of the New Jersey Zinc Co., Mr. Julihn and Mr. Foley went to Franklin, N. J., and discussed the matter with him. A conference in Chicago, in November, 1920, was attended by Dr. F. G. Cottrell, who was then Director of the Bureau of Mines, and representatives of the Bureau of Mines and of the hlissouri School of Mines and Metallurgy; at this time a cooperative plan of work was agreed upon by the Bureau of Mines and the Missouri School of Mines. In February, 1921, Mr. 'Tillson arranged a conference on this subject at the time of the annual meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, at which several technical papers were presented. In a paper, the Breakage and Heat Treatment of Hock Drill Stcels, he suggested a program that might be carried out in connection with the investigation of the problem. At this conference Mr. Manning, former Director of the Bureau of Mines, suggested the formation of an advisory committee to the Bureaus of Mines and of Standards for prosecution of this investigation. On Feb. 20, 1922, a secoud conference in New York, at the time of the annual meeting of the American Institute of mlining and Metallurgical Engineers, was attended by representatives of various technical societies. At this meeting, the report of Nov. 20, 1921, of the Chiefs of Divisions of Metallurgy of the Bureaus of Mines and of Standards, was discussed and it was agreed: 1. That the survey recommended by the two bureaus should be undertaken, which survey would have for its object the ascertaining of the present status of the practice of the heat treatment of drill steels, the extent to which the breakage occurs, etc.; and 2. That a report should be presented, of the findings of those who made the survey, to the Advisory Board to the Bureaus of Mines and of Standards. The Bureau of Standards assigned $4000 to the prosecution 01 a three-months' survey, which was carried out in April, May, and June, 1922, of about sixty mines

Jan 1, 1923

By F. J. Hurst

The rapid expansion of the phosphate fertilizer industry in conjunction with the projected shortage and spiraling price increase of uranium has greatly renewed interest in wet- process phosphoric acid as a significant source of uranium. Two attractive solvent extraction processes for recovering uranium from the acid have recently been developed and tested through bench-scale at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. One of the processes has been successfully tested on a pilot-plant scale at phosphate plants; the second process, which offers several potential advantages, still needs additional testing. The merits of each process are discussed.

Jan 1, 1978

By George W. Harris

In the earlier period of anthracite-mining, much coal was wasted, both underground and in the culm-banks on the surface. Such waste is common in the development of new mining-districts, in which, as a rule, only the richest material can be profitably treated. In the anthracite-region, special causes operated to increase this evil. The mines were generally worked under 20-year leases, and royalties were paid upon such coal only as was actually marketed. The lessees consequently cared for immediate profit solely. They were not bound to win all the coal they exposed, or to leave it in such condition that their successors could win it. Nor was it their interest or duty to educate consumers in the use of their product. The market called for coal of large sizes; and such coal they furnished, throwing away the rest. Any pains taken by them to bring about a more rational use of coal by their consumers would have borne fruit, after their leases had expired, to the benefit of somebody else. A full statement of the situation was given in 1893, in the report of the State Commission, appointed in 1889 to investigate the subject.' That body included the names of Heber S. Thompson, William Griffith and the late Eckley B. Coxe.2 Its report gives special attention to the utilization of the old culm-banks.

Jan 1, 1906

By Kittitep Fuenkajorn

Ring tension tests, permeability tests, and microscopic fracture studies have been performed to investigate the damaged zone induced by drilling (diamond, percussion, and rotary) in the borehole walls. Specimens are drilled with three different hole sizes (38, 76 and 102 mm diameter) in Pomona basalt and Grande basaltic andesite. The thickness of the damaged zone ranges from 0.0 to 1.7 mm. A larger drill bit induces more wall damage than a smaller one. Different drilling techniques show different damage characteristics (intensity and distribution). Damage characteristics are governed not only by drilling parameters (bit size, weight on bit, rotational speed, diamond radius, and energy), but also by properties of the rock. The weaker rock tends to show more intense damage than does the stronger one. Cracks within grains or cleavage fractures are predominant in coarse grained rock (larger than 0.5 mm grain size) while intergranular cracks are predominant in fine grained rock (smaller than 0.01 mm grain size). The influence of the damaged zone on the permeability of the rock around the hole is investigated by permeability tests.

Jan 1, 1984

By W. D. Robertson, H. H. Uhlig

The intermetallic compounds MgzSn and Mg2Pb are two of the important series of stoichiometric compounds which magnesium forms with elements of the fourth group of the periodic system. Since there is a complete series of compounds, all possessing the same comparatively simple structure, a unique opportunity is presented to study their properties with respect to increasing atomic number of the anion as it varies from silicon and germanium, through tin and lead. The present work deals with the two lower members of this group, and it is hoped eventually that additional data regarding the silicide and germanide will be obtained. The results of such a complete study provide part of the essential basis for the empirical correlation and theoretical treatment which, in other systems, has contributed to an understanding of inter-metallic compounds and the metallic'state in general. Some experimental data are already available in the literature. However, they are fragmentary and limited in significance owing to the methods of preparation employed and the impure materials available at the time. It was our objective, therefore, using pure metals and improved metallurgical methods of preparation, to produce stoichiometric compounds of high purity for the study of their electrical and chemical properties. We felt that a detailed investigation of chemical properties, about which relatively little is known, combined with electrical properties, would be a significant contribution to the understanding of these compounds and in particular to the mechanism of corrosion associated with types of bonding in alloy systems. The chemical studies are reported elsewhere. Previous Investigations Previous work concerning the electrical properties of these compounds was undertaken in connection with the establishment of the two phase diagrams which are available in Hansenl and Beck. The first comprehensive investigation of the electrical conductivity of magnesium-tin and magnesium-lead alloys was made by Kurnakov and Stepanov.3 This was followed by Grube and Voss-kiihler4 who studied electrical conductivity and thermal expansion over a wide range of temperature and who, unlike Stepanov, appreciated the significance of the large solid solubility of tin in magnesium and took some precautions to obtain an equilibrium state. However, at the time these investigations were made, neither pure magnesium nor

Jan 1, 1949

By J. Moore Samuel

Before the year 1909, no measurements of dust losses and flue gases had been made at the Copper Queen Reduction Works, at Douglas, Ariz. At that time the "unaccounted" loss of the smelter had reached a figure that drew attention to the possibility of large stack losses. The measurement of dust losses had not been studied much at that time, and estimates of dust losses, with a few exceptions, were the results of tests by what has been termed '(chemical methods," that is, the aspiration and filtration through cotton, wool or some similar medium of a few liters of gas, the dust being weighed on a chemical balance, and the volume of gas computed from the volume of aspirator water. The possible error of this method is enormous, and the probable error much too large for reliable results. Since the object of these tests was to discover not only the extent of the dust losses, but also the possibility of profitably reducing them, it was decided that the method adopted must have the following characteristics: 1. The sample of gas taken for filtration must be representative of the whole volume of gas, that is to say, it must have the same dust content. This condition will be fulfilled in all cases if the gas sample is drawn off without change of rate of flow. Then it will contain the same proportion of entrained or suspended particles of dust as the original gas. In the case of flue gases which contain only fume, at a temperature above or near the sublimation point, this condition need not be adhered to since the fume will not behave as entrained particles, but more nearly as a true gas. Consequently the gas sample in this case only may be drawn off at any rate of flow. 2. The gas sample taken must be large enough (a) to yield sufficient dust to permit of accurate chemical and physical examination; (b) so that the ratio of the total volume of gas passing through the flue to the volume of gas sample taken shall not be too large.

Jan 1, 1917

By R. J. Schilthuis, T. V. Moore

In a previous paper,' the results of some experimental work on the measurement of slippage in the flow of oil and gas mixtures through vertical pipes were presented. The data obtained were correlated and equations were deduced from which the performance of the experimental gas-lift could be predicted with reasonable accuracy. However, attempts to apply the equations to the calculation of pressure drops in actual flowing wells yielded erroneous results. At the time the results of the experimental work were published, no satisfactory explanation could be offered for the failure of the empirical equations to express properly the performance of wells. However, recent work has led to the development of a new hypothesis which presupposes certain conditions affecting the flow of oil and gas in wells. When the proposed equations are corrected to allow for these conditions, an agreement between the observed and calculated performance of the actual wells is obtained which in most cases is quite satisfactory, although it is subject to certain limitations. In this paper, the method of calculating the pressure drop in actual wells is considered, and the application of the method to the design of tubing is discussed. (For nomenclature used in this discussion, see Table 1.) Factors Affecting Slippage and Efficiency At the outset, a few of the principle factors affecting slippage and efficiency in the gas-lift discussed in the previous paper will be reviewed. In the flow of the mixture of oil and gas in a vertical pipe, slippage is the phenomenon of gas moving upward with a. linear velocity greater than that of the oil. Under steady conditions, if given quantities of oil and gas enter the tubing per unit of time, the same quantities of oil and gas per unit time must, on the average, pass every section of the tubing; otherwise, there would be accumulation or depletion of the oil or gas at some sections, and the flow would be unsteady. Therefore, if the gas is to flow at a greater linear velocity than that of the liquid,

Jan 1, 1933

By G. Ferrara

In process and plant simulation, more reliable prediction of industrial results and evaluation of data for designing purposes may be attained by the combined use of (a) modeling and simulation of ore characteristics and (b) modeling and simulation of integrated plant operations. The systems for modeling and simulation of ore characteristics are discussed as well as the conditions in which their use may be necessary (complex structure of the ore-body and variability of the ore fed to the plant). Two examples, for coal and bauxite run-of-mine (ROM), are reported. The procedure of linking the process unit models and the approaches for the solution of integrated systems are indicated. A general-purpose program for the simulation of integrated plant operations is described, and some examples of its use are reported.

Jan 1, 1984

By J. B. Tyrrell

A short time ago I paid a visit to the alluvial gold fields on the tributaries of the Chaudiere River in Beauce County, Quebec, in company with A. 0. Dufresne, late manager of the Champs d'or Rigaud-Veaudreuil, and now assistant to the Superintendent of Mines of the Province of Quebec. As the conditions under which the gold occurs in this district are not very generally known, and present some interesting features, a brief description of these conditions, and a consideration of the causes which gave rise to them, may be of interest to other mining engineers. During the latter half of last century the country was visited by many mining engineers and geologists, and many references to it may be found in the reports of the Geological Survey of Canada between 1848 and 1911. The most important of these are by J. A. Dresser and J. Keele and the late Robert Chalmers. The Department of Colonization and Mines of the Province of Quebec also published a report with map on the district by J. Obalski. From the earliest times the valley of the Chaudiere River formed one of the main avenues of approach to the St. Lawrence in the vicinity of Quebec from the country to the south as far as the seaboard of the States of Maine and Massachusetts. The Indians had a well-known trail along the banks of the stream, and armed troops and foraging parties constantly moved backward and forward along it between Quebec and New England in those insecure times before the ceding of Canada to Great Britain. Even yet the natural advantages of this old military route are recognized, and the government of the Province of Quebec has now under construction along it a magnificent highway from Quebec to the International Boundary Line, which is to form part of a through highway from that city to Boston. The land along the valley is naturally well suited for agriculture, and about the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries farmers began to go back from the St. Lawrence, and to occupy the higher lands along the upper portions of the Chaudiere Valley. This settlement has gone on until now the country is peopled with a prosperous agricultural population.

Jan 1, 1915

By D. A. Sangrey, D. Marcus, S. A. Miller

A methodology was developed wherein the increase in compressive strength, mineralogical changes, and pore water composition were studied simultaneously as a function of moisturized spent shale curing time. From these results the relationship between the nature of cementation process and the composition of pore water was established. Heavy metals were entrapped in the cementing constituents and the pore water became mainly a solution of alkaline sulfates. The specific data are applicable only to the material studied. But the methodology and general conclusions are useful for evaluating the environmental factors in spent shale disposal and expected leachates composition.

Jan 1, 1986

By Eugene Leonardon

THE search for oil has required, and without a doubt supplies, a tremendous amount of information on the structure, composition, physical properties, and history of sedimentary rocks. The earliest and most complete source of knowledge is the sample or core of the rock itself, the uses of which are well known. The purpose of this paper is primarily to discuss a new method for obtaining these cores, and to illustrate its use in connection with electrical logs. Most cores have been obtained through a special adaptation of rotary drilling, and the results have been remarkably good, considering the mechanical problems involved. Unfortunately, because of the time and expense, this method cannot be used for the entire length of the drill hole. Even though ingenious contrivances have been evolved in order to reduce the time spent in round trips, such as wire-line coring equipment, mechanical coring still remains too expensive to be carried out con-tinuously. In practice, therefore, one is finally compelled to estimate the probable depths of the more interesting horizons and, allowing a wide margin of safety, to core through those sections only. It is true also that interesting results have been obtained by examining the cuttings brought to the surface by the mud circulated in the well during the process of drilling. Be that as it may, the inescapable fact remains that key horizons may be passed inadvertently, for one reason or another, while the drilling operations are being performed. The only continuous record of the formations encountered is that furnished by electrical surveys. Obviously, it would be desirable to make the electrical survey first and to take the samples from the wall of the hole according to the indications on the electrical log. In this way, it would be possible to core only the exact sections desired, eliminating the otherwise inevitable estimates as to the point at which to start coring, and thereby reducing to a minimum this expensive operation. At the same time this method would provide a maximum' of useful samples.

Jan 1, 1939

By Eugene Leonardon

THE search for oil has required, and without a doubt supplies, a tremendous amount of information on the structure, composition, physical properties, and history of sedimentary rocks. The earliest and most complete source of knowledge is the sample or core of the rock itself, the uses of which are well known. The purpose of this paper is primarily to discuss a new method for obtaining these cores, and to illustrate its use in connection with electrical logs. Most cores have been obtained through a special adaptation of rotary drilling, and the results have been remarkably good, considering the mechanical problems involved. Unfortunately, because of the time and expense, this method cannot be used for the entire length of the drill hole. Even though ingenious contrivances have been evolved in order to reduce the time spent in round trips, such as wire-line coring equipment, mechanical coring still remains too expensive to be carried out con-tinuously. In practice, therefore, one is finally compelled to estimate the probable depths of the more interesting horizons and, allowing a wide margin of safety, to core through those sections only. It is true also that interesting results have been obtained by examining the cuttings brought to the surface by the mud circulated in the well during the process of drilling. Be that as it may, the inescapable fact remains that key horizons may be passed inadvertently, for one reason or another, while the drilling operations are being performed. The only continuous record of the formations encountered is that furnished by electrical surveys. Obviously, it would be desirable to make the electrical survey first and to take the samples from the wall of the hole according to the indications on the electrical log. In this way, it would be possible to core only the exact sections desired, eliminating the otherwise inevitable estimates as to the point at which to start coring, and thereby reducing to a minimum this expensive operation. At the same time this method would provide a maximum' of useful samples.

Jan 1, 1939

By M. K. McCarter

Jan 1, 1985

By S. A. Shoop, J. J. K. Daemen

Site-specific blast vibration prediction can be more accurate than using a universal prediction equation. Vibrations from 37 blasts were monitored using three seismographs. Data analysis showed that square root, cube root, and site-specific scaling predicted ground motion with equal reliability. Imprecise prediction is caused by geologic and blast variability, particularly, inaccurate delay times. Vibrations at some mines were consistently lower or higher than vibrations predicted from US Bureau of Mines (USBM) equations. Vibration restrictions based on USBM studies could then be too conservative or too lenient. Predominant vibration frequencies were generally less than 50 Hz, but several blasts had significant energy up to 125 Hz. In some cases, energy was concentrated at frequencies corresponding to delay intervals.

Jan 1, 1985

By Norman B. Pilling

Practical limitations to the usefulness of silicon steels are the hardness and brittleness silicon imparts to iron, making iron-silicon alloys of more than 8 per cent. silicon content unusable except where castings can be employed. In the use of commercial silicon steel, in thin rolled sheets, as in transformer construction, when the silicon content exceeds 4.2 per cent. the sheet is too brittle for satisfactory shaping by punching or similar operations. When such a brittle steel is sheared, it frequently breaks along a haphazard path in advance of the cutting tool. In Fig. 1 is shown a slightly enlarged view of the sheared edge of a 14-mil enameled sheet of nominally 4 per cent. silicon steel. In 5 in. along the sheared edge, only 44 per cent. was actually cut; the rest was torn, with the path of fracture varying widely from the path of travel between the shears. This is probably an extreme case of such brittle-ness, but a shearing or punching test is not necessary to reveal brittle-ness of this order; narrow strips will break when bent between the fingers. In Fig. 2, the proportion of actual cut edge is greater, but secondary fractures branch off at about 30" from the line of shearing in advance of the cut. Deprived of the support of adjacent parts of the sheet, the tips of the angles are bent out of the plane of the sheet by the shears, leaving a peculiar flared effect, like the set of the teeth on a saw. An end-on

Jan 1, 1923

By Norman B. Pilling

Practical limitations to the usefulness of silicon steels are the hardness and brittleness silicon imparts to iron, making iron-silicon alloys of more than 8 per cent. silicon content unusable except where castings can be employed. In the use of commercial silicon steel, in thin rolled sheets, as in transformer construction, when the silicon content exceeds 4.2 per cent. the sheet is too brittle for satisfactory shaping by punching or similar operations. When such a brittle steel is sheared, it frequently breaks along a haphazard path in advance of the cutting tool. In Fig. 1 is shown a slightly enlarged view of the sheared edge of a 14-mil enameled sheet of nominally 4 per cent. silicon steel. In 5 in. along the sheared edge, only 44 per cent. was actually cut; the rest was torn, with the path of fracture varying widely from the path of travel between the shears. This is probably an extreme case of such brittle-ness, but a shearing or punching test is not necessary to reveal brittle-ness of this order; narrow strips will break when bent between the fingers. In Fig. 2, the proportion of actual cut edge is greater, but secondary fractures branch off at about 30" from the line of shearing in advance of the cut. Deprived of the support of adjacent parts of the sheet, the tips of the angles are bent out of the plane of the sheet by the shears, leaving a peculiar flared effect, like the set of the teeth on a saw. An end-on

Jan 1, 1923

By Charles Bell

THE Telluride mining district of southwestern Colorado is defined by the 37° 45' and 38° parallels of latitude and 107° 45' and 108° meridians of longitude. Telluride was never a boom camp, but has had a steady growth. In recent years, notwithstanding the business depression of 1920, the business has been the same as in normal years. The first prospector is said to have appeared in 1875, in which year locations on the Smuggler vein were made. Shipments were made in 1877 and 1878, and in 1879 milling the ores was attempted. While the district produced high-grade ores, it did not become important until 1890, when the Rio Grande Southern R. R. was completed from Ridgway to Telluride. The railroad has since been extended to Durango. In the fall of 1896, 400 stamps were in operation, and the annual production was $3,000,000.00, two-thirds of which was gold. The total production from 1875 to 1923 was: Gold $58,274,527; silver 41,830,920 oz., valued at $31,016,893; copper 15,258,866 lb., valued at $2,533,291; lead 166,056,484 lb., valued at $8,324,910; zinc 18,141,182 lb. valued at $1,323,787; or a total production of $101,473,408. All: claims are held in fee. Most of them are 1500 by 300 ft. but claims located within the last few years are 1500 by 600 ft. General supplies are obtained at Telluride, Denver, and Salt Lake. The largest mines are within 6 miles of the town of Telluride. Denver is 422 miles and Salt Lake is 439 miles, by rail, from Telluride. One-half of the distance to Denver and one-sixth of the distance from Telluride to Salt Lake is by narrow-gage railroad. The labor is efficient. The best miners are Italians and Austrians, then Slavs, Greeks, and Mexicans follow in the order mentioned. There are no labor unions. There are no serious mine pumping problems, the drainage being through adits. The Tomboy and Smuggler companies pump water from their reservoirs, the former for, milling and domestic purposes and the latter for milling, power, and domestic purposes.

Jan 2, 1924