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By Bradley Stoughton

PROMINENCE has been given lately in engineering circles to the question whether an organisation with manifold interests can be as effective as one with a single aim, especially if that single aim be the furtherance of affairs of moment and the welfare of engineers in general. In its earlier days, the A. I. M. E. was forbidden by its constitution to engage in non-technical public affairs, but the members altered the constitution in this respect, in the year 1912, in response to the growing demand that engineers be more human in their interests and that the engineering societies represent them in this respect. Since that time, the activity of mining engineers in public affairs has been growing rapidly, and we are happy that the Institute has been able to render very valuable economic services. Doubtless the greatest public service rendered by engineers in a recent great emergency was the work of the Naval Consulting Board, without which the U. S. Navy would never have been able to enter promptly into service upon our entrance into the war, ,and both Navy and Army would have been a long time without the munitions that came at an early date. We can never forget that this Board was established through the direct activity of the then President of the A. I. M. E., with the hearty cooperation of other national organizations.

Jan 1, 1920

ALTHOUGH I have already described to you the procedure for making assays of the ores (a thing that is not very different from what I wish to describe in the present chapter), I shall repeat it in substance, with the addition of the method of assaying gold, in order to tell you certain rules for weights which are very necessary to know, and above all in order to demonstrate to you the method of refining a small quantity of silver by the use of a cupel, and in order to tell you how there are (I find) only two ways that are customary for bringing silver to fineness. One is that of the cupel [copella] and the other is that of the cupeling hearth [cenneraccio], one for a small and the other for a large quantity. But although they are called by two names and appear to be two methods, the aim and the procedure of both is actually the same. Nor do I know of other difference between them than the carrying out of the method and the large or small quantity. Cupeling is a very useful thing for anyone who handles gold or silver to know. Indeed it is necessary, because it not only throws light on the work that is to be done but it also shows the truth [55] and the correct weights in large quantities. It is a quicker and easier way of bringing the work to the desired perfection than is afforded by the method for large quantities. Therefore, as you have heard, it is used in making assays in order to know exactly what quantity of the substance of silver or gold is in copper and lead or in ores, as well as in that melted material which remains among the charcoal and ashes. In short, it is the measure by which you have the certainty and safety of knowing that you have not been deceived by art or by your workmen, who had no other interest than their simple wages. Many workmen are found who are so untrustworthy that they no sooner get control of a thing than they think up some fraud, and even though some know that they must give an accounting they do not restrain themselves, although sometimes they would perhaps act with greater security and more deception than they do if they did not fear detection. For, truly, since silver is a valuable thing and every bit is worth much, a man should not enter into refining it with closed eyes. If for no other reason this pro-

Jan 1, 1942

THE National Coal Association held its annual meeting at Cleveland on Nov. 14-16, 1928, having changed the time from the spring to the autumn to avoid conflict with the great number of meetings ordinarily held in the spring. Institute members were \\yell to the fore in its activities, the president, E. C. Mahan (who was reelected for another term!, C. E. Bockus, treasurer, and the secretary, H. L. Gancly, being A. I. M. E. members, as are many of the directors. At the first session, our past president, S. A. Taylor, presented a 1;aper which is reprinted in part herewith. At the Thurs- day session W. D. Brennan presided, Walter Barllum led the discussion on membership, and Otis Mouser led the discussion on taxation. In the afternoon, J. P. Williams, Jr., led the discussion on research. Rembrandt Peale presided at the annual dinner in the evening. At the concluding session on Friday resolutions were adopted, among them one in which the Association "reaffirms its attitude toward proposed Federal legislation affecting the bituminous coal industry by saying that it opposes legislation which would seek to single out this industry for regulatory action. This particularly applies to such bills as S4490."

Jan 1, 1928

By Herbert Hoover

THERE is one problem of the new administration that has received the attention and thought of the organized engineers of America for many years past. This is the problem of the reorganization of the Federal Government. The, inadequacy, the wastefulness, and the inefficiency of our federal organization was evident, enough under pre-war conditions. These inadequacies, these inefficiencies, these wastes were exhibited to the country during the war at the cost of millions. Congress has placed the problem in the hands of a very able Congressional Joint Committee, but if this Joint Committee succeeds in securing the imminently necessary results it will only be by full insistent support to it by public opinion. Many attempts have been made at reorganization before but all, of them have gone to the same crematory-the interminable differences in opinion among the executive and legislative officials over details.

Jan 1, 1921

By A. L. Holley

THE general usage of engineers, manufacturers, and merchants, is gradually, but surely, fixing the answer to this question. In every country rails, boiler-plates, and machinery bars, whether hard or soft, are almost universally called steel, when they are made from cast ingots. Other names for the softer steels, such as " homogeneous metal," " Bessemer iron," " Martin iron," and the like, have failed to obtain general recognition. The meaning of the term steel, before it was enlarged to cover newly developing varieties, has been traced, by a recent writer, down through Percy, Shakspeare, and the Bible, in a most interesting manner, from an archaeological point of view. Undoubtedly, it did characterize hardness and other qualities imparted by carbon. It is within the memory of most of us, that all steels were tool steels, and that the soft, structural varieties were introduced-varieties which harden but little, which bend cold, and which, in many physical properties, are akin rather to wrought-iron than to tool-steel. But, since both the hard and the soft steels are made by the same processes, and have their great, distinguishing structural feature in common, viz., homogeneity resulting from fluidity, it has come to pass, despite every other proposed nomenclature, that all the compounds of iron which have been cast in malleable masses, are called steel, the term wrought-iron being still confined to malleable iron made from pasty masses, and hence laminated in structure. No inconvenience has been found, so far, in distinguishing between the more or less carburized products, in general, by the terms " high-steel," " low-steel," " tool-steel," etc., and, in particular, by prefixing the percentage of carbon and other ingredients, to the terra steel. Steels which contain distinguishing ingredients other than carbon, are called "chrome-steel," " titanium-steel," and the like, just as variously compounded bronzes are called "phosphor bronze," "alu¬minium bronze," etc. Thus the combination of several words or symbols, and figures, may completely disclose the characters of the metal, in terms that are subject to no misunderstanding. But inasmuch as several high metallurgical authorities and clever writers have of late proposed to disturb this natural and somewhat settled nomenclature, it seems important to consider the claims of the various classifications. I shall attempt, in this paper, to show

Jan 1, 1876

By G. C. RIDDELL

THE metallurgist, chemist, and physicist are blazing trails that lead far afield. Pushing on into an "Alloy Age" they see a non-ferrous era over- taking iron and steel. Delving into the nature of the physical world, they break down a supposedly indivisible element, hydrogen. Not content with terrestrial problems, they peer back along the cosmic ray into iaterstellar space, glimpsing forces that are, apparently, still busy with the task of atom-making. Mastering and organizing the material and physical, they advance steadily toward that borderland of science where the concept of matter itself seems abandoned, and force is the substance left.

Jan 1, 1930

By C. H. Herty Jr, C. H.

FEW subjects have attracted the attention of metallurgists more than oxygen in steel. From the days of Mushet and Ledebui interest in this subject has been increasing, and as additional knowledge has become available, the problem has naturally grown more complex. Instead of using the simple term "oxygen" we now distinguish between iron oxide, silicates of various kinds, oxysulfides, oxygen as gas and oxygen in solid solution in steel. There are five general methods for determining oxides in steel: hydrogen reduction; vacuum fusion; various wet-extraction methods, including electrolytic methods; methods depending on volatilization of the iron away from the oxides; and metallographic methods. For oxygen in solid steel each of these methods has both advantages and disadvantages. The hydrogen-reduction method is of no use on steels above about 0.20 per cent. carbon; 1 furthermore, it gives only FeO and possibly some MnO. The vacuum-fusion method2 is expensive and gives total oxygen, with the exception of some A1203, and does not differentiate between the various oxides in which the oxygen exists. Most of the wet-extraction methods3 give only the more insoluble oxides SiO2 and A1203, though the iodine method gives MnO to an uncertain degree (information that may be more misleading then no information

Jan 1, 1957

By Fred C. Bond

JUST four years ago, in March, 1930, Gilbert LaBine discovered the rich deposit of pitchblende and silver ore on the east shore of Great Bear Lake, 30 -miles south of the Arctic Circle, which brought a new mining district into being. His original discovery is now the property of Eldorado Gold Mines, Ltd., but other groups have been active. Vigorous prospecting has outlined a mineralized zone that extends at least 100 miles from north to south. In this area silver discoveries have been relatively common; pitchblende, as might be expected, has been harder to find, though a deposit has been located this spring nearly 100 miles south of Eldorado that may be of great importance.

Jan 1, 1934

By John Birkinbine

Secretary's Note.—In printing this paper in the present volume, the figures given in the pamphlet edition have been brought more nearly up to date, the product of 1899 being in many instances inserted. Iron-Ore Resources. In a paper presented to the Institute in 1897,* I discussed the iron-resources of the United States as then developed, calling attention to some principal sources upon which other countries depended. The following statement will give a general idea of the amounts, as compiled from the latest official records, of ores won, and metal produced, in the nations which are important contributors to the world's output. Unfortunately these are not all contemporaneous, since in some countries the statistics do not appear until after one or more years. The statement covers not only pig-iron and iron-ore, but also manganese-ore —the manganese mined being principally used in the production of spiegeleisen or ferro-manganese, and these alloys being generally included in the pig-iron output. Table I, which epitomizes the present situation, shows respectively the countries and the quantities of iron-ore and man-

Jan 1, 1901

“IT is decreed by Divine Providence that those who know what they ought to do and then take care to do it properly, for the most part meet ' with good fortune in all. they, undertake; on the other hand, misfortune overtakes the indolent and those who are careless in their work." These are the words of Georgius Agricola. to. those who are engaged in mining, taken from De Re Metallica, Book II, second paragraph. Safety in mining is just that simple, when considered on the basis of the individual. The words imply a .knowledge of what is to be done and how to do it. Armed with this knowledge it is only necessary to proceed with diligence and care to achieve the desired end without personal or financial mishap. Obviously the complication arises in the large company operating numerous mines and the consequent ramifications of company structure embodying management, supervision, engineering, and labor. Agricola stresses later on the importance of supervision and direction by the owners of the mine. We know that this principle is recognized today by the frequency with which the statement is repeated "a safety program must stem from management." People charged with responsibility for safety and management also stress the importance of securing the cooperation of the employees in formulating and carrying . out safe working practices. Safety committees consisting of employees, supervisors, and. representatives of management are recognized as the most practical method of achieving safety consciousness in all levels of mining company organization.

Jan 1, 1952

By Sheldon P. Wirnpfen

AN extensive study of German underground manufacturing experience is being undertaken by the Air Materiel Command. Headquarters officials consider completely underground facilities one of the most effective means of protecting aircraft production against air attacks of the strength and type employed in World War II. Advantages accruing to underground manufacturing installations other than protection are, perhaps, a smaller maintenance problem and the possibility of using gravity flow on some production lines. Offsetting these advantages are the high cost of construction, problems of ventilation, and poor acoustics. Excavation costs might well be less than the cost of enclosing the same area on the surface, as new and better methods of rock drilling and transportation are developed. Certainly the amount of building materials used would be far less than in constructing a surface plant of the same dimensions. A fewer number of skilled workers would be required to perform the labor of excavation. Underground construction would

Jan 1, 1947

By Marie Kinzel

LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, the birthplace f the atomic bomb, is one of the most famous-and mysterious-places in the world. It leaped into fame on Aug. 6, 1945, when the first atomic bomb burst over Hiroshima. Unheard of until that day, its present life is as hidden from most people as was its very existence in pre-Hiroshima days. Then, those who did know of it dared not breathe their knowledge. "What do you tell your wife when you go to Shangri La?" was the favorite quip of the few consultants who made regular trips from east or west to Los Alamos during the tense months when the bomb was in the making. Security regulations made it impossible even to hint at the rigid secrecy surrounding the project. The puzzled wives in question knew only that their husbands had top priority on airplane flights to Albuquerque. When they had verified the safe arrival of the flight, they undoubtedly breathed a sigh of relief. If they could have visualized the rest of the trip, the sigh of relief would have been replaced by a state of tizzy, until a telegram came saying "Arriving home on Flight X" (on a nice safe airplane).

Jan 1, 1946

By F. F. McINTOSH

STEEL is a general name applied to the alloys of iron and carbon. These alloys always contain , other elements such as manganese, silicon, sulfur, and phosphorus. Manganese and silicon are usually considered to be alloying elements. Sulfur and phosphorus are regarded as impurities. Tradition has damned them both and, in addition to classifying them as impurities, has established the general impression that many of the ills of steels are the result of the presence of one or both of these elements. Metallurgists are inclined to question the soundness of this tradition. The fact that one blast-furnace plant is devoted entirely to the production of ferro-phosphorus which is used to rephosphorize basic open-hearth steel, and that sulfur is added to many heats of steel, indicates that these so- called impurities might also be classed as alloying elements, and that the tradition which damns them may not be altogether fair and well founded. A critical search through the technical literature on the effect of phosphorus on steel will disclose many references to its harmful effect. Most of these are general in character, but there has been a strong tendency to accept this traditional belief in the harmful effect of the element.

Jan 1, 1926

Jan 1, 1880

By Gordon B. Brox, Joseph F. Mcaleer, Charles C. Goddard, Edward P. Shea, Robert G. Ingersoll, Lester G. Zeihen, George J. Burns, John M. Guilbert, Richard N. Miller, Charles Meyer

The Boulder batholith is a composite intrusive in which the Butte quartz monzonite is the dominant rock type. Quartz porphyry dikes intruded the quartz monzonite in directions which were subsequently followed by the eastwest- striking Anaconda system of veins, the earliest major veins in the district. Anaconda veins are faulted by northwest-striking veins of the Blue system, which are most prominent in the central third of the district. Anaconda veins are the major producers in the western third of the district and also in the eastern third, where the "horsetail" zones break off from them. Individual oreshoots are thousands of feet long as well as deep on both systems of veins, but they are generally more persistent and thicker on the Anaconda veins. Viewed broadly, the mineralization in the big veins is arranged in crudely concentric zones of zinc and manganese around a central zone of copper. Only slightly offset from these zones, but earlier structurally, is a zone in which quartz-molybdenite veinlets are prominent. This zone tops at about the 2800 level and widens downward. The pattern of distribution of Cu-Fe-S series minerals in the large veins of the copper zone is not symmetrical with respect to the metal zones. There is a fringe of chalcopyrite-bornite all around the copper front. However, within the copper zone, pyrite-chalcocite-enargitecovellite- digenite assemblages are prevalent near its eastern edge from the 3800 level to the surface, whereas deep on the large Anaconda veins in the western part of the copper zone, chalcopyrite is dominant. Here the chalcopyrite grades upward into bornite-chalcocite ores and eastward into the high-sulfur assemblages of the Leonard mine. Sericite-biotite-K-feldspar alteration envelopes, containing up to about 2 per cent copper as chalcopyrite, are present on some of the quartz-molybdenite veinlets at deep mine levels in the molybdenite zone. These envelopes contrast sharply mineralogically and chemically with the later sericitic and argillic alteration envelopes around Main Stage veins. K'0-Ar'0 ratios indicate that they may be older by about 4 m.y. Secondarily enriched copper ores are mined in the Berkeley pit in the southeastern part of the district. At the present time they account for about half of Butte's production of copper.

Jan 1, 1968

By F. N. Rhines, A. S. Nemy

The mode of high-temperature tertiary creep of 523-0 aluminum alloy was found to be strongly stress dependent. The occurrence of necking and/or fissures during tertiary creep exhibited a sequence with varying stress, wherein fissures with no necking occur at a minimum stress and necking with no fissures occur at a maximum stress. At an intermediate stress, tertiary creep begins without necking but with fissures in a region just beneath the external surface, followed by necking and the development of fissures along the axis of the specimen. The results are interpreted in terms of grain boundary gliding and the hydrostatic stresses produced by restraints to grain boundary gliding. THERE appear to be two possible reasons for the existence of a period of accelerating elongation prior to rupture during high-temperature creep in metals; namely, 1) a change in the structure of the metal itself, leading to a change in its response to loading, and 2) a reduction in the cross section of the metal resulting in a higher unit loading. Howe,' by annealing and retesting broken low-temperature creep specimens, found that irreparable damage is done once a metal is subjected to creep. Andrade2 first pointed out the association between the reduction in cross section and the increase in creep rate. The present research was designed to investigate both of these factors by retesting specimens machined from material which had been subjected to high-temperature creep testing short of rupture. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD An aluminum alloy, 52s-0, was selected for these studies because it is constitutionally simple, is strong enough to be relatively insensitive to mechanical damage during machining,3 and undergoes accelerating creep in a convenient temperature range. This alloy is hardened by 2.6 wt pct Mg in solid solution and is not subject to overaging effects; it has a very small quantity of an insoluble impurity phase, Mg2Si, finely dispersed throughout its micro-structure. Creep specimens, similar in design to ASTM 0.252-in. tensile specimens, were machined from 3/4-in. round stock and the surfaces were electro-polished. A 24-hr anneal at 500°C was then applied to stabilize the grain size to an average diameier of 0.27 mm. Subsequent heating for as long as 700 hr at the intended test temperatures produced no change in the tensile properties, indicating a well-stabilized state of the material. Corresponding to each of the typical testing conditions listed in Table I, one creep specimen was tested to destruction and this test was employed as a guide in the selection of times for subsequent tests. Duplicate creep tests were then run to various points along the creep curve to produce specimens which were used to determine changes in mechanical properties and microstructures. The latter were examined at the midsections of the specimens. Other specimens were tested to various stages of tertiary creep, after which they were remachined to new cylindrical test specimens, electropolished and re-tested in creep. RESULTS The major findings of this investigation may be illustrated by a comparison of the results of three sets of creep tests. These were run at 400°C at three stress levels, namely 750, 1000, and 1500 psi. In presenting these results in Figs. 1, 5, and 8, the creep curves are given in pairs: That curve of each pair which is drawn through filled circles corresponds to the initial test, and the curve drawn through open circles (and designated by - R) represents the result of retesting the same specimen after machining to a new cylindrical surface. The load was readjusted to the original unit stress at the beginning of each retest.

Jan 1, 1960

By W. B. Mather

Of the 61 dikes examined some yielded cassiterite, tantalite, and beryl; eight contained spodumene; and six carried amblygonite. Two mines stockpiled spodumene as a byproduct. Only zoned pegmatite dikes carried lithium minerals. GEOLOGICAL studies have revealed the occurrence of hundreds of pegmatite dikes in northeast Brazil, Fig. I, in the three states of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraiba, and Ceara. Heretofore data have not been available on the possible production of lithium minerals from these areas, and in March, April, and May 1953 the author undertook a reconnaissance survey covering a cross-section of the pegmatite~. Sixty-one pegmatites were examined. The pegmatites of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba are located in an arid region (Seratao), and except in the most southerly portion there is a minimum of vegetation and overburden. The region is easily prospected and relatively accessible by jeep or truck. The pegmatites examined in Ceara are in an area of lush vegetation along the flanks of the Jaqueribe River valley. It is therefore more difficult to prospect, and the dirt roads, as a means of access, leave much to be desired. For all practical purposes rail transportation, except in Ceara, is not available. The rocks of the area are composed of Pre-Cambrian schist, gneiss, quartzite, and marbles. They have been intruded by granites, monzonites, and diorites and cut by quartz veins and pegmatites. Pre-Cretaceous erosion reduced the area to a peneplain upon which Cretaceous or younger sandstones were deposited. Recent erosion has left only a few remnants of these younger rocks. In most of the Rio Grande do Norte-Paraiba area the pegmatites were more resistant to erosion than the enclosing schists and therefore stand out in relief. This is not true in the rolling country of Ceara, where the pegmatites lack topographic expression. With regard to structure and lithology, the pegmatite~ of northeast Brazil are divided into two types, uniform and zoned. Of the 61 examined, 19 belong to the uniform and 42 to the zoned type. Uniform pegmatites are normally long, narrow, and tabular, with sharp contacts. They are composed of an intimate mixture of feldspar (microcline or ortho-clase), mica (biotite, phlogopite, or muscovite), and quartz. The grain size5 varies from fine at the contact to coarser in the interior. They are not considered a commercial source of pegmatite minerals, although efforts have been made to produce green beryl of gem variety. This type of dike is often abundant in schists and gneisses close to granite intrusives. The productive dikes — lenticular, pod-shaped, or irregular in outline, with sharp contacts — are of the zoned variety. Zone contacts are gradational, except for those with the quartz core. Zones re identified as follows, see also Fig. 3. Border Zone: This outer zone, in contact with the country rock, is composed chiefly of fine-grained muscovite and biotite, with lesser quantities of finegrained microline and quartz. It is the narrowest zone, usually measurable in inches. Wall Zone: Lying between the border and intermediate zones, the wall zone is composed of medium-grained feldspar (often microcline), muscovite, and quartz. Usually it is the widest zone. Widths of 50 ft were noted. Intermediate Zone: Lying between the wall zone and core, the intermediate zone is composed principally of coarse-grained microcline (occasionally with some orthoclase and albite). It may also carry minor amounts of coarse-grained quartz and fine to medium-grained mica. The width varies from less than 3 ft to more than 30 ft. Core: The center of the dike is composed almost entirely of massive quartz, occasionally with minor amounts of fine-grained muscovite. The width reaches 30 ft. Lithium and other minerals of potential economic value are found in the following zones:

Jan 1, 1955

By N. E. Norman

During the past few years the underground mining industry and the big hole drilling industry have been involved in a flirtatious courtship, but until recently this courtship did not appear to be taken too seriously by either party. However, many of the promises made by the big hole industry are beginning to come true. Improvements have been made steadily in techniques of mechanical boring of large diameter shafts, raises and tunnels, thus making the big hole industry a more stable partner in the eyes of the mining industry. The mining industry too has made many changes in planning that make mining more attractive to the big hole industry. If there is to be a marriage between big hole drilling and mining, we should certainly take a look at the background of the big hole drilling industry, and examine the three main features of big hole drilling to determine how each applies to mining. Shaft Drilling Since 1950, numerous large diameter shafts have been drilled using rotary drilling techniques. Most of the larger diameter shafts have been drilled for the AEC for underground nuclear testing purposes. However, since 1960 several shafts have also been drilled for various mining companies, particularly in the United States. In 1967, rotary drilling shafts were either completed or in progress at the mining companies listed in Table I.

Jan 6, 1968

Karl L. Fetters moves to the front of the AIME organization this month as the 1964 President of the Institute. He will take the chair vacated by outgoing President Roger V. Pierce at the Annual Meeting in New York, already well-rehearsed in his forthcoming duties after a year of preparation as AIME President-Elect. Dr. Fetters is highly qualified for his new responsibilities on both the administrative and professional level. For the past five years, he has been vice president for research and development at The Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. in Ohio, where he has achieved wide recognition as an out- standing metallurgist and executive. A native of Alliance, Ohio, he obtained his early education in the public schools of his home town and displayed a singular precocity when he launched his professional career as a chemist for the Morgan Engineering Co. at the age of 16. His new career, however, was soon set aside in favor of four years of higher education at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, whence he emerged in 1931 with a bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering. Surprisingly, and perhaps owing to the employment stringencies of the Depression years, the first job his new qualifications earned him was that of stationary engineer at the Cunningham Sanitarium in Cleveland. After two years of ministering to the mechanical ailments of this institution, Dr. Fetters relinquished his post for a more suitable one in the field of metallurgy.

Jan 2, 1964

By Colin G. ink

OUTSTANDI'NG in progress among the less familiar 'metals during 1936 is the electrolytic production of 99.9 per cent manganese meta1 readily and many quantity. Strictly speaking, manganese should not' be classed as 'a rare metal, since there is 800 times as much manganese in the earth's crust as there is zinc or lead. But manganese' as a metal is rare, just as titanium metal is rare though titanium is five times as abundant in the earth's crust as manganese.

Jan 1, 1937