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By Harlowe Hardinge

The sound made by ball, pebble and rod mills has long been used by the operator as the "telltale" of their operation. The nature of this sound depends upon local conditions and the type of mill used. By experience an operator can tell whether the mill is running properly or not. Some operators are able to detect the difference in sound much better than others and get better results running the same mill under the same conditions. The automatic operation of a mill using sound as the fundamental means for maintaining control presents many problems. The satisfactory solution of these problems requires, for given operating conditions, a greater average output, with improved product for subsequent processing, than can be obtained by manual control. Relation of Sound to Useful Grinding Energy Experience has taught us that there is a difference in character as well as in intensity of sound between a mill grinding wet and one grinding dry, in open or closed circuit, to obtain a coarse or fine product, on the same material, to say nothing of the effect with a variety of different materials. Broadly speaking, a wet-grinding mill operates best at a lower sound level than the same mill grinding dry, with other conditions the same. Several reasons for this variation in sound intensity under these conditions can be advanced, but the important point is that there is a difference, based upon practical results. Since these reasons may be more or less involved, and may be subject, to much discussion, only one will be considered here. It is apparent that two balls hitting together or a ball striking the lining, if there is no intervening material, will produce the maximum sound. If a complete cushion of material is placed between the balls or ball and liner, so that the energy is dissipated without doing useful work, the balls will be unable to create enough pressure or force to fracture the particles, and the sound will be at a minimum. At some point in between—that is, where there is sufficient material between the balls or ball and liner so that the ball will fracture the particles without mashing them unduly—the sound

Jan 1, 1939

By Charles W. Wright

At most mines where large tonnages are handled, "bulldozing" or secondary blasting is an important and costly operation. To reduce the large blocks from primary blasting operations or stoping so that they will be small enough to pass through the chutes into the cars at the haulage level, and not too large for the crushing plant, requires blasting. Often this is done by placing a few sticks of dynamite on top of a block with or without a capping of mud, but to consume less dynamite and to promote safety, most secondary blasting is now done by blockholing, or the drilling of holes 6 to 12 in. long in the blocks, using only a part of a stick of dynamite per hole. Regardless of the method of blasting, however, the term "bulldozing chamber" is applied to the room where this work is done. Bulldozing chambers permit secondary blasting at all times in a safe place without disturbance to the other mining operations. The chambers are usually high above the haulage level and well below the stope level or open-pit floor. In most instances the material is passed through a grizzly in the bulldozing chamber, but sometimes no grizzlies are used. One to four raises extend from the chamber to the stope floor and one or two from the haulage level to the chamber floor. Occasionally large slabs of ore or rock choke the raises above the bulldozing chamber, and these have to be blasted by attaching a bundle of dynamite sticks on the end of a long pole and placing them up in the raise between the pieces causing the choke. This is called "chute-blasting." To give a picture of the progressive developments in the use of the bulldozing chamber, a few typical mines that show the application of this method to both metal and limestone mines have been selected for description here. Limestone mines have been included because many metal miners do not realize to what extent the nonmetallic, or rock, miners' are now applying metal-mining methods successfully in their operations. The bulldozing chamber is the "neck of the bottle" for some mines.

Jan 1, 1937

By J. R. Thoenen

IF ASKED whether limestone production was a mining problem I would; not hesitate to answer emphatically in the affirmative. The question, "When is a quarry a mine?" is familiar. The immediate mental picture induced by the thought of limestone production is that of an open quarry. All are familiar with the open pit in the iron-producing districts of Minnesota and Michigan and the open cuts of the so-called "porphyry" coppers of the West. If these are mines, they differ little from limestone quarries in general mode of operation; if quarries, why do they need the attention of mining engineers? During 1923, the United States produced in round numbers 70,000,000, tons of ore. The limestone production of the United States for the same period was something over 100,000,000 tons. In tons, it about equals the oil production of the United States. The uses of limestone are legion. A paper read by a prominent engineer of Chicago, at the meeting of the National. Crushed Stone Association held last February in St. Louis says: "There is no industry in the United States today that is more basic in its operation or by itself controls. more industries. There is hardly a chemical operation, hardly a metallurgical operation or building operation that a crushed-stone man does not control if he will jump in and make the full utilization of it." Some of the many uses are for road metal, concrete, railway ballast, building stone, riprap, and rubble, the manufacture of iron and steel, alkalies, calcium carbide, magnesia, carbolic and carbonic acids, asphalt filler, mineral wool, poultry grit, sulfuric acid, phosphates, nitrates, soap, baking powder, the purification of copper and prevention of coal-mine explosions, to say nothing of the quantities used in the making of lime and cement. It has been said that without iron we would revert to the Stone Age; how much iron would we have without limestone? From the point. of view of the mining engineer, using the term in its broad sense to include geologists and metallurgists, the production of limestone is important because of its occurrence, volume, commercial importance, and the problems presented by its recovery and treatment.

Jan 2, 1925

By J. P. Lesley

The Pittsburgh coal-region, if we regard the greatness of its extent, the picturesque beauty of its scenery, the salubrity of its climate, its relative situation on the Continent, the fertility of its soil, its unrivalled mineral wealth, and its magnificent system of natural transportation, is, perhaps, the most valuable spot on the surface of the planet. Unlike the mythical Paradise inhabited by one man and one woman, it swarms with an abounding population, not living on the free gifts of nature without care and without toil, hut expending its energies in unremitting labor, reinforced by the most elaborate machinery, in the production of everything which mankinds needs or desires; and unlilte the Paradise of story from which flowed the four great rivers of the world in opposite directions, its own four rivers How from the surrounding world into it, to constitute by their union the great highway water-course which divides the Northern from the Southern States. These rivers are the Monongahela, coming from the south, the Yonghiogheny from the southeast, the Kiskiminetas from the east, and the Allegheny from the north. Uniting at the great city of pittsburgh, they constitnte the Ohio, which flows northwest and west, and then south and southwest, toward the Mississippi. The Monongahela has been made navigable by a system of dams and pools the Allegheny was navigable in its natural condition; the KisKiminetas was made navigable by a State canal which has been vacated ; and the Youghiogheny remains unnavigable. Railroads supplement the deficiencies of the rivers, follow their hanks, and share in the transportation for which the waters are not sufficient. Railroads and rivers concentrate at Pittsburgh; other railroads cross the highlands to the east and west; and branch roads ascend the side-valleys and ravines to the mines on the uplands. The whole region is a scene of life; towns and villages dot its surface in all directions ; hundreds of gangways open upon the sides of all the valleys, and deliver coal to trains of cars which move beneath them at water-level; furnaces and rolling-mills abound; hundreds of oil-wells furnish a flood of liquid fuel to pipe-lines

Jan 1, 1886

By Harlowe Hardinge

THE sound made by ball, pebble and rod mills has long been used by the operator as the "telltale " of their operation. The nature of this sound depends upon local conditions and the type of mill used. By experience an operator can tell whether the mill is running properly or not. Some operators are able to detect the difference in sound much better than others and get better results running the same mill under the same conditions. The automatic operation of a mill using sound as the fundamental means for maintaining control presents many problems. The satisfactory solution of these problems requires, for given operating conditions, a greater average output, with improved product for subsequent processing, than can be obtained by manual control. RELATION OF SOUND TO USEFUL GRINDING ENERGY Experience has taught us that there is a difference in character as well as in intensity of sound between a mill grinding wet and one grinding dry, in open or closed circuit, to obtain a coarse or fine product, on the same material, to say nothing of the effect with a variety of different materials. Broadly speaking, a wet-grinding mill operates best at a lower sound level than the same mill grinding dry, with other conditions the same. Several reasons for this variation in sound intensity under these conditions can be advanced, but the important point is that there is a difference, based upon practical results. Since these reasons may be more or less involved, and may be subject to much discussion, only one will be considered here. It is apparent that two balls hitting together or a ball striking the lining, if there is no intervening material, will produce the maximum sound. If a complete cushion of material is placed between the balls or ball and liner, so that the energy is dissipated without doing useful work, the balls will be unable to create enough pressure or force to fracture the particles, and the sound will be at a minimum. At some point in between-that is, where there is sufficient material between the balls or ball and liner so that the ball will fracture the particles without mashing them unduly-the sound

Jan 1, 1939

By Oscar M. Kucus

In January and February of the current year, at the Tooele plant of the hternational Smelting Co., Tooele, Utah, a modification of the usual method of converting, for the treatment of copper-lead matte from lead blast furnaces, was developed and put into successful operation. In brief, the method consists in blowing molten matte direct from the blast furnaces in basic-lined converters, without the addition of siliceous fluxing ores, to the almost complete elimination of the lead contained, and to the production of copper bullion, the resulting lead fume being recovered by the filtration of the converter gases through woolen fume bags. The process is carried out in conjunction with the converting of rever-beratory copper matte, the heavy iron slag, together with the copper precipitated, being transferred to converters blowing copper matte. The purpose of this transfer is to reduce the copper oxide formed, due to the necessary overblowing of the lead-matte charge, and to utilize, as far as possible, the value of iron from the lead matte, for the fluxing of siliceous dry ores. The final slag from the copper converters is then skimmed off and transferred molten to a reverberatory smelting furnace treating copper ores. This variation from general converting practice was the outgrowth of results obtained during 1913 when it was endeavored to convert copper-lead matte in the usual manner, with the direct addition of siliceous fluxing ores. To make clear the reasons lying back of the process it is necessary to recount at some length the results of operations during that year. In the design of the lead plant it mas planned to treat the copper-lead matte from the furnaces by direct converting without reconcentration and thereby to recover the copper, silver, and gold as quickly as possible. A converter plant of ample capacity, treating copper matte, already being in operation, it was only necessary to install a bag house, a fan, and the necessary flues to complete the equipment. The bag house constructed has a bag-cloth filtering area of 136,000 sq. ft., provided by 960 fume bags, 18 in. in diameter by 30 ft. in length. A No. 20 Sirocco fan of 180,000 cu. ft. capacity delivers the gases from

Jan 1, 1915

By J. R. Thoenen

If asked whether limestone production was a mining problem I would not hesitate to answer emphatically in the affirmative. The question, "When is a quarry a mine?" is familiar. The immediate mental picture induced by the thought of limestone production is that of an open quarry. All are familiar with the open pit in the iron-producing districts of Minnesota and Michigan and the open cuts of the so-called "porphyry" coppers of the West. If these are mines, they differ little from limestone quarries in general mode of operation; if quarries, why do they need the attention of mining engineers? During 1923, the United States produced in round numbers 70,000,000 tons of iron ore. The limestone production of the United States for the same period was something over 100,000,000 tons. In tons, it about equals the oil production of the United States. The uses of limestone are legion. A paper read by a prominent engineer of Chicago, at the meeting of the National Crushed Stone Association held last February in St. Louis says: "There is no industry in the United States today that is more basic in its operation or by itself controls more industries. There is hardly a chemical operation, hardly a metallurgical operation or building operation that a crushed-stone man does not control if he will jump in and make the full utilization of it." Some of the many uses are for road metal, concrete, railway ballast, building stone: riprap, and rubble, the manufacture of iron and steel, alkalies, calcium carbide, magnesia, carbolic and carbonic acids, asphalt filler, mineral wool, poultry grit, sulfuric acid, phosphates, nitrates, soap, baking powder, the purification of copper and prevention of coal-mine explosions, to say nothing of the quantities used in the making of lime and cement. It has been said that without iron we would revert to the Stone Age; how much iron would we have without limestone? From the point of view of the mining engineer, using the term in its broad sense to include geologists and metallurgists, the production of limestone is important because of its occurrence, volume, commercial importance, and the problems presented by its recovery and treatment.

Jan 1, 1925

By T. R. Armstrong

During the year 1939, Mexican production totaled 42,479,000 bbl.; a daily average of 116,381 bbl. or a little over 2 per cent of the estimated world production. The Mexican Government operates 100 per cent of the refining branch of the industry, 100 per cent of the domestic distribution, 96 per cent of the crude production and 92 per cent of the total exports. No discussion of the Mexican petroleum industry in 1939 is adequate without reference to the "expropriation" of the foreign-owned oil properties in Mexico by executive fiat on March 18, 1938. The forcible seizing of the properties culminated a long series of efforts on the part of the Mexican Government to obtain control of the oil properties developed through foreign initiative and with foreign capital in Mexico. The heart of the issue is whether the Mexican nation or any nation may with impunity confiscate the legally acquired properties of American citizens. The Department of State of our Government has in its communications to Mexico emphasized the fact that its "expropriation" of American properties was confiscatory because Mexico had failed to make "adequate, effective and prompt compensation"; that the taking was no less confiscatory "because there may be an expressed intent to pay at some time in the future," and that, consequently, "Mexico has assumed and continues to assume to exercise a right without compliance with the condition necessary to give such exercise a recognizable status of legality." Mexico has professed its willingness to pay for the oil properties but at the same time through its Supreme Court it has declared that the owners or lessees do not have the exclusive right to extract and dispose of the oil in the subsoil. This is a reversal of the Mexican position with respect to oil as set forth in the Mexican mining laws, affirmed by Mexican Supreme Court decisions, and as clarified in the Warren-Paync and the Morrow-Calles agreements, as well as in diplomatic correspondence. Efforts to Settle the Controversy Responding to suggestions from the State Department, representatives of the principal oil companies undertook in 1939 to effect a direct

Jan 1, 1940

Discussion of the paper of H. R. Barnhurst, presented at the New York Meeting, October, 1913, and printed in Bulletin No. 82, October, 1913, pp. 2523 to 2532. H. R. BARNHURST :-I would say that in that experimental furnace we were trying to adopt the proper form for burning low-volatile coal. I was enabled on one occasion to burn coke having 15 per cent. ash. Tailings, or washings from the preparation of coal for by-product coke ovens, which came to me 52 per cent. ash, were burned without any trouble. So that ash really might be regarded as not burning, but simply diluting the fuel that was there, without doing any particular harm except that we had to put in more of the material to get the same quantity of heat. With anthracite, I burned coal right along with from 24 to 27 per cent. ash, but it took a furnace of peculiar form in which the products of combustion had to be diverted to the point of entrance of the fuel. With an ordinary furnace the fuel is deflagrated by its surroundings as soon as it enters the furnace. In a cement furnace this action is secured by the hot clinker passing clown, and the walls of the kiln are heated upon contact with it, revolving as they do', so that deflagration occurs very quickly in a cement kiln. Deflagration would occur very quickly in an open-hearth furnace also. There is no trouble in burning anthracite coal under those conditions for three or four days successively. It should be very well dried and thoroughly pulverized. Aside from that, there is no trouble. WILLIAM A. EVANS,* Boston, Mass. :-In a 52 per cent. ash, or any high-ash coal, what disposition is made of the ash ? MR. BARNHURST :-Most of it went out through the flues. Some of it remained in the boiler and a quantity remained in the furnace. We raked it out and carried it away. MR. EVANS :-Do you experience the forming of stags in flues with such coal as that?

Jan 12, 1913

By T. R. Armstrong

During the year 1939, Mexican production totaled 42,479,000 bbl.; a daily average of 116,381 bbl. or a little over 2 per cent of the estimated world production. The Mexican Government operates 100 per cent of the refining branch of the industry, 100 per cent of the domestic distribution, 96 per cent of the crude production and 92 per cent of the total exports. No discussion of the Mexican petroleum industry in 1939 is adequate without reference to the "expropriation" of the foreign-owned oil properties in Mexico by executive fiat on March 18, 1938. The forcible seizing of the properties culminated a long series of efforts on the part of the Mexican Government to obtain control of the oil properties developed through foreign initiative and with foreign capital in Mexico. The heart of the issue is whether the Mexican nation or any nation may with impunity confiscate the legally acquired properties of American citizens. The Department of State of our Government has in its communications to Mexico emphasized the fact that its "expropriation" of American properties was confiscatory because Mexico had failed to make "adequate, effective and prompt compensation"; that the taking was no less confiscatory "because there may be an expressed intent to pay at some time in the future," and that, consequently, "Mexico has assumed and continues to assume to exercise a right without compliance with the condition necessary to give such exercise a recognizable status of legality." Mexico has professed its willingness to pay for the oil properties but at the same time through its Supreme Court it has declared that the owners or lessees do not have the exclusive right to extract and dispose of the oil in the subsoil. This is a reversal of the Mexican position with respect to oil as set forth in the Mexican mining laws, affirmed by Mexican Supreme Court decisions, and as clarified in the Warren-Paync and the Morrow-Calles agreements, as well as in diplomatic correspondence. Efforts to Settle the Controversy Responding to suggestions from the State Department, representatives of the principal oil companies undertook in 1939 to effect a direct

Jan 1, 1940

By W. J. Locher

One important means of reducing steel consumption in grinding mills is not mentioned in S.G. Malghan's paper. It is simply to reduce the oxygen content in the mill and pulp. While oxygen dissolved in pulp is not readily reduced without additives, reduced aeration and reduced ventilation of grinding mills are often feasible. It is not necessary to completely eliminate the oxygen to achieve substantial benefits, since corrosion rates vary with oxygen content in a manner analogous to combustion rates as oxygen content increases. It is difficult to generate indisputable quantitative data on the relationship of oxygen reduction in a milling system to changes in consumption of grinding steel. Perhaps this accounts for the absence of technical papers on the effects of reducing oxygen content in grinding mills by reducing aeration of pulp and ventilation of grinding mills. One qualitative observation is that mills operating at a lower percent of critical speed will tend to have lower media consumption for similar fineness of grind without necessarily having an equivalent reduction in power consumption per ton of product. Reduced mill speed would also tend to reduce both ventilation of the mill and entrainment of air in the pulp. Larger grinding mills tend to be more media efficient because they operate at a greater ratio of charge volume to pulp surface area, which will tend to reduce the aeration per unit of pulp volume. The mechanical steps required to reduce aeration of grinding mill pulps depend on the configuration of the grinding circuit and related process. Reply by S.G. Malghan Mr. Locher stated that my paper did not mention the reduction of oxygen content of the pulp as a potential method of decreasing the steel consumption. I would like to bring to the attention of Mr. Locher that an indirect reference was made to the fact that pulp oxidation potential controls the corrosion wear of steel. Though dissolved oxygen is one of the factors that controls oxidation potential, additional discussion was deliberately avoided for the reasons mentioned by Mr. Locher. The most important reason being the difficulty of decreasing and controlling the oxygen concentration of the pulp in a commercial mill.

Jan 1, 1984

By H. C. Spaulding

Every constructing engineer and designer knows how often it is desirable to provide a speed-adjustment between parts of a machine performing different functions, or between a prime mover and the devices to which it furnishes power, and how bulky and unsatisfactory are most of the methods by which the result is usually accomplished. Of course the step-pulley is the most simple and generally used. It requires, (1) parallelism of shafts; (2) a considerable distance between centers; and (3) a cessation of power during the change from one speed to another. Add to this the necessity for careful design in order to obtain equal belt-tension for all positions; the weight and hulk required for a wide range; and the operative's positive conviction that better results could be obtained at a speed intermediate between those furnished by two successive steps, and we begin to realize the mechanical shortcomings of this old and familiar friend. The hundred and one other devices, patented and otherwise, for accomplishing similar results, present other objections of varying importance, which need not be discussed here. Without pretending to overcome these entirely, and indeed without claiming absolute novelty, a recent invention of Mr. E. F. Gordon, of Dover, N. H., has seemed to the writer to offer such advantages in flexibility and range of application as to merit a more extended study and use than can be given in his own work, to which it is being applied as rapidly as opportunity permits. It is placed before the members of the Institute, not only to bring out an expression of opinion as to its limitations, but also with the hope that it will thus find opportunities for applications hitherto untried and outside the scope of operation of those at present interested in its development. Simply stated, the device consists of a narrow pulley with a deep V-groove, split by a plane passing through the bottom of the groove, one of the two symmetrical parts so formed being fixed to the shafts, and the second being capable of adjustment so as to bring the

Jan 1, 1893

By F. C. Stanford

THE work of an engineer is to direct natural forces so that they bring about the results that he wishes to secure. Heretofore he has concerned himself chiefly with physical forces and inanimate objects, until he has secured a truly marvelous degree of control over them. The great problem of the present age is to secure a like degree of knowledge and control of the human factor. Progress has already been made along this line, but, it is only a beginning. Wilhelm Ostwald says that scientific knowledge enables a man to be a true prophet; but it must be remembered that a good many people do not seem to be able to maintain a high average in prophecy. In short, the average of knowledge is not equal to the average needs of the present time, but continually fails to keep pace with it. It has been aptly said that the really essential need of the period is for more brains; if we only had sufficient knowledge and sagacity we could not only solve all difficulties, but prevent them from arising. This generalization holds good for an industrial organization. The most vital need of the management is for more brains. The logical course for an engineer in charge of an industrial organization is, therefore, to direct whatever forces may be at his command toward the development, training, and guiding of all the brains in his organization. This is easier said than clone, for it involves the carrying on toward two objectives, the maximum of productive work, and the development of the individuals who perform it. This is essentially like the rebuilding and enlarging of a plant, keeping it in full operation the while. On the other hand, if the aim is merely for maximum production from an organization, without offering opportunity for development, the final outcome will necessarily be like that f a plant that is driven at full capacity without stopping for repairs or improvements; it eventually becomes so run down that either a complete rebuilding is necessary or else it has to be abandoned.

Jan 2, 1918

By Martin A. Mayers

Five-sixths of all the coal that is mined in the United States is burned, without previous treatment other than screening, for the production of heat and power, so that its value is fixed by its suitability for this purpose. Nevertheless, the characteristics of individual coals that determine their fitness for use in particular pieces of combustion equipment are not yet well known. This condition is due not only to the small extent of our knowledge concerning coal itself, but also to our comparative ignorance of the nature of the combustion process. The following paper is an analysis of the combustion process as it occurs in industrial furnaces, based largely on the results of laboratory research on combustion rates. From this analysis it is possible to determine the characteristics of the fuel that limit the capacity of a given piece of combustion equipment. Limitations imposed by other factors than the attainable speed of combustion will not be considered, since they are subject to a different type of analysis involving the balancing of maintenance costs against fixed charges. In order to observe the relations among the various factors that affect the speed of combustion, representative particles of fuel will be followed through two types of furnaces. A pulverized-coal furnace will be considered first, because the independence of the individual particles facilitates the analysis of the effect of furnace conditions. The second example will be a grate-fired furnace in which ignition of the fuel takes place on the underfeed principle. This includes both underfeed and chain grate stokers, (8)† but does not include hand-fired furnaces and some overfeed stokers. The furnace will be considered to be large enough, the temperature high enough, and enough air provided, to burn the fuel completely, without, for the moment, specifying these quantities more completely. Furnaces Burning Pulverized Coal In a pulverized-coal furnace, the fuel particle is carried, in a stream of air, into the furnace, where it is subjected to radiation from the flame and from the hot walls of the furnace. The increase of particle tempera-

Jan 1, 1936

By Martin A. Mayers

Five-sixths of all the coal that is mined in the United States is burned, without previous treatment other than screening, for the production of heat and power, so that its value is fixed by its suitability for this purpose. Nevertheless, the characteristics of individual coals that determine their fitness for use in particular pieces of combustion equipment are not yet well known. This condition is due not only to the small extent of our knowledge concerning coal itself, but also to our comparative ignorance of the nature of the combustion process. The following paper is an analysis of the combustion process as it occurs in industrial furnaces, based largely on the results of laboratory research on combustion rates. From this analysis it is possible to determine the characteristics of the fuel that limit the capacity of a given piece of combustion equipment. Limitations imposed by other factors than the attainable speed of combustion will not be considered, since they are subject to a different type of analysis involving the balancing of maintenance costs against fixed charges. In order to observe the relations among the various factors that affect the speed of combustion, representative particles of fuel will be followed through two types of furnaces. A pulverized-coal furnace will be considered first, because the independence of the individual particles facilitates the analysis of the effect of furnace conditions. The second example will be a grate-fired furnace in which ignition of the fuel takes place on the underfeed principle. This includes both underfeed and chain grate stokers, (8)† but does not include hand-fired furnaces and some overfeed stokers. The furnace will be considered to be large enough, the temperature high enough, and enough air provided, to burn the fuel completely, without, for the moment, specifying these quantities more completely. Furnaces Burning Pulverized Coal In a pulverized-coal furnace, the fuel particle is carried, in a stream of air, into the furnace, where it is subjected to radiation from the flame and from the hot walls of the furnace. The increase of particle tempera-

Jan 1, 1936

By S. S. Lisnyak, B. D. Lichter

An important question in the study of the "hot corrosion" phenomenon (i.e., accelerated oxidation of Ni-Cr-base and Co-Cr-base "superalloys" in the presence of sulfur) is the condition of formation and physico-chemical properties of different sulfides in the system Ni-Co-Cr-S. seyboltl has observed the presence of ((chromium-rich" sulfides of compositions M3S4, and M2S3 in the scales of superalloys after hot corrosion; however, as he points out, much confusion exists as to the identity of sulfides found on Ni-Cr and Co-Cr alloys. According to the literature,&apos; ternary sulfides, e.g., NiCr2S4, (monoclinic structure) and CoCr2S4 (spinel structure) exist in these systems. Therefore, it is likely that these compounds are found in the scale of alloys undergoing hot corrosion. At present this possibility has not been discussed in the literature. Accordingly, we have begun investigation on the properties of ternary sulfides and their mutual interaction. The magnetic and electrical properties of pure NiCr2S4 and pure CoCr2S2 have been previously determined."-&apos; In the present work we have studied the interaction between these sulfides at high temperatures by means of X-ray diffraction and magnetic susceptibility. The measurements were carried out at room temperature after appropriate thermai treatment of samples at high temperatures. For alloys containing the three elements nickel, chromium, and cobalt this interaction may be of importance in the study of the hot corrosion phenomenon. The compounds NiCr2S4 and CoCr2S4 were prepared from stoichiometric amounts of the elements and CoS in the case of CoCr2S4. Samples were mixed and sealed in evacuated silica tubes, slowly heated to 900&apos; to 100O°C, and held at temperature for a total of 120 hr (NiCr2S4) or 80 hr (CoCr2S4) with intermediate re-grinding~. X-ray diffraction showed a pure spinel structure for CoCr2S4 and a monoclinic structure for NiCr2S4. Samples of mixtures of the two ternary sulfides were prepared with different compositions, see Table I. Samples were heated for a total of 80 hr at 900&apos;C in evacuated silica tubes, with one intermediate regrind-ing. The capsules were slow-cooled to room temperature in the furnace. Samples for X-ray diffraction were prepared by placing powder on a glass slide with vaseline. Dif- fractometer traces were obtained on a G.E. XRD-5 diffractometer using a chromium tube and vanadium filter (40 kv and 31 ma). The size of the spinel unit cell was determined from the eight highest angle peaks (80 deg < 2b < 160 deg). Calculated lattice parameters were plotted vs cos B . ctn 0 and extrapolated to 6 = 90 deg. Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility were carried out at room temperature using the Faraday method in a magnetic field of 3000 G and using a Cahn RG automatic microbalance. The system was calibrated from the well-established susceptibilities of platinum and palladium: (Xpt = 0.968 x 10-6 g-1 and Xpd 7 5.04 x 10~6 g-1). The weight of samples were approximately 0.200 g. X-ray diffraction patterns for unsintered mixtures showed Bragg peaks from both the spinel (CoCr2S4) and monoclinic (NiCr2S4) structures. After sintering no monoclinic peaks were observed in samples containing up to 40 mol pct NiCr2S4. However, the spinel peaks were displaced to higher angles with increasing

Jan 1, 1970

By George Stone

THE stack gases from regenerative furnaces are very seldom utilized for the production of steam. If the temperature of the gases is not higher than 300° C. (572° F.) there is no economy in their use for this purpose, as the amount of available heat is very small and the temperature is so little above that of the steam that the interchange is too slow. With higher temperatures of the waste gases, however, good results can be obtained. At the plant of the New Jersey Zinc Co. (of Pa.) at Palmerton there are a number of return tubular boilers, each 6 ft. in diameter and 20 ft. long, with 96 3.5-in. tubes, which are heated by the waste gases from the spelter furnaces. These furnaces have continuous regenerators heating the air only and the stack gases reach the boilers at a temperature of about 450°. The gas producers for one of these furnaces require 14 tons of anthracite (a mixture of Nos. 2 and 3 buckwheat), and the waste heat from the furnace gives a little more than 42 h.p. in steam. The boilers are not well adapted for the purpose, as they are much too large for the amount of heat going to them and the area of the tubes is not sufficient to take the gas from two furnaces without causing an objectionable amount of back pressure. The plant was built without any idea of using waste-heat boilers, and it was impossible to place the latter as close to the furnaces as they should be. Furnace and boiler are connected by an underground brick flue in which the temperature of the gas drops about 100°, losing 40 per cent. of its available heat. If the .boilers were close to the furnaces the horse power of each would be 70 instead of 42. Even under these unfavorable conditions the boilers have been very advantageous, as one boiler easily supplies the steam necessary for two batteries of producers. With such low gas temperatures the heating surface of the boilers is, of course, not as efficient and the flue areas need to be considerably larger than for coal firing.

Jan 10, 1913

THE second operation in the art of casting, and one of the greatest importance, is that of melting and thoroughly liquefying the materials of which you wish to make your casting. On this operation depends the whole outcome of your intentions and the perfection of your work. Without it, even though you had a great abundance of moulds and vast quantities of bronze, your desires, labor, and expense would all be in vain. In this operation I find on consideration that, in addition to experience, there are three necessities-perhaps indeed four-that must be provided without fail. The first is the furnace or other agent which contains the fire and the metal brought together. The second is the wood or charcoal which is the necessary and proper nutriment of the fire, from whose virtues are derived the greater or lesser forces which, according to their kind, are ready to effect what is required. The third is to have the materials disposed to easy fusion by means of corruption, alloying, or by their own nature. The fourth, as the motivating cause of the whole, could perhaps be listed as the first-this is the ingenuity and good judgment of the worker, together with the bodily exertions not only of himself but also of his helpers in addition. For, besides a certain ordinary caution, it is necessary to pay particular attention, first, to see that the furnaces, machines, ladles, hearths, refineries, and other kinds of instruments or similar vessels be made so as to dispose the metals for melting, and, when melted, that they easily maintain them so. These should also be prepared in such a way that they cannot be injured by the fire, for if they should be damaged the operation would fail. In order to do this, it is first necessary that you arrange the instruments with forethought and action so that the power of the fire can operate. Fire operates on things only when brought together with them in long-continued operation, or when driven by a great force of wind. It burns many things and softens others, but it makes the metals as liquid as water.

Jan 1, 1942

By V 7. 0 / 300 dpi

THE cams at present universally used in stamp mills lift the tappets with an involute form of curve, to which the surface of the tappet is always tangent; moreover, the line of contact between tappet and cam, if produced, would pass through the center of the stem. This is no doubt a desirable feature, but the writer has long believed that it would be much more desirable if the cam were to pick up the stamp without shock, and gradually increase the upward velocity of the stamp throughout its upward movement. The involute form of cam attempts to impart instantly a considerable upward velocity to the stamp, starting it from a state of rest, and the result is a destructive blow, a great deal of noise, and much wear and vibration. The writer has developed a form of cam which will lift the stamp with a motion similar to that of the piston of an engine between the end and middle of its stroke; in other words, harmonic motion, from the point. of zero to maximum velocity. The curve will give this ideal motion only when the stamp is set for the exact drop for which the cam was designed, but the improved cam will not be as bad as the involute cam until the drop is reduced one-half. In other words, if a cam is designed for a 6-in. drop, it will be some improvement over the usual form of cam until the drop is only 3 in. Any cam, whatever its form, must of course lift the stamp in the same number of degrees of revolution; therefore, with this new form, since the stamp starts more slowly on its upward course, it must end up by going faster, the average speed being the same as with the involute cam. The stamp, after it is no longer in contact with the cam, keeps on going up a certain distance, which is easily calculated. It is therefore possible to hang up a stamp without a cam stick, if the fingers are not more than 1/8 in. longer than necessary to hold the tappet above the cam.

Jan 12, 1914

By W. D. Bennett

AN interesting effect has been observed in the vacuum etching of titanium in the high temperature ß phase. Using a high vacuum annealing furnace, operating at less than 2x10-6 mm with a tubular titanium liner, it has been found possible to etch polished metallographic specimens at different temperatures between room temperature and 1000°C without contamination or increase in hardness.&apos; Heat etching of titanium has been reported by other workers,&apos; but the following example is of interest as an experiment under high vacuum in the absence of any contamination. Two polished specimens of iodide-processed titanium are placed at different positions along the axis of the furnace corresponding to temperatures of 900" and 800°C above and below the a-ß transus. The specimens are then raised to these temperatures and annealed simultaneously for 3 hr under the same high vacuum conditions. After cooling and withdrawing the specimens, their surfaces are photographed without further treatment. Figs. 1 and 2 show the results for the 800" and 900°C specimens, respectively. Fig. 1, corresponding to a vacuum etch in the a region, shows a typical equiaxed structure with what appears to be a slight shift of grain boundaries. Fig. 2, corresponding to a vacuum etch in the ß region, shows an equiaxed type of structure with the growth of striations in certain grains. The striations are only superficial, as a light polish and chemical etch restores the clean equiaxed structure. The vacuum etch, occurring as it does above the a-ß transus, records the state of the metal in the ß phase by means of the surface relief produced by the selective evaporation of metal from different grains; the metal itself reverts to the equiaxed a on cooling. The nature of the ß etch" (Fig. 2) suggests that, in transforming from the close-packed-hexagonal a to the body-centered-cubic ß lenticular-shaped laminae are formed parallel to common planes of the two structures. This would explain why some grains appear to be unaffected by the etch. The technique has interesting possibilities in the investigation of the mechanics of high temperature transformation. Acknowledgment This note is published by permission of the Deputy Minister, Dept. of Mines and Technical Surveys, Ottawa, Ont., Canada.

Jan 1, 1956