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By T. F. Witherbee

Success in this operation is much promoted by adhering to a definite plan. Random work is of little account. In general, anything done that will enable the blast to pass through the obstruction, providing the melted products can be got away from the tuyeres, is all that is necessary. Hence the utility of high explosives in breaking up the chilled mass in the hearth. (This, by the way, should be done with the wind on, so as to prevent the filling of the tuyeres with the usual rush of cinder following the explosion.) If from any cause it is not expedient to use explosives, the simple but very effective instrument known as the kerosene or hydro-carbon blow-pipe can be depended upon to perforate the contents of a blastfurnace hearth to any extent required. It consists, as used in the Champlain district (first by Mr. Charles H. Foote), of several pieces of gas-pipe, liberally supplied with elbows (five in number) so as to be flexible; one end being connected to a tuyere-stock and the other brought to bear upon the place to be melted out. A 1/4-inch pipe leads from the last length, or blow-pipe proper, to a reservoir of kerosene or crude oil, set high enough to overcome the blast-pressure, This 1/4-inch pipe should have a valve conveniently located to regulate the flow of oil, and also another next to the reservoir. With a good hot blast and a surprisingly small quantity of oil, this apparatus will melt, burn or mechanically dislodge anything around a blast-furnace hearth excepting firebrick and water-cooled castings or plates. It may be helped by vigorous prodding with a suitable steel bar, to detach the fused but sometimes sticky material. A very good way to operate on a chilled hearth with it, is to open up a hole from a cinder- or iron-notch to the nose of the most convenient tuyere and then make a blow-pipe of the tuyere by turning

Jan 1, 1885

By Edmund C. Pechin

THE iron trade of America seems on the point of a new departure. After years of struggling against heavy odds, patient endurance in periods of depression and loss, fears and hopes alternating as failure or success seemed to be the penalty or reward ; wanting in sufficient capital, embarrassed by reason of imperfect knowledge and lack of skilled labor, confronted by a powerful foe-every doubt has at last vanished, physical and mechanical difficulties have been largely over-come, capital has become more abundant and remunerative, the excellence of our product has been everywhere established, and the peculiarities of American character-pluck, energy, and perseverance -have at last placed the trade upon a foundation so broad and stable that upon it we begin to erect the structure of a world-wide business. Concerning the future of the iron trade in the United States there can be but little doubt. The growing scarcity and constantly increasing cost of raw material in Great Britain, their loss of labor by emigration, the social disturbances among the working-classes, assuming a more threatening attitude on each new outbreak ; the rapidly decreasing value of money, in consequence of the enormous production of gold and silver, combine to forbid any return to former prices, and indicate that a point has been reached beyond which any marked increase of production is improbable. The same causes are operating to a greater or lesser extent upon the Continent. In the meanwhile the growing wants of humanity are rapidly outstripping these sources of supply. In addition to the steadily increasing foreign and home demand, we find, the world over, the most intense activity everywhere displayed in enterprises requiring

Jan 1, 1873

By J. F. Myers, S. D. Michaelson, F. C. Bond

THIS work was undertaken with the object of collecting plant data on rod milling, making laboratory tests on representative samples of the various ores, and arriving at a basis for comparing the relative efficiencies of different mills operating on widely different materials and under varying conditions. These efficiencies consider only power consumption and do not include the other elements of operating costs. The over-all economic efficiency may be quite different from the consumption efficiencies with which this paper is concerned. It is hoped that these collected data will be of value in indicating the most favorable conditions of rod-mill operation. Operating-plant data on 14 different installations from 11 plants throughout the United States and Canada were collected, and laboratory tests were made on samples of these ores. The plant rod mills were all operated wet, and either in open circuit or with circulating loads so small as to be negligible. Data were obtained on one roll-crushing operation at the Utah Copper Co., for comparison. The rolls were operated wet in closed circuit with 10-mesh vibrating screens, and with a high circulating load averaging about 600 pct. This particular roll operation can be considered as a model of efficiency. The collected plant data are necessarily incomplete in some instances. Each ore was assigned a code number, and the name and location corresponding to the code number are listed in Table I when permitted. [ ] The power data in every instance refer to motor input. Net power was reported by the operator for samples I-39 and I-45, and this was increased by 20 pct to compensate for motor losses and power factor. The plant rod-mill data are listed in Tables 2 and 3. In Table 2 the speeds are calculated on the basis of partly worn rod-mill liners 2 in. thick. Where D

Jan 1, 1947

By Robert M. Jimeson

At the recent SME Fall Meeting in Salt Lake City, Robert M. Jimeson, Physical Science Administrator of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, cited the research programs underway in the Bureau's Division of Coal Research, and outlined their current status. These research programs have been selected by the Division because of their relative value and high probability of success in contributing to the conservation of the Nation's coal and to the expanded use of coal in current or new markets. Since about 50% of coal consumption in the United States is in the production of electric power, 20% in production of metallurgical coke, and over 20 % by industry in producing process steam and power, the Bureau has placed much emphasis on research that will maintain coal's leadership in these established areas. This emphasis is reflected in the projects discussed on these pages. Bear in mind that this survey is not all-inclusive. Other projects underway include studies on furnace performance factors, improved burner design, and other critical boiler work which can be used immediately by industry to improve efficiency of current practices in power generation; other investigations are aimed at reducing fireside deposits and corrosion of boiler and super- heater tubes, fly ash utilization, and control of SO, from flue gases (a major step in preventing air pollution). These plus many other projects during the past years have served to focus attention on the fact that the U. S. Bureau of Mines is presently making the largest single contribution to this Nation's coal research effort.

Jan 11, 1963

By Hans Rumpf

INTRODUCTION Agglomeration is based on adhesion between particles. Production of agglomerates of specific strength, strain properties, size, porosity and structure necessitates the activation of the adhesive forces. To achieve this, it is important for us to know details of the various systems of adhesion. Reports on the work of our Institute for the investigation of systems of adhesion were published on various occasions. A reference to those publications is made in the following abstract, and the findings previously published are presented only to the extent necessary for a better understanding of more recent test results, or of changed ideas. 1. MECHANISMS OF ADHESION We must distinguish between various "mechanisms of adhesion". By "mechanism of adhesion" we understand the interaction between a particle and a substrate resulting from a clearly definable physical or physico-chemical process resulting in a definite mathematical interrelation- ship between the decisive variables.

Jan 1, 1977

By Frederick A. Mumpton

For more than 200 years zeolites have been familiar minerals to geologists and mining engineers as minor, but ubiquitous constituents in vugs and fractures of most basalt and traprock formations. More than 35 different species have been recognized including several, such as chabazite, erionite, mordenite, and faujasite, whose adsorption properties rival those of many synthetic molecular sieves. Igneous occurrences of this type have never been mined on a commercial scale; they are generally small and low grade, and they commonly contain as many as four zeolite minerals, along with small quantities of calcite, quartz, and other silicate minerals. Their economic beneficiation to monomineralic zeolite products has also not been achieved and, for the most part, industrial applications of zeolites have relied primarily on synthetic molecular sieves that were crystallized from hydrous aluminosilicate gels. During the middle 1950s, when Union Carbide Corp. and other groups were developing processes and markets for their fledgling synthetic zeolite businesses, natural zeolites

Jan 1, 1983

By Lawrence Addicks

AT the San Francisco meeting of the Institute last year, I presented, through the courtesy of Dr. James Douglas; some results of experiments on the roasting and leaching of concentrator tailings. After it became apparent that flotation rather than leaching was clearly the better method of handling the particular problem under consideration, before dismantling the experimental equipment, some data were secured on roasting and leaching the concentrate itself in competition with smelting. Some of the results obtained are given in the following paper and they a re of particular interest at this time in. view of the large quantities of flotation concentrates with their somewhat difficult smelting characteristics now being produced. A complete wet process? consists of roasting and leaching the calcines in dilute sulphuric acid produced from the roaster gases, roasting the residue with salt and leaching with dilute tower liquors (the well-known Longmaid-Henderson process) and recovering the copper, silver and gold by cementation or electrolysis or a combination of both. It is evident, however, that the residue from the first leaching, carrying about 20 per cent. of the copper and all of the silver and gold, can be smelted if preferable. In considering the application of the scheme to individual cases, it must be remembered that freight plays a. large part in any reduction process wherein smelting is not conducted at the, mouth of the mine, and that it is not practicable today to build small smelting plants for individual operations. The experiments may be grouped under four main heads: Roasting, leaching, chloridizing residue, and recovery of copper from solutions. The products of two concentrators were used: The Nacozari concentrates were the product of a large modern mill not using flotation, the copper mineral being largely chalcopyrite; and the Tyrone concentrates, the product of an experimental mill including flotation, the copper mineral being chiefly chalcocite. Typical analyses would be as follows:

Jan 9, 1916

By William J. Robinson

What is the cummulative rate of recovery of copper from a sulfide leach dump? The technical answers to this frequently asked question may vary from "I don't know" to "quite good" from people of the same company. Management also poses this question because it plays a vital role in planning future production. The answer is difficult because of the many variables between different operations such as physical construction of the dump, topography of the original site, characteristics of dump material, mineralization and water application. Each of these factors and others have a bearing on the rate of recovery. Anaconda's method of water distribution at Butte is unique in that each dump is drilled to allow physical injection of water into the dump. The injection holes are drilled vertically on 25 ft centers from the surface of the dump. Normally, the holes are drilled 40 ft deep and cased with 4-in. PVC perforated pipe. The pipe is perforated at one-foot intervals with four 1/2 in. diam holes at 90" spacing on the pipe circumference.

Jan 9, 1972

By A. R. Troiano, E. A. Steigerwald, F. W. Schaller

D. N. Williams(BatteZle Memorial Institute)-The authors have presented an extensive collection of arguments pertaining to the role of stress in hydrogen embrittlement. The basic assumption of these arguments is that stress is essential as a driving force for diffusion of hydrogen. However, in view of the rapid diffusion rate of hydrogen in steel at low temperatures as evidenced by the ability to alloy with hydrogen by electrolytic charging, it seems unlikely to me that stress acts in this manner. Instead, I would like to suggest that stress may be essential for the nucleation of hydrogen in steel. I believe that such an assumption would equally well satisfy the experimental data presented by the authors. I should also like to comment on the interpretation of the data presented in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 shows the effect of hydrogen content on ductility in a rupture test. The curve as drawn by the authors indicates an abrupt transition from ductile to brittle behavior at about 0.001 amp per sq in. (5 ppm). The data points would equally well support a gradual transition from ductile to brittle behavior extending over the range from 0.0008 to 0.02 amp per sq in. (4 to 8 ppm). A gradual transition would be the ex-

Jan 1, 1962

By J. N. Ong, J. P. Ratledge, J. H. Boyce

Since German operators opened the Tsumeb mine in the early 1900's, continuous operation has been interrupted only by enforced shutdowns during two world wars and the depression of the 1930's. Original metallurgical practice was blast furnace smelting. This was applicable only to low zinc ore, leaving large tonnages of high zinc ore to be stockpiled on the surface. A gravity concentrator using tables, buddles, and jigs operated for several years, but differential flotation of the ore did not get beyond the experimental stage. When the property was put up for sale by the South African Custodian of Enemy Property there was an estimated 434,000 tons of ore on surface dumps. The dump material, assaying 4.48 pct Cu, 15.8 pct Pb, and 10.9 pct Zn, had become highly oxidized during a stay of many years on the surface. But these dump ores had to be used in evaluating possible metallurgy because the shaft became flooded after the 1940 shutdown and underground ore was unavailable. Many companies examined Tsumeb but quickly lost enthusiasm because of the formidable metallurgical problems presented by the dump ore. However, on the basis of extensive test work, the present company decided that differential flotation would be successful and purchased the property after competitive bidding.

Jan 4, 1955

By R. J. Wysor

MORE than two years ago, in making efficiency tests on our hot-blast stoves, I was surprised to discover a marked difference in temperature as indicated by a pyrometer inserted near a stove on blast, and the regular recording instrument situated near the bustle pipe. A special hole was then provided at the junction of the hot-blast main and the bustle pipe, and portable pyrometers with bare fire ends were used, both at this point and in the stove necks. I had occasion to make a number of such tests on various stoves on the same furnace, the difference in temperature as shown by the two pyrometers varying chiefly with the temperature of the blast, and the distance of the stove from the furnace. However, this difference was always great, often averaging above 100° F., for the entire period of a stove on blast. Later, experiments were made with similar results on another group of stoves. The pyrometers used were properly standardized and checked against each other before and after each test. However, there was still a slight doubt as to the accuracy of the results obtained, as subsequently explained. But I have obtained corroboration of the magnitude of heat losses from blast-furnace hot-blast mains from two independent sources. I have learned from H. A. Brassert, Superintendent of Blast Furnaces, South Works, Illinois Steel Co., that he has recently clone some experimental work similar to my own, and found temperature drops of the same order of magnitude. Also, C. R.. Lyle, of the Armstrong Cork Co., has made some interesting theoretical calculations, based oil the thermal conductivity of fire brick, for the particular conditions of several of our tests; and his theoretical interpolations, all facts being considered, check our actual observations fairly well. I understand that Mr. Lyle expects to publish the results of his investigations.

Jan 10, 1915

By Douglas Bunting

With the gradual exhaustion of the upper veins in the anthracite coal-fields, the problem of mining at greater depths acquires increasing importance and demands the consideration .of a number of important factors, one of which is the greater earth-pressure and the consequent necessity of stronger support for the roof. Under the pillar-and-chamber system, almost exclusively followed in the Northen anthracite-field, the highest economy in mining is generally secured by leaving, on first mining, pillars only sufficient to support safely the overlying strata. As to the necessary size of such pillars, the opinions of mining experts are widely divergent. In establishing the width of chambers and pillars, the thickness of vein and its depth below the surface have received little consideration. For instance, it has been quite usual to work both overlying and underlying veins with the same width of chambers and pillars, when the lower vein was two and one-half times as thick, and twice as far below the surface, as the upper. In view of the generally-accepted theory that the crushing-strength of coal-pillars of the same base-area becomes less with increased height, it is probable, in this instance at least, that the moat economical mining has not been secured. This question of adequate pillar-support is economically less important down to about 800 ft. than at greater depths; and it is with reference to mining at these greater depths that the study of the subject here presented has been prompted. The necessity of leaving larger pillars, involving greater mining-costs per ton and also smaller yields per acre, is one of the troubles of deep working. To mine without leaving adequate pillar-supports will result, sooner or later, in a squeeze. Limited areas, it is true, have been mined at certain widths of

Jan 1, 1912

By E. Swartzman

THE free-swelling index, a numerical value for the free-swelling properties of coal, is being used to an increasing extent in specifying coal for burning in various types of equipment. The empirical standard ASTM method for determining this index uses, as a source of heat, a gas burner which requires frequent calibration because gas pressures are not constant, relatively small changes in gas pressure resulting in rather wide variations in the temperature attained in a crucible and thus in the resultant size of the coke button. Furthermore, the quartz crucibles specified for the test are not standard equipment, and relatively small variations in dimension and wall thickness from those specified often result in rather wide variations in the resultant size of the button.

Jan 10, 1951

ALTHOUGH the first colonists in the area that is now the United States, whether Spanish, French or English in nationality, were usually keenly interested in the possibilities of mineral wealth, it is a curious and interesting fact that none of them happened upon the mineral deposits that eventually were to make this the greatest mineral-producing country; up to 1800 it would probably have been rated as rather poor in minerals. Spanish explorers traversed the southeastern United States with- out finding the Appalachian gold deposits that aroused so much interest in the early nineteenth century; Coronado sought in vain for the seven golden cities of Cibola; and the important gold deposits of California were not discovered until the political sovereignty of the region had passed from Mexico, which had held it for three centuries. The French also held Canada for nearly two centuries (and the British for another century) without finding the mineral deposits in Ontario and Quebec that now are so important. Though they knew of the copper of the Keweenaw peninsula, the lead ores of Wisconsin and Missouri, and the coal of Illinois in the seventeenth century, these deposits were all too remote for exploitation. In the area held by Great Britain, iron smelting was planned at Jamestown as early as 1619 and was actually begun at Lynn, Mass., in 1643. The industry grew slowly, at first, but had reached considerable importance before the Revolution. Commercial bituminous coal mining began about 1750 in Virginia but anthracite mining in Pennsylvania was not started until 1800. As a result there was naturally little interest in the technical aspects of mineral production here before 1800 by any except the few people who were actually engaged in it. Students of natural science were much interested in minerals, however. The activities of those who rank as geologists are so thoroughly covered in

Jan 1, 1941

By Cyril Smith

A STUDY of the precipitation-hardening of copper steels1 led the authors to investigate malleable iron containing copper, for the low-carbon ferritic matrix in malleable iron should lend itself admirably to precipitation-hardening. It was soon found that in addition to rendering malleable iron susceptible to improvement by precipitation-hardening treatments, copper has another potentially useful effect as an accelerator of graphitization. Brief mention of these effects was given in a general paper by Lorig and one of the present authors2; the present paper gives further details on the graphitization and precipitation-hardening effects only. After the completion of this work a paper by L. Lykkin3 appeared, confirming the authors' conclusions regarding graphitization.

Jan 1, 1935

By C. B. Sawyer

ALTHOUGH the element beryllium was discovered as the oxide by L. N. Vauquelin in 1797, this metallic element was not produced until about 1828, and then only as an impure powder. Thereafter the greatest single contributor to our early knowledge of beryllium was Lebeau who, in about 1899, made pure beryllium crystals by electrolysis of the fluoride and then beryllium copper by the arc-furnace reduction of beryllium oxide with carbon and copper. About twenty-five years later, under the impetus of the work done by Siemens-Halske, beryllium commenced to make relatively rapid gains in industrial importance, principally when alloyed with copper. At the present half century mark, its use is firmly established in beryllium copper and in X-ray disks of pure beryllium. Its use as a moderator in nuclear processes in piles is engaging experimental attention and might become important. Other minor uses, but increasing in interest, are in nickel-base or iron-base alloys as a strengthening agent; as a protective agent against oxidation in aluminum and magnesium-base alloys; and as a ceramic in the form of the pure fused oxide. A false start was made in the wide use of beryllium oxide as a fired fluorescent powder known as beryllium-zinc silicate, a component of the inside coating of fluorescent lamps. This application, wherein general use by the public attained some importance, was abandoned a few years ago. This action was a consequence of the uneasiness which had been generated during the past decade by the sometimes fatal health hazard to the pulmonary tract now generally attributed to beryllium and some of its compounds. Numerous law-

Jan 1, 1953

By E. K. Soper

Introduction It has been observed that where veins or other types of orebodies are intersected by cross faults, the continuation of the ore deposit below the fault is often of lower grade than that portion above the dislocation.1 In some mines, the reverse of these conditions has been noted, and the richest ore is found to occur in that portion of the vein beneath the fault intersection. Such instances seem to be less frequent than those where the richest ore is above the offset. The important and widespread influence of fault and vein intersections upon the localization of ore shoots is well known 2 but the factors that govern the position of the ore shoot relative to the fault intersection seem to be less clearly understood. The richest ore may be above or below the fault,. or it may occur at-the point of intersection, or there may be no change. Recent observations made by the writer in mines in Idaho and Montana suggested a possible explanation for the changes in the richness of ore below certain types of fault intersections. These observations have been supplemented by a study of the literature containing detailed descriptions of ore deposits at a large number of mines in North America. The results of these studies are presented herewith in the hope that they may lead to further discussion of this important phase of ore deposition.

Jan 10, 1917

By William E. Ford, Edward Salisbury Dana

1. Normal Class (6) Zircon Type 2. Hemimorphic Class (7) Iodusuccinimide Type 3. Pyramidal Class (8) Scheelite Type 4. Pyramidal- Hemimorphic Class (9) Wulfenite Type 5. Sphenoidal Class (10) Chalcopyrite Type 6. Trapezohedral Class (11) Nickel Sulphate Type 7. Tetartohedral Class (12) Mathematical Relations to the Tetragonal System THE TETRAGONAL SYSTEM includes all the forms which are referred to three axes at right angles to each other of which the two horizontal axes are equal to each other in length and interchangeable and the third, the vertical axis, is either shorter or longer. The horizontal axes are designated by the letter a; the vertical axis by c (see Fig. 166). The length of the vertical axis expresses properly the axial ratio of a : c, a being uniformly taken as equal to unity. The axes are orientated and their opposite ends designated by plus and minus signs exactly as in the case of the Isometric System. Seven classes are embraced in this system. Of these the normal class is common and important among minerals; two others have several representatives, and another a single one only. It may be noted that in four of the classes the vertical axis is an axis of tetragonal symmetry; in the remaining three it is an axis of binary symmetry only.

Jan 1, 1922

By Louis Huber

THE Liberty tunnels extend through a very steep hill in Pittsburgh (locally called Mount Washington) for a distance of slightly over a mile. The two tunnels parallel each other and are 59 ft. apart, center to center (Fig. 1). They are for vehicular traffic, and in each there is ample space for two lines of vehicles. Northbound traffic, towards downtown Pitts- FIG. 1.-NORTH PORTAL OF LIBERTY TUNNELS. NOTE THE WINDBREAK AT END OF EAST TUNNEL. burgh, is confined to the east tunnel and southbound traffic to the west tunnel. The South Hills residential district is separated from downtown Pittsburgh by Mount Washington, a steeply rising escarpment south of and adjacent to the Monongahela River. The Mount Washington district immediately south of the Monongahela River has been reached, for many

Jan 1, 1927

By E. W. Owen, John G. H. Crump, Peter P. Gregory

.Although oil Production in West Texas in 1939 reached the highest figure for any year since the inauguration of proration, drilling activity continued in the decline that had commerlced the previous year. Production totaled 79,469,341s bbl. of oil during 1939 as compared with 71,257,541s bbl. in 1938 and 75,743,000 in 1937. The number of wells completed in 1939 was 1850, compared with 2045 in 1938 and 2806 ill 1937. Several factors combined to cause the decrease in drilling activity, principally the contiriued increase in the length of time required to obtain a return of invcstment and the scarcity of important new discoveries during the past two years. Of the 1850 completions 1638 resulted in oil wells, 4 were gas wells, 168 were dry holes and 40 were abandoned locations; 1990 new locations were made during the year. The ratio of dry holes to producing wells completed was one dry hole to each 9.75 oil wells, compared with one dry hole to each 7.48 oil wells completed during 1938. This large decrease in dry holes was due to a marked decline in the number of wildcat wells drilled, there having been only 120 wildcat completions during 1939. In addition to the lessened exploration work, the deeline' in activity was largely accounted for by the slowing up of operations in the older pools of Ector, Howard and Winkler Counties. Ector County, which had led West Tcxas in 1938 with 622 new oil wells, furnished only 485 producers in 1939, but was still the leader for the West Texas district. The largest gain in activity was in Yoakum County, whew 350 oil wells were completed in the Denver-Wasson field against 152 during 1938. Most of the older oil fields have been almost completely drilled up, only a few new producers still being completed from time to time in

Jan 1, 1940