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By Joseph E. Pogue

Price is a complicated concept, for price is both a cause and an effect. This reciprocal aspect is commonly overlooked and the oversight is the source of many economic maladjustments. Price is the resultant of the ratio between supply and demand, but it differs from a mathematical concept of a proportion, by itself constituting an economic force which continuously alters the elements that determine the relationship. Price, therefore, is not merely the outcome of other forces but is in its own right one of the most powerful of economic agents. Price accordingly does not play a passive role; nor can it be sterilized or rendered inactive. In consequence, price cannot be fixed or at least kept fixed, except by the elimination of all freedom of choice on the part of producers and consumers. A primary objective of all economic activity is equilibrium. The same is true of a unit of economic activity, the single industry. The plane upon which equilibrium centers may shift in the course of time, but equilibrium itself is the point of departure and the point of return. If an industry is in equilibrium, that industry is operating effectively. The motivating forces of an industry—profits or the common good—are not to be confused with the prerequisite of equilibrium, but this mistake is often made. The producer is dominated by the profit motive; the consumer, or his collective representative, by the general welfare motive. No one is the advocate for equilibrium; that status is supposed to be arrived at automatically. If the forces of competition are perfectly free, such is the tendency. Equilibrium For the purposes of this analysis, equilibrium needs to be broadly defined and is conceived to involve: (1) balance between supply and demand; (2) internal equipoise amongst the elements within an industry; and (3) symmetry in respect to the whole economy. This definition implies flexibility and case of adjustment; a ready accommodation to change. Equilibrium does not postulate profits or nonprofits, social objectives or the lack of them. A decadent industry may be in equilib-

Jan 1, 1937

THE CHALRYAN.--I think that we have set the stage for the balance of the sym- posium. Most of the emphasis has been placed on the immediate value of every- thing we can do and everything we can learn for the furtherance of the war effort. I believe that ought to be first, but I also believe that this is the time for us to con- sider very seriously not only what these improved methods and techniques do to form a closer approach to ideal segregation but what effect these great quantities of scrap metals and alloys that are going to be produced this year and next, are going to have-what their impact will be-on post- war industry in general and in particular ,, on the primary metals fields. In some cases we have been hearing in the last month or two of the law of diminishing returns coming to the fore. We find alloy simplification growing and certain alloys being produced in great quantities, which will perhaps drop out of the picture some- what as the war ends but never to the lower ( stage they had before. We have I think a pretty good cross- section of the producers, the refiners, the reclaimers and ingot makers, the ultimate users here, and there ought to be some good and helpful discussion. The papers are open for discussion. Mr. Beattie, do you want to make any 1 comment? H. J. BEATTIE.*-To start the discussion I might ask Mr. Deitz what they do with manganese bronze turnings? We segregate the manganese bronze turnings from the other bronze turnings. The value of it seems to be much out of line with the price of ingot, that is, as compared to some of the other alloys like 88-10-2 or 85-5-5-5. I assume it is because they can only use a

Jan 1, 1943

By M. E. Wadsworth, K. J. Richards

The oxidation rates of tantalum in various partial pressures of carbon dioxide in the temperature range 700°to 950°C were measured with a thermo-gravimetric balance. Oxidation involved a surface -controlled reaction associated with the formation of a nonprotective layer of Ta2O5. Below about 720°C, there was a change in the rate-determining mechanism, and above 830°C the linear rate was preceded by a complex region of nonlinear oxidation behavior. The linear oxidation of tantalum has been explained quantitatively in terms of carbon dioxide adsorption, followed by a rate-controlling surface reaction. The initial adsorption has been expressed both as an equilibrium process and as a steady-state reaction. The enthalpy for chemisorption of CO, was determined to be -17.3 kcal per mole. The surface-controlled reaction had an activation enthalpy of 40.4 kcal per mole. A considerable amount of interest has been shown in recent years in the oxidation of tantalum and the nature of the oxide film produced. This interest is associated with the increasing demand in our technology for structural materials to withstand high temperatures and corrosive atmospheres. The low oxidation resistance of tantalum has severely restricted its application as a high-strength, high-temperature material. As a fundamental approach to the realization of the full poten- tials of this metal, the kinetics of the oxidation of tantalum in oxygen and air have been extensively studied; however, very little work has been reported on the effect of other gases, including carbon dioxide. According to Miller,' the only reported study of the reaction between tantalum and dry carbon dioxide is a restricted observation by O'Driscoll et al.2 at 8 atm absolute pressure and 500°C. Therefore, this study was made to investigate the reaction of tantalum with carbon dioxide. EXPERIMENTAL MATERIALS AND METHODS The vacuum-annealed tantalum used in this study was obtained from Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. as 0.025-mm-thick sheet stock. This material had less than 0.1 pct total impurities, and the maximum individual impurity concentrations were

Jan 1, 1964

By E. H. Kelton

The purposes of this paper are to describe the use of adjustable cut and draw tools as a control test of drawing properties and to point out that no other well-known test or combination of tests determines this quality in zinc and zinc alloys. Rolled zinc has been used for making drawn articles, particularly battery cans, for many years. The development of rolling treatments satisfactory for these purposes followed the usual course of trial and error experimentation depending upon cooperation with customers to determine what type of material was suitable. A quick test of drawing quality was highly desirable, of course. Scleroscope hardness and temperll having no apparent relation to drawing quality, were used simply to check the duplication of rolling treatment and grade of metal. The dynamic ductility1 test, on the other hand, was believed to be so like the drawing operation as to provide a reliable index and came to be taken as the criterion of good drawing properties. Faith in this test was strengthened by the fact that metal having the highest ductility was more satisfactory for operations, such as the manufacture of battery cups, that required several redraws. No distinction was made at that time in specifying metal as to whether it was to be subjected to simple cut and draw, redrawing or forming operations. It developed, however, that in some grades of metal the highest ductility did not coincide with the most satisfactory quality when the material was used for a single draw. When zinc-base alloys, with their wider ranges of effective rolling treatments, came into increased use, their dynamic ductility and drawing quality appeared to have no connection whatever. Furthermore, comparisons of known drawing quality with other physical properties of the metal, including tensile strength, elongation and dynamic cold bends, were fruitless in yielding any clear relationship. Almost any test value produced in one piece of metal could be duplicated by another rolling or annealing treatment with attendant different drawing characteristics.

Jan 1, 1934

By Robert R. Brookshire

Brush plating has been thought of by many as black magic bordering on alchemy. Actually it is a science that uses both electro-chemical and mechanical engineering skills and technology. We are not sure when brush plating was first used or by whom. I do know that many times when we would put in for patents on things we thought of as new and innovative, we would find that someone had done it many years before. It took World War I1 to get brush plating off and running. Now at this point, someone may be asking just what is brush plating? And why are we plating brushes? One way of describing what brush plating is, is by telling what it is not such as tankless plating. Brush plating-is an electro deposition of an electro-platable element or alloy onto a conductive surface. To do this a source of direct current is required; this can vary widely. I prefer stepless voltage control from 0-35 volts with a capacity depending on the size job to be done. This can vary up to 500 amps for normal applications. In one case we have used 7500 amps.. In the beginning a brush was actually used with a wire in the middle of the bristles and a jelly-like paste made up from tank plating solutions. The bristles were saturated with the gunk and the spot to be plated was muddled with the concoction at a potential which was the same as the applied tank Voltage. Metal was deposited but only thin coats were achieved. Today we use graphite wrapped or covered with cotton to form a Q-tip type anode. By using graphite rather than a specific metal we are able to either plate, de-plate or strip, electro- mill, electropolish, or anodize--all with the same equipment. Only the electrolyte needs to be changed.

Jan 1, 1984

By J. B. Mackintosh

In a recent paper read before the Institute on this subject, Mr. G. C. Stone advances the theory that the precipitate obtained in Williams's volumetric process,* by treating the boiling nitric acid solution of a manganese salt with potassic chlorate., is not pure MnO2, but approximates more closely to the composition 10Mn02+Mn0. As the value of the process and the accuracy of our results mould depend on whether this was the fact or not, it has seemed to me, and to my associates, Messrs. Beebe and Colly, that it would be of importance to ascertain the composition of this precipitate, and to that end the following series of experiments has been undertaken. These experiments have all been based on the considerations: 1. That potassic permanganate has an oxidizing power equivalent to five atoms of oxygen for every two of manganese : K2Mn2O8 = K2O.2MnO.O5. 2. That the same amount of manganese in the state of binoxide has an oxidizing power equivalent to two atoms of oxygen : 2MnO2 = 2MnO.O2. If, then, we take a solution of permanganate of unknown strength, and reduce it to binoxide, the oxidizing power of the binoxide formed will be equal to that of two-fifths the quantity of the permanganate solution originally taken. While, if the precipitate obtained should not be binoxide, but an indefinite or definite mixture of bin- and mon- oxides, then, from its equivalent oxidizing power, we can calculate its composition. The analyses were conducted in the following manner. The amount of permanganate taken was decomposed with hydrochloric acid, and concentrated to expel the excess of water. Sufficient excess of nitric acid was now added, and the solution was boiled until all the hydrochloric acid was destroyed. The manganese was then precipitated by potassic chlorate; and, after standing some time to cool—a pre-

Jan 1, 1884

By P. A. Beck, W. D. Manly

In a recent note Sully and Head1 showed that the Cr-Fe sigma phase is isomorplious with the Cr-Co gamma phase, and that the lattice constants are also nearly identical. In a preliminary investigation of the ternary Cr-Co-Fe system at 800°C at this laboratory the above findings were confirmed, and it was found by microscopic techniques, using various etching reagents, that the two binary phases form an urinterrupted series of solid solutions with each other. These solid solutions occupy a straight narrow band which cuts across the 800°C isothermal section of the ternary system, connecting the two binary phases. A detailed investigation of the Cr-Co-Ni ternary system at 1200°C disclosed that here, too, the Cr-Co gamma phase extends deep into the ternary system in the form of a long narrow lip. The fact that this sigma type lattice is sustained even when well over half of the Co atoms in it are replaced by Ni atoms, with relatively little change in the Cr content, clearly indicates that Ni itself has a certain tendency to form the sigma phase with chromium. This tendency is hidden in the binary Cr-Ni alloys, where the sigma phase is not known to occur, but it becomes operative in the presence of a suficient amount of Co. The interpretation of these facts in terms of electron concentrations is rendered difficult by the uncertainty of our present knowledge of the valency electron structure of the transition elements in their alloys. However, Sully and Heal's results and the present work suggest that intermetallic phases with signla type lattice may occur more frequently in these little investigated alloys than heretofore suspected. In particular, it is expected that a similar phase may exist in the V-Co and perhaps in the V-Ni system, in analogy to the known sigma type phase in the V-Fe system, and that all these sigma type phases may form extensive solid solutions with one another.

Jan 1, 1950

By J. J. Strohl, H. J. Schwellenbach

This paper relates the results obtained by decreasing the size of feed to a rod mill screen circuit. As would be expected, added production was gained and a finer grind with no tonnage loss was made possible. THE MacIntyre mill of the National Lead Co. has four parallel sections in which magnetic and gravity separations are made. Ore from a 5000-ton bin is fed by Hardinge constant weight feeders to a 6x12-ft open-end Marcy rod mill in each section. Rod mill discharge is bucket elevated to two 4x10-ft Tyrock screens whose oversize is returned to the rod mill. Screen undersize is pumped to Crockett separators for magnetite removal, and the Crockett tailings are sized and tabled to make an ilmenite concentrate. Minus 200-mesh material, overflowed by the Crockett and Dorrco sizers is thickened, de-slimed, and concentrated by flotation.' By 1948, the development of a successful slime flotation process and numerous improvements in the gravity circuit of the mill had increased the capacity of the available concentrating equipment. At the same time, improvements in the operating techniques of the dry crushing plant and improved feeding of the crusher by the mining department had appreciably increased the production rate per operating hour in that plant. Therefore, it was decided to take advantage of the added crusher capacity to produce a finer rod mill feed and in that way increase grinding capacity. At approximately the same time, finer screens were installed in the rod mill circuits to give finer grind and thus improve liberation of the magnetite and ilmenite from the gangue and from one another. Prior to the first part of 1948, a 3/4-in. limiting screen was used for sizing rod mill feed. The first reduction in crushing plant screen size was to 1/2 in. With this screen, the circulating load in the tertiary crushing circuit was too high and plant capacity dropped below a practical hourly rate. A 9/16-in.-sq opening screen, installed next, proved satisfac-

Jan 1, 1951

By Wilbert McBride

Two Alco 3 ½ -ton motor trucks were used by Young Bros. while operating at the Mammoth Collins mine at Shultz, Ariz. One was equipped with an oil tank holding 1,075 gal. and was used for the transportation of "tops." The, other was fitted with a stake body and used to carry machinery, wood, rails, pipe and all classes of miscellaneous supplies. The bodies were made of oak with maple flooring and were attached to the frame of the chassis by U-bolts, to avoid drilling the main members of the frame. Most of the hauling was done from Tucson, a distance of 47;2 miles. During the first. 3 months, part of the road was in very bad condition and the tire cost was excessive. After this part was repaired the road was in fair condition, but never good. There were no excessive grades or bad sand, but wagon ruts, too narrow for the truck wheels and of a different gage, caused heavy tire loss; while chuck holes, sharp curves and stones, both imbedded and loose, were objectionable features. During wet weather the trucks could not get sufficient traction to climb some of the hills and were likely to stick in the mud in certain places, so that no attempt was made to run them unless they were on the road when the rain started. This lost time amounted to about 5 per cent. of the total, but, whenever possible, it was utilized in making minor repairs. The price of gasoline, was from 17 to 21 c. per gal. Rubber tires were used throughout. Drivers were paid $4.50 to $5 per shift, and a return trip to Tucson was counted as two shifts even when made in one day. Drivers were provided with a room in Tucson and were paid for all time lost due to causes beyond their control. Trucks were loaded one way only.

Jan 7, 1916

By H. J. Schwellenbach, J. J. Strohl

This paper relates the results obtained by decreasing the size of feed to a rod mill screen circuit. As would be expected, added production was gained and a finer grind with no tonnage loss was made possible. THE MacIntyre mill of the National Lead Co. has four parallel sections in which magnetic and gravity separations are made. Ore from a 5000-ton bin is fed by Hardinge constant weight feeders to a 6x12-ft open-end Marcy rod mill in each section. Rod mill discharge is bucket elevated to two 4x10-ft Tyrock screens whose oversize is returned to the rod mill. Screen undersize is pumped to Crockett separators for magnetite removal, and the Crockett tailings are sized and tabled to make an ilmenite concentrate. Minus 200-mesh material, overflowed by the Crockett and Dorrco sizers is thickened, de-slimed, and concentrated by flotation.' By 1948, the development of a successful slime flotation process and numerous improvements in the gravity circuit of the mill had increased the capacity of the available concentrating equipment. At the same time, improvements in the operating techniques of the dry crushing plant and improved feeding of the crusher by the mining department had appreciably increased the production rate per operating hour in that plant. Therefore, it was decided to take advantage of the added crusher capacity to produce a finer rod mill feed and in that way increase grinding capacity. At approximately the same time, finer screens were installed in the rod mill circuits to give finer grind and thus improve liberation of the magnetite and ilmenite from the gangue and from one another. Prior to the first part of 1948, a 3/4-in. limiting screen was used for sizing rod mill feed. The first reduction in crushing plant screen size was to 1/2 in. With this screen, the circulating load in the tertiary crushing circuit was too high and plant capacity dropped below a practical hourly rate. A 9/16-in.-sq opening screen, installed next, proved satisfac-

Jan 1, 1951

By O. N. Wampler

UNDERGROUND lighting in the zinc mines of the Tri-State district can be separated into four di-visions. 1. Foot of shaft. 2. Pumps, fans. incline hoists and other stationary machinery. 3. Haulage ways. 4. Headings and stopes. One of the main improvements in lighting around the bottom of the shaft is in the use of skidoo flash lights, which have replaced the old electric skidoo bells. These bells were used as signals from the hoisterman to the tub hooker. In the event that a can bumped the side of shaft or a rock spilled from the can when dumping; the hoisterman rang the skidoo bells as a signal for all to leave the vicinity of the shaft bottom on a dead run. These bells were much better than no signal at all, but many of them were often out of order; the worst feature being that when out of order this fact was not immediately indicated. The electric flash-light signals work on the opposite principle and are burning at all times except when the hoisterman breaks the circuit when signaling danger. Therefore should a break or short occur in this arrangement, the shaft bottom is immediately thrown in darkness. Since the reaction from the eye is quicker than from ear, there is a slight saving of time- to the men escaping from the point of danger. Even this brief period of time may save a life. One other, point, to be emphasized, is that all lights near the shaft bottom should be on the signal circuit so that the entire area is momentarily darkened. I. have inspected mines where only one or two lights are used as signals, with the remaining lights around the shaft on another fixed circuit. In this case the flashing of the signal lights is almost drowned out by the stationary lights. These flash signals must be as startling as possible, which can only be done by flash-ing all the lights.

Jan 6, 1928

By M. J. McPherson

Having worked on the thermodynamics of air/liquid-water mixtures passing through the surface fans of deep mines, I find this paper of great interest and congratulate the authors on producing it. There are two matters, however, deserving discussion. First, the authors have described the classical theory of fog formation with fogging occurring at "supersaturation." In fact, the process of fog formation begins well below 100% humidity. The more strongly hygroscopic nuclei in the atmosphere will attract water molecules and begin to grow at a relative humidity perhaps as low as 70%. The process is a dynamic one with both condensation and evaporation taking place throughout the mixture on microscopic liquid surfaces. As saturation is approached, the rate of condensation accelerates rapidly producing the familiar reduction in visibility. Hygroscopic nuclei are present in all natural atmospheres and under the appropriate conditions of pressure and temperature, will produce clean fogs. However, if the air is polluted by particulates from combustion or other processes then the resultant coagulation with growing liquid particles may produce dense (and sometimes photochemical) smogs. It is this process that is likely to occur in underground mines when moist air is cooled below dew point. Second, the authors have summarized very well the individual measures that might alleviate the problem. In particular, I agree that neither heating nor refrigerating the air, by themselves, provides a satisfactory solution. However, there is a combination of these that provides a neat and effective control of fog formation. This involves a small, self-contained refrigeration unit within a duct but without the usual external heat rejection facility. The air is cooled below dew point and, hence, dehumidified on passing over the cold evaporator coils. The heat from the condenser is rejected back into the air down-stream from the water eliminator, as shown in [Fig. 1]. The duct configuration can be designed to create good mixing at the outlet.

Jan 1, 1984

By Nichols J. Grant, Bill C. Geissen

In low temperature phase diagrams, liquidus curves below about 1500°C are relatively easily established, e.g., by thermal analysis or separation of coexisting solid and liquid phases, followed by chemical analysis. Experimental difficulties increase considerably at higher temperatures and in systems involving more reactive metals. Although there are now thermocouples available for use from 1600" to 2400°c, as summarized by Caldwell,' the need for frequent calibration, aging, and contamination problems, and unavailability of suitable protection tubes has sharply limited their use at higher temperatures. Many of the high melt- ing metals are found to react with refractory oxides. TO avoid such problems, a frequently used procedure is the diffusion and saturation method, as described by Spedding et a1.' for the system La-C. This technique involves the annealing of one metal or a suitable alloy in a crucible of the other element at a temperature above the melting point, followed by chemical analysis of the center of the melt, after equilibrium is established. Further, if an alloy system is to be investigated employing the electron microbeam probe, and calibration charts have been established, it may be possible to measure the alloy concentration at the center of a cored as-cast structure, and to conclude from this points on the liquidus curve in a manner similar to the one to be described. It is known that in phases with a broad homogeneity range the rapidly cooled, cored, as-cast structure of an alloy presents concentrations having different lattice constants; this spread of lattice constant values contributes to the broadened lines of a powder pattern for the as-cast condition. The region of the crystal which is first to solidify will then correspond to the edge of the lines if the change of the lattice parameters with concentration is monotonous. In the course of the determination of the Ta-Tr phase diagram,3 it became evident that such behavior made it possible to construct the

Jan 1, 1963

By Lewis T. Wright

It is commonly believed by metallurgists that in copper-smelting, the copper in the slags, which is irreducible by continued " settling," is retained in the form of " prills " of matte. I have frequently held well-settled slag in a molten condition for a long period without being able thereby to reduce the copper-content. The slag acted as though it contained a minimum of dissolved or combined copper that could not be settled out by gravity. I have used reagents, but without satisfying myself in what form this copper existed. The same slags, by fine grinding and elutriation, could not be separated into portions containing more or less copper than the average content. By treating copper-slags in an electric furnace a button of metallic iron and copper was produced, but the high temperature and the strong reducing-action of the furnace mere influences that suggest an explanation of a result not obtainable with ordinary smelting-temperatures. If all the copper in the slag were in the form of copper-matte, and not existing as a dissolved compound with some of the elements of the slag, then the other metals in the matte, such as gold and silver, should occur in the slag in the same ratio to the copper as to the copper in the accompanying matte. This reasoning led me to study the ratio of metals in the products of smelting, and, apart from the issues discussed in this paper, the research has proved both interesting and illuminative. On the assumption of a similar ratio of metals in matte and slag, if the percentage of copper in the slag accompanying a matte containing 50 oz. of silver and 1 oz. of gold per ton of copper was 0.3 per cent., or 96 oz. per toll of slag, there should be found 0.15 oz. of silver and 0.003 oz. of gold per ton of slag; but, in my experience, there is less silver and much

Jan 1, 1910

By W. G. Matteson

THE Oklahoma legislature recently passed a bill providing for "the creation of an oil and gas department under the jurisdiction of the Corporation Commission, authorizing the. Corporation Commission to appoint a chief oil and gas conservation agent, and conferring exclusive jurisdiction on the Corporation Commission in reference to the conservation of oil and gas, and the inspection of gasoline and oil, the product of crude petroleum, and repealing all acts or parts of acts in conflict therewith and declaring an emergency." Some of the functions of the new bureau include the receiving and filing of all well logs and the direction and supervision of plugging all abandoned oil and gas wells under rules prescribed by the Corporation Commission. The two leading petroleum-producing States of the country, Oklahoma and California, have now established oil and gas bureaus with a staff of inspectors to see that the important rules relating to the conservation of oil and gas are thoroughly enforced. The economic significance and the value of well logs in the conservation work has been recognized and the necessary legal action taken to insure and procure them. William B. Heroy, of the Government Land Classification Board, in a personal communication to the writer, says that the drilling of wells is also regulated by public authority in the Roswell artesian basin in southeastern New Mexico, where a permit must be obtained for the drilling of any well and a certified log of the well recorded with a county official. The method is said to give fairly satisfactory results. In a recent article 1 a National instead of a State Bureau was suggested for collecting and filing well logs. In discussing the paper, L. L. Hutchison characterized such a plan as impractical because the average driller or contractor will often juggle or guess at the log and will not keep the record sufficiently close or accurate, making it necessary to maintain a special man at each well for the sole purpose of obtaining

Jan 6, 1917

By E. H. Griswold

The surveying of oil wells has in recent months become a common practice in the deep fields of the Mid-Continent area. Borehole surveys have been made by mining companies for many years, but the introduction of such methods into the oil fields has been delayed until the past few years, because the value of survey data was not fully appreciated. The acid and gelatin bottle methods of obtaining the angle of deviation and the floating compass method of obtaining the direction of horizontal drift have been in use for more than 20 years. A photographic recording instrument consisting of a plumb bob, magnetic needle and electrically operated camera was devised and used in the Rand mining fields of South Africa prior to 1912.1 Another and improved photographic instrument, depending upon orientation of the drill pipe instead of polar magnetism for direction, has been invented and used. The acid bottle method has also been used in conjunction with oriented drill pipe. The magnetic compass is not reliable for oil-well work because of the unsymmetrical attraction of the needle to the well casing and possible magnetic formations. Many engineers also concur in the opinion that orientation of the drill pipe from instrument to surface will be inaccurate because of the torque exerted between the drill pipe and walls of the hole, causing the lower sections of pipe to twist. When it is considered that 4000 ft. of 6 in. drill pipe has approximately the same slender-ness ratio as 6 ft. of silk thread, such twisting effects can be readily visualized. The gyroscopic compass has been suggested for use in direction finding, but the high cost of such instruments will prohibit their use, except in special cases. Due to the lack of accurate direction-finding instruments, almost all of the survey work in the Mid-Continent fields has been of the acid bottle method alone.

Jan 1, 1929

By William P. Blake

In addition to uintaite, the Uintah Mountains contain a deposit, or vein, of the peculiar hydrocarbon mineral, to which I have given the name wurtzilite, * in honor of the chemist, Henry Wurtz, Ph.D., of New York, who, in 1865, described grahamite, and who has added to our knowledge of the composition of the hydrocarbon minerals. Wurtzilite and uintaite are very similar in appearance, but are very different in their physical and chemical properties. Both are black, splendent and shining in fresh fracture; but the wurtzilite has a decided toughness, and a degree of elasticity, especially when warmed, which suggests to some persons a resemblance to caoutchouc. It was at first, at Salt Lake, believed and reported to be a mineral form of India-rubber, and great expectations of its value as a substitute for crude rubber were indulged in. It was, however, found that it would not act like rubber with sulphur; it would not incorporate with it and become "volcanized," and it was very refractory and insoluble in the ordinary solvents of rubber and of uintaite. The elasticity, though unlike the elasticity of rubber, led to the reference of the mineral to the species elaterite, the only name under which an elastic bitumen is described in the mineralogies; and it is so called in the list of the mineral products of Utah, given in the last message of the Governor of the Territory. The name elaterite, as used by Dana, covers at least three differing substances, ranging in specific gravity from 0.905 to 1.223. Two of the varieties are soft and elastic, much like India-rubber, and one is occasionally hard and brittle, imbedded in the softer kinds. All are rare, and comparatively unknown, and not generally represented in mineral collections. One of the varieties referred to here is the subterranean fungus from Derbyshire, described by Lister as early as 1673.

Jan 1, 1890

By W. P. Dyrenforth, W. E. Horst

Although, separating or concentrating minerals, based on differences in. their magnetic properties has been practiced for years1 the early industrial applications of magnetic separators were involved with the most highly magnetic materials. These early separators were used to concentrate magnetite, separate metallic iron from furnace products, and separate iron and brass turnings. Next, the addition of a pretreatment operation, such as roasting or calcining, to transform certain iron-bearing minerals into a highly magnetic compound that could readily be separated from the altered mineral mixture using existing magnetic separation machines was added to the flowscheme. As the number of magnetic-separator installations grew, steady development of better equipment evolved including the design and implementation of induced magnets having high-intensity fields, These developments of course greatly expanded the field of magnetic separation and made it possible to commercially separate or concentrate very weakly magnetic minerals which previously had been considered as nonmagnetic minerals. A number of different designs of magnetic separators were well developed and the unit operation of magnetic separation was gaining wide acceptance in mineral processing operations when two events occurred that dampened these developments. First, the Mesabi iron range with its direct-shipping iron ore was discovered and placed into operation. This of course significantly reduced the need for magnetic separation to meet the raw material requirements of the iron and steel industry. Second, the advent of selective froth flotation, was so successful in solving many mineral process problems that electrical concentration techniques being developed at that time, including magnetic-separation methods, were either terminated or received low priority ratings. During the past two decades interest has been renewed in the use of electrical concentration methods to solve mineral separation problems. As the direct-shipping iron ore reserves are depleted more emphasis has been placed on magnetic upgrading of lower value iron ore available throughout the world. In addition, magnetic separation techniques have found numerous applications in the non-metallic and industrial minerals industry to supplement froth flotation and thus add to the variety of beneficiation methods available.

Jan 1, 1971

By J. Morgan Clements

The manufacture of coke in Peru, as practiced at the coalmines of the Quishuarcancha and Goyllarisquisca districts, is intermediate between the primitive coke-heap and the bee-hive oven. The method of coking is quite simple. In constructing the coal-heap, preparatory to burning, the ground is first leveled, and a simple stack of stone and clay is built, giving the bottom, to a height of 6 ft., approximately 6 ft. of external diameter. The size of the stack varies in different districts, but is generally 9 ft. high, and slightly smaller at the top than at the bottom. The walls of the heap are from 12 to 14 in. thick, which allows an inside diameter of from 3.75 to 4 ft. These walls are pierced at intervals by three or more tiers of openings or flues, connected with the central flue. The radial flues have a diameter of about 5 in. and are built with a gentle upward slope. The stack (shown in Fig. 1) is permanent; and in this respect the practice in Peru differs from other primitive practices in which nothing is permanent except the yard. Above the permanent 6-ft. portion of the stack there is added a cap of clay, about 3 ft. high, which contracts toward the top, where it has an inside diameter of about 2 ft. This clay cap is temporary, and frequently has to be renewed after each burning. Before charging the coal, there are first built, from the lowest tier of flues upon the ground, a number of temporary flues, leading from the central stack out to the edge of the coal-heap, and constructed of blocks of coal for the greater part of the distauce, the outer edge alone being of rough stoue. The coal is then piled up over these flues and around the stack to a height of about 6 ft. The bottom flues are the only ones that

Jan 1, 1905

By C. H. Mathewson

MY first reflection on the subject assigned to me by the officers of this symposium was that a critical description of these lesser characters in the cast of inanimate actors now before us under the title "The Role of Metals in New Transportation" would be about as well received as the description of a horse race in terms of harness buckles and jock-ey's buttons. The word "new" in the title of this symposium seems to shout strong aluminum and stainless steel, unless we transfer our attention to transpor-tation on another planet where the strength-density ratios may require very different engineering treatment. To load a speaker with the "heavier nonferrous metals" amidst the airy consideration of flying or 20th century gliding along the earth and through water, like Hermes, the messenger of the immortals, and expect an instructive or enlivening flight into the area of current exploitation and popular interest in transportation would, of course, require the performance of a miracle or at least the exhibition of genius to which I can lay no claim. But copper and nickel, headliners in other classifications, are also indis-pensable as components of the important new structural materials of transportation, and together with lead, tin and zinc perform many minor or contributory functions in this field that may indeed be con-sidered well-nigh indispensable. A complete and well planned fabric of classification, explanation and critique of even these secondary functions would take much time, and I cannot hope in the 25 minutes or so alloted for the purpose to offer more than a rambling treatment, in which a thread of continuity will be sought by anchorage to one after another of the following attributes or appurtenances of the moving vehicle: 1. The machinery and accessories. 2. The framework and superstructure, and the line or travelway. 3. Light, heat, power, water, sanitary and housekeeping services. 4. Embellishment, or style.

Jan 1, 1936