Search Documents

By Kenneth K. Humphreys, Joseph W. Leonard, Robert L. Llewellyn, William C. McCulloch

INTRODUCTION The particular field of application of machines utilizing air currents as the primary separating medium is in the cleaning of the fine sizes of bituminous coal. Approximately 25,400,000 tons of bituminous coal were cleaned by air machines during 1965. They have not found any application for cleaning anthracite. Since the development and introduction of the first successful commercial pneumatic oscillating machine for cleaning bituminous coal in 19 16, by the Sutton, Steele and Steele Co, Dallas, Texas, and the American Coal Cleaning Corporation, formerly of Welch, W. Va., seven other successful pneumatic coal-cleaning machines have been developed and introduced to the American coal-mining industry: 1. Peale Davis: "Pneumo-Gravity" machine. 2. Arms "Concentrator," oscillating table. 3. Hey1 and Patterson oscillating table. 4. "Stump Air-Flow," pulsating air jig. 5. "Super Airflow," pulsating air jig. 6. Ridge air jig. 7. Phillip air jig. While not all coals can be beneficiated by air washing, the air washing of coals that are easy to clean can be readily proved advantageous. Of all the preparation methods, pneumatic cleaning is the most acceptable from the standpoint of delivered Btu cost. This is based on the premise that a percent of moisture is just as detrimental as a percent of ash. The principle of dry concentration has never been determined with scientific accuracy. To the present time the study has been more of an art than a science. It is possible to forecast the results of wet concentration from a study of the washability characteristics of the raw coal but only after applying rule-of-thumb methods of interpretation to the specific gravity and size distribution can it be ascertained that the raw coal is amenable to dry concentration. Air as a separating medium dates back to biblical times as exemplified in the winnowing of chaff from the grain. However, the same application of air to coal serves merely to blow the dust away and size the remaining particles. Pulsating air was the solution to the problem and largely eliminated the necessity for close screen sizing which was required on early separators. Because of the low density of air, a medium of sufficient density has to be built with the material itself. Hence there must be some device to impart to the bed the necessary mobility for proper classification. Also, the

Jan 1, 1968

By Byron B. Morton

NICKEL-BEARING alloys are associated with petroleum in the fields of exploration, production, and refining. In the first- named field the geologist of today makes use of such instruments as the seismograph, torsion balance, and magnetometer, the selection of proper alloys and metals for the manufacture of which is an important matter. Nickel-bearing alloys are useful for parts that require resistance to corrosion or that must have non-magnetic properties. Where special co- efficient of thermal expansion are de- sired, they are obtained by using alloys high in nickel (20 to 60 per cent), since, by varying the nickel contents, alloys can be obtained ranging fro111 "Invar", with a low expansion between -40 and 175 cleg. F., to those with coefficients of expansion exceeding that of steels. The latter are obtained by additions of chromiurn to the alloys. Alloys containing 50 to 80 per cent of nickel, which possess high magnetic permeability, find application in certain instruments where this property is important.

Jan 1, 1935

By Harold G. Moulton

IT is highly significant that engineers should seriously consider the interrelations of technology, economics, and government. It is indicative of the emergence of maladjustments and problems that perplex our thinking and frustrate our activities. Instead of a world in which scientific discoveries and their applications through engineering to the processes of wealth production are regarded as the royal road to progress, we now find science and engineering being made responsible, in no small degree, for our economic and social troubles; and the powers of government are even being invoked to stem the tidal wave of technology. Indeed, there is a deep-seated fear, manifested in the writings of some of our greatest scientists as well as in popular discussions, that science may destroy our civilization.

Jan 1, 1938

By Edward O’Toole

THe Pocahontas district occupies the extreme southern end of West Virginia, principally McDowell, Mercer and Wyoming counties, and a part of Tazewell county, in southwestern Virginia. The first record of the coal field is a report by Prof. J. P. Lesley, of Pennsylvania, about 1880, in which he mentions a coal opening at the upper end of Abbs Valley, Tazewell county, Va. C. R. Boyd, a mining engineer of Wytheville, Va., published a series of articles in 1881, mentioning coal on Indian Creek, Tazewell county, and on Horse Pen creek, which coals, he stated, extended toward the Ohio River. He also mentions the Abbs Valley coal reported by Lesley. In 1881, F. J. Kimball (who became president of the Norfolk & Western R. R. in 1883)) after examining the Scott mine in Abbs Valley, went northward across Abbs Valley Mountain to the place now known as Pocahontas, where he located what has since been called No. 3 vein of Pocahontas coal. In November, 1882, Jed Hotchkiss and others prepared a cross-section of the Flat Top Mountain coal measures, some notes on which were published by Mr. Hotchkiss, between 1880 and 1892, under the title of " The Virginias.' In May, 1881, the Norfolk & Western R. R. was organized through the purchase of the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio R. R., an old line running from Norfolk, Va., to Bristol, Tenn., with branches from Petersburg to City Point and from Glade Springs to Saltville. At that time, charters had been granted for three railroads tributary to the New River Valley, but their proposed routes would indicate that the promoters were concerned with minerals, timber, and a connection with the Chesapeake & Ohio R. R., rather than the development of any coal in the Pocahontas district. One of them was projected to extend up Bluestone River a short distance, but not far enough to reach the coal in the Bluestone Valley, and a little grading was done for a narrow-gage road between New River Station and a point in Giles county, Virginia, near the West Virginia line. All charters and railroads in this district were acquired by the Norfolk & Western R.R.

Jan 1, 1925

By R. A. Esmonde

This paper describes the building and testing of a prototype welded aluminum truck body to a new design concept. The results of these tests are given along with an outline of further developments in the design and field application of aluminum bodies. The results of field service history are recorded with special reference to types of mining operations, service performance, wear, maintenance and economics of operation. Mention is made of current U.S. usage and predictions given as to future development of aluminum bodies in the mining industry. The use of aluminum for off-highway truck bodies in hauling rock for the mining and construction industries is by no means the novelty that it may seem. In 1932 an aluminum unit proved very satisfactory in service on the Hoover Dam project but at that time the only high strength aluminum alloys available were not weldable and with the high cost of construction, a sound economic case for an aluminum body could not be made. After World War I1 great advances in aluminum welding techniques, using the inert gas shield, combined with the development of high strength alloys with good welded properties and welding characteristics changed the whole picture. Welded aluminum bodies were rapidly developed and by 1958 attention was again focused on the use of aluminum for off-highway truck bodies. EARLY DEVELOPMENT WORK In 1959 Alcan, the Aluminum Co. of Canada, embarked on an extensive development program to prove the durability and economics of aluminum truck bodies for the mining and construction industries. The first step was to design a prototype aluminum body which took particular advantage of the fact that the modulus of aluminum is only one third that of steel. This means that within the elastic range, aluminum moves three times as much as steel which makes it more flexible and capable of absorbing much greater impact shocks. A body was built and mounted on a 22-ton truck and taken to the Jeffery Mine of Canadian Johns Manville Company at Asbestos, P.Q., Canada. Very little information was available as to the order of stresses that were set up in off-highway truck bodies and so it was therefore decided to carry out a test program to find out this information.

Jan 1, 1969

By H. B. FERNALD

THE interesting and carefully developed formula which Professor Bucky presents for answering the question of whether proposed new equipment will give a net return on investment equal to or greater than that on present equipment starts with an assumption that the management may make this relative return a determining factor in its decision whether or not the new equipment should be provided. I do not question that in some cases the management may take this position, but I would point out the error involved in so doing. The proper test is not a comparison of the return on new as compared with the return on old investment, but is rather a comparison of the return on a particular new investment as compared with the return which would be obtainable from some other new investment which now might be made. Then I would point out that I believe Professor Bucky is in error in using as a factor in his computations the item of unamortized cost of old investment. The financial advantage to be derived from a new investment does not depend on the extent to which we may in the past have written off the cost of old equipment, nor does it even depend upon what was the original cost of that old equipment. Even the salvage or resale value of the old equipment will only enter into the picture to the extent that the present salvage or resale value differs from the ultimate salvage or resale value otherwise to be obtained, after due allowance for the interest factor.

Jan 1, 1930

By E. Stamboliadis

Dithiophosphates are reaction products of phosphorous pentasulfide with various organic compounds such as phenols, alcohols, mercaptans, dioalcohols, amines, and nitrides. The products with alcohols are commercially known as "aerofloats" and these are investigated in this presentation. It appears that the formation of insoluble metal dithio phosphates is responsible for their collecting properties with minerals." In this aspect they are very similar to xanthates.3 The solubility of metal dithiophosphates depends on the number of carbon atoms in the organic chain of the corresponding alcohol. An empirical mathematical model is presented here. It allows one to predict the number of carbon atoms necessary to ensure that a certain metal dithiophosphate will form at a selected pH value of the water solution. The Nature of Dithiophosphates Dithiophosphoric acid is the product of the reaction of phosphorus pentasulfide with an alcohol, as shown in the following equation: [P2S3 + 4 ROH - 2 (RO)2 PS2H + H2S (1)] where R stands for a hydrocarbon chain. The acid so produced can be neutralized by a base to produce the corresponding salt as shown in the following: [(RO), PS2H + NH- (RO)2 PS, NH,. (2)] In this aspect dithiophosphates are similar to xanthates, the only difference being the substitution of the tetravalent carbon atom in the xanthate polar group by a pentavalent phosphorus atom in the dithiophosphate group. This difference implies at least two characteristics: (1) that there are two hydrocarbon chains associated with the polar group so that an increase in the number of carbons of the single chain is expected to have a pronounced effect on the flotation properties, and (2) that the bond between the sulfur and the central atom is stronger than in the xanthate group. This probably leads to a decrease in both the polarizability of the electronic cloud of the sulfur and the interaction with cations.3 However, what is lost in the dithiophosphates by having a weak polar group can be gained by an increase in the number of carbons as will be seen later. Taking into account the size of the atoms involved in a dithiophosphate molecule, as listed in Table 1, It is possible to draw an approximate diagram of its structure as shown in [Fig. 1]. It is assumed here that the length of the single hydrocarbon chain is equal to that of the corresponding alcohol. Preparation and Purification Acid dithiophosphates can be prepared, as previously mentioned, in accordance with Eq. 1. The rate of this reaction is too slow at room temperature and can be improved by increasing the temperature to about 60° or 80°C7 or by evacuating the system. In our investigation evacuation was performed by a water aspiration pump. The dithiophosphoric acid so produced is liquid and dissolves in the alcohol. At the end of the reaction the product is filtered from the remaining P2S3; and dissolved in petroleum ether. By blowing anhydrous ammonia gas into the ether phase the ammonium salt forms as a white precipitate and can be sepa-

Jan 1, 1977

By Joseph C. Buchen

IN principle, production of salt from sea water is a simple operation. Sea water is trapped in ponds, the sun and wind cause evaporation of the water, and what is left is principally salt. Commercial production of solar salt, however, requires a careful consideration of many factors. Obviously, sufficient evaporation must take place throughout the making season to produce an economically adequate crop. Other factors are density of soil, contour of ground, height of ground above sea level, minimum dilution from fresh-water streams, and distance from market. Unfortunately, in the United States the localities of greatest evaporation, allowing for the other factors, are not the most suitable for the manufacture of sea salt by solar evaporation. The south end of San Francisco Bay most

Jan 1, 1937

By R. Schuhmann

Available thermodynamic data applicable to copper smelting systems are collected and tabulated, and the important gaps are pointed out. A few examples are given of estimations which can be made from the available data. An experimental research program is proposed to supply the thermodynamic data that appear most essential to better quantitative understanding of the chemistry of copper smelting. The proposed program is designed also to shed specific light on the practical problems of slag losses and magnetite behavior. OPPER smelting, from flotation concentrates to V-/ blister copper, is conspicuous among the large scale chemical processes which are conducted with only relatively incomplete knowledge of the physical chemistry involved. For example, no common metallurgy text explains adequately why copper enters the matte phase while iron enters only to the extent that sulphur is left over after satisfying the copper. Explaining this important phenomenon as a manifestation of the greater affinity of sulphur for copper than for iron is unsound because the affinities of copper and iron for sulphur are about the same at smelting temperatures. As will be shown, other affinities are really decisive in the relatively clear-cut separation of copper in the matte. In contrast, thermodynamic studies have contributed much to our understanding of copper refining, zinc oxide reduction, magnesium production, steelmaking, etc. For each of these processes, the important reactions are clearly recognized, and fair to good quantitative values of the free-energy changes and equilibrium constants are available. Such data have proved to be of constantly increasing practical value in process development and improvement. Work in other fields has furnished much thermodynamic data applicable to copper smelting systems. In fact, several promising starts have been made in applying such data to specific smelting problems. Kelleyl made an appraisal of the possibilities of recovering elementary sulphur from low grade matte. His calculations and compilations of thermodynamic data have represented the starting point for much of the work in this field, including the present survey. Huang and Hayward2 nd Aksoy3 used thermodynamic methods in the study of copper losses in reverberatory slags. Peretti4 used thermodynamic data in explaining the chemistry of converting. The recent publications of Darken and Gurry"." and of Darken,' dealing with the iron-oxygen and iron-silicon-oxygen systems, respectively, present equilibrium data that are applicable to copper smelting systems. Also additional data were reported recently on the affinity of sulphur for copper, manganese, and iron8 and on the sulphur pressures of iron-sulphur melts." The survey presented in this paper was made as the basis for planning an experimental program on the thermodynamics of copper smelting. Few researches on the chemistry of copper smelting have been reported in recent years, so that a reappraisal and coordination of old and new data are essential if further work is to take the directions of maximum value. The experimental program is now in progress, and the plan of attack is outlined at the end of this paper. Progressive Oxidation and Desulphurization of Copper-bearing Liquid Phases: The chemical activities of sulphur and oxygen are two of the most important thermodynamic yardsticks to be applied to copper smelting processes. Virtually the entire smelting and refining sequence involves a series of systems characterized by decreasing sulphur activity and increasing oxygen activity. In this section, therefore, an attempt is made to define and explain these activities in terms of equilibrium partial pressures of SO2, s2, and O,. Also, estimates of these quantities are presented, the estimates being based largely on calculations presented in a later section of this paper. The sequence of steps from raw flotation concentrate to fully oxidized copper ready for poling involves progressive and controlled oxidation. Iron is oxidized and enters the slag. Sulphur is oxidized and leaves in the gas. Table I summarizes several important features of this oxidation and desulphurization sequence, starting at the beginning of the matte blow in the converter. The top line gives in order the principal smelting and refining stages up to fully oxidized copper, plus the additional step, not used commercially, of oxidizing all the way to Cu,O. In the second line are shown the principal copper-bearing liquid phases which characterize the process. Through most of the sequence the copper

Jan 1, 1951

By L. Ibagos S., T. Balberyszski

The volumetric flow rate and the initial concentration of the copper sulfate solution influence the rate of reaction and, hence, the precipitation efficiency in a continuous launder cementation system. Using a model of such a system it was found that the precipitation efficiency is related to the two process parameters by the approximate expression [ log [1-n] = -[0.072 co 2.91 e – 0.511c o Q 1.15 ] N Q] where c is the initial concentration, Q, is the volumetric flow rate and N is the number of launders in the system. This expression agrees with an equation developed for the rate of the cementation process if it is assumed that the exponential factor represents the change in the surface area with concentration and the exponents 2.91-and 1.15 relate the hydrodynamic conditions and the surface concentration to co and Q. The experimental results are used to determine the values of a Precipitation Coefficient for any volumentric flow rate and initial concentration of solution. Knowing the Precipitation Coefficient, the total volume of launders that will result in a given precipitation efficiency can be calculated. It is established that maximum precipitation efficiencies are obtained for initial concentrations between 6.0 and 7.0 gpl and volumetric flow rates of approximately 350 m3 /hr Good agreement between calculated and actual launder volumes is obtained for a number of industrial operations for which a comparison is made.

Jan 1, 1973

By M. E. Lombardi

IN comparison with the mining industry the petroleum industry is new and inexperienced, and until now it might have been called the fortunate industry. Its great good fortune consisted in two things; a bountiful supply hidden by nature in the rocks of the earth, and a steady and large increase, during the past twenty-five years, in the demand for petroleum products. It is a remarkable fact that consumption of gasoline in the United States has shown an increase every year since automobiles first became important, and even in 1930 there was a four per cent increase, in spite of the universal depression; the estimated increase if the times had been normal, was ten per cent. This industry has, therefore, not passed

Jan 1, 1931

By R. A. L. Black, J. E. Jennings

The problems of slope stability in open cast mines are examined. A criterion, the instantaneous stripping ratio, is suggested for use in the design of pit slopes and as an index of control at all stages of the exploitation of the orebody. This criterion may also be related to safety and to the maximizing of profits. Two approaches to safe design of slopes, one from the point of view of soil mechanics and the other from the point of view of rock mechanics, are described and critically compared. The effect on slope stability of the regional tectonic stress field is discussed. Explanation is given of the application of the Terzaghi effective stress concept to problems in both soil and rock environments, including possible effects when borehole deformation techniques are used to measure stresses in rock in situ. A company embarking on open cast mining is faced with two basic questions: 1) will the venture be profitable and 2) can it be carried out with safety? The two questions are obviously interrelated because both depend upon the slope angles adopted for the pit. The cost of open cast mining depends largely upon the stripping ratio, defined as the volume of overburden that must be removed to the volume of ore recovered. The steeper the slope angles, the more favorable the stripping ratio, but the stability of the slopes, and therefore the safety of men and materials in the pit, require that the angles be made relatively flat. Consequently, the design depends upon a compromise: the slopes must be steep enough to result in economical mining and flat enough to ensure safety. Today there is a world trend towards deeper mining by open cast methods. This is mainly due to the higher cost of underground mining and the lower cost of open excavation resulting from the introduction of large modern earth and rock-moving machinery. Deeper open cast mining has led to a very great increase in the volumes of wasted overburden, and much thought is being given to the considerable economic benefits which would result if pit slopes could be made steeper by even one or two degrees. The result has been an increasing interest in research into slope stability problems in the expectation that the application of scientific principles will provide solutions leading both to economies and to more predictable operation of the mines. In at least four places, the U.S., Australia, Western Germany and Southern Africa, comprehensive investigations are at present in progress, and it is the object of this paper to review some of the more important aspects of these programs. RELATION BETWEEN ECONOMY OF OPERATION AND SLOPE ANGLES The main object of any industrial enterprise in a free economy is to make a profit. In mining, where profits must be made from a wasting capital asset, a further definition of the profit motive is imposed, namely that the economic aim should be to maximize the total possible profit. But since profits deferred for a number of years are not as valuable as profits that are immediately available, it is usual to discount deferred profits at some rate of interest which reflects their current or present value in the hands of the investor. Thus, in mining the logical aim can be defined more closely still: to maximize the present value of the total future profits. In commercial terms the present value represents the market value of the operation as a going concern. Many factors enter into the forecast of current and future profits. They include the volume of production, the price of the salable product and the cost of production. Current profits can be estimated with reasonable accuracy by the operating engineers; but it is the task of economists and management to assess future trends in the mineral markets and in the economy as a whole, and together with the engineers, they can then estimate the future cost and profitability of the mining operations. In open cast mining, the rate of ore production once decided on remains a virtually constant factor unless a major change in the capital structure of the mine is made. But one factor over which the operator has a considerable measure of control is the ratio of the volume of ore mined to the volume of waste over-

Jan 1, 1963

By Victor J. Miller

The Northeast Tripp Slide is one of the larger slope failures that can be attributed to open pit mining. It is a 11.7 million cubic meter (15.3 x l0 6 yd3) wedge failure created by two thick gouge-filled fault zones whose intersection plunges into the Tripp pit at 13°. One unique aspect of this failure is that the slide is now stable despite having moved an estimated 8.5m (28 ft.) towards the pit and having reached a maximum overall velocity of 2lmmlday (0.07 ft/day). The slide started to fail in 1968, accelerated until mining in the slide's toe area was halted in April 1970, then began to decelerate. With the cessation of mining in the toe area, rubblized rock sloughed into the pit bottom which added weight to the failures toe constraints and began the stabilization process. Measurements from a network of survey stations revealed a correlation between the slide's velocity and heavy precipitation. Runoff water accumulating in the tension cracks is believed responsible for this correlation. Moreover, the survey net measurements showed that during the failure's last stage the vertical component of the slide's movement greatly increased. It is proposed that this settling was caused by plastic-like flowage of the clay gouge underlying the failure The fault zone's effective shear strength was estimated by a back- analysis on the wedge's geometry and by performing direct shear tests. The tests, performed on cores taken from samples that were collected on the failure, yielded a residual shear strength of: cohesion 0.61 kg/cm2 (8.7 lb/in2), and a friction angle of 9.6°. This residual shear strength was near1y equal to the back-calculated strength indicating that the controlling fault's effective strength was essentially the same as the residual shear strength of the gouge filling

Jan 1, 1983

By Y. H. Liu, G. W. Powell

Thin foils made from the gold-rich region of- short (0.15 mm)Au-Ag diffusion couples annealed at 880°C for 1 hr were examined in ax electron microscope and the structures were compared with that of pure gold subjected to identical heat treatments. The couples underwent Plastic deformation (bending) during the diffusional anneal. The foils prepared from the diffusion zone have a higher dislocation density and incidence of subboundaries than pure gold. The plastic bending of the couple can be interpreted in terms of the climb of edge dislocations, which are pavallel to the bend axis, along the direction of diffusion. THE interaction of lattice defects during interdiffu-sion between two metals has been considered by several investigators. In particular, da Silva and Mehl,1 Barnes,' and Bardeen and Herring3 have proposed models based on interactions between point and line defects to account for the Kirkendall effect (marker movement). Each of these models is based on dislocation climb, which can either add or remove lattice planes, induced by an under- or supersaturation of vacancies. A theoretical treatment of the nucleation and growth of voids by the condensation of vacancies has been presented by Seitz.4 Stresses can arise in a binary diffusion couple as a result of the vacancy flux and the gradient in the lattice parameter. rinkmman' has investigated the effects of diffusion-induced stresses on void formation; the results of his analysis suggest that voids can form and grow under the influence of these stresses in the absence of an excess vacancy concentration. The relationships between vacancy supersaturation and diffusion-induced stresses and void formation have been elucidated also by Balluffi and seigle6 who concluded that the stress generated by a vacancy supersaturation aids the growth of voids. Experimental evidence which indirectly shows that stresses are produced by chemical diffusion has been obtained by several researchers.2,7-9 This evidence consists in part of the observation by light microscopy of the formation of subgrains, a process characteristic of the high-temperature deformation of some metals during creep.'0 More striking, however, is the plastic bending of short (0.2 mm) Cu-Ni couples observed by Barnes2 and of boron-doped silicon crystals reported by Queisser.9 Diffusion-induced dislocations in iron and silicon have been investigated by Ainslie et a1.11and Schwutte and Queisser,12 respectively, the former using transmission electron microscopy and the latter an X-ray transmission technique. Matthews and Crawford13 observed the formation of boundaries by the climb of interfacial misfit dislocations in thin, vapor-deposited Au-Pd couples diffused in situ in an electron microscope. In order to obtain additional information on the phenomena associated with defect interaction and diffusion-induced stresses in binary couples, an electron transmission study of foils prepared from the diffusion zone of short Au-Ag couples was undertaken. The initial objective was to investigate the processes occurring at various points of the diffusion zone. Subsequent research demonstrated that foils could be prepared only from the gold-rich region of the diffusion zone using the technique described herein. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Preparation and Annealing of the Diffusion Couples. The couples were made from annealed, high-purity (99.999 pct). polycrvstalline gold and silver sheets (0.075 mm thick). Shall (0.075 by 5 by 17 mm) elec-tropolished coupons of gold and silver were pressure-bonded by heating the two metals in a graphite device to 770°C and holding at this temperature for approximately 30 min. The quality of the bond was ascertained by metallographic examination at 150 times. Each couple subsequently was annealed at 880°C for 1hr; under these conditions, the extreme portions of the

Jan 1, 1968

By A. F. Giamei, E. J. Freise

A discussion of the various factors affecting the accuracy of volume fraction determination by the direct comparison X-ray diffraction method is presented. To minimize errors introduced by nonrandomization effects such as preferred orientation and large grain size, as well as errors introduced by statistical effects, an iterative mathematical analysis is introduced. This analysis is applied to all observable diffractio~ spectra from a given specimen by means of computer techniques and is statistically superior to the standard direct comparison technique which utilizes only one or tm sets of intensity spectra. The computer program also presents a graphical interpretation of- the results which enables the investigator to visualize and readily assess the scatter in volume fraction estimates caused by deviations from randomness. Finally, the iterative analysis is applied to experimental data collected from a series of plain carbon steels in both the as-received and spheroidized conditions to determine the volume fraction of cemen-tite present in each case. The results show markedly good agreement with chemical analyses for all spheroidized specimens. In theory, quantitative X-ray diffraction is a power-ful analytical technique for precise determination of the volume fractions of various phases present in a multiphase poly crystalline aggregate. There are two generally used methods; both utilize the fact that the intensity of a diffraction line of a particular phase is a function of volume fraction of that phase present in the aggregate. The more common method is the so-called internal standard technique where a known amount of standard substance is mixed with the aggregate containing the unknown. The resulting ratio of the intensity of a particular diffraction line of the unknown to the intensity of a diffraction line from the standard is used to find the weight fraction of unknown material by reference to the intensity data obtained from a previously prepared set of standards containing the same amount of standard material. The details of this technique are outlined in standard works on X-ray diffraction.' The disadvantages of the technique are that it requires the use of powder specimens and that the powder mixture must be homogeneous near the surface to the maximum effective beam depth. The alternative technique is the direct comparison method in which the ratio of the intensity of a diffraction line of a phase in the aggregate to the intensity of a second-phase diffraction line yields the ratio of the volume fractions of each phase present. This method has been applied most extensively to the determination of the percentage of retained austenite in martensitic steels and to determining the amounts of hcp and fcc allotropic modifications in pure cobalt5 and the amounts of hexagonal and rhombohedra1 modifications in graphite.8 This method is applicable to bulk as well as powder aggregates and is the technique which will be considered in the following text. It is the purpose of the present communication to show that by combining the results of X-ray diffrac-tometry with the use of high-speed digital computers the results of the direct comparison quantitative X-ray analysis technique can be optimized by using all of the data available on a diffraction pattern. THEORETICAL DISCUSSION In optimizing any quantitative X-ray diffraction experiment, the problem of accuracy vs time to collect and analyze the experimental data arises. For any method to be practical, it is required that both experimental and analytical procedures are reasonably short. In most of the previous work performed by the direct comparison method, intensity data from only one or two sets of peaks were used to calculate the volume fraction of phases present in the aggregate. Consequently, rather long-time experimental measurements are required to assure that the intensity data are sufficiently accurate to justify the use of one or two sets of data. By using computer techniques to analyze the experimental data it becomes feasible to use all of the available data on a diffraction pattern. By so doing, the time spent in measuring any one diffraction maxima can be appreciably reduced. Although this results in poor counting statistics for any one maxima, the number of data points available for analysis is greatly increased. Based on the above discussion, it will be assumed that a continuous scanning counter-diffractometer technique will be used to collect intensity data from a two-phase mixture. The integrated intensity of the ith diffraction line from the a phase in the aggregate is given by:'" where is the volume fraction of the a phase, The various quantities in Eq. [la] are angular independent while those in [lb] depend on the hkl spectrum of a particular phase. The meaning of the individual quantities in Eqs. [la] and [lb] are given in Appendix 1. It is convenient at this point to outline briefly the factors which will affect the measured intensity of any one hkl spectrum. a) Extinction effects arise from two independent experimental conditions. Primary extinction arises from a high degree of crystal perfection and results in spectra having lower intensity than predicted by Eq. [I]. Any treatment, such as powdering, which reduces

Jan 1, 1968

TO THE. BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS GENTLEMEN Submitted herewith are the report of the Treasurer for the year 1945 and reports for the same year of the following committees: Membership, Admissions, Papers and Publications, Mining and Metallury (Magazine), and Library. In this review of the year by the Secretary reference frequently will be made to the "Paul" Committee and to the "hotter" Committee. The first is the special committee on Divisional Relationships and the second the special Committee on Ways and Means. These two important committees, appointed by President Harvey S. Mudd under authorization of the Board of Directors on March 21, 1945, were composed as follows:

Jan 1, 1946

By A. M. Gaudin

CHANGES in industrial practice, in plant design, and in research methods which are so clearly to be seen on every hand, have affected the mineral industry as well as others. In particular, ore dressing has passed through a revolution in practice brought about by the introduction of flotation and other quasi-chemical methods, until it has ceased to be solely the mechanical preparation of ores. In fact, the term "ore dressing" itself is obsolescent, and "mineral dressing" has been growing in popularity. This assures adequate recognition of the fact that mineral substances other than ores, e.g. coals, clays, and cement rock, are treated by the same general methods. As a result of these industrial changes it was felt that a complete rearrangement of the curriculum and laboratories at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would be ad-vantageous. Such a rearrangement would allow instruction and research to proceed in wider accord with industrial evolution and the needs of our times.

Jan 1, 1942

By John Johnston

ONLY two of the Institute's 26 Local Sections were unrepresented at the delegates' three sessions, held on Monday morning and afternoon and Thursday afternoon of the annual meeting. The Philadelphia and Wyoming Sections alone sent no delegates. In all, seven hours were spent most profitably in reviewing the work done by the Institute at headquarters and in the field, comparing ideas and practices in varied activities, and in establishing personal contacts. Cordiality and the co¬operative spirit marked the meeting and apparently no one had any serious grievances to air. Four motions were introduced and unanimously passed. The first, which was introduced by B. L. Sackett, was a recommendation by the delegates that a national committee be appointed to cooperate with Local Sections in the matter of student activities, to promote Institute welfare. It was agreed that this recommendation be made simultaneously to the Board of Directors and to the Mineral Industry Education Division. A subsequent resolution by A. M. Smith was passed asking that a part of the duties of this committee be to secure the opinions of Local Sections as to the most desirable methods of interesting students in the preparation of technical papers, by giving prizes or otherwise, and to report their findings at the Section Delegates' meeting next year.

Jan 1, 1933

By W. A. Ver Wiebe

The year 1940 was singularly unmarked by sensational developments in Kansas. Routine operations were carried on in a systematic, orderly fashion and the efforts of oil producers were concentrated on extending known fields. In Kansas an arbitrary yardstick for wildcats has been set up. A well drilled mile or more from a known pool or well is now considered a wildcat. A "rank wildcat" is one that is drilled at least 2 miles from any known producer. During 1940, rank wildcats resulted in the completion of 116 test wells, among which 16 were successful in finding new oil pools and the remaining I00 were dry holes. The ratio of successful wells to dry holes, therefore, was approximately I:6. During the year, 1890 wells were completed in eastern and western Kansas. This figure is somewhat lower than that given in several trade journals, because it does not include wells that were deepened or wells that were recompleted in a different geological horizon. About three fourths of these (1423) were completed as commercial oil wells (I220 in western and 203 in eastern Kansas). The commercial gas wells completed number 58 of which 10 are in eastern Kansas and 48 in western Kansas. Of the remzining completions 147 are dry holes in eastern and 262 are dry holes in western Kansas. Based on daily potential capacity, the new discoveries of the year account for a cumulative initial production of 46,000 bbl. in eastern and 2,128,000 bbl. in western Kansas. The state of Kansas attained a new peak in production, with the total of 66,245,000 bbl. for the year 1940, the number of contributing wells being 20,779. Thus the increase over 1939, when about 58 million barrels was produced, is considerable. The previous peak occurred in 1937, when 70,761,000 bbl. was marketed. In another still earlier peak, in 1917, slightly more than 45,000,000 bbl. was produced and sold. The production of gas probably reached a new peak also during 1940, with its total of 85 1/2 billion cubic feet. Between the peak of the year 1908, when over 80 billion cubic feet was produced, and that of 1940, the production dropped to a low point of 16 billion cubic feet in the year 1921. The number of test wells drilled was larger than in 1939; that is, 1890 compared with 1458. The first peak was reached in 1904, when 2782 wells were drilled. The number dropped off rapidly, to 368 three years later, but rose to the second and highest peak in 1918, when 4671 test wells were completed. In the period between 1904 and 1912 more gas wells were completed than oil wells. Between the high peak of completions in 1918 and somewhat lower peak of 1937, the low point was reached during 1931, with the completion of only 470 test wells. In the number of new pools discovered, Kansas again ranks high among the states. The exact number depends somewhat upon the interpretation of a "new" area— whether it should be called a new pool or a long extension of an old pool. Unfortunately, the matter of securing the right kind of production allowable also enters into this question. Often the decision regarding a new pool cannot be made until other wells

Jan 1, 1941

By W. A. Ver Wiebe

The year 1940 was singularly unmarked by sensational developments in Kansas. Routine operations were carried on in a systematic, orderly fashion and the efforts of oil producers were concentrated on extending known fields. In Kansas an arbitrary yardstick for wildcats has been set up. A well drilled mile or more from a known pool or well is now considered a wildcat. A "rank wildcat" is one that is drilled at least 2 miles from any known producer. During 1940, rank wildcats resulted in the completion of 116 test wells, among which 16 were successful in finding new oil pools and the remaining I00 were dry holes. The ratio of successful wells to dry holes, therefore, was approximately I:6. During the year, 1890 wells were completed in eastern and western Kansas. This figure is somewhat lower than that given in several trade journals, because it does not include wells that were deepened or wells that were recompleted in a different geological horizon. About three fourths of these (1423) were completed as commercial oil wells (I220 in western and 203 in eastern Kansas). The commercial gas wells completed number 58 of which 10 are in eastern Kansas and 48 in western Kansas. Of the remzining completions 147 are dry holes in eastern and 262 are dry holes in western Kansas. Based on daily potential capacity, the new discoveries of the year account for a cumulative initial production of 46,000 bbl. in eastern and 2,128,000 bbl. in western Kansas. The state of Kansas attained a new peak in production, with the total of 66,245,000 bbl. for the year 1940, the number of contributing wells being 20,779. Thus the increase over 1939, when about 58 million barrels was produced, is considerable. The previous peak occurred in 1937, when 70,761,000 bbl. was marketed. In another still earlier peak, in 1917, slightly more than 45,000,000 bbl. was produced and sold. The production of gas probably reached a new peak also during 1940, with its total of 85 1/2 billion cubic feet. Between the peak of the year 1908, when over 80 billion cubic feet was produced, and that of 1940, the production dropped to a low point of 16 billion cubic feet in the year 1921. The number of test wells drilled was larger than in 1939; that is, 1890 compared with 1458. The first peak was reached in 1904, when 2782 wells were drilled. The number dropped off rapidly, to 368 three years later, but rose to the second and highest peak in 1918, when 4671 test wells were completed. In the period between 1904 and 1912 more gas wells were completed than oil wells. Between the high peak of completions in 1918 and somewhat lower peak of 1937, the low point was reached during 1931, with the completion of only 470 test wells. In the number of new pools discovered, Kansas again ranks high among the states. The exact number depends somewhat upon the interpretation of a "new" area— whether it should be called a new pool or a long extension of an old pool. Unfortunately, the matter of securing the right kind of production allowable also enters into this question. Often the decision regarding a new pool cannot be made until other wells

Jan 1, 1941