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By James Bowron

CONSIDERING the importance of the steel trade and the strategic position occupied in it by the Birmingham District, it may be surprising to many to realize that even the first pig iron smelted with coke was made in Alabama on Feb. 28, 1876, although merchant pig iron had been produced in Rockwood, Tenn., in 1867, a plant which is still in active operation. The heavy deposit of Clinton ore extending from Pennsylvania into Alabama, varying greatly in accessibility on account of geological changes such as erosion or anticlinal upthrow, varies equally as much in thickness and in quality. The brown ores extensively scattered through the South also vary materially in quality, some being relatively low in phosphorus and high in manganese, and vice versa. The red ore varies materially in phosphorus, but the iron produced from these ores was always considered to be too high in phosphorus for treatment by acid Bessemer or open hearth and did not contain sufficient for the basic Bessemer process. Under these conditions there remained only the basic open hearth as a possibility, and for many years it appeared impossible to use it, because, with coke smelted iron, the silicon was too high to permit its use in basic lined furnaces.

Jan 1, 1924

By Walter E. Lewis

Myriad problems face all of us in the next decade. Vietnam, poverty, and pollution are perhaps the most pres- sing. A lesser one but still vital to us as a Nation is the slow hut apparently relentless extinction of the mining, metallurgical. geological and petroleum engineer. Are we doomed to take our place in the crossword puzzle with the moa. to be defined like it as an "extinct bird"? Or can we reverse the trend perhaps, in the next decade? The plain fact is we are an endangered species, and must resign ourselves to virtual extinction in the 1970's unless the trend is reversed. Probably, many of us have felt the problem will solve itself if left in the in-basket long enough, believing, that the trend will reverse solely on the basis of demand for these disciplines. This approach has not worked up to now, it gives no promise of working in the future, and furthermore, the problem has been in the in-basket much too long. The point is simply this: What can each of us do as an individual, or as part of a company, a State agency, a Federal agency, a university, or an organization such as AIME?

Jan 1, 1970

By Charles H. Moore

In the study of the properties of rutile pigments it became apparent several years ago that certain physical and optical properties could not be determined on particles of pigmentary size. Since reflected light is the dominant type which reaches the eye from small particles, the true color of pure rutile was not known. Most rutile pigments are acicular in habit, elongated parallel to the "c" axis. It was considered important to know the nature and tone of light transmitted, for example, by a basal plate. Further, as shown by spectrophotometric curves, there is a very strong absorption of light of 4000 k as measured on particles with random orientation. It would be interesting to see whether this absorption position varied with predetermined and selected orientations. Also, since the behavior of titanium pigments in a vehicle is important, a knowledge of the surface wettability of single crystals by various media should prove very fruitful. Finally, the optical properties of rutile are such that it should show, in a single pure crystal, greater fire and brilliance than the diamond. Mineralogists had long speculated that this would be the case and curiosity was strong to produce a single crystal large enough to cut.

Jan 1, 1949

By Charles Allen

THE Athens mine is in the city of Negaunee, Mich. It is one of the larger producers of soft hematite ore on the Marquette iron range. The property is held under lease by the Athens Iron Mining Co., and is operated by the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co., which is a partner with Pickands, Mather & Co. in the Athens company. The mine was opened in 1913, and shipments of ore commenced in 1918, the total reaching 3,063,711 tons up to Jan. 1, 1932. Diamond-drilling from surface, together with a knowledge of geological conditions in neighboring properties, gave a comprehensive picture of the location, size and shape of the orebody before shaft-sinking started. Striking east and west, the orebody entered the east boundary of the property at a depth of about 1500 ft. below surface. A pitch of 15° to the west carried it down to about 2500 ft. on the west boundary, about double the depth of that of any soft-ore property heretofore worked on the Marquette Range. The width of ore averaged close to 500 ft., and the thickness 300 feet. The depth of the deposit and its size, together with an overburden of quicksand, which in places reached a thickness of 150 ft., presented unusual mining problems. The use of a caving system made surface drainage into the orebody inevitable, because the north boundary of the deposit was a vertical diorite dike 200 ft. wide, and the south boundary a northward-dipping impervious slate. S. R. Elliott, manager of the mining department of the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co., who was super-intendent of the mine at that time, conceived the idea of starting at the bottom of the orebody and working upward, reversing the usual mining procedure. This innovation divided the Athens orebody into a series of steps, or blocks, the first of which was adjacent to the western boundary, and therefore in the lowest portion of the deposit. Top-slicing was to start under the capping in this first block by raising from the bottom level, and development and mining were to progress upward in successive blocks to the east. A complete description of the Athens system of mining was

Jan 1, 1933

BUMPS in No. 2 Mine, Springhill, N. S., furnished the main feature for discussion at the morning meeting* on Ground Movement and Subsidence on Feb. 18. Walter Herd, the author of the paper by which the discussion was introduced, not being well, was unable to be present. The paper was presented by T. L. McCall, who laid stress on the presence of sand- stone as the cause of bumps, on the value of retreating longwall in eliminating such phenomena at the coal face and on the advantage of wide headings with packs on either side, leaving space behind them for any coal that bumps might dislodge. George S. Rice, who presided, referred to his visits to the Nova Scotia mines and said that bumps usually occurred only where the coal was thick and strong and the roof and floor both more than usually hard. If any of the three were weak, bumps were not likely to occur. In the Nova Scotia mine, to which Mr. Herd referred, there was no material for packwalls and for this reason as well as for safety he had been convinced that long- wall retreating with a small percentage of pack walling was the most feasible plan.

Jan 1, 1929

Edward A. UehliNg, New York City (communication to the Secretary*):—In adding my mite to the discussion, I wish to touch on a few points which bear emphasizing and perhaps a little further elucidation. Mr. Grammer says that he "found the electric pig-breaker at Duquesne, if used in connection with the iron-chill, less expensive and more satisfactory " thau the casting-machine. The cost of handling the iron over the Duquesne casting-niachine is about double the average cost of the other Uehling machines at the several Carnegie plants. It is nearly as expensive to run as the Hey1 & Patterson machines, and while Mr. Grammer's statement is, no doubt, true, as applied to that particular machine and breaker, it should be borne in mind that the machine at Duquesne had embodied in it several new features, which were not improvements; also that it was taxed beyond its economic capacity. The machine at the Lucy furnaces under the management of Mr. Scott handled the output of the two furnaces, and saved

Jan 1, 1905

By Nathan C. Rockwood

BASIC mineral commodities may be divided into two general classifications in their market or price characteristics. In one class are commodities sold on a world-wide basis, as gold, silver, nickel, asbestos and petroleum, and in the second are those produced and sold locally. Of course, no precise line of demarcation exists between the two; coal, for instance, belongs more or less in both. If there are enough producers of any commodity to prevent control of production by any one person or group, a free market then exists and the price in a buyer's market is determined by the most favored producer-meaning the producer, with the lowest production cost or the lowest cost of transportation, or both, to the particular market, or place of use. With minerals in the first classification, their high intrinsic value far outweighs the transportation cost and a uniform market price is accepted as an essential element in the economy of distribution. But with common minerals of small. intrinsic value and relatively high transportation costs, economists are reluctant to admit that a uniform price may also be an essential element in distribution.

Jan 1, 1940

By C. M. Loeb, A. M. Gaudin, J. H. Brown

THE object of most size reduction operations in the mineral industry is to liberate the grains of valuable minerals in the ore from those of the gangue. This is usually accomplished by crushing and grinding the entire mass of ore until there is only a small probability that any single particle contains more than one mineral. During this size reduction only limited control exists over size or composition of the particles exposed to the breaking action, and there is no control over the paths followed by cracks generated during the operation. This lack of control usually results in overgrinding and in production of large quantities of very fine material. The first detriment, overgrinding, is costly in itself, but when combined with the second factor it is doubly so. Not only is the fracture of a free particle unnecessary—the fracture of these particles may also make subsequent separation operations difficult, inefficient, and wasteful. It has been pointed out' that if the object of size reduction is to liberate the valuable mineral component of the ore then, ideally, fracture should follow intergranular paths to the exclusion of trans-granular ones. This would result in liberation of the valuable minerals with as little size reduction as possible. This ideal comminution operation is referred to as intergranular comminution, and it was the object of the investigation to determine the extent to which it could be developed by heat treatments. There are many indications in the literature that heating rocks prior to crushing may be favorable. Reports by Holman,2 Yates3 and Myers' are pertinent. These investigators showed that heating certain rocks prior to crushing them did, in fact, improve their crushing characteristics in that fewer fines were produced, although the fact that intergranular comminution was being effected apparently was overlooked. In addition, Sosman noted that if there is appreciable anisotropism in the thermal coefficients of expansion of even a pure mineral, then considerable permanent separation of the grains of the rock can be expected as a result of heating the rock to a high temperature.' By the same token, if there are ap- preciable differences in the thermal expansion coefficients of the various minerals of a multi-component rock, similar results should be obtained by heating this rock. This has been tested, partially, by Brenner," who obtained patents covering the heat treatment of some pegmatitic rocks in order to facilitate comminution of these materials. It has also been demonstrated that this may occur in taconite." Also, the possibility of causing decomposition of one mineral in a rock as a means of promoting intergranular fracture has been considered. Seigle2 and Schiffman et al. have obtained patents on such processes as applied to calcareous iron ores. These reports all indicate that heat treatments prior to crushing may contribute materially to intergranular comminution, but they also indicate that no organized attempt has been made to determine the controlling factors of the method or to determine its applicability in general. The present article is a report on the initial phase of such an investigation. The authors have reviewed the claims of prior investigators and have attempted, also, to establish the factors that might determine the applicability of heat treatments in the mineral industry. In this work 2000-g samples of various rocks were heated in a small laboratory furnace and crushing and sizing operations were carried out in standard laboratory equipment. All samples of each rock were as nearly identical as possible in particle size, grain size, and composition and contained only lumps coarse enough to contain many grains each. Tests on Granite A number of tests were made on a coarse grained Finnish granite obtained in the form of coarse chips from a local monument yard. This rock exhibited little variation from piece to piece in either composition or grain size. The minerals contained were quartz, orthoclase, small amounts of hornblende, and minute quantities of mica. Grain size ranged from about 1 mm to about 3 mm. Temperature of the Heat Treatment: In some cases the granite was heated to a particular temperature and crushed, hot, immediately upon withdrawal from the furnace—in others the rock was allowed to cool before crushing, but without quenching to room temperature after heating. In most tests on granite the heating period was about 2 hr with the furnace at the highest temperature for about 1 hr. Cases in which these periods were varied greatly will be presented separately.

Jan 1, 1959

By D. C. Porterfield

ProUuction of crude oil in Venezuela increased from 186,134,000 bbl. in 1940 to 2~8,131,ooo bbl. in 1941, or 22.6 per cent, to establish a new all-time high for the country. While the average production for the year was 625,000 bbl. per day, production during the month of December 1941 averaged 751,000 bbl. per day, and during the last week of the year, 766,000 bbl. per day. Production from the Lake Maracaibo basin averaged 454,000 bbl. per day during the year, or 72 per cent of the total for the country, compared with 73 per cent of the total produced in 1940. Drilling during the year was approximately on the same scale as in 1940, with 438 wells completed in 1941 as compared with 429 the year before. Exploratory completions decreased from 18 in 1940 to 6 in 1941. Of the drilling operations in 1941, 56 per cent was concentrated in the Lake Maracaibo basin and 44 per cent in eastern Venezuela, success being 98 per cent in the Lake basin and 83 per cent in the east. Successful completions for the country as a whole amounted to 92 per cent of the total wells drilled. Exploratory drilling in 1941 resulted in the discovery of three new fields, all in eastern Venezuela; viz., Guara, about II km. to the northeast of the Oficina field but on a separate structure; Santa Rosa, which is east of El Roble field on a structure forming a part of the major Santa -Ana- San Joaquin-El Roble uplift; and Santa Barbara, which is southwest of the Jusepin field on an extension of the main Jusepin anticline. At the close of the year three wildcats were drilling, all of which showed prospects of obtaining production; that is, Mercedes No, 2 in central Guarico, Las Ollas No. I on the Anzoategui-Guarico border near the town of Zaraza, and Quiamare No. I in Anzoategui northeast of the town of San Mateo. In spite of heavy withdrawals and the resultant natural decline in the potentials of older producing areas, new drilling during the year increased the potential production of the country from an estimated 780,000 bbl. per day at the end of 1940 to an estimated 810,000 bbl. per day at the end of 1941, or approximately 4 per cent. Since domestic consumption of petroleum products is insignificant compared with total production, exports of crude and products during the year increased in line with production. Crude exports totaled 196,800,000 bbl., compared with 158,400,-000 bbl. in 1940, and exports of products were 26,100,000 bbl., compared with 21,900,000 bbl. the year before. Exports of crude from Venezuela to the United States amounted to 36,500,000 bbl. In addition, about 2,200,000 bbl. was imported in bond into the United States for transfer to Canada. Total refining capacity of the country in 1941 was approximately 125,000 bbl. per day, including a crude-conversion plant with a capacity of 32,000 bbl. per day, capable of making fuel oil only. Three plants with a capacity of 121,000 bbl. Per

Jan 1, 1945

JAMES E. HOWARD,* Washington, D. C. (written discussion?). -Mr. Comstock, in his classification of the possible causes of transverse fissures, has not quite caught the point of view of the writer. It appears, following the trend of thought in Mr. Comstock's paper, that three groups instead of two might bee enumerated, namely: Fatigue of the steel, quality or, preferably, grade of steel, and mill practice. All steels are liable to failure by fatigue. Stresses that are capable of causing fatigue fractures are modified in their magnitude by the grade of steel acted upon. Mill practice is a term having a very wide meaning and in its relations to the development of transverse fissures has been used with such vagueness as to include many known factors and some that are unknown in the arts. According to the grade of steel employed, fatigue fractures may be accomplished by loads of greater or less magnitude, hence there is a relation between quality, or grade, of steel and the display of fatigue fractures. Mill practice of such an order as to affect the formation of transverse fissures must be shown to exert an influence on the ability of the steel to endure repeated stresses. Different grades of steel are selected for different purposes. Steel employed for fire-box purposes is of different grade from that used for cutting tools; although each grade is suitable for its purpose, and therefore of good quality. It is conceivable that a demand might be made for steel of physical properties in excess of those of any known grade. Under such a demand, impossible of' fulfillment, it would not be proper to refer to the steels as being deficient in quality; to do so would be a failure to recognize that all steels have their limitations in strength. Service conditions peculiar to rails admit of successive advance until the conditions can no longer-be met. The failure of a large number of rails from one type of failure, when all known means of averting the failure have been employed without success, is sufficient evidence that the end is close at hand. Iron rails, for a time, successfully met the requirements of railway service but weight of equipment, motive power, and rolling stock were increased, necessitating the use of steel. The early steel rails enjoyed the reputation of being of excellent quality, although: neither chemically nor structurally would they be so regarded ,lit the present time. They did good service in their day and under the conditions then prevailing were good rails. To meet the increased weight of rolling stock there has been

Jan 3, 1919

"WELFARE…Welfare endeavor in connection with both the metal and the coal mines of Utah has shown gratifying progress during recent years and both the operators and their employees are deserving of much credit for the efforts put forth to better living, working, educational and receational conditions in most of the mining camps of the state.In the older metal mining camps of Utah, where the towns are incorporated and independent of the mining properties operating in the vicinity, less opportunity is pre¬sented for the companies to exercise efforts looking towards improved welfare conditions than is the case of camps located on company ground and under the full control of operators.Even in such camps, however, as illustrated in Bingham, the companies can do much to better welfare conditions. In this camp the Utah Copper Company has spent $800,000 since 1 920 in the erection of modern brick cottages, apartment houses and the Gemmell Memorial Club. The cottages and apartments have every convenience to be found in up-to-date city homes. The Gemmell Memorial Club, erected and equipped at a cost of $1 75,000, was provided by the company for the benefit of the Utah Copper Company employees living in the canyon and has been made the recreational center for the camp."

Jan 1, 1925

By Edmund J. Korber, Donald E. Raab, Frank A. Burns

During the early 1960s, the advent of self- advancing longwall roof supports triggered serious consideration by Bethlehem management to introduce the technique of longwall mining at one of our central Pennsylvania coal mines. Although longwall mining was initially justified as a means to cope with the severe roof conditions at our Mine 32 (Watson, B., 1971), the result of the endeavor has been a consistent and reliable level of coal production, first from Mine 32 and then later from Mine 33, over a period of fifteen years. Longwall production from the Cambria Division has been the mainstay of the low volatile coal required by Bethlehem Steel for steel production. Let us review the events that led to this accomplishment, as well as where we stand today.

Jan 1, 1981

By Robert Baschwitz, John Chipman

The distribution of silicon between liquid silver and Fe-Si-C alloys has been studied at 1420oand 1530°C. The data are consistent with earlier studies. New data of Hager on the liquidus lines of the system Ag-Si and the distribution data are used to obtain the activity coefficient of silicon in both liquid phases. Data on the heat of mixing in iron permit accurate extension to 1600°C. Equilibrium data involving SiO2 and silicon in liquid iron together with revised data on the free energy of SiO2 are used to fix the activity of silicon in the infinitely dilute solution. The binary system exhibits strong negative deviation from ideality. At infinite dilution ? Si at 1600" is 1.25 x 10'3, and at concentrations up to NSi = 0.4 the slope d InySi/dNSi has a constant value of r; = 13. It is found that logysi in the ternary solutzon is approximately but not exactly the same function of Nsi + NC as of NSi in the binary. The results are consistent with currently available data on the free energy of Sic and its solubility in molten iron. LIQUID solutions of the system Fe-Si-C have acquired considerable importance as the laboratory prototypes of blast furnace hot metal. Equilibrium studies involving such solutions and slags approximating those of the blast furnace have yielded useful information concerning the thermodynamic properties of blast furnace slags. In studies of this kind great importance attaches to a knowledge of the thermodynamic activity of silicon in the solution as a function of temperature and composition. An attempt was made by Chipman, Fulton, Gokcen, and askey' to evaluate all of the pertinent data on this system and to deduce the desired relation between activity, composition, and temperature. These authors published data on the solubility of graphite and Sic in molten Fe-C-Si solutions and on the distribution of silicon between liquid iron and liquid silver. They showed further how the activity of silicon in very dilute solutions in liquid iron could be calculated from equilibrium data involving the molten alloy and solid SiO,. These calculations rested on the published thermodynamic properties of SiO, in- cluding its heat of formation which at that time was recorded as -209.8 kcal. This value has been under suspicion for some time and has recently been replaced by the concordant results from two independent laboratories2,3 which place the heat of formation of a-quartz at -217.6 kcal. This revision necessitates a re-evaluation not only of the activity of SiO2 in slag but also of silicon in molten iron. It is the purpose of this paper, therefore, to recalculate the activity of silicon, and in furtherance of this objective to present new data on its distribution between liquid Fe-Si-C alloys and liquid silver. HEAT OF SOLUTION OF SILICON IN IRON In order to determine the effect of temperature upon the activity coefficient it is necessary to know the heat of solution of silicon in iron as a function of composition. This is found in the data of Korber and Oelsen4 shown in Fig. 1. The curve corresponds to the following equation, which is of a form suggested by Wagner:5 Here AH is the heat absorbed in kilocalories in forming one gram atom of molten alloy from its molten elements and the N's are atom fractions. The relative partial molal enthalpies of the components, each referred to its pureliquid state and defined as zFe = aFe - PFe and zsi = HSi — -psi, are shown graphically. At low concentrations zSi = -28.5 kcal, in agreement with Kijrber and Oelsen's computation. This is in good agreement with the value of -29.3 kcal obtained by Chipman and Grant6 using an entirely different method. ACTIVITY AT INFINITE DILUTION From the known free energy of SiO, it is possible to obtain the activity of silicon in dilute solution in liquid iron from equilibrium studies. The heat of formation of a-quartz is —217.6 kcal and the heat capacity and entropy data are given by Kelley and ~ing.' The free energy of formation of ß-cristo-balite at temperatures above the melting point of silicon is expressed by the following equation: Si(Z) + O2(g) = SiO2 (crist); AF" =-226,500 + 47.50T [I] The value of the deoxidation product for silicon [%Si] x [%O]2 at 1600°C according to Gokcen and chipmans is 2.8 x 10"5, in agreement with results of Hilty and Crafts.9 More recent works of Matoba,

Jan 1, 1963

By C. S. Roberts

Microstructural studies of a Mg-10.3 pct Al alloy showed that discontinuous precipitation during aging multiplies the grain boundary area available for easy deformation in elevated temperature creep. An increase of strain rate for a 6.2 pct Al alloy at 400°F, where precipitation and creep are concurrent, caused an increase in the volume percentage discontinuously precipitated at the completion of the process. The relatively poor elevated temperature creep resistance of heat treated alloys of the Mg-AI-Zn type was explained in these structural terms. C resistance of the heat treatable Mg-A1 based alloys is poor compared to that of Mg-Ce based alloys. While the latter show a continuous precipitate, Mg-A1 alloys prefer a discontinuous precipitate at grain boundaries. '.:' It has been concluded that the excellent creep resistance of Mg-Ce alloys was primarily due to the continuous precipitation which especially localized at the grain boundaries.' The purpose of the present investigation was to obtain a parallel correlation, if such exists, between the poor creep resistance and the state of precipitation in Mg-A1 alloys. Discontinuous precipitation produces about three times as many true grain boundaries as originally existed. This microstructure would be expected to have a marked influence in creep, where quantity of grain boundary area is important. Experimental Procedure The two experimental alloys contained 6.2 and 10.3 pct Al. They were made from electrolytic magnesium by alloying under flux and casting in 3 in. diam permanent molds. The ingots were extruded into 1 1/4 x 1/8 in. flat stock under the following conditions: billet preheat 700°F (2 hr), container and die temperature 700°F, speed 3 fpm, and area reduction ratio 45:1. The creep specimens were machined from blanks which had been solution heat treated 24 hr at 770°F and aged 16 hr at 400°F. Attempts were made to control the grain size as closely as possible for extruded stock. The grain size after solution heat treatment was about two thousandths of an inch for the 6.2 and five thousandths for the 10.3 pct Al alloy.

Jan 1, 1957

By Nicholas J. Grant, Hanna Ibach, Bill C. Giessen

The system Ta-Rh was investigated over the entire comnposition range using metallogvaphic and X-ray techniques as well as thermal analysis. Terminal solubility limits, solidus temperatures, and the crystal structures of two new intermediate phases were determined. There are five intermediate phases: o, tetragonal, isostructural with o(Fe-Cr); a1, orthorhomnbic : a2, orthorhombic, isostructural with CozSi; 0 3, a high -temperature phase of unknozun structure; and a TaRh3, cubic, AuCu3 structure. a, aL, a,, and a melt peritectically; and a TaRh, has a maximum melting point. Five peritectic and one eutectic reactions occur. THE Ta-Rh phase diagram has not been fully treated in the literature; however, two inter metallic phases have been described.&apos;-&apos; This study attempts to work out the diagram covering the details of phase boundaries as well as the crystallography of the intermediate phases. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS Starting materials were tantalum powder of 99.8 pct purity, supplied by National Research Corp., Cambridge, Mass., and rhodium powder of 99.9 pct purity, supplied by Bishop Co., Malvern, Pa. Analyses as given by the manufacturers are presented in Table I. In addition to the spectroscopic analysis, an oxygen analysis has been made of the tantalum powder. After preliminary trials, the standard procedure employed in making the alloys was as follows (see Ref. 4 for further details). The powders were weighed, mixed manually, compacted under 16,000 psi, and arc-melted at not more than 500 amp under thoroughly titanium gettered welding-grade argon of 400 mm Hg pressure. The gettering process was repeated after each melt. It had been shown previously5 that under these conditions no oxygen pick-up exceeding 0.001 pct in a hafnium button could be detected. The buttons, ranging from 5 to 10 g in weight, were inverted or, if possible, crushed and remelted three times. Melting presented no difficulty, except for tantalum-rich al- loys, which showed considerable spashing during melting. The average weight loss of 1 wt pct rose to 2.5 wt pct in these cases. Subsequent melting, however, resulted in losses of less than 0.1 wt pct. The melts obtained frequently showed small in-homogeneities, mostly in the tantalum-rich part of the system below 25 at. pct Rh. This was not due to insufficient blending of the elements, but to crystallization taking place from the cooled bottom. This condition was not improved by further re-melting; therefore the following precautions were taken. Cross sections of as-cast buttons were made. For the investigation only buttons were used where these inhomogeneities did not exceed 1 at. pct (estimated from the amounts of haSeS resent). In addition, only the center portions of such buttdns were utilized to minimize errors. Smaller buttons showed smaller concentration gradients and were used as a check. Finally, all alloys were homogenized to eliminate coring (see below). After this, the error in alloy composition due to inhomogeneity was cl at. pct. In order to confirm the concentrations of the alloys and to provide an impurity check, wet-chemical analyses and oxygen-fusion analyses of four key alloys were carried out. The results, together with the concentrations as calculated with the weight balance method, are presented in Table 11. It was found that for three alloys the agreement is very good (< 0.2

Jan 1, 1964

By G. D. Marshall, D. K. Sarin, V. E. Hampton

Ground support at the Thompson Mine emphasizes scaling, rock bolting and wire mesh screening on the backs and walls of all underground stoping and development areas and also full column grouted cable bolting in the bulk mining areas. This paper describes the equipment for the point anchored rock bolts as well as the full column cable bolts. Modifications in design and testing of all components and procedures has ensured a safe and efficient method of ground support for the mining conditions existing at the Thompson Mine.

Jan 1, 1983

By J. E. Strassner

Oilfield emulsions are stabilized primarily by film-forming asphaltenes and resins containing organic acids and bases. Adding inorganic acids and bases radically changes the physical properties of these films and their emulsion-stabilizing properties. Interfacial films show one of three different physical characteristics when retracted in pendent drop tests. These compressed films have rigid, soap-type or minimum film properties depending on the quantity of asphaltenes and resins in the crude oil and on the pH and composition of the brine. There exists for each crude oil-brine system an optimum pH range over which the adsorbed film exhibits minimum contracted filtn properties. In this range, intmfacial tension is high — frequently near its maximum value — indicating the absence of highly surface-active specier; crude oil-brine emulsions generally show minimum stability; and surfactant requirements for breaking these emulsions are significantly reduced — sometimes no surfactant is needed. About two-thirds of the world&apos;s crude oil is produced as emulsions that must be treated (demulsified) to be marketed.&apos; Approximately three-fourths of all domestic crude oil produced must be treated. The percentage of crude requiring treatment increases as fields become older and more water is produced. Demulsification most frequently is attained through use of surfactants, heat and electric treaters. It is estimated that over 75 percent of all oilfield emulsions are broken by chemicals generally containing alkylene oxide condensates. Although acids and bases are known to affect emulsion stability:-&apos; they rarely are used in the oil field except in batch treatment of the most severe emulsions. Nevertheless, pH adjustment by using acids or bases in demulsification has some advantages over other methods. Mainly, it is cheaper. Acids and bases frequently are cheaper to use than surfactants, or can appreciably reduce the amount of surfactant required for demulsification. Secondary advantages are that less oil is lost by emulsi-fication into the aqueous phase, and that less corrosion is encountered when the optimum pH is basic. Limitations to the use of pH include (1) use in brines containing high concentrations of reactive ions, (2) closer supervision for pH control than is required for surfactants and (3) need for corrosion protection when the optimum pH is sufficiently acidic. These factors indicate that the economics of pH con trol in demulsification will be maximized when relatively large treating facilities are needed, when relatively large surfactant concentrations are required to break an emulsion, when a relatively low concentration of the aqueous phase is emulsified in the oil and when the emulsified aqueous phase contains relatively low concentrations of reactive ions. Because there are no broad guide lines for using pH control in breaking oillield emulsions (and because the limited guides available are highly specific and frequently contradictory), this paper will attempt to clarify the principles involved in using acids and bases to break emulsions. These principles also should be useful in refinery separations and in other oilfield applications where stable or unstable petroleum emulsions are involved. Principles of Emulsion Stability Oilfield emulsions generally occur as water droplets dispersed in oil (w/o) and occasionally as oil droplets in water (o/w). These emulsion droplets are usually in the 0.1- to 10-micron range. However, more coarsely dispersed water droplets frequently are present in the emulsion. Pure hydrocarbons and water will not form stable emulsii except in extreme dilutions where the large distance brtween droplets inhibits coalescence. An emulsion breaks because interfacial tension acts to minimize the surface area of the dispersed drops by coalescence. However, emulsions can be stablized for long periods of time by the presence of a third phase that adsorbs at the oil-water interface and inhibits coalescence of the dispersed phase."&apos; Emulsions generally are stabilized by (1) repulsive charges on the surfaces of the dispersed phase and (2) adsorbed films that, being preferentially wetted by the continuous phase, act as a physical barrier to inhibit contact between the dispersed droplets. Both these factors generally are important in stabilizing and in breaking o/w emulsions. However, repulsive charges are less effective in stabilizing w/o emulsions which generally are stabilized by adsorbed films.V or this reason the nature and importance of these films at oil-water interfaces were examined closely; as will be shown, pH changes were found to affect the films significantly, and this work led to laboratory tests of pH- adjustment in emulsion breaking. This paper will present evidence to show that emulsions are stabilized primarily by films that form around droplets

Jan 1, 1969

By Robert Y. Grant

This study outlines the history of metal mining in Japan and the characteristics of the industry as they existed from 1925 to 1945. Mining and milling operations are described together with the role of the Japanese Government. A description of post-hostilities conditions and the present state of the industry is included. MANY of Japan&apos;s larger and better known mines date back to the early centuries of the Christian Era. The first stimulus to mining in Japan came through the growth of Buddhism, A. D. 600 to 700, and the attendant need for copper and other metals for temple ornaments and statues. During the Feudal period, 1333 to 1568, mine operations were expanded to meet the demand for ornament metal and for financing of campaigns. After removal of the seat of government from Kyoto to Tokyo, about 1600, the Tokugawa Shogunate placed great emphasis on mining, and many new mines were opened, some of which are still operating. Toward the end of the Tokugawa period, mining had declined sharply from its earlier peak. The easily worked, high grade portions of the orebodies had been exhausted, and the mining techniques then available could not exploit the deeper, lower grade ores. Similarly, extraction of metal from the sulphide ores presented a major problem. With the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and the rapid opening of the country to western ideas came a rejuvenation of the mining industry. Mining, milling, and smelting processes were greatly improved, resulting in the extension of development work into hitherto inaccessible portions of orebodies. The demand for metal during World War I stimulated activity throughout the industry; copper mining, particularly, expanded to a point where Japan ranked second among world producers.* During the depression following the war, mining underwent a severe contraction in activity, recovering slowly during the late 1920&apos;s only to undergo a further setback in the worldwide depression which started in 1929. Mineral output declined in 1930, but the beginning of Japanese expansion, 1931 to 1932, brought about an increase in the output of mine products starting between 1932 to 1934. Production continued to rise, the peak output being attained 1939 to 1943 in virtually all commodities. The greatest production of iron ore, chromite, and manganese was not experienced until 1944 when blocked imports, coupled with strong demands for steel, provided the needed incentive. Through necessity, Japan produced much of her mineral needs from her own mines at high cost during World War 11. Taking the 1932 to 1936 period as an average, however, Japanese mines produced only 16 pct of the iron available to industry, 8 pct of the lead, 33 pct of the zinc, and 68 pct of the copper. Nearly all of Japan&apos;s output of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc between 1925 and 1945 came from 30 to 49 pct of the mines for which production data are available; for example, 66 of 174 gold-silver mines accounted for 98 pct of the output of this group. Further analysis of mine output indicates that a large part of Japan&apos;s metal output was derived from a few large mines; about 10 gold-silver, 15 copper, 3 lead-zinc, 5 manganese, and 2 iron mines account for most of the production. Many of these mines have been operated for 200 to 400 years. With the

Jan 1, 1952

The following delegates were appointed to the National Conservation Congress on May 2, 3, and 4, 1916, in Washington, D. C. HENRY S.. DRINKER, a GEORGE OTIS SMITH, A. F. Lucas, - W. L. SAUNDERS, VAN H. MANNING. President Ricketts was appointed delegate to the dedication ceremonies of the new buildings of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in June. W. L. Saunders was appointed delegate to the ceremonies in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the founding of Rutgers College to be held in October. George C. Stone was appointed delegate to the meeting on Standard Screen Scale of the U. S. Bureau of Standards. George D. Barron and Thomas T. Read were appointed delegates to the Second National Exposition of Chemical Industries to be held in New York in September. It was resolved, that the Institute shall pay the transportation of the Secretaries of the Local Sections to and from the Arizona Meeting. It was resolved that certain general topics&apos; should be selected for discussion at the next meeting of the Institute and a session devoted to each.

Jan 6, 1916

By D. R. Hay, E. Scala

Electrotransport has been superimposed on the rate-limiling- step in zone refining which is the impurity diffusion through the liquid at the solid/liquid interface. The efficiency of zone refining is increased and relative resistivity ratios (P300°k/P4 2°K) he increased by 50 pel in tungsten for a given number of posses using- the electrotransport field-aided method. The effiect of zotze refining in the presence of an electric field on the relative resistivity ratio is examined as a function of its intensity and polarity. THE effect of electrodiffusion on the effective distribution coefficient of zone refining has been discussed by Pfann and Wagner.&apos; Control of the distribution coefficient in zone refining is of twofold interest. A distribution coefficient of unity can be increased or decreased, making possible the transfer of some previously inseparable solutes. The general efficiency of zone refining can also be increased. In the conventional zone-refining process impurities are removed by their retention in the molten zone and subsequent deposition at the end of the rod after a complete passage of the zone. In higher-melting-point systems a second mechanism may also operate, the volatilization of impurities from the molten zone. It has been suggested by schadler2 that, in refractory metals, vacuum distillation plays the predominant role in purification. In Koo&apos;s results,3 the resistivity ratio decreased beyond a zone-refined length of 6 in. from the starting end, indicating that some purification does in fact occur by true zone-refining action. Hay and scala4 showed that the degree of purity as measured by the relative resistivity ratio method depends on the square root of time in the molten zone (number of passes) and thus appears to be limited by diffusion in the boundary layer at the solidifying interface assuming good mixing in the body of the molten zone where a linear rate would prevail. The final concentration of impurities in electron-beam floating-zone purification depends very much on the operating conditions and results obtained by various investigators2,3,5 are difficult to correlate. The diameter of the starting material, operating vacuum, and rate of traverse are among the factors to be considered. There are, nevertheless, some general observations to be obtained from the literature. Lawley5 reviewed the literature up to 1962 and concluded that the major contaminants generally remaining in tungsten after electron-beam zone refining are molybdenum and carbon. Molybdenum due to its high melting point and distribution coefficient of nearly unity would be expected to be difficult to remove by either volatilization or zone refining. Carbon is not only a common contaminant in vacuum systems, but is also very difficult to remove by conventional vacuum melting. even with vacuums of 10-7 mm Hg. For each of those impurities removed by zone refining the equation of Pfann and Wagner may be applied: It relates the effective distribution coefficient k to a superimposed driving force which accelerates the solute away from the interface with a terminal velocity L" and to the more conventional zone-refining parameters; v = rate of traverse, t = thickness of the diffusion layer at the solidifying interface, D = diffusivity of the solute in the molten zone, and ko = equilibrium distribution coefficient of the impurity.

Jan 1, 1965