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By Douglas Bunting

THE first presentation of this paper was before the Pennsylvania Anthracite Section of the Institute in May, 1914, after which a committee was selected to verify and add to the data contained in the original paper. The author is indebted to G. W. Engel, H. W. Montz, R. V. Norris, and H. H. Otto, of this committee, for additional information. I also wish to acknowledge the courtesies extended me by a number of the mining companies for information relative to accidents, systems of proving, and mining practice. The paper should bring forth additional criticism and recommendations, which will be of value in establishing future practice relative to this subject. Throughout the northern anthracite field of Pennsylvania glacial and alluvial deposits of sand, gravel, and clay exist in varying quantities. The extent and character of these deposits are described by N. H. Darton in Bulletin 45 of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, entitled, Sand Available for Filling Mine Workings in the Northern Anthracite Basin. It is estimated that the northern field contains 10,000,000,000 tons of these deposits, or a sufficient quantity to cover the 176 square miles of coal area to a depth of about 25 ft. These deposits of sand, etc., overlying the coal measures attain a maximum depth of more than 300 ft., and are usually saturated to such an extent as to render them semi-fluid. It is .this condition of fluidity that limits the mining of coal seams cropping in or in close proximity to these deposits, and it is in the interest of safer and more efficient mining methods under these conditions that the study of this -subject is here presented. The dangers incident to mining under deep deposits of sand have long been realized by operators in the northern anthracite field, and much has been done to prove the contour of the rock and vein croppings underlying these water-bearing deposits of sand and gravel.

Jan 1, 1915

By A. L. Holley

THERE are regularly manufactured in the eleven Bessemer steel rail mills of the United States, 119 patterns* of steel rails, of 27 different weights per yard. This list does not include patterns which, although still largely inn use, are regarded by experts as obsolete, and which would swell the number to nearly 300; nor does it include all, the patterns for which rolls are kept on hand to fill a possible demand; nor does it include extra pattern,- rolled in one finishing groove by opening or closing the rolls so as to get different weights with the same contours. The list embraces only those separate patterns which are subject to current orders. How thoroughly modern these patterns are, is shown by the fact that of the whole 119, there are but five patterns of conspicuously bad shape; all the rest more or less completely illustrate the standard features,-a heavy bead,. light web and flanges, and a good angle :to hold the fish-plate. Sixty-two per cent. of the patterns have the "Chanute" head, which was not designed until 1874.† Sixty-four per cent. of the 119 patterns are embraced under five weights per yard,; three only of these vary from standard type; there am thus 76 patterns, all of them modern and standard, to represent five different weights, for which five patterns would perfectly answer. Of the 60-lb. rails, there is only one of the pear-head type, while a dozen of the bevelled head templets cannot be distinguished from each other * From all the works 188 patterns were sent to me as standard. Of these I found 119 different shapes and 69 duplicates. † Since this paper was read I have seen at the Bethlehem Iron. Works the templet of a 68-pound Lehigh Valley rail, with the bevelled head, usually called the "Chanute" head, and marked "Templet of 1872." This is shown on Plate II. I learn that iron rails, with bevelled heads, were rolled at Bethlehem prior to 1870.

Jan 1, 1881

By William C. Marshall, Frank G. Norris

THE term "total operation" is meant to include problems that cannot be answered from the standpoint of either the blast furnace or the open hearth separately but must be studied by considering the interrelations of these two processes. There are other ways of expressing this idea, such as reference to the blast furnace and the open hearth as an integrated process or by emphasizing the interrelation and interaction of the two processes. Much progress has been made in metallurgy and other fields by breaking complicated processes and reactions into simpler parts and studying each of these intensively. This intensive study frequently is done under the controlled conditions of the laboratory experiment. The entire process is understood better by this specialized study of each of its parts. This procedure is so satisfactory that an understanding of unit operations is a fundamental requirement of chemical engineering. Much discussion of the open-hearth process is in terms of one heat or one furnace. By this is meant that the conclusions apply to one furnace, wherever it may be. Furnaces seldom occur singly; they are located in groups and these groups are located in steel plants having characteristic blast-furnace equipment. Problems that are affected by the number of furnaces operating, by the number of blast furnaces in the plant and by the fact that the open hearth shop is dependent on the blast-furnace capacity rather than on its own needs for the amount of iron available are among those which, in contrast to "unit operations," we have chosen to call "total operations," Many of these problems, such as charging delays and the general mechanical problem of material handling, are so familiar that merely to define "total operations" brings them to mind. These problems are of such importance that already they have received careful thought and study and probably will merit further study. As will be shown later, these mechanical problems are so intimately related to metallurgical problems of total operations that the effect of certain changes cannot be ascribed with certainty to either a mechanical or a metallurgical cause entirely. Although the problems coming under the general term of "railroading" are included in the problems of total operations, two others are selected for the discussion of this paper. One of these is strictly a problem of composition; the other is strictly a problem of tonnage production. The problem of phosphorus is present whenever basic open-hearth slag is used in the blast-furnace burden. This practice has not secured universal acceptance chiefly because of difference in preference for high-manganese or low-manganese pig iron. If high-manganese (2.00 per cent) iron is to be made, open-hearth slag as a source of manganese is usually cheaper than man

Jan 1, 1943

By Howard Eavenson

THE mines of the United States Coal & Coke Co. are located in the Pocahontas coal field, in McDowell County, West Virginia. Twelve plants have been opened and equipped, of which, by reason of the present business depression, only nine are now in operation. These twelve plants serve eighteen mines; some of the plants having several openings, in either the same seam or in different seams, tributary to the same tipple. Only nine of these mines are now being worked at the plants in operation. Construction work was begun in 1902, and coal from the first three plants started was shipped in December of that year. An additional plant was opened in 1903, two in 1904, two in 1905, two in 1907 and the last two in 1908. On Jan. 1, 1915, the plants have been in operation an average period of 8.8 years. The rules of the company, which have been in operation since work was first begun, are similar to those in use by the H. C. Frick Coke Co. at its mines in Pennsylvania, in which "Safety First" was incorporated as early as 1907; and it has always been the policy of both companies to look carefully after the safety of their employees. Although the field is an extension of the old Pocahontas field, the mines, located upon a new branch railroad, are away by themselves, and, as is usual in such cases, the class of labor attracted at first was temporary in character. The rapid development of the mines required the employment of many new men and officials each year; and, while the accident record from 1904 to 1909 was as good as the average of the field, it was felt to be not as good as it could be made, and a determined campaign was inaugurated for preventing accidents of all kinds. Fig. .1 shows the tonnage of coal produced per fatality, both total and for inside accidents only, at our mines; the tonnage per fatality of all West Virginia mines, and of those in the Pocahontas field.

Jan 2, 1915

By Norberto Dominguez

In the year 1820 a commission, assisted by Sr. C. Fernando de Ainada, was appointed by Sr. Jose Ramon Mila de la Roca to report on the condition of the mining region of Parral, in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, where in recent years the mines of Batopilas have reached an important development under American management. The object of the inquiry was to provide Sr. De la Roca with facts to support a project for reopening mines that two centuries before had produced a large amount of silver. Although this plan failed, many facts of interest in the history of the mines were presented.. Much of the report dealt with questions that had only local application or were restricted to the conditions of labor and equipment in the opening of the nineteenth century. The historical part is presented in the following paragraphs: Abstract of the Report. Notwithstanding the difficulty of forming a just estimate of the system of mines in this mineral group in the valley of Senor Sail Jose del Parral without an examination of each of them, that which we shall say in a general way will suffice to convey an idea of their value and of the urgent necessity of reopening them. If this is undertaken, we believe the results will be of the highest consequence to the Republic, as well as to this immediate locality. The group of the Villa del Parral covers the mineral territory in which the village of that name was located. Its moantains contain large metallic veins, from which, as from the trunk of a tree, depend others much more slender, locally called ,fibras, crossing and interlacing each other in many directions. The first and oldest of these very rich deposits of gold

Jan 1, 1902

By J. G. Tilton

While most of the Pittsburgh coal horizon is dependably regular, there are areas where it is dis-turbed by sandstone cutouts which can seriously hamper mining operations. Because these channel sandstones often cut out the coal abruptly, they are difficult to detect by core drilling; and mine operators, for want of a better way to discover them, have largely trusted to luck to avoid them. This paper, based on a study the author is presently conducting, is an attempt to point out some sources of information and signposts which might aid the operator in determining the presence of a cutout before he begins to mine. The presence of sandstone cutouts in the Pittsburgh coal has been known for many years. Some of these irregularities were observed at outcrops and others were discovered by drilling, but the majority were and are found during mining operations. These sandstone cutouts are commonly called "faults" and have been a bane to mining companies wherever they have been encountered. Profiles of some typical deposits appear in Fig. 1. The cutouts disrupt the normal system of mining, replace valuable coal reserves, create ventilation problems by emitting large quantities of gas and sometimes oil, limit the number of entries that can be economically driven, affect the quality of the coal, disrupt the normal structure of the coal, and create roof control problems. It might be expected that such severe disturbances in the structural regularity of the coal would instigate determined and extensive searches for possible cutouts prior to mining operations, but this apparently has not been so except in isolated cases. Two reasons may be cited to explain this lack of exploratory work. The first and probably the strongest reason is the over-all regularity of the Pittsburgh coal. No coal seam in the country exhibits the horizontal continuity and relative regularity of the Pittsburgh coal. It lies in an almost unbroken sheet across southwestern Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia, and has been recognized as far east as the Potomac Basin of western Maryland. Over 5729 square miles are underlain by this coal, of which 2077 square miles are in Pennsylvania, 2214 square miles in West Virginia, 1410 square miles in Ohio, and 28 square miles in Maryland. The area covered by this study is outlined by the map in Fig. 2. Over most of this territory the coal has the following characteristic structure as illustrated in Fig. 3: roof coal, draw slate, breast coal, parting, bearing in coal, parting, brick coal, parting, and bottom coal. With such regularity of thickness and structure, mines were opened and laid out with confidence that the coal would be present. Extensive drill testing was considered unwarranted and it was also quite expensive because the coal dipped to the west away from the Monongahela River. Consequently, drill holes were widely spaced and rarely encountered ad-

Jan 1, 1968

By J. E. Tobey, David R. Mitchell, J. H. Kerrick

DETAILED knowledge of purchase specifications established by coal consumers is essential to the successful design and operation of a coal preparation plant. ANTHRACITE Specifications should be considered by both the consumer and the producer as guide posts outlining a certain path for both to follow. Plants differ, therefore specifications must differ to meet the varied requirements. Specifications are not of themselves a "cureall" or an assurance of complete satisfaction in fuel utilization. Specifications should not be regarded as a license to engage in an orgy of buying any and all coals that may happen to fall within their limits. This would lead to the indiscriminate mixing of coals which may vary in their burning characteristics. Different coals of equal grade tend to be individualistic in their burning characteristics. Rather, specifications should be used to help simplify coal selection, to reduce the actual number of coals used over a given period; in other words, to have a stabilizing influence on coal or customer turnover. In the final analysis, the use of too many coals per year in a plant is costly to both the consumer and the producer. Too many sources usually result in higher operating and maintenance costs for the consumer and higher sales costs for the producer. Finally, the statement included in the report accompanying the comprehensive Coal Selection Charts prepared by the Coal Committee of the National Association of Purchasing Agents, and released in 1938, is significant. This Committee worked diligently for a period of 15 years seeking to find a scientific and reliable method for selecting coals. The two following paragraphs are quoted from its report: More important is the fact that no ready-made classification or set of specifications can possibly replace the judgment and resourcefulness of an experienced combustion engineer or fuel technologist, nor the usual need for full scale plant tests under the exact conditions of use before a final decision is made.

Jan 1, 1950

By John Chipman, K. C. McCutcheon

To a very large extent the quality of a mild steel ingot is determined by the manner in which it is poured into the ingot mold and its behavior during the first few minutes after it has been poured. The formation of the solid rim of metal around the periphery of the mold, the effervescent action of the liquid steel within this solidified rim and the upward or downward movement of the metal level are indications of what is going on beneath the surface of the liquid metal, especially at the interface at which solidification occurs. Observation of this "rimming action" enables an experienced observer to predict the thickness of the sound skin of the ingot and the location and extent of cavities or "blowholes" caused by entrapment of gases. The control of rimming action at the hands of a skillful steel pourer is a vital part of the control of quality in mild steel sheet, and the behavior of the liquid steel during the rimming period is a useful criterion of the melting and refining practices employed in the open hearth. The behavior of rimming steel during solidification depends primarily upon the evolution of gases from the molten metal and it is therefore a problem of considerable interest to determine the nature and amount of the gases evolved. A number of attempts to determine either the amount or the analysis of the evolved gases have been reported. Klinger,1 in 1925, analyzed the gases extracted from rimming, semikilled and killed steel ingots and found that the chief constituent of the rimming gas was carbon monoxide. The relatively large amounts of nitrogen reported in his first few samples may have been due to incomplete removal of air from the gas-collecting mechanism. McKune2 reported similar studies of rimming ingots from which surprisingly large proportions of nitrogen and hydrogen were evolved. Ameen and Willners3 determined both the amount and composition of gases extracted from unkilled ingots with the aid of diminished pressure. . Their ingots weighed only 80 kg. (176 lb.) and apparently were solid within two or three minutes, so that their

Jan 1, 1938

By A. F. Taggart, F. E. Beach

The flotation process for the concentration of ores is a method by means of which one or more of the minerals in the ore (usually the valuable ones) are picked up by means of a liquid film and floated at the surface of a mass of fluid pulp. Here they are separated from the other minerals, which remain immersed in the body of the pulp. In general, the minerals which are floated are sulphides of metallic luster, but some other minerals of metallic luster such as graphite and some sulphides with adamantine luster, such as sphalerite and cinnabar, are amenable to treatment by the process. The importance of flotation lies in the fact that it is primarily a "slimes process" by means of which the particles of valuable mineral, too fine for efficient gravity concentration, are saved with a high percentage of recovery. Recoveries in the mills treating low-grade copper sulphide ores have been advanced 10 to 20 per cent. by the installation of the process and similar increased savings have been accomplished by the same means in mills treating sulphide ores of zinc and lead. When finely ground ore containing sulphides mixed with a siliceous or earthy gangue is brought gently onto the surface of a body of water, in a direction forming an acute angle with the surface of the water, a considerable portion of the sulphide constituent of the ore floats on the surface of the liquid, while the gangue sinks. This is the so-called film flotation, exemplified by the Wood and Macquisten processes. When gas bubbles are introduced into a fluid pulp composed of finely ground ore and water, to which has been added (1) a small amount of certain oils, or (2) a small amount of certain acida or acid salts, or (3) a small amount of certain alkalis or alkaline salts, or (4) a small amount of a mixture of oil with acid or alkali, the sulphide particles in the ore are brought to the surface on the gas bubbles. These collect in a froth

Jan 1, 1917

By J. R. Campbell

It is the purpose of this paper to review somewhat in detail the literature on the subject that is extant, which ought to provoke considerable beneficial discussion. The value of 1 per cent. ash in blast-furnace practice was brought to the attention of the writer when he was connected with the U. S. Steel Corpn. Various groups of blast furnaces in the Pittsburgh district compiled a statement in which the average saving was about 6 c. per ton on pig iron for every 1 per cent. of ash reduction. Later, the same groups of furnaces, when materials had reached a higher price, compiled a statement in which there was a 30-cent saving on pig iron for every 4 per cent. ash reduction in the Pittsburgh district, which was equivalent to 7½ c. for every 1 per cent. ash reduction. In the Chicago district, on long freight hauls of coal and coke from the Pocahontas district, the set-up was 30 c. per ton of pig iron for every 2 per cent. ash reduction, or 15 c. for every 1 per cent. Some years ago, Ralph H. Sweetser, of the American Rolling Mill Co., presented a paper which provoked considerable comment.' To get the matter again before this body a résumé of his computations is given below: Comparison of Pig Iron Costs Ash in Coal. Ash in CoKe, Fixed Carbon in Coke peR Ton OB PIG Iron peN Day, Per Cent. PeR CeNt. Coke. Per Cent. PIG IRon. Lb. Tons 6.00 8.70 89.80 1800 365.0 7.00 10.15 88.35 1860 353.2 Coke with 8.70 Per Cent. Ash Ore mixture, 4144 It). = 1.85 tons @ $5.50.............................. $10.17 Coke, 1800 lb. = 0.90 ton @ $6.50..................................... 5.85 Limestone, 1000 lb. = 0.50 ton @ $1.50................................. 0.75 Labor, $365 per day on 365 tons....................................... 1.00 Supplies and service, $250 per day...................................... 0.68 Overhead, $200 per day............................................... 0.55 Reserve for relining and depreciation................................... 1.00 Total............................................................. $20.00

Jan 1, 1931

By Clyde E. Williams

Estimates indicate a life of known Lake Superior iron ore reserves of 20 to 30 years. Although some believe the future ore supply will come from foreign sources and will be brought to interior points via the projected Great Lakes-St. Lawrence waterway, and others fear a displacement of the interior steel-producing districts to the Atlantic seaboard, the author has faith that American engineering skill will make possible the use of lean ores from the Lake Superior district. Three general types of Lake Superior ores and ore formations, that represent possible reserves and require beneficiation, are: (1) the wash ores of the western Mesabi range, (2) the partly leached hematitic formations, and (3) the oxidized but largely unleached iron formations. The total tonnage represented by (1) and (2) is not large, but the recovery of iron from present washery tailings would bring on the market the equivalent of nearly one million tons of wash ore, annually. Group 3 comprises the magnetic iron formation of the eastern Mesabi range, the hematitic formations including the taconites of the Mesabi range, and the iron formations of all the other ranges. These formations represent our future supply of iron ore. Their treatment requires intensive research because the bulk of the iron oxide and silica minerals exist in a finely disseminated condition. The possibilities of the adaptation of tables, oil flotation, and other processes warrant extensive study. Cheaper method of agglomeration of the concentrate is essential. Recent developments in better preparation and sizing of blast-furnace charges indicate that substitution of agglomerated ore for fines will increase furnace efficiency and output. If agglomerated beneficiated ore can be shown to rate a per-unit premium for iron contents over the base rate or a premium for structure, the payment of these would greatly assist in enlarging our iron ore supply. Since present methods of taxation of ore reserves, which encourage the rapid depletion of rich ores, will result in using up our rich ores and later on putting domestic producers at a disadvantage in competing with' foreign producers, it would seem highly provident to conserve our rich ores and to increase the use of beneficiated ores as soon as possible.

Jan 1, 1931

By C. P. Proctor, E. D. Hummer, J. A. Younkins

COMPARATIVELY little has been published relating practical experience with the control of the solid content of washery water systems that must be "closed." A "closed" system is one that for some reason may not be cleaned by the emission of any effluent of high solid content to be replaced by clean water in order to hold the solid content of the waste water within reasonable bounds for efficient washing. It is the purpose of this paper to describe practical experience with such a water system and to present data that it is hoped may be of some use to those who are faced with a similar problem. The washery clarification system described comprises three thickeners and three filters, and although it is admitted that each of the fields of water settling and thickening and filtration offers a wide scope for investigation, the authors are not attempting to present the answers to these problems but to set down the results of some experience along these lines, making no claims as to the ultimate solution of the problems in hand. The subject of water clarification has vast ramifications; for example, the science of flocculation as applied to water settling and filtering opens up fields of wide possibilities of which as yet little is known. A comparatively recent entry into the field of water treatment, which may offer possibilities of practical application, is the use of "wetting" agents such as "Aerosol." GENERAL ARRANGEMENT OF WATER SYSTEM So that the reader may obtain a comprehensive picture of the factors concerned in the control of a closed water system, it is necessary to give a brief description of the washing plant that is serviced by the water system to be described in the following pages. As we are not primarily concerned with the washing plant in detail, only a brief description of the flow of coal as it relates to the water system will be given here. For a more detailed account of this type of washer, the reader is referred to earlier papers.1.2 The washer, which handles 0 to 4-in. raw coal (750 tons per hour) is an American Rheolaveur plant of two complements; the coarse coal or sealed discharge plant and the fine coal or free discharge plant. The sealed discharge plant (Fig. r) consists of twin 48-in. primary launders, each having two washing boxes, supplemented by one 32-in. rewash launder, which also has two washing boxes. "Push" water for washing and conveying coal in these launders is supplied from a constant-head tank under pressure head of 10 ½ ft. at the point of introduction at the feed end of the launder. This tank also supplies water for upward or vertical currents used in the Rheolaveur or washing boxes. Each box discharges into a sealed boot elevator (Fig. I).

Jan 1, 1942

By William J. McCaughey, Richard L. Barrett

FOR sixty years-in fact, ever since the inception of the basic steelmaking process -basic slags have been the subject of study by chemists, metallurgists and petrographers, with the purpose of providing a better understanding of the reactions between the slag and the metal during the refining process. The result of this work and of the researches of mineralogists and physical chemists into the chemistry of oxide systems is a considerable body of literature dealing not only with slags themselves but with equilibrium relationships in systems synthesized from pure components. Since any actual slag is a multicomponent system more complex than any yet worked out in the laboratory, a complete solution to the problem is still far away. The writers have recently published a paper1 which they believe sheds light on the role of the slag in the elimination of phosphorus and it is the purpose of the present paper to discuss the metallurgical applications of that work. Since the pioneer investigations on the constitution of basic slags carried on by Stead and Risdale, Carnot and Richards, Hilgenstock and others in the 1880's, a considerable body of literature on this subject has appeared. Many of the more important of these papers were summarized in the previous paper,' therefore they will not be reviewed here. PETROGRAPHIC STUDY The present writers have had occasion, over a period of years, to examine petrographically a great number of basic steel- making slags having a very wide range of chemical compositions and made under various conditions of operating practice. Although certain of these slags exhibit some unusual features, it is a remarkable fact that the great majority of mature slags show certain typical characteristics, which persist throughout the wide range of chemical compositions. The typical mature slag usually appears under the microscope to consist of two phases. The phase of primary crystallization is light colored and doubly refracting. If separated mechanically and subjected to chemical analysis, it is found to consist essentially of SiO2, CaO, and P2O5. Sometimes, although not usually, two such silicate-phosphate phases are found. The other conspicuous phase is dark in color and optically isotropic, and occurs as the interstitial material between the grains of the light colored phase. This dark colored interstitial phase when analyzed is found to consist essentially of FeO,Fe2O3, MnO, and MgO. In some slags high in iron oxide, particularly those from low-carbon heats, dicalcium ferrite is found. This phase is dark reddish brown in color and anisotropic.

Jan 1, 1944

By Leslie G. McMillion

A field project to develop and demonstrate a method for alleviating problems of highly mineralized ground water where they occur as isolated zones or pockets in fresh-water aquifers is being conducted in the Ogallala aquifer of eastern New Mexico by the Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center. Removal of contaminated water is by a large-capacity well and the pumped poor-quality water is used locally for secondary recovery of oil. Benefits of the operation are threefold in that the aquifer is being reclaimed for future fresh-water production, contaminated water is being used beneficially, and fresh water which otherwise would have been used for waterflooding is available for other purposes. Ground-water quality in the site has improved markedly after two years of operation. Use of water in the arid and semiarid Southwest has grown so rapidly that demands in many localities far exceed available supplies. In the High Plains region of New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, the only large sources of water are underground reservoirs, being depleted at an alarming rate. In some parts of this region, the aquifers contain pockets of highly mineralized waters; and the mineralized waters in some of them have started spreading in response to the drawdown effects of pumping wells. The aquifers of this region are primarily composed of sand and gravel beds; any cleanup by natural processes will require many tens or even hundreds of years. Most of these pockets of highly mineralized water were caused by oil-field brines seeping downward from earthen disposal pits. Thousands of these pits were in use in the region until only a few years ago when they were prohibited by the oil regulatory agencies of the respective states. The resulting areas of poor quality water are serious enough to warrant much corrective attention. Correction will involve one or more of three approaches: 1) Restrict the pumping of fresh water in the zones where the drawdown of the pumping well will significantly influence the movement of the contaminant. 2) Remove the highly mineralized water entirely from the affected area. 3) Develop and pump the poor-quality water in such a manner that its movement is held in check, even though only a part of the contaminant is actually removed. The principal hurdle to overcome in applying methods 2 or 3 is financing of the operations, since there are very

Jan 1, 1972

By Donald E. Cummings

MEASURES appropriate for the control of the silicosis hazard in mining cannot be formulated precisely, but sufficient has accumulated during the past quarter century to permit the suggestion of useful, though partly empirical, rules for its alleviation. The industrial hygienist today recognizes that the peril incurred by the inhalation of harmful dust is a function of two variable factors-the degree of harmful exposure and the specific susceptibility of the exposed individual to pulmonary injury. Control of the danger arising out of prolonged contact with pernicious air- borne particulate matter is consequently best exercised by influencing both of these recognized variables. Obviously the problem has two broad aspects-one, medical; the other within the province of the engineer. I-FACTORS COMPRISING THE DEGREE OF INDIVIDUAL SUSCEPTIBILITY Thorough investigations conducted among miners who have labored for years in the presence of recognized silicosis hazards usually reveal an impressive difference in the injury incurred by men whose exposure to dust has been nearly identical. After a quarter century underground, one individual is short of breath and incapacitated with miners' complaint, while a fellow workman suffers no pulmonary embarrassment and is in good health. Physicians ascribe this oft-observed difference in reaction to individual susceptibility and express a universal regret when they deplore the fate that chose to make the predisposed youth a miner rather than a farmer. To trust the health of miners to fate at the present time is even more unfortunate, because many of the factors that influence man's susceptibility to dust are known, and can be accurately determined by competent medical methods. Among the most important factors comprising susceptibility to injury by dust are the anatomical peculiarities of the individual's respiratory mechanism, his physiological response to the inhalation of dust, his previous dust exposure, the existence of pulmonary infections or other pathological processes in his lungs, his age,

Jan 1, 1938

By J. B. Austin, R. H. H. Pierce

IN developing a consistent picture of the thermal expansion of the commercial chromium steels, which cover a range of, carbon contents, it is desirable to know the expansion in the limiting case of the binary, carbon-free, iron-chromium alloys. We have, therefore, determined the thermal expansion of a series of five special alloys, ranging in chromium content from 3 to 10.5 per cent, with not more than 0.03 per cent carbon, over a temperature range extending beyond the transformation region; this low carbon content enables us to draw reasonably reliable conclusions as to the behavior of the carbon-free system. Moreover, the measurements serve to determine the beginning and the end of the alpha-gamma transformation; and they emphasize once more the fact that a transformation temperature determined by any method in which the specimen is .cooled at an appreciable rate is apt to be seriously in error, particularly if the metal contains a transformation-retarding element such as chromium or managanese. The lag, or undercooling, observed at the ?-a transformation is explained in terms of the influence of temperature on transformation velocity; the rather unusual shape of the ? loop is attributed to a change with temperature and with composition of the distribution of chromium between the alpha-iron and gamma-iron solid solutions. The exact composition of the alloys which were obtained through the courtesy of Dr. W. Rohn, of the Heraeus Vakuumschmelze A-G., is given in Table 1. Determinations of the linear thermal expansion and of transformation temperature were carried out in the vacuum dilatometer previously described,1 using a rate of heating and of cooling of 3.0° to 3.5° per minute unless otherwise stated. Magnetic susceptibility, which was measured in studying the rate of transformation, was determined with a magnetic balance, which also has. been described.2

Jan 1, 1935

By R. R. Brandenthaler

CONTROLLING -the pressure under which a well produces crude oil has advantages that are ap¬parently not entirely realized by many operators in the Mid-Continent district. The possibilities of utilizing well pressures are indicated by a series of ex-periments recently completed by the Bureau of Mines in which pressure control was successfully applied to 20 wells in, the Davenport field. The flowing period of all of .the wells was lengthened in some instances it was. more than doubled. The daily oil production from approximately one-half of the tested wells was in-creased. The amount of gas produced per barrel of oil was decreased, and this, in addition to a slower rate of decline in production, indicated that the ultimate re-covery had been increased. The successful application of pressure control to flow-ing oil wells must take into consideration the relation-ships existing between pressures in the different parts of the system which, though not equal, are nevertheless more or less interrelated. These relationships, which have such an important bearing on the results obtained by applying pressure control, are as follows: A change in rock pressure will affect the tubing pressure, casing pressure, and differential pressure, but it will not affect the trap pressure. A change in tubing pressure will affect the differential pressure and casing pressure; also, a change in casing pressure will affect the tubing pressure and differential pressure. Trap pressures are not affected by rock pressure, casing pressure, tubing pressure, or differential pressure, unless the traps are required to handle gas and oil beyond their capacity. Trap pressures will affect the differential pressure, tubing pressure, and casing pressure and any changes at the well-head, whether differential pressure, tubing pres-sure or casing pressure, will affect the pressures in the well. Any change in rock pressure results in a change in the tubing pressure, casing pressure, and differential pressure. When any sudden or unusual change in well-head pres-sures occurs (for example, an erratic tubing pressure), and when a sudden decrease in oil or gas takes place, it is al-ways advisable to note whether the trap pressure has changed. If the trap pressure has not changed, note whether the oil line from the trap to the flow-tank has become clogged, as would be evidenced by a rise in the oil level in, the trap. If the oil line is functioning properly, and if the trap pressure has not changed, the flow-line from the well to the trap should be inspected. If it is free from obstructions, then changes in the differential pressure, tubing pressure, and casing pressure must be due to changed well conditions.

Jan 4, 1927

By E. J. McCaustland

The behavior of steel after overstrain and at moderate temperatures is fairly well known. It has been made the subject of much investigation, and our knowledge is clear and definite on many points. The ultimate raising of the elastic limit, after moderate overstrain, and the consequent lowering of the ductility, seem to be well established. It is also well understood that the immediate effect of overstrain is to lower the elastic limit, possibly to zero, but that if not interfered with, this limit will subsequently rise higher than before. The " tests after moderate temperature," reported in this paper, were undertaken to verify the above statements for the particular steel under investigation, and also to determine, if possible, the total time required for complete recovery from this state of overstrain. The behavior of overstrained steel at temperatures at or below 32" F. is not so well known. Tests made by Prof. E. G. Coker, at McGill University,' show that steel, overstrained and subjected to cold, will remain in a state of overstrain for an indefinite period. I am not aware of any other published results of tests along this particular line. The effect of time and temperature on the recovery of steel from overstrain was made in 1902-3 the subject of some investigation in the laboratories of the College of Civil Engineering of Cornell University. A general plan was outlined in connection with the regular courses of instruction in testing of materials; but the press of routine work and the demands of the schedules on the time of the students were so great as to presage long delay in the completion of the work. Not much had been accomplished up to 1904-05, when Messrs. E. C.

Jan 1, 1907

By H. W. Gillett

Many of the parts of motor cars, aircraft, etc., that require strong light construction, hence must be made of high-quality steel, are stressed to the maximum limit only in a very small volume. In parts subject to bending stress a line or even a point may take the maximum stress. A series of endurance tests under repeated bending in progress in the U. S. Bureau of Mines laboratories, like similar tests by other investigators, has shown the great difference in life of sister bars of the same stecl, handled in the same way and tested at the same nominal stress. It is known that a surface notch or scratch greatly increases the local stress over the nominal calculated stress; internal notches, such as those formed by inclusions or sonims, probably have a similar effect. From the tetss made by the Bureau of Mines, the cleanliness of the steel at the dangerous section, or point of maximum stress, seems to be one of the most important factors in determining the life of the piece. The more localized the stress, the more does chance, rather than the average properties, dctermine the life of the steel. The usual test, a tension test of a bar taken longitudinally, is not sensitive to the local drop in strength (or tendency to increase the true local stress over the nominal) because of inclusions, which probably have a more injurious effect in hard heat-treated steels, such as must be used when great strength is sought, than in softer steels. Users of steel who make transverse tests find surprisingly low ductility on transverse bars of dirty steel, though the longitudinal tests may be good. Bending tests, reverse bending tests, and notch-bar impact tests,

Jan 1, 1923

By H. R. Fife

AN extended study of dustproofing Freeport-seam coal has empha-sized several fundamental features in the successful treating of bituminous coals. The extent of the exposed surface area and its absorption proper-ties for the dust-retaining film were found to be the most critical factors affecting the efficiency of fly-dust prevention. From recently published screen data and specific surface-area measure-ments on United Kingdom coals, an approximation of the surface exposed by mine-run coal and by 1-in. slack was made. The total surface area exposed by an average ton of this mine-run coal was estimated at 3768 sq. yd., while a ton of 1-in. slack represents a total surface area of 8779 sq. yd. with no additions for porosity. It is important in coal treating to consider that in mine-run coal the fraction above 1/4 in. in size represents 79.5 per cent of the total weight, but only 4 per cent of the total surface, while the fraction below 150 mesh contains 47 per cent of the total surface and only 1.2 per cent of the total weight. Also, one should appreciate that, in a 1-in. slack, the domestic stoker fraction (1 in. to 8 mesh) contains 76.3 per cent of the weight and 8.2 per cent of the surface, while the fraction below 150 mesh represents 3.3 per cent by weight and 54.8 per cent by sur-face area. Wax extraction data on 1-in. to 0 slack from mine-run treated Free-port-seam coal showed that the coating was distributed uniformly as a function of exposed surface; hence, nonuniformly on a weight basis. This distribution of the coating on mine-run coal therefore limits the extent of treating that is desirable on bituminous coal at this point in the preparation. The treatment of Freeport mine-run coal before it reached the tipple gave a 70 to 80 per cent reduction of fly-dust in the tipple, a satisfactory treated commercial slack coal, and an indicated change in the trend of tipple degradation. The premium-treated domestic sizes required a supplemental treatment for complete dustproofness.

Jan 1, 1937