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By Lawrence Dykers

The paper presents a generalized history of the growth and utilization of electronic data processing in a medium- size, mining-oriented company. A brief narrative outlines a corporate wide data gathering system, its hardware and application. Responsibility areas for corporate accounting, operations control, engineering, and research program development are defined. A Synopsis of programs within responsibility areas is presented along with a review of program language requirements for each of these areas. Anticipated additional uses of computers and the programs being developed for these uses are outlined. The scope and growth of an Information Systems Department within Duval Corporation is briefly discussed. Suggestions are presented which should help minimize the problems and avoid some of the pitfalls of program development for those contemplating the initiation or revision of an electronic data processing system. The importance of lucid and comprehensive program documentation is stressed.

Jan 1, 1969

By E. Lancaster-Jones

THE gravity magnitudes obtained by means of observations with the Eötvös balance in the field are necessarily resultant or total effects due to all abnormalities of mass distribution, including even the effects due to the ellipticity and rotational motion of the whole earth. Since the object of the survey is to isolate the effects which arise solely from some particular subterranean, feature, and to deduce therefrom the configuration and extent of this feature, the first step is to eliminate from the observed effects all those due to "disturbing" (i. e., unwanted) features, whether above or below the surface of the ground. The disturbing features have different characteristics, according to their situation relative to the center of the balance and to the horizontal plane through the foot of the balance, or station point; this diversity was recognized by Eötvös, who divided the total effects into so-called Normal, Terrain, Topographical, Cartographical and Subterranean effects. This classification has been adhered to by most subsequent investigators, but the writer prefers to employ the term "three-dimensional," which really indicates the essential character of the class of effect known as "Subterranean," at any rate from the standpoint of the computer of effects. Before disturbing effects can be eliminated, the features must be measured up or surveyed, whether by topographical, mining, or boring methods, and then the effects of each feature calculated and subtracted from the total observed effects. After this the problem of interpreting the residual effects will itself necessitate the computation of the assumed feature, or even a series of trial features.

Jan 1, 1928

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Jan 1, 1938

By E. Lancaster-Jones

THE gravity magnitudes obtained by means of observations with the Eötvös balance in the field are necessarily resultant or total effects due to all abnormalities of mass distribution, including even the effects due to the ellipticity and rotational motion of the whole earth. Since the object of the survey is to isolate the effects which arise solely from some particular subterranean feature, and to deduce therefrom the configuration and extent of this feature, the first step is to eliminate from the observed effects all those due to "disturbing" (i. e., unwanted) features, whether above or below the surface of the ground. The disturbing features have different characteristics, according to their situation relative to the center of the balance and to the horizontal plane through the foot of the balance, or station point; this diversity was recognized by Eötvös, who divided the total effects into so-called Normal, Terrain, Topographical, Cartographical and Subterranean effects. This classification has been adhered to by most subsequent investigators, but the writer prefers to employ the term "three-dimensional," which really indicates the essential character of the class of effect known as "Subterranean," at any rate from the standpoint of the computer of effects. Before disturbing effects can be eliminated, the features must be measured up or surveyed, whether by topographical, mining, or boring methods, and then the effects of each feature calculated and subtracted from the total observed effects. After this the problem of interpreting the residual effects will itself necessitate the computation of the assumed feature, or even a series of trial features.

Jan 1, 1928

Jan 1, 1938

Jan 1, 1938

No review of underground mining should begin with anything but the new world safety record set at the Grace underground iron mine of Bethlehem Steel at Morgantown, Pa., on Friday, November 12. There had not been a disabling injury (an injury which keeps an employee away from his next scheduled shift) for 550 working days. In all, 2,660,080 man-hours had been worked by nearly 950 employees without a disabling injury. The record was wrested from Johns-Manville's Jeffrey mine at Asbestos, Que. At 3 p.m. Friday, December 3, miner Stanton E. Friend was completely buried under several feet of coarse rock, fortunately sustaining only cuts and multiple abrasions. But with his fall, the accident- free period came to an end at 2,778,600 man-hrs worked without a disabling injury-the new record!

Jan 2, 1966

By Leon Merker

FLAME fusion growth of strontium titanate crystals was undertaken to obtain large transparent crystals on which physical data could be gathered. The fact that strontium titanate is a cubic crystal and probably has a high index of refraction indicated that it might be useful in optics. No large boules* of strontium titanate had been synthesized previously, and none have been found as natural occurrences. The flame fusion process, invented by Verneuil in 1904,1 was first applied to grow large crystals of ruby and has since been used extensively to grow crystals of corundum and spinel on a commercial scale. Only during the past nine years has this technique been applied to the growth of large single crystals of other high melting compounds such as rutile,2 mullite,3 and ferrites4 One of several significant advantages of the flame fusion technique over more conventional methods of growing crystals from a melt is that the crystals are grown without the use of melt containers. This fact alone excludes other methods of growing crystals from a melt whenever there are compounds with a melting point near 2000°C or above. Growth of the crystal, similar to that of a stalagmite, takes place inside a circular refractory furnace that does not contact the crystal, Fig. 1. This eliminates a serious source of impurities as well as the likelihood of multi-crystalline solidification along the container walls. The flame fusion technique is particularly advantageous for research because it produces large crystals quickly and at lower cost. A corundum crystal 25 mm long and 12 mm in diam can be grown in 2 to 3 hr. Operating conditions permit observation of the growing crystal during any stage of the process. The various flame patterns and a wide range of oxidation-reduction conditions can be investigated in a relatively short time. It should be pointed out that formation of the foot of the boule is the most critical step in growing an unfractured boule. When the tip of the sintered cone is fused to initiate crystal growth, the original area of fusion should be kept as small as possible so that one crystallite can assume dominance over all the others and propagate as a single crystal. If the boule start happens to consist of several crystals, usually the entire boule also contains several crystals. In many cases these tightly cohering crystals exhibit different crystallographic orientations. Although the basic technique of the original Verneuil process has been retained, refinements in method and burner design have been developed in recent years. For example, boule growth may be initiated on a seed crystal rather than by fusion of a sintered cone. The danger of multicrystalline or twinned boule starts is thus eliminated, and this procedure may also be used to grow boules of predetermined crystallographic orientation. Prior Art: Of the many attempts to produce artificial gem crystals, most early efforts% ere directed toward synthesis of .rubies and sapphires and diamonds. None of these efforts resulted in a process that was commercially practical. Without exception only tiny crystals of corundum were obtained, and those at excessive cost. Verneuil announced his process in 1904; Ravier6 in 1934 presented a detailed description of a commercial boule production plant. Descriptions of the German synthetic stone industry, the process details, and the equipment used have been published by Barnes7 and by Merker.'

Jan 1, 1956

By Michael P. Robinson

It has been suggested that streaming potentials are not nomlally logged because the streaming potentials known to be generated across mud filter cakes are substantially cancelled by streaming potentials generated in contiguous shale beds. Laboratory measuments of streaming poterztials acrons hand specirnens of shale have been adduced as evidence to support the suggestion. The experiments show that streanzing potential depends on the resistivity of the equilibrating solution and on pressure drop. Meizsurenlents were made perpendicular to the bedding planes of the shales. The mechanism of streaming potential generation in shale which the suggested cancellation theory iniplies has been critically examined. Conclusions reached are tested by comparing self potentials logged before and immediately after changing the resistil~ity (but not the weight) of mud in a borehole. The resultant SP change is found to equal the theoretical electrochetnical potential change, i.e., cancellation of .strearning potential is independent of mud resistivity. Since streaming po/entials generateal across mud filter cakes depend critically upon mud reistivity, shale .strearlling potential in situ must he equally sensitive. Using plausible values for the pemleahility, porosiy arzd compressibility of shale, the van Ererdingerl-Hurst approach shows that the pressure drop between horehole pressure and formation pressure in a radially honzogeneous shale is unlikely to coincide with the zone of filtrate invasion. If, perchance. this coincidence occurs with one mud a chatzge 10 a second must result in non-coincidence, i.e., a .YP logged in the second mud should show a streaming potenlial. The dilernrna may he overcome by postrrlating: (I) perrneabilities of shale7 parallel to their beddine planes greatly exceed their cross-bedding permeabilities; (2) a resistivity-sensitive mud cake of low permeability forms either on the face of, or probnhly in the lanlinations of, many shales. These postulates are examined with reference to the pres.sure and SP histories of the McClosky and Aux Vases zones in the Illinois Basin and some srcpport for them found. It is concluded that a definitive solultion to the streaming potential problem does not exist. INTRODUCTION Recently Gondouin and Scala' published a contribution to the streaming potential problem which is notable particularly for the elegance of its experimental techniques. The conclusions drawn by Gondouin and Scala from their studies amplified those previously suggested by Schehck'. In essence they suggested that the streaming potentials known to develop across mud filter cakes" are not normally observed on SP logs because they are largely cancelled by streaming potentials generated in adjacent shales. This suggestion appears so reasonable that many workers in the logging field will be prone to accept it. We incline strongly to the view that the suggestion is basically correct. Nevertheless, it is important to realize that the cancellation hypothesis in the form put forward by Gondouin and Scala does not appear to meet all the known experimental facts. It is the principal intention of this note to call attention to what appears to be a flaw in the relevancy of the experimental evidence adduced by Gondouin and Scala and to suggest an alternative hypothesis to remove it. The consequences of the new hypothesis are compared with field data which, we believe, are unique. A second but not less important purpose of this note is to emphasize that even the new hypothesis does not fully explain all field observations. Hence we conclude that further study of the streaming potential problem is required before it can be said that a definitive solution to it has been attained. The bare experimental bones of laboratory data on streaming potentials appear to be as follows. 1. A streaming potential is developed across a mud filter cake. This streaming potential is virtually independent of cake thickness but depends on the mud resistivity. The relationship is of the form, 2. A streaming potential is developed across a shale. This potential is independent of shale thickness but depends on the resistivity of the permeating solution if the shale has been first equilibrated in this solution. The relationship is of the form, The relationship in (1) was determined first by Wyllie3, confirmed by Gondouin and Scala and qualita-

Jan 1, 1948

By Gordon H. Chambers

MANGANESE ore is a true jack-of-all trades among industrial minerals, its only possible rival being iron ore. It is used in porcelain enamel, dry batteries, building brick, glazed pottery, floor tile, plastics, welding rods, chemicals, and varnish. You may be reading this through spectacles decolorized with manganese, and the light bulb above you contains some of this element. GEOLOGY Nearly all commercial manganese oxide deposits are of secondary origin; that is, they are concentrated by weathering from other manganese minerals more sparsely distributed in veins. The oxide minerals usually form irregular masses but in some places (Russia) they occur as beds of varying thickness and purity. Some manganese oxide bodies occur in soft gravel or clay formations but in other places the minerals are found in the form of veins and rounded nodules in limestone and other hard rocks. The geologic features of manganese deposits closely resemble those of iron deposits. Classification of the deposits is shown in the following table: I. Classification of manganese deposits based upon form of occurrence A. Stratiform masses 1. Oxides interlayered with sediments or layered volcanic or metamorphic rocks 2. Carbonates or silicates interlayered with sediments or layered volcanic or metamorphic rocks 3. Oxides, as surface bog deposits B. Veins and breccia filling 1. Oxides in larger part 2. Carbonates or silicates partly weathered to oxides C. Irregular masses 1. Oxides 2. Carbonates or silicates largely weathered to oxides D. Aggregates of small oxides in clay or weathered rocks 1. Mainly oxides E. Unclassified deposits II Classification of manganese deposits based upon mode of origin A. Hydrothermal deposits

Jan 1, 1949

By K. V. S. Sastry, M. Cross

A summary of recent progress in understanding the main factors affecting the pelletization of fine particles is presented. A scheme for categorizing the mechanisms responsible for pellet growth is out- lined and laboratory methods to both identify the important growth mechanisms and quantify the effects of the major factors influencing the rate of pelletization are described. Next laboratory and mathematical simulations of the commercial process involved in pelletizing iron ore concentrates, are presented. The operational instabilities associated with this pelletization process are described and subjected to a control theory analysis. This analysis, in conjunction with the mathematical models, is used to both explain existing control problems and assess the effectiveness of possible circuit redesigns at producing a more stable and controllable operation. Although much of the discussion is in the context of iron ore pelletizing the approach developed to analyze the agglomeration behavior of these concentrates should apply to most other fine particle systems.

Jan 1, 1980

By E. P. Mathewson

A Discussion of the Paper of E. P. Mathewson, presented at the New York Meeting, April, 1907, and printed in Bi-Monthly Bulletin, No. 13, January, 1907, pp. 7 to 14. PROF. HENRY M. HOWE, New York, N. Y. (communication to the Secretary *) :-The results presented in Mr. Mathewson's paper are of very great interest. Perhaps the most interesting is that shown in Table I. and Fig. 1, in which the arsenic decreases in 10 min, from 0.22 to 0.07 per cent. This is such a large decrease that it is to be hoped that Mr. Mathewson will verify it by repeating his tests with a matte of similar composition. This is particularly to be desired, because the simultaneous removal of sulphur appears to be very small. All three blows further agree in showing that the removal of arsenic is in the very early part of the blow. The fact that the removal of arsenic then ceases abruptly cannot be explained completely by the fact that the arsenic has fallen so low as by its lowness to resist further removal, because in the first blow the arsenic becomes stationary at 0.06 per cent., whereas in the third blow it does not become stationary until it has fallen to 0.034 per cent. The abrupt ending of the re¬moval of arsenic is more likely to find its explanation in the composition of the slag, and it is to be hoped that. Mr. Mathewson will supplement these extremely valuable data with others in which the composition of the slag at the same time shall be given. The sudden rise of arsenic toward the end of the third blow I suppose must be referred to an error in sampling or analysis. Mr. Mathewson speaks on page 14 of the "percentages of iron . . . volatilized during the first period." Is it his meaning that all this iron is really volatilized, or does he mean that the iron is scorified and the sulphur volatilized ?

Jul 1, 1907

By A. E. Jenkins, O. C. Roberts, D. G. C. Robertson

Using an inverted-cone coil at 450 kHz, it has been possible to levitate iron (FeS), cobalt (CoS), and nickel (NiS) sulfides. Important nontransition metal sulfides such as ZnS, PbS, and Cu2S have proven impossible to levitate although Cu-Fe-S ternary alloys containing 30 wt pct S and up to 10 wt pct Cu, and Cu-Co-S and Cu-Ni-S ternary alloys containing 30 wt pct Cu have been levitated. The levitation technique has been used in preliminary experiments on the vaporization from liquid sulfides and the reaction of liquid metal-sulfur alloys with oxidizing atmospheres. The course of the reactions with pure oxygen were followed using highspeed photography and two-color pyrometry. ELECTROMAGNETIC levitation is now established as a basic laboratory technique in high-temperature research but its application has been restricted mainly to metals and alloys. Applications have included alloy preparation,' metal purification,2'3 determination of liquid metal densities and emissivities,4,5 and studies of metal supercooling,4 alloy thermodynamics,6 and vaporization phenomena.7-9 The application of the technique to compounds has not been considered previously. The successful investigation of the reactions between dilute iron alloys and oxidizing atmospheres10'1 has prompted the current physico-chemical studies involving levitated metal sulfide drops and flowing inert or oxidizing atmospheres. This paper presents the results of such a study and provides a basis for future studies involving a wide range of other compounds of metallurgical interest. The successful levitation of many metal sulfides and mattes provides a method of studying the oxidation reactions fundamental to flash-smelting and similar pyrometallurgi-cal operations under closely controlled laboratory conditions. In addition the system allows the use of a controlled atmosphere (e.g., a gas stream of a certain H2/H2S ratio) with a particular chemical potential to study the relevant thermodynamic equilibria or the mass transfer processes between the atmosphere and the levitated drop under conditions where the hydrodynamics of the system can be closely defined. The optimum frequency for the levitation melting of metals in an inverted-cone coil type inductor is within the radio frequency range 400 to 500 kHz. At frequencies lower than 10 kHz the rate of heat generation is usually insufficient to melt the levitated charge' or where melting is achieved, "dripping" from the charge is encountered.'' At frequencies above 2 mHz the levitation force decreases. Metals, alloys and preheated elemental semiconductors such as germanium and silicon, have been levitated but the levitation of only a few metal compounds has been reported. Jostsons13 and the authors have levitated liquid titanium-oxygen alloys containing 50 at. pct 0 while clark14 has reported the levitation of mixtures of FeS and MnS for short periods. With a "cold crucible" inductor sterling15 has melted ferrites by preheating them by induction in a 4 mHz field and melting at a lower frequency. However this second type of inductor has been designed purely for the melting of materials without contamination; there is only a small gas film between the charge and the inductor and the electromagnetic levitation effect is of secondary importance. For this reason further discussion will be restricted to the use of the coil type inductor. The assessment of the suitability of a particular metal compound for levitation is based upon the following two criteria: i) thermal stability, and ii) physical "levitability". In this paper these two criteria will be considered separately. The thermal stability of a solid or liquid metal compound with respect to a gaseous environment depends upon its chemical reactivity with that environment or, in the case of an inert atmosphere considered here, its volatility. The physical criterion as to whether or not a particular compound can be levitated is based upon a comparison between those physical properties of the compound determining "levitability" which are defined by the fundamental equations of levitation theory as developed by Okress et a1.,16 and the properties of the metals. Since it is not practical to cover the vast field of metal compounds, further discussion will concentrate on the metal sulfides but the treatment would be applicable to any metal compound. THE THERMAL STABILITY OF METAL SULFIDES The temperatures usually encountered during levitation in inert atmospheres cover the range 1400" to 2000°C. The stabilities of the condensed states of the sulfides under these conditions are considered in relation to the periodic classification by reference to Table I. Two general classes of sulfides emerge. The solid sulfides of elements of group IIB and of groups further to the right are volatile while those sulfides of group IB and of groups further to the left are nonvolatile solids. The sulfides described as volatile may be dismissed as unsuitable for levitation. The stabilities of the more favorable nonvolatile sulfides under the anticipated conditions must be studied more closely From Table I it is seen that the alkali metal sulfides exist as liquids in the temperature range of in-

Jan 1, 1970

By J. E. Cannaday, R. J. Austin, R. K. Saxer

PREVIOUS investigators have determined activation energies and have postulated various controlling mechanisms for creep.'-' Recently Barrett et 01.I5 have suggested, as the result of their work with cadmium, that the apparent activation energies for creep (AHc) above 0.5 T, could be correlated by means of activation energies for self-diffusion (AHSD) and modulus of elasticity functions: AHC = AHSD - (5RT/E) dE/dT. The wide disparity of apparent activation energies previously obtained with nickel compared to those reported for other fcc metals and the desire to test the postulate of Barrett el al. prompted this study. The as-received 17.5-mil nickel wire used during this work assayed 99.87 pct pure, Table I. X-ray analysis indicated that the wire was in a stress-re- lieved state and metallographic examination revealed an equiaxed grain size of approximately 0.01 mm. Specimens degreased in acetone and cut to 1-1/2 in. lengths were tested in a cam-mechanized constant-stress creep machine. A vacuum of at least lo-5 mm Hg was maintained during all tests. Stresses were applied when thermal equilibrium was established. When a measurable (at least 0.5 pct) secondary creep was observed, the temperature was pulsed to a higher temperature. Pulsing time varied from 30 sec at 480°C to 2 min at 1300'C and above. Slopes of creep curves were determined after the initial acceleration in the strain rate had subsided and steady-state creep was achieved. To confirm the results obtained, additional tests were performed incorporating a temperature pulsing method suggested by sherby. In this method the load was removed during temperature pulsing and reapplied after thermal expansion had occurred. No appreciable differences in results were obtained. Tests were performed over a wide range of temperature (470" to 1310°C) and stresses (250 to 17,000 psi). The expression was used to calculate activation energies. In this expression T1 and T2 are the initial and final temperatures, and el and i2 are the creep rates at T, and T2. The variation of the apparent activation energies with the mean test temperature calculated by means of Eq. [I] are shown in Fig. 1. The mean test temperature (Tmean) was calculated from the relationship

Jan 1, 1967

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Jan 1, 1946

By P. G. Coombs

The kinetics of the cyclic oxidation and reduction processes for palladium powder were examined in the temperature range 848 to 923 K. The changes in oxidation behavior due to cycling are shown to result from the decrease in surface area. Sintering is found to occur only during the reduction process. Oxidation kinetics were found to follow a cubic law with time and yield a relation for the oxidation rate constant of k x = (1.05) 106 exp P74.0). 103 / RT] The kinetics of reduction are demonstrated to be first-order with the rate constant described by the expression: kr = (7.69) 1012 exp [-(208.0) 103 / RT] . In both expressions R is in J.mo1-1.K-1.

Jan 1, 1984

lv. H. Blauvelt, Great Falls, Montana (communication to the Secretary): In his remarks on Mr. Stetefeldt's paper (Trans., xxiii., 587)) Mr. Goetz observes: " Trouble experienced with producers at Great Falls influenced me to try Taylor producers instead of those of Wellman. But recent reports show that the Wellman producers work better, besides coating nearly 50 per cent. less than Taylor producers of equal capacity. Indiana and Illinois coals cannot be used in the Taylor producers by reason of the large size and hardness of the clinkers which they form." I think that Mr. Goetz must have been misinformed regarding the work of this producer in Illinois. One of the large mauafacturing concerns in that State, the Illinois Zinc Company, situated at Peru, which uses a coal mined in the vicinity, tried one Taylor producer, some four years ago, in competition with those of an older type, which it had been using. As a result of this trial, the company has now thirteen Taylor producers, which have been in operation for about three years. A recent report from these works says that the Taylor producers have largely reduced the loss of coal through the grate, and have also improved the quality of the gas, as compared with that produced from the same coal in the producers of the older type. This Illinois coal is, perhaps, the worst in the country for making gas; since, besides containing from 20 to 40 per cent. of ash, it carries a large quantity of pyrites, so that the clinkers are large and extremely hard, and the capacity of the producer is most severely tested.

Jan 1, 1895

By W. H. Blauvelt

The subject of fuel-briquetting has attracted much attention on the part of engineers. and investors for the past 15 or 20 years, and especially in recent years, during which a number of plants have been built, with more or less commercial and technical success. Our technical literature contains numerous descriptions of certain processes, and discussions of the industry in general. For a history of the development of the art in the United States, and for descriptions of many of the processes which have been tried, reference may be made to the files of our Transactions, and, for more recent information, to a paper by C. T. Malcolmson, read before the First Annual Convention of the International Railway Fuel Association in June, 1909. The purpose of the present paper is to describe the briquette-plant of the Solvay Process Co. and the Semet-Solvay Co. at Detroit, Mich., which, after a period of long and costly evolution, is now operating satisfactorily on a commercial basis. I believe that it will be of interest to some of our members to have the details of operation, power-consumption, labor, etc., as worked out on a practical and commercial scale in a going operation.

Jan 1, 1911

Table

Jan 1, 1910