Search Documents

By John Hays Hammond

This is an era of " expansion; and, conformably with the change in commercial conditions, the function of the mining engineer, as well as that of his confreres in many other professions, has also expanded. From the position of an engineer, limited to the determination of technical questions, the engineer of to-day has come to assume an economic importance in those branches of industry dependent upon engineering skill for their development. He is indeed an engineer of limited usefulness who does not go further professionally than to submit a purely technical report on subjects presented for his consideration. While he has the same responsibility as formerly in the solution of the technical problems involved, he is further expected to supplement his report with advice on the financial and commercial aspects of these problems. For the great majority of problems presented to the engineer ultimately involve the determination of the pecuniary, relations of the propositions under consideration. The great corporation lawyer no longer earns his fee by merely submitting his opinion as to the legal issues involved in law-suits affecting the corporation; he now assumes charge of the entire legal work, including both the organization of the corporation and the maintenance of its legal status thereafter. In like manner, the engineer, whose report was, as I have said, formerly confined to the determination of the geological and other cognate features of a mining enterprise, is now expected, not. only to embody information on these subjects in his report, but also to give his opinion whether the property offered for sale in pursuance of such an enterprise is worth the price asked for it. Moreover, if he recommends the purchase of a property, he incurs a certain moral responsibility for its efficient manage-

Nov 1, 1908

By P. G. Beckett

THE problem of handling the large quantities of water encountered in the Old Dominion mine presents many features of interest. In the present paper are discussed the probable sources of water, the pumping equipment, the increased flow into the mine in the early part of 1915, culminating in the flooding of the 18th and 16th levels in March of that year, and the difficulties that were met with during the high-water period. I. PRELIMINARY The Old Dominion mine, situated 1 mile north of the town of Globe, Ariz., has long been one of the prominent copper producers of the State, and until the opening up of the copper schist deposits in the neighboring mines of Miami, was responsible for the greater part of the copper output from the Globe district. As the gradual exhaustion of its orebodies near the surface led to the downward development of the mine, more water was encountered in the western portions directly underlying the dacite formation until the drainage problem became a serious factor in the operation of the mine and in the economical extraction of the ore. A heavy inrush of water on the 10th level of the mine in 1906, preceded by still earlier water difficulties, rendered imperative the immediate installation of a pumping equipment capable of handling large flows of water. While the Old Dominion has been recognized as a wet mine since its early clays and one in which the complete control of the water situation was of paramount importance in the development of the lower levels, it is chiefly in the last nine years, since the installation of the increased pumping equipment, that the mine has developed and handled large quantities of water.

Jan 4, 1916

By R. W. Raymond

Under the names of Conservation, Social Justice, the New Nationalism, and Progressive Democracy, many earnest reformers are calling for a new system of Federal government to replace the one which they ascribe to our fathers, and declare to have been outgrown. They are proposing the lease by the United States of certain natural resources on the public domain, for the profit of the U. S. Treasury, instead of the sale of such resources to private citizens or associations of citizens. In the present paper, I shall try to show that this notion is neither new nor good. It is clear that the United States is owner, as well as sovereign, of public lands acquired through conquest or purchase from other nations, as it was owner of the public lands expressly ceded to it by the original thirteen States. Its policy with regard to such lands involves, therefore, two entirely distinct questions: What shall it do as owner ? and, What shall it do as sovereign ? The latter question, it must be confessed, has played but a small part in our history. All the prerogatives of sovereignty which were not explicitly conferred upon the Federal government by the original States were retained by them. The ownership or control of precious or other metals or minerals in the earth, for instance, was thus reserved to the several sovereign States. New York, South Carolina, and other States have passed laws on this subject, without regard to Federal authority. As new States have been successively admitted to the Union, the tacitly accepted theory has been, that they thereby acquired all the reserved rights of the original States. These newer States largely outnumber the first thirteen; and it is inconceivable that they would submit to any deprivation of sovereignty based on historical grounds. One of them—Texas—came into the Union by its own voluntary

Jan 1, 1913

By Albert G. Zima

According to recently puhlished statistics, it is predicted that as much oil must be produced during the next 16 years as has been produced during the past 75, in order to satisfy the high rate of consumption of petroleum products. During 1934, over 17,000 oil wells were completed in the United States, and it is expected that over 20,000 additional wells will be drilled during the current year. Were it not for the remarkable progress made during recent years in the improvement of drilling technique and in the development of equipment used in the production phase of the oil industry, it is doubtful whether sufficient oil could be produced to meet present requirements. A few years ago, wells seldom were deeper than 3500 to 4000 ft., owing to the limitations of the drilling methods and equipment employed. Today, however, through the application of scientific drilling methods and the adaptation of modern equipment and improved materials, many wells range from 6000 to 8000 ft. in depth, and a few recent completions exceed 10,000 feet. Drill Tools Modern rotary drilling tools are the product of ingenious design and careful selection and adaptation of materials used in their construction. They must withstand terrific abrasion and, because of their compactness, must be designed to resist exceedingly high unit stresses. In bits, core drills and reamers, the bodies are made of either forged or cast alloy steels, heat-treated to develop a combination of high strength and toughness. To provide sufficient strength to the threaded portions and to protect the threads from distortion or damage, the box or pin sections of the tools are hardened to approximately 310 to 330 Brine11 hardness number. Drill and reamer cutters are generally of the movable type; i.e., serrated cones, cylinders or disks, which can readily be replaced when

Jan 1, 1935

By Albert G. Zima

According to recently puhlished statistics, it is predicted that as much oil must be produced during the next 16 years as has been produced during the past 75, in order to satisfy the high rate of consumption of petroleum products. During 1934, over 17,000 oil wells were completed in the United States, and it is expected that over 20,000 additional wells will be drilled during the current year. Were it not for the remarkable progress made during recent years in the improvement of drilling technique and in the development of equipment used in the production phase of the oil industry, it is doubtful whether sufficient oil could be produced to meet present requirements. A few years ago, wells seldom were deeper than 3500 to 4000 ft., owing to the limitations of the drilling methods and equipment employed. Today, however, through the application of scientific drilling methods and the adaptation of modern equipment and improved materials, many wells range from 6000 to 8000 ft. in depth, and a few recent completions exceed 10,000 feet. Drill Tools Modern rotary drilling tools are the product of ingenious design and careful selection and adaptation of materials used in their construction. They must withstand terrific abrasion and, because of their compactness, must be designed to resist exceedingly high unit stresses. In bits, core drills and reamers, the bodies are made of either forged or cast alloy steels, heat-treated to develop a combination of high strength and toughness. To provide sufficient strength to the threaded portions and to protect the threads from distortion or damage, the box or pin sections of the tools are hardened to approximately 310 to 330 Brine11 hardness number. Drill and reamer cutters are generally of the movable type; i.e., serrated cones, cylinders or disks, which can readily be replaced when

Jan 1, 1935

By Sidney Sigel, J. Gardner Brooks, Irvin R. Kramer

In 1942 Grossmannl proposed that the hardenability of a steel may be calculated from its chemical composition by considering the base hardenability associated with its carbon content and grain size and multiplying this base by factors for each element present. Since Grossmann's original publication, several investigaton2-6 have reexamined the multiplying factors for the individual elements and in general have found that the multiplying principle is valid. However, some of the individual factor curves developed have been in poor agreement. Inasmuch as the carbon-factor curve obtained by Grossmann was dependent Lipon the factors for all the other alloying elements present in the steel, it logically followed that his results were in need of correction in the light of the new data available for manganese, silicon, and the other alloying elements. Furthermore, in order to avoid the possibility that errors in the manganese, silicon, or other curves might influence the carbon-factor curve, investigation of iron-carbon alloys containing little or no manganese and silicon was necessary. That the effect of carbon on hardenability was greater than indicated by Grossmann is shown by a comparison of the diameters of completely hardened rounds of iron-carbon alloys with the ideal critical diameter calculated from Grossmann's factors. These alloys have a greater hardenability in a finite quench than predicted by Grossmann's factors for an infinite quench (Table I). Among the other important variables that were in need of further investigation were the effect of deoxidation practice on the grain-size correction curves and the effect of stable carbide-forming elements on the depth of hardening. Most Of the work by Kramer, Hafner, and Toleman4 was done on silicon-killed steels. It was not known whether Gross-mann's grain-size correction curves, determined on aluminum-killed steels, was valid when applied to steels with different deoxidation practice. More data on the

Jan 1, 1947

By J. Gardner Brooks, Sidney Sigel, Irvin R. Kramer

In 1942 Grossmannl proposed that the hardenability of a steel may be calculated from its chemical composition by considering the base hardenability associated with its carbon content and grain size and multiplying this base by factors for each element present. Since Grossmann's original publication, several investigaton2-6 have reexamined the multiplying factors for the individual elements and in general have found that the multiplying principle is valid. However, some of the individual factor curves developed have been in poor agreement. Inasmuch as the carbon-factor curve obtained by Grossmann was dependent Lipon the factors for all the other alloying elements present in the steel, it logically followed that his results were in need of correction in the light of the new data available for manganese, silicon, and the other alloying elements. Furthermore, in order to avoid the possibility that errors in the manganese, silicon, or other curves might influence the carbon-factor curve, investigation of iron-carbon alloys containing little or no manganese and silicon was necessary. That the effect of carbon on hardenability was greater than indicated by Grossmann is shown by a comparison of the diameters of completely hardened rounds of iron-carbon alloys with the ideal critical diameter calculated from Grossmann's factors. These alloys have a greater hardenability in a finite quench than predicted by Grossmann's factors for an infinite quench (Table I). Among the other important variables that were in need of further investigation were the effect of deoxidation practice on the grain-size correction curves and the effect of stable carbide-forming elements on the depth of hardening. Most Of the work by Kramer, Hafner, and Toleman4 was done on silicon-killed steels. It was not known whether Gross-mann's grain-size correction curves, determined on aluminum-killed steels, was valid when applied to steels with different deoxidation practice. More data on the

Jan 1, 1947

By M. A. Whiting, H. Kenyon Burch

One of the advantages presented by electric drive in many classes of work is the ease with which the electric motor can be controlled automatically. In a large number of cases certain features of the control are automatic—for example, the rate of acceleration may be limited automatically or the equipment may be stopped automatically at the limit of travel—but the equipment is started and ordinarily is stopped by hand. In other cases the motion of the machinery is utilized to start, control the speed, and stop the motor automatically, independently of any operator. A considerable proportion of the large mine hoists now in use have certain automatic features, particularly protective devices against overwinding, and, in some classes of electric hoists, devices for preventing excessive acceleration or retardation. The large automatic hoists discussed in this paper, however, are completely automatic, i.e., capable of making their trips without the presence of an operator at the control levers. According to circumstances, various advantages may be obtained . by automatic control, chief of which are decreased power consumption, increased precision and safety of operation, and decreased cost of attendance. The first step in the analysis of a prospective automatic mine hoist is to determine whether automatic operation is feasible at all. If men are to be hoisted, or levels changed, the attention of an operator is required for these purposes; but under some conditions it may be entirely practicable and advantageous to build the equipment so that, while provision is made for hoisting men or changing levels, ore can be hoisted automatically from any one level. If, however, an operator's attention is required every few minutes for changing levels, handling men or drills, or other work requiring hand control, it is obvious that automatic operation between times will not be of any practical benefit.

Jan 1, 1917

By Donald E. Cummings

Measures appropriate for the control of the silicosis hazard in mining cannot be formulated precisely, but sufficient knowledge1-l9 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 airborne 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 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, 1940

By Donald E. Cummings

Measures appropriate for the control of the silicosis hazard in mining cannot be formulated precisely, but sufficient knowledge1-l9 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 airborne 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 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, 1940

By Thomas D. West

The fact that iron expands when heated, until fusion takes place, and that molten iron is consequently less dense than solid iron of the same grade, is now universally admitted. It was proved by the extensive experiments of Mr. Thomas Wrightson, reported in the Jownal of the Iron and Steel Institute (1890, No. 1, p. 72, and 1891, No. 1, pp. 75, log), and, in a manner, is illustrated in heavy founding by the shrinkage 'of the molten metal, which must be " fed " in order to obtain solid castings. This decrease in volume requiring " feeding" while the metal is still liquid I call " shrinkage," applying the term " contraction" to the decrease in volume which takes place after solidification, while the iron is cooling to atmospheric temperature. The light-work founder, not having the opportunity to make heavy castings, in which shrinkage can be observed, is apt to confound the two; but they are in fact distinct, and are separated by an act of expanion, which takes place at the moment of solidification. The fact of this expansion was first practically demonstrated by Mr. John R. Whitney, of Philadelphia, Pa., whose experiments are recorded in the National Car and Locomotive Builder of May, 1889. Experiments recently made by the writer indicate that there is a constant relation between this expansion and the preceding shrinkage and forcibly demonstrate the necessity of " feeding " a casting to make its interior solid. This is a matter with which all makers and users of castings have experienced difficulty. The founder being heretofore unable to define correctly the principles involving the urgent necessity of " feeding " has failed to impress the moulder with its importance in making sound castings.

Jan 1, 1897

By C. A. Stetefeldt

The purpose of this paper is to convince the managers of silvermills that their customary reports in regard to the percentage of silver saved are far from the truth. It may be unpleasant for them to have the proofs of this fact brought before the public, and for this rezson the author refrains from giving the names of the mines and mills from which the statistics here recorded were obtained. It may be asked: What is gained by informing the stockholders of our silver-mines that they receive incorrect reports? Will this increase their dividends or lessen their assessments? In the first place, it is always better to publish honest facts than fiction. In the second place, many superintendents believe in the correctness of their reports, and have no idea how much they deceive themselves. Finally, the knowledge that hitherto unexpected losses of silver take place may lead to the adoption of methods by which these losses are greatly reduced. These remarks refer also to smelting-works. The present paper, however, is concerned exclusively with amalgamation and lixiviation. The first and most important error is found in the inaccuracy of the commercial assay; the second in the incorrect sampling of tailings in amalgamation. Further, mills not doing custom-work, but reducing exclusively ores from mines to which the mills belong, are in the habit of weighing the ore only approximately and without making moisture-tests. Thus, a correct basis for calculating the actual percentage of silver extracted is lacking. The superintendent, then, finds it convenient to report the apparent extraction, i.e., the extraction indicated by comparing the value of the roasted ore, minus soluble salts, with the value of the tailings. How many errors are thereby committed it is not necessary to point out.

Jan 1, 1895

By Joseph W. Leonard

In a recent publication in the SME Transactions of September, 1975, Volume 258, entitled “Potential for Further Lowering Sulfur in Intensively Cleaned Coal at Mines,” the writer discussed: (1) technical findings useful for the management of reserves to further lower sulfur in intensively cleaned coal and (2) a future coal preparation plant concept for the intensive cleaning of sulfur. The purpose of this technical note is to (1) illustrate the nomographs that can be formed when recovery is phased in with previous work, (2) make note of the powerful potential for predicting future cleaning performance in unmined areas, and (3) discuss resulting mathematical interrelationships.

Jan 1, 1979

By Eugene Coste

Although some of the observers who first paid especial attention to the occurrences of oil and gas in the strata (such as Hunt in 1859, Andrews in 1861; Winchell in 1865, Mendelejeff in 1876, Höfer in 1876, Minshall in 1881, and I. C. White in 1883) seem to have been impressed with the fact that oil and gas deposits were connected with the disturbances in the rocks caused by their upheavalll yet, with the exception of Mendelejeff, and possibly Andrews, these observers do not appear to have understood what is really the one essential factor in the occurrence of oil and gas in the strata: viz., the faulting, uplifting, fracturing, fis-suring, and jointing always accompanying even slight rock disturbances, and in certain districts (petroliferous provinces)2 allowing solfataric hydrocarbon emanations to force their way up from the interior and to reach and impregnate the porous portions of sediments subjected to the disturbances. Instead of this simple explanation to account -for the observed connection between petroleum deposits and rock disturbances, most of the observers mentioned above, and many others who have foliowed them on the same lines since, have entirely reversed the problem. To them, instead of the dissemination of gases from fissures into the sediments, it presented the accumulation and concentration, according to anticlinal or other geologic structures, of oil and gas originally present throughout the whole mass of the strata where they were produced by the decomposition or distillation of organic remains. Whether this important problem involves accumulation from sources within the strata themselves, or infiltration and dissemination from outside sources, may be easily determined if all preconceived ideas are put aside and the established facts only are considered. Physical Facts Sedimentary strata are composed of alternate beds of shales, sandstones, and limestones, most of which are sufficiently close-grained to

Jan 1, 1915

By R. L. Wilcox, M. L. Fuller

Owing to the nature of the die-casting process, fresllly cast alloys are undoubtedly not at equilibrium from the standpoint of alloy phase relationships. After casting, therefore, they tend to undergo phase changes, with the ultimate effeet of reaching a state of equilibrium at the aging temperature, beyond which no fnrther change takes place. This phase alteration undoubtedly is one of the primary causes of the changes in dimensions and physical properties that zinc-alloy die castings undergo during aging. It is planned to report on this problem in a series of papers of which this is the first. The writers have made a study of commercial zinc die-casting alloys over a period of several years, utilizing the X-ray diffraction technic of determining the phase composition changes in the alloys. Up to the present, two principal phase changes have been observed which are capable of causing dimensional changes: (I) the segregation of secondary constituents from the zinc-base solid solution and (2) the beta aluminum-zinc decomposition. The latter is the subject of the present paper and studies on the former will be reported upon at a future time. Scope of Study In the present investigation a special technic for the study of the beta phase in zinc-alloy die castings has been developed, making possible the determination of the period of existence of the beta phase after casting. The pure beta constituent and its decomposition have been studied in detail. The effect of magnesium and copper on the velocity of the decomposition is reported. The heat of decomposition, the eutectoid temperature arid the accompanying density change have been measured. The density change lias been calculated from data on crystal structure and the result thus obtained has been compared with the actual change.

Jan 1, 1935

By R. L. Wilcox, M. L. Fuller

Owing to the nature of the die-casting process, fresllly cast alloys are undoubtedly not at equilibrium from the standpoint of alloy phase relationships. After casting, therefore, they tend to undergo phase changes, with the ultimate effeet of reaching a state of equilibrium at the aging temperature, beyond which no fnrther change takes place. This phase alteration undoubtedly is one of the primary causes of the changes in dimensions and physical properties that zinc-alloy die castings undergo during aging. It is planned to report on this problem in a series of papers of which this is the first. The writers have made a study of commercial zinc die-casting alloys over a period of several years, utilizing the X-ray diffraction technic of determining the phase composition changes in the alloys. Up to the present, two principal phase changes have been observed which are capable of causing dimensional changes: (I) the segregation of secondary constituents from the zinc-base solid solution and (2) the beta aluminum-zinc decomposition. The latter is the subject of the present paper and studies on the former will be reported upon at a future time. Scope of Study In the present investigation a special technic for the study of the beta phase in zinc-alloy die castings has been developed, making possible the determination of the period of existence of the beta phase after casting. The pure beta constituent and its decomposition have been studied in detail. The effect of magnesium and copper on the velocity of the decomposition is reported. The heat of decomposition, the eutectoid temperature arid the accompanying density change have been measured. The density change lias been calculated from data on crystal structure and the result thus obtained has been compared with the actual change.

Jan 1, 1935

By F. L. Clerc

The lead and zinc region of SW. Missouri is interesting, not only by reason of the value of its output, which ranges in the neighborhood of ten million dollars a year, but even more because of the facilities which it offers for the study of certain forms of ore-deposits, of' which the loci and genesis are somewhat obscure. Although the mineral species found in the region are few and of common occurrence, crystallization has taken place on a generous scale, and unusual forms abound in many combinations, presenting examples of pseudomorphism, para-genesis, metasomatic replacement and the action of mineral-depositing and mineral-dissolving waters. For the mineralogist, lithologist, and specialist in certain lines of metamorphism, it has peculiar attractions, while the systematic geologist will perhaps find its chief claim to attention in the simplified problem it presents, in the study of ore-deposits. In addition to the phenomena above enumerated, it presents instances of well-developed comb-structure in the ores, fissures and faults, and slickensides—features usually associated with extensive movements in the earth's crust, and believed by some authorities to prove the deep-seated origin of the ores. In connection with these occurrences, the absence of all igneous rocks from this region is noteworthy and significant. For that reason, the simplified case presented by the Joplin region, from which these rocks have been eliminated as a factor, is specially valuable. Having had unusual opportunities to watch the development of this district, I have been deeply interested in the bearing of the revelations of the Joplin mines upon questions of universal importance to the science of ore-deposits; and it was to my great regret that the project of a meeting of the American Institute of Mining Engineers at Joplin, proposed in 1892, was

Jan 1, 1908

By J. J. Jakosky

THE fundamental hydrodynamic principles governing the production of oil from wells have been carefully studied and evaluated by many investigators. These prior studies are quite complete and cover virtually the entire field of oil production and recovery.1 One of the most impor-tant measurements in production studies is that of the bottom-hole pressure at various rates of production.2 It is the purpose of this paper to outline the technique and economics of fluid-level measurements as applied to pumping wells and to review briefly other methods for obtain-ing bottom-hole data. The applications of bottom-hole pressure or fluid-level measure-ments are based on simple hydrodynamic principles. Under equilib-rium conditions, pbh = hd + pg + pch [ l] when pbh = bottom-hole pressure, lb. per sq. in. absolute, h = height of fluid in well, ft., d = average fluid density, lb. per sq. in. per foot, pg = weight of section of gas column 1 in. square from fluid level to casing head, pch = casing-head pressure, lb. per sq. in. absolute. In words, equation 1 states that the bottom-hole pressure is equal to the weight hd of the column of fluid plus the weight of the column of gas between the fluid and the casing head plus the casing-head pressure. At moderate rates of flow, the rate of production is approximately proportional to the difference between the reservoir, or static bottom-hole, pressure and the flowing or producing pressure; i.e.: Q = c(pr - pbh) [2] pr = the reservoir pressure, c = the constant of proportionality. However, at production rates approaching zero and also at high rates the proportionality may break down. By combining equations 1 and 2 the

Jan 1, 1939

By G. C. Gould

The nature of freckle segregation is determined by chemical analyses, microradiograplzy, and electron microprobe. In addition, the influence of chemistry variation on freckle formation is studied in laboratory experiments. It is demonstrated that controlled laboratory solidification can produce freckle segregation. "FRECKLE" segregation is a discontinuous, rod-like segregation observed in vacuum consumable -electrode ingots. Figs. 1 and 2 show this segregation as pencil-like, dark etching areas of segregation found in longitudinally and transversely sectioned consumable-electrode ingots. In most cases the segregation is perpendicular with respect to gravity and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ingot. The segregation is most often encountered at or around midradius in large vacuum consumable-electrode ingots. The austenitic alloys, A-286* and 718, † have shown particular susceptibility to this mode of segregation. The origin of these rodlike pockets of segregation is not well-understood. It has been suggested that the segregation is a result of a portion of the electrode dropping off and passing through the arc un-melted. On the other hand, smeltzer1 has demonstrated the freckle segregation in A-286 to be comprised of low-melting constituents relative to the matrix melting point. The discontinuous nature of the segregation is the most perplexing facet of the freckle-segregation problem. It was to gain some insight into this part of the problem that this work was undertaken. I) PROCEDURE At the outset of the work identification of the phases present and the elements concentrated in the freckle areas was undertaken. The electron micro-probe was used to determine general enrichment as well as -specific phase chemistry. Microradiography using cobalt and chromium radiation was also used on the freckle areas again to determine the elements involved in the segregation. X-ray diffraction patterns were made from portions of these same foil specimens. Optical microscopy and Knoop hardness measurements were also used

Jan 1, 1965

By A. T. Shurick

THE present economic crisis in bituminous coal is substantially the most insidious, and critical, in the modern history of the industry. The large consumption deficit that has gradually developed (almost unawares), has culminated in a situation that has forced home the urgent necessity for prompt and radical remedial measures, such as the various mergers now in course of negotiation. Conditions today are sufficiently comparable with those in the iron and steel industry, preceding the formation of the United States Steel Corpn., to suggest the possibility of a sweeping super-consolidation, that all but staggers the imagination. The important function of the banker in this, and lesser projects, is too well known to require comment, and it is important that we understand clearly just what these functions are. Certain features in banking practice came up for consideration in connection with a rather exhaustive economic study into the prospective future of the coal industry, upon which I was recently engaged for an Eastern bituminous interest. This survey was made for the purpose of effecting a decision on certain pressing questions of policy, involving considerable capital expenditures, that would be compatible with the flattening out in the curve of production in recent years. An examination of the TRANSACTIONS, and the coal literature generally, failed to disclose any pertinent, and authoritative data, on this subject. This was more or less characteristic of the whole survey, which had involved a large amount of original research, and measures were taken to procure the required information. The following notes have been compiled largely from the data thus collected, supplemented with material, suggestions and criticisms, by several of the larger banking houses active in coal, together with personal memoranda of my own.

Jan 1, 1928