Search Documents

By A. L. Field, P. H. Royster

The first report on the slag viscosity work of the Bureau of Mines was made by one of the authors1 in 1916. It was concerned chiefly with the method of measurement. A paper2 on this phase of the work was presented to the Institute in February, 1917, and a similar paper3 was communicated to the Faraday Society. PuRpose and Scope of the Slag Viscosity Tables Following the development of a suitable method, the next step in the investigation was the measurement of slag viscosity over a wide range of temperature and composition, and the arrangement of this experimental data in the form of tables for the use of the blast-furnace operator. It is believed that this information, if used intelligently, should help the operator to reduce losses in production caused by off-grade pig iron, to improve fuel economy, to promote operating efficiency, and to extend present-day practice to meet the increasing need of smelting lean and complex ores. In the experimental part of the work it was carly, observed that the temperature-viscosity relations of a slag were determined, for practical purposes, by the relative proportions of the three major constituents, lime (CaO), alumina (Al2O3), and silica (SiO2), provided the percentage

Jan 1, 1918

By Joseph Hartshorne

Ever since the introduction of the Siemens regenerative furnace, it has been recognized that a certain amount of gas is lost each time the furnace-action is reversed. This loss comes, first, from the gas which passes through the free connection between the stack and the gas-main, which exists during the time the reversing-valve is turning over; and, secondly, from the gas which is in the chamber and flues, from the hearth to the reversing-valve, and which flows back into the stack when the valve is reversed. The amount lost each time is, of course, small; but, since a furnace is reversed from four to six times every hour for, say, 300 days in the year, the aggregate is large enough to be well worth attention. The estimate has been published1 that, in Germany aloue, the loss from the first of the above causes amounts to 500,000 barks per year. The loss from the second cause is, of course, much greater.

Jan 1, 1907

By M. G. Gulley

The drilling for and production of crude oil in the Lima-Indiana and Michigan fields were directly and profoundly affected by the severe strain to which the petroleum industry was subjected during the year 1931. Serious and long-continued overproduction in the large flush areas of the western and southwestern fields, coupled with a nationwide decrease in the annual rate of consumption-increase, served to precipitate ‡ This curve is the Mid-Continent price for 38" gravity crude and hence. affords a basis for estlmating the influence of general factors upon the price structure m these fields. a mid-year economic depression which was functionally reflected in every producing area in the United States. A study of the curves of price changes in portions of the central west territory (Fig. 1) will demonstrate this relationship as well as the ensuing upward trend, which developed when pressure was artificially relieved, at least for the time being, in the producing areas in the southwestern states. All field activities in the Lima-Indiana and Michigan territory during 1931 follow the price curve closely: the mid-year depression was evident in drilling activities— both wildcat and within the proved limits of producing fields, in pipe line

Jan 1, 1932

By A. M. Gaudin, W. D. Charles

IN flotation lime is used to depress pyrite. For this purpose it is preferred to caustic soda. The low cost of lime and the widespread availability largely account for this preference. However, there is some evidence' that pyrite is more readily depressed by calcium than by sodium ions at the same pH. To measure the difference in adsorption of calcium and sodium, which is thought to lie at the basis of the differences in depressing action, radionuclides of calcium and sodium have been used. The experimental work has included an evaluation of the effect of dissolved oxygen, of the concentration of calcium or sodium, of the concentration of hydrogen ion, and of the anions present. Preliminary work in the investigation entailed preparation of the pyrite, development of a technique for counting pyrite coated with Ca and Na, the radionuclides used, and development of an apparatus to study the adsorption of calcium and sodium on pyrite. The main experimental work included calcium adsorption and sodium adsorption studies detailed below. The following are the most salient observations made during these experiments. Oxygen in solution increases the adsorptive power of pyrite for calcium

Jan 1, 1954

William Kent, New York City: I regard the paper of Professors Lord and Haas as the most important and valuable that has yet appeared on the subject of the calorific value of American coals. The close correspondence of the results they have obtained by the use of the bomb calorimeter with those calculated by the Dulong formula from the ultimate analyses, confirming the work done by Mahler in France some years before, is evidence of the extreme accuracy of their work, and gives us renewed confidence in Mahler's modification of the Berthelot calorimeter, and in Dulong's formula, which latter, until

Jan 1, 1898

By Frederic P. Dewey

By the old method of determining platinum in ores and bullion, the silver-alloy first obtained in the regular course of assay is parted in strong sulphuric acid and the residual metal weighed. This is re-alloyed with silver by a second cupellation and parted in nitric acid, the residual metal being again weighed. Any difference shown between the two weighings is assumed to be, and is called, platinum. Sometimes it is SO, and if any considerable amount of platinum be present, there will be a decided difference between the two weighings; but a slight difference is no real evidence whatever of the presence of platinum. On the other hand, the second weight may equal or possibly exceed the first, even when traces of platinum are present. Again, other members of the platinum group may go into solution in nitric acid more or less. If present, these would be called platinum and escape detection. The method does not provide any direct tests whatever as to the presence or absence of platinum. It is often indecisive, and sometimes gives erroneous results. It is, therefore, quite unsatisfactory. Being called upon many times to determine platinum in a wide variety of materials, particularly when present in very small amounts, I have realized the disadvantages and defects of this old method. In an article on the solubility of gold in nitric acid,' I have briefly outlined a method of gathering a little gold out of a solution containing much silver, which furnishes the basis of

Jan 1, 1913

By J. C. Draper

Duquesne Light Co.'s Portal No. 3 mine, in the Warwick group of mines in Southwestern Pennsylvania, was started in June 1965 with battery- powered tractor-trailer face haulage. The area as- signed to Portal No. 3 encompasses over 8000 acres of coal and will be developed by driving a set of main entries through the center of the tract in roughly a westerly direction, and sub mains on a 45º deflection angle in roughly a northerly direction (Figs 1 & 2). In the original planning these sub mains were to be at a 90º angle with the mains, but difficult roof conditions necessitated a change in plans. The entries and crosscuts are driven 18 ft wide in the normal Sewickley seam which varies between 46 and 56 in. high. The mine bottom is a strong shale and in average, cool or dry outside conditions stands up well for rubber-tired haulage equipment, but when the outside conditions are hot and humid, the bottom becomes soft and muddy. This condition lessens as the mine faces are advanced further from the portals because the condensation will then take place principally on the surfaces of intake entries outby the working areas. To aid the situation, an air cooling system was installed and is used as conditions dictate.

Jan 7, 1968

By T. E. Weirich

Although 1931 witnessed no new discoveries of oil or gas in Oklahoma, the year is especially outstanding because of price demoralization, political intervention, abandonment of marginal properties, a strict curbing of oil flow from wells in flush fields and an extension of proration into settled fields. In spite of a strict, adherence to proration agreements, the price per barrel of oil sank from 65c to $1.07 to a low level of 10c to 22c. Table 1 gives the price range for crude oil in Oklahoma during the year. Under a martial law order by the governor, a period intervened from Aug. 4 to Oct. 10, of complete shutting in of the flush fields. This condition created an abrupt decline in the production curve during the two months' period. Oklahoma, as elsewhere, is passing through a "transition period" of relieving expensive above-ground storage by maintaining the more copious supplies of crude oil in the natural reservoirs. For many years the thousands of small, nearly depleted wells have been considered as being the "backbone of the industry." A large number of wells of this type are now idle or completely abandoned. More than 1100 abandonments were recorded by the state Corporation Commission during the year. The industry is becoming less interested in these small wells, replacing the former attitude by the curbed potentialities of flush pools. Many of the major companies are grouping these marginal properties with those of adjacent owners, operating the whole

Jan 1, 1932

By Thomas T. Read

The fact that certain types of ore-deposits have attained their present condition through the action of descending surface waters was, perhaps, first clearly pointed out by Posepny.l The oxidizing effects of such waters were discussed by Pen-rose,2 and many papers dealing with this phase of the subject have subsequently appeared. That secondary enrichment of sulphide ores, however, might be produced by descending surface waters was not clearly understood until after the copper-bearing veins of the Butte district, Mont., had been carefully studied by the geologists of the U. S. Geological Survey, although De Launay3 had suggested that sulphides might be transported from point to point and re-deposited in the zone above the level of ground-water. As a result of the study of the Butte district, two papers by geologists engaged in the work appeared within a short interval. The first by Weed: dealing with the enrichment of veins by later metallic sulphides ; and the second by Emmons; treating of the secondary enrichment of ore-deposits in general. In the latter paper it was pointed out that a typical vein of sulphide ores which has been subjected to the action of descending surface-waters exhibits four zones,—an upper or surface-zone, in which the changes hare been mainly of removal, the products being typically oxides; a second zone of oxide enrichment, in which the less soluble metals brought from above have been precipitated as carbonates or oxides; a third zone of sulphide enrichment,

Jan 1, 1907

By Byron S. Gottfried

This paper describes a comprehensive computer program, developed under the joint sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Bureau of Mines, that simulates the performance of coal preparation plants. A typical plant configuration may include several different washers, crushers, and screens as well as stream blenders and stream splitters, interconnected in whatever manner the user may specify. The program will predict the mass and energy yields of each unit and the properties of each flowstream (weight, ash, pyritic sulfur, total sulfur, and energy distributions), provided the feed properties and appropriate values for various control parameters are given. The program is used to assess washability characteristics of different coals, to determine the effectiveness of different plant operating conditions, and to compare the performance of various plant configurations. A brief description is given of the methods used to carry out the calculations for each type of unit. Results of some calculations are also presented. These results illustrate the versatility of the program for analyzing both simple and complex plant configurations. The paper concludes with a description of other accomplishments and future plans.

Jan 1, 1977

PRODUCTION of nonmetallic mineral raw materials used by the fertilizer, ceramic, chemical, and construction industries and many others, was greater during 1953 than in any previous year. Production of fertilizer minerals was the highest in history despite somewhat decreased consumption in the second half of the year. Marketable phosphate rock production increased 10 pct to an estimated total of 13.1 million LT, valued at $78.5 million, and potash production was estimated at 1.8 million tons of K2O equivalent, valued at over $60 million. Crude gypsum output exceeded the 1952 total and approached the record of 8.66 million tons mined in 1951, with indications that 1953 will show a new all-time high. Gains and losses among gypsum products were irregular, with major gains in plate- glass and terra-cotta plasters, sanded building plasters and miscellaneous building plasters, and principal declines in base-coat plasters, prepared finishes and tile. Lath and wallboard outputs were each about 20 pct higher than in 1952.

Jan 2, 1954

By Leonard Waldo

The recent and rapid development of the physics of engineering materials at temperatures as low as that of liquid air and as high as that of the electric are, has drawn renewed attention to the absence of tables, properly printed and spaced, for the convenient and accurate translation of temperature from centigrade to Fahrenheit scales and vice versa. It is to be noted that the Fahrenheit scale is the almost universal usage in foundries and shops in the United States, though the laboratories of the same works employ the centigrade notation. The growing use of the electric furnace in Germany and France calls for much American citation all in centigrade high temperatures, and while the arithmetical calculation is simple, it becomes burdensome when often repeated. I have been surprised at the numerous reprints of Table I. from centigrade to Fahrenheit degrees, first privately printed for personal use, which have been made by works, blue-prints, text-books, and technical journals, and I hope that Table II., from Fahrenheit to centigrade degrees, will be equally useful. For mental calculation the easiest rule to convert centigrade into Fahrenheit is to add 32° to twice the centigrade reading less one-tenth of this product: Thus 1000' C. = 2000" — 200" + 32" = 1832" F., and to convert Fahrenheit to centigrade, subtract 32" from the Fahrenheit reading, multiply by 10 and divide by 2 and 9 successively : Thus 1000° F. = 1000° — 32° = 968° X 10 = 9680° - 2 = 4840° - 9 = 537.77° C. Another and often very convenient method is by 'use of a graphic construction as follows :

Jan 1, 1913

By G. J. Wolga, W. W. Tyler, A. C. Wilson

THE physical properties of uranium have been reviewed by Katz and Rabinowitch.1 Their review includes thermal conductivity data for ternperatures above 375°K. Recently, Mendelssohn and Rosenberg' have published data on the thermal conductivity of uranium from 2" to 20°K. Our measuremerits indicate the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity in the temperature interval from 20" to 300°K. Electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power were measured on the same sample. The material studied was normal uranium which had been heated at 700°C in a lead bath for 10 min and then quenched in a water bath held at 50°C. From this material a rod M in. in diameter and 2 1/2 in. long was machined. Two 0.040 in. holes were drilled into the rod 1 3/4 in. apart. Copper-constantan thermocouples for temperature and potential measurements were soldered to copper pins which were pressed tightly into these holes. Details of the equipment and experimental techniques used in making the measurements have been described elsewhere." Fig. 1 shows micrographs of a section of the sample studied. Fig. la was taken with unpolarized light and shows impurity inclusions, probably uranium carbide. Fig. lb, showing the same field, was taken with polarized light and gives some indication of the grain size and twinning within the grains. Experimental Results Thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity data are shown in Fig. 2. Table I shows values of

Jan 1, 1954

By Jon Kogut

This paper describes three programs, currently in use within MSHA, for graphic analysis of accident frequency data. The first program, TREND, plots confidence bands for curved trends in data compiled over a period of time. In addition to detecting statistically significant upward or downward trends, the program can be used to determine whether an observation at a particular time deviates significantly from the historical pattern. The second program, POIPORP, plots interval estimates for the risk of accident in each of several environments, given an observed number of incidents and exposure time at each environment. POIPORP is designed to quantify the uncertainty implicit in incidence rates based on limited information and to facilitate statistically valid comparisons among the rates. The third program, CINDY, plots dynamically adaptive control charts for accident or injury experience at a given location. These charts are used to detect statistically significant departures from a changing standard or a previously established trend. All three programs are written in FORTRAN IV, utilizing DISSPLA and IMSL. They exemplify forms of statistical analysis that would not be practical without a computer. Use of the programs is illustrated with applications to coal mine fatality and injury experience.

Jan 1, 1983

By C. Edward Capes

Fine particles in liquid suspension can be agglomerated by a number of mechanisms. Well-known methods include the addition of electrolyte to reduce the zeta potential and allow mutual adhesion arid the use of polymeric flocculants to bridge between the particles. A more recent technique, "spherical Agglomeration", is the subject of this paper. The process involves the addition of a second liquid which is immiscible with the suspending liquid and preferentially wets the particles to cause particle adhesion by capillary liquid bridges. Progress in the application of spherical agglomeration to a number of distinct technological fields is reviewed in this paper. The areas of interest include the formation of dense, highly spherical agglomerates, the separation of solids from suspension and the fractionation of complex, multi-component solids mixtures, such as ores. Some of the more interesting recent applications in the energy and environmental fields, such as the beneficiation of' coal and tar sands, are highlighted.

Jan 1, 1977

By G. T. Lineberry

Power requirements for a piece of mobile mining equipment are largely dependent on the set of conditions in which they must operate. These conditions are isolated and key parameters are identified. The effect of operating conditions on power determination is investigated. A simulation technique is developed to predict ranges of power demands for off-highway haul units as an archetype, permitting the analysis of changeable operating conditions. This program uses given data, conditions, and probabilities and ranges to solve for individual components of power, which can then be summed. By adopting such a technique, a systematic and rational determination of power is made possible. The usefulness of this basic approach in the determination of power requirements for other mobile mining equipment is emphasized.

Jan 1, 1983

The Institute conducts jointly with the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Institute of Electrical Engineers, certain activities as listed below, and is joint owner with them of certain properties. United Engineering Trustees, Inc. When Mr. Carnegie made his gift which made possible a home for the engineering societies, a separate corporation was organized to act as a holding company and to manage the common property. This was long known as the United Engineering Society, but the name has now been changed to one which more nearly reflects the real function of the corporation. It holds title to . the Engineering Societies Building and to various funds placed in its charge and is managed by a Board of Trustees, of which three are chosen by each of the four societies, American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Institute of Electrical Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers, which have equal and undivided interests in the property. The land and building cost two million dollars. During the year 1934, the Constitution and Bylaws of The United Engineering Trustees, Inc., were thoroughly revised and a better organization of its functions was affected: The Engineering Foundation and the Engineering Societies Library were made "departments" of the United Engineering Trustees. The Founders Societies share in the property which it holds, and estimated at the present time, as follows: Real estate, $1,987,793; Depreciation and Renewal Fund, $336,992. The U.E.T. has endowment funds-' amounting to $1,107,677. The A.I.M.E. trustees are W. D. B. Motter, Jr., A. L. .Queneau and Albert Roberts.

Jan 1, 1937

GEORGE F. BECKER Dr. George Ferdinand Becker, notice of- whose death appeared in the May Bulletin, was born in New York City Jan. 5, 1847, the son of Alexander Christian Becker, member of a Danish family, and Sarah Cary Tuckernian Becker of Boston. Dr. Becker was the last member of the group of distinguished geologists who, in 1879, were associated with Clarence King at the time of the organization of the United States Geological Survey. He was a leader in mining geology and geophysics, and for many years had been the chief of the Division of Chemical and Physical Research in the Geological Survey, and the investigations under his direction led to the establishment of the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Dr. Becker was a graduate of Harvard University and received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Heidelberg, and in 1871 passed the final examinations at the Royal School of Mines in Berlin. He was for four years an instructor of mining and metallurgy in the University of California, from which he went to the United States Geological Survey. In 1896 he examined the gold and diamond mines f South Africa and at the time of the Spanish-American War was detailed to serve as geologist on the staff of General Bell with the army in the Philippine Islands. He died at his hone in Washington, D. C., on Apr. 20'.1

Jan 6, 1919

Elected Died 1895 ABBOTT, AI ATTHUR 1908 1882 ABBOTT, ARTHUR V 1906 1905 ABE, MASAYOSHI 1909 1903 ADAMS, CHARLES C. 1905 1906 ADAMS, JOHN C. 1913 1905 ADAMS, WILLAMS 1909 1903 ADAMS, W. EDWARDS 1910 1884 ADDY, MATTHEW 1896 1906 AFFLECK, WILLIAM A. 1911 1889 AKERS, WILLIAMS A. 1906 1905 ALABASTER, RUPPERT C. 1911 1899 ALBERGER, LOUIS R. 1911 1894 ALLEN R B 1896 1905 ALLEN, R. SCOTT 1906 1886 ALLISON, ROBERT 1916 1874 AMIOT, H. 1892 1886 AMSLER, CARL 1894 1898 ANDRSON, JOHN W 1905 1895 ÅNGSTROM, CARL 1901 1887 ARCHBALD, JAMES 1910 1900 ARLETT, GEORGE H 1906 1895 ARMSTRONG, JOHN F 1898 1882 ARNOLDS, HUGO 1886 1875 ASHBURNER, CHARLES A 1889 1872 ASIIBURNER, WILLIAM 1887 1883 ATKINS, C M , JR 1885

Jan 1, 1917

NAME AND OBJECT. SEC. 1. This Institute is incorporated under the Membership Corporations law of the State of New York ; its corporate name is American Institute of Mining Engineers; and its objects are such as are stated in its Certificate of Incorporation. ARTICLE II. MEMBERS. SEC. 1. The membership of the Institute shall comprise four classes, namely 1. Members ; 2. Honorary Members ; 3. Associates ; 4. Junior Members. All members shall be equally entitled to the privileges of membership, except¬ing that Honorary Members, Junior Members, and Members and Associates whose residences shall be outside of the United States, Mexico, and Canada shall not be entitled to vote. Members and Associates residing within the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada, and not in arrears for dues, shall be entitled to vote in person at the meetings of the Institute, or, as hereinafter provided for, by letter ballot. SEC. 2. The following classes of persons shall be eligible for membership in the Institute, namely : as Members, all professional mining . engineers, geologists, metallurgists, or chemists, and all persons actively engaged in mining and metallurgical engineering, geology, or chemistry ; as Associates, all persons desirous of being connected with the Institute who in the opinion of the Board of Directors are suitable.

Jan 1, 1923